- Nicosia Dental Polyclinic

Transcription

trave
www.thetravelmagazine.co.uk
M A G A Z I N E
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TRAVEL
Summer 2006 £2.50
HAIFA
HAVE WE FOUND
HAAVE
THE EIGHTH WONDER
OF THE WORLD?
DENTAL
TOURISM
CITY BREAK:
BRATISLAVA
CYPRUS
WIN
A FABULOUS
HOLIDAY TO
PENNSYLVANIA
WORTH £2000
P L U S :
N E W S ,
R E V I E W S ,
INDIA
SOUTHERN HILLS
TURKEY
IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF ALEXANDER
THE GREAT
T R AV E L
I D E A S
A N D
L O T S
O F
G I V E A W AY S
Editor’s Letter
Front cover image: The Baha’i
Gardens and Shrine in Haifa,
Israel, dubbed ‘The Eighth
Wonder of the World’
Editor:
Sharron Livingston
sharron@thetravelmagazine.co.uk
Assistant Editor:
Shaun Michael
travel@thetravelmagazine.co.uk
Travel Desk:
News & Features Desk:
Jina Jardine
jina@thetravelmagazine.co.uk
Contributors:
Trish Lesslie
Peter Sommer
Solange Hando
Publisher:
John Barnes
Design and pre-press:
psylim@gmail.com
We want your blogs
Advertising:
Nick Jempson
advertising@thetravelmagazine.co.uk
The Travel Magazine is published by
Travel Publications
19 Morley Crescent, Edgware HA8 8XE.
Tel: 0208 905 4851
We welcome unsolicited articles and images but
we are not bound to publish them.
Please provide a return stamped addressed
envelope if you require material to be returned.
Alternatively, you can email ideas to
While every effort has been made to ensure that
the information is correct, the author and
publisher cannot be held responsible for any
inadvertent inaccuracies or omissions. Hotel
prices, restaurant menus and opening times of
attractions change
without notice.
It is always advisable to check with the venue
or the tourist information office in advance.
The views expressed in this magazine do not
necessarily reflect the views of Travel
Publications and the publisher accepts no
liability for views expressed by contributors and
advertisers.
For advertising enquiries in The Travel Magazine,
contact John Barnes.
Copyright: Travel Publications
No reproduction of this magazine or its contents
is possible in whole or part without
prior written permission.
A
dmit it, like me, you love talking about
your holidays and adventures either in the
UK or abroad. How many after dinner
conversations have revolved around those
wonderful or even sometimes awful foreign
experiences? Remember that outstanding
gastronomic meal? That awesome view, the day
you got stranded, the comedy of culture clashes
or the sublime accommodation with a room with
a view to die for? And what about those travel
issues like travel health, what you did when your
luggage went AWOL, insurance matters, carbon
footprints or those awful airlines meals? We all
have an opinion, so let’s share them.
We have added a brand new Travel Blog section
to our website so if you have something to say,
whether a rant or a rave we want to hear it. Get
on line now by logging on to
www.thetravelmagazine.co.uk/blog and
join in.
What's more, some blogs will make it onto the
pages of the next edition of The Travel Magazine
entitled Real Travel by Real People and those that
do will be rewarded with a cheque for £25.00! So
get writing now and send your submissions by 1st
July 2006.
Meanwhile in this issue we have included a
variety of regions and ideas: We have a fantastic
five day trip for two to Pennsylvania worth £2000
to be won, archeologist Peter Sommer takes us on
a tour of Turkey in the footsteps of Alexander the
Great, Solange Hando shows us around the
Southern Hills of Kerala, and the publishers of
hotel guide book Mr & Mrs Smith open the doors
to some of their favourite hotel rooms with a view.
Oh, and we believe we have uncovered the
Eighth Wonder of the World. Our feature on
Haifa, Israel’s third largest city is built on the side
of the Carmel mountain and running top to
bottom of the Carmel is the magnificent Baha’i
gardens and shrine (see the image on our front
cover). The landscape gardener in you will see it
and weep!
And if so, let us know about it.
Sharron
Sharron Livingston, Editor
www.thetravelmagazine.co.uk
T H E T R AV E L M AG A Z I N E . C O. U K
3
Contents
F E AT U R E S
13
22
26
29
4
Turkey: In the Footsteps of
Alexander The Great
REGULARS
6
Travel News
10
What on Earth is Going On?
45
Subscribe
49
Products To Go
54
Books To Go
Quick Guide – Antigua Guatemala
India: Southern Hills
Haifa: Home to Eighth Wonder
of the World?
34
City Break – Bratislava
40
Flying Visit – Reims
Contents
F O R
P E O P L E
W H O
S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E S
12
17
Spell Binding Sailing in the Magical
Med. with Sunsail
Herrislea House Hotel at the
Top of Scotland
L O V E
T R A V E L
REVIEWS
24
Room With A View
42
Dental Tourism – Cyprus
58
Mayr Clinic – Austria
18
Pennsylvania Pathways
COMPETITIONS
38
Single Travel with Solo’s Holidays
– Western Crete
21
Win a trip to Pennsylvania for two
worth £2000
46
Sitting Pretty in Aquacity
53
Win a set of audio books and
other goodies worth £100
5
Travel News
It’s a Ball at
Europa Park
Germany’s largest theme resort, a former military
base, is still going strong after 92 years of thrills
and intends to double its size.
Past celebrity visitors include Pricilla Presley,
Boris Becker, Vanessa Mae, Helmut Kohl and even
Sir Cliff Richard. Soon the England 2006 World Cup
Squad will be following them as they have booked
a day for the players to escape from footie
pressures and unwind.
One attraction that may grab their attention is a
roller coaster built inside a 43 metre high, 16,000
square foot polyester covered World Cup football!
www.europark.de
6
Savvy Travellers Choose
Long Haul
Roaming Charges Are
Tumbling Down
During the summer holidays savvy travellers will be looking for a
way to make their holiday cash stretch a little further. According to
The Royal Bank of Scotland, travelling long haul this year may just
be the answer. Holidaymakers to Europe will see that the Pound has
weakened against the Euro over the last 12 months. Instead,
travellers hoping to make their travel money stretch further, may
wish to broaden their horizons and head to more exotic destinations.
Douglas Gowan, Head of Travel Money for The Royal Bank of
Scotland comments: “During the last 12 months, fluctuations in
exchange rates mean that some preferred holiday destinations no
longer offer the value for money they once did. However, whilst
some rates have fallen, many long haul destinations continue to offer
great or improved value for money and travelling further afield may
prove more cost effective for your holiday spending.”
At last, mobile phone charges whilst abroad finally tumble down.
Vodafone have slashed their charges made in Europe by 40 per cent
and T-Mobile unveiled a flat rate of 55p a minute in 29 European
countries from 1st June. Orange are following suite by discounting
costs by 25 per cent.
How the companies compare:
Operator Cost of call from France:
• T Mobile – 55p
• Vodaphone – 50p(approximately)
• Virgin – 60p contract/90p pre-pay
• Orange – 70p contract/£1.20 pre-pay
• 3 – 80p contract/£1 pre-pay
• O2 – 58p-85p contract/69p - £1.50pp pre-pay
Travel News
I-Spy
‘Running of the
Nudes’ is the New
Running of the
Bulls in Pamplona?
The fifth annual “Running of the Nudes” in Pamplona is the
ultimate humane alternative to the Running of the Bulls. In
the Running of the Nudes, which is held just two days before
the bull run along the identical course, participants can dress
as they like, although most will wear almost nothing but
costume bullhorns and red scarves – attire that has helped
grab headlines around the world and kept wide-eyed
photographers in a full-blown panic. The number of runners
has doubled every year since 2002, exceeding 600 people in
2005. This year, PETA is expecting more than 1,000
participants.
What most tourists don’t realize, according to PETA, is that
the bulls used in the run are cruelly riled into a frenzy before
the stampede and are tortured and slaughtered in the
bullring every day during the week-long “festival”. After the
Barcelona City Council declared Barcelona an antibullfighting city in 2004 other Spanish towns, including
Torello, Calldetenes and Olot, followed suit.
“Why would anyone want to see animals getting taunted
and tormented when they can watch or join the 1,000 nudes
running through the streets?” says PETA’s Brandi Valladolid, a
Running of the Nudes veteran. “The best thing about our
event is that everybody has fun and we get our message
about a very serious issue across at the same time.”
For more information and to see video footage of last
year’s Running of the Nudes, visit their website
www.RunningOfTheNudes.co.uk
The Mammals on Roads survey runs between July and September
and asks for records of mammals, alive and dead, that are spotted on
single carriageway roads whilst making journeys of twenty miles or
more. This is the sixth year of the survey and each year gives MTUK
a clearer understanding of mammal population changes in the UK,
as the sightings have been proven to accurately reflect the numbers
in the surrounding area. “Records of sightings are absolutely vital for
us to build up an accurate picture of
what is happening to the UK’s
mammals, both on a regional
and national basis,” adds
Ms Nelson. “Gaining a
clear understanding
enables us to
understand when we
need to investigate
how specific
populations are
surviving and when to
take action to help
them.” Previous years’
results have shown a
worrying decline in hedgehog
numbers, as was widely reported in
the press in early 2006.
In England as a whole, the survey found numbers of hedgehogs
along roads have declined by over 20% over four years.
Those who are interested in taking part in the survey or would
like to find out more can contact Mammals Trust UK, by phoning
020 7498 5262.
The Naked Truth –
Flying beats Walking!
Infamous ‘naked rambler’, Stephen Gough, hung up his walking
boots and rucksack and became Flybe’s first ever mile high
stripper!
The Hampshire-man boarded this morning’s Flybe flight from
Southampton to Edinburgh fully clothed, but emerged from the
toilets mid-flight stark naked.
Cabin crew asked Mr. Gough to re-clothe himself in the
interests of fellow passengers but the naturist, who has had
numerous brushes with the law for his naked displays, refused
and was arrested on arrival in Edinburgh.
Gough has previously hit the headlines for his naked marathon
trek between Land’s End and John O’Groats in 2004. Mike Rutter,
Chief Commercial Officer Flybe comments: “Although we do not
encourage naked air travel, we’d like to take this opportunity to
applaud him for realising the naked truth that the only way to
travel between the South of England and the North is with Flybe!”
7
Travel News
Dr. Who in Blackpool
Dr. Who is alive and well in living in a Blackpool Dr. Who
museum. Various doctors are displayed together with a motley
mix of aliens and demons. Exhibits span four decades
commencing with William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who,
through all the transformations to episodes screened in 2005.
Incidentally, the current episodes are being shot in and around
Blackpool, so no doubt more contemporary props will join
their predecessors in the museum eventually. Tel 01253 299982
www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com
Long Haul Holidays
Using Low Cost Flights
Low cost airlines have made the world more affordable and
accessible simply by logging onto the net. The website
www.whichbudget.com allows you to search on 110 airlines in
101 countries, bringing 15816 low cost routes to you from all
over the world.
For instance, if you book a flight to Singapore (return price
inc. taxes from £350), you can visit Hong Kong for only £60
return. JetStar Asia has one way tickets from Singapore to Hong
Kong, Jakarta, Bangalore, Bangkok, Phuket, Manila, etc. with
prices from £15 one way. Tiger Airways are currently celebrating
the introduction of three new routes from Singapore to China
(Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Haikou) with one way prices from
£20.
And don't forget, it's often worthwhile getting a low cost flight
from your local airport to somewhere like Amsterdam or Dublin
or Manchester, then catching a low cost flight to a long-haul
destination.
The website already features 57 destinations in India, with
around 300 routes. Indian low cost carrier Air Deccan fly to
almost 200 destinations with prices starting from just £6, and
there are more bargains from the likes of Pakistani AirBlue and
AeroAsia which connects cities like Islamabad and Karachi for
just £15-£20 one way. www.whichbudget.com
Industrial Tourism is Hip
Condolezza Rice raised an eyebrow or two when she accepted
Home Secretary Jack Straw’s invitation to visit the not
immediately obvious choice of North West England. Even the
most enthusiastic local guide could not describe the area as a
holiday hot spot. However times have changed and the US
Secretary of State was joining the latest travel fashion, industrial
tourism. Conventional, no, fascinating, certainly.
A family introduction to 1900’s regional history is at the
“Way We Were Heritage Centre” which shows what life was
like for women and men who laboured at the coal mines.
www.industrialpowerhouse.co.uk.
8
>MAKE YOUR LIFE EASY
AND GRAB THOSE BARGAIN FLIGHTS
Keen to use low cost airlines but tired of spending hours
Featuring 113 airlines, 107 countries, 709 airports and a
on the internet? Want to plan a journey using a
staggering 15997 routes, it's no surprise that last couple of
where and how it all links in?
unique visitors per month, viewing over 2 million pages.
combination of budget airlines, but not sure who flies
You need to bookmark the website
months were the website's busiest ever, with over 400,000
WhichBudget.com is not a booking agent, so unlike
www.whichbudget.com. This multi-lingual service
some similar travel websites they do not put a surcharge
on one easily-navigable site.
website, meaning the price you pay is the price the airline
consolidates all budget airlines – in Europe and beyond –
With so many airlines now offering cheap flights, and
the number of new destinations increasing weekly, the
on tickets sold. They simply redirect you to the airline’s
charges, without any additional fees.
Once you get onto the site you can either choose your
layman stands little or no hope of keeping up-to-date, but
preferred departure airport and get a list of all the
low cost routes, from Aarhus to Zagreb.
destination and see who flies to it and where from.
www.whichbudget.com delivers information on all the
destinations low cost airlines fly to, or, you can pick a
VOTED AMONG 100 BEST TRAVEL WEBSITES BY THE TIMES
TURESPAÑA
What On Earth Is Going On?
Looking for something a little
different? Here are four off-the-wall
suggestions that could fit the bill.
Brighton & Hove Food and
Drink Festival
Where: Brighton, UK
When: 1st-30th September
The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival celebrates its
5th birthday this year and includes a diverse calendar of
events. The best of food and drink takes place in Sussex and
chilli will be the star of the show at the public launch.
Giant visual projections onto the cliffs, flame throwers and
dramatic performance arts displays on a floating stage will
open the festival at Brighton Marina on 1st September
followed by a three-day spicy food and drink market.
The North Laine will play host to a huge Festival Food &
Drink Market, one of the largest farmers markets in the UK,
on the 16th and 17th September, offering a weekend filled
with eating, drinking and fun festival frolics, including live
entertainment and competitions.
Making a return to the festival is ‘Battle of the Bars – Bar
Idol’, with the best bar tenders in the UK competing over
four heats across the city, before the big showdown on
September 21st at Komedia. www.visitbrighton.com
10
La Tomatina
Where: Buñol, just outside Valencia
When: 6-9th July 2006
Every August, Spain hosts one of its maddest festivals of the
year ‘La Tomatina’ in a tiny village just outside Valencia.
Tens-of-thousands of people descend on the small Spanish
town of Buñol to pelt each other with over ripe tomatoes
and turn the streets into red juicy pools of slush.
It’s Spain’s most popular summer festival, which started in
the 1940s when children started throwing their lunch at
each other for sport in the town square. Sixty years on, the
Buñol council now provides truckloads of ripe tomatoes for
participants to hurl at each other on the last Wednesday of
August every year. The population of Buñol swells from
9,000 to almost 30,000 annually for this event with the
highlight of the festival taking place between 11am and
1pm. It is advisable to stay in nearby Valencia (40kms away)
and travel by local bus or car for the festival.
www.tomatina.com
MATT MCNEILL / WWW.GETPERMISSION.CO.UK
What On Earth Is Going On?
Exit Festival
Where: Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia
When: 6-9th July 2006
With Glastonbury not happening this year, Serbia’s Exit
Festival looks set to take it’s crown and show that the Balkans
are where it’s at. Due to take place on the 6th – 9th July, Exit
has always attracted the finest international talent and is a
festival experience that is hard to beat.
The line-up includes Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Pet Shop
Boys, Kelis, Cardigans, Billy Idol, HIM, Dave Clarke, Nick
Warren, Hernan Catteneo, Layo & Bushwacka!, James Zabeila,
Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso.
The event takes place in the historic Petrovaradin Fortress,
built high on the banks of the River Danube, offering stunning
views over the city of Novi Sad. The Fortress site houses 18
performance arenas including the Main Stage and Dance
Stage. There’s an extreme sports arena, a technology zone, an
NGO zone, an open air Cinema, and hot air ballooning.
Approximately 600 performances will take place within the
mutli venue castle complex, an area that covers about three
square kilometres – an eclectic selection headlined by some of
the biggest live bands and dance acts from genres such as hiphop, house, drum & bass, indie, world music, Latin and rock.
Tickets are priced at 66.75 Euro for the 4 day event but
there is a limited amount available for the UK market. Log
onto www.exitfest.org and follow the English link to ticket
sales and select World Sales. You can stay in a hotel or to
replicate the Glastonbury experience you can always camp.
Camping passes are available from http://camp.etickets.to/
Annual Maralal Camel Derby
Where: Nairobi Kenya, Maralal Northern Frontier
When: 10-12 August 2006
This annual event, which started in 1990, is held at Marala, the
gateway to Kenya’s wild Northern Frontier in the northern region
of Kenya. The event attracts both the camel rearing communities
of Kenya and from around the world. Festivities take place over
three days and racers compete against the reigning Kenya
champions across a wild and bumpy 42km race through the
streets of this normally quiet desert town. There’s also an amateur
10km race open to everyone. For a few thousand Kenyan
shillings you too can enter, choose a camel and hire a handler to
run behnd your camel and hit it with a stick. If you win, you
come away with lots of money, but two things are assured, lots of
partying the night before and a sore rear.
The Derby is recognized as a serious international sport and a
great way to create awareness of the rapid onset of the
desertification of Kenya. Entry to the race costs around £3.40.
On the off-chance that you don’t have your own camel, you’ll
need to pay around another £17 to employ one, along with a
handler. www.safari-uganda.com/kenya/maralal.php
11
Spell-binding sailing
in the magical Med
BY MIKE LONGHURST
I
S O U R C E : T H E P LY M O U T H E V E N I N G H E R A L D
t happened every time. As our plane banked low over
our holiday island, my gaze would lock onto the
unobtainable: a flawless semi-circle of turquoise,
edged in the cleanest, whitest sand you ever saw. No high-rise,
no low life. The perfect beach. Heaven on earth. And
apparently inaccessible.
Then our resort, plucked six months earlier from some glossy
brochure for its promise of ‘authentic local flavour’, would rush up to
envelop us. Mile upon mile of local concrete, bouncing my thoughts back to
that little Eden glimpsed only minutes ago through the tiny window. How to
get there? Walk? Hire a car? The not altogether satisfactory answer would
more often than not turn out to be by water taxi from the resort, and the
reality that the charms of this particular beauty spot had not remained
invisible to all but me.
Then I hit on the answer. If I wanted to find my own paradise I would
have to sail there. In a yacht. And I wouldn’t need to provide my own.
One of the biggest operators in the flotilla and yacht charter business is
Sunsail, whose packages to the Mediterranean, Caribbean and in fact
worldwide, provide ample scope for making dreams come true.
Our family of four explored Turkey’s breathtakingly beautiful Lycian coast.
This is a spidery scrawl of bays, beaches, islands and inlets, sheltering
some of the loveliest anchorages known to man.
The connections ran seamlessly, from UK take-off to strolling up the
gangplank of our home for the next fortnight, a gleaming Gibsea 33, in
about eight hours. We were thankful we had opted to use Sunsail’s online
service to have our boat provisioned ahead of
our arrival, leaving us free on our first evening
to unwind over a beer rather than trail around
a mini-market.
We covered daily passages of around 10 to
25 miles. Navigation was mostly line of sight
and typically in light to middling breezes,
tending to build in the afternoon. A major delight
was dropping anchor at lunchtime in one of any
number of hideaway bays which look as lovely in reality as they do in the
brochure. But being in Eden doesn’t stop the tummy rumbling (sailing
makes you very hungry) and all too soon it’s time to have a last lazy dip,
hoist the sails and glide off in search of dinner and entertainment.
The stage for this, as the lighting man flicks the switch to bathe the
backdrop of hills and islands in the orange and gold of a low evening sun,
is charmingly set. A rickety wooden pontoon rambles shorewards
to a rural arrangement of chickens, goats and a donkey. Centrestage, as if it had been there since the world began, is a
restaurant whose style is Extreme Rustic. Somewhere in the
wings is a basic shower and other amenities. The ambience is
unpretentious and the restaurateur an instant old friend. And
from somewhere offstage the food just keeps flowing.
A temperamental generator provides low-key illumination, and failing
this, the tucker tastes just as good by candlelight.
Starters in this part of the world are known as
‘mezes’, often flaky pastry rolls stuffed with cheese,
spinach or meat and deep-fried. Main courses
include charcoal grilled meats and fish or stews.
Imported wines are hard to come by, but local
cover versions, even in this Muslim country, are
available everywhere. Some stopovers are on an
altogether higher level of sophistication. From
Ekincik, across the bay from Marmaris, you can leave your boat for a river
trip up the Dalyan River to see ancient tombs carved into the cliff face and
have a mud bath, or sail across to Marmaris itself, whose westernised
seafront masks an imposing medieval walled town.
The spectacularly placed restaurant at Ekincik is cantilevered high over
the bay like a film set and proudly displays blown-up photographs of visiting
superstars tucking into their mezes. Yes, I’ve eaten at the same table as
Dustin Hoffman. And Sting. And I bet the food tasted just as good for them.
Early into the fortnight, at the end a bracing sail through what is often the
breeziest section of the cruise, is Datca itself. It’s a large town by local
standards, with opportunity for topping up on provisions and cash. Night life
here is recognisably western European, great for the younger crew
members and the young at heart.
Make a voyage of discovery, drop anchor in the
crystal-clear waters, and let your troubles just
float away... Call 0870 770 6322 for more details
and quote TRAVM. Or visit www.sunsail.com/travel
In The Footsteps Of
Alexander The Great
Bust and statue of Alexander in the Istanbul archaeological museum
For more than two thousand years Alexander the Great has excited the imagination of people around the globe.
I became fascinated by Alexander some 18 years ago, when a school teacher unravelled a map of the classical
world and traced the outline of his journey.
W
ho could not be intrigued by a man who inspired his
soldiers to march for 12 years, beyond the known ends
of the earth. They tramped some 22,000 miles; from
Greece all the way to India and back to Babylon. By the time the
Macedonian king died at the age of thirty two in 323 BC much of
the known world lay beneath his feet.
Having studied his campaign in libraries I wanted to get out on
the ground and see how the landscape shaped his strategies and
determined his route. I decided to organise an expedition in Turkey,
retracing his footsteps from the city of Troy to the site of the Battle of
Issus. What better way than to walk the 2,000 miles, travelling at
the marching speed of his 40,000 strong army and experience
something of the physical rigours they faced. I wanted to behold the
monumental ruins of cities he visited or attacked, and to search for
13
Peter Sommer on his way through central Turkey
ancient roads upon which his soldiers trekked.
fought a thousand years before Alexander (if there is any truth in
Turkey is a veritable treasure trove for those enthralled by
Homer’s story of the Trojan war). Next, having climbed up to the
Alexander. First stop should be Istanbul’s magnificent archaeological
temple of Athena, he donated his own suit of armour and was given
museum. There, pride of place, stands the Alexander sarcophagus.
in return heroic relics, including Achilles’ celebrated five layer
This was not Alexander’s personal coffin,
shield, which was to save Alexander’s life
instead this tomb probably belonged to
during a siege in India.
Abdalonymus, a mere gardener who was
My walk began in March and as I walked
Turkey is a veritable
appointed as local ruler in the Levant by
inland I shivered my way through hills
Alexander. In death as in life he wanted
decked in snow. Thankfully welcoming
treasure trove for those
to show his continuing respect for his
villagers were on hand, calling me into their
enthralled by Alexander
overlord, and so had Alexander depicted
tea houses, plying me with hot cocoa, and
on his tomb.
presenting me with a cornucopia of tasty
Carved in lustrous white marble, the
treats. Hiking south I reached Ephesus.
sides are adorned with reliefs of battles and hunts charged with
While Troy requires a leap of faith, this city needs no effort at all to
energy and grace. One side shows Alexander at the hunt, a popular
bring its ruins to life. Although almost all of what can be seen today
pastime amongst the Macedonian nobility and one of Alexander’s
is Roman, when the city was the capital of the province of Asia, it
favourite pleasures. On another is Alexander at war, astride his trusty
was an important city hundreds of years before when Alexander
steed Bucephalas, rearing up above a fallen Persian horseman. The
marched through.
king himself, his head encased in a lion helmet, symbol of Hercules,
In Alexander’s wake I visited the Temple of Artemis, one of the
stretches his right arm back over his shoulder with spear at the ready.
In spring 334BC Alexander embarked on his epic expedition to
overthrow the Persian empire. As he sailed across the Hellespont, the
modern Dardanelles, he stopped mid way to sacrifice a bull and
pour libations to placate Poseidon and the ocean. Then, dressed in
full armour at the prow of the royal trireme, always a king with a
showman’s instincts, he hurled his spear into the soil claiming the
continent as his, won by right of conquest.
When I visited Troy the start-point of my walk, I felt like many
travellers first exploring the site, confused and a little disappointed.
There are no great colonnaded streets decked with marbles and
mosaics to inspire awe, instead you have to let your imagination fly
and let ancient myths consume your thoughts. This is what
Alexander did almost immediately after arriving in Asia Minor. He
stripped naked, anointed himself with oil, and ran to place a
garland on the tomb of Achilles. It was a symbolic gesture, the new
great warrior paying homage to his own personal hero, who had
Temple of Athena at Priene
14
seven ancient wonders of the world. Coincidentally it was burned
down by a madman the night that Alexander was born. Nowadays
the temple stands forlorn and melancholy. Just one column rises full
above the swampy ground. Alexander offered to defray the costs
incurred in the rebuilding of the temple, on the proviso that they
would dedicate it in his name, but the citizens of Ephesus politely
declined ‘because it did not befit one god to do honour to another’.
Heading further south, Alexander reached the city of
Halicarnassus, built on a lavish scale by Mausolus, whose tomb, the
‘Mausoleum’, was rated one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world. It was also a key naval base occupied by the Persians, who
manned the city’s 6.5kms of fortifications. As big and strong as they
were, Halicarnassus’ walls were built to defend in a bygone age. For
Alexander was equipped with a new type of weapon, the torsion
catapult. Designed by engineers at the court of Philip, his father, it
was powered by animal sinews that could unleash far more power
than anything previously seen. With these catapults Alexander could
actually knock down walls, and literally smash any cities that stood
in his way. At Halicarnassus he did just that.
Three months into my expedition I reached Gordium. Situated
just west of Ankara this was the capital of Phrygia, a kingdom
founded by Gordius in the 8th century BC and expanded by his son
Midas, whose legendary touch turned everything to gold. It was here
that one of the most celebrated moments in Alexander’s career
occurred. Alexander was attracted by the story surrounding a
ceremonial chariot that marked Gordius’ grave. The wagon’s yoke
was attached by a knot no man had ever been able to undo. A myth
had developed foretelling whoever undid the knot would become
Lord of all Asia. Surrounded by a crowd of onlookers Alexander
struggled to loose the knot. Growing frustrated he drew his sword
and slashed through it. Apparently Zeus himself approved of
Typical scenery along the unspoilt coast of
Caria, through which Alexander marched.
Alexander’s actions, for “there were thunderclaps and flashes of
lightning that very night”.
My walk finished at Iskenderun, near the Syrian border, a city
Alexander founded in commemoration of the battle of Issus, where
he smashed through the ranks of the Persian army . Four and a half
months and 2,000 miles after setting off from Troy, I could not
believe my journey had finished. The myriad ancient cities I had
seen were embedded in my memory, but what remains foremost in
my mind is the sincere friendship of the Turkish people, extended
constantly to a weary traveller far from home. Every single day I was
welcomed into their homes and showered with kindness and
hospitality. Though just a brief affair, it was passionate in the
extreme, and left me madly in love with the land that is Turkey.
The theatre at Aspendos near Antalya, one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the world. Alexander
punished the city with heavy fines after its citizens backtracked on an agreement to surrender peaceably
15
The colossal temple of Apollo at Didyma, ranks as
one of the biggest and greatest in the Greek world.
When Alexander visited, the prophetess foresaw his
victory over the Persian empire
Peter Sommer runs a specialist travel company, Peter Sommer
Travels, offering archaeological tours and cruises in Turkey.
An archaeologist and documentary producer/director he has worked
on many acclaimed BBC TV series including In the Footsteps of
Alexander the Great, Commanding Heights: the battle for the world
economy, and Millennium: a thousand years of history.
P E T E R
S O M M E R ’ S
T O P
T I P S
T O
A
Archaeological tours can range from bargain
basement coach trips around the ruins of
Greece to exotic adventures around the
Mayan sites of Guatemala. Such cultural
trips are growing ever more popular. Many
travellers no longer want a simple beach
holiday, instead they want to be inspired –
to see some of the wonders of the ancient
world, explore a culture’s past, and find out a bit more
about their ancestors and themselves.
Here’s a few top tips when looking for an archaeological holiday.
WHO’S THE GUIDE?
They can make or break your trip so find out a bit about them. Some local
guides are excellent but many have no real training and simply follow a dull
repetitive spiel. Academics may be the leading light in their profession, but
that doesn’t mean they are effective, enthusiastic, and passionate
communicators. If the tour guide is all these things and knowledgeable to
boot, you’re probably in for a marvellous trip.
EXAMINE THE ITINERARY
Is it a case of long drive, out of the coach, into the site, back on the coach…
a veritable check list of ancient landmarks that customers can tick off?
Is there time to pause, take in the scenery, and soak up the atmosphere?
16
His most recent series, Tales from the Green Valley, about life on a
Welsh farm in the year 1620, was recently shown to rave reviews
on BBC2.
For more information please visit www.petersommer.com
email: info@petersommer.com or call 01600 861 929.
G R E A T
A R C H A E O L O G I C A L
H O L I D AY
Look for an itinerary that has been carefully thought out and that doesn’t try
and cram in too many sites and too much driving.
HOW BIG IS THE GROUP?
Cheap might mean large group sizes where you’re just one in a large herd.
If this is the case, it’s unlikely that the guide will have the time or energy to
listen to you, talk to you personally, or make you feel special. I think 16
maximum works best.
FIND OUT ABOUT THE COMPANY
Make sure that they are reputable and that they comply with the Package
Travel, Package Holidays, and Package Tours Regulations 1992, which
ensures they offer protection for customers’ money. What’s the company’s
history? Some of the bigger travel companies, used to dealing with large
numbers, now run cheap ‘cultural’ tours. Compare what these trips have to
offer with those run by smaller companies that may be more passionate
about archaeology and experienced with escorted tours.
YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET
The old adage is often true, so it’s not necessarily best going for the
cheapest option. Cheaper packages often use big faceless hotels and involve
charter flights with departures in the middle of the night. Take the time to
choose the right archaeological tour for you. Many travel companies offering
archaeological tours are true specialists, so talk to them. Then sign up for
what will almost certainly be a unique and exceptional holiday.
HERRISLEA HOUSE HOTEL – TOP CLASS HOSPITALITY
AT THE VERY TOP OF SCOTLAND
Shetland, as well as being at the very top of Scotland,
should also be at the top of your list of places to take
a holiday or a short break.
W
ide open spaces, dramatic scenery
and a sense of being on a remote
Scottish island with more than a
hint of its Norse past, are just some of the
reasons that people keep coming back year on
year. Mind you – those that make the regular
trip North do try to keep it to themselves: they
don’t want to share all that makes Shetland
special with too many people!
Access is easy: you can fly north by British Airways from all the
major UK airports, travel overnight by NorthLink Ferries from
Aberdeen or, during the summer months, take a direct flight with
Atlantic Airways from London (Stansted).
Once there, you can hire a car and use the islands’ excellent road
and ferry network to reach Shetland’s furthermost ‘nooks and
crannies’. Bring your own, or hire a bicycle to explore some
interesting side roads or pack your walking boots and take to the
hills to enjoy the very best of the islands.
And when the sun goes down – it merely
dips at mid-summer - make your way to
Herrislea House Hotel. It is situated just five
minutes drive from Lerwick in Shetland’s
Tingwall Valley, and has earned quite a
reputation as the perfect home from home for
its visitors.
Why is this so? First, there is the relaxed
atmosphere and welcome extended by the
Hotel’s owners, Gordon and Marjorie Williamson. Then there is the
food created from Shetland’s finest ingredients – Shetland hill lamb,
Shetland beef, locally caught fish and home grown vegetables.
And, finally, the comfortable, individually decorated rooms –
all four star standard with en-suite facilities.
Herrislea is an excellent central base from which to explore
Shetland’s islands. The Hotel staff want you to get the most from
your stay, so ask them about loch and sea fishing, golf, boat trips,
walking and cycling routes, Shetland’s rich culture and history, and
its state of the art sport and leisure facilities..
Add to that, a fine malt whisky to round off the day and a local
music session (for those lucky enough to be there on a Tuesday) and
you’ll understand why Herrislea House Hotel is a necessary
ingredient which will make that trip to the north one that you will
certainly want to take again and again.
Herrislea House Hotel
Veensgarth, Tingwall, Shetland ZE2 9SB
Tel: 01595 840208 Fax: 01595 840630
Email: herrislea.house@zetnet.co.uk • Website: www.herrisleahouse.co.uk
PENNSYLVANIA
P A T H W A Y S
B
Arguably the most popular sculpture in Philadelphia, LOVE,
by artist Robert Indiana, debuted in John F. Kennedy Plaza during
the 1976 bicentennial celebration. Philadelphians were incensed
when it was removed and returned to the artist. In response,
F. Eugene Dixon, former owner of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball
team, bought the sculpture and donated it to the city in 1978.
B. KRIST FOR GPTMC
ruce Springsteen’s signature hit record, Sylvester Stallone
running up the steps of the Museum of Art in the Rocky
movies, the box office hits Sixth Sense and Unbreakable and
Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom all conjure up scenes and sounds
of the trendy city of Philly!
Philadelphia was once the capital of America. Independence was
declared in the city in 1776 and in 1787 the Constitution of the
United States was written. Today it is the fifth
largest city in the U.S. and the second largest
city on the East Coast of the USA,
conveniently situated between New York and
Washington.
Being the birthplace of the nation,
Philadelphia, houses America’s most historic
square mile which is located in
Independence National Historical Park,
home to Independence Hall, Carpenters’
Hall, Old City Hall, Congress Hall,
Franklin Court and the famous Liberty
Bell. A variety of homes in nearby Society Hill
show the style of Colonial urban living while the cobblestone streets
retain the original character of the 18th century.
B. KRIST FOR GPTMC
Back in 1681 King Charles II granted a royal charter to the colony’s founder, William Penn to establish The
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today it is a diverse destination offering a wealth of experiences ranging from golf
resorts in the Pocono Mountains, outdoor adventure in the many state parks, scenic drives through villages, along
rivers and under covered bridges, to the cosmopolitan cities of Philadelphia renowned for its Philly sound and
Pittsburgh for its culture hero, Andy Warhol.
A view from Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia
shows the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which spans
the Delaware River to Camden, New Jersey.
18
B. KRIST FOR GPTMC
T. LEONARDI FOR GPTMC
(above) The charmingly restored, 18th-century
neighbourhood of Society Hill is perhaps the most
visited residential section of Philadelphia.
With its fine mixture of colonial- and Federal-style
brick row houses, intimate courtyards and gracious
cobblestone streets, Society Hill draws people on
foot and by carriage
(right) The Liberty Bell
(far right) Teenagers at the top of the steps of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art mimic the triumphant
‘Rocky’ climb from the 1976 Oscar-winning movie.
The museum crowns ‘Museum Row’ on the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway
Designer food and interiors go hand-in-hand with the influx of
trendy new-age restaurants. Philadelphia is rapidly becoming one of
America’s booming gastronomic cities, whether it’s Japanese pop
culture, Colonial haute cuisine or fashionable fusion dishes with a
twist of Philly expertise.
It is a walkable city and easy to get around. For sightseeing, there
is the option of a Trolley tour, which runs every 45 minutes, the Big
Bus or Ride the Duck Tour, which all provide a fully narrated
historical overview of the city. A Citypass is valid for nine days and
allows entry into major attractions
And with no tax on clothing throughout the state, it’s a shopper’s
paradise, especially now with selected tour operators giving away
discount vouchers making those bargains even cheaper. There are
many department stores in the city centre while boutiques and
galleries line South Street, selling anything from modern art to
souped-up skateboards.
Just 15 miles from the centre is The King of Prussia, the largest
shopping complex on the East Coast that reads like a who’s who of
retailers from Tiffany & Co to Hermes, Hugo Boss to Versace. There’s
also Franklin Mills, offering over 200 stores and 30 designer
merchants with discounts of up to 60%.
Further afield lies the quiet picturesque farmlands of the Amish
countryside in Lancaster County with horse-drawn buggies, carrying
Amish families clad in their traditional attire, one-roomed school
rooms, hand-stitched quilts, crafts and the best shoofly pie!
While a short distance away is Gettysburg, the place where the
nation was saved. The battle at Gettysburg was one of the most
decisive battles in world history and the turning point of the
American Civil War. It stands as the largest battlefield shrine in
America with over 1,000 monuments along 40 miles of scenic
avenues.. Fascinating two-hour tours of the park are available on
horse back, foot or by car.
Getting to Pennsylvania has never been easier. There are direct
daily services to Philadelphia from Heathrow with British Airways
and from Gatwick and Manchester with US Airways who also operate
a daily direct service from Glasgow between May and October.
19
DISCOVER
PENNSYLVANIA
W I T H A M E R I C A A S YO U L I K E I T
From the vibrant cities of Philadelphia and
Pittsburg to the winding back roads of the
picturesque countryside, there are endless ways
to explore Pennsylvania. Whether you are
looking for outdoor adventure or history and
culture, there are countless choices available.
FA C T
America As You Like It offers city-breaks and
tailor-made fly drive itineraries across
Pennsylvania and throughout America
F I L E
GETTING THERE:
British Airways (0870 850 9850 www.britishairways.com) flies
twice daily direct service from London Heathrow to Philadelphia
(returns from £269, including taxes).
US Airways (0845 600 3300, www.usairways.com) flies there from
Gatwick, Manchester and, in summer, Glasgow (returns from £ 273,
including taxes)
Tour operator America as You Like It offers various packages
Tel: 020 8742 8299
www.americaasyoulikeit.com
Pennsylvania Office of Tourism
www.visitpa.com
Tel: 020 8994 0978
For a free visitor's guide and map, call 0870 903 1001.
BEST TIME TO GO:
The climate is similar to that of the UK so probably the best time to go
weatherwise is during April to October. Winters are cold with heavy
snow in the mountains.
Time Difference: GMT + 5 Hours
Currency : $ £1 = $1.85
DID YOU KNOW?
Pennsylvania is home to the Hershey chocolate. You can even stay at
Hotel Hershey. (001 717 533 2171;
FOR MORE INFORMATION
call 020 8742 8299 or visit
www.americaasyoulikeit.com
www.hersheypa.com/accommodations/the_hotel_hershey;
doubles from $219/£115, including breakfast), with its amazing spa.
(It's about a two-hour drive, heading west on Interstate 78.)
Spa treatments are based on chocolate such as Whipped Cocoa Bath,
A Milk and Honey Soak or a Chocolate Bean Polish.
Win
a 5-day trip to
Pennsylvania for two
This unique holiday includes a two-night stay in the trendy city of
HOW TO ENTER:
Philadelphia, one night stay in a B&B in Lancaster County, in the heart of the
To enter simply answer the
following question:
Amish countryside and one night in Gettysburg. Your prize will include a buggy
ride through the farmlands of the Amish countryside made famous by the film
Witness, during which you will learn how and why the Amish live today as they
did years ago and a tour around the military park in Gettysburg.
Which hollywood blockbuster
film made the Amish famous?
The prize includes two economy direct flights from London to Philadelphia, two
nights accommodation in Philadelphia, one night in Lancaster County and one
night in Gettysburg. Accommodation is for one room (double or twin occupancy)
and includes taxes and breakfast.
Dates are subject to availability and are not available over US Thanksgiving
weekend and bank holidays.
If you know the answer simply call our
competition hotline 0906 756 2381*, leave your
answer and contact details and first name
chosen at random on 14th September will win
this amazing prize.
*calls cost 60p/min and last approx. 30/40 seconds
Website: www.visitpa.com For a free visitors guide call 0870 9031001
Quick Guide
Antigua Guatemala
Central America inspires fascination. Pastel coloured colonial Spanish architecture adorn cobbled streets, the
landscape tantalises with smoking volcanoes that promise to erupt at any time, eco-tourism blossoms, coffee
plantations win awards, its Mayan culture lives on in its ruins and in the uniform dress of the Mayan descendants
and menus bid you to dine on beans and tacos. It will take weeks to take it all in. Or you could spend a week in
Guatemala – a condensed version of Central America where every Central American feature is the highest, biggest,
oldest, most devastating or most intense. And its most beautiful city, Antigua Guatemala, is a great place to hang
out and sway to the sounds of the Marimba. Below is a quick guide to this amazing city courtesy of Lonely Planet.
NAME: ANTIGUA
DATE OF BIRTH: 1543; WHEN IT WAS
FOUNDED AND SERVED AS THE
COLONIAL CAPITAL FOR THE NEXT 233
YEARS
ADDRESS: GUATEMALA
HEIGHT: 1480M
POPULATION: 40,000
One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in
the Americas, Antigua thrives as an eclectic
arts hub and magnet for students of its many
language schools.
ANATOMY
Nestled in the Ponchoy Valley, Antigua is
dramatically set between three volcanoes:
Volcán Agua to the southeast, Volcán Fuego to
the southwest and Volcán
Acatenango to the
west. Antigua
served as the
capital until it
was moved to
Guatemala City
following the 1773 earthquakes, and
a few buildings remain from this era. The
central point of the city is Parque Central and
calles are labelled east and west of this point.
Buses arrive at the Terminales de Buses, four
blocks west of Parque Central.
PEOPLE
The majority of Antigüeños are of a mestizo (of
mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage; 56%)
and are practising Roman Catholics.
22
The region’s indigenous Mayan people speak
Cakchiquel and continue to practise their
nature-based religion along with Roman
Catholicism.
TYPICAL ANTIGÜEÑO
Antigüeños typically start the day early the
same way they finish it – with a meal of eggs,
beans, fried plantains and plenty of tortillas. A
two-hour siesta follows lunch, the main meal.
They are social, polite and refined in the arts,
and enjoy the marimba and mariachi music
played at frequent festivals and celebrations.
DEFINING EXPERIENCE
Visiting the museums and ruins strewn about
town, studying Spanish while living with a
Guatemalan family, summiting Volcán Pacaya,
hiking or horse-riding to the Cerro de la Cruz
vista point, buying vividly coloured, traditional
handmade traje (clothing) in the market, and
watching the passing parade during elaborate
religious celebrations.
STRENGTHS
• Cathedral of San Francisco
• Elaborate religious celebrations
during Holy Week
• Intensive Spanish-language courses
• Climbing the stunning Volcán Agua
• Charming Spanish baroque architecture
• Parque Central
• Intricately beaded crafts
• Embroidered huipiles (embroided blouses)
• Unique and weathered doorknobs and
knockers
• Colourful, cobblestone streets
• Shopping for Mayan crafts
• Volcanoes
• Mayan water-lily blossoms and vegetable
motifs adorning the church of La Merced
WEAKNESSES
• Twisting ankles on cobblestone streets
after a drink
• Leaving
• Pleading for accommodation in the
busy season
• The sheer number of tourists in the busy
season
days the plaza is lined with villagers
selling handicrafts to tourists; on
Sunday it’s mobbed and the streets on
the east and west sides are closed to
traffic. Things are cheapest late on
Sunday afternoon, when the peddling
is winding down. At night, mariachi or
marimba bands play in the park.
WATCH the afternoon handicrafts trade
around the 1738 fountain in Parque
Central, to the sounds of mariachi or
marimba bands.
CITYSPEAK
• Will it be an earthquake or volcanic
eruption next?
STARRING ROLE IN…
• Riotous Rhymes ’n’ Remedies
by Sylvanus Barnes
• Garden of Life by LHC Westcott
IMPORT
• Spanish-language students
• Cafés
• Colonial architecture
• The Spanish
EXPORT
• Coffee – some of the world’s best
• Ceramics
• Beaded handicrafts
• Singer Ricardo Arjona
• Handmade traje
• Carved ceremonial masks
• Huipiles
SEE Samuel Franco Arce’s photographs
and recordings of Mayan ceremonies
and music at Casa K’Ojom.
EAT the Sunday buff et in the Café
Condessa.
DRINK Zacapa Centenario (a fine
Guatemalan rum).
DO enrol in an intensive Spanish language
and culture course.
BUY colourful beaded and embroidered
handicrafts, ceramics and carved
wooden masks.
AFTER DARK explore Antigua’s
atmospheric bars and see if you can
practise some of that new-found Spanish.
URBAN MYTH
Antigua really comes alive in Semana Santa
(Holy Week), when hundreds of people dress in
deep-purple robes to accompany the most
revered sculptural images from the city’s
churches in daily street processions
remembering Christ’s Crucifi xion. Dense
clouds of incense envelop the parades and
the streets are covered in breathtakingly
elaborate alfombras (carpets) of coloured
sawdust and fl ower petals.
This is an extract from
Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book
WIN!
We have five copies of The
Cities Book worth £30 each to give away
to five lucky readers.
If you would like to win, simply send a postcard to
The Cities Book Competition, c/o The Travel Magazine,
19 Morley Crescent HA8 8XE. Or enter online at
www.thetravelmagazine.co.uk and click on WIN
WIN WIN The first 5 names out of the ‘hat’ on 1st
September 2006 will each receive a copy.
GOLD STAR
Parque Central – the gathering place
for locals and visitors alike. On most
23
Room With A View
Coastline calling
On the face of it, tectonic plates aren’t terrifically romantic. Shifting parts of the earth’s crust might get
geologists hot but no one’s ever written a book, song or poem inspired by the theory of continental
drift. Or, at least, if they have, it’s failed to register on this writer’s radar.
A
nd yet, if it weren’t for these mighty forces scattering
continents all over the globe, our coastlines would look very
different. Ibiza, Santorini, Sicily and thousands of other
island gems that have sparked proclamations of love would not exist.
Hemingway and Coleridge’s best work would never be written.
Turner’s paintings of Britain’s coastline wouldn’t be seen and, crucially,
the Beach Boys would be stumped for something to sing about.
There’s something inspirational about the meeting of the two
elements of earth and sea. Whether lounging by the pool in St
Tropez, fishing off the docks in Cornwall or strolling down La
Croisette in Cannes, the siren call of the coastline is hard to resist.
With this in mind, we’ve spent the last year scouting for chic
weekend hideaways with a sea view and the new hotel
collection, European Coastlines, is exclusively
online. Chosen for their intimate size, hip
style and superb service, the new
recommendations include secret,
island retreats on Ibiza,
Mallorca and Greece, sleek
designer hangouts by
the cooler waters of
Iceland, and
24
wildly romantic boltholes on Italy and France’s extended shorelines.
Just as with the books, the reviewers were anonymous, there's a
helpful ‘In the know’ section highlighting everything from the best
rooms to top tables in the restaurant, providing vital reading about
each hotel and how best to enjoy your visit there. Also included is a
comprehensive low-down on featured destinations with tips on local
culture, climate, travel information, food and wine and an up-todate diary of exciting events.
Here’s our cherrypicked selection of the reviews. You can find
many more at www.mrandmrssmith.com
LE JARDIN DES SENS, MONTPELLIER, FRANCE
Style: Contemporary gastro cocoon
Setting: Languedoc-Roussillon’s 17th-century capital
A boutique hotel with a two Michelin-starred restaurant, near the centre of
Montpellier and decorated in contemporary-chic – this is a real find for the
gastronomically inclined. The mahogany floor, linen bedspreads and a
scattering of oranges and mauves amid the otherwise delicate cream and
grey tones make for a restful bedroom while a notice in front of the fridge
invites you to help yourself to all the soft drinks, juices, water and beer you
wanted, free of charge. Such generosity instantly puts you in a sunny mood.
The cosmopolitan bustle of the city itself is as engaging as ever, and the
architectural contrasts as fascinating. Café-crawling around Place de la
Comedie, the huge central square they call ‘the Egg’, is a must-do for any
visitor. Similarly, if you’re staying at Le Jardin des Sens, it would be nigh-on
criminal to skip dinner at the restaurant. The cuisine is delicate, perfumed
and sublime. We pounced on lobster with artichoke, mango, melon and
vanilla-infused olive oil, and roast lamb fillet with a millefeuille of grilled
baby artichokes, mint-laced broad beans and spiced lemon. It was the food
of the Mediterranean with the precision of a truly great chef, and our wildest
expectations had been met. This is a hotel that intends to transport all of
your senses into a garden of delight.
DARIUS SANAI
it sumptuous, especially on holiday – may find the beach-hut chic of
Sacristia’s rooms on the spartan side. We loved the unexpected minimalism
of it, the quiet, and the feeling of being hidden when we looked down into
the narrow street below. The bespoke bedlinen and mosaic-tiled wetroom are
as luxurious as most surf bunnies could ask for.
Supper at La Sacristiais equally good: by night, the restaurant – the
courtyard of the centuries-old building – is swanky and sexy, and the service
smart. We eat amazing pork, and smile at the soundtrack of contented
surfers chatting about the waves they’ve caught. If we were excited when
we arrived, our beats per minute have been seriously chilled out by the pace
in Tarifa. Fine dining, beautiful beaches and a mellow mood – the holy trinity
of a real Spanish holiday.
SOPHIE DENING
PERIVOLAS, SANTORINI, GREECE
Style: All-white Dalí-contoured caves
Setting: Overlooking the caldera
Perivolas is perfect. Perched high on the hills of Santorini above the Aegean
Sea, it’s the sort of place that inspires spontaneous marriage proposals.
Indeed, if top scientists were to analyse this splendid luxury inn from top to
bottom, it’s likely that they’d find that it sits on top of the world’s most
powerful love ley line.
The site was originally a set of disused fishermen’s cottages which had
been painstakingly carved out of the hillside itself. Anyone who’s ever
experienced the childlike pleasure of climbing into a cave will be in seventh
heaven here. The rooms are all whitewashed walls, with no hard edges.
Santorini’s fishing folk, it seems, had a thing for curves, and the effect it has
on visitors is quite astounding. Instantly welcoming, even womb-like, the
room feels like home from the moment you walk in.
Hundreds of feet below your sun terrace are dozens of boats bobbing
around on the water, all sunset-seekers whose captains know that this
particular point is the place to see the big sky fires. Sitting above them on
the cliff’s edge, it’s obvious why the ancient Greeks worshipped such
dramatic, powerful gods. Santorini is drama itself. And Perivolas provides
front-row seats.
SCOTT MANSON
LA SACRISTIA, TARIFA, SPAIN
Style: Moorish shabby-chic
Setting: Windy and wild Costa de la Luz
Tarifa is in Spain’s deep south, and the weather is hot, hot, hot. And cool –
because this stretch of beaches and cliffs is the Costa del Surf, where Stussy
beats Pucci, and the nightlife is less disco, more mellow.
We fly to Gibraltar, and pick up a hire car over the border from ‘pequeño
England’. The road to Tarifa is fast and fun, snaking alongside the coast and
giving us thrilling views of Africa over the water. When we reach the cobbles
of the casco (the mediaeval centre whose narrow alleyways tend to bruise
the old wing mirrors a bit), we park up and find La Sacristia on foot.
Anyone who models their lifestyle on Donatella Versace’s – and some like
DRAKES, BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM
Style: Luxurious townhouse
Setting: Seafront Kemp Town
Making the dash from London to Brighton on a Friday evening is never an
entertaining experience, and much less so on a busy train. Thank the Lord,
then, for the perfect weekend bolthole that is Drakes. Our large airy room
(surprisingly spacious for a Regency building) made full advantage of its
seafront location, and glorious windows promised to let the light beat in as
soon as the BST had made up its mind. Luckily for us, we could batten down
the hatches, ignore the tropical storm outside, and run a bath in one of the
largest free-standing tubs I’ve seen, in the cove of the bay windows. With its
heated floor and gently changing coloured lighting, the wet room lived up to
the highest of expectations, and we jumped from bath to shower and steam.
Cocooned in our robes, we were contented that we’d booked dinner at the
Gingerman, the hotel’s restaurant, and wouldn’t need to venture out into the
rain. Renowned throughout the South of England, not just in Brighton, as a
top-carat dining experience, it lived up to all the hype. Seafood and more
seafood was the order of the evening – which, I’m guessing, was all taken
from local fishing boats, with the exception of the superb Colchester oysters.
We sank into bed that night enjoying the strangely comforting patter of
rain against the shutters, relieved to be out of the city for the weekend and
soothed by the prospect of a late-morning wake-up in a bed that ticked a big
box on our how-much-do-we-like-this-hotel criteria sheet.
BEN REID
25
India
n
r
e
h
t
u
o
S
Hills
Beyond the sun-drenched beaches of Kerala, the
Southern Ghats greet you like a breath of fresh air, all
cool mountain tops, waterfalls and forests teeming with
wild life and quaint hill stations dotted among tea
plantations and spice gardens.
C
innamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves leave their scent in the
air while cardamom spreads in the shade, carpeting the hills
bearing its name, yielding 70% of India’s production. But
when you climb up the steep slopes towards Munnar, tea bushes
turn every inch of the land emerald green.
Until the middle of the 19th century, these jungle mountains were
the domain of tribal gatherers and hunters. Colonel Wellesly, the
future Duke of Wellington, had passed through in 1790 but true
exploration began only a century later when Officer Munro recruited
pioneer planters, most of them Scots, to clear the ground. The Finlay
Muir Company moved in with Tamil labourers, opting for tea after
early attempts at quinine and rubber. Prior to the opening of a light
railway, later destroyed by floods, and the road, tea was carried down
by ropeway to be packed in chests especially sent from Britain.
Up there in the hills, the tea pickers start work soon after dawn,
women in bright saris plucking only tender buds and top two leaves
for best quality, tossing them dexterously into the baskets strapped to
their back. Later the tea is withered, rolled, sifted, left to ferment and
dried. It’s hot noisy work in the factory as men shovel great heaps of
leaves from the floor into the machines but if you want to know
where your favourite cuppa comes from, that’s a good place to start.
Perched at 5420 feet, in the lush estates of the Annamali Hills,
or Elephant Mountains, Munnar is a lovely spot to relax, poised at
the meeting point of three rivers. You may well stumble upon an
26
old church with rosewood pews and chandelier and the High
Range Club, all wicker and teak in colonial style, oozing nostalgia
in its gentlemen’s bar and billiards room. Among these cool hill
stations, look out for the little town of Devikulam by the pretty
‘Lake of the Goddess’, Peermade, once the summer retreat of
Travancore Rajas and Ponmudi in the Golden Hills where pastelcoloured roofs glint above a precipitous ‘World of Stones’, a scenic
day trip from the coast.
You’re sure to wake up to birdsong,
tumbling waters and a wealth of
fragrance rising from the slopes.
Nature is on the doorstep
At the north eastern tip of Kerala, Wayanad has a charm of its
own. In this far away corner blessed by luxuriant plantations and
abundant rivers, the local tribes have retained their lifestyle, their
ancient rituals and bartering traditions jealously guarded by
venerated chiefs. Historians believe civilisation in these parts may go
back over 3000 years and in the Edakkal Caves, carvings and
pictorial writings bear witness to a distant past.
Spend the night in a tree house or chill out in a hotel but
wherever you are in the Highlands, you’re sure to wake up to
birdsong, tumbling waters and a wealth of fragrance rising from the
slopes. Nature is on the doorstep.
It’s a trekkers’ paradise, as long as you avoid the summer monsoon,
and you can even climb Anamudi, the highest peak towering at 8839
feet. But don’t rush, for there is much wildlife to observe in the many
reserves scattered across the hills. North of Munnar, the Eravikulam
National Park is home to endangered mountain goats, sambar deer,
langur monkeys, the odd leopard or tiger keeping well out of sight
and the Atlas, the largest moths in the world.
Or explore the Nelliyampathy range with its ridges and valleys
filled with evergreen and orange trees, and the nearby wildlife
27
sanctuary of Parambikulam claiming the largest population of wild
bison, besides spotted deer, long-tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs
and sloth bears. Stop for a while as you wander through hills and
vales and you might see a fairy bluebird, a Malabar hornbill, a
Brahmini kite, or hear the hill mynah calling in the tree tops.
FA C T
F I L E
GETTING THERE
Air India www.airindia.com, 0208 560 9996 flies from London
Heathrow and Birmingham
On The Go tours, London, runs more than 10 different group and
tailor-made tours through India, taking in the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, old
and new Delhi and many more cities, areas and regions. Tours last
from 8 days and cost from £399 per person excluding flights. To
book ring on the go tours, London: tel: 0207 371 1113;
www.onthegotours.com
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
A visa is required to enter India for British Nationals. It costs £30.
You can download a visa application form from:
www.hcilondon.net or call on 020 7836 8484 to find out more.
Time Difference: GMT + 4.5 hours
Currency: Rupee £1 = 85.15 Rupees.
There are wild orchids and medicinal plants, rare flowers which
blossom once every twelve years and 100 species of butterflies in
Silent Valley alone. The Chinnar Sanctuary protects some of the last
grizzled giant squirrels and star tortoises but the largest reserve is
Periyar where herds of wild elephants gather by the lake at dusk and
Hanuman monkeys chatter in the trees. It’s one of the oldest tigers’
sanctuary in India, covering 300 square miles, at altitudes ranging
from 3000 to well over 6000 feet.
Enjoy a picnic and gaze at fantastic views, ride an elephant along
the quiet trails or take a boat out on the lake then at the end of the
day, when myriad eyes peer through the bushes and invisible
creatures rustle in the undergrowth, it’s time to spice up your life with
a delicious Kerala curry and a cup or two of your favourite brew.
Haifa
The tiny land of Israel is always in the news, but not so
its ancient harbour city of Haifa, who up to now has
avoided the sometimes controversial limelight. But this
amazing city is a superb example of peaceful coexistence between its communities of five different
monotheistic religions and five years ago became the
spiritual home to the incredible Baha’i gardens and
shrine, considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the
World. Sharron Livingston went to find out what’s
going right.
W
hen a friend asked me why I would want to go to Haifa,
I was a little surprised. Perhaps he hadn’t heard the
news tha Haifa is steadily climbing up the hip ladder.
But who could blame him? Just five years ago, Haifa, Israel’s third
largest city, was still regarded as the work place of Israel, where big
industry and high-tech companies come to do business. It was
A M O U N TA I N S I D E C I T Y
H AV E N O N T H E M E D
AND HOME TO THE EIGHTH
W O N D E R O F T H E W O R L D.
always Tel-Aviv for partying and Jerusalem for spiritual fortification.
Haifa was simply not on the tourist radar.
But then the Intifada started in 2000 and while tensions were as
taut as stretched elastic elsewhere in this tiny, troubled land, Haifa
remained a peaceful haven of co-existence between its IslamicChristian-Jewish-Druz-Baha’i populations and domestic tourists
began to regard Haifa through a tourist lens.
Since then, this mountainside city by the sea has been busy
tending her lush mountain-top landscape, renovating its beautiful
limestone architecture, buffing her soft sandy beaches and showing
off her crown jewels – the magnificent Baha’i gardens, considered
the Eighth Wonder of the World.
When I visited the gardens recently I stood at the top of Mount
Carmel and marvelled at the botanic vision stretching downward
before me. I descended the six hundred cream-hued steps through
nineteen monumental water-featured gardens that cascade over the
29
north side of the mountain, each perfectly symmetrical, with clean
flower bed lines, brightly coloured shrubs and green, green lawns to
die for. The tenth garden, frames a colonnade and a golden domed
shrine and beyond the shrine a further nine stunning gardens
tumble neatly to street level. It’s a journey of supreme calm and I
was eager to climb back up, but alas, only the followers of the Baha’i
religion are allowed to ascend – it’s a symbol of rising to a higher
plane. This is, after all, the seat of the Baha’i World Religious Centre
and an extremely holy place.
According to New Zealand-born Murray Smith, Deputy Secretary
General of the Baha’i World Centre, the gardens, shrine and the
administrative building cost a staggering $250 million to create.
Completed just five years ago, it was funded by the six million Baha’i
followers world-wide. Yet the Baha’i do not seek citizenship in Israel,
or even residency. Volunteers are drafted in from abroad to look after
the shrine and do administrative work. Their aim: to create a
peaceful global society.
Their short history can be traced to Persia in 1844, when a
prophet called the Bá’b heralded the coming of a greater prophet
called Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh chose Mount Carmel to be both a
shrine for the resting the Bá’b and the home of the Baha’i HQ.
Murray explained that “according to our beliefs, ancient prophecies
predict that the prophet who will save the world will rise from
Mount Carmel”.
Stretching from the foot of the gardens, the former German colony
on Ben Gurion Boulevard, the last vestiges of the Templar lifestyle,
leads right out to the harbour. The colony’s splendid bright
limestone cottages glow in the summer light and most have been
converted into trendy cafés, bars and restaurants. At night the
Christian ships still blow their horns as they pass.
boulevard is the liveliest place in Haifa and the backdrop of the
At the apex are the Druz villages, an intensely tribal people, with
illuminated Baha’i gardens adds a touch of awe to the experience.
their own secret monotheistic religion yet loyal to the State of Israel.
Ascending the mountain I stopped at the almost hidden cave of
They even fight in the Israeli army. The Druz are a prosperous
the prophet Elija, which serves as a synagogue. Within an inlet of
people earning their income from tourists who visit their mountainthe cavernous walls I melted at the
top villages, eat in their highly ethnic
touching scene of scarves hanging from
eateries and buy crafts and ethnic goodies
the ceiling. They had been left by the
from their markets. Some Saturdays, there
‘the prophet who will
hopeful in the hope that they would soak
is hardly room to skip.
up the holy atmosphere.
Surrounding the Druz city is the Carmel
save the world will rise
In the higher reaches of Mount Carmel
National Park and zoo, a beautiful forested
from Mount Carmel’
there are 30 or so View Points strategically
park ripe with wildlife and birds. A couple
located to show off Haifa’s fine panoramas
of bridges connect two mountain peaks
over the port, the gardens, the bay and
over a dazzlingly verdant canopy of trees.
the town as it proliferates towards the sea. View Point number 21 is
Trekkers love it here and for many this is an oasis of foliage, quite
particularly awesome. It is also where Haifa’s panoramic cable car
rare in a country that rose out of a desert.
stops, and from where a short walk leads to the Stella Maris French
Kababir village is home to a community of Ahmadi Muslim Arab.
Carmelite Roman Catholic church. The church is built on the site
Like Muslims elsewhere, they revere the prophet Mohammed. But
where Mary and Jesus are believed to have stayed on their way to
unlike other Muslims, they believe that Mohammed was superseded
Nazareth. The name Stella Maris translates as Star of the Sea and
around 100 years ago by prophet Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who hailed
from Qadian in Punjab. His writings urge Muslims not to follow
latter day interpretations that “Jihad” is a militant battle but that
“Jihad” is a “spiritual” battle to capture hearts and minds.
In Haifa’s middle town, in a neighbourhood called Wadi Nisnas is
Beit Hagefen Centre for Arab and Jewish affairs – the hub of coexistence. Concerts, shows and exhibitions are produced throughout
the year and their efforts culminate in a swinging Edinburgh style
arts festival every May.
However, the most poignant and special time of year to be in
Haifa is during December when the month long Holiday of Holidays
inter-faith street Festival celebrates Hanukah, Christmas and
Ramadan. It’s a sensual feast, where the air is thick with smells of
sufganyiot (Hanukkah donuts), knafeh (an Arab dessert), and
chocolate santa figurines.
30
Elijah’s Cave
Allenby Street
Tel: 04 8527430
Open Sunday-Thursday 0800-18.00,
Friday 08.00-13.00
Modest dress recommended.
Get there: Buses 44 and 45
Hani Elfar, Deputy General Director of Bet Hagefen who describes
himself as an Arab Christian Greek Orthodox and an Israeli citizen
told me “We, as Arabs, are very, very lucky, though we are very
complicated as our identities as Arabs, as Israelis, but we have
freedom to progress and be part of the democratic state that is called
Israel. We have full citizenship and I educate all our staff and
participants to find a way to live together despite the troubles
elsewhere. We are proud to be Haifans”.
Perhaps the spiritual garden is as rosy as the Bahai gardens that
adorn the Carmel mountainside and I am willing to bet that Murray’s
Messiah will indeed hail from Haifa.
MU ST VIS ITS
Baha’i Gardens and Shrine
Tel: 04 8313131
The Reservations centre is open Sunday-Thursday
Closed on Wednesdays and March 21, April 21, April 29, May 2, May 29.
Entry is free but you do need to call in advance to arrange a guided
tour. The duration of the tour lasts around 60 minutes. Be sure to
wear comfortable shoes. You will be descending 600 steps so keep a
bottle of water to hand. A head covering and modest dress is
recommended.
German Colony
Tel: 1 800 30 50 90
FA C T
F I L E
GETTING THERE
El Al airlines to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport www.elal.co.il.
From there you can get a train or a taxi (cost around £35).
WHERE TO STAY
Le Meridian Haifa
10 David Leazar Street
Haifa Tel: 04 8508888
From £50 per night.
www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien
Dramatised tours of the German colony are available by day and
night. You can join a tour with actor-guides who will introduce you
to the atmosphere and spirit.
Beit Hagefen
2 Hagefen Street
Wadi Nisnas
Tel: 04 82525252/1
www.haifa.gov.il/beit-hagefen
Open Sunday-Thursday. Get in touch to find
out about shows, art exhibitions and dates for the various festivals
that run throughout the year. There are also walks you can follows
such as Coexistence Walks which include The Art Works Route and
the Poetry Path. There is also street art which changes each year with
a new theme. This year the theme is ‘Black Coffee’ so various arty
monuments, images and street sculptures abound in Wadi Nisnas.
Stella Maris Church and Monastery
Stella Maris Way
Tel: 04 8337758
Open 0800-12, 15.00-18.00. Entry free.
A comfortable Starwoods hotel located on Haifa beach.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Israel Government Tourist Office
Tel: 020-7299 1111
www.go-israel.org
Haifa Tourist Board
Tel: 972 4 8535606
www.tour-haifa.co.il
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice
Tel: 0870 6060290
www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Language: Hebrew, Arabic and English
Currency: New Israeli Shekel (NIS)
Visas: None required
Time: GMT + 2
Climate: Hot and dry summers highs of 40ºC and mild
and cooler winters with lows of 6ºC
31
The Palm Jumeirah
The Baha’i Gardens in Haifa may well be a contender for the coveted title ‘Eighth
Wonder of the World’. As yet there is no official Eighth Wonder but many sites do
compete and unofficially use the title. Here are five more:
Eighth Wonders
OF THE WORLD?
THE PALM JUMEIRAH
Dubai
Think back ten years and Dubai had just a handful of beach hotels
and an airport. Today it is the world’s fastest growing holiday village,
relentlessly building hotels of spectacular beauty and luxury and
awesome shopping malls, but its greatest feat has to be The Palm.
Located offshore in Dubai the Palm Jumeirah, is an artificial
archipelago of islands stylised as a palm tree said to be visible from
space. The Palm Jumeirah was conceived by His Highness General
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai
and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates. His vision was
to create ‘a retreat, a quiet, serene and safe haven for living,
relaxation and leisure’. In just five years, 94 million cubic metres of
sand and seven million tonnes of rock will have been used to create
the world’s largest man-made island. Phase I is almost complete and
includes 1,350 villas on the fronds of the island and 2,650 shoreline
apartments with the 20 buildings located on the east side of the
trunk. Approximately 5km by 5km in size, The Palm Jumeirah will
32
create 560 hectares of land and add 78 kilometres to the Dubai
coastline – more than a 100% increase.
The Golden Mile, which is located along the centre of the trunk
overlooking a canal will include an international shopping, office
and residential destination covering some 60,000 square metres, will
be complete in 2008. Construction has also begun on the Palm
Monorail which will take three years to complete and will serve as a
transit system between the Gateway Station at the trunk of The Palm
Jumeirah and the Atlantis Station on the crescent, calling at two
intermediate stations.
The first residents are expected to move into their property by the
end of 2006, and the most notable are the Beckhams who have
purchased a luxury home on one of the leaves.
BANAUE RICE TERRACES
Luzon, Phillipines
The Banaue rice terraces were carved into the hillside by hand over
2,000 years ago by the Ifugaos. The terraces start from the base of
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM LONDON
Banaue Rice Terraces
the Cordilleras mountain range and reach up to several thousand
feet high the highest being 1500m (4920ft). Its length, if stretched
from end to end, could encircle half of the globe. They were
designed to provide level steps to plant rice. The rice paddies are fed
by mountain springs and streams that are channelled into an
irrigation canal that runs downhill through the terraces.
The terraces, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, still produce
rice and vegetables, though young locals are more tempted by work
in tourism.
TERRACOTTA ARMY
Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
In 1974 local farmers who were drilling a
well found the Terracotta Army of China.
These life-like and life-size figures
sometimes called ‘Qin’s Army’ were
buried with the first Emperor of Qin
(Qin Shi Huang) in 210-209 BC. Thirty
years later archaeological excavations are
still ongoing. So far 8,099 terracotta
military figures have been unearthed and include infantry,
archers and officers who are all carrying real swords, and wooden
crossbows complete with bronze fittings some dating back to 228
BC. Also interred in the mausoleum was treasure and a scale replica
of the universe with gemmed ceilings representing the cosmos.
Archeologists believe that it would have taken 700,000 workers
and craftsmen 36 years to complete and that Qin Shi Huang’s
necropolis was to serve as an imperial palace. It has several offices
and hall and is surrounded by a wall with gateways. Workmen and
craftsmen have also been found, believed to be buried alive to
maintain secrecy about the riches and entry points. The terracotta
army was supposed to protect the compound.
THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
New York, US
The Empire State building is probably the
most famous landmark in New York soaring
more than a quarter of a mile above the heart
of Manhatton. Since its opening in 1931
more than 110 million visitors have risen to
its Observatory on the 86th floor (1050
feet/320 metres high) to gaze upon New
York city’s panoramic views. The Observatory is open
365 days a year. The last elevators go up at 11.15pm.
www.esbnyc.com/tourism
PARTHENON
Athens, Greece
This world famous monument of
Ancient Greece, perched on the
Acropolis of Athens, dates back to the
5th century BC. Its decorative
sculpture is considered the best that
Greek Art has to offer and one of the
world’s greatest cultural monuments.
It was initially used as a treasury
and converted to a Christian church dedicated to the
Virgin in the 6th century. When the Turks invaded, it was converted
into a mosque. In the 17th century a Venetian cannonball ignited a
cache of Turkish arms that were held in the Parthenon causing
severe damage to both the Parthenon and its sculptures. Later in the
19th century Lord Elgin transported the surviving sculptures to
England and these Elgin marbles are on display at the British
Museum, though many think they should be returned to Greece.
33
City Break
B R A T I S L AVA
President Bush has a lot to answer for. But when it comes to putting Bratislava on the map, the Slovakians will no
doubt be eternally grateful. For he did for the city what the peaceful split from The Czech Republic (remember
Checkoslovakia?) in 1993, and even the entrance into the EU on Ist May 2004 could not do. By having his summit
with Putin in Bratislava in February 2005, he turned the eyes of the world onto this beautiful Slovakian capital.
And like its Czech sister, Prague or its cousin, Vienna in neighbouring Austria (just 16km away), Bratislava is making
inroads into becoming a top notch city break.
T
hough the city centre is appealingly elegant, the outskirts of
this tiny city are rimmed with bleak communist high rise
buildings which may not be regarded as eye candy – even
when the sun shines. On the other hand
lush vineyards slope off the Little
Carpathian Mountains finally
meeting with the Danube
river and those high rises
that overlook the
Danube and
mountains actually
fetch a hefty price –
a case where
location is
everything.
The closer you get
to the city centre, the
more relaxed, more
colourful and more
endearingly quaint
everything seems. Locals stroll
Cumil – a bit of a letch
around narrow cobbled streets
that fan out from the Old Town square
while horse and carts clip clop with their cargo of
visiting voyeurs showing off intimate quarters adorned with Rococo
and Gothic structures, newly reborn into coffee bars, restaurants and
wine bars. One of the reasons for the pervading calm is the lack of
noisy cars and buses. We are talking a huge pedestrianised area
where everything of interest is easily accessible on foot and by tram.
So what does Bratislava have to offer its visiting city breaker?
MU ST VIS ITS
Old Town – Hlavné Námestie
The square in the old town is a quaintly cobbled picture of elegance,
so pretty that Hans Christian Andersen referred to it as ‘the most
beautiful city in Europe’. The square’s centre piece is a fountain
where the young trendies loiter and around which a dutiful
trimming of pleasant aristocratic Viennese style cafes and
fashionable bars offer a pivo (a beer) to send you into a
deeper state of repose.
Yet amusingly the city has a preoccupation with
women. For one thing the plinth in the middle of the
34
fountain is topped with the statue of
Roland. Legend has it that every New
Year’s Eve, the figure rotates and this
miraculous act can only be witnessed by
virgin girls. And secondly at the end of one of
the many rays of streets in Panska Street is
their famous bronze figure Cumil – probably
one of the most photographed statues of
the city – he is basically a bit of a letch, a
worker who pops up from a
manhole for a view up the
skirts of passing
females. Other
bronze statues
pop up all
over the
town. In the
square a park
bench has one
sitting, legs crossed
with arm outstretched so
you can almost cuddle up to
him. Outside the Paparazzi
restaurant at Laurinska 1, a
bronze press photographer
appears to be
surreptitiously
taking a snaps of
passers by.
The upper part of
the Ganymede’s
Fountain in front of the
building of the Slovak
National Theatre on the
Hviezdoslavovo
Square
On sunny days, wooden cabins selling an assortment of
handicarfts and souvenirs, open up for business, while artists take to
their pews and easels in the hope of a commission or three. Tours on
the little red train depart every few minutes while band stand
entertainment fills the air.
Old Town Hall – Starl Radnica
Every so often you can hear the bells chime from the tower of the
Old Town Hall adjoining the main square. Visiting royalty and
Hussites have been hosted here over the years and today everyone
can visit the Municipal Museum and a small culty cinema – the
Muzeum.
Primate’s Palace
This magnificent 18th century structure is where the Bishop of
Estergom lived (you can see his hat at the apex of the roof) and
houses an elegant array of 17th century tapestries brought over to
Slovakia from England. The building was also the temporal
residence of the Slovak Republic until 1996 and it was here in 1805
when Napoleon Bonaparte and Francis I of Hapsburg signed the
Pressburg Truce in its Mirror Hall.
Michael’s Tower – Michalská Brána
This white tower is part of a medieval municipal fortification built in
13th century that was once the eastern entrance to the old town. For
some reason there is a map on the cobblestones in the archway of
the gate that shows where you are in relation to the Antarctica and
Sweden. If you feel like climbing the stairs you will see a display of
ages old weapons. The copper sculpture of archangel Michael was
added onto the roof in 1753.
Bratislava Castle
Magnificently located on high ground to the west of the city, the
castle has been guarding its Old Town since the 1st century and
was used as a frontier post of the Roman Empire for 500 years.
Looking up, its roof, the handiwork of the 17th-century Habsburgs
has, more than a passing resemblance to an upside down table. It’s
worth climbing up there just to have a look around, for the great
views and to pop into the Museum of Folk Music. An entry fee of
60SK (£1.10) gains you access to exhibitions, musical instruments
period furniture and a staggering 3,500 paintings, statues and
prints. At the end of the tour you can rejuvenate at the museum’s
café for a drink. The museum tel: 00 421 2 5441 1444, opens 9am5pm every day except Monday.
35
A view of the New Bridge and the Danube Embankment from
the Bystrica restaurant on top of the New Bridge
St Martin’s Cathedral
This 13th century cathedral still stands in full splendour in the town
centre. Nineteen royal coronations of the Austrian Hungarian Empire
took place here and indeed still remains the city’s crowning glory.
River Boats
A popular way to view the city is by taking a sightseeing boat trip
along the Danube which sails between Bratislava’s two main bridges.
En route the boat sails by an ancient fort built on a rock dating back
to 907 AD called Devin. Make a note, because the ruins are well
preserved and open to the public. Reserve a seat at the ticket office
at the landing stage at Fajnorovo Nabrezie 2. Or call 00 421 2 5293
2226. The fare for the hour-long cruise is 90SK (£1.60).
The New Bridge – Nov˘ Most
There is a bridge next to the castle designed to connect the Old
Town with the new extension. Fans hail the engineering genius
behind it and the best that can be said about it is that it functions
well. This ugly grey slabbed bridge, has cars using the upper level
and pedestrian walk across the graffiti decorated lower level. But
sadly its construction meant the destruction of priceless heritage,
most of all the Jewish quarter that had existed for two hundreds
The Main Square in the summer time
FA C T
F I L E
GETTING THERE
Skyeurope flies from Stansted to Bratislava www.skyeurope.com
Czech Travel offer weekend breaks to Bratislava
3 nights at the Hotel Devin 4****
From £279pp including flights, bed and breakfast accomodation.
Bookings and brochure request: Tel: 01733 327766
Email: info@czechtravelonline.com
ACCOMMODATION
HOTEL DEVIN JJJJ
Riecna 4
811 02 Bratislava
tel.: 00 421 2 5998 5111
E-mail: reservations@hoteldevin.sk
www.hoteldevin.sk
Single rooms start at 170 Euro (£122) per night; doubles at 190 Euro
(£136), including breakfast. The Devin offers stylish accommodation
decorated in wood and pastel colours, a spa and some great views over
the Danube or of the city roof tops. Its French style coffee shop and
restaurants are highly regarded locally.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Some useful words
Q Hello = Dobry den
Q Yes/no = Ano/Nie
Q Please = Prosim
Q I don’t understand = Nerozumiem
Currency: Slovak Crowns
Tourist Office
Klobucnicka 2
00 421 2 5443 3715
www.bratislava.sk/en
Open: 8am–7pm weekdays; 8am–1pm weekends
years. Down went an incredibly beautiful synagogue. Nazi
occupation and communist rule ensured that where there were
130,000 members of the Jewish community, only 1000 exist today.
However the city has remembered this community by giving the site
the tombs of renowned rabbis and made it into an underground
mausoleum.The bridge is most famous for the restaurant on the top
floor which is designed as a spinning flying saucer.
What the Slovaks eat and drink
Eating out in Bratislava is agreeably cheap. You can get a three
course meal with beer or wine and still have change from £20.00.
Local cuisine comprises potatoes, cheese and sauerkraut and the full
bodied Slovak beer is, shall we say, distinctive with its thick froth
and rich flavours.
The Little Carpathian Mountains are not only beautiful but they
provide the country with some fabulous vinous sustenance. Lots of
wine bars and cellars are on hand to proferr Tokaj and Riesling,
Cabernet Sauvignon and Svatovarrinecke (think Pinot Noir) wines.
Restaurants serve them with dishes such as bryndozove halusky
(potato dumplings and goats cheese)
Fancy
FA NCaYdrink
A DR INK
?
KGB
Obchodná street
Did you know that James Bond helps Kara escape from the KGB in
Bratislava. This bar, complete with a Stalin bust, remembers the
recent Soviet occupation where you chat about the virtues of
socialism and capitalism while downing fried cheese, a wiener
schnitzel and a pint in a vibrant underground ambience. Or go for
the Che Guevara ammunition – a chillie con carnet for 68sk.
Attracts the young because the music decibels are so high and the
prices are so low.
Dining
Out OU T
DIN ING
Hradná Vináren
Bratislavsky Hrad
Tel : 00421 2 534 13 58
A lovely bar/restaurant located in a prime location within the
grounds of the castle. It used to be a stables, but the only horse play
will be yours after a round of Slovakian wine. Enjoy elegant cuisine
in regal surroundings (huge chandeliers set the scene) and fabulous
panoramic views of the Old Town!
Traja Musketiery
Sladkovicova
Located close to the presidential palace, has some great descriptions
of its dishes on the menu. Valet Mousqueton’s Pate “That excellent
fellow your valet, knows your whimsical taste – the pistachios, plum
and pate he blended without haste will revive you from any death
you may have faced” which means home made poultry pate filled
with dried plums, pistachios and plum sauce.
Korzo
Hviezdosla 1
For the true tastes of Slovakia choose this fine Slovakian Specialty
Restaurant.
GO SOLO
Western Crete
W I T H S O L O ’ S H O L I DAYS
There were 29 of us winding in a crocodile line round the steep rocks of the Sirikari Gorge in western Crete.
Some had walking sticks and prodded the flinty ground uncertainly; most had sun hats; all had walking boots.
We were 29 “single” people ranging in age from our late twenties to early fifties, who wanted to holiday,
but not alone. By Deborah Nash
E
ach day, we took a coach up into the foothills to begin our
morning trek. In Greek mythology, the ruler of the gods, Zeus,
was born in a Cretan cave, reared on milk from a mountain
goat-nymph and buried somewhere under a Cretan hill. If he could
have looked down on us during our hikes, he would have seen tiny
people, dwarfed by mountains and vast, cloud-strewn skies, making
an ant road into the hilly unknown, jabbering about ex’s and
mothers and the shortcomings of the Greek plumbing system.
Our walks took us up and down rugged slopes, through villages,
along coastal pathways and into caves. We identified oleander,
bougainvillaea, yellowhorned poppy as well as countless orange,
‘When we were not walking, we were
eating and when we were not eating,
we were swimming or dancing’
lemon and apricot trees. But the two most significant gifts of nature,
contributing more than any other to Cretan culture over the
millennia, must be the goat and the olive.
We encountered goats on every walk – we, clumsy and breathless;
they, clambering swiftly up the mountainside, sending down
showers of rocks and stones as if to prove a point. When we had
finished our walks and sat down, al fresco, for a scrumptious lunch
laid out on a long trestle table, goat would feature somewhere
among the salads and kebabs – usually as goat yoghurt, or as a tasty
goat’s cheese or maybe in an omelette (made with goat’s milk).
Wherever you went – coast or acropolis – a goat was never very far
away. The olive was also a constant feature of the table, though as an
oil rather than as a fruit. When the Greek husband of our tour guide
took us round the hilltop village of Polyrinia (the name means
“many sheep”) we were left in no doubt of its importance: olive
groves account for 70% of the cultivated land in Crete and olive oil
38
GO SOLO
TONY’S TIPS
Tony Knight Solo’s Coordinator
shares his top five tips for those
travelling ‘solo’ for the first time.
1. Choose a trip to somewhere you
have always wanted to go to!
With 100+ destinations to choose from, it should be easy to
fulfil a life long dream.
2. When you have chosen your holiday take a look at
www.solosreunited.co.uk to get in touch with others in
is one of the main exports. We were shown the old stone olive presses
where donkeys used to turn the mill stones that crushed the fruit, the
oil running down the gullies to basins where it was collected and
bottled. Workers were paid with olive oil, and inside the Greek
Orthodox chapels that decorate the landscape (and which are always
open) olive oil is pooled in the candle holders.
Goats and olive apart, the holiday rolled by in a comfortably
pleasing pattern: when we were not walking, we were eating and when
we were not eating, we were swimming or dancing.
One memorable evening, we celebrated two birthdays. By now, we
all felt fairly comfortable with each other and dinner table
your group or people who have been to your resort previously.
3. Do your research on your destination, borrow travel
guides from the library and read travel writers, look at the
internet. You will feel more confident armed with some
knowledge and you will start getting a feel for the excursions you
might like to take during your trip, and you will have a basis for
discussion with the rest of the group.
4. Meeting up with the rest of the group is always the
most nerve wracking part. But remember, other people in
the group will be in the same situation! A few simple questions
such as “Have you had to travel far to the airport? Have you
travelled with Solo’s before?” will soon get the conversation
flowing.
5. If there is something you really enjoy doing when
on holiday, such as scuba diving then talk to your tour leader
about it. Our tour leader are there to organise activities and
excursions for the group and are always ready to discuss
possibilities and introduce people to each other if they have
common interests.
DEBORAH PARTICIPATED IN SOLO’S
‘WALKING IN CRETE’ WEEK:
7 nights from £625 19, 26 Sep, 3, 10 Oct 06
Tony will be at venues across the country answering all
your questions about travelling with Solo’s, see
www.solosholidays.co.uk for details. You can also
contact Tony by e-mail at Anthony.knight@solosholidays.co.uk
What’s included:
J Charter return flights London Gatwick/Chania & transfers
J Airport taxes and charges
J Twin/double room for single use with private facilities
J Welcome drink & information meeting
J Breakfast daily plus 5 lunches, 5 taverna dinners & 1 BBQ dinner
J 5 guided walks
J Accompanying Solo’s Tour Leader
For a relaxing week on the beach, join us on our
‘CRETE SUMMER SUN’ WEEK:
7 nights from £499 Jun – Oct 06
Why not spend 14-nights combining walking & chilling out on the beach?
‘CRETE WALKING & BEACH’
14 nights from £899 19, 26 Sep, 3 Oct
SOLO’S HOLIDAYS IS THE UK’S NO1
FOR UNATTACHED SINGLE TRAVELLERS.
Reservations: 08704 990799
e-mail: travelsolos@solosholidays.co.uk
Website: www.solosholidays.co.uk
Message boards: www.solosreunited.co.uk
conversations were taking a confessional turn, discussing life problems
such as the difficulties of work and of being single as well as strategies
for dealing with ageing. After our meal, we went on to a bar and
danced outlandishly on the terrace, causing such a stir among the local
youth that they besieged us and photographed us with their mobile
phones. It was the nearest thing I have ever had to a press call.
Looking back on it all now, it seems that in negotiating the rugged
landscape and rocky terrain of Crete each of us had unknowingly
stumbled on a metaphor for life – of taking the rough with the smooth
– and perhaps too we had discovered that there is no better way of
dealing with life’s ups and downs than in the maxim “Keep walking”.
39
Flying Visit
H O P PI N G OV E R TO
REIMS
Nestling in the heart of the Champagne region is an old Roman city that saw the coronation of 25 French kings,
is famed for producing the ‘king of wines’ and noted for its superb Gothic architecture. With its fine restaurants
and appealing countryside landscaped with vineyards, Reims makes a capital choice for a stylish and gastronomic
hop across the Channel.
Why Go?
It may be summer outside but in the miles and miles of caves
beneath the city of Reims it is musty and cool. Descend into the
chalk caverns and see the millions of bottles of their coveted bubbly.
Return to the surface, taste the champenoise nector and then go see
the grapes being harvested.
Why now?
It’s never been easier to get to Reims and never been a better time for
culture vultures. The entire city has been earmarked as an Art Déco
City. Exhibitions like the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
are motoring on until the end of August or join in the Circuit Art
Deco tour which passes monuments, facades and a variety of Art
Déco architecture. www.reimsartdeco.fr
Most Outstanding Architecture?
This accolade goes to the famous
Reims Cathedrale, Cathédrale NotreDame where aptly 25 of France’s
kings were crowned starting with
Clovis in 496.
It is a complex structure with an eyebrow raising 2,300 statues, the most
famous of which is Ange au Sourire – the
Smiling Angel (pictured above) and that is before you have stepped
a foot inside. The Cathedral incorporates the Palais de Tau which
was once used as the archbishop’s palace, but now is the Cathedral’s
40
museum. Its immense form is pretty impressive, but there are also
other fine specimens like the St. Remi Basilica. Though a lot smaller,
the St. Remi is refreshingly decorative for a medieval construction.
Getting there
The new, colourfully named Air Turquoise www.airturquoise.com
flies daily from Luton to Reims airport. Or if you want to take your
car, make your way by ferry or the Eurotunnel train to Calais and
then take A16/A26 motorway towards Dunkirk which leads you to
Reims in two and a half hours.
Where to stay?
Submit to the champagne lifestyle at Château Les Crayères from
£192 per night. Staying in one of its 19 rooms means you will be
guaranteed a table at its three starred Michelin restaurant (£70-£80
per head). Boyer Les Crayères, 64 Boulevard Henry-Vasnier (00 33
326 82 80 80). www.relaischateaux.com/crayeres
A cheaper but nevertheless stylish alternative is The Templiers
located near the cathedral. It is housed in a 19th century building
and has the most beautiful wooden staircase. Grand Hôtel des
Templiers, 22 rue des Templiers (00 33 326 88 55 08).
Which Champagne House is a Must Visit?
There are ten great Champagne houses in Reims all of whom are
happy to greet you, but if you only have time for one then go for the
official Formula 1 Champagne House, Mumm. At Mumm you can
just turn up, and unlike some more stuffy affairs, theirs is a slick,
highly polished, entertaining tour lasting around 45 minutes that
takes you on a ramble around their cellars. Entry is £4.00 and
includes a glass of fizz. They can also arrange three hour trips
vineyard tours for £18.00.
Mumm, at 34, rue du Champ du Mars (00 33 326 49 59 70)
Where to eat?
The locals love the reasonably priced traditional cuisine at Au Petit
Baccus. It is stylish yet casual, with a brick floor and simple wood
tables set off nicely by spot lighting. Seafood lovers don’t mind
shelling out for the roasted lobster or seabream cooked in
champagne at le Millénaire.
Au Petit Bacchus, 11, rue de l’Université (00 33 326 47 10 05),
Le Millénaire, 4 rue Bertin (00 33 326 08 26 62)
What to buy?
Bubbley of course, but if you like antiques, then check-out De
Choses en Choses, 30 rue Colbert, and Au Faubourg, 207 rue
Barbatre. Or if you fancy yourself a dab hand with a sword nip into
La Boutique Champenoise, place du Cardinal Luon and buy a sabre
(which comes with instructions), a sword used ceremoniously by
connoisseurs to decapitate the champagne bottle at special festive
events.
Where to hang out
The shopping and night life district is easy to spot near to the
Cathedral at place Drouet d’Erion. Restaurants, bars and brasseries
abound.
Top Tip – how not to look foolish?
Remember that Reims is pronounced Rance.
THE TOURIST BOARD
12 boulevard Général Leclerc
Tel. : 00 33 326 77 45 00
www.reims-tourisme.com
THE GUIDEBOOK
Channel Hoppers Guide to Champagne Ardenne.
www.channelhoppers.net
Dental Tourism
COSMETIC DENTISTRY UNDER THE
Cypriot Sun
I had wanted to get my teeth knocked into shape ever since I watched the Channel 4 series’ Ten Years Younger’.
Fellow viewers will have learned that the state of your teeth ages you more than any amount of wrinkles and that
the solution is just a set of pearly white tooth veneers away.
T
he pull of a nice smile was compelling, but for a long time I
was put off by the UK price tag. At £800 a tooth it was just
too much to swallow. So rather than break the bank, I
decided to join the growing band of Dental Jet Setters.
A little research uncovered a host of cosmetic dentists from
Hungary, Poland, Cyprus and India whose per tooth charges range
from £150 in Poland to £250 in Cyprus. At that price, I reasoned, I
could enjoy a holiday and the dental treatment at the same time.
Out of the four destinations, India wasn’t really a consideration, it
seemed too far away. Hungary and Poland seemed to have potential,
and offered treatments at the lower cost scale. However, I had been
to Cyprus before – a romantic break in the town of Paphos spent
tracing the steps of love goddess Aphrodite, and was harbouring
fond memories. I could still mentally collate collages of ancient ruins
glowing in the sun, mountain peaks coloured with spring flowers,
and the fragrance of vineyards and olive groves in old stone villages.
Lovely; but back to reality, the deciding factor for me was that no
matter how distinctive the Cypriot ethnology is, they have warmly
welcomed European culture and more than that, they speak English.
I plumped for the Nicosia Dental Polyclinic
(www.dentalcyprus.com) a clinic based in Cyprus’ capital Nicosia
located around 30 minutes from the charms of a Limassol beachside
resort, my chosen abode for the week. I had two appointments. My
first included a lengthy consultation, x-rays, preparatory work and
the placement of temporary teeth.
Dr Marios Taramides, son of the founder of the Nicosia Dental
Polyclinic Dr George Taramides and president of the Cyprus
Periodontal Society, explained the procedure he was about to
undertake: ‘we remove the thin layer of the enamel of each tooth,
take an impression and then we create thin porcelain facings which
we cement permanently on your existing teeth so that they look
bright, in position and close any spaces’.
As the preparatory work progressed Marios attentively asked
questions while I sat in the dental chair, mouth wide open,
anxiously cradling a saliva hoover, and a dental mirror and
numbing-up nicely after the pre-op injection. All I could do was
gurgle the odd “ah-ha”, in acknowledgement of his verbal feelers.
Three hours later I left the clinic with temporaries in place and set
off to enjoy the allure of the fine Mediterranean beaches.
Five days later I returned, a little more tanned and certainly more
relaxed, for my second appointment to have the veneers installed.
42
Within two hours I had undergone the smooth transition from
ragged to a neat set of front incisors. But it was not completely
painless as I had to contend with some tenderness and soreness,
a little like a bruise, around the surrounding gums. This lasted for
a week or so.
Still, chilling out around a pool enjoying the last two days of
Cypriot hospitality helped the healing process no end, so I wasn’t
really too down-in-the-mouth to enjoy yet another poolside cocktail.
FA C T
F I L E
GETTING THERE
Cyprus airways flies from various UK airports to both Larnaca and
Pahpos www.cyprusairways.com
Specialist tour operator, Libra Holidays offers seven nights b/b at the
five-star Amathus Beach Hotel in Limassol from £715pp. The price is
based on two sharing a deluxe inland view room and includes return
flights and transfers. The hotel offers guests a wide range of facilities
including two swimming pools, a variety of restaurants, tennis courts
and a health and fitness centre. Flights are available from a wide
selection of UK airports including Luton, Gatwick, Manchester,
Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle. To book contact Libra Holidays on
0871 226 7825 or visit www.libraholidays.co.uk
Dental Cyprus
5 Krete Street
www.dentalcyprus.com
Tel: +357 22 760000
email info@dentalcyprus.com
Tourist Information:
Cyprus Tourist Office
Tel: 0207 569 8800
www.visitcyprus.org.cy
The Medical Tourist Company
Tel: 0208 090 2356
Email: info@medicaltourist.co.uk
WHAT IT COSTS
PROCEDURE
4 Veneers
Airfare/Trips to Clinic
5* Accommodation Double Room
TOTAL
UK
£3200.00
£20.00
0
£3220.00
CYPRUS
£1000.00
£186.00
£615.00
£1801.00
CHOOSING A DENTIST ABROAD
Any decision for treatment abroad, whether
dental, cosmetic or medical should not be
taken lightly, but if you follow the advice of
Tushar Shah of The Medical Tourist
Company, experts in the field of Medical
Tourism, you won’t go far wrong.
• Before embarking on any trip find out about qualifications and
speak to the practice before you even consider going ahead. A
good practice should be able to put you in touch with former
patients happy to talk to you. Ask to see before and after pictures.
• Check on other costs, such as consultation fees.
• Make sure you have a full check-up before undertaking any
treatment.
• For a veneer or bleaching, a good dentist should complement the
shade with your skin tone using a colour chart.
• Ensure that you let the dentist know if you are allergic to
anything, for example penicillin, paracetomol and even any food
and drink.
• Ensure you allow enough time for treatment. Having treatment
within the early part of the holiday will allow for you to have a
consultation before flying back and ensure there is enough time
for any further minor treatment if required.
• Ensure that the dentist gives you a full report on the dental
treatment carried out.
• Do have a look at the clinic before being treated, it is important
that you feel comfortable before proceeding with the treatment.
• If you are able to get a OPG (X-ray of your mouth) from your
local dentist in the UK (between £25-£75), most dentists abroad
will be able to give you an accurate cost on the dental treatment
required.
www.medicaltourist.co.uk
The Medical Tourist Company
is a leading provider for end to end service for individuals seeking
dental and medical treatment abroad. Our dedicated team have
audited all the facilities we send patients to and our experience of
assisting individuals ensure people go abroad for medical treatment
with confidence. Our focus is on quality medical treatment at
affordable prices.
Tel: 0208 090 2356
E-mail: info@medicaltourist.co.uk
www.medicaltourist.co.uk
43
w w w. d e n t a l c y p r u s . c o m
We can give
you a much
brighter smile
Located in the Mediterranean island of
Cyprus, the Nicosia Dental Polyclinic has
been providing dental treatment of the
highest standards since 1995, at a fraction
of the UK price.
All our doctors are highly trained
professionals from some of the most
renowned schools in the world and
are accredited by international
dental organisations.
The techniques and procedures we use
are considered the very best.With the
Branemark* System for example
(implants) the patient receives a 10-year
written guarantee!
The same high level of standard can
be expected in all our specialisations:
« Cosmetic Dentistry (bleaching in
a day, veneers in 5 days)
« Implantology (took in a
day/immediate loading)
« Periondology
« Orthodontics
« Pediatric Dentistry
« Preventive Dentistry
Known for its warm climate and
hospitality, Cyprus has countless sights and
activities to offer so you can relax while
having your treatment.We will even
arrange for your flight, luxurious
accommodation and transportation while
still keeping the cost low.
Yes, you can start smiling again!
Contact us for more information
and a free consultation.
5 Krete Street, PO Box 22011, 1060 Nicosia Cyprus
Tel: + 357 227 60000 • E-mail: info@dentalcyprus.com
http://www.dentalcyprus.com
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Green Travel
SITTING PRETTY IN
It’s not often I find myself disagreeing with Kermit The Frog, but when he sang
“It’s Not Easy Being Green” he’d never been to AquaCity-Poprad.
A
brand new purpose built hotel and conference centre in the
High Tatras Mountains of Slovakia is delivering a whole
new concept in ‘Green’, ecologically friendly, and above all,
sustainable tourism. But don’t let its ‘Eco-Friendly’ label put you off,
at AquaCity-Poprad you won’t have to spend your holiday shivering
in a felt tepee in the middle of a muddy field to go green, instead
you can just lay back and relax in three or four star luxury.
From the turn of the twentieth century through to the end of the
nineteen thirties, the High Tatras region in eastern Slovakia was the
secret playground for much of the British Royal Family, Europe’s
aristocracy, and the fashionable ‘Well to Do’. Today the Tatras is
opening itself up to anyone who wants to explore and experience
the perfect antidote to urban stress. Now the Edwardian grand style
and the1920’s Art Deco chique that this fascinating region offers are
available to everyone, and they’re going green
The secret of this great green success comes from the ingenious
way one resort in particular, AquaCity-Poprad, has harnessed the
power of the immense underground lake that lies buried deep
46
beneath its feet. A bore hole drilled into this hot mineral-rich
Slovakian spa, produces a staggering 60.19 litres of water per second
(over 47,577 gallons per hour), all naturally heated to 49ºC, forced
to the surface under its own pressure.
All this water is used to fill a series of heated indoor and outdoor
swimming pools, baths, steam rooms and saunas, which have been
wonderfully blended together to produce a combination of a Roman
bath, and a Regency spa experience, which have been brought right
up to the standards of the 21st Century. So if pampering, luxury, and
detoxification are what you’re looking for, then AquaCity can
certainly deliver.
In addition to using the waters for their soothing and therapeutic
qualities, the resort also extracts the geothermal energy to provide
heat, light and power for the three and four star hotels and a state of
the art 300 delegate conference centre; total luxury, virtually zero
carbon emissions. All this saving on increasingly expensive energy
costs means that in a part of Europe already known for its cheep
prices, compared with those here in The West, AquaCity can deliver
its outstanding quality at remarkably good value for money.
AquaCity is more than just a water fun park, or a ‘Green Getaway’
however. Set against the stunning backdrop of High Tatras
Mountains it is very much the gateway to exploring this wonderful
mountain region.
At only a little over two hours flying time from Stansted airport,
whatever the time of year AquaCity and its environs never leave you
disappointed. From a complete range of summer leisure activities
such as walking, climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, white water
rafting, horse riding and pony trekking etc, as well as a full winter
sports package, with a skiing season that can last from October
through to April, there are also the baths, pools, saunas and
treatment rooms of AquaCity to let you either just ‘Chill Out’, or
relax and recover after a hard day enjoying yourself. Now you can
have the benefit of a relaxing holiday break, safe in the knowledge
that financially, or ecologically, it won’t be costing you the earth.
47
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TORCH – A BRIGHT IDEA
This compact and bright LED torch is
ideal for those times when you can’t afford
to be left in the dark by dead batteries.
When the torch runs out of power, you
simply pull out the wind-up arm and turn it either clockwise or
anti-clockwise to recharge the built-in Lithium battery. One minute
of winding will give more than 30 minutes of light. The Dynamo
comes fitted with three high intensity LED bulbs for longer battery
life and there is no need to buy spare bulbs as LED’s (Light Emitting
Diodes) last a lot longer than standard bulbs, they give over 20,000
hours of light. It has two “on” modes: One LED on (energy saving
mode) or all three LEDs on. Price: £8.99. Available from
www.whirlwindsales.co.uk
WIN!
We have FOUR Wind-Up torches to give away worth
£8.99 each. For a chance to win simply call 0906 756
2381* and leave your contact details. Or enter online at
www.thetravelmagazine.co.uk and click on WIN WIN WIN.
The first two entries out of the ‘hat’ on 14th September 2006 will
each win one of these really useful torches.
49
Products To Go
kidz
TOTS GO TECH! – THE FISHER-PRICE
KID-TOUGH™ DIGITAL CAMERA
The next generation of David Baileys could be on their way
sooner than you think! This summer, the world’s number one
infant and pre-school toy company, Fisher-Price launches the first
digital camera designed specifically for preschoolers – the KidTough™ Digital Camera.
The Kid-Tough™ Digital camera combines all the technology you
would expect from a digital camera, with all the qualities you would
expect from Fisher-Price. The camera features 1.3” backlit colour
LCD preview screen, 8MB built-in memory, SD card slot for
increased storage and USB cord to connect to computer for
downloading images. In addition, simple controls and visual icons
make it simple for kids to navigate with no reading
required. Drop-proof shell, dual handle grips, twoeye viewing and Auto Flash make it robust and
simple enough for any child to take a great shot!
Fisher-Price has been leading the way with
pre-school electronics for decades, first
introducing the phonograph in 1979, followed
by their classic tape recorder in 1981. Their first
real camera was launched in 1984. Since then over
10 million tape recorders and cameras have been sold.
No surprise then that Fisher-Price is once again putting new
technology in the hands of preschoolers with the digital camera.
The Kid-Tough Digital Camera is available nationwide from end
of July 2006 and priced around £59.99. Pink and blue colourways
available. Suitable from 3 years+
WIN!
We have 2 Kid-Tough Digital Cameras to give
away, one pink and one blue worth £59.99 each.
For a chance to win simply answer the following
question: How many MB of memory does the
camera have? If you know the answer please call our
competition hotline on 0906 756 2381* and, leave your answer
and your contact details and state which colour you would like –
pink or blue. The first two correct entries chosen at random on 14th
September will each receive this fabulous prize.
50
LION IN THE SUN –
UV PROTECTIVE
BEACHWEAR FOR
FUNKY KIDS
Lion in the Sun’s range of funky,
UV protective swimwear for babies
and kids is ideal for covering up
delicate skin and making sure that they
look fabulous on the beach, by the pool or
just in the garden. Their clothing range is UPF50+ – the
highest sun protective rating awarded to fabric, blocking out
more than 97.5% of the sun’s UV rays. This high-factor, soft
and stretchy material shields skin from the sun, meaning less
chemicals on their skin and less worry about constantly
reapplying sun lotion.
Kids UV suits (£22, aged 2-12 years)
and long sleeved Swimshirts (£15, aged
2-14) come in a range of colours for boys
and girls – from Silver Hook and Graffiti
to denim, sky and rose petal for the girls.
They provide all over protection and the
perfect ‘surf to shore’ look.
Don’t forget the UV Splash Hats! The
legionnaire style sun hats protect the
ears and the back of the neck and are
priced at £9.90. Available for boys &
girls of all ages in twelve different
colours. www.lioninthesun.com
WIN!
Two lucky winners can win all these Lion in
the Sun products worth £46.90. For a chance to
win answer the following question:
What UV protective rating do Lion in the
Sun range of swimwear have? If you know the
answer simply call our hotline on 0906 756 2381* and leave
your contact details and your answer. The two correct entries
chosen at random on 14th September will each receive this
fabulous prize.
Products To Go
kidz
LIL’ EXECUTIVE –
FOR BUSY KIDS
ON THE MOVE!
The Lil’ Executive from
Sunshine Kids is the ideal
travel companion for your
busy children. It is a
combined storage unit and
desk top that is easily
attached to the rear of a
car’s front seats.
The desktop folds down
to allow children to draw,
write or play ensuring
that they are kept amused on car
journeys allowing you to concentrate on the driving.
Lil’ Executive is available from retailers throughout the UK. RRP
£12.99. www.skjp.com
WIN!
We have two sets Kids Talk™ and two Lil’
Executives to give away worth £22.98 per set. For a
chance to win a set simply call our competition hotline
0906 756 2381* and leave your contact details.
TALKING KIDS
Kids Talk™ is a talking ID wristband, worn just like a watch, on
which you can digitally record information such as name, address,
telephone number etc. Kids Talk™ can be re recorded as often as
needed as circumstances change, such
as when on holiday, out shopping,
daytrips, nursery school etc:
Simple to record details onto
and easily operated just by
flipping the lid, the recorded
details are played back to ensure
the safe return of a lost child.
Among its many uses is the
ability to record details of any
medical conditions and drug or
food allergies, so you can rest assured
that should your child go missing no untoward harm can come to
them when they are found.
One of the great things about Kids Talk™ is that it is totally
waterproof to 5 foot, which makes it ideal when on holiday, at the
beach or in the pool. Even salt water will not affect its operation.
Kids Talk™ is fun to wear while offering added security for
today’s children who are naturally more adventurous and
inquisitive.
Kids Talk™ retails at just £9.99. www.goextra.co.uk
THE CHANNEL HOPPERS GUIDE
DON’T
CROSS THE
CHANNEL
WITHOUT IT
COMPACT, FACT-PACKED
GUIDES
Must-See Sights,
Gastronomy, Menu-Reader, Hotels,
Shopping and Leisure, Maps and essential tips to help you really enjoy your
break in Northern France!
w w w . c h a n n e l h o p p e r s . n e t
Competition
G
N
I
N
E
T
S
I
L
R
SUMMA E
W A R D S
2 0 0 6
Lying on the beach, sunning on a deck chair aboard a cruise ship, chilling out on a hammock or whiling away the
hours on a long car journey…what could be a better accompaniment than a great story on audio?
This summer, BBC Audiobooks have put together their favourite titles for summer listening and are giving you a
chance to win them all. There are audiobooks to match your every mood and holiday so all you have to do is plug
in those headphones, sit back and enjoy!
Best Beach Audiobook
Best Audiobook for Train Journeys
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Set on an idyllic Greek island, the story of an Italian army captain’s
love affair during World War II is a bestselling novel.
Alan Bennett: Untold Stories Part One: Stories
At times heartrending, and at others extremely funny, Untold Stories
is a matchless and unforgettable journey into Alan Bennett’s past.
Best Audiobook for Plane Journeys
Best Lounging in the Garden Audiobook
The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did,
and after ten years in England he decided to go home – to a foreign
country.
Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
Laurie Lee’s evocative account of childhood in the sleepy
Gloucestershire village of Slad retains its atmosphere of innocence in
this BBC Radio 4 full-cast production.
Best Cruise Ship Audiobook
Best Audiobook for Car Journeys
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
In one of her most popular mysteries, Agatha Christie leads us into
a maze of evil as dark and labyrinthine as the ancient tombs of the
Pharoahs.
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P.G.Wodehouse
The stuff of nightmares for Bertie as he is hauled back to Totleigh
Towers and the whole loony crew of Madeline, Gussie, Roderick
Spode, Stiffy, Byng and the dog Bartholomew – stiff upper lip, Jeeves.
We have FIVE fabulous prizes to give away.
WIN!
First prize worth £100 is a complete set of the audiobooks plus a range of summer holiday goodies:
beach bag, sunglasses, beach towel and beach game. Four runners up will each receive a complete set
of audiobooks worth £64 per set. For a chance to win simply call our hotline number 0906 756 2381*
and leave your details. Winners will be chosen at random on 14th September.
*Calls cost 60p/min and last approx. 30-40 seconds
Books To Go
Weird New York
Weird Florida
Key to Rome
Author: Chris Gethard
Published by: Sterling
ISBN: 1-402-73383-6
Price: £14.99
Author: Charlie Carlson
Published by Sterling
ISBN: 0-760-75945-6
Price: £14.99
Authors: Frederick and Vanessa Vreeland
Published by: J. Paul Getty Museum
ISBN: 0-892-36802-0
Price: £14.50
Author Chris Gethard believes that in New
York State you are never far away from
something or somebody weird and has
compiled a host of fascinatingly strange New
York legends and unearthed a treasure of
best-kept secrets making this a must have
guide for the more adventurous tourist.
Did you know that along New York
Thruway off Exit 38 lies The Land of Broken
Dreams – a yard that has been turned into a
land of discarded rocking horses, broken
children's toys, street signs, broken clocks,
dolls, puppets and mannequins -a homage
to America's disposable culture? Or that
Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal has a
whispering gallery - two people standing
diagonally opposite each other from one side
of the terminal to the other can
communicate by whispering – a feature that
until now has been completely
unpublicised?
If you think Florida is just beach and
sunshine then you are about to discover a
brand new Florida – a place of legend and
mystery. And if like Charlie Carlson, you
believe Florida is whacky, then you are in for
a treat when you realise just how whacky.
Weird Florida unveils rumours, myths and
legends and eerie and the unexplained to
titillate. Did you know that Spook Hill in
Lake Wales cars roll up the hill? Or that
there is an old school outside Wauchul that
is haunted and if you go there at night you
can hear children playing inside and
sometimes a school bell ringing.
Key to Rome is a cultural-historical travel
book, but also a full-service guide to
everything significant in the Eternal City.
Written by the former US Ambassador and
his wife Vanessa, it serves up one history
after another chronologically: Ancient
Rome, Christian Rome, Renaissance and
Baroque Rome, from which today’s Rome of
tourists’ delights has evolved and flowered.
A separate section called “Essentials” reviews
museums, restaurants (including personal
favourites), hotels, children’s delights, day
trips and hints and tips that Frederick and
Vanessa have accumulated over 25 years.
Together with this wealth of information,
Key to Rome brims with hundreds of
magnificent images, historic prints and
quality maps to help navigate the city.
Code Green: Experiences of
a Lifetime
Author: Kerry Lorimer
Published by: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 1-741-04791-9
Price: £14.99
In a world where sustainability is of great
concern, Code Green: Experiences of a
Lifetime is a beautiful reference book that
offers ideas for the conscientious traveller.
Its pages detail 82 amazing journeys that will
have a positive impact on the environment,
cultural, social and ecological. Trips include
post-tsunami rebuilding projects in Sri Lanka,
kayaking in Fiji and whale watching in
Mexico and tells where and how to get up
close to gorillas and tag turtles.
54
WIN!
We have 10
Code Green
guides and
2 sets of Weird
guides to give away.
For a chance to win simply call our
hotline 0906 756 2381*. The first 2
winners will receive a set of Wierd
guides and 1 Code Green guide. The
other 8 winners will receive a copy of
the Code Green guide. Winners will
be chosen at random on 14th
September.
*Calls cost 60p/min and last approx. 30-40 seconds.
Books To Go
Unforgettable
Journeys to
Take Before
You Die
Authors: Steve Watkins
and Clare Jones
Published by: BBC
Books
ISBN: 0-563-52263-1
Price: £18.99
l
l
l
l
For anyone looking for ideas to have that
‘once in a lifetime experience’ this book may
well be the answer. It offers 30 diverse
adventures from cruising through
Patagonian fjords to taking a slow barge
down the Canal du Midi, from following in
the footsteps of Shackleton in Antartica to
tracking gorillas through the Rwandan
rainforest. The book is not a travel guide
and does not try to be definitive either, just
an introduction to what is possible. Well
written experiences and lovely photographs
serve their purpose: to inspire.
The Meaning
of Tingo
Author: Adam Jacot
de Boinod
Published by:
Penguine Books
ISBN: 0-14051561-5
Price: £10.00
A fascination for
language and
words prompted Adam Jacot
de Boinod to draw on the collective wisdom
of over 154 languages to create this
intriguing book. It is a book that shows how
well language reflects the cultural priorities
of each nation.
It is arranged by theme and compares
attitudes all over the world to such subjects
as food, the human body and even the
battle of the sexes. For instance the single
Chinese word ‘quibo’ means ‘bright and
clear eyes of a beautiful woman’ and the
French phrase ‘avoir la frite’ means to be in
great shape. In Albania, they are almost
obsessive about the moustache and have
over 27 words for it describing every
conceivable shape: ‘holl’ – thin moustache,
‘madh’ – bushy moustache, ‘glemb’ –
moustache with tapered tips and so on.
Here are some other interesting phrases to
tickle your tongue.
l Inuit – ‘Inuit Areodjarekput’
To exchange wives for a few days only.
German – ‘Scheissenbedauern’
The disappointment one feels when
something turns out not nearly as badly
as one hoped for.
Indonesian – ‘Neko-neko’
One who has a creative idea which only
makes things worse.
Bantu, Zaire – ‘Mbuki-mvuki’
To take off one’s clothes in order to
dance.
Pascuense, Easter Island – ‘Tingo’
To take all the objects one desires from
the house of a friend, one at a time, by
asking to borrow them.
Sunflower
Landscapes
Guide to
the Tatra
Mountains of Poland
and Slovakia.
Author: Sandra
Bardwell
Published by:
Sunflower Books
ISBN: 1-856-91308-8
Price: £10.99
If you like touring
and you want to take your first step into
Eastern Europe, this book has it all. It
features 31 walks and car tours through six
national parks in southernmost Poland and
the mountain areas of neighbouring
Slovakia. Tours take in dramatic gorges to
mountain lakes and narrow passes to broad
ridges in great detail pointing out landmarks
along the way. The guide comes complete
with its own pull out map and offers an
online update service for the latest
information.
Dolomites
and eastern
South Tyrol
Author: Dietrich
Hollhuber
Published by:
Sunflower Books
ISBN: 1-856-91296-5
Price: £12.99
The Dolomites were
formed some 240
million years ago by
the fossilization of
coral reefs and the sea bed, thrust up to
3000m. The remaining deep valleys make
the Dolomites ideal for skiing, biking and
paragliding. Fresh air and crystalline lakes,
castles, monasteries and markets make a trek
or a ramble a pleasure.
This guide is the only general guide to the
Dolomites in English print and covers all
aspects from history, legends, customs, food,
art and architecture with some restaurant
recommendations. The guide also lists 24
main walks, plus dozens of hikes and
cycling routes with a handy pull out map to
help you navigate.
Tuscany
Author: Elizabeth
Mizon
ISBN: 1-856-91298-1
Price: £10.99
If you take to the
hills, take this guide
with you. It includes
special information
panels about local
customs, cuisine,
flora, fauna and
history. Topics also
covered are olive oil production,
marble, wild boar and truffles. Walks are
based around the region’s historic towns and
architectural highlights and take you
through the stunning landscape.
A Brit’s
Guide to
Las Vegas
2006/7
Author: Karen
Marchbank
Published by:
Foulsham
ISBN: 0-57203135-1
Price: £10.00
It’s showtime
in Las Vegas
and this book shows how to get onto the
stage. Read how to step back in time to a
1940’s Mafioso shotgun wedding, be
mesmerised by an erupting volcano, and
beat the heat of the summer by swimming
up to a blackjack table. Top tips scattered
throughout the book from the best value
rides to surprisingly early closing times of
some top restaurants in a 24/7 town.
A Brit’s Guide to Las Vegas gives clear,
detailed information about where to go,
where to sleep and how to spend your time
in this spellbinding city.
55
Review
The Mayr Clinic
In bed by 10pm without supper? Trish Lesslie finds it’s not so hard to digest.
I
’ve just returned from a two-week stay at The Golfhotel health
spa in Austria – 5lbs lighter than on arrival and minus the
spectacularly bloated belly and persistent under-eye circles I’d
been sporting for months prior to my visit.
Perched on the banks of Lake Worth in the tiny village of Dellach,
the Golfhotel may not be the most indulgent of resorts – it’s more
clinical than the fluffy-bath-robe and-slippers vibe of most spas - but
it does give you the chance to achieve great results on the health and
beauty front. After a two-week stay (you can go for a little as four
days, but the effects
won’t be anywhere near
as dramatic), you can
expect to come home
relaxed, lighter and
probably looking the
best you’ve looked in
years – I certainly did.
It’s all down to the
philosophy of Dr F X
Mayr, an Austrian medic who forged his ground-breaking ideas
during the first half of the 20th century. He believed that many
health problems have their roots in the digestive system. Give this
vital tract a bit of a break through fasting or eating only the simplest
of foods and it will heal itself, allowing the rest of the body to put
right a whole host of problems from bloating and bad posture to
tiredness and saggy skin, or so the theory goes.
But while a stay at the Mayr involves regular appointments with
fully trained doctors, early morning exercise sessions and very little
food, there are some fabulously pampering beauty treatments on
offer that allow you to fine-tune your exterior while your insides
‘regenerate’ themselves.
58
I had a 90-minute facial that left my skin with a positively childlike radiance thanks to the generous use of products from London’s
Organic Pharmacy, which are free from artificial preservatives,
colours and fragrances. The heavenly salt scrub treatment left the
skin all over my body as soft as a baby’s, while my feet were still
looking fantastic a week after the incredibly thorough pedicure
carried out by Martina, one of the sweetest and most thorough
therapists you could hope for.
OK, so eating stale spelt bread and sheep’s yoghurt for breakfast
and lunch – and chewing
each bite 50 times – isn’t
everyone’s idea of fun,
and going without dinner
every evening can be
pretty tough. But for me
the almost daily massages
included in the package,
divine beauty treatments
on offer and scenic
woodland walks on the doorstep more than compensated for the
lack of food.
As for the early nights (it’s general lights-out by 10pm at the
Golfhotel), to me just the chance to catch up on some sleep made
the trip worthwhile. Getting at least eight hours shut-eye a night is a
beauty treatment that really is hard to beat, and that’s just what I got
for a whole two weeks. Sheer bliss…
All in all, if you want to come back from your break looking years
younger without resorting to surgery or Botox, you could do a lot
worse than a stay here. Just don’t expect to be bowled over by the
food – you’re more likely to keel over from the lack of it!
Visit www.golfhotel.at

- Nicosia Dental Polyclinic

Transcription

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