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

MY EXPERIENCE WITH TRAVELLING WITH KIDS IS LIMITED TO SHRIEKING little monsters running down the aisle on an aircraft slapping every passenger’s shoulder or elbow like they’ve been entrusted with some twisted way of taking a roll call. They are all, of course, other people’s kids. I didn’t have any just so I could spare all of you out there trying to get some sleep in Business, Economy and Premium Economy! Others obviously didn’t return the courtesy. So all flights I take seem to be blessed with children who are to in-flight snoozing as Donald Trump is to the American presidential campaign currently: Aggravating and successfully disruptive. But there are moments when I’m sitting at an airport and can’t help but smile on hearing some adorable observation a kid makes…

To most Sydneysiders, the former working-class enclave of Chippendale was a nondescript area easily overlooked in favour of the posh, beachy eastern suburbs . But just as its neighbours—Surry Hills, Redfern, and Darlinghurst—have been transformed by gentrification, so too has a creative scene come to Chippendale’s once rough-and-tumble streets. At the vanguard of the revival is the Old Clare Hotel (theoldclarehotel.com.au; doubles from US$205), which occupies a 1915 brewery and a 1930s pub. The owners have taken great care to honour the buildings’ impressive bones while incorporating contemporary global influences: Midcentury Danish furniture, light fixtures from a Lebanese design studio , organic toiletries from New Zealand brand Triumph & Disaster, a sexy rooftop pool, and tongue-in-cheek Aussie touches including black tote bags in the closets printed with phrases like random…

1 | Oberoi Philae | Egypt ROUTE After a trip to Oberoi’s Sahl Hasheesh beach resort, board this plush ship (with a pool and a theatre) and wind down the Nile . HIGHLIGHTS The Temple of Edfu and the Valley of the Kings . MEAL PLAN Egyptian dishes like tapenade-crusted Nile perch . DETAILS From US$1,644 per night for two, all-inclusive . oberoihotels.com 2 | Amandira | Indonesia ROUTE Amanwana resort’s double-masted, five-cabin sailboat takes guests to see rare Komodo dragons . HIGHLIGHTS The dragons, and snorkelling among sharks and manta rays . MEAL PLAN Barramundi with turmeric, basil, and rice. DETAILS Five nights on the ship and two nights at the resort, from US$42,850 for two, all-inclusive . aman.com 3 | Naga Pelangi | Malaysia ROUTE Datai Langkawi guests…

LIVE GIGS Day 1 | ARC ASIA In the ABC Farms complex—considered the original home of live music in Pune—Arc Asia stands out for its lovely alfresco feel. Serving Pan-Asian cuisine (with the occasional North Indian dish thrown in) alongside live performances, this is a can’t-go-wrong-with kind of place. Try their Lazy Sunday Brunch,where dancing on tables, egged on by the in-house band, is de rigeur! ABC Farms, North Main Road, Koregaon Park; 91/903-609-0132 Day 2 | RAASTA CAFÉ Tucked away on a side street in the bustling Camp (CBD) area, this cosy restaurant has an outdoor terrace with funky street art on the walls and canopied wood tables. With Acoustic Thursday nights and live acts, the musical repertoire here is quite varied. Plus they offer creative cocktails and a…

Up north from Central London, there’s a whole other kind of Broadway that seems particularly suited to life as a local. A stroll down Muswell Hill’s sloping streets is a beautiful way to slow down whilst still taking in a bit of London’s magic. If the number of home stores and boutiques are anything to go by, Muswell Hill is most firmly a residential area, not particularly designed for tourists, but with its warm, village feel, proximity to Alexandra Park and all-round loveliness, it’s the kind of place where a weekend may be well spent. Its many cafes seem perfectly staged as a backdrop to the Muswell Hill Bookshop, which has remained independent since 1985. Perched atop a hill with sweeping views of the rest of London, its comfortable distance…

COORG IS HOME to fragrant teakwood forests, rolling hills, lush tall trees with pepper vines entwined around them, picturesque green valleys, and over all tranquility that’s earned it the moniker ‘the Scotland of the east.’ I woke up on a misty morning in an enormous bedroom furnished with charming old wooden furniture giving one a taste of the past, coupled with thinkable present-day creature comforts. Lush green gardens with a quaint patio to sit out at and enjoy your evening coffee or even a sunny breakfast outside the colonial-style bungalow. TATA Coffee offers a wonderful getaway in their coffee-growing estate Pollibetta where these heritage plantation bungalows are. The days are spent relaxing in the comforts of the bungalow or taking a tour of the plantations and understanding how coffee is…

FRANCE Chateau Seiguier, Loire Valley A 17th C chateau that combines historic charm with modern comforts. The location is brilliant: There are five golf courses (including two of Europe’s best) between 15 mins and an hour’s drive away and some of Loire Valley’s prestigious vineyards. Guests have access to the village’s tennis courts and horseback riding school. The chateau has a private pond where you can fish, picnic, and swim. It also has private access to a swimming pool set amidst a lovley 2.5 acre garden. And did we mention that one of the beds in the house was owned by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle? Sleeps 12 and prices start at €1,651 per week. Chateau Gaillac, Midi-Pyrenees A late Napoleonic, belle époque style chateau with a Tuscan atmosphere near Toulouse. Wake…

SHERLOCK HOMES I LONDON Dressed in trench coat and armed with magnifying glasses, study places where Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson lived and breathed. The trail starts at 221b Baker Street, the famous home of the fictional detective, now the Sherlock Holmes Museum. You shouldn’t miss the chance to see a performance at the Royal Opera House (roh.org.uk) where Holmes was a patron. Visit The Langham Hotel (langhamhotels.com) on Regent Street, known to have been frequented and mentioned by Sir Doyle in his stories. Move over to the British Museum (britishmuseum.org) where the astute detective often went for research. Another long surviving icon reminiscing Sherlock’s tales is St Bart’s Hospital. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE I ENGLAND In the book, Elizabeth Bennet is a traveller too; she takes off with the Gardiners…

PASSPORT-FREE TRAVEL IN EUROPE: IS IT DEAD? Terrorist attacks, a refugee crisis, and fears about future security threats may put an end to unrestricted travel on the Continent. Last November, hours after terrorists launched a series of deadly attacks in Paris, French president François Hollande made a declaration: for security’s sake, the country’s borders would be closed. It was easier said than done—how do you shut the hundreds of roads that enter France from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland?—and the government soon clarified, saying it would implement border checks. Still, it was a pivotal moment for Europe, most of which has been border-free for more than 20 years. Since the 1990s, 26 countries have removed controls at their boundaries, creating a zone known as the Schengen Area. It was…

Anil Chawla / Photographer / NUBRA VALLEY I was driving through Nubra Valley, Ladakh when I passed this place. It’s a tri-armed valley in the North near Diskit—the capital of Nubra. The Shyok River meets the Nubra to form a large valley that separates Ladakh from the Karakoram ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th century, and is home to the Chamba Gompa. Between Hundar and Diskit lie several kilometres of sand dunes, and (two-humped) bactrian camels graze in the neighbouring “forests” of seabuckthorn. Non-locals are not allowed beyond Hundar village—it is the border area and is called Balti. The beautiful village of Baigdandu is also located in this area. People here have startling…

1 Raul Dias WRITER The Cool Kids’ Club A luxury travel writer for a little over a decade, Raul Dias is a self-confessed devotee of the peripatetic way of life and a lover of all things edible. He has eaten his way through a host of top restaurants around the world, from one under water in the Maldives to a table suspended mid-air above Tokyo. A fiend for bucket lists of all kinds, he has just ticked off Mexico as the 45th country he visited as he heads to #46—Madagascar. This issue, he’s got suggestions your kids will love! 2 Sonali Bendre CONTRIBUTOR Learning on the go Actor Sonali Bendre’s pause in career a few years ago went into gaining wisdom from parenting her son. Now a published author, her…

1 | LOST & FOUND At this store, there’s beachy clothing for all ages—you’ll find lots of navy blue and white here, as well as linen and stripes. Down the block, its new sister interiors shop carries global goods like Colombian soapstone pots. Nos. 2230 and 2000; lostandfound shop.com 2 | ASHLAND HILL For lunch, order the Alaskan-cod tacos with a side of herbed Parmesan fries at this casual New American spot , then grab a table out back. entrées US$10–US$25; No. 2807; ashlandhill.com 3 | HINTERLAND Pop singer Joe Jonas expands his horizons with this lively restaurant. On the menu are oysters, charcuterie, and a substantial grilled Niman Ranch pork chop—along with an excellent list of craft beers. entrées US$21–US$29; No. 2917; hinter land.la 4 | LOVE ADORNED The…

TRAVELLING WITH MY family is all about making it a value-creating experience for my child. That’s what makes it truly worthwhile, exciting and memorable, even though my son, Ranveer, sees it purely as a fun, family vacation. My homework towards planning a trip is sometimes based on his studies. If his current reading includes a historical event like the First World War, my research would centre on a significant city like Berlin. From museums to sightseeing or simply walking down the city streets, it all leads to getting up close and personal with a new culture. This way, a holiday becomes an enriching experience for him and a great opportunity for us to bond. Holidays are important milestones in the journey of parenting. Now that Ranveer is 10 years old,…

MARCH/2016 Byron Bay Bluesfest, New South Wales | 24–28 | This Blues and Roots fest brings Tom Jones, Elle King, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. bluesfest.com.au Grand Prix, Melbourne | 17–20 | Sit tight at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, and feel adrenaline pump into your blood as high-speed cars swish past you. grandprix.com.au Ultra Music Festival, Miami | 18–20 | At Bayfront Park, the annual EDM party is on with Avicii, Tiesto, David Guetta, and more. ultramusicfestival.com ICC World Twenty20, India | Mar 9–Apr 3 | Cricket lovers in India have something to look forward to this summer. icc-cricket.com/world-t20 Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival, Himachal | 25–27 | The Disparrows, The Local Train, Bollywood singer Shilpa Rao, and others will make themselves heard. APRIL/2016 Coachella Valley Music…

THE SUN HAD JUST slipped down between the apple trees, silhouetting a group of Normande cows against an orange-purple sky, as I foraged around a vegetable garden on my hands and knees. Yanking out a couple of radishes to add to my pannier of organic produce—turnips, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and celeriac—I felt gratifyingly like a peasant in a Millet painting. Smoke from the chimney of La Petite Chaumière, the 16th-century thatched cottage we were staying in, mingled with fresh scents from the herb garden, where, alongside varieties of thyme, mint, and sage, sat plants with even more-poetic-sounding labels: sarriette, pimprenelle, and mélisse. Beyond them, a moss-flanked path led to a latched front door, behind which a crackling fireplace glowed. The only thing missing was the Three Bears. The Three Bears,…

HOW OFTEN do we book into a glamorous island resort far away for a family vacay; Canary or the Caribbean, there is always that perfect celebratory travel plan pulling us away from that which is our very own. As ‘exotic’ gets crowded, turn to your own islands for a holiday inspiration. Munroe Island KERALA Houseboats have never been prettier. Nor have the mangroves. Only 27 kms from Kollam, the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada River take you on a canal cruise to the island named after Colonel Munroe, the British President of erstwhile Travancore. The slow life of the Munroe isles is a sharp contrast to the buzz of the city-watch fishermen take boats out early in the morning, ladies of the village make ropes with coconut fibre, an…

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa SINGAPORE COST From US$400 per night; till October 31; shangri-la.com. INCLUSIONS Accommodation in Deluxe Pool View Room and Deluxe Garden Room; two children under 12 stay in parents’ room for free; buffet breakfast and dinner; Toots Club’s full-day programme with lunch and dinner for kids above 5; complimentary access to the Mini Toots Club to toddlers below the age of 5 under parental or guardian supervision; 15 per cent off on spa; one-hour free use of selected water sports facilities daily; three free swings on The Flying Trapeze per room, per stay; complimentary internet access; free entry to Sentosa Island and Sentosa Express tickets. BEST FOR Couples who want to some time together while their kids enjoy activities at the club. The Westin Turtle…

Q Which destinations will strengthen our connections to wildlife and nature? Love for animals is a common denominator among kids the world over. Going to a zoo or an aquarium is a great start, and you can further it by hiking in a national park, exploring a rainforest, or snorkeling at an island. Q What activities will spark their curiosity? Travel is a great way to release a child’s natural sense of curiosity. Sometimes it’s as simple as trying new foods. You might not think your child will like sushi, love astronomy, or want to see a musical—but they’ll never know unless you let them try. Q What kind of trip brings the family closer? Given our busy work and school schedules, try to make it a priority to spend…

A Taste of Mexico Last month, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, in association with Mexico Tourism Board, hosted a networking event over two days at The St Regis Mumbai and Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi. In attendance were members of the travel and trade fraternity, including members of TAAI, OTOAI, and IATO, for a session with Mr Guillermo Eguiarte from Mexico Tourism. Mr Eguiarte shared insights into how Mexico is now a popular destination for Indian travellers. MUMBAI DELHI…

My First Time in Bernese Oberland My first visit to Switzerland was in 2008. I was on a road trip around the country, and headed to Bernese Oberland to see the Swiss Alps. It was then that I decided to stay over in a little Swiss village, Wengen, and instantly fell in love with its simple lifestyle and stunning views. My love for nature and the mountains takes me back to Bernese Oberland. For a local experience The only way to truly experience the Bernese Oberland is to stay in the beautiful villages of Wengen and Mürren. They are the best places to enjoy the simple things in life like taking a morning stroll with no cars around, breathing in fresh air, and indulging in local cuisine. A restaurant perfect…

I TRAVELLED TO South Africa and Botswana for a 12-day trip with my extended family. All together, we were 14 travellers including my husband and three sons. It’s always been my dream to go on safari, and the one I took did not disappoint. We travelled with a company called BackRoads on a multisport adventure so every day there was a sport component to the trip—hiking, biking, etc. It was the perfect trip to stay active, catch up with my family, explore and get inspired. Day 1 It was my first trip to South Africa so I couldn’t leave without visiting my local artists. The energy and openness of each makeup artist was incredible. A couple of hours after landing, I showed up to meet my team. ‘Enthusiastic, happy, and…

Even though you yourself are nothing like your sibling, it is always a bit of a shock to discover how different your own kids are from one another. Mine certainly are. Where food philosophies are concerned, the two—Girl (18) and Boy (13)—are at opposite s ides of the spectrum. It has made for interesting times for us as a family, particularly when we travel. GIRL VS FOOD Travelling with the girl is a breeze—she’s easy about food, as she is about everything else. When she turned 8, we took her to the famed Sunday brunch at the Leela Palace to celebrate. She raced excitedly from one laden counter to another, oohing over the tottering piles of Danish, aahing over the fragrant cinnamon rolls. Then she stopped short at the very…

INTEGRATED RESORTS ASIA Resorts World Sentosa SINGAPORE Catch Imagine|Native, a unique maritime experiential museum that opens in May-June 2016. 8 Sentosa Gateway; +65/6577-8888; rwsentosa.com Marina Bay Sands SINGAPORE Star Wars and Beyond , the musical performance opens in early March. 10 Bayfront Ave; +65/6688-8868;marinabaysands.com Resorts World Genting Heights PAHANG, MALAYSIA Catch the newly opened madcap magic show and circus anchored by misfit magician Ed Alonzo. rwgenting.com City of Dreams MACAU, CHINA Watch an aquatic acrobat show at The House of Dancing Water. The Boulevard, Estrada do Istma (Coloane); +853/8590-3000; cityofdreamsmacau.com MGM Macau MACAU, CHINA Swim amidst more than 1,000 fish in MGM Aurora and an eight-metre cylindrical aquarium with a coral palace. Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, Nape; +853/8802-8888;mgmmacau.com AFRICA Sun City Theme Park RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Children will enjoy…