DEPARTURES TRAVEL GREAT
DEPARTURES TRAVEL GREAT ESCAPES 18 Benguerra, Mozambique THE REMARKABLY warm waters that surround this African isle teem with life: reef sharks, dolphins, humpback whales, rainbows of reef fish, moray eels and even the rare dugongs are either part- or full-time residents. The whole of the isolated Bazaruto Archipelago is a protected National Park, and the standout hotels are concentrated on Benguerra: Azura (azura-retreats.com) has long been deservedly fêted for its 20-villa main property, and just recently it opened another, Azura Marlin Beach, on the southwest shore, boasting its own one-kilometre stretch of white sand and 10 beachfront villas. Elsewhere, andBeyond Benguerra Island (andbeyond.com) has maintained its impressive bona fides over the past five years, but the best may be yet to come: Kisawa (kisawasanctuary.com) will open this year with 12 expansive bungalows stretched across 300ha of private land, each with a personal beachfront, pool and massage hut – and joined by a spa and on-site research project. From left: the Mamole Tree House villa at Nihi Sumba; a light-filled bedroom at Nihi From left: a dhow sails along the main beach at Azura, on Benguerra Island; a school of fish swarm a scuba diver along Benguerra Sumba, Indonesia THE EASTERN ISLES of Indonesia have a surfeit of spectacular charms, with unspoilt beaches, tropical forests, rare species of flora and fauna and fascinating indigenous cultures to discover. Sumba ticks all these boxes – and also offers an extra that is the envy of its more illustrious neighbours, Bali and Lombok. The Wave, as it’s known, is just off Nihi Sumba’s private beach in the south of the island and has become one of the most coveted in the surfing world, drawing in, and posing a challenge to, even the most experienced of wave-riders. The resort itself doesn’t lack for additional attractions with its 28 sumptuous villas serviced by the Boathouse Spa and a trio of eateries serving locally sourced fare. The three-bedroom Mamole Tree House is the pinnacle, perched high in the jungle and offering magnificent views of the ocean below. nihi.com FROM TOP: SCOTT RAMSAY (2), KEN KOCHEY (2)
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ALEX AMENGUAL, © MUSTIQUE ISLAND, DAVID BROOK, © CAPRI PALACE From left: the pool area at Villa Obsidian, on Mustique; a bedroom at the new Villa Antilles; the clifftop Les Jolies Eaux, Princess Margaret’s onetime holiday home; below: the infinity pool at Capri Palace’s Acropolis penthouse Capri, Italy Mustique, St Vincent and the Grenadines THERE ARE no nightclubs, no big-name hotels, no camera-wielding tourists – there aren’t even street signs to guide the rare golf cart as it ambles across the diminutive private island, taking in the sights and sounds of the Caribbean sundown without neon lights or the buzz of traffic to obscure the experience. Indeed, life here is slow and relatively solitary, and that is precisely its allure: the weekly cocktail party at Cotton House, one of two hotels on the island, may be many island dwellers’ only chance to mingle, spread out, as they are, among some 100 private residences, including the new Villa Antilles, a fourbedroom colonial-style estate with all the trimmings, from an 18m infinity pool with a generous sea view to alfresco dining cooked up by the in-house chef. mustique-island.com WITH ITS prime location in the Gulf of Naples and a cove-studded coast, Capri has long been a beacon for visitors. And yet, despite the high-season hubbub, peaceful sanctuary awaits on a hilltop near Anacapri, the island’s second largest town. A charismatic, rugged settlement on the slopes of Mount Solaro, it will soon be home to the forthcoming Capri Palace, Jumeirah, the latest incarnation of the island’s most storied hostelry. The 68-room, Neapolitan-style palazzo has been refurbished throughout to focus on the art collected by its founder, Tonino Cacece, which includes works by artists ranging from de Chirico and Mondrian to Warhol and Keith Haring. The onsite medical spa, Capri Beauty Farm, is world-class, and diners are spoilt for choice with a pair of standout eateries: the two Michelin-starred L’Olivo inside the hotel and Il Riccio, the only beach club in the world to have a Michelin star. capripalace.com 19 DEPARTURES
