Town & Country Travels Home
Malarone? Check. 45 SPF Sunscreen? Check. A conquered fear of flying over lion- and hippo-swarmed savannahs on a rickety Cesna 6-seater? Check. These are just a few of the items I needed for my trip to Botswana's Okavango Delta where & Beyond's two newest luxury properties, Xaranna and Xudum — both pronounced with the famed Bushman click (for example, Tlick-ana) — opened this past August.
The opulent but conservation-minded safari company, formerly called C.C. Africa and long known for harmonizing luxury with big game encounters, changed its name in October to "& Beyond." The company's expansion into India, Costa Rica and other parts of the world forced it to drop the Afro-centric title and embrace a new direction.
Getting to the lavish properties from New York City was most of the battle. The flight to Jo'burg on South African Airways took 17 hours, with a brief airport stopover in Dakar, an ideal place to update your Facebook status for bragging rights. Rather than immediately continue on to the hair-raising, three-hour twin-prop portion of the journey on Air Botswana and Safari Air, I opted to stay a night at the leafy, Tuscan-inspired Orient Express Westcliffe, perched in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, 22km from O.R. Tambo Airport.
Start your stay in the bush with a few nights at one of the lavish rooms at Xudum Lodge (pictured), decked out with private plunge pools, comfy oversized cane loungers, full size tubs and airy rooftop lounge areas where you can opt to sleep. I woke up in the morning to a vista of giant lumbering elephants milling through the lagoon. I watched and sipped on the glass of fresh OJ while getting ready for the 6 a.m. game drive, which included sightings of lions, hippos, cheetahs, leopards, baboons, zebras, and crocs — just another morning in Botswana.
For those who want to rough it a bit more, the Chobe Under Canvas mobile tents in Chobe National Park opened in August and offer an ideal way to explore the Kahalari region — though they are luxury tents, they are a bit more spartan than other offerings from & Beyond. The payoff: Chobe contains Africa's largest population of elephants (45,000) and some of the best zebra, baboon and lion sightings in the region.
Comfort-seekers will want to fast forward to the luxury tents at Xaranna, which are in a whole other class and decked out in modern swaths of pink and green. This property is the best place to cap off the safari experience, complete with free wifi and laundry services and desks with views in each of the tents to catch up on your journals and enjoy a sundowner or two. Surrounded by jackal-berry trees, and home to several species of beautiful song birds like the gray lourie and the robinchat, the lodge is situated on an island in the middle of the delta. Though it is not quite as big-game orientated as the others, I saw lions, hippos, crocs and Vervet monkeys within hours of arriving.
Trawling through the bush is admittedly not for everyone and definitely not affordable, but a glass of Amarula (Africa's version of Kahlua, made from the Amarula fruit), an in-tent foot massage, or a dish of curried ostrich followed by persimmon sorbet on the spacious deck overlooking a pod of hippos or herd is an experience on which you can't put a price tag.
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Wall Street may be in turmoil, but stylish Scottsdale -- never short on lux -- is spending money on itself like nobody’s business. The upgrade? A new $3.5 billion development project that’s given the city a royal flush of new eateries, bars, hotels and boutiques and spiffed up the surrounding area (not that it was ever unkempt) in ways the founding townsfolk of this former sheep-herding town would never have imagined.
Additions include a new W Hotel (with Sushi Roko and Bliss Spa), an extensive $325 million Spanish-themed Intercontinental Montelucia Hotel (still under construction), a new full moon holistic program at Boulders Resort’s Golden Door Spa and 13 new multi-million dollar private rentable villas run by Bella Palazzo. Big budgeted rehabs are in season too. An exhaustive $17.5 million rehab of the Four Seasons Troon North, a bright new bar/lounge (Edge) at the Sanctuary Camelback, a $50 million overhaul of Camelback Inn (including a new BLT Steak to come in recent months), and fancy new renovated suites at the Phoenician and Royal Palms have been added to the fray.
But the upgrades aren’t limited to places requiring checking in and out. Development has finally moved beyond the tourist path with the Southbridge and Scottsdale Waterfront development projects, two big budgeted concepts of note that have made the resort-stuffed town a bit more resident friendly. The latter project, costing $250 million, has brought women’s boutiques like Estilo, and a handful of higher-end chains stores (think Sur Le Table) to a formerly derelict stretch along the ancient Arizona irrigation canal. The $41 million Southbridge project, headed by developer Fred Unger, is located along the south bank of the canal, and marked by a slew of new chic casual eateries like Foodbar, Estate House, and Digestif (run by Peter Kasperski of Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar fame). Another newcomer, Canal, has added fashion shows to their weekend brunches, making them a guaranteed hit among the golfers’ daughters and wives.
I personally recommend dropping your bags off at the Four Seasons Troon North (like I did on a recent visit), on the outskirts of town in a pristine 4,000-acre desert preserve. Unlike some of the area’s theme-y resorts, the 210 refurbished casitas -- led by Dallas-based Paul Duesing Partners -- blend seamlessly into the desert.
Have the concierge arrange a guided hike with local guide partner Arizona Outback Adventures, run by Seth Heald, a dashing but soft-spoken herpetologist, and his equally charming team of guides, all eager to show you the beauty of the desert on a customized hike. Look for desert hares, sororo cacti and vermillion palo verde trees along your trek. The tranquil property has also recently added a lovely open-air restaurant, Talavara, where guests are offered spectacular views of the city while dining on Chef Mel Mecina’s soft pumpkin soufflés, juicy buffalo tenderloins and fresh heirloom tomatoes topped with Burrata cheese, all under a circling swirl of mysterious ghost-white nighthawks who nest in the cliffs nearby. And not to worry if the recent economic woes have hit you hard. Troon is one of the chain’s most affordable Four Seasons properties, at $349/night, plus a “third night free special” running through the autumn, which is cheap enough to put a smile on even the most forlorn Wall Street trader’s face.
There are certain travel experiences you don't forget, when food,
culture and landscape all intersect perfectly. Traveling by train
aboard the Orient Express Northern Belle (pictured, courtesy Oriental Express) in
England was definitely one of them. As waiters wheeled the cheese board
in, the emerald, sheep-speckled hills of England rolled by the window.
Though the Brits are generally a reserved bunch, at the end of each
meal, (lunches and dinners) the gigantic cheese board was ushered down
the car's gilded aisles by two porters, creating a domino-effect
cacophony of "Lovely!" "Smashing!" and "Fantastic!" as it passed each
row of delighted travelers. 
The
journey primed us for more travel by rail, so we've compiled a list of
where we'd love to go next: our wish list of luxe rail journeys -- ten
in all, each offering its own memorable symphony of land, food and
culture.
1. El Transcantabrico, Northern Spain
Route: 7 nights; Santiago de Compostela to León along the Cantabrian coast
Berths: Double beds, private bathroom with hydro-sauna, individual a/c and heat controls.
Landscape and trip highlights:
Hugs the Cantabrian Sea through Spain's Green Coast. Pass high jagged
mountains and lush green meadows, pristine beaches and rugged coastal
cliffs with stops in Santillana del Mar, Santander, and the Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum.
Sample meal: Most meals served in local
restaurants. Breakfast buffet includes fresh orange juice, local
cheeses and meats, breads, and coffee.
Cost: $3,400 per person/double cabin, includes all meals, wine, hotels, and coach tours.
2. Orient Express Northern Belle, Grand Tour U.K.
Route: 6 nights; London to Edinburgh to Oban to Wales to London
Berths: None. Guests stay at luxury hotels.
Landscape and trip highlights:
Steam past rolling hills, rain-swept harbors and steep, narrow mountain
passes, with stops in the towns of York, Oban, Isle of Mull, Edinburgh,
Chester, Portmerien, Wales and Bath.
Sample meal: Slow confit
of duck with cider sauce,
bubble and squeak, and braised red
cabbage.
And the aforementioned Great British cheese board: a massive selection
of local cheeses, with "guest cheeses" from the local towns visited on
the journey, follows all meals.
Cost: $6,400 per person includes all meals, wine, hotels, and coach tours.
3. Orient Express Hiram Bingham, Peru
Route: 3.5 hours; Cusco to Macchu Pichu
Berths: None.
Landscape and trip highlights:
Descend from the Andean highlands into the Cloud Forests hugging the
Inka Trail, while chugging past Sacred Valley agricultural plains, lush
waterfalls, and the babbling waters of the Urubamba River.
Sample meal: Olive corn tamales with salsa,
fine herbs omelet, crayfish, and alpaca loin roast with elderberry compote.
Cost: $588 includes ticket to Macchu Pichu, alcohol, meals, and coach transportation.
4. Rovos Rail, South Africa
Route: 5 nights form Cape Town to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Berths:
Refurbished air-conditioned 2-person suites that Rovos claims are the
largest in the world, decked out in wood paneling, Edwardian furniture,
and twin or double beds. 24-hour room service and en suite bathrooms
with vintage fittings, including Victorian bath and shower, are
included.
Landscape and trip highlights: Encounter the
world's largest man-made diamond excavation, the historic village of
Matjiesfontein and the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic wine
lands of the Cape.
Sample meal: Ostrich sausages, kudu kebabs, and a guinea fowl curry served with a locally grown Rudera Chenin Blanc.
Cost: $2650 per person in Pullman Suite. Includes onboard alcohol, excursions, meals and hotels.
5. Deccan Odyssey
Route: 7 nights; Mumbai to Goa to Pune to Mumbai
Berths:
Air-conditioned salons, with 4-twin bedded chambers decked out with
music channels, intercoms, CD/MP3 players, attached toilets and
showers. Also on board: Ayurvedic spa, gym, steam bath,
conference-room/dance club, beauty parlor and business center.
Landscape and trip highlights:
Rumble through eastern India's majestic state of Maharashtra past
beautiful Arabian Sea beaches, antique palaces, and jungle-cloaked
Buddhist caves, including stops in Mumbai, Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri,
Sindhudurg, Goa, Pune, Aurangabad, Ajanta and Ellora.
Sample meal: Dosa crepes, lamb biryani, creamy chicken Mughal style, and chilled Alphonso Mango soup.
Cost: $4,480 for double (2 to a berth) includes onboard alcohol, excursions, meals and hotels.
More can't-miss rail trips after the jump...
Read MoreMy Avianca flight to Bogotá from JFK was remarkably brief (5 hours) and like many short hauls these days, it was also remarkably bereft of a good meal.
Fortunately Bogotá -- the almost 2-mile high city with a population equal to New York City -- was eager to show off its chic new dining scene, reminiscent of its insouciant southern neighbor, Buenos Aires, but even more varied.
Unlike the stylish Poretños and their carne-forward parillas, Bogatanos embrace a sweeter cuisine, marked by the equatorial country's abundance of tropical fruits like the uber-fragrant lulo and the tangy tomate de árbol, both members of the nightshade family. Fried mainstays like arepas, empanadas, and chicken-based soups like sancocho, and ajiaco are ubiquitous on menus throughout Colombia and still favored over many international cuisines. But palates are changing in Bogotá as chefs and restaurateurs from all over Latin America swoop in to take advantage of the capital's affordable rents. This trend, paired with the city's 63% drop in crime over the last decade, has given birth to a generation of disposable incomes and adventurous palettes that mark Bogotá's stylish new dining class.
I started my grazing tour in Bogatá's Zona G (Gourmet Zone) at the mod and light-filled Rafael (pictured), popular with Bogotá's impeccably-tailored lunch set, and decorated with naughahyde banquettes, giant glass walls crisscrossed with frosted stripes, and rich wood wine-racks separating the dining room into distinct sections. In typical celeb-chef fashion, the dashing Peruvian Chef Rafael Osterling -- who owns a small chain of eponymous restaurants in Lima, China Beach, Peru, and Bogotá -- was absent during my visit due to the opening of another new Rafael in Buenos Aires. Still, his 25-deep kitchen staff expertly prepared dishes like Chilean salmon sashimi with avocado tartar sauce, crispy shrimp tempura atop a mango and Cajun spiced nut salad, roasted sea grouper in squid ink and Spanish ham broth, and tender lomo saltado with pisco and black-beer perfume. I followed it all with a banana and Nutella cheesecake.
My eating tour continued to the La Macarena neighborhood for a cozy dinner at Cocina y Cava (Calle 27B, No 6-75), largely considered the city's most exclusive restaurant and run with much love by Cartagena-born chef Leonor Espinosa, known for her coastal home-cooked dishes. Creations like sea bass wrapped in fragrant banana leaves with raisins, prawns in coconut milk, coriander and paprika and raw tuna encrusted with Santanderean ants (a Colombian specialty) brought unique flavors to traditional Colombian comfort foods, something Leonor takes great pride in. Other notable upscale newcomers include the French-influenced Criterion, run by brothers Jorge and Mark Rausch, the colorful Oia Med Bistro (Calle 70A # 5-67), housed in an elegant brick mansion, and 8o Sillas (Calle No. 118. 7-09), a flashy cevicheria painted with chalkboard walls listing out endless variations of raw fish and fruit.
While other visitors are trekking the tourist-lined Inka Trail this summer, those in search of the truly untrammeled Peru should take advantage of last minute specials at the private eco-boutique Inkaterra Urubamba Villas, tucked into the mountain hamlet of Higuspucro in the Sacred Valley.
The oft-overlooked spot is an ideal Andean headquarters for exploring the area's rich collection of historical sites and Inca ruins, which are enough to keep you busy for a week or two. But you'll also want to check out the area's Quechua-speaking villages, like the charming walled colonial-Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Visitors can stock up on chichi morada (blue corn beer) and fragrant banana-leaf stuffed tamales at nearby Pisac's Sunday food market, or browse the vendors' stands for baby alpaca wares at Chinchero's excellent handicraft market.
The spacious Andean-style villas at Urubamba are regional highlights themselves. Each of the five deluxe casitas is named after its respective female caretaker (choices include the Villa Sonia or Villa Berta), and comes with wood-stocked fireplaces and 24/7 maid service, which includes tea, laundry and breakfasts like home-cooked quinoa hotcakes and eggs, which were ideal on chilly pre-hike mornings. The homey but stylish interiors are decorated with local tapestries, crafts and antiques, and offer breathtaking views of a surrounding stream-flanked garden, back-dropped by area's surrounding arid mountains.
The villas are expertly managed by an English-speaking concierge team that happily arranges excursions to the above-mentioned places. But be forewarned: the property is so comfy and cozy, you'll be tempted to ditch the activities and stay home in front of a crackling fire with a bottle of Tacama Brut (an excellent Peruvian sparkling wine), or at the very least spend your evenings gazing at Urabumba's unparalleled nighttime stars...which is, after all, how evenings should be spent in August.
800-442-5042
Caserio Higuspucro KM 7, Urubamba - Valle Sagrado de los Incas
Dept. of Cusco, Peru
When the Wine Spectator's Bay Area tasting coordinator set out to start his own winery, oenephiles paid attention. The resulting Copain Winery and Cellars is the dream and brainchild of wine publishing maverick Wells Guthrie, who joined forces with software designer pal Kevin McQuown (the term Copain, pronounced "co-pehn", is French for "buddies") to found the handsome new winery. Perched on a vine-gartered hill overlooking Sonoma's Russian River Valley, the winery is now open by appointment to visitors or bookable for special events.
The tasting room, designed by Guthrie's wife Stacy and McQuown's partner Doug, is stocked with furniture from Mitchell & Gold and one-of-a-kind pieces from local Windsor-based furniture distributor Cokas-Diko. The views from the grounds of the wine barn embody the romantic ideal of American wine connoisseurship, and are unparalleled by any other tasting room in Sonoma.
Visitors to the winery should sample flights of the winery's carefully chosen Syrahs and Pinot Noirs, which are created using the malolactic fermentation process (without the addition of cultured yeasts and bacteria). They should also sign up for food pairing tastings with catering done by Mirepoix and Thomas Keller Private Dining. And of course, no one should go home without a bottle: try the 2005 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch, a medium- to full-bodied wine that was given high marks by The Wine Advocate's Robert Parker.
To schedule a winery tour and tasting, contact James Castaneda at 707-836-8822, ext. 104.
Copain Wine Cellars
7800 Eastside Road
Healdsburg, Calif.
Like many San Francisco visitors, I often find myself climbing the
city's fog-mantled streets in search of new flavors. My latest
discovery, which also happens to be the town's hottest reservation, is Spruce (right: image by Frankie Frankeny), a new, elegant and already grown-up feeling restaurant tucked away on
Sacramento Street in the lesser-known Presidio Heights neighborhood.
After being seated at a prominent dining table in the rear, I took stock of Spruce's elegant details: Christofle silverware, amaretto leather chairs fastened with brass tacks, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, and German Rosenthal époque china are merely the set pieces to rakish Chef Mark Sullivan's
cuisine. Our server Jennifer brought out an amuse bouche plate of
savory cheese puffs called compte gougers, and proceeded to answer all
my difficult questions with aplomb, including what types of grapes were
in the Beerenauslese and the roasting method of the peony tea.
Apparently, each server must complete a two-week course before working
here, and I'm betting Jennifer came out at the top her class.
She
also informed me that 80% of the restaurant's produce comes from its
own private farm (SMIP Ranch) just south of the city in the hills of
Woodside. Dish after ornate dish that she brought abounded with flavor...
Read Day 1: Colony Palms Hotel
Read Day 2: JW Marriott Desert Springs
It's a relief to check out of the giant Marriott mega-resort and slide into a tranquil, service-forward property like Miramonte Resort and Spa in nearby Indian Wells (pool area pictured, right). Refurbished completely in 2005, the $10 million rehab simplified the main courtyard pool area and upgraded the rooms with marble tubs, double vanities, and giant beds with overstuffed comforters that, truthfully, seemed a tad out of place in the desert. Nevertheless, the property now has a AAA Four Diamond Award, a Conde Nast Johansen's recommendation and a new 12,000 square foot spa ranked one of North America's 10 Best Resort Spas in 2008 by Conde Nast, though it was much smaller and a less-relaxing experience than the JW Marriott Spa.
When we pulled into the property's driveway, the valet addressed me by name. "Mr. Graham?" he asked, opening my car door and offering to help with the bags -- something the other properties neglected to do. From that point on during my stay I was addressed by name by everyone on the meticulously gracious staff.
We checked into the spacious Presidential Suite, a 1,038 square foot unit on the second floor, overlooking terracotta tiled roofs and the pool's new rentable cabanas. The rooms were designed by Robertson Group in Los Angeles and furnishings were by turns Tuscan and corporate -- leather dining chairs, large dark wood credenzas and maroon overstuffed couches. Still, the two-bathroom suite came stocked with Sicilian red orange Tarocco products, free wifi, and were spacious and comfortable enough for a small family or couple that needs a lot of breathing room. The room's best feature was the Venetian-style balcony, with expansive views of a courtyard planted with olive trees, and citrus groves trailing off to the dusky Santa Rosa Mountains.
Unlike some of the resorts we visited, there was a good chair-to-guest ratio poolside. There is no "it factor" here, meaning crowds tend to be on the 40-something side. It's a tranquil, no-pressure spot to get some sun. On one side of the pool sat a young French family drinking blueberry smoothies under the cabanas with their toddler daughter; on the other side, a foursome of middle-aged couples from Los Angeles casually dangled their legs in the pool and munched on cool crisp Caesar salads ($10) from the affordable menu's uber-healthy selection of snacks. The Miramonte, it turns out, is best experienced poolside.
Miramonte Resort & Spa
45000 Indian Wells Lane
Indian Wells, Calif. 92210
760-341-2200
After checking out of the Colony Palms, we made our way to Palm Desert, just a 15 minute drive from Palm Springs, to investigate the JW Marriott Desert Springs, a Mobil 4-star rated resort, ranked one of the country's Best Golf Resorts by Conde Nast Traveler in 2008.
I checked into the 436-acre mega-resort with reservations (of the emotional variety). Though the Marriott brand doesn't usually conjure up images of exclusivity or luxury, this is one of the chain's flagship properties with a fresh $30 million redo by nine-time Hermes Award winner and design firm extraordinaire WATG...
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Design is to the Danes what food is to the French: a national pride, a
sense of purpose and the consummate “everyday” subject matter. So
enmeshed in design-thought are the Danes, they’ve festooned their
alphabet’s letters with slashes, rings and other sexy-making
diacritical marks. So during my first visit here to interview a new
crop of the city’s chefs, it was apropos that I bunked down at the hip
five-star First Hotel Skt. Petri, Copenhagen’s sole member of the Design Hotels group and Mecca for modern-design aficionados, architects and savvy
travelers who know a thing or two about Functionalist fenestration.
Danish design aims to capture the essence of hygge, which is a
sort of Scandinavian feng shui and loosely translated means “cozy, and
the snug state of mind coziness creates.” The Skt. Petri — a department
store transformed in 1993 by Danish designer Per Arnoldi (who also
produced the logo for the sparkling new Copenhagen Opera House)
— is exactly that.
Empty-nest jet setters and Europe’s spectacled
belle-monde standing underneath early modernist chandeliers in the
light-flooded lobby seem genuinely content to be taking in the room’s
literal brilliance, just as I did while lingering over my coffee,
organic yogurt and Hallegaard Farms salami at the adjacent in-house
restaurant Bleu, now serving a popular Sunday-afternoon gastro-brunch.
On June 19th...
It seems like everyone in the world except us Californians experiences
June as a harbinger of sunny summer days to come. But here, the
notorious June Gloom represents the grayest month of the year,
including drizzle, fog and other dreary conditions uncharacteristic of
sunny California. So what better time to head to the desert to check
out some of the most buzzed-about new hotels, spas and restaurants?
Here, our picks and pans from a recent foray into the desert.
The Grey-Lady loved (and L.A. Times-lambasted) newcomer to the desert is the Colony Palms Hotel,
a former brothel-turned-boutique with 56 Moroccan-mod themed rooms,
eight adorable casitas with private plunge Jacuzzis and a handful of
suites and deluxe rooms.
My friend and I arrived on a quiet Thursday afternoon...
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Heidi Mitchell is editor-in-chief of Town & Country Travel and Town & Country Weddings, and features and travel editor of Town & Country.
Adam H. Graham is a contributing writer for this blog; his work also frequently appears in Town & Country Travel, both in the magazine and online.