THE A-Z COMPENDIUM
THE A-Z COMPENDIUM One&Only Reethi Rah This ten-year-old retreat on the edenic North Malé Atoll is anything but ageing. Case in point: the recent unveiling of six new water villas, a set of creatively designed, 79sq m accommodations offering a level of privacy unprecedented on the isle. Complete with its own infinity pool perched atop the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean, each hideaway has been carefully positioned to afford the utmost level of blissful isolation. The interiors, in turn, take cues from Asian design, with vibrant colour schemes and tropical materials, making for the perfect, self-contained paradise. reethirah.oneandonlyresorts.com Baros Maldives The locally owned property – and, at 42 years old, the third-oldest hotel in the Maldives – has recently added five new 126sq m villas, each outfitted The private infinity pool at a One&Only Reethi Rah Water Villa gives way to brilliant views of the turquoise waters ahead Bird’s-eye view of the Baros Maldives on the North Malé atoll Airy, modern design in the new Cheval Blanc Randheli Owner’s Villa with its own private swimming pool and sited at the crest of a lonely boardwalk that proffers ample space for contented solitude. All the more reason to check out Baros, which has now twice been named the region’s most romantic resort. baros.com Cheval Blanc Randheli Launched two years ago to great fanfare, the 45-villa hostelry on Malé – a sister property to its legendary Courchevel hotel – takes exclusivity to a new level with its recently unveiled Owner’s Villa. Set on a private island overlooking a picturesque lagoon (and only accessible via private jetty), the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed house is a rarefied sanctuary with a 25m pool, dedicated staff and its own guest villa with a cinema and outdoor dining pergola. randheli.chevalblanc.com EXTRAVAGANCE UNBOUNDED In France, a top Bordeaux vineyard now has a hideaway unlike any other Aficionados of a good red Bordeaux will know the name Cos d’Estournel – its grapes have been vinified since the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Few, however, will be aware that the much-revered vineyard also has a Jacques Garciadesigned private home, La Chartreuse, newly available to rent. At the heart of the 200-acre estate in Saint-Estèphe, it’s a quick ten minutes north of Pauillac. Since 2000, the owner has been visionary hotelier Michel Reybier – who has enlisted Garcia’s handiwork before, including at his irreverent La Réserve hotel outside Geneva, decorated with resin effigies of African wildlife. So Reybier is well practised in combining the exotic with the classic arts de vivre: La Chartreuse (completed last year) comprises two suites, six guest rooms, a living room, a library, a dining room and an indoor pool, all outlined in a Sino-Indian style. Garcia’s opulence is seen at every turn. There are golden chandeliers, black Rajasthani doors, claretcoloured ottomans and stone-carved elephants, all fitting with the chateau’s history: The domaine’s original creator, wealthy merchant Louis Gaspard d’Estournel – who acquired his fortune, in part, by breeding Arabian stallions and shipping them to the Far East – was known as “the Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe” for his predilection of beautifying his estate with avant-garde pagodas. From US,000 per night for up to 16 people, including a vineyard tour and three meals (two of them accompanied by Cos d’Estournel wines); estournel.com The facade of Château Cos d’Estournel, the Bordeaux estate that includes the La Chartreuse villa FROM TOP LEFT: NICOLAS DUMONT, © CHEVAL BLANC RANDHELI, SAKIS PAPADOPOULOS, GRÉGOIRE GARDETTE 14 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
ulture and Craft From antique to modern and everything in between, an immersive experience in the Land of the Rising Sun A few of the many highlights that comprising Ampersand’s new Japan itinerary, clockwise from bottom left: the serene garden at the Ryōan-ji temple in Kyoto; an eccentric “pumpkin” by Yayoi Kusama overlooking the Seto Inland Sea at Naoshima island’s Benesse House; a giant iron spider sculpture by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo; the Chloé flagship store on tree-lined Omotesando Street in Tokyo; The Oval – containing six upscale guestrooms – at Benesse House; panoramic views to the sea at Benesse House Contemporary arts, traditional crafts and synergies with the West are the inspiration for a new 15-day private tour of Japan from Ampersand (ampersandtravel.com). Zipping around by bullet train, with a specialist art guide waiting at every stop, the odyssey starts in the capital with a visit to the Daikanyama district, where discerning Tokyoites pick out the latest designs, and an exploration of the Roppongi Art Triangle. Guests then spend two nights at the Tadao Ando-designed Benesse House hotel-museum on the island of Naoshima, followed by a visit to the 85-year-old Ohara Museum in willow-lined Kurashiki, with works by Cézanne, Gauguin, Monet and Munch. Further highlights include an amble through the famed open-air sculpture park at Hakone, and a generous three nights to savour the temples, gardens and National Museum of the former imperial capital, Kyoto, rounding out a thoroughly engaging fortnight. DROP-TOP DRIVE FOR THE AGES FROM TOP: © AMPERSAND (6), © BMW Santa Barbara, California Malibu Los Angeles To fit in with BMW’s new nomenclature, the 1 Series Convertible has moved up the abacus to become the 2 Series. But while the numbering system may be confusing to some, what remains as sure as ever is this car’s ability to entertain any who get behind the steering wheel. A car such as this, especially in storming M235i guise, simply begs to be driven with spirit along epic stretches of road. And the routes that snake between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara to the north perfectly fit the bill, especially as the weather in this part of the US is almost always glorious. The 2 Series is 20 per cent stiffer than its forebear, meaning it remains calm and collected on the twisting canyon roads that carve through the Malibu hillsides, and grip levels are extremely high during cornering. When you finally arrive, exhilarated, in tranquil Santa Barbara, you just might want to turn around and repeat the whole thrill ride. bmw.com DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM 15
