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A decade of dream trips

MARLON BRANDO’SSECRET ISLAND

THE ULTIMATEWINTER THRILLS

ultratravelThe Daily Telegraph

TH

ANNIVERSARY

1O

SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEAR WINTER 2014

special issue

&ANGELA MISSONI

HESTON BLUMENTHAL

JOHN SIMPSON

FIONA BRUCE

ALAIN DUCASSE

AMANDA WAKELEY

ANTHONY HOROWITZ

ALICE TEMPERLEY

The inspiraTion for your Jumeirah experience everywhere

Creating the world’s most luxurious hotel made us think differently.

Find your Jumeirah experience at jumeirah.com/experiences

The Bluepr inT

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TEN YEARS OF WOW

Ican scarcely believe that almost 10 years have passed since the first issue of Ultratravel landed on

doorsteps across Britain. Unashamedly aspirational, this glossy publication was dedicated to the finer things in

life: a guide to finding heaven on earth. That much has not changed. But a lot else has. In 2004 a phone was still

used for calls and the phrase “social media” was one more likely to be used to describe journalists’ penchant

for a post-work drink than the nation’s greatest pastime; Twitter, Instagram and YouTube did not even exist.

The Telegraph has always been at the forefront of adapting to people’s changing media habits, from launching

Britain’s first newspaper website in 1994 to creating one of the UK’s leading digital platforms for luxury travel.

Those who were quick to predict the decline of a magazine like ours in this new digital world got it wrong.

For this year has seen Ultratravel scale new heights – our autumn issue was a record size and we were delighted

to be awarded Colour Supplement of the Year in the 2014 Newspaper Awards.

As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary in this winter issue, I believe there are three things that set Ultratravel

apart. Firstly, in a world full of white noise, where everyone professes to be an expert, people are looking for an arbiter

of taste, quality and value. We understand that travel is not only about creature comforts, but also about access to the

greatest experiences on earth, and recognise that whatever the price of the trip, it has to be one worth paying.

Secondly, we recognise that travel is both an emotional and a lifestyle choice. People need escapism, hence our

emphasis on inspirational writing and engaging photography that can take us there. Travel is also inseparable from

fashion, style and beauty – where you go and what you take on holiday all say something about you.

Finally, it is about trust. Unlike some publications, we do not cut corners. Everything you read in these pages

we have tried, tested and found worthy. If we recommend it, it is worth doing. Here’s a welcome dose of winter

escapism and here’s to another great 10 years.

1OTH

EDITOR

special ANNIVERSARY

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CONTENTS

Gabriella Le Breton

A snow-fiend who has skied

since she was two, Gabriella

still takes childlike pleasure

in discovering a new resort

or mountain restaurant. This

year she will be heli-skiing in

Iceland – “from virgin peaks

down to the ocean, before

retiring to a luxury lodge”.

Photographer Tim McKenna

A Fitzroy Salperton yacht sails by

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Angela Missoni

Although she has houses

in Venice and Lake

Como, the Italian fashion

designer says there is

nothing she likes more

than “walking around in

a foreign place, shopping

for unusual or weird

souvenirs, fabrics and

clothes, objects and

jewels”. One of her most

recent finds?

“A beautiful orange

nightgown for my

daughter, Teresa,

from GoodEarth in

New Dehli”.

Sara Wheeler

The Fellow of the Royal

Society of Literature has

written several books on the

polar regions, including the

acclaimed Terra Incognita:

Travels in Antarctica. This

winter she plans to travel to

Lake Baikal, in Siberia, to

finish her book on Russia.

Nigel Tisdall

A regular contributor to

Ultratravel, Nigel has sailed

a £30m yacht around the

Caribbean and trekked the

jungles of Guyana. In this

issue, he island-hops through

French Polynesia and hopes

next to drive a 1957

Chevrolet around Cuba.

Simon John Owen

The London-based

photographer says he never

quite knows where he’ll be

the next week. “Within 24

hours of photographing lion

in the Serengeti,” he says,

“I was capturing Paddington

Bear enjoying afternoon tea

at the Mandarin Oriental.”

CONTRIBUTORS

FOR THE

LATEST IN

LUXURY TRAVEL

telegraph.co.uk/luxurytravel

Features30 The high life Our ski specialists review the most thrilling

luxury experiences on the slopes this winter, from snow safaris

in Sweden and gourmet dining in the wilderness to learning how

to make your own bespoke snowboard

40 Island of Bounty Marlon Brando’s private atoll in French

Polynesia is now home to an exclusive resort. Nigel Tisdall checks

in to The Brando, then sets off round the South Pacific to review

the best of the rest

50 Ten years of Ultratravel What makes a journey

unforgettable? Our finest contributors recall their favourite

moments over the past decade, from learning to be a cowboy,

and being transported by helicopter for a mountain-top picnic,

to visiting Captain Scott’s hut in Antarctica

60 Creatures in comfort A self-drive Land Rover safari through

Tanzania’s northern Serengeti puts Charles Starmer-Smith at

the heart of the greatest migration on earth

Regulars13 The next big thing Geometric hotels; how to see the 2015

solar eclipse in Scandinavia; famous restaurants on the move;

Barcelona‘s new superyacht marina; and hotel openings in Paris,

New York, China, India and Mozambique

17 Accessories The best in fashion, jewellery, beauty,

watches and gadgets

26 Aficionado Olivier Krug, the winemaker, on taking selfies,

being seduced by distinctive scents around the globe, and

how best to enjoy champagne

29 Upfront with John Simpson Buenos Aires is vibrant,

bookish, delightfully old fashioned – and incredibly misunderstood,

says the BBC’s world affairs editor

69 Intelligence The best times to see Europe’s hotspots in 2015;

why Skibo Castle in Scotland is the ultimate member’s club;

a masterclass in how to make the perfect cup of tea; and the

Ferragamo’s new penthouse suite in Florence

74 Travelling life Angela Missoni, the Italian fashion designer,

on the French spa she returns to every year, the most practical

brand of luggage, and her favourite places to eat in Venice

ultratravel Editor Charles Starmer-Smith Creative director Johnny Morris Deputy editor Lisa Grainger

Sub-editor Kate Quill Photography editor Joe Plimmer Contributing editor John O’Ceallaigh

Executive publisher for Ultratravel Limited Nick Perry Publisher Toby Moore

Advertising inquiries 07768 106322 (Nick Perry) 020 7931 3039 (Chelsea Bradbury)

Ultratravel, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT Twitter @TeleLuxTravel

Hot spots Le Taha’a Private Island in

French Polynesia (page 47)

Bossa Nova – Coming Soon

THE ORIGINAL – THE LUGGAGE WITH THE GROOVES

BOSSA NOVA – travel in style and do goodOut of solidarity with Brazil, this extraordinary range is only being manufactured in the Brazilian factory. And there is another special feature: RIMOWA is donating a proportion of the sales proceeds to the organization Saúde e Alegria, in order to support projects in the Amazon region.

www.rimowa.com www.saudeealegria.org.br

Te moment you kept moving,

while time stood still.

U N F O R G E T TA B L E . S I N C E 1 9 0 7.

There’s something about the big city that can

bring you closer together. A long walk along a

cobblestoned street. An overdue date night at

an Art Deco cinema. With the romantic Savoy

connecting you to London in a genuinely new way,

there’s no telling where your trip will take you.

Call 00 800 0441 1414 or visit Fairmont.com

to connect to the right experience in

over 20 countries.

9:13 PM

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BY JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

What’s coming up in the world of luxury travel, from geometric hotels and globetrotting chefs to superyacht marinas

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Could a building’s form, in future, be the deciding

reason for booking it? The Czech architects

Atelier 8000 certainly think so. If their plans for the

Kezmarske Hut lodge (above) come to pass, it

will be easy to imagine design buffs trekking up

Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains to see it for themselves.

The proposed lodge resembles a gigantic Rubik’s

Cube that has been wedged precariously into the earth, and has been

conceived as a retreat for mountaineers.

Similarly geometric structures have already been built in several

places around the world. In the past year, Leaprus 3912 (visitcaucasus.

ru) has opened 12,834ft up Mount Elbrus: a 49-bed refuge composed of

four elongated tubes. Opening this month beside a lake an hour outside

Beijing, the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel (kempinski.com) is equally

incongruous. Designed to resemble the rising sun – symbolic in modern

China – it has among its five-star facilities nine restaurants and a spa.

Further south in China, the recently opened Sheraton Huzhou Hot

Spring Resort (starwoodhotels.com) is a horseshoe-shaped structure by

Lake Taihu, and near the region’s extraordinary limestone formations.

Of course, an unconventional exterior might not be enough to

attract guests. The 105-floor, pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel

(ryugyonghotel.com) in Pyongyang was due to open in the Eighties but

it remains incomplete and unoccupied to this day.

Geometry set

(clockwise from

above) The planned

Kezmarske Hut in

Slovakia; the Sunrise

Kempinski near

Beijing; the unfinished

Ryugyong Hotel in

North Korea; Sheraton

Huzhou Hot Spring

Resort; Leaprus 3912

the NEXTBIGTHING

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Yet more reasons to visit

those quintessential city-

break destinations, Paris

and New York, in the next

few months. Over the

Channel, the new intimate

40-bedroom La Réserve

Hotel, Spa and

Apartments Paris

(lareserve-paris.com),

designed by Jacques-Garcia,

will open just off Palais de

l’Elysée. Meanwhile, in New

York, The Knickerbocker

(theknickerbocker.com) will

feature a Charlie Palmer

restaurant and rooftop bar

(above) with views of

Times Square.

Less conventional

destinations are also luring

travellers with the promise

of a new place to stay.

On a private island in

Mozambique, adults-only

Anantara Medjumbe

Island (medjumbe.

anantara.com) resort will

be a place to rejuvenate;

it opens in December.

In January in Australia,

Pumphouse Point

(pumphousepoint.com.au)

opens as an 18-bedroom

boutique hotel seemingly

afloat on the southern

hemisphere’s deepest lake,

Tasmania’s Lake St Clair.

A Unesco World Heritage

site and one of the

birthplaces of Taoism,

China’s Qing Cheng

Mountains will be more

accessible in February,

when Six Senses Qing

Cheng (sixsenses.com)

opens nearby. For a more

cosmopolitan break, there’s

the The Penthouse hotel

in Calcutta, due to have

a soft opening in spring.

Operated by the city’s

Prakash family, the nine-

bedroom property stands

atop an all-glass block. It is

set to be the chicest place

to stay for travellers – many

of whom will also have

visited the family’s Glenburn

Tea Estate (glenburntea

estate.com) in Darjeeling.

Unable to make it to a well-regarded but

distant restaurant? Wait long enough and

the chefs might come to you. In January

and February René Redzepi will relocate

Cophenhagen’s Noma (noma.dk), named

the best restaurant in the world, to the

Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo (mandarin

oriental.com), giving the hotel’s Asian

cuisine a Scandi slant. More ambitiously,

Heston Blumenthal will relocate The Fat

Duck to Melbourne for six months, to the

Crown Tower Resorts (thefatduck

melbourne.com). Closer to home, Harrods

(harrods.com) has taken on chefs from

some of Italy’s best restaurants. With seven

Michelin stars between them, the teams

from Torre del Saracino on the Amalfi coast

(torredelsaracino.it), Enoteca Pinchiorri in

Florence (enotecapinchiorri.it) and Piazza

Duomo in Alba (piazzaduomoalba.it) will

take it in turns to run pop-up restaurants

on the premises until January.

Could the superyachting community

spurn Monaco’s gilded charms for

Barcelona? Yes, if OneOcean Ventures

has its way. Having acquired the

city’s Marina Port Vell, the company

has opened OneOcean Club

(oneoceanclub.es). The superyacht

club has a 400-cover restaurant,

overseen by Llorenç Valls, former head

chef of Arzak in San Sebastián, and

is twinned with the Rybovich

Superyacht Marina in Florida.

z HOT HOTEL OPENINGS

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Although total eclipses – during which the Moon

totally blocks the light of the sun – can be seen

somewhere on Earth every year or two, they are

very rarely seen in Europe. Which is why there is

mounting excitement about the next total solar eclipse, on

March 20 2015, which will be visible in northern Scandinavia.

Normally at this time of year above the Arctic Circle, the

sun is only just beginning to show after six months of winter

darkness. On March 20, though, no sooner will it have come

up than its light will be blocked by the Moon passing in front

of it, casting an eerie glow on to the snow and ice around.

Good viewing is predicted around Svalbard (svalbard2015.

no) in northern Norway, which has several extremely

comfortable places in which to stay. Real explorers might

enjoy Basecamp Explorer’s (basecampexplorer.com) 100-

year-old ice-bound schooner, Noorderlicht, accessible only by

dog-sled or snowmobiles, while those who like creature

comforts might prefer the converted radio station, Isfjord

Radio, or the warm Trapper’s Hotel, whose wooden interiors

are decorated with the odd polar-bear skin.

Tour operators offering trips to see the eclipse – and

perhaps the Northern Lights – include Nordic Experience

(01206 708888; nordicexperience.co.uk), whose four-day trip

to the Faroe Islands costs from £2,495, and Wexas Travel

(020 7590 0618; wexas.com), whose seven-day Spitsbergen

trip costs from £4,995. This isn’t a journey that can be put off

– while there will be a total eclipse in America in 2017, and

several in the next decade in the southern hemisphere, the

next total eclipse anywhere near us will be in 2081 in

central Europe, and in Britain in 2090. More information

from visitnorway.co.uk. Lisa Grainger

z DARK SIDE OF THE SUN

z JET-SET CHEFS

Fire and ice A total solar eclipse

will be visible next year in northern

Scandinavia. Places to stay include

Noorderlicht (below left) and Isfjord

Radio (below) in Svalbard, Norway

z BARCELONA’S SUPERCLUB ONtrend:

RE

UTE

RS

the NEXTBIGTHING

SAIL INTOA NEW

PERSPECTIVE

For more information or to book please call 0844 251 0835, visit silversea.com or contact your travel agent.

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Northern lights

ULTRAfashion

“This winter, wrap yourself in a

sculptural coat that is both luxurious

and as light as air. Choose pampering

cloud-soft cashmere in pale sugared-

almond shades for chilly evenings,

and fine, tightly woven wool for rainy

days. Complement this season’s

feminine shift dresses with thigh-high

boots and a supersized clutch

to create an urban look that’s cool

but comfortable, no matter

what the weather

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Grey oversized wool coat £2,750,

Hermès (020 7499 8856; hermes.com).

White silk cady dress £1,575,

Chloé (020 7730 1234; harrods.com).

Buffalo-calf and python-skin

hexagonal chain bag £2,995,

Victoria Beckham (020 7042 0700;

victoriabeckham.com).

Grey suede thigh-high Annie boots

£1,600, Gianvito Rossi (0207 499 9133;

gianvitorossi.com).

Four-wheel Topas Titanium

cabin suitcase £790, Rimowa

(001 519 653 1445; rimowa.com).

Photographed at the new Mondrian

London hotel (0808 234 9523;

morganshotelgroup.com).

PHOTOGRAPHY JOE PLIMMER

“

Arabella Boyce

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Mascote snake ring by De Grisogono

Fawaz Gruosi, the Geneva jeweller’s creative

director, has been visiting Africa for years to find

rare stones. This snake ring is made from mammoth

tooth and 18ct rose gold, set with 67 brown

diamonds and two white diamonds. £16,200, by

De Grisogono (020 7499 2225; degrisogono.com)

1

Zebra ring by Boucheron

A monkey, lion cub and gazelle are just some of

the menagerie in Boucheron’s glittering collection.

This zebra ring is set in 18ct white gold with

diamonds, sapphires and a ruby or an emerald.

POA, by Boucheron (020 7514 9170; boucheron.com)

Earrings by Hemmerle

Ancient Egyptian influences are often glimpsed in

the designs of Hemmerle, whose co-owner hails from

North Africa. These disc earrings studded with rocks

of Mozambique garnet look native, but are crafted

in the Munich atelier in white gold and copper, and

set with Mozambique and spessartite garnets. POA,

by Hemmerle (0049 89 242 2600; hemmerle.com)

Sabre earrings by Shaun Leane

Tusk shapes and tribal motifs are a favourite of the London jeweller.

These fine “tusk” earrings of 18ct white gold are set with Gemfields’

Zambian emeralds, and are designed to swing as the wearer moves.

POA, by Shaun Leane (020 7493 9601; shaunleane.com)

Horn necklace

by Penny Winter

“This was conceived to

be the antithesis of a

couture piece,” says the

Kenyan-based Irish

designer Penny Winter. The

necklace is made with

2,500 carats of Zambian

amethyst beads and

18ct gold-plated Nigerian

beads on a simple horn

collar. POA, by Penny

Winter (020 7851 7140;

pennywinter.com)

Zebra bangle by Cartier

A complicated puzzle, the

L’Odyssée de Cartier Parcours

d’un Style bracelet is made of

white gold with onyx, garnets

and diamonds. POA, by Cartier

(020 3147 4850; cartier.co.uk)

Continental shift

2

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ULTRA

Once, Africa was mined only for its gems,

from egg-sized diamonds to emeralds,

rubies and amethysts. Today jewellery

designers are turning to the continent for

inspiration, too. As Cartier’s Jacqueline

Karachi-Langane says: “Africa not only

has brilliant colours and stones, but

incredible warmth, patterns and rhythms.”

This precious African odyssey, it seems,

has only just begun Caragh McKay

jewels

CO

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123Go! promotion is applicable to new bookings made in Ocean View stateroom categories and above between 15 November 2014 and 28 February 2015 on selected sailings departing between March 2015 and April 2017. Interior staterooms are not applicable to the promotion. Guests can choose ONE of either: Complimentary Classic

Alcoholic drinks package, up to $300 Onboard Spend or Free Gratuities. Guests can choose TWO of these benefts for European sailings. Book Concierge Class or above to recieve all THREE benefts on any applicable sailings. The 123Go! promotion is applicable to eligible guests aged 18 and over on the date of any European, South

America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand departing sailing and 21 on any departing North American sailing will receive a Complimentary Classic Alcoholic drinks package for the 1st & 2nd guest in the stateroom only. Passenger date of birth information must be provided at the time of booking before the drinks package can be

applied. This is a legal requirement. Please drink responsibly. Eligible guests under the specifed age limits specifed can request a Non Alcoholic Classic drinks package instead and free 40 minutes internet usage. Internet usage is per cruise, has no cash value and is not redeemable for cash. The onboard spend amounts are per stateroom

and vary by ship & sailing date. The 123Go! promotion is combinable with Captains Club loyalty savings vouchers & 1 Category Stateroom Upgrade, Shareholders benefts, Back to Back Sailings Ofer, Reduced Third & Fourth rates, Future Cruise Certifcates only and the benefts ofered by booking onboard via our Future Cruise Consultants

(Cruise Now or Cruise Later Bookings only). 123Go Evergreen benefts ofered onboard for Cruise Now bookings are not combinable with this 123Go promotion. Interior staterooms and Z, Y, X, XC, XA and W guarantee staterooms are not eligible to beneft from this promotion. 7. For full ofer terms & conditions including a list of applicable

sailings, visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk or contact your travel agent. 8. This publicity is issued by RCL Cruises Ltd (company no. 07366612), t/a Celebrity Cruises 3 The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0NY

CELEBRITYCRUISES@CELEBRITYCRUISE CELEBRITYCRUISES

Welcome to modern luxury. A unique holiday experience where you’ll savour exquisite cuisine, unwind in sumptuous

accommodation and be treated to exemplary service morning, noon and night. Where you’ll wake up in a beautiful

new destination, every day. And for a limited time only – when you book a Concierge Class stateroom or above on

any sailing before 28 February you’ll enjoy three enticing ofers.

Hurry, when a holiday this exclusive is now all-inclusive – don’t miss out, book yours today.

YOUR MOST EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY

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FREE GRATUITIESFREE DRINKS ONBOARD SPEND

LCKI8KI8M<C���

1 Antioxidants, which neutralise free radicals,

the molecules that age skin, are integral to

anti-ageing creams. Acure Organics Chlorella

+ Edelweiss Stem Cell Eye Cream uses

edelweiss, the small, white, antioxidant-rich

Swiss flower, to treat the wrinkle-prone area

around the eyes.

Swiss beauty treatments are enjoying a renaissance

as lovers of the outdoors increasingly turn to products that

combine healing herbs and high-tech science. Alpine plants

such as gentian, edelweiss and alpenrose have evolved over

millennia to resist wind, snow, rocky soil and intense UV

exposure. If their botanical make-up can protect plants in those

conditions, imagine what it can do for the skin

Kate Shapland

ULTRAbeauty

Flower power

“

“

5 The science behind the best Swiss spas

means their products have credibility.

La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Cream,

developed at Clinique La Prairie spa in

Montreux, uses stem-cell technology and

Alpine botanicals to hydrate and firm the

skin, and help it combat stress.

2 Gentian is an anti-inflammatory and

antiseptic herb that soothes the skin – so it is

ideal for use in a cleansing formula. Clarins

Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs is a gentle,

softening milk cleanser that doesn’t feel

harsh or astringent.

1 Antioxidants, which neutralise free radicals,

the molecules that age skin, are integral to

anti-ageing creams. Acure Organics Chlorella

+ Edelweiss Stem Cell Eye Cream uses

edelweiss, the small, white, antioxidant-rich

Swiss flower, to treat the wrinkle-prone area

around the eyes.

3 Seven Alpine herbs are the magic

ingredients in the S5 skincare line. The herbs

are thought to inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme

responsible for triggering skin pigmentation.

SF Illuminate Serum will keep skin looking

bright and dewy.

4 The antioxidant herb echinacea became

fashionable in the Thirties when it was

discovered that Native American tribes used

it to treat colds. It has since found its way

into beauty treatments – the herbalist

A Vogel grows it organically in Roggwil

for use in its Echinacea Crème.

MA

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1 Acure Organics Chlorella + Edelweiss Stem Cell Eye Cream £9.35 (mynaturalmarket.com)

2 Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs £19 (clarins.co.uk) 3 S5 Illuminate Serum £44

(myshowcase.com) 4 A Vogel Echinacea Crème £5.99 (avogel.co.uk) 5 La Prairie Cellular

Swiss Ice Crystal Cream £210 (laprairie.co.uk)

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

Few luxury brands are so

inextricably linked with travel as

the luggage-maker Louis Vuitton,

so it’s no surprise the firm has

designed a globetrotter’s watch.

The Escale Worldtime covers all

24 time zones, and has a colourful

face (which takes 50 hours to hand-

paint) featuring the names of major

world cities. The round case with

riveted lugs was inspired by a design

for motoring luggage found in the

Vuitton archive Simon de Burton

TIME& PLACE

Patek Philippe

World Time 5130

£44,060 (platinum), £30,520 (gold)

(020 7493 8866; patek.com).

The mechanism that powers

Patek Philippe’s world timepieces

was invented in 1937 by Louis

Cottier to show “home time” on

a conventional pair of hands while

also showing the hour in 24 capitals

on a numbered, rotating disc.

Pressing the push button on the

top left enables the local city time

to be aligned with 12 o’clock

on the inner dial. The hands

correct, leaving the remaining 23

cities aligned with the appropriate

number on the outer ring.

THREE MORE WORLD-TIME WATCHES

ULTRAwatches

Vacheron Constantin

Patrimony Traditionnelle

World Time

£39,350 (020 7578 9500;

vacheron-constantin.com).

This is possibly the ultimate world

timepiece. While most world-time

watches show the time

simultaneously in 24 cities, the

Patrimony Traditionnelle does so

in a remarkable 37, including those

that are offset by 15 minutes

or half an hour. The watch includes

many ingenious features, among

them the central sapphire

dial, half of which is tinted and

half clear to indicate night

and day in different locations.

2 To determine the time in any of

the 24 time zones on the dial, the

wearer looks for the relevant city

initials and reads the number on

the adjacent section of the hour

disc. The minutes are displayed

beneath the vertical yellow arrow.

1 The Escale’s mechanical

movement drives three discs which

form the dial: the large, static outer

disc shows the initials of the cities;

the central disc shows the hours,

and is divided in to black and white

halves to show whether it is day

or night; the small, inner disc

shows the minutes.

3 The blazons that decorate the

dial – handpainted in 38 colours –

are based on old designs by

Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the grandson

of the company’s founder,

who created patterns based on

the sound of a person’s name.

For example, the symbol of

a family called Poiret comprises

a green pea (for pois) and a

series of vertical lines (rayes).

4 Unlike most world-time watches

that are adjusted using push

pieces, the Escale is set using the

winding crown which operates in

clockwise and anti-clockwise

directions – meaning that a

mistake can easily be corrected

without having to scroll through

each of the destination cities to get

back to the one required.

5 Although it houses

218 components, the white-

gold case of the Escale Worldtime

is just 1.6in in diameter and just

over half an inch thick. It is

also waterproof down to 98ft, so

it will survive a dip in the

swimming pool or ocean.

Rolex GMT Master

£5,950, with black and blue bezel

(020 7024 7300; rolex.com).

The Rolex GMT Master dates back

to 1955 when it was developed for

Pan American Airways, which

wanted to equip its transatlantic

pilots with a watch that showed

the times of the departing and

destination cities. The basic design

remains the same today, with

a rotating bezel calibrated into

24 hours and divided in to halves,

one representing night and the

other day. The 24-hour hand can

be set to show the destination time

on the bezel, leaving the main

hour hand on “home time”.

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ULTRAtech

1 Sphelar Solar Flashlight $150/£93 (001 212 708 9888;

momastore.org). Using spherical solar cells that can capture

light from all directions, this Japanese torch comes with a

wooden base to hold it in place while it soaks up the sun.

It gives four hours of LED light from a single charge.

2 Poc Receptor Bug Communication €220/£171

(0046 8717 4050; pocsports.com). This snow-sports helmet

comes with built-in Beats headphones and a remote control,

which let skiers listen to music and take calls on the slopes.

Mark Wilson, Ultratravel’s gear and gadgets guru, selects innovative cold-weather kit for winter travellers

2

5

6

3

3

2

3 Kolon Sport Life Tech £1,527

(020 7381 6433; seymourpowell.com).

Designed to help explorers survive

in extreme conditions, this jacket

features a first-aid kit, a heating

system that gives seven hours

of warmth, and a wind turbine

to power GPS devices.

4 Jones Ultracraft Splitboard £786

(001 360 393 4741; jonessnowboards.

com). Splitboards are snowboards that

divide into skis to allow riders to

tackle different terrain. This light board

has been designed from scratch as

two skis that join together, rather than

as a single piece cut in two.

5 Voyager Expedition Flask £74 (01349 884111; dalvey.com).

Stainless-steel 95ml hip flask with an inbuilt military-standard

compass: a practical combination tool that helps adventurers

to keep warm while finding their way.

6 Arctic Cat Bearcat 2000 XT $9,100/£5,680

(001 218 681 3162; arcticcat.com).

A powerful all-rounder in cold conditions,

this snowmobile has a high windshield,

passenger wind-deflectors, adjustable

suspension and an electric

start button to keep journeys fast and

comfortable. Ice-fishing equipment

can be stowed under the seat.

4

3

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OLIVIER KRUG CHAMPAGNE CONNOISSEURA remote French island, Japan’s volcanoes and glass-blowing in Venice are favourite subjects for the vintner’s Instagram account

Olivier Krug is the sixth generation to make

champagne in his family’s cellars in Reims.

“It’s true that one of the very first things any

Krug child tastes is champagne,” he says. “It’s in our

blood.” Today, the champagne house owns hundreds

of plots in the Champagne region, and creates a

Grande Cuvée every year by blending up to 120 new

and reserve vintage wines, and laying them down for

20 years. Having spent 47 years honing his tastes, the

vintner knows what improves bubbly wine – and

destroys it. “Don’t drink champagne too cold; you

lose the flavour. Avoid champagne flutes; the glass

should be slightly wider, to allow the liquid room to

express itself. And don’t think that putting a silver

spoon upside down in a bottle will keep the bubbles.

It won’t.” Krug says his four children call him “the

oldest man on Instagram. I take selfies and snaps

wherever I go, like this view from my office [above]”.

Here, he muses on a lifetime of travel.

Heaven to me is the Ile d’Yeu, right, the farthest French island from

the mainland, where I have a house. On holiday, I go out most days

in my boat on my own and fish for seabass, which I like to barbecue

or roast in salt. With a bit of olive oil, it is so delicious.

The southern Amakusa islands of Japan, above, are incredible:

really rural and volcanic. There’s a triangle of them: Kumamoto on

the far west, with lots of active volcanoes, Kyushu on the other side,

with hot sand baths, and in the south Kagoshima, where a volcano

erupted a couple of years ago. It feels very raw and ancient.

Watching artisans in Venice is always inspiring. Seeing them blow

glass, they way they have for centuries, or weaving velvet on 12th-century looms, makes you

realise that even in this high-tech world, old traditions haven’t died;

they’ve become more ingrained.§

‚‚

Seeing the Lipizzaner

horses in Austria is

always an extraordinary

experience. They are

white, incredibly

beautiful and so well

trained. I’ve been to the

stud farm where

they’re bred: it’s

hundreds of years old

and run like a fine

hotel.

Most countries have a

memorable smell. In Japan it’s

of clean air. In Corsica it’s herbs.

In Greece it’s ripe tomatoes and

figs. In Reims, where I live, it’s cut

grass, because even though it’s a

city, people have gardens.

One of the tastiest things on earth is the

Eastern matsutake, left, which is a bit

like a truffle or a cep. It’s pure and rich and

crisp and soft all at the same time. The most

delicious way to eat it is on a grill, with a

half-drop of yuzu citrus oil to give it a kick.

‚‚

Availability may be extremely limited, particularly during peak periods. Price is in GBP per person based on two adults sharing Avis car hire in lowest car group with insurance with return fights from London Gatwick to Alicante, Pisa or Nice for selected travel between 01/01/15-15/03/15. Prices correct as of 23/10/14. Bookings must be made by midnight 14/12/14. Some payment methods attract a handling fee. Holidays are ATOL protected (number ATOL5985). For full terms and conditions, visit ba.com.

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LCKI8KI8M<C���

new poetry, new books of essays.

Argentina has the highest number of

book-buyers in Latin America: 74 per

cent. (Don’t ask what Britain’s figure is.)

Magazines and newspapers pump out

provocative, challenging stuff. The

cinemas show excellent movies which

rarely make it to Britain, with the notable

exception of The Secret in Their Eyes in

2009, a police thriller which managed to

be genuinely life-enhancing. The little

art galleries in places like the old port

district of La Boca contain things you

actually want to buy. The restaurants and

cafés are renowned, even in Latin

America. And bookshops, cinemas, art

galleries, restaurants and cafés are full at

midnight, and many stay open till dawn.

So let’s suppose you’re staying at

the Alvear Palace Hotel in Recoleta:

expensive, though not as pricey as

London, Paris or New York, and stunning:

a Thirties vision of a belle epoque hotel

which always reminds me of the Rita

Hayworth film Gilda. At 9pm, it’s too

early to eat, but it’s a good time to take in

a few shops and have an aperitif or three:

a Hesperidina, perhaps, with its bitter

orange taste, with a few slices of chorizo.

Wander on to the Plaza San Martín,

past the side-street Calle Maipú, where

the anglophile polymath Jorge Luis

Borges (1899-1986) lived, and where, in

his blind old age, he used to test visiting

Anglo-Saxons by quoting Beowulf in the

original, and asking them what it was.

(Fortunately someone had tipped me off.)

After the magnificent cool beauty of the

darkened Plaza San Martín, with its

ghostly statues and its vast ombú trees,

you turn into Florida, the ever-delightful

pedestrian-only street, which at night is

buzzing with people looking for a good

night out. The last time I walked down it,

a sensationally beautiful guitarist was

playing an introspective piece of porteño

music: by Victor Villadangos, maybe.

I don’t want to give you a false

impression; BA has as many drunks,

beggars and bores as anywhere else. But

they won’t target you because you’re from

Britain. At a time of economic crisis the

government may make a fuss about the

Falklands, but few ordinary people could

care less. And in Argentina, as in so many

parts of the world, people feel they have a

special relationship with the British.

Let’s round off the evening in a

restaurant – not somewhere fancy, but a

good old place famous for its steaks and

fried potatoes. Since Buenos Aires is one

of the most class-conscious places on

earth, my grander friends turn up their

noses at the Palacio de la Papa Frita in

Corrientes Avenue. But with its hard-

working waiters, who bustle round

carrying unimaginably large silver trays

laden with vast steaks and delicate discs

of sautéed potatoes, it is part of the soul

of Buenos Aires.

The place doesn’t get really full till

eleven, and by midnight there’ll be

a general roar of enjoyment. If the waiter

lets it be known that you are from Britain,

someone will probably send you over

a carafe of good, rough Argentine red.

Buenos Aires can be infuriating, but it

is also one of the civilised world’s great

jewels. Ignore the headlines and sample

it for yourself.

Journalists like me have a lot to

answer for, force-feeding images

into people’s minds that are

almost impossible to get rid of.

What mental pictures, for

instance, do you have of Argentina? Angry

demos denouncing Britain, ludicrously

be-medalled generals on balconies, lines

of gloomy prisoners being shepherded

by British soldiers, Jeremy Clarkson

(a particularly enjoyable one, this) hiding

under his hotel bed? So you’ll probably

find it hard to believe that Argentina is

one of the finest countries on earth to

visit – especially for a Brit.

I even enjoyed it during the Falklands

War, when everyone, except for secret

policemen and the occasional gang of far-

right thugs, was unfailingly welcoming.

I first arrived at my grand hotel in Buenos

Aires assuming I might be handed over to

the military death squads. Warily, I gave

my name to the assistant manager. “Ah,

yes, Mr Simpson, the BBC has left a

message asking you to call.”

“An extraordinary misunderstanding,”

I blathered. “I can’t think how it can have

arisen.” He looked at me quizzically for

a moment, like a character in a Thirties

black-and-white comedy, then said, “I

understand completely, sir. But may I just

say if you had been from the BBC, what a

pleasure it would have been to welcome

you.” It was the start of a lifelong affection.

Sure, the economy staggers from one

crisis to the next, politics is a century-long

disaster, and it’s a long time since there

was a sensible president. Yet the cultural

life of Buenos Aires thrives regardless.

The bookshops are full of new novels,

Banish negative images of Buenos Aires you’ve seen on the news, says our globetrotter. It’s a supremely cultured city

Argentina has the highest number of book-buyers in South America, the

cinemas show excellent movies and the galleries contain things you actually

want to buy

UP FRONT

“entina h

“

JOHN SIMPSON

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mountainHIGHS

It’s not just to ski that we head for the hills, but to

seek experiences as rarefied as the high-altitude

air. Ultratravel’s snow specialists select the

ultimate winter thrills, from heli-skiing in Canada

to Michelin-starred dining on the slopes

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON JOHN OWEN

THE BEST GOURMET WEEKEND

Courmeyeur, Italy

Having just spent three days with a trio of Britain’s leading

chefs in Italy’s Val d’Aosta, I think I can say with some

certainty that I will never eat like this again while skiing.

There is always good food in Courmeyeur, and so many restaurants

that in a week one could eat lunch and dinner in a different place

every day. But this year, the area became the ultimate gourmet ski

destination, thanks to the passion of chef Heston Blumenthal and

co-owner of Momentum Ski, Amin Momen, who brought together

their twin loves – of food and skiing – to create the area’s first

Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience.

The Italian ski area has long been known for its food. Bordered

by France and Switzerland, its menus feature hearty Aostan dishes

such as carbonada (beef and red-wine stew) and mocetta (goat-

ham prosciutto), as well as local specialities such as fontina cheese,

Arnad lard and Jambon de Bosses. But with Blumenthal whipping up

such creations as a dry-ice-infused mid-morning “Black Forest

gâteau hot-chocolate drink” (which involved adding flavoured dry-

ice vapour, a black cherry and a posh version of a Mr Kipling slice),

and his two Michelin-starred British compatriots Marcus Wareing

and Sat Bains competing to create ever-more inventive menus, the

area’s ingredients were taken to whole new heights.

Creating the dishes, apparently, was almost as challenging for the

chefs as the skiing. As Blumenthal put it: “Cooking in a mountain

restaurant where we’ve never cooked before is quite a test. But f

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Top grub British chef Marcus

Wareing (far left) serves tiramisu

at a Mountain Gourmet Ski

Experience dinner. Heston

Blumenthal (left), who served

up Black Forest-infused hot

chocolate (below); Sat Bains’

roast scallops with charred

leeks (below left); wooden

mountain refuge (bottom)

Rush

MAUR IT IUS REUNION MALD IVES CH INA U .A . E (2016) | LUXRESORTS.COM

The Team Members of LUX* help people to celebrate life with

the most simple, fresh and sensory hospitality in the world.

LCKI8KI8M<C���

e it is a great way to bring people together to celebrate this

beautiful region. And some of the food around here is so good that

sometimes it almost makes me want to cry.”

There was certainly an extraordinary collection of international

foodies coming together in two rooms: more than 40 guests from all

over the globe, from Holland and the United States to Brunei and

Oman. And the chefs didn’t disappoint: each cooking a distinctive

menu for two nights running, with guests trying one chef’s offering

on the first night, and then the other chef’s the next night, while

sampling local restaurants at lunch in between.

While both chefs made use of the local ingredients, their menus

were very different. Wareing’s began with Alpine rainbow trout with

egg and chowder, and moved on to Herdwick lamb, broccoli and

almonds, with potatoes, fontina cheese, onion and smoked bacon.

Bains’, meanwhile, started with generous-sized roast scallops with

truffle emulsion and charred leek, and followed with ox-cheek,

parsnip and meat tartare on toast. After an Aosta Valley cheese

course, both chefs presented their own take on a traditional Italian

dessert: tiramisu. For vegetarians, such as former racing driver

Damon Hill, there were non-meat options, too. “Getting good

vegetarian food in this part of the world is always quite a challenge,”

he said. “But Sat came up with a risotto using spelt ground at a mill

in Northumberland, along with almost an entire truffle, and Marcus

produced artichokes with a quail egg. Delicious.”

Thanks to his motor-racing father, Graham, and mother, Bette, Hill

started skiing at the age of six, in Kitzbühel. “Then we used wooden

skis and leather boots, but I’ve always loved skiing,” he said. “After

all, James Bond went skiing. And my hero is Franz Klammer. So this

event – mixing food, people and skiing – is wonderful.”

The transport to the restaurants earned his approval, too.

While guests to La Chaumière had to walk through the snow to

sample Wareing’s food, those heading for Bains’s dinner at

La Maison Vieille, a good mile or so away, were treated to

snowmobile transport to the front door. With headlights picking

out the falling snow, we all felt like extras in a James Bond movie

as we hurtled up the mountain – Heston Blumenthal sitting side-

saddle to ease his painful hip.

While the British chefs were the stars of the weekend, chefs from

the area’s restaurants got their moment in the spotlight, too. On the

first night, guests were treated to a dinner at the Auberge de la

Maison in neighbouring Entrèves, cooked by Massimiliano Villani,

featuring dishes from caramelised pig’s trotter and an onion cooked

in hay to a dessert of chestnut chocolate purée with whipped

cream, as well as, of course, Aosta Valley grappa. In spite of the

prospect of a good morning’s skiing ahead, few people – if any –

were in their beds before midnight.

Normally when I go skiing, I eat and ski with similar abandon, the

net result being that I never lose weight, no matter how many

vertical feet I consume. But this time it was different. I lost a few

pounds and never once had to reach for the packet of Rennies I

keep by my bedside – something that speaks volumes about the

quality of the food. ARNIE WILSON

The next Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience is from January

9 to 12 2015, and costs £3,500 per person, based on two

sharing (020 7371 9111; momentumski.com).

With their cinemas, helipads and spas as standard, today’s luxury Alpine chalets are a far cry

from their rustic forebears. Gone are the days when a lone outdoor hot tub was a selling

point. Now it takes three tubs, with the indoor one handily located a bikini’s throw from a

1,400sq ft private nightclub, to raise an eyebrow.

So what does it take to create the world’s most incredible ski chalet? Ask 37-year-old Austrian

tycoon René Benko, whose £30-million Chalet N knocked the mink spots off the competition when it

opened in Lech last year. At a whopping 54,000sq ft, Chalet N sleeps up to 24 guests in 10 en-suite

doubles and a fairy-tale children’s bunk room. There are two dining rooms, a sitting room with roaring

fires and a full-sized bar, cinema, wine cellar, plush ski room with an elevator to whisk guests straight

on to the piste, and two outdoor hot tubs and an ice bar for après-ski parties. And let’s not forget the

gym and largest chalet spa in the Alps, with multiple treatment rooms, a beauty and hair salon, large

swimming pool, hay sauna, ice fountain and salt-cave steam bath.

However, it takes more than bricks, mortar and reclaimed wood panelling to be incredible. Chalet N

really does push the toboggan out when it comes to detail: the floor-to-ceiling windows are bullet-

proof, the cutlery is handcrafted from titanium, the bathrooms are stocked with full-size Hermès

treats (Terre de Hermès for him, Kelly Calèche for her) and there are 26 professional staff on hand at

all times, including a pair of chefs and butlers. Oh, and guests’ initials are embroidered on the 1,000-

threadcount Egyptian cotton pillowcases, too. It’s the little touches… GABRIELLA LE BRETON

Chalet N (chalet-n.com) costs from £163,500 a week through Oxford Ski (oxfordski.com).Fast foodies Heston Blumenthal, Sat Bains and Marcus Wareing swap

chef’s aprons for ski gear on the Italian slopes of Courmeyeur

THE BEST CHALET Chalet N, Oberlech, Austria

mountain

HIGHS

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THE BEST HELI-SKIING

Revelstoke, British Columbia

Just occasionally on the snakes-and-ladders board of life

you may be lucky enough to experience a sensation that

somehow transcends the normal boundaries of our

humdrum daily existence. If you’re a skier, one way to do this is

to go to Revelstoke and book yourself on an A-Star helicopter.

You’ll also need a modicum of technical skill (although a pair of

ultra-wide skis will help significantly), and an expert mountain guide

from the unlikely named Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing.

For 36 years, sleepy Revelstoke, sandwiched between the

Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges, has been the world capital

of heli skiing. In an average winter, some 40ft of snow tumbles out

of the sky. Usually, heli-skiing outfits operate from remote lodges,

and if the weather closes in and flying is impossible, the money

meter is still ticking. Not so in Revelstoke. In 2007, the resort built

a giant two-mile-long gondola up Mount Mackenzie (whose 5,620ft

vertical drop is the longest in any North American ski resort) and

bought Selkirk Tangiers, along with a local snowcat-skiing operation,

whose vehicles can take you to places that cannot be accessed

by lift. With all this, you can ski almost anywhere.

The heli-skiing starts from designated drop zones scattered

across half a million acres of rugged, unpopulated terrain.

Depending on the weather and the skills of the group, the guide

can choose to explore wide open bowls and chutes way above the

treeline or lead his party through abandoned logging trails.

For somewhere to stay, Revelstoke has the best hyperchalet

outside the Alps. British-owned Big Horn is built on a grandiose

scale, its four storeys housing eight large bedrooms, a pool spa

and an outdoor tub big enough for 16. It also has a chef worthy of

a Michelin star, and its own heli-pad from which to collect guests.

With these extras, skiing couldn’t get better. PETER HARDY

Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing (selkirk-tangiers.com) costs £960pp a day,

and Big Horn (bighornrevelstoke.com) from £29,220 a week.

Every four years we marvel at the

skill, balance and sheer bottle of

our Winter Olympians as they slide,

glide and soar through the different

death-defying disciplines. Of all the

events, it is the bob skeleton that

seems to captivate our attention

more than any other – not simply

because we Britons are quite good

at it, but because it confounds all

conventional logic.

Think the Cresta Run but with

more bends, no brakes and no

restrictions on women taking part.

Riders lie face down on a glorified

tea tray, with their hands clamped

by their sides and their noses 3in

from the ice as they hurtle down

the track at speeds of up to 90mph.

Sound like the kind of winter

thrill you were looking for? Well,

you now have the chance to try it

yourself in the exclusive company

of one of Britain’s greatest

Olympians, Amy Williams (right),

the 2010 Olympic gold medallist,

on one of the greatest tracks of

them all, at Innsbruck.

I think back to my first skeleton

ride and the beads of sweat that

formed on my brow, despite the

cold, when I first caught a glimpse

of this giant track – the walls so

much steeper, the turns so much

sharper than I had ever expected.

“Next on the track: Starmer-Smith.”

There is no way to describe how

helpless you feel at the starting

gate, nor the adrenalin that courses

through your veins when you face

the same centrifugal forces as a

fighter pilot as you shake, rattle

and roll down the course at warp

speed. And it’s especially hard to

convey the endorphins that flow

after you reach the finish – alive.

More alive. It’s the ride of your life.

CHARLES STARMER-SMITH

Momentum Ski (020 7371 9111;

momentumski.com) offers two

nights’ b&b at the five-star Grand

Hotel Europa in Innsbruck, return

transfers, skeleton and bobsleigh

rides, tuition and two dinners with

Amy Williams from £1,250. Return

Club Europe tickets with British

Airways (ba.com) cost from £250.

THE BEST ADRENALIN WEEKEND Innsbruck, Austria

mountain

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You’ve booked your luxury chalet in Courchevel and bought

this season’s Moncler jacket. Now all you need is a bespoke

snowboard. There is only one catch: you have to build it.

Spurart, in Innsbruck, offers a weekend course at which, last

winter, I did just that. For someone who struggles to wire a plug

without following a YouTube video, the prospect of creating a piece

of high-performance sports equipment felt daunting, to say the

least. Fortunately, there was a team of experts to oversee my

handiwork – including Michi Freymann, the former ski racer and

Spurart founder, who has tested more than 15,000 pairs of skis.

The weekend course began with a telephone consultation where

I gave details about my weight, height, experience and how

I wanted the board to handle. By the time I had arrived at Spurart

on a Friday evening, the team had already drawn up the

measurements for my equipment. Under the expert eyes of the

tutor, Christian Geisler, I started to make the template, which I cut,

sanded and shaped: messy work, but surprisingly easy. At the end of

the first evening, covered in sawdust and with pieces of wood in my

hair, I admired my creation with a large smile on my face.

The next morning, it was down to making the real thing. Using the

template, my first task was to cut out my board’s base from a strip

of vinyl, before trimming the metal edges with an angle grinder and

fixing them in place. For my base shape I had chosen a “twin”

(meaning that the nose and tail are identical), making it easier for

switch riding, with a short nose and tail for better agility in a snow

park. Having shaped the core with a planer, to ensure the right

camber, it was time to cover it in epoxy resin, to give it strength

and stiffness, and then choose a wood veneer for the top. I opted

for a dark oak on the edges and a light beech in the centre, a bit like

a Sixties surfboard. Once that was done, the final step was to put it

into a plastic bag and bake it in a high-pressure oven overnight.

I returned the next morning feeling excited but nervous, and

gingerly unwrapped the bag. It revealed a beautiful and, to my eyes,

perfect snowboard. I was thrilled. Following an hour of sanding,

I gave it a light oiling that brought out the beauty of the wood grain.

By then, there was one thing on my mind: hitting the nine

ski-slopes of Innsbruck to show off my baby. “We always

recommend that you leave a new board to settle for three days,”

said Christian, “so the layers are properly bonded together.”

This was like being given the best toy ever, only to be told you

can’t play with it. Although disappointed, at least I was able to test

Spurart’s previous creations. Now, all I want is for winter to arrive,

so I can try out my own. Bring on the snow.

SIMON KHALIL

Spurart (spurart.at) offers a weekend snowboard-building course

from €790 (£545). The Grand Hotel Europa Innsbruck (0043 512 5931;

grandhoteleuropa.at) offers doubles from €126 a night; a day

ski-pass at Axamer Lizum (axamer-lizum.at) costs €35.50.

When it opened 24 years ago in the Fermes

de Marie boutique hotel in Megève, Pure

Altitude was France’s first mountain spa.

The hotel’s original name, La Ferme de

Beauté (The Beauty Farm), was a reflection

of the centuries-old mountain-shepherds’

huts and stables that were dismantled and

rebuilt in meadows to house the rustic-look

hotel. The spa’s old and current names also

reflect owner Jocelyne Sibuet’s dedication

to the development of beauty products and

treatments using locally-sourced Alpine

flowers, herbs, minerals and glacial water.

Treatments include nourishing facials with

edelweiss-rich creams, skin-softening

scrubs with malachite and rhodochrosite

“snow crystals”, and swaddling wraps in

mineral-infused “velvet snow” body lotion.

Following an extensive rebuild this summer,

the spa is now a whopping 10,000sq ft and

updated to include high-tech equipment

within its ancient frame. A granite-clad pool

is flanked on one side by 200-year-old

timber beams and on the other by full-

length windows overlooking the Alps.

Fragrant red cedar wood envelops a sauna,

hammam, and hot and cold traditional

Japanese ofuro soaking tubs. Treatment

rooms are clad with slender floor-to-ceiling

birch trees. And an ancient shepherd’s hut

houses a sauna in the snow-dusted garden,

while a wooden hot tub steams in the crisp

mountain air. The treatments are a glorious

mix of practical and luxurious, with hot and

cold stone massages to refresh legs,

moisturising “oxygen-bubble” facials to perk

up altitude-affected skin and warming pools

and saunas to heat up cold bones. It may

be a quarter of a century old, but it has

aged well. If only we looked as good.

GABRIELLA LA BRETON

Doubles at Les Fermes de Marie

(0033 4 5774 7474; fermesdemarie.com)

cost from €300/£235 a night; a signature

Seve de Vie anti-ageing facial costs €145.

THE BEST SPA Pure Altitude, Megève, Switzerland

THE BEST SNOWBOARD One you have built yourself in Innsbruck, Austria

mountain

HIGHS

Discover the allure of

timeless Arabian destinations

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THE BEST WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Aurora Safari Camp, Sweden

Gazing up at the swirling, neon majesty of the Northern Lights is usually as chilblain-inducing as it is

jaw-dropping. Which is why the opportunity to survey one of the world’s most magnificent natural wonders

with a warming glass of wine in hand, roaring fire mere feet away from the comfort of your own snuggly

blanket, is really rather appealing.

Equal parts glamping trip, safari adventure and Northern Lights tour, the Aurora Safari Camp experience offers

all the serenity and bucket list-ticking awe of the Arctic but with a spectacularly stylish, culturally informed and

personable twist. Hidden on the outskirts of Lulea, a remote Swedish township situated on the edge of the Arctic

Circle, the camp consists of five Sami-inspired, perma-glowing Lavvu tents (comfy mattress, wood-burning stove,

and the ability to withstand temperatures of up to -37C mercifully come as standard). Outside there are gloriously

uninterrupted views of the Aurora-filled night sky, and a permanently toasty lounge area in which to unwind with

the finest of local organic dining (particularly good was the smoked and dried moose meat, complemented by

a glass of delicious lingonberry juice).

The camp also has a charming and welcoming host, the founder, Fredrik Broman, who came up with the brilliant

idea of creating a Scandinavian safari after working as a guide in African parks. Whether he is kitting you out in the

cosiest of reindeer pelts, drilling holes in the frozen lake for a spot of ice fishing, snowmobiling you into the heart of

the wilderness on a stargazing tour or introducing you to the town’s local reindeer herder and his pack of purebred

Siberian huskies for a spot of sledding, he makes Arctic adventures as bespoke, polished and surprisingly

comfortable as anything can be in these eyeball-freezing temperatures. MATT RISLEY

Double rooms at Aurora Safari Camp (aurorasafaricamp.wordpress.com) costs from £350. originaltravel.co.uk.

Cool comforts (clockwise from left)

Tent at Aurora; driving huskies through

the forest; inside a Lavvu tent; exploring

the Swedish wilderness on foot

mountain

HIGHS

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Peak 6 is opening the door to a whole new realm. Last season, Breckenridge Ski Resort added 543 new acres of above

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Come see what’s new in Breckenridge, where five lofy peaks combine with a charming mountain town to create memories

and traditions that last a lifetime.

Call (970) 496-5500 to book now and save up to 25% on lodging when you stay 4 nights.

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The Hollywood legend was so seduced by French Polynesia that he bo

BRANDO’S

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ught his own island, Tetiaroa. Now it is open as an ultra-exclusive resort. Nigel Tisdall jets in

WATERFRONT

Wild one Thatched villas

line the beaches of the

remote island that was home

to Marlon Brando (top left,

with his French Polynesian

wife, Tarita Teriipaia)

C A L L 0 8 0 0 0 4 6 3 3 6 2 C A P T A I N S C H O I C E . C O . U K

S I M P L Y T H E F I N E S T W A Y T O S E E T H E W O R L D

Captain’s Choice is the acknowledged leader in luxury touring around the world. Travel with us in unparalleled

style on one of our three amazing African itineraries, and you will discover some of the most inspiring, iconic

and remote places in this fascinating continent. You will stay in the finest available accommodation, dine on

superb locally-inspired cuisine, and be taken care of throughout by a dedicated, experienced team which even

includes a doctor. To find out more and to see our full range of tours, please call us for a brochure.

R elax, and let us show you the magic

and majesty of Africa

PRIDE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Visit the diamond town of Kimberley •

Marvel at the incredible Sossuslvei

dunes and Fish River Canyon • Go on

safari in Etosha National Park and the

Lion Sands Private Game Reserve •

Explore the waterways of the Okavango

Delta • See the Victoria Falls in full flow

Prices from £15,845pp twin share

ETHIOPIA

Discover Ethiopia’s intriguing capital

Addis Ababa • See the mighty Blue

Nile Falls • Explore the islands scattered

on Lake Tana • Tour the medieval

castles of Gondar • Visit the astonishing

rock-hewn churches of Lalibela •

Discover the historic town of Aksum

Prices from £6,700pp twin share

CAPE TOWN TO PETRA

Watch Africa unfold before your eyes

on Rovos Rail between Cape Town and

Pretoria • Visit the impressive Victoria

Falls • Go on Safari amidst the teeming

wildlife of the Masai Mara • Visit the

ultra-modern city of Doha • Explore the

ancient site of the rose-red city of Petra

Prices from £16,095pp twin share

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urquoise, deep blue, light blue, indigo blue, cobalt

blue, royal blue, robin’s egg blue, aquamarine.” I’m not

surprised that when Marlon Brando wrote his memoirs

he struggled to find words to describe the bewitching

colours of the lagoon at the heart of his private atoll.

After discovering the myriad charms of French Polynesia

while filming Mutiny on the Bounty (which co-starred the

19-year-old Tarita Teriipaia, who duly became his third wife),

the actor bought Tetiaroa, 30 miles north of Tahiti, in 1966.

It cost the star $200,000, and it was his intention that this

ring of 12 deserted motus (islets) remain unspoilt. Tetiaroa

was where Marlon escaped the battlefield of Hollywood,

chatting with the world on his ham radio using the

pseudonym “Jim Ferguson”, kicking back with friends and

family in a castaway landscape of white sands, coconut palms

and green turtles waving a friendly flipper from clear waters.

Now, following lengthy negotiations between his heirs and

Richard Bailey, a friend of Brando and President of Pacific

Beachcomber, we can get a taste of his desert island dream.

The Brando has opened its doors – or rather its airstrip. The

only way into this hyper-exclusive pancake of sand is by

helicopter or aboard the resort’s plane, which departs from

a dedicated terminal at Faa’a International Airport in Tahiti.

Only one idyllic motu has been used in the making of this

21st-century paradise, which comes with an eco-station and

ingeniously sourced energy: 4,000 solar panels line the

airstrip, while a 3,000ft pipe drops deep into the ocean to

draw up cold water to cool the air conditioning. Thirty-five

monumental villas march along its pristine beaches, built

with the massive trunks of ironwood trees and embellished

with an outdoor bath, infinity pool and a rocking chair for

two. Every guest gets a bicycle in a chic café-au-lait livery.

The sands are raked with the precision of a Zen garden.

Hidden in the coconut palms, and fringed with lily ponds,

the Varua Polynesian Spa includes a dreamy double suite

suspended in the trees like a large brown ball of knitting

‘IT’S VERY ELEMENTAL HERE,’ SAID BRANDO. ‘YOU HAVE SKY, SEA, TREES, SUN’

Ring of bright water Tetiaroa, top, the atoll of 12 islets once owned by Brando, pictured there in 1972. A villa bathroom, above

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wool. The massages, using sensual monoi oils and

long, flowing movements like the ocean waves, are

exceptionally good. Dinner is served by the beach, in your

villa, or at the calm, cream Les Mutinés restaurant, which

is overseen by Guy Martin, chef at the two-Michelin-star

Le Grand Véfour in Paris. Everything is included:

champagne, meals, a daily spa treatment per villa,

excursions – even coral-friendly sunblock.

The Brando is not a party place, but providing the sun

shines (May to October is driest) it is easy to love and

ideal for some South Pacific lotus-eating. It also marks a

step-up for the traditional Tahitian holiday. For once,

there are no over-water bungalows. No predictable

breakfast buffet served in a pandanus-thatched hangar,

no rip-roaring jet-skis, no still-in-the-Stone Age charge

for Wi-Fi. Here the French and Polynesian staff are neither

jaded nor brainwashed, while the guests are, frankly,

a better class of honeymooner. The resort will work best

at the start or end of a tour – chill out here after that long

flight, or cap off your island-hopping with some

deliciously deluxe downtime.

All this is good news for French Polynesia, which

deserves a higher prominence in our holiday plans. Tahiti

and her 117 islands lie sprinkled across a blanket of blue

ocean the size of Europe, and include mountainous

Moorea (pineapple central), loved-up Bora Bora

(honeymoon central), the vast constellation of the

Tuamotus (diving central) and the far-flung Marquesas

(not at all central), where Paul Gauguin ended his days.

In my experience, these are all worth your time, and it’s

a bonus that the indisputable joys of the tropical holiday –

balmy warmth, incredible stars, gorgeous waters – also

come with a French dressing. Baguettes, pétanque, yellow

postes boxes – and, of course, good grub.

hile there are rewarding inland

hikes and excursions on many of

these islands – up to the viewpoint,

round the vanilla plantation, down to the

pearl farm – it’s worth remembering that

at least half your sightseeing will be done on or under the

water. You don’t need to be a diver (although this is a fine

place to learn), because the snorkelling is equally

sensational, with richly coloured corals and fashionista

fish galore. Since 2002, the whole of French Polynesia has

been a marine mammal sanctuary – a fact brought home

to me in spectacular style as I sample The Brando’s

impeccable breakfast croissants. For three days in a row

I spy humpback whales from the shore. And they’re not

just blips on the horizon. A humpback is the size of six

elephants, and they regularly pass by Tahiti from August

to October. When one breaches, it’s like watching a

zeppelin do a belly-flop, with an ensuing thunder-splash

that makes you wonder if the French have started nuclear

testing again.

The natural wonders don’t stop there. Out on “The

Ultimate Tour of Tetiaroa” we see stingrays, three-month-

old lemon sharks and perky flocks of brown and red-

footed boobys. But, of course, it’s the hypnotic blues and

greens of the lagoon that seduce most. Looking down into

the honeycombs of sunlight that dance in its crystal

waters is like getting a sneak preview of heaven, and while

Tetiaroa doesn’t have a monopoly on such mesmerising

sights, it’s certainly a treat to have a whole atoll to

yourself. “The Billionaire’s Pool” is how Leonardo

DiCaprio described these enchanting waters when he

checked in a few weeks ahead of me. That’s a name that

will surely stick, as another great actor falls for the peace

and beauty of Tetiaroa. Marlon once explained: “It’s very

elemental here. You have the sky, the sea, the trees, the

crabs, the fish, the sun… the basics.”

And if we can now also get unlimited champagne,

sublime Polynesian massages and filet mignon de veau

aux truffes – well, that’s civilisation, n’est-ce pas?

TETIAROA ESSENTIALS

Air Tahiti Nui (0844 482 1675, airtahitinui.co.uk)

flies to Papeete from Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo

and Auckland. A return flight from London

costs from £4,450 business class, £1,551

economy, flying the LA sectors with Virgin

Atlantic. Flights from Papeete to Tetiaroa

with Air Tetiaroa cost from £235 return.

A one-bedroom villa at The Brando (00 689

4086 6366; the brando.com) costs €3,421/

£2,687 per night (minimum stay three nights),

including all meals and drinks, one daily spa

treatment per villa and a daily excursion.

Turquoise Holidays (01494 678 400;

turquoiseholidays.co.uk) offers seven nights

at The Brando from £11,525 per person,

including flights from London, domestic flights

and transfers, travelling from April 1 2015.

More information: tahiti-tourisme.co.uk

Big blue Clockwise,

from top: Swimming

in the clear waters

of Tetiaroa; the

resort’s private plane;

Marlon Brando with

his wife Tarita and son

Teihotu; the double

suite in the spa

W

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Where to go after Tetiaroa? Nigel Tisdall picks the region’s highlights, from romantic escapes to cultural cruises

THE BEST OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

ULTRATRAVEL GUIDE

SUBLIME STOPOVER

Rarotonga, Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands are the smart choice if you fancy

a quick taste of the South Pacific en route to a

longer holiday in New Zealand or Australia. Air

New Zealand has a weekly direct flight from Los

Angeles to Rarotonga, and passengers can stop

over at no extra charge if continuing to Auckland,

just four hours away. It takes 45 minutes to drive

around this joyful island, which has a rainforest,

a volcanic core and a coastline of relaxed palm-

shaded beaches. Try to time a visit with the fête-

like Punanga Nui Saturday market held in the

capital, Avarua, and then go on to a rugby match.

A 45-minute flight north, Aitutaki is famous for its

lagoon and popular with romancing Kiwis: here

it’s all about lazing in that hammock.

Discover The World (01737 214 291;

discover-the-world.co.uk) offers a twin-centre

holiday to Rarotonga and Aitutaki from £3,265

per person, including international and domestic

flights, transfers and three nights each at the

Crown Beach Resort and Aitutaki Lagoon Resort,

travelling in low season (December 2014 to

March 2015).

LOVE IN A LAGOON

Taha’a, French PolynesiaBora Bora is a byword for romance if you’re a fan

of luxury beach resorts. A 50-minute flight west of

Tahiti, the island rises out of the ocean in a graph-

like run of green and toothy peaks, the crags of a

venerable volcano ringed by an emerald and

sapphire lagoon. Almost everyone here is on

honeymoon, or celebrating something special. But

rather than feeling like a love factory there is a

touching and happy energy to the place. For the

full works, check into a mountain-view over-water

bungalow at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora,

which has the best location and seamless service.

But for something less stage-managed, the

nearby island of Taha’a is far more low-key, with

better excursions and two well-appointed

escapes, Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa (a good

choice if you prefer a beach bungalow) and the

tiny, 12-bungalow Vahine Island Private Resort.

Turquoise Holidays (01494 678 400;

turquoiseholidays.co.uk) offers four nights each

at Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa and Four Seasons

Resort Bora Bora from £4,775 per person,

including international and domestic flights,

transfers and breakfast, travelling in high season

(from April 1).

Beautiful south The beach at

Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa, Bora

Bora. Inset: a vintage Pam Am poster

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DIVINE DIVES

Rangiroa, Tuamotus, French PolynesiaAn hour’s flight north east of Tahiti, Rangiroa is

the world’s second largest atoll and the gateway

to the 76 low-lying islands and atolls of the

Tuamotus. Up on land, life is exceedingly relaxed,

a place to unwind amid glossy palms, plink-

plonking ukeleles and invigorating poisson cru

(raw fish marinaded in coconut milk). Put your

head underwater, though, and it’s aquatic

Armageddon. Tiputa Pass is the big draw, where

experienced divers can drift with the current

alongside hundreds of grey reef sharks, plus

manta rays, stingrays and show-off fish galore.

Original Diving (0207 978 0505; originaldiving.com)

offers a seven-night trip to Rangiroa from £3,100

per person, including international and domestic

flights, transfers, six nights at the luxury Hotel

Kia Ora in a beach bungalow with breakfast,

plus a package of six dives per person, travelling

year-round.

TREASURE ISLAND

Upolu, SamoaThere are many things to admire about the author

Robert Louis Stevenson, but perhaps the greatest

is that when he went travelling in the South Seas

he took his widowed mother, Maggie, with him.

Villa Vailima, the splendid home he built in 1890

on the north coast of Upolu for his extended

family, is one of the chief attractions in this green

and welcoming two-island nation. A former

German colony, Samoa is one of the best places

to tune into modern Polynesian culture – it hasn’t

sold out to tourism, but there are decent beach

resorts and you can have great fun exploring by

hire car. The flower-filled country lanes are clean

and the heavily tattooed Samoans manifest a

deep love for family values, rugby and corned

beef, with 95 per cent of islanders going to church

every Sunday dressed in blazing white.

Transpacific Holidays (01342 840 555;

transpacificholidays.co.uk) offers 10 nights at the

Sinalei Reef Resort from £2,929 per person

including flights via Auckland, transfers and

breakfast, travelling from May 1.

ROUND THE WORLD WITH

THE FAMILY

Vanua Levu, FijiThe South Pacific is so far away it provides a

perfect excuse to circle the globe – and why not

take the kids along? Try an adventure for the

summer holidays that begins with three nights in

Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and concludes with

another three in Hong Kong, staying at the

InterContinental Hong Kong. In-between is a week

at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort

(above) in Vanua Levu, Fiji, a former coconut

plantation with a spa, diving, a marine biologist

and a free kids club. Rooms are thatched bures.

The trip costs from £5,490 per adult and £4,998

per child from Exsus (0207 337 9010; exsus.com),

and includes full board and transfers in Fiji, and

flights with British Airways and Fiji Airways,

travelling between June 1 and August 31.

Water world Clockwise from above: diving in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa; a canoeist

off Moorea, near the island of Tahiti; and a beach sign in the Cook Islands

ISLAND-HOPPING BLISS

Yasawa Islands, FijiSprinkled to the northwest of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main

island, the Yasawas are a 55-mile chain of rugged

volcanic peaks that can be cruised in comfort

aboard the 34-cabin Fiji Princess. Primarily adult

only, with some family departures, voyages last

three, four or seven nights, with the longest

venturing as far as Tamasua. Hiking, snorkelling

and cultural activities are mixed, with on-board

spa treatments and a beach barbecue on a private

island. The archipelago is also home to the five-

star Yasawa Island Resort, with 18 luxury

bungalows, unspoilt beaches and a private airstrip.

Audley Travel (01993 838 800; audleytravel.com)

offers a 10-day trip to Fiji, combining three nights’

b&b on Viti Levu with a seven-night Yasawa

Islands cruise (full board) from £4,320 per person,

including flights and transfers, travelling in July.

SOUTH PACIFIC ODYSSEY

Easter Island to TahitiAlways wanted to sail the South Seas? You can

fulfil this dream on a 22-night “In the Wake of the

Bounty” voyage aboard the 57-suite MS

Caledonian Sky. After flying into Easter Island,

with its colossal and enigmatic moais, the ship

sails west to the remote Pitcairn Islands, where

Bounty mutineers set up home in 1790. Later

ports of call include the rarely visited Gambier

Islands in French Polynesia, and the Marquesas,

which is the island group farthest from any

continental land mass.

Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; noble-caledonia.

co.uk) offers a trip departing on November 14

2015, from £10,495 per person including flights,

full board, excursions, transfers and hotel

accommodation with breakfast.

SOUTH PACIFIC HOW TO DO IT

GETTING THERE

Los Angeles is the principal

gateway to the South Pacific.

From here, there are onward

flights to Tahiti with Air Tahiti Nui

(0844 482 1675; airtahitinui.co.

uk), to the Cook Islands with Air

New Zealand (0800 028 4149;

airnewzealand.co.uk), and to Fiji

with Fiji Airways (001 800 227

4446; fijiairways.com). Lan Chile

(0845 098 0140; lanchile.com)

flies from Santiago to Tahiti via

Easter Island. Routes via Asia to

Fiji include departures from

Seoul with Korean Air (00800

0656 2001; koreanair.com) and

Hong Kong with Fiji Airways.

Samoa can be reached from

Auckland with Air New Zealand,

from Fiji with Fiji Airways, and

from Australia with Virgin Samoa

(0800 051 1281; virginsamoa.

com). When booking flights, note

that the Cook Islands are on the

other side of the International

Date Line to New Zealand.

WHEN TO GO

The weather is generally

best from May to September.

June to August is high season,

when flights and hotels need

to be booked well in advance.

MONEY

Sterling is not easily exchanged,

and it can be hard to change

back local currency when

leaving. Take euros (for French

Polynesia), New Zealand dollars

(for the Cook Islands) and

US dollars.

MORE INFORMATION

South Pacific (£19.99, Lonely

Planet) covers the region in

depth. Useful websites

are tahiti-tourisme.co.uk,

samoa.travel, cookislands.travel,

fiji.travel and spto.org.

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1OTH

special ANNIVERSARY

Plane sailing Traversing a sea

of dunes in Namibia, where

there is nothing but sand, whale

skeletons and shipwrecks

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Over the past decade, our contributors have traversed the globe in search of

extraordinary experiences. Here they select their most thrilling, from soaring above the

Namib and hearing a lone Arctic bird sing to driving a classic car from Peking to Paris

YEARS OF ULTRATRAVEL

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Hearing a songbird sing in the Arctic SARA WHEELER

It was one of those perfect Arctic days when

ocean and sky compete to achieve the most

vulgar blue. My Russian ice-breaker had anchored

off the western extremity of Franz Josef Land, a

chain of uninhabited islands crouched along the

rim of the Barents Sea. A Zodiac ferried me to

land and, as my boot crunched on to the tundra,

I heard a snow bunting sing. I had spent many

years writing about the Antarctic, and thought

it was a love affair that its northern counterpart

could never break. But the trill of a small

black-and-white bird changed everything. The

Antarctic is too cold for a single songbird to

breed. The Arctic, I realised, is about life – and I

was a faithless lover. quarkexpeditions.com

Taking the train to Ulan Batur JOHN SIMPSON

After a lifetime’s travel, one journey stands out

with particular prominence: taking a luxuriously

fitted-out Russian train (right) from Yekaterinburg

to Ulan Batur. Merely setting down the names

brings back the memories: the calm, determined

movement of the train through the Siberian night,

the brilliant food, the amusing fellow travellers,

the trips to extraordinary places, the blue ice of

the world’s most beautiful lake, Baikal. My wife

and little boy and I still reminisce about it

endlessly. One day we’ll do the full journey, from

St Petersburg to Vladivostok. That’s a lot of

zakuski, quite a lot of Russian novel-reading, some

excellent conversation, and a certain amount of

vodka. I can’t wait. goldeneagleluxurytrains.com

Flying above NamibiaSOPHIE CAMPBELL

I wouldn’t call myself a private plane sort of gal,

but I won’t forget buzzing along in the blue above

Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, nose pressed to the

window, and far below a deadly frill of surf and

the rib cages of wrecked ships rammed nose-first

into the beach. Every so often, through big fat

headphones, crackled the German accent of the

one of the Schoeman brothers piloting the plane,

pointing out fat seals and dashing ostriches,

a 19th-century diamond concession, an oxcart,

a line of wheelbarrows. It was romantic and

exciting and our Centurion II was a proper bush

plane. We skittered down to see things and slept

in camps with bucket showers, outdoor loos and

skies full of stars. There’s luxury for you.

cazenoveandloyd.com

Revisiting the pagodas in Bagan CHRIS CALDICOTT

Standing alone at dawn in 2010 on the highest

platform of one of the mighty ancient pagodas

in Bagan (above), watching the tropical sun do

battle with the morning mists to reveal another

hundred pagodas scattered over the Irrawaddy

floodplain, I was moved to tears. The last time

I had seen this unforgettable sight had been

30 years previously and it had lost none of its

magic. In fact, this time it was even better, as

Burma itself was experiencing an optimistic

new dawn: the monks had defied the generals

and Aung San Suu Kyi had just been released.

It was a moment of pure joy.

theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

Living like Gatsby in NantucketDOUGLAS ROGERS

In the summer of 2012, as Baz Luhrmann’s

version of The Great Gatsby was about to be

released, I visited New York, Newport and

Nantucket in search of the playgrounds of

21st-century Gatsbys. On Nantucket on my last

evening I found myself in the crowded bar of The

Summer House, a rose-splashed, Twenties-style,

cedar-shingle hotel in the quaint village of

Siasconset. Regulars sipped gin gimlets at

the bar, a musician played Cole Porter tunes on

a white piano, and at midnight a group of preppy

girls in sequined dresses, with feathers in their

hair, arrived from a party, sipping champagne

from the bottle. I walked outside to the cliffs

overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A vintage car

hooted as it drove past me, the couple inside

laughing and waving, lit by moonlight. It was

a dreamlike experience, a scene straight out

of Fitzgerald. I had found the playground.

scottdunn.com

Visiting Captain Scott’s hut PETER HUGHES

Two thick, blue-bound volumes dominated my

childhood bookshelves. Scott’s Last Expedition

embodied the values of my parents’ generation.

So to travel by Russian ice-breaker to Antarctica

from those rough-cut pages was for me a

pilgrimage. At Cape Evans, half buried in snow,

squatted the wooden hut from which in 1911

Captain Scott set out for the South Pole, never

to return. Inside were the long mess table and

Burmese days: The magnificent Buddhist temple complex in Bagan, Mandalay, in Burma, which dates from the 9th century. Globetrotter Chris Caldicott found the site even more astonishing on his second visit

I HAD LAST SEEN THESE TEMPLES 30 YEARS AGO;

THEY HAD LOST NONE OF THEIR MAGIC

1OTH

special ANNIVERSARY

Leave the work to us,

so you can savour

what really matters.

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holiday in the Caribbean this winter. With an onboard captain and gourmet

chef, you’ll enjoy an all-inclusive getaway that’s simply, and exclusively, about you.

Call 0845 508 5870 or visit www.moorings.co.uk/ultratravel

LCKI8KI8M<C���

wooden bunks – “tenements” Scott called

them – that illustrate his journals. Fry’s Cocoa,

and Colmans Mustard stocked the shelves. There

was a faint smell of habitation, leather and soot.

In his final diary entry Scott wrote: “Had we lived,

I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood,

endurance and courage of my companions

which would have stirred the heart of every

Englishman.” It stirred mine.

theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

The Peking to Paris classic-car rally MICHELLE JANA CHAN

Driving a 1940 Ford Coupe, my co-driver Mike

Reeves and I crossed the start line at the Great

Wall of China. Ahead were 33 days across the Gobi

Desert, the Mongolian grasslands, the Russian

Steppes and the Alps – to Paris. This was a simple,

uncluttered life dominated by the measurements

of time and distance, and finding the strength and

stamina to fix a broken car every night. Driving

down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, placed

third, I remember already missing the rally and the

rhythm of life on the road. endurorally.com

Back to nature in Versailles ALAIN DUCASSE

Although the Château de Versailles is a

mainstream tourist destination, just off the

beaten path is the Hameau de la Reine, built

for Marie Antoinette: a hamlet of about a dozen

country-style cottages, built at the request of

Louis XVI’s spouse. Each is surrounded by a small,

delightful garden. I never thought this place would

be interested in growing local organic vegetables.

But I was wrong. When I opened my restaurant at

the Plaza Athénée, I asked Versailles’ chief

gardener, Alain Baraton, whether he would

consider turning these ornamental gardens back

into working vegetable gardens to supply my

kitchen and, to my surprise, he said yes. So today,

when you visit these charming kitchen gardens,

they are again carefully cultivated with tomatoes,

potatoes, carrots, peas, turnips… the nicest and

most delicious vegetables. Seeing them, to me, is

equally as pleasurable as the château (right) itself.

chateauversailles.fr/jardins-parc

A heli-picnic in New ZealandLISA GRAINGER

I had already been won over by the generosity of

the South Island’s people by the time I got to

Queenstown. Stopping for petrol on the winding

road from Christchurch, I’d been offered still-warm

cake by the garage-owner. At lunch, picnickers

had offered me a mug of steaming clam chowder

when I stopped for a roadside break by a beach,

which I happily sipped while watching dolphins

out at sea. When that afternoon I met my partner

beside Lake Wanaka, and the cheerful Louisa

“Choppy” Patterson offered us a ride in her

helicopter (right), dropping us off on a mountain-

top with a blanket, picnic basket, iced bottle of

wine and gramophone player, with a stack of jazz

records, my day had been made. She left us there,

alone, for 40 minutes, with only eagles swirling

above us, crackling music echoing in the air and

an occasional cloud passing by as we grinned,

then giggled, then raised our glasses to the

kindness of strangers. flynz.co.nz

Dog-sledding in NorwayJOHN O’CEALLAIGH

That winter morning, sailing in the Arctic Sea, we

had seen humpback and killer whales, but by

midday darkness was falling. It was time to return

to Tromso, Norway’s northernmost city. But first a

detour. The adventurer Tore Albrigtsen leads

dog-sledding treks through the valleys

surrounding his cabin and we would be his last

customers of the day. We glided through

unblemished mountain paths, transported from

our daily lives – no noise, no traffic and, then, no

light. Albrigtsen quenched our head lamps so the

full moon and blaze of stars could illuminate our

path. And then another unsettlement: a milky hue

swirled into life behind a snow-capped peak. The

Northern Lights had switched on to guide us

home. activetromso.no

Hiking in North DevonFIONA BRUCE

As we set off up the very steep hill leading

skywards from the centre of Lynmouth on the

Devon coast, I began to regret that I’d agreed to

come on a detox with nine girlfriends. Four days of

no carbs, no dairy, no meat, no sugar and no

caffeine plus lots of exercise was taking its toll.

With much grumbling I trudged up and up and up,

and at the top emerged on to the South West

Coastal Path with a view all the way to Wales. The

sun blazed on to a sea so blue it could have been

the south of France. For the next four hours we

trekked through the Valley of the Rocks, past wild

goats grazing on gem-green pasture, through

waist-high ferns, brushing past heather studding

the hillside with bursts of colour. It was

breathtakingly beautiful. As I perched on Castle

Rock, 1,200ft above sea level, and tucked into my

meagre detox snack of three dried apricots and

five walnuts, I decided the self denial had been

worth it, just to experience this moment.

yeotown.com

Touring the Deep SouthGRAHAM BOYNTON

Anyone who has grown up with the sounds of the

Everly Brothers, Muddy Waters, Elvis and Otis

Redding ringing in their ears will understand why

a driving trip through the America’s beautiful

South was my perfect road trip of the past decade.

This drive took in Alabama’s Muscle Shoals and

Tupelo (where Elvis was born), Clarksdale where

Robert Johnson did a deal with the devil and thus

created the blues, and Memphis and Nashville,

those hothouses of 20th-century popular music.

The music is still there today in concert halls,

honky tonks and gospel churches, and these great

centres are connected by wonderful rolling

countryside and populated by the friendliest

people on earth. clevelandcollection.co.uk

A road trip along Ruta 40, ArgentinaCHRIS MOSS

I’d always longed to drive the Ruta 40. When I lived

in Buenos Aires in the Nineties this long, lonely

highway – which skirts the Andes mountains and

runs the length of Argentina – was the source of

many fables: there were no petrol stations,

a breakdown was fatal, the road just disappeared

in places. In 2012, I flew to Bariloche and drove the

southern section. My 1,000-mile road trip took in

the Welsh settlement, the town where Butch and

Sundance ranched, the Perito Moreno glacier, the

Strait of Magellan, and a string of lakes and

towering mountains – including the pinnacles of

the beautiful Fitz Roy Massif. It was my greatest

Patagonian experience to date; now all that

remains is to go back and drive the northern

bit – 1,900 miles all the way to Bolivia.

audleytravel.com

Hiking to Machu PicchuANTHONY HOROWITZ

Nothing has quite beaten the excitement, the

magnificence and the sheer exhaustion of

my journey to Machu Picchu with my (then)

teenage son, Nicholas. The spectacular scenery

of the Andes, the sheer impossibility of the city

itself, reached on foot after three days’ walking –

these were the climax of a wonderful trip to Peru.

The journey was part bonding experience, part

research for a novel, but every part of it was an

adventure. Some of the highlights? A tree in our

camp in the jungle coming alive at night with

giant tarantulas; the Inca city of Huinay Huayna

with its narrow staircase at the end of which

prisoners were forced to throw themselves to

their deaths; flying over the Nazca Lines: one of

the greatest mysteries in the world. And staying

at the gorgeous Belmond Hotel Monasterio in

Cusco. We both loved every minute.

belmond.com

Canoeing the MississippiMAX DAVIDSON

Very few canoeists venture on the southern

Mississippi, one of the last great wildernesses

in America. But in 2007 I was lucky enough to be

one of them, paddling south from Clarksdale,

home of the blues, with John Ruskey, founder of

the Quapaw Canoe Company, and his brother. Like

Huckleberry Finn before us, we spent an idyllic

few days meandering through the Mississippi

Delta, camping on sandbanks, cooking over open

fires, skinny-dipping and admiring the pristine

landscape. Eagles, beavers, white-tailed deer,

exotically-coloured butterflies – all were drawn

to the vast, mysterious river, gliding past

in ghostly silence. I have never felt farther from

home or closer to nature. island63.com

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Walking Matera by moonlightTIM JEPSON

I lived in Italy for years before visiting Matera, a town in

Basilicata, in the country’s deep south. How I wish I’d found it

earlier. It’s known for its sassi, ancient caves inhabited until

a generation ago, and part of a townscape as extraordinary, in

its way, as Venice. A balmy night spent exploring its labyrinth

was one of the most enchanting of my travelling life. All was

silence and shadows, full of dead ends, courtyards and sudden

vistas. Wonderfully lost, I stumbled into moonlight and

darkness, footsteps echoing, not a soul in sight. One minute all

was golden stone and timeworn cobbles, the next, sinister

facades and the black of abandoned caves. I could have walked

until dawn. baileyrobinson.com

I STUMBLED INTO MOONLIGHT AND DARKNESS, FOOTSTEPS ECHOING

City of lights Matera, in Italy’s

Basilicata. Below: Sextantio Le

Grotte della Civetta, a luxury hotel

within the city’s sassi, or cave

dwellings. Below right: Palazzo

Margherita, a nearby hotel owned

by director Francis Ford Coppola

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Exploring Papua New GuineaNIGEL TISDALL

“Does England have the sea?” ask the Huli

Wigmen. Adorned with feathers, shells, bones

and tin-can lids, the tribes of Papua New Guinea’s

Southern Highlands guarantee an entertaining, if

anarchic, encounter. Until the Thirties, when an

Australian gold prospector ventured into this

mountainous interior, no one knew it was home to

a million people with a near-Stone Age lifestyle.

Now the digital age has arrived, but this wild, hot,

damp and exuberant country still feels

exceedingly raw and untamed. Search for birds of

paradise in the Tari Valley, trek the Kokoda Track,

with its gruesome memories of the Second World

War, disappear into the remote backwaters of the

Sepik River, climb the active volcanoes of New

Britain – wherever you go, it will undoubtedly be

an adventure. originaltravel.co.uk

Learning to be a cowboy in WyomingCHARLES STARMER-SMITH

Brochures often paint a romantic picture of the

Wild West, of days spent in the saddle as you drive

cattle over mountain, pasture and plain, and

spend evenings huddled around camp fires. But

few can deliver anything more than a sugar-

coated pastiche of the real thing. The Hideout in

Wyoming (below right), was one of the rare

exceptions. The ranch may offer salubrious

surroundings, but here under the big skies of the

Big Horn mountains, wranglers are still born into

the saddle-and-spurs life of the Old West. Cattle

are branded and castrated, and the herding work

every guest takes part in is very real and very

necessary. It is also very likely the most magical

experience of my travelling life. thehideout.com

Dinner on a sandbarPIERS MORGAN

My wife, Celia, and I had dinner on a sandbar in the

middle of the ocean in the Maldives on the night

Obama got elected. The sandbar (top) appears only

once every six weeks and the staff of Baros resort

drove us out in speedboats, then prepared

a lavish meal right there. At 11pm, the water started

lapping in and we had to make a dash for it. Within

15 minutes, it was gone. baros.com

Camping in the AndamansFRANCISCA KELLETT

It was like that scene in The Beach, where

Leonardo DiCaprio first sets eyes on the white

sand and turquoise water and realises he’s found

paradise. The only things missing were the granite

cliffs and the hippies. We were on Long Island in

the Andamans, and we were alone. Just us, the

perfect beach, the odd thump of a coconut,

and little scuttling hermit crabs. We strung up

hammocks, slung our food in the branches (to

keep it away from the crabs) and settled in. Days

were spent snorkelling in a kaleidoscope of tropical

fish and hacking open coconuts. And staring at

the hypnotic wash of the waves, the shimmering

sand, the waxy leaves overhead. It was the most

magical week. andamans.gov.in

Camping at Lake Baringo in KenyaALICE TEMPERLEY

For me, the ultimate luxury is to be remote and

unconnected: at one with nature. My favourite

memory is waking up as a child in an open hut

with a thatched roof, in a huge bed on a little

island on Lake Baringo, Kenya. It was the middle

of the night and hippopotamuses were grazing

on the grass a few metres from our bed. My father

whispered that we were not to move. In the

morning we woke to tiny hummingbirds eating

from a sugar bowl and later that day swam in the

lake with freshwater crocodiles that we were

(wrongly) told were friendly. Memories and

magical experiences like this I will treasure for

ever and always try to create for my son, Fox.

elephantwatchsafaris.com

Viewing Etna by helicopterJOHNNY MORRIS

Fire and water, the rough with the smooth – it is

the contrasts that make the best trips. In western

Sicily I left the comforts of the Don Arcangelo

all’Olmo villa for a helicopter ride over the craters

of Mount Etna. Flying above the molasses-black

lava I could stare under the skin of our planet and,

through the swirling fury of gases, enjoy a peek

into hell. The volcanic day continued as I sailed

over warm water fumaroles in the Tyrrhenian Sea

to the Aeolian Islands. On Stromboli I joined an

evening climb to the mouth of the fire mountain.

At the top, Stromboli boomed and hurled huge

fireballs into the inky sky. Later, safely back on the

boat with fellow summiteers, we watched

Europe’s best fireworks display and toasted the

volcano with sweet Malvasia wine as ash fell like

snow into the sea. Visions of heaven and hell all in

one day. thinksicily.com

Watching penguins in South GeorgiaMARK CARWARDINE

The highlight of any visit to the remote and

staggeringly beautiful island of South Georgia – a

mere cartographic speck in the immensity of the

Southern Ocean – is St Andrews Bay. Against a

phenomenal mountainous backdrop, 150,000

breeding pairs of king penguins crowd the beach

in a spectacle that takes your breath away. The

first time I set eyes on this avian Glastonbury

I knew immediately that South Georgia was going

to become one of my favourite places on earth.

With 50 million seabirds and more than five million

seals crammed on to an island the size of Essex,

it bombards you with sensory overload at

every turn. wildlifeworldwide.com

Sailing in GreeceAMANDA WAKELEY

Recently we fell under the spell of the island of

Delos – the mythical birthplace of Apollo and

Artemis and an island of incredible magnetism to

ocean voyagers for five millennia. Over the

summer we sailed there on our 98ft Savannah, but

stayed too long, and when we decided to leave,

had the full force of a 60-knot Meltemi gale to

contend with. Boy, did we sail! At times we were

going 15 knots and were occasionally airborne, in

spite of our boat weighing 60 tons. As we drew

closer to Sounion, 42 miles from Delos, the wind

dropped and we coasted into the beautiful and

deserted bay in time to climb up to the 400BC

Temple of Poseidon to admire a perfect sunset.

Although our boat is kept in St-Tropez, it’s to

Greece we keep returning. It’s always incredible.

visitgreece.gr

Climbing a volcano in VenezuelaRICHARD MADDEN

Reality rarely lives up to the imagination. But in the

case of the Venezuelan tepuis, those magnificent

flat-topped table mountains towering 2,000ft

above the rolling pampas below, it most certainly

does. The Lost World, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tale

of a pterodactyl-infested wilderness where

evolution came to a full stop in the Jurassic age,

was a noir flight of fancy based on the reports of

the first European explorers. Canaima National

Park, as it’s now known, still feels like a parallel

universe, but you no longer have to fear being

eaten alive. The walking is easy, but the six-day trek

to the summit of Mount Roraima and back is

a more authentic wilderness experience than

many crowded Himalayan trails. exodus.co.uk

WE ATE A LAVISH MEAL ON THE SANDBAR, AND THEN MADE A DASH FOR IT

Cocktail hour Top: Baros island in the Maldives.

Above: Mount Etna in Sicily erupting. Below:

a cowboy herding on a ranch in Wyoming

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A new self-drive, off-road adventure through the northern Serengeti is a thrilling way

Hoofing it across the plains

Wildebeest charge by a Land Rover,

main image. From right: The

Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater

Camp; Maasai shepherds;

elephants stop to feed

LCKI8KI8M<C���

to see Tanzania’s magnificent migrating wildlife, says Charles Starmer-Smith. Pictures by Simon John Owen

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he storm clouds had been gathering for some time

but we were just a few hundred metres from our

camp when the first droplets of rain finally spattered

against the windscreen. When you hail from Blighty you rarely

welcome a downpour on your travels, but this was one of the

few exceptions. The rains had come early to the plains of

northern Serengeti and they had attracted quite a crowd.

As we bounced through the scrubland the clipped

Zimbabwean voice of our guide, Glen Dennis, came over the

radio. “OK, guys, just stop there,” he said, as we duly slowed to

a halt. “Switch off your engines and stay still.”

Dusk was approaching, but ahead the dark silhouettes of

thousands of wildebeest were unmistakable, filling every inch

of the dusty landscape. The migration had made an early return

from the Masaai Mara in search of the fresh grass shoots of the

Serengeti – and we had front-row seats to witness it.

Everywhere we turned wildebeest snorted, bleated and

scraped at the earth, staring quizzically at our fleet of sparkling

white Land Rovers.

The distant clap of thunder was enough to spook one of the

herd. He bucked and charged, prompting a chain reaction.

Within seconds the Serengeti soil was shaking with the sound

of pounding hooves as the herd thundered south, following

their inner compass, dust clouds rising in their wake. I let the

camera, which until now had been engaged in a flurry of

furious clicks, zooms and whirrs, fall in to my lap. Some of

life’s great spectacles are better etched into the memory than

on to the memory card.

The tell-tale signs of the migration had been there when we

spotted large numbers of zebra and impala the previous day,

but you never know in the Serengeti – a few thousand

wildebeest can disappear in an area bigger than Northern

Ireland and four times that of the mighty Masaai Mara. Within

Mass movement More than a million wildebeest migrate from the

Maasai Mara to the Serengeti in rainy season. Above: Arriving at camp

THOUSANDS OF WILDEBEEST WERE FILLING EVERY INCH OF THE LANDSCAPE

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a few weeks the siringet (endless plain) would be teeming

with a million and a half wildebeest and 200,000 zebra

and gazelle (each feeds on different section of the grass

in this complicated ecosystem). Here they stay to mate

and calve in the early months of the year before starting

their migration again.

The rain was also welcome because it gave us a chance

to put our vehicles through their paces. A new partnership

between Land Rover and Abercrombie & Kent had seen

the purveyors of the quintessential off-road vehicle link

up with the travel company which made its name in

Africa when Geoffrey Kent first headed in to the bush with

a Bedford truck and his mother’s sterling-silver ice bucket.

Fifty years on and the formula has not changed – real

safaris in real style.

So this was glamping – think electricity, hot water, real

beds and butlers – but it still felt authentic. You may be

able to find more luxurious camps, but you will not find

better locations. Each of the Sanctuary camps was set up

in the heart of the bush – you dine by candle light and

drift off to sleep to the cackle, growl and bleat of hyena,

lion and wildebeest. Our vehicles, a fleet of the latest Land

Rover Discoverys, combined high-tech, leather-lined

comfort with high performance.

So can anyone do it? Yes, if you have a licence and a

thirst for adventure. With constant instruction and

encouragement over the radio, the basics of off-road

driving quickly become second nature. What is more, the

cars are incredibly forgiving. Whether it was careering over

unseen rocks or heading through deep mud that followed

the rains, the car would correct itself, making the driver

feel as if a rally career might be on the cards.

We had flown in to Kilimanjaro and spent the first night

at Arusha Coffee Lodge, from where we set off the next

morning. It was a fairly inauspicious start: traffic clogged

the tarmac road into Arusha as we dodged swarms of piki

pikis, the local name for the ubiquitous motorbikes that

buzzed around us like pesky mosquitoes. The loquacious

Glen, who was leading our seven-strong convoy, called it a

town of “misfits, mercenaries and missionaries”, and it

certainly had that frontier feel.

Glen has criss-crossed Africa as a guide and ranger, but

maintains that nowhere compares with the Serengeti.

Unfailingly enthusiastic and informative about its flora and

fauna, he was complemented by Phillip Koimere, a Masaai,

and A&K’s representative, who explained the cultural and

social challenges that his people face. This is the point of

these trips – combining the thrill and spills of a self-drive

adventure with the insights of expert guides.

The urban concrete sprawl of Arusha was soon replaced

by traditional wooden bomas and the cherub-like faces of

impossibly young Masaai boys shepherding their goats.

We skirted Lake Manyara before crossing the floor of the

Great Rift Valley. Phillip explained that urbanisation and

access to education had put the squeeze on the Masaai’s

pastoral way of life, with young men seeking new lives in

the city, leaving boys as young as five to tend to the herds.

But it was only when we climbed up on to the escarpment

of the Ngorongoro Crater that we felt the adventure had

begun. Beneath us lay an amphitheatre of African life. This,

the world’s largest caldera, is rich in wildlife: lion, elephant,

hippo and rhino and myriad species of birds roam its

plains, savannah, lakes and forests.

No sooner had we descended on to the caldera’s verdant

floor than we’d spotted a lioness and her cubs basking in

the sun. The female strolled right by us, while one of the

youngest cubs took shade against the wheel of our vehicle.

It set the tone for the coming days as we covered some

500 miles in the cars, enjoying our fair share of off-road

high jinks as we climbed over kopjes (little hills), churned

through mud pools and bounced across riverbeds. We

witnessed nature at its most beautiful – herds of

elephants trundling through woodlands at sunset, packs

of hyenas stalking their prey at dawn and waterholes

teeming with hippo. We witnessed the ever-changing

landscapes from Kilimanjaro in the east to the uplands

near the Masaai Mara border in the north, from lush

rainforest and pungent soda lakes to arid plains and

towering cliffs. We passed Simba kopje, which inspired

Pride Rock in The Lion King, and spotted several prides of

lion. (Such was the success of the film that the Masaai

have felt the need to create a new word for lion. It still

remains a secret, unless Disney hijacks that one, too.)

Heart rates rose as we nearly got charged by one of the

most dangerous animals in the bush – the Cape buffalo.

“They remind me of my bank manager,” quipped Glenn,

“aggressive, angry and never pleased to see me.”

We also witnessed nature at its most raw. A lone

baby elephant wandered lost on the roadside.

Our hearts sank when we saw a flock of vultures

circling above a large carcass a short distance away. There

was only one conclusion: the baby elephant had been

orphaned and rejected by the rest of the herd – a scene

that is all too familiar in the poaching-ravaged world of

Africa. But we did not see everything – leopard and rhino

remained unmarked on the card. And rightly so. For me, it

is the thrill of the unknown that makes a safari special –

the small private reserves where the Big Five are available

on tap hold little appeal.

Back in Sanctuary Serengeti Migration Camp we were

greeted by butlers carrying platters of cold towels, and

even colder gin and tonics, as we settled around the

campfire to recall the day’s events.

If being behind the wheel gives you a better feel for the

changing landscape and terrain of the Serengeti, it is only

from the air that you can understand its scale.

We awoke long before first light to a welcome flask of

fresh coffee that had been slipped in to each tent, before

clambering into our vehicles for the short journey to the

take-off zone where our balloon’s giant canopy was

already stretched out on the grass. Our madcap pilot

strolled over – Captain Kim from South Korea.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I have been doing this for 27

years and am still alive. Hah!” We smiled nervously. He

later told us that he learnt his craft entirely from a manual

– the first time he soared 10,000ft before crash-landing

into a tree. The second time he took the roof off a house.

But we needn’t have worried. We barely noticed the

take-off, silently gliding upwards, except for the occasional

roar of the gas-powered flames.

We had risen early for a very good reason. Slowly, the

sun inched over the horizon, its warm fingers bringing the

bushveld to life. Below, a family of warthogs scurried across

open scrubland, a kori bustard enjoyed an early morning

stroll, two young impala played tag while their skittish

parents looked on, seeming to instinctively know that dawn

means dinner-time for predators. Nearby, a giraffe bent to

drink from a stream, eyes scanning left and right as a pair

of elephants lumbered through the undergrowth. A pair of

hyenas trotted across a dry riverbed, and a pride of cats sat

licking their chops at the sight of a black river of wildebeest

flowing across the plains ahead.

An hour and a half slipped by in a heartbeat, but as we

came in to land at Seronera we were treated to a glorious

finale. A cheetah tore out from the undergrowth chasing a

wild hare, arching its body as it cornered sharply, its tail

acting as a rudder to help it balance. It came within a

whisker of its prey.

With broad smiles, we climbed down from the balloon

to be whisked off for a champagne bush breakfast and to

toast what was one of life’s real bucket-list experiences.

In fact, the same could be said of this whole Serengeti

adventure. Just one word of warning: a game drive might

never be the same again.

A LIONESS STROLLED PAST, WHILE HER CUB TOOK SHADE BY THE WHEEL OF OUR CAR

An eight-day, seven-night Land Rover Adventure

Travel safari by Abercrombie & Kent (01242 858 279;

abercrombiekent.co.uk/landrover) in Tanzania costs

from £7,995 per person, plus park fees (from £475

per person). The self-drive route takes in the

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and

Tarangire National Park. The price includes Land

Rover vehicle hire (based on two sharing),

accommodation on a full-board basis (including

two nights at the exclusive Sanctuary luxury mobile

camp at Ngorongoro Crater), guiding and all

technical support. International flights with KLM,

flying to Kilimanjaro via Amsterdam, cost from

£650 per person.

HOW TO DO IT

Natural high From top: a hot-air balloon trip gives a bird’s-eye view

of the Serengeti at dawn; a lion cub seeks shade by the car; Charles

Starmer-Smith, centre, enjoys sundowners around the campfire

GE

TTY

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Island Hopping in the West Indies A voyage under sail from Barbados to Antigua aboard the magnifcent Sea Cloud II - 18th February to 3rd March 2016

the island including the Botanical Gardens and see

Diamond Rock, captured by the British in 1804 and

held against repeated French attacks. The afternoon is

will be at leisure to explore the island independently

or relax onboard.

Day 7 - Dominica. Dominica, nicknamed the “Nature

Isle” of the Caribbean, is one of the most untouched

of the Windward Islands. It boasts some of the

highest mountains in the Lesser Antilles, as well as

many beautiful national parks. This afternoon we

hope to berth in Cabrits and visit the beautifully

restored Fort Shirley which successfully repelled a

French attack during the Trafalgar campaign in 1805.

Day 8 - Iles des Saintes. The eight island Iles des

Saintes archipelago dots the waters off the southwest

coast of Guadeloupe. This morning tender ashore

and explore the charming town of Tere-de-Haut at

leisure or walk up to Fort Napoleon and visit the

museum focusing on the Battle of the Saintes.

Day 9 - St Kitts. Untouched by large tourist

developments, the island of St Kitts boasts some of

the loveliest scenery in the West Indies and an old

world charm. This morning we will tender ashore and

on our tour of the island, including the Romney

Gardens and Fairview Great House, we will receive

the friendliest of welcomes.

Day 10 - Tortola, British Virgin Islands. This

morning sail through the beautiful island dotted

waters of the British Virgin Islands. Anchor off Tortola

and Zodiac into the beautiful harbour of Road Town,

the busy centre of island life and marine activity. Our

afternoon tour will include a scenic drive of the island

including a stop at Cane Garden Bay one of the

island’s spectacular white sandy beaches.

Day 11 - Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. Jost

van Dyke, the smallest of the main islands in the

British Virgin Islands, is a mountainous volcanic object

of beauty with fewer than 300 inhabitants. One of

them, Foxy, has been mixing his cocktails since 1968

and the bar of the same name enjoys a legendary

reputation as perhaps the most famous beach bar in

the Lesser Antilles. This morning enjoy relaxing on

the beach, snorkelling or perhaps visit Foxy’s Bar.

Day 12 - Anguilla & Prickly

Pear Cays. The most northerly of the British Leeward

Islands, Anguilla is where you will fnd some of the

most stunning beaches in all the Caribbean. This

afternoon we will clear the ship in Anguilla before

making our way to Prickly Pear Cays where we will go

ashore by Zodiac. Prickly Pear is completely deserted

apart from two small restaurants and no one lives on

the island so it makes for a perfect location to relax or

to enjoy some swimming or snorkelling.

Day 13 - St Barts. This tiny French West Indian island

is proud of its reputation as a stylish and exclusive

tropical resort. It is a very top drawer place and the

island’s capital of Gustavia offers gourmet restaurants

and smart shops which would not be out of place on

the French Riviera.

Day 14 - Antigua to London. Disembark after

breakfast and transfer to the airport for your return

scheduled fight to London.

Day 15 - London. Morning arrival.

Sea Cloud IIWhilst there are many large sailing ships offering

passages around the world there are few if any that can

compare in terms of luxury to Sea Cloud II. Watching

the 29,600 square feet of sails being set by hand is a

truly magical sight. Standing on the dock and looking

up at the vessel you cannot help but be impressed by

the sheer majesty of the vessel. Walk up the gangway

and on to the deck and it is even more impressive.

And, the splendour does not end here; below deck is

a sumptuous world of traditional maritime infuences

with 21st century luxuries. Well appointed cabins and

public areas create a restful atmosphere totally in

keeping with the overall grandeur of the vessel.

Built to accommodate 96 passengers in fve star

luxury, she offers a range of beautifully appointed

suites and cabins which are furnished with great

style. All accommodations have outside views and

the bathrooms are unusually spacious and extremely

comfortable. No expense has been spared to create

a sympathetic ambience in both the accommodations

and public areas and this is refected throughout the

vessel. Public areas include an elegant lounge, library,

ftness centre, boutique, lido bar and hospital. The

single sitting dining room is airy and modern and the

quality of the cuisine and service will be to the highest

of standards, as one would expect on a Sea Cloud

II cruise. Relax on the Lido deck and experience the

natural grandeur of travelling under sail, rekindling

memories of a bygone age.

The Itinerary Day 1 - London to Barbados. Fly by scheduled fight.

Upon arrival transfer to Sea Cloud II and embark. Set

sail after dinner.

Day 2 - Grenada, Lesser Antilles. Spend the morning

at sea and this afternoon moor in the picturesque

capital of St George’s to explore this wonderful

windward Island which many regard as the most

beautiful in the Caribbean. It is a lush and verdant

island with spice plantations, tropical forests, secluded

coves, nature trails and select hotels which cling to the

hillsides overlooking the ocean.

Day 3 - Tobago Cays & Union Island, Grenadines.

Right in the south of the Grenadines are Union Island

and the Tobago Cays. Four small uninhabited islands,

surrounded by a protective horseshoe-shaped coral

reef, form the Tobago Cays which has been

designated a National Marine Park. Union Island is

nicknamed the ‘Tahiti of the West Indies’ due to its

volcanic silhouette. This morning enjoy a catamaran

tour of the Tobago Cays which will include time for

snorkelling and swimming and then before lunch our

Zodiacs will take us ashore to the beautiful and

deserted beach at Chatham Bay for a beach BBQ.

Day 4 - Bequia, Grenadines. This delightful Grenadine

island is totally unspoilt, a place of pure escapism in a

charming old world atmosphere. This morning we will

tender ashore and visit the Hegg Turtle Sanctuary

followed by time to relax on one of the stunning

beaches or for some swimming or snorkelling.

Day 5 - St Lucia. Morning visit to St Lucia, a splendidly

rugged island of towering Mountains, lush green

valleys and acres of banana plantations. Because of its

strategic position, it was fought over repeatedly by the

French and British and changed hands fourteen times.

We shall anchor off the island insight of its best known

feature, the twin peaks of the Pitons, which rise

dramatically from the sea to more than 2400 feet.

Tender ashore and explore the island independently or

on a guided tour including the volcano.

Day 6 - Martinique. Today call into the lovely island of

Martinique, birthplace of Napoleon’s beloved

Josephine. From our berth in Fort de France explore

Just when winter seems to be endless, it is the perfect time to escape to the warmth and beauty of the West Indies.

There is a reason why people continue to visit the Caribbean, it is because, quite simply nothing else compares.

From the stunning Pitons of St Lucia, rising majestically from the sea, to the captivating charm of IIes des Saintes,

each island we visit will offer the opportunity to experience something new and unique, and by and large we will

head for the smaller less visited places. Occasionally our paths will cross with the mega-factory like cruise ships and it is at

such times we will appreciate even more how fortunate we are to be enjoying our classic ship that embodies all the best sailing

traditions. Having operated voyages in the region for many years aboard Sea Cloud II we know the waters between the Grenadines

in the south and the British Virgin Islands in the north provide the perfect sailing conditions for such a vessel and we have therefore

planned the itinerary to ensure ample sailing time allowing you to relax on deck in the warmth and enjoy the majesty of the vessel.

Prices and InclusionsSpecial offer prices per person based on double occupancy range from £6895 for a deluxe double cabin to £8995 for a luxury owner’s suite. Staterooms for sole use from £6895.

Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, 13 nights aboard Sea Cloud II on a full board basis with

house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, Noble Caledonia tour manager, guest speaker, shore

excursions, gratuities to crew and whilst on excursions, transfers and port taxes.

NB. Ports subject to change and weather conditions. All special offers are subject to availability. Travel

insurance and visas are not included in the price. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations.

New Brochure Now Available For details pertaining

to this voyage and all

our voyages aboard

Sea Cloud II, please ask

for a copy of our new

brochure or view online.

LCKI8KI8M<C���

EDITED BY LISA GRAINGER

intelligence

PRAGUE

Browse the Czech capital’s cobbled streets

and take in the views from the Charles Bridge

without having to share them with dozens

of hen parties. Visit the serene museum of

medieval art, the Convent of St Agnes

(ngprague.cz). Avoid the city at Easter.

Stay at Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental.

com), housed in a beautiful 14th-century

monastery in the heart of the capital.

PARIS

The city is just coming into bloom in early

spring, and you have space to enjoy the

galleries. See an exhibition by painter Pierre

Bonnard at the Musée d’Orsay from March 17,

followed by lunch in the pretty dining room, and

macaroons at the nearby Boulangerie Gosselin

(boulangeriegosselin.com).

Stay at Peninsula Paris (paris.peninsula.com),

close to the Arc de Triomphe.

BARCELONA

Barcelona is best after Easter and before

June. Even the Museu Picasso, which is packed

in summer, is bearable in May. Take advantage

of the quieter vibe for a leisurely browse around

the city’s slick fashion boutiques, such as

Coquette (coquettebcn.com) and La Comercial

Hombre (lacomercial.info).

Stay at Hotel Arts Barcelona (ritzcarlton.com),

right, filled with hip Spanish artworks.

ST TROPEZ

Come before the superyachts and crocodile

tans arrive. Just ahead of the summer season,

the weather is warm and there’s a frisson in the

air, but the town still feels authentically French

and pleasantly relaxed. Watch boules in the

Place des Lices and savour a lobster lunch at

Senequier café (senequier.com).

Stay at The chic boutique bolthole

White 1921 (white1921.com).

VAL D’ISERE

Although this is, for many, the ultimate winter

playground, this French resort is sensational in

summer, too. Go canoeing (left), canyoning and

climbing, white-water rafting and hydro-

speeding (body-boarding down rapids).

Europe’s highest race – the Ice Trail Tarentaise,

a gruelling high-altitude marathon – takes

place from July 11-12.

Stay at The sumptuous Marco Polo chalet,

which sleeps up to 14 (akvillas.com).

VERBIER

The lift queues can be horrific in winter, but

after the snows melt this village slows down

and attracts hikers and bikers. And no wonder –

Verbier has 28 marked cross-country itineraries

(verbinet.com), and more than 300 miles of

mountain-bike routes (en.verbier.ch). Enjoy

Valais home-cooking at Le Namaste

(namaste-verbier.ch) in Savoleyres.

Stay at The funky W (wverbier.com),

which is open throughout the year.

TUSCANY

The children are back at school, the tour buses

have gone and the fields have taken on an

autumnal hue. September, when the grape and

olive harvests begin, is a beautiful month.

Watch a thrilling palio (horse race) in Castel del

Piano on September 8 – an alternative to

the famous, but packed, one in Siena.

Stay at Monteverdi (monteverdituscany.com),

a restored 12th-century village hotel in

Castiglioncello del Trinoro.

FLORENCE

Stroll beside the Arno at the only time of year

when locals outnumber tourists. The city offers

fine winter gastronomy: try risotto with

cauliflower and quail at Il Santo Bevitore

(santobevitore.com) and savour fine wines at

Cantinetta Antinori (cantinetta-antinori.com).

Stay at Four Seasons (fourseasons.com)

with its Renaissance bas-reliefs.

MICHELLE JANA CHAN

CYPRUS

The sea is still warm enough to swim in –

Cyprus is blessed with one of the longest

summers in Europe. Explore the hiking trails in

the Troodos Mountains, which have dozens of

Byzantine churches, such as Asinou with its

magnificent 12th-century frescoes (right),

which you can enjoy in solitude.

Stay at Anassa (anassa.com.cy),

overlooking the sea on the Akamas peninsula.

IBIZA

After the superclubs shut their doors, a quiet,

laidback, natural vibe reigns on this Balearic

isle. Explore Ibiza Town, with its 13th-century

castle and boho galleries, in peace, and go

bird-watching in Salinas National Park, where

you can see flamingos, black-winged stilts,

marsh harriers and snowy plovers.

Stay at Atzaró (atzaro.com), a country hotel

and spa surrounded by orange groves.

2015THE SMARTEST TIME TO VISIT EUROPE’S HOTSPOTS? THE OFF-SEASON

JANUARY

ROME

The tourist bottlenecks have cleared, so it’s a

great time to see exhibitions. Catch the final

month of the Chiostro del Bramante’s

(chiostrodelbramante.it) superb retrospective of

Dutch artist MC Escher, and fill up on pizza

ebraica (fruit and nut cake) at Roman-Jewish

bakery Il Boccione (Via del Portico d’Ottavia).

Stay at The calm, elegant Hotel de Russie

(roccofortehotels.com).

VENICE

Before Carnevale, Italy’s waterside city (right),

has fewer crowds on its streets and bridges. It

also has a melancholy beauty in this misty

month and, on January 5, hosts the traditional

Regata delle Befane, a boat race for over-fifties,

who dress up as La Befana, a folkloric witch.

Stay at Aman Canal Grande Venice

(amanresorts.com), where the Clooneys spent

their wedding night in September.

APRIL

FEBRUARY MARCH

JUNEAPRIL MAY

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

ULTRA

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� �LCKI8KI8M<C�

Malik Fernando, who was born and raised in

Sri Lanka, is a director of Dilmah, the tea

company. He is also managing director of Ceylon

Tea Trails, Sri Lanka’s only Relais & Châteaux

property, and a new hotel in Cape Welligama

(resplendentceylon.com)

How do you make the perfect cup of tea?

Bring fresh cold water to a boil. In a clean, dry

pre-warmed teapot, add 220ml of water per

teaspoon of tea. Brew for a minimum of two

minutes, and, if desired, add warm milk and

honey. Don’t use reboiled water. Carbon dioxide

is gradually released during the boiling process

and reboiling will further reduce it, resulting in a

decrease in acidity, which will alter the ionisation

of the polyphenols, and the flavour of the tea.

What’s the difference between green and

black tea?

They are both made from the same bush,

Camellia sinensis, but green tea is unfermented,

steamed immediately after plucking and retains

a lighter colour and flavour. Black tea is allowed

to ferment, then dry, darkening the leaves and

resulting in a stronger flavour and aroma.

How are jasmine and Earl Grey teas made?

Earl Grey is a black tea flavoured with bergamot,

whereas jasmine tea is green tea scented with

jasmine petals.

Does the temperature of the water matter?

Yes. Black teas and herbal infusions can be

made with water that is at 100°C, whereas more

delicately flavoured green, white and oolong

teas should be made with water at 70C to 80C.

Which are the most precious teas?

White tea – also known as silver tips – is made

of just the tea bud and is extremely limited in

production. Just a few hundred kilos are

produced per year, all by hand, and sold to

merchants from £50 for a pound.

Are all loose teas better than tea bags?

Yes. The larger leaf is more flavoursome and

brewing in a teapot allows the leaves to “dance”,

unconstrained by a tea bag, which results in a

better brew.

Is there research proving that tea is

good for you?

Modern clinical studies have proven what

Chinese Emperor Shennong believed 5,000

years ago when he first documented tea as

medicine: that tea is beneficial in countering

cardiovascular illnesses, dementia, viruses,

stress, cholesterol and protecting against

cancers and diabetes.

Your favourite places to have tea?

I love Bettys in York (bettys.co.uk), Brown’s

Hotel in London (roccofortehotels.com) and the

Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town (belmond.

com) – and, of course, our own century-old

colonial tea planters’ bungalows in Sri Lanka

(teatrails.com).

Favourite places to buy tea?

Harney & Sons in New York (harney.com) and

Mariage Frères in Paris (mariagefreres.com).

MASTERCLASS

12,000,000Croissants, per year, used by

Emirates airline

12 Number of minutes to empty the Bugatti Veyron’s 26-gallon

fuel tank at full speed (253mph)

90Percentage of world’s blue

whale population killed in the past 100 years

TRAVEL BY NUMBERS

59,000,000 Value in dollars of champagneconsumed in Nigeria in 2012

LESSONS FROM GLOBAL EXPERTS

TIME FOR TEA

Castles are not an obvious

gift to give a little girl. But

then Margaret Carnegie

wasn’t any little girl. She

was the daughter of one of the world’s

wealthiest industrialists, Andrew

Carnegie, who was determined to give

his daughter the gift of a Scottish

childhood. No sooner had she been

born in 1897, than her parents set

about creating a fairy-tale castle:

panelling walls with oak, lining

bathrooms with marble, commissioning

stained-glass windows, installing an

organ and filling a library with precious

first editions. In the first few years of

Margaret’s life, Rudyard Kipling, the

Rockefellers, King Edward VII and David

Lloyd George were all house guests.

After the heiress died, the castle

was bought by a series of millionaires,

most recently Ellis Short, the owner of

Sunderland FC, who runs it as a private

club for a maximum of 400 members.

Normally private members’ clubs are

that – private. However, when a few

membership spaces arise (as just have)

the manse doors are opened for

prospective members to trial it as their

new weekend home.

And what a home. Within the 7,500

acres are the handsome turreted castle

with its 22 panelled bedrooms, and 11

lodges and cottages from which guests

can take their pick. On one stay they

might take up residence in the castle’s

main suite, with its four-poster bed,

oak-panelled walls and lion-claw bath.

Another week they might choose a

wooden lodge, which comes with its

own Land Rover, overlooking Dornoch

Firth. Days can be spent golfing on the

Donald Steel-designed course,

swimming in the glass-roofed pool

house overlooking the loch, mastering

clay-pigeon or grouse shooting, riding

over the estate, fishing, listening to the

resident organist, or just chatting to the

staff. They include Peter Crome, the

tweed-clad managing director (ex

Chewton Glen and Savoy) and the

tousle-haired Alan Grant, the

“Ambassador” at Skibo – in other

words, a genial host-cum-storyteller.

Guests are encouraged to live in

Skibo Castle as they would in a private

home – reading in the library, playing

pool in the games room, or joining in

the house party, which might involve

singing songs round the Bechstein

piano, dancing at Saturday night

cèilidhs, or chatting over cocktails with

fellow guests (businessmen, oligarchs,

heiresses and wealthy expats who use

it as their British base).

It’s unlike any home we’ve been to

(which is presumably why Madonna

chose it as a wedding location). Where

else are guests roused for breakfast by

an organist and then introduced to an

owl-handler by a man wearing green

glitter-strewn shoes? It’s gloriously

eccentric, utterly decadent – and, sadly,

it costs £24,000 to become a member.

Skibo Castle, Dornoch, Sutherland

(01862 894600, carnegieclub.co.uk;

doubles from £2,600 a night,

all-inclusive, plus £8,000 annual dues)

A LITTLE PLACE I KNOW

SKIBO CASTLE DORNOCH, SUTHERLAND, SCOTLAND

King of the clubs

The magnificent library

at Skibo Castle, above.

Left: A falconer

demonstrates his craft

L U X U R Y

Winter / 2014

NEW ISSUE

OUT DECEMBER 6

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

SUITE DREAMS

MAPPING YOUR BELONGINGS

PONTE VECCHIO SUITE,

PORTRAIT FIRENZE

Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 4, Florence, Italy

(00 39 055 2726 8000, lungarnocollection.com)

Opened 1 May 2014

Price €2,800/£2,205 per night

Size 1,292 sq ft

USP Florence’s luxury hotel scene is as crowded

as the Uffizi Gallery, but Portrait Firenze has both

location and pedigree – it is owned by one of

Italy’s first families of fashion, the Ferragamos.

Set on the sixth floor, the Ponte Vecchio suite is

the ultimate Florentine room with a view, with an

unimpeded sweep of the city’s famed crossing

over the River Arno. The suite can also connect

with three adjacent rooms to create a penthouse.

When it comes to service, nothing is too much

trouble. Before check-in, guests are sent a

questionnaire to determine their preferences –

whether that’s a specific newspaper or drink in

the minibar, or whether they want a private tour

of the Vasari corridor, a peek inside someone’s

palazzo or to flex their credit cards on the Via

Tornabuoni with a personal shopper. That is, if

they can drag themselves away from the view.

Details The Ferragamos wisely turned to the

Florentine architect and designer Michele Bonan.

Taking his design cues from Fifties Florence, the

look is a sophisticated mingling of mid-century

modern and La Dolce Vita: more stylish home

than hotel. The suite is a gorgeous,

bright space of dove-grey wood-

panelled walls, white-beamed

ceilings, silvery upholstery, teak

floorboards and glamorous flashes of

gold. Like the onyx-topped console

table flanking one wall, most of the furniture is

custom-made, designed by Bonan and inspired by

the Fifties and Sixties. Walls are sprinkled with

black-and-white photographs dedicated to

shoemaker-to-the-stars Salvatore Ferragamo, and

scenes of Florence featuring celebrities such as

Audrey Hepburn. There are two double bedrooms

at each end of the suite, with beds decked out in

snow-white Italian linen and houndstooth throws.

In between are an airy living room and a cleverly

designed kitchen. Bathrooms are bedecked in

Carrara marble, with Salvatore Ferragamo

toiletries beside the roll-top bath, and views

through huge windows over the rooftops. But the

real showstopper is the suite’s private terrace, on

which guests can breakfast in the morning or sit,

glass of Chianti in hand, and watch the sun slip

behind the Tuscan hills.

Ultratravel’s guide to the world’s most sumptuous new hotel rooms

Positively palatial

View from the private

terrace of the Ponte

Vecchio Suite, whose

rooms can be joined with

three others to create

a riverside penthouse

ULTRA APP

andy if you can’t find

your way home: luggage

labels from Atlas-and-I can be

printed with any map – of a

local neighbourhood, an ancient

woodland or a dream destination.

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Right up every traveller’s street.

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Even for techno-phobes, this is

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MAPPING YOUR WORLD

I LIKE MINE RARE

Waris Ahluwalia, the Indian aesthete-cum-

philanthropist-cum-actor (who played a concierge

in Hotel Budapest), is well known among magpies

for his exotic collections of jewellery. Since he

opened his own Rare boutique in the Explorer’s

Library of the Gritti Palace in Venice, though, he’s

also become the go-to man for all things

handcrafted. Rarities, made by 40 artisans in

14 countries, range from Haider Ackermann’s yak

scarves and Venetian glass to rainbow-coloured

boules. houseofwaris.com

H

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

he 56-year-old creative director

of the Italian fashion and homeware brand has

travelled extensively since she was a child. Her

parents, Ottavio and Rosita, were always, she

says, “incredibly curious and imaginative”.

Although she spends a considerable part of her

year in hotels, her favourite places are simple,

quiet houses “always with a view – everyone in

my family needs to look out from high up”.

She lives in a Modernist house near the fashion

factory her parents opened in the Fifties in

Lombardy, but the family also has holiday homes

in Venice and Lake Como.

How many holidays do you take a year?

Two or three, ideally at Christmas, Easter and

summer, often to somewhere I have never been.

I’m very inquisitive.

To what sort of place?

Somewhere by the sea where I can explore a city,

enjoy natural beauty and sightsee. It’s usually a

place that’s warm: Morocco, India, Oman, Mexico,

or, in Europe, Spain, France, Portugal…

Do you ever go away just to relax?

Last Christmas was a tough year for our family.

[Her brother, Vittorio, was killed in a plane crash in

the Caribbean and her father, Ottavio, died before

the plane was found.] So my boyfriend, Bruno,

and I went to Jamaica to get away. We stayed in

Jamaica Inn (jamaicainn.com), which was very

English and relaxed, and surrounded by real

Jamaican life, which I liked, and Goldeneye

(goldeneye.com), which was probably more

charming before they renovated it.

Do you enjoy spas?

Bruno and I try and go to Bretagne, in France,

every year to a thalassotherapy spa called

Quiberon (sofitel-quiberon-thalassa.com). It is in

an incredible position, out on a peninsula, and

surrounded by Stonehenge-age monoliths. There’s

a powerful energy there and really strong

therapists, which is why it’s a spa that men like,

too, and fantastic seafood, from oysters to

lobsters. It also gets more than 300 days of sun

a year, so you can sunbathe even in November.

Where would you like to go next?

India, because last year I organised a trip for my

daughter, Teresa, and her friends to go with my

mother to Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur and the rest of

Rajasthan, but I never got to go myself.

Do you travel light?

On the way out, yes. On the way back, never.

I always come back with tons of luggage. I used to

take Tumi (tumi.com) but they are too heavy. And

I love Globe-Trotter (globetrotter1897.com) but

they get ruined if you check them in. So now I use

light polyester Rimowa (rimowa.com) suitcases.

Your favourite city for a weekend away?

Venice, where we have a house. Not only can you

eat very well there, but it has wonderful galleries

and restaurants. Favourites include Antiche

Carampane (antichecarampane.com), where the

fish is incredible, and Trattoria Da Fiore (dafiore.it),

which does special Venetian dishes such as soft-

shelled crabs, little grey canocchie shrimps and

vegetables like bruscandoli [hop shoots] in risotto.

Favourite restaurants in other cities?

Caviar Kaspia (caviarkaspia.com) in Paris because

it’s always the same: it looks the same, you eat

the same things, and it’s exactly what you expect.

What next?

I would love to go on a six-month trip through

Italy. Where else can you find totally different

kinds of food every half an hour? So many

beautiful things? So much history? And such

variety? When visitors say they’re going to Venice,

Florence, Rome, I say what about Bologna?

Parma? Piemonte? Puglia?

Your favourite place?

Home, in Sumirago. We are so lucky: I have views

of the country from my house and my office. We

can drive to our house on Lake Como in 40

minutes. We can go skiing in the Alps in an hour

and a half, or Portofino, or be by the sea in Venice

in just over two, and have an airport 15 minutes

down the road, so I can go to Dubrovnik, where

I went many times with my father: a wonderful city.

What’s a perfect holiday to you?

Time to do nothing but read, ideally on the beach

or on a boat. Last weekend I went with Bruno to

Sardinia and we read in the day and admired the

views in the evening. It was amazing.

Any particular places you love to shop?

Markets. Seeing what food people eat is very

important. Once you know the food, you

understand the culture. They are also great places

to see craftsmanship – whether that’s woodwork

in the souks of Fez or antiques in Porte de

Clignancourt and Porte de Vanves in Paris.

The most romantic hotel?

I love the idea of cave hotels, like they have in

Cappadocia or in Matera (sextantio.it) in Italy.

It’s wonderful thinking about the people who have

lived there before you.

What do you always travel with?

A Missoni cashmere blanket to use on the plane

if it gets cold. Basics, so I can survive for 48 hours

if they lose my baggage. A comfortable sweater.

Plus Carta d’Armenia – or Armenian burning

paper – which you burn to purify the air. I bought

my first ones when I was about nine on a trip to

Florence with my mother, from the Santa Maria

Novella pharmacy (smnovella.it).

Where next?

I’d love to stay in a treehouse. It’s a fantasy I’ve

had since I was a child. There is a treehouse hotel

in Sweden (treehotel.se), so perhaps there.

The most remote place you’ve travelled to?

From the ages of five to 19 I spent all my holidays

on a tiny island in Dalmatia, just opposite Hvar, in

a little house with no lights and water from a well.

Do you like adventure holidays?

Adventure is part of my life: I like exploring.

But I also like comfort, which to me is a beautiful

view and a good bed.

Interview by Lisa Grainger

TRAVELLING LIFE Angela MissoniThe Italian designer on her favourite seaside spa, secret Venice trattoria, and where to buy Armenian burning paper

T

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‘I love the idea of cave hotels: thinking about

the people who have lived there

before you’

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013. Published by TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, and printed by Polestar UK Limited.

Colour reproduction by groupfmg.com. Not to be sold separately from The Daily Telegraph. Ultratravel is a registered trademark licensed to The Daily Telegraph by PGP Media Limited

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private clients Lending over £17bn* to clients worldwide Looking after £23bn* in cash for our clients

00,000 UK SMEs with their financing needs Over 1000† charities use our investment expertise Mortgages over

est rates, cash and commodities Putting investment management on your doorstep Managing

behalf of private clients Looking after the wealth of 50,000 private clients Lending over £17bn* to clients worldwide

s what we do Private Banking Helping 100,000 UK SMEs with their financing needs Over 1000†

charities use our investment expertise Mortgages over £1million Specialists in foreign exchange, interest rates, cash and commodities

doorstep Managing £40bn globally on behalf of private clients Looking after the wealth of 50,000

7bn* to clients worldwide Looking after £23bn* in cash for our clients It’s what we do Private Banking

00,000 UK SMEs with their financing needs Over 1000† charities use our investment expertise Mortgages over £1million Specialists

est rates, cash and commodities Putting investment management on your doorstep Managing £40bn globally on

behalf of private clients Looking after the wealth of 50,000 private clients Lending over £17bn* to clients worldwide Looking after £23bn* in

00,000 UK SMEs with their financing needs Over 1000† charities use our investment expertise

eign exchange, interest rates, cash and commodities Putting investment management on your

doorstep Managing £40bn globally on behalf of private clients Looking after the wealth of 50,000 private clients Lending over £17bn* to

clients worldwide Looking after £23bn* in cash for our clients It’s what we do Private Banking Helping 100,000 UK SMEs with their financing

charities use our investment expertise Mortgages over £1million Specialists in foreign exchange, interest rates, cash and

commodities Putting investment management on your doorstep Managing £40bn globally on behalf of private clients Looking after the wealth

7bn* to clients worldwide Looking after £23bn* in cash for our clients Private Banking Helping 100,000

Over 1000† charities use our investment expertise Mortgages over £1million It’s what we do

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