ROOM WITH A VIEW

ATLANTIS, THE PALM

Otherworldly Luxury

Perched amid the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf and the enchanting Dubai skyline, Atlantis Resort is the jewel in the crown of Dubai’s world-famous Palm Island. The massive resort spans several acres, offering 1,539 rooms, exclusive suites and ‘super suites’, and is Dubai’s top family-friendly hotel, thanks to its massive water park and extensive aquarium.

Atlantis is split into two towers, east and west, each with a different vibe. The West Tower is a bit quieter than the East and includes the ShuiQi Spa, which has private treatment rooms, a whirlpool, steam rooms and saunas.

From over-the-top suites to family-friendly units, all feature a modern-meetsclassic finish and upmarket amenities. Atlantis has the only-in-Dubai underwater

suites. The Poseidon and Neptune suites are two of only a tiny handful of underwater hotel rooms around the world and regularly appear in lists of the world’s most unique accommodations. The master bedroom and en-suite bathroom are submerged, with floor-toceiling bedroom windows that look into the aquarium.

The Royal Bridge Suite will make you feel like royalty with its lavishness and opulence. It is one of the most expensive suites in the world and is located on the highest floor of the hotel. The sprawling space features a guarded private elevator, a butler and chef, three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and balconies on both the Palm Jumeirah and Arabian Sea sides of the hotel.

Only at Atlantis Dubai will you find star-starred restaurants owned by celebrity chefs. There is Nobu Matsuhisa’s Nobu, Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, and Giorgio Locatelli’s Ronda Locatelli. You’ll also find the underwater restaurant Ossiano here, as well as the Vegas-like N’Dulge nightclub. Dining with your children is a breeze, thanks to the family-friendly restaurants, brunches and buffets resortwide. Ronda Locatelli’s classic pizzas and pastas are a hit with all ages. There are excellent breakfast buffets in each tower, and the Saffron Brunch is a must-try, as is the Kaleidoscope eatery.

Wavehouse Club at Atlantis is Dubai’s home of fun, food and family entertainment. Here, you might strike lucky on the bowling alley, hit a high score in the games arcade, or test your skills on the Surf’s Up wave rider. Or head outside to the sun-soaked terrace, where live tunes, swinging seats and a festival vibe make this Dubai’s liveliest dining and entertainment hub.

Besides Disneyland, there probably isn’t a more magical resort for children, and all family facilities and services are available. A kids’ club provides an extensive selection of activities and games, and there are children’s summer camps and a teen club.

Atlantis boasts one of the world’s best water parks and a massive aquarium.

The Lost Chambers Aquarium is home to 65,000 sea animals, many of which are housed in the Ambassador Lagoon, a nearly three-million-gallon tank that is one of the largest aquariums in the world. For a fee, guests can snorkel, scuba, or AquaTrek through the lagoon, which is home to fish, sharks, and rays. The sprawling water park covers 42 acres and has multiple water slides, including the famous Leap of Faith body slide that goes through a shark tank. There’s also a long river ride that combines a lazy river with rapids. No trip to Dubai is complete without meeting the friendly bottlenose dolphins. Guests can book one of the wishlist activities, which include options for all ages and swimming skills so that everyone can experience the amazing world of Aquaventure in Dubai. If you want to see more amazing marine mammals, head to the Sea Lion District and meet the friendly sea lions.

To top off your stay, you can capture your moments forever during a complimentary photo shoot. Visit the most iconic locations in Atlantis and have a professional photographer snap a beautiful picture of you and your loved ones. You will also get a complimentary 6x8 photo print.

Guests can add a touch of luxury to their stay by getting a membership to Imperial Club. The benefits include express check-in, priority reservations, a private beach, continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening drinks and more.

In partnership with one of the city’s leading clinics, Atlantis is now offering the benefit of COVID-19 testing at the resort, for convenience and well-being.

JANUARY - MARCH 2020

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Bugisu’s Imbalu

A teenager’s bittersweet rite of passage

The African Kanga

A traditional form of African twitter

Trekking The Magnificent RWENZORI MOUNTAINS

NAIRoBI • MoMBASA • MoGADISHU • JUBA • DAR eS SALAAM • KILIMANJARo • BUJUMBURA • ZANZIBAR

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Mahogany Springs Lodge

BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK

Mahogany Springs is situated in one of the most intimate, secluded, beautiful, and most importantly, natural settings in the world – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. The mist covered hillsides of Bwindi are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, a habitat for over 450 mountain gorillas, roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups which can be tracked. Surrounded by over 300 sq. km of tropical rainforest, Mahogany Springs makes the most of its location, offering guests privacy and serenity in a spectacular setting.

All 11 huge luxurious suites have their own exquisitely designed terrace with magnificent panoramic views over the forest, lodge gardens and Munyanga River, giving a feeling of total immersion in this lush rainforest.

Being in the middle of the forest means gorilla families in the surrounding area often pay a visit to the lodge gardens, giving a surprise gorilla experience for guests.

Spend the day tracking gorillas through the forest, engaging with the local community and tribes, or sitting on the terrace of your room listening to the sounds of the forest, and maybe the odd primate visitor as time slowly passes by.

Mahogany Springs is open year-round and offers luxurious suites from $240 per person per night sharing, including all meals.

Find out more at www.mahoganysprings.com

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Lunatic Express Crazy times on the

The plan to build a thousand-kilometre railway track from the Indian Ocean into the heart of Africa was considered by many to be utterly insane. Mark Eveleigh boards the train that, a century later, is still called The Lunatic Express.

Words and photos by Mark Eveleigh W ith the blast of a horn, like a wounded bull elephant, the old train rumbled into Nairobi Station. There was a flurry of activity as passengers hauled luggage to the edge of the platform. To the Swahili travellers, this train is known as gari la moshi (the car that smokes), but most tourists know it as The Lunatic Express.

There have been accusations of lunacy ever since the idea was conceived to build a railway line from the Indian Ocean over a thousand kilometres to Kampala, in the heart of Africa. Now, more than a hundred years after the project was started, friends in Nairobi looked at me like I was equally crazy when I told them that my girlfriend Nina and I planned to take the train to Mombasa.

“But the plane is so much faster,” a bush-pilot friend exclaimed. “Even the matatu minibuses are quicker and cheaper and probably more comfortable too,” a park ranger told me. “You are crazy to go by train,” they all seemed to agree.

Just as I was on the verge of being convinced, an old friend who is an experienced East Africa correspondent weighed in on the side of lunacy: “The building of that railway line was one of the crazy things that could really only happen in Africa. Everybody should experience the Lunatic Express while they’re in Kenya,” he said. “I’ve done it three times.”

Reassured by his enthusiasm, I booked two tickets and by mid-afternoon the next day, we were already dragging our bags into a surprisingly crowded Rift Valley Railway carriage. “Either there are a lot of crazy people in Nairobi, or there are a few good reasons for taking the Lunatic Express after all,” Nina pointed out.

Within a few minutes, we were already convinced that our decision had been the right one. The tracks slithered quickly away from the grumbling traffic on Mombasa Road and further ahead, we passed within a few metres of the

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