(24) The Cultured Traveller, December 2018

ISSUE 24

DEC-FEB 2018-2019

TOKYO

RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAW • MOSCOW

MALDIVES • LISA STANSFIELD • DELUXE EUROPEAN WINTER ESCAPES

54 THE MIND-BENDING JAPAN

Alex Benasuli dives head first kamikaze

emerges a total convert to this most exci

Whilst everyone knows that TOKYO is a m

with some of the best eating and shoppi

residential neighbourhoods teeming with

166 EUROPE’S DELUXE WINTE

As Europe’s ski resorts, mountain towns

a fresh blanket of snow, a new collection

preparing to welcome their first visitors.

stand-out for the 2018/19 winter season

HIGHLIGHTS

DEC 2018-FEB 2019 ISSUE 24

224 SINGING AROUND THE WORLD

LISA STANSFIELD has been all around the world but still loves to tour and

considers her latest album Deeper to be her best yet. The pop and soul

songstress chats to Nicholas Chrisostomou about sharing the stage with

George Michael, her recent US tour, writing her life story and her dogs Mavis

and David.

ESE CAPITAL

style into the Japanese capital and

ting and mind-bending of metropoles.

odern and sophisticated city, complete

ng in the world, it is the side streets and

hidden gems that steal his heart.

R OF WONDER

and cold climate escapes prepare for

of Alpine lodges and chic chalets are

Joe Mortimer rounds-up the most

.

50 WIN FOUR LUXURY NIGHTS IN SINGAPORE

Win a four-night stay for two in a luxury Sarang suite with private plunge pool

at colonial boutique hotel VILLA SAMADHI SINGAPORE, which is set amidst the

verdant greenery of a nature reserve, hidden away from the urban hustle and

bustle yet mere minutes away from Singapore’s cosmopolitan delights.

218 NOVIKOV ROCKS MAYFAIR

Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov’s 540-seat 3-floor Moscow-meets-

Mayfair multi-cuisine restaurant and bar has been rocking since it opened on

Berkeley Street in 2011. Nicholas Chrisostomou visits the venue on a busy

Friday night to find out the secrets to its success.

Dec 2018 - Feb 2019 The Cultured Traveller 5

54

42

103

28

CONTENTS

8 EDITOR’S LETTER

10 CONTRIBUTORS

12 NEWSFLASH

The Cultured Traveller rounds-up

the most interesting events, cultural

experiences, sports happenings and

unmissable festivals happening in

the coming months around the world,

including Turkey’s annual MEVLÂNA

FESTIVAL of its famous whirling dervishes;

Denmark’s world-renowned winter jazz

festival VINTERJAZZ; Colombia’s fourday

BARRANQUILLA CARNIVAL; one of

the most important and romantic dates

on the Taiwanese calendar, its LANTERN

FESTIVAL, and Hollywood’s night of nights

THE 91ST OSCARS on 24th February 2019.

24 REST YOUR HEAD

We review the recently re-opened

ANDBEYOND PHINDA HOMESTEAD in

South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province;

boutique 29-room PARAMOUNT HOUSE

HOTEL in Sydney’s cool Surry Hills

neighbourhood; HOTEL NATIONAL

DES ARTS ET METIERS in the trendy

Marais district of Paris; THE LINE DC

housed within a former 110-year old

neoclassical Washington church;

WANÅS estate in Sweden, located just

outside the village of Knislinge; Four

Seasons’ divine Seychellen resort on

DESROCHES ISLAND in the Indian Ocean,

and rustic-chic BERBER LODGE in the

tiny Moroccan village of Oumnas, in

the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

130 SUITE ENVY

A huge collection of Polish modern art

takes centre stage at a 160-year-old

Warsaw hospitality landmark, which

was unveiled this summer, after a

painstaking four-year refurb, as the

first new Raffles property to open since

AccorHotels purchased the luxury brand.

Nicholas Chrisostomou spends a

long weekend getting acquainted with

the Polish capital from the decadent

surroundings of the country’s most

opulent accommodation: The Presidential

Suite at RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAW.

144 BOARDING PASS

Regarded by many as one of the world’s

best carriers, Singapore Airlines took its

refined reputation to new heights when

it unveiled its new first-class suites in

November 2017, as part of a redesign

of all its A380 cabins. Martin Jones

indulges in some long-haul luxury in a

236

218 50

130

216

SINGAPORE AIRLINES A380 FIRST

CLASS SUITE bound for the Southeast

Asian island state and shares his

experience with The Cultured Traveller.

166 SPOTLIGHT

As Europe’s ski resorts, mountain

towns and cold climate escapes

prepare for a fresh blanket of snow,

a new collection of Alpine lodges,

chic chalets and glimmering

attractions are preparing to

welcome their first visitors.

Keeping a close eye on the very

best the season has to offer, Joe

Mortimer rounds-up some of the

stand-out, must-know deluxe

arrivals for winter 2018/19.

188 TRAVELLER LOWDOWN

Brimming with places to see, taste,

sip and spend, lively open-all-hours

MOSCOW is a veritable mix of historical

and iconic sights which sit comfortably

alongside kooky architecture, artistic

hotspots and world-class opera

and ballet. The Cultured Traveller

spends 24‐hours in the Russian

capital, which is perfect for discerning

travellers seeking a cultural yet

exhilarating city break experience.

201 TASTE & SIP REVIEW

In Helsinki, chefs have been quietly

championing the farm-to-table

movement for years and now the

rest of the world is starting to notice.

Dawn Gibson visits an intimate

Michelin-starred restaurant that is

giving Finnish fare a global reputation.

210 TASTE & SIP TREND

Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all

approach to long drinks. Joe Mortimer

explores the emergence of craft mixers

and the age of bespoke mixology.

236 STYLISH GLOBETROTTER

Finding the perfect present for a stylish

woman is no easy feat, and a fashionconscious

guy is an equally tricky

beast to buy for. But, before you give

up and opt for the ubiquitous voucher,

check out The Cultured Traveller’s

selection of stylish CHRISTMAS

GIFT IDEAS, hand-picked by our

Fashion Editor Adrian Gibson, and

let’s tick some names off your list!

240 LITTLE BLACK BOOK

154

12

166

From left to right: Kanuhura resort

in the Maldives; Tokyo and Mount

Fuji; having dinner at Field in Prague;

the dining area of the Presidential

Suite at Raffles Europejski Warsaw

EDITOR’S LETTER

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly that time

of year comes around again, but it does focus the

mind somewhat. In my case, towards the end of a

year I begin to take stock of the places I’ve dropped

anchor in the past twelve months.

Putting work commitments aside, I have a rule to visit

at least two new destinations every year, and avoid

re‐visiting favourites simply because they’re easier

to reach or require less preparation. So, as Christmas

approaches, rather than panicking about the big day,

I start thinking about where I’m going in the new year.

And, family-commitments permitting, I try to set aside some

quiet time over the festive season to research destinations

and look at flights. This is the best present I could possibly

give myself - planning a new trip - and so I urge all of you

to try it, even if it’s just thinking about a staycation. Trust me

- the mere thought of travelling anywhere will give you the

strength to deal with “the family” this Christmas Day!

In this our 24th issue, Alex Benasuli visits the electrifying

Japanese capital of Tokyo, and immerses himself in everything

the mind-blowing city has to offer a cultured traveller

(page54). Joe Mortimer rounds-up a selection of luxe

European Alpine lodges and chic winter destinations which

are easy to reach during the coming months (page166).

Martin Jones indulges in some long-haul luxury in a Singapore

Airlines A380 First Class Suite (page144). Carolyn McKay

escapes everyday life to hideaway in an over-water villa on

an idyllic Maldivian atoll (page154).

I road-test the presidential suite at a

160‐year old Polish hospitality grand

dame, reborn this year as a stunning

new Raffles hotel (page130).

Lastly, before you buy vouchers

for everyone, check out the stylish

selection of gifts hand‐picked by

Adrian Gibson, some of which are

sure to satisfy even those most

difficult to buy for (page236).

Personally, since experiences generally lead to greater levels

of happiness than material goods, I suggest giving the gift

of travel this Christmas. After all, regular disconnections

from routine are what keep us all going, and trips can

produce life‐long memories. This makes travel one of the

most meaningful gifts one can give but also one of the most

complicated, so be careful before you splash out on a skiing

trip for someone who detests the cold!

Joyeux Noël

Nicholas Chrisostomou

Editor-in-Chief

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8 The Cultured Traveller Dec 2018 - Feb 2019

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CONTRIBUTORS

ALEX BENASULI

CITY FOCUS

Alex Benasuli has been traveling

the world his whole life. Growing

up in New York City, he would

accompany his family every

summer on visits to relatives

in Spain, France and Germany.

A successful two-decade career

in finance often took him to Brazil,

Mexico, Turkey, Russia, India, Indonesia and all over

the Far East. Today, as an avid yoga practitioner and

part-time teacher, Alex also has a keen appreciation for

combining luxury highbrow urban travels with off the

beaten track alternative destinations and experiences.

MARTIN B JONES

BOARDING PASS

Currently leading AccorHotels’

luxury brands as VP F&B Europe,

and an authority on global luxury

hospitality, Martin B. Jones is a food

and beverage specialist, whose

35 years of expertise enable him

to predict what luxury consumers

really want. His award-winning

F&B concepts are consistently commercial successes,

and many have become trend-setting destinations

for leading hotel brands. A hospitality innovator,

relentlessly reinventing, Jones has travelled to 100

countries, lived in 16 and is a seasoned globetrotter.

ADRIAN GIBSON

STYLISH GLOBETROTTER

Adrian worked as a professional

fashion buyer for some of London’s

leading department stores for

more than two decades, including

Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey

Nichols. More recently Adrian

has been working in the Middle

East selecting designer threads

for both Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdales in Dubai.

An avid shopper, he enjoys nothing more than visiting

stores, meeting designers and supporting new talent

where ever and whenever he’s travelling the globe, as

well as keeping a keen eye on the latest trends, both

on the world’s most fashionable streets and online.

JOE MORTIMER

SPOTLIGHT

Joe Mortimer is a UK-based

writer and editor who specialises

in luxury travel and high-end

hospitality. Joe has visited 60

countries and stayed in more than

100 luxury hotels and resorts, as

well as having wined and dined

in some of the best restaurants

in the world. In between journeys, Joe Mortimer has

interviewed high-profile characters in the world of

luxury including the chief executives and presidents

of brands such as Lamborghini, LVMH, Hublot and

Montblanc as well as legendary chefs including Pierre

Gagnaire, Nobu Matsuhisa and Marco Pierre White.

CAROLYN MCKAY

NO SHOES REQUIRED

Carolyn McKay grew up in Australia,

taking her first overseas trip when

she was 16. This trip sparked an

intense passion to travel. In the

last twenty years, via her teaching,

photography and writing, she has

lived in Jakarta, London and New

York and travelled to numerous

destinations in between. Based in Sri Lanka for the past

few years, she uses her Indian Ocean base to travel

regularly within Asia Pacific. Carolyn especially loves

exploring markets, and is always on the lookout for a

quality coffee and a comfortable spot to people watch.

DAWN GIBSON

TASTE & SIP REVIEW

Dawn Gibson is a globe-trotting

journalist who boarded her first plane

at the age of four. After a childhood

of camping trips in the Australian

desert, and a traditional coming of

age tour to Europe, Dawn has been

travelling ever since, visiting more

than 30 countries and living in three.

Dawn enjoys writing about food and has yet to meet a

cuisine she doesn’t like. Her work has appeared in leading

publications, including the Sydney Morning Herald, Time

Out, in-flight magazines for Qatar Airways (Oryx), Garuda

Indonesia (Colours), The Age and The West Australian.


HOTEL CASA COCHERA DEL GOBERNADOR

Charm and alegance are the characteristics of the Hotel Casa Cochera del Gobernador, located in

Cartagena, the most romantic city in Latin America. In this beautiful place you can have and encounter

with your history and take a carriage ride arround this wonderful Tourist and Cultural District.

RNT 51971

Tel. (57 5) 651 7133 | reservascasagobernador@oxohotel.com | www.casacocheradelgobernador.com

Centro Histórico, Calle Cochera del Gobernador No. 33-23. Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

KRAMPUSNACHT

AUSTRIA

Described in Austrian

folklore as a horned,

anthropomorphic

half-goat half-demon, who haunts the

central European mountainous region

that supposedly birthed the creature,

Krampus comes alive during an annual

festival which spreads some good

old-fashioned pre-Christmas terror!

Nowhere does this devil rampage more

frighteningly than the town of

Klagenfurt, the capital city 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 alcoholfuelled

Krampuslauf race, which winds

through the pedestrian-friendly city

centre, with a thousand alpine-jogging

contestants dressed as scary, childkidnapping,

horned and furry devils. So

terrifyingly demonic are Krampus

costumes, that a constant debate rages

throughout the country, involving a

number of eminent psychologists and

reputable schools, all of whom want the

creature completely banned from society

because it is so scary to kids!

1 December 2018

ART BASEL

MIAMI BEACH

U.S.A.

Since first launching

in 2002 (long after

the original fair was

christened in Switzerland in 1970),

Art Basel Miami Beach has created

such an art-drenched ecosystem full

of diversity, that there’s something for

just about everyone at this four-day

artistic spectacle which completely

takes over the famous beachfront

Florida city. While the fair’s epicentre

is the Miami Beach Convention Centre,

there are literally dozens of offshoots,

offbeat and off-centre exhibitions, films,

performances and shows throughout

the city. For 2018, more than 200 of the

world’s leading international modern

and contemporary art galleries display

artworks by over 4,000 artists, including

paintings, sculptures, installations and

photographs, not to mention museumcalibre

masterpieces of the highest

quality. Meanwhile, editioned pieces by

the new generation of emerging young

artists will also be showcased, many of

which are infinitely more affordable than

the works on sale by big named artists.

6-9 December 2018

www.artbasel.com

FRANKFURT

CHRISTMAS MARKET

GERMANY

Whilst many German

cities and towns have

a scenic backdrop

of historic houses and beautiful

squares for their Weihnachtsmärkte,

dating back to 1393, Frankfurt’s

Christmas market is one of the oldest

in the country, and the scenery and

atmosphere is uniquely enchanting.

Officially opened by the city’s mayor

late last month, the elaborate

and lavish decorations, the scenic

surroundings of the Römerberg

and St. Paul’s Square and the huge

Christmas tree in front of the Römer

all combine to make Frankfurt’s

Weihnachtsmärkt one of Germany’s

most beautiful, stretching from the

Zeil shopping mall to the Römerberg

and down to the River Main. With

more than 200 beautifully decorated

stalls vying for attention, and the scent

of roast chestnuts, mulled wine and

grilled sausages permeating the air,

it’s impossible to resist sipping on

hot apple wine with cinnamon and

cloves, or treating yourself to some

Bethmännchen almond candies.

Until 22 December 2018

www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

SOMERSET HOUSE

ICE SKATING

U.K.

Don your finest

winter-wear to trip

the ice fantastic at the

grand Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court

at Somerset House, which must surely

be one of Europe’s most stunning

locations for seasonal skating. No

matter how impressive (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 season, including takeovers by

the likes of radio station Balamii,

Tottenham based club Five Miles, and

DJ Emily Rawson with the Rock The

Bellescrew. 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 pie with

clotted cream, or splash some cash

at the rink-side shopping arcade.

Until 13 January 2019

www.somerset.org.uk

MEVLÂNA

FESTIVAL

TURKEY

Turkey’s famous

whirling dervishes are

the stuff of legends and

famous the world over. Mevlâna annual

ceremony attracts more than 100,000

visitors annually to the Anatolian city of

Konya (an hour by plane from Istanbul),

to commemorate the death of 13thcentury

Sufi poet, Mevlâna Celaleddin-i

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.

Affectionately known as “Rumi” in the

west, he is a best-selling poet in the US

with legions of loyal fans. Throughout

this festival, whirling dervishes, dressed

in white robes with voluminous skirts,

dance as if they are in 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.

10-18 December 2018

www.goturkeytourism.com


SUNBURN FESTIVAL

INDIA

“Live love dance” is

the motto of Sunburn,

one of India’s most

famous electronic dance music festival

brands, held in various locations around

the globe, culminating in the biggest

annual event which takes place just

after Christmas and before NYE in

Goa. Sunburn is a carefully crafted

combination of music, food, shopping

and EDM entertainment, spread over

three days, and the handpicked lineup

of artists showcases some of the

world’s top DJs alongside local talent.

If past Sunburn gatherings are anything

to go by, the festival’s twelfth outing

promises to be bigger than ever before.

Some of the industry’s biggest names

in dance music have performed at

Sunburn, including Swedish House

Mafia, Armin Van Buuren, Axwell,

Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Avicii and Pete

Tong. And a couple of years ago

David Guetta played the closing night

party. Festivalgoers can also let loose

with a range of adrenaline-powered

activities, including bungee jumping

and zorbing, completing the ultimate

music-driven vacation experience.

29-31 December 2018

www.sunburn.in

RHYTHM & VINES

NEW ZEALAND

Sorry Sydney Harbour,

but the first place in

the world to welcome

the first sunrise of the New Year is New

Zealand, and what better place to do

it than Rhythm & Vines, the country’s

annual, award-winning music festival,

held at Waiohika Estate family vineyard

close to the city of Gisborne (hence

the “vines” in the name!) The lineup

is spread across three days and

seven stages, and past headliners

have included Calvin Harris and Mark

Ronson. American rapper, singer

and songwriter from Chicago, Juice

WRLD - who has repeatedly knocked

Drake and Kanye West off Spotify’s

top spot this year - will be headlining

day one. Premium accommodation

options including onsite glamping

and teepees (set in a cute village) and

buying a Vintage Club Premium Pass

provides access to a VIP bar, various

experiential cocktail bars around the

site and special platforms boasting

the best views of the main stages.

29-31 December 2018

www.rhythmandvines.co.nz

ATI-ATIHAN

PHILIPPINES

Whilst Filipinos are

known worldwide

for their gracious

hospitality and friendly nature, this

feast festival held annually in January,

in honour of the Santo Niño (the

Infant Jesus), allows us a glimpse of

their wild, colourful and playful side, a

facet of these devout and thoughtful

people rarely seen in public. The

ultimate Filipino fiesta experience and

believed to be around 800 years old,

Ati-Atihan is an enthralling festival of

constant movement, drumming and

feasting, not to mention a non-stop

riot of exhibitionism, costume, music

and dance. The grandest Ati-Atihan

celebrations in the Philippines take place

in its capital, Kalibo, where soot-black

painted faces, feather headdresses

and animal bones create a showstopping

visual treat. After days of

relentless drumming and festivities, it

is nigh on impossible for even the most

reluctant traveller not to get covered in

soot and become part of the romping,

all-night closing masquerade ball.

1-20 January 2019

www.facebook.com/kalibo-ati-atihan


CARTAGENA

MUSIC FESTIVAL

COLOMBIA

For ten days every

January, the historic

Colombian walled city

of Cartagena opens to the public some

of its most charming colonial spaces

- indoors and out - for the Festival

Internacional de Music. Performances

by classical musicians from around

the world quite literally fill Cartagena

with music, including Teatro Heredia,

the beautiful chapels of hotels Santa

Clara, Santa Teresa and Iglesia de Santo

Toribio, and Plaza San Pedro Claver.

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. This year’s performers

include Quartetto di Cremona which

is world renowned for its mature and

lyrical sound (pictured). An Italian

string quartet founded in a city famed

for its Stradivarius collection, Quartetto

di Cremona consists of Cristiano

Gualco (violin), Paolo Andreoli (violin),

Simone Gramaglia (viola) and Giovanni

Scaglione on cello, and is considered

one of the best of its generation.

4-13 January 2019

www.cartagenamusicfestival.com

TIMKAT

ETHIOPIA

Celebrating the baptism

of Jesus Christ in the

River Jordan by John the

Baptist, Timkat is the greatest festival

for Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia, and

the three-day affair is rich in colour,

comprising various ceremonies all

conducted with great pomp. On the

eve of Timkat, called Ketera, sacred

replicas of the Ark of the Covenant

(known as tabots), are wrapped in

luxurious cloth and placed on the heads

of priests to be carried out of the church

in procession with the clergy. The

pilgrimage halts just outside of the city

at Fasilides’ Bath, whereupon a divine

liturgy is celebrated at 2am, attended

by crowds who bring picnics to eat by

the light of oil lamps. At dawn a priest

extinguishes a candle burning on a pole

set in a nearby river using a ceremonial

cross. Many in the congregation leap

into the river. Escorted by horsemen,

the tabots are then taken back to the

churches, while the festivities continue.

19 January 2019

http://afrotourism.com

WAKAKUSA

YAMAYAKI

JAPAN

Formerly a volcano

and 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

across the entire metropolis.

26 January 2019

www.jnto.go.jp


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VINTERJAZZ

DENMARK

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. A highlight of the 2019

festival is the appearance of DR Big

Band on 10th February (pictured).

Founded in Copenhagen in 1964, DR

Big Band comprises 19 outstanding

jazz musicians, all of whom are

strong personalities, crisp soloists and

celebrated contemporary faces on the

Danish jazz scene.

1-24 February 2019

www.jazz.dk

SUPER BOWL 53

U.S.A.

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 LIII will be the 53rd Super Bowl

and the 49th modern-era National

Football League championship game.

It will decide the league champion for

the 2018 NFL season, be played at

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta,

Georgia and be broadcast 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 the crowd in 2017

and last year Justin Timberlake made

his third halftime appearance. This

year, Adam Levine (pictured) will

bring his Jagger-like moves to the

biggest televised concert event of

the year when Maroon 5 performs.

3 February 2019

www.nfl.com

FIS ALPINE WORLD

SKI CHAMPIONSHIP

SWEDEN

Held every two years

and almost certainly the

most important event

in alpine ski racing, the last FIS Alpine

World Ski Championships were held in

the exclusive Swiss lakeside resort of

St. Moritz. This year’s host city of Åre

in Sweden is a leading Scandinavian

ski resort, and was selected at the FIS

Congress in Barcelona in June 2014.

Very much a prestigious gathering,

winter athletes from more than 70

nations will compete in a packed

two-week schedule of 11 racing events,

and will see new world champions

crowned in downhill, super-G, giant

slalom, slalom, alpine combined and

the alpine team event, amongst others.

For a truly VIP experience and to avoid

the crowds, purchase a Lounge 2007

pass to use the exclusive two-floor

tent just next to the finish line, at the

very center of action. Meanwhile,

away from the slopes, visitors will be

entertained by a variety of shows, DJs

and live bands until the early hours.

5-17 February 2019

www.are2019.com


BARRANQUILLA

CARNIVAL

COLOMBIA

The start of a new

year is not just

about fresh goals

for Colombians, since it also marks

the beginning of carnival season.

This four-day extravaganza may

kick off mid-February, but the party

atmosphere starts weeks earlier, when

rehearsing dancers and enthusiastic

participants adding finishing touches

to elaborate floats can be seen on

Barranquilla’s streets. Pre-carnival

events include the crowning of King

Momo 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. Next day, the Grand Parade

features a multi-coloured mass of

flamboyant characters, all vying for

a place in next year’s main event!

10-13 February 2019

www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org

LANTERN FESTIVAL

TAIWAN

The annual Lantern

Festival is one of the

most important and

romantic dates on the Taiwanese

calendar. Thousands of shining

decorative lanterns, bearing the

wishes of their owners, illuminate the

sky over rural Pingxi District in New

Taipei. Meanwhile, firecrackers are set

off at the Wumiao Temple in Yanshui

District of Tainan. Together, these

ceremonies are known as “fireworks in

the south, sky lanterns in the north.”

Locals eat traditional rice dumplings

with sweet and savoury fillings,

known as tangyuan, and take part in

lion and dragon dances, acrobatics

and mock battles. Giant high-tech

light installations give the festival a

futuristic edge, while times past are

reflected in traditional handicraft

markets, selling everything from

painted fans and Chinese knotwork,

to paper craft and, of course, lanterns.

19 February - 3 March 2019

www.taiwan.net.tw

THE 91 ST OSCARS

U.S.A

Beamed around the

planet from the Dolby

Theatre in Los Angeles

on “Oscar Sunday” 24th February 2019,

Hollywood’s night of nights is a prime

opportunity for some serious star gazing

as well as some serious gossiping!

From the moment nominations are

announced (on 22nd January 2019)

through to the glitzy ceremony itself,

the fortunes of nominees often swing

up, down and sideways, depending on

everything from box-office numbers to

shifting cultural and political winds. By

the time the nominees and celebrities

strut and pose on the red carpet for

the 91st Academy Awards, those in the

know will have already set themselves

up in comfort and style at the Beverly

Wilshire hotel in the heart of Beverly

Hills, or The Polo Lounge of the Beverly

Hills Hotel, both favoured haunts of the

Hollywood elite for decades. Will you

be staying up late to watch the acting

world’s biggest night of the year?!

24 February 2019

www.oscars.org

QUÉBEC WINTER

CARNIVAL

CANADA

Whilst most people

spend the winter

months doing their

level best to avoid ice and snow, the

inhabitants of the picturesque Frenchspeaking

province of Québec City do

the very opposite, and positively revel

in the frigid surroundings, celebrating

the joie de vivre of carnival season in

freezing, sub-zero fashion. Québec City

held its first large carnival in 1894, but

the annual event was interrupted by two

wars and an economic crisis before the

first official edition of the Québec Winter

Carnival took place more than sixty

years ago in 1955. The largest winter

shindig in the world has been an annual

event ever since, comprising parades,

an outdoor amusement park, giant ice

slides and snow sculpture competitions.

Not to mention a fair amount of

eating, drinking and being merry, plus

traditional dogsled and canoe races.

Not to be missed is the Ice Palace

constructed with compacted snow bricks

and lit with tons of coloured lights.

8-17 February 2019

www.carnaval.qc.ca


KRAMPUSNACHT

Described in Austrian folklore as a horned, anthropomorphic half-goat half-demon, Krampus comes alive for one

night only every year, to spread some good old-fashioned pre-Christmas terror in the Austrian town of Klagenfurt

1 December 2018

Rest Your Head

SEYCHELLES • KWAZULU-NATAL • LIVERPOOL • SYDNEY • BARCELONA

LISBON • OUMNAS • WASHINGTON • PARIS • WINDHOEK • SHANGHAI


SEYCHELLES

FOUR SEASONS RESORT SEYCHELLES

AT DESROCHES ISLAND

There are plenty of gorgeous island nations in the waters

off the coast of Africa, where jet-setters can hang out on

white sand beaches or hide away in overwater bungalows

dangling above picture-perfect archipelagos. For many

however, the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean is the

continent’s crown jewel. More than 100 beautifully pristine

islands, countless far-flung resorts and (more recently)

a variety of private island escapes make the Seychelles a

perennial favourite amongst the well-heeled, celebs and

royals seeking to unwind in private, unadulterated luxury.

Located on the outer edge of the Seychelles and

a 35-minute flight southwest of the largest island of

Mahé, it’s safe to say that if you land on Desroches you

are not stopping-off en route to somewhere else.

Sparsely populated 933-acre Desroches is a lowlying

stretch of coral, awash with lush vegetation and

enveloped by spectacular dive sites and exceptional

fishing options. The island’s animal sanctuary cares for

over a hundred Aldabra tortoises and a Creole village

provides an insight into the Seychellois way of life.

Intimate Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches

Island (formerly called Desroches Island) is the wellknown

American hospitality brand’s second property

in the country, and has been designed to strike just the

right balance between the energy of larger sister property

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles on Mahé and a secluded

private-island retreat, the latter of which are rapidly

gaining popularity amongst discerning travellers.

Guests are accommodated in just forty breezy beach suites

and bungalows, all of which boast private plunge pools,

indoor-outdoor bathrooms, and a casual-cool island aesthetic.

Families or small groups can settle into one of eleven swishy

private villas, liberally spaced along the island’s nine miles

of sugary beaches - each of which feature three, four or

five bedrooms, a full kitchen and a dedicated butler. Four

Seasons does butlers very well indeed, and, perhaps just

coincidentally, British Airways recommenced its service

between London and the Seychellen capital of Victoria

at the same time as the opening of Four Seasons Resort

Seychelles at Desroches Island back in March. Perhaps

because it was the most exciting new resort to emerge

in a destination already awash with lavish hotels?

www.fourseasons.com/seychellesdesroches


KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

ANDBEYOND PHINDA HOMESTEAD

Stretching for 800kms along the east coast of South Africa,

the country’s KwaZulu-Natal province is divided into eight,

distinct geographical destinations, centred around the capital,

Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city, Durban. The three

coastal regions and their beaches bordering the Indian Ocean

comprise the thin lowland strip of the South Coast, dotted

with resort towns stretching towards the Eastern Cape; the

North Coast - also known as the Dolphin Coast - between the

Umdloti and Tugela Rivers; and the more remote Elephant

Coast with its internationally important wetland parks.

Formed in 1991 and located in the latter, between Mkuze

Game Reserve and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, Phinda

Private Game Reserve boasts a rich diversity of ecosystems,

and is situated in an area of KwaZulu-Natal that is home

to many protected parks and reserves which are among

the best in Africa, and offer unique opportunities to see the

Big Five, as well as many rare and endangered species.

Tucked into the edge of a dappled forest, sole-use safari lodge

AndBeyond Phinda Homestead re-opened on 28,555-hectare

Phinda Private Game Reserve just a few months ago after a

completely rebuild, following a devastating fire in December 2016.

Inspired by the lodge’s natural surroundings and local Zulu

culture, interiors are furnished in clean lines and earthy tones,

highlighted by burnt clay, aloe and red. Traditional Nguni hides,

intricate basketwork and colourful craft pieces - all sourced

directly from local communities - are featured throughout

the property, paying homage to the area’s proud and vibrant

heritage and the reserve’s past as a cattle and pineapple farm.

An interactive kitchen brings the lodge’s private chef

into the center of the guest experience. Homegrown herbs

enhance the hearty fare prepared for guests. Inviting guest

areas, open to the cooling breezes, blend perfectly into private

bedrooms and spacious bathrooms, where oversized deepsoaking

tubs look out onto beautiful landscape and the

surrounding bush. The overall result is an elegant yet warm

contemporary bush home, and the perfect base from which

to explore the thousands of surrounding hectares with the

lodge’s dedicated ranger, tracker team and safari vehicle.

Game drives as well as meal times are completely tailored

to guests’ wishes, giving you the rare opportunity to completely

personalise your safari experience. And after a long game drive,

guests can relax in the sparkling swimming pool or indulge in

a therapeutic massage. Other on-site facilities include a library,

sprawling outside timber deck and a gym.

www.andbeyond.com


LIVERPOOL, U.K.

HOPE STREET HOTEL

2008 marked a noticeable change in Liverpool, England’s historic

maritime city in the northwest of the country, where the River

Mersey meets the Irish Sea. A key trade and migration port from

the 18th to the early 20th centuries and famously the hometown

of The Beatles, Liverpool had just celebrated its 800th birthday

in 2007, when the following year the city became a European

Capital of Culture. This very public opportunity to showcase its

cultural life and development marked the veritable rebirth of this

characterful metropolis, the effects of which have yet to slow down.

Liverpool so deftly used its Capital of Culture status to completely

transform its cultural base, not to mention the way in which the

city was viewed internationally, that, one decade on, Liverpool still

continues to develop and grow at a pace that few could have imagined

ten years ago. In tandem with this progression, the city’s restaurant,

nightlife and tourist industries have also blossomed exponentially,

resulting in a fascinating and well-rounded cultural destination,

which holds its own internationally and makes for a superb city break.

Liverpool’s beautiful Georgian Quarter is a legacy of the

city’s former wealth, and the area boasts one of the largest

collections of terraced Georgian town houses outside London.

Treading the cobbled streets of this picturesque district is to

uncover a different story at every turn, and hence, unsurprisingly,

the Georgian Quarter has become a hotspot for production

companies filming everything from Hollywood blockbusters

to TV dramas against the backdrop of gorgeous buildings.

At the heart of Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter is Hope Street,

which won the Academy of Urbanism’s 2013 Great Street Award.

Dominating the skyline at one end of Hope Street is Liverpool

Cathedral - Britain’s biggest cathedral, the largest Anglican

cathedral in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. At the other

end of Hope Street, the starkly contrasting Liverpool Metropolitan

Cathedral is another of the city’s magnificent landmarks, and

regularly hosts cultural events including music concerts and

recitals. In between these two Liverpool icons is Hope Street Hotel,

the city’s first boutique offering, which skilfully marries new and

old buildings (one dating back to 1860), including a magnificent,

Italian palazzo-style Victorian warehouse, the ground floor of which

is home to the much-lauded London Carriage Works restaurant.

Upstairs, a selection of individually-styled rooms and suites offer

guests a taste of the past updated with contemporary decor and

modern conveniences. Aptly described by The Sunday Times as

‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel meets Carrie Bradshaw’, Hope Street Hotel

is the perfect base from which to explore Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter,

the real beauty of which is that even if you veer off the beaten track,

you will almost always find hidden architectural treasure.

www.hopestreethotel.co.uk


SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL

Surry Hills neighbourhood is located in the

south-east corner of Sydney’s business

district and is very much the city’s go-to

dining and drinking destination. Fancy highend

restaurants happily sit side-by-side

with bijou bars, clothing boutiques, quirky

shops, public parks and art galleries.

Conceptualised from the outset to have

a distinct personality and interact with its

surrounding urban environment, Paramount

House Hotel is housed within two skilfully

stitched together uber cool buildings in Surry

Hills - the original 1940s former Australian

headquarters of Paramount Picture Studios

and the adjoining film storage warehouse. The

29-key hotel occupies shares the space with the

Golden Age Cinema and Bar, Paramount Coffee

Project Café (serving some of the best blends

in Sydney), Paramount Recreation Centre and

a chic co-working area called The Office Space.

Hyde Park is just a few minutes’ walk away.

The hotel’s reception is so understated that

it wouldn’t be difficult to miss, and is simply

marked by copper herringbone doors either

side and a concrete sign that says, ‘Permanent

Vacation’. Guests checking-in are routinely

greeted with a glass of wine or a cold beer.

Upstairs, the 27 bedrooms and two suites -

occupying four floors of what was once the film

storage warehouse - have a distinctly industrial

feel to them, offset with a multitude of stylish

touches and gorgeous accessories that will have

you asking the inner-city hipster staff where it all

came from. Contemporary tapestries hang on the

walls. Bed linen in soft shades of blue and apricot

is adorned with merino blankets, while colourful

Pakistani kilim rugs offset tiled floors, cement

ceilings and exposed copper pipework. Most

rooms have enclosed plant-bedecked terraces or

balconies. Some of the terrazzo-tiled bathrooms

feature stunning Japanese-inspired wooden tubs.

There’s a gym on the roof and always so

much going-on in the building that you will

almost certainly be reluctant to leave.

https://paramounthousehotel.com


LISBON, PORTUGAL

THE LUMIARES

In recent years a number of funky boutique hotels have

popped up in the Portuguese capital to aid Lisbon’s claim to

being one of Europe’s cool cities. But, not until The Lumiares

opened - housed with a beautiful, lovingly restored 18thcentury

palace, atop a hill in the heart of the old city - did any

of them make such a mark on Lisbon’s hospitality scene.

With its 53 luxuriously spacious rooms, an elegant spa,

two great restaurants courtesy of acclaimed Miguel Castro

e Silva (one of the country’s best-known chefs) and a

fashionable rooftop bar, The Lumiares has undoubtedly

set a high new hotel standard in the Portuguese capital.

Almost every piece of artwork and swathe of fabric

in The Lumiares was designed and made in Portugal,

some of it within walking distance of the hotel. In fact,

it wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe The Lumiares as a

tribute to Portugal’s craftsmanship, traditions and food.

Much of the hotel’s mid-century contemporary furnishings

were produced by Room 2 Fit - one of Portugal’s leading

bespoke manufacturers, which produces high quality

furniture, millwork, upholstery, lighting and drapes. The

divine bedroom rugs were made by Ferreira de Sá, which

has been producing premium hand-tufted rugs in a small

town in the north of Portugal since 1946. Hand-woven

tapestries adorn the walls of every guest room, incorporating

the black-and-white logo of the hotel together with

Lisbon’s characteristic blue and yellow. Everything has

been beautifully brought together by local architects Metro

Urbe, who have skilfully blended the 18th and 21st centuries

with dramatic effect, around the original grand, central

stone staircase, which is the only remnant of the original

palace, above which hangs a stunning Beau McClellandesigned

cubic brass lighting installation that echoes the

geometric black and white flooring of the hotel’s lobby.

Corner rooms on the third and fourth floors boast

sweeping views across the city towards São Jorge Castle

and down to the harbour. Meanwhile, second floor rooms

have the highest ceilings, since these were the most lavish

rooms of the former palace. All have deluxe kitchenettes

kitted out with high-end appliances and premium porcelain,

complete with a fridge containing complimentary white

wine, water and milk. The attention to detail throughout

The Lumiares is second to none, and a stay in any room in

this gorgeous hotel will undoubtedly be memorable.

www.thelumiares.com


OUMNAS, MOROCCO

BERBER LODGE

The latest project of talented French-Swiss

architect Romain Michel-Meniere, who first

visited Morocco 15 years ago, Berber Lodge

is located in the tiny village of Oumnas,

in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains

about 20 kilometres outside Marrakech.

Michel-Meniere discovered Oumnas while

he was working on Kasbah Bab Ourika, a

romantic hotel in the Ourika Valley which

he made his name designing. So, when

he finally got round to opening his own

hotel, Michel-Meniere purchased seven

hectares of land just outside Oumnas, and

turned for help to friends Karl Fournier

and Olivier Marty of French Studio KO,

the design team behind Marrakech’s

stunning Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

The result is a relaxed, elegantly pareddown

boutique hotel of just nine rustic-chic

lodgings, housed within several traditional,

pink pisé village-like single-storey

structures, interspersed with gardens of wild

grass and ancient olive groves, replete with

a 20-metre jade-coloured swimming pool.

Each cottage-style room stands alone

for privacy and boasts a private garden or

terrace. Inside, interiors combine a heritage

feel with modern or vintage furniture,

punctuated by custom-made wicker pieces,

Berber bridal chests, hand-knotted rugs and

fabrics plus items from Michel-Meniere’s

personal collection. Bathrooms are oversized,

equipped with baths and showers and

laden with luxurious hand-woven towels.

The overall aesthetic is effortless, stylish

and serene, and, most of all, modest.

As you can imagine, such simplicity

makes for a highly relaxing and laidback

stay, especially when feasting on the

unpretentious yet delicious contemporary

Mediterranean-Moroccan dishes served in

Berber Lodge’s bijou on-site indoor dining

room, where you will usually find Michel-

Meniere chatting to guest.

www.berberlodge.net


WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A

THE LINE DC

Housed within Washington’s former 110-year-old

First Christ of Scientist neoclassical church - perched

on the corner of Euclid Street and Columbia Road, in

the diverse and constantly-buzzing Adams Morgan

neighbourhood - the first spinoff of LA’s hip Koreatown

hotel is truly like no other hotel in routinely stiff D.C.

For starters, the dramatic entrance is nigh on

monumental. Just watching people weave their way

up and down the front steps, and through the towering

columns, is an attraction in itself. Once inside, 20-metre

vaulted ceilings criss-cross a spectacular lobby, above

which the church organ’s pipes have been reimagined

as a striking chandelier which hangs in the center.

Lobby seating has been fashioned from repurposed

mahogany church pews adorned in midnight blue

velvet, lifting them way beyond their original use. Staff

are stylish, laid back, polite and knowledgeable with

a hint of hipster. The hotel’s soundtrack is live, nonprofit,

culinary-driven internet radio station and podcast

network Full Service Radio, created by Heritage Radio

alumni Jack Inslee, which broadcasts from the lobby

and a rooftop terrace. Salvaged pages of old hymn

books have even been re-used to create art pieces.

Like its sister hotel in Los Angeles, The LINE DC

artistically perpetuates a stylish aesthetic that pays

homage to both its structure and the surrounding

neighbourhood, creating a supremely social, communitylike

vibe which is unlike any other Washington hotel.

A selection of drinking and dining options, helmed

by local talent, further bed the hotel and its F&B venues

into Adams Morgan, including modern lobby café

The Cup We All Race 4 which serves Counter Culture

Coffee and delicious, no-nonsense food, courtesy of

celebrated chefs Spike Gjerde and Erik Bruner-Yang.

Unlike the hotel’s restaurants, bars and public

spaces, which positively encourage meeting and

mingling, the vibe of the 220 guest rooms and suites

upstairs have been thoughtfully designed to promote

a sense of calm and relaxation. Featuring brass bed

frames, curated local artwork and mini libraries

sourced from nearby Idle Times Books, makes staying

at The LINE DC like being in a cozy home away

home, and as check-out time approaches, leaving

is likely to be the last thing you’ll want to do.

www.thelinehotel.com/dc


PARIS, FRANCE

HOTEL NATIONAL DES ARTS ET METIERS

The former marshland of Le Marais is almost certainly

Paris’ trendiest neighbourhood. The historic Parisian

district set on the Right Bank, between the Pompidou

Centre and the Bastille, is brimming with everything

from fashionable cafés, intimate restaurants and

funky bars, to gorgeous museums and some of the

city’s leading contemporary art galleries. The area is

also presided over by some gorgeous golden stone

mansions, transformed over the centuries from noble

residences into a variety of uses including workshops,

factories and Chinese wholesalers, and nowadays

stunning synagogues and desirable apartments.

Just a few years ago, the reopening of one of Le

Marais’ most magnificent buildings, the Musée Picasso,

grand siècle Paris at its best preserved, gave visitors yet

another reason to spend time in this historic district.

On the fringes of the Marais, Hotel National des

Arts et Métiers combines industrial edginess and

innovation in two updated Haussmann buildings,

drawing its name and inspiration from the nearby

Musée des Arts et Métiers, the city’s esteemed

engineering and manufacturing institute. This is

fashion magnate Samy Marciano’s second property

on Rue Saint-Martin, where neighbourhoods Sentier

and Le Marais meet, following the success of his

striking Art Deco Hôtel Bachaumont down the road.

Jerusalem-born Paris-based designer Raphael

Navot has furnished Hotel National des Arts et Métiers

with intensely seductive interiors of hand-crafted

natural materials, soft lighting and plenty of greenery,

juxtaposed with industrial accents that include oxidised

pipes and classic French wrought iron furniture.

Upstairs, 70 rooms including 10 suites are bright

and modern. Beds are made with the finest Parisian

linens (naturellement), many rooms have balconies

which overlook the classic rooftops of Paris.

Budget permitting (your holiday cash will buy you a

lot more here than it will at Hôtel de Crillon!) book the

oak-floored 100sqm penthouse for magnificent sprawling

vistas plus your own sitting room with fireplace, dining

area, kitchenette and rooftop terrace cum suntrap.

www.hotelnational.paris/en


BARCELONA, SPAIN

THE BARCELONA EDITION

Universally regarded as the avant-garde

capital of Spain, Barcelona is a natural

location for Ian Schrager’s growing EDITION

empire. Hence, somewhat unsurprisingly,

since opening its glamorous doors just a

few months ago, Barcelona’s most awaited

hotel unveiling of 2018 has already carved

out a unique niche as an elegant urban

resort in an unforgettable location, offering

intimate and sophisticated boutiquestyle

guest rooms alongside seductive

and well-considered common spaces.

Located on the edge of El Born - the

city’s creative hub in the centre of famed

Ciutat Vella - Spain’s first EDITION property

is situated in the most historic part of

Barcelona, an area positively vibrating with

life, style and energy and considered by

many to be the beating heart of the city.

Under the creative direction of Ian

Schrager alongside famed Spanish interior

designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, what was

once an outdated and underused 70s

building has been transformed by Carlos

Ferrater Studio into a contemporary,

glass-fronted hospitality haven.

Home to 100 impeccably turnedout

tech-savvy bedrooms and suites,

The Barcelona EDITION is crowned with

a gorgeous 10th-floor urban rooftop

terrace, plunge pool and cocktail bar - all

breezy white fabrics and lush greenery

- which has already become a firm

favourite with hipster Barcelonians.

Three restaurants, two more bars

(including a fresh incarnation of The

London EDITION’s award-winning Punch

Room), a yoga and meditation studio,

and a 24-hour state-of-the-art smoked

oak skin-lined gym complete a dynamic

social hub, where guests and visitors alike

can work, relax, socialise and dine all

under one beautifully executed roof.

www.editionhotels.com/barcelona


WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

OMAANDA

Omaanda (meaning rhinoceros in Oshiwambo), is the fourth

property in the Zannier Hotels collection, a Belgium-based

hospitality group that specialises in small, boutique properties

with a pared-down yet sophisticated design aesthetic.

Inspired by the Ovambo tribe, Omaanda takes its

name from its location in the heart of the 9,000-hectare

private Zannier game reserve, located in the savannah

near the Namibian capital of Windhoek.

The reserve is managed by N/a’an ku sê, one of the country’s

premier conservation organisations, which strives to sustain

the preservation of natural spaces - a conservation mission

that aligns with the values of the Zannier Reserve, which is

home to a rich sanctuary of flora and fauna as well as wildlife.

Like the lodge’s name, everything about the property

flows organically from the sights, sounds and culture of this

wide, savannah-covered corner of Namibia. And thanks to

their traditional Ovambo architecture of rounded, natural

clay walls topped with hand-finished thatched roofs, the

camp’s hut-like buildings appear to rise out of the dusty

plains and look right at home in their surroundings.

Inside the lodge’s ten deluxe guest huts, long-time

Zannier Hotel’s collaborator, Géraldine Dohogne, has

approached the decor with a natural respect for the region’s

ancestral architectural techniques. The result deftly combines

Dohegne’s signature stripped-back approach to luxury

with one-of-a-kind antique pieces sourced from Namibia

and neighbouring countries. From large, private terraces,

guests enjoy views stretching towards the mountains in the

distance. In the mornings, guests often rise to find curious

baboons lounging on the cool, polished concrete decks.

Banded mongoose, pangolins and caracal are often

spotted alongside zebras, giraffes and hyenas during daily

game drives. Though elephants and rhinoceroses do not

roam freely through the reserve, at its center is a hospital

for injured or abandoned rhinoceroses and elephants,

funded by the JoliePitt Foundation, the main aim of which

is to raise awareness and educate the planet on the need

to support and preserve the wild world. At the hospital,

guests can get up close and personal with animals, and

gain a deeper appreciation for those that champion the

massive conservation efforts that have helped rehabilitate

the country’s wildlife, which has flourished since protective

programs which were put in place in the mid-1990s.

www.zannierhotels.com/omaanda


SHANGHAI, CHINA

THE MIDDLE HOUSE

Shanghai is not short of top-end hotels. On the contrary,

deluxe properties seem to be popping-up in China’s biggest

city at breakneck speed. Just this year alone has seen stunning

Amanyangyun, health and wellness-driven Anandi Hotel & Spa, and

Las Vegas’ famous Bellagio all open in Shanghai, the latter minus

the casino but replete with all the glitz of its American namesake.

Located in historic Dazhongli neighbourhood in the heart

of Shanghai’s popular Jing’an district, the newest addition

to Swire Hotels’ hospitality portfolio and the fourth property

from the super-stylish House Collective (the group behind

the gorgeous Upper House in Hong Kong which The Cultured

Traveller reviewed in issue 8 issuu.com/theculturedtraveller/

docs/08/44), The Middle House was inspired by the

city’s rich heritage of craftsmanship and culture.

Courtesy of renowned Italian designer and architect Piero

Lissoni, contemporary design has been blended with traditional

Asian elements in 111 guest rooms and suites plus 102 serviced

apartments, throughout which bold lines and clean silhouettes

prevail by way of custom furniture inspired by traditional

Chinese pieces, transparent room dividers and original Chinese

artwork alongside rich dark woods and sumptuous white

linens. Whilst the result is a chic blend of Shanghainese decor

and a contemporary Italian approach to interiors - offering

guests a much-needed sensory respite from the pulsating

metropolis outside and a veritable oasis of calm in one of

the world’s busiest cities - the overall style is sealed by the

outstanding art collection which runs throughout the hotel.

Curated by Alison Pickett, who is responsible for all House

Collective’s art-centric hotel interiors, the theme at The Middle

House is ‘I Dream of China’, which has been brought to life via

more than 650 cutting-edge pieces liberally scattered throughout

the property: from an extraordinary Chinese robe covered in

12,000 ceramic butterflies which hangs in the lobby, to striking

by Richard Winkworth paintings in Café Gray Deluxe restaurant,

overlooking buzzing Nanjing West Road, where guests can

indulge in New York-based chef Gray Kunz’s signature mix

of modern European cuisine made with Asian ingredients.

Elsewhere there are two further restaurants for guests to feast in:

homely Italian Frasca and contemporary Chinese Sui Tang Li.

The Middle House’s seemingly immaculate design aesthetic

flows into the hotel’s basement, which accommodates a

swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gym, yoga studio, juice bar

and HYPOXI room, plus a superb spa, where a signature Chi Ling

Lian facial will almost certainly put you right post-flight.

www.themiddlehousehotel.com


KNISLINGE, SWEDEN

WANÅS

Set on a large estate that includes one of Sweden’s biggest

organic dairy farms, Kristina and Baltzar Wachtmeister are

the ninth generation of the family to be running Wanås

(pronounced “Vanoos”), which thanks to its unique mix of

a lush country setting, historic architecture, cutting-edge

art and more recently a rather good restaurant and inn, has

become a destination for art lovers from around the world.

With a history going back to at least 1440, Wanås

estate is home to numerous buildings erected in a variety

of architectural styles, anchored by a 1560s step-gabled,

Renaissance-style castle, to which two wings were added in

the 18th-century. Beyond the fairytale-like main building,

several 19th-century farm buildings serve as art spaces,

a shop and deli, and - as of last spring - a modest yet stylish

11-room inn and restaurant, the latter serving locally-focused

dishes using ingredients from Wanås’ own organic farm.

Located just outside the village of Knislinge, Wanås makes

for a perfect day trip from either Malmö or Copenhagen, both

of which are roughly a 90-minute drive away. If you are going

to make the 3.5 hour train journey from Stockholm followed by

the 30-minute taxi ride from the station, you might as well stay

overnight in one of the eight individually decorated double rooms

and three junior suites at Wanås’ boutique inn-like hotel, which

combine Nordic design and sustainability with locally sourced

materials in contemporary elegant fashion, mixing vintage furniture,

contemporary art, natural materials and rustic walls. Vintage pinktiled

bathrooms, limestone and oak floors, soft beds and custommade

furniture complete the carefully curated rustic-chic aesthetic.

More than 80,000 people visited Wanås last year and obviously

not all of them stayed at the inn! Most made the trip to visit the

world-class art park, Wanås Konst, where more than seventy

works are scattered across the property’s 100 acres. You will

need a good few hours to see them all. Not to be missed is Ann

Hamilton’s “Lignum”, which occupies all five floors of a former

farm building. Two multi-sensory installations in the forest

are also worth foraging for: Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg’s

“In Dreams”, and Robert Wilson’s “A House for Edwin Denby”.

Other pastimes include walking in the majestic beech forest,

relaxing in front of a roaring fire in the lounge, stargazing on a

starry night or enjoying a long Scandinavian summer evening.

The inn’s mudroom is equipped with boots and rain jackets to

cater for every outdoor eventuality, and guests venturing out

for a short walk have been known to return late into the night,

after uncovering many of the estate’s hidden gems.

www.wanas.se


WIN A 4-NIGHT STAY AT

HOTEL VILLA SAMADHI S

Set amidst the verdant greenery of one of the island city-state’s four nature reserves, Villa Samadhi

Singapore is a veritable retreat, hidden away from the urban hustle and bustle yet mere minutes

away from the city’s key attractions.

Housed in a heritage colonial residence, this beautiful boutique property features just twenty alluring chambers

furnished in complete harmony with their historic surroundings. Echoing the hotel’s genteel vibe, each guest

suite is decorated in a pared-down monochrome palette and features sleek wooden floors and an imposing

carved four-poster bed. Some also feature private plunge pools.

To stay at Villa Samadhi Singapore is to enjoy an indulgent and exclusive respite, a world away from the island’s

traffic-clogged centre yet just a short drive away from Singapore’s cosmopolitan delights.

BOUTIQUE

INGAPORE

PRIZE DRAW

The lucky winner will stay for four nights in a Sarang suite with private plunge pool at Villa Samadhi Singapore,

including daily breakfast (for two); welcome afternoon tea on arrival; one chef’s tasting dinner at Tamarind Hill

restaurant including wines; signature turndown service nightly including port and Asian snacks, and evening cocktails

at Chandelier Bar on the last night. Free wi-fi is also included.

To enter this prize draw email your contact details to win@theculturedtraveller.com. The draw will take place after 28th

February 2019 and the winner will be notified via email. This prize can be used any time between 1st March – 31st December

2019 subject to availability when booking. Blackout dates apply - the winner will be informed. This prize is not transferable to

another person. The Cultured Traveller will not share your details with third parties. Entrants will be added as subscribers to

The Cultured Traveller’s mailing list. Multiple entries will be disqualified and excluded.

www.villasamadhi.com.sg


FRANKFURT CHRISTMAS MARKET

Dating back to 1393, the scenic surroundings of the Römerberg and St. Paul’s Square, together with a huge Christmas

tree in front of the Römer, combine to make Frankfurt’s Weihnachtsmärkt one of Germany’s most enchanting

Until 22 December 2018

Alex Benasuli dives head first kamikaze style into the

Japanese capital of TOKYO and emerges a total convert

to this most exciting and mind-bending of metropoles

TOKYO

The views over Tokyo from up above never

get old. From the top of the Tokyo Skytree, or

one of the many other soaring skyscrapers

around town, the scale of the city truly

staggers. As far the eye can see, an urban sprawl

like no other spreads from Tokyo Bay in the east to

the mountains in the west, encompassing a greater

metropolitan area of a whopping 36 million people and

an economy bigger than Russia. Seemingly infinite

clusters of downtowns are visible over incredible

distances. And on a clear day, nothing can really

prepare you for when snow-capped Mount Fuji deigns

to make an appearance, looming over the Japanese

capital like a powerful and watchful deity. It is only

in the shadow of Mount Fuji that the perspective of

this great mega city begins to offer some sense.

At sunset, Mount Fuji is illuminated like one of

the sublime screen paintings for which Japan is

famous for, making for a spectacular, if not spiritual,

vision. However, it is the night time view from up

top that gives the real clues as to how to approach

this mammoth city. Major arteries of brightly lit

thoroughfares convene in multiple urban hubs.

Emanating out from these main avenues and city

centres is an irregularly formed concentric web of

parallel side streets, that increasingly darken and

narrow into smaller roads, paths and alleyways.

With that understanding (not to mention with the

help of Google Maps!), one can quickly discover

an off-the-beaten track Tokyo, in addition to the

bright lights and big city elements that the world’s

most populous metropolis is so well known for.

Like sliding doors that give way to serene inner

sanctums, Tokyo like no other city can be a journey

from urban density to residential stillness, from

commercial activity to intimate charm, and from the

seemingly obvious to the virtually undecipherable, all in

a matter of moments, and unlocking Tokyo’s mysteries

and its myriad of attractions is both highly stimulating

and deeply satisfying. Whether a first-time visitor or a

seasoned Tokyophile, spending time in this dazzling

and cutting-edge capital is a real treat for the senses.

On the ground, Tokyo’s scope can seem daunting.

Most foreigners initially focus on Ginza, the city’s

longstanding posh district, littered with upscale ►


shopping, entertainment and art galleries. Ginza

real estate prices are some of the most expensive

on the planet and it shows. The world’s leading

luxury brands all have massive flagship stores here

that don’t fail to impress. Chuo Dori, Ginza’s main

avenue, is like a cross between Fifth Avenue and

the Champs-Elysées, with more than generous

dashes of neon and bling. A centre of Tokyo

wealth since the 1600s (gin in Japanese means

‘silver’ and za ‘guild’), Ginza emerged as a highend

retail mecca in the 1920s and was rebuilt

in the 1950s following WW2. In fact, despite the

showiness, there is a Mad Men, mid-century modern

sensibility still to be found in Ginza, particularly

in its side streets and off the main drags.

Though some of Tokyo’s best restaurants and

much of the city’s exclusive shopping is to be

found here, there is also a decidedly decadent

side to Ginza. When night falls, open doors reveal

dimly lit bijou sized cocktail and whisky bars

full of Japanese business men, their kimonoclad

companions and a smattering of foreigners.

This discreet yet lively action is just as likely

to take place below ground and on the second

and third floors as it does on street level.

Most of the time signage is hard to decipher or

nonexistent. This secretive and in-the-know

manner of going out in Tokyo is reminiscent of

speakeasies. While it can be a little off-putting

to the uninitiated, there is also something very

seductive and sexy about it. And the numerous

art galleries and Kabuki-za (the national Kabuki

theatre) add enough culture to allow Ginza to

take its place as one of the planet’s most elegant

yet enjoyable luxury commercial districts.

When one accepts that peeling back the layers

of Tokyo’s identity and urban charms can take

days and weeks if not multiple lifetimes, then

some real exploratory fun can be had. Despite

its reputation as a disciplined city focused on

the highest standards of refinement in fashion,

the arts, modern architecture and technology,

Tokyo is also incredibly creative, with a free-spirited

side and a strong individualistic streak. ►


SHIBUYA CROSSING

OMOTESANDō

HARAJUKU GIRLS

Thirty minutes by taxi from Ginza, or a handful

of metro strops away, lies Harajuku. Though the

more gritty and counter culture days of Harajuku

as the centre of Tokyo’s youth scene have gone

more upmarket, it remains one of Tokyo’s most

exciting and eclectic neighbourhoods in terms of

fashion, food, culture and people watching.

Bounded on one side by verdant Yoyogi Park

and Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrine,

Meiji Jingū, and connected to affluent Aoyama

on the other via tree-lined central boulevard

Omotesand, Harajuku is a bustling, eclectic

hive of commercial and residential activity that

defines modern, easygoing Tokyo like no other.

While classic Harajuku girls still abound, with their

signature interpretations of a fashion look that

straddles school girl, Hello Kitty and goth in the

pursuit of Kawai or “cuteness”, Harajuku has grown

up. The recent arrival of the big box luxury stores

has transformed Omotesand, especially towards

the eastern end, into a more relaxed yet no less

luxurious rival to Ginza. However, it is the tangle

of side streets on either side of Omotesand where

the more creative spirit of Harajuku is alive and ►


well. Here, better known niche international brands

coexist cheek-to-cheek with local labels, individual

ateliers and some excellent vintage stores.

Trendy noodle shops, bistros and cafés abound;

showcasing craftsmanship and creativity in boutiques

that run the gamut from sprawling but more likely

to the intensely intimate thrives in Tokyo. Nowhere

is this more evident than Harajuku, so exploring and

experiencing this colourful retail hub is a must.

When a break from the urban bustle of Harajuku or

Tokyo is needed, a visit to nearby Meiji Jingū beckons.

Tokyo was basically destroyed twice in the past

century - the first time in 1923 as a result of the Great

Tokyo Fire, and again when the city was bombed in

March 1945. Accordingly, most of Tokyo’s architectural

past has been wiped out. Though rebuilt after the war,

Meiji Jingū retains a deeply spiritual atmosphere and is

one of the most important historical shrines in Tokyo.

The woods that surround Meiji Jingū are surprisingly

dense, especially considering its location in the

middle of a mega city. Sheltered pathways -

shaded from the canopy of soaring trees - offer a

moment of relaxation and respite from the urban ►


Harajuku

mélange. The shrine’s oversized classic Torii gates

and massive wooden temple complex provide

a pertinent reminder of the strong traditions

upon which Japan and its capital are built.

Shintoism, along with Buddhism, co-exist as the

dominant religious traditions in Japan. Shintoism

celebrates, amongst other things, the spirit that is

found in everything, including man and animal kind,

nature and even objects. This respect for nature and

the spirit world is a fundamental characteristic of

the Japanese psyche, that is directly reflected in its

emphasis on detail and design. Even amidst the most

urban jungle areas of the city there will be a front

garden, or perhaps a single tree or hedge, whose

meticulous care can be interpreted as a spiritual

offering or celebration of the divine. In fact, it is

because of the overwhelming urban nature of Tokyo,

that the city’s green spaces appear so precious.

On the other side of Harajuku from Meiji Jingū is

the gem that is the Nezu Museum, which is an

excellent place to further appreciate the country’s

artistic traditions, and escape into nature from

Tokyo’s streets. With its gorgeous entrance of

reddish wood, black stone and a bamboo forest, ►


KABUKI-ZA

SENSō-JI

its modern architecture and historical Japanese fine

arts collection, Nezu Museum is an ideal reflection of

Tokyo, which is inherently a modern city with subtle

yet important nods to the past. The real treasure

at the Nezu is its extensive Japanese back garden,

replete with water features, moss-covered paths

and stone shrines, and filled with trees and shrubs

that transform into riots of colour in the spring and

autumn. As a visitor to Tokyo, once you know what to

look out for in terms of pockets of beauty and calm,

you will quite literally notice them everywhere.

Tokyo’s other historic and spiritual heart, is the

Sensō-ji temple, located across town and a world

away in Asakusa. Originally built in the 7th-century

and rebuilt many times, this Buddhist temple

is Tokyo’s oldest. Whereas Meiji Jingū is nature

filled and contemplative, Sensō-ji is incorporated

slap bang in the centre of town and has a more

crowded and commercial feel. This yields its

own charms and is perhaps more reflective of

21st-century Tokyo that moves and shakes.

From the outer gate to the inner gate of Sensō-ji

temple complex, 200-metre Nakamise-dori

is a shopping street of low-rise stalls that is

ASAKUSA

NAKAMISE-DORI

reminiscent of what Tokyo must have looked like 100

years ago. It’s an excellent place to buy souvenirs

(of tremendously varying quality and price points)

and eat local food in traditional surroundings.

As one of the most visited sites in Japan and

spiritual centres in the world, you definitely won’t

have Sensō-ji to yourself, but there are pockets of

calm within the complex to allow for some relative

peace. The ponds filled with red carp, five-storey

pagoda and incense wafting around massive temple

buildings will almost certainly transport you to

another world. The temple’s local neighbourhood

of Asakusa is more local and down to earth than

Ginza, Harajuku and others, and a good place to

experience a more real Tokyo. Nearby, you will also

find Kappabashi-dori which has become the go-to

street for Japanese kitchen knives and ceramics.

If you visit Tokyo expecting to see Blade Runnerlike

neon-lit futuristic urban canyons, you won’t

be disappointed. The areas around Shinjuku and

Shibuya (two major transportation and commercial

hubs) make New York’s Times Square look tame.

Shinjuku and Shibuya are also home to two of the

busiest train stations in the world, while famed

Shibuya Crossing, with its rushing rivers of ►

SHIBUYA CROSSING


SHINJUKU

pedestrians heading in a myriad of directions, is also

said to be the world’s busiest. Whether in the thick

of it at street level or observing from the second floor

of Shibuya station or a nearby café, nothing captures

modern, busy Tokyo more than Shibuya Crossing.

Meanwhile, Shinjuku is an interesting mix of upscale

department stores and downright seedy watering

holes, offering a real diversity and an opportunity

to let one’s hair down. Love it or hate it, Golden Gai

(“Golden District”) is an area of Shinjuku comprising

narrow roads and alleyways where salary men, expats

and tourists mingle in tiny neon-lit bars which often

accommodate no more than four or five people at a

time. If you are open for an adventure and a taste for

the bizarre, and don’t much care how the night will

end up, an evening in Golden Gai could be a match.

Beyond Shibuya, within walking distance or a

short taxi ride away, the charming and über cool

neighbourhoods of Daikanyama and Nakameguro

emerge. Long established as the haunt of the

affluent creative classes, and popular with ex-pats,

Daikanyama has only recently come onto the tourist

radar. It is an area filled with smart boutiques,

trendy restaurants and bustling cafés, comparable ►


DAIKANYAMA

GOLDEN GAI

NAKAMEGURO

to Le Marais in Paris or New York’s West Village,

except hardly anyone has ever heard of it.

Daikanyama T-Site is the de facto hub of the area.

This upscale bookstore, lounge and gift shop has

won global design awards and is an excellent place

to watch the boho-chic locals and just imagine,

for a few moments, what living in Tokyo might be

like. As is typical for the capital, once you leave

the main streets the scale of the city immediately

becomes more intimate: the roads narrow, twist

and turn; vehicles are replaced by bicycles,

and retail offerings get cozier and quirkier.

Just a stone’s throw from Daikanyama, a few streets

away and down a hill towards Meguro River (which

is really more of a canal), is the even more bohemian

Nakameguro, one of Tokyo’s hippest neighbourhoods.

Both sides of the canal are filled with artisanal

bakeries, coffee shops and low key but fashionable

shops. During spring, the cherry tree-lined canal

bursts into bloom, making it one of the favourite places

for locals to witness this quintessential of Japanese

experiences. At night, the area becomes quite lively, as

its many bars and pubs fill with regulars and tourists

in-the-know. The canal as Nakameguro’s defining

feature, along with its low key, creative vibe, ►


reminds one of Amsterdam. Neighbourhoods like

Daikanyama and Nakameguro, and many more like

them, offer a charming and inviting alternative to the

Tokyo of the usual leisure and business visitor haunts.

There comes a point when visiting Tokyo when it is

best to accept that you will never fully get it. There

is simply just too much ground to cover. When that

moment comes, allow yourself to be sucked into

the side streets, hidden passageways and sliding

doors of this compelling city. Explore the bright lights

but also the quieter neighbourhoods to discover

a depth and richness that seemingly has no end.

Ribbons of over and under passes suddenly become

bike lanes. Skyscrapers give way to low rise street

scapes. Tiny, carefully tended gardens emerge out

of the concrete jungle. Michelin-starred restaurants

abound but so does scrumptious street food.

Tokyo’s incredible urban tapestry, where in the blink

of an eye you can go from forward thinking, busy

and brash to traditional, peaceful and measured;

where there is always something new to discover and

uncover; and where refinement and luxury are equally

paired with simplicity and humility, makes the city

one of the planet’s most captivaling capitals.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


TOKYO

STAY

PARK HYATT TOKYO

ANDAZ TOKYO

PARK HYATT TOKYO

PARK HYATT TOKYO

By Alex Benasuli

Located in a quiet corner of west Shinjuku district, with its neon-amplified

boulevards, department stores and anything goes side streets, the hotel is just a

15-minute walk from Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jing, the latter home to some of Tokyo’s

most verdant green spaces, which are perfect for morning runs. The eclectic to

elegant shopping district of Harajuku, and its tree-lined main avenue Omotesand,

are on the other side of the park. Depending on traffic, Ginza and Roppongi are

a 15-30-minute taxi ride away. From Haneda Airport, a limousine bus service

conveniently drops-off guests directly in front of the hotel’s main entrance.

Park Hyatt Tokyo is a masterclass in warmly and efficiently delivering the highest

standards of service in a timeless setting. Sometimes one knows instinctively,

during the first few moments of checking into a hotel, that a rather special

experience is about to unfold. Such was the case for me at Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Situated on the 39th to 52nd floors of stunning 52-storey glass Shinjuku Park

Tower - which was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Kenzo Tange

and completed in 1994 with no expense spared - Park Hyatt Tokyo is a seamless

succession of one attentive hospitality moment after another, from arrival to

departure.

A team of staff greet guests at street level, ushering them into a ground floor foyer

lined with rich woods, white panelled walls and grey marble. A striking bronze

sculptural centrepiece, of a fish seemingly taking flight from the sea, completes

what is essentially just a launch pad of what is to come upstairs. A deli and pastry

shop offer a wide range of enticing hotel-made items.

Stepping out of the elevator almost forty floors later is to enter another world, akin

to an elevated oasis of absolute hospitality refinement. Park Hyatt was Tokyo’s first

skyscraper hotel, but such is the quality of the hotel’s ageless décor and furnishings,

that it is still a firm favourite amongst discerning, design-savvy globe-trotters

almost 25 years later, with room rates some of the highest in the city. The hotel is

also famous for its leading role in Sophia Coppola’s hit indie film Lost in Translation.

The 41st floor Peak Lounge and bar is 180 degrees of soaring ceilings, a bamboo

forest and walls of glass that reveal Tokyo in all its majesty. To say that the views

are jaw-dropping is an understatement. If there is a Japanese equivalent to Mount

Olympus, then this is it. The hotel’s sprawling, double height all-day dining

restaurant, Girandole, is also located on this level, lined with a collage of black and

white photographs depicting European café life. Yet, beyond Park Hyatt Tokyo’s 41st

floor food and beverage venues, the mood is more inviting and warm. Darker tones

and soft lighting accent strategically placed art. Chic soft furnishings abound. And

around every corner is another opportunity to luxuriate in the amazing views.

The formal reception process takes place discreetly, in a long corridor of angled

bookcases punctuated by individual tables and luxe seating. Guests are then

escorted to their rooms where the check-in process is completed. Textured sea

green wallpaper, thick matching carpeting, whimsically themed abstract artwork

and wide hallways are like passageways of bliss that connect the hotel’s public

spaces to guest rooms. ►


Fashioned by renowned Hong Kong-based international designer John Morford,

who is responsible for some of Asia’s most iconic hotel interiors, Park Hyatt

Tokyo’s 177 guest rooms, including 23 suites, are all havens of restrained luxury.

It’s hard to believe that they were debuted in 1994. Neutral furnishings and

paper-style lanterns are dominated by oversized windows offering sensational

views across Tokyo. As with all Park Hyatt properties worldwide, the emphasis

throughout is on comfort rather than gimmicks or unnecessary frivolity. Original

artworks hang on the walls and a small selection of hardcover books can be

found above the minibar.

The focal point of every bedroom is the beautiful 2,000-year-old water elm

headboard from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Beds are naturally

made with top quality Egyptian cotton bedding. Bathrooms are an exercise in

indulgence, lined with vast expanses of green marble and granite, complete with

deep soaking tubs, 15-inch TVs and Aesop products. Spacious 60-sqm corner

King Bed View rooms are not only dual aspect thanks to more windows, but also

offer a bath tub with a stunning view well worth soaking in.

Park Hyatt Tokyo’s range of deluxe facilities and refined bars and restaurants

make its somewhat immersive world both indulgent and fun. 52nd floor New

York Bar is a moody, lively and sexy watering hole, consistently rated as one

of the best bars on the planet, complete with unbeatable views. A nightly jazz

singer, expertly crafted cocktails and a mix of individual and communal seating

combine to make the venue spin every night. Adjacent New York Grill, with its

open kitchen and American-inspired menu, featuring a wide selection of prime

Japanese and imported beef, market fresh seafood and rotisserie-roasted poultry,

make it a popular destination eatery year-round. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows

throughout the 52nd floor provide those dining and drinking on Park Hyatt

Tokyo’s highest level with breathtaking views of the Japanese capital.

The hotel’s exquisite 40th floor contemporary Japanese restaurant, Kozue, offers

seasonally-inspired set, à la carte and traditional multi-course Japanese kaiseki

dinner options, complete with a range of blowfish dishes and a second-to-none

sake selection. Kimono clad servers and Mount Fuji views are merely the icing on

the cake at Kozue.

Such is Kenzo Tange’s design, that Park Hyatt Tokyo actually occupies the

rooftops of three adjacent towers, of differing levels, like the sails of a tall ship.

These include the hotel’s fitness rooms, pool and spa at 47th floor Club on the

Park. A veritable urban oasis, boasting stunning views in all directions via walls of

glass topped with soaring cathedral-like ceilings, make working out here a highly

attractive prospect.

Park Hyatt properties generally deliver the highest standards of service and

attentiveness, which discerning travellers have come to expect from the American

chain’s premium brand. If anything, these already high standards are elevated at

Park Hyatt Tokyo, where everything from the concierge team to in-room dining

and reception staff are all so efficient, discreet and flawless, one imagines that

they have been individually trained by a Japanese hospitality master.

tokyo.park.hyatt.com


ANDAZ TOKYO TORANOMON HILLS

By Alex Benasuli

Hyatt’s chic and youthful contemporary hotel brand, Andaz, is known globally in travelling

circles for executing visually unique and captivating design themes, inspired by its host cities,

and ensuring that the guest experience is informal, social and funky whilst delivering high

levels of service and luxury.

Located a short taxi ride from Ginza, Andaz Tokyo occupies the top floors of sleek Nihon

Sekkei-designed Toranomon Hills, a modern complex of offices, shops and residential

apartments located in the Toranomon district of Minato ward. The National Art Center,

Tokyo Tower, Mori Art Museum and the beautiful t are all close by. Andaz Tokyo is very much

Toranomon Hills’s crowning jewel, occupying the highest part of the complex and thus

commanding arresting city vistas.

Hip, designer and luxurious hotels abound on our planet. However, it is rare that a property

executes well all three qualities at once. In the 21st century hotel world, Andaz does this with

little competition. Arriving at any Andaz hotel is like stepping into a fantastical vision of the

city you’re visiting, conceived as an act of creative brilliance and delivered with tremendous

attention to detail. Andaz Tokyo is no exception, delivering an utterly unique Japanese

hospitality experience in inimitable fashion.

On arrival, guests are whisked from street level directly to the 51st floor. Here a celestial

hospitality temple on a grand scale - Andaz Lounge - enriched by dramatic installations and

countless design details, is framed by some of the city’s best panoramas. Floor-to-soaringceiling

walnut walls, broken up by mirrors, intricate lattice work and sliding panels, are

the backbones of what is a stunning set of main floor public spaces, tinted with generous

accents of basalt and bronze dotted throughout.

Andaz typically dispenses with the conventions of a traditional hotel lobby/reception, instead

furnishing its stylishly attired welcome hosts with hi-tech mini tablets, so that check-in can

happen anyplace convenient, from the arrival lounge to guest rooms.

In Japan, tradition and modernity work in tandem to produce a unique aesthetic based on

simplicity, geometric lines, natural materials and attention to detail, all the while maintaining

overall flow and harmony. The guest rooms at Andaz Tokyo are a perfect interpretation of

this quintessential Japanese design aesthetic. Coming out of the elevators, one is greeted by

hallways of floor-to-ceiling Japanese shoji-style white wall panels, lit from below to create

the sense of a catwalk-style runway. This minimalist but entrancing look is pumped up a

little inside the hotel’s 164 rooms including 8 suites.

Deep, dark and grainy wood panels and matching brown stone foyers resemble a cozy

cocoon. Although all lines and angles are clean, the generous use of natural materials adds

richness and lushness. Rooms feature expanses of walnut wood and smooth white walls,

offset by carpets of matcha green tea, red leather chairs and headboards and shaggy rugs

adding dashes of colour and fun. Whilst ‘vintage Bond’ aptly sums up the décor of Andaz

Tokyo’s guest rooms, hands down their en suite bathrooms are the pièce de résistance.

Resembling bijou personal spas, these warm wooden enclaves pay homage to Japan’s love

of bathing by way of deep circular baths, accompanied by products that change seasonally

to showcase different combinations of herbs and florals.

Given that all guests rooms are located on floors 47-50 of Toranomon Hills, pretty much ►


everyone is guaranteed sensational views. Pick a room on the south for vistas of Tokyo Tower

or the north for Tokyo Skytree. During late afternoons and sunset, the dramatically bright red-lit

Tokyo Tower really appears to be ablaze.

As is standard in all Andaz properties globally, non-alcoholic beverages and minibar snacks

are free, and rooms are also equipped with handheld devices enabled for local calls and Google

Maps that guests are encouraged to take with them when leaving the hotel. In a pricey city like

Tokyo, these are welcome perks.

Occupying roughly half of the hotel’s 51st floor, The Tavern Grill & Lounge is very much Andaz

Tokyo’s beating heart. An entire side of the venue is spanned by full height windows, providing

patrons with unobstructed city sight lines as far as the eye can see, creating a feeling of floating

on top of the world. The most incredible array of light installations hang from the ceilings, like

giant ribbons and star constellations. All day dining is on one side of the venue, while the lounge

and bar occupy the centre and opposite side. The daily breakfast buffet is lavish by international

standards, complete with separate Japanese and Western food stations alongside the usual

bakery and juice offerings. A curated range of simple yet beautiful Japanese ceramics are used

throughout the venue, deftly showcasing one of the nation’s oldest crafts and art forms.

In the evenings, the tavern’s menu taps into the culinary concept of yukimuro, a 200-yearold

technique of snow-aging food, employed in the wintry region of Niigata, which involves

preserving food under snow to enhance its flavours and textures. The signature dish of 25-day

Hokkaido snow-aged sirloin, served with snow-aged garlic mash and homemade sauces, is an

absolute must if dining at The Tavern Grill.

After dinner, move across to the Tavern Lounge for a relaxed digestif to a backdrop of live

music, or head upstairs to the hotel’s buzzing Rooftop Bar, which is very much part of the

city’s hip nightlife scene. Here, on the 52nd floor, visitors and residents alike enjoy spectacular

night views of Tokyo Bay and Odaiba, in a sophisticated semi-open-air environment, whilst

sipping innovative cocktails crafted by a bevy of experienced mixologists using local seasonal

ingredients. Also on the 52nd floor, just behind the bar, skilled chefs serve an authentic

Omakase experience at intimate eight-seat restaurant SUSHI. And for those who want to grab

a quick meal, ground floor BeBu Café & Bar serves an excellent classic burger accompanied by

a good range of modern Japanese beers. BeBu’s happy hour is also popular and fun for a predinner

aperitif before heading out on the town.

Andaz Tokyo’s AO Spa & Club on the 37th floor may not be at the top of the hotel, but its white,

minimalist décor and apothecary theme gives the space a distinctly heavenly feel. A full range

of personalised treatments, based on combining Japan’s purest ingredients and seasonal herbs

and fruits with the latest spa techniques, ensure that guests emerge this urban retreat utterly

rejuvenated. And the spa’s elegantly designed centrepiece 20-metre pool is the perfect place to

relax after a hectic day on Tokyo’s streets.

Globally acclaimed New York-based designer Tony Chi has created a sumptuous palace-inthe-sky

in Andaz Tokyo, combining the best of Japanese design influences with sufficient cute

and grand embellishments to keep even a well-travelled guest entranced for days. However, it

is the relaxed vibe of the Andaz brand, complemented by high Japanese service levels and a

warm welcoming spirit that make Andaz Tokyo standout. If you’re looking for a contemporary

design-led hotel juxtaposed with some fun, be sure to stay at Andaz Tokyo when visiting

the Japanese capital.

tokyo.andaz.hyatt.com


SEE

TOKYO SKYTREE

In a city of superlatives, it makes sense that Tokyo is home

to one of the world’s tallest towers, surpassed only by

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Completed in 2012 and standing at

a height of 634 metres, upon completion, Tokyo Skytree

immediately became one of Japan’s (and indeed Asia’s0

most recognisable landmarks. To say that Tokyo Skytree

soars above the capital would be an understatement.

Think the Eiffel Tower on steroids. Its red lattice work

emerging ever higher Japanese temple style is identifiable

from across town. Choose a clear day with good visibility

for your visit and the rewards will be immeasurable. The

unfathomable scale of one of the largest cities in the

world, with skyscrapers and urban sprawl as far as the

eye can see, really reveals itself from the tower’s two

observation decks, one of which is glass-bottomed, thus

offering another jaw-dropping (and for some terrifying)

view of the Japanese capital. And nothing can really

describe the feeling of gazing upon snow-capped Mount

Fuji from the top of Tokyo Skytree. www.tokyo-skytree.jp


TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

Arguably Japan’s most important cultural institution, Tokyo

National Museum showcases the very best of Japanese art

and crafts. Exquisite ceramics, Samurai swords, kimonos

and woodblock prints compete with Buddhist art and

Japanese prehistoric artifacts to tell the history of Japanese

civilisation via art. It is a sprawling museum. The showcase

Honkan Japanese Gallery can be covered in a few hours,

or a whole day can be spent immersing oneself in the

full spectrum of Japanese and wider Asian art on display.

The permanent collections are augmented by regularly

scheduled temporary exhibitions, almost always of the

highest calibre. The gift shop and garden terrace restaurant

(the latter managed by esteemed Okura Hotel) are

excellent. The museum also has an immaculately presented

Japanese garden, complete with a number of traditional

teahouses transplanted from various parts of the country.

The garden and teahouses are only open twice yearly, for

a few weeks in Spring during cherry blossom season and

again in Autumn when maple trees turn brilliant shades

of orange and ginkgo trees turn yellow. www.tnm.jp


MEIJI JINGŪ

Although not an old temple, Tokyo’s most

important Shinto shrine oozes atmosphere and

reverence and seeing Meiji Jing allows visitors

to connect two of the most important facets

of Japanese tradition and culture. The shrine

celebrates the Emperor Meiji who ruled from

1868-1912 and is credited with transforming

feudal Japan into a modern state. Meanwhile,

Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan that

places emphasis on nature and the spirit world.

The approach to the main shrine is a pure delight

- a long winding path amidst woods and a series

of gigantic wooden torii (Japan’s classic gates).

The grounds are sprawling and include 120,000

trees collected from all parts of Japan, making

Meiji Jing an ideal place to escape from Tokyo’s

concrete jungle, and an interesting alternative

to the youth fashion culture of Harajuku, the

area in which the shrine is located. Of the

surrounding grounds, only Meiji Jingu Gyoen

(the inner gardens) are open to the public

and are particularly spectacular in June when

the irises are in bloom. www.meijijingu.or.jp

NEZU MUSEUM

If you prefer your museum experiences to

be more intimate and serene then head to

excellently curated Nezu Museum. Located in

Minato districts, not far from Omotesand, a visit

to Nezu Museum can be slotted into most Tokyo

itineraries. Walking the museum’s enchanting

black stone entrance path, bordered by a wall of

live bamboo on one side and canes on the other,

is to be transported into another world (pictured).

The museum contains a world-renowned private

collection of Japanese, Chinese and Korean art

and antiquities. While the permanent collection

- including lacquer ware, textiles, hanging

scrolls and ceramics - is breathtaking, the

building itself, designed by acclaimed Japanese

architect Kengo Kuma, is also stunning, and one

of best examples of modern Japanese design

in the city. The museum’s garden is widely

regarded as one of the country’s hidden gems.

Decorative and fine arts are intrinsic parts of

Japanese culture and Nezu Museum embodies

this, inside and out. NEZUCAFÉ, situated in a

glass box within the garden, is an excellent

place to take a coffee break during a busy

day of sightseeing. www.nezu-muse.or.jp


MEIJI JINGŪ

NEZU MUSEUM

SHIBUYA CROSSING

SHIMOKITAZAWA

SHIBUYA CROSSING

Imagine New York’s Times Square and London’s

Piccadilly Circus combined and magnified and

you still won’t come close to fathoming the scale

of Shibuya Crossing, reputed to be the busiest

pedestrian intersection in the world. Nothing

screams modern Tokyo and celebrates the rat race

of urban commuting more than Shibuya Crossing,

also known as the “Scramble”. The end of the

work day and dusk are when the intersection is

at its busiest and the neon lights begin to dazzle.

A second-floor Starbucks close-by provides an

optimal (but usally crowded) vantage point. The

crossing can also be viewed from the secondfloor

windows of adjoining Shibuya train station.

Whilst the visual experience is mad, there is order

in the chaos and an unexpected beauty in the

crowds of people waiting and feverishly crossing

Shibuya from a myriad of directions. At exit 8 of

Shibuya Station you will find the bronze statue

of famous dog Hachiko, who lived during the

1920s and would everyday return to Shibuya

Station to wait for his owner, Professor Ueno,

to come home from work, even after his owner

died. https://trulytokyo.com/shibuya-crossing

SHIMOKITAZAWA

To the west of central Tokyo, the neighbourhood

of Shimokitazawa offers a more down to earth

and bohemian alternative to affluent Ginza and

Aoyama, and the better-known shopping and

entertainment districts of Shibuya and Harajuku.

Also known as Shimokita, the area is a centre for

hipster Tokyo, a poster child for urban modern

cool and the traditional haunt of artists, musicians

and other creative types. Narrow streets of lowrise

buildings abound with indie music venues,

vintage shops and inviting coffee shops, and it’s

an excellent place to sample casual tapas-style

izakaya cuisine in a typical Japanese pub. Though

Shimokita’s origins are quintessentially hippie,

the neighbourhood is evolving into one of the

most desirable areas for young Tokyo-ites to live,

especially in the northern part which is more

mellow and laid back. The south of Shimokita

is altogether more boisterous. The almost car

free and semi-pedestrianised streets adds to the

neighbourhood’s appeal. If you fancy discovering

a more laid back, alternative and earthy Tokyo,

a little off the tourist trail, check out Shimokita.

https://trulytokyo.com/shimokitazawa


TOKYO

TASTE

NARISAWA

SUSHI BAR YASUDA

TEMPURA MIKAWA

KAMACHIKU

QUINTESSENCE

KIKI HARAJUKU

NARISAWA

Depending on the viewpoint, Narisawa is

either amongst the 50 best restaurants in Asia

or the world. So whichever way you look at it,

Narisawa is close to the top of culinary Tokyo,

a city that has more Michelin stars than any

other. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is known

as a pioneer in the world of contemporary

Japanese cooking. Not afraid to change the

rules and make last minute additions to or

omissions from the menu if the ingredients

are not fresh enough, Narisawa’s passion lies

in sustainable gastronomy and conscientious

cooking. Long before farm to table was a

thing, Narisawa prided itself on organic

meats, the freshest seafood and produce only

from closely curated sources. The cuisine

is creative, and draws inspiration from the

forest, mountains and remote seas and bays

that make up the Japanese archipelago.

Two Michelin stars and limited seating

of roughly twenty ensures that advance

booking of weeks but more like months is

a must. www.narisawa-yoshihiro.com

SUSHI BAR YASUDA

If you dream of eating the best sushi in

Japan in a relaxed setting with the master

chef preparing your food in full view, then

this your place. Chef Naomichi Yasuda,

founder, owner and sushi chef behind the

revered Sushi Yasuda in New York, left

the Big Apple in 2011 after two decades of

serving the city’s demanding gourmands,

and moved back to Japan to open a bijou

restaurant in South Aoyama – one of Tokyo’s

wealthiest neighbourhoods. Still known as

the cowboy of the Tokyo sushi world, a world

that can be overly bound by traditions and

seriousness, reservations are essential to

dine at Yasuda’s Tokyo venue, and you will

probably need to book months in advance. As

is typical, the menu choice is either omakase

(chef’s choice) or an assortment of sushi.

In Japan, every few months brings a new

season, with seafood and menus changing

accordingly. But, for true sushi connoisseurs,

the key is not only the fish but the rice.

Yasuda prides himself on serving his sushi

with the most meticulously sourced and

prepared rice. www.sushibaryasuda.com

NARISAWA

NARISAWA


SUSHI BAR YASUDA

TEMPURA MIKAWA

TEMPURA MIKAWA

KAMCHIKU

KAMCHIKU

TEMPURA MIKAWA

Located in upscale Roppongi Hills and therefore

convenient to the Mori Art Museum, the 57

story Mori Tower observation deck and a

multitude of high-end stores, Tempura Mikawa

is a 22-seat tempura house discreetly located

on the second floor of a residential building

behind an unmarked sliding wooden door.

A mural of blue birds on a gold background

covers an entire wall and dominates the

intimate space, which is made up of mostly

counter seats and a few tables in the back.

There is also a private tatami room. The elegant,

understated yet warm and inviting décor

makes you feel like you’ve just stepped back in

time into a secret culinary world. The tempura,

among the best in Tokyo, is fresh and refined

(which in the world of tempura means light

and not oily) and the menu is based on the

fish and vegetables that were local to the Edo

area a century ago and before, adding some

authority to the dining experience. Welcoming,

helpful and jovial staff make customers want to

return again and again. Reservations essential.

3-4-7 Nihonbashi Kayabacho,

Tokyo 103-0025. Tel 03-3423-8100

KAMACHIKU

Kamachiku is a beautiful and charming

restaurant specializing in udon noodles near

enough to Ueno Park and the museums to

make it the perfect place for a well-deserved

lunch break when hunger sets in after a long

morning of culture! Set in a lovingly restored

century-old red brick warehouse with a

modern glass box extension, this restaurant

scores as high on design as it does for the

food. Add its landscaped Japanese courtyard

garden by the entrance and the package is

complete. There are basically two main items

on the menu - hot udon pulled from the pot

with dipping sauces, and cold udon topped

with shredded seaweed. An assortment of

izakaya (tapas-like small dishes) are also

on offer. You will not leave hungry. Although

Kamachiku has already achieved a Bib

Gourmand classification, rumour has it that

will be the first udon restaurant in Tokyo to

earn a Michelin star. Lunch or early dinner

are the best times to visit in order to best

appreciate the garden. www.kamachiku.com


QUINTESSENCE

Tokyo equally excels at non-Japanese cuisine.

Quintessence is a three Michelin-starred

establishment focusing on contemporary

French cuisine. It has a reputation for serving

some of the best French food outside of

France. Chef Shuzo Kishida adds lighter

seasoning and focusses more on the natural

flavours of the ingredients, relative to

traditional French cooking. The menu changes

seasonally and even day-to-day dependent

upon the freshness of what is available. The

restaurant’s devotion to perfection in the

sourcing of ingredients, the slow cooking

process, food presentation and the service

could only happen in Japan. A set tasting

menu offers seven courses at lunch and

thirteen at dinner. And whilst this is proper

fine dining where the food is the star, the

atmosphere is professional and polished

without being stiff. Quintessence is about

indulging in truly inventive yet flawless

cuisine produced by a chef at the top of

his game. Reservations are available two

months in advance. www.quintessence.jp

KIKI HARAJUKU

This casual bistro turns out delicious and

hearty fare a stone’s throw from the weekend

fashion parade and daily bustle that is

Harajuku, Head chef and owner Yuki Noda

trained at Paris’ venerable Le Taillevent before

opening Kiki in 2011. His goal was to serve

great food in a relaxed setting with accessible

prices that would appeal to a younger

clientele. Unabashedly, Noda sticks to French

bistro classics fused with some Japanese

elements. Think fig temours and wagyu steak

frites followed by passion fruit tiramisu. The

food is fussy enough to warrant a visit but

casual enough to feel like a neighborhood

gem. What’s standout about Kiki is its

refreshingly normality. The setting is warm

and friendly while offering good value for

money, and it’s a cool place to decamp after

a half day of shopping and people watching

in Harajuku, Japan’s frenetic capital of youth

culture and fashion. www.kikioishi.com

QUINTESSENCE

KIKI HARAJUKU


KIKI HARAJUKU

TOKYO

SIP

SAKE SCENE MASUFUKU

HIGASHIYA GINZA

GEN YAMAMOTO

TRUNK LOUNGE

NEW YORK BAR

CHATEI HATOU

NEW YORK BAR

Forever immortalized in the movie Lost in Translation,

New York Bar, which sits on the 52nd floor of Park

Hyatt Tokyo, is consistently ranked as one of the

world’s best rooftop bars. Dark wood, walnut floors

and ebony chairs set the stage in the sultry space

which is elegant and classy. Floor-to-ceiling windows

provide a show-stopping backdrop of the bright

lights and big city theatricality of Shinjuku skyline at

night. In a nod to its namesake, there are two murals

that add massive splashes of colour - one of Radio

City Music Hall and the other of Rockefeller Center’s

Rainbow Room. The bar excels at classic cocktails

and boasts some of the city’s best mixologists as well

as the largest selection of American wines in Japan.

Interesting concoction “L.I.T.” (Lost in Translation)

is the bar’s signature cocktail, and comprises sake,

sakura liqueur, cranberry juice and peach schnapps.

There is nightly live entertainment, usually jazz, and

food can be ordered from adjacent New York Grill.

Cosmopolitan and chic, New York Bar is a true Tokyo

classic. www.restaurants.tokyo.park.hyatt.co.jp


GEN YAMAMOTO

This intimate (read tiny) watering hole is an island

of calm amidst the bustle of glitzy Roppongi district.

The bar counter is carved out of a 500-year old

Mizunara oak tree. Apart from this, there is barely any

decoration. Yamamoto, the white jacketed owner/

bartender serves the eight patrons himself. This is a

cocktail bar on another level. Omakase - the style of

ordering food whereby the chef chooses for you - is

widely accepted as the norm in sushi and tempura

restaurants. Here is reinterpreted in a cocktail bar. At

Yamamoto, you decide whether you want four or six

drinks and then the bartender decides what to make

based on fruits and herbs in season. Prunes and pears

from the northern island of Hokaido, chestnuts from

Ibaraki and physalis from the mountains of Nagano

were some of the ingredients used when The Cultured

Traveller visited. Drinks are served in exquisite

custom-made glassware. Whilst the glass sizes are

much smaller than a normal bar, after four or six

cocktails you will not want more. If you’re a cocktail

junky this unique experience is not to be missed

Reservations are essential. www.genyamamoto.jp


SAKE SCENE MASUFUKU

It would be a crime to visit Tokyo and not investigate

the world of sake. Opened in 2016 down a narrow

alleyway in Minato-ku, this chic watering hole has

set the bar for a contemporary and stylish sake

experience. The norm for Tokyo bars and restaurants

is a discreet, almost invisible entrance. Not at Sake

Scene, which boasts an oversized square window

jutting out onto the sidewalk. Owner and hostess

Yukari Yanaba greets guests wearing a kimono

and practices the best omotenashi - the Japanese

art of hospitality. Every detail of the pared back

Japanese interior of whites, creams and wood

tones, from the light fixtures to the sake cups, has

been carefully thought through. A French, Japanese

and pan Asian-inspired à la carte and set food

menu accompanies the sake, which is sourced

from smaller producers all over Japan. The 60 odd

varieties are displayed like trophies behind the bar.

Advance booking is essential. www.sakescene.com


TRUNK LOUNGE

Although the scene is slowly changing, trendy and

hip boutique hotels are practically non-existent in

the Japanese capital. Located in the heart of vibrant

and cosmopolitan Shibuya, Trunk is not only Tokyo’s

coolest boutique hotel, but also a local community hub

for creative types and urban trendsetters, and its bar/

lounge is an inviting and buzzy space that seamlessly

flows from day to nighttime. It is the perfect place

to have a coffee, hold an informal meeting, meet

friends pre-dinner, catch up on emails or simply

watch the world go by. Post work unwind with

some drinks and watch the place move up a notch

and get a little crazy. Trunk regularly hosts parties

and DJs spin. The cocktails are great, the furniture

is über comfortable and the crowd is dynamic. The

adjacent Kitchen which serves health conscious

Japanese and Western dishes is equally inviting.

Need we say more? www.trunk-hotel.com/lounge


HIGASHIYA GINZA

Higashiya is an elegant and upscale tea house and

confectioners located on Ginza’s main avenue. It is

the ideal place to decamp to after hours of ginbura,

which specifically means roaming the streets of Ginza.

Higashiya offers a modern and classy interpretation of

the Japanese tea ceremony, with an extensive menu

offering many options and combinations to sample

teas. The tea salon seats 40 and also serves alcohol

should you fancy partaking of something stronger.

Higashiya’s confectionary is renowned throughout

the city for its taste and exquisite presentation. In

addition to tea and sweets, a gorgeous selection of

tableware products is available to purchase. A Tokyo

institution and veritable masterclass in the Japanese

take on afternoon tea, Higashiya is worth visit for the

design alone, which is calm, warm and harmonious

whilst being sleek and modern. www.higashiya.com


CHATEI HATOU

Mere moments but a world away from the bustle

and chaos of Shibuya, Chatei Hatou is a true refuge.

Serving meticulously prepared slow drip coffee in a

deeply calm and nourishing setting, this is a place

to leave modern, busy Tokyo behind and surrender

to the slow lane for an hour or two. And “slow” is

the operative word, because it often takes up to ten

minutes to prepare and serve one good cup of coffee.

Upon ordering, aged coffee beans are grinded, and the

process of slowly adding hot water to the dry coffee

which sits on a cloth filter begins, results in a perfect

cup unfolding like a flower bud coming into bloom. To

watch this all taking place is mesmerising and verging

on meditation. Classical music and earthy wood

textures complete the relaxed scene. The The Japanese

can make an art form out of pretty much anything. At

Chatei Hatou that art form is coffee. Avoid weekend

afternoons which are busier and a tad less serene!

1 Chome-15-19 Shibuya, Shibuya, Tokyo. Facebook


TOKYO

SPEND

DAIKANAYAMA T-SITE

COMME DES GARÇONS

AOYAMA SQUARE

ISETAN

FALINE

ITOYA

PRADA

AOYAMA, TOKYO

AOYAMA SQUARE

COMME DES GARÇONS

SPEND

AOYAMA SQUARE

AOYAMA SQUARE

Supported by the Ministry of Economy,

Aoyama Square is a showroom and

retail store that showcases a wide range

of traditional craft items that changes

seasonally and is updated when new

producers are added. It’s a great place to

find beautifully made items at different

price points ranging from pottery to textiles

to lacquerware. Edo cut glass sake glasses

are beautiful and easy transport. Guest

artisans also appear on a regular basis to

demonstrate and explain the intricacies of

their work. To be represented at Aoyama

Square, vendors’ products must be mostly

by hand using traditional materials.

Another requirement is that merchandise

be for practical, everyday use – so think

bowls, trays, utensils and soft furnishings.

Whilst not necessarily the place to find

bargains, a visit to Aoyama Square is

an excellent choice to purchase quality

gifts and souvenirs. www.kougeihin.jp

COMME DES GARÇONS, AOYAMA

Long before fashion, art and pop culture

became a thing, founder of Comme des

Garçons, Rei Kawabuko, and head designer

Junya Watanabe, hurtled fashion towards the

21st century with a gender transcending and

post-modern sensibility that is provocative

yet at the same eminently wearable.

Monochrome and minimalist designs share

the stage with riots of color and fantasy. Over

decades, the brand has achieved near cult

status and is known for collaborations. Entire

collections often sell-out within weeks.

Comme des Garçons’ flagship store in

Aoyama (Tokyo’s elite fashion district) is not

dissimilar to a set of futuristic space capsules

in which the clothes are displayed like art.

Even if luxury shopping is not in your budget,

a visit to Aoyama, with one architectural and

design marvel after another, showcasing

all the luxury brands, is eye-catching,

inspiring and a lovely way to spend a few

hours. www.comme-des-garcons.com

COMME DES GARÇONS


ITOYA, GINZA

Washi is Japanese fine handmade paper, often

decorated by hand or exquisitely printed. Itoya is

a nine-storey, century-old Ginza institution that

retails all things stationary related. Greetings cards,

notebooks, wrapping paper, compact storage boxes,

fountain pens, pencils, agendas and paints are all

to be found at Itoya. This is Japanese fine attention

to detail, simplicity and beauty at its best. Though

Itoya has outposts all over Tokyo and one in Osaka,

head to the Ginza flagship for a full indoctrination

into this beguiling world. But restrict yourself to

a fixed amount of time in the store because once

inside it’s not easy to leave. An excellent onsite

café, Stylo, plus a number of English-speaking staff

add to Itoya’s enduring appeal. www.ito-ya.co.jp


ISETAN, SHINJUKU

The Japanese love to shop and Tokyo has some of the

most impressive department stores on the planet.

Isetan is perhaps the highest end of Japan’s larger

store formats, akin to New York’s Bergdorf Goodman

and London’s Harrods, and is known for being fashion

forward and sophisticated. The Shinjuku flagship

boasts an excellent selection of Japanese and Western

designers. Crucially for Western shoppers, Isetan

stocks larger sizes and has staff that speak English.

Also known for is seasonally changing window

displays, a visit to Isetan is a visual feast in every

way. The depachika (or food bazaar) in the basement

is alone worthy of seeing. Including sections for

Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Western prepared

foods, the variety and displays are overwhelmingly

beautiful. You’ll think you’re in food heaven. Sunset

tea and treats at Isetan Shinjuku’s roof garden

is a divine experience. www.isetan.mistore.jp


DAIKANAYAMA T-SITE

To call Daikanyama T-Site a book store would

be like calling Apple a computer company. The

‘T’ in T-Site refers to Tsutaya, Japan’s leading

book, music and movie retail giant. Spanning

three architecturally award-winning low-rise

buildings in increasingly fashionable Daikanyama

neighbourhood, this veritable campus is a temple

dedicated to books, magazines, DVDs, music and

much more. The selection is combed from around

the world and includes rare and vintage examples.

Add to this a specialist camera shop, a pet store

and a retail bicycle outlet and Daikanyama T-Site

reveals itself as an eclectic destination for Tokyo’s

trendsetting sophisticates. Patrons are encouraged

to linger in the various lounge spaces and dive

into a recently purchased or borrowed publication.

Cocktails are even served in the inviting Anjin

Lounge upstairs. www.tsite.jp/daikanayma


FALINE

If you or someone you know wants to channel

their inner teenage girl, head to Faline in

Harajuku, the heart of youth culture and

street fashion. This iconic Tokyo boutique

may be pint sized but it packs a lot of punch.

Beloved by locals, Faline has styled the likes

of Bjork, Katy Perry and Paloma Faith. Kawaii

is a Japanese term which refers to cartoon

character-like cuteness. Harajuku and Faline

are kawaii embodied. Faline refers to Bambi’s

doe-eyed love interest from the Disney film.

Aw, how cute! But cuteness is only one

aspect of the Harajuku look. Getting noticed

is the other. So, dive head first into this

genie bottle of pinkness, and allow Faline’s

owner Baby Mama to accessorise you. Then

join the kawaii parade on Takeshita-dori -

Harajuku’s main kawaii fashion area. You’re

sure to be noticed there! www.faline.tokyo


MEVLÂNA FESTIVAL

Turkey’s famous whirling dervishes are famous the world over, and the country’s annual Mevlâna ceremony attracts more than

100,000 visitors to the Anatolian city of Konya to commemorate the death of 13th-century Sufi poet, Mevlâna Celaleddin-I Rumi

10-18 December 2018

The Presidential Suite

Raffles Europejski Warsaw

Nicholas Chrisostomou spends a long weekend getting

acquainted with the Polish capital from the decadent

surroundings of the country’s most opulent accommodation:

The Presidential Suite at RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAW

Every cultured traveller, discerning globetrotter and hospitality professional knows the

Raffles story. I mean, who hasn’t visited Singapore’s famous Long Bar to sip on a Sling,

nibble on monkey nuts and drop the shells on the floor?! The famous cocktail was

developed at historic Raffles Singapore in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, and has

since become an inherent part of the hotel’s rich heritage. More than a century later

and the tradition is now a must-do for any seasoned traveller visiting the Southeast Asian island

city state, and the Singapore Sling has become a firm fixture on every decent cocktail list around

the world. But, successfully combining 21st century accommodations, modern technology and

contemporary detailing with the historic 130-year-old Raffles brand, to create a new cutting-edge

luxury hotel offering to satisfy the needs of today’s pampered travellers, is another prospect entirely.

And appropriately honouring Raffles’ heritage while propelling the premium luxury brand into the

future is no mean feat.

Mid-2016, AccorHotels spent US$3 billion to purchase Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI),

the Toronto-based parent company of the Fairmont, Swissôtel and Raffles brands. The move

instantly positioned Accor as a leading player in the luxury hotel market, made it the largest hotel

group in the world (outside the States), and prompted it to form a standalone luxury brands group

which incorporates Sofitel Legend, SO/ and MGallery as well as FRHI’s brands, amongst others.

Operating independently within Accor to ensure that the hotel group delivers the personalised

experiences, top-end services and luxury levels that today’s discerning travellers expect, has

enabled Accor’s LUXE division to focus on and grow its luxury brands with exacting detail. If the first

new Raffles property to open since Accor purchased FRHI is anything to go by, luxury hotels have

just entered another dimension and Accor is in the driving seat.

It is very rare that the top-to-toe renovation of any hotel genuinely returns a once shining

hospitality grand dame to its former glory without sacrificing something. Be it the building’s history,

super-luxe touches, modern conveniences or sprawling facilities, something is usually lost in the

renovation process which renders the reincarnated hotel slightly less than perfect. However, when a

renovation is a resounding success and careful attention to detail has been paid, hospitality classics

are reborn for generations to come and true hotel greatness is achieved. In recent years this can be

said of London’s Savoy, The Peninsula Paris and Rosewood’s spectacular transformation of ►


Hôtel de Crillon. After my stay at what is undoubtedly Poland’s most sumptuous hotel today,

Raffles Europejski Warsaw firmly belongs on the very same esteemed list.

Rarely does one visit a landmark hotel which not only satisfies all the usual requirements of a fivestar

grand dame but also pleases the eye and provokes the mind, complete with a historic pedigree

dating to the mid-19th century carefully woven through the property. Proudly Polish Raffles

Europejski Warsaw - which re-opened its glamorous doors this summer after a painstaking fouryear

refurb - achieves all of this and more, thanks to the skilled work of Warsaw-based architects

WWAA working with National Opera House stage designer Boris Kudlicka and architects APA

Wojciechowski, all under the close supervision of Warsaw’s Conservator of Historic Buildings.

Originally opened in 1857 as Hotel Europejski and occupying a beautiful Enrico Marconi¬-designed

neo-Renaissance palace, back in the day this grand edifice on Warsaw’s Royal Route was the

favoured hangout of the city’s elite, attracting artists and luminaries from around the world, for,

amongst other things, piano recitals in the vaulted-ceilinged Pompejanska Room. The same

spectacular room is now a central part of Raffles Europejski Warsaw’s Presidential Suite, the hotel’s

crowning accommodation. It was to the spend the weekend in this historic suite that I travelled to

Poland, although not before seeing the rest of the stunning 106-room property, whose new-found

grace, poise and tranquillity have seemingly captivated today’s movers and shakers in Warsaw.

The amalgamation of modern art and classic architecture in any building can totally transform a

space, and extend the reach of artworks way beyond where they’re displayed. Nowhere is this more

evident than Raffles Europejski Warsaw, where the hotel’s lovingly curated collection of some 500

pieces of modern and contemporary Polish art not only accentuates the historic building, but also

imbues it with an overriding sense of vitality, aptly at the beginning of its new lease of life.

The massive building’s classic exterior façades, complete with typically Polish rounded corners,

modest columned portico and relatively unpretentious entrance, give little clue as to the hotel’s

glamorous interior. But, once inside, it is immediately obvious that Raffles Europejski Warsaw is a

rather special hotel.

An elegantly civilised street-level entrance foyer, peppered with custom-designed furnishings ►


and lighting, is where guests first encounter the hotel’s art collection, in the form of Włodzimierz

Jan Zakrzewski’s futuristic bent neon light installation “Borders”, which pays homage to Poland’s

changed land borders over the years. A few steps up, and guests find themselves on a long, striped

carpet by Leon Tarasewicz, and beneath a dramatic, lengthy ceiling installation made up of an

undulating series of 160 large hand-blown glass pebbles by Filip Houdek, each of which signifies

a year of the building’s life. Opposite the main entrance is a 1960s chandelier re-imagined as an

illuminated and wall-mounted mirrored kaleidoscope. Leon Tarasewicz also painted the twenty

striking striped panels which line one side of a corridor that glamorously leads the way to the

hotel’s main restaurant, and are dramatically reflected in a wall of smoked mirrored glass. It is

these statement pieces and more on the ground floor which set the contemporary artistic tone that

permeates the entire building, and make an emphatic super-styled hotel design statement which is

utterly unique in Eastern Europe.

Works by many of Poland’s other top artists are also included in the hotel’s collection, including

black and white photography by avant-garde legend Tadeusz Kantor and work by Turner Prize

nominee Goshka Macuga, and every guest room - from entry level through to the largest suite -

LONG BAR

features pieces of original art. Where befitting, art pieces from the building’s previous life have also

been restored and incorporated in the new hotel, such as the delightful 1961 “Abduction of Europa”

mosaic by Krystyna Kozłowska, which now adorns a wall of the reception area of the excellent

onsite Raffles Spa.

Every piece of art in the property is catalogued in a book dedicated to the collection, which is

presided over by the hotel’s knowledgeable full-time art concierge, who also gives guided tours

ranging from an hour to half a day. The various facets of the collection are indeed fascinating, and a

day can easily be spent soaking it all in, together with the hotel’s four “Memory Rooms”, located in

different parts of the building, each of which provides a different curated snapshot of a piece of the

property’s past.

Art also features heavily in the hotel’s food and beverage venues, which were fashioned by

renowned Spanish designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. In Europejski Grill, bold blue and white pottery,

characteristic of Poland’s artisans, decorates the walls. Meanwhile, Warsaw’s very own Long Bar

is presided over by a giant, wall-mounted Jaroslaw Fliciński ceramic piece, “Blessed Relief”, ►


which stretches for many metres above the bottles lining the back bar.

Located in a corner of the building and at just over 270sqm, the hotel’s Presidential Suite is the very

best that Raffles Europejski Warsaw has to offer, and affords its lucky inhabitants sweeping views

up and down the Royal Route.

Entering the room - via a single, unobtrusive door set behind the suite’s high-backed private bar

- is a WOW moment if ever there was one. An unabashedly flash and OTT space, I was instantly

transported to a decadent world of 21st century luxury in a historical setting brimming with

beautiful, modern design at every turn. The hotel’s designers truly excelled themselves in fashioning

its Presidential Suite, and the overall effect is nothing short of spectacular.

Soaring ceilings dominated by a pair of mammoth crystal chandeliers share centre stage in the

former Pompejanska Room with an authentic, fully restored 19th century Budynowicz concert grand

piano, which pays homage to the recitals that took place in that very same place many decades

earlier. Yet, despite its size, the piano doesn’t look at all large at one end of the enormous room.

At the other end, a stunning bar and high stools are poised for a mixologist to entertain guests,

enclosed by high, curved, glass-fronted cabinets containing a variety of hand-cut crystal

glassware of all shapes and sizes, together with coloured antique decanters, vases and jugs.

A pair of vast curved sofas imitate the gently curving contours of the room, accessorised

with contemporary armchairs, occasional tables and countless other pieces of custom-made

furniture liberally positioned throughout.

Off one side of the open-plan main room is a dining area dominated by a huge marble table

and leather armchairs, above which hangs a modern interpretation of a chandelier, skilfully

juxtaposing modern lighting with the vintage crystal chandeliers in the adjacent space. Directly

opposite and off the other side of the main room is a beautiful dark wood desk, large enough

for even the most egotistical of CEO’s, behind which tall bookcases line the walls filled with

hardbacks, vintage vases and objets d’art. In fact, gorgeous objects are generously scattered

around the entire suite, taking the edge of what might otherwise have been a less welcoming

space, for, despite its mammoth size, this is not solely a showpiece suite. Rather, it is a lavish ►


place to sit, relax, read, eat and enjoy, and gather with friends over a cocktail or two.

At the centre of a dark wood-lined blacked oak floored study, sits an ink blue velvet two-seater

couch, above which a stunning abstract piece by Symon Szewczyk hangs. Not dissimilar to

a bijou gentlemen’s club, this room provides a more intimate space to curl up with a book or

catch the day’s news on one of the suite’s four screens. In this part of the suite, a warm palette

of muted pastels and gold accents prevails, which is in stark contrast to the bright whites of the

main entertaining spaces. From the study, a corridor leads to the main bathroom and master

bedroom, both of which are luxurious but modest compared to the rest of the suite’s vast

proportions.

A glitzy, dimly-lit guest powder room, and a sleek black half-kitchen (which can be accessed

by butlers via a separate entrance so as not to disturb the suite’s inhabitants) complete the

Presidential Suite’s generous collection of interconnected rooms and entertaining spaces.

Further rooms can be added via a connected lobby to enlarge the suite to two or three bedrooms.

On a trajectory to fast becoming the new Prague, Accor has stolen a march on its competitors

by opening what is undoubtedly the most lavish hotel in Poland, in a prime Warsaw location,

crowned by a Presidential Suite which must surely be the finest suite in the land.

Raffles Europejski Warsaw has not only introduced unadulterated 21st century luxury to the

Polish capital, but also a standout modern art collection, first class food and beverage venues

and a sumptuous spa, not to mention butlers for the first time in Poland. But, most importantly,

this completely rejuvenated grande dame of the Warsaw hospitality scene has set an incredibly

high new bar which will be difficult for any other hotel to reach. Herein lies Raffles Europejski

Warsaw’s finest achievement, and the key to its success in decades to come.

Nicholas Chrisostomou stayed in the Presidential Suite at Raffles

Europejski Warsaw in October 2018. The year-round nightly rate for the

suite is PLN18,360 including breakfast for two and airport transportation.

www.raffles.com/warsaw


ATI-ATIHAN

Believed to be around 800 years old, the Filipino fiesta of Ati-Atihan is an enthralling festival of constant

movement, drumming and feasting, not to mention a non-stop riot of exhibitionism, costume, music and dance

1-20 January 2019

MARTIN JONES INDULGES IN SOME LONG

HAUL LUXURY, IN A SPACIOUS SINGAPORE

AIRLINES AIRBUS A380 FIRST CLASS SUITE

The battle for commercial first class

supremacy in the skies has never been

greater. Every premium carrier either

regularly unveils revamped business and

first cabins, or introduces new way to provide

on-board luxury, in a constant battle to attract

premium passengers who prefer to splurge on first

class tickets and be pampered to spa-like standards,

rather than pool their resources and go private.

Currently, Etihad Airways almost certainly offers

the most opulent commercial experience in the

skies. Only found aboard the airline’s A380s and

located at the front of the first class cabin, The

Residence offers private, boutique three-room

apartment-like accommodation, including a

private shower room, a personal butler and Bentley

transfers at each end of the flight. But, as you’d

expect, The Residence is bloody expensive. A oneway

ticket from Abu Dhabi to New York will set you

back around USD30k, and The Residence is only

available on a limited number of Etihad routes.

Regarded by many as one of the world’s best

carriers, Singapore Airlines took its refined

reputation to new heights, when it unveiled

its new First Class Suites in November 2017,

as part of a redesign of all cabins aboard

its Airbus A380s. Each double decker has

just six of these private sanctuaries, located

in the front cabin of the upper deck.

Singapore Airlines’ First Class Suites are 50sq ft -

which is a lot of space by in-flight standards - and

boast a leather armchair and separate bed. Akin to

a bijou lounge, they also have a closing door. For

those travelling with a companion, the first two

suites can be combined into a double suite, offering

a larger bed and double the amount of space.

My first class experience began the moment I

entered the aircraft and presented my boarding

pass. A genuine welcome and smile came from

every attendant I came in contact with, and a

personal escort to my suite immediately gave me

the distinct feeling that ‘I’m going to enjoy this’.

Decked-out in a calming and neutral colour palette

of beige and light grey, the first class cabin felt

warm, stylish and elegant, not to mention exclusive.

The first glimpse of my private onboard sanctuary

was truly a WOW moment. Singapore Airlines

has undoubtedly re-defined luxury air travel.

Separated from the aisle by sliding doors and

surrounded by high walls to ensure privacy, all

suites are identical in their decor and design,

having been conceived as hotel rooms. ►


A prompt familiarisation tour of my suite revealed

many more amenities and features than I had

expected. Each suite is furnished with a halfmetre-wide

seat and a separate folding bed, thus

enabling you to lounge in the chair or rest in the

bed without the need to convert the bed from

a sitting position. Onboard a plane, this takes

some getting used to! The amply-sized foldout

meal table is concealed in a side ledge.

The armchair is upholstered in premium Poltrona

Frau leather - a renowned, Italian furniture

maker, which also boasts Ferrari and Maserati

among its clients. The reclining, super-comfy

chair was the epitome of comfort, and was fully

adjustable to provide a variety of sitting and

lounging positions. It also swivelled towards the

windows or into the suite. The option to sit and

look where I wanted was a luxury in itself.

All of the suite’s features are controlled by a handset

in the armrest, an electronic side panel and a

tablet by the windows. A large 32” HD touchscreen

monitor can be swivelled depending on where

the passenger wants to watch the TV from.

Within minutes I was offered Krug Vintage

(2004) or Dom Perignon Brut (2009). My

glass of Krug was poured professionally, with

a smile, and refilled as often as I wanted.

KrisWorld - Singapore Airlines’ inflight movie and

programme system - is of course the same in all

classes, and is without a doubt one of the best

entertainment offerings in the sky, with more than

1,000 options including plenty of music. Not that

I had the time, but SQ also offers a companion

app that allows travellers to discover what is

playing on KrisWorld before stepping onboard.

My chosen movie was enjoyed with another

glass of champagne and a delicious snack.

Singapore Airlines has a first class reputation for its

in-flight food, which is reflected in its collaboration

with a cluster of world-class award-winning chefs,

including Michelin-starred Sam Leong. Served

on Wedgwood crockery, my five-course in-flight

meal was world class and perfectly executed, with

balanced flavours and exquisite presentation as if

it had been served in a premium restaurant. I could

fault nothing about it (which is saying something for

me) including the service and the timeliness of each

course. We all eat with our eyes, and airline food is

rarely a meal our eyes tell us to eat, but I always find

on Singapore Airlines that the food is both visually

and taste appealing, no matter what class, so you

can imagine how it was in my first class suite. ►


Served in Lalique-designed crystal glassware, as

you would expect, the wine list was extensive

and a well-considered global representation

of truly wonderful award-winning wines.

The list had clearly been put together by

a team of professional sommeliers.

After dinner, it was time to get into my SQprovided

Lalique-branded pyjamas, which came

with a Lalique-branded amenity kit containing a

scented candle, lip balm, body lotion and soap.

The first class cabin was equipped with two large

washrooms to the front, one of which had a sitdown

vanity counter. Both were amply stocked

with Lalique toiletries, including a bespoke citrusscented

facial mist, body lotion and fragrance.

After changing and hanging my clothes in

my personal wardrobe, the flight attendant

instinctively asked, ‘can I make your bed Mr

Jones?’ Within minutes, the leather chair was

rotated and a wonderful, 2-metre single bed

folded down from the wall and was made into

a dreamy, white, super-comfy soft bed. The

suite was so well designed, that the TV was

perfectly visible from the bed and the controls

were incredibly easy to use. I selected a movie

and dozed off into a wonderful sleep, although

not before another glass or two of Krug.

My sleep was seamless and plentiful, and because

I was on a long-haul flight, there was still time

to wake and have breakfast before landing.

Breakfast consisted of fresh OJ, sliced fruits,

bircher muesli, rolled oats soaked in milk and

natural yoghurt with fresh berries. Complete

with pancakes served with Kaya mascarpone

cheese, mixed berries and apple compote,

my breakfast was tasty, plentiful and truly

felt like it had been prepared just for me.

The entire Singapore Airlines First Class Suite

experience was the ultimate exercise in air

travel self-indulgence, and I honestly could

not fault it from take-off to landing.

Martin Jones travelled in a Singapore Airlines

First Class Suite from Zurich to Singapore on

28th September 2018, under his own steam


TIMKAT

On the eve of Timkat - the greatest festival for Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia - sacred replicas of the Ark of the Covenant are

wrapped in luxurious cloth and placed on the heads of priests to be carried out of the church in procession with the clergy

19 January 2019

No Shoes Required

AT

KANUHURA

Carolyn McKay escapes her everyday

life to spend a few days on the idyllic

Maldivian haven of Kanuhura,

where peace and tranquillity

prevail rather than A-listers

and brash billionaires.


IiIdyllic island getaways surrounded by

stunning white-sand beaches, azure

waters teeming with all manner of sea life

and abounding luxury tend to typify the

sublime Maldives, set in the Indian Ocean around

800 kilometres off the west coast of Sri Lanka.

Providing a reliable opportunity for discerning travellers

to completely escape real, everyday life, on lavish,

serene havens which offer discreet, first class service,

makes the Maldives an obvious choice for a once in a

lifetime getaway, or a yearly sojourn for those who can

afford it. But there are now so many high-end Maldivian

offerings - where one can experience island life at its

most relaxed and explore amazing underwater worlds

- that choosing a resort is not as easy as it used to be.

Of the some 1,000 coral islands which make up the

Maldives’ twenty-something atolls, The Cultured

Traveller was destined for Kanuhura - an established

and much-loved resort in the peaceful and laid-back

Lhaviyani Atoll, located in a part of the sprawling nation

which is still relatively undeveloped. Hence my visit.

Whilst many luxury travel column inches are currently

prone to covering this pop star in that Maldivian

resort, regularly point out that ‘this award-winning

resort is a favourite among A-listers’, or extol the

virtues of a resort which ‘feels more French Riviera

than Maldives’ replete with hip nightspots and VVIP

lounges purpose-designed to cater for Hollywood’s

elite, The Cultured Traveller didn’t want any of that

(not on this trip anyway) but was rather seeking

a getaway somewhere one was unlikely to bump

into Leonardo DiCaprio on a tropical bender.

As is common with almost all deluxe Maldivian resorts,

I was greeted by Kanuhura’s staff immediately after

my relatively painless flight from Colombo to Malé,

and seamlessly transferred to a waterside lounge in

preparation for a short seaplane transfer. The stress and

cares of my daily life began to dissipate as soon as I sunk

into a comfy sofa with a fresh passionfruit and mango

concoction in my hand. A dashing young barefooted

pilot, at the helm of our half-hour hop, further

lightened the tone and enhanced the carefree mood.

It was hard not to be awestruck by the palmfringed

islands and deserted beaches of dazzling

white sand, framed by stunningly clear turquoise

waters (all of course synonymous with this part of

the Indian Ocean), as I soared overhead towards

Kanuhura. That short seaplane flight really felt like the

beginning of a rather special vacation experience.

Coming in to land on the calm lagoon, inside the reef

that surrounds and protects the resort, gave me a bird’s

eye view of long and narrow Kanuhura, as well as the

two smaller islands of Jehunuhura and Masleggihuraa

that make up this tranquil idyll in Lhaviyani Atoll.

Formal check-in procedures having been completed

in Malé meant that as I stepped off the seaplane,

to a backdrop of sarong-clad Maldivian drummers,

my barefoot adventures immediately began. ►


And, after a customary fresh juice and lemongrassscented

cold towel, I was whisked off for a whistle-stop

tour. An immediate orientation is of course optional,

since most guests are just desperate to get to their

lodgings and ditch their everyday clothes tout de suite.

But I wanted to know what was where a-sap, not least

so that I could make the most of my time at Kanuhura.

Appropriately known as ‘The Heart’, Kanuhura’s

central hub boasts the usual Maldivian resort

offerings, including a spa, gym and dive centre,

plus several restaurants and bars. From there,

broad pathways bordered by lush gardens and

colourful vegetation emanate outwards across the

large yet intimate-feeling island towards a variety

of 80 stylish yet unpretentious villas, generously

spaced apart, 60 of which sit directly on the beach.

Complimentary bicycles are readily available to get

around whilst buggies are also on hand if need be.

Leaving the main island via a wooden pier, I was

destined for one of Kanuhura’s 20 stilted over water

villas which was to be my temporary Maldivian home

for the next four days. Every Kanuhura villa boasts

stunning broad vistas, sunrise or sunset views, plus

a beachside location or private pool, or hovers over

the Indian Ocean. Mine was delightfully the latter,

with a wooden deck rolling straight into the sea.

Stepping onto the villa’s cool, whitewashed floors, my

shoes immediately came off, and stayed off for the

duration of my stay. Calming décor with a distinctly

sunny vibe is flashed with colour accents influenced

by the natural environment, including turquoise and

greens from the sky and sea, and soft pinks and oranges

from the corals of nearby reefs. Geometric prints

add fun. Natural light literally floods everywhere.

From atop the sumptuous king-sized bed I laid and

took in the spectacular uninterrupted ocean vistas.

A generous bathroom boasted a free-standing al

fresco tub complete with its own frangipani tree.

And the dressing room was amply stocked with the

full range of amenities for every activity that one

might embark upon during a Maldivian vacation.

I guess that the pièce de résistance (if one had to

choose my favourite part of the villa) was the outside

deck, which was cleverly designed to provide privacy

from neighbouring villas but large enough to feel

like a whole other room – complete with over water

hammocks adorned by plump pillows, a chaise ideal

for lazy morning coffees, generous sunbeds and

a bijou dining area. And with Kanuhura protected

by a natural reef, the waters under and around my

villa were teeming with everything from manta rays

and spinner dolphins to green turtles, yellow fin

tuna and puffer fish, providing a constant show.

Making so much use of woods, stone and other

natural materials throughout lends Kanuhura’s over

water villas a genuinely relaxed aesthetic without

seeming to try too hard, and it was easy to feel

‘at home’ very quickly. ►


That evening I curled up in a sitting nook and began

to work my way through the villa’s small but carefully

curated library, whilst intermittently gazing at the

ocean. For a Maldivian virgin, that first night was truly

an astonishing experience. My morning coffee was

accompanied by a soundtrack of the gently lapping

ocean whilst I watched the sunrise’s spreading glow.

Then, to my wonder, literally out of nowhere and

delightfully interrupting the tranquillity, a large pod

of spinning and jumping dolphins came into view,

appearing to rejoice in the new day.

Young, enthusiastic and professional staff throughout

Kanuhura make it very easy for guests to choose

and feel comfortable with whatever type of holiday

they settle on. More than 40 different dive sites

within an hour’s boat ride; a range of complimentary

classes including yoga, pilates and even Maldivian

warrior training, together with the usual snorkelling,

kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding (also free),

are complemented by tennis courts, volleyball nets

and even a football pitch thanks to the island’s ample

size. Kanuhura’s size also means that it’s easy to find

a shaded day bed or a deserted area of dazzling white

sand to indulge in some quiet time away from other

guests. Herein lies one of Kanuhura’s many qualities –

the abundance of so many options as well as enough

activities to keep guests busy for weeks on end. ►


One afternoon, after a short boat ride across the lagoon,

I found myself on Kanuhura’s exclusive deserted

island of Jehunuhura. Here, I lazed on a sunbed,

sipped cocktails and was spoiled with freshly grilled

seafood, including tuna tataki. I could happily have

remained on Jehunuhura for the duration of my stay.

Another afternoon I dropped anchor at dream-like

Kokaa spa. Staffed by highly-skilled therapists hailing

from Thailand, Indonesia and India, a wide range

of rejuvenating treatments are offered to unwind

both physically and emotionally as well as soothe

the soul. To fully experience Kokaa, arrive early and

make use of the steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi

before your treatment, and be sure to relax afterwards

with some ginger tea in the spa’s serene lounge.

Countless delectable culinary options abound at

Kanuhura, courtesy of five restaurants and two bars. Allday-dining

A Mano restaurant not only puts on a lavish

breakfast spread, but also serves delicious Maldivian

curries, divine Chinese dim sum and supremely fresh

sushi and sashimi. Poolside Bottega dishes up authentic

Italian fare with style and flair. Meanwhile, on the

beach, Veli is everything one expects from a deluxe

Maldivian feet-in-the-sand dining experience, complete

with an open kitchen serving traditional Asian-Fusion

cuisine. It’s worth skipping lunch to be sure of a hearty

appetite to feast under the stars on Veli’s delectable

tandoori lobster, prepared in a traditional Indian oven.

One evening I set sail in a traditional Maldivian

dhoni for a sunset fishing expedition. Whilst not

an experienced angler, within moments and to my

great surprise, I caught a red mullet. The next day

at Cowry Bar, my catch was grilled and served for

lunch with a zesty lemongrass sauce. I have to say

that eating one’s own catch was deeply satisfying!

Either pre-dinner for sundowners or post-dinner for

a digestif, Iru Beach Bar on the northern tip of the

island is the perfect place to recline with a fancy

drink and forget that the real world exists. Although

pretty much everywhere I wondered barefoot around

Kanuhura was carefree and super-relaxed. And whilst

the resort was running at high’ish occupancy during

my stay, it was not unusual to pad around the island’s

shores without seeing another soul for hours.

After packing my bags, I stepped onto the deck of my

villa to enjoy one more glimpse of the cyan waters

in all their glory. Leaving such a haven is never easy,

but Kanuhura’s wonderfully friendly staff, for whom

nothing was too much trouble, made it even more

difficult to say goodbye. I reluctantly found my shoes

that had been tossed aside days earlier, and made

my way across the island for my seaplane ride to

the real world, vowing to return to my Maldivian

heaven at the next available opportunity.

www.kanuhura.com


EUROPE’S D

WINTER W OF

SPOTLIGHT

ELUXE

ONDER

I

n the summer of 1864, Swiss hotelier Johannes Badrutt made a bet that would change the course of history for

mountain resorts all over Europe. Until then, Alpine towns served as summer escapes, attracting the ladies and

gentlemen of Europe with promises of fresh mountain air, breath-taking views and a collection of daring outdoor

pursuits. But Badrutt claimed that his guests would find the town of St. Moritz just as agreeable during the winter

months, and promised that while much of Europe endured a bitter winter, his mountain village would be bathed in

sunshine. He was so confident that he made a bet with the last of his British summer guests that if they returned to

St. Moritz for the winter and found it disagreeable, he would cover their travel expenses. Needless to say, Badrutt won

the bet, and winter tourism was born. The rest, as they say, is history.

For the last century and a half, resorts across Europe have competed to offer luxurious lodgings, world-class

gourmet encounters and one-of-a-kind winter experiences for their well-heeled visitors, making the most

of spectacular mountain settings to create year-round destinations. As the travelling community has become

increasingly adventurous, other new winter destinations have emerged outside the traditional Alpine regions,

enchanting visitors with awe-inspiring natural wonders; confident in their proposition that cold weather is no

reason not to travel. With a selection of European resorts, hotels, lodges and chalets that gets more decadent

by the year, The Cultured Traveller takes a look at eight new arrivals for 2018/19 to help you plan where to

spend your winter season in style.

FABRIZIO CASIRAGHI

THE EXPERIMENTAL CHALET

VERBIER, SWITZERLAND

In the Swiss resort of Verbier, there’s one rule in the skiers’ code of conduct that supersedes

all others: ‘work hard; play hard’. For guests at The Experimental Chalet, the latter is a given.

The chalet sits directly above the Farm Club, an iconic institution that has welcomed Verbier’s bold

and beautiful for long nights of fun since 1971. Both the chalet and the club have been taken over by

the Experimental Group; purveyors of refined hospitality and fine beverages at locations in Paris, New

York, London and Ibiza. Many of the 39 rooms and suites, each elegantly finished by interior designer

Fabrizio Casiraghi, feature spacious terraces and outdoor Jacuzzis, with emerald green furnishings

that pop against stark white walls. Parisian chef Gregory Marchand has taken over the kitchens of

the Chalet Restaurant, which serves hearty Alpine dishes alongside more contemporary fare; and the

Group has collaborated with French skincare brand Biologique Recherche to create a spa with its

own harman and solarium. Days will end and nights begin by the fireside of the cocktail bar, before

the irresistible pull of the Farm Club draws guests downstairs for long nights of carousing.

www.experimentalchalet.com


LE REFUGE DE SOLAISE

VAL D’ISÈRE, FRANCE

For those who really want to escape it all this winter, Le Refuge de Solaise might be the answer.

Perched at an altitude of 2,551 metres and accessible only by gondola, Le Refuge is the new

incarnation of the former Le Solaise cable car station, the first ever built in the French resort

of Val D’Isère. Comprising three private apartments and 18 luxuriously appointed rooms, plus

a well-appointed dormitory for younger skiers, the chalet boasts magnificent views over the

valley which are best enjoyed by the fireside in its library lounge. Its unique location half way

up the mountain means guests can be the first on the slopes each morning, and owners

Jean-Charles Coravel and Jean-Claude Borel have added thoughtful touches to keep guests

entertained during bad weather days or long winter evenings, including a first-class restaurant,

an inviting spa with 25-metre swimming pool and a film screening room. Rooms pay tribute

to traditional Alpine décor, with patterned carpets and wall panels, and generous swathes

of bare stone and wood. The eight-bedroom Penthouse apartment and the restaurant debut

this season, but visitors will have to wait another year for the remaining rooms and spa.

www.lerefuge-valdisere.com


CRYSTAL RIDE

ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND

With its collection of handsome accommodation, renowned nightlife

and invigorating mountain experiences, Zermatt makes a convincing

argument for the title of Switzerland’s most refined ski resort. This

year, the town has upped the ante on the luxury stakes, with the

new Matterhorn Glacier Ride, which whisks passengers up to the

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise ski area in just nine minutes. Four of

the 25 cabins on the cableway offer a little something extra for

riders, embellished as they are with 280,000 Swarovski crystals,

which shimmer and sparkle in the Alpine air. These Crystal Ride

cabins, designed by Italian Pininfarina studio, are inspired by

the world of high-end automobiles, with 28 seats upholstered

in Alcantara and leather, and an LED-lit starry sky ceiling. And

there’s one more trick up their sleeve: three minutes into the

journey up the mountain, the white floor fades into a completely

translucent glass, revealing the snow-covered mountainside

170-metres below your boots. Not for the faint-hearted.

www.matterhornparadise.ch


CHALET L’ALPENSIA AT L’APOGÉE COUCHEVEL

COURCHEVEL, FRANCE

The collection of luxury hotels, lodges and chalets in Courchevel is unrivalled in France, with some of the

country’s most exclusive hideaways providing world-class accommodation for discerning guests. When L’

Apogée Courchevel opened five winters ago, the 55-room hotel quickly claimed its place among the best of

the best, with stylish interiors by Parisian design duo India Madhavi and Joseph Dirand, and some of the

largest rooms and suites in Courchevel. New for this season, Chalet L’Alpensia is fresh icing on the cake: a

550 sqm five-bedroom chalet spread across five floors, complete with its own spa, home cinema and the

services of a private butler and chef. Part of the exclusive Oetker Collection, L’ Apogée Courchevel offers

guests ski-in/ski-out access to the surrounding Trois Vallées ski area and a host of gastronomic

experiences, including sushi and sake at Koori, gourmet dining at Le Comptoir L’Apogée, and a sumptuous

Cigar Lounge in which to enjoy the finer things in life.

www.oetkercollection.com


KULM COUNTRY CLUB

ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND

The glamorous Swiss resort of St. Moritz was the birthplace of winter tourism, and still boasts some

of Europe’s oldest winter sports institutions. Few share the celebrity status of the Kulm Country Club,

which became the de facto haunt of St. Moritz’s most discerning visitors soon after it opened in 1905.

The club hosted figure skating events during the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympic Games, and was a

year-round destination for sports fans and socialites alike. British architect and St. Moritz resident Sir

Norman Foster was commissioned to breathe new life into the club ahead of last year’s Alpine Ski World

Championships; tasked with restoring the glamour of its early years, while preserving the traditional Swissstyle

architecture. The new-look venue blends old and new, with two new timber pavilions that serve as

seating and stages for sporting and music events, a permanent exhibition displaying vintage winter sports

paraphernalia, and an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant and sun terrace helmed by chef Daniel Müller.

www.kulm.com


ELEMENTS 007

SÖLDEN, AUSTRIA

When the production team behind the 2015 James Bond film Spectre were tasked with finding a

venue for a futuristic Alpine clinic, their search took them across Switzerland, Italy and Austria, before

they stumbled upon a perfect fit: the ice Q restaurant in the Austrian resort of Sölden. Scenes shot at

the venue, which is perched at 3,048-metres atop Gaislachkogl Mountain, precede one of the film’s

epic chase sequences, which sees Bond hurtling after a convoy of cars down the mountain. To

commemorate the resort’s moment in the spotlight, a local developer commissioned architect Johann

Obermoser (who also created ice Q restaurant and the adjacent ski lift) to design Elements 007, a

museum and exhibition space dedicated to the world of Bond. With an industrial-feel architectural

aesthetic that emerges from the side of the slopes, before burrowing into the mountain, the opening

of Elements 007 this year cemented Sölden’s reputation as one of the coolest resorts in Europe.

Galleries use multi-sensory elements to tell the story of the franchise, drawing visitors into an

environment that feels every bit like you’re walking into a real life Bond villain lair.

www.007elements.soelden.com


LE MASSIF

COURMAYEUR, ITALY

Italy’s ski resorts may not command as much column-width as those in other parts of Europe, but

the opening of Le Massif in Courmayeur could change all that. With interior design that blends

minimal Alpine chic with full-gloss Milanese style, the 80-room hotel is thing of stark beauty.

Exposed wooden beams and weathered wall panels contrast with polished black marble columns,

gilded art deco furniture and statement design pieces, creating a sleek environment that befits the

latest member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Set in the heart of Courmayeur, Le Massif has

its own in-house ski concierge, a full-service spa, and a kids club that offers all-day childcare for

parents who want some alone time on the slopes. As well as the hotel’s own pair of restaurants

and two bars, guests have priority access to the mountainside restaurant and bar, La Loge du

Massif, which promises first-class Italian cuisine served alongside spectacular views of Mont

Blanc from the terrace.

www.lemassifcourmayeur.com


CHEVAL BLANC COURCHEVEL

COURCHEVEL, FRANCE

If dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh is your kind of thing, you might like to try your

hand at skijoring during your stay at Cheval Blanc Courchevel. The exclusive LVMH hotel is inviting its

guests to explore the wintry landscape of the resort’s Jardin Alpine while skiing along behind a horse;

one well-trained in this traditional Nordic mode of transport, which affords all the magic of cross-country

skiing without having to do any work. The hotel has also introduced a traditional Russian banya for the

2018/19 season; a dry-heat sauna surrounded by mounds of fresh powdery snow, into which brazen

bathers will dive, toning the body and fortifying the mind. Cheval Blanc has teamed up with Louis Vuitton

to turn its entrance into an enchanted garden for this festive season, complete with a magnificent

Christmas tree dressed with signature Louis Vuitton baubles: every bit the winter wonderland deluxe.

www.chevalblanc.com


TAIWAN’S LANTERN FESTIVAL

Every year, thousands of shining decorative lanterns, bearing the wishes of

their owners, illuminate the night skies over rural Pingxi District in New Taipei

19 February - 3 March 2019

TRAVELLER

LOWDOWN

24-HOURS

24-HOUR

IN MOSCOW

Brimming with places to see, taste, sip & spend, lively open-allwhich

sit comfortably alongside kooky architecture, artistic hot-spo

24-hours in the Russian capital, which is perfect for discerning t

hours MOSCOW is a veritable mix of historical and iconic sights

ts and world-class opera and ballet. The Cultured Traveller spends

ravellers seeking a cultural yet exhilarating city break experience

Moscow is often considered a tricky city to visit.

Home to some 15 million people, Moscow is

sprawling and fast-paced and hence can be

disorienting to many. People always seem to be rushing

around and their abruptness is often mistaken for

unhelpfulness which actually couldn’t be further from

the truth.

The traffic can be a nightmare, so you really need to

know where you’re going. And the weather can be

anything from frighteningly cold to scorchingly hot, so

care needs to be taken when planning a visit. So why

visit Moscow? In short, the Russian metropolis is one

of the world’s most breathtaking capital cities, and the

incredibly wide range of easily accessible entertainment

options and contemporary landmarks make it an intensely

enriching option for anyone with a penchant for a vibrant

metropolis, or partial to an energetic city break. And

Moscow’s renown for being a truly 24-hour capital make

it an ideal destination for those with only a day or two to

spare who revel in the special buzz of an all-night city,

packed with nightclubs, bars and shopping centres. In

Moscow, one can truly experience a complete Russian

immersion in just 24 well-planned hours.

Despite Russia’s annexation of Crimea stirring-up cold war

sentiments, Moscow has very much been moving with

the times. In a frenzy of urban renewal and for some years

now, sturdy Stalinist architecture has been making way

for shimmering skyscrapers, gleaming offices and stylish

hotels. The St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya, which opened

just a few years ago, is housed within a complex of

historical buildings originally constructed in the 1870s at

the corner of Nikolskaya Street and Lubyanka Square. The

hotel’s proximity to the Bolshoi, the Kremlin, Red Square

and the city’s main shopping district make the 210-

room St. Regis (including 44 sumptuous suites) the ideal

place to stay during a city break in the Russian capital.

(www.stregismoscow.com)

If you arrive in Moscow armed with a basic knowledge of

the Cyrillic alphabet (so you can read street names) you’ll

honestly get around a lot faster! Devised during the 10thcentury

and based on the Greek uncial script, the Cyrillic

basics are easier to master than you might think.

Synonymous with cold war mystery and intrigue, the

ancient fortress of the Kremlin is the official residence of

President Vladimir Putin and has been the nerve centre

of the nation’s power for more than half a millennium.

Within the Kremlin’s walls, tsars were crowned ►


and countless heads of the Orthodox Church are buried

in the golden domed Dormition Cathedral. This most

sacred of Russian Orthodox churches (not to mention

the nation’s patriarchal cathedral) combines Russia’s

Byzantine heritage with the art and architecture of the

Italian Renaissance. You won’t need more than half

an hour to see Cathedral Square and the other public

areas of the Kremlin, but allow more time if you wish to

visit the Armoury Chamber of Tsarist jewels and relics,

for which you’ll need a separate ticket. The Kremlin’s

gates open at 10am and tickets should be purchased in

advance, online. (https://tickets.kreml.ru/en/#id=1)

After leaving the Kremlin, head back through Alexander

Gardens (towards Red Square) to catch the changing

of the guard (every hour on the hour) at the Tomb of

the Unknown Soldier. Unsurprisingly, the manoeuvre is

executed with military precision.

In cobblestoned Red Square - site of Tsarist executions

and Soviet military parades of might, to impress leaders

and intimidate the West - lies the mummified body

of the father of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Ilyich

Lenin. Despite constant whispers about removing Lenin,

for now the frozen-in-time hero of the 1917 October

Revolution is still in his marble mausoleum (which

is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and you can

see him free of charge from 10am ‘til 1pm Monday

to Friday. In reality, Lenin looks more like a Madame

Tussauds’ wax figure than a well-preserved corpse, but

the unusual Soviet-era spectacle is definitely worth

experiencing when in Moscow.

Even after only a few minutes underground - adhering

to the strict no-talking, no-photography and no-cell

phone policy in Lenin’s mausoleum - exiting into the

sunlight of Red Square can be a little disorientating,

especially when confronted by Disney-esque St. Basil’s

Cathedral, erected by Ivan the Terrible in the 1550s.

Built around the cathedral’s 156-foot high central

nave are nine small, separate chapels that are aligned

to points on the compass, four of which are raised to

designate their position between heaven and earth.

Each is crowned with a different, intensely colourful

onion-like dome. Moscow’s most popular tourist

attraction is floodlit at night when it takes on a unique

fairytale quality, so do pass by again after dinner, time

permitting.

Moscow’s chandelier-dripping public transport system

is a cultural attraction in itself, filled with bronze

columns, sculptures and statues, com¬mu¬nist murals,

beautiful mosaics and stained-glass. Every day more

Muscovites travel on the network than the London

and New York systems combined, and they seldom

wait more than a few minutes for a train. It’s busy and

hectic but experiencing the Moscow Metro is a must.

Ride the Circle Line to best appreciate the network’s

inherent socialist art deco styling. The Komsomolskaya

and Mayakovskaya stops are particularly impressive. ►


Get off the metro at Pushkinskaya, and grab lunch on the

run in the area around Patriarch’s Pond. At Café Margarita,

around GBP15 will buy you a hearty Russian lunch such

as pancakes with caviar and salt herring (28 Malaya

Bronnaya Street - Tel +7 (495) 299 6534).

A spot of shopping is always a pleasant pastime after

lunch, and there’s nowhere better to stock up on vodka

and caviar than famed Eliseevsky supermarket at 14

Tverskaya. Trading for well over a hundred years and

named in honour of its former millionaire owner Grigory

Eliseev, huge crystal chandeliers hang in decadent, neo-

Baroque Tsarist-era interiors, making shopping here a

unique retail experience. And, like many of the city’s stores,

Eliseevsky is open 24-hours, so you can swing by anytime.

(www.eliseevskiy.ru/e_home.htm)

For a more designer shopping experience, head back to

Red Square and wander around imposing GUM shopping

mall. Stuffed full of fancy stores, GUM is a place to see and

be seen rather than shop, but it’s worth having a peek

inside nevertheless. (https://gumrussia.com)

A pleasurable 15-minute walk from GUM - much of it

along the banks of the Moscow River - will take you to

Gorky Park. Until fairly recently, the city’s biggest green

space was rather forlorn, but a major revamp (courtesy of

Roman Abramovich) has ridden the place of biker gangs

and drunken soldiers, and turned the park into a delightful

haven in which to pause for breath during a busy day, with

rose gardens, beaches, trickling fountains and free wi-fi

attracting a hip local crowd. (http://park-gorkogo.com/en)

If you want to grab a bite in Gorky, Lebedinoe Ozero

(meaning “Swan Lake”) serves delicious grilled fish

and kebabs, al fresco when the weather permits. (9/22

Krymsky Val - Tel +7 (495) 782 5813)

Across the road from Gorky Park, at 10 Krymsky Val, is

the New Tretyakov gallery which boasts an exceptional

collection of Soviet art, including a breathtaking

array of Russian avant-garde works. Meanwhile, the

original Tretyakov gallery at 10 Lavrushinsky Lane

houses the world’s most impressive collection of

Russian art. This includes icons by Andrei Rublev and

renowned 19th-century realist painter Ilya Repin’s dark

portrayal of Ivan the Terrible murdering his own son.

(www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en)

No visit to Moscow would be complete without a visit

to painstakingly renovated Café Pushkin, the longstanding

champion of haute cuisine à la Russe. ►



The venue’s early 19th-century Russian aristocratic

splendour, combined with waiters in period costume,

provide a fantastic backdrop to traditional fare

which includes beef stroganoff, pelmeni meat

dumplings and sweet Russian syrnyky pancakes.

(https://cafe-pushkin.ru/en)

Don’t fret if you’ve managed to land tickets to the

Bolshoi and need to eat late at night, because from

Italian pasta to Russian borsch and hand-crafted

cocktails, you can find pretty much any kind of food and

beverage after midnight in Moscow. There’s absolutely

no need to settle for fast-food. In fact, according to

Russian aristocratic tradition, if you are a rich or

powerful person (or just want to appear like one), you

simply must behave like a night owl in Moscow.

Apparently, mornings are for the working classes who

rise early and shuffle out in the grey Moscow twilight to

toil. Influential Russians simply don’t do mornings, apart

from a few hours on the ‘phone and mid-afternoons

in the office sorting out the business of the day before

preparing for a night filled with adventure. Moscow is

even peppered with 24-hour flower shops. So, whether

you have a post-party hunger, are craving a late supper,

wish to propose to your loved-one in the middle of the

night or simply don’t want to sleep, Moscow is the city

for you and your night-owl pals.

REVIEW

ORA

HELSINKI

Food

Atmosphere

From London to New York and Tokyo to Sydney, the concept

of farm to table is one of the most integral influences on

contemporary fine dining. It has got to the point where it is hard

to walk into a quality restaurant, anywhere in the world, without

finding a menu liberally seasoned with hipster buzzwords (not least

‘organic’, ‘locally sourced’ and the perennial ‘sustainable’) underlining

the chef’s environmental credentials as well as the plat du jour.

In Finland’s picturesque capital of Helsinki, chefs have been

quietly championing this approach for years, and now the rest of

the world is starting to notice. Helsinki restaurants are gaining

an increasing international reputation for their refreshingly

innovative use of ingredients, skilfully combining Nordic traditions

and global influences, with a huge focus on showcasing

the best Finnish produce, from the forest to the sea.

Produce is picked or foraged in season, often from a restaurant’s

own gardens. Wild mushrooms, edible flowers and Arctic berries

provide splashes of colour across hearty dishes of pork, beef

and reindeer. Meanwhile, fresh seafood caught in the Baltic and

Finland’s many lakes is presented in a myriad of enticing ways,

from creamy salmon soup to graavilohi (raw salmon cured in

salt, sugar and dill), smoked herring and succulent crayfish.

There is an emphasis on providing diners with an intimate and highly

personal experience. Instead of cavernous restaurants with teams of

chefs running a production line, owner-chefs oversee restaurants little

bigger than a suburban sitting room, emerging from the kitchen to greet

guests and give them a better appreciation of the dishes set before them.

No one personifies this better than Sasu Laukkonen. The charismatic,

globe-trotting Finn is a tireless ambassador for his country’s cuisine, and

is ebullient that pride in local produce is growing. In 2010, he opened

what he describes as the first organic-based restaurant in Finland,

Chef & Sommelier. Chef & Sommelier quickly became a favourite with

discerning Finns and was presented with a Michelin star in 2014,

retaining it every year until Laukkonen closed the restaurant in 2017 to

open his latest venture, ORA, which operates from the same premises.

So, what has changed? A lot and a little. ORA has the same underlying

philosophy as Chef & Sommelier; a strong focus on sustainability,

no waste cooking and pure Finnish ingredients, but there’s “more

focus on local than ever before,” Laukkonen enthuses. “ORA just

might be the first ever top restaurant in Finland that uses 99 per

cent Finnish produce. ORA is more dynamic and has more of a

story to tell.” Like its predecessor, the restaurant is swiftly building

an enviable reputation, winning its first Michelin star this year.

The restaurant is situated on Huvilakatu in Helsinki’s enchanting Art

Nouveau neighbourhood of Ullanlinna, where a wealth of covetable turnof-the-20th-century

townhouses, in complementary shades of salmon

pink, lemon yellow and rich cream, line the streets. It’s a 10-minute drive

from the city centre, but the 20-minute walk is much more rewarding! ►


Huvilakatu has been voted the prettiest street in Helsinki and

it’s not hard to see why. Step inside number 28 and you will find

yourself in a cozy, tastefully appointed space that seats just 23

people (booking ahead is paramount). Cream walls are adorned

with circular mirrors, and tables face the open-plan kitchen so that

diners can observe the intricacies of their food being prepared.

The chunky, dark timber furniture was hand-made by local

carpenter Joonas Vaissi and co-designed by Laukkonen, using

wood from Finland’s national tree, the birch. The emphasis on

local design is reinforced with glassware by iconic Finnish brand

Iittala and wooden trays by Vaasa carpenter Jonas Granfors.

Arriving at ORA feels more like visiting friends than going to a

Michelin-starred restaurant. Laukkonen whirls around talking

to guests, explaining ingredients and cooking techniques, all

the while dipping in and out of the kitchen. His team of five -

including manager and sommelier Aino Tuomikoski, and Dublinborn

sous chef Adam Kavanagh - are clearly as enthusiastic

as he is, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the exuberance

of people who are clearly so passionate about their craft. It

probably helps that the restaurant is open from Wednesday to

Saturday only, giving everyone a three-day break every week.

The dining concept is simple. The six-course set menu changes

often, according to micro-seasons, with ingredients sourced from an

organic school garden in Helsinki’s green neighbourhood of Kumpula

and the restaurant’s own garden in Sipoo, about 20 minutes from

the city. An accompanying wine flight showcases the produce of

boutique, organic European vineyards. The Cultured Traveller had

not been seated for more than five minutes before a local farmer

wandered in carrying giant zucchinis destined for diners’ tables.

On the evening of The Cultured Traveller’s visit, the experience

began with freshly picked peas and clear currants, dressed with

oil of jalapeno and pineapple leaf, followed by juicy Inari whitefish

with kohlrabi (a variety of wild cabbage), tendrils of spring onion

and a delectably crunchy new potato croquette, accompanied by a

light garganega from Veneto and a perky pinot noir from Austria’s

Kamptal region. The dishes were infused with a harmonious

collusion of flavours, boding well for what was to come.

In between nibbles of whitefish and croquette, I glanced around

at the diverse clientele: behind sat a fashionably dressed young

couple in their twenties, the woman drawing appreciative glances

with an on-trend tomato red dress and new season Gucci crossbody

bag. Meanwhile, a trio of forty-something ladies in floaty

floral dresses chatted animatedly. To my left sat a family with

adult children. At the next table a couple in their sixties sipped

wine. The overall ambience was relaxed and convivial, a far cry

from the stiff formality of many fine dining establishments.

The third course was the zucchini that had been carried in earlier,

since charcoal-grilled and served with muikku, another species ►


of whitefish, lavender, herbs and divinely fresh homebaked

oregano bread, accompanied by home churned

butter and sea salt. This was a wonderful preamble to

a salty, tangy chunk of organic pork loin, presented

with a sunflower pesto and caramelised carrots as

well as a mustard seed and cider sauce. As I nibbled

appreciatively, sipping on a robust, perfectly paired

tempranillo graciano rioja, it occurred to me that the

background music was a trifle unusual: classic eighties

pop and rock, from Flock of Seagulls’ I Ran, to A Ha’s

Take on Me, Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time and Kenny

Loggins’ Footloose. It was another reminder that the

sense of the serious was strictly confined to the plate.

But, come to think of it, is there any reason why haute

cuisine must be served to a sombre classical backdrop?!

The experience continued with desserts which were

as painstakingly assembled and beautifully presented

as each dish which had come before them. A riot of

edible marigold petals atop a rhubarb compote was

only just trumped by a sinfully creamy parfait with

cherry tomato jam, meadow flowers, red currants

and rosehip. The latter was almost too exquisite

to devour, but temptation eventually won out.

The Cultured Traveller departed ORA eminently satiated,

feeling that delicious soft, warm glow that one gets

after a memorably enjoyable evening of fine food,

superb vino and easy company. ORA’s emphasis

on local, organic produce taps right into the 21stcentury

culinary Zeitgeist, but it is not this that sets it

apart. Helsinki alone is full of restaurants with similar

concepts, albeit perhaps not quite as zealous. It is

the combination of a sustainable outlook with other

elements that makes for a magical, harmonious

whole: the intimate, engaging dining experience;

a passionate chef with a global outlook; a talented

team; genuinely warm and enthusiastic service,

and a commitment to using quality ingredients

to make the best possible flavour combinations.

The liberal sprinkling of playfulness at ORA, in an

industry which often takes food far too seriously, also

sets the restaurant apart from the throng.


ORA

Food:

Atmosphere:

Executive chef: Sasu Laukkonen

Address: 28 Huvilakatu, Helsinki 00150, Finland

Telephone: +358 400 959440

Email:

hello@orarestaurant.fi

Website:

www.orarestaurant.fi

Cuisine:

Modern local

Opening hours: Lunch: Saturday 12:00 - 15:00

Dinner: Wednesday, Thursday,

& Saturday 18:00 - 00:00

Dinner: Friday 16:00 - 00:00

Lunch price: 6-course menu EUR89

Dinner price: 6-course menu EUR89

Ideal meal: 6-course menu EUR89

Reservations: Essential

Wheelchair access: Yes

Children: Welcome. High chair available.

No kids’ menu but small portions available

Credit cards: All major

Parking:

Paid on-street parking adjacent to the restaurant

Reviewed by Dawn Gibson for dinner on 26th July 2018

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.


Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach to long drin

Today, mixologists are acutely aware of the importance of pai

well-matched mixers to bring out the best in a beverage, say

ks.

ring spirits with

s Joe Mortimer

TREND

CRAFT MIXERS

For decades, the producers

of premium spirits have put

considerable emphasis on

education and marketing

their products on both sides of the

bar. Billboard, TV and magazine

advertisements tempt consumers

to try their tipples, while product

training (and generous free samples)

win the recognition and loyalty of

bartenders. Even the smallest of

bars have traditionally stocked two

or three varieties of most liquors

and spirits, giving customers and

mixologists a choice of which

brand they choose as the “main”

component of mixed drinks.

But until relatively recently, bargoers

ordering long drinks would

have few options, if any, as to the

brand of mixer served with their

beverage. If you ordered a gin and

tonic in the late 1990s, it would be

served with whatever brand of tonic

water the bar happened to stock.

If you requested a whisky and soda,

those bubbles would usually have

come straight from the fountain.

The same was true of bitter lemon,

ginger ale and all the other humble

mixers lined up in fridges behind

bars around the world, and let’s not

get started on cola and lemonade.

But times, they are a changing.

People today are much more

discerning when it comes to the

products they consume; more

aware of quality and provenance

than ever before. The age of the

craft mixer is upon us. It’s great

news for consumers, who have the

opportunity to personalise their

drinks according to individual taste;

and good news for mixologists,

who can choose to bring out certain

characteristics of a spirit when

making long drinks or cocktails,

depending on their choice of mixer. ►


We have the gin revolution of the

early 2000s to thank for the change

in mind-set. As distilleries fought

it out to differentiate themselves

among an unending torrent of gin

varieties – different combinations

of botanicals creating wildly different

characteristics – bartenders began

to seek out different varieties of

tonic water, whose own variations

could enhance the flavour of a good

G&T, spurring a new generation

of craft mixer producers.

Suddenly, people on both sides

of the bar began to take note of

the not-so-obvious fact that the

beverage that makes up the largest

percentage of a mixed drink could

have a major impact on its overall

flavour and quality. Brands like

Fever Tree and Fentimans soon

became household names, and

the market-dominating brands like

Schweppes and Britvic suddenly

found themselves competing with

an army of independent producers.

Artisanal mixers put new emphasis

on what was once considered

the secondary component to a

long drink, thereby elevating the

importance of mixers as tools

in the bartender’s arsenal. Fastforward

to today and most skilled

bartenders are able to recommend

an appropriate mixer depending

on the customer’s choice of spirit,

or recommend a successful pairing

based on their preferences.

“Fresh ingredients are the way to

go in high-quality cocktails, and

so the mixers used should echo

the same premium standard,”

says mixologist Timo Siitonen

from Helsinki’s A21 Flavour Studio.

“Mixers play a very important role

in cocktails, since they give us

possibilities to create longer drinks

while adding an extra dimension ►


to the mix. There are excellent brands

out there; however, most craft

mixers do not take into account that

95-99% of the beverage is water.”

A21 recently partnered with VEEN

Waters to create a range of premium

quality ‘Nordic Mixers’ using

indigenous Nordic ingredients such as

cloudberry, pine and birch to produce

uniquely natural flavours. VEEN’s

mixers are made from natural spring

water, and contain no additives,

preservatives or sweeteners, thereby

ensuring the purity of the ingredients.

VEEN is alone in pursuing a natural

approach. One of the pioneers of the

flavour revolution among craft mixer

producers, Fever Tree, travels the

world to find the best ingredients,

and produces a range of premium

mixers made with ginger from India,

vanilla from Madagascar and cinchona

bark (quinine) from the Democratic

Republic of Congo, to name just a few.

Fentimans uses traditional botanical

brewing techniques and natural

ingredients such as Bulgarian rose oil

to make its collection of traditional style

mixers; while family-run Franklin &

Sons blends pure Staffordshire water

with handpicked natural ingredients

to create its unique products.

As the trend continues to gather

momentum, it’s reassuring to imagine

that the wild places of the world have

been repopulated by a new generation

of explorers, scouring the earth for the

finest ingredients and purest waters to

give our long drinks that extra special

something. And as more independent

companies and small batch producers

create mixers designed to bring out the

nuanced flavours and subtle variations

in premium spirits, the more reason

we’ll have to linger a little longer next

time we visit the local cocktail bar.


EXPERIENCE

NOVIKOV

RESTAURANT

& BAR

LONDON

Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov’s

mega 3-floor multi-cuisine London

outpost has been rocking since it opened

in 2011. Nicholas Chrisostomou visits

on a packed Friday night to find out the

secrets to its success and popularity.

ARKADY NOVIKOV

The London restaurant scene has undergone

quite a shift in recent years. Ten years

ago, the British capital was awash with

Michelin-starred eateries and celebrity

chef0driven restaurants, many of which were packed

to the rafters. But the once-booming celebrity chef

industry has seen dozens of restaurants close of late,

many helmed by some of the business’ top names.

Gone are the days when a London restaurateur

can serve a bespoke plate of tiny food, charge

the earth and expect diners to come back.

Few Londoners want this anymore.

Earlier this year, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant

group reported a loss of almost GBP4 million and

announced plans to close its flagship Maze venue

in London’s Mayfair. Meanwhile, Jamie Oliver

closed twelve of his U.K. venues this year.

Granted, some chefs fell foul of rising rents or too-hasty

over-expansion. But the underlying reason for this shift,

is that foodies have moved towards more authentic fare

that doesn’t depend on having a celebrity in the kitchen.

Nowadays, fewer Londoners will pay through the

nose for stuffy fine dining, restrictive tasting menus

and know-it-all sommeliers. Instead they are opting

for good old-fashioned values of choice, hearty

food, outstanding service, genuine hospitality and

a warm welcome. And diners love the notion of

being remembered by a restaurant manager.

The increasing inability of the Michelin system to

accurately reflect the reality of the London dining scene

hasn’t helped matters. Whilst the people at Michelin have

recently realised that a restaurant doesn’t have to be fine

dining to belong in their guide, this may be too little too

late (for Michelin, that is) and many Michelin-starred

establishments have suffered irreparable damage already.

Concurrently, the rise of the London members’ club

scene can’t have helped fine dining establishments,

and must surely have made matters worse for celebrity

chefs. I mean, who wants to pay through the nose to

overhear a pompous chef screaming at his kitchen staff,

when one can get a drink in a members’ club, hear

cool music and eat great food at reasonable prices, and

carry-on afterwards without having to change venues?

On paper, Novikov Restaurant & Bar must have been

a crazy proposition. Located at the Green Park end of

Mayfair’s Berkeley Street, directly opposite Nobu and

a stone’s throw from The Ritz, the vast 18,000 square

feet space was passed over by a number of seasoned

entrepreneurs before Arkady Novikov got involved.

Boasting more than 500 seats on three floors -

including a pan-Asian restaurant on street level,

a huge classical Italian downstairs and a buzzing

nightspot in the basement - the venue reputedly cost

GBP10 million to kit-out. It’s a monster by even Vegas’

standards and the rent is a cool million Pounds per

year, but self-made Arkady Novikov is like no other

restaurateur. He rules a culinary empire of more

than seventy restaurants around the world, and,

somewhat uniquely, has a vast, deep-pocketed global

fanbase established over a quarter of a century.

Novikov started out in a university kitchen before

becoming a chef at Moscow’s Hard Rock Café. His

first Moscow venture was also the city’s first fish

restaurant, Sirena, which he opened in 1992. Sirena

was an instant hit and is still open today, 25 years

later. That’s something in the restaurant world.

Novikov opened his second venue, Club T, in a former ►


Soviet furniture shop. Before long, it was voted Moscow’s

best French restaurant. Dozens more Russian concept

restaurants followed, plus the Yolki-Palki chain of more

than 30 nostalgic, loved and affordable Russian eateries.

GQ Bar, which opened in 2007 with a permanent

staff of 300, remains the hottest venue in Moscow.

Novikov now employs more than 15,000 people.

Novikov Restaurant & Bar, his first London outpost,

opened in 2011. Today the venue turns over more

than GBP100,000 every day. It’s not hard to see

why. For one thing, the service is incredible.

On the Friday night The Cultured Traveller visited,

despite every corner of the bar being rammed with

punters hectically ordering cocktails or waiting for tables,

it wasn’t difficult to get a drink. Lovingly hand-crafted

cocktails were delivered within minutes. RESTAURANT

Meanwhile,

a steady stream of people swished in and out of the

venue’s main entrance, including many Vuitton-clad

women. Perfectly located to attract London’s rich

and famous plus those who aspire to be, visiting on

a Friday night is wonderful for people watching.

Just off the main entrance, the bustling Asian restaurant

is understatedly dark, well-appointed and soothing. An

open kitchen runs the full width of the back wall, fronted

by an impressive, sprawling display of fresh seafood on

ice, evoking the atmosphere of a market. Behind this

display, more than a dozen chefs work furiously. They are

an impressive sight, as are the dozens of waiters and floor

managers weaving between guest tables. A soundtrack

of noticeably good music plays in the background,

skilfully fusing classic and new funky vocal house.

The huge menu in the Asian room features soups,

salads and sushi alongside dim sum, rice, wok and

noodle dishes, charcoal-grilled options and countless

signature dishes. Everything is inspired by Chinese and

Pan-Asian cuisine. The food concept hasn’t changed

since day one and judging by what we ate, never

should it, since everything we tasted was a masterclass

in combining flavours and textures to create original

dishes. From the wagyu tacos and black cod dumplings

to the tuna and foie gras carpaccio, premium sushi

and Peking duck, every dish was perfectly executed,

bursting with flavours and served efficiently by amiable

and eminently organised waiters. Don’t leave without

sampling the scallop and black truffle sashimi.

But whilst the food is clearly the star of the show at

Novikov, the faultless service comes a close second

and is surely one of the reasons the place is routinely

fully-booked. Despite the restaurant being packed on

a busy Friday night, observing the manner in which

diners were served around us was impressive. When

I accidentally dropped a fork, it was picked-up and

replaced in the blink of an eye. The venue is run by a team

of dedicated managers like a well-oiled Mayfair machine.

After our meal, we moved down a few floors to a

small table in the sultry, dimly-lit bar-cum-loungecum-disco

for a few post dinner drinks. Even here,

the service was second-to-none and our table was

routinely refreshed. I even danced for ten minutes.

In a city where the service so often lets down a great

venue, it’s not hard to see why Mayfair’s Novikov is so

popular. The service is faultless and the Asian fare divine.

Coupled with toe-tapping music and a cool subterranean

space to sip a few cocktails after dinner, makes visiting

Arkady Novikov’s inimitable Moscow-meets-Mayfair

venue a night-long experience rather than a mere meal,

and one which I would happily repeat every weekend.

www.novikovrestaurant.co.uk


music &

NIGHT

LIFE

LISA

STANSFIELD

WHILE LISA STANSFIELD

HAS BEEN ALL AROUND THE

WORLD IN THE PAST THREE

DECADES, SHE STILL LOVES

TO TOUR AND CONSIDERS HER

LATEST ALBUM TO BE HER BEST

YET. THE NORTHERN U.K. POP

AND SOUL SONGSTRESS CHATS

TO NICHOLAS CHRISOSTOMOU

ABOUT SHARING THE STAGE

WITH GEORGE MICHAEL, HER

RECENT AMERICAN TOUR,

WRITING HER LIFE STORY, AND

HER DOGS, MAVIS AND DAVID.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME LIFE AS A KID?

I was a very happy child. I would play a lot on my own, with my

imagination for company.

WHO WAS THE MUSICAL INFLUENCE IN THE HOUSE?

My mother was the keeper of the record collection and it was

really her that introduced me to music when I was a child.

She was always playing Diana Ross, Barry White and Motown

in the house. My accent is down to emulating my mum and dad.

Then when I started singing, I copied singers and it became my

voice. Well, my voice with lots of different people thrown in!

WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALISE THAT SINGING AND

PERFORMING WERE TO BECOME YOUR LIFE?

I always assumed that this would be my life because I never

thought about anything else. So, after I won the Manchester

Evening News Search for a Star competition, released my first

single, and started to play nightclubs and appear on local TV

shows, I kinda knew it was the start of my professional career. In

my fourteen-year old head it was what was supposed to happen.

I even co-hosted children’s pop show, Razzmatazz, while I was

still at school!

IF YOU HADN’T BEEN A SINGER, WHAT MIGHT YOU

HAVE BEEN?

A writer or an actress definitely, since it would need to have

something to do with the arts. I write songs and stories

constantly and I don’t know how I’d cope if I couldn’t.

Although, I nearly started a business selling cake products.

We looked into it but then everybody started doing it and I

thought no, they’re all chefs that are doing it, so I’m going to be

at the back of the queue! I still make a really good banana bread

and really, REALLY good cakes, like good chocolate cakes.

WHO OR WHAT WOULD YOU SAY INFLUENCED

AND SHAPED YOU MUSICALLY?

Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Chaka Khan. Many great

singers have influenced me, and I see them as my teachers.

HOW DID YOUR 1989 HIT SINGLE

AROUND THE WORLD CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Well I’m still singing it to this day! I have had and still have a

lovely life thanks to that song.

IS FAME ALL IT IS CRACKED-UP TO BE?

Fame is what it is, and you have to learn to deal with the good

and bad aspects of it. Fame can make people around you ►


behave in odd ways. You see a different side to many people

when they get around a famous person. It’s very interesting and

sometimes a little sad too.

WHICH MUSICAL STYLE DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?

Soul, R&B and funk music excites me.

WHO WRITES YOUR SONGS?

Me and Ian Devaney - my workmate and my husband.

YOU HAVE SOLD 20 MILLION ALBUMS AND RECORDED

HUNDREDS OF TRACKS. IS THERE ONE SPECIAL SONG

WHICH RESONATES WITH YOU?

Not really. It changes like the seasons and my mood at any

particular time.

YOU HAVE WON NUMEROUS ACCOLADES, INCLUDING

THREE BRIT AWARDS, A BILLBOARD MUSIC VIDEO

AWARD, TWO IVOR NOVELLO AWARDS AND MANY

MORE. WINNING WHICH AWARD MEANT THE MOST TO

YOU AND WHY?

They all mean something to me. I do covet the Ivor Novello

though, because it’s an award for writing. It looks really cool too!

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE LONGEVITY OF YOUR

THREE-DECADE CAREER?

I suppose the fact that I have said ‘no’ to more things than

I’ve said ‘yes’ to has stood me in good stead. I think a lot of

it is trusting your own gut instinct. There’s a lot to be said for

trusting your instincts.

YOU’VE BEEN MARRIED TO YOUR MUSIC PARTNER, IAN

DEVANEY, SINCE 1988. WHAT’S THE SECRET TO YOUR

LONG AND SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP?

Still fancying someone. That they still excite you and make

you laugh. Being best friends and truly wanting to spend time

together, whatever it is you’re doing. I just love Ian. He’s got a lot

of patience with me. He’s a lot more easy-going than me. He’s

a water sign and I’m fiery, so he calms my fire down a bit. But

sometimes it goes the opposite way, I make him BOIL and puts

my fire out!

IS THERE ANYONE YOU CONSIDER TO BE A MENTOR

AND WHY?

My drama teacher Jeanette Dawson was a big influence on me

and my life in general. When I met her she taught me so much.

I loved her drama classes and how her classroom seemed ►


a world away from everyday life and the humdrum of school.

Sadly, she died quite a while ago. I would love to chat to her

now and tell her about my experiences, because it’s partly due

to her that I have the determination and faith in myself to do

what I do.

TELL US ABOUT DEEPER, YOUR EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM

RELEASED EARLIER THIS YEAR? ►

I spent about four years working on Deeper, which is pretty

much packed with a smooth blend of pop, soul and disco vibes.

The kinda tunes you play before you go out.

HOW DID YOU FEEL THE VERY FIRST TIME YOU

LISTENED TO DEEPER THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH?

Incredibly proud. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really do think

that if I never make any more music in my life I can die happy.

WHY DO YOU LOVE TO TOUR WHEN SO MANY ARTISTS

HATE IT?!

It’s the ultimate way to see, first hand, the effect your music has

on people, and it’s so very liberating to play live.

DESCRIBE YOUR ACT WHEN YOU PERFORM LIVE?

It’s a real show with a lot of energy and love. We’re very urban,

and when we play live we are very serious about our music

and it shows. It’s all very in your face. We really love to have a

good time and the audience are part of the whole show and

atmosphere.

HOW WAS YOUR MOST RECENT TOUR DIFFERENT TO

PREVIOUS TOURS?

I just played a 13-date tour of North America, which was my

first time performing in the States in more than two decades. I

was backed by a ten-piece band that’s like a really good football

team. The concerts were very energetic, and as well as some of

the classics, we also performed a variety of new cuts which went

down a storm!

OF ALL THE VENUES YOU HAVE PERFORMED, DO YOU

HAVE A FAVOURITE AND WHY?

The Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium in

1992. It was a truly magical day.

AT THAT CONCERT, YOU FAMOUSLY SANG QUEEN’S

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES WITH GEORGE

MICHAEL. WHAT STANDS OUT THE MOST TO YOU

ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE? ►


Everybody who did that show was just so famous at the time.

The place was literally full of musical legends, but nobody had

an ego. Even the rehearsals were pretty subdued. I think it was

at the Rock In Rio festival in 1991 that I met George for the first

time. In rehearsals for the Freddy Mercury concert I was wearing

one of Ian’s coats and had a big hat on. I looked a bit like a

homeless person, and I was scoffing a big bacon roll because I

was starving. George said to me, “Fucking hell, how can you eat

bacon and perform like that?” But George was very lovely and

we had quite a laugh. After the Freddie Mercury thing we went

out with Anita Dobson and Brian May, which was really nice.

AND YOU’VE DUETTED WITH BARRY WHITE?

Yes. Barry White was gorgeous, a very kind, warm person and

very gracious. A real gentleman. And that voice, NOBODY will

EVER have a voice like that ever again.

IS THERE SOMEONE YOU WOULD STILL LIKE TO

PERFORM A DUET WITH?

I would love to sing with John Newman (Love Me Again). He has

an amazing voice. Emeli Sandé also has an amazing voice and

is such a great writer. And Gregory Porter, I LOVE Gregory Porter.

MUSICALLY, IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT YOU

WOULD STILL LIKE TO TRY?

I’ve never really worked with any rappers, so I’d love to do

something like that. I think it would be a fantastic experience. I

love doing different things musically and that would definitely

be different.

WITH SUCH A BUSY SCHEDULE HOW DO YOU KICK

BACK AND RELAX?

Since we travel back and forth all the time, just staying at home

is like a nice break. Though we do sometimes go away for a few

days. On my last birthday we went to the Lake District.

YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY STAYED IN MANY HOTELS.

WHICH IS YOUR PREFERRED HOTEL AND WHY?

I absolutely love Claridge’s in London, and the Mandarin

Oriental in Hong Kong is amazing.

YOU HAVE A HOME IN LONDON AND A COUPLE

ACROSS THE POND, BUT YOU MOVED BACK TO

THE LANCASHIRE MILL TOWN OF ROCHDALE TEN

YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS WHERE YOUR ALBUMS ARE

RECORDED. TELL US ABOUT ROCHDALE?

Ian and I have lived in Rochdale all our lives. We have been

spending a lot more time there as we record there and ►


make films there. Rochdale is a typical Northern town.

It’s our hometown and it’s great that we can spend time

there for our work too.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION?

I love the South of France. We used to go to Cannes quite a

lot, but we’ve been to Nice a few times in the last few years

and I love the mixture of culture there, the food and the

atmosphere especially. I don’t much like to sit or lie in the

sun all day. I’d much rather walk around and find little junk

shops full of nick-knacks and explore. Walking around towns

and cities is far more interesting than just lying on a beach

all day. I can sun myself for a little while then go and explore!

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS?

Professionally, to have been in this business for thirty years

and have come out the other side relatively unscathed.

ARE YOU A DOG OR A CAT PERSON?!

Dogs every time. I have two in Rochdale - David and Mavis.

Mavis is a Yorkie, named after Coronation Street character

Mavis Riley. Our Shih Tzu David is known as “Baby David”

because my mum and dad always wanted a boy and would

have named him David. So, our little dog David is the token

boy in the family.

WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE

TO A BUDDING PERFORMER LOOKING TO START A

CAREER IN MUSIC?

Don’t let anyone bully you. It’s your life and your career.

Don’t rush into anything too quickly for ambition’s sake.

Dance to your own tune - never anyone else’s.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LISA STANSFIELD?

After thirty years in the business I am writing an

autobiography. It’s like little vignettes of my life, from my

childhood onwards. I have basically picked little stories about

me and written them down. And I’ll be back in that studio

again soon!

A deluxe edition of Lisa Stansfield’s eight studio album Deeper

has recently been released, and includes an 80-minute bonus

CD featuring live recordings from Lisa’s 2018 UK tour and

a selection of remixes. lisastansfield.lnk.to/deeperdeluxe

www.lisa-stansfield.com


GLOBETROTTER

2018 CHRISTMAS GIFT ROUND-UP

Finding the perfect present for a stylish woman is no easy feat, and a fashion-conscious guy is an equally tricky beast

to buy for. But before you give up and opt for the ubiquitous voucher, check out this selection of stylish Christmas gift

ideas, hand-picked by The Cultured Traveller’s Fashion Editor ADRIAN GIBSON, and let’s tick some names off your list!

COMME DES GARÇONS WALLET ♂

Founded in 1969, cult Japanese label Comme des Garçon is

renowned for avant-garde designs and unusual fabrications.

This zipped cowhide wallet is finished in a striking black

and shiny silver checkerboard design. Inside is contrasted

with a finer pattern and includes five credit card slots

and a snap fastening coin pocket to keep your money

organised while also making a bold yet fun statement.

GBP 252 WWW.DOVERSTREETMARKET.COM

HENDRICK’S ORBIUM GIN

Often credited with kick-starting the great revival of mother’s ruin, whilst Hendrick’s has

taken its time to launch a new gin it has almost certainly been worth the wait. While the

original uses Bulgarian rose and cucumber to add flavour, Orbium is unusually infused with

extracts of quinine and wormwood, the latter usually a key ingredient in vermouth. But it is

the final ingredient of blue lotus blossom which adds bright floral notes to the mix. The now

synonymous apothecary bottle has been re-coloured to deep cobalt blue, and although

Orbium is delicious with tonic, serving it with soda really lets the gin’s flavour shine through.

GBP 36.75 WWW.THEWHISKYEXCHANGE.COM

CDLP BOXER BRIEFS 3-PACK ♂

Swedish colleagues Christian Larson and Andreas Palm, who were

often on business trips together, realised there was a gap in the market

for stylish, sophisticated men’s underwear. After two years of design

and development in Stockholm they launched CDLP understated

premium gentleman’s underwear. Fashioned in Portugal from luxurious

Lyocell - an organic fibre made from sustainable wood pulp, with

natural breathing and moisture wicking properties – CDLP’s understated,

durable and supremely comfortable boxer briefs are smoother than

silk, softer than cotton and finished with a stylish logo waistband.

GBP 75 CDLP.COM

PENDLETON CHIEF JOSEPH BLANKET

Uniquely woven into Native American communities,

Pendleton Woollen Mills continues to uniquely share traditional

indigenous design and artistry with the world. Originally designed

by Pendleton in the 1920’s and made in the U.S.A., this Chief Joseph

82% pure virgin wool/18% cotton blanket is inspired by and named

after one of the Northwest’s greatest Nez Perce warriors, Chief Joseph. The

arrowheads in the pattern, which point in all directions of Mother Earth, symbolise

bravery. Cuddle up in this blanket on the sofa, or throw it over a double bed.

GBP 320 PENDLETONWOOLENMILLS.CO.UK

MARTIN GROVER SCREEN PRINT

Royal Academy-trained South London artist Martin Grover works in both mediums of

screen printing and acrylics on canvas. An accomplished and inventive screen printer,

Grover uses photographic and digital techniques, and creates his unique prints by hand

painting his stencils directly onto the screen. Taken from his “Record Portraits” series,

this breathtakingly realistic cover of iconic Beatles 7” single All You Need Is Love is one

of a limited edition of just 14 numbered prints signed by the artist.

GBP 350 WWW.MARTINGROVER.COM

PAUL SMITH DREAMER SHIRT ♂

If you’re looking for a statement shirt for the party season, renowned British fashion

brand Paul Smith may have the answer. The Dreamer Print was inspired by a book

Sir Paul’s wife gave him many years ago, filled with fairytale-like illustrations by

French artist Edmund Dulac. The book subsequently became the inspiration for

Paul Smith’s AW18 collection. Crafted in Italy from a lightweight viscose and

wool-blend, if you look closely at this long-sleeve slim-fit shirt, you’ll be

able to spot various animals in psychedelic colours, including frogs, beetles,

snails and leopards, infusing the print with a sense of fun and optimism.

GBP 265 WWW.PAULSMITH.COM/UK

BRITISH BOXERS FARNE SOCKS ♂

Founder of the brand, Deborah Price, used to be a London fashion buyer,

but in 2013 she decided to leave the rat race and launch her own underwear

and sleepwear brand. Named after her great, great, great grandfather (the

first World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Jem Mace), Price prides herself on

using British manufacturers wherever

possible. New for this winter are a range

of classic Country Fairisle patterned

socks re-coloured for the modern gen.

Produced by renowned English sock

makers Pantherella from fine merino wool

in a chunky knit, giving these will make a

delightful change from boring sock presents!

GBP 15 BRITISH-BOXERS.COM


RALPH LAUREN 50 YEARS BOOK

From humble beginnings of selling silk ties for men, it’s hard to

believe that this year Ralph Lauren has been celebrating half a

century of being in the fashion industry. Lauren’s formula of

affordable but instantly recognisable mid-range to luxury goods

has helped propel his brand into almost every fashion category.

To commemorate his fiftieth year in the business, this hardback

coffee table book has been updated and expanded to include 965

images and drawings, some from Lauren’s personal collection, as

well as key advertising campaigns. A must have for any Ralph

Lauren fan, the book comes in a stylish, commemorative RL tote.

GBP 37.50 WWW.RALPHLAUREN.CO.UK

FENDI MANIA CLUTCH ♀

In a market saturated with fashion collaborations,

it’s exciting to see two diverse but powerful brands

get together. Conceived by talented Londonbased

illustrator and graphic artist Reilly, Fendi

Mania combines the luxury of the renowned

Italian fashion house with the sporty playfulness

of vintage sports brand Fila to create a fun

capsule collection for AW18. This eye-catching,

multicoloured calfskin clutch, marries the luxury

of Fendi’s leather heritage with a fresh youthful

appeal, making it one of the season’s hit bags.

GBP 650 WWW.FENDI.COM/GB

HOMEBODY KIMONO DRESSING GOWN ♀

In 1999, Beverley Calvert was looking

for the perfect pyjamas for her husband

but was unable to find anything she

liked. So, after taking an evening

fashion course and developing

designs and fabrics, Homebody was

born. The collection was bought by

luxury department store Harrods and

proved to be a sell-out. Women’s

and kids ranges were soon added.

Fabrication is key to Homebody and

everything is made in the U.K.. This

stylish, Japanese-inspired kimono

dressing gown is made from the

company’s super soft signature

Modal-Sens fabric and comes with

a unique 365-day returns policy.

GBP 185

HOMEBODY.CO.UK

FENTY BEAUTY

MINI GLITTERING

PUFF ♀

Rihanna’s runaway success beauty line

Fenty was created to include all women

everywhere, regardless of their skin tone

or type, driven by her desire for women

to ‘have fun with makeup, take chances

and dare to do something new or

different’. For Christmas 2018, this

fun, limited-edition mini glittering

puff is pre-packed with superfine

iridescent pink shimmer powder to

add some extra seasonal sparkle,

and is packaged in an ornament

that’ll look as festive dangling

on a tree as it does on the skin.

GBP 125

WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM

ROXANNE ASSOULIN ENAMEL BRACELETS ♀

Enamelled jewellery is currently very on trend. Whilst New York designer

Roxanne Assoulin has been in industry for nearly four decades, and she

has designed for Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta amongst others, her

current collection was almost inspired by accident, while she was playing

with some mosaic tiles for another project. Inspired by her favourite French

bistro chairs, these stretch bracelets come in three different variations

and are made from monochrome enamel beads. The ‘Argyle’ is decorated

with lapis cabochons. Buy one, two, or the set of three for USD270

USD80 – USD270 ROXANNEASSOULIN.COM

HOLLY FULTON

SKYSCRAPER SWEATER ♀

Holly Fulton studied fashion design in

Edinburgh before completing her masters

at London’s Royal College of Art. Famous

for her complex graphic embellishments

and witty twists, Fulton has become a firm

favourite in the contemporary womenswear

market since launching her eponymous

label in 2009. For the AW18 season, she

collaborated with British luxury knitwear

brand, John Smedley, to produce

to some fun and graphic pieces,

including this striking sweater

inspired by Fulton’s long-distance

love affair with the Empire State

Building. Finished in Smedley’s

extra fine merino wool, it will

surely make a stylish addition to

any lady’s weekend wardrobe.

GBP 180

WWW.JOHNSMEDLEY.COM/UK

ANYA HINDMARCH LIP BALM CANDLE ♀

Cutely balancing elegance with unmistakable British humour and

taken from her first collection of home fragrance items ‘Anya

Hindmarch Smells’, this eye-catching candle is hand poured in

the UK and reflects her quirky trademark style. Designed to evoke

memories of first kisses, it is scented with French dark cherry, plum

flesh, pomegranate seeds, night-blooming Egyptian jasmine, tonka

bean, Iris from Florence and Japanese cherry blossom. Contained

within a glossy black vessel, it is finished off with a fun cherry motive

reminiscent of teenage doodles. Also available in a super large size.

GBP 50 WWW.ANYAHINDMARCH.COM


A

ALILA JABAL AKHDAR

www.alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar

ANDBEYOND PHINDA HOMESTEAD

www.andbeyond.com

ANYA HINDMARCH www.anyahindmarch.com

AOYAMA SQUARE www.kougeihin.jp

ART BASEL MIAMI www.artbasel.com/miami-beach

ATI-ATIHAN www.facebook.com/kalibo-ati-atihan

B

BARRANQUILLA CARNIVAL

www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org

BERBER LODGE www.berberlodge.net

BRITISH BOXERS https://british-boxers.com

C

CAFÉ PUSHKIN (MOSCOW)

https://cafe-pushkin.ru/en

CARTAGENA MUSIC FESTIVAL

www.cartagenamusicfestival.com

CASA COCHERA DEL GOBERNADOR

www.casacocheradelgobernador.com/en

CDLP https://cdlp.com

CHALET L’ALPENSIA AT L’APOGÉE COUCHEVEL

www.oetkercollection.com

CHATEI HATOU Facebook

CHEVAL BLANC COURCHEVEL www.chevalblanc.com

COMME DES GARÇONS www.comme-des-garcons.com

CRYSTAL RIDE www.matterhornparadise.ch

D

DAIKANYAMA T-SITE www.real.tsite.jp

E

ELEMENTS 007 www.007elements.soelden.com

ELISEEVSKY (MOSCOW) www.eliseevskiy.ru/e_home.htm

F

FALINE www.faline.tokyo

FENDI www.fendi.com/gb

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

www.are2019.com

FOUR SEASONS RESORT SEYCHELLES AT DESROCHES

ISLAND www.fourseasons.com/seychellesdesroches

FRANKFURT CHRISTMAS MARKET

www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

FRIDA HULTEN https://fridahulten.com

G

GEN YAMAMOTO www.genyamamoto.jp

GUM SHOPPING MALL (MOSCOW) https://gumrussia.com

H

HIGASHIYA GINZA www.higashiya.com

HOLLY FULTON www.hollyfulton.com

HOMEBODY https://homebody.co.uk

HOPE STREET HOTEL www.hopestreethotel.co.uk

HOTEL NATIONAL DES ARTS ET METIERS

www.hotelnational.paris/en

I

IMPERIAL RIDING SCHOOL RENAISSANCE VIENNA HOTEL

www.marriott.com

ISETAN www.isetan.mistore.jp

ITOYA www.ito-ya.co.jp

J

JOHN SMEDLEY www.johnsmedley.com/uk

K

KAMACHIKU www.kamachiku.com

KANUHURA www.kanuhura.com

KIKI HARAJUKU www.kikioishi.com

KULM COUNTRY CLUB www.kulm.com

L

LE MASSIF www.lemassifcourmayeur.com

LE REFUGE DE SOLAISE www.lerefuge-valdisere.com

LISA STANSFIELD www.lisa-stansfield.com

M

MANDARIN ORIENTAL PRAGUE

www.mandarinoriental.com

MARTIN GROVER www.martingrover.com

MEIJI JINGŪ www.meijijingu.or.jp

MEVLÂNA FESTIVAL www.goturkeytourism.com

N

NARISAWA www.narisawa-yoshihiro.com

NEW YORK BAR www.restaurants.tokyo.park.hyatt.co.jp

NEZU MUSEUM wwww.nezu-muse.or.jp/en

NOBU HOTEL MIAMI BEACH

www.nobuhotelmiamibeach.com

NOVIKOV, MAYFAIR www.novikovrestaurant.co.uk

O

OMAANDA www.zannierhotels.com/omaanda

ORA www.orarestaurant.fi

OSCARS, THE 91ST www.oscars.org

P

PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL paramounthousehotel.com

PAUL SMITH www.paulsmith.com/uk

PENDLETON WOOLLEN MILLS

https://pendletonwoolenmills.co.uk

Q

QUÉBEC WINTER CARNIVAL www.carnaval.qc.ca

QUINTESSENCE www.quintessence.jp

R

RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAW www.raffles.com/warsaw

RALPH LAUREN www.ralphlauren.co.uk

RHYTHM & VINES www.rhythmandvines.co.nz

ROXANNE ASSOULIN https://roxanneassoulin.com

S

SAKE SCENE MASUFUKU www.sakescene.com

SINGAPORE AIRLINES www.singaporeair.com

SOMERSET HOUSE SKATING www.somerset.org.uk

SUNBURN FESTIVAL 2018 www.sunburn.in

SUPER BOWL 53 www.nfl.com linked to

www.nfl.com/super-bowl

SUSHI BAR YASUDA www.sushibaryasuda.com

T

TAIWAN LANTERN FESTIVAL www.taiwan.net.tw

THE BARCELONA EDITION

www.editionhotels.com/barcelona

THE EXPERIMENTAL CHALET

www.experimentalchalet.com

THE KREMLIN (TICKETS) https://tickets.kreml.ru/en/#id=1

THE LINE DC www.thelinehotel.com/dc

THE LUMIARES thelumiares.com

THE MIDDLE HOUSE www.themiddlehousehotel.com

THE ST. REGIS MOSCOW www.stregismoscow.com

THE ST. REGIS WASHINGTON www.marriott.com

TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM www.tnm.jp

TOKYO SKYTREE www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en

TRETYAKOV GALLERY www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en

TRUNK LOUNGE https://trunk-hotel.com/lounge

V

VILLA SAMADHI SINGAPORE www.villasamadhi.com.sg

VINTERJAZZ www.jazz.dk

W

WANÅS www.wanas.se


(24) The Cultured Traveller, December 2018 - February 2019 Issue 24

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(24) The Cultured Traveller, December 2018 - February 2019 Issue 24

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