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

‘LAUGHTER IS BRIGHTEST WHERE FOOD IS BEST’: the old wisdom of the Irish chimes with my personal sense of hygge. Food can indeed make circumstances better. I’m a kitchen disaster, but every time the husband cooks up a bowl of spaghetti, it’s magic! The persistent lockdowns in India have shown us that all ‘travel’ within our homes inevitably must have the kitchen on the itinerary multiple times in the day. This is why Travel+Leisure India & South Asia’s annual Food Issue is a labour of love for a team of food fanatics. Our cover star and the man of the hour, Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna, is a culinary genius who has become a household name globally. And with his charity work, he has proven that no matter where you are,…

SWEET MORNING TREAT BLOOM CHOCOLATE SALON is a small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker that’s open to visitors with weekly factory tours, chocolate-making classes as well as a retail space. Housed inside the 16th street factory of Dandelion (dandelionchocolate.com), it was recommended to me as the ideal place to begin my day. I am excited to try the epicurean chocolates on display. I help myself to Dandelion’s 70-plus per cent cacao bars, the decadent sweet-savoury pastry of kouign-amann, and a mug of hot chocolate. If I lived in San Francisco, I’d come here as often as possible! A CORNUCOPIA OF FOOD AND HISTORY STRATEGICALLY LOCATED AT the foot of Market Street, Ferry Building is worth an entire afternoon and is best discovered on foot. Its dramatic clock tower has been one of…

1. PORTUGIESER AUTOMATIC IWC Six new models in IWC’s revamped Portugieser collection demonstrate the brand’s broad range. The basic references have steel cases, but for each new design, there is a limited boutique-only edition in a proprietary alloy of 18K red gold that offers five to 10 times more wear-resistance than traditional red gold. The highlight remains the simplest redesigned Portugieser Automatic with the smallest ever diameter of 40 mm. If you’re ever in the mood for a spicy curry and a German Riesling, this is the timepiece to go with it. iwc.com -- 2. TORIC TOURBILLON SLATE PARMIGIANI FLEURIER A curved sapphire crystal sits atop the mirror polished 42.8 mm 18K red-gold case. The grey dial features a manually applied guilloché “Grain de Riz” pattern with 18K rose gold.…

This is your third visit to India. What do you make of the country? For me, India has always been the most magical country. The warmth you get here is hard to find elsewhere. You are given too much respect, and the people care for you. To them, it is important for you to be happy and leave with good memories. And then, of course, there’s the food that makes it even more amazing. How was your experience of cooking with Indian chefs? It was interesting. Firstly, each cuisine is different from the other, so the techniques differ. Unlike other cuisines, in India, a lot of work is done before the food is served. Also, I have noticed that the chefs here do not feel the need to use measuring…

I CHOSE LONDON AS my second home at 16, when I left Mumbai to go to school in England. The culinary landscape, as I remember it during my years as a student, was not a patch on what it is today. In recent years, London has become a bastion of culinary innovation, and I am delighted to be able to witness this change and experience it not only as a patron but also as a part of it—by way of my two entrepreneurial ventures, Jamavar London (jamavarrestaurants.com) and Bombay Bustle (bombaybustle.com), nestled in the heart of Mayfair. The two restaurants embody my love for India and passion for its diverse cuisine alongside my family’s extensive knowledge of Indian hospitality. While my restaurants have created a distinctive niche and a loyal…

NIKOLA TESLA, prolific inventor and perhaps one of history’s most famous Serbs , predicted in 1935 that “within a century, coffee, tea, and tobacco will be no longer in vogue. Alcohol, however, will still be used. It is not a stimulant but a veritable elixir of life.” In Serbia, at least, history has proven him wrong about the former—Serbs are still enthusiastic smokers and coffee drinkers—but decidedly right about alcohol. The country has a long legacy of wine making: the Romans introduced viticulture, digging canals and planting vines during their 500-year occupation. In the 19th century, Serbia was one of the most important wine-making areas of the Austro-Hungarian empire—and when phylloxera ravaged the vineyards of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the French turned to this region to satisfy their thirst. In fact,…

THE FIRST CUSTOMER to eat at Helena Adentro arrived on horseback. It was a cool night in October 2012, and chef Alejandro Fajardo Mendoza had just lit the grill outside the century-old house that he and his partner, Jade Gosling, had spent the previous few months fixing up in the sleepy hilltop village of Filandia. The pair had only recently moved from Australia—where they’d met at hospitality school—to central Colombia’s Eje Cafetero, or ‘Coffee Axis’, where Fajardo grew up. Using all $8,000 of their savings, they had stripped soot stains from the adobe walls and painted the ceiling beams primary-school shades to match the gingerbread eaves of the buildings surrounding the nearby plaza. At the time, Helena Adentro was a flash of colour in a village where the most successful…

Getting There and Around Qatar Airways (qatarairways.com) operates flights from Delhi to Copenhagen via Doha. Take the train directly from the terminal to Malmö Central Station. The trip lasts about 25 minutes and takes you across the scenic Øresund Bridge, which links Denmark to Sweden. From Malmö, you can catch a connecting train to pretty much anywhere in Skåne. Stay Villa Strandvägen (doubles from ₹40,627; villastrand vagen.se ), in Ystad, offers high levels of cosiness and excellent food. The Clarion Hotel Malmö Live (doubles from ₹16,509; nordic choicehotels.com ) is just a few minutes on foot from the train station, castle, and Old Town. There’s a popular restaurant and nightclub on the top floor. Hotel Skansen (doubles from ₹9,358; hotel skansen.se ), on the Båstad waterfront, is a chic spot with an impressive…

Getting There and Around United Airlines (united.com) operates from Delhi to San Juan via Newark. Turkish Airlines (turkish airlines.com) offers flights from Mumbai to San Juan with stopovers in Istanbul and Boston. Within the city, it is easy to find Ubers. Those who want to go farther can rent a car at the airport. In the Capital San Juan’s grandes dames emerged from Maria even more polished—and eager to welcome visitors. Check in to the Caribe Hilton (doubles from ₹18,191; hilton.com), for easy access to Old San Juan, or the classic Condado Vanderbilt (doubles from ₹22,663; condadovanderbilt. com), for many bars and restaurants, especially the hotel’s 1919 Restaurant (prix fixe from ₹7,200). Heavy hitter Jose Enrique (entrées ₹1,136–₹2,880; jose enriquepr.com ) should not be missed; neither should La Factoría (lafactoria.com), the…

Explore a Different Side of India’s Spirituality India is a land of fascinating traditions and cultures. Explore the country's unconventional places of worship and discover their intriguing rituals. travelandleisureindia.in/ unique-temples-india Soak up the Unique Spiritual Experiences of Meghalaya Visit sacred forests and other offbeat destinations in the pristine northeastern state of Meghalaya for a transcendental experience. travelandleisureindia.in/ meghalaya-spiritual-experience Find Peace at these Spiritual Sites in Punjab As the world emerges from self-isolation and lockdown, explore the divinity of Punjab and find tranquillity. travelandleisureindia.in/ spiritual-punjab SPOTTED Photographer Monisha Ajgaonkar is helping long-distance couples reunite virtually. travelandleisureindia.in/ monisha-ajgaonkar DISCOVER A day in the life of a headhunter in the town of Mon, Nagaland. travelandleisureindia.in/ modern-day-headhunters #TNLAUDIOSTORIES EVOCATIVE PODCASTS THAT TRANSPORT YOU TO A DREAMY DESTINATION EVERY WEEK. TUNE IN TO OUR INSTAGRAM,…

1. SOUS VIDE COOKER ANOVA 2.0 Itching to try your hand at sous vide cooking? Here’s a great tool to ensure your first attempt is good enough for a special occasion: the Anova 2.0 1000W Sous Vide Precision Cooker. It’ll clamp onto any pot, and with Wi-Fi and app control, even an amateur chef can whip up something all the guests will love. ₹14,049; amazon.co.uk 2. TOASTER MITSUBISHI BREAD OVEN It’s expensive. It toasts just one slice at a time. Why would you want one then? Because it makes the perfect toast. And it does so by letting you adjust the thickness of the bread slice as well as its texture. ₹28,007; amazon.com -- 3. FRIDGE CAMERA SMARTER FRIDGECAM Ever come back from grocery shopping and realise you forgot an…

I WENT TO ETHIOPIA to photograph the rarest wolf in the world, and discovered River Omo, the largest Ethiopian river outside the Nile Basin. Sustaining on this river and living in and around the Mago and Omo National Parks are some of the oldest tribes known to man. These eight tribes—Hamer, Bana, Mursi, Suri, Kara, Dassanech, Arbore, and Nyangatom—make up only about 2,00,000 people combined. And yet, they are endlessly fascinating. Their lives have remained virtually unchanged for over a century, but with development knocking at the doorstep, the tribes are facing challenges they had never imagined. I visited Omo multiple times over two years and documented these tribes’ ways—donga stick fights, bull jumping, unique habits like blood drinking, body decoration, dances, rituals and ceremonies, and architecture. Despite having little…

GETTING THERE AND AROUND There are flights on Alitalia (alitalia.com) between Delhi and Belgrade, with a stopover in Rome. From Mumbai, Turkish Airlines (turkishairlines.com) offers flights with a stopover in Istanbul. Belgrade has a good public transit system, but you’ll want to rent a car to head out into wine country. BELGRADE Base yourself in the capital, known as the White City. French hotel chain Mama Shelter (doubles from ₹7,507; mamashelter.com) has opened a location on Knez Mihailova Street that has colourful rooms, Moroccan-inspired textiles, and great views of the Danube. The wine list at the bar is divided into three categories: Serbia, France, and the Rest of the World. Townhouse 27 (doubles from ₹9,478; townhouse 27.com), a 21-room boutique hotel, collaborates with the winery Atelje Vina Šapat (sapat.rs) to…

GETTING THERE United Airlines (united.com) offers flights from Delhi to Bogotá, with a stopover in Newark. From Mumbai, Etihad Airways (etihad.com) operates flights via Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt. Bogotá is about 306 km east of the Eje Cafetero. From there, you can catch a domestic flight to the city of Armenia, and then rent a car at the airport. COFFEE TOURS Many working coffee farms do scheduled or informal tours, including Finca El Recuerdo (cazal16@ yahoo.es; 57-310-376-4672 ), near Salento, and El Fénix (elfenix.coffee), outside Armenia. Ecotourism outfit Penelope Birding (penelope birding. com) runs single- and multi-day tours that combine farm visits, coffee tastings, and of course, spotting some of Colombia’s rare birds. RESTAURANTS AND CAFES The colourful Filandia restaurant Helena Adentro (entrées ₹380–₹760; helena adentro. com), with a rotating menu…

THIS PHOTO WAS CAPTURED at Lake Loktak in the Bishnupur district of Manipur. Loktak is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, and is famous for its phumdis and a large floating island that hosts the Keibul Lamjao National Park. Due to a strong current and the awkward size and shape of the canoe, it was not an easy task for us to reach this point. But when we got there, we were blessed by a mesmerising sunset. -ALEXY THIYAM ON HIS PHOTOGRAPH, SHOT WITH A NIKON D750 IN JUNE 2020 Alexy Thiyam was an entrant in our ongoing ‘Your Best Shot’ contest. Submit your best shots at tplusl@burda.in, or hashtag #telltnlindia and tag @travelandleisureindia on Instagram, to stand a chance to get featured on this page.…

Shivesh Bhatia A SELF-TAUGHT baker who became an Instagram influencer (@shivesh17) with over 300k followers, author of a cookbook, and content creator for brands like Cadbury’s and Epigamia—Shivesh Bhatia’s success story writes itself. The baking prodigy, however, gives all the credit to his naani (grandmother) and her love for baking. His baking journey began at the age of 16 after she passed away. “It was my way of keeping her memories fresh. I was pursuing political science when I realised baking was a stress buster. So, I decided to give food blogging a shot.” Ask him about his advice for running a food blog, and he emphasises on consistency, interactivity, and confidence. At the moment, Bhatia is waiting for things to go back to normal so he can launch his…

Tell us about your journey since MasterChef Australia? It was a whirlwind when I won two years ago—from being a normal person with a day job to winning the competition. The win gave me a lot of opportunities, and I travelled a fair bit to understand what the culinary world was like outside of MasterChef. Within the first year, I started my first pop-up in Melbourne, and it got very good reviews and responses. But I wasn’t happy with the pop-up, which served simple street food. I like to take my inspiration from street food and create my own version of it. That’s when my restaurant came into the picture. It took me nearly one and a half years to set up the business. Meanwhile, I also started my own…

Restaurants are now gradually opening in many parts of the country. What do you see as the biggest challenge? The entire industry is evaluating whether it makes any sense to open restaurants without alcohol, with reduced seating, with 9 pm curfews, and amid reduced consumer demand. This has clearly been the biggest challenge the industry has faced, and my biggest learning has been the need for preparedness for something like this. Most of us will bleed heavily as it makes little sense to reopen the industry with all these conditions. In the long term, the liabilities created during the lockdown and the expected losses will be a load that many restaurants won’t be able to bear. Olive Bar & Kitchen changed the way Indians viewed fine dining, with its revolutionary…

JET LAG HAD GOTTEN the better of me. I was up before 6 am and determined to make the most of my first morning in Matera. The city in Italy’s Basilicata region is almost cleanly split into two, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Sassi (cave dwellings) sitting cheek by jowl with the angular facades of the apartment blocks and buildings where their residents were relocated after World War II. I was staying in the new part of the city, with a room overlooking Castello Tramontano. It was still dark when I set off for Piazzetta Pascoli, a short walk from my accommodation, La Suite Matera Hotel & Spa. In the violet haze of dawn, sweepers cleaned the city and coffee shops prepared to open their doors as…

GETTING THERE Many airlines including British Airways (british airways.com ) operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Dublin. From there, Galway County is just over two hours by road. WHERE TO STAY  Ashford Castle (doubles from ₹57,808; ashfordcastle.com) is hands-down the best hotel in County Galway. It’s about an hour’s drive from parts of Connemara, but the beautiful scenery ensures road tripping is a pleasure, not a drag. WHERE TO EAT Start your trip by booking with Connemara Pub Tours (connemarapubtours.ie) to get the lay of the land—custom private tours are an option if you don’t want to go with a group. Stops can include Powers Thatch (entrées ₹755–₹1,511; fb.com/powersthatch) and Tigh Lee (entrées ₹755– ₹1,511; fb.com/tighlee). Cindy and Sinead O’Brien’s Connemara Abalone Airbnb Experience (₹4,080 per person; airbnb.com/ experiences/ 185266) includes…

I WAS HALFWAY down the mountain when the church bells tolled. I had spent the past two hours alone, hiking the steep, rigorous trails of Mount Taygetus, the Peloponnese’s highest peak, breathing the pine-scented air and hearing nothing but the satisfying crunch of the earth under my shoes. So when the bells rang, sending reverberations through the valley, I jumped, startled. Sitting down on a rock to catch my breath, it occurred to me that these bells had been ringing at the same time, daily, for hundreds of years. The moment filled me with a kind of divine inspiration that carried me down the mountain and back to Euphoria Retreat as fast as Hermes, the winged messenger god of ancient Greece. As a 30-year-old woman in good health, I hadn’t…

THE WOMAN SITTING next to me leaned over to look out the airplane window at the ocean below. “Nosotros los puertorriqueños,” she said. “We come from the water.” Introducing herself as Diana, she told me she was returning to Puerto Rico for the first time since Hurricane Maria, the Category 5 storm that devastated the island in 2017. Some of her relatives had yet to rebuild their roofs, and Diana had come to lend a hand. The rest of the time? She’d be at the beach listening to Bad Bunny, Puerto Rico’s rising star of reggaeton, and eating bacalaítos, or cod fritters. If I was serious about finding out what island life was like, she said as we touched down, I should do the same. In the hurricane’s wake, two…