Openskies | June 2015

WHY MANILA IS BACK ON THE MAP RETRO BOUTIQUE

IN-STORE GIG

POP-UP RESTAURANT

SECRET CLUB

Editor-in-ChiEf Managing PartnEr & grouP Editor EditoriaL dirECtor grouP Editor SEnior Editor dESignEr Sub Editor EditoriaL aSSiStant

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Ian Fairservice Gina Johnson gina@motivate.ae Mark Evans marke@motivate.ae Andrew Nagy andrew.nagy@motivate.ae Ralph Mancao ralph@motivate.ae Salil Kumar salil@motivate.ae Londresa Flores londresa@motivate.ae

ContributorS

Andrew Birbeck, Geoff Brokate, Gemma Correll, Isobel Diamond, Gary Evans, Jamie Knights, Kaye Martindale, Arsalan Mohammad, Joann Pai, Paolo Picones, Robbie Porter, Carolyn Stritch, Sandra Tinari digitaL dESignEr Ralph Mancao ralph@motivate.ae digitaL aniMator Surajit Dutta surajit@motivate.ae

gEnEraL ManagEr ProduCtion S Sunil Kumar ProduCtion ManagEr Murali Krishnan

ChiEf CoMMErCiaL offiCEr Anthony Milne anthony@motivate.ae PubLiShEr Martin Balmer martin.balmer @motivate.ae

grouP SaLES dirECtor Craig L. W. Wagstaff craig.wagstaff @motivate.ae

grouP SaLES ManagEr Jaya Balakrishnan jaya@motivate.ae

rEgionaL ManagEr abu dhabi Imane Eddinari Imane@motivate.ae

dEPuty SaLES ManagEr Amar Kamath

EditoriaL ConSuLtantS for EMiratES Editor Hannah Burden Hamer arabiC Editor Hatem Omar dEPuty Editor Andy Grant WEbSitE emirates.com InternatIonal MedIa representatIves auStraLia/nEW ZEaLand Okeeffe Media; Tel + 61 894 472 734, okeeffekev@bigpond.com.au bELgiuM and LuXEMbourg M.P.S. Benelux; Tel +322 720 9799, francesco.sutton@mps-adv.com China Publicitas Advertising; Tel +86 10 5879 5885 gErMany IMV Internationale Medien Vermarktung GmbH; Tel +49 8151 550 8959, w.jaeger@imv-media.com hong Kong/MaLaySia/thaiLand Sonney Media Networks; Tel +852 2151 2351, hemant@sonneymedia.com india Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, ravi@mediastar.co.in JaPan Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, all@tandem-inc.com nEthErLandS giO media; Tel +31 (0)6 22238420, giovanni@giO-media.nl PaKiStan D&S International News Agency; Tel +92 3235345727, dnsnewsagency@gmail.com SWitZErLand, franCE/itaLy & SPain IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, n.devos@imm-international.com turKEy Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, mediamarketingtr@medialtd.com.tr uK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, nhopkins@spafax.com uSa Totem Brand Stories; Tel +1 4168475100, nicole.mullin@tc.tc Emirates takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken.

Media One Tower, Dubai Media City PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Telephone: (+971 4) 427 3000 Fax: (+971 4) 428 2261 Email: emirates@motivate.ae

110,618 copies July – Dec 2014 Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE

E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

ANDREW NAGY

T

here’s no getting away from it: to many people Manila is simply a staging post; the necessary starting point for your holiday on an island in the Philippines. You fly into Ninoy Aquino airport and then rapidly head off to one of the country’s 7,000 islands by bus, boat or plane. Before you know it you’re partying in Boracay, lounging on the beach in El Nido or spelunking in Sagada.

As plans go, it’s not exactly a bad one, but what happens if you stay there… in Manila I mean? If you do, you’ll find it to be a city currently in the throes of cultural renaissance, and it’s almost impossible not to get hooked on the place.

Many years ago, I spent a summer interrailing around Europe. It was only planned to be a threeweek trip but the timeframe rapidly doubled, as it proved impossible not to spend time in the places that I stumbled across by vir tue of the European rail network’s route planning.

I often wonder whether the realities of Manila are what might occasionally hamper its progress as a real tourist destination in it’s own right. After all, this isn’t a city where everything shines. It’s gritty and real, which to me is the attraction, but perhaps it’s also occasionally a deterrent. If so, that would be something of a shame. Manila is abuzz with cultural

Manila is a city currently in the throes of cultural renaissance, and it’s almost impossible to not to get hooked on the place Whether it’s a fringe ar t fair or retro clothing store, a hidden speakeasy or sprawling music festival, you can find it in Manila. The thing is, to my mind at least, it’s yet to fully blossom in terms of its reputation around the globe. But then that hidden gem quality is what’s so exciting about it all, making an even more compelling argument for you booking a trip there as soon as possible.

Be an early adopter to avoid the rush, swer ve the inevitable price hikes, and earn some serious travel bragging rights in the process.

These are surely the best of all trips: the unexpected ones; the occasions where you’re meant to be there for half an hour while you wait for a bus, but end up staying for a week, star t scanning the local paper for rental proper ties and make a few tentative phone calls as to whether you could officially relocate.

energy at the moment and if you have a travel bucket list that you’re currently working your way through, a trip there should be on it and circled in red, even if that means stepping out of your comfor t zone – in fact, especially if it means it.

A trip to India’s Singalila Ridge offers exactly this type of opportunity, too. After all, it can involve freezing temperatures, wandering bears, burly border guards and a 100km trek over all manner of terrain.

But this was also what made it such a great story, and why we sent writer Gary Evans to face the elements and report back to us. Read how it went on page 66.

I guess if there’s one thing you can take from all this, it’s to simply embrace all oppor tunities.

Between A and B there can be a host of adventures to have, should you just stick around long enough to investigate.

Enjoy the issue

facebook.com/openskiesmagazine

twitter.com/openskiesmag

LOOK OUT FOR THIS ICON ON EACH STORY IN OPEN SKIES FOR AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF EMIRATES

NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUR IPAD! | 11 |

C O N T E N T S

FRONT

18 22 24 27 32 Experience

Flashback

Entrepreneur

Lunch With

Taste Of

34 40 51 Stay

Neighbourhood

Local Knowledge

MAIN

60 66 Manila Rising

Trekking in India

BRIEFING

76 80 82 84 86 Emirates News

Inside Emirates

Destination

Comfort

88 90 96 98 UAE Smart Gate

Route Map

The Fleet

| 12 |

Entertainment

Visas, Quick Connect & Quarantine Information

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JUNE Some of the people who helped create this issue of Open Skies ISOBEL DIAMOND

ANDREW BIRBECK

GEOFF BROKATE

GARY EVANS

Isobel is a London-based travel writer with a specialist interest in luxury and culture.

Her work has featured in The Telegraph, Condé Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure and The Sunday Times online. She also blogs at theartsexplorer.com. For this issue she wrote about Manila.

Andrew is an Edinburgh-born author, writer and blogger who contributes regularly to a broad range of international and national titles. For this issue he interviewed Stephen Segerman, the co-owner of Cape Town’s Mabu Vinyl.

Geoff is an Australian photographer based in the UK. For this issue he travelled to Geneva’s Quartier des Bains and discovered it to be a place far more exciting and unusual than any visitor might assume on first inspection.

Gary is a freelance feature writer who has written for Mixmag, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Independent and Dazed & Confused. For this issue he walked India’s long Singalila Ridge.

“Manila’s creative side won’t reveal itself immediately, it takes hunting out, but it’s so worth the pursuit. The city is transforming and there’s a wealth of new places to discover.”

“I first watched Searching For Sugarman a couple of years ago and was blown away. So when I got to meet the very man who had kicked off the hunt for folk music legend Rodriguez, it really was a dream.”

“It felt like I was uncovering a little secret when I visited Quartier des Bains. When I visit a city I tend to venture to the hidden spots first and this neighbourhood really had more surprises than I was expecting.”

“India is a land of great contrasts – rich and poor, overpopulation and great natural beauty – but I think my memories will be of the hills and wildlife, the people and their hospitality, and the snows of Kangchenjunga at sunrise.”

JOANN PAI

ARSALAN MOHAMMAD

SANDRA TINARI

PAOLO PICONES

Joann is a Paris-based food and lifestyle photpgrapher.

Follow her work on her website: sliceofpai.com. This month she shot a recipe for beef chorizo in Vancouver.

Arsalan is an art writer, magazine editor and curator, and was the founding editor of Harper’s Bazaar Art Arabia. He currently writes for artsy.com, Time Out London and Berlin’s Sleek magazine. For this issue he wrote on Jackson Pollock.

Sandra is an Australian freelance journalist and photographer, based in Dubai.

For this issue she wrote about a restaurant and design store making their mark.

Paolo is a photographer based in Manila. He divides his time shooting personal projects and editorial work.

He has a background in photojournalism and documentary photography but is also well rooted in the contemporary art world. For this issue he shot in Manila.

“Chef Juno Kim is an emerging talent in Vancouver’s culinary scene, pushing boundaries in flavour combinations. His food is a work of art. With a new menu each week, the pop-up dinners are a treat to experience his culinary creativity.“

“Sixty years after his death, Jackson Pollock’s legacy continues to endure. His new exhibition at the Tate show that his final years were full of fascinating new ideas and lots of possibilities.”

“There is a real buzz emanating from Dubai’s food scene at present, and you get the impression that the city’s food entrepreneurs are proving that tenacity and passion can overcome the seemingly impossible.”

| 14 |

“I had a interesting time taking photos of the city that I grew up in.

It’s changed a lot and culture and the arts in the city are genuinely blooming right now.”

THE UNIVERSAL STANDARD

BY WHICH GEMS ARE JUDGED. Weight Carat 1.53

ColorE Grade

Grade Clarity VS1

Grade CutExcellent

Each diamond is unique. Know yours. As creator of the 4Cs, GIA has been the world’s recognized gem authority for more than 80 years.

Anywhere in the world, depend on GIA for expert, independent evaluation.

Look for GIA-graded diamonds and jewelers who offer them. www.4cs.gia.edu

CARLSBAD ANTWERP BANGKOK DUBAI GABORONE HONG KONG JOHANNESBURG LONDON MOSCOW MUMBAI NEW YORK OSAKA RAMAT GAN SEOUL TAIPEI TOKYO

F R O N T Neymar on the Copa America, p18 | Lunch with Dynamo, p27 | Neighbourhood: Quartier des Bains, Geneva, p40

E x p E r i E n c E

June 11 – July 4

The Copa ameriCa Santiago, Chile

There’s something of a running theme, at the moment, when it comes to Brazil not living up to their usual hype at football tournaments, that being talismanic striker, Neymar, is generally off the pitch at the time of their exit.

Four years ago, as El Scratch limped out of the Copa America on penalties, it was down to a tactical change. Last year’s inglorious World Cup exit on home soil saw him watching from a hospital bed after an ugly challenge by Colombian defender, Juan Zúñiga, left him with a broken vertebra in his back. His TV interview

the following day left the presenter and audience in tears; they would cry even more the following week, watching their side dumped out of the tournament thanks to a 7-1 defeat to Germany.

As you can imagine, the man is hoping the majority of his time in Chile, this month, will be spent on the pitch. “Of course we can win it,” says Neymar assuredly, before realigning his thoughts quickly to mention, that “five or six other teams could too”.

“I remember the amazing feeling of my two goals against Ecuador in 2011, but I also remember how bad it felt to go out,

even though I wasn’t on the pitch at the time. It hurt and if you know Brazil you know that people demand success; the fans, the politicians, everyone. That’s simply what is expected.”

Whether the newly installed captain – he might only be 23, but he’s already fifth in the country’s all-time leading goalscorers list behind Pele at number one, naturally – can revive returning manager, Dunga’s side this month is a different matter, but he’s ready to continue as his nation’s Great Hope. “If you want to win things, you have to cope with pressure. It’s as simple as that.”

Emirates offers daily passenger flights from Dubai to three destinations in South America including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

In addition, Emirates SkyCargo operates freighter service to Quito in Ecuador and Campinas in Brazil.

| 18 |

IMAGE: GETTY

FooTBAll SuPERSTAR, AnD nEw BRAzIlIAn nATIonAl TEAM CAPTAIn, Neymar, on whY hIS CounTRY’S REDEMPTIon FRoM woRlD CuP DISGRACE STARTS hERE

Italy Travels in Carpisa The most sold luggage in Europe

The insured suitcase

®

for every destinatio

n in the world

in collaboration with

WE ARE PRESENT IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi araBia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, united araB emirateS, United Kingdom.

WE ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE DEPARTMENT STORES OF: El Corte Ingles (Spain), Falabella (Chile), Groupe Beaumanoir (France), Siman (El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica). fOr BOSnia herzegOvina, KOSOvO, macedOnia, mOntenegrO, SerBia, SlOvenia: Primis Consult – info@pconsult.it fOr crOatia: Pianoforte Croatia d.o.o. - zeljka.dulkic@pianoforteholding.com fOr Spain: info@kuvera.es fOr greece: Yama Hellas S.A. - angela.ferentinou@inticom.it fOr pOrtugal: Corrêa & Terenas S.A. - mail@correaterenas.pt fOr ruSSia: Indaco OOO – grechkoentrade.ru fOr all the Other cOuntrieS: international@carpisa.it

E x p E r i E n c E

June 30 – OctOber 18

Jackson Pollock: Blind sPots LiverpooL, UK

Jackson Pollock’s reputation as a master of 20th century art is assured. Between his debut solo exhibition in New York in 1943 and his violent death in a car crash in 1956, he revolutionised the American art world, pioneered the ‘action painting’ genre, formed the vanguard of Abstract Expressionists, established himself as a cultural icon and comprehensively shattered preconceptions.

This summer, Liverpool’s Tate Museum is presenting Blind Spots, an exhibition of Pollock’s work, taking the transitional mid-career period of the early 1950s as the curatorial focus. It highlights the phase

in Pollock’s career when the artist was dealing with the national notoriety his groundbreaking works had brought him during the previous decade.

By the early 1950s, Pollock had reached something of a turning point in his career. Ever impatient and frustrated with his own perceived shortcomings and limitations and perpetually tormented, he was moving deeper into abstraction, his dark world view defining his new direction. The resulting paintings make up this show. Curated with the characteristic thoughtfulness of the Tate, it’s actually the first exhibition in over 30 years to survey

his work between 1951 and 1953 – often referred to as his ‘Black Pourings’.

These paintings show something of Pollock’s struggles to move on from his ‘drip’ paintings (and to emphasise this, the Tate is including a number of Pollock’s key earlier works). But as we explore the heavy, black enamel and oil paintings, there’ll also be some very rare examples of his work in fields one might have considered alien to this most painterly of painters, with drawings from the same period as well as a number of virtually unknown and rarely seen sculptures. tate.org.uk

The uk is emirates most frequented a380 destination, with nine daily a380 flights. There are five daily services to london-heathrow, and twice-daily a380 services to both Manchester and london-Gatwick.

| 20 |

Jackson Pollock, Yellow Islands 1952, The Pollock-krasner FoundaTIon ars, nY and dacs, london 2015.

arsalan MohaMMad Is an arT wrITer, MaGazIne edITor and curaTor who belIeves ThaT ThIs MonTh’s blInd sPoTs exhIbITIon aT The TaTe could reveal Much abouT The dark daYs oF Jackson Pollock

F O R

S H O P P I N G

L O V E R S

CA S T E L L A N A

S TO R E

S TO R E

M A D R I D / D I AG O N A L

DEPARTMENT STORES SPAIN & PORTUGAL

BA R C E LO N A

F L A S H B A C K

JUNE 17, 1972

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

IN 1972, A BREAK-IN AT WASHINGTON DC’S WATERGATE COMPLEX WOULD LEAD TO CORRUPTION AT THE HEART OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE END FOR PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON It was the duct tape over the doors that gave it away as security guard Frank Wills did his customary search of Washington DC’s Watergate Complex on June 17, 1972. After calling the police he would go on to discover five men had broken in to the offices of the Democratic National Committee, and repercussions that would lead to the very hear t of government.

No ordinary break-in, all men had, not only thousands of dollars in their pockets, but also links to the committee to re-elect President Nixon. It was this cash that piqued the interest of Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Cal Bernstein, and two years of investigative journalism – since described by the former New York Times managing editor, Gene Roberts, as “maybe the single greatest repor ting effor t of all time” – would follow a trail of dirty money back to the committee slush fund, by way of a host of illegal activities and attempted White House cover-ups.

Thanks to a major FBI source – since revealed to be FBI associate director Mark Felt – Woodward and Bernstein were able to make discoveries suggesting treachery at the hear t of government, forcing Congress to investigate. None were more vital in proving the cover-up of the bungled robbery, and the role played in it by the president, than the Nixon Tapes – recordings surreptitiously made of conversations in the White house.

Although increasingly paranoid, Nixon was by no means the first president to tape conversations in the White House, but he was the first to have them voice activated. After citing Executive Privilege and refusing calls from the prosecution to give the tapes up, he was eventually subpoenaed to submit them, and saw his political suppor t disappear as a result of their damning evidence. Facing near cer tain impeachment from the House Of Representatives, Nixon went on to offer his resignation.

Since 2012 Emirates flies non-stop daily to Washington D.C.

| 22 |

STAY AT WATERGATE NEWLY REOPENED AFTER A US$125M RENOVATION The Watergate hotel has been a magnet for controversy since it’s 1965 opening. Partly financed by the Vatican, it’s contemporary design

by Italian architect, Luigi Moretti, was labelled an insult to the neoclassical underpinnings of the city.

The outcry merely added to its appeal and by 1970 it was a playground for the rich and famous.

Recently reopened after a six year US$125 million renovation, it plays on the building’s rich history, with 240 rooms, a fine dining restaurant and luxury whiskey bar. The stylish motif doesn’t end there either – costume designer Janie Bryant, who won an Emmy for her work on box set behemoth Mad Men, has designed the staff uniforms. thewatergatehotel.com

E n t r E p r E n E u r

Mabu Vinyl Cape Town, SouTh afriCa

| 24 |

E N T R E P R E N E U R

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE To eat like a local…

Try Miller’s Thumb on Kloofnek Road If you’re after live music…

Head to The Assembly on Harrington Street Get outside the city…

Drive to Hout Bay, over Chapman’s Peak (opening scene in the film Searching For Sugarman) A good soundtrack to the city is…

Astral Weeks by Van Morrison and, of course, Cold Fact by Rodriguez The best advice I can give…

‘If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?’

WORDS: ANDREW BIRBECK IMAGE: MICHAEL ELLIS

A

nickname, some banter on a beach, and passion for the music of Rodriguez, a gifted singersongwriter long thought dead, all led to a mind-boggling journey for Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman, the co-owner of Mabu Vinyl.

“I first heard Rodriguez back in the ’70s and he was always at the back of my mind. So much so I was nicknamed ‘Sugar’ after one of his songs,” he says.

“Then about 20 years ago, when I was hanging out on the beach, somebody asked me how Rodriguez died. There were all sorts of rumours so I decided to find out, eventually discovering he was actually very much alive. It was a total shock. And Rodriguez was just as shocked to find out how popular he was here.”

Those who’ve seen the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary Searching For Sugarman will be familiar with the story, yet despite its amazing success the film may never have seen the light of day but for the sheer determination of Swedish director

Malik Bendjelloul, who sadly passed away in 2014. “Malik was on a worldwide hunt for stories,” Stephen says. “He’d read about our search for Rodriguez in The Guardian and in 2006 came to Cape Town to find out more. We hit it off straight away.”

Despite a name check at the Oscars, Stephen prefered watching Malik enojy his moment in that rarified limelight.

“My favourite memory is of him standing proudly on stage with the golden statue.

The Cape Tourism Board actually flew us to LA as a thank-you for bringing the beauty of the region to so many.”

At the mention of the Vanity Fair afterparty Stephen grins and replies, “Well, we got to hang out with a bunch of film stars and celebrities. I guess it was a surreal night to cap a magical journey.” Keep an eye out for Stephen’s soon to be published book Sugar Man, co-written with fellow searcher Craig Bartholomew Styrdom, or better yet, drop by and see him at Mabu Vinyl. mabuvinyl.co.za

Emirates flies to three destinations in South Africa: Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

Emirates’ twice daily service to Cape Town is operated by Boeing 777-300ERs.

| 25 |

L u n c h

w i t h

Dynamo Urban illusionist Dynamo makes people laugh, scream and cry. Sometimes he even makes them faint too. Just what would he do at lunch?

WORDS: KAYE MARTINDALE IMAgES: gEOFF BROKATE

I

spotted the slight, boyishly framed Dynamo at the foyer of London’s iconic Shard building instantly, but was beaten to the punch when a woman with a 10-year-old boy jumped in and asked if he’d pose for a photo with her son. Everybody grins ear-to-ear as the mum takes the photo. They gushingly thank Dynamo and tell him how much they love the show.

I notice instantly that he has the same sweet, guileless manner that has made his TV show a hit in 180 territories around the world. It’s a cliché but he really is just like he his is on TV, except perhaps that in real life his blue eyes are more striking and he looks a little more grown up.

We step through the doors of Hutong – The Shard’s 33rd floor Chinese restaurant – and I’m transpor ted to another world. The city of London is spread out resplendently before me in an almost 180 degree panorama. The restaurant oozes style and elegance. Lovingly finished with antique and bespoke furniture, the interior creates the feeling of floating high above the hectic pace of the capital, within the sumptuous decadence of old Beijing’s Forbidden City.

We’re joined for lunch by Dynamo’s manager, Dan Albion, and his PR manager Sara Lee. Any concerns I had that the interview would become a business-like PR exercise vanishes

| 27 |

Moment The Team Members of LUX* help people to celebrate life with the most simple, fresh and sensory hospitality in the world.

M AU R I T I U S R E U N I O N M A L D I V E S C H I N A U . A . E ( 2 0 1 6 ) | L U X R E S O R T S. C O M

L u n c h

w i t h

I bought a camcorder and laptop and I’d go and try to hustle my way backstage to meet a-lIst performers and fIlm wIth them amid the sun-drenched window seats, breathtaking views and a friendly meandering conversation. I have to remind myself that I’m here to interview Dynamo, not hang out with him. I notice that Sara calls Dynamo ‘D’ and I take my opportunity to bring the conversation around to the interview. I ask about his superhero-esque stage name. “If you think about what I do and the meaning of the word, it’s the perfect fit. A dynamo is a small generator that produces electrifying results far greater than its stature. That’s me! I’m a real Dynamo.” Unable to resist the selfdepreciating urge to temper the boast, he adds with a cheeky grin, “Or so I’m told.”

At 5” 6’ and slender, Dynamo cuts a modest figure. A longtime sufferer of Crohn’s Disease – a debilitating condition that affects the digestive system – he grew up small and underweight on a “deprived” housing estate in Bradford. Bullied and teased at school for his small stature, like most superheroes, Dynamo grew up as a bit of an outsider.

Upon hearing about his grandson’s struggles at school, Dynamo’s beloved Grandpa taught him some tricks. “He showed me some techniques to use to get the bullies away from me.

At first it worked, which served its purpose, but it did alienate me ‘cause people thought I was some weirdo. But over time I learned how to use it to bring people together and that’s when it came to fruition: when it became a performance art, not just a defence mechanism.”

Dynamo dreamed of becoming a professional illusionist, something everyone in his working class family cautioned him against, except his Grandpa. In search of his dream he spent a

year in the US where his Grandma lives. “She has 19 awardwinning golden retrievers and travels around America showing them. I travelled with her and I’d perform at the after-parties.”

Travelling around the US was inspirational for Dynamo. “I was doing more traditional sorts of illusion shows until I went to New Orleans. I saw street performers for the first time and I realised what the possibilities were. Then I went to Vegas and saw professional illusionists. I came back after a year in the US with a whole new outlook on how I could make a career out of it all.”

With a £2,000 grant from the Prince’s Trust, Dynamo [real name Stephen Frayne] made his first DVD. Showing his shrewd streak, he realised that with such a small budget he’d have to find another way of bringing finesse to the film. “I bought a camcorder and laptop with the money and I’d go and try to hustle my way backstage to meet performers and film with them. In the end I worked out a master plan of how to work the room to get to who I needed to get to. I managed to film with Snoop Dog, Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay.”

Since his first homemade DVD in 2006, his chosen career has radically altered the course of his life. The young man, who had to use his “northern charm” and “hustling skills” to get backstage at gigs, now finds doors open easily for him. Although he admits that he still occasionally finds mingling with Hollywood stars at red carpet events “totally surreal for a lad from Bradford”.

The food arrives and the conversation stops dead as we all stare wide eyed at the offerings from the kitchen. Soft shell crab, on a bed of bright red lantern, a glistening crispy duck, a melt in the mouth plate of tofu and for Dynamo a simple bowl of chicken noodles. Everything looks so delicious that we can’t resist sharing our dishes. Dynamo cautiously sticks to his noodle soup and crispy duck as he explains to me the strict dietary regime he has to follow due to his medical condition.

Dynamo’s TV series has taken illusion shows away from “the shiny floors and scantily clad ladies of tradition” into new territory. Dynamo took his trade to the streets of New York, the slums of Mumbai, the heights of Rio and the townships of South

dynamo’s seeing Is believing tour makes stops at five emirates destinations including manchester, newcastle, birmingham, glasgow and dublin.

| 29 |

Talk freely Low cost international and national calls PLUS

Great value bundles for mobile internet

Present your boarding pass at one of the below locations to get your FREE prepaid SIM with credit * UK: WHSmith store at Birmingham, Heathrow & Manchester Arrivals Netherlands: Lebara stand at Amsterdam Schiphol Plaza (located near the arrival exits 3 or 4) Australia: Lebara Stand at Sydney International airport (located at arrival exits AB & CD) Denmark: WHSmith store at Copenhagen Arrivals Always by your side Australia

|

Denmark

lebara.com |

France

|

Germany

|

Netherlands

|

*Terms and conditions apply at lebara.com. Credit included with your FREE SIM will be: ÂŁ1 in the UK, â‚Ź1 in the NL, $1 in Australia & 10 DKK in Denmark.

Poland

|

Spain

|

UK

L u n c h

w i t h

Pharrell Williams, who I thInk Is one of the coolest guys on the planet, ran away screamIng and he’s not the kInd of person I thought would react In that way

Africa. One of the many enchanting things about the show is the amazing way that it illustrates illusion’s way of transcending culture and language.

Visibly delighted to talk about the way people around the world differ in their reactions to what he does, Dynamo’s face takes on a childlike sparkle. “Everybody gets shocked and awed but they express it differently. The craziest reactions are in the US. They are quite comfortable with letting themselves go. In the UK we can be quite reserved: a bit too cool for school. But in the US If they love something they’ll show it and on the other hand if they hate it, they won’t try to hide it at all. In India the people aren’t so vocal but I’ve never seen people’s faces show so much emotion.”

After watching the show, I was unsure what I enjoyed more; the mind-boggling tricks or the reactions of the spectators. I wonder what keeps it all fresh for Dynamo. Without skipping a beat he replies. “Giving someone that sense of wonder that I felt the first time I saw my Grandpa perform.”

“It just makes you feel young again. The difference between adults and children is that children believe anything is possible.

They aren’t beaten down by the harsh world around them so when you watch an illusionist perform you feel like a child again.

No matter our age or origin, we are always going to be intrigued by it. We are so used to having the answers to everything available at the touch of a button and with a good trick you can’t find the answer to it because it doesn’t exist. People want to be surprised: there aren’t enough surprises left in the world.”

Dynamo has clearly given his art a lot of consideration and reflection. “I think it shows us who we really are. We all have

a façade and we all want to be seen in a certain way but this can break through that. I’ve had grown men screaming, women fainting, people bursting into tears. Pharrell Williams, who I think is one of the coolest guys on the planet, ran away screaming and he’s not the kind of person I thought would react in that way.”

Often credited with bringing it back to the top of TV ratings, Dynamo has chosen not to renew his television contracts.

Jumping off the wave of street illusion that he started, he states without a trace of bitterness that TV is currently saturated with it and that he wants to try something different. He’s going to put all his energies into an epic 81 date tour. I assume that with those numbers he’ll be going around the world but he replies casually that it’s just a UK tour.

As we come to the end of our meal the conversation once again drifts back into friendly chit chat. Dynamo seems to withdraw into himself before I barely notice him softly say, “I’d like to try something.” In my excitement I fumble over his simple instructions. He takes an ordinary looking marker and draws a cross on my hand. I look on stunned as he somehow moves the cross off one hand and over to the other.

A weird giggle that I’ve never heard myself make before escapes my mouth and I really don’t know what to make of it.

I’m dazed as he pulls out a deck of cards and asks me to pick one. Definitely feeling like a child now as he nimbly shuffles the deck, discards a few and produces mine. Before I can stutter in surprise, my card is back in the deck, re-shuffled, cut and then, somehow, the cards move through the air, before being presented back to me for inspection.

The whole table gasps and giggles, as the impeccable waiting staff stand as close as protocol permits with their mouth open wide, exclaiming wildly to each other.

Like any superhero worth his salt, Dynamo remains unruffled as he sits back down, casually smoothing out his jumper and resuming his original demeanour. I sit smiling, happy to be totally flabbergasted, reminded of the ear-to-ear grin of the boy downstairs in the foyer. “Don’t worry, I only use my powers for good,” Dynamo adds as he and his trusty sidekicks head back out into the metropolis below.

The Bill 1 x roasted peking duck (£58.00), 1 x red lantern crispy soft-shell crab with sichuan dried chilli (£29.50), 1 x golden jade tofu (£9.50), 1 x eggwhite fried rice, topped with crushed conpoy and spring onion (£7.50), 3 x fruit juice (£3.50 each)

Total: £115

| 31 |

T A S T E

O F

T H E

I B E R I A N

P E N I N S U L A

BEEF CHORIZO Served with black garlic purée, heirloom carrots, with salt cured egg yolk, it’s a collaboration between Vancouver’s 33 Acres Brewing Co and Juno Kim Catering WORDS AND IMAGES: JOANN PI

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALT CURED EGG YOLK: 3 cups sugar 3 cups kosher salt 12 egg yolks FOR THE BLACK GARLIC PURÉE: 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, finely chopped 2 sprigs of thyme 1 head of black garlic, peeled 1/2 tsp cayenne Salt to taste TO FINISH: 4 dry-cured beef chorizo 2 heirloom carrots 2 Easter egg radishes 12 flaxseed crackers Dash of olive oil Dash of sherry vinegar SERVES 4

STEPS 1

2

3

FOR THE SALT CURED EGG YOLK: 1. Mix sugar and salt together and cover a baking sheet with about 1/3 of the sugar-salt mixture 2. Place egg yolks on the baking sheet gently, then cover the yolks with the remaining mixture 3. Chill in a fridge for a week 4. Take the yolks, wrap them in cheesecloth and hang in a well-ventilated space for two weeks 5. The yolks will last a month at room temperature; you will only need two yolks for this dish FOR THE BLACK GARLIC PURÉE: 1. Take the chopped onion and sweat in a pot at medium-low heat until translucent. Add the thyme and give it a stir 2. Once the thyme becomes fragrant, add a half-cup of filtered water and the black garlic, raise the heat to high and bring to the boil 3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes 4. Remove the thyme, then blend in a high power blender on maximum for 30 seconds 5. Season to taste with salt and cayenne TO FINISH: 1. Slice the beef chorizo on a bias, sear on a heavy bottomed pan on medium-high heat, until browned. Set aside 2. Slice carrots thinly on mandoline, dress lightly with olive oil and sherry vinegar, and salt to taste 3. Slice radishes thinly on a mandoline and set aside soaked in water 4. Plate the black garlic purée first, with a spoon and wide strokes 5. Place the beef chorizo on top of the purée 6. Garnish plate with radish (drained), heirloom carrots and flaxseed crackers, in that order 7. Grate the salt cured egg yolk on top of the ingredients to taste

Emirates serves three destinations across Spain and Portugal. There is a daily service to Lisbon, and twice daily flights from Dubai to both Barcelona and Madrid. Emirates sponsors football club Real Madrid in Spain and Benfica in Portugal.

| 32 |

HISTORY This dish was inspired by fermentation; something that has been exciting chefs all over the world – Vancouver included. Experiments with breaking down ingredients to intensify flavours – or to create new ones – has boosted the creativity of many a culinar y wizard in recent times. Processes like curing, pickling, and purposeful decaying are becoming commonplace on menus from the best eateries around.

Pop-up dinners is one of the culinar y world’s hottest ideas at present, the temporar y aspect making the evening unique, with many chefs who value high quality over profits taking up the task. Juno Kim Catering specialises in such events and has gained notoriety for beautiful presentation, delicious balanced dishes and a great experience.

POP-IN Try the Pop-Up Dinner every Monday evening. There’s a new menu each week complete with a meat, vegetarian and snack option. No reservations are needed; it starts at 5pm and runs until 9pm, but show up early to avoid missing out.

33acresbrewing.com

S t a y :

R o o m

Al SAhel VillA ReSoRt Sir Bani YaS iSland, UaE

Words: Mark Evans IMagE: anantara A hotel complex in a nature reser ve seems like it could be one of those novelty UAE ideas, but the Anantara resor t, on Sir Bani Yas Island, is ver y much in the midst of a working wildlife preser ve.

The island – 9km offshore from Jebel Dhanna (around two hours’ drive from Abu Dhabi) – was developed as

wildlife preserve in 1977 by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Careful conservation since has seen the island become a stunning nature enclave, where giraffe and Arabian Oryx run free.

The resor t is split between a hotel and villas, with the villas inside a fenced area, allowing animals to wander past, with the more dangerous animals safely

inside another ringed fence.

The villas are Arabian in feel, with luxury touches including a bath that you could spend all day in and a private plunge pool, but the star is very much the location. Sat on the terrace as a sand gazelle strolls past, it feels like life couldn’t get much more serene. desert.islands.antara.com

Emirates ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative invites environmental or conservation not-for profit organisations to send in proposals, with the winners receiving an award of up to US$150,000 in project funding.

| 34 |

S t a y :

C l a S S i C

LA MAMOUNIA MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Words: AndreW nAgy ImAge: LA mAmounIA During a break in the 1943 Casablanca Conference, British prime minister Winston Churchill and US president Franklin D Roosevelt, would talk of their shared love of the region. “It’s quite the most lovely spot in the whole world,” said the PM; and he was right.

Found in the shade of the Koutoubia mosque, Morocco’s La Mamounia hotel

has hosted the world’s most famous figures since opening in1923.

But even icons occasionally lose their lustre and in 2009 Parisian designer Jacques Garcia was entrusted to return it to its former stately glor y via a US$65 million makeover. Now hundreds of hand-cut tiles and handmade lanterns line its maze-like corridors, cour tesy of

the finest painters and wood car vers in Marrakech, while world-class chefs captain the five restaurants and bars.

Finally, and in our favourite corner of the hotel, The Churchill Bar – away from the chaos of the city – you can sit and imagine him there, enjoying a cigar and a whiskey. Truly a spot for icons. mamounia.com

Emirates flies twice-daily to Morocco. The non-stop service from Dubai to Mohamed V International Airport in Casablanca is operated by an Emirates Boeing 777.

| 36 |

S t a y :

C o n t e m p o r a r y

MUKUL BEACH, GOLF & SPA mukul, NICARAGuA

Words: Joe MortiMer iMage: MUKUL BeaCH, goLF & sPa ‘Nicaragua’ and ‘luxury’ are words rarely uttered in the same sentence, but billionaire Carlos Pellas has resolved to change that with his newest business venture, Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa. Sprawling along Nicaragua’s dramatic Pacific coast, the boutique resort’s 37 villas and bohios (traditional thatched huts) overlook picturesque Manzanillo Beach,

where two-metre swells provide some of the best surf in Central America.

Each bohio has a private plunge pool, twin showers and panoramic floor-toceiling windows, replete with furnishings made by local artisans. Ocean-facing decks made from native wood cry out for you to spend an evening under the stars with a glass of Pellas’ Flor de Caña rum.

Mukul caters to every whim: there’s an 18-hole golf course designed by David McLay Kidd and activities ranging from big-game fishing to beach yoga. Finally, join Central America’s business and political elite at La Mesa restaurant and reflect on being among the first to savour luxury living in a country waiting to be discovered. mukulresort.com

Download The Emirates App – now available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Your personal journey planner makes it easy to view and arrange your trips when you’re on the go. Designed to complement the iPhone app, there’s also an Emirates App for Apple Watch.

| 38 |

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

Quartier des Bains, Geneva Words and Images: geoff Brokate

| 40 |

Emirates began its non-stop daily service to Geneva in 2011. Emirates also flies twice daily to Zurich, with one Emirates A380 service daily.

Starting October 1, both Zurich flights will be operated by the A380.

Although often better known for its diplomats and bankers, Geneva’s ar t district, Quartier des Bains, is putting the city on the map as an essential destination for international ar tists and collectors. A local secret for some time, the rest of the world is star ting to pay attention to Europe’s very own SoHo. Bordered to the nor th by the Rhone River and the Arve River to the south, Quartier des Bains, was once a working

class area and you can still find traces of its history as you pass its restored workshops and factories, reinvented as imposing ar t galleries.

In 2004 three gallery owners, who were struggling to tempt artists of international standing to exhibit in the city, established the Quartier Des Bains Association. Now the area has been reinvigorated and is home to 20 bustling galleries and six huge cultural institutions.

| 41 |

The boutiques of the area strive to break down barriers between art, life, design, entertainment, relaxation and even grooming by creating an all-encompassing space where disciplines and activities overlap and feed into each other. Specially designed furniture folds up and wheels away so that salons can be transformed into catwalk runways, while painters create in working studios that are woven into the life and soul of shop floors.

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

Ethnography MusEuM of gEnEva (MEg)

Surrounded by rows of indistinguishable apartments, this building is a startling and impressive display of modern architecture. In line with the philosophy of the area, the museum offers visitors an entire experience. You can browse for books in its vast library, or relax in the music lounge were you can listen to the sounds of instruments from around the world, or take in the remarkable permanent collection that houses thousands of cultural objects. MEG’s goal of illustrating the cultural diversity of the five continents takes visitors on an illuminating journey, from traditional Inuit life to the battle armour of the Samurai, from the domestic minutiae of handcrafted butter moulds from 18 century Switzerland to the imposing sentinels of Native American totem poles.

Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67, Geneva | +41 22 418 45 50 | meg-geneve.ch

LEs fLEurs dE frida

This store, a homage in name and décor to the infamous Mexican ar tist and icon Frida Kahlo, is a kaleidoscopic antithesis to the sparse, minimalist galleries of the area. It’s a quaint and welcoming boutique and studio where you can watch the resident ar tist, Florence De Barros, bring her luscious paintings to life. Originally an ar tist studio, the store has developed around this lively creative hub. It opened in late 2014 and it is embracing the district’s philosophy of ensuring that the buyer receives an experience, not simply a transaction. Here visitors can buy unique objets d’ar t by local ar tisans, handcrafted clothing and jewellery and it’s the only place in des Bains where you can pick up an original yet affordable piece of ar t.

Boulevard St-Georges 52, Geneva | +41 22 557 42 38 | lesfleursdefrida.ch | 43 |

ALL HAIL THE HEIRS TO THE KING CROC KINGDOM

THE LITTLE CROCS ARE FINALLY HERE

The King and Queen Croc are happy to announce the birth of their young ones; heirs to the famed Croc Kingdom at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Be the first to pay your respects.

SEEITTOBELIEVEIT .YV\UK 3L]LS ;OL +\IHP 4HSS *HSS! VY ]PZP[ ^^^ [OLK\IHPHX\HYP\T JVT -VSSV^ ยธ+\IHP (X\HYP\Tยน VU

Grand Partner

Insta

Partners

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

Art And Public

This unassuming gallery lies at the heart of des Bains. Owned by Peirre Huber, one of the founding members of the Quartier des Bains, and established in 1984 the gallery has exhibited such artists as modern masters Nan Goldin and Cindy Sherman. In its current form it has become a pioneer in Asian art and has been integral in the rise of Asian art’s popularity in the west. The gallery has given special attention to Zhang Wei, who makes celebrity collages out of Chinese facial features. It’s also the place to go for advice and guidance for aspiring and established art collectors. If you’re hoping for Huber’s expert opinion, you may need to make an appointment as he is currently working on a museum in China that will permanently house his own private collection.

Rue des Bains 34, Geneva | +41 22 418 45 30 | artpublic.ch

Atelier des bAins

An offshoot of the family-owned Cafe Des Bains, this contemporar y urban galler y is born out of collaboration by the brothers Nicolas and Arnaud Huber t. The first urban ar t galler y in Geneva, the brothers are bringing popular international ar tists to the city. With thousands of people descending on their openings, their urban and street ar t galler y is proving a huge success. The gallery is dedicated to suppor ting ar tists through creating residencies, which enable the buyer to meet the ar tist and gain an insight into the work that’s on display. The galler y also offers a chance to buy original lithographs through an online store called Print Them All but these traditionally printed works are selling out fast, as collectors leap at the chance to own an authorised print by these cult ar tists.

Rue des Bains 22, Geneva | +41 22 320 51 70 | atelierdesbains.com | 45 |

Mohammed Abdo

Barney Live

Shaun The Sheep Live

Sesame Street Live

Mythbusters

Habeeb El Yasi

Shreya Ghoshal

comedy friday

Hans Klok The World's Fastest Illusionist

The Illuminaire Fire and Light Spectacular

Comedy Night

Mummenschanz The Musicians of Silence

Comedy Friday

FUN FOR ALL Enjoy three months of entertainment and fun for all the family at this year's Abu Dhabi Summer Season in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region.

Bringing together star-studded concerts and international performances by leading artists, superb comedy acts, world famous children's shows combined with the best summer special deals in hotels, malls and attractions across Abu Dhabi.

Make sure you are part of the fun this summer, there's more to the emiratewide festivities than ever before.

@abudhabievents #ADsummer Official Events Partners

800 555 abudhabisummerseason.ae Official Airline Partner

Official Hotel Partner

Official Payment Card

Official Media Partner

Presented by:

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

Le BaL des Createurs

The installation by Scottish ar tist, Rober t Montgomer y, in Geneva’s first concept store makes it clear that this is no ordinar y beauty salon. Established with the goal of bringing people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds together, this hairdressers with a difference houses a bar, librar y and video installation, and can be transformed into a photography galler y or a space for fashion shows. Founded by the ex-ar tistic director of Chanel, Christophe Durand, the space manages to maintain the delicate balance between being almost unbelievably cool yet staying pretension free. Le Bal des Createurs has its own radio station and holds regular exhibitions and ar tistic events. As if that wasn’t enough to pack into one space, you can always go down into the basement for an excellent massage.

Rue de l’Arquebuse 25, Geneva | +41 22 320 00 55 | lebaldescreateurs.com

Le Cafe de La Presse

The current owner, Mehrez Agrebi, took over the café in 1984, which was then a popular journalist haunt as there were three major newspapers based in the area. The wedge shape of the building is reminiscent of New York’s Flatiron Building and, as a result, customers are afforded 180-degree views of the neighbourhood. On the edge of des Bains, Le Café de la Presse is popular by day with the workers of the area, while by night its sister restaurant, Le Reservoir, fills up with bearded hipsters and carefully tousled fashionistas eager to make the most of the quar ter’s vibrant atmosphere. Le Reservoir hosts events, theme nights and live music, and is the place to go in des Bains for enter tainment that lasts until the early hours of the morning.

Boulevard Saint-Georges 62-64, Geneva | +41 22 320 62 99 | le-reservoir.ch | 47 |

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

Cafe des Bains

Originally an old bookstore, Café des Bains is now a sleek venue with contemporary ar t on the walls. This conglomeration of entwined yet distinct spaces are home to one of the finest restaurants in Geneva, a hip bar that doubles as a breakfast buffet, pavement terrace at the front and a decked patio garden to the rear that comes to life when the sun shines. The lunch menu changes daily with seasonal ingredients and the dinner cuisine is a modern fusion, ar tistically presented with an emphasis on colour.

Not content to rest on their laurels, the innovative owners are planning to create a unique, all inclusive boutique hotel where the restaurant’s chefs cook and serve your food in the seclusion and luxury of your room.

Rue des Bains 26, Geneva | +41 22 321 57 98 | cafedesbains.com

PlainPalais flea Market

This is one of Switzerland’s largest markets, running every Sunday since 1970. It takes place in the local showground that also houses a large skate park. Its food section offers a delectable range of fresh produce from regional farmers, while there is stall after stall of international street food that you can eat as you stroll. The wide variety of cuisines reflects the cultural mix of the city. Skip from tempting German sweets, hearty Uruguayan chivitos (a traditional sandwich dish), colourful Indian spices and delicate French pastries. After your stomach is satisfied move on to the booksellers, jewellery, reduced designer brands, shoes and bags. It’s a great place to delve into the local atmosphere and prepare for a long day of gallery hopping.

Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva | 49 |

A Spectacular Landscape Located next to the tranquil forest and the stunning lake Kucukcekmece, a green and blue paradise awaits you just 10 minutes from Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.

Make Cennet Koru your new home

L o c a L

K n o w L e d g e

La Serre How to eat the healthiest food in the city, courtesy of Chef Izu Ani and the Middle East’s first Slow Food restaurant, the French-Mediterranean bistro and boulangerie, La Serre words and IMaGEs: sandra TInarI

H

aving garnered critical acclaim as the chef behind La Petite Maison in Dubai, Izu Ani’s magic touch is now bringing fresh, homemade food to the city’s Downtown district at his own La Serre Bistro And Boulangerie.

His passion for creating good quality food from scratch, with the freshest of ingredients, has now seen the chef awarded the region’s first ‘Snail Of Approval’ by Slow Food, the global grassroots organisation founded to counter the rise of fast food.

Izu says, “Slow Food is something that is relatively new to Dubai but has existed for a long time in Europe, having star ted in Italy. It’s in recognition of how you respect and understand the processes that go into making food.

“The ethos mirrors my own personal attitude towards cooking. There must be a cer tain passion and love for what you do and, for me, I always love to star t from the beginning with the raw ingredients, trying to utilise them without masking them or trying to create something completely different. For

| 51 |

Beat the traffic and choose a high-class lifestyle of Sea Pearl’s unique location by the sea.

Reside in the most prestigious location of Istanbul and enjoy an exclusive lifestyle unparalleled in the city.

SeaPearl’s all independent units will offer you exclusivity with stunning sea views.

Residents of SeaPearl Istanbul will enjoy the benefits of the world’s most prestigious hotel’s services.

Are you ready to indulge in the SeaPearl Istanbul experience?

Apply now to benefit from SeaPearl Istanbul’s special launch payment options.

L o c a L

K n o w L e d g e

When you Speak To Someone Who haS CareD for The proDuCe iT makeS you appreCiaTe iT more, because you know they’ve put so much love into it

Slow Food to be here in Dubai is a testament to where the city is going as a culinary destination,” For Izu, serving his customers with fresh, high-quality food means supporting and visiting local famers in the region.

“As much as we can, we try to suppor t local farmers. We aim to be sustainable while being consistent in the quality of our product,” says Izu. “Buying local gives customers fresh ingredients – there is a challenge in the Middle East to sustain the Slow Food Movement but with determination and passion it can be done.

“Visiting the farmers is my passion. It’s always a privilege to meet and talk to them. When you speak to someone who has cared for the produce it makes you appreciate it that much more back in the kitchen because you know that person has put so much love and care into it.”

Having started his career at the Michelin-starred The Square, in London, Izu later worked across France and Spain at a number of restaurants including the world-renowned, threeMichelin starred Auberge de L’Ill and the two-Michelin starred La Bastide Saint Antoine in the South of France.

His European experiences inspired him to establish La Serre, his own French-inspired bistro and Parisian café, serving bread and pastries fresh-baked in-house and Mediterranean meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A French-style herb garden will

shor tly open onsite, as will a research kitchen in homage to the chef ’s time in Spain and its restaurants that take a molecular approach to cooking.

“At La Serre we want to push the boundaries and to fur ther understand the ingredients before we even begin to use them,” Izu says. “Dubai is not a transient place for me. It’s my home and that’s why we are putting down stems and trying to grow something. What you sow is what you reap and that’s what we want to do at La Serre.” laserre.ae

The City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus is a great way to explore Dubai. Learn more about City Sightseeing Dubai, and all the routes and stops at citysightseeing-dubai.com

| 53 |

GARDEN APARTMENTS IN AL ZAHIA, SHARJAH

300,000

SIZES UP TO

AED

STARTING FROM

INDUSTRIAL AREA

AL ZAHIA GARDEN APARTMENTS, YOUR SMARTEST INVESTMENT TO DATE FROM DUBAI & ABU DHABI

• Modern and spacious apartments available for purchase • Strategically located 5 minutes from University City and 10 minutes from Sharjah International Airport • Excellent rental returns • Right next to the planned City Centre Al Zahia • Flexible payment plans with Sharjah Islamic Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

INDUSTRIAL AREA

1,849

SQ. FT.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED ROAD ‫ﺳﻴﺘﻲ ﺳﻨﺘﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﺰاﻫﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﺰﻣﻊ‬ ‫إﻧﺸﺎؤه‬

FROM SHARJAH & AJMAN

PLANNED CITY CENTRE AL ZAHIA

ّ AL ZAHIA COMMUNITY SAIF ZONE

SCHOOL COMPLEX

SHARJAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

E 344652.517 N 2800603.668

UNIVERSITY CITY

UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

L o c a L

K n o w L e d g e

D:tales Swedish expat Lars Narfeldt and his interiors store, D:tales, show how to add a touch of Scandinavian cool to your home by way of the desert

I

n what is seemingly an unlikely path for a design aficionado, Swedish native Lars Narfeldt was a UN peacekeeper in war zones across Africa and Afghanistan before settling in Dubai to pursue his dream of bringing Scandinavian design to the Middle East. His concept store, D:tales, Precinct Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, is now a magnet for admirers of minimalism and beautiful design.

“D:Tales had been an idea of mine since as long as I can remember,” says Narfeldt. “So when we settled in Dubai and I couldn’t find the designer pieces I wanted, that was when I decided to finally get the shop off the ground.”

D:tales focuses primarily on Scandinavian design, with complimentar y pieces from likeminded international designers. Among the sofas from Arne Jacobsen and lights from Verner Panton, you will find tables by Fadi Sarieddine and products from Samer Al Ameen, Rabih Ghanem, as well as the Palm series by UAE designer Khaled Shafar.

“Besides the obvious facts that I am Scandinavian and this is the style I like... there are two quotes that sum up Scandinavian design for me,” explains Lars. “Don’t make something unless it’s both necessary and useful, but if it is both necessary and useful don’t hesitate to make it beautiful” is the first, along with the

| 55 |

L o c a L

K n o w L e d g e

after the initial shock wears off, we find that most customers welcome the new initiative and keep coming back for more surprises and inspiration rather cryptic, “Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.”

D:tales is designed as a typical Scandinavian concept store, with concrete flooring, open, exsposed ceilings and wall cladding that is made of the beveled zinc sheets used for rooftops in Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen.

“Many of our customers says that it feels like stepping out of Dubai and into a shop in Stockholm, which is exactly what we were aiming for,” says Lars.

“A concept store in Dubai is a bit of a new thing and some of our customers initially had a hard time understanding what they get; a furniture store selling bicycles, designer clothes, watches, wallpaper and even books. But after the initial surprise wears off most customers welcome the new initiative and keep coming back for more surprises and inspiration.”

D:tales also offers customers a hands-on journey through contemporary design history, stocking many classics that have remain unchanged more than 50 years after first being produced.

“Take the String Shelf as an example,” says Lars. “Originally made by Swedish architect Nisse Strinning in 1949, it is still in production in its original set up. More or less ever ything in the store has a stor y, a histor y, which is the reason for our name D:tales – because ever y design has a stor y to tell.

“I think that once you know the histor y behind the product, it will become more valuable to you as a customer, and you’ll also be sure to take better care of it.” design-tales.com

| 57 |

Luxury Yacht Charter

Select from our fleet of Luxury Yachts - 53ft to 86ft Come aboard our luxury yachts and experience iconic Dubai like never before from water sports to leisure getaways to classy corporate events. We offer the perfect packages to suit your needs.

Mention ‘EK-OS’ to our customer service team, and enjoy a complimentary Rolls Royce pick up for your bookings on any of our yachts from 78ft onwards.

Yacht services also available for fishing trips, sightseeing tours, luxury dinner cruise & custom events for small or large groups.

Call now to book your xclusive experience

04 432 7233

info@xclusiveyachts.com | www.xclusiveyachts.com

M A I N Manila Rising, p60 | Trekking in India, p66

Urban gallery

Poetry jam

Vinyl hot-spot

Fringe art fair

D ON M IA ES L DICON E B P ISOOLO : S A RD S: P O W GE A IM

FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES. THIS IS

M

anila is abuzz. A new creative culture is transforming this Asian megacity, driven by a young, forward-thinking generation. The burgeoning contemporary ar t scene has spawned a slew of galleries and there are intimate music gigs, street fairs and sleek museums to discover.

Design is also finding its voice.

Boutiques championing new designers and locally crafted products are blossoming. Annual festivals such as Fringe Manila, a large-scale cross art-form affair, along with “smaller events like Art In The Park and Art Fair Philippines are part of its rebirth,” says performance artist and tour guide Carlos Celdran. “Manila is in the throes of an artistic renaissance.”

This shockwave of cultural energy is sweeping through the hippest neighbourhoods: bohemian Malate, glitzier Makati and out to the sprawling squares of Quezon City and the ancient walled city of Intramuros, Manila’s historic heart. “There’s a sense that people are ready to reinvent the places they inhabit and that drive is transforming par ts of

the city,” suggests Julia Nebrija, executive director of Viva Manila, a non-for-profit organisation running a confection of ar ts interventions from pop-up painting workshops to poetry jams.

There was a time that Manila held the moniker The Pearl Of The Orient.

A thriving centre for trade, it gleamed with ar t nouveau and deco architecture, with cobbled boulevards and acacia-lined streets. Its reinvention draws influence from these glory days. Historic buildings are being reimagined as dynamic cultural venues, shops and hotels. | 62 |

Nowhere is this more visible than in Malate. The district where the ar tistic community has long been centred is studded with concrete mid-rise blocks and early 20th century buildings.

Architectural treasures like The Luneta are being renovated and rediscovered.

Built in 1918 in exemplary Belle Époque style, this luxury hotel fell into decline.

In 2014 it reopened, with the original curvaceous wrought iron balconies and intricate cornicing perfectly revived.

The newly launched and impeccably modern Amelie Hotel, designed by local interior stylist Anton Barretto, takes inspiration from the ‘deco’ apar tment blocks still resided in close by. Barretto’s finish is slick with a stylish roof terrace and restaurant and there are plans for local creatives to fill the public spaces with ar tworks and music.

A reconfigured colonial townhouse is the base for 1335 Mabini, a contemporary art gallery with palatial whitewashed rooms and stark exhibition spaces. It supports a roster of established and emerging artists. “We attract people who want to see or experience something unexpected,” explains general manager Luigi Singson. “Our shows are often unconventional and non-mainstream.”

A CITY IN THE THROES OF A CULTURAL REVOLUTION, AND EVERYONE IS INVITED The gallery is also gaining traction internationally and represented Filipino artist Poklong Anading at Ar t Basel HK 2015. New galleries like the 1335 are symbols of the vibrancy of Manila’s art sector, with events like Ar t Fair Philippines also on the rise. Founded in 2013, this annual show, held each February, showcases work from the city’s top 33 galleries. Art In The Park is an annual affordable ar t fair, while ar tist-run initiatives like 98B bring practitioners together at their base in the First United Building, for a programme of talks, exhibits and one-off events.

Perhaps, a reason artists flock to Malate is the light. Located on the edge of the Manila Bay shoreline, silhouetted figures stand on the promenade at dusk and watch apricot sunsets turn scarlet and burnout beneath the South China Sea. And as night sets in, the city wakes up and lights blink like beacons across the skyline.

Makati is the fashionable drinking district where savvy entrepreneurs are reshaping the nightlife scene. “Manila’s bar culture had been stagnant for a long period. In the last few years we experienced a need for more options, away from the usual clubs,” suggests Anna Ong, who is par t of the management team behind a host of new alternative venues.

Their venture Finders Keepers is part of a growing trend in Makati for prohibition-era inspired bars, flavoured with the decadence of 1920s America.

Hidden behind a steel door at the back of Warehouse 5, also the venue for riotous club night Black Market, this

low-fi den is filled with a beautiful crowd.

DJs spin relaxed ambient sounds, which complement the plush décor of curved velvet sofas and dimmed spotlights. The Curator is another speakeasy-inspired hotspot, serving cocktails by night and killer coffee by day. Red Rabbit and Exit are also making their mark in Makati’s aesthetically beautiful drinking scene.

Ong also works with B-Side, a live band venue based at The Collective in Makati’s San Antonio Village. Here, artisans, designers and restaurateurs are promoting creativity, fair trade and collaboration all under one roof in a modern plaza. It teems with fashionable youngsters, eating and drinking in the evenings and by day, accessing the independent shops stocking everything from vinyl to fancy dress.

Makati is not just a nightlife district.

It is also the business centre and 5-Star hotels like the Shangri-La and Fairmont Raffles line Makati Avenue. The Greenbelt is a contemporary series of buildings, clad in grey stone. This glamorous shopping mall is packed with designer brands like Prada and Louis Vuitton.

Commercial ar t galleries such as Altro Mondo are springing up here too.

An escape from the midday heat can be found in the shade of the Greenbelt’s lush gardens and outdoor cafes. The Ayala Museum is also housed in the complex. While it may be a decade old, it is modishly stylish and utterly fascinating.

It examines the historic story of The Philippines, exploring its maritime trade and the discovery of gold.

Everyday, Intramuros is awoken by the clip-clop beat of horse-drawn carriages.

| 63 |

They ferry visitors around this hub of ancient churches and crumbling buildings set within 16th century rampar ts.

Now, this historic centre of the city is redefining itself through culture, thanks to a wave of new projects.

Viva Manila’s activities in Intramuros include their monthly fair, the Sunday Pasyal. The streets come alive with performers, graffiti ar t, music and food in pop-up plazas. “It is about engaging people in spaces they don’t usually visit through performance and public installations,” explains Julia Nebrija.

“For tourists and locals alike it’s special, bringing people together to experience something new.”

M A N I L A

Bryan Benitez recently launched Bambike, the first company to run experiential cycling tours here. The bikes themselves are the highlight. Designed by Benitez and locally made from bamboo, they are as stylish as they are sustainable.

Their cool retro designs have lightweight frames and are available to buy and export. “It is exciting to see Filipino designers utilising native, raw materials in creative and innovative ways,” he says.

The Manila Collectible Company, based close by, sells a cornucopia of ethical products promoting craftsmanship by the indigenous tribes of the Philippine islands. Hand-woven textiles, clothing and accessories, like funky beach towels and canvas shoes, sit alongside handicrafts in vibrant patterns and colours. The company’s aim is to showcase and promote Filipino artisans and design.

This creative sector is flourishing in Manila. “The design scene is developing and maturing and the city provides constant inspiration,” says designer Rossy Rojales. Alongside husband Robert, she runs Heima, a concept store with two branches in Pasig City and Makati. Heima sells lifestyle wares such as furniture, books and records; alongside their own range of home accessories, from cushion covers to cocktail shakers, all inspired by the Philippines’ tropical, verdant landscapes.

They also host a line-up of in-store events, including gigs by international bands, like French electro three-piece We Were Evergreen.

R I S I N G

Over in Quezon City, a complex district of pedestrianised squares and mega-malls, an alternative scene is buzzing in Cubao Expo. This vintage arcade of shops has been a subcultural hub for a decade. And it continues to evolve. Gold Digger is a store owned

by Anna Ong’s collective that sells vinyl, apparel and collectibles – it is soon to launch an eponymous record label too.

Coast through Life is a recently opened surf-inspired boutique. Their own range of crisp and super-stylish clothing and accessories come in plain colours and simple cuts, designed for city dwellers who escape to the beach at weekends.

“It’s a place where interest-based hobbies like art, music and fashion coexist. It’s an escape from commercial malls, an antimall so to speak,” explains Jelzon Rommel Reyes, Founder of The Four Strings.

Musicians gather inside his shop to strum and chat over organic coffee and homemade food, surrounded by delicately hand-painted ukuleles and small guitars, all designed and made in Manila.

It is a common story in cities the world over. Where subculture and creativity blossoms, commercialism often follows and in the case of Manila the developments are star tling.

Take the newly opened $1.3 billion City of Dreams complex in Manila Bay, which alongside a host of luxury facilities is home to Asia’s first Nobu Hotel and restaurant, owned by Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Rober t De Niro. It signifies the city’s dual reinvention as a destination for business and tourism.

If there’s one thing that we can take from all this creativity, is that this is a metropolis that’s firmly on the rise.

LIVE LIKE A MANILENO Because local knowledge is power

1. Taxi drivers don’t carry much loose change, so prepare smaller bills (100, 50 or 20 Pesos) and don’t expect to be given exact change.

2. During rush hour you should avoid the taxis, it’ll be cheaper. Instead opt for the LRT or MRT metro lines, or even one fo the graffiti-covered jeeps.

3. Street food is central to life in Manila. Try the squid balls dipped in a mix of sweet and sour sauce.

4. Try the San Miguel Pale Pilsen.

Brewed here, it’s our version of the world-renowned drink.

5. Filipinos are generally friendly and curious. Prepare to be asked personal questions and to make new friends straight away.

Emirates flies twice daily to Manila. The non-stop service from Dubai to Ninoy Aquino International Airport is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.

| 65 |

Walking With

W a l k i n g

W i t h

g i a n t s

ThE SInGalIla RIdGE In WEST BEnGal IS knoWn foR ITS STunnInG vIEWS, WandERInG BEaRS, and ThE oCCaSIonal BuRly BoRdER GuaRd. naTuRally, WE SEnT a WRITER ThERE To Go TREkkInG Words: Gary Evans Images: Carolyn stritch

| 68 |

W a l k i n g

W i t h

g i a n t s

t was the penultimate day. That morning, with heavy feet and tight knees, we walked a steep 14km downhill; downhill in the driving rain, downhill through the thick forest, downhill with boots wrapped to backpack in a plastic sheet.

When the forest finally opened up it revealed a valley walled with pines trees tall, green, and arrow-straight. The stream that split it rushed through huge boulders in its bed while along its banks were huts’ 30 or more, each surrounded by fields full of crops.

We began the final few hundred metres down to Gorkhey (8,200ft). The rain relented. Through the clouds the sun star ted to shine. The village looked, at that moment, not like a rugged farming community found where nor theast India meets southeast Nepal, but rather an Alpine retreat in France or Switzerland.

The Singalila Ridge runs north to south through West Bengal. To the east is the Indian state Sikkim and west lies the district of Ilam in Nepal. The ridge, and its capricious weather, rises all the way to the summit of the world’s third-highest mountain, Kangchenjunga (28,169ft).

It begins a couple of hours’ drive from Darjeeling (7,099ft), an Indian hill station whose population is largely descended from Nepalis. Everyone still speaks Nepali.

The people, like their counterparts out in the wilds along the Singalila Ridge, have distinctively Himalayan faces: bright eyes, beaming smiles and high cheekbones.

We travelled from Darjeeling to Manebhanjan (7,054ft), where we met our guide, Ajay, and began the fiveday, 100km journey along the ridge.

Manebhanjan is a little transit town; the houses on one side of the street are in India and those on the other in Nepal.

Ajay talks quickly, quietly, and not always comprehensibly’ listing the names of the places we’ll visit and their altitudes.

In his black fleece, black combat pants and black military boots, he looks more mercenary than highlander guide. I ask him how many times he’s completed the trek. “Around 340,” his casual reply.

To enter the Singalila National Park, which makes up a large par t of the trek,

I

| 69 |

it’s compulsor y to be accompanied by a guide. “Zoom zoom,” Ajay said, so on we walked.

On we walked through misty country known as Mother Of Cloud, where water vapour clung to Ajay’s eyelashes and past prayer flags left behind by Buddhist pilgrims was strewn over the huts they use to cremate their dead.

Ajay went missing among some trees and returned with a fistful of pine needles. He took off his boots and began stuffing them with the needles. “Good for smell. OK? For sweat.” And then he unleashed, for the first time, his loud, maniacal laugh, “Haaa-yaaa-yaaa.”

Ajay’s people are from Nepal, but he and his father were born in India.

His father was also a guide and worked until he was 55. Even now, Ajay tells us, his father, well into his 60s, is still more than capable of completing the Singalila Ridge trek.

For the people who live along the border between India and Nepal, religion and national identity are not always clearly defined concepts. Among some living in the Darjeeling hills and nor thern West Bengal, there’s a movement calling for a new state, Gorkhaland. These people call themselves Indian gorkhas.

But Ajay didn’t want to get into that or religion: “I’m a cocktail. Haaa-yaaa-yaaa.”

Each night we stayed in modest trekkers’ lodges. When we arrived at the first, Shikhar Lodge in Tumbling (10,000ft), Ajay showed us to a room consisting of a firm cot, five blankets to keep out the cold, one working light and hot water heated in the kitchen and brought to us in a bucket.

That night we drank tongba, a hot beer made with fermented millet and served in front of open fire that Ajay had lit with petrol. At 5am he woke us for a shor t walk to a viewpoint. Here we saw clearly the snowcapped peak of Kangchenjunga. Off to the left, just visible on the horizon, Makalu (27,824ft), Lhotse (27,939ft) and, in between, Mount Everest (29,028ft).

Back at the lodge, some of the men who lived in the village were sat outside with guitars and began to play and sing.

W a l k i n g

W i t h

The sun liT up The whiTes of Kangchenjunga, iTs five peaKs againsT The blue cuTTing a shape deserving of iTs nicKname, The sleeping buddha

| 70 |

g i a n t s

Emirates flies to 10 destinations in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Mumbai and the capital, Delhi.

With the singers’ breath visible in the sun, everyone came outside to watch and dance. Ajay clapped and clicked his tongue while dancing, all arms and knees. Then it was time to move, so on we walked.

On we walked past the national flower of Nepal, rhododendrons bright red in bloom; deep into the Singalila National Park, where 5ft, 400lb Himalayan black bears have been known to walk great distances completely upright; through military checkpoints, stern-faced soldiers, assault rifles slung over their shoulders, inspecting our papers and passpor ts and asking for our signatures.

The toughest stretch of the whole trek was on the second day. Once away from the forests of Singalila National Park, the final sweep of a 21km trek is uphill on roads recently built for jeep tours. They’re made of large rocks that lie loose and uneven and they shifted underfoot as we walked. The road twisted and turned all the way up to to Sandakphu (11,929ft), the highest point in West Bengal.

Every so often as we walked Ajay looked back from beneath his black umbrella to see our faces twisted against the hail and sleet. He would shout, “Just here, OK? One kilometre, a Nepali kilometre. Haaa-yaaa-yaaa.”

A Nepali kilometre is a measurement indeterminately longer than that

with which it shares its name. After countless Nepali kilometres we reached Sandakphu. The views here, after Ajay had again woken us at 5am, leading us to the top of the hill behind the lodge, were the best of the entire trip. The sun lit up the whites of Kangchenjunga, its five peaks against the blue cutting a shape deser ving of its nickname, the Sleeping Buddha. We ate breakfast, then on we walked.

On we walked through rain, snow, huge hail stones; the thick fog in front of us and the rhythmic rustle of the plastic sheets around us giving the day’s walk a mesmeric quality; we passed two men, one wearing black leather loafers. Ajay looked at his watch and shook his head.

Once they’d passed he said, “They’re walking to Tumbling in par ty shoes.

Haaa-yaaa-yaaa” Phalut (11,811ft) has only two permanent residents, the caretakers of the lodge. The night here was the coldest of the trip and the one spent in the most austere lodge we had been in. Outside, Darjeeling twinkled in the distance, above it lightning flashed soundlessly in the sky. Inside, the wooden hut, even with a sleeping bag and several blankets pulled up over our faces, it was too cold to sleep. Ajay at our door at 5am was a rather welcomed sight.

| 71 |

The morning was icy and dark and although Kangchenjunga was now right in front of our face, its peak faded in the mist. A herd of yaks ambled by, bells around their necks ringing as they walked. I asked Ajay about the solitary grave on the hill, up there on the border of Nepal, Sikkim and West Bengal, where hills rolled high and green and disappeared into the clouds. “He was yak man,” Ajay said. “He rest here so he’s always looking at the view.” From here to Gorkhey it was all downhill, driving rain, thick forest, plastic sheets.

On the morning of the final day of the trek, Ajay gave us a lie in. He was grinning at our door at 7am. Outside in the thin sun, overlooking the stream, we ate a breakfast of roti and finely chopped fried potatoes.

This day was the most pleasant of all the trekking – it was flat. The sun was shining. In every direction the deep green hills of Sikkim went sprawling off into distance, propping up a cloudless sky, the houses on the hillsides just visible among the vegetation. It was here that we met the jeep taking us back to Darjeeling. In Manebhanjan our guide was teary as he said goodbye, shook our hands and got out of the jeep. We drove away looking out of the window. Ajay waved once, then on he walked.

b r i e f i n g Emirates Sponsors Benfica, p76 | Destination: Seychelles, p82 | Route Map, p90

E m i r a t E s

n E w s

EmIRAtES NEW BENfICA ShIRt SpoNSoR

Q&A Luís Filipe Vieira President of S.L. Benfica How difficult is it to deal with both the demands of the supporters and the commercial side of the club?

Mr. Luis Filipe Vieira, President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline exchange gifts at the official signing of the new three-year agreement that sees the airline become the club’s Main Sponsor until 2017/18

Showcasing its commitment to sport around the world, this month Emirates has agreed a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Portugal’s most successful football club, Benfica.

Just 10 months after Emirates partnered with the club as the Official Airline, Emirates’ president, Sir Tim Clark, joined Luis Filipe Vieira at the Estadio da Luz to sign as the main sponsor, which will see the iconic Fly Emirates on the front of the Benfica shir t until the end of the 2017/18 season.

Clark explained that expanding Emirates’ connection with Benfica “highlights our commitment to spor ts

sponsorship around the world, a marketing strategy adopted at an early stage of the airline’s 30 years.

As one of the top football club’s in Europe, and with a strong international appeal, Benfica is well placed to join the Emirates sponsorship por tfolio.

This announcement is not just about spor t though, it is also an Emirates commitment to Por tugal,” he added.

The carrier began flying from Dubai to Lisbon in 2012 and has noted strong demand for the ser vice. Emirates currently operate a Boeing 777-300 daily to Lisbon, which has carried nearly 550,000 customers since its launch.

NEW A380 SERVICES A raft of new Emirates A380 services have been announced across Europe and America.

It began in April with the introduction of a second daily A380 ser vice to London Gatwick Airpor t. Then beginning this month, the flight to New York-JFK that makes a stopover in Milan will be upgraded to the famous double-decker. On July 1, Düsseldorf gets its first A380 service; and so does Madrid star ting August 1. Emirates will commence a second daily A380 service to Zurich, Switzerland on October 1.

Also for the first time ever, the A380 will travel to Scandinavia, when Emirates upgrades its Copenhagen ser vice from December 1. This comes almost four years after the airline first linked the Danish capital with Dubai. Now it will be ser ved by, not only, one of the most environmentally advanced aircraft in the sky, but also by the world’s first two-class configured A380, with capacity for 615 passengers. | 76 |

Managing Benfica is a balancing exercise between emotion and reason – and it’s not always easy. But our success in recent years results from structuring the club around medium and long-term projects, and from the innovation that we’ve incorporated into an industry geared to emotion. Leaders of clubs around the world visit us to study exactly what we do, and this recognition is extremely rewarding.

Benfica won an unprecedented quadruple in Portugal last year, was that your greatest moment with the club?

At a sporting level, absolutely. But, alongside this I would place recovering the club’s credibility from the year 2000. It was hard work, and we have no trophy to show for it, but without that we wouldn’t have achieved the sporting success that we’re celebrating today.

Can the club ever compete on a regular basis with Barcelona, Real, and Bayern Munich for the Champions League trophy?

In football nothing is impossible, but it’s not easy to compete with clubs of that magnitude. We beat Barcelona and Real Madrid in the European Cup finals of 1961 and 1962, respectively, and although the economic differences were much smaller then, who knows if history cannot repeat itself?

How would you like your time with the club to be remembered?

Simply as someone who devoted himself, heart and soul, to Sport Lisboa e Benfica and did everything possible to heighten the name and the history of the club.

Your home in Dubai

• • • • • • • •

Located in the heart of Dubai Opposite Metro Station Walking distance to Burj Khalifa, world’s tallest skyscraper Dubai Airport - 15 min Abu Dhabi Airport - 45 min Walking distance to shopping malls Close to Business Hubs (DIFC and DWTC) Spa and Outdoor Swimming Pool

Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O Box 116957 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 323 0000 | Fax: +971 4 323 0003 www.emiratesgrandhotel.com

E m i r a t E s

n E w s

emirates launches aPP for anDroiD

Owners of Android phones will be pleased to hear that The Emirates App is now also available to download on Google Play.

The Emirates App was initially launched on Apple devices, star ting with the iPad, then iPhone and the new Apple Watch. But now Emirates has launched a version for Android, so even more people can manage their whole journey entirely from their phone.

Use The Emirates App to search and book your flights, choose your seat and dietary requirements, and add

services like Chauffeur-drive.

You can also check in online and download your boarding pass to Google Now. Or send it to your phone via email or SMS to use as a digital boarding pass.

The Emirates App is a personal travel assistant, giving you live updates at every step of your journey. Get notifications on your gate, boarding, baggage belt and more with instant alerts.

The Emirates App is in English and is now available to download in most Android markets.

first emirates lounge oPens in JaPan Emirates has opened its first dedicated lounge in Japan, at Narita International Airport. Based in Terminal 2 it offers a luxury experience of leather sofas, a dining area of Japanese and international cuisine, a full-bar service, complimentary Wi-Fi, shower facilities, a fully equipped business centre and a prayer room.

The lounge is also decorated with a stylish and soothing large water feature, as well as Japanese and Arabic artwork. The interior design concept of all lounges is done in-house by Emirates.

The Narita lounge is Emirates’ 38th globally, and more than 22 million customers have used Emirates’ lounges since they first opened outside of Dubai in 2004. Dubai Airport boasts the most with six. Emirates Lounges are open to First Class and Business Class customers as well as Platinum and Gold Skywards members.

get to your gate on time

uPgraDe on serVices to leBanon

Starting this month, Emirates is upgrading its services to Beirut.

The Airbus 330-200 currently used on the first daily flight will be upgraded to a Boeing 777-200LR from June 1. The second daily service will also expand to a Boeing 777-300 as of January 1 next year.

Emirates will also introduce a new third-daily flight star ting October 1 this year. The new service will be operated by an Airbus A340-300 in a three class configuration.

The new third daily flight depar ts Dubai at 8.55pm and arrives in Beirut at 12.05am the next day. EK 956 will leave Beirut at 02.00am, and arrive in Dubai at 07.10am.

With the introduction of the new third daily service, onward connections from Dubai to popular destinations including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney and Melbourne are made more convenient. The flight’s timings will also increase connectivity between Beirut and a number of African cities.

Emirates began services to Beirut in 1991. Since then, more than 3.6 million customers have flown with Emirates on the route.

Don't miss your flight Please make sure you get to your boarding gate on time.

Boarding starts 45 minutes before your flight and gates close 20 minutes before departure. If you report late we will not be able to accept you for travel.

| 78 |

I n s I d e

e m I r a t e s

See the world with oUr GlobaliStaS Emirates staff are inspiring people to get out and explore their passions around the world as part of the new ‘Be There’ social media campaign.

Where will you fulfil your dreams?

Words: jamie Knights

nothing is more inspiring than travel. emirates is full of incredibly passionate employees who combine their own interests with a love of travel.

Emirates wants to inspire others to explore their own dreams around the world, and has selected seven Emirates ‘Globalista’ staff to travel the world and share their travel experiences on social media as part of its ‘Be There’ campaign.

These Globalistas are the winners of an internal Emirates competition that saw hundreds of employees submitting their short films about their travel passions to a judging panel.

The winners are now travelling to their dream destinations with Emirates, fulfilling their dreams while sharing their experiences with the world via videos and interaction on social media. National Geographic has partnered with Emirates documenting many of the trips in their own series of films.

Emirates IT manager Shahab Al Awadhi entered the competition as he thought it would be a great opportunity “not only to tell my story and share my passion for food with the world, but doing it while representing one of the best airlines in the world”.

Cabin crew member Jeremy Fenton used to work as a filmmaker and freelance video editor so when he saw the “Be There” call for entries, he knew he had to give it a shot.

“Winning the competition means combining my two biggest passions: filmmaking and travel, and if we could inspire others to travel the world through watching our adventures, well that would just be a bonus,” Jeremy reveals.

He also entered the competition with his friend Christine in a combined Globalista entry.

“Christine is just as adventurous as myself so it didn’t take much convincing to get her to spend her day off rollerblading in Zabeel Park to record our submission for the Emirates ‘Be There’ Challenge,” he explains.

“We already had a lot of amazing footage from our layovers, holidays and adventures so I took all of our footage and edited it into the final video.”

Shahab’s humorous video entry included him dramatically biting into an apple with an “epic soundtrack in the background”, introducing his love for food.

He then took a tour of Dubai trying different restaurants, while adding a touch of humour.

“I wanted my personality to carry the video forward, not clever editing,” he explains.

So what can followers of the Globalistas expect? Jeremy explains “there is a certain rush I get every time I am thrown into a completely foreign and unfamiliar setting”.

“I’m mostly looking forward to delving into the unknown, discovering new passions and sharing the experience with my good friend and colleague Christine.”

Shahab is most looking forward to traveling the world, “tasting everything there is out there of all shapes and sizes, and carrying my audience with me on the journey to show them what the experience is like”.

“I’m really hoping the emotions and passion transfer through the camera and onto people’s screens, and people enjoy watching what I present,” he adds.

Of course as the Globalistas embark on their well-deserved prizes, they will be ambassadors for the Emirates brand. Shahab

| 80 |

I n s I d e

e m I r a t e s

says he is “extremely proud” to represent Emirates, adding it “really is a honour to be selected for the role.

“There’s a lot of trust riding in each of the Globalistas, as we are each essentially playing the part of photographer, videographer, director and executive producer in all our films and travels,” he explains. “There’s a lot of hard work to be done behind the fun, but the rewards are worth the effort.”

Jeremy concurs adding that every day he gets to work with people from around the globe from more than 135 different countries. “I’ve never worked in such a cosmopolitan environment with so many diverse people from all different backgrounds,” he reveals.

“We are always smiling and having so much fun working together throughout our flights. The international working togetherness that Emirates represents is a role model for the world to admire, and that is why I am so proud to represent Emirates in this global campaign.”

So what does a winning Globalista advise people thinking of embarking on their trip of a lifetime with Emirates?

Jeremy tells people “prepare your adventures well, but remember sometimes things don’t go as we planned so it’s always good to be flexible. Being spontaneous will sometimes lead you to have some of the most memorable experiences a planned itinerary could never have taken you. Another tip would also be to always take the road less travelled as it’s always much more fun creating your own stories than repeating the countless ones of others before you.”

Keep up to date with the Globalistas by joining Emirates social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) for live feeds and YouTube.

National Geographic is also airing updates on Nat Geo TV, which is available in Australia, NZ, UK, India, UAE, S Africa, USA and Nigeria.

Ashley − The FAshionisTA You might not guess it, but I’m an Emirates pilot. I’m also a girly girl who’s into fashion. I’ll take you around the world uncovering style in different cultures. Fashion is my passion – when I travel, I take those inspirations home with me to create my own personal style.

shAhAb − The Foodie In my everyday life, I’m an IT project manager at Emirates.

But food is my passion.

Follow me as I try new tastes around the world, from the local delicacies to the famous food that’s synonymous with a destination. Of course, I can try it for you, but there’s nothing like being there to taste it yourself.

nimeeT − The music lover I work for the Emirates reser vations depar tment in Mumbai, and music is my passion.

When you travel, you learn about the music of that place. I’m a self-taught musician and I love getting to the core of the local music. So I’m packing my recording equipment, my laptop and my headphones and I’m taking you on an exploration of the world’s music.

TAmArA − The AdvenTurer My love of adventure and trying new experiences began when I first studied abroad. Now I’m unstoppable, always pushing my limits and finding new comfor t zones.

As a member of Emirates cabin crew, I get to go to places I never thought I would see.

Come with me as I dive into new adventures and push myself to discover what I can really achieve.

Jeremy & chrisTine − The culTure vulTures We’re par t of Emirates cabin crew and when we travel we want to be immersed in the local culture. Adventure for us means stepping into the unknown. Being with someone, lost somewhere. Travel for us is about being humbled by the experience, to open our eyes.

Whether it’s food, dance, traditions or places off the beaten track, we’ll show you the real side to the destinations we fly to.

rAhed − The Thrill seeker I crave adrenaline and I love extreme spor ts. At work, I’m a cabin crew training specialist. But in my own time, I’m always looking for something new to try. When someone travels they end up exploring themselves, and for me it’s about pushing myself to the limits.

I want you to feel the exhilaration I feel when I try an extreme spor t or do something wild that I’ve never done before. I want you to be there.

To follow the Globalistas and find inspiration for your next adventure head to emirates.com/beThere or follow #beingThere

| 81 |

D E e sm t i i rn aa tt Ei o s n n GE uwi D s e

| 82 |

D E S T I N A T I O N

SEYCHELLES There’s never been a better time to head to the Seychelles, as from this month on June 1, Emirates upgrades its services to Mahé Think about the Seychelles, and you’ll most likely imagine picture-perfect beaches and luxury resor ts filled with happy newlyweds. And that isn’t far from the truth. Emirates twice daily flights to the Seychelles arrive in Mahé, the largest of the 115 islands that make up this unique country. It not only boasts the capital Victoria, but is also home to around 90 percent of the archipelago’s population. No matter where you stay in the Seychelles, it’s really just a matter of making a picnic, choosing a

stretch of coast and settling in to soak up the sun and the view.

And once you’re done with beach life, there are lush jungles to explore, and local markets to get your shopping fix and bag some souvenirs. Here, you’ll always end on a high, either by par tying the night away with the locals or simply chilling out at a shoreline lounge, watching the sunset and tucking into some of the best seafood you’ll ever eat. emirates.com

EAT

STAY

DO

ANSE SOLEIL CAFÉ You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better view for your money perched, as you are, in a beachside hut on one of Mahé’s most beautiful coves. The food is fantastic as well, especially the octopus curry and the grilled crab. The vibe is always lively, and the owner is a real character.

PETIT AMOUR VILLA This spacious villa has four double bedrooms with private bathrooms and balconies complete with a stunning view.

We love that you can hire the whole place for a special event, alternatively, book the split-level master suite that has the added luxury of a spa bath and views across the ocean. petitamourvilla.com

HAVE A ROUND OF GOLF Golf enthusiasts dream of teeing off in beautiful sunshine, so it would be a shame not to hit the fairways of Seychelles Golf Club.

The nine holes, here, provide a good challenge and are the perfect way to keep a swing in check, or simply to enjoy being out under the Seychelles sky. seychellesgolfclub.com

THE PIRATES ARMS With its extensive international menu, this restaurant in Victoria is the perfect spot for grabbing a slice of pizza or a curry without blowing the bank. Local musicians play at the weekend and in the evening it transforms into a lounge, which is rather unique outside of a resort.

THE MAHARAJAS Located on the exclusive Eden Island development, this restaurant serves up the finest Indian cuisine in all of Mahé.

The house delicacy is marinated lamb leg cooked in a clay oven.

There’s a wide choice of food for vegetarians and it’s great for families too, while the view of the yachts in the marina simply adds a nice touch of luxury to the experience. themaharajasseychelles.com

FOUR SEASONS RESORT SEYCHELLES Unsurprisingly, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles boasts one of the most beautiful private beaches on the island and also has some of the best dining options, too. There is plenty to do for all the family including a children’s pool, snorkelling and other watersports, offering a real slice of paradise. fourseasons.com/Seychelles CLEF DES ILES Clef des Iles has four duplexes that offer great space for families, and being a guesthouse, you can be as private or as pampered as you like, with inroom spa treatments if you’d like to go for all-out luxury. clefdesiles.com/en

GO HIKING Whether you choose Morne Blanc or Morne Seychellois, it’s worth lacing up your hiking boots and summiting one of Mahé’s peaks. Morne Seychellois National Park is great fun to explore and is full of wildlife.

Make it to the top of Morne Blanc and you’ll be rewarded with some amazing views. snpa.sc VISIT THE NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS Located on the outskirts of Victoria, these beautiful gardens were planted more than a century ago and are home to an array of wild animals, including giant tortoises and bats. The backdrop of fruit and palm trees creates a serene atmosphere and makes for a great family day out.

EMIRATES STAFF TIPS: CELEBRITY SPOTTING Our islands are known for being popular celebrity hideouts and honeymoon destinations, especially the Fregate and Denis Islands.

Claudia Delpech Customer Sales & Service Team Leader, Seychelles

MARIE ANTOINETTE RESTAURANT Grilled fish and coconut chicken curry are local favourite dieshes, and are available at Marie Antoinette restaurant, which is renowned for its wonderful Creole food.

Celine Payet-Valmont Senior Sales Executive, Seychelles

Starting this month Emirates switches from the Airbus 330-200 used on one of the two daily flights, to a larger Boeing 777-300ER, making the Seychelles an all-Boeing 777 route. The new Boeing 777 service will operate as flight EK 705 from Dubai and as EK 706 on the return flight.

| 83 |

C O M F O R T

WELLNESS IN THE AIR To help you arrive at your destination feeling relaxed and refreshed, Emirates has developed this collection of helpful travel tips.

Regardless of whether you need to rejuvenate for your holiday or be effective at achieving your goals on a business trip, these simple tips will help you enjoy your journey and time on board with Emirates today.

SMART TRAVELLER

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER Rehydrate with water or juices frequently. Drink tea and coffee in moderation.

TRAVEL LIGHTLY

WEAR GLASSES

Carry only the essential items that you will need during your flight.

Cabin air is drier than normal, therefore swap your contact lenses for glasses.

BEFORE YOUR JOURNEY Consult your doctor before travelling if you have any medical concerns about making a long journey, or if you suffer from a respiratory or cardiovascular condition.

Plan for the destination – will you need any vaccinations or special medications?

Get a good night’s rest before the flight.

Eat lightly and sensibly.

AT THE AIRPORT

USE SKIN MOISTURISER Apply a good quality moisturiser to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out.

KEEP MOVING Exercise your lower legs and calf muscles.

This encourages blood flow.

DURING THE FLIGHT

Allow yourself plenty of time for check-in.

Avoid carrying heavy bags through the airport and onto the flight as this can place the body under considerable stress.

Once through to departures try and relax as much as possible.

| 84 |

Chewing and swallowing will help equalise your ear pressure during ascent and descent.

Babies and young passengers may suffer more acutely with popping ears, therefore consider providing a dummy.

Get as comfortable as possible when resting and turn frequently.

Avoid sleeping for long periods in the same position.

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE Loosen clothing, remove jacket and avoid anything pressing against your body.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE Try some light exercise, or read if you can’t sleep after arrival.

INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTHCARE ON YOUR DOORSTEP MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST OPERATES: • • • • • •

Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic

Welcare Hospital Dubai Mall Meadows Mirdif Beach Road Corniche

• Mediclinic City Hospital • Mediclinic Ibn Battuta • Mediclinic Arabian Ranches • Mediclinic Al Qusais • Mediclinic Al Sufouh • Mediclinic Al Hili

EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST. UAE • SOUTH AFRICA • NAMIBIA • SWITZERLAND www.mediclinic.ae

MOH RY82023-31-3-15 Ad approval covers facility in UAE only

V i s a s ,

q u i c k

c o n n e c t

Guide to us customs & immiGration Whether you’re travelling to, or through, the United States today, this simple guide to completing the US customs form will help to ensure that your journey is as hassle free as possible.

CUSToMS DECLARATIoN FoRM All passengers arriving into the US need to complete a Customs Declaration Form. If you are travelling as a family this should be completed by one member only. The form must be completed in English, in capital letters, and must be signed where indicated.

ElEctronic SyStEm for travEl authoriSation (ESta) If you are an international traveller wishing to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme, You must apply for electronic authorisation (ESTA) up to 72 hours prior to your departure.

ESta factS: Children and infants require an individual ESTA. The online ESTA system will inform you whether your application has been authorised, not authorised or if authorisation is pending.

A successful ESTA application is valid for two years, however this may be revoked or will expire along with your passport. apply onlinE at www.cbp.gov/ESta nationalitiES EligiblE for thE viSa waivEr*: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom** * SubjEct to changE ** only britiSh citizEnS qualify undEr thE viSa waivEr programmE. | 86 |

&

q u a r a n t i n e

i n f o r m a t i o n

Cut the queue at JFK with quiCK ConneCt If you’re connecting through New York JFK, you can avoid long waiting times in US immigration and queues for connecting flights with the Quick Connect service. US Customs and Border Protection Agency created the special service for passengers who have a connecting flight within three hours of arrival at New York JFK.

Follow theSe StePS:

1

2

3

4

have your boarding card or ticket for your connecting flight ready for the ground staff as you exit.

You’ll be given a Quick Connect card. Continue to the Quick Connect queue in the Arrivals hall.

After passport clearance, claim your baggage and clear US customs, regardless of your final destination.

If your bag is tagged to your final destination, hand it to emirates staff at the transfer counter for your onward flight.

quarantine in australia Australia has strict biosecurity laws, so when you arrive you’ll need to declare certain food, plant or animal items on your Incoming Passenger Card.

You also need to declare equipment or shoes used in rivers and lakes or with soil attached. All aircraft food must be left on board. Please take particular care when you complete your Incoming Passenger Card – it's a legal document and false declarations may result in a penalty.

quarantine in Japan Japan has strict rules around exposure to livestock and bringing in livestock items.

You will need to go to the Animal Quarantine Counter if: • you have recently been to a livestock farm • are bringing livestock products into Japan • your visit to Japan will involve contact with livestock the counter is in the baggage claim area. If you’re bringing meat and livestock products into Japan without an import certificate, you must see the animal quarantine officer. | 87 |

U A E

S M A R T

G A T E

BE SMART! USE UAE SMART GATE AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES

UAE

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Brunei

Canada

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Portugal

Qatar

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

*UK

USA

GO THROUGH IMMIGRATION IN SECONDS AND GET YOUR VISIT TO DUBAI OFF TO A FLYING START Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International airport by using UAE Smart Gate.

If you hold a machine-readable passport, UAE Emirates ID card or E-Gate card you can check in and out of the airport within seconds.

Just look out for signs that will direct you to the many UAE Smart Gates found on either side of the Immigration Hall at Dubai International airport.

USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

1

Have your UAE Emirates ID card, E-Gate card or machine-readable passport ready to be scanned

2

Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, you can scan your UAE Emirates ID card. If you have an E-Gate card place it into the E-Gate slot

OK!

3

Go through the open gate, stand in the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan.

When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim

*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)

UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY:

REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY To register, just follow the above process and then spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer. That’s it! Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you landed. | 88 |

• Machine-readable passports from the above countries • UAE Emirates ID cards • E-Gate cards

• • • • • • • •

Contract Drafting & Review Business Setup , Offshore & Free Zone Companies Corporate & Commercial Legal Services Litigation & Arbitration Debt Collection Banking, Insurance & Maritime Cases Real Estate, Construction & Labor Cases Trademarks, Patents & Copyrights

‫ﺻﻴﺎﻏﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﻘﻮﺩ ﻭﻣﺮﺍﺟﻌﺘﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﺗﺄﺳﻴﺲ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻛﺎﺕ ﻭﺍﻷﻭﻓﺸﻮﺭ ﻭﺍﳌﻨﺎﻃﻖ ﺍﳊﺮﺓ‬ ‫ﺍﳋﺪﻣﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮﻧﻴﺔ ﻟﻸﻓﺮﺍﺩ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﺮﻛﺎﺕ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﺘﻘﺎﺿﻲ ﻭ ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻜﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﲢﺼﻴﻞ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻮﻥ‬ ‫ﻗﻀﺎﻳﺎ ﺍﻟﺒﻨﻮﻙ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺄﻣﲔ ﻭﺍﻟﻘﻀﺎﻳﺎ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺮﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻗﻀﺎﻳﺎ ﺍﳌﻘﺎﻭﻻﺕ ﻭﺍﻟﻌﻘﺎﺭﺍﺕ ﻭﺍﻟﻘﻀﺎﻳﺎ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻌﻼﻣﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺎﺭﻳﺔ ﻭﺑﺮﺍﺀﺍﺕ ﺍﻻﺧﺘﺮﺍﻉ ﻭﺣﻘﻮﻕ ﺍﳌﺆﻟﻒ‬

• • • • • • • •

DUBAI EMIRATES TOWERS, 14TH FLOOR, SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD P.O. BOX: 9055, DUBAI, UAE TEL: +971 4 330 4343 | FAX: +971 4 330 3993 contact@emiratesadvocates.com | www.emiratesadvocates.com ABU DHABI Tel: +971 2 6394446 auh@emiratesadvocates.com

RAS AL KHAIMAH Tel: +971 7 2046719 rak@emiratesadvocates.com

DUBAI INTERNET CITY Tel: +971 4 3900820 dic@emiratesadvocates.com

SHARJAH Tel: +971 6 5728666 shj@emiratesadvocates.com

JEBEL ALI Tel: +971 4 8871679 jafz@emiratesadvocates.com

DIFC Tel: +971 4 4019562 difc@emiratesadvocates.com

WITH AFFILIATE OFFICES IN SAUDI ARABIA, QATAR, BAHRAIN, KUWAIT AND OMAN

FOR 24 HOUR LEGAL ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL +971 (50) 328 99 99

R O U T E

| 90 |

M A P

R O U T E

M A P

NEW ROUTES: Bali: daily service starts June 3 Orlando: daily service starts September 1

| 91 |

R O U T E

| 92 |

M A P

R O U T E

| 94 |

M A P

THE FLEET Our fleet contains 235 aircraft made up of 221 passenger aircraft and 14 cargo aircraft BOEING 777-300ER

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft, which joined the fleet in 2005.

Number of Aircraft: 104 Capacity: 354-442 Range: 14,594km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-300

Since 1999, Emirates operates two and three-class versions of the 777-300.

Number of Aircraft: 12 Capacity: 364 Range: 11,029km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777-200LR

Number of Aircraft: 10 Capacity: 266 Range: 17,446km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-200

In 2005, the Boeing 777-200LR set a new world record for distance travelled non-stop when it landed at Heathrow airport, London, after a journey of 21,601km (11,664 nautical miles) from Hong Kong - the long way round. Emirates received its first 777-200LR in August 2007.

Emirates’ first Boeing 777-200 joined the fleet in 1996.

Number of Aircraft: 7 Capacity: 274-346 Range: 9,649km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777F

Number of Aircraft: 12 Range: 9,260km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet | 96 |

The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparablysized cargo aircraft. Along with its wide main-deck cargo door which can accommodate oversized consignments, it is also capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo non-stop on 10-hour sector lengths.

AIRBUS A380-800

Emirates has operated the A380 since 2008, and is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft. In 2014, 13 Emirates A380s joined the fleet.

Number of Aircraft: 62 Capacity: 489-517 Range: 15,000km Length: 72.7m Wingspan: 79.8m

AIRBUS A340-500

This ultra-long range passenger airliner was introduced to the Emirates fleet in 2003. This saw the launch of the First Class Suite which has since been rolled out on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380.

Number of Aircraft: 1 Capacity: 258 Range: 16,050km Length: 67.9m Wingspan: 63.4m

AIRBUS A340-300

Similar in many respects to Emirates A330-200s, the A340-300 is equipped with four engines giving it an enhanced range.

Number of Aircraft: 4 Capacity: 267 Range: 13,350km Length: 63.6m Wingspan: 60.3m

AIRBUS A330-200

First added to the fleet in 1999, this aircraft operates predominately on shorter-haul routes.

Number of Aircraft: 21 Capacity: 237-278 Range: 12,200km Length: 58.8m Wingspan: 60.3m

BOEING 747-400ERF

Number of Aircraft: 2 Range:9,204km Length: 70.6m Wingspan: 64.4m Aircraft numbers through end June 2015 | 97 |

This aircraft is capable of carrying up to 117 tonnes. The deck-side cargo door, with a height of approximately three metres, allows the uplift of oversized shipments that cannot be accommodated in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft. The nose door allows the carriage of long pieces.

E n t E r t a i n m E n t

CAPTION COmPeTITION

E-mail your captions for this cartoon to openskies@motivate.ae with ‘CAPTION COMP’ in the subject line. The winning caption will be published in the July issue.

WINNeR: SUmANTRA DUTTA, 26, SALES, INDIA

“Hair of tHe dog.” | 98 |