Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

“You make the world come alive. You make the world colourful. You are the inspiration behind all that happens. You are the pillar of strength to many around you, the centrifugal force of your own little world…” THESE WORDS OF an India-born United Arab Emirates author, poet, and entrepreneur, Deeba Salim Irfan, echo the thoughts that run in my own head. Not to claim that we are better or stronger, or high-achieving multi-taskers, but it is true that, in more ways than one, the woman is invincible. The March issue of Travel + Leisure India & South Asia is extra special, because it’s dedicated to all the women in the world who are thinkers, go-getters, and explorers. For our cover shoot this month, we took groundbreaking actor Radhika Apte, who…

1. HEADPHONES PHILIPS TAPH805 Philips’ latest addition to its ‘performance’ lineup boasts 40mm drivers (great for punchy audio), while the 30 hours of battery life means you’ll be a happy camper on long flights. The inbuilt Google Assistant is a bonus; you’ll also love the Active Noise Cancellation. ₹11,990; philips.co.in 2. SMART JEWELLERY BELLABEAT LEAF If you’d rather wear your favourite timepiece and yet want a fitness tracker, try out the Leaf range. Pick from a range of styles; wear it as a bracelet or as a pendant; track sleep, menstrual cycles, steps, and more. It’s also powered by a replaceable button cell that lasts for six months! From $84 (₹6,015); amazon.com 3. LAPTOP BAG FUNK FOR HIRE It’s difficult to find a laptop bag that doesn’t look like it…

You are a trailblazer in the Indian hospitality industry. In what ways has it evolved? In terms of evolution, I feel that the tourism and hospitality industries are finally being understood. Common people as well as the government now understand the economic growth potential and employment opportunities these industries have. I also think we have a wide array of hotels and travel trends coming up in the market—be it boutique properties, luxury hotels, spirituality-driven travel, and more. There has been an increase in the number of locally-owned properties too. It’s quite exciting to see the way the ownership has matured. What are the challenges that you faced in the industry? I think challenges keep on changing with time. Even though we have attained a certain amount of simplification in taxation,…

We’re sure managing celebrities is no cakewalk. Where do you go to break free from the madness? I have a few favourites that I keep revisiting. In India, I love the SUJÁN Rajmahal Palace (thesujanlife.com) in Jaipur, and Ananda In The Himalayas (anandaspa.com) in Uttarakhand. I keep running off to both these places every chance I get. Ahilya by the Sea (ahilyabythesea.com) in Goa is another place I love. Abroad, it’s always Paris for me. I must see the Eiffel Tower and its lights. I also go to Shakespeare and Company (shakespeareandcompany. com). I usually use Paris as my starting point and then travel to the rest of Europe. Another place I love are the streets of New York. I have a few vintage stores and bookstores that I like…

IT WAS A SENSE of déjà vu each time our little ‘jungle party’ ventured into the forests of Satpura or sat by the fireplace in Reni Pani Jungle Lodge’s cosy library. Whether we were trampling though undergrowth—dense from a late monsoon spurt—or dodging overhanging webs of the golden orb-weaver, or trailing behind a line of excited tree lovers lugging the voluminous first edition of Jungle Trees of Central India, we were celebrating Satpura. It was Reni Pani’s 10th year of lodge operations in 2019, and it made me revisit lessons on what wildlife safaris should be like. We followed author Pradip Kishen around and tried to find a spot in the right jeep with an articulate and/or sighting-lucky naturalist. It was the summer of 2008 when I first realised that…

If you arrive at Emirates Terminal 3, you realise rightaway that Dubai is a melting-pot of avant-garde art, innovation, and grace. Exuding glitz and glamour from every corner and rooted in tradition, Dubai is fast becoming the most popular holiday destination for women travellers around the world. The City of Gold spoils you silly for choice. Whether it’s art, entertainment, gastronomy, or shopping, Dubai is a dream come true for female explorers. Thanks to its cosmopolitan culture and the liberal attitude of the ruling Sheikh, it is also one of the safest cities in the world. An apt personification of this ideology can be seen in actor Radhika Apte, who effortlessly brings to life bold and intriguing characters. Hence, she was our ideal companion to discover the hidden jewels of…

The Journey Silversea Cruises, one of the first luxury lines to offer expedition trips, now has a fleet of three ships for this purpose. There will be a variety of nine- to 27-day voyages above the Arctic Circle this year, though the closest itinerary that matches the one taken by the writer departs from Reykjavík in August 2021. This itinerary in 2021 from ₹12,77,960, all-inclusive; shorter Arctic sailings from ₹7,12,590, all-inclusive; silversea.com Getting There Several Indian metros offer one-stop connections to Reykjavík’s Keflavík International Airport.…

MOUNT FUJI, LOCALLY CALLED FUJI-SAN, is an active volcano. At 3,776 metres, it is also the tallest peak in Japan. But did you know that the probability of seeing it in all its glory is as low as 20 per cent? The first time I visited Japan, in October 2017, I wasn’t lucky. It was raining, and Mt Fuji was covered by thick clouds. But the second trip was so much more memorable. Not only did I witness Mt Fuji on three clear days, but I also saw a rare lenticular cloud formation over it (as visible in the shot). These ‘lens-shaped’ clouds mostly form in the troposphere and are said to portend rainfall. It rained the next day. -SHRADDHA KESARWANI ON HER PHOTOGRAPH, SHOT ON SONY ALPHA 6400 IN…

Blogger Valeria Hinojosa Hosts a Retreat in Bali Every Year Valeria Hinojosa, a Latin American blogger, transcends physical barriers through her blog Water Thru Skin, to reach people who care about the eco-conscious lifestyle. travelandleisureindia.in/ blogger-valeria-hinojosa/ Travel Blogger Mariellen Ward, 59, on Solo Travelling Canada-born award-winning travel blogger Mariellen Ward is a digital storyteller who whips up delicious stories around her extensive solo travels in India and abroad. travelandleisureindia.in/ travelblogger-mariellen-ward/ Divyakshi Gupta Talks about the Rewarding Journey of a Travel Blogger Divyakshi Gupta of The Quirky Wanderer reveals the life of a blogger. Her obsession with doors wherever she goes not only lends a unique angle to her work but has also landed her some of the most lucrative projects. travelandleisureindia.in/ divyakshi-gupta/ SPOTTED After ringing in the New Year in…

RISE TO THE TOP Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world for a period of nearly five years from 2004, until it was unseated by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The towering building, which looks like a stepped pagoda, pays homage to Chinese culture with its eight sections (eight being a lucky number in China) and the discs on its facade that represent old Chinese coins. Home to luxury shopping, restaurants, and offices, it also has the fastest elevator, which whizzes you up from the ground floor to the 89th in merely 39 seconds. A 660-ton damper (a huge golden iron ball) counteracts the effects of strong winds and stabilises the building in the event of an earthquake. You can actually see this on the 89th floor. From…

THIS BELOVED TEMPLE was built in 1738 for Chinese settlers from Fujian. The temple is a fusion of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian faiths—with almost 100 deities. Rebuilt several times, having suffered the wrath of fires and earthquakes, the temple is a survivor of time. People come here with all sorts of beliefs; some light incense sticks, others drop small wooden divination blocks, looking under their feet for some sign of good luck; yet others shake bamboo sticks and look for omens in the stick that falls out first. Long metal tables spill over with offerings—baskets of fruit, purple orchids, dried snacks, biscuits, and even beer. Large brass urns stand in the courtyard, smoke curling out of them. The devotees’ recital of prayer in unison creates an aura of spirituality that…

AFTER A LONG first day of a work trip to London, I’m lounging in my king-size bed at 11 Cadogan Gardens , eating a club sandwich made with peppery roast chicken and crisp bacon. Making my meal all the more delicious: its dignified arrival (on a wheeled cart, under a silver dome) and the fact that the only dress code I have to adhere to is self-imposed (fluffy oversize robe, ill-fitting padded slippers). Other road warriors—those relegated to generic business hotels—might feel forlorn at the prospect of yet another solo hotel stay. But since I rarely travel by myself and am generally lucky enough to stay at beautiful properties, it’s the most hedonistic treat imaginable. Over the years, I’ve developed a few rituals. After dropping my bags, I embark on…

Why did you decide to write Manto? Manto, the movie, was a six-year-long journey, that began in 2012. There was a lot that I learned during the course of it, from the inception of the idea to the challenges of releasing an independent film. I felt the need to document this journey somewhere. Hence, the book. Tell us a bit about finding the perfect location for the movie Manto, since it is set in the Lahore of the 1950s. I was documenting Manto’s life from 1946 to 1950 and wanted it to be authentic. I really wanted to shoot in Lahore, but it did not work out. Then we thought Punjab would be a good choice, since its architecture is similar to that of Lahore. But the two don’t look…

THE LEOPARD was easy in our presence, climbing a tall termite mound to pose with her front paws set primly together. The creature’s pale eyes narrowed against the sun as she gazed into the distance, scanning thickets of scrub for warthogs or, perhaps, an impala. Our guide, Oetile ‘Butler’ John, reckoned she was about five years old. But neither he nor the researchers in another vehicle alongside us recognised this leopard. She was a newcomer to the Khwai Private Reserve, in the Okavango Delta, and a symbol of the positive momentum there. A flurry of lodges has opened in and around the delta in the past year. From classic no-frills bush camps to cosseting luxury properties, this growth proves how popular Botswana remains, even as safari-goers are spoiled for choice…

1 WORLD OF JAMES HERRIOT Thirsk in North Yorkshire is well connected by bus train and road. Coach tour packages are available, too. Museum tickets cost ₹790 (>15 years), ₹465 (5-15 years); worldofjamesherriot.com 2 SHAKESPEARE COUNTRY The official open-top bus tour is the best way to take in Stratford-upon-Avon. Otherwise, explore on foot. visitstratforduponavon.co.uk 3 REBUS TOURS The two-hour walking tour Hidden Edinburgh (₹1,395) explores many of the locations mentioned in the books, starting at Rebus’s favourite, the Royal Oak pub. rebustours.com 4 ENID BLYTON’S DORSET Most of Blyton’s stories were set in picturesque Dorset. The heritage Swanage Railway return trip (₹1,395 for adults; ₹745 for children) to Corfe Castle (₹1,022 for adults; ₹511 for children) is a must. For details on more literary things, go to visit-dorset.com 5 AGATHA…

Getting There Emirates (emirates. com) is one of the most popular airlines that Indian travellers take to fly into Dubai. With many direct flight options from major cities in India, Emirates offers exceptional services and world-class amenities. Whether you opt for a First Class Suite with an onboard shower spa, a Business Class Cabin with fully flat beds, or even an Economy Class Seat with thousands of entertainment options to choose from, you are assured a comfortable journey. Stay The recently opened luxury hotel Address Fountain Views (from ₹13,600; addresshotels.com) is a highly recommended property. This visually striking three-tower marvel offers unobstructed and mesmerising views of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. You can binge on a range of delicacies at The Restaurant, or indulge in masterful pastries at…

GETTING THERE It’s always been comparatively difficult to reach these far-flung isles. To get to Bequia, Canouan, or Mustique, many find the best option is to travel to Barbados, from where you can take a flight on SVG Air (flysvgair.com) or Mustique Airways (mustique.com). For those of us without yachts or private jets, getting between the islands can be complicated—though many resorts offer air transfers. There are also inter-island ferry services operated by Bequia Express (bequiaexpress.com) and Admiralty Transport (admiralty-transport.com). BEQUIA The island’s newest hotel is the Liming (doubles from ₹39,000; thelimingbequia.com), where each of the 13 rooms has its own plunge pool. Bequia Beach Hotel (doubles from ₹29,500; bequiabeachhotel.com) is the largest, with 59 rooms and a yacht, Star of the Sea, that guests can reserve for tours. The…

1 IONIAN ISLANDS, GREECE Greece has around 6,000 islands. Unlike Santorini and Mykonos that are part of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Islands lie off the country’s west coast, in the Ionian Sea. Turquoise waters, cliff-backed sandy beaches, and mild Mediterranean climate make these islands ideal for a sailing holiday. While the northern island of Corfu has a gorgeous old town boasting Rennaissance, Baroque, and classical architecture, Zakynthos is home to some of the country’s most beautiful sandy beaches, including Navagio Beach, which is accessible only by boat. Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands. Here, you can explore picturesque fishing villages and satiate your hunger for adventure—dive 40 kilometres down in crystal clear waters, go kayaking along the scenic coastline, hike in Mt Ainos…

TO MAKE THE MOST of the summer, and its prime lakefront location in Geneva, Hotel President Wilson will reopen the chic Poolgarden Beach Club on its first-floor terrace. Apart from offering panoramic views of Lake Leman, the club features a temperature-controlled swimming pool, a lounge bar, and a fusion restaurant that offer the complete summer holiday experience. By mid-April, the lounge bar and the swimming pool will welcome in-house guests as well as visitors for cocktails. Towards the end of May, the al-fresco Umami restaurant will open its doors to guests for lunch and dinner. Here, Michelin-starred Chef Michel Roth will present a lip-smacking fusion of Japanese and French cuisines, embodying the spirit of conviviality. On the menu will be a refined selection of small portions, including a famous nigiri…

WITH A GLASS AND CONCRETE facade made up of hourglass-shaped sections, fronted by dancing fountains and manicured lawns, the National Taichung Theatre is a unique building that defies all conventions of concert halls. It has organic flowing spaces where the walls and the ceilings seem to merge seamlessly; there are no beams and its design was inspired by primitive dwellings like caves and rock shelters. Designed by the Pritzker-Architecture-Prize-winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito and built over 11 years, it has a Grand Theatre, a Playhouse, and a Black Box theatre, as well as retail spaces. High ceilings elevate the ambience, colour pops of marine blue and maroon enliven its white walls, and decor elements like metal cut tables, lamps, and glass elevators look like artworks. The foyer features a flowing…

You grew up in a house where art played a major role. When did the idea of using art for social change strike you? Nilofer Suleman—an artist, feminist, and a Muslim woman brought me up on her own. As a result, all my work has been in praise of the feminine. Art changed my life, so I have no doubt it can change societies and whole civilisations as well. At the Visions in Making exhibition in Delhi this year, your installation depicted flora, fauna, and mythical beings. What is the story behind it? There was once a beautiful goddess whose beauty was so captivating that every god became attracted to her. Unable to control themselves and fearing that these scandals would destroy the heavens, the gods conspired to do something…

ON A BUCKET-LIST-LED TRIP, I travelled to the southern edge of Chile, merely 180 kilometres from Antarctica. Patagonia is a remote, wild, windswept, and mysterious land at the very tip of the South American continent. It is one of the last great wildernesses on the planet, a place of snow, vast rolling grassy steppes, Andean foothills, and deep fjords and lakes. My quest: to walk with the puma. This powerful predator roams the Americas, where it is also known as panther, cougar, mountain lion, and catamount. Scientists suspect that there is a higher concentration of pumas in Torres del Paine National Park (torresdelpaine.com) than anywhere else in the world. That’s mostly because there’s plenty of prey (guanacos, hares) here, the cats are protected in the National Park, and lack of…

OUR FIRST NIGHT in New Zealand, there was hooting in the darkest hours, from nearer and farther around the flowering gardens of suburban Auckland. Come dawn, more of a chorale than a chorus. I got up, leaving my 12-year-old son, Felix, sleeping the sleep of the jet-lagged preteen , and ran along streets of pastel-painted wooden houses, down through a park whose trees I couldn’t name, to the shore of the Pacific Ocean, which I was seeing for the first time. I was making stops in Auckland and Wellington on a book tour, and had decided to slip a week’s vacation with Felix in between. We took the train 644 kilometres across the North Island , with a visit to Tongariro National Park along the way. There were some locals…

Dubai is often associated with luxury. Have you had a chance to go beyond the usual attractions? I’ve been to Dubai many times in the past for events, promotions, etc. However, this is the first time I am exploring a hidden gem, Alserkal Avenue. I couldn’t believe the food and the architecture inside. There’s an element of art in everything that I see here. You’ve been travelling since you were a child. Does it get exhausting? I was born in Vellore, but my parents soon moved to Pune. I spent my entire childhood there. Moving to Mumbai happened at a later stage in my life. But I’ve always wanted to travel, and because of this field, I literally travel every week. It’s been my life for the last 10 years,…

Why indulge yourself once, when you can do it 10 times over? The perfect 10 spa experience combines 10 treatments in 24 hours, to give you that perfect glow. It includes a 90-minute body firming detox treatment of dry brushing and algae wrap; an hour-long Swedish massage; a manicure; pedicure; hot stone massage; and a 24-carat-gold dusting. Adding to the extravagance is an L. Raphael Royal C treatment, a technologically advanced facial using concentrated oxygen and Vitamin C that aims to reduce protein fibre damage while simultaneously enhancing collagen production. Not limited to spa treatments, one can even head to the Kim Vo Salon for a haircut, colour, and blow dry. This experience also includes a reserved spa cabana for dips in the mineral wellness pool between treatments, a full…

Scandinavian countries—Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—repeatedly top the list of the most women-friendly nations in the world. So, when an invite for an all-women trip to Copenhagen and the south of Sweden crops up, I take it as an opportunity to test the waters. The golden hour gleams on the wing of our 787 Dreamliner as we land in Copenhagen. Soon after, our girl gang—five journalists and a nonchalant host, Anita de Canaga—set out into the city. Night falls by the time we arrive in the heart of the Danish capital, in the atmospheric Latin Quarters, where Skt Petri is our home for the night. With an unassuming entrance around the corner on the Krystalgade, and boutique cafes on either side, it doesn’t wear the garb of a conventional hotel. One…

I’M NOT SURE I’ve ever experienced sharper regret than in the fraction of a second between leaping from a boat platform and hitting the surface of the Arctic Ocean. The drop was only six feet or so, but that was long enough for my brain to respond to the sight of dark, ice-strewn water flying up to meet me by shrieking, “You should not have done this!” Too late. I was doing a polar plunge. I was on the Silver Cloud, a Silversea Cruises expedition ship that carries 254 passengers—though for polar sailings, it’s capped at 200, in an effort to prevent overcrowding during shore excursions. We were anchored in Markison Fjord, an inlet on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. This was midway through…

In the ever-expanding tourism industry, the need for combining social responsibility with lavish vacations is on the rise. Conscious of this fact, the 17 Indian subcontinent hotels of the Relais & Châteaux (R&C) group hosted a charity gala on January 25, 2020. Held at the Great Eastern Mills in Mumbai, the event saw stalwarts bid on signature R&C holiday experiences and products to subsequently support the initiatives of the Nanhi Kali Foundation in educating underprivileged girls. Travel + Leisure India & South Asia gladly joined hands with R&C as the event’s exclusive media partner, and to mutually promote the ideology of conscious travel that the two brands embody. The other proud partners for the night included Rolls-Royce (RR) Motor Cars Chennai, Zoya, Moet & Hennessy, and Christofle. The glamorous night…