(28) The Cultured Traveller, December 2019-February 2020 Issue 28

➤ I S S U E 2 8

DECEMBER 2019 – FEBRUARY 2020

Cultured

THE

TRAVELLER

Cape

THE AFRICAN

Town

CONTINENT’S

CULTURAL

CAPITAL

SEATTLE ➤ AUSTRIAN TIROL ➤ DEBBIE HARRY

ST. PETERSBURG ➤ TIM WALKER

PARIS ➤ ANTONIO BERARDI

REJUVENATE IN STYLE: LUXURY WELLNESS ESCAPES

Unwind in high style at The Chedi Muscat. Our peaceful beachside sanctuary by the

Gulf of Oman becomes the backdrop for your luxury rejuvenation journey – 2, 4 or

6-day wellness getaway in our upper category Chedi Club Suites. This

transformative programme comes with GHM’s legendary Club benefits like private

airport transfers to pamper you from start to finish and daily breakfast to kick-start

your mornings.

Get your adrenaline going in our 1,500-square-metre relaxation and fitness haven,

tapping your happiness endorphins with activities including yoga, kinesis and Pilates.

Allow our expert therapists to help heal your body and soul with soothing daily spa

therapies, paired with fresh and healthy meals prepared especially for you

throughout your stay.

ESCAPE TO THE CHEDI

MUSCAT WITH OUR SPECIAL

PACKAGE, STARTING FROM

US$3,182 PER PERSON.

Conditions apply.

Three, five or seven nights’ stay in a Chedi

Club Suite | Consultation session | Spa

therapies | Wellness activities | Cooking

class | Dolphin watching tour | Club benefits

For reservations and more details,

visit GHMhotels.com

18TH NOVEMBER STREET P.O. BOX 964 P.C. 133 MUSCAT SULTANATE OF OMAN T +968 2452 4400 F +968 2449 3485 CHEDIMUSCAT@GHMHOTELS.COM

GHMhotels.com

©2019 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ETERNAL ELEGANCE

Visit the landmark Hotel Grande Bretagne and receive the unique chance of a lifetime experience

through a collection of utmost accommodation services and indulging moments.

The mythical views and the history of Europe’s oldest capital, Athens, promise to compose

an unsurpassed cultural journey through its indigenous sights and unique flavors.

EXPLORE THE DESTINATION AT GRANDEBRETAGNE.GR

MH.T.E.: 0206K015A0021500

52 SOUTH AFRICA’S

CULTURAL CAPITAL

NICHOLAS CHRISOSTOMOU finds that CAPE TOWN has

become the Rainbow Nation’s cultural capital, thanks to the

world-class Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, a

burgeoning arts scene boasting dozens of cutting-edge galleries

and the uber-cool Silo District.

188 TRAVEL TIPS

FROM THE TOP

Celebrated fashion designer ANTONIO BERARDI tells

The Cultured Traveller what he simply can’t take to the

skies without.

152 LESS SHOW AND

MORE TASTE IN PARIS

JOE MORTIMER discovers that the void between fine dining

and brasseries in the French capital is being plugged by a

new wave of chefs who celebrate seasonal ingredients and

regional cuisine above showy tasting menus

108 5 MINUTES WITH…

MICHEL ROUX JR.

The renowned chef explains why Le Gavroche is still at the

top of London’s restaurant game, champions mentorship in

the industry and tells The Cultured Traveller about his

Christmas Day.

50 WIN FOUR NIGHTS

IN BALINESE LUXURY

Nestled amongst tropical gardens bordering the

white sands of Jimbaran Bay, one lucky reader of The

Cultured Traveller will win a deluxe stay at five-star

INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT.

The view towards Table

Mountain from The

Sky Terrace at The Silo

Hotel in Cape Town

170 B E Y O N D T H E

PAGES OF VOGUE

TIM WALKER has been a prolific presence in international

creative circles since shooting his first Vogue story at the

age of 25. DAWN GIBSON experiences the extraordinary

creative process of one of the world’s most imaginative

photographers at an immersive London retrospective.

6 ISSUE 28 ➤ DECEMBER 2019 – FEBRUARY 2020

ISSUE 28 ➤ DECEMBER 2019 – FEBRUARY 2020

highlights

THE CULTURED TRAVELLER 7

132

CONTENTS

116

32

160

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

12 CONTRIBUTORS

16 NEWSFLASH

We round-up the most fascinating

cultural experiences and unmissable

festivals happening on our planet in

the coming months, including Turkey’s

famous MEVLÂNA FESTIVAL

of whirling dervishes; Scotland’s

HOGMANAY New Year’s Eve

celebrations; one of the oldest surviving

street festivals in the Caribbean,

JUNKANOO; the Philippines’ colourful

ATI-ATIHAN; Denmark’s renowned

VINTERJAZZ fest, and the world’s most

riotous carnival in Rio.

32 REST YOUR HEAD

The Cultured Traveller checks into

super-luxe tented camp SHINTA MANI

WILD in the Cambodian rainforest;

PERRY LANE HOTEL in the historic

heart of beautiful SAVANNAH in

America’s deep south; boutique ecofriendly

LON RESORT, 100 km southwest

of Melbourne; New Delhi’s reborn

OBEROI; Lake Zürich’s swishy new

contemporary boutique hotel ALEX, and

the Paris of the East’s most expensive

place to stay, BVLGARI HOTEL

SHANGHAI.

98 SUITE ENVY

During its 145-year history, BELMOND

GRAND HOTEL EUROPE has

welcomed to St. Petersburg more

heads of state, VIPs, royal families and

high-profile celebrities than any other.

Joe Mortimer checks out the hotel’s

sumptuous IMPERIAL PRESIDENTIAL

SUITE – the city’s largest lodgings.

110 BOARDING PASS

The Cultured Traveller takes a look

around Beijing’s new architecturally

stunning USD 12 billion DAXING

AIRPORT, conceived by trailblazing

architect Zaha Hadid before her death.

116 NO SHOES REQUIRED

From his retreat-like base at

AYURVEDA RESORT SONNHOF,

132


tucked away in a picture-postcard

mountain valley surrounded by forests,

Alex Benasuli finds that the Austrian

hills are not only singing but positively

pulsating with life.

132 SPOTLIGHT

Alex Benasuli discovers in SEATTLE

a vibrant oceanic city with a bustling

downtown, charming neighbourhoods,

a burgeoning foodie scene and a

multitude of cultural attractions.

124 TRAVELLER

LOWDOWN

Punctuated by ancient forests, acres

of desert, fertile vineyards, sandy

beaches and snow-capped mountains,

Sophia Amos, Harriet Ball and Rachel

Santa Cruz take us on their ultimate

winter road trip of NORTHERN

CALIFORNIA.

146 TASTE & SIP

REVIEW

Situated within Bvlgari Resort Bali,

IL RISTORANTE – LUCA FANTIN,

delights Carolyn McKay with an

intimate gastronomic experience,

deftly showcasing creative

interpretations of classic Italian fare.

160 TASTE & SIP

EXPERIENCE

Nicholas Chrisostomou heads out of

Cape Town to the winelands, to visit a

sophisticated South African wine farm

that hits multiple cultural notes.

164 S T Y L I S H

GLOBETROTTER

Take the hassle out of your Christmas

shopping with The Cultured Traveller’s

gift guide compiled by Adrian Gibson.

Whether a chic gift for your loved one,

a novelty present or a fun stocking

filler, we have something to create a

smile or two.

178 M U S I C &

NIGHT LIFE

Punk Marilyn, pop goddess and icon of

cool – DEBBIE HARRY has been all

these things and more. As the Blondie

singer publishes her autobiography

Face It, Paul Burston looks back at her

extraordinary life.

186 L I T T L E

BLACK BOOK

110

98

16

178


From left to right, Seattle’s Space Needle;

Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA museum;

Debbie Harry; Michel Roux Jr.

EDITOR’S LETTER

GOOD ARCHITECTURE

has the power to regenerate a

city, transform a destination

or even put a country on the

global travel map, especially

when it comes to buildings

that resonate with some

sort of cultural significance.

The Sydney Opera House

is not only a great artistic

monument, but also a

symbol of the accessibility

of culture to society at large,

which is why it has become such a global icon.

Similarly, Frank Gehry’s architectural marvel

in Bilbao has shown the world the incredibly

transformative power of art and architecture,

especially when the two are used in tandem.

The impact that the opening of Zeitz Museum

of Contemporary Art Africa has had on Cape

Town has been tremendous and far-reaching.

South Africa’s first museum dedicated to

contemporary art embodies a transformative

narrative that came at a crucial time for the

Rainbow Nation. And since it opened last year,

the Zeitz MOCAA has propelled South Africa

onto the global cultural stage and filled a void

in Cape Town’s art scene. It is for these reasons

that the museum is on the cover of this issue.

The building is truly unique and Cape Town

will undoubtedly feel its positive effects for

decades to come.

In this issue, guest contributor Robert

Sherwood takes us on a tour of Cape Town’s

best museums and art galleries (p60); Alex

Benasuli finds that the hills of the Austrian

Tirol really are alive, although not necessarily

with the sound of music (p116); and Joe

Mortimer explores Saint

Petersburg’s largest suite, set

within the Russian city’s most

storied hotel (p98). Because

Christmas is just around the

corner, fashion editor Adrian

Gibson rounds-up an array of

gift ideas including some novel

stocking fillers (p164). As

Blondie singer Debbie Harry

publishes her autobiography,

Paul Burston looks back at

the extraordinary life of pop’s

original ambitious blonde (p178), and Dawn

Gibson checks out the immersive Tim Walker

retrospective at London’s V&A (p170). We also

chat with celebrated fashion designer Antonio

Berardi (p188) and chef extraordinaire Michel

Roux Jr. (p108).

As you can see, we have launched into our

sixth year freshly remodelled from coverto-cover,

with a design that’s that’s bold,

contemporary and accessible. I really hope that

you enjoy The Cultured Traveller’s new look,

and find the magazine’s pages as inspiring as

I found Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA.

Nicholas Chrisostomou

Editor-in-Chief

8 I S S U E 2 8 ➤ D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 – F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

JOE MORTIMER

➤ PARIS’ FOOD SCENE

Joe is a UK-based travel writer and editor who

specialises in luxury travel and high-end hospitality.

Formerly editor of Destinations of the World

News in Dubai, Joe now contributes to titles

including National Geographic Traveler, Robb

Report and Jetsetter, as well as a collection of

prestigious in-flight and hotel magazines.

ALEX BENASULI

➤ SPOTLIGHT ON SEATTLE

London-based Alex has been globetrotting his

whole life. He has explored Europe, Asia and

Africa as well as North and South America

intimately. As passionate on a highbrow urban

cultural break as he is on an off-the-beaten-track

adventure, Alex uses travel to explore his love

of history, design, nature and wellness.

CONTRIBUTORS

PAUL BURSTON

➤ DEBBIE HARRY PROFILE

Paul Burston’s books include critically acclaimed

psychological thrillers The Black Path and his

latest, The Closer I Get. His journalism has

appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times

and other publications. He is the host of Polari

literary salon at London’s Southbank Centre

and founder of The Polari Book Prize.

DAWN GIBSON

➤ TIM WALKER AT THE V&A

Dawn Gibson is a globe-trotting journalist

who has visited more than 30 countries and

has yet to meet a cuisine she doesn’t like.

Based near London, her recent adventures include

a sojourn to England’s picturesque Peak

District, where she discovered ridiculously

large Yorkshire Puddings.

CAROLYN Mc KAY

➤ TASTE & SIP REVIEW

Via her teaching, photography and writing,

Carolyn has lived in Jakarta, London and New

York and travelled to numerous destinations in

between. Currently based in Sri Lanka and using

her Indian Ocean base to explore Asia, Carolyn

loves nothing more than exploring markets,

quality coffee and people watching.

ROBERT SHERWOOD

➤ CAPE TOWN CULTURE

A Cape Town-based interior designer and gallery

owner, Robert has worked on a variety of projects

around the world, including hotels in the Middle

East and even the airport in his hometown.

A sought-after art consultant, assisting clients

with their collections, art has played a major

part in Robert’s life since childhood.


LOOKS

BLING BLING,

SOUNDS

BOOM

BANG

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON WWW.ELBPHILHARMONIE.COM

Cultured

THE

TRAVELLER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

NICHOLAS CHRISOSTOMOU

PUBLISHER COCO LATTÉ, LONDON

FASHION EDITOR ADRIAN GIBSON

DESIGN STUART MANNING

PICTURE EDITOR STELLA ALEVIZAKI

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Joe Mortimer, Alex Benasuli, Robert Sherwood

Paul Burston, Carolyn McKay, Dawn Gibson

WITH THANKS TO

Adam Martinovic, Electra Caralis, Sophia Amos,

Harriet Ball, Rachel Santa Cruz, Martin B. Jones

The Cultured Traveller magazine is

published by Coco Latté, London, UK

Advertising and sponsorship enquiries:

ads@theculturedtraveller.com

Editorial enquiries words@theculturedtraveller.com

Subscription enquiries subscribe@theculturedtraveller.com

THE CULTURED TRAVELLER

➤ ISSUE 28

© 2019 Coco Latté. All rights reserved

Reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this magazine

is prohibited. No part of this magazine may be reproduced

without written permission from the publisher.

The views expressed in The Cultured Traveller are those of

its respective contributors and writers and are not necessarily

shared by The Cultured Traveller Ltd. or its staff.

The Cultured Traveller always welcomes new contributions,

but assumes no responsibility for unsolicited emails, articles,

photographs or other materials submitted.

Read this issue of The Cultured Traveller magazine online at

➤ www.issuu.com/theculturedtraveller/docs/28

Check out our web portal

➤ www.theculturedtraveller.com/28

Follow The Cultured Traveller on

F

@theculturedtraveller

d

@culturedtraveller

ENJOY THE BEST VIEW

DIRECTLY FROM YOUR ROOM

IN THE HEART OF ZURICH

storchen.ch

THE CULTURED TRAVELLER LTD.

COCO LATTÉ, BENTINCK HOUSE, 3-5 BOLSOVER

STREET, LONDON, W1W 6AB, UK

An Iconic Return.

A Legendary Welcome.

Now Open

RAFFLES.COM/SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE PARIS WARSAW ISTANBUL DUBAI MAKKAH SEYCHELLES MALDIVES SIEM REAP PHNOM PENH MANILA JAKARTA HAINAN SHENZHEN

UPCOMING: UDAIPUR BALI LONDON BOSTON

newsflash

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FOR THE COMING MONTHS

SOMERSET

HOUSE

SKATING

CELEBRATING TWO

DECADES of stylish skating

at Somerset House this year,

don your finest winter togs to

trip the ice fantastic at Edmond J. Safra

Fountain Court, which must surely be one of

Europe’s most stunning locations to skate. No

matter how advanced or amateur your skills, a

visit to this 900-metre square outdoor rink will

look the very picture of glamour in your

Instagram posts! Skating by day is a veritable

family affair with kids and parents of all ages on

the ice. After sunset, “Skate Lates” feature a

specially curated programme of music

throughout the festive season, including

takeovers by the likes of Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard,

hip hop turntablist DJ Yodaand and London

collective Krankbrother. Après skate, recharge

at Fortnum & Mason’s Lodge, in the west wing of

Somerset House, where you can munch on

British classics like Welsh Rarebit and mince

pies with clotted cream. Until 12 January 2020

➤ www.somerset.org.uk

VIENNA CHRISTMAS MARKETS

AUSTRIA’S MAJESTIC,

REFINED and beautiful

capital is a city of grand

palaces, world-class art

museums and elegant coffee houses.

Formerly the epicentre of the Austro-

Hungarian empire, the Austrian capital

exudes stateliness, importance and

respectability, yet, from mid-November

onwards, Vienna’s prettiest squares are

transformed into magical Christmas

markets and an aroma of bakery items and

hot punch creates a festive atmosphere

throughout the city. There are truly few

places in Europe where the essence of the

festive season is more alive than here. For

Vienna Christmas World, the Rathausplatz

becomes a twinkling fairytale land with a

150+ booths selling Christmas gifts, tree

decorations, sweets and warm drinks.

Visitors can also skate a 3,000m² ice rink

and numerous paths through the park. Close

by at the Christmas Village on Maria-

Theresien-Platz, visitors can buy traditional

handicrafts and cutesy gifts. The Old

Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung, in

the heart of the city, dates back to 1772.

Until 26 December 2019 ➤ www.wien.info

16

I S S U E 2 8 ➤ D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 – F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

KRAMPUSNACHT

MEVLÂNA

FESTIVAL

FEW PEOPLE HAVEN’T

heard of Turkey’s famous

whirling dervishes. The stuff

of legends and famous the

world over, Mevlâna attracts more than 100,000

visitors annually to the Anatolian city of Konya

(an hour by plane from Istanbul) to

commemorate the death of 13th-century Sufi

poet, Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi, one of the

world’s great mystic philosophers. His work in

poetry and religious writings are amongst the

most cherished in Islam and beyond. Also known

as Mevlâna, he is a best-selling poet in the USA

with legions of loyal fans. Throughout this

festival, mevlevi (also known as whirling

dervishes) dressed in white robes with

voluminous skirts, dance as if they are in a

trance, under the observance of a seyh (master).

Their performances can best be described as

mesmerising and mystifying – the ecstatic

spinning accompanied by orchestral music and

chanting making for a truly spellbinding

spectacle. The festival’s highlight is the last

night, when the entranced dervishes spin to

commemorate Mevlâna’s wedding night. 7–17

December 2019 ➤ www.mevlanamuzesi.com

DERIVED FROM THE

German word krampen,

meaning claw, and

described in Bavarian

folklore as a horned, anthropomorphic

half-goat half-demon which haunts the central

European mountainous region that supposedly

birthed the creature, Krampus comes alive

during an annual festival which spreads some

not-so-merry pre-Christmas terror! Nowhere

does this devil rampage more frighteningly

than the town of Klagenfurt, the capital of the

southern Austrian province of Carinthia, on the

eastern shore of Lake Wörthersee. Here, the

biggest and most rowdy Krampusnacht unfolds

every year, brimming with ghastly demons quite

literally everywhere. The highlight of

Krampusnacht is essentially an alcohol-fuelled

Krampuslauf race which winds through the

pedestrian-friendly city centre, with a thousand

alpine-jogging contestants dressed as scary,

child-kidnapping, horned and furry devils. So

terrifyingly demonic are Krampus costumes

that a constant debate rages throughout the

country involving a number of eminent

psychologists, who want the creature banned

from society because it is so scary for kids!

8 December 2019

BILLABONG

PIPE

MASTERS

THE BILLABONG PIPE

Masters is the last stop on

the 2019 Men’s

Championship Tour,

designed to foster world-class performances

around the globe, from Europe to the South

Pacific. One of the ten most deadly waves in

the world, Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline is famous

for its heavy swells that can reach up to 10

metres, breaking over shallow, rocky coral

reefs at high speeds to form barrelling curls

of water. Not only is it the perfect wave for

those willing to charge, but also for onlookers

on the beach watching the incredible

spectacle and often death-defying boarding.

Part of the allure of the Pipe Masters is that

with surfing perfection occasionally come

devastating consequences. The Banzai

Pipeline is arguably one of the most

dangerous waves on the planet and has

claimed more lives than any other wave in the

world, on average one fatality a year, not to

mention numerous injuries and broken boards.

8–20 December 2019

➤ www.worldsurfleague.com

T H E C U L T U R E D T R A V E L L E R 17

FÊTE DES

LUMIÈRES

UPWARDS OF 3

MILLION PEOPLE

➸

flock to the French city of Lyon

annually, to be dazzled by an

incredible display of street and

architectural illuminations that

transform the cityscape into a

sparkling wonderland.

➤ 5-8 December 2019


NEWSFLASH


HARBIN ICE FESTIVAL

RENOWNED FOR ONE of

the most bitterly cold

winters in China, Harbin is

also known as the “Ice

City” for its huge influx of winter tourists and

extensive winter recreations, not to mention

its world-famous ice and snow festival – the

largest of its kind on the planet. It takes

15,000 ice sculptors and artisans, working

painstakingly for weeks cutting 120,000

cubic metres of ice blocks from Songhua

River’s frozen surface, to create the

breathtaking illuminated iced sculptures and

statues, plus full-size buildings and figures,

all dotted around the city. While the sculpture

festival doesn’t open until the first week of

January, two huge exhibition areas – Sun

Island and Ice & Snow World – open just

before Christmas, offering eager visitors

everything from ice slides and Yabuli alpine

skiing to snowmobile driving and winterswimming

in the Songhua River. An

abundance of more conservative winter

attractions are also found in abundance

throughout the city, including a traditional

ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden.

24 December 2019–25 February 2020

➤ www.icefestivalharbin.com

BURNING

THE CLOCKS

A BRIGHTON TRADITION

for more than two decades,

Burning the Clocks is a

unique community event that

brings together the entire south coast seaside

city to mark the Winter Solstice. Created in

1994 by the award-winning community arts

charity Same Sky as a way to celebrate the

holiday spirit regardless of people’s religious

beliefs, more than 20,000 spectators now

routinely turn out to watch the 2,000-strong

parade and take part in this unique event, which

is essentially a peaceful yet dramatic rebellion

against the modern-day excesses of

Christmastime commercialism. Brighton locals

make beautiful paper and willow star lanterns

and after the procession that slowly snakes

through the city, they put them into a blazing

bonfire on Brighton beach to mark the end of

the year. While the main event is free to attend,

GBP 100 buys a pair of VIP wrist bands

providing the very best view of the fire show

and fireworks, right on the beachfront.

21 December 2019

➤ www.facebook.com/burningtheclocks


NEWSFLASH

JUNKANOO

THE HIGH POINT of the

season for all Bahamians is

when Nassau’s main artery,

Bay Street, is transformed

into a sea of sight and sound that delights and

entertains all who experience Junkanoo.

Tracing its roots to the music and dance

spectacles of West Africa, Junkanoo is one of

the oldest surviving street festivals in the

Caribbean, dating back to the late 18th century.

Legend has it that slaves of old decorated

themselves using whatever scrap materials

were available, the easiest to lay their hands on

being paper and feathers, which were sewn

onto their clothes. Meanwhile flour paste was

used to paint their faces. Nowadays, Junkanoo

is a wonderful celebration of life and freedom

and the major cultural festival of the Bahamas.

But you’ll need stamina to be part of Junkanoo,

because each year it is celebrated in the early

hours of the morning on Boxing Day, followed

by the main event on New Year’s Day.

26 December 2019, 1 January 2020

➤ www.bahamas.com/junkanoo

HOGMANAY

REPEATEDLY NAME-

CHECKED as one of the top

one hundred things to do

before you die, three days

of spectacular events, big bands and

electrified crowds from every corner of the

globe come together in Edinburgh every year

for one of the world’s biggest and best New

Year’s Eve celebrations. See Shetland Vikings

bearing fire lit torches, hear beautiful choral

singing in St Giles’ Cathedral, enjoy birling to

traditional Scottish music in the Old Town, and

watch incredible fireworks from Princes

Street Gardens. In years gone by, 150,000

revellers from over 70 countries have even

been known to join hands for the world’s

biggest rendition of Auld Lang Syne! This

year’s jam-packed programme includes a

street party hosted by Jonnie Walker with

music by Love Island’s Aftersun DJs, The Mac

Twins; Ronnie Scott’s Big Band performing in

the magnificent surroundings of historic

McEwan Hall, and Grammy and Oscar

award-winner Mark Ronson bringing-in 2020 in

the gardens.

30 December 2019–1 January 2020

➤ www.edinburghshogmanay.com

CARTAGENA

MUSIC FESTIVAL

FOR TEN DAYS every

January, the historic

Colombian walled city of

Cartagena opens to the

public some of its most charming, colonial

indoor and outdoor spaces for its annual

Festival Internacional de Music. Performances

by classical musicians from around the world

quite literally fill Cartagena with music, including

Teatro Heredia, Plaza San Pedro Claver and the

beautiful chapels of hotels Santa Clara, Santa

Teresa and Iglesia de Santo Toribio. The festival

program is divided into three, with the audience

hearing music composed in Europe, New World

music from different eras and European works

with influences from unpublished New World

languages. In 2020, the festival seeks to

highlight the transition from classicism to early

romanticism in Vienna – a period during which

the figure of Franz Schubert had a particular

role. So, five of the Viennese composer’s nine

symphonies will be presented at the festival,

along with works that reflect the emergence of a

romantic sensibility.

4–12 January 2020

➤ www.cartagenamusicfestival.com


TAIWAN’S

LANTERN

FESTIVAL

EVERY YEAR,

THOUSANDS of shining

➸

decorative lanterns, bearing

the wishes of their owners, are

released into the night skies over

the small hillside village of Shifen

in New Taipei county.

➤ 8-9 February 2020


NEWSFLASH


VINTERJAZZ

ATI-ATIHAN

FOR LOVERS OF all things

mardi gras, Ati-Atihan is the

Philippines’ most spectacular

festival and its historical

roots can be traced back to early settlers in

Borneo. Whilst Filipinos are known worldwide for

their gracious hospitality and friendly nature,

this particular feast festival, held annually in

January in honour of the Santo Niño (the Infant

Jesus), allows visitors a glimpse of their wild,

colourful and playful side, a facet of these

devout and thoughtful people rarely seen in

public. Ati-Atihan is a festival of constant

movement, drumming and feasting – basically a

non-stop riot of exhibitionism, costume, music

and dance. Soot black-painted faces, feather

headdresses and animal bones create a

show-stopping visual treat throughout the

proceedings. After days of relentless drumming

and festivities, it’s nigh on impossible for even

the most reluctant and restrained traveller not

to get covered in soot and join in the raucous

and romping all-night closing masquerade ball.

10-19 January 2020 ➤ www.atiatihan.ph

WAKAKUSA

YAMAYAKI

A FORMER VOLCANO rising

342 meters above sea level,

Mount Wakakusayama, in the

Japanese city of Nara, is the

location for this annual event held on the fourth

Saturday of January, which sees the entire hill

fired-up in a controlled burn. Following a parade

that includes a giant rice cracker tossing

competition, a torch is lit with sacred fire at

Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Buddhist monks then

carry the sacred fire down to a small shrine at

the foot of the hill. First, interfaith members of

Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha ignite the

hill. Then hundreds of fireworks are launched,

followed by the ritual burning of the hill, for

roughly an hour, with the grasses on the slopes

blazing as if a red hell is draped over the

mountainside. When all of Mount Wakakusayama

is eventually alight, like a gigantic flickering

torch, unsurprisingly the fire can be seen from

miles around.

25 January 2020 ➤ www.jnto.go.jp

SPANNING THE GAMUT from

electronic to experimental,

funk to free and mainstream

to modern, Denmark’s

world-renowned winter jazz festival has been

thawing the Scandinavian chill with smoking

tunes for more than fifteen years, gradually

growing into one of the biggest European

gatherings of the musical genre. Taking place

over three weeks, there are more than 500

concerts to experience at 100+ different venues

across Denmark. International stars on tour, new

award-winning productions and different

concert themes drop anchor in numerous of the

country’s cities and suburbs. Hence, Vinterjazz

very much kick-starts the season for the

country’s clubs and helps keep the music

playing throughout the year. Headlining the 20th

anniversary edition of Vinterjazz is the Jazz at

Lincoln Center Orchestra led by the

internationally acclaimed multiple Grammy- and

Pulitzer Prize-winning Wynton Marsalis

(pictured), who is one of the world’s most

outstanding jazz musicians and trumpeters of

his generation.

6-29 February 2020 ➤ www.jazz.dk


The Capital Cub Dubai is the Business Hub of Dubai located in the heart of Dubai

International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Club attracts major Emirati, Expat

& Finance businesses in the city.

Benefits of the club include:

Entry to 100 reciprocal clubs worldwide

Exclusive invitations to a wide range of club events

Access to the corporate roster of members and members’ companies

Conveniently located in the heart of the DIFC district

For membership inquiries kindly contact mihaela.nina@capitalclubdubai.com“

A few reciprocal clubs include:

British Club Singapore - Singapore

Clubhouse Brera - Milan, Italy

Cape Town Club - Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa

Le Yacht Club – Beirut, Lebanon

Princeton Club - New York, United States of America

The Adelaide Club - Adelaide, Australia

The Faculty Club - Toronto, Canada

The Royal Scotts Club – Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Please include an A4 photo of the club (outdoor) and 2 other photos (potentially

the Bollinger Garden with Emirates Towers in the background and one really

A Private Members Business Club set in the heart of the DIFC.

Established in 2008 the UAE’s only Business good Club meeting with over room 1000 image)

members including leading business figures from both Emirati

and International background who have shaped and continue to

develop the future of Dubai.

With comprehensive hospitality and business facilities, excellent

membership benefits, an extensive calendar of business and social

events and over 100 reciprocal Clubs worldwide membership is

open for applications from like minded souls from the Middle East

and Overseas.

A few prestigious reciprocAl clubs below:

the club at the ivy

royal Automobile club

the core club

the faculty club

the sind club

british club singapore

London, United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

New York, United States of America

Toronto, Canada

Karachi, Pakistan

Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore

His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan

Mobarak Al Nahayan, Minister

of Tolerance, speaking at the

Philosophy of Tolerance event

(30th January 2019)

For membership inquiries kindly contact membership@capitalclubdubai.com

VENICE

CARNIVAL

➸

ORNATELY

DRESSED

PARTYGOERS, dressed in

magnificent 18th century

costumes and ornate masks,

pose for photos in Piazza

San Marco en route to the

carnival’s official ball, held

at Venice’s majestic Ca’

Vendramin Calergi Palace.

➤ 8-25 February 2020


NEWSFLASH


SAPPORO

SNOW

FESTIVAL

SUPER

BOWL 54

THE MOST IMPORTANT day

of the professional American

football season, when

millions of fans who can’t

make it to the stadium are glued to the couch for

the duration of what is often the most watched

US television program of the year, Super Bowl

LIV will be the 54th Super Bowl and the 50th

modern-era National Football League

championship game. It will decide the league

champions for the 2019 NFL season, be played

at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida and be

broadcast live by CBS. Super Bowl’s halftime

show has always attracted major talent: Janet

Jackson had her infamous wardrobe

malfunction in 2004. Coldplay, Beyoncé and

Bruno Mars have also featured. Lady Gaga

wowed in 2017 and last year Maroon 5’s Adam

Levine brought his Jagger-like moves to the

biggest televised musical event of the year. This

year, for the first time ever, two pop mega stars

will co-headline the halftime show: Jennifer

Lopez and Shakira.

2 February 2020 ➤ www.nfl.com/super-bowl

NOW ONE OF JAPAN’S most

popular winter events, the

first Sapporo Snow Festival

was held in 1950, featuring

just six snow statues built in Odori Park by local

high school students. Since then, the event has

snowballed into a winter wonderland which

attracts more than two million people from

around the world to the capital of the

mountainous northern Japanese island of

Hokkaido, a popular ski spot also known for its

beer. The annual festival, known as Yuki Matsuri

locally, is centred on Odori Park in downtown

Sapporo, where giant sculptures of snow and ice

are erected alongside a 1.5km trail that is

illuminated at night. There are two other sites:

Tsudome, a community dome with large snow

slides and a tobogganing zone – where the

festival starts a few days earlier on 31st January

– and Susukino Ice World which provides an

opportunity to touch and ride some of the

sculptures. 31 January–11 February 2020

➤ www.snowfes.com

BERLINALE

FOUNDED IN WEST BERLIN

in 1951 and celebrated

annually since 1978, the

seventieth anniversary of

Europe’s best respected film festival will kick off

at the Berlinale Palast on Thursday 20th

February showing around 400 films of varying

genres, lengths and formats in a variety of

sections and special presentations, including a

number of international or European premieres

and new discoveries, plus promising talents from

the German film scene. Straddling a broad

spectrum – from feature films to documentaries

and artistic experiments – the audience is invited

to experience highly contrasting milieus, ways of

life and attitudes, to test their own standpoints

and prejudices and reinvigorate their experience

of seeing and perceiving in the realm between

classic narrative forms and extraordinary

aesthetics. In addition, since the Berlinale

programme positively thrives on discussion and

contact with its audiences, a rich array of

spoken-word events, audience discussions and

expert panels facilitate an active dialogue

throughout the festival. 20 February–

1 March 2020 ➤ www.berlinale.de


NEWSFLASH

RIO CARNIVAL

ATTRACTING MORE

THAN two million people

per day onto the streets

of the famous Brazilian

city, from different parts of the globe, Rio is

considered the world’s biggest and most

glittering carnival and the party of a

lifetime for many, with those who attend

prepared to samba the day and night away

for five days straight. Beginning with the

crowning of King Momo (the Fat King), who

is presented with an over-sized silver and

gold key by Rio’s mayor, street bands,

dancers and party folk take over the

squares and the streets as the festivities

get underway, led by traditional samba

schools hailing from the city’s favelas.

While the main parade at the Sambodromo

might be the most iconic in

the world, the real festivities happen in and

around the streets, with more than 500

parties taking place across the city before

and after carnival weekend, bringing the

huge metropolis to a colourful and loud

standstill. Be sure to catch a Bloco,

sometimes called bandas, which are free

street parties that take place throughout

the city, plus at least one outrageous

costume party. 21–25 February 2020

➤ www.rio-carnival.net

BARRANQUILLA

CARNIVAL

THE START OF A NEW year is

not just about fresh goals

and aspirations for the

people of Colombia, it also

marks the beginning of carnival season. This

vibrant, four-day extravaganza (the biggest in

the world after Rio) may kick in late February,

but the party atmosphere starts weeks earlier,

when enthusiastic participants adding finishing

touches to elaborate floats, and rehearsing

dancers can be seen on Barranquilla’s streets.

Pre-carnival events include the crowning of King

Momo (the leader of carnivals) and the Carnival

Queen, and the reading of the Lectura del Bando,

which serves as a call for citizens to begin

celebrating. The Queen leads the first day’s

festivities with the main event - the Batalla de

Flores - with spectators in fancy dress filling the

streets, cheering the passing floats. The Grand

Parade on day two features a multi-coloured

mass of flamboyant characters bedecked in

lavish costumes, all vying for a place in next

year’s main event.

22–25 February 2020

➤ www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org


THE

ACADEMY

AWARDS

➸

HONOURING THE

BEST FILMS of 2019,

broadcast live and beamed

around the planet from the

Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles,

Hollywood’s night of nights is

a prime opportunity for some

serious star gazing as well as

some good gossiping! Will you

be watching the 92nd Oscars?

➤ 10 February 2020


NEWSFLASH


OU BAK ROTEH ➤ CAMBODIA

rest your

S H I N TA

MANI WILD

➸

CAMBODIA IS A VIBRANT LAND OF INCREDIBLE SIGHTS,

scents, flavours and experiences. American architect

Bill Bensley is renowned for his hospitality creativity, novel ideas

and conceptualising unique hotels for a range of clients spanning

the globe. Put these two together and you get Shinta Mani Wild - a

super exclusive luxury tented camp, built along a river valley in the

Cambodian rainforest within a private nature reserve of more than

300 hectares.

Not the easiest place to reach, the adventure begins with a road

trip from Phnom Penh (3 hours) or Sihanoukville (2½ hours) followed by

20 minutes in a 4x4 traversing rugged terrain. Once at the perimeter

of the resort, adventurous guests are encouraged to take to the skies

and whizz into Shinta Mani Wild via a 350 metre zipline over the forest

canopy and Tmor Rung River, gliding in to touch down at the “Landing

Zone Bar” (which juts out over a waterfall) where an expertly-prepared

cocktail awaits. Those who prefer a more conventional arrival can

of course opt for a jeep. If this all sounds a little Indiana Jones that’s

because it is, but Shinta Mani Wild has been executed with a tasteful

eccentricity that only Bensley knows how. Imagine Jackie Kennedy on

a jungle safari and you’ll be on the same wavelength as Bensley.

Skilfully combining first class eco-friendly design with some serious

conservation goals, guests are accommodated in just 15 lavish tents,

spaced sporadically along a long stretch of the river. Each feels like it

is the only tent for miles around.

The hefty room rates cover pretty much everything and include

all food and drink, a bevy of camouflage-clad butlers at your beck

and call, organic treatments in a thatched onsite spa, a multitude of

experiences and guided tours and transfers over land from Phnom

Penh or Sihanoukville airport. If you’ve ever had a jungle fantasy or

fancied yourself as Tarzan for a weekend, Shinta Mani Wild is the

place to live it out in wacky yet refined and tasteful luxury.

➤ www.bensleycollection.com/shintamani-wild

32


head

OUR SEASONAL ROUND-UP

OF WHAT’S NEW, HOT AND

HAPPENING IN THE HOTEL WORLD

➤ OU BAK ROTEH ➤ KYOTO ➤ D U B A I

➤ SAVANNAH ➤ POINT LONSDALE

➤ KENDWA ➤ NEW DELHI ➤ ZÜRICH

➤ SHANGHAI ➤ M E L B O U R N E

➤ PARIS ➤ EAST MOSELEY

ELISE HASSEY


KYOTO ➤ JAPAN

AMAN

KYOTO

➸

FOR MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM UNTIL 1868,

Kyoto served as the capital of Japan and the seat of

its political, military and religious power. Therefore, the Japan

of samurais and geishas, of grand temple complexes and sublime

gardens, of mountain backdrops and crystal-clear streams and

of cherry blossoms and autumn foliage are all evident in Kyoto,

which combines big city sophistication with small town charm. The

city’s glorious past and gorgeous nature-filled surroundings are

literally waiting to be discovered around every corner, including 17

UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Joining the brand’s two other upscale properties in Japan, Aman

Kyoto opened last month, set in an exquisite secret garden within more

than 30 hectares of wild forests at the bottom of the Hidari Daimonji

mountain in the forested region of Takagamine.

Aman Kyoto’s incredibly quiet location, in the northern district of the

city approximately 60 minutes’ drive from Osaka International Airport,

couldn’t be further removed from the tourist-filled temples in the city

centre. Yet, probably Kyoto’s most famous site, Kinkakuji Temple’s

Golden Pavilion, is just 15 minutes’ walk from Aman Kyoto.

While the hotel grounds are liberally scattered with

minimalist pavilions housing 26 spacious guest rooms, an Aman

signature spa (where guests can soak in warming, mineral-rich hot

spring onsen waters) and two top-notch onsite restaurants, the

showstopper here is the gloriously calm and natural setting. Think

towering cedar, cherry and maple trees punctuated with wild flowers,

winding pathways and bright, green moss. The scenery is nothing

short of magical.

If younger guests tire of exploring the secluded grounds (which

are part of what was once an artistic community that gave rise to the

revered Rinpa school of painting four centuries ago), they can develop

their creative talents with letter drawing, flower arranging and origami

workshops.

It seems that Aman, again, has thought of everything.

➤ www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

34


DUBAI ➤ UAE

MANDARIN

ORIENTAL JUMEIRA

➸

NOW BEING PUBLICISED IN DOZENS of countries by Black

Eyed Peas singer and American rapper will.i.am, Dubai’s

Expo 2020 is driving growth in the gleaming city-in-the-dessert as the

emirate is pushing to complete more than 150,000 new hotel rooms in

time to welcome an additional five million visitors expected during ‘The

World’s Greatest Show’.

Recently adding 256 rooms and suites to Dubai hospitality inventory

is Mandarin Oriental’s first property in the UAE, located in the heart

of Dubai, literally a stone’s throw from the water’s edge in one of the

city’s oldest neighbourhoods.

Overlooking both the pristine Arabian Gulf and Dubai’s glittering

skyline, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira is probably the closest luxury

beachfront resort to Downtown Dubai and many of the city’s main

attractions. 15 minutes in a taxi from the hotel and you’ll find yourself at

the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Opera.

Arriving guests are greeted by door staff attired in standout blue

fedoras and frock coats as they enter a massive, forest-inspired lobby,

where hundreds of leaf-shaped lights, crafted from hand-blown crystal,

are attached to two parallel rows of bronze trees. The sight is striking

if not slightly OTT, but since Dubai is all about making an entrance,

interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes is on the money. Beyond the lobby, the

parallel rows continue outdoors toward the beach with lines of real

palm trees. This is an arrival experience like few others in Dubai.

Throughout the property, contemporary layering of patterns

and textures, warm woods and marble create a minimalist design,

which is balanced by a sumptuous colour palette and peppered with

contemporary touches to remind guests that they are in multicultural

Dubai.

Complete with a serene spa, five swimming pools, a state-of-theart

fitness centre, a “Movement Studio” featuring the first Outrace

equipment in a Dubai hotel, multiple bars and six restaurants, Mandarin

Oriental Jumeira offers literally everything a well-to-do globetrotter

could possibly need during a stay in the U.A.E.’s most vibrant city.

➤ www.mandarinoriental.com/dubai

T H E C U L T U R E D T R A V E L L E R

35

dine with us. stay with us

nobuhotelloscabos.com

P E R R Y

LANE HOTEL

➸

ESTABLISHED IN 1733 ON A MAJOR RIVER in the

southeastern United States and positively brimming with

Southern charm, Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia

and its rich history makes it a simply lovely place to visit.

Renowned for its manicured parks, horse-drawn carriages and mid-

19th century pre-war architecture, Savannah’s historic district is filled

with cobblestoned squares and beautiful green spaces shaded by old

oak trees covered with Spanish moss.

Set in two buildings facing each other across Perry Lane, on the

southern side of Savannah’s historic district, the architecture blends

in so well that at first glance it’s hard to tell whether they are new

builds or renovated properties. But new builds they are, constructed

so conscientiously (with the input of local artisans) that the hotel sits

completely naturally within its famous surrounds. It took NYC real

estate development firm Flank five years of carefully studying the

local lifestyle, not to mention an awful lot of research, to get the Perry

Lane Hotel just right.

Inside, the decor is warm and residential with a whiff of retro,

particularly in the public spaces which abound with comfy leather

seating, eclectic artwork and vintage maps.

Upstairs, the 167 crisp and uncluttered guest rooms (including

12 luxurious suites) sport gorgeous beds, Turkish rugs, leather chairs

and rain showers. Meanwhile, up on the roof, a plush swimming pool

open year-round and “Peregrin” bar boast stunning 360-degree views

of the city’s skyline.

The perfect base from which to explore one of America’s most

picturesque states makes Perry Lane Hotel a must if you’re touring

the USA. ➤ www.perrylanehotel.com

SAVANNAH ➤ USA


LON RETREAT & SPA

➸

MARKED BY A TRADITIONAL LIGHTHOUSE

erected more than a hundred years ago, Point

Lonsdale is situated on a rocky outcrop at the south-eastern end

of the Bellarine Peninsula in the Australian state of Victoria, 100

km south-west of Melbourne or just over an hour’s drive from the

big city.

Boasting everything from rugged coastal bike trails to

wineries and five-star lodgings, Melbourne’s western peninsula

has stood in the shadow of its eastern cousin (the Mornington)

for too long. But in recent years savvy travellers have begun to

realise that the Bellarine coastal region has just as much to offer.

At the end of a long, winding driveway, hidden away on a hill by

the ocean and set on over 200 acres of rural and conservation

land, adult-only Lon Retreat & Spa was once an old bed and

breakfast until the sixth generation of the Gemes family

decided to give the property a dramatic overhaul. The original

main building may remain, but the interior spaces have been

dramatically revamped.

The sympathetic design of this eco-friendly retreat tastefully

brings the great outdoors in, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling

windows, a wood-burning stove and smooth concrete which

gently contrast with timber ceilings, hand-crafted furniture

and a colour palette that reflects the beautiful surrounding

farmland. Influenced by the Bellarine, the artwork was produced

by a variety of local artists. Wallpapers are inspired by the

Wathawurung Aborigines who originally inhabited the area.

The gin in the honesty bar is locally produced.

Lon’s seven contemporary suites are liberally scattered

throughout the sandstone retreat, each with its own unique,

earthy style inspired by its surroundings, named after a type

of cloud and decorated with colours taken from the fields, sea

and sky. Some have private courtyard gardens while others have

two bedrooms. All have a lounge, fireplace, heated

flooring, kitchenette, king-sized bed, rain shower, mineral

water-fed stone bath, a Weber barbecue and incredible vistas

of the peninsula’s rolling dunes. The landscape pretty much

persuades you to slow right down, take a load off and pause

for thought, which is precisely what Lon’s owners encourage

and the environment is perfect for this purpose. Once you’ve

stocked the fridge, got the fire going and put on some soothing

music, you honestly may never want to leave Lon.

➤ www.lonretreat.com.au

POINT LONSDALE ➤ AUSTRALIA

38


KENDWA ➤ ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA

ZURI ZANZIBAR HOTEL

➸

WHILE ZANZIBAR IS JUST A 35 KM HOP from mainland

Tanzania, life on this semi-autonomous archipelago is

completely different. Its politics, religion, culture and even the local

fare varies from its East African motherland. Zanzibar also pretty

much has it all within the bounds of its idyllic islands, not

least spectacular scenery and stunning, white sand beaches. It’s a

place where visitors can escape, explore or do a bit of both in secluded,

intimate and fun surroundings.

Set on the main island of Unguja – 50 km from the airport on a 300

metre stretch of private, sunset-facing beach on the northern west

coast – Zuri Zanzibar eco-resort is the Tanzanian archipelago’s first

Design Hotels’ member and delivers Afro-chic style with panache.

High-end design is evident everywhere, not least in resort’s 56 suites,

bungalows and villas fashioned by Jestico + Whiles. Hidden in a large

tropical garden, all are set above the ground, to protect the native flora

and fauna, and clustered together in the style of a traditional African

village. Dressed in warm, Tanzanian teak and topped with thatched or

shingled roofs, each boasts luxe furnishings, indoor/outdoor bathrooms

and is within a short walk of the Indian Ocean’s azure waters.

Four bars and three restaurants offer a fusion of European, African,

Arabic and Indian cuisines. So many onsite gastronomic options, within

the bounds of Zuri’s gorgeous 5-hectare hospitality domain, mean that

guests need never leave the resort, let alone think about shoes for the

duration of their stay. ➤ www.zurizanzibar.com


39

NEW DELHI ➤ INDIA

THE OBEROI, NEW DELHI

➸

DESPITE THE FACT THAT INDIA’S CAPITAL has been

continuously inhabited since the 6th century BCE and has

served as the first city of various kingdoms and empires throughout its

history, what New Delhi is most famous for today is its shockingly bad

and much-publicised pollution. But one of the city’s hotels has taken

the dramatic and costly step of ensuring that its in-house guests can

breathe freely in the knowledge that its air is clean and harmless.

Set in more than five acres of attractively landscaped gardens off

a busy road in one of city›s most fashionable areas, overlooking the

16th century tomb of Emperor Humayun, The Oberoi is a much-storied

hospitality landmark, having been welcoming guests for more than

fifty years.

Built from the ground up by the group’s owning family, when The

Oberoi first opened in 1965, it was the first property in India to offer

butlers, 24-hour room service and a 24-hour restaurant. For a time, it was

renowned as the poshest place to rest one’s head in the whole of India.

Today, the hotel has been reimagined by way of a major two-year topto-bottom

makeover costing a reputed USD 100 million. The result is

a chic, contemporary incarnation of the enduring hotel’s former self,

married with a more modern sense of style courtesy of New York-

based hospitality designer Adam Tihany.

The number of keys has been reduced from 283 to 220 to

provide larger guest rooms with more spacious baths. The Wi-Fi is now

lightning fast throughout. Indoor and outdoor pools plus a Zen-like spa

offer countless possibilities for relaxation and rejuvenation. Holistic

treatments combine aromatherapy, Eastern and Western influences and

there is free yoga every morning. And, most importantly from a health

perspective, a sophisticated indoor air purification system prevents the

entry of harmful air particles into the hotel.

It would be a shame to never visit such a historic city at least once

in your lifetime. Now you can stay at luxury lodgings in New Delhi safe in

the knowledge that you are breathing the cleanest air possible, while you

are indoors at least!

➤ www.oberoihotels.com/hotels-in-delhi

40


ALEX

➸

PUNCTUATED BY THE HISTORIC TOWER of St Peter

Kirche dominating its picture postcard skyline, Zürich

has been gently buzzing with gradual transformation since the

makeover of its former industrial district into a vibrant cultural

corner in the west of the city.

Today, Switzerland’s largest and wealthiest metropolis is

efficiently run, visually pleasing and more culturally alive than

ever before, making it one of Central Europe’s coolest city-break

destinations.

However, until recently, it has to be said that the majority of

Zurich’s top-end hotels veered towards old school and a tad

stuffy. Without naming names, you would have been hard pushed

to find a stylish place to stay among the city’s 5-star properties.

Thankfully this has now changed with the arrival of uber-cool Alex,

a CampbellGray hotel positioned on Lake Zurich’s western shore in

Thalwil, 5 km from the city centre.

It is ALEX’s unique location – sitting directly on the water’s edge

– which makes it one of the chicest places to stay in Zürich today.

Huge expanses of glass fronting the hotel’s destination

Boat House restaurant, terrace and bar, open 365 days per year,

make the most of its enviable setting. Here you will find some of

the best and most reasonably priced classic fare in Zürich, served

morning, noon and night.

Upstairs, London-based designers BradyWilliams – the

talented duo behind a number of Corbin & King restaurants – have

bedecked the hotel’s 44 generously proportioned studios and

penthouses with timber flooring, soft linens, kitchenettes and

French doors that open directly onto glorious lake views. Shower

rooms are spacious, chic and function perfectly. Black-out

blinds electrically glide into place to ensure a restful

sleep. Every conceivable mod-con has been built-in

but doesn’t feel gimmicky in any way. On the

contrary, the overall effect is one of class and

sophistication married with a connectivity

to the water that may be unsurpassed

anywhere else around Lake Zürich.

➤ www.campbellgrayhotels.com/

alex-lake-zurich



ZÜRICH ➤ SWITZERLAND

SHANGHAI ➤ CHINA

BVLGARI

H O T E L

SHANGHAI

➸

IN RECENT YEARS, A NUMBER OF SWISHY NEW HOTELS

have opened in the Paris of the East – the most notable

among them being Capella, Edition, Middle House and Amanyangyun

– meaning that Shanghai now caters much better to the needs of

premium travellers.

Positioned on the scenic banks of Suzhou Creek just a few

minutes’ walk from the Bund, Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai is the latest

high-end property to throw open its glamorous doors in China’s

most cosmopolitan city. With room rates more than double that of

its nearest super luxury competitor, Bvlgari’s newest hotel is already

attracting China’s mega rich to its hallowed granite, leather and

bronze-clad portals.

Occupying six floors towards the top of a 48 storey Italian-designed

tower (which is also home to Bvlgari residences), the hotel is linked

to the now completely restored 1916-built Neoclassical renaissance

former chamber of commerce building. This attachment to a historic

Shanghai building cleverly bestows a sense of place upon the slick

new hotel.

Elegantly combining a sophisticated palette of creams and ambers

with dark timber floors and mirror-glossy black lacquered furniture

in its 63 indulgent rooms and 19 exquisite suites, all accommodation

soars above the city bridging Shanghai’s historic past with 21st

century hospitality design and luxurious facilities. And being the only

high-rise in the neighbourhood affords guests unsurpassed views

of the Pudong skyline, Bund and surrounding area.

➤ www.bulgarihotels.com/shanghai

44


Immerse in the historical glamour of the City

of Lights blended with the vibrant energy of

..

Here, anything can happen.

Whatever/Whenever®.

Book now on wparisopera.com

@wparisopera

@wparisopera /wparisopera

/wparisopera

W

W

Paris

Paris

-

-

Opéra

Opéra

-

-

Place

Place

de

de

l’Opéra,

l’Opéra,

4

4

rue

rue

Meyerbeer

Meyerbeer

-

-

75009

75009

Paris

Paris

-

-

T:+33

T:+33

(0)1

(0)1

77

77

48

48

94

94

94

94

MELBOURNE ➤ AUSTRALIA

UNITED PLACES

➸

OFTEN REFERRED TO AS AUSTRALIA’S CULTURAL

CAPITAL and the most European metropolis of the

antipodes, it is doing Melbourne a disservice to consider it merely

as ‘Australia’s second city’. It may be less known and marginally less

populous than Sydney, but the capital of the state of Victoria is a

unique and delightfully modern world city complete with a genuinely

kind, welcoming heart and an elegant, Victorian charm.

Melbourne combines in one city all the elements that appeal

to a seasoned traveller: intriguing streetscapes mixing

contemporary design with handsome 19th century terrace houses

and glorious art deco landmarks; a world-renowned foodie scene that

includes some of the best restaurants you could ever wish to raise a

fork in; an established bar culture and exciting nightlife; internationally

revered art galleries and covetable designer fashion; shopping

destinations which tug insistently on the purse strings and lush parks

and sprawling gardens.

While Melbourne boasts a vast range of hotels catering to every

type of visitor, few, if any, are truly individual or privately-owned and

run. So, to stay at bijou boutique hotel United Places is truly a breath of

hospitality fresh air.

Located in South Yarra (one of Melbourne’s most picturesque

suburbs), to be a guest at United Places is to enjoy Melbourne like a

local, which, as every cultured traveller knows, is the best way to see

any city and experience its authenticity.

The brainchild of Melbourne local Darren Rubenstein, who fused

his travel, hospitality and design experience to create United Places,

this unique property offers its guests a truly personal and curated

approach to the services it provides.

With only a dozen beautifully executed suiwtes (including three,

two-bedroom penthouses), staying at United Places is a calm, intimate

and stylish experience. And returning to such sophisticated, fuss-free

lodgings – after a day in the city or an evening out on the town in

vibrant Melbourne – feels much like arriving back at the chic home of a

well-to-do globetrotting friend. ➤ www.unitedplaces.com.au

46


HÔTEL DES GRANDS

B O U L E VA R D S

➸

TUCKED BETWEEN THE HISTORIC BOURSE and hip

Sentier neighbourhoods in the second arrondissement,

on first impressions it seems that Hôtel des Grands Boulevards is

located on a street which is way too hectic for a sophisticated stay

to be even vaguely possible. Thankfully, we soon discover that the

hotel is to be found at the end of a short, discreet passage, out of

earshot of the riotous happenings on busy Boulevard Poissonnière.

The latest Parisian lifestyle property from the Experimental

Group, Hôtel des Grands Boulevards was built shortly after the

French Revolution and was once a cinema before becoming a

bourgeois residence and now a boutique hotel brimming with history.

Marrying 18th century Parisian elegance with slightly off-the-wall

accents and retro touches, design whizz Dorothée Meilichzon found

inspiration in a French queen of old for her interior decor scheme,

which sees elegant canopy beds and rustic nightstands paired with

bevelled mirrors and velvet headboards in the hotel’s 50 guest rooms.

Ranging in size from cosy “Petit Boulevard” to “Grand Boulevard”,

every room offers 300 thread count sheets, vintage-styled Revo

radios, VoIP phones for free calls, mirror TVs, espresso machines

(de rigueur in Paris), organic coffee and large bathrooms.

Downstairs, a retractable glass ceiling tops the Grand Restaurant

where chef Giovanni Passerini revisits the great classics of French-

Italian country cooking using local fresh and organic produce. After

dinner, head up to the hotel’s hidden rooftop bar, The Shed, to relax

with an expertly crafted cocktail away from the hustle and bustle

of the big city. ➤ www.grandsboulevardshotel.com

PARIS ➤ FRANCE



K I N G S

A R M S

HOTEL

➸

CONTAINING ALMOST A KILOMETRE OF

PATHS and planted sometime between 1689

and 1695 by George London and Henry Wise for William

III of Orange, Hampton Court Maze is England’s oldest

surviving hedge maze and has been baffling visitors

for more than three centuries. Located within Hampton

Court Palace in the London borough of Richmond upon

Thames, the maze is just a small part of more than 60

splendid acres of enchanting gardens which surround

the palace and typify this beautifully leafy part of the

British capital.

Opposite the Royal Deer Park, adjacent to Hampton

Court’s 17th century Lion Gates and backing onto the

palace’s world-famous maze, Kings Arms Hotel boasts

a storied past, dating back hundreds of years, which is

almost as fascinating as its royal neighbour.

Having been a pub, hotel or inn since the early

18th century (if not earlier), the landmark, Grade II

listed building is almost certainly the oldest surviving

business in the area.

Privately acquired a few years ago and having since

undergone an extensive, two-year top-to-toe refurb,

the reimagined Kings Arms re-opened earlier this year

as a 14-room boutique hotel, incorporating a rather

splendid restaurant called The Six, whose menu was

conceptualised by fast-rising Michelin-starred chef

Mark Kempson (of Kitchen W8 fame) and uses fresh

veggies and herbs from Hampton Court Palace’s

kitchen garden. Also, on the ground floor, are an

inviting lounge, multiple bars and a semi-private dining

room for special occasions.

Out front, a spacious, enclosed private terrace

– fashioned by landscape designer Christine Wilford –

provides ample seating for guests to dine and drink al

fresco in the summer months.

Upstairs, given the historic nature of the building,

guest rooms naturally differ in size and shape. Some

boast bay windows overlooking the terrace to the

front, while others gaze upon the famous maze behind

the property. All are hung with interesting original

works or limited edition prints by a variety of up-andcoming

Zimbabwean artists, including Kudzanai Chiurai

and May Sibande. Curtains are made from stunning

printed botanical and nature-themed velvets courtesy

of Boho & Co. Super-comfy beds are made-up with top

quality linens, and slick en-suites feature mosaiced

rain-showers and full-size Jenny Betts toiletries.

It’s easy to forget that the British capital is

surrounded by a multitude of parks and magnificent

belts of lush green countryside. Spending a weekend

at the Kings Arms Hotel will give you a different

perspective on London, which you may just enjoy

more than Covent Garden!

➤ www.kingsarmshamptoncourt.com

EAST MOSELEY ➤ UK


49

WIN a luxury

four-night stay at

intercontinental

bali resort

WIN A FOUR-NIGHT STAY FOR TWO PEOPLE IN A CLUB

INTERCONTINENTAL ROOM AT INTERCONTINENTAL

BALI RESORT, INCLUSIVE OF AIRPORT TRANSFERS,

BREAKFASTS AT A CHOICE OF VENUES, CLASSIC

AFTERNOON TEA DAILY, COCKTAILS AND CANAPÉS

EVERY EVENING, ONE 60-MINUTE COUPLES’ SPA

TREATMENT AND ONE DINNER AT KO JAPANESE

RESTAURANT INCLUSIVE OF WELCOME COCKTAILS.


➸

NESTLED AMONGST LUSH TROPICAL GARDENS

alongside a stretch of white sand beach, recently renovated

InterContinental Bali Resort deftly immerses its guests in the ambiance

of a tranquil Balinese village.

One of the most renowned and enduring hotels on Jimbaran Bay, this

five-star deluxe property was the first of its kind to be built on the bay’s

beautiful shores to best enjoy the island’s stunning sunsets.

The recipient of multiple international awards, InterContinental Bali

Resort seamlessly accommodates the needs of every type of visitor.

And traditional Balinese architecture, seamlessly interwoven with modern

conveniences, provides guests with a diverse array of world-class

facilities onsite.

Set within its own private wing and secluded enclave, complete with

exquisite gardens, the resort’s premium Club InterContinental is an

exclusive haven offering discerning, cultured travellers a luxurious ‘resort

within a resort’ to further enrich and elevate their InterContinental Bali

Resort stay experience. ➤ www.bali.intercontinental.com

PRIZE DRAW

TO ENTER

Email your contact details to

➤ win@theculturedtraveller.com

The draw will take place after 1st March 2020 and the winner

will be notified via email. This prize can be used any time

before 31st December 2020 subject to availability when

booking. Blackout dates apply. This prize is not transferable

to another person. The Cultured Traveller will not share your

details with third parties. Multiple entries will be disqualified

and completely excluded from this draw. All entrants will be

added to The Cultured Traveller’s mailing list.


C A P E

THE AFRICAN

CULTURAL

RETURNING AFTER ALMOST A DECADE,

NICHOLAS CHRISOSTOMOU FINDS AN

INTENSELY ENERGISED CITY REBORN ➤

52


CIT Y

FOCUS

T O W N

CONTINENT’S

CAPITAL


53

THE PORT CITY OF CAPE TOWN

has always been an entertaining,

edgy and happening place to visit.

Its spectacular location, in the

shadow of larger-than-life Table

Mountain at the northern end of

the Cape Peninsula bordered by impressive scenery, gorgeous

beaches and miles of magnificent coastline, has permanently

bestowed upon South Africa’s most vibrant metropolis the status

of the continent’s most visually pleasing city.

Near-vertical cliffs falling into the cold, crystal-clear waters

of the Atlantic on Cape Town’s west and the much warmer jadecoloured

waters of the Indian Ocean to the city’s east, make for

an inimitable cityscape that cannot be matched by any other

metropolis on the planet. If you are lucky enough to see Cape

Town through the window as you come in to land, that first

glimpse is indelible. The city’s setting is truly incomparable.

Boasting a diverse topography and an inordinate variety of

striking natural wonders, nature lovers can hike, bike, climb,

glide, boat, surf, swim, explore and much more, all within the

city’s limits. None other of the world’s cities-on-the-sea can offer

such a huge range of activities. Moreover, the Western Cape is

brimming with opportunities to be outdoors all year round, and

it never gets European cold, not even in the winter months.

The country’s apartheid past, by which black people were

institutionally segregated and excluded from cities – especially

from Cape Town where the government maintained they had

no historical right to live – today provides a number of tourist

sites for history buffs to visit, including Robben Island, seven

kilometres off the city’s coast in Table Bay. It was here that ➤


CITY FOCUS


You have to stay here at least once

in your lifetime.

Situated on a private quay uniquely poised between Cape Town’s vibrant V&A Waterfront and the tranquil

yacht marina, Cape Grace is the ideal retreat from where to enjoy the splendor of the Mother City’s natural

and cultural beauty, as well as the warmth of our people.

Cape Grace Hotel

info@capegrace.com

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa

CITY FOCUS

South Africa’s first democratically elected president – Nelson

Mandela – spent 18 years incarcerated in prison.

However, for all its historical and natural allure, and

despite being repeatedly name-checked as the world’s most

beautiful city, until relatively recently Cape Town could

not compete on a cultural level with its international peers,

particularly in terms of art. For this reason, it was always

considered by many to be a tourists’ playground and a “fun”

place to visit, rather than highbrow or sophisticated in cultural

terms. But, the recent emergence of a cutting-edge art scene,

crowned by the 2017 unveiling of a world-class museum and

uber-cool adjoining district, have shaken everything up and

catapulted Cape Town onto the world’s artistic stage where

it now has a permanent seat.

IT HAS BEEN NINE YEARS SINCE I LAST VISITED

Cape Town. A distinct lack of cultural substance, an everpresent

division along racial lines and a noticeable increase in

Cape Town’s crime rate are the reasons I stopped visiting at

around the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Before then, I

literally couldn’t get enough of the place. A combination of the

South African sun, the city’s party spirit, superb food, jumping

bars and a favourable exchange rate routinely combined to

continuously draw me back to Cape Town year-in-year-out for a

decade. But when my safety and cultural hunger outweighed my

need to party, it was time to give the city a break. South Africa’s

crime rate is notorious and I began to feel it in 2010.

It must be mentioned at the outset of planning to visit Cape

Town, one must get to grips with the flaws underneath its

intensely picturesque façade from the get-go. As visitors we

cannot fix inequality or help the poor in any country we visit.

Like an elephant in the room, in Cape Town there’s no getting

away from it. We can only hope that our tourist Pounds will in

some way seep down to those who need it most.

When I return to South Africa in 2019, I soon find that Cape

Town still has the ability to surprise. And surprise me it does,

mostly by its art and culinary scenes.

Thanks in large part to The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary

Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), the gritty Silo District and an

electrified food scene helmed by a new generation of innovative

chefs, I find an energised city reborn as the Rainbow Nation’s

cultural capital. Even crime appears to be under control, ➤

Nelson Mandela

at Robben Island


perhaps thanks to a new network of more than 1,500 CCTV

cameras and visibly more police in touristic areas. Despite

the obvious inequity between the wealthy and the rest of its 4

million Capetonians, the city feels safer. I walk the streets of the

CBD alone and browse the shops and galleries. Cape Town feels

different and art has everything to do with it.

BUILT IN 1921, CAPE TOWN’S FAMOUS GRAIN SILOS

were the industrial heart of the city’s harbour area for the best

part of a century and the nation’s tallest buildings for a long

time. They were also a geographical landmark for millions of

South Africans. Everyone knew the unsightly grey concrete

building in the middle of Cape Town, which was bizarrely

listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. So, when British

architectural genius Thomas Heatherwick spent ZAR 500

million carving a thrilling museum out the silos, the first such

institution of its kind in Africa, anchored by a show-stopping

cathedral-like atrium celebrating art, everybody noticed and the

city was changed, for the better, forever.

Named after Jochen Zeitz – the former CEO of Puma whose

art forms the basis of its permanent collection – when Zeitz

MOCAA opened two years ago, I doubt that anyone foresaw the

magnitude of the effect the museum would have, not just on the

city of Cape Town and the country of South Africa, but on the

African continent. Zeitz MOCAA has utterly transformed the

cultural landscape of Cape Town and its artistic influence is

being felt throughout Africa. For want of a better analogy, Zeitz

MOCAA has become South Africa’s Tate Modern and its cultural

spell is far reaching.

Where contemporary African art was once limited to small,

private galleries, it is now one of the hottest artistic genres on

the planet and being shown in every notable museum on the

world stage. And all of this is feeding back into Cape Town,

resulting in an electrification of its art scene like never before

and a new-found citywide cultural momentum. Furthermore, the

energy being generated by Zeitz MOCAA is fuelling many other

cultural facets of Cape Town, not least gastronomy, which has

taken-off Concorde-style in recent years.


CITY FOCUS

BORN IN ENGLAND AND TRAINED IN SWITZERLAND,

Luke Roberts is just one of a new breed of owner-chefs who

have been reinvigorating Cape Town’s restaurants with a fresh

approach, new flavours and exciting concepts. A scene which

was largely dominated by traditional and often fuddy-duddy

food and beverage offerings when I last visited the city, is now

positively bursting with new talent and culinary creativity, so

much so that I cannot possibly visit all the restaurants I really

want to during my 10-day stay. Decided by over 1,000 respected

chefs, food writers and gourmands, for the fifth consecutive

year, Roberts’ Test Kitchen restaurant in Cape Town was

included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. But what

Roberts is doing to Cape Town’s food scene is just the tip of

the city’s gastronomic iceberg.

In the past few years, the world-wide gin craze has also

landed in South Africa, making the most of the abundance of

unique fynbos indigenous to the region. The Western Cape is

more botanically diverse than the richest tropical rainforest

in South America, and many of its 9,300 species of fynbos pair

rather well with gin’s essential ingredient, the juniper berry.

Consequently, there are now more than 50 registered gin

distilleries countrywide, at least 30 of which are in the Western

Cape, and some 200 gins are produced in South Africa, many

of which are world-class.

The marriage of a booming art scene with first-class wines,

charming wine estates and a myriad of new and exciting

eateries, makes visiting Cape Town an outstandingly attractive

proposition to culture vultures who thrive on art, good food and

fine wine. Now sporting a vitality that has never been so evident

before, Cape Town today is a dynamic city on the cultural rise

awash with creative energy and an intensely artistic spirit.

Visit now to soak it all in and you will almost certainly

leave the Mother City thoroughly culturally satiated.

59

C A P E T O W N ’ S

WORLD-CLASS

ART SCENE

INTERIOR DESIGNER AND ART AFFICIONADO

ROBERT SHERWOOD ROUNDS-UP SOME

OF CAPE TOWN’S BEST GALLERIES

HAVING BEEN BORN IN THE

LATE 60S to creative parents

in Cape Town, at a time when

South Africa was renowned for

its politics rather than its art

scene, it has been fascinating

to see how the city’s artistic landscape has changed, developed

and matured over the years.

More recently, it has been a pleasure to share my passion

for art, with visitors from around the world, at my Bree Street

showroom. Witnessing so many people descend upon the

Mother City, to enjoy the burgeoning art and design scene that

has proliferated in the past few decades, has been a treat.

A number of exceptionally good artists have always lived

and worked in and around Cape Town and a few galleries have

remained loyal in showcasing their work.

Founded in 1872 with a donation of 45 paintings from Sir

Thomas Butterworth, the Iziko South African National Gallery

has grown into a staple of the Cape Town art scene, where you

can see a good mix of old masters and contemporary works

which creates an interesting discussion between the past and

present. The museum’s beautiful setting in historic Company’s

Garden – originally created in 1650 to replenish ships rounding

the Cape – is further reason to visit. ➤ www.iziko.org.za

Two major institutions have recently added hugely to Cape

Town’s artistic credibility, one of which is the Zeitz Museum ➤


CIT Y

FOCUS


61

of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA). Designed by multiaward-winning

British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the

museum is housed within the V&A Waterfront’s old grain silos

and is a nothing short of a modern architectural masterpiece.

Complete with a jaw-dropping entrance, Zeitz MOCAA’s 33

metre-high central atrium, cut out of towering old concrete

grain silos, is truly a sight to behold. Running until 23rd March

2020, the museum’s current William Kentridge exhibition, Why

Should I Hesitate: Putting Drawings to Work, showcases more

than 40 years of the internationally acclaimed artist’s output.

➤ www.zeitzmocaa.museum

The other major Cape Town art player is Norval Foundation,

housed within a striking contemporary pavilion in the southern

suburb of Steenberg. The brainchild of founder Louis Norval –

a South African businessman with a very keen interest in local

art – the foundation is home to the Homestead Art Collection.

Assembled by the Norval family over two decades, this leading

collection of 20th century South African art is one of the world’s

best. Presently, Norval is showcasing two decades’ worth

of three-dimensional works by William Kentridge, in Why

Should I Hesitate: Sculpture, which runs until 23rd March

2020 in tandem with his exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA. Both are

unmissable. ➤ www.norvalfoundation.org

It is worthwhile mentioning that Zeitz MOCAA and Norval

largely came about due to what preceded them, namely a

vibrant art and gallery scene. The city is incredibly lucky to

have gallerists who go to great lengths to promote work by

South African artists. Not especially grouped together in one ➤

62


CITY SPOTLIGHT


64

area (although Woodstock is home to many), these galleries are

dispersed throughout the city and surrounding winelands.

Run by Justin Rhodes and Ashleigh McLean,

WHATIFTHEWORLD recently moved into a cool, new space

in Buiten Street. Recognised both within South Africa and

internationally, what stands out about this gallery is its skill

for displaying world-renowned artists alongside those just

starting out and fortunate enough to have caught the eye of

Rhodes and McLean, who are both committed to developing

innovative local talent. Very active overseas, you may well have

seen WHATIFTHEWORLD at The Armory Show in New York

or 1-54 in London. A star of the gallery is Athi-Patra Ruga,

whose tapestry and photographic pieces have been shown in

most major cities. ➤ www.whatiftheworld.com

Pre-eminent since 1966, Goodman Gallery’s home, in a

former industrial building in Woodstock, is a traditional white

cube space which hosts exhibitions of some of the major players

in the South African and African art scenes, including William

Kentridge. ➤ www.goodman-gallery.com

Also located in Woodstock and founded in 2003, Stevenson’s

exhibition openings are always hot ticket events, since this

gallery has a unique viewpoint and showcases the work of an

interesting array of diverse artists. In particular, Nandipha

Mntambo’s work using cowskin is ground-breaking. Wim Botha’s

fractured bronzes are just one highlight of his long career. ➤

FOUR DECADES OF ART MAKING

1975 – 2019


And another heavyweight of Stevenson’s stable, Johannesburgbased

Nicholas Hlobo’s large sculptural works, have attracted

much attention internationally. ➤ www.stevenson.info

THE CENTRE OF CAPE TOWN IS ALSO HOME TO A

number of smaller galleries that play an important role in

diversifying the city’s art scene. A number of great spaces

along Church Street veritably burst at the seams every First

Thursday – an initiative started a few years ago, which sees

the city’s galleries and shops stay open until late on the first

Thursday monthly. If you happen to be in Cape Town on First

Thursday, do come into the CBD and see what everyone is

showing. ➤ www.first-thursdays.co.za

If you venture out of town to the Cape Winelands –

particularly to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek – you will be

surprised by the amount of art on display alongside exceptional

wines to be tasted. A number of wine estates have a distinctly

artistic lean, including Delaire Graff, Grande Provence

and Cavalli.


CITY FOCUS

Given the vast assortment of art on offer, Franschhoek’s

main road will almost certainly have you gallery hopping!

A major force in the South African art world and the

oldest commercial player on the continent, dropping into

Everard Read’s Franschhoek gallery is not an option.

➤ www.everard-read-franschhoek.co.za

For discerning travellers, the mix of visiting Cape Town

museums and galleries in the centre, and spending a few

days in the winelands, makes for an unforgettable, cultural

vacation experience. And, like most people who visit South

Africa’s shores, you can always come back for more if

you miss something! ➤ www.robertsherwooddesign.com


67

C I T Y F O C U S

S TAY

CAPE TOWN ➤ SOUTH AFRICA

THE SILO

KENSINGTON

PLACE

LABOTESSA

THE SILO HOTEL

Cape Town, South Africa



S TAY

THE SILO

➸

A PIVOTAL PART OF THE VERY BEGINNING

of the settlement of Cape Town, the Victoria

& Albert Waterfront dates back to the 17th century. The

discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa in the

1880s meant that the V&A’s Alfred Basin was not large

enough to accommodate the increased number of ships,

and so the Victoria Basin was constructed and completed

1920. While this part of the harbour still boasts an array

of heritage buildings, the V&A has developed, improved

and moved with the times as the centuries have passed.

It’s this progression that has kept the V&A popular for

so many years, with multiple generations of tourists and

locals alike, and made it an intrinsic part of life in the

Mother City.

Nestled in the harbour between the basins and the

cruise terminal and costing an estimated ZAR 2 billon,

when the new Silo District opened in 2017 it changed the

face of the V&A Waterfront and catapulted Cape Town

into an exciting new artistic era, thanks in large part to

the incredible Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art

Africa (MOCAA).

The focal point of the district (if not the whole of central

Cape Town), Zeitz MOCAA and the surrounding area have

completely rejuvenated this part of the city which was

hitherto derelict and ignored. Today, the Silo District is

the first stop for every visitor to Cape Town with a cultural

or architectural lean and its hotel is the place to stay.

Filling the top six floors above Zeitz MOCAA, atop

the former grain silo, sits the crowning glory of Royal

Portfolio’s group of unique hotels: The Silo. To say that this

hotel has redrawn Cape Town’s hospitality landscape is

something of an understatement. In effect, The Silo has

introduced a new layer of luxury to Cape Town’s hotel

scene by adding a glamorous property the like of which

Capetonians had never seen before.

Staying in one of The Silo’s 28 individually-designed

rooms and suites is like looking out through the

fanciful crystal-like windows of a bejewelled trinket box

suspended in the sky, with all of Cape Town sparkling

around you. “Unique” doesn’t do The Silo justice - the hotel

is special in every way. “Showstopping” is more like it.

As one would imagine, the service is faultless. The front

desk and concierge teams connect with in-house guests

via WhatsApp to ensure that every whim is catered for.

Completely in sync with the building, you either love

or hate Liz Biden’s interior design style, which can best

be described as flamboyant yet inviting. Vibrant silks

and deep velvets vie for attention with animal skins,

lacquer work, Egyptian-crystal chandeliers, floral prints

and gloss finishes. Every bathroom is massive and rockstar

chic.

If you are a minimalist The Silo is not the place for

you. If you have a zest for life, love colour and live for the

moment you will adore The Silo and everything about it,

especially the glass-sided rooftop pool and residentsonly

Sky Terrace which crown the building and provide

360-degree vistas of the surrounding area, plus quite

possibly the city’s best views of Table Mountain.

➤ www.theroyalportfolio.com


CAVALLI ESTATE

TO EXCITE YOUR EVERY SENSE...

Cavalli, South Africa’s foremost contemporary wine estate, home to award-winning cuisine,

wines, art, local design and a world class equestrian centre, situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands.

With passion in every detail, your visit may last longer than you expect....

72

CAVALLIESTATE.COM P: +2721 8553218 E: Info@cavalliestate.com

S TAY

K E N S I N G T O N

PLACE

➸

SOMEWHAT UNIQUELY, CAPE TOWN

offers visitors a large number of

privately-owned, individually styled boutique

hospitality gems, that skilfully manage to

combine the standards of a five-star hotel with

the level of calm, relaxed intimacy and personal

service of a well-staffed private house, perhaps

owned by a tasteful friend. In all our years of

globetrotting, The Cultured Traveller has never

come across a city which offers such an array

of small, high-quality hotels that cater to the

needs of discerning international travellers

quite so well. Some are located along the coast

in Cape Town’s bays and boast water views and

sea breezes, while others are positioned on the

slopes of the city’s mountains and hills, offering

panoramic city vistas and bucolic gardens.

Kensington Place is the latter, and has been

routinely voted one of Cape Town’s best boutique

hotels since it opened just over two decades ago.

An inconspicuous, eight-room property

in upmarket Higgovale, Kensington Place is

conveniently positioned on the lower slopes of

Table Mountain, seemingly off-the-beaten-track

but within 10 minutes of central Cape Town’s in an

Uber. Camps Bay’s beaches are about a quarter

of an hour away by car in the opposite direction,

making Kensington Place nice and centrally

positioned to easily access all parts of the city.

A small swimming pool, deck and walled

gardens surround the property, which is well

secluded from the road offering guests a great

deal of privacy. Inside, a multitude of tasteful

design touches, a high level of finishing and

general attention to detail abound. It’s obvious

that Kensington Place has been thoughtfully and

lovingly executed and is fastidiously maintained.

The service is warm, casual and staff are

ever-present but not in your face. Having

something pressed or laundered doesn’t cost

the earth and nothing is too much trouble for

the tight-knit team. In particular, Gillian is a

diamond and Ngonie as helpful as any guest

could wish for.

Akin to a junior suite in a conventional hotel,

The Cultured Traveller’s second floor superior

room was spacious enough, complete with

an oversized sofa and private terrace with

sun-loungers and patio table/chairs for two.

Bedecked with the kind of features you’d

expect in a five-star hotel, as well as the usual

king size bed, luxe linens and huge flat screen

TV, the quality toiletries in the slick shower

room were full size, and the panoramic vistas

of the mountains and surrounding landscape

were wonderful.

What’s especially fab about Kensington

Place is the lack of formality or airs and graces.

Breakfast is served throughout the day and you

can literally eat it anywhere – in your room, in the

garden or in the dining room. And, as well as a

buffet, an excellent range of à la carte options –

include eggs prepared in countless ways and a

variety of fresh-pressed juices - is offered for no

extra charge.

Room service is very reasonably priced,

making having a “night off” and staying-in

financially viable without breaking the bank. Food

ordered at night was readied swiftly, delivered

to The Cultured Traveller’s room and tasted

delicious. Offering luxury lodgings with first class

service at sensible prices, Kensington Place is

perfect for travellers who value privacy above

all else. ➤ www.kensingtonplace.co.za


LABOTESSA

TO STAY IN ANY CITY’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT is to be

➸

up close and personal with its daily comings-and-goings and Cape

Town is no different. A menagerie of cultures, nationalities, ages, genders,

personalities and styles converging in the beating heart of the Mother City

results in a unique melting pot of people from all walks of life and corners of

the globe.

Synonymous with having a good time and consequently brimming with

bars and restaurants, bohemian Long Street is the CBD’s main artery and

Cape Town’s most famous party strip. Two streets across, running parallel

with Long, bustling Bree Street is home to a plethora of trendy restaurants,

cool cafés, contemporary art galleries and funky shops interspersed with

beautiful colonial buildings. On the other side of Long Street, Greenmarket

Square was originally the site of a market selling fresh produce grown

in Company’s Garden nearby, hence its name. Today, stall holders sell

everything from jewellery to craft goods and toys to haggling tourists

while buskers provide the soundtrack. A few minutes’ walk away, Church

Square couldn’t be more different. Cobbled and bordered by historic

buildings yet somewhat less busy than Greenmarket, it is a relatively quiet

enclave that is still very much in the middle of it all. It is here, at 5 Church

Square, that swanky Labotessa boutique hotel opened its chic doors

earlier this year.

Occupying a charming five-storey Heritage Blue-painted building in the

corner of the square, topped by a duplex penthouse, immaculately turnedout

Labotessa wouldn’t look out of place in Europe and cuts a fine figure.

Dating back to the 16th century, the storied building once played host

to Cape Town’s first congregational church while Groote Church was

being erected on Adderley Street. Today, Groote Church is South Africa’s

72


S TAY

oldest formal place of worship and 5 Church Square is a deluxe urban retreat.

Boasting half a dozen overly spacious suites ranging in size from 65 sqm

upwards, Labotessa offers luxurious and well-considered apartment-style

living complete with the services of an attentive and friendly concierge-like

team. While The Cultured Traveller was in residence, a broken watch strap

was fixed quickly and without fuss and a Saturday shopping route was

planned in-line with shops’ various closing times.

Crowning Labotessa is its rather special three-bedroom 300 sqm

Governor Suite. Spread over two levels and providing the ultimate

accommodation and entertaining space, the suite boasts multiple terraces, a

private splash pool, SONOS system and a slick all-singing-all-dancing kitchen.

Basically, the perfect place for a party.

Cleverly, all of Labotessa’s rooms are accessed directly from the elevator,

meaning that your digi-key takes you directly to your lodgings without

meeting other guests en route. Lounge windows look directly at Lion’s Head

Mountain. A high-top table – with a built-in power and USB tower – is the

perfect place to check emails on-the-go. A personal kitchenette means

that foods can be warmed-up if you fancy having a night-in. Shower

rooms are small but perfectly formed and laden with a plentiful supply

of super-luxe Diptyque toiletries. The free mini-bar is well-stocked with

everything from mineral waters to South African wines and local craft

gins. Don’t be surprised to find a delicious mini picnic in your fridge

on arrival which is refreshed daily. Turn-downs are accompanied by

handmade chocolates or some other naughty sweet treat. Housekeeping

staff access suites via a different door at the back of each suite so the

elevator is for guests’ use only.

A refined place to rest one’s head, Labotessa has been elegantly

and carefully finished to provide the highest quality stay in the epicentre

of bustling Cape Town and wholly succeeds on every level.

➤ www.labotessa.com


73

NOT TO BE

MISSED IN CAPE TOWN

SEE

VISIT ZEITZ MOCAA

➸

THE WORLD’S LARGEST MUSEUM

dedicated to contemporary art

from Africa and its diaspora, since opening

in 2017, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary

Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) has catapulted

South Africa onto the global art stage

and the incredible building has already

gained near iconic status, certainly within

the continent. Housed within 9,500 sqm of

custom designed space spread over nine

floors, the museum was carved out of a

disused grain silo complex comprising 42

tubes that densely packed the building. Now

repurposed, Zeitz MOCAA stands as both

a monument to Cape Town’s industrial past

and a beacon of architectural and artistic

creativity moving forwards into the future.

Even if you’re not a fan of museums or an

art aficionado, set aside a few hours to see

the building – the atrium is breathtaking and

the views from the rooftop sculpture garden,

towards Table Mountain, are unmissable.

➤ www.zeitzmocaa.museum

76


HIKE

LION’S HEAD

MOUNTAIN

NOT ONLY CAN YOU GAZE FOR MILES

around in all directions from atop

Lion’s Head, but the mountain’s position, in the

very centre of Cape Town, provides a unique

perspective of the cityscape and surroundings

suburbs. The spectacular vistas of Table

Mountain and the Twelve Apostles peaks, that

run along the Cape Peninsula south of Cape

Town, are also mesmerising. Ascending Lion’s

Head takes 60-90 minutes and doesn’t require

any special equipment - just some decent

trainers and sensible clothing. While the hike

only requires a degree of fitness and sensibility

rather than experience, it’s always best to be

guided by an expert. The Cultured Traveller

enlisted the assistance of Kosta Papageorgiou,

who is admirably making the ascent 500 times

as part of his Lion 500 challenge to raise ZAR

500k for the #beahumblehero fund in support

of Cape Town charities Rape Crisis, Fallen

Angels and Depression SA (facebook.com/pg/

thelion500). A morning spent with charming

Kosta, conquering Lion’s Head, is something

you’re not going to forget in a hurry.

➤ lion500challenge@gmail.com


MEET AFRICAN

PENGUINS

COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS

Boulders Bay and located 45 km

southeast of Cape Town, close to Simon’s Town,

Boulders Beach is punctuated by huge, ancient

granite boulders which protect it from the wind

and large waves, making it a very nice spot for

some sheltered swimming. In 1983, a colony of

African penguins obviously thought the same

because they settled and have been resident

ever since. Classified as an endangered species,

only found on the coastlines of South Africa and

Namibia and known for their distinctive donkeylike

braying, the penguins wandering freely in a

protected environment have become something

of an attraction for local and tourists alike. Being

one of only a few land-based penguin colonies

in the world today, incredible conservation

efforts have grown the Boulders colony to over

2,000 birds in recent years. The best time to

see them is early morning or late afternoon

when the penguins are at their most active and

photogenic! ➤ www.sanparks.org

RIDE

FRANSCHHOEK’S

WINE TRAM

BOASTING ONE OF THE MOST

➸

beautiful wine producing regions

in the world, no visit to South Africa is

complete without spending some time in its

Cape Winelands, and taking a ride on the

Franschhoek Wine Tram is almost certainly

one of the best ways to take in see the pristine

scenery while at the same time visiting a

selection of vineyards and sampling some fine

wines produced by some of the nation’s oldest

and most distinguished estates. A particularly

lovely way to spend an afternoon, the vintagestyle

railway tram’s curated wine experiences

include a tram ride to a local wine estate, a

wine lecture by a knowledgeable oenophile, a

guided cellar tour, three-course gourmet lunch

(with wines, of course) and tastings at two

more premium wine estates. Sit back and let

someone else do the driving while you enjoy the

delicious wines! ➤ www.winetram.co.za


SEE

EXPLORE DE

WATERKANT

➸

LOCATED BETWEEN THE BO KAAP

neighbourhood and the city centre,

this uplifting and fascinating little village is

something of a cosmopolitan hub where locals,

the LGBTQ community and visitors from around

the world gather to drink coffee, eat, party and

socialise. An area steeped in history and home

to a variety of restaurants, shops, spas, yoga

studios and quaint cottages, De Waterkant has

a style all of its own, is one of the oldest parts of

Cape Town and one of the few to have retained

much of its original character. Nestled against

the steep slopes of Signal Hill, the first houses

were built in the late 18th century. Today, the

area owes much of its innate character to its

relatively domestic single storey flat-roofed

architecture – some Cape Dutch, some Georgian

– painted in a variety of charmingly bright and

pastel colours. ➤ www.capetown.travel

DRIVE TO

CAPE POINT

TO LITERALLY FEEL LIKE YOU’RE AT

the end of the earth, nothing beats

visiting Cape Point. 60 km from Cape Town

by road, it’s one of the most beautiful drives,

so rent a topless car and feel the wind in your

hair as you coast along the Cape Peninsula.

Reaching out into the crashing waters like an

elongated claw at the bottom of Africa, Cape

Point is surrounded by tempestuous oceans

and battered by gale-force winds and makes

for a brutally elemental afternoon in amongst

the ancient mountains, Cape fynbos and firedependent

botanicals. 238 metres above sea

level, the old (upper) lighthouse can be easily

accessed courtesy of a funicular. Needless to

say, the views from its perch are spectacular.

Take the funicular up and walk down for the

best of both worlds. The new lighthouse which

replaced it, built exactly a century ago, is the

most powerful light on the African

continent. ➤ www.capepoint.co.za


C A P E T O W N ’ S

F I N E S T

RESTAURANTS

TA S T E

BELLY OF THE BEAST

UTTERLY UNMISSABLE FOR A

➸

dedicated gourmand, this superb

restaurant located in East City Precinct should be

at the top of your Cape Town hit list. The brainchild

of chefs Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart, Belly of the

Beast offers a changing, seasonal tasting menu

for lunch and dinner in their 20-seater modernindustrial

dining room. A completely open kitchen

lines one side of the restaurant opposite a bank

of street-facing windows. Guests are seated in

between and served every course by the chefs and

friendly waiting staff, making for a very personal

and involved dining experience which The Cultured

Traveller adored on the evening we visited for

dinner. There are no menu options or set number of

courses. Dinner service starts at 7pm and if fancy

a pre-dinner cocktail you may show up from 6pm.

Reservations are made online, alleviating Horn and

Swart from the hassle and allowing them to focus

on the food which is very good indeed. Dining at

Belly of the Beast is an impressive gastronomic

experience from start-to-finish, which when

coupled with such personal service and attention

to detail, makes this restaurant stand out.

➤ www.bellyofthebeast.co.za



82

TA S T E

THE POT

LUCK CLUB

ONE OF THE CULTURED TRAVELLER’S

favourite restaurants in Africa, the

sister restaurant to celebrated British chef Luke

Dale-Roberts’ famed Test Kitchen, The Pot Luck

Club, seemingly floats above Cape Town’s funky

Woodstock district, on the sixth floor of a former

silo presiding over the Old Biscuit Mill complex.

Boasting a relaxed, New York loft feel, expansive

windows around the perimeter of the spacious

120 seat dining room provide panoramic vistas

of the ocean, port, city, Table Mountain and Lion’s

Head. An open-plan kitchen illuminated by studio

lighting gives the impression of a stage, where

talented head chef Jason Kosmas (appointed

this year) serves a menu which draws inspiration

from South America to Southeast Asia (pictured

above). A number of tasty new dishes recently

added reflect Kosmas’ Greek/Italian heritage.

Literally everything about the Pot Luck is cool

and stylish, including the affable staff. Serving

world-class food in a laid-back environment is

the key to this venue’s incredible success – often

selling-out two sittings every night of the week,

especially during high season – so reserving well

in advance is a must or prepare to miss out.

➤ www.thepotluckclub.co.za


THE DUCHESS

OF WISBEACH

LOCATED IN A LITTLE SIDE STREET

off Sea Point’s main road, this intimate

Cape Town culinary institution, comprising a

medley of splendidly decorated rooms adjoining

a characterful and buzzing bar, recently

celebrated its tenth birthday. Run by inimitable

chef and hostess-with-the-mostess Theresa

Beukes, a night spent with “the Duchess” can

range from a quiet and refined dinner to a full-on

party complete with music, sparklers, glitter,

dancing and more. For this reason, the Duchess

is incredibly popular with local folk and only

tourists in-the-know find their way through her

hallowed, decadent portals. Here you will feast

on well-executed, no-nonsense fare, perhaps

kicking off with mussels from South Africa’s

west coast steamed in a carrot, tomato and leek

broth. Follow with a roast rack of lamb served

with roast potatoes, peas, gravy and homemade

mint sauce. To finish on a sugary high, order the

hot sticky apricot pudding with fudge sauce and

ice cream. Nostalgic, discreet, a little glam and

a touch romantic, the best night to visit is surely

Thursday, when the post-dinner antics are at

their maddest and the tequila-fuelled fun often

continues past midnight.

➤ www.duchessofwisbeach.co.za


TA S T E

THE ATHLETIC

CLUB & SOCIAL

HOUSED ON THE EDGE OF THE CBD

on Buitengracht Street, within a

gorgeous, brown-hued three-storey heritage

building dating back to the 1900s, The Athletic

Club & Social opened its doors about a year

ago to much and immediate critical acclaim and

has been on the rise ever since. The brainchild

of co-owner and seasoned restauranteur

Athos Euripidou, who has lovingly honoured

the building’s heritage while simultaneously

breathing new life into its labyrinth of interesting

spaces, every detail has been carefully executed

to reflect the grandeur of the 1920s and 1930s.

The result is a venue that could be located in any

fashionable world metropolis yet is intrinsically

South African and proudly representative of

the country’s storied past. The tapas bar and

restaurant offers a moreish menu that skilfully

fuses Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

flavours, featuring many beautifully executed

vegetarian and vegan dishes. All meats and fish

are sustainably and ethically sourced. Staff are

friendly, knowledgeable and unstuffy. The round

table directly in front of the kitchen is the one

to book if you like to people watch and see your

food being prepared. In the basement, a warm,

club-like space, reminiscent of a louche 1920s

salon, comes alive at the weekends when a DJ

plays disco, soul, jazz, funk and afrobeats.

➤ www.theathletic.co.za


SALSIFY

➸

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO

of the Western Cape’s fine dining

connoisseurs, Luke Dale-Roberts and Ryan

Cole, Salsify opened a little over a year ago in

the upper level of the historically-significant

Roundhouse building, which sits in a leafy pocket

of Camps Bay overlooking an exquisite stretch

of the Atlantic Ocean, making it the perfect

venue for a nice long lunch! Dating back to 1786

when the building served as a guardhouse then

a hunting lodge for Sir Lord Charles Somerset,

Salsify is bedecked with interesting art that

both pays homage to the building’s history

and makes some strong statements about

Somerset’s naughty antics! Of note are works by

Brooklyn-based Louis de Villiers AKA SKULLBOY

and a striking statue by Jan Otto du Plessis.

Drawing inspiration from the eatery’s name, chef

Cole is gently pushing flavour and technique

boundaries to produce refined, classical dishes

with a modern touch. The result is an opulent

yet relaxed dining experience, with first-class

service lifting Salsify to Cape Town’s top ten.

➤ www.salsify.co.za


TA S T E

FYN

➸

CHANNELLING A DISTINCTLY DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN

feel, it’s not just the menu that blends South African and

Japanese flavours at Cape Town’s newest designer urban eatery, FYN,

its interiors are also a harmonious balance of the two contrasting

cultures. Positioned five floors up on the corner of Church Square

and Parliament Street in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, the space

is dominated by a show-stopping Japanese abacus-inspired art

installation by German craftsman Christoph Karl, whose strings

of wooden discs fill the ceiling above the dining room and kitchen.

FYN’s menu follows the kaiseki, multi-course dining concept and is

packed with interesting dishes courtesy of much-lauded chef Peter

Tempelhoff. If you opt for the tasting menu, expect to start with an

exquisite bento box of bite-sized canapés, followed by bread served

with a dusting of bone marrow coal and wagyu butter. A kaiseki tray

of slightly larger portions forms the main course, followed by a ramen

dish and then a palate cleanser before a trio of desserts. The wine

flight pairings are good, but you’d be better advised to select your own

bottle from FYN’s rather fine list. ➤ www.fynrestaurant.com


THE BEST COCKTAILS

IN CAPE TOWN

SIP

THE ART OF

DUPLICITY

MICHELLE PARKIN PHOTOGRAPHY; LEA CRAFFORD

HIDDEN AWAY IN A FORMER

warehouse at the back of a late

19th century storefront, you’ll need the

address and a password to get into this

secret speakeasy-style bar in East City

Precinct. Once inside, you’d be forgiven

for feeling like you’ve just been teleported

back to prohibition era New York, when

illegal establishments thrived on members

of high society living life to the full.

Dominated at one end by a huge bar, The

Art of Duplicity is helmed by mixology

master Brent Perremore, who is personally

responsible for some of the best menus

in Cape Town. Unsurprisingly therefore,

the cocktails served are top notch and

drinks are presented with careful attention

to detail. On Wednesdays, Fridays and

Saturdays, live jazz completes the

immersive experience. The Art of Duplicity

is probably the best venue in Cape Town

to spend a sophisticated yet low-key

evening, sipping premium cocktails.

➤ www.170120.co.za


S TAY

HOPE DISTILLERY

➸

PIONEERS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN

craft gin game, hands-on husband

and wife team Leigh Lisk and Lucy Beard left

behind their high-powered London jobs to return

to South Africa and pursue their passion for

making artisanal spirits, particularly mother’s

ruin. Launching in 2014 in gritty, largely industrial

Salt River, at a time when premium craft spirits

were relatively new and uncommon in South

Africa, Hope was the first licensed small batch

distillery to open in Cape Town. Five years later,

Lisk and Beard have made a good name for

themselves among the discerning gin-drinking

community for their high-quality products

and their bottles are stocked by numerous

restaurants and bars across town. If you fancy

a quality G&T while you’re in Cape Town, head to

Hope’s experiential tasting room which offers an

up-close-and-personal introduction to the brand.

Alternatively, treat yourself to a gin flight, order

some nibbles and spend a few hours relaxing

and getting gently “ruined” South African style!

➤ www.hopedistillery.co.za


THE SILO ROOFTOP

➸

PERCHED ATOP CAPE TOWN’S MOST TALKED ABOUT HOTEL, The Silo, this chic rooftop bar is partly open

to the public every day from noon until sunset, offering expertly prepared cocktails amid some of the most

spectacularly panoramic views in the Mother City, from the tallest building in the V&A Waterfront. Cocktails and South

African wines are complemented by a range of culinary treats including fresh oysters, pulled pork sandwiches and a

variety of tasty salads and snacks. While the hotel’s stunning glass-sided rooftop pool and upper-level Sky Terrace are

only accessible to guests actually staying in the hotel, you can stylishly kick-start an evening’s proceedings at this chic

rooftop venue without having to book for a room for the night! ➤ www.theroyalportfolio.com/the-silo


SIP

THE

HOUSE

OF MACHINES

THE BRAINCHILD OF AVID

➸

motorcycle enthusiasts Brad

Armitage, Paul van der Spuy and Drew Madacsi,

The House of Machines is a unique urban

space, located in Cape Town’s city centre,

which somehow fuses a coffee shop with a

bar, men’s fashion outlet and a bike workshop

at the back. The bar element of the operation

serves a good range of artisan beers and

some excellent throwback cocktails. Staff

are very well versed, friendly and keen to

impress, whether with a latté or a cocktail

creation. The Corpse Reviver, Side Car and

Smoked Old Fashioned are all well-prepared

and punchy. There’s almost certainly nowhere

like The House of Machines anywhere else in

the Western Cape, and while motorcycle fans

will obviously love the place, the drinks and

atmosphere have been designed, as a whole,

to appeal to a far wider crowd.

➤ www.thehouseofmachines.com


CAUSE | EFFECT COCKTAIL KITCHEN

THE BRAINCHILD OF AWARD-WINNING BARTENDER AND

➸

beverage consultant Kurt Schlechter and his bartending business

partner James Philips, Cause Effect’s mission is to deliver unique cocktail

experiences inspired by its South African surroundings, including Cape

Town’s fynbos, oceans, emerging artists, the surrounding vineyards and

the mountains. Winners of South Africa’s cocktail bar of the year and best

bar team of the year in 2018 and 2019, Schlechter and Philips know a thing

or two about making drinks, and the aforementioned elements are not only

reflected in the fantastic decor of the venue but also in the spectacular

cocktails created. The bar also offers one of the largest collections of

award-winning Cape potstill brandies and local bitters, vermouths and

tinctures. For a show-stopping cocktail, order “The Rocket” – made with

Bacardi 8, passion fruit, orange, rooibos and sparkling water – served in a

large rocket ship handmade out of red and white beads, complete with haze

emanating from the door which opens to reveal the drink inside.

➤ www.causeandeffect.co.za


SIP

ASOKA

OCCUPYING A RELATIVELY

➸

unobtrusive Victorian townhouse

in the midsection of Kloof Street, its weekly

Tuesday live jazz and deep house nights are

the night at ASOKA and have been a veritable

institution among the Mother City’s hip afterdark

crowd for some time now. Sporting an

exotic design aesthetic that takes you on a

journey from Turkey to Thailand, and a vibe that

can best be described as elemental fusion,

beyond the homely terrace out front and timber

sash windows, the space is comfortable,

seductive and somewhat otherworldly, making

it ideal for the many purposes ASOKA has

become popular: cocktail bar; sundowner spot;

live music venue; late-night dance floor and

dinner venue. Overall, ASOKA is a friendly warm

and the service is great, so well worth dropping

into a while you’re in Cape Town, especially on

Tuesday nights if you fancy a little boogie!

➤ www.asoka.za.com

TJING TJING ROOFTOP BAR

LOCATED WITHIN A FASTIDIOUSLY RENOVATED 200-

➸

year-old heritage building at 165 Longmarket Street in the

heart of the CBD, Tjing Tjing offers four distinctly different experiences

in one venue, each of which interprets Japanese food and culture with a

contemporary edge. At the top of the building and open since 2011, Tjing

Tjing’s rooftop bar has been voted one of the world’s best by Conde Nast

Traveller. Enveloped in wooden mansards, the former attic space of the

building is today an eclectic mix of old and new, presided over a Japanese

shrine-inspired red bar offset by a black and white Tokyo and Kyoto photo

wall. The bar opens up to an airy, al fresco rooftop terrace. Well-known

locally for indie and electronic music, here you can enjoy a good selection

of well-executed hand-crafted bespoke cocktails, together with spirits,

wines and Otsumami (snacks) in a chic yet fun-loving environment.

➤ www.tjingtjing.co.za


WHERE TO SHOP IN

THE MOTHER CITY

S

Cape Cobra

Leathercraft

P

E

N

D

94


Mungo

S TAY

MUNGO

ESTABLISHED IN 1998 BY MASTER WEAVER Stuart Holding, Mungo is

a family-run business that specialises in the production of natural fibre

homeware textiles, individually woven at Mungo’s own mill in Plettenberg Bay.

The wide range of homeware textiles available includes everyday classics

inspired by historic patterns, as well as contemporary designs influenced

by African textile traditions. Behind every product is real South African

people, thousands of carefully sourced natural fibre yarns, traditional tools,

history and knowledge – both learned and inherited – used to manufacture

well-designed products that last. At Mungo’s Hout Street store, as well as

the full Mungo range you’ll find a cool experiential inner-city micro mill, where

contemporary textile design meets traditional weaving on a one hundredyear-old

Hattersley loom. ➤ mungo.co.za

CAPE COBRA LEATHERCRAFT

Merchants on long

CAPE COBRA LEATHERCRAFT FOUND INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

in the 1990s and has since become Africa’s largest exporter of luxury exotic

leather goods, manufacturing for some of the fashion industry’s top design

houses. A third-generation family-run business, the brand’s name pays

homage to the Cape Cobra snake which is native to Cape Town. Timeless

luxury, refined designs and impeccable craftsmanship have made Cape

Cobra popular around the globe for many decades and put its goods into the

hands of everyone from the British Royal Family to Jennifer Lopez. At Cape

Cobra’s swanky Bree Street retail store, shoppers can browse a vast array

of beautifully finished goods fashioned from Nile crocodile, ostrich, python

and Asian vine snake skins sourced from trusted sustainable farms in the Far

East and South Africa. ➤ www.capecobra.com

ANPA

A UNIQUE SOUTH AFRICAN JEWELLER based in the adorable suburban

Cape Town fishing village of Kalk Bay, with another outlet in Franschhoek’s

winelands, ANPA’s prêt-à-porter pieces exhibit an organic, hand-finished

style that highlights the precious metals and gems used in their production.

A range of sculptural statement pieces – fashioned from gold, silver, black

diamonds, tanzanite, African emeralds and a myriad of precious stones

– distinctly echo Africa and make for excellent mementos. ANPA has also

fine-tuned the art of custom made jewellery, crafting beautiful, one-of-akind

pieces that can encapsulate a client’s personality and individual taste.

Good value custom-made pieces can sometimes be made on fairly short

notice by ANPA designers Andreas Betzold and Patrizia Litty, who have been

collaborating for almost 20 years, striving to create high quality jewellery with

significant visual appeal. ➤ www.anpa.co.za

MERCHANTS ON LONG

Anpa

A TRIBUTE TO THE VAST ARRAY OF HIGH QUALITY GOODS available on

the African continent, Merchants on Long opened in 2010 in one of the

street’s most beautiful and historic buildings, complete with a gorgeous

terracotta Art Nouveau facade, to showcase Pan-African design spanning

everything from jewellery, clothing and shoes to homewares and gifts.

Reputed to be the first concept store in Cape Town to offer such a wide

variety of African fashion and designer wear under one roof, here you will

find exquisite items such as Zulu-inspired sandals, the divine scents of Karen

Frazer and gorgeous woven baskets handmade to exacting standards by

artisans. Distinctive MaXhosa knits by Laduma explore the Xhosa culture

through graphic printed knits. Ghanaian YEVU produces ethical clothing using

a reinterpretation of traditional African fabrics. And owner Hanneli Rupert’s

own Okapi line of bags – incorporating exotic materials like springbok horns

and ostrich skins in her designs – are also worth checking-out.

➤ www.facebook.com/merchantscapetown

➤


Greenmarket

Square

ALEXANDRA HÖJER ATELIER

HOUSED ON THE GROUND FLOOR of a historic 17th century building on

fashionable Bree Street, Swedish clothing designer Alexandra Höjer moved

to Cape Town in 2006 to start her eponymous clothing line and her beautiful

store exudes her unique sense of personal style. A seemingly effortlessly

curated collection of unique props – including rusted steel cabinets and an

array of vintage amber glass – sit elegantly alongside contemporary furniture

and fittings that subtly defer to Höjer’s contemporary-chic womenswear

which takes centre stage. Reflecting an innate femininity, all of Höjer’s locally

made ready-to-wear garments fuse a touch of rock ’n’ roll with a sense of

modern nostalgia, and display a grittiness that makes them bang on trend

right now. Separated from the shop by glass is the studio where Höjer and

her small team toil, allowing customers to witness the manufacturing process

and make a connection with their garments. ➤ www.alexandrahojer.com

AFRAID OF MICE

Alexandra Höjer Atelier

FAR FROM THE DUSTY RACKS OF CLOTHES one might normally associate

with a vintage store, Afraid of Mice on the corner of Long and Longmarket

streets is well merchandised, bright and entirely pleasing on the eye. Filled

with “the clothes you wish your mother had kept for you” is the mantra of

owning-sisters Simone and Bianca Brandi, who decided to follow their passion

for fashion after an inspirational trip to the States where vintage is such a

big thing. Afraid of Mice is brimming with big-brand vintage and collectable

pieces accessibly priced which is the key to the stores’ success. Beautiful

clothing shines against a backdrop of simple white walls. Designer vintage

pieces from America and Europe hang on rails. Everything is carefully and

lovingly handled. There is literally something for everyone, which means that

the shop is often busy on Saturdays, so try to visit during the week.

➤ www.afraidofmice.com

GREENMARKET SQUARE

ONE OF CAPE TOWN’S LIVELIEST AND MOST HISTORIC public hubs, this

bustling cobbled square in the very centre of the Central Business District

was originally home to a fresh fruit and vegetable market, where the produce

grown in nearby Company’s Garden was sold. Today, Greenmarket Square

is filled with stalls selling everything from jewellery and beaded animal

figurines, to painted ostrich eggs, wood carvings, blankets, throws and all

manner of souvenirs. If you keep your expectations low, chances are that

something will catch your eye and you’ll be trying to haggle down the price

before you know it. Around the perimeter of the square, a number of cute

cafés serve a fairly decent latté, so if you’re not in the mood to shop, just

take a seat and watch the colourful characters passing by. ➤ Burg Street

& Longmarket Street

CAROLE NEVIN DESIGNS

A TALENTED CAPETONIAN ARTIST who started making beautiful handpainted

textiles from her garage in 1992, Carole Nevin now employs and trains

previously disadvantaged South Africans from local communities to produce

her designs which are retailed in Cape Town’s CBD, the V&A Waterfront and a

studio/factory shop in Muizenberg. Over the years, the range of Carole Nevin

items has grown to include table, kitchen and bed linens, cushions, curtains,

bags and upholstery. Hand-painted and hand-printed fabrics are also

available by the metre. The colourful nature and originality of Carole Nevin’s

products make them sought after by tourists looking for a gift to local

game lodges and the hospitality industry. ➤ www.carolenevin.co.za


Carole Nevin

Designs

SPEND

Carole Nevin

Designs

Alexandra Höjer Atelier

Afraid of Mice



JOE MORTIMER E N J O Y S

A TASTE OF IMPERIAL RUSSIA

IN THE CITY’S LARGEST SUITE,

AT A LEGENDARY SAINT

PETERSBURG ADDRESS WHERE

ROYALS AND WORLD LEADERS

HAVE CROSSED PATHS FOR

MORE THAN A CENTURY

suite

envy

THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE

➤ BELMOND GRAND HOTEL

EUROPE, ST. PETERSBURG

STAND IN THE CENTRE OF ARTS

Square in Saint Petersburg, next to

the statue of Russian poet Alexander

Pushkin, and you’ll find yourself

surrounded by the whispers of

history. The grand buildings that

circle the square tell myriad tales of

Russian life, from the Imperial era

of Tsar Nicholas 1 and the post-Revolution years of the early

20th-century, to the modern day, when the city stands at the

crossroads of east and west. ➤


On the northern side, the neoclassical Mikhailovsky Palace,

designed by Italian architect Carlo Rossi, is now home to the

Russian State Museum: a trove of Russian artistic treasures

spanning almost 900 years, and the largest collection of

Russian fine art in the world. On the western side is the

Mikhailovsky Theatre, one of Russia’s oldest, where the great

works from Russian, French and German masters have been

performed for the city’s cultured inhabitants since its curtain

first rose in 1833.

The building that occupies much of the south side of the

square is one of Saint Petersburg’s most fabled; one also

created by Carlo Rossi after splicing together three existing

townhouses behind one impressive façade. Belmond Grand

Hotel Europe is the grande dame of Saint Petersburg; a

historic property that has welcomed more heads of state,

VIPs, royal families and high-profile celebrities than any other

address during its 144-year history. Running the length of

Mikhailovsky Street, connecting Arts Square with the threemile

long, boutique-lined Nevsky Prospect, the hotel is the most

prestigious and storied in the city.

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT OF ALL ITS 266 GUESTROOMS

is the hotel’s Presidential Suite, a grand two-bedroom

apartment festooned in rich textured fabrics, antique

furnishings and elaborate foil and silk wallcoverings, which

welcomes guests into its ornate environs through a golden

domed entrance hall. Residents and visitors are whisked ➤


SUITE ENVY


away to a world of tsars and tsarinas in this elegant abode,

which takes its inspiration from the classic Imperial period

thanks to a 2014 refurbishment courtesy of New York-based

Tihany Design, which counts Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental

and The Beverly Hills Hotel among its prestigious portfolio.

Designer Adam Tihany has captured the grandeur and

opulence of the era throughout the 350-square-metre corner

suite, which overlooks the twinkling lights of Nevsky Prospect

and Mikhailovskaya Street and claims the honour of being

the largest suite in Saint Petersburg. Parquet floors in dark

oak create a warm residential feel in the spacious living room,

private lounge bar and ten-seater dining room, where Murano

crystal chandeliers hang overhead.

An extensive art collection is exhibited throughout the suite,

including a dramatic 1976 photograph of Bolshoi Theatre prima

ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova, by German photojournalist

Robert Lebeck, which hangs in the living room alongside a

piece by contemporary Russian artist Natalia Sitnikova.

GENTLY PUSH A PANEL IN THE SUITE’S PRIVATE

library and the entire bookshelf gives way to reveal a secret

entrance to the master bedroom, which features its own

secluded living area and a magnificent four-poster canopy

bed. A standalone clawfoot bathtub takes pride of place in

the master bathroom, which is clad top-to-toe in dazzling

marble inlaid with fine gold glass tiles and features its own

hammam sauna.

Marble is used extensively throughout this historic hotel, but

nowhere is it felt more prominently than in the Presidential ➤



SUITE ENVY

Suite’s grand entrance hall, where four tall marble pillars

surround an elaborate mosaic floor, leading the eye to what

is perhaps the highlight of the apartment: an antique C.M.

Schroeder grand piano.

The beautiful instrument was built in the 19th century at

the Saint Petersburg factory of Carl Schroeder, who became

the official supplier to both the Saint Petersburg and Moscow

conservatories (music schools) for his award-winning pieces.

The Grand Hotel Europe acquired one of his pianos shortly

after its opening in 1875, and since then, the talented fingers of

Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Prokofiev and Shostakovich have danced

across its keys.

The piano is one of six in the hotel, the most magnificent of

which is a museum-worthy grand piano, inlaid with obsessively

intricate birds and flowers, made by Belgian master Herman

Lichtental. The antique instrument’s ivory keys have been

coaxed into life by some of the world’s greatest pianists

and composers over the decades, many of who have been

regular guests at the Grand. Luciano Pavarotti practiced

on another piano during his stay in 2014, and Elton John

famously entertained guests in the hotel during a tour of

Russian in 1979.

At the same time as the transformation of the lavish

Presidential Suite, Tihany Design created five Avant-Garde

Suites inspired by 20th century Russian artists. Each of these

unique, one-bedroom apartments is decked out in a manner

that reflects the style and familiar tones of each artist, with

specially commissioned artworks also reflecting the nuances

of the Russian greats. With five styles to choose from, there’s

one for every taste, but the highlight is surely the Kandinsky

Suite, which echoes the abstract style of Wassily Kandinsky

via varied textures, patterns and colourful jewel-toned

furnishings and décor. ➤


IN ADDITION TO THESE RELATIVELY NEW SIGNATURE

suites, Belmond Grand Hotel Europe is home to 10 Historic

Suites created by French designer Michel Jouannet. The

Dostoevsky Suite, named after regular guest and ‘Notes From

the Underground’ author Fyodor Dostoevsky, commands superb

views of Arts Square, with an ample writing desk in the corner

living room and a bathroom finished in contrasting marbles:

two of the 30 types of marble used throughout the hotel.

The Lidval Suite was created in honour of architect Fyodor

Lidval, who oversaw a major refurbishment of the hotel

between 1908 and 1914. During the transformation, he overlaid

his ornate Art Nouveau style on the Lobby Bar and Krysha

Ballroom, as well as the main stairway leading up to the

Historic Floor. The Rossi Suite is dedicated to the man who

created the hotel’s iconic façade, while the focal point of The

Stravinsky Suite is a glossy black grand piano.

Music remains an integral part of the hotel experience, from

the solo pianist who performs at breakfast beneath a stainedglass

window in L’Europe (which turns into one of the city’s

most beloved fine dining restaurants in the evening) to the

nightly jazz at the extremely elegant Lobby Bar. Dining takes

a contemporary twist at AZIA, where chef Larissa Kordik

prepares modern, pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek, modish venue

created by Japanese design firm Super Potato.

The strains of classical guitar and violin also accompany

an evening at the Caviar Bar & Restaurant, an essential

destination for anyone visiting Russia for the first time. Start

with a selection of regional caviars (beluga, oscietra, sterlet

and salmon, to name a few) paired with Russian vodkas, both

distilled and traditional varieties, and marvel at how the

potent spirit cuts through the unctuous roe. Follow with a

selection from the main menu, which combines classical and

contemporary Russian dishes: try the country rabbit blinis with

a rich cherry sauce, followed by a deconstructed beef Stroganov,

a modern take on a traditional Russian dish. Don’t miss the

opportunity to try some surprisingly good Russian wines: the

sparkling white Temelion, made from chardonnay and pinot

noir grapes in the northern Caucasus, is exceptional.

Beyond Arts Square, there’s a whole city of architectural

marvels and cultural riches to be discovered in Saint

Petersburg, and Belmond Grand Hotel Europe is well

positioned for guests to visit all of them on foot. The

imposing Kazan Cathedral is just around the corner, and the

extraordinary State Hermitage Museum and its unfathomable

collection of treasures is a short walk away. A few blocks

north of the hotel you’ll find the Church of the Saviour on

Spilled Blood, the onion-domed edifice built on the spot where


SUITE ENVY

Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. To the east

is Shuvalov Palace, now home to the Fabergé Museum, where

15 magnificent Imperial Easter eggs are among the highlights

of the incredible collection, bought from US publisher Malcolm

Forbes after his death in 1990.

Exploring them all takes time and stamina, but returning

to the divine comforts of the Presidential Suite in the evening

ensures a taste of the elite lifestyle that has been so carefully

preserved at this legendary hotel.

A night in The Presidential Suite at Belmond Grand Hotel

Europe starts at RUB 600,000 including taxes, room only.

➤ www.belmond.com

107

5MINUTES

WITH…

michel

roux jr.

THE RENOWNED CHEF

EXPLAINS WHY LE

GAVROCHE IS STILL AT

THE TOP OF LONDON’S

RESTAURANT GAME,

CHAMPIONS MENTORSHIP

IN THE INDUSTRY AND

TELLS US ABOUT HIS

CHRISTMAS DAY

108


INTERVIEW

ISSY CROKER

➸

When did you first realise that cooking was to

be your life’s passion? I can’t really think of

a definitive moment of clarity, because it has

always been something I knew I wanted to do. I was pretty

much born in the kitchen. My earliest memories are the smells

from my father and uncle’s cooking. After being immersed in

that world growing-up, it’s only natural that I developed a

deep interest in cooking, which has progressed and carried me

through to where I am today.

The first dish that awoke your palette? My father’s handchurned

vanilla ice cream. I’ll never forget it and I am yet to

find an ice cream that compares!

More than fifty years after the restaurant first opened, to what

do you attribute Le Gavroche’s continued success and three

Michelin stars? The family values and ideals

manifested within Le Gavroche just cannot be

replicated elsewhere. It’s a family restaurant

through-and-through. We treat all of our guests

like friends and for a long time our regulars

have felt like a part of our family. My father

still pops in every now and again and he knows

and greets our guests too. I think this is where

the success lies, in the relationships we build

with our diners and the amazing experiences

that come out of them. ➤ www.le-gavroche.co.uk

How did it feel to take over the reins of Le

Gavroche from your father Albert? It felt like

a lot of responsibility! I say this with humility,

but when Le Gavroche first opened during

the sixties, it set the bar for restaurants in

London and across the UK and began a rich, award-winning

legacy. Since then, one of the essential parts of what I do at Le

Gavroche is to live up to this legacy and maintain everything

that our family restaurant is about.

Tell us about Le Gavroche’s pop-up nights? We love to have

guest chefs at Le Gavroche and the latest was Davide Oldani of

Michelin-starred D’O in Cornaredo near Milan. A master of his

craft, Oldani’s standout cooking skilfully reinterprets Italian

classics and his light, aromatic dishes make the best use of

premium seasonal produce. ➤ www.cucinapop.do

You have been in the kitchen, in a professional capacity, for more

than 40 years. What keeps you interested? I don’t think I will

ever lose interest since cooking is my absolute passion. This

being said, being able to be greet and chat with my guests at

Le Gavroche is one of my favourite parts of the job. Sometimes

their feedback can really make one’s day.

Tell us about The Roux Scholarship? Mentorship is a key part

of the industry and it’s something I really enjoy taking the

time to do. I take great pride in the fact that countless talented

chefs have walked through my doors. The Roux Scholarship

is key to this. An annual cooking competition that each year

rewards the successful scholar with a three-month stage at any

Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, the Roux Scholarship

also welcomes them into the Roux family’s support network of

mentors for the rest of their careers. It’s like a big family and

we’re incredibly fortunate to have many talented chefs involved

in the program. For the 2020 national final, Sweden’s first

three Michelin-starred chef Björn Frantzén will head the

judging panel. I can’t wait to see the new culinary talent!

➤ www.rouxscholarship.co.uk

The family

values within

Le Gavroche

just cannot

be replicated

elsewhere

What advice would you give an emerging chef today? Always

ask questions and never give up – this is the advice I was

given as a young chef and it’s the best advice I could give to

any emerging chefs today. It’s a tough old

industry and it’s even tougher if you don’t

have enough determination. It’s important

to start at the very bottom and work your

way up – this is also the best way to learn.

Name a young chef to watch and tell us why?

My son-in-law Diego Ferrari who was head

chef at Le Gavroche before opening Caractère

with my daughter Emily. His food appears

simple on the surface, but the complexity

and depth of flavours he achieves are

exceptional. ➤ www.caractererestaurant.com

What is your guilty pleasure food? I have

always loved high quality dark chocolate

with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. The

simple pleasures are important to me, like sharing a square or

two with my wife and catching-up on each other’s days. A glass

of champagne doesn’t go amiss either!

Your perfect Christmas Day lunch? Slow-cooked stuffed goose,

damson and chilli sauce, roast potatoes, sprouts with bacon and

chestnuts. Delicious.

Where will you be spending 25th December? Feet up by the

fire, glass of whisky in hand, surrounded by family in France.

They’re all so important to me, it would feel wrong to celebrate

Christmas in any other way.

What do have planned for 2020? In the Spring and for the first

time ever, I’ll be taking Le Gavroche to the sea by offering a

specially curated tasting menu of some of my favourite dishes,

in one of Cunard’s fine dining venues, The Verandah. I am also

designing a menu for a gala evening in the main restaurants

onboard. Guests on this special crossing will also be able to

ask me the questions they’ve always wanted to ask. I’m

very excited! ➤ www.michelroux.co.uk


zaha’s spectacular

aviation legacy:

daxing airport

110


BOARDING

PA SS

THE CULTURED TRAVELLER TAKES A LOOK AROUND

BEIJING’S NEW ARCHITECTURALLY STUNNING,

ULTRA-HIGH-TECH USD 12 BILLION MEGA AIRPORT,

CONCEIVED BY THE LATE ZAHA HADID ➤


WITH MORE PEOPLE TAKING TO

the skies than ever before, flying today

having more in common with mass

transit, and there being no sign that the

growing aviation industry will ever slow

down, the drive to build bigger airports

to handle more passengers as quickly as

possible is quite literally unstoppable.

No sooner has the world’s largest

airport or the planet’s biggest new

terminal swung its airbridges into

position to offload passengers,

than a newer, bigger and more

shiny aeronautical behemoth nears

completion, with another in the works

and many more in the pipeline.

In the past five years alone, the

accolade of being the world’s most

expensive new airport has passed

between half a dozen countries and

billions have been spent to create

more elaborate and fanciful structures

dedicated to air travel, or temples to

flying, if you will.

In 2020, more money will be lavished

on elaborate new airports than ever

before. This is because airports have

principally become status symbols for

countries and governments are hiring

starchitects to create them, with the

next generation of designers focusing on

the airport as a destination rather than

a thoroughfare.

Consequently, verdant gardens,

towering real trees, translucent roofs,

cascading indoor waterfalls, sprawling

shopping malls, integrated rail

transportation and even cinemas have

all become regular features of a 21st

century airport. This has often been

at the expense of the traveller, who, at

some new airports, must walk kilometres

before reaching the baggage reclaim. So,

there is still a long way to go to make

new mega airports more people friendly.

RIGHT NOW, IN THE MIDDLE EAST

and Asia for sure, every major new

airport is essentially a status symbol

erected to demonstrate the wealth,

strength and power of its location.

If China wanted to assert its

prominence on the world trade

stage, it has achieved this and more

via the recent opening of Beijing’s

breathtaking new Daxing Airport.

What’s more, Daxing simply acts as a

second airport for the Chinese capital,

relieving the pressure on Beijing’s

Capital International Airport, which

hit its annual capacity of 100 million

passengers some time ago.

In terms of architectural aviation

beauty, Trump’s America doesn’t

have an airport that comes close to Xi

Jinping’s latest cathedral to air travel,

which cost an estimated USD 12 billion

to build. Unsurprisingly, Daxing was

designed by the late, great architect

Zaha Hadid and current studio principal

Patrik Schumacher, along with airport

specialist ADPI.

In Daxing, the legacy of trailblazing

Iraqi-born Hadid – the best-known

female architect of all time – very

much lives on. In her astounding ➤


BOARDING

PASS


and audacious buildings – edifices she

skilfully fashioned to act as emblematic

symbols strewn across our planet –

Hadid left behind theatrical beacons of

architectural hope upon her untimely

passing in 2016.

Spanning 18 square miles and

boasting four runways (with three more

planned), construction of Daxing began

at the end of 2014 under Jinping, took

just shy of five years to complete and

opened bang on time. That’s Chinese

efficiency for you. By comparison, Qatar’s

massive Hamad International Airport

opened four years late in 2013 amid

countless delays and much acrimony.

Resembling an enormous space-age

starfish, 46km south of the Chinese

capital, Daxing is the largest singlebuilding

terminal in the world. Courtesy

of its five-armed design, 79 airbridges

are connected directly to the terminal.

The passengers of six, full double-decker

A380 aircraft can be disembarked

simultaneously without blinking. That’s

more than 3,000 passengers coming off

multiple aircraft in a matter of minutes.

WHERE SO MANY MODERN

airports let passengers down, Daxing

positively shines, since due to the radial

configuration of its compact 700,000 sqm

terminal, the farthest boarding gate can

be accessed in just an 8-minute walk.

Echoing the basic principles of

traditional Chinese architecture that

organises interconnected rooms around

a central courtyard for ease of access,

Daxing seamlessly guides passengers

through the relevant zones towards a

grand, multi-layered meeting space at

the center of the terminal – the airport’s

beating heart. Bathed in natural light,

thanks to a vaulted glass roof and a

network of linear skylights, Zaha Hadid

Architects refers to this inner area as

a “central orientation space dome”.

Daxing’s check-in island, international

and domestic security desks and

domestic retail area are arranged on

four different levels here.

Colossal structural spans, some of

up to 100 metres, create generous and

absolutely beautiful public spaces,

enticing travellers to pause, linger

and look. Attention to detail and

architectural beauty abound at Daxing,

which seamlessly merges aviation with

form and function.

A sixth arm – the Northeast Pier –

114


BOARDING

PASS

radiating outwards from the centre,

contains an 80,000 sqm ground

transportation hub which offers fast

and direct connections to Beijing, the

national high-speed rail network and

local train services, as well as offices and

a hotel.

Given the grandeur of Daxing, it’s

only fitting that the airport’s only

in-terminal hotel should be equally as

grand and 215-room Aerotel Beijing

doesn’t disappoint. Spread across two

floors and more than 9,000 sqm, the

hotel is positioned just 10 minutes from

the airport’s international check-in

desks. Six room categories, sporting a

minimal and neutral design aesthetic,

offer high-quality bedding, pillow

menus, power showers, multiple light

settings, high-speed Wi-Fi and in-room

IPTV. Guests can stay for 3, 6, 9 or 12

hours, so there’s no need to pay for a

full day if you’re transiting Daxing and

just need to catch-up on some shut eye.

myaerotel.com

Whilst nothing can make up for the

emissions coming from the aircraft

taking-off from it, Daxing is the most

environmentally friendly airport in the

world. Powered by solar panels with a

centralised heating system and waste

heat recovery supported by a groundsource

heat pump, Daxing also has

inbuilt rainwater collection and water

management systems.

Already capable of serving 45 million

passengers per year, Daxing is expected

to accommodate 72 million by 2025.

Further planned expansion will increase

the airport’s annual capacity to 100

million travellers and 4 million tonnes

of cargo.

Not just an architectural marvel but

also a delight to look at and a joy to pass

through, hopefully the newest holder of

the title of the world’s biggest airport

will retain its crown for a few years,

not least due to Daxing’s overwhelming

aviation splendour.

➤ www.daxing-pkx-airport.com


A PLACE FOR YOU TO

RELAX AND REJUVENATE

the hills are

FROM HIS RETREAT-LIKE BASE AT AYURVEDA RESORT

SONNHOF, TUCKED AWAY IN A PICTURE-POSTCARD MOUNTAIN

VALLEY SURROUNDED BY FORESTS, ALEX BENASULI

DISCOVERS THAT THE AUSTRIAN HILLS ARE NOT ONLY

SINGING BUT POSITIVELY PULSATING WITH LIFE ➤

116


DESTINATION

NO SHOES

REQUIRED

really alive


TRAVELLERS HAVE BEEN

enjoying the invigorating mountain

air of the Alps for centuries. As

part of the Hapsburg Empire, the

Tyrol attracted a cosmopolitan

nobility and emerging middle class

escaping the cities and large towns

during the heat and pestilence of

the summer months. The stress of urban life, industrialization

and threats of war drove people to the mountains as a place of

refuge. Spa towns emerged around thermal springs and alpine

lakes as centres of physical and mental well-being. In time, it

became fashionable to spend a few weeks every year communing

with nature as a way of nurturing one’s mind, body and spirit.

Nowadays the area is a popular as ever. From May to October

there are seemingly endless opportunities for hiking, walking

and cycling through mountains, valleys and forests. In winter,

in addition to skiing, there is ice skating, snowshoeing and

sledding. The Tyrol appeals equally to adrenaline junkies as it

does to more sedate holidaymakers, its universal allure being

its spectacular scenery, authentic culture and down-to-earth

charm. In the bosom of its historic town centres, mountain

meadows and snow-capped peaks, it is hard not to sense a

spiritual connection or at the very least feel especially alive.

As the pendulum swings for those in affluent western

societies towards more holistic and healing holidays, people are

drawn increasingly to Asia’s healing traditions and spiritual

practices. For many, however, a trip to India or further east is

just too daunting. As the Tyrol shows, Europe has some spots

of incredible natural beauty that stimulate profound

inspiration. But it is sometimes challenging to find resorts

that successfully merge the best of both Eastern and Western

cultures in a location closer to home.

If you are wondering what a near-perfectly executed and

authentic Indian Ayurvedic-oriented spa might look like in

a European alpine setting, look no further then Ayurveda

Sonnhof in Hinterthiersee.

Located in the heart of the Tyrol, an hour by car from

Innsbruck and ninety minutes from Munich, Hinterthiersee

is the type of place that a location scout would lock down for

a bucolic, alpine movie scene. The high plateau of Thiersee


NO SHOES

REQUIRED

into the colour palette of the interior design, or the sprinkling

of Indian deity and Buddhist imagery throughout the property.

Perhaps it is the spiritual quotes and positive aphorisms

stenciled on the various walls and doorways. The energy is

instantly both uplifting and calming at the same time.

Ayurveda Sonnhof is the culmination of almost two decades’

work to fuse the best of Ayurveda with fine Austrian alpine

hospitality, infused with heart and soul. So often a luxury

retreat centre or spa hotel can tick all of the boxes in terms of

facilities, treatments offered and high levels of service, but lack

warmth, feeling and a sense of purpose. This is simply not the

case at Ayurveda Sonnhof. A sense of positivity, a genuine care

for guests’ wellbeing and light touch spirituality are at the core

of the experience here.

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing

systems, stretching deep into antiquity. It believes that

physical and mental well-being come from balancing the mind,

body and spirit. Today, Ayurveda is gaining in popularity

around the globe as a way to treat common ailments ranging

from insomnia, migraines and digestion issues to more serious

chronic illnesses of all types. ➤

Valley sees green pastures slope upwards on either side of the

road towards forested mountains. The village’s church spire is

the tallest man-made structure as far as the eye can see. Down

valley is a perfectly framed picture of evergreen trees and

undulating hills creating a mini self-contained world of serenity

and visual bliss. The only sound apart from the occasional

passing car and wind blowing through the trees is that of

tinkering cow bells. At night you can literally hear a pin drop.

FROM THE OUTSIDE, AYURVEDA SONNHOF LOOKS

like a classic high-end Tyrolean chalet – an attractive and wellmaintained

pair of half-timbered houses adorned with bright

red flower boxes. However, it is inside where the real magic

takes place and it doesn’t take long to figure out that there

is something very different about this place. Maybe it is the

orange and yellow tones with red accents that are subtly woven


IN THE AYURVEDIC WORLD, WE ARE ALL DIVIDED

into three mind/body types or doshas. Those governed by

Pitta are made up of the fiery elements and tend towards high

levels of energy, impatience and anger. Earth and waterbound

Katha is the opposite – calm and centered but prone

to laziness. Vata, governed by air, is creative but inclined to

anxiety. While all of us have a dominant dosha, we experience

all three to different degrees.

Ayurveda is about identifying which doshas are out of

sync and how, through diet, herbs, various mind and body

treatments and a long list of other potential remedies, to bring

them back into balance. You don’t have to disavow western

medical research to find wisdom, practical common sense and

easy-to-follow treatment plans in Ayurveda.

The mostly Indian-born and trained clinical team at

Ayurveda Sonnhof spends up to an hour with every guest at the

beginning of a stay, listening to what ails them, explaining the

Ayurvedic way of looking at things, defining a stay’s objectives

and setting out the best course of treatments.

Most programs are based around detox, weight loss or

nervous system rebooting with a fair amount of individual

customization. The grandfather of Ayurvedic treatments,

Panchakarma is an intense regimen for a minimum of one

week which includes massage, oil treatment, a strict diet,

purging and other purifying practices aimed at eliminating

the toxins and returning one’s body and mind to a purer state.

There are few places outside of India that offer Panchakarma

in a traditional and well-supported way. Ayurveda Sonnhof is

one of them.

Not every traveller visits Hinterthiersee for an Ayurvedic

immersion. A full program of daily yoga and meditation

classes, led by passionate and

inspired facilitators, are vehicles for

contemplation, self-exploration and

the expansion of one’s consciousness.

The resort’s “AyurvedaCentre” boasts

a wide variety of steam rooms and

themed saunas plus infrared heat

cabins, peace and meditation rooms

and a gym, and offers everything from

Vata gemstone and saltwater therapy

to classic spa treatments.

Therapists and instructors are not

only extremely professional and proficient

but also warm and mindful, approaching

guests more like a family member than

staff. Whether looking for a full-on detox,

some relaxing downtime or something in

the middle, Ayurveda Sonnhof offers a

wide range of treatments and activities to

suit every guest seeking some time out.

The Tyrol’s clean mountain air and gorgeous scenery work

perfectly in tandem with Ayurveda as a salve to the body

and mind to create a life-changing stay. Though there are

regular, scheduled mountain and forest walks offering outdoor

mindfulness in a group dynamic, it is just as easy to get out

and explore on one’s own. There are countless trails of various

durations and difficulties that literally begin right outside the

resort’s front door.

WITHIN 15 MINUTES YOU CAN BE OFF THE BEATEN

track with the scent of pine trees and ferns filling the air.

Tree covered mountain passes illuminated by dappled light

suddenly give way to slope side views across the valley towards

riverbeds and more mountains. Though all the paths are ➤


Luxury Beachfront Villas & Suites

WWW.SRIVILLAS.COM

SRI VILLAS

COLOMBO-GALLE MAIN ROAD

69 KM POST

MAHA INDURUWA, SRI LANKA

INQUIRIES@SRIVILLAS.COM

+94 774951646

+94 912264873

clearly signposted, one can walk for hours without seeing

another soul. It’s criminal to be in this part of the world and

not wander the trails for an afternoon or embark upon a hike

that takes in some of the quaint surrounding villages.

In order to cover more ground in a shorter period of time

and climb higher altitudes with greater ease, the hotel has a

fleet of electric bicycles on hand for guests. Within 30 minutes

on an e-bike, I am in to Höhlenstein. Even on an e-bike it’s a bit

of a push to get up through the forest, but the views from

the top, towards the Alps and the River Inn below, are

incredible. The down-hill ride back is nothing short of

exhilarating. Further down valley in the adjacent village of

Thiersee, a small alpine lake is perfect for swimming on a hot

summer’s day.

Visiting a farm might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it

lends itself perfectly to introducing or reinforcing a new way of

living based on greater awareness of our connection to the land

while at the same time promoting healthier and more conscious

eating. It is also a window into rural Tyrolean life and adds a

dose of down-to-earth realness to one’s stay.

Free range takes on a new meaning when one sees animals

roaming happily in green, open fields. It’s not rocket science to

understand that carefully cultivated meat and produce has a

positive impact on the world and our health. Most of the fruit


NO SHOES

REQUIRED

and vegetables served in the excellent restaurant at Ayurveda

Sonnhof, not to mention many of the herbs in the teas and

various treatments, are sourced from the resort’s very own farm.

After just a few days at Ayurveda Sonnhof, the idyllic setting

really starts to work its magic and the stresses of urban life

soon drift away. Living healthier and more in balance actually

begins to seem like a god given right, not an obligation. We

tend to think that our lives need major overhauls or fixes.

While this is sometimes the case, especially if in a period of

crisis, much of the time moderate detoxes combined with

mindful practices like yoga and meditation can work wonders.

Add a renewed relationship with nature and you can literally

change your outlook on life.

Most of the guests at Ayurveda Sonnhof are repeat visitors

and it’s easy to understand why. At the end of my four-day

stay I am bursting with vitality matched by an inner peace,

and as I am heading to Innsbruck airport, not only are the hills

positively alive but so am I.

➤ www.sonnhof-ayurveda.at


THE ULTIMATE CALIFORNIAN

WINTER ROAD TRIP

sand & snow

in california

A VAST LAND OF CONTRASTS PUNCTUATED

BY ANCIENT FORESTS, ACRES OF DESERT,

FERTILE VINEYARDS, SANDY BEACHES AND

SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS, SOPHIA AMOS,

HARRIET BALL AND RACHEL SANTA CRUZ

TAKE US ON THEIR ULTIMATE WINTER ROAD

TRIP OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

ROLLING HILLS

AND WINERIES

After landing at San Francisco International, we immediately

head east for 50 kilometres towards a triangle-shaped region of

the eastern San Francisco Bay Area known as Tri-Valley.

Often overlooked in favour of Napa, Tri-Valley is one

of California’s hidden viticulture and outdoor gems and boasts

award-winning wineries, delightfully diverse restaurants,

charming downtowns and unspoiled hiking trails.

➤ www.visittrivalley.com

Blend your own vino at the oldest family-run winery in the

States ➤ www.wentevineyards.com, yoga between the vines at

Concannon ➤ www.concannonvineyard.com or simply hop on the

Livermore Wine Trolley and leisurely trundle through miles

of lush, rolling hills. ➤ www.livermorewinetrolley.com

In the evening, head to Sabio on Main. The décor may be

Spanish inspired but co-owner/chef Francis X. Hogan’s menu

is deliciously global, fashioned from the best local produce and

bursting with flavours. From the octopus terrine starter to the

black cod entree served with black rice, oyster mushrooms, baby

bok choy and a miso broth, Sabio is one of finest places to eat in

the Bay Area. ➤ www.sabiopleasanton.com

Rest your head overnight at The Rose, located in the heart of

Pleasanton’s historic downtown. A boutique hotel that deftly

marries the charms of a B&B with first class hospitality, The

Rose offers easy access to the region’s plethora of restaurants,

shops, wineries and golf courses. ➤ www.rosehotel.net ➤


DESTINATION

TRAVELLER

LOWDOWN


THE ORIGINAL

CALIFORNIAN BEACH TOWN

We jump in the car and head south for an hour to Santa Cruz

– the quintessential beach town. ➤ www.santacruz.org. Offering

visitors an abundance of activities and laid-back Californian

culture, Santa Cruz is home to an iconic boardwalk, sandy

beaches, an eclectic culinary scene, year-round wildlife and more

than a dozen state parks. The oldest – Big Basin Redwoods State

Park – is a veritable emerald gem, where visitors can marvel

at the majestic trees and embark upon the Berry Creek Loop:

a 5-6-hour hike through redwood-lined canyons and dramatic

ridges, culminating in the Berry Creek Falls which are at their

thundering best in winter. ➤ www.parks.ca.gov/bigbasin

Not only is surfing the official sport of California and now

recognised as an official Olympic sport, Santa Cruz is the

birthplace of mainland surfing in the States. Since Hawaiian

royalty rode the waves on surfboards crafted from redwood

trees in 1885, many surfers have been drawn to the area for

its challenging sets and breaks along the rugged coastline.

Jack O’Neill – surfer, ocean conservationist and founder of the

eponymous surf brand – helped bring the sport to the world

stage by developing the modern-day wetsuit. His son, Pat,

introduced the earliest form of surfboard leash. Rent a board

for USD 50 per day or have a beginners’ lesson at local surf

school Club Ed for 100 bucks. ➤ www.club-ed.com

Log-cabin inspired and enveloped by nature, we descend

through a bucolic jungle-like garden on a hillside tram to reach

Shadowbrook. Along the way, we pass a herb garden where


TRAVELLER

LOWDOWN

the restaurant’s chefs pluck seasonal greens. We plump for

sustainably raised and organically fed Pacific Rim salmon,

served with sea greens, julienne vegetables, ginger-wasabi

and a Miso vinaigrette. The fish is divine. Then we can’t resist

the “Jack Daniel’s Mud Pie”, served with a moreish whiskeychocolate

sauce. ➤ www.shadowbrook-capitola.com

Perfect for a beach break, stay in a cozy studio at Seascape

Beach Resort. Located on more than 20 kilometres of

secluded beachfront in Aptos, this all-suite property features

three swimming pools, hot tubs, a spa, two on-site restaurants

and an extensive tequila list! ➤ www.seascaperesort.com

AMERICA’S ICONIC

NATIONAL PARK

Next, we head east to explore some of America’s most incredible

inland sights. Nestled in the heart of California, Yosemite

Mariposa County is a resplendent natural wonderland. Home

to soaring granite icons including Half Dome and El Capitan,

this holy grail of outdoor adventure has been inspiring authors,

poets and artists for decades. Soar above the park by plane,

hike through a valley of waterfalls or take a classic car for a

spin. Everything is possible in Yosemite. ➤ www.yosemite.com

Led by rangers and naturalists, experience the park’s

highlights and learn about its history, flora and fauna on a

2-hour Yosemite Valley Floor Tour, which can be enjoyed

from the comfort of a heated coach during the winter months.

➤ travelyosemite.com

Brunch amid granite pillars and cathedral-like windows

under a soaring cross-beam ceiling at chandelier-lit Ahwahnee

Dining Room, which is as spectacular as it is inviting. Built

a century ago and sporting a striking granite façade, reserve

a parlor at Yosemite’s only AAA four-diamond hotel, The

Ahwahnee, and combine it with a room to create a deluxe suite.

HISTORIC

TUOLUMNE COUNTY

After visiting Yosemite, swing northwards to Tuolumne County.

A rich destination for California history buffs, Tuolumne’s roots

lie in the mid 19th century Gold Rush era. ➤ www.visittuolumne.

com But when the snow is falling, winter wonders await and

Dodge Ridge beckons. Spend a day on the slopes and follow in

the footsteps of generations of skiers and snowboarders who

have been enjoying Dodge Ridge since the 1950s. Alternatively,

for some full-on fun, head to Leland High Sierra Snow Play

park, where 15 acres of tubing terrain to suit every age make

for a laughter-filled day. ➤ www.snowplay.com

Located in the heart of the Californian motherland, Columbia

State Historic Park is a living gold rush town comprising the

largest single collection of original gold rush-era structures in

the state. Akin to travelling 150 years back in time – complete

with the sights, smells and sounds of a 19th century mining

town – visiting Columbia is a fun and family-friendly way to

spend an afternoon. ➤ www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com

Positioned on a corner in Main Street, St. Charles Saloon

looks exactly as it did back in gold mining days. Served

inside are some of the best pizzas in the state, offered (in true

American style) in five different sizes. Eat in the main dining ➤


room, surrounded by taxidermy, and feel like you’re on a

movie set. ➤ www.facebook.com/pizzawizzard

Spend the night surrounded by towering peaks, alpine

meadows, lakes, wildlife and more at secluded McCaffrey

House B&B, hosted by friendly owners Steph and Mike.

➤ www.mccaffreyhouse.com

HOLLYWOOD ELITE’S

MOUNTAIN RETREAT

We take Highway 120 south east to reach a year-round

Californian adventureland in the Eastern Sierra. Mighty in

scale and awesome in beauty, Mammoth Lakes is the state’s

best kept secret, its name referencing the vast number of

crystal-clear alpine lakes. Mammoth Lakes is also home to

LA’s closest ski resort, making it a longstanding favoured

getaway of Hollywood’s elite, so here you can indulge

in everything from high-altitude mountain biking to

unadulterated outdoorsy hedonism.

Whether you plan to ski Mammoth Mountain or its familyfriendly

sister resort June Mountain, the terrain is epic, the

scenery is stunning and the season is exceptionally long.

With over 300 days of sunshine per year, Mammoth Mountain

offers visitors a truly Californian experience in the snow.

➤ www.visitmammoth.com

Named after the Viking goddess of hunting and skiing,

upscale Skadi offers fine alpine cuisine with a fresh,

Californian twist. The brainchild of chef Ian Algerøen, his

exquisitely executed fare reflects both his Norwegian heritage

and his work in the Swiss Alps and is paired with a carefully

curated wine list. We dine, at one of just ten tables, on house

smoked trout with a horseradish cream, followed by Canadian

duck breast with arctic lingonberries and feel like queens!

➤ www.skadirestaurant.com

Mere steps away from the Village Gondola offering quick

access to the ski slopes, we drop anchor overnight at the petfriendly

Westin Monache for the in-room fireplace and some fullservice

hospitality in the heart of Mammoth. ➤ www.marriott.com

NORTH AMERICA’S

PUREST LAKE

Upon leaving Mammoth, we drive due north into the heart

of the stunning Sierra Nevada mountain range, towards

South Lake Tahoe. The hottest spot for cold weather

adventures in these parts, nestled on the border of California

and Nevada and boasting breathtaking lake and desert views,

South Lake Tahoe offers countless ways to spend a day on t

he slopes. ➤ www.tahoesouth.com

If you have a need for speed, book half-an-hour on a ➤


S OA R ING

NO SHOES

REQUIRED

AMERICAS ASIA EUROPE MIDDLE EAST

Vattanac Capital Tower

66 Monivong Boulevard, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh

Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

rosewoodhotels.com/en/phnom-penh | +855 23 936 888


snowmobile and feel the wind in your hair as you whizz round

a professionally prepared circuit. ➤ www.tahoesnowmobiles.com

For adrenaline junkies, enjoy incredible views as you glide

through the sky on a one-kilometre-long zip line, launching

from a starting elevation of 3,000 metres and hitting a top

speed of 80 kmph. ➤ www.skiheavenly.com

Both a retreat and an alpine getaway, the Coachman Hotel is

a simple yet stylish Californian property with modern and

highly functional guest rooms kitted-out with high-quality beds

and linens. Book a king suite for more space and a big sofa to

laze on. Soak your slope-weary joints in a hot tub before bed

and kick start the next day with a mug of good coffee before

heading off to Sonoma County. ➤ www.coachmantahoe.com

WHALE WATCHING

IN SONOMA

Despite cooler temperatures and the occasional mist, rain or

fog, the weather remains largely mild in California’s

wine country throughout the winter. During low season,

many Sonoma wineries offer behind-the-scenes tours and

tastings, while visitors can take advantage of more than

80 kilometres of dramatic Pacific coastline largely devoid

of tourists. ➤ www.sonomacounty.com

Sonoma’s coastline provides plenty of opportunities to

observe gray whales as they breach, spout water through their

blowholes and play during their annual north-south winter

migration along the county’s coastal peaks. One of the best

places to see these gentle giants of the sea is Bodega Head –

a small, rocky peninsula that shelters Bodega Bay.

For a meal that is fresh, healthy and bursting with flavours,

head to The Girl & The Fig which serves “country food with

a French passion” in an unpretentious environment matched

with some excellent wines. ➤ www.thegirlandthefig.com

Just off the North Coast Highway and dramatically perched

above the Pacific Ocean in the charming Californian coastal

town of Jenner, Timber Cove Resort is a contemporary, one-of-akind

hotel that pays homage to its 1960s architecture. Fall asleep

to the sound of crashing waves and dream of the gentle whales

you saw during the day. ➤ www.timbercoveresort.com


TRAVELLER

LOWDOWN

CALIFORNIA’S

COOLEST CITY

To experience Californian city life before heading home,

make your final stop in San Francisco to explore its unique

neighbourhoods, iconic landmarks and world-class food scene.

Avoid the traditional tourist haunts and head to some of San

Fran’s lesser-known neighbourhoods. SoMa (South of Market)

is home to SFMOMA which holds more than 30,000 works

spanning painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and

design ➤ www.sfmoma.org

To pause and reflect, visit Yerba Buena Gardens, where

the sound of water, the scent of flowers and the warmth of the

Californian sunshine creates a serene oasis in the middle of

the city’s downtown bustle. ➤ www.yerbabuenagardens.com

Get up close and personal with the Golden Gate Bridge on

a Blazing Saddles guided bike tour ➤ www.blazingsaddles.com,

wander around hip Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood and

browse its vintage boutiques, and visit the Ferry Building’s

artisan market to sample some of the state’s freshest produce.

➤ www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Now open for two decades, satisfy your appetite with

hearty fare and entertain your mind with a movie at Foreign

Cinema, an innovative restaurant which weaves food, wine,

film and art into one harmonious locale. foreigncinema.com

At China Live – situated in the heart of San Francisco’s

Chinatown – enjoy an interactive culinary experience in one

of three restaurants, while being educated about the rich history

of the ingredients in the food you’re eating. ➤ www.chinalivesf.com

We end our Californian road trip with some unadulterated

five-star luxury at the St. Regis San Francisco, which combines

magnificent architecture with refined lodgings set within

the 20th century landmark Williams Building in the heart of

the SoMa district ➤ www.stregissanfrancisco.com. A veritable

haven in the middle of the city, the St. Regis’ Remède Spa is

the perfect place to unwind at the end of a memorable vacation

and toast California with a glass of bubbles!

➤ www.visitcalifornia.co.uk


A CULTURED, INSIDER

GUIDE TO SEATTLE

america’s

132


DESTINATION

SPOTLIGHT

thriving

emerald city

IN THE SHADOW OF THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS TO THE

WEST AND THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST,

ALEX BENASULI DISCOVERS A VIBRANT OCEANIC

CITY WITH A BUSTLING DOWNTOWN, CHARMING

NEIGHBOURHOODS, A BURGEONING FOODIE SCENE AND

A MULTITUDE OF CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS ➤


133

EVEN THOUGH THE EMERALD

CITY (as it is affectionately

nicknamed) is the largest

metropolitan area in America’s

Pacific Northwest, Seattle is

meeting the 21st century headon,

with more growth and

development than ever before,

while striving to maintain its much-loved unpretentious

down-to-earth charm.

Surrounded by water and forested mountains, Seattle

is blessed with a proximity to nature that few cities on the

planet can rival. Combine this with a humming downtown,

a variety of enchanting neighbourhoods, restaurants and bars

to rival NYC and an abundance of water views and it’s not hard

to see why Seattle is one of the most desirable places to live in

the United States.

When the sun is shining the city literally glistens, so it’s

best to visit between April and October. Upon departing

Seattle’s SeaTac Airport (having most likely landed on a

locally-manufactured Boeing aircraft) the feeling is evocative

of a frontier outpost, somewhat cut-off from the rest of the

United States by undulating carpets of woodland, towering

evergreens and mountain ranges, with the only access to the

outside world being the city’s harbour.

Today, of course, the lush landscapes and abundant

waterways are interspersed by a high-rise urban

downtown core and a low-rise semi-urban periphery and


SPOTLIGHT

the Port of Seattle is one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading

economic engines, but the overall sense of physical space

lends a unique, laid-back feeling to the place which makes

Seattle inherently appealing.

The best place to get a broad perspective of the city and

its immediate surroundings is atop Seattle’s most famous

building, the Space Needle. Built in 1962, standing at almost

185 metres tall and presiding over the city centre for more

than half a century, the structure’s flying saucer-shaped

observation decks offer visitors Seattle’s only 360-degree

indoor and outdoor panoramic vistas of downtown, picturesque

Queen Anne neighbourhood, Mount Rainier, the Puget Sound

and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Following a

recent USD 100 million top-to-bottom renovation there is no

better time than now to visit the Space Needle and enjoy the

inimitable views it offers. ➤ www.spaceneedle.com

What is remarkable about the city’s skyline is how quickly

it is changing. Seattle is one of the fastest growing major

metropolitan hubs in the United States. New buildings are

popping up everywhere, many of which are architecturally

noteworthy. Looking down through the rotating glass floor

of the Space Needle’s lower observation deck, South Lake

Union is a neighbourhood that barely existed five years ago.

When Seattle was founded in 1851, it was the backwater of

a backwater town. Today, South Lake Union is not only ➤


at the city’s geographical center but also pivotal to the

exploding knowledge economy and biotech industry which

are transforming Seattle.

In the middle of South Lake Union are The Spheres, which

form a dramatic part of Amazon’s sprawling USD 4 billion

Seattle headquarters. Open for public tours by appointment

only and casually sitting in the middle of the city looking like

they’ve landed from another world, this trio of massive glass

domes serves as a space for Amazon employees to work and

collaborate with their colleagues while relaxing among flora and

fauna from every corner of the planet. Containing more than

25,000 plants of 200 different species, The Spheres’ four-storey

living wall is in itself a sight to behold. ➤ www.seattlespheres.com

AWASH WITH SHINY GLASS BOX-LIKE OFFICE

buildings and newly minted bars, cafés, restaurants and

boutique fitness clubs, South Lake Union is an impressive

work in progress and a testament to the changing fortunes of

this progressive and resourceful city. Juxtaposed adjacent to

this hive of activity, on the banks of Lake Union, are the house

boats, seaplane terminal and patchwork of ships, docks and

warehouses that reflect the maritime culture of historic Seattle.

With its year-round snow-capped volcanic dome and its

forested lower tiers, if you are lucky enough to visit the Space

Needle on a clear day, when Mount Rainier is visible, you

are in for a visual treat. More than 4,000 metres high and

akin to a gargantuan alien mother ship hovering over the

city, seeing this active volcano from the Space Needle makes

extraterrestrial comparisons even more apt.

To get a better understanding of the city’s historical roots,

head to the site of Seattle’s earliest settlement, Pioneer Square

➤ www.pioneersquare.org. Though most of the original buildings

were destroyed in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, it is still the

oldest part of the city. ➤


NO SHOES

REQUIRED


After the great fire, the city grew rich as the main trading

hub and infrastructure supplier for the 100,000 prospectors

who migrated to the Klondike region of the Yukon looking

for gold, and the seeds were planted then that led to Seattle

becoming one of the largest container ports in North America.

Hidden away in the historic Cadillac Hotel building in Pioneer

Square, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is

actually more of a museum, filled with all kinds of fascinating

exhibits about the Gold Rush era and Seattle’s connection to it.

➤ www.nps.gov/klse

Not only does Pioneer Square offer a plethora of drinking,

dining and shopping options, it is also home to the largest

concentration of art galleries, innovative exhibition spaces and

working artist studios in Seattle. This vibrant neighbourhood

also hosts the longest established art walk in the United States,

which is held on the first Thursday of every month.

A monorail ride to Westlake Center or an easy 15-minute

walk from Pioneer Square is the city’s original farmers market,

established in 1907. With its larger-than-life retro neon signage,

Pike Place Market is Seattle’s most popular tourist destination

and one of the most visited attractions on the continent.

The upper floors house the oldest, continuously operated

public farmer’s market in the United States, with everything

on display from seasonal produce and cut flowers to an array

of fresh fish and crustaceans. Fishmongers routinely flinging

the catch of the day through the air between them, to be caught

and wrapped behind the counter, has become something of a

crowd-pleasing attraction.

The rest of Pike Place Market is a haven for the local arts and

crafts community. Browse for quirky curios, vintage comics,


SPOTLIGHT

vinyl records and all manner of objets d’art. Since a lifetime

could be spent exploring the market’s nooks and crannies,

best you set a time limit before arriving!

It was in the Market that the original Starbucks opened in

1971. 48 years later, visitors to Starbucks’ very first store at

1912 Pike Place wait in a long line to drink a piece of caffeine

history, their patience a testament to how ingrained in daily

life this chain of coffee houses has become. ➤ www.starbucks.com

Opened by three Greek brothers 100 years ago adjacent to

the Market, the Athenian is still hard to beat for the freshest

seafood. (athenianseattle.com) Alternatively, grab a cup of

award-winning chowder and head to one of the many terraces

overlooking the bay towards West Seattle to take in the view.

➤ www.pikeplacechowder.com

A short walk from Pike Place will take you through Belltown,

a gentrified former industrial district made up of handsome

brick and stone buildings that now house upscale apartments,

bars and restaurants. Shiro Kashiba arrived in the city

50 years ago and has since become a Seattle sushi legend. ➤


While Kashiba now has three restaurants in Seattle, Japanese

food connoisseurs still flock to his first outlet, 25 years after it

opened in Belltown, simply because it serves the best sushi

in town. ➤ www.shiros.com

ON THE WATERFRONT, AT THE NORTHERN EDGE OF

Belltown, is the city’s award-winning nine-acre Olympic

Sculpture Park. Monumental works by Richard Serra,

Alexander Calder and Jaume Plensa (amongst others) set

the park apart as world class. The setting alone, overlooking

the Puget Sound with the Olympic mountains visible on a

clear day, makes the park worthy of a visit and entry is free

year-round. ➤ www.seattleartmuseum.org For those on foot or

pedalling around the city, the sculpture park is connected via

an array of attractively landscaped walking and cycling paths.

If your cultural appetite is not yet satisfied and you fancy

a visual feast, you must visit long term exhibition Chihuly

Garden and Glass which opened at Seattle Center in 2012

to showcase the work of master glass artist, locally born Dale


SPOTLIGHT

Chihuly. Chihuly’s staggeringly beautiful work is the result

of incredible craftsmanship and a wild imagination. A set

of indoor galleries, a massive conservatory and a stunning

garden are all filled with his blown glass creations and

viewing them makes for an utterly enchanting few hours.

➤ www.chihulygardenglass.com

Chihuly’s lifelong passion for collecting is the theme of

Collections Café adjacent to the exhibition, which offers a

fresh and uniquely Northwestern dining experience for

lunch, brunch or a quick bite, in a colourful space inspired by

Chihuly’s iconic boathouse on Lake Union.

For sunset, make your way to Volunteer Park in the historic

Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Seattle. This beautiful 48-acre

urban park was laid out in the early 1900s in a naturalistic

American romantic style by the Olmsted Brothers, the same

team responsible for New York’s Central Park. From its

western perch, the Space Needle, downtown and the bay

are all in full view. One of Seattle’s countless Instagramable

shots is the Space Needle as seen through the centre of Isamu

Noguchi’s doughnut-like Black Sun sculpture in the park.

Seattle is a city on the move. Its industrial and maritime

past spawned a down-to-earth quirkiness and honesty that is

baked into its DNA. And now, thanks to the technology boom,

Seattle is moving through the 21st century as a metropolitan

leader, not a follower. For many however, the city’s near idyllic

position on an isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake

Washington will always be its main selling point.

Indeed, from the top of the Volunteer Park Water Tower –

the highest point on Capitol Hill – Mount Rainier, illuminated

by the setting sun, is nothing short of spectacular. The light

dancing through the trees and green spaces, reflecting off

the various bodies of water that surround Seattle, gives new

meaning to the word emerald in this sparkling gem of a city.

➤ www.visitseattle.org


FAIRMONT

O LY M P I C

HOTEL

➸

WHILE SEATTLE APPEARS TO BE IN the midst of a hotel

building boom, there remains only one Olympic.

Located in the heart of downtown and originally simply known as

“The Olympic”, when the hotel first opened in 1924 it was designed to

provide the city with lodgings fit for a president. Today, the building’s

Italian Renaissance facade is not only a city landmark but also a

national treasure, and this grande dame is as beloved by generations

of Seattleites as it is by business and leisure travellers from all over

the globe.

Afternoon tea served in the ornate Georgian dining room is an

institution. Locals will tell you fondly that they or their parents or even

grandparents married, celebrated an anniversary or marked a special

occasion at the Olympic. Many employees have worked at the hotel

for 20, 30 or even more years. Guests are treated like family whether

first timers or returning regulars. The Olympic simply oozes tradition,

hospitality and history at every turn.

The hotel’s cavernous central lobby, lounge and reception area

– with its floor-to-ceiling wood paneling, broken-up by columns and

opera house-like viewing boxes – is as grand as it is welcoming.

450 rooms and suites spread out over 14 floors were recently

renovated to a high standard and boast a contemporary colour

palette of grays, whites, creams and blues. Traditional soft furnishings

add a warming touch. Some corner rooms boast water views towards

Elliott Bay. Toiletries by luxury NYC-based perfume brand Le Labo add

a dash of cool to the bathrooms in all Fairmont properties.

Every one of the hotel’s food and beverage venues are

institutions. Collectively they make the hotel one of the city’s most

upscale social hubs.

The dark and moody Terrace Lounge is one Seattle’s favourite

watering holes. In addition to Washington State-sourced wines and

local craft beers, guests can enjoy the hotel’s very own Olympic

Honey Vodka infused with honey from its rooftop beehives.

One of Seattle’s oldest oyster bars, old-school Shuckers is as

renowned for its 1930s oak paneling and tin ceilings as it is for its

fresh fish, seafood and cocktails. (shuckersseattle.com)

Undoubtedly the hospitality heart and soul of the city, the Fairmont

Olympic is as prominent today as it was in the 1920s and makes the

perfect, full-service five-star base from which to explore Seattle’s many

multicultural charms. ALEX BENASULI ➤ www.fairmont.com/seattle


SPOTLIGHT


143

taste&sip

OUR FOOD AND DRINK

EXPERTS TRAVEL TO

PARIS, BALI AND THE

CAPE WINELANDS

PARIS’ FOOD SCENE

IL RISTORANTE

– LUCA FANTIN

➤ BALI, INDONESIA

CAVALLI ESTATE

➤ CAPE WINELANDS, SOUTH AFRICA


145

taste

&sip

REVIE

SITUATED WITHIN SUPER-

LUXE BVLGARI RESORT BALI,

IL RISTORANTE – LUCA FANTIN

DELIGHTS CAROLYN Mc K A Y

WITH AN INTIMATE DINING

EXPERIENCE SHOWCASING

CREATIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF

CLASSIC ITALIAN FARE

146


IL RISTORANTE –

LUCA FANTIN

➤ BVLGARI RESORT,

BALI

FOOD «««««•

ATMOSPHERE ««««

W

SINCE CHEF LUCA FANTIN

collaborated a decade ago with timeless

Italian luxury brand Bvlgari to open

Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin in Tokyo,

the chic Michelin-starred Italian

eatery, occupying the top four floors of

Bvlgari Ginza Tower, has won countless

accolades and been lauded as one of

the finest dining experiences in the

Japanese capital. At the restaurant’s

heart is Fantin’s drive and passion for

producing refined Italian classics with a

playful twist, married with the style and

classical elegance of Bvlgari.

Uniquely perched atop dramatic cliffs

on Bukit Peninsula, at the island’s

southern-most tip, Bvlgari Resort Bali

boasts unrivalled vistas across the

Indian Ocean. Throughout the property,

sophisticated, contemporary design,

blending traditional Balinese influences

with bespoke Italian style, highlights

the locale’s breathtaking natural beauty.

Naturally, this sophistication extends to

the resort’s premiere restaurant.

Following the immense success of his

Tokyo Fantin flagship, two years ago,

the eponymous chef opened a second Il

Ristorante at Bvlgari’s deluxe Balinese

resort. The restaurant debuted in 2017 ➤


to much fanfare. Today, it is often

name-checked as the best the popular

Indonesian island has to offer in terms of

fine dining.

The intimate 36-seat dinner-only

restaurant is helmed by resident head

chef Fabrizio Crocetta, who brings to the

table a wealth of experience from various

Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy

and Asia. With consistency as its key

and under the careful tutelage of Fantin,

Crocetta inventively recreates traditional

Italian fare utilising local ingredients.

Befitting a premium dining experience,

the service is warm and personal as

I am swiftly seated within one of two

open-air pavilions which are flawless

in their simplicity. A warm breeze,

tinted with the scent of frangipani,

drifts through the air. Lanterns cast

delicate, abstract shadows. Clean

lines and a monochromatic black

colour scheme dominate throughout.

Chic framed portraits, retrieved from

Bvlgari’s archives, grace the back wall.

Understated floral arrangements adorn

fine linen-clad tables in readiness for the

chef’s creations to take centre stage. The

overall effect is one of simple elegance,

expertly executed with the high level

of panache that only a historic Italian

brand knows how.

Below: Luca

Fantin and

Fabrizio Crocetta

THE MENU IS A CELEBRATION OF

the contemporary without forsaking

authenticity. This is definitely not a

fusion of Italian and Balinese cuisine,

rather a seductive Italian dining

experience making the best possible use

of the finest quality local and organic

produce available. Traditional Balinese

staples – including mango, kaffir lime,

coconut, tuna, squid and suckling pig –

complement Fantin’s desire to showcase

natural and refreshing flavours in this

tropical idyll. ➤


,

,

Home of The

Sri Lankan

Lagoon Crab

www.ministryofcrab.com

www.ministryofcrab.com

reservations@ministryofcrab.com

reservations@ministryofcrab.com

ministryofcrab| ministryofcrab

ministryofcrab| ministryofcrab

SHANGHAI 231 Nanjing Road West,People's Park, Shanghai | +86 21 631 80219

SHANGHAI 231 Nanjing Road West,People's Park, Shanghai | +86 21 631 80219

MANILA

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila | (63 2) 8820 0888

MANILA

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila | (63 2) 8820 0888

MUMBAI

Zaveri House, Khar West, Mumbai, India | +91 771 089 8811

MUMBAI

Zaveri House, Khar West, Mumbai, India | +91 771 089 8811

MALDIVES

The Marina @ CROSSROADS, Maldives | +960 741 2722

MALDIVES

The Marina @ CROSSROADS, Maldives | +960 741 2722

BANGKOK

Sam-ed @ Sukhumvit Soi 31 |+669 858 986 554

BANGKOK

Sam-ed @ Sukhumvit Soi 31 |+669 858 986 554

An affable and polite server explains

the menu. The à la carte options

thoughtfully include a range of wellknown

dishes as well as some more

modern culinary creations. Three tasting

menus are offered – I opt for 6-courses

priced at IDR 1,900k (USD 135)

excluding wine pairing.

As one would expect of a restaurant of

this calibre, its cellar is well stocked with

an extensive variety of vintages, mainly

Italian and numbering over 200, which is

huge for Bali where such a range of fine

wines is rare.

Having been furnished with a glass

of champagne to kick-off with, the meal

is preceded by a selection of irresistible

amuse-bouche. Exquisitely presented

and bursting with flavours, these divine

mouthfuls of food heaven prepare my

palate for what is to come and provide a

tantalising insight into the gastronomic

delights ahead.

A dish of tagliatelle with scallops,

corn and caviar creates a pleasantly

unexpected combination of flavours and

textures in my mouth – the sweet crunch

of the corn with the scallop, delicate

and buttery, surprisingly balanced by

the saltiness of the caviar. The dish is

perfectly balanced and served with a

glass of Pol Roger Brut Réserve.

WHILE FANTIN’S SIGNATURE DISH

of cold squid ink spaghetti is not on the

menu, an alternative of cold spaghetti

with smoked eel is most welcome on a

warm evening. The pasta is faultless –

its delicate sauce harmoniously singing

a chorus of flavours, together conjuring

images of an Italian summer’s day by

the sea. The paired Gaja Rossj-Bass

Chardonnay and Sauvignon blend,

from Langhe in Italy, is spot-on for the

pasta dish, gently echoing its slightly

zesty sauce with a cool and crisp nose of

flowers and succulent tropical fruit on

the palate.

An impeccable dish of Ravioli ai

Crostacei, delicately topped with a

small pile of fresh crab meat, provides

divine bursts of intense flavours in every

150


TA S T E & SIP

IL RISTORANTE –

LUCA FANTIN BALI

FOOD «««««•

ATMOSPHERE ««««

HEAD CHEF: Fabrizio Crocetta

ADDRESS: Bvlgari Resort Bali,

Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas

Kangin, Uluwatu 80364, Bali

TELEPHONE: +62 361 8471000

EMAIL: restaurant.reservations

@bulgarihotels.com

WEBSITE: ➤ www.bulgarihotels.com

CUISINE: Italian fine dining

LUNCH: Closed

DINNER: 18:00 - 23:00

(last orders 22:30)

DINNER PRICE: Three courses

à la carte IDR 1,240k - IDR 2,000k

(excluding government tax

+ 10% service)

IDEAL MEAL: Bvlgari menu IDR 1,900k

+ wine pairing IDR 2,000k (excluding

government tax + 10% service)

RESERVATIONS: Essential

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No

CHILDREN: Aged five and under

not allowed in the dining room

CREDIT CARDS: All major

PARKING: Valet parking available

Reviewed by Carolyn McKay

for dinner in March 2019

Ratings range from zero to five stars and

reflect the reviewer’s feedback about

the food and service and, separately, the

atmosphere in the dining room

mouthful. The paired Trabacchetto

Percorino, from the Abruzzo region of

central Italy, is medium-bodied yet crisp

and light and marries well with the

velvety ravioli.

Although petite in size, the next dish

of Pesce al Pomodoro is noticeably more

rich, especially the glorious concentrated

tomato and caramelised onion sauce.

Somewhat surprisingly it is paired with

a light French Burgundy, Le Clos de

L’Abbaye from Domaine Anne Gros.

Obviously a carefully considered choice

to serve with seafood, the Pinot Noir

grape is the perfect match, the wine’s

berry notes and smooth, supple tannins

contrasting nicely with the acidity of the

tomato sauce and the meatier texture of

the fish.

Vitello alla Milanese, served with a

moreish spinach and saffron sauce, is the

evening’s standout plate, garnished with

lightly fried baby spinach leaves. As I

take my first bite, the veal melts and an

unexpected crunch of spinach leaves adds

a welcome textural contrast. The dish is

an all-round gastronomic triumph and

the pairing – with a Gaja Sito Moresco

blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and

Nebbiolo grapes – lifts the ensemble to

another culinary plane.

The meal is closed by a citrus granite

served with homemade almond ice

cream, served with a glass of superb

Riesling dessert wine from the Dr.

Loosen estate on Germany’s Mosel River.

To serve such refined and intensely

flavoursome cuisine in a major world

city, where ingredients are more

easily obtained, would be worthy of

commendation. But to serve these dishes

on an Indonesian island in a sub-tropical

climate is deserving of far higher praise.

Every dish presented was carefully

considered, lovingly assembled and pure

entertainment for my taste buds, their

careful preparation not only reflected

in the exquisite flavours but also their

impressive visual execution. Eating at

the Balinese outpost of Il Ristorante

– Luca Fantin is nothing short of

contemporary al fresco fine dining at

its tropical, Italian designer best.


taste

&sip

FOOD

SCENE

PA

JOE MORTIMER

DISCOVERS THAT

THE VOID BETWEEN

FINE DININGA AND

BRASSERIES IN THE

FRENCH CAPITAL IS

BEING PLUGGED BY A

NEW WAVE OF CHEFS

W H O C E L E B R A T E

S E A S O N A L

INGREDIENTS AND

REGIONAL CUISINE

ABOVE SHOWY

TASTING MENUS

152


R IS

➸ FROM THE BANKS

of the Seine to the

streets of Pigalle,

Paris is a city in constant motion:

a seething sea of humanity where

everyone has somewhere to be. Those

that are not on the move have already

found their destination: an outside

table at a corner café, a place at the

bar in a neighbourhood brasserie, or

perhaps a comfortable seat at a finedining

restaurant.

Food is the fuel that keeps this city

moving: a source of sustenance, but also

conversation, intrigue and passion. It’s

a way to mark the passing of time; its

raison d’etre. It wouldn’t be a stretch to

say that food is the heart and soul

of Paris.

Great chefs like Joël Robuchon

and Pierre Gagnaire have made an

indelible mark on Parisian culinary

history over the past 60 years, elevating

French haute cuisine to a class of its

own. But while tradition casts the

Parisian gastronomic landscape in tones

of fine dining overlaid with a patina

of Michelin stars, things are changing

in the French capital. New ideas and

priorities are creeping in, as chefs ➤


take a fresh look at the country’s

culinary traditions.

Today, some of the most captivating

chefs are going back to the roots

of French gastronomy, celebrating

seasonal ingredients, traditional cooking

techniques and rustic regional recipes.

Restaurants are embracing the past,

paying homage to France’s long history

of culinary excellence. In essence,

Parisian cuisine is beginning once again

to reflect the wider French kitchen.

The result is a more inclusively

French dining scene than ever before,

with less pomp and haughtiness, more

heart, and a rich heritage that infuses

menus with nostalgia and respect for

times gone by. It’s the modern yet

instantly familiar face of French dining.

L E J A R D I N

FRANÇAIS

Head out of Paris in any direction and

it’s not long before the urban sprawl

gives way to rolling fields and open

countryside; the great, verdant Gallic

garden that extends across the length

and breadth of the country. Here, yearround,

farmers raise an abundance of

crops and livestock, while hunters and

foragers seek game and wild ingredients

in expansive woodland and hillsides. At

the fringes of this landscape, fishermen

154


TA S T E & SIP

harvest oysters, langoustine and other

seafood from the waters of the Atlantic

and Mediterranean and pluck plump

fish from the great rivers that snake

from sea to sea.

In rural France, everyone from

home cooks to restaurant chefs

buys their fresh ingredients from

regional producers at local markets,

the foundation of a culinary cycle

that changes with the seasons: root

vegetables, tubers and hearty stews in

the winter months; lighter fresh fruit

and veg in the summer. Since time

immemorial, events like truffle hunting

or asparagus harvesting have marked

the changing of the season, bringing

together families and communities to

enjoy dishes that can only be savoured

at a certain time of year.

Chefs in Paris, who have been

spoiled by the year-round availability of

imported ingredients, are re-engaging

with this seasonality, creating concepts

that are healthier, environmentally

sustainable and more in touch with

the natural rhythms of the planet. In

the very heart of Paris, acclaimed chef

Christian Constant has opened a branch

of his successful Les Cocottes at Sofitel

Arc de Triomphe, where traditional food

served in cast iron pots (cocottes) ➤


captures the simplicity of country fare

in a stylish setting. Like its clientele,

the venue is convivial and effortlessly

chic, with elegant interiors in golden

honey and toffee coloured hues.

➤ www.lescocottes.paris

Meanwhile, on the eastern flank of the

city in the 16th arrondissement, Hotel

Molitor occupies the site of the former

Piscine Molitor, an Art Deco community

swimming pool built in 1929, which

was once a vibrant hub of urban life.

The first ever bikini was revealed to

the public here in 1946 and during the

long hot summers, hundreds of bathers

would sprawl on loungers and attend

glamorous events.

The pool was abandoned in 1989. In

the years it lay empty, the site became

a hotbed of counter-culture activity and

was largely covered in graffiti. Today,

Molitor has breathed new life into the

neighbourhood as a 124-room property

built around the refurbished swimming

pool. The hotel’s Brasserie Urbaine

captures the dichotomy of modern Paris

and its gritty urban underbelly, with

original Art Deco touches embellished

with bold contemporary art and a menu

comprising classical dishes and seasonal

ingredients presented in a bold and

contemporary manner, courtesy of chef

Julien Mercier. ➤ www.mltr.fr/en/restauration

CHOICE CUTS

The phrase “you are what you eat”

has never been more relevant than

it is today: an age in which people

increasingly define themselves by their ➤


SHANGHAI BEIJING CHENGDU XI’AN PHNOM PENH

Eat Local

Our culinary experiences will get you off the beaten path to try a variety of

authentic dishes where the locals eat.

Discover our experiences at lostplate.com

Hand-made soup dumplings, Shanghai (Lost Plate Food Tours)

dietary choices. All over the world,

the food and beverage industry is

catering to more and more niche dietary

requirements, from the growing demand

for vegan and vegetarian options to the

heightened awareness of allergies and

intolerances. Chefs in Paris are meeting

the challenge head on, putting heart and

soul into thoughtful menus with broad

appeal, without compromising their

concepts.

A few steps from the Place du

Concorde, Sofitel Le Faubourg is a stylish

pied-à-terre for well-heeled travellers

and its dining options are equally

elegant. The hotel’s signature restaurant,

Blossom, epitomises the city’s newfound

respect for provenance and story-telling

with a menu inspired by the seasons

that changes every three months. Chef

Alexandre Auger’s list of entrées includes

a large number of vegetarian dishes

such as a ‘Totally Green’ salad, and a

butternut velouté with roasted chestnuts:

a winter warmer imbued with the spirit

of the season. Moreover, it’s encouraging

to see restaurants catering more to

vegetarian and vegan diners, a trend that

has permeated even Paris’ noble dining

scene. ➤ www.sofitel-paris-lefaubourg.com

In the up-and-coming Bercy

neighbourhood, Espirit du 12ème is

the signature restaurant at Pullman

Paris Centre hotel. Here, chef Julien

Roby celebrates the best of fresh French

produce with his ‘bistronomique’ cuisine,

provides ample menu space for meatfree

dishes and daily specials showcase

whatever’s fresh.

‘The Leek’ is an extraordinary

celebration of the humble vegetable, a

vibrant terrine of pressed leek cooked

in a bain marie, with a pinch of sea

salt and a lemon confit dressing. It’s a

novel way to treat the humble legume

and encouraging to see a chef putting

158


TA S T E & SIP

so much energy into a vegetarian dish.

For all its creativity and style there’s

nothing fussy or pretentious here, just

excellent seasonal food at reasonable

prices. Espirit du 12ème is proof that

dining well doesn’t have to cost the

earth. ➤ www.pullmanpariscentrebercy.com

PLUS ÇA CHANGE

Although Paris’ effervescent dining

scene is in a state of flux, with positive

evolution towards a more sustainable

and thoughtful way of eating, it’s

reassuring to note that some things

remain unchanged. The boutiques of

Pierre Hermé, Ladurée and Fauchon

still pop with rows of colourful

macaroons and the chocolatiers of the

1st arrondissement entice visitors inside

with their lusty aromas. The waft of

garlic mussels emanates from Left

Bank restaurants and neighbourhood

brasseries still offer affordable fixed

price formules midi lunch deals. When

the sun goes down, you can be assured

that locals still gather at bars and cafés

all over the city for l’apero, the predinner

tipple that often continues well

into the evening.

The row of open-fronted restaurants

selling mugs of hot wine and ham and

cheese-stuffed galettes (buckwheat

pancakes) on the northern side of Notre-

Dame Cathedral are still an irresistible

attraction; and the literary haunts of the

Boulevard du Montparnasse continue

to lure in customers with their mounds

of succulent oysters. Who can pass the

storied facade of the Closerie de Lilas

without stopping off for a half-dozen

briny Belon bivalves and a glass of

Sancerre?

And therein lies the great irony of this

modern-day dining revolution. Some of

the oldest restaurants in Paris have been

serving regional cuisine and seasonal

dishes for more than a century, for the

simple reason that there was once no

other choice but to follow the natural

rhythm. Now we’ve come full circle:

let the gastro beat go on.


taste

&sip

EXPERI

N I C H O L A S

CHRISOSTOMOU

HEADS OUT OF

THE MOTHER CITY

TO THE CAPE

WINELANDS,

TO SPEND AN

AFTERNOON ON

A SOPHISTICATED

SOUTH AFRICAN

WINE FARM THAT

HITS MULTIPLE

CULTURAL NOTES

160


CAVALLI E STATE

➤ SOUTH AFRICA

ENCE

➸

VISITING CAPE TOWN

and not spending an

afternoon on a wine

farm would be akin to taking a child to

Hamleys and not buying a toy. Seriously.

The Western Cape’s winelands have

long been renowned as the golden

gourmet trail of South Africa, and being

some of the most beautiful in the world

they are deserving of more than an

afternoon. Many days and wine-fuelled

evenings can easily be spent sampling

some of the best vintages the Rainbow

Nation has to offer, feasting on gourmet

fare and other epicurean delights, and

spending nights in luxe boutique hotels.

A multitude of the latter are liberally

scattered throughout the scenic area

from Stellenbosch to Franschhoek,

and routinely cater to international

gourmands and oenophiles.

South Africa’s wine estates are an

inspiring mix of modern architecture and

historic Cape Dutch properties, hitting

multiple cultural notes and wowing in

different ways, the common denominator

being wine, which South African farmers

have become expert at producing and

exporting.

About an hour outside Cape Town,

Somerset West was a lesser known wine

region until Cavalli Estate opened five

years ago to much fanfare.

Deftly combining luxe wine-tasting

facilities, a contemporary art gallery,

stables and world-class equestrian

centre, an award-winning restaurant, ➤


splendid indigenous fynbos gardens

designed by Keith Kirsten and an

impressive 350-seat events space, it’s

not hard to see why Cavalli has become

a popular destination with discerning

travellers and locals alike. One would be

hard pushed to find a more stylish place

in South Africa to taste wine and feast

on good food, not to mention that visiting

a wine estate is a decadent way to spend

an afternoon!

AS WE ARRIVE AT CAVALLI, a large,

bronze horse sculpture at the entrance

gates, by South African artist Arend

Eloff, suggests that the owning family is

into their horses. Approaching the main

building via a long driveway, it is also

obvious that a great deal of time and

money has been lavished on the site. At

every turn the magnificent 100-hectare

estate impresses. We glimpse racehorses

in deluxe stables attached to a sprawling

paddock; well-tended beds and gardens

brimming with lush, local botanicals,

and people coolly arriving and leaving

without drama. Moreover, a sense of

grace and calm is palpable throughout.

A masterclass in fine design, attention to

detail and organisation, visiting Cavalli

is a stress-free and slick experience from

the get-go.

Also something of an ecological

masterpiece, the estate’s photovoltaic

panels harvest solar energy; geothermal

systems regulate the heating and

the cooling of the restaurant, and

wastewater is recycled back into the

gardens. So, despite thousands of

people visiting Cavalli year-round, the

estate doesn’t create a carbon footprint.

Cavalli’s restaurant was also the first in

the country to be Green-star accredited

for its sustainability.

A member of the owning family and a

professional architect, who was part of

the team which designed the estate, MD

Lauren Smith explains, “the design of

Cavalli was all about capitalising on the

beauty of the site. From the vineyards

to the landscaping to the public spaces,

the ethos of the estate revolves entirely

around sustainability.”

Before lunch, we meet some of the

horses whose names grace the bottles

of many of the estate’s vintages.

‘Cremello’ and ‘Warlord’ are particularly

magnificent animals, as is ‘Wine Women

And Song’ – one of the world’s 50 top

sires. Each lives in equine luxury,

with a dozen or so stablemates, in

an impressive, purpose-built facility

fashioned from structural steel and

warm oak and awash with natural light.

Stable tours are free. Hour-long carriage

tours of the farm are not but include a

bottle of the estate’s finest. Wine-tasting

on horseback is offered to experienced

riders only, for obvious reasons.

Located beneath the restaurant,

Cavalli’s sexy underground tasting

room is open to the public five days per

week, and offers tasting packages of

six premium wines or three ‘passion’

wines for just ZAR 80 (USD 5) or ZAR 40

respectively. Probably one of the plushest

tasting rooms in all of South Africa, the

space can be privately booked for parties

to sip wines around the fireplace during

the winter months.

On the same level at the tasting

room, Cavalli’s concealed 600 sqm art

gallery is one of the winelands’ best kept

secrets, and promotes local artists via

162


TA S T E & SIP

its gallery space and sculpture spots

dotted throughout the main building. In

between the tasting room and art gallery,

a smart onsite retail boutique showcases

a curated range of rather gorgeous South

African items.

Celebrated for its style by South

Africa’s prestigious Mercedes Benz Eat

Out Awards, Cavalli’s restaurant is

fresh, airy and elegantly executed with

panache. Throughout the space, plentiful

natural light and clean lines give way

to cool, modern furnishings which are

contemporary yet inviting and functional,

including a striking copper bar.

Very much the social epicentre of

the estate, the restaurant takes full

advantage of Cavalli’s spectacular setting

with floor-to-ceiling glazed doors opening

onto to an expansive terrace. Guests

dining al fresco are surrounded by

180-degree vistas across a tranquil lake,

verdant gardens and leafy vineyards,

framed by the majestic Helderberg

Mountains in the distance. The backdrop

for a gourmet meal couldn’t be more apt

and here wines compliment the food

rather than dominate.

Produced from grapes harvested in the

Golden Triangle of the Stellenbosch wine

region, Cavalli’s wines are refined and

largely expressive of fruit characteristics.

Cremello is wonderfully playful between

sweet and citrus notes, delivering

lovely vanilla elements on the palate.

Meanwhile, the estate’s beautifully

smooth signature red blend, Warlord, has

a nose of cassis and blackcurrant, with

delicate nuances of vanilla and strong

notes of plum and cherry. We taste six

wines in all, each one demonstrating

different qualities and impressing in

numerous ways.

Head chef Michael Deg prepares

accomplished, flavourful and hearty fare

that honours the seasons and makes the

best use of the estate’s vegetable gardens.

Married some delectable wines selected

from an extensive list that showcases

South Africa’s finest vineyards, we enjoy

three courses of delicious food exquisitely

presented and are thoroughly satiated

all round.

Delivering on many pleasurable levels

simultaneously makes Cavalli an

inimitable choice to experience fine

hospitality, wine and culture in one

stylish setting. Whether you visit the

Mother City for a weekend or longer,

make time to head out of town and

immerse yourself in viniculture for an

afternoon. Your taste buds will be forever

grateful – ours certainly were!

➤ www.cavalliestate.com


STYLISH

GLOBETROTTER

✳

✳

✳

perfect

presents

✳

TAKE THE HASSLE OUT

OF YOUR CHRISTMAS

SHOPPING WITH T H E

CULTURED TRAVELLER’ S

GIFT GUIDE COMPILED BY

ADRIAN GIBSON. WHETHER

A CHIC GIFT FOR YOUR

LOVED ONE, A NOVELTY

PRESENT OR A FUN

STOCKING FILLER,

THERE’S SURE TO

B E S O M E T H I N G

HERE TO EFFECT

A GOOD FEW

SMILES

for all

✳

VERSACE

HOLIDAY PLATE

PART OF FAMED ITALIAN

➸

fashion house Versace’s

new home collection, this 18cm

Rosenthal fine porcelain plate features

a vintage archival print with Barroco

lettering, Baroque leaves and festive

motifs of holly and mistletoe.

GBP 72 ➤ www.versace.com


SHOPPING

ALESSI

LUNCH BOX

ALWAYS STRIVING TO

bring beautiful design to the

masses, this cute multi-level lunchbox

looks more like a fashion accessory.

Inspired by the Japanese bento box,

it has three separate compartments

for different foodstuffs, which cleverly

stack separated by internal lids.

GBP 44 ➤ www.alessi.com/

gb_enenthusiasts

MARWOOD

BOW TIE SET

FASHIONED IN THE UK

to the highest standards

and made to last, this elegant,

handmade English lace mesh bow

tie, duetted with a chic silk jacquard

pocket square, is sure to enhance

the party outfit of any gentleman

this holiday season.

GBP 165 ➤ www.marwood.life

SHRIMPS SHELLY BAG

INSPIRED BY GREEK MYTHOLOGY, intricately decorated with

➸

shell-shaped clusters of apricot and black beads and fully-lined

with an internal pocket, London-based designer Hannah Weiland’s statement

Shelly bag is fun, on-trend and is sure to turn heads over the festive season.

GBP 525 ➤ www.shrimps.com


LARQ WATER

BOTTLE

CONTRIBUTING TO THE

➸

social effort to reduce singleuse

plastic, LARQ’s reusable water

bottle is not only stylish but it’s also

the most high-tech water bottle on the

market. The lightweight bottle has builtin

LED technology which self-cleans

water in 60 seconds, as it’s filled,

providing pure water on-the-go.

GBP 95 ➤ www.livelarq.com

V&A GARDENING TOOLS

DECORATED IN A PRETTY PRINT by Irish

18th century botanical illustrator William

Kilburn, this lightweight and durable aluminium trowel

and fork set, presented in a stylish gift box, is an

ideal and inexpensive gift for garden lovers as well as

pattern enthusiasts.

GBP 23 ➤ www.vam.ac.uk/shop

A.D.C. 01

MOISTURISER

WORLD RENOWNED

make-up artist Adam de

Cruz’s plant-based moisturiser

contains super herb and Ayurvedic

medicine staple Gotu Kola, mangosteen

fruit extract to reduce redness and

puffiness and Korean Perilla oil to give

the skin a luxurious finish.

GBP 98 (100ml)

➤ www.adcbeauty.com


www.loudalton.com

DOIY STADIUM

BOTTLE OPENER

BARCELONA-BASED DOIY

creates playful, well-designed

items that bring cheer to our

hectic lives. Founded by two friends

Elodie and Jamie in 2008, they design

everything in-house and sell worldwide.

This bottle opener, in the shape of a

football stadium, is an obvious stocking

filler for him.

EUR 14.95 ➤ www.doiydesign.com

BRITISH BOXERS TOSCANA COBI SLIPPERS

RECENTLY LAUNCHED BY LUXURY INTIMATES BRAND British Boxers,

➸

these stylish and super comfy ladies slippers are handmade in Cornwall

from fine, purple-dyed sheepskin and trimmed with long Toscana fur to keep her

feet warm and toasty on even the coldest of nights.

GBP 76 ➤ www.britishboxers.com

MILENA ZU

BANGLES

INSPIRED BY NATURE

and endangered animals,

these lovingly made brass bangles, by

Italian jewellery designer Milena Zu, are

hand crocheted by artisans using a tiny

hook and beautifully combine texture

and colour with contemporary style.

Available in the V&A’s online

shop ➤ www.vam.ac.uk/shop

GBP 225 ➤ www.milenazu.com

168

I S S U E 2 8 ➤ D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 – F EBRUARY 2020

SHOPPING

ROJA PARFUMS

CHRISTMAS CANDLE

BENOWNED FOR HIS luxury

fragrances made using only the

finest ingredients, British perfumer

Roja Dove’s limited edition 2019 Christmas

candle will fill your home with a magical

scent of majestic pine, cedar wood, cocoa

and frankincense on 25th December.

GBP 95 ➤ www.rojaparfums.com

CARAN D’ACHE X

NESPRESSO PEN

SWISS BRAND CARAN D’ACHE has been making

luxury writing implements since 1915 and this

year they have teamed up with contemporary coffee maker

Nespresso. Made from recycled Nespresso pods, this cool

new version of the iconic 849 pen gives renewed value to

what was previously considered waste.

GBP 39.95 ➤ www.carandache.com

SHAKE

IT BABY

SNOW GLOBE

➸

SHAKE IT BABY

SPECIALISES in producing

snow globes with stylish, bold and

sophisticated illustrations, courtesy

of Dutch designer Marie-José van

den Ende. A fun stocking filler, this

plexiglass globe with winking eye motif

can be personalised by easily inserting

your own message or image. EUR

29.95 ➤ www.shake-it-baby.com

DOIY STADIUM

DENHAM

WEEKEND BAG

MADE IN ITALY BY

Amsterdam-based British

designer Jason Denham, this chrometanned

leather weekend bag has a

detachable shoulder strap and top

handles making it durable, stylish,

easy-to-carry and perfect for a

weekend away.

EUR 750

➤ www.denhamthejeanmaker.com

ALESSI LUNCH BOX


STYLISH

GLOBETROTTER


CULTURE

beyond the

PAGES of

VOGUE

D AW N G I B S O N

EXPERIENCES THE

EXTRAORDINARY

CREATIVE PROCESS

OF ONE OF THE

W O R L D ’ S M O S T

IMAGINATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHERS,

AT AN IMMERSIVE

TIM WALKER

R E T R O S P E C T I V E A T

LONDON’S V&A

Tim Walker at

London’s

V&A Museum

KATE MOSS,

Nicole Kidman,

Timothée

Chalamet,

Sir David

Attenborough, Tilda Swinton, David

Hockney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Whoopi

Goldberg and Björk – what do all of

these celebrities have in common? They

have all appeared before the lens of

British photographer and filmmaker

Tim Walker, a prolific presence in

international creative circles since he

shot his first Vogue story at the age of 25.

Since the late 1990s, it has been

difficult to pick up a fashion magazine

without chancing upon Walker,

because his shoots have featured in the

American, British and Italian editions

of Vogue, as well as numerous other

leading style-led publications.

His distinctive approach blends

whimsical flights of fancy and fairy tales

with dramatic, carefully considered

settings and a nod to prominent

photographers of the past. The

theatrical flavour of his compositions

makes his images superbly suitable

for their latest showcase, Tim Walker:

Wonderful Things, the largest ever

exhibition of the photographer’s work,

celebrating his creativity over the past

quarter of a century. ➤

TIM WALKER STUDIO


THE EXHIBITION IS LESS OF A

retrospective and more of an invitation

to step into the fantastical world

concocted by Walker and his long-time

collaborator, designer Shona Heath,

who has created a series of striking

sets. Three years in the making and

inspired by the V&A’s enormous

collection, images veer from an angry

crimson-tinged Grace Jones in tribute

to the jewel-like colours of 16th century

stained glass panels, and a bright blue

elephant in front of a floating temple

in Rajasthan, to supermodel Karen

Elson (a favourite muse of Walker’s)

photographed in Bhutan wearing an

Alexander McQueen gown resplendent

with crescent moons and pearls.

Also on display, are more than 150

new works influenced by an eclectic

range of the V&A’s objects, including

a 50-metre hand-painted photograph

of the Bayeux Tapestry and an elegant

bejewelled snuffbox, decorated with

a dragon. These new works were the

result of an extensive research process

that included Walker meeting with

dozens of curators, exploring the V&A’s

collections in storage as well as in the

public galleries and even scaling the

museum’s roof!

“To me, the V&A has always been

a palace of dreams – it’s the most

inspiring place in the world,” Walker

explains. “Many of the objects I saw

during my research at the museum

made my heart swell and I wanted to

try and create a photograph that would

relate not only to the physical presence

and beauty of that object, but also to my

emotional reaction to it.”

The exhibition begins in a stark

white rectangle featuring a selection of

Walker’s pictures from the past 25 years,

arranged according to the themes of

muses, gardens and more. Here you will

see Kristen McMenamy as a mermaid in

a vertical fish tank; Nicole Kidman in a

surreal, all-white Comme des Garçons

ensemble and Kate Moss in multiple ➤

Each room is a

visual feast of

photography,

artistic works,

film and props


CULTURE



CULTURE

settings, including the Coco Chanel suite

at Ritz Paris and posing on a rooftop. In

a little nook in the back you will also find

miniatures of Moss reclining nude.

Unusually, Walker has personally

written the introductions to each part

of the exhibition, explains Susanna

Brown, the V&A’s photograph curator:

“It’s not the conventional museum

voice or the curatorial voice – it’s much

more personal and emotional than that.

From the moment our visitors enter

the galleries, I think they will feel that

Tim is really taking you by the hand

and guiding them on a fantastic journey

through his imagination.”

Walker began to understand the

history of photography by discovering

the work of leading lights such as

Sir Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon

when he worked in the Vogue

archive as an 18-year-old, so there’s

naturally a selection devoted to

fashion photography. While the genre

borders are a little blurred, exquisite

imagery courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana,

Balenciaga, Chanel, Saint Laurent and

Balmain standout throughout.

“Fashion photography is the dream

department of photography,” he

explains in the introduction to the

fashion images. “When you’re a fashion

photographer, everything is an illusion

from the start.”

FROM THE WHITE ROOM, VISITORS

can explore 10 adjoining rooms, each

devoted to a different shoot, with

the objects that inspired each shoot

prominently displayed. Each is a visual

feast of photography, artistic works, film

and props spanning multiple centuries

and continents, which makes it difficult

to decide where to look first. And as one

wanders through the rooms, dreamlike

garden landscapes and serene

supermodels are often juxtaposed with a

frisson of the dark.

The Cloud 9 shoot is among the most

arresting. Inspired by 16th century

paintings of Hindu gods, the vibrantly

colourful photos appear to explode

in their black-roomed surroundings,

reminiscent of India’s Holi festivities.

Interestingly, the models are posing

in a delphinium field in rural England

during a heatwave, underlying Walker’s

theme of fashion imagery as illusion.

To underline the point, a menagerie of

stilt-legged fantastical beasts hang from

the ceiling.

When you’re

a fashion

photographer,

everything

is an illusion

from the start

TIM WALKER

In delicious contrast, Box of Delights

is a claustrophobia-inducing pink

room lined in ghastly floral wallpaper

and matching carpet. On the walls,

illustrator and model James Spencer

cavorts in a sumptuous floral gown,

the setting inspired by a 17th century

embroidered casket which is on display

nearby. An 18th century court Mantua

gown – the starting point for Spencer’s

dramatic costume – is also on show.

Box of Delights is the height of camp

and Heath’s favourite room. “I like the

fact that it has what you would class as

horrible wallpaper, but you can make it

work, and that to me is a challenge and

very good fun,” she says. “I am always

inspired by the kitsch. I like the freedom

that comes with people not knowing ➤


The theatrical

threads

stitched into

Walker’s shoots

have been

woven into an

immersive,

surreal

experience

what it is that they are meant to like.”

Having worked with Walker for 20

years, Heath describes him as a risk

taker who pushes her beyond her

boundaries, recounting an incident

where he coerced her into going up in

a hot air balloon. “I have done my most

reckless things with Tim,” she says with

a laugh, telling another tale that’s too

likely to lead to trouble to print.

Heath is one of several long-term

collaborators among Walker’s circle

of stylists, models, hair and make-up

artists and it’s clear that he inspires

a wealth of devotion and admiration

among those he works with. His

willingness to share the spotlight

is evidenced by the list of names

accompanying his in the introductions

to each room.

176

CULTURE

BROWN SAW THIS COLLABORATION

in action during the ambitious shoots

leading up to the exhibition. “You realise

it is not only about Tim’s aesthetic skill

and craftsmanship as a photographer,

but it is also about him being like

the conductor of the orchestra or the

director of the play,” she says. “Tim does

that with such grace and he makes it

look very effortless. I think part of the

reason he often collaborates with the

same people is because, once you find

those people you know are willing to

give 110% every time and who can see

the magic in the way that you see it,

that’s very precious.”

Collaboration is also at the heart

of the many short films showcased

alongside the photographs. And beyond

the exhibition, several of Walker’s

films feature in the V&A’s permanent

galleries. His latest, The Steadfast Tin

Soldier, is a balletic interpretation of a

Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, with

music by Björk and narration by Game

of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie.

Fans of Walker’s fashion imagery

can expect to be both satiated and

confronted by Wonderful Things, which

he aptly describes as an “attempt to

capture my encounter with the sublime.”

Throughout the exhibition, the theatrical

threads stitched into Walker’s shoots

have been skilfully woven into an

immersive, surreal experience, that

plays with the diverse influences which

have inspired the photographer’s work

over the years. Yet, Wonderful Things

is much more than picking apart the

tangles of Walker’s past – it’s about

exploring new strands of creativity and

looking beyond conventional notions of

beauty under a myriad of guises. What

a wonderfully rich and magical tapestry

Walker’s world is.

➤ Tim Walker: Wonderful Things runs

until 8 March 2020 at London’s V&A


D

EBBIE

H

ARRY

the

face

of

blondie

GETTY IMAGES

PUNK MARILYN.

POP GODDESS. ICON

OF COOL. DEBBIE

HARRY HAS BEEN

ALL THESE THINGS

AND MORE. NOW, AS

THE BLONDIE SINGER

PUBLISHES HER

AUTOBIOGRAPHY FACE

IT, PAUL BURSTON

LOOKS BACK AT AN

EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

AND RECALLS AN

EARLIER ENCOUNTER

WITH POP’S ORIGINAL

AMBITIOUS BLONDE


MUSIC&

NIGHT

LIFE



PROFILE

DEBBIE HARRY IS DEBATING

whether to buy a shirt she

has seen in Joseph. “It’s really

beautiful,” she sighs, running a

gentle hand over her bleachedblond

tresses and smiling

happily. It’s a smile so wide it

looks almost painful, a smile so

familiar it immediately brings back memories of school discos,

skinny ties and Heart Of Glass. Then it’s gone. She frowns and

fixes me with those sleepy, blue eyes. “But, y’know what?” she

says. “It is very expensive. I’m not sure. What would you do?”

I tell her that I would probably buy it now and worry about

it later and she snorts with laughter. “He’s a great believer in

that,” she says, gesturing towards Chris Stein, co-founder of

Blondie, one-time boyfriend and still her right-hand man.

“I think you should buy it”, Stein says. “You never know

what could happen. You could die in a minute. A meteor could

come through this ceiling and kill you right now.” The year

is 1999 and I’m interviewing Debbie Harry for The Guardian

Weekend Magazine to mark the reunion of Blondie. A few

weeks from now, the band’s comeback single Maria will shoot

It’s hard to imagine how anyone could have

overlooked Blondie in the band’s heyday

to number one in the UK charts. Thankfully, a meteor didn’t

come crashing through the ceiling and kill them before they

could enjoy their second flush of success. But, for now, Harry

and her bandmates seem a little uncertain about how well

their much-publicised reunion will be received.

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW ANYONE COULD HAVE

overlooked Blondie in the band’s heyday. Between 1978 and

1981, Blondie clocked up an impressive five number-one

singles in Britain (Heart Of Glass, Sunday Girl, Atomic, Call

Me and The Tide Is High), plus a string of top-twenty hits that

guaranteed their place in pop history (Denis, Picture This,

Hanging On The Telephone, Union City Blue). Their musical

range was extraordinary, combining the sweet sounds of sixties

girl bands and surf music with the harsher elements of New

York punk, art pop, disco, reggae and rap. And there, at the

centre of it all, was Debbie Harry: the original ambitious blonde

pop goddess, the punk Marilyn, the prototype Madonna.

By the time I met Harry she’d gained a reputation as a

notoriously difficult interviewee. I have to say, this wasn’t my

experience of her at all. She was clearly wary of the press,

as anyone would be after some of the things that had been

written about her. She was 53 when we met, and the tabloid

knives were out for a woman who had the audacity to front a

band and look the way she did – not quite the sex symbol of

yesteryear, but still an enormously charismatic star with a ➤


With fame came introductions to other

famous people, not least Andy Warhol,

William Burroughs and David Bowie

somewhat idiosyncratic sense of style. Harry is the only woman

who ever looked good in a day-glo yellow jumpsuit, and is the

same woman who made a dustbin-liner dress look magnificent

in the iconic video for Blondie’s smash hit, Atomic. The day we

met, she’d opted for something slightly more-demure: a blue

check two-piece, complete with bum-bag and chunky boots.

I asked about her reputation. Was it true that she spent an

entire interview trying to slip the word ‘masturbation’ into

the conversation as many times as possible? Yes, it was. On

another occasion, did she really challenge the man interviewing

her to a fist fight, over the telephone? She laughed. “But I say

these things as jokes, y’know. Some of the people they send

to interview you are so straight. I say these things to amuse

myself, and then they start scribbling them down.” So, it wasn’t

true that she once planned to run away with Patti Smith and

live in a lesbian commune? “I do live in a lesbian commune,”

she said, trying her best to sound convincing. “Write that down.

Debbie Harry lives in a lesbian commune.”

For the record, Harry did not live in a lesbian commune then

and does not live in a lesbian commune now. She may be a

committed ally of the LGBTQ community, but she lives alone

with her dogs. Her morning routine is simple. She walks the

dogs, makes herself a coffee and reads in bed for an hour. I

know this because she’s finally written her autobiography, and

a fascinating read it is too, filled with insights and illustrated

with famous portraits, backstage photos and fan art. Face It tells

the story of how an adopted little girl from New Jersey grew up

to become a pop icon and the international ambassador of New

York City cool. Why Face It? Partly because Harry knows that

her face is her fortune. “I take advantage of my looks and I use

them”. Partly because she’s never been afraid to face facts.

“I was playing up the idea of being a very feminine woman

while fronting a male rock band in a highly macho game”,

she writes of her 70s Blondie persona. “I was saying things in

songs that female singers really didn’t say back then. I wasn’t

submissive or begging him to come back. I was kicking ass,

kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character

was an inflatable doll with a dark, provocative, aggressive side.”

It’s fair to say that not everyone appreciated this at the time.

In the late 70s and early 80s, female singers weren’t supposed


PROFILE

to go out on stage without any knickers, playing the part of the

blonde bombshell and refusing to apologise for their sexuality.

As Harry sang on the band’s third single, there were plenty of

people willing to “rip her to shreds.”

“All the things that Debbie got rapped for are really

commonplace now,” drummer Clem Burke told me in 1999.

“To be a beautiful woman, and to play rock music, and to use

her sexuality like that – people really came down hard on her.

I remember there was one picture of Debbie with her tongue

sticking out, licking a record. That caused so much trouble.”

“I did it all very consciously,” Harry asserted. “I wanted to

inject some of that film-star glamour and I didn’t want to be

portrayed as a victim. I felt that a lot of women in music sang

songs about being victimised. I mean, I love Janis Joplin and

I love a lot of the old soul singers, but I really didn’t want to

do that. I wanted to be more playful about it and also sing in

the third person, like with Sunday Girl. It was more like

telling a story.”

IN FACE IT, HARRY WRITES OPENLY ABOUT THE

pitfalls of fame and the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle.

“Fame was a sensual sort of feeling, initially,” she writes. “It

felt like having sex, a wash of electricity coursing through your

fingers and up your legs, sometimes a flushed feeling at the

base of your throat.” And with fame came introductions to other

famous people, not least Andy Warhol, William Burroughs and

David Bowie.

In one memorable scene, Harry is backstage with Bowie and

Iggy Pop and Bowie pulls out his penis in front of her “as if I

were the official cock checker or something. Since I was in an allmale

band, maybe they figured I really was the cock-check lady.”

In another chapter, Harry and Chris Stein are attacked by

a man who breaks into their apartment, steals Stein’s guitars

and then forces himself sexually on the singer. “The stolen

guitars hurt me more than the rape”, Harry writes, somewhat

controversially.

In an another equally disturbing incident, our heroine

accepts a lift from a smartly dressed man. They drive in

silence, until the man’s body odour becomes so overwhelming

she tries to open the car window, only to find that there’s no

window crank or door handle. “The hair on the back of my neck

stood up. Every instinct was on full alert.” She managed to

escape and thought no more of it until 15 years later when she

opened a newspaper and read about the execution of notorious

serial killer Ted Bundy. “There was a photo of him. He gave

the journalist a description of his car and his modus operandi

and how he got his victims and it matched exactly what had

happened to me.” Others have argued that Bundy was in

Florida and not New York at the time of Harry’s abduction, but

she remains adamant, “It was him.”

She’s refreshingly open about the fact that she’s had plastic

surgery. “I think it’s the same as having a flu shot, basically,

another way of looking after yourself.” But there have been

times when she didn’t look after herself as well as she might ➤



PROFILE

As Debbie Harry writes in Face It,

she’s still a New York punk at heart

commitment to Madonna, and this feeling that I was being

viewed as some sort of competitive thing that they couldn’t

devote much time or energy to.”

She turned her attention to acting, earning plaudits for her

roles in films like Hairspray. In the mid 90s, she appeared as

a featured vocalist with contemporary free-jazz outfit the Jazz

Passengers. “I think I’ve been kind of lucky with that,” she told

me in 1999. “I’ve had the chance to do a bit of experimentation,

retreat from the spotlight of being a pop star, and just work as

a singer and as an artist. All artists need to hide behind closed

doors sometimes.” Still, when people started turning up at Jazz

Passengers gigs dressed in vintage Blondie T-shirts, Harry

couldn’t resist the pull of nostalgia.

have done. She’s disarmingly honest about her drug use.

“I didn’t care for coke too much – it made me jittery and

wired and it affected my throat.” But she soon developed a

taste for heroin. “I felt a kind of rush I’d never felt before.

And I thought, Oh, this is so nice, so relaxing, aah, I don’t have

to think about things.”

In classic rock and roll style, it was drug addiction that

contributed to Blondie splitting in the early 80s, at the height

of their success. Then Chris Stein became ill with a rare

autoimmune disease and Harry spent the next few years

nursing him back to health. “The press were trying to portray

me as the second coming of Mother Theresa,” she writes in

Face It. “But that’s ridiculous. He was my partner. Of course

I would look after him.” But when she wasn’t by his bedside, she

was out looking for a fix. “The heroin was a great consolation.

I would head out in the middle of the night and score by myself.”

In the mid 80s, she pursued a solo career. But by now she

was pushing forty and there was another ambitious blonde

on the same record label, a young wannabe by the name of

Madonna. “My relationship with Warners was really over by

then,” Harry told me in 1999. “I felt overshadowed by their

IT’S NO COINCIDENCE THAT BLONDIE’S 1999

comeback album was called No Exit. The title comes from

a play by Jean Paul Sartre, with its famous quote, “Hell is

other people”. From the time the band split in 1982 until they

reformed in 1997, hell was other members of Blondie. “I can’t

speak for everyone,” Debbie told me back then. “But Chris and

I were certainly estranged for a while.” In the past, she had

been less tactful about the split, saying that “hate had a lot to

do with it”.

Since their 1997 reunion, the band has remained together,

more or less. The line-up may change, but Harry and Stein

remain as professionally committed to one another as they’ve

been since first forming Blondie way back in 1974.

The band’s most recent album, Pollinator, is as good as

anything Harry and Stein have produced. In her book, Harry

explains that the title refers to the cross-pollination of musical

influences which have been part of Blondie’s sound since the

start. But she also keeps bees and is personally dedicated

to “the desperate plight of honey bees and other pollinators

struggling to live with pollutants and pesticides”. For the

accompanying live shows, she appeared on stage wearing

a giant bee head and a jacket that read “Stop Fucking The

Planet.” As she writes in Face It, she’s still a New York punk

at heart. The book ends with Harry hinting that there may be

a follow up. “I still have so much more to tell, but being such

a private person, I might not tell everything.” This is exactly

what you’d expect a queen bee of her calibre to say.

Forty-five years after Blondie played the band’s first gig,

Debbie Harry shows no sign of slowing down. “I’m still here,”

she writes. “I have had one fuck of an interesting life and

I plan to go on having one.” With her track record, I’m sure

she’ll make it glorious.

➤ Face It by Debbie Harry is published by Harper Collins


AAFRAID OF MICE ➤ afraidofmice.com

BBARRANQUILLA CARNIVAL ➤ carnavaldebarranquilla.org

CCAPE COBRA LEATHERCRAFT ➤ capecobra.com

EESPIRIT DU 12ÈME ➤ pullmanpariscentrebercy.com

FFERRY BUILDING ➤ ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

LLABOTESSA ➤ labotessa.com

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

ALEX ➤ campbellgrayhotels.com/alex-lake-zurich

ALEXANDRA HÖJER ATELIER ➤ alexandrahojer.com

AMAN KYOTO ➤ aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

ANPA ➤ anpa.co.za

ASOKA ➤ asoka.za.com

ATI-ATIHAN ➤ atiatihan.ph

AYURVEDA RESORT SONNHOF ➤ sonnhof-ayurveda.at

FOREIGN CINEMA ➤ foreigncinema.com

FRANSCHHOEK WINE TRAM ➤ winetram.co.za

FYN ➤ fynrestaurant.com

GGOODMAN GALLERY ➤ goodman-gallery.com

BELLY OF THE BEAST ➤ bellyofthebeast.co.za

BELMOND GRAND HOTEL EUROPE ➤ belmond.com

BERLINALE ➤ berlinale.de

BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK ➤ parks.ca.gov/bigbasin

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ➤ worldsurfleague.com

BLAZING SADDLES ➤ blazingsaddles.com

BLOSSOM ➤ sofitel-paris-lefaubourg.com

BRASSERIE URBAINE ➤ mltr.fr/en/restauration

BURNING THE CLOCKS ➤ facebook.com/burningtheclocks

BVLGARI HOTEL SHANGHAI ➤ bulgarihotels.com/shanghai

HHARBIN ICE FESTIVAL ➤ icefestivalharbin.com

HOGMANAY ➤ edinburghshogmanay.com

HOPE DISTILLERY ➤ hopedistillery.co.za

HÔTEL DES GRANDS BOULEVARDS ➤ grandsboulevardshotel.com

IIL RISTORANTE – LUCA FANTIN, BALI ➤ bulgarihotels.com

INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT ➤ bali.intercontinental.com

IZIKO SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY ➤ iziko.org.za

CAPE POINT ➤ capepoint.co.za

CARACTÈRE ➤ caractererestaurant.com

CAROLE NEVIN DESIGNS ➤ carolenevin.co.za

CARTAGENA MUSIC FESTIVAL ➤ cartagenamusicfestival.com

CAUSE | EFFECT Cocktail Kitchen ➤ causeandeffect.co.za

CAVALLI ESTATE ➤ cavalliestate.com

CHIHULY GARDEN AND GLASS ➤ chihulygardenglass.com

CHINA LIVE ➤ chinalivesf.com

CLUB ED SURF SCHOOL ➤ club-ed.com

COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK ➤ visitcolumbiacalifornia.com

CONCANNON ➤ concannonvineyard.com

JJUNKANOO ➤ bahamas.com/junkanoo

KKENSINGTON PLACE ➤ kensingtonplace.co.za

KINGS ARMS HOTE ➤ kingsarmshamptoncourt.com

KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ➤ nps.gov/klse

DDAXING AIRPORT, BEIJING ➤ daxing-pkx-airport.com

LE GAVROCHE ➤ le-gavroche.co.uk

LELAND HIGH SIERRA SNOW PLAY ➤ snowplay.com

LES COCOTTES AT SOFITEL ARC DE TRIOMPHE ➤ lescocottes.paris

LION 500 ➤ facebook.com/pg/thelion500

LIVERMORE WINE TROLLEY ➤ livermorewinetrolley.com

LON RETREAT & SPA ➤ lonretreat.com.au

EVERARD READ, FRANSCHHOEK ➤ everard-read-franschhoek.co.za


MMANDARIN ORIENTAL, JUMEIRA ➤ mandarinoriental.com/dubai

PPERRY LANE HOTEL ➤ perrylanehotel.com

SSABIO ON MAIN ➤ sabiopleasanton.com

VVIENNA CHRISTMAS MARKETS ➤ wien.info

WEB ADDRESSES AND PAGE NUMBERS FOR EVERY PLACE

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE OF THE CULTURED TRAVELLER

STEVENSON ➤ stevenson.info

SUPER BOWL 54 ➤ nfl.com/super-bowl

INDEX

MCCAFFREY HOUSE B&B ➤ mccaffreyhouse.com

MERCHANTS ON LONG ➤ facebook.com/merchantscapetown

MEVLANA FESTIVAL ➤ mevlanamuzesi.com

MICHEL ROUX JR. ➤ michelroux.co.uk

MUNGO ➤ mungo.co.za

NNORVAL FOUNDATION ➤ norvalfoundation.org

OOLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK ➤ seattleartmuseum.org

TTHE ATHLETIC CLUB & SOCIAL ➤ theathletic.co.za

THE ART OF DUPLICITY ➤ 170120.co.za

THE COACHMAN HOTEL, TAHOE ➤ coachmantahoe.com

THE DUCHESS OF WISBEACH ➤ duchessofwisbeach.co.za

THE GIRL & THE FIG ➤ thegirlandthefig.com

THE HOUSE OF MACHINES ➤ thehouseofmachines.com

THE OBEROI, NEW DELHI ➤ oberoihotels.com/hotels-in-delhi

THE POT LUCK CLUB ➤ thepotluckclub.co.za

THE ROSE, PLEASANTON ➤ rosehotel.net

THE SPHERES, SEATTLE ➤ seattlespheres.com

THE SILO HOTEL & ROOFTOP ➤ theroyalportfolio.com

THE ST. REGIS SAN FRANCISCO ➤ stregissanfrancisco.com

TIMBER COVE RESORT ➤ timbercoveresort.com

TJING TJING ROOFTOP BAR ➤ tjingtjing.co.za

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER ➤ pikeplacechowder.com

PIKE PLACE MARKET ➤ pikeplacemarket.org

PIONEER SQUARE, SEATTLE ➤ pioneersquare.org

UUNITED PLACES ➤ unitedplaces.com.au

RRIO CARNIVAL ➤ rio-carnival.net

ROBERT SHERWOOD DESIGN ➤ robertsherwooddesign.com

ROUX SCHOLARSHIP ➤ rouxscholarship.co.uk

VINTERJAZZ ➤ jazz.dk

VISIT CALIFORNIA ➤ visitcalifornia.co.uk

VISIT MAMMOTH ➤ visitmammoth.com

VISIT SEATTLE ➤ visitseattle.org

VISIT TRI-VALLEY ➤ visittrivalley.com

VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY ➤ visittuolumne.com

SALSIFY ➤ salsify.co.za

SANTA CRUZ ➤ santacruz.org

SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL ➤ snowfes.com

SEASCAPE BEACH RESORT ➤ seascaperesort.com

SHADDOWBROOK ➤ shadowbrook-capitola.com

SHINTA MANI WILD ➤ bensleycollection.com/shintamani-wild

SHIRO’S SUSHI, SEATTLE ➤ shiros.com

SFMOMA ➤ sfmoma.org

SKADI ➤ skadirestaurant.com

SPACE NEEDLE, SEATTLE ➤ spaceneedle.com

SONOMA COUNTY ➤ sonomacounty.com

SOMERSET HOUSE SKATING ➤ somerset.org.uk

SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL PARKS ➤ sanparks.org

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE ➤ tahoesouth.com

WWAKAKUSA YAMAYAKI ➤ jnto.go.jp

WENTE VINEYARDS ➤ wentevineyards.com

WESTIN MONACHE ➤ marriott.com

WHATIFTHEWORLD ➤ whatiftheworld.com

YZ

YERBA BUENA GARDENS ➤ yerbabuenagardens.com

YOSEMITE ➤ yosemite.com

ZEITZ MOCAA ➤ zeitzmocaa.museum

ZURI ZANZIBAR HOTEL ➤ zurizanzibar.com


187

TRAVEL TIPS FROM THE TOP

antonio

berardi

IF YOU’RE AT THE TOP OF

YOUR GAME AND A SEASONED

GLOBETROTTER, WHAT SIMPLY MUST

BE WITH YOU ON-BOARD A FLIGHT?

WE ASKED CELEBRATED FASHION

DESIGNER ANTONIO BERARDI

COLOGNE The first thing I think

of packing is scent. I use Vetiver

Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle on a

flight, and Mouchoir de Monsieur and

Jicky, both by Guerlain, day-to-day. I

love subtle classics and tend

to wear one on the front of

the neck and one on the back

because, when you greet

someone, there should be

deliciousness from all sides!

GLOBE-TROTTER CARRY-ON

A birthday gift from my

best friend Sophia, this has

become my favourite travel companion.

Timeless, stylish, modern and functional

– I never travel without it, and it has

become something of a safety blanket,

rather like Paddington bear’s suitcase!

PJS + SLIPPERS I am dubious of

airline travel sets and like to be

in my comfort zone on long-haul

flights, so I always travel with a

pair of pyjamas and slippers.

BE PREPARED! I carry fresh

underwear, socks and a clean

shirt just in case my luggage

doesn’t arrive, or I have a

meeting as soon as I get off the plane.

For a person who has lost so much

luggage over the years I like to be

prepared, at least for a day.

WET WIPES As Naomi Campbell says,

wet wipes should be everyone’s essential

when travelling. Planes are not always

cleaned between flights, so I always

make sure I am prepared. I am also

am not a fan of the hot towels passed

around, so I have my own.

FACE CLEANSER Hand sanitiser is

a given on a flight but you also need

something for a quick spruce up or to

wash your face. A 50ml Caudalie Instant

Foaming Cleanser Fleur De Vigne is

always with me on-board and leaves

my skin feeling clean and fresh. Eau

Thermale Avène thermal spring water

spray calms and softens skin and works

amazingly on long haul flights. I also

pack a bar of unscented soap since I’m

not one for shower gels!

BOOKS As a result of being a helpless

insomniac I’m a ferocious reader. I’ve

been through a Kindle phase but

much prefer the real thing. Above all,

I love the smell of books, turning pages

and underlining great phrases. I usually

make room for two or three in my

luggage depending on how

long my trip is. Right now

I’m reading The Painted Bird

by Jerzy Kosinski and The

Beautiful Ones by Prince –

my all-time favourite artist.

IPOD + B&O SPEAKER

I have far too much music to

store on my phone so always

carry an iPod, which I reach

for once I have seen everything I want

to see on the in-flight entertainment.

The speaker kicks in when I get to my

destination. Music is even more inspiring

when travelling because it brings back

memories and keeps me in the moment.

Like books, music means that I am never

lonely when travelling.

NOTEBOOK + PENCIL

Unless I have tight

deadlines I don’t tend

to draw when I’m away, but I do like

to make notes, which can be extremely

expressive or just simple words and

phrases. I take note of what I see, read

and hear. The fun lies in deciphering my

notes once I’m back on terra firma!

HEADED CARDS, POSTCARDS +

FOUNTAIN PEN Mainly for work

purposes, headed cards and envelopes

are usually in my carry-on. If I need to

thank someone or send flowers at the

last minute, I like to be personal. I also

carry a fountain pen with brown ink to

write them with. There’s nothing like a

fountain pen, which also comes in handy

if you find beautiful postcards on your

travels. To receive a wonderful

postcard from someone feels like

a special treat nowadays. Stamps

can be left to the concierge!


(28) The Cultured Traveller, December 2019-February 2020 Issue 28

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?