7 NORWAY LAND OF PLENTY Not a famously hospitable people, the Norwegians are doing everything they can to change that reputation – including welcoming the new Six Senses Svart, a circular hotel built over the water, to its northern reaches later this year. Destinations restaurants are increasingly dotted along the coast, from the minimalist Under in the south, where you dine underwater, to newcomer Iris farther north, which involves a six-hour culinary journey, to a trio of locavore-centric stars across the Lofoten Islands: Holmen, Fangst and Kvitnes Gård. For art lovers, the new Kunstsilo museum is worth the journey – and for those who enjoy the journey itself, the Norient Express will be a cross-country train experience like no other. Oslo’s exceptional Sommerro hotel is the place to start any Norwegian excursion – and evidence, with its warm reception, that change is afoot across the country. PHOTO DAN MARINER 28
8 THE PELOPONNESE GOOD VIBES ONLY PHOTO JACOB SJOMAN The Peloponnese region is a favourite of Greeks looking for crowd-free beaches and bucolic landscapes steeped in history, myth, and mystery. High in the fir-clad mountains of Arcadia, the new Manna hotel has a mood that’s more Alpine than Athenian. A former sanitorium, this once-abandoned building has been lovingly restored as a 32-room hotel combining original features with a contemporary sense of uncluttered style. Summer offers a cool escape, autumn the promise of mushroom-hunting, and in winter the area is blanketed in snow. Over on the southwest coast, the new Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino, open from April to October, offers a secluded escape with far-reaching views over deep blue Ionian waters – not to mention kite surfing, sailing and stand-up paddling in addition to the superlative golf (including Costa Navarino’s new International Olympic Academy Course, pictured). 29
