Destinations of the World News - April 2011

@DOTWNEWS FEB Option 2 l5.indd 11/26/09 9:11:31 AM

DESTINATIO

NS O

F THE W

ORLD N

EWS

ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INTELLIGENCE W

WW

.DOTWNEW

S.COM

APRIL 2011

April 2011

Shanghai:mirror cityAs China’s economic powerhouse lunges towards the future, the city’s rich history is never far away

MALDIVESBeyond the beach

AUCKLANDGo green on Waiheke Island

ON THE ROADLonely Planet’s Tony Wheeler

00 Cover.indd 1 3/29/11 4:01 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

two private islands one premier destination - maldives

jumeirah.com/maldives

dUBai london new YorK aBU dHaBi al ain dUBai FranKFUrt KUwait maldives mallorCa - Coming soon

Opening first quarter of 2011, Jumeirah Dhevanafushi and Jumeirah Vittaveli are two exceptional private island resorts set amidst the azure waters of the Maldives. Each with their own distinct character, these gorgeous hideaways will be complemented by the unparalleled standards of luxury and service synonymous with the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts brand. A must for the discerning traveller in search for an exotic and refined retreat. STAY DIFFERENT™

Jum_MALDIVES_AdvtFP_DOTW2011.indd 1 12/20/10 4:09:33 PM

two private islands one premier destination - maldives

jumeirah.com/maldives

dUBai london new YorK aBU dHaBi al ain dUBai FranKFUrt KUwait maldives mallorCa - Coming soon

Opening first quarter of 2011, Jumeirah Dhevanafushi and Jumeirah Vittaveli are two exceptional private island resorts set amidst the azure waters of the Maldives. Each with their own distinct character, these gorgeous hideaways will be complemented by the unparalleled standards of luxury and service synonymous with the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts brand. A must for the discerning traveller in search for an exotic and refined retreat. STAY DIFFERENT™

Jum_MALDIVES_AdvtFP_DOTW2011.indd 1 12/20/10 4:09:33 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

VAN CLEEF ORIENS_FP.pdf 3/24/10 2:25:55 PM

SOF DOTW Ad 235x335 v1.indd 2 06/09/2010 15:27

SOF DOTW Ad 235x335 v1.indd 2 06/09/2010 15:27

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

dotwnews.com April 2011 11

ContentsApril 2011

On the cover42 Ghosts of Shanghai Joe Mortimer explores a city ruled by two distinct personalities fighting for attention

50 Maldives: beyond the beach There’s more to the Maldives than beaches and see-through spa beds, says Kathi Everden

56 Walk on the green side Nick Walton immerses himself in Kiwi culture on Auckland’s little-known Waiheke Island

62 Summer on the Vineyard Long-standing playground of the rich and famous, Martha’s Vineyard continues to please, says Sabina Lohr

56Willing and ableWinemakers and restaurateurs make the most of Waiheke’s endless green landscapes

DOTW News April 2011.indb 11 3/28/11 9:27 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

SPORT DUPONT_FP 3/24/10 1:09:23 PM


74

40 32

70

ContentsApril 2011

In the news18 Retrospective The 83rd annual Academy Awards

22 Europe Royal wedding fever sweeps through Europe

24 Middle East & Africa Libya conflict threatens region

28 Asia & Oceania Governments withdraw citizens from Japan

32 Americas Cuba celebrates a tourism renaissance

36 Trends New travel and tourism concepts causing a stir

40 Interview Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler on a life of travel and selling his family-run company to the BBC

Insider68 Diary Out and about this month? Don’t miss these events

70 Spend it The latest itineraries from the world’s top travel firms

72 Debut Keeping tabs on the latest hotel openings around the world

74 Suite dreams Garden Villa #51 at Capella Singapore

76 Review Traiteur does brunch the French way at Park Hyatt Dubai

78 Connoisseur Mary Gostelow means business in Vienna

80 The Album Darren McGrady, former chef to the British Royal Family

82 Final Word Dominique Nordmann, CEO of Forbes & Walker Lei-sure, managing company of Ceylon Tea Trails resort, Sri Lanka


14 April 2011 dotwnews.com

Letter from the EditorIT WOULD BE EASY TO START THIS MISSIVE

on a sombre note; the news is filled with reasons not to travel and our hearts go out to those in Japan

who have been affected by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and those in the Middle East whose lives have been upended by civil unrest. But with stiff upper lip, we plan to plough headlong

into April with high hopes for the coming months.The first reason is, of course, the Royal Wedding

of Britain’s Prince William and his fiancée Catherine Middleton. Sadly I didn’t receive an invitation to the

event, but decided nonetheless to mark the occasion with several pre-emptive toasts to the special day.Our deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle caught up with

former chef to the British Royal Family Darren McGrady, to find out where his career has taken him and what destinations will always hold a place in his

heart (page 80). We also dedicated our Spend it sec-tion to the royal couple, with once-in-a-lifetime pack-

ages to Kenya (where they were engaged), London (where they will wed), the Maldives (where we would

go on our honeymoon), and the Loire Valley, which has nothing to do with the British royal couple but

involves staying with a French Count and Countess.We still don’t know where the happy couple will spend

their honeymoon, but they could do much worse than the Maldives, where the archipelago’s resorts

continue to develop their non-beach product offerings. Our Maldives-obsessed contributor Kathi Everden

rounds up the best things to do on a rainy day in para-dise in ‘Beyond the beach’ on page 50.

THE SECOND REASON FOR HIGH SPIRITS IS next month’s Arabian Travel Market, the biggest

gathering of travel professionals in the Middle East, and the biggest event on the social calendar for

Destinations of the World News.As usual we will be hosting a seminar at the event,

which this year will take the form of a debate addressing the question of whether luxury travel and

children and should ever be mixed. We have invited four high-profile panellists, some of whom believe that children should be welcomed with open arms

at luxury resorts (“they are the paying customers of tomorrow, after all…”) and those who agree that there

is a time and a place for families.

We’re flying in senior editor Andy Round from Brussels to moderate the seminar. Andy just became a dad, so we couldn’t think of a better man to take up the challenge.

But we still have a month to go before the event, so in the meantime, I hope you enjoy what we have in store for you this issue. One man who knows a thing or two about unforgettable destinations is Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, who launched his first travel guidebook with his wife back in 1973. Read his interview on page 40.

In February I travelled to Shanghai, where evidence of the success of the Chinese Dragon is all around; frozen in the glass skyscrapers and shopping malls of Pudong and the historical buildings of The Bund. The 20 million inhabitants of the city all seemed to be away when I visited, but I was assured that people are back to work now that the Chinese New Year celebrations are well and truly behind us (page 42).

If you have an exotic holiday destination in mind this summer, Nick Walton leaves mainland New Zealand behind and explores the rolling hills, expansive vineyards and organic cuisine of Waiheke Island on page 56, and Sabinah Lohr introduces us to the quaint towns of Martha’s Vineyard on America’s east coast on page 62. Happy travels.

Joe Mortimer [email protected]

Shanghai chicThe Oriental Pearl Tower; one of the iconic buildings that dominate the Pudong skyline

14 Editors Letter.indd 14 3/29/11 10:56 AM


April 2011, Issue 58

Publisher Anna [email protected]

Senior Editor Andy [email protected]

Editor Joe [email protected]

Deputy Editor Caitlin [email protected]

Assistant Online Editor Nicci [email protected]

Assistant Sales Manager Andrea [email protected]

Art Director Fami [email protected]

Multimedia Director Salimah [email protected]

Multimedia Executive Vandita [email protected]

United Kingdom Sales RepresentativeDavid Hammond

[email protected]

Circulation department [email protected]

Cover imageShanghai Expo 2010 - Getty Images

Kathi EverdenFreelance travel editor Kathi Everden spent 17 years based in Dubai refining her knowledge of luxury spas, tropical resorts, cruising and global retail opportunities, but now commutes between the desert and the UK, chasing the sunshine and choosing the best weather. “No man is an island. A woman on the other hand – definitely the Maldives,” says Kathi, who is a self-confessed Maldives addict. For this issue, Kathi travels to the Indian Ocean archipelago in search of life beyond the beach. See what she found on page 50.

International Commercial RepresentationsDestinations of the World News’ network of international

advertising sales and editorial representatives are based in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Egypt,

France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. Destinations of the World News is published monthly by WNN Limited and

distributed globally to the world’s premier airport lounges, our subscriber network and a select number of five-star hotels in the UAE. The title Destinations of the World News is a registered trademark and the publisher reserves all rights. All material in Destinations of the World News is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and articles reflect the

personal opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the publisher. Destinations of the World News is not responsible for omissions or errors that result from misrepresentation of information to the publisher. Advertisers assume all liability

for their advertising content. All rights of the owner and the producer of this conceptual development and artwork

design are reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be imitated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without

prior permission of WNN Limited.

Principal Offices WNN Limited, Reuters Building 1, Office 106, Dubai Media City, PO Box 500661, Dubai, UAE

Tel +971 4 3910680 Fax +971 4 3910688 WNN limited, 31 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, PO Box 51234,

zip 3503, Limassol, Cyprus

To subscribe to Destinations of the World News at an annual rate of $99 visit the website at

www.dotwnews.com and hit SUBSCRIBE.

Images used in Destinations of the World News are provided by Gallo Images/Getty Images/Corbis/iStockphoto

unless stated otherwise.DOTW News is printed by J G Cassoulides & Sons Ltd,

Nicosia, Cyprus and Al Nisr Publishing, Dubai, UAE

Published by

Mary GostelowMary Gostelow is one of the world’s most prolific travellers and an authority on all things luxury. Mary says she spends at least 300 days a year on the road, but we think it’s probably nearer to 360. She is editor-at-large of WOW.travel, the online magazine of kiwicollection.com, and founder and owner of the Gostelow Report, plus a regular con-tributor to Destinations of the World News. This month, Mary means business in Vienna (page 78) and shares the latest luxury news from around the world in her column, Mary Says (page 23).

Nick WaltonNick Walton writes for a number of publications

from his base in Hong Kong. This month, he sets off to his native Auckland to explore nearby

Waiheke Island, where rolling hills, organic wines and home-grown gourmet food make living the

green life all the more appealing. “We had island friends and loved heading over to Waiheke for

warm summer afternoons of Marlborough Sauvi-gnon Blanc and Kapiti cheese. The whole island

has a great aura about it,” says Nick. Read his story on page 56.

Contributors

Joe MortimerDestinations of the World News editor Joe

Mortimer is an obsessive traveller and foodie who has lived in Dubai for the last five years. When

he’s not travelling for work, he can usually be found flashpacking his way around somewhere

with limited BlackBerry reception; island-hopping in Thailand; trekking in Nepal; or most recently, exploring little-known beaches in the UAE. For this issue, Joe travelled to Shanghai to catch a

glimpse of what China’s boomtown has to offer. Read his story on page 42.


COMMENT

18 December 2010 dotwnews.com

Sectiony title

The 83rd annual Academy Awards ceremony was held inside Holly-wood’s Kodak Theatre on February 29, to honour the greatest filmmak-

ing achievements of 2010. The event is the most highly-anticipated awards ceremony in the film industry, and speculation over who will take home the coveted golden statuettes builds for a full month after nominees are announced. On the big day, Hollywood’s top bosses and film stars walk the red carpet and gather to witness the sealed envelopes opened and the winners announced on live television. But the Oscars, as they’ve come to be known, were much different in the early days.

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on May 16, 1929. Around 270 people gathered for an intimate brunch in the hotel’s Blossom Room to honour the recipients of 15 statuettes, given to film industry leaders by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At that time winners were announced months before the ceremony. The following year, winners were kept secret and revealed only to media at 11pm the night before.

The Academy Awards today have been criticised for being biased, overproduced and driven by money; studios spend millions to promote their films during Oscar season in the hopes of being shortlisted. Biased they may be, but everyone still loves to watch.


Retrospective


COMMENT title Sectiony


COMMENT title Sectiony


Banyan Tree Seychelles, Mahé island

Ra�es Praslin Seychelles Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Maia Luxury Resort & Spa, Mahé, Anse Louis, Seychelles

WWW.DOTW.COMReal-time online booking con�rmation for over 80,000 ground services in more than 1,200 cities.Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.*

FOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT

* FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ONLY.

Hilton Seychelles NortholmeResort and Spa

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


THE final countdown to the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is underway, but it seems the British public are less enthusiastic than international tourists about the big day.

London hoteliers are rubbing their hands together with glee and bump-ing up prices, as reports suggest as many as 500,000 foreign tourists are likely to travel to the UK for the wedding, which will be held at Westminster Abbey on April 29.

But although foreign visitor num-bers are likely to surge during the last week of April, many Brits are making the most of the long week-end to travel outside of the UK, with the number of holiday bookings up by more than 200 percent compared to this time last year, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The day of the wedding has been declared a public holiday in the UK, which, combined with the Good Fri-day and Easter Monday holidays the previous week, and the May Bank Holiday on May 1, gives Brits back-to-back four-day weekends.

International visitors, however, are expected to combine a trip to the UK for the wedding with a holiday, generating new revenue for tourist businesses. London tourist

board Visit London predicted that the event would generate between US$49-82 million from interna-tional and domestic tourists.

Hotels, attractions, restaurants and shops are hoping to cash in on the festivities, with themed pack-ages and special offers targeted at both local and international visitors flooding the internet.

London has around 114,000 rooms across all accommodation catego-ries, from B&Bs and self-service apartments to luxury hotels, all of which are offering royal packages for weekend stays or meals.

“The pageantry, excitement and fantastic atmosphere of a Royal Wedding, against the historic back-drop of London’s world famous land-marks is a glorious occasion I would recommend to everyone,” said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

“Whether you want to spend a week, the weekend or just come for an over-night stay, London promises a warm welcome and an unrivalled array of hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and major attractions to ensure a truly memorable experience.”

Around 1,900 guests are expected to attend the wedding itself, includ-ing heads of state, politicians, digni-taries, VIPs, friends and family, plus

a lucky few members of the public. Afterwards, a wedding reception buffet will be held at Buckingham Palace with around 650 guests.

The official guest list has not yet been released, but the British media has been filled with rumours and speculation about who has made the final 1,900.

Even those who didn’t receive an invitation to the wedding can hope to catch a glimpse of the royal pro-cession, which will wind its way from Westminster Abbey to Buck-ingham Palace.

No less glamorous will be the wed-ding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancée Charlene Wittstock, which is set to take place on July 1-2. The guest list for this undoubtedly star-studded event also remains a secret, but the bride to be has revealed that the royal wedding dress will be Armani.

04.11 NEWS

Royal fever sweeps through Europe


Europe News


UK-BASED online travel firm Black Tomato has launched two subsidiary companies offering niche products to the bespoke luxury travel market.

Epic Tomato is a spin-off of Black Tomato, offering customers bespoke once-in-a-lifetime experiences in undiscovered territories and “extreme cultures”.

The expedition-led voyages range from four-day journeys to the glacial interior of Ice-land, to a 21-day journey to discover the lesser-explored east face of Mount Everest.

All journeys are led by highly trained specialists and can be booked from anywhere in the world, with

flights on scheduled or pri-vate charter flights.

Like parent company Black Tomato, Epic Tomato (epictomato.com) custom-ers will be able to submit an enquiry form through the website, expressing their interest in a particular jour-ney, which will be answered by a consultant.

“It’s really getting people to beat their own path and the itineraries involve spending time with tribes or getting people into extreme environ-ments and having once-in-a-lifetime experiences that no other company can do,” said Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato.

Beach Tomato (beachto-mato.com), the company’s second new venture, is an online magazine dedicated to seeking out and promoting the best of beach life.

The site features sections dedicated to the latest beach fashion, the best beaches to see and be seen at, and photo-shoots featuring some of the most beautiful girls and guys on the world’s top beaches.

Readers can submit an enquiry form from anywhere on the site. Enquiries will be followed up individually by one of the Black Tomato team, who can create an itin-erary based around the con-tent of the site.

Beach bums and epic adventures

One Fine Stay In October 2010, Destinations of the World News featured an article about an innovative new hospitality concept from onefinestay.com – the ‘unhotel’. The firm aimed to redefine the experience of visiting London by allowing tourists to stay in a real London home, with all the convenience of a hotel. Six months later, the company has secured US$3.7 million in funding from venture capital firm Index Ventures, to increase its London operations and begin international expansion. Pictured is one of onefinestay.com’s top properties, Arundel Square in Islington, which can be yours for just US$328 per night.

I N F O C U S

IF you are visiting New York, be aware that chefs are becoming authorita-tive. Murray’s Bagels offers a variety of bagels but will not toast them. David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants refuse to do vegetarian. Café Grumpy owner Caroline Bell will only serve espres-sos in china – if you want one to go, it costs $12, but you keep the cup. Forget qualms you might have had about Rio. Many different police and security forces now work together, discreetly, and streets and beaches are meticulously clean. Copacabana Palace offers compli-mentary bicycles to join the ever-fit Cari-ocas (Rio people), using the two-lane bike path that runs the entire lengths of Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. Tasmania’s Mooril la Estate pro-duces wines made by Canadian winemaker Conor van der Reest, and an art-filled Museum of Old and New Art, MONA. There are also eight overnight vi l las named for Australian artists and architects. Tauranga-based Exclusively New Zea-land, run by its founder Rob Young, now has Exclusively Down Under sales teams in Dubai and Moscow. This October, Exclusively New Zealand opens four lux-ury tents high above Lake Wanaka, the hub of New Zealand’s South Island. Rob Young is also launching Exclusively Australia and Exclusively South Pacific. The 3,000-acre Laucala Island, Fiji, has its own international airport (so John Travolta could fly himself in). Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz bought Laucala from Malcolm Forbes, and Mateschitz now owns what Robb Report says is a ‘luxury resort like no other’. Think David McLay Kidd golf, man-made lagoons – and 329 employees for a mere 25 villas.

BY MARY GOSTELOW

Your guide to the latest in luxury

MARY SAYS...


WHILE the dust began to settle in many Middle East nations, where civil unrest has brought about regime change and reform in more than one country, the conflict in Libya reached new heights, with forces from the US, UK and France launching air strikes on Colonel Gaddafi’s government forces.

At the time of press, allied forces had fired missiles at a number of strategic targets in Libya in a bid to help the UN enforce a no-fly zone in the troubled North African nation.

Libyan rebels started protest-ing against the 40-year regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi when protests in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt gained momentum in February. Anti-government protes-tors have clashed with government troops and pro-government support-ers since, with reports of civilian casualties on both sides provoking international condemnation.

Despite a ceasefire declaration in mid-March, Gaddafi’s forces contin-ued to suppress rebels with tanks and mortar fire in the rebel strong-hold of Benghazi, where clashes were at their most intense.

“What is absolutely clear is that Gaddafi has broken his word, bro-ken the ceasefire and continues to slaughter his own civilians,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron after an emergency sum-mit in Paris, in which the decision was taken to begin military action against the regime.

“This has to stop. We have to make it stop. We have to make him face the consequences. So I think it is vitally important that action takes place and action takes place urgently.”

Several international govern-ments including those of Britain, the US, India, China, Russia and the Philippines have closed their embassies in Tripoli or evacuated their citizens from Libya.

Fallout from the conflict and pro-reform protests in other parts

Fighting in Libya reaches new heights


Aircraft boom in Asia Pacific Asia Pacific now accounts for 33 percent of the new aircraft on order from manufacturer Air-bus, representing around 8,560 new aircraft valued at US$1.2 trillion. The region has overtaken North America and Europe as the largest air transport market. Stronger than average growth in both passenger and freight traf-fic has fuelled demand for more new aircraft in the region. Airlines are also expected to replace 78 percent of the 3,680 aircraft currently in service to ensure a young, eco-efficient fleet.

V is for victoryV Australia has launched a three times weekly service between Abu Dhabi and Sydney, mak-ing it the first Australian carrier to operate flights to the Mid-dle East in 20 years. Passen-gers travelling to Sydney with V Australia and partner airline Etihad Airways will have direct access to Virgin Blue’s Aus-tralian domestic network and Pacific Blue’s network in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. V Australia and Etihad loyalty card custom-ers will be able to earn frequent flyer points and status credits on both airlines and receive recipro-cal lounge and service benefits. The new route will bring the total number of weekly flights between the two cities to 27.

Qatar keeps on growingNot content with the imminent approach of its 100th destina-tion milestone, Qatar Airways unveiled three new routes at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel show, last month. The Doha-based carrier will launch flights to cities in India, Nor-way and Bulgaria in 2011. The airline will operate daily flights to the Indian city of Kolkata on July 27; four weekly flights to the Bulgarian capital Sofia on September 14; and five weekly flights to Oslo October 5.

AVIATION TRENDS

of the Middle East are expected to have a major impact on tourism in the region, with tourism authorities in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Bahrain predicting a major drop in visitor numbers this year.

Elsewhere in the region, the Brit-ish Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) continues to advise against all travel to Bahrain, where troops from Saudi Arabia and the UAE were sent in to support Bahraini troops main-tain martial law, as Shiite protestors denounced the Sunni government.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has pledged to pursue reforms set in motion when he took office in 2002, but at the time of press, a curfew remained in place forbidding any-one to go out on the streets between 8pm and 4am, and banning all pub-lic gatherings and marches.

“Several international governments including those of Britain, the US, India, Russia, China and the Philippines have closed their embassies in Tripoli or evacuated their citizens from Libya”

News Middle East & Africa


Private holidays with a difference

Green giant As the sun slips behind the horizon over the Arabian Sea, Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel is illuminated in green to celebrate that most joyous of occasions, St. Patrick’s Day. The iconic tower is one of several buildings across the world that went green for Ireland’s National Day on March 17. Starting with the Sky Tower in Auckland, the green revolution swept across Dubai, Table Mountain in South Africa, the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the Puerta de Alcalá monument in Madrid and the London Eye, followed by the Empire State Building in New York and the CN Tower in Toronto.

PRIVATE aviation is an indulgence usually reserved for company presidents and CEOs travelling to sign multi-million dollar deals, but Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group has teamed up with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces to create a selec-tion of bespoke holiday options that will take the luxury experience to the next level.

Bringing the glamour back into the package holiday, the ‘Jet Away with Taj’ bespoke packages involve luxurious breaks at selected Taj properties in India, the Maldives and South Africa, with private jet flights to and from destinations anywhere in the world.

Empire has a range of private jet options to suit any sized group

– from couples to larger groups – and can fly to private jet terminals anywhere in the world. For a price.

“We believe the timing of this launch is excellent as the taste for luxury travel and private jet char-ter demand returns strongly in the region,” said Paras Dhamecha,

executive director of Empire Avia-tion Group.

The partnership kicks off with packages to The Taj Cape Town; Rambagh Palace Jaipur; Taj Lake Palace Udaipur; Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives; and Vivanta By Taj - Coral Reef, Maldives.

IN FOCUS


Waldorf Astoria eyes UAEHilton is bringing its ultra-luxury Waldorf Astoria brand to the UAE, with a new property in the northern emirate of Ras al Khaimah. The 349-room Ara-bian palace-themed hotel will be part of a mixed-use devel-opment that will also include an 18-hole championship golf course, a 600-metre private beach and a convention centre with capacity for 3,000 people. Due to open towards the end of 2011, The Waldorf Astoria Ras al Khaimah will be the brand’s second property in the Mid-dle East, following the 2005 opening of the Qasr Al Sharq in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Hollywood headed for QatarPlanet Hollywood is heading to the Middle East with its first ever hotel in the region, the Planet Hollywood Hotel Enter-tainment City in Doha. Devel-oper Regency Group Holding says the property will feature around 300 rooms, as well as a restaurant, café, lounge, meet-ing facilities, fitness centre, spa and pool, when it opens in 2014. The hotel will be man-aged by Wyndham Hotel Group.

Troubled waters in the Indian OceanThe increasing number of pirate attacks on private boats in the waters between Somalia and the coast of Oman is having a major impact on the yachting community. Round-the-world sailors are being forced to ship vessels from the Arabian Sea to safer waters, or hire security firms to provide armed escorts through the pirate infested waters. Marinas and tourism businesses in the Indian Ocean and Middle East region are los-ing big business, as yacht own-ers look for safer sailing options. Four American sailors were shot and killed by pirates when their boat was seized in waters off the coast of Oman in February.

BRIEFS

News Middle East & Africa


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Madinat JumeirahThe Arabian resort of Dubai

Jumeirah Emirates TowersDubai’s finest city lifestyle destination

Jumeirah Beach HotelThe perfect family vacation

Jumeirah Carlton TowerThe essence of Knightsbridge

Jumeirah Lowndes HotelLondon’s best kept secret

Burj Al ArabThe world’s most luxurious hotel

Jumeirah Essex HouseManhattan’s historic heart

Jumeirah Zabeel SarayMagnificent Ottoman inspired

Discover Jumeirah’s magnificent properties, situated in some of the most awe-inspiring cities in the world. From the pristine sands of Dubai’s beaches, the flourishing landscape of Central Park in New York, to the exciting shopping scene in London - Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts promise a well-deserved memorable experience for you and your loved ones.

For more information, contact your travel professional or visit jumeirah.com

DUBAI LONDON NEW YORK ABU DHABI AZERBAIJAN DUBAI FRANKFURT KUWAIT MALDIVES MALLORCA SHANGHAI - Coming Soon

Discover sensational stays in remarkable

locations

Jum_Portfolio_Advt_FP_DOTW_2011.indd 1 1/20/11 5:11:36 PM

News Asia & Oceania

Melia Bali earns EarthCheck Platinum Certification

The Vuitton effectA woman walks past the newly-opened Louis Vuitton shop in the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. The country’s recent shift to a socialist-oriented market economy has paid off: Vietnam has seen rapid growth in the past year, and in 2010 its GDP reached US$104.6 billion. It has been predicted that Vietnam may be one of the fastest growing emerging economies, and an increasing number of luxury brands and hotels have begun to spring up in Hanoi to cater to wealthy residents and tourists.

MELIA Bali hotel has received the highly coveted EarthCheck Plati-num Certification for Environmen-tal Practices, part of the EarthCheck Program, which aims to maximise operational efficiencies in order to minimise C02 emissions while also supporting host communities.

Melia Hotel Bali is the first hotel in Asia and one of only five hotels in the world to be given the award, a prize that many have strived to win.

“Melia Bali has always been a leader in promoting sustainable tourism,” said Jim Boyles, general manager of the hotel.

“We believe the hospitality indus-try in Bali is highly dependent on the island’s unspoiled environment

I N F O C U S


Safety in numbersThailand-based private charter jet company MJETS Ltd has launched a 24-hour Aircraft on Ground (AOG) Hotline that will enable MJETS to relocate its maintenance team to trou-bleshoot or fix any aircraft, no matter what region of Asia it is in, immediately after a call has been put through.

Asia tops tourism growth listsThe top tourist-generating market in 2010 was Singapore, followed by top contenders Indo-nesia, Thailand, China, Brunei, India, Australia, the Philippines, the UK and Japan. The top five markets in terms of tourism growth were India, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Cambodia.

Penang gets rockingThe Hard Rock Hotel Penang has introduced a complimentary music programme, The Sound of Your Stay, which allows guests to download a 15-song playlist designed to remind them of their stay. Upon check-in each guest will be handed a special key holder that is embedded with a code for The Sound of Your Stay, redeemable at iTunes.

Celebrity cruises Down UnderCelebrity Cruises has confirmed it will send its Celebrity Solstice vessel to Australia and New Zealand for the 2012/2013 winter season. The cruise liner will transfer from its 2012 sum-mer season in the Mediterra-nean to Australia/New Zealand via the Suez Canal and through Southeast Asia before arriv-ing in Sydney, Australia in early December. The journey will also include overnight stays in ports in Dubai and Cochin, India. Upon arrival in Australia, the Celebrity Solstice will embark on a series of 12- and 13-night sailings between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.

BRIEFS

and the culture of its people. Visitors come especially to enjoy Bali’s unique cultural heritage. A better living stand-ard and quality of life for the Balinese people will ensure the future of Bali’s hospitality industry.”

Factors contributing to the award include energy and water consump-tion, waste production and commu-nity commitment. Only hotels with operational practices that adhere to EarthCheck’s standards over a period of 10 years are granted the accolade.

Melia Bali is situated on 24 acres of tropical gardens on the shores of Nusa Dua. The resort comprises 494 rooms, suites and villas, five restaurants and the award-winning YHI spa.

Other hotels to receive the Plati-num Certification are Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort, Aruba; Basma Hotel Aswan, Egypt; Hotel Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers & Casino, Egypt; and Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa, Jamaica.


RPS_Ad_Full page_23032011-pathed.indd 1 3/23/11 2:35 PM

News Americas

PRESIDENT Barak Obama’s deci-sion to lift restrictions that pre-vented American citizens from travelling to Cuba is already hav-ing a positive impact on the island nation’s tourism industry.

Canada remains the largest source of tourist visits to Cuba, however in January of this year the Obama Administration in the US chose to lift travel restrictions set by former president George W Bush, meaning more American cit-izens will be able to travel to Cuba and vice versa.

The new legislation allows Ameri-cans to travel to Cuba under certain “purposeful” academic, religious and cultural background provisions, expanding the “people-to-people” efforts previously made by former US President Bill Clinton. How-ever, the US embargo against the island’s Communist government still remains intact.

In March, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport received federal authorisation to serve as a port of entry for flights to and from Cuba, becoming the fourth American airport to serve as a gateway into the country. Other airports offering flights to and from Cuba include Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA).

More than 80 percent of the US population is within a two-our flight of Atlanta state, and Harts-field-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest, serv-ing more than 89 million passen-gers per year. Although charter flights to and from Cuba will now

be allowed, travel will still be restricted to Americans qualifying for “purposeful” travel to the US, as outlined by the Obama administra-tion. Flights to and from the airport are expected to be in operation as of this summer or early autumn.

According to Tourism Vice Min-ister Alexis Trujillo, Cuba’s tourist arrivals are expected to rise 10 per-

cent this year, and its tourism rev-enue could see gains of 29 percent.

The National Office of Statistics showed Cuba attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2010, and that tour-ism revenue in 2010 amounted to US$2.221 billion, an increase of 5.5 percent over 2009.

Cuba celebrates tourism renaissance

“The new legislation allows American citizens to travel to Cuba under certain ‘purposeful’ academic, religious and cultural background provisions”

Vancouver’s Hotel Georgia set to reopenVancouver’s prized Hotel Geor-gia, which originally opened in 1927 and has been visited by many famous faces including Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers and the Rolling Stones, will reopen on May 7, 2011 after a four-year renovation project. The new-look hotel will feature 155 refurbished rooms plus two Penthouse suites, the Lord Stanley Suite and the Rosewood Suite, all featuring stunning panoramic city views, rooftop terraces, hot tubs and fireplaces.

Mexico popular despite warningsDespite the Texas Department of Public Safety putting out an official warning advising US college students not to travel to Mexico during Spring Break due to ongoing drug-related violence, statistics showed Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Rivi-era remained top destinations for students. Last September American tourist David Hartley was shot and killed while on holiday at Falcon Lake, a popular boating spot on the Rio Grande border, sparking concerns over the safety of American tourists travelling to Mexico.

Impromptu performanceWhen flights at Jorge New-bery Airport Buenos Aires were cancelled recently, 80s singing sensation Cyndi Lauper, who was on tour at the time and was meant to be boarding a flight to Santiago, Chile, took to the airport’s PA system to belt out Girls Just Want to Have Fun for her fellow stranded passengers. In a scene that could have been lifted straight from a cheesy rom-com, the angry and dis-gruntled crowd soon loosened up and joined in, singing along with Cyndi. Clips of the happy-clappy sing-along can be seen on Youtube.

BRIEFS



CHANGING GEARSCHANGING

GEARS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

2 0 1130 April – 2 May 2011

30 April - 2 May 2011

Madinat JumeirahDubai

United Arab Emirates

CONFERENCE PATRON

HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Chairman, Dubai AirportsPresident, Dubai Department

for Civil AviationChairman and CEO, Emirates

Why attend AHIC 2011?

Network with the decision makers and leaders in hotel investment in MENA

Hear from MENA’s leading financiers

Get the latest news on the geopolitical landscape from the region’s experts

Learn from top level industry experts and government officials

Build on your existing relationships and form new ones through AHIC’s many and varied networking opportunities

For more information and to register visit www.arabianconference.com

Dr Henry Azzam

Chairman, MENA

Deutsche Bank

Tarik Nabulsi

Deputy ChiefExecutive Officer

ELAF Group ofCompanies

Anass Alami

Director General

Caisse de Dépôt et deGestion, Morocco (CDG)

Nasser Al Nowais

Chairman

Rotana

Gerald Lawless

Executive Chairman

Jumeirah Group

Wael Al Lawati

Chief Executive Officer

Omran

A SELECTION OF 2011 SPEAKERS

ORGANISED BY:

READER OFFER

REGISTER BEFORE 15th APRIL

AND RECEIVE A FREE IPOD NANO

QUOTE DOTW

N-IPOD W

HEN YOU REGISTER!

News Americas

Business as ‘almost usual’ in Hawaii

HAWAII is adding up the cost of repairs after six-foot waves pounded the coastline of Big Island, just hours after a 9.0 mag-nitude earthquake and tsunami devastated north-eastern Japan, but authori-ties say tourism is up and running on Big Island.

Thanks to tsunami warnings, residents had plenty of time to flee to higher ground and find shelter, but “significant damage” has been reported at several hotels and other tourism businesses in the areas worst affected.

The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai suffered damage from the water, sand and debris that flowed onto its grounds, and was forced to close in order to restore the 12 rooms, pool areas, landscaping and restaurant that were affected.

Damage was a l so reported at the Hilton Waikoloa Beach Hotel, King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel and the Kona Village Resort.

But tourism authori-ties say there is no need for tourists to put plans to visit Hawaii on hold: “It’s business as almost-usual,” said George Applegate, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau.

“Overall, Hawaii Island escaped with minimal damage. The best way to help us is to come visit and enjoy all we have to offer, which is an inspiring expe-rience and vacation. We send our aloha and heartfelt sympathy to the people of Japan, and to everyone who sustained losses due to the earthquake and tsunami.”

“What can be damaging for visitors is bad informa-tion,” he added.

Before the tsunami, Hawaii enjoyed a surge in visitors at the Hawaii Volca-noes National Park, where increasing levels of vol-canic activity on Kilauea volcano drew in extra visi-tors. Though some areas were closed, spectacular displays of magma were seen in others.

Main attraction Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the most glamorous of all the Carnival celebrations, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city. Businesses and schools shut down for the four days and nights prior to Ash Wednesday, and parties take over the streets. The main focus of Carnival is the ‘Parade of Schools’ in the Sambadrome, in which the top 16 samba schools compete. Here supermodel Gisele Bündchen performs with the Vila Isabel Samba School.

I N F O C U S

T H E M O N T H I N N U M B E R S

US$500,000Estimated savings per year for the Galeão-Antonio Car-los Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Bra-zil, thanks to the installation of the SmartPath Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS), which reduces environmental and maintenance costs.

275The number of additional full-body image scan-ners US Transport Security Administration chief John Pistole has asked Congress to deploy across America’s 370 airports, in addition to 100 more dog teams and 350 more behaviour detection officers.

5The number of properties Starwood Hotels will be opening in Latin America in 2011, including the Latin American debut of its Aloft brand in Panama. Other Starwood openings are planned for Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Colombia.



C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


Nazi train attractionIn a hidden corner of Poland close to the town of Stepina, you’ll find the country’s most unlikely tourist attraction. It’s a bunker that once contained Hitler’s train collection. Seriously. These giant bunkers, guard towers, buildings and seven-metre high, 400-metre long tunnels with walls four metres thick (pictured below) were completely water, air and electricity self-sufficient and were used to house a fleet of Nazi trains including Hitler’s favourite, the Amerika. The tunnels were also used for important meetings of Germany’s top brass. Now they’ve been spruced up and are set to open for visitors from May until October. World War II re-enactments are also planned.

Trends

P O L A N D

Michelin’s star performersCould it be that there is a new gourmet trend inspired by the recession? The latest 2011 issue of the Michelin guide to France has an unexpected focus on what it describes as ‘Bib Gourmand’ restaurants. The number of these wallet-friendly establishments – offering three courses for between €29 and €35 (US$41-49) – in France has increased by 117 to reach 601. Now they actually outnumber the starred restaurants for the first time. Perhaps the reason for this new direction is the fact that there were no new restaurants awarded the coveted three stars. Or perhaps it’s just that nobody can afford to eat out any more. Either way, we’re off to see what we can get in Paris for less than $50.

F R A N C E

Croc and rollAmerica has always been at the cutting edge of imaginative tourist attractions, from Disneyland to Universal Studios, but we’re not wholly convinced by the latest development to come out of Florida. Last month saw the opening of the self-explanatory Crocodile Crossing at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The concept is simple: basically it’s a zipwire that allows terror-immune tourists to fly over pools and ponds infested with your favourite reptiles, as well as wobbly aerial treetop bridges that give you a bird’s eye view of the prehistoric-looking monsters below. Priced at only US$65, you have to be over 57 inches to enjoy it – and obviously have nerves of steel.

U S

Capital expenseCue fanfare! Roll the drums! Moscow is once again the most expensive city in the world when it comes to hotel rooms. For six years, the Russian capital has fought off tough competition from the likes of Abu Dhabi and New York to keep its place at number one in the Hogg Robinson Group annual survey. In 2010 the average price of a bed in Moscow was a nose-bleedingly expensive US$419. HRG said prices in Moscow had actually dropped by three percent during the year, but still no other city could touch it. In second place was NYC with US$342, then Geneva with US$329 and Paris with US$324.

R U S S I A

DESTINATIONS: GO GLOBAL

Bart

osz P

izia

k (w

ww.

barte

kpizi

ak.co

m)


Real-time online booking con�rmation for over 80,000 ground services in more than 1,200 cities.Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.*

* FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ONLY.

WWW.DOTW.COMFOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT

Baros Maldives

Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa Huvafen Fushi, Maldives

Four Seasons Resort, Kuda HuraaW Retreat and Spa, Maldives Jumeirah Vittaveli

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

DOTW advert full page (MALDIVES)Page 1 3/29/11 2:49:01 PM


Trends of the month

HOTFare dealA new service in Spain, Skybus promises to be cheaper than a taxi and more con-venient than a bus. Basically it’s a mini-bus airport pick-up that you book online and share with others. Eco-special.

Raising the charity barNext time you’re in Australia, check out the Shebeen chain of bars. For every bot-tle you order, a charity donation is made to the country of origin. So, for example, buying a Vietnamese beverage provides a Hanoi street child with career training.

Going Dutch with hundredsDutch company Buitengewoon in Het Land is offering ‘wall-free dining around Holland’. Basically it organises gourmet meals for hundreds of diners in fields using seasonal produce grown nearby. Sign up at its website and tuck in.

Frozen assetCongratulations to Argentina for its latest museum project. There are not enough glacier museums in the world. And now there is a dedicated Glacarium in Patago-nia. Family discounts are available.

NOTUgly businessThe Business Travel and Meetings Show survey of the ‘hottest’ flight attendants felt strangely like a return to pub chat. In the 1970s. With someone leering over your shoulder.

Horror hotelA Spanish candid camera show dressed a little girl up as a character from horror film The Ring and filmed the reaction of hotel guests. Most just walked past.

Caged inThe Million Donkey Hotel in Italy is an eco-friendly community project that turns unused buildings into hotel accommodation. Outside is a cage. With a bed suspended inside. Yes. That’s the unique selling point…

Snow boardHurrah for the newly opened Mestia Air-port in Georgia. Not only does it receive aircraft issue boarding cards, it also serves as a ski resort. Look, we know times are hard but this is one multitask too far.

These days there seems to be no escape from WiFi. Once it reached aircraft all our excuses for not return-ing those e-mails immediately seemed to vanish into the (cyber) ether. Except in cabs. Without WiFi or extravagantly priced 3G, you could always say you were stuck in traffic , in a cab, in a foreign land. Unless you visit Japan that is.

A company called DoCoMo has just installed free WiFi in 800 Tokyo black cabs as well as PlaySta-tions in 100 more. And this could be a very handy development for passengers in more ways than

catching up with office gossip. Most Tokyo cab drivers only speak Japanese, so it could prove to be handy to log in to a language translation site before racing to the wrong destination completely.

On a sort-of related note, we were also impressed by a new WiFi service being offered by telecommu-nications company qb in Cambodia. Qb fitted out a fleet of 15 tuk-tuks offering free WiFi around the city to anyone who managed to get their smart phone/laptop within range. Certainly beats boring WiFi hotspots in cafes.

Once upon a time, all-inclusive holidays were mainly associated with package tourists and families anxious to keep an eye on expenses. Of course in these financially trying times every-one’s keen to keep an eagle-eye on the bottom line, particularly companies.

So it comes as no surprise that hotels are now extending all-inclusive deals to business trips, incentives and conference travellers. And the Mexican capital of holiday making, Cancun, is stepping up the pace. According to the Mexico

Tourism Authority every one of the city’s 147 hotels are offering all-inclusive packages for meetings. The development has been given extra impetus by smaller budgets and shorter lead times, said a spokeswoman for the authority.

Cancun is one of a variety of destinations in Mexico where the all-inclusive concept has “evolved as a top choice for business meetings and business travellers”, she said. “Planners are now asking more than ever for all-inclusive deals, it’s evolution.”

All-inclusive business breaks

Taxis online for success

We’ve all been there. The overpriced fridge in the corner of our hotel room daring us to part with ridiculous amounts of money for a ‘fun-sized’ bar of chocolate or a soft drink that requires the sale of your first born.

Hotels have been weighing up the pros and cons of mini-bars for decades (should they be free, how can they be monitored), but now a company has cut through the indulgent clutter of drinks and snacks completely with the introduction of something totally different, a Minibar for the Mind.

It’s a joint project between The School of Life and Morgans Hotel Group and is being billed as a “mid-night feast of intellect, inspiration and ideas”.

For those uninitiated in the ways of The School of Life, this remarkable London centre aims to stimu-late thought and conversation through seminars (such as why is work boring, finding your passion or why relationships are never easy), books and teaching programmes.

So what exactly is the Minibar for the Mind? Well, for a mere US$56 this very delightfully designed box contains 250 cards of thought-inspiring quotations and questions; a book of the best writing from The School of Life’s contributors; a reading ‘prescription’ – a mini essay that provokes thoughts of relaxation – and a notebook with writer’s block pencil.

We’re sure you’d agree that’s 56 minibar dollars well spent compared to that can of Coke…

Minibars for the mind


Associating your company with Titleist, the #1 ball in golf, makes a strong statement about your commitment to excellence

on and off the course. That’s always a smart investment. You can choose from fi ve Titleist golf ball models: Titleist Pro V1®,

Pro V1x™, NXT Tour®, NXT® and DT® SoLo. Titleist provides the sophisticated colour reproduction, creative-capabilities and

highest quality that your brand deserves.

EXCELLENCE IS THE BEST INVESTMENT.

Prosports International - [email protected] - Tel: +971 4 3477737

titleist.co.uk

Destinations_TitleistLogo_Page.indd 1 18/03/2011 08:54

Interview

Thirty-eight years since Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler and wife Maureen launched their first travel guidebook, the planet is far less lonesome for intrepid travellers. Nicci Perides finds out how it all began and what’s next

The journey must go onPROFILE TONY WHEELER


When did you first travel and where did you go?I was dragged around the world by my parents before I set off on my own. But travel with parents and travel post-parents are two utterly dif-ferent worlds, as any Gap Year explorer will con-firm. My first real trip was Paris with a girlfriend when I was at university, and my first ‘big’ trip – a ‘big’ trip has to last at least six months – was my Asia overland trip, which led to the creation of Lonely Planet.

What inspired the idea for the Lonely Planet book series? I drove from London to Afghanistan, sold the car, carried on to Australia, arrived from Indonesia on a New Zealand yacht, thought ‘Hey somebody should write a guidebook about this,’ and bingo, Lonely Planet was born.

What was the first book? Across Asia on the Cheap, a complete guide to making the overland trip. Because that first book was only ever sold in Australia and New Zealand, we wrote the book Sydney to London, even though we travelled London to Sydney.

Was it difficult to get the series published at first? Not at all, because we published it ourselves. Maureen and I both had full-time jobs as we were saving up money for the next trip, so writ-ing the Lonely Planet series was an evening and weekend job.

What obstacles did you encounter when writing your first few guidebooks? A lack of money and time, plus having to wear two hats simultaneously. We couldn’t be on the road travelling to research and write the next book and at the same time at the office running the business of selling those books, until we got bigger and could employ people to either travel or run the business. We employed them to run the business and kept travelling.

How did those early struggles help shape Lonely Planet into what it is today? It was hand to mouth in the early years. We learned how to do everything: travel, research, write, produce the books, sell them, run the busi-


TONY WHEELER


ness. And because we opted to keep travelling, we never took our hands off the wheel or our attention off the road ahead.

What advice would you give to others who want to start writing travel books? The need for information that is expertly researched and produced is always going to be there. Our writers are experts – and equally important, they are enthusiastic experts – so become an expert, speak a language nobody else speaks, travel to places nobody else has been to, and make yourself different.

Was Lonely Planet always meant for trav-ellers on a budget? In the early days we were in our 20s with no money and we were producing guides for the same sort of people. I don’t want to neglect those young, enthusiastic travellers, but today we cater to every type and every budget. At the end of a year I always want to look back at my notes and see that I’ve stayed in a place that cost less than £10 (US$16) a night, as well as a place that’s, say over £500 ($800) a night. But there’d better be a few nights in a tent or on the deck of a ship as well.

Was it a tough decision to sell Lonely Planet to BBC Worldwide? No, it was time for a change. We weren’t going to create a dynasty, we weren’t handing it on to our kids and we’re realistic enough to know that we aren’t going to live forever. OK, to be honest it was tough, but kids have to leave home at some point.

Lonely Planet has gone from strength to strength exploring different media avenues such as magazines, television and the internet. What’s next? If I knew, we’d already be there. I always think you never see the big changes coming, and then suddenly they’re right in front of you.

How many countries have you visited? It’s embarrassing to admit, but I do keep track.

About 150, but it depends how you define ‘country’. My list extends well beyond the UN’s 192. It also depends how you define ‘visit’. Just transiting the airport does not constitute a visit in my books.

Where is your favourite place you’ve trav-elled to and why? Usually where I went last week, because wher-ever it was I’m still wishing I’d had more time to spend there. I’d have to put China way up on that list. There’s no shortage of things to see, from the Great Wall to the Terracotta Warriors, the fading reminders of the Mao era to the newest high-speed rail lines. Simply taking in the pace of change is the real thrill of China today. A few years ago I crossed the border from Vietnam into China and travelled along the coast from Kunming to Shanghai by bus and train. Repeat-edly I’d get on a bus and settle down expecting a five- or six-hour trip, only to find myself arriving just over an hour later.

What is left on your ‘must see’ list? Enough for another lifetime or two. More than a few places in Africa for example, starting with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Which is your favourite LP guidebook and why? Our India guide; it was a breakthrough title for us. And as for India, well, like Samuel Johnson’s London, you tire of it and you’ve tired of life.

Has the introduction of the web meant more travellers tend to go online to get the information they need? Print is not dying; we read more print than ever, it’s just that we don’t read it exclusively on paper any more. So we’re doing iPad and mobile guide-books in addition to paper ones these days.

Describe your perfect holiday… A mix of this and that: a little luxury, some energy burning, a Michelin-starred meal, a night under canvas. I hate to get bored.

TONY’STOPDESTINATIONS

Antarctica: It may be the destination you go to after you’ve been everywhere else, but nobody seems to visit just once. If you go, you’re likely to become another Antarctica addict, destined to go back over and over. I did the standard trip down to the Antarctic Peninsula from South America and before I knew it I’d signed up for another trip to South Georgia. The dramatic starkness of Antarctica is amazing – everything is black or white, blue sky or blue sea; there’s nothing subtle about it.

Nepal: Despite all the troubles in recent years and the Kathmandu traffic and pol-lution, it still has the best walking trails in the world and there’s always somewhere new to explore. Kathmandu still has a magic I’ve never been able to shake off and Nepal has given me so many mornings where I’ve opened the tent flaps, looked out and thought ‘wow!’

Colombia: The cocaine and drug lords image is so strong in people’s minds, it’s easy to miss that these days it’s quite safe and has some of the most beautiful colonial architec-ture in South America. Is there a more attrac-tive walled coastal port than Cartagena? It’s one of those places that seems to have been designed with postcards in mind.

Ireland: Sure the weather can be lousy, but it’s still green and fun and the pubs are ter-rific. I particularly love that west coast and places like the Aran Isles, where you really know for certain Europe has come to an end and there’s a lot of fierce Atlantic to be dealt with before you get to North America.

Australia: The cities are great, as is the Great Barrier Reef, but it’s the Outback where you’ll encounter the real Australia, whether by foot (walk the Larapinta Trail to the west of Alice Springs) or by 4X4 (Simp-son Desert in particular). You know you’ve reached the Outback when oncoming drivers wave at you, and you know you’re deep into it when they stop to compare notes.

Botswana: Whether you’re observing the wildlife from a dugout canoe in the Okavango Delta or heading into the Kalahari in a Land Rover, it’s one of Africa’s best destinations. You can put together a trip that is the perfect combination of roughing it and luxing it; tents with wildlife prowling outside followed by a sophisticated safari lodge.

“Print is not dying; we read more print than ever, it’s just that we don’t read it exclusively on paper any more. So we’re doing iPad and mobile guidebooks as well as paper ones these days”


42 Month 20XX dotwnews.com42 April 2011 dotwnews.com

City Shanghai

A sprawling city carved in two by the Huangpu River, Shanghai is a juxtaposition of old and new, a battleground where an age-oldstruggle for identity still ragesWORDS: Joe Mortimer

ShanghaiGhosts of


dotwnews.com Month 20XX 43dotwnews.com April 2011 43



“Pudong is a trophy room of China’s recent economic success; luxury malls like the IFC are packed with three-floor stores bearing the names of the world’s top brands”

I’m sure Shanghai is a busy city. I’m sure that the city’s 20 million permanent res-idents and five million daily commuters make this place a hectic metropolis, where crowds spill out onto the roads

and queues for the metro reach astronomical proportions at peak times. I’m sure that the rush-hour traffic is as bad, if not worse, than that of any other major city in the world.

But I can’t tell you for certain whether any of these things are true or not, because when I visit, the city is a ghost town. The roads are clear of traffic; shopping malls are all but deserted; hotel lobbies feel lonely and cold; and the streets are devoid of life. Are the stories of the mighty Chinese dragon a myth?

There are two plausible reasons for this absence of hustle and bustle. One is that I have arrived one week after the Chinese New Year celebrations, which saw the entire city light up on the night of February 2 – eve of the auspi-cious Year of the Rabbit – before embarking on an extended holiday period, which saw most of the city’s inhabitants pack up their belongings and head off to visit family and friends in other parts of China and beyond.

The other is that the thermometer is hover-ing dangerously close to the zero degree mark. The Huangpu River, which carves Shanghai in half like a giant cleaver, provides a tunnel for a bitter cold wind that blows through the heart of Shanghai in the winter months, chilling those unlucky enough to be caught out on the streets to the bone.

City Shanghai

The Shanghai residents who choose to forego the New Year’s exodus, it seems, are wrapped up warm in apartments, offices, restaurants and bars around the city, venturing outside only when necessary.

But tourists have other ideas. In the popular tourist districts like the Yu Garden, Xintiandi, TIanzifang, or Nanjing, thousands of visitors from other parts of China and beyond who, like me, seem drastically unprepared for the cold Shanghai winter, shiver along cobbled streets in between replicas of old buildings and ‘genuine antiques markets’ and seek refuge from the cold in coffee shops and outside dim sum stalls, where groups huddle around plumes of steam pouring from within.

But there isn’t much going on in the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, in the heart of New Shanghai. Pudong, Shanghai’s very own lucky metal rabbit, sprung up from the marshland, warehouses and rice paddies on the eastern side of the Huangpu River over the last 20 years, turning rice into gold bullion, almost overnight.

The glitzy district is now home to a sky-high labyrinth of glass-fronted five-star hotels and skyscrapers, whose silhouettes form the shimmering skyline of New Shanghai, with international chains like Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, Jumeirah and Hyatt now providing a luxuri-ous home away from home for thousands of domestic and international business travellers and tourists.

At the heart of Pudong is Shanghai’s new financial centre, where the gleaming Shanghai World Financial Centre (SWFC) and neigh-bouring Jin Mao Tower – the world’s second and fifth tallest buildings respectively – soar high above the city. The empty plot next door will soon be turned into Shanghai’s new tallest building, the 632-metre Shanghai Tower, I’m told, as my guide Ling Ling and I crane our necks for a glimpse of the bottle opener-shaped top of SWFC through the clouds.

Pudong is a trophy room of China’s recent economic success, with luxury malls like the IFC packed with three-floor stores bearing the world’s top brand names, as well as Apple’s Asian flagship store, “The Cylinder”, which is reportedly the company’s largest revenue-generator worldwide.

All that glittersThe world’s top brands can be found at the IFC Mall




www.arabiantravelmarket.comOfficial HotelOfficial Airline Official Ground Handler

Register now for the opportunity to meet over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 60 destinations.

Establish new business prospects, meet key contacts and discover developments that are driving the travel industry today.

Features include:n Educational Seminar Programmen Industry Debatesn Social Eventsn Careers Day – Thursday 5th Mayn Travel Agents Day – Thursday 5th Mayn Consumer Day – Thursday 5th May

Discover solutions to improve your future...

Register as a visitor at www.arabiantravelmarket.com/DOTWN

For all other queries, contact the Arabian Travel Market Customer Service Helpline:E: [email protected]

The Leading Travel Exhibition for the Middle East Region

Register now for Arabian Travel Market 2011

Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre

One Event, Unlimited Destinations


City Shanghai

Rainer J. Burkle, general manager of neigh-bouring The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, Pudong, says a crowd of some 10,000 people were waiting outside the store on the morning the it opened in May 2010.

“Here, people love the word ‘luxury’. In the US and Europe, they are shying away from it right now; not here,” he notes, as we stare out across the Huangpu River towards Old Shang-hai from the hotel’s 52nd-floor Club Lounge, sipping sweet plum tea and toasting the start of the Year of the Rabbit.

If appearances are anything to go by, he’s not kidding; the Ritz-Carlton’s Art Deco lobby – perched on the 51st floor of an ultra-modern all-glass tower – is all golds and blacks; perpendicular lines are nowhere to be seen and everything glitters and shines.

Interior design firm Super Potato is behind the signature Jin Xuan Cantonese restaurant, as well as the über-cool roof-top bar, Flair, where Shanghai’s well-heeled enjoy views of the Oriental Pearl Tower and The Bund during the summer months.

From the Premium Bund View Suite, I can look down at the other new buildings of Pudong, across the water to The Bund, where it all started in the 1900s. Downstairs, porters in furry hats help wealthy tourists with armloads of shopping bags into the hotel and open limou-sine doors for sharp-suited businessmen.

Pudong isn’t your average inner-city financial centre, where buildings jostle for space on over-priced plots of land; wide boulevards separate the streets, allowing beams of sunlight to filter down through buildings.

THE BUND / ACROSS THE RIVERIf Pudong is a symbol of Shanghai’s recent economic success, The Bund – a 1.2 kilometre stretch of neoclassical, art-deco and gothic buildings on the western side of the river – is a reminder of where it all began.

Strolling south along The Bund on a cold February morning, heading towards the Peace Monument, a built-in memorial for those lost in the war with Japan, is like walking along the rim of a giant looking-glass that can see through time. To the east, across the water, the Oriental Pearl Tower – one of the earliest and most rec-ognisable buildings to appear in Pudong – and the skyscrapers of Pudong are a proud state-ment affirming Shanghai’s status as a global economic powerhouse. To the west, the 52 buildings that make up the former international trading hub known as The Bund are a catalogue of the city’s early success.

Lined up along the west bank of the Huangpu, the row of old-money buildings – formerly trading and customs offices, hotels,

financial institutions and wharves – date back to the heady days of commerce and trade at the beginning of the 20th century, when the trad-ing arms of countries from all over the world set up shop in Shanghai for a slice of the lucrative trade in Chinese silks, tea, ceramics and opium.

Today, The Bund is home to modern financial institutions as well as a number of historic hotels, including the Peace Hotel (recently taken over by Fairmont), the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, and The Peninsular Shanghai – the only new building to have been constructed on The Bund in the last 100 years.

Despite its relatively new status in the context of Shanghai’s epic history (modern Shanghai is little more than 150 years old) The Bund, unlike many other parts of the city, is an area deemed worthy of preservation, and the statesman-like buildings are there to stay; keep-ing watch over New Shanghai on the other side of the river like proud patriarchs.

For more of the old Shanghai, you only have to head a few blocks west to find the old inter-national playground of Nanjing Road and, fur-ther south, the Old City, which is largely a mod-ern reconstruction of what Shanghai looked like in the 1940s, when the city swarmed with foreign traders, pirates and diplomats.

“Downstairs, porters in furry hats help wealthy tourists with armloads of shopping into the hotel and open limousine doors for sharp-suited businessmen”

Pearl of ShanghaiThe Oriental Pearl Tower is a towering

symbol of Shanghai’s new wealth


dotwnews.com Month 20XX 47

title Sectiony

Tea timeThe traditions and principles that

govern the tea-makng process date back thousands of years



City Shanghai

In the traditional Lu Bo Lang Restaurant, where local dishes like jellyfish and fish head soup horrify and delight visitors, photos of Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro being welcomed by the proprietor (on separate occasions I pre-sume) decorate the walls.

Those who know the city well talk (quietly) of a time when the local planning department elected to bulldoze old parts of the city to make way for new buildings, turning some of the city’s cultural heritage into rubble with the stroke of a pen, but it appears things are chang-ing, and a few pockets of old Shanghai seem destined to remain intact.

Xintiandi is an example of Shanghai’s urban renewal process, which began when city plan-ners decided to preserve some of the city’s herit-age. The trendy pedestrianised area is made up of traditional-style shikumen houses, which are now home to shops, restaurants and bars.

Tianzifang is an old warehouse district that has been preserved and restored and is now home to the city’s largest collection of artists’ studios, boutiques, art galleries and coffee shops.

Here you can still find evidence of the original residential area. Wander down the side alleys and you’re sure to find broken bicycles, herb-filled window boxes and lines of laundry stretched between the tenements. Make a wrong turn outside the compact enclave and you’ll find yourself in the thick of a gory fish and meat market.

Just down the road, the Dong Tai Road Antiques Market offers another glimpse of the Shanghai of old, albeit of the ‘genuine fake’ variety. Here you can find hundreds of copies of Chairman Mao’s ‘Little Red Book’ as well as everything from posters of famous Chinese actresses to vintage pieces of luggage, old watches and cameras, and an assortment of other “antiques”. I can’t resist purchasing a Rus-sian style ushanka, complete with ear-flaps and red star, but it’s mainly to fend off the wind.

If Shanghai’s past is all around, its future is clearly mapped out at the Urban Planning Hall on People’s Square, where a scale model of the city fills an entire hall of this museum-cum-visitors’ centre.

DOWN TO BUSINESSIt’s not just handfuls of leisure tourism dollars exchanged for fake antiques and expensive imported beverages that are making Shanghai appeal to an increasing number of international visitors. Large-scale events play an increasingly important role in the city’s tourism industry.

Shanghai is still riding the wave of national euphoria created by hosting the Shanghai World Expo, which ran for six months under the slogan “Better City, Better Life” and ended on October 31, 2010. The event covered 5.28 square kilometres of prime real estate on the Puxi side of the river and attracted some 73 million visitors.

To commemorate the event, Shanghai is building the Expo Museum, in permanent memory of the expo. The museum isn’t the only relic of the expo that will preserve its legacy. The Expo Village, which housed all foreign staff during the event, will be turned into an “international community” for resident expats, according to local authorities, with residential areas and exhibition and conference facilities.

Over on the Pudong side of the river, the sprawling Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) is just seven minutes and 20 seconds away from Pudong International Airport via the Shanghai Maglev Train – the world’s fastest commercial train, which can achieve speeds of 431 kilometres per hour.

The huge facility (SNIEC has 150,000 sq m of indoor and 100,000 sq m of outdoor exhibition space) is a stone’s throw away from Pudong’s latest five-star offering, the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai.

Designed by architect Arata Isozaki, who was responsible for the Barcelona Olympic Stadium and the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, the Himalayas Centre development bursts from the ground like a giant tree, with swollen roots that give birth to ultra-modern cubes contain-ing the hotel, luxury shopping mall, the 1,100-seat DaGuan Theatre and an art museum.

Back in Puxi, I duck into the local tea centre to learn about the different styles of Chinese tea and the various methods of making it. Each variety has its own particular method for extracting the flavour, and each has been perfected over centuries of practice.

Even the simple process of making tea is gov-erned by strict principles that take time to learn and perfect. It makes you wonder if Shanghai’s sudden expansion from fishing port to global powerhouse in little more than a century has worked so well given the absence of any guiding principles or experience. As I leave the hotel for Pudong International Airport, a thin layer of snow has covered the tables and chairs of Flair, and I’m filled with an overwhelming sense that I haven’t even scratched the surface of this mighty, ghostly city.Visit dotwnews.com to read an interview with Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai general manager Akram Touma.

Genuine fakesVisit the Dong Tai Road Antiques Market for a selection of Chairman Mao-era souvenirs





The Maldives may well have it all in terms of sun, sea and sand, but its top resorts are piling on the extras to tempt visitors who crave

something beyond the blue horizonWORDS: Kathi Everden

Indulge Maldives

BEYOND THE BEACH



Out of this worldThe W Hotel Maldives on Fesdu Island



Once upon a time there was Kurumba. Just a short skip from the airport, it was the best the Maldives had to offer in terms of an international resort.

Twenty years later and there’s serious talk of a blonde-only fantasy resort, where the Latvian company Olialia (pronounced O la la) plans to introduce its blonde-only concept for all staff.

Probably a fantasy in more ways than one – given that the majority of Maldives tourists tend to be couples, the selling power of blonde hostesses might be limited. But it does provide an example of how new resorts are striving to distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

A glimpse at the roster of new names on the horizon gives us an indication of the ever-pow-erful lure of the tropical Maldives vision, with Mandarin Oriental, Raffles, Viceroy, Jumeirah, Six Senses, Per Aquum and Amari in the line-up, as well as Anantara, which has just opened its Kihavah Villas resort.

This new, to-die-for destination boasts 78 villas, all with infinity pools, decks, hammocks and dining areas, sunken baths and outdoor showers, plus an underwater wine cellar, the longest pool in the Maldives, sunshine butlers, tennis court, iPads, wave skiing, wake-boarding and parasail boating.

At this end of the market, the competition to stand out among the palm trees is fierce, and increasingly resorts are looking beyond the beach to offer that USP (Unique Selling

Indulge Maldives

Proposition) that can augment the attributes of paradise – the stunning white sands, turquoise seas, lush vegetation and luxury accommoda-tion that photograph so well but tend to blur the distinction between hotel brands – with something a little more unique.

And, one other tiny niggle that might be thrown in for consideration is the weather. Shock, horror; it does rain in the Maldives. You may never have seen watery vapours in any photographs, but take it on advisement, even during the peak winter months, there’s plenty of the wet stuff.

While seemingly officially banned from every photograph, this is not the soft caress of tropical showers beloved of shampoo advertisements; rain can run to a torrential downpour for sev-eral days at a time.

So, when considering paradise, it’s always worth evaluating the recreational opportunities of the resort aside from beach lounging in those oh-so-photogenic hammocks, or tropical fish safaris in the clear balmy waters.

COOKING UP A STORMThe new Raffles Konottaa, Maldives hotel promises a golf simulator among its attractions, while Niyama, Per Aquum’s latest venture, has an underwater meeting space, outdoor art stu-dio, remote control boats and cars, Wii games, plus a modern-day campsite with barbecue kitchen and the Aquum overwater restaurant and lounge, with underwater nightclub (only accessible by boat, naturally).

Out of the ordinary Paradise goes beyond the beach at

top Maldives resorts like Per Aquum

The W Retreat & Spa already boasts the only underground nightclub in the Maldives and hosts regular Havana nights with cigars, bonfire, live band and mojitos, while the new Anantara Kihavah Villas also has a unique din-ing experience at Sea.Fire.Salt.Sky, involving an underwater wine cellar-dining room, fire in the teppanyaki section, Himalayan salt blocks in the main dining area and a rooftop bar for relaxation with views.

And while food and beverage is becoming a key selling point for new resorts – the upcom-ing Jumeirah Dhevanafushi features three restaurants to cater to 38 villas, while Viceroy has five restaurants for just 61 villas, as well as loft living – existing properties are extending their menu of attractions, too.

Huvafen Fushi continues to offer its Dream Calendar with singer-songwriter Mr Hudson kicking off this year’s events, followed by a carousel of fashion photographers, winemak-ers, yoga gurus, DJs, designers and chefs. Music personalities are also being lined up for August and October as the resort hosts the music ele-ment for the Hay Festival Maldives, an event launched last year as a spin-off from the UK annual literary celebration.

W already caters to budding artists with crea-tive painting sessions (in the spa), underwater photography classes and opportunities to create underwater videos, as well as underwater SeaBob (hand-held underwater propellant) thrills, parasailing, or overnight yacht trips to Hammerhead Shark Point.


“When considering paradise, it’s always worth evaluating the recreational opportunities of the resort aside from beach lounging in those oh-so-photogenic hammocks”


Water water everywhereMost resorts in the Maldives, like the Per Aquum,

ensure guests get the most from the island setting

“When considering paradise, it’s always worth evaluating the recreational opportunities of the resort aside from beach lounging in those oh-so-photogenic hammocks”



Down in the southern atoll of Addu, the Shangri-La is beefing up its activity menu with an artist in residence programme, where US artist Gregory Burns will offer art classes in the jungle, by the beach and even underwater, with the aid of waterproof pencils, tablets, snorkels and scuba equipment. Other activities include fruit and vegetable carving, weaving, cookery and massage classes for couples.

The resort also highlights pedal power, with bicycles assigned for each villa to enable leisurely perambulations along the palm-shaded compacted tracks, while cycling trips to the nearby atoll offer an unusual exercise in meet-ing the locals in and around the Maldives’ long-est road – a 17km stretch over four islands that includes the islands’ only speed-bumps.

Completed in 2006, the road takes in the former British Air Force base, with its eerily evocative deco cinema, accommodation blocks and memorial, while off-road meanderings offer snapshots of local life, including the pastel-coloured houses with banana and other tropical planted gardens, sparsely populated with snuf-fling chickens, turtle-watching off the bridges and maybe coffee and a look-see at the hotly-contested chess battles silently fought between local residents under the whispering palms.

Pedal powerThe new Shangri-La hotel has 17km of cycling trails connecting several nearby islands

Indulge Maldives

Everywhere in the Maldives, of course, there are countless marine options, from the newish passion for surfing and windsurfing at Six Senses Laamu (also featuring overwater, glass-panelled bathrooms with clear Perspex style baths for the ultimate in bathing with the fishes), through to dolphin watching, manta and turtle trips at Shangri-La and night snorkel-ling and the coral nursery at Huvafen Fushi, where guests can adopt a frond to nurture the future of the reefs.

At Soneva Fushi, there’s star-gazing at the observatory and al fresco film festivals at Cinema Paradiso, while Anantara Kihavah has a cultural agenda too, with Maldivian drum and dance instruction, lacquerware and weaving classes, plus an opportunity to learn from a local chief about old customs such as the star-gazing method of fishing.

Probably the busiest venue on any resort, particularly during inclement weather, remains the ubiquitous spa, with everywhere offering rubs and wraps to soothe away the stresses of the 21st century – bliss beyond the beach.

GASTRO TROPICSWith Italian remaining the staple cuisine at most resorts, fish ubiquitous and most produce coming with thousands of air miles attached, cuisine on the Maldives has always been a bit iffy, despite recent efforts to introduce authen-tic elements, with the ‘island garden’ concept blooming as a haven of fresh herbs and vegeta-bles, as well as a dining venue with a difference.

For Chef Emil Minev of the Shangri-La Villingili, the resort’s location comes with the bonus of a 10-minute boat link to a string of islands that could potentially fuel his kitchens.

“What we are now doing is getting some 50 smallholders together and with help from the World Bank, giving them seeds to experiment to see what will grow.”

On his own vegetable patch in the resort, Chef Emil is already harvesting tomatoes, squash, aubergine, peppers and basil, while jackfruit and watermelon too are prospective winners, but it all makes for an interesting home-grown melange as one of the attractions of the Culinary Adventure.

The latter is the resort’s answer to the increasingly popular ‘destination dining’ option offered around the Maldives, inviting guests to sup on a sandspit or banquet on a beach for that star-lit dinner to remember.

Shangri-La features daily destination dining, with a basic half-board menu that comes with all the frills: the attention of Chef Emil (a bright and breezy Bulgarian who honed his skills in London and Dubai, as well as at Huvafen Fushi), plus dining at a different venue nightly.

Choice spots include beneath the jungle palms; in the calming grounds of the vast CHI spa; at the seafood extravaganza; India and Asian tastes; as well as going green in the chef’s garden, where his skills are in full flight on a rather basic cooking set-up.

All this with feet in the sand under a tropical moon – a triumph for all the senses.

Spa with a viewThe spa at Anantara Kihavah Villas boasts overwater treatment suites

Pedal powerThe new Shangri-La hotel has 17km of cycling trails connecting several nearby islands


With its snow-capped peaks, gushing alpine rivers and empty, Eden-like landscapes, you don’t have to venture into the wilderness

to find the New Zealand’s green credentials WORDS: Nick Walton

Environment Auckland

WAIHEKE ISLANDWith its snow-capped peaks, gushing alpine rivers and empty,

Eden-like landscapes, you don’t have to venture into the wilderness to find the New Zealand’s green credentials

WORDS: Nick Walton



Keep on rollingWaiheke boasts an idyllic setting

just off the coast of Auckland



New Zealand was ‘green’ long before celebrities started using recycled shopping bags and driving their Prius hybrids to their local Starbucks, and

locals have been mindful of the precarious jig man dances with nature for decades. As chil-dren, New Zealanders go on school trips to pick up rubbish on wind-swept beaches, sport green-friendly logos on t-shirts and bumper stickers, and every citizen knows the story of the Rain-bow Warrior, the anti-nuclear ship blown up by French agents in Auckland harbour. Indeed there are few destinations with stronger green credentials that Auckland, known as the City of Sails due to its love for sailing.

On any green escape to Auckland, your first step should be towards Waiheke Island, the tiny hippie commune-cum-sophisticated arts community that’s a half-hour ferry ride from downtown. Waiheke is a great weekend escape for Auckland’s city dwellers; each year the island hosts brilliant art exhibitions in its tiny galleries, live jazz events among the organic vines; and one of the nation’s top wine and food festivals.

Take the high-speed ‘Quick Cat’ from the downtown ferry terminal, past trendy Devon-port with its beautifully restored bungalows and chic wine bars, and on to Rangitoto, a towering, dormant volcano that lies at the gateway to the Hauraki Gulf. Arriving at Waiheke’s Matiatia Harbour, your best bet to see what the island has to offer is with Ananda Tours. A boutique tour company started by

Jenny McDonald and Nigel Robinson, Ananda specialises in wine, art, food and eco tours, and booking a customised itinerary is a surefire way to search out the island’s little gems.

Wine plays an important role on Waiheke Island, and many of the boutique wineries are going green and producing world-class organic varieties through sustainable viticulture. Te Whau, usually the first stop on Ananda’s wine tours because of its stunning views back towards Auckland, was established in 1993 by Tony, Moira and Caroline Forsyth, with the first vines planted in 1996. By 1999 they were producing their award-winning wines, including The Point and the Te Whau Chardonnay. Much of the wine-making process, including pruning, cane training, leaf plucking and canopy trimming, is

done by hand, and the winery was the first in the country to establish sustainable viticulture approaches, including strict fruit selection, gen-tle handling and minimal intervention. Te Whau now prides itself on being fully organic.

Later, pass by paddocks of fluffy white sheep and the inquisitive alpaca for the short ride to Jurassic Ridge, another winery that’s using environmentally-friendly, sustainable viticultural

practices and which started in 2002 on a slope above Church Bay. The winery is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, which requires annual auditing to maintain sustainable practices that are used in the production of hand-crafted, single vineyard wines. Be sure to stop in at the cellar to try some of the Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Grigio and Montepulciano.

By lunchtime you will have worked up an appetite. Head to either Stonyridge, which offers brilliant platters of fresh New Zealand salmon, Pacific rock oysters and homemade pesto, or for something a little more elegant, head to MudBrick, which boasts one of the best restaurants on the island.

Another interesting Waiheke development for those inspired by the green movement is

the Awaawaroa Bay Eco-Village. Located at the southern end of the island, the 169-hectare property features steep hill country, lush valleys and protected wetlands, parts of which have been declared Sites of Ecological Significance by the Department of Conservation. More like an eco-commune, the residents of the property have been limited to 15 like-minded families, each of which minimises their impact on the land and


Fresh from the seaPacific rock oysters and salmon make a perfect dinner on Waiheke

Raise a glassWaiheke’s vineyeards produce some

of New Zealand’s finest grapes

“Wine plays an important role on Waiheke Island, and many of the boutique wineries are going green and producing world-class organic varieties”



The green wayThe grassy hills and temperate

climate of Waiheke Island are perfect for wine growing

FACTFILE

Ananda Tours Waiheke Island Tel: +64 9 372 7530 www.ananda.co.nz

Te Whau Vineyard & Restaurant 218 Te Whau Drive, Waiheke Island, Tel: +64 9 372 7191, www.tewhau.co.nz

Jurassic Ridge 144 Church Bay Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, Tel: +64 9 950 3175,www.jurassicridge.com

Owhanake Bay Estate 68 Korora Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, Tel +64 9 372 2220, www.owhanake.co.nz

Coast To Coast Tel: +64 9 411 7080, www.coast2coastnz.com

Bush & Beach Tel: +64 9 837 4130, www.bushandbeach.co.nz

environment around them, adhering to both gov-ernment and internal building codes that forbid toxic building materials and advocate alterna-tive energies including solar and wind power. If you’re looking for inspiration for a greener 2011, or you just want to see what it would be like to live in a modern-day social experiment, head down to the village, which boasts its own healing retreat, sailing school and worm farm.

And if you’re looking to absorb Waiheke in all its wine-soaked bliss for a day or two, don’t bother heading back to Auckland; there are a range of eco-friendly lodges on the island, including Owhanake Bay Estate.

Here, not only will you ride on electric bicy-cles – a novel way to explore the island’s gal-leries and boutiques, cheese factories and olive groves – you’ll also dine on organic produce from the Estate’s own gardens, eat farm-fresh eggs and organic honey, and even bathe in recy-cled rainwater. What you won’t have to do is rough it, with rooms featuring king-sized beds, wireless internet, and stunning sea views.

Once you’re back on the mainland, a great way to see Auckland’s green initiatives without too much fuss is with a Coast to Coast tour. Stu-art and Donna Hamilton’s families have been farming outside Auckland for almost a century (which is no mean feat in New Zealand, one of the world’s youngest countries), and are now committed to offering travellers a chance to experience the city’s clean, green image firsthand. They formed the company in 2002, and bring travellers out of the bustling city and in to some of the nearby attractions, including the black sands and gannet colonies of Muriwai Beach, traditional sheep farms and the ancient Arataki Rainforest. You can even visit more organic wineries if you like. They also give their guests the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions with a nature tree-planting program.

If you’re looking for something to break up

time spent in the boardroom, then take a hire car for the 45-minute drive out to Piha, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful and iconic beaches. Located on the rugged West Coast, pounding waves slam themselves against the black sand beaches; forget the tropics, this is weather-whipped New Zealand at its best. There are also

plenty of small cafes and restaurants to stop in at on the way through the Waitakere Ranges on the way to and from the beach.

If you’re set on escaping the city and check-ing out some of Greater Auckland’s stunning beauty, try a tour with Bush & Beach, an eco-tour company that specialises in escapes to the likes of Auckland’s untouched Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula. Their trips out to Great Barrier Island are especially interesting.

A half-hour flight from Auckland Airport has guests landing on a tiny strip on Auck-land’s furthest flung island, where they’ll take breakfast with locals before delving into a Nikau palm forest and through unique wetlands to the Kaitoke natural thermal springs. In summer head to a private farm and its beach for snorkel-ling and feed eels in the streams. Finish the day with a picnic and a climb to Windy Canyon for views to the one of Asia-Pacific’s greenest cities.


“On the rugged West Coast, pounding waves slam themselves against the black sand beaches; forget the tropics, this is weather-whipped New Zealand at its best”


Lying on the north Aegean coast, Imaret is an intimate luxurious hospitality property,located within the homonymous historical monument.

Built in 1817 right in the middle of the historical district of Kavala, in northernGreece, Imaret is an unexpected oasis of tranquility and superior service.

The monument is a rare example in Europe,a masterpiece of late Ottoman architecture.The variate of decoration, the quality of thedelicate structures, the interaction betweenindoors and open space the adaptabilityof the functional structures, create an original complex of high aesthetic and cultural value.

Hotel ImaretTh. Poulidou 30-32 | Kavala | Greece | T +30 251 0620 151 | F +30 251 0620 156

http://www.imaret.gr | [email protected]

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Quaint, quiet and perfectly peaceful, this sleepy island on America’s east coast is the perfect summer getaway WORDS: Sabina Lohr

on Martha’s Vineyard



Discover Martha’s Vineyard

Maritime charmThe five lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard

are beloved by locals and visitors







As summer begins to warm the raw and salty air of the Atlantic Ocean, sailboats and ferries cruise into nearly empty har-bours, their passengers stepping

ashore to experience the annual awakening of Martha’s Vineyard. Shopkeepers unlock doors shut tight throughout the winter, restaurateurs wipe down tables and ignite ovens, bed and breakfast owners set out deck furniture, and beaches fill with sunbathing bodies and vol-leyball games. What is known in these parts as ‘The Season’ has arrived.

Famous as a holiday destination for the wealthy and well-known, the unique appeal of the Vineyard’s laid back lifestyle on the intense and frenetic East Coast of the United States draws city escapees by the thousands in the summer months. Small sailboats from around the region head towards the island, fighting choppy waters and edging past 50-foot yachts that have sailed the Atlantic to check out the New England island scene. For peace seekers heading in from distances too far to navigate by sea, there is an airport nestled within the island’s forested interior. Once ashore, rushing is a distant memory.

The six towns and endless beaches on Mar-tha’s Vineyard each possess their own unique character, enveloped by the fairy-tale New England atmosphere.

Edgartown, a major whaling port since the discovery of the island in 1602, is today where many visitors head straight upon stepping ashore. Several of the founding era’s homes still stand as stately, whitewashed residences or museums that let you piece together the island’s history. Steps away from their well manicured lawns, the quiet streets of a small downtown area house upscale boutiques, art galleries and five-star restaurants. One homey venue is the Wharf Pub, where simple seafood and salad dishes served in the cool interior are the perfect temporary relief from the lunchtime sun.

A three-minute ferry ride away from Edgar-town lies the nearly deserted and much smaller island of Chappaquiddick, famous as the home of the drowning death of Senator Edward Ken-nedy’s female friend in 1969. Dirt roads, perfect for bike riding or leisurely driving, wind past barely visible homes and lead to beaches with a sense of solitude that makes you feel a thousand miles from anywhere.

Back on the “mainland” of Martha’s Vine-yard, Katama Beach is just a three-mile trip outside of Edgartown’s centre. Here you’ll find the most powerful waves on the island, perfect for a relaxed day of body surfing but not quite high enough to attract serious surfers. Katama Beach’s generous waves and size make this the most popular and the most crowded of Martha’s Vineyard’s shorelines.

If you’re in search of quiet and gently lapping waves, Lambert’s Cove across the island is the

ideal spot. Hidden behind the trees, locals don’t like to share this serene beach and long ago declared it private. Arrive after 4pm, though, and you’ll likely be allowed to walk down the long path of sand to its graceful waters.

‘Down-island’ and ‘up-island’ are ancient nautical expressions of longitude still used by residents of Martha’s Vineyard rather than the pedestrian terms ‘east’ or ‘west’. Lovers of fresh air and exercise can transport themselves any-where they like via bicycle, either on the bike path which runs throughout the Vineyard or on its many lightly trafficked paved roads.

At the boundary of down-island Edgartown and Oak Bluffs stands the American Legion Memorial Bridge, where you can park your bike and watch – or join – the island adolescents who spend their long summer days jumping off the railing into the still bay beneath. This tradition was brought into the public eye when Steven Spielberg sailed ashore to film his 1975 blockbuster Jaws. Mopeds are another popular mode of island transport, along with small shut-tles and private cars.

Candy-coloured gingerbread houses are Oak Bluffs’ largest draw. Just 10 kilometres north


Picture perfectThe Old Whaling Church in Edgartown is a proud monument to the town’s history

“The six towns and endless beaches on Martha’s Vineyard each possess their own unique character, enveloped by the fairy-tale New England atmosphere”




www.moevenpick-hotels.com

Ibn Battuta Gate HotelOperated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

A world of wonder and luxury.A world of wonder and luxury.

This five-star luxury hotel is ideal for visiting both Dubai andAbu Dhabi. Centrally located between both international airports,Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel offers the best of both worlds. The hotel has396 rooms and suites, some of which are 3-way interconnecting and ideal for families. With a choice of 8 restaurants and bars and a full selection of facilities at your disposal, you have all you need for an enjoyable stay. Shopping is available at the adjacent Ibn Battuta Mall and the beaches of the Palm Jumeirah are just minutes away. To find out more or to make a reservation, please contact the hotel directly on:+971 4 444 00 00, [email protected] or contact your travel agent. Call toll free from: the UAE 800 4934, Bahrain 8000 1991, KSA 800 124 2929 and Qatar 800 2001.

MP0137-IBG Room Promo ad DOTW-235x335-V2.indd 1 12/22/10 6:00:45 PM


of Edgartown, the houses’ origins are staked in the early 19th Century, when Methodists from the region sailed to annual religious meetings on the island every summer. Many became so enamoured of its charms that they chose to build homes and live out the rest of their lives on the Vineyard.

Oak Bluffs is the most buzzing spot on the island, with its dozens of gift shops and bounti-ful high-end yet affordable bed and breakfasts. One particularly homey and comfortable spot is Brady’s NESW, a four-bedroom B&B on a silent street just off of Inkwell Beach. “Let your mind go barefoot” says the salty owner, who sum-mered in the home as a boy. The expression fits both his and the island’s character.

Also popular in Oak Bluffs is dining, with a multitude of casual restaurants lining the streets. Just a short drive or walk away, though, is the more refined cuisine of Vineyard Haven. Nicky’s Restaurant, well hidden off the main street, serves what could arguably be the best Italian food on Martha’s Vineyard. The Black Dog Tavern, from its prominent lookout on the Vineyard Haven Harbour, offers heaping plates of fresh, hot seafood, including locally caught Atlantic salmon and lobster. It’s important not to take the tavern’s name seriously, though. Vineyard Haven is a dry town, so arrive at the restaurant with your own bottle of wine or you’ll be sipping ice water with your dinner.

Standing alone in the woods that fill the mid-dle of the island, West Tisbury is a town that likes to keep to itself. A drive along its tranquil landscape reveals weathered cedar-shingle homes scattered amongst hills and fields. Their rustic yet somewhat nautical construction is a popular look across the island and is, in fact,


the signature architectural style not only of Martha’s Vineyard but the other southern New England islands too.

Although most people staying in West Tisbury head to other parts of the island during the day, one spot that attracts large numbers of visitors is Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks, where artists and apprentices blow exquisite vases, pitchers and sculptures in a studio inside the building’s entrance. The unique creations go on display in the upstairs gallery.

The most popular of the up-island spots are the multicoloured clay cliffs of Gay Head. The town was officially renamed Aquinnah (meaning “land under the hill,” taken from the town’s indigenous Wampanoag Indians) in 1997 due to the overwhelming influence of political correctness, but many locals still use its original name. The view is what draws visitors to this town, and from the deck of the Aquinnah Shop Restaurant, with its casual fresh seafood fare, you can dine while gazing out over the cliffs and on to the ocean beyond.

Also up-island is a tiny spot on the sea that is easy to miss but must be found. Turn down a short, sandy path leading to Vineyard Haven Sound and come out at Menemsha, a clas-sic New England fishing village. Here rusting boats clank against the docks while fishermen cast their lines off the jetty from morning until night. The town’s authenticity has overwhelmed attempts to turn it into a tourist haven, mak-ing this spot one of the best places to catch a glimpse into the island’s past.

Exploring the many personalities of Martha’s Vineyard allows you to walk through a history that still thrives alongside a present-day unique unto itself.

Sand appealIn the summer months most days in Martha’s Vineyard include a little beach time



Quaint as housesHouses on stilts and private harbours are

a typical sight on Martha’s Vineyard


TURN THE PAGE NOW!

YES NO

If we said weekend hotel break.

Do you think, yes, yes, yes,

yes, YES!

…then this is your new favourite spot.

Visit Media One Hotel and experience

a hip new lifestyle with modern

rooms, vibrant dining outlets and an

eclectic scene.

Media One Hotel, PO Box 121818, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

T +971 4 427 1000 F +971 4 427 1001 E [email protected]

W www.mediaonehotel.comThe difference is you!

33707-M1 Parents-Full Page Ad.indd 1 2/21/11 9:15 AM


The Grand NationalApril 7–9, Aintree, England

The most beloved of horse racing events in England, the Grand National spans three days, beginning with Liverpool Day on April 7, followed by Ladies’ Day on April 8 and finally the Grand National races on April 9. Ladies’ Day is a celebration of fillies, frocks and fun, and it sounds pretty fabulous. Female racegoers are encouraged to show off their best race day looks and will be eligible for prizes, plus there will be make-over booths, goodie bags and fashion shows alongside shows displaying the finest female horses. Over 600 million viewers worldwide tune in to watch main event, the Grand National 2011, with over US$162 million placed on bets within the UK alone. There are plenty of hospitality packages on offer, from boxes to restaurants to rooms – there’s always an excuse to splash out for one of the biggest events on England’s social calendar.

01 SongkranApril 13-15, Thailand

Songkran is the celebration of the New Year in Thailand, and families will start the day on April 13 by visiting temples and sprinkling Buddha statues and images with water, before sprinkling water on each other’s hands for good luck. In recent years these acts of reverence have been turned into an excuse for a good old-fashioned water fight, which is handy since Songkran falls during the hottest season of the year in Thailand. Visit during the New Year, especially in touristy places, and you’ll most likely be doused with water by youngsters as you make your way down the street – but it’s all in good fun, and often the adults join in too. The biggest street water fights are usually seen in Patong; things generally calm down by the end of the day, but if you’re game, there are water battles raging well past midnight in Patong’s bustling Bangla Road.

03US MastersApril 4–10, Augusta, Georgia, USA

One of the most highly anticipated professional golf events of the year, the US Masters is the first of four major annual tournaments, and will see golf legends gather at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia for a full-fledged, nail-biting week-long tournament. Top players are invited to participate for the prize of, well, money – but the event is often seen as a determining factor for the upcoming PGA tours, and tickets are strictly reserved for hard-core golf lovers. There are several longstanding traditions tied in with the event; the champion of the US Masters receives a green sport jacket, passed on to each successive winner by the previous year’s champion. Other traditional events include the Champions dinner and the Par 3 Contest, played on the Augusta grounds the day before the first round of each Masters tournament.

02

01

04.11DIARY



Telus World Ski & Snowboard

ChampionshipsApril 15-24, Whistler, BC, CanadaIf it’s good enough for the Winter Olympics, it’s good enough for us. Whistler mountain in British Columbia, Canada will host its 16th annual Ski & Snowboard Championships, which promises to deliver a range of exciting winter sport competitions, fashion shows, afterparties galore and Canada’s largest free outdoor concert series, featuring a line-up of rock, pop and hip-hop performances. While you’re there you can also sample the world-renowned ski runs, plus there are great cross country trails if that’s more to your taste. The picturesque Whistler village has an array of five-star hotels and restaurants; DOTW News recommends the award-winning Italian at Araxi, or try Bavaria restaurant for beer, fondue and the occasional live German folk music band.

04 Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt

April 22, Cumbria, EnglandThe annual Peter Rabbit Easter Egg hunt, which has taken place in England’s beautiful Lake District in Cumbria on Easter Friday for the past 20 years, will get underway this year on April 22 at 10am local time. Participants will gather and set out to find the 100 hand-crafted ceramic Easter eggs that have been carefully hidden throughout the fields and villages of Cumbria, continuing until the final egg is found. The event is free and if they are lucky enough to find any, participants will get to keep the limited-edition Peter Rabbit ceramic eggs they uncover. Prizes are on offer for everyone, and special prizes will also be awarded to the finders of 10 ‘special eggs’, one of which will be exchanged for a two-night stay at the Low Wood hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere, Cumbria.

05 Royal WeddingApril 29, London, England

The world will be watching on April 29 at 11am local time when the wedding service for HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton will commence. Before the service Ms Middleton will be driven by car to Westminster Abbey, following the traditional route of the Mall, the Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square. After the service, the couple will return along the same route in a carriage procession. HRH the Queen of England will hold the reception at Buckingham Palace, and in the evening, Prince Charles will host a private dinner and afterparty for close friends and family. There will be a smorgasboard of gimmicky tourist attractions and events in the lead-up to the big day; our favourites include the Royal Wedding Walking tour, the 80s Right Royal Knees Up and the more refined Royal Wedding Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on April 17.

06

April What’s on

02

0605

04

03



In the spirit of the Royal Wedding, this month’s roundup of exclusive trips and sensational offers includes a stay in a Loire Valley chateau with French nobility, a royal hotel offer in London and a romantic safari in Kenya

Fit for a princess Most of London’s five-star hotels have come down with Royal Wedding fever this month, but few can pull off a luxury package like Grosvenor House, a famed London icon renowned for its royal connections. To celebrate the marriage of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton, the hotel has put together a package fit for a king and queen. You and your companion will be met at Heathrow or Gatwick airport by a chauffeur-driven Bentley or Rolls-Royce and whisked away to Grosvenor House, where you will be treated to a bottle of champagne and miniature wedding cake on arrival to toast the royal couple. Spend the next five days in a Park View Suite, enjoying romantic perks such as a private horse and car-riage ride through Hyde Park, a Royal Afternoon Tea in the Park Room, and daily English break-fasts, as well as a commemorative gift and a copy of the book William & Kate: Celebrating a Royal Engagement. The Royal Wedding will be shown on TV in the hotel’s restaurants, so you can enjoy the memorable occasion in stylish surroundings.Cost: US$3,39 per night for a minimum of five nights.From: April 26 until May 2.www.londongrosvenorhouse.co.uk

Wings over KenyaThe balmy nights and wide open spaces of Kenya were the backdrop when Prince William got down on one knee and proposed to his univer-sity sweetheart Kate Middleton. For your own slice of African romance, join Abercrombie & Kent on an aerial safari around Kenya, visiting Amboseli National Park, the Laikipia Plateau and Masai Mara plains, flying between perma-nent and mobile camps in the height of luxury. Keep an eye out for lions, cheetahs, giraffes and zebras, and visit Dr. Cynthia Moss’ long-standing Amboseli Elephant Research Project. As part of A&K’s Connoisseurs series you’ll see elephant herding beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, survey a private stretch of river where hippos gather, and unwind over elegant meals. Stay in a combina-tion of luxury tented camps, with attendants on hand to ensure your night under the stars is perfect, and mobile A&K safari camps, where you’ll experience the wilds of Africa Hemingway style, with the sounds of the night all around.Cost: US$8,775From: Four departures between July 17 and December 27, 2011.www.abercrombiekent.com

Spend it


Itinerary Spend it

Private Chateaux of the LoireFor your own taste of royal life, why not join the nobility for a weekend? Formerly the seat of power in France, the Loire Valley is today known as the ‘Garden of France’, with rolling green hills, gently flowing rivers and vineyards making the châteaux that dot the landscape all the more picturesque. Anyone can travel through the Loire, but few can do so in the company of a genuine member of the French nobility. Join the Ultimate Travel Company’s Private Chateaux of the Loire tour and stay as guests of Comte and Comtesse de Vanssay, at the charming Château de la Barre. Set in a 100-acre park in the wooded hills of the Perche, this is a stunning base from which to set out and explore sites like the Château de Chenonceau, once home to Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. Continue your glimpse into the past with visits to the medieval town of Le Mans; a cathedral tour with scholar Malcolm Millar; a private visit to the 18th-century Château de Chêne de Coeur; a ‘Renaissance’ feast at Château de Clos Lucé – Leonardo da Vinci’s home during his stay in France; a tour of the Jardin du Plessis Sasnières; and a private visit to the 17th-century Château de Troussay.Cost: US$3,160 per person (based on two sharing) including flights from the UK to France.From: September 8-11, 2011www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

Atoll storyWe’re not yet sure where HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning on honeymooning, but as far as romantic escapes go, they couldn’t get much better than this one. Be among the first to stay at Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, Jumeirah’s first resort in the Maldives, and claim exclusive benefits for stays of three nights or more. The ultra-luxury new resort is tucked away on the Gaafu Alifu Atoll to the south of the capital Malé, so you’ll be whisked from Malé to Kaadedhdhoo Domestic Airport with Maldivian Airlines, before hopping on a speedboat for the short transfer to the all-suite resort. Immerse yourself in the opulent surroundings of a Beach Revive suite, with private beach, 20 square-metre pool, comfy daybeds and views over the Indian Ocean. Enjoy an intimate candle-lit dinner and a bottle of bubbly on the beach with the gentle lapping of waves at your side. You and your partner can also enjoy a three-hour session at Talise Spa, featuring signature Talise and Ila spa treatments, a sunset cruise with delec-table canapés and a half-bottle of bubbly, a US$300 water sports voucher and bespoke departure gifts.Cost: US$6,210 for a 3 night stay in a Beach Revive suite.From: March 15 to September 30, 2011www.jumeirah.com/maldives


*All prices are subject to change. Please contact the listed companies for further information.



Anantara Kihavah VillasMaldivesSet on the stunning island of Kihavah Huravalhi, the 78 private pool sanctuaries of the Anantara Kihavah Villas are set either over the water or along the island’s pristine private beaches. Each residence contains a private infinity pool, expan-sive decks complete with swinging hammocks, and oversized sunken glass-bottom bathtubs that are situated over the ocean for the ultimate romantic bathtime for two. A personal Villa Host will attend to each guest’s needs 24 hours a day, and the Dining by Design concept allows guests to customise a meal to their liking before choosing from a variety of incredible dining locations – for example a private sand bank or on a yacht – where the meal will be served. And of course, the signature Anantara Spa offers a range of Asian-inspired relaxation and beautifying treatments.

Sheraton Milan MalpensaMilan, ItalyStarwood continues to expand its inter-national portfolio with the opening of the Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel & Conference Centre, designed by King Roselli Architects and Saporiti Hotel Design. The 433-room property features 19 suites, 58 Club Rooms and a 2,100 square foot Club Lounge for all Sheraton Club Guests, plus stunning views of the Italian Alps, convenient access to the T1 terminal at Malpensa Airport, and it’s just 30 minutes from Milan’s city

centre. More than 21,000 sq ft of contemporary meeting and event space including a multi-func-tional room suitable for up to 1,000 people, plus 22 meeting rooms, make the property an ideal space for events. Monte Rosa Bar will serve as the hotel’s casual dining venue, while Il Canneto will serve up Mediterranean cuisine and a selection of fine wines. The Shine SPA for Sheraton, a 10,000 sq ft spa and fitness centre complete with indoor swimming pool, will be complemented by Shera-ton’s new fitness concept, Sheraton Fitness.

Convenient Sheraton Milan Malpensa is a prime location for business and pleasure

DEBUT

Panoramic Anantara Kihava Villas


Keeping you abreast of the latest luxury hotel openings

restaurant serves up authentic Italian cuisine, and Luna Restaurant on the 18th floor offers Mediterranean and Arabic dishes with pano-ramic views of the Arabian Gulf. Perhaps the most appealing feature is the 1,500 square foot Six Senses Spa, which will be offering its signature Asian-inspired treatments as well as locally inspired therapies using ingredients like olives, dates and Arabic spices. It will also include a fitness centre, yoga studio and sepa-rate ladies gym, sauna and steam room.

Hotel Missoni KuwaitKuwaitWith an eclectic décor in shades of gold, sand and brilliant turquoise blue to reflect the natural surroundings of the Arabian Gulf state, the Hotel Missoni Kuwait boasts modern facilities in an ideal setting. Located at the Symphony Centre shopping mall, all 169 rooms - 63 of which are suites – offer panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and the city of Kuwait. Rooms feature the latest Bang & Olufsen TVs, high-speed WiFi and Magic Mirrors that allow guests to turn their bathroom mirror into a TV. The hotel’s signature Cucina

W Hotel St PetersburgSt Petersburg, RussiaLocated a stone’s throw away from the stunning gold-domed St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the latest W Hotel is the first in Eastern Europe and features 137 guestrooms, including four W Suites, three Fantastic Suites, two WOW Suites and one Extreme WOW Suite. The hotel’s design comes courtesy of Antonio Citterio, who took inspiration from the Fabergé egg to create its delicate yet opulent style. All F&B operations will be man-aged by Alain Ducasse Enterprises, and dining venues will include miX restaurant, miXup bar and terrace (open in summer only), Living Room, plus 24-hour in-room dining. The W’s signature Bliss spa will be the first of its kind in Eastern Europe and will also feature a WET pool and Sweat Fit-ness Center. Three meeting rooms will cater to business travellers.

Bold Hotel Missoni Kuwait is the brand’s first venture into the Middle East


Anantara Bangkok SathornBangkok, ThailandRising high above the city’s entertainment and business districts, the Anantara Bangkok Sathorn’s twin 37-floor towers provide the ideal stay for business and leisure travellers. Guests can opt for 40-square metre rooms or 121-square metre two-bedroom suites with top of the line amenities and balconies opening onto city or river views. Each room offers separate living and enter-tainment areas, as well as oversized bathtubs to soak away the stresses of the day, whether sight-seeing or business meeting induced. Guests can relax beside one of Bangkok’s longest hotel pools while a personal pool butler attends to their needs. And of course, at the end of a long day, a massage at the Six Senses spa is the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s hectic streets.

Regal Golds and purples adorn the W St. Petersburg

Retreat Anantara Bangkok is a peaceful haven


Suite dreams Capella Singapore


Up on The Knolls Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s own private resort island, Capella Singapore blends old-world vintage with bold new designs, says Joe Mortimer

What: Capella SingaporeLocation: The Knolls, Sen-tosa Island, SingaporeCost: Garden Villas start from US$1,350 per nightWeb: capellasingapore.com

The important bit


Turning off a leafy avenue on Singapore’s Sentosa Island, you enter a long driveway that winds past manicured lawns and a muster of peacocks, before

arriving at what looks like a great white ship floating atop a sea of green: ‘The Knolls’ to locals.

The 1880s colonial mansion that makes up the main part of Capella Singapore was originally home to the British Army, who used the red-roofed building as a venue for gala dinners, where posh soirées for the who’s who of 19th-century Singapore society lit up Sentosa Island.

When the British moved out, the building was abandoned for years, until the property was bought by Millenia Hotel Private Limited (an associate company of Pontiac Land Group), which invested US$260 million into refurbishing and regenerating the stunning setting.

Today, the original building is home to the reception area, the Andre Fu (Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore and Upper House Hotel in Hong Kong)-designed fine dining Cassia restaurant and The Library, where guests can borrow books or DVDs from the hotel’s collection, as well as enjoy coffee, tea and snacks served around the clock. It’s a great spot to steep yourself in the history of the building and the island as you look out across the 30 acres of tropical gardens from the white-columned balcony.

Step outside the main building and you’re confronted with a baffling and incongruous shape. Commissioned in 2004 to redevelop the property for Capella, Lord Norman Foster created a modern addition that imitates the colours of the mansion, using the same terracotta colour as the roof tiles and a similar louvre effect on the sides of the new building, which embraces the resort like two huge arms.

In the middle of this wood and steel envelope, the terraces of Bob’s Bar and The Knolls restaurant look down onto three cascading swimming pools which tumble down the hillside, almost all the way to the beachfront promenade that runs the length of the south shore of Sentosa Island.

We checked into Garden Villa number 51 on the west side of the property, tucked away down a narrow path just wide enough for a golf buggy, its banks spilling over with lush greenery and orchids. The Jaya Ibrahim-designed suites are a showcase of minimal perfection, with rattans and woods in beige and dark brown, and wide open spaces that create a light and airy feel.

Outside the 133 square metre suite, a private plunge pool and sun loungers are shaded from the long-stay apartments behind the main property by a thick wall of greenery, so no one can see in.


Bob’s Bar One of Sentosa Island’s most exclusive open-air settings, Bob’s serves drinks and nibbles late into the night.

Minimal fuss Garden suites feature their own private patios with plunge pools, sun loungers and dining table and chairs.

An open-air shower and bathtub offer guests the chance for a truly liberating experience, but even though you’re entirely shielded from view, the occasional passing golf buggy or gardener can have you reaching for your towel.

Lighting, air conditioning, blinds and shutters are all controlled by a rather fantastic and easy-to-use digital control box beside the bed, which matches the sleek black telephones and Bose sound systems (one for the bedroom and one for the living room). But there’s more to get excited about than man-made marvels.

Look beyond the manicured lawns that line the drive leading up to the resort and you’ll find that the entire property is literally overflowing with immaculate greenery, which is carefully sculpted by the hotel’s small army of landscapers and gardeners.

The 30-acre site is home to five ‘heritage trees’, carefully preserved during the construction of the new property, as well as more than 5,000 trees from 60 different species, plus 2,000 palms, 700 bamboo plants, 40,000 ferns, 125,000 shrubs, and nearly 250,000 other plants.

The air is thick with the scent of vegetation, and it’s easy to get lost in the winding walkways that separate the main hotel buildings from the villas, which spread out like a fan.

The resort also features more than 400 pieces of art – paintings, sculptures and other works including 100 metal fish that line the wall to the Auriga Spa – which were collected by a curator or commissioned specifically for the resort.

Although the hotel’s policy means the staff were tight-lipped about the famous faces who have graced The Capella with their presence, I did discover that Martha Stewart had stayed in one of the hotel’s 436 square metre colonial mansions (apparently she wrote about it on her blog, so it’s no secret) and the private dining room in Cassia has played host to at least one high-profile political delegation.

“The entire property is literally overflowing with well-kept greenery, which is carefully sculpted by the hotel’s small army of gardeners”

Sentosa nights The resort’s three pools cascade down the hillside from the upper terrace, almost all the way to the beach.


Review Traiteur


To most of the world, ‘brunch’ is a late breakfast with friends or a loved one on a lazy

Sunday afternoon, usually over eggs Benedict and endless cups of coffee.

But in Dubai, it’s an entirely different concept. If you live here, you know brunch means a three- to four- hour free-for-all featuring unlimited portions of food and endless cups of every kind of beverage you can imagine, really.

But where does one go for the best of the best? A classy, elegant location that’s also intimate – which could easily make a perfect venue for a date, a catch-up with an old friend, a place to show off to visiting family members, or a group birthday celebration?

I’d heard about the brunch at Park Hyatt Dubai’s Traiteur restaurant from a few of my more affluent friends, all of whom shared rave reviews. So the chance to try it for myself was one I couldn’t miss.

If the appeal of free-flowing champagne from 12.30 until 4pm didn’t already have me sold on brunch at Traiteur, the fact that it’s Veuve Clicquot seemed too good to be true (however other brunch packages minus the champagne are also available).

What: Traiteur restaurantLocation: Park Hyatt Dubai, UAECost: Dhs595 (US$162) for the Veuve Clicquot package.Contact: +971 (4) 602 1234

The important bit

Caitlin Cheadle says brunch at Park Hyatt Dubai’s Traiteur is the crème de la crème

French flair

But couple that with some of the finest French food the city has to offer, plus a beautiful setting tucked away among the hills of the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club overlooking the serene waters of the Dubai Creek, and the phrase ‘crème de la crème’ springs to mind.

Here, it’s quality over quantity; rather than ply patrons with more mass-produced buffet style food and second-rate booze than they could possibly manage, as many brunches do, Traiteur offers a select sample of superb French food and quality French champagne in an exquisite setting.

After taking our seats at our white linen-draped table inside the restaurant (it was too hot to dine on the terrace by 1pm that day), my colleague and I had our flutes filled with ice cold Veuve and made our way to the food stations.

I went straight for the seafood room (yes, a whole room dedicated to seafood), to load my plate with chilled langoustines and grilled Omani lobster, French green bean salad and roast tomatoes. The langoustines and lobster were fresh and flavourful and required nothing more than a squeeze of lemon; the same can be said for the beans and tomatoes.

The canapé of Provencal Vegetables with ricotta cheese was a particular favourite, and I had to go back for seconds: a crisp lettuce leaf spread with aubergine caviar and topped with ricotta and capsicum confit, roast courgette and grilled yellow squash. It was the perfect combination of crunchy, smooth and savoury, with a hint of sweet from the capsicum and squash.

Next it was on to the French classics. I skipped the steak tartar but one of my companions tried it and gave it a firm thumbs-up. I chose the braised rabbit leg and topped it with a mushroom demi-glace, and my colleague opted for the duck l’orange – both served to us by charming French chefs, thus eliminating the usual ‘pig at the trough’ feeling that is so common at Friday brunches.

The rabbit leg was fall-off-the-bone tender and the mushroom demi-glace the perfect accompaniment to bring out the savoury flavour of the meat. A sample of my companion’s duck was enough to send me off to retrieve my own portion, before I was overtaken by my lust for French cheese. And what a selection: Brie, Emmental, Roquefort, Camembert: you name it, we tried it.

Seriously wishing we had bigger stomachs, it was time to move on to dessert. After being shown to the ‘dessert room’, we gasped like kids in, well, a candy store. Rows of handmade chocolates and truffles, fresh vanilla bean ice-cream, warm apple tart, meringues, and my favourite, a raspberry macaroon cake with white chocolate and fresh berry coulis, beckoned.

As the day wore on and a cool breeze rolled in from the water, my guests and I settled into the sofas at the aptly named Terrace Bar next door (in my opinion the best sundowner spot in Dubai), and sipped Mojitos as the sun retreated behind the skyscrapers in the distance.

What an amazing afternoon, I thought to myself. Rich, delicious and full of French hospitality, Friday brunch at Traiteur isn’t cheap, but perhaps that’s the point.


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


Executives travelling to the Austrian capital have one big advantage; the city has no ‘star’ ratings for hotels, which means no accountant can ever

query the calibre of property chosen. Business travellers therefore head to the

established and well-run properties around the glorious Stadtpark, where you can run or walk before a day of meetings. The 453-room InterContinental Wien may be 1964-vintage, but it is entirely up-to-date, with a 24-hour independently managed Quo Vadis fitness centre, where the local bigwigs work out.

Room 849, a 460-square foot Studio Suite, has a superb view over the famous football field-sized Vienna ice rink; it is tempting to spend far too long gazing out at skaters of all ages swirling about between games of ice hockey.

Owners Morgan Stanley were (sensibly) prepared to spend here. The all-day MediterraNeo restaurant is a delight. There are inner, ski-hut-like sections via a wine bar through to glass-walled sidewalk café areas.

Try a Wienerschnitzel, light as air and simply served with fresh lemon and hot potato salad. The buffet breakfast should definitely not be missed – it’s hard to imagine such a collection of hams and cold cuts, and who knew so many types of Austrian bread existed?

Run by IHG regional VP Rolf Hübner and manager Thomas Legner, who recently arrived from Four Seasons Hotel New York, this is the epitome of successful business hotels, with a 1,000-seat convention centre thrown in the mix. All suites have access to the 12th-floor Club Lounge, open from 6.30am, with an extended cocktail hour from 5.30pm through to 8pm, and there is an eight-seat meeting room for complimentary use.

Reports have shown that business execs do not like holding meetings in suites (it tends to give clients the ‘wrong impression’), and meetings in lobbies are just too public. A private meeting room attached to a Club Lounge or Business Centre is therefore win-win.

At the other end of Stadtpark is the 572-room Hilton Vienna, now owned by Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich and local entrepreneur Hanno Soravia, whose portfolio also includes real estate across most of Eastern Europe. His passion for this property, so far his only hotel investment, is obvious as he shares a beer in the lobby lounge with a friend (how many owners actually use their hotels?).

Soravia and his partners have also invested in some serious upgrades to this 36-year-old building. You can now bring meetings of up to 1,800 here, while Club guests find similar business and hospitality services in the 12th-floor Lounge, which is also open from 6.30am. Here, too, the Precor gym is open 24 hours.

The airy, two-floor lobby has some stunning modern sculptures, including a giant Modigliani-type wood piece in its centre, and outside the hotel’s main entrance is a pair of benches in exactly the same shade of blue as the Hilton logo above. Run by Hilton’s city-wide GM, would-be lawyer Norbert Lessing, this is a fun, and yet business-friendly, hotel. If you’re company CEO, you might well opt for the hotel’s 2,500 sq ft Presidential Suite – it has a second bedroom for one of your team.

At Hotel Imperial, Vienna (pictured), a Luxury Collection Hotel owned by Imperial Hotels Austria, you feel it is only CEOs – or above – who dare to stay here on business. Japanese senior executives stay here, installing their minions at lesser properties a few minutes away (close enough to be on hand, but not in the way).

The hotel also seems alive, so to speak, with Asian honeymooners and ‘with the sound of music’, in the form of performers, producers and regulars at the nearby Staatsoper opera house.

Chief concierge Michael Moser telephones his regular guests from around the world to alert them of particular scheduled performances, and he books them in accordingly, both to the event and to their favourite bedroom or suite.

Just under half (60 be exact) of the 1873-vintage beauty’s 128 rooms are suites. Take one of the Elisabeth Suites, named for the wife of Emperor Franz Josef I.

The 600-sq ft Suite 230, with views over Dumbastrasse and Kärntnerring, features muted pink drapes, gold-panelled walls and Rococo furniture, plus instant broadband.

Under the guidance of Starwood VP Thomas Willms, there are thoughtful extras such as the day’s weather and cultural suggestions on a card on your breakfast table, and you might even find yourself sitting within a few yards of breakfast regular, Niki Lauda.

Vienna has new hotels to offer, too. Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom is ideal for minimalists who favour a long hike to the city centre, and bedrooms that are, apart from green Hermès toiletries and white towels, all black, grey or white-white.

An insider’s view of the world’s most luxurious hotels

“Chief concierge Michael Moser telephones his regular guests from around the world to alert them of particular scheduled perform-ances”

Mary GostelowLifestyle and luxury commentator

Connoisseur


THE NEW PERFUME

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


Former personal chef to the British Royal Family and current chef, author and TV personality

Having served as personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of

Wales and Princes William and Harry for 15 years, McGrady has cooked for plenty of VIPS, including five US Presidents. His career has also taken him on some incredible culinary journeys, and his travels all over the world have allowed him to sample some very unique dishes.

Now living in Dallas, Texas, his first cookbook, entitled Eating Royally; Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen, is now in fifth print, with all of his advances and royalties donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation.

Commenting on the upcom-ing Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middle-ton, McGrady tells us, “I was thrilled William chose West-

minster Abbey for the wedding ceremony. The last time I saw him was there, at the funeral of his mother. I love the irony; then as a young boy with tears of sadness saying goodbye to the woman he loved, and on April 29 with tears of happi-ness as he welcomes into his life the new woman he loves.”

Here McGrady shares his picks of the best places on the planet to dine with Destina-tions of the World News.

Miami, USAMy first visit to Miami was on the Royal Yacht Britannia with Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. As we sailed into the harbour I was in the kitchen preparing a banquet the Queen was hosting for former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. But the chefs did get to run ashore – not only to sunbathe on South Beach, but to eat some delicious Cuban food, too. La Rosa on 7th street is one of my favourite restaurants; Caribbean seafood and Cuban cui-sine in a perfect fusion.

London, EnglandI spent 15 years living in London while working for Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana and never tired of the city. The West End shows are the best, and whereas London once got a bad rap for its food, it now has some of the finest restaurants in the world. As British cuisine continues to establish its identity, restaurants like St John in East London are using not just indigenous produce but reintroducing cuts of meat long forgotten, like pigeon and trotter pie, jellied eels and treacle sponge.

ALBUM: DARREN MCGRADY

Paris, FranceEvery summer I host a culinary tour. This August, it’s to London and Paris. France not only has the most incredible food in the world, but the chefs to cook it, too. There are more than 5,000 restaurants in Paris alone. One of my favourites is 58 Tour Eiffel, which is situated on the first level of the Eiffel Tower. It’s lead by famous Michelin star Chef Alain Ducasse and offers fine French cuisine with a magnificent view of the Champs d’Elysee. The perfect way to see Paris.


The Album


Sao Paulo, BrazilI flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil to recre-ate a dinner party from the era of King George V for a corporate event. Lots of typical British food on my menu and the guests loved it. But they can’t have enjoyed the food as much as I did the local produce. It was the first time I had seen a real heart of palm; steamed for two hours and then brought to the table on a cart, it was delicately cut open, sliced and drizzled with melted but-ter. One of my happiest culinary memories to date.

Negril, JamaicaMy favourite place for rest and relaxation, Jamaica has everything and Negril has amazing restau-rants. It also has an abundance of Jerk shacks, where locals set up little grills burning pimento wood, and rub chicken and pork in a mixture of allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nut-meg, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper then slow-cook it. With a cold Red Stripe and the ripple of the waves in the distance, this has to be one of the best meals ever.

Edinburgh, ScotlandScotland is famous for haggis. The windpipe, lungs, heart and liver of a sheep are boiled and minced, mixed with beef suet and toasted oatmeal and placed inside the sheep’s stom-ach. It is then boiled for up to three hours and served with mashed pota-toes and rutabaga puree. Delicious! But it’s not the haggis that draws me to Scotland. It’s the slow-smoked haddock – Arbroath Smokies to the locals. Restaurant Martin Wishart in Leith is a favourite and Chef Martin is one of Scotland’s best.

Tuscany, ItalyI was in Tuscany just last year and Siena has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Not just the medieval cityscape, or the rolling hills with fields full of sunflowers, olive groves and grape vines, but also the incredible food and the simplicity with which it is prepared. Etruscans live off the seasonal food of the land, producing olive oil, wine and wheat. In the fall they forage for wild mushrooms and truffles and harvest artichokes, asparagus and beans in the spring. Is their anything simpler to make than grilled bread, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and basil? Bruschetta – Tuscany at its culinary best.



You opened Ceylon Tea Trails dur-ing the Sri Lankan civil war. What was it like living and working there during that time?We opened Ceylon Tea Trails in early 2005 when the conflict was still raging, and we also had to deal with the aftermath of the tsunami of December 2004, which devas-tated the coast of Sri Lanka. We had all the reasons in the world to give up our project; it was extremely

tough to deal with the emotional and physical dimension of the suf-fering of so many people. But you realise that the only way to survive when confronted with severe crises like these is to move forward, so that is what we chose to do.

Where did the concept for Ceylon Tea Trails come from?The island of Sri Lanka has always been closely associated with tea. Ceylon (English Breakfast) tea has been produced for centuries, and you only need to journey once into the highlands to be completely taken by the natural beauty of this unique tea-growing region. The Bogowantalawa Valley, where Cey-lon Tea Trails’ four bungalows are located, is covered in lush tea gar-dens. Nobody had really showcased this unique heritage until MJF, the owner of Dilmah tea, had the vision to capitalise on it. They were looking for someone who had the expertise in the hospitality industry to spearhead the project. I took the position with open arms.

How did you find the bungalows and how long did it take to refur-bish them?We scouted the entire tea country before selecting the Bogownatlawa Valley, also known as the Golden Valley of Tea. The unique feature of the idyllic valley is the Castlereagh Reservoir, a beautiful man-made lake nested between towering hills covered with tea fields that produce one of the best quality teas in the country. Each bungalow has its own unique character and location; they were unoccupied for years because of a major consolidation of estates so we took them over, renovated them to their former glory and added superb service and cuisine.

What are the major obstacles Sri Lanka faces as a tourist destina-tion today?The country needs to build up good roads, air, and sea infrastructure. It must also be very smart about what, where, and how hotels and other leisure infrastructure are developed. The country has

a unique window of opportunity to position itself. It is a pristine, culturally rich destination with an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. Where else in the world can you experience a UNESCO World Heritage-protected rain forest, a safari where you can see leopards and wild elephants, beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see, and the beauty of the tea country?

Why did you opt for an all-inclusive concept for the resort?Ceylon Tea Trails is not a hotel; we pride ourselves on being a home away from home. To do away with bills that need to be signed and complicated menus helps our guests to relax. They can interact with chefs rather than just read menus and they have the opportu-nity to discuss directly what they would like to eat. They do not have to worry about having another glass of wine or not. It’s all there if you feel like it, no strings attached.To read the full interview, please visit dotwnews.com

Dominique Nordmann, CEO of Forbes & Walker Leisure, managing company of Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka

Competition...

Think you can identify the location in the photo? If you do, e-mail your answer to [email protected] and put Where in the world? in the subject line. Each month, the winner will receive a 12-month subscription to Destinations of the World News worth US$99. The destination featured in our February 2011 competition was the MCapito Building in Washington DC. This month’s winner is Dawn Woodland from the UK.

Final word

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Tea-time in hill country


Another reasonto goBlu in Dubai

Discover a brand new, contemporary hotel in Dubai,along with the inspiring views of the world’s tallest building.242 guestrooms including 22 suites,2 restaurants,9 state-of-the-art meeting rooms,Free high-speed Internetaccess and 100% guest satisfaction guarantee...All you need for a successful stay!

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai DowntownP.O. Box 123141, Dubai,UAETel: +971 4 450 2000, Fax: +971 4 450 [email protected]

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Destinations of the World News - April 2011

Documents

Transcript of Destinations of the World News - April 2011