YOUR GUIDE TO HEAVEN ON EARTH WINTER 2013

HOT NEW AFRICA SNOW ADVENTURES ZAHA HADID THE RISE OF AIR CRUISING

The Daily Telegraph

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74

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013. Published by TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, and printed by Polestar UK Limited.

Colour reproduction by groupfmg.com. Not to be sold separately from The Daily Telegraph. Ultratravel is a registered trademark licensed to The Daily Telegraph by PGP Media Limited

Features 30 Brazil special Chris Moss explores two districts of Rio that have been reborn ahead

of the World Cup; plus Brazil’s fashion set pick their favourite hot-spots, from a pousada

in Pernambuco to the beaches of Bahia and São Paulo’s finest restaurants

42 Snow adventures Five adrenalin-filled winter activities, from dog-sledding in the

Alps and ballooning in the Rockies to driving a Bentley on ice

50 Sun, sea and skiing Colin Nicholson rejoices in the Marbella Club’s new mountain

chalet, just two hours from the beach

55 We have the technology Introducing The Telegraph’s Luxury Travel channel

58 Game plan In Kenya and Tanzania, Lisa Grainger explores three recently opened

wilderness retreats where luxury tourism is key to conservation

65 Air cruising Max Davidson travels the Silk Route the smooth way – by private jet

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Regulars11 Editor’s letter Charles Starmer-Smith on how a brave new world of connectivity is informing our travel choices

13 The next big thing Spaces with stellar views; the “Kissing Room” in Paris; new cultural tours led by experts

16 Accessories The watch dedicated to Ayrton Senna; Brazilian fashion; what to take cruising; and the latest snow gear

25 Aficionado Franca Sozzani of Vogue Italia reveals what inspires her around the world

26 Up front with John Simpson The BBC’s World Affairs editor enjoys the quiet life in Ireland

29 Mr and Mrs Piers Morgan and Celia Walden head to the hottest new hotel in the Hamptons

71 Intelligence The latest super-luxe ski chalet; an expert’s guide to star-spotting; stylish Majorca holiday homes

74 Travelling life Zaha Hadid reminisces about Mexican architecture, swimming in Beirut and partying in Istanbul

CONTENTS

White Turf Annual horse race

on snow in St Moritz (page 42)

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LCKI8KI8M<C���

Editor

Photographer FABIO BARTELT

Shot at Hotel Fazenda da Lagoa,Bahia, Brazil

Model: Marcelia Freezs at Way Model

Lisa Grainger

“The sight from the air of

elephants bathing in rivers

and wildebeest migrating in

their thousands is incredibly

moving,” said our Africa

expert, on her return from

Kenya and Tanzania. “It

makes you want to take

up arms against poachers.”

Chris Moss

The writer explored Rio on

his way to spot wildlife in the

Pantanal wetlands of Brazil.

“Rio has a Big Five, too,” he

says, “which all begin with

‘b’: beauty, bossa nova, beer,

bottoms and beaches.” His

latest book is about London,

commuting and coffee.

Franca Sozzani

Vogue Italia’s editor-in-chief

is one of the most influential

people in fashion, and has

tackled thorny issues

ranging from race and body

shape to plastic surgery. For

Ultratravel, she remembers

journeys around the world

that shaped her thinking.

Scott Schulman

The Sartorialist blogger

and photographer, who took

the images for our Rio story,

says the only essential items

to pack are sunblock and

books. “You just want to sit

on the beach – or on the

rooftop of the Fasano hotel,

which is heaven on Earth.”

ultratravelEditor Charles Starmer-Smith Creative director Johnny Morris Managing editor Andrew Purvis

Deputy editor Lisa Grainger Sub-editor Kate Quill Photography editor Joe Plimmer Contributing editor John O’Ceallaigh Designer Wanting Su

Executive publisher for Ultratravel Limited Nick Perry Publisher Toby Moore

Advertising inquiries 07768 106322 (Nick Perry) 020 7931 3239 (Andrew Wiltshire)

Ultratravel, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT Twitter @TeleLuxTravel

EDITOR’S LETTER

A CONNECTED WORLD

here seems little danger of the Jules Rimet trophy returning from

Brazil in English hands – but if there were to be a World Cup

of connectivity, we would surely be champions. According to

Google, Britain outstrips its global counterparts when it comes

to online travel planning: in researching a holiday, we look at 26 different

websites over a 60-day period and spend 4hr 48mins in the process.

But we are not simply a nation of office- or home-based automatons

tapping away on desktop PCs. Rather, we are mobile-swiping multi-taskers

who switch devices depending on the time of day. We walk with our

heads down and our brows furrowed, checking our phones up to 150

times a day (research has shown that more than 50 per cent of all Google

travel searches are now conducted on mobile phones or tablets).

People rail about how this digital revolution is destroying the art of

concentration and conversation – but this connected world is our reality.

We have responded by launching a new Luxury Travel site (see page

55), dedicated to the finer things in life, and by making this our first fully

interactive issue of Ultratravel. Follow the instructions, above right, and

see the pages of the magazine come to life.

But in all this thirst for the here and now, we can forget to draw breath.

So sit back, switch off and be inspired, whether by our eight-page guide

to Brazil, our feature on snow adventures, John Simpson’s column or

Zaha Hadid’s travelling life. Your journey starts here.

Smooth waters The pool and

bamboo stand at Norwood

House, on the Tea Trails

estate, Sri Lanka (page 54)

FOR THE

LATEST IN

LUXURY TRAVEL

telegraph.co.uk/luxurytravel

BLIPPAR

HOW IT WORKS1. Download Blippar for free from

the AppStore or Google Play.

2. Whenever you see the video

symbol in this magazine, hold

your smart phone or tablet

over the photograph.

3. Watch and hear video

content that enriches the story.

T

KA

RSTE

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EIS

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ALB

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TO H

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AS

VIDEO

e FLAVOURS OF RIOBring our cover story to life with

Blippar by scanning this image

with your mobile phone or tablet.

VIDEO

Zaha Hadid

Although a committed

urbanite, the British-Iraqi

architect loves nothing

more than swimming in

the sea. “When I went

to university in Beirut,

we would go to the

beach all the time,

throughout the year.

I miss that.”

CONTRIBUTORS

LCKI8KI8M<C���

What’s coming up in the world of luxury travel, from a ‘Kiss Room’ in Paris to hunting with the Bushmen in Botswana

theNEXTBIGTHING

COMPILED BY JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

Stellar views Spaceport

America (main picture),

in New Mexico, where

the first commercial space

trips will be launched.

Below, from left: China’s

Shanghai Tower; the

Messner Mountain

Museum in the Dolomites;

the One World Trade

Center in New York

VIDEO

Travellers who want a fresh perspective on their favourite

destinations will have it easy in 2014, when a number of new high-

rise buildings receive their first visitors. Perhaps the most notable

will be the One World Trade Center, which has risen from the ruins of New

York’s Twin Towers and will stand by the 9/11 Memorial Museum, also

opening in 2014. The 104-storey, 1,776ft tower will be America’s tallest

building and its new observation deck is certain to become a popular

New York attraction.

In terms of height, the New York building will be overshadowed by

China’s Shanghai Tower. When it is completed next year, the tower will

be the second-tallest building in the world, with 121 storeys reaching

2,073ft, and will house hotels, shops and cultural attractions.

At 377ft high, the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower in Stratford won’t compare

in terms of views when it opens in April, but it should attract visitors eager

to see this regenerated part of East London and to relive their Olympic

memories. The views will be natural, rather than man-made, at the Zaha

Hadid-designed Messner Mountain Museum Corones. The last of six

mountain-themed museums built in the Italian Dolomites, the building will

cut through the peak of Mount Kronplatz and overlook the valleys below

from a height of 7,464ft.

Those determined to explore truly new frontiers will be drawn to New

Mexico, where Spaceport America, designed by Foster+Partners, should

finally realise its purpose. From here, the first paying passengers will be

launched into space before the year is out.

zNEW HORIZONS

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zDOVER STREET HITS NYC

FOR THE LATEST IN

LUXURY TRAVEL

telegraph.co.uk/luxurytravel

Top-end hotels competing to provide

the same degree of luxury risk

creating a sense of homogeny, hence

the rising number of properties trying to

offer a sense of place, authenticity and

insight into their locality.

Peninsula Hotels (peninsula.com)

exemplifies the trend. Through its Peninsula

Academy, guests in Tokyo can visit a sake

brewery to learn all about this distinctive

beverage, and in Los Angeles can have

a private tour of the Warner Bros studio.

The experience is earthier at Shangri-La

Vancouver (shangri-la.com/vancouver),

which hosts a farmers’ market each summer.

Guests tempted by the produce can snack at

the stalls or return to the Market by Jean-

Georges restaurant for a brunch using

produce provided by that day’s vendors.

At Como’s London hotels, The Halkin

and The Metropolitan (comohotels.com),

visitors are offered a chance to discover

a different side of an established favourite.

A Fortnum&Mason beekeeper can escort

interested parties to the department store’s

rooftop beehives, where they can taste fresh

London honey and take a sample home.

Intrepid travellers who want to immerse

themselves fully in an alternative reality may

be drawn to the Bushmen Initiation Hunt on

offer at Uncharted Africa’s camps in

Botswana (unchartedafrica.com). With their

guide Ralph Bousfield, participants will

accompany local San tribesmen (below) on

a hunt for an eland antelope. Its capture and

subsequent slaughter forms the focal point of

an initiation ceremony that sees boys

successfully ascend into adulthood. The

privileged few foreigners permitted to attend

the ceremony bear witness to one of the

defining moments of a tribesman’s life.

ONtrend:

The Kiss Room, which opened in

a converted storeroom at La Perle Café in

the Marais district of Paris this week,

manages to be both intimate and infinite.

At 33sq ft, it just about accommodates an

ensuite, a Hästens bed and a Ruinart

minibar, as well as 1,000 mirrors covering

every surface. Conceived by artist Mathias

Kiss, it is intended to invite reflection of

every sort. For up to 24 hours, two guests

can book the windowless pod and focus on

themselves rather than the city outside,

from €750/£635 (lakissroom.com).

the NEXTBIGTHING

Art lovers pondering opaque works need no longer depend on Wikipedia for

insight. With Abercrombie&Kent, Christie’s (christiestravel.com) is offering tours

to international exhibitions, from Indian art to New York jewellery, accompanied

by experts from the auction house. Similarly, the Royal Horticultural Society has

teamed up with Collette Worldwide to provide trips (rhsgardenholidays.com) to

gardens around the world, led by an RHS host or a horticulturalist, while experts

from the Courtauld Institute (courtauld.ac.uk) lead a range of art study tours.

z JOURNEYS OF UNDERSTANDING

zEXTREME PRIVACY

Whatever the requirements of travellers this

winter, there is a new property to suit.

Sun? Opening this month in Phuket,

Thailand, Point Yamu by COMO features

a 328ft infinity pool and interiors by the

Italian designer Paola Navone. In December,

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo launches in

Costa Rica, offering surfing, zip-lining and

rafting, as well as an 11,000sq ft spa.

Snow? Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad,

Switzerland, reopens in December after

a full refurbishment. It is intimate and

family-run, but incorporates big-budget

amenities. The Michelin-starred Urs

Gschwend runs the kitchen, and the

Gstaad Yacht Club forms part of the

premises. Meanwhile, ahead of February’s

Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Solís

Hotels&Resorts will open three hotels.

City? Chicago’s The Godfrey Hotel, also

opening in February, will be a sleek, modern

place to stay, with plenty of techie

touches – even the television can be

controlled by smartphone. By comparison,

Armaggan Bosphorus Suites in

Istanbul are made up of three historic

waterfront mansions, which can be rented

separately or as a single shared residence.

Something different? Nobu is opening his

second hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in

early 2014. Unlike at his first hotel, in Las

Vegas, alcohol will be strictly off the menu.

z NEW HOTELS

New York’s shopping scene is stepping

things up a notch, just in time for

Christmas. Dover Street Market,

conceived by Comme des

Garçons designer Rei

Kawakubo (right), will open in

a largely residential section of

Murray Hill in December.

Occupying an entire seven-

storey building with an area of

20,000sq ft, it will, like DSM in London

and Tokyo, be laden with multiple Comme lines

as well as designer concessions. Kawakubo has a knack of

setting up shop in areas that soon become magnets for other

fashionable retailers, so don’t be surprised if this stretch

of Murray Hill turns into another of New York’s

must-visit retail destinations (doverstreetmarket.com).

zA TASTE OF REALITY

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R O G E R F E D E R E R A R T I S T

Enjoy responsibly – www.moet.com –

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ULTRAwatches

THREE MORE MOTORSPORT WATCHES

3The tonneau-shaped

MP-06 is available in Hublot’s

patented, ultra-hard “King

Gold” (pictured), black PVD-

coated titanium, and regular

titanium. Forty-one watches

are being made in each

material, representing Senna’s

41 F1 victories. The dial details

and “S” (for Senna) logo are

coloured yellow, green or red.

1 The MP-06 has a tourbillon mechanism,

meaning the escapement – which regulates

the release of power from the mainspring – is

contained within a tiny revolving cage. This

counters the effect of gravity on timekeeping

accuracy by preventing the escapement

remaining too long in the same position.

5 The strap also takes

inspiration from the world of

motorsport, being made from

perforated Schedoni leather

to echo the look of “classic”

racing gloves and lightweight

car seats. Yellow, green or

red leather is laid beneath

the perforations to match

the relevant dial detailing.

2 The dial is made from

clear sapphire crystal, allowing

the hand-wound movement to

be seen in action; it contains

155 components. The barrel

that houses the mainspring

is designed to look like a car

brake disc, while the bridge

across the tourbillon cage

at six o’clock was inspired by

the spokes of a steering wheel.

4 Each watch is

supplied in a presentation

case which is an exact,

miniature replica of the

green, yellow and black

helmet (seen in portrait

photograph, far left) worn

by Senna during the 1988,

1989 and 1991 seasons

when he came respectively

first, second and first in

the Drivers’ Championship.

“

“

IWC Ingenieur Chronograph

Racer £10,150 (0845 337 1868;

iwc.com). The company this

year launched a new range of

Ingenieur watches to mark its

partnership with the Mercedes

AMG Petronas F1 team. This one

features a “tachymeter” bezel for

speed and distance calculations,

a combined hour and minute

totaliser at 12 o’clock, and

“hacking” seconds (meaning the

second hand stops when the

crown is pulled out). The back of

the case bears the image of an

F1 car, and there is the choice of

a steel bracelet or a rubber strap.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Platinum £50,100 (020 7024

7300; rolex.com). This year’s

50th anniversary of the driver’s

watch – named after the

Daytona 500 car race, but

made famous on the wrist of

Hollywood star Paul Newman –

is marked by the introduction

of the first Cosmograph

Daytona to feature a

platinum case. It is available

only with an ice-blue dial,

exclusive to platinum models.

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre

1887 Jack Heuer 50th

Anniversary £5,295 (01204

861168; tagheuer.com).

Another celebrated driver’s

watch to reach 50 this year is

the Carrera. The milestone is

marked with this special version

made in honour of Jack Heuer,

the designer of the original.

Featuring a 45mm, black

titanium carbide steel case,

its crown and pushpieces are

at 12 o’clock (like a traditional

stop watch) and the smoked

sapphire case back carries

Jack Heuer’s coat of arms.

In the run-up to next

weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix,

we remember the late Ayrton Senna

(above), a legend in his native Brazil

and worldwide. The triple world

champion, who crashed and

died while leading the 1994 San

Marino Grand Prix, was one of the

greatest drivers of all time and his

record of six wins at Monaco remains

unbroken. In 2007, the watch brand

Hublot created the first of a series of

special editions dedicated to Senna.

The new MP-06 model is the fourth

and most complex to date

COMPILED BY SIMON DE BURTON

Drive time

Hublot MP-06 hand-wound tourbillon £114,400 (King Gold), £98,000 (black PVD titanium), £94,000 (titanium). Available from Marcus Watches (020 7290 6500; marcuswatches.

co.uk). Part of the proceeds goes to charities including the Instituto Ayrton Senna, set up by the late driver’s sister, Viviane, to help educate underprivileged children.

GE

TTY

R O G E R F E D E R E R G E N T L E M A N W I N N E R

Enjoy responsibly – www.moet.com –

The £6,609 per person price for Epic Thailand Journey includes return economy class flights with Thai Airways from London Heathrow to Bangkok leaving the UK on the 22nd February

2014. One night at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok before the train, and 6 nights onboard the train in a State cabin. Price include all table d’hôte meals and all beverages whilst on board

and all sightseeing as shown in the respective itineraries. Subject to availability.

An adventure like no other

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Fly with Thai Airways from Heathrow and step aboard

the magnificent Eastern & Oriental Express for luxurious

journeys across an enchanting landscape of vibrant

cities, ancient temples and lush paddy fields.

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With her sensual yet restrained, ultra-feminine pieces inspired by art and architecture, Barbara Casasola is one of a new group of young designers emerging from Brazil. The dress, influenced by the artist Hélio Oiticica, uses subtle colour, contrast and a sense of movement to achieve a sophisticated, pared-down look. Architectural high heels and an HStern ring, with elegant clean lines honed by craftsmen, complete the effect – a far cry from the bikinis, kaftans and colour of Copacabana

Made in Brazil

ULTRAfashionBarbara Casasola

two-tone midi dress

in silk cady and satin,

£2,095 from Harvey Nichols

(020 7235 5000; harveynichols.

com) and thecorner.com.

Available in ice blue or violet.

Isadora platform sandals

with Swarovski crystal detail

in black/nude suede and

mesh, £595 from Charlotte

Olympia (020 7499 0145;

charlotteolympia.com).

HStern Boboli ring in 18ct

yellow gold, noble gold and

diamonds, £6,600 from H Stern

Sloane Street (020 7893 8477;

hstern.net) and Harrods Fine

Jewellery Room (020 7730 1234).

Swirl clutchbox bag with

circular detail in black and white

Perspex, £795 from Charlotte

Olympia (as before).

“

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ARABELLA BOYCE

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Lavish Josephine

Baker, the American-

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ULTRAboutique

When Josephine Baker crossed the Atlantic on a French Line vessel

in the 1930s, she embarked directly from her Bugatti on the quayside

with maids, cats, dogs and more than 50 handcrafted trunks in tow. Her

luggage, carefully packed for her, was expertly crafted to fit into the nooks

and crannies of her suite. The grandest cabins had gold-mosiac bathrooms,

Lalique chandeliers, lacquered games rooms and grand pianos. Ocean-going

opulence may not be what it was, but there are still a few luxuries for the

modern voyager which will add old-school elegance to any sea jaunt

A few exquisite items, judiciously packed, add a dash of old-school opulence to a sea voyage. Caragh McKay gives advice

Imperiale clock by Chopard An effortless way to add

a touch of glamour to a ship’s cabin is to set a gorgeous

little travel clock at your bedside the minute you are

settled on-board. With its rose-gold case, violet

cabochons, dainty 4.7in face and nifty little stand, the

Imperiale fits the bill exactly. Imperiale alarm clock,

£1,520 from Chopard (020 7409 3140; chopard.com).

The Art of Packing by Louis Vuitton With its roots

in travel, and ocean voyages in particular, who better

than Louis Vuitton to show us how to pack properly?

The French luxury maison – which was Josephine

Baker’s luggage-maker of choice – offers one-to-one

“Art of Packing” lessons at its Bond Street emporium.

To book: 020 7399 4050. If you can’t make it to London,

watch the demonstrations at louisvuitton-histoires.com.

Zip Elegance necklace by Van

Cleef &Arpels Multifunctionality is

a recurring design signature of the

French high-jewellery house and this

necklace, which works as smoothly

as a zipper, can be transformed into

a bracelet. It is an ideal item of

jewellery for the ocean-goer, ensuring

that packing is kept to a minimum

while style is amplified to the max.

Zip Elegance necklace in white

gold, diamonds, pearls, onyx and

red coral, price on application

(020 7493 0400; vancleef-arpels.com).

Patek Philippe World Time

watch Whether you are sailing or

cruising around the globe,

knowing which time zone you

are in is vital. To keep

informed at all hours and

at every longitude, opt for

a world-time mechanism

beautifully crafted by

one of the world’s finest

watchmakers. Not only

does it do the job, but it will

bring years of pleasure

simply in its wearing.

Patek Philippe ref 5130, in

a new yellow-gold version,

£30,520 at Watches of

Switzerland (020 7409 3555).

William & Son games During the heyday of ocean

travel, the games room was a popular haunt – and

a haven for suave card-sharps posing as distinguished

passengers. Recreate the fun with games such as

backgammon: this 18in set, hand-crafted in leather,

can be made in the colours of your choice. £1,700

at William & Son (020 7493 8385; williamandson.com).

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Limited edition pieces by leading international jewellery designers, featuring ethically-sourced emeralds,

rubies and amethysts supplied by Gemfields, are available exclusively from CoutureLab

32 Grosvenor Crescent Mews, Belgravia, London SW1X 7EX +44 (0)20 7235 7324

www.couturelab.com

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ULTRAtech

1 Arc’teryx Caden jacket £520 (020 7078 3546, arcteryx.com).

A perfect shell for backcountry adventures, featuring waterproof,

breathable Gore-Tex Pro. The loose fit makes it ideal for layering,

while a helmet-compatible hood and snow skirt keep you

warm and dry. 2 Fischer Viron 10 Vacuum CF boots £270

(fischersports.com). New technology means the heel and

ankle areas can be heated and moulded during a fitting

session. A neoprene-insulated toe box keeps the feet warm.

Mark Wilson, Ultratravel’s gear and gadgets guru, chooses the most innovative equipment for the ski slopes

2

33

wonders

1 2

3

5

67

3 Oakley Airwave 1.5 goggles £520 (00800 6255 3985; uk.oakley.com). Thanks to

built-in GPS and a display on the inside of the anti-fog lens, these give a skier or

snowboarder information such as speed (see dashboard, inset), altitude, height

of jump and even preloaded resort maps, while out on the slopes; they can also

connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and the Airwave app. 4 Rossignol Spark

Audio helmet £76 (01475 746000; rossignol.com). For those who need music

on the mountain, this allows earphones (not included) to be fitted and worn

comfortably underneath by removing the foam sections in the earflaps. 5 Haglöfs

Vojd ABS 30 backpack £800 (0032 4929 71640; haglofs.com). A potential lifesaver

for freeride skiers and alpine tourers, this comes with a handle-activated ABS

airbag which protects against burial by avalanches when inflated, and is highly

visible to rescue helicopters. The backpack also includes a safety whistle and

30 litres (about 1cu ft) of storage, despite weighing less than 6lb. 6 Scott the Ski

£490 (scott-sports.com). A homage to the classic skis made by freestyle legend

Bobbie Burns in the 1970s, these have a full-length wood core for a durable, flexible

ride. They come in four sizes and are as comfortable on powder as they are on

piste. 7 Sirch Abyss R13 sledge £270 (0049 8338 488; sirch.de). It may not be the

height of high tech, but this German-made sled, with its classic steel runner design,

is crafted from ash wood and has adjustable rope handles for steering round trees.

Winter

4

VIDEO

LCKI8KI8M<C���

AF IC IONADO

Fabrics in Africa, art in Shanghai, solitude afloat and the smoky, scented air of Marrakesh are among her most poignant travel memories

Franca Sozzani has been the editor of Italian Vogue for 25

years. Her role, she says, is “to reflect what is going on in

society” – hence the avant-garde nature of some of her

shoots, such as those featuring Linda Evangelista

wrapped in bandages (below right) for the Makeover

Madness issue, Gisele Bündchen sprayed with blood (to illustrate

the beauty business) and Kristen McMenamy wearing oil-covered

clothes (after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). A graduate in

philosophy and German literature, Sozzani speaks four languages, is

a recipient of the Légion d’Honneur, and is a goodwill ambassador

for Fashion 4 Development, an organisation linked to the United

Nations that helps African women find employment through fashion,

highlighted in ModaVie magazine (below left). “The best way to give

someone dignity is to give them a salary,” Sozzani says. She is also

patron of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience (thedubaimall.com).

I love the smell of

Marrakesh, where

I’ve had a house for

25 years. Even when

I’m not there, that

scent is inside me.

It’s a mix of flowers

– they make the

most incredible

rosewater – and

spices and dust and

smoke that is like

nowhere else.

Travel has been part of my life since I was a child. My father was obsessed with it, so we moved all the time. My first memory of something very different and foreign was the pink flamingoes on Lake Naivasha, Kenya.

§

I never expected to find great fashion in Ethiopia, but in Addis Ababa I discovered beautiful, richly coloured

leather and the softest cotton. The fabrics in Africa are wonderful: the tie-and-dye in Nigeria, the patterns in

Ghana, the colours in Burkina Faso… Every

country has specific types of fabric and design that

its people like.

Dubai was a shock – but in

a good way. One of the

malls gets 65million

visitors a year – as many

people as live in Italy! It’s

like having Bond Street,

Madison Avenue and Via

Montenapoleone all in one

place. When you arrive, all

you want to do is shop.

Always look to artists to

see what’s happening in

a culture. In Shanghai

recently I spent a long

time in the M50

art district, where

the work is so

strong, so clear.

I’m enchanted by India and Japan – for very different reasons. In Tokyo, you feel like you are living in the future. In India, you sense you are in a place where things are about

to happen. It’s a country that is still rooted in the art and traditions of the past

(above) but slowly evolving.

JON

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The best way to take a holiday is on a boat. To go away into the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sunshine

and nature, with no towns, no social life, no dressing up, is a treat. I don’t have to talk or do anything but

soak up the beauty and silence. This year I went to the west coast of Corsica for two weeks: heaven. ‚‚

‚‚

FRANCA SOZZANI FASHION EDITOR

.

Interview by Lisa Grainger

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

settled in a new house on the sea at

Bullock Harbour, where the Anglo-

Normans landed in the 1170s and

promptly built a castle, which still

stands. My neighbour was the film

director John Huston. We used to watch

the sun setting over the sea together.

Then, when I married a second time,

I brought my new wife to show her my old

stamping ground. She liked it so much that

we bought a flat in a new development

overlooking the sea, only 100 yards from

my old place. And now, with a stunning

lack of imagination, we’re back here yet

again, 400 yards the other way.

Unadventurous, but deeply satisfying.

I like the Dalkey accent; the vowels are

more rounded, the consonants softer here.

I like the unsurpassed quality of the fish

and meat and vegetables in the shops.

I like the evening scent of peat burning in

people’s fireplaces at this time of year.

I like the fact that nothing much happens;

it’s a pleasant counterpoint to the rest of

my life, which is spent rushing round the

world looking for news. I particularly like

it that, in stark contrast with Chelsea,

no one thinks I’m David Attenborough.

And I like the humour: quiet, subtle,

yet with a certain sharp edge. One chilly

evening recently, I wandered round to the

famous Forty Foot swimming place, named

after the 42nd Highland Regiment of

Foot – the Black Watch – stationed there

to guard against Napoleon. “Sean says

the water’s quite warm tonight,” said one

blueish-skinned man in a swimming

costume to another as they passed

me. “Ah yes,” said the second one,

“I can feel the heat from here.”

I’m writing this at my kitchen table,

gazing vacantly out of the window.

The sea is 20 yards away, and I have

the sweep of Scotsman’s Bay to look

at. The Martello tower where the first

few pages of Ulysses are set – the most

understandable bit, frankly – is just there,

200 yards to my right.

The waves are crashing against the

rocks over on Sandycove Point, but in

front of our house the water is placid.

A large, familiar figure is luxuriating in the

chilly waves. It’s not in fact Mr Johnson,

my neighbour, who swims in the sea every

day regardless of the weather, and pads to

and from the water in his brown dressing

gown, his bare legs purple with cold; no,

this is a common harbour seal, which

hangs out there – only seven miles from

Dublin city centre.

My wife and son and I moved here

some months ago from Chelsea: a bit of

a culture shock, but better, happier, more

life-affirming in every way. And a good

deal cheaper, since Dublin doesn’t have

Russian oligarchs. But it does have

a considerable degree of class nowadays.

Sitting in the bar at The Shelbourne,

which so many of Ireland’s social and

political grandees have passed through

since the 1870s, is a special pleasure –

particularly if it’s accompanied by one of

the barman’s famous whiskey sours.

There are good places to buy clothes –

and not just tweeds. Dublin’s restaurants

are a revelation too, and the hotels are on

a par with those in London or Paris. This

country is very different from the pleasant

backwater it used to be; opening up to

European influences has transformed it.

Yet some friends thought I was mad to

come here – the “I-spent-a-night-in-

Belfast-once-in-the-Seventies-and-it-was-

awful” ones. Others sighed because they

knew I wasn’t.

It’s odd how little British people know,

and want to know, about Ireland. It may

have supplied half the populations of

Glasgow and Liverpool, many of our

greatest generals from Wellington

onwards, a fifth of our military medal-

holders (I made that up, but it could well

be true) and a sizeable chunk of our

literary, comedic and musical talent; yet

Ireland is still forgotten territory, just as it

has always been for the British.

Forty years ago it was generally

regarded as hostile. I became the BBC’s

Dublin correspondent in 1972, at the

tender age of 27, because the wives of all

my better, older and more experienced

colleagues thought the job was a death

sentence. If I reported anything faintly

positive about the Irish Republic, the BBC

received complaints about it. When we

had a famous political editor from

a Unionist background, with a strong

Ulster accent, the BBC was flooded with

criticism about his very right to do the job.

Now, though, everything has changed.

An opinion poll recently indicated that

British people thought an Irish accent was

the friendliest and most suitable for

a broadcaster to have. Ever since,

advertisers have employed Irish actors to

do their television voice-overs.

I first came to live on the coast here at

Dalkey in 1973, after getting death threats

from the Provisional IRA at my old

address. I packed everything up and

Moving to Ireland gave the globetrotting journalist a rare chance to unwind, and reflect on pleasures closer to home

I like the fact that nothing much happens; it’s a

pleasant counterpoint to the rest of my life.

I particularly like it that, in stark

contrast with Chelsea, no one thinks I’m

David Attenborough

UP FRONT

“ the fact t

“

ILLU

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JOHN SIMPSON

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LCKI8KI8M<C���

ou do realise it’s a weekend, not a week, don’t

you?” says Piers, staring down at my suitcase.

In equally patronising tones I explain that

a weekend in the Hamptons is a week anywhere

else. There will be breakfasts, brunches and

afternoon teas involving buttermilk biscuits,

homemade plum preserves, Jay McInerney and a couple of

the Real Housewives. There will be cocktails on the porch,

mojitos on the beach and digestifs in “the blue sitting room”.

“I just quite fancied lying by the pool all weekend,”

murmured my husband, aghast. Which, of course, is

exactly what he did.

Funnily enough, I didn’t mind. Topping Rose House – the

Greek Revival-styled inn and restaurant situated in the heart

of Bridgehampton – felt more like our personal Hamptons

home than the hot new hotel in town. Although booked

solid since it first opened in May, it was rare to chance upon

another (dressing-gowned) figure strolling through the

gardens or spa – except at lunch or dinner, when the bar and

restaurant were suddenly flooded by men in cable-knit Ralph

Lauren and women in Tory Burch flats.

“You’ll never guess who I bumped into downstairs,”

I panted, having run up to the suite to change into my fourth

“casual chic” outfit of the day (it’s amazing how many

variations on eggshell cashmere you can come up with, if you

put your mind to it). He stared at me blankly as I reeled off

the list of semi-acquaintances I’d been fraternising with

downstairs on the porch rockers, before explaining that

the Arsenal game was about to start and that he didn’t

envisage leaving his waffle slippers or the chaise longue

any time soon.

Hoteliers should spare a thought for the WAGs when

they are propelling the comfort levels of their suites to

such outlandish levels. Plush Frette bed linen, $3,000

designer pile rugs, full minibars and bags of homemade

chocolate cookies are all very lovely, but they’re not exactly

propitious to adventurous getaways, are they? And while

women can appreciate all those things too, we generally

want our weekends away to include outings: a spa jaunt,

a trip to the hotel’s one-acre farm (where all the restaurant’s

vegetables are grown) and a little local wander.

So while Piers lazed in the suite and by the pool, I had

jojoba beads crushed into my face by a “Naturopathica beauty

technician” (my “Face Lift Facial” gave my skin the same

dampened, eerily smooth quality as the aforementioned Real

Housewives – but thanks to holistic methods), witnessed

a radish harvest for the first time, took our daughter to the

wonderful Children’s Museum of the East End down the road

and toured the laughably overpriced local antique shops.

“Maybe the Hamptons isn’t so ghastly after all,” exhaled

Piers, finally out of the suite and extended on one of Topping

Rose’s soft towels on a nearby beach. Ghastly? Honestly,

I have no idea what that man is on about half the time.

he Hamptons are usually filled with what

I hoped to leave behind in New York City,”

opined arguably America’s greatest chef, Mario

Batali. And that’s always been my experience. In

the height of summer, Manhattan’s wealthiest,

most elite lemmings spend five hours trekking

up there by car, a day and a half socialising with everyone

they work with, for or against, then another five hours

trekking back to the city. But there is, I have discovered,

a way to actually enjoy this hellish ordeal. First, don’t go in

midsummer. Go, like we did, in autumn, or spring, when the

weather is still gorgeous, and the traffic much easier (two

hours). And stay at Topping Rose House.

I knew I’d like this place when I entered our gleamingly

clean, expansively chic, minimalist suite to find an Arsenal

shirt emblazoned with “Piers” on the back. Hideously, there

was also a framed photograph of Robin van Persie, the Dutch

striker who broke my heart by defecting to Manchester

United last year, with the word: “Welcome!” Turns out the

otherwise splendidly solicitous general manager is a United

fan. Ho flaming ho. But the brazen cheek made me laugh,

and how many hotels do that in these politically correct days?

Celia brought enough suitcases to make even J-Lo look

travel-light, and seemed worryingly intent on treating the

whole weekend as some kind of ghastly “getting to know the

locals” extravaganza. I, conversely, knew exactly where my

priorities lay. The same as they do with any holiday, however

brief: a) sleep b) watch Arsenal on television c) lie by the

pool, and d) drink and eat everything my personal trainer

views as “undesirable” for my well-being.

The food at Topping Rose is sublimely fresh (they have

their own large vegetable garden, though I left the tour to

my wife), simple and consistently delicious. Breakfast was

good, lunch better, and dinner quite spectacular: a “tasting

menu” feast of Henry VIII-like proportions featuring

foie gras, lobster, truffle, seared tuna, rabbit, wagyu beef

and a chocolate pumpkin tart. All washed away with

Puligny-Montrachet and a brave 2005 Pomerol.

Celia always feels guilty after such blow-outs, and raced

to the gym the next morning. I have no such dietary

concerns, and loped to the pool, where I lay in the sun,

reading the papers and soaking in the genteel tranquillity of

this rather heavenly oasis. Topping Rose House nestles on the

corner of Bridgehampton, a quaint little town in the middle

of the Hamptons, about a mile from an even quainter little

beach (the hotel thoughtfully supplies bikes or a car shuttle

service to get around). It looks and feels like an old colonial

white-wood private home. Which is exactly what it used to be.

As I sat on the terrace, drinking chilled Brother Thelonius

beer while my two-year-old daughter entertained me with

her absurdly over-the-top “old man” walks (I fear they are

based on her father…), strains of John Coltrane filling the

air, I was already planning a return visit.

‘He stared at me blankly as I reeledof

the list of people I’d met downstairs,

before explaining that the Arsenal game was about to start

on television’CELIA

MR&MRSMORGANIn the Hamptons, where novelists rub shoulders with Real Housewives, socialising is the whole point. One man begs to differ…

TY

Celia Walden and Piers Morgan

stayed at Topping Rose House, Bridgehampton,

New York (001 631 537 0870; toppingrosehouse.com).

Suite 5 starts at $1,250 (about £924) per night,

including breakfast.

““

“

HE SAYSSHE SAYS

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� �LCKI8KI8M<C�

The REBIRTH of RIO As all eyes turn to Brazil, Chris Moss

UltraBrazil

LCKI8KI8M<C���

explores two re-energised districts where art galleries, smart hotels and restaurants are springing up as fast as sports venues

Hip and happening

Clockwise from top, far

left: the Museu de Arte do

Rio; dressed for the beach;

the pool at the Fasano;

street style; the terrace at

La Suite; local fashion; the

new Olympic park

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City of light Ipanema

and Copacabana

beaches from the air,

top; chilling at the

Fasano hotel, above

Sunrise over Copacabana. One of the

word’s great everyday happenings.

It’s surprisingly cool, a little cloudy

still, the soft greys of the morning

slowly burning away. I decide

to shake off the night flight with

a walk – or rather, a hike – to the

south-western end of the beach. On my right, deco-style

residential towers, tall thin hotels, the early morning

commuter traffic on Avenida Atlântica. On my left, the

heavy slap of the surf on Copacabana beach.

There I walk and walk, following the long curve all the

way to the end. I can’t quite emulate the commitment of

the locals, the cariocas, as they pound the famous wave-

mosaic pavements, and stop to stretch and twist or lift

themselves up on to the gym machines spread along

the prom. But I feel I’m in the flow, part of the Rio

morning, and walking off the weariness. In a city where

the body is important, it makes sense to engage with it

physically before anything else.

I catch a team of serious swimmers launching

themselves into the surf; they’re members of the Luiz

Lima Olympic athlete school. In training for 2016,

they hammer into the waves with

a powerful crawl. There are high

breaks on the left of the old Fort –

I see kids cross themselves before

paddling in on their boogie boards.

There are football and frescoball

and volleyball and footvolley

matches. Weight training and circuit

training. A man is playing keepie

uppie with… sand. Not quite kicking

a grain of sand, but rolling small

piles of the stuff in the sea with his

feet, and then kicking the squelchy

ball up into the air. The stallholders selling iced beer

and cocô gelado (chilled coconut water) are beginning

to open up. Refreshments for the troops.

Walk on the beach and the thundering waves drown

the traffic and the other city noises, and, when you look

inland, you see the steep granite mountains known as

morros, rising up behind the apartment blocks. Rio’s

magnificence resides in the proximity of the man-made

and the natural.

Copacabana kicked off Rio’s golden age in 1923, when

the Copacabana Palace hotel opened. Over the years,

Rita Hayworth and Gina Lollobrigida gave way to the

Garota de Ipanema, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil,

bossa nova and Tropicalismo.

This has been the story of Rio’s Zona Sul, or South

Zone. A city spreading along the beach, and learning to

define its own idea of cool.

The following afternoon I walk along the proms of

Arpoador, Ipanema and Leblon. The Fasano hotel on

the corner of Vieira Souto and Joaquim Nabuco is the

south zone’s claim on the 21st century. It’s a low-lit,

sleek, modernist redoubt for Rio’s fashion and media

crowd. The rooftop terrace and bar have become popular

VIDEO

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places to be photographed, and the slightly kitsch

stamp of Philippe Starck is everywhere.

Ipanema and Leblon are very hip, but they remain

residential zones. On and around the Quadrilatéro

da Moda – fashion district – are the top local designers

and jewellers: Antonio Bernardo, Blue Man, Farm,

Gilson Martins, Lenny, Nag Nag. At Bar d’Hotel, the

Apollos and Venuses of Lagoa (Rio’s upscale lakeside

area) and Jardim Botânico meet for drinks. But you

can still get a lunch of fish and rice, and an ice-cold

Bohemia beer for a few reais. That’s exactly what I do.

I walk back through the neighbourhoods. Away from

the beach strip, I am soon in the thick of commerce,

buses, banks (and long queues for cash), dog-walkers,

food, drink, life…

At the western end of Copacabana is a statue of the poet

Carlos Drummond de Andrade where visiting Brazilians

like to have their picture taken. A line of one of his verses

is inscribed: No mar estava escrita uma cidade (“In the sea

a city was written”). The pounding waves on one front,

the morros on the other; there is nowhere for Zona Sul to

go. All of life is squeezed into a half-dozen city blocks.

That’s where the neighbourly vibe comes from – unlike

ever-expanding São Paulo, this patch of Rio can grow

no more. That’s also where the tension comes from, and

the energy, and the depth. Finally, I head back out to the

beach, sit down and have a cocô gelado.

BARRA The sandbar suburb

A drive out to Barra is a journey into Rio’s immediate

future. There’s an easy way out via the Morro Dois Irmãos

tunnel at the end of Leblon beach, but I’m taxied via the

high road over the Rocinha favela. This “pacified” shanty

town is home to somewhere between 70,000 (the official

statistic) and 100,000 souls and has been open to visitors

for some years now. I get out and have a look around. It

feels safe. It’s not pretty, but it’s a massive part of the Rio

story. Local people are welcoming enough and there is

some nice artwork on sale.

Rocinha is quite a contrast with what awaits at the

foot of the hill. First comes Gávea, an affluent residential

district and home to Rio’s hottest nightclub, 00 (Zero

Zero) – housed in the planetarium; and then Barra

da Tijuca. This was the place that stirred controversy

a decade or so ago when a small-scale replica of the

Statue of Liberty was erected above the New York City

Center shopping mall.

It remains an essentially American-style development.

Car is king. Condo living is the norm. There’s a university

(a private one) inside a shopping mall. My guide, Marcelo

Esteves, and I stop on the beach – an 11-mile-long,

dead straight band of soft golden sand – to have a drink.

The bar has champagne but no cocô gelado.

But Barra, prosaically named after that long sand bar, is

changing. The Olympic village and Olympic park are

being built here, as are a new metro line, a new highway,

a new dedicated bus lane modelled on Bogotá’s

pioneering TransMilenio, new luxury hotels and lots of

offices, residential blocks and more malls. Low-slung

building dominates and Barra has a bigger sky than much

of Rio. The gated complexes have drawn high-profile

residents, including the footballers Romario and Ronaldo.

The Rock in Rio megaparties happen here in Barra, too.

But it’s not all celebs and slick shows. There’s a four-

mile-long coastal nature park and a reserve abutting

a residential zone that is home to the rare golden lion

tamarin monkey. There’s the Cidade das Artes, a major

film and classical music venue designed by Christian de

Pozamparc, which opened this spring. There has been

a boom in gallery openings across Rio, reaching Barra

with the opening of Arte Ater in June. A showcase for

contemporary Brazilian art run by the former rock star

André Sheik and the acclaimed French dramatist Victor

Haim, it is – tellingly – located inside the Barra Point mall.

Now turning its attention to the international jet

set, Barra – or at least its near neighbour, Joatinga –

already has one of the smartest hotels in Rio. La Suite

SAMBA From 8pm every Monday

there are samba de roda (in-the-

round) guitar, voice and percussion

improvisations around Lapa’s Pedra

do Sal – on the site of a former slave

market, and where the story of samba

began; afterwards, see a more formal

live music set at Carioca da Gema

(barcariocadagema.com.br).

SUNDOWNER The terrace of the

Fasano hotel is for guests only, so aim

for the 15th-floor bar of the Hotel

Praia Ipanema for some great

views (praiaipanema.com).

FAVELA See the Rocinha shanty town,

bust some myths and get to grips with

another reality of Rio de Janeiro.

ART The Museu de Arte do Rio,

a combination of art gallery and city

museum, explores Rio’s many facets,

from slaving capital to intellectual hub,

to a city of favelas and fashionistas

(museudeartedorio.org.br). In Botafogo,

Casa Daros exhibits daring and

challenging contemporary art from

across Latin America (casadaros.net).

FASHION For your beach, day and

eveningwear, head for the fashion

quarter – the Quadrilatéro da

Moda. The following ruas and

avenidas are especially good:

Aníbal de Mendonça, Joana Angélica,

Vieira Souto, and Epitácio Pessoa.

5 CLASSIC RIO EXPERIENCES

Ahead of the game

Beach tennis, top. The

Museum of Tomorrow,

left, and La Suite, above.

The view from the Hotel

Praia Ipanema, below

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

WHERE TO STAY

Copacabana Palace This

handsome beachfront hotel, right,

opened in 1923 and has been

a magnet for royalty, the seriously

rich and the jet set ever since.

Reopened in November 2012 after

a six-month refurbishment, the

Palace, owned by Orient-Express,

has two excellent restaurants – see

Where to eat, below – and a great

outdoor pool (0845 077 2222;

copacabanapalace.com; a deluxe

beach-view room costs £650).

Fasano With its Sixties retro

furniture, moody lighting and Philippe

Starck fixtures, this hotel on the

Ipanema-Arpoador border is aimed

at the fashionable set. Guests have

exclusive access to a great roof

terrace (0055 21 3202 4000; fasano.

com.br; rooms from £340).

La Suite This small clifftop hotel

in Joatinga, the district next to

Barra, provides a wonderful, slightly

out-of-town option, and has a real

VIP feel – highly appropriate in a villa

that used to belong to a Portuguese

banker (21 2484 1962; lasuiterio.

com; rooms from £180).

Mama Ruisa This is an elegant

boutique hotel in a colonial mansion

on a side road in Santa Teresa, with

views over the bay. Rooms are

decorated with drawings by Jean

Cocteau, photographs of Josephine

Baker and Maria Callas from Rio’s

golden age, and Brazilian religious

art (21 2242 1281; mamaruisa.

com; rooms from £177).

WHERE TO EAT

Bar do Mineiro Fine cachaça,

feijoada (bean and pork stew) and

iced beer – the holy trinity of

Brazilian gastronomy – are best

experienced at this atmospheric

bar-restaurant, which manages to

attract enough Santa Teresa

residents to offset the foreign

diners, and thus retain its local feel

(21 2221 9227; bardomineiro.net).

Cipriani at Copacabana Palace

Perhaps the finest Italian food in Rio

is served here. Chef Nicola Finamore,

from Abruzzo, uses Brazilian

ingredients from family recipes to

create sublime risottos and fish

dishes; the less formal Pérgula,

beside the pool, serves a popular

feijoada on Saturday lunchtimes (21

2548 7070; copacabanapalace.com).

Miam Miam Roberta Ciasca’s first

restaurant, in Botafogo, is in an old

house that belonged to her grandma.

Kitsch Seventies décor pays homage

to the old lady. Brazilian, French and

Italian staples are splashed with

Asian spices and sauces to create

light but luscious dishes (21 2244

0125; miammiam.com.br).

Térèze at Santa Teresa The serene

restaurant at this Relais&Châteaux

hotel (in what was once a coffee-

grower’s townhouse) has fine views

over the neighbourhood, the bay and

the Niterói-Rio Bridge. Chef Damien

Montecer might be French but his

menu features Bahian lobster,

fazenda-raised beef and guinea fowl

and Amazonian delights such as

jambu and cupuaçu (rainforest fruits)

and tasty tambaqui fish (21 3380

0220; santa-teresa-hotel.com).

WHERE TO DRINK AND DANCE

Bar d’Hotel This bar and bistro,

above right, is one of the city’s

best places to meet, affording great

views of the ocean, and of Leblon’s

good-looking socialites. The new

retro décor is cool and the Italian

food excellent (21 2172 1100;

hoteismarina.com.br).

Baretto-Londra The Fasano hotel’s

main bar is a Brazilian-cum-Italian

homage to the English capital. That

may sound a bit weird, but the dimly

lit space is great for cocktails and

there are DJs every night (21 3202

4000; fasano.com.br).

00 (Zero Zero) This sophisticated,

stylishly designed dance venue is

perfect, according to the magazine

Time Out Rio, for “grown-up

clubbing”. I couldn’t agree more

(21 2540 8041; 00site.com.br).

is a genuine boutique hotel, with just seven rooms

and the feel of a private villa about it – not to mention

amazing sea views from its cliff-top setting.

Barra looks like a work in progress. Cranes, earth-

movers and “opening soon” hoardings are everywhere.

The Olympic Games will probably seal its fate, but in

a city where glamour and grittiness have for a long time

generated a sort of fertile friction, this eastern sprawl is

a little too new and shiny and tidy for my taste.

It may also have bagged the wrong event. I ask Marcelo

which is the most important of the two big sporting

showcases coming to Rio, the World Cup or the Olympic

Games? He doesn’t hesitate: “The World Cup, of

course. For one thing, we have a chance of winning it.

Sure, the Olympics will be good for the city – but

when there’s football, the city shuts down.”

I like a city that knows when to take days off.

SANTA TERESA and the art of livingRio is renascent, there’s no doubt about that. It’s not just

Barra and the Olympics, or the Zona Sul zillionaires. In

the downtown area, the Centro, there’s the dashing new

Museu de Arte do Rio, with an evolving collection that

celebrates the city, and an R$8.7billion (£2.4billion) port

regeneration project known as Porto Maravilha, which

includes the Santiago Calatrava-designed Museu do

Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), focusing on science,

technology, climate change and matters ecological.

An abandoned chocolate factory in the neighbourhood

of Santo Cristo is being turned into a studio complex

called the Fábrica de Artes (Art Factory). Even the old

Gloria, the only grand hotel that opened before the

Copacabana Palace, has been bought by Brazil’s richest

man, the energy tycoon Eike Batista, and will reopen in

2014 as a deluxe downtown hotel.

In Botafogo, the opening of Casa Daros in March

2013 gave a residential district a serious showcase for

contemporary Latin American art. The gallery’s in-house

restaurant, Mirá!, is run by Roberta Ciasca, a widely

praised 37-year-old chef who made a name for herself

in the district with two other restaurants, Miam Miam

and Oui Oui. She mixes Brazilian,

French and oriental influences to

make exquisite dishes, and calls it

“comfort food”. Brazil doesn’t do

pretentious, even in the rarefied

world of high-class chefs.

For a happy balance between

the thrusting new and the

romantic old, there’s one stand-out

neighbourhood: Santa Teresa.

The main virtues here may well

be topographical. In many parts of

Rio, the rich live on the flats and the

poor high up on the steep slopes.

Here, I wander cobblestone streets

that wind up a gentle incline. Some

of the houses are rain-stained

and crumbling. Others are freshly

painted. Most are grand. In the 19th

century, city dwellers retreated here

for breezes and views. Now artists

and writers, and hoteliers, have

adopted Santa Teresa as an affluent

but affordable bohemian bairro.

I stay at Mama Ruisa, a French-run property. My room

is bare, high-ceilinged and airy, with a small desk and

antiques. There’s a grand salon stocked with sofas and

art books, where tall doors open on to a wrought-iron

balcony. Here I breakfast, enjoying views of Guanabara

Bay – and another sunrise – and the neighbours’

exuberant plant-filled gardens.

It was here, in Santa Teresa, and in nearby Lapa and

the Centro, that Rio forged its identity as a capital.

Before stripping off and sunning became de rigueur,

Rio was a city of trade and banking, power-broking

and intellectual debate. Have a coffee at the Confeitaria

Colombo – a rare temple to the bean that enriched this

nation – and you can imagine the author Machado de

Assis striding in and scribbling in his notebook about the

incongruity of an imperial city in the midst of the Atlantic

rainforest. The new shift of focus – and money – to the old

city and port has to be a good thing. The

beach culture in Rio’s south is richer than

just about anywhere on earth, but a great

city needs leather shoes and long trousers

as well as Havaianas and hot pants.

At another Santa Teresa hotel, the

recently opened Modernistas – which

combines five bedrooms dedicated to

the work of famous Brazilian modernist

painters with a tiny gallery – I ask the

Argentine photographer and part-time

receptionist, Virginia Barrera, how

Rio compares with a city I used to live

in, Buenos Aires.

“Here, life is lived out on the streets,

especially in Santa Teresa, which is like

a village inside the city,” she says. “People

just seem to come together to talk and sing

and dance, and for no particular reason.”

The year-round heat helps, of course.

And the light, which can be iridescent in

Rio but is loveliest when the haze makes

it fall soft and even on everything around.

Santa Teresa turns golden at dusk.

At Urca, the last neighbourhood I visit on my stay,

I watch the sun go down from the seawall. Eating calamari

and shrimps at Bar Urca, which opened in 1972, is a Rio

ritual as quintessential as samba or cachaça, the famous,

fiery sugarcane spirit. Here I sit back and indulge in the

city’s easier side: idling, talking, drinking a few beers, and

watching the sky turn peach, then orange, then crimson.

But, I am not fooled. There is no sunset in Rio. The city

looks out to the north and west. It’s always waking up.

Audley Travel (01993 838000; audleytravel.com) is offering

five nights in Rio from £1,650 per person, with three nights

at the Copacabana Place and two nights at Fasano. The

price includes accommodation, airport transfers and three

days with a guide. TAM (020 8741 2005; tam.com.br) flies

from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro with return fares

starting at £1,073 in high season (Christmas and summer).

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For tips on where to stay, play, chill and eat in South America’s most stylish country, ask a local – especially one with taste

CRISTIANA ARCANGELI

Owner, Beauty’InWHERE TO STAY Uxua Casa

Hotel&Spa (uxua.com) in

Trancoso 5, Bahia, is a chic

rainforest retreat, with treehouse

rooms overlooking the forest canopy, a restaurant

serving delicious local dishes and a fantastic spa.

Almost as good is Ponta dos Ganchos

(pontadosganchos.com.br) – just north of

Florianópolis 2, in the far south – which has little

bungalows with their own infinity pool, and

a Christian Dior spa: the only one in South America.

WHERE TO EAT Rodeio (rodeiosp.com.br) on

Oscar Freire Boulevard in São Paolo 6, where

businessmen, politicians and celebrities meet,

serves the best picanha (a juicy cut of rump steak)

and papaya and crème de cassis dessert.

Restaurante Spot (restaurantespot.com.br) in São

Paulo has delicious international dishes, including

the best penne pasta with melon and prosciutto.

DON’T MISS The city of Florianópolis 2, on Santa

Caterina Island in the far south. It has perfect

beaches, delicious seafood and lovely cultural

attractions ranging from colonial fortresses and

relaxed markets to parks.

PATRICIA BONALDI

Fashion designerWHERE TO STAY The Fasano (fasano.com.br; left), in Rio de Janeiro 7, has a fantastic

dining room and incredible views. From the roof terrace you can see over Ipanema

Beach, Copacabana and Leblon, to the Two Brothers Mountain and Corcovado. It’s

a great place in which to wake up; open your curtains and the whole city is before you.

WHERE TO EAT Bistro Bagatelle (bistrotbagatelle.com.br), in the Jardins district of São Paulo 6, has

a unique atmosphere. Although it’s very chilled and cool, with French cuisine, the music is very loud.

It’s a popular place with the in-crowd.

DON’T MISS Trancoso 5, in Bahia state, which is full of colourful houses, cosy hotels and local beach

restaurants. It’s the place to chill out under gazebos, and watch the sea and coconut palms.

RIO ESSENTIAL The Carnival in Rio isn’t just fun, with lots of dancing and singing, but is also an important

part of Brazilian culture. Everyone has to do it once in their lifetime.

ISABELI FONTANA

Supermodel (above)WHERE TO STAY To be alone, I would

go to the simple but elegant Pousada

Zé Maria (pousadazemaria.com.br) in

Fernando de Noronha 1, an

archipelago 220 miles off the north-east coast, with

incredible beaches and clear blue seas. With my children,

I would go to Costão do Santinho (costao.com.br),

a resort on Santinho beach in Florianópolis 2, which has

lots of activities. Lastly, for a holiday with something for

everyone, I would go to Nannai Beach Resort (nannai.

com.br) in Pernambuco state, and stay in one of the

large private bungalows. It has 65,000sq ft of pool area

alone and a L’Occitane spa.

WHERE TO EAT My favourite place, Pelô Bistrô, is in

a beautiful boutique hotel, Casa do Amarelindo

(casadoamarelindo.com), in the historic heart of Salvador

3 on the north-east coast. Its patio overlooks lush

gardens: the perfect spot for lunch or a romantic dinner.

I almost always have bobó de camarão: puréed shrimp

with coconut milk, flavoured with palm oil.

DON’T MISS Chapada Diamantina National Park 4 in

Bahia, which is one of the most spiritual places in the

world. It has rivers, vast caves, incredible cliffs and the

Pico do Barbado to climb: not for the faint-hearted.

UltraBrazil

The FASHION SET’SGUIDETO BRAZIL

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ILLIS

SILVIA FURMANOVICH

Jewellery designerWHERE TO STAY Casa Turquesa (casaturquesa.com.br), a charming b&b in historic

Paraty 8, has the best views of the town’s rooftops and mountains. It’s a restored

18th-century townhouse with nine rooms, each painted a different colour, with

Trussardi linen and botanical drawings.

WHERE TO EAT Dalva e Dito (dalvaedito.com.br) by Alex Atala is one of the great restaurants in São Paulo 6.

It offers a unique twist on Brazilian food; one of my favourite dishes is the grilled pirarucu – a large tropical

fish – with Brazil-nut vinaigrette and a ratatouille of Brazilian vegetables.

DON’T MISS Alto Paraíso 9, in the north-eastern Goiás state, which has pure air, waterfalls and

incredible crystal caves. I go at least once a year to renew my spirits. In Minas Gerais, Tiradentes

10 and Ouro Preto 11 are preserved colonial towns which were founded on mining and are

now Unesco World Heritage sites. They have beautiful baroque architecture, works and

sculptures by the architect Aleijadinho, and quaint b&bs. More adventurous visitors might

want to cycle between the cities of Cunha 12 and Paraty 8, or do yoga in Alto Paraíso 9.

DANIELA CECILIO

Fashion entrepreneurWHERE TO STAY The Hotel

Unique (hotelunique.com), in São

Paulo 6, which is big but feels

boutiquey, and has superb service.

They’ll bring fresh coconut water to your room and

they always know your name. Pousada Maravilha

(pousadamaravilha.com.br) in Fernando de

Noronha1, off the north-east coast, is also

wonderful, with views as impressive as the food.

Pousada do Toque (pousadadotoque.com.br) in

São Miguel dos Milagres13, on the north-east coast,

combines attentive service, turquoise sea and

tasteful furniture. I have simple, traditional dishes

when I’m there, like queijo coalho (cheese) omelette.

WHERE TO EAT D.O.M (domrestaurante.com.br) in

São Paulo 6 for Brazilian food with a cool twist; chef

Alex Atala sources wild ingredients from Amazonian

tribes and uses them in inventive, delicious ways.

RIO ESSENTIAL Sit in the traditional Bar Luiz

(barluiz.com.br), order beer, caiprinhas and bolinho

de macaxeira (manioc fritters) and eat and drink

from lunchtime until sunset. It’s the best way to

soak up the culture of the city’s Centro district.

ALEX ATALA

Chef, D.O.M.WHERE TO STAY Fazenda da Lagoa

(fazendadalagoa.com.br) is on

a coconut plantation in the middle

of nowhere, a 40-minute drive from

Ilhéus 14, in Bahia. It’s surrounded by a beach, the

Aliança River, mangroves and a beautiful lake. You can

be left alone in your secluded bungalow, but have

every comfort you could possibly want.

WHERE TO EAT I love young chefs who source their

ingredients locally. Favourites are Mani (manimanioca.

com.br) in São Paulo 6, with wonderful outdoor dining

rooms and delicious food; Remanso do Bosque

(restauranteremanso.com.br) in Belem do Pará 15, in

the far north, which feels like a bit of the Amazon within

the city; Trindade (trindadebrasil.com.br) in Minas

Gerais, which offers real variety, from octopus

appetisers to Portuguese-style desserts; and Banzeiro

(restaurantebanzeiro.com.br) in Manaus16, in the heart

of the Amazon, which has a small, perfectly curated

selection of Brazilian flavours.

DON’T MISS Fernando de Noronha 1, off the north-

east coast, which was declared a marine national park

in 1988; Porcos Bay is one of the island’s most beautiful

stretches of sand. Also, go to the spot where the

Amazon meets the beach 17, and witness the

impressive Pororoca tidal wave that is popular with

daredevil surfers. From there, you can appreciate the

vast extent of the Amazon, which is home to more than

a third of the world’s known species and more than

2,100 varieties of fish. It’s an impressive natural wonder.

LENNY NIEMEYER Swimwear designerWHERE TO STAY I have three favourites: Hotel Reserva de Ibitipoca, in the Serra

da Mantiqueira range 18 of south-east Brazil, which has mountain views and

impeccable staff; Uxua Hotel& Spa (uxua.com) in Trancoso 5 (right), set in a garden

with a beautiful quartz-stone pool; and Hotel Casa da Praia (bahiahomes.com.br/

imovel/casadapraia), on the Trancoso beachfront, because the owners not only built

the place but run it and prepare meals from produce grown in the garden.

WHERE TO EAT Sorriso da Dadá in Salvador 3 has the best reasonably-priced local food in Bahia. Its

top dish is moqueca, a traditional Brazilian fish stew. The cod risotto at the Fasano (fasano.com.br) in

São Paulo 6 is pretty unforgettable, too.

DON’T MISS Trancoso 5, for its delicious food, and Lençóis Maranhenses 19, in the north-eastern

state of Maranhão, which has incredible landscapes and good weather all year. Continued on page 41

Call us today on 020 7752 0000 for your copy of our brochure.

Alternatively view or request online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

SMALL SHIP CRUISING WITH NOBLE CALEDONIA - BOOK EARLY AND SAVE £1000 PER COUPLE

South East Asian OdysseyA voyage along the coast of Vietnam aboard the luxurious L’Austral combined with a journey from

Singapore to Bangkok aboard the Eastern and Oriental Express

28th October to 13th November 2014

The Itinerary in briefDay 1 - London to Hong Kong. Fly by

scheduled flight.

Day 2 - Hong Kong. Arrive this

afternoon and transfer to your centrally

located hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 3 - Hong Kong. After breakfast

in your hotel enjoy a morning tour of

Hong Kong and a local lunch before

transferring to L’Austral.

Day 4 - At sea.

Day 5 - Haiphong, Vietnam. Our first port

in Vietnam is Haiphong. Located in the delta

of the Red river, Haiphong is a pleasant and

lively city. You have the chance to go ashore

and discover its picturesque districts and

monuments full of history, including the

ancient colonial city. Alternatively join a full

day optional excursion to the capital city of

Hanoi and see the exquisite French Colonial

architecture.

Day 6 - Ha Long Bay. Arrive this

morning in the spectacular Ha Long

Bay. Here distorted ghostly shapes of

Prices & InclusionsSpecial offer prices per person start from £6795 for superior stateroom aboard L’Austral and a pullman cabin aboard the Eastern and Oriental Express.

Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, overnight hotel accommodation in

Hong Kong and Bangkok on bed and breakfast basis, 11 nights aboard L’Austral on a full

board basis with house wine with lunch and dinner onboard, two night’s accommodation

aboard the Eastern and Oriental Express Private Train on full board basis including

excursions, gratuities onboard L’Austral, transfers, port taxes, airport taxes.

Not Included: Travel Insurance, visas, shore excursions during cruise, gratuities onboard

the Eastern and Oriental Express.

NB. Ports and itinerary subject to change. All special offers are subject to availability. Our

current booking conditions apply to all reservations and are available on request.

rocky pitons emerge from turquoise

blue waters, engulfed by mountains and

mysterious caverns with magical names.

The optional excursions today offer

the chance to either cruise through the

waters and amongst the caves, grottoes

and sandy beaches in a local junk whilst

the more active can use a kayak.

Day 7 - At sea. Relax onboard, sit out on

deck as we sail down the Vietnamese coast.

Day 8 - Da Nang. At the mouth of the

Han River on the South China Sea, the

port of Da Nang is our way in to visit

the lovely town of Hoi An, a UNESCO

World Heritage site. Cradled by the

tranquil waters of the Thu Bon river, Hoi

An appears to be asleep, standing still in

time. The low-ceilinged houses with their

faded coloured facades have an outdated

charm which nothing seems to disturb.

Day 9 - At sea. Enjoy another day to

relax onboard and enjoy the luxurious

surroundings of L’Austral.

Day 10 - Nha Trang. It is impossible

to resist the white sandy beaches,

deserted islands and rolling, verdant

mountains of Nha Trang. You will be

charmed by the colonial district and

today’s optional excursion will take you

to the Po Nagar Cham Towers built

between the 7th and 12th centuries.

Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City. Sail along the

Saigon River arriving in Ho Chi Minh City

in the late morning. Founded in the 18th

century and formerly known as Saigon,

Ho Chi Minh City started as a small

commercial port in the Kymer Kingdom.

Today, Ho Chi Minh City is a thriving

metropolis and you will have the chance

for independent exploration or join

L’Austral

The 132-cabin, five-star L’Austral offers an extremely high

level of service, beautiful surroundings, spacious cabins

and public areas. Cabins feature a private balcony (with

the exception of the Superior Stateroom which has a

picture window), en-suite facilities, individually controlled

air-conditioning, minibar, flat screen satellite television,

video on demand, DVD player, CD and Ipod players.

Onboard facilities include a large lounge, lecture theatre, a

Panoramic Lounge which leads out onto a terrace, library,

beauty centre and internet corner. Outside deck areas are

spacious and feature comfortable deck furniture as well as

a pool and on the top deck you will find the open-air bar.

French and international cuisine is accompanied by fine

wine and there is also 24 hour room service.

The Eastern & Oriental Express

The golden age of

travel lives on aboard

the Eastern & Oriental

Express luxury train.

Enjoy gourmet dining,

cocktails in the open-air

observation car and special

local entertainment as

your adventure unfolds.

All cabins are fully

air-conditioned with an en suite shower, washbasin and WC and

feature large picture windows for an excellent view of the passing

scenery. Facilities include 24-hour steward service, a personal safe

and hairdryer. Chefs on board the Eastern & Oriental Express are

internationally renowned for their ability to create a tantalising

variety of Eastern and European dishes, using the finest fresh

seasonal ingredients. Lunch and dinner are served in the two

Restaurant Cars, each lavishly decorated with rosewood and elm

panelling. Each morning a breakfast of freshly baked croissants,

coffee or tea, juice and fruit is delivered to your compartment. At

the end of your day relax and socialise with your fellow passengers

in the Bar Car and listen to the sounds of the piano from the

resident pianist. The train also features an observation car with an

outdoor observation area offering unobstructed views.

Our journey begins with an

11-night voyage along the

coast of Vietnam aboard

the luxurious L’Austral, the

ideal means to explore the country’s

cultural and natural splendours, removing

the need for internal flights and long

overland journeys. After a busy day of

exploring ashore you can be assured

of a warm welcome back onboard with

excellent dining options, comfortable

surroundings and a convivial atmosphere.

Vietnam has seen enormous changes

over the last three decades as she

emerges from a troubled past. Perhaps

less well known to British travellers than

much of South East Asia, Vietnam, with

its long and complex history demands a

detailed look to appreciate its intriguing

mix of cultures and landscape. The

country’s ancient, colonial and modern

history is all enthralling and who

could not be enchanted by its brilliant

patchwork of verdant rice paddies,

fascinated by its rivers which bustle

with commerce and charmed by the

subtle blend of French and Vietnamese

architecture. The elegant architecture,

exquisite art and beautiful boulevards of

the cities are reminders of the country’s

colonial rule, while the poise and grace

of Hoi An and the hustle and bustle of

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) are

windows on a culture that values its past

as it moves eagerly into the future.

Upon disembarking L’Austral in

Singapore, we join the exquisite Eastern

and Oriental Express train for a journey

to Bangkok via Penang and the River

Kwai. This sister train to Europe’s Venice

Simplon-Orient Express offers an equally

exciting onboard experience with

gourmet dining, an open-air observation

car and special onboard entertainment.

There are countless tours available around South East Asia which fly from one city

to another, abruptly introducing you to cultural and architectural contrasts that can

be bewildering and in many ways unfulfilling. However there are some regions of the

world which deserve to be absorbed at a more relaxing pace in order for the experience

to be enjoyable and rewarding, and South East Asia is certainly one of these.

one of the optional excursions to either

explore the city or take a journey to Cai

Be in the heart of the Mekong Delta.

Day 12 - Saigon River. Depart Ho Chi

Minh City this morning as we sail along

the Saigon River and towards Singapore.

Day 13 - At sea.

Day 14 - Singapore. Disembark in

Singapore after breakfast and enjoy a city

tour and local lunch before transferring to

Woodland railway station to embark the

Eastern and Oriental Express and depart

in the late afternoon. Enjoy the passing

scenery as the train crosses to Malaysia via

the causeway of the Straits of Johor. During

the evening, the train pauses at Kuala

Lumpur’s magnificent Moorish-style station

where you may disembark for a stroll.

Day 15 - Penang. At the mainland station,

disembark for the crossing to Penang

and a guided introductory tour of historic

Georgetown. Return to the train for lunch

and as the train crosses into Thailand spend

the afternoon watching the changing scenery.

Day 16 - River Kwai & Bangkok. After

breakfast arrive at the River Kwai Bridge

station and take a short walk down to

the jetty to board a local craft for a

cruise along the lush greenery of the

picturesque Kwai Yai river, passing under

the Bridge. Onboard, a local historian

provides a brief overview of the history

of the Thailand-Burma railway and the

bridge. Return to the train for lunch and

depart for Bangkok where we arrive in

the late afternoon and transfer to our five

star hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 17 - Bangkok to London. After

breakfast transfer to the airport for our

return scheduled flight to London.

LCKI8KI8M<C���

‘IT’S A SHORT CLIMB

UP A ROCKY PATH TO

THE RESTAURANT,

WHICH OVERLOOKS

A BAY FILLED WITH

TRADITIONAL FISHING

BOATS. LUNCH

STARTS AT 4PM

WITH A CAIPIRINHA’

UltraBrazil

HARRY BRANTLY

Co-founder, Frescobal Carioca beachwearWHERE TO STAY Pousada Estrela

d’Água (estreladagua.com.br) in

Trancoso 5, Bahia, is a small,

relaxed inn with a sand-floored reception, white

hammocks in thick vegetation, light, bright rooms

and loungers set on a sandy bank above the beach.

WHERE TO EAT On Ilha do Algodão, in the Paraty 8

archipelago south of Rio, there’s a place called

Hiltinho. You can only get there by boat, so they

send a dinghy to pick you up; then it’s a short steep

climb up a rocky path to the restaurant, which

overlooks a bay filled with traineras, old traditional

fishing boats. Everyone gets there in summer for

a 4pm late lunch and starts with a caipirinha de

maracujá, made with passion fruit. The dish to order

is the moqueca mixta: white fish pieces, mussels,

squid and prawns, all cooked in palm oil in a black

clay pan, which arrives bubbling hot at the table.

DON’T MISS Ilha Grande 20, in the Angra dos Reis

collection of islands, two hours south of Rio. It has

great fish restaurants and parties so cool even the

Paulistas (São Paulo locals) will fly in for them.

Another must-see is Inhotim (inhotim.org.br), in the

state of Minas Gerais, a cross between a botanical

garden and a contemporary gallery. There are works

by Brazilian artists such as Hélio Oiticica and Adriana

Varejão, and by my favourites, Doug Aitken and

Simon Starling. Sonic Pavilion by Doug Aitken is

a room with a borehole that echoes the sounds of

the earth’s core, while The Mahogany Pavilion by

Simon Starling houses an upside-down sailing boat

made in Scotland from Brazilian mahogany which

has travelled back across the Atlantic.

NATALIE KLEIN,

Owner, NK StoreWHERE TO STAY The Botanique

Hotel (botanique.com.br) in

Campos do Jordão 21, São Paulo

state, has only six rooms and 11

bungalows, all filled with the best of Brazil, from the

furniture and art pieces to the wine and coffee. The

spa is amazing; the 400 titles in the library were

chosen by the literary critic Cassiano Elek Machado;

the artworks were made by Ricardo Trevisan from

Casa Triângulo, one of the best galleries in São Paulo;

and the gastronomic research was led by the chef

Gabriel Broide, a former co-owner of the restaurant

Dois, famous for its expeditions through the region to

collect the best flavours available.

WHERE TO EAT Los Negros (losnegros-

jacaretrancoso.com), owned by the chef Francis

Mallmann, is the best place in Trancoso 5 for dinner.

My favourite dish is the seared tuna with ratatouille,

although it’s worth leaving room for the dulce de

leche crêpe.

DON’T MISS São Paulo 6. If I had a day there, I would

go for a walk in Ibirapuera Park, have a natural juice

at Pé no Parque (penoparque.com.br), go to the flea

market in Bixiga, have lunch at the Museum of

Modern Art (mam.org.br), then visit the Pinacoteca

(pinacoteca.org.br), a museum housed in one of the

city’s most beautiful buildings, full of local art. I would

then go to the top of the Banespa Building, with its

360-degree views, and have a drink at Terraço Itália

(terracoitalia.com.br), next door, which is equally

impressive and known for its fantastic jazz nights.

Blue notes Clockwise

from above: looking

out from the Ponta

dos Ganchos hotel; the

barman at the Uxua Casa

Hotel& Spa; Inhotim

gallery and botanical

garden; Casa Turquesa

in Paraty; and Fernando

de Noronha, off the

north-east coast

ADRIANA DEGREAS,

Swimwear designerWHERE TO STAY The Uxua Casa Hotel&Spa (uxua.com), in the beach

resort of Trancoso 5, is one of the most charming places in Brazil. It has

typical Bahia decor, spoiling service, individually decorated rooms and

a great restaurant. I love the swimming pool of natural green stones, the

spa, and the beach club that’s perfect for relaxing at the end of the day.

WHERE TO EAT Brasil a Gosto, in the Jardins district, because it is the only restaurant in

São Paulo 6 that feels calming and peaceful. The chef, Ana Luiza Trajano, travels around

constantly to find ingredients typical of our country. Among the other treats are her

caipirinha cocktails, blending fruit juices and the remnants of a huge cellar filled with

cachaças, potent sugarcane spirits.

DON’T MISS The Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses19, on the coast of

Maranhão, which has an incredible 45 miles of coastline and occupies 600sq miles – an

area larger than São Paulo. It’s a vast expanse of pure white sand dunes, punctuated

by lakes of warm, vivid blue waters which are great for fishing. Relaxed, charming and

natural, it’s the perfect place to chill.

Interviews by Lisa GraingerGIL

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���LCKI8KI8M<C�

Pulling power The Skikjöring race,

one of a series of equine events

that attract 35,000 spectators to the

White Turf snow spectacular held in

St Moritz each February

THE ADVENTURE In St Moritz, the most thrilling action isn’t

found on the ski slopes but in the valley below. The Lake of St

Moritz turns to ice each winter and its surface provides the setting

for winter-sports events. The most daring are the White Turf races

each February, in which jockeys and horses dart along the track at

dizzying speed. The crunch of compacted snow as they approach,

and the spray of crushed ice slicing the air as they gallop past, add

a jolt of excitement to this unconventional day at the races.

The Skikjöring race tests the courage of the most competitive

racers, who grip harnesses tethered to horses and are dragged

along on skis. It’s a risky display of bravado, with the danger of

participants being trampled never far from a spectator’s mind.

HOW TO DO IT Unless you are a professional jockey, White Turf

can be enjoyed only as a spectator. Around 35,000 people turn up

to watch. Seasoned visitors prepare for a day on the ice by

swaddling themselves in sleeping bag-sized pelts and ensuring

that a restorative glass of champagne is always to hand.

WHEN TO GO White Turf takes place on February 9, 16 and 23.

THE ACCOMMODATION The grand and traditional Kulm Hotel

St Moritz (0041 81 836 80 00; kulm.com), is well placed for the

action. Our lake-facing room overlooked the track with a jagged

sweep of mountains behind. During White Turf, double rooms start

at £670 a night, half-board, based on a seven-night minimum stay.

THE DETAILS Official website: whiteturf.ch. To reach St Moritz, fly

to Zurich and complete the journey by train. Swiss (swiss.com)

flies to Zurich from London City, Heathrow, Birmingham and

Manchester with fares from £129 return. The Swiss Travel System

(swisstravelsystem.co.uk) offers a Swiss Transfer Ticket covering

a round-trip between the airport/Swiss border and the destination.

The price is £149 in first class, £92 in second. John O’Ceallaigh

HORSE RACING Switzerland

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Skiing is not the only sport where the cold mountain air, the crunch of snow and the beauty of white

peaks add a certain frisson. From dog sledding in the Alps and boat skiing in Norway to

driving a Bentley on a frozen lake, our writers test five snow adventures to set the pulse racing

OFFPISTE

LCKI8KI8M<C���

THE ADVENTURE Power on Ice is an exhilarating

chance to drive swish Bentley Continentals to –

and beyond – the limits on frozen lakes in northern

Finland, on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Just once

a year, when conditions are perfect, motoring

enthusiasts can try their hand at controlling

powerful 200mph rear-wheel-drive cars in the most

slippery conditions known to man, as the lakes

freeze to a depth of about 2ft. Extreme driving

instructors – world-class competition experts, led

by four-times world rally champion Juha

Kankkunen – demonstrate what can be done

with the required skill, daring and miles of

specially prepared tracks. Participants then take

the wheel for two days of sideways drama with

an instructor sitting next to them.

HOW TO DO IT Perfecting the art of sliding

a three-ton, 600-brake-horsepower car through

a series of bends at speed begins by contacting

Bentley through its website (below) or via a local

dealer. Prices start at €10,840 (£9,175) per person

and participants must make their own way to

Helsinki airport – armed with thermals to withstand

temperatures that drop to -20C, worn under Team

Bentley ice jackets issued on arrival. Guests are

greeted by Bentley staff and transferred by private

plane and four-wheel drive to their accommodation

at the exclusive ski resort of Kuusamo.

The action starts with a safety briefing in a cosy,

remote log cabin on the freezing shores of Lake

Ahvenlahti, about 12 miles west of Kuusamo. With

its blazing log fire, reindeer rugs and intimate dining

area complete with waiters, this is where

candidates are initiated into the secrets of driving

Bentleys sideways on ice. “Almost everyone can

learn how,” says the chief instructor, “but nobody

goes on to the ice without me or one of my

colleagues; it’s dangerous.” Lecture over,

candidates gingerly negotiate the learner course

until the cars begin to slide. The trick is to “catch”

the slide, and power gracefully through bends on

tracks that become more challenging, as

confidence levels rise. Tractors are on hand to

rescue cars from deep snow-drifts and the key to

success, say the instructors, is having fun.

WHEN TO GO Eight ice-driving courses are run

during February and March.

THE ACCOMMODATION Five-star hotel

bedrooms and lavishly appointed chalets are

the order of the day at the mountainside boutique

hotel Chalet Ruka Peak (00358 8 868 4100;

rukapeak.fi), where guests can also enjoy the

finest Finnish cuisine.

THE DETAILS There are 18 driving places per

group; the package includes three nights’

accommodation, all meals and air

transfer. Activities include a night-time husky

sled safari, a traditional Finnish smoke sauna,

snowmobiling and dinner at a reindeer farm.

events.bentleymotors.com. David Williams

Finnish line Bentley Continentals

(centre and bottom right) are the

car of choice for drivers mastering

the art of sliding sideways through

bends on a frozen lake (top).

Bottom left: Chalet Ruka Peak

ICE DRIVING Finland

OFFPISTE VIDEO

���LCKI8KI8M<C�

THE ADVENTURE There are more

strenuous winter adventures to be

had in Aspen, Colorado, but none is as

peaceful and sublimely beautiful as

a flight above the mountains in a hot-

air balloon. Dawn is the faintest glow

above the rim of snow-covered peaks

as you clamber into the basket and

are lifted gently above the pines to

drift skywards on the faintest whisper

of wind. As the sun rises, so does the

balloon, climbing into the icy air as

one of the finest panoramas in North

America unfolds on all sides. Silence

reigns as you gaze at line upon line of

mountains and a vast, snow-covered

wilderness that stretches to the

horizon, dappled with forest and

dawn shadow, and etched a dazzling

white against the immense blue sky.

HOW TO DO IT The Above It All

Balloon Company (001 970 963 6148;

aboveitallballoon.com) operates from

Aspen-Snowmass, at the heart of the

Colorado Rockies. Flights cost $295

(£180) per person, booked directly or

as part of a package (see below). The

balloons can accommodate two to

16 people. Flights last around an hour

and conclude with a champagne

breakfast. Longer and tailor-made

private flights can also be arranged.

THE ACCOMMODATION The Hotel

Jerome (001 970 920 1000;

hoteljerome.aubergeresorts.com;

doubles from £165) in Aspen provides

the perfect base for ballooning and

a host of other winter activities. Built

in 1888, and recently reopened after

a sensitive multi-million-pound

overhaul, the handsome building –

a National Historic Monument – has

been a favourite of visitors and

residents over the years, not least the

writer HunterSThompson, who made

the hotel’s famous J-Bar his “office”.

WHEN TO GO The Above It All

Balloon Company flies once daily,

summer and winter, but flights are

weather-dependent and can be

cancelled at short notice, up to and

including the morning of departure.

All flights leave at dawn, following

a free hotel pick-up, when winds

are at their most manageable

for ballooning.

THE DETAILS Scott Dunn (020 8682

5050; scottdunn.com) offers seven

nights’ b&b at the Hotel Jerome from

£2,535 person, including return flight

with BA, private transfers and a

balloon trip. The company can arrange

ski, board and other activities and

excursions. For further information on

winter adventures in the region, see

aspensnowmass.com. Tim Jepson

HOT-AIR BALLOONING United States

BOAT SKIING Norway

THE ADVENTURE Most visitors to the Norwegian fjords arrive in

summer by cruise ship, alighting now and then on the shore for

a tour or a hike. During northern Norway’s wintry spring, however,

when snow lies down to sea level, the way to explore is by

expedition yacht, laden with all the requisites for a ski touring

adventure. Each day the yacht, with a small party of experienced,

energetic skiers, a mountain guide and a skipper on board, sails to

wherever conditions are best, hundreds of miles from the nearest

ski lifts and with barely a hamlet in sight. Then it’s simply a case of

gliding to shore on a Rib and heading uphill behind the guide.

Touring skis are fitted with acrylic “skins” that prevent the ski sliding

backwards when going uphill, and the technique is easy to master.

Summits are 900m to 1,200m (3,000ft to 4,000ft) and ascents take

up to four hours – but it’s worth it to be the only humans sharing the

mountain with white ptarmigan, hares and raptors, and to survey

the slate-grey water from high above, the boat a mere speck in a

bay. Sometimes there is fresh powder all the way down, too.

HOW TO DO IT Prepare for boat skiing by learning or practising

off-piste skiing: often the downhill is trickier than the uphill. Of

course, it is vital to enjoy the uphill too, so try a couple of day tours

during your regular ski holiday: the Monte Rosa region in Italy,

Obergurgl in Austria and Val d’Isère in France are well set up for day

tours through the ski school or guides’ office and there is equipment

to rent. Get fit: ski touring is for all ages, shapes and sizes but it’s

a lot easier if you have a little strength, stamina and puff. That said,

boat skiing is arguably less physically demanding than “hut-to-hut”

touring because skiers only need to carry in their rucksacks what

they need each day – everything else stays on the boat.

Yachts take ski-tourers to several districts in Norway. Most

popular is Lyngen, in the far north (nearest airport Tromso), where

some routes take in islands as well as coast. Farther south, near

Bodo, the coast of Steigen and the Lofoten islands are far less

“trodden”: I saw no other parties – indeed, no other human – during

a week of mountain forays there.

WHEN TO GO Boat skiing is best between late February and late

April. Day tours in the Alps are possible all winter.

THE ACCOMMODATION In Steigen, the boat to opt for is Lille

Polaris, a 44ft expedition yacht built to withstand icebergs and with

hot showers, two lavatories, comfy cabins, plenty of drying space,

outstanding food and a convivial Norwegian skipper. Boats of similar

quality are available in Lofoten and Lyngen.

THE DETAILS Zuba Ski (zubaski.com) arranges tailor-made

boat skiing trips to all three areas of Norway from £2,000 per week,

full-board, excluding flights. Yolanda Carslaw

Wind power Ballooning over the Rocky Mountains (top). Boat skiers high

above the slate-grey water where Lille Polaris (bottom) is moored

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OFFPISTE

Elegance is an attitude

Kate Winslet

Longines DolceVita

One New Change, London

The Grande Arcade, Cambridge

Trafford Centre, Manchester

Argyll Arcade, Glasgow

LCKI8KI8M<C���

DOG SLEDDING France

THE ADVENTURE La Grande Odyssée is an arduous 470-mile

dog-sled race up and over the snowy slopes of the Savoie Mont-

Blanc region between France and Switzerland. The 11-day event

attracts an international mix of more than 20 dog sledders, know as

“mushers”, who compete for a prize purse of $100,000 (£62,000).

Organised along the same lines as the Tour de France, the

competition features day races with mass starts, individual time

trials and even random drug testing – for dogs as well as drivers. It’s

a dramatic journey that tests the dog teams as they climb a total

altitude of 28,000m (92,000ft) at temperatures as low as -22C.

HOW TO DO IT To appreciate the skill and strength of the racers,

you can try your hand with a team of 14 Siberian huskies on an

hour-long solo ride through the Haute Savoie, booked through your

hotel (see below). It is exhausting, exhilarating and the most thrilling

way to travel through a snowy forest. Just remember that the dogs

are French speakers, so it is “Allez, allez!”, not “Mush, mush!”

Spectators don’t have to endure the same extreme conditions

because the race route passes through 24 ski resorts. One of the

best places to watch is Megève, where the howl of the dogs and the

whoosh of the sleds bring an earthy excitement to the upmarket ski

town. Situated roughly halfway along the route, Megéve is the only

resort where you can witness a night trial, plus the start and finish

of a day race. For the best close-up views, head to the morning start

at the town’s aerodrome. Position yourself at the first bend at the

end of the starting slope and enjoy the drama of the mushers

manoeuvring 14 dogs at full speed.

WHEN TO GO Next year’s Odyssée, which marks the 10th

anniversary of the great race, runs from January 11-22, arriving

in Megève on January 16 for an evening time trial over a distance

of 7km (roughly 4.5 miles).

THE ACCOMMODATION The historic Hôtel Mont-Blanc (033 4

5021 2002; hotelmontblanc.com) in the centre of Megève provides

a convenient and sophisticated base for enjoying the race; doubles

from €290 (£243). Les Fermes de Marie (0033 4 5093 0310;

fermesdemarie.com), built around a cluster of original alpine

chalets on the outskirts of town, offers a more family-friendly

option; doubles from €290. Both hotels can arrange dog-sleigh

experiences and transfers to the race.

THE DETAILS Official race website: grandeodyssee.com.

To enjoy a thrilling aerial view of the course from a Cessna snow

plane, see aerocime.com. Johnny Morris

Allez, allez! Teams of 20 Siberian

huskies (inset) are ushered by

mushers over the snowy slopes of

the Haute-Savoie (above)

OFFPISTE

VIDEO

� �LCKI8KI8M<C�

meet her every winter at the airport – the

ubiquitous woman in the spaghetti-strap top and

flip-flops. And every year we part company when

the departure gates are called, she heading to some

far-flung beach, I to the snow-clad mountains.

But this year her straw hat rested gently on my ski

helmet in the intimacy of the aircraft’s overhead

compartment as we flew together to Malaga, in

southern Spain. It was only there that we went our

separate ways for, strange as it may seem, the beaches

of the Costa del Sol are just two hours from the ski

resort in the second-highest mountain range in

western Europe – the Sierra Nevada.

Given that we were further south than some parts

of Tunisia, just how much snow could there be? Rather

too much, in fact. On the pass up from Granada we

were turned back by the Guardia Civil as our car didn’t

have winter tyres. So we ended up briefly stranded in

a small hostel in the olive groves, drinking local rioja

until an enormous four-wheel-drive coupé from El

Lodge came to our rescue.

El Lodge is a remarkable retreat that stands out

in a resort that is a pleasant mix of whitewashed

buildings with wooden balconies, modern hotels and

apartments, and snow-laden trees. It is a four-storey

Finnish log cabin jutting on to the piste, and if the

hotel looks fit for a king, that’s not far from the truth.

Originally intended as a private residence for Juan

Carlos I in the Seventies, it was bought and reopened

last season by the owner of the Marbella Club, the

Mediterranean resort made famous by Sean Connery

and Elizabeth Taylor, among others.

And the taste of the sea was not far away when

we dined in its restaurant on caviar, scallops and

lobster, albeit under lights decorated with reindeer

antlers and ibex horns made of resin. Creaking up the

I

ONPISTE

Just two hours’ drive from the sandy shores of Andalusia are

the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Time to pack some

skis along with the beach towel, says Colin Nicholson

COSTA DEL SKI

LCKI8KI8M<C���

Sunshine on ice At the highest skiable

point in the Sierra Nevada, far left and

above, you can see the sea; mogul skier

Sam Hall of Australia, left, a qualifier in

the 2013 FIS Freestyle World Cup, held in

Andalusia; and the pool at El Lodge, bottom

LCKI8KI8M<C���

stairs, we found the mountain-safari theme continued

in the 16 rooms and four suites. Chests of drawers had

been created from travel trunks, and cow hides covered

the bed, where – at 2,100m (7,000ft) – our day’s journey

through olive groves, then blizzards, metamorphosed into

a night of crazy dreams.

Skiing straight from the lodge on to the slopes the next

morning, we were blissfully unaware that the convivial

chaos of the previous day had not stopped when we woke.

Drivers searched for their cars in giant snow-drifts and

queues for the gondolas looped around the main square.

We found a short cut to one of the two main gondolas out

of the principal village of Pradollano. In half an hour we

were on the roof of the world.

There are no trees above the village and a constantly

gyrating radio telescope scouring the skies added to the

lunar feel. But looking down the even slopes back to

Earth, we could make out Granada in a huge swathe of

Andalusia stretching north before us.

In the Alps, such carefully groomed slopes would have

turned into motorways for fast, frenetic skiers. But here

our nervous fellow skiers lacked that competitive drive.

So, unintimidated, we enjoyed some leisurely runs, before

reckoning that a sun-drenched lunch was in order while

we waited for the queues to subside.

Back at the lodge, we tucked into breasts of duck

and shanks of lamb on the sun deck, and basked in the

warmth to the sound of Iberian beats. By the time we

had finished, the queues had gone down, so we took the

gondola to the mid-station of Borreguiles, where we had

a choice of lifts fanning out across the valley. We headed

to where the pistes drop down into the Valle de San Juan.

Here I could ski, unguided, through the plentiful light,

dry powder that is typical of the Sierra Nevada, while my

partner could ski along the red runs beside me.

We toasted our exploits with sundowners back on the

lodge’s terrace, as we watched the pistes glow orange, and

our hands felt as frozen as the mojitos we were clutching.

Later, we warmed up in the lodge’s pool, sauna and steam

room before dinner, and vowed to start early the next day.

We had only scratched the surface of the Sierra Nevada’s

65 miles of pistes.

It was another blue-sky day, with plenty of snow.

Another, more subtle, sign told of our luck with the

weather. The highest huts all wore a shock of white beard

with long icicles standing perpendicular to the walls. This

means only one thing – intense wind. Indeed, on the day

we arrived we were told that only one of the 19 principal

lifts had been open for this reason.

For our part, we enjoyed the glacial colours of wind-

blown ice sheets in the Laguna de las Yeguas, the area

over the ridge from the observatory, which, to our delight,

had opened that afternoon. This is irresistible to off-piste

skiers because, in a resort populated by intermediate

skiers, the powder is relatively untouched.

Only one thing was missing. I had been told that from

the highest skiable point at 3,300m (11,000ft) you could

see the sea. But with the lifts about to close, all we had

seen to the south was a cauldron of bubbling cloud.

My legs were dead, yet we pushed ourselves to make

the lift one last time. And at the top, we saw in the

distance a curious light, its twinkle strangely familiar,

yet out of place. The mist suddenly parted to reveal the

shining, shimmering Mediterranean, where the woman in

the spaghetti-strap top was doubtless sunbathing.

WE ENJOYED SOME

LEISURELY RUNS

BEFORE DECIDING

A SUN-DRENCHED

LUNCH WAS IN ORDER

GETTING THERE

British Airways (0844 493 0787;

ba.com) offers return flights to

Malaga from £78 in economy,

departing London Gatwick, and

from £476 flying Club Europe

from London City. The return

fare with easyJet (0843 104

5000; easyjet.com) starts at

£93. Argus (0800 088 5548;

arguscarhire.com) offers seven

days’ car hire from about £25.

WHERE TO STAY

The Marbella Club (0034 952

822211; marbellaclub.com)

offers a Ski and Sun package

with two nights at El Lodge and

two nights at the Marbella Club

from €910 (£770) per person,

based on two sharing and

including breakfast, use of the

golf course (handicap required)

and one transfer between the

two properties, but not flights

and other transfers. Small

Luxury Hotels of the World

(0800 048 2314; slh.com) offers

a seven-night package to El

Lodge from €2,135 per person,

including breakfast, but not

flights or transfers.

RESORT COSTS

A six-day lift pass costs from

€212 (£183). See sierranevada.

es. Skiset (sierra-nevada.skiset.

co.uk) offers six days’ ski and

boot hire from €67.42. The

British Ski Center (958 481049;

britishskicenter.com) offers

individual lessons from €38.54

per hour and group lessons

from €145 per person.

WHERE TO EAT

MC Grill

Despite its name, the restaurant

at El Lodge serves excellent

fresh seafood, not just meat.

Calle Maribel 8, Monachil

(958 480600; ellodge.com).

Ruta del Veleta

Fine dining in the nouvelle

cuisine tradition. Edificio

Bulgaria, Calle Pradollano (958

481201; rutadelveleta.com).

Casablanca

Wood-lined bar-cum-restaurant

known for its fine-quality

meat. Edificio Impala, Plaza

Pradollano (958 480830).

HOW TO DO IT

Southerly slopes Clockwise from top

left: the Sierra Nevada resort; taking

a lift; MC Grill restaurant at El Lodge;

and the sun deck and bar with views

SKI AND SUN RESORTS

Mount Etna, Italy Sicily’s famous

volcano has two small ski resorts,

Piano Provenzana (with one piste)

and Rifugio Sapienza (five pistes).

Both are 90 minutes’ drive from

the seaside resort of Taormina.

The best months to ski there

are January and February.

The Cedars, Lebanon Beirut,

with its Mediterranean beaches,

is a two-hour drive from this, the

best known of the six ski resorts

in the Mt Lebanon range and a f

avourite of the architect Zaha Hadid

(see page 74). Its 2,000m elevation

means the season is relatively long

here: mid-November to late April.

Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Three hours’ drive from sunny

Lisbon is this ski resort, with nine

pistes. It’s very good for learners

and intermediates. February is

usually the best month for snow.

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LCKI8KI8M<C���

OUR NEW LUXURY TRAVEL SITE

November 2004 marked the launch of Ultratravel and, in the nine years

since, the tenets of the publication have remained the same: to provide

you, the reader, with the quintessential guide to the world’s best travel

experiences. But where, when and how people find out about these

experiences has changed. For that reason, the Telegraph has launched a new

Luxury Travel section, telegraph.co.uk/luxurytravel – across all platforms,

from tablet to mobile – to ensure that readers of Ultratravel remain informed

and inspired throughout the year. You can expect to find the same evocative

features that are a signature of the print magazine, often with additional

video footage and imagery, as well as the latest news, reviews of the best

hotels and suites, profiles of the tastemakers who determine how we see the

world, and interviews with experts on culture, dining, design and more.

Among the site’s regular contributors is the travel journalist Claire Wrathall,

providing weekly dispatches on the latest developments in the field.

The Luxury Travel section is showcased within the Telegraph’s newly

launched Luxury portal, telegraph.co.uk/luxury, while the Telegraph’s

multi-award-winning travel section continues to offer extensive, expert-led

content at telegraph.co.uk/travel. I hope this new platform will provide the

inspiration that leads you to incredible experiences and indelible memories.

John O’Ceallaigh telegraph.co.uk’s Luxury Travel editor

@johnoceallaigh; @TeleLuxTravel

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Western tycoons are turning vast tracts of land in Africa into opulent wilderness retreats

devoted to conservation. It’s a controversial practice, but it may be the last chance

left for struggling wildlife. Lisa Grainger visits three new camps in Kenya and Tanzania

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID CROOKES

RICH MAN’S GAME

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Big country Giraffe on the plains near Segera, below. Above, from left, Segera’s homely interior; a woman from the local community; an artwork by Walter Oltmann; meals are all locally sourced from Laikipia farms

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t is 6am, and in the dawn light an

archetypal Kenyan scene is unfolding before my villa. In

the dry acacia-thorn savannah, three buffalo graze by

a stream. A pair of finger-sized emerald sunbirds flit

between cactus blooms. And in the distance, against

the backdrop of a cloud-covered Mount Kenya, the

silhouettes of giraffe break the horizon. It’s the East

Africa Hemingway loved: a wild expanse of dry plains

and vast skies, with a scattering of animals between.

Behind my villa, though, the scene is anything but

archetypal. I am staying at Segera: the wilderness home

of Jochen Zeitz, the former CEO of Puma, who seven

years ago bought a 50,000-acre cattle ranch and turned

it into a private bush home, with six villas for paying

guests who wanted to join him.

Although it’s in the middle of Laikipia’s wildlife-rich

plains, Segera could not be described as a bush lodge. Its

double-storey stilted wooden villas are furnished

in modern colonial style: an elegant mix of antique

gramophones and low linen sofas, grand silver buckets

and recycled-glass chandeliers. The 10-acre garden,

protected from the wilderness by a thick cactus hedge, is

landscaped with exotic cacti, goldfish ponds and an azure

swimming pool. And beside the paths, on garden plinths,

and in the stalls of converted stables is the biggest

collection of contemporary African art on the continent.

The art is here, Zeitz says, because “I have seen it all

over the globe and wanted to bring it back to Africa, to

help put African art on the map”. By “art”, he doesn’t

mean the sorts of masks and baskets often displayed in

safari camps, but paintings by Chris Ofili, football pitch-

sized installations by Strijdom van der Merwe, and prints

by Owusu-Ankomah. It’s serious stuff, making Segera the

closest thing Kenya has to an African Tate Modern.

When I first arrive at Segera – having spent a night in

Nairobi, where there was no sign of tourism having been

disrupted by the airport fire or the Westgate atrocity – I’m

not entirely convinced by this strange beast of a place:

part home, part gallery, part cattle ranch. It feels slightly

incongruous stepping out into the heart of East Africa,

after a dusty two-hour drive from Nanyuki, past the grim

roadside “69 Paradise Hotel” and ramshackle “Drunked

Teacher” bottle store, to find a two-storey, solar-cooled

wine tower stocked with South African wines and French

champagnes, a hangar housing a sunflower-yellow plane,

and a garden peppered with African art.

But then, I soon appreciate, having spent a couple of

days with Segera’s manager, Jens Kozany, who previously

oversaw North Island in the Seychelles, Segera is not

a camp but a home, not a Big Five destination but

a wilderness retreat. More than that, it is a statement

from Zeitz that tourism can be done in a different way.

He is clearly a man on a mission. In 2009 he founded

the Long Run, an organisation that grades tourism in

relation to conservation, culture, commerce and

community (what he calls the 4Cs). He is on the board of

Wilderness Safaris and, with Richard Branson, set up the

B Team, a group of business leaders who engage with

sustainability issues. He also has an extensive network of

connections to call on – it was he who persuaded Dame

Vivienne Westwood to sponsor the neighbouring Uaso

Nyiro Primary School. But can he make Segera work as

a tourism-cum-community venture?

“If we bring together the right people, communities

can flourish and wildlife can survive alongside them,” he

tells me, over dinner. “But that means everyone has to be

on board. Unless the local community signs up, wildlife

won’t survive. And without wildlife, no one will visit. Real

success will only happen if all 4Cs are linked.”

Although there is a great deal of wildlife in Laikipia – it

has the second highest density of game in Kenya after the

Maasai Mara – most visitors to Segera don’t come to see

animals. They use it as a bush home: a place where

they can work out, have massages, lounge around the

saltwater pool, and relax with a view of Mount Kenya.

Others, such as I, slightly wary of being over-cosseted

Animal magic Clockwise

from left: Jochen Zeitz, owner

of Segera, with the retreat’s

camels, which guests can

ride; Segera’s Paddock House

living area; Satubo Women’s

Beading Project; the luxury

spa; a family of elephant

IVIDEO

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in this uber-comfortable bubble, opt to go out and meet

the people whose lives this venture might affect. With

local guide Omanda Jackson Etoot, I buy bracelets from

a women’s beading group whose products the Zeitz

Foundation (an umbrella organisation for Zeitz’s projects)

helps to market, and visit a primary school it helped to

build. I talk to local herdsmen who are allowed to bring

2,000 cattle a year on to the property to graze, and former

Maasai warriors now employed as anti-poaching wardens.

Most interesting of all, I go walking with the property’s

manager, Mark Jenkins, the renowned Kenyan

conservationist mauled as a child by one of George

Adamson’s lions, who understands more clearly than

most why properties like Segera need to exist.

“What people don’t realise is that an elephant is now

being killed every 20 minutes in Africa,” he whispers, as

we warily watch a skittish herd browsing 50ft in front of

us. “The days of national parks that were fenced pristine

wildernesses are over; the pressure of people around

them is too great. There probably isn’t an elephant in this

group that hasn’t been shot at in the past month in the

surrounding community areas.

“This can only change if we can give communities

jobs, educate them, and work with them. It’s the only way.

Unless they benefit from wildlife and want to protect it,

in 30 years we won’t have anything left.”

While the privatisation of great tracts of

wilderness such as Segera might be

abhorrent to many – a sign to some

Africans of a new wave of colonialism,

and proof to others that the rich can

have whatever they want – in wildlife circles it is seen as

one of the more expedient ways to prevent the extinction

of our planet’s wildlife.

All over the continent, families that once hunted, and

wealthy businessmen such as Zeitz, are investing their

wealth in wildlife. In South Africa, the Getty family has

turned 23,000 hectares of KwaZulu-Natal into the Phinda

Private Game Reserve, and the Oppenheimer family has

set aside 100,000 hectares of Kalahari desert as the Tswalu

Reserve. In Kenya, the Wildenstein family, known for its

art dealing, has turned its 53,000-acre private home, Ol

Jogi Ranch, into a conservation retreat. In Mozambique,

the voicemail millionaire Greg Carr is helping to

repopulate with wildlife the Gorongosa National Park.

High-tech billionaire Mark Shuttleworth is investing

millions in Bom Bom Island, off the coast of São Tomé.

And in Tanzania, the billionaire Wall Street trader Paul

Tudor Jones has leased 350,000 acres of former hunting

concession to create his Grumeti Reserves – my second

port of call in a 10-day East African journey.

When Tudor Jones opened Grumeti to paying guests

10 years ago, he had just one place for them to stay. Today,

he has six, the latest being Singita Serengeti House. That

the house is beautiful should come as little surprise, given

Tudor Jones’s wealth and connections (visitors have

included Oprah Winfrey, George Bush and, last year,

a honeymooning Justin Timberlake). What is a surprise is

that its interiors are so tastefully understated, decorated

with sculptural furniture covered in cream cottons and tan

linens, tables of wood and rattan, Picasso-esque African

paintings and bleached-wood masks. Equally pleasing is

the provision of a private chef, butler, and staff to

administer gin-and-tonics, together with a game guide,

Alfred Ngwarai, with whom to explore this wilderness.

The Zimbabwean guide is so respected that he guides

the Tudor Jones family and other wealthy Americans not

only in Tanzania, but all over Africa. With him we discover

the many pleasures of being on a private reserve — one of

which is being allowed to do things that would be

prohibited in national parks. In three days, we ride glossy

stallions from the owners’ stable of 16 horses, play tennis

on lawns surrounded by grazing zebras, and practise

archery between courses at breakfast. One morning we

even ride mountain bikes on rocky tracks through huge

herds of migrating wildebeest, closely followed in a Land

Rover by Alfred and an armed guard, just in case an

irritated creature should charge.

None does – surprising, given the numbers of creatures

about. On still-green grasslands, thousands of bearded

wildebeest thunder past in great herds, day and night.

Lions lie under trees, their stomachs distended from

overeating. Cheetahs snooze in the shade. Elephants

huddle under trees in the midday sun, flapping their ears.

And in the evening – as we sit beneath the stars, enjoying

gazpacho, prawns, duck breast and creamy crème brûlée

made by Tanzania’s top chef, Michael Matera – they all

join together in a spine-tingling orchestra of cackles,

whoops, grunts, barks, squeals and trumpets that slowly

fades, as the moon rises, into a long, low finale of moans

signalling that the lions have come out to hunt.

For guests whose migration experience isn’t complete

until they have seen thousands of wildebeest hurtle across

the Mara River in the Serengeti National Park, Tudor Jones

has also set up Mara River Camp right on the river’s

banks. A 12-minute flight from Grumeti, this 16-bed

canvas camp is modern to look at, and run on solar power.

It is also very quiet. In this northern Lamai Triangle, just

below the Kenyan border, there are just three seasonal

camps and, because the migrating creatures have just

made their final crossing, there is hardly anyone else

about. Each day, I watch the sun rise from my bed before

warming my bones on a sun-lounger while watching

elephant browse. I have a massage on an open deck, and

sip cold South African wine. And every evening, Alfred

takes us out on the Land Rover to traverse the Serengeti

plains, where giraffe, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle

graze in their hundreds.

Although each camp is a treat, the highlight of my trip

is the flight out of the area. Sitting in a Cessna Caravan,

soaring low over the Serengeti, I begin to appreciate what

we would lose if conservationists such as Jenkins weren’t

so dedicated, and men such as Tudor Jones and Zeitz

spent their fortunes elsewhere. For an hour we fly over

plains thick with game, over elephant bathing in rivers,

over clouds of birds. That this landscape might one day

have no creatures on it at all seems unthinkable. But,

given the current rate of poaching, it is not just possible,

but probable. These wealthy individuals could spend their

billions on yachts and sports cars. Instead, they use their

money and influence to prevent that destruction, and put

in place strategies for Africans to save their natural

heritage. Who can criticise them for privatising swathes of

threatened wilderness?

Africa Travel (020 7843 3586; africatravel.co.uk) is offering

a seven-night safari, with one night at Hemingways Nairobi

(hemingways-nairobi.com), three nights at Segera (segera.

com) in Kenya, and three nights at Singita Mara River

Tented Camp (singita.com) in Tanzania, from £6,495 per

person, full board. The price includes drinks, activities, park

fees, transfers and return flight with British Airways.

‘AN ELEPHANT IS NOW BEING KILLED EVERY 20 MINUTES IN AFRICA’

Home comforts Singita Serengeti House in Grumeti Reserves, above; Alfred Ngwarai, its revered guide; and Mara River Tented Camp, below right

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Until we hit the Istanbul rush hour, and our

air-conditioned coach had to slow to a crawl

just like everyone else, we could have been

travelling by magic carpet. Parking at the

Harrods Aviation terminal at Stansted airport and

boarding a private jet bound for Turkey took just

20 minutes, most of them spent chatting to my fellow

passengers over a cup of coffee.

International travel usually means stress, delays and

crowded airports. Not on this trip. An angel in a perfectly

pressed uniform checked our passports, another took

our bags, and a third escorted us to the aircraft. It all

felt faintly surreal, like one of those dreams where

you are playing golf with Roman Abramovich and

Lady Gaga pops out of a greenside bunker.

By the time we had snuggled into our seats on the

plane – seats so generous that we had to stretch our legs

to touch the back of the seat in front – we were in such

festive mood that it was hard to suppress a grin. Behind

us on the runway, Ryanair planes waited impotently as we

soared into the skies above Hertfordshire. This was bliss.

Pop! The first bottle of champagne was opened over

the English Channel and we were served canapés of

foie gras, smoked salmon and caviar. Even in the

washroom, I noticed, there was a red rose beside the

basin, a stylish touch way beyond Ryanair’s budget.

The plane was an A319, seating nearly 50 people, and it

was flown by a crew from Lisbon who welcomed us on the

flight deck after we had digested a superb lunch. “Every

day is different in this job,” said Captain Victor Brito.

“On Monday, we might be taking a football team to

a Champions League match. On Tuesday, it could be

a rock band on tour.”

The passengers were too old to be footballers and not

quite cool enough to be rock stars. But they were an

interesting, eclectic lot. Captain’s Choice is a Melbourne-

based company which, for nearly 20 years, has been

offering private jet trips to destinations which are so far

from the normal tourist beat that making the same

journeys by scheduled flights would take an eternity. It is

A private jet trip is the most stylish way to retrace the legendary trading route, from Istanbul to Samarkand

and Kashgar – and in only two weeks. Max Davidson joins a cruise by air for a whistlestop tour of the East

Grand tour The Shah-i-Zinda

necropolis in Samarkand, the Uzbek

city which is one of the exotic stop-

offs on the Captain’s Choice route.

Below left, the 50-seater liveried jet

THE SILK ROUTETHE SMOOTH WAY

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like a 21st-century version of the grand tour, but global

in its reach and telescoped into a fraction of the time.

I was only going as far as Istanbul, but the main party

would fly on to Kashgar in China, before zigzagging its

way back to Turkey along the old Silk Route. Samarkand,

Bukhara, Yalta, Sebastopol… just names on the map for

most people, arousing curiosity but being instantly

dismissed as wildly impractical places to visit.

“I’ve wanted to visit Samarkand since I was a girl,” said

Sally, from Poole in Dorset. “I saw a film about it on the

BBC in the Seventies. It seemed unimaginably exotic.”

June, from Edinburgh, had waited almost as long to get to

Kashgar, after reading the memoirs of an Englishwoman

who had lived there in the 19th century.

Everyone had their own story to tell and, as the group

began to bond over a glorious starlit dinner in Istanbul, it

felt more like The Canterbury Tales than a contemporary

story about millionaires living high on the hog. These

people have serious money to burn – a typical Captain’s

Choice trip might last two weeks and cost around

£20,000 – but they came across as old-fashioned

romantics: Stanleys looking for Livingstones in far-flung

lands where the sun beats down without pity and the

natives don’t speak a word of English.

Most of them were Captain’s Choice regulars. Hank

from Western Australia, a retired accountant, travels with

the company three or four times a year. He has been from

Cape Town to Cairo, the Antarctic, and the Galápagos

Islands. Zuli and Rekha, dentists from Sheffield, were only

on their third trip but were hungry for more. “You can

just get to so many places in such a short space of time,”

said Zuli. “It is like a five-star cruise by air.”

They were in good hands, pampered like royalty. There

were fewer than 50 people in the group, but there was

a GP on permanent standby, the jovial Doc Adam from

Melbourne. He was comically under-employed and, with

no heart attacks on the horizon, was reduced to offering

tips on hand-washing and avoiding dehydration.

Peter Ward, an English historian, was another colourful

character. He had written a book about the Silk Route and

set the scene in an introductory lecture. “This is the most

iconic journey in history,” he said, transporting listeners

back to the days of Alexander the Great, Tamburlaine,

Marco Polo and Genghis Khan. “The route was like an

information superhighway, transformative in its effect.”

Silk was only one of dozens of commodities traded on

a road that extended for 5,000 miles and took three years

to travel, by camel or horse, in searing heat. Doing it in

a fortnight, by private jet and air-conditioned coaches,

felt like cheating. But if this was cheating, it was the sort

that made you feel exhilarated rather than guilty.

For much of our time in Istanbul, we could have been

any other tourists, hunting for souvenirs in the Grand

Bazaar or traipsing around the Blue Mosque and the

Topkapi Palace. It is a noisy, crowded city, with

a population of nearly 15 million, straddling the

Bosphorus – but we quickly discovered that the

Rolls-Royce service extended even to the sightseeing.

The Hagia Sophia mosque is normally a scrum, but we

were treated to a private tour at twilight, before

descending into the Yerebatan Sarayi, or Basilica Cistern,

for a cocktail party. This vast underground cavern,

decorated with statues of Medusa, dates back to

Constantine the Great. There we drank perfectly chilled

champagne, served by waiters who looked like film stars.

Best of all was our day trip on the Bosphorus by private

boat. We left the smog of the city behind and, with a sea

breeze on our faces, made for the Princes’ Islands, where

the Istanbul jet set spend the summer. It was like

a throwback to a more leisurely age, when travellers had

time to savour their surroundings. A horse-drawn carriage

took us past ornate seaside villas, through shady pine

forests, past walled orchards and little monasteries,

pockmarked with age. Cats snoozed in the shade of the

bougainvilleas. Then it was on to lunch – fresh fish, grilled

to perfection – at a waterfront restaurant.

It was not hard to see why Captain’s Choice has so

many repeat customers. Travel in the 21st century can be

a race against the clock, but if you have the means to let

others smooth your way through the crowds, you can

recapture a little of the grace of bygone days. When Doc

Adam surveyed his charges over lunch, checking for signs

of raised blood pressure, all he saw was seraphic smiles.

Captain’s Choice (0845 304 5227; captainschoice.co.uk)

is offering a 15-day itinerary, The Silk Route and Beyond

by Private Jet, for £19,500 per person, based on two people

sharing. The next trip leaves London on September 3, 2014.

Crossing

continents Hagia

Sophia in Istanbul,

above. Travellers

on the tour see the

mosque on a private

twilight visit, when

the tourists have

gone. Left, a day trip

on the Bosphorus

by private boat

IT IS A THROWBACK TO A LEISURELY AGE, WHEN TRAVELLERS HAD TIME TO SAVOUR THE SIGHTS

GE

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HU

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RSTO

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; JO

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LIM

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CO

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EXOTIC INDIA & MOUNTAIN KINGDOMS

BY PRIVATE JET

SIMPLY THE FINEST WAY TO SEE THE WORLD

CALL 0845 304 7129 WWW.CAPTAINSCHOICE.CO.UK/EXOTICINDIA

O M A N U D A I P U R J A I P U R V A R A N A S I N E PA L B H U TA N D E L H I TA J M A H A L

THE FINEST WAY TO TRAVEL

You will board our all business-class private jet at

the exclusive Harrods terminal at Luton for the

flight to Muscat in Oman. After two days in this

fascinating city, you will fly onward to explore

India, Nepal and Bhutan. You will stay in the finest

hotels, dine on superb local cuisine and discover

amazing sites in the company of expert local

guides. Thoughout the tour, our dedicated flight

crew and experienced escort team will take care

of your every need.

INDIA & MOUNTAIN KINGDOMS

On this incredible 19 day journey, discover India,

Nepal and Bhutan – countries steeped in history

and rich in awe-inspiring architecture and

extraordinary landscapes. Visit the stunning Amber

Fort in Jaipur, discover the Holy City of Varanasi

and enjoy a serene boat ride on the Ganges at

dawn. Explore Nepal’s capital Kathmandu in the

foothills of the Himalayas and see the spectacular

landscapes of Bhutan’s Paro Valley. You’ll also visit

bustling Delhi, and the dazzling Taj Mahal.

IT’S ALL INCLUDED

Your fully inclusive tour price includes all travel

and accommodation, sightseeing and entrance

fees, all meals, special immigration and luggage

handling arrangements (where possible) and the

personal attention of an experienced escort team,

including a doctor throughout. To find out more

about the Captain’s Choice Exotic India &

Mountain Kingdoms tour, call us now. Prices from

£21,950 per person twin share.

Tour dates: 25 September – 13 October 2014.

Diamonds are for Eva

ST WATCHES AND FINE JEWELLERY AUTUMN/WINTER 2013

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intelligenceULTRA

A LITTLE PLACE I KNOW...La Bergerie 1850, Courchevel

Mountain highs

Within the five-storey

La Bergerie (above),

on the Bellecôte piste,

are a subterranean

pool (left) and a loft

sitting room (below)

EDITED BY LISA GRAINGER

This extravagant superchalet, built for a Russian banker, is

the latest addition to the French resort’s collection of

properties that can be “chartered” when the owner isn’t

in residence. On the site of a modest restaurant of the

same name, it lies directly on the Bellecôte piste, with

broad balconies facing in all directions. Berger means

shepherd, and life-sized woolly models of sheep have

been placed artfully around the interior. But the style is

far from rustic – there’s not a farm implement, reclaimed

beam or gingham curtain to be seen.

The 16,000sq ft interior is ingeniously wrapped around

a central lift and staircase, creating 10 levels across the

five storeys of the building. The showpiece is the vast

top-floor living room, with a slate-and-glass 360-degree

fireplace, a softly-lit vaulted ceiling and sleek furnishings

ranging from silk rugs and white angora cushions to

a cow-hide recliner. Downstairs, in another living area,

shimmering chandeliers overhang the banqueting table

and sofas encircle another glass-encased fireplace.

Each of the seven bedrooms has a working fire,

washed-wood floors and walls, sophisticated lighting,

electronic exterior blinds, a vast flatscreen television

and iPads to control gadgetry, but it’s the outrageously

swish bathrooms that stand out, with their travertine and

marble floors, white resin baths and roomy showers.

Downstairs, the ski room is equipped with an

espresso machine and a store of snacks and sun cream.

But why ski? On the ground floor there is a spectacular

spa, with a 66ft pool, sauna, hammam, fitness room,

massage bed, sofas and an open fire, and next door is

a comfy cinema room, with iPad controls for selecting

a film from thousands, across genres and languages.

The chalet comes with staff and chefs – most of them

British, and most from the superyacht industry – and

operates along the lines of a superyacht, with food and

drink costing extra. So guests can, if they wish, have

caviar for breakfast, lobster for lunch and Chateaubriand

for dinner – or, perhaps, a barbecue on the west-facing

terrace or a pizza in front of one of the many fireplaces.

A week at La Bergerie 1850 (labergerie1850.com) in

mid-season costs about €175,000/£150,000, booked

through Courchevel Agence (0033 4 79 08 10 79;

courchevel-agence.com) or the Oxford Ski Company

(01993 899 420; oxfordski.com). Yolanda Carslaw

FOR THE

LATEST IN

LUXURY TRAVEL

telegraph.co.uk/luxurytravel

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48Percentage of high-net-worth

individuals who take an average of four holidays a year

17,660,000Volume, in cubic feet, of

snow being stockpiled in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics

100,000,000Chinese expected to travel,

per year, outside their own country by 2020

TRAVEL BY NUMBERS

MISSIBABA

Just eight years after graduating from the London

College of Fashion, Chloe Townsend has

established herself as the Anya Hindmarch of

South Africa. The Capetonian’s Bree Street

boutique, in the new hip heart of the city centre,

showcases a versatile array of clutches, satchels,

technology holders and handbags that are

unmistakeably African. Each hand-crafted piece

has been woven, patchworked, embroidered and

lined in hand-printed cotton by a group of local

women. For those who are not travelling to Cape

Town, the bags are available at missibaba.com.

Dr John Mason MBE is a former president of the

British Astronomical Association and a resident

expert for astronomytours.com.

In which parts of the world are you

guaranteed to see fantastic night skies?

Chile’s Atacama Desert, which has some of the

best telescopes and observatories in the world.

The desert star-gazing is especially good in

Morocco and Jordan, too.

And in Britain?

There are several designated Dark Sky Reserves,

including Galloway Forest Park in Scotland (stay at

Turnberry Resort; turnberryresort.co.uk), Exmoor

National Park in Devon (book into Gidleigh Park;

gidleigh.com) and Brecon Beacons National Park

in Wales (try Llangoed Hall; llangoedhall.co.uk).

The best star-spotting packages?

Sails in the Desert Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort

(ayersrockresort.com.au) in Australia offers

a package where you watch the sun set behind

Uluru, dine under the stars, then enjoy a tour

of the southern night sky with a resident

astronomer; Sossusvlei Lodge (sossusvleilodge.

com) in the oldest desert in the world, in Namibia,

has a telescope on-site; and Hurtigruten

(hurtigruten.co.uk) operates excellent Northern

Lights cruises along Norway’s coast.

The next big astronomical event to watch?

This December, there may be a comet that is

visible to the naked eye – but comets are

unpredictable. The next solar eclipse will take

place in the High Arctic in March 2015 and there is

an excellent chance that viewers may also be

able to see the Northern Lights at that time.

The best place from which to see the

Northern Lights this winter?

Sightings are never guaranteed, but the best

chances are at high latitudes in Iceland, northern

Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska. In Iceland,

viewings are better in Akureyri (visitakureyri.is)

than they are in Reykjavik.

The best equipment to pack for

a star-gazing holiday?

Take a good pair of 10x50 binoculars, which

are easy to pack, less likely to get damaged

than a telescope, and just as useful for

whale-spotting or birdwatching as they are

for stargazing.

The best apps to learn about the stars?

I’d recommend Pocket Universe for those with

iPhones and iPads, and Mobile Observatory

and Sky Map for Android users.

Books to pack?

Philip’s Guide to the Night Sky by Sir Patrick

Moore and the Collins Stars & Planets guide

by Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion.

MASTERCLASS

2,015Cost, in pounds sterling, of

50g of tea from plants fertilised by panda dung

LESSONS FROM GLOBAL EXPERTS ASTRONOMY

If any proof were needed that Majorca is one

of Europe’s most glamorous island retreats,

the new TeNeus tome Living in Style Mallorca

(£45; teneus.com) provides it. The book gives

rare insights into some of the island’s most

beautiful homes, from palaces to futurist

designer pads, as well as the easy lifestyle that

attracts such visitors as Spain’s royal family

to this “Isla de la Luz”. For those inspired to

visit Majorca, equally inviting properties can

be booked through Cedric Reversade

(cedricreversade.com), Abercrombie&Kent

Villas (akvillas.com) and SJ Villas (sjvillas.co.uk).

THE BOOK

LIVE LIKE AN ISLANDERGETMYBOAT

GLOBAL BOAT

FINDER

(Free for iOS, Android, Blackberry,

Windows Phone)

Following on from online boat rental

services Yachtico and Incrediblue is

GetMyBoat: the first smartphone app

for wannabe sailors. Its database

contains more than 10,000 boats,

ranging from kayaks to 100ft yachts,

across 60 countries. Each listing

contains photographs, descriptions

and owners’ contact details; vessels

can be rented by the hour, day or

week, with or without the services of

a captain and crew. Mark Wilson

ULTRA APP SOUVENIR SEARCH

Ring cycle Star trails

captured on film in New

Mexico during a 5hr 45min

time exposure. Below:

telescopes at El Tololo

Observatory in the Elqui

Valley, northern Chile

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he British-Iraqi architect Dame

Zaha Hadid is one of the world’s most celebrated

practitioners, and in 2004 was the first woman

to win the Pritzker Prize, awarded to a living

architect whose talent, vision and commitment

have enriched humanity. Her fluid buildings can

be found all over the world – from the Guangzhou

Opera House and the new Heydar Aliyev Cultural

Centre in Baku to the London Aquatics Centre, for

the 2012 Olympic Games. She lives in London.

How often do you travel?

Until two months ago, perhaps every week. Last

winter was crazy, working in China and Japan, as

well as teaching in America and Austria.

Where do you go on holiday?

Years ago, to switch off, I’d go to Hawaii or

Thailand or Bali. In those days there were no

mobile phones or televisions in the room. Today,

because I work all over the world and like to

stay in touch, my holidays are mostly city breaks.

Which cities in particular?

I love Rio [see page 28]; it has great views, great

beaches and a lot going on. And Beirut, where

I went to university and have family. Lebanon’s

so small you can cross it in about three hours. As

a student, we’d go to the Bekaa Valley, go skiing

at The Cedars [a resort in the country’s highest

range] and be clubbing in Beirut that night.

Other favourite destinations?

Istanbul. It has the best of all worlds: Ottoman

architecture, islands and water, incredible food,

an exciting music scene, a fascinating bazaar

and wonderful people. I went there first as a kid,

then to lecture in 1994, and have been back

nearly every year since. I first met the Queen at

the Istanbul Modern contemporary art gallery

five years ago, and I went to an incredible party

afterwards in an aircraft hangar. The city has the

same intense energy that New York used to have.

Where do you stay?

The Kempinski. It’s on the Bosphorus and I enjoy

sitting by the pool and watching the boats go by.

Anything you don’t like there?

The traffic; it can take hours to get anywhere.

Your idea of a perfect day on holiday?

Waking up early, discovering it’s sunny, and being

bothered by no one. I love the sun. When I lived

in Beirut I’d laugh at tourists who would get off

the plane, go straight on to a sun-lounger and

burn half of their body. Now, that’s precisely what

I do. Having lived in London for so long, I really

need sun to warm my bones. I used to swim a lot

when I lived in Baghdad and Beirut. I miss that;

swimming was my only hobby.

Do you feel compelled to look at new

architecture when you travel?

Always. At school, every year we’d go to new

cities to learn about architecture: we’d study arty

Paris, or baroque Rome, or ancient Rome. I think

that’s what inspired my love of buildings. When

I’m visiting a city now, I just can’t help myself.

Any specific style you look out for?

Modernism, because it’s so different wherever

you go – Russian modernism is not at all like

Brazilian modernism. The most incredible

modernist cities, I think, are Chicago – its

skyscrapers were the precursors of all the glass

towers worldwide – and Mexico City.

Favourite restaurants?

I always go to the same places in London:

Hakkasan, The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Moro,

which is near me. I like bistros and Chinese.

Tell us about Baku

It’s a very interesting city, and changing quickly.

I enjoyed the bazaar and restaurants such as Art

Garden, Karvansara and Mugham Club, which are

in old places where, long ago, travellers would rest

on their great journeys from Asia to Europe.

What luxuries can’t you do without?

I have to have a clean room, with a good bed,

a nice bath and soft sheets.

The best hotels you’ve stayed in?

I always like Aman Resorts. Other than that, The

Sukhothai in Bangkok and the Park Hyatt Beijing.

What makes a good hotel great?

Service. It’s why I have stayed for the past 20

years at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, and

why I like The Mercer in New York.

Hotel bugbears?

I really don’t like frou-frou places with fussy

carpets and curtains. And a bad bathroom can

make or break a hotel: the rooms in the Hotel

Imperial Vienna might have 20ft-high ceilings

and décor like the palace at Versailles, but

the showers have miserable plastic curtains.

Simple things like under-floor heating in a cold

bathroom can make a huge difference, as can

a towel rail near the shower.

Do you enjoy winter sports?

No. I went to school in Switzerland and hated it, so

for many years I wouldn’t set foot in the country.

Do you travel light?

I used to, but then I’d always need things. So now

I have a suitcase full of shoes and a suitcase full

of bags, and everything else in another case.

Do you collect souvenirs?

I did when I worked in Russia. I bought every

possible plastic trinket: the sputniks, the rockets.

Shopping today isn’t as much fun because the

world is so homogenous, other than in Japan,

where the displays are wonderful, and in China.

The best airline in the world?

British Airways, although the service isn’t as good

as on the Asian airlines. I also like Lufthansa,

which has a good air-miles programme – unlike

BA, which you have to fly with virtually every

day of your life in order to get something.

Favourite place to stay in Britain?

Home. I haven’t stayed in a hotel there for years.

Interview by Lisa Grainger

TRAVELLING LIFE Zaha Hadid

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The distinguished architect loves Rio, Istanbul, heat, impeccable service – and plenty of shoes in her suitcase

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VIDEO

I love waking up early, discovering it’s sunny,

and being bothered by no one. I really need the sun to

warm my bones

THE INFINITE POWER OF REVITALISATION

SUBLIMAGELA CRÈME

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