A small French island in the West Indies, St Barth’s has been called the St Tropez of the Caribbean. The island has a unique charm of its own with 22 beaches, dozens of chic boutiques and restaurants galore that have loyal visitors flocking back year after year. A bohemian beach resort with more than a hint of glamour.

Where to stay

If you want to be right at the heart of the party scene and shops, then Eden Rock (+590 590 29 79 99; www.edenrockhotel.com) is for you. The hotel, which sits like a jewel on a rock dominating the Baie de St. Jean, has a roll call of past guests that includes Baron Rothschild, Brigitte Bardot and Greta Garbo. There are one and two bedroom split-level villas, two restaurants (the Sand Bar restaurant is the destination for lunch – make sure you reserve ahead in high season) and a staff who will happily organise everything from champagne picnics to wreck dives. There’s an art gallery with an artists in residence programme and children can take art lessons too.

Isle de France (+59 05 90 27 61 81; www.isle-de-france.com) in Flamards Beach is thought to be the best hotel on the island by many, pipping Eden Rock to the post because of its more extensive beach. Choose from beach views or villas nestled among lush tropical gardens. All are beautifully designed. There’s a restaurant on the beach, a gym, spa and freshwater pool. Even if you don’t stay here, come for lunch.

On a 16 acre peninsula jutting out to sea, the Hotel Guanahani and Spa (+59 05 90 27 66 60; www.leguanahani.com) is the largest luxury resort on the island and ideal for families. There are 68 villas and suites, many with private pools and terraces. Children are kept occupied at the kids club in their complimentary kindergarten programme for two-six year-olds and junior programme for six-12 year-olds, while parents can treat themselves at the beautifully designed spa.

Hotel Le Toiny (+59 05 90 27 88 88; www.letoiny.com) is a romantic retreat with 15 villas on a hillside. All the villas face the sea and have secluded terraces and private pools so feel utterly private. Masseurs, trainers and chefs will come to your villa. Honeymoon couples flock here.

Finally, if you want to rent a villa contact the brilliant SiBarths agency (+59 05 90 29 88 90; www.sibarthrealestate.com).

Where to eat

There are so many restaurants to choose from on the island but our favourites include locals lunch spot Do Brazil (+59 05 90 29 06 66; www.dobrazil.com), a two story house on Shell Beach which serves everything from lobster club sandwich to Brazilian specialities. Families love La Creperie (+59 05 90 27 84 07), which is great for breakfast and kids meals. Le Piment (+59 05 90 27 53 88) in St. Jean is ideal for a casual lunch with delicious sandwiches and salads when you are covered with sand from the beach and don’t feel up to the smart scene at Eden Rock or Isle de France.

For dinner, L’Isola (+59 05 90 51 00 05; www.lisolabarth.com) is a popular romantic Italian trattoria set in a white washed cottage. More formal than some restaurants on the island, it’s perfect for a romantic dinner. The pastas are delicious. PaCri (Route de Saline 97; +59 05 90 29 52 24; www.pacristbarth.com) is another excellent Italian restaurant on the island, serving authentic homemade dishes.

Alternatively head to L’Esprit de Salines (+59 05 90 52 46 10), a relaxed eatery on the route to Saline Beach which serves a mix of Asian, Caribbean and French seafood dishes or Maya’s (www.st-barths.com/mayas), a classic restaurant that’s so close to the water that waves lap at the deck as you tuck into the fresh catch of the day. Try the filao fish, served with a coconut-milk based sauce of tomatoes and cucumber – just remember to leave room for chocolate cake for dessert. La Marine (Rue Jeanne d’Arc; +59 05 90 27 68 91) also has a waterfront harbour setting and is renowned for fish. It is ideally located next to Le Yacht Club for those who want to go clubbing after dinner.

Eddy’s (Rue de Centenaire; +59 05 90 27 54 17) in Gustavia, is the most authentic Caribbean restaurant on the island and specialises in creole food. Bonito (Rue de la Sous; +59 05 90 27 96 96) is a new restaurant to watch. Situated high up on the hill in Gustavia with a commanding view of the harbour, its South American owners serve up their native specialities with a Caribbean twist, in an elegant white colonial setting.

Nights out

For the Young at Heart:

Full of the young and beautiful lounging on white mattresses, Nikki Beach (+59 05 90 27 64 64; www.nikkibeach.com/stbarths) in Gustavia is great for beachside partying by day and wining and dining by night. When it comes to Le Ti St Barth (+59 05 90 27 97 71), you either love it or hate it. A hilltop hideaway restaurant with burgundy interiors that feels more like a swanky boudoir, everyone dances on the tables after dinner. The best sushi on the island is at Le Bete à Z’ailes (+59 05 90 29 74 09; www.bazbar.com), fondly known as BAZ, right on the water in Gustavia harbour which has live entertainment most nights.

For the Grown-Ups:

Also in Gustavia, Le Yacht Club (+59 05 90 49 23 33) is a private members club but your concierge should be able to reserve you a table in the VIP section.

What to do

There are plenty of beaches to choose from but two of the best are Le Colombier and Saline. Le Colombier is accessed via a divine 20 minute walk from Flamands Bay. Obviously spending time on activities on or in the water is a big part of life here and Marine Service (+59 05 90 27 70 34; www.st-barths.com/marine.service) can organise everything from sailing and snorkelling to boat rentals. West Indies Dive (+59 05 90 27 70 34) offers scuba diving for novices and advanced divers alike. There are no golf courses on St Barths but Fly & Golf (+59 06 90 30 58 73; www.flygolf.net) will organise games on nearby islands.

What to buy

The newest must-have jewellery fad, beautiful cultivated black pearls that are threaded on leather cords, comes courtesy of Les Bijoux de la Mer in Gustavia (+59 05 90 52 37 68). And opposite, is Poupette (+59 05 90 27 55 78; www.poupette-st-barth.com), which sells fabulous kaftans and dresses.

When to go

High season starts at Christmas and hotels and villas can often be booked as far as a year in advance. Everything shuts at the end of August and stays closed until mid-October.

CITY

• “It is February, and although the skies are blue, it is 3F (-16C). Sparkling, fresh snow covers every surface. To the left of the long, birch-lined driveway stretches an icy lake. Beyond are snow-covered log-cabin stables. A couple of sleighs (sadly sans bells and bearskins) are half-buried in white near the stables, seats thick with ice. And beyond rises the house in which the writer was born and lived until a couple of weeks before his death: a handsome 19th-century, cream-painted double-storey dwelling, ringed by orchards of icicle-hung apple trees.” Lisa Grainger is in Moscow: On the trail of Tolstoy for The Telegraph.
• “Some people go to Stockholm to wonder at the royal palaces and the Vasa, the 17th-century warship that is one of Europe’s archaeological treasures. Not us. We have been touring the crummy part of town for hours, knee-deep in snow, looking for a woman who goes by the description of a “tattooed bisexual computer hacker with intimate piercings”” writes Helen Rumbelow in The Times. “…the Larsson phenomenon is unlikely to have passed you by, with every commuter train and airport stuffed with his bestselling trilogy, beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A film of the same name opens in London next week, and the Swedish capital is readying itself for a wave of Larsson pilgrims.” Rumbelow uncovers the Secrets of Stieg’s Stockholm.
• In The Independent Nick Clarke offers up a guide to Miami, “Some like it hot, which is why steroid-pumped and silicon-filled bods in barely-there swimwear head to Miami when the winter closes in elsewhere.” This is for The Hedonist: Miami.
• “It’s spring, so the days are warming up and the skies are clearing. And peak season for visitors to this fascinating ancient city is still a month or two away.” Siobhan Mulholland offers us a guide to 48 Hours In: Marrakech in The Independent, from unmissable cultural highlights to the best public gardens and how best to dine with the locals.

ESCAPE

• “The last time I was in Tuscany, it was July. Fields were ablaze in that golden yellow you see on postcards, bikers in neon Lycra were swarming the roads, and tour buses jammed the medieval piazzas. And I’d had the brilliant idea of inviting 120 non-Italian-speaking friends to the tiny village of Pienza for my wedding. “Beautiful, hot and full of Americans” was how one ungracious guest had put it.” In The New York Times Danielle Pergament discovers Tuscany Without the Crowds. “The real Tuscany, as locals have been telling me over the years, is found in the dead of winter, when the crowds are thinner and the rooms, flights and restaurants are pleasantly cheaper.”
• “The Society Islands lie deep in the Southern Pacific Ocean, a cluster of extinct volcanoes lying about halfway between Australia and South America. This remoteness adds to the archipelago’s allure, but the primary attraction lies in their beauty: warm blue waters contrasting with lush tropical landscapes. Honeymooners come here, as do the ridiculously rich. I was neither, but am a keen surfer, diver and walker, and the Society Islands offer some of the most idyllic venues for all of these sports.” In The Independent Ben Mondy discovers An ocean of possibilities: The South Pacific islands of Tahiti have it all.
• “The tiny island, north of Fort Lauderdale on Florida’s east coast, still boasts some of the country’s dreamiest estates, where the staff lives better than many Americans, cashmere sweaters in trademark pastel greens and pinks go for $800, and Rolls-Royces show up at Publix with regularity in a town where more is never quite enough.” In the New York Times, Geraldine Fabrikant gives us the best of 36 Hours in Palm Beach, Florida.
• In The Telegraph John Arlidge discovers Wolgan Valley, Australia: the resort at the end of the world. “Wolgan is an £80-million resort built from scratch in a valley a boomerang’s throw from the cliffs and canyons of the Wollemi and Gardens of Stone national parks – and the money has been very well spent…Forty-eight hours earlier, I’d been wading through a soggy London winter’s day. Here, now, I never felt more alive.”
• “Italian lessons and history classes might not sound like holiday activities, but when you are spending quite a bit of time on a cruise ship you might as well use some of it to exercise the little grey cells. Lines such as Swan Hellenic and Spirit of Adventure have always had guest lecturers on board, who talk about the history and cultures of the places being visited. It tends to be heavy stuff, but I remember once on Spirit of Adventure, cruising from Cape Town, we had a wine maker on board who brought along a bush and showed us how to prune it.” In The Telegraph Jane Archer gives us the lowdown on Cruises: cultural and specialist interest holidays.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• “Klosters and Davos have quite suddenly become the coolest places in the Alps for comfort skiers. Wealthy Russians and the rest of the jet set, who previously colonised Courchevel 1850 as the centre of their skiing universe, are deserting in droves and coming here instead,” writes Peter Hardy in The Telegraph. “Their reason? With 190 miles of piste and 56 lifts, the skiing for all standards is just as good, the off-piste is unquestionably better, and you get a lot more for your money. A chalet or apartment here will cost less than half what you would pay in Courchevel, while savvy travellers will opt to rent a catered chalet rather than book a hotel room.” Klosters and Davos: Conan Doyle and the height of cool.
• “I walk just behind the machete man, as he hacks a path through the tangle of clutching branches. He leaps back unexpectedly, crashing into me. A large, black and brown viper, a bushmaster, has reared up ahead. The snake is furious – the machete man stepped on its tail, invisible against the mulch of the forest floor. One of the most poisonous of South America’s snakes, its venom can kill a man in hours. And here we are, in the interior. No anti-venom; no medical staff; no helipads nor landing strips. Why did I get myself into this mess? Because I’m a writer.” Novelist Inbali Iserles in Adrift in a world that’s stranger than fiction in The Independent.
• “Just 64km long and 40km across at its widest point, and barely bigger than Greater London, it may be the third-largest island in New Zealand’s Pacific archipelago, but it’s a very distant third.” In The Independent Ben Ross voyages to Stewart Island: A lonely land of myth and wild wonders. “So densely packed is the crush of vegetation that for the most part it feels as if man has scarcely intruded here. It’s like visiting Conan Doyle’s Lost World except that instead of being attacked by pterodactyls, hikers who choose to follow the three-day 29km Rakiura Track along the coast are likely to see birdlife that is either rare or extinct on mainland New Zealand: a kiwi, perhaps, or yellow-eyed penguins, or the predatory, flightless weka.”
• “Driving across the plains that were once an arm of the Arabian Sea was an experience in itself – vast and featureless and encrusted with salt – the only sounds are of birds flocking to the skies and the grunts of other creatures nearby. With no other souls around, this makes for a rare and unique wilderness experience,” writes Caroline Eden in The Times, who ventured into west India to Go wild in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. “The main draw for the Little Rann of Kutch, and to some extent Rann Riders resort, is the abundant birdlife. Most sought after is the McQueen’s Bustard, a very rare bird that is often spotted by Muzahid’s team of wildlife experts.”

FOOD

• “It was over a bowl of delicious, spicy-sweet peanut soup with pesto made from huacatay, or Andean black mint, that I realized the vegetarian diner was now perfectly welcome in Buenos Aires. As a vegetarian traveling in a country where beef takes center stage, I expected my meals to be relegated to an assortment of side dishes – sautéed greens, some variation of potatoes – supplemented by the occasional granola bar,” writes Tanvi Chheda in the New York Times. “But during a recent visit, I was happily surprised, if not downright triumphant, to discover a cluster of recently opened restaurants serving tasty and fresh vegetarian fare.” A guide to Buenos Aires for Those Who Shun Steaks.
• “Landscape is often a good clue to local cuisine, and any gourmand touching down in Lanzarote may have a sinking heart: the arid volcanic countryside appears almost totally barren, surely a sign of slim pickings. But thanks to the perseverance of the local farmers, justly celebrated here as heroes, and to the bounties of the surrounding Atlantic, visitors will eat unexpectedly well.” In The FT Miranda Green indulges in Lanzarote’s tangy sauces.
• “Eating on the street is one of the most intimate ways to experience the culinary assault of Vietnam, particularly in the capital Hanoi. This is democratic dining: businessmen, schoolchildren and grandmothers alike squat on tiny plastic furniture to eat a swift, cheap lunch,” writes Michelle Jana Chan in The FT. “After nearly 100 years of French colonial rule – Vietnam achieved independence in 1945 – the influence of French cooking on the country’s eating habits is also easy to identify in its finest restaurants.” Chan discovers that Hanoi cuisine retains its French flavour.
• “Though we were frequent visitors to Burgundy, we had not been to Napa or Sonoma – America’s best-known wine regions – in ages,” writes Ann Morrison in The FT. “That situation was recently remedied when we spent a long weekend touring the contiguous wine valleys, about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco.” Morrison compares her experiences of the vineyards of Burgundy to California’s best wine cellars.
• In The FT Sue Style takes A train tour of Swiss restaurants. “Not only is the Swiss public transport system something of a miracle – user-friendly, civilised, punctual – an indecent number of restaurants are strategically placed within strolling distance of many of the country’s stations and lakeside boat moorings. Thus was born our food-lover’s journey through Switzerland taken entirely on public transport.”

FAMILY

• “I had to think long and hard before taking up a friend’s offer to stay in her three-roomed cabin in this remote area of the southern Californian desert,” writes Louise Millar in The Observer. “I had just reached a point where I couldn’t take one more holiday where my husband and I had to shout at our pent-up city kids to stop disturbing the gîte owners next door, or queue for an hour to feed a lamb, or drive six hours to a rural Devon campsite to find the group next to us erecting a 15ft pirate flag and unloading a sound system. Remoteness, nature and relaxation were what we craved. The kind of American wilderness holiday we took before kids, that let us wind down properly. A place where they could let off steam without prompting someone to ask, as our elderly neighbour did recently, if we had “thought about getting Supernanny in.”" And was it a success? Read on…‘The California desert was the kids’ backyard’.
• “Berlin, famed for its nightlife and creative scene, might not be the first place that springs to mind for a family weekend. Yet it often surprises visitors with its child-friendly infrastructure,” writes Paul Sullivan in The Guardian. “Of course, there are all the parks and open spaces (the sprawling Tiergarten chief among them), activities at the museums, plus quirky extras such as indoor/outdoor pools and puppet theatres. But what really sets Berlin apart is its ability to adapt services and trends that are popular with adults to suit adults who just happen to have children, too. Unique to Berlin is a new trend in stylish yet family-friendly places to eat, drink and play: kindercafes. With their blend of dedicated play areas and funky decor, they’re more reminiscent of Berlin’s hipster bars than the UK’s Wacky Warehouse chain.” The perfect guide to Berlin for families.
• “I am checking in to a hotel whose mascot is a giant orange kangaroo. Hideous perma-tanned marsupials and grinning gnomes greet us at the door, while a red waterslide snakes its way down the side of the building like an external intestine. I cringe at the tastelessness of it all, then look over at my 18-month-old daughter, and my inner hotel snob is silenced. Lily is entranced – a slow grin explodes into wide-eyed delight at the sight of the plastic kangaroo on a bench in the driveway,” writes Liane Katz in The Guardian. “How did it come to this? For me, hotels used to be sexy and enchanting places; now they are purely functional. Still, I figure, happy child equals happy parent, and I’m travelling without Dad so need all the help I can get.” Katz checks into Austria’s Babyhotel: crayons, kangaroos and contented kids.
• The Times highlights 20 best family getaways for Easter – and there really is something for everyone, from Florida fun in Orlando to a family safari in South Africa. Tiger tracking in the Himalayas or monster hunting at Loch Ness…

Luxury beach hotels – and by this we mean stunning places to stay with friendly service to match the blue skies outside – are harder to come by than you think. Mistakes happen all too often: you turn up at your dream destination, caught up in visions of white sands and palm fronds only find you’ve paid up for a not-so-special, shoebox-room resort with a back view of a building site. Let it never happen again! Here we round up our pick of our very favourite paradise destinations, where wonderful luxury beach hotels are guaranteed…

South Pacific: The Maldives

The modern Mecca of the luxury beach hotel, Maldives hotels do stylish stays effortlessly: expect posh spa treatments and super-pampering service. Traditional water huts suspended over warm lagoon waters are particularly popular here, but you could opt for an equally snazzy all-white villa with private pool. Island pastime? Spotting the rich and famous whizz by on their super-yachts.

Europe: Santorini

Relaxing Greek island Santorini has class and style in spades. The rugged and rocky volcanic landscape makes for absolutely stunning views: grab a suite with a balcony and you’ve got the hot-seat for the best sunset scenes in Europe. Clean-lined, all-white boutique accommodation and gorgeous Santorini beach hotels (some of which are literally cut in to caves in the cliff-face!) await.

Southeast Asia: Langkawi

This collection of islands in Malaysia’s Andaman Sea plays host to some superbly opulent luxury Malaysian beach hotels in secluded coastal spots. Design is typically elegant and uncluttered, and outdoors there’s opportunity to see local wildlife in protected rainforests, stretch out on pristine white sands or partake in all the golf, open-air spa treatments or water-sports your heart desires.

South America: Bahia

Brazilian state Bahia’s coastal region is fantastic for whale-watching, reef diving and exploring environmentally-protected stretches of the Atlantic Forest. Check in to a beautiful, eco-conscious Bahia beach hotel for all this plus a super-comfy bed and square meal at the end of a hard days’ adventuring. All Saints Bay is best for those looking to go sailing, with 56 islands to hop between.

USA: Miami

A city destination: an unusual choice for the luxury beach hotel-lover, but hear us out. Miami is home to some of the world’s most famed examples of 20th-century Art Deco design, making every one of its colourful hotels unique and covetable. The city also lives and breathes parties, so you like to relax on the beach by day in preparation for your big night out, cool Miami is the place for you.

Africa: Zanzibar

From the crumbly, breathtaking beauty of World Heritage Site Stone Town to spotting monkeys in Jozani Forest, Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania is a stunning destination. Set up camp in a luxury African beach hotel and enjoy the island’s crystal waters and soft white sands – you can choose to laze your days away by the ocean, or take a wander round Stone Town’s narrow alleys and bazaars.

The house, which is called La Posada del Mar, faces the Caribbean so you can hear the crashing of the waves, but as soon as you cross the threshold you enter another world. The dining table sits above a turquoise tiled pond where water used to run down the walls and through fountains. Blanca, Raul’s late wife, had a passion for plants, a talent that runs in the family and the house is built around a jungle of green. Palms and other tropical trees that have been nurtured over the decades, tower above the terracotta sloping roof in the centre of the house.

The room I chose to stay in, granddaughter Marisol’s favourite, is virtually in the trees, and has a brilliant view from the hammock that’s slung on the terrace. In the personal coffee index that I am compiling from my travels, the coffee that Petrona, the housekeeper, makes in the old fashioned Colombian style, is worth the trip halfway across the world. Which is saying something – Cartagena is not the easiest place to access from London.

In the late 60s Marlon Brando, who was making ‘Queimada,’ the first international Hollywood movie shot in Cartagena, refused to stay anywhere else in the city although the house wasn’t for rent. He refused to make the movie unless he could stay in the house so finally the family agreed to move out for a year. He invited them for dinner on a number of occasions and spoke flawless Spanish. He also brought his own monkeys and kept them in the closets and when the family moved back the deeply unpleasant smell in the wood remained for a very long time. Brando used to walk around naked (to the delight of the staff no doubt), drink vast quantities of vodka while playing the bongo drums, party hard, and fly back to Los Angeles for his weekly psychiatric sessions.

In those days the house was not surrounded by high rises; now modernisation has hit Colombia like everywhere else. The big, extraordinary Colonial mansions that sprawled for blocks in the Manga (which means mango) district were still privately owned, but have been slowly sold off as the upkeep became horrendously expensive. Most are gone. Olga, Raul and Blanca’s daughter, is also looking for a buyer and in the meantime renting rooms to those lucky enough to find out about it.

Many years ago the land was sold to the family by an Italian gem dealer who had made a fortune. He lived on the plot next door and befriended Raul. He told Raul that he wanted to make him a rich man and was selling off the land so that he could go back to Italy to die. Raul bought the plot, engaged the architect Manuel Delgado to build the complex, which has many different levels and houses on the site in traditional Colombian style.The second floor, where the hammock hangs, was built for Olga’s sister Gloria when she married her doctor husband. The house in Cartagena is well off the beaten track but within a few minutes of the old city by cab; there you can find beautiful boutique hotels and it is also where Marquez has his house when he stays here. The house of Dona Blanca is a national treasure and should have a preservation order but as yet its future is uncertain.

La Posada del Mar
Bocagrande av del Malecon no. 9-112
tel: +57 5 6641197/6652753
http:/laposadadelmarcartagena.spaces.live.com
Email: arconanticuario@hotmail.com
Rooms start from US$60.00

With over 900 riads offering accommodation, there is no shortage of fabulous places to stay in Marrakech. The same cannot be said once you’ve stepped beyond the Palmeraie however, which is a pity, as places like the small town of Ourika in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains are some of my favourite spots in Morocco. Until now, it has felt like a well-kept secret, known only to aficionados and local residents. I knew it from visiting the aromatic herb garden, Nectarome. Now that the greatly anticipated guesthouse, Kasbah Bab Ourika is finally open, there’s an even better reason to visit – and stay – in the area.

Perched on a hill overlooking the Ourika River and surrounded on three sides by national parkland, the Kasbah has one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. It feels impossibly lush and impossibly grand but nature’s grandeur, rather than man’s. Indeed, the setting is so extraordinary that the magic of the hotel is almost an added bonus. There’s an expansive ease that feels both totally peaceful and wholly embracing. This is a place for unwinding, walking the hills, or discovering the local villages. There are books – good ones – in every room and each of the 15 suites is individually decorated in muted palettes and locally sourced furnishings.

My personal favourite is the cosy Room 9, with a fantastically airy outdoor shower…which I concede might be less appealing in winter months. Carefully chosen antiques line the colonnades of the inner courtyards, and the bar is as intimate and inviting as you could wish. Lunch on the garden terraces alone is worth the one hour roundtrip from Marrakech, although I warn you, you’ll want to stay longer. You might want to stay forever.

Doubles from €150; 00 212 661 25 23 28 / 00 212 661 44 77 89 / 00 212 524 38 97 97; www.babourika.com

By Eleanor O’Keefe

Everyone appreciates the extras when staying in a hotel – a decent restaurant, a pool or spa, beautiful grounds. Visitors to the Hempel then, will no doubt be impressed with The Gallery, a 145 sq m space, tucked away in the basement of the eponymous Hempel hotel, itself nestled within the enclaves of West London off Bayswater Rd.

It’s not the most obvious location for an exhibition space but stroll through the softly lit lobby, take a right turn past the sofas set deep into the floor, down the uplit stairs and you’ll emerge into a large rectangular white room; minimalist fire lit at one end, artwork adorning the walls. This is Art Work Space, an independent art gallery featuring work from emergent artists in the fields of painting, photograpy and drawing.  Art is affixed to the hanging walls – large floating panels that line the room – making for a space that is stark on first impact but isn’t so large as to feel unwelcoming or cold.

Images © Dustin Humphrey (courtesy Reel Sessions Inc.), SWPA 2009

Despite its rather hidden feel, the gallery has played host to a number of exhibitions, the last being Conrad Frankel’s The First People – black and white oil portraits that recreate the intensity of old photographs, and which themselves possess an eerie quality. From January 20th – 29th is the London stop on the Sony World Photography Awards 2009/10 tour, which features some of the best photography in the world from snappers around the globe, whilst from February onwards the gallery plays host to Good Rats, a photo series from emergent photographer and filmmaker Niall O’Brien. The series sees O’Brien documenting the lives of a group of young punks as they travel around Brighton and Berlin. All exhibitions are open to the public but check online before visiting as the space is sometimes closed for functions.

The Gallery also works very well as an events space (Globalista had a very enjoyable Christmas bash there last year) – the surrounding artwork providing an element of atmosphere that trumps the bland minimalism of other venues. With capacity for up to 100 people, a smart bar and in-house catering team providing very good canapes (as Globalista can attest), it’s a very good choice for a party venue.

For further enquiries, contact Lindsay at events@the-hempel.co.uk , and for more information on the Hempel hotel and our London recommendations in general take a look at our London Report.

Art Work Space
Lower Ground Floor, The Hempel Hotel, 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, London, W2 3EA
Tel: 020 7298 9000
www.artworkspace.co.uk

Where to throw a memorable house party for a landmark birthday with an invitation list to accommodate parents, godparents, a clutch of recalcitrant teenagers, another clutch of turbo-charged pre-schoolers and the demands of a bunch of high-achieving closest mates. Does such a villa exist anywhere in the world that will be large enough, special enough and flexible enough to live up to such an occasion?

Mount Hartman Bay Estate located on the southern shores of the charming and quirky island of Grenada near where the pale turquoise of the Caribbean and the indigo of the Atlantic meet and mix, may well be the perfect party location. Owned by a telecom millionaire with obvious vision, the house squats like an exotic bug among three acres of tropical gardens at the end of a private and secure promontory overlooking the bay. Built partly into the rock-face with a cactus and grass covered roof and cooled by internal waterfalls, this is the antithesis of the usual sedate colonial-style island house. What you have here, instead, is as fantastical futuristic and fabulous, complete with helipad and private jetty and, so local folklore has it, a secret elevator that accesses the beach from the master bedroom. I never succeeded in locating it!

Actually, ‘master bedroom’ is a misnomer; one of the great things about Mount Hartman Bay is that there is no ‘best’ room for anyone to bicker over. All 12 suites have equal space and spectacular views across the bay, most with indoor and outdoor bathrooms and all enough high-tech gadgetry to make warm the cockles of any city-boy’s heart; with Bose sound systems and flat 42” plasma screens, ipods loaded with 1800 tracks in all the bedrooms. There is also a home cinema, Sony playstation and plenty of other toys-for-the-boys including a record-breaking Blade Runner 51-foot powerboat capable of speeds of up to 70 knots over 80 mph, for the exclusive use of the guests. It even has an outdoor misting system, a sort of air conditioning to keep passengers cool while sitting in the cockpit. There are also motor launches for wakeboards, jet boats and sea scooters.

Everything in the house is built on a generous scale; beds and wardrobes are oversized, the kitchen and the wine cellars are vast and cavernous and perfectly adapted to party entertaining. And although I didn’t think the black damask upholstered Biedermeier furniture was suited to a holiday house in the Tropics, at least there’s room enough for everyone curl up. The dining room table, hand carved out of Venezuelan purple heart is so heavy, immovable and huge (it can seat 30 comfortably) that it had to be made on the premises.

There are pods of rooms in different zones across the estate so that, for instance, the children’s hysteria over sightings of spiders and lizards need never intrude on the whispered canoodlings of the loved up couples. The children, we hardly saw. They could not have been more thrilled by the Flintstones meets Tracy Island architecture and spent happy hours sliding through the internal waterfalls. We never saw much of the fiancées who holed up in the turret suite, a wonderful romantic eyrie up a funky glass staircase overlooking the pool. The noisy teenagers were consigned to the separate beach house below with its own pool and spacious wooden decks that led straight onto the beach, where we enjoyed daily sunrise yoga sessions with marvellous Mike.

It was easy to fall under the spell of the ‘anything’ goes charm of the island, easy to be seduced by the languid beaches and its crazy history. We spent days exploring waterfalls and volcanic craters in our 4×4s, we sampled a variety of fish specials at different and sensational restaurants everyday. We road tested cocktails at crazy beach shacks like Aquarium or bohemian hideaways and spent siesta hours snoozing beside the 27-metre infinity pool, cooled by a remote controlled mist vaporizer built into the retractable awning. Utter bliss.

Contact: 01628 829222; www.mounthartmanbay.com

The estate accommodates up to 24 guests in 12 double rooms, including the Beach House which can also be rented separately. From £3,200 per person per week, including all food and drinks, laundry, staff of 16, transfers, all boats and the use of two Mitsubishi Shoguns 4×4s.

All pictures courtesy of Mount Harman Bay

Map of Dogon region

Click on pictures to see enlarged version

I have now been in Mali for over a month and what a country – this should be on everyone’s visit list, although I will say that it’s not possible to see the whole thing in two weeks and even three weeks is a push.

There are a couple of things I have particularly enjoyed seeing and experiencing here. The first, organised by Fromhere2Timbuktu, was the third annual Festival of Camels in Tessalit. The Tuareg people have suffered immensely under the pressure of the recent kidnappings, often being used as scapegoats when no one knows who to blame. They made this small traditional festival an opportunity to prove to the outside world that they were open and welcoming. Unfortunately many tourist groups were stopped in Gao by the police and not allowed to continue to an area now agreed to be very dangerous indeed. Our trip however had been organised to travel with a military convoy to Tessalit and back.

Guitarists at Tuareg Festival

The convoy was an experience in itself (convoy being used in the loosest sense of the word,) with ten or 12 vehicles charging across the desert three or four abreast, trying to avoid the dust from the car in front. The convoy was only there to make the festival available to us as tourists so for that reason I didn’t want to do too many drawings of guns and soldiers and miss out describing this amazing little festival.

Camel races

There were only 30 tourists and their guides permitted to go up to the festival, which made it all the more special but very sad that so few people could experience what turned out to be a fantastic two day event. The local Tuareg people all dressed up in their amazing finery with clothes that turn their skin blue giving them the name ‘Les hommes bleu’. We heard some great music from a band called Tinariwen and other local bands, all celebrating traditional Tuareg life with the role of the Camel as a significant backdrop. The second day saw a six kilometre camel race, a parade of camels and a competition for the most beautiful woman.

It is unlike any festival you will have seen in the west; a thousand people and 30 tourists, all enjoying the music coming from a stage with goat skin sides. When the bigger bands came on, the 4 x 4s were pulled up at the back like a drive-in for people to see over the giant turbans in front. At one point all the camels came into the seating area with their jockeys who danced on their saddles in their booboos and waved their whips above their heads.

Aside from this moment of mayhem there is a certain civilised air to it all. Women sit in one section – it’s not obligatory at all but it is just how they do it – there are a number of chairs, people sitting cross legged at the front and standing at the back. An area is left at the front for three men and three women from the crowd to do the traditional Tuareg dancing.

I thought I was lucky enough to get on to the stage to draw, but actually in hindsight I think if you asked nicely anyone could stand at the back and watch, and a lot of people did. Afterwards everyone retired to their goat skin tents, which all faced one direction to minimise the wind and the sun. It was well worth the trip – but it’s 35 hours of travelling so it’s not to be squeezed into a week.

Dogon scene

My second memorable experience was the Dogon Country, which is one of the few places I can say that has taken my breath away. I have seen busy market cities and never ending desert before, but this is something that would be hard to find anywhere else. To start with, the geography of the place is extraordinary; you have a 200km of 600ft escarpment running from North East to South West. At the top and the bottom of this live the Dogon, a name perhaps derived from the French for people of the Ogon – ‘de Ogon’ – d’Ogon.

Dogone scenery

The history behind the Dogon is that during the 15th century they arrived in Bandiagara and lived side by side with the Tellem, a community of miniature people who built their houses high up in the escarpment and gathered fruits and hunted animals in the Seno-Gondo Plain.

Dogon children

Eventually the Dogon drove the Tellem out, either by using up their hunting ground for growing crops like millet or by actually chasing them away. It remains a mystery where the Tellem went. You can however see their incredible, delicately built houses on the face of the escarpment, where the Dogon now bury their dead, winching them up with rope made from the young Baobab bark.

Dogon child

The area is one of the few places that has remained non-Muslim, because of the difficulty in accessing it and the traditional Animist culture has largely been retained. It is one of the few areas in the world that has benefited from intense tourism, allowing them to keep their sensitive and somewhat different way of life. Aside from the desert the Dogon country is one of the few places you would need to take a guide for trekking and a 4 x 4 to get there. We drove the entire length of the escarpment in about four hours. You should also remember to take a pocketful of Kola beans as payment for taking photos.

Jerusalem is the ultimate city of contrasts. As the spiritual centre for at least three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, one can feel as if one has visited as many different cities in one day. From the historic intensity of the old town to the rich cosmopolitan buzz of its surrounding districts, Jerusalem may not have the progressive edge of Tel Aviv but there is much to seduce the visitor in this remarkable city.

Where to stay

The King David (www.danhotels.com/Luxury-Hotel-Jerusalem) has magnificent landscaped gardens, pools and tennis courts, all of which live up to the many accolades it receives. Go for a room or suite with views of the Old City – they may be more expensive but the views make it worthwhile.

Handily situated within walking distance of all the major sites, The American Colony Hotel (www.americancolony.com) is a romantic hotel that mixes old school charm and antiques with modern touches and facilities. Guests can also enjoy afternoon tea or cocktails in the lush tropical courtyard.

Finally, the sleek, modern Mamilla (www.mamillahotel.com), which opened in Autumn 2009, has softly lit corridors, oak floors and 194 rooms. There’s a roof terrace restaurant which has views out over the Old City and a handy espresso bar in the entrance.

Where to eat

Hotel restaurants are always a good option, particularly The Rooftop restaurant in the Mamilla (see above) and Scala in the David Citadel hotel where the sashimi is simply delicious (www.thedavidcitadel.com).

Credited with starting the Shlomzion HaMalka Street resurgence, the eclectic Chakra (+972 2 625 2733; www.chakra-rest.com/MenuEng.aspx) restaurant consistently serves simple, fresh, authentic food in an ambient, low lit environment. Chef-owner Ilan Garousi adds nightly specials to an already interesting menu, depending on what’s fresh at the market. It’s all perfect for sharing. Bring friends and try shrimps on grilled figs, Asian meat stews, fire grilled eggplant, beef carpaccio and fish kebabs with coriander. A well stocked bar completes the picture. Non Kosher, you need to make a reservation – it’s popular.

Spread amongst halls, vaulted tunnels and private rooms, this labyrinthine building is home to Darna, (+972 2 624 5406; www.darna.co.il/frame.htm) the creative, Moroccan vision of a successful Jerusalem restaurateur. Moroccan designers and craftsmen were bought from North Africa to create the atmospheric surroundings. But it’s not all about the décor. Safi-style sea bream, pastille fassia – filo pastry stuffed with almonds, cinnamon and Cornish hen and spiced barley soup all add to the authenticity of this impressive restaurant. Whilst the set menu is pricey, ordering a la carte offers more flexibility.

Incongruously located inside the YMCA, don’t let this put you off. The building itself is a historic landmark, designed as it was by Arthur Loomis Harmon, who also designed New York’s Empire State Building. Its restaurant, The Three Arches, (26 King David Street; +972 2 569 2692; www.ymca3arch.co.il) is well known as a great people watching spot, with lovely food. The non-kosher kitchen serves up aubergine gratin, sautéed garlic shrimp and grilled chicken. Eat inside or out on the terrace amongst the birds and flowers.

For a traditional Israeli eating experience, try Ima (189 Agrippas; +972 2 624 68 60; www.dinnersite.co.il/jerusalem/ima.htm) so named after Miriam, the owner’s mother who still does some of the cooking. This family orientated restaurant is rich on classic Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus, baba ghanoush, tabulleh, chicken shashlik and kibbe.

And for a classic French restaurant, try Cavalier (1 Ben Sira Street; +972 2 624 2945) where you can eat under wood ceiling beams amid stone balconies that are overhung with wisteria.

Books

Charming cafe Tmol-Shilshom’s (5 Solomon St; +972 2 623 2758; www.tmol-shilshom.co.il/) unique claim to fame – aside from its salmon fillet in fig sauce, Amanda salad and cheesecake – is that it has quietly established itself as the place for Israel’s best known writers to come and read their work. Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman and Batya Gur have all paid a visit. A cosy hide-away for any book lover.

Munther’s Book Shop (1 Louis Vincent Street; +972 2 627 9777; www.americancolony.com) part of the American Colony Hotel, is a brilliant place to find out about the area’s politics, history, culture and religions. Handily, they also stock guidebooks and maps too.

Best Sights

The most famous Islamic sight in Jerusalem, The Dome of the Rock, is visible from much of the city. It is a Muslim shrine and believed to be the place from which the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven. For an astonishing combination of religions and cultures, The Old City in the heart of Jerusalem – which contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Arab bazaar, and the Western Wall – is unmatched in the world. Explore the City of David, Jerusalem’s most ancient remains, and wade the 2,700-year-old water tunnel that once saved the besieged city.

The Mount of Olives has stunning views of the entire Old City, with the golden Dome of the Rock right in the foreground – the best time to go is in the morning, when the sun’s behind you. A short drive from the centre, Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, Har Hazikaron; +972 2 644 3803; www.yadvashem.org), Israel’s official Holocaust museum functions as both a haunting memorial and valuable educational resource. Exhibits range from victims’ possessions to photographs and films, with storytelling guides on hand too. The Israel Museum, currently closed but re-opening in July, has an impressive selection of biblical and Holy land archaeology, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest biblical manuscripts in the world (+972 2 670 8811; www.english.imjnet.org.il).

Best Shopping

The Mamilla Mall, in the Mamilla district, has international brands such as Versace and H.Stern, alongside local labels (www.mamilla-jerusalem.co.il).

When to visit

Film fans should visit in July when the Jerusalem International Festival takes place, screening hundreds of films over ten days. Go to Cinematheque (11 Hebron Road; +972 2 565 4333) which has an interesting programme of local and foreign films. From 24th May – 10th June, there is also the Israel Festival, a popular arts festival.

Atun Poza Lake – Rio Pacaya

08:00 am. Atun Poza expedition
Atun Poza by skiff: This morning we will cruise in our skiffs along a lake called Atun Poza, where we will surprise several species of egrets, herons, hawks, long-legged neotropical cormorants fishing for their dinner, and unusual and loud horned screamers. We will also have a chance to explore other black water lagoons linked to this huge lake, were wattled jacanas compete with a wide variety of spiders, grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, beetles, etc. living along the grassy edges and lily pads of freshwater swamps and marshes. We will have an excellent opportunity of seeing social spiders and how their webs embrace huge parts of a tree.

11:00 am. Back to the vessel
We will continue up the Puinahua River towards the Pacaya River, our destination at the very heart of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, for further exploration of the largest wetland reserve in the world.

12:30 pm. Lunch
More delicious combinations are in store for you today. Our chef has selected the best ingredients, preparing a unique meal, so just relax and enjoy and let yourself be pampered by our staff.

04:00 pm. Pacaya River expedition
We have reached our main goal, the Pacaya River, at the very heart of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru’s largest protected area with a mean annual rainfall of nearly 3,000mm, by far the largest protected wetland reserve in the world. Filled with lakes, palm swamps and streams, the reserve becomes a flooded forest in the rainy season and is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever visit. At sunset, you’ll be will be astonished by the beautiful colours of the sky and the reflection of the jungle in the black water of the Pacaya River, which is why it has been called the forest of reflections: it’s hard to know where the jungle begins and the water ends. Once it is dark, you’ll hear the second installment of the jungle symphony. Armed with powerful spot lights, we’ll start our night safari in search of night herons, pauraques, spectacled owls, up to a dozen species of croaking from the river’s edge, and fish bats flying over the water scooping up fish. Spectacled and black caimans are found in these pristine waters, and our guides will point them out to you. Stargazing at this time is unique while fireflies light up the jungle around us.

08:00 pm. Back to the boat
We will spend the night in front of a ranger station on the Puinahua River.

Day 9: Saturday

Caro Curahuayte Lagoon – Jungle Hike

08:00 am. Fishing at Caro Curahuayte Lake or Exploring the shores of emergent Islands

Fishing at Caro Curahuayte
On board our excursion skiffs, we will head for a beautiful lake to a spectacular spot, where we expect to catch some fish, mainly piranhas. During the rainy season, the forest is flooded and many trees flower and bear fruit in conjunction with the flooding. Many fish, including piranhas, swim among the flooded tree trunks devouring the fruit or chewing at their skins. Obviously, the piranhas’ reputation as super-carnivores is an exaggeration! There are 25 different species of piranha in the Amazon basin, including black, white and red bellied.

11:30 am. Back to the Boat
We will start navigating back down the Puinahua River towards Iquitos.

03:30 pm. Visit the Yanallpa Community
This afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit this riverside community, this will be your first interaction with local villagers and to meet their unique way of life. This is time to bring along any presents you have and will like to give out to the people and children’s, (papers, books, pencils, colors, T-shirts) they will really appreciate them and will be very pleased. You will learn about all fruit trees and how they harvest them.

05:30 pm. Back to the vessel
We will continue down the Puinahua River towards the Ucayali River.

08:00 pm. Farewell Dinner
Leaving behind the wildlife, you will continue enjoying our service, as a world class traveler deserves. Tonight our chef and kitchen staff will treat you to a grilled dinner, including fresh salads, grilled vegetables, magical sauces, and wonderful combinations of different types of meat. Our talented staff will delight you with some live music before you retire.

Day 10: Sunday

Amazon River – Yarapa River – Puerto Miguel Community

08:00 am. Yarapa River Exploration and Puerto Miguel Village Visit
On board our skiffs we will stop at the village of Puerto Miguel to meet local villagers. You will have the chance to learn about their culture, traditions and folklore. You may also visit one of the villager’s homes, to see how they live and the simplicity of their lifestyle and purchase some of the handcrafts they make.

10:30 am. Back to the vessel
We will continue sailing down the Amazon River.
This is also the time to gather all of your things, pack your bags and check out before a final lunch.

13:30 pm. Disembark at Nauta
We will disembark at our port in Nauta, where a bus will be waiting to take you back to Iquitos.

05:30 pm. Flight departs for Lima
All activities are subject to change due to weather conditions and time of year. River and tributaries level may vary and thus navigation times and excursions may need to be modified at the captain´s discretion.

Arrival Transfer
Upon the arrival of your domestic flight, you will be met by Aracari’s representative, who will be holding a sign with your name. He will escort you to your hotel and assist you at check-in.

Overnight at Country Club Lima Hotel

This 76 room hotel is located in the residential and commercial district of San Isidro, right in front of the Lima Golf Club – guests can play at the Golf Club for a modest green fee. Please request to play in advance. The hotel is housed in an elegant old mansion that was the most exclusive club and hotel of the Lima elite in the 30´s. It has a pool, spa, beauty parlor, two bars and a restaurant. http://www.aracari.com/hotels/country-club-lima-hotel-lima-lima-area.html

Day 11: Monday

Departure Transfer
Aracari representative, will pick you up from your hotel and escort you to the airport for your international flight. He will inform you of the necessary check-out and departure procedures, and accompany you until you are comfortable and ready for your flight.

For more information visit http://www.aracari.com/

See days 1 – 3 of the Peru Itinerary

See days 4 – 7 of the Peru Itinerary