Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2016 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

I HAVE A SECRET. I CAN BE QUITE THE ROMANTIC FOOL—THE “PLAY-ME-SOME-SAXOPHONE and read-to-me-Rumi” sort of melting patsy. I love village cottages in England that can make me feel like a character from a Jane Austen novel and one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Fives all at once. Romance evokes images of holding hands under the table and listening to Blues in a bar in Vienna, or planning impromptu trysts to a Tuscan vineyard. All these years, I’ve been telling friends that I can’t stand mush—and it’s true that I really can’t take the big teddy bear, Archie’s/Hallmark card clichéd soppy crap. But give me travel to poetic lands, take me to old bookshops, on drives across country sides that have stories to tell, hotels with character and places with engaging…

It’s been a while since I stayed at a hotel like the Vagabond. Articulating my emotion into an appropriate phrase, owner Satinder Garcha quipped, “I didn’t want it to look like an art gallery.” This perhaps, was an insight from an hotelier who had travelled to the best art hotels of the world for inspiration, but returned with corrective measures of how ‘not’ to make a hotel. I, for one, was overwhelmed with what I was looking at when I walked in: a warm background textured with contemporary art pieces—a refined collection of numerous paintings and photographs all synchronised on the dark red walls of the lobby level. I instinctively reached for my camera to take a few photos while I was being checked in. Turns out, Garcha is a…

Uniform I am most comfortable travelling in my Tod’s ballerinas. I always have my Chopard Caroline bag with me as well as my Smythson passport holder, and I never forget my two favourite fragrances—Fracas by Robert Piguet and Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi. Great Getaway The last holiday I took was for Christmas in 2014; I stayed a few days in my chalet in Gstaad in the Swiss Alps. My parents and my brother own chalets there as well so it is our traditional winter holiday destination. Homecoming Home is near Geneva in Switzerland. I recently redecorated my house and I simply love to spend time with friends there. Other places I usually don’t miss out on visiting are the spa at La Réserve Hotel (lareserve.ch), and the amazing…

When it comes to celebrating romance, one needn’t look beyond Europe. With its picturesque locales, luxurious hotels and intimate experiences, there’s enough to choose from for an sweet getaway. No matter how many times you have travelled to Europe there’s still more to explore and indulge in. Here is our list of 14 romantic ways to experience the Continent, and 14 super special ideas to pamper and enjoy with your .…

Leave the hustle and bustle of cities behind and rekindle the magic of flying aboard a hot-air balloon where every seat has a view. Discover the stunning fairytale chimneys of Cappadocia in Turkey, admire Italy’s stunning Piedmont region from above, see the sun rise around you on an exciting hot air balloon ride over one of Spain’s gorgeous medieval cities: Toledo or Segovia. If you want to be indulgent, take your pick from the more luxurious ones that include a champagne breakfast. viator.com ITINERARIES EN PROVENCE Grasse, Aix-en-Provence Make your own signature scent; learn to cook a Provençal feast; and indulge your senses at the original L’Occitane spa. › Stay at the sprawling Bastide St Antoine hotel (relaischateaux.com; 33-4/9370-9494) in picturesque Grasse. › Enjoy a meal using seasonal and local…

Almost every European city offers scenic river and dinner cruises with music, et al. But one of the most romantic ways is to step aboard a comfortable canal barge, a floating country inn where you enjoy gourmet food and wine and relax on deck as the lovely scenery flows by. While you may simply book a cabin on a vessel, consider a private charter, in which you hire the entire vessel for the duration of the river cruise, with sightseeing activities specially tailored to your interests. Barge holidays are particularly famous in France and England. ITINERARIES Switzerland & Italy Lausanne, Bern, Zurich, St Moritz, Milan and Lake Como You may think you know it all when it comes to Switzerland and Italy, but this is the more stylish and classy…

If You’re AN AIMLESS ACCUMULATOR With all the loyalty programmes out there, it’s easy to end up with little stashes of points that hang around like those handfuls of foreign coins you find in your pockets after overseas trips. But just because the amounts are small isn’t a reason to ignore points; they are baked into the price of your hotel room or car rental, and you should get the full value of what you paid for. Here’s how to turn small pools of miles into useful, redeemable balances. Take inventory. You don’t have to keep count yourself. Use an app that accesses your accounts and collects all your balances in one place; just be sure to choose wisely (see ‘Track Happy,’ on the next page). Transfer what you can.…

“I’m about to fly first class on the Airbus A380s of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. I’ll shower in the sky on board Emirates from Houston to Dubai and Bangkok—all courtesy of my Alaska Airlines miles. My flight to Doha is on Qatar, and I’ll come home in Etihad’s First Apartment, which is big enough to walk around in. Total cost: US$500, 235,000 miles, and 6,000 Starpoints.” — Gary Leff, of the View from the Wing blog “For my husband’s 40th birthday we took an around-the-world trip. We flew business class to Amsterdam, Singapore, and the Maldives, where we stayed in a private villa. The trip would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. In total, our award tickets cost 240,000 United miles, plus around US$200.” — Summer Hull, of the…

1 Amrita Das WRITER A Cyclist’s Paradise Called Seville Hers is a story that inspires people to travel. Amrita Das quit her desk job in 2014 when she realised it was causing hindrance to her wanderings. Now a freelance travel writer for numerous Indian and international publications, and blogger at Travelling Ides of March, Das is one of the top 35 travel bloggers in the country. She propagates female solo travel and believes that travel opens us to change. She likes to visit offbeat destinations and experiments with beer or wine on her trails. Having been born in Shillong, she has a natural weakness for the mountains. This issue, she pours out the secrets of cycling in Seville. 2 John Abraham CONTRIBUTOR From The Thunderbird’s Diaries John Abraham is no…

I AM CRAZY about motorcycles. I own quite a few babies, and the latest additions to my brood are the Mojo 300cc, Yamaha MT 09, and of course, my prized Ninja ZX 1400 RR—the only one of its kind in India. I love the rugged and towering mountains. Euro Trip My most memorable trip was in 2008 when I thundered through 3,000 miles in Europe, from Italy to Austria. It was a spontaneous decision as I had just wrapped up the shoot of a film in Venice and wanted to get away on my own. I rode through the scenic Dolmiti range on a BMW 1200. What made this special was that I was all by myself and the experience spelt sheer Zen for me. It was a challenging ride…

EXCLUSIVE Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, St. Moritz Celebrate 120 years of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. CHF 1,20,000 (US$1,19,682) for two people. Three nights’ stay in the Suite Beau-Rivage; Krug Collection welcome set-up. A culinary experience through hotel’s restaurants; a private dinner in the suite; a fondue dinner. Afternoon in a spa suite. Private jet round-trip transfer from Zurich or Milan; transfers to lift. Other highlights: A shopping voucher worth CHF 12,000; ski pass; 120-minute helicopter ride with lunch; a 1.2 carat cocktail ring. badruttspalace.com AUSTRIA THURNHER’S ALPENHOF, ZÜRS AM ARLBERG  The alpine chalet hotel in Lech is perfect for a winter adventure. Stay in a mountain-view room with a fireplace; dine at the restaurant that whips up delicious Austrian specialities; and indulge at their newly-designed spa. Much to the delight of ski…

How to get there Fly to Yerevan by Air Arabia from Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai via Sharjah. Sharjah airport offers a paid lounge facility by this low cost carrier to make layovers comfortable. airarabia.com From Yerevan drive down to the monasteries. Where to stay Double Tree by Hilton with a great location near the Republic Square and comfortable doubles is a good place to stay in Yerevan. What to do Visit the Republic Square, the Cascades, the Vernissage Flea Market, the Matenadaran Library, the National Art Gallery, the Armenian Genocide Museum and the closed market. Take day trips to the Gerghard and Garni temples, visit Lake Sevan and the ski resort of Tsakhkadzor. Eat Local staples like lavash flat bread, dolma – grape leaves stuffed with meat and vegetables, salads,…

Some of the most beautiful natural and architectural wonders yield their true beauty when viewed from above. Hiring a private helicopter tour does not only give you an aerial view, but most of them can be custom-made with special access passes to places like the pre-historic Stonehenge monuments or a decadent meal upon touching down after seeing the scattered islands of archipelago in Stockholm. Other spectacular sites ideal for heli rides are the Amalfi Coast or the French Riviera, the castles of Edinburgh or the gorgeous mosques of Turkey. ITINERARIES Finland Helsini, Kittilä Levi and Rovaniemi The forests, fells and lakes of Finland are the perfect setting for your winter honeymoon or a sun-dappled summer romance, with over 200 nights of Northern Lights activity in an year. › Overnight in…

Europe is packed with old cities, many of them are well-preserved and offer a glance at the way people used to live centuries ago. Regensburg in Germany was founded by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago; Bruges in Belgium is often referred to as ‘Venice of the North’; Carcassonne in France is known for its old walled city; San Gimignano is a medieval walled city in Tuscany famous for its beautiful towers and great art; and the almost entirely pedestrian Cesky Krumlov abounds with fables and gorgeous architecture. ITINERARIES Spain Barcelona and Tenerife Whether you wish to relax by the beach or in the hotel, or take a luxury yacht to see the beautiful coastline of Tenerife, everything about this journey and this part of Europe is pure and romantic.…

For US$49 a year, TripIt Pro lets users track most major airline, hotel, and car programmes. (Notable exceptions: shopping loyalty programmes.) The interface is sleek, and because the company is owned by software giant SAP, the security controls are among the most reliable out there. AwardWallet is one of the oldest tracking sites, launched in 2004. It connects to nearly 700 programmes, from American Airlines to Walmart. Although Delta, United, and Southwest aren’t included, if you forward your monthly statements AwardWallet will scan them and update your account. The app is free, but you have to pay US$5 to get the full range of features.…

IT’S TRUE. THERE HAS BEEN A 134% increase in solo travellers since 2008. And if you are the kind who needs company, there are safe websites to help you exchange detailed conversations with genuine travellers about your destination of choice, personal preferences, and budgets, and find you a travel soulmate. WHERE TO START | WEBSITES AND PROFILES The best websites are those that are open for scrutiny, with no dodgy sign-up/ security fee or dubious pop-up links asking you for your credit card details. Once you are logged in, you can check for user reviews too. Couchsurfing.com No tomfoolery with this one, couchsurfing connects you with locals who open up their homes for your stay. Perfect for those who like spending more money on the road, and less on accommodation.…

13.01 SECRET BEACHES IN INDIA FOR PEACE SEEKERS Quiet beaches in India, safe from prying eyes of onlookers, or monkeys. travelandleisureindia.in/ www.travelandleisureindia.in/secret-beaches-in-indiafor-peace-seekers secret-beaches-in-indiafor-peace-seekers 17.01 WORLD’S GREATEST CHINATOWNS Red lanterns or curly pagodas roofs… a Chinatown is in the top 5 attractions of any great city of the world. travelandleisureindia. in/worlds-greatestchinatowns 22.01 A WINTER LOVER’S TOUR OF AUSTRIA Unbelievable vertical drops, mountain villages, Baroque city architecture; Austria looks magical with snow all over. travelandleisureindia. in/a-winter-lovers-tour-ofaustria BURNING QUESTION Last month we asked you about your pet peeves when travelling. Here are the results. 33% said ‘people running, shoving, pushing to exit the plane’. 41% said ‘chatty co-passengers’. 26% said ‘selfie sticks’. DOWNLOAD US T+L Tablet Editions Available on iPad, Anroid, and Windows Tablets. FOLLOW US TWITTER.COM /TNLINDIA FACEBOOK.COM /TNLINDIA PINTEREST.COM…

The old Tea Horse Trail Possibly the oldest trading route, the Tea Horse Road connects the Yunnan province with Tibet and the rest of the world. Lijiang was once a hub for tea trading and one can experience over 30 varieties of tea here. The UNESCO World Heritage Site also has numerous hiking trails that go via the city of Shangri-La, another landmark. Connect with water and the Old Town Lijiang’s Old Town district was built where the Jade River divides into three streams. These form the canals and waterways, which flow along the Old Town streets and create a tranquil ambiance. Gastronomy from the Naxi community Traditional Naxi cooking combines influences from the states on the old Tea Horse route and delivers fabulous flavours. Featuring exciting dishes such as…

Johanna Basford This Scottish illustrator has become a worldwide phenomenon with her colouring books for adults. One of the top selling authors, her works include Lost Ocean, Secret Garden, and Enchanted Forest. She painstakingly draws every design, and the intricacies are delightful. johannabasford.com Jenean Morrison If you’re the one who likes patterns, then you will definitely like Jenean Morrison’s Flower Designs, Pattern and Design, and Mandala Design. A painter and textile designer based in Memphis, Morrison has a huge fan following (if her Instagram account is any indication). jeneanmorrison.net Millie Marotta The Welsh illustrator Millie Marotta admits that she has a mild obsession with flora and fauna, and all her books feel like they have been sketched in a wonderland. Animal Kingdom is her most loved colouring book—replete with detailed…

I’D READ OF MANY PEOPLE visiting Miami and never going back. I’d later learnt why. The city opens up arms to cultures, languages, food, music, fashion, and people, yet manages to never let anyone or anything get in the way of its essence, or crowd its space. Thinking back, I realise that every facet of the city seems to reinforce this, without anyone having to point it out. I’d always seen Miami through a Hollywood lens—a sunny, vibrant party central, with salsa and tequila, and beach-bodied beauties in cutoffs, roller-blading down the boardwalk. Then there was the constant mention of awards on travel portals—for its great beaches, as a holiday destination, or a place to live in—everything was up there. A man-made island that was once a Coconut Grove Plantation,…

Driving is one of the best ways to take in European vistas. You can stop in to enjoy breathtaking views of glaciers, the ocean or farmers’ lush fields. It only gets better in a swanky set of wheels or a zippy sports car. Fun classics such as an MGC Roadster, a convertible Alfa Romeo Spider or a Morris Minor are available too across Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Spain. kingrent.com ITINERARIES Portugal Douro Valley and Lisbon From the deep notes of Duoro valley’s wines to the rich smoothness of Port in Porto to finally the festive flavours of Lisbon, this lovely five-night tour of Portugal is dreamy and indulgent for the taste buds and other senses. › Stay at Six Senses Douro Valley, Penha Longa Ritz-Carlton in Sintra. › Wine…

An erstwhile trade route in Germany, the Romantic Road is a 400-km stretch from the vineyards of Würzburg to the foot of the Alps. This scenic route passes through picturesque countryside, cobblestoned villages and medieval towns of Bad Mergentheim, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbuehl and Noerdlingen. While you can cover the entire distance in one day, it is worth stopping in a town or two to experience traditional Bavaria. ITINERARIES Belgium & Netherlands Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam The best of Belgian quaintness and the cool and contemporary scene in Netherlands. › City tour of Bruges' atmospheric backstreets, gothic buildings, squares, and includes a boat tour along the canals. › Climb to Belfry for stunning views of Bruges, visit a lacemaking studio, a local brewery, sample Belgian chocolates. › Bike…

For frugal fliers For its most loyal customers, budget carrier EasyJet is launching Flight Club, a fancier and free alternative to its US$250-a-year Plus programme. Benefits include the ability to change itineraries and names on tickets without incurring any fees. To get in, you’ll need to fly at least 20 EasyJet segments or spend a certain amount (yet to be announced) on flights in a 12-month period. For bedding down in boutiques Stash Hotel Rewards, a loyalty programme for indie hotels, recently launched a credit card that provides a 60 per cent bonus for stays at member hotels. There are about 150 hotels in the network, almost all of them in the US So if you’re a fan of San Francisco’s Inn at Union Square, say, you can rack up…

Spain’s fourth largest city, Seville, is quite flat. When I looked out from my window, there were no ridges and no inclines. The town's topography contributes greatly to its charm on cyclists. While returning from dinner on my first night here, I enquiringly pointed at the green paint on the tiled pedestrian path. I was told that these are dedicated cycle tracks which run through the city. While I wondered if these were actually used, a cycle zoomed past me. I paid attention to the frequency of bikes whizzing by and lost count in the next three minutes! In the old town, the tracks are quaint and the cobblestone lanes here are partitioned with steel knobs. Many corridors of this part of the city are limited only to pedestrians and…

AS DAWN BROKE OVER THE NGAMO PLAIN IN Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, we set out in search of a male lion that local game guides call Bhubezi. At the wheel of our clapped-out Toyota Land Cruiser was Brent Stapelkamp, a dashing young researcher who has been studying Hwange’s prides for almost a decade. The thick Kalahari sand was a test for our wheezing vehicle, but the greater challenge was tracking down Bhubezi, an eight-year-old lion who, together with his brother Bush, has dominated part of this 5,400-square-mile park on Zimbabwe’s western border for the past four years. Our search for Bhubezi was urgent, Stapelkamp explained, because just two weeks earlier Bush had been killed—shot by an American hunter on Forestry Commission land a mile outside the park. Though bait was…