Departures Australia Autumn:Winter 2024
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
AUTUMN/WINTER <strong>2024</strong><br />
Ready<br />
to Shine<br />
The New Age of Gold, Off the Beaten Path in <strong>Australia</strong>, South Tyrol & India,<br />
New Zealand’s Chef Provocateur, Return to Greece
SAVOUR THE UNRIVALLED<br />
Unique and familiar flavours move across your palate in a perfectly<br />
tuned epicurean dance. The music moving them is orchestrated through<br />
your chef’s creativity, the direction of the maître d’, your sommelier’s<br />
guidance and the attentiveness of the waitstaff.<br />
Experience a symphonic exploration of culinary pleasures<br />
alongside the unrivalled space and unmatched, personalised service<br />
found only aboard The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet. TM<br />
EXCLUSIVE AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM CARD MEMBERS BENEFIT<br />
US$300 SHIPBOARD CREDIT PER SUITE*<br />
Terms & Conditions apply.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CALL PLATINUM TRAVEL SERVICE<br />
ON 1800 673 760 (AUSTRALIA), OR 0800 377 421 (NEW ZEALAND).<br />
*Cruise Privileges Program benefits are available for Platinum Card Members. Payment must be made with an American Express® Platinum Card through your Platinum Travel Service. All benefits are per<br />
booking, per suite, and based on two people sharing accommodation (single occupancy privileges available on request). Benefits are non-transferable, non-combinable and valid for new bookings only.<br />
Some cruise lines have a minimum stay requirement. American Express and partner Terms and Conditions apply, contact your Platinum Travel Service for more details. For full terms & conditions, please visit<br />
www.RSSC.com ©<strong>2024</strong> Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. NCL <strong>Australia</strong> Pty Ltd ABN 8060 7578 781.
THE<br />
SPIRIT &<br />
COLOURS OF<br />
INDIA BY<br />
PRIVATE JET<br />
Enjoy a sunset cruise along the Ganges before attending a private Aarti ceremony<br />
Stay in opulent and palatial residences with unmatched views of India’s icons<br />
Float high above Jaipur during a spectacular sunrise hot-air balloon flight<br />
15 days, Singapore return, departing 19 October <strong>2024</strong>, AU$47,900 per person, twin share<br />
1800 622 628 www.captainschoice.com.au<br />
For more information, please call Platinum Travel Service on 1800 673 760<br />
For full terms and conditions, see www.captainschoice.com.au/conditions.
Aboard our business class private jet from Singapore, embark upon a journey perfectly timed for Diwali.<br />
Everything has been considered and included, from lavish palaces to revered monuments and exclusive events.<br />
AGRA<br />
VARANASI<br />
CHENNAI<br />
KOCHI<br />
UDAIPUR<br />
JAIPUR
8<br />
DEPARTURES AUTUMN/WINTER <strong>2024</strong><br />
Features<br />
60<br />
A New Gold Standard<br />
The awesome power of gold is<br />
on full display in the hands of<br />
the extraordinary talents of top<br />
global jewellery designers.<br />
Photographs by Chantel King<br />
Production by Elisa Vallata<br />
66<br />
Eye Candy<br />
This season’s most tempting<br />
watches are a rousing<br />
experiment in bold geometric<br />
forms and eccentric colours.<br />
Photographs by Xavier Young<br />
Production by Elisa Vallata<br />
72<br />
The Ghost of the Mountain<br />
The craggy peaks of India’s<br />
Ladakh region are the best<br />
place on the planet to catch<br />
a glimpse of the shadowy<br />
snow leopard in situ.<br />
By Mary Holland<br />
Photographs by Behzad Larry<br />
78<br />
Fair Game<br />
Verging on the provocative,<br />
chef Vaughan Mabee’s<br />
obsessively crafted carnivorous<br />
creations are redefining New<br />
Zealand’s culinary landscape.<br />
By Ann Abel<br />
Photographs by Sam Stewart<br />
p72<br />
A snow leopard<br />
sighting on an<br />
excursion with<br />
Voygr Expeditions,<br />
in Ladakh<br />
BEHZAD LARRY
“Creation”<br />
Wildlife Photographer<br />
of the Year 2021<br />
Grand Title winner<br />
© Laurent Ballesta<br />
A Fifty Fathoms is for eternity.<br />
Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms is the first<br />
modern diver’s watch. Created by a diver and<br />
chosen by pioneers, it played a vital role in the<br />
development of scuba diving. It is the catalyst<br />
of our commitment to ocean conservation.<br />
MELBOURNE: MONARDS · MONARDS CROWN · WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND COLLINS ST · WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT<br />
SYDNEY: SHUM’S WATCHES · SWISS CONCEPT · WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND GEORGE ST · WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND BARANGAROO<br />
PERTH: WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND
DEPARTURES AUTUMN/WINTER <strong>2024</strong><br />
10<br />
Departments<br />
Travel<br />
19<br />
Adventurous <strong>Australia</strong><br />
Must-book stays at rural<br />
luxury lodges from Kangaroo<br />
Island to the depths of the<br />
Northern Territory.<br />
24<br />
Hellas Rising<br />
Athens’s red-hot bar scene<br />
has reached its boiling point.<br />
Plus, tempting hotel openings<br />
across the Greek isles.<br />
32<br />
All Aboard!<br />
Groundbreaking itineraries,<br />
new ports of call and justchristened<br />
ships: a 360° look<br />
at the world of cruising now.<br />
38<br />
What You Reap …<br />
The hyper-locavore dishes<br />
at chef Norbert Niederkofler’s<br />
restaurant tap into the soul<br />
of South Tyrol.<br />
40<br />
Palau Passage<br />
A new catamaran voyage<br />
showcases the primordial<br />
beauty of one of the hardestto-reach<br />
countries on Earth.<br />
Style<br />
p28<br />
Breakfast under the<br />
sun at the new Phāea<br />
Blue Palace on Crete<br />
43<br />
The New, New Black<br />
Dramatic, minimalist<br />
and versatile all at once,<br />
fashion’s favourite hue<br />
is back with an attitude.<br />
46<br />
Instant Classics<br />
The season’s eyewear and<br />
handbags offer an on-trend<br />
upgrade to any look, today<br />
and for years to come.<br />
p19<br />
Poolside at Pretty<br />
Beach House, an<br />
all-pavilion retreat in<br />
eastern <strong>Australia</strong>’s<br />
Bouddi National Park<br />
50<br />
Trusting Your Gut<br />
All about the gut microbiome<br />
– and why personalised<br />
probiotics might be the key<br />
to lasting good health.<br />
Arts<br />
55<br />
Opening the Vault<br />
A peek inside Verona’s Palazzo<br />
Maffei, the new forever home<br />
for Luigi Carlon’s staggering<br />
art collection.<br />
58<br />
Size Isn’t Everything<br />
The Little Car Company’s<br />
Bugattis, Bentleys and Aston<br />
Martins are almost the real<br />
deal – just 25% smaller.<br />
On the Cover<br />
Turn to page 80<br />
for more dazzling<br />
gold and diamond<br />
jewellery creations.<br />
Giorgio B earrings;<br />
left hand: Giorgio B<br />
bracelet and ring;<br />
right hand: Solange<br />
bangle Tasaki ring<br />
Alberta Ferretti<br />
dress<br />
The Key All prices are in British pounds, euros or American dollars unless otherwise specified. Hotel is a member of Fine Hotels + Resorts.<br />
Establishment is either cash-only or does not accept American Express cards. Online extras at departures-international.com<br />
Follow us @<strong>Departures</strong>Int<br />
FROM LEFT: © PHAEA BLUE PALACE, © PRETTY BEACH HOUSE
From the Editor<br />
Christian Schwalbach<br />
“<br />
Most of the rough edges are now<br />
gone from contemporary travel,<br />
but we haven’t entirely<br />
lost our taste for adventure –<br />
and for good reason<br />
“<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
12<br />
“WHEN YOU FIND a snow leopard, drive it<br />
like you stole it.” So says the guide to our<br />
correspondent in her chronicle, “In Search of<br />
the Snow Leopard”, of chasing the elusive highaltitude<br />
feline. Screeching out of the northern<br />
Indian city of Leh in search of the creature<br />
– I’ll let you discover whether they found it on<br />
this occasion on page 72 – is a reminder of just<br />
how enthralling adventure can be.<br />
Once upon a time, of course, all travel<br />
was adventurous. The journeys were full<br />
of danger, from armed bandits to unusual<br />
diseases. Comfortable hotels were few and<br />
very far between. And even up until the 1950s,<br />
an off-the-beaten-path journey was grounds<br />
enough for a bestselling book.<br />
Most of the rough edges are now gone from<br />
the contemporary experience of travel, and<br />
most of the globe’s corners have been explored.<br />
But as travel has been mainstreamed, we<br />
haven’t entirely lost our taste for adventure<br />
– and for good reason. Adventure is not just<br />
about exploring a place, it’s a process that<br />
forces us to confront ourselves as we push<br />
past boundaries, both known and unknown.<br />
An increasingly rare thing in our optimised<br />
and algorithmised world.<br />
We spotlight a number of contemporary<br />
adventures in this issue of <strong>Departures</strong>, beyond<br />
the search for snow leopards in the high<br />
Himalayas. Take the burgeoning mixology<br />
landscape of Athens (p24), an on-the-radar<br />
destination with an off-the-radar scene only<br />
known, for the moment, by the cocktail<br />
cognoscenti.<br />
We also visit the <strong>Australia</strong>n Outback, the<br />
coral-rimmed islands of Palau and many<br />
more places in this issue. In these pages, we<br />
hope you find inspiration for adventures of<br />
your own.
THE SUPERCAR OF SUVs<br />
Limited opportunities for immediate delivery * .<br />
Drive away in your DBX707 today.<br />
astonmartin.com<br />
*Available vehicles vary from dealer to dealer. Overseas model shown.
GROUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF:<br />
Christian Schwalbach<br />
ASSOCIATE GROUP PUBLISHER: Michael Klotz<br />
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Thomas Midulla<br />
ART DIRECTOR: Anne Plamann<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR: Martin Kreuzer<br />
INTERNATIONAL DEPUTY EDITOR: Brian Noone<br />
INTERNATIONAL MANAGING EDITOR: Claudia Whiteus<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: John McNamara<br />
STYLE EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Elisa Vallata<br />
MANAGING EDITORS: Franziska Seng (Germany), Alain Puchaud (France),<br />
Perz Wong (Greater China), Jessica Keller (Digital)<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Anja Eichinger<br />
PROJECT & CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS LEAD: Paula Urquiola<br />
SENIOR EDITOR: Hiroko Kamogawa<br />
PHOTO EDITOR: Teresa Lemme<br />
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Paul Hicks (Asia),<br />
Isabel Areso (Spain & LatAm), Mitsuyo Matsumoto (Japan)<br />
CHIEF SUB-EDITOR: Vicki Reeve<br />
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FASHION: Avril Groom<br />
FASHION CORRESPONDENT: Katrin Sillem (Paris)<br />
YACHTING EDITOR: Cornelia Marioglou<br />
PROPERTY EDITOR: Peter Swain<br />
PRODUCTION MANAGER & SEPARATION: Jennifer Wiesner<br />
CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Abel, Gary Buchanan, Ivan Carvalho, Nicola Chilton,<br />
Adam Hay-Nicholls, Camilla Hewitt, Mary Holland, Ute Junker, Chantel King,<br />
Noriyuki Koike, Behzah Larry, Siobhan Reid, Xavier Young<br />
EDITORIAL OFFICES<br />
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS: JI Experience GmbH, Thomas-Dehler-Straße 2,<br />
81737 Munich, Germany; +49 89 642 797 0<br />
INTERNATIONAL BUREAUX:<br />
HONG KONG SAR (CHINA): Grebstad Hicks Communications, 704 The Broadway,<br />
54-62 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong SAR (China); +852 2810 0532<br />
JAPAN: Moji Company Ltd, Nishiyama Bld 3f, 1-1-19 Nezu, Bunkyo-Ku,<br />
Tokyo, 113-0031, Japan; +81 3 5834 8562<br />
SPAIN: Aretrad, Jata Kalea, 12, 48993 Andra Mari, Bizkaia, Spain; +34 944 912 261<br />
FRANCE: Nostromo, 23 rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris, France<br />
DEPARTURES MAGAZINE<br />
Distributed three times a year by American Express Services Europe Ltd.<br />
Edited, published and distributed by JI Experience GmbH by permission of<br />
American Express Services Europe Limited, London, United Kingdom.<br />
JI EXPERIENCE GmbH<br />
Thomas-Dehler-Straße 2, 81737 Munich, Germany<br />
+49 89 64 27 97 0, jiexperience.com<br />
AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC<br />
Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road,<br />
London SW1W 9AX, England, United Kingdom<br />
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Petra Prinzing<br />
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Christoph Gerth<br />
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & AD COORDINATION: Albert Keller<br />
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING: Erica Breck Tavella<br />
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT LEAD: Laura Tivey<br />
AUDIENCE DEVELPMENT LEAD: Jennifer Floyd<br />
DIGITAL CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT: Kristina Yanushko, Aneta Orlik<br />
SALES COORDINATION: Jana Linde, Maja Gredelj<br />
AD COORDINATION: Diana Veit, Paola Mercado<br />
INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES<br />
AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND,<br />
HONG KONG SAR (CHINA) &<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Charlton D’Silva,<br />
charlton.dsilva@pubintl.com.au,<br />
+61 2 9252 3476<br />
Rowena O’Halloran,<br />
rowena.ohalloran@pubintl.com.au,<br />
+61 2 8298 9319<br />
(<strong>Australia</strong> & New Zealand)<br />
Catherine Ha,<br />
catherine.ha@pubintl.com.hk,<br />
+852 9460 8752 Hong Kong SAR)<br />
Hemant Sonney,<br />
hemant.sonney@pubintl.com.hk,<br />
+852 9270 6741 (Hong Kong SAR)<br />
Peggy Thay,<br />
peggy.thay@pubintl.sg‚<br />
+65 966 44 662 (Singapore &<br />
Malaysia)<br />
EUROPE<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Katherine Galligan,<br />
katherine@metropolist.co.uk,<br />
+44 7956 404 345<br />
Vishal Raghuvanshi,<br />
vishal@metropolist.co.uk,<br />
+44 7810 353 362<br />
THE BALKANS & CEECS<br />
Zorka Sipkova,<br />
zorka.sipkova@pubintl.eu<br />
+421 94 8094 611<br />
BENELUX<br />
Rita Saegerman,<br />
fenixx.saegermanr@gmail.com,<br />
+32 475 94 55 71<br />
SWITZERLAND & SCANDINAVIA<br />
Neil Sartori,<br />
neil.sartori@mediainterlink.com,<br />
+41 79 880 96 35<br />
ASIA<br />
CHINA<br />
Chinese Mainland<br />
Maggie Li,<br />
maggie.li@cesanamedia.cn,<br />
+86 10 6952 1122 (Beijing)<br />
Taiwan Region<br />
Janet Chen,<br />
janet@procomintl.com.tw,<br />
+886 2 2767 7390<br />
INDIA<br />
‘Rachna Gulati,<br />
rachna.gulati@publicitas.com,<br />
+91 11 2373 0869,<br />
Indu Joshi,<br />
indu.joshi@publicitas.com,<br />
+91 22 6137 7200<br />
JAPAN<br />
Kazuhiko Tanaka,<br />
k.tanaka@shinano-tf.com,<br />
+81 3 3584 6420<br />
KOREA<br />
Jo Young Sang,<br />
biscom@biscom.co.kr,<br />
+82 2 739 7840<br />
THAILAND<br />
Nontra Poonnopatham<br />
nontra.p@jpp-thailand.com<br />
+66 02 051 4694<br />
14 DEPARTURES<br />
Copyright © <strong>2024</strong> by JI Experience. All rights reserved. American Express Magazines<br />
are published by JI Experience for Europe in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,<br />
France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Croatia, Finland, in Latin America/Mexico,<br />
in the Middle East and in Asia Pacific: Japan, China: Chinese Mainland, China: Taiwan<br />
Region, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, <strong>Australia</strong> and New Zealand.<br />
Reproduction of editorial content including text, photographs or<br />
illustrations in whole or in part without express written permission<br />
is strictly prohibited. American Express and the publisher,<br />
JI Experience, assume no responsibility for errors and omissions<br />
appearing within. Jl Experience regrets that no responsibility can<br />
be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork,<br />
which will be returned only if a stamped, addressed envelope is<br />
enclosed. Prices are checked during the production process of<br />
the magazine and are correct at time of going to press. However,<br />
due to currency fluctuations, prices should be considered to be<br />
approximate only. Issue price: £7 / €10<br />
FRANCE<br />
Charlotte de Monbrison,<br />
cdemonbrison@mybubblecom.com,<br />
+33 6 8226 0460<br />
GERMANY<br />
Sabine Bretfeld,<br />
sabine.bretfeld@reitervs.de,<br />
+49 69 40 58 64 0<br />
ITALY<br />
Paolo Cassano,<br />
paolo.cassano@kmedianet.com,<br />
+39 02 29 06 10 94<br />
SPAIN & PORTUGAL<br />
Pablo Glogovsky,<br />
pablo@advmediagroup.com,<br />
+34 63 128 1385<br />
THE AMERICAS<br />
LATIN AMERICA<br />
Pablo Glogovsky,<br />
pablo@advmediagroup.com,<br />
+52 55 1081 7909<br />
USA<br />
FLORIDA & THE CARIBBEAN<br />
Jill Stone,<br />
jstone@bluegroupmedia.com;<br />
+1 305 648 3338<br />
MIDDLE EAST<br />
Mamta Pillai,<br />
mamta@sasmedia.net;<br />
+97 15035 62723<br />
YACHTING<br />
Emanuele De Mari,<br />
info@admarex.com,<br />
+39 010 595 47 49<br />
DEPARTURES MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED EXCLUSIVELY FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM CARD ® MEMBERS<br />
WWW.DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM
Check Us Out!<br />
departures-international.com + @departuresint<br />
Your digital destination for the latest dispatches from the worlds of travel, food, fashion<br />
and beyond. Whether it is insider’s guides to emerging global destinations, intriguing<br />
conversations with fascinating designers and craftsmen, or curated must-haves for the<br />
home, departures-international.com has you covered. Here’s a look at what you can expect:<br />
FOLLOW US<br />
Our Instagram and Facebook feeds<br />
(both: @departuresint) are filled with the latest<br />
news on hot-ticket openings, amazing interiors<br />
and au courant style and fashion trends. Plus,<br />
keep up with where our editors are travelling<br />
and what they’re planning next. Be sure to share<br />
your discoveries by tagging us in your posts.<br />
A Few of Our Favourite Things ...<br />
Sumptuous homeware, playfully unconventional<br />
accessories, chic workout gear and much more:<br />
our monthly Wish List puts the spotlight on<br />
unique pieces by of-the-moment designers and<br />
craftspeople around the world.<br />
Need a Breather?<br />
THE<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
ARCHIVE<br />
Browse<br />
your favourite<br />
past editions.<br />
Well Paired<br />
From longevity-focused retreats in paradisiacal settings<br />
to the newest, science-backed treatments for body and soul,<br />
departures-international.com has its finger on pulse on the<br />
constantly evolving world of wellness and wellbeing.<br />
Top global<br />
restaurants are<br />
increasingly turning<br />
to cutting-edge<br />
cocktails, smallbatch<br />
spirits and<br />
organic wines to<br />
round out the dining<br />
experience. Log<br />
on for a look at our<br />
favourite drinksforward<br />
eateries.<br />
DEPARTURES ONLINE DEPARTURES<br />
15
SAIL IN TOTAL LUXURY<br />
OUR SECRET MEDITERRANEAN, BEAUTIFULLY REVEALED<br />
Immerse yourself in Explora Journeys, the newest and most stylish European<br />
luxury lifestyle brand that is redefining ocean travel for the ultimate ocean experience.<br />
Relax in spacious ocean-front suites, penthouses, and residences designed to create a home<br />
away from home, and delight in diverse global flavours at one of our fine dining restaurants,<br />
poolside, or on your private terrace.<br />
The Explora Journeys team looks forward to welcoming you on EXPLORA I, now sailing,<br />
or on EXPLORA II, launching in <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Platinum Card Member benefit: EUR 300 Journey Experience Credit (JEC) per suite.<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT<br />
YOUR PLATINUM TRAVEL SERVICE ON 1800 673 760 (AUSTRALIA) OR<br />
0800 377 421 (NEW ZEALAND)<br />
** Terms & Conditions apply
FEATURED JOURNEYS<br />
All journeys include access to sophisticated, varied experiences across 18 food and beverage<br />
venues, including six restaurants, five lounges and in-suite dining, unlimited beverages,<br />
fine wines, premium spirits, a welcome bottle of champagne, access to the spa thermal area,<br />
complimentary Wi-Fi, on board gratuities and more.*<br />
A Journey to the Jewels of the Aegean Sea<br />
23 AUGUST - 30 AUGUST, <strong>2024</strong><br />
7 NIGHTS • EXPLORA I<br />
RHODES, GREECE<br />
ISTANBUL - OVERNIGHT • BOZCAADA • BODRUM • RHODES •<br />
KATAPOLA (AMORGOS) • PAROS • ATHENS (PIRAEUS)<br />
Ocean Suites fares from AUD 8,100 pp<br />
A Journey of Iberian Wonders and Moroccan Mystique<br />
6 OCTOBER - 16 OCTOBER, <strong>2024</strong><br />
10 NIGHTS • EXPLORA II<br />
PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL<br />
BARCELONA • MALAGA • GIBRALTAR •<br />
LISBON • PORTIMAO • TANGIER • IBIZA • BARCELONA<br />
Ocean Suites fares from AUD 10,700 pp<br />
*Experience fee applies to two venues. **Platinum Card Member benefit EUR 300 Journey Experience Credit (JEC) per suite. Available on all journeys though April 2026.<br />
Card members who make a booking between 5 May 2023 – 31 December <strong>2024</strong> for a journey commencing after <strong>2024</strong> will receive the Platinum privileges on the <strong>2024</strong> to 2025<br />
programme as applicable. Cruise Privileges are based on Explora Journey’s published rates and Early Booking Benefit rates. Offer is applicable to all suite grades, and can be<br />
combined with all other brand offers. If the card member combines journeys, they will accumulate the American Express ® “Cruise Privilege” on each journey. Unused JEC is<br />
non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash or credit. Further Terms and Conditions may apply, please ask your Platinum Travel Service for details.
© SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE<br />
TRAVEL<br />
The sun rises over<br />
Southern Ocean Lodge,<br />
on Kangaroo Island’s<br />
southwestern coast<br />
Into the Wild Speckled across some of the<br />
country’s most breathtaking landscapes, <strong>Australia</strong>’s<br />
luxury-lodge scene has hit its stride – and<br />
Kangaroo Island’s reborn Southern Ocean Lodge<br />
is its star. by Ute Junker<br />
KEYS, PLEASE! DEPARTURES<br />
19
20 DEPARTURES TRAVEL<br />
THERE ARE, OF COURSE, plenty of<br />
kangaroos on Kangaroo Island, but<br />
only one named Sunshine. The largerthan-life<br />
metal sculpture – made out<br />
of pieces of an old Sunshine-brand<br />
combine harvester – has greeted<br />
guests at Southern Ocean Lodge,<br />
one of <strong>Australia</strong>’s first super-luxury<br />
retreats, since it opened back in 2008.<br />
Sunshine is a survivor. After the<br />
devastating bushfires of 2019-2020,<br />
which burnt the lodge to the ground,<br />
The mesmerising<br />
turquoise waters of<br />
Ningaloo Reef, near<br />
the Sal Salis tented<br />
camp, below<br />
the various parts of his metal skeleton<br />
were found lying among the ashes.<br />
His creator, sculptor Indiana James,<br />
carefully reassembled the pieces<br />
and, when the rebuilt lodge opened<br />
in December last year, Sunshine was<br />
once again standing watch. Only this<br />
time, he has a friend.<br />
As James foraged through the<br />
ashes, he also found cutlery that had<br />
survived the inferno, which he used<br />
to create a sculpture of a lyrebird. Its<br />
wings made of melted forks, and its<br />
magnificent tail fashioned from firescorched<br />
spoons, the new statue is<br />
an ode to beauty that rises from the<br />
ashes, just as the lodge has now done.<br />
Compare before-and-after photos<br />
and, at first, Southern Ocean Lodge<br />
2.0 (southernoceanlodge.com.au) appears<br />
to be an exact replica of the muchloved<br />
original. The panoramic view<br />
from the Great Room is just as jawdropping,<br />
the South <strong>Australia</strong>n wines<br />
in the cosy wine cellar – where guests<br />
are encouraged to help themselves to<br />
any bottle they would like to try – are<br />
just as impressive.<br />
It’s only when you actually walk<br />
through the space that the small<br />
changes come into focus. The rooms<br />
may look the same, but each one now<br />
has a bathtub with a view; the spa still<br />
smells as heavenly as ever, but now<br />
includes a sauna and hot-and-cold<br />
plunge pools. Discreetly tucked away<br />
behind the main lodge is a new fourbedroom<br />
Ocean Pavilion that offers<br />
a private escape for small groups<br />
travelling together.<br />
These subtle changes make it clear<br />
that original owners Hayley and James<br />
Baillie, who also led the rebuild, got it<br />
right the first time around. And that’s<br />
pretty remarkable when you consider<br />
how much <strong>Australia</strong>’s luxury-lodge<br />
SAL SALIS (2)
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: OSCAR SLOANE, RICHARD LYONS, © PRETTY BEACH HOUSE<br />
scene has evolved over the last decade<br />
and a half.<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>’s first generation of<br />
lodges – which included the likes of<br />
Qualia on Hamilton Island and Saffire<br />
Freycinet in Tasmania – were safe<br />
bets. Set in some of the country’s bestloved<br />
holiday hot spots, their elegant<br />
accommodation and finessed food<br />
gave guests a new way to experience a<br />
familiar destination.<br />
Fifteen years on, the format has<br />
proven so successful that luxury<br />
lodges have become attractions in<br />
their own right. Instead of taking<br />
a day trip to the beaches of the<br />
Central Coast, Sydneysiders in need<br />
of a recharge make the 90-minute<br />
drive to stay at Pretty Beach House<br />
(prettybeachhouse.com), an intimate<br />
clutch of four guest pavilions nestled<br />
inside Bouddi National Park.<br />
South <strong>Australia</strong>ns savour the<br />
stargazing and koala-spotting at<br />
Sequoia Lodge in the Adelaide Hills<br />
( sequoialodge.com.au), just half an<br />
hour out of town.<br />
Conversely, you will also find lodges<br />
in the most far-flung corners of the<br />
country. Sal Salis ( salsalis.com.au),<br />
a high-end tented camp, is set amid<br />
the sand dunes of Western <strong>Australia</strong>’s<br />
Cape Range National Park, near the<br />
spectacular Ningaloo Reef; Mount<br />
Mulligan Lodge in Queensland’s<br />
backcountry (mountmulligan.com), is<br />
accessed via a three-hour four-wheeldrive<br />
journey from Cairns, or a halfhour<br />
helicopter flight.<br />
Clockwise from left:<br />
a Kittawa guest lodge,<br />
which nudges King<br />
Island’s rugged<br />
coastline; Finniss River<br />
Lodge’s bejungled<br />
setting southwest of<br />
Darwin; the generous<br />
panorama from a guest<br />
pavilion at Pretty<br />
Beach House in<br />
Bouddi National Park<br />
The locations may be diverse<br />
but the central promise is the<br />
same: today’s lodges are all about<br />
immersing their guests in the<br />
destination through carefully curated<br />
activities, which have become a key<br />
attraction. “It’s not unusual for highend<br />
travellers to forgo the traditional<br />
luxurious accommodation in favour<br />
of a property that delivers a richer<br />
interpretation of the destination, with<br />
amazing people and culture,” says<br />
Drew Kluska, founder and managing<br />
director of The Tailor travel designers.<br />
Activities range from hikes to heliflights,<br />
forest bathing to Indigenous<br />
experiences. Case in point: during the<br />
“Connection to Country” experience<br />
offered by Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet<br />
(saffire-freycinet.com.au) – one of the<br />
lodge’s most popular offerings – an<br />
indigenous guide shares insights into<br />
the culture, traditions and bush tucker<br />
of the native Oyster Bay people.<br />
What’s on your plate – or in your<br />
glass – has become another way to<br />
celebrate the environs, with lodge<br />
menus highlighting the region’s<br />
wines, spirits and craft brews<br />
alongside locally grown produce. At<br />
Southern Ocean Lodge, that might<br />
mean tucking into South <strong>Australia</strong>n<br />
venison teamed with cacao, beetroot<br />
and witlof, while at Silky Oaks Lodge<br />
(silkyoakslodge.com.au), adjoining the<br />
Daintree Rainforest, salmon tartar is<br />
paired with tropical flavours such as<br />
pickled ginger and yuzu aïoli.<br />
KEYS, PLEASE! DEPARTURES<br />
21
DEPARTURES TRAVEL KEYS, PLEASE!<br />
22<br />
“There’s much more focus on<br />
provenance, a gentle pride in what<br />
we do well that makes us distinctively<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>n,” says Penny Rafferty, the<br />
executive chair of Luxury Lodges of<br />
<strong>Australia</strong> (luxurylodgesofaustralia.com.<br />
au), a collection of 19 independent<br />
properties across the country.<br />
Even the once-obligatory French<br />
champagne on arrival has in many<br />
cases been replaced with a more local<br />
choice.<br />
Increased competition has also<br />
pushed leading lodges to commit to<br />
constant innovation. “A prime example<br />
is The Lake House in Daylesford,”<br />
Rafferty says. When the Lake House<br />
(lakehouse.com.au), 90 minutes outside<br />
Melbourne, was launched by the<br />
Wolf-Tasker family 40 years ago, it<br />
was one of <strong>Australia</strong>’s first destination<br />
restaurants. That evolved into a<br />
boutique hotel which has now been<br />
joined by a nearby regenerative farm<br />
stay, Dairy Flat Farm. “All the while,<br />
they have maintained that warm hug<br />
of hospitality,” Rafferty says.<br />
Other properties where guests<br />
can connect with the owners include<br />
the beachcomber-chic Haggerstone<br />
Island on the Great Barrier Reef<br />
(haggerstoneisland.com.au), helmed<br />
by Anna and Roy Turner, and the<br />
Venturin family’s Finniss River Lodge<br />
outside Darwin (finnissriverlodge.<br />
Right: looking out<br />
into Tasmania’s<br />
Coles Bay from<br />
a suite at Saffire<br />
Freycinet; above:<br />
kayaking the<br />
tranquil Mount<br />
Mulligan weir<br />
com.au). The appeal of the personal<br />
touch is so strong, it can even lure<br />
guests to a destination with which<br />
they may be entirely unfamiliar.<br />
“The lion’s share of our guests<br />
connect to our property online, then<br />
they figure out how to get here,” says<br />
Aaron Suine, who owns and runs<br />
Kittawa Lodge (kittawalodge.com) with<br />
his partner Nick Stead. The boutique<br />
property – which is about to open its<br />
third villa – is on King Island, situated<br />
in the Bass Strait between Tasmania<br />
and the mainland. King Island’s<br />
tourism industry is still in a fledgling<br />
state, and Suine loves introducing<br />
guests who know little about the island<br />
to its diverse environments, which<br />
range from coastal cliffs battered by<br />
surging surf to mangroves, to forests<br />
and white-sand beaches.<br />
“You’re probably only going to<br />
spend three nights in your entire life<br />
here, so it’s my chance to showcase<br />
everything King Island stands for<br />
and Tasmania stands for,” Suine says.<br />
“We give them local provisions, we<br />
create a customised itinerary that<br />
has a little bit of history, a little bit<br />
about the natural elements, all of<br />
these touchpoints that weave a much<br />
stronger connection to the place.”<br />
FROM TOP: © MOUNT MULLIGAN LODGE, © SAFFIRE FREYCINET
PIONEERS OF LUXURY AFRICAN SAFARIS<br />
Africa was where it all began for A&K, pioneering the world’s very first luxury safari in 1962.<br />
Sixty years on, we are the world experts in tailor-made experiential travel — journeys that inspire<br />
real human connection and life-long stories. Be mesmerised by elephants wading their young<br />
through the floodplains of Botswana, seek encounters with all of Africa’s iconic species in<br />
South Africa, from lion and elephant to leopard and rhino, be awestruck by the majesty of<br />
Victoria Falls, or come face-to-face with a gorilla family in the forested havens of Uganda.<br />
With privileged access, unrivalled expertise, luxury accommodations, and a long-standing<br />
presence on the ground, A&K sets the benchmark for unforgettable, life-changing safaris.<br />
No matter your dream, A&K can curate the perfect tailor-made African adventure just for you.<br />
African Waterways<br />
Uncover two of Africa’s most acclaimed<br />
wilderness areas – the Okavango Delta and<br />
Chobe National Park on this inspiring tailormade<br />
journey. Staggering wildlife encounters,<br />
diverse landscapes, outstanding safari guides<br />
and Sanctuary Retreats luxurious lodges<br />
& camps deliver an unforgettable safari<br />
experience.<br />
9 days from $15,935 pp<br />
South Africa & Zambia Discovery<br />
This tailor-made adventure will immerse you<br />
in the wonders of alluring South Africa and<br />
Zambia. You’ll travel in true A&K style as<br />
you discover the best of South Africa’s Cape<br />
Winelands, Cape Town and the iconic wildlife<br />
of Sabi Sand Game Reserve combined with<br />
Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park and the<br />
thundering Victoria Falls.<br />
15 days from $24,630 pp<br />
Kenya & Uganda Explorer<br />
Explore the vast open savannas of Kenya,<br />
scattered with immense herds of wildlife<br />
and Maasai tribespeople who bring soul<br />
and colour to the land before journeying<br />
into Uganda to track the elusive mountain<br />
gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable<br />
National Park, one of the continent’s<br />
most magical experiences.<br />
11 days from $18,305 pp<br />
Please call your Platinum Travel Service on 1800 673 760 (AU) or 0800 377 421 (NZ).<br />
*Terms & Conditions apply. Prices shown are per person<br />
based on twin share and are subject to availability.
DEPARTURES TRAVEL FRESH EYES ON GREECE<br />
24<br />
Athens, Straight Up<br />
With tavernas around every corner, the<br />
Greek capital has always been a good<br />
place for a convivial round or two – but<br />
now a raft of new-wave bars is turning<br />
the city into one of the world’s cocktail<br />
capitals. by Nicola Chilton<br />
SET IN A neoclassical mansion a<br />
few minutes’ walk from the central<br />
Syntagma Square, The Clumsies has<br />
long been a fixture on The World’s<br />
50 Best Bars list. There are now<br />
three Athenian establishments on the<br />
global list – more than any other for a<br />
city of its size – but this spot, heaving<br />
in the evenings with a cosmopolitan<br />
mix of the bold and beautiful, is still<br />
perhaps most responsible for the<br />
city’s evolution.<br />
As head bartender Nick Sourmpatis<br />
makes me a drink – the Mediterranean<br />
Gimlet, the equivalent of a Greek salad<br />
in a glass – he tells me that when coowners<br />
Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos<br />
Bakoulis opened The Clumsies in 2014,<br />
their idea was to create a steki, a Greek<br />
word for a hangout or a local, “a place<br />
we go often in the week that feels like<br />
home”. In the daytime, people come<br />
here for coffee and lazy lunches; by<br />
night, it’s all about the cocktails.<br />
On the current menu, called Happy<br />
Accidents, drinks have names like<br />
Spilling the Coffee, Missing the<br />
Train, and Discovering Venus de<br />
Milo. “When an accident happens in<br />
Greece, the meaning of the word is<br />
Inside The Clumsies,<br />
set in a revamped<br />
townhouse in the lively<br />
Psyri neighbourhood<br />
always bad, but in English, you can<br />
find a silver lining,” says Sourmpatis.<br />
“We wanted to show that if something<br />
bad happens, something good can<br />
come afterwards.”<br />
It’s no accident that the cocktails<br />
here are very, very good. The<br />
bartenders’ approach to mixology<br />
incorporates inspiration and<br />
ingredients from across Greece, as<br />
well as gastronomic techniques like<br />
sous-vide and rotary evaporation.<br />
The menu changes each year, with<br />
a couple of favourites carried over<br />
and included in the “Blast from the<br />
Past” list. This is where you’ll find<br />
the Aegean Negroni, as turquoise as<br />
the sea from which it takes its name,<br />
fragrant and bitter with fennel seeds<br />
and wild Cretan dittany.<br />
Still, for first-timers, Sourmpatis<br />
recommends the Mediterranean<br />
Gimlet. “We clarify tomato juice,<br />
slice cucumber, olives, onions and<br />
peppers, cook them sous-vide with<br />
sugar to get all the flavours, and then<br />
© THE CLUMSIES
“If you have the right story and<br />
a deep knowledge about what<br />
you do, it’s easier. The music,<br />
the drinks, the ambience, decor,<br />
everything has a story to tell”<br />
add gin,” Sourmpatis explains. The<br />
glass is dusted with sourdough, with<br />
a drizzle of olive oil as the finishing<br />
touch. The result? A startlingly<br />
accurate facsimile of a horiatiki<br />
Greek salad: refreshing, vegetal and<br />
so similar you could almost convince<br />
yourself that it’s one of your five-aday<br />
fruit and veggie portions.<br />
But there’s another drink that’s<br />
everywhere in Greece these days –<br />
that perennially popular summery<br />
mix of tequila, grapefruit and soda,<br />
the paloma. Stelios Papadopoulos, a<br />
former sailor who travelled the world<br />
on cargo ships before dedicating<br />
himself to bartending full-time, calls<br />
the current trend “Greece’s pink<br />
rush”. Papadopoulos opened the<br />
bijou Barro Negro, named after the<br />
traditional black clay vessels used to<br />
store mescal, in 2019, with the rather<br />
tongue-in-cheek aim of making it the<br />
“Paloma embassy of the world”.<br />
But while the paloma may be the<br />
biggest seller here, Papadopoulos<br />
is focused on making the “perfect<br />
margarita”, even developing his own<br />
Med Liqueur as a gentler and uniquely<br />
Greek alternative to the more<br />
alcoholic triple sec, created not out of<br />
curiosity, he says, but from necessity.<br />
Made with Greek oranges,<br />
grapefruit from Crete and mastiha, a<br />
fragrant, pine-scented liqueur derived<br />
from the resin of mastic trees that<br />
grow on the island of Chios, Med<br />
may seem like an odd addition to a<br />
margarita, but it works. Used instead<br />
of triple sec, the result is a fresher,<br />
lighter, less alcoholic drink, the kind<br />
that Papadopoulos says you can drink<br />
any time of the day. And his customers<br />
do. Open from 10am, this is the kind<br />
of place where a cheeky paloma<br />
or margarita feels like a sensible<br />
lunchtime option.<br />
A short walk away, in the narrow<br />
Klitiou Street, the clink and clank<br />
of cocktail shakers reverberate off<br />
the walls. Thanos Prunarus, another<br />
pioneer of the Athens bar scene,<br />
opened Baba Au Rum here in 2009,<br />
a place that continues to be an<br />
inspiration to the many bars that have<br />
followed since.<br />
“I didn’t want to open a bar just<br />
because I’m a bartender,” he says.<br />
“I wanted to create a bar that would<br />
focus on fine drinking, exploring<br />
FROM TOP: STUDIO SKIGO, GIORGOS STATHEAS<br />
The lively scene at Baba Au Rum; above: the Taco Margarita – a heady blend of tequila, coriander, jalapeños, tomato water, morita and<br />
corn salt, at the outdoor-only The Bar in Front of the Bar<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
25
26 DEPARTURES TRAVEL FRESH EYES ON GREECE<br />
20th-century cocktail history and<br />
presenting it to Athenians.” At the<br />
time of opening, drinks had typically<br />
taken a back seat to the music and<br />
ambience in the Greek capital’s bars,<br />
and with the arrival of Baba Au Rum,<br />
Prunarus switched the focus. It also<br />
allowed him to take his customers on<br />
a journey into the unfamiliar. “Most<br />
people consider rum to be a tropical<br />
drink, and that created a happy<br />
atmosphere that they brought with<br />
them. It felt like a vacation, and that<br />
gave us the opportunity to take them<br />
wherever we wanted,” he muses.<br />
There’s an irresistible sense of fun at<br />
Baba Au Rum, with bartenders making<br />
cocktails beneath spotlights on a<br />
long wooden counter, and red-toned<br />
decor staying just on the right side of<br />
tropical, without falling for tiki-bar<br />
clichés. And there’s a literary quality<br />
to the cocktail descriptions, presented<br />
in a handsome book. Devil’s Milk is<br />
described as a “scandalous potion”,<br />
both “luscious and lustful”. Glass Tears<br />
has a “crystalline suaveness”, made<br />
with a distillation of leaves from the<br />
bitter orange trees that line Athens’s<br />
streets. Drink coasters entreat guests<br />
to “Save the night, support nice bars”.<br />
In the tradition of the ancient Greek<br />
bards, it feels like everyone in Athens<br />
has a story to tell, and Prunarus is no<br />
exception. “If you don’t know why<br />
you’re doing something, you can’t<br />
persuade people to come along and<br />
join you,” he says. “If you have the<br />
right story and a deep knowledge<br />
about what you do, it’s easier. The<br />
music we play, the drinks we make,<br />
the ambience, decor, everything has a<br />
story to tell.”<br />
But he also feels that bars have a<br />
more important role to play in the<br />
city that goes beyond merely offering<br />
drinks and fun. “A bar is a place<br />
where people gather in the best times<br />
and the hardest times to see what’s<br />
happening in society and to exchange<br />
ideas,” Prunarus says. “For me, this<br />
is very important. It’s not just about<br />
business, it’s about something much<br />
more romantic.”<br />
Left: set in an<br />
erstwhile art<br />
gallery, the<br />
Line bar oozes<br />
industrial chic;<br />
right: a stellar<br />
view of the<br />
Acropolis from<br />
The Dolli’s 78sq m<br />
Acropolis Pieda-Terre<br />
FROM LEFT: © LINE BAR, HEINZ TROLL, RUPERT PEACE, DIMITRIOS POUPALOS
From left:<br />
wandering<br />
Athens’s buzzy<br />
lanes; inside<br />
the Monument<br />
Hotel, in<br />
a revived<br />
neoclassical<br />
building<br />
The Athens Shortlist<br />
WHERE TO STAY<br />
The Dolli’s rooftop pool reflects the Acropolis and Parthenon so perfectly<br />
that it’s like looking at a mirror. Located on a busy street in the heart of<br />
the city, the high-ceilinged rooms and suites are soothing retreats from<br />
the hubbub outside, elegantly minimalist and with Acropolis views from<br />
some of the beds, thedolli.com. In the graffiti-scrawled neighbourhood<br />
of Psyri, a place with a lot more charm than first impressions imply, the<br />
nine-room Monument Hotel Athens is housed in an elegant residence<br />
dating back to the 1880s. Hand-painted ceilings, Scandinavian furniture<br />
and statement lighting combine in a harmonious mix, and a small<br />
subterranean spa sits beneath the lounge with a sauna and excellent<br />
massages, monumenthotelathens.com. Down on the Athens Riviera, the<br />
new One&Only Aesthesis brings mid-century-inspired glamour and sleek<br />
villas to a swath of sand and protected pine woodland. It’s close enough to<br />
the city that you can wander ancient heritage sites by day and be back on<br />
the beach in time for sundowners, oneandonlyresorts.com<br />
WHERE TO EAT<br />
Chef Tasos Mantis’s Soil dazzles diners with 14- to 15-course tasting<br />
menus rooted in a genuine farm-to-table ethos, with many ingredients<br />
coming from the chef’s own garden, which he tends with his father,<br />
soilrestaurant.gr. Recently opened Ex Machina also has a focus on<br />
responsibly sourced produce, right down to the “sustainability loop”:<br />
the kitchen buys eggs and chicken from a farm in Messinia and, in turn,<br />
the farm uses the restaurant’s waste vegetable scraps as animal feed,<br />
exmachinagreece.com. Located next to the Monument Hotel, Linou<br />
Soumpasis k sia is an always-packed and highly convivial spot where<br />
tables spill out onto the pavement and you’ll need to tuck in your elbows<br />
every time a taxi drives past. Don’t miss the hearty kakavia fish soup<br />
and – if you’re there in the very short season when they’re on the menu –<br />
tempura-fried golden thistles, @lsandsia<br />
WHERE TO DRINK<br />
The Clumsies boasts seasonal Greek ingredients and a creative<br />
bartending team that draws Athenians, international cocktail lovers<br />
and night owls, theclumsies.gr. A pioneer of Athens’s bar scene, Baba<br />
Au Rum offers an intoxicating tropical vibe and an education in rum,<br />
babaaurum.com. A small, friendly hole-in-the-wall establishment, Barro<br />
Negro is home to some of the city’s best margaritas and palomas, along<br />
with 300 agave spirit labels, barronegroathens.com. Alexander’s Bar<br />
serves well-made classic cocktails in an elegant setting off the lobby of<br />
Athens’s original grande dame, the 150-year-old Hotel Grande Bretagne,<br />
marriott.com. Tucked away in a former industrial space in a residential<br />
neighbourhood, Line, The Clumsies’ sister bar, focuses on fermentation<br />
and currently sits at 12 on the World’s 50 Best, lineathens.gr. The Bar<br />
in Front of the Bar is an outdoor streetside bar counter that draws a<br />
vivacious crowd with a small cocktail menu that changes every day,<br />
@the.bar.in.front.of.the.bar<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
27
28 DEPARTURES TRAVEL FRESH EYES ON GREECE<br />
Island Hopping 2.0<br />
ARRIVING IN THE closest of the<br />
Cyclades islands to Athens this May<br />
is the new One&Only Kéa Island<br />
(oneandonlyeresorts.com). The c130sq<br />
km isle, known locally as Tzia, is<br />
a 30-minute boat or 15-minute<br />
helicopter transfer from the Greek<br />
capital. It will also be connected<br />
by direct speedboat to the recently<br />
opened One&Only Aesthesis on the<br />
Athenian Riviera. Perched above a<br />
rugged stretch of coastline, the new<br />
resort’s 63 cliffside villas all have<br />
private pools. Historic wreck dives<br />
and protected marine parks lie just<br />
offshore, and ancient ruins are a hike<br />
or bike ride away.<br />
On Santorini, the views over<br />
Ammoudi Bay from the just-opened<br />
adults-only Santo Mine Oia Suites<br />
Top, from left:<br />
an oceanview<br />
lounge<br />
at One&Only<br />
Kéa Island; the<br />
infinity pool<br />
of a threebedroom<br />
villa<br />
at Folegandros’s<br />
Gundari; below:<br />
an alfresco<br />
kitchen at<br />
Crete’s reborn<br />
Phāea Blue<br />
Palace<br />
Greece’s most beautiful –<br />
and lesser-known – islands are<br />
welcoming spectacular new<br />
properties this year. Here’s a look<br />
at some of our favourites.<br />
(santocollection.gr) are dazzling. All 37 suites come<br />
with a private pool or jacuzzi (one has both), and the<br />
sunsets from the property’s dramatic cliffside setting are<br />
spectacular. The resort is just a short walk from the centre<br />
of the island’s most popular village, Oia, yet far enough<br />
away to feel calm and secluded.<br />
Over on Tinos, just a 20-minute boat ride from<br />
Mykonos, the pace of life couldn’t be more different from<br />
that of its party-hard neighbour. Sitting on the edge of a<br />
peaceful bay, the new 77-room Odera Tinos (oderatinos.<br />
com) celebrates the traditions, crafts and artisanal work<br />
of the island, featuring Tinian stonework and menus<br />
centred on local ingredients and produce.<br />
And wild, craggy Folegandros sees the arrival of<br />
Gundari (gundari.com) this May, with 27 bio-climatically<br />
designed suites and villas. Spa treatments will be based<br />
on wild-harvested local herbs, and the resort will offer<br />
e-bike tours and hikes along ancient trails.<br />
Over in the Dodecanese islands, Patmos Aktis<br />
(patmosaktis.gr) will reopen after a major renovation as<br />
a Luxury Collection hotel. Originally built in the 1960s,<br />
the property has been a favourite of Greek travellers<br />
for decades, with a spectacular location on the tranquil<br />
Grikos Bay.<br />
Meanwhile, on Crete, the family-run Blue Palace<br />
is being reborn in May as the Phāea Blue Palace<br />
( bluepalace.gr), downsizing from more than 250 rooms to<br />
just 47 bungalows and suites (the remainder of the original<br />
resort will open as Rosewood Blue Palace in 2025). The onsite<br />
organic garden is the venue for field-to-table cooking<br />
classes, the Blue Door Taverna is a former fisherman’s<br />
stone house serving fresh Cretan seafood right by the<br />
water, and the resort’s traditional caique fishing boat is on<br />
hand for cruises around the Mirabello Gulf. – NC<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RUPERT PEACE, © GUNDARI, © PHAEA BLUE PALACE
THE EMPEROR PENGUINS<br />
OF THE WEDDELL SEA<br />
Embark on an unparalleled Antarctic expedition aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker,<br />
from the storied Drake Passage into the almost inaccessible Weddell Sea.<br />
Explore at leisure with a maximum of just 200 guests and experience the thrill of discovery and once-in-a-lifetime<br />
encounters, as you enter the kingdom of the majestic emperor penguin.<br />
Including an overnight stay in Santiago and seamless return transfers and flights to Ushuaia, every detail is meticulously<br />
curated for your convenience on this extraordinary itinerary. Join PONANT for an unforgettable Antarctic voyage,<br />
where the promise of new encounters and breathtaking landscapes await at every turn.<br />
14-day Antarctica Expedition | Santiago to Santiago<br />
Departs 30 October, 11 & 23 November 2025 aboard Le Commandant Charcot<br />
Includes 12-night expedition, overnight in Santiago, return flights and transfers*<br />
PLEASE CALL YOUR PLATINUM TRAVEL SERVICE ON 1800 673 760<br />
*Full terms and conditions apply, refer to au.ponant.com. ABN: 35 166 676 517. Photographs: © Studio PONANT - Nick Rains, Laure Patricot - Adobe Stock.
Go beyond boundaries where there are no paths, only rare opportunities to travel deeper into little-explored lands in seamless<br />
comfort and enjoy the highest standards in expedition cruising without sacrificing all-inclusive value. Discover the timeless<br />
Kimberley Coast and explore some of the most remote regions of <strong>Australia</strong> with Silversea. Our curated 10- to 17-day itineraries<br />
will defy conventional experiences and offer incredible opportunities to uncover complex landscapes, uncharted rivers, and<br />
ancient indigenous art. With more experts per guest than anyone else in the industry, and one Zodiac® for every ten travellers,<br />
your Kimberley experience is the most immersive it can be.<br />
*Terms and Conditions apply: Fares and itineraries vary by sail date. All fares shown are in AUD, per person, twin share, in lowest available suite category. Offers are valid for new individual bookings made during promotional<br />
period and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Promotional air offer is only available to the first and second full-fare guests in a suite. Valid for select gateways to guests from <strong>Australia</strong> and New Zealand only. All<br />
fares, savings, offers, itineraries, and programs are subject to change without notice. Voyage highlights, excursions, and enrichment programs are subject to change and/or cancellation without prior notice. All information<br />
contained herein is accurate and in effect as of 6 February <strong>2024</strong>. Silversea reserves the right to correct any errors and omissions and to cancel any offered product or service in the event of such error or omission. Additional<br />
restrictions may apply. For complete terms and conditions and promotional period date visit silversea.com or call your Platinum Travel Service on 1800 673 760 (<strong>Australia</strong>), or 0800 377 421 (New Zealand).
KIMBERLEY<br />
EARTH<br />
BEFORE TIME.<br />
LET US TAKE YOU CLOSER TO<br />
UNCHARTED BEAUTY<br />
AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS *<br />
including<br />
US$300 per suite shipboard credit + Premium bottle of Champagne + Behind the scenes ship experiences<br />
Ask about Silversea's Venetian Society and Referral program benefits.<br />
For more information on Silversea’s all-inclusive luxury voyages, please call your<br />
Platinum Travel Service on 1800 673 760 (<strong>Australia</strong>), or 0800 377 421 (New Zealand).
DEPARTURES TRAVEL SHIP TALK<br />
32<br />
A Voyage to Remember<br />
THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW cruise<br />
enterprise Explora Journeys is on<br />
course to become a yardstick of<br />
excellence. Its vision is bold: a fleet of<br />
six, 922-guest vessels will debut over<br />
the next four years, each one defining<br />
the quintessence of modern European<br />
ocean travel for a new generation of<br />
discerning travellers.<br />
The first of these ships, Explora I,<br />
is at the apex of urbane architecture<br />
and debonair design, thanks to<br />
veteran British yacht designer Martin<br />
Francis who has conceived each ship’s<br />
aquiline profile to evoke a superyacht<br />
rather than a traditional cruise ship.<br />
The ambience of a grand<br />
cosmopolitan hotel augmented with a<br />
modern residential vibe engulfs guests<br />
when they embark into the lobby. This<br />
two-deck-high space, bathed in light<br />
from Lasvit chandeliers, has a striking<br />
illuminated onyx tower displaying<br />
fine pieces of art and bottles of<br />
spirits. There are four retail outlets<br />
showcasing fabulous timepieces<br />
and jewellery from Cartier, Panerai,<br />
Piaget and Rolex. One deck above<br />
is the Galeria d’Arte with exhibits,<br />
including the Instagrammable British<br />
Library by Yinka Shonibare CBE.<br />
The ship melds a 21st-century verve<br />
with a glamorous leitmotif, nowhere<br />
more so than in the Journeys Lounge,<br />
which features individual seats and<br />
tables with bar service from a team<br />
of hosts. A semicircular thrust stage<br />
offers an up-close and personal<br />
The Explora I sails<br />
alongside the rugged<br />
Greenland coastline<br />
The firmament of ultra-luxe cruising boasts a shining<br />
new star, the Explora I, set to sail the seven seas in<br />
the coming years. by Gary Buchanan<br />
environment for guests enjoying<br />
after-dinner cabaret shows rather<br />
than kitsch Broadway revues.<br />
The luminous Explora Lounge is<br />
an essay in mellow cosiness. A pianist<br />
or singer accompanies afternoon teas<br />
and cocktails. Close by is the Whisky<br />
Bar, where bartenders entertain the<br />
crowd, while the adjacent Humidor,<br />
with plush leather seats and rich<br />
wood panelling, is a perfect place to<br />
indulge in a Monte Cristo cigar and a<br />
rare single malt. The Astern Lounge,<br />
with a resident jazz band, is another<br />
late-night haunt, and there’s also a<br />
casino with two blackjack tables, a<br />
roulette table and slot machines.<br />
The panoramic Sky Bar is ideal for<br />
outdoor cocktails, while the secluded<br />
MARCO LEITER
Explora I’s svelte<br />
Journeys Lounge<br />
adults-only Helios Bar is also a<br />
popular hangout for a sundowner as<br />
the ship sets sail. The Astern Pool Bar<br />
and Atoll Bar offer a chilled mood<br />
throughout the day.<br />
The sweeping outdoor decks<br />
enhance the yacht-like karma. There<br />
are four heated swimming pools,<br />
64 private cabanas, four infinity<br />
whirlpools and a hot tub. The<br />
splendid infinity-edge Astern Pool<br />
overlooks the ship’s wake, and there<br />
are plush daybeds beside the Atoll<br />
Pool. Equally tempting is the warm<br />
Helios pool, or the Conservatory Pool<br />
with a retractable roof, on a par with a<br />
sassy leisure club.<br />
The Ocean Wellness Spa boasts<br />
a hydrotherapy pool and thermal<br />
suite with a Himalayan salt room,<br />
Finnish sauna and rainforest<br />
shower. Holistic therapies, including<br />
massages and facials such as the<br />
“Medi-Luxe Experience by Dr Levy<br />
Switzerland”, are the alpha and omega<br />
of revitalisation. The Ocean Wellness<br />
Fitness Centre comes with highperformance<br />
Technogym equipment.<br />
There’s cardio and strength training<br />
apparatus, including an elliptical Artis<br />
Synchro and two Pilates reformers.<br />
Gourmands are in their element<br />
aboard Explora I, which is at the<br />
vanguard of culinary sophistication<br />
at sea. It speaks volumes that the<br />
ship has 129 chefs (about one chef for<br />
every seven guests); this is by far the<br />
highest ratio in the cruise industry.<br />
Head of culinary, French master chef<br />
Franck Garanger, boasts that he has<br />
the highest budget for food in the<br />
business, enabling his corps of chefs<br />
to infuse fine dining with more than a<br />
soupçon of fervour.<br />
The ship’s culinary virtuosity is<br />
on display at each of the five à la<br />
carte restaurants. Fil Rouge is an<br />
immaculate room where the menu<br />
unveils an extensive repertoire of<br />
Gallic fine dining; Med Yacht Club<br />
offers specialities of France, Italy,<br />
Spain and Greece in surroundings<br />
that wouldn’t look out of place in a<br />
chic riviera bistro.<br />
Inspired by the tearooms of Kyoto,<br />
Sakura is the go-to option for Japanese,<br />
Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese<br />
specialities. The congenial Marble &<br />
Co Grill offers a range of exceptional,<br />
sustainably farmed cuts. The succulent<br />
grilled prime rib is sourced from the<br />
French Jersiaise breed; short-loin cuts<br />
of beef from Germany and Sweden<br />
pack plenty of flavour.<br />
Emporium Marketplace has a<br />
wow factor all of its own. Guests<br />
can choose from a dizzying array<br />
of cuisines prepared à la minute.<br />
FROM TOP: IVAN SARFATTI, © THE RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION, © CUNARD<br />
Setting Sail<br />
A quintet of much-anticipated new<br />
vessels plying the seven seas this year.<br />
From top: on deck of the forthcoming Ilma;<br />
inside Queen Anne’s Grand Suite<br />
The history of the Cunard<br />
Line is an allegory of the<br />
evolution of cruising. Another<br />
chapter will be added in June<br />
when the 3,000-passenger<br />
Queen Anne (cunard.com)<br />
graces the world’s oceans.<br />
This noble liner conjures<br />
up glamour for voyagers<br />
seeking a retrospective into<br />
the realm of Downton Abbey.<br />
Flaunting a more new-age<br />
vibe, Silversea’s Silver Ray<br />
(silversea.com) will join her<br />
sister ship Silver Nova as<br />
one of the most sustainable<br />
ultra-luxury cruise vessels<br />
at sea when she takes a bow<br />
next year. Full to the gunwales<br />
with finesse, this seagoing<br />
sophisticate, with eight<br />
signature restaurants, offers<br />
728 guests a level of pampering<br />
long vanquished from five-star<br />
hotels. Around the same time,<br />
another paragon of the Explora<br />
Journeys (explorajourneys.<br />
com) fleet will debut. The<br />
922-guest Explora II will<br />
undoubtedly blaze a similar<br />
trail to her much-lauded scion<br />
that’s been a pacesetter in the<br />
race for perfection. Another<br />
siren of the seas launching this<br />
September is Ritz-Carlton<br />
Yacht Collection’s 448-guest<br />
Ilma (ritzcarltonyachtcollection.<br />
com), a bijou sanctum that<br />
personifies stealth wealth.<br />
Excitement is already building<br />
in anticipation of the arrival<br />
of Oceania’s 1,200-guest<br />
Allura (oceaniacruises.com)<br />
in June 2025. Considered the<br />
world’s leading culinary and<br />
destination-focused cruise<br />
line, Oceania ships are a<br />
gourmand’s seaborne nirvana.<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
33
DEPARTURES TRAVEL SHIP TALK<br />
34<br />
There’s a boulangerie, fromagerie and<br />
pâtisserie as well as places to enjoy<br />
charcuterie and fresh pasta, not to<br />
mention grilled, roasted and slowcooked<br />
meats.<br />
A recherché haven for just 70 guests,<br />
Anthology showcases the cooking<br />
talents of a continuum of famed<br />
culinary titans who take up guest<br />
spots to create outstanding tasting<br />
menus. One partner is chef célèbre<br />
Mauro Uliassi, who gained three<br />
Michelin stars at his restaurant in<br />
Senigallia, Italy. Another collaborator<br />
is Emma Bengtsson, executive chef at<br />
the two-Michelin-star Aquavit in New<br />
York City, acclaimed for her creative<br />
interpretations of classic dishes and<br />
seasonal Nordic cuisine.<br />
Creatively styled and displaying<br />
a suave elan, the 461 Ocean Terrace<br />
Suites, Penthouses, Residences<br />
Fresh Ports of Call<br />
From left: Explora I’s lobby under the soft<br />
glow of a Lasvit chandelier; the generous<br />
terrace of a Cocoon Residence<br />
and Owner’s Residence all have a<br />
spacious veranda with daybeds and<br />
an alfresco dining area. The 35sq<br />
m Ocean Terrace Suites are among<br />
the largest entry-level suites at<br />
sea. Connecting suites are ideal for<br />
multigenerational groups: there are<br />
accessible Ocean Terrace Suites and<br />
a Grand Penthouse. The cloud-like<br />
Flexform beds have high-threadcount<br />
Frette linens. There’s a mini<br />
fridge stocked with a selection of<br />
wines or spirits on request, and<br />
an Illy coffee machine, kettle and<br />
teapot for speciality infusions.<br />
Penthouse Suites and Residences<br />
have a Technogym Case Kit for<br />
working out in private. Bathrooms<br />
The sun sets on <strong>Australia</strong>’s rugged Kimberley coast, a destination on Seabourn<br />
Pursuit’s itinerary<br />
Experiencing northern<br />
Europe’s white<br />
nights, beholding<br />
the mesmerising<br />
tapestry that is India, or<br />
discovering the vibrant<br />
metropolis of Hong<br />
Kong, are just some<br />
highlights of Crystal’s<br />
roster of five “Grand<br />
Journeys” in 2025<br />
(crystalcruises.com).<br />
These in-depth cruises,<br />
lasting 40 to 70 nights,<br />
with underfloor heating have walk-in<br />
rainforest showers.<br />
With 16,600 square metres of<br />
public space across 11 passenger<br />
decks, Explora I has one of the<br />
highest passenger-to-space ratios<br />
in the luxury ocean category at 69.3<br />
GRT per passenger. This vessel<br />
also boasts an impressive 1:1.25<br />
crew-to-guest ratio. Cruises are allinclusive,<br />
encompassing five of the<br />
six restaurants (€190 supplement<br />
for Anthology), alcoholic beverages,<br />
gratuities and wi-fi.<br />
This style-setter is winning plaudits<br />
from a burgeoning coterie of travellers<br />
savouring life aboard a peerless hotel<br />
on the high seas. explorajourneys.com<br />
From Antarctica to <strong>Australia</strong>’s undiscovered<br />
Kimberley coastline, a look at the most<br />
fascinating new cruise destinations for <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
feature inimitable land<br />
experiences in some<br />
of the world’s most<br />
beguiling destinations.<br />
The 606-guest<br />
Crystal Symphony<br />
and 740-guest Crystal<br />
Serenity are ushering<br />
in a new gilded era of<br />
all-inclusive cruising.<br />
Windstar’s cross<br />
between a tycoon’s<br />
yacht and a small<br />
cruise ship, the four-<br />
FROM TOP: IVAN SARFATTI (2), © TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA
IAN SCHEMPER<br />
masted Wind Star<br />
(windstarcruises.com)<br />
will spend a winter<br />
season in the Canary<br />
Islands from December<br />
2025. The sleek,<br />
148-guest sailing ship<br />
offers 10-day “Canary<br />
Islands Idyll” itineraries<br />
round-trip from Santa<br />
Cruz de Tenerife, calling<br />
at La Gomera, La Palma,<br />
Madeira, Lanzarote<br />
and Las Palmas de<br />
Gran Canaria. With<br />
a similar high-style<br />
quotient, SeaDream<br />
(seadream.com) has<br />
announced new 10-<br />
and 11-day Caribbean<br />
voyages for 2026.<br />
The company, whose<br />
tagline is “It’s yachting,<br />
not cruising”, operates<br />
two dapper 112-guest<br />
yachts that venture to<br />
off-the-beaten-track<br />
anchorages. The sailings<br />
include overnights<br />
in the sublime Gallic<br />
outpost of St Barths,<br />
shabby-chic Bequia in<br />
the Grenadines, and the<br />
quaint retreat of Îles des<br />
Saintes, Guadeloupe.<br />
Other highlights are the<br />
Tobago Cays’ National<br />
Marine Park, a dinner<br />
soirée at the Carambola<br />
Beach Club in St Kitts,<br />
as well as SeaDream’s<br />
signature “Champagne<br />
and Caviar Splash” on a<br />
powder-soft Antillean<br />
beach. From June to<br />
August, Seabourn’s<br />
264-guest Seabourn<br />
Pursuit (seabourn.com)<br />
will offer six 10-day<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>n voyages<br />
between Broome and<br />
Darwin. Not to be missed<br />
is the Aboriginal culture<br />
which dates back 50,000<br />
years in the Kimberley<br />
region, and visits to<br />
remote settings such as<br />
the Bungle Bungles, El<br />
Questro National Park<br />
and Ord River. A highlight<br />
will be a helicopter<br />
flight over the Hunter<br />
River and the Kimberley,<br />
en route to the tiered<br />
falls of the spectacular<br />
Mitchell River<br />
National Park. In July,<br />
National Geographic<br />
Expeditions’ National<br />
Geographic Endurance<br />
(nationalgeographic.<br />
com) will retrace the<br />
voyages of Vikings<br />
through Iceland’s wild<br />
Westfjords region and<br />
Northeast Greenland<br />
National Park, the<br />
largest national park<br />
on the planet. The 138<br />
guests can venture by<br />
Zodiac and kayak into<br />
Scoresbysund, the<br />
world’s longest fjord<br />
system. In this stunning<br />
coastal landscape of<br />
soaring peaks, vibrant<br />
blue seas, and iridescent<br />
icebergs, there will<br />
be close encounters<br />
with polar bears,<br />
walruses, musk oxen<br />
and Arctic foxes. In<br />
the other hemisphere,<br />
Quark Expeditions’<br />
138-passenger Polar<br />
expedition ship,<br />
Ocean Explorer<br />
(quarkexpeditions.com)<br />
will be in Antarctica for<br />
the <strong>2024</strong>/2025 season.<br />
With its X-Bow design,<br />
this state-of-the-art<br />
vessel elevates the<br />
experiential quotient<br />
with thrilling off-ship<br />
adventures. <strong>Autumn</strong>al<br />
splendour will be on<br />
display for 184 guests<br />
aboard Ponant’s Le<br />
Bellot (ponant.com)<br />
during a cruise from<br />
Toronto in October.<br />
Having crossed the<br />
shimmering waters<br />
of Lake Ontario,<br />
there’s a navigation<br />
of the ingenious St<br />
Lawrence Seaway.<br />
The ship calls at<br />
Montreal and Québec<br />
before entering the<br />
Saguenay Fjord, a<br />
refuge for marine<br />
mammals. At the Mingan<br />
Archipelago, giant<br />
limestone formations<br />
erupt from the sea,<br />
while nature’s riot of<br />
colour offers a stunning<br />
backdrop as the ship<br />
cruises the coast of<br />
Nova Scotia before<br />
dropping anchor at the<br />
19th-century maritime<br />
outpost of Portland. The<br />
voyage concludes at the<br />
epicentre of American<br />
history, Boston.<br />
River Revels<br />
A handful of exceptionally scenic rivercruise<br />
itineraries for the year ahead.<br />
Exploring the ribbon of liquid history that is the<br />
Rhine, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ new<br />
whip-smart 110-guest Victoria and Elisabeth<br />
(uniworld.com) will inaugurate sailings in <strong>2024</strong><br />
and 2025 respectively. Both vessels vaunt some<br />
of the largest suites on European rivers. Their<br />
on-trend design exudes a velvet touch of luxury.<br />
Also journeying along the timeless Rhine between<br />
Amsterdam and Nuremberg is Riverside Cruises’<br />
Riverside Debussy (riverside-cruises.com). With<br />
its genteel, eye-catching design, this 110-guest<br />
vessel is a perfect halcyon from which to view<br />
the hypnotic river. Stateside, American Legend<br />
joins the roll-call of four coastal catamarans<br />
specifically constructed for American Cruise<br />
Lines (americancruiselines.com). This 100-guest<br />
vessel will sail on the “American Revolution”<br />
itinerary along Chesapeake Bay, as well as<br />
the “Florida Gulf Coast & Keys” departures.<br />
Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com)<br />
has expanded its portfolio in the Galápagos<br />
archipelago with its partner, Ecoventura. The<br />
company recently added the 20-guest Evolve<br />
(ecoventura.com), its third expedition motor<br />
yacht. These floating boutique hotels are the<br />
only Galápagos vessels accredited by Relais<br />
& Châteaux. In Egypt, Abercrombie & Kent’s<br />
fifth riverboat on the Nile will sail this ancient<br />
waterway from late 2025. The 64 guests will revel<br />
in some of the largest and most sumptuous suites<br />
on the river. There will be an indoor and outdoor<br />
restaurant and a sun deck with a swimming pool.<br />
Above, from top: the Riverside Debussy navigates<br />
the Mosel river in Germany; inside one of Uniworld’s<br />
Royal suites<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
35
SE359.3
when you unlock the world<br />
with a single suite key.<br />
Open the door to the incomparable<br />
value of all-inclusive, ultra-luxury<br />
cruising on Seabourn. You’ll feel right<br />
at home in our intimate, yacht-like<br />
atmosphere, pampered by intuitive,<br />
personalised service. Ensconced in<br />
your spacious ocean-front suite, you<br />
can explore all seven continents,<br />
savour gourmet dining that rivals the<br />
finest restaurants in the world and<br />
enjoy complimentary premium wines<br />
and spirits. All with the added benefit<br />
that you only have to unpack once.<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION,<br />
PLEASE CALL YOUR PLATINUM<br />
TRAVEL SERVICE ON<br />
1800 673 760 (AUSTRALIA), OR<br />
0800 377 421 (NEW ZEALAND).<br />
T&Cs Apply.<br />
All-inclusive | Ultra-Luxury Cruises & Expeditions | Intuitive Personalized Service
38 DEPARTURES TRAVEL HOT TABLE<br />
THE MOUNTAINS AND valleys of South Tyrol have long<br />
attracted travellers keen to enjoy its postcard-perfect<br />
outdoors. But the storied region has more to offer than<br />
just physical beauty, as Michelin-starred chef Norbert<br />
Niederkofler – who has taken this land’s incredible bounty<br />
and enticed people indoors to savour its flavours – is out to<br />
prove. At his latest foray into fine dining, Atelier Moessmer<br />
in the Alpine town of Bruneck, patrons can enjoy the fruits<br />
of his “Cook the Mountain” philosophy based on creative<br />
dishes drawn from local, seasonal ingredients (think Eisack<br />
Valley lamb cooked in spruce embers or beetroot gnocchi).<br />
A native of Valle Aurina, close to the Austrian border,<br />
Italy’s Niederkofler achieved fame in the kitchen of St<br />
Hubertus at the Rosa Alpina hotel, where, in 2017, he<br />
attained the coveted three-star Michelin rating. This<br />
accomplishment was paired with a green Michelin star to<br />
recognise his commitment to sustainable efforts to find<br />
food from his beloved Alps (gone were dishes prepared<br />
with wagyu beef, foie gras or gratuitous dollops of caviar).<br />
“People come here for the unique scenery of the Dolomites.<br />
They should expect something unique on the plate, too,”<br />
he explains.<br />
At Atelier Moessmer, which opened last year and<br />
already holds three Michelin stars, Niederkofler has the<br />
added benefit of being open year-round (the now-closed<br />
Natural Selection<br />
Drawing on fresh, local ingredients<br />
sourced from his perch deep within<br />
the South Tyrolean Alps, an innovative<br />
chef is letting nature call the shots.<br />
by Ivan Carvalho<br />
St Hubertus was a classic summer and winter Alpine<br />
destination for gourmands). Guests are welcomed inside<br />
a cosy, yet contemporary dining room set within a 19thcentury<br />
manor house part of the Moessmer textile mill, a<br />
supplier of premium wool fabric to major fashion houses<br />
such as Gucci.<br />
His menu continues to look to what nature has close<br />
by and what is grown without the aid of greenhouses –<br />
grape-seed oil replaces olive oil and winter sees staff rely<br />
on pickling, be it radishes, fennel bulbs, lacto-fermented<br />
carrots or even spruce tips. There is no sous-vide cooking,<br />
so expect venison to be prepared over an open fire.<br />
Niederkofler adds: “For me, it’s about going back to one’s<br />
roots.” ateliernorbertniederkofler.com<br />
Left: the chef’s<br />
famous mountainherb<br />
salad served<br />
with green-tomato<br />
dressing and<br />
grilled focacella<br />
bread; top, from<br />
left: the elegant<br />
dining room, set<br />
in a repurposed<br />
manor; multiaward-winning<br />
chef Niederkofler<br />
FROM TOP: LUCA DALGE, LORENZO POLATO, LUCA DALGE
EN / ES / DE / ZH / JP<br />
Discover our<br />
City Guides<br />
Urban primers for<br />
global destinations<br />
Bangkok<br />
Paris<br />
London<br />
Dubai<br />
Melbourne<br />
Singapore<br />
Tokyo<br />
Sydney<br />
Berlin<br />
and more<br />
HOT TABLES<br />
24 HOURS<br />
TOP HOTELS<br />
departures-international.com/in-focus/city-guides<br />
@departuresint
DEPARTURES TRAVEL PURE SHORES<br />
40<br />
Lost in Palau<br />
Hidden away deep within the Pacific Ocean, the<br />
jewel-box islands of this archipelagic nation are<br />
difficult to reach – which is precisely its allure.<br />
A catamaran voyage across this remote territory<br />
proves wonderfully eye-opening. by Lee Cobaj<br />
SO REMOTE IS Palau that European explorers didn’t visit the country until 1710, nearly<br />
200 years after Magellan mapped the Pacific Ocean – and even then, it was only stumbled<br />
upon as the result of a shipwreck that eventually led Jesuit missionaries to the islands’<br />
shores. While Palau might not be quite as difficult to pinpoint now, it still takes effort<br />
to reach this verdant corner of the western Pacific Ocean; just two airlines offer regular<br />
scheduled flights to the country’s commercial hub and former capital, Koror: United<br />
Airlines via Manila and Guam; and Taiwan’s China Airlines out of Taipei.<br />
In our easily traversed, hyperconnected world, it’s this remoteness that gives Palau much<br />
of its appeal – something in which Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has had the foresight<br />
to invest, becoming the first true luxury brand to enter the Micronesian market. After<br />
KEN SEET
Clockwise from left:<br />
the Badrulchau stone<br />
monoliths, which date back to<br />
c161; yoga by the Ngardmau<br />
Waterfall – the tallest of its<br />
kind in Micronesia; snorkelling<br />
the sealife-rich waters around<br />
Palau’s islands; traditional<br />
Palauan dancers; opposite<br />
page: the Explorer navigates a<br />
maze of bejungled islets<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SUZUKI KAKU / ALAMY, KEN SEET, © FOUR SEASONS, KEN SEET<br />
nearly 20 years crisscrossing the Maldives, this is where I<br />
meet the relocated Four Seasons Explorer, a luxurious 39m<br />
double-hull catamaran, with 10 staterooms, one Explorer<br />
Suite and a staff of 25, including globetrotting chef Abhay<br />
Singh, who has previously cooked for celebrities such as<br />
Beyoncé and Jay-Z during his time at Four Seasons Voavah<br />
Private Island in the Maldives.<br />
The gourmet cuisine is interspersed between one-ofa-kind<br />
adventures, as the Explorer makes its way across<br />
the length and breadth of this extraordinarily beautiful<br />
country, made up of about 340 squiggly palm-painted<br />
islands and a vast network of coral reefs. One day, we<br />
find ourselves swimming with an estimated one million<br />
(harmless) jellyfish in Ongeim’l Tketau lake – a surprisingly<br />
meditative experience. Another outing takes us to the<br />
Badrulchau stone monoliths, an ancient collection of<br />
basalt standing stones carved with crude faces staring out<br />
across panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. There is also<br />
a trip to the highly informative Belau National Museum,<br />
and a tour around the island of Peleliu, the site of one of<br />
the most ferocious battles of the Second World War.<br />
“It feels like tourism is moving in the right direction,<br />
especially with groups like the Four Seasons coming here,”<br />
says proud Palauan historian Charles “Des” Matsutaro as<br />
we appraise the carcass of a 1944 Japanese Betty Bomber<br />
aircraft woven with tropical greenery. “Hopefully, that<br />
will open up possibilities for other high-end companies to<br />
come out here to Palau.” Matsutaro’s distinctly American<br />
accent and Japanese heritage speak to Palau’s complex<br />
history. Nearly two centuries of colonial rule followed the<br />
arrival of those early Jesuit missionaries, with the islands<br />
first stolen by Spain, then sold to Germany, annexed by<br />
Japan, later forming a part of the US-administered Trust<br />
Territory of the Pacific Islands before finally gaining<br />
independence in 1994.<br />
Onboard the Explorer, we experience a far more<br />
peaceful existence than Palau’s history might suggest.<br />
With 80% of the territory’s waters designated as a national<br />
marine reserve – which includes the world’s first shark<br />
sanctuary – its underwater world is a vision. Along with all<br />
meals and most excursions, diving and snorkelling trips are<br />
included in the Explorer’s US$3,000-a-night rate. Across<br />
seven days, I barely see any signs of the coral bleaching<br />
so common in other destinations nowadays. Instead, I’m<br />
greeted with bright bouquets of cabbage corals appearing<br />
like giant rose petals cascading all the way down to the sea<br />
bed, sea turtles navigating through great fields of lavendercoloured<br />
staghorn ferns, and hypnotic murmurations of a<br />
canary-yellow blueline snapper.<br />
Mornings arrive in vivid technicolour. Night brings<br />
velvety black skies filled with shining stars. We’re not<br />
just sailing, we’re moving through the works of Louis<br />
Stevenson and Melville, Maugham and Michener, Gauguin<br />
and Matisse. It may be an effort to reach Palau, but in<br />
this far-flung land, every moment feels like a discovery.<br />
fourseasons.com<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
41
PROMOTION<br />
RAFFLES SINGAPORE<br />
A legendary welcome at a landmark destination<br />
RAFFLES SINGAPORE is one of the few remaining great<br />
19th-century hotels in the world, perfectly preserved<br />
both inside and out, giving it an intoxicating blend of<br />
luxury, history and classic colonial design. Its distinctive<br />
architecture, legendary heritage and iconic service<br />
continue to enthrall visitors where suites, social spaces,<br />
restaurants and bars have been specially curated for<br />
discerning travellers. No visit to Singapore is complete<br />
without a stay here, where the grand historic hotel exudes<br />
old-world grandeur infused with the unique charm of the<br />
city state.<br />
Guests can experience the modern comfort and<br />
amenities presented within 115 luxuriously spacious<br />
suites complemented by our legendary 24-hour Raffles<br />
Butler Service and a heritage tour of the property by our<br />
resident historian. Nine restaurants and bars present<br />
both local favourites, fine dining and collaborations<br />
with internationally renowned chefs and curated<br />
classics such as the iconic Singapore Sling experience<br />
and signature Raffles Afternoon Tea amid the colonial<br />
charm of the historic Grand Lobby.<br />
A rooftop swimming pool and state-of-the-art fitness<br />
centre provide a respite from the hustle and bustle of the<br />
city while the Raffles Spa is a holistic sanctuary offering<br />
pampering spa experiences and renewed well-being.<br />
Guests are also invited to visit the Raffles Boutique to<br />
shop for gourmet gifts and heritage-inspired souvenirs<br />
and the Raffles Arcade showcasing an elegant mix of<br />
new-to-market and world-renowned international<br />
brands, collectively creating a one-of-a-kind retail<br />
experience that goes beyond traditional brick and<br />
mortar shopping.<br />
1 BEACH ROAD, SINGAPORE 189673, RAFFLESSINGAPORE.COM<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE VISIT TRAVEL.AMERICANEXPRESS.COM.AU
STYLE<br />
Richard Quinn<br />
silk taffeta mini<br />
ballgown with<br />
ostrich-feather<br />
trim, oversize bow<br />
and opera-coat<br />
effect with train,<br />
richardquinn.com<br />
RUNWAY REPORT DEPARTURES<br />
JEFF SPICER / BFC<br />
Back to Black At long last, top designers around<br />
the globe are making a bold return to the dark<br />
side, says Avril Groom.<br />
43
44 DEPARTURES STYLE RUNWAY REPORT<br />
Whistles cotton<br />
crochet lace sheath<br />
dress, whistles.com<br />
ACCORDING TO THE gurus at Pantone, the<br />
global colour-matching and trend-tracking<br />
institute, this season we will all be swathed<br />
in something called Peach Fuzz, which it has<br />
designated the Color of the Year.<br />
Well, not so, if you follow fashion designers<br />
and the catwalk results of their creative<br />
musings. The colour front and centre of<br />
collections across the world was something<br />
literally much darker, and both obvious and<br />
startling – black.<br />
It’s obvious because, as those outside the<br />
industry constantly remind insiders, it’s the<br />
default design colour – Coco Chanel’s 1926<br />
unveiling of the little black dress (LBD) is<br />
still regarded as one of fashion’s greatest<br />
moments. Even brands like Prada and Miu<br />
Miu, known for directional colour mixes, are<br />
featuring black more than usual. It’s startling<br />
because these are summer collections, for<br />
which black can seem too sombre. It also<br />
goes against the recent grain of brilliant,<br />
Insta-friendly summer shades – probably one<br />
reason for the volte-face.<br />
There are many others. The LBD cemented<br />
black as the epitome of timeless chic in<br />
contexts from office to ballroom, a principle<br />
that stands in an era of tightened luxury<br />
spending, when ephemeral trends are seen<br />
as unsustainable and which Virginie Viard<br />
at Chanel now works faultlessly. Later, as an<br />
antidote to 1980s bling, Paris-based Japanese<br />
designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei<br />
Kawakubo brought in the eerie yet beautiful<br />
black layering of “apocalyptic chic”, closely<br />
followed by the subversion of conventional<br />
shapes in the deconstructionism of Belgians<br />
Martin Margiela and Ann Demeulemeester.<br />
Now, this all resonates in the stark light of<br />
climate threat and is reflected in experiments<br />
from new designers like Daniel Roseberry at<br />
Schiaparelli or Rok Hwang at Rokh.<br />
Milan designers have their own version<br />
of black, known as the “Italian widow look”<br />
and based on sensuality and curves, featuring<br />
lace and corsetry and exemplified by Dolce<br />
& Gabbana (inspired by Domenico Dolce’s<br />
home island of Sicily and old films like the<br />
1950 Rossellini picture Stromboli – a look at<br />
which it still excels). It surfaces in the current,<br />
nostalgic, 1980s-style mob-wife look, which<br />
adds leopard print and a ton of gold jewellery<br />
From left: Dior silk dress with full lace skirt embroidered in florals, dior.com; Simone Rocha satin dress with pleats, fold details and<br />
ribbon trim, simonerocha.com<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: © WHISTLES, BEN BROOMFIELD, © DIOR
Pale shades suggest vintage with black – they were<br />
originally used under black lace to suggest skin and<br />
still make a wistfully lovely combination<br />
Right: Rokh leather<br />
and canvas geometriccut<br />
jacket and culottes<br />
with belt and straps,<br />
rokh.net; bottom:<br />
Undercover terrarium<br />
dress with twisted tulle<br />
skirt containing live<br />
flowers and butterflies,<br />
undercoverism.com<br />
FROM TOP: © ROKH, © UNDERCOVER<br />
and is, paradoxically, the easiest way to wear summer black<br />
if done tastefully (not a contradiction in terms). A simple<br />
black dress, from tailored chic to full-skirted peasant style,<br />
with strappy, flat, leopard-print sandals, elegant gold hoop<br />
earrings and the lightest tan has an effortless sophistication<br />
that fans of hot colour rarely match.<br />
Black is also the go-to shade for eveningwear at any<br />
time of year. The social media takeover of the red carpet<br />
pushes extreme style but current flesh-flashing, barely<br />
there, boudoir-ready designs almost always look better<br />
in black and can dazzle on the right body with the right<br />
delicate straps, lace and cutouts from the likes of Nensi<br />
Dojaka, Tove or Mônot, which dial down the dominatrix<br />
overtones. Other riffs on evening black notably include the<br />
tuxedo suit, an item which is today gender-free and, as a<br />
great foil for jewels, looks wonderful on everyone, whether<br />
worn over nothing but a necklace, some exquisite lingerie<br />
or a proper shirt.<br />
That option leads to colours with black – and the few<br />
that always work. White is the obvious, especially with<br />
a tuxedo, from romantic stock-neck shirts at Maison<br />
Margiela (now designed by John Galliano) to firstcommunion<br />
white lace at Rokh and white silk flowers<br />
from Irish designer Simone Rocha (who also loves splashes<br />
of red with black) but equally in the majestic black gowns<br />
designed by Richard Quinn as a tribute to his late father<br />
and given added impact by white beaded flowers or a huge<br />
white bow, or the crisp contrast of long-cuffed white shirts<br />
under sober jackets and coats or leather bib-front dresses<br />
at Dior. Graphic, Art Deco-style silk prints at Edward<br />
Crutchley or the simple impact of Tove’s black jumpsuit<br />
under a voluminous white coat are no less striking.<br />
Shades of pale pink, from shell to – yes – Peach Fuzz,<br />
instantly suggest vintage with black as they were originally<br />
used under black lace to suggest skin and still make a<br />
wistfully lovely combination, as Dior’s fragile, embroidered<br />
dresses or Rocha’s veiled roses show. But of all the new ways<br />
with black this season, none is more beautiful than the<br />
final look in the collection by Jun Takahashi (a protégé of<br />
Kawakubo) for his label Undercover, a delicately decorated<br />
dress mysteriously veiled in black chiffon with a full,<br />
short skirt lit from within and containing live flowers and<br />
butterflies. A literal showstopper – despite some naysayers<br />
– that captures this spring’s elegiac fashion mood.<br />
DEPARTURES 45
DEPARTURES STYLE MUST HAVES<br />
All Eyes on You<br />
There’s no better way to supercharge an outfit<br />
than these stylish sunglasses and handbags.<br />
By Chiyumi Hioki<br />
Photographs by Noriyuki Koike<br />
46<br />
Gucci geometric sunglasses<br />
with rose-gold-toned (top) and<br />
yellow-gold-toned frames;<br />
Jackie Notte mini shoulder bag<br />
in patent leather, gucci.com
Louis Vuitton lambskin Pico<br />
GO-14 bag with cowhide<br />
lining and twist-lock<br />
closure; GO-14 sunglasses<br />
in acetate, louisvuitton.com<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
47
48 DEPARTURES STYLE MUST HAVES<br />
Bulgari acetate<br />
Serpenti sunglasses;<br />
calfskin Serpenti<br />
Forever Mini top-handle<br />
bag (top); calfskin<br />
Serpenti Baia Micro bag<br />
(bottom), bulgari.com
Cartier Trinity de Cartier<br />
sunglasses with three-tone<br />
golden finish and grey<br />
graduated lenses; mini calfskin<br />
Trinity shoulder bag (top);<br />
vertical calfskin Trinity bag<br />
(bottom), cartier.com<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
49
50 DEPARTURES STYLE GETTING REAL<br />
Are Personalised Probiotics the Next Big Thing?
Our overall health is uniquely tied to the microbiome of our gut.<br />
Camilla Hewitt asks leading scientific minds about what probiotics<br />
can – and can’t – do, as well as what the future may hold.<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
THE GUT MICROBIOME is made up of a community of<br />
microorganisms that includes bacteria, viruses and fungi.<br />
Most of these microbes are beneficial and keep us in<br />
good health by helping to fight off infection and break<br />
down food. Searches on how to boost the gut microbiome<br />
often point to probiotics – the so-called “good” bacteria<br />
found in food or supplements that are believed to restore<br />
balance, particularly after a round of antibiotics or a bout<br />
of irregular bowel movements.<br />
In today’s booming wellness market, a multitude of<br />
probiotic pills lines the shelves of health stores, but do we<br />
need a dietary supplement to populate our gut with good<br />
bacteria, and are they as effective as we are led to believe?<br />
Opinions from the scientific community are – as so<br />
often in matters of diet – more nuanced than definitive.<br />
Emeran Mayer, a UCLA gastroenterologist and braingut-microbiome<br />
expert, tells us, “If you are on a diet<br />
rich with different types of fermented foods (kimchi,<br />
kombucha, yoghurt, kefir or sauerkraut), there is no need<br />
for an additional supplement.” Professor Tim Spector,<br />
co-founder of ZOE (see page 52) and one of the world’s<br />
leading experts on nutrition, is of the same opinion, and<br />
points out that there are added benefits to the food-first<br />
approach. “When we consume fermented foods that<br />
naturally contain probiotics, we also get the benefits of the<br />
food itself,” he says. “In the case of fermented plants, this<br />
includes fibre and hundreds of healthy compounds, which<br />
also support our gut bacteria and overall health.” He adds<br />
that “supplement manufacturers often choose probiotic<br />
strains based on which species are most convenient to use<br />
rather than evidence that they benefit health. So, regularly<br />
eating a diverse selection of probiotic foods is a good<br />
way to hedge your bets – you’ll consume a wider range of<br />
probiotic strains while benefiting from the fibre and plant<br />
chemicals.”<br />
To understand the limitations of off-the-shelf probiotic<br />
supplements, we need to take a closer look at the gut, and<br />
it is personalised nutritional programmes like ZOE that<br />
have given us a consumer-friendly insight into just how<br />
complex the microbiome is. Now, more than ever before,<br />
we understand that each person has a unique network of<br />
microbes shaped by early life as well as lifestyle factors<br />
including diet and geographical location. When asked<br />
about the efficacy of supplements, Mayer notes, “The same<br />
microbes may not be effective in everybody, and based<br />
on current knowledge, the effectiveness of a particular<br />
microbe is likely to depend on the unique composition and<br />
function of the gut microbiome of a particular individual.”<br />
He adds that, “Until we are able to design custom cocktails<br />
of probiotic strains that match an individual’s microbiome<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
51
52 DEPARTURES STYLE GETTING REAL<br />
Personalising<br />
Probiotics<br />
Decoding the microbiome is<br />
in hot demand. Here are the<br />
at-home testing kits and spa<br />
retreats designed to measure<br />
gut health and provide<br />
personalised nutrition plans.<br />
ZOE<br />
This at-home test delivers an<br />
inside look at blood fat, blood<br />
sugar and gut microbiome health.<br />
Based on your results, the Zoe<br />
team will teach you how to swap,<br />
add and combine foods so you<br />
can eat in the best way for your<br />
body. zoe.com<br />
VIVAMAYR MARIA WÖRTH<br />
At this Austrian health resort,<br />
testing the microbiome plays a<br />
crucial role in shaping effective<br />
treatment plans by providing<br />
valuable insights into individual<br />
gut health. During the one- to<br />
two-week programme, the team<br />
assesses and works on not just<br />
nutrition but movement and mental<br />
strength too. vivamayr.com<br />
VIOME<br />
Another at-home test that<br />
measures what’s happening<br />
inside your gut microbiome.<br />
Viome results look at the<br />
presence of live microorganisms<br />
but also their activities, such<br />
as producing harmful toxins or<br />
beneficial nutrients. viome.com<br />
KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI<br />
Kamalaya combines the traditional<br />
healing principles of Ayuverda<br />
and TCM with the latest findings<br />
in nutrition. The Enriched<br />
Gut programme aims to reduce<br />
inflammation and restore balance<br />
through a combination<br />
of healthy cuisine, herbal<br />
remedies and holistic therapies,<br />
including stimulating abdominal<br />
massage and yoga. kamalaya.com<br />
“It’s not as easy as providing bacteria<br />
that we think are beneficial – your unique<br />
metabolism is also important”<br />
and evaluate their effectiveness, it may be impossible to<br />
demonstrate significant benefits in clinical trials.”<br />
This seems to be the sticking point with probiotic<br />
supplements. As it stands, there is a lack of evidence to<br />
support claims made by brands, meaning they are often<br />
unsubstantiated. Spector comments, “It’s not as easy as<br />
simply providing bacteria that we think are beneficial –<br />
how that species interacts with other species in your gut<br />
and your unique metabolism is also important.”<br />
While the advantages of probiotic supplements sound<br />
rather slim, there is some evidence of their benefits<br />
in treating minor digestive issues like indigestion and<br />
bloating, and clinical studies suggest that certain strains<br />
– particularly Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria – can help<br />
treat diarrhoea caused by antibiotics.<br />
Looking to the future, Spector is optimistic that<br />
probiotic supplements will become very effective once<br />
we start to personalise them; however, he says that “first<br />
we need to untangle the complex relationships between<br />
individual species of bacteria and human health, which is<br />
no mean feat”. For the time being, the advice is to focus<br />
on eating foods that will help gut microbes flourish, and<br />
following a predominantly plant-based diet consisting<br />
of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and<br />
fermented foods is considered to be the most reliable way<br />
to maintain a thriving microbiome.<br />
The healthforward<br />
Kamalaya<br />
Koh Samui<br />
© KAMALAYA
EN<br />
Prime Properties<br />
Explore the world’s most desirable<br />
residences in our curated online collection<br />
CÔTE D’AZUR<br />
LONDON PORTUGAL SICILY<br />
Scan this QR code to visit departures-international.com’s<br />
dedicated real estate section<br />
@departuresint
Life Extraordinary<br />
LUX* SOUTH ARI ATOLL<br />
MALDIVES<br />
luxresorts.com
LUCA ROTONDO<br />
ARTS<br />
Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo<br />
founder Luigi Carlon poses<br />
in front of Massacre of the<br />
Innocents, an early 17th-century<br />
painting by Veronese artist<br />
Simone Brentana<br />
On View In Verona’s historical Palazzo Maffei,<br />
Italian industrialist Luigi Carlon has finally found<br />
a home for his outsized collection of rare art.<br />
by Siobhan Reid<br />
SPOTLIGHT DEPARTURES<br />
55
56 DEPARTURES ARTS SPOTLIGHT<br />
The Archangel Raphael with Tobias and St Jerome, a 15th-century painting by Italian Apollonio di Giovanni and Warrior Saint, a Sienese or<br />
Umbrian sculpture on polychromed wood<br />
ENTERING VERONA’S ATMOSPHERIC main square, Piazza<br />
delle Erbe, your eye is immediately drawn to Palazzo<br />
Maffei. The private 17th-century Baroque residence is one<br />
of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, situated in the<br />
heart of the ancient Roman forum behind the imposing<br />
statue of Saint Mark’s winged lion (a vestige of Venice’s<br />
400-year rule over Verona) and immortalised in paintings<br />
by Giovanni Boldini and Ercole Calvi. Yet, for centuries, few<br />
people knew what existed behind its resplendent façade.<br />
Veronese industrial tycoon and art collector Luigi Carlon<br />
was fixated on Palazzo Maffei. Every night before bed,<br />
he gazed at a painting by the Italian artist Carlo Ferrari<br />
that depicted Piazza dell Erbe and its Baroque palace and<br />
dreamed about one day installing his vast art collection<br />
inside its grand halls.<br />
Carlon had made a fortune in the manufacturing<br />
industry. His company, Index, which he sold in 2019, has<br />
waterproofed the world’s most important landmarks,<br />
including the Empire State Building, the Burj Al Arab<br />
Jumeirah hotel and the Place Vendôme. But art had long<br />
been his true passion. As a young man, he befriended<br />
Veronese painters and sculptors and studied futurist,<br />
metaphysical and post-war contemporary painting. As his<br />
business took off and he began travelling the globe, his<br />
knowledge of the art world broadened. He acquired works<br />
from the world’s most prestigious museums, including<br />
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and pored over<br />
catalogues from Christie’s and Sotheby’s.<br />
Fifty years of collecting later, his treasures no longer fit<br />
inside the family home (he had even resorted to stacking<br />
some of his acquisitions behind sofas). There were ancient<br />
manuscripts, sculptures, a 16th-century doge’s throne,<br />
and the complete Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert<br />
(the most complete compendium of human knowledge<br />
up until the Enlightenment) alongside seminal works by<br />
Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Amedeo Modigliani,<br />
René Magritte, Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Marcel<br />
Duchamp and Pablo Picasso. While it gave him great<br />
pleasure to live among such masterpieces, he was keen on<br />
sharing his collection with the world. “When I see these<br />
works, I get a beautiful sensation,” he tells me. “I wanted<br />
others to feel the same.”<br />
For a decade, he searched for the perfect home for his<br />
650-piece collection, visiting properties in and around<br />
Verona, but a part of him was always holding out for<br />
Palazzo Maffei. Then, in 2015, the palace’s then-owners<br />
put the property up for sale. Carlon’s dreams had, quite<br />
literally, come true. “The [Carlo Ferrari] painting brought<br />
me good luck,” he figures.<br />
Before long, the Milan-based architecture and design<br />
studio of Baldessari e Baldessari was carrying out an<br />
extensive restoration of the palazzo, breathing new life into<br />
the ancient residence while preserving its time-weathered<br />
frescoes, elaborate stucco work, Venetian terrazzo floors<br />
and helicoid staircase, which, at one point in time, was the<br />
highest self-supporting spiral staircase in the world.<br />
Carlon also called on legendary Italian art historian<br />
Gabriella Belli, formerly the director of Fondazione Musei<br />
Civici di Venezia, to head up the museographic design.<br />
Unlike a traditional museum, Carlon wanted the institution<br />
to be steeped in all the intimacy of a private residence, with<br />
vividly coloured walls, designer furniture and ancient art in<br />
conversation with modern works. A medieval crucifixion,<br />
for example, a triptych by the Second Master of San Zeno<br />
was placed next to Lucio Fontana’s Concetto Spaziale from<br />
his acclaimed Cuts series. The museum’s vice-director Rada<br />
Kratchanova explains: “Luigi’s motto is that art is always<br />
contemporary, regardless of when it was made. Artists are<br />
always striving to go beyond what is visible, to reach an<br />
infinity. Pairing these works engages a broader audience.”<br />
PAOLO RIOLZI
In February 2020, the Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo finally<br />
opened to the public only to be shuttered just weeks later due to<br />
the pandemic. Still, the first three days lured over 3,000 visitors,<br />
and the weekly events – concerts, dance performances, talks<br />
with artists and museum directors – were an instant hit with the<br />
community. More recently, the museum has partnered with the<br />
local university and Verona’s Academy of Fine Arts to bring on<br />
students as museum tour guides and attendants.<br />
Carlon’s daughter Vanessa, who trained as a lawyer and is now<br />
the museum’s director, explains that, in many ways, the Palazzo<br />
Maffei Casa Museo has been formed in the image of Venice’s Peggy<br />
Guggenheim Collection, whose robust range of public programming<br />
is without equal in Italy. “We want our museum to be as much of a<br />
cultural centre as it as an initiator of conversations,” she says.<br />
While most visitors come to see 20th-century masterpieces,<br />
Kratchanova notes that the museum’s Veronese and Venetian<br />
treasures – many of which have been returned to Italy after long<br />
stints abroad – are equally a source of local pride. She points to<br />
two works by the Renaissance painter Niccolò Giolfino which<br />
were recovered from a collection in New York as an example.<br />
And sure, the museum features the front page of Le Figaro’s 20<br />
February, 1909 edition, in which Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s<br />
revolutionary Manifesto of Futurism was published, but it appears<br />
alongside a front-page copy of the daily Veronese newspaper<br />
L’Arena, which published the same manifesto 11 days earlier. “The<br />
idea is to show that what was happening in the world was also<br />
happening here in Verona,” says Kratchanova.<br />
In many ways, Carlon’s objective can be summed up by a<br />
work by Chiara Dynys, Over Nature (2021), which appears in a<br />
second-floor exhibition room. Superimposed onto a landscape<br />
wall painting, the three-dimensional work features a Goethe<br />
quote inside a gilded-steel and glass net. Translated into English,<br />
it reads: “It’s not necessary to go around the world to understand<br />
that the sky is blue everywhere.”<br />
That being said, at the age of 85, Carlon shows no signs of stopping<br />
his relentless, globe-spanning pursuit of artworks he’s been tracking<br />
for much of his lifetime: he recently acquired a woodblock print<br />
of Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave, of which there are very<br />
few originals. And this March, the museum unveiled a site-specific<br />
sculpture by Claire Fontaine in its central courtyard.<br />
“Collecting is an illness,” jokes Carlon. “But it’s my<br />
passion. I want this to be a museum that lives and breathes.”<br />
palazzomaffeiverona.com<br />
When in Verona …<br />
Antiquity-obsessed Verona has no shortage<br />
of old palazzo hotels and Renaissance-era<br />
villas to stay in. But when Vista Palazzo<br />
swung open its doors in 2022, the city had<br />
never seen anything quite like it. Tucked<br />
inside a 19th-century mansion a stone’s<br />
throw from the Porta Leoni Roman gate, the<br />
boutique gem offers the same mix of Old<br />
World elegance and contemporary flair as<br />
its sister properties in Lake Como. Thirdgeneration<br />
owner Bianca Passera — whose<br />
family created the Lario Hotels group in<br />
the 1920s – has deep knowledge of Italian<br />
craft (she was the former director of a silk<br />
museum in Como), which shines through<br />
in the hotel’s glamorous, jewel-box-like<br />
interiors: handmade walnut-parquet panels,<br />
curvilinear Baxter furnishings, pedestalstyle<br />
Italian marble sinks and creative<br />
lighting from Marchetti Illuminazione. The<br />
subterranean spa was dug out of a Roman<br />
well and features a Finnish sauna, a heated<br />
swimming pool and Biologique Recherche<br />
treatments. But the focal point is the<br />
property’s sophisticated rooftop terrace,<br />
where locals and guests sip Campari<br />
spritzes and take in 360-degree views of<br />
the Torre dei Lamberti, the Santuario della<br />
Madonna di Lourdes and other fascinating<br />
city landmarks. verona.vistapalazzo.com<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
MASSIMO RIPANI (2)<br />
Works by Marino Marini (central sculpture and left of the doorway), Alberto Burri (far left), Antonio<br />
Calza (second left), Leoncillo Leonardi (far right) and Matthias Stom (over the doorway)<br />
57
58 DEPARTURES ARTS AT THE WHEEL<br />
Small Wonders<br />
The limited-edition,<br />
scaled-down creations from<br />
The Little Car Company<br />
pair uncannily accurate<br />
aesthetics with remarkably<br />
robust performance.<br />
by Adam Hay-Nicholls<br />
WITHOUT A FULLY grown driver to<br />
draw attention to its products’ scale<br />
you’d swear blind The Little Car<br />
Company produces full-size replicas<br />
from motoring’s most valuable<br />
archive. In fact, you’d be forgiven for<br />
thinking that was an all-original 1926<br />
Bugatti Type 35, 1957 Ferrari 250<br />
Testa Rossa or 1963 Aston Martin DB5<br />
convertible before you, such is the<br />
attention to detail and craftsmanship.<br />
The 75 per cent scale electric<br />
versions of three of the most iconic<br />
roadsters ever created are<br />
manufactured under licence from<br />
these prestigious and uncompromising<br />
supercar companies in a small unit at<br />
Bicester Heritage, a historic vehicle<br />
heartland on the site of a World War II<br />
Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire,<br />
UK. The Little Car Company was<br />
launched in 2019 when Bugatti sought<br />
to celebrate its 110th birthday by<br />
recreating the “Bugatti Baby” which<br />
Ettore Bugatti built for his youngest<br />
son Roland. That was a 50 per cent<br />
scale electric buggy, built in 1926<br />
and based on a Type 35, too, but the<br />
Little Car Company made theirs large<br />
enough to accommodate an adult.<br />
Like the original, the Bugatti Baby<br />
II is a limited edition: 500 are being<br />
built, priced at US$38,400 before<br />
taxes and shipping. Power is available<br />
up to 10kW and there’s a top speed of<br />
up to 68 kilometres per hour (in some<br />
countries, like Canada and the US, it<br />
has to be restricted).<br />
Inspired by a one-off built by Aston<br />
Martin, which was delivered to the<br />
Buckingham Palace nursery in 1966,<br />
the DB5 Junior’s production run<br />
reflects that of the real thing – 1,059 –<br />
and is priced from US$59,600. Power<br />
is up to 10kW and a top speed of up<br />
Left: The Little<br />
Car Company’s<br />
75%-scale Ferrari<br />
250 Testa Rossa,<br />
designed for<br />
drivers over 14<br />
years old;<br />
top: two<br />
diminutive Aston<br />
Martin DB5<br />
convertibles<br />
follow a full-sized<br />
model<br />
to 72 kilometres per hour, and there’s<br />
also a more potent “No Time To Die”<br />
special edition which is loaded with<br />
007 gadgets including miniguns,<br />
rotating licence plates and smoke<br />
screen priced from US$109,500.<br />
The Ferrari is the most exclusive.<br />
In close collaboration with<br />
Ferrari’s Centro Stile and Classiche<br />
Department, 299 examples of the<br />
Testa Rossa J will be built, priced<br />
from US$103,500. There’s an even<br />
rarer US$130,000 “Pacco Gara”<br />
version designed for racing, with<br />
14kW of power, a roll cage and Sabelt<br />
harnesses, adjustable dampers and<br />
brake bias.<br />
The company is also starting<br />
production on its biggest little car yet:<br />
the bellicose 4.5-litre Bentley Blower<br />
of 1929, a legend of Le Mans which<br />
was described as “the fastest lorry<br />
in the world” by Monsieur Bugatti.<br />
The Little Car Company has built<br />
it in 85 per cent scale. It measures<br />
3.7 metres long and 1.5 metres wide,<br />
can accommodate two adults and,<br />
unlike the other cars mentioned, the<br />
© THE LITTLE CAR COMPANY
“We took a Bugatti Baby II to Ferrari.<br />
They said, ‘We thought you were bringing us<br />
a toy, but you’ve brought us a little car!”<br />
FROM TOP: FREDERIK HERREGODS, © THE LITTLE CAR COMPANY<br />
Blower Jnr is fully road-legal. This<br />
surely makes it the perfect vehicle for<br />
Sunday drives to an English country<br />
pub (designated driver permitting,<br />
of course). It’s priced at US$115,000<br />
– around one twentieth the price of<br />
a full-scale “Continuation” Blower.<br />
Expect these to be the most soughtafter<br />
accessory at the Goodwood<br />
Revival in September.<br />
Getting permission from Bentley,<br />
Aston Martin, Bugatti and especially<br />
Ferrari to do anything with their<br />
brand is, as one might expect, a<br />
major hurdle. How did The Little Car<br />
Company CEO Ben Hedley do it? “We<br />
took a Bugatti Baby II to Ferrari very<br />
discreetly, brought it through the back<br />
gate at Maranello, and put it in front<br />
of the board. They said, ‘We thought<br />
you were bringing us a toy, but you’ve<br />
brought us a little car!’”<br />
Hedley, who studied mechanical<br />
engineering at Cambridge University<br />
before becoming an entrepreneur,<br />
has also been COO of Linley, the<br />
high-end furniture maker founded<br />
by King Charles III’s cousin, Lord<br />
Snowdon. This gave him core insight<br />
into the luxury industry. The little<br />
cars he produces are “not replicas,<br />
they’re reinterpretations. And we’ve<br />
had a bit of fun with them, like the<br />
little ‘Manettino’ dial for the mode<br />
selection on the Ferrari’s Nardi<br />
steering wheel. Or the missile switch<br />
on the Aston. We feel like the naughty<br />
cousins of these car companies.”<br />
There’s also a Pur Sang version of<br />
the Bugatti, boasting a “speed key”<br />
to unlock extra horsepower, which<br />
is inspired by the modern Chiron<br />
hypercar, and a Carbon Edition<br />
inspired by the 410kph Mistral; both<br />
are aimed at collectors. One wonders<br />
how many ever get into the hands of<br />
children.<br />
Each little car is based on a digital<br />
3D scan of all the full-size vintage car<br />
parts or archived design drawings. The<br />
original suspension geometry design<br />
is used, and the aluminium is handbeaten.<br />
The paint is original Bugatti,<br />
Aston Martin, Ferrari and Bentley<br />
Mulliner paint. So too the leather<br />
and other materials, and those iconic<br />
badges in enamel or silver. In the Testa<br />
Rossa J, the pedals are taken directly<br />
from the F8 Tributo. The handling is<br />
as authentic as an enthusiast could<br />
hope for, and is developed, tuned and<br />
signed off on by the chief test driver<br />
from each supercar marque – all<br />
professional racing drivers. There are<br />
different driving modes to manage<br />
the amount of power at the rear<br />
wheels and various safety features<br />
with children in mind, but generally,<br />
the cars are designed for the over-14s.<br />
The cars are built to order and are<br />
fully customisable, and the waiting<br />
list is, at the moment, eight months.<br />
However, there are a handful of<br />
stock cars ready to drive away from<br />
Harrods and Selfridges department<br />
stores in London and a few Ferrari<br />
dealers in the US. “If you teach your<br />
kids to learn to drive in a Ferrari,<br />
that’s the most amazing way to<br />
learn,” Hedley points out. “I think<br />
the manufacturers have twigged that<br />
if you learn to drive in, say, a little<br />
Ferrari, that young person may go<br />
on to drive a full-size Ferrari. That’s<br />
brand loyalty for life.” thelittlecar.co<br />
Right: the Bugatti<br />
Baby II – part of a<br />
limited edition of<br />
just 500; top: the<br />
expertly recreated<br />
dash of the scaleddown<br />
Ferrari 250<br />
Testa Rossa<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
59
Midas Touch<br />
The hour of gold is now,<br />
as these instant-classic jewellery<br />
creations prove.<br />
60 DEPARTURES<br />
Photographs by<br />
Chantel King<br />
Production by<br />
Elisa Vallata<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
60
DEPARTURES<br />
Giorgio B rose-gold Palma earrings set with diamonds;<br />
left hand: Giorgio B rose-gold Palma bracelet and ring;<br />
right hand: Solange yellow-gold Goldstar bangle Tasaki<br />
Sakuragold Surge ring Alberta Ferretti satin cut-out dress<br />
Opposite page: 886 by the Royal Mint yellow-gold<br />
The Ornament & Safeguard necklace set with diamonds<br />
Louis Vuitton draped leather-panel top<br />
61
62 DEPARTURES<br />
Van Gelder yellow-gold ear pendants and heavy linked<br />
necklace Ute Decker ring in solid-gold fused with silver<br />
Magda Butrym sleeveless jersey mini dress<br />
Opposite page: Chris Davies yellow-gold vaulted<br />
pear-shaped earrings, seen at louisaguinnessgallery.com<br />
Boghossian yellow-gold and diamond Merveilles Halo<br />
necklace; left hand: Chanel beige- and yellow-gold Coco<br />
Crush bracelets set with diamonds; right hand: Pomellato<br />
rose-gold and diamond Iconica bracelet and ring
HAIR: SHARON ROBINSON; MAKE-UP: EOIN WHELAN; MANICURE: CHERRIE SNOW; MODEL: NATASHA LUWEDDE @ SELECT; PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANTS: PIM VAN BALAAN & KRISLEN CHETTY; RETOUCHING: JESSICA MCHUGH<br />
Solange yellow-gold and diamond fringe bracelet<br />
Pomellato rose-gold and diamond Fantina earrings<br />
Opposite page: Louis Vuitton yellow-gold LV Volt mesh<br />
earrings set with diamonds Boucheron yellow-gold Delilah<br />
scarf necklace set with diamonds with diamond-set clasp;<br />
right hand: Louis Vuitton yellow-gold LV Volt mesh ring set<br />
with diamonds; left hand: Van Cleef & Arpels yellow-gold<br />
and diamond five-row Perlée ring Giorgio Armani<br />
short silk-organza bustier dress with laminated leather belt<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
65
Colour Theory<br />
66 DEPARTURES<br />
These eye-popping timepieces combine boldly geometric<br />
silhouettes and vibrant colours to striking effect.<br />
Photographs by Xavier Young<br />
Production by Elisa Vallata
Clockwise from top: Omega<br />
Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m with<br />
a 41mm stainless-steel case;<br />
stamped Seamaster logo on the<br />
caseback; PVD-treated dial;<br />
rhodium-plated hands and<br />
indexes filled with<br />
SuperLumiNova; self-winding<br />
movement; rubber strap<br />
Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0<br />
Chronograph with a 39x41.7mm<br />
stainless-steel case; sunburst<br />
dial; indexes and hands filled with<br />
SuperLumiNova; self-winding<br />
chronograph movement; rubber<br />
strap Zenith Defy Skyline 36 with<br />
a 36mm steel case; sunburst dial;<br />
self-winding movement; rubber<br />
strap Hermès H08 with a 39mm<br />
glass-fibre composite case coated<br />
with aluminium and slate powder;<br />
ceramic bezel; sapphire caseback;<br />
luminescent hands; self-winding<br />
movement; rubber strap<br />
Opposite page: Richard Mille RM<br />
07-01 Racing Red with a 31.40 x<br />
45.66mm Carbon TPT and Quartz<br />
TPT case and dial; sapphirecrystal<br />
caseback; luminescent<br />
indexes and hands; self-winding<br />
movement; rubber strap<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
67
From top: Audemars Piguet Royal<br />
Oak Offshore Selfwinding<br />
Chronograph with a 42mm<br />
stainless-steel case; sapphirecrystal<br />
caseback; dial with Méga<br />
Tapisserie pattern; white-gold<br />
Royal Oak hands with luminescent<br />
coating; rubber strap Patek<br />
Philippe Ref. 7968/300R<br />
Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow”<br />
Chronograph with a 39.9mm<br />
rose-gold case; sapphire-crystal<br />
caseback; diamond- and<br />
sapphire-set bezel; mother-ofpearl<br />
dial; sapphire hour markers;<br />
self-winding movement with<br />
flyback chronograph<br />
Opposite page, from top: Roger<br />
Dubuis Excalibur Blacklight MB<br />
with a 42mm white-gold case;<br />
diamond-set bezel; sapphirecrystal<br />
caseback; skeletonised<br />
dial; white-gold-plated hour<br />
markers; self-winding movement;<br />
rubber strap with calf inlay Harry<br />
Winston Zalium Turquoise/Orange<br />
with a 42.2mm zalium case;<br />
openworked dial with retrograde<br />
counters; chapter ring with<br />
satin-brushed finish; alligatorleather<br />
strap<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
69
ADVERTORIAL<br />
SHANGRI-LA SYDNEY<br />
Enjoy panoramic views from Sydney’s harbourside hotel, perfectly<br />
positioned in the dress circle of Sydney Harbour<br />
SHANGRI-LA SYDNEY boasts an extraordinarily beautiful<br />
view of Sydney’s international icons – Sydney Opera<br />
House and Sydney Opera House.<br />
Nestled in the heart of the historic Rocks District, the<br />
contemporary hotel features 564 elegantly appointed guest<br />
rooms and suites, reflecting the vibrant hues of Sydney<br />
Harbour and beyond.<br />
The hotel stands alone in the city for its unparalleled<br />
personal service, and its elevated, unobstructed, 270-degree<br />
views of Sydney’s glittering jewels.<br />
The Horizon Club on Level 30 is <strong>Australia</strong>’s most<br />
sophisticated guest lounge in a five-star hotel. The<br />
sumptuously decorated space has 13m-high windows<br />
spanning four storeys, as Sydney’s sweeping vistas glisten<br />
below.<br />
Altitude takes dining experiences to new heights. Nowhere<br />
else in Sydney will you find such an award-winning<br />
restaurant hovering high above the city. The renowned Blu<br />
Bar on 36 serves creative cocktails in a sleek space at the<br />
very top of the hotel.<br />
And for those seeking a tranquil escape, Chi, The Spa is<br />
an urban oasis which draws inspiration from ancient Asian<br />
healing philosophies and offers a plethora of specialised<br />
luxurious treatments.<br />
Let the breathtaking beauty of Sydney envelop you in its<br />
magic at Shangri-La Sydney.<br />
176 CUMBERLAND STREET, THE ROCKS, NSW 2000, AUSTRALIA<br />
SHANGRI-LA.COM/SYDNEY<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, VISIT TRAVEL.AMERICANEXPRESS.COM.AU
ADVERTORIAL<br />
SHANGRI-LA SINGAPORE<br />
Experience magical moments and warm Asian hospitality<br />
in this luxurious sanctuary in the heart of the city<br />
IN 1971, the Shangri-La Group opened its first luxury hotel<br />
in Singapore and paved the way for a new standard in Asian<br />
hospitality in the region. An urban oasis set amid 6 hectares<br />
of landscaped gardens, and mere minutes away from<br />
bustling Orchard Road, Shangri-La Singapore is where the<br />
group’s legendary Asian hospitality took root.<br />
Guests here are warmly embraced by the hotel’s distinct<br />
service and smiles. The property comprises three distinct<br />
wings that house 792 guestrooms and suites – contemporarystyle<br />
rooms in the Tower Wing, a tropical sanctuary in the<br />
Garden Wing, and the classically elegant Valley Wing.<br />
Located in the heart of the city, the hotel boasts an<br />
extensive range of 11 dining concepts and bars offering<br />
diverse culinary experiences; unique family facilities,<br />
including buds by Shangri-La, an interactive play area for<br />
children to explore and learn through play, and Splash, an<br />
extensive outdoor water playground; and Chi, The Spa<br />
for exquisite pampering moments. The hotel is also home<br />
to the very first Shang Palace in the world, where diners<br />
are treated to the best in fine Cantonese cuisine.<br />
A sanctuary in the heart of the city, this tropical hideaway<br />
provides a vibrant and diverse social scene, unparalleled<br />
culinary experiences and family facilities where travellers<br />
unwind in style and luxury.<br />
22 ORANGE GROVE ROAD, SINGAPORE 258350<br />
SHANGRI-LA.COM/SINGAPORE/SHANGRILA<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, VISIT TRAVEL.AMERICANEXPRESS.COM.AU
A snow leopard holds<br />
court from atop the craggy<br />
peaks of Hemis National<br />
Park in Ladakh, India<br />
72 DEPARTURES
In Search<br />
of the<br />
Snow<br />
Leopard<br />
With a global population<br />
of less than 7,000,<br />
the snow leopard is one<br />
of the most elusive<br />
creatures on the planet.<br />
Mary Holland ventured<br />
into the beautiful<br />
depths of Ladakh to<br />
catch a glimpse of the<br />
camera-shy cat.<br />
Photographs<br />
by Behzad Larry<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
73
33°<br />
51´<br />
07.2”<br />
N<br />
_<br />
77°<br />
42´<br />
27.9”<br />
74 DEPARTURES<br />
E<br />
Opposite page: a bird’s-eye<br />
view of Lungmār (below right),<br />
set at nearly 3,750 metres<br />
above sea level<br />
I peered through the scope transfixed, like a sniper on a target,<br />
watching the snow leopard’s every move. It lay on the mountain sunning itself,<br />
then stood up and stretched, pushing its enormous paws into the rock and arching<br />
its back like a regular house cat, if a house cat were thirty times its size. I tried<br />
not to blink so that I wouldn’t lose sight of the magnificent creature. It dipped<br />
behind a rock, then craned its furry neck and looked directly at us. Over two<br />
kilometres away, across a valley on the opposite mountain face, could it know we<br />
were there? The cat then pounced along the ridge and slinked behind the rocky<br />
bluff, disappearing deep into the mountains. Fifteen minutes later and I would<br />
have missed it.<br />
I hadn’t expected the snow-leopard sighting to happen so early into my trip. It<br />
was only day two of the journey and we were meant to be adjusting to the altitude<br />
of 3,524 metres at the Grand Dragon Hotel in Leh, in northernmost India,<br />
before our expedition at Snow Leopard Camp in Hemis National Park began.<br />
That morning I’d been drifting in and out of sleep, desperately trying to ease my<br />
altitude-induced headache, glugging bottles of electrolytes. When I rolled over<br />
to check my phone I saw four missed calls and a barrage of text messages from<br />
Behzad Larry, my host and founder of Voygr Expeditions. “Leopards sighted,” the<br />
first one read. I immediately burst from my bed. “Keep a relaxed pace though,”<br />
came the next message. Right, slowly, I told myself as I skipped to the shower.<br />
About twenty minutes after receiving his text message, Larry had pulled up<br />
outside the Grand Dragon Hotel. I threw myself into the front seat like we were<br />
making a getaway from robbing a bank. “When you find a snow leopard, drive it<br />
like you stole it,” he said, as we screeched out of Leh.<br />
Larry, who has been leading these expeditions for over ten years, was as surprised<br />
as I was. Though his team has had a 100 per cent success rate, the sightings tend<br />
to happen a couple of days into the usual ten-day trip (I was on a shortened sixday<br />
journey due to my schedule). My assumption was that I’d be well acclimated<br />
before I saw my first snow leopard – perhaps on the fourth or fifth day. That was<br />
if I was even going to see one at all.<br />
With between 4,500 and 7,000 estimated to be roaming central Asia, the snow<br />
leopard is one of the most elusive, endangered animals in the world. Before I met<br />
Larry, I didn’t even think it was possible to see one in the wild. “People think<br />
it’s entirely undoable,” explained Larry, as we shot past storefronts outside Leh,<br />
dodging stray dogs sunning themselves on the road. “Even if they see pictures,<br />
they’re like, ‘Oh, wow!’. That’s not something I could do.” I’d seen the rare video<br />
footage of videographers unsuccessfully staking out in the mountains for days,<br />
desperately waiting for the prick of an ear or a flick of a tail. If even David<br />
Attenborough hasn’t seen one in the wild, how could I?<br />
When we arrived at the entrance of Hemis National Park, we whizzed past a<br />
flock of wild blue sheep (the snow leopard’s main prey) a few metres from the<br />
road. It was an unusually close sighting of the protected animal but there wasn’t<br />
time to stop because, well, there was a snow leopard to see. After arriving at the
DEPARTURES 75
76 DEPARTURES<br />
Above, from left:<br />
a villager from the<br />
hamlet of Rumchung,<br />
in Hemis National<br />
Park; local crafts fill<br />
the tented suites at<br />
Lungmār; opposite<br />
page: Stakna Gompa,<br />
a Buddhist monastery<br />
near Leh<br />
viewing point on a small hilltop in the valley, I drew in the thin, cold air. “As<br />
quickly as you can,” said Larry. I hauled myself out of the car and plodded up to<br />
Larry’s team, which was standing in a crooked line under a string of prayer flags<br />
peering through scopes.<br />
A historian and photographer who is based between the US and India, Larry<br />
started his company in 2013 after spending a year and a half travelling across<br />
India, the country he was born in. When he finally arrived in Ladakh in the<br />
Himalayas on the border of China, he found little reason to leave. “It was unlike<br />
anything I’d seen before; I just fell in love with it,” says Larry. A part of the<br />
country not unlike Nepal, with soaring snowcapped shale mountains that carve<br />
high into a powder-blue sky as translucent rivers gush through valleys below,<br />
Ladakh is a place that has a haunting beauty. But it wasn't only the landscapes<br />
that enticed him to stay, it was also the people and their approach to tourism.<br />
“Ladakhis are really great with conservation,” he says. His aim was to create a<br />
sustainable business model that would fund the communities it works within,<br />
and Ladakh – a place that doesn’t benefit as much from tourism as other parts of<br />
India – felt like a good place to do it. “I wanted to do fair tourism, where you're<br />
travelling to a community and most of the money stays there,” said Larry.<br />
For years, Larry offered camping in mobile, rug-strewn tents warmed by<br />
gas heaters, which his team would set up flawlessly in the mountains. It was<br />
as luxurious a camping experience as you could find. But with temperatures<br />
plummeting well below zero in the winter, even with sleeping bags that keep<br />
you warm at -40°C, it was an experience for the intrepid. In 2020, Voygr opened<br />
Lungmār Remote Camp, the only luxury lodge set inside Hemis National Park,<br />
where all the snow-leopard action takes place. “No one else has a property that<br />
is designed to be warm in the winter months,” says Larry.<br />
Hidden up a steep jagged road, the simple lodge built from stone and mud plaster<br />
appears as a humble dwelling that blends seamlessly into the purple landscape.<br />
The rooms are modest, with snug wooden beds, Afghan kilim rugs, windows that
ZOLTAN SZABO / ISTOCK<br />
look onto the dramatic shale mountains and, most importantly, hot showers. In<br />
the main area, sheepskin-draped window seats and intricately carved coffee tables<br />
provide a cosy place to sit, especially during the midday when the sun floods in.<br />
The dining room has wooden tables and benches where extraordinary, homey<br />
Indian dishes such as pillowy naan, spinach rotis, dahl and tandoori chicken or<br />
tender mutton (cooked in the outside tandoor oven) are served.<br />
There’s no wifi or reception, but there is a library and photographic area with<br />
historical and geography books. The property is simple, made from locally sourced<br />
materials and light on the land – everything Larry would want from a lodge in this<br />
part of the world. “We have major water issues, so we only have a few suites that<br />
have showers within them,” says Larry, adding that the water is pulled from the<br />
stream before it’s heated. “To have showers in every room is financially doable but<br />
the environmental cost is massive.”<br />
For Larry, the luxury isn’t in the thread count, it’s based on the experience.<br />
“We have the most expensive linens and nice beds. But we don’t have flush toilets<br />
for everyone,” says Larry, adding that he hopes other operators will eventually do<br />
the same. Working in an environment as fragile as this requires setting your own<br />
rules. “It’s about voluntarily limiting yourself,” he explains. What guests get with<br />
Voygr is an unparalleled tracking team (his head tracker Dorjay has worked with<br />
snow leopards since 1990), as well as access to things like individual scopes that<br />
cost thousands of dollars, so they can enjoy the cat sightings to themselves, which<br />
isn’t the case with most operators. “At the key moment when a cat is spotted,<br />
everyone has to take turns, no one can continuously watch,” says Larry. “It’s<br />
about creating an experience that’s not only based on the feel of luxury but on the<br />
rareness of what you’re experiencing.”<br />
During my five days in Hemis National Park, we saw not one other tourist.<br />
In the mornings and evenings, when snow-leopard activity is at its highest, the<br />
trackers use their scopes to scan for cats (there’s even a tracker who is employed<br />
as a full-time “kill-seeker”, traversing over 20 kilometres per day in search of<br />
“When a<br />
cat is spotted,<br />
everyone has to<br />
take turns, no one<br />
can continuously<br />
watch. It’s about<br />
creating an<br />
experience that’s<br />
not only based<br />
on the feel of<br />
luxury but on<br />
the rareness<br />
of what you’re<br />
experiencing”<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
77
33°<br />
51´<br />
07.2”<br />
N<br />
_<br />
77°<br />
42´<br />
27.9”<br />
E<br />
snow-leopard kills). While they scoured for any sign of life, we sat in the valley<br />
like policemen on a stakeout, biding our time by sharing stories, petting furry<br />
village dogs and drinking large cups of ginger tea. The scopes are set out in<br />
different viewing locations each day – on a hilltop or the patio of a villager’s home<br />
– depending on where they think we might see activity. When snow-leopard<br />
movement is low during midday, there’s plenty else to do: visit a monastery, hike<br />
through the shale valleys past small villages and over frozen streams, or curl up<br />
with a book on a sun-drenched chair.<br />
One morning when activity felt particularly low, we took a drive to the other<br />
side of Hemis National Park, passing Leh and the many army bases before<br />
we arrived at the point where the Zanskar and Indus rivers converge. In the<br />
wintertime, the river, which is fed by glacial water, is mind-numbingly cold. Seeing<br />
the translucent blue water gush through a valley of towering grey and brown<br />
mountains is otherworldly. We dipped down into the valley, tracing the river for<br />
a few kilometres before stopping for a packed lunch of rotis and masala chai on<br />
the patio at the home of a tracker’s uncle in the hope that we might see a snow<br />
leopard. They’d been spotted there before. On the way back, I insisted on taking a<br />
dip in the freezing river to help jolt me out of my sluggish, altitude-induced state,<br />
knowing I would return to Lungmār where a hot shower awaited.<br />
The lodge is certainly pioneering tourism in the area, but it’s only one part of<br />
Larry’s holistic tourism strategy to be more responsible. In the past four years, the<br />
carbon-negative company has channelled over US$100,000 into ranger training<br />
and building corrals to keep livestock safe from snow leopards, mitigating humanwildlife<br />
conflict, which often leads to poaching of cats. Ultimately, Larry’s hope<br />
is that tourism in the area will overtake shepherding, an activity which has<br />
sometimes been challenging for the snow-leopard population.<br />
Already, 70 per cent of his field team is local. He has expanded his pool of<br />
trackers and started working in other locations such as Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and<br />
78 DEPARTURES
Tajikistan, where snow-leopard tourism is still in its infancy and there’s a great<br />
opportunity to develop a good model with governments from scratch. “If you are<br />
entering landscapes that are as pristine and fragile as the high Himalayas, you need<br />
to work with governments,” says Larry, adding that they have been collaborating<br />
with different ministries to help create regulations.<br />
Operating in this environment while maintaining such high standards is not<br />
without its challenges. On my last night at camp, as we gathered in the living<br />
room to watch a local band while drinking expertly made martinis by Larry (who<br />
is based in New York for part of the year, so a discerning cocktail drinker), the<br />
electricity cut out. At the same time, the backup generator broke. Larry’s team<br />
– which always seems to be ready for any issue that might be thrown their way<br />
– seamlessly jumped onto the problem. With the temperature plummeting to<br />
around -10°C overnight and no heat to keep the rooms warm, Larry made the<br />
decision to shuttle us to the Grand Dragon Hotel in Leh for the night, which<br />
meant I would miss the final morning of snow-leopard spotting. Naturally, the<br />
group I left behind saw another leopard that following morning (and, a few days<br />
later, another cat on a kill).<br />
When I landed back in New York, Larry texted me photos of a snow leopard<br />
sitting on the purple mountainside with a bloody face and paws while feasting on<br />
a blue sheep. A momentary pang of jealousy quickly shot through me. But I had<br />
to remind myself how truly rare my experience had been, and how little could<br />
surpass that first moment seeing a snow leopard slinking across the mountaintop.<br />
The memory and feeling of complete and utter awe is etched in my brain like a<br />
tattoo. “I’ll just have to come back for more!” I texted back. And I meant it. Here’s<br />
hoping that Voygr’s work over the past ten years – researching and collecting data,<br />
working full-time to track snow leopards and pouring money into conservation<br />
efforts and communities – will pay off, and that when I return someday, there will<br />
be more of these extraordinary cats to see. voygr.com; snowleopardcamp.com<br />
Below: on a snowleopard<br />
stake-out:<br />
opposite page: the big<br />
cat in motion<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
79
The Mad Genius<br />
of South Island<br />
80 DEPARTURES<br />
Iconoclastic, eccentric and extraordinarily talented, New Zealand<br />
chef Vaughan Mabee draws diners from across the world to his Central<br />
Otago restaurant – and his dishes are only getting, well, weirder.<br />
By Ann Abel<br />
Photographs by Sam Stewart
Left: Bluff oyster, fresh<br />
from the cool waters of the<br />
Foveaux Strait, which chef<br />
Mabee prepares with<br />
Chenin Blanc vinegar and<br />
Amisfield olive oil; above,<br />
from left: Amisfield’s<br />
idyllic perch along Lake<br />
Hayes; the awe-inspiring<br />
view from the restaurant’s<br />
dining room; Amisfield<br />
chef – and MasterChef<br />
New Zealand judge –<br />
Vaughan Mabee<br />
D<br />
inner at Amisfield begins with a provocation. People expect as<br />
much when they make the journey to the bottom of the world to<br />
dine at New Zealand chef Vaughan Mabee’s restaurant, which<br />
is at the Amisfield winery in the South Island’s Central Otago<br />
Valley. “We’re showcasing the difference of New Zealand,” says<br />
Mabee. “We have so many things you can’t get anywhere else.” And so, arriving at<br />
Amisfield, some of those things appear to be alive and in your face.<br />
For the past few months, the epic evening has included an invitation to the<br />
cellar, where the chef keeps charcuterie that’s been curing for a decade or more.<br />
There, alongside the tied sausages and game legs, a pair of New Zealand mallards<br />
(“rakiraki” in Māori and on the menu) are suspended from the ceiling, seemingly<br />
in midflight.<br />
Mabee spent three years working on the dish along with pastry chef Becky<br />
Sheffield. He shot the birds in Hawkes Bay a few years ago and taxidermied them<br />
himself. Then the chefs replaced the heads with an edible version: bills and shells<br />
made of duck fat flavoured with duck essence and garum, shining feathers made<br />
of duck egg white coloured with chlorophylls. Inside the head, there’s aerated<br />
acidic liver pâté, rillette and heart. The bill is filled with pickled Otago cherries.<br />
“It’s a gangsta bite,” says the chef excitedly during an early-morning call, for<br />
which he’s surprisingly energetic after a late night in Melbourne with the <strong>Australia</strong>n<br />
World’s 50 Best contingent. (Yes, he’s going to the ceremony in June.) He repeats<br />
that it looks like guests are “about to eat an actual duck head that’s alive”.<br />
That dish encapsulates all you really need to know about Vaughan Mabee. The<br />
man is a hunter, a science nerd, a mad genius, a troublemaker, a mohawked Kiwi<br />
viking, a classically trained chef, a taxidermist, a child of nature and, above all,<br />
an entertainer. He’s defining what New Zealand fine dining can be. When he<br />
negotiated his contract with Amisfield in 2012, it had one main stipulation: his<br />
goal would be to create the best restaurant in the world.<br />
It wasn’t – and isn’t – an unfounded idea. He was in the room where it<br />
happened before. After stints in hotel kitchens in California and as part of Martín<br />
Berasategui’s three-star team in Lasarte-Oria near San Sebastian, he was working<br />
in the original Noma – when it was just 16 chefs and he was the chef de partie for<br />
“snacks” – when it was first named the best restaurant in the world, in 2009.<br />
He credits Berasategui with instilling his appreciation for tradition, and Noma’s<br />
René Redzepi with showing him the power of being driven and transmitting that<br />
to his team. The relentless creativity, however, is his alone.<br />
Now that the global food cognoscenti have caught on – thanks to a slew of<br />
international press, a number 44 ranking in the 2023 Best Chef Awards, and a<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
81
“Everyone remembers everything they had.<br />
It’s a culinary journey around the mountains, and it<br />
keeps everyone thinking about New Zealand”<br />
82 DEPARTURES<br />
Bedding Down<br />
There is no accommodation<br />
available at the Amisfield<br />
winery, so making the<br />
trip to this rural outpost<br />
requires finding a spot to<br />
stay. In nearby Queenstown,<br />
Eichardt’s Private Hotel<br />
( eichardts.com), a<br />
163-year-old hostelry set<br />
directly on Lake Wakatipu,<br />
is the best place to stay.<br />
For a wide variety of villas<br />
– some truly extraordinary<br />
– consult longtime local<br />
travel specialist Touch of<br />
Spice (touchofspice.co.nz).<br />
Chef Mabee adds the finishing touches to his<br />
famous “rakiraki” duck – an intricate dish whose<br />
creation was some three years the making<br />
spotlight as a World’s 50 Best Discovery (on top of being named best restaurant in<br />
New Zealand for several years running) – Mabee has been feeling freer to “bring<br />
guests into the wild” and “blow people’s minds”.<br />
At the same time, he says, “It’s quite humbling to see people flying in from all<br />
the corners of the world.” Whereas Amisfield used to be an aside to an adventuredriven<br />
itinerary, now it’s the main event. A couple from New York recently told<br />
him they planned a two-week trip to New Zealand only after they had been<br />
promoted from his waiting list.<br />
“If someone comes so far, I want to give them something different and unique,<br />
something that can’t be copied,” he continues. “Everyone remembers everything<br />
they had. It’s a culinary journey around the mountains, and it keeps everyone<br />
thinking about New Zealand.”<br />
Dinner generally runs to 23 courses, though it might be less if the fishermen<br />
can’t get into the harbour or if the hunters come back without an elk. Or it might be<br />
more, particularly in the summer vegetable season. (In the summer, the famously<br />
pro-hunting chef does offer a vegan menu as well.)<br />
While the details may change, it’s all indelibly Kiwi. Cones of cured greenbone<br />
with garden horseradish are presented in the fishes’ mouths. A fillet of butterfish<br />
is wrapped with whitebait and bathed in beurre blanc. Baby pāua (abalone) from<br />
Mabee’s sustainable farm in Bluff is served on<br />
warm rocks to bring out the flavour.<br />
A high point is a dish called the Whole<br />
Beast, which guests consume outside at a<br />
table beside a fire over which an entire game<br />
animal has been cooking all day. Mabee avoids<br />
conventional meats like beef and pork – or<br />
any farmed animals – but makes an exception<br />
for one savoury highlight. (The farmer is a<br />
friend and has her own abattoir.) A lamb’s tail<br />
is confited in its aged fat, then covered with<br />
wool that’s burned at the table before the meat<br />
is served.<br />
Even desserts pay homage to South Island<br />
wildlife. A spiker antler (the first, unusually<br />
pointy set of a young buck) is fashioned out of<br />
deer-milk ice cream and affixed to a deer skull,<br />
alongside a regular antler made of cartilage and<br />
bone. The edible part is served with a “deer’s<br />
blood” caramel sauce – berries the animals<br />
could have eaten.<br />
Duck heads return in another dessert,<br />
probably Amisfield’s most famous dish. Now<br />
it’s a pūtangitangi (shelduck), a bird that’s<br />
illegal to serve in a restaurant. Not wanting to<br />
break any laws, Mabee and Sheffield recreated<br />
it as a cake. The cake base is topped with duckliver<br />
ice cream and covered in “New Zealand<br />
chocolate” – emulsified harakeke seeds since<br />
cacao isn’t endemic – feathers made of duckfat<br />
icing and another crunchy bill, this time<br />
made with fermented elderberry jelly.<br />
Guests from all over the world look forward<br />
to these dishes, so they’re staying on the menu.<br />
“I can’t move these dishes,” he says. “They took<br />
years to get perfect. I can’t even imagine how I<br />
came up with that shit.” amisfield.co.nz
F al m ou t h<br />
Khaki Suede<br />
BY APPOINTMENT TO<br />
HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES<br />
MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR<br />
CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON<br />
MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879<br />
Our interpretation of<br />
a classic summer Boat Shoe<br />
featuring our new Wedge Rubber Sole<br />
CROCKETTANDJONES.COM
WE want<br />
to hear<br />
f rom YOU<br />
JOIN THE LUXURY ADVISORY BOARD.<br />
The Luxury Advisory Board is an anonymous online survey panel<br />
made up of your fellow <strong>Departures</strong> readers – all of whom are<br />
passionate about sharing their thoughts and opinions.<br />
Gaining insight into the latest travel and lifestyle trends and<br />
reader interests and preferences enables us to continue to<br />
develop <strong>Departures</strong> Magazine and departures-international.com<br />
to suit your lifestyle.
An exceptional treasure for that special someone.<br />
80 CASTLEREAGH STREET, SYDNEY | jfarrenprice.com.au