DEPARTURES KEEPING GOOD
DEPARTURES KEEPING GOOD COMPANY 46 That Personal Touch It’s hard not to fall in love with Lengishu, a charmed safari retreat in central Kenya. by Katharina Hesedenz MARTINIS, FINGER FOOD and a deeporange sunset that channels The Lion King – such is the surreal feeling of the après-safari happy hour in Borana. No doubt some of my reverie comes by way of the excellent drinks, but it’s also because I am actually sitting on Simba’s rock. The landscape of the Kenyan park served as a model for the animated classic, and the ledge on which I find myself has since been dubbed “Pride Rock”. I half expect the monkeys, hyenas, antelopes, warthogs and zebras that cavort in the savannah to miraculously gather and take a knee. The boundary between fiction and reality suddenly feels very blurry. The safari residence Lengishu, just a hill beyond, is part of this dreamscape, one that proves that too much of a good thing can, indeed, be wonderful. Lengishu is one of the most luxurious and environmentally conscious destinations in Kenya, its pioneering solar and water treatment park ensuring that the indulgence offered here can be enjoyed with a clear conscience. In a sheltered spot, the main house features an outdoor dining room and red-blond stone floors. With its vaulted ceiling supported by eucalyptus beams, it’s affectionately known as the “cathedral”. Four other cottages, accommodating up to 12 guests, cluster around it. The eastfacing rooms open to views of verdant highlands and are scored by birdsong and the gentle rustling of leaves. Early risers set off at 5am for the day’s first game drive, preceded by a spectacular sunrise in the wild. Mountain bikes and horses from the neighbouring lodge are your vehicles. Borana, the country’s youngest and most successful rhino reserve, is home to the Big Five (lion, rhino, leopard, buffalo and elephant), so early birds are well rewarded, but late risers needn’t fret – there are plenty of captivating spaces in which to begin the day, from your own private terrace to the large copper bathtub with a panoramic view. There’s a U-shaped pool on the hillside, a picnic area perched on a rocky outcrop just outside the front door, a barbecue patio and the chance FROM TOP: STEVIE MANN, BRIAN SIAMBI PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST GOVERNMENT ADVICE BEFORE BOOKING TRAVEL OR DEPARTING ON ANY TRIP
FROM TOP: PALAZZO FIUGGI, NOVEMBER STUDIO to get kneaded in the massage room. It’s best to try them all in turn – and then go for a second round. Inside, the decor strikes the perfect balance between elegant and cosy. The heirlooms and flea-market finds scattered throughout are beautiful conversation pieces that say a lot about the hosts. Hanging from the front steps, for instance, are two antique wall hangings from Myanmar that owner Minnie MacHale discovered in a stilted house on Inle Lake; right next to it is a Swahili chest studded with brass nails that her grandfather brought back to Scotland from Zanzibar in 1928 when The Departures 10 Privacy | Indulgence | Family 4 JUMEIRAH BALI Indonesia Lounge amid historic Majapahit ruins in your private oasis at the just-opened, villa-only resort perched along cliff tops, jumeirah.com 5 GRENADINE HILLS St Vincent & The Grenadines Steal away to Bequia island and an exquisite villa with gym suite, jacuzzi and 10m infinity pool overlooking aqua seas, grenadinehills.com 7 DOMAINE DES ETANGS Massignac, France A sprawling family estate-turnedresort, pick one of the private cottages and enjoy the wild grounds, great spa and standout art collection, domainedesetangs.com 8 SHISHI-IWA HOUSE Nagano, Japan Sculptural villas by Pritzker-winning architects wend their way through the forest, giving you the impression of living among the trees, shishiiwahouse.jp he was commander-in-chief of the British Navy in the Indian Ocean. As a child, Minnie kept her costumes in it. Her grandfather’s 1910 kneehigh hunting boots, brightly polished and leaning against the hallway wall, continue the narrative. A painting by US artist David Marion (of which the MacHales – and I – are enamoured) even has its own suite. “When I saw it, I fell in love with it. I realised that it needed a special place, so we built the room around it,” says MacHale. She and her husband, Joe, stay in this suite when they come to Kenya from their primary residence in Hampshire, sometimes with family in tow. Villa Luisa 1 VILLA LUISA Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy Access the inimitable Palazzo Fiuggi wellness programmes, then retreat to your seven-room villa with sauna, steam room, hammam and gym, palazzofiuggi.com Villa W 9 VILLA MAÇAKIZI Bodrum, Turkey Claim this ten-suite, Fabrizia Frezza-designed villa for yourself, complete with custom furnishings, fitness centre, spa and direct sea access, villamacakizi.com 10 THE GREEN O Montana “When we’re all together we are 16, and we actually built Lengishu for ourselves,” says Joe MacHale, “but our team makes sure that everyone who comes here is happy.” And they’ve certainly succeeded. The staff are lovely, the service is immaculate, and talented young chef Sam is a revelation. He manages the feat of fulfilling every special request, no matter how unusual, in what amounts to the middle of nowhere. And yes, the vegetables are grown organically on the neighbouring farm – this place is almost too perfect. Which is precisely the point. lengishu.com 2 THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE AT TAJ BEKAL RESORT & SPA Kerala Live like a maharajah in this new 743sq m complex tucked into lush gardens and flanked by tranquil Kerala flora and fauna, tajhotels.com 3 PASSALACQUA Lake Como Elegant Belle Époque furnishings and secret gardens with sweeping lake views make this dreamy new Como hideaway a sanctuary like no other, passalacqua.it 6 VILLA W AT LILY OF THE VALLEY Saint-Tropez Once you’ve turned a few laps in your 17m pool with sea panoramas, the wellness resort’s vast offerings are at your fingertips, lilyofthevalley.com Lovers of nature, architecture and gastronomy would do well to hole up here, choosing one of the creatively designed cabins as home base, thegreeno.com DEPARTURES 47
