bedroom with view of safari

LUX recommends our top hotels to check into this year. Compiled by Olivia Cavigioli

Glenmorangie House, Ross, Scotland
For a retreat into the Scottish Highlands, whisky distiller’s Glenmorangie House is the place to go. The brand just recently celebrated 180 years of craftsmanship, their single malt distilled and encompassed by the idyll of the Highlands, ‘Glenmorangie’ translating to ‘Valley of Tranquility’ in Gaelic.

Situated along the coastline on the Easter Ross Peninsula, the house is a a stone’s throw away from the distillery so guests are immersed in the whisky making process and the land from which it is crafted. Designer Russel Sage brought the brand’s protected Tarlogie Springs to the Tasting Room, and the barley fields to the guilded Morning Room, curating the hotel with the Glenmorangie story in mind.

The brand hosts an exclusive weekend, ‘A Tale of Tokyo Experience’, in collaboration with drink connoisseurs Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley, where guests can experience the mythologies of two whiskey making cultures. Celebrating Glenmorangie’s new whiskey, marrying Japanese processes and flavours with the classic Highland drink, the weekend offers a cocktail masterclass and Kintsugi cup-making, a touring of the distillery, and unique dining experiences by design of Head Chef John Wilson, as guests will partake in both a Scottish Highland diner and A Tale of Tokyo inspired tasting menu.

22nd-24th March 2024, at £950 per room for a two-night stay in a Standard Room or Cottage.

colourful living room

Find out more: glenmorangie.com

 

The Lana, Dubai – Dorchester Collection

rooftop pool with view of dubai

The Lana Dubai Rooftop

For a culinary whirlwind, Dorchester Collection’s first Middle East location, The Lana Dubai, is one to watch. Set to open in February 2024, the hotel is something of a gastronomical meeting of the minds in the countless dining experiences. Celebrated chefs Martín Berasategui, Jean Imbert and Angelo Musa create four distinct concepts out of the eight restaurants The Lana hosts. Accoladed with twelve Michelin stars, Martín Berasategui develops Jara, a love letter to Basque cuisine and the first of its kind in Dubai.

For modern Mediterranean cooking and cocktails, guests can flock to Riviera by Jean Imbert, who has also created High Society, an after hours lounge located on the rooftop of the hotel. Angelo Musa’s Bonbon Café will bring French patisserie with his own avant-garde approach to The Lana.

Designed by Foster + Partners, the hotel is bound in bright vistas, positioned along the Dubai Canal, a vantage point from which guests can revel in the city’s famed sunsets. The Lana’s spa, and 225 rooms and suites, with interiors designed by Gilles & Boissier, brings together the contemporary and traditional, in Dubai’s trademark style.

The Hotel is now open as of February 1st, now taking bookings. Rates start from £735 per night.

hotel resort in Dubai

Find out more: dorchestercollection.com/dubai/the-lana

 

ROAR Africa’s ‘Greatest Safari on Earth’

beautiful landscape

ROAR Africa’s ‘Greatest Safari on Earth’, is  a pilgrimage through some of Africa’s most iconic destinations, as ten guests can become intrepid travellers over twelve days, going from Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to Kenya’s Great Migration and ending ceremoniously in Rwanda.

The African odyssey will bring guests to the most splendent views amidst natural phenomenons, such as Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, upriver from which guests will reside at the Matetsi, where they can immerse themselves in 55,000 hectares of protected wilderness.

Along the Okavango Delta in Botswana, guests will have the  opportunity to see Africa’s ‘Big Five’; lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Guests will stay at the Xigera property, described as a ‘living gallery’, showcasing design inspired by the Delta, and works by the continent’s most celebrated creatives. After a few days in the Mara North Conservancy in Kenya, where guests will have experienced the breadth of wildlife from walking safaris to a hot air ballon ride along the Mara river, the trip ends with guests coming into intimate contact with the world’s last wild mountain gorillas at Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Two trips will be taking flight in 2024 aboard the ‘beyond first class’ Emirates A319 Executive Private Jet, with carbon credits matched to emissions.

August 10-22 2024 and August 25 – September 6 2024 are the two trip dates. Limited to 10 guests each and $148,000 per person.

bedroom with view of safari

Find out more: roarafrica.com/emirates-gsoe

 

Suvretta House, St. Moritz

snowy landscape with hotel

The Suvreta Hotel

Nestled in the valley of the Upper Engadine, St. Moritz, Suvretta House offers storybook winter-scapes and a plethora of Alpine activities to its guests. The resort sits in a natural park two kilometres west of St. Moritz, untarnished by the bustle of winter tourism, promising luxurious refuge in the snowcapped Engadine, with a private ski lift providing direct access to the slopes for guests who wish to embrace the winter sport season.

Bathed in the history and culture of the region, guests can expect elaborate horse-drawn sleighs reminiscent of Schlitteda custom, where young couples would go on rides together. Other attractions include opera and culinary festivals, horse races on the frozen St. Moritz lake, and overwhelming views to accompany a Savoyard lunch from the Suvretta House mountain restaurant ‘Trutz’.

You’d however be remiss to not take advantage of the 350km of ski runs available to guests, along with 220 km of cross country skiing trails, through sunlit valley floors or the illuminated night courses. The resort has even adopted curling, with its own unique Curling Guest Club and natural ice-curling field. Guests can also follow in the footsteps of former world champions who have skated on the Suvretta House ice rink, returning to the elegance and respite of the Alpine castle.

Winter season runs from 8th December 2023 to 1st April 2024. Rooms start at CHF 630. 

hotel living space

Find out more: suvrettahouse.ch

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fields in Scotland
golf course

Torrance golf course at the Fairmont St Andrews

Located on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, the Fairmont St Andrews is a grand resort hotel with a championship golf course, spa and multiple restaurants. LUX checks in for the weekend

Arrival

A challenge with some of Scotland’s great hotels is that they are quite an ‘interesting’ drive away from an airport. No such problem with the Fairmont St Andrews, to which you whiz from Edinburgh or Glasgow airport along smooth roads. An hour later, the countryside reveals a view of the North Sea, and the resort grandly perched in front of you, surrounded by farmland and, given the location, a golf course.

Fairmont is a North American brand, and you could be forgiven for thinking you had arrived at a resort in northern California, with a grand driveway, ornate signs and a swanky entrance. The grandeur continues inside. Having checked in, you walk into a huge atrium lobby from where a lift takes guests to their appointed floors.

The Room

The views were tonics, and quite different to those in the Scottish Highlands. We looked out over the grassland dropping down to the steely endlessness of the North Sea, which sounds bleak but to the right were rolling hills dotted with picturesque farmhouses, and the East Neuk art colony down the coast.

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Continuing with the North American vibe, the room was huge and lavishly appointed, with marble bathrooms, excellent lighting and air-conditioning, which you often don’t get in hotels in this part of the world, where quaintness is too often an excuse for neglect. Perhaps there could have been more Scottish character in the rooms, but there was plenty of that outside the windows, and in St Andrews next door.

Hotel suite

One of the hotel’s deluxe suites 

The Experience

Unlike some places which install a treatment room and call themselves a resort, the Fairmont St Andrews really is a resort. There is a big spa, indoor pool and one of the most renowned championship golf courses in the world. A couple of miles down the road, there is also the course of the Royal and Ancient.

All this means you could entertain yourself without ever leaving the resort. There are several restaurants in the main building, but we chose to dine at the St Andrews Bar & Grill, a few minutes’ walk away on the golf course with a fabulous sea view, which served lobster, charcoal-oven steaks and oysters, along with a superb selection of champagnes. We will have to save La Cucina, the Italian restaurant, for next time.

Read more: Culture and Cuisine at La Fiermontina, Puglia, Italy

Exploring

St Andrews is famous for its golf, but is also one of the country’s most attractive old towns. We spent the day exploring the streets, the university quad, the castle and cathedral, and enjoying the astonishing variety of restaurants of different cultures packed into the tiny town with its very cosmopolitan student base.

restaurant booth

Squire Restaurant is just one of the hotel’s dining options

The Verdict

Super-swanky American resort service and standards meet one of the most desirable locations in the Old World. Our only regret is having to cut our stay short.

Find out more: fairmont.com/st-andrews-scotland 

This article was originally published in the Summer 2021 issue.

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Man holding glass of whisky
Man holding glass of whisky

As Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at Justerini & Brooks, Tod Bradbury works with both established connoisseurs and those exploring the category for the first time. Photograph by Gary Morrisroe

Tod Bradbury, Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at leading London wine and spirits merchant Justerini & Brooks recommends five prestige whiskies for LUX readers

Bottle of whisky with boxFor first-time drinkers: Johnnie Walker, Blue Label, Ghost & Rare, Glenury Royal Edition

Johnnie Walker is a name many are familiar with, and it’s a great starting point. This bottling is a limited-edition Blue Label featuring liquid from the now closed distillery, Glenury Royal. It’s the third in the ‘Ghost and Rare’ series, crafted using incredibly rare whiskies and won’t ever be repeated. A smooth, honeyed dram that will be sure to please.

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Whisky bottle with boxFor whisky connoisseurs: Brora 40-Year-Old 200th Anniversary Limited Edition

Brora is one of those heralded ‘ghost’ distilleries. No longer producing whisky their stock is finite, which collectors love. In my mind, this bottling from 1978 is, to put it mildly, a magnificent whisky. Hailing from an era that has come to be known as Brora’s ‘golden age of peat,’ this is a whisky for any serious collector, and one that will never fail to impress.

Best value: Whisky bottle with boxLagavulin, 12-Year-Old, Islay, 2019 Release

If you have had Lagavulin before, you will be sure to remember it. It’s a smoky, peaty, heady whisky. Usually matured for a minimum of 16 years, this bottling is a classic stripped-down ‘acoustic’ Lagavulin. At 12 years old, it is pure in style with a wonderful freshness. This is a Lagavulin purist’s dream; wonderfully simple, and all the better for it, without the usual price tags that Lagavulin can command.

Read more: Behind the wheel of the world’s most powerful supercars part one

Bottle of whisky with box To give as a gift: Johnnie Walker, Blue Label, Ghost & Rare, Port Ellen Edition

The second in the series of the ‘Ghost and Rare’ bottlings from Johnnie Walker. This one is very special. Including liquid from Port Ellen, the revered and now silent Islay distillery. It makes a very impressive gift. Port Ellen is some of the most sought-after liquid for my customers and there is a good reason for it. This is a fantastic way to enjoy a little piece of whisky history.

For special occasions: Mortlach, 26-Whisky bottle and caseYear-Old, Speyside, 2019 Release

Mortlach is one of those distilleries that everyone should try. Known as ‘the Beast of Dufftown,’ this Speyside dram is magnificent in every way. At 26 years-old it is an epic, perfectly matured Mortlach of exceptional quality from first-fill Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso seasoned casks. Best enjoyed as it is, or with a dash of water. It will certainly go down well at a special occasion.

Led by Tod Bradbury, Justerini & Brooks’ team of whisky experts can help source whiskies from lost or ghost distilleries as well as limited editions, rare cask finishes, and limited or single cask bottling. For more information visit: justerinis.com

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Reading time: 2 min
Sommelier pouring wine in modern style kitchen
Sommelier pouring wine in modern style kitchen

Gaggenau 2018 UK Sommelier competition winner Zareh Mesrobyan is a sommelier at the two Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant at Gleneagles in Scotland

Last week Gaggenau’s 2018 UK Sommelier competition took place in London to decide which young sommelier would go on to represent the UK in the global challenge later this year. As a member of the judging panel, LUX’s Editor-in-Chief Darius Sanai recalls the event

There was a welcome relief from the soaring heat in central London last week when I spent half a day at Gaggenau’s home-like showroom near Mayfair (replete with icy air-con) judging their 2018 UK Sommelier competition. The winner would go on to China in October to represent the UK in Gaggenau’s global sommelier challenge, a significant accolade in the Somms world.

Detail shot of hand holding glass of red wine tilted at an angle

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Sommeliers are at once underestimated and overrated. In some (perhaps old fashioned) establishments, the sight of a patronising and overdressed gentleman approaching the table to tell me what to drink is enough to make me switch to ginger beer. But in most restaurants these days, sommeliers are younger, enthusiastic, and too often overlooked by customers who either don’t care what they drink or just plug wine list entries into an app – which doesn’t give the same results at all.

line of wine glasses with three men in suits sitting behind considering documents

The judging panel from left to right: Craig J Bancroft MI, Managing Director at Northcote, LUX Editor-in-Chief Darius Sanai and Richard Billett, Managing Director of Maisons Marques et Domaines UK

So kudos to Gaggenau for celebrating the sommelier, and it was a fascinating event and a close call between the eventual winner and runner-up. In the end, Zareh Mesrobyan‘s clear, fast and superior knowledge in the rapid-fire quiz (sample question: What is cremant?) distinguished him. Zareh Mesrobyan works at the rarefied two-Michelin star Andrew Fairlie restaurant at Gleneagles in Scotland, and good luck to him in China later this year. I’d be delighted to listen to the recommendations of this smart, well-presented and intelligent young man next time I go to Gleneagles.

Discover Gaggenau at gaggenau.com

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Reading time: 1 min
Remote village of Glencoe in Scotland
Remote village of Glencoe in Scotland

Glencoe, Scotland. Image by Max Hermansson

Scotland was recently crowned the most beautiful country in the world; it conjures up images of wild northern mountain rises, plunging cliffs and bottomless lochs.  The combination of Scotland’s bustling cultural hubs with its raw, breath-taking landscapes makes it seem only natural that artists and poets would gravitate towards this northern haunt. Rhiannon Williams turns the spotlight on Scotland’s best poetry nights and slams, and speaks to The Loud Poets collective about the poet’s role in contemporary society.

In both Glasgow and Edinburgh today there is a veritable traffic jam of poetry nights, collectives and slams all fuelled by furious creation. These include the regular Illicit Ink showcases which like to focus upon ‘the sinister, the witty and the weird’, or collective Inky Fingers who run writers’ workshops as well as incredibly cool performance nights in Edinburgh at the popular Fringe venue Summerhall.

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Poets and the poetry community alike meet to learn from each other, share ideas, and of course laugh and enjoy themselves – Edinburgh is not the capital of comedy for nothing, and a lot of the poems performed will jump over into being stand-up sets too. This is the case with Neu! Reekie! which often set up at the quirky Monkey Barrel Comedy club.  Whilst, Growing Underground at the Forest Café in Edinburgh is as unique as it gets. The radical arts hub hosts monthly nights, serves organic hot food, and has a basement gallery and venue space which is as mouth-wateringly atmospheric as it sounds.

The Loud Poets collective performing in Scotland

Image by Perry Jonsson

Finally, there are the Loud Poets who, as with a lot of the poetry collectives, resist any concrete
definition. They’ve been together since 2014 and perform at Fringe shows, run club nights, create art  and music and now have a hub in Annexe Arts of Edinburgh. Popular in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, the appeal is in the idea of noise, empowerment to speak out and encouraging others to do the same.

Rhiannon Williams: What’s the best part about being in a collective?
Loud Poets: The best part about being in a collective is the ability to bounce ideas off of your fellow artists and brainstorm together. In Loud Poets we have not only writers and performers but also musicians and video artists, so any time someone wants to create new work, they can draw upon a range of talented folks for ideas and advice.

RW: How did the members of the Loud Poets meet? What is your creative process; do you ever write collaboratively for example?
LP: As a collective we’ve grown and evolved over time: what began as a small group of creative folks DIYing a monthly showcase has ballooned into a larger collective containing many different artists. One of Loud Poets’ aims has always been to foster a community around spoken word in Scotland, so we’ve always encouraged folks who are passionate about the art form to get involved in the collective. It’s hard to say there’s any one creative process – it varies for the different artists and it’s always changing!

The diversity of creative practices in Loud Poets is, I think, one of the things that makes it work so well – if one person is stuck, another person can jump in with a different strategy to help. We do write collaboratively – we have several partner and group poems that we’ve performed as part of our Edinburgh Fringe shows. Those are challenging but also loads of fun to compose, since the process involves balancing different styles to create the piece that will work the best in live performance.

RW: Your work spans all kinds of medium, from physical performance to live music and visual arts. Where would you say the roots of the poetry lie for you?
LP: I think each member of LP would answer that question differently, which again I think is a good thing! We each draw upon different creative practices: for example, Kevin is a trained actor, Katie a trained dancer/choreographer, and Doug plays multiple instruments. As a collective we perceive performance poetry as a multi-medium art form to be experimented with, and we’ve had a lot of fun innovating at the edges of the genre.

RW: Which poets/artists/musicians are you excited about right now?
LP: It’s so hard to just pick a couple! One artist who LP has admired for a long time is the Leicester-based artist Jess Green, who not only writes and performs poems but also works with a live band and has recently penned a play! Jess often targets political inequalities through her sharp, beautifully realised poetry. We’ve recently fallen in love with Glasgow artist Sarah Grant, an incredibly talented film-maker who came along to LP last year and performed her first poem there to great success. Since then, she’s won two of our slams and graced our stages many times, as we can’t get enough of her often hilarious yet always powerful work.

Read next: Brisk walks and autumnal evenings at Coworth Park Hotel & Spa

RW: What do you do to prepare for the performance, just before going on stage? Any quirks or
particular thought processes to get into the zone?
LP: Again, this is different for everyone – we’ve tried doing team push-ups before shows but that
tradition didn’t last long… For some of us, it’s essential to run the poems either in our heads or out loud before performing, whereas for others they trust that the material is in there from prior
rehearsal. Some of us have physical warm-ups that we like to do so we can use our voices fully
onstage. Sometimes performing a certain poem, especially if it’s emotional and personal to the
performer, means taking an extra moment to mentally prepare before walking onstage. It really
varies!

RW: What kind of role has Scotland played in the content and inspiration of your writing?
LP: Again, this will really vary! Catherine Wilson and Katie Ailes have both written directly about Scotland, Catherine from her perspective of living here her whole life and Katie as an immigrant.
One thing that I’d say for everyone is that it’s great being in such a vibrant spoken word scene in
Scotland today. Spoken word across the UK is currently booming, so it’s a great time to engage in the art form. Scotland also has a cultural devotion to literature, especially live literary traditions, which makes it a fantastic environment for writers. We’re lucky to have resources like the Scottish Poetry Library, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Scottish Book Trust, and more organisations devoted to this art forms to support our work.

Scotland's poetry collective the Loud Poets performance night

Image by Perry Jonsson

RW: What would you say is one of the most difficult things about being a poet today?
LP: Unfortunately, I think a lot of the general public thinks poetry isn’t for them and so don’t engage with it: perhaps in school they were taught work that wasn’t relevant to them or had to analyse it past the point where that was any fun. To quote the brilliant Adrian Mitchell, ‘most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people.’ Not to knock other writers at all, but if our work looks entirely inwards or is so experimental or reference-heavy as to be inaccessible, it’s not going to engage most folks.

Our core mission has always been to make work which is accessible and interesting to everyone: poetry which is exciting, which touches on issues in contemporary life, which is performed in a way that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. Our favourite thing to hear is someone admitting that they were dragged to one of our shows, swearing poetry wasn’t their thing, only to actually really enjoy it – or, even better, to enjoy it so much that they themselves were inspired to write a poem. So we want to change the assumption that poetry is an ivory tower by making work that encourages everyone to speak out.

Rhiannon Williams: Glasgow or Edinburgh?
Loud Poets: Ah, don’t ask us that! We’ve run monthly showcases in both cities for nearly three years now, and we love them both. The spoken word cultures in each city have slightly different flavours, Glasgow’s being more influenced by the fantastic Scottish rap scene and often quicker-paced than Edinburgh’s, which tends to have lots of international students and thus a wide pool of influences. We love booking artists from one city to perform in the other, not just with Glasgow and Edinburgh but across Scotland, to try to expose each city to the great artists and styles from elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

RW: Highland Loch or a North Sea cliff face?
LP: Well, they say poets are narcissists, so I suppose the loch so we can stare at our reflections like Narcissus until we die? How’s that for a poetic answer… On the other hand, standing on a bleak cliff face with our hair tangling in the brutal wind sounds equally poetic… Tough choice. We’re going to have to go with Greggs. Whether it’s taking place in a pub, a club, beneath a café, in the streets or on the air, some of the most exciting and diverse poetry in the world is being created in Scotland right now, so head up whenever you can, open your ears, dig in with every sense. It’s a blast!

loudpoets.com

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Reading time: 8 min
Broomhall House

For the first time since its construction in 1702, the ancestral home of the Bruce family (the Earls of Elgin and Kincardine) is open as an exclusive venue for private events, in collaboration with Wild Thyme and Hickory luxury catering, chauffeur service Little’s and The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Charlotte Davies journeys to the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland to dine with Lord Bruce surrounded by the portraits and antiques of his ancestors.

Entering Broomhall House rivals walking into the British Museum; casts of the Elgin marbles line the walls of the entrance hall, a Roman sarcophagus stands by the fireplace and flanking the doorway are a pair of 4th-century marble columns thought to be from Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia – the Bruces certainly know how to make a memorable first impression.

What sets Broomhall House apart from other stately homes offering private events is that it is still very much a family home. It feels lived in, as it has been, Lord Bruce proudly informs me, by thirteen generations of Bruces. Over 70 children have been born and brought up within the historic walls.

Walking from entrance hall to drawing room, Lord Bruce recounts the first hundred years of the family’s history, illustrating the heroic lives behind the portraits that adorn the walls: the family first settled in Britain in 1066 during the Norman invasion, and in 1314, Robert the Bruce successfully defended Scottish independence against the English and the family held the throne for two generations. We are later shown King Robert’s sword, which after a certain politician’s mishandling (we’ll name no names), is now kept safely behind glass in the dining room

Passing through the elegant ballroom we learn of Edward Bruce who in 1598 negotiated the succession of James VI to the English throne and arranged the new constitutional entity of Great Britain, and the 8th Earl of Elgin who established political unity in Canada. Whilst the old schoolroom, now a small museum displays some of the gifts the 9th Earl, Victor Alexander, received as viceroy of India in the 1890s. The list of family accolades is quite overwhelming.

Our tour ends in the dining room (which like the rest of the house, is reassuringly more cosy than grand and imposing), where dinner is served round a large oak table. Here we have a moment to appreciate the beauty of the artworks and antiques that surround us; a spectacular mantelpiece that was reconstituted from the marriage bed of James VI and Anne of Denmark and the birth-bed of Charles I and his two sisters, and the pièce de résistance: a 19th-century silver statuette of Queen Victoria (commissioned by the Queen as a reminder of her omnipresence in India). Under the glow of the chandelier and flickering candlelight, we dine on a three-course meal of four types of salmon, beef and a selection of small cakes. The evening passes all too quickly; while sipping wine from nineteenth-century silverware, we discuss a wide variety of subjects from the state of the art market and role of portraiture to the family’s collection of classic cars, which include a 1920s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost and a 1912 Napier.

broomhallhouse.com

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So you’ve done Morocco, burned through Bali, and Bhutan is just so yesterday. Take a tour with Caroline Davies of six destinations that are for now – and the future

THE ATACAMA DESERT, Chile

There are few places as serene as a desert at sunrise. The world’s most arid desert, a drive through the Atacama can lead you to volcanoes, salt flats, geysers, natural hot springs, isolated beaches and fertile valleys rich in wildlife. Dotted with colonial towns such as San Pedro de Atacama, the desert is also famed for its clear skies. Combined with the lack of light pollution and radio interference, it is one of the best places in the world for astronomical observation.

Where to stay? Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa. Tucked in a secluded valley alongside the San Pedro river, the lodge’s red sandstone blends into the craggy deep red ridges. And of course, it has its own observatory. altoatacama.com

SYLT, Germany

OK it’s not exactly a discovery, but the German chi-chi classes like to keep this stretch of idyllic sandy haven to themselves. The island sits off Northern Germany in the influence of the Gulf stream, keeping its summer temperatures above those of the mainland. A favourite of the well-to-do, the small island even has its own branch of Hermès and a polo club which hosts beach polo cup games.

Where to stay? Kampen is perhaps the most famous of the 11 villages on the island. Beautiful beaches, broad heaths and a rugged red cliff, the scenery is dramatic and the hotels refined.

KURDISH, IRAQ, Iraq

A trip for adventurers who like their routes untrodden. The region retains a degree of political freedom from Baghdad and surprisingly boasts 5 star luxury hotels and spas – the Marriott, Hilton and Kempinski are all on the way too – as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In fact, the ancient city of Erbil was named 2014’s tourism capital by the Arab Council of Tourism. Castles, churches, monuments and archaeological sites are all key tourist spots, but few sites beat Gali Ali Beg. Also known as ‘the Grand Canyon of the Middle East’, this dramatic lush green ridge provides biblical views as well as rafting and rock climbing.

Where to stay? At present, tourism infrastructure is still in its infancy outside Erbil, so take a tour to see the country fully. ‘Undiscovered Destinations’ provides a good grounding in the harrowing recent history of the country as well as the ancient influences that shaped the region. undiscovered-destination.com

MONTENEGRO

Referred to as the hidden pearl of the Mediterranean, the small state of Montenegro is tucked next to better known Croatia and holds the same beautiful coastline, ready to be explored. Despite the unspoiled mountainous scenery, parts of Montenegro are far from rustic. Porto Montenegro, one of the newest luxury yacht developments on the Mediterranean, houses Versace, Armani, Missoni and Feragamo alongside gleaming mega yachts.

Where to stay? Luštica Bay. After a few days in the noise and the action, retreat to Luštica Bay on the ancient bay of Trašte. No less well catered for, the Bay has a quieter pace than the port and is just a stone’s throw away and holds the country’s first 18- hole golf course. lusticabay.com

MYANMAR

Previously closed off by a military regime, Myanmar, (or Burma), remains relatively unaffected by the trappings of a globalised world. Intrepid travellers are beginning to dip their toes into this mysterious country, although don’t expect fast food restaurants, credit card machines or 3G just yet. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010 and Obama’s visit in 2012 have made for a more optimistic atmosphere in a country steeped in a fascinating if volatile past.

Where to stay? Orient Express, Orcaella Myanmar. From July 2013, Orient Express will launch its newly built luxury river cruise into the heart of Burma down the Ayeyardwady and Chindwin Rivers. With only 25 cabins on its four decks, the cruise is an intimate way to be introduced to the country. orcaella.net

THE NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS, Scotland

A stay in the rugged highlands can inspire novels and symphonies as aristocrats, royalty and artists have known for centuries, and a new generation of travelling classes is discovering for themselves. Drive through twisting valleys and watch your phone signal and worries drain away as the lochs and purple heather appear. The land of countryside pursuits, you can try trekking, fishing, stalking, mountain biking, white water rafting or clay pigeon shooting. Alternatively, a brisk walk and a wee dram from a whiskey distillery can be just as rewarding.

Where to stay? Alladale, Wilderness Reserve. Follow in the gentry’s footsteps and stay in the main sporting lodge at Alladale. Built in 1877 it is protected by a dense forest of Caledonian Scots pine. You can go helicopter fishing, stalking, shooting, hiking, and even hit the beach. With a roaring fire in winter the drawing room has its own baby grand piano which might get you singing, the array of single malt whiskies certainly will. alladale.co.uk

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Reading time: 4 min