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Summer 2011 may have

been a washout but it

didn’t stop entries for

our summer photo competi-

tion with Olympus from

flooding in.

With a record number of entries – over 650 for both the

under-16s and adult competi-

tions – selecting the 12

finalists was harder than ever,

while voting for the winners in

each category was a close-run

thing.

Katie MacDonald, from the

Isle of Skye, took top honours

for the adults with her picture,

Rockness, her ironic take on

the wet summer. Her prize is

an Olympus Tough TG-810

camera, worth £269.99.

Competition was fierce in

the under-16s category, with

some outstanding shots from

very talented youngsters. The

overall winner was 14-year-

old Lily Dellar, from Uckfield,

for her delightful picture, The

Rocks. She wins an Olympus

Tough TG-310 camera, worth£179.

With such a high quality

of entries, the judges also

decided to give a special

highly commended award in

each category. Congratula-

tions go to Lauren Owen,

from Redhill, for her Chasing

the Wind picture in the adult

section and to our youngest

entrant, six-year-old Sophie

Timms from Tonbridge, for

her Lonely Flower photo.

They both win an Olympus

VR-310 camera worth

£99.99.

Katie and Lily snap up our Olympus

photo competition prizes

Summingup our summer

in the frame nsummer photo competition results

Highly commended

n Katie MacDonald’swinning picture: Rockness

n Junior winnerLily Dellar’s photo:

The Rocks

n Chasing the Wind byLauren Owen

n The Olympus Tough TG-310 n The Olympus Tough TG-810

n Lonely Flower bySophie Timms, aged six

4 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 2011



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6 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 20116 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 2011

There’s only one way to experience California

if you really want to get into the West Coast

spirit – and that is by driving an open-top

sports car up the Pacific Coast Highway, the

Beach Boys and Eagles blaring out from the

stereo, surfers to your left, cool wind in your

hair and blue sky up above.

The PCH, as it is often shortened to, is officially the120-mile stretch of Highway 1 between Dana Point and

Oxnard in Southern California, taking in Los Angeles,

Malibu, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. But to most

people, it applies to the entire near-500-mile length

between San Francisco and LA, or the 600 miles

between San Diego and San Francisco. You can

also take it up through Northern California

and on to the Canadian border, for a total

distance of 2,000 miles.

This long, snaking ribbon is far more

than a highway. It leads you on a voyage of

exploration right through California’s coastal

heartland, passing by much of the Golden Gate

State that visitors want to see.

Since my first visit to California 25 years ago, I

have been fortunate to have driven the scenic coastal

stretch between LA and San Francisco on a couple of

occasions as well as driving shorter sections many other

times.

Both times, it was in iconic American muscle cars: a

little red Corvette in the Nineties and, earlier this year, a

flame-red Ford Mustang. I even turned down a classic

Jag for the Corvette, and as I motored around LA and itsenvirons, I couldn’t resist a lazy drive along Santa

Monica Boulevard and West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip

with my shades and shorts on, the top down and one arm

draped over the door. Call me a poser, but I firmly

believe that when in Rome – or in this case, the laid-back

West Coast – you should emulate the locals.

memorableSome of my most memorable US moments have

happened along the PCH, none more so than when I

decided to photograph the stars’ hand and foot prints at

Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood after my Sunset

Strip drive and found what seemed a perfect parking

spot down a nearby side street. Having topped up the

meter and walked off, I turned round to see a

A road trip along California’s iconic coastal highway encapsulates the very essence of America’s

third-largest state. Peter Ellegard dons shorts and shades to explore

The long andwinding

road

getting to know ncalifornia

n Hollywood

P e t e r E l l e g a r d



Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 7

policewoman taking a keen interest in the Corvette.

Returning to the car, I asked in my finest upper-crust

English accent: “Is there a problem, officer?” Unfortu-

nately, I had mistakenly parked in a red no-parking bay,

saving the car in the adjacent metered bay from a parking

ticket but earning one myself. Seeing my crestfallen

expression, the lady cop asked if the car was rented, and

when I said yes she reassured me I would be OK as the

rental companies never paid parking fines.

Seizing the moment, I asked if she would mind

posing with the car while writing the ticket so I could

take some souvenir photos. “Sure,” she beamed, and I

clicked away as she struck different poses until a coupleof curious Hell’s Angels bikers pulled up alongside.

Within seconds, they were in the photos as well, and I

ending up getting them to sit on the car’s bonnet with the

traffic cop lying across their arms, pen poised on the

ticket. Only in LA! And I never did have to pay the fine.

I had another brush with the law in California this year,

having done the LA-San Francisco drive in my Mustang

and traded it in for a nondescript Japanese saloon to drive

back down to Monterey for an overnight and a round of

golf on the famed Pebble Beach Links course.

With my return flight home from San Francisco that

evening, I put pedal to the metal on the coast road after my

round and caught the attention of a California Highway

Patrol officer, who sped after me with his motorbike lit up

like a Christmas tree. It was a fair cop: I had been doing

81mph in a 65mph zone. He told me I would get a speed-

ing ticket through the post, adding that had I been doing

75 I would have got away with a ticking off. But I didn’t

mind. I was still on a high from playing Pebble Beach. The

CHiPs officer can’t have ticketed many speeding motorists

wearing a smile as broad as mine. And, six months on, I

still haven’t received that ticket, either.

surf culture

The freeways are a quicker way of getting between

California’s coastal cities and key attractions, although

around LA they are often jammed solid. Driving the

Pacific Coast Highway needs time and patience, like

savouring an expensive wine. Plan to take in the sightsand highlights along the way and be prepared for frequent

stops, from traffic in towns to photo opportunities.

My Corvette trip took 11 days and began in San Diego,

a beautiful city of picturesque parks and grand,

restored 1860s buildings in the downtown Gas

Lamp Quarter. It made a fabulous, easy-paced

start to the drive north.

The coastline between San Diego and LA

is often bypassed by those who land at LAX

and head north. Do that and you miss out on

some real treats. California is synonymous

with surfing and, while you see it all along the

coast, nowhere is surf culture stronger than south

of LA.

The breakers created by the offshore Santa Ana

winds are perfect for surfing at Huntington Beach, sung


n Mustang on 17 Mile Drive, Monterey

n Sunset surfer

Peter Ellegard

C a l i f o r n i a

T r a v e l a n d T o u r i s m C

o m m i s s i o n



about in 1963 hit single, Surf City, by home-town duo

Jan & Dean. Today, Huntington Beach even calls itself

Surf City USA. It hosted the first professional surfing

event in 1959 and is where the USA surf team has its

base. Surfing attractions include the International Surf-

ing Museum and Surfing Hall of Fame(www.surfingmuseum.org), and the Surfing Walk of

Fame (www.surfingwalkoffame.com).

Surf culture is also strong in Oceanside and Newport

Beach and, beyond LA, in Malibu, playground of the

rich and famous.

Majestic former transatlantic liner the Queen Mary

(www.queenmary.com) now lies captive in dock at

Long Beach as a floating hotel and attraction. Stay

aboard her, as I have done, in elegant decadence or be

transported back to the days when steamships ruled the

waves on tours of its stately, art deco interior. Nearby are

the Disneyland (http://disneyland.disney.go.com ) and

Knott’s Berry Farm (www.knotts.com) theme parks of Anaheim.

To its detractors, Los Angeles is a sprawling urban

mass; a city with glitz but without a heart. The reality is it

has several hearts, and they beat loudest in its western

neighbourhoods. This is a Westside Story with a difference.

From the refined elegance of Beverly Hills and West

Hollywood to the vibrant oceanside communities of

Santa Monica and Marina del Rey, including funky

neighbour Venice Beach, each neighbourhood has its

own flavours and attractions for visitors.

ferris wheel

Beverly Hills has attracted stars for decades. Today, it is

famous for its high-end shopping, with ritzy Rodeo

Drive (www.rodeodrive.com) the epicentre of its

shopping scene, and the grand Beverly Wilshire hotel



mountains, forests

and deserts

California has nature in spades, with 270state parks, 19 national forests, over a dozen

major mountain ranges, 14 million acres of

federal wilderness area, 32 million acres of

forest and 21 million acres of desert.

At Yosemite, King’s Canyon and Sequoia

national parks, you can see giant sequoia

trees, nature’s largest living things. The latter

includes the General Sherman Tree – the

world’s largest tree by volume. It stands

274.9 feet high and has a circumference of

102.6 feet.

California has three standing trees you can

drive through, for a fee. All are coastalredwoods in Humboldt County, Northern

California. Tunnel Log is a fallen giant sequoia

with a tunnel cut into it in Sequoia National

Park through which cars can drive.

Mountain resorts offering skiing and

summer adventure include Mammoth, SquawValley and Heavenly.

Among California’s desert areas is Death

Valley National Park, where Badwater is the

Western Hemisphere’s lowest point. The

Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree

National Park are other desert areas. Desertresort community Palm Springs is a man-

made oasis offering luxurious spa resorts,

golf, dining, art, theatre and shopping. The

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes visitors

8,500 feet up to San Jacinto State Park.

“Driving thePacific CoastHighwayneeds timeand patience,like

savouring anexpensivewine”

C a l i f o r n i a T r a v e l a n d T o u r i s m C

o m m i s s i o n

n Driving throughTunnel Log

n Catching a wave



(www.fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire ) opposite.

You may find yourself rubbing shoulders with celebs

there and at the Beverly Hills Hotel

(www.beverlyhillshotel.com ), a doyenne known

locally as the Pink Palace.

Shop for designer fashion and art at WestHollywood’s Avenues of Art & Design district

(www.avenueswh.com), before hitting Sunset Strip to

party the night away at its clubs and nightspots.

Santa Monica Pier (www.santamonicapier.org)

features the Pacific Park amusement park, which

includes the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel,

giving bird’s-eye views of the beaches, and a traditional

carousel.

Muscle Beach (www.musclebeach.net ) was born

just south of the pier in the 1950s, kick-starting the

body-beautiful, workout and health fads now such an

integral part of the LA scene. Rent a bike or skates and

follow the 8.5-mile beach path to Venice Beach, whereyou will find the musclemen pumping iron today. Venice

Beach is great for people-watching for its bizarre sights

and wacky performers. I once encountered a semi-naked

man standing one-footed while holding rubber snakes in

each hand and balancing a branch on his head. You could

also have your photo taken with aliens sat in deckchairs.

Neighbouring Marina del Rey boasts America’s

largest man-made yacht harbour, from where you can

take a chartered yacht to explore the coastline and

offshore islands or take a relaxing harbour cruise.

Hollywood highlights include Universal Studios

(www.universalstudioshollywood.com ), while LA’s

cultural scene takes in the Getty Centre(www.getty.edu) high above the city and the Getty

Villa, in Malibu, with collections of artworks, sculptures

and photographs. Catch shows and concerts at the Kodak

Theatre (www.kodaktheatre.com ), home of the

Oscars, and Los Angeles Philharmonic performances at

Frank Gehry’s garish, silver Walt Disney Concert Hall

(www.laphil.com). Pasadena is worth taking a side trip

for the historic buildings of its old centre. I vividly recall

partying all night with samba-dancing Brazilians in the

street celebrations in Old Pasadena after watching Brazil

beat Italy in the World Cup Final at the nearby Rose

Bowl stadium in 1994.

Shoppers wanting unusual souvenirs should head tothe LA County Coroner’s Office, where Skeletons in the

Closet (www.lacoroner.com) is a gift shop a couple of

floors up from the mortuary that sells items including

towels with the outline of a dead body and toe-tag key

rings. The proceeds help rehabilitate offenders.

missionsTwo hours north of LA, Santa Barbara styles itself the

American Riviera and is a beautiful city rich in history

with glorious Pacific beaches and a marina edged by

restaurants.

Take the lift up to the 85-foot-high clock tower of the

Spanish Colonial Revival-style Santa Barbara County

Courthouse (www.sbcourts.org) for a great view over its

red tiled roof and the city, then go on a Red Tile Walking

Tour past 1800s-era adobe homes and public buildings.



san francisco and beyondSan Francisco’s landmarks include Golden Gate Bridge, 75 years old in 2012, the

clanging cable cars of the world’s last manually-operated cable car system, the

shops, restaurants and attractions of Pier 39 ( www.pier39.com) and Fisherman’s

Wharf ( www.fishermanswharf.org) and former federal prison Alcatraz

( www.nps.gov/alcatraz ), set on an island.

Several companies offer cruises to Alcatraz. For an unrivalled perspective of the

city, take a 20-minute aerial Vista Tour with San Francisco Helicopters

( www.sfhelicoptertours.com) for $160 – on my trip, the pilot even flew us

under Golden Gate Bridge!

And be the centre of attention on a city tour in open-sided vintage buses with

Mr Toad’s Tours ( www.mrtoadstours.com).

San Francisco has America’s largest and oldest Chinatown, established when the

1849 Gold Rush brought many Chinese immigrants. Other areas with a rich ethnicpast are Russian Hill, down which the “world’s crookedest street” – Lombard

Street – descends, and North Beach (Italian). Haight-Ashbury was the birthplace of

hippy culture and flower power.

Cultural institutions include the California Academy of Sciences

( www.calacademy.org), with an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum

and a four-story rainforest all under one roof.

Beyond San Francisco, cross Golden Gate Bridge to carry on up the coast,

stopping off at arty Sausalito and the giant redwoods of Muir Woods. Or head

inland to visit the wineries of Napa Valley or state capital Sacramento. After the

discovery of gold in the nearby Sierra Nevada foothills in 1848, it was a key supply

centre for the Gold Rush, becoming the capital in 1854. The Capitol Building is one

of two dozen museums in the city.


o m m i s s i o n

P e t e r E l l e g a

r d

n The Golden GateBridge, San Francisco

n Cable car, San Francisco



The beautiful, hilltop Old Mission Santa Barbara

(http://santabarbaramission.org) is the city’s crown-

ing architectural glory. Founded in 1786, it is one of 21

missions built by the Spanish between 1769 and 1823

and is known as the “Queen of the Missions”.Stay at a cosy downtown B&B like the Cheshire Cat

Inn (www.cheshirecat.com ) and you can enjoy its art

galleries, shops and restaurants on foot.

Santa Barbara Wine Country is one of California’s

main wine regions. You can taste local vintages at 12

wineries within a few blocks of downtown and the

beaches on the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

(www.urbanwinetrailsb.com ) or take a Wine Tours by

Trolley trip (www.sbtrolley.com), hopping on and off

trolleys to enjoy good libations at four wineries.

Oscar-winning movie Sideways was set in Santa

Barbara Wine Country and you can check out film loca-

tions on guided Sideways tours or pick up a map fromthe Santa Barbara Convention & Visitors Bureau

(www.santabarbaraca.com ) and drive to them

yourself. Among locations used were picturesque

Santa Ynez Valley communities Los Olivos and

Solvang, a fascinating Danish village cele-

brating its centenary this year withScandinavian buildings, antique and art

shops, a windmill and an old mission.

At San Luis Obispo, a stay in the

Madonna Inn (www.madonnainn.com )

means sleeping in themed rooms, including

caves where you shower under a cascading

waterfall in your bathroom.

Halfway between LA and San Francisco at San

Simeon, stop for a guided tour of newspaper magnate

William Randolph Hearst’s palatial, Spanish-styled

Hearst Castle (www.hearstcastle.org), which houses

priceless art and antiques, with sculptures and a Roman

temple gracing the estate.

artist’s colonyThe road from there to the Monterey Peninsula is one of

America’s most spectacular drives, and is known as the

Big Sur Coast Highway. It hugs the wild coastline past

Big Sur’s towering cliffs, canyons and giant redwoods.

Stay at the chic, clifftop Post Ranch Inn

(www.postranchinn.com) for spectacular views and

to enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife, including

condors, at leisure.

Beyond Big Sur lies pretty artists’ colony Carmel.

There, you can take scenic 17-Mile Drive, which loops

around the Monterey Peninsula headland past glorious

ocean vistas, wind-sculpted cypress trees and golf

courses including Pebble Beach.

Former fish-canning town Monterey, made famous



C a l i f o r n i a T r a v e l a n d T o u r i s m C o m m i s s i o n


S o l v a n g C o n f e r e

n c e a n d V i s i t o r s B u r e a u

n Santa BarbaraCounty Courthouse

n Danish dancersat Solvang

n Hearst Castle

n Alcatraz




by author John Steinbeck, is popular with tourists. Goshopping in Cannery Row’s stores and dine at harbour-

side restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf, from where you

can watch sea otters frolic among the giant kelp fronds

or hear barking sea lions. Rent a kayak for a close-up

view of seals and dolphins or take a boat trip to watch

migrating blue, grey and humpback whales.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

(www.montereybayaquarium.org) is a must and

showcases the rich marine life found just offshore in the

bay’s protected marine sanctuary waters. The Hotel

Abrego (www.hotelabrego.com) makes a good base

for exploring the Monterey area, or if you want luxury

with world-class golf on your doorstep, book a stay atPebble Beach Resorts (www.pebblebeach.com).

First opened over 100 years ago, the Santa Cruz

Beach Boardwalk (www.beachboardwalk.com), on

Monterey Bay, is California’s oldest surviving amuse-

ment park. Ride an old steam train through redwood

forests on the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow

Gauge Railroad.

By the time you reach San Francisco, you should be

chilled out after your marathon drive and ready for a

chilled glass of wine from nearby Napa Valley to toast

the memories. Much as I love San Francisco, I think I

left my heart somewhere back on the Pacific Coast high-

way.



california facts

when to goCalifornia’s diverse topography, from coast

to deserts and forested mountains,

means it has a range of climates. Coastal

regions enjoys a Mediterranean-style

climate with sunny and warm summers

and wet and mild winters.

getting thereFlights operate from London Heathrow to Los

Angeles and San Francisco, with direct services by British Airways( www.ba.com), Virgin Atlantic ( www.virgin-atlantic.com), American

Airlines ( www.aa.com), United Airlines ( www.unitedairlines.com )

and Air New Zealand ( www.airnewzealand.co.uk).

getting aroundRent a car. All the main rental companies have locations throughout

California. You can rent Ford Mustangs from Dollar Rent a Car

( www.dollar.co.uk). Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner train

(w ww.amtrak.com) runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo via

Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. San Francisco’s Muni ( www.sfmuni.com)

operates buses, trolleys and cable cars. Los Angeles has a bus network

and its Metro ( www.metro.net), with four lines and 70 stations.

tour operators

Operators include America As You Like It

( www.americaasyoulikeit.com ),

Virgin Holidays

( www.virginholidays.co.uk), Bon

Voyage ( www.bon-voyage.co.uk),

Premier Holidays

( www.premierholidays.co.uk), North

America Travel Service

( www.northamericatravelservice.co.uk),

Funway Holidays ( www.funwayholidays.co.uk) and Trekamerica

( www.trekamerica.co.uk ).

tourist informationVisit California: www.visitcalifornia.co.uk


o m m i s s i o n


o m m i s s i o n

B e v e r l e y H i l l s C V B


n Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey

n Classic car in San Francisco

n Cablecars, SanFrancisco

n BeverleyHills signpost



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I

t was Sunday morning and time for tea in the tiny

Hong Kong café where my fellow travellers and I

were sat. Milk tea, that is – a local favourite. And

it was doing a roaring trade, with the few seatsgrabbed as soon as they were vacated and locals

queuing to buy take-away snacks and drinks.

Actually, café is probably too grand a description.

This was an industrial-looking dai pai dong, or open-air

food stall, although inside a food market. Once

widespread, relatively few now survive as a result of

strict licensing and controls.

Finding such gems would be impossible by yourself.

But we were on a behind-the-scenes tour of Kowloon,

the mainland part of Hong Kong, discovering hidden

delights off its well-trodden tourist circuit. After haggling

for trinkets in the Jade Market, we visited a pearl shop

for some rather more expensive bargaining, then set off exploring on foot.

First stop, a lively street market full of exotic fruits, meat

and fish, followed by one of Hong Kong’s oldest streets,

Shanghai Street, then a park with locals playing board games

in the shade and, tucked between buildings, an elaborately-

decorated temple where incense hung heavy in the air.

Finally it was time for dim sum lunch, at the award-

winning Super Star Seafood restaurant – only we would

be making it ourselves. With expert guidance by the

chefs during our hour-long lesson we tried our hands at

creating various dumplings, with varying degrees of

success. But we were all awarded certificates before

tucking in to our home-cooked meal, which was unex-

pectedly tasty. A fitting end to a fascinating tour.

Hong Kong is very much a destination that draws you

in so that you feel part of the hubbub of daily life. Hardly

surprising, given the former British colony’s compact


Street lifeFormer colonial outposts Hong Kong and Macau have continued to burgeon under Chinese rule

and offer experiences that are worlds apart yet just a ferry ride from each other. Peter

Ellegard takes to the streets to explore these pulsating Asian siblings

escape to nhong kong & macau


n Kowloonstreet market

n The Hong Kong skyline

Hong Kong Tourism Board



ria Peak and the Symphony of Lights, you can watch

horse racing at Happy Valley (www.happyvalleyrace-

course.com), home of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, or

go clubbing in the Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai enter-

tainment districts as well as in Causeway Bay, where you

also find great local restaurants. Stanley, Kowloon and

Tsim Sha Tsui are other good places to eat without

breaking the bank. But there are many top-class restau-

rants if you want to dine in style, particularly at

upmarket hotels such as The Langham

(www.langhamhotels.com), the Renaissance Harbour

View (www.marriott.co.uk ) and the Island Shangri-La(www.shangri-la.com).

Just 15 years ago, Hong Kong was in its last days

under British rule and was facing an uncertain future as

a holiday destination, with many wondering how it

would change after its handover to China. The fears were

misplaced, as it has not lost any of its vibrancy and has

even more to offer visitors now than ever before.

macau

The same can be said of former Portuguese colony

Macau, which reverted to China just two years later to

become a Special Administrative Region like its near-

neighbour. Less than an hour from Hong Kong by fastferry and often linked with it on twin-centre holidays,

Macau is undergoing huge investment in its tourism

industry. Much of that has been in mega casino hotels,

notably in the Cotai Strip (www.cotaistrip.com.mo) –

dubbed Asia’s Las Vegas.

Queen of the Cotai Strip is The Venetian Macao, a

$2.4 billion resort that opened in August 2007. It is on a

positively gargantuan scale, as I discovered when I flew

in as an invited guest for its grand opening. Our coach

pulled into what seemed like a giant aircraft hangar,

although actually its own dedicated bus terminal, the

illusion underlined by a marshal waving the driver into a

parking bay using airport-style glowing wands.

I have been to most of the casino hotels in Las Vegas,

but the sheer size of this edifice was staggering to take

in. Walking from my room to any of the public areas

required planning followed by what seemed like a route

march, while the casino itself was a vast windowless

cavern with endless rows of jangling, flashing slot

machines interspersed by dozens of gaming tables. It felt

like Dante’s Inferno on speed.

The 3,000-suite hotel – Asia’s largest single structure

and the world’s second-largest building – also features

more than 350 shops in its Venice-themed Grand Canal

Shoppes retail area, complete with a canal and gondolas,

as well as 30 restaurants, a 15,000-seat arena and the

1,800-seat Venetian Theatre, which is home to the

permanent Cirque du Soleil show, Zaia.Matching it for spectacle is the Theatre of Dreams,

with its £250 million House of Dancing Water spectacu-

lar, in the Cotai Strip’s City of Dreams

(www.cityofdreamsmacau.com ). Most of Macau’s

large hotels have resident bands as well as clubs, bars

and restaurants. You’ll also find buzzing nightlife in the

trendy clubs of waterfront theme park Fisherman’s

Wharf (www.fishermanswharf.com.mo).



hong kong and macau tips

l Hong Kong is more than just a city – 70% of the land is rural and there are

more than 260 islands, plus over 30 beaches.

l Hong Kong can easily be combined with other destinations in Asia or

Australasia.

l Hong Kong and Macau are a gourmet’s paradise. You can find any kind of cuisine,

including dim sum, in Hong Kong while Macau’s cuisine has a strong Portuguese

element.

l Ride Hong Kong’s iconic, double-decker trams – known locally as Ding Dongs –

to get a real flavour of the destination, hopping on and off to explore sights.

l Macau’s 17th-century Guia Fortress is the oldest lighthouse on China’s coast.

l Top festivals in Macau include the Dragon Boat Festival, held in June at Nam Van

Lakes, and the International Fireworks Display Contest, held over three weeks

until October 1.

l Hong Kong’s events include its own Dragon Boat Festival, in June, as well as the

Tin Hau Fishermans’ Festival in April/May and Cheung Chau Bun Festival in

May/June.

M a c a u G o v e r n m e n t T o u r i s t B o a r d

Peter Ellegard

n Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong

n The brightlights of Macau



world heritage siteBut what sets Macau apart, and for me what makes itsuch a special place, is its rich blend of Portuguese and

Chinese heritage. It was a Portuguese colony for over

four centuries until its handover in 1999 and its historic

centre was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

in 2005.

Macau’s historic heart spans eight elegant squares

and it comprises the most complete array of European

architectural legacy in China. Gems include the ruins of

St Paul’s, the façade of a church originally built in 1594

but ravaged by fire in 1835. It is the symbol of Macau.

Facing out across St Dominic’s Square is the ornate,

yellow-painted St Dominic’s Church, dating to 1587 and

the first church built in China. An annual spectacle notto miss if you are in Macau is the Procession of Our

Lady of Fatima, in which women clad in white bear a

statue every May 13.

Adjacent Senado Square, with its wavy-patterned

cobbles surrounded by glorious old buildings, is another

crowd-puller. Make sure you take in Macau’s Chinese

heritage, too, at places including the tranquil and beauti-

ful, red-walled A-Ma Temple, with the flowing tiles of

Barra Square in front.

There are plenty of other attractions to explore, too.

Museums encompass the Maritime Museum

(www.museumaritimo.gov.mo), Macau Museum

(www.macaumuseum.gov.mo) and Grand PrixMuseum (http://gp.macau.grandprix.gov.mo ), cele-

brating the annual Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. Then

there’s the cone-shaped Macau Science Centre and

Fisherman’s Wharf, featuring three themed areas with

restaurants, cafés, shops and street entertainment, as

well as the landmark, 1,100ft Macau Tower

(www.macautower.com.mo), from which the brave

can hurl themselves off on the Bungy Jump or take a

more sedate, 20-second journey down with a SkyJump,

while others can simply take in the view from on high in

the revolving 360º Café.

At just 11 square miles, Macau packs so much in you

will wish you had allowed more time for your stay.

Combine it with Hong Kong and you will have a fasci-

nating and action-packed twin-centre break that will

have you planning your return as soon as you leave.



hong kong and macau facts

when to goHong Kong and Macau have a tropical

climate with high humidity. October-March is the most pleasant time of

year, when humidity levels are lower.

getting thereDirect Hong Kong flights from

London are operated by British Airways

( www.ba.com), Cathay Pacific

( www.cathaypacific.com ), Virgin Atlantic

( www.virgin-atlantic.com), Qantas ( www.qantas.co.uk) and Air

New Zealand ( www.airnewzealand.co.uk ).

Macau has its own airport with regional flights but most people go by

fast ferry, with direct services from Hong Kong International Airport,

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon taking an hour or less.

getting aroundPublic transport in Hong Kong is world class, with frequent services on

its bus, tram and MTR underground networks. Buy an Octopus Card,

similar to London’s Oyster Card, for best value. Cross-harbour services

are operated by Star Ferry, while other ferries link outlying islands. Taxis

are also plentiful and good value, as they are in Macau, where buses and

pedicabs are other ways to get around.

accommodationAll top hotel chains are in Hong Kong, offering accommodation and

service levels of the highest quality. If you have a head for heights, stay in

the world’s tallest hotel, the newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong( www.ritzcarlton.com ) or perhaps grande dames such as the historic

Peninsula Hotel ( www.peninsula.com/hongkong ) or Mandarin

Oriental ( www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong ).

Macau’s hotel scene is dominated by luxury casino hotels. Choose from

The Venetian Macao ( www.venetianmacao.com), Wynn Macau

( www.wynnmacau.com), Hard Rock Hotel

( www.hardrockhotelmacau.com ) and others or, for a quieter

getaway, the Westin Resort, Macau ( www.starwoodhotels.com ), the

only resort on Macau’s Hac Sa Beach.

tour operators

Companies offering packages include Virgin Holidays

( www.virginholidays.co.uk), Audley Travel

( www.audleytravel.com), Kuoni

( www.kuoni.co.uk), Bridge & Wickers

( www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk ),

Premier Holidays

( www.premierholidays.co.uk),

Funway Holidays

( www.funwayholidays.co.uk)

and Hayes & Jarvis

( www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk ).

tourist informationHong Kong Tourism Board:

www.discoverhongkong.com/uk

Macau Government Tourist Office: www.macautourism.gov.mo



H o n g K o n g T o u r i s m B

o a r d

n St Paul’sruins, Macau

n A-MaTemplestatue,Macau

n The Peaktram at night



My first ranching holiday was the ulti-

mate in lucky breaks. Riding out on

the range as a rookie cowgirl, I was

shown how to inject antibiotics into

the flanks of kicking calves while Hip,

son of Lloyd Tillett, the TX Ranch

patriarch, castrated them with a knife.

That may sound cruel, but that’s the way they do it

in Montana. Indeed that’s the way they’ve been doing

it, though initially without the drugs, since William

Tillett and his wife, Bessie, established their home-

stead near Lovell, Wyoming, in 1895. Their first cattle,

bought in from Amarillo, Texas, had the TX brand that

is still used today.

In the 21st century, Lloyd and his wife Abbie keep

1,200 breeding cows and progeny too numerous to count

on grasslands straddling the state line. When I was there

in July, sleek herds were enjoying lush summer pastures,

bright with wild flowers, on the Montana side. Happily I

was back in my western saddle at the end of the day’s

work when a rattler reared into attack mode under my

horse’s hooves. Likewise when a black bear walked

purposefully along the edge of a gorge, perhaps 50 yards

away, but fortunately on the other side.


Who can say they didn’t fantasise about living the cowboy lifestyle as youngsters? Today, city

slickers can swap their laptops for Stetsons and ride tall in the saddle on ranching holidays from

Canada to Argentina and as far afield as Australia. Cowgirl at heart, Minty Clinch dons her spurs

to give the lowdown

let’s try nranching holidays

Home onthe range

n Galloping on theprairie at ParadiseRanch, Wyoming

American Round-Up





Each night, we stretched out under the stars in our

sleeping bags sated with Abbie’s magnificent home

cooking, only to awake to barking dogs and thrashing

hooves as wolves or bears approached the derelict corral.

Each morning, Abbie would say: “Darn, them horses jumped out again.” But as Hip preferred the excitement

of rounding them up to the grind of fixing the

woodwork, that’s how it had to be.

With so much action 24/7, the TX horses are fit for

purpose and eager to gallop, whether pursuing errant steers

or rounding up young horses at racing pace on the plains of

Little Bighorn, scene of Custer’s last stand in 1876.

dude ranches

When the Tillets established their working guest ranch

in 1976, they broke new ground in a country that

already had plenty of well-established dude ranches.

That’s the kind where guests, many of them novices inthe saddle, live in luxury and walk out with the due

caution required to prevent injury litigation.

Typically, they appeal to multi-generational holiday-

makers, with games and petting zoos for the children, art

and cookery classes for the sedentary and skeet shooting

and archery for the wannabes who need a target to hit.

These are the two extremes of the holiday ranching

industry but, as I learned when I visited Lonesome Spur

near Bridger, Montana, some ranches are better than

others. Owned by the Schwend family since the late 19th

century, it was converted into a guest ranch by Lonnie

and his then wife, Darlene, in 1993.

Shortly afterwards, author Nick Evans stopped off

during his research for The Horse Whisperer and

modelled Frank and Dianne Booker, the hero’s brother

and sister-in-law, on his hosts.

In real life, Lonnie is as laid back as Frank. A superb

rider, he trains his splendid young horses with his own

version of the Monty Roberts “horse whisperer” tech-

nique, rather than breaking them in with strong bits and

spurs as cowboys used to do.Like the Tilletts, the Schwends offer their guests a

“working” ranch experience, but mine was restricted to a

very slow cattle drive on a horse so fat that the saddle

slipped round at any pace above a walk, a potentially

alarming result.

The other days during my stay were given over to

shopping, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and the

Buffalo Bill Wild West Museum in Cody, an agenda that

found no favour with glamorous French clients who’d

come dressed to make it like cowgirls. As they also

planned to go to the local bar to pick up cowboys, both

“sending home” offences in the Schwend etiquette

manual, they’re not likely to be repeat customers.The moral of this is that picking the right holiday for

your ability and ambitions requires research and plan-

ning, especially now that ranching has gone global.

Here’s where you can take ranch holidays:

united states

Say ranch and most people would think Texas, the tradi-

tional heart of the cattle business and the place where

real men shoot down their enemies in dusty streets at

high noon. It doesn’t disappoint, particularly in Bandera

– nicknamed the Cowboy Capital of the World.

Since Hollywood’s popular comedy, City Slickers,

introduced the nation to rookie cowboys on the cattle

trail in the 1990s, horse-rich California has diversified

into ranch holidays to suit every aspiration.

The Rockies, with their high summer pastures, are

“Wherever you can ski

in winter,you can ridethe range insummer”

n Horse riding inBritish Columbia, Canada

C l a y o q u o t W i l d e r n e s s R e s o r t




perfect for cattle-led holidays. As a rule of thumb, wher-

ever you can ski in winter, you can ride the range in

summer. That means Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,

Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, but

note that the season is shorter and the weather colder thefurther north you go. Rodeo festivals maintain the tradi-

tions of the Old West, with bucking, roping and

barrel-jumping contests, so check out dates near your

destination before you book.

From the pizzazz of Las Vegas, a 35-minute helicop-

ter flight takes you straight to the Grand Canyon Ranch

Resort on the canyon’s West Rim, where accommoda-

tion is in pine cabins or traditional Native American

tepees. Activities include guided horse rides, wagon

rides on the historic Mormon Trail, roping demonstra-

tions, cowboy stories and fireside sing-alongs.

Horse-back or wagon buffalo safaris have just been

introduced.There’s also a case for looking outside the box. South

Dakota, for example, has a proud equestrian tradition,

with Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial

thrown in for good measure, while Kentucky, Oklahoma

and Kansas showcase American diversity in the saddle.

Few would associate Hawaii with ranching, but the Big

Island, in particular, has an enormous cattle industry

with facilities for range riding of all kinds.

You can also join in a cattle drive in several states,

helping to move the cattle to or from their summer graz-

ing pastures.

canada North of the border, Calgary, home to the celebrated

Stampede each July, is the focus for ranch holidays in

Alberta. Many of the outdoor scenes in the award-



n Camp fire singalongs are popular

n Grand CanyonRanch, Arizona



Peter Ellegard

Horse culture rules the world – it’s just a

question of finding the right way in.

Throughout Central Asia extended

families spend their summers in remote

ger (yurt) camps, tending mixed flocks of

yak, goats, horses, cattle and sheep. Why

not try an escorted riding andcamping trip in Mongolia or

Kyrgyzstan with niche adventure

company, Wild Frontiers

( www.wildfrontiers.co.uk)?

The US heads the western location

list, but the giant El Questro ranch

( www.elquestro.com.au) in the

Kimberleys hosted the dramatic cattle drive

in Australia, Baz Luhrmann’s romantic epic

set in World War II. Leading lady Nicole

Kidman was not so fortunate – when

she tried for a reservation in the

luxurious Homestead, there was no room at the inn.

If riding, yoga and game viewing is your scene, Ant’s

Nest in South Africa will provide all the necessary

bells and whistles. The private safari lodge – maximum

of eight guests – offers provides a flexible schedule to

suit individual tastes ( www.rideworldwide.co.uk).

Get stuck into a chukka on a guest ranch in

Argentina, the world’s top polo nation. The La

Martina residential club ( www.poloholidays.com),

100km outside Buenos Aires, is owned by the

mother of world number one, Adolfo Cambiaso.

There are lessons for beginners, but experienced

players take part in games with club members from

Buenos Aires, an inside track introduction to the

glamorous polista circuit.

alternativeaction

n Argentina ranchesoffer polo lessonsand games



winning movie, Brokeback Mountain, were filmed

among dramatic lakes and waterfalls in Kananaskis

Country, an extensive park with lots of great riding

country within 30 minutes of the downtown area.

British Columbia, the country’s most westerly and

mountainous province, has hidden secrets that deserve to be explored. They include Tsylos Park Lodge, set in a

scenic area for trail riding and camping between the

Coastal Mountains and the Chilcotin Plateau, and Clay-

oquot Wilderness Resort, near Tofino on Vancouver Island.

south americaFor cowboy, read gaucho, for ranch, read estancia, but

the name of the game is the same, with men born in the

saddle exhibiting skills the rest of us can only marvel at.

Over much of Argentina, the pampas stretch as far as

the eye can see, herds that run into thousands mere dots

on the horizon. Gauchos wear baggy pants held up with

woven cotton sashes and cheeky berets or pork pie hats,a different look to the cowboy’s checked shirts, blue

jeans and stetsons. Riding in the foothills of the Andes,

especially in northern Patagonia, is more interesting than

the flatlands.

In Ecuador, my ride from estancia to estancia, often

with formal dinner hosted by the lord of the manor,

provided insights into a yesteryear culture that has

changed little over the past century.

australia and new zealandFor gaucho, read jackeroo, for estancia, read cattle

station, but again these are nations of stockmen engaged

in raising cattle and sheep in the back of beyond. In the21st century, Aussie farmers tend to round up their

animals on motorbikes, but many stations are still eager

to host riding holidays.

The arrival of travelling shearers on a wool-harvest-

ing mission marks the start of a party that lasts for the

duration. This is especially true in New Zealand,

famously home to just 4.5 million people but

60 million sheep.



Freelance travel journalist Minty Clinch writes about global

adventures for a range of national newspapers andmagazines. Chasing her recalcitrant Shetland pony, The

Nipper, round a paddock as a toddler proved the perfectpreparation for wilderness camping and crossing continentson horseback in later years, often with a herd of cattle to

the fore.

ranch holiday facts

sample holidaysThe season is short in Montana so Ranch Rider advise early booking for

the TX Ranch summer pastures camps. Day to day action includes de-horning, branding, tagging, wrangling young horses and chasing down stray

cattle as well as castrating, though guests can chill if they prefer. Seven

nights’ tented accommodation with full board and riding costs from £989

per person including pick up at Billings airport. Flights from £675. Over-

16s only.

In The Saddle offers cutting-edge adventure at Estancia Huechahue near

San Martin de Los Andes in Patagonia, Argentina. Variants include camping

trips on horseback through monkey puzzle forests among snow-capped

volcanic cones, seasonal cattle drives to distant parts of Patagonian Steppe

and fishing trips. Seven nights’ accommodation in two lodges with all meals

and drinks starts at £1,696, excluding flights. Children over six welcome.

Western and Oriental offers seven nights staying at 923-acre Tiger Mountain

Ranch in Oklahoma, a guest ranch which mostly offers scenic Western riding,

from £1,665 per person and includes return flights, transfers, taxes, gratuities

and full board at the ranch and most ranch activities, with accommodation in a

tepee or a lodge room. Wranglers show guests cowboy activities including

shooting Old West guns, cattle ranching and learning to live off the land.

American Round-Up features the Lonesome Spur Ranch in Montana. One

of the best times to go is late May or early June, when activities include

moving cattle into summer grazing and possibly branding. Return flights

from London to Billings, a first nights’ hotel and seven nights at the ranch

with accommodation, full board, ranch activities, Billings transfers, tax and

tips costs from £1,799.

ranch holiday specialistsAmerican Round Up: 01798 865946,

www.americanroundup.com . North

American ranch and adventure specialists.

In the Saddle: 01299 272997,

www.inthesaddle.com . Dude, guest

and working ranches in the US and

Canada, plus worldwide riding holidays and

explorer trails in Australia and New Zealand.

Ranch Rider: 01509 618811,

www.ranchrider.com. US, Canada, Argentina, South Africa & Botswana.

Unicorn Trails: 01767 600606, www.unicorntrails.com . Many countries

in Latin America (including Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican

Republic).

Western and Oriental: 020 7963 6657, www.wandotravel.com . Tailor-

made ranch holidays or add-ons to other holidays in North America.

ranchesTX Ranch, Montana: www.txranch.com

Lonesome Spur Ranch, Montana: www.lonesomespur.com

Grand Canyon Ranch Resort, Arizona: www.grandcanyonranch.com

Tsylos Park Lodge, British Columbia, Canada: www.tsylos.com

more informationThe Dude Ranchers’ Association ( www.duderanch.org), founded in 1926,

provides a rundown on over 100 dude ranches in the western United States.

n Riding in theAlberta Rockies

n Kara Creek Ranchin Wyoming

T r a v e l A l b e r t a

A m e r i c a n R o u n d - U

p

Western & Oriental



Autumn 2011 tlm I the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 25



A fantastic four-night ScottishHighlands wildlife break for two

at the Grant Arms Hotel – home

of the Bird Watching & Wildlife

Club – is up for grabs in this

fantastic competition!

Located in the charming country

town of Grantown-on-Spey in the

Cairngorms National Park, the

Grant Arms Hotel provides an ideal

base to explore the stunning

scenery and abundance of local

wildlife. No other area can offer the

chance to see golden eagle,capercaillie, pine marten, red

squirrel, red deer, mountain hare,

ptarmigan, crested tit, crossbill,

osprey, red and black-throated diver,

otter, Slavonian

grebe, red and

black grouse,

bottlenose

dolphin and much more!.

The winner will not

only visit an exceptional Scottish

location, but have the advice andguidance of the Bird Watching &

Wildlife Club, which offers a

programme of free events,

including guided walks,

wildlife briefings, talks,

quizzes and film screenings.

The BWWC can also provide

maps and guides, as

well as information

about local wildlife

hotspots and escorted trips –

everything you need for anextraordinary wildlife watching

holiday in the Highlands.

The prize break is for up to two

people, on a dinner, bed & breakfast

basis for four nights, sharing a

superior twin or double room. It

can be taken any time before

April 30, 2012, subject to room

availability and excluding stays over

Christmas and New Year.

For more information about

the Grant Arms Hotel and theBird Watching & Wildlife Club,

visit www.bwwc.co.uk.

how to enterTo WIN a four-night wildlife stay

at the Grant Arms Hotel, simply

answer this question:

Question: In which national park

is the Grant Arms Hotel located?


competitions nhighlands wildlife break + yorkshire spa stay

To enter, go to

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

and click on Competitions.

Closing date is November 18,

2011. Terms and conditions

apply; see website for details.

WIN a £850 wildlife break for two in the Highlands of Scotland

B W W C

Main photo and background: Noel Marry

n GrantArms Hotel

n Ptarmigan inthe Highlands

n Crested tit

G r e g M o r g a n

Situated on the Duke of Devonshire’s

30,000-acre Bolton Abbey Estate in the

Yorkshire Dales, The Devonshire Arms

Country House Hotel & Spa boasts 40 luxury

bedrooms, each individual in style. The Old

Wing dates back to 1757 and has fantastic

charm and character, while the modern

Wharfedale Wing was added by the then

Duchess of Devonshire in 1982 and refur-

bished by the current Duchess in early 2009.

Enjoy two of Yorkshire’s most highly-

regarded restaurants – the refined Burlington

with a Michelin star and four AA rosettes, or

the lively and colourful Devonshire Brasserie

and Bar. Both offer excellent food, a superb

wine list and dedicated attention from enthu-

siastic staff. Fresh local produce including

estate meat and game with seasonal vegeta-

bles and herbs from the kitchen gardens give

an outstanding adventure of tastes and

textures in the Burlington restaurant.At the Devonshire Health Barn, it’s all about

you, your good health and wellbeing. Relax

completely and let an Elemis treatment work its

magic. You’ll feel rejuvenated and wonderfully

invigorated. Elemis spa therapies are designed

to respect the body’s complex physiology, and

to work in natural synergy with your skin.

You can win a one-night break for two at The

Devonshire Arms, including overnight accom-

modation in a suite, an eight-course Michelin

star tasting menu with the sommelier’s choice of

wine, and two 30-minute spa treatments, worth

over £425. The prize is valid Sunday-Thursdayuntil May 18, 2012 and excludes Christmas,

New Year and Valentine’s Day.

Visit www.thedevonshirearms.co.uk for

more information.

how to enterTo WIN a one-night stay for two at The Devon-

shire Arms, simply answer this question:

Question:On which estate is The Devonshire

Arms?

To enter, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.ukand click on the Competitions button. Closing

date is November 18, 2011. See website for

terms & conditions.

P h o t o s : D e v o n s h i r e H o t e l s

n The Devonshire Arms exterior

n Michelin-star food

WIN a £425 Michelin dinner and spa stay at

The Devonshire Arms

n New Wingbedroom




uk uncovered nbritain’s spa towns

Bathing beautiesFashionable, elegant and promising to cure all manner of ailments with their

mineral-rich springs, the UK’s spa towns have been attracting the well-heeled

for centuries. John Law takes the waters and examines some of the bestsurviving examples from the golden age of spa tourism



They started with the Romans, became the

height of fashion in Georgian times and

enjoyed a further renaissance under the

health-obsessed Victorians. Modern medicine

killed off most of Britain’s spa bathing and

treatment centres by the middle of the last

century, but the elegant towns that grew around them

remain agreeable places to visit.

bath

Take the plunge for a new perspective on Georgian

Bath. Whether it’s a sizzling summer’s day or a freez-ing night in February, bobbing around in the warm

outdoor pool atop the city’s Thermae Spa is a great

way to relax after shopping or footslogging on the

tourist trail.

Gazing across rooftops to the Abbey and green hills

beyond, today’s Bath bathers can thank poor King

Bladud and the Romans for discovering the therapeutic

benefits of the hot, mineral-rich waters. Legend has it

the hot springs cured the Celtic king of his leprosy, while

the Romans later built a great temple and magnificent

bath-house dedicated to the goddess Minerva.

The restored Roman Baths are now among the UK’s

top tourist attractions. You can’t bathe there, but theydraw almost one million visitors a year and many pop

next door afterwards to the elegant Georgian Pump

Rooms for lunch or tea, or a glass of the reputedly

healthy but weird-tasting water from the spa fountain.

Bath became a leading spa resort during its 18th

century heyday, when those famous sweeping crescents,

elegant squares and parks were developed. Last

year, 4.5 million visitors flocked there for the

grand architecture and first-rate shopping –

and to enjoy a session at the country’s only

remaining thermal baths.

Opened in the city-centre five years ago,

the striking Thermae Bath Spa buildings

combine classic Georgian architecture with

modern glass and steel. There are four pools

fed by the natural hot springs, steam rooms

infused with frankincense, eucalyptus and other essential

oils, treatment rooms and a restaurant.

royal tunbridge wells

Feeling listless and in need of a tonic? The nearest spa

town to London – and the only one in the South East –

is Royal Tunbridge Wells, where a glass of iron-rich

water from the Chalybeate Spring might liven you up.

The source was discovered in 1606 and, by Georgian

times, the Kent town was a favourite among royalty and

nobility as a place to see and be seen. Notable imbibers

of the great cure-all included Queen Anne and QueenVictoria, Samuel Pepys and Daniel Defoe.

Today, Tunbridge Wells is a prosperous commuter

town surrounded by glorious Wealden countryside.

Those taking the £4 town tour are shown the original

village area around the Grove, the shops in the historic

colonnaded Pantiles, old lodging houses on Mount

Ephraim, pretty clapboard cottages, elegant Regency

villas and grand Victorian homes. They finish with a

reviving glass of the Chalybeate water, often served by a

“dipper” in traditional costume.

harrogate

Spa buildings don’t come much grander than the

ornately-styled Royal Baths, home of Harrogate’s Turk-

ish Baths and Health Spa. The great Islamic arches,

vibrant glazed brickwork, arabesque painted ceilings

and terrazzo floors still provide exotic surroundings in

which to relax.

Discovery of the springs of Harrogate

dates back about four centuries and the

Royal Baths, which opened in 1897,

claimed to be the world’s most

advanced centre for hydrotherapy. In

addition to the Turkish baths, there

were mud baths and steam rooms and

medicinal waters on offer. Intrepid

Victorians could sign up to a range of

bizarre treatments, such as the Plombiere



n ThermaeBath Spa

n The Inner Space,Thermae Bath Spa

n Dippers at theChalybeate Spring

n ThePantiles,RoyalTunbridgeWells

B a t h T o u r i s m P l u s / C o l i n H a w k i n s

Thermae Bath Spa

T u n b r i d g e W e l l s B o r o u g h C o u n c i l / C h r i s P a r k e r

T u n b r i d g e W e l l s B o r o u g h C o u n c i l / M i k e B a r t l e t t



douche, the Schnee electric hydrotherapy bath, saline

sulphur and peat baths.Harrogate is unique as a spa town because of its vari-

ety of mineral waters. The saline sulphur bath was

prescribed by the consulting doctors as good for gout,

rheumatism and hepatic disorders, while the alkaline

sulphur water was used for skin diseases.

Modern medicine and technology hastened the

closure of the treatment centre in 1969, but a two-year

£10 million redevelopment of the Royal Baths started in

2002 restored the building to its former glory. Today’s

visitors can still luxuriate in the Turkish Baths and book

various pampering sessions.

Those interested in the history of this attractive North

Yorkshire town can visit the Royal Pump Room Museumto see the old sulphur well and sample the spa water. The

beautiful Valley Gardens – with their own mineral springs

– are a great place to relax, while active types can

go walking, climbing, fishing or wildlife-spot-

ting on the nearby Yorkshire Dales.

cheltenham

The first Cheltenham guide in 1781

described a visit as “a journey of health

and pleasure”. The natural springs had

only been discovered a few years earlier and

when King George III spent five weeks taking

the waters there in 1788 the Cotswold town’s reputation

took off as one of the country’s most fashionable spas.

The Duke of Wellington, suffering from a dodgy

liver, gave Cheltenham further prominence when he

visited early in the 19th century. The ensuing building

boom saw the development of sweeping, classicalterraces and squares, elegant villas set in landscaped

estates and broad, tree-lined walks.

Cheltenham retains its elegant architecture and claims

to be England’s most complete Regency town. A must-

see attraction is the magnificent, colonnaded and domed

Pittville Pump Room, set amid the gardens and orna-

mental lakes of Pittville Park.

Here the cream of Regency and Victorian society

would attend grand balls and take the medicinal waters.

It is still used as a venue for entertainment and weddings

– and the water continues to be pumped up from a well

80ft below.

Cheltenham spa water is claimed to be the only natu-ral consumable alkaline variety in Britain, its chief

action being antacid and mildly diuretic. It’s also laxative

– an important consideration for imbibers planning a

subsequent visit to the town’s stylish shops, or its

renowned horse-racing, music or literature festivals.

buxton

Buxton in Derbyshire has some of the country’s purest

spring water, which can be sampled, free of charge,

from a well dating back to the Middle Ages. St Ann’s

Well was visited in Tudor times by Mary Queen of

Scots when she was held captive at nearby Chatsworth.Before that, the Romans built baths here served by the

warm springs which emerge at a constant 28ºC.

The town’s attraction as a spa resort gathered

pace in the late 18th century, when the f ifth

Duke of Devonshire built the Crescent

alongside St Ann’s Well. Thermal baths

and more fine buildings were added and

the railway’s arrival in 1863 ushered in a

golden age.

Buxton’s thermal baths closed in the

1950s and today’s visitors are drawn by the

annual arts festivals, the ornate Edwardian

opera house and the Peak District countryside.



spa hotelsNone of Britain’s grand, old hotels still offer

authentic mineral water baths and

treatments, although several new ones are on

the drawing board.

Bath’s planned five-star Gainsborough

Hotel will feature its own thermal baths near

the city’s Thermae Bath Spa, although the

project is much delayed. Also at the planning

stage is major redevelopment of Buxton’s

magnificent old Crescent building as a five-

star hotel offering thermal spa treatments.

Meanwhile, visitors to Bath seeking

accommodation with an on-site modern spa

book properties such as the five-star, 18th

century Macdonald Bath Spa. In Buxton, Old

Hall is reputed to be England’s oldest hotel

and entertained Mary Queen of Scots when

she sampled the waters. The Barcelo Palace

is an imposing Victorian hotel built when

Buxton’s spa tourism was booming.

The Cottage in the Wood is a historic

hotel built in the hillside near Malvern’s Holy

Well, while the Malvern Hotel is a modern

property with an award-winning spa.

Fine Georgian and Regency buildings which

once enjoyed a thriving trade from visitors

taking the waters include The George in

Cheltenham, The Spa in Tunbridge Wells, the

recently-refurbished Crown in Harrogate,

and The Angel, a former Leamington coaching

inn.

One of Droitwich’s more popular hotels is

St Andrews Town Hotel, built as the town

clerk’s house in 1820.

The Metropole in Llandrindod Wells was

the largest hotel in Wales when it opened in

the 1890s with its own spa treatment centre.

That closed in 1972 but the hotel, now a

four-star property, does offer a modern spa.

“Cheltenhamretains its

elegantarchitectureand claims to be England’smostcompleteRegency

town”

n Buxton has someof the country’spurest spring water

n Temple, Buxton

V i s i t P e a k D i s t r i c t & D

e r b y s h i r e

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire



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royal leamington spa

Impressive claims were made for the spa treatment at

Leamington’s Royal Pump Rooms and Baths when they

opened in 1814. Relief from a huge number of disorders

was claimed – including “stiffness of tendons”, “rigidity

of the joints”, and “the effects of gout and rheumatism

and various paralytic conditions”.

Leamington was a small Warwickshire agricultural

village until about 1800, when it started to exploit the

money-spinning potential of its mineral springs. Princess

(later Queen) Victoria was among those sampling the

saline waters and the place grew rapidly into an elegant

town of fine Regency and Victorian architecture and

beautiful gardens.

Visitors can no longer use the baths, but they can

taste the salty spring water from outside the Pump

Rooms and enjoy the rich legacy of the spa boom. The

restored Pump Rooms are home to the Assembly Rooms

and Conservatory, art gallery, library and tea rooms, and the museum tells the story of the town’s spa treatments.

Jephson Gardens, which gained prominence for its

promenading, croquet, tennis, fountains, illuminations

and military bands, has been restored with a Heritage

Lottery Fund grant and is now a Victorian oasis with a

sub-tropical glasshouse and restaurant.

malvern

Take a walk in the glorious Malvern Hills in Worcester-

shire and there’s no need to pack a day’s supply of water

along with your sarnies. There are plenty of wells

providing that famous refreshing water – if you know

where to look.

Tucked away in valleys are Holy Well and St Ann’s

Well, where a café offers more refreshment. Elsewhere



signature spa treatments

Imagine floating dreamily in warm mineralwaters that fell as rain 10,000 years ago

while being gently stretched and massaged.

You’d be hard pressed to find anything more

relaxing, claims the Thermae Bath Spa, whose

signature 50-minute Watsu treatment

soothes in the restored Georgian Hot Bath.

With eyes closed, it’s easy to nod off while

the therapist guides your body through a series

of flowing movements. It costs £60 and is ideal

for easing a stiff or aching back and limbs.

Signature treatments at Harrogate’s Turkish

Baths start off with an appropriately-Turkish

ritual in a room scented with exotic candles.The warmed candle oil with shea butter is

then decanted and massaged into the body

during the 75-minute Eastern Temptation

option, costing £65.

For an extra £20 you can book an Eastern

Indulgence, which also includes a delicate

exfoliating full body polish with jojoba and

shea butter.

n The frigidariumat HarrogateTurkish Baths

n The pumprooms atRoyal Leamington Spa

n The hot bath atThermae Bath Spa

B r i t a i n o n v i e w / M a r t i n B r e n t

T h e r m a e B a t h S p a

W a r w i c k D i s t r i c t C o u n c i l



are many more springs, some restored, such as the

Beauchamp Spout and the Malvhina Fountain.

Two doctors brought hydrotherapy from Austria and

built the first water cure house in Malvern in 1845. You

can no longer take the spa treatments but many impres-

sive buildings from that era are still in use as public

offices. The Council House, for example, provided theoriginal consulting rooms in Victorian times.

George Bernard Shaw and Edward Elgar brought

Malvern into the 20th century with their theatre and

music festivals held in the Winter Gardens. The town’s

cultural life continues to thrive, with the restored Edwar-

dian theatre attracting top-class drama, ballet and opera

and the Forum Theatre is a top music venue.

The medieval Abbey Gateway houses Malvern’s

Museum, which gives an insight into the region’s geol-

ogy and spa history.

droitwich

While other spa towns may boast of kings and queens

taking a therapeutic dip, Droitwich has the distinction

of hosting footballing royalty. In the 1970s, the entire

Manchester United team took a brine bath – a treatment

claimed to be particularly beneficial for those with

rheumatic conditions.

The Worcestershire town made its fortune from salt

and the natural brine springs have been used for bathing

since Roman times. St Richard’s House in the town

centre was the frontage to the old Brine Baths which

closed in 1974. Another facility opened 11 years later as

part of Droitwich Spa Hospital. Sadly this has now

closed but private investors currently have plans todevelop new brine baths.

Meanwhile, swimmers can enjoy a dip in the briny at

the town’s 1930s outdoor Lido, which reopened four

years ago. The natural brine is denser than the Dead Sea

but at the pool it is diluted to the density of sea water.



spa towns facts

Bath-based travel journalist John Law advises enjoying

tea at the Pump Roomsbut to go easy glugging thestrange-tasting spa water.

llandrindod wells

The Romans were the first to enjoy the health benefits

of bathing in Llandrindod’s saline-sulphur spring water

and by the mid-1700s the town was described as “the

Queen of Welsh Watering Places”.

It then fell out of fashion until the coming of the

Central Wales Railways in 1865, when Llandrindod’s spa

business took off. Hotels, apartments, new treatment

centres, two pavilions, a golf course, bowling and putting

greens and a 14-acre boating lake were built to cater for

80,000 visitors a year.

The town no longer provides spa treatments, although

visitors continue to enjoy many of the 19th century

attractions. Today, Llandrindod is best known for its

annual Drama and Victorian festivals, but there are plans

to develop the former Rock Park Spa and to provide a

hydrotherapy centre.

spa towns and spa facilitiesBath www.visitbath.co.uk

Thermae Bath Spa www.thermaebathspa.com

Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath

www.romanbaths.co.uk

Droitwich www.droitwichspa.com

Buxton www.peakdistrictinformation.com

Cheltenham www.visitcheltenham.com

Harrogate www.harrogate.gov.uk/turkishbaths

Malvern www.visitthemalverns.org

Llandrindod Wells www.llandrindod.co.uk

Royal Tunbridge Wells www.visittunbridgewells.com

Royal Leamington Spa www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk

hotelsBath Macdonald Bath Spa: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bathspa;

Best Western Centurion Hotel: www.centurionhotel.co.uk

Malvern The Malvern: www.themalvernspa.com;

The Cottage in the Wood: www.cottageinthewood.co.uk

Droitwich St Andrews Town Hotel: www.st-andrewshotel.com

Leamington The Angel: www.angelhotelleamington.co.uk

Buxton Old Hall: www.oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk; Losehill House

Hotel: www.losehillhouse.co.uk; Barcelo Palace:

www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk

Cheltenham The George: www.stayatthegeorge.co.uk

Harrogate The Crown:

www.crownhotelharrogate.com

Llandrindod Wells The Metropole: www.metropole.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells The Spa:

www.spahotel.co.uk

packagesSuperbreak: www.superbreak.com

Expedia: www.expedia.co.uk

Shearings Holidays: www.shearings.com

n The gloriousMalvern Hills

n The RomanBaths, Bath

n The Pantiles Colonnadeat Tunbridge Wells

B r i t a i n o n v i e w / P e t e S e a w

a r d

v i s i t b a t h . c o . u

k

T u n b r i d g e W e l l s B o r o u g h C o u n c i l / C h r i s P a r k e r

WIN a pair of Thermae Bath Spa vouchersWe have teamed up with Thermae Bath Spa to give away a pair

of four-hour spa session vouchers, including hire of towels, robes

and slippers, worth £88. You will have access to the open-air

rooftop pool, with its views over the city of Bath, as well as the

large Minerva thermal bath and the fabulous steam rooms. Go to

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms

and conditions apply. Closing date November 18, 2011.




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I pushed open the heavy, wooden door and immedi-ately recognised the cracked marble staircase, the

crumbling ornate pillars, and the fading homage

to Fidel painted on the wall. In 1994, this tene-

ment building in central Havana was turned into a

film set for

Tomás

Gutiérrez Alea’s internationally-acclaimed, Fresa yChocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate), a picture I

studied almost a decade later at university.

Three flights up a dark staircase hides La Guarida –

the den or hideaway – where much of the movie was

filmed. It was home to a gay man called Diego, one of

the main characters. His apartment was an Aladdin’s

Cave of illicit art, literature and trinkets, all prohibited by

the regime.

The film was so successful that tourists arrived in


Viva the new

revolution Cuba is embracing the post-Fidel era with investment in the tourist sector continuing apace, yet it

remains largely steadfast to its revolutionary principles. Martin Ferguson finds out why this

unique land of paradoxes continues to entice

off the beaten track ncuba

cuba tipsl Native Cubans use

the Cuban peso, but

tourists must use the

convertible peso

(CUC or CUC$)

which is valued

against the dollar. Do

not try and exchange

money outside of

your hotel or the

airport. Dollars aresometimes accepted,

but it is not

considered official

currency.

l Cuba has extremely

low crime levels.

Police constantly

monitor locals in

tourist areas.

However, there are a

number of beggars,

especially in Havana.

Keep valuables in

your hotel room

safe.

l Toiletries and many

medicines are in

short supply, so you

are advised to take

adequate supplies.

l There are many

quality arts and crafts

markets across the

country, but beware of

buying rum and cigars

from anywhere other

than official vendors,

as you may be getting

dangerously-poor

products.





their droves searching for this clandestine paradise. The

real owner, Enrique Nuñez del Valle, saw an opportunity.

Using the original props as decor, he opened a paladar –

a dining experience unique to Cuba, where families open

private restaurants in their own front rooms – named

after the movie (www.laguarida.com ). I’d spent somuch time analysing the iconography and symbolism of

La Guarida, it was truly surreal to be sitting in the very

same apartment gorging on the best food Cuba had to

offer. But then again, walking through the streets of

Havana you could be forgiven for thinking you were on

the world’s largest film set.

That said, the notion that Cuba is locked in a time

warp is becoming somewhat outdated. Since El Coman-

dante, Fidel Castro, transferred power to his brother Raul

in 2006, there has been modest socio-economic

progress. Cubans, for example, can now own computers

and mobile phones. Access is restricted, but there has

been enough online liberty to fuel a cultural upheaval.Cubans can now also stay in hotels that were once the

private enclaves of foreign guests.

old cadillacs

But thankfully for tourists, there are more than

enough superficial oddities. One can still marvel at

the clapped-out Pontiacs, Buicks, Fords and

Cadillacs that chug their way noisily

through the pot-hole ridden streets (you

can usually book a classic car journey at your hotel

reception).

It’s a similar story in relation to housing. While much

is invested in constructing and restoring hotels, most of

the grandiose baroque and neo-colonial buildings are

dilapidated and, often, literally falling down.I was treated to a fairly standard itinerary during a

recent visit: Revolution Square, the Havana Club rum

museum, La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) and Ernest

Hemingway’s favourite watering hole, El Floridita. These

should be on every visitor’s “to do” list.

You don’t have to look too hard, however, to find

something off the beaten track. For starters, forego the

lure of the luxury hotels, and bunk up with a Cuban

family for a few days. The casa particular is a similar

concept to that of the paladar. It provides the tourist with

an authentic Cuban experience, and allows some natives

to live above the breadline. Expect to pay between

£5 and £80 per night.Cigar smoking is as synonymous with Cuban

culture as salsa, and tobacco plantations and

factories are littered across the country. But

the guided tour at the Partagas factory in

central Havana should not be missed,

unless you suffer from a respiratory

illness.

You’ll need to clear your lungs with

a blast of fresh air, so walk directly to

“Walkingthrough thestreets of

Havana youcould beforgiven for thinking youwere on theworld’s largestfilm set”

n Catedral de la Habana inHavana old town

Cuba Tourist Board



the Malecón, the concrete promenade that stretches some

eight miles along the sea front. In the morning, you’ll see

no more than a few amateur fishermen with homemade

rods, but from late afternoon it becomes a hive of activity

and a haven for people watching.

world heritage siteTo escape the humid bustle of Havana, go to the central

station and catch the Hershey train – built in 1917 by the

famous American chocolate manufacturer to transport

workers from the capital to Matanzas. Then switch linesand move on to Santa Clara, 270km east of the capital.

What this city lacks in architectural beauty it makes

up for in history, culture and lively nightlife. It was also

the site of one of the most significant moments in Cuban

history – the battle of Santa Clara. In late 1958, Che

Guevara and his guerilla army used a bulldozer to derail

a train carrying supplies and reinforcements for Batista’s

army. They went on to capture the city, and less than 12

hours later Batista fled the country. A short walk from

the main square is the site where the attack took place,

and the bulldozer and fallen train carriages remain

preserved in the same spot. A mile out of town is the

Che Guevara museum and mausoleum.A two-hour drive south is the colonial outpost, Trinidad

de Cuba. Its museums and beaches are a huge draw for

tourists. In 1988, UNESCO made this architectural jewel a

World Heritage Site. The highlight for most is a visit to the

Manaca-Iznaga tower, which commands stunning views

over the coastline and the Valley of the Mills.

resortsCuba’s modern resorts tend to receive most government

investment. The Cayos, especially Cayo Coco, are ideal

for those looking for heat, good food and some peace

and quiet. My father-in-law visits once a year, and

insists it’s the best part of the island.

Further west along the northern coast is Varadero, the

largest and busiest of the resorts. It’s big, bustling, and

not to everyone’s taste. But it is best placed for those



music in havanaCubans walk as if they are dancing. Around

every corner you’ll see musicians in the

street and hear the pulsating beat of salsaor son coming from every window.

Unsurprisingly, the capital is awash with

quality music and dance venues:

l La Zorra y el Cuervo: On La Rampa,

close to the Havana Libre hotel, it is

considered one of the best jazz

nightclubs in Havana. The entrance is a

red British telephone box. Doors open

at 9pm, music is played from 1130pm

until 3am. The pay-at-the-door cover

charge is usually 10 CUC.

l Casa de la Musica de Centro

Habana: On Galiano Street, it is one of the largest dance venues in the city.

There is usually a live afternoon show

from 4pm till 11pm before it becomes

an all-night disco after 1am. The cover

charge depends on the quality of the act,

but is generally 5-10 CUC.

l La Madriguera: On the corner of

Salvador Allende and Luaces, the home

to the Cuban union of writers and

artists is a hotbed of musical and artistic

innovation. Entry costs 5 CUC. Opening

times are 9am-7pm daily except

Thursday, when it is open until midnight. C u b a T o u r i s t B o a r d

C u b a T o u r i s t B o a

r d

Cuba Tourist Board

n Havana isawash withmusic and

dance venues

n The colonial outpostof Trinidad de Cuba

n Rum

andpineapple




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wanting to combine beach-time with day trips to the

cities and countryside.

Pinar del Rio, on the west side of the island, is only a

few hours drive away. Known as the garden of Cuba, it

boasts some of the island’s most impressive landscapes

and wildlife, including the country’s red, white and blue

national bird, the Tocororo. And, like much of rural and

coastal Cuba, there are scores of outdoor activities inwhich to indulge, including trekking, snorkelling and

scuba diving. Just to the north lies the Viñales Valley and

its impressive El Indio limestone caves.

Rumours that the US’s softening stance on Cuba will

soon lead to an invasion of tourists seem somewhat

premature. As recently as July, President Obama was

under Congressional pressure to

uphold existing laws.

However, the paralysing

embargo is sure to

come to an end sooner

rather than later, open-

ing Cuba up to American

tourists. I recommend

you get there before it

does.

cuba facts

At only 31, journalist Martin Ferguson has already

experienced some of the world’s most fascinatingdestinations. But he regularly tells family and friends that

Havana is the one city they must see before they die.

when to goCuba enjoys 330 days of sunshine a year.

The rainy season – which often bringsviolent storms and occasionally

hurricanes – runs from May to October.

The dry season, therefore, is from

November to April.

getting there

There are scheduled flights from London

Gatwick to Holguin and Havana with Cubana Airlines

(www.cubana.cu) and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com).

Air Europa (www.aireuropa.com) flies from Gatwick to Havana via

Madrid. Charter flights with Thomas Cook Airlines

(www.thomascookairlines.com)and Thomson Airways

(www.thomsonfly.com) go to Varadero, Cayo Coco, Santa Clara andHolguin.

getting aroundHire cars are available at airports.

Drivers must be at least 21. Public

transport is safe, but often extremely

busy and unreliable. Taxis are a cheap

and safe way to get around.

accommodationThe pick of Havana’s hotels include the

imposing, twin-towered Hotel Nacional

(www.hotelnacionaldecuba.com)and the Hotel Saratoga(www.hotel-saratoga.com) . While Hotel Playa Pesquero

(www.hotelplayapesquerocuba.com) is the stand-out resort in

Holguin, the Blau Hotel (www.blauhotels.com) in Varadero and Tryp

Cayo Coco should also be considered. For casas particulars, visit The

Casa Particular organisation (www.casaparticularcuba.org).

tour operators

Specialists include Captivating Cuba

(www.captivatingcuba.com), Cuba

Direct (www.cubadirect.co.uk) ,

Havanatur (www.havanatur.com),

Headwater (www.headwater.com)

and Journey Latin America

(www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) .

Mainstream operators include Thomas Cook

(www.thomascook.com) , Thomson Holidays

(www.thomson.co.uk) and Virgin Holidays

(www.virginholidays.com) .

tourist informationCuba Tourist Board:

www.travel2Cuba.co.uk

C u b a T o u r i s t B o a r d



C a p t i v a t i n g C u b a

H e a d w a t e r H o l i d a y s

M a n u e l R i v e i r o

n Varadero is Cuba’sbiggest resort

n BusyHavana

n Book a classiccar at your hotel

n Havana’sRevolution Square

n Horse ridingat Viñales

nCigar factoriesare on thetourist circuit

nBackground picture: Cayo CocoCuba Tourist Board



If your idea of a butler springs from the pages of

Jeeves and Wooster, you may be surprised to learn

you don’t have to be a member of the aristocracy

to enjoy such personal service – it could come as

part of your holiday. While a hotel butler may not

be standing by to put toothpaste on your brush, as

one of Prince Charles’ staff was rumoured to do, they

can help with chores, such as unpacking and pressing

your clothes, or treats like running you a flower-strewn

bath at an allotted time.

When the Savoy reopened last October following an

ambitious £100 million refurbishment, it introduced anew generation of butlers. This elite task force will

tackle a range of jobs including completing guests’ busi-

ness expense forms and helping them dress for dinner.

There’s even a green butler to advise on all things eco-

friendly in London. Prices for a suite for the night with

butler service start at around £1,100 plus VAT, though

it’s worth looking out for packages.

In recent years, a wide range of more mainstream

hotels have added complimentary butler service for

higher room categories. And it’s not only business trav-

ellers who are the target; many beach resorts have

introduced butlers to help guests mark a special occa-

sion, or simply get maximum

relaxation from their holiday.

The Savoy is managed by Fairmont

At your

Being waited on hand and foot isn’t purely the preserve of the landed

gentry. Many hotels and even cruise ships now offer butler service or

concierge floors, while you can also indulge yourself with a personal

shopper or chauffeur/guide, asDebbie Ward

reports

a touch of class nbutlers and personal service

butler and chauffeur tipsl Butler service may be included in your room rate but a tip is usually

expected at the end of your stay.

l Preference forms on your hotel’s website, or sent by email, help your

butler prepare for your visit. If you’re not using butler service, you may still be

able to select from pillow menus or choose the scent or flowers you’d like in

your room.

l If you travel independently, compare the cost of car hire to booking a tour with

a personal driver; the chauffeur option, which often includes entrance fees, may

prove competitive.


service

The Savoy

n Green butler at The Savoy





Hotels & Resorts, which has butler service at several

properties. The Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Barbados even

has “beach butlers” who’ll deliver drinks and nibbles and

fetch items from your room. St Regis is another chain

with butlers. They’ll wake you with morning tea and newspapers and spring to other requests made by email.

Caribbean all-inclusive chain Sandals now has butler

service as standard with its top-tier suites. The staff can

be summoned from a dedicated mobile phone to unpack

your luggage, serve you dinner in your suite, shine your

shoes and press your clothes. They’ll also organise your

stay, making all your spa, tour and dinner reservations

and reconfirming your flights before departure. A one-

bedroom honeymoon suite with butler service at Sandals

Emerald Bay in the Bahamas currently costs from

£2,999 per person for a week’s all-inclusive in high

season, including flights.

far eastOn a smaller scale, Serene Pavilions, a boutique beach

hotel at Wadduwa, Sri Lanka, opened two years ago with

an all-butler concept. Serene has just 12 large villas which

cost from around £295 per night including breakfast.

They’re full of mod cons, including remote-controlled

blinds, but if the effort of pressing a button wears you out,

your 24-hour butler can step in to ease your stay.

“Butlers help guests to unpack their baggage, organ-

ise their meals, provide all the services requested by

them and basically follow them without interrupting

their privacy,” explains Serene Pavilions chief executive

Anura Lokuhetty. “They’ll even organise meetings with

the chef to decide on the menu and locations for their

meals, as we provide several options.”

Elsewhere in Asia, the Nam Hai hotel in Vietnam

beach resort Hoi An recently called in the Guild of

Professional English Butlers to train its staff for three

months. The guild, which also trains Sandals’ butlers,

notes Caribbean and Far East hotels are particularly keen

to add this personal service. Among many others, it hasalso trained butlers at London’s Lanesborough and North

Island, in the Seychelles – honeymoon destination of

Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The guild has seen a boom in hotels seeking its serv-

ices. “I’ve been training butlers in hotels for 15 years and

chauffeursBeing chauffeured on your holiday may seem an A-list extravagance but several

tour operators, including Kirker Holidays, Kuoni and Regent Holidays, offer tailor-

made touring itineraries with private driver/guides. It may even be a practical

choice for independent travel in destinations where road or vehicle safety is an

issue.

In the UK and Ireland, Dream Escapes can arrange private journeys by fun and

fabulous transport including sports cars, helicopters and seaplanes.

personal shoppersIn cities famous for retail therapy, many top-end hotels offer paid or complimentary

personal shoppers. In Bangkok, for instance, Banyan Tree has a free shopping

companion who’ll hit the malls and markets for three hours with you, while until

December 31, Hansar Bangkok is offering a free shopping ambassador in

conjunction with department store Siam Paragon.

In Marrakech, where haggling is key, paying a personal shopper could even save

you money; tour operator Fleewinter can set you up with one.

Major department stores including New York’s Macy’s and Bloomingdales also

offer personal shopper services.

personal service with local experts

M S C C r u i s e s

F a i r m o n t H o t e l s &

R e s o r t s

n The Fairmont Royal Pavilion,Barbados, provides beach butlers

n Relaxing in thespa on MSC Fantasia

“It’s verymuch

tailoring theservice to suitthe guest”



it’s increased year on year so now almost every type of

hotel has some form of butler service,” says Guild presi-

dent Robert Watson. “It’s almost a guest expectation

these days; it’s not restricted to the luxury five-star

market.

“The most important thing is to treat the guests as

individuals and that’s very much the essence of my train-ing. They may want you to be smiling, bubbly or ‘yes’,

‘no,’ ‘there you are’. It’s very much tailoring the service

to suit the guest.”

Cruise lines, too, are committed to butler service,

most now offering it with higher-grade suites. MSC

Cruises’ butlers, for instance, can be paged round-the-

clock to take care of laundry and shoe shining, make

priority bookings for restaurants, tender access and

excursions. They’ll even arrange for onboard boutiques

to open exclusively for you.

concierge floors and servicesIf you don’t want to splash out on the full butler experi-ence, concierge floors (also called club or executive

floors) in both hotels and cruise ships can be a good

compromise.

Though perks vary, these upgraded levels usually

have a lounge for breakfast, drinks and snacks, better

room facilities, and dedicated check-in and concierge

desks. Many major hotel chains including Fairmont,

Ritz-Carlton and Starwood offer such floors and, more

surprisingly, some Disney hotels do as well.

The hotel concierge, who helps with reservations and

local advice, is a familiar concept but nowadays not all

such services are desk-bound.

Thinking of popping the question on holiday? At CapMaison, St Lucia a proposal concierge will help you do

it in style, perhaps with the ring sent down a zipwire to

an offshore dining deck. And if you don’t fancy lugging

your skis to the airport, how about sending them ahead

to your chalet with ski concierge service Piste of Mind?

Upmarket tour operators, among them Kirker Holi-

days, Audley Travel and Abercrombie & Kent, also offer

concierge services, booking ballet tickets, behind-the-

scenes tours, that special restaurant or a family party so

the highlights of your trip are already in place when you

arrive.



personal service facts

Debbie Ward has been a travel journalist for 12 years. Sheonce hired a private driver when she and her partnertoured Sri Lanka to chauffeur them between cultural

highlights – a luxury she could get used to.

butler servicehotels

Fairmont Hotels: www.fairmont.comSt Regis Hotels: www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis

The Savoy: www.fairmont.com/savoy

Lanesborough, London: www.lanesborough.com

The Connaught, London: www.the-connaught.co.uk

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bathspa

Sandals: www.sandals.co.uk

Serene Pavilions, Sri Lanka: www.serenepavilions.com

Nam Hai, Vietnam: www.thenamhai.com

North Island, Seychelles: www.north-

island.com

Half Moon, Jamaica:

www.halfmoon.rockresorts.com

The Chatwal, New York: www.thechatwalny.com

Bellagio, Las Vegas: www.bellagio.com

For more see:

www.guildofbutlers.com/client.php

cruise linesMSC Cruises: www.msccruises.co.uk

Silversea Cruises: www.silversea.com

Celebrity Cruises: www.celebritycruises.com

For more see: www.discovercruises.co.uk

tour operators offering personal drivers and/

or concierge serviceDream Escape: www.dreamescape.co.uk

Kirker Holidays: www.kirkerholidays.com

Regent Holidays: www.regent-holidays.co.uk

Audley Travel: www.audleytravel.co.uk

Kuoni: www.kuoni.co.uk

The Private Travel Company: www.theprivatetravelcompany.co.uk

TransIndus: www.Transindus.co.uk

Abercrombie & Kent: www.abercrombiekent.com

Cox & Kings: www.coxandkings.co.uk

hotels with concierge floorsStarwood Hotels:

www.starwoodhotels.com

Ritz-Carlton: www.ritzcarlton.com

Disney hotels:

www.disneyparks.co.uk

other concierge servicesCap Maison, St Lucia:

www.capmaison.com/proposal-concierge.html

Piste of Mind: www.pisteofmind.com

personal shoppersBanyan Tree: www.banyantree.com

Hansar Bangkok: www.slh.com/hansarbangkok

Fleewinter: www.fleewinter.co.uk/morocco/

Bloomingdales: www.Bloomingdales.com

Macy’s: www.macys.com

S t a r w o o d H o t e l s

M S C C r u i s e s

S a n d a l s

n Butler

service at

Sandals




*Price correct at time of print and based on the basic cover for an 18 to 65 year oldtravelling to Europe, excludes discount and screened conditions.

Medical screening is available online or over the phone, discount will not apply.Full terms & conditions of cover benets apply. 5% discount closes 31st January 2012.

Staysure.co.uk Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.Registered company No. 436804

*Price correct at time of printand based on the basic cover for an 18 to 65 year oldtravelli g to Europe, excludes discount and screened conditions.

Medical screening is available online or over the phone, discount will not apply.ull terms & conditions of cover benets apply. 5% discount closes 31st Jan ary 2012.

Staysure.co.uk Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.egistered company No. 436804




in your nflightbag

The stylish faux-leather

toiletry and travel bags

from Matt & Nat not only

look good, but are good for the

environment too.

Developed by founder and creative director, Inder Bedi – who

was challenged by a mahatma to

become a vegetarian for 30 days,

an act which would have a

profound effect on his life and that

of others – all linings of their bags are made of 100%

recycled plastic bottles; on average, 21 water bottles

are recycled to make the lining of each bag.

Earlier this year, cork labelling inside the bags

was introduced, an innovative material that is envi-

ronmentally sustainable.

The autumn/winter collection includes a range of

bags and wallets in matte black and blue, including

the stylish Braun black weekender and Rogue black

toiletry bag.

Matt & Nat is stocked on ASOS and is available

from Urban Outfitters and independent boutiquesacross the UK. For full details of all their products,

go to www.mattandnat.com.

l For your chance to WIN a Braun weekender worth

£135 and a Rogue toiletry bag worth £55, go to

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competi-

tions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date

November 13, 2011.

K eeping your sunglasses,

iPod, camera or Kindle

clean and smear-free is

never easy and particularly when

surrounded by sunscreen and ice

cream while on holiday.

A new range of silicon-free

lens care products from Dr Optic

is ideal for travel and provide

quick-drying, smear-free cleaning

for all coated lenses and screens.

Dr Optic’s Optical Lens Wipes,

available in packs of 12 or 24, are

perfect for popping in your

glasses or camera case, while the

travel-sized Lens Cleaner Spray

with microfibre cloth is ideal for

all delicate lens surfaces.

Dr Optic products are available

at all good pharmacies and super-

markets as well as at branches of

John Lewis and Lakeland, with

prices starting from just £1. For

more information, visit

www.droptic.net.

Light

weightessentialsPacking a

flight bag toavoid baggage

check-in is a

chore,

particularly

given the

restrictions on liquids, so

finding skincare products to

suit is essential.

The new Madara Travel Kit

contains five travel-sized beauty

essentials including cleansing

milk, deep balance toner and

regenerating night cream andall products are organic, natural

and eco-friendly.

The Madara range, originally

from Latvia, is available from

Selfridges, Harrods,

Wholefoods and independent

stores nationwide and online

from leading online retailers

including feelunique.com and

lovelula.com.

The Travel Kit is priced at

£6.95; for more information go

to www.madara.co.uk.

Lip salvationChapped lips

are inevitable in

the autumn and

winter months,

and even if you

are heading for

warmer climes,

you need a

reliable lip balm

in your bag to keep your lips

moist and supple throughout

your flight or holiday.

Blistex has been providing lip

care since 1947 and its new Lip

Brilliance product not only has

all the benefits of its best-selling

lip balms but also has a delicate

pink sheen and real silk extracts

and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres

for a fuller lip appearance,

making this a handbag essential.

Lip Brilliance is available from

Boots, at just £2.49; for more

information on Blistex products,

go to www.blistex.co.uk.

Banish

smears

Bags of

bottle



in your n suitcase

Hair today...Finding room in your suitcase

for those essential

items to keep yourbeauty regime intact,

even while away, is no

longer a problem

thanks to a new range

of mini beauty gadgets from

natural health and beauty pioneer

Club Cleo.

The Goliat Miniature 500w Travel

Dryer has a ready-fitted Euro plug and at

only four inches by four inches in size, it is a

holiday must.

Other products include the Vida Nano-Depil

Mini Epilator, for men and women, the Yaharimanicure/pedicure kit and the ID Italian multi-

treatment beauty and skin massager. Prices start from

£12.50; for more details go to www.club-cleo.com.

Think pink Want to have a good-looking and useful beauty case

that is also doing good? Elemis has

pledged a donation of £10,000 to

Breast Cancer Care from its

Think Pink Beauty Kit,

containing three of its top

skincare products, includinga 30ml Pro-

Collagen Marine

Cream and 15ml

Pro-Collagen Lifting

Treatment for neck and bust in limited edition pink

containers, in a patent pink cube cosmetics bag. Buy

online for £29.90 at www.timetospa.co.uk .

Splash about safely If you are taking your little ones on a late sun break,

they will need to be properly equipped for

the beach and sea. The Splash About

range of clothing has something for

everyone. The fabric of the Safe in

Sun UV protection suit saves the

skin from burning, while the Warm

in Water wetsuit jacket and shorts

with soft neoprene not only gives

sun protection but also gives

added warmth so your

children enjoy swimming

more. Prices start at

£29.99; for more

information and stockist

details go to

www.splashabout.com.

K arrimor, founded in Lancashire in

1946, have been making bags and

equipment for over 60 years, pro-

ducing durable backpacks selected by

some of the world’s most accomplished

mountaineers.

Diversifying into footwear and travel

luggage, the Global range was developed

and the Global Equator 70 wheeled bag,which can also be worn on your shoul-

ders, is a very useful, durable, suitcase.

Weighing 3.2kg, this versatile bag has

a rugged wheel system with two internal

mesh pockets as well as an internal secu-

rity pocket. With lockable zips, side

compression straps and a rigid base, this

bag will suit even the most demanding of

travellers.

The Global Equator 70 costs £100 and

is available from retailers such as Field

and Trek or online from

www.karrimor.com

l For your chance toWIN a Global

Equator 70 worth £100, go to

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on

Competitions. Terms and conditions

apply. Closing date November 13, 2011.

Functional and fash-

ionable footwear is a

must for late season

breaks and men’s casual

range Fish ‘n’ Chips,

from footwear brand

Base London, has recent-ly launched a mid-top

boot that ticks all the

boxes.

The Shrimp boot

features a thick rubber

sole, a cushioned corduroy

cuff and a twin layer

tongue that can be folded

into the hiking inspired

laces.

Available from leading

high street retailers and

online, Shrimp costs

£49.99; for stockists and

more information, go to

www.baselondon.com.

Carry more,

or less

Hot foot it in Shrimps





travel n tech

Keep your hands on the steering wheel at

all times on your next motoring trip

with the new, portable Parrot

MINIKIT+ hands-free kit.

The MINIKIT+ manages two Bluetooth-

enabled mobile phones at the same time and is

voice-controlled. So if you have one phone for

personal use and another for business calls, itwill handle calls to either phone, giving differ-

ent ring tones to each one.

The MINIKIT+ also automatically synchro-

nises its phonebook with the two connected

mobile phones, storing up to 2,000 contacts. If

the caller is in the phonebook, it will state their

name and you simply say “accept”

or “reject” to take or refuse the

call. To make a call, just press the

unit’s green button to launch the

voice recognition and say thename of the contact. It then dials

the number automatically.

A vibration sensor switches

the unit back on and reconnects

to phones when you open the

car door. It lets you vocally

manage emails and SMS hands-free,

using the TextFriendlyTM subscription

service which launches soon. Your mobile’s

satnav app instructions can also play through

its integrated loudspeaker.The MINIKIT+ attaches to the sun visor

via an adjustable elastic strap, for when the

visor is up or down.

Available from November, the MRSP is

£64.99.

www.parrot.com

Anew gadget that cancharge all your trav-

el devices is friendly

to the environment, too.

The IDAPT i1 Eco’s

three charging tips will

charge most phones

including iPhone, Black-

berry, Samsung and HTC,

most MP3 players, most

tablets and gizmos such as

satnavs, Amazon’s Kindle,

Xbox controllers and

Nintendo’s 3DS.While other chargers use

power as long as they are

plugged in, the multi-volt-

age IDAPT i1 Eco

automatically shuts power

off – including standby power – when the connected

device is fully charged.

Costing £20, it can be

used in-car and has a USB

power lead for charging

from PC or Mac.www.idaptweb.com

Listen to your favourite music on the

go wirelessly with the new

SoundLink

portable speaker

from Bose. Music

from smartphones

or tablets can be

streamed to give

audio perform-

ance that defies

the speaker’s size. The size of an aver-

age book, its integrated

cover unfolds into a stand

and switches the system off

when closed. The recharge-

able battery typically lasts

eight hours.

Available from Bose

stores and dealers, it costs

from £259. www.bose.co.uk

Eco power

Music to go

Doubletalk

Far sightedBring the world closer to you with the latest

lightweight, compact binoculars from Austrian

optical experts Swarovski Optik.

Weighing just 500g (17oz), the new pocket-sized

CL Companion binoculars are the lightest premium

binoculars on the market – and handy for tucking

into hand luggage or your suitcase when travelling

or simply for taking on hikes or outings.

The binoculars have a case and comfortable neck

strap and come in 8x or 10x magnification in green,

sand-brown or black.

They feature razor-sharp optics and the legendary

quality of the Tyrol-based company, which has been

producing precision optical instruments since 1949.

Available in camera shops and online, the CL

Companion 8x model has an RRP of £790 and the

10x version is £820.

www.swarovskioptik.com




Relax at theRussell Hotel

Bognor Regis

Kings Parade, Bognor Regis, West Sussex

PO21 2QP Tel. 01243871300

Email: [email protected]

Life doesn't get much more relaxing than a perfect

break by the sea. Put your feet up and enjoy our warm

atmosphere, friendly service and home cooked cuisine.

Or choose from a range of leisure activities, excursions

and entertainment.

Rates from £39pp including dinner, bed and breakfast.

For more information and details of other offers visit

www.visionhotels.co.uk

SOUTH DOWNS WALKINGSHORT BREAKS

Three nights for the price of two!!!!!

The perfect spot to start your holiday, situated in the heart

of the Downs, available for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesdayarrivals, based on 2 people sharing.

As well as this fabulous offer we will also pack you a luncheach day and provide explorer maps for you to use.

Rates from £150 per personSupplements apply for Premier rooms and Suites.

Rates valid from October 2011-April 2012, exclusions apply, subject to availability

THE ANGEL HOTELNorth Street, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9DN Tel: 01730 812421

Email: [email protected] www.theangelmidhurst.co.uk

Findon ManorCountry House Hotel & Restaurant

A friendlywelcomeawaitsyouat ourbeautiful EnglishCountryHouse Hotel, locatedin thepicturesqueFindon Village inWestSussex. Beingsituated on theedgeof theSouth Downsmakes FindonManor,the idyllic locationfor summer orwinter breaks toenjoy thecharmingandrelaxingsurroundings. JustofftheA24it is perfectly located for easy access toBrighton,WorthingandArundel.

Whether you stay inone ofour traditionalsuperior roomswith a Jacuzzi, or inoneof ourcontemporarysuites overlookingourstunningsurroundings, youwillfind thatevery roomhas aunique and individual feel. The oak beamsand logfires combinedwithmodernamenitiescreates acontemporaryedgeto thistraditionalbuilding. Finediningis available in ourexcellent TerraceRestaurant,andin ourtraditional ‘Snooty Fox Bar’ alongwith real ales andan extensivewinelist.

UpcomingEvents:

FabulousFridays:• Enjoy 1 night Dinner, BedandBreakfast witha complementarybottleofChampagne.From£130.00...

Christmas 2011Celebrations:We are now taking bookingsfor:• ChristmasFunctions• ChristmasDay Lunch• SpecialChristmasAccommodationPackage

New Year’s Eve 2011Celebrations:

• SpecialNewYear’s EveAccommodation Package• Dinner orBuffet with NewYear’s Eve Party

Available for ALL Special Occasions: Weddings, Christenings, Anniversaries, Lunches,Dinnersand more…

Opento Non Residents

FindonManor Hotel,High Street, Findon, West SussexBN14 0TA 01903 872733Email: [email protected] www.findonmanor.com

More than just a venue...




on your doorstep nsouth downs

As a little girl I spent manya happy hour flying a box

kite at Beachy Head,

going on family walks to

Cuckmere Haven, with its

distinctive oxbow lakes,

and exploring the dramatic roller-

coaster cliffs of the Seven Sisters – tired legs

spurred on by the promise of an ice cream at

the end. These days I tend to take the easier

option, helping friends exercise their horses

on the Downs and through woodland in the

surrounding countryside.

However you choose to travel, it’s a capti-vating area – and I’m not just saying that

because I’m biased. Celebrated author Bill

Bryson described the landscape as “some of

England’s finest” and, in April, a large part of it

was embraced by the South Downs National

Park, the country’s 10th and newest national park.

Covering 628 square miles and stretching 87

miles from Eastbourne in the east to Winchester in the

west, it runs through East Sussex, West Sussex and

Hampshire.

While the name conjures up rolling green down-

land ending at sheer, chalky white cliffs, the landscape

and scenery is diverse, taking in gentle clay hills and

vales, undulating farmland and steep woodland as you

travel towards the eastern corner.n Beachy Head

Britainonview/Rod Edwards

Ups and

DownsEncompassing the country’s newest national park, the

rolling countryside of the South Downs is as

quintessentially English as you will find. Local lass

Jeannine Williamson gives the lowdown on the high

points of this captivating area





In my particular neck of the woods, the picturesque

village of Alfriston is a justifiable magnet for visitors. A

gentle one-mile walk away is Berwick Church, its spire

visible above the trees. No ordinary village church, it is

covered with murals painted by Bloomsbury Group

artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell,

who lived at nearby Charleston.

sparkling winesSussex soil, high in chalk and lime, is very similar to

the Champagne region. So much so, many English

sparkling wines produced here are beating their

famous French counterparts in international

competitions. The English Wine Centre

(www.englishwine.co.uk ), on the corner of the

A27 turn-off to Alfriston, is an interesting place to

stop for lunch and browse around the shop, which

stocks wines from throughout the region.

Down the road, in the neighbouring village of

Jevington, is the local culinary institution, the

Hungry Monk (www.hungrymonk.co.uk ), self-

proclaimed birthplace of the Banoffi Pie (look out for

the blue plaque on the wall!).

10 key south downs events

l Beachy Head Marathon

( www.beachyheadmarathon.org.uk ): October

22. One of the biggest, toughest and most scenicoff-road marathons in the UK, runners set off

from Eastbourne at 9am with the first arriving

back less than three hours later.

l Lewes Bonfire Night

( www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk ): November

5. Flaming torches, giant effigies and ear-splitting

bangers are all part of the famous celebrations –

some would say infamous – in the county town of

East Sussex, where bonfire societies compete for

coveted trophies for the best costumes.

l Sussex Christmas: December 26-January 1:

Experience Christmas past in the fascinating

collection of reconstructed historic buildings atthe Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

( www.wealddown.co.uk) at Singleton, near

Chichester.

l Brighton Festival ( www.brightonfestival.org ):

England’s largest international arts festival, spread

over three weeks in May, includes theatre, music,

dance, literary debates, outdoor entertainment

and family events in more than 20 venues, plus a

cutting edge fringe festival.

l Glyndebourne ( www.glyndebourne.com ):

Unique and quintessentially English, the opera

house nestling in the foot of the Downs near

Lewes hosts its world famous festival from May toAugust.

l South of England Show ( www.seas.org.uk): June

7-9, 2012. This flagship event showcases the very

best of the local countryside, with prize winning

livestock, equestrian events, regional food and

drink, arena displays and much more.

l Goodwood Festival of Speed

( www.goodwood.co.uk): Dubbed the world’s

largest motoring garden party, this weekend event

at the end of June is an exhilarating celebration of

motorsport history.

l Winchester Festival

( www.winchesterfestival.co.uk ): With over 30

events in 10 days every July, the festival serves up

a feast of local, national and international talent.

l Arundel Festival ( www.arundelfestival.co.uk ):

Held in August, the 10-day long celebration of arts,

music and drama retains a community feel

alongside large scale events staged at the castle

and around the town.

l Chichester Festival Theatre ( www.cft.org.uk):

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, the

theatre has an international reputation for its

varied programme, encompassing classic drama,

musicals, comedies and innovative new

productions.

“The SouthDowns isrich in

literary and artisticculture”

nArundel Castle

n The South Downsfrom Goodwood

n Detail fromAmberley Castle

B r i t a i n o n v i e w / D a v i d S e l l m a n

B r i t a i n o n v i e w

Amberley Castle



Moving west, seaside towns such as cosmopolitan

Brighton, Littlehampton, nestling in the mouth of the

River Arun, and family-friendly Bognor Regis, home to

one of Billy Butlin’s first holiday camps which opened in

the 1960s and is now one of the remodelled resorts

(www.butlins.com), make good bases to explore the

South Downs.Another gateway town I’d recommend is the elegant

cathedral city of Chichester in West Sussex, situated at

the halfway point on the national park’s southern side.

Take a leisurely one-hour stroll around the Roman walls

before visiting the cathedral, with its 15th-century belfry,

England’s only remaining detached bell tower.

cultureThe South Downs is rich in literary and artistic culture;

for instance Charles Kingsley was a regular visitor to

Hampshire’s Itchen Abbas, the village and river inspir-

ing the setting of his novel, The Water Babies.

Energetic types can head for the hills along sections

of, or indeed the whole of, the South Downs Way, the

only National Trail lying wholly within a national park.

The 100-mile trail, a haven for walkers, cyclists and horse


artistic and literary linksl This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility

and Jane Austen’s House Museum

( www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk) in Chawton, Hampshire, is the

17th century home where she wrote the majority of her books.

l Writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group flocked to

Charleston ( www.charleston.org.uk ), the farmhouse at Firle, East Sussex,

with interiors painted by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell.

l Bateman’s ( www.nationaltrust.org.uk ) is the beautiful 17th century Jacobean

House at Burwash, East Sussex, where Rudyard Kipling wrote children’s classics

such as Puck of Pook’s Hill and Rewards and Fairies.

l Monk’s House ( www.nationaltrust.org.uk) in the village of Rodmell, near

Lewes, was the countryside retreat where Virginia Woolf completed works

including To the Lighthouse, The Waves and Mrs Dalloway .

l Artists have been attracted to Ditchling for over a century and the East Sussex

village is credited with the revival of calligraphy and hand weaving at the

beginning of the 20th century.

l Petworth House ( www.nationaltrust.org.uk ) and Goodwood House

( www.goodwood.co.uk), both in West Sussex, contain exceptional collections

of paintings and sculpture, including works by JMW Turner.


n Glyndebourne




riders alike, runs through and around villages and towns,

so food and a bed for the night are never too far away.

I particularly like the ancient Hampshire market town

of Petersfield, where the tradition continues with weekly

markets every Wednesday and Saturday and an excellent

farmers’ market on the first Sunday of each month.

From Petersfield, discover a unique feature of the

local landscape – the steep-sided hanging woods, also

called hangers. The town is part of Hangers Way, a 21-

mile countryside path from Alton to Queen ElizabethCountry Park. The latter is home to Butser Hill, 890ft

above sea level and the South Downs’ highest point.

Walkers can continue 22 miles along the South Downs

Way to Winchester, ancient capital of England, while

transport users take the low road along the A3 and A272.

Each part of the South Downs has its own beauty.

I know the places that I love; take time out to find

your personal high spot.



Born and bred in Eastbourne, Jeannine Williamson cut

her journalistic teeth on regional newspapers beforespreading her wings and going freelance 12 years ago. Shecontributes to a range of national newspapers, magazines

and websites.

south down facts

getting there

Services by Southern Railway

( www.southernrailway.com) go from

London to East and West Sussex and

Hampshire. By car, the M25 leads to the

main eastern access roads, the A27 andA22, and the M3 for Winchester.

getting around

From £10 a day, the Downlander Ticket

( www.southernrailway.com), is valid for Southern trains and some

bus services. The Breeze up the Downs ( www.brighton-hove.gov.uk)

bus network links Brighton with popular places in the park.

accommodationThe National Trails website ( www.nationaltrail.co.uk ) lists a wide

range of accommodation such as camp sites, self-catering, pubs, hotels,

dog-friendly accommodation and lodging with bike storage.

The Angel Hotel, Midhurst: www.theangelmidhurst.co.uk

Findon Manor Hotel, Findon: www.findonmanor.com

Russell Hotel, Bognor Regis: www.visionhotels.co.uk

The Star, Alfriston: www.thestaralfriston.co.uk

Deans Place Country Hotel, Alfriston:

www.deansplacehotel.co.uk

George Bell House Hotel, Chichester:

www.chichestercathedral.org.uk

Hotel du Vin, Winchester:

www.hotelduvin.com

Amberley Castle, Arundel:

www.amberleycastle.co.uk

more informationSouth Downs National Park Authority: www.southdowns.gov.uk

Tourism South East: www.visitsoutheastengland.com

n Winchester, ancientcapital of England

n Bloomsbury Group artistsDuncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and

Quentin Bell, lived at Charleston.

n Bateman’s

n

Amberley Castle

B r i t a i n o n v i e

w







George Bell House is a beautifully restored eight bedroom house

situated in the historic precincts of Chichester Cathedral.George Bell House has 4 large double / twin rooms, 3 standarddouble rooms and a single room (adapted for disabled access).

All bedrooms are en-suite.

Breakfast is available in the dining room of the house which looksout over the private, walled garden.

A stay at George Bell House offers the convenience of a city

centre location within the tranquil setting of the Cathedral Close.An ideal location from which to explore the historic city of Chichester with its beautiful Cathedral, galleries and shops.

www.chichestercathedral.org.uk Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01243 813586



C

apital of Lower Silesia in south-western

Poland, Wroclaw is one of the country’s old-

est and most beautiful cities. It will be in the

spotlight next June as one of the host cities of

the Euro 2012 football championships, with

three group stage matches there.Founded over 1,000 years ago, Wroclaw has under-

gone many name changes in a chequered

history which included large-scale

destruction in World War II and subse-

quent reconstruction and preservation.

Its Old Market Square and Town Hall

are among many historic gems in the

heart of a city which also

encompasses 12 islands, 112 bridges

and a wealth of glorious architecture.

Wroclaw is Poland’s greenest city,

with many parks, gardens and even forests. It

is also a vibrant metropolis with a multitude of culturalattractions from theatres, concert halls, museums and

galleries to international festivals – recognised by it

being named European City of Culture in 2016.

Now, thanks to the Polish National Tourist Office and

the city-centre Tumski Hotel, you can win a three-night

weekend break for two to Wroclaw. The winner and part-

ner will fly direct to Wroclaw with transfers to and from

the hotel, situated on the bank of the Odra River close to

a watermill on Slodowa Island. The prize includes two

dinners in the hotel’s Karczma Mlynska (Mill Inn)

restaurant and one dinner in the Blue Marine restaurant

on floating, three-level restaurant Barka Tumska.

Also included is a half-day sightseeing trip and tick-

ets for the Panorama Raclawicka exhibition

commemorating the Battle of Raclawice.

Opened in 2000, the 103-bed Tumski Hotel offers

guests discreet charm and elegance with a

friendly atmosphere. Crossing Art Nouveau

Bridge, guests can reach Ostrow Tumski, the

oldest and the most picturesque part of Wroclaw.

The prize is valid for stays from December 1, 2011,

to May 31, 2012.

how to enterFor a chance to WIN this fantastic three-night Wroclaw

break for two, simply answer the following question:

Question: In which region of Poland is Wroclaw?

To enter, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on

Competitions. Closing date is November 20, 2011.

Terms & conditions apply; see website for details.

For more information on the Tumski Hotel, go to

www.hotel-tumski.com.pl and for Poland information,

visitwww.poland.travel or the Polish tourism Facebook

page, www.facebook.com/POLANDTRAVELengb.


WIN a long weekend breakfor two in historic Polish city Wroclaw – worth £1,000

competition nwroclaw break

P o l i s h N a t i o n a l T o u r i s t O f f i c e

P h o t o s : T u m s k i H o t e l

n The Tumski Hoteland floating restaurant

n Karczma Mlynska restaurant

n Wroclaw’smain square

n Tumski Hotelreception

n Tumski Hotel facade



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A

fter 15 years of hacking around

fairways as an occasional week-

end golfer, I had been invited toScotland’s luxury Turnberry golf

resort as part of a hosted event

including a round on its hal-

lowed Ailsa links course – where Tom

Watson beat Jack Nicklaus in the famous

“Duel in the Sun” Open Championship in

1977 – plus a group clinic by top golf star

Colin Montgomery at his new links

golf academy.

Not only that, but I was on a

charge while playing the Ailsa’s

sibling, then called the Arran,

with a string of bogies and the

odd par. Not exactly Tigerish,

perhaps, but still good for a 23

handicapper.

I had just hit the drive of my life on the picturesque,

par-4 8th hole, leaving a short chip down onto a green

nestling in a cove and was about to take my shot when aRange Rover drove onto the fairway and pulled up

behind me. Out stepped Monty and a photographer,

ready to snap him with me and my playing partners. But

he signalled for me to carry on.

All of a sudden, my composure went and my hands

started sweating. I jabbed at the ball, knocking it into the

rough I was trying to chip over. Then fluffed the next

shot, and the next, getting ever more nervous. After five

attempts I picked the ball up, and as I trudged over to

join the others, Monty chuckled when I told him he had

just ruined my best-ever round. Indeed, over the rest of

the round the wheels well and truly came off.

Fast forward 10 or so years and I am back at Turn-

berry, once again with Monty. Only this time I am there

to take part in the annual Colin Montgomerie Summer

Golf School.


Whether you are trying to improve your game or taking golf up as

a complete beginner, there is nothing like taking a dedicated tuition

break with intensive lessons. Perennial hacker Peter Ellegard went

straight to the top in his quest

Monty’smantrasColin Montgomerie’s tips

for improving your golf:l Keep it simple

l Always think positive

thoughts

l Use the same swing

for every club

l Every club should be

your favourite

l Stay loose

l Keep your hands soft

l Putt 18 inches beyond

the cup

pack your clubs ngolf tuition breaks


n tlm editor Peter Ellegardunder the eye of instructor

Sven at Turnberry

The full

Monty



controlWith just 12 of us on the weekend course, and Monty

with us for the first afternoon before handing over to his

instructors, there’s a chance to chat with him before a

fascinating 90-minute clinic, during which he explains

how he believes golf should be played. Monty’s philoso-

phy can be summed up in three words – keep it simple.

Which he then demonstrates with a range of shots, all

played with effortless power and control. If only…

Over lunch, I had told him about our previous Turn-

berry encounter and how it had left my golf in tatters. Heapologised, but added I could never be a tour pro if I

couldn’t handle pressure like that. I got my chance to

prove that when we all teed off on Turnberry’s nine-hole

course, with Monty hitting a drive on the first hole with

each group. When my turn came, I took out my trusty

hybrid and focused on the shot, determined not to let my

nerves get the better of me. It worked. The ball flew

straight down the middle, to my delight and the applause

of Monty and the others. I had exorcised one demon.

The academy’s instructors monitored us while we

played before a farewell reception with Monty back at

the clubhouse and a group dinner in the hotel that

evening.

Next morning we were split into four groups, each

with an instructor. I drew a personable South African

called Sven and we played the Kintyre course with him,

before our first instruction session.

My golf hasn’t improved in years and I have always

struggled with distance. I have had lessons at several

golf academies, but they have generally been just anhour or so with no-one watching me play. Invariably they

have given me so many things to think about it scram-

bled my brain and my golf suffered even more.

exagerrateSven had noticed I tend to hit the ball with my weight

too far back, instead of transferring weight to my front

foot. As a result, my shots lacked power, kept low and

often squirted to the right.



golf scienceI stayed on at Turnberry after the Monty golf

school weekend to undergo a two-hour

session next morning at the resort’s

TaylorMade Performance Lab, one of only

two in the UK.

There, your swing is analysed in detail by a

battery of high-tech gizmos, with the aim of

checking whether your clubs suit your game

and, if not, to find ones that do.

First, you put on a vest, belt, overshoes and

wrist, arm and leg bands studded with

reflective markers. Six high-speed video

cameras are trained on you and as you swing,

your movements are translated into an on-

screen avatar (the technology was developed

by the same company behind the special

effects for the movie, Avatar ).

The results showed why my shots often

veer right, or go straight left. I bring my clubs

down from too vertical a plane, technically

an out-to-in swing, and hit the ball with an

open club face.

To cure it would take many months

deconstructing my swing, so the TMPL fitter,

Ian, tried me with different clubs and shafts

to try and counter my faults. He then gave

me a CD with the results and his

recommendations. He suggests I keep my

irons but try different woods with whippier

shafts and greater loft.

He also analysed my putting on the lab’s

special green, giving me a new-style putter

with a lofted face to try. It instantly

transformed my putting to 100% success. I

liked it so much I bought the club – all £120

of it!

lTwo-hour club fitting sessions at

Turnberry’s TaylorMade Performance Lab

cost £150. For details, call 01655 331235 or

visit www.luxurycollection/turnberry.

“Monty’s philosophycan besummed upin threewords – keepit simple”

n Splashing out to the 8th green onthe Kintyre course at Turnberry

nTurnberryacademy instructors

n Peter Ellegardat Turnberry’sTaylorMadePerformance Lab

P e t e r E

l l e g a r d



He told me one thing, to exaggerate the follow

through as if I was walking after the ball – like fellow

South African Gary Player used to do. And it worked a

treat. Within minutes I was hitting drives on the range

straighter, higher and longer than I have ever done. Same

with my irons. From my favourite, the lob wedge, to the

five iron I rarely use for fear of duffing it (although

Monty says you shouldn’t favour any club).

After another group dinner, followed by the odd dram

or two in the bar, it was back to the academy next morn-

ing for more tuition, this time concentrating on the shortgame. Having satisfied chief pro Michael with my

bunker shots and chipping, Sven suggested how I could

improve my putting, by narrowing my stance and putting

the ball closer to me and nearer my front foot. Putting

has always been my strong suit but Sven reckoned the

new technique would improve it even more.

We finished the weekend school with a competition

on the Ailsa course, where Tom Watson came

heartbreakingly close to winning the Open again in

2009. Putting new golf techniques into practice takes

time, but I played much better even if the new putting

style wasn’t coming naturally.

I didn’t win, that honour deservedly going to a 14-

year-old lad in my four-ball. But I was happy with my

golf and I showed Sven I was following his advice as he

watched on.

It may have only been a weekend, but I and my new-

found friends, both fellow students and academy

instructors, had formed a common bond, and everyone

said how useful they had found it besides it being an

enjoyable experience. Spending some time with Europe’s

victorious Ryder Cup captain, Monty, was the icing on

the cake – and the reason two of the participants have

kept coming back, seven years running.

His laid-back style, echoed by his team of pros, and

his genuine approachability and friendliness helped

make the experience one I will always treasure. Doing it

in such glorious surroundings and at such an iconic and

sumptuous resort as Turnberry made it even more

special. And I even managed to exorcise another demon,

by parring the very hole I blew up on in front of Monty a

decade earlier.

As I said goodbye to Sven I asked for his honest

appraisal of what my handicap could get down to. Quick

as a flash he replied 15-18. I just need to keep practising

his advice and Monty’s tips.



golf tuition facts

colin montgomerie links golf academy, turnberryThe world’s only links golf academy features

teaching programmes designed by eight-time European Tour Order of Merit

winner Colin Montgomerie. Facilities

include indoor and outdoor teaching

areas, simulators and swing analysers,

16 covered bays, open-air range and

short-game area. Tuition includes 60-

minute lessons for £80, one-hour

putting lessons for £50 and one-hour

family lessons for £99. The three-day Colin

Montgomerie Summer Golf School takes place

every year. This year it cost from £798, fully-inclusive.

www.luxurycollection.com/turnberry

other uk golf academies

UK resorts and hotel groups with golf academies include 2014 Ryder

Cup host Gleneagles ( www.gleneagles.com), De Vere Hotels

( www.devere.co.uk) with facilities including

the Nike Golf Academy at Oulton Hall &

Spa, and hotel chain Marriott

( www.marriottgolf.co.uk), which

has 11 UK golf hotels and offers a

Kids Golf-4-Free programme allowing

children to have a free lesson when

accompanying an adult taking a paid

lesson, with free club use. Among UK

golf schools with tuition packages arethe James Andrews School of Golf at

Sedlescombe Golf Course in East Sussex

( www.golfschool.co.uk) and the David Short Golf School

( www.shortgolfschool.co.uk), with programmes at several courses.

overseas golf academiesMost golf resorts offer tuition. Popular ones include Spain’s La Manga

Club ( www.lamangaclub.com) and La Cala ( www.lacala.com)

resort, which has Spain’s only David Leadbetter Academy, and Penina

( www.lemeridienpenina.com/en/golf ) on Portugal’s Algarve. Tuition

is also offered by all-inclusive resort companies Club Med

( www.clubmed.co.uk) and Sandals ( www.sandals.com/golf ) among

others.

packages

Tour operators with golf tuition packages include Golfbreaks.com

( www.golfbreaks.com), Solo’s ( www.solosholidays.co.uk/golf ),

Premier Iberian ( www.premieriberian.com ), GolfPlanet Holidays

( www.golfplanetholidays.com ) and Your Golf Travel

( www.yourgolftravel.com).

M a r r i o t t

n Turnberry’sdriving range

n Kids Golf-4-Free

P e t e r E

l l e g a r d




U5 4 4 4

Chateau des Vigiers Travel is a trading division of




golf nnews

GOLF CLIPS

A new range of golf

sweaters from Scottish-based

clothing company Glenmuiruses scientific water-repellent

technology to allow golfers

to wear them in light rain or

short showers without having

to resort to waterproofs. The

lambswool men’s and ladies’

sweaters in the

Autumn/Winter 2011

collection feature special

Bionic-Finish nanotechnology

and cost from £70-£80.

www.glenmuir.com

The second course at

upmarket Greek golf resort

Costa Navarino is now open

for play. The Bay Course,

designed by Robert Trent

Jones Jr, overlooks the

historic bay of Navarino in

the south-west Peloponnese

and augments the resort’s

Bernard Langer-designed

Dunes Course and two five-

star, Starwood-managed

hotels.

www.costanavarino.com

Golfers can book tee times

at discounted rates 24 hours

a day at 49 courses in

Portugal’s Algarve and Lisbon

areas and 44 Spanish courses

including the Costa del Sol,

Costa Blanca and Canary

Islands via a new app from

Algarve-based Just Tee Times.

A free iPhone or Android

download, it includes course

reviews, videos and maps.

www.justteetimes.com/mobile

With the cost of taking

your clubs on a golf-ing holiday becoming

ever more daunting thanks to air-

line excess baggage charges, a

solution which makes it easier on

your wallet as well as your back

is fast gaining favour.

ClubstoHire.com was launched

a year ago by Paul McGinley,

Ryder Cup star and victorious GB

& Ireland team captain in the

recent Vivendi Seve Trophy, to

allow golfers to rent clubs in their

holiday destination and avoid paying the airline fees, which can

amount to £80 return for clubs.

Golf club rental is currently

available at seven airports – Faro,

Malaga, Dublin, Edinburgh, Gran

Canaria and newly-added Murcia

and Alicante – and since its incep-

tion the company claims to have

saved golfers over £500,000 in

airline charges.

A wide range of equipment is

offered from top brands Wilson,

TaylorMade, Callaway and MDGolf, with left and right-handed

sets for both ladies and men.

Rental periods can be from just

one day to four weeks, and golfers

who really want to cut down on

their luggage can rent golf shoes.

The service is easy to use;

golfers simply order online ahead

of travel and pick up the hire set at

the destination airport.

The clubs, which cost the same

at each location, range from 35

euros per week for a rental set of

MD Golf Seve clubs up to 55

euros for TaylorMade R11s.

Go to www.clubstohire.com

for more information.

Follow in the spike marks of Northern Ireland’s

Graeme McDowell and splash out on a new

golf getaway to California’s iconic Pebble

Beach resort from sports tour operator ITC Sports.

The four-night package includes return British

Airways flights to San Francisco, accommodation at

The Lodge at Pebble Beach and three rounds of golf

on The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill and the

legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links – where GMac

won the US Open in 2010.

Prices start from £2,995 per person and include a

golf buggy and unlimited range balls for the three

rounds, and membership of the Spanish Bay Club and

the Beach & Tennis Club with use of their facilities.

Visit www.itcsports.co.uk for more informa-

tion.

WIN a week’sclub rental for four worth £200

You can WIN a week’s rental of

golf clubs including TaylorMade

R11s for you and three golfing

buddies, worth 220 euros

(around £200), from any of ClubstoHire.com’s locations. The

prize is valid for 12 months,

excluding September and

October, 2012, and three weeks’

notice is required. For details, go

to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

and click on Competitions. Terms

and conditions apply. Closing

date November 18, 2011.

Don’t pack your clubs

Pebble splash


n Pebble Beach Links

n ClubtoHire.com’s Faro shop

nPaul McGinley

n Derwent sweater




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Ever wondered what

would happen if you

or a loved one need-

ed emergency help while

travelling overseas?

According to the

Foreign and Common-

wealth Office’s British

Behaviour Abroad report,

almost 20,000 Britsneeded consular assistance

last year, with Spain

producing the most inci-

dents – but travellers most

likely to need assistance in

the Philippines, Thailand

and Pakistan.

Now emergency

response specialist

Skyguard has launched

the first personal emer-

gency service for British

travellers. The subscrip-tion Skyguard

International service

allows travellers to

summon help at the press

of a button if they find

themselves in trouble

overseas. Initially, the new

service is live across 34

European countries, the

Russian Federation and

South Africa.

The service can be

activated using a small

GPS alarm device which

can be attached to keys or

a belt or worn on a

lanyard. It also runs as anapp on Blackberry

phones, with the side key

acting as the alarm button.

Alarms containing the

user’s location and identity

go directly to Skyguard’s

Incident Management

Centre in the UK, where

trained controllers can talk

to them and co-ordinate a

response by summoning

the national emergency

services of the country in

question as well as contact-

ing relatives or employers.

Skyguard International

costs from £29.95 amonth. It is available as an

£18 per month add-on to

Skyguard's standard UK

service, which starts at

£11.95 a month based on

a three-year contract.

www.skyguardgroup.com

travel update nnews

On the prowlTracking rare snow leopards is among two new

wildlife expeditions in India by PlanetWildlife.com.

The 13-day Snow Leopard Explorer itinerary,departing on November 3, starts in Leh, the former

mountain capital of the ancient Himalayan kingdom of

Ladakh, near Tibet, continuing on to track the elusive

snow leopard in the Himalayas, as well as the great

Tibetan sheep, Tibetan wolf and Eurasian brown bear.

Departing on December 8, the 15-day Meghalaya

Caving Adventure has a few days observing the rare

birdlife, flora and fauna in Meghalaya, before exploring

the limestone cave system in the Shnong Rim of the

Jaintia Hills district.

The tours are priced at £1,325 and £1,369

respectively, excluding international flights. Details at

www.planetwildlife.com.

One to one with Santa

Single-parent families can now take advantage of

special packages for one adult and one child under 12

to travel to Lapland with Santa holiday specialist

Santa’s Lapland.

The two and three-night holidays start at £1,499,

including return flights from Gatwick or Stansted,

half-board accommodation, use of thermal outer

clothing and a full day’s activities, as well as a private

meeting with Santa Claus in his log cabin home.

For more information and December departure

dates, call 01252 618345 or go to

www.santaslapland.com.

Help, if you

need somebody

Fifty million LEGO

bricks f ill Florida’s

latest attraction,

LEGOLAND Florida.

Open from October

15 and aimed at chil-

dren aged two to 12,

the 150-acre theme

park, located midway between Orlando

and Tampa, has 10 themed zones, includ-

ing a Miniland USA and LEGO City with

its own driving school, with more than 50

rides, as well as shows, interactive attrac-

tions and botanical gardens.

For information on the new park and

tickets, go to

www.legolandfloridaresort.com

Brick by brick

n Skyguard’s GPSalarm device

n Brick funin Florida

n Meeting Santa

n Snow leopard

S k y g u a r d

L E G O L A N D F l o r i d a

S a n t a ’ s L a p l a n d

P l a n e t W i l d l i f e . c o m



Pressure is growing on theGovernment to slash air

passenger duty and revamp

what many claim is an unfair

tax.

Under current plans, APD –

originally a green tax but now

regarded as a revenue raiser – will

see a double-inflation rise next

spring, having soared by 140%

since 2007.

Calls to repeal APD have

intensified following Chancellor

George Osborne’s decision to cutthe tax on long-haul flights from

Northern Ireland, from November

1, from £60 to £12 per passenger

in economy and from £120 to £24

for business and first class

passengers, to match the short-

haul rate.

The move followed a threat by

Continental Airlines to axe

transatlantic flights from Belfast

because of the tax. British

Airways has already said it is

cutting capacity on UK flights tothe Caribbean next summer,

blaming APD.

Travel industry bodies want

the Government to cut the tax for

the whole of the UK and abandon

the planned 2012 increase.

UK passengers already face

some of the highest air taxes in

the world. A typical family travel-

ling from the UK in economy

class pays £240 more than from

most European countries to travel

to the USA and £50 more to fly

within Europe, according toANTOR, an association compris-

ing overseas national tourist

boards with UK offices.

Part of ABTA’s Fair Tax on

Flying lobby, ANTOR has

prepared a petition calling on the

Chancellor to make the tax fairer.

Chairman Tracey Poggio said:

“We believe Air Passenger Duty

in its current form is unfair to

individuals and to business. We

believe it is already impeding

travel to destinations of choice.

“We are concerned that higher APD rates combined with the

global economic downturn will

create serious consequences not

only for the UK economy but also

for those economies heavily

dependent on UK tourism.”


travel update nnews

Smart travel

One-third of frequent flyers

now use their smartphones to

book and manage their

holidays.

Using research from travel

technology partner Amadeus,

Airport Parking and Hotels has

put together a comparison

table of airlines and the

services they offer through

smartphones.Most airlines, including

British Airways, allow checking-

in and downloading of boarding

passes to their mobile phones

and several have apps with

more information available to

passengers.

The table is available in the

Know Before You Go section

of the APH website:

www.aph.com/news.

Rising stars

In the latest Rising Stars report

from Cheapflights.co.uk, listing

the most requested

destinations for the first half of

2011, Bodrum in Turkey came

top with a 971% year-on-year

increase while Erbil in Iraq was

a surprising second,

experiencing 504% growth.

Kona in Hawaii, Hangzhou in

China and Sapporo, Japan,

completed the top five slots.

www.cheapflights.co.uk

Next spring will see the launch of flightsfrom easyJet’s newest base, London

Southend Airport, as part of a summer

2012 schedule serving more than 300 destinations.

Eight destinations are being served by the airline

from the Stobart Group-owned airport, which is

gaining a new terminal and an extended runway

following the recent opening of a dedicated railway

station connecting it to Stratford and London’s Liver-

pool Street.

Flights will start in April to Amsterdam, Alicante,

Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca,

and easyJet aims to fly 800,000 passengers from

Southend – where low-cost pioneer Freddie Laker

began his airline empire – in its first year.

More details from www.southendairport.com

and www.easyjet.com .

Hey, Mr Taxman

Ready for take-off

n British Airways may cut Jamaicaflights because of air taxes

n Easyjet will base threeAirbus A319s at Southendn Bodrum – tops for searches

J a m a i c a T o u r i s t B o a r d

C r e d i t t / c

T u r k i s h T o u r i s t O f f i c e



1. Face to face with polar bearsThe encounter: Experience the thrill of seeing the

Arctic’s most powerful predators on a polar bear

safari in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, or on a cruiseoff Norway’s Spitsbergen.

What’s involved: View polar bears from the safety of

tundra buggies as they migrate along the Hudson Bay

coastline during October and November ahead of the

winter freeze. Cruise ship company Hurtigruten’s

expedition-style Spitsbergen field landings take

passengers close to polar bears and other Arctic

wildlife.

Do it: Tailor Made Travel’s five-night Polar Bears of

Churchill tour costs from £2,437* including three

nights in Churchill and two days’ tundra buggy polar

bear viewing. Windows on the Wild’s six-night polar

bear tours, from £3,275, include four nights inChurchill. Hurtigruten’s eight-day Explorer Voyage

costs from £2,488.

www.tailor-made.co.uk,

www.windowsonthewild.com, www.hurtigruten.co.uk

2. Tiger, tiger burning brightThe encounter: The chance to view majestic and endan-

gered Bengal tigers on safari in central India’s national parks.

What’s involved: India’s tigers are under threat from

poaching and loss of habitat. Exodus offers a Land of

the Tigers safari holiday that takes in three national

parks where tigers still roam – Pench, the inspiration

for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book , Kanha and

Bandhavgarth, where an Exodus project involves

rebuilding a school bordering the national park. Jeep

and optional elephant game drives give a great chance


10 of the best nwildlife encounters

of the furred kind We love watching them in zoos and on TV wildlife programmes, but there is nothing quite like

confronting some of nature’s most feared or enchanting creatures in the wild. Here’s our pick of

encounters to set the heart racing

T a i l o r M a d e T r a v

e l

W i n d o w s o n t h e W i l d / R o b e r t R T a y l o r

n Meeting a polar bear in Canada

n Polar bear family

o f t h e b e s t : w i l d l i f e

e n c o u n t e r s

10



to see tigers and other wildlife, with multiple tiger

sightings possible.

Do it: The Exodus Land of the Tigers trip costs from

£1,899 for 16 days, with departures from autumn to

spring. The itinerary includes a sleeper train and stays

in Agra, for the Taj Mahal, and Delhi.

www.exodus.co.uk

3. Gorillas in your midstThe encounter: Witness the magnificent, gentle giantsof Uganda and Rwanda’s mountain rainforests.

What’s involved: Trek to view mountain gorilla fami-

lies in their natural habitat in Rwanda’s Parc National

des Volcans or Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National

Park, home to over 300 gorillas. Trips often visit the

grave of murdered conservationist Dian Fossey, author

of Gorillas in the Mist .

Do it: Wildlife Worldwide’s 10-day Gorillas, Wildlife

and Chimps trip includes two nights in a lodge in the

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, from £3,195 including

flights. Aardvark Safaris offers gorilla tracking in

Rwanda, including three nights at Virunga Lodge, from

£2,343, and G Adventures’ five-day Uganda Gorillas

and Game trip costs from £1,579, both ex-flights.

Brown + Hudson’s luxury, 13-day East African Extrava-

ganza, from £225,000 for two, includes helicopter

flights to Bwindi, for a gorilla trek and overnight stay,

and to other African safari destinations plus a bespoke

documentary film of the trip.www.wildlifeworldwide.com,

www.aardvarksafaris.co.uk,

www.gadventures.com,

www.brownandhudson.com

4. Cage diving with great whitesharksThe encounter: Experience a breathtaking underwa-

ter brush with the fearsome stars of Jaws diving in a


W i l d l i f e W o r l d w i d e

S o u t h A f r i c a n T o u r i s m

Exodus/Paul Goldstein


R e g a l d i v e

n Tiger safari

n Great white shark

n Close encounter of the feared kindn Magnificent: mountain gorilla



steel cage in Shark Alley, off South Africa’s Dyer

Island, near Cape Town.

What’s involved: Dyer Island is one of the world’s

best locations to encounter great whites as it is home to

50,000 seals, their main food. Trips to Shark Alley

include viewing the sharks from onboard the boat and diving in the cage. Divers should hold a minimum of

PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent qualif ication

and have logged 40 dives.

Do it: Regaldive offers a great white shark diving exten-

sion with its six-night East Coast Shark Diving holiday

from £2,144 for both. The four-day Gaansbaai extension

includes an extra three nights’ accommodation, two

days’ great white cage diving, a guide and transfers.

www.regaldive.co.uk

5. Kayaking with killer whales

The encounter: Paddling a kayak alongside killer

whales, or orcas, is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Johnstone Strait, off mainland British Columbia,

Canada, is the best place on earth to sea kayak with

killer whales in the wild. Most of BC’s 220 resident

orcas return there between July and October each year.

What’s involved: Stay in a permanent tented wilder-

ness camp with an experienced paddler guide and encounter pods of the friendly orcas close up from your

sea kayak. Among other wildlife you may see are

dolphins, sea lions, harbour seals, minke whales, otters,

eagles and black bears.

Do it: Frontier Canada offers five-day Orcas & Wilderness

Camping kayaking trips from Campbell River, Quadra

Island or Port McNeill, costing around £800. They include

paddling on three days in search of the killer whales.

www.frontier-canada.co.uk

6. Walking with lionsThe encounter: For sheer adrenalin, track lions on

walking safaris or walk and work alongside them on

volunteering projects.

What’s involved: Walk with lions at Zimbabwe’s Ante-

lope Park Private Game Reserve, where a lion


rehabilitation project aims to return them to the wild.

Several projects let you help look after lions. Walk-

ing safaris with armed guides, possible in some

countries, give close-up views on foot.

Do it: Acacia Africa’s seven-day Rediscover

Zimbabwe trip, from £641, incorporates a stay at

Antelope Park. Classic Retreats offers walking safaris

on Remote Africa Safaris’s Chikoko Walking Trails as

part of a seven-day trip, from $3,655. Norman Carr

Safaris has walking safaris on its eight-night Luwi River

Trail, privately-guided trip to Zambia’s South Luangwa,

from $3,960. Under BUNAC’s Wildlife ConservationSouth Africa programme, volunteers can look after lions

and cubs at a South African wildlife reserve for 18 or 32

days, from £1,099, while i-to-i offers volunteering with

lion research work in South Africa’s Limpopo Province,

from £1,199 for two to six weeks.

www.acacia-africa.com, www.classicretreats.com,

www.normancarrsafaris.com, www.i-to-i.com,

www.bunac.org.uk

7. Whale meet againThe encounter: Marvel at the oceans’ leviathans on

whale-watching trips from the Azores to South Africa,


A c a c i a A f r i c a

F r o n t i e r C a n a d a

S t a r w o o d H o t e l s

a n d R e s o r t s

BUNAC

Peter Ellegard

n Walking with lions inAntelope Park, Zimbabwe

n Cubfeedingtime

n Close up with killer whales

n Whale hello there

n A sperm whale off Kaikoura, New Zealand




Wildlife

CampSouth Luangwa, Zambia

An affordablefront-row seat to

the greatest animalencounters in

Africa

[email protected]




Mozambique, California, Hawaii, Newfoundland,

Quebec, Cape Cod, Dominica and New Zealand.What’s involved: Boat trips take visitors out to where

whales congregate or pass on migration. Some can be

viewed from the shore, such as off Mozambique

(humpbacks) and along South Africa’s Cape Whale

Coast, where common species are Southern right

(pictured, previous page) and humpback whales.

Hermanus even has its own whale crier. Sperm whales

are a big draw off Dominica, the Azores and New

Zealand’s Kaikoura, with grey, blue and humpback

whales off US and Canadian coasts.

Do it: Five nights in Monterey, California, with Bon

Voyage costs from £1,095 and includes two half-day

whale-watching trips. To Escape To has seven nights atMozambique’s Nuarro Lodge from £1,819. Local oper-

ators’ whale-watching trips include Dive Dominica,

costing about £30 (children £16), and Whale Watch

Kaikoura, at about £75 (£30).

www.bon-voyage.co.uk, www.toescapeto.com,

www.whalewatch.co.nz, www.cape-whaleroute.co.za,

www.whalewatchazores.com,

www.divedominica.com

8. Horse-riding with the Big FiveThe encounter: Ride tall in the saddle on horse-back

safaris through Kenya’s Masai Mara or Amboseli

National Park, galloping alongside zebra, giraffe and wildebeest herds and viewing elephants, buffalo and

wallowing hippos close up.

What’s involved: Seven or eight-night horse-riding

safaris take in rides of up to 50km per day between

camps through mostly open plains where big game is

abundant. Riders must have good riding ability and be

fit enough to ride up to six hours a day.

Do it: Offbeat Safaris offers 10-night safaris, including

eight nights riding in the Masai Mara staying in four

different camps, from £4,600. Alternatively, biking

safaris are offered by operators including Classic

Retreats and Adventure International.

www.offbeatsafaris.com

9. Compare the meerkatsThe encounter: Get up close and personal with

meerkats on safari in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana.

The inquisitive creatures may even clamber onto your head to watch out for predators.

What’s involved: The meerkat experience forms part

of a stay at Jack’s Camp, a palatial tented camp in

Makgadikgadi Pans in the heart of the Kalahari. An

ongoing habituation programme means the fascinating

creatures have lost their fear of people, happily using

them as lookout posts. Other activities at Jack’s include

game walks with a bushman guide, quad bikes and

tracking elusive brown hyena.

Do it: Owned and run by Botswana-based Uncharted

Africa Safari Co, Jack’s Camp is featured by Aardvark

Safaris, with three nights there costing from £2,920.

www.aardvarksafaris.co.uk

10. Jumbo encountersThe encounter: Get close to working elephants and see

wild ones in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, or do volun-

teer work in South Africa.

What’s involved: Family holidays take in a training

camp in India and riding them and visiting an orphanage

U n c h a r t e d A f r i c a S a f a r i C o

O f f b e a t S a f a r i s

Uncharted Africa Safari Co

n Comparing themeerkats in Botswana

n Meerkat lookout


n On horse-back with a tusker




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checking out naccommodation


They are the silent stars of the silver screen –

hotels that form the setting for movies or

have starring roles in them.

From rural England to glamorous Beverly Hills,

you can emulate Hollywood’s finest and stay in thesame hotels – often in the very rooms where the

action took place.

Several UK hotels have strong film links. Hugh

Grant and Andie MacDowell got it on in Four

Weddings and a Funeral in the historic coaching inn

The Crown, Amersham, Buckinghamshire

(www.thecrownamersham.com), where you can

stay in the same four-poster-bed suite.

Luxury Buckinghamshire resort Stoke Park

(www.stokepark.com) starred in Layer Cake

(Daniel Craig and Sienna Miller) and Goldfinger,

where James Bond (Sean Connery) defeats his

nemesis on the golf course after Oddjob decapitatesa statue with his bowler hat.

In 2001 movie Bridget Jones’s Diary, Hugh

Grant’s character takes Bridget

(Renee Zellweger) there for a

romantic weekend, rowing on the

lake followed by a night in its Penn-

sylvania Suite. A one-night Bridget

Jones Mini Break, including a bottle

of chilled Chardonnay, breakfast and

dinner, massage and manicure/pedi-

cure, use of the health and leisure

facilities and a copy of the Bridget

Jones’s Diary DVD, costs £245 per

person, or £375 in the Pennsylvania

Suite.

London landmark hotel The Ritz

(www.theritzlondon.com) was where Julia

Roberts stays in 1999 hit Notting Hill as a famous

actress visiting London, and where Hugh Grant’s

travel bookstore owner character goes to meet her

after bumping into her in Notting Hill.

The Ritz Paris (www.ritzparis.com) featured in

the opening sequence of 2006 blockbuster The DaVinci Code. Many people still request room 512,

where it was set.

In 007 movie remake Casino Royale, Daniel

Craig’s James Bond stays in a beachside villa at the

luxury One&Only Ocean Club, in the Bahamas

(www.oneandonlyresorts.com). He also wins his

iconic Aston Martin in a game of poker there.

The Beverly Wilshire, in California’s Beverly

Hills (www.fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire ),

takes centre stage in Pretty Woman, when Richard

Gere’s businessman character picks up a prostitute

(Julia Roberts), takes her back to his penthouse suite

and hires her as a date to help clinch a business deal.Other movie hotels include: Bellagio, Las Vegas

(www.bellagio.com), the setting for movies Oceans

11 and 13; Park Hyatt, Tokyo

(www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com ), in

Lost in Translation; New York’s now-

renovated Plaza Hotel

(www.fairmont.com/thePlaza), in

Home Alone 2, Crocodile Dundee,

and Arthur; the iconic, luxury

Waldorf Astoria, New York

(www.waldorfnewyork.com), in

Serendipity, Scent of a Woman and

Coming to America; and San Diego’s

120-year-old Hotel Del Coronado

(www.hoteldel.com), in the Mari-

lyn Monroe classic Some Like it Hot .

Movie starsfocus: film star hotels

hotel news

Lavenham’s historic, 15th

century Swan Hotel has

completed a two-year

renovation programme of its

public areas and 45 bedrooms

and suites which has also seen

the opening of the new,informal Brasserie, overlooking

the courtyard garden, and a

new reception area. Rates start

at £200 per room B&B.

www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk

The October opening of the

85-room Z Hotels Soho, off

London’s Cambridge Circus,

marks the launch of a new

hotel group in London offering

high-quality, affordable

accommodation in primelocations. All rooms feature 40-

inch HD LED TVs with free Sky

Sports and Sky Movies, iPod

docking stations and free Wi-Fi.

Room rates start from £85.

www.thezhotels.com

The new

Radisson

Edwardian

Guildford

hotel fuses

an old

coaching inn

façade with

an ultra-

modern

glass atrium

and interior

designs part-inspired by

Guildford’s famous son, Lewis

Carroll. The 183-room hotel’s

atrium features a seven-metre

bookcase and three-metre

chandelier. It also has a spa,

two restaurants and a bar.

www.radissonedwardian.com

/guildford

O n e & O n l y R e s o r t s

S t o k e P a r k

The Ritz, London

M G M R e s o r t s

H y

a t t C o r p o r a t i o n

F o u r S e a s o n s H

o t e l s a n d R e s o r t s

D h

i l l o n G r o u p

S w a n H o t e l , L a v e n h a m

R a d i s s o n E d w a r d i a n

n The

Swan Hotel,Lavenham

n Atrium of theRadisson EdwardianGuildford

n The Ritz, London

n The Crown, Amersham

n Beverly Wilshire

n Park Hyatt, Tokyo

n Bellagio, Las Vegas

n Stoke Park

n One&Only Ocean Club




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♦ Choice of hotel rooms or 2 & 3 bedroom self catering houses ♦ 2 night stays

available in self catering ♦ Watermark Brasserie and Bar ♦ Health Club with fitnessarena ♦ Swimming Pool ♦ Hot tub ♦ Sauna ♦ Steam Room ♦ Free Parking

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Tel: 01202 557575 Email: [email protected]



London’s stretch of the Thames, which

forms part of the longest river entirely in

England, is a tidal river, rising and falling

as much as 26 feet between high and low

tides. Although once the source of the“Great Stink” when it was an open

sewer, it is now one of the cleanest rivers

in Europe.

The Roman city, Londinium, grew up

around the point of the river that was

easiest to cross and where the Romans

erected the first London Bridge.

Nowadays, the Thames is the focal

point of the heart of London used by

commuters to get from one part of the

city to another and offering everything

from sightseeing trips to water sports, not

to mention the opportunity to take advan-

tage of waterside restaurants and bars

year round.

The Thames has 45 locks, is home to

over 25 species of fish and is the only

river in Europe to have a national trail

which follows its entire length.

For more information, go to:www.riverthames.co.uk

the river lee

The 28-mile-long River Lee runs through

London from its source near Luton all the

way to the Thames at Stratford and its

backwaters, the Bow Backs, are London’s

least-known waterways.

That is set to change, as they form the

heart of London’s Olympic area, with

major development in the coming months

for the London 2012 Olympic and Para-lympic Games. This will place an

emphasis on sustainability, leaving a

legacy of facilities and good transport

links for the waterways that flow through

the Lower Lee Valley.

The Lee Valley area is vast and

includes a number of country parks,

nature reserves and heritage sites. The

local council is even planning an entirely

new 1.5-mile-long canal.

london’s canals

As the Thames meanders through

London to the sea, it is joined by several

man-made canals which are used by


Waterways onlineThe following websites have a wealth of information

on London’s waterways, with everything from boat

hire to finding a riverside restaurant:

www.waterscape.com

www.britishwaterways.co.uk/olympics

www.london.gov.uk/waterways

www.thames21.org.uk

www.visitthames.co.uk

www.riverthames.co.uk

Messing about on

london life nlondon’s rivers and waterways

T

he River Thames is the lifeblood of our capi-

tal as it snakes and winds its way through

many of the city’s top tourist attractions. But

London has many more canals and waterwaysto explore as well. Once the backbone of the

city’s industrial activity, transporting cargoes

from the docks across the capital and beyond, London’s

waterways now provide a peaceful haven to enjoy boat

trips, wildlife and water sports. Follow our guide for

the best way to see London through watery eyes:

the river n Competing in the Great RiverRace at Richmond upon Thames

n The Thamesfrom CanaryWharf

n On the river shore

visitlondonimages/britainonview/Pawel Libera

v i s i t l o n d o n i m a g e s / b r i t a i n o n v i e w

V i s i t L o n d o n I m a g e s / P a w e l L i b e r a

the thames



london life nlondon’s rivers and waterways


boaters, cyclists and wildlife enthusiasts.

Regent’s Canal, which starts at Little

Venice and ends at Limehouse Basin in

Docklands, is part of London’s Grand

Union Canal and is among the most well-

known canals; its route covers some of London’s most beautiful green areas, such

as Regent’s Park and London Zoo.

The Paddington Arm of the Grand

Union Canal is effectively an extension of

Regent’s Canal, running through West

London suburbs to join the main Grand

Union Canal near Slough.

The Grand Union Canal, created by

famous industrial engineer Isambard

Kingdom Brunel as the Grand Junction

Canal, winds its way along a 137-mile

course all the way to Birmingham.

For more information on London’s

canal network go to:www.waterscape.com/in-your-area/londonor

www.riverthames.co.uk/thamescanals.htm

London’s river and canals are linked by a

series of locks, many of which date back

to around 1811, when the Corporation of

the City of London realised the need to

improve navigation on the city’s water-

ways.

The new Three Mills Lock controls

the river above Three Mills, on the River

Lee, creating a green gateway for barges

entering the Olympic Park and helping to

remove thousands of lorry journeys from

local roads.Many of London’s locks are manual

and fun to try your hand at when hiring a

boat for the day.

sightseeing and more

London’s major sights take on a different

slant when seen from the water and there

are many ways to enjoy the rivers includ-

ing jet boats, paddle steamers and river

cruises. Commuter travel using riverboat

and riverbus services is also becoming

increasingly popular.The EDF Energy London Eye River

Cruise is a 40-minute circular sightseeing

cruise with live commentary, provided by

specialist guides, with regular departures

from the London Eye Millennium Pier.

Take in amazing views of Big Ben and

the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s

Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Tower of

London from the cruises.

did you know?l The Thames passes through nine counties from

mouth to source: Essex, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey,

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire

and Gloucestershire.l During Alfred the Great’s reign, the River Lee

formed the border between Saxon England and

Viking-controlled Danelaw.

l It takes 90 seconds to raise the 1000-ton bascules

(arms) of Tower Bridge to the upright position.

l Comedian David Walliams swam 140 miles of the

Thames in just eight days in September – equal to

swimming the English Channel seven times!

suits youFor families: Take afun land and river

sightseeing tour on

London Duck

Tours’ yellow,

amphibious vehicles,

originally known as

DUKWs and used during

the D-Day landings.

For couples: Hire a boat for the day and negotiate

London’s locks, stopping off for lunch at a riverside

cafe or pub.

For value: Cycle the towpaths of the canals and

waterways, taking in the fresh air and the sights of London by the water.

For luxury: Stay in five-

star luxury at the

Plaza on the River

overlooking the

Thames, waking to

spectacular views

across to iconic

sights including Big

Ben and Parliament.

it’s a date1717: First performance of Handel’s Water Music, by

50 musicians on a barge on the Thames for

King George 1.

1814: London’s biggest frost fair ; carnivals on ice held

when the Thames froze over, with dancing,

winter games, football and drinking.

1829: The first-ever boat race at Henley-on-Thames,

moving to Westminster and eventually Putney,

becoming an annual event from 1856.

1894: Completion of Tower Bridge, needed for the

growing populous in London’s East End.

1962: London Bridge sold; transported to Lake

Havasu, Arizona, in 1967. Opened in 1971.

lYou can WIN one of five pairs of EDF

Energy London Eye River Cruise tickets,

worth £24 per pair. Just answer the

simple question below and go to

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click

on Competitions. Terms and conditions

apply. Closing date November 13, 2011.

Question: Where is the starting point

for the London Eye River Cruise?

n Little Venice

n Regent’s Canal

n Yellow Duck

n Tower Bridge

V i s

i t L o n d o n I m a g e s / P a w e l L i b e r a


v i s i t l o n d o n i m a g e s / b r i t a i n o n v i e w / P a w e l L i b e r a


locks




london nnews

Jumping Jack flashStingy Jack, the evil mythical Irish

folklore character who gave his

name to the famous Jack-o-

Lantern Halloween symbol, will

be stalking the corridors of the

London Dungeon

( www.thedungeons.com) this

Halloween (October 15-31) with

his turnip lantern; watch out for

him hiding and jumping out from

dark corners!

Sounds fishy The Spooky Rainforest at the SEA

LIFE London Aquarium

( www.sealife.co.uk/london) will

be taken over by the Fish Witch

this Halloween, from October 22-

31, with a special “Hallo-marine”

ghoulish-themed trail to follow,

highlighting some aptly-named sea

creatures such as Blood Shrimps,

Bat Fish and Spider Crabs, and

scary sea stories.

Haunted housesThe Historic Royal Palaces

( www.hrp.org.uk) have some

ghoulish tours on offer; from

October 28-31, take an Eerie

Evening Tour of the Enchanted

Palace at Kensington Palace or visit a

variety of haunted sites at Hampton

Court Palace on the popular Ghost

Tours from October 31.

Winter wonderlandAs chilly days edge ever closer,

enjoy winter in the capital with a

visit to Winter Wonderland

(www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com)

in Hyde Park from November

18 until January 2, 2012.

Attractions this year include

Zippos Christmas Circus, roller

coaster rides, the Angel’s

Christmas Market, London’s

largest open-air ice rink and a

chance to visit Father Christmas

in Santa Land.

Teatime at Tiffany’sTiffany’s fifth year of presenting

Skate at Somerset House

(www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice-rink)

features afternoon skate

sessions with a free Tiffany

teatime treat with hot chocolate

or tea, and a glass of champagne

for adults. Other events during

the season (November 22 to

January 22, 2012) include story-

telling around the Tiffany

Christmas tree and Club Nights

on Thursdays to Saturdays.

For almost 800 years, the newly-

elected Mayor of London has trav-

elled upriver from the City to

Westminster to pledge allegiance to the

Crown and over time, the procession has

become the splendid Lord Mayor’s Show.

On November 12, 2011, the day after

the Mayor officially takes office, the

show, which includes everything from

samba dancing to military marching

bands, will start at Mansion House at

11am before continuing to St Paul’s

Cathedral, where the Lord Mayor will

be blessed.

A spectacular fireworks display on the

Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and

Waterloo Bridge concludes the day’s

events. www.lordmayorsshow.org

The famous white

Lipizzaner stallions

of the SpanishRiding School of Vienna

are coming to London

this November, with three

performances at

Wembley Arena from

November 25-27.

The highly-trained

horses and riders of the

Winter Riding School will

display classical riding in

the Renaissance tradition in

a performance of The Impe-rial Dream to live orchestral

music. In addition, Team

GB Olympic dressage

competitors Lee Pearson

(Paralympics) and Carl

Hester will open the show.

Tickets are available to

order online from

www.livenation.co.uk .

Oh,Vienna...

Family festivities

V i s i t B r i t a i n

S E A L I F E L o n d o n A q u a r i u m

E m i r a t e s

Show time

n Procession at theLord Mayor’s show

n TheSpanishRiding

School atthe Hofburg

Palace inVienna

n Halloween Fish Witch

C i t y o f L o n d o n C o r p o r a t i o n

From Halloween into winter, we have highlighted

some upcoming family events in the capital:

FlyinghighLondon will have a brand new

way of crossing the Thames next

summer with the introduction of

a new cable car system, running

between Greenwich Peninsula

and the Royal Victoria Docks,

sponsored by Emirates.

Called the Emirates Air Line,it will take about six minutes to

cross the river using 20-34

cabins, each accommodating 10

seated passengers.

For more information, go to

www.theemiratesgroup.com

.

n How the EmiratesAir Line will look




out & about nwhat’s on and where

Pubstroll

W

hat better way

to enjoy the

glorious display of autumn colours

than to take a long walk –

and then end up in the

pub! Within

Warwickshire

(www.withinwarwickshire.co.uk )

outlines the top pub

walks in the county for

taking in the sights and

enjoying local fare. The

4.3-mile Ilmington and

Cotswolds walk starts in

the village of Ilmington,taking in stunning views

over the Vale of Evesham

from Ilmington Down,

the highest point in rural

Warwickshire, and is best

savoured with a drink and

pub meal in the 400-year-

old Howard Arms.

The Kings Head at

Aston Cantlow claims that

William Shakespeare’s

parents tucked into their

wedding breakfast there

after marrying in the

village church in 1557;

take a 5.5-mile circular

walk via paths and bridle-

ways to this lovely Tudor

pub or enjoy some canal-

side rambling, taking in

Baddesley Clinton, closely

linked to the gunpowder

plot of 1605, and Pack-

wood House on the

Lapworth and Two

National Trust Houses

route, finishing up in the

Boot Inn country pub in

Lapworth.

Halloween falls at the end of half

term; scare the kids back to school

with our suggestions for some

Halloween-themed events:

Scarecrows andskeletonsThe Freak Week Fright Nights at the

Hop Farm in Paddock Wood, Kent

( www.hopfarmfreakweek.co.uk),

from October 27-31, are not for

the faint-at-heart. Concluding the

attraction’s Scarecrows and

Skeletons week, where more

sedate Halloween activities such as

apple bobbing and broomstick

games are prevalent, Freak Week

includes a live séance, the slaughter

house maze and the torture cellar

live attraction.

Rail spookyYou can take a spooky steam train

ride on the Halloween and Fright

Night special trains at the Kent and

East Sussex Railway

( www.kesr.org.uk) on October

28 and 29. The evenings start with

face painting and pumpkin carving,

with fireworks and other surprises

on the journey from Tenterden to

Bodiam station.

Bat walkBeWILDerwood

( www.bewilderwood.co.uk),

Norfolk’s award-winning adventure

park, hosts the Snagglefang Spooky

Spectacular from October 24-30

with lantern making, mask decorating

and a dusk lantern parade while

events at Holkham Hall

( www.holkham.co.uk) from

October 27-30 include searching for

giant spiders in the Bygones museum,

Halloween horror basement tours,

and a dusk bat walk.

Ghostly gaslightBlists Hill Victorian Town, near

Ironbridge in Shropshire,

( www.ironbridge.org.uk ) plays

host to its annual Ghostly Gaslight

Halloween event on Saturday,

October 29 where the friendly

Victorians usually seen in the town

are replaced by ghosts, ghouls and

things that go bump in the night.

Terrifying towersAlton Towers ( www.altontowers.com)

sees the return of its annual

Scarefest this Halloween (October

15-31), featuring the Boiler House

Carnival of Screams and the Tower

of Terror, alongside regular rides

Nemesis and Oblivion, all available

on one ticket. Alton Towers is open

daily until November 6.

Longleat’s own ghoulLongleat Safari & Adventure Park’s

( www.longleat.co.uk) seasonalevents programme includes a

Spookfest of Tricks and Treats from

October 22-31 with terrifying tales

in Longleat House, watching out

for the Grey Lady (Longleat’s very

own resident ghost) as well as a

pumpkin trail and getting up close

and personal with the bats in the

infamous Bat Cave.

Bard timesThere are many Halloween events to

enjoy in Shakespeare Country

( www.shakespeare-country.co.uk)

including Spooky Shakespeare at

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, with a

grisly trail through the woods to

find Shakespeare characters, and

the Winter Wake at Mary Arden’s

Farm for pumpkin carving and to

learn about the plague and

pestilence in the Tudor period.

Warwick Castle ( www.warwick-

castle.com) has Halloween events

for all ages from October 26-31,

including the Haunted Castle after

Dark experience; on selected dates,

5.30-9pm.

Trains,fangsand pumpkin

trails

A l t o n T o w e r s

W a r w i c k s h i r e C

o u n t y C o u n c i l

T h e H o p F a r m F a m i l y P a r k

n Pumpkin funat Alton Towers

n The Howard Arms

n Freaky: Hop Farm



out & about nwhat’s on and where


Christmas is just around the

corner and there are numerousevents to help you prepare and

get in the festive mood.

Dickens of a timeThere is no better place to have

a Dickensian Christmas market

(www.dickenschristmasmarket.com)

than in the historic city of

Rochester in Kent where Charles

Dickens once lived. From

November 30-December 8, the

medieval castle will be

illuminated in red and green with

rows of fairy light-draped stalls,

selling handmade gifts, mulled

wine and seasonal treats, while

costumed characters, bands andcarol singers entertain the

crowds.

Tree-mendousBritain’s biggest Christmas tree –

a 118-foot redwood tree,

decorated with 1,800 lights –

will be lit up on November 25 at

Wakehurst Place, the Royal

Botanic Gardens’ country estate

in Sussex ( www.kew.org). A

choir singing carols and

Christmas craft activities for

children will accompany the big

switch-on while on selected

dates in December carol singers

and Santa Claus will be in

residence, and festive walks and

storytelling sessions for childrenwill take place.

Santa specialsWinchester is vying to be

England’s Christmas capital and,

from the switch-on on

November 17, there are many

Christmas events throughout

November and December. A

dedicated new website

(www.christmasinwinchester.co.uk)has all the details but highlights

include a month-long Christmas

market, an ice rink in the Cathedral

courtyard and Santa special trains

on the Watercress line.

Festive Queen Vic

Head to the Isle of Wight

( www.wightlink.co.uk) for

Christmas celebrations including

a Santa Special train to the

Winter Wonderland at

Havenstreet station and a display

of royal Christmas decorations

and elaborate tableaux vivants at

Osborne House (www.english-

heritage.org.uk/osbornehouse),which is also hosting a Victorian

Christmas weekend from

November 19-20 with visits

from Father Christmas and

Queen Victoria...

S pecial displays at Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery

(www.turnercontemporary.org)

– located on the site where Turner stayed

when visiting the town – include Auguste

Rodin’s famous marble sculpture, The

Kiss, on view since October 4 until

September 2, 2012, and, from January 28-

May 13, 2012, the gallery’s first major

exhibition of Turner’s work; Turner and the

Elements, a selection of oils and water-

colours based around the classical ele-

ments of Earth, Fire, Air and Water.

One of the most iconic images of

sexual love, The Kiss was voted the

nation’s favourite work of art in a 2003

poll; the embracing couple come from a

true 13th century story of forbidden love,

immortalised in Dante’s Inferno.

One of three full-size versions of the

sculpture created in Rodin’s lifetime, it is

on loan from The Tate.

Christmas is coming....

Tree wheelersSave all your kisses for me

The new Forest

Segway adven-

tures, introduced by leading forest tree-top

adventure company Go

Ape in conjunction with

the Forestry Commission,

are the perfect way to

spend a day exploring

specially-designed, off-

road forest routes on self-

balancing electric, easy-

to-use segways. The

courses, at its sites in

Thetford Forest, Bracknell

Forest and Moors Valley

in Bournemouth, are suit-

able for all from 10 years

of age and over; for more

information go to:

www.goapeforestsegway.co.uk .



F o r

e s t S e g w a y T

a t e ,

L o n d o n 2 0 1 1


R B G

K e w

n Rochester procession

nRochester carols

n Wakehurst Place

n A drawingroom at

Osborne House

n Rodin’ssaucysculpture

n Forest fun




I GREAT DAYS OUT




- STUNNING VIEWS OF BRIGHTON

HOVE AND THE SOUTH COAST

- YOUR OWN GUIDED TOUR FROM £48

FLIGHTS DEPART FROM SHOREHAM AIRPORT

– BOOKING ESSENTIAL

GREAT DAYS OUT I



driving n into 2012

Hit theroad, Jack


Did our California feature inspire you to jump

in a car and drive the gorgeous Pacific Coast

Highway? From the next issue we will have a

dedicated focus on driving some of the other classic

driving routes worldwide. We will show you some of

the most celebrated roads, where you can enjoy

sweeping curves, tight hairpin bends and stunning

scenery – all from the comfort of your four wheels.

With planned routes and top driving tips, we will

encourage you to take the top down, throw on the

shades and experience the exhilaration of hitting the

road in some style. Fasten your seatbelts!

n Bixby Bridge is one of the highlights of the stunning Big Sur section on California’sPacific Coast Highway

California Travel & Tourism Commission



driving n into 2012




Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) gives free professional medical care to the people who need

it most. In countries devastated by conflict, natural disaster or povert y, our staff battle

epidemics, run emergency clinics and provide basic health services.

Find out where we work, what we do and how you can help at www.msf.org.uk English Charity Reg No. 1026588

T h e c o s t s o f p r o d u c i n g t h i s a d v e r t w e r e k i n d l y d o n a t e d t o M S F




To advertise in tlm – the travel & leisure magazine – please call 0203 176 2570

To advertise in tlm – the travel & leisure magazine – please call 0203 176 2570

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tlm - the travel & leisure magazine autumn 2011

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