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TIPS AND TRICKS: KENYA
Learn more about dining, lodging and enjoying Kenya: Have a look at our helpful Tips and Tricks.
THE TRIP
Start with a few days in the capital of Nairobi, head out to Shompole for a week of sublime nature and uniquely luxurious accommodation, then cool off in the Indian Ocean with a visit to Lamu Island.
STAYING IN NAIROBI
We recommend Palacina, a Swahili-modern boutique hotel set in tranquil gardens 10 minutes outside the city.
EATING IN NAIROBI
Try the top-rated Moonflower at the Palacina, with its mix of India and Swahili cuisine and occasional African jazz band. For a lazy afternoon lunch in the upmarket suburb of Karen, try the expat hangout of Talisman, known for its rejuvenating curries and salads.
SIGHTSEEING IN NAIROBI
Spend some time in the central business district downtown, checking out the uniquely African modernist architecture of the 60s and 70s, including the iconic Kenyatta Tower (1974). Also, don't miss a visit to the colonial-era suburb of Karen, first developed in the 1930s and named after Danish author Karen Blixen, on whose farmland the suburb was built.
SHOPPING IN NAIROBI
Stroll down shady, tree-lined Biashara Street to discover an endless array of crafts, curios, antiques and fabrics, in particular the brightly-colored, dazzlingly diverse, perennially hip kanga sarongs. Two of the best shops for kangas are Haria's Stamp Shop and Lucky's, both located on Biashara Street.
GETTING TO SHOMPOLE
A 30-minute private charter flight to Shompole from Nairobi, the Maasai Mara or the Amboseli can easily be arranged by Shompole's management. Shared private charters are also available three times a week.
STAYING AT SHOMPOLE
Located in a private conservancy overlooking the vast plains and volcanic hills of the Great Rift Valley, Shompole eco-lodge is a luxurious, ecologically sound accommodation of white quartz stone, pale thatch and polished fig wood. Each room features its own dipping pool and spectacular views.
ACTIVITIES AT SHOMPOLE
Although one can easily pass a week here enjoying the sites and sounds of nature from the luxury of one's own accommodation, there's more than enough to keep busy those who want to be active. Early morning nature walks with a Maasai guide are an eye-opening delight. Both breakfast and sun-downer picnics in the bush are easily arranged. And game viewing in the conservancy is a pleasure day or night using one of Shompole's specially modified four-wheel drives.
SHOPPING IN THE SAVANNA
The local Maasai are proud and talented craftsmen, with a penchant for intricate beading. Remember to bring plenty of cash to the savanna, however -you'll be hard pressed to find an ATM machine in the bush, and credit cards are not accepted.
VISITING LAMU
Back in Nairobi, it's just a 90-minute flight to the island of Lamu, the fabled jet-set hideaway that counts Caroline of Monaco and Queen Sonja among its part-time residents. For the classic Lamu experience, book a room at the Peponi Hotel and enjoy its aristo-meets-boho atmosphere on the veranda, especially come sunset.
TIPS AND TRICKS: SEYCHELLES
Get to know the Seychelles. The best spots to stay, relax, eat and swim: our Tips and Tricks for the Seychelles.
THE TRIP
Start with a few days in the capital of Nairobi, head out to Shompole for a week of sublime nature and uniquely luxurious accommodation, then cool off in the Indian Ocean with a visit to Lamu Island.
VickyH Destinations will assist you in booking and planning your perfect stay in Kenya: http://www.vickyh.ch / mailto:vickyh-destinations@vickyh.ch - Tel: +41 22 940 17 47
THE TRIP
Give yourself a minimum of a week in the Seychelles. From gracious Mah, with its Four Seasons resort, to stunning Praslin, with its small luxury hotels and UNESCO world heritage reserve, to ultraluxurious Fregate, the private island eco-resort, there's plenty of leeway to find the slice of paradise that's right for you in the Seychelles. For us, that slice was La Digue, the perfect blend of beaches, beauty and laid-back luxury.
GETTING THERE
From Europe, it's a 12-hour flight to Victoria, the capital, which is on Mah, the largest of the islands. Take a bus or taxi to the Old Port to catch the ferry that goes first to Praslin, then to La Digue. You can also charter a helicopter to take you directly from the airport to La Digue. It takes about 20 minutes and the views are beyond. http://www.masonstravel.com
STAYING ON LA DIGUE
There are no chain hotels on La Digue and hardly a car. Large swathes of the island have been given over to national parks, including the pristine beaches where species such as the Aldabra Giant Tortoise gather. The Seychelles government has gone to great lengths protect the unusual natural resources and delicate ecology of La Digue, and although tourism fuels the economy, development has been checked, the number of hotel beds capped at just a few thousand, all of which only enhances the blissful feeling of having stumbled upon your own private Eden.
La Digue doesn't have five-star anything, but that's precisely the point. Lodging tends to be on the idiosyncratic side of luxury. The La Digue Island Lodge (http://www.ladigue.sc) is a series of palm-thatched A Frame beach bungalows that recall vintage Polynesia. (There's even a kitschy swim up bar in the pool with icy tropical cocktails!) For those who hate wearing shoes, the four private L'Union Estate Beach Chalets are primely located inside the L'Union Estate Park, with the famed Anse Source D'Argent beach for a front yard.
EATING
Veuve Restaurant is the perch of choice for sunset scoping, with dining tables strewn around the beach under big, lazy coco palms. The cuisine is typical Seychelles-a Creole mix of Indian and French with lots of coconut milk, curries and fresh seafood dishes such as saffron-dusted tuna.
HITTING THE BEACH
is something of a high art in the Seychelles. La Digue has a fabulous variety of sand, all perfectly textured, coming in Pantone shades of white. The most luxurious sand, that of Anse Source d'Argent, comes specked with giant boulders you can sneak among to explore cove after cove. The beach is often crowded near the entrance, but buy a fresh coconut water from a Rasta and have an adventure: the farther south you trek, the fewer humans you meet. On the more remote, west side of the island, which requires a strenuous peddle over the lush green hill in the center, is Anse Coco, a long, wide beach with deep water that's prime for swimming or boat anchorage. There's also a little beachside caf. From Anse Coco, it's worth hiring a boat for the day to check out some of the smaller islands like Saint Pierre, Marianne and La Felicit.
SHOPPING IN LA DIGUE
is dreamy if you're into kitschy tropicalia. Most of the boutiques are in the town center, by the harbor, with a few strung along the road to towards L'Union estate. Ask a local to point you to Zilwa Souvenirs; they sell sexy 1970's floral halter dresses, Fantasy Island sarongs and almost anything that could possibly be made out of coconut shell, from handbags to effigies to salad bowls.
TIPS AND TRICKS: MEGEVE
THE TRIP
With its easy access from the airport of Geneva, Megve is ideally situated for short stays and long. While famed for its skiing, especially at the advanced intermediate level, the town offers much else besides, starting with its wonderful mountain air. Indeed, the first hotels to open here - back at the beginning of the 20th Century, before the skiers arrived - catered to those seeking the air's curative powers. Today, the 'cure' extends to a range of high-end spas attracting skiers and non-skiers alike.
GETTING THERE
A wide range of companies operate airport transfer services from the Geneva International Airport directly to Megve. The ride usually takes between an hour and 80 minutes, depending on time of season.
STAYING IN MEGVE
Still a Medieval farming villlage at heart (with more than 60 active farms in the immediate surroundings), Megve has resisted the temptation of mass tourism, its planning authorities careful to preserve the cobblestoned quaintness of the town and its surroundings. By keeping out large-scale hotels and resorts, Megve has fostered an impressive array of luxurious small hotels, each with its own distinctive style and character. To experience all-out rustic charm, we recommend Au Coin de Feu. With its weathered wood, centuries-old furniture and warm Savoyard atmosphere, the hotel has attracted a dedicated following, so be sure to book early (www.coindefeu.com).
EATING OUT
Gourmands tend to agree that Chef Emmanuel Renault's two-starred Flocons de Sel (www.floconsdesel.com), revered for its contemporary take on Haute Savoyard cuisine, offers the ultimate gastronomic experience in Megve, but with more than 80 restaurants in town, no less than eight of them boasting Michelin stars, you'll never be starved for choice here. For a taste of Megve's glamorous past, be sure to book a table at Les Enfants Terrible (www.hotelmontblanc.com); ensconced in the legendary Hotel Mont Blanc, Les Enfants was restored last year to its original 1950s look, complete with a mural by Jean Cocteau, a regular patron of both hotel and restaurant. To enjoy traditional Savoyard cuisine in an historic setting of a decidedly different era, try the relaxed and cosy Le Prieur (www.leprieure-megeve.com), housed in the old Benedictine priory on the Place de l'glise. And to experience the best pizza in the French alps, venture no further than Le Pizzaiolo (586, Rte. Nationale).
ON THE SLOPES
In the aftermath of WWI, unwilling to mingle with the Germans who frequented St. Moritz, Baroness Nomie de Rothschild sent her Norwegian ski instructor and a young French ski champion into the Alps to scout locations for a thoroughly French resort. They proposed the farming village of Megve, and De Rothschild was charmed by "its medium altitude, its gentle climate and slopes," noting that, in Megve, "nothing is rude, nothing is abrupt, everything evokes feminine charm." Megve retains its Frenchness to this day, not to mention its reputation for beauty. With 226 square kilometers of well groomed and exceptionally scenic slopes - including 35 green runs for beginners, 56 blue runs for advanced beginners, 77 red runs for intermediates and 32 black runs for experts - Megve has something for every kind of skiier, yet it remains a place for enjoying the surroundings as much as for as zipping through them.
RELAXING ON THE SLOPES
More than thirty restaurants dot the pistes above Megve, servicing hungry skiers throughout the day. Few of these establishments, however, can rival the rustic charm, delicious cuisine and warm, relaxed atmosphere of Restaurant sur les prs. Located on a gently sloping field near the arrival of the Petite Fontaine ski lift, its ample terrace offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountaintops and sweeping valley below.
RELAXING OFF THE SLOPES
With its igloo cabins, snowball lamps and seemingly ice-carved walls, the Pure Altitude Spa at Hotel Mont Blanc is a spa environment unlike any other, a "symposium of white" offering a range of treatments designed as the perfect antidote for the the high altitude and winter cold of Megve (www.hotelmontblanc.com).
SHOPPING IN MEGVE
Sometimes referred to as the 21st arrondisement of Paris, Megve offers plenty of high-end shopping of the kind you'd expect to find in the capital, but to experience a truly local offering, be sure to drop by the family-owned A. Allard boutique. Founded by Armand Allard, the tailor who, back in the 1930s, created the streamlined stretch trousers that launched the modern era in skiwear, this 80-year-old establishment continues to offer luxury ski apparel with a heritage no other brand can match (www.aallard.com).
TIPS AND TRICKS: THAILAND
THE TRIP
Recently ranked third best city in Asia by the readers of a leading travel mag, Chiang Mai can hardly be called Thailand's best-kept anymore. Fortunately, her rise in popularity hasn't gone to her head. One still has the feeling of having stumbled upon a well kept-secret when first visiting Chiang Mai. Nestled high in the mountains, the "Rose of the North" has somehow managed to preserve a sense of tradition, grace and hospitality befitting the ancient royal city that she is. Give yourself at least week here, making time to enjoy the surrounding countryside and cultural spots.
GETTING THERE
Located some 700 km to the north of the capitol, Chiang Mai is easily reached by plane, with more than 20 flights a day from Bangkok alone to Chiang Mai International Airport. Flight time is about 70 minutes.
STAYING THERE
The Dhara Dhevi Mandarin Oriental, which took some 1,000 workers more than four years to complete, is the modern-day recreation of an ancient royal city in the Lanna style. Sixty hectares of lush, luxurious hyperreality, complete with lotus-filled moats and ponds and a working rice paddy with sturdy oxen striding by, the Dhara Dhevi grounds are dotted with a spectacular array of painstakingly rendered buildings, from ornate Buddhist wats (temples) to regal teak guest pavilions to a spa modeled on an ancient Mandalay palace. Resist the temptation never to leave. (www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai).
CULTURAL IMMERSION
Seat of the medieval Kingdom of Lanna (land of a million rice fields), Chiang Mai is a cultural travelers' dream, with more than 300 Thai Buddhist temples to discover, some of them among the most significant in Thailand.
Those not to miss include: Wat Chiang Man, the city's oldest, which dates to the 13th Century (King Mengrai lived here while overseeing construction of the city); Wat Phratap Doi Sutep, with its spectacular hilltop views; Wat Phra Sing, which houses the famous Phra Buddha Singh, a bronze in the early Lanna style (c. 1400) revered throughout Thailand; Wat Chedi Luang, with its towering Lanna chedi reliquary, semi-ruined in a 16th-Century earthquake; and our favorite, the rural and serenely beautiful Wat Thon Kwain. For a modern perspective on Thai Buddhism, be sure to stop by Wat Suan Dok and follow the signs for the Monk Chat offices, where you can engage a local Buddhist monk in a conversation in English. (www.monkchat.net)
EATING OUT
Tucked away in a calm, leafy courtyard of the Wat Suan Dok temple, Pun Pun is a low-key, unpretentious slice of paradise, in many ways an apt symbol of the city itself. Thailand's first organic vegetarian restaurant, frequented by a mix of students, young professionals, pensioners, expats, informed travelers and the occasional monk, Pun Pun is a destination for those in the know, a secret you want to keep - but even more, want to share (www.punpunthailand.org). The same may also be said for Bannrai Yarmyen (14 Moo 3 Faham Road). Located in the northeastern suburbs of Chiang Mai, not far from the center but well off the tourist map, this garden restaurant has been serving locals and well-informed expats for more than 50 years. Less an eating experience than an all-around good time, the sprawling Good View Pub and Restaurant (13 Charoenrat Road) on Chiang Mai's Ping River is the place to go for live music, good views and a festive vibe.
SHOPPING BY NIGHT
The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, located on and around a three-block stretch of Changklan Road, just up from the Ping river, is the city's main late night attraction. Packed with people and crammed with goods ranging from fake iPhones to baby bunny rabbits to intricately woven flower necklaces from the adjacent flower market, the Night Bazaar is well worth a visit, if only to marvel at the scope and scale of it. A bit off the beaten path, the smaller, calmer, roof-covered Rincome Night Market (Huay Kaew Road, 50200 Suthep) is run by and caters to the cool kids of Chiang Mai. A trawl through the shops and stalls of Rincome turns up vintage sneaker collections, eye-popping t-shirt designs and hilariously kitschy antique artifacts of Thai pop culture.
DAY TRIPPING
Chiang Mai is the perfect base for exploring the rich history and culture of the North. Well worth your time is a jaunt to the Elephant Training Center at Chiang Dao (www.chiangdaoelephantcamp.com), just 45 minutes out of town, where lush forest and 32 charming elephants await. Followers of contemporary art, meanwhile, should consider an excursion to The Land. Somewhere between an art project and an experimental rice paddy, The Land was co-founded by international art star Rirkrit Tiravanija and is sure to intrigue you with its unusual and compelling vision. (www.thelandfoundation.org).
REJUVENATING
Modeled on ancient Mandalay palace, the Dheva Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi is billed as Thailand's first world-class spa destination. In addition to 18 gorgeous treatment suites (with steam rooms and whirlpools for color therapy) and a dedicated aquatherapy center (with hydrotherapy, Hamman, Vichy pool, rhassoul and watsu pool), the Dheva Spa includes its own Academy, where healers are trained to the highest international standards.