HESTON BLUMENTHAL The world’s best chef packs his whites for London Win a stay at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Hotel THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2010 Produced in International Media Production Zone ROAD THRILL Why Norway is home to Europe’s best drive Ireland The Green Issue From searching out unspoilt beauty in Mozambique and the great unknown in Papua New Guinea, to the world’s best railway journeys and sailing in the Indian Ocean – who says eco-friendly holidays are dull? TOTAL GUIDE Everything you need to know to enjoy the Emerald Isle American Classic Tis the season to visit Boston. Find out how to experience it to the fullest
Transcript
HESTON BLUMENTHALThe world’s best chef packs his whites for London
Win a stay at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Hotel
THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2010
Produced in International Media Production Zone
ROAD THRILL Why Norway is
home to Europe’s best drive
Ireland
The Green IssueFrom searching out unspoilt beauty in Mozambique and the great unknown in Papua New Guinea, to the
world’s best railway journeys and sailing in the Indian Ocean – who says eco-friendly holidays are dull?
(SH) J00471 hi Stay Imp AD - kanoo wt.ai 1 10/27/10 4:29 PM
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November 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 7
AGENDABe informed, be inspired, be there
For a taste of tropical climes, book a stay at the newly opened Trou aux Biches in Mauritius from November 1. All charming thatched-roof villas and suites, which dot talcum powder sands, the resort boasts a Clarins spa and six superb restaurants to enjoy – assuming you can tear yourself away from your private pool and garden. But however you choose to while away the days here, you can do so guilt free in the knowledge that the hotel adopts an eco-sensitive approach to everything it does. www.beachcomber-hotels.com
Fifth amendmentA change to New York’s skyline sees the Setai open up on Fifth AvenueIn keeping with its grand address, The Setai Fifth Avenue doesn’t compromise when it comes to slapping on the style. We’re talking 2,000 square foot penthouses, limestone flooring and Duxiana beds throughout, plus a signature destination restaurant that serves up refreshingly modern Italian fare. Best of all, though, is the outstanding spa, which boasts an Ice Cave, Aqua Grotto and – just for us visitors from the Middle East – a quite brilliant Hamman. www.setaififthavenue.com
BEDTIME STORIES
A novel ideaA new hotel in Paris is offering literature-lovers the chance to book a room dedicated to a famous writer. The rooms – 26 of them in all that follow the letters of the alphabet and corresponding author, like B for Balzac and Z for Zola – feature excerpts from the writers’ works as wall art and a raft of their books to read. Book a suite and you’ll also have views of the Eiffel Tower. www.pavillondeslettres.com
ONE-MINUTE MASTERCLASS: SPANISH I’ll have the paella, please. Comeré la paella, por favor Where can I buy tickets for Barcelona FC? Dónde puedo comprar boletos para Barcelona? When is the next bull fight? Cuándo es la próxima corrida de toros?
Sending a postcard just got a whole
lot easier thanks to a new iPhone app that allows you to take a picture and write a message before it’s emailed off, printed and delivered as quickly as normal post. www.ecards.co.uk/postcards
Letter home
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Buy the book Updated edition of brilliant travel tome for avid adventurers
The world is full of weird and wonderful places begging to be explored and experienced, and this newly published book maps out the best of them. How about seeing genuine dinosaur footprints in Bolivia? www.amazon.com
Camping just got complex: decide between spending nights on the wild side or beneath the most modern of canvas covers...
Pitch perfect
Golden Triangle Tented Camp The Rasa Hotel
Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Fifteen freestanding tents nestled amidst
lush Thai terrain that can only be accessed
by riverboat. This is one camping trip that
promises an all-out jungle experience – with
all the luxuries you can shake a stick at.
Bamboo details, open-air decks and copper
bathtubs harp back to 19th century explorers.
The chance to interact with Asian elephants
who roam the area.
$1805 per tent.
www.fourseasons.com/goldentriangle
Jaipur, India
A futuristic site that’s the latest brainwave from
India’s boutque hotel devotees Devi Resorts.
Forget traditional tents, these 40 white canvas
cubes are set in geometric gardens and cut a
modern dash against the historic Amer Fort.
Sleek, light and ultra-modern with standout
features like four-poster beds.
The use of local, organic ingredients: a great
addition to its restaurant and L’Occitane spa.
Resort opens December 2010.
www.rasaresorts.in
LOCATION
LOWDOWN
DÉCOR
HIGHLIGHT
DETAILS
TEMPTING TENTS
THIS IS THE ONEStanding just across the water from its elder sibling in Dubai, One&Only, The Palm opens for guests on November 15. The low-level resort is boutique-sized and still packs in three restaurants overseen by Michelin-star chef Yannick Alléno. Also opening in Dubai this month – in the city’s bustling Bur Dubai district – is the Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, where families can book into specially designed family suites.
The historic city of St. Petersburg plays host to the St Peters Ball festival this month (from November 12-14), a series of events hosted and attended by icons from the fields of fashion, film and art. Among the speakers on show will be fashion heavyweight Ozwald Boateng, who’ll be undressing the industry to reveal its secrets. www.liberatum.org.uk
HAVING A BALL IN
RUSSIA
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AGENDA | NEWS
Anyone for Venice?
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, UAE 5 nights from $1434
This offer is per couple and includes dinner in Splendido, a complimentary room upgrade, and early check-in and late check-out subject to availability.
Elysium, Paphos, Cyprus 10% discount
Enjoy a 10% discount when you book 5 nights at the lovely Elysium in Paphos, Cyprus. From $945 per couple on a half board basis.
A La Commedia, Venice, Italy
Stay for 5, pay for 4 Experience the romance and beauty of Venice with a ‘stay for 5 pay for 4’ nights offer at A La Commedia hotel. From $915 per couple.
1 2 3Kanoo Travel and American Express Vacations have rustled up three fantastic offers for you this month…
We’re always happy to find an excuse to visit one of our favourite hideaways in the
Maldives, and this month we think we have the perfect reason to take a trip to Baros: it’s just added private infinity pools to five of its beautiful beach villas. meaning there’s now ten of these stunning properties to book into. We’ll see you at the airport, then. www.baros.com
There’s an abundance of travel guides to well known cities for sell, which is why Louis Vuitton’s city guides – out this month – are refreshingly different. This boxed collection includes insider tips for visitors to places like Nara in Japan and England’s Oxford. www.louisvuitton.com
CITY SLICKERS
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Supported by:
Wintertime is a cool time to visit Hong Kong for more than one reason! The city is aglow with festive lighting and you will find that glorious Victoria Harbour is a dazzling sight with all the surrounding illuminations. The holiday season offers great opportunities for indulging in winter shopping sales all over Hong Kong and of course, making the most of all the special seasonal dishes available in the numerous food districts.Visit
4* Hong Kong3 nts at 4* Traders Hotel Hong KongRoom only
from AED3,730 per person
5* Hong Kong3 nts at 5* Harbour Grand Hong KongRoom only
from AED4,470 per person
Offers include: return economy flights with Cathay Pacific, return private transfers, all room taxes & service charges. Airport taxes AED615 excluded. Valid until 30 November 2010.Terms and conditions apply.
Taufik Sutisna, Chef de Cuisine of Noodle Box at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Hotel, reveals his must-dine spot when in his home city of Jakarta, Indonesia.
My favourite restaurant has to be Sederhana – one of the most famous in Jakarta. They serve up authentic Padang food, which originates from West Sumatra. The signature of such food is spicy flavours and a taste that’s rich in coconut. What makes this restaurant great is that each one of its 100 restaurants across the capital maintains the same standard of taste. There’s a unique style of service here, with each waiter carrying around 12 dishes on their hand all at the same time – guests can then choose whatever they like. My favourite dish, which I’d recommend to new diners, has to be the beef rendang (spicy coconut beef stew) and ayam gulai (spicy chicken curry). This is the one place that I really miss when here in the UAE.
GLOBAL GOURMET
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hutt
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A team of London-based artists and designers have created a line
of eco-friendly bags fashioned from recycled five star hotel bed linen. The bags will be sold at a
number of leading hotels or online from www.sleepingbags.me
Sleeping Bags
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AGENDA | SAVOY REOPENING
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The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s perennially popular restaurant in the charming English village of Bray, is routinely championed as the world’s best. It’s a reputation earned through the marriage of incredibly good food and decidedly out-of-the-box originality – a seafood dish is served with an Ipod so you can hear the sound of the ocean as you eat it. So it’s little surprise that with such a standing to uphold, the master chef is at pains to point out that his second restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, should not be compared to his first.‘This is not the Fat Duck!’ he says, in a manner that makes you think he’d put those words in capital letters if he were writing instead of speaking them. “It is completely different. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has a more brasserie style menu, a simpler menu. The Fat Duck only has 15 tables yet this restaurant will seat around 130 guests.”
When we spoke, Blumenthal was in the process of putting the final touches to the restaurant’s tasting menu ahead of its January opening. “I have no idea how much it will cost yet but it will feature five or six dishes”. However, the à la carte menu, which has been created from scratch so that each of the thirty
plus dishes is a Blumenthal first, is ready to roll: “It’s been inspired by the gastronomic past of Britain, our historic heritage is the creative inspiration behind the menu, although it is not a theme restaurant as the dishes are quite contemporary,” he says. As for the standout plate, Blumenthal is in no doubt about which whets his appetite the most. “It has to be the Mandarin Meat Fruit. The dish looks like a mandarin orange so it is a lovely representation of our partnership with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It is inspired by a medieval British dish, and is essentially a parfait with a mandarin gel exterior served with toast.”
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is the chef’s first venture outside of Bray, so will his burgeoning empire ever grow to take in the Middle East? “Never say never, I certainly can’t see why not. There are many different restaurants throughout the Middle East so it obviously has an exciting energy around gastronomy. But perhaps for the moment I’ll just focus on London.” And with that he heads off to the kitchen to concoct yet another edible masterpiece. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Mandarin
Oriental Hyde Park, London, opens in January. To
make a reservation call +44 20 7201 3833.
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ddie
Jud
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Dinner is Served He’s the master of molecular gastronomy, purveyor of the daring dish, and the holder of three Michelin stars. On the eve of his new restaurant opening at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Heston Blumenthal talks to Kanoo World Traveller. Words: Aerin Rose
NOVEMBERWe round-up this month’s go-to events for Kanoo globe-trotters
5-6 BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPSKentucky, USAGet your best threads on for one of the top events in the horse racing calendar. Not only is this the world’s biggest meeting with the finest thoroughbreds on show, but with $25.5 million at stake it’s also one of the richest. Binoculars at the ready for this two-day, year-end championship. www.breederscup.com
12-21LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL London, UK Now in its eighteenth year, this is a must-visit festival for jazz-connoisseurs. The 10-day festival packs in 250 shows citywide at venues like the London Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall and Ronnie Scott’s – to name a few. From American traditionalists to leading European stars, this is jazz at its finest. www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk
7-14CORONA CORK FILM FESTIVALCork, Ireland Gobble popcorn and master a night (or whole week) of movies at Ireland’s cultural event of the year. This extravaganza has been reeling off epic flicks since 1956, making it a worthy spot for film buffs to unleash their critique of world cinema, Hollywood blockbusters and indie flicks. Ice cream, anyone? www.corkfilmsfest.org
12-14 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIXAbu Dhabi, UAE This year’s Formula 1 drivers’ championship is going down to the wire, meaning that this race will likely determine who ends up claiming the championship crown. There’s an entire weekend
of on-and-off-track action lined up to keep Formula 1 fans busy, including performances from Kanye West and Prince. But, if you pencil just one date in your diary this month, we suggest you make it Sunday November 14th – race day. www.yasmarinacircuit.ae
25MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE New York, USA Wrap up and saunter down Manhattan’s Upper West Side to savour a US tradition – and we don’t mean a Thanksgiving turkey. This mighty parade has wound its way to Macy’s flagship store since 1924. Wave by floats, marching bands, balloon characters and more. Seasonal cheer a surety. www.social.macys.com/parade2010
26-30 ST. ANDREW’S FESTIVAL Scotland, UK This famous golfing town puts its party hat on to remember its patron saint. Live concerts, ceilidh (that’s folk music and dancing to us), the Taste of Scotland Food Festival, an ice rink and fireworks means there’s something for every age.Plus, a new undercover street venue means you won’t have to soak it all up in the rain. www.standrewsfestival.co.uk
these islands feature lush jungle scenery abundant with animals and birds, whilst the oceans in the area have the highest diversity of coral life in the world. Jessica Hudson
Q: I am a regular visitor to Italy, but I’m now keen to see a new part of the country. I would also really like to do something that’s positive for the environment. Do you have any suggestions? A: Tuscany still attracts most of the tourist hordes, but those in the know increasingly head for the quieter rural splendour of Umbria. Known as Italy’s ‘green heart’, you will find traditional villages and tranquil valleys there, all beating to the easy pace of life that has existed for centuries. Umbria revolves around agriculture, particularly olive farming, and a great way to get to know the region is to volunteer on one of the area’s farms. BTCV (www.btcv.org) offer working holidays in the organic olive groves of Villa Pianciani, a stunning 18th century villa located in the heart of the Spoleto valley. You can either help with the harvest in autumn or prune the ancient trees in the spring. This helps to increase the olive yield, and improves the habitat for the birds, insects and animals. Come nightfall, you get to enjoy fantastic, traditional Umbrian meals, all cooked using oil from the villa’s own grounds. Tim Woods
AGENDA | TRAVEL Q&A
This month our experts suggest a few eco-sensitive options for your next holiday.
Ask the expert
RACHEL HAMILTON is a
full-time writer
and the mother
of two young
children whom
she travels
frequently with.
TIM WOODS the
go-to man for all
things green, is
an international
project leader for
the British Trust
for Conservation
Volunteers.
JESSICA HUDSON co-
founded The
Chic Collection’s
travel advisory
and is tasked with
sampling endless
luxury hotels.
The panel
Imag
e: H
uvaf
en F
ushi
Q: I’d like to visit one of the Indian Ocean islands but would love to stay on a yacht instead of an island resort. Is this possible and, if so, what are my best options? A: It certainly is possible. The most breathtaking yacht I have been on in the Indian Ocean has to be Huvafen Fushi’s luxury dhoni in the Maldives. It’s handcrafted in the style of a traditional Maldivian boat, is 20 metres long and packs in every modern luxury you can imagine; from a gourmet mini bar and Smeg kitchen, to a plasma screen TV and Bose surround-sound technology. The boat’s 24-hour crew can sail you to the most romantic spots around, or take you to the best locations for diving, snorkelling, big game fishing or even for a deserted island barbecue of freshly-caught lobster. Another fantastic sailing experience can be had aboard Tiger Blue in Indonesia; a stunning 34 metre yacht built in the style of a classic wooden phinisi. It’s the ultimate way to explore the islands of South East Asia. You can charter Tiger Blue year-round for groups of up to ten people and the yacht has been designed with outstanding attention to detail: think sumptuous en-suite cabins, cosy beds, hot showers and air conditioning. The top deck, with its huge comfy cushions, is a perfect setting for relaxing with a sundowner at the end of an exciting day exploring the Indonesian archipelago. From December to February, Tiger Blue voyages around the Raja Ampat Islands in the east. Relatively undiscovered and entirely unspoilt,
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If lush landscapes, deep-blue waters and the call of the wild tick your roadtrip boxes, this drive can provide the scenic route you crave. The road soars over eight bridges (low enough for acrophobics to breathe a sigh of relief), sweeping you lightly over the Atlantic’s waves below. When calm, this super-soothing stretch of ocean allows road-trippers to spot seals and the lucky few may see something even greater; whales. But, if ‘tranquil’ doesn’t float your boat, join the dare devils and head here during autumn when the stormy season takes hold and the ocean
provides an altogether more dramatic display. Whatever time you go, the route will send you across a five-mile stretch of road that connects the cities of Molde and Kristiansund – said to have the best architecture in Norway – and passes numerous islands along the way, meaning there are plenty of stop off points to be enjoyed. We say, park up by a rocky seashore, soak up that fresh, sea-salty air and cast a fishing rod as you look out across the incredible coastline. Image: Terje Rakke / Nordic Life AS / Fjord Norway
TAKE A BRIDGE OVER PEACEFUL WATERS WITH A WINDING JOURNEY THROUGH NORWAY’S ENCHANTING WEST COAST
Seeing is believing with this trio of rusty-coloured mounds, which spurt out water from their pursed lips. Set in Fly Ranch on the edge of Black Rock Desert, its location is enough to make you think you’re heading onto the set of a Wild West movie. In reality, you can spot this bulbous formation from the road, less than a mile from State Route 34, which means you won’t have to brave the spiked fence erected to keep trespassers out – although many try. Its fountain-like state is a result of a water-well drilling that went awry in 1916, penetrating a geothermal source. It took until the sixties for the water to find the wall’s weak spot and seek its escape – which it’s done ever since to stunning effect. Image: Photolibrary
Picture this
RENO, NEVADA
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GUANGXI
Gaze across Li River at sunset and you’ll see the faint figures of fishermen, their oars breaking the water’s surface to provide the scene with its only sound. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see that the fishermen aren’t alone on their bamboo rafts, but drift with oily-feathered companions: Comorants. These duck-like birds have served as a unique fishing aid for hundreds of years – diving into the river and retrieving their prey, a rope tied around their necks to ensure they resist gobbling up the catch. Today, this time-honoured method is often practiced for tourists, who line the banks and watch.Image: Photolibrary
Picture this
CHINA
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ESSENTIAL SELECTION | AMAZING STAYS
Take to the rails with Laura Binder’s round-up of the world’s best train trips.
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ESSENTIAL SELECTION | RAILWAY JOURNEYS
1 EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS, ASIAA seven-day journey, from Singapore to Bangkok. www.orient-express.com
Posing palm trees and parcels of paddy fields will pass your window as you embark on ‘Legends of Peninsula’ – a trip that transports you from the soaring cityscapes of Singapore, through the raw beauty of the Cameron Highlands, and into another urban hotspot – bustling Bangkok. Inside, you’ll be one of just 60 guests savouring the train’s pervading opulence and Thai-spiced dishes. When you do get a chance to stretch your legs you can do so amidst the locals, be it with an elephant ride in Thailand’s Tham Kasae or tea and strawberry tasting in the lush Highlands. Trip tip: If you fancy an Asian excursion of a different ilk, three more voyages are on the agenda of this, the most exotic of Express trains. Take your pick from routes that take in Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Singapore.
3 BRITISH PULLMAN, UK UK day trips departing from London Victoria. www.orient-express.com
For a quintessentially English experience, you can’t beat the famous British Pullman, named after the very chap who introduced luxury train travel to Blighty in the 19th century. Its charming 1920s carriages scream vintage-style, thanks to Art Deco marquetry and quaint table lamps. Plus, gourmet cuisine served up on crisp, white linens makes this trip through the rolling British countryside an entirely decadent one. We say, don your finest threads and relive an era of dignified dining. Delightful. Trip tip: Check out the range of packages on offer, such as Christmas Lunch and The Ritz, which includes a five-course meal and stay at London’s most famous hotel. A fine way to embrace the festive spirit.
Clockwise from top left: Palace on Wheels; British Pullman; Gare du Nord, Paris
2 PALACE ON WHEELS, INDIA A seven-night, eight-day tour from New Delhi. www.palaceonwheels.net
Formerly the royal train of the Maharajah, its decadent interior is a flurry of textiles, offset by ruby red and gold hues fit for an Indian Princess. Splendour and authenticity appear to be something of a must here, from its 14 coaches, each named after princely Rajput states, to the turban-clad attendants and flavoursome curry dishes, all of which are experienced against the passing caramel-coloured backdrop of Rajasthan desert. Trip tip: There’s an equal abundance of pleasure to be had off track – try a camel safari near Jaisalmer or afternoon tea at the Taj Mahal.
4 EUROSTAR, EUROPE A two hour, 15 minute trip from London to Paris. www.eurostar.com
It may not be the most luxurious train on the tracks but there’s much to be said for a no-fuss locomotive that can whisk you between two of the world’s greatest cities in nearly two short hours. In travel terms, it means you can breakfast and sightsee in London by morning – we suggest a hearty breakfast at The Lanesborough – before soaring into the heart of Paris and taking your pick from some of the world’s finest restaurants: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is your best bet to sample to-die-for food. A route Ideal for impatient globe-trotters craving a whirlwind weekend. Trip tip: Why stop at Paris? Take advantage of Eurostar’s service and book a ticket to Brussels and head across to Amsterdam while you’re at it: Europe made easy.
5 VENICE SIMPLON ORIENT EXPRESSCity routes throughout central Europe. www.orient-express.com
This has to be the crème de la crème of train trips; offering the kind of refined surroundings that invoke an altogether more elegant age of travel. A voyage to Venice (the last of the city stops on route) will treat you to picturesque French, Swiss and Austrian landscapes along the way. But such idyllic sights won’t be the only thing to keep you entertained – banquets are served by prim staff (think brass buttons and white gloves) and a live pianist tinkers tunes in the lounge. The perfect prelude to a romantic break in Venice... Trip tip: From transporting royalty to being shot at in World War II and inspiring Agatha Christie’s novel Murder on the Orient Express, this train teems with historic tales, so be sure to ask what secrets your cabin hides.
6 GREAT SOUTH PACIFIC EXPRESS, AUSTRALIAA two-part journey between Sydney and Cairns,
with an overnight stay in Brisbane. www.gsr.com.au Train travellers with a sense of adventure will love this rocky route, which offers opportunities aplenty for action-packed activity once it grinds to a halt. We say, rumble through lush terrain from Brisbane and Cairns, and then take to the skies with a helicopter trip to the Barrier Reef for a spot of snorkelling. Have your cameras ready for the trip’s final stop: Kuranda – an old-fashioned railway station with stacks of tropical charm. Trip tip: Bag a spot on the open-air observation deck; the best place to soak up those amazing Ozzie vistas.
8 BLUE TRAIN, SOUTH AFRICA A 27-hour journey from Pretoria to Cape Town. Visit www.bluetrain.co.za
Pitched as ‘a window to the soul of South Africa’ this is one way to chug through the country in style. Up to 74 guests can travel on the Blue Train and, with an abundance of staff that includes on-call butlers, you’ll feel suitably pampered as you surge through stunning panoramas, admiring famous sights of natural beauty, like Cape Town’s Table Mountain. In fact, head to the rear of the train and kick back on the observation deck – its wraparound windows boast one hell of a view to drink in.Trip tip: If a safari ignites your travel senses, book up a ‘special package’, which includes drives in the wild, luxurious spa treatments and a stay at one of Africa’s most stunning game lodges.
ESSENTIAL SELECTION | AMAZING STAYS
7 THE SHINKANSEN, JAPAN A two hour and 10 minute, 325 mile trip between Tokyo and Kyoto. www.
english.jr-central.co.jp/shinkansen/tourDubbed the ‘silver bullet’, Japan’s ultra-modern train is a futuristic experience that rallies up an adrenaline rush fit for a theme park. Step aboard its new Nozomi model and you’ll blast through modern and ancient landscapes. At super-high speeds, such scenes will whizz by, which makes this journey one that’s all about the vehicle – perfect if you’re a modern traveller, keen to sample the rush of Japan’s techno wizardry. Trip tip: If two hours just isn’t enough, carry on to Hiroshima or beyond to the southernmost island of Kyushu.
Clockwise from left: Japan’s Bullet train; The beautiful Blue Train; Eurostar.
9 GOLDEN EAGLE TRANS SIBERIAN EXPRESS, RUSSIAA 15 day journey between Moscow and
Vladivostok. www.gwtravel.co.uk Embark on this expedition and you’ll be sampling the longest luxury train trip in the world, with 12 nights onboard, plus overnight stays in Moscow and Vladivostok. The Golden Eagle weaves its way from the east to the west of Russia, soaring over 6,000 miles and devouring eight different time zones. Remote visions – from the utmost rural to the glistening shores of the world’s biggest freshwater lake – will keep curious travellers satisfied, while luxury-lovers can bask in the Gold Suite which has a huge bed and plasma TV to boot.Trip tip: Make the most of off-train time with a trip to one of Lake Baikal’s traditional fishing villages. Charming.
10 GLACIER EXPRESS, SWITZERLAND An eight-hour, 180 mile journey from Zermatt to St Moritz. www.glacierexpress.ch
If you’re all about the ride, the Glacier Express offers a trip-and-a-half, soaring its way over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels (including the world’s longest narrow-gauge tunnel), across the Rhone and Rhine, and over the high mountain pass, Oberalp. When you’re not glued to the window you can head to the train’s fancy dining cart for a high-standard meal. Skiiers should be sure to book their tickets in winter, for a fabulous form of transport to the Swiss slopes. Trip tip: If the thought of an eight hour trip leaves you cold, why not book an overnight break at Chur and savour the sights over two days?
This is my first visit to Papua New Guinea, and also my first cruise. Fellow passenger Yvonne thinks I may have picked the wrong one. “This is as upmarket as cruise ships get. You won’t want to travel on an ordinary ship after Orion.” She has a point. The “luxury expedition ship” MV Orion’s 338ft encompasses four decks of staterooms (cabins), restaurants and lounges, fitted with miles of polished wood and brass. Opulence is one thing, but the point of an expedition ship is where it takes you – in this case, through the Bismarck Sea, along the easterly coastline of the Papua New Guinea mainland and on down to the islands of Milne Bay Province.
Of the few locations left in the world billed as “the last frontier” for tourists, Papua New Guinea has perhaps the strongest claim. The mountainous, densely forested core of the main island is hard to penetrate. Remote villages are connected by treacherous roads, muddy tracks and isolated airstrips,
so travelling by ship around the coast makes sense, but it brings with it moments where extreme luxury sits in surreal contrast with the most basic kind of village life.
After a connecting flight from Cairns in North Queensland, Orion’s passengers muster in the port town of Rabaul on the island of New Britain. Here, Mount Tavurvur is putting on a show. Rabaul was one of the country’s largest population centres until 1994, when an eruption of nearby volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan blanketed the area in volcanic ash, forcing the populace to establish a new provincial capital 12 miles down the road.
Mount Tavurvur has menaced Blanche Bay ever since, belching plumes of ash big enough to be visible even from our ship, docked more than a mile away. It makes a dramatic back-drop to our extravagant launch party.
For two nights and a day we sail north-west to the Papua New Guinea mainland. The rough sea makes things uncomfortable,
Cameron Wilson hops aboard a luxury cruiser to sail into Papua New Guinea’s great unknown.
THE LASTFRONTIER?
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THE GREAT UNKNOWN |PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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THE GREAT UNKNOWN |PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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THE GREAT UNKNOWN |PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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even when ensconced in an enormous stateroom and gigantic bed. It’s a relief when we drop anchor near the entrance to the mighty Sepik river. Expedition ships are designed to get you to places like this, and Orion carries eight inflatable speedboats for the purpose.
We’re expected at Watam, a village of 300 people near the mouth of the Sepik, and one of its six clan chiefs leads a band of singers and drummers to meet us. Although dug-out paddle canoes are a common sight
on the Sepik, the 40hp motor powering the welcome party’s 20ft aluminium runabout more easily keeps pace with our boats as we pull in to shore.
We’re welcomed with singing, dancing and a 12-man ceremonial “dragon”. Orion is one of two cruise ships that visit the Sepik region once a year, and people travel from villages upriver to sell their woodcarvings, woven bags and baskets, necklaces and ceremonial headdresses. There’s no bargaining, items are offered at “first price” with a buyer’s option of asking for “second price”, which may be a little or a lot less. In any case, it signals the end of negotiations.
Our next mainland stop is Madang, a town of 27,000 people that saw heavy fighting during the Second World War. A dive to a wrecked plane is on the ship’s tour itinerary, but fellow passengers Amelia and Peter suggest we walk into town and organise a dive for ourselves. Within an hour we’re zooming off to nearby Pig Island, where we
This page from top to bottom: A couple watch the sun slip into the sea from the stern of The Orion; The Orion docked in the turquoise bay; Tribesmen aboard their traditional raft.
‘...extreme luxury sits in surreal contrast with the most basic kind of village life’
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spend an hour drifting along a sloping coral shelf in 29C water. We were travelling late in the rainy season (from January to March), so underwater visibility was not the best, but there were plenty of brilliantly coloured tropical fish on display, and even a green moray eel.
Papua New Guinea’s undersea world is a prime attraction of the Orion cruise. As we approach the tiny cluster of atolls known as the Tami Islands, our expedition guide talks the place up. “The best snorkelling I’ve ever done is in the Solomon Islands, but the place we’re visiting today comes pretty close,” he says. Another village welcome is laid on when we land – a group of around 30 men, women and children greet us wearing grass skirts and feather headdresses. These ceremonies can be awkward, with hosts and visitors alike acutely aware of the cultural divide separating them.
On this occasion, a cheerful song-and-dance recital ends when a fearsomely decorated man misses the finish and launches on his own into a non-existent final verse, prompting embarrassed giggles from his fellow performers – a perfect reminder that it’s the gaffes and fumbles that most naturally bind us together.
A day on a nearby uninhabited atoll, complete with beach barbecue, cold drinks and ice-cream, is about as good as one can reasonably expect life to get. We snorkel for hours over stunning forests of stag-horn coral tinted emerald green, sunset orange and royal purple.
The most dramatic destination of the next few days is Tufi on Cape Nelson, where long fingers of densely vegetated volcanic
lava, known as rias, jut into the ocean. A few small villages are dotted around, and Tufi Dive Resort accommodates any scuba-enthused tourists who make it to this part of the world. It’s easy to see the attraction: no roads in or out, diving every day and one languid location in which to eat, drink, sleep and socialise. A few of us take a guided walk along a muddy track to the end of one of the rias, where we get a fine view of the bizarre lava landforms fringed by mangroves and
dotted with coral reefs.Dining onboard Orion is a daily event in
itself, thanks to a menu designed by Serge Dansereau, proprietor of Sydney’s Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant. On evenings when the chefs aren’t working up an extravagant outdoor seafood barbecue, they’re bringing to life dishes such as slow-cooked lamb loin with aubergine polenta, swordfish with French lentils and water spinach, or tuna sashimi with whitebait tempura seaweed
‘A group of around 30 men, women and children greet us wearing grass skirts and feather headdresses’
Opposite page: Tribesmen and children pose for the camera in their strikingly coloured dress. This page: Trobriand Islands’ dancer performs.
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salad. Coupled with a spirited selection of drinks, it’s a gastronomic marathon over 11 days for which there should probably be some sort of training programme.
Our final stops are the isles of Fergusson and Samarai. The former boasts some impressive hot-springs and geysers; the people of Dei Dei village are also adept at speaking English, which is unusual in Papua New Guinea and the result of missionary education over the years. Samarai still has signs of colonial-era commerce in its
dilapidated wharves, warehouses, and overgrown but still grand boulevards. Keeping Samarai out of Japanese hands during the war was a close-run thing, and much of its infrastructure was destroyed by Allied forces for fear of it becoming a strategic base for further Japanese expansion into the Pacific.
It takes two nights and a day sailing south before we arrive back at Cairns, so there’s time to review some culture and history in the ship’s library, and eat several more
stellar meals. It’s been in every possible sense a luxury expedition and a privileged opportunity to make acquaintance with one of the world’s most fascinating and still least-known regions. It may be remote and mysterious, but Papua New Guinea’s landscapes, cultures and undersea world offer rewards not readily found anywhere else on Earth.
This page: Canoeing in clear, shallow waters amongst the luscious forest.
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Welcome to Morocco, the land of contrasts. Vibrant and enchanting, where shadows meld with sunlight, and sky and sea kiss at the horizon. A land that for centuries has been romanticized by storytellers in their books. Weaving tales about its natural beauty, the warm hearts of its people and the elegance of its architecture. Not to mention its lazy beaches crawling on the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, its snow-covered peaks, water springs and thick forests, as well as the stunning beauty of its old cities. Come, discover Morocco today.
www.visitmorocco.com
Morocco, a place of fun for the entire family.
MO
SAIK
travel for real
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IRELAND 23 pages of rugged vistas, cool cities and magical moments…
PAGE 42 PICTURE PERFECT Sit back and see the country’s storybook sights PAGE 46 DUBLIN V BELFAST The two cities battle it out for the ‘cool capital’ crown PAGE 50 DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION Get ready for empty lanes and sing-songs on a roadtrip around the wild west coast PAGE 56 IRISH DREAM The best beds in the land PAGE 62 HUMBLE PIE In Cork, Ireland’s culinary king, the finest food is also the most affordable
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Picture perfectFrom wild beaches to rollicking nights out, the Emerald Isle has some real lump-in-the-throat moments, says William Ham Bevan. Get inspired by these three photogenic favourites.
THE CLIFFS OF MOHER, CO CLAREFor sheer magnificence, the Irish coast has nothing to touch the Cliffs of Moher: a wall of rock that rises more than 200m from the crashing Atlantic.
SPEND THE DAYAM: The cliffs are up there among Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions, so it’s worth going along early. Start with the splendid visitor centre – a cavernous space carved out of the hillside, with a grass roof (www.cliffsofmoher.ie). The ‘Atlantic Edge’ exhibition uses whizzy technology to place the cliffs in their historical and geological context,
including a virtual-reality ledge that offers a sea-bird’s perspective of the rockface. But the real showstopper is the view itself, best experienced from the top of nearby O’Brien’s Tower. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see all the way to the Twelve Bens mountain range in Connemara.
LUNCH: This is an area renowned for its superb seafood, and a bowl of the signature chowder at An Fulacht Fia (00 353 65 707 7300), a smart restaurant near the village of Ballyvaughan, makes for a hearty lunch.
PM: County Clare’s other natural wonder is the out-of-this-world landscape of the Burren,
a name that derives from the Gaelic word boireann, meaning ‘stony’. It’s not difficult to see why: the mountainsides are made up of vast, undulating swathes of limestone, scarred by green slivers of hardy vegetation. With megalithic tombs and stones older than the pyramids, it’s the perfect terrain for a leisurely afternoon amble; but first, lift the lid on local history by visiting The Burren Centre.
WHERE TO STAY: Occupying the site of a 19th-century mansion, the friendly, family-run Temple Gate Hotel (www.templegatehotel.com) makes a comfortable base in Ennis, Clare’s county town. Doubles from $93, B&B.
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‘For sheer magnificence, the Irish coast has
nothing to touch the Cliffs of Moher’
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LOWER LOUGH ERNE, CO FERMANAGHIn this county you may hear the boast that lovely Lough Erne has an isle for every day of the year. The tally may, in reality, be closer to 150, but they’re stunners – and Devenish Island is the most captivating of them all. Its monastic ruins, including a 30m round tower dating back to the 12th century, are among the most soul-stirring in Ireland. SPEND THE DAYAM: Make for the rolling 600m bluff of Cuilcagh, which marks the highest point in two counties: Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and Cavan in the Republic. It’s also the site of the Marble Arch Caves, the only Unesco-
listed Geopark on the Emerald Isle (www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com). After an underground boat trip, you’ll be led through an eerie subterranean world of dripping stalactites and bulbous rock formations.LUNCH: With its undulating thatched roof, the Sheelin Restaurant (0044 28 6634 8232) on Bellanaleck’s Main Street is a local landmark and a good stopping-off point for slabs of quiche. The Sheelin Lace Museum is next door, with more than 700 examples of the craft.PM: Drive to Trory Point, about six kilometres north of Enniskillen, for the short ferry ride to Devenish Island. On landing, it’s worth visiting the small museum first for an insight into the
evocative ruins: the place was twice razed to the ground by invaders. Nearby White Island also warrants a detour for its 1,000-year-old carved human figures, all bearing glum expressions save for one, manically striking the lustful sheela-na-gig pose. The White Island ferry departs from Castle Archdale Country Park.WHERE TO STAY: The elegant Manor House Country Hotel (www.manor-house-hotel.com), in Killadeas, has a large Romanesque pool and spa for pampering treatments. Doubles from $118, B&B.
Clockwise from top left: Lower Lough Erne at sunset; The carved human figures at White Island are over one thousand years old; Mist over Lough Erne.
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‘When dusk falls, the quay is serene - but behind closed doors there’s lots going on’
JOHN’S QUAY AND RIVER NORE, CO KILKENNYLike its legendary cat, Kilkenny is a place that scrams above its weight. It’s home to fewer than 25,000 people, yet feels like a larger town. Locals are famed for their arts and crafts and hurling. When dusk falls, the quay is serene – but behind the doors of the lounges, there’s lots going on.SPEND THE DAYAM: Take a wander around Kilkenny Castle (www.kilkennycastle.ie) – having evolved over more than eight centuries, it’s a riveting hotchpotch of styles. The Picture Gallery Wing is stop-you-in-your-tracks stunning, with its gaudily decorated hammerbeam
ceiling. A space for contemporary art, the Butler Gallery (www.butlergallery.com) is also housed here, and warrants a visit.LUNCH: While still to reach its second birthday, Campagne (00 353 56 777 2858) has grown into a success story on a national level, with Irish food critics placing it among Ireland’s most promising new restaurants. The cuisine is modern French – try the chicken with sweetcorn and smoked bacon or the monkfish with cassoulet of white beans, tomato confit and green tomato – it’s memorable. Booking ahead is essential.
PM: Kilkenny can easily occupy a full day. The late 16th-century Rothe House and Garden (www.rothehouse.com; once a wealthy merchant’s dwelling, is a must see. WHERE TO STAY: It’s now 10 years since Zuni (www.zuni.ie) brought the boutique-chic to Kilkenny. The 13-room hotel is smart, stylish and friendly. Doubles from £118, B&B.
Clockwise from top left: The centuries-old Kilkenny Castle; Small boats bob in the water at John’s Quay; Kilkenny city lights up for the long night ahead.
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Which city is better? The gloves are off for Dublin’s Philip Watson and Belfast’s Heidi McAlpin
Dublin v Belfast
SIGHTS DUBLINFrom Trinity College to Dublin Castle and the Spire, the city’s tourist attractions are world- famous – and the compact centre makes walking between them a doddle. Kids will love the Natural History Museum (www.museum.ie; free), a Victorian place filled with animals and scientific specimens, lovingly dubbed the ‘dead zoo’ by locals. And The Hugh Lane Gallery (www.hughlane.ie) has one of Ireland’s greatest collections of contemporary art.SCORE: 9/10
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SIGHTS BELFASTBelfast boasts the really big sights. And when we say big, we mean Titanic. The ill-fated ship was built in Belfast, a fact now celebrated with several festivals and events – notably the Titanic Made in Belfast Festival (April) and Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival (June). You can see where the ship was constructed on a Titanic Boat Tour (www.laganboatcompany.com). While you’re in the Harland & Wolff shipyard, gaze skyward at Samson and Goliath – Belfast’s iconic yellow shipbuilding cranes might not pull their weight any more but they still make their mark on the skyline. The best way to learn about The Troubles and to see the wall murals on Shankill Rd and Falls Rd is on a Black Taxi Tour – the drivers have in-depth knowledge and plenty of tales to tell. Try Taxi Trax (www.taxitrax.com). SCORE: 7/10 This page: Belfast City Hall .Opposite Page: Dublin’s River Liffey flows through the city.
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‘Dublin has dishes to please the fanciest to the most frugal of foodies’
FOOD DUBLINAs well as a Michelin-star score line that is embarrassingly in Dublin’s favour (the city has five decorated restaurants to Belfast’s one), the capital has dishes to please the fanciest to the most frugal of foodies. Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill (00 353 1638 3939) specialises in fine seafood such as tempura oysters and squid stuffed with chorizo and feta. Thornton’s (00 353 1478 7008) is a more ambitious affair – the scallops with squid ink are a work of art. Dine on butternut squash risotto at Coppinger Row (00 353 1672 9884) or, for cheaper eats, the perennially popular cafe Gruel (00 353 1670 7119), for hearty soups, salads and stews. SCORE: 10/10
FOOD BELFASTBelfast isn’t renowned for fish restaurants, but Mourne Seafood Bar (0044 28 9024 8544) has informed staff serving plates of shellfish that are as good as you’ll find anywhere. Or try Deane’s Seafood Bar (0044 28 9033 1134), which does a mean moules frites. Carnivores will love La Boca (028 9032 3087), where regularly changing artwork is a pleasant backdrop to sirloins served with zingy chimichurri (a parsley, garlic and olive oil sauce). For a no-nonsense feast, slip into a booth at Long’s chippie (0044 28 9032 1848) and savour the city’s best fish ‘n‘ chips. Or, try a Northern Irish pastie – It’s deliciously bad for you.SCORE: 9/10
This page clockwise from top left: A devotee of Deane’s Seafood Bar enters for a feed; Mourne Seafood Bar; Belfast’s iconic Victoria Square shopping centre; Historically rich Belfast Castle. Opposite Page: Dublin’s famous Trinty College; The age-old Dublin Castle; The Spire; Scallops with squid ink; Inside Dublin’s Thornton’ s.
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OUT AND ABOUT DUBLINOne of Dublin’s greatest draws is its location, on a large sweeping bay with views over the sea (Belfast overlooks a brackish river). Take the DART rail line south from the city centre (or from various stations) for spectacular coastal panoramas, and onwards to Sandycove and Glasthule for the James Joyce Tower, which houses a small museum dedicated to the great writer. Afterwards, stop for a fish lunch at nearby Cavistons (00 353 1280 9245). For an architectural hit, stroll through Dublin’s Docklands (www.dublindocklands.ie). You’ll find the recently opened, stunningly asymmetrical Grand Canal Theatre, and the new harp-like, Santiago Calatrava-designed Samuel Beckett Bridge. SCORE: 8/10
OUT AND ABOUT BELFASTBelfast’s Cave Hill backdrop is said to have inspired Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels – its silhouette resembling that of the sleeping colossus. Head to Belfast Castle (www.belfastcastle.co.uk) and follow the path, climbing Gulliver’s nose for fabulous city views from the summit. Dublin may possess Europe’s largest urban park, but size isn’t everything. Belfast’s Botanic Gardens are all flowers, rolling lawns and lolling students. They’re home to the Victoria Palm House, the Tropical Ravine (a sunken glen with flowering vines) and the recently reopened Ulster Museum (www.nmni.com), and are a short walk from the Gothic splendour that is Queen’s University.SCORE: 9/10
AND THE WINNER IS… TOTAL SCORES OUT OF 30: DUBLIN 27 BELFAST 25 If you’re looking for something edgy, urban and new, Belfast is definitely the place for you. But if you want a safe citybreak bet, with postcard-pretty sights and Michelin stars, then Dublin wins the day – it’s an all-round crowd-pleaser.
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Driven to distraction On a roadtrip along Ireland’s ruggedly remote west coast, Laura Goulden finds getting away from it all tricky. Something to do with knees-ups, perhaps…?
I’m toe-tapping my way across the room, flailing my arms like a helicopter. My new best friend, Mark, has closed his eyes (for concentration purposes) and is doing the
choo-choo train dance, his arms moving in tight little circles next to his hips. Easy Lover is roaring from a ghettoblaster resting on a shiny piano and we’re wearing comedy hats. It’s my second day on Ireland’s west coast and I’m taking part in an impromptu dancing competition. While this is definitely not my usual Saturday night activity, here at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel (www.abbeyglen.ie), it seems to be the norm.
‘Most Saturdays, I don’t get home before 5am.’ Roger, the mature, suited-and-booted waiter had told me earlier that evening. Bewildered, I surveyed a room full of retired couples and sensible-looking families and then looked blankly back at him. ‘This isn’t here for show y’know,’ he continued, patting the grand piano before trotting off to distribute a platter of smoked salmon- topped crackers. At which point, my garnish slid onto the floor to chuckles from regulars in the lounge, and I made friends immediately. ‘You won’t want to be eating that,’ said portly Tom from Dublin. ‘Sit here and meet my wife, Sue; we’ve been coming to Abbeyglen for 12 years.’I’d heard the Irish were a friendly bunch, but I’d come alone to Ireland’s west coast for a long weekend and some ‘me time’. I’d
planned to explore the untamed countryside on rambling drives, window open and music blaring. Long days would be followed by early nights tucked up in bed with my book and an Irish coffee. So far, things weren’t going entirely to plan, but the landscape was certainly living up to my expectations. This stretch of coast, where angry peaks meet the Atlantic, is rugged and relentless. If roadtrippers make it out here, they usually head south, to pretty Clare and Kerry counties. To be sure of open roads, I’d decided to head north, starting inland at the top of Co Mayo before hugging the zig-zag coastline that leads to Galway. ‘You’re going into the wild west,’ warns gravel-voiced Shane Maloney, marketing manager of Mount Falcon hotel (www.mountfalcon.com). ‘Keep your eyes on the road – that’s suicidal-sheep territory.’ We’re exploring the grounds of the Victorian-pile-turned-grand-hotel in Ballina – the town where he grew up – and the first stop of my trip. We emerge from woods that smell of wild garlic and bump into John, a silver-haired regular guest clad in khaki waders. He’s lugging the most enormous salmon I’ve ever seen. ‘He nearly got away but I edged further from the rocks and I got him!’ John enthuses, bubbling with pride. Fishing is big business in these parts. Between February
Inset: Breathtakingly-beautiful Achill Island. Opposite page, from top to bottom: Abbeyglen Hotel; A sign warns drivers of sheep ahead; Sheep graze on rugged cliffs.
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and September, thousands of shimmering salmon surge through the rivers, heading to mountain streams to spawn, and Mount Falcon has three kilometres of river reserved exclusively for guests’ use. Later, at dinner with Shane (‘You can’t dine alone!’), I notice salmon isn’t on the menu, and it’s not long before I find out why – it becomes clear that Shane’s a fish fanatic. As a director of Salmon Watch Ireland, an organisation dedicated to protecting the dwindling numbers of wild fish, he’s in a constant battle with poachers. A two-kilogram specimen can fetch $79 on the black market, and the trade is so rife he regularly receives threatening phone calls. After listening to his stories, I wobble up to my room and try to sleep despite thoughts of net-wielding salmon-snatchers slipping between the shadows on the banks of the moonlit river not so far from my bed.
Eggs Benedict eases my shaky stomach
the next day before I set off, winding through time-warped Westport, best known for consistently scooping the top spot in Ireland’s annual Tidy Towns competition. It’s home, too, to Matt Molloy’s, a shabby lounge crammed with pictures of flautist Matt playing with the Rolling Stones and posing with Bill Clinton. According to the exhausted-looking waiter, Matt still joins in ‘too often’ with the nightly music sessions that draw crowds to this unlikely party town. As I press on, the scenery is the ultimate cure to a late night. The curly roads make the 100kph speed limit feel thrillingly fast, and the views are the sort that really call for a co-driver. One of the most stirring stretches, the Doolough Valley, is even more moving for its traumatic history. It was here, during the potato famine in 1849, that up to 400 starving villagers perished after they were refused food by a landlord in Delphi and
had to trudge 12km back to Louisburgh in icy conditions. It’s still bleak, its colours so subtle they look bleached, as if someone has unplugged the light. Vast, flat fields in delicate shades of gold and bronze stretch to velvety mountains that puncture a silver sky, and the road disappears into the distance like a liquorice shoelace, empty except for the odd ram. Those villagers must have felt as though they’d reached the ends of the earth. I turn a corner and a silky black lake slides into view. Beside it is a monument to those who died here – hundreds make the walk every year to commemorate them.
By contrast, the 19th-century Abbeyglen Castle hotel, in the village of Clifden, somehow recalls Fawlty Towers. In the well-worn reception area, a French lady is ticking off arrivals on her clipboard, while a large white parrot balances on top of a cage behind her. All it needed was for Basil Fawlty to make an appearance, but instead my host, charismatic Brian, sashays into the room with the dinner dates he’s found for me: Bill, a retired British Airways pilot and Mark, an ex-Army officer. As we eat, Bill entertains with tales of the time he crashed a Tiger Moth into a tree, while Brian chips in with stories of the
‘Matt Molloy’s is crammed with pictures of Matt playing with the Rolling Stones’
Left: Lounge at stylish G Hotel. Above: Matt Molloy plays a tune on his flute.
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Week-long adventure: Belfast and beyondStarting in Belfast, head for the
Mourne Mountains. The yellow and grey gorse and granite lumps are speckled with sheep, cattle and whitewashed cottages. At the eastern foot of Mourne, lies the seaside town of Newcastle – great for golf. From here, drive alongside Strangford Lough and continue through Armagh to the Fermanagh Lakelands and Enniskillen Castle, spending a night at Mountview Guesthouse (www.mountviewguests.com; doubles from $95, B&B). Loop north through Londonderry towards the Antrim coast. Once on the A2, you’ll find wonderful wild beaches at Portrush and Portstewart.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: THREE MORE IRISH DRIVES Afternoon amble: Co Wexford As this southern corner of Ireland enjoys the most hours
of sunshine in the country, it’s worth giving the beaches and backwaters of Rosslare a few hours of your time. Take the second turning off the N25 and navigate your way through the potholes and cattle-clogged country lanes towards Ballytrent Beach, then rumble along the sand dunes towards Carne, where kids fish off the local pier and adults head for the beachside Lobster Pot (00 353 53 913 1110) for some seriously good shellfish. Save time for the twenty-minute journey to Our Lady’s Island, where the ruins of an old Norman castle stand on a marshy lagoon outcrop.
One-day jaunt: Co WicklowLeave the urban clutter of Dublin for the frosty peaks and
bucolic lakes of the Wicklow Mountains. Head south out of the city centre on the N11 and after 45 minutes you’ll pass Dublin’s last suburb, Bray. From here, you’ll be able to spot the Great Sugar Loaf mountain to the west and its smaller sibling, the Little Sugar Loaf, to the east. Turn off the N11 soon after Bray, and with little warning, the dense, forest-lined roads will twist into a stunning valley of deer-dotted woodlands and lakes at Glendalough. By afternoon, you’ll be exploring crumbling old buildings next to the serene waters. Finish up with a dozen oysters at Johnnie Fox’s, just outside Dublin.
days before the recession, when 18 guests’ helicopters decorated Abbeyglen’s front lawn. By the time we get to coffee, we’re a rowdy bunch and eager to pile downstairs for one of Abbeyglen’s famous knees-ups. Brian kicks things off with a surprisingly brilliant Snow Patrol rendition, before most of the room takes a turn: soprano-like Eileen goes for an Irish ballad; newlywed Connor belts out Mac the Knife; and what the bespectacled gent celebrating his mother’s 80th birthday lacks in natural certainly makes up for in enthusiasm. The dancing competition follows (with consequences already discussed), but I’m beaten to a medal by the snake-hipped newlyweds, the table-dancing wife of tin-flute man and Rita from Seattle. ‘I haven’t stopped smiling since I arrived,’ she gushes proudly as she collects her prize. I oversleep and miss breakfast. Back on the road again, near Roundstone, the picture becomes increasingly storybook: white cottages, donkeys tottering in higgledy-piggledy fields, and the odd grizzly-looking farmer. You’d have to be hardy to survive here – the watery landscape is rocky and windswept.
So inhospitable, in fact, that the beaches in these parts are usually deserted. Dog’s Bay is a silver sweep lapped by a milky green sea. When I roll up, an elderly couple are parked in a red Nissan, eating sandwiches and taking in the view from behind the windscreen, but there’s not a soul on the sand. After a quick, head-clearing stop, I press on and line my empty stomach with a bowl of butternut squash soup and chunks of soda bread at the Sunstone Café in Roundstone, a perfect strip of seafood restaurants and cafes next to a glassy harbour. My final stop, Galway, has a reputation for being a bit of a party town. I dine alone at the fashion-conscious G Hotel (www.theghotel.ie) and, already craving company, cross the road to the lounge for a chat. ‘Sure, Dublin’s busy, busy – everyone goes. But Galway is much better craic,’ the waiter informs me, before suggesting I join his colleagues for an after-hours lounge crawl. I’m tempted, but decline. The nightlife in one of Ireland’s most remote regions has beaten me. When I next fancy some ‘me time’, I’ll stay in central London – it will be quieter there.
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Irish dreamCosy cottage, chic city spa or grand pile: take your pick from the island’s best beds.
COUNTRY & COASTAL BELLINTER HOUSE, CO MEATHThis 18th-century country-chic pile, 50km from Dublin, is popular with a trendy city crowd, brilliantly combining Georgian interiors with sleek, modern furniture and eclectic artwork. The place is cool and welcoming, opulent yet unfussy – an effect described as ‘threadbare elegance’. There are 34 luxurious bedrooms scattered through the main house, wings and former stables, while a smart spa offers age-old Irish seaweed baths. There’s also a pool, outdoor hot tub, library and a cellar restaurant that’s sister to the renowned Eden brasserie in Dublin. What more could you ask for? Doubles from $180, B&B (www.bellinterhouse.com).
WHITEPARK HOUSE, CO ANTRIM Guestbook entries don’t come more ecstatic than at Whitepark House: ‘We could probably live here,’ trills a chap from Tennessee, one of many entries from American tourists who remain rather fond of Ireland. This country-house B&B comes with classy interiors: old clocks, warm and cosy hearths and a clutter of booty from Far Eastern travels. The setting, above Antrim’s most romantic beach, is splendid, with the Giant’s Causeway just a hike away. But the clincher is your host, Bob Isles, who dispenses shortbread on arrival, vast ‘Ulster fry’ breakfasts each morning, and droll tales about being ‘AA landlady of the year’. Bob and wife Siobhan recently spent big on what was a fantastic bedroom makeover: bathtubs are bounteous, beds an insomniac’s dream. Book soon – before someone from Tennessee decides to move in. Doubles from $158, B&B(www.whiteparkhouse.com)
INIS MEAIN RESTAURANT & SUITES, ARAN ISLANDS, CO GALWAYThe middle Aran Island – Inis Meáin – is the most tranquil and least visited of the three isles idling off Ireland’s west coast and it’s just five kilometres long with only 200 inhabitants. Not the sort of place you’d expect to find a designer B&B, then. Clad in local limestone, the modern building blends seamlessly into the extraordinary landscape, and houses four understated, open-plan suites dominated by vast windows that flood the rooms with light, framing spectacular views across Galway Bay. TVs, radios and phones are eschewed in favour of mountain bikes and fishing rods. The fine restaurant serves lobster and crab caught by local fishermen. Doubles from $326, B&B (www.inismeain.com).
GREEN GATE, CO DONEGALYou reach this little cottage up a muddy, bumpy track that climbs through farm gates. Paul Chatenoud, a music-loving philosopher of Parisian origins, owns the quirky digs – he found the worn-out cottage in the ’80s and spent a year restoring it. He’s kept the house’s ramshackle charm: peaty-looking but perfectly drinkable water spurts from the taps and low-beamed ceilings give anyone over six-foot a bump on the head. Breakfast is served beside the fireplace or outside. Here, morning views are across rock-scarred bogs and onto magnificent, empty strips of rust-hued sand. Doubles from $117, B&B (www.thegreengate.eu)
Clockwise from main, opposite: Lounge area at Bellinter House; Bathroom at same hotel; A comfy room at Whitepark House; Exterior of the Green Gate.
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OLD CABLE HOUSE B&B, WATERVILLE, CO KERRYIn these recession-dominated times what you need is a good old-fashioned no-frills’ B&B. And that’s what you get with the Old Cable House: no TV, power shower or bathroom goodies – just lemon-and-white rooms and a spankingly-clean, twinkling Irish welcome from owner Margaret Brown. Margaret has a secret weapon: hubby Alan, who’s a dab hand in the kitchen, knocking the socks off many a five-star hotel’s chef. Try his salmon with beurre blanc and lemongrass sauce, scallops with inventive home-concocted dips, and a heavenly fruitcake with cherry ice cream. Located just minutes from Waterville’s rocky beach, this place is a bargain – and an ideal base for exploring the Ring of Kerry.Doubles from $80, B&B (www.oldcablehouse.com).
CITIES & SPASTHE EUROPE HOTEL, KILLARNEY, CO KERRYBig resort hotels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but The Europe has two things going for it: a heavenly location amid the wilderness of Lough Leane with the Macgillycuddy Reeks mountains soaring opposite, and a spa that’s as impressive as anything you’ll find in the Indian Ocean. Ask for a newly refurbed loughside room and you’ll get floor-to-ceiling views with balcony, and stone bathrooms with a symphony of colour-controlled high-tech lights, underfloor heating and wetroom power shower. Thoughtful touches include wildflowers throughout – and CDs (Enya and U2, naturally). But the spa’s the real star here: a seductive ESPA retreat, all black and gold opulence with an indoor pool cleverly designed to make you feel as if it’s stretching
into infinity. Book as many decadent massages and facials as you can afford – just taking the glass lift to the treatment rooms is sheer inspiration. Doubles from $290, B&B; loughside $343 (www.theeurope.ie). MONART, CO WEXFORDIt shouldn’t work, but it does: this timber and glass hotel and adjoining 18th-century house blend together utterly harmoniously. And in the five years since it opened, Monart has become one of the world’s top destination spas: an adult-only sanctuary set among woodlands, fields and landscaped gardens. After you’ve explored, soak in the hydrotherapy pool, then lounge in the steam room before taking your pick from the huge range of body scrubs, seaweed wraps and stress-busting massages on tap. The bedrooms are in earthy shades of beige, gold and brown, and have balconies and marble bathrooms. Meanwhile, the fine-dining restaurant has a short, ambitious menu – try beef with potato, pancetta and foie gras. Doubles from $245, B&B (www.monart.ie). THE SCHOOLHOUSE HOTEL, DUBLINAffordable accommodation in Dublin’s posh D4 neighbourhood is hard to come by, but economic pressures have forced many boutique hotels, including this one, to slash rates. The converted Victorian school stands next to a meandering canal, 10 minutes from the city centre. Ultra-cosy rooms have period charm and are decked out in caramel tones with plump white beds and cloud-sized cushions. Best of all, the craic in the lounge is the stuff of legend: the high-ceilinged area heaves with revellers every weekend. Naughty schoolboy behaviour is actively encouraged, especially when rugby’s played at the Aviva Stadium round the corner. Doubles from $142, B&B (www.schoolhousehotel.com).
CAFE PARADISO, CORKCafé Paradiso has been serving divine vegetarian food to carnivorous Corkonians for almost 17 years. A five-minute walk from the town centre, it also has two handsome bedrooms discreetly hidden above the restaurant. River views and works by local artists create a deluxe bed-sit feel. You’ll wake to wholesome wafts of baked breads and veggie tarts, and perks such as homemade biscotti, cookies and truffles sent up from the kitchen. But save room for dinner, which might be pan-fried tofu in coconut and lemongrass broth, or feta and couscous cake with wilted greens. Doubles from $389 for two nights’ B&B (www.cafeparadiso.ie).
NO. 1 PERY SQUARE, LIMERICKClassical meets contemporary in Limerick’s only boutique-chic hotel – an exercise in grace, style and refined elegance. Located in the historic Georgian quarter, No. 1 presses every pleasure button. Comfort is the by-word. Decor is a pleasing blend of greens and greys, velvet and taffeta, liberally scattered with squishy armchairs, ornate mirrors and chandeliers. For period romance opt for one of the rooms in the townhouse overlooking the park, or for more swashbuckling flourishes choose the modern wing. The excellent restaurant attracts a smart, trendy crowd, and down in the basement, a converted coal bunker hides an atmospheric little spa. Doubles from $218, B&B; period room from $257 (www.oneperysquare.com).
‘The spa’s the real star here: a seductive ESPA retreat, all black and gold opulenence’
Clockwise to centre from top left: Fireplace at No.1 Pery Square; Bathtub at same hotel; Cafe Paradiso; The Europe Hotel; Candlelit bathroom at No.1 Pery Square; Entrance to Monart; Lounge at Monart, Restaurant at The Schoolhouse Hotel
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FAMILY & FRIENDSKELLY’S HOTEL, CO WEXFORDTo many, Rosslare is known for its harbour, the port of call for ferries from West Wales and France. But the nearby village of Rosslare Strand is one of Ireland’s oldest holiday resorts, with a delightful eight-kilometre Blue Flag beach. Kelly’s Hotel and Spa holds a plum position on the sands and has plenty to keep all the family occupied. Grown-ups can marinade in the SeaSpa, with its thalassotherapy treatments, while the little ones can enjoy buccaneering time at the fully supervised Pirates’ Club. And those not tempted by a dip in the Irish Sea can work on their lengths in two indoor pools. There are four tennis courts and a gym on site, too, as well as badminton, croquet, snooker and even
the time-honoured seaside pursuit of crazy golf. It’s a holiday must-do. Doubles from $200, B&B (www.kellys.ie).
BALLYVOLANE HOUSE, CO CORK Ballyvolane is very much a family home: four generations of the Green family live on the estate near the scenic Blackwater Valley, and hosts Jenny and Justin know a thing or two about entertaining children. Their ‘Little
People’ breaks – as they term it – centre on a tree house, chickens and pigs to feed, rides around the estate on a tractor and evening tea parties hosted by the Greens’ children. But the country estate could work just as well for a private house party – there are six beautiful bedrooms with views of the magnolia and crocus-decorated gardens, parklands and lakes. Splendid three-course suppers are held communally around the large dining table (most ingredients come from the house’s farm and vast walled garden); breakfast is served until noon (perfect if you’re coming here to relax) and there’s a croquet lawn and salmon-fishing nearby, too.Doubles from $194, B&B (www.ballyvolanehouse.ie).
‘The front doorstep opens out onto a handsome 10km dusky-toned beach’
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THE COTTAGES, BETTYSTOWN, CO MEATHThis small hamlet of half-a-dozen beachside holiday homes is just 40 minutes’ drive north of Dublin, on the coastal stretch of the Boyne Valley. The isolated fairytale cottages are a vision in whitewashed brick, hanging begonia baskets and thatched roof. Upon arrival, guests are given an Irish welcome of local scones with blackcurrant jam and a pot of tea that’s kept warm on top of the wood-burning stove. Pick of the cottages is Thatcher’s Rest, where vaulted beamed ceilings, solid oak flooring and traditional pine furniture
create a cosy, country-cabin feel. The front doorstep opens out onto a handsome 10km dusky-toned beach and choppy Irish Sea. Invigorating strolls through breezy sand dunes are completed with soaks in the two-person tubs and obligatory huddles around the Monopoly board and fireplace. Cottages sleep between two and six people and start from $988 for a week. (www.cottages-ireland.com).
RATHMULLAN HOUSE, CO DONEGALParents and even grandparents of some of the kids who scamper around these palatial grounds were doing the very same themselves in the summers of their youth. This grand summer residence on the northern loughs of distant Donegal has been hosting
family holidays since its construction in the 1820s. In the old days, the plump fields that roll down to the expanses of sand and yawning lough were the only ‘kids facilities’ available. In 2010, there’s pony-trekking, a pool, babysitters and even a ‘Doggie Room’, so no-one feels left out. Grown-ups can work through the gastro feasts provided by one of the country’s most celebrated kitchens in the hotel’s The Weeping Elm restaurant. Slow-food champion Kelan McMichael specialises in Donegal lamb and seafood dishes garnished with vegetables from the estate’s walled garden. There’s a large children’s menu, too, of course, that’s just about perfect. Family room sleeping two adults and three children from $326, B&B.(www.rathmullanhouse.com).
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This page from top left: The long driveway to Ballyvolane House; Fishing at same hotel; Dining room at same hotel; Cows strike a pose for the camera. Opposite page clockwise to centre from top left: The welcoming fireplace at Rathmullan House; Exterior of same hotel; Pretty garden at The Cottages; Seaview from the same hotel.
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Humble pie The simplest food is often the starriest, finds Amanda Hyde,
as she eats her way around Ireland’s gourmet south
A s far back as January, ‘Bridezilla’ was first seen in the tiny village of Durrus, County Cork. Since then, sightings had become
more frequent and she was exhibiting increasingly bizarre behaviour: ‘She’s bringing her own napkins to the rehearsal dinner,’ they whispered over the chopping board at Good Things Café. ‘She’s booked five different entertainers for the reception,’ they chuckled at Blairscove House and Restaurant. ‘She’s fierce, and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants,’ they repeated over drinks at The Longboat.
Tales of Bridezilla’s exploits were soon regular conversation fodder, alongside the usual topics, like the behaviour of one particularly notorious neighbour (an exile from Canada who claimed to be a rock star). The villagers weren’t exactly scared of her (she was just a bride organising her wedding, after all), but she was a completely alien species around here. Who cares if the napkins don’t match? If the food and company is good and the drinks keep flowing, any party should be a success. This was the attitude that had brought me to Cork: an attitude far removed from London, where restaurants are determined to out-fancy each other with every entrée. I’d read about this Irish county’s obsession with no-nonsense good food, and come for a weekend break that would involve potatoes from the bottom of the garden rather than ‘cappuccino of pomme de terre’. It’s not that the foodies of County Cork are amateurs – far from it. Cork City’s English
Market – a densely packed collection of stalls selling everything from prawns to plum jam – is one of the oldest in the world, and leaves London’s Borough Market (merely dating from the 1990s in its current incarnation) in the shade. What’s more, the famous Cookery School at Ballymaloe has been going for 30 years, sprouting cookbooks, crockery and seasoning ranges long before Jamie Oliver showed up on his scooter. It’s just that things here are more laid-back. Blame the landscape and lack of motorway – finding the time and inclination for molecular gastronomy is hard when you’ve been stuck behind a tractor on a country lane all afternoon.
I formulated this theory while meandering along in the wake of a giant blue specimen, en route from Cork City to Ballymaloe House, sister hotel to the cookery school. I’d spent the night just outside of town at Hayfield Manor, a rather eccentric five-star where the porter advised me to chuck out my GPS in favour of his highlighted map (a piece of paper so abstract it resembled a Picasso). In the end, neither man nor machine was a match for Cork’s side roads, and I was thankful I’d tucked into a full Irish breakfast before checking out. While traffic and a lack of in-built compass conspired to keep me on the road, the black pudding and Donnelly sausages proved to be fine fuel. Still, when the day’s first rumbles announced lunchtime, it was the excuse I needed for a food-focused stop-off in the tiny town of Midleton. After a road that wound from left to right, announcing a jam-maker or fruit-seller at every turn, my first stop came
as a shock: Jameson’s distillery on the outskirts of town was a theme park of a place, overrun with Americans on ‘find your ancestor’ tours of Ireland. Dazed, I retreated to The Granary Café and Foodstore down the road, just off the old-fashioned high street. I’d read about this posh deli online, and expected something akin to Carluccio’s, where expensive olive oil lined the shelves and yummy mummies chatted over caponata and coffee. What I actually found inspired a bout of nostalgia – the Granary resembled the iced-bun shop my mother took me to as a child (when I’d been good). Wooden tables cluttered the floor and the counter was piled high with home-baked rock cakes. I ordered an outsized slice of quiche and sat by the window, eavesdropping on the Midleton gossip. Two hearty meals down, and this was already proving to be my kind of food tour.
It was late afternoon by the time I arrived at Ballymaloe, to be greeted by birdsong and a missing member of The Corrs. ‘Your room’s upstairs,’ she smiled, blue eyes sparkling through raven lashes. ‘There aren’t any locks on the doors here, so make yourself at home and come down for dinner whenever you want.’ Making yourself at home in a room with no locks, while a couple of visiting old ladies poked nosily around the house, proved somewhat difficult. Meanwhile, the sound of splashing wafted through the window as the younger members of the Allen family played in the outdoor pool (Ballymaloe is run by a dynasty of cooks, and they all live at
Right: The growing of organic food in garden alotments is commonly practiced in Cork.
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the house; there was the occasional tinkling laugh from the beautiful receptionist as the bellboy made awkward, teenage attempts to chat her up. I was nervous about dinner: every night at Ballymaloe House involves five courses, and the idea of eating them alone was rather daunting. Still, here was the bellboy, changed into a shirt and tie, ushering me into the living room and towards a sinky sofa. Things were looking up. The solicitousness continued all evening – through the potato and garlic soup, the homegrown beetroot and local goat’s cheese, the lamb with pea purée, and the cheese trolley (I ran out of steam before dessert). During the main course, the Allen matriarch, Myrtle, even wandered over to see how I was. Meeting Myrtle is rather like being presented to the Queen. A hush descends upon Ballymaloe’s tables when she moves, everyone preparing conversation in case she graces them with her presence. I didn’t know whether to curtsy or call her ‘ma’am’. ‘Are these the famous Ballycotton potatoes?’ I asked excitedly, holding one up on my fork. (I was cheating – I’d nicked my conversation from the neighbouring table.)‘Oh, no,’ said Myrtle. ‘My son grew them in the organic garden. Are they good?’
They were, as was everything I ate that night, delicious – earthy and firm and so fresh. I went to bed feeling healthier than I had in ages (no mean feat considering the calories I’d just consumed).
The next day, I was bound for Durrus, on the west coast. I stopped for a posh chicken Caesar sandwich in Kinsale, Cork’s self-proclaimed foodie capital, where the coffee is fairtrade, ice-creams come in blueberry and espresso flavours, and the restaurants proudly tout their membership of the town’s ‘Food Circle’. Then I passed Skibbereen, a tumble of buildings in iced-gem colours on a bend in the water, where the Supervalu supermarket is filled with gourmet goodies from around the county. I reached Blairscove just as the low afternoon sun was tickling the
water that surrounds it on every side. Owners Philippe and Sabena were in the garden with a having drinks, a prelude to Philippe’s birthday dinner down the road at Good Things Café, the restaurant and cookery school in Durrus’s old butterfly house. They’d invited me to the party on the grounds that they couldn’t have fun knowing someone was back at Blairscove alone – especially not with the threat of Bridezilla hanging in the air (the bulk of her celebrations were taking place at Blairscove’s acclaimed restaurant and they were very, very afraid). The evening passed in a blur of conversation, more homegrown beetroot, and the best sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever tasted. Back at Blairscove, the moon had turned the sea to a silvery mirror, and in my apartment, I had only the swish of the waves for company. I knew that Bridezilla was out there somewhere, so I burrowed far beneath the duvet.
Hungry for more?
GalwayThis seaside town on the west coast has some of the world’s tastiest seafood. Time your visit to coincide with the oyster-shucking championships at the Galway International Oyster Festival.
Co FermanaghOrganic local nosh rules in this county. Chef Noel McMeel does divine seasonal fare such as herb-crusted Fermanagh lamb at the Lough Erne Resort’s Catalina Restaurant (0044 28 6634 5709).
Co KilkennyFoodies keen to roll their sleeves up will like The Savour Kilkenny Festival (www.savourkilkenny.com). While kids will love the cupcake decorating and apple-bobbing.
Belfast
Londonderry
Donegal
Westport
Roscommon
Rosslare
Dundalk
Dublin
Wicklow
Wexford Waterford
Killarney
Limerick Kilkee
Aran Islands Galway
Sligo
Tipperary
Cork
IRELANDIRELAND
ATLANTIC OCEAN
IRISH SEA
Clockwise from top left: Breakfast at Ballymaloe house; Homegrown beetroot salad; Dining room at Blairscove; Colourful shops in Kinsale. Im
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As I wandered about Beira in a culture-shocked daze, little beads of sweat wiggling down my forehead in the muggy heat, I heard my name ring out
from across the street.“Miss Lisa, Miss Lisa,” cried a worried-looking
woman hurrying towards me. “You mustn’t be here. This road is very bad. It’s not safe for you.”
I had only arrived in Mozambique’s second city a few hours before and at first didn’t recognise the woman. Then I realised: it was Octavia, the receptionist in my hotel.
“Down that passage,” she said, pointing over the road to a cavernous space beneath a bullet-
marked highrise concrete slum. “It is not good. Very bad people here. I think it’s better you go back now.”
That I was wandering alone in a derelict part of Beira was my own fault. I had foggy memories of the city being a glamorous, Portuguese-run seaside resort where, in the Seventies, our family had driven in our VW Beetle from our Zimbabwean home for two weeks of searing sun on the palm-lined beach. But that was before the wars: the war of independence that drove out its Portuguese colonisers, and the subsequent civil war that killed 100,000 Mozambicans. When I arrived again in
PARADISE FOUND
With its magnificent coral reefs, creamy sand beaches, warm seas and abundant wildlife, Mozambique keeps Lisa Grainger spellbound.
2009, it was with the hope that Beira might have been resuscitated in a similar way to Maputo, the Mozambican capital, where I had been a year earlier: vibrant with jazz clubs, colonial houses converted to b&bs and lively local markets.
It hadn’t. It was like a scene from the film Blood Diamond. Potholes, some the depth of buckets, dotted the roads, some filled with plastic bags, rotting vegetable matter, castaway cans. Single-room shacks amassed from whatever cast-offs its inhabitants could find lined the roadsides.
Clockwise from top left: Palm-lined beach; A typical village hut; Rich, luscious mangroves; Local Mozambicans fish the seas; Tropical coral reef.
Iron bars replaced bombed-out glass in the windows of concrete high-rise flats. And once-grand buildings – now barely standing amalgamations of broken pipes, exposed electrical wires, rusted metal stairwells and holes – lined every street.
After walking through a market, I wandered back to my hotel and texted my partner: “Scarily poor. Been told not safe for woman on own so back in hotel room with broken fridge, clattering air-con and nylon sheets. And they call this three-star...”
Sitting a few days later outside my own spacious beach chalet at Nuarro eco lodge in northern Mozambique, with views over creamy sand and a pale turquoise lagoon, it was hard to believe I was in the same country. At my feet, birds chirruped in the greenery. A fellow guest in a bikini waved from a dhow, sundowner in hand. In the distance I saw Trienke, one of Nuarro’s owners, walking her dog on the beach. It was like the Maldives without the Disneyfication, like Mauritius without the five-star razzmatazz. It was pretty near perfect, as tropical scenes go.
Although Mozambique is one of the poorest nations on Earth, it has fantastical natural assets: a 1,500-mile coastline rich with coral and marine life; thick hardwood forests (or at least vestiges of them, given the rate at which China is destroying them); game reserves half the size of Wales; and warm seas through which mighty humpback whales migrate.
Since the government changed legislation to make it possible for foreigners to acquire 50-year leases on land, there have been increasing numbers of lodges, b&bs, campsites and holiday homes built. In 2005, more than 575,000 tourists visited Mozambique, the 37 per cent annual increase making the country’s tourism industry the fastest growing in the world.
When Lola Carnero, a Brazilian, and her British boyfriend, Steve Hodges, arrived in 2005, she says they had heard that the country “had amazing dives, amazing beaches, beautiful people – so we came to look. What we found was paradise.” With the help of their Dutch co-owners Trienke Lodewijk and Peter De Wit, whose dream
was also to build a diving camp, the couple spent five years creating Nuarro.The 12-room lodge on the shores of northern Mozambique is as eco as can be, with solar panels and wind turbines, wells and menus using fresh ingredients from the local market, which are skillfully turned into delicious dishes by trainee village chefs, with the help of their American food consultant Michelle Gilardi.
After my three-day stay, I felt completely at home in the relaxed 24-bed retreat. At night, I sipped mango cocktails and ate fish under the stars. In the day I swung in a hammock, strolled in waves on a white beach, checked out the school and clinic built with guests’ donations, and walked into the traditional African village to play with local children. And one afternoon I did the
best thing of all: I snorkelled and then dived on the magnificent reef. Having refreshed my skills at the well-equipped Padi school, I soon realised why the divers had chosen this bit of coast for their home. For the first 20 minutes, swimming out from the beach, the reef slowly descends from four metres to 12, with shoals of dazzling multicoloured creatures darting about in the glimmering jade waters. Then suddenly the earth drops down, in some places 40 metres, in other parts a whopping 2,500 metres: a vertical wall of pink brain shapes, red fans and jellied lumps in waters that turn from turquoise to almost black. It was one of the most magnificent coral walls I had ever seen: unspoilt and utterly thrilling.
You don’t go to Mozambique, I slowly appreciated, to indulge in man-made delights like slick hotels, prompt airlines or comfortable roads (none of which seem to exist). You go to see the Earth at its most raw and beautiful. To walk stretches of powder-fine white beaches without another footprint on them. To gasp at a voluminous orange full moon rising at 9pm over the dark sea, its mountains visible with bare eyes. And you go to marvel at the energy and enthusiasm of a country desperately trying to rebuild itself.
While places like Beira probably need razing in parts rather than rebuilding, one island in Mozambique is so special that in 1991 it was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
During the 16th century, Ilha de Mozambique became the site of southern Africa’s first European city. Settled by the Portuguese as a trading port from which to export gold, ivory and slaves, the town soon had formal streets with Portuguese-style shuttered buildings, a hospital and a school.
Extraordinarily, in 500 years, very little on the tiny two-mile island has changed. As you explore the three streets, you feel as if time has frozen. The walls of the 16th century castellated stone fort still drop into the sea, to repel invaders. A brick-red
This page from top: Picturesque turquoise lagoons; Local children. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Beach meets raw landscape; A suite at the Nuarro eco lodge; Wild Buffalo roam the land.
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TRAVEL & TOURISMTRAVEL & TOURISMJoin the world’s fastest growing industry
New Batches: BBA - Jan, July & Sep’ 2011 MBA - Jan & Sep’ 2011
* Safe and furnished hostel facilities (separate for boys & girls)* Visa Assistance* Excellent industry linkage with 99% placement rate* Morning and evening classes* Expert faculty with doctoral qualifications* Affordable cost of programs
w w w . s k y l i n e u n i v e r s i t y . c o m
American Curriculum Approved & Accredited By The Ministry Of Higher Education & Scientific Research, U.A.E.
Member - AACSB International, USA
Accredited by:
IATA – UFTAA/FIATA
1. Foundation Diploma in Travel & Tourism
2. Cargo Introductory course
3. Dangerous Goods Regulation
(Basic / Refresher)
CONFEDERATION OF TOURISM & HOSPITALITY (CTH) - UK
1. Diploma in Travel & Tourism Management
2. Certificate in Travel & Tourism Management
OTHER COURSES1. Basic / Advanced Tour Guide Course ( In collaboration with Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority)2. Automated Passenger Handling – KLM CODECO, Ireland3. IELTS Training by certified instructors – 120/190 hours4. Airline Customer Service course5. Basic Load Control & Basic Ramp Handling
MBAMBAwith emphasis on:
BBABBAwith majors in:
Centre for Professional Development and TrainingTel: +971 6 544 1155 I Fax: +971 6 544 1166 I CO N F E D E R AT I O N O F TO U R I S M & H O S P I TA L I T Y
TRAVEL & TOURISMTRAVEL & TOURISMJoin the world’s fastest growing industry
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building has a spire that soars into the skies. The dignified hospital has grand pillars and elegant high windows, like a National Gallery building. The buildings are mostly derelict. But slowly, NGOs and investors are piling funds into restoring the island, and there are now six guesthouses (the nicest, Terraço das Quitandas, is beautifully restored and furnished with exotic Indian Ocean treasures), a few cafés and a lounge or two. There is talk of the hospital being turned into a six-star hotel, of slick South African chains being involved in restoration, of rich Italians buying old mansions. But none of these happen fast. As one local put it, “until you move the poor population of 17,000 off and improve the open drains, which will take political will, I don’t think we’ll witness any tourist impact for a while. Come back in 10 years and it will still be the same derelict place.”
Where political will – and vast amounts of American finance – has without doubt had an impact is Gorongosa National Park. At its peak in the Sixties, the 1,500-square-mile park – four hours’ drive from Beira – was considered the most beautiful wildlife reserve in the world. Visitors such as Cary Grant came to witness the vast herds
of up to 2,500 elephant, 14,000 buffalo and 500 lion. When the American voicemail pioneer Greg Carr visited the park in 2004, he was so shocked to discover how few animals had survived that he pledged $40million to help the government resuscitate the park. In 2008, a young Zimbabwean, Jocelyn Janisch, and her husband, Rob, opened its first private tented safari camp, Explore Gorongosa.
As I explored the park from their simple but comfortable camp, with its six khaki canvas tents and secluded bush bathrooms, I found it easy to see why they too came to Mozambique and stayed. Plants range from desert palms and giant fig trees to mountain cycads, with plains of verdant grasses. Herds of rare sable, waterbuck, nyala and kudu sheltered in shaded forests. By the light of the torch at night, we saw bushbabies, a snake and a lioness darting into the road. And in the morning, walking with an armed ranger, we found a newly hatched batch of crocodile eggs and spotted yellow-eyed babies sunbathing on waterlily leaves. It certainly wasn’t what you would call a big-game experience and the camp won’t offer that for a while yet. Residents of the surrounding villages are still being educated about conservation and rewarded for not poaching with hospitals and schools. Stocking game is expensive (buying a single rhino can cost $50,000). But for a couple of nights, the camp is definitely a worthwhile stop-off – particularly for those whose budgets might extend to private planes, which can whizz guests in from the glamorous islands in the Bazaruto Archipelago or up into the beach resort of Nuarro (soon to have its own airstrip) in just over an hour.
On this trip – my third in three years – I spent too much time in cars. If I could do it again, I would do all transfers by light aircraft. The views from the air of rust-coloured muddy African rivers spewing into the bright-blue Indian Ocean, of dozens of exotic sand-fringed islands dotting the seas, of little dhows flitting across aquamarine lagoons, are a delight. And if you are really lucky, as I was, you’ll see a whale from the air. Last month, I am told, entire pods came in with new calves at Nuarro. I know what time of year I’ll be going back.
‘The views...of little dhows flitting across aquamarine lagoons, are a delight’
Opposite page: In the wilderness at Gorongosa National Park, where animals roam free. This page: Flamingos gather as the sun sets.
What’s the hotel’s best room? All of our rooms are individually designed and therefore have their own unique character, but for something truly special you should book our Royal Suite. It’s on the top floor of what’s a very low-rise building - just four floors in all - and covers 750sqm. Inside you’ll find that the room has been designed to make the most of the stunning views: there’s an al fresco breakfast area attached to the master bedroom that looks down to a beautiful courtyard, and a spacious sun deck that affords incredible views of Kathmandu valley and the surrounding hills and mountains.
What are the area’s must-sees? A good place to start is in the hotel itself. where inside our restoration
workshop you’ll see craftsmen working to preserve some of the region’s most treasured artifacts. They also handcraft many of the fabrics and furniture you’ll find in your room. The World Heritage Sites of Pashupati Nath - a ten minute walk away - and Boudhnath - 15 minutes’ drive - are close by, as is the fascinating Durbar Square where, in centuries past, the city’s kings were crowned. This is a fantastic place to get a feel for the area, as you sit and watch daily life play out before you. Where should I eat inside and outiside of the hotel?You have to try Krishnarpan inside the hotel, where you’ll sample traditional Napalese food - up to 22 courses of it, in fact. Outside, The Kaiser Cafe in The Garden of Dreams is excellent. www.dwarikas.com
THE 30-SECOND CONCIERGE
PRAVEEN KUMAR PRADHAN, DWARIKAS, KATHMANDU
CONCIERGE Kathmandu | Boston | Budapest | Wyoming
November 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 73 www.fouquets-barriere.com
It’s one of the oldest cities in America, standing proud aside a striking natural harbour, and it remains one of the country’s finest attractions. Paul James heads to New England to experience Boston’s warm welcome.
USA
VISIT BOSTON
BOSTON MUST-DOS If you like nothing more than
a party make sure you’re in Boston on March 17, better known to those with Irish blood as St. Patrick’s Day. Some 16% of the city’s population is of Irish descent and come the big day they celebrate in style, with the famous street parade – think marching bands galore – attracting over six hundred thousand merry revelers.
If you’re in town with the kids, head to the magnificent Franklin Park Zoo (1), where you’ll find one of the world’s best gorilla exhibits amid a host of other animals. Follow that with an afternoon trip to the New England Aquarium (2), where a four-storey tank shows off all manner of multi-hued fish.
It’s something of an
understatement to say that Bostonians love their sport. The city’s famous baseball team, The Boston Red Sox, command fierce devotion and a visit to the team’s Fenway Park stadium (3) to catch a ball game is an experience not to be missed. Just tell the person next to you that you despise the New York Yankees – the Red Sox’s arch rivals – and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
JFK is Boston’s most famous son and the city remains immensely proud of the former US president nearly 50 years on from his assassination. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (4) celebrates his one thousand days in office through myriad movie stills, memorabilia, and books.
T hough it’s only a relatively short – in US terms – drive or train ride from New York, Boston does not
wilt in the long shadow of its bigger, brasher neighbour. In fact, New England’s largest city is arguably a better bet for tourists on the hunt for a vibrant fusion of the old and new, the historical and the modern. The former is evident not only in the city’s well-preserved landmarks and parks but in its people, born from centuries of immigration – mostly from Ireland but also from Syria and Lebanon – while the latter is evident in the skyscrapers that line the Charles River. It’s a city that has a little bit of everything for the would-be visitor to enjoy: a buzzing arts scene, fantastic family attractions, sports aplenty and one of the best culinary reputations in America. And it’s a city that changes its personality to adopt the changing seasons. Though beautiful in spring, we think it’s best to visit for the event-packed holiday season, which bursts into life mid-November and lasts until fireworks signal the dawn of the New Year.
KWT Concierge Boston November.indd 74 10/26/2010 5:04:36 PM
November 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 75
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WHERE TO STAYBack Bay Hotel (5)
www.doylecollection.comStanding aside the Charles River, this upscale property once housed the city’s police force and remains as one of Boston’s most famous landmarks. You’ll find nods to the past in the décor of the hotel’s rooms, but this is a property big on modern splendour. From $395Ames Boston Hotel (6)
www.ameshotel.comThis stunning hotel stands at the foot of what was Boston’s first skyscraper – itself, something of a design marvel. Mosaic ceilings, and marble fireplaces blend seamlessly with the modern – there are light art-installations – to create one of the country’s best properties. From $385
WHERE TO EATOlena (7) 134 Hampshire Stwww.oleanarestaurant.comIf you like your food warmed through with creativity, try this gem of a restaurant. The menu here is infused with flavours from the Mediterranean and Middle East, while the setting is just about perfect. Mains from $24.O Ya (8)
9 East Stwww.oyarestaurantboston.comYou may need to refrain from choking on your water once your waiter slips you the bill, but you’ll soon consider it money well spent: The Japanese dishes here are so good that each could easily leave your table to the sound of applause. Mains from $18.
Opposite page: Copley Square.This page, clockwise from top left: Stylish suite at Ames Boston; Living room at the Back Bay Hotel;Spiced salmon at Oleana; Charles River Basin;A ball game at Fenway Park.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME? You’ll find no school on School Street, no dock on Dock Square and no court on Court Street, but you will find Harvard University in Boston, the oldest learning institution in the US. GOING UNDERGROUND: Boston built America’s first subway system in 1897.
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport
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76 Kanoo World Traveller November 2010
Central Europe’s historic city is making its mark as a must-see hub of arts and culture, so head to the Danube and soak up its surroundings, says Laura Binder
HUNGARY
VISIT BUDAPEST
E mbark on an exploration of Hungary’s capital and you’ll discover a city with two faces; pretty and hilly Buda on the West bank and flat, business-like Pest on the East – each separated by the wide and winding Danube River.
Together they serve up a landscape that’s rich in history and peppered with modern pleasures. Expect thermal baths housed in Neo-classical buildings, contemporary café culture on cobbled streets and age-old institutions housing cutting edge art. Though dubbed the ‘Little Paris of Central Europe’ its Viennese influences, trademark goulash and atmospheric architecture elicits an identity all of its own; one that’s long emerged from behind the Iron Curtain. Travel on its flurry of yellow trams and blue buses or delve underground onto continental Europe’s oldest railway. Just be sure to leave your heels in the hotel – downtown’s cobbled streets didn’t account for Jimmy Choos...
KWT Concierge Budapest November.indd 76 10/26/2010 5:42:20 PM
November 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 77
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WHERE TO STAYFour Seasons Hotel (12) Gresham Palace, Roosevel Tér 5 – 6 www.fourseasons.com/budapestThis Art Nouveau building is something of a landmark and is as stunning indoors as out. Expect gold mosaics, marble floors and sumptuous suites, plus a spa to kick back in post-sightseeing. The ultimate pick for luxury-lovers. From $395.Boscolo New York Palace Budapest (13) Erzsébet körút 9 – 11www.boscolohotels.comYou’ll find yourself immersed in opulent Italian Renaissance style at this high-end haunt. Its setting on Grand Boulevard puts you right in the thick of things and its ground-floor cafe – one of the finest in the city – is just a few steps away. From $200.
WHERE TO EATGundel Étterem (14) Állatkerti út 2 www.gundel.huYou shouldn’t skip the city’s most famous restaurant, famed for its delectable cuisine (think Hungarian goose liver and pheasant breast). So good, Queen Elizabeth II and other royals have dined at its tables. Try and bag a table in its delightful garden; perfect for lunch. Mains from $22. Gerbeaud Café (15)
9 East St, Vörösmarty tér 7www.gerbeaud.huFor a quick bite, this traditional Viennese-style coffeehouse serves up the fanciest cakes and pastries in town. Go early to avoid fighting for a prime position – tables sprawl into Vörösmarty Square where you can while away hours people-watching. From $10.
BUDAPEST MUST-DOS Swim, soak or have a massage
at Széchenyi Baths (1) – a captivating Neo-baroque building that’s also one of Europe’s largest spas. Don’t miss the outdoor thermal pools; the ultimate year-round chill-out spot.
Bargain like a local at the main market hall, Nagy Vasarcsarnok (2) where people have been buying fresh fare and arty crafts since 1897.
Take a cultural stroll through Buda’s Castle District (3); it’s brimming with brightly-coloured buildings, museums and imposing squares. Next, stop and stare at the spectacular former Royal Palace (4) which sits atop nearby Castle Hill before venturing inside – it’s now home to a national library and two museums.
Ready to shop? Váci Street (5) may be something of a tourist trail but it’s the most famous street to wave your credit card. Look out for adjacent alleyways which hide more spots in which to spend.
For a helping of Hungarian history, Heroes Square (6) is rich with political tales, represented by imposing statues of the leaders who founded the country, plus its central attraction; Millennium Monument. While you’re there, get an art fix from the neo-classical Museum of Fine Arts (7) (home to over 100,000 pieces) and Hall of Art (8), which both flank the sizeable square.
Take your camera to Fisherman’s Bastion (9) and snap the city from afar. The Gothic building is all white turrets and fairytale-style and its terrace is undoubtedly the best place to bag panoramic views.
On sunny afternoons wander to Margaret Island (10) (Margitsziget) for picnics in its sprawling parks.
Make a date at the opera – Pest’s State Opera House (11) is one of the most beautiful in the world. Be sure to set foot on its staircase; once a popular spot for 19th century ladies to pose in their new gowns.
Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Széchenyi Baths; Fisherman’s Bastion; Four Season Budapest’s royal suite; Dining at Boscolo. This page, clockwise from top left: Hungarian Parliament building; Dining at Gundel; Steak topped with Foie Gras at Gundel.
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ON YOUR BIKE: There’s bicycle rental shops aplenty so snap one up, follow the river banks and soak up the sights. DON’T BE A STRANGER: It’s customary to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ even to people you’ve never met, so be sure to smile when you stroll into shops.
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KWT Concierge Budapest November.indd 77 10/26/2010 5:42:32 PM
Aswan Abtal El-Tahrir Street Corniche El-Nil Tel. 002 097 2306983
Cairo C/O Halliburton Overseas Ltd Kilometer No 10, Land No 30Ein Sokhna Road North Kattamia, Cairo Tel. 002 02 27591690 Dr. Kamal Hussin Heliopolis, Cairo Tel. 002 02 26251307
El AreeshC/O MfoNorthern Sinai Tel. 002 068 3502868
Heliopolis Business Travel Centre 33 Nabil Elwakkad St Heliopolis, Cairo Tel. 002 02 4130375/6
Kasr El Nil 15 Kasr El Nil Street Down Town Tel. 002 02 25747991
CENTRAL PROVINCEKanoo TowerKing Abdul Aziz RoadRiyadhTel. 01 477 2228
Feeling excited about your holiday? Check through our list of the most popular Kanoo Travel offices, find one near you and head down or call up to turn your getaway dreams into reality...
Kanoo Travel – American ExpressHermitage BuildingAl KaramaTel. 04 334 9219
Kanoo TravelCorniche, Abu DhabiTel. 02 631 3900/631 8187
Airport OfficeDubaiTel. 04 393 1963
Deira City CentreDubaiTel. 04 294 1481
Dubai Internet CityBuilding 12Tel. 04 390 1992
Green CommunityJebel Ali Road, DubaiTel. 04 885 3321
Jebel Ali LOB 16, Ground FloorJebel Ali Free ZoneTel. 04 881 5050
Karama Al Fathooi Centre, DubaiTel. 04 334 1222
Marine Travel ServicesDubaiTel. 04 335 1314
Najda StreetAbu DhabiTel. 02 678 0400
UKBirmingham American Express Bank House 8 Cherry Street Tel. 0121 644 5514/0121 644 5560
BournemouthAmerican Express 95A Old Christchurch Road Tel. 07872 600528/01202 780 752 BrightonAmex House Implant American Express Ground Floor, Amex House Edward Street Tel. 01273 525 041/040 Bristol American Express 74 Queens Road Tel. 01179 065 107/105
Cardiff American Express 3 Queen Street Tel. 02920 649 305/ 02920 649 301 Coventry American Express 5 Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre Tel. 02476 225511/ 07872 600 528 Croydon American Express 2-4 High Street Tel. 0208 256 0808/0805
Edinburgh American Express
69 George Street 0131 718 2508/2505
EssexLakeside Bureau American Express Lakeside Shopping Centre West Thurrock Grays Tel. 01708 890 654
Glasgow American Express 66 Gordon StreetTel. 0141 225 29 05/08 Guildford American Express 38-40 High Street Tel. 01483 551 605/607 Leicester American Express 1 Horsefair Street Tel. 0116 242 18 05/08
LondonAmerican Express 84 Kensington High Street Tel. 0207 795 6703 LondonAmerican Express78 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge Tel. 0207 7617 900/908
LondonAmerican Express 1 Savoy Court, The Strand Tel. 0207 240 1521 London American ExpressTravel OfficeCabot Square Canary Wharf Tel. 0207 888 4196
LondonHaymarketAmerican Express 30 – 31 Haymarket Tel. 0207 4849 600/674 LondonHolborn Bureau American Express 156a Southampton Row Tel. 0207 837 4416 Manchester American Express10-12 St Mary’s Gate Tel. 0161 833 7301 Milton KeynesAmerican Express670 Silbury Boulevard Tel. 01908 608 877 Nottingham American Express 2 Victoria Street Tel. 0115 924 7701/05
Plymouth American Express 139 Armada Tel. 01752 502 702/707
Sheffield American Express 20 Charles Street Tel. 0114 263 9305/08 Southampton American Express 99 Above Bar Tel. 02380 716 805/808 York American Express6 Stonegate Tel. 01904 676 505
WIN A TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE YAS HOTELWith its stop-and-stare design features and views of Yas Marina and Yas Marina Circuit, The Yas Hotel (www.theyashotel.com) has emerged as the go-to spot to spend the night in Abu Dhabi. Arrrive at the five-star resort and you’ll discover a cutting edge venue that’s set beneath an eye-catching gridshell cover that can be seen for miles around. The hotel is home to 499 ultra-modern rooms and plays host to no less than 13 restaurants and lounges, where guests can while away evenings in style. Not only that, but an 18-hole links golf course is moments away, plus eight spa treatment rooms and a rooftop pool mark extra spots to soak up some serious relaxation time.
THE PRIZEYou can be in with the chance of winning a two-night stay in one of The Yas Hotel’s deluxe rooms, including breakfast in its international restaurant, Origins. To enter, simply email your answer to the following question to [email protected]
Q. How many rooms does The Yas Hotel have? a) 499b) 500c) 994
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Prize must be claimed within six months from the date of issue. Blackout dates include November 1 – 20, 2010. All dates subject to availability.
The effortlessly cool demeanour and catch-your-breath views from the Amangani Suite resonates a look fit for a classic James Bond film. The resort’s secluded setting, perched atop East Gros Ventre Butte, gives guests a spectacular look at the unspoilt, snow-tipped Tetons – the Rockie’s youngest mountain range. Come winter it’s a stunning spot for skiers, but a suite like this commands relaxation – why not sit and savour the landscape from your outdoor deck, or kick back in a cowhide chair, a mug of hot cocoa within reach on a pine-stump table. Alternatively, sprawl on the suite’s window-facing bed beneath a faux wolf throw, or soak weary limbs in its deep hot tub and let the steam and sprawling panoramas wash over you. www.amanresorts.com
SUITE DREAMSAMANGANI, NORTH AMERICA
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