Nicole Chabot suggests a brace of indulgent retreats for the executive who finally has the luxury of time to go on that dream safari or stay still doing absolutely nothing
Some people say it’s gauche to write about luxury holidays in dark financial times. Yet the “good life” is always going to be in season with individuals who work hard, and therefore, play hard.
But rather than being an ever-wagging index finger, the credit crunch is, in some cases, has turned out to be a clear sign to chill.
For destination specialists such as Asia to Africa Safaris (www.atoasafaris.com), which sells “aspirational” or once-in-a-lifetime experiences, the downturn has proven to be an unexpected boon. Says Shy Perez-Sala, director,
Asia to Africa Safaris: “Many of our clients, who were making hay during the bull market, suddenly realise that now is the time to go on that dream safari they’ve always wanted to go on; to take a break and reap the rewards of the last five years’ hard work.
“Our clients are savvy enough to understand that things will pick up at some point and many feel that if they don’t travel now, the window of opportunity will have passed.”
Luxury is no longer a mere matter of deep pile carpeting and the like, but rather, it’s the fact that the traveller is able to go on holiday at all. Many are seeking hidden retreats deep in nature in the vicinity of birds and other exotic creatures. These sanctuaries are found in all corners of the globe from Europe to Asia and the Middle East, South America to Africa. Once there, an inward journey is possible, one that brings to mind life’s most essential truths and values.
Royal Privilege
Anantara’s Desert Islands Resort & Spa, off Abu Dhabi, UAE
It is located on Sir Bani Yas Island, just 250km west of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. The private island, previously accessible only by royalty (it was established by the late ruler and founder of the UAE), has been described as a “peaceful and verdant haven”. Guests can get there by a short boat ride – which adds to the castaway feeling – or by sea plane.
The island was originally conceived as a wildlife reserve to ensure the survival of Arabia’s most endangered species. Today, it hosts the Arabian Wildlife Park which spans three quarters of the 87-square-kilometre island, and is home to a variety of free roaming animals including the Arabian oryx.
Desert Islands Resort & Spa is located adjacent to a lagoon and benefits from gentle waters that are perfect for swimming and snorkelling. There is direct access to the open sea for fishing and, for the more active, there are sailing trips and kayak outings to the nearby Bird Sanctuary. Land creatures can follow walking trails on the island and access the aforementioned wildlife park with its veritable zoo of indigenous Middle Eastern and African animals.
The resort has 64 rooms. Living quarters are decked out with state-of-the-art amenities and styled with Arabian touches like marble bath fixtures. Four villas feature two bedrooms, living and lounge space, kitchenette, dining area and private splash pools. They also boast a 24/7 butler and direct access to the beach.
There are four restaurants, a spa overlooking the Arabian Gulf (with an array of natural treatments), health club, kids’ club and a range of business facilities.
PRICE: Rooms from HK$1,900 (US$245) a night.
CONTACT: http://desertislands.anantara.com/location.aspx
Wonder Land
360° Leti, Indian Himalayas
For those who seek space and love nature and big skies, this is one place for lacing up your walking boots. The recently opened retreat in the Indian Himalayas
is 1.5 hours’ walk from the village of Leti, two hours’ drive north of Bageshwar in the Almora district of Uttarakhand State, in close proximity to the Nepali-Tibetan border.
Comprising only four cottages (at an altitude of 2,438m), the property blends age-old local building techniques with contemporary design (it’s 100-percent solar-powered). Its guests receive every kind of cosseting: from private cooking demonstrations by Chef Yeshi (ask about his “hemp” chutney) and servings of organic fresh lime juice, to the use of 100-percent pashmina blankets to snuggle into when the sun goes down. Guests can wander off at sunrise to the Himalayan viewpoint above the property (you can see the Nepali peaks on a clear day) and dig into a picnic breakfast with the sun peering up over the hills. Or they can be shepherded to the village of Gola for a glimpse of flour mills or a meander through ancient rhododendron forests. The list of positives continues with dinners by a fireplace, wonderful wines and comfortable beds.
This outward-bound retreat lifts the veil on a beautiful yet little-known part of India and the clean mountain air guarantees a smooth slide into sleep.
360° Leti is open from October to May every year. October to March offers great views of the Himalayas; the wild cherry trees come into blossom in October/November; March to the end of May is when the rhododendrons come into bloom. Shakti also operates Kumaon Village Walks and a spokesperson suggests combining these with a stay at the hotel. The minimum stay is three nights.
PRICE: From US$536 per person per night, inclusive of porterage, guiding, accommodation, all meals, beverages as well as transfers.
CONTACT: www.shaktihimalaya.com (Information about the resort supplied by Quintessentially/www.quintessentially.com)
Nature’s Best
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Not to be confused with the Philippines’ The Farm spa retreat, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers on New Zealand’s North Island nonetheless resembles its Asian counterpart in one way: it’s the sort of place at which you wouldn’t mind being kept captive.
The setting is breathtaking: a 2.4-hectare working sheep and cattle farm in land reminiscent of Montana but plunges some 244m into rolling waves below.
Originally a cluster of farm buildings, local materials such as stone and weathered wood have been used throughout the property, including the wall hangings (some of which are old tractor seats). All suites enjoy 180-degree panoramic views of the farm, golf course (designed by legendary golf architect Tom Doak and currently ranked the 41st best golf course in the world by Golf magazine) and Pacific Ocean from their balconies.
The property includes a library, infinity pool, spa and business centre. Guests enjoy a variety of onsite activities such as a farm tour and a visit to the gannet colony. The birds can be seen from September until early May when they leave New Zealand for Australia. In September, they return and build their nests to ready for the hatching of chicks during December and January.
Time out to eye up Hawke’s Bay and Mount Ruapehu is a must, as are visits to nearby Napier and Hastings. This is wine country and oenophiles delight not only in treating their tastebuds to The Farm’s own tipple (it has a cellar of local and international wines) but touring the nearby wineries.
Air New Zealand operates at least eight scheduled flights daily from Auckland (55 minutes) or Wellington (50 minutes) to Napier (Hawke’s Bay) airport. Charter jets, propeller planes, and helicopters can also be organised. Access is also possible by car.
PRICE: From NZ$320 (US$170) per person per night.
CONTACT: www.capekidnappers.com (Information supplied by Quintessentially.)
Wildlife Haven
Little Kulala, Namibia
To arrive at Little Kulala (or Little Sleep in Swahili), a desert retreat situated among ancient camel thorn trees in the private 37,000-hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve, guests must journey through the Namib Desert. It’s the second largest in Africa and known as the gateway to Namibia’s Sand Sea with its towering red dunes and clear starry skies. Desert-adapted wildlife such as ostrich, springbok and gemsbok eke out an existence here, while smaller creatures such as bat-eared fox and aardwolf are visible at night and one bird, the dune lark, has its entire global distribution limited to the area.
There are early morning guided game drives to the spectacular towering dunes of Sossusvlei, the Black Mountain trail to Sossusvlei, and Sesriem Balloon safaris which offer the unique experience of noiselessly soaring above the desert. The latter take place before breakfast, and a champagne one at that.
The 11 climate-controlled, thatched kulalas merge with the timeless desert landscape and have exquisite fittings and fixtures and innovative bleached decks, each with a private plunge pool. They also have a rooftop skybed for romantic stargazing and indoor and outdoor showers. Neutral colours, gorgeous textures and natural light reproduce the soothing pastel tones of the desert; pure linens and cottons are mohair dyed with natural vegetable dyes.
Access is by shared charter flights which operate from Eros Airport or Walvis Bay, or by private charter. Flights take between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours, depending on the number of stopovers. Little Kulala is a 20-minute road transfer from the airstrip. Those who want to self-drive from either Windhoek or Walvis Bay may do so; the drive takes between five and eight hours.
PRICE: From ZAR5,615 (US$551) per person per night.
CONTACT: www.wilderness-safaris.com/namibia_sossusvlei/little_kulala/introduction/
East Africa’s Eden
Greystoke Mahale,Western Tanzania
Located in Western Tanzania on far-flung Kangwena Beach, along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Greystoke Mahale is suited to both land and watery types. It’s a kind of Eden: there are no roads within 60km of “camp” and access is by aircraft only (Mondays and Thursdays; 3.5 to 4.5 hours one way from Arusha, depending on the number of stopovers) from Arusha or by private charter followed by a 90-minute dhow ride.
Hikes into the forest in search of chimpanzees are popular (the local tribe believes that chimpanzees were once people who retreated into the forest; only children of 12 and over can view the chimps) and other such creatures as leopard, bushbuck, bush pig, birds and butterflies are commonly sighted.
The waters of the lake (the world’s second deepest after Russia’s Lake Baikal) are no less rich with about 250 species of tropical fish and give rise to fishing, kayaking, and sundowners on the dhow. It also yields lake-fresh sashimi.
Accommodation comprises six double-bandas set on the edge of the forest at the foot of the mountains, from where guests enjoy a panorama of the lake and the beach beyond. Every banda has its own en-suite bathroom set behind the bedroom with hot and cold running water, flush toilets and high-pressure showers.
They also have an upstairs chill-out deck accessible by wooden canoe ladder. Communal areas include the bar and two-storey mess on the beach loosely modelled on indigenous Tongwe architecture. Its soaring prow-like wings look out to every point of the compass.
PRICE: From US$2,085 for a three- to four-night package.
CONTACT: www.nomad-tanzania.com
