Ae

riA

l v

iew

of

the

se

A in

MA

ldiv

es

BAt

hr

oo

M A

t o

ne

of

the

ch

evA

l B

lAn

c’s

vil

lAs

Harper’s BAZAAR interiors |6564|Harper’s BAZAAR interiors

1Cheval BlanC, Randheli, Maldives The first thing you have to

acknowledge upon landing at Cheval Blanc Randheli (in the resort’s private sea plane, decked out like a private jet of course) is the flash factor. And given that it was opened by luxury goods megabrand LVMH, it’s hardly a surprise. The resort villas are impeccably designed by the Malaysia-based architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who was also the brains behind the One&Only Reethi Rah and several Aman resorts. The villas themselves are huge with three main rooms, achingly cool artwork by famous artists, and state-of-the-art technology where everything is controlled by iPad. The resort

boasts the biggest overwater pools in the Maldives, a fantastic Kid’s Club, a Guerlain island spa and the same 1947 restaurant featured at the renowned Cheval Blanc Courchavel resort. With a high profile royal clientele and the unique draw of the ultra-exclusive Cheval Blanc name, this is arguably the number one place to be seen this summer.

2dedon island, The PhiliPPines Located on the south-eastern

tips of the island of Siargao, a short 50-minute flight from Cebu, Dedon Island represents barefoot luxury at its very best. A boutique resort in every sense of the word, Dedon is comprised of nine airy villas all made from recycled wood

summer esca

pe

...

ten DesIGn HOteLsLightfoot Travel’s Matt VleMMiks shares his inside tips on the world’s most exceptional hotels, whether you’re on the search for authenticity, culture or simple, unbridled luxury

1

1

1

2

2

with open showers and large verandahs. Run by a husband and wife team, the staff at Dedon really set this property apart. From Brian, the chef who whips up meals family-style according to your dining preferences, to Sean, the Activities Manager who is incredibly knowledgeable on the island’s wildlife and can take guests on surfing, paddle boarding and boating excursions, as well as hikes and day trips around the island. Last but not least, the resort dog Erni is a permanent fixture around the place and is loved intensely by the younger guests. Dedon Island is an all-inclusive resort so, once you arrive, you really don’t have to think about anything until checkout –pure bliss.

3 ChinzoMBo CaMP, souTh luangwa naTional PaRk,

zaMBia A new addition to the South Luangwa safari circuit but reassuringly operated by local stalwart Norman Carr Safaris, Chinzombo has raised the bar for luxury in one of Africa’s finest national parks. Conceived by award winning architects Silvio Rech and

Clockwise from left: Le 1947, Cheval

Blanc’s signature restaurant.

Dedon Island Resort, Philippines.

On Dedon Island, everything is fresh.

Garden villa, Cheval Blanc, Maldives

WANDERLUST

Harper’s BAZAAR interiors |6766|Harper’s BAZAAR interiors

Lesley Carstens, Chinzombo combines ingenious, contemporary design with impressive levels of space and privacy. There are just six villas, including one for families, beautifully situated on the banks of the Luangwa River just outside the park, where safari legend Norman Carr himself kept a rather more rustic base in the 1970s. The villas offer vast living spaces, sophisticated furnishings and private decks with plunge pools. Guests enjoy inclusive safari activities which begin with a private boat crossing into the national park. Once inside, there are day and night game drives on offer, with a huge variety of wildlife and some of Africa’s best leopard-

a spa and wellness centre, and the chance to enjoy cookery courses, but it tends to be the priceless antiques throughout the hotel that your attention will return to. For this reason the Museum Hotel is aptly named, a delicate period piece in which it feels a rare privilege to be permitted to spend your time.

6 song saa PRivaTe island, CaMBodia Situated across two islands in

the Koh Rong Archipelago in the country’s far south, Song Saa is Cambodia’s only private island resort. The main island itself is serene, beautiful and rugged, which only adds to its Robinson Crusoe charm. It’s the kind of place where you kick off your shoes as you step

spotting opportunities. The South Luangwa is also renowned for the continent’s most authentic walking safaris, while the guiding is uniformly first class, the service entirely intimate but unpretentious, and the food always outstanding.

4 la sulTana, oualidia, MoRoCCo Morocco’s’ temperatures can

climb uncomfortably in the summer, but Oualidia’s Atlantic sea breezes make it perfect for a few tranquil nights in July or August. Roughly equidistant between Casablanca and Essaouira, Oualidia is essentially a peaceful fishing village, overlooking a picturesque lagoon that attracts a colourful

3

3

4

5

6

6 6

6

Clockwise from top:View of the cabana in La

Sultana, Marrakesh.A bedroom at the Museum Hotel in

Cappadocia, Turkey.Bathroom in one of

the six luxury villas in Chinzombo Camp in

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. Chinzombo

Camp kitchen

Clockwise from top: Sunken bath with a view. Rustic sign to the Play House in Cambodia. Song SAA Private Island, Cambodia aerial view. Details from the open kitchen.

good to go again, with the intense heat moving elsewhere and some great sightseeing conditions. And you’ll certainly want to sightsee in historical Cappadocia: the wonderful, unearthly landscapes, rock-cut temples, hot air ballooning over striking fairy chimneys and combination of Roman, Byzantine and Persian influences making it unlike anywhere else on the planet. The rock cave dwellings are also a huge attraction, and many of the best boutique accommodations are based within renovated cave dwellings. Perhaps the finest is the Museum Hotel, Turkey’s only Relais & Chateaux property, which provides a heady mix of fine dining, relaxation and a breathtaking collection of antiques and art. The rooms are beautifully designed, spacious and cool throughout the year, with bare, curving rock walls that offset rich carpets, colourful paintings and fascinating antiques. There is an expansive infinity pool,

onto the jetty and don’t put them back on again until you board the boat back to the mainland. The all-private pool villas are stunning in style and décor, with accompanying hardware to a very high spec – amongst some of the best we’ve seen. What is also special about Song Saa is the focus on sustainability (and it’s more than just asking guests not to recycle towels daily). The resort has an Eco-centre where you can learn about their activities, as well as six dedicated conservation staff, with a marine reserve around both islands that includes a ‘No take zone’. This is ideal for a few nights of R&R after a sightseeing visit to Angkor Wat.

parade of migratory birds and flocks of pink flamingos. This peaceful ambience translates to the accommodation itself, where guests can enjoy spa treatments, hammams, swimming and yoga. The rooms at La Sultana are beautifully conceived, with understated luxury and soothing colour schemes supplemented by modern amenities such as iPod stations, plasma TVs and private terraces with sea water Jacuzzis. Exceptional seafood is served in the restaurant and laid-back cookery courses can also be enjoyed. With its effortless style, this feels just how a boutique oceanside property without a classic swimming beach can be effectively delivered. La Sultana also operates a luxury Marrakech riad, where the ostentatious antique furnishings and rich colours contrast sharply with the Oualidia property and make for an ideal 7-night combination itinerary.

5 MuseuM hoTel, CaPPadoCia, TuRkey

You might expect inland Turkey to suffer from the same climatic issues as the UAE during the summer months, but Cappadocia is something of a law unto itself. Early July can be relatively spring-like, with hot days and cooler evenings, before an onset of roughly a month of uncomfortably high temperatures. By late August it’s

WANDERLUST WANDERLUST

Harper’s BAZAAR interiors |6968|Harper’s BAZAAR interiors

inviting swimming pools, atmospheric rooms and delicious sea views from the evening terrace. Guests can be dropped at a deserted Indian Ocean sandbank to snorkel and relax, or enjoy dhow cruises, fishing and diving. For those looking for a longer visit, the lodge even runs its own mobile dhow safari, with rustic tented camps erected on various deserted islands as part of an itinerary covering several nights. July and August are picture perfect in Mozambique – warm, dry and sunny – and this area can easily be combined with an African safari.

10 iniala, Phang-nga PRovinCe, Thailand Just north of Phuket,

the new Iniala villa complex is brash, opulent and utterly hedonistic. With world renowned architects and designers brought in to bring a distinct feel to each room within the three villas and single luxury penthouse, each represents a new discovery for guests looking for a new ‘mise-en-scene’ for different nights of their stay. With rooms

possible at other times, while the truly indulgent might also look at chartering a helicopter. For those that can make it, summer (the Australian winter) is the perfect time to visit, with cooler temperatures providing ideal conditions for classic outdoor pursuits such as fishing, hiking, river cruises, 4WD safaris and wilderness picnics. For more prosaic downtime, the star gazing is exceptional, flatback turtles often visit the nearby beaches to lay eggs, sundowner drinks are a rare treat, and there is even a moonlight cinema, which guests can enjoy while floating in the swimming pool. The 20 luxury villas are huge, cool and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling glass offering stunning, panoramic views from the lodge’s elevated location. With an outstanding restaurant and well-stocked cellar, Berkeley River Lodge has become a attractive proposition for jetsetters and staycationers alike.

8 haCienda de san Rafael, seville, sPain

A rich history of Moorish influences, historical sights and classic Spanish cuisine make Andalucia arguably Spain’s most attractive region, with Seville its signature city. This vibrant southern metropolis plays host to flamenco performances, centuries-old tapas bars, a thriving nightlife, and fascinating sights such as the Alcazar Palace and the Cathedral. In definitively Spanish countryside on the way to Jerez, the Hacienda de San Rafael provides a glorious respite from the action. A charming 18th century home, family-operated on what was once a thriving olive estate, the Hacienda is a boutique property that often feels more like an inviting private residence than a hotel. The rooms and casitas are airy and high-ceilinged, stylishly

variously styled as libraries, boudoirs, Russian doll-like structures, private spas and modern art installations, it’s likely that not all will be to your taste, but there is undoubtedly something here for everyone. The whole complex can be booked out, or each villa separately, and with exceptional facilities that include a children’s villa, various swimming pools, private butler service, diverse spa treatment options and an outstanding restaurant with a 3-Michelin starred head chef supported by decorated culinary specialists (from seafood to pastry and desserts), Iniala has arguably become Thailand’s most overtly luxurious villa concept.

To find out more about the resorts, contact

matt@lightfoottravel.com

Clockwise from top: Get cosy at the Hacienda

De San Rafael in Seville, Spain. Open-air bathing

at the Berkeley River Lodge in Kimberley

Coast, Australia. Aerial view of the

Berkeley River Lodge in Kimberley Coast.

The Gorge River in Kimberley Coast

Clockwise from left: Sleep seaside at the Iniala in Phangnga Province, Thailand. One of the three luxury villas located on Iniala. Sand Spit beach on the private paradise in Ibo Island Lodge in Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique

7

10

9

10

7

7 7

8

7 BeRkeley RiveR lodge, kiMBeRley CoasT, ausTRalia

This relatively new, delightfully remote luxury lodge on the wild Kimberley Coast of Western Australia is perfect for those with a hankering for the massive landscapes, unique wildlife and earthy colours of the Australian outback. The lodge’s relative inaccessibility is one of its delights, with the closest town of Wyndham located 150km away, and the nearest major airport in far-flung Darwin, so arrival is only possible by air or sea. Your most likely approach is from Kununurra by seaplane, with a couple of scheduled flights per week and charters

decorated, with stone walls, high beams and enchanting artwork. Surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens, with swimming pools, massage treatments and yoga on offer, the aim is to leave all guests feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. With its sister property, the Corral del Rey, based in the heart of Seville’s historical Barrio Alfalfa, combining the two guarantees a magical introduction to the charms of Andalucia.

9 iBo island lodge, QuiRiMBas aRChiPelago,

MozaMBiQue An enticing hidden gem in the remote Quirimbas Archipelago of Northern Mozambique, Ibo Island Lodge offers the perfect combination of languid relaxation and fascinating historical context. Ibo Island was on the Arabian slave trade route and later a Portuguese colonial outpost after a series of tussles for control with the Omani Arabs. These eclectic influences are evidenced by the evocative, crumbling forts and villas that have been abandoned to nature on the island, many of the structures now becoming intertwined with trees, branches and bushes in a style reminiscent of some of the Angkor temples in Cambodia. The accommodation itself comprises three beautifully converted colonial mansions, with peaceful gardens,

WANDERLUST