Viaggi with Thomas Cook - Viaggi in VietNam - Intimateasia.it
Intimateasia.it offre i migliori personalizzati viaggi Vietnam, Laos, Cambogia e Myanmar.
I nostri diversi viaggi Vietnam focalizzano sulla cultura, i paesaggi e anche i locali. I nostri esperti di viaggio vi offriranno i pìu migliori consigli allo scopo di creare le esperienze indimenticabili e eccitanti nei 4 paesi pìu unici del Sud-Est Asiatico: il Vietnam, il Laos, la Cambogia e il Myanmar.
Intimateasia.it offre i migliori personalizzati viaggi Vietnam, Laos, Cambogia e Myanmar.
I nostri diversi viaggi Vietnam focalizzano sulla cultura, i paesaggi e anche i locali. I nostri esperti di viaggio vi offriranno i pìu migliori consigli allo scopo di creare le esperienze indimenticabili e eccitanti nei 4 paesi pìu unici del Sud-Est Asiatico: il Vietnam, il Laos, la Cambogia e il Myanmar.
Travel WINTER 2014 Cape Verde Introducing the ultimate winter beach escape plus... CANARY ISLANDSEGYPT’SRED SEA RIVIERALAS VEGASNEWYORKMIAMIVARNA
- Page 2 and 3: JAMAICA • SAINT LUCIA • ANTIGUA
- Page 4 and 5: Dive into the amazing flavours of P
- Page 6: WINTER 2014 CANARY ISLANDSEGYPT’S
- Page 10 and 11: Escape Save up to 50% * on 7 night
- Page 12: D E P A R T U R E S | T H E B I G F
- Page 15 and 16: T R E N D | D E P A R T U R E S The
- Page 17 and 18: Transform your body & your life wit
- Page 19 and 20: E S S E N T I A L S | D E P A R T U
- Page 21 and 22: Welcome to Sunstar Hotels The twelv
- Page 23 and 24: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Juanillo Beach B
- Page 25 and 26: K I D S | D E P A R T U R E S I’v
- Page 27 and 28: GET AWAY FROM THE EVERYDAY. Powdery
- Page 29 and 30: V I E W P O I N T | D E P A R T U R
- Page 31 and 32: T H E C H A L L E N G E | D E P A R
- Page 34 and 35: “We need to know about front-line
- Page 36 and 37: (Bed) time for heroes A young fan r
- Page 38 and 39: A BETTER PLACE TO STAY VISIT YOUR L
- Page 40 and 41: e came to ape Verde nd it blew ur m
- Page 42 and 43: Captain Zelison weighs anchor, rock
- Page 44 and 45: 044 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
- Page 46 and 47: umps and grinds across the cobblest
- Page 48 and 49: C A P E V E R D E Beach boys Surf
- Page 50 and 51: 2 3 1
Travel<br />
WINTER 2014<br />
Cape Verde<br />
Introduc<strong>in</strong>g the ultimate w<strong>in</strong>ter beach escape<br />
plus...<br />
CANARY ISLANDSEGYPT’SRED SEA RIVIERALAS VEGASNEWYORKMIAMIVARNA
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contents<br />
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4 - 1 5<br />
40<br />
Features<br />
We came to Cape Verde<br />
and <strong>it</strong> blew our m<strong>in</strong>ds<br />
From the salt beds to the<br />
skimboarders, here’s how to<br />
experience the island of Sal<br />
like a salgad<strong>in</strong>ho (local)<br />
New York by New Yorkers<br />
A wealth of secret shopp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
spots, out-of-the-way eateries<br />
and bl<strong>in</strong>k-and-you’ll-miss-them<br />
bars from those <strong>in</strong> the know<br />
A day <strong>in</strong> the life of Varna<br />
Travel photographer<br />
Tim E Wh<strong>it</strong>e heads to the<br />
Bulgarian Black Sea coast<br />
for our exclusive photo essay<br />
Eat the Canary Islands<br />
There are plenty of ways<br />
to eat well <strong>in</strong> the Canaries –<br />
from volcano-cooked steaks<br />
and hand-caught fish to<br />
d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at the orig<strong>in</strong>al pop-up<br />
Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera<br />
You know Sharm el Sheikh,<br />
but what about elegant<br />
El Gouna or untouched<br />
El Quseir? Explore them all<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> our <strong>in</strong>dispensable guide<br />
40<br />
50<br />
60<br />
70<br />
80<br />
50<br />
Photography: Greg Funnell<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 005
WINTER 2014<br />
CANARY ISLANDSEGYPT’SREDSEARIVIERALAS VEGASNEWYORKMIAMIVARNA<br />
Travel<br />
Cape Verde<br />
Introduc<strong>in</strong>g the ultimate w<strong>in</strong>ter beach escape<br />
plus .<br />
Cover:<br />
Luca Zordan/<br />
Gallery Stock<br />
Senior Ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
Mike MacEacheran<br />
Ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
Imogen Rowland<br />
Art Director<br />
Daniel Di Paolo<br />
Picture Ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
Julia Holmes<br />
Sub Ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
Matt Glasby<br />
Production Manager<br />
Ana Lopez<br />
Group Advertis<strong>in</strong>g Director<br />
Chris Davies<br />
Publisher<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> Brackenbury<br />
mart<strong>in</strong>.brackenbury@<strong>in</strong>k-global.com<br />
+44 (0)20 7749 6292<br />
Advertis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sales Executives<br />
Andy Gibson<br />
George Hughes<br />
Sales Recru<strong>it</strong>ment<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>us@<strong>in</strong>k-global.com<br />
60<br />
80<br />
Who helped make the issue?<br />
Anthony Satt<strong>in</strong>/Egypt<br />
Author of several acclaimed books<br />
on history and travel, Egyptian expert<br />
Anthony reveals the Red Sea Riviera’s<br />
ultimate getaways for our <strong>in</strong>sider guide.<br />
Executive Creative Director<br />
Michael Keat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Publish<strong>in</strong>g Director<br />
Simon Leslie<br />
Chief Executive<br />
Jeffrey O’Rourke<br />
Chief Operat<strong>in</strong>g Officer<br />
Hugh Godsal<br />
For <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
Jenny Peters<br />
Alison Sams<br />
Natalie Spires<br />
Reprographics<br />
KFR Pre-Press Ltd<br />
Ink, 141-143 Shored<strong>it</strong>ch<br />
High Street, London E1 6JE<br />
Ed<strong>it</strong>orial +44 (0)20 7749 6265,<br />
thomascook.ed@<strong>in</strong>k-global.com<br />
Sales +44 (0)20 7613 8779<br />
11<br />
100<br />
Departures<br />
What’s tak<strong>in</strong>g off <strong>in</strong> the world of<br />
travel, from ski gear to Strictly<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
100 News<br />
107 Wellbe<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the air<br />
111 Our fleet<br />
112 Route map<br />
114 Children’s Char<strong>it</strong>y<br />
Greg Funnell/Cape Verde<br />
Between shoots for The Sunday Times<br />
and The Guardian, Greg headed to the<br />
island of Sal <strong>in</strong> Cape Verde to shoot our<br />
cover story. gregfunnell.com<br />
Ross Murray/New York<br />
New Zealander Ross took on the<br />
mammoth task of turn<strong>in</strong>g the five<br />
boroughs of NYC <strong>in</strong>to a s<strong>in</strong>gle-strip<br />
cartoon panel. rossmurray.com<br />
Ed<strong>it</strong>orial op<strong>in</strong>ions expressed <strong>in</strong> the<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e are not necessarily those<br />
of <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>. Though we strive<br />
for accuracy, Ink and <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
cannot accept responsibil<strong>it</strong>y for<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation, such as prices and<br />
product availabil<strong>it</strong>y, that may<br />
be subject to change.<br />
006 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Photography: Tim E Wh<strong>it</strong>e
welcome<br />
from <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
Thank you for entrust<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> your holiday – I<br />
hope every moment lives up to your expectations, or that you<br />
are return<strong>in</strong>g home <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> wonderful memories, ready to plan your<br />
next journey.<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> has been <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g journeys and encourag<strong>in</strong>g<br />
people to explore the world s<strong>in</strong>ce 1841 – mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> the oldest and<br />
best loved name <strong>in</strong> travel. Your<br />
feedback has been <strong>in</strong>valuable<br />
to us <strong>in</strong> shap<strong>in</strong>g our products<br />
as we add new concept hotels,<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ations and resorts – such<br />
as our new holidays to Cape<br />
Verde (read more on page 40),<br />
and our new <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
Airl<strong>in</strong>es service direct from Manchester Airport to New York from<br />
May 2015. You can read about the Big Apple on page 50.<br />
Technology <strong>in</strong>novation is key to improv<strong>in</strong>g your holiday, and<br />
to ensur<strong>in</strong>g that we offer you the best range of dest<strong>in</strong>ations and<br />
accommodation – someth<strong>in</strong>g to meet everyone’s needs, <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> our “high tech, high touch” approach. We’re improv<strong>in</strong>g our<br />
onl<strong>in</strong>e service to enhance your experience from the moment you<br />
start plann<strong>in</strong>g – more <strong>in</strong>formation on your selected dest<strong>in</strong>ations,<br />
We cont<strong>in</strong>ue to <strong>in</strong>vest<br />
<strong>in</strong> our planes and<br />
our <strong>in</strong>flight services<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g 360° video to help you make your selection, whether<br />
<strong>in</strong> store or onl<strong>in</strong>e. Add<strong>it</strong>ionally, we cont<strong>in</strong>ue to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> our planes<br />
and our <strong>in</strong>flight services – we’re refresh<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>teriors as well<br />
as updat<strong>in</strong>g the livery <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> our new Sunny Heart brand – our<br />
comm<strong>it</strong>ment to you, a promise you can trust. You might also<br />
want to check out our latest <strong>in</strong>dustry first, Holidays to go!<br />
Simply tweet your favour<strong>it</strong>e<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ation to @TCOffers, and<br />
we’ll return our latest offers to<br />
you <strong>in</strong> seconds.<br />
Thank you aga<strong>in</strong> for your<br />
feedback – <strong>it</strong> really does help us<br />
improve. My motto is “gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
better never stops” and as we<br />
drive to develop the services that make us relevant to you, and<br />
provide the holiday experiences and choices you want at prices<br />
to match your budget, your feedback and thoughts really help.<br />
Thank you for tak<strong>in</strong>g the time to share.<br />
Now s<strong>it</strong> back and relax, and let our onboard team support<br />
you while you dream about the holiday to come. Or, if you’re<br />
return<strong>in</strong>g, maybe get some <strong>in</strong>spiration from this magaz<strong>in</strong>e<br />
on where you’d like to go next.<br />
Harriet Green<br />
Chief Executive Officer<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Group plc<br />
008 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
Escape<br />
Save up to<br />
50%<br />
*<br />
on 7 night off peak holidays,<br />
plus low depos<strong>it</strong>s from £60 *<br />
or<br />
Save up to<br />
25%<br />
*<br />
on school and Bank Holidays<br />
and all short breaks, plus<br />
low depos<strong>it</strong>s from £60 *<br />
plus<br />
Breaks from<br />
£89<br />
per family for 4 nights<br />
*<br />
for less<br />
at Haven<br />
Book your holiday nice and early and you could enjoy<br />
one of our excellent half price holidays offers<br />
Our 35 parks are dotted around Br<strong>it</strong>a<strong>in</strong>’s coast from non-stop action<br />
stretch<strong>in</strong>g across the Yorkshire cliffs to the more tranquil Cornish<br />
dunes <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> everyth<strong>in</strong>g a short stroll away.<br />
Get book<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> your local <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Agent<br />
Terms and cond<strong>it</strong>ions: *Save up to 50% discount applies to holidays of seven nights or more across selected dates <strong>in</strong> spr<strong>in</strong>g, May, June, early July and autumn booked before 8 February 2015. Save up to 25% discount applies to all other dates and all short breaks throughout 2015 booked before 8 February 2015. The price <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
your holiday home, car park<strong>in</strong>g for one car and FunWorks passes for access to facil<strong>it</strong>ies and some activ<strong>it</strong>ies for up to six people shar<strong>in</strong>g the holiday home. An <strong>in</strong><strong>it</strong>ial depos<strong>it</strong> of £60 is taken at the time of book<strong>in</strong>g, you will then pay a top up depos<strong>it</strong> of £60 for school and Bank Holiday dates or £30 for all other holidays at the end of February<br />
2015. The balance is then due 10 weeks prior to arrival date. £89 is based on up to six shar<strong>in</strong>g a Standard two bedroom caravan on an off peak four night break on selected dates and parks. The price <strong>in</strong>cludes all discounts. Offers and prices cannot be used <strong>in</strong> conjunction <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> any other offer, discount or promotional voucher unless<br />
specifically stated and apply to new book<strong>in</strong>gs only. All offers are subject to promotional rate availabil<strong>it</strong>y and can be <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>drawn or reduced at any time <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>out notice. Full terms and cond<strong>it</strong>ions apply as stated <strong>in</strong> the 2015 1st Ed<strong>it</strong>ion Haven brochure. Haven Holidays is a trad<strong>in</strong>g name of Bourne Leisure, registered <strong>in</strong> England and Wales,<br />
no 04011660. Registered office 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL.<br />
69980
W I S H Y O U W E R E H E R E | D E P A R T U R E S<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
What’s tak<strong>in</strong>g off <strong>in</strong> the world of travel<br />
We can be heroes<br />
Some people say they don’t make action heroes like they<br />
used to. They clearly haven’t met Will Gadd, a prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
Canadian ice climber and paraglider, and the man dangl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from this slender icicle on Lake Louise Falls <strong>in</strong> Banff National<br />
Park (above). He wasn’t alone e<strong>it</strong>her: renowned adventure<br />
photographer Kennan Harvey had to anchor himself halfway<br />
up the falls to capture the image.<br />
“Freshly formed, the pillar was th<strong>in</strong> and unclimbed, leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>it</strong> covered <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> countless chandelier icicles,” expla<strong>in</strong>s Harvey.<br />
“After complet<strong>in</strong>g a series of delicately technical moves, Will<br />
gr<strong>in</strong>ned <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the weightlessness of success.”<br />
The image is be<strong>in</strong>g used to promote the fifth annual Banff<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong> Film Festival World Tour, which sees 80 screen<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
at 54 locations across the UK and Ireland. The tour br<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
together the very best film-makers and outdoor enthusiasts<br />
to celebrate mounta<strong>in</strong> culture. Inspired? Now <strong>it</strong>’s your turn.<br />
BE THERE… From 24 January to 8 May, banff-uk.com.<br />
Travel to Br<strong>it</strong>ish Columbia, Canada, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
Photography: Kennan Harvey<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 011
D E P A R T U R E S | T H E B I G F I V E<br />
A study <strong>in</strong> Sherlock<br />
First up is a major new Holmes exhib<strong>it</strong>ion, then the return of the BBC show <strong>in</strong> 2015. Here’s where<br />
to delve <strong>in</strong>to the m<strong>in</strong>d of the world’s most famous fictional detective and his contemporaries<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
LONDON<br />
PORTSMOUTH<br />
BERN<br />
NEW YORK<br />
BERLIN<br />
Museum<br />
Of London<br />
Portsmouth<br />
C<strong>it</strong>y Museum<br />
Sherlock Holmes<br />
Museum<br />
New York C<strong>it</strong>y<br />
Police Museum<br />
Stasimuseum<br />
Berl<strong>in</strong><br />
Immers<strong>in</strong>g vis<strong>it</strong>ors <strong>in</strong> 19th<br />
century Victorian London<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> v<strong>in</strong>tage film footage,<br />
photography, pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
and historical artefacts,<br />
The Man Who Never Lived<br />
And Will Never Die (until<br />
12 April) is a blockbuster<br />
exhib<strong>it</strong>ion sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g new light<br />
on Holmes and his endur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
appeal. Look out for<br />
Sherlock-<strong>in</strong>spired art <strong>in</strong>stallations,<br />
live performances,<br />
twilight gallery view<strong>in</strong>gs and<br />
an after-dark cocktail trail.<br />
The first of <strong>it</strong>s k<strong>in</strong>d s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
1951, <strong>it</strong>’s a pretty big deal,<br />
so deerstalkers are a must.<br />
Unless you can pull off that<br />
Belstaff Milford coat.<br />
museumoflondon.org.uk<br />
The largest comb<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
collection of material<br />
related to Holmes and his<br />
creator Sir Arthur Conan<br />
Doyle isn’t <strong>in</strong> London or<br />
Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh (the author’s<br />
birthplace), but <strong>in</strong> West<br />
Sussex. Here you can learn<br />
about Conan Doyle’s early<br />
life as a doctor, his <strong>in</strong>terest<br />
<strong>in</strong> spir<strong>it</strong>ualism and more.<br />
Don’t miss the Sherlock<br />
mystery narrated by the<br />
collection’s patron, Stephen<br />
Fry, or the Magnify<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sherlock app, which lets<br />
vis<strong>it</strong>ors turn detective <strong>in</strong><br />
the museum grounds.<br />
Watch out for red herr<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
portsmouthc<strong>it</strong>y<br />
museums.co.uk<br />
It’s at the Reichenbach<br />
Falls near Meir<strong>in</strong>gen that<br />
Holmes meets his end –<br />
hence the statue and the<br />
Sherlock Holmes Museum<br />
<strong>in</strong> this qua<strong>in</strong>t l<strong>it</strong>tle town<br />
outside Bern. Sw<strong>it</strong>zerland<br />
has a soft spot for Sherlock,<br />
so aficionados can compare<br />
the reconstruction of<br />
the sleuth’s London liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
room <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the version at<br />
the Musée Sherlock Holmes<br />
<strong>in</strong> the village of Lucens,<br />
a 90-m<strong>in</strong>ute drive away.<br />
This is where Adrian Conan<br />
Doyle opened an archive<br />
of his father’s effects <strong>in</strong><br />
the early 1960s.<br />
sherlockholmes.ch;<br />
lucens.ch<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h more than a whiff of<br />
Elementary about <strong>it</strong> (the US<br />
TV riff on Sherlock Holmes,<br />
starr<strong>in</strong>g Jonny Lee Miller and<br />
Lucy Liu), this compell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
museum on Wall Street<br />
<strong>in</strong> Manhattan takes you<br />
through the history of the<br />
world’s largest police service,<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> photos, uniforms,<br />
weaponry and even the<br />
odd vehicle. For a baddie’s<br />
perspective, head to the<br />
Museum of the American<br />
Gangster, occupy<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
former speakeasy <strong>in</strong> the<br />
East Village. It was once<br />
a haunt of Al Capone, the<br />
US’s real-life Moriarty.<br />
nycpm.org; museumof<br />
theamericangangster.org<br />
Reopen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> January after<br />
an extensive redesign,<br />
the one-time HQ of the<br />
notorious M<strong>in</strong>istry for State<br />
Secur<strong>it</strong>y (or “Stasi”) takes<br />
you <strong>in</strong>to the murky world<br />
of the German police state<br />
– a far cry from 221b Baker<br />
Street. The eerie exhib<strong>it</strong>s<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude the preserved<br />
offices of Erich Mielke, the<br />
Stasi’s much-feared leader,<br />
all manner of surveillance<br />
devices and a prisoner’s<br />
transport van. Berl<strong>in</strong>’s new<br />
Spy Museum is also under<br />
construction, so watch this<br />
space for Sherlock-style<br />
displays of <strong>in</strong>genu<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
stasimuseum.de;<br />
spymuseumberl<strong>in</strong>.com<br />
BE THERE… Travel <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
012 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Rhonda Carrier. Illustrations: Muti
Surprised<br />
walrus<br />
The crasher squirrel<br />
Founder of the trend, this squirrel<br />
trailblazer popped up at Lake Louise<br />
<strong>in</strong> Banff, Canada. A true legend.<br />
Animals need FaceTime, too, stupid. Here<br />
are our favour<strong>it</strong>e photobomb<strong>in</strong>g stars<br />
The “b<strong>it</strong>e me” beluga whale<br />
Nature’s giants are normally<br />
shy creatures, but this toothy<br />
beluga has an appet<strong>it</strong>e for the<br />
limelight. Spot him on a trip<br />
to Man<strong>it</strong>oba, Canada.<br />
The<br />
n<strong>in</strong>ja sloth<br />
Above, below, from<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d – beware, this<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ister plott<strong>in</strong>g mammal<br />
can<br />
come at you from<br />
all<br />
angles. Seek one out<br />
<strong>in</strong> the jungles around<br />
Costa Rica, before he<br />
creeps e up on you first.<br />
014 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL<br />
Photography: Getty,Rex,Caters, Ilan Ben Tov/Solent News<br />
& Photo Agency, Andrey Nekrasov/Solent News & Photo Agency
T R E N D<br />
| D E P A R T U R E S<br />
The “this is what you<br />
look like” gorilla<br />
Easy to love, harder to<br />
share a banana <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>,<br />
silverback gorillas<br />
like this one can be<br />
tracked <strong>in</strong> the wild on<br />
a tour of Uganda.<br />
The seal who th<strong>in</strong>ks he’s a pengu<strong>in</strong><br />
Weigh<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at up to 3,000kg of pure<br />
fatty blubber, elephant seals like this<br />
one are best spotted on the coasts<br />
of South Georgia and Antarctica.<br />
The trout <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the trout pout<br />
Me? You want to take a picture of<br />
l<strong>it</strong>tle old me? This trunkfish clearly<br />
has an att<strong>it</strong>ude problem – but<br />
when you live <strong>in</strong> Egypt’s unspoilt<br />
Red Sea <strong>it</strong>’s understandable.<br />
BE THERE... Holiday <strong>in</strong> these dest<strong>in</strong>ations<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com, crestaholidays.com<br />
and thomascooksignature.com<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 015
D E P A R T U R E S | S T A R G U I D E<br />
N<br />
Miami vice<br />
As hip-shimmy<strong>in</strong>g, poodle-haired songstress Shakira awa<strong>it</strong>s the birth of her<br />
second child, we explore her “other” home, the place where the party started<br />
ow that Shakira is shacked up <strong>in</strong> Barcelona <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, her Miami pad<br />
is up for sale – <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a $13 million price tag. The<br />
800 sq m of waterfront real estate, which she’s<br />
owned for the past 12 years, is the ultimate base from which<br />
to explore the c<strong>it</strong>y, but there are plenty of other Shakirafriendly<br />
haunts if you can’t afford that particular dream.<br />
Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill (sugarcanerawbargrill.com)<br />
has played host to the pet<strong>it</strong>e Lat<strong>in</strong>o, who’s been known to<br />
enjoy some daytime sangria p<strong>it</strong>chers and Kobe beef sliders<br />
here on occasion. This Midtown eatery, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s upholstered<br />
banquette seat<strong>in</strong>g and stone walls, is the perfect place to<br />
enjoy happy hour or sample brunch favour<strong>it</strong>es such as “fat<br />
boy” hash <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> bacon jam and truffle hollandaise.<br />
When <strong>it</strong>’s time to show off that, er, flat belly, there’s only<br />
one place to pose and that’s South Beach, where muscular<br />
gym obsessives rub biceps <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> yoga bunnies, and Miami<br />
residents such as Christian Slater walk their dogs. Shakira has<br />
often been papped <strong>in</strong> the sand and, even if she’s across the<br />
Atlantic now, there are plenty of eyebrow-rais<strong>in</strong>g diversions.<br />
The rule is simple: swimwear can never be too glam.<br />
To get k<strong>it</strong>ted out for your Hips Don’t Lie beach moment,<br />
head to Fox House pop-up boutique (myfoxhouse.com) for<br />
boho b<strong>it</strong>s and v<strong>in</strong>tage one-offs. For those dressier nights,<br />
make a beel<strong>in</strong>e for the Kardashian-owned Dash store<br />
(dashboutiquecloth<strong>in</strong>g.com), where the “Dash Dolls” can<br />
help squeeze you <strong>in</strong>to a body-con dress and then accessorise<br />
<strong>it</strong> <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the latest Kim Kardashian platform heels. Bal Harbour<br />
shopp<strong>in</strong>g district is another fashion hotspot where Shakira’s<br />
been seen pick<strong>in</strong>g out stylish pieces.<br />
If you want to d<strong>it</strong>ch the beach crowds, then Nikki Beach<br />
Club (nikkibeachmiami.com) is where to eat <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the el<strong>it</strong>e.<br />
Sun loungers are more than affordable from £6 per day, or<br />
there’s always a stool at one of the many tiki bars <strong>in</strong>side the<br />
complex to sw<strong>in</strong>g your legs and watch the fashion shows.<br />
Shakira may only return for family holidays, but there are<br />
plenty of other stars ready to take her place. Fellow Lat<strong>in</strong>o<br />
crooner Enrique Iglesias and his partner Anna Kournikova<br />
live <strong>in</strong> Bay Po<strong>in</strong>t, Jay-Z and Wyclef Jean have laid down some<br />
tracks at the Lenny Krav<strong>it</strong>z-designed record<strong>in</strong>g studio <strong>in</strong>side<br />
The Setai Miami Beach (book at hotels4u.com), and pop<br />
vamp Miley Cyrus hangs out at the Delano Hotel’s Umi Sushi<br />
& Sake Bar (morganshotelgroup.com) when she’s <strong>in</strong> town.<br />
If that wasn’t enough A-list star power for you, Matthew<br />
McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, L<strong>in</strong>dsay Lohan, U2, Br<strong>it</strong>ney<br />
Spears and Shakira’s fellow she-wolf Beyoncé have all<br />
stayed here, too. Miami’s just that k<strong>in</strong>d of place.<br />
BE THERE… From May 2015, <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> flies to<br />
Miami direct from Manchester Airport. Book your<br />
star break <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
016 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Lucille Howe. Illustration: Adam Howl<strong>in</strong>g
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018 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
E S S E N T I A L S | D E P A R T U R E S<br />
The frost report<br />
All the w<strong>in</strong>ter gear we won’t be able to avoid on and off the slopes this season<br />
A w<strong>in</strong>ter’s tale<br />
Alp<strong>in</strong>e tourism is 150 years old this<br />
season. It all started <strong>in</strong> 1864 thanks to<br />
a bet between St Mor<strong>it</strong>z hotelier Johannes<br />
Badrutt and his English summer guests.<br />
Come back <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter, he said, and <strong>it</strong>’ll be<br />
much better. Keep up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the Badrutt’s<br />
Palace brigade <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> these Chevron<br />
Zamora plimsolls – you may even be<br />
mistaken for ex-guest George Clooney.<br />
£25, flossyshoes.com<br />
Hazy shades of w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
If US Alp<strong>in</strong>e pro racer L<strong>in</strong>dsey Vonn,<br />
also known as Tiger Woods’ other half,<br />
is <strong>in</strong> the market for a new pair of goggles<br />
– she’s tied up <strong>in</strong> a deal <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Oakley –<br />
she could do worse than strapp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a pair of anti-scratch and anti-fog Roxy<br />
ISIS Multilayers around her helmet.<br />
Pulled down tight they make you look<br />
like a dayglo Term<strong>in</strong>ator from the future.<br />
£140, surfdome.com<br />
Sleigh ride<br />
Put Evel Knievel’s motorbike helmet<br />
and robotic Disney recycler WALL-E <strong>in</strong>to<br />
a blender and you’d get the Hubber,<br />
the first eco-friendly helmet to h<strong>it</strong> the<br />
slopes. The straps and padd<strong>in</strong>g are<br />
made from organic fabric, the outer<br />
shell from a polymer derived from corn,<br />
and the l<strong>in</strong>er from polystyrene taken<br />
from the dashboards of Japanese cars.<br />
£90, picture-organic-cloth<strong>in</strong>g.com<br />
Slipp<strong>in</strong>’ and slid<strong>in</strong>’<br />
One of the most versatile women’s<br />
snowboards, the Nidecker Elle is<br />
designed <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the beg<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d: <strong>it</strong>’s<br />
easygo<strong>in</strong>g, forgiv<strong>in</strong>g and can be used on<br />
all sorts of terra<strong>in</strong> – from the powder of<br />
resorts such as Val Thorens or Val d’Isère<br />
<strong>in</strong> France, to the rails of your local Tesco<br />
car park. A pair of sturdy Elle b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
will help you avoid the shopp<strong>in</strong>g trolleys.<br />
£300, snowboard-asylum.com<br />
Baby <strong>it</strong>’s cold outside<br />
Canadian brand Arc’Teryx is the Ferrari<br />
of skiwear: streaml<strong>in</strong>ed, elegant and<br />
designed to turn heads. Its latest w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
jackets – Rush for men and Scim<strong>it</strong>ar<br />
for women (above) – are lightweight,<br />
breathable, packable Gore-Tex Pro<br />
waterproofs for big mounta<strong>in</strong>s. They<br />
also have “storm hoods”, which sound<br />
like someth<strong>in</strong>g from Lord Of The R<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
£480, arcteryx.com<br />
Stay another day<br />
Backcountry skiers – and those <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
Eddie the Eagle-style death wishes<br />
– <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly head <strong>in</strong>to the hills <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
avalanche k<strong>it</strong>. Like hav<strong>in</strong>g a rescue<br />
team on your back, the Band<strong>it</strong> Avalung<br />
Package <strong>in</strong>cludes a lightweight pack,<br />
Deploy 3 Shovel and QuickDraw Super<br />
Tour Probe 265. The only th<strong>in</strong>g miss<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is an emergency <strong>in</strong>flatable zorb<strong>in</strong>g ball.<br />
£145, blackdiamondequipment.com<br />
Words: Mike MacEacheran. Illustration: Dan Woodger<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 019
D E P A R T U R E S | E S S E N T I A L S<br />
HOW TO<br />
THROW<br />
YOURSELF OFF<br />
A CLIFF (AND<br />
SURVIVE)<br />
Wonderful Christmastime<br />
Frustrated at the lack of watches<br />
that deliver <strong>in</strong> high-stress environments<br />
(avalanches, après-ski bar crawls), Nixon<br />
created The Un<strong>it</strong> 40, a timepiece <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
a temperature gauge, countdown<br />
timer, chronograph and light. If The<br />
A-Team built a watch, this would be <strong>it</strong>.<br />
£89, nixon.com<br />
Frosty the snowman<br />
Ignore those one-piece ski su<strong>it</strong>s on<br />
eBay and gaudy animal-pr<strong>in</strong>t w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
onesies from Primark, and get your ski<br />
legs <strong>in</strong> a pair of Jeppeson pants. The<br />
material offers extreme <strong>in</strong>sulation, and<br />
<strong>it</strong>s adjustable waist tabs mean you won’t<br />
get snow <strong>in</strong> any unwanted places.<br />
£200, thenorthface.co.uk<br />
Jo<strong>in</strong> the Freeride<br />
World Tour 2015<br />
FWT is the world’s newest, craziest<br />
Alp<strong>in</strong>e ski-off. Now <strong>in</strong> <strong>it</strong>s third<br />
official year, <strong>it</strong> features a series<br />
of unh<strong>in</strong>ged athletes rac<strong>in</strong>g each<br />
other down sheer cliffs and rock<br />
faces on skis and snowboards at<br />
high speed. That alone would be<br />
far too easy, so they outw<strong>it</strong> each<br />
other <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> somersaults, flips and<br />
big-air jumps on the way down. In<br />
dude speak, <strong>it</strong>’ll “go off”. Sound<br />
like lunacy? Yup. They race for<br />
£250,000 prize money, but<br />
judg<strong>in</strong>g by the parties they have<br />
the night before, they may as well<br />
be do<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> for the beer and glory.<br />
Santa’s l<strong>it</strong>tle helper<br />
What’s that com<strong>in</strong>g over the hill? It’s<br />
most likely a l<strong>it</strong>tle monster <strong>in</strong> a Volcom<br />
Green Happy Colours cap. It won’t keep<br />
their heads warm from the cold, but<br />
when did teenagers ever listen? Baggy<br />
snowpants hang<strong>in</strong>g dangerously below<br />
the waist are also a prerequis<strong>it</strong>e.<br />
£20, volcom.co.uk<br />
Walk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a w<strong>in</strong>ter wonderland<br />
Ski boots have come a long way s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
the early pioneers used to strap sk<strong>in</strong>ned<br />
marmots to their feet (or someth<strong>in</strong>g like<br />
that). Black Diamond’s latest – Swift for<br />
women, Quadrant for men – can handle<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g from ski tours to steep l<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
These boots weren’t made for walk<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
£365, blackdiamondequipment.com<br />
Too crazy for you?<br />
Watch <strong>it</strong> live <strong>in</strong>stead<br />
24 January: Chamonix, France<br />
31 January: K<strong>it</strong>zbühel, Austria<br />
14 February: Vallnord, Andorra<br />
14 March: Alaska (location TBC)<br />
28 March: Verbier, Sw<strong>it</strong>zerland<br />
freerideworldtour.com<br />
Let <strong>it</strong> snow<br />
It’s no use on the pistes (unless you<br />
mount <strong>it</strong> on a frame and turn <strong>it</strong> <strong>in</strong>to<br />
a makeshift toboggan), but this<br />
v<strong>in</strong>tage ski poster provides the perfect<br />
<strong>in</strong>spiration pre- or post-holiday. It’s part<br />
of the largest surviv<strong>in</strong>g repos<strong>it</strong>ory of<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>als from the early 1920s to 1970s.<br />
£5,400, orig<strong>in</strong>alskiposters.com<br />
Cold as ice<br />
Cara Delev<strong>in</strong>gne has covered up her bad<br />
hair days <strong>in</strong> a ski hat more times than<br />
she’s posed for Topshop (well, maybe).<br />
Do a Cara <strong>in</strong> the Supremebe<strong>in</strong>g Ferrail,<br />
the steeziest headgear of the season,<br />
<strong>in</strong>spired by Mesoamerican symbols<br />
and 8-b<strong>it</strong> artwork. Bobble-tastic.<br />
£25, supremebe<strong>in</strong>g.com<br />
BE THERE... Book your next ski<br />
holiday <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
Photography: Jeremy Bernard & Dom Daher, Freeride World Tour<br />
028 020 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
Welcome to Sunstar Hotels<br />
The twelve susta<strong>in</strong>ably managed Sunstar Hotels <strong>in</strong> Grisons, the Bernese Oberland, Valais, Tic<strong>in</strong>o and Piedmont offer exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g holiday<br />
facil<strong>it</strong>ies for families, couples, groups and <strong>in</strong>dividual travellers. Our wide range of services encompasses three different types of hotel,<br />
attractive round trips and many all-<strong>in</strong>cluded benef<strong>it</strong>s. The Sunstar Hotels do everyth<strong>in</strong>g they can to guarantee warm-hearted enthusiasm<br />
and unfail<strong>in</strong>g professionalism.<br />
Sunstar Alp<strong>in</strong>e, Style and Boutique Hotels<br />
Embraced under the umbrella term of Sunstar Hotels, different ideologies are offered.<br />
While the Sunstar Alp<strong>in</strong>e Hotels ma<strong>in</strong>ly score <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> trad<strong>it</strong>ional pleasure for sports enthusiasts<br />
and active travellers at central locations <strong>in</strong> the most beautiful resorts of the Swiss<br />
Alps, the Sunstar Boutique Hotels are full of charm and elegance, idyllically located and for<br />
connoisseurs of regional culture, excellent food and local w<strong>in</strong>es. The Sunstar Style Hotel is<br />
well known for <strong>it</strong>s «dist<strong>in</strong>ctive» ambience, characteristics that are a l<strong>it</strong>tle b<strong>it</strong> different, and<br />
is the ideal place for a no-fuss stay.<br />
Sunstar advantages<br />
Calm and centrally located <strong>in</strong> the most beautiful alp<strong>in</strong>e dest<strong>in</strong>ations <strong>in</strong> Sw<strong>it</strong>zerland<br />
First-class hotels <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an excellent range of value for money<br />
Guarantee for a climate neutral stay<br />
Wellness, <strong>in</strong>door swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool and gym <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
Choice of a diverse and <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g program of exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g offers<br />
Price | per person/stay<br />
Sunstar Alp<strong>in</strong>e Hotels****<br />
Arosa 1) from CHF 150.–<br />
Davos from CHF 115.–<br />
Flims, Lenzerheide,<br />
Gr<strong>in</strong>delwald, Wengen<br />
from CHF 100.–<br />
Familienhotel Davos*** from CHF 110.–<br />
Sunstar Style Hotel****<br />
Zermatt from CHF 115.–<br />
Sunstar Boutique Hotels****<br />
Klosters from CHF 95.–<br />
Saas-Fee from CHF 90.–<br />
1)<br />
Arosa: Skipass as well as skischool <strong>in</strong>cluded for<br />
children until 18 years.<br />
Book<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>formation | Phone +41 (0)61 925 70 71 reservation@sunstar.ch www.sunstar.ch
D E P A R T U R E S | D R I N K<br />
Put the lime <strong>in</strong> the coconut<br />
Trust us, you’ll want to start a tab after meet<strong>in</strong>g the ultimate Caribbean cocktails<br />
CUBA<br />
El Florid<strong>it</strong>a<br />
The jury has always been spl<strong>it</strong><br />
about the most atmospheric<br />
place to sup a cocktail <strong>in</strong> Havana.<br />
Ernest Hem<strong>in</strong>gway argued,<br />
“My moj<strong>it</strong>o <strong>in</strong> La Bodegu<strong>it</strong>a, my<br />
daiquiri <strong>in</strong> El Florid<strong>it</strong>a.” And if<br />
anyone knew what he was talk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
about <strong>it</strong>’s Papa: he once guzzled<br />
16 <strong>in</strong> one night. El Florid<strong>it</strong>a does<br />
a showstopper of a lime daiquiri,<br />
but <strong>it</strong>s Havana Especial, made<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> p<strong>in</strong>eapple, marasch<strong>in</strong>o and<br />
three-year-old Havana Club rum,<br />
l<strong>in</strong>gers longer and should see you<br />
salsa-<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the early hours.<br />
florid<strong>it</strong>a-cuba.com<br />
JAMAICA<br />
Pier 1<br />
This waterfront bar serves the<br />
tastiest margar<strong>it</strong>as on the island:<br />
just ask the Montego Bay locals.<br />
Bartenders stick to trad<strong>it</strong>ion<br />
– no more than a hefty dose of<br />
imported tequila and a h<strong>in</strong>t of salt<br />
– yet shake th<strong>in</strong>gs up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> fru<strong>it</strong><br />
straight from the jungle: banana,<br />
mango, p<strong>in</strong>eapple and papaya.<br />
Don’t expect the place to come<br />
alive until after midnight (by day<br />
Pier 1 hosts a seafood buffet),<br />
so there’s plenty of time to s<strong>in</strong>k<br />
your fill of Papaya Margar<strong>it</strong>as<br />
before the locals pile <strong>in</strong>.<br />
pieronejamaica.com<br />
022 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Rob Crossan. Photography: Liz McBurney
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC<br />
Juanillo Beach Bar<br />
Next to the tower<strong>in</strong>g resort hotels<br />
that overlook Cap Cana on the<br />
eastern tip of the DR, Juanillo is<br />
arguably the most strik<strong>in</strong>g beach<br />
on the island. It’s public, mean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
you don’t have to pay through the<br />
nose for access, but <strong>it</strong>’s also home<br />
to the div<strong>in</strong>e creations knocked<br />
up by the perma-gr<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g staff<br />
at Juanillo Beach Bar. W<strong>it</strong>h tables<br />
set on the sand, <strong>it</strong>’s a great place<br />
to pose, flirt and merengue while<br />
supp<strong>in</strong>g P<strong>in</strong>a Coladas made <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
coconut cream, rum and<br />
a splash of p<strong>in</strong>eapple.<br />
juanillo.com.do<br />
ST LUCIA<br />
Bayside Bar<br />
Hidden under the almond trees<br />
and sway<strong>in</strong>g palm fronds of Anse<br />
des P<strong>it</strong>ons, the Bayside Bar <strong>in</strong><br />
Jalousie Plantation is <strong>in</strong>credibly<br />
popular <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> those <strong>in</strong> the know.<br />
At weekends, they come for the<br />
golden rum punches, served <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
lychee, mango or p<strong>in</strong>eapple, but<br />
there’s also an exhaustive cocktail<br />
list. A Yellow Bird, served <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
wh<strong>it</strong>e Bacardi, banana liqueur and<br />
squeezed orange, tastes like an<br />
enjoyable punch <strong>in</strong> the face. Live<br />
calypso music turns the bar <strong>in</strong>to<br />
a carnival on Friday nights, too.<br />
viceroyhotelsandresorts.com<br />
ANTIGUA<br />
Beachlimerz<br />
Overlook<strong>in</strong>g the breezy channel<br />
where French ships once <strong>in</strong>vaded<br />
the island <strong>in</strong> 1668, there are still<br />
rust<strong>in</strong>g Br<strong>it</strong>ish cannons stand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
close to Beachlimerz <strong>in</strong> Fort James<br />
Beach, St John’s. It’s a b<strong>it</strong> less<br />
fraught these days, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an arty<br />
vibe and décor (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g wooden<br />
furn<strong>it</strong>ure and handmade copper<br />
lights) and regular jazz bands.<br />
When <strong>it</strong>’s <strong>in</strong> full sw<strong>in</strong>g, head<br />
straight to the bar for a Lim<strong>in</strong>’<br />
Time: mango, rum, lime juice and<br />
sugar syrup over ice – basically<br />
a daiquiri <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a silly name.<br />
beachlimerz.com<br />
BARBADOS<br />
Lone Star<br />
Barbados is one of the most loved<br />
Caribbean islands, and bijou<br />
Lone Star draws a su<strong>it</strong>ably celeb<br />
crowd, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Mariah Carey and<br />
John Cleese. Located <strong>in</strong> Mount<br />
Standfast, <strong>it</strong>’s a high-brow venue<br />
offer<strong>in</strong>g strong, seriously good<br />
fru<strong>it</strong> snifters. The St<strong>in</strong>gray,<br />
a mix of watermelon and banana<br />
liqueurs <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a splash of vodka,<br />
is a must-try. Time your vis<strong>it</strong> right<br />
and you can catch a performance<br />
by the bar’s steel band.<br />
thelonestar.com<br />
BE THERE… Travel <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
thomascook.com<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 023
Julia Donaldson<br />
Br<strong>it</strong>a<strong>in</strong>’s bestsell<strong>in</strong>g author (beat<strong>in</strong>g even JK Rowl<strong>in</strong>g) tells us about<br />
the monster success of The Gruffalo – and sett<strong>in</strong>g her hair on fire<br />
I<br />
didn’t always wr<strong>it</strong>e books.<br />
I started out wr<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g songs<br />
– my first children’s book,<br />
A Squash And A Squeeze,<br />
was a song to beg<strong>in</strong> <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>. Busk<strong>in</strong>g used<br />
to pay for our holidays abroad. My husband<br />
Malcolm and I would buy flights to France<br />
or Italy, camp somewhere, spend the morn<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g attractions or loung<strong>in</strong>g by a pool, and<br />
the afternoons rehears<strong>in</strong>g and ref<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g our<br />
act. In the even<strong>in</strong>gs we’d descend on the town<br />
square and s<strong>in</strong>g for our supper. I wrote such<br />
a silly song about how much we English love<br />
pasta. It was a great way to meet people.<br />
I didn’t th<strong>in</strong>k about <strong>it</strong> at the time, but<br />
I wrote The Scarecrows’ Wedd<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
year of our ruby wedd<strong>in</strong>g anniversary.<br />
I thought about <strong>it</strong> recently, and realised <strong>it</strong><br />
perhaps has some roots <strong>in</strong> my own marriage.<br />
Betty O’Barley likes to makes lists, as I do, while<br />
Harry O’Hay, her husband-to-be, is ever-so<br />
helpful, but takes forever to get anyth<strong>in</strong>g done.<br />
He’s really rather like Malcolm. There’s also a fire<br />
<strong>in</strong> the book and, when Malcolm proposed to<br />
me, we were <strong>in</strong> a romantic candlel<strong>it</strong> restaurant.<br />
I leant forward to accept, and my hair caught fire.<br />
Malcolm put <strong>it</strong> out. Well, I had to marry him then.<br />
024 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
K I D S<br />
| D E P A R T U R E S<br />
I’ve travelled a great deal. In 2006 we went<br />
around the world, start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a holiday <strong>in</strong><br />
Chile. The climate was amaz<strong>in</strong>g – <strong>it</strong> was fabulous<br />
to have long summer even<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> January – and<br />
the people were probably the most pol<strong>it</strong>e and<br />
friendly I’d ever met. From there we flew to New<br />
Zealand, then toured Australia, Hong Kong,<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gapore and Ch<strong>in</strong>a, and ended up trekk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> Nepal. It was the trip of a lifetime.<br />
The Gruffalo is the only one of my books<br />
I own a copy of <strong>in</strong> every language<br />
<strong>in</strong> which <strong>it</strong>’s been published.<br />
There are 54 ed<strong>it</strong>ions <strong>in</strong> total,<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g from Lat<strong>in</strong> to<br />
Maori to Hebrew to Scots.<br />
The Scots is marvellous:<br />
“A moose took a dauner<br />
through the deep, mirk<br />
widd. A tod saw the<br />
moose and the moose<br />
looked guid.” It’s not<br />
possible for me to keep the<br />
translations of every book I’ve<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>ten, we simply don’t have<br />
the space, but I usually keep the<br />
French, Italian, Spanish, German,<br />
Russian and Arabic versions.<br />
“There are<br />
54 ed<strong>it</strong>ions of<br />
The Gruffalo –<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
Lat<strong>in</strong> to Maori to<br />
Hebrew to Scots”<br />
Show me a book and I’ll tell you how the<br />
idea came about – every one is different.<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Mirror-Belle was <strong>in</strong>spired by my son<br />
who had a friend called Sammy who lived <strong>in</strong> the<br />
mirror. The idea evolved and changed over the<br />
years, though. Some ideas come very quickly.<br />
The plot for Tiddler [about a fish whose daydream<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lands him <strong>in</strong> trouble] came <strong>in</strong> a burst.<br />
I hope the ideas keep com<strong>in</strong>g. It gets harder,<br />
because I’ve used an awful lot of ideas up.<br />
But hav<strong>in</strong>g new ideas, that’s my job.<br />
I get lots of letters from<br />
children and I put some of<br />
them up on the wall of<br />
our loo. One spr<strong>in</strong>gs to<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d – a l<strong>it</strong>tle girl had<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>ten me a list of burn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
questions to answer.<br />
“One: do you have your<br />
own library? Two: do you<br />
have your own husband?”<br />
It wasn’t so much the<br />
mental leap she’d made that<br />
tickled me – more the <strong>in</strong>ference<br />
that I might have someone else’s.<br />
BUY IT… The Scarecrows’ Wedd<strong>in</strong>g by Julia<br />
Donaldson is out now, juliadonaldson.co.uk<br />
A LIFE IN<br />
BOOKS<br />
If there’s one<br />
book I wish I’d<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>ten…<br />
It’d have to be<br />
Watership Down<br />
by Richard Adams.<br />
My favour<strong>it</strong>e<br />
character is…<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Mirror-Belle.<br />
She features <strong>in</strong> some<br />
chapter books and,<br />
more recently, <strong>in</strong><br />
a picture book,<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Mirror-Belle<br />
And The Dragon Pox.<br />
I th<strong>in</strong>k some of my<br />
younger books are<br />
rather like fables, but<br />
this one, well, I’ve<br />
never enjoyed wr<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
any character’s l<strong>in</strong>es as<br />
much as hers. Perhaps<br />
she represents my own<br />
hidden naughty side.<br />
As for my<br />
favour<strong>it</strong>e villa<strong>in</strong>...<br />
Reg<strong>in</strong>ald Rake <strong>in</strong> The<br />
Scarecrows’ Wedd<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is pretty loathsome,<br />
but my favour<strong>it</strong>e is<br />
the Highway Rat.<br />
Words: Pip Jones Ilustrations: Muti, Axel Scheffler<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 025
D E P A R T U R E S | B E A U T Y<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong> rescue<br />
Cold weather wreaks havoc <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> your sk<strong>in</strong>. These top beauty tips will have<br />
you belt<strong>in</strong>g out a Frozen-style, “Let <strong>it</strong> go, let <strong>it</strong> go!” through the w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
Spr<strong>it</strong>z <strong>in</strong>to spr<strong>in</strong>g<br />
If the snow is fall<strong>in</strong>g hard, and<br />
public transport has come to<br />
a gr<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g halt, combat the<br />
cold <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a gentle rem<strong>in</strong>der<br />
of the warmer seasons ahead.<br />
A spray of Emporio Armani<br />
Diamonds Rose, £29.50, the<br />
latest floral fashion scent, will<br />
see you – wa<strong>it</strong> for <strong>it</strong> – come<br />
up smell<strong>in</strong>g of roses. Lovely<br />
eye-catch<strong>in</strong>g bottle, too.<br />
Prevent goggle l<strong>in</strong>es<br />
Hunt<strong>in</strong>g for just one product<br />
to meet all your w<strong>in</strong>ter sk<strong>in</strong><br />
needs can leave you cold, but<br />
Stila’s Stay All Day 10-<strong>in</strong>-1<br />
Illum<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g Beauty Balm,<br />
£20, has <strong>it</strong> all: <strong>it</strong> hydrates,<br />
smoothes, primes, stimulates<br />
collagen production, and is<br />
su<strong>it</strong>able for all sk<strong>in</strong> types.<br />
It even has SPF30 to help tone<br />
down that ski-goggle tan.<br />
Play <strong>it</strong> cool<br />
Extreme weather cond<strong>it</strong>ions<br />
demand extreme action,<br />
so give your complexion<br />
a much-needed boost <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
a product beauty experts are<br />
rav<strong>in</strong>g about. Transformulas<br />
Mar<strong>in</strong>e Miracle Crème, £35,<br />
is packed <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> potassium<br />
and nutrients, help<strong>in</strong>g to relax<br />
the dermal layer of sk<strong>in</strong> and<br />
reduce f<strong>in</strong>e l<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
Fix those party eyes<br />
Christmas dr<strong>in</strong>ks, New Year’s<br />
Eve, après-ski antics: gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
enough sleep is a serious<br />
challenge <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter. Fake<br />
<strong>it</strong> <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Vichy Idealia Eyes,<br />
£23, which brightens the<br />
appearance of dark circles,<br />
smoothes f<strong>in</strong>e l<strong>in</strong>es and<br />
illum<strong>in</strong>ates your peepers. The<br />
only th<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> won’t do is get you<br />
those precious eight hours.<br />
GET YOURS...<br />
Some of these<br />
products (and more)<br />
are available onboard.<br />
See Emporium magaz<strong>in</strong>e<br />
for further details<br />
026 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Imogen Rowland. Photography: Liz McBurney
GET AWAY FROM<br />
THE EVERYDAY.<br />
Powdery wh<strong>it</strong>e sands, crystal turquoise waters and warm Caribbean breezes<br />
awa<strong>it</strong> you at the Hilton Barbados Resort. Escape to this tropical paradise nestled<br />
on a lush pen<strong>in</strong>sula. Snorkel among some of the world’s most beautiful coral<br />
reefs, see the sights of historic Bridgetown, or relax on the beach to the sweet<br />
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everyday.<br />
For room reservations vis<strong>it</strong> www.hiltonbarbadosresort.com or call<br />
2464260200<br />
Needham's Po<strong>in</strong>t St Michael | Bridgetown | BB 11000 | BARBADOS<br />
©2014 Hilton Worldwide
Jason Wood, Melbourne (left):<br />
“I liked the idea of <strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Las Vegas not through <strong>it</strong>s<br />
cas<strong>in</strong>os, but through the<br />
desert. It’s such a desolate<br />
place, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> people travell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back and forth to the bright<br />
lights. I can imag<strong>in</strong>e so many<br />
stories from the road.”<br />
Deconstruct<strong>in</strong>g Las Vegas<br />
Onl<strong>in</strong>e mag Show Us Your Type br<strong>in</strong>gs together typography and travel. We asked<br />
<strong>it</strong>s most talented designers to present S<strong>in</strong> C<strong>it</strong>y as we’ve never seen <strong>it</strong> before<br />
T<br />
h<strong>in</strong>k Las Vegas is all<br />
about poker, neon<br />
lights and 24-hour<br />
cas<strong>in</strong>os? Wrong. Web<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e Show Us Your Type puts<br />
the spotlight on different c<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
through orig<strong>in</strong>al graphic design<br />
and illustration, so we asked them<br />
to create a new look for Las Vegas,<br />
to br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> <strong>in</strong>to the dig<strong>it</strong>al age.<br />
“As avid travellers and designers,<br />
we’ve always had an obsession<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> typography and particularly<br />
the relationship between travel<br />
and type as <strong>in</strong>fluenced by culture,”<br />
expla<strong>in</strong> mag co-founders Natalie<br />
Long and Lisi Badia. “This project<br />
has opened our eyes to the diverse<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretations of culture, design<br />
and geography.”<br />
The end result was more<br />
than we could have expected:<br />
150 ground-break<strong>in</strong>g poster<br />
designs to choose from. See above<br />
and right to f<strong>in</strong>d out what <strong>in</strong>spired<br />
our favour<strong>it</strong>e designers.<br />
SEE IT… Vis<strong>it</strong> showusyourtype.<br />
com to see more <strong>in</strong>spirational<br />
travel typography. Fly to Las<br />
Vegas <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
028 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
V I E W P O I N T | D E P A R T U R E S<br />
Tommaso Taraschi,<br />
Athens (left):<br />
“What <strong>in</strong>spired me?<br />
What else? The 1964<br />
movie Viva Las Vegas<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Elvis Presley.<br />
It’s one of my alltime<br />
favour<strong>it</strong>es.”<br />
Tyler Spangler, Los Angeles<br />
(second from top left): “My<br />
grandma used to live <strong>in</strong> Las<br />
Vegas and the first th<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
comes to m<strong>in</strong>d when I th<strong>in</strong>k of<br />
<strong>it</strong> is a kaleidoscope of flash<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lights and colours. I wanted the<br />
maximum expression of that.”<br />
Illustrations (l-r):<br />
Jason Wood, Melbourne;<br />
Tyler Spangler, Los<br />
Angeles; Prateek Vatash,<br />
Bangalore; Tim S<strong>in</strong>gleton,<br />
Toronto; MAAN Design<br />
Studio, Portugal; Yai<br />
Sal<strong>in</strong>as, Buenos Aires;<br />
The Negra, Buenos<br />
Aires; Mar<strong>in</strong>e Saunier,<br />
Paris; Tommaso<br />
Taraschi, Athens<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 029
How to salsa like<br />
a Strictly star<br />
Inspired by the latest batch of celebr<strong>it</strong>y tw<strong>in</strong>kle-toes,<br />
we attempt to master the ballroom basics<br />
3. Tango<br />
A passionate, playful<br />
dance performed<br />
<strong>in</strong> a close embrace.<br />
Staccato movements<br />
and dramatic head<br />
snaps are essential.<br />
2: Rock’n’roll<br />
The basic rhythm<br />
is quick, quick, slow,<br />
slow. The latter should<br />
be taken on the ball<br />
of the foot, before<br />
lower<strong>in</strong>g the heel.<br />
1. Merengue<br />
A series of side-toside<br />
steps performed<br />
<strong>in</strong> a closed-arm<br />
pos<strong>it</strong>ion. Both dancers’<br />
hips should move <strong>in</strong><br />
the same direction.<br />
“Y<br />
ou’ve almost got <strong>it</strong>, you just need<br />
some extra lift. Th<strong>in</strong>k more along<br />
the l<strong>in</strong>es of I Believe I Can Fly, less<br />
Murder On The Dancefloor.”<br />
Gillian <strong>Cook</strong>, our tutor for the morn<strong>in</strong>g, looks<br />
concerned as she tries, and fails, to pos<strong>it</strong>ion my<br />
amateur dance partner and I <strong>in</strong>to a signature<br />
crucifix lift. It’s usually the moment that gets<br />
the Strictly Come Danc<strong>in</strong>g audience leap<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
their feet <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> whoops of applause – previous<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ners Abbey Clancy, Louis Sm<strong>it</strong>h and Harry<br />
Judd have breezed <strong>it</strong> – but our fellow dancers<br />
are too worried about our imm<strong>in</strong>ent collapse<br />
to dare distract us. And rightly so: at least one<br />
of us is visibly shak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the stra<strong>in</strong>.<br />
We’ve come to London’s Cap<strong>it</strong>al Dance<br />
School for a morn<strong>in</strong>g’s <strong>in</strong>troduction to all th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
ballroom, from merengue to salsa, rock’n’roll<br />
to mambo. It’s <strong>in</strong> tribute to the latest series of<br />
the BBC show, which, 12 seasons <strong>in</strong>, still draws<br />
massive Saturday night view<strong>in</strong>g figures: 8.1m<br />
on this series’ launch weekend. It cont<strong>in</strong>ues to<br />
tempt an impressive number of viewers <strong>in</strong>to<br />
their local dance studios, too. So, keen to try<br />
the cha-cha-cha for ourselves, we got to work.<br />
A quick Google led us to Dance Near You<br />
Vote <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> your feet<br />
Note the poise of art<br />
director Daniel Di Paolo<br />
(bow-tie), picture ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
Julia Holmes (black dress),<br />
and ed<strong>it</strong>or Imogen Rowland<br />
(blue dress, two left feet)<br />
030 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Imogen Rowland. Photography: Tim E Wh<strong>it</strong>e
T H E C H A L L E N G E | D E P A R T U R E S<br />
5. Salsa<br />
A comb<strong>in</strong>ation of<br />
mirrored steps and<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>s. The dancers<br />
move on three beats<br />
of each bar of four,<br />
paus<strong>in</strong>g on the fourth.<br />
4. Mambo<br />
Based on a series<br />
of backward and<br />
forward movements<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> po<strong>in</strong>ts, flicks<br />
and kicks of the feet.<br />
Hip movement is key.<br />
(dancenearyou.co.uk), a UK-wide search eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
that identifies the classes <strong>in</strong> your area. One<br />
phone call later, the stage was set. And, really,<br />
if Ann Widdecombe, Gregg Wallace and Russell<br />
Grant can do <strong>it</strong>, <strong>it</strong> can’t be that hard, right? Right?<br />
“People wrongly believe danc<strong>in</strong>g is difficult,”<br />
says Gillian, “but the basic moves are simple.<br />
It’s about enjoy<strong>in</strong>g yourself – if <strong>it</strong> feels too hard,<br />
you’re do<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g wrong.” If anyone can<br />
discipl<strong>in</strong>e me, <strong>it</strong>’s her. Hav<strong>in</strong>g started danc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
straight from the pram (well, aged two), Gillian’s<br />
gl<strong>it</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g career has <strong>in</strong>cluded represent<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the UK and teach<strong>in</strong>g hundreds of people –<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g A-listers and royalty – how to jive.<br />
She keeps quiet as to which HRH she has<br />
tutored, but my guess is snake-hipped Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
Harry. You don’t learn those moves at Eton.<br />
While my confidence <strong>in</strong> lifts is as wobbly<br />
as Bruce Forsyth’s knees, after an hour I beg<strong>in</strong><br />
to get the knack of the footwork – from the<br />
twists and turns of rock’n’roll to the toe-shuffle<br />
of merengue. When we swap partners and I’m<br />
teamed <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Nico, a professional Lat<strong>in</strong> dance<br />
teacher from Latvia, we pos<strong>it</strong>ively fly around<br />
the room. I don’t know about be<strong>in</strong>g a pro, but<br />
I def<strong>in</strong><strong>it</strong>ely th<strong>in</strong>k we could give this year’s<br />
If Ann Widdecombe<br />
and Russell Grant<br />
can do <strong>it</strong>, <strong>it</strong> can’t be<br />
that hard, right?<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 031
STRICTLY<br />
LATINO<br />
Discover the orig<strong>in</strong>s of your<br />
favour<strong>it</strong>e Lat<strong>in</strong> moves<br />
Flamenco, Almeria<br />
This dance comb<strong>in</strong>es hand<br />
clapp<strong>in</strong>g, percussive footwork and<br />
expressive body movements – not<br />
to mention one hell of a ruffled<br />
dress. Head to Peña el Morato <strong>in</strong><br />
Almeria (elmorato.com), a cultural<br />
association dedicated to the dance.<br />
6. The f<strong>in</strong>al number<br />
No matter which Lat<strong>in</strong><br />
or ballroom dance<br />
you perform, the f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
pos<strong>it</strong>ion should be<br />
full of drama but held<br />
totally still.<br />
Merengue,<br />
Dom<strong>in</strong>ican Republic<br />
Merengue is a simple hip-sw<strong>in</strong>gand-shuffle<br />
whipped <strong>in</strong>to a sultry<br />
frenzy. Head to the Jet Set Club<br />
(Avenue Independencia) <strong>in</strong> Santo<br />
Dom<strong>in</strong>go to see how <strong>it</strong>’s done.<br />
Strictly contestants a run for their money –<br />
Carol<strong>in</strong>e Flack, Pixie Lott and TOWIE’s Mark<br />
Wright, watch your backs. Oh, and your toes.<br />
Even so, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the first ever The People’s<br />
Strictly due to take place <strong>in</strong> March as part of<br />
the 2015 Red Nose Day fundrais<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
I’m tempted to send <strong>in</strong> an on-spec application<br />
and see what the expert judges make of my<br />
moves. Does Gillian th<strong>in</strong>k I have what <strong>it</strong> takes?<br />
“I th<strong>in</strong>k Len, Darcey and Bruno would be<br />
encourag<strong>in</strong>g,” she says, smil<strong>in</strong>g, “but Craig<br />
Revel Horwood would probably say your<br />
salsa’s a dis-aaaaa-ster, darl<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
SEE IT… Watch the latest series of Strictly<br />
Come Danc<strong>in</strong>g on BBC1. Get <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong><br />
The People’s Strictly by vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g bbc.co.uk<br />
“Strictly’s Craig Revel<br />
Horwood would<br />
probably say<br />
your salsa’s a disaaaaa-ster<br />
darl<strong>in</strong>g!”<br />
Salsa, Havana<br />
Salsa has strong ties to Cuba so<br />
there are few better places to jo<strong>in</strong><br />
the party than <strong>in</strong> the cap<strong>it</strong>al. Aim<br />
for the Club Salseando Chévere<br />
(club-salseando-chevere.com).<br />
BE THERE... Book <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
thomascook.com<br />
Dance shoes from £59.95, blochworld.co.uk. Thanks to thecap<strong>it</strong>aldancestudio.com<br />
032 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
“We need to know<br />
about front-l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
heroism. We need<br />
to know about the<br />
casualties and the<br />
actual combat”<br />
034 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Words: Alice Weller
C E L E B R I T Y<br />
| D E P A R T U R E S<br />
Benedict Cumberbatch’s<br />
act<strong>in</strong>g masterclass<br />
Why im<strong>it</strong>ation is the name of the game for the Sherlock star<br />
B<br />
enedict Cumberbatch can do clever. We know<br />
that. Anyone who has seen him play Sir Arthur<br />
Conan Doyle’s detective <strong>in</strong> the BBC’s fabulous<br />
Sherlock knows that. Or his performance as<br />
controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange <strong>in</strong> 2013’s<br />
The Fifth Estate. Or even his take on theoretical physicist<br />
Stephen Hawk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the BBC’s Hawk<strong>in</strong>g, a 2004 film that<br />
garnered him the first of four BAFTA nom<strong>in</strong>ations <strong>in</strong> what’s<br />
become a remarkable career.<br />
Still, none of his on-screen characters are qu<strong>it</strong>e like Alan<br />
Tur<strong>in</strong>g, the subject of his latest thriller, The Im<strong>it</strong>ation Game.<br />
Although Tur<strong>in</strong>g cracked the Germans’ Enigma code<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>e at Bletchley Park dur<strong>in</strong>g World War II, his<br />
work has gone largely unheralded. “As far as<br />
his legacy goes, his importance is massive<br />
compared to how well people know<br />
him,” says Cumberbatch. “He really<br />
wanted to solve that puzzle and he<br />
thought he could help.”<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h much of Tur<strong>in</strong>g’s work<br />
performed <strong>in</strong> secret, Cumberbatch<br />
believes <strong>it</strong>’s v<strong>it</strong>al to recognise his<br />
achievements. “We need to know<br />
about front-l<strong>in</strong>e heroism,” he says.<br />
“We need to know about the casualties<br />
and the actual combat. But <strong>it</strong>’s extraord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
to be able to acknowledge the people that<br />
were work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the back room to br<strong>in</strong>g about the end<br />
of World War II.” As the film notes, Tur<strong>in</strong>g’s efforts helped<br />
hasten the war to an early end, sav<strong>in</strong>g millions of lives.<br />
As much as The Im<strong>it</strong>ation Game is a celebration of a<br />
remarkable man – Tur<strong>in</strong>g was also an Olympic-level athlete<br />
and Cambridge genius – <strong>it</strong>’s also a tragic tale concern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong>s<br />
subject’s own personal demons. Secretly gay at a time when<br />
homosexual<strong>it</strong>y was illegal <strong>in</strong> Br<strong>it</strong>a<strong>in</strong>, Tur<strong>in</strong>g lived a double life<br />
until he was caught and “disgracefully punished by the same<br />
government that he helped w<strong>in</strong> the war for”, as the 38-yearold<br />
actor so passionately puts <strong>it</strong>.<br />
Already, cr<strong>it</strong>ics are hail<strong>in</strong>g Cumberbatch’s performance<br />
as a shoo-<strong>in</strong> for an Oscar nom<strong>in</strong>ation, a first for the<br />
Hammersm<strong>it</strong>h-born thespian, whose parents Timothy<br />
Carlton and Wanda Ventham are also part of the stage and<br />
screen fratern<strong>it</strong>y (and have both popped up <strong>in</strong> Sherlock).<br />
Hollywood has certa<strong>in</strong>ly woken up to him – Cumberbatch<br />
played the villa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Star Trek Into Darkness and the dragon,<br />
Smaug (thanks to a lot of computer trickery), <strong>in</strong> Peter<br />
Jackson’s three-part adaptation of The Hobb<strong>it</strong>, the f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
<strong>in</strong>stalment of which is out <strong>in</strong> December.<br />
Yet today, tuck<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a tub of nuts, he seems almost<br />
oblivious to all the hoopla around him (which <strong>in</strong>cludes an<br />
enormous <strong>in</strong>ternet follow<strong>in</strong>g, bolstered by his magnificent<br />
appearance do<strong>in</strong>g the “ice bucket challenge”). So what does<br />
he look for <strong>in</strong> a role? “Someth<strong>in</strong>g that surprises me, that<br />
I haven’t done before,” he says. “To keep myself<br />
challenged, really. And also then hopefully<br />
keep an audience’s expectations at bay<br />
and do th<strong>in</strong>gs that aren’t always<br />
a good f<strong>it</strong> for me.”<br />
Already, he’s signed on to play the<br />
tiger Shere Khan (thanks to more CGI<br />
wizardry) <strong>in</strong> director Andy Serkis’s take<br />
on Rudyard Kipl<strong>in</strong>g’s The Jungle Book.<br />
And next year will partly be taken up<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> his hugely anticipated Hamlet at<br />
the Barbican – which became the hottestsell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ticket <strong>in</strong> London theatre history recently.<br />
Yet he adm<strong>it</strong>s he’s cautious <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> every role. “Even<br />
the ones that seem pla<strong>in</strong> sail<strong>in</strong>g, you’ve got to be very careful<br />
not to be too judgmental of them.”<br />
Perhaps his biggest challenge to date is squar<strong>in</strong>g up to<br />
Johnny Depp <strong>in</strong> the forthcom<strong>in</strong>g gangster film Black Mass.<br />
The story of notorious Boston mobster Wh<strong>it</strong>ey Bulger, played<br />
by Depp, <strong>it</strong> co-stars Cumberbatch as Bulger’s law-abid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
brother, Billy. “The appeal was to work <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the director,<br />
Scott Cooper, on an extraord<strong>in</strong>ary script, a really enigmatic<br />
character and someone I wanted to do justice to,” he says.<br />
Im<strong>it</strong>ation, as they say, is the s<strong>in</strong>cerest form of flattery.<br />
SEE IT… The Im<strong>it</strong>ation Game is out 14 November.<br />
The Hobb<strong>it</strong>: The Battle Of The Five Armies is<br />
out 12 December<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 035
(Bed) time for heroes<br />
A young fan reads the<br />
May 1954 ed<strong>it</strong>ion of<br />
Menace, a horror comic<br />
that only ran for 11 issues<br />
Your friendly neighbourhood comic book<br />
You’ve seen the films. You’ve bought the action figures. Now read the orig<strong>in</strong>al superhero orig<strong>in</strong> story<br />
Y<br />
ou’ll be astonished,<br />
dear reader, to learn<br />
that Marvel Comics,<br />
the home of Spider-<br />
Man, the Incredible Hulk and the<br />
Fantastic Four, turns 75 <strong>in</strong> October.<br />
Long before company godfather<br />
Stan Lee came along, and the publisher’s<br />
name changed from Timely<br />
Comics to Marvel, founder Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
Goodman oversaw the creation of<br />
Carl Burgos’s android superhero,<br />
the Human Torch, and wr<strong>it</strong>er Joe<br />
Simon’s Capta<strong>in</strong> America. That<br />
these beloved characters are still<br />
fight<strong>in</strong>g the good fight <strong>in</strong> comics,<br />
film franchises and toy shop aisles<br />
around the world is the k<strong>in</strong>d of<br />
far-fetched tale only a comicbook<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>er could come up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>.<br />
However, all superheroes need<br />
an orig<strong>in</strong> story – and the biggest<br />
comic house <strong>in</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess has<br />
<strong>it</strong>s own captivat<strong>in</strong>g history, too.<br />
Founded at 330 West 42nd Street,<br />
the company moved to the 14th<br />
floor of the Empire State Build<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
where <strong>it</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>ed until 1951,<br />
later expand<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>it</strong>s current<br />
home at 135 West 50th Street.<br />
It’s hardly surpris<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>it</strong> was<br />
from these w<strong>in</strong>dows the wr<strong>it</strong>ers<br />
dreamt up Spider-Man sw<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />
between skyscrapers and the<br />
X-Men fly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> from their Salem<br />
Center HQ <strong>in</strong> upstate New York.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g these boom years, Marvel<br />
Comics was bought and sold many<br />
times, most controversially to<br />
Disney for $4 billion. The unlikeliest<br />
036 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL Photography: Ivan Briggs & Wendy Everett ©Marvel; all images courtesy Taschen
I N F O C U S | D E P A R T U R E S<br />
su<strong>it</strong>or, around 2000, was the K<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of Pop, Michael Jackson.<br />
To celebrate Marvel’s <strong>in</strong>credible<br />
superheroes (also <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Iron Man, the Avengers, Ant-Man<br />
and Thor), Taschen has published<br />
a magnum opus dedicated to the<br />
comic giant. It’s bulkier than Capta<strong>in</strong><br />
America’s biceps (700 pages),<br />
as earth-shak<strong>in</strong>g as the Incredible<br />
Hulk (<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> 2,000 v<strong>in</strong>tage images<br />
and panels of comic-book art, plus<br />
300 biographies) and – because<br />
<strong>it</strong>’s a lim<strong>it</strong>ed ed<strong>it</strong>ion – as hard to<br />
get your hands on as the oddball<br />
who started <strong>it</strong> all, the Human Torch.<br />
Marvel-lous? You bet.<br />
BUY IT... 75 Years Of Marvel:<br />
From The Golden Age To The<br />
Silver Screen by Roy <strong>Thomas</strong> is<br />
out now, published by Taschen<br />
(£135, taschen.com). Fly to<br />
New York, the home of Marvel<br />
Comics, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
It’s the k<strong>in</strong>d of farfetched<br />
tale only<br />
a comic-book wr<strong>it</strong>er<br />
could come up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
Comics unmasked<br />
(clockwise from above<br />
left): Cover art for 75<br />
Years Of Marvel; issue 11<br />
of Venus, November 1950;<br />
Bill Everett, the freelance<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>er-artist who created<br />
Namor the Sub-Mar<strong>in</strong>er<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 037
A BETTER PLACE TO STAY<br />
VISIT<br />
YOUR LOCAL<br />
TRAVEL AGENT<br />
TO BOOK<br />
FANCY A SHORT BREAK IN THE UK?<br />
WWW.HOSEASONS.CO.UK/THOMASCOOK
P R O M O T I O N | H I L T O N<br />
Turkey’s Unspoiled Gem<br />
The Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Spa has all the stunn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
views, fabulous d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and energetic enterta<strong>in</strong>ment for a perfect break<br />
Built where the Med<strong>it</strong>erranean Sea meets<br />
the Aegean, the Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme<br />
Resort & Spa is the second hotel <strong>in</strong> Europe to<br />
be nom<strong>in</strong>ated a 'Hilton Worldwide Resort'. A<br />
10-m<strong>in</strong>ute drive from Dalaman airport and a<br />
mere 10-m<strong>in</strong>ute walk from Sarigerme Village,<br />
the Hilton Dalaman is set <strong>in</strong> an ideal location<br />
that blends seamlessly and respectfully<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> nature.<br />
At Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme, the d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
options are designed <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> you <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d. Start<br />
the day <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a hearty breakfast or nutr<strong>it</strong>ious<br />
light b<strong>it</strong>e, savour <strong>in</strong>novative dishes prepared<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> only the freshest <strong>in</strong>gredients or simply<br />
relax <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a cup of coffee <strong>in</strong> the hotel lounge.<br />
From bus<strong>in</strong>ess brunches to pre-d<strong>in</strong>ner dr<strong>in</strong>ks<br />
and everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> between, the options<br />
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When <strong>it</strong> comes to downtime, you can<br />
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You can also experience a cul<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
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restaurants and bars. Sample a taste of the<br />
Far East <strong>in</strong> Tao, savour authentic Turkish food<br />
<strong>in</strong> A La Turca and choose from the f<strong>in</strong>est<br />
Italian cuis<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> Alize. For fresh seafood and<br />
Champagne, head to Gl<strong>it</strong>ter, or sip cocktails<br />
and take <strong>in</strong> stunn<strong>in</strong>g sea views from the<br />
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Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Spa is<br />
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all ages, like Kidz Paradise, a club that boasts<br />
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F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g the perfect hotel<br />
isn’t about luck. It’s simply about<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g the right place to look.<br />
Welcome to a real holiday!
e came to<br />
ape Verde<br />
nd <strong>it</strong> blew<br />
ur m<strong>in</strong>ds<br />
Words: Mike MacEacheran<br />
Photography: Greg Funnell<br />
We sailed, we surfed, we swam.<br />
How the island of Sal won us over<br />
(<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>out us even ask<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> to)<br />
028 040 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
DC EA P AE R V T UE R D E SE<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 041
Capta<strong>in</strong> Zelison weighs anchor,<br />
rock<strong>in</strong>g the 20-ton catamaran<br />
up and down, to and fro. His<br />
three-person crew attack the<br />
billow<strong>in</strong>g ma<strong>in</strong> and w<strong>in</strong>dward<br />
sails as though they’re fight<strong>in</strong>g off a kraken,<br />
and he props himself beh<strong>in</strong>d the wheel, part<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>, part toothy pirate. Once the<br />
catamaran gets go<strong>in</strong>g, speed<strong>in</strong>g over the endless<br />
aquamar<strong>in</strong>e sea away from Sal, through<br />
salty air and the occasional spray of water, past<br />
ever-shift<strong>in</strong>g sand dunes and resort hotels and<br />
a broken f<strong>in</strong>ger of a lighthouse, he turns to face<br />
me. “Tout fixé?” he asks, <strong>in</strong> local Creole. “All OK,<br />
my friend?” Bobb<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the mid-Atlantic <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>out<br />
a map or chart, surrounded on all sides by m<strong>in</strong>dnumb<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
vast ocean, I feel like we’re about to<br />
sail off the end of the world. But this is Sal and<br />
this is just an everyday k<strong>in</strong>d of feel<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Some 40 years before Christopher Columbus<br />
caught the Saharan trade w<strong>in</strong>ds and set sail for<br />
the New World, the Portuguese settled <strong>in</strong> Cape<br />
Verde. Seafarers, then slave traders, became the<br />
first Europeans to stake their claims <strong>in</strong> the Tropics,<br />
pav<strong>in</strong>g the way for 15th-century privateers<br />
and pirates, and an illustrious Who’s Who crew<br />
of p<strong>in</strong>-up explorers. Sir Francis Drake was first<br />
(f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g no treasure, he only stayed long enough<br />
to raze the village of Cidade Velha on Santiago<br />
Waterworld<br />
Sail<strong>in</strong>g (top), jetski<br />
rid<strong>in</strong>g (above) and<br />
skimsurf<strong>in</strong>g (right).<br />
Just another average<br />
day on Sal island<br />
042 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
C A P E V E R D E<br />
Sal is still<br />
unchartered<br />
terr<strong>it</strong>ory, even<br />
for dedicated<br />
beach hunters<br />
Off the hook<br />
Stroll<strong>in</strong>g down Ponta<br />
Preta beach (left).<br />
Locals hang out<br />
at sunset on Santa<br />
Maria pier (right)<br />
to the ground), then a 23-year-old Charles<br />
Darw<strong>in</strong> sailed <strong>in</strong> on The Beagle (he was seasick,<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to his notebook). Follow<strong>in</strong>g that, the<br />
very last whal<strong>in</strong>g ships took an entire generation<br />
of Cape Verdeans across the ocean to Boston.<br />
Now <strong>it</strong>’s my turn. Ahead of the 40th year of<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependence from Portugal <strong>in</strong> 2015, I’ve come<br />
to get a grip on the smallest island of the lot,<br />
Sal, still unchartered terr<strong>it</strong>ory for even the most<br />
dedicated beach hunter.<br />
Cape Verde’s 10-strong cha<strong>in</strong> of islands<br />
is a geography-bend<strong>in</strong>g, history-defy<strong>in</strong>g, timeleap<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
cultural puzzle. Call <strong>it</strong> an archipelago<br />
of contradictions – part Portuguese, part West<br />
African, part Creole; a sweep<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>troduction<br />
to Atlantic life; or just a hell of a great place to<br />
surf and party. The island of Fogo is a volcanic<br />
jungle that defied the odds to blossom from<br />
the depths of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Santo<br />
Antão is a hodge-podge of jungle, desert pla<strong>in</strong>s,<br />
roll<strong>in</strong>g green valleys and cloud-soaked mounta<strong>in</strong>s<br />
– if a five-year-old were to draw a fantasy<br />
island, this would be <strong>it</strong>. São Vicente is West<br />
Africa’s answer to the Med<strong>it</strong>erranean Riviera,<br />
a crescent moon-shaped port which plays home<br />
to a raucous Lat<strong>in</strong> Carnival every February; while<br />
Brava seems to reside firmly <strong>in</strong> the 19th century.<br />
Mules work the terraced hillsides and the only<br />
sign of modern<strong>it</strong>y is the occasional car that<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 043
044 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
C A P E V E R D E<br />
The archipelago is<br />
a geographybend<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
historydefy<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
time-leap<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
cultural puzzle<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 045
umps and gr<strong>in</strong>ds across the cobblestones of<br />
Nova S<strong>in</strong>tra, the island’s cap<strong>it</strong>al.<br />
What makes Sal different is <strong>it</strong>s simplic<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
There are no mounta<strong>in</strong>s, gorges, even trees.<br />
It exists <strong>in</strong> the east Atlantic slipstream, one hour<br />
from Dakar <strong>in</strong> Senegal, yet only four hours from<br />
Fortaleza <strong>in</strong> northern Brazil. In stark contrast to<br />
the verdant gullies and rav<strong>in</strong>es of <strong>it</strong>s sibl<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>it</strong>’s<br />
a pancake-flat Frisbee, a t<strong>in</strong>y parcel of land and<br />
water <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a long stretch of dune-backed sand<br />
cleav<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>it</strong>s southern tip.<br />
Salty sea dogs<br />
Eder Rosario (left), and<br />
the Sal<strong>in</strong>as Pedra de Lume<br />
(below). The beachfront<br />
terrace of Hotel Morabeza<br />
<strong>in</strong> Santa Maria (above)<br />
“This is where the Americans made their<br />
movie when they went to the moon,” says<br />
Eder Rosario, one of the first islanders I meet.<br />
He’s a salgad<strong>in</strong>ho – or what a Cape Verdean<br />
calls a “salty one”, an ancestor of the island’s<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al found<strong>in</strong>g fathers. Eder’s grandfather<br />
and great grandfather once made their fortunes<br />
out of the vast volcanic craters and shimmer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
salt beds on the eastern coast that were m<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
for off-p<strong>in</strong>k, brackish salt crystals.<br />
That history has long gone: the Wild Weststyle<br />
village of Pedra de Lume is now a ragbag<br />
collection of stilted wooden salt-extraction<br />
towers dat<strong>in</strong>g back to 1805 that dom<strong>in</strong>ate the<br />
landscape like mammoth tombstones. Workers<br />
once exported some 300,000 tons of salt a year,<br />
a figure that now stands at 300 a month. “Our<br />
way of life now comes from out there,” says<br />
Eder, po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g beyond the harbour to the sea.<br />
We climb down <strong>in</strong>to the Sal<strong>in</strong>as Pedra de<br />
Lume (entry £4), the crater floor of an ext<strong>in</strong>ct<br />
volcano, to a series of salt-evaporation ponds<br />
now refashioned as a natural spa amph<strong>it</strong>heatre.<br />
Rustic treatment huts dot the waterways where<br />
tourists come to get re-energised by the effect<br />
of the heal<strong>in</strong>g m<strong>in</strong>eral salts. Afterwards, scrap<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the br<strong>in</strong>y water across my legs and feet <strong>in</strong> the<br />
bak<strong>in</strong>g hot sun, I feel like my p<strong>in</strong>ky-wh<strong>it</strong>e sk<strong>in</strong><br />
has been given a couple of high-pressure jolts<br />
from a SodaStream.<br />
046 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
C A P E V E R D E<br />
ever stops<br />
down –<br />
n one day<br />
year is,<br />
nth<strong>in</strong>kable<br />
Life and soul of the party<br />
Santa Maria (left) and Buddy’s<br />
Bar (below), the best place to<br />
hear live rend<strong>it</strong>ions of sodades<br />
and mornas, the musical<br />
signatures of Cape Verde<br />
What Sal now lacks <strong>in</strong> salt production and<br />
heavy <strong>in</strong>dustry, <strong>it</strong> more than makes up for <strong>in</strong><br />
character and soul. The people are gregarious,<br />
the portions are generous and the sun never<br />
stops beat<strong>in</strong>g down – more than one day of<br />
ra<strong>in</strong> a year is, frankly, unth<strong>in</strong>kable.<br />
In this blister<strong>in</strong>g mid-afternoon heat, Eder<br />
tells me, <strong>it</strong>’s easy to spot a true salgad<strong>in</strong>ho:<br />
they only go to the beach after 4pm. It’s only<br />
then, once the shadows start creep<strong>in</strong>g out<br />
from beh<strong>in</strong>d the candy-coloured build<strong>in</strong>gs of<br />
Santa Maria (pa<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong> vibrant p<strong>in</strong>ks, greens<br />
and oranges to help fishermen drunk on the<br />
local grog f<strong>in</strong>d the right house after dark),<br />
that the beach really sparks <strong>in</strong>to life.<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 047
C A P E V E R D E<br />
Beach boys<br />
Surf’s up for Didi and<br />
Hendryk (left) and the<br />
new wave of stand-up<br />
paddleboarders (right)<br />
Santa Maria<br />
beach is a wisp of<br />
powdery bleached<br />
sand straight out<br />
of a detergent ad<br />
K<strong>it</strong>esurfers, bodyboarders, w<strong>in</strong>dsurfers,<br />
jetskiers, paddle surfers, even flyboarders<br />
(those lunatics <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> water jetpacks) – they’re<br />
all out <strong>in</strong> force. It’s on Santa Maria beach that<br />
I meet Didi Mero and Hendryk Ramos, two<br />
semi-pro skimboarders who spend their days<br />
compet<strong>in</strong>g for the best breaks (and girls) on<br />
Santa Maria beach, a glorious wisp of powdery<br />
bleached-wh<strong>it</strong>e sand straight out of a detergent<br />
advert. Unlike surfers, skimboarders beg<strong>in</strong> on<br />
the beach by dropp<strong>in</strong>g their boards on to the<br />
th<strong>in</strong> wash of retreat<strong>in</strong>g waves. They then use<br />
their momentum to skim out to break<strong>in</strong>g<br />
waves, which they catch back to shore.<br />
To help them tra<strong>in</strong> for an upcom<strong>in</strong>g compet<strong>it</strong>ion<br />
on the island of Boa Vista, they’ve <strong>in</strong>stalled<br />
a makeshift bungee cord under a rock beneath<br />
the waves. Moments later, after the next wave<br />
h<strong>it</strong>s, Didi takes flight, flips and twists <strong>in</strong> mid-air,<br />
and vanishes beneath the surf.<br />
“Tout fixé, bro?” Hendryk shouts. Slowly,<br />
Didi appears, shakes the sand out of his matted<br />
dreadlocks and flashes a gr<strong>in</strong>, an ivory-wh<strong>it</strong>e<br />
smile that leaves the crowd of onlookers <strong>in</strong> no<br />
doubt. When you’re at the beach <strong>in</strong> Cape Verde,<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g is always tout fixé.<br />
BE THERE… Book your w<strong>in</strong>ter sun break<br />
to Cape Verde <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
Teach a man to fish<br />
Pedra de Lume’s church<br />
(above), a fisherman<br />
from Palmeira (right),<br />
and local delicacy goose<br />
barnacles (far right)<br />
048 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
Sleep here<br />
Built 50 years ago by<br />
Belgian <strong>in</strong>dustrialist<br />
Gaspard Vynckier, Hotel<br />
Morabeza is Sal’s premier<br />
beachfront property. Run<br />
by Gaspard’s daughter<br />
Geneviève, <strong>it</strong> feels more<br />
like a home-away-fromhome<br />
than a standard<br />
package hotel. There are<br />
three pools, a tennis court,<br />
a beach club and a host<br />
of watersports to<br />
choose from.<br />
Book at thomascook.com<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 049
2<br />
3<br />
1
N E W Y UO AR KE<br />
Compiled by: Amanda Ruggeri & Matthew Lee<br />
Illustration: Ross Murray<br />
NEW<br />
YORK<br />
Forget Times Square. Forget the Empire State. Here’s the what,<br />
where and why by the people who know the Big Apple best<br />
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4<br />
5
Oh, New York! The Un<strong>it</strong>ed States’ largest, most<br />
famous c<strong>it</strong>y teems <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> eight million people,<br />
sprawls across 1,215 sq km – and <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
countless restaurants, shops, museums, bars,<br />
parks and sights. All of this makes New York<br />
overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g enough for locals, let alone vis<strong>it</strong>ors.<br />
As tempt<strong>in</strong>g as <strong>it</strong> can be to pare your must-dos down to what<br />
you’ve seen <strong>in</strong> the movies or found <strong>in</strong> your guidebook, don’t.<br />
Take <strong>it</strong> from New Yorkers: if you come to town and spend your<br />
time solely <strong>in</strong> the area around the Empire State Build<strong>in</strong>g, you’re<br />
miss<strong>in</strong>g the po<strong>in</strong>t. You’re also miss<strong>in</strong>g the best parts of the<br />
greatest c<strong>it</strong>y on Earth. Here are the trendiest, and least touristy,<br />
places to sightsee, shop, eat and dr<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong> NYC – straight from<br />
the mouths of New York’s savviest (and choosiest) residents.<br />
Lower Manhattan<br />
“Check out Battery Park. It’s the most peaceful place <strong>in</strong> the c<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
Open space, boats go<strong>in</strong>g by, never too crowded, and a great view<br />
of the Statue of Liberty.”<br />
Sean Flax, television and film producer for NY1 News<br />
“New York is the best place to cycle! Bike on the Henry Hudson<br />
Parkway and then across the Brooklyn Bridge.”<br />
Jessica Weis, director of special projects <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the New York<br />
C<strong>it</strong>y Department of Education<br />
“The Honorable William Wall is a l<strong>it</strong>tle-known float<strong>in</strong>g bar and<br />
the clubhouse of the Manhattan Yacht Club. Open to the public,<br />
but <strong>in</strong> the middle of New York Harbour, <strong>it</strong>’s accessible via d<strong>in</strong>ghy<br />
only, and is located <strong>in</strong> the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and the<br />
skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan. It fills up well <strong>in</strong> advance, mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>it</strong> a true gem that loves to play hard to get.”<br />
Marti Adams, chief spokesperson for NYC mayor Bill de Blasio<br />
“For brunch, there’s only one place: Prune. The Monte Cristo,<br />
eggs en cocotte, carbonara, bloody Mary <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> fennel and<br />
anchovy... It’s <strong>in</strong>sane, decadent, just what you need – if you<br />
can stand the wa<strong>it</strong> or you get lucky.”<br />
Frederick Bouchardy, founder of fragrance design studio Joya<br />
Brooklyn and Queens<br />
“I love go<strong>in</strong>g to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It regularly hosts<br />
great festivals and there’s a fantastic permanent bonsai exhib<strong>it</strong>ion<br />
– plus <strong>it</strong>’s free to vis<strong>it</strong> on Saturday morn<strong>in</strong>gs.”<br />
Amanda Br<strong>in</strong>egar, barista at Breukelen Coffee House<br />
“Don’t miss Cloak & Dagger. Its selection of very few brands<br />
(many of which are NYC-based) makes the shopp<strong>in</strong>g experience<br />
like comb<strong>in</strong>g through your most stylish friend’s closet, rather than<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g accosted by house music <strong>in</strong> a huge fast-fashion temple.”<br />
Tara Rasmus, director of accessories boutique Hoot<br />
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7<br />
8
N E W Y O R K<br />
“My favour<strong>it</strong>e<br />
would be<br />
The Spotted Pig:<br />
<strong>it</strong>’s a restaurantbar-pub.<br />
There’s also<br />
this really good<br />
place where we go<br />
just for dr<strong>in</strong>ks called<br />
Up & Down, which<br />
I really love”<br />
R<strong>it</strong>a Ora, s<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
“There’s this t<strong>in</strong>y Tibetan café called Lhasa Fast Food <strong>in</strong> Queens,<br />
but people know <strong>it</strong> as Tibetan Mobile – <strong>it</strong>’s hidden at the back of<br />
a mobile phone shop and you’d never know <strong>it</strong>’s there from the<br />
street. It’s authentic Tibetan comfort food such as momos<br />
(dumpl<strong>in</strong>gs) and noodle soups at a great price.”<br />
Jeff Orlick, Queens food tour guide<br />
“If you’re <strong>in</strong>to Ch<strong>in</strong>ese food, make your way to Flush<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong><br />
Queens. One of my favour<strong>it</strong>es is Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao,<br />
the best Shanghai-style soup dumpl<strong>in</strong>gs I’ve had outside of Ch<strong>in</strong>a.<br />
Heads up: <strong>it</strong>’s cash only. For tacos, go to Jackson Heights, also<br />
<strong>in</strong> Queens. It’s one of the most culturally diverse chunks of New<br />
York and a really fun, unique place to wander around. I usually<br />
go <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the carne asada or al pastor at Taqueria Coatz<strong>in</strong>go,<br />
right off the 74th Street stop on the 7 tra<strong>in</strong>.”<br />
Jake Goldman, deputy communications director at VICE<br />
“Pop’s D<strong>in</strong>er is the qu<strong>in</strong>tessential New York d<strong>in</strong>er and George<br />
is the qu<strong>in</strong>tessential New York d<strong>in</strong>er wa<strong>it</strong>er. Service is friendly,<br />
prices are low and breakfasts are enormous.”<br />
L<strong>in</strong>da Landivar, guest house owner, Flush<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Midtown and Greenwich Village<br />
“For an over-the-top d<strong>in</strong>ner, I like the bar at Del Posto. The room<br />
is big and a l<strong>it</strong>tle too gl<strong>it</strong>zy; <strong>it</strong> almost feels like an <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
11<br />
13<br />
12<br />
10
hotel <strong>in</strong> South America. The bar is more <strong>in</strong>timate, and has the<br />
same great Italian menu. You’re also guaranteed to see a few<br />
people wear<strong>in</strong>g preposterous outf<strong>it</strong>s.”<br />
David Cogg<strong>in</strong>s, ed<strong>it</strong>orial director of Freemans Sport<strong>in</strong>g Club<br />
“I love Aburiya K<strong>in</strong>nosuke on East 45th Street, which specialises <strong>in</strong><br />
Japanese grill. More than just a great, <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g Japanese menu,<br />
<strong>it</strong> feels like I’m stepp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a restaurant <strong>in</strong> Tokyo.”<br />
Chef Tadashi Ono, cul<strong>in</strong>ary director of Ganso restaurants<br />
“On a Friday night, if I’m lucky enough to have a date (and she<br />
lives <strong>in</strong> Manhattan), I’ll meet at The Mermaid Inn for their oyster<br />
happy hour, followed by a show at the Comedy Cellar. The Cellar is<br />
old school, but <strong>it</strong>’s got a fantastic New York feel and you can relax<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> some gr<strong>it</strong>ty laughs. You always come out of that place <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
energy after the show, so walk over to Corner Bistro and hunt for<br />
a seat at the bar. Dr<strong>in</strong>k cheap beer and watch the bartenders roll<br />
their eyes at the su<strong>it</strong>-and-tie crowd.”<br />
Taylor Coll<strong>in</strong>s, bartender at Williamsburg’s Walter Foods<br />
“The food at Nobu<br />
can be described<br />
<strong>in</strong> two ways – qu<strong>it</strong>e<br />
simply heaven on earth<br />
and sex on a plate!”<br />
Kate W<strong>in</strong>slet, actress<br />
16<br />
15<br />
14<br />
17
N E W Y O R K<br />
“Don’t miss C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries <strong>in</strong> Greenwich Village.<br />
It’s actually the oldest apothecary <strong>in</strong> America – <strong>it</strong>’s been around<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce 1838. I can spend hours look<strong>in</strong>g through the shelves of<br />
beauty products, heal<strong>in</strong>g remedies and hard-to-f<strong>in</strong>d apothecary<br />
<strong>it</strong>ems. It has <strong>it</strong>s own private label and I love the perfume oils,<br />
which are housed <strong>in</strong> gorgeous v<strong>in</strong>tage amber bottles.”<br />
Jennifer Appenrodt, beauty ed<strong>it</strong>or<br />
“For the perfect Friday night, head straight to Old Town Bar<br />
[a v<strong>in</strong>tage salon open s<strong>in</strong>ce 1892] on East 18th for p<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
the perfect mix of old New York regulars, then bar hop and<br />
socialise. It’s all about the company, so let NYC do the rest.”<br />
Jeffrey Gilfillan, film and television producer<br />
“I love see<strong>in</strong>g shows downtown <strong>in</strong> the West Village at the Lucille<br />
Lortel – a fantastic theatre <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> some real history. You know, <strong>it</strong>’s<br />
an if-these-walls-could-talk sort of place.”<br />
John Bolton, Broadway actor, currently perform<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the h<strong>it</strong><br />
revival of Pageant: The Musical<br />
Central Park<br />
“The southernmost, waterfront stretch of Riverside Park, where<br />
the c<strong>it</strong>y has, over recent decades, put <strong>in</strong> special grass, tables,<br />
patios and piers, is largely overlooked by people who don’t live<br />
nearby. There’s a particularly lovely pier that stretches from about<br />
69th Street out <strong>in</strong>to the Hudson, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> spectacular views of the<br />
west side of Manhattan, New Jersey and the river all the way<br />
up to – and past – the George Wash<strong>in</strong>gton Bridge.”<br />
Frank Bruni, New York Times columnist and restaurant cr<strong>it</strong>ic<br />
“I love vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g El Museo Del Barrio, a museum dedicated to art<br />
and culture from Lat<strong>in</strong> America <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an emphasis on Puerto Rico.”<br />
Jorge Ayala, chef-owner of La Fonda Boricua, a Puerto Rican<br />
restaurant <strong>in</strong> Harlem<br />
“I always rem<strong>in</strong>d friends from out of town not to dismiss Off-<br />
Broadway. While there are many wonderful Broadway shows,<br />
some of the best theatre <strong>in</strong> New York is Off-Broadway – you just<br />
have to seek <strong>it</strong> out and do a b<strong>it</strong> more homework. I’ve lived <strong>in</strong><br />
20<br />
18<br />
19
21<br />
24<br />
“I go to Paris, I go to<br />
London, I go to Rome, and<br />
I always say, ‘There’s no<br />
place like New York.’ It’s<br />
the most exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g c<strong>it</strong>y <strong>in</strong><br />
the world now. That’s the<br />
way <strong>it</strong> is. That’s <strong>it</strong>”<br />
Robert De Niro, actor<br />
22<br />
23<br />
25
N E W Y O R K<br />
New York nearly my whole life, and I go to the theatre a few<br />
nights each week, yet I’m still discover<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>credible new venues<br />
all the time. I’ve always been partial to the Cherry Lane Theatre.<br />
Aside from the fact that <strong>it</strong>’s a beautiful space <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an <strong>in</strong>v<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
atmosphere, <strong>it</strong>’s on one of my favour<strong>it</strong>e streets and next to one<br />
of my favour<strong>it</strong>e restaurants, Commerce.”<br />
Andy Sandberg, actor and Tony-award w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g producer<br />
“My favour<strong>it</strong>e museum <strong>in</strong> the c<strong>it</strong>y is The Frick. It’s a much more<br />
<strong>in</strong>timate space than the Metropol<strong>it</strong>an Museum of Art, and <strong>it</strong>’s one<br />
of the only places you can see art hung <strong>in</strong> what was once a home.<br />
Imag<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g that some of these masterpieces used to belong to<br />
an <strong>in</strong>dividual makes walk<strong>in</strong>g the halls feel very special.”<br />
Ir<strong>in</strong>a Gus<strong>in</strong>, art dealer at Phyllis Hattis F<strong>in</strong>e Arts<br />
“For good food on a budget, go to Gotham West Market on 44th<br />
Street and 11th Avenue – eight amaz<strong>in</strong>g restaurants under one<br />
roof, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the likes of Ivan Ork<strong>in</strong> and his phenomenal $14 spicy<br />
red chilli ramen bowl, and the awesome Genu<strong>in</strong>e Roadside, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
<strong>it</strong>s super-fun California vibe and burgers under $10.”<br />
Marion Emmanuelle, director of design group AvroKO<br />
Harlem and The Bronx<br />
“The Schomburg Center was named after a great scholar and<br />
wr<strong>it</strong>er, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, and <strong>it</strong>’s also part of New York’s<br />
public library network. It hosts regular exhib<strong>it</strong>ions on black culture<br />
and there’s an excellent bookstore.”<br />
Alexander Smalls, Harlem chef and restaurateur<br />
“The mac and cheese at The Cecil is my favour<strong>it</strong>e dish <strong>in</strong> all<br />
of Harlem. It’s made <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> rosemary and caramelised shallots<br />
– <strong>it</strong>’s absolutely to die for.”<br />
Philip Conte, executive vice-president of The Africa Center<br />
“I love the Bronx Beer Hall, located at the centre of a market full of<br />
Italian food vendors. It’s brought life to this food hall, which used<br />
to close early, and brought craft beer to the Bronx.”<br />
Steve Nallen, founder of Jonas Bronck’s Brew<strong>in</strong>g Company<br />
“C<strong>it</strong>y Island is one of New York’s best-kept secrets. It’s like go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to a fish<strong>in</strong>g village <strong>in</strong> the Bronx – <strong>it</strong>’s beautiful, peaceful and full<br />
of great seafood restaurants.”<br />
Brian G Andersson, retired NYC records commissioner<br />
Now turn over for the key to our New York map<br />
28<br />
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26<br />
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N E W Y O R K<br />
Mapp<strong>in</strong>g New York: the stars and sights<br />
1 Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog<br />
sculpture<br />
2 Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko<br />
3 Woody Allen <strong>in</strong> Manhattan<br />
4 Ghostbusters fire station<br />
5 The Ramones<br />
6 Blondie’s Debbie Harry<br />
7 Radio Raheem from<br />
Do The Right Th<strong>in</strong>g<br />
8 Coney Island<br />
9 Jay-Z<br />
10 Yeah Yeah Yeahs<br />
11 Dom<strong>in</strong>o Sugar Factory<br />
12 Lou Reed mural<br />
13 Un<strong>it</strong>ed Nations HQ<br />
14 Knotted Gun sculpture<br />
15 Thanksgiv<strong>in</strong>g Day Parade<br />
16 Flatiron Build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
17 Jon Voight and Dust<strong>in</strong><br />
Hoffman <strong>in</strong> Midnight Cowboy<br />
18 Times Square<br />
19 Taxi Driver billboard<br />
20 Spider-Man<br />
21 Stark Tower, from<br />
Avengers Assemble<br />
22 Andy Warhol<br />
23 Andy Warhol’s Marilyn<br />
Monroe pop art<br />
24 Rockefeller Center<br />
25 Simon & Garfunkel<br />
26 Tw<strong>in</strong>kie the Kid<br />
27 American Museum of<br />
Natural History<br />
28 Night At The Museum<br />
29 Tom Wolfe<br />
30 Se<strong>in</strong>feld D<strong>in</strong>er<br />
31 Ke<strong>it</strong>h Har<strong>in</strong>g artwork<br />
32 Central Perk from Friends<br />
33 Philip Roth mural<br />
34 Shaft<br />
35 Yankee Stadium<br />
36 Patsy’s Pizzeria<br />
BE THERE… Fly to New York<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
“My favour<strong>it</strong>e th<strong>in</strong>g about New<br />
York is the people, because<br />
I th<strong>in</strong>k they’re misunderstood.<br />
I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k people realise<br />
how k<strong>in</strong>d New Yorkers are”<br />
Bill Murray, actor<br />
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33<br />
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P R O M O T I O N | R O Y A L C A R I B B E A N<br />
The Future of Holidays<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h handy tech gadgets and <strong>in</strong>novative enterta<strong>in</strong>ment spaces, Royal Caribbean International<br />
and <strong>it</strong>s Anthem of the Seas cruise ship are transform<strong>in</strong>g the way you holiday<br />
*Price based on three nights to Paris and Bruges, on the Anthem of the Seas depart<strong>in</strong>g Southampton on 29 August 2015.<br />
Th<strong>in</strong>k a cruise holiday isn’t for you? One look<br />
at the impressive Anthem of the Seas from<br />
Royal Caribbean will change your m<strong>in</strong>d. In fact,<br />
this ship changes everyth<strong>in</strong>g. W<strong>it</strong>h a host of<br />
technological advances that look like they came<br />
straight out of a James Bond film, Anthem of<br />
the Seas – along <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s sister ship Quantum of<br />
the Seas – is the smartest holiday dest<strong>in</strong>ation.<br />
The ship measures a sizeable 1,141ft, 18 decks<br />
tall and carries 4,905 passengers.<br />
TECH SAVVY<br />
But <strong>it</strong>’s not just the size that’s impressive. There<br />
is clever technology packed <strong>in</strong>to every detail. As<br />
soon as you step on board passengers receive<br />
a high-tech RFID wristband that serves as your<br />
room key, tour guide and onboard cred<strong>it</strong> card.<br />
Two smartphone apps help manage every<br />
moment aboard. Cruise Planner allows you to<br />
research and reserve restaurants, attractions<br />
and excursions, while Royal iQ has a calendar<br />
and communication capabil<strong>it</strong>ies so guests can<br />
plan every detail of their trip even before they<br />
board. There’s no need to worry about the<br />
Internet connection e<strong>it</strong>her – Royal Caribbean<br />
has even launched a satell<strong>it</strong>e network giv<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
fastest Wi-Fi speeds at sea.<br />
ENDLESS ATTRACTION<br />
That’s just the start of the <strong>in</strong>novations. On this<br />
high-tech vessel, passengers can ride 300ft<br />
above the sea <strong>in</strong> the North Star view<strong>in</strong>g capsule<br />
while robot bartenders mix cocktails <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Bionic Bar below. By day, families can make<br />
royalcaribbean.co.uk<br />
Book <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
the most of SeaPlex – the largest <strong>in</strong>door sports<br />
and enterta<strong>in</strong>ment complex on any ship, which<br />
comes complete <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a roller skat<strong>in</strong>g r<strong>in</strong>k and<br />
bumper cars. Those seek<strong>in</strong>g relaxation can<br />
enjoy the leisure space Two70, so named for<br />
<strong>it</strong>s panoramic 270° sea views. The amaz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
views don’t stop at sunset – at night Two70<br />
transforms <strong>in</strong>to a lively enterta<strong>in</strong>ment venue<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> concerts projected onto the floor-toceil<strong>in</strong>g<br />
w<strong>in</strong>dows via the Vistarama screen and<br />
six revolutionary Roboscreens that can move<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependently or as one. All <strong>in</strong> all, this is not<br />
just a new way to cruise – <strong>it</strong> is the future of<br />
holidays. Couples can spend a enjoyable<br />
bank holiday weekend travell<strong>in</strong>g to France<br />
and Belgium, depart<strong>in</strong>g from Southampton<br />
from just £499 per adult*.
A day <strong>in</strong> the life of<br />
Photographer Tim E Wh<strong>it</strong>e tells us how he fell for the<br />
chang<strong>in</strong>g moods of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast<br />
028 060 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
V A R N A<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 061
Shot from 7am-12pm<br />
Clockwise from top<br />
left: sol<strong>it</strong>ude at Varna<br />
c<strong>it</strong>y beach; a trad<strong>it</strong>ional<br />
welcome at Staria Ch<strong>in</strong>ar<br />
restaurant; the belfry<br />
at Varna Cathedral; the<br />
Sea Garden restaurant
V A R N A<br />
“Varna has a<br />
postcard feel to<br />
<strong>it</strong>. I play <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> light<br />
and shade <strong>in</strong> my<br />
photography, and<br />
the churches before<br />
noon were a gift”<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 063
V A R N A<br />
“Balchik is an idyllic fish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
village that seems trapped<br />
<strong>in</strong> time. It rem<strong>in</strong>ded me<br />
of a soft-focus polaroid<br />
photo from the 1960s”<br />
046 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
M O R O C C O<br />
Shot from 1pm to 4pm<br />
Clockwise from top:<br />
Varna c<strong>it</strong>y beach;<br />
a typical plate of Black<br />
Sea fish; a statue at Cape<br />
Kaliakra; d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> style at<br />
Balchik fish<strong>in</strong>g village<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 065
M O R O C C O<br />
Shot from 5pm to 7pm<br />
Clockwise from left:<br />
Varna Cathedral; Aladzha<br />
Monastery, a medieval cave<br />
complex <strong>in</strong> Golden Sands<br />
Nature Park; a beach club<br />
at Golden Sands<br />
BE THERE… Fly to Varna<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
066 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
P R O M O T I O N | A T H E N A B E A C H H O T E L<br />
Stay <strong>in</strong> style<br />
A selection of luxurious beachfront hotels makes Constant<strong>in</strong>ou<br />
Bros the go-to company for a relax<strong>in</strong>g holiday <strong>in</strong> Paphos<br />
Constant<strong>in</strong>ou Bros Hotels offer three<br />
superb luxury establishments s<strong>it</strong>uated <strong>in</strong><br />
glorious Paphos beachfront sett<strong>in</strong>gs – each<br />
shar<strong>in</strong>g the same emphasis on gracious<br />
hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y, good food and smil<strong>in</strong>g, friendly<br />
staff.<br />
Recently refurbished, the Athena Beach<br />
Hotel is a stylish and modern four-star<br />
deluxe property that's very popular among<br />
couples and families. Accommodation<br />
<strong>in</strong>cludes superior rooms and junior su<strong>it</strong>es<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> pools <strong>in</strong> well-tended gardens, while<br />
the extensive array of leisure facil<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude three freshwater swimm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pools and two separate paddl<strong>in</strong>g pools, a<br />
waterslide, an <strong>in</strong>door pool, floodl<strong>it</strong> tennis<br />
courts and a children's playground <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
Kids Club. The luxury spa offers massages<br />
and a wide range of other rejuvenat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
treatments, while the hotel also features a<br />
choice of five splendid restaurants.<br />
If, on the other hand, you're a couple<br />
seek<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>timate and relax<strong>in</strong>g getaway,<br />
look no further than the Athena Royal<br />
Beach. Constant<strong>in</strong>ou Bros is known as<br />
a pioneer of the adult-only holiday <strong>in</strong><br />
Paphos, and this expertise is evident <strong>in</strong> this<br />
four-star deluxe hotel, which comb<strong>in</strong>es<br />
high levels of service <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a fantastic<br />
variety of facil<strong>it</strong>ies, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g free Wi-Fi, <strong>in</strong> a<br />
great location on the water's edge.<br />
Or, for the ultimate <strong>in</strong> luxury, the Asim<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Su<strong>it</strong>es is a five-star boutique hotel –<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> designed for adults only – offer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
spacious and contemporary su<strong>it</strong>es and<br />
a wide choice of amen<strong>it</strong>ies. Every su<strong>it</strong>e<br />
comes <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s own liv<strong>in</strong>g room area, large<br />
balcony, marble bathroom and every<br />
mod-con, such as free Wi-Fi, while guests<br />
can enjoy f<strong>in</strong>e d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>it</strong>s four restaurants,<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g a day relax<strong>in</strong>g around <strong>it</strong>s two<br />
outdoor pools <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Jacuzzi, on <strong>it</strong>s own<br />
sandy beach and<br />
<strong>in</strong> the hotel's opulent spa.<br />
All Constant<strong>in</strong>ou Bros hotels offer a<br />
variety of board options – such as the<br />
popular Premium and Deluxe All-Inclusive<br />
packages, which come <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a wide<br />
selection of d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g choices <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g à la<br />
carte options and <strong>in</strong>ternational branded<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks, and a stocked m<strong>in</strong>i bar <strong>in</strong> your<br />
hroom on arrival.<br />
Poseidonos Avenue, Paphos, Cyprus<br />
+357 2696 4370<br />
cbh-cyprus.com<br />
Above, from top: Athena Beach Hotel, Asim<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Su<strong>it</strong>es, Kymata restaurant at Asim<strong>in</strong>a Su<strong>it</strong>es.<br />
Ma<strong>in</strong>: Sea view from Athena Beach Hotel
Canary<br />
Eat the<br />
Islands<br />
Words: Imogen Rowland<br />
Photography: Tim E Wh<strong>it</strong>e<br />
028 070 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
C A N A R Y I S L A N D S<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 071
072 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
C A N A R Y I S L A N D S<br />
“The Canary Islands are magical <strong>in</strong> every way: the cuis<strong>in</strong>e, the produce, the<br />
scenery…” So says Spanish wonder chef Martín Berasategui, whose Tenerife<br />
outpost, Restaurante MB, has been awarded two sought-after Michel<strong>in</strong> stars.<br />
Look a l<strong>it</strong>tle closer and you’ll see what he means: where else <strong>in</strong> the world can you<br />
cook on a volcano, catch a sea monster, race through v<strong>in</strong>eyards and eat above<br />
the clouds all <strong>in</strong> the same day? Berasategui may not be up for the challenge –<br />
after all, he’s too busy runn<strong>in</strong>g the best Spanish restaurants on the planet (from<br />
San Sebastián and Barcelona all the way to the Dom<strong>in</strong>ican Republic) – but that<br />
didn’t stop us tak<strong>in</strong>g his lead. Turn over to see where to get stuck <strong>in</strong>to the Canary<br />
Islands’ wildest, tastiest and dirtiest food adventures<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 073
C A N A R Y I S L A N D S<br />
1. Catch a fish <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
your bare hands<br />
On paper <strong>it</strong> sounds difficult<br />
enough, but imag<strong>in</strong>e try<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
do <strong>it</strong> surrounded by thousands<br />
of other revellers at the same<br />
time and you’ll have an idea of<br />
what September’s Fiesta del<br />
Charco is all about. Celebrated<br />
<strong>in</strong> the village of San Nicolás <strong>in</strong><br />
Gran Canaria, the annual “Pond<br />
Festival” sees everyone and<br />
their granny revive the ancient<br />
custom of embarbascar – an<br />
aborig<strong>in</strong>al fish<strong>in</strong>g technique.<br />
These days participants simply<br />
plunge head-first <strong>in</strong>to a pond<br />
next to Callaos Beach to try<br />
and land a fish bare-handed.<br />
Consider <strong>it</strong> high-octane fish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for those lack<strong>in</strong>g patience.<br />
grancanaria.com<br />
2. Eat d<strong>in</strong>ner cooked<br />
by a volcano<br />
Las Montañas del Fuego, or<br />
“fire mounta<strong>in</strong>s”, may sound<br />
like the backdrop for an epic<br />
Lord Of The R<strong>in</strong>gs-style showdown,<br />
but they can actually be<br />
found <strong>in</strong> Timanfaya National<br />
Park on Lanzarote. They exist<br />
thanks to a series of volcanic<br />
eruptions <strong>in</strong> the 1730s, and<br />
the result<strong>in</strong>g Martian landscape<br />
is worth a vis<strong>it</strong> for <strong>it</strong>s<br />
serious barbecue restaurant,<br />
El Diablo, where dishes are<br />
cooked by volcanic heat. Chefs<br />
work around a hole that s<strong>it</strong>s<br />
above a pool of molten lava,<br />
which bubbles away at 400°C.<br />
Never m<strong>in</strong>d flame-grilled,<br />
that’s magma-s<strong>in</strong>ged steak.<br />
+39 928 840 057<br />
3. Wrestle a<br />
sea creature<br />
Pesca de altura – that’s what<br />
the Spanish call game fish<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
and nowhere is <strong>it</strong> better than <strong>in</strong><br />
the Atlantic waters surround<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Canary Islands. They teem<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> sea life, giv<strong>in</strong>g you a rare<br />
opportun<strong>it</strong>y to catch tuna,<br />
marl<strong>in</strong>, barracuda, octopus and<br />
– our favour<strong>it</strong>e – the wahoo by<br />
the barrel-load. The t<strong>in</strong>y island<br />
of La Gomera has the most<br />
extraord<strong>in</strong>ary cond<strong>it</strong>ions, but<br />
a more affordable option is<br />
Fuerteventura, where you can<br />
strike out equipped for game<br />
and bottom fish<strong>in</strong>g, jigg<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g. For the novice, these<br />
are different lures and ba<strong>it</strong>s,<br />
not Canarian barn dances.<br />
fuerteventurasportfish<strong>in</strong>g.es<br />
4. Race among<br />
the rosé<br />
If the thought of do<strong>in</strong>g a halfmarathon<br />
doesn’t appeal, how<br />
about this: runn<strong>in</strong>g towards<br />
alcohol. Talk about a carrotand-stick<br />
approach, but the<br />
Lanzarote W<strong>in</strong>e Run every<br />
June motivates athletes<br />
to race through La Geria,<br />
a 5,200-hectare stretch of rich,<br />
black volcanic soil that’s home<br />
to hundreds of v<strong>in</strong>es. Regular<br />
w<strong>in</strong>e-tast<strong>in</strong>g stations l<strong>in</strong>e the<br />
course to lift your spir<strong>it</strong>s, and<br />
athletes can choose between<br />
the longer (23km) or shorter<br />
(10km) dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g sessions.<br />
Sorry, we mean races. Tough<br />
mudder? Pack pa<strong>in</strong>killers for<br />
the day after.<br />
lanzarotew<strong>in</strong>erun.com<br />
074 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
5. D<strong>in</strong>e at the<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al pop-up<br />
Years before they came to<br />
a c<strong>it</strong>y near you, the rural north<br />
of Tenerife was lead<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
way <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the orig<strong>in</strong>al pop-up<br />
restaurants. Guach<strong>in</strong>ches<br />
(pronounced wah-ch<strong>in</strong>-chays)<br />
are makeshift d<strong>in</strong>ers begun<br />
by small-scale w<strong>in</strong>emakers to<br />
encourage travellers to stop at<br />
their v<strong>in</strong>eyards. Menus change<br />
daily and consist of hearty fare<br />
such as chuleta de cerdo (fried<br />
pork chop) and garbanzos<br />
(chickpea stew), <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> temporary<br />
tables set up anywhere<br />
there’s space, from garages to<br />
roadside clear<strong>in</strong>gs. There are<br />
more than 200 <strong>in</strong> the Valle de<br />
la Orotava area alone.<br />
webtenerife.co.uk<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 075
C A N A R Y I S L A N D S<br />
6. Cycle for<br />
your supper<br />
Not only does Tenerife have<br />
Spa<strong>in</strong>’s biggest peak – Mount<br />
Teide reaches 3,718m – but <strong>it</strong><br />
has the highest village <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Canaries. Vilaflor h<strong>it</strong>s 1,400m,<br />
and <strong>it</strong>s base above the “sea<br />
of clouds” (a phenomenon<br />
created by the island’s trade<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ds) makes <strong>it</strong> a popular<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g for lunch. At El R<strong>in</strong>cón<br />
de Roberto, a p<strong>it</strong>-stop used<br />
by Chris Froome when he’s<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, the special<strong>it</strong>y is<br />
conejo en salmorejo (rabb<strong>it</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> tomato and bread sauce).<br />
The challenge is to get there<br />
first: <strong>it</strong>’s a beast of a cycle<br />
7km uphill from the coast.<br />
+39 922 709 035<br />
7. Get your hands<br />
dirty <strong>in</strong> the k<strong>it</strong>chen<br />
The world has gone mad for<br />
celebr<strong>it</strong>y chefs and bake-offs,<br />
but that doesn’t mean you<br />
have to stop the food love<br />
affair when you’re on holiday.<br />
Tenerife’s La Coc<strong>in</strong>a del<br />
Mencey is a bespoke cookery<br />
school <strong>in</strong> the Iberostar Grand<br />
Hotel Mencey, Santa Cruz.<br />
Here, head chef Javier Martín<br />
and his team roll up their<br />
sleeves <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> twice-monthly<br />
courses teach<strong>in</strong>g tourists<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g from m<strong>in</strong>iature<br />
tapas to the secrets of island<br />
cuis<strong>in</strong>e. Perform badly and<br />
they’ll make you wash the<br />
dishes. Possibly.<br />
Book at thomascook.com<br />
LOCALLY SOURCED<br />
Get an authentic taste of Gran Canaria’s<br />
divers<strong>it</strong>y <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Local<br />
Label Canarian day trip, start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a<br />
vis<strong>it</strong> to Fábrica Rum De Arucas, a small<br />
sweet-rum factory <strong>in</strong> Arucas to the<br />
north of the island.<br />
From there, you’ll enjoy an ecofriendly<br />
w<strong>in</strong>e-tast<strong>in</strong>g session <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
tangy local cheeses at the Bodega<br />
Los Berrazales, where you’ll see how<br />
trad<strong>it</strong>ional techniques have been<br />
adapted for modern w<strong>in</strong>e production.<br />
Along the way, there are several<br />
opportun<strong>it</strong>ies to stroll around the<br />
villages or the artisan craft museum<br />
to work off the excess, or work up<br />
an appet<strong>it</strong>e for a typical Canarian<br />
lunch, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g our favour<strong>it</strong>e, papas<br />
arrugadas <strong>in</strong> a spicy mojo sauce,<br />
often served <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> hot, salty peppers.<br />
This full-day excursion takes <strong>in</strong><br />
several highlights of the island, and is<br />
just as exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g for the eyes as <strong>it</strong> is for<br />
the stomach. To f<strong>in</strong>d out more about<br />
this and other Local Label excursions,<br />
please speak to your <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
representative.<br />
BE THERE… Travel to the Canary<br />
Islands <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
076 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
5 star deluxe hotel<br />
<br />
An exclusive Adult only beachfront retreat enjoy<strong>in</strong>g stunn<strong>in</strong>g views across<br />
the Aegean Sea, the luxurious AquaGrand is the ultimate place to relax<br />
and unw<strong>in</strong>d. The hotel, designed <strong>in</strong> both trad<strong>it</strong>ional and contemporary<br />
L<strong>in</strong>dos styles, blends harmoniously <strong>in</strong>to <strong>it</strong>s beautiful natural surround<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
while guests can expect the very highest standards of service.<br />
AquaGrand<br />
L<strong>in</strong>dos, Rhodes, Greece 85107<br />
Tel: +30 22440 49100<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@aquagrand.gr<br />
www.aquagrand.gr
Sharm El Sheikh - Naama Bay<br />
Restaurants & Bars<br />
<br />
<br />
A sent<strong>in</strong>el at the entrance of Sharm El Sheikh’s famous Naama Bay, the<br />
Stella Di Mare Beach Hotel and Spa enjoys<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Stella Di Mare Beach Hotel & Spa<br />
Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.<br />
Tel: +20 1280 43 43 41 | Fax: +20 69 360 4888<br />
Email: <strong>in</strong>fo@stelladimaresharm.com<br />
www.stelladimare.com
Know more<br />
about Egypt’s<br />
Red Sea coast<br />
than her...<br />
Words: Anthony Satt<strong>in</strong><br />
Photo illustrations: Daniel Di Paolo<br />
Cleopatra (and Antony)<br />
haven’t got anyth<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
our <strong>in</strong>sider’s guide to the<br />
Egyptian Riviera
...and him<br />
D E P A R TE GU YR EP TS
Iwonder what the ancient Greeks were<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g when they called the Red Sea<br />
“red”? Erythra is the word they used, but <strong>it</strong><br />
was Rubrum to the Romans, and Ahmar to<br />
the Arabs. I also wonder what the ancient<br />
Egyptians thought when they made their first<br />
voyage from the desert to the ocean to conquer<br />
<strong>it</strong>s length and breadth? Like them, we call <strong>it</strong> red,<br />
but <strong>it</strong> isn’t. It’s blue <strong>in</strong> the deep, turquoise <strong>in</strong> the<br />
shallows, silver when the moon is up, gold where<br />
there is sand, and the full spectrum – from wh<strong>it</strong>e<br />
to black and everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> between – when you<br />
put your head beneath the surface.<br />
But while more than 1,000km of coastl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
has been branded as the Red Sea Riviera –<br />
a long way from the now-sunken palaces built<br />
by Cleopatra – there are major differences<br />
between the myriad resorts. Here’s what<br />
you need to know before you go all pharaoh.<br />
The S<strong>in</strong>ai: Sharm el Sheikh<br />
Some of the Red Sea’s largest coral reef is<br />
wrapped around the southernmost po<strong>in</strong>t of<br />
the S<strong>in</strong>ai pen<strong>in</strong>sula, mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> a paradise for<br />
divers and snorkellers. From the Ras Mohamed<br />
National Park <strong>in</strong> the west, through Sharm <strong>it</strong>self,<br />
and out to waterfront hotels such as the Savoy<br />
Sharm or Baron Resort (book at thomascook.<br />
com) <strong>in</strong> the east, this belt of reef provides wonderful<br />
views of coral gardens – long stretches of<br />
The not-so-Red Sea<br />
The resort of Sharm el<br />
Sheikh (top); under the<br />
Red Sea (above); new<br />
luxury <strong>in</strong> the resort of<br />
El Gouna (far right)<br />
It’s a world away<br />
from the Nile made<br />
famous by Cleopatra<br />
and her predecessors<br />
082 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
E G Y P T<br />
multicoloured and diverse-shaped organisms –<br />
and of the many fish that live around them.<br />
The resort of Sharm el Sheikh is the oldest<br />
on the coast and has a different personal<strong>it</strong>y<br />
depend<strong>in</strong>g on what time of day <strong>it</strong> is. It’s still<br />
a diver’s hangout, as you’ll see if you step <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the Camel Bar (cameldive.com), a survivor from<br />
“old Sharm” (old be<strong>in</strong>g 20 years ago) where<br />
you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d dive masters and enthusiasts shar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stories over a cold Stella. But <strong>it</strong>’s also a place<br />
for lazy sunbathers, who lounge on the sandy<br />
sweep of Na’ama Bay, where a long promenade<br />
separates the beach from the resort hotels and<br />
traffic. Sharm was orig<strong>in</strong>ally a Bedou<strong>in</strong> village,<br />
but don’t come hop<strong>in</strong>g for a glimpse of anyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>iscent of classical Egypt: Ibiza sp<strong>in</strong>-off<br />
nightclub Pacha (pachasharm.com) is not<br />
entirely representative, but this is a world away<br />
from the river Nile made famous by Cleopatra<br />
and her po<strong>in</strong>ty-bearded predecessors.<br />
Hurghada and El Gouna<br />
Hurghada, and <strong>it</strong>s satell<strong>it</strong>e resorts of El Gouna,<br />
Soma Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay, is<br />
the closest ma<strong>in</strong>land rival to Sharm <strong>in</strong> size, but<br />
development along the coast (plus a population<br />
of 250,000) has detracted from <strong>it</strong>s orig<strong>in</strong>al,<br />
quasi-hippy, laidback charm. El Gouna, a resort<br />
north of Hurghada, feels more sophisticated.<br />
Begun <strong>in</strong> the 1980s by Egyptian billionaire<br />
Samih Sawiris, <strong>it</strong> now <strong>in</strong>cludes 17 flash hotels,<br />
10km of beach and a huge amount of fun. In<br />
the spr<strong>in</strong>g and autumn, holidaymakers f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
themselves jo<strong>in</strong>ed by Cairenes, who fly <strong>in</strong> for<br />
the weekend from the cap<strong>it</strong>al to relax around<br />
the lagoons and party hard <strong>in</strong> the bars.<br />
El Gouna was designed to make the most of<br />
the water. Long before Dubai and Abu Dhabi<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 083
started creat<strong>in</strong>g man-made islands, arch<strong>it</strong>ects<br />
designed a series of canals and lagoons<br />
here, ensur<strong>in</strong>g that each sector has <strong>it</strong>s own<br />
waterfront. S<strong>in</strong>ce then the resort has grown,<br />
built <strong>it</strong>s own brewery, w<strong>in</strong>ery and golf course,<br />
started a football team that plays <strong>in</strong> the Egyptian<br />
premier league (check out <strong>it</strong>s 14,000-seat<br />
stadium, elgounafc.com), opened a cultural<br />
centre <strong>in</strong> an offshoot of the Alexandria Library,<br />
and lived up to the orig<strong>in</strong>al vision of a resort that<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>es the best of the Med<strong>it</strong>erranean and the<br />
Red Sea. This spir<strong>it</strong> is apparent <strong>in</strong> many places,<br />
among them the Mövenpick Resort and Spa<br />
(book at thomascook.com) and <strong>it</strong>s El Sayad<strong>in</strong><br />
restaurant, where you can s<strong>it</strong> on the wooden<br />
deck directly over the water, sipp<strong>in</strong>g a cold dr<strong>in</strong>k<br />
while your freshly caught fish is grilled.<br />
A str<strong>in</strong>g of resorts dot the coast beyond<br />
Hurghada, some of them no more than a bayful<br />
of hotels. Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay are<br />
quickly develop<strong>in</strong>g reputations for qual<strong>it</strong>y and<br />
service to rival those <strong>in</strong> Hurghada and Makadi<br />
Bay – <strong>in</strong> particular check out the Palm Royale <strong>in</strong><br />
Soma Bay (book at thomascook.com).<br />
This way to the beach<br />
One of El Gouna’s<br />
elegant shores (right);<br />
scuba like Jacques<br />
Cousteau (below)<br />
While Hurghada lacks the prist<strong>in</strong>e underwater<br />
beauty of Sharm, there’s often enough<br />
w<strong>in</strong>d to attract w<strong>in</strong>dsurfers and those try<strong>in</strong>g<br />
out k<strong>it</strong>e-surf<strong>in</strong>g for the first time – the coast’s<br />
newest sport<strong>in</strong>g craze. And you don’t have to<br />
go too far offshore <strong>in</strong> a boat to reach a str<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of islands <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> their reefs <strong>in</strong>tact, which make<br />
for perfect days out. W<strong>it</strong>h a l<strong>it</strong>tle imag<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
you can picture queen Hatshepsut tak<strong>in</strong>g an<br />
exped<strong>it</strong>ion down the length of the Red Sea.<br />
In 1500BC she did just that.<br />
The south: Marsa Alam<br />
Farther south lies El Quseir. This former fish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
port was once the jump<strong>in</strong>g-off po<strong>in</strong>t for<br />
pilgrims head<strong>in</strong>g across the sea to Mecca. Now<br />
<strong>it</strong> has a couple of good hotels, some untouched<br />
coral reef that’s easily accessible to snorkellers<br />
as well as divers, and a genu<strong>in</strong>e feet <strong>in</strong> the sand<br />
fish restaurant. But the farther south you journey,<br />
the more prist<strong>in</strong>e the coral and shorel<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
and nowhere better than Marsa Alam.<br />
Closer to the Tropic of Cancer than to the<br />
resort of Hurghada, Marsa Alam is part of<br />
a plan dreamed up <strong>in</strong> the heady, pre-Arab<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>g days of the tourist boom to make the<br />
most of this part of the coast. W<strong>in</strong>dsurfers and<br />
divers have been com<strong>in</strong>g for years, attracted<br />
not so much by the barren landscape, but<br />
the possibil<strong>it</strong>ies on the water. The coral – and<br />
therefore the div<strong>in</strong>g and snorkell<strong>in</strong>g – is spectacular.<br />
But whereas <strong>in</strong> the past you needed<br />
to sleep on the beach to enjoy <strong>it</strong> all, there are<br />
now resort hotels and more will follow. These<br />
are less flash than some of those farther
north, but this is expla<strong>in</strong>ed by the fact they’re<br />
still develop<strong>in</strong>g, and because <strong>it</strong>’s a long, long<br />
way from anywhere, so everyth<strong>in</strong>g has to be<br />
brought <strong>in</strong> from the Nile valley. There is a tradeoff,<br />
because what Marsa Alam lacks <strong>in</strong> holiday<br />
frills – there are no nightclubs, yet, for <strong>in</strong>stance<br />
– <strong>it</strong> makes up for <strong>in</strong> riches beneath the waves.<br />
All these resorts are backed by a range of<br />
low-ly<strong>in</strong>g mounta<strong>in</strong>s that are part of the desert<br />
separat<strong>in</strong>g the sea from the Nile valley. In some<br />
places the mounta<strong>in</strong>s are close enough that you<br />
can vis<strong>it</strong> early Christian monasteries or ancient<br />
m<strong>in</strong>es – these were where the pharaohs sent<br />
teams to dig for gold and where the Romans<br />
looked for precious stone to be polished <strong>in</strong>to<br />
tower<strong>in</strong>g columns. In the heat of the day, all the<br />
colours are bleached from the ranges, but at<br />
sunset the mounta<strong>in</strong>s glow a rusty, ferrous red.<br />
Perhaps that’s how the sea got <strong>it</strong>s name.<br />
Anthony Satt<strong>in</strong>’s new book, Young Lawrence:<br />
A Portra<strong>it</strong> Of The Legend As A Young Man<br />
(John Murray, £20), is out now<br />
Beside the seaside<br />
The waterfront El<br />
Sayad<strong>in</strong> restaurant<br />
<strong>in</strong> El Gouna (above);<br />
the beautiful beach<br />
at Hurghada (below)<br />
Local Label<br />
excursions:<br />
Mahmya<br />
Developed <strong>in</strong> the<br />
National Park of<br />
Giftun Island as<br />
an environmentally friendly eco-tourist<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ation, Mahmya was the first of <strong>it</strong>s<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> Egypt. Put simply, mahmya means<br />
“protected” <strong>in</strong> Arabic.<br />
To control the impact of vis<strong>it</strong>ors to the<br />
island, Mahmya closely manages the total<br />
number of guests per year as an effective<br />
tool to safeguard and susta<strong>in</strong> <strong>it</strong>s natural<br />
resources. Add<strong>it</strong>ionally, Mahmya’s fleet<br />
of boats anchor offshore at moor<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong> cooperation <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the Hurghada<br />
Environmental Protection and Conservation<br />
Association (HEPCA) to protect the shorel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
reef system. Mahmya’s role <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
the natural resources of Giftun Island and<br />
the surround<strong>in</strong>g Red Sea is not only crucial<br />
to the longev<strong>it</strong>y of the greater area but offers<br />
a viable eco-tourism option both for vis<strong>it</strong>ors<br />
and the local commun<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
Satayh day and<br />
overnight hotel<br />
Based <strong>in</strong> Marsa Alam,<br />
Satayh is truly a mar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
paradise for dolph<strong>in</strong><br />
lovers. Pods of sp<strong>in</strong>ner<br />
dolph<strong>in</strong>s enjoy the fantastic climate and<br />
plentiful food. Jo<strong>in</strong> an excursion to Satayh<br />
reef and you can spend a day or an overnight<br />
stay experienc<strong>in</strong>g the wonder of dolph<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong><br />
their natural hab<strong>it</strong>at. Our excursion provider<br />
is dedicated to provid<strong>in</strong>g the best possible<br />
service for you and the environment. They<br />
understand that protect<strong>in</strong>g these creatures,<br />
and the divers<strong>it</strong>y of the mar<strong>in</strong>e eco-system, is<br />
just as important for your holidays now and <strong>in</strong><br />
the future as <strong>it</strong> is for their bus<strong>in</strong>esses to thrive.<br />
Satayh reef is secluded, so everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is produced locally, mean<strong>in</strong>g that the food<br />
and dr<strong>in</strong>ks are the freshest and tastiest<br />
around, and you’re safe <strong>in</strong> the knowledge<br />
that you’re mak<strong>in</strong>g a pos<strong>it</strong>ive contribution to<br />
local lives, economies and the environment.<br />
BE THERE… To book one of the above<br />
Sharm excursions, contact your<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> resort representative<br />
086 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
Palm Royale Soma Bay<br />
Affordable Luxury<br />
A Real 5-Star ‘Treat’<br />
<br />
Palm Royale Soma Bay<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Palm Royale Soma Bay<br />
“A Place Like No Other”<br />
Contact Us
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Checklist<br />
T H E<br />
The best places to sleep, eat and play around the network<br />
01<br />
Pen<strong>in</strong>sula<br />
Beverly Hills<br />
Los Angeles, USA<br />
Sleep<br />
Beverly Hills, the LA satell<strong>it</strong>e town <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the most<br />
famous postcode <strong>in</strong> the US – 90210 – has come<br />
a long way s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>it</strong> was a Spanish ranch where<br />
lima beans were grown. In 1919, silent movie<br />
stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were<br />
the first celeb couple to build a mansion here, and<br />
the associated glamour has lured A-listers such as<br />
Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Rod<br />
Stewart, Michael Jackson and the Hiltons. The 194-<br />
room Pen<strong>in</strong>sula keeps up the trad<strong>it</strong>ion <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> 16 luxury<br />
villas, private gardens and a rooftop pool where<br />
Hollywood’s f<strong>in</strong>est lounge <strong>in</strong> cabanas.<br />
Highlights: The Belvedere, the only AAA Five<br />
Diamond-rated restaurant <strong>in</strong> LA.<br />
If you only have one night: Book ahead for Oscars<br />
weekend <strong>in</strong> February, as the hotel is the number one<br />
stopover for Academy Award nom<strong>in</strong>ees. Last year<br />
VIPS were treated to dress f<strong>it</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs, jewellery styl<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
and monogrammed pillows (plus personalised dog<br />
towels for their pets). On occasion, chief concierge<br />
James L<strong>it</strong>tle has even been known to loan his tie to<br />
nom<strong>in</strong>ees. Sadly, none of them has ever won.<br />
Location, location, location: Near Rodeo Drive, on<br />
the <strong>in</strong>tersection of Wilshire and South Santa Monica<br />
Boulevards, so all of LA is <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><strong>in</strong> easy reach.<br />
BE THERE… Book at beverlyhills.pen<strong>in</strong>sula.com.<br />
Please vis<strong>it</strong> discoveramerica.com<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 089
02<br />
Sleep<br />
Pennyhill Park,<br />
Sussex<br />
Some people are lucky enough to live <strong>in</strong><br />
a house, a very big house <strong>in</strong> the country.<br />
Most of us don’t, though, so rather than<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g do <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> Downton Abbey, save up<br />
for a break at Pennyhill Park to play lord or<br />
lady of the manor for the weekend.<br />
Highlights: It’s good enough for Nicole<br />
Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Craig,<br />
who’ve all stayed (though not at the same<br />
time, that’d be weird), so <strong>it</strong> pays to check <strong>in</strong><br />
early to explore the 23 acres of landscaped<br />
grounds – there are monkey-puzzle trees,<br />
manicured hedgerows and hang<strong>in</strong>g cocoon<br />
garden chairs. Then there’s the vast 4,000<br />
sq m spa, which is almost as big as the hotel<br />
<strong>it</strong>self. Pamper yourself <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a cap<strong>it</strong>al “P” <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
a choice of eight <strong>in</strong>door and outdoor pools.<br />
If you only have one night: No afternoon<br />
repeats here. It’s the food you eat, and<br />
what food. MasterChef regular Michael<br />
Wignall heads up The Latymer, a two<br />
Michel<strong>in</strong>-star showstopper that offers<br />
a choice of seven- or ten-course menus.<br />
Dishes such as cucumber sphere should<br />
tell you everyth<strong>in</strong>g you need to know.<br />
Location, location, location: Ascot is<br />
to the south and London is an hour away.<br />
BE THERE... Book a weekend break at<br />
pennyhillpark.co.uk<br />
Radisson Blu Liverpool<br />
Liverpool<br />
It was the Beatles who once said that the perfect place to stay <strong>in</strong> Liverpool was <strong>in</strong> view<strong>in</strong>g distance of<br />
the ferry cross the Mersey, but just out of ear-shot so you can’t hear the eponymous song which plays<br />
on repeat as <strong>it</strong> does. OK, that’s not strictly true, but if John Lennon were alive today he'd no doubt have<br />
a similarly smart-alec response. For us, the ideal spot is the Radisson Blu Liverpool.<br />
Highlights: The largest hotel room <strong>in</strong> the c<strong>it</strong>y – the River Su<strong>it</strong>e – comes complete <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> lounge, d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
room and k<strong>it</strong>chenette, so space is never go<strong>in</strong>g to be a problem. The hotel benef<strong>it</strong>s from the attached<br />
Ark Health Club, so you can swim and sauna before an old-school bowl of Scouse <strong>in</strong> the even<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
If you only have one night: Head to the Everyman Theatre on Hope Street to see some of the most<br />
exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g new plays – and players – to come out of this culture-rich c<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
Location, location, location: Right next to the Mersey, and just a couple of hundred metres away<br />
from such attractions as the Royal Liver Build<strong>in</strong>g, the Museum of Liverpool, Tate Liverpool and the<br />
Albert Dock. Strawberry Field and Penny Lane are a taxi ride away for Beatles fans, too.<br />
BE THERE… Book a stay <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> hotels4u.com<br />
03<br />
Sleep<br />
90 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
NEILSON BEACHCLUBS<br />
ACTIVITY INCLUSIVE HOLIDAYS<br />
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN<br />
<br />
£249<br />
<br />
10 AMAZING BEACHCLUBS –<br />
4 IN TURKEY AND 6 IN GREECE<br />
NEW for 2015 - Vounaki Beachclub <strong>in</strong> Paleros, Greece<br />
<br />
book by 6th January 2015 and get some great deals<br />
€100<br />
bar and spa cred<strong>it</strong><br />
on holidays to<br />
Andriake<br />
Beachclub<br />
<br />
per family (2 adults & 2 children)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
What’s <strong>in</strong>cluded on our Beachclub holidays:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
childcare (5-12 years)<br />
<br />
£489<br />
<br />
Vis<strong>it</strong> www.neilson.co.uk or pop <strong>in</strong>to your<br />
local <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> store for further details
Your holiday price <strong>in</strong>cludes:<br />
Flights and transfers<br />
Comfortable ensu<strong>it</strong>e accommodation<br />
All meals <strong>in</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> restaurants<br />
and buffets<br />
Enterta<strong>in</strong>ment - theatre shows,<br />
live music and comedy<br />
Use of the ship’s pools, gym and sauna<br />
Free age-specifi c children’s clubs<br />
All UK and overseas port taxes<br />
Select Price benef<strong>it</strong>s<br />
choice of cab<strong>in</strong> number<br />
(subject to availabil<strong>it</strong>y)<br />
first prior<strong>it</strong>y for d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g seat<strong>in</strong>g time<br />
and table size <strong>in</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> restaurant<br />
first prior<strong>it</strong>y for upgrades<br />
(where available)<br />
shuttle buses (where available)<br />
choice of on board spend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
money or airport park<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(on cruises of 7 nights or more)<br />
15% depos<strong>it</strong><br />
flexibil<strong>it</strong>y to change your book<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(subject to our book<strong>in</strong>g cond<strong>it</strong>ions)<br />
Tour the<br />
stunn<strong>in</strong>g coastl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
of the Med<strong>it</strong>erranean<br />
You’ll be hav<strong>in</strong>g fun <strong>in</strong> the sun <strong>in</strong> no time <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
P&O Cruises Med<strong>it</strong>erranean fl y-cruises. If you’ve ever<br />
dreamt of arriv<strong>in</strong>g starry eyed rather than bleary<br />
eyed <strong>in</strong> a different dest<strong>in</strong>ation every day of your<br />
holiday, then these holidays on board Oceana could<br />
be just the solution! History, modern<strong>it</strong>y, culture,<br />
variety; you’ll fi nd all this <strong>in</strong> abundance dur<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
wonderful holiday.<br />
For sheer escapism and discovery, a Med<strong>it</strong>erranean fl y-cruise<br />
takes some beat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> up to 9 different dest<strong>in</strong>ations on a<br />
two week holiday. Explore the ancient ru<strong>in</strong>s of Rome, stroll<br />
sun-dappled piazzas and meander through millionaires’<br />
playgrounds (<strong>it</strong>’s all about the att<strong>it</strong>ude!). Slip on the shades,<br />
sip an espresso, and remember, you can never look too cool!<br />
These holidays come packaged <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> return flights<br />
to/from Venice or Genoa. 7 and 14 night departures<br />
are available April to October 2015.<br />
ABTA No.V8764<br />
Amalfi Coast<br />
to <strong>Thomas</strong>cook.com<br />
Call 0844 879 8252<br />
Vis<strong>it</strong> your local travel agent
Eat<br />
04<br />
Hawksmoor Knightsbridge<br />
London<br />
“Great, great steak.” That was the praise given by Times food cr<strong>it</strong>ic Giles Coren when he reviewed Hawksmoor’s<br />
Seven Dials branch three years ago. Plenty has changed <strong>in</strong> the cap<strong>it</strong>al’s d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g scene s<strong>in</strong>ce (pop-ups, Korean kimchi,<br />
Peruvian), but people’s love for dictionary-thick steaks rema<strong>in</strong>s undim<strong>in</strong>ished. This is what’s propelled co-founders Will<br />
Beckett and Huw Gott to the status of celeb meat lovers and – follow<strong>in</strong>g the launch of a cookbook and another two<br />
steakhouses (one at Guildhall and one on Air Street) – they’ve now opened their latest venture next door to Harrods.<br />
The Longhorn cattle steaks are still good enough to make grown men weep, but the real difference is the emphasis<br />
on seafood luxuries: caviar, oysters and lobster. True, the beef’s gone posh, but <strong>it</strong>’s still great, great steak.<br />
BOOK IT… 3 Yeoman’s Row, Knightsbridge, thehawksmoor.com<br />
05<br />
Eat<br />
Lima Floral<br />
London<br />
“Natural, <strong>in</strong>digenous and unique,” is<br />
how Virgilio Martínez, chef at the first<br />
Michel<strong>in</strong>-starred Peruvian restaurant<br />
<strong>in</strong> Europe, Lima F<strong>it</strong>zrovia, describes<br />
gastronomic luxury. And <strong>it</strong>’s exactly<br />
what you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d at this, his second<br />
branch, where dishes range from<br />
the norm (sea bream ceviche) to the<br />
unexpected (blue potato, anyone?).<br />
Whether you’re a first-timer or a<br />
convert to Peruvian cuis<strong>in</strong>e, you’ll<br />
leave <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> your future holiday dest<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
scoped out: next stop, Lima.<br />
BOOK IT… limafloral.com<br />
06<br />
Dr<strong>in</strong>k<br />
Gong<br />
Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, London<br />
It all started <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the t<strong>in</strong>kl<strong>in</strong>g of a piano. A Renzo Piano, to<br />
be precise. The Italian arch<strong>it</strong>ect created London’s most<br />
prom<strong>in</strong>ent skyscraper to be a 310m pyramidal glass<br />
sensor for the cap<strong>it</strong>al, albe<strong>it</strong> one that came <strong>in</strong> for plenty<br />
of cr<strong>it</strong>icism. English Her<strong>it</strong>age claimed the build<strong>in</strong>g would<br />
be “a shard of glass through the heart of historic London”.<br />
The name stuck. It’s only when the elevator sp<strong>it</strong>s you<br />
out on the 52-floor and you walk <strong>in</strong>to Gong, the hotel’s<br />
signature bar, feel<strong>in</strong>g higher than the sun, that you fully<br />
appreciate how marvellous <strong>it</strong> all is. Light filters <strong>in</strong> through<br />
tapered floor-to-ceil<strong>in</strong>g glass panels, transparent structural<br />
beams criss-cross, and if that doesn’t wow you, then just<br />
wa<strong>it</strong> until you see the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool. All of which makes<br />
<strong>it</strong> the ultimate place to have a pricey dr<strong>in</strong>k while watch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
London sw<strong>it</strong>ch <strong>it</strong>self on at night. It’s electrify<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
BOOK IT… the-shard.com/restaurants/gong<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 93
P R O M O T I O N | O X F O R D B I O L A B S<br />
Th<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g hair?<br />
How a new pill can boost your hair and self-confidence<br />
Scientists <strong>in</strong> Oxford promise that they can<br />
help keep your hair thick and healthy. Their<br />
pill TRX2 is currently one of Europe’s bestsell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hair supplements and is sold <strong>in</strong> over<br />
90 countries. TRX2 is a food supplement<br />
based on organic compounds and,<br />
compared to medic<strong>in</strong>al products,<br />
has no side effects whatsoever. Also<br />
<strong>it</strong> does what <strong>it</strong> says.<br />
“Your hair will look much bigger; <strong>it</strong><br />
becomes heavier and thicker. You ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />
your healthy hair,” says Oxford Biolabs CEO<br />
Dr <strong>Thomas</strong> Wh<strong>it</strong>field.<br />
Hair treatments often promise a<br />
lot <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong>out deliver<strong>in</strong>g, but TRX2 is<br />
backed by cutt<strong>in</strong>g-edge science and<br />
has been thoroughly tested. Three of<br />
the key <strong>in</strong>gredients <strong>in</strong> TRX2 are officially<br />
recognised by the European Commission<br />
as contribut<strong>in</strong>g to the ma<strong>in</strong>tenance of<br />
normal healthy hair*. The effects can<br />
be impressive. Start TRX2 as early as<br />
possible <strong>in</strong> order to address your hair<br />
problem before <strong>it</strong> is too late.<br />
TRX2 is su<strong>it</strong>able for men and<br />
women of all ages. The crystall<strong>in</strong>e<br />
wh<strong>it</strong>e capsules come <strong>in</strong> a brown glass<br />
bottle, which is sufficient for one month<br />
of treatment and costs approximately<br />
€49. The manufacturer offers a<br />
money-back guarantee if ordered<br />
via TRX2’s official webs<strong>it</strong>e,<br />
and ships worldwide.<br />
www.trx2.com, contact@trx2.com<br />
Oxford Biolabs Ltd,<br />
The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, UK<br />
Exclusive Passenger Deal<br />
Order via www.trx2.com<br />
and use the coupon code<br />
‘TRAVEL’ to receive an<br />
exclusive 5% discount<br />
"Your hair becomes much<br />
heavier and thicker. You<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> your healthy hair"
Play<br />
07<br />
New York helicopter tours<br />
Manhattan<br />
Unless you’re a real-life Superman (watch out Clark Kent), then the only human way to take to the skies of Manhattan<br />
is to buckle up for a 20-m<strong>in</strong>ute chopper tour. Helicopter Flight Services operates the newest fleet <strong>in</strong> the Big Apple,<br />
each custom-designed for sightsee<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> 180-degree views so they’re perfectly placed to help you tick off those<br />
must-sees: the Chrysler Build<strong>in</strong>g, the Empire State Build<strong>in</strong>g, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island… you get the idea.<br />
Just be sure to ask the pilot to boom out Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries as you swoop down over the Hudson.<br />
BOOK IT… Pier 6, Downtown Manhattan Heliport, East River, hel<strong>in</strong>y.com<br />
08<br />
Play<br />
Zebrajet<br />
Sal, Cape Verde<br />
V<strong>in</strong>cent Felix was born on a jetski.<br />
Or at least that’s what the Frenchman<br />
claims. He rides his powerful<br />
Yamaha waterscooter as though<br />
he were starr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his own movie.<br />
Bound<strong>in</strong>g across the waves at top<br />
speeds of 50kmph takes some serious<br />
skill, and you can learn from Felix<br />
by jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g one of the regular tours<br />
he and his partner Maï Hommey run<br />
from the resort of Santa Maria. Their<br />
company, Zebrajet, is now the premier<br />
watersports outf<strong>it</strong> on the island<br />
– so whether you want to get wet<br />
above the surface (on a high-speed<br />
jetski trip along the west coast) or<br />
below <strong>it</strong> (they also run daily scuba<br />
trips to a number of world-class dive<br />
s<strong>it</strong>es), they guarantee you’ll end<br />
up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> salty surfer’s hair like David<br />
Hasselhoff <strong>in</strong> Baywatch. Don’t try<br />
too hard on the jetski though: you’ll<br />
never look as cool as him.<br />
BOOK IT… Sign up for a Zebrajet<br />
trip <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> thomascook.com<br />
Miss Saigon<br />
London<br />
It was a masterstroke of great<br />
theatre when Ala<strong>in</strong> Boublil and<br />
Claude-Michel Schönberg followed<br />
Les Misérables <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an update of<br />
Pucc<strong>in</strong>i’s most-loved opera, Madam<br />
Butterfly, relocat<strong>in</strong>g the story from<br />
Japan to Vietnam just before the fall<br />
of Saigon. Follow<strong>in</strong>g a 15-year hiatus,<br />
<strong>it</strong>’s now back, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong> some<br />
heavy baggage – <strong>it</strong> broke box office<br />
records on the first day that tickets<br />
went on sale. The plot captures the<br />
confusion and terror of conflict, as<br />
well as the desperation of those who<br />
lived through the Vietnam War.<br />
Be prepared to dab those eyes.<br />
BOOK IT… Buy theatre tickets at<br />
miss-saigon.com<br />
Play<br />
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THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 95
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It's a su<strong>it</strong>e life<br />
Stay <strong>in</strong> style at any of these top hotels across Europe<br />
1. HOTEL ESPERIDES<br />
SKIATHOS, GREECE<br />
The newly renovated, four-star<br />
hotel Esperides s<strong>it</strong>s right next to<br />
the coastl<strong>in</strong>e. It is just 4km away<br />
from the town, harbour and the<br />
airport so you're <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><strong>in</strong> easy reach<br />
of a peaceful day by the sea, a<br />
vibrant night out and your flight<br />
home. Compris<strong>in</strong>g 180 rooms<br />
and one su<strong>it</strong>e, all come <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a<br />
bathroom, air-cond<strong>it</strong>ion<strong>in</strong>g, fridge,<br />
TV and balcony. The hotel has a<br />
restaurant, bar, swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool,<br />
snack bar, tennis court, park<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and Wi-Fi <strong>in</strong> all common areas.<br />
Skiathos<br />
Tel + 30 24270 22245<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@esperidesbeach.gr<br />
esperidesbeach.gr<br />
2. ASTIR ODYSSEUS<br />
KOS, GREECE<br />
This five-star resort is set on an<br />
exclusive beachfront location,<br />
just 5km from the centre of Kos.<br />
Popular for <strong>it</strong>s modern facil<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
and luxury services, <strong>it</strong>s elegant<br />
ambience guarantees relaxation.<br />
The picture-perfect backdrop<br />
of the Aegean Sea, comb<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a professional, personalised<br />
service, makes <strong>it</strong> the perfect<br />
place for your holiday. Enjoy the<br />
warm Greek hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y and feast<br />
on the delicious Med<strong>it</strong>erranean<br />
and <strong>in</strong>ternational dishes at one<br />
of the resort's stylish restaurants.<br />
Kos<br />
Tel + 30 22420 49900<br />
astirodysseuskos.com<br />
3. BITEZ GARDEN LIFE<br />
AND SUITES<br />
BODRUM, TURKEY<br />
Surrounded by beautiful natural<br />
landscapes and fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g<br />
historical s<strong>it</strong>es, B<strong>it</strong>ez is the<br />
perfect location for those seek<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a peaceful getaway. Here, a<br />
modern <strong>in</strong>terior design <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imalist feel is complemented<br />
by delightful mandar<strong>in</strong> gardens<br />
throughout the grounds, while<br />
the friendly atmosphere is certa<strong>in</strong><br />
to appeal to families, couples and<br />
groups. Guests can relax by the<br />
four swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools or venture<br />
the 150m to B<strong>it</strong>ez beach.<br />
Bodrum<br />
+90 252 363 98 70<br />
b<strong>it</strong>ezgardenlife.com<br />
4. SENTIDO IXIAN GRAND<br />
AND IXIAN ALL SUITES<br />
RHODES, GREECE<br />
Sentido Ixian Grand and Ixian All<br />
Su<strong>it</strong>es is a five-star spa resort that<br />
s<strong>it</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the picturesque bay of Ixia,<br />
only 6km from Rhodes town and<br />
just 15 m<strong>in</strong>utes from the airport.<br />
The resort has 211 rooms and 69<br />
luxurious su<strong>it</strong>es and is renowned<br />
for <strong>it</strong>s contemporary chic<br />
atmosphere, high-qual<strong>it</strong>y d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
and superior levels of service.<br />
There are two pools, one of which<br />
uses seawater so guests can relax<br />
and enjoy the Aegean Sea.<br />
Rhodes<br />
+30 22410 92944<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@theixiangrand.gr<br />
theixiangrand.gr
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5. APOSTOLATA ISLAND<br />
RESORT & SPA<br />
KEFALONIA, GREECE<br />
Set on a hillside on the outskirts<br />
of Skala, the Apostolata Island<br />
Resort & Spa has wonderful<br />
panoramic views. It comprises<br />
166 rooms and su<strong>it</strong>es, a reception,<br />
Wi-Fi , a lobby bar, conference<br />
room, buffet restaurant, a la carte<br />
restaurant, spa <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> jacuzzi, steam<br />
bath, sauna, gym, table tennis<br />
tables, darts and tennis courts. In<br />
the gardens there is a spacious<br />
seawater pool, an <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong><strong>it</strong>y pool and<br />
a pool bar and restaurant.<br />
Kefalonia<br />
+30 26710 83581-2<br />
apostolata@apostolata.gr<br />
apostolata.gr<br />
6. GARDEN RESORT<br />
BERGAMOT HOTEL<br />
ANTALYA, TURKEY<br />
This all-<strong>in</strong>clusive, four-star hotel<br />
s<strong>it</strong>s among c<strong>it</strong>rus orchards. It<br />
features two swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools –<br />
one <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> water slides – a separate<br />
children's pool, tennis court, an<br />
adults-only relaxation garden <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
pool and a wellness centre <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
a trad<strong>it</strong>ional Turkish bath. There's<br />
also soft animation, a m<strong>in</strong>i club<br />
and Wi-Fi <strong>in</strong> the lobby area. Rooms<br />
overlook e<strong>it</strong>her the garden, pool or<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>s. The c<strong>it</strong>y of Kemer is just<br />
a walk away and there's a regular<br />
bus to the hotel's private beach.<br />
Antalya<br />
+90 242 814 73 53<br />
hotelgardenresort.com<br />
7. ALBA HOTELS<br />
ANTALYA, TURKEY<br />
Alba Hotels give guests an<br />
unforgettable holiday. The fivestar<br />
hotels are based <strong>in</strong> Çolakli-<br />
Side and s<strong>it</strong> along the wh<strong>it</strong>e,<br />
sandy beach. The comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
of Ottoman and Med<strong>it</strong>erranean<br />
style give the hotels a relax<strong>in</strong>g<br />
atmosphere. Alba Queen and<br />
Alba Resort hotels are equipped<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> aqua parks, animation and<br />
children's playgrounds, a spa<br />
and various restaurants and bars,<br />
which have fantastic sea views.<br />
Alba Royal hotel offers an adults<br />
only package for over 16s to<br />
guarantee a relax<strong>in</strong>g holiday.<br />
Antalya<br />
albahotels.com.tr<br />
8. SEALIGHT RESORT<br />
HOTEL<br />
KUSADASI, TURKEY<br />
This hotel <strong>in</strong> Kuşadası is the<br />
ideal choice for adults and kids<br />
thanks to <strong>it</strong>s luxury amen<strong>it</strong>ies,<br />
gourmet d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>timate<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g. This all-<strong>in</strong>clusive resort<br />
s<strong>it</strong>s overlook<strong>in</strong>g the Aegean Sea<br />
and is renowned for <strong>it</strong>s luxury<br />
atmosphere. Guests will enjoy<br />
all the complimentary features<br />
such as watersports, beach and<br />
pool services, kids club, Wi-Fi,<br />
f<strong>it</strong>ness centre and spa centre<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> massages, Turkish bath and<br />
sauna for complete relaxation.<br />
Kusadasi<br />
+90 256 622 31 32<br />
sealighthotel.com
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9. HOLIDAY CALBIS<br />
DALYAN, TURKEY<br />
Experience Dalyan and <strong>it</strong>s Turkish<br />
hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y at the hotel Holiday<br />
Calbis. Surrounded by spectacular<br />
nature, Holiday Calbis is a perfect<br />
escape and guarantees relaxation.<br />
Its surround<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clude 15,000m 2<br />
of tropical gardens <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> three<br />
outdoor pools where guests<br />
can take a refresh<strong>in</strong>g dip. Spl<strong>it</strong><br />
between three unique build<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
are the comfortable and elegantly<br />
furnished rooms. Each is spacious<br />
and comes equipped <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a<br />
balcony and all the necessary<br />
modern amen<strong>it</strong>ies.<br />
Daylan<br />
+90 252 284 4083<br />
holidaycalbis@hotmail.com<br />
10. TAMARIX DEL<br />
MAR SUITES<br />
SANTORINI, GREECE<br />
Hidden <strong>in</strong> the seaside village of<br />
Kamari is Tamarix del Mar Su<strong>it</strong>es,<br />
which comb<strong>in</strong>es elegance, luxury<br />
and warm hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y to excellent<br />
effect. The resort resembles a<br />
m<strong>in</strong>iature Santor<strong>in</strong>i village –<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s trad<strong>it</strong>ional arch<strong>it</strong>ecture,<br />
bouga<strong>in</strong>villea, <strong>in</strong>v<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g pool and<br />
clear blue sky. Guests can choose<br />
between the junior and superior<br />
su<strong>it</strong>es and luxury maisonettes<br />
– they all guarantee the highest<br />
standards of hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
Santor<strong>in</strong>i<br />
+30 22860 31809<br />
santor<strong>in</strong>i-luxury-hotels.com<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@tamarix.gr<br />
11. CAPO BAY HOTEL<br />
PROTARAS, CYPRUS<br />
Perfectly pos<strong>it</strong>ioned next to Cyprus' award-w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, blue flag Fig Tree<br />
Bay, the Capo Bay hotel offers easy access to the beautiful sandy beach.<br />
The hotel has become popular thanks to <strong>it</strong>s elegant style and attention<br />
to detail, especially <strong>in</strong> <strong>it</strong>s qual<strong>it</strong>y of service. Guests can wander down<br />
to the beach and swim <strong>in</strong> the clear Med<strong>it</strong>erranean waters, or take a dip<br />
<strong>in</strong> the hotel's outdoor pools. Capo Bay boasts excellent d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g options<br />
and Mama's outdoor restaurant and bar is a lovely place to enjoy a<br />
trad<strong>it</strong>ional d<strong>in</strong>ner of souvlaki and halloumi, as well as magnificent views<br />
over Fig Tree Bay. Or, sample the fusion of Asian and Med<strong>it</strong>erranean<br />
cuis<strong>in</strong>es at the Koi restaurant and bar. For a truly relax<strong>in</strong>g holiday,<br />
pay a vis<strong>it</strong> to the Oneiro Spa – the unique urban space, designed by<br />
arch<strong>it</strong>ect Joseph Caspari, has a m<strong>in</strong>imal, fuss-free elegance that won't<br />
distract from the <strong>in</strong>dulgent treatments. The spa uses the lead<strong>in</strong>g Elemis<br />
sk<strong>in</strong>care products and features a sauna, jacuzzi, steam bath, hammam,<br />
a fully equipped gym and 15m heated pool.<br />
Protaras<br />
+357 2383 1101<br />
capobay@capobay.com.cy
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12. BELLAMAR HOTEL<br />
BEACH AND SPA ****<br />
SAN ANTONIO, IBIZA<br />
Oppos<strong>it</strong>e the Es Pouet beach and<br />
the San Antonio promenade, this<br />
modern hotel boasts peaceful<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>gs. Perfect for those<br />
want<strong>in</strong>g to enjoy relax<strong>in</strong>g days<br />
and fun-filled nights, <strong>it</strong> is also just<br />
10 m<strong>in</strong>utes from Ibiza's exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
nightlife. Recover on <strong>it</strong>s spacious<br />
sun terrace by the pool and<br />
whirlpool, or vis<strong>it</strong> <strong>it</strong>s wellness centre,<br />
which has a spa, massage and body<br />
treatments. There is also a buffet<br />
restaurant, free Wi–Fi and superior<br />
rooms and su<strong>it</strong>es available.<br />
San Antonio<br />
+34 971340101<br />
bellamarhotel.com<br />
13. db SAN ANTONIO<br />
HOTEL + SPA<br />
ST. PAULS BAY, MALTA<br />
This newly refurbished hotel is one<br />
of the largest <strong>in</strong> Malta and has 416<br />
rooms and su<strong>it</strong>es. It s<strong>it</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the north<br />
east part of Malta <strong>in</strong> St. Paul's Bay<br />
and is surrounded by beautiful<br />
sandy beaches, as well as a wide<br />
selection of bars, restaurants,<br />
public transport, a cas<strong>in</strong>o and an<br />
aquarium. Not that you'll ever want<br />
to leave the hotel. It has everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
you'll need dur<strong>in</strong>g your holiday,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a variety of restaurants,<br />
bars, outdoor pools, f<strong>it</strong>ness and spa<br />
facil<strong>it</strong>ies and free Wi-Fi.<br />
St. Paul's Bay<br />
+356 2158 3434<br />
dbhotelsresorts.com<br />
14. GRAND HOTEL<br />
LIBERTY<br />
LAKE GARDA, ITALY<br />
On the shores of one of the most<br />
beautiful lakes <strong>in</strong> Europe, <strong>in</strong> the<br />
town Riva del Garda, is the Grand<br />
Hotel Liberty. Housed <strong>in</strong> a stylish<br />
palace from the 20th century, <strong>it</strong><br />
welcomes guests <strong>in</strong>to a world of<br />
ref<strong>in</strong>ement and elegance <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s<br />
large, period salons. Its beautiful<br />
garden, outdoor pool and sun<br />
beds, palm trees and geraniums,<br />
high-qual<strong>it</strong>y k<strong>it</strong>chen, as well as<br />
the wellness centre and spa all<br />
provide the perfect backdrop for<br />
an <strong>in</strong>dulgent holiday.<br />
Lake Garda<br />
+39 0464 553581<br />
grandhotelliberty.<strong>it</strong><br />
15. SENTIDO ROSA BEACH<br />
MONASTIR, TUNISIA<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h <strong>it</strong>s own private section of<br />
a beautiful wh<strong>it</strong>e sandy beach<br />
<strong>in</strong> eastern Tunisia, the Sentido<br />
Rosa Beach hotel is the perfect<br />
place for families seek<strong>in</strong>g a quiet<br />
beach-based holiday. Whether<br />
you want to unw<strong>in</strong>d by the pool,<br />
<strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> the spa or d<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> one<br />
of <strong>it</strong>s four restaurants serv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational cuis<strong>in</strong>e, the hotel<br />
guarantees care-free relaxation.<br />
All this, plus the wide range of<br />
beach activ<strong>it</strong>ies, the comfortable<br />
rooms and the friendly service<br />
ensure a truly special holiday.<br />
Monastir<br />
+216 73 520 088<br />
sentidohotels.com
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
Have fun underwater:<br />
make a splash <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> on one of<br />
our fabulous excursions<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
TV launches<br />
ur new <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> TV channel<br />
thomascook.com/tv is where<br />
O<br />
you can f<strong>in</strong>d lots of <strong>in</strong>spiration to<br />
help you choose your next holiday.<br />
Whether you’re dream<strong>in</strong>g of a lazy week <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Canary Islands or want to dive straight <strong>in</strong>to the Red<br />
Sea, these short videos are sure to help you f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
your perfect trip, which you and your family will<br />
remember for years. And you may also discover<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g new to try dur<strong>in</strong>g your next break!<br />
Over the com<strong>in</strong>g weeks we’ll be provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
plenty of ideas about our most popular w<strong>in</strong>ter sun<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ations, the Canary Islands and the Red Sea,<br />
where, as well as warm, sunny weather, you can<br />
enjoy lots of activ<strong>it</strong>ies, see the sights, or simply<br />
soak up the sun by the pool or on the beach.<br />
There’ll be new videos added each week to<br />
thomascook.com/tv, so don’t forget to come<br />
back to check out the latest for more great ideas,<br />
top tips and recommendations, as well as details of<br />
some of the hotels and resorts that <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
offers. You can also follow us on Facebook and on<br />
Tw<strong>it</strong>ter to be kept updated about our new videos<br />
as soon as they’re added.<br />
Introduction to the reps<br />
Our <strong>in</strong>trepid explorers, four <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> holiday<br />
representatives, have done the hard work for you,<br />
vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada to track<br />
down, try out, taste, dive, explore and experience<br />
all that the Red Sea resorts have to offer. Meet April,<br />
Carla, Jack and Chase. Follow them at thomascook.<br />
com/tv as they discover the Red Sea resorts. They’ll<br />
also share <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> you their views and advice to make<br />
the most of your holiday.<br />
Time to relax<br />
If holidays, for you, are all about slow<strong>in</strong>g down,<br />
spend<strong>in</strong>g time <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> family and friends, and tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
time to recharge your batteries, then we’ve lots of<br />
ideas that you may like to th<strong>in</strong>k about for your next<br />
trip. You’ll return <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> great memories.<br />
From spa treatments <strong>in</strong> Fuerteventura, to relax<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on the beach <strong>in</strong> Lanzarote, to soak<strong>in</strong>g up the rays of<br />
the Egyptian sun, there’s someth<strong>in</strong>g for everyone.<br />
Check out the videos to give you a taste of what’s<br />
on offer, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> tips and recommendations to help<br />
you make this your most relax<strong>in</strong>g holiday yet.<br />
Explore<br />
If your holidays are all about gett<strong>in</strong>g out and about<br />
to experience local cultures, try<strong>in</strong>g out new food,<br />
and explor<strong>in</strong>g the beautiful landscapes that your<br />
chosen dest<strong>in</strong>ation has to offer, then look no<br />
further. Here you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d out about the best that the<br />
Canary Islands and Red Sea resorts have to offer.<br />
Whether you want to sample trad<strong>it</strong>ional<br />
Egyptian cuis<strong>in</strong>e or enjoy the wildlife at Oasis Park<br />
<strong>in</strong> Fuerteventura, you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d preview videos at<br />
thomascook.com/tv.<br />
There are also some amaz<strong>in</strong>g places of <strong>in</strong>terest<br />
to vis<strong>it</strong>, too. Don’t miss go<strong>in</strong>g to Tiran Island or Ras<br />
Mohamed National Park by boat, where there are<br />
stunn<strong>in</strong>g views, or why not try a catamaran trip<br />
<strong>in</strong> Tenerife or Lanzarote? You may even be lucky<br />
enough to spot dolph<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
100 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
N E W S<br />
There’ll be new<br />
videos added each<br />
week so don’t<br />
forget to log on:<br />
thomascook.com/tv<br />
The scuba selfie:<br />
Don’t forget to<br />
share your holiday<br />
snaps <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> reps<br />
Get active<br />
If relax<strong>in</strong>g by the pool or on the beach isn’t your<br />
th<strong>in</strong>g, and you’d much rather just dive straight <strong>in</strong>,<br />
then take a look at the videos at thomascook.<br />
com/tv, where you’ll get a sneak peak <strong>in</strong>to some<br />
of the many activ<strong>it</strong>ies you’ll be able to enjoy.<br />
If you love to snorkel or dive, or you’ve never<br />
tried <strong>it</strong> and just fancy giv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>it</strong> a go, the Red Sea is<br />
perhaps one of the best coral reefs <strong>in</strong> the world to<br />
explore. And <strong>it</strong>’s all accessible just moments away<br />
from your hotel room via jetties on the beach.<br />
There are also scuba div<strong>in</strong>g trips that take you<br />
farther afield, which you’ll be able to book.<br />
That’s not all. You can go on a jeep safari <strong>in</strong><br />
Gran Canaria, jetski<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Lanzarote, quad bik<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
Hurghada or golf<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Sharm el Sheikh. If you’re<br />
still <strong>in</strong> need of more action, get all the thrills and<br />
spills you could want by stay<strong>in</strong>g at one of the many<br />
hotels we offer <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> their very own water parks.<br />
For more <strong>in</strong>formation on all of these exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
travel dest<strong>in</strong>ations, excursions and holiday<br />
offers, make sure to vis<strong>it</strong> thomascook.com/tv<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 101
W<strong>it</strong>h us <strong>it</strong>’s more<br />
than just a ticket.<br />
Exclusive match break packages offer<strong>in</strong>g official tickets,<br />
hotel stays, stadium tours and match day programmes.<br />
to <strong>Thomas</strong>cook.com/sport<br />
Call on 01733 224 834<br />
Pop <strong>in</strong>to your local <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> store<br />
Barclays<br />
Premier League<br />
Match Breaks<br />
from<br />
£79<br />
*<br />
pp<br />
*Matchbreak from £79 per person, <strong>in</strong>cludes 1 night B&B, tw<strong>in</strong>/double share <strong>in</strong> a 3* hotel <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an official match ticket.
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
N E W S<br />
Hot stuff: our pick of the best w<strong>in</strong>ter breaks<br />
EGYPT<br />
Egypt isn’t just about the Pyramids and Nile<br />
cruises. W<strong>it</strong>h direct flights to Sharm el Sheikh and<br />
Hurghada, holidays to the Red Sea Riviera are<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly popular. This haven for year-round<br />
sunsh<strong>in</strong>e is famous for <strong>it</strong>s snorkell<strong>in</strong>g and scuba<br />
div<strong>in</strong>g facil<strong>it</strong>ies, offer<strong>in</strong>g an underwater safari like<br />
no other. For a rush of adrenal<strong>in</strong>e on dry land, a<br />
quad bik<strong>in</strong>g adventure <strong>in</strong> the desert is the way to<br />
go. And if four wheels is a b<strong>it</strong> too much, a camel will<br />
be wa<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g just for you! W<strong>it</strong>h year-round sunsh<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
fantastic hotels, and at only 5.5 hours away, the Red<br />
Sea Riviera is the dest<strong>in</strong>ation on everyone’s lips.<br />
THE CANARY ISLANDS<br />
Not only do the Canaries offer stunn<strong>in</strong>g scenery and<br />
popular accommodation choices, each of the four<br />
islands has <strong>it</strong>s own <strong>in</strong>dividual style and attractions<br />
to entice vis<strong>it</strong>ors all year. From the <strong>in</strong>credible golf<br />
courses and hik<strong>in</strong>g excursions on Gran Canaria<br />
to explor<strong>in</strong>g Mount Teide and mak<strong>in</strong>g a splash <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe’s biggest waterpark, Siam Park <strong>in</strong> Tenerife,<br />
you’re sure to be kept thoroughly enterta<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />
Fuerteventura is the ultimate hotspot for<br />
w<strong>in</strong>dsurf<strong>in</strong>g and k<strong>it</strong>esurf<strong>in</strong>g, and for those look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to try someth<strong>in</strong>g a l<strong>it</strong>tle different, while Lanzarote<br />
offers w<strong>in</strong>e tast<strong>in</strong>g plus a unique opportun<strong>it</strong>y to<br />
enjoy a meal on top of a “fire mounta<strong>in</strong>”, the only<br />
active volcano <strong>in</strong> the Canaries.<br />
TURKEY<br />
Antalya is excellent value for money throughout<br />
the year, but especially <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>ter months, and<br />
<strong>it</strong>’s only a four-hour flight away. The hotels are of<br />
a very high standard, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g many 4*-5* options,<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> great <strong>in</strong>door attractions ideal for w<strong>in</strong>ter such<br />
as luxurious spas, <strong>in</strong>door pools and sports facil<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
(tennis courts and football p<strong>it</strong>ches aplenty!). There<br />
are natural and historic s<strong>it</strong>es to vis<strong>it</strong>, for example<br />
Antalya offers great<br />
value for money<br />
all year round, but<br />
especially <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
Pamukkale, Istanbul and our Discover Alanya tour,<br />
and these are perfect when the temperatures<br />
are cooler than <strong>in</strong> summer. Side town is great<br />
for history-lovers, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> an ancient amp<strong>it</strong>heatre,<br />
2nd-century temples and ru<strong>in</strong>s scattered among<br />
the streets. Don’t miss tak<strong>in</strong>g a Turkish bath – most<br />
hotels offer this <strong>in</strong> their spa centres.<br />
Belek is a golfers’ paradise – and boom<strong>in</strong>g – <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
vis<strong>it</strong>or rounds <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g by seven per cent <strong>in</strong> 2013.<br />
For the first time, our travel agents and customers<br />
can book tee times onl<strong>in</strong>e, via our partnership <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
TX247 (tx247.co.uk/thomascook).<br />
There are more than 10 bookable golf courses <strong>in</strong><br />
Belek featured on the s<strong>it</strong>e, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Gloria Golf <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
45 holes – the largest <strong>in</strong> Turkey.<br />
Antalya hotels are great at offer<strong>in</strong>g special rates<br />
for groups, long stays (21-plus nights) and s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />
travellers <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter, so everyone can benef<strong>it</strong> from<br />
travell<strong>in</strong>g out of peak summer season. Hotels<br />
also tailor their enterta<strong>in</strong>ment and activ<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter. SENTIDO Zeynep Resort and<br />
SENTIDO Perissia offer a dedicated w<strong>in</strong>ter escapes<br />
programme, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>in</strong>clusions such as:<br />
• Varied meal and d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g options, from starter-sized<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>s to healthy choices.<br />
• Activ<strong>it</strong>ies such as gentle walks, card games, dance<br />
lessons and sports – guests can be buddied up <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
a partner.<br />
• The feel-good factor, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> rejuvenat<strong>in</strong>g spas<br />
offer<strong>in</strong>g treatments to relax and rev<strong>it</strong>alise.<br />
• Pillow menu for personalised comfort.<br />
• Sociable get-togethers organised by the SENTIDO<br />
enterta<strong>in</strong>ers and concierge.<br />
• Reduced rates on laundry service – ideal for<br />
long-stay<strong>in</strong>g guests.<br />
And the Paloma Oceana Hotel and SENTIDO<br />
Perissia Hotel offer a special ‘W<strong>in</strong>ter Paloma<br />
Primetimer Club’, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a range of leisure pursu<strong>it</strong>s,<br />
from danc<strong>in</strong>g to yoga and language lessons to spa<br />
treatments and health advice.<br />
Vis<strong>it</strong> thomascook.com for more <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 103
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
N E W S<br />
Signature: <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>’s luxury brand<br />
W<br />
e are pleased to announce the<br />
restyl<strong>in</strong>g of our Signature brand,<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g an exc<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g modern<br />
look and feel. Our bespoke luxury<br />
escapes showcase more than 1,000 luxury hotels,<br />
spann<strong>in</strong>g 50-plus dest<strong>in</strong>ations. From boutique<br />
hotels and resorts to unbelievable tours, we’ve<br />
only handpicked the very best hotels.<br />
Increased worldwide multi-centre options<br />
Throughout the programme, we tailor holidays<br />
to su<strong>it</strong> customers’ <strong>in</strong>dividual requirements. For<br />
a taster of where to explore: Far Eastern C<strong>it</strong>y<br />
& Beach <strong>in</strong>cludes three nights of see<strong>in</strong>g the bright<br />
lights of S<strong>in</strong>gapore at the world-renowned Raffles<br />
Hotel followed by seven nights of <strong>in</strong>dulgence at<br />
The Datai <strong>in</strong> Langkawi Beach Resort. Or West Coast<br />
USA sees you try<strong>in</strong>g your luck on the tables beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
the iconic founta<strong>in</strong>s of the Bellagio for four nights<br />
before head<strong>in</strong>g to San Francisco for three nights<br />
and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from your<br />
su<strong>it</strong>e at the 5* Mandar<strong>in</strong> Oriental.<br />
haul dest<strong>in</strong>ations and the choice to choose<br />
your seat and check-<strong>in</strong> onl<strong>in</strong>e. In add<strong>it</strong>ion there<br />
is a full range of transfer options available to su<strong>it</strong><br />
customers’ <strong>in</strong>dividual needs.<br />
Signature Experts<br />
We have selected only the very best of our agents<br />
to become Signature Experts – a key po<strong>in</strong>t of<br />
contact for our customers throughout our Retail<br />
Network. They will share their experience and<br />
knowledge <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g top tips and activ<strong>it</strong>ies not<br />
to be missed via blogs and our Signature webs<strong>it</strong>e.<br />
Onl<strong>in</strong>e and <strong>in</strong> dest<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
The new luxury section on thomascook.com<br />
features <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g images and content. Add<strong>it</strong>ionally,<br />
we now offer our Connected Resort Service <strong>in</strong><br />
every dest<strong>in</strong>ation, which means contact<strong>in</strong>g reps by<br />
phone, email, SMS or WhatsApp couldn’t be easier<br />
(note: this service is not live until mid-December).<br />
New economy and premium cab<strong>in</strong>s and service<br />
W<br />
Flexibil<strong>it</strong>y<br />
We offer a full choice of airl<strong>in</strong>es across all our<br />
longhaul dest<strong>in</strong>ations. For customers travell<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es we offer <strong>in</strong>creased luggage<br />
allowance of 20kg for all shorthaul and mediume<br />
are pleased to announce further<br />
details of our new cab<strong>in</strong> experience,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a new premium service<br />
on the Airbus A330 long-haul fleet.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the w<strong>in</strong>ter, we are refurbish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
our A330 aircraft, which will serve the long-haul<br />
programme to dest<strong>in</strong>ations <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g New York,<br />
Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando and the Caribbean.<br />
Customers will benef<strong>it</strong> from the new cab<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>teriors<br />
from December. The airl<strong>in</strong>e will then launch new<br />
economy and premium services – br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
great-value product to customers <strong>in</strong> May 2015.<br />
Christoph Debus, CEO of <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es<br />
UK, said: “It’s great news for our long-haul<br />
customers that they will experience our new and<br />
significantly enhanced onboard cab<strong>in</strong>s and service.<br />
As more customers book flight-only seats, <strong>it</strong>’s<br />
important that we compete <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> scheduled airl<strong>in</strong>es<br />
on these routes, comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g great value and service<br />
to provide outstand<strong>in</strong>g value for money.”<br />
New standard long-haul economy<br />
The new <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es economy cab<strong>in</strong><br />
will <strong>in</strong>clude ergonomically designed lightweight<br />
seats, offer<strong>in</strong>g maximum liv<strong>in</strong>g space and comfort,<br />
alongside a brand new 8.9” on-demand <strong>in</strong>-flight<br />
enterta<strong>in</strong>ment system and a range of blockbuster<br />
and family movies.<br />
Customers will also receive a three-course meal<br />
designed by celebr<strong>it</strong>y chef James Mart<strong>in</strong>, snacks<br />
as standard, 23kg baggage allowance (20kg on<br />
non-USA routes) and 6kg hand baggage allowance<br />
– all <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> long-haul summer 2015 prices for<br />
flights and <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> holidays on the A330 fleet.<br />
New premium service<br />
Our four Manchester-based A330s will feature<br />
the new premium cab<strong>in</strong>, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> 49 seats <strong>in</strong> a 2-3-2<br />
configuration, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> even more legroom and<br />
width. Designed to offer maximum comfort, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
adjustable headrests and footrests, the seats will<br />
have personal <strong>in</strong>-arm tray tables and feature the<br />
8.9” touchscreen on-demand IFE <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a wider range<br />
of family and blockbuster movies.<br />
Premium customers will also benef<strong>it</strong> from<br />
a new service which <strong>in</strong>cludes 2x23kg (USA) or<br />
1x30kg (non-USA) baggage, 10kg hand baggage,<br />
premium check-<strong>in</strong> and bag drop, fast-track secur<strong>it</strong>y<br />
for departures and premium advance board<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Onboard, customers will receive a welcome<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k, a three-course premium James Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
meal, a complimentary dr<strong>in</strong>ks service (exclud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Champagne) throughout the flight, as well as an<br />
amen<strong>it</strong>y k<strong>it</strong>, headphones, pillows and blankets to<br />
ensure a comfortable journey.<br />
Holidays and flights on refurbished A330<br />
aircraft can be booked via thomascook.com<br />
and thomascookairl<strong>in</strong>es.com<br />
104 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
SunRay Property is your one-stop shop for<br />
purchas<strong>in</strong>g, runn<strong>in</strong>g and lett<strong>in</strong>g a home <strong>in</strong> and<br />
around the Turkish resort of Dalyan, an unspoilt<br />
gem su<strong>it</strong>ed to family holidays and expat liv<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
We’re a fully registered <strong>in</strong>dependent estate<br />
agency run by Anglo-Turkish couple Debbie<br />
and Ali, from premises <strong>in</strong> the heart of the resort.<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h a multi-l<strong>in</strong>gual team, we are specialists <strong>in</strong><br />
help<strong>in</strong>g Br<strong>it</strong>ons and Europeans buy property and<br />
settle <strong>in</strong> Turkey.<br />
SunRay’s knowledge of the Dalyan area,<br />
local regulations and need-to-know contacts<br />
is second to none, thanks to our experience<br />
and local family connections. The firm was<br />
created as a natural extension of our other long<br />
established bus<strong>in</strong>esses <strong>in</strong> Dalyan – proof of our<br />
long-term comm<strong>it</strong>ment to the property market<br />
here and reassur<strong>in</strong>g to buyers that we are here<br />
to stay!<br />
Our customer service stretches far beyond<br />
just sell<strong>in</strong>g you a property. We will guide you<br />
through the whole buy<strong>in</strong>g process, get you up<br />
and runn<strong>in</strong>g – whether <strong>it</strong>’s connect<strong>in</strong>g you to<br />
cable TV, electric<strong>it</strong>y or a phone l<strong>in</strong>e, or buy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
furn<strong>it</strong>ure - and put you <strong>in</strong> touch <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> other<br />
reliable service providers.<br />
Once you own your property, we will happily<br />
manage <strong>it</strong> <strong>in</strong> your absence too, as well as let <strong>it</strong><br />
to holidaymakers on your behalf, earn<strong>in</strong>g you<br />
extra <strong>in</strong>come to put towards the property’s<br />
runn<strong>in</strong>g costs.<br />
For buyers look<strong>in</strong>g for someth<strong>in</strong>g special, we<br />
also offer a design and build service and will<br />
project manage the construction of your home.<br />
If you’d prefer to add your own touches to a<br />
tired, older property, we’ll happily manage a<br />
renovation project for you.<br />
If you have any type of property requirement<br />
<strong>in</strong> Dalyan and <strong>it</strong>s environs, we’re ready to assist!<br />
CONTACT SUNRAY PROPERTY<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
T: 009 0252 284 3895<br />
E: <strong>in</strong>fo@sunrayproperty.com<br />
www.sunrayproperty.com
P R O M O T I O N | D - R E S O R T G R A N D A Z U R<br />
Discover life at <strong>it</strong>s best<br />
The D-Resort Grand Azur Marmaris reopens after<br />
a stunn<strong>in</strong>g transformation<br />
D-RESORT GRAND AZUR<br />
Marmaris<br />
Marmaris is one of Europe’s f<strong>in</strong>est holiday<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ations, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> magnificent beaches,<br />
crystal-clear waters and picturesque, hilly<br />
landscapes. So, when book<strong>in</strong>g your holiday,<br />
ensure you also book one of Europe’s f<strong>in</strong>est<br />
hotels: the five-star D-Resort Grand Azur. The<br />
hotel is brilliantly located on the beach, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
fabulous views of the Marmaris coast and is<br />
just a short distance from the centre of town,<br />
which can be easily reached by m<strong>in</strong>ibus, taxi or<br />
a short walk.<br />
The Grand Azur has 324 stylish and<br />
spacious rooms and su<strong>it</strong>es, all of which are<br />
newly renovated and come <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a good-sized<br />
balcony. Contemporary touches such as aircond<strong>it</strong>ion<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
satell<strong>it</strong>e TV, a safety box and a<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ibar come as standard.<br />
The Grand Azur is renowned for <strong>it</strong>s first-class<br />
hosp<strong>it</strong>al<strong>it</strong>y <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a range of daily enterta<strong>in</strong>ment<br />
activ<strong>it</strong>ies that ensure there is someth<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
the whole family. It also has an extensive range<br />
of sport<strong>in</strong>g and leisure activ<strong>it</strong>ies, <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>in</strong>door<br />
and outdoor swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools, a dedicated<br />
children’s pool, a well-equipped gym, floodl<strong>it</strong><br />
tennis courts and there are also a range of<br />
watersports on offer at the beach.<br />
Meanwhile, the fabulous Azur Spa conta<strong>in</strong>s<br />
a sauna, steam room, Turkish bath and<br />
solarium, and also offers a range of massage<br />
and health treatments.<br />
When <strong>it</strong> comes to food, guests can enjoy the<br />
generous buffet and live music of the Palmiye<br />
Restaurant, or s<strong>it</strong> down to a romantic, à la carte<br />
meal <strong>in</strong> the new cosy Steak & Bar restaurant,<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>it</strong>s panoramic view across the sea. Lunch<br />
and delicious <strong>in</strong>ternational cocktails are also<br />
available at the resort’s beachside bar – perfect<br />
after a busy morn<strong>in</strong>g soak<strong>in</strong>g up the sun!<br />
For those mix<strong>in</strong>g pleasure <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess, the<br />
hotel’s meet<strong>in</strong>g and conference facil<strong>it</strong>ies are<br />
second-to-none, featur<strong>in</strong>g two large meet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rooms and a 390m 2 grand hall. And where<br />
could be better for after-meet<strong>in</strong>g cocktails and<br />
relaxed social events than the hotel’s elegant<br />
outdoor terraces?<br />
Cumhuriyet Bul. No:17, Marmaris, Turkey<br />
+90 252 417 40 50<br />
dresortgrandazur.com.tr<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@dresortgrandazur.com.tr
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Tips for keep<strong>in</strong>g healthy on your travels<br />
W E L L B E I N G<br />
Wellbe<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the air<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> aims to make your flight comfortable and relax<strong>in</strong>g. Simply follow<br />
these tips and exercises to ensure that you arrive at your dest<strong>in</strong>ation feel<strong>in</strong>g great<br />
Special requirements<br />
Hopefully, we already know about your<br />
special requirements such as dietary requests<br />
or if you need a wheelchair. If not, and this<br />
is an outbound flight, please advise a member<br />
of the cab<strong>in</strong> crew so that they can make<br />
arrangements for your return journey.<br />
Sleep and seatbelts<br />
If you’re plann<strong>in</strong>g to sleep dur<strong>in</strong>g the flight,<br />
we recommend you fasten your seatbelt so the<br />
cab<strong>in</strong> crew don’t have to wake you should the<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> need to turn on the “fasten seatbelt”<br />
sign. We recommend that you keep your<br />
seatbelt fastened at all times while seated.<br />
No smok<strong>in</strong>g<br />
In l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational policy, all our flights are<br />
non-smok<strong>in</strong>g. It is an offence to smoke onboard,<br />
and the use of electronic cigarettes is forbidden.<br />
Please refra<strong>in</strong> from smok<strong>in</strong>g for the comfort and<br />
safety of passengers and crew.<br />
Appropriate attire<br />
Customers <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>in</strong>appropriate attire (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> offensive slogans, text or images)<br />
will not be perm<strong>it</strong>ted to travel at check-<strong>in</strong> or<br />
at the po<strong>in</strong>t of board<strong>in</strong>g the aircraft unless<br />
a change of clothes is possible. Footwear<br />
must be worn on the aircraft.<br />
Young children<br />
The cab<strong>in</strong> crew will do their utmost to make<br />
everyone feel as comfortable and welcome as<br />
possible dur<strong>in</strong>g the flight. If you are travell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> young children, just ask if you need any milk<br />
or <strong>in</strong>fant meals heat<strong>in</strong>g. Baby-chang<strong>in</strong>g facil<strong>it</strong>ies<br />
are available on all our aircraft – aga<strong>in</strong>, just ask<br />
your crew for the location nearest to your seat.<br />
Lost property<br />
We ask all customers to take a few moments at<br />
the end of the flight to ensure that they have all<br />
their personal possessions <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> them, carefully<br />
check<strong>in</strong>g the seat pocket, floor area and overhead<br />
lockers before leav<strong>in</strong>g the aircraft. In the unlikely<br />
event that you believe you have left an <strong>it</strong>em<br />
onboard the aircraft, please note that any <strong>it</strong>ems<br />
found are handed over to the Lost Property office<br />
at the dest<strong>in</strong>ation airport. For secur<strong>it</strong>y reasons,<br />
<strong>it</strong>ems found are not returned to the UK.<br />
Alcohol consumption<br />
Alcohol consumed onboard an aircraft has<br />
a greater and faster effect than on the ground.<br />
Passengers are therefore not perm<strong>it</strong>ted to<br />
consume alcohol they have brought <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
them or from the onboard duty-free service.<br />
Only dr<strong>in</strong>ks purchased from our onboard<br />
bars can be consumed. <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es<br />
reserves the right to refuse to carry passengers<br />
who do not comply <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> this rule. No alcohol will<br />
be served to anyone under the age of 18 or to<br />
<strong>in</strong>toxicated passengers.<br />
How to beat<br />
jet lag<br />
Jet lag occurs when our biological<br />
clocks are disrupted by fly<strong>in</strong>g across<br />
time zones. This can affect sleep,<br />
appet<strong>it</strong>e and bodily functions, but<br />
by mak<strong>in</strong>g a few adjustments you<br />
can reduce the symptoms.<br />
Inflight<br />
Avoid dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g too much alcohol or<br />
caffe<strong>in</strong>e, dr<strong>in</strong>k plenty of water and<br />
try to eat light meals.<br />
On arrival<br />
When you arrive, go out <strong>in</strong> the<br />
daylight as soon as possible.<br />
Try to adapt to the local bedtime<br />
on your first night. Relax as much<br />
as possible for the first few days –<br />
a catnap between 3pm and 5pm<br />
will help give you an energy boost.<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 107
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Tips for keep<strong>in</strong>g healthy on your travels<br />
Electronic devices<br />
Technology moves at such a fast pace that<br />
you may be confused about what electronic<br />
equipment you can and can’t use onboard.<br />
To help you, we have the follow<strong>in</strong>g guidel<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
Inflight exercises<br />
Humans aren’t designed to s<strong>it</strong> <strong>in</strong> one pos<strong>it</strong>ion for long, so to promote blood<br />
circulation we recommend the follow<strong>in</strong>g exercises. Try them while seated and<br />
remember that even the smallest movements help <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> blood circulation.<br />
Personal Electronic Devices such as e-readers,<br />
iPads (and tablet-type devices), iPods and other<br />
similar portable <strong>it</strong>ems may be used on all <strong>Thomas</strong><br />
<strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es aircraft provid<strong>in</strong>g they are <strong>in</strong> “Flight”<br />
mode or equivalent. There may be occasions<br />
when the crew ask you to sw<strong>it</strong>ch off any such<br />
device for operational reasons and we ask for your<br />
cooperation should this be necessary (normally this<br />
is only required when <strong>it</strong> is foggy; sw<strong>it</strong>ch<strong>in</strong>g off these<br />
devices ensures sens<strong>it</strong>ive equipment onboard is<br />
protected from any potential <strong>in</strong>terference).<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the departure and arrival phases of the<br />
flight all such devices must be of a size that can be<br />
stowed securely <strong>in</strong> the seat back pocket or the bag<br />
under the seat <strong>in</strong> front. Larger <strong>it</strong>ems such as laptops<br />
may be used <strong>in</strong> flight but must be stowed securely<br />
e<strong>it</strong>her <strong>in</strong> a bag under the seat or <strong>in</strong> the overhead<br />
locker dur<strong>in</strong>g departure and arrival.<br />
Note that unless specifically advised the use of<br />
any transm<strong>it</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g device (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g mobile phones/<br />
tablets not <strong>in</strong> “Flight” mode) is prohib<strong>it</strong>ed whenever<br />
the aircraft doors are closed.<br />
Approved PEDs <strong>in</strong>clude:<br />
Mobile phones/smartphones<br />
Laptop/notebook computers<br />
Tablet computers and e-readers<br />
Noise-cancell<strong>in</strong>g headphones<br />
Dig<strong>it</strong>al audio/MP3 players<br />
Portable DVD/CD players<br />
Electric shavers<br />
Personal cameras and electronic games<br />
Assistive medical devices<br />
Upper body<br />
Take a large breath <strong>in</strong> through the nose. Slowly<br />
1 exhale through the mouth. Repeat a maximum<br />
of four times.<br />
S<strong>it</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g upright, turn your head slowly to look<br />
2 over one shoulder. Now slowly turn to the other<br />
side. Repeat five times.<br />
Lower body<br />
Loosen or remove your footwear. Arch the<br />
1 soles of both feet and curl your toes 10 times.<br />
Straighten your legs, slightly lift your feet off<br />
2 the floor and pump both ankles forwards and<br />
backwards about 20 times.<br />
Tense and relax your thigh muscles<br />
3 about 10 times.<br />
March your feet on the spot 10 times, alternat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
4 between the heel and the ball of your foot.<br />
Slowly rotate your shoulders backwards.<br />
3 Repeat this exercise five times.<br />
Raise one arm above your head and stretch<br />
4 upwards. Repeat <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the other arm.<br />
Transfer your weight evenly between<br />
5 each buttock.<br />
Clench your buttock muscles together<br />
5 10 times.<br />
If queu<strong>in</strong>g for the toilet, try rock<strong>in</strong>g backwards<br />
6 and forwards from heel to toe, then back.<br />
Upon land<strong>in</strong>g, gently stretch your body<br />
7 to get ready for movement.<br />
If you are travell<strong>in</strong>g on a long-haul flight, try to<br />
8 move around the cab<strong>in</strong> every couple of hours.<br />
Consideration for other travell<strong>in</strong>g customers<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es takes the comfort of<br />
<strong>it</strong>s guests very seriously. We ask that you are<br />
considerate to fellow passengers and advise that<br />
the use of “Knee Defenders”, or other similar<br />
devices that restrict the recl<strong>in</strong>e of the seat <strong>in</strong> front,<br />
are not allowed to be used on our aircraft.<br />
108 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
W E L L B E I N G<br />
Health & safety while abroad<br />
Your holiday accommodation<br />
Never leave your key where someone can note<br />
your room number<br />
Do not leave your w<strong>in</strong>dow open, especially if your<br />
room is on the ground floor or has a balcony<br />
Remember to lock your room door, even when you<br />
are <strong>in</strong>side the room<br />
Balcony<br />
Children should NEVER be left unsupervised on balconies<br />
Do not climb or stand on balcony furn<strong>it</strong>ure<br />
Keep all furn<strong>it</strong>ure away from the balcony wall/rail<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Never lean over, s<strong>it</strong> or climb on the balcony or rail<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Bathroom<br />
Take care <strong>in</strong> bathrooms as condensation and water spray<br />
can make surfaces slippery and bath or floor mats may not<br />
be provided<br />
Do not use ma<strong>in</strong>s electrical appliances near to water<br />
<strong>Cook</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
Never leave cookers unattended while they are <strong>in</strong> use<br />
Ensure all cook<strong>in</strong>g appliances are sw<strong>it</strong>ched off<br />
when leav<strong>in</strong>g your apartment or when retir<strong>in</strong>g at night<br />
Never leave shopp<strong>in</strong>g or other <strong>it</strong>ems on the cooker<br />
On arrival at your accommodation<br />
Familiarise yourself <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> all escape routes and locate<br />
the nearest fire ex<strong>it</strong> to your room<br />
Do a practice walk of the nearest escape route<br />
from your room<br />
Study the fire <strong>in</strong>struction notice displayed <strong>in</strong> your room<br />
Identify the method of rais<strong>in</strong>g the alarm on discover<strong>in</strong>g a fire<br />
Ensure that all smok<strong>in</strong>g materials are safely ext<strong>in</strong>guished, and<br />
do not smoke <strong>in</strong> bed<br />
If a fire occurs<br />
Evacuate the room/area immediately. Do not stop<br />
to collect personal belong<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Close any doors beh<strong>in</strong>d you<br />
Raise the alarm<br />
Proceed to an assembly po<strong>in</strong>t outside and well clear<br />
of the build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
If you cannot leave your room, close all doors, put<br />
wet towels or clothes around the door seals and shout<br />
for help from the w<strong>in</strong>dow or telephone reception<br />
Glass w<strong>in</strong>dows and doors<br />
Be aware that glass doors and w<strong>in</strong>dows may not necessarily<br />
be equipped <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> toughened glass. Caution should be taken at<br />
all times<br />
Take extra care <strong>in</strong> bright sunlight as <strong>it</strong> may not be obvious<br />
whether the w<strong>in</strong>dow/door is open or closed<br />
Lifts<br />
Children should not use any lift unaccompanied<br />
Not all lifts have <strong>in</strong>ternal doors. When us<strong>in</strong>g this type of lift,<br />
stand well back from the exposed wall as there is no protection<br />
from the lift shaft when the car is <strong>in</strong> motion<br />
In the event of a fire, use the staircase, not the lift<br />
Poolside safety/out and about<br />
Every pool is different, but most hotels and apartments do<br />
not employ lifeguards, so please supervise any young members<br />
of your party<br />
Familiarise yourself <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the layout of the pool to identify the<br />
deep and shallow areas before use<br />
Ensure that children use the toilet BEFORE enter<strong>in</strong>g the pool<br />
and take regular toilet breaks throughout the day. In the event<br />
of a faecal accident <strong>in</strong> or around the pool, please report <strong>it</strong><br />
immediately, as this will assist the hotel management <strong>in</strong><br />
ensur<strong>in</strong>g the highest level of pool hygiene<br />
Shower before enter<strong>in</strong>g the pool<br />
Do not swim (or allow children to swim) if suffer<strong>in</strong>g from an<br />
upset stomach<br />
Do not change nappies at the poolside<br />
Young children and babies must wear appropriate swimwear<br />
such as rubber-l<strong>in</strong>ed swimm<strong>in</strong>g trunks. Swimm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> nappies<br />
and nude bath<strong>in</strong>g are unacceptable<br />
Wash your hands thoroughly after us<strong>in</strong>g the toilet and<br />
chang<strong>in</strong>g nappies<br />
Have fun, but avoid unruly behaviour. Observe pool rules<br />
and <strong>in</strong>formation signs at all times<br />
Pool surrounds can be very slippery – do not run<br />
around them<br />
Do not swim immediately after a meal, and never swim<br />
when you have been dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g alcohol<br />
When jump<strong>in</strong>g or div<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the pool, check the water<br />
depth first and never dive from the deck side <strong>in</strong>to water<br />
less than 1.5m deep<br />
Do not jump or dive from any raised features or from<br />
poolside furn<strong>it</strong>ure<br />
Do not use the pool after dark or when closed, even if <strong>it</strong><br />
has underwater lights<br />
In the event of an emergency, know how to call for help<br />
Beach<br />
Spot the dangers<br />
Check out the beach when you arrive<br />
Take care when bath<strong>in</strong>g and swimm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Be aware of dangerous rip currents and strong tides<br />
Do not swim near or dive from rocks, piers,<br />
breakwaters and coral<br />
Take safety advice<br />
Swim where there are lifeguards on patrol and take<br />
their advice<br />
Look out for <strong>in</strong>formation – warn<strong>in</strong>g flags and signs –<br />
and adhere to them at all times<br />
Never swim where a sign says not to, for example zoned<br />
areas for high-speed vehicles such as jet boats or jet skis<br />
Don’t go alone<br />
Never swim alone – make sure there are other<br />
people around<br />
Children must be supervised by an adult at all times<br />
Never swim at night, after dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g alcohol or on<br />
a full stomach<br />
Learn how to help<br />
If you see someone <strong>in</strong> difficulty, tell somebody, preferably<br />
a lifeguard if there is one nearby<br />
F<strong>in</strong>d out what to do <strong>in</strong> an emergency, such as call<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the local coastguard or equivalent<br />
Sun safety<br />
Avoid sunbath<strong>in</strong>g dur<strong>in</strong>g the hottest time of day<br />
Apply high-factor sunscreen, and re-apply frequently<br />
Never expose babies to the sun and always take extra<br />
care <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> children<br />
Remember <strong>it</strong> is possible to burn <strong>in</strong> the shade,<br />
when <strong>it</strong> is cloudy and while swimm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
At the first sign of burn<strong>in</strong>g get out of the sun immediately<br />
Always dr<strong>in</strong>k plenty of water<br />
Driv<strong>in</strong>g on holiday<br />
Check the vehicle is roadworthy and familiarise yourself<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> all controls before use, as they may differ from cars <strong>in</strong><br />
the UK and Ireland<br />
Check that the car-hire <strong>in</strong>surance cover you take out provides<br />
adequate cover for the driver and all of the passengers<br />
Always wear a seatbelt<br />
Familiarise yourself <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> local traffic laws<br />
Pay particular attention when at junctions and roundabouts<br />
Always carry emergency breakdown telephone numbers<br />
Always carry a spare set of spectacles (required<br />
by law <strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong>)<br />
NEVER dr<strong>in</strong>k and drive<br />
Stick to well-travelled and well-l<strong>it</strong> roads<br />
We advise aga<strong>in</strong>st the <strong>in</strong>dependent hir<strong>in</strong>g of mopeds,<br />
motorbikes, quad bikes and jet skis<br />
Pedestrians<br />
Be vigilant at all times. Familiarise yourself <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the<br />
direction of traffic<br />
Be aware that <strong>in</strong> some countries traffic is not required<br />
to stop at pedestrian cross<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Services of local vendors<br />
In many holiday resorts you may f<strong>in</strong>d that services<br />
such as henna tattoos are available from places like street<br />
vendors. Although not recommended by <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>,<br />
if you choose to have a tattoo done or use the services of<br />
a local vendor, we would advise you to do so <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> caution.<br />
In the case of tattoos, ensure you ask for a test application<br />
before any larger-scale tattoos are applied. If you have any<br />
pre-exist<strong>in</strong>g sk<strong>in</strong> cond<strong>it</strong>ions, check <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> the vendor before<br />
agree<strong>in</strong>g to any application<br />
General<br />
If you haven’t already, take a few m<strong>in</strong>utes to complete the<br />
emergency contact details <strong>in</strong> the back of your passport<br />
Keep important documents <strong>in</strong> your hotel safe<br />
Be aware of who is around you. Pickpockets and opportunists<br />
will target anyone<br />
Don’t leave your common sense at the hotel. Don’t lose sight<br />
of your dr<strong>in</strong>k, don’t walk around by yourself, avoid dark places<br />
and don’t take unnecessary risks<br />
Look after yourself and your friends<br />
If hir<strong>in</strong>g a car/scooter/quad bike, ask yourself whether you<br />
have adequate <strong>in</strong>surance<br />
Do not leave belong<strong>in</strong>gs unattended (<strong>in</strong> cars, restaurants,<br />
hotel lobbies etc)<br />
Don’t sign anyth<strong>in</strong>g until you seek advice from experts. The<br />
chances of w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a luxury holiday anywhere <strong>in</strong> the world just<br />
by scratch<strong>in</strong>g a card <strong>in</strong> the middle of the street, for example, are<br />
very remote<br />
F<strong>in</strong>d contact details for your local embassy, <strong>in</strong> case of<br />
emergency, at fco.gov.uk<br />
Be aware that the laws and customs of the country you’re<br />
vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g may be different from home. Read up on countryspecific<br />
advice at fco.gov.uk/travel<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 109
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Immigration and customs<br />
Fly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and out of the Un<strong>it</strong>ed States<br />
Before you leave the plane<br />
Wh<strong>it</strong>e form: arrival and departure record<br />
Please refer to the section on the right and below to check<br />
whether or not you need to complete the wh<strong>it</strong>e form (if you<br />
are a UK or EU c<strong>it</strong>izen and have filled <strong>in</strong> an ESTA form onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
that was approved, you are not required to complete this<br />
form). All other passengers must fill <strong>in</strong> the Immigration Visa<br />
and Customs forms, which will be handed out by the cab<strong>in</strong><br />
crew dur<strong>in</strong>g the flight. You are legally obliged to fill them <strong>in</strong><br />
– please make sure they’re correctly completed or you may<br />
face delays at Immigration. If you do make any mistakes,<br />
please ask for a new form.<br />
Depend<strong>in</strong>g on your circumstances, you may need a wh<strong>it</strong>e<br />
Immigration form. A Customs Declaration form will need<br />
to be filled out <strong>in</strong> add<strong>it</strong>ion to any Immigration/ESTA forms.<br />
We’ve put together some tips (below) to help you avoid the<br />
most common mistakes.<br />
specimen<br />
specimen<br />
Complete this form if:<br />
» You are NOT a US c<strong>it</strong>izen<br />
AND<br />
» You hold a valid US Visa<br />
AND<br />
» Your f<strong>in</strong>al dest<strong>in</strong>ation is the Un<strong>it</strong>ed States OR<br />
you are pass<strong>in</strong>g through the US to your f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ation. Please complete <strong>it</strong>ems 1-13 on<br />
the Arrival record and <strong>it</strong>ems 14-17 on the<br />
Departure record. Keep the Departure record<br />
until you leave the US.<br />
Exceptions<br />
You DO NOT need to complete an<br />
Immigration form if you are:<br />
A US c<strong>it</strong>izen<br />
A Canadian c<strong>it</strong>izen<br />
A UK or EU c<strong>it</strong>izen hold<strong>in</strong>g a valid ESTA<br />
A new immigrant<br />
specimen<br />
Blue form: customs declaration form<br />
Fill<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> your forms<br />
DO:<br />
Take your time<br />
Wr<strong>it</strong>e <strong>in</strong> cap<strong>it</strong>al letters, us<strong>in</strong>g a pen<br />
Wr<strong>it</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the space below the questions and fill <strong>in</strong> every l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
When asked for your address, if you are a vis<strong>it</strong>or to the US,<br />
then pr<strong>in</strong>t the name of your hotel. If you are on a fly-drive<br />
holiday and unsure where you will be stay<strong>in</strong>g on your first<br />
night, then give one of the follow<strong>in</strong>g addresses:<br />
Sanford – <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>, 1650 Sand Lake Road,<br />
Su<strong>it</strong>e 300, Orlando FL32809<br />
OR<br />
Las Vegas – <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong>, 5030 Paradise Road,<br />
Su<strong>it</strong>e C214, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119<br />
Sign and date the back of your Customs Declaration form<br />
Double-check your forms<br />
Ask the cab<strong>in</strong> crew if you have any queries<br />
DO NOT:<br />
Cross anyth<strong>in</strong>g out. If you make a mistake,<br />
ask for a new form and start aga<strong>in</strong><br />
specimen<br />
specimen<br />
You must fill <strong>in</strong> the Customs Declaration<br />
form before you arrive <strong>in</strong> the US. One form<br />
per household is required.<br />
110 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
O U R F L E E T<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> operates<br />
29 aircraft to Europe<br />
and the rest of the<br />
world from the UK<br />
Airbus A330-200<br />
Total passengers: 321/325<br />
W<strong>in</strong>gspan: 60.3m<br />
Length: 58.38m<br />
Number <strong>in</strong> fleet: 4<br />
Maximum take-off weight: 230,000kg<br />
Maximum cruis<strong>in</strong>g speed: 520mph<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es: 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 772B Series<br />
Airbus A321-200<br />
Boe<strong>in</strong>g 767-300<br />
Total passengers: 220<br />
W<strong>in</strong>gspan: 34.1m<br />
Length: 43.69m<br />
Number <strong>in</strong> fleet: 12<br />
Maximum take-off weight: 89,000/93,500 kg<br />
Maximum cruis<strong>in</strong>g speed: 500mph<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es: 2 CFM 56-5B3<br />
Total passengers: 326<br />
W<strong>in</strong>gspan: 47.57m<br />
Length: 54.94m<br />
Number <strong>in</strong> fleet: 3<br />
Maximum take-off weight: 184,612kg<br />
Maximum cruis<strong>in</strong>g speed: 530mph<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es: 2 General Electric CF6-80C2<br />
Boe<strong>in</strong>g 757-200<br />
Boe<strong>in</strong>g 757-300<br />
Total passengers: 233/235<br />
W<strong>in</strong>gspan: 38.1m<br />
Length: 46.93m<br />
Number <strong>in</strong> fleet: 8<br />
Maximum take-off weight: 115,666kg<br />
Maximum cruis<strong>in</strong>g speed: 500mph<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es: 2 Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4<br />
Total passengers: 280<br />
W<strong>in</strong>gspan: 38.1m<br />
Length: 54.43m<br />
Number <strong>in</strong> fleet: 2<br />
Maximum take-off weight: 117,934kg<br />
Maximum cruis<strong>in</strong>g speed: 500mph<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es: 2 Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 111
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> flies from<br />
the follow<strong>in</strong>g airports<br />
UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS<br />
1 Glasgow<br />
2 Newcastle<br />
3 Belfast<br />
4 Manchester<br />
5 East Midlands<br />
6 Birm<strong>in</strong>gham<br />
7 Bristol<br />
8 London Stansted<br />
9 London Gatwick<br />
10<br />
Cardiff<br />
1 1 Norwich<br />
12 Doncaster<br />
13 Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh<br />
14 Exeter<br />
CANADA<br />
NEW YORK<br />
USA<br />
LAS VEGAS<br />
ATLANTIC<br />
OCEAN<br />
ORLANDO<br />
KEY<br />
MIAMI<br />
SUMMER ONLY<br />
WINTER ONLY<br />
YEAR-ROUND<br />
MEXICO<br />
CANCUN<br />
VARADERO<br />
CUBA<br />
CAYO COCO<br />
HOLGUIN<br />
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC<br />
MONTEGO BAY<br />
PUNTA CANA<br />
JAMAICA<br />
ANTIGUA<br />
PACIFIC OCEAN<br />
ST LUCIA<br />
BRIDGETOWN<br />
BARBADOS<br />
112 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
W H E R E W E F L Y<br />
KITTILA<br />
ROVANIEMI<br />
FINLAND<br />
S E A<br />
1<br />
13<br />
2<br />
NORTH<br />
SEA<br />
B A LT I C<br />
3<br />
4 12<br />
5<br />
6<br />
10<br />
7<br />
12 11<br />
8<br />
9<br />
GERMANY<br />
14<br />
SWITZERLAND<br />
GENEVA<br />
FRANCE<br />
GRENOBLE<br />
TURIN<br />
INNSBRUCK<br />
VENICE<br />
SALZBURG<br />
PORTUGAL<br />
MADEIRA<br />
FUNCHAL<br />
FARO<br />
SPAIN<br />
IBIZA<br />
ALMERIA<br />
LLEIDA-ALGUAIRE<br />
REUS<br />
MAHON<br />
PALMA<br />
GENOVA<br />
ENFIDHA<br />
MONASTIR<br />
DJERBA<br />
TUNISIA<br />
ITALY<br />
NAPLES<br />
SOFIA<br />
LIMNOS<br />
VARNA<br />
BURGAS<br />
CYPRUS<br />
TURKEY<br />
CORFU<br />
IZMIR<br />
KEFALONIA<br />
PREVEZA<br />
BODRUM<br />
ZANTE<br />
SKIATHOS<br />
DALAMAN<br />
KALAMATA<br />
SANTORINI<br />
ANTALYA<br />
MALTA<br />
HERAKLION<br />
RHODES<br />
LARNACA<br />
PAPHOS<br />
MEDITERRANEAN SEA<br />
TENERIFE<br />
CANARY<br />
ISLANDS<br />
ARRECIFE<br />
FUERTEVENTURA<br />
LAS PALMAS<br />
EGYPT<br />
HURGHADA<br />
SHARM EL SHEIKH<br />
INDIA<br />
CAPE VERDE<br />
BANJUL<br />
THE<br />
GAMBIA<br />
GOA<br />
THOMAS COOK TRAVEL 1 1 3
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong><br />
C H I L D R E N ' S C H A R I T Y<br />
Thank you from the Children’s Char<strong>it</strong>y!<br />
T<br />
homas <strong>Cook</strong> Children’s Char<strong>it</strong>y<br />
aims to improve children’s lives<br />
and the commun<strong>it</strong>ies <strong>in</strong> which<br />
they live by help<strong>in</strong>g to improve<br />
education, wellbe<strong>in</strong>g and healthcare facil<strong>it</strong>ies.<br />
We provide fund<strong>in</strong>g to various partners<br />
to help benef<strong>it</strong> the lives of children<br />
throughout the UK and overseas.<br />
Thank you<br />
Over the past 12 months, we have<br />
raised £340,000 onboard return<br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es flights to the<br />
UK. A huge thank you for your support<br />
– <strong>it</strong> truly does make a difference.<br />
Flight of Dreams<br />
In partnership <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>Cook</strong> Airl<strong>in</strong>es and Cash<br />
For Kids, we are runn<strong>in</strong>g three “Flight of Dreams”<br />
planes from London Stansted, Manchester and<br />
Glasgow airports dur<strong>in</strong>g the 2014 festive season.<br />
The annual “Flight of Dreams” offers children from<br />
disadvantaged backgrounds or those <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> special<br />
educational needs and their families the chance<br />
to experience a truly magical flight over the UK.<br />
W<strong>it</strong>h VIP treatment every step of the way, the<br />
children enjoy enterta<strong>in</strong>ment at the<br />
airport before tak<strong>in</strong>g off on a flight<br />
<strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a surprise vis<strong>it</strong> from Santa!<br />
Wheel Power National<br />
Junior Games<br />
Wheel Power is a disabil<strong>it</strong>y sports<br />
char<strong>it</strong>y dedicated to provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
opportun<strong>it</strong>ies for disabled people to<br />
live active lifestyles through sport. For the<br />
third year runn<strong>in</strong>g, we have proudly supported the<br />
National Junior Games. The week-long event, held<br />
<strong>in</strong> September, <strong>in</strong>v<strong>it</strong>ed 150 disabled children to have<br />
a go at a range of new sports as well as compet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for medals at Stoke Mandeville Stadium – the<br />
birthplace of the Paralympic Games.<br />
Just a Drop<br />
Just a Drop is an <strong>in</strong>ternational water aid char<strong>it</strong>y that<br />
works to provide clean, safe water to some of the<br />
world’s poorest commun<strong>it</strong>ies. In 2014, we funded<br />
<strong>it</strong>s work <strong>in</strong> Occidental M<strong>in</strong>doro, the Philipp<strong>in</strong>es<br />
(pictured), help<strong>in</strong>g to ensure commun<strong>it</strong>ies have<br />
access to water post-Typhoon Haiyan.<br />
Over the past year, we also supported: Save The<br />
Children’s work <strong>in</strong> Gaza; Camfed’s delivery of an<br />
education project <strong>in</strong> Zambia; Alder Hey Children’s<br />
Hosp<strong>it</strong>al; Royal Manchester Children’s Hosp<strong>it</strong>al;<br />
Teenage Cancer Trust; Happy Days Children’s<br />
Char<strong>it</strong>y; Together For Short Lives; and Sport England.<br />
Nom<strong>in</strong>ate a cause<br />
If you know of a char<strong>it</strong>y that aims to improve the<br />
lives of children which we could support, please<br />
get <strong>in</strong> touch via our webs<strong>it</strong>e or email thomascook.<br />
childrenschar<strong>it</strong>y@thomascook.com.<br />
Please vis<strong>it</strong> thomascookchildrenschar<strong>it</strong>y.com<br />
or tweet @TCCchar<strong>it</strong>y<br />
Call for child protection<br />
T<br />
here are millions of children liv<strong>in</strong>g or work<strong>in</strong>g on the streets<br />
worldwide. All these children are at risk of be<strong>in</strong>g abused, and often<br />
travellers unw<strong>it</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gly and unknow<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong>crease their vulnerabil<strong>it</strong>y.<br />
Certa<strong>in</strong> “tourist attractions” such as orphanage or slum tours explo<strong>it</strong><br />
children’s vulnerabil<strong>it</strong>ies for prof<strong>it</strong>. Giv<strong>in</strong>g money to begg<strong>in</strong>g children or buy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from them may be help<strong>in</strong>g to keep them on the streets and at risk. And tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
children back to your hotel room for any reason is not a good idea. Worldwide, the<br />
charges for sex offenders are severe and you might be suspected of be<strong>in</strong>g one if<br />
you take a child back to your room. Here are the ChildSafe Traveler 7 Tips to follow:<br />
As you travel you will encounter children at risk:<br />
sell<strong>in</strong>g goods, begg<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> orphanages, work<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> sex slavery...<br />
Of course you want to help, but what is the best way?<br />
The ChildSafe Traveler 7 Tips provides you <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>formation on how you can protect children<br />
as you go.<br />
1. Support ChildSafe network members.<br />
2. Th<strong>in</strong>k! Before buy<strong>in</strong>g or giv<strong>in</strong>g to begg<strong>in</strong>g children.<br />
3. Th<strong>in</strong>k! How to protect children from explo<strong>it</strong>ative behaviour.<br />
4. Th<strong>in</strong>k! Children are not tourist attractions.<br />
5. Th<strong>in</strong>k! Before tak<strong>in</strong>g a child back to your hotel room for any reason.<br />
6. Th<strong>in</strong>k! When faced <strong>w<strong>it</strong>h</strong> a s<strong>it</strong>uation of potential sexual explo<strong>it</strong>ation of children.<br />
7. Th<strong>in</strong>k! Keep your eyes wide open.<br />
If you suspect a child has been trafficked or explo<strong>it</strong>ed, please call<br />
Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact the police. F<strong>in</strong>d out more<br />
about how to be a prudent ChildSafe Traveler and help raise awareness<br />
to protect children worldwide by vis<strong>it</strong><strong>in</strong>g THINKChildSafe.org<br />
114 THOMAS COOK TRAVEL
ANNUAL CONGRESS AND<br />
INTERNATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
HEADING TO GLORIOUS GLORIA<br />
HOME OF THE ANNUAL CONGRESS<br />
AND INTERNATIONAL TEAM<br />
CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
The 2014 PGAs of Europe Annual Congress and International Team Championship<br />
(ITC) dual-event is head<strong>in</strong>g across the Med<strong>it</strong>erranean to <strong>it</strong>s new home of Turkey and<br />
the stunn<strong>in</strong>g Belek-based Gloria Golf Resort.<br />
gloria.com.tr