FIJI - Lonely Planet India a touch of Tamil architecture – Puducherry throws up a range of...

BEST IN TRAVEL 2016 FIJI THE GALÁPAGOS REMOTE HOTELSTE HOTELS

FreeSOUTH AFRICA

SPECIAL WITH THIS

ISSUE

` 150 December 2015

A Times of India publication

We take you through the hippest cities, countries you absolutely must visit,

and great places to elope to

PlusMACAU

PUDUCHERRYMUSSOORIE

BADAMIWAYANAD

5 EASYWEEKEND TRIPS

PLUS

Peel back the layers that make up these stunningly perfect islands

FIJIDIVE DEEP INTO

MEET THE WONDERFUL CREATURES OF

THE GALÁPAGOSSTAY AT THE WORLD’S MOST

REMOTE HOTELSCover_December 2015-final_R1.indd 1 17/11/15 5:51 pm

Remote hotels, pg 104

ContentsVolume 6, Issue 11 | December 2015

RegularsPOSTCARDSYOUR TRAVEL PHOTOS AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM

10 Cheetahs in Kenya, and other great travel images from our readers

GLOBETROTTERTHIS MONTH’S TRAVEL NEWS, VIEWS AND DISCOVERIES

28 World on your Plate... Ring out the chill with Irish coffee

30 Country at a Glance: Discover the many dimensions that make up Malta

EASY TRIPSSHORT BREAKS YOU CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW

38 A food trail across Macau, the People’s Republic of China, reveals the city’s Chinese and Portuguese heritage

42 Vintage French mansions and villas with a touch of Tamil architecture – Puducherry throws up a range of delightful stays

46 From plucking walnuts, gorging on walnut kheer, and treating yourself to a walnut pedicure, go nuts at a new resort in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

50 Make like Spiderman and clamber up a hill at a rock-climbing workshop in Badami, Karnataka

54 Walk through a pretty plantation, eat fantastic food and play with some happy doggies in Wayanad, Kerala

57 Day-Tripper: Head to Beypore near Kozhikode, Kerala, to see a boat-building workshop

MINI GUIDESTHEMED GUIDES TO PULL OUT AND TAKE WITH YOU

112 Make the most of Austria’s capital, Vienna, in winter

114 Discover Mughal forts and medieval bazaars in Delhi, NCR

116 Fall in love all over again in romantic Rome, Italy

Best in travel 2016, pg 60

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Easy trips, pg 37

Postcards, pg 10

Fiji, pg 76

4 December 2015

Here’s a quick guide to the sections and elements in our magazine, so you can max out your travel experience – and a menu of what’s new in LPMI 2.0

PostcardsThis is your section entirely: we invite you, our readers, to send in photographs of special moments on your travels, little events or vistas that struck a chord or made you laugh. Tell us what you were doing there, and how this photograph came to be. Best of all, you don’t need to be a professional photographer to be featured here. Pg 10

GlobetrotterThe jam-packed Globetrotter section brings you closer to the world through photo features, cutaways, interviews with travel buffs, food and other tidbits, and also offers sage travel advice in the form of Q&As and news on deals and upcoming festivals. Pg 23

Mini GuidesA hugely practical set of guides to cities or regions for you to tear out, fold and keep in your bag. Each Mini Guide contains a detailed map, hotel and restaurant listings, a slice of things to do and see, plus other useful info (Indian embassies abroad, currency, vegetarian-friendly restaurants, etc). Pg 111

GlobetrotterA W O R L D O F T R A V E L N E W S A N D D I S C O V E R I E S

Pg 56 World on your Plate: Combat the winter chill with the soothing warmth of Irish coffee Pg 58 Country at a Glance: Discover Malta, an eccentric blend of 9th-century Arabia, 1950s colonial Britain and Sicilian-style gastronomy

Pg 60 Travel Icon: Bring in the holiday spirit with Europe’s Christmas markets

Visit the Christmas markets via

Travel Icon (pg 60)

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Mini GuidesDECEMBER 2015

Send us your recommendations! Tell us which city you would like a mini guide for at [email protected] and it could appear in our next issues

The interior of St Peter’s Basilica

contains spectacular works of art

PARCO SAVELLO

Fallen oranges dot the lawns

of Parco Savello, which Romans

aptly refer to as the Giardino

degli Aranci (Orange Garden).

The bite-sized park has a small

panoramic terrace on which you

can grab a perch and watch the

sun set over the Tiber – it can’t get

more romantic than this. During

summer, theatre performances

are sometimes staged among

the perfumed orange trees

(St Peter’s Square of Illyria, Via di

Santa Sabina; 7am – dusk; free).

TEATRO DELL’OPERA

Rome’s popular opera house,

Teatro Dell’Opera features

a plush interior and a Fascist

1920s exterior. It also has

a fascinating history: it premiered

Puccini’s Tosca, and Maria Callas

once sang here. Opera and ballet

performances are staged between

September and June. Giselle is on

in October, while Coppelia will be

on in November (www.operaroma.

it; Piazza Beniamino Gigli; 9am –

5pm Tues – Sat, till 1.30pm Sun;

tickets from ` 900).

CIMITERO ACATTOLICO

Romantic poets PB Shelley

and John Keats are both buried

in Rome’s shamelessly quixotic

cemetery for Protestants and

other non-Catholics. Wander

its mossy paths and happen

upon famous residents, including

Communist Party founder Antonio

Gramsci (www.cemeteryrome.it;

Via Caio Cestio 6; 9am – 5pm

Mon – Sat, 9am – 1pm Sun; free).

GALLERIA BORGHESE

This villa features sublime

sculptures, intricate Roman floor

mosaics, flamboyant frescoes

and a gallery. Highlights include

Canova’s daring sculpture

of Pauline Bonaparte posing

as Venus, Bernini’s spectacular

statues (Daphne’s hands morphing

into leaves as Apollo tries to grasp

her), Correggio’s erotic Danaë

and Titian’s Sacred and Profane

Love (00-39-06-8413979; www.

galleriaborghese.it; Piazzale

del Museo Borghese 5; 8.30am

– 7.30pm Tues – Sun; ̀ 840).

Entertainment Sights

KEATS-SHELLEY HOUSE

Now a tiny museum filled with

memorabilia like faded letters and

death masks, the Keats-Shelley

House is where Romantic poet

John Keats died at the age of

25, in February 1821. A year on,

fellow poet PB Shelley drowned

off the coast of Tuscany. The small

apartment, located at the foot of

the very romantic Spanish Steps,

evokes the impoverished lives of

the poets (00-39-06-678-4235;

www.keats-shelley-house.org;

Piazza di Spagna 26; 10am – 1pm,

2pm – 6pm Mon – Fri, 11am – 2pm,

3pm – 6pm Sat; entry: ̀ 370).

ST PETER’S BASILICA

Getting to the top of Vatican City’s

spellbinding dome, Michelangelo’s

Renaissance-era masterpiece,

involves climbing 551 steps

(you can take a lift to cut out

231 of these). Start a little early

and get there for the opening

time at 8am, and you’ll likely

get a hazy view of Vatican City

all to yourselves. Perfect time for

a stolen kiss (www.vaticanstate.va;

Piazza San Pietro; dome opens 8am

– 6pm Apr – Sep, until 5pm Oct –

Mar; lift: ̀ 525, stairs only: ̀ 375).

TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Romantic

Rome, Italy

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MINI GUIDE DECEMBER 2015

Left: A view of St Peter’s Basilica

across the Tiber

Right: Getting married in Rome? Do it on

one of Rome’s seven hills or the higher hill

of Gianicolo to the west of the Tiber

for a church wedding with views

Take in the scent of oranges

while on a date at Parco Savello

Sunsets over St Peter’s Basilica,

opera amid the ruins and picnics

in orange groves are all guaranteed

to induce passion in the historic

and glamorous Italian capital

WHY GO?To live out your fairytale romance à la Roman Holiday

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

Walk hand-in-hand through an orange-scented park,

watch a stupendous operatic performance, take in the view

from St Peter’s Basilica, or settle down to a simple meal

of ravioli or pasta at a cosy restaurant. After all,

Rome and romance are meant to go together.

Sip coffee in the evening to piano accompaniment at Café Central

DOROTHEUM The sensational Dorotheum is among the largest auction houses in Europe, and, for the casual visitor, it’s more like a museum than an auction space, housing everything from vintage toys and tableware to autographs, antique guns and, above all, lots of quality paintings. Auctions take place almost daily (www.dorotheum.com; Dorotheergasse 17; 10am – 6pm Mon – Fri, 9am–5pm Sat; free).

MAK The Museum für Angewandte Kunst (MAK) is devoted to craftsmanship and art forms in everyday life. Each exhibition room showcases a different style, from Renaissance to the distinctive metalwork of the 20th-century Wiener Werkstätte. Be sure to see Klimt’s studies for his mosaic frieze at Brussels’ Palais Stoclet (www.mak.at; Stubenring 5; 10am – 6pm Wed – Sun, till 10pm Tues, tours in English: 12pm Sun; ` 750, free 6pm – 10pm Tues).

CLASSICAL MUSIC Among the best culture deals are the standing-room tickets at the city’s stately 19th-century concert halls. At the lavish Staatsoper, standing-room tickets are sold 80 minutes before the performance, for around ` 300 (www.wiener-staatsoper.at; Operngasse). Or book ahead for standing-room tickets (` 350) to see philharmonic performances in the Musikverein’s lavishly gilded Grosser Saal (www.musikverein.at).

VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR With roots going back over 500 years, the Vienna Boys’ Choir is the most famous of its type in the world. The most formal occasions are held in the Burgkapelle (Royal Chapel), where the choir sings at Sunday mass, but performances at other venues might range from pop to world music. Tickets for mass at the Burgkapelle are ` 700 for seats without a stage view, and there are a few standing places for free if you queue up before 8.30am.

Museums & galleries Entertainment

DÖW The Documentation Centre of the Austrian Resistance (DÖW), founded in 1963 by five former members of the resistance movement, is housed in the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). It has a disturbing but worthwhile exhibition about the little-known Austrian anti-Fascist movements during the Nazi regime. Some 2,700 members of the resistance were executed, and thousands more sent to concentration camps (www.doew.at; Wipplingerstrasse 8; 9am – 5pm Mon – Wed and Fri, until 7pm Thur; free).

CAFÉ CENTRAL This grand coffee house has a rich history: Trotsky came here to play chess, and literary greats such as Karl Kraus and Hermann Bahr regularly met here. Its impressive interior of marble pillars, arched ceilings and glittering chandeliers is a decadent setting for a slice of chocolate-truffle Altenbergtorte, and there’s free live piano music from 5pm (www.palaisevents.at; Herrengasse 14; 7.30am – 10pm Mon – Sat, 10am – 10pm Sun; large coffee from ̀ 330).


Affordable Vienna, Austria

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Left: The Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera)Right: The statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the Burggarten, the palace garden of the Hofburg Palace

Stefan Sagmeister’s The Happy Show at a MAK exhibition

Vienna is a remarkably active city in winter, the main arts and performance season. Avoid tourist traps and you can make the most of the Austrian capital, all without burning a hole in your pocket.WHY GO?For interesting museums, stunning performances, and brilliant food

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?Explore an auction house that doubles as a museum, catch a spectacular performance by the legendary Vienna Boys’ Choir, and dig into Viennese eats like goulash and schnitzel with potato salad. Oh, and don’t forget to set aside some time for the atmospheric Christmas markets!

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Love (00-39-06-8413979; www.



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Rome, Italy


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across the Tiber



















The interior of St Peter’s Basilica contains spectacular works of art

PARCO SAVELLO Fallen oranges dot the lawns of Parco Savello, which Romans aptly refer to as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden). The bite-sized park has a small panoramic terrace on which you can grab a perch and watch the sun set over the Tiber – it can’t get more romantic than this. During summer, theatre performances are sometimes staged among the perfumed orange trees (St Peter’s Square of Illyria, Via di Santa Sabina; 7am – dusk; free).

TEATRO DELL’OPERA Rome’s popular opera house, Teatro Dell’Opera features a plush interior and a Fascist 1920s exterior. It also has a fascinating history: it premiered Puccini’s Tosca, and Maria Callas once sang here. Opera and ballet performances are staged between September and June. Giselle is on in October, while Coppelia will be on in November (www.operaroma.it; Piazza Beniamino Gigli; 9am – 5pm Tues – Sat, till 1.30pm Sun; tickets from ` 900).

CIMITERO ACATTOLICO Romantic poets PB Shelley and John Keats are both buried in Rome’s shamelessly quixotic cemetery for Protestants and other non-Catholics. Wander its mossy paths and happen upon famous residents, including Communist Party founder Antonio Gramsci (www.cemeteryrome.it; Via Caio Cestio 6; 9am – 5pm Mon – Sat, 9am – 1pm Sun; free).

GALLERIA BORGHESE This villa features sublime sculptures, intricate Roman floor mosaics, flamboyant frescoes and a gallery. Highlights include Canova’s daring sculpture of Pauline Bonaparte posing as Venus, Bernini’s spectacular statues (Daphne’s hands morphing into leaves as Apollo tries to grasp her), Correggio’s erotic Danaë and Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love (00-39-06-8413979; www.galleriaborghese.it; Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5; 8.30am – 7.30pm Tues – Sun; ̀ 840).


KEATS-SHELLEY HOUSE Now a tiny museum filled with memorabilia like faded letters and death masks, the Keats-Shelley House is where Romantic poet John Keats died at the age of 25, in February 1821. A year on, fellow poet PB Shelley drowned off the coast of Tuscany. The small apartment, located at the foot of the very romantic Spanish Steps, evokes the impoverished lives of the poets (00-39-06-678-4235; www.keats-shelley-house.org; Piazza di Spagna 26; 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 6pm Mon – Fri, 11am – 2pm, 3pm – 6pm Sat; entry: ̀ 370).

ST PETER’S BASILICA Getting to the top of Vatican City’s spellbinding dome, Michelangelo’s Renaissance-era masterpiece, involves climbing 551 steps (you can take a lift to cut out 231 of these). Start a little early and get there for the opening time at 8am, and you’ll likely get a hazy view of Vatican City all to yourselves. Perfect time for a stolen kiss (www.vaticanstate.va; Piazza San Pietro; dome opens 8am – 6pm Apr – Sep, until 5pm Oct – Mar; lift: ̀ 525, stairs only: ̀ 375).


Romantic Rome, Italy

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Left: A view of St Peter’s Basilica across the TiberRight: Getting married in Rome? Do it on one of Rome’s seven hills or the higher hill of Gianicolo to the west of the Tiber for a church wedding with views

Take in the scent of oranges while on a date at Parco Savello

Sunsets over St Peter’s Basilica, opera amid the ruins and picnics in orange groves are all guaranteed to induce passion in the historic and glamorous Italian capital


WHAT IS THERE TO DO?Walk hand-in-hand through an orange-scented park, watch a stupendous operatic performance, take in the view from St Peter’s Basilica, or settle down to a simple meal of ravioli or pasta at a cosy restaurant. After all, Rome and romance are meant to go together.

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PARCO SAVELLO















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GALLERIA BORGHESE












Love (00-39-06-8413979; www.



– 7.30pm Tues – Sun; ̀ 840).


KEATS-SHELLEY HOUSE












the poets (00-39-06-678-4235;





















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Rome, Italy


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Bartering over the price of a sari in Chandni Chowk market

RED FORT 1This massive fortress conjures up a picture of the splendour of Mughal Delhi. Protected by a dramatic 18m-high wall, the marble and sandstone monuments were constructed at the peak of the dynasty’s power. Every evening, except on Mondays, the fort is the setting for a bombastic sound-and-light show (www.delhitourism.gov.in; Netaji Subhash Marg; sunrise – sunset Tues – Sun; ` 10, light show: ` 80 adult, ̀ 30 child).

JAMA MASJID 2The Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques and a respite from the surrounding mayhem, can hold 25,000 people. Towering over Old Delhi, it was Shah Jahan’s final architectural opus, built between 1644 and 1658. It has three gateways, four towers and two 40m-high minarets, and is constructed of vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble (www.delhitourism.gov.in; off Netaji Subhash Marg; 7am – 12pm, 1.30pm – 6.30pm; free).

CHANDNI CHOWK 4Pure pandemonium, the old city’s most famous shopping strip is crammed with stores selling saris, Nehru suits, glittery shoes and electrical goods. It’s worth visiting for the spectacle alone – aim for mid-morning when you can actually move through the streets. From here, you can embark on a journey of discovery through Old Delhi’s bazaars.

SPICE MARKET 5Khari Baoli, the street that runs from the Fatehpuri Mosque to the western edge of the old city, is Delhi’s wholesale spice market. Take in the sights and smells of a place that has changed little for centuries. Huge sacks of herbs and spices are still brought on long, narrow barrows, and there are eye-catching displays of anything from lentils and rice to giant jars of chutneys, pickles, nuts and tea, plus piles of scarlet-red chillies, knobbly ginger and turmeric roots.

Shop

FEROZ SHAH KOTLA 3Ferozabad, the fifth city of Delhi, was built by Feroz Shah in 1354. Ringed by crumbling walls are a huge mosque, a step-well and the pyramid-like Hawa Mahal, topped by a 13m-high sandstone pillar inscribed with Emperor Ashoka’s edicts. On Thursday afternoons, crowds gather to light candles and incense, leaving bowls of milk to appease djinns – invisible spirits. Shoes should be removed when entering the mosque and the Hawa Mahal (Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg; sunrise – sunset; ̀ 5).

AAP KI PASAND (SAN-CHA) 6This elegant teashop sells a full range of teas, from Darjeeling and Assam to Nilgiri and Kangra. You can try before you buy – relax in handcrafted furniture and listen to music while tasting up to 35 varieties of tea. The teas you buy will come lovingly packaged in pretty bags. There’s another branch in the Santushti Shopping Complex (00-91-11-23260373; www.aapkipasandtea.com; 15, Netaji Subhash Marg, Daryaganj; 10am – 7pm Mon – Sat).


Historic Delhi, NCR

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Left: The Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Audience) in the Red FortRight: Wander the districts north of Kashmere Gate in Old Delhi to find the favoured stomping ground for the city’s traditional mud wrestlers

Jama Masjid is covered with inscribed verses from the Qur’an

Mystery, magic and mayhem define India’s capital, home to millions of people, the relics of bygone civilisations and beautifully-preserved Mughal forts and medieval bazaars.

WHY GO?To see majestic ruins and soak in local culture

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?Delhi has seen the rise and fall of dynasties, leaving behind important relics. Discover the city’s stunningly-preserved monuments, dating back to the Mughal era or even earlier, take in the sights and sounds as you weave through its busy markets, and relish the fragrant food that Delhi is best known for.

See

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FROM YOUR MAGAZINE TO YOUR POCKET… The interior of St Peter’s Basilica contains spectacular works of art










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tickets from ̀ 900).

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Love (00-39-06-8413979; www.



– 7.30pm Tues – Sun; ̀ 840).


KEATS-SHELLEY HOUSE












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WHAT IS THERE TO DO?Walk hand-in-hand through an orange-scented park, watch a stupendous operatic performance, take in the view from St Peter’s Basilica, or settle down to a simple meal of ravioli or pasta at a cosy restaurant. After all, Rome and romance are meant to go together.3

063-MG Opener December 15-STAN_R1.indd 33 17/11/15 3:19 PM

Easy Trips‘Easy’ is the operative word here. These trips are extremely simple to plan and head out on at short notice. Typically weekend trips from the larger cities in India, all our destinations are easily accessible. We also have a ‘Go Now’ badge: these trips are generally seasonal, and often linked to upcoming festivals or events. Pg 37

FeaturesThese are our longer, more elaborate stories, which get under the skin of a place. Each feature has a Make It Happen section; a practical guide with all the information you need to plan out this trip. This includes, where possible, the ideal, step- by-step itinerary to best enjoy a destination: take it to your agent, and off you go! Pg 59

Why not get involved? We’d love to include your best new travel photos (at 300dpi) and the inspiring stories behind them. Send them with a pic of yourself to [email protected] POSTCARDS

Cheetahs are diurnal, having the keen eyesight to hunt during the day. The thick black stripes

under their eyes deflect the sun’s glare

PostcardsW H E R E Y O U ’ V E B E E N A N D W H A T Y O U ’ V E S E E N

Kochi-based neurosurgeon Dr Uthamakumar Vasantharao

enjoys nature and wildlife photography.

It was a hot day in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Around noon, we spotted a female cheetah with three cubs. The cubs were busy playing and �ghting while their mother sat on a termite mound and keenly surveyed the surroundings to locate their next meal. Suddenly, as if they had telepathically received orders from the mother, all the cubs climbed onto the mound and sat quietly beside her. A few minutes later, they were off hunting a gazelle.

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA

On the spot

058-Postcards_Opener Dec 2015-STAN.indd 1-2 13/11/15 1:42 PM

GREAT FROMIndia

GREAT FORFood, glorious food

GO NOWAs the cool weather encourages a hearty appetite.

TURN OVER FOR ALL YOU NEED TO GET THERE

1 & 3. The lanes around Senado Square brim over with shops offering treats to be sampled2. Milk pudding with red bean must be celebrated as one of those triumphant dishes that thrives, despite the changing cuisines4. Koi Kei Bakery is an institution for local Macanese and Chinese snacks5. Senado Square’s iconic buildings do as much to unveil the city’s heritage, as the eating houses

Don’t leave Macau without trying the yummy flaky goodness that is the egg tart

1 2

53 4

Food trail through Macau, PRCTHE SWEET LIFEYou think you know all there is to know about Macau – the casinos, the mega-resorts, and the litany of shopping malls – but that’s just a small bite of the bun. What has visitors licking their lips with as much zest is the exciting food scene. With influences from China and the rest of Asia, as well as being a former Portuguese colony, Macau warrants a visit just for its culinary offerings.

In Senado Square, part of the city’s UNESCO-listed historic centre, the eating houses do as much to unveil the city’s heritage as the monuments. At the Wong Chi Kei Noodle House, you disregard your inability

to communicate in Chinese, and pantomime your pleasure when you taste the wholesome crab congee (see Where to Eat for all details; from ` 653). A short walk away, follow the scent of steamed milk, and you’ll arrive at the Yee Shun Milk Company. The milk pudding served with red bean (from ` 215) must be patronised as yet another of those triumphant dishes that thrives, despite the caprices of a changing cuisine.

Also in the vicinity, Oja Sopa Da Fita Cheong Kei illustrates the meaning of cooking with clinical precision. This eatery has done the dried shrimp roe noodles (from ` 220) so many times it’s got the recipe down pat. Food once

more acts as the great equaliser, and locals and travellers sit side-by-side for their share of nourishment.

But the opening gambit to any ritual of hospitality is the pork chop bun. Tender yet succulent, with a crunchy exterior, it’s why you take a 20-minute bus ride from Senado Square to the laidback Taipa precinct. The most succulent piggy buns (from ` 200) are found at a street stall next to the Kafelaku Coffee House on Rua do Cunha – the food hub of Taipa.

If, at this point, you think you’re done, you’re woefully mistaken. Change into a pair of pants with an elastic waistband, for which you’ll be thankful at “O Santos” Comida Portuguesa. They’re needed

and seems to say, don’t judge a food by its aroma.

But if Macau had a national dish, it would likely be the Portuguese egg tart. Serpentine lines of fans vote with their feet outside Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane to order the flaky pastry shell with its rich, sweet-salty filling, similar in consistency to caramel custard (` 60). In the sprinkling of cinnamon – a typically Portuguese condiment, you taste history. And, in the crunchy exterior and soft centre is a delectable portrait of Macau itself – a city rife with contrasts.

WORDS SONIA NAZARETH PHOTOGRAPHS HIMANSHU PANDYA

to accommodate your excesses with the consistently robust Portuguese fare, from grilled seafood to dried salted-fish salad that hasn’t – fortunately – deteriorated in quality despite the number of visitors that throng here (mains from ` 900).

For a great ending to any meal on this street, visit Pastelaria Yeng Kee just across the street. After trying the walnut pastries, almond candies, egg-roll biscuits – all excellent, by the way – you’re going to end up taking away at least one bag of ginger sweets (from ` 180).

Macau clearly loves its sweets, and the serradura is a testament to that. Gelatina Mok Yi Kei offers seradurra, which means sawdust in Portuguese, made, in this case, from sweet biscuits crushed powder-fine, like sawdust, and blended with condensed milk and vanilla (from ` 215). Try also, from amid the array of sweet offerings here, the durian ice-cream (` 150), which tastes much better than it smells,

1

EASY TRIPS

FoodieBreak

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WORDS VARDHAN KONDVIKAR | PHOTOGRAPHS JYOTHY KARAT

Fiji, not to put too fine a point on it, is an onion. No, it doesn’t smell, but yes, it can make you cry – more on that later. This island nation has layers that, once peeled back, reveal more secrets than you thought it kept

A cruise on the Ra Marama takes you to the beautiful

Tivua Island, pretty much what you think of when you imagine

a secret island getaway

IslesThe Onion

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KEY TO THIS MAGAZINE

The Photo StoryYou can’t really get much clearer than that name – a photographic journey that explores an interesting facet of a destination – architecture, wildlife, the great outdoors, food and drink... they all find their space here! Pg 24

Rocio Gabriela Matias Segales, a first-year student on an auditing course, is very much dressing for the occasion in this photo – complete with an ornate gold brooch attached to her bowler hat. She is also a well-known calendar girl and something of a celebrity in the Bolivian city of La Paz

The hats, made on a mould like this, were first designed to be a close fit, but are now

worn perched precariously atop women’s heads

Where the bowler hat lives onThis story about the bowler hat in Bolivia started with a conversation in the back of a taxi with my frequent collaborator, Bolivian writer Amaru Rance. He was reciting the various tales he had heard about the hats, but was somewhat unsure whether these were correct, so we decided to investigate further.

Legend has it that, in the early 1920s, a shipment of bowler hats arrived for British railway workers in Bolivia. They were the wrong colour, however (brown, not black), and, left with a huge order of unsellable hats, an entrepreneur named

Don Domingo Soligno had the clever idea of marketing them to women instead.

The bowler found its home atop the heads of Aymara and Quechua women, known as cholas (from the word chula, or ‘pretty lady’), who had recently migrated to the cities. I was fascinated by the Anglo-Bolivian crossover in this story, especially as I come from the same origins myself.

Nick Ballon is an Anglo-Bolivian photographer. See more of his work at www.nickballon.com.

GLOBETROTTER

The Photo StoryNICK BALLON

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ArrivalsFrom fun events and festivals around which you can plan your trips, to cool offers from across the globe and handy apps to make your trips simpler, if it’s happening in the world of travel, you’ll find it here. Pg 32

Travel News

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ArrivalsCompact cameras

New Book

New Gear

Slightly smaller than an After Eight mint, the wearable SnapCam Lite can record two hours of video (www.ioncamera.com).

Budding Jacques Cousteaus should pack the Canon PowerShot D30, which works at depths of up to 25 metres (www.canon.co.uk).

Combining a powerful lens with wi-fi functionality, the Ricoh GRII makes it easier to share your photos on social media (www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk).

Skylines explores architecture from Mexico City (pictured) to Mumbai, condensing the highlights into imagined skylines illustrated by Jenny Seddon (Aurum Press).

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Reach for the sky(lines)!A new illustrated book, Skylines captures striking buildings in 50 great cities

THE BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO THE

TitanicFour things you probably didn’t know about the world’s most

famous ship, 30 years after the discovery of its fi nal resting place

TITANIC NOW LIES 370 MILES OFF THE COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND, NEARLY TWO-AND-A-HALF MILES (3,800M) BELOW SEA LEVEL In 1985, a US-French team led by oceanographer Dr Robert Ballard found it using an unmanned submarine called Argo.

THE SHIP’S DESIGN WAS CONCEIVED OVER A GLASS OF WINE Businessmen Lord Pirrie and J Bruce Ismay decided that size should take priority over speed in the design of the Titanic. When Pirrie asked how big the ship should be, Ismay is said to have replied, glass of wine in hand: “Build me a stable ship that will not disturb the sediment in these fine wines.”

The Titanic’s funnels were wide enough to drive a train through!

Facilities on board included a GYM, POOL, TURKISH

BATH, KENNEL for the dogs in first class, and a SQUASH COURT.

Discover more at the recently-redeveloped visitor attraction Titanic Belfast (www.titanicbelfast.com).

GET CONFIRMED TRAIN TICKETS ON IRCTCYou read that right. IRCTC’s VIKALP pilot project offers waitlisted passengers confirmed berths on another train running the same route. Launched on the Delhi-Lucknow and Delhi-Jammu routes, it’s currently available for online

bookings and for Mail or Express trains, for the first six months (www.irctc.co.in).

1 Wander along the OUCHY WATERFRONT (right),

past the 12th-century Hotel Château d’Ouchy and the Hotel Angleterre et Residence, at which Lord Byron wrote The Prisoner of Chillon in 1816. Look across the street to the Beau-Rivage Palace where the Peace of Lausanne treaty was brokered, and up at the Olympic Museum, whose gardens are dotted with cool installations.

2 Explore the CITY CENTRE, which stretches from the

medieval Cité to the Flon district and the train station. Walk up the Escaliers du Marche, a timber-canopied staircase with a tiled roof, browse through the market stalls on Wednesdays and Saturdays, window-shop the displays of high-street brands, and marvel at Lausanne Cathedral.

3 Dominating the old city, LAUSANNE CATHEDRAL is

one of Switzerland’s finest examples of early Gothic architecture. Pay special attention to the elaborate

entrance on the south flank of the church. Climb the tower (warning: 225 steps!) for sweeping views. From July to September, you can also take a free guided tour of the Cathedral (www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/en/).

4 Hop on to one of the free rental bikes at the Lausanne

Roule under the arches of Grand Pont in the Flon area. Make your way downhill on the Olympic path to Vidy or along the banks of Lake Geneva where there are plenty of spots that will tempt you to take a dip (www.myswitzerland.com).

5 Use your Swiss rail pass to take a 30-minute train ride

to the UNESCO World Heritage-rated terraced Lavaux vineyards that stretch 30km along the northern shores of Lake Geneva. There are plenty of hiking trails through the vines; if you do decide to spend on a tasting, do it after your walk around (www.myswitzerland.com).

Five Freebies: Lausanne

Schengen visas in personWe’re very disappointed with the new visa information system (VIS) in India. Now, all 26 Schengen states have made it mandatory for visa applicants to submit their biometric details (fingerprints, digital photographs) for short-term Schengen visas.

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ContentsVolume 6, Issue 11 | December 2015

The Galápagos, pg 92

60 Celebrate the best in travel for 2016 with the countries you must visit, the hippest cities, and the coolest experiences

76 Peel back the layers and find the secrets that lie in wait in beautiful Fiji

92 Meet the weird and wonderful creatures that call the islands of the Galápagos home

104 BONUS FEATURE! Have a different kind of holiday in some of the world’s most remote hotels, from a tent in the middle of Mongolia to a plush cabin hidden away in the Alaskan wilderness

Features

6 December 2015 7December 2015

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