Issue 120 | aprIl 2018 | ComplImentary Copy

Step to the beat in

Buenos Aires

bAngkok
Produced in Dubai Production City

Serengeti
Lights, clamour, action: the lure azerbaijan
VeniCe
of Thailand’s colourful capital DubroVnik
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Welcome This
monTh’s
travel

note
companions

in some countries around the world, the start of April is marked

by playing practical jokes and, in the same spirit, we’ve dedicated
this issue to having fun.
From joining in Bangkok's supersized water fight in celebration
of Songkran, to heading to sunny California for Coachella, and
dancing your way around Buenos Aires (page 50), we've got
p24 Katsuya uechi
plenty of inspiration to make you smile.
reveals his favourite places
If you're seeking a wilder adventure, a trip to the Serengeti to eat around the globe

(p42) to embark on a walking safari offers a full sensory

managing Director
overload. Alternatively, exploring the art, foodie scene and
Victoria Thatcher
romantic side of Dubrovnik (p30) is sure to put a spring in
editorial Director
your step (which is handy, considering the city can mostly be
John Thatcher
explored on foot).
group Commercial Director
If you haven't yet been to Baku and beyond, our mini guide
David Wade
to Azerbaijan (page 60) highlights all the best bits. And if you
managing editor
schedule your trip towards the end of the month, you'll be able
Faye Bartle
to tie it in with the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. p26 emirati filmmaker
faye@hotmediapublishing.com
ali F. MostaFa lays open
Even if you're not planning a big one for spring break, you can
Contributing editor his travel journal
still squeeze in a staycation – simply turn to our round-up of UAE
Claire Malcolm
hotels (starting on page 66) for inspiration.
art Director
Kerri Bennett
Happy travels,
Designer
Faye Bartle
Jamie Pudsey
Senior advertising manager
Mia Cachero Follow us at…
FaceBooK @worldtravellermagazine
mia@hotmediapublishing.com
instaGRaM @dnataworldtraveller
Production manager p29 artist and illustrator
tWitteR @WT_magazine cléMentine du
Muthu Kumar
Pontavice shops venice

BRouGht to you By

Photography credits:
Getty Images, Phocal Media,
and Shutterstock

Click it
Get a heads up on
Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission from what’s happening
HOT Media Publishing is strictly
prohibited. All prices mentioned online and on our p65 Photographer and
are correct at time of press
but may change. HOT Media social channels storyteller edcel suyo
Publishing does not accept
liability for omissions or errors in
on page 87 takes us behind the lens
World Traveller.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876

Cover image
Fax: 00971 4 369 7494
Bangkok's busy Chinatown. Getty Images.

World Traveller 5
 Contents
April 2018

18
regulArs

10 17 24 26
TrAvEL GOALS GLObETrOTTEr CHEF’S TOP TAbLES A LIFE wELL TrAvELLED
Personal perspectives, from Mark your card for all that’s hot Katsuya Uechi, the man who Emirati filmmaker Ali F. Mostafa
high over Hong Kong to atop the this month, including the world's served Japanese cuisine to the on travelling alone, packing
gaping Grand Canyon biggest water fight world, on his must-dines precisely, and dining out in LA

29
SHOP MY CITY
Illustrator Clémentine du Pontavice
shares the shopping highlights of the
vibrant city of Venice
30 88
THE LOCALS’ GUIDE TO DUbrOvnIk SUITE DrEAMS
Three in-the-know locals The Royal Residence
tell all about Croatia's coastal hotspot at Atlantis by Giardino, Europe's
and magnificent walled city largest luxury suite

World Traveller 7
Contents

50

36
bAnGkOk
Tristan Rutherford
returns to Bangkok determined to
right the wrongs of his gap year visit
feAtures
42
SErEnGETI
50
bUEnOS AIrES
What could be scarier than meeting Laura Whateley shrugs off her
a hungry lion on safari? Doing so on shyness to dance her way around
foot, says Stanley Stewart Argentina's culture-rich capital

weekends
60 65 66 81
A LOnG wEEkEnD MY GrEAT ESCAPES STAYCATIOnS rEADEr OFFErS
In AzErbAIjAn Photographer and storyteller Enjoy a well-deserved weekend Take advantage of
Claire Malcolm discovers all Edcel Suyo recounts trips from away at these luxurious hotels our exclusive deals for
about The Land of Fire Fez to Siem Reap in the UAE a trip to remember

8 World Traveller
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10 World Traveller
 travel goals

Kowloon PeaK,
Hong Kong
While Hong Kong Island has the skyscrapers, Kowloon
boasts the best views of them. In fact, drawing the
curtains of your suite in a Kowloon-side, waterfront
hotel (the InterContinental Hong Kong is a never fail
option) to reveal the historic Victoria Harbour, backed
by cloud-skimming peaks, is one of the finest vistas
in travel. To see yet more of Hong Kong, visitors often
head to the peak to drink in views of rolling hills to the
north and the modern metropolis below. It’s a popular
place for a night hike, when the densely populated
territory that glows below adopts a magical quality.

World Traveller 11
 take me there

12 World Traveller
 travel goals

Manarola, Italy
The multi-hued, cliff hugging village of Manarola
is not unique in appearance. Or, indeed, is it
the only perfectly preserved hamlet perched on
the Italian Riviera’s rugged coastline. Yet, it is
perhaps alone in stirring romantic notions in all
who gaze longingly at it. Said to be the oldest of
five fishing communities that form the Cinque
Terre – visitors who brave the high, narrow,
corkscrew mountain roads to get here often visit
all five – Manarola’s pastel glow is best snapped
at sunset from Punta Bonfiglio, a short hike from
the village, from where the view is heart-tugging.

World Traveller 13
 take me there

14 World Traveller
 travel goals

grand Canyon, USa

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the
World, this vast, visually arresting chasm may
not be the world’s deepest at over one mile
(that prize belongs goes to the Kali Gandaki
Gorge in Nepal) but it’s by far the most visited.
How the canyon came to be is not debated –
the rushing Colorado River cut through layer
after layer of rock – but competing schools of
thought have its age as either six million or
70 million years (a gap as wide as the canyon
itself). Visitors come to hike, bike, raft or
hover in a helicopter over the canyon’s multi-
faceted landscape, but exploring it on the back
of a mule remains the most fun option.

World Traveller 15
 APRIL

Globetrotter
Be informed, be inspired, be there

SOAK CITY
It's Thai New Year this month, which
means it's time to pack your Super
Soaker and head to Bangkok (page 36).
We also flag our favourite eco resorts to
mark Earth Day (page 18), and spotlight
historic hotels reopening in London and
West Massachusetts (page 22).

World Traveller 17
globetrotter

Seize The Day

earth day (22 april) provides a timely reminder that there are some truly
spectacular eco resorts dotted across the globe, where your stay would
be welcomed by Mother nature. Here’s our pick of the very best…

Laguna Lodge LongItude 131 Song Saa LIMaLIMo Lodge aL MaHa deSeRt
guatemala australia Cambodia ethiopia ReSoRt & SPa
With jade waters there's little chance Cambodia’s beautiful ethiopia's awe- uae
below it and a thick of someone's selfie islands remain inspiring Simien While dubai’s hotel
forest above, Laguna stick getting in the relatively untouched, Mountains is the offering continues to
Lodge is pegged to way as you gaze the white sands setting for the 12- expand and set new
a sheer cliff face and at one of Mother that fringe virgin room Limalino Lodge, standards (and the
accessible only by nature's wonders rainforests and give the realisation of a odd world record to
boat. It's a setting here (pictured). From way to tropical reefs, vision to support boot), an enduring
made even more the sanctuary of your glistening jewel-like the communities classic can be found
striking by each of its tented pavilion, one of from where they lay living within the park hidden deep within
suites – fashioned from only 16 dotted amid dotted throughout the by offering visitors the city’s flame-like
only natural materials the red-hued expanse gulf of thailand. It's an alternative way dunes in dubai desert
– bestowing views of outback, you can here you'll find Song to experience the Conservation Reserve.
of a trio of dramatic bask in the sight of Saa (the sweethearts), uneSCo listed site. al Maha is an eco-
volcanoes. Here, you uluru (or ayers Rock a pair of side-by-side this includes visits to luxury resort where
can hike a volcano, as it's more commonly islands which house view aspects of daily guests can enjoy the
paraglide, or jump off known), arguably the the remote, sustainable life in a rural ethiopian full desert experience
a cliff into beautiful most iconic sight of all sanctuary Song Saa village, and 10-day by exploring their
Lake atitlan – we'll in australia and one to Private Island. Paradise treks through peaks spectacular surrounds
leave that to you. tick off the bucket list. most definitely found. and riverbeds. on horseback.

18 World Traveller
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Email crome@anantara.com or
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CAMBODIA • CHINA • INDONESIA • MALDIVES • MOZAMBIQUE • OMAN • PORTUGAL • QATAR • SRI LANKA • THAILAND • UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
• VIETNAM • ZAMBIA
 worldtravellermagazine.com
Your passport to the Middle East's first fully
bookable travel inspiration website

Extend your journey with World Traveller magazine

by heading online to read more inspirational and
exclusive travel content and take advantage of up-
to-the-minute hotel and holiday features

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 Globetrotter

Dublin

Where To
geT your
fix of fun
This monTh
1. Get wet in Thailand
Everyone loves a good water fight, but
nowhere enjoys one quite like Bangkok
as it celebrates Songkran (13-15 April).
Merry revellers with water pistols
and buckets in hand fill the streets of
Silom and Khao San Road and soak
one another to the skin. The water
symbolically washes away misfortune,
to welcome the new year afresh. For
London's
somewhere to stay, Centara Hotels & hyde Park
Resorts has four properties in Bangkok.
Vienna Wat xieng Thong
2. Get stuffed in Singapore Buddhist temple,
Luang Prabang
While most cities celebrate their
diverse food offering by rolling out
the food trucks and adding a dash of
so-called celebrity chefs, Singapore's
World Gourmet Summit (2-29 April)
deals solely in haute cuisine. That
means instead of queuing for a quinoa
and kale burger, you can pull up a
cushioned chair at one of Singapore's
celebrated restaurants for fine dining
(and drinking) events aplenty.

3. Get rocked in California

Spread over two, always sunny
weekends (13-15 and 20-22 April),
Coachella is the world's foremost
pre-summer music festival, beloved of
California's cool kids. The same line-up
of stellar acts play both weekends,
with The Weeknd (his typo, not ours),
Beyonce and Eminem headlining this
year's event. Book a Safari Tent, which
comes with air-con and a concierge, if
you're one for glamping.
Coachella
The hoT liST
Trending
destinations
dnata Travel's head of product, Rob Arrow, gives
the inside track on where the in-crowd is headed
London is a great place to travel to in Still focusing on Europe, it's also a
spring, as the trees turn green and the magical time to travel to Vienna to soak
flowers bloom. The city is packed full up the romance and culture of the city.
of parks and it's such a great place to It's home to some of the most stunning
get out and explore. The Bulgari Hotel palaces, with great museums filled with
London, right on the edge of Hyde Park, classical and modern art. There's a lively
is the best place to start and end a day of café scene and shoppers will find top
strolling around. It has a great spa too. brands plus lots of independent stores.
With a visa no longer needed for Park Hyatt Vienna has a central location
Emiratis to visit Ireland, Dublin has ideal for seeing everything Viennese.
never been easier to travel to. There is There is a buzz of interest around
so much to discover both in the city and Luang Prabang in Laos with the stunning
around the country, so take some time to Rosewood Luang Prabang opening there
explore. Those who love a touch of luxury (a secluded jungle style property in the
teamed with history can stay at The heart of the city). Relax in your villa or get
Merrion – it's the perfect hotel at which to out and soak up the culture. But go now
indulge in both. before it becomes too popular.

World Traveller 21
globetrotter
New look for old favourites
This month’s hottest hotel openings are reboots, taking us from
the mountains of West Massachusetts to the streets of London
Two hours from Boston, in the mountains
of West Massachusetts, is The Berkshires,
a long-time weekend escape for well-
heeled Bostonians. It’s here, amid over
100 acres of lush woodland, that you’ll
find Blantyre (pictured above), a storied
estate comprised of a Tudor-style main
house, an 11-suite carriage house, and
four storybook cottages, all of which
reopen this month following a multi-
million-dollar facelift. In keeping with the
estate’s embracement of the traditional,
London
Calling
Opening in London's Covent
Garden this month is the new
flagship of renowned concept
store The Shop at Bluebird.
Housed in a 19th century coach
house, the store will stock
cutting edge labels, a fashion
illustration gallery and
rooftop restaurant.
22 World Traveller
pAST glorieS
outdoor pursuits here include croquet on among them) who lived and worked
the lawn and horse-drawn carriage rides in the area. New to the building is a
through the woodlands. But you’ll find us charming hidden garden, which houses
holed-up in the estate’s brand-new spa. Mr Ma’s Teahouse Spa – named with
Also reopening this month having a nod to the 1920s novel Mr Ma and
enjoyed an extensive makeover of its Son by Chinese author Lao Sha, on
own is The Academy, which spans five account of the spa offering authentic
Georgian townhouses in the Bloomsbury Asian experiences, which include the
area of London. It, too, has chosen to likes of a hot medicinal herbal footbath
take its cue from history, with interiors and Chinese reflexology. Just the job to
inspired by the literary Bloomsbury recover from a day spent walking the
Group (Virginia Woolf and E.M Forster rooms of the nearby British Museum.
Paul Smith has joined
forces with Globe-Trotter
to design this handcrafted
trolley case – one of only
120 made – which will
be available in stores
and online from 19 April.
paulsmith.com
food
Chef’s top tables
A style-setter in Japanese cuisine, Katsuya Uechi has restaurants around
the world, including Katsuya by Starck at Dubai’s Jumeirah Al Naseem
sushi sho
Honolulu, Hawaii
ritzcarlton.com
Sushi Sho is one of the most
famous sushi restaurants in
Tokyo (it’s very difficult to
make a reservation there and
the Waikiki Beach venue is
its first location outside of
Japan. Chef Keiji Nakazawa
makes authentic edomae-style
sushi teamed with Hawaiian
ingredients. Simply sit back
and enjoy the conversation and
skill of the chef.
FAVOURITE DISH: The menu
is omakase, which means "I'll
leave it up to you".
24 World Traveller
Daiwa sushi
Tsukiji, Tokyo
Most people know Tsukiji
market in Tokyo* and Daiwa
Sushi can be found in the
inner market area. It’s where
the restaurant owners and
employees go to eat, but it’s
open to everyone. I eat there
every time I visit, as the sushi is
delicious, fresh and affordable.
I strongly recommend you
arrive before 5am otherwise
you’re likely to wait in line for
up to two hours.
FAVOURITE DISH: Toro
(tuna), anago (sea eel), uni (sea
urchin) and mackerel.
* The market is relocating in October.
On my
wish list…
tetsuya’s Restaurant in
Sydney. I know about chef
Tetsuya Wakuda from a book
a friend gave me and I am
very interested in his cooking
style. He makes very creative
dishes based on Japanese
and French techniques.
tetsuyas.com
faR westeRn
taveRn
Orcutt, California
farwesterntavern.com
I went a long time ago while
travelling with a friend but it
was unforgettable. We weren’t
expecting to experience such an
incredible taste, as the venue
had an ordinary atmosphere
and an old-school ranch
menu, but it exceeded our
expectations. Simple seasoning
allowed us to enjoy the meat’s
original taste and I still think
that the steak at this restaurant
is the most delicious I’ve had.
FAVOURITE DISH: The ribeye.
 Standing tall in the heart of
C R E AT E Dubai Marina, featuring
incomparable panoramic views
SPECIAL of the city, combine the best
of all worlds with luxurious

MOMENTS accommodation, three

contemporary dining

WITH US.
destinations and a blissful
caravanserai-inspired, Saray Spa.

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KING SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD STREET
DUBAI MARINA, PO BOX 66662, DUBAI, UAE
T. 971.4.319.4000 | DUBAIMARRIOTTHARBOURHOTEL.COM
Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites
@marriottharbour
Personality

A LIFe WeLL TrAveLLeD

Ali F.
MostAFA
The Emirati filmmaker
and producer reveals the
destinations that have
made an impression and
offers an insight into his
travel rituals
I prefer to discover a destination
alone. Wandering around until I get
lost delivers the best experience
of a place – especially if you’ve
C

never been there before. That said,

my ideal companion is my wife, M

Maha. She knows me inside out and Y

gets what I like and what I don’t. CM

I had a blast with my family

MY
in Thailand last year. From
exploring the bustling cities, to CY

swimming with elephants and CMY

relaxing in exclusive tropical

K
resorts, we did it all on that trip.
I travel a lot for work. I’ve just
got back from London, where I
was in the studio recording sound
for a commercial campaign that’s
soon to released (it’s something
I am very excited about).
We shot the campaign images
for the TUMI Alpha Bravo collection
in California. Shooting in LA is
always great, as I get to have work
meetings thrown in while I’m there.
It’s a productive trip every time
I visit, but I always make time to
grab a bite to eat at The Original
Farmers Market by Beverly Grove.
Whenever I travel, I pack pretty
precisely, but regardless of where
I’m going I pack at least one
formal outfit such as a suit, as
you never know what’ll happen.
My goal is to ride a motorcycle
from Dubai to London for charity.
I will make it happen soon enough.

Ali F. Mostafa is the ambassador

for the TUMI Alpha Bravo Spring/
Summer 2018 collection. tumi.com

26 World Traveller
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Anantara Spa rejuvenates and renews, from a range of inspirational
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shop my City
Venice
Feminist artist and illustrator Clémentine du pontavice shares
the shopping highlights of the floating city
When in Venice it’s a joy
to stroll along the narrow
pathways and bridges that
line the canals, discovering
the bustling markets as
you go. I live in Paris but
as a child my mother often
brought me to Venice.
When I visit now I still feel
the same sense of child-like
excitement and I’ve made
some beautiful discoveries.
One of the most
innovative department
stores is t Fondaco dei
tedeschi by DFs
(dfs.com/en/venice) on the
Grand Canal, just a few steps
away from the famous Rialto
Bridge. It carries sought-
after Italian and international
brands such as Kenzo, Loewe
and Ermenegildo Zegna.
Even the most enlightened
Italians go to shop there.
You must purchase a pair
of authentic velvet slippers
from piedàterre (piedaterre-
venice.com). The rubber sole
means you can wear them
in the street if necessary –
and steer a gondola without
damaging the varnish.
Shopping
Clockwise from left: An
illustration by Clémentine
recently showcased at Comptoir
102 in Dubai; Loewe FW18;
T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS;
bed linen by Chiarastella Cattana;
and velvet slippers by Piedàterre
Shop for a hat at Giuliana
Longo (giulianalongo.com)
and have it customised
with your initials braided
directly in the straw.
If you have room in
your luggage, go to fabric
designer Chiarastella Cattana
(chiarastellacattana.com) for
“You must buy a
stylish bed and bath linen. pair of authentic
It's all made in Italy, in the
old mills of Alto Adige.
velvet slippers”
Of course, Venice is also
the city of art and antiquities.
The Giorgio mastinu fine art
space (giorgiomastinufineart.
it) is brimming with books,
photographs and drawings
by contemporary Italian
artists, like a real-life
cabinet of curiosities.
Close to the Peggy
Guggenheim Collection is
Napè (murano900.com),
a small gallery specialising
in 20th century Murano
glass. The owner, Filippo
Gambardella, can share
the stories of the pieces.
Lastly, for a traditional mask,
papier mache (papiermache.
it) is the place to go for
incredible craftsmanship.
World Traveller 29
locals’ guide

the locals' guide to

Dubrovnik
From its Baroque buildings to its contemporary
art attractions, there’s plenty to discover inside the
Croatian city’s ancient stone walls

30 World Traveller

Dubrovnik is one of the oldest and
most beautiful Adriatic towns
locals’ guide
For romantics at heart
Croatian journalist
Ana Muhar, who
was married in
Dubrovnik, reveals
the secret side of
the city, and where
to go for a dash
of romance
anamuhar.com
Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful
cities in the world. The famous portraits
of the fortified Old Town are stunning and
the place is even more breathtaking in real
life. It's hard to resist diving into the sea
– the locals don’t understand why tourists
often require access to swimming pools.
The city is so photogenic that it can feel
like a wedding set. Approaching the Old
Harbour by boat is a special experience,
perhaps after a long, delicious lunch in
Gverović-Orsan (gverovic-orsan.hr) in
the nearby village of Zaton beside the sea.
Hike up to Fort Lovrijenac for striking
views. And stroll through the elegant Old
Town in the middle of the night, when the
old stones have a special glow.
It is impossible to divide Dubrovnik
from its history, and people who don’t
appreciate history are unlikely to fall in
love with Dubrovnik. A simple walk in the
Old Town will work its magic, however,
it’s definitely worth having a guided tour
of the City Walls. For a look into its more
recent history, I would advise visitors to
visit the War Photography Museum.
Croatians will tell you that the people
of Dubrovnik are complicated, but I like
them. I like their pride, peculiar accent
and relaxed manner. The best way to meet
them is at one of the local cafés in the
morning, as a cup of coffee first thing is
an absolute must in Croatia.
Spend your time and money on
experiences. Visit the stunning Elaphiti
Islands, eat the fresh fish, sample different
olive oils and sip the wine from nearby
Peljesac. If you must buy something, my
favourite place to shop is antique boutique
Moje Tezoro (moje-tezoro.hr), which has
a wonderful collection of original old
jewellery that’s pricey but beautiful
and unique.
World Traveller 31
locals’ guide
Dubrovnik, Croatia, by John Newcomb
For art buFFs
Selma Hafizovic,
owner of
Dubrovnik
Contemporary
Gallery (+385 95
822 2971), shines
a light on the
city’s artistic and
creative gems
Dubrovnik itself is like an evolving work
of art. If you want to experience the art
scene that’s developing there, head to
Banje Beach on Frana Supila Road. All
the major galleries and institutions are
there, including Museum of Modern Art
Dubrovnik (ugdubrovnik.hr). Founded in
1945 it houses an impressive 2,620 works of
art, many of which are by artists linked in
some way to the Dubrovnik area.
For a grassroots experience, head over
to Art Radionica Lazareti (arl.hr), an
independent institution representing
an alternative art scene with concerts,
open discussions and exhibitions. It’s an
amazing place to meet local artists at the
many openings and events held there.
And, of course, Dubrovnik
Contemporary Gallery is the place to go
32 World Traveller
The workshop at Clara Stones
and (inset) red coral and jade
carved antique necklace
for works by mainly London and New York
based contemporary artists. It's a magnet
for serious collectors who are interested in
emerging and mid-career artists.
Next, head back inside the city walls to
mingle with the locals in the old part of
town. I recommend hanging out at Lucio’s
café in Zlatarska Street – it’s where all the
artists and sailors come to unwind. Once
there, you can get a sense of the history of
the place.
Afterwards, walk to Clara Stones
Jewellery (clarastones.com) where you
can peek inside one of the last red coral
workshops in Croatia and see how these
Seeing red
The distinctive terracotta
rooftops that characterise
the Old Town, which is
on the UNESCO World
Heritage List, have inspired
many artworks and are a
focus of a major restoration
programme co-ordinated
by the organisation.
little pieces of art are transformed into
jewellery. A walk through the city follows
in the footsteps of Lord Byron (who
described it as the 'jewel of the Adriatic')
and playwright George Bernard Shaw (who
wrote Pygmalion) who both came here for
inspiration. The locals will also tell you
stories of Dame Elizabeth Taylor who came
here to hide away.
In the summer, the city takes pride in its
Dubrovnik Summer Festival (dubrovnik-
festival.hr) theatre programme, running
from 10 July to 25 August 2018. The whole
city will be out in will be out in support,
and it’s really quite wonderful.
 locals’ guide

For Foodies
Ana-Marija Bujić,
co-owner of
Pantarul restaurant
and author of
What's Cooking in
Dubrovnik, takes us
on a gastronomic
tour of the city.
anamarijabujic.com

Dubrovnik is a small town but there are

several good restaurants scattered around
and, even if you're pushed for time, you
should find it easy to experience all of
them. For a fine dining experience, check
out: Restaurant 360° (360dubrovnik.
com), which has recently been awarded
a Michelin star; Restaurant Nautika
(nautikarestaurant.com), a long-
established venue with breathtaking
sea views; and Restaurant Dubrovnik
(restorandubrovnik.com/restoran), where
the quality of the food is always high.
During April there is an abundance of
fresh produce at the local markets, such
as wild asparagus (not to be confused with
the cultivated varieties – the wild one has
a bitter taste and is most often combined
with eggs), a mixture of wild herbs called
pazija, fava beans, green beans, new
potatoes and dill. At Pantarul (pantarul.
com) we make the most out of each
season, so you are sure to find most – if
not all – of these vegetables on our menu.
For something a bit different,
Konavoski Dvori National Restaurant
(esculaprestaurants.com) in Ljuta, in the
Konavle area, serves delicious Croatian
cuisine in a riverside setting. Try the sač
(peka) – meat and vegetables prepared
under an iron bell and cooked in the ashes
– and also trout fresh from the river. The
weather there is always pleasant and it’s a
refreshing destination in summer.
To taste something truly unique, take a
Photos: With thanks to Dubrovnik Tourist Board

trip to Ston village, which is a 45-minute

drive from Dubrovnik. The oysters and
mussels you can eat there are a delicacy
in Croatia and you can even have a go
at harvesting them. You should also try
cuttlefish risotto – special due to its jet
black colour – and end the experience with
makaruli, a dessert made from pasta and a
sweet walnut and almond based cream.
Pantarul

World Traveller 33
World Traveller x ananTara Peace Haven Tangalle resorT

The spice of life

From discovering Ceylonese tea culture to surfing the waves, the old-world
charm and untamed landscapes of Sri Lanka beckon and Anantara Peace
Haven Tangalle Resort is the perfect base from which to explore

Gain a local perspective. Seeing a
destination through the eyes of a local
offers a real feel for the culture. Step
forward the line-up of dedicated Anantara
‘gurus’, each of whom can show you a
different side to Tangalle. From the
Coconut Guru who can shimmy up a palm
and fetch you a drink to the Experience
Guru who’ll take you on a tour of the
town’s markets, cottage industries and
temples, there is plenty to discover.
Be an eco explorer. Learn about the rich
ecosystem of the resort, which is nestled
within a coconut plantation on Sri Lanka’s
southernmost shores, by embarking on
the complimentary 90-minute nature
walk. Visit the organic rice fields, learn
about indigenous farming methods, tour
the mangroves and see first-hand how sea
turtles are being cared for and protected
on this eye-opening outing.
Find your balance with Ayurveda.
Sri Lanka is famous for Ayurvedic
healing so if you're eager to discover how
ancient remedies and holistic therapies
can boost your wellbeing, you’ve come
to the right place. Head to the spa and
select a nurturing programme – we rate
Samabara, which offers an introduction to
self-care through Ayurveda.
Surf the waves. Whether you’re new to the
surfing scene or a pro chasing the biggest
swells, Anantara Surf Centre by Tropicsurf
will deliver a thrilling experience. It offers
lessons and stand-up paddle boarding for
all abilities, with expert guides to help you
find the best spots.
Try a cooking class. Immerse yourself in
the local culinary culture by preparing a
meal from scratch. Journey to the fishing
port to select your fresh catch and organic
ingredients and then take it back to the
resort where the chef will show you how to
rustle up traditional dishes.
Taste teppanyaki. For a touch of drama
with your dinner, head to Verala where
the skilled master chef creates teppanyaki
delights with Sri Lankan flair before your
eyes. Set along the seafront, the casual
dining venue is famous for its kottu
roti – a hot and spicy local dish based on
shredded flatbread.
Dinner with a view. Dine against a
backdrop of stunning ocean vistas at
the cliffside Il Mare, an award-winning
fine dining restaurant that specialises
in authentic Italian cuisine. Tuck into
delicious seafood and handmade pasta
dishes, complemented by a curated
selection of fine wines.
Get back to nature. Be sure to check out
the multitude of protected forest reserves
nearby, such as Udawalawe National Park
and Yala National Park. In addition, you
can make the 90-minute drive to Mirissa
Harbour and take a boat out to sea for
a chance to spot giant blue whales and
dolphins – the best time to go is from
December to April.
Rituals to remember. Guests are
welcomed by a number of indigenous
ceremonies throughout their stay, such as
folk songs sung to the beat of a drum upon
arrival, daily conch shell playing at sunset
and, when it’s time to leave, a blessing
with flowers and water to wish you on
your way.
Find out more at tangalle.anantara.com

34 World Traveller
 Ride the waves with the help
of the in-resort surf school

Guests are
welcomed with
traditional drumming

The Coconut Guru will

fetch you a fresh drink

Serene moments by the swimming pool

Get an up-close view of wildlife Taste authentic Italian fare at Il Mare

in the national parks

World Traveller 35
bangkok

Thai

Twenty years since he did

Bangkok by backpack,
Tristan Rutherford returns for a
challenge: seeking that classic
city clamour - with a bit more
glamour. He’s older, but in a city
this exciting, will he prove to be
any the wiser?

36 World Traveller
 Opposite: Neon bangkok
illuminates
the city at night This page:
The BTS Skytrain speeds
over a colourful traffic jam
along Sukhumvit road

A
ged 18, my four days in
Bangkok were a busted flush.
I scoured my Lonely Planet
guidebook for the cheapest
dorm on Khaosan Road. I ate
banana pancakes with Kiwi gappers to assuage
a bitter loneliness. On Hotmail I lied to friends
about scoffing fried insects (when really I just
missed my mum). In a rubbish bit of planning,
I’d arrived mid rainy season. My fake Armani
pants bled orange in the damp, forcing me to
hop to the hostel showers wrapped (before
Beckham made it cool) in a batik sarong.
What a wasted opportunity. What a twit.
Now, in my forties, four nights in Bangkok
without the wife and kids is a treat – my
chance to make up for those youthful errors,
to do it properly. So instead of hitching or
walking, or anything stupid like that, I join
commuters on the Skytrain into town. This
raised route glides above canal shacks and
skyscrapers – the 18th century meeting the
21st. And at Phrom Phong station, double
doors still ping open onto a cacophony of all
the senses. The smell: grilled squid, clove
cigarettes and temple joss. The noise: the
screech of street hawkers and moto-taxis. The
sight: someone pouring a takeaway massaman
curry into a plastic sandwich bag. The taste: a
lime juice to wash down the noodles sticking
to the roof of my mouth. Five minutes into
the blender of modern Bangkok and I’m
deafened, spun and completely hooked.

World Traveller 37
 Like 20-odd years ago, my first night
is in a hostel – but one of the new breed.
The Oneday Pause hostel is Bangkok-
meets-Brooklyn, an industrial-chic
array of metal ceiling fans and polished
cement floors. A family would love the
cool linen and brick walls of a four-person
dorm. My en-suite double pairs Parisian
tiles with flea-market hangers – plus a
private courtyard where I sip a sunset
Singha. This is the way to backpack.
For dinner, I’m directed to EmQuarter
Mall on Sukhumvit Road. Underneath
its Uniqlo superstore is a basement food
hall where 50-plus vendors turn out
sashimi, summer rolls and mie goreng
in tiny spotless kitchens. It’s an air-
conditioned Asia-lite, with half-hour
foot rubs available across the street.
Bangkok has become a city dedicated to
eating and shopping, with kaffir lime and
discount massages sprinkled on top.
The next morning I ride the Skytrain to
the Jim Thompson House: it’s a must-see I
missed in my cooler-than-thou backpacker
days. Thompson was an American
serviceman in Asia after WWII – he founded
the Thai Silk Company in 1948. His raised
wooden homes showcase ’50s Bangkok
like a period photoshoot for Architectural
Digest, all rattan recliners with blood-
orange antimacassars and yellowing
portraits of tiger hunts and palace scenes.
The gardens are full of houseplants run
wild: rubber plants and ficus have grown to
unfathomable sizes and swish above a black
pond that ripples with red carp. My toddler
children would love the estate’s bamboo
trails (but they’d wilt in the midday heat).
It would be my wife who’d complain
about my next activity. Google Maps claims
it’s a 30-minute cab ride to tonight’s hotel,
but I know a way to get there in 10. Moto-
taxi drivers prowl for pillion passengers
on every street corner. My driver tucks my
bag between his legs and we roar into a
screaming torrent of traffic. As in a video
game – with only one life – our motorbike
38 World Traveller
brushes close to trucks and clatters over
storm drains as if there’s a biblical flood
behind us. I thought I was the amber
gambler, but my driver shoots through
red lights like a madcap Moses, a sea of
cars slamming a second behind us like a
klaxon curtain. During occasional traffic
stops I glimpse further decadent ways to
part with my baht: tailors that promise
three-piece suits with two shirts – plus a
free silk tie. With a final trigger squeeze, the
moto-taxi skirts up a sidewalk to the Siam
hotel, where a butler raises an indulgent
eyebrow as he retrieves my dusty rucksack.
The Siam is a lavish establishment where
you’ll be lulled into colonialist delusions as
you pen postcards amid a mini-museum
of Indochinoiserie. You can learn Muay
Thai boxing in the gym, make pad Thai in
the kitchen, or ensure the only thing that
sweats is your lemongrass G&T. But its
real USP is its private boat launch. Nine
times a day the elegant wooden cruiser
escorts guests down the Chao Phraya river
for free. The city’s pumping artery cuts
through a cross-section of Thai society.
Beside temple wats that point skywards
like golden rocketships, multicoloured
shacks tumble hugger-mugger into the
brown chop. Tugs strain to pull four-
barge convoys, as sunset river cruisers
and barbecue boats serve grilled meats
to the sound of Céline Dion’s powerful
vocals. I alight at the Jam Factory, a former
warehouse turned shop and café, where the
riverside terrace is buffeted by giant steel
fans. Here, my frozen cappuccino is served
with a jug of syrup. Bangkok can’t stomach
hot drinks, and this alternative sweetener
dissolves better in ice than grains of sugar.
A polluted sunset scalds the river a
violent pink. From the jetty I ride a public
ferry through the dusky fug, jumping ship
at Si Phraya pier. The guide for my night
stroll is Bangkok Days, a voyeuristic memoir
by resident novelist Lawrence Osborne,
chronicling his nocturnal stumbles around
Asia’s crossroads city. On foot and under a
 bangkok

This page: The view from the

historic area of Candelaria

Opposite: Contemporary art

in Iglesia de Santa Clara

"Bangkok has become a city dedicated to eating

and shopping, with kaffir lime and discount
massages sprinkled on top"

This page, clockwise

from top left: Tuk
tuks line up ready to
transport tourists and
locals around Bangkok;
Jim Thompson's House;
Kuay Tiew Rua, a
traditional Thai noodle
dish; the flower market

World Traveller 39
 This page: vendors in boats
at the city's floating market

“Wagons push past me

offering bags of papaya
and jackfruit, followed by
juice carts stocked with
pressed tangerine
and watermelon”

40 World Traveller

cloak of darkness, I spy backstreet Mahjong
joints, silk kimono depots, gold pawners,
sacks of shaved squid, and costly bolts of
silk so hefty it would take an army to steal
them. Rising up are stupas, minarets and
church spires. Plus the riverside Mandarin
Oriental hotel where, according to a
barman’s notes from the ’20s, ‘Mr Somerset
Maugham likes his Martini served in
a very chilled, long-stemmed glass ’.
The streets get naughtier in the darker
east. Women catcall from massage
joints (I run away), and strange buckets
surround blackened shops: scallop dust,
sea cucumbers and wriggling shapes you
can’t identify. My night ends at a Thai
music club that serves yadong (Thai
moonshine) infused with herbs and honey.
My final day is reserved for the big
sights. Khaosan Road runs the gamut of
Thai architecture: blinging early-1800s
temples from Rama IV and Europeanised
grandeur from his son Rama V. Then
French châteaux and Italianate mansions
from Ramas VI and VII, who were educated
at Oxford and Eton respectively. But I’m
more interested in spotting backpackers.
A holidaying couple sport ballooning
pantaloons in DayGlo colours like a pair of
Stabilo Boss marker pens. Their backpacks
seem monumental: 60, 80, maybe 100
litres. They lug Calor gas stoves past stalls
that sell tom yum soup with fishballs for
a dollar a pop. Surely that was never me?
At the Grand Palace I meet my tour guide
Oranee. Up to 20,000 Chinese tourists visit
the palace each day, she says. The first gold
leaf was applied to the now-glitzy palace
in 1782, when Bangkok became Thailand’s
capital – and the work didn’t stop until
absolute monarchy was dissolved in 1932.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha houses
the cherubic figure; he’s moulded from
jade, and seated on a gold altar (to keep
him cosy in winter, staff adorn him with a
Credit: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine / News Licensing
golden shawl). A fabulous fresco highlights
Thailand’s folkloric history around the 2km
perimeter. It reads like a tropical Game of
Thrones, with leaping demons, blowpipe
wars and monkey armies commanded by
the naughty simian demigod Hanuman.
Fortunately, Oranee knows how to
lose a crowd. We duck into Pak Khlong
Talat wholesale flower market, Bangkok’s
largest, where armfuls of hotel-bound
orchids rest on slabs of ice like fish. At Ta
Chang pier Oranee has reserved a longtail
bangkok
boat. These are powered by a cut-throat
propeller on a giant pole attached to a car
engine. Our pilot rips through the canals
at jet-ski speeds. We peer through people’s
windows while they do the dishes as we
slap-slap-slap through the water. There
are leaping catfish, canaries in cages,
laundry hanging out to dry, palm trees,
and basking monitor lizards the size of
crocs. We slow down near Oranee’s old
waterside primary school (she used to
swim across the canal after class), then
alight at an artists’ residence built on
stilts, Baan Silapin, to see a contemporary
puppet show. Three men operate a life-size
Hanuman, the wicked monkey. The puppet
kisses female audience members, then
rifles through their handbags. Charming.
Tour groups cast envious glances as
the longtail drops me off at Ratchawong
pier for Chinatown. Ten minutes later
I’m immersed in a fragrant world of gold
emporia with digital price indexes, monks
dressed in yellow, and street signs in
Chinese. Truth be told, I’m only here for
the food. My barbecue stall owner plies
me with crab claws and sticky prawn
satay; wagons push past me offering bags
of papaya and jackfruit, followed by juice
carts stocked with pressed tangerine
and watermelon – all in all, I have a feast
of a dinner for less than ten dollars.
A few blocks east, Hua Lamphong
railway station is a terminal for memories.
Eastern & Oriental Express trains still
depart for Singapore, and a couple are
snapping wedding portraits in the Italian-
designed foyer. In the ’90s, I travelled
third class on the night train from here to
Chiang Mai, when for a few dollars more I
could have bagged a luxury sleeper. If only
I could have told my 18-year-old self that,
of all the cities in the world, Bangkok sells
a taste of the high life at the lowest price.
A quick hop on the Skytrain delivers
me to my last hotel, the Cabochon, an
eight-room colonial mansion, where
you can phone down your $3 drink order
from the rooftop pool. Whether you’re a
backpacker or a banker, that’s a bargain
too good to miss – in Bangkok, everyone
can afford to upgrade. Something I’ll be
sure to share with my kids when they get
to their own gap year: don’t do as I did.
Inspired to travel? To book a trip, call
+971 4 316 6666 or visit dnatatravel.com
World Traveller 41
 take
a walk

42 World Traveller
 serengeti

African game on your bucket list? You could follow

the herd and hop on a minibus. But for full sensory
overload, walking safaris are the way ahead.
Stanley Stewart steps out in the Serengeti

World Traveller 43
serengeti
In the sand by the
rIver, PrIm knelt
down to examIne
a lIne of anImal
PrInts. then he
stood uP, suddenly.
‘Two lions,’ he said, scanning
the raised banks above us. ‘Young
males. They are close.’
Prim is the Sherlock Holmes of the
Serengeti. A walking guide, he has an
uncanny ability to read the landscape
and trace the passage of its animals. I
was half expecting him to tell me what
they’d had for breakfast. And then he
did, pausing by a pile of fresh dung.
‘They’ve taken a young wildebeest,’ he
said. ‘Probably four or five hours ago.’
I followed him to the top of the riverbank
where he lifted his gun in readiness.
‘There,’ he said, pointing. About 100m
away, moving slowly through the long
grass, were the lions. They stopped and
looked back at us over their shoulders.
For a moment I was eye to eye with one of
Africa’s greatest predators. Considering
the options, then deciding we represented
too great a danger, they went on, shoulder
blades seesawing through the grass.
My pulse raced. We were in the Serengeti
National Park, one of Africa’s most popular
wildlife destinations. More than 300,000
visitors come each year, nearly all of them
ensconced in the upholstered comfort of
4WDs and minibuses, seeing Africa from
a safe distance. But we were on foot.
However you explore it, the Serengeti is,
of course, a once-in-a-lifetime experience
(even if vehicles are likely to converge en
masse on an elephant sighting or lion
kill). It is made even more special by its
international-class, luxury lodges. But
tourism is focused on about 40 percent
of the park. If I was coming this far,
44 World Traveller
I’d told myself, it made sense to go the
whole (wart)hog: to see Africa at walking
pace, stretch my legs and engage with
the landscape as well as the animals;
to experience the country without a
lodge, a vehicle or even a road in sight.
The Maasai call it Siringet, the place
where the land runs on forever. Tipping
down from the Crater Highlands in
Tanzania towards the Maasai Mara in
Kenya, the vast grasslands of the Serengeti
are archetypal Africa: long horizons and
towering skies. Across 15,000sq km of
wilderness a bewildering array of wildlife
meanders with proprietorial ease.
As I flew north from Lake Manyara, there
was no sign of habitation below us, just
baked emptiness, except for a scattering
of lodges and camps. Our 12-seater Cessna
hopped between dirt airstrips like a flying
bus, dropping off safari visitors along the
way. I had an appointment with a rare
guide, licensed for game-viewing on foot.
At Kogatende, as we came in to land, a
small herd of wildebeest, three startled
warthogs and a gangly giraffe all scuttled
off the airstrip. A 4WD was waiting. We
set off for the wilderness zone through
a landscape of gentle hills and yellow
grasslands edged by acacia woods. The
tracks we drove on grew smaller until
they disappeared altogether. Long grasses
swished against the car as we dodged
trees and boulders. At a dry riverbed I got
out to help scout for a crossing place. On
the far side, we passed a pride of lions
sitting in the grass, scanning herds of
wildebeest and impalas in the distance.
The Wayo camp was strung along the
banks of the Bologonja river, half a dozen
tents on an open rise. The moment the
car stopped and the engine died, I was
seized by a sense of peace. The only sounds
were of Africa: the river chattering among
boulders, the clattering of Egyptian geese
and, far away, an elephant trumpeting.
‘There’s a disconnect when you’re in
a vehicle – you’re seeing Africa on your
terms,’ said Jean du Plessis, the owner
of Wayo Africa, who would be leading
me. ‘Walking is a different experience.
You’re here on Africa’s terms. That’s when
you really begin to feel the continent.’
Jean grew up in South Africa running
around the African bush with Zulu children
in the Drakensberg mountains. He came
to Tanzania 20 years ago to help train
park rangers, and spent a lot of his time
on long foot patrols. He fell in love with
the country – and with the idea of seeing
it at walking pace. His contacts allowed
Stanley Stewart / The Sunday Times Travel Magazine / News Licensing
him unique access to the wilderness
zones, but it’s a two-way deal: for the
park authorities Jean’s camps act as a
deterrent to poachers in less-visited areas.
I’d imagined walking meant roughing
it, but there was something splendid
about the camp at Bologonja – this was
how visitors saw Africa 100 years ago.
Furnished with duvets, mattresses and
camp chairs, the two-man tents were
cosy and comfortable. Close by was a
roofless loo of wonderful simplicity – a
composting short-drop thunderbox; a sink
with a mirror; and a bucket shower readied
with warm water by staff on demand.
 Bogotá

“We had pre-dinner drinks around the campfire

prior to three-course candlelit meals served
beneath skies swarming with stars”

Opening pages:
A Wayo Camp walking
guide leads his party
into the wilderness
These pages: Aerial
view of the two-man
tents at Wayo camp,
Bologonja

World Traveller 45
 “On the far side, we passed a pride of lions sitting in the grass,
scanning herds of wildebeest and impalas in the distance”

46 World Traveller

We had pre-dinner drinks around
the campfire prior to three-course
candlelit meals served beneath skies
swarming with stars. I felt I could
linger here for a week, but Bologonja
was merely base camp, where the
walking base safaris begin and end. As
we chatted round the fire after dinner,
I sensed Prim was keen to get going.
‘There is a male elephant that roams a
territory a couple of days’ walk from here,’
he said. ‘He’s very old, a bit cantankerous,
and lives entirely on his own now. I have
watched him for years. He is like an old
friend. I am keen to see if he is still alive.’
Awaking in the pre-dawn I dressed
by lantern light. When I emerged from
my tent, the eastern sky already carried
a rose tint. Over coffee by the embers
of the previous night’s fire, I watched
the landscape across the river slowly
materialise: the smooth, lion-coloured
boulders, the flat-topped acacias, the
slopes of yellow grass dotted with
hundreds of wildebeest and zebra. As we
ate a hearty breakfast, a great chorus of
chattering birds filled the morning.
We were a small party: myself and a
mother and daughter from New York. We
were accompanied by two guides, Prim
and George, a park ranger. Regulations
stipulate that both men should be armed
(on foot, extra levels of safety are required).
But in many years trekking the Serengeti,
neither men had ever needed to shoot.
We followed the line of the river, among
scattered trees, towards the Nyama
Lumbwa Hills. The smell of wild mint
and sage rose from beneath our feet. In
the fresh morning air, with the grass still
wet with dew, the early sun casting long
shadows and the birds singing, Africa felt
new-born. Prim moved with care, gently
dispensing information and stories.
There is, he told us, an old African saying
that you feel a place through the soles
of your feet. Walking, I began to savour
nuances – I was no longer just looking
at Africa, I was beginning to sense it.
He showed us an orange caterpillar
as long as a man’s hand – its bristling
hide would produce stinging sores if
touched. He pointed out a woodpecker
cocking its head in order to hear the
subtle movements of larvae beneath the
bark, and the honey guide flitting noisily
serengeti
from tree to tree trying to lead us to a
beehive in the hope we would open it. He
explained how termites could build new
‘chimneys’ in a day to achieve the optimal
temperature inside their castellated
mounds. We followed a trail of Matabele
ants on their way to raid a termite mound.
For another bird, the anteater chat, it was
love rather than lunch – from atop the
highest fever tree, it sang its heart out to a
dowdy, uninterested female not far away.
Prim’s detective work was ceaseless, but
beside his Sherlock act, I was the bumbling
Watson, bemused and amazed in turn.
He lifted a fistful of grass, smelled it and
told us about the leopard that had recently
passed this way. Stopping by hyena poo,
he told us the animal’s age and habits, the
specifics of its lunch. He knelt to examine
rhino tracks and could tell us when the
beasts passed and where they were going.
Crime scenes were Prim’s speciality,
and the Serengeti is thick with corpses.
We meditated for a time on the skeleton
of a juvenile lappet-faced vulture beneath
a tree. Eventually Prim reached his
verdict: fratricide. It had been killed by its
siblings in the nest above, and a parent
had disposed of the body by pushing
it out of the nest. By the remains of a
wildebeest, he recited its biography – its
age, sex, status in the herd, and how
it had met its end. He pointed out the
differing lengths of the femurs on its
front legs. It had had a limp, and was too
slow for the lions that had taken it down.
Life was everywhere. In a dry
riverbed, two hyenas paused, turning
their great heads slowly to look at us
with malevolent eyes as vultures fed
on a fresh carcass nearby. Elegant
in the air, the birds were colossal on
the ground, Jurassic Age survivors,
squabbling over carrion, their bald heads
bloodied from foraging in entrails.
Of course, the Serengeti wasn’t all death
and defecation. A herd of zebras, a couple
of hundred strong, suddenly lifted their
heads among the trees in front of us, then
turned and galloped away. A small group
of impalas, elegantly poised, watched us
from the far side of the river. A family of
warthogs passed at a stiff-legged trot, their
tails sticking up like antennae. At some
distance, giraffes browsed among acacias,
their long necks protruding amusingly
World Traveller 47
 among the branches. But for comic appeal
they were upstaged effortlessly by the
wildebeest, creatures composed, some
tribes say, from the animal parts God had
left over: a few stripes from the zebra,
a handful of lion’s mane, the head of a
warthog and the neck of a buffalo. Yet they
also offer one of the great spectacles of
the Serengeti. Herds migrating in search
of fresh pasture make epic river crossings,
which safari-goers congregate to watch
– as I did, after a walk in the bush.
In a way that seemed fitting for these
hapless creatures, the thrill was chiefly
in watching crocodiles devour them as
they flailed mid-stream, like freeloaders
vacuuming up the buffet at a party.
It was elephants Prim wanted to find;
in particular the ageing male he’d told
us about. ‘The old separate from the
herd in their last years so as not to slow
or hinder,’ he said. ‘This elephant is like
a recluse these days, waiting to die.’
A small group of them appeared on
the far bank of the river later that day.
Behind a screen of trees they were grey
ghosts; stepping into the open they
were suddenly solid and real. Lifting
their trunks, they pulled entire branches
off the trees as if they were twigs.
Prim scanned the hills beyond with
his binoculars for the old male. ‘It’s
silly. There are other elephants, other
animals. But for me, the landscapes
are not the same without him.’
We walked for three days, starting
early each morning, when the air
was cool and fresh, and reaching our
overnight fly camps by lunchtime.
Cooks and porters, having gone ahead,
would already be preparing food. Tents
were usually pitched on a sand bank
next to a fresh stream so bathing was a
few steps away from the front flap. We
48 World Traveller
spent the heat of midday resting and
reading beneath awnings. Tea and fresh
muffins arrived at four o’clock. Then,
late afternoon, we set off to explore.
At some point on each outing, we came
upon a spoor of fresh elephant dung,
grassy blocks that Prim would examine,
looking for clues. On the third day, in the
late afternoon, we crossed the river and
struck across country to emerge on a wide
plain. A pair of tawny eagles circled above
a family of warthogs, a mother with four
young clambering over rocks. We walked
for a couple of hours, savouring the last
light of the day. Then, as we were turning
back towards the camp, we heard it...
From somewhere beyond a wood
away to our left, where the sun was
starting to set, came a trumpeting.
Prim stopped and listened. A moment
later a great bull elephant appeared
on the skyline from behind the trees,
silhouetted suddenly against the red sun,
like an African cliché. Prim nodded.
‘It’s him,’ he said. ‘He is still alive.’
His face was broken by a
smile. ‘And he looks well.’
The creature was magnificent,
seemingly twice as large as any elephant I
had seen before, with a pair of wonderful
tusks catching the last light. Trunk
raised in defiance, ears flapping forward,
he began trotting menacingly towards
us in elephantine slow motion. I felt
the same rush of adrenaline as I had
done on that first morning seeing the
two lions so close in the long grass.
His thunderous footfalls seemed to
reverberate through the very ground
on which I stood. I wasn’t just seeing or
hearing his approach, I was feeling it.
Inspired to travel? To book a trip, call
+971 4 316 6666 or visit dnatatravel.com
 serengeti

“His thunderous footfalls seemed to reverberate

through the very ground on which I stood”

World Traveller 49
50 World Traveller
 Buenos Aires

Laura Whateley finds

her feet in Buenos Aires

World Traveller 51

T
he Germans are even more
tense, I’m reassured by my
dance teacher, as I stiffly
embrace a sweaty man
from Seattle on a darkened
dancefloor. “But by the end of the evening
they are hugging and kissing everyone like
true porteños [Buenos Aires residents].”
I have already downed a strong drink
for a bit of Argentine courage from a
table covered by a red cloth on the edge
of the floor and watched strangers
dance sensually together, legs expertly
tangled, faces almost touching, eyes shut,
communicating through the rhythm of the
bandoneon (concertina) and live orchestra.
This while trying to keep my eyes averted
for fear of accidentally locking them
with an expert bailarin (male dancer).
Cabeceo is the signal to dance: a man
scans the room to make eye contact with
a woman he wants to dance with and
subtly tilts his head, a woman might
nod to accept, the man will stand, collect
his partner and escort her to the floor;
if you are not keen you pretend not to
have seen, to spare a man’s blushes.
Too soon it is my turn, along with a
handful of visitors mostly from the US and
Latin America, to join the beginners and
learn the most basic of tango steps. The
teachers chat away in Spanish, but you
do not need to understand the language
to figure out where your feet should
be going in the eight-count formation.
52 World Traveller
Clockwise from
above: a food
truck in Zona Rosa;
a house in the
colonial district of La
Candelaria; Church
Museum
Half an hour later I’m dreaming
of a new career as a tango star.
It is about $10 to enter La Viruta
Milonga, one of about 150 tango clubs
across Buenos Aires, at least one of
which is open all night on any night
of the year. For that you can listen to
live tango music, watch people dance,
learn yourself, pay extra for dinner and
malbec, then join in until closing at 6am.
The dancefloor is heaving at 4am. Taxis
lined up outside are not there to pick
up visitors, but are owned by drivers
having a quick tango during their break.
Dancing is just one of the activities
offered by a new local company,
Immersion Tours, to encourage visitors to
get under the skin of the city; many, such
as visiting a milonga (tango club), or eating
the best steak of your life, cost very little.
A stay in the Argentine capital has got
cheaper, too. The city’s many boutique
hotels, while not cheap, have become more
affordable for visitors; the government,
hoping to attract more tourist pesos,
last year abolished the 21 percent tax
on hotels for non-Argentinians.
Shopping is still painfully expensive;
the Argentine woman I sit next to on
the plane tells me it costs about half her
monthly rent to buy a coat. But things
are changing, with a new right-leaning
government keen to boost investment.
It is hard to escape politics, history and
changing economic landscapes here. On
 Buenos Aires

“At least one of the

150 tango clubs across
Buenos Aires is open
all night on any night
of the year”

Caption please xxx

a tour around the city I pass the central
bank, where my guide points out the dents
and scratches on heavy metal shutters
from where crowds banged the doors to
get access to their cash during the crisis of
2001. Everyone I meet has an opinion on
Perón, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and
whether or not residents pay too much tax.
High taxes have, however, resulted in
a commitment to providing citizens, and
visitors, with access to high culture, free
of charge. The grand beaux arts post office
building, completed in 1928 and modelled
on New York’s main post office, is now
the impressively huge Kirchner Cultural
Centre, one of the best of several arts
centres in the city that are free to visit
for hundreds of concerts, exhibitions,
book fairs, dance classes and even yoga.
A visit to the Teatro Colón opera
house is a must. Like so much of Buenos
Aires, with its wide boulevards, Parisian
architecture, British-designed subway,
Italian-influenced language and 'Spanish
soul', it is a mishmash of European
and Latin American style. Its sweeping
grand-entrance staircase is a patchwork
of white carrara marble from Tuscany,
pink from Portugal, yellow from Siena
and orange from Verona, with art nouveau
floor tiles from England. The auditorium
takes my breath away. It seats nearly
2,500, with standing room in the vertigo-
inducing 'henhouse' for a further 500, at
the top of the 28m-high ceiling, crowned
with a chandelier of 700 lightbulbs.
The best seats are reserved for the
mayor, the president and the Pope, but
I am fascinated by the widows’ boxes,
hidden behind an ornate grille either side
of the stalls, where, until 1955, women in
mourning would sit during the two-year

World Traveller 53
 Main image: The
historic San Telmo
market, which
opened in 1897
Right: One of the
city's many murals

period they could not be seen in public. I try

to get tickets for a concert — they can be as
cheap as $10 for 'henhouse' standing — but
it is near impossible unless you book two
months in advance. A good trick, however,
is to turn up for a rehearsal, when you can
sit in the auditorium and experience the
theatre’s world-class acoustics for free.
The other grand theatre I rate is now
a bookshop, El Ateneo Grand Splendid.
It is frequently voted one of the world’s
most beautiful, with an ornate frescoed
ceiling, shelves lining the stalls and a café
on the stage. There are more bookshops
per capita here than in any other city,
with more second-hand bookshops than
London. Many have cafés, where you
can sit and read all day with no hassle.
Among the other bookshops, I love
the tiny, arty Librosref, with green velvet
mid-century armchairs; Libros Del Pasaje,
which has ladders to scale the tall wooden
bookshelves and a wine bar at the back;
and Librería del Fondo in Palermo Soho,
which has a café in a sunny, rainbow-
painted courtyard, with bright red chairs
and a balcony filled with cactuses.
Many of Buenos Aires’ art galleries
are free too and are open in the evening
for workers to get their culture fix after
office hours. I wander around the Museo
Nacional de Bellas Artes, with Latin
America’s largest collection of public art,
just before it closes at 8pm. Downstairs
are Rodin sculptures and 19th-century
European art works from Monet to Van
Gogh, but I prefer the upper floor with
more unusual contemporary Argentine
and Latin American art, portraying gaucho
life, or 20th-century political struggles.
Some of the best political works are to
be found on the side of buildings, shops
and houses. Buenos Aires is one of the
top cities in the world for street art: the
authorities take a laissez-faire attitude
to it and politicians often hire artists to
produce street art propaganda. Down
residential roads in the neighbourhood
of La Boca is a huge painting of a
woman in a headscarf, representing the
Madres, identified by white pañuelos, or
handkerchiefs, worn on their heads, who
demonstrated against the disappearance
of their sons during the 1970s military
dictatorship. Across from the Boca
Juniors’ stadium, painted on the side of a

54 World Traveller

“Taxis are lined up outside by drivers
having a quick tango during their break”
high-rise housing block, is a giant Carlos
Tevez playing football with a small boy.
I cruise around the sunny, brightly
painted streets of La Boca on a bike,
which proves an excellent way to
see what is a surprisingly green city,
studded with willowy, purple jacaranda
trees in late November. Buenos Aires
is divided into 48 barrios and it can be
hard work getting around. For travellers
watching the pennies, the buses are
cheap, but can be held up by bad traffic
or protests that frequently block roads.
The subway, designed in 1913 and
modelled on London’s, is handy, but
increasingly people cycle around — bike
lanes are being added all the time and
the city has free yellow bikes to use.
Laura Whateley / The Times / News Licensing
Other parts are easy to cover on foot,
including the city’s richest and most
European-looking, Recoleta, and the
trendiest, Palermo. One of the best sights
in Recoleta is free: its cemetery. It is
inspired by the great Parisian graveyards,
but is even more eerie and impressive
than Père Lachaise, with row after row of
architecturally intriguing mausoleums
Buenos Aires
and more than 6,400 statues, sarcophagi
and crypts, housing the rich and powerful
of Buenos Aires. Evita is buried here, 5m
underground, although her mausoleum
is tucked away and remarkably modest.
There is more interesting history in San
Telmo, a district of narrow cobbled streets
and old-fashioned wood-lined cafés, once
the home of the wealthiest late-19th-century
families until yellow fever cleared out
communities who relocated to Recoleta.
Huge houses were abandoned and occupied
arrived European immigrants, who started
selling the goods they found inside, such
as family silver collections. The tradition
has remained: on Sunday afternoon I stroll
around the weekly antiques market, which
is selling genuine, good-value antiques,
from cutlery sets to old gramophones.
The indoor market here has more antique
shops, alongside bargain places to eat. Try
the tiny, cult, hole-in-the-wall Nuestra
Parrilla, where there are just a handful of
stools round a greasy barbecue, producing
the juiciest steak for just a few dollars. Or
grab an empanada from a bakery for $1
or so and sit on a step in the sunshine.
World Traveller 55
 “I cruise around the brightly
painted streets of La Boca
on a bike, which proves an
excellent way to see what is a
surprisingly green city”

Painted buildings of the

Caminito street museum

56 World Traveller
 Buenos Aires

It is in Palermo, however, where I find

the coolest and best-value restaurants.
It’s a familiar story: the district was taken
over by young designers looking for cheap
studio space and became a hip area of
independent shops, bars and pricey homes
on leafy streets with colourful front doors.
Allie Lazar, a local foodie who writes
the Pick Up The Fork blog, says that the
craze for burgers and craft drinks has just
reached Buenos Aires (try the Burger Joint
on Calle Jorge Luis Borges, with graffitied
walls and pictures of Che Guevara). There’s
cheap pizza and gelato on every corner,
thanks to strong Italian immigration
– at one stage half the population of
Argentina had Italian heritage.
If you want a full, fancy, sit-down
steak-of-your-life experience, though,
head to La Cabrera, one of Buenos Aires’s
most famous parrillas (grills). Every day
it has a happy hour from 6.30pm to 8pm,
during which the whole menu, including
wine, is discounted by 40 percent. Get
there early, before queues start to form.
The waiter suggests I try the most
popular cut, tenderloin. A slab of butter-
soft meat arrives, almost the size of my
head, for about $16, with free sides of
apple sauce, pumpkin purée, mashed
potato and a strange but tasty egg,
ham, pea and béchamel mixture.
For porteños, eating at 7pm would
be unthinkable; weekend dinners
are often at 11pm, before people go
out partying from about 3am.
There’s yet more steak and empanadas
at La Ventana, one of the city’s many tango
shows, where dinner is served before you
sit down for the performance. If you are
a fan of Strictly Come Dancing you’ll love
the noisy performance of kitsch, acrobatic
dancing, with sparkly costumes, a tango
singer blasting out Evita classics, with black
and white footage of Eva and Juan Perón
in the background, and a gang of gauchos
demonstrating their panpipe skills.
At $120, though, such a show does
not come cheap, and you would not
catch a porteño in the audience. I’m a
milonga convert – for the real Buenos
Aires experience save your pesos
and work on your eye contact.

Inspired to travel? To book a trip, call

+971 4 316 6666 or visit dnatatravel.com

World Traveller 57
Weekends
Staycations and short-haul escapes

over the hills

and far away
sometimes the best places can
be the most difficult to reach,
as was long the case with the
ancient mountain village of
Xınalıq in azerbaijan (pictured).
while a road now leads the way,
it remains high up on the tick
list for adventure travellers. find
out more about the destination
in our mini guide (page 60)
and read on for a selection of
tempting staycations (page 66)
and travel offers (page 81).

World Traveller 59
MINI BREAK
Heydar Aliyev Center, with a
view towards historic Baku

Your guide to: AZerBAiJAN

An historic nexus between Europe and Asia where futuristic-looking
landmarks stand amid centuries-old caravanserai, Azerbaijan is a
charming paradox for the curious traveller
Words: Claire MalColM

K
The perpetually
nown as The Land of Fire, aflame Yanar Dağ
(Fire Mountain)
Azerbaijan keeps its cultural
identity burning bright as
it continues to grow into a modern
nation. From its fire-worshipping
heritage to the architecturally
stunning Flame Towers that
characterise the Baku skyline, it
offers a visual feast of contrasts in a
dramatic setting lapped by the Caspian
Sea and surrounded by the Caucasus
Mountains. Marvel at its natural
wonders, tick off a ream of UNESCO-
listed sites or simply sip tea at a
pavement café along the old Silk Road
route to get a real feel for the place...

60 World Traveller
 AZERBAIJAN

CRAFTY BUYS A view from the Old City, Baku

towards Flame Towers

On the beaten track

A trip to Lahıc, the copper-smithing capital of the
country, will net you some engraved, hand-beaten
pieces where families of blacksmiths have been plying
their trade for generations. Located at the foot of the
Great Caucasian Ridge, the former mining town is
also known for its brass items and attar stores that
sell locally harvested mountain herbs for culinary
and medicinal purposes.

Magic carpets
Up your game when it comes to floor coverings
with a silk carpet from the heart of Azerbaijan’s
northwestern silk region. The small but beautiful
town of Sheki has a long tradition of carpet weaving,
with local workshops producing the most exquisite
pieces, as well as traditional silk scarves known as
kelaghayi. Closer to Baku, the Qadim Quba workshop
is your go-to for naturally dyed wool carpets.

Luxury labels
Back in Baku, a profusion of designer names (from Gucci
to Salvatore Ferragamo) line the grand Neftchilyar
Avenue while the city’s style set flock to Port Baku
Mall on the same street for more high-end label love. LANDMARK MOMENTS
There, you’ll also find fabulous kelaghayi scarves from #travelgoals Light it up
in-demand designer Menzer Hajiyeva. portbakumall.az The historic A visual homage to The Land of Fire, dominating
Maiden Tower
is Baku’s original
the Baku skyline, the triptych Flame Towers
Traditional keepsakes
landmark, and while transform after dusk with a light show that
Xxxxxx
its architectural switches between fiery orange to the blue, red and
provenance is
green of the national flag.
much debated (the
general consensus
is 12th century), the Power to the people
monument's rooftop The late Zaha Hadid was the architectural icon
views over the bay
behind the stunning Heydar Aliyev Center. Its
and Old City make it
a must-do flowing wave-like design houses a museum, gallery
hall and auditorium dedicated to Azerbaijan’s past
and future vision. heydaraliyevcenter.az

The Formula 1 Azerbaijan
Grand Prix is taking place at
Baku City Circuit from 26-29
April, promising an exhilarating
race through the historic heart
of the city and alongside the
seafront promenade. After a
day by the track, get your funk
on at the after-race concerts
– British band Jamiroquai is
headlining the opening night.
bakucitycircuit.com
Roll up
Weave in a spot of rug shopping on
Neftchiler Avenue then pop down
the road to the Azerbaijan State
Carpet Museum for an insider
look at exactly what goes into
creating these practical works of
art. Housing the largest collection
of Azerbaijani carpets and rugs in
the world, and representing different
periods, the building was designed by
renowned Austrian architect Franz Janz.
azcarpetmuseum.az

World Traveller 61
MINI BREAK
Get messy at the mud volcanoes
KHANS AND CARAVANSERAIS
#travelgoals Palace life
Catch a game A tiny but exquisite remnant of Azerbaijan’s royal
of chovkan –
past, the two-storey wooden Xan Sarayı was the
Azerbaijan’s take
on polo, played summer palace of the Sheki Khans and features
with a curved stunning stained glass windows, 18th-century frescoes
wooden stick – and mosaic tiles. Feel more of the noblesse oblige
and join in the
party atmosphere vibe at the even tinier winter palace. Or, for a flavour
by dancing to the of the town’s trading past, you can also take a peek
folk music inside the Sheki Caravanserai (traveller’s inn).

Mountain retreat
There’s more fresh air on offer in the historic
district of Qabala. Take a picturesque cable car
ride over the valley far below at the Tufandag
tourism complex and spare a few hours to
explore the spectacular Yeddi Gozel Waterfall
and Ismailli State Reserve. tufandag.com

NATURAL WONDERS
Mud, glorious mud
Home to almost a third of the world’s mud volcanoes,
Azerbaijan’s sulphurous and occasionally explosive
landscape is best explored in the Gobustan State
Reserve where you’ll also find more than 600,000
ancient petroglyphs and the famous ‘musical stone’,
which tinkles like a tambourine when played with
small stones. Just follow your nose. gobustan-rockart.az
Uncharted exploration
An up-and-coming tourism hotspot, the landlocked
autonomous state of Nakhchivan (Noah’s Home) is
a bit of a trek (perhaps the easiest way to reach it is
by catching a flight from Baku). Local legend has it
that the ark landed here after the flood and Noah died
here (his mausoleum is a place of pilgrimage). Be at
one with Mother Nature and explore the salt caves
of Mount Duzdag (its therapy caves can soothe those
with respiratory disorders such as asthma) and Lake
Batabat, which is perched 2,500 metres above sea level.

Ring of fire
A stretch of hillside that’s perpetually aflame,
Yanar Dağ (Fire Mountain) is thoroughly deserving
of its mysterious moniker, with Marco Polo even
mentioning it in his travel accounts. A fascinating
natural phenomenon fuelled by the country’s
huge underground gas reserves, a nighttime visit
is particularly memorable (it’s just a 30-minute
drive from the centre of Baku). Close by is the 17th-
century Ateşgah temple, a shrine of fire worship.

Crude relief
The only spa town in the world where a bath in black
gold is on the treatment menu, a visit to Naftalan
in central Azerbaijan to ‘take the oils’ is a unique
experience. The 10-minute treatment using gently Xan Sarayı was the summer
palace of the Sheki Khans
warmed oil is reportedly said to benefit those
affected by psoriasis, arthritis and rheumatism.

62 World Traveller
 AZERBAIJAN

EAT LOCAL Four Seasons Hotel Baku

Azeri influences
It doesn’t get more multicultural than Azeri
cuisine, which has Middle Eastern, Persian, Eastern
European, Russian and Turkish influences. Popular
with locals and travellers alike, Sumakh's menu is
as inclusive as its clientele. From moreish pumpkin-
stuffed dough pancakes (qutab) to the finest Caspian
black caviar, this central Baku restaurant is infused
with Azerbaijani tradition. beat.az

A Baku breakfast
The scent of freshly baked bread permeates
Baku’s Old City every morning as cutesy local
café Sehirli Tendir fires up the clay oven. Join
the line to grab a table and tuck into hot tendir
(bread) – a signature dish that’s best enjoyed with
homemade jam and sour cream, or served with
its bestselling egg and tomato breakfast dish.

Fish supper
On the shores of the Caspian, Bibiheybet village
and Derya Fish House is well worth the drive
if seafood is your thing. It has a catch of the day
menu style and choice of grilled or fried fish
served with traditional sides. deryafishhouse.az #travelgoals WHERE TO STAY
Take to the water Four Seasons Hotel Baku
Try Shekerbura, a traditional in a gondola on
sweet pastry dessert With a coveted address behind the UNESCO-listed
Baku’s own Little
Photos: Courtesy of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan in the GCC

Old City walls, this new-build Beaux Arts-inspired

Venice waterway.
Located on the hotel is all high ceilings, chandeliers and timeless
seafront Bulvar luxury. Check out the breathtaking penthouse spa
(boulevard), it’s an and go for a swim in the glass-roofed atrium pool.
amusing detour
from the historic
tourist trail Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers
The hospitality heart of the trio of iconic flame-
shaped towers, overlooking the city’s cypress-lined
boardwalks and café-filled streets, the Fairmont
is characterised by light and space with floor-to-
ceiling windows in its guestrooms. There’s an
impressive collection of restaurants to choose
from, including the ever-popular Jazz Club.

#travelgoals
Visit a local
chaykhana (tea Chenot Palace Wellness Hotel
house) for a In Gabala, 225 kilometres from Baku, this wellness
glass of black retreat occupies a scenic spot on a tranquil lake
tea, which is
often served with with a mountainous backdrop. Guests can check
homemade jam in for a minimum of three nights and set about
as a sweetener. exploring the natural landscape while enjoying
Drink it local style
the hi-tech treatments on offer (try the signature
with a sugar cube
between the teeth hydro-aromatherapy treatment to unwind body
as you sip and mind).

World Traveller 63
World traveller x abu dhabi
The literary circle
Brush shoulders with poets, writers and illustrators at Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair, where humanity is providing food for thought
W
hether you're a budding
novelist or want to stay in
the know about trends in the
literary world, Abu Dhabi International
Book Fair offers a coveted chance to
expand your reading repertoire. Held
under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy
Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed
Forces, the annual event draws leading
lights from the publishing industry in
the Middle East and North Africa and is
designed to stimulate discussion.
64 World Traveller
This year’s installment is themed
around humanity with the late Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan selected as
Personality of the Year in recognition of
his role in shaping UAE society.
Poland is the guest country of honour.
Visitors can discover the destination’s
fascinating history though centuries-
old literature, including the epic tales of
Nobel Prize laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz
and subtle poetry of Czesław Miłosz.
The broader cultural programme will
touch on ways that Arab artistic and
literary issues relate to the wider world.
Highlights include an in-depth look at
contemporary Arab sculpture and the
movement to reignite Arab theatre by
reconsidering the role of the play as a text.
While you're there, you can browse
hundreds of top tomes and get your
favourites signed by visiting authors. For
younger minds, the dedicated creativity
corner will inspire kids to engage with
books though a variety of fun and
interactive games and activities.
Taking place at ADNEC from 25 April to 1
May. Open daily from 9am to 10pm (4-10pm
on Friday). Free to the public. adbookfair.com
 1 2 Travel NoTes

My Great Escapes
Photographer and storyteller
Edcel Suyo runs the
popular Dubai Travel Blog
(dubaitravelblog.com), sharing
6 his globetrotting adventures
from behind the lens

1. Rome, Italy. I'm not usually very keen on historic

or art attractions, but wandering along the narrow 3
alleyways of Rome in search of famous sculptures,
such as Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, helped me to
develop an appreciation for these visual masterpieces
sprawled across the city. 2. Kakheti, Georgia. Thought
to be home to the earliest wine-makers in the world,
Kakheti in eastern Georgia, overlooking the Caucasus
Mountains, is simply beautiful. I got to see how the
wine is made. 3. Petra, Jordan. My wife and I toured
Petra by night, when the Siq (the main entrance to
the ancient Nabatean city of Petra) had over 1,500
candles illuminating the pathway towards the famous
Al-Khazneh temple. The chilly November weather
was ideal for hours spent hiking under a starry sky.
4. Siem Reap, Cambodia. I spent a day riding a
tuk tuk touring the ornate temples such as Angkor
Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon, which offer a glimpse of
the rich history and culture of the kingdom. 5. Fez,
Morocco. While in the handicraft capital of Morocco,
the bustling Medina of Fez, I was able to sit back and
observe a slice of everyday life. A UNESCO World
5 Heritage Centre, there is so much to see and do there,
from touring the world's oldest university (University
of al-Qarawiyyin) to seeing how leather's made at
Chaouwara Leather Tannery [pictured] and bartering
for poufs and colourful carpets at the atmospheric 4
souks. Weekends 6. Mahé, Seychelles. A naturally
romantic setting, my wife and I got married there and
stayed on for a relaxing honeymoon. Unwinding on
an island surrounded by lush vegetation, white-sand
beach and the inviting Indian Ocean was a great start
to married life.

World Traveller 65
world traveller x the St. regiS abu dhabi

STAYCATION

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

The club lounge is so 2017. Experience luxury, St. Regis style, by becoming an aficionado

The rooms The food The service

Celebrating it's fifth anniversary in 2018,
this luxurious hotel on Abu Dhabi Corniche
entices guests who value attention to detail.
Design elements draw on the warm colours
of the sands, souks and Middle Eastern
fare, with patterns enriched by Emirati
artist and jewellery designer Azza Al Qubai
for an Arabian-palace-meets-Art-Deco
feel. All rooms offer panoramic sea views,
making it easy to soak up a sense of place.
There are eight places to eat and drink,
including The Terrace on the Corniche
Restaurant (request a table outdoors,
overlooking the gardens); Villa Toscana,
that'll transport your taste buds to the
Tuscan countryside; and Crystal Lounge,
for afternoon tea. Get a taste for New York’s
Gilded Age by stepping into The St. Regis
Bar for a signature Bloody Mary, perfected
at the original St. Regis in New York in 1934.
Elevate your stay even further and
discover the St. Regis Aficionado Privilege
programme. Designed to exceed your
expectations, you'll receive a host of
complimentary benefits including daily
buffet breakfasts and delicious dinners in
The Terrace Restaurant, as well as selected
evening drinks. Plus, you can take advantage
of the St. Regis Signature Butler service – the
unpacking and packing service is a winner.

To find out more, call +971 2 694 4444 or visit stregisabudhabi.com/aficionado

66 World Traveller
 Elevate Your Stay &
Become A St. Regis Aficionado
Introducing a new level of luxury, the era of the Club Lounge is long gone.

Live exquisite at the best address in the heart of the city where refined tastes and relaxation become the norm.
Elevate your stay and discover the St. Regis Aficionado Privilege. Experience service beyond expectation with
complimentary enhanced benefits including: Daily Buffet Breakfast and a delicious Dinner in The Terrace
Restaurant, selected beverages every evening in our restaurants & bars, access to a private meeting space,
2 pieces of laundry and pressing daily per guest as well as the St. Regis Signature Butler service including
unpacking & packing service and complimentary tea & coffee throughout the day.

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates t. +971 2 694 4444 stregisabudhabi.com
©2018 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, St. Regis and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

Stay exquisite at more than 40 St. Regis hotels and resorts worldwide.
@stregishotels
world traveller x Jumeirah at etihad towers

STAYCATION

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

Check in to sky-high luxury overlooking the Arabian Gulf in the heart of the UAE capital

The rooms The food The ACTIVITIes

An eye-catching architectural landmark
with a prime beachside location, Jumeirah
at Etihad Towers has 382 contemporary
guestrooms with jaw-dropping Arabian
Gulf views. Rise to the top by booking a
high-floor Club Room and enjoy a world of
Club Executive Lounge benefits, or opt for
one of the fully-serviced studios to three-
bedroomed residences offering ample
space for solo travellers and families alike.
With a choice of 12 award-winning
restaurants, lounges and bars, there's
a surfeit of gourmet experiences to
delight. Must-dos include high tea at
the Observation Deck at 300 (on level 74)
and sundowners at Ray's Bar, with its
panoramic views and innovative cocktails.
For Japanese flavours, Tori No Su is the
place to go for an unforgettable meal
prepared by a kaiseki master.
Action and relaxation is guaranteed in
equal measure with three swimming pools,
a stunning private beach, hi-tech gym (a
personal trainer can draw up a bespoke
workout schedule) and urban retreat Talise
Spa (we recommend the 90-minute Akhdar
Experience). If retail therapy is on the
itinerary, the hotel is directly connected to
Avenue at Etihad Towers, which boasts an
exclusive collection of designer emporiums.

To find out more, call +971 2 811 5555 or visit jumeirah.com

68 World Traveller
 WEEKEND ESCAPE
Experience a relaxing stay in
the capital with complimentary
breakfast and dinner.

at ETIHAD TOWERS
T:+971 2 811 5888 | JADreservations@jumeirah.com ABU DHABI
world traveller x the ritz-Carlton abu dhabi, Grand Canal

STAYCATION

The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal

Enjoy a beachside stay just minutes from the UAE capital’s bustling heart

The rooms The food The ACTIVITIes

Feeling rushed off your feet? Slow down the
pace at this Venetian-inspired property.
Unwind amid the lush, tranquil gardens
by the babbling fountains and admire the
view of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The
spacious rooms and suites are elegantly
decorated and some are interconnecting,
which is ideal for families. If privacy is
paramount, opt for one of the private
garden houses and suites.
There are eight restaurants, each offering
a distinctive dining experience. For
quality steak, head to The Forge, tuck into
Southeast Asian food at Li Jiang, or be
entertained by the live performances at
Mijana, which serves traditional Middle
Eastern cuisine. If you're staying over
the weekend, be sure to book in for the
indulgent Friday brunch at Giornotte, where
you can dine overlooking the gardens.
Let a wave of relaxation wash over you
at pampering haven ESPA. There are 16
treatment rooms nestled within, as well as a
traditional hammam, sauna, steam rooms,
relaxation areas, a private beach and plunge
pool with a waterfall. Try the Inner Calm
Massage, which uses a bespoke blend of oils
and warm rose quartz crystals to soothe. For
a total body blitz, the signature four-handed
massage will come to the rescue.

To find out more, call +971 2 818 8888 or visit ritzcarlton.com

70 World Traveller
world traveller x the Meydan hotel

STAYCATION

The Meydan Hotel

Race to this elegant hotel that's at the centre of all the action

The rooms The food The ACTIVITIes

Within easy reach of Dubai International
Airport, and just 12 minutes' drive from
The Dubai Mall, this luxurious property is
famous for its convenient location, iconic
architecture and popularity among the
social set. It features 284 rooms and suites,
many of which have a private balcony with
panoramic vistas of the racecourse. For
a premier view of Burj Khalifa, however,
you’ll want to stay in The Meydan Suites.
For a side of drama with your dinner, head
to PRIME fine-dining steakhouse for its
signature flambé. Settle into the oversized
chairs and enjoy the live piano music while
you taste the finest cuts. Shiba is the place
to go for Japanese and Chinese specialities,
with the open kitchen providing a window
to the chefs at work. Lastly, the family-
friendly Farriers all-day-dining restaurant
suits all with its international buffet.
Spend your day relaxing on a sunlounger
by the temperature-controlled infinity
pool on the 11th floor, which overlooks the
racecourse. At dusk, make your way to the
9-hole The Track, Meydan Golf, which offers
floodlit night golf against a backdrop of the
twinkling city skyline. Designed by Peter
Harradine, the Troon-managed course has
a 400-yard driving range that's ideal for
working on those long shots.

To find out more, call +971 4 381 3333 or visit themeydanhotel.com

72 World Traveller
 ENJOY EXPANSIVE SPACES, INDULGENT LUXURY
AND COZY COMFORT AT THE MEYDAN HOTEL, DUBAI
The destination experience at The Meydan Hotel is complemented
by seven food and beverage outlets ranging from casual to fine dining;
extensive recreational and leisure facilities crowned with a rooftop
infinity pool.

themeydanhotel.com

For reservations please contact:

+971 4 381 3231
themeydanhotel.com

/meydanHotel /meydanhotel /themeydanhotel_dxb

world traveller x BaB al ShamS deSert reSort & Spa

STAYCATION

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa

Venture into the desert to experience an authentic Arabian style escape

The rooms The food The ACTIVITIes

For a dreamy desert break away, this resort
certainly delivers, with its rustic charm
and tranquil vibe. There are 115 cosy rooms
and suites – with interconnecting rooms
available for larger families – featuring
carved niches and alcoves to sequester
yourself away in. Most have a private
terrace or balcony offering views of the
golden desert, lush gardens or sparkling
swimming pool.
Gaze at the sunset at Al Sarab Rooftop
Lounge, where you can taste mezzeh, sip
cocktails and listen to live oud tunes. Move
on to Masala restaurant, and tuck into an
authentic Indian dinner under a canopy
of stars while being serenaded by a sitar
player. Alternatively, the family-friendly
all-day-dining restaurant Al Forsan offers
an international buffet and, at the weekend,
the fun Friday Farmers Brunch.
Whether you want to banish stress or give
your energy levels a boost, a trip to Satori
Spa, which specialises in Balinese massages,
comes highly recommended. Nestled amid
the dunes, it has four spa suites, including
two couples’ suites (perfect for a relaxing
side-by-side massage), an outdoor yoga
area, a scented steam room and a spacious
sauna. After your treatment, you chill in the
scenic outdoor relaxation area.

To find out more, call +971 4 809 6100 or visit babalshams.com

74 World Traveller
 YOUR ULTIMATE DESERT ESCAPE..
Nestled among the dunes, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is the world’s favourite
choice for dream desert getaways.
This oasis of tranquility combines rustic charm with top-tier hospitality and luxury
to bring to life an authentic desert experience.

BOOK DIRECT & SAVE

babalshams.com

For reservations please contact:

+971 4 809 6498
Babalshams.com

/babalshamshotel /babalshamshotel /babalshamshotel

world traveller x roda al MUrooJ hotel

STAYCATION

Roda Al Murooj Hotel

City chic meets resort-style relaxation at this lively property in Downtown Dubai

The rooms The food The ACTIVITIes

Situated directly opposite The Dubai Mall,
in the heart of all the action, this five-star
hotel offers a luxurious resort-style setting
at an urban address. Book a Roda Discovery
Premium Room and you'll have plenty of
space to work and relax, city or pool views
to gaze at, and access to all the benefits of
the Executive Lounge, including a private
reception area, airport transfers and
complimentary breakfast.
A gem nestled within the hotel's lush
green gardens, Tabule is the place to go
for exquisite Middle Eastern delicacies.
A further quintet of restaurants includes
Pergolas for global dining on a grand
buffet scale, the convivial Circle Lobby Café
for coffee and light bites (its homemade
pastries are a delight), and Dubai
institution Double Decker, for British-
themed eats and entertainment.
Retreat to the landscaped terrace pool
where you can unwind and be in the
moment – the picturesque spot is often a
top choice for wedding ceremonies. If you
need to expend some energy, two tennis
courts serve fast-paced fun while Flow
Health Club & Wellness has a gym, fitness
studio, sauna and steam rooms, and offers
bespoke facial and massage treatments
designed to recharge your batteries.

Also check out Roda Beach Resort in Jumeirah and Roda Al Bustan Hotel near Dubai International Airport. Visit roda-hotels.com

76 World Traveller
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World Traveller 81
 2
the
FantaStIc
FOUr

Ken Seet / Four Seasons

4
1 France
Hotel de Vigny
3 nights starting from
USD565 per person
Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room
with breakfast daily at this
Parisian property on the Champs-
Elysées and enjoy complimentary
return airport transfers.
Offer: Receive a 10% discount on
the room rate.
Valid from: Now until 31 October 2018.
2 SwItzerlanD
grand Hotel
KempinsKi geneVa
3 nights starting from
USD875 per person
Includes: Stay in a Superior Room,
and enjoy complimentary return
airport transfers.
Offer: Receive a 10% discount on
room rate, as well as a 20% discount
at the spa.
Valid from: Now until 30 June 2018.
3 InDOneSIa
intercontinental
Bali resort
3 nights starting from
USD315 per person
Includes: Stay in a Resort Classic
Room with breakfast daily and
return airport transfers.
Offer: Receive a 30% discount on
the room rate and enjoy a high tea
for two per stay.
Valid from: 1 April to 30 June 2018.
4 MaUrItIUS
Four seasons resort
mauritius at anaHita
4 nights starting from
USD945 per person
Includes: Stay in a Garden Pool Villa
with breakfast daily and return
airport transfers.
Offer: 40% discount on room
rate and complimentary green
fees at Ernie Els Golf course with
unlimited access to the driving
range and use of practice balls. Plus,
1 child under 5 years stays for free.
Valid from: 15 April to 30 June 2018.

82 World Traveller

SpaIn
meliá madrid princesa
3 nights starting from
USD382 per person
Includes: Stay in a Standard
Room with breakfast daily and
return airport transfers.
Offer: 20% discount on
room rate.
Valid from: Now until
30 June 2018.
arOUnD
the
wOrlD
Palazzo Montemartini Roma
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
Italy
palazzo montemartini
roma
3 nights starting from
USD555 per person
Includes: Stay in a Superior
Room with breakfast daily and
return airport transfers.
Offer: 15% discount on room rate.
Valid from: Now until
30 June 2018.
Meliá Madrid Princesa
azerbaIjan
pullman BaKu
3 nights starting from
USD198 per person
Includes: Stay in a Superior
Room and enjoy return
airport transfers.
Offer: Complimentary upgrade
to the next room category.
Valid from: Now until
30 April 2018.
Banyan Tree Seychelles
dnata travel offers
tUrkey
sHangri-la BospHorus,
istanBul
3 nights starting from
USD725 per person
Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room
with breakfast daily and return
airport transfers.
Offer: 15% discount on room
rate, guaranteed room upgrade
offer, 20% spa discount and VIP
welcome amenities.
Valid from: Now until
14 June 2018.
MalDIVeS
anantara dHigu
maldiVes resort
3 nights starting from
USD1,415 per person
Includes: Stay in a Sunset Over
Water Suite with breakfast daily
and return speedboat transfers.
Offer: Stay 2 nights and receive
an additional night free and
complimentary upgrade
to half board.
Valid from: 1 April to 27 July 2018.
SeychelleS
Banyan tree seycHelles
3 nights starting from
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Includes: Stay in an Ocean View
Pool Villa with breakfast daily
and return airport transfers.
Offer: 20% discount on room
rate and one complimentary.
private in-villa dining and
sunset cocktails for two per stay.
Valid from: 4 April to
13 June 2018.
thaIlanD
JW marriott pHuKet
3 nights starting from
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Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Garden
Room with breakfast daily and
return airport transfers.
Offer: 20% discount on room rate.
Valid from: 16 April to
30 June 2018.
MalaySIa
ritz-carlton
Kuala lumpur
3 nights starting from
USD292 per person
Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room
with breakfast daily and return
airport transfers.
Offer: Receive a 10% discount
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Valid from: 1 April to 30 June 2018.
World Traveller 83
dnata travel offers
weekenD
eScapeS
Uae
eastern mangroVes Hotel
& spa By anantara, aBu dHaBi
1 night starting from USD185 per person
Special offer: 30% discount on room
rate and a complimentary upgrade to a
Deluxe Mangroves Balcony Room.
Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Balcony
Room with breakfast and return
airport transfers.
Valid from: Now until 30 April 2018.
BaB al Qasr Hotel, aBu dHaBi
1 night starting from USD251 per person
Special offer: 30% discount on room rate,
1 child below 12 years old stays for free.
Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with
breakfast, lunch and dinner and return
airport transfers.
Valid from: Now until 30 April 2018.
soFitel aBu dHaBi cornicHe,
aBu dHaBi
1 night starting from USD210 per person
Special offer: 40% discount on room rate,
1 child below 12 years old stays for free,
and receive Club Millesime privileges
including light snacks, afternoon tea and
an evening apéritif.
Includes: Stay in a Prestige Suite with
breakfast and return airport transfers.
Valid from: Now until 30 April 2018.
sWissôtel al gHurair, duBai
1 night starting from USD122 per person
Special offer: 45% discount on room rate,
2 children below 12 years old stay for free,
How to book By calling dnata on
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84 World Traveller
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa
Corniche, Abu Dhabi by Anantara, Abu Dhabi
Bab Al Qasr Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Swissôtel Al Ghurair, Dubai
20% discount on F&B, and 20% discount
at the spa.
Includes: Stay in a Classic Room with
breakfast and return airport transfers.
Valid from: Now until 14 May 2018.
tHe oBeroi BeacH resort,
al zoraH
1 night starting from USD293 per person
Special offer: 45% discount on room rate,
1 child below 12 years old stays for free,
and 15% discount at the spa.
Includes: Stay in a Premier Room with
a Private Terrace including breakfast The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah
and return airport transfers.
Concorde El Salam Hotel Cairo by Royal Tulip
Valid from: Now until 15 May 2018.
egypt
concorde el salam Hotel
cairo By royal tulip
3 nights starting from USD205 per person
Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with
breakfast daily and return airport
transfers included.
Offer: 15% discount on room rate.
Valid from: Now until 30 April 2018.
Grand Hyatt Amman
jordan
grand Hyatt amman
3 nights starting from USD250 per person
Includes: Stay in a Grand Room and
return airport transfers.
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can enjoy a guaranteed upgrade from
Grand Room to Club (without access to
the lounge).
Valid from: Now until 30 September 2018.
By stepping into a dnata outlet On the website you can also sign up to the dnata newsletter and
or by visiting dnatatravel.com receive more offers direct to your inbox. T&Cs apply.
Email us at contactcentre@dnata.com • Call +971 4 316 6666
 online
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World Traveller 87
 Suite dreams
Our monthly finish with a flourish, delving into a
suite that has a character and style all of its own

The Royal Residence

Atlantis by Giardino, Zurich
Entertain in the majlis-style salons, unwind on
the sweeping outdoor terrace, which offers views
of Üetliberg mountain, and keep those newly-
bought timepieces safe in the vault inside this
eight bedroom, eight bathroom Arabesque-styled
residence, which is Europe’s largest luxury suite.
The two Michelin-starred Ecco Zürich by chef
Rolf Fliegauf is just a stroll away but, if you feel
like staying put, you can request a meal with Chef
Stefan Heileman to enjoy in the formal dining
room – privacy guaranteed.

88 World Traveller
Abu Dhabi boasts a treasure trove of culture, just waiting to be discovered.
From its rich historic traditions to its vibrant, dynamic arts scene.
From a wealth of spectacular sites which offer a window into the past, to
a calendar of world-class events with contemporary vigour, tradition and
heritage.

Now, all of Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage is in one place for you.

Abu Dhabi Culture is an easy-to-use platform offering the full breadth and
depth of Abu Dhabi’s cultural information, right at your fingertips.
Explore every historic topic, keep up-to-date with every calendar event,
browse our latest photography and videography libraries, or go exploring
via the walk-throughs and interactive maps.
 Inspiration. Expertly crafted.
Comprising two iconic towers, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is centrally located beside the
Dubai Water Canal and offers a spectrum of facilities and services for a seamless experience.
The hotel features: 1,608 Luxurious Guest Rooms and Suites, Over 15 Award-Winning Restaurants
and Lounges, Saray Spa featuring Traditional Hammams, A Dead Sea Floatation Pool and
17 Treatment Rooms, State-of-the-Art Health Club and Fitness facilities, 8,000 sqm of spectacular
Meeting Spaces.

JW Marriott® Marquis® Hotel Dubai

jwmarriott.com/DXBJW

Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE | T +971 4 414 0000 | jwmarrottmarquisdubai.com