Innholdsfortegnelse for June - August 2024 i International Traveller

The concept of luxury in travel has changed. When was the last time you came back from a trip raving about thread counts or high-end amenities? More likely it was the food and drink, the local guides, the after-hours visit to that famous European museum that you valued the most. The new luxury is not about bling, status or price tags but cultural kudos, finding space, treading lightly, giving back. It's the luxury of experience – which I explore on page 82. It's the luxury of exploring the wild, remote reaches of the Peruvian Amazon with naturalist guides who know the river – and its creeks, plants and wildlife – like the backs of their hands, as I did earlier this year and write about on page 124. In between…

These remote Fijian islands are hard to reach, but reward travellers with untouched landscapes and a glimpse into everyday life still rooted in tradition. Captain Cook Cruises Fiji's team of marine and cultural experts help guests gain a deeper, more authentic experience around these islands (and more) across multiple itineraries. 1 KADAVU ISLAND Kadavu is rugged and off-grid, comprising dense rainforest and spring-fed waterfalls, isolated beaches and deep bays. It retains a culture rooted in local heritage, including the use of traditional fishing traps and a unique practice of clay pottery rarely seen in Fiji today. Take the seven-night Ultimate Lau & Kadavu cruise to see how local women mould clay in the village of Nalotu. 2 MAKOGAI ISLAND North-east of Viti Levu, Makogai is a place of great conservation…

WHERE IT IS The Pan Pacific Orchard is located just off Orchard Road, Singapore's famous shopping district. panpacific.com WHY WE LOVE IT Biophilia is a hypothesis positing that humans have an innate connection with nature. Biophilic design draws upon this principle; bringing the outside inside, so to speak. The Pan Pacific Orchard takes this concept to a new level, evoking a deeply sensory experience of nature in Singapore's urban centre. Here, guests are greeted by the soothing sound of a cascading water feature that wraps around the better part of the ground floor. The lobby is decorated with hundreds of small wooden birds and punctuated by bouquets of white orchids. Even the cocktails at the tropic-inspired Botanist Lounge & Bar are infused with floral and botanical flavours. Not least of…

ALL IN THE EXPERIENCE The concept of luxury has evolved. Travellers are increasingly placing value not on gold taps and thread count, but on the riches to be gained from transformative experiences that put them at the heart of culture-rich communities and spectacular settings. Think the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, for example, discoverable when you check into Our Habitas AlUla. See page 82 for more.…

Grass routes Conscious travel | POSTCARDS Traffic moves slow in the Thai jungle. I'm in a jeep trailing 62-year-old Puang Phet, unflustered as she slowly sways up a road carved into swathes of bamboo. I smile as she playfully knocks down errant branches with her muscular trunk. Here at the illustrious Four Seasons Tented Camp, there's a clear sense of the hard-won peace that was once missing from the top of Thailand. The Golden Triangle, where the mighty Mekong River threads through the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, was historically the world's heart of opium and heroin production. What's now a verdant bed of sustainable agriculture and harmonious living once withered as a war zone of denuded hillsides, hungry drug lords and copious collateral damage. Since the royal family began…

Peruvian Amazon | JOURNEYS There should be a word for the feeling that hits when you step onto the tarmac of somewhere you've never been before. When the atmospheric conditions of somewhere new infiltrate all your senses at once. Here, now, the night air is swollen with humidity and I taste it as I breathe in – sweet, swampy and deep green. A huge orange moon is hung low in the sky, presiding over a rainforest domain. I've landed in the Amazon. A neon butterfly dances a path through the beige baggage hall and I ascribe a talismanic quality to it: a messenger sent from the jungle to portend my wild adventure to come. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE It's approaching dusk the next day when I arrive in Nauta, a…

Your guide to Nashville No matter what type of traveller you are, the city of Nashville, Tennessee, is sure to delight. Dive deeper into its variety of neighbourhoods to find culinary hotspots, sublime stays and an arts scene that oozes with the essence of the South. Onboard Icon of the Seas The latest ship from cruising trailblazer Royal Caribbean is a destination unto itself. Currently the biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas definitely lives up to its name. It's time to step onboard this city at sea and experience firsthand why families around the world are coming back for more. THE BEST OF SAMOA Sitting pretty in the South Pacific Ocean, Samoa is a paradise that few are privy to. The string of idyllic islands sprawls…

Next-level wellness Amangiri has leaned into the holistic and integrative wellness trend in celebration of its 15th anniversary. The resort, tucked away in the red-rock country of the Colorado Plateau, has introduced a range of experiences such as Yoga on the Rocks and Thermal Therapy that combine the thrill of the Wild West setting with exercises designed to promote wellness, physical recovery and mental clarity. Those intent on a wellness journey can also get their chaturanga on at a four-day wellness retreat at Amanera in the Dominican Republic; experience ancient healing therapies at Amanpuri's new Spa House in Thailand; and sign up for a Strength and Recovery retreat at Aman New York, aman.com A HIGHLAND FLING Wildland Scotland is an organisation with a 200-year vision to protect and conserve the…

Ahead of the pack “Two skirts, two jerseys or leotards, one sweater, two pair shoes, stockings, bra, nightgown, robe, slippers, cigarettes, bourbon.” This was the packing list taped to the closet door of the late literary legend Joan Didion during her days working as a reporter. “The list enabled me to pack, without thinking, for any piece was likely to do,” she wrote in The White Album, her acclaimed 1979 book of essays. Outside of writing, Didion was an unofficial style icon (even at age 80, she starred in a Céline ad campaign, modelling a pair of oversized sunglasses for the French luxury label). Her fashion sensibility was much like her prose: elegant, minimal, feminine and sharp. In 2022, Didion's own pair of Céline tortoiseshell sunnies fetched $40,000 when they…

DAY ONE 9AM Wake up in your private bungalow at the AVALON HOTEL, a favourite hideaway for the brightest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, from Joan Crawford to Errol Flynn. At a poolside table, welcome yourself to Palm Springs with a date shake, made from the fruit of the city's namesake trees. Double down with an American classic to set the tone of the day: French toast smothered in whipped cream cheese, bananas and candied walnuts. 10AM To get your bearings, join PS ARCHITECTURE TOURS for a fascinating overview of the city. The mid-century modernist buildings reveal the backstory of Palm Springs’ iconic aesthetic and celebrity influence. Drive past the former homes of Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow, whose distinctive property was the main setting in…

If you ever speak to a traveller who has been on a Tauck cruise or tour, it instantly becomes clear that their experience was something else. Their eyes light up and they have no hesitation when recommending Tauck to others. It's a reputation that family-owned Tauck has worked hard to cultivate since its beginnings in 1925, according to Vice President of Global Sales and Reservations Steve Spivak. It's this principle that provided the groundwork for Tauck's unique four pillars on which they base every experience. 1. NEVER SETTLE FOR ORDINARY While Tauck travels every continent and offers more than 170 itineraries across land, river and sea, not a single one is allowed to be average. “We never settle for ordinary,” explains Spivak. “If we can't deliver exceptional in a destination,…

Central Vietnam | POSTCARDS The sky is turning to bronze as the sun dips beyond the roofline of the merchant houses along the edge of the canal. Here in Hội An, the ‘Venice of the East’ in Central Vietnam, there is a bit of a moment – almost a collective breath held for a split second by the gathering throngs. As with every evening in the night markets, that collective breath is expelled with a soft, joyful “aaaah” as the town's famous silk lanterns crisscrossing Nguyen Phuc Chu Street come alive with light. The many lantern stores are suddenly the most popular shops as the last of the twilight fades. Families pose for photos amid the jewel-toned hues, then eagerly sign up for the next day's lantern-making workshops offered throughout…

POSTCARDS | Corsica The translucent water is the palest aquamarine, so clear you can see right through to the sand below, which is the colour of Champagne. A half-moon beach stretches before us, framed by violet hills fragrant with sage and juniper and thick with the serenade of cicadas. Just a 20-minute jetboat ride across a cobalt sea has brought us here to Plage de Saleccia on the Desert des Agriates, Corsica's largest protected wilderness area that is not a desert at all. It's a rocky scrubland of endemic maquis bush, which frames some of the most beautiful and unspoilt beaches in the Mediterranean. EXPLORE THE UNEXPLORED It's just one of my many discoveries on a recent exploration of the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean. Most Australians know next to…

AT ONE WITH NATURE The Sun is one of Edvard Munch's most famous works and the monumental masterpiece is on show as part of the Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth exhibition at the Munchmuseet in Oslo, Norway. Munch reportedly thought of nature as ‘the eternal great realm from which art derives its sustenance’ and the exhibition explores humanity's relationship with nature over eight themed rooms within the vibrant art museum. Turn to page 142 for more.…

Backstreets Neighbourhoods | PASSPORT You know a district has worked its way into the hearts of locals when it is assigned a portmanteau nickname. And so it is with SoCo, or South Congress for long. A vibrant cultural hub in Austin, Texas, South Congress offers some of the US city's best shopping, dining and nightlife and it's all packed into one eminently walkable strip. This section of South Congress Avenue, with its unmatched view of the Texas Capitol, has seen numerous incarnations. More recently, its tenure as the city's main conduit, connecting downtown to the city's south side over the Colorado River, came to an end when Interstate 35 opened in 1962, leading traffic elsewhere. As a result, SoCo fell deep into its crime era, becoming a no-go zone complete with…

INSIDE TRACK The Granville Suite is named in honour of Krystyna Skarbek, also known as Christine Granville, a Polish secret agent for Britain during the Second World War and rumoured to be Winston Churchill's favourite spy. It's one of many layers of history that guests will peel back when they stay at the UK's first Raffles Hotel, housed in London's landmark Old War Office Building. Turn the page for more.…

Beyond the pale Sit on your private balcony and prepare to be dazed by the contrast of cerulean seas against the whitewashed walls of this Agadir oasis. The Moroccan resort measures up to its namesake with views over the Atlantic coast, best enjoyed with a cocktail in hand. The View Agadir has 272 guestrooms withfloor-to-ceiling windows and striking earthy interiors. theviewhotels.com DESTINATION DUPE Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat is a sleek new stay on the Abu Dhabi coast. The Santorini-inspired island hideaway halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi was a private residence in a former life and has just 22 rooms and suites, all with sea views. The exclusive adults-only resort has a private beach, outdoor pool, hammam, sauna, cold plunge pool and an indoor cinema. anantara.com The new look…

Port from Douro Valley, Portugal It's not every day you open a bottle of wine born in the same year as you (or earlier), which makes port the perfect wine for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hailing from Portugal's Douro Valley, port is made according to strict regulations. The appellation is the third oldest in the world and foot-stomping is still common practice here; a visit during vintage can offer the opportunity to get your feet wet. Port is more about style than variety, and this can confuse drinkers. Vintage port is only made in the best years; these bottles are age-worthy. Ruby port is fresh in colour and flavour and made to drink now, while tawny port has oxidative and complex characteristics such as spiced caramel and toasted nuts. The ageing…

My fingers are stained tempranillo red from picking the blackberries that grow wild on Galicia's coast. The small inky fruits pulse with sweetness, rendered tender and delicious by the Spanish sun. The berries are a welcome snack in the absence of lunch – to my dismay, I'd mistimed my arrival to the only restaurant around for miles, finding it shuttered and closed for siesta. The trail steers me and my partner inland past a lonely farmhouse. A grey cat naps on the sun-lit porch and a mighty pear tree casts dappled shade onto the garden, the branches ripe and heavy with fruit. A farmer sits a few yards away, scrubbing potatoes with his wife and young son. The conditioning of city life makes it feel somehow taboo to ask this…

The New Luxury | POSTCARDS When Torunn Tronsvang left Dubai to work in Bhutan in 2008, she knew a thing or two about luxury. She had wrapped up a role with Jumeirah, whose ultra-extravagant Burj Al Arab hotel - think gold-plated iPads, marble staircases and a revolving bed in the Royal Suite - has become synonymous with modern Dubai. She brought exacting standards of quality and excellence to her new role as lodge manager for Amankora - Aman Resorts’ collection of five lodges spread across the valleys of this Himalayan Kingdom, which had opened lour years earlier - and parlayed them into a different type of luxury travel. Part of Tronsvang's role involved designing guest experiences. Today guests at one of Amankora's five lodges might find themselves joining young monks…

PASSPORT | Wanderlust WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF TRAVELLING? I grew up in Southern California where Mum and Dad would take us camping to the local mountains almost every weekend. I loved that. WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT? My husband [horticulturalist Jirachai Renthong] and I are off to my second-favourite place in the world: Kyoto. We have been a dozen times but there is always something new to see. YOUR HEARTFELT PASSION IS PHILANTHROPY. TELL US ABOUT THE SHINTA MANI FOUNDATION? Our Shinta Mani Foundation gives me a real purpose. We do serious conservation work in the Cardamom rainforest in Cambodia, educate hundreds of underprivileged children, supply formula for babies who would grow up undernourished and we build hundreds of homes. YOU'RE KNOWN AS THE WILLY WONKA OF DESIGN.…

Until 25 August EDVARD MUNCH: TREMBLING EARTH Munchmuseet, Oslo, Norway Munch's belief that humans inhabit the Earth with an equal status to nature is more relevant than ever. Comprising eight themed rooms, from ‘In the Forest’ to ‘Beneath the Sun’, the works in this exhibition give us a whole new way of understanding Munch: an artist fascinated by humankind's interaction with Earth and its natural cycles. munchmuseet.no 18 August HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL Singapore CELEBRATING THE RICH TRADITIONS OF SINGAPORE'S CHINESE POPULATION, THIS FESTIVAL HONOURS MEMORIES OF DECEASED FAMILY AND FRIENDS. OFFERINGS, FROM JEWELLERY TO FOOD, ARE MADE TO APPEASE THE DEAD IN THE AFTERLIFE AND LIVE PERFORMANCES, KNOWN AS GETAI, ARE HELD, DURING WHICH THE FIRST ROW IS LEFT VACANT FOR ANY SPIRITS WHO MAY BE VISITING. Until September 29…

Farah Zeb Khalid, also known as Farah X, says her dream as a director is to provide a platform for other women of colour to feel seen and heard. e Pakistani-American director is a former model who worked in Paris, London and Los Angeles before stepping behind the camera, where she says she has always felt more comfortable. Farah X says it was her experience as a model that inspired her to question the impact women of colour have had on the fashion, hip hop and R&B scene in the film The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion, which she co-directed. She also collaborated with Beyoncé on Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé and has worked on film projects for everyone from Prince to Mariah Carey. “I've had a lot of pinch-me…