DRIFT Travel Fall 2016
Fabulous locations, must-do adventures and travel exclusives - inside this issue of DRIFT. Come along on the journey.
Fabulous locations, must-do adventures and travel exclusives - inside this issue of DRIFT. Come along on the journey.
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TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL<br />
TRAVEL MAGAZINE<br />
THIS ISSUE’S TOP 10<br />
EUROPEAN HIKES WITH EPIC SCENERY<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
7 INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES<br />
5 ISLANDS<br />
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE<br />
Exclusive<br />
ANTHONY BOURDAIN<br />
CAYMAN COOKOUT | GRAND CAYMAN<br />
THAILAND<br />
SECRET REGIONS<br />
OFF THE BEATEN PATH<br />
HAVANA<br />
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY<br />
FALL <strong>2016</strong><br />
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TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL<br />
TRAVEL MAGAZINE<br />
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TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 3
FALL <strong>2016</strong><br />
JOURNEY WITH US at <strong>DRIFT</strong>travel.com<br />
INSIDE this issue<br />
8 GRAND CAYMAN<br />
Exclusive with Anthony Bourdain.<br />
18 ISSUE'S TOP 10<br />
European hikes with epic scenery.<br />
TRAVELLING EDITOR<br />
30 Balinese magic at Mandapa.<br />
36 LIFE + STYLE<br />
Eric Himel's expert packing tips.<br />
40 TAKING FLIGHT<br />
Cathay Pacific's premium economy.<br />
44 AT A GLANCE<br />
Okinawa Islands, Japan.<br />
46 HAVANA<br />
A Cuban photographic journey.<br />
OFF THE BEATEN PATH<br />
60 Three secret regions of Thailand.<br />
76 BEFORE YOU DIE<br />
Five stunning bucket list islands.<br />
82 LONDON LOO TOUR<br />
Historical tour that hinges on bizarre.<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL<br />
TRAVEL MAGAZINE<br />
66 TRAVEL GEAR<br />
Must have airport survival products.<br />
82 CANARY ISLANDS<br />
Charm meets the beach in Tenerife.<br />
THIS ISSUE’S TOP 10<br />
EUROPEAN HIKES WITH EPIC SCENERY<br />
68 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Seven amazing must-see locations.<br />
90 #WHERETONEXT<br />
Riomaggiore in Italy's Cinque Terre.<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
7 INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES<br />
74 NEW YORK CITY<br />
NYC small scale culinary giants.<br />
Exclusive<br />
ANTHONY BOURDAIN<br />
CAYMAN COOKOUT | GRAND CAYMAN<br />
5 ISLANDS<br />
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE<br />
THAILAND<br />
SECRET REGIONS<br />
OFF THE BEATEN PATH<br />
HAVANA<br />
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY<br />
FALL <strong>2016</strong><br />
Fabulous locations,<br />
must-do adventures and<br />
travel exclusives - inside<br />
this issue of <strong>DRIFT</strong>.<br />
Come along on the<br />
journey.<br />
2 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>ling well<br />
means rest assured.<br />
Explore other travellers’ #lifewelltravelled experiences<br />
and share your own memorable moments.<br />
cathaypacific.com/lifewelltravelled
4 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
a travel note from the<br />
EDITOR<br />
I love to travel the world and as an<br />
editor equally passionate about my<br />
work, it has always been my dream<br />
to have a publication dedicated to<br />
exceptional destinations and unique<br />
cultural experiences; a magazine that<br />
celebrates the diversity of this planet<br />
and the countless wonders of our world.<br />
I often ask the question ‘When is the last<br />
time you saw something for the very first time?’ <strong>DRIFT</strong> travel magazine was<br />
created with that question in mind - filled with stunning photography to<br />
jump start the imagination and smart, thought-provoking travel and lifestyle<br />
editorial that will have you itching to pack a suitcase and get lost.<br />
30<br />
8<br />
Oh, the places I’ve been!<br />
8<br />
<strong>DRIFT</strong> EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />
WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN<br />
At the Grand Cayman Cookout, I<br />
sat down with outspoken chef and<br />
TV personality Anthony Bourdain<br />
to talk food, kids and life after 50.<br />
30<br />
BALINESE MAGIC AT<br />
MANDAPA<br />
I want to introduce you to a very<br />
special place in Ubud, Bali where<br />
time seems to stand still and there<br />
is a very real path to clarity.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> is in our souls; whether we road-trip across our own country or<br />
adventure around the globe, people love to travel. <strong>DRIFT</strong> travel magazine is a<br />
beautifully curated, artistically crafted magazine that celebrates our collective<br />
desire to see the world. Come along on the journey!<br />
40<br />
FLYING VANCOUVER TO HONG<br />
KONG WITH CATHAY PACIFIC<br />
Aboard a long haul 13-hour flight, I<br />
took Cathay Pacific’s new Premium<br />
Economy service for a test drive, and<br />
I’m sharing my in-flight experience.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> often and live well,<br />
Tracey Drake<br />
Editor-In-Chief & Creative Director<br />
editor@<strong>DRIFT</strong>travel.com<br />
Twitter & Instagram: @The<strong>Travel</strong>lingEditor<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 5
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6 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 7
8 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM<br />
Photograph by Bobby Fisher for the back cover of Anthony<br />
Bourdain's new book Appetites: A Cookbook
IN CONVERSATION WITH<br />
ANTHONY BOURDAIN<br />
I<br />
have always dreamed of living in Italy; perhaps a<br />
charming, slightly crumbling Italian villa set in a<br />
quaint seaside village, carved into the steep Amalfi<br />
Coast; Maiori and Atrani always instantly come<br />
to mind. Postcard perfect, right? I thought so. Then,<br />
in 2011, after watching possibly my favorite episode of<br />
The Layover, Anthony Bourdain opened my eyes to a<br />
whole other Italy; a modern Rome. A delicious maze of<br />
a city that was pulsing with history, iconic landmarks,<br />
passionate Romans and mind-blowing food. And his<br />
narrative spoke to me too, “Ideally you visit Rome slowly.<br />
You sit, you stroll, you take it as it comes. You don’t<br />
go see stuff, you let it slip up on you – one piazza, one<br />
fountain, one amazing structure at a time.” In that single<br />
by: Tracey Drake<br />
life, it permeated every part of our conversation. And<br />
you know what? I learned a lot. A lot about Anthony,<br />
food, and why being at the Cayman Cookout is so<br />
important to him, and symbolic of where he is at this<br />
juncture in his life.<br />
True story. Anthony Bourdain has never traveled the<br />
easy street (or taken the high road) to anywhere. Long<br />
and publicly regarded as the black sheep of the culinary<br />
world, I personally think he is one of the reasons chefs<br />
have become such rock stars. He puts it all on the table,<br />
literally and figuratively, and doesn’t care if you like it<br />
or not. He has taught us about strange foods, faraway<br />
cultures, and how to eat – really eat.<br />
PARENTING, JIU JITSU, CAYMAN COOKOUT<br />
& HIS LIFE AFTER 50<br />
episode, I simultaneously fell in love with porchetta,<br />
Italian Hawaiian pizza, a classic 1970 Fiat Cinquecento<br />
and modern Rome.<br />
Now five years later, sitting by the pool of the Ritz-<br />
Carlton Grand Cayman with Anthony Bourdain at the<br />
Cayman Cookout, I really didn't want to talk about<br />
food. After watching him for two days on the Cayman<br />
Cookout stage and two decades on television, I felt like I<br />
understood his food philosophies. I am happily drawn<br />
to his edgy wit, unapologetic sarcasm and palpable<br />
love for foreign lands and authentic people. I wanted to<br />
talk about that. And so we did, and yet, because food is<br />
inextricably woven into the fabric of Anthony Bourdain's<br />
However, in the last decade, his life took a sharp right<br />
turn into parts unknown – and it wasn’t a TV show but<br />
a life-changing reality. In 2007, at the age of 51, Anthony<br />
became a husband and a father and started to take a hard<br />
look at his life, in earnest.<br />
“At no point before the age of fifty was I able, prepared or<br />
up to the job of being a father. Any parent would agree.<br />
Once you have a child, you are no longer the star of your<br />
own picture. After five decades, to finally realize that on<br />
a truly cellular level, you are no longer the center of the<br />
universe was a huge relief for me.”<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 9
<strong>2016</strong> Cayman Cookout<br />
One of the most watched culinary celebrities in history,<br />
today Bourdain has a very carefully calibrated life; and<br />
although he still travels a lot, Anthony is home much<br />
more than he used to be, so that he can spend time with<br />
his wife and daughter. Instead, he takes great pleasure in<br />
possibly nurturing the next generation, but only if she's<br />
into it. Eight-year-old Ariane Bourdain loves to cook,<br />
and especially with her dad, when she can get her hands<br />
squishy and dirty. “Look, my daughter grew up Italian,<br />
basically with her mom, but also grew up with a lot of<br />
unusual foods on the table. So, she eats raw oysters and<br />
likes octopus, and understands the bunny is cute, but it<br />
also tastes good.”<br />
I asked Anthony whether or not all the responsibilities<br />
that come with being a parent keep him up at night. He<br />
laughed out loud. “I am a little weirdly, over enthusiastic<br />
about expressing love through food, I think. Cycle<br />
menu is a little weird for an eight-year-old. And I plan.<br />
I have prep lists for the summer. What the f--k? I am<br />
feeding a child. But I get over organized and I invest a<br />
lot in passing along these powerful food memories that<br />
I enjoyed as a kid. But I have had to learn to not get<br />
offended if she doesn’t like something that I make her.”<br />
The laughter faded, he paused for a few moments, and<br />
then offered up something tender and serious. “Look,<br />
I say that all I can do as a parent is to let my daughter<br />
“I AM A LITTLE WEIRDLY,<br />
OVER ENTHUSIASTIC<br />
ABOUT EXPRESSING LOVE<br />
THROUGH FOOD.”<br />
10 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
know that she is always loved. That she will have high<br />
self-esteem and high regard. Also, she has been training<br />
Jiu Jitsu for four years, so she'll be able to take care of<br />
herself. So yes I am a doting dad. I’m a very happy dad.”<br />
Anthony’s Italian wife, Ottavia Busia doesn’t cook at<br />
all. It might have something to do with the fact that<br />
she is very health conscious, and doesn’t eat starches<br />
or carbohydrates. She is a competitive athlete, coach<br />
and trainer in the sport of Jiu Jitsu. Anthony credits the<br />
sport, and his wife who coaxed (or tricked) him into the<br />
introductory Jiu Jitsu lesson, with changing his life. “I<br />
was a chain smoker, thirty pounds’ overweight and never<br />
been to a gym, like ever in my whole life.”<br />
I asked him about that first Jiu Jitsu class. Was it bad?<br />
“Yeah, it was f--king awful, but I survived it. And I was<br />
proud of myself for surviving it. It was hard with a steep<br />
learning curve. An endless learning curve and that is<br />
attractive to me.<br />
Anthony got healthy over the course of learning and<br />
practicing Jiu Jitsu, dropping those thirty pounds and<br />
changing other aspects of his lifestyle. But as he sees<br />
it, it was never really about getting healthy – that was<br />
just a happy side effect. For Bourdain, it was all about<br />
the curve. “I am a big believer in the Japanese notion of<br />
Shosin, which means Beginner’s Mind.” In a nutshell,<br />
Shosin is the Buddhist practice of always learning, from<br />
a beginner state of mind. “For me, Jiu Jitsu is like being<br />
the worse cook in the kitchen, all over again. You are<br />
faced with a steep hill of things you must learn everyday,<br />
and I don’t know why, but that makes me happy.”<br />
<strong>2016</strong> Cayman Cookout<br />
Bourdain travels for a living. One might argue<br />
that the travel aspects of his television shows, No<br />
Reservations, The Layover and Parts Unknown, are more<br />
appealing to viewers than the food he eats along the way.<br />
He admits that he still travels about 200 days a year and<br />
has rules and rituals in how he travels, and with whom.<br />
Air travel for Bourdain is always the same. “My brain<br />
and body and nervous system, they see a plane ride, a<br />
long plane trip, as an opportunity to sleep with nothing<br />
coming in, nothing to do. I just go offline the minute I'm<br />
on the plane.”<br />
I asked him if he even has the capability to travel for<br />
pleasure, or is it always business, even when its not. “I<br />
don’t f—king know anymore. But it is worth noting<br />
<strong>2016</strong> Cayman Cookout<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 11
Photo courtesy of CNN<br />
that for business, I only go places I want to go. I choose<br />
the places I go.” So, where does the business end and<br />
pleasure begin? “I am in the enviable position of saying I<br />
like to go to Vietnam, jump out of a plane, and then eat<br />
some noodles and shoot it in the style of Wang Kar-wai.<br />
That’s a pretty awesome thing.”<br />
Currently, with one show in production on CNN,<br />
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is an award winning<br />
series that sees him travel to lesser known parts of the<br />
world, exploring unique regions and cultural cuisine.<br />
Anthony recently took long time friend, Chef Eric<br />
Ripert to the Chengdu region of China. “Whenever I can<br />
make television all the way out there, in a strange land<br />
where I don’t speak the language, with a good friend, I<br />
am happy.” Is Barack Obama a good friend? I didn't ask<br />
but in a Season 8 episode of Parts Unknown, which airs<br />
September 25th, Bourdain shares a $6 dinner with the<br />
President at Bún chả Hương Liên in Hanoi, Vietnam.<br />
Personal time off comes in an all-American version<br />
these days. “When it comes to family vacation, I take an<br />
indecent pleasure in feigning normalcy. Meaning, I load<br />
up the car with the luggage, we drive to Long Island to<br />
the Hamptons, where I rent a house for August every<br />
year. I barbecue in the backyard, and I do whatever my<br />
daughter wants to do. She makes all the decisions for the<br />
entire month.”<br />
12 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 13
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman<br />
14 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Does Anthony Bourdain have daddy brain? When<br />
he told me that this new book, Appetites: A Cookbook<br />
is a family cookbook, I honestly thought I had heard<br />
him wrong, and asked again. “It is all stuff that I cook<br />
at home but hey, we are a very wacky family. The cover<br />
design is by Ralph Steadman (Fear and Loathing in Las<br />
Vegas) and with photography by Bobby Fisher, it is game<br />
changingly strange.”<br />
This new book, which hits bookstores this October, is<br />
filled with Anthony’s recipes, and those of long-time<br />
assistant/collaborator Laurie Woolever. It is an honest<br />
reflection of how he lives, day-to-day, and the food he<br />
feeds his family with love.<br />
And speaking of food, family and friends… we<br />
talked for awhile about Grand Cayman Island and the<br />
Cayman Cookout. For Anthony Bordain, this event is an<br />
important part of his year – in fact, a necessary part of<br />
his life, for both personal and professional reasons. The<br />
event is an annual 4-day food affair that is the brainchild<br />
of Chef Eric Ripert, organized each year with his friends,<br />
Chef José Andrés and Anthony Bourdain.<br />
In 2001, Anthony Bourdain’s book Kitchen Confidential:<br />
Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, might have<br />
bruised a few egos and made a few enemies in the<br />
industry, but Bourdain had nice things to say about Chef<br />
Ripert and his restaurant, Le Bernardin. Ripert called<br />
Bourdain to say thank you, and invite him to lunch. The<br />
two have been great friends ever since, and sharing the<br />
CaymanKIND experience together since 2008.<br />
Cayman Cookout is a stellar signature event that takes<br />
place each January at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman,<br />
directly on famous Seven Mile Beach. Cayman Cookout<br />
brings together top chefs from all over the world to<br />
celebrate the best in food and wine. Set in such natural<br />
Caribbean beauty, in one of the most beautiful hotels on<br />
Grand Cayman Island, the event is at once elegant and<br />
relaxed – two words you don’t often see together when<br />
discussing famous chefs and high-end food.<br />
Over the course of four days, guests are treated to<br />
demonstrations and intimate events with famous chefs,<br />
tours and tastings of stellar brands, and unprecedented<br />
access to the world’s most famous chefs. In addition to<br />
Ripert, Andrés and Bourdain, world class culinary giants<br />
Hubert Keller, Cindy Hutson, Ludo Lefebvre, Dean Max,<br />
Michael Mina, Florian Bellanger and Tom Colicchio<br />
were part of the <strong>2016</strong> all-star lineup.<br />
“FOOD IS EVERYTHING WE ARE.<br />
IT'S AN EXTENSION OF NATIONALIST FEELING, ETHNIC FEELING, YOUR<br />
PERSONAL HISTORY, YOUR PROVINCE, YOUR REGION,<br />
YOUR TRIBE, YOUR GRANDMA.<br />
IT'S INSEPARABLE FROM THOSE FROM THE GET-GO.”<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 15
Every year, Anthony brings his family with him to<br />
Grand Cayman, and his daughter spends time with<br />
Chef Jose Andrés three daughters and Chef Eric Ripert’s<br />
son. The three amigos, and their families, stay on site<br />
at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Hotel. Cayman<br />
Cookout is not penciled into the Bourdain calendar –<br />
it’s inked in. “For Cookout, my daughter misses two or<br />
three days of school. That’s a big deal. But necessary.<br />
Here, the kids can run barefoot in the sand after dark,<br />
get up to kid mischief as they should, and I don’t ever<br />
have to worry about my daughter’s safety here, unlike in<br />
the city.”<br />
I asked Anthony what he would like to see done<br />
differently at Cayman Cookout next year. “It works<br />
place on the formal lawns of the Ritz-Carlton and I<br />
followed Anthony around while he visited each local<br />
booth – watching him taste each dish and listening<br />
to him reflect on the local Caribbean flavors. Which<br />
booths left a lasting impression on Anthony? “Any time<br />
you put a pig on a spit, that’s pretty awesome.” Local<br />
restaurant Anchor & Den served up Cordo al Asador<br />
at their booth – local pig that was roasted at the event.<br />
Bourdain swooned over it.<br />
One of my personal favorites of the day was the pepper<br />
jelly from the Cayman Pepper Patch booth. Not only<br />
did I love the product, but the owner/producer Carol<br />
Hay was really lovely as well. I asked Anthony what he<br />
thought of the local jelly. “I don’t usually care about<br />
Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman<br />
great just as it is. The caliber of chefs, old guys and new<br />
kids on the block, that come every year is astounding to<br />
me, so I enjoy that side too." Spending quality time with<br />
his Chef Mafia.<br />
This year, Anthony was part of several signature<br />
Cayman Cookout events. The first that I attended<br />
was “The Adventures of Tony and Eric”, where the<br />
two old friends climbed up on stage, made cocktails,<br />
cooked a little fish, light-heartedly shared each other’s<br />
shortcomings and took questions from the packed<br />
house, which happened to be a very chic open-air tent<br />
right on Seven Mile Beach.<br />
Another event, “The Rundown with Anthony<br />
Bourdain”, was so interesting and a lot of fun. It took<br />
those things – jams, preserves, but that pepper jelly was<br />
really good and the cheeses she was pairing them with<br />
speak to a really refined palette.” This signature event<br />
showed off the island’s finest and demonstrated clearly<br />
why Grand Cayman is considered the culinary capital<br />
of the Caribbean.<br />
Clearly, Anthony Bourdain comes to Grand Cayman<br />
each year for the event, Cayman Cookout. He comes<br />
to be with and support his friends. He comes to take a<br />
deep breath and spend time with his family. He comes<br />
to do the things he loves best – to cook, eat and meet<br />
new people. He comes for all of the same reasons that<br />
he is so passionate about food and traveling the world<br />
in search of the perfect cultural bite.<br />
16 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman<br />
2017<br />
CAYMAN<br />
COOKOUT<br />
JANUARY 12-15, 2017<br />
RITZ-CARLTON GRAND CAYMAN<br />
Join Chef Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton for an<br />
incomparable roster of world famous chefs, wine experts<br />
and spirits blenders with tastings, demonstrations, tours<br />
and dinners that celebrate the barefoot elegance that<br />
only the Cayman Islands can deliver.<br />
2017 Headliner Chefs: Eric Ripert, Jose Andres,<br />
Anthony Bourdain, Terrance Brennan, Dean Max,<br />
Daniel Humm, Emeril Lagasse, Tim Love, Roland<br />
Passot and Christina Tosi.<br />
<strong>2016</strong> Cayman Cookout<br />
Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman<br />
#CAYMANCOOKOUT<br />
EVENT & GRAND CAYMAN TOURISM<br />
INFO: www.caymanislands.ky<br />
<strong>2016</strong> Cayman Cookout<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 17
Tidal bore rafting.<br />
There’s nothing quite like that moment when the river shifts<br />
directions and goes from serene to exhilarating. And just think,<br />
rafting the most extreme tides in the world is only one of the<br />
things in Nova Scotia that will make your heart skip a beat.<br />
A real-life<br />
discovery<br />
channel.<br />
Explore all there is to do at NovaScotia.com
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TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 19
10TOP<br />
EUROPEAN<br />
HIKES<br />
by: ANDREA KIRKBY<br />
Europe is full of great landscapes, and there’s no<br />
better way to experience its variety of natural<br />
attractions than to hike some of the long distance<br />
paths that stitch the continent together. Hikers<br />
will always debate which are the greatest hikes, of course,<br />
but these ten routes are classics and ideal for fall weather<br />
trekking.<br />
1ENGLAND/SCOTLAND<br />
Pennine Way starts just outside the busy<br />
industrial city of Sheffield, but within a few<br />
miles it’s crossing bleak wild peat moors and<br />
striding gritstone cliffs. The route follows<br />
the watershed up the backbone of England, finally<br />
crossing Hadrian’s wall and the border into Scotland and<br />
the Cheviot hills.<br />
267 miles (430km)<br />
20 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Pennine Way: Hopping over Hadrian's wall from England into Scotland<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 21
2FRANCE/SPAIN<br />
Camino de Santiago, also known as GR<br />
65 or Chemin de Saint-Jacques follows the<br />
medieval pilgrimage path from Le Puy in the<br />
center of France to Santiago de Compostela<br />
at the western edge of Spain, though many hikers only<br />
walk the Spanish stretch. The full route takes a couple of<br />
months. This hike is fascinating as it has both cultural and<br />
natural attractions; the cathedrals of Le Puy, Pamplona,<br />
Burgos, Leon and Astorga are all visited en route, while<br />
there are many ancient pilgrim hospices and monasteries,<br />
and even Roman bridges to be crossed.<br />
Way of St. James: 500 miles (804km)<br />
3FRANCE/ITALY<br />
Via Francigena is another medieval route,<br />
but it’s less well known than the Camino de<br />
Santiago. It was the route pilgrims took from<br />
northern France to Rome, and the stretch from<br />
Lucca to Rome runs through remote Tuscan hill towns, past<br />
Romanesque churches, Etruscan monuments, and bubbling<br />
hot springs. Most of the route is fairly gentle, running through<br />
vineyards and farmland until it reaches the suburbs of Rome.<br />
270 miles (780km)<br />
THE MOUNTAINS<br />
are calling and I must go.<br />
JOHN MUIR<br />
AUTHOR & NATURALIST<br />
22 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Camino de Santiago collage: The many sights along the way<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 23
Path of the Gods: Walking over blue waters<br />
4ITALY<br />
Path of the Gods is an Amalfi Coast<br />
walk along the Mediterranean, and between<br />
small towns and villages. There are tiny<br />
beaches and coves below, monasteries and<br />
rough forested peaks above, with some stiff and sweaty<br />
ascents, but it’s worth it when you come across a fragrant<br />
lemon grove suspended vertiginously above the sea.<br />
Hikers can take time off to visit some of the fine palaces<br />
and ancient cathedrals along the route, or drink Amalfi’s<br />
famous limoncello liqueur and enjoy a plate of seafood.<br />
25 miles (40km)<br />
24 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
From our cover: Lemon tree fields, Italian skies and<br />
Mediterranean waters along the Amalfi Coast<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 25
Malerweg: Exploring narrow, moss covered gorges
5SWEDEN<br />
Kungsleden or ‘King’s Way’ in the far<br />
north of Sweden is a true wilderness trek,<br />
taking a month or more to complete. The<br />
landscape encompasses tundra, birch<br />
forests, heathland, glaciers, and Sweden’s highest<br />
mountain, and wild camping is permitted everywhere<br />
along the route - indeed, it’s so remote that hikers need<br />
to carry a tent and food for some portions of the route.<br />
270 miles (440km)<br />
7ICELAND<br />
Laugavegur is a big tough four-day hike<br />
(six if you carry on from Thorsmork to the<br />
coast) covering some of Iceland’s wickedest<br />
terrain. There are high ice fields, brightly<br />
colored volcanic rocks, amazing views of gorges gouged<br />
out by glacial floods, and mud geysers that spit sulfurous<br />
fumes as you pass. Best of all, at both ends of the trail,<br />
there are hot springs to bathe in after a hard day’s hiking.<br />
49 miles (79km)<br />
6GERMANY<br />
The Malerweg or ‘Painters’ Way’ in the<br />
sandstone hills of Saxony is one of the most<br />
romantic hikes in the world. Its picturesque<br />
scenery of limestone carved by wind and<br />
water includes narrow mossy gorges and splendid spires of<br />
rock; it’s worth getting up early for sunrise, when the rock<br />
glows pale yellow and pink and mist rises from the valleys.<br />
69 miles (112km)<br />
8GERMANY<br />
Saar Hunsrueck Steig, near Trier, is<br />
a pretty and highly adaptable trail. It was<br />
designed with a number of loops that can<br />
be added to the hike or made into day hikes.<br />
The landscape is always changing; there are castles, forests,<br />
megalithic sites, small towns, lakes, and open heath, and<br />
best of all there’s an iconic view of the Saarschleife, where<br />
the river Saar makes a tight u-bend between forested hills.<br />
254 miles (410km)<br />
Kungsleden: Waking up in the vastness of Sweden<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 27
9CORSICA<br />
GR 20, Corsica’s high route, makes<br />
hikers earn their rewards; it’s formidably<br />
tough in sections, including one via<br />
ferrata where chains are attached to<br />
the rock to enable walkers to scramble upwards. In<br />
return for hard work, it offers tremendous views<br />
over the island and out to sea, as well as mountain<br />
lakes that gleam turquoise in the Mediterranean sun.<br />
112 miles (180km)<br />
10<br />
ITALY<br />
Alta Via 1 is a high route through<br />
the Dolomites, offering the hiker<br />
a chance to see some of the most<br />
spectacular limestone scenery<br />
in Europe, together with alpine lakes and meadows.<br />
There are soaring dark limestone spikes, long sharp<br />
ridges, and gentle, fertile valleys, and best of all there are<br />
numerous mountain huts and refuges to spend the night.<br />
75 miles (120km)<br />
Corsica: Climbing nature's mountain staircase<br />
While many travelers are primarily interested in the cultural highlights of Europe found in the densely<br />
populated cities and quaint historic towns, hiking offers a completely different way to appreciate Europe’s<br />
vast landscapes and different cultures. Many tour operators now offer packages for hikers which include bed<br />
and breakfast and packed meals as well as luggage transfers - search “Hiking Tours Europe” to research tour<br />
operator options. Or for the more experienced (or adventurous) hiker, ready your backpack, turn up at the<br />
start of your chosen hiking route and hit the trails!<br />
28 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Alta Via 1: Lac di Sorapis in the Dolomites
the<br />
editor<br />
when was the last time you saw<br />
something for the first time?<br />
by: TRACEY DRAKE<br />
BALINESE MAGIC AT MANDAPA<br />
I had been looking forward to my trip to Bali<br />
for months; my mind creating all kinds of<br />
daydream scenarios that involved spectacular<br />
places and unforgettable experiences. Of<br />
course, those all came true (if you have been<br />
to Bali, you know exactly what I mean), but<br />
what I didn't expect was that one of the most<br />
memorable would be a hotel. I should qualify<br />
that statement by saying this is no ordinary<br />
hotel - this is Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton<br />
Reserve in Ubud.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>ing with my husband, we booked an<br />
Uber car in Denpasar, and headed north to<br />
Ubud. It is an interesting drive through the<br />
bustling streets of Denpasar with hundreds<br />
of motorized scooters going every which way.<br />
On the highway, we passed many small towns<br />
that were well into their daily routines. About<br />
an hour later, we arrived at the outskirts of<br />
Ubud, and I watched out my window in<br />
fascination as a busy intersection and a sharp<br />
left turn quickly became a serene residential<br />
lane-way that led us to the gates of Mandapa.<br />
I had arrived in paradise.<br />
Mandapas (meaning temples) have been a<br />
foundation of Balinese culture for thousands<br />
of years. In Ubud and all over Bali, these<br />
temples offer a restful place for devotees to<br />
restore mind, body and soul. So, it seems very<br />
fitting to me that Ritz-Carlton would choose<br />
the name Mandapa for this magical oasis.<br />
My first visual introduction to Mandapa<br />
literally left me speechless. Perched high on<br />
a hill, the hotel's open air terraced reception<br />
area offers 270 degree views of lush rolling<br />
jungle landscape, rice paddies and the Ayung<br />
River. Less than one year old, I was impressed<br />
to see that instead of simply building a<br />
modern resort, the hotel was built around<br />
the magnificent rice fields, ancient trees<br />
and Balinese jungle. In fact, from the lobby,<br />
you can immediately see how the sprawling<br />
property wraps around the beautiful nature<br />
that is uniquely Bali.<br />
Henry, our personal butler, introduced<br />
himself and ushered us to a golf cart that<br />
was the mode of transportation here, due to<br />
the very steep inclines from the villas to the<br />
hotel's main buildings.<br />
FOLLOW<br />
@TraceyDrakeEditor<br />
on Instagram & Twitter<br />
or search hashtag #The<strong>Travel</strong>lingEditor<br />
32 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 33
THE FINER POINTS<br />
• Driver: The charming village of Ubud is just ten minutes away, and there<br />
are so many wonderful places to visit in the immediate area. The hotel staff<br />
will be happy to arrange a Mandapa driver to take you to and from town.<br />
• Sun and Shade: A lovely locally made market tote and sun hat are<br />
provided for you, as well as quality sunblock and skin refresher spray. Take<br />
my advice - use them when you go into town or head out on a walking<br />
adventure.<br />
• Personal Butler: Day and night, there is a Patih at your service, a<br />
dedicated certified butler who can tend to your every need. Available by<br />
email, text or by calling the concierge desk.<br />
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:<br />
RITZCARLTON.COM/EN/HOTELS/INDONESIA/MANDAPA<br />
34 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
Our private villa, just one of sixty at this<br />
intimate property, was luxurious and<br />
authentically Balinese. The outdoor space<br />
featured a bubbling fountain, mature trees<br />
and the most peaceful swimming pool, that<br />
reflected nature in its still waters, like an<br />
ever changing work of art.<br />
Showcasing regional architecture and<br />
craftsmanship, the elegant living space was<br />
in a separate riverfront building and the<br />
massive sleeping quarters had a poolside<br />
terrace. I felt like I was in Bali, with furniture<br />
made from local woods, and artwork that<br />
represented Balinese history. As you would<br />
expect from any Ritz-Carlton hotel, the<br />
amenities were exceptional; quality linens,<br />
towels, robes, and toiletries. The soaker<br />
bathtub with garden views and the indoor/<br />
outdoor shower did not go unnoticed.<br />
The lush green rice paddies at and around<br />
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve are so<br />
much more than just lovely scenery. I tried<br />
my hand at rice farming for a day, learning<br />
why rice is an important foundation in<br />
Balinese culture, and coming away with<br />
a sincere appreciation of how hard rice<br />
farmers work each day.<br />
Dining at Mandapa was a pleasure and<br />
options were plentiful. We enjoyed healthy<br />
juiceology at the Pool Bar. Each morning,<br />
we ordered a hearty breakfast at Sawah<br />
Terrace Restaurant, overlooking the rice<br />
paddies. On our first night, we experienced<br />
a Mediterranean-European fusion menu<br />
at Kubu, dining inside a private bamboo<br />
cocoon. On our final night, which also<br />
happened to be our wedding anniversary,<br />
the staff at Mandapa treated us to Dining<br />
Beyond, an unforgettable "BerDua at<br />
Mandapa Rice Field" dinner for two, with a<br />
lovely table set among the rice paddies.<br />
I would be remiss if I did not mention the<br />
restorative afternoon I spent in the Mandapa<br />
Spa. The wide open spa looks out over the<br />
Ayung River and is such a special place to<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 35
clear your mind and rid your body aches.<br />
I opted for an authentic Balinese Massage.<br />
If you've ever had one by a skilled massage<br />
therapist, you know it is not overly relaxing.<br />
As the expert hands of my therapist found<br />
every kink and knot in my stressed body,<br />
I felt it. However, the session ended with a<br />
gentle head and face massage, and with the<br />
soothing sounds of the rushing Ayung River<br />
outside the window, I soon forget about the<br />
sore bits. In fact, by the next day, my body<br />
was feeling so free and de-stressed, I wanted<br />
to go back for another. Mandapa Spa truly<br />
is focused on traditional healing therapies.<br />
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is located<br />
in a region of Bali famous for creative arts,<br />
stunning temples and natural beauty. This<br />
is a place where one can easily get lost in<br />
the serenity, and then find yourself again,<br />
but in a much better place - mentally and<br />
physically. I cannot wait until the day I can<br />
return to the magic at Mandapa.<br />
36 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
The Case for Better <strong>Travel</strong>.<br />
www.raden.com
Eric Himel’s<br />
LIFE+STYLE<br />
by: ERIC HIMEL<br />
Vacations are always a time to look forward to,<br />
but the logistics of packing can be a nightmare!<br />
Whether your destination is a winter wonderland<br />
or fun in the sun, you always want to make sure<br />
you pack smartly: pack light, chic and be prepared for any<br />
vacation occasion!<br />
Here's my tips for packing with a plan - taking the guess<br />
work out of predicting what you will need!<br />
FUN IN THE SUN<br />
Pick a theme - create a look. You can’t pack everything so<br />
choose what your vibe or color palette is going to be. Do you<br />
look good in white? Pastels? Nautical? Or animal prints? Pick<br />
one, and build out from there. Also decide if your jewelry is<br />
going to be silver or gold but don’t pack both. Lightweight<br />
scarves are always great for a chic style element to add to a basic<br />
outfit as well as being able to wrap it around your shoulders<br />
or neck at night if it happens to turn cool. Pick one that can<br />
double as a light shawl. Linen is great for warm weather<br />
ERIC’S CHIC GUIDE TO PACKING LIGHT FOR YOUR MOST STYLISH VACATION EVER!<br />
ERIC HIMEL (erichimel.com)<br />
is a widely known celebrity stylist, fashion expert and media personality. Himel<br />
attended Parson’s School of Design and trained under Project Runway’s Tim Gunn.<br />
Now based in Los Angeles, Himel’s roster of celebrity clientele has included Jenny<br />
McCarthy, Giuliana Rancic, Pete Wentz, Gabby Douglas and more,. Eric is best known<br />
for his signature Closet Purge and now offers Virtual Styling Sessions.<br />
38 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
vacations just don’t get OCD about it if it gets wrinkly - just<br />
go with the flow. Fabrics that have a synthetic component to<br />
them pack better and eliminate wrinkles. Since shoes take up<br />
so much room, pack a flat sandal, a wedge and a heel for night<br />
and if you’re going to exercise on your trip your last pair<br />
should be a workout shoe - this will cover all of your bases.<br />
You can recycle the same outfit by bringing extra accessories<br />
such as scarves and jewelry to make the looks different<br />
from one day to the next. This will save on packing space.<br />
COLD WEATHER CHIC<br />
Just like packing for warm weather vacations, pick a color<br />
or theme as the central look for your vacation wardrobe.<br />
As a base color, go with blacks or browns, but not both. If<br />
you choose black, some accent colors that work great would<br />
be grays and burgundies. If a warm color work better on<br />
you, choose chocolate brown and accents with beige, cream<br />
and dark green or rust. Layering is key so bring tops and<br />
sweaters that work together. Infuse velvet or chunky knits<br />
to give some textural interest. Swap out a skinny jean with<br />
a skinny cord to mix up a casual look. And don’t forget<br />
fun gloves, scarves and hats that can take a blah outfit to a<br />
totally chic one in a very inexpensive way and won’t take up<br />
a lot of extra room in your luggage.<br />
ERIC'S TRAVEL MUST-HAVES:<br />
• Airplanes Can Be Cold: Large cashmere shawl or<br />
pashmina to keep in your carry-on for cold flights.<br />
• Get The Most Out of Your 2nd Carry-On Bag: A<br />
chic, durable tote bag will double as your purse and 2nd<br />
carry-on for maximum storage. Keep your good jewelry,<br />
small makeup bag and one change of clothes in tote (if<br />
checking bags) in case airline loses it!<br />
LONGCHAMP TOTE<br />
Le Pliage Expandable <strong>Travel</strong> Duffel<br />
• Keep Hydrated & Protected: Don’t forget a good<br />
moisturizer with sunscreen (less than 100ml for airport<br />
travel).<br />
• Skin Is In: Pack a good body scrub to exfoliate your patchy<br />
skin from either dry, cold weather or after hours of laying in<br />
the sun!<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 39
Spain’s Canary Islands are among the most<br />
sought after holiday destinations in the world<br />
with people from all over the globe visiting every<br />
year. Tenerife is the most popular of the islands,<br />
with impressive hotels situated all over the island,<br />
hundreds of bars creating fantastic nightlife, and<br />
world class beaches. However, there are plenty of<br />
other things to do on the island; attractions that<br />
will leave you with memorable moments on your<br />
next trip to Tenerife.<br />
Golf Del Sur is popular with the older generation,<br />
and snowbirds often come here to settle in their<br />
retirement. It’s a peaceful location with stunning<br />
views and hotels as well as a spectacular golf<br />
course that is perfectly situated and surrounded<br />
by breathtaking landscape. Designed by Pepe<br />
Gancedo, who is considered the “Picasso” of his<br />
field, it’s one of the most peaceful golf courses<br />
you will ever play on!<br />
42 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
TAKING FLIGHT<br />
PREMIUM ECONOMY<br />
VANCOUVER TO HONG KONG<br />
CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS<br />
by: TRACEY DRAKE<br />
My travel budget doesn’t usually allow for<br />
business class travel on long-haul flights.<br />
However, I use flying time as an opportunity<br />
to get a lot of work done so I am free to<br />
experience my final destination immediately upon arrival.<br />
So, I need elbow room and space for my MacBook and<br />
notepads. I also have quite long legs, which are a curse on<br />
any flight, but more so on a 13.5 hour flight from Western<br />
Canada to Hong Kong.<br />
With business class out of my financial reach,<br />
and economy out of my comfort zone, I went in<br />
search of middle ground and found a new option -<br />
Premium Economy with Cathay Pacific Airways.<br />
This is a new level of service for Vancouver to Hong<br />
Kong flights. For the dates I was traveling (April/<br />
May <strong>2016</strong>), premium economy was just $710 more<br />
than economy, but $3,530 less than business class.<br />
From the moment I arrived at the airport, I knew<br />
the experience was going to be markedly different.<br />
There was a premium economy priority line at<br />
the Cathay Pacific counter (just like business and<br />
first class) and baggage allowance was 25kg/55lbs,<br />
compared to just 20kg/44lbs for economy passengers.<br />
Translation? More shopping for me in Asia!<br />
At the gate, there was a designated line and priority<br />
boarding for premium economy passengers. Aboard<br />
the airplane, there was a separate cabin of the<br />
aircraft for premium economy, with in-flight crew.<br />
We were offered a hot towel, welcome beverage<br />
and a newspaper while we prepared for take-off.<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 43
LONG HAUL COMFORT<br />
There were less than thirty seats in the premium<br />
economy cabin, which was modern, clean and<br />
spacious. There was ample room between my seat<br />
and the passenger beside me. My seat featured<br />
eight inches of recline and a four-way headrest<br />
for body support and comfortable sleeping. I<br />
reserved a front row seat, which included a legrest<br />
and lots of stretching space for my long limbs.<br />
The larger tray table was perfect for working or<br />
dining, and there was a secondary drinks table<br />
for extra tabletop space. Meal service (served<br />
twice on my flight) included elegant entrées -<br />
Asian or Western options. Wine, cocktails, bottled<br />
water and yummy snacks were always available.<br />
I must mention how much I appreciated<br />
the noise cancelling headphones, and the<br />
stylish amenity kit with travel socks, eye<br />
shade, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste.<br />
Its limited edition felted wool pouch, designed<br />
for Cathay Pacific by G.O.D - Goods of Desire,<br />
has become the chic new home for my passport!<br />
44 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
TAKING FLIGHT<br />
Cathay Pacific currently offers<br />
two flights daily from Vancouver<br />
International Airport to Hong Kong.<br />
You can choose to depart YVR in the<br />
afternoon (2:25pm PST) or in the early<br />
morning (2:05am PST). I chose the<br />
latter because it offered the most sleep<br />
time, allowing me to arrive 13.5 hours<br />
later in Hong Kong, at the beginning of<br />
a new day, feeling refreshed and ready<br />
to start exploring. Premium economy<br />
class is available to and from many<br />
different cities and countries. More info<br />
at CathayPacific.com<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 45
AT A GLANCE:<br />
Okinawa Islands<br />
by: ELIZABETH DEAN<br />
There is a place between Taiwan and Japan where<br />
speckles of land skip across the surface of the ocean.<br />
Forty nine of these small islands are inhabited and one<br />
hundred and eleven belong to the tropical wild. These<br />
are the Okinawa Islands. Where the lands are flooded with lush<br />
overgrown jungle, the sands are white as snow, and the waters are<br />
clearer than a glass of cool water. The islands are rich in history<br />
with fascinating legends of the Ryukyu culture. Once its own<br />
temperate kingdom, Okinawa now belongs to Japan and divides<br />
the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.<br />
46 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
ROPE IN<br />
THE OPEN SEA<br />
WHAT’S IN A NAME?<br />
The stretch of tropical islands wind<br />
across the open blue, perched<br />
precariously on the steadily<br />
moving waters of the easterly sea.<br />
Just as they appear from above, the<br />
name Okinawa translates to “rope<br />
in the open sea”.<br />
WHAT TO BRING<br />
SNEAKERS Skechers Burst are<br />
light, ventilated walking shoes for men<br />
and women.<br />
skechers.com<br />
SUNGLASSES<br />
Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses with<br />
polarized green flash lenses.<br />
ray-ban.com<br />
WORLD ADAPTER<br />
Skross compact 3-pole travel plug with a dual USB<br />
charger for travelers from over 220 countries.<br />
skross.com<br />
WHAT TO DO<br />
Be sure to indulge in at least one traditional<br />
Okinawan dish, the local cuisine is famous for its<br />
part in good health. The locals have the longest life<br />
expectancy in the world; their mantra is “nuchi<br />
gusui”, meaning, food is medicine. There are plenty<br />
of spots to go snorkeling or diving and experience<br />
the exotic marine life and impressive coral reef.<br />
While the sea will lure and tempt you, don’t neglect<br />
the magnificent land. Explore a mangrove jungle<br />
by canoe, or hike through the mountains. Iriomote<br />
Island, called ‘the last unexplored region of Japan’,<br />
and Onna Village, are magical places to see rare<br />
animals and plants. There is also a lot to be learned<br />
about the culture and history – stroll through the<br />
historical sites and interact with the locals.<br />
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HAVANA<br />
a photographic journey<br />
Featured Photographer: Alex R. Elms<br />
Alex R. Elms is a filmmaker<br />
and photographer, who<br />
has traveled the world<br />
looking for unique<br />
shots and perspectives.<br />
Selected for the NME<br />
photography awards, and<br />
short-listed at Cannes<br />
in the Young Lion film<br />
category, Alex sees unlimited potential through<br />
the lens. Photographing fashion, live music, travel<br />
and events, Alex has a current/past client list<br />
that includes Nike, BBC, M&C Saatchi, Bestival,<br />
Gigwise, Virtual Festivals, Consequence of Sound,<br />
British Red Cross, Bath In Fashion, and Alter Art.<br />
CAMERA EQUIPMENT:<br />
Canon 5D MK III<br />
Canon 24-70 F2.8 II<br />
Canon 50mm F1.4<br />
Canon 17-40 F4<br />
FOLLOW ALEX ONLINE:<br />
Website: alexrelms.com<br />
Instagram: @alexrelms<br />
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In Havana, homes naturally spill out onto the street, making for strong communities.<br />
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Every street in Havana offers its own character, hidden bars & classic cars.<br />
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Fishing off the seawall is a favorite pastime of many Cubans.<br />
Evenings on the Malecón are a sight to see.<br />
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Taking to the streets to find their next adventure.<br />
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Colorful homes make for colorful characters.<br />
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The charm of 1950’s cars is still very much alive in Havana.<br />
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Havana city center is forever on the move.<br />
Hidden away amongst rows of houses, street markets sell all the fresh<br />
produce you could ever want.<br />
Fruit sellers wander the streets, working long into the night until their<br />
stock is sold.<br />
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HAVANA, THE CAPITAL OF CUBA<br />
is the largest city in the Caribbean<br />
with 2.1 million inhabitants, and<br />
one of the most culturally rich<br />
urban centers in the world. Cuba’s<br />
love of music flows from the city’s<br />
clubs and cabarets every night,<br />
and dance spills out onto Havana’s<br />
sidewalks with impromptu streetside<br />
salsas. Its pride and appreciation<br />
for its glorious colonial past is<br />
reflected in Havana’s many castles,<br />
cathedrals, museums and mansions.<br />
The historic neighborhood of Vieja<br />
Habana (Old Havana) is a UNESCO<br />
World Heritage site, with more than<br />
900 landmarks. Havana’s stunning<br />
Malecón and captivating coastline<br />
offers nearly 15 km of excellent<br />
beaches and unspoiled coral reefs.<br />
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With a love of new places, new faces and new subjects to shoot, I’d travel<br />
anywhere for a photograph. Specializing in performance and events, I’ve been<br />
lucky enough to travel the world for my work. I’m still desperate to see more.<br />
ALEX R. ELMS<br />
Color co-ordination is not required to get on the school bus.<br />
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off the beaten path<br />
THAILAND’S<br />
by: RONAN MAHONY<br />
SECRET REGIONS<br />
Thailand is one of the most frequently visited countries<br />
in the world - and with good reason. Each year, over 25<br />
million people flock to the Land of Smiles in search of<br />
exotic cuisine, idyllic beaches, and unique culture.<br />
This influx of visitors also means that it can be difficult<br />
to find somewhere authentic to visit that hasn’t been<br />
taken over by tourism. Luckily, there are still lesser<br />
known, quieter locations for those who want to see the<br />
real Thailand.<br />
Here are the details on three less-touristy destinations<br />
you can visit while in Thailand.<br />
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Phraya Nakhon Cave<br />
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Prachuap Khiri Khan<br />
This gorgeous seaside town is the capital of the province of<br />
the same name. Thousands of tourists make their way to<br />
this province each year, but most of them go to Hua Hin,<br />
a popular beach resort. Little do they know that the sleepy,<br />
laid-back town of Prachuap is located just one hour down<br />
the road and is filled with the magic that is Thailand.<br />
If you are searching for an authentic experience where<br />
you can immerse yourself in local culture, Prachuap has it<br />
in spades. It retains a sense of the real charm of Thailand<br />
with bustling night markets full of amazing Thai food. The<br />
weekend market is one of the best in the country, giving<br />
visitors the opportunity to dine on cheap, scrumptious<br />
seafood right beside the water.<br />
There is also a glorious beach known as Ao Manao (meaning<br />
Lime Bay) nearby, just a 10-minute bike ride from town.<br />
This serene bay is unique in that it is situated inside Wing 5<br />
of the Royal Thai Air Force base.<br />
Accommodation is cheap in this region of Thailand, and<br />
there is so much to do and see, without the tourist crowds.<br />
Prachuap Khiri Khan is located in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, 240 kilometers south of Bangkok.<br />
Ao Manoa (Lime Bay)<br />
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Loei<br />
Loei is located in the Isaan region of Thailand, which is the<br />
least-visited region of the country - all the more reason to<br />
go! Loei is a beautiful, quiet area located on the banks of the<br />
mighty Mekong River. A real nature lovers’ paradise, Loei is<br />
surrounded by many beautiful mountains.<br />
In the daytime, you can visit one of the mountains or<br />
national parks in the vicinity. When you’ve had enough<br />
exercise, head back to town and soak up the relaxed<br />
atmosphere with a cold beer on the banks of the Mekong.<br />
Loei is the perfect place to chill out for a few days and<br />
escape, relax and recharge for the next leg of your journey.<br />
Buriram<br />
Also situated in the Isaan province, the city of Buriram has<br />
been hailed as the next major tourist spot in Thailand. For<br />
the moment it has retained its sense of charm, but with<br />
more and more hotels popping up around the city, you<br />
should aim to get there as soon as possible if you want an<br />
authentic Thai experience.<br />
Buriram is a history buffs’ paradise, with an abundance of<br />
majestic Khmer ruins, similar to those found at the Angkor<br />
Wat complex in Cambodia. It's also an animal lovers’ dream,<br />
with a bird park that has more than 100 different species.<br />
Fans of soccer will enjoy this city, as it’s the home of one<br />
of Thailand’s most well-known teams, Buriram United. If<br />
you’re lucky enough to be there when a match is scheduled,<br />
buy a ticket and experience the unique atmosphere. The<br />
people of Thailand are extremely passionate about the<br />
beautiful game. Situated just five hours from Bangkok,<br />
Buriram is easy to get to and well worth a visit.<br />
These are three exceptional destinations in Thailand that<br />
are off the beaten path. Whether you are visiting the Land<br />
of Smiles in search of a true Thai experience, or you just<br />
want to escape the busier cities, include Prachuap, Loei and<br />
Buriram in your travel plans.<br />
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Mekong River<br />
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TRAVEL GEAR<br />
MUST HAVES FOR THE SAVVY TRAVELER<br />
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Getting in and out of an airport these days can be an ordeal<br />
- an experience that quite often includes noise, crowds, and<br />
time consuming security lines.<br />
KENSINGTON RETRACTABLE LAPTOP LOCK<br />
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theft and save space in your travel bag. The Kensington<br />
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seconds and features a 1200mm/4ft retractable steel cable,<br />
built-in lock defence system that guards against tampering,<br />
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where in the world you are. kensington.com<br />
ECBC WHEELED CARRY-ON WITH FASTPASS<br />
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luggage of its kind, this bag features the FastPass®<br />
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compartment, lay it flat on the security conveyor and go<br />
through TSA without unpacking your laptop. Keep clothes<br />
wrinkle free and organized in the garment section with<br />
unique hanger clasp. The best part? It also comes with a<br />
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electronic devices at the airport! ec-bc.com<br />
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ACOUSTIC NOISE<br />
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In your own little world! Engineered for sound,<br />
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with significant noise reduction for travel. No<br />
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your music—or simply peace and quiet. Apple,<br />
Samsung and Android models available. bose.com<br />
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TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 69
One place that I looked at a lot from space and<br />
which looks alluring is New Zealand, especially<br />
the North Island. It’s a big broad valley with a<br />
river flowing through it, and you can see the<br />
wine-making dryness of the land.<br />
CHRIS HADFIELD<br />
ASTRONAUT & WORLD TRAVELER<br />
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7 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO SEE IN<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
by: CHRISTOPHER CLAYTON<br />
A<br />
gorgeous country with friendly people and lots<br />
of things to do, New Zealand has become a top<br />
destination over the past few years. Like Australia,<br />
European settlers made homes in New Zealand in the 1800s<br />
and learned to live alongside the indigenous people.<br />
But don’t be fooled into thinking these two countries<br />
are similar. They may be neighbors, but New Zealand<br />
and Australia are very different countries with their<br />
own unique identities. If the two countries were human,<br />
Australia would be the fun, active party type, while<br />
New Zealand would be the laid back, smart, and cool.<br />
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 71
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1The Beauty of New Zealand’s South Island<br />
If New Zealand is known for one thing, it’s the<br />
incredible natural beauty. The country has everything<br />
from lush rolling hills to majestic, snow-covered peaks,<br />
from fjords and lakes to gorgeous beaches. It doesn’t get<br />
more beautiful than the South Island, though, particularly<br />
the West Coast. While you’re there you can see the Franz<br />
Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier, which can be accessed<br />
by helicopter for an unforgettable hike through the ice.<br />
Go during ski season and hit the slopes as well. Don’t miss<br />
Milford Sound in the South, where you’ll see dramatic<br />
waterfalls and fjords. Hiking, kayaking, and jet-boating are<br />
popular ways to view the beauty there, or relax and take it<br />
all in on a scenic train tour.<br />
2Middle-earth<br />
Peter Jackson arguably put New Zealand on the map,<br />
tourism-wise, after shooting his Lord of the Rings<br />
and Hobbit movies there. The movies took advantage of<br />
the amazing landscapes in this country. They were perfect<br />
for creating the other-worldly feel the movie required.<br />
You can visit many of the film locations and see where it<br />
all happened with your own eyes. The green rolling hills<br />
around the town of Matamata became the setting for the<br />
Shire, where Bilbo Baggins lives. Tour are available for you<br />
to see the sets. The “Hobbiton” sets were built but then<br />
removed after the first films were made, and then the whole<br />
thing was rebuilt for the Hobbit films and is now there to<br />
stay. The majority of the famous filming locations for The<br />
Lord of the Rings movies are located on the South Island -<br />
yet another reason to visit the South Island.<br />
3Māori Culture<br />
Kia ora! Learning about the Maori culture is a must<br />
while in New Zealand. The Maori people, originally<br />
from Eastern Polynesia, predated the European settlers<br />
by more than 500 years and developed their own distinct<br />
cultural practices. You’ll no doubt encounter the art,<br />
language, and people on your travels through the country,<br />
but you can also arrange to be part of a tour that focuses on<br />
discovering more about the Maori culture. Learn about the<br />
way their ancestors greeted visitors, the games they played,<br />
and the way they cook food in the ground; find out about<br />
the significance of the face tattoos, the common design<br />
elements in Maori art and architecture, and of course the<br />
haka. Many cities feature these kinds of tours, including<br />
Kaikoura, Rotorua, and Waimarama.<br />
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Visit the blue penguins in<br />
Oamaru (and yes, they really<br />
are blue!)
4Get Your Adventure On<br />
Helicopter tours, hiking, kayaking, jet-boating, and<br />
skiing, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to<br />
things to do in New Zealand. The country is also a hot spot<br />
for extreme sports and adrenaline-pumping activities like<br />
skydiving, white water rafting, zip lining, and Zorbing. It<br />
was a New Zealander, A. J. Hackett, who started organizing<br />
commercial bungee jumping, in 1986, seven years after it<br />
appeared in the U.K., and it’s not difficult to find bungee<br />
operators in New Zealand now.<br />
5The Geothermal Features of Rotorua<br />
Rotorua stinks - literally. This town in the North<br />
Island smells like sulfur (that not-so-delightful<br />
rotten egg smell) because of its intense geothermal activity.<br />
Visit and you’ll see bubbling mud pots, steam rising from<br />
the hot pools of water everywhere, and bursting geysers.<br />
These features aren’t very common in the world; only<br />
Japan, Russia, Iceland, and the U.S. have areas of similar<br />
geothermal activity. So it’s an incredible opportunity to<br />
see one of earth’s rare wonders. To really get up close and<br />
personal, consider going to a spa where you can soak in<br />
the health benefits of the mineral waters in hot baths and<br />
mineral pools. While you’re at it, get a massage, too - after<br />
all, you’re on vacation.<br />
6Glow Worm Caves<br />
Glow worms are insects that glow with<br />
bioluminescence, like fireflies, and they’re plentiful<br />
(relatively speaking) in both Australia and New Zealand.<br />
Make the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves part of your<br />
itinerary, and you’ll see thousands of these little creatures<br />
light up the cave as you travel through by boat - a truly<br />
wondrous site. Waitomo is located in the North Island, not<br />
too far from Rotorua.<br />
7Whales, Dolphins, Seals, and Penguins<br />
New Zealand is a great place to see an abundance of<br />
wild animals you might otherwise never see in your<br />
lifetime. Head out on a whale-spotting sea tour. Two good<br />
places to try are Auckland, a city in the North Island, and<br />
Kaikoura, in the South Island. You’ll likely also encounter<br />
some dolphins on your boat trip. You may see the common<br />
dolphin, the bottle-nosed dolphin, the dusky dolphin, or<br />
even the rare Hector’s dolphin, which lives only in the<br />
waters off New Zealand. After whales and dolphins, go<br />
check out some seals. In Kaikoura, you can walk out to see<br />
the seal colony up close and personal - but not too close -<br />
watch out that you don’t trip over a seal sunning herself.<br />
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little eateries in the<br />
Crowded streets, towering skyscrapers and packed subway cars<br />
are expected when you visit New York City. However, sometimes<br />
you just want to take a rest from the chaos of The Big Apple<br />
and find a quiet place to refuel. Tiny restaurants to the rescue!<br />
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<strong>DRIFT</strong> has rounded up three of our favorite teeny eateries in<br />
NYC, each with world-class cuisine, imaginative cocktail menus<br />
and a lot of awesome packed into very little square footage. These<br />
are our pint-sized culinary heroes that definitely keep the New<br />
York dining scene fresh, creative and delightfully unpredictable.
wallflower | 235 West 12th Street, NYC | wallflowernyc.com<br />
Inspired by French-country cuisine, Wallflower in<br />
the West Village truly proves the old adage, ‘‘good<br />
things come in small packages’. With just 30 seats,<br />
the low-key boîte is known for a truly superlative<br />
cocktail list (crafted by Xavier Herit, a veteran of<br />
Daniel and the Experimental Cocktail Club) as<br />
well as adventurous seasonal tasting and a la carte<br />
menus. Executive chef Derrick Paez modernizes<br />
French classics on his menus.<br />
<strong>DRIFT</strong> RECOMMENDS:<br />
Main: Jerk Spiced Quail<br />
Dessert: Caramelized Bread Pudding<br />
Drink: New York to Lima<br />
dinnertable | 206 Avenue A, NYC | dinnertable.nyc<br />
Dining at dinnertable feels as intimate as sharing<br />
a meal at your best friend’s home. With a tiny<br />
open kitchen, husband-and-wife chef duo Scott<br />
Tacinelli and Angie Rito produce some of the most<br />
impressive food in the city. The speakeasy-style<br />
restaurant is nestled in the East Village and serves<br />
just 19 people at a time. The menu allows diners to<br />
savor funky Italian dishes that pair optimally with<br />
the venue’s spot-on drink menu.<br />
<strong>DRIFT</strong> RECOMMENDS:<br />
Main: The Sixth Guy’s Burger<br />
Dessert: Toasted Strudel<br />
Drink: The Willis<br />
the eddy | 342 East 6th Street, NYC | theeddynyc.com<br />
Nestled between sleepy storefronts on quaint East<br />
6th Street, The Eddy features an 11-seat bar area<br />
and 32-seat dining room. Chef/Owner Brendan<br />
McHale rotates his five-course tasting menus<br />
almost daily, updating classic American dishes with<br />
unpredictable preparations, which pair perfectly<br />
with Wine Director/Owner Jason Soloway’s<br />
sophisticated wine list and the seasonal cocktails of<br />
head bartender Luis Hernandez.<br />
<strong>DRIFT</strong> RECOMMENDS:<br />
Main: Grass Fed Strip Steak<br />
Dessert: Cardamom Panna Cotta<br />
Drink: Purple Rain<br />
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Mo'orea<br />
5 islands to visit<br />
BEFORE<br />
YOU DIE<br />
by: LAURIE ATTIS<br />
THERE IS A CERTAIN<br />
SECLUDED CHARM<br />
ABOUT ISLANDS<br />
These small pieces of<br />
paradise are divided from the<br />
continents by vast amounts<br />
of ocean. There are over 700<br />
million islands in the world,<br />
but a few of these stand out<br />
for their unique beauty. These<br />
five islands should be on every<br />
world traveler’s bucket list.<br />
MO’OREA<br />
french polynesia<br />
Arthur Frommer once stated that Mo’orea is the most<br />
beautiful island in the world. It’s not surprising that it greatly<br />
impressed this seasoned world traveler. Mo’orea, a 10-milewide<br />
island off the western coast of Tahiti, is a secluded<br />
mountain paradise. In order to get on the island, you must<br />
take a small plane from Tahiti. There is only a single road<br />
that goes around the entire island. The sapphire-colored<br />
waters, swaying palms, and cloud-topped mountains are<br />
more than worth the inconvenience of getting to Mo’orea.<br />
Walking around the sandy beaches will reveal hidden<br />
coves where you feel as though you have stumbled on your<br />
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Cape Breton Island<br />
own private heaven. Because the island is surrounded by<br />
a coral reef, it is an amazing place to dive and snorkel.<br />
CAPE BRETON ISLAND canada<br />
This rugged island is a green jewel set in the North Atlantic<br />
Ocean off the coast of Canada. The wild rocky shores jut<br />
out into the dark blue Atlantic. The lush green land set<br />
against bright blue skies and sloping mountains make this<br />
a treat for the eyes. Visitors to the island will be steeped in<br />
the deeply ingrained Scottish heritage and infamous Celtic<br />
music traditions of Cape Breton. One of the world’s most<br />
beautiful scenic highways winds through the island, so you<br />
can take in the majesty of the place in a single day from<br />
the comfort of your vehicle. If you prefer to get handson,<br />
you can also explore the remote beaches and cliffs by<br />
hiking. The oceans around the island are heavily populated<br />
with whales, so you can view the arresting sight of the<br />
far off island while whale watching. If you time your visit<br />
perfectly, you can participate in one of the Scottish festivals<br />
where there is plenty of food, fun, and fiddle music.<br />
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PALAWAN ISLAND philippines<br />
Palawan Island<br />
Expansive white sand beaches, gray rocks rising from<br />
a turquoise ocean, and a range of biodiverse wildlife<br />
make Palawan Island in the Philippines a top bucketlist<br />
item. Unlike many islands, the natives of Palawan<br />
have managed to preserve their culture and are more<br />
than happy to share local customs and traditions with<br />
visitors. The bright, clear oceans make Palawan an ideal<br />
place for swimming, diving, and snorkeling. Those who<br />
are brave enough can try cliff diving from the high rocks<br />
into the ocean. For the traveler that loves food, Palawan<br />
Island has an exquisite range of delicious cuisine. One of<br />
the best pastimes is setting up a hammock and enjoying<br />
the unparalleled natural beauty surrounding you.<br />
MALTA italy<br />
Right off the coast of Italy lies the charming island of<br />
Malta. The amazing weather and rich history of Malta<br />
make it one of the best European islands to visit. Malta’s<br />
historical record begins in 5200 BCE when it was settled<br />
by mainland explorers. Beginning at that time it was<br />
successively claimed by many different countries and<br />
empires, who all left their mark in some way. For this<br />
reason, architectural enthusiasts will enjoy exploring the<br />
temples, churches, palaces, and state buildings that date<br />
from hundreds of years ago. Even though the island has<br />
perfect weather, the temperature rarely dipping below 50<br />
degrees Fahrenheit, the area is not overdeveloped. The<br />
small population that lives there is deeply religious. There<br />
are a number of festivals centering around the island’s<br />
Roman Catholic religion, including carnival, festivals<br />
dedicated to saints and holy week. The warm, sandy<br />
beaches are a haven for surfers, divers, and swimmers.<br />
The island also features magnificent opportunities for rock<br />
climbing and curvy paved roads for recreational driving.<br />
Malta<br />
THE SMALLEST ISLAND<br />
on the planet is Bishop Rock,<br />
located in the Isles of Scilly, just off<br />
the coast of Cornwall in Britain.<br />
At low tide, Bishop Rock measures<br />
just 150 feet long and 52 feet long.<br />
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VANCOUVER ISLAND canada<br />
This large island off the West Coast of Canada has an<br />
abundance of mountains, forests, and water. It inhabits the<br />
beauty of the scenes Jack London captured in his works<br />
on Alaskan landscapes. The shorelines are lined with<br />
large, towering timbers, and the interior is dotted with<br />
picturesque lakes reflecting the imposing snow-capped<br />
mountains in the background. Vancouver Island boasts<br />
one of Canada’s warmest climates. It is a beautiful place to<br />
visit at any time of the year. In the warmer months, there<br />
are chances for breathtaking hiking, good fishing, surfing,<br />
and whale watching. In the winter months, visitors to<br />
Vancouver Island can ski on picturesque runs. Victoria<br />
on the island’s southern tip is the most populated city<br />
and is as quaint as a postcard. On the rugged west side of<br />
the island, a trip to Tofino is worth the harrowing water’s<br />
edge road trip. The fertile nature of the island attracts<br />
wildlife of all kinds. The island's locally produced craft<br />
beers and BC wines are famous throughout Canada.<br />
All five of these islands to "visit before<br />
you die" offer travelers a wide variety<br />
of scenery and culture, but they<br />
share the trait of being too beautiful<br />
to describe with just a handful<br />
of words. Get yourself to these<br />
islands, and prepare to be awestruck.<br />
Vancouver Island<br />
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Simple made perfect<br />
Delta Hotels by Marriott TM Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort<br />
DeltaVictoriaOPR<br />
DeltaVictoria<br />
DeltaOceanPoint
quirky side of travel<br />
LONDON LOO TOURS<br />
by: JOHN LEE<br />
“Don’t pay that! Follow me instead” says<br />
Erickson, waving her plunger aloft and<br />
leading us onto the streets outside.”<br />
Day one of my trip to London and I’m caught<br />
short at Victoria Station. But rather than pay<br />
30p for turnstile entry to the public washrooms,<br />
I hit the upstairs food court, congratulating<br />
myself on finding a freebie alternative. Except it isn’t. The<br />
turnstile here says ‘50p.’<br />
We soon stop in our tracks as she points to a tiny<br />
‘Community Toilet’ sign nearby. It indicates a gratis facility<br />
in a local pub, part of a scheme that designates bar and<br />
restaurant loos for public use.<br />
“It’s one of the reasons I started this<br />
tour,” Rachel Erickson tells me the<br />
next day. The Californian moved<br />
to London to study drama in 2011<br />
and, between classes, she launched<br />
a rent-paying sideline reflecting<br />
her keen interest in finding places<br />
to pee in the city without having to<br />
pay.<br />
And while she recently returned<br />
to her home country for the 2015<br />
launch of San Francisco toilet<br />
tours, her popular London walks<br />
continue with two like-minded<br />
local loo guides. Showcasing<br />
quirky sanitation anecdotes and<br />
a thick slice of history, the 90-120<br />
minute wanders run on several days<br />
throughout the week.<br />
On my visit, Erickson who likes<br />
to be known as the loo lady was<br />
still leading the bowl-tastic tours<br />
herself. Meeting at Waterloo Station<br />
where else? I join a dozen other<br />
participants ready to go. Naturally,<br />
we’re gathered outside the station’s<br />
ever-busy public facilities (30p).<br />
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But history, it transpires, is the bottom<br />
line when it comes to London’s<br />
fascinating toilet tale. And when we<br />
reach the nearby River Thames and<br />
enter the Jubiloo a slick, privatelyowned<br />
facility that normally charges<br />
50p we learn that early Londoners<br />
would have poo pooed the very idea<br />
of paying.<br />
Ascending a footbridge over the river,<br />
we hear why. “This is London’s first<br />
toilet,” Erickson announces with a wry<br />
smile. But while communal Roman<br />
lavatories emptied straight into the<br />
fetid waterway, the city’s ablution<br />
habits eventually backed-up.<br />
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“By the 1850s, the river was a giant<br />
cesspit. But it wasn’t until the stench<br />
reached the Houses of Parliament<br />
during a summer nicknamed the<br />
Great Stink by the locals that action<br />
was taken.” That meant designing<br />
a gargantuan brick-built sewerage<br />
system, much of which is still in use<br />
today.<br />
On the other side of the bridge, we’re<br />
ushered towards a memorial to the<br />
man who brought order to London’s<br />
ordure. Civil engineer Joseph<br />
Bazalgette built a system for three<br />
million locals, 10 million short of the<br />
number it services now.<br />
Weaving north from the river, we next<br />
pass some City of Westminster public<br />
toilets charging 50p a visit, Erickson<br />
laments then arrive at a discreet steel<br />
ring embedded in the sidewalk. It’s a<br />
pop-up urinal that rises nightly from<br />
the ground to discourage ‘late-night<br />
piddlers’ from sullying area alleyways.<br />
But it’s not the only way to spend a<br />
penny here without handing over<br />
some coin. Near Trafalgar Square, our<br />
guide lists several gratis options in the<br />
area, from Starbucks to the National<br />
Gallery. Making a mental note for<br />
future visits, I turn to my fellow toilet<br />
tourists for their take on the tour.<br />
“We chose it because it’s odd and a<br />
little exotic,” chuckles Greenville, SC<br />
resident Bill Whiting, visiting London<br />
with his wife Rhonda. She adds that<br />
their son-in-law encouraged them to<br />
take the plunge and she’s glad they<br />
did” “we’re enjoying seeing parts of<br />
London other tourists don’t see.”<br />
Crossing Covent Garden’s brickcobbled<br />
plaza, we’re also hearing<br />
stories few other visitors encounter.<br />
London’s 1851 Great Exhibition,<br />
we’re told, marked the first time paid<br />
restrooms were tried in the capital and<br />
their success of 827,000 visitors and a<br />
handsome profit triggered a flush of<br />
pay-to-pee facilities.<br />
But London has always been a toileting<br />
innovator. On a side street near the<br />
Strand’s grand Savoy Hotel, we gather<br />
around an unassuming street lamp. In<br />
Victorian times, lamps like this lined<br />
the city, powered by excess biogas<br />
from the sewerage system.<br />
When all London’s gas lamps, not just<br />
sewerage-fueled ones, were eventually<br />
superseded by electricity, this final<br />
biogas example was saved and<br />
restored as an historical reminder. It’s<br />
now, Erickson claims, fueled from the<br />
washrooms of the Savoy.<br />
But this isn’t the only change to<br />
London’s lavatorial landscape over the<br />
years. Many conveniences have been<br />
converted into housing or businesses<br />
in recent decades including our final<br />
stop.<br />
Descending a darkened stairwell in<br />
a nearby sidewalk, we’re told that<br />
‘company-seeking’ regulars from<br />
Oscar Wilde to Joe Orton notoriously<br />
favored this former gentlemen’s public<br />
loo for their nighttime activities.<br />
Closed in the 1980s, it’s since become<br />
a jazzy subterranean bar with a nice<br />
line in cocktails. After inspecting its<br />
cubicle toilets the glass doors turn<br />
opaque when locked I wave goodbye<br />
to the group and return to the sidewalk<br />
above. My days of paying to pee in<br />
London, I promise myself, are now<br />
firmly behind me.<br />
London Loo Tours:<br />
The Waterloo Tour<br />
Iconic London from a new<br />
perspective, introducing guests<br />
to the history and surprisingly<br />
dynamic modern politics of the<br />
Public Toilet. You’ll never have felt<br />
more British, as you learn about<br />
‘spending a penny’ at the Great<br />
Exhibition of 1851 and explore<br />
London’s most patriotic toilet.<br />
The Bloomsbury Tour<br />
Interesting and thought provoking<br />
walk and talk about toilets,<br />
sanitation, and other fun historical<br />
facts about going to the Loo! The<br />
revamped Bloomsbury Loo Tour<br />
will burst open the lavatorial door<br />
to another side of the toilet saga!<br />
Walking Tours last about two<br />
hours, finishing in a pub or bar.<br />
Walking tour costs £12 for adults<br />
and £10 for students and seniors.<br />
More info online: lootours.com.<br />
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y: RYAN LOGAN<br />
Spain’s Canary Islands are among the<br />
most sought after holiday destinations<br />
in the world with people from all over<br />
the globe visiting every year. Tenerife is<br />
the most popular of the islands, with impressive<br />
hotels situated all over the island, hundreds of<br />
bars creating fantastic nightlife, and world class<br />
beaches. However, there are plenty of other things<br />
to do on the island; attractions that will leave you<br />
with memorable moments on your next trip to<br />
Tenerife.<br />
Golf Del Sur is popular with the older generation,<br />
and snowbirds often come here to settle in their<br />
retirement. It’s a peaceful location with stunning<br />
views and hotels as well as a spectacular golf<br />
course that is perfectly situated and surrounded<br />
by breathtaking landscape. Designed by Pepe<br />
Gancedo, who is considered the “Picasso” of his<br />
field, it’s one of the most peaceful golf courses you<br />
will ever play on!<br />
San Juan
Canary Islands<br />
TENERIFE<br />
Playa de Tejita<br />
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Teide National Park is the spot to learn about the Tenerife<br />
culture. There are daily tours taking people on a wonderful<br />
day out to see the sights, including the island’s historic<br />
volcano. Mount Teide, the<br />
true foundation of Tenerife,<br />
created<br />
beaches.<br />
the “gray sand”<br />
Playa de las Americas is<br />
the heart of Tenerife, and<br />
offers cabaret shows, famous<br />
tributes, comedians, and<br />
hypnotists, all providing you<br />
with a great night out. You<br />
will also find some of the<br />
best shops on the island in Americas, where everything is<br />
completely authentic, as no fake items are allowed in the<br />
center. Adeje also has a selection of night spots, including<br />
some of the best cocktail bars on the island. Many of these<br />
are situated directly on the coast, right next to the beach, so<br />
you can enjoy the view while you have the time of your life.<br />
Siam Park has been rated the best water park in Europe<br />
and one of the ten best in the world. There is an enormous<br />
wave pool that everyone loves to cool down in. Relax by the<br />
wave pool on the man-made beach and then go round the<br />
park seeing all of the different water flumes, including the<br />
famous Lazy River.<br />
Grab a rubber ring<br />
FIVE MILLION<br />
TOURISTS VISIT TENERIFE EACH YEAR.<br />
THE LARGEST OF THE SEVEN CANARY<br />
ISLANDS, TENERIFE MEASURES 785<br />
SQUARE MILES AND HAS MORE THAN<br />
850,000 INHABITANTS.<br />
and float around the<br />
river while soaking<br />
up the sunshine.<br />
If you are feeling<br />
invincible, have a<br />
go on the Tower of<br />
Power, one of the<br />
largest water flumes<br />
in the world with an<br />
almost vertical drop.<br />
Only the bravest have what it takes to slide down it!<br />
Tenerife is truly one of the most spectacular and adventurefilled<br />
islands in the world. If you’re looking for a fun,<br />
exciting holiday in the sun, book a flight to Tenerife. Stay<br />
in Playa de las Americas or Costa Adeje to make the most<br />
of your holiday. If you’re looking for a cheap and peaceful<br />
holiday, then Puerto de la Cruz might be a better option.<br />
Nonetheless have a good time!<br />
Teide National Park<br />
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Siam Water Park<br />
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#WHERETONEXT<br />
RIOMAGGIORE, ITALY<br />
Situated right on the Gulf of Genoa, in the province<br />
of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy, and one<br />
of the five famous Italian fishing villages known as<br />
Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore is one of the prettiest<br />
villages in the world. Charming by day and<br />
breathtaking by night, the village of Riomaggiore<br />
dates back to the early thirteenth century.<br />
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Surviving<br />
looks a lot<br />
like thriving<br />
Breast cancer flipped Katherine’s world upside down.<br />
But in the five years since she underwent treatment,<br />
Katherine’s been doing some flips of her own.<br />
Thanks to research to discover new treatments,<br />
women like Katherine are having their lives put right<br />
side up after a cancer diagnosis. That’s why<br />
Stand Up To Cancer Canada and Canadian Breast<br />
Cancer Foundation have teamed up to accelerate<br />
the pace of research done by collaborative teams of<br />
scientists working to develop new treatments faster.<br />
Giving more women, like Katherine, their lives back.<br />
To learn more about advances in research, clinical trials<br />
testing innovative treatments, and how to get involved,<br />
go to standup2cancer.ca/breastcancer and cbcf.org.<br />
Photography: Andrew Macpherson<br />
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Kim Cattrall, Stand Up To Cancer Canada Ambassador<br />
Katherine Chan, Breast Cancer Survivor<br />
Stand Up To Cancer Canada is a program of EIF Canada, a Canadian Registered Charity (Reg. #80550 6730 RR0001).<br />
Stand Up To Cancer Canada brand marks are licensed trademarks of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.