Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

IN DHIVEHI, ‘Finolhu’ means sandbank. It is a fitting moniker since the heavenly Seaside Finolhu Maldives features over two kilometres of pristine white-sand beaches spread across four isles. The sandy shores of the main island, Kanufushi, surround a reef-ringed lagoon. This means guests have easy access to sheltered, calm water ideal for water sports such as kite surfing, jet-skiing, stand-up paddling, wind-surfing, and catamaran sailing. Launched in 2016, Seaside Finolhu Maldives was taken over by Seaside Collection in 2019. In 2020, the resort underwent a major transformation led by the award-winning London-based design studio Muza Lab. Its new ‘Kaleidoscopic’ design strikes a delicate balance between Maldivian culture, ultra-luxury modernity, and a laid-back resort vibe with ample pops of colour and playful patterns. The resort’s 125 villas come in two settings—on…

THE OPULENT Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh is one of the most sought-after addresses in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. Part of the 99-storeyed Kingdom Centre, the hotel owns an enviable location in the heart of Riyadh. Spread between the 30th and 48th floors, it comes with bird’s-eye views of the city’s glittering landscape. The hotel has recently refurbished its rooms and suites to extend the best of Arabian hospitality to its guests. Led by renowned hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, the makeover gives you an insight into Saudi culture. Inspired by the literal meaning of riyadh—garden—the new-look guestrooms feature vivid shades of green and turquoise, and historic tribal patterns engraved in wood. Additionally, the hotel has incorporated work of Saudi artists and artisans in its decor. The artwork has been…

JOHN AND Kathy McIlvaine are not the sort of people who just stay home. They’ve chartered their own 12-metre catamaran in the Seychelles; they flew to Tanzania just days after the end of the first Gulf War. “It was an Abercrombie & Kent tour, and they had 24 guests signed up. Kathy and I, plus two friends, were the only ones who showed up for the 14-day trip,” John recalls . “ We felt like we had the whole of Tanzania to ourselves.” It was an experience the couple, both retired executives living in Jacksonville, Florida, figured they’d never duplicate. That is, until this past fall, when once again they were among a tiny number of Americans to visit East Africa on a safari. “One of the reasons we wanted…

1. SERPENTI SPIGA BULGARI Bulgari released three Serpenti Spiga novelties in 2020 that reimagined the line in brilliant diamonds and rose-or-white gold. Though each modular element is cast and produced in series, the watch is finished and assembled by hand. An 18K rose-gold interpretation in 35mm with 18K rose-gold crown set with single cabochon rubellite and two-row 18k rose-gold bracelet set with 462 brilliant cut diamonds (2.83ct) is the highlight of the collection. 2. ARCEAU HARNAIS FRANÇAIS REMIX HERMÈS With its round case featuring stirrup-like asymmetrical lugs, the Arceau watch designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 radiated a timeless allure. Appearing in a white gold case, set with 82 diamonds framing an engraved and hand-painted porcelain dial, the Arceau Harnais Français Remix highlights the expertise of Hermès watchmakers. The dial…

IF YOU ARE A 90S KID FROM DELHI, there’s a good chance that you’ve had a romantic relationship with a Royal Enfield motorcycle at some point—or at least an infatuation. On one of my annual visits to India, I got together with some of my old cronies, and armed with steely resolve and a carefully orchestrated plan, we embarked on an epic bike ride from Sikkim to Bhutan. We rented Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles from Gangtok and saddled them up in a ritualistic fashion. Riding on beautiful hilly terrain with the wind blowing in your face is akin to flying. We rode on some of the highest motorable roads, climbing up mountains, navigating through fog, rain, and clouds—with visibility limited to a few feet at times. It was tough, but…

The women and children who once worked the barges along the canals of France would probably sigh with wonder to hear that this form of travel is now a luxury activity. Those lacking horses or mules were sent down the towpath with canvas strips across their chests to pull the shallow boats, piled high with commercial goods, using muscle and willpower. Sometimes the men joined them, but usually, they stayed aboard to steer. That was more than a century ago, and things have changed. How they have changed! On the Belmond Amaryllis, a private-charter barge with four en suite cabins, a living room, and a small but perfectly formed heated swimming pool on deck, we rolled along effortlessly, thanks to a very quiet combustion engine. The trip was so smooth…

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1. FITNESS BAND Fitbit Versa 3 Versa 3 straddles the divide between fitness bands and smartwatches with aplomb. It has a six-day battery life, 24-hour heart-rate tracking, sleep analysis, SpO2 monitoring, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice commands, and even Spotify integration—all of the essentials without any of the fluff that most people rarely use. The understated look and choice of colours makes it suit any wrist. From ₹23,990; amazon.in 2. COFFEE MAKER Aeropress Go Aeropress has become something of a favourite among coffee snobs. Now there’s a new, compact version that’ll make sure you never have to use the ghastly instant coffee sachets in your hotel room. It’s easy to use and clean, makes delicious coffee, and comes in a travel-friendly size. $31.95 (₹2,319); aeropress.com (global shipping available) 3.…

THE LAST TIME I WAS IN JAISALMER, I was a teenager. The Thar left an indelible dent on my mind back then. The city has some of the most beautiful heritage structures (I can never get over the exquisiteness of Patwon ki Haveli), but there’s nothing that compares to the mightiness and the barrenness of the desert. The dunes have stories of their own, ones that involve romantic sojourns, stargazing nights, adrenaline-pumping 4x4 rides, and hours spent gawking at the wilderness. So, when we decided to shoot our cover star, Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor, in Jaisalmer, whisking him away to the glamping retreat of The Bordi Jaisalmer was a natural choice. Amid the dunes of the Great Indian Desert, we were going to #DiscovertheUndiscovered. As Kapoor succinctly puts it, “There’s…

MY FIRST TRIP AFTER THE lockdown lifted was a road trip from Lucknow to the holy city of Varanasi, also known by its ancient name of Banaras. Needless to say, I was excited to usher in ‘Subah-e-Banaras’, the local term for experiencing ‘morning in Varanasi’, which starts with the Ganga Aarti at Assi Ghat, followed by a boat ride on the river considered holy by Hindus. The quickest way to immerse yourself in Varanasi is to sample the local cuisine. Street food is hard to beat, especially when it is breakfast time. There are many hotspots around Assi Ghat, but these aren’t the most accessible parts of the city. Driving a car is hard work, and the abruptly ending pavements make the area less walkable than other parts of the…

“IT’S SURPRISING THAT in a country so commercialised, you can still find places like this,” Noemi Araujo said as we passed a ‘For Sale’ sign on a fenced, wooded lot. The owner of Clave Verde Ecolodge (doubles from ₹6,557; claveverde.com), where my partner, Luis, and I were staying, was also our guide for the two-hour hike down the uneven road that begins near the hotel and leads to the stunning shoreline at Playa Morón. Cicadas buzzed in the thick tropical forest around us, piercing the humid afternoon air. Seconds later, she told us to look up: speckled brown palmchats, the national bird of the Dominican Republic, were flying in and out of their three-storey nest at the tip of a royal palm. We saw more goats than people until we…

MY TRIP TO Mukteshwar in the state of Uttarakhand is a first in many ways: my first trip in 11 months; my first experience of sub-zero temperature; and my first daughter-mother holiday. With luggage full of sweaters and jackets, and countless munchies, mum and I reach Uttarakhand’s jüSTa Mukteshwar Retreat & Spa after a bumpy eight-hour-long road journey. The property’s bright yellow interiors contoured with dense green surroundings set the tone for the weekend, and a face mask-clad team at the reception alleviates our pandemic fears. Spread over two acres, this hilltop retreat is splattered with colours. Picture yellow cottages interspersed with multi-hued flowers set amid towering pines. A kafal tree, which bears the state fruit of the same name, steals the spotlight as it soars up to greet the…

KERALA, ALSO KNOWN AS God’s Own Country, is blessed with a stunning coastline, rolling green hills, and riverine valleys in equal measure. The state offers something for every brand of romantic: moonlit nights on houseboats, evenings by the sea, and morning calls in the wilderness. Home to Anamudi, the highest peak in South India, the Idukki district of Kerala has long been a preferred summer destination. It is also home to the rare Neelakurinji flower, which blooms once every 12 years. With the sprawling tea estates of Munnar, the bucolic charm of Thekkady and its neighbouring Periyar National Park, Idukki appeals to couples looking to escape in nature. Beach lovers from around the world flock to Kerala every year between September and March to enjoy palm-fringed Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram, the…

IT IS NOT OFTEN that you envisage a vacation on the top of a hill in Goa. That is just the first of many singularities of a stay at Hilton Goa Resort, the brand’s third property in the Sunshine State. Set in the quaint neighbourhood of Saipem, close to Candolim Beach, the property is a departure from the typical seaside resorts of Goa. On the weekend that I arrive, the weather is balmy and the people, warm and friendly. Out of the four blocks named after different forts in Goa, my room is housed on the second floor of Cabo de Rama. The King Deluxe Riverview Room flaunts contemporary Indo-Portuguese design elements and generous use of wood. I pull the wooden blinds and slide open the glass door of the…

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THIS IS MY THIRD VISIT to the Maldives. But it’s the first time I am on a mother-daughter trip to the archipelago. Family holidays are an annual ritual, and since 2020 kept us grounded, we’re starting January 2021 by diving into what will be one of our most memorable holidays. Prisha, my nine-year-old, is chirpy even after a red-eye flight followed by an hour-long seaplane journey from Malé to Soneva Fushi, which sits on Kunfunadhoo Island in the pristine Baa Atoll. Twenty-five years after the resort first opened its gates to sustainable luxury, we check in to Soneva Fushi’s recently launched two-bedroom overwater villa—spanning nearly 900 square metres—for our quarantine day. (Soneva mandates that every guest must take a COVID-19 test and quarantine in their villa until a negative report,…

WE STOOD ON THE edge of the day on the remote South Pacific island of Taveuni in the Republic of Fiji. Then, taking a deep breath, we stepped into yesterday. A tiny step back, and it was today once more. Time travel was bafflingly easy as we straddled a deep channel in Millennium Park. The rocky outcrop of Taveuni is bisected by the 180° meridian. Today, the International Date Line twists around the archipelago for administrative convenience, but once upon a time, it did not deviate from the 180° meridian—indicated by the svelte channel in the park—and Taveuni experienced two days in one. To be honest, it did not really matter what day it was. We had landed in Fiji in late 2019 with plans of zoning out in a…

PAYTYRRR, WAKE UP!!! No time for pants—let’s go!!!” Janne’s mittened fist came thumping on my door like John Bonham on a floor tom, boomp boomp boomp boomp boomp. How long had I been asleep? What time was it? Where were my pants, anyway? Oh right: I’d left them in the mudroom before bed, along with my boots and five layers of Lycra and wet wool. After a rowdy welcome dinner of fish soup and grilled reindeer steak, Janne Honkanen, my host, had coaxed me out for a midnight hike across fields of moonlit snow, followed by a soak in the hot tub, where he regaled me with tales of hunting trophies and youthful indiscretions. There had been many of both. Eventually I begged off to bed, overcome by hot bubbles…