november-2011

travel
Thomas Cook
November/December/January 2011/12
ALONG CAME A
SPIDER
Exploring Italy’s Amalfi Coast
in a vintage Alfa Romeo
TUNISIA
The Star Wars
fans saving Luke
Skywalker’s home
Your
essential
guide to
MADEIRA
ALICANTE
“The best paella
in the world” –
Spain’s top chef

L U X U R Y
INCLUDED

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madeira
love at first sight.
BODY. MIND. MADEIRA.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CROOKES, SHE WEARS SHIRT FROM COMPTE DE CORTONIERES, SCARF FROM RALPH LAUREN,
SUNGLASSES FROM PAUL SMITH. HE WEARS SHIRT FROM TOMMY HILFIGER, SHORTS FROM BURKMAN BROS
travel
Thomas Cook
November/December/January 2011/12
ALONG CAME A
ALICANTE
SPIDER
Exploring Italy’s Amalfi Coast
in a vintage Alfa Romeo
TUNISIA
The Star Wars
fans saving Luke
Skywalker’s home
Your
essential
guide to
MADEIRA
“The best paella
in the world” –
Spain’s top chef
001 COVERv6.indd 1 18/10/2011 10:01
Editor
Ginny Cumming
Art Director
Christos Hannides
Deputy Editor
Anisha Patel
Picture Editor
Patrick Llewellyn
Sub Editor
Simon Berkovitch
Production Manager
Antonia Ferraro
Group Publisher
Stuart Wass
Advertising
Sales Executives
Danni Wallace, Alex da Silva,
Junior Lewis, Tom Greenleaf
India representation
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Maxposure Media Group
Aninda@maxposure.in
+91 9811 422 340
Sales recruitment
joinus@ink-global.com
Executive Creative
Director
Michael Keating
Deputy Editorial Director
Andrew Humphreys
Publishing Director
Simon Leslie
Chief Executive
Jeffrey O’Rourke
Chief Operating Officer
Hugh Godsal
For Thomas Cook
Julie Diggle, Peter Watts
Reprographics
KFR Pre-Press Ltd
Logistics
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Ink, 141-143 Shoreditch
High Street, London E1 6JE
Editorial +44 (0)20 7749 6265,
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Editorial opinions expressed
in the magazine are not
necessarily those of Thomas
Cook. Though we strive for
accuracy, Ink and Thomas
Cook cannot accept
responsibility for information,
such as prices and product
availability, that may
be subject to change.
FROM THE EDITOR
WELCOME
Ever since I watched the movie
Only You in 1994 I’ve harboured a
not-so-secret desire to visit Positano
on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. My overriding
memory of the film is the scene when
Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei
arrive at the hillside town in a convertible
red Ferrari. It’s like every holiday fantasy
rolled into one – mind-blowing location,
amazing car, Robert Downey Jr. – so the
chance to do our own road trip in this
part of the world (for a photo shoot to
accompany the story starting on page 40) was just too good to be true. We swapped the Ferrari from
the film for another classic Italian – a vintage red Alfa Romeo (above) – but glam car or not, this is a
drive that everyone should take at least once in their life.
Continuing with the movie theme, another travel must – for Star Wars devotees at least – is a
trip to Tunisia, where many scenes from the films were shot. As fans gear up to celebrate the 35th
anniversary of the first Star Wars movie, we meet some hardcore Star Warriors (page 84) who have
banded together to save some of the film’s iconic sets.
Finally, if there’s one thing that can help make a good holiday great, it’s the food – and if you’re
after the best food in Spain, the place to go is Alicante (page 62). But don’t just take our word for
it: the man singing Alicante’s praises is no less than Ferran Adrià – considered by many to be the
greatest chef in the world.
Happy travels,
Ginny Cumming
Editor
GRAHAM
LITTLE
Graham is a
freelance writer
and broadcaster.
He presents for
Sky Sports and BBC Northern
Ireland, and has just begun to
report for The One Show. The
born traveller steps on the gas
for our cover story, Road Trip
Italia, on page 40.
CONTRIBUTORS
CHRIS
TERRY
Portrait and food
photographer Chris
has snapped highprofile
chefs from
Jamie Oliver to James Martin,
and his work has taken him
around the globe. We dispatch
him to Alicante to shoot our
food feature on page 62 and
feast on the world’s best paella.
PIERRE
DE VILLIERS
Film buff Pierre has
interviewed stars
like Russell Crowe,
Natalie Portman
and Eva Green for the Evening
Standard, The Daily Mail and
heat magazine, among others.
He meets a Star Wars fan on a
quest to save the film’s original
set in Tunisia, on page 84.
Thomas Cook Travel
5

CONTENTS
DEPARTURES
The latest in travel and celeb
trends, from retro fashion
to 2012’s hippest holidays
09 WISH YOU WERE HERE
The reopening of Egypt’s
Death on the Nile hotel
10 BIG PICTURE
Take a fantastic voyage
across the Sahara
12 STATS
Offbeat Olympics trivia to
get you ready for 2012
15 INTERVIEW
Colin Firth talks fame, that
Oscar and driving sheep
17 FOOD
Sink your teeth into the
greatest French bakeries
18 ADVENTURE
Celebrate the centenary of
the great South Pole race
21 KIDS
London’s Harry Potter
studio tour is sheer magic
22 STAR GUIDES
Peter Andre’s guide to
Sharm el Sheikh
25 CELEBRITY
Beyoncé’s new babies: a film,
a fragrance... and a baby!
26 STYLE
Get the 1930s look, as
seen in Madonna flick W.E.
28 TRIED AND TESTED
Nadine Baggott on the
new onboard beauty treats
30 TRENDS
How will we live in 2012?
Our expert panel tells all.
6 Thomas Cook Travel
40
INSIDER GUIDE
Where to eat, sleep and play
in Thomas Cook destinations
33 INSIDER GUIDE:
MADIERA, PORTUGAL
The lowdown on Thomas
Cook’s hot Madeira route
FEATURES
The hottest – and coolest
– holiday ideas revealed
40 COVER STORY
ROAD TRIP ITALIA
Cruising Italy’s stunning
Amalfi Coast in a vintage
Alfa Romeo
54 SPA SECRETS
Spa and beauty bloggers
divulge their favourite
places for pampering
62 THE REIGN IN SPAIN
When it comes to the best
food in the country, Alicante
is king of the castello
74 ACTION MAN
Go “extreme” on
Gran Canaria with a
bespoke pentathlon
84 FEEL THE FORCE
Journey to a galaxy far, far
away with a tour of Star
Wars locations in Tunisia
92 NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Forget the Alps – Finland,
Norway and Sweden offer
a compelling alternative
92
ONBOARD
What’s new from Thomas
Cook and inflight info
103 THOMAS COOK NEWS
107 WELLBEING IN THE AIR
110 IMMIGRATION
AND CUSTOMS
111 OUR FLEET
112 ROUTE MAP
ENTERTAIN
Inflight movies, TV and audio
115
PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CROOKES

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PHOTOGRAPHY STAR STOCK
Despite the
modern makeover,
the terrace of
the former Old
Cataract hotel
retains the
same luxurious,
colonial charm
that was seen in
the movie Death on
the Nile (below)
Departures
What’s taking off in the world of travel
The Nile’s grand dame
enjoys another close-up
WISH
YOU WERE
HERE
IT MAY SIT IN ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE,
downstream from the mighty pyramids, but the former
Old Cataract hotel is a star attraction in its own
right. Built in 1899 by Thomas Cook, it has welcomed
everyone from Winston Churchill to Agatha Christie – whose
novel-turned-film Death on the Nile was partly shot at the hotel.
But like any true icon, it knows the power of reinvention. So, after
three years of renovations and a new name, Sofitel Legend, the
palatial property is back to its big screen best, with a sensitively
updated interior boasting a contemporary new Nile Wing and a
decadent spa. Book now at thomascook.com.
Thomas Cook Travel
9

10 Thomas Cook Travel

LONELY PLANET
Departures
Fantastic voyages
BIG
PICTURE
STRETCHING FROM THE RED SEA
on Africa’s east coast all the way to
Morocco in the west, the Sahara
Desert surely epitomises the
landscape of epic travel, as seen in this stunning
shot of a camel train passing over the desert’s
lofty, sunset-coloured Air Mountains in Agadez,
Niger. But the journey doesn't stop there. This is
just one of a series of incredible voyages from
around the world that has been captured by
Lonely Planet in the aptly titled Great Journeys
(£29.99, shop.lonelyplanet.com, out now). And
with those new year’s resolutions to think about,
there’s never been a better time to plan that
once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Book your own unforgettable trip with
thomascooktours.com
Thomas Cook Travel
11

Departures
STATS
187
The number of days the
1908 London Olympics
ran for. They started
in April and didn’t end
until October.
12 Thomas Cook Travel
Rings of truth: the Olympics in numbers
Random, unexpected and bizarre Olympic facts
to celebrate the upcoming 2012 Games in London
490
The year (BC) a Greek soldier
called Pheidippides ran
roughly 40km from Marathon
to Athens to report the
Greeks’ success in a battle
with invading Persians... and
then dropped dead. The fi rst
marathon was run in his honour
at the fi rst modern Olympic
Games, in Athens in 1896.
12 SECONDS
The time barrier cracked by Poland's Stella Walsh
357
The number of football
pitches it would take to fill
the 2012 Olympic Park.
(Stanislawa Walasiewicz) in the women’s 100m final
at the 1932 LA Games. The only problem? When “she”
became the innocent victim in a 1980 robbery attempt,
the autopsy found “Stella the Fella” to be a man!
SEVENTEEN
The number of dogs trimmed
in what must surely rate as the
weirdest Olympic event ever:
poodle-clipping. Held in 1900
(and only in 1900, needless to
say), the gold medal was won by
a farmer’s wife, who managed to
clip 17 poodles in two hours.
1908 & 1948
The years in which the
UK U capital was host city
for f previous Olympics. In
2012, 2 London will become
the t first city in history to
host h the Olympic Games
three t times.
FOUR BILLION
The estimated global audience set to watch the opening
ceremony of the London Games on 27 July 2012.
The crazylong
time a
11 Greco-Roman
HOURS wrestling
match
lasted at the
Stockholm Games in 1912.
Russian Martin Klein was
eventually victorious over
Finn Alfred Asikainen, but
Klein was so exhausted
he had to forfeit the
championship match and
settle for the silver medal.
776
The year (BC)
the very fi rst
recorded
Ancient Olympic Games took
place. The event was a 190m
sprint, won by a man called
Coroebus from the Greek city
state of Elis. His occupation?
A humble baker!
3 Gold medals
won by Jamaica
in the 28 years
leading up to the
2008 Games. In
just six days in
Beijing, Usain
Bolt won three.
For more information, contact the London 2012 team on +44 (0)844 800 2012 or visit thomascooklondon2012.com

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WORDS PIERRE DE VILLIERS. PHOTOGRAPHY WIREIMAGE
Five minutes with... Colin Firth
SINCE GIVING MILLIONS OF
women heart palpitations
INTERVIEW
in 1995 as Mr Darcy in the
BBC’s adaptation of Jane
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth
has become one of the most in-demand
actors in the world, moving seamlessly
from comedy (Bridget Jones’s Diary,
Love Actually), to musicals (Mamma
Mia!) and powerful dramas (A Single
Man, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
Firth’s hard work paid off in 2011
when he was crowned Best Actor at the
Oscars for his unforgettable portrayal
of King George VI in The King’s Speech.
As he sits down to chat, the actor is still
clearly taking stock of what it means to
have a little golden man in his life…
So, where do you keep your Oscar?
It travels. It gets shown to the first
person willing to take a look, whether
that’s my friends or my kids’ friends.
It’s been in relatives’ houses and at
the kids’ school. It travels around and
doesn’t spend much time at home at
the moment.
Do you feel more powerful now?
Well, one of my sons did point out that I
The English Patient (1996)
Location: The cast of the Oscar-winning
period drama clocked up a few air miles,
travelling to Rome, Venice, Pienza, in
Tuscany, and several locations in Tunisia.
Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003)
Location: As you’d expect from a film
about Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer,
the Netherlands feature heavily in this
movie, with Amsterdam and Delft both
used as backdrops. Some scenes were
also shot in Belgium and Luxembourg.
was not even the most influential person
in my own household, let alone anywhere
else. So I’ve not seen a huge amount of
difference spilling into the personal life.
You were given the Freedom of
the City of London, which means
you can now drive sheep across
London Bridge if you wanted.
[Laughs] In that sense I am infinitely
more powerful. Nobody can stop me
with the sheep now. Just try.
What is it like living your life in the
media spotlight?
There are moments I feel very conscious
that there are means to find out things
about you, but I take comfort in the fact
that there is very little of interest there.
You can find out what I shop for, that
sort of thing. I do feel a little dull when it
comes to secrets.
Still, there must be some ridiculous
internet rumours about you?
Yes, there are some extraordinary things.
Some of it may be true and I have just
forgotten. I once took a quiz on myself,
about my favourite colours, books I’ve
read and so on. I failed miserably.
ON LOCATION
Get destination inspiration from Colin’s celluloid CV
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Location: Most of the filming of the
Abba-inspired blockbuster took place
on the small island of Skopelos and
the seaside hamlet of Damouchari, in
the Pelion area of Greece.
A Single Man (2010)
Location: California formed the perfect
backdrop to Tom Ford’s box office smash.
LA, the Ambassador College in Pasadena,
Glendale and the Vasquez Rocks Natural
Area Park can all be spotted in the film.
Departures
Thomas Cook Travel
15

PHOTOGRAPHY YOKO INOUE
CAFÉ
POUCHKINE ,
FOOD
PARIS
“The Parisian
outpost of this famous
Moscow restaurant creates
pastries that are Russian
inspired, but based on French
techniques. Try the choux
pastry Paris-Brest, which has a
dulce de leche filling instead of
a praline centre.” Ground Floor
Printemps Mode, Boulevard
Haussmann, +33 1 42 82 43 31
LE FARINOMAN FOU,
AIX-EN-PROVENCE
“The guy who runs this place
is a real bread geek and dubs
himself the ‘mad flour man’,
which is what the name of the
shop translates to. He bakes
some of the best artisan
French breads, changing the
line-up daily. I like to pick up
a choco sourire (a croissantshaped
bread filled with
chocolate).” 5 rue Mignet,
fradettefarinomanfou.net
JACQUES GENIN,
PARIS
“This chocolatier-turnedpastry
chef is renowned for
his divine caramels, but his
loft-style shop has a line of
classic French pastries, with
everything from éclairs to
millefeuille, that are equally
as delicious. I love sinking
into one of the comfortable
armchairs in the tea salon.”
133 rue de Turenne, 3rd,
+33 1 45 77 29 01
Departures
Parisian food blogger Clotilde Dusoulier reveals
her favourite French bakeries
AU PAIN DE MON
GRAND-PÈRE,
GÉRARDMER
“My highlight of visiting my
parents' holiday home in this
lakeside village in the eastern
Vosges mountain range is this
beautiful family-run bakery.
They bake big, rustic, countrystyle
loaves with well-milled
flour. I usually buy one and
freeze it in quarters.”
1 rue François Mitterrand,
+33 3 29 63 03 64
All sweet treats featured can be found in The Art of French Baking by Ginette Mathiot (Phaidon, £24.95, out now). For more inspiration,
read chocolateandzucchini.com, a blog written by the book's consulting editor, Clotilde.
Thomas Cook Travel
17

Departures
18 Thomas Cook Travel
Celebrate the centenary of the great
race to the South Pole
WHEN ROBERT
Falcon Scott and
ADVENTURE
his men arrived at
the South Pole in
January 1912 to find that the rival
team – led by Norwegian Roald
Amundsen – had beaten them
by over a month, the British
explorer wrote in his diary:
“Great God! This is an awful place.”
With frostbite and -30°C
wind chill to contend with – not
to mention the fact that he lost
that great race 100 years ago
– it's no wonder Scott's review
was less than glowing.
But there’s no denying the
dramatic, desolate beauty of
Antarctica, or why the appeal
of this icy wilderness endures.
For a start, it has less annual
precipitation than the UK and
is technically a desert, albeit a
rather frosty one. Then there’s
the brilliant wildlife – from
humpback whales, orcas,
fur seals and a whopping 17
species of penguins. Polar hero
Amundsen (pictured) would have
encountered these creatures
after sailing the exploration ship
Fram around the Falkland Islands
and Cape Horn, before traversing
the White Continent's glaciers
and peaks on husky-driven
sledges to finish in pole position.
You could mark the centenary
of Amundsen's expedition to
the South Pole by taking part in
a similarly challenging Antarctic
ski or ice marathon. Or, better
still, take in the breathtaking
landscape on the comfort of
a cruise ship. Hurtigruten’s
very own ms Fram will sail a
17-day voyage through the
Chilean fjords and Antarctic
Peninsula, with special onboard
celebrations on 14 December
to mark the centennial, on
4 December (departing from
Buenos Aires). Like Amundsen,
it's guaranteed to be a winner.
See cruisethomascook.com
for more information
PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

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A new studio tour provides an
inside look at some of the most
famous sets in movie history
MUGGLES, REJOICE.
Opening on 31
March, the new
Warner Bros.
Studio Tour London – The
Making of Harry Potter is set
to take passionate Potterites
on to the sets of the most
successful film series of all time.
Covering more than
13,900m2 KIDS
, the walking tour
encompasses hundreds of
props, costumes, animatronics
and sets from all eight Harry
Potter films. Unlike The
Wizarding World of Harry
Potter theme park in Orlando,
the London attraction features
actual sets from the films,
so visitors get to experience
things exactly as the cast did
during filming.
It’s a quite extraordinary
glimpse behind the scenes, and
Thomas Cook Travel was lucky
enough to get a sneak peek at
the studio in Leavesden, near
Watford Junction, while it was
still under construction. It’s
Cars Land
DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA
ADVENTURE, CALIFORNIA
With new rides including the
headline attraction, Radiator
Springs Racers, Cars Land will
recreate the fictional town of
Radiator Springs from Pixar’s
two Cars movies. disneyland.
disney.go.com/disneyscalifornia-adventure
WORDS GINNY CUMMING. PHOTOGRAPHY ALLSTAR Wild about Harry
safe to say that Harry Potter
devotees – and indeed film
fans in general – are going to
love this place.
Two enormous sound
stages will house sets –
including Hogwarts’ Great Hall,
Dumbledore’s office and the
truly colossal Ministry of Magic
– and countless props such
as the Sorting Hat, Mad-Eye
Moody’s trunk and three blue
Ford Anglias. “They represent
some of the 15 cars we had to
make the movie,” explains
John Richardson, special
effects supervisor on all of
the Harry Potter movies. He is
just one of the many talented
artists and SFX wizards (ahem)
working on the tour after
spending more than a decade
on the films.
In the Weasley kitchen, a
self-washing frying pan and
a cauldron that stirs itself
are two of the props that
visitors can work themselves,
with just a wave of a hand or
Under the Sea: Journey of
The Little Mermaid
FANTASYLAND, WALT
DISNEY WORLD, ORLANDO,
FLORIDA
This lavish new ride based on
The Little Mermaid is part of
the largest expansion in Magic
Kingdom history that will nearly
double the size of Fantasyland.
disneyworld.disney.go.com
Uncover
the secrets
behind the boy
wizard’s magical
powers on
the fantastic
studio tour
a flick of a wand. There’s no
post-production CGI trickery
here, says Michael Finney
from Thinkwell, Warner Bros.’
creative partner in this studio
tour: “It’s amazing how many
of the effects in the films are
actually mechanical.” The
Creature Effects workshop
Despicable Me
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
RESORT, FLORIDA
Based on 2010’s animated
blockbuster (pictured above
left), this fun family ride is
set to make Despicable Me
the first film from Universal
Pictures to be transformed
into a theme park experience.
universalorlando.com
Departures
features more mechanical
marvels, like Buckbeak the
Hippogriff, Aragog the giant
spider and Fawkes the phoenix
to name but a few.
There’s really only one word
for it: magic.
Tickets are on sale now at
wbstudiotour.co.uk.
TAKE A RIDE
Start planning your next family holiday to the USA. These
fun new rides and theme parks are all set to open in 2012
Transformers: The Ride–3D
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
The most ambitious ride
ever created by Universal
Studios Hollywood will
feature sophisticated special
effects and one of the most
elaborate flight simulator
ride systems to date.
universalstudioshollywood.com
Thomas Cook Travel
21

Departures
STAR
GUIDES
22 Thomas Cook Travel
Peter Andre’s guide to…
Sharm El Shiekh
1.SOHO SQUARE
Peter chose the Red Sea
resort – where his ex Katie Price ice
incidentally honeymooned
with her ex, Alex Reid – for one ne
of his first performances of
Perfect Night at this buzzing g
entertainment hub. It boasts an
ice rink, tenpin bowling alley and
Ice Bar. Plus if Peter wanted to
test his dance moves off stage, ge,
the Pangaea nightclub should ld
do the trick (soho-sharm.com). m).
Book an all-inclusive stay at t
the Savoy Sharm through
Thomas Cook and you’ll have e
access to most of the à la
carte restaurants and bars.
The Ice Bar at Soho
Square in Sharm el Sheikh
2.CLEOPARK
Keeping Junior, Princess Tiaamii mii
and stepson Harvey entertained ed
is a top priority for the Dad of f
the Year. And since the Andre e
clan love making a splash, this his
Ancient Egypt-themed water
park in Naama Bay is perfect
(cleopark.net). There are black
hole and kamikaze slides, as well
as a kids’ pool area to keep cool
in the Egyptian heat. Entry to the
park is included for Thomas Cook
guests staying at Hilton Sharm
Dreams (thomascook.com).
3.RAS MOHAMMED
MARINE NATIONAL
PARK
Peter and the kids could enjoy
a day snorkelling amongst
the colourful coral reefs of
this renowned marine reserve
on the southern extreme of
the Sinai Peninsula, which
should bring a whole new
meaning to Finding Nemo.
There’s even a mangrove
channel, which is safe enough
for the little ones to swim in.
The best way to
experience the
Sinai Desert is in
a hot air balloon
4.CAIRO AND
THE PYRAMIDS
If the self-confessed geek
wanted to take a cultural break
from the beach, he could take
a day trip to Cairo to visit the
Pyramids of Giza and soak up
the history of the pharaohs.
5.HOT AIR
BALLOON RIDE
Peter could bring along his very
own Mysterious Girl Angela
Mogridge – who he’s apparently
dating – and impress her with
a romantic hot air balloon ride
over the Nile and Sinai Desert.
Perhaps serenade her with his
rendition of A Whole New World
to really add to the mood?
Swim with the
colourful fish
at Ras Mohammed
national park
PHOTOLIBRARY, GETTY

FETAL ATTRACTION
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY Beyoncé: once, twice, three times... a baby?
Departures
A new fragrance called Pulse. A lead role in the movie
A Star is Born. And her first child on the way with
husband Jay-Z. When it comes to this bootylicious babe,
there’s definitely a theme emerging. We take a look at
the potted history of her three new "babies"
Beyoncé
marries rapper
Jay-Z on 4 April,
2008 in
New York.
In the movie
she’ll play a
rising starlet
who falls for an
alcoholic, hasbeen
rock star.
Almost three years
later, at the Video Music
Awards in August 2011,
she announces she’s five
months pregnant.
Beyoncé herself is modelling her career on La
Streisand: “Barbra Streisand, that's the career model
for me, I want to be like her,” the pop diva told the Los
Angeles Times. “She is just the ultimate.”
Beyoncé's not the only
person Barbra's inspired.
A creative director at
Gucci – and massive Babs
fan – gave Gucci Guilty its
name after listening to the
Streisand song of the same
name. And the inspiration
for the fragrance's ad? The
1976 movie poster for – you
guessed it – A Star Is Born!
The news is quickly tweeted
by millions of Twitter users,
breaking the record for “most
tweets per second recorded
for a single event”.
The unborn baby
even has its own
Twitter account!
(http://twitter.com/#/
BeyJayFetus)
The announcement means her collaboration with Clint Eastwood on
a new musical version of A Star Is Born will have to wait until after her
own little star is born (it’s due in February 2012). Oh, the irony!
The most recent
version of the film,
released in 1976,
starred Barbra
Streisand, who won
an Oscar for the theme
tune, Evergreen,
but the song was
actually more of a hit
than the movie!
Eastwood’s film will be the
fourth version of the story,
which was first made as a drama
in 1937, starring Janet Gaynor. It
was nominated for seven Oscars
and won an honorary Academy
Award for its use of Technicolor,
which was then in its infancy.
It truly became legendary when
it was remade as a musical in
1954, starring Judy Garland.
The film garnered six Oscar
nominations and is regularly
voted as one of the greatest
musicals of all time.
Speaking of perfume, in September 2011, Beyoncé launches Pulse. As well as creating
the fragrance – which is dedicated to her favourite flower, the orchid – she helped
design the bottle, which she says was inspired by her mother. Aw.
Get Beyoncé's star quality with her new fragrance, Pulse. Check out page 15 of Shop! magazine
Thomas Cook Travel
25

STYLE
26 Thomas Th Tho Th Tho T ho oomas
mas ma mas ma mas as a Co Cook Co Cook ok o Tra Tr Tra Tr Travel ra vel ve vel ve vel ve v
Travel in 1930s style with elegant fashions
inspired by Madonna's new film W.E.
Vintage 1930s fitted itted
jacket, £200, 0,
Rokit (rokit.co.uk) o.uk)
Prince of Wales
check tie, Alexander
McQueen, £125
(mrporter.com)
Paris Derby shoes,
£255, Church’s
(johnlewis.com)
Andrea Riseborough
and James D’Arcy
(as Wallis Simpson
and Edward VIII)
capture the
elegance of the
era in W.E.
Chain cufflinks, £19.50,
Marks & Spencer;
(marksandspencer.com)

STYLING: NATASHA COWAN
Paris dress,
£120, Monsoon
(monsoon.co.uk)
Silver leopard
cuff, £65, Rosie
Fox (rosiefox.com)
Burnez tux,
£499, Ted Baker
(tedbaker.com)
Vintage crystal cappette
hair accessory, £19.99,
Rosie Fox (rosiefox.com)
Departures Dep
Charlie Bamboo satin
bag with brooch,
£140, Wilbur & Gussie
(wilburandgussie.com)
Crochet-backed
traditional driving
glove, £25, Dents
(dents.co.uk)
Crystal gemstone
clip-earrings, £176,
Mawi (mawi.co.uk)
Suede brogue shoe
boot, £139, Jigsaw
(jigsaw-online.com)
Thomas Cook Travel
27

Departures eparture
SUPERDRY STEEL
Nadine says: The latest men’s scent
from the cool Brit brand is armed with
invitingly fresh and spicy aromatic notes.
You can buy it on board before everyone
back home – I hear that there’s a waiting
list at Harrods!
Albert says: I’m a fan of the T-shirts,
and – thankfully – this is just as cool.
Onboard price: £31
28 Thomas Cook
ok k Tra Tr TTravel vel
MARC JACOBS
OH, LOLA!
DIESEL LOVERDOSE
Nadine says: This is a must-have for anyone
seeking a holiday romance. Aside from the
sensual star anise and mandarin notes, it also
contains a molecule that is said to stimulate
the part of the brain that controls lust.
Amy says: On a night out at a few bars,
this musky scent proved that it certainly can
boost pulling power.
Onboard price: £38
BEAUTY
Nadine says: The king of NYC
fashion has once again created
a seductive, floral fragrance in a
fabulous bottle. With fruity notes,
this is a perfect match for the sun.
Amy says: Bright, summery and
brilliant for the day. If only the flower
lid could be used as a hair accessory!
Onboard price: £30
Tried
& tested
THE EXPERT
NADINE
BAGGOTT IS
THE BEAUTY
PRESENTER
ON ITV1’S THIS MORNING
AND HEALTH AND BEAUTY
DIRECTOR AT HELLO!
OUR READERS’ PANEL
Amy Dennis,
27, London
Albert Dujardin,
36, Liverpool
THESE
PRODUCTS ARE
AVAILABLE TO
BUY ONBOARD.
FOR DETAILS SEE
OUR NEW SHOP!
MAGAZINE
RALPH LAUREN
THE BIG PONY COLLECTION
Nadine says: Perfect for the picky man, this
set features all of the bestselling Big Pony
collection, including the zesty Sporty (1),
which is lime- and grapefruit-based, and
the chocolate and musk Seductive (2),
ideal for those balmy holiday evenings.
Albert says: You can’t go wrong with
Ralph Lauren for cool scents and this pick
‘n’ mix has something to suit every mood.
Onboard price: £25
CREDIT: CRE CCCCCCC RE DIT DITT DIT ITT IT ITTT IT IT: : :: :::::::::::: XXXXXXXXX
X XXX XX X XX X XX
XX X XX X XX

Departures
TRENDS
Futures
exchange
How will
we live in
2012? We ask
a panel of
leading trend
analysts to
give us their
forecasts
for the
coming year…
MARIAN
SALZMAN
Ten years ago,
futurist Marian
Salzman foresaw the
rise of the “metrosexual”.
Since then, she’s predicted
that sleep would become
the new sex. See more
trend predictions for 2012
at mariansalzman.com.
“We’ll see a renewed interest in
‘ethnic tourism’. It’s kind of the
anti-luxury trip because very
few people’s roots incorporate
much glamour. It will be much
more of an earthy experience,
all about ethnic cooking, and if
there’s anything ‘high culture’
about, it will be craft.
“Look for 2012 to be the
beginning of an era where
notions of time are divided
differently. We all know
‘millennials’ (people born
post-1980) have very different
views about the work/life
balance. They will turn the
traditional workday on its
ear – the traditional ‘agrarian’
workday will be upended by the
30 Thomas Cook Travel
digital generation’s ability to
work anywhere, anytime.
“Next year welcomes a fullon
push for TV on the internet.
YouTube is going to launch
scheduled programming in
2012, with shows on everything
from fashion to sports. Look
out for Google TV as well, sure
to define the realm of the
couch potato the world over.
Then there’s new show Pan Am
(pictured) It’s really going to
glorify air travel. It’s going to
make all of us really anxious to
get back on an aeroplane and
go someplace.”
MARTIN
LINDSTROM
Brand oracle
Martin Lindstrom
has the ear of every
major corporation from
Lego to McDonalds.
His book Brandwashed
(Kogan Page) is published
this January.
“We’re simply not present
anymore – we sit at dinner
checking our messages,
ignoring the people we’re
physically with. But in 2012
people will wake up and start
working against that. They’re
going to start choosing
destinations because their
BlackBerries and iPhones
won’t work in that place. In
fact, that will be part of the
destination’s promotion.
“People will spend more
time exploring unknown cities
in Eastern Europe, which will
be marketed as untouched
and unspoilt. A lot of places in
Eastern Europe have not been
renovated for some time; when
you go there you’ll get a sense
that this is the real thing.”
LI
EDELKOORT
Named by i-D as
one of the most
influential trend spotters
in the world, Li Edelkoort
publishes View on Colour,
a magazine that predicts
the year’s most important
shades and materials. She
shares more travel trends
at trendtablet.com.
“I think there’s a trend towards
mountain summer holidays;
to experience fresh air,
unspoilt nature and fresh lakes
– where there’s less danger
of pollution than in seas.
“Yellow will be the new
pink. Yellow and gold are the
colours of optimism and
they uplift even in dark
periods. This trend will start
slowly, but you’ll see it in
fashion, interiors, sometimes
even exteriors.
“Many people I know are
buying very small islands in
lakes and rivers. They’re not
rich – just ordinary people
buying a piece of land to
secure a bit of peace. Values
of travel are changing and
everything is going in the
same direction – the quest
for calm and authenticity.”
WORDS TABITHA LASLEY. PHOTOGRAPHY HEATHER JOHNSON, PLANET PHOTOS

Cyprus
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a great place
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POP INTO Your local Thomas Cook or Going Places store
CLICK ONTO ThomasCookSignature.com
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ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE
INSIDER GUIDE
The best places to eat, sleep and play in Thomas Cook
destinations. This issue, Madeira, Portugal
Thomas Cook Travel
33

Treasured island
Forget the beach. This
unadulterated island’s
handsome coastline,
lush green peaks and
subtropical climate
are the real jewels in
Portugal’s crown, says
Anisha Patel
Photography Tim White
N A WORLD WHERE BLING COSMETIC
enhancements are all the rage, you
I might say that Madeira is something of
a refreshing natural beauty – more Heidi
Klum than Heidi Montag. You’ll see proof of it all over
the tiny island that sits pretty in the gleaming North
Atlantic, just 650km off the shores of Morocco.
Sure, the south coast has been struck by the tourist
wand in and around the capital Funchal, but much of the
island remains untouched and, in villages like Câmara de
Lobos, life goes on as it has done for centuries.
Like the Canary Islands, Madeira owes its stunning
landscape to its volcanic origins. The varied, verdant
hillsides can be carpeted with three storey UNESCOprotected
Laurissilva (laurel) forests on one end, while
tropical flowers, banana plantations and palm trees
thrive on the other, and the dramatic coastline is a
rugged, but handsome, jumble of rock pools, sheer
basalt cliffs and pebbled coves. It’s so breathtaking
that it doesn’t even matter that there are no golden
stretches of sand – you have to go to sister island
Porto Santo for that – but the lack of parasols and sun
loungers only adds to Madeira’s charm.
Throw in subtropical sunshine, cliffside restaurants
serving fresh seafood and the chilled-out pace of island
life, and you have yourself an exotic holiday without
having to venture far – the flight time from the UK is just
under four hours. No wonder local golden boy Cristiano
Ronaldo makes a yearly pilgrimage back to seriously
unwind. Let’s see what fuels his love affair…
34 Thomas Cook Travel
WHERE TO STAY
Check into one of Madeira’s quaint
quintas – old country houses that
have been converted into boutique
beds – for a refreshing change
from the high-rise hotels you find in
most holiday havens.
On the outskirts of Funchal and
surrounded by a stunning botanical
garden, the five-star Quinta Jardins
do Lago is the perfect luxury haven
from which to explore the island.
The former 18th-century Madeiran
home is filled with antique furniture,
and even if you don’t splash out on
a suite, the standard doubles and
superior rooms are just as elegant.
Another option down the road is
Quinta da Bela Vista, where you’ll
find similarly opulent rooms, suites
and public areas decked out with
16th-century antiques.
For a stylish hotel that won’t
break the bank, Melia Madeira
Mare ticks all the design boxes.
Set on Funchal’s lively waterfront
promenade, it’s all about oceanfront
views, cavernous contemporary
rooms and a slick spa. All hotels are
available through Thomas Cook.

GET OUTDOORS
Almost any point on the coastline
will give you superb views of the
Atlantic, but to really get a sense
of the island’s topography you have
to head inland – and high up.
Follow the trails alongside the
famous levadas – a series of
irrigation channels that criss-cross
the island – that take you to view
points where you can see the deep,
pine-clad valleys. The walk from
Ribeiro Frio to Balcões is both
breathtaking and manageable.
Madeira, Portugal Insider guide
But for the ultimate on-top-ofthe-world
feeling, you can’t beat
the trail from Achada do Teixeira to
the highest point on the island, Pico
Ruivo (1,862m). Set your alarm
clock for sunrise and you’ll not only
get the trail to yourself, but you’ll
also enjoy a spectacular view of
the sun bleeding into the night sky
behind a blanket of clouds. Boots
or trainers are a must – flip-flops
won’t cut it on this jagged terrain.
Thankfully, if your fitness levels
aren’t up to scratch, you can also
explore the interior on anything
from mountain bikes to jeep safaris.
Clockwise from
left: Take in
the stunning
coastal view
from Quinta
do Furão’s
grounds; enjoy
a stress-free
cable car
ride to Monte
and relax in
the Palace’s
lush Tropical
Gardens
MUST-SEE
Take an amble around Funchal’s
centre, admiring the 16th-century
architecture, mosaic pavements
and cobbled side roads lined with
old shops. Foodies should head
to the art deco market hall (Mercado
dos Lavradores) and sample its
exotic fruits like pineapple bananas
(yes, you read that correctly).
Walk east along the palm-fringed
seafront promenade and take
the cable car ride to Monte for
panoramic views from the steps of
the twin-towered church and Monte
Palace Tropical Gardens. The real
fun here is taking a toboggan ride
back down, as locals push you on a
surprisingly nail-biting ride.
Watch fishermen drying gata
(dogfish) on lines among their
boats in Câmara de Lobos, before
trying the local rum drink, poncha.
The lively É Prá Poncha (Rua da
Carreira) also serves a cheeky
version with passion fruit.
And proving Madeira also packs
a cultural punch, Casa das Mudas
Centro das Artes (centrodasartes.
com) in Calheta is a labyrinth of
Neolithic-style grey buildings
housing international art exhibitions
that change every six months.
Thomas Cook Travel
35

Insider guide Madeira, Portugal
LOCAL DINING
“Locally sourced, seasonal produce”
may be buzzwords with the likes of
Jamie Oliver, but it’s a way of life
here. Quinta do Furão’s (Santana,
+351 291 570 100) restaurant uses
vegetables grown onsite, serving
them up with freshly caught fish,
like the ubiquitous espada (black
scabbard). Call ahead to book a
table on the terrace, which has
fantastic views of Porto Santo.
Portuguese-influenced dishes
like espetada – grilled beef skewers
marinated in garlic – served with
deep-fried cornmeal, are also
popular. Try it at Faísca (São Roque
do Faial, +351 291 575 634), the
perfect refuelling stop at the end of
the Ribeiro Frio–Balcões walk.
And don’t leave without picking
up some of Madeira’s sherry-like
wine at The Old Blandy Wine Lodge
in Funchal (28 Avenida Arriaga).
A tour and tasting is just 5.
36 Thomas Cook Travel
Clockwise from
top right:
Make some
waves on a
dolphin- and
whale-watching
boat trip;
succulent
fruit at
Funchal’s
market hall;
lunch is
served – a
tasty local
tuna dish
THE HOT TABLES
Fish export is big business, and
the big fish (after Ronaldo, of
course) is tuna, which even travels to
sushi-loving Japan. Sample it grilled,
alongside cod and squid, at Corale
Restaurante (Praça da Autonomia,
+351 291 098 284) in Câmara de
Lobos for under 10 a head.
But if you really want to follow the
trendsetters, head to rice restaurant
Riso (274 Rua de Santa Maria, +351
291 280 360) in Funchal’s Old Town.
The risotto with asparagus, scallops
and hazelnut pesto is delicious. The
cliff side restaurant at Estalagem da
Ponta do Sol also serves dishes with
a contemporary flair (Caminho do
Passo, +351 291 970 200).
BY THE SEASIDE
If you still have a craving for
unspoilt beaches, you can take the
two-and-a-half hour ferry ride from
Funchal to Porto Santo. It’s easy
to see why Christopher Columbus
settled here: the island boasts a
9km stretch of untouched, golden
sands that is made for kicking back.
You can also enjoy the Atlantic
from the main island on a whale-
and dolphin-watching boat trip.
Patience is a virtue – as is a wellpadded
derrière – for the bumpy
two-hour ride, but it’s worth it to see
sperm whales and pods of dolphins
splashing in the steely blue waters.
(75 Rota dos Cetáceos, Avenida
Arriaga, rota-dos-cetaceos.pt).

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THIS TRIP WAS COURTESY OF THE MADEIRA PROMOTION BUREAU.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ISLAND, PLEASE VISIT VISITMADEIRA.PT
AFTER DARK
Proving that the island is hipper
than ever, the über-chic rooftop
pool bar at the Vine Hotel (27-A
Rua dos Aranhas, hotelthevine.com)
is great for a sundowner, with
stunning views of Funchal creeping
up the hillside. If you’re going late
GETTING THERE
For more information about Madeira, visit your
local Thomas Cook or Going Places store, call
+44 (0)844 412 5966 or visit thomascook.com
Madeira, Portugal Insider guide
into the night, try Venda Velha (170
Rua de Santa Maria) in the trendy
Old Town, where you can sample
poncha in every flavour from
blueberry to tomato, or Sneakers
Delight (7 Rua da Alfãndega), an
offshoot of the shoe boutiquecum-bar
in Lisbon’s trendy Bairro
Alto district, where Funchal’s
in-crowd migrates at the weekend.
Clockwise from
top left: Say
cheers at the
Old Blandy Wine
Lodge, Funchal;
the triangular
houses of
Santana; stroll
awhile on
Funchal’s mosaic
pavements; the
mighty Pico
Ruivo at dawn
WHAT TO KNOW
MORE INFORMATION
Thomas Cook Publishing has two guides that cover the island:
Traveller Guides Madeira, £9.99, and the abridged HotSpots, £4.99 9
(pictured). See thomascookpublishing.com for more details.
Hiring a car is essential to explore
the island’s interior. But don’t worry
about scrabbling around to find
Wi-Fi signals to download maps:
Madeira was recently found to be
one of the islands with the best
Wi-Fi coverage in the world. TC
Thomas Cook Travel
39

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
40 Thomas Cook Travel
Road Trip Italia
Words Graham Little Photography David Crookes

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
This page: the Amalfi
Coast’s winding roads
are the ideal place
to put a vintage
sports car though
its paces. Opposite
page: the approach to
glorious Positano
Thomas Cook Travel
41

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
T WASN’T THE MOST AUSPICIOUS
I of starts to a road trip – I couldn’t
find the seat belt in my car. The guy
handing over the keys, Gert, smiled
benignly at the poor, mollycoddled
child of the British Nanny State
sitting in the car below him.
“She hasn’t got one,” he replied.
“There are no securities in this car.
Don’t worry, she is great, just give
her plenty of gas.”
“She” was an Alfa Romeo Giulia
Spider Veloce hired from classic car
travel company, Nostalgic Vintage
Car Travel, or just plain Giulia, to her
friends. For a day motoring along
Italy’s world famous Amalfi Coast, I
42 Thomas Cook Travel
was her Romeo, though at first we
weren’t so much star-crossed lovers
as culturally challenged strangers.
For starters, Giulia’s steering
wheel is on the wrong side. Then,
as I pulled out onto the road for
the first time, I discovered that
Giulia’s brakes didn’t work. Or
rather, they do work but not in the
same way as any car I’ve driven in
the past 16 years. Her middle pedal
has to be jumped on and squeezed
hard until it almost touches the
floor. Even then, Giulia only slows
down gracefully.
Coping with this requires a
soothsayer’s anticipation of danger,
This page: on the Amalfi Coast road. She wears shirt
from Comptoir des Cotonniers, scarf from Ralph Lauren,
sunglasses from Paul Smith; he wears shirt from Tommy
Hilfiger, shorts from Burkman Bros. Opposite page:
Positano, as captured in a million postcards
which would be fine anywhere except
Italy. Italian driving is governed by
nerve, cheek and lightning reflexes.
Drivers must behave like they are
part of a pack. Travel fast and close
to the other wildebeest and you’ll be
okay, but a moment’s hesitation at a
junction, a slight sign of weakness
or betrayal of your inexperience, and
you’re history. It needs an excellent
working relationship between man
and vehicle, which takes time to
develop, and the middle of hectic
Pompeii was not the place for us
to get to know each other.
I pulled off the main road to
get my bearings and a breather.

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
Thomas Cook Travel
43

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
44 Thomas Cook Travel
This page: She wears
dress from Despi,
sunglasses from Jimmy
Choo. He wears shirt
from Polo Ralph Lauren,
singlet from Top Man,
sunglasses from Police
Opposite page,
clockwise from top
left: dramatic views
are revealed around
every corner; shopping
at Assunta’s roadside
lemon stall on the road
to Positano (she wears
top from Kat Allihop at
Anthropologie, bikini
bottoms from Sumarie,
sunglasses from Cutler
and Cross, bangles from
Anthropologie, bag from
Oasis. He wears t-shirt
from Jasper Conran at
Debenhams, denim shorts
from Mango); the long
and winding road along
the coast; some of the
local produce for sale
at Assunta’s

ITALY
Thomas Cook Travel Travel 45

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
The Amalfi coastline
is dotted with ancient
towns and villages that
cling precariously to
the vertiginous cliffs
The men who fi rst settled a 50km stretch
of sheer rock sliding into the sea
set new standards of belligerence
46 Thomas Cook Travel

Two young men sitting in the
shade of a tree started clicking
suggestively and pointing at
Giulia. “Bellissimo,” they exclaimed
at us, followed by a flurry of Italian
that was clearly a gratuitous
declaration of passion for my little
red Spider. I smiled proudly as we
headed back into the maelstrom.
At the next set of lights an old man
outside a café began shouting and
blowing kisses. I had to get Giulia
out of the city before someone
pinched her bottom.
Halfway along the main road
between Pompeii and Salerno a
mountain pass takes you high
up into the hills and down again
to Ravello, an ancient town on
a spectacular site overlooking
the Amalfi Coast. Giulia purred
enthusiastically as I let her have
as much ‘gas’ as I dared on the
narrow, winding road. I soon
AMALFI COAST, ITALY
got the hang of driving on the
wrong side, wrestling a steering
wheel without power assistance
and braking without electronic
input. And you know what? It
is proper driving. It is driving
without distraction. No radio, no
flashing lights, no nonsense. Just
a beautiful, sleek vehicle of natural
beauty and curves and no make-up.
We meandered down to Ravello in
style. Like every other settlement
Left: Browsing for holiday mementos. She wears shirt from
Amber Sakai, shorts from Paul and Joe’s Sister, sunglasses
from Paul Smith. Below: Coffee break on the coast. She
wears shirt and sunglasses from Paul Smith, trousers from
Tommy Hilfiger. He wears shirt and sunglasses from Ralph
Lauren, trousers from Tommy Hilfiger; photographed at
Ristorante Al Palazzo (ristorantealpalazzo.it)
Thomas Cook Travel
47

Mar Hotel Alimuri Spa
superior
Mar Ma Mar r Hotel Ho Hote te t l Alimuri, Al A im imur ur uri, i, located loc oc ocat at a ed in one on one e of of o the he h most mos os o t beautiful be beau au auti ti t fu f l bays ba b ys y of f the th the e
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sandy sa sand nd ndy y beach be beac ac a h and an a d its it i s spa. sp spa. a. The he friendly fri ri r en e dl dly y atmosphere, at atmo mo mosp sp sphe he here re re, professional pr prof of ofes es essi si sion on onal al a
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ingredients in i gr gred ed edie ie ient nt nts s for fo for an an unforgettable unf nf n or o ge g tt t ab a le l holiday. hol ol o id iday ay ay.
Sea Club Conca Azzurra
The Th T e Hotel Ho Hote te tel l Sea Se Sea Club Cl Club ub Conca Con on onca ca Azzurra Azz zz z ur u ra on the th the e Sorrento So Sorr rr rren en ento to t Coast Coa oa o st s is s situated si s tu t at a ed
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meets me m et ets s the th t e blue bl b ue sea ea e of f the th the e mediterranean. me m di dite te t rr r an a ea ean. n. n This Th This is exclusive exc xc xclu lu lusi si s ve resort res es esor or o t facing fa faci ci c ng
the th the e islands is i la land nd nds s of of o Capri Cap ap ri and nd n Ischia Isc sc s hi hia a is is a real rea ea e l oasis oa oasi si sis s of of o peace pea ea eace ce and nd comfort com om o fo fort rt
whilst wh w il i st still sti ti till ll l being bei ei eing ng within wit it ithi hi hin easy ea easy sy reach rea ea each ch c of f Sorrento So Sorr rr rren en ento to t town tow ow o n centre. ce c nt n re re.
www.gto-hotels.com Neapolitan Riviera, Italy - both bookable through

overlooking the Amalfi Coast, it
balances precariously on the side
of a mountain. Cars aren’t allowed
into the serene old town, not even
beautiful red Giulia Spiders; they
have to be parked before the tunnel
that cuts through the rock and into
the old piazza.
It’s a great place to stop in any
case; there’s a little restaurant and
café before the tunnel that surely
has one of the most spectacular
settings in Italy, with a large
terrace overlooking the yachts
moored in the bay in front of Maiori
town. They serve paninis named
after towns on the coast, and
excellent coffee.
I felt completely sophisticated
and continental by this stage. At
lunch, sitting in the sun gazing
out at blue seas and bluer skies, I
caught myself dabbing the corners
of my mouth with a handkerchief.
AMALFI COAST, ITALY
This page: bruschetta and beautiful views at
Ristorante Da Costantino (dacostantino.it). She wears
shirt from Paul Smith, earrings from Anthropologie.
He wears shirt and belt from Paul Smith
I have never done that before in my
life, as I usually employ the back of
the sleeve for such maintenance. I
swaggered lazily (an oxymoron of a
movement except when performed
by Italians) back to Giulia, and we
set off down the hill to Amalfi.
Minutes later, with sunglasses
on, black hair fluttering in the
breeze, stomach full of panini
and gelato and driving a classic
convertible Alfa Romeo along the
Thomas Cook Travel
49

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
most famous road in the country,
I was the most Italian person this
side of Berlusconi. Of course, it
couldn’t last. I took off my shirt,
thus regrettably exposing myself
immediately as an Irish tourist in a
hire car. But hey, it was 30 degrees!
The Amalfi Coast road has more
twists than Rapunzel’s plaits. And
with Giulia’s lack of power steering
or brakes it was taking my full
concentration and strength to keep
us on that road. Although driving
the Amalfi Coast regularly features
on lists of the best things to do
before you die, I discovered that
you can either look at the scenery,
or you can drive. You can’t do both.
50 Thomas Cook Travel
Well, you can, but only if you want
driving the Amalfi coast to be the
final thing you do before you die,
rather than one of the things you
do before you die.
It is a monumentally stupid
place for a road or a construction
of any kind. The men who first
settled a 50km stretch of sheer
rock sliding into the sea set new
standards of belligerence. The road
is quite literally carved out of the
jagged mountainside, and snakes
along halfway up betwixt sea and
sky. There are few places to stop,
more bends than a David Beckham
free-kick session, and to be quite
honest it’s not the most relaxing of
Left: an icy Italian treat. She wears swimsuit from Sumarie.
Above and opposite: the beach at Positano.
journeys. Giulia didn’t like it, and
at one stage farted in protest as
I gave her too much gas with the
clutch still engaged.
Positano is a special place, and
one of the highlights of the Amalfi
Coast. Like all of the towns along
the famous stretch of coastline it’s
well below the road and almost
completely devoid of parking
spaces, so my advice is to drive the
road and tick that box, and then
return by boat to visit the town
properly. Above the beach, sloping,
narrow streets are festooned with
the colour of flowers and art,
and scented by cooking. Visitors
walk round like Scooby Doo,

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
Thomas Cook Travel
51

AMALFI COAST, ITALY
hypnotised by the smell of food
wafting through the air.
A re-visit by boat also provides
a true appreciation first of the
pure insanity of even building on
the Amalfi Coast, and then of the
incredible power of fashion, which
turned this inhospitable rock face into
a legendary place to see and be seen.
And if you’re interested in
being seen, there is only one way
to travel. The Giulia Spider will
invariably be the smallest car on the
road, but if you’re driving one in
Italy, everyone will notice, trust me.
It’s like turning up at a pool party
with Sophia Loren on your arm.
Except Giulia has aged better. TC
COAST WITH THE MOST
Fly in to Naples and
take the scenic route to
the Amalfi Coast, making
sure not to miss:
NAPLES
The bustling, third-largest city in Italy
is renowned the world over for its art,
architecture and cuisine – it’s the
birthplace of pizza, after all.
POMPEII
A trip to Naples just isn’t complete
without a visit to the eerie ruins of
the city of Pompeii. We can thank
Mount Vesuvius for this snapshot of
the Roman Empire at its height, and
although the volcano hasn’t erupted
since 1944, it still dominates the
landscape of the Bay of Naples.
CAPRI
Catch the ferry or hydrofoil from
Naples, Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi
and set sail for Capri, a popular tourist
destination since the 50s. The island is
steeped in history, but also has plenty
of contemporary appeal – it’s host to
an International Film Festival in late
December every year.
52 Thomas Cook Travel
The classic ingredients for an Italian
long lunch: sublime food, great wine
and stunning views. All three are in
abundance on the terrace restaurant at
the four-star Mar Hotel Alimuri Spa, in
a picturesque bay in Meta di Sorrento
WHERE TO STAY
Hilton Sorrento Palace
This area of Italy is all about views. Many
hotels look out over the Mediterranean or the
Tyrrhenian Sea, but that is just miles and miles
of beautiful but boring blue ocean and sky.
The Hilton Sorrento Palace (thomascook.com),
however, has the ubiquitous sea views out
over the Bay of Naples and across to Mount
Vesuvius as standard, but its site in the hills
above Sorrento delivers additional views over
the ancient port town.
With spacious suites and balconies,
deciding how to divide your time between
your room,and the dazzling, four-tiered
pool – again with stunning views over the
bay – is the only challenging thing about
staying here. Oh, and deciding what to eat in a
restaurant that showcases the region’s finest
produce, including buffalo mozzarella, pasta,
limoncello and red wine. Our tip? Try them all.
Photographer David Crookes; Art Director
Christos Hannides; Assistant Photographer
Nicola Jackson; Production Ginny Cumming;
Stylist Nino Bauti; Hair & Make-up James
Butterfield @ IHA using Laura Mercier, Bumble
and Bumble; Models Katrine D @ First Model
Management & John Mason @ MOT Models.
For more about Italy visit your local
Thomas Cook or Going Places store, call
+44 (0)844 412 5966 or visit thomascook.com
For your own road trip along the Amalfi
Coast in a classic Alfa Romeo Spider,
contact Nostalgic Vintage Car Travel
(nostalgic.eu). Alternatively, you can book
a hire car with Avis. Call +44 (0)8445
810159 or visit avis.com
Sea Club Conca Azzurra
The exquisite location of the four-star Sea
Club Conca Azzurra (thomascook.com) is what
makes this place truly special. Nestled in an
attractive natural bay just 4km from the centre
of Sorrento in Massa Lubrense, it’s the perfect
starting point for a day trip to Pompeii, Mount
Vesuvius or one of the many other nearby
cultural sites. But mostly it’s the perfect place
to just relax and take advantage of the private
beach, the sea water swimming pools and the
resort’s bars and restaurants.
The main restaurant offers à la carte
dining, but it’s the thrice-weekly buffet on
the terrace that’s not to be missed. With live
music, a stunning setting and the heady aroma
of barbecued seafood wafting on the warm
Mediterranean breezes, you’ll be hard-pushed
to find a more relaxed or enjoyable dining
experience in this beautiful part of the world.
FOR HASSLE-FREE TRANSFERS TO GATWICK AND STANSTED AIRPORTS, BOOK YOUR TICKETS
AT GATWICKEXPRESS.COM AND STANSTEDEXPRESS.COM (RESPECTIVELY)

HEALTH WELLNESS
Spa secrets
From celeb-favourite macrobiotics and fish
pedicures to firming caviar facials and
sleep therapy, seven online spa-ficionados
reveal the heavenly sanctuaries that will
make all your pampering dreams come true
1
54 Thomas Cook Travel
SHA WELLNESS CLINIC,
ALICANTE, SPAIN
The expert: Susan D’Arcy, founder, spa-confidential.com
HAVING EXPERIENCED A
Nightingale excrement facial
in Tokyo and an underwater
massage in the Maldives –
all in the name of research – Susan
started her own blog dedicated to
spa-ing last summer.
“Modern macrobiotics came to my
attention when Madonna became its
glowing poster girl, but my interest
waned when I found out how brown
the diet was (brown rice, brown miso
soup, brown lentils). That was until I
found SHA Wellness Clinic, Europe’s
first macrobiotic destination spa.
“A minimalist palace with sleek
white lines – how hospitals might
look if Lady Gaga was in charge –
I felt better the moment I stepped
onto its ultra-glam rooftop
playground, dotted with infinity
pools, muslin-draped cabanas and
sun-dappled views of the Med. The
chef has worked in Michelin-starred
kitchens, so mealtimes are a delight.
And the only brown dish I had was a
yummy chocolate dessert – actually
healthy because it was made
without sugar or dairy. This is as
close to dying and going to heaven
as a spa holiday gets. I even lost
a few pounds. Stick to the stricter
menu and you can lose more.
“The spa has everything from
flotation tanks to oxygen bars where
you can recharge with a shot of the
pure stuff. In the words of Madonna,
a weekend here will definitely leave
you feeling shiny and new.”
Visit shawellnessclinic.com to book a
treatment at the spa

SPA BLOGGING
Enjoy the ultimate
chill-out in the
SHA’s rooftop
infinity pool,
soaking up a grand
view of the
Sierra de Bernia
mountain range
Thomas Cook Travel
55

SHISEIDO SPA AT THE FOUR SEASONS,
3 LIMASSOL, CYPRUS
The expert: Catherine Beattie, editor, spawellbeing.com
With more than 20 years’
experience reviewing spas
for the likes of The Sunday
Times, Catherine started her
blog to share her pearls of wisdom.
“Cyprus is a spa haven, but my
favourite is the Shiseido Spa at the
Four Seasons Limassol, a five-star
resort with two excellent spas.
“If you want to play it safe, the
hotel’s Thalasso spa offers the usual
hot stone massages and body wraps.
But the Shiseido Spa is the real star.
It focuses on holistic Japanese
Now this is what
we call a book
at bedtime.
Below: The spa’s
showstopping
mosaic-tiled
swimming pool
methods aimed at balancing the
flow of qi, the body’s energy force,
and the Shiseido Qi method body
massages combine shiatsu with
Western techniques.
“Spa pros will love the new Royal
Thai massage, which works on the
body’s energy lines (sen), before being
stretched into contortionist positions.
It’s like a yoga workout, but without
the effort!”
Book at stay at the Four Seasons
through thomasscook.com
HEALTH WELLNESS
KALLIMA SPA,
2 LONDON SYON
PARK, UK
The expert: Neily Alimohamadi, editor,
cheriecity.co.uk
Neily dreamed up her beauty
blog to share hidden gems
that aren’t in guidebooks.
Like Cheryl Cole, she loves
Anne Sémonin treatments.
“Named after a rare butterfly,
Kallima Spa’s philosophy is based
on achieving desired results with
bespoke treatments. After a brief
consultation with a therapist, I chose
a radiance-boosting Anne Sémonin
facial and head and shoulder rub to
melt away my upper body stress.
“Anne Sémonin treatments are a
tailor-made blend of minerals and
essential oils, expertly mixed in
front of you. My therapist applied
gauze to work the products into my
skin and used Express Radiance Ice
Cubes to instantly revive my eyes.
I left feeling deeply relaxed, supple
and rejuvenated, especially after a
lovely walk through the spectacular
grounds of the stately Syon Park.”
Book a stay at London Syon Park
through thomascook.com or go to
londonsyonpark.com to book a day visit
Shiseido Spa’s
impressive entrance
Thomas Cook Travel
57

HEALTH WELLNESS
4
58 Thomas Cook Travel
THE SPA BY OCCO
AT RADISSON BLU
RESORT & SPA,
DUBROVNIK SUN GARDENS,
CROATIA
The expert: Ally Pyle, editor-in-chief,
glam.co.uk
As a former features editor
for vogue.com, Ally is a pro
on luxury travel. She joined
the UK arm of the Glam
websites to write about travel,
fashion, beauty and, of course,
the ultimate indulgence – spas.
“If you can tear yourself away from
the poolside piña coladas, a visit
to The Spa by OCCO at Dubrovnik
Sun Gardens – a five-star resort on
Croatia’s Adriatic Coast – is a must.
Just launched in August, this is the
flagship spa for OCCO, a Croatianborn
brand inspired by the Dalmatian
Coast and Adriatic Sea. All OCCO
products – which are hot property
at Harrods and Harvey Nichols –
incorporate natural, local ingredients
such as plants, flowers, herbs and
minerals from the salt-tinged coastal
cliffs to the sun-ripened citrus groves
that surround the area.
“The treatments are also divine.
Unwind like
a celeb on
Ego‘s deck
The terrace of
the Spa by OCCO
at Radisson Blu.
Below: The spa’s
products are
inspired by its
Adriatic Sea setting
The Awakening Lemon Ginger
Body Wrap packs a punch with an
olive polish and a zesty citrus and
warm spice body wrap, while the
Smoothing Cypress Leaf Leg and
Tummy Treatment, which firms
cellulite and smooths skin tone, will
help you to your bikini body.
“Finish off your day by sinking
into one of the canopied sun beds or
linen couches on the spa’s vast wraparound
terrace while the sun sets
over the Adriatic. True bliss.”
Book a stay at Radisson Blu Resort and
Spa through thomascook.com
ANESIS AT EGO SPA,
5 SAN ANTONIO, IBIZA
The expert: Hayley, founder,
londonbeautyqueen.com
What started as a hobby is
now a fully-fledged passion
for this beauty expert.
She covers spa reviews as
well as fashion, celebs and trends.
“Fish pedicures may no longer be
revolutionary. If fact, they are as
readily available as a Starbucks
Frappuccino nowadays. But a visit to
Anesis at Ego spa in Ibiza is truly fab
compared to the dingy or über-public
spas that offer this treatment.
“Anesis – which is an offshoot of
the celeb-favourite London branch
that’s visited by the likes of Sarah
Harding and Tulisa from The X
Factor – is situated in the buzzing
San Antonio and it has the feel of a
trendy bar – think soft dance tunes,
bright lights and subtle luxury.
“Not only can you get a top-notch
Piscean pedicure here – Turkish
Garra Rufa fish nibble your feet,
releasing an enzyme that softens
your skin for baby-soft tootsies – but
you can get a range of treatments
to get you ready for a big night out.
Try a file and polish for feet that are
made for killer party heels, make an
appointment with the ultra-glam HD
Brows (used by The Saturdays) or
just relax with a full body massage.”
Visit anesis.uk.com/ego to book a
treatment at the spa

THE ART OF ENTERTAINING KIDS
AS WELL AS PARENTS !
MARVELOUS
MARMARIS
Julian Club Hotel is the perfect choice for holiday
pleasure. We have included all the fun and leisure
for your family to enjoy a memorable holiday in
marvelous Marmaris. In addition to all day long
entertainment activities, your little ones will love
the kids club & waterslides. Great food, great reat servi service v ce
great times, great holidays !
Julian Forest is the perfect holiday escape for the
whole family. With breathtaking Icmeler scenery
round the clock activities for both big and small
kids clubs and waterslides. The highest quality in
a’ la carte half board dining and luxurious Julian
Forest Suites. A Turkish oasis in a beautiful resort.
We work exclusively with ith prestigious ti i UK tour operators.
T : +90 (252) 417 2330 | info@julianhotels.com | www.julianhotels.com | Marmaris - Turkiye

THE SPA AT THE
6 RITZ-CARLTON,
NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA
The expert: Kara Williams,
chief spa reviewer, thespagals.com
With possibly the best job
title in the world, Kara
travels far and wide across
the USA and Mexico to track
down the best body lotions and
Brazilian Peels for her blog.
“Situated among mangroves and
cypress trees on Florida’s serene
Gulf Coast, The Ritz-Carlton’s spa
screams exclusivity. The treatments,
hot whirlpools, cold plunges,
Enjoy a
post-treatment
sundowner at The
Ritz-Carlton’s
restaurant
saunas and steam rooms and
outdoor mineral pool are available
to hotel guests only.
“The sheer size of the spa means
that you won’t have trouble finding
somewhere to cocoon yourself, from
the outdoor spa deck to the comfy
conservatory with a full tea menu.
“The treatments are holistic, with
an aim to heal the mind, body and
spirit – so it’s not just all about
pampering, but rather a focus on
overall wellbeing. I love the sublime
Signature Massage (on a heated
table with a choice of aromatherapy
oils), but on my next visit I’d like to
try the Craniosacral therapy (said
to improve misaligned bones and
restore their proper position). They
also have a Drift to Sleep therapy
designed to help guests completely
let go of physical and mental stress
and encourage a deep slumber. It
consists of a lavender body scrub,
an aromatic milk bath and a body
massage. Therapists then suggest a
30-minute power nap. My eyelids are
getting heavy as I think about it.”
Book a stay at The Ritz-Carlton through
elegantresorts.co.uk
HEALTH WELLNESS
Blue sky, golden sand
and pampering perfection
at The Westin Resort and
Spa, Los Cabos
THE WESTIN
7 RESORT & SPA,
LOS CABOS, MEXICO
The expert: Jann Bailey,
spagirl007.blogspot.com
Jann believes that you don’t
need to spend a fortune to
feel good. Her blog covers
everything from affordable
aromatherapy to DIY spa treatments.
“I’m a bit biased towards this spa
because I got married here, but it
more than earns its serenity stripes.
Located on the Baja Peninsula, where
the craggy desert meets the stunning
Sea of Cortez, The Westin Resort &
Spa is the perfect haven for helping
you reach your pampering nirvana.
“My spa motto is ‘relax, rejuvenate
and restore’, and this spa ticks those
boxes (and more). The luxury Caviar
Facial is my favourite, and at $161
(£100) for an indulgent 80 minutes,
it won’t punish your purse. Caviar
helps the skin’s elasticity and makes
it firmer. I’m convincing my husband
to take a second honeymoon.” TC
Book at stay at The Westin Resort and
Spa through thomascook.com
Thomas Cook Travel
61

ALICANTE
The reign
in Spain
Where do you go for the best food in Spain,
now that El Bulli has closed its doors?
According to Mr Bulli himself,
Ferran Adrià, Alicante is king
DRIVING WEST FROM ALICANTE
towards the twin towns of Elda-
Petrer I’m starting to doubt
whether this province really is, as I’ve
been assured, the garden of Spain. The
year-round sunshine, which makes the
beaches of nearby Benidorm and Santa
Pola so popular, has cracked the soil and
bleached the earth bone dry. The only
real colour comes from the setting sun,
turning the limestone mountains first
a glorious orange and then pink. We’re
here, though, because many respected
authorities say that the province of
Alicante is the best place in Spain, not
just for growing food, but for eating it.
At first glance this claim might seem
absurd. The rainy town of San Sebastian,
hundreds of miles to the north, is where
you find the largest cluster of Spain’s
many Michelin stars. And El Bulli, the
“best restaurant in the world” from
62 Thomas Cook Travel
Words Trevor Baker Photography Chris Terry
2006 to 2009, according to Restaurant
magazine’s industry poll, was also located
far north of here, next to Barcelona,
before closing to the public in 2011. It
would seem obvious that Catalonia and
the Basque Country have the greatest
claim to be Spain’s culinary capitals.
El Bulli’s legendary chef Ferran Adrià,
however, disagrees. He recently told
his biographer, American food writer
Colman Andrews: “The province of
Alicante is where you eat the best in
Spain. It has the best products in the
country, especially the seafood.”
This is one reason we’re driving 30km
west of the sea to visit a fish restaurant.
The respected Spanish restaurant guide
Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía – The Best
in Food, which is actually based in
San Sebastian, has included La Sirena
(14 Avda de Madrid, Petrer, +34 965 371 718)
as one of the best fish restaurants in

Delicious paella at
La Taberna del Gourmet.
Top right: Alicante’s
succulent prawns are a must.
Right: tuna with a modern
twist at La Sirena
ALICANTE
Thomas Cook Travel
63

“Misafir” means more than “guest”
T: +90 (252) 417 1470
E: info@emrehotels.com
www.emrehotels.com
www.facebook.com/EmreHotels
Th e team of chefs bring a perfect harmony between delicate fl avours and design. With its perfect
mix of French cuisine, Mediterranean tones and vibrant creativity, Restaurant Casa del Maco is one
of the most recognised in the region. Th is is supported by a talented, young and friendly team,
which makes your visit an experience.
Th e owners Hannes Galle and Barbara De Vooght are more than happy to welcome you for a
relaxing lunch on the sun-drenched terrace or for a romantic and gastronomic evening.
CASA DEL MACO - Pou Roig 15, 03720 Benissa (Alicante)
(km170 on the N332 between Calpe and Benissa)
T. +34 965 73 28 42 / +34 699 069 926 | www.casadelmaco.com
Turks have been known for their hospitality for
ages. According to our traditions, the moment you
walk into our house, you become our “Misafi r”
(Pronunciation: measaphir – Meaning: guest).
We do our utmost for your comfort, pleasure
and happiness. Being a host means sharing
and helping, being a host means joy for us…
Emre Beach Hotel and Emre Hotel are two
joined facilities in Marmaris, a lovely town of
the South Aegean only 3km to the city centre
and 85 km to Dalaman Airport. They are ideal
for and mostly preferred by guests wishing to
spend a peaceful vacation by the sea. Away
from the noisy animation activities and other
distractions, yet a 10 min walking distance to
Uzunyalı bars, you can spend a quality vacation.
Restaurant Casa del Maco is seated at the foot of the
Sierra Bernia and is surrounded by coniferous forest
and vineyards, olive and almond trees, overlooking
the blue of the Mediteranean sea. It is located in
a Spanish fi nca from the 18th century, carefully
restored with respect for the indigenous architecture
and decorated with attention to detail.

MARI
CARMEN
Clockwise from top:
The Castle of Santa Bárbara,
viewed from Alicante city’s
Old Quarter; a taste of La
Sirena’s tasting menu,
with chef Mari Carmen Vélez
working her culinary magic
ALICANTE
Spain, particularly praising its arroz a
banda con gambitas (rice in a seafood
broth with prawns).
La Sirena is run by chef Mari Carmen
Vélez, who’s regularly included in lists
of women making waves in the macho
world of Mediterranean cuisine, along
with fellow Alicante chefs María José
San Román at Monastrell (7 Rafael
Altamira, Alicante, +34 965 146 575,
monastrell.com) in the city centre, and
Susi Díaz at La Finca in nearby Elche
(1–7 Partida de Perleta, Elche, +34 965
456 007, lafinca.es). For all the acclaim,
however, La Sirena has retained a
family atmosphere.
Vélez says she learnt about seafood
from her fisherman grandfather but,
when the tasting menu arrives, you
could never call it salt-of-the-earth
peasant food. It does include some
time-honoured classics, like grilled red
prawns (so succulent that the waiter has
to bring another tablecloth to cope with
the spillage), but it’s also full of her own
unique touches. The Galician octopus
comes with an exquisite depth-charge of
pepper and the tuna has a gorgeously
tender meatiness beneath a costra (crust)
of spices. This mixture of the old and
the new, it turns out, is the hallmark of
Alicante’s best chefs.
Just around the corner from La Sirena
another of Spain’s culinary superstars,
pastry chef Paco Torreblanca, has a
shop – Pastelería Totel (103 Avenida
José Martínez González, Elda, +34 965
388 224, torreblanca.net) – that must
dent the fish restaurant’s dessert sales.
Torreblanca became a household name in
Spain in 2004 when he made the wedding
cake for heir to the throne Prince Felipe
and his bride Letizia. He’s since become
known as the “Ferran Adrià of chocolate”
and his gleaming, almost futuristically
minimalist shop includes tarts and cakes
that look like works of art, with their
sculpted wings of fruit.
The same fruit looks almost as
succulent when I visit Alicante’s
enormous Mercado Central the next
morning. In most cities such an elegant,
modernist building would be a church or
a town hall, but here it’s a cheerfully
Thomas Cook Travel
65

ALICANTE
rowdy market, devoted to the best
produce that the region has to offer.
The city itself is also home to some
of Spain’s best restaurants, such as
Nou Manolin (3 Calle Villegas, +34 965
200 368, noumanolin.com), an Alicante
institution. Built on the site of muchloved
local poet Gabriel Miró’s old house
66 Thomas Cook Travel
Clockwise from top left: a
sample of Paco Torreblanca’s
inspired confectionery
creations; the man himself,
“the Ferran Adrià of
chocolate”; La Taberna del
Gourmet has been named Spain’s
best tapas bar. Opposite page:
The grand Mercado Central,
where you’ll find the
region’s freshest produce,
from fruit to fish
it’s the kind of place where simplicity
is more important than innovation.
However, when Ferran Adrià’s staff was
tasked with drawing up a list of the
city’s most cutting-edge establishments
for him to visit, he immediately
corrected them when they dared to omit
Nou Manolin. “I couldn’t pass through
Alicante without dining there,” he
said. “There are few places that are so
Mediterranean and so modern.”
It’s probably more the case that the
modern world has caught up with
what Nou Manolin has been doing for
more than 30 years. They’ve always
been based on the principle of local
food, lovingly prepared, which is now
the hallmark of many of the world’s
trendiest restaurants. The acorn-fed ham
and the local specialty, mojama (salted
tuna), are both delicious.
The same is true of another local
staple, paella – or simply arroz (rice) as
it’s more commonly known in Alicante –
at the nearby Monastrell restaurant
(7 Rafael Altamira, Alicante, +34 965 146
575, monastrell.com). Chef María José
San Román’s expertise with rice is such
that, when she visited the White House
in 2009, after attending a Washington
paella festival, she was asked to give
a private class to Obama’s chefs. She
showed them how she produces sofrito –
the sumptuous stock, usually made from
tomatoes and onions – which forms the
basis of paella. Her own specialty, made
with local artichokes, is particularly
acclaimed in Alicante.
“The food here has always been good, but
we’ve only recently started to realise that
it’s good,” she says when I visit Monastrell.
In 2009 her tapas bar, La Taberna
del Gourmet (10 Calle San Fernando,
Alicante, +34 965 204 233,
latabernadelgourmet.com), was named
as the best in Spain by Lo Mejor de la
Gastronomía and the freshness and
vitality of the food are the perfect match
for this lively port. San Román says that
the great thing about her city is that
it’s at a crossroads of different cuisines.
There are the famous cocidos (stews) of
the interior, the seafood of the fishing
villages, the soupy paellas of the north

ALICANTE
Thomas Cook Travel
67

ALICANTE
and the arroz a banda (“abandoned
rice” – rice cooked with seafood that is
then removed and served separately) of
Alicante itself.
This variety makes where to go next a
difficult decision. We could stay in town
and eat examples of everything that the
province has to offer. However, Ferran
Adrià says that a restaurant called Paco
Gandia (2 Calle San Francisco, Pinoso,
+34 965 478 023, pacogandia.com),
an hour’s drive away to the west, does
“the best paella in the world”. And Colman
Andrews, says that L’Escaleta in the
north of the province (205 Pujada Estació
Nord, Cocentaina, +34 965 592 100,
68 Thomas Cook Travel
Clockwise from top left: Nou
Manolin’s dishes, like this
divine red mullet, come with
the highest recommendation
– that of Ferran Adrià
himself; a dramatic
view of the fountain at
Alicante city’s marina; at
Monastrell, chef María José
San Román’s way with paella
is legendary
lescaleta.com) served him, “Some of the
most original and sure-handed modern
Spanish food I’ve ever had.”
But in the end the most obvious choice
is Quique Dacosta’s eponymous
restaurant in the seaside town of Denia
(Carretera les Marinas, Km. 3, 1 Calle
Rascassa, Denia, +34 965 784 179,
quiquedacosta.es), halfway between
Alicante and Valencia, where the terrain
changes and becomes lush and fertile,
dotted with beautiful orange groves.
This was the first restaurant that Adrià
himself went to after closing El Bulli and
it represents the next wave of Spain’s
avant-garde cuisine.

Barceló Jandía Resort, Fuerteventura
Situated in the south of the island and overlooking the spectacular
Jandía beach, it offers families and couples a wide selection of
services and activities to enjoy their holidays to the full.
Find out more at www.barcelo.com or call +34 928 546 500.
CANARY ISLANDS
FUERTEVENTURA
Barceló Corralejo Bay
Barceló Castillo Beach Resort
Barceló Puerto Castillo
Barceló Fuerteventura Thalasso Spa
Barceló Jandía Mar
Barceló Jandía Playa
Barceló Jandía Club Premium
LANZAROTE
Barceló Lanzarote Resort
Barceló La Galea
GRAN CANARIA
Barceló Margaritas
TENERIFE
Barceló Santiago
Barceló Varadero
MORE THAN YOU IMAGINE

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From top: From preparation to
presentation, exceptional detail is
paid to the food at Quique Dacosta;
brandy being reduced for seafood
consommé at the eponymous restaurant
ALICANTE
When the appetisers arrive they’re set
before me in a way that mimics the
setting, a conservatory in a beautifully
light and colourful garden. There’s a
basil leaf coated with cinnamon, a shoot
of the sweet South American plant
Stevia rebaudiana emerging from some
rocks, and a snail glistening behind a
small cup of delicious hazelnut oil. It’s
gloriously odd. Even the more familiar
choices don’t taste like I expect, and yet,
for all the presentational finesse, it’s
the flavours that are king. Like María
José San Román, Dacosta emphasises
the importance of Alicante’s produce.
“A chef can make a good meal out of
anything,” he says. “If you give Rafa
Nadal a stick he’ll still be able to hit the
tennis ball. But he’ll play a lot better
with a racquet!”
Respected food critics from the likes
of The New York Times have mentioned
Quique Dacosta as one of the potential
heirs to Ferran Adrià, but he’s also an
heir to the traditions of this region. His
father-in-law, who founded a restaurant
here, might not recognise much of what
he’s doing but he’d appreciate the quality
of the local ingredients.
Almost everything that I’ve eaten,
not just at Quique Dacosta but
throughout this trip, even the exotic
Stevia rebaudiana, was grown, fished
or farmed within greater Alicante. It’s a
tribute to the variety, not just of food but
of terrain and culture, which is on offer
beyond the resorts of Benidorm and
Santa Pola. For years Alicante has been
like a secret garden, hiding in the long
shadow cast by its own glorious beaches.
Thanks to Ferran Adrià and others it’s
not just the restaurants that are at last
coming into the light. TC
For more about Alicante visit your local
Thomas Cook or Going Places store, call
+44 (0)844 412 5966 or visit thomascook.com
Chris stayed at the Meliá Alicante
(thomascook.com ), in the heart of the city on
Postiguet beach, just a stone’s throw from the
gorgeous marina. Doubles start at £76.57
a night. For hassle-free travel along the
Costa Blanca, book a hire car with Avis.
Call +44 (0)8445 810159 or visit avis.com
Thomas Cook Travel
71

Children who walk through library doors are better equipped to walk
through others. Without books, kids can’t learn. Teachers can’t teach. And communities
can’t turn out responsible, empowered citizens. As the foundation to a lifetime of learning, reading
can jumpstart one’s chances of employment. In just 10 years, Room to Read has established
more than 10,000 libraries in the developing world and filled them with 7 million books. Visit our
website today. And learn how you can help millios of people get their foot in the the door.
Read more at roomtoread.org.

Turkish temptations
An all-inclusive escape at a Marti hotel on
the spectacular Turquoise Coast – it’s the
ultimate setting for holiday bliss
TURKEY’S SOUTHwestern
coastline
stretching from the
Mediterranean to the Aegean
is steeped in both ancient
history and modern culture.
This vast outdoor museum
(the Greeks, Romans and
Ottomans have all left their
mark) is also home to idyllic
beaches that are surrounded
by pine- and olive-clad hills.
Its bustling towns are filled
with chic boutiques and
charming local restaurants.
To top it off, Turkey’s
enviable climate means that
beyond the peak summer
months, spring and autumn
are ideal times to visit. So, all
that remains is choosing a
place to stay…
MARTI RESORT HOTEL
IÇMELER BAY, MARMARIS
Situated near the Marti La
Perla Hotel, the Marti Resort
Hotel is a modern, five-star
A series of pools
leads down to
the beach at the
Marti Resort Hotel
hotel built around a series
of pools. Set in beautifully
manicured botanical gardens,
it boasts its own contemporary
spa and private stretch of
beach. There’s also a selection
of restaurants within the resort
featuring French, Italian and
Aegean cuisine.
MARTI LA PERLA
HOTEL
IÇMELER BAY, MARMARIS
Situated in the popular resort
of Içmeler, Marti La Perla Hotel
has a restaurant, bar, spa and
expansive pool, and is just a
stone’s throw from the beach.
In addition to standard guest
rooms, those with children
in tow are well catered for
with large family rooms and a
selection of suites.
When you want to explore
beyond the resort, the popular
town of Marmaris with its
shops, bars and restaurants is
a short taxi ride away.
MARTI MYRA HOTEL
TEKIROVA, ANTALYA
Set on its own stretch of
pristine (Blue Flag) beachfront
and surrounded by verdant
pine forests, Marti Myra
Hotel is a holiday paradise.
Couples after an intimate
getaway can take their pick
from a selection of 12 suites,
while families are equally well
catered for with 545 guest
rooms and several kids’ clubs
Promotion
Sleep in style:
a newly renovated
deluxe room at
Marti Resort Hotel
and play areas. Should you
fancy time out from lazing
by the pool or on the beach,
then there are tennis courts,
saunas, Turkish baths and a
disco all at your disposal.
For more information call:
Martı Resort Hotel: +90 252
455 3387 Marti La Perla
Hotel: +90 252 455 3440
Martı Myra Hotel: +90 242
821 5000 or visit marti.com.tr

Action man
Want more out of your Gran Canaria holiday than
soaking up the rays on the island’s beautiful beaches?
Fitness fans and adrenaline junkies take note: writer
Matthew Hirtes’ bespoke pentathlon – hiking, mountain
biking, paragliding, kayaking and the wild card of the
“shepherd’s leap” – will give you the golden opportunity
to return home with much more than a lovely tan…
74 Thomas Cook Travel
CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX

CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX
GRAN CANARIA
The view of West
Gran Canaria from the
Central Mountains

PHOTOGRAPHY CORBIS, GETTY
HIKING’S AN EXTREME SPORT
in Gran Canaria. Well, it is if
my first trekking experience here is
anything to go by. Trusty rucksack
nestling into my back, I’m making
headway to the isolated beach of
Güi-güi, an unspoiled treasure on
the west of the island. Initially, the
lights from neighbouring Tenerife
act as guiding beacons. But with
night closing in, the lower I hike,
the less visible they become. At
least I’m armed with a torch –
which chooses this exact moment
to give up the ghost.
Torchless and despairing of
ever reaching Güi-güi, I begin
chanting a gentle mantra: “Please
be near.” But as I start causing
mini-avalanches with my slipping
and sliding, the chant gets louder,
almost building to a manic roar
that could be heard all the way to
Tenerife. After much trudging, I
land in a crumpled heap next to
a fabulous ruin overlooking the
beach, relieved and exhilarated.
I may be tired, but I’m basking in a
sense of achievement that you just
Roque Nublo (“Rock in the
Clouds”) and the smaller
El Fraile (“The Friar”)
don’t get from topping up your tan,
flat on your back. I’ve ticked off the
first of my five challenges – hiking,
mountain biking, paragliding,
kayaking and the mysterious
“shepherd’s leap” – to experience
Gran Canaria the extreme way,
earning my “man of action” stripes.
The next time, I’m much better
prepared – or at least my guide,
Roger Bradley, is. Rambling Roger
GRAN CANARIA
The island’s incredible
topography makes for
world-class cycling and
mountain biking
and I are walking his short Artenara
circle, a two-hour trip in and
around Artenara, Gran Canaria’s
loftiest village at 1,270m above
sea level, found just under 60km
north of Playa del Inglés. Heading
off the beaten trek, a clearing
opens out into a natural mirador
(viewing point). From here it’s easy
to make out the mighty Roque
Nublo (Rock in the Clouds) – the
Thomas Cook Travel
77

GRAN CANARIA
island’s most iconic landmark; a
gargantuan natural monolith – and
the beautifully preserved Tamadaba
pine forest. It’s an unforgettable
view – to see it with your own eyes,
visit ramblingroger.com to book a
guided tour or to order his essential
25 Great Hikes – Don’t Leave Gran
Canaria Without Seeing It, available
as a book, CD or PDF.
I return, on bike, to Artenara
with photographer pal Marcos,
a keen mountain-biker – and not
just to pay tribute to the Virgin of
the Little Cave, the patron saint
of Gran Canaria’s cyclists, at the
Ermita de la Virgen de La Cuevita,
a beautiful chapel cut into the cliff
face 400m above the centre of the
village. Artenara boasts plenty of
caminos reales (royal roads), just as
popular if travelling on two wheels
rather than two feet. Marcos takes
me on the 10km route connecting
Arucas to Teror’s Pico de Osorio in
the north of the island – helpfully
78 Thomas Cook Travel
pointing out caves that can be used
for shelter in the (unlikely) event of
a downpour.
The island’s off-road trails offer
boneshakers galore. In central Gran
Canaria, inhale the scent of fresh
pine as you whizz down serpentine
tracks. As Gran Canaria is like
a miniature continent (with its
distinct climate), you’ll be able to
switch landscape backgrounds as
you would screensavers. Head south
to San Bartolomé and follow the
volcanic craters which lead to Risco
Blanco (White Cliff). Cycle Gran
Canaria (cyclegrancanaria.com),
run by retired Irish mountain bike
pro Raymond Leddy, offers a range
of guided rides, handily accessible
from its Maspalomas base.
Before Gran Canaria became a
tourist hotspot, residents relied
on agriculture to earn a living.
The island’s goatherds and
shepherds came up with a novel
way to cross the ravines which
The need to negotiate
tricky terrain gave
rise to the spectacular
“shepherd’s leap”
dominate the landscape – the salto
de pastor (“shepherd’s leap”). You
take a long wooden pole known
as a lanza or garrote and then
add metal tips (regatóns) to the
end for extra grip. Imagine polevaulting
– the technique involved
is not dissimilar. I’m keen to
have an afternoon session – with
Victor from Mojo Picon Aventura
(mojopiconaventura.com) – but my
heart’s in my mouth when I attempt
the dead-drop which is essentially
a leap of faith: you jump and then
jam your garrote on the rapidly
approaching ground below your
feet before sliding down the pole
like a firefighter or lap dancer.
From its practical origins, the
shepherd’s leap has developed into a
sport – think parkour with a stick –
with regular competitive events held
across the Canaries. But despite
Victor’s excellent tuition, I still
reckon I’d be more likely to pick up
the wooden spoon prize than the
PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

e CORDIAL
www.cordialcanarias.com
Call center: Tel.: +34 928 143 393 info@cordialcanarias.com
Fax: +34 928 148 736 reservas@cordialcanarias.com

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY
Sunset on Las
Canteras, “one of
the world’s great
urban beaches”
gold medal. Note to self: eat more
gofio – the toasted cornmeal which
is reputed to be the secret ingredient
behind your average Canarian’s
Herculean strength.
Below, a crowd gathers on one
of the world’s great urban beaches
– Las Palmas’ 2.8km stretch of
golden-brown sand, Las Canteras
– their necks arched skywards.
What’s caught their collective
eye? Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
No, it’s a paragliding tourist, an
almost guaranteed sight on this
beach. I opt instead for a tandem
parachute jump with my seasoned
pro of an instructor, Juan Cano
(parapentegrancanaria.com). After
fitting what feels like the lightest
backpack I’ve ever worn, I’m more
strapped in than Houdini, but
Juan ensures me that I won’t feel
restricted when we take off from
the airstrip in Los Giles above
Las Arenas shopping centre (also
known as Centro Comercial, or CC
for short).
What a flight of freedom it turns
out to be. Señor Cano is carrying
both the canoply – in layman’s
terms, an inflated kite – and doing
the steering. It’s only my second
“taxi” ride in which I fear for my
life – the first was in the rough
and ready San José part of Las
Palmas, when I realised the man
behind the wheel was drunk – but
my apprehension quickly subsides:
GRAN CANARIA
Juan’s close enough for me to smell
he hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol
and his reassuring manner kicks
my premonition of plummeting like
a rock into touch. After a smooth
landing in the Plaza de la Música
next to Las Palmas’ iconic concert
hall, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus,
we’re enjoying a restorative cubata
(rum and coke) in the square’s
Marea Baja (Plaza de la Musica,
tel: +34 666 54 73 77).
If you want more from water
sports than just splashing about
in the sea, there’s always kayaking.
I get in touch with Canaria Ventura
(canariaventura.com), which
organises kayak hire – and not
just for team-building exercises
– in the Presas de Chira y de las
Niñas reservoirs. I plump for the
postcard-pretty Presa de Chira,
also a popular carp-fishing
destination (canarycarpcrew.net),
850m above sea level.
Having canoed with my children
in Devon, I’m used to capsizing.
But with no offspring to blame this
time, I can only acknowledge my
complete ineptitude with a twobladed
paddle in hand. Indeed, I
enter the drink so many times,
I’m nicknamed Perro de Presa –
The Reservoir Dog. Although the
temperature of the water is a more
agreeable than England’s southwest,
a warm-up mug of hot coffee
still timbers my shivers while I
contemplate my next adventure.
But for now, having hiked my way
to the Rock in the Clouds, cycled
past volcanic craters, taken the
shepherd’s leap, flown like a eagle
and ended up in the water enough
times to grow gills, I’ve completed
this personal pentathlon. I reckon
I’ve well and truly earned the title
of Gran Canaria’s Action Man, not
Reservoir Dog. TC
For more about Gran Canaria visit your
local Thomas Cook or Going Places store,
call +44 (0)844 412 5966 or visit
thomascook.com
Thomas Cook Travel
81

Promotion
1 2
3
1 CHILIS
GRAN CANARIA
Chilis restaurant is the best
Mexican eatery on the island.
The food is all homemade and
freshly cooked using quality
ingredients, with tasty tacos,
salads, guacamole, nachos,
quesadillas, flautas, burritos,
chimichangas and the famous
chicken, beef or shrimp fajitas
on the menu. Wash down the
delicious food with a yummy
margarita, a range of tequilas,
beer or Spanish wine.
Open 6pm–1am.
17 Avenida Tenerife,
Hotel Koka, Playa del Inglés,
+34 928 770 047
Canary Island restaurant highlights
Get set for sun, sea views and spectacular food
2 RESTAURANT BALI
GRAN CANARIA
This charming Indonesian
restaurant is the place to go
for quality cuisine. Whether
you take a seat on the terrace
for an amazing view or in the
comfortable dining room,
the vibrant tasting menu and
the excellent wine list won’t
disappoint. Present your
Thomas Cook boarding pass
to receive a complimentary
welcome drink with your meal.
2 Calle Mar Mediterraneo,
Centro Comercial Oasis
Boulevard (second floor),
Maspalomas, +34 928 143 375,
restaurantebali.com
4
3 RESTAURANTE
MAGNOLIA
TENERIFE
Restaurante Magnolia ticks all
the quality dining boxes: think
exquisite culinary offerings,
excellent service and a cosy,
relaxed atmosphere. The
changing menu incorporates
the best seasonal produce and
features delicious specialties
from several regions around
the island. Ask the waiters for
daily specials and personal
recommendations.
Avenida Marqués de
Villanueva del Prado, Puerto
de la Cruz, +34 922 385 614,
magnoliaelpayes.com
4 LA VACA AZUL
FUERTEVENTURA
Bag a table on La Vaca Azul’s
top-level terrace for the best
views over El Cotillo bay and an
unforgettable meal. The chef,
who worked in the UK for three
years, has created a delicious
menu that includes paella,
tapas and freshly caught fish
that’s grilled to perfection.
And it’s even becoming a
cultural stop in its own right:
the restaurant showcases an
imaginative exhibition by
local German photographer
Jo Hammer.
9 Calle Requena, La Oliva,
+34 928 538 685

5
7
5 AMURA
RESTAURANT
LANZAROTE
Situated in a charming,
colonial-style house right in
front of the marina, Amura
Restaurant offers gorgeous
views of the harbour and its
superyachts. The fine menu
uses the freshest ingredients
and draws on the culinary
expertise of its top chefs, so
it’s no wonder the restaurant
comes highly recommended
by the top Michelin and Repsol
food guides.
Urbanización Puerto Calero,
Yaiza 35570, Lanzarote,
+34 928 513 181
6 RESTAURANTE
MESÓN CASTELLANO
TENERIFE
Mesón Castellano captures
that authentic Spanish wining
and dining experience that you
probably had in mind when you
booked your Tenerife holiday.
Get stuck into the finest Ibérico
and Serrano hams, paellas
and shellfish while indulging
in the island’s best selection
of Spanish wines. Enjoy a free
sorbet with your meal when
you mention Thomas Cook
Travel magazine.
38-40 Playa de las
Américas, Arona, +34 922 796
305, mesoncastellano.com
6
8
7 SUGAR RESTAURANT
AND BAR
FUERTEVENTURA
Uniting the best of British
and Caribbean cuisines,
this restaurant-cum-bar is
known for its tasty dishes,
cool cocktails and cosy
atmosphere. There are also
great entertainment nights,
from Wednesday barbecues
and Thursday’s ‘Thomas Cook
Big Party’ night to flamenco
shows on Fridays and mojito
parties every Saturday.
8 Calle Francisco Berrier,
Centro Comercial la Cupula,
Caleta de Fuste,
+34 661 798 080
Promotion
8 AZURE
LANZAROTE
Enjoying the best spot on
Puerto Calero’s luxury marina,
Azure restaurant’s mouthwatering
menu will leave you
wanting to come back for more.
As well as offering gorgeous
views, a relaxed ambience
and exemplary service, it’s the
perfect food stop at any time
of the day, serving everything
from quick snacks and lunches
to gourmet dining come
nightfall – just make sure you
save room for the cheesecake!
Puerto Calero Marina,
+34 928 849 675,
restaurantazure.com

TUNISIA
Feel
Force
the
Journey to a galaxy far, far
away with a tour of Tunisia’s
classic Star Wars locations
Words Pierre de Villiers
AMONG STAR WARS FANS
it is affectionately known as
‘The Igloo’. Home to the
young Luke Skywalker, the white,
domed structure was built by
director George Lucas during the
filming of his space saga at the
heart of the desolately beautiful
Chott el Jerid salt lake in Tunisia.
It is an important piece of movie
history, a fascinating film location
and, to the consternation of scores
of light-sabre owners who visit the
building every year, in a real state
of disrepair.
Having noticed The Igloo slowly
disappearing in the hot desert sun,
Mark Dermul, on one of his frequent
visits to the many Star Wars sights
in Tunisia, had an idea. What if he
launched a campaign to raise
enough money for fans of George
Lucas’s space opera to travel to the
prized chunk of memorabilia
– officially named the Lars
Homestead after Luke’s adoptive
Tatooine family – and renovate it?
What followed underlines just how
much Tunisia and its Star Wars film
locations mean to fans.
84 Thomas Cook Travel
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY XXXXXXXXX RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE

CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX
TUNISIA
Luke Skywalker
(Mark Hamill) on the
Chott el Jerid salt flats
in Tunisia during the
1976 filming of Star Wars
Thomas Cook Travel
85

TUNISIA
Fans (one dressed as a stormtrooper),
at “The Igloo”, Luke’s home in Star
Wars, now a pilgrimage site for
devotees of the movie. Right: Director
George Lucas with C-3PO in the same
location in the 70s
“The reaction I got from fans was
just phenomenal,” says Dermul,
who runs tours to Star Wars
locations in Tunisia. “Hundreds of
people donated and within 10
months we had the US$10,000
needed to restore the Lars
Homestead, which should take
about a week. We are planning to
return to Tunisia some time early
in 2012 with a crew of six people
and start working. It has really
been a fan-driven campaign.”
The initiative will not only benefit
Star Wars fans but also the
Tunisian economy, with Dermul
86 Thomas Cook Travel
agreeing with authorities to use
local building materials – The Igloo
is made out of plaster, wood and
chicken wire – and labourers for
the project. In addition to getting
support from the Tunisian
government, the fans also received
the thumbs up from the man who
put The Igloo in the desert in the
first place.
“George Lucas is very much
aware of what we are doing and has
been very supportive,” enthuses
Dermul. “Lucasfilm explained that
they can’t get involved financially
because that would create a
The ancient mud grain
stores of Medenine feature
in The Phantom Menace
precedent and every fan with an
idea would come knocking on their
door. They gave us the thumbs up
to go ahead, though, and gave us
some images to use on promotional
material. They are very excited to
see fans so committed.”
The passion Star Wars fans
harbour for The Igloo, and the
Chott el Jerid salt lake, does indeed
run deep. This has been Luke
Skywalker’s home since 1976 when
George Lucas first erected the
Lars Homestead for the original
Star Wars. That particular
structure was, in 1999, replaced
PHOTOGRAPHY ABSOLUTE FILM, AMAR GROVER / JOHN WARBURTON-LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Who’s got the map?
R2-D2, C-3PO, Princess
Padmé and the future
Darth Vader discuss
how they’re going to
navigate the searing
Tunisian desert
Tunisia is a treasure trove when it comes to
quality Star Wars locations, with amazing
sights scattered throughout the country
with the current building in the
exact same spot for prequel Attack
of the Clones. For many, The Igloo
is one of their earliest Star Wars
memories and represents why they
fell in love with the films in the
first place.
“For me The Igloo and the salt lake
is the Holy Grail if you are a Star
Wars fan,” says Dermal. “It is so
remote that you have to remind
yourself that you are not on Tatooine
but in a Tunisian desert. Fans come
from all over the world because Star
Wars is a very important part of
their life. When they get the
opportunity to visit the actual
locations where it was shot, they
often jump around like schoolkids.
In the past we have been at the Lars
Homestead at sunset and we play
some of the film’s soundtrack and
you just get goosebumps. Some
people actually start to cry because
it is so emotional.”
Fellow campaigner Mark Cox loves
The Igloo so much he decided to get
married in front of it last year.
“It was like a Jedi wedding with
Star Wars vows and we were
surrounded by other fans,” he
recalls. “Me and my wife thought
it was the perfect place to go
because it is the most poignant of
all the Star Wars sights,” he
explains. “It is featured in some of
the best scenes, like the sunset with
the two suns. To us it seemed like
the most private idyllic place to be.
And to make it even better we got
to see a lot of other Star Wars
locations on the trip as well.”
As Cox and his Tatooine bride
can attest, Tunisia is a treasure
trove of quality Star Wars locations,
with amazing sights scattered
throughout the country. A fan
favourite is the Hotel Sidi Driss in
Matmata, which served as the
interior of the Lars Homestead in
TUNISIA
the first Star Wars. The hotel is
open all year and has five “pits”
(caves hollowed out from the rock)
– four of which have rooms and
the fifth of which, the Star Wars
pit, is a restaurant.
“It is almost unchanged from the
movies and to walk around the
place and sleep there in a
subterranean room is thrilling,”
says another Star Wars campaigner,
Terry Cooper. “It is something that
only an avid fan of the movies
would really appreciate.”
The Chott el Gharsa salt lake in
the west of Tunisia also offers rich
pickings. Ong Djemel (Camel Head
Rock) overlooks the area where, in
The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul
launches his hunt for the Naboo
Royal Ship and where the pod-race
takes place. The area is famous for
the yardangs – protruding bits of
rock – which acted as a backdrop to
the desert standoff between Darth
Thomas Cook Travel
87

TUNISIA
Maul and Qui-Gon, while the Mos
Espa set is also nearby.
Sidi Bouhel, outside the western
city of Tozeur, is nicknamed “Star
Wars Canyon” by Lucasfilm and is
where the Jawas capture R2-D2 and
where Luke meets Obi-Wan Kenobi
for the first time. In Medenine, in
the east of Tunisia, a Berber fortress,
or ksar, acted as a backdrop for
Anakin’s home in the prequels.
Tataouine, also in southern Tunisia,
gave its name to Luke Skywalker’s
planet, while the Isle of Djerba is
home to Chalmun’s Cantina (once a
traditional Berber bakery in Ajim),
Obi-Wan’s hut (just north of Ajim)
and the spot where Luke and
Obi-Wan enter the Mos Eisley
spaceport (Sidi Jemour). Tunisia is
like Graceland for Star Wars fans.
“Tunisia will, I think, be forever
linked to Star Wars mythology,”
says Cooper. “Regardless of the
new technologies used to create
exotic space locations, the simple
practicality of a desert and these
strange buildings is an amazingly
effective way to immerse yourself
in the mythology. And the best
thing is it’s so inexpensive to just
go there and walk around. No
theme parks, no merchandise shop,
no salesmen. Just untouched, iconic
scenery as far as the eye can see.”
And nowhere is that truer than
Chott el Jerid.
“It’s far more than just a film
location,” says Dermul. “The Igloo
brings strangers together who become
instant friends because we speak one
common language which is Star Wars.
That’s why it’s so important that we
make sure it will be around for future
generations of fans.” TC
Thomas Cook offers a tour of Tunisia’s
classic Star Wars locations with the Sahara
Explorer excursion, bookable direct with your
Thomas Cook representative when in resort
For more about Tunisia visit your local
Thomas Cook or Going Places store,
call +44 (0)844 412 5966 or visit
thomascook.com
88 Thomas Cook Travel
LIGHTS, CAMEL, ACTION!
The Star Wars saga is not the
only iconic movie to be filmed
in Tunisia. Check out these
dune-busting classics
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Some of Indiana Jones’s greatest moments were shot in Tunisia, with the
country doubling for Egypt. The Cairo street scenes were filmed in Kairouan,
while Indy threatens to take out the Ark with a bazooka at the Sidi Bouhel
ravine to the east of Tozeur.
CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX

CREDIT: ABSOLUTE PHOTOGRAPHY XXXXXXXXX FILM RONALD ARCHIVE, GRANT ALAMY ARCHIVE, ALAMY
Monty Python’s Life of Brian
TUNISIA
The Tunisian Port of Monastir played home
to Monty Python’s naughty boy with a
Messiah complex, with most of the filming
taking place in the Ribat, the imposing
fortified monastery dating back to 797.
The Kasbah at Sousse, a major city west
of Monastir, was used as the city walls,
while the Roman theatre at Carthage
doubled for the Jerusalem Colosseum.
The English Patient
Anthony Minghella’s Oscar-baiting period
drama might be set in Italy and Egypt,
but was filmed throughout Tunisia. Tunis
doubled for 1940s Cairo, coastal Sfax
was used as the city’s medina, while the
invasion of Tobruk was shot at the port
of El Mahdia. The desert camp of Count
Almasy (Ralph Fiennes) was filmed in the
desert near Nefta in the west of Tunisia,
and the cave where Katharine Clifton
(Kristin Scott Thomas) dies is near Tozeur.
Thomas Cook Travel
89

THINKING OF A MEDITERRANEAN DESTINATION
FOR A ROUND OF GOLF?
Tunisia today is rapidly gaining reputation for being one of The Mediterranean’s foremost golfing destinations. Designed in
1990 by American architect Ronald Fream, Yasmine Valley offers superb weather conditions year round with a friendly
and relaxed atmosphere. Yasmine has an 18-hole, 71-par course with Twin lakes and steep greens even experienced golfers
will find their skills put to the test.
In addition Yasmine Valley features a nine holes Executive/Academy course with holes ranging from 75 meters to 155
meters. Its interesting design makes it a real challenge not only to advanced players but also to novice golfers. The double
ended 300 meter driving range offers either from large grass hitting areas or from designated Astroturf mats. To compliment
this fine practice area there are 3 putting greens and chipping areas.
Driver’s, the main restaurant, offers an international menu with Tunisian Fusion elements. Relax and enjoy views
overlooking the first tee as well as green number 9 from the panoramic Sunset terrace.
RESERVATIONS: Mrs Mouna Bchir - email: booking@golfyasmine.com – phone: +216 72227001

1
3
1 BLUE MARINE
RESORT & SPA
CRETE, GREECE
Blue Marine Resort and Spa is
a five-star hotel overlooking
Cretan waters. It offers chic
rooms, most of them with a
sea view, and all fully equipped
for a wonderfully indulgent
holiday. Luxury facilities
include two outdoor pools, one
indoor pool and two excellent
restaurants. The spa is also
decadent, making Blue Marine
the perfect place to revive the
body and mind.
Ammoudara, Agios
Nikolaos, +30 284 109 1300,
bluemarinehotel.gr
2 BITZARO
GRANDE HOTEL
ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE
This bright, modern property
offers stylish accommodation
in a prime location on the
outskirts of Kalamaki. Families
and couples will enjoy the wide
range of top-class facilities, as
well as the convenient location
near local points of interest.
And while you’re soaking up the
sunshine, why not try out the
tasty refreshments and snacks
from the pool bar to keep you
going until the evening?
Kalamaki, Zante Zakynthos,
+30 269 504 2294,
bitzarohotels.gr
4
Haute hideaways
3 CORTIJO EL SOTILLO
SAN JOSÉ, SPAIN
Part of the El Romeral farm
run by Grupo Playas y Cortijos,
Cortijo el Sotillo offers 17km
of pristine beach and inland
areas that are part of the
natural reserve. The 18thcentury
hotel has been
restored with care, drawing
on regional architecture and
Níjar ceramics, and has 25
bright, spacious rooms with
private terraces. Generous
amenities include a billiards
room, pool and playground.
Crta. Entrada San José,
Almería, +34 950 611 100,
cortijoelsotillo.es
Promotion
Escape the winter and head for one of these luxury hotels
2
4 SUNRISE RESORT
HOTEL
LESBOS, GREECE
A modern and inviting resort,
the Sunrise Resort Hotel is
close to the attractions of the
historical town of Molyvos.
It boasts a tempting pool,
indulgent bar and spectacular
views of the Aegean Sea.
You can spend tranquil days
relaxing around the azure
swimming pool, sipping a
drink from the poolside bar
or simply soaking up the
delightful atmosphere of
idyllic Lesbos island.
Molyvos, +30 225 307 1713,
sunrisehotel-lesvos.com

WINTER FUN
One of the many highlights
of a trip to Rovaniemi in
Finland: a husky-drawn
sleigh ride
92 Thomas Cook Travel
CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX

CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX
WINTER FUN
Northern exposure
Whether you’re a downhill whizz ready to tackle
the black runs or a gentle explorer of the nursery
slopes, the Nordic countries offer a compelling
alternative to the Alps. Roger Norum discovers
fine pistes, family fun and great après-ski in
Finland, Norway and Sweden
Thomas Cook Travel
93

The perfect spot
for feeling like a star.
Fabulous beaches, crystal-clear waters and settings that will quite simply take your
breath away. Our hotels are located in some of the world’s most outstanding beauty
spots. Unique locations that are ideal for relaxation and the chance to bask on some
of the world’s most spectacular beaches. A luxury only within reach of the stars
Stars like you.

CREDIT: XXXXXXXXX
Hemsedal’s dramatic mountain
landscape has helped it
gain a reputation as
“The Scandinavian Alps”
Beitostølen, Norway
Where: Several hours north west of Oslo,
just outside Jotunheimen National Park.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport: Fagernes.
Best for: With its quiet trails, zero
queues and great mountainside
accommodation, Beitostølen is perfect
for relaxing on the slopes instead of
zooming down them.
Who goes: Adventurous families who
fancy activities such as dogsledding,
snowmobiling and cross-country skiing;
Jeremy Clarkson, who recently filmed
an episode of Top Gear there.
Don’t miss: An exhilarating trip down
the side of the mountain on an inflatable
raft – a favourite local activity.
Best digs: Mountainside Radisson
Blu Resort Beitostølen (neilson.co.uk)
melds sleek contemporary Scandinavian
and traditional Norwegian design, and
has been awarded best ski hotel in
Norway for six years running by the
World Travel Awards.
Best eats: American-themed restaurant
Huset (+47 90 94 05 00) serves excellent
steak and spare ribs, and is also known
for hosting one of Beitostølen’s best
après-ski scenes.
Best souvenir: Specialty Norwegian
liquor aquavit is best priced at Fagernes
Airport’s duty free shop.
Hemsedal, Norway
WINTER FUN
Where: Halfway between Bergen and
Oslo at the base of some of Scandinavia’s
tallest mountains.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Fagernes.
Best for: As Norway’s most popular
ski destination, the “Scandinavian Alps”
are ideal for downhill, snowboarders
and telemark skiers.
Who goes: Both beginner and
intermediate skiers; Marcus Patric
Thomas Cook Travel
95

WINTER FUN
Snowboarding in Norway is
an extrovert’s paradise
and Gavin Henson began 2010’s series
of 71 Degrees North here.
Don’t miss: More than six miles
(10km) of lit cross-country trails.
Use TracTrac GPS-based technology
(tractrac.com) to locate freshly prepared
ski paths.
Best digs: The swankiest place to stay
is Skogstad Hotell (neilson.co.uk),
a recently renovated 1905 farmhouse
outfitted with boutique furnishings.
Best eats: Visit the 1870s coaching inn
Fausko Skysstasjon (Tuv, +47 32 05 51
00) for five-course gourmet meals of
reindeer, grouse and rakfisk (salted
and fermented trout).
Best souvenir: A classic, hand-knit
Norwegian sweater from Dale of Norway
(dale.no), the country’s most respected
traditional clothing brand.
96 Thomas Cook Travel
WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, DON’T MISS
THE CHANCE TO:
GO ICE CLIMBING
Explore Scandinavia’s
frozen beauty by hiking
over a glacier arm or icedover
waterfall in Hemsedal
(norgesguidene.no) or Åre
(jope.se). No special training
or equipment is required.
Book in-resort with
Neilson, neilson.co.uk
Geilo, Norway
Where: A diminutive mountain village
halfway along the scenic Oslo-Bergen
railway line.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Fagernes.
Best for: Late season (and late evening)
skiing – into late April and well past
eight in the evening.
Who goes: Families with children,
thanks to activities that include
sledging slopes, treasure hunts,
cross-country ski orienteering and ski
schools – plus an excellent terrain park
for boarders and skiers. Queen Sonja
of Norway herself received her ski
instructor’s certificate in Geilo.
Don’t miss: The IceMusic Festival
(3-5 February, icefestival.no) features

WINTER FUN
a stage, venue and even instruments all
constructed out of snow and ice.
Best digs: Possibly Norway’s most
famous resort is Dr Holms Hotel
(neilson.co.uk), whose elegant,
romantic rooms are kitted out with
original art and antique furnishings.
Best eats: Hallingstuene (56 Geilovegen,
+47 32 09 12 50), decorated in the style
of a traditional local cottage, is Geilo’s
most upmarket restaurant. Traditional
meets modern here – reindeer carpaccio
and marinated mountain trout, anyone?
Best souvenir: A kicksled – they’re
typically Norwegian, and Geilo hosts
the Kicksled World Championship.
Rovaniemi, Finland
Where: A few miles south of the Arctic
Circle in Finnish Lapland.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Rovaniemi.
Best for: Skiers who also want a shot
of nomadic Sámi culture – and anyone
who cares to tee off on the ice of the
Kemijoki river (arcticgolf.fi).
Who goes: Young couples with a sense of
adventure; Finnish alpine skier Tanja
Poutiainen trained here and it’s also a
favourite with F1 driver Mika Häkkinen.
Don’t miss: Walk down the Arktikum
museum’s 172m-long central corridor
to explore exhibits on Sámi crafts and
costumes (4 Pohjoisranta, arktikum.fi).
Best digs: The city’s poshest stay is the
recently renovated Santa Claus Hotel
(thomascook.com), whose divine Santa
suite has its own sauna and Jacuzzi.
Best eats: Nili (20 Valtakatu, +358
400 369 669) is great for sampling
Arctic specialties. Sink your teeth into
sautéed reindeer, bear tenderloin,
breast of snowgrouse and chargrilled
Lapland trout.
Best souvenir: A multipurpose knife
from the Marttiini Old Knife Factory
(32 Vartiokatu, marttiini.fi), Finland’s
top blade-makers, in the business
since 1928.
98 Thomas Cook Travel
WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, DON’T MISS
THE CHANCE TO:
GO TO SANTA
CLAUS’S VILLAGE
Just north of the Arctic
Circle at Rovaniemi,
visit Santa’s log cabin
(santaclausvillage.info), for
photos with Father Christmas
and sleigh rides, and learn
to bake gingerbread men at
the nearby theme park.
GO ON A HUSKY
SLEIGH RIDE
Experience the call of the
wild with Siberian huskies on
a safari through a tundra
landscape that’s home to
brown bears, lynx and elk.
The northern latitudes of
Kittilä and Rovaniemi are
ideal (huskypoint.fi).
GO SNOWSHOEING
Clump your way across a
starkly beautiful landscape
and let the cobalt-blue
light put you in a dreamlike
state with a hike in Geilo
(hovestott.no) or Kittilä
(harriniva.fi).
Kittilä, Finland
Where: Smack in the middle of Finnish
Lapland, nearly a hundred miles north
of the Arctic Circle.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport: Kittilä.
Best for: More than 60 ski slopes and
330km of cross-country trails make
the Levi ski centre (levi.fi) perfect for
challenging workouts.
Who goes: Snowboarding fanatics, who
can often be found hitting Ylläs resort
(yllas.fi) as early as October.
Don’t miss: A snowmobile trip through
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park or out
to Lainio Snow Village (snowvillage.fi)
for its snow sculptures and snow hotel.
Best digs: The buzzing Sokos Levi’s 200
rooms are the last word in local luxury,
tastefully decorated in a range of cosy
colours from autumn russets to summer
blues (thomascook.com).
Best eats: Cosy Árran (3 Hissitie, +358
16 64 18 88) serves traditional Sámi
dishes such as creamy smoked reindeer
soup with chanterelle mushrooms.
Best souvenir: Hand-woven, traditional
wool mittens or a cap made from goatskin
and reindeer fur, made by local Sámi.
Vemdalen, Sweden
Where: North east of central Sweden’s
Sånfjället National Park.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Åre-Östersund.
Best for: A ski centre featuring four
areas for kids, plus an award-winning
ski school, making it one of
Scandinavia’s best places for a
family-friendly holiday.
Who goes: Families and couples looking
to take it easy.
Don’t miss: Specialist ski classes that
cover carving, moguls, telemark
skiing and how to survive off-piste;
the newly opened six-seater Grizzly
Express, Scandinavia’s fastest chairlift.
Best digs: Neilson Chalet Backengarden
(neilson.co.uk) is a modern two-storey
PHOTOGRAPHY PER ERIKSSON / TRIGGER AB

It’s small and quiet, but
Vemdalen in Sweden is also a
mecca for specialist skiers
Off-the-beaten-track Vemdalen
is north of central Sweden’s
Sånfjället National Park

WINTER FUN
cottage that oozes Scandinavian charm,
with an open fireplace and communal sauna.
Best eats: Set at Vemdalen’s main ski
area, the cosy, informal Hildings Krog
(40 Österlängatan, +46 68 43 13 30)
serves delicious cordon bleu venison.
Best souvenir: Pick up some smoked,
vacuum-packed reindeer (or moose) at
any of the provisions shops in town.
Åre, Sweden
Where: High in the mountains near the
Swedish-Norwegian border.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Åre-Östersund.
Best for: With 30 lifts, 53 slopes and
100+ miles of marked paths, this is the
best carving north of the Alps. Åre was
named the world’s best ski resort by
Condé Nast Traveller in 2008.
Who goes: Downhill experts,
snowboarders, winter-loving families
and anyone wanting a break from
French and Italian resorts.
100 Thomas Cook Travel
WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, DON’T MISS
THE CHANCE TO:
SEE THE
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Witness one of the planet’s
greatest natural shows.
Come winter, the heavens
in this beautiful part of
the world glow with the
Aurora Borealis (Northern
Lights, pictured) – bright,
fiery tapestries of amber
and hazel light. For a
truly unforgettable travel
experience, the Northern
Lights are best viewed
between the months of
September and April. Take
a Northern Lights Voyage
with Neilson Adventures,
flights included. Visit
neilsonadventures.co.uk
Don’t miss: The thrilling zipline course,
dog sledding, ice climbing, snowmobile
safaris and a visit to the Tännforsen
frozen waterfall (prebook through
neilson.co.uk).
Best digs: The swanky Tott Hotel
(neilson.co.uk) features a full-service spa
and pool, plus lake view.
Best eats: Åre’s most unique dining
experience can be found at Karolinen
(Åre, +46 647 32090, karolinen.se),
where the three-course menu includes
local reindeer and moose, all served on
hot stones. You can even arrange to be
collected by dogsled or snowmobile from
Åre or Åre Björnen.
Best souvenir: A bottle of oak
barrel schnapps, distilled in
Buustamons Fjällgård’s basement,
will help bring those Scandinavian
memories flooding back. TC
For winter breaks in Finland, go to
thomascook.com. For the best ski deals in Norway
and Sweden, get the latest Neilson brochure or
visit neilson.co.uk for more information

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Tel: 001 888 400 0604 or +52 998 884 2040
Email: jennifer@aihgmx.com
WWW.BOCATERRACE.COM

ALL FOR A
GOOD CAUSE
The Thomas Cook
Children’s Charity has
been busy over the past
few months making
dreams come true for
sick and disadvantaged
children. The Charity is
on track to raise around
£1 million this year and
that’s thanks to you, the
valued customer. If you’d
like to help out, simply
hand any leftover holiday
money to a member of
your cabin crew on your
return flight. Here are a
few updates on some of
the projects that have
been made possible by
your donations.
CHILDREN’S
CHARITY JOINS
SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS
You can now keep up
to date with how the
Children’s Charity is
continuing to make
dreams come true for
sick and disadvantaged
children by following
us on Twitter (@
TCCcharity) or by
searching for the
“Thomas Cook Children’s
Charity” group on
Facebook and clicking
the “Like” button.
THOMAS COOK NEWS
Catch up with the latest from news from around the globe
Thomas Cook Children’s Charity helps
create a sporting legacy for London 2012
THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT LONDON
2012 will take its place in history
UK
with some incredible sporting
achievements next year. But it’s
so much more than the events that will take
place between 27 July and 9 September 2012.
Many projects are already underway to ensure
that the Games will leave a lasting legacy of
benefits in culture, sport and volunteering,
not just in London, but across the UK. And
the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity wants to
ensure that it plays a key role in delivering that
legacy, following Thomas Cook UK and Ireland’s
exclusive partnership with the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The new collaboration between Sport England
(the English Sports Council) and the Charity
will help fund projects that will deliver improved
sporting opportunities for disadvantaged young
people across England. It will work alongside the
Inspired Facilities fund, part of Sport England’s
Places, People, Play programme, which focuses
on making it easier for local communities and
volunteer groups to improve and refurbish
sports clubs or transform non-sporting venues
into modern sporting facilities. Inspired Facilities
is investing £50 million of National Lottery
funding in up to 1,000 community sports
projects between now and 2012, and this will be
given a further boost with up to £500,000 of
funds from the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity.
Any community or voluntary organisation
can apply for grants to help with projects as
complex as building a brand new sporting venue
to as simple as buying new footballs and goal
posts to replace worn-out equipment. Whatever
the scale of the project, Sport England has
designed the programme to be as simple and
accessible as possible.
For more information about this fantastic
project or how to
apply for funds for
your local community,
please visit
sportengland.org/
inspiredfacilities.
Flights of fantasy for sick children
AFTER READING ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S
Charity on board a Thomas Cook Airlines
flight, Lifelites made an application to the
Children’s Charity for funds to purchase flight
simulator software for 10 of its children’s
hospices during 2010. Due to the nature of
most of the children’s illnesses, many families
are unable to enjoy a holiday. But through
this virtual travel experience, the children can
experience what it’s like to fly a plane through
advanced technology.
The project was such a hit with the children
that the Trustees for the Charity agreed to fund
equipment in a further 14 hospices during 2011.
For more information about the great work that
Lifelites does, visit lifelites.org.
CRUISE CONTROL
A member of
Thomas Cook
staff tests
out the hi-tech
flight simulator
Thomas Cook Travel
103

THOMAS COOK NEWS
LENDING A HAND
IN SPANISH
THOMAS COOK STAFF IN
Palma, Majorca, have been
helping local children’s charity
Ames by asking hoteliers to
donate bed linen, blankets and
towels to its three centres for
children who are unable to stay
with their own families, including
children that arrive from
Senegal and Mali with no family
or luggage. The Charity also
provided funding for a new mini
bus for the children.
GET IN TOUCH
If you know of a child or group
of children you think may
benefit from funding, please get
in touch with Maxine Harper,
Charitable Operations Manager,
Thomas Cook Children’s Charity,
Drake Building, Thomas Cook
Business Park, Coningsby Road,
Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8AB.
Thank you for your support.
HERE TO HELP
AT THOMAS COOK WE
believe our future as a
business depends on the
health and prosperity of the
communities in which we
operate, both at home and in
those countries where our
customers take holidays.
In the past few months we
have supported volunteering
activities undertaken by a
number of our employees,
not only because we want
to support the needs of
local communities, but also
because we recognise the
personal benefits our people
gain from carrying out
voluntary activities.
104 Thomas Cook Travel
It’s easy being green
“Make Holidays Greener” week
was launched by the Travel
Foundation and takes place
annually in July. Holidaymakers
and Thomas Cook employees
are encouraged to take part in
environmental or social activities
in resort destinations. The great
thing about the activities is that
they’re now available all season,
so the benefits are long-lasting
and Thomas Cook guests have
something new to do on holiday.
SAVING SEALIFE
Launched in July 2011 to
celebrate “Make Holidays
Greener” week, Finding Shades
has become a regular fun-filled
family day out at Majorca’s
Palma Aquarium. Enjoy all the
fun of the aquarium, plus
entertainment and games
from KidsWORLD staff
and mascots like Shades
the Shark (above), who
In 2011, cabin crew members
from our Birmingham airport
base delivered much-needed
stationery and gifts to a
school in the Gambia.
Supported by businesses
in Birmingham and the
Thomas Cook oversees team
based in the Gambia, it was
a huge success and greatly
welcomed by the children
in the Gambia (pictured).
Back at home, and in August
members of the cabin crew
training and recruitment
team spent an entire day at a
housing unit for young mothers
and children, close to our head
office. They decorated a room
runs “green” activities, from
treasure hunting to recycling
relays. You can also learn about
the “Save the Tuna” campaign
and sign the petition to stop
over-fishing of the endangered
blue fin tuna. Palma Aquarium
plays a huge role in the
conservation of marine species
and their natural environment
by spreading awareness
among the general public.
See your KidsWORLD
representatives in resort
for further details on how
to join Shades at the
Palma Aquarium fun day.
for one of the tenants, before
talking to other tenants about
the rewarding and exciting
careers available in the travel
and tourism industry.
Earlier, in spring 2011, our
airline finance department
joined forces with other UK
businesses to take part in a
conservation challenge set
up by Business in the
Community (one of The
Prince’s Charities, a group of
not-for-profit organisations of
which The Prince of Wales
is President). By removing
invasive non-native species
and creating habitat piles to
benefit small mammals and
ITALIAN
TASTE-TEST
Another regular feature of
“Make Holidays Greener” week
is the olive oil tasting event
at the Gargiulo olive press in
Sorrento. Combining modern
methods with century-old
traditions, Gargiulo produces
some of the tastiest olive
and truffle oils. The miniature
bottles (below) make excellent
souvenirs and gifts, and will
enable you to create a taste
of Sorrento back at home. See
your local resort representative
for further details.
insects, they helped restore
elements of the eco-system in
local parkland.
The positive feedback
received from people who
have benefited from all these
activities confirms that our
contributions do make a real
impact. And the big smiles
from our staff confirm that
volunteering is definitely good
for them, too!

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Finding it hard to think
about anything else?
There you are trying to enjoy life at the ballet, the theatre,
the cinema or your child’s school play. But all you can
think about is your urgent need to get to a toilet.
You may be suffering from an overactive bladder but you
are not alone. Over 5 million people in the UK have the
same problem. Luckily there are medications and other
treatment options available from your doctor that will
help your bladder.
For more information and advice to help you talk
to your doctor call our confidential helpline on:
0800 044 3541
Request your free copy of Pathway to Success,
a step-by-step booklet that describes overactive
bladder in more detail and offers useful tips and
advice on the help that is available.
Call the freephone helpline number or visit:
www.bladderproblem.co.uk
Alternatively, please write to Beechwood House Publishing Ltd,
FREEPOST RM1151, Beechwood House, 2-3 Commercial Way,
Christy Close, Southfield, Basildon, Essex SS15 6BR
A patient awareness
campaign sponsored by
Registered Charity
Number: 1085095
VES11284UK / June 2011

Wellbeing in the air
Thomas Cook aims to make your flight
comfortable and relaxing. Simply follow
these tips and exercises to ensure you
arrive at your destination feeling great
Special requirements
Hopefully, we already know about your
special requirements, such as wheelchair
assistance or dietary requests. If not, and
this is an outbound fl ight, please advise a
member of the cabin crew so that they can
make appropriate arrangements for your
return journey.
Sleep and seatbelts
If you’re planning to sleep during the fl ight,
we recommend you fasten your seatbelt
so the cabin crew don’t have to wake you
should the Captain need to turn on the
“fasten seatbelt” sign. We recommend that
you keep your seatbelt fastened at all times
while seated.
THOMAS COOK WELLBEING
No Smoking
In line with international policy, all our
fl ights are non-smoking. It is an offence
to smoke onboard. We ask that you refrain
from smoking for the comfort and safety
of passengers and crew.
Young children
The cabin crew will do their utmost to
make everyone feel as comfortable and
welcome as possible during the fl ight.
If you are travelling with young children,
just ask if you need any milk or infant
meals to be heated. Baby-changing
facilities are available on all our aircraft –
again, just ask your crew for the location
nearest to your seat.
HOW TO BEAT JET LAG:
Jet lag occurs when our biological
clocks are disrupted by flying across
time zones. This can affect sleep,
appetite and bodily functions, but by
making a few simple adjustments you
can reduce the symptoms.
INFLIGHT
During the flight, avoid drinking too much
alcohol and caffeine, drink plenty of
water and try to eat light meals.
ON ARRIVAL
When you arrive, go out in the daylight
as soon as possible. Try to adapt to the
local bedtime on your first night. Relax as
much as possible for the first few days –
a catnap between 3pm and 5pm will help
give you an energy boost.
Thomas Cook Travel
107

THOMAS COOK WELLBEING
Electronic
equipment
Technology moves at
such a fast pace that
you may be confused
about what electronic
equipment you can and
can’t use onboard. To
help you, we have the
following guidelines.
The use of radios is strictly prohibited.
Mobile telephones, with the exception of
those with a “flight safe” mode, should be
switched off at all times on board the
aircraft. Phones with a “flight safe” mode
should have this activated before you
switch your phone off for take off.
Personal CD, DVD, MP3 and MiniDisc
players may be used, but only when the
seatbelt sign is switched off.
Wireless devices such as PDAs, laptop
computers, electronic games and E-readers,
may only be used onboard if the wireless
function is disabled and again, may only be
used while the seatbelt sign is off.
Simple as ABC
To feel your best in
the air, remember:
Alcohol
Alcohol should be consumed only in
moderation. For each glass of alcohol, drink
two glasses of water. Try to drink at least a
pint of water every three hours.
Baggy
Baggy clothes are best in the air. Try not
to wear any tight-fitting clothing, loosen
top buttons, belts and shoelaces and
remove tight socks. We do, however, ask
that your dress remains respectable
throughout the flight.
Circulation
Circulation of blood is helped if you try
not to cross your legs or ankles for long
periods of time. Elastic support socks
or stockings may help, but they must be
measured by your doctor or pharmacist. Our
recommended exercises will also help blood
circulation, but if you feel any discomfort
when performing them, then please stop.
108 Thomas Cook Travel
Inflight exercise
Humans aren’t designed to sit in one position
for long, so to promote blood circulation
we recommend the following exercises. Try
them while seated and remember that even the
smallest movements help with blood circulation.
UPPER BODY
1 Take a large breath in through the
nose. Slowly exhale through the mouth.
Repeat a maximum of four times.
2 Sitting upright, turn your head
slowly to look over one shoulder. Now
slowly turn to the other side. Repeat
five times.
LOWER BODY
1 Loosen or remove your footwear. Arch
the soles of both feet and curl your
toes 10 times.
2 Straighten your legs, slightly lift
your feet off the floor and pump both
ankles forwards and backwards about
20 times.
3 Tense and relax your thigh muscles
about 10 times.
4 March your feet on the spot 10 times,
alternating between the heel and the
ball of your foot.
3 Slowly rotate your shoulders
backwards. Repeat this exercise
five times.
4 Raise one arm above your head and
stretch upwards. Repeat with the
other arm.
5 Transfer your weight evenly between
each buttock.
5 Clench your buttock muscles together
10 times.
6 If queuing for the toilet, try
rocking backwards and forwards, heel to
toe and back.
7 Upon landing, gently stretch your
body to get ready for movement.
8 If you are travelling on a long-haul
flight, try to move around the cabin
every couple of hours.

Health & safety while abroad
Your Holiday Accommodation
Never leave your key where someone can note your
room number
Do not leave your window open, especially if your
room is on the ground floor or has a balcony
Remember to lock your room door, even when you
are inside the room
Balcony
Children should NEVER be left unsupervised
on balconies
Do not climb or stand on balcony furniture.
Keep all furniture away from the balcony wall/railings
Never lean over, sit or climb on the balcony
or railings
Bathroom
Take care in bathrooms as condensation and water
spray can make surfaces slippery and bath or floor
mats may not be provided
Do not use mains electrical appliances near
to water
Cooking
Never leave cookers unattended while they are
in use
Ensure all cooking appliances are switched off
when leaving your apartment or when retiring at night
Never leave shopping or other items on the cooker
On arrival at your accommodation
Familiarise yourself with all escape routes and
locate the nearest fire exit to your room
Do a practice walk of the nearest escape route
from your room
Study the fire instruction notice displayed in
your room
Identify the method of raising the alarm on
discovering a fire
Ensure that all smoking materials are safely
extinguished, and do not smoke in bed
If a fire occurs
Evacuate the room/area immediately. Do not stop
to collect personal belongings
Close any doors behind you
Raise the alarm
Proceed to an assembly point outside and well clear
of the building
If you cannot leave your room, close all doors,
put wet towels or clothes around the door seals
and shout for help from the window or telephone
reception
Glass windows and doors
Be aware that glass doors and windows may not
necessarily be equipped with toughened glass.
Caution should be taken at all times
Take extra care in bright sunlight as it may not be
obvious whether the window/door is open or closed
Lifts
Children should not use any lift unaccompanied
Not all lifts have internal doors. When using this
type of lift, stand well back from the exposed wall as
there is no protection from the lift shaft when the car
is in motion
In the event of a fire, use the staircase,
not the lift
THOMAS COOK WELLBEING
Poolside safety/out and about
Every pool is different, but most hotels and
apartments do not employ lifeguards, so please
supervise any young members of your party
Familiarise yourself with the layout of the pool to
identify the deep and shallow areas before use
Ensure that children use the toilet BEFORE entering
the pool and take regular toilet breaks throughout the
day. In the event of a faecal accident in or around the
pool, please report it immediately, as this will assist the
hotel management in ensuring the highest level of
pool hygiene
Shower before entering the pool
Do not swim (or allow children to swim) if suffering
from an upset stomach
Do not change nappies at the poolside
Young children and babies must wear appropriate
swimwear such as rubber-lined swimming trunks.
Swimming in nappies and nude bathing are
unacceptable
Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet
and changing nappies
Have fun, but avoid unruly behaviour. Observe pool
rules and information signs at all times
Pool surrounds can be very slippery – do not run
around them
Do not swim immediately after a meal, and never
swim when you have been drinking alcohol
When jumping or diving into the pool, check the
water depth first and never dive from the deck side
into water less than 1.5m deep
Do not jump or dive from any raised features or
from poolside furniture
Do not use the pool after dark or when closed, even
if it has underwater lights
In the event of an emergency, know how to call
for help
BEACH
1) Spot the dangers
Check out the beach when you arrive
Take care when bathing and swimming
Be aware of dangerous rip currents and strong tides
Do not swim near or dive from rocks, piers,
breakwaters and coral
2) Take safety advice
Swim where there are lifeguards on patrol and take
their advice
Look out for information – warning flags and signs
– and adhere to them at all times
Never swim where a sign says not to, for example
zoned areas for high-speed vehicles such as jet boats
or jet skis
3) Don’t go alone
Never swim alone – make sure there are other
people around
Children must be supervised by an adult at all times
Never swim at night, after drinking alcohol or on a
full stomach
4) Learn how to help
If you see someone in difficulty, tell somebody,
preferably a lifeguard if there is one nearby
Find out what to do in an emergency, such as calling
the local coastguard or equivalent
5) Sun safety
Avoid sunbathing during the hottest time of day
Apply high-factor sunscreen, and re-apply frequently
Never expose babies to the sun and always take
extra care with children
Remember it is possible to burn in the shade, when
it is cloudy and while swimming
At the first sign of burning get out of the sun
immediately
Always drink plenty of water
DRIVING ON HOLIDAY
Check the vehicle is roadworthy and familiarise
yourself with all controls before use, as they may differ
from cars in the UK and Ireland
Check that the car-hire insurance cover you take
out provides adequate cover for the driver and all the
passengers
Always wear a seatbelt
Familiarise yourself with local traffic laws
Pay particular attention when at junctions and
roundabouts
Always carry emergency breakdown telephone
numbers
Always carry a spare set of spectacles (required by
law in Spain)
NEVER drink and drive
Stick to well-travelled and well-lit roads
We advise against the independent hiring of
mopeds, motorbikes, quad bikes and jet skis
Pedestrians
Be vigilant at all times. Familiarise yourself with the
direction of traffic
Be aware that in some countries traffic is not
required to stop at pedestrian crossings
SERVICES OF
LOCAL VENDORS
In many holiday resorts you may find that services,
such as henna tattoos, are available from places
like street vendors. Although not recommended by
Thomas Cook, if you choose to have a tattoo done or
use the services of a local vendor, we would advise you
to do so with caution. In the case of tattoos, ensure
you ask for a test application before any larger-scale
tattoos are applied. If you have any pre-existing skin
conditions, check with the vendor before agreeing to
any application.
GENERAL
If you haven’t done so already, take a few minutes
to complete the emergency contact details in the
back of your passport
Keep important documents in your hotel safe
Be aware of who is around you. Pickpockets and
opportunists will target anyone
Don’t leave your common sense at the hotel. Don’t
lose sight of your drink, don’t walk around by yourself,
avoid dark places and don’t take unnecessary risks
Look after yourself and your friends
If hiring a car/scooter/quad bike, ask yourself
whether you have adequate insurance
Do not leave belongings unattended (in cars,
restaurants, hotel lobby etc)
Don’t sign anything until you seek advice from
experts. The chances of winning a luxury holiday
anywhere in the world just by scratching a card in the
middle of the street, for example, are very remote
Find contact details for your local embassy, in case
of emergency, at fco.gov.uk
Be aware that the laws and customs of the country
you’re visiting may be different from home. Read up
on country-specific advice at fco.gov.uk/travel
Thomas Cook Travel
109

IMMIGRATION CUSTOMS
Flying in and out of the United States
Before you leave the plane
You must fill in the Immigration Visa and
Customs forms, which will be handed out
by the cabin crew during the flight. You’re
legally obliged to fill them in – please make
sure they’re correctly completed or you may
face delays at Immigration. If you do make
any mistakes, please ask for a new form.
These forms are completed in addition to
the ESTA forms completed online.
Which forms do I need?
Depending on your circumstances, you will
either need a white or green Immigration
form, plus a Customs Declaration form.
We’ve put together some tips (below) to help
you avoid the most common mistakes.
Exceptions
You DO NOT need to complete an
Immigration form if you are:
A US citizen
A Canadian citizen
A Green Card holder
A new immigrant
FILLING IN YOUR FORMS
DO:
Take your time
Write in capital letters, using a pen
Write in the space below the questions
and fill in every line. When asked for your
address, if you are a visitor to the US, then
print the name of your hotel. If on a fly-drive
holiday and unsure where you will be staying
on your first night, then give one of the
following addresses:
Sanford – Thomas Cook, 1,650 Sand Lake
Road, Suite 300, Orlando, FL32809
OR
Las Vegas – Thomas Cook, 5,030 Paradise
Road, Suite C214, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Sign and date the back of your Customs
Declaration form
Double-check your forms
Ask cabin crew if you have any queries
DO NOT:
Cross anything out. If you make a mistake,
ask for a new form and start again
110 Thomas Cook Travel
WHITE FORM: ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE RECORD
specimen
specimen
specimen
Complete this form if:
» You are NOT a US citizen
AND
» You hold a valid US Visa
AND
» Your final destination is the United States OR you are
passing through the US to your final destination
Please complete items 1-13 on the Arrival record
and items 14-17 on the Departure record. Keep the
Departure record until you leave the US
BLUE FORM: CUSTOMS DECLARATION FORM
specimen
specimen
You must fill in the Customs Declaration form before you
arrive in the US. One form per household is required.

THOMAS COOK FLEET
Thomas Cook operates over 30 aircraft to Europe
and the rest of the world from the UK
AIRBUS A330-200
Total passengers: 325 and 354
Wing-span: 60.3m
Length: 58.38m
Number in fleet: 4
Maximum take-off weight: 233,000kg
Maximum cruising speed: 520mph
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 772B Series
BOEING 767-300
Total passengers: 326
Wing-span: 47.57m
Length: 54.94m
Number in fleet: 2
Maximum take-off weight: 184,612kg
Maximum cruising speed: 530mph
Engines: 2 General Electric CF6-80C2
BOEING 757-200
Total passengers: 235
Wing-span: 38.05m
Length: 47.32m
Number in fleet: 17
Maximum take-off weight: 113,398kg
Maximum cruising speed: 500mph
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4
AIRBUS A321-200
Total passengers: 220
Wing-span: 34.1m
Length: 43.69m
Number in fleet: 4
Maximum take-off weight: 89,000kg
Maximum cruising speed: 500mph
Engines: 2 CFM 56-5B3
AIRBUS A320-200
Total passengers: 180
Wing-span: 34.1m
Length: 37.57m
Number in fleet: 6
Maximum take-off weight: 77,000kg
Maximum cruising speed: 500mph
Engines: 2 International Aero Engines V2500 Series or CFM
International CFM 56-5B4
BOEING 757-300
Total passengers: 280
Wing-span: 38.05m
Length: 54.43m
Number in fleet: 2
Maximum take-off weight: 117,934kg
Maximum cruising speed: 500mph
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4
BUY YOUR OWN
PLANE ONBOARD!
Thomas Cook model aircraft
are available to buy onboard
for £8.50 each. See Shop!
magazine
g
Thomas Cook Travel
111

A selection of the many
destinations the airline flies to:
1 Glasgow
2 Newcastle
3 Belfast
4 Leeds Bradford
5 Manchester
112 Thomas Cook Travel
UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS
6 East Midlands
7 Birmingham
8 Cardiff
9 Bristol
10 London Stansted
CANADA
LAS VEGAS
USA
MEXICO
PACIFIC OCEAN
11 London Gatwick
12 Aberdeen
13 Norwich
CANCUN
SANFORD
VARADERO
CAYO COCO
CUBA HOLGUIN
MONTEGO BAY
PUERTO PLATA
PUNTA CANA
JAMAICA DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
ATLANTIC
BRIDGETOWN
BARBADOS

MADEIRA
FUNCHAL
ARRECIFE
TENERIFE FUERTEVENUTRA
LAS PALMAS
CANARY
ISLANDS
CAPE
VERDE
BANJUL
THE GAMBIA
OCEAN
BOA VISTA
3
1
12
2
4
5
6
7
13
8
9 10
11
NORTH
SEA
FRANCE
GRENOBLE
GERMANY
GENEVA
TURIN
ITALY
LLEIDA-ALGUAIRE
PORTUGAL SPAIN
PALMA
ALICANTE
FARO MALAGA
ENFIDHA
TUNISIA
SALZBURG
INNSBRUCK
BALTIC SEA
MALTA
BODRUM
THOMAS COOK ROUTES
BULGARIA
SOFIA
DALAMAN
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
KITTILÄ
ROVANIEMI
PAPHOS LARNACA
CYPRUS
EGYPT
HURGHADA
LUXOR
TURKEY
ANTALYA
SHARM EL SHEIKH
GOA
INDIA
Thomas Cook Travel
113

Thomas Cook
Launches Xbox
Partnership
Kinect for Xbox 360 is a revolution in controller
free gaming experiences for the whole family.
Imagine controlling games with a wave of your
hand or the sound of your voice, well that’s just
the start of the fun with this healthy new gaming
experience where all you need to do to take part
is get up off the sun bed and start moving!
Thomas Cook FamilyWORLD, Airtours Sunstar and all
KidsWORLD EXTRA Hotels will be brought to life in
extraordinary new ways, in Summer 2012 as every club will
feature fantastic Xbox Kinect gaming events based around the
exciting new Kinect for Xbox 360.
no gadgets, no gizmos,
just you, Jump in!
Escapades EDGE
Escapades launches its partnership with Xbox by
introducing Xbox Kinect Party Events. Have a
dance off with Dance Central 2 or challenge your
mates on Kinect Sports two in all of our Escapades
Edge hotels throughout Summer 2012.
.

Entertain
Inflight movies, TV and audio
116
116
The return of the pack
The boys are back in town, but can
they handle the heat in Thailand?
117
121
Thomas Cook Travel
115

Personal seatback > Movies TV
ONLY AVAILABLE ON SELECTED FLIGHTS
MAIN
MOVIE
116 Thomas Cook Travel
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
Adventure | 137 mins | Cert 12A | Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush
Our favourite haphazard pirate is back for the
fourth installment of Disney's action-packed
saga, and this time, Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp)
really has his work cut out. After crossing paths
with a mysterious old flame/rival, Angelica
(Cruz), he’s lured onto the Queen Anne's
Revenge ship only to find himself imprisoned by
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Romantic Comedy | 98 mins |
Cert 15
Fall in love with Paris in this
charming Woody Allen-directed
comedy about a young writer
(Owen Wilson) who becomes
disillusioned with his life after
moving to the City of Light,
only to find that the grass isn't
greener on the other side.
Also stars Rachel McAdams.
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
THE FIRST AVENGER
Action | 124 mins | Cert 12A
The top superhero blockbuster
of the summer sees a timid
US army soldier go from zero
to hero after taking part in
an experimental programme
that gives him super-human
powers as Captain America.
Enter the villain, Red Skull, who
the new vigilante must defeat.
Blackbeard, the wickedest pirate on the seven
seas. While fighting off zombies and mermaids,
Captain Jack is forced to seek out the legendary
Fountain of Youth or face death. With another
brilliant performance by Depp and a cameo
from Keith Richards, this wacky but witty series
doesn’t look like it will end any time soon.
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
THE HANGOVER PART II
Comedy | 102 mins | Cert 15
Ruder, cruder and funnier that
the first morning-after-thenight-before
affair, the “wolf
pack” reunites in Thailand
for Stu’s wedding and, you
guessed it, bachelor party. Still
scarred by memories of Vegas,
Stu is determined to keep it
low-key, but of course, things
don’t quite go to plan.
MOVIE PLUS
HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
Fantasy/Family | 130 mins |
Cert 12A
It’s hard to believe that it’s
been 10 years since the first
magical outing, and this
nail-biting finale does the
much-loved film series justice.
Harry, Ron and Hermione are
on a frantic quest to destroy
the last of the Horcruxes in
a bid to finally defeat Lord
Voldemort. But will Harry have
to make the ultimate sacrifice?
FAMILY CHOICE
CARS 2
Animation | 112 mins | Cert U
Racing legend Lightning
McQueen (Owen Wilson) is
back and determined to win
the first-ever World Grand
Prix. But that’s until he gets
distracted by his wayward
sidekick Mater, who becomes
involved in an adventurous
spy mission that takes them
both from Japan to Europe.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL MOVIES AND PROGRAMMING PLAYED ON THE OVERHEAD SCREENS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR
SUITABILITY. ON THE PERSONAL SEATBACK TV, HOWEVER, VIEWER DISCRETION MAY BE REQUIRED AS SOME PROGRAMMING
MAY CONTAIN SEX, VIOLENCE OR STRONG LANGUAGE.
COMEDY
MODERN FAMILY (30 mins)
Cameron makes a shocking
discovery writing a book, Claire
plays peacemaker with Haley
and Alex, and Phil avoids the
mayhem with a day at a spa.
HOW I MET YOUR
MOTHER (30 mins)
Desperate to get a date with
Robin, Ted ends up throwing a
series of parties, after she fails
to show up to the first few.
How I Met
Your Mother
PEEP SHOW (30 mins)
Mark thinks he’s found “the
one” after being set up with
Jeremy’s friend, but will a spate
of burglaries help convince her
that he’s “the one” for her?
FAWLTY TOWERS (30 mins)
Basil’s patience is tested
when a demanding woman
with a bad hearing aid is
disappointed with the lack of
wildebeest outside her window.
ENTERTAINMENT
TOP GEAR (60 mins)
Richard is in South Africa
testing an extravagant
Hummer, while Jeremy
celebrates the Jaguar
E-Type’s 50th birthday.
GRAND DESIGNS (50 mins)
Two architects attempt
to build England’s first
subterranean, eco-friendly
home in the Cotswolds.
MUSIC
WALL-TO-WALL
MUSIC VIDEOS
(120 mins)
KIDS
MR. BEAN ANIMATION
(11 mins)
Mr. Bean has difficulty
shrugging off a mime artist
after being followed home
from the park.
> Outbound from the UK
FUTURAMA (20 mins)
Bender becomes the pharoah
of an Egyptian planet and
keeps his friends as slaves.
Take That
THE SIMPSONS (20 mins)
When Bart’s short film, Angry
Dad, becomes an awardwinning
hit, Homer hogs the
spotlight, to his son’s dismay.
MALCOLM IN THE
MIDDLE (30 mins)
Hal becomes the coach of
Dewey’s soccer team, but
ends up resorting to desperate
measures to inspire the boys.
PREMIUM
YOU’LL NEED THESE!
Headsets are available for £2.50. They come with
an adjustable socket so you can use them at home.
TAKE THAT: LOOK BACK,
DON’T STARE (60 mins)
This intimate, fly-on-the-wall
documentary follows Britain’s
most successful boy band
as they reunite with Robbie
Williams ahead of their
exciting tour.
ARCTIC WITH BRUCE
PERRY (60 mins)
The intrepid explorer travels
to America’s last great
wilderness, Alaska, where
he meets locals, fishes for
salmon, dives for gold and
witnesses the ancient Inupiaq
tradition of whale hunting.
Thomas Cook Travel
117

Personal seatback > Movies TV
ONLY AVAILABLE ON SELECTED FLIGHTS
MAIN
MOVIE
118 Thomas Cook Travel
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Action/Adventure | 131 mins | Cert 12A | James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon
Before they became mortal enemies, Professor X
and Magneto were Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and
Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender). In this prequel to
the epic X-Men franchise, directed by Matthew
Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass), the world is
heading towards nuclear destruction as the Cold
War is in full swing. While an evil team led by
former Nazi geneticist Sebastian Shaw (Bacon)
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS
Family | 112 mins | Cert PG
When hard-hearted property
mogul Mr. Popper (Jim Carrey)
finds his Manhattan home
overrun by penguins left to
him by his late father, his world
is turned upside down. But
inevitably, it’s not long before
his grinch-like ways are curbed
and he starts to grow rather
fond of his flightless friends.
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
SUPER 8
Sci-Fi | 112 mins | Cert 12A
This exciting and utterly
charming film, produced by
Steven Speilberg and set in
1979, sees a group of young
friends in Ohio witness a pickup
truck derailing a high-speed train
while shooting their own zombie
film. But when residents start to
mysteriously disappear, it turns
out the event was no accident.
attempts to ignite World War III, Charles and Erik
form a team of righteous mutants determined to
save the planet. But in the process of stopping
Shaw, the leaders clash, and so the pair divide:
The X-Men are formed by Professor X to fight
for good against Magneto’s Brotherhood.
Reminiscent of JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, the
fifth X-Men is action at its best.
ADDITIONAL MOVIE
TRANSFORMERS:
DARK OF THE MOON
Action | 150 mins | Cert 12A
Michael Bay’s third robot flick
sees the interstellar war
between the Autobots (the
good guys) and Decepticons
(the bad guys) explode after
they discover a Cybertronian
spacecraft hidden on the
moon. Stars Shia LaBeouf and
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
MOVIE PLUS
THE TREE OF LIFE
Drama | 138 mins | Cert 12A
Winner of the Palme d’Or at
2011’s Cannes Film Festival,
this Terrence Malick-directed
drama looks at a 1950s
Midwestern American family
who are struggling with the
loss of their teenage son, and
the strained relationship that
evolves between the father
and the eldest son, Jack, after
an existential journey that
disillusions his adult years.
Stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
FAMILY CHOICE
THE SMURFS
Animation | 103 mins | Cert U
When an evil wizard chases
the Smurfs out of their village,
they find themselves in a very
strange land: New York City.
While trying to escape the
sorcerer and find their way
home, the blue tinkers end
up teaching a workaholic an
important, if not predictable,
lesson about friendship.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL MOVIES AND PROGRAMMING PLAYED ON THE OVERHEAD SCREENS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR SUITABILITY.
ON THE PERSONAL SEATBACK TV, HOWEVER, VIEWER DISCRETION MAY BE REQUIRED AS SOME PROGRAMMING MAY CONTAIN SEX,
VIOLENCE OR STRONG LANGUAGE.
COMEDY
GAVIN AND STACEY
(30 mins)
Preparations for Nessa and
Dave’s wedding are in full swing,
while Stacey has big news for
Gavin. Meanwhile, Bryn and
Jason put a big secret to bed.
HOW I MET YOUR
MOTHER (30 mins)
After Ted drives Barney to the
airport to pick up girls, the pair
end up getting arrested
in Philadelphia.
GLEE (50 mins)
Gwyneth Paltrow stars as
a subsitute teacher for Mr.
Schuester and is an instant hit
with the glee club. Meanwhile,
Sue’s filling in for Principal
Figgins and of course, lets the
power go to her head.
ENTERTAINMENT
KIMBERLEY WALSH:
BLUE JEAN GIRL (50 mins)
The Girls Aloud star travels from
San Francisco and LA to New
York to trace the origins and
Glee
history of the wardrobe staple -
the humble pair of jeans.
JAMIE’S 30 MINUTE
MEALS (30 mins)
The Naked Chef rustles up a
delicious Indian-style steak
accompanied with naan bread
and a spinach and paneer
salad in just half an hour.
LATER, WITH JOOLS
HOLLAND (40 mins)
Jools plays host to R’n’B singer
R Kelly, Californian rock band
Young the Giant, electro-pop
group Metronomy and pop-
starlet-of-the-moment, Adele.
MUSIC
WALL-TO-WALL MUSIC
VIDEOS (120 mins)
KIDS
MR. BEAN ANIMATION
(11 mins)
Noticing that his house is a
mess, Mr. Bean looks at his
calendar and decides it is
time for a spring clean.
Jamie Oliver
FUTURAMA (20 mins)
Fry and the head of Spock,
actor Leonard Nimoy, travel
to planet Omega 3 on a
dramatic hunt to retrieve all
79 episodes of Star Trek.
THE SIMPSONS (20 mins)
Bored with his commute to the
power plant, Homer decides
to once again take the easy
way out by making himself
clinically obese so he can
work from home.
MALCOLM IN THE
MIDDLE (30 mins)
Hating life at military school,
Francis legally emancipates
himself so he can move to
Alaska and become a logger,
> Inbound from the UK
which doesn’t go down well
with his family.
PREMIUM
YOU’LL NEED THESE!
Headsets are available for £2.50. They come with
an adjustable socket so you can use them at home.
MADAGASCAR
(60 mins)
Presented by the legendary
Sir David Attenborough,
this insightful documentary
reveals the most bizarre and
fascinating aspects of nature
in Madagascar.
BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL:
BARACK OBAMA (60 mins)
Documenting the life of
Barack Obama prior to his
presidency in 2008, with
exclusive interviews from his
family members.
Thomas Cook Travel
119

ONLY AVAILABLE ON SELECTED FLIGHTS
OUTBOUND FROM THE UK
MAIN MOVIE
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
ON STRANGER TIDES
Adventure | 137 mins | Cert 12A | Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz
Captain Jack Sparrow is back and this time, he must fight off
zombies and mermaids and seek out the legendary Fountain
of Youth - or face death by the evil pirate Blackbeard.
INBOUND TO THE UK
MAIN MOVIE
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Action/Adventure | 131 mins | Cert 12A | James
McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon
The exciting prequel to the popular franchise shows how
Professor X and Magneto went from friends to mortal foes
when the world was threatened by nuclear destruction.
RADIO
Channel 1
BPM
Right Back (Anton Firtich Dub)
Yuri Kane
Time of Your Life (Club Mix)
Cosmic Culture
Without You (12” Mix) Dogzilla
Anthem (feat. Eric Lumiere)
Filo Peri
Channel 2
CHART CHECK
California King Bed Rihanna
Glad You Came The Wanted
The Lazy Song Bruno Mars
Hitz (Wretch 32 remix)
Chase Status
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Katy Perry
Channel 3
CLASSICAL MASTERS
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988:
I. Aria Johann Sebastian Bach
Serenade In E Major, Op. 22: II.
Tempo Di Valse
Antonín Dvorák
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
Richard Wagner
Mandolin Concerto In C Major,
RV 425: I. Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi
Channel 4
EASY LISTENING
New York (Radio Edit)
Paloma Faith
Coming Up Easy Paolo Nutini
Jar of Hearts Christina Perri
Lucky (Remastered Version)
Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz
New Slang The Shins
Channel 5
PLANET ROCK
Oh Very Young Cat Stevens
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen
Fire Jimi Hendrix
Remedy The Black Crowes
A selection of TV programmes will be played from:
Modern Family
Phil avoids the family
mayhem with a spa day.
Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals
The Naked Chef rustles up
a delicious Indian meal.
Later, with Jools Holland
Live performances from
R’n’B star R Kelly and Adele.
A selection of TV programmes will be played from:
Fawlty Towers
Basil’s patience is tested by
a demanding guest.
How I Met Your Mother
Ted and Barney try to pick up
girls at the airport and fail.
Top Gear
Jeremy celebrates the Jaguar
E-Type’s 50th birthday.
Big Log Robert Plant
Channel 6
KIDS
Enjoy favourite songs
from Hannah Montana, Jonas
Brothers, Justin Bieber and
The Cheetah Girls
Channel 7
ARTIST IN DEPTH:
BILLY JOEL
With hits such as Piano Man,
Uptown Girl, We Didn’t Start
The Fire, Just the Way You Are,
New York State Of Mind and
Say Goodbye To Hollywood
Channel 8
JAZZ CLUB
Hello Dolly Louis Armstrong
I Let A Song Go Out of My
Heart Ella Fitzgerald
21st Century Kid Jamie Cullum
Under the Cherry Tree
Dave Stapleton Quintet
The Wave Kirk Whalum
Mainscreen & audio
Gavin and Stacey
Dave and Nessa prepare
for their big day.
Mr. Bean Animation
Mr. Bean has difficulty
shrugging off a mime artist.
The Simpsons
Bart’s short film, Angry Dad,
becomes a huge hit.
Grand Designs
Can the team build England’s
first underground, eco home?
Futurama
Fry is on a hunt to retrieve all
the episodes of Star Trek.
Malcolm in the Middle
Francis legally emancipates
himself and moves to Alaska.
YOU’LL
NEED
THESE!
Headsets
are
available
for £2.50.
They come
with an
adjustable
socket so
you can
use them
at home.
Thomas Cook Travel
121

ARCHIVE
122 Thomas Cook Travel
The year is… 1967
Forget North America for the ultimate
road trip. As this Thomas Cook brochure
from the 60s shows, there were – and still
are – plenty of scenic routes to explore
on four wheels closer to home. Promoting
motoring holidays in Austria, Spain and the
Italian Riviera, it was as much about the
journey as it was about the destination.
Why not add some va-va-voom to your next
holiday and take inspiration from our very
own Italian road trip cover story on page 40?

UNITED
in everything we do
Do you have the ambition to be
the face of Thomas Cook?
If so, then this is your opportunity to go all out in one of our fantastic Overseas roles.
With the sort of personality and professionalism that leaves a lasting impression on our
customers from the moment they step off the plane to the time you wish them goodbye,
this is your chance to be the welcoming face of one of the most popular companies in
the business for the 2012 season.
It will be hard work. You’ll need to be constantly on your toes and committed to delivering
the very best in customer service. But we’ll train you, incentivise you and of course,
you’ll be the type of person who enjoys the challenge of selling events. Or maybe you’ll
have the experience to be a success in one of our specialist roles, as a KidsWorld Rep,
a Soccer Rep, a Street Cheer Rep or an Entertainer? Whichever position suits you, if you
can handle the long hours, you could find yourself in a beautiful location enjoying a truly
unique working experience.
Visit our website to find out more about the wide variety of Overseas roles we offer.
www.areyouthomascook.net

of
Wellness
Wake up the senses. Spaces for relaxation in an atmosphere that
renews the spirit. Experience new sensations. Wellness, another of
the senses of Cuba you can enjoy in many of the Sol Melia hotels
with programs specially designed to live new experiences in serene
and luxurious Spas.
VARADERO Paradisus Princesa del Mar Resort & Spa I Padisus
Varadero Resort & Spa I CAYOS Meliá Cayo Santa María I HOLGUÍN
Paradisus Río de Oro Resort & Spa
Makes Sense
www.solmeliacuba.com
Cuba with all the Senses