Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

SIMON CLAYS It’s true that dining in good company is one of life’s great treats, but one of my favourite dining experiences was taken alone. Alone in the fragrant sunshine of a sleepy French market town with an afternoon to kill. I was there to watch the Monaco Grand Prix, but, as one might expect, there wasn’t a single mattress available in the hustle and bustle of Monte Carlo. So, I was camped further down the coast in the aptly named Beaulieu Sur Mer (‘a beautiful place’)—a seaside cove tucked into the side of a craggy mountainside that lives up to its moniker. Hungry and wandering listless in the heat, I camped at the market square to watch the villagers shop for fresh seafood, fruit, and vegetables. The colours and…

With summer in full swing, discerning travellers are leaving the city in the quest of quietude. If the idea of a forest adventure excites you, take a road trip to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Stay close to the action at The Oberoi Vanayvilas, where 25 luxury tents await its guests. Begin your day with an early morning ride to Ranthambore Fort, a unesco World Heritage Site, and enjoy stunning views of the Surwal Lake. Once back at the hotel, enjoy a leisurely, al fresco breakfast beside the mango orchard and lily pond. If tiger safari is not your thing, go on a Chambal River safari instead and spot the endangered gharial (Indian crocodile) basking in the sun. Make sure you return to the hotel just in time to enjoy the…

Xi Ma Phu (Black Sesame Soup) HOI AN, VIETNAM On a recent trip to Hoi An, a charming, ancient little town, I was told not to miss out on xi ma phu or black sesame sweet soup, a popular post-lunch dessert with Chinese medicinal value. Apparently, there is only one street hawker (100 years old!) who has been selling it for decades at a specific street corner. It took a lot of walking and asking for directions before we finally managed to track him down. Carrying on the family tradition, his granddaughter scooped up a hot bowl of what looked like black gook from a metal pot. Its simple yet divine toasty sesame goodness, however, had us reaching for a second serving, plus a takeaway. They only make enough for…

It’s cherry blossom season in Japan, probably the best time to visit the East Asian country. And where better to see them than the former imperial capital of Kyoto. Close to Maruyama Park, the most popular cherry-blossom viewing site in the city, is Yasaka Jinja. One of the most significant Shinto shrines in the city, the place has become a landmark in the Gion region with its street-facing, two-storey vermillion gate. The main deities worshipped here are the sea god Susano’o no Mikoto, his wife Kushiinada no Mikoto, and their eight children. If you miss out on the blooms, visit in July, when the shrine hosts a variety of events as part of the annual festival of Gion Matsuri. yasaka-jinja.or.jp…

Years ago, you might have passed by this remarkable colonial city, just a two-hour drive from Mexico City. Now is the time to give it a second chance. For years, Puebla managed to fly under the radar of most American travellers. This city of 1.4 million people, set in a river valley framed by snow-crowned mountains, has all the charm of San Miguel de Allende and the culture of Mexico City, yet few of the crowds that can choke both those destinations. In many ways, it feels like a living museum of architecture. Well-preserved 16th - and 17th -century Spanish-colonial mansions and churches fill its centre, a unesco World Heritage site. You may even know a bit about Puebla’s history without realising it: Mexico’s outgunned army scored a victory here…

Perfect Day Trip “Charter a boat in Rodney Bay and cruise down past Soufrière along the southwestern coast, stopping to explore the undiscovered coves. Along the way, you’ll pass Anse Cochon, one of the top beaches for scuba diving. A bit inland is Sulphur Springs (sulphur springs stlucia.com), where pools of molten mud bubble beside the rainforest. People call them the fountains of youth.” Best Eats “The Pink Plantation House (entrées 450–1,100; Chef Harry Dr; +1-758/452-5422) is in a former home on top of the mountain in Castries. It’s known for its ‘hot bakes’ -fried dough filled with cheese or garlicky butter. At the Hardest Hard (entrées 400–1,300; La Toc Rd; +1-758/452-4047), also in Castries, you can eat braised conch or stewed beans with pig’s tails beneath an almond tree.…

Everyone says the best way to see Newport is by boat, and less than two hours after arriving in town, I was invited onto one. Not one of the luxury yachts I associated with this famously tony summer destination, but a 21-foot centre-console fishing boat belonging to Tom McGowan, one of the owners of a local, gluten-free vodka brand called Keel. I’d met him through his girlfriend, Jill Rizzo, a florist whose boho arrangements might be described as Dutch Masters meets farmhouse. It was August, and the sun was just beginning to set as we opened up a bottle of Prosecco and cruised around Narragansett Bay. “There’s Harbour Court, the summer outpost of the New York Yacht Club,” McGowan yelled over the motor, pointing at a rambling stone manor fronted…

LUCKY ESCAPE Chef Alain Ducasse survived an aircraft crash in 1984, while travelling with a group to Courchevel in the French Alps. This, he believes, taught him to step back from the kitchen and look at the vastness of the world. One of the most celebrated chefs in the world, Ducasse is among the last standing members of the traditional school of cooking. He says, “I don’t think technical innovations are the future of cuisine. The real challenge is to celebrate the genuine taste of nature: to respect it, to concentrate it, to express it.” That said, the chef makes sure he tours a city comprehensively to get acquainted with the local produce before the opening of his restaurants, and takes this time-honoured approach to his guest’s table too, minus…

A former supermodel, actress, TV host, author, and endometriosis awareness activist, Padma Lakshmi has done it all. The Top Chef host and judge is travelling to Kentucky next to film the Emmy award-winning show’s 16th season. However, not many know that the New York-based author’s foray into the world of cooking was a mere ‘accident’. “I had to gain nine kilos for my first acting role. When I returned to modelling, I wanted to lose all those extra kilos in a healthy way. So, I started to cook low-fat meals, the recipes of which were compiled for my debut cookbook, Easy Exotic: A Model’s Low-Fat Recipes From Around The World. During my book tour, I appeared on Food Network a couple of times, following which they offered me a developmental…

Bookmark Bhatia’s feed for innovative breakfast ideas and blueberry cake recipes. @shivesh17 Shivesh Bhatia inspires his 105k followers with drool-worthy posts and videos, often shot with chefs behind the stage. A self-taught baker, as he calls himself, the 21-year-old Delhi boy is one of the most recognised food bloggers in India. Check out his vegan cake recipes, such as lemonchia skillet cakes. Every once in a while, Bhatia surprises his followers by adding a twist to traditional Indian desserts, such as oat-maple energy balls. What’s more? He offers food guides for Singapore, Dubai, and London, among other destinations. @candidsbyjo Jo Yee’s feed is a testimony to her travels. From Greek breakfast spreads in Santorini to shucking oysters in Los Angeles-her account is a culinary journey across the globe. While the…

RAW APPEAL Fears of salmonella notwithstanding, raw seafood seems to have people hooked. From sushi to poke, the inventive has become the norm. No wonder then that the three Michelin-star French seafood restaurant, Le Bernardin, in New York has put its best food forward. The menu here spans between ‘Almost Raw’ for the first course, to ‘Barely Touched’, and ‘Lightly Cooked’ for the mains. Chef’s tasting menu at 14,671 per person; le-bernardin.com FISH FILLERS Shrimp and grits, fish tacos, popcorn shrimp, jellied eels, batter-fried shrimp, and crab cake, among others, are now items to munch on between meals. At San Francisco’s Cockscomb restaurant, Chris Cosentino—an American celebrity chef and the winner of Top Chef Masters—believes in nose-to-tail eating and dishes out items like crispy squid and pig ears with citrus,…

“I am currently experimenting more with Indian flowers such as marigold and rose. Apart from that, I also feel that ‘fresh, fast, and casual’ as a phenomenon is here to stay, or as I call it—freezer-free quick service. What concerns me, on the other hand, at least in India, is the whole fad of molecular gastronomy.” CHEF RANVEER BRAR Former Masterchef India Judge, Chef, Travel Show Host, Food Columnist, and Food Stylist “The latestinnovation at CGH Earth is a raw food offering, where ordinary ingredients are turned into gourmet dishes by a judicious combination of vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, nuts, herbs, and a few select spices. It is served fresh to prevent oxidation and the loss of vitamins and minerals, trace elements, and amino acids.” CHEF JOSE VARKEY Head Chef,…

HOTEL ON A MISSION When Ewald Biemans, the owner of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort (doubles from 22,800; bucuti.com), first arrived in Aruba in 1971, he was struck by the beauty of the beaches and felt a need to protect them. Over the years, he developed Bucuti, a modern, adults-only boutique hotel on Eagle Beach, into an ecotourism pioneer that utilises solar panels and reusable water canteens, hosts monthly shore cleanups, and even recycles grey water in the gardens, which showcase indigenous plants. FARM-TO-TABLE CUISINE Some chefs have begun working with local producers to spotlight Aruban ingredients and tradition. One of the pioneers is Urvin Croes, who oversees two of the island’s most innovative restaurants. At the Kitchen Table by White (tasting menu 6 ,440; thekitchen tablebywhite.com), in the capital city…

YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT the opening of Baha Mar a few years ago. And then, you probably didn’t. The sprawling resort, a mini city comprising three hotels, pools, and a casino on a prime stretch of Nassau beachfront, was nearing the finish line in the spring of 2015. But then, the local developer went bankrupt, leaving many to wonder if Baha Mar would ever open. Turns out, it wasn’t a matter of if, but when. Last spring, under new ownership, the 273 crore complex unveiled part one of Baha Mar, the 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar (doubles from 1 6 ,300; grand. hyatt.com). Phase two, the 299-room SLS Baha Mar (doubles from 20,000; slsbahamar.com), opened in November. In a year when the Caribbean needed a comeback story, the timing couldn’t…

THERE WAS A MOMENT, ON MY FIRST DAY IN QUITO, when I lost the ability to breathe. At 9,350 feet above sea level, the Ecuadorian capital is the world’s highest—an improbable city where walking up a flight of stairs can put an ill-adapted pair of lungs in a vise grip. But I was higher even than that. After being driven through the blue-black of early morning to a grassy airfield on the outskirts of town, I was in the cockpit of a helicopter, rising to a hover just minutes after the sun had broken the horizon. So overwhelmed was I by my first glimpse of the landscape that I began involuntarily gasping as the pilot manoeuvred into a 360O turn. Expanding from the pastel sprawl of this city of 2.6…

WHEN TO GO Newport is most vibrant during the summer season, but this is also when the crowds are thickest and the hotel rooms most expensive. The town is increasingly a year-round destination, one that’s also quite wonderful in early spring or October, when the leaves change. LODGING Castle Hill Inn Stay in the Shingle Style 1874 mansion or one of the newer beachfront cottages. Stop in for dinner to sample the excellent dishes made with vegetables grown on the property. Doubles from 23,000 in off-season, 54,000 in summer; castlehillinn.com Gurney’s Newport The hoteliers behind the original Gurney’s in Montauk, New York, transformed an old Hyatt into a comfy resort with terrific coffee, an outpost of the Italian restaurant Scarpetta, and Porsche Cayennes available to ferry guests around town. Doubles…

GETTING THERE A variety of European carriers, such as KLM and Lufthansa, will get you to Riga, Latvia’s capital, via a stop in a major hub. LODGING When I visited Riga previously, I stayed at the Neiburgs (doubles from 10,700; neiburgs.com), a boutique hotel with rooms overlooking the mansard roofs of Old Town, a library that doubles as a showcase for local textiles, and a spa that can be reserved for private use, as I did every night after a long day of talks. This time, I opted for the contemporary sleekness of the Hotel Bergs (doubles from 16,200; hotelbergs.lv ) and the sumptuous old-world style of the Grand Palace Hotel (doubles from 11,400; grandpalaceriga.com). With its subdued palette, high-design flourishes, and refined restaurant, the Bergs, which neighbours a luxury-shopping arcade,…

We’ve all seen that one movie in which a group of adventurous youngsters embarks on the trip of their lives and discovers a surreal location rich in aesthetic beauty, natural resources, and biodiversity. In the real world, a destination that comes close to this utopian fantasy is the Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park in British Colombia. Located north of Powell River and Lund on the Sunshine Coast, 144 kilometres north of Vancouver, Desolation Sound lives up to its name. With over 60 kilometres of pristine shoreline, numerous islands, bays, inlets, and coves to explore, the park has been described as a paradise for yachters, boaters, and kayakers. The waters here are calm and warm in summer, perfect for swimmers, snorkellers, and scuba divers. The forested islands offer marked trails (with…

no 1 Hong Kong’s Upping Its A-game with Fermentation Fermentation has long been used in food and drink-from beer and wine to cheese, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha (Chinese sweetened black or green tea), and kefir (a Caucasian milk drink). Fermented food contains probiotics that help the body break food down. At Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, Executive Chef Robin Zavou is experimenting with all aspects of fermentation. One of the most popular finds on his menu is the Sea Garden, which combines different textures and flavours of seafood with citrus and vintage soy at the restaurant, Pierre, where French cuisine meets Cantonese. Seven course tasting menu from 15,900; mandarinoriental.com no. 2 A Bowl of Poke in California is Key to Instagram Likes Poke is a two-syllable word, pronounced poh-key in Hawaiian, meaning…

When Chef Yannick Alléno founded Modern Cuisine in 2013, the culinary world celebrated the Renaissance of French cuisine. Five years and six Michelin stars down, the chef recalls where it all began. “From the age of eight, I knew I wanted to be a chef. Food is a family tradition; my parents managed small bistros in the Parisian suburbs, and that’s where I was first introduced to the kitchen and absolutely fell in love with it. At the age of 15, my father wanted to check if I really was made for this profession, so he asked the legendary Chef Gabriel Biscaye to find me a job at the Relais Louis XIII with the celebrated Chef Manuel Martinez. Biscaye told my father: if he resists, you can shelve your doubts.…

This UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its 27 buildings and many gardens, is a former hospital city in Barcelona that was operational for 80 years. After the medical facilities of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau were moved to a new building in 2009, the pavilions were refurbished to host a knowledge centre and give tourists a glimpse of 1920s healthcare. Take a guided tour ( 1,550; santpaubarcelona.org) to witness the work of architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, known for his contribution to Catalan Art Nouveau. Visit at the end of May to catch Arctic Monkeys headline at Primavera Sound 2018 (primaverasound.com).…

You may not have heard of the town of Évian-les-Bains, but the chances that you haven’t heard of Evian water are negligible. The two are, however, inextricably tied at the elite holiday-and-spa retreat called Evian Resorts’ Hôtel Royal where I was staying—popular for being the very source of the famous natural mineral water credited with healing and restorative properties. Set in the Haute-Savoie region of southeastern France, the town sits cradled between the stunning, snow-capped French Alps and the pristine Lake Geneva. It’s an almost impossibly beautiful location, ideal for resorts to offer luxury thermal treatments—showers, baths, spas—all centred around the fresh spring waters. On a wintry day, I made my way into the town centre. The streets were lonely as befitted that freezing morning, save for a strange sight:…

GASTROBOTANICA In the age of woke gourmands, the environment is always on the table. Gastrobotanica takes the concept of organic meals up a notch by advocating the use of fresh vegetable produce that has been forgotten over the decades. One of its pioneers is Michelin-star Chef Rodrigo de la Calle, who has authored an eponymous book on the concept and serves inventive dishes in his restaurant El Invernadero (elinvernaderordelacalle.com). The four-table, glass cube restaurant offers a tasting menu called ‘Vegetalia’ that focuses on this plant-based cuisine with uncommon ingredients like huacatay (Peruvian black mint), the algae spirulina and chlorella, oxalis (wood sorrel), marsh samphire, taro root, black garlic, heaps of violet asparagus, and bushels of broccolini. VEGAN WAGON Besides the cruelty-free argument, the vegan movement also claims that the lifestyle…

COME BACK SOON Beloved resorts, like Rosewood Little Dix Bay, in the British Virgin Islands may be in rebuilding mode, but there has never been a better time to visit, says JACQUELINE GIFFORD. LITTLE DIX BAY HAD ALWAYS BEEN ON MY LIST. To me, the resort, opened in 1964 by noted conservationist Laurance Rockefeller on Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, always represented the beauty of travel in a slower, pre-digital age. Ever sensitive to the environment and appearances, Rockefeller insisted Little Dix blend into its surroundings, and so the rooms—blissfully free of TVs—were tucked among the groves of trees and hills bordering the unspoilt, half-mile crescent of beach. In May 2015, I finally visited Little Dix with my husband on a babymoon. The beach was ends-of-the-earth quiet, free…

VILLA A haven for royalty and celebrities, the island of Mustique has some of the most luxurious homes in the world-including the seven-bedroom, Balinese-inspired Mandalay, built in the late 80s for none other than David Bowie. Overlooking Britannia Bay, the lavish estate features a film library, a music rehearsal room, and lushly landscaped grounds, including a pond, a waterfall, and a pool. From 26 lacs per week; mandalay estate.com HOTEL Canouan is a 13-square-kilometre island ringed by pristine beaches; none is more beautiful than the coral-reef-protected coast that fronts the Pink Sands Club, Canouan, Mandarin Oriental’s first Caribbean resort. With four restaurants, a spa, a kids’ club, and proximity to the only 18-hole golf course in the country, there’s more than enough to keep you busy for a week (or…

GETTING THERE There are no direct flights to Ecuador. Air India and KLM offer one- and two-stop flights from New Delhi and Mumbai to Mariscal Sucre International Airport, just outside of Quito. OPERATOR & LODGING Metropolitan Touring ( metropolitan-touring.com ), Ecuador’s oldest travel outfit, put together my fantastic itinerary, which included its latest offering—a helicopter flight along Ecuador’s renowned Avenue of the Volcanoes. The company also owns both hotels where I stayed: Casa Gangotena (doubles from 29,200; casagangotena.com ), a converted Neoclassical mansion in Quito’s historic centre, and Mashpi Lodge (doubles from 71,500; mashpilodge.com), a bastion of Modernist luxury in the cloud forest a few hours away. Mashpi can arrange transfers to and from central Quito. EAT & DRINK Banh Mi The city’s premier destination for Southeast Asian…

A ten-minute pause before the main course?” asked our server, Alex. He startled me. I’d never been invited by an American waiter to take more time. My girlfriend, Jessica, and I were already an hour-and-a-half into dinner at 3 Pavaru, a modern restaurant tucked away in a former military barracks in the Old Town of Riga, the capital of Latvia. Our meal had begun with a half-dozen sauces—including smoked apple, sea buckthorn, and hempseed oil—and flakes of dried honeycomb painted directly onto our place mats and served with bread for dipping, a manoeuvre that should have felt pretentious, but didn’t. Then came three hillocks of local ostrich tartare, served with a duck egg and lingonberrybeer foam. We had meant to order a bottle of wine from the long, careful list,…

Wellness, camera, action – WELLFEST 2018 saw this and much more! The two-day event was curated by Parineeta Sethi and yoga lifestyle propagator, Nischint Singh, in association with Andaz Delhi, airline partner Lufthansa, wellness destination partner Amazing Thailand and fitness partner Technogym. The first day of the wellness festival saw a unique awards ceremony that felicitated 45 fit and fabulous personalities, including Sunil Sethi, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Sumaya Dalmia, Tanisha Mohan, Rajiv Makhni, Atul Wassan and Latika Kaneja. And the second day was filled with panel discussions on the wellness industry in India, fitness, nutrition, beauty and spirituality, interspersed with laughter, dance therapy and healthy food sessions. All in all, the first episode of Wellfest inspired and helped people to work towards achieving their wellness goals.…