< Previous THE RUST BELT l ZERO-WASTE DINING l ULLA JOHNSON l MORE TRAVEL NEWS WORD OF MOUTH Land on a glacier in Denali National ParkWORDS: HELENA DEVINCENTI; PHOTO: ANNE AND GREG ROBISON February 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 41 The ice-capades With today’s rapidly changing climate a sad reality, Alaska is in the travel spotlight for what could be a last glimpse of amazing icy natural wonders I n a last bid to visit the majestic fjords and ice-blue glaciers of the world, intrepid travellers are booking trips to Alaska where a spate of nature-conscious tours provide the chance to see and raise awareness of the receding ice – before it’s gone for good. Talkeetna Air Taxi’s Grand Denali Glacier Landing Tour (from AED 1,600; 001-907-733 2218, talkeetnaair.com) takes flight for tours of Alaska’s ice fields, soaring over an incredible landscape of icefalls, glaciers and snowy mountain peaks, culminating with a glacier landing in Denali National Park. A more leisurely journey can be taken on Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery Train (from AED 385; 001-800-544 0552, alaskarailroad.com) from Anchorage to Whittier, a scenic route where views of the colossal Bartlett and Trail Glaciers come into sight as the train winds along the Placer River Valley. Alaska Shore Excursions’ Juneau Mendenhall Glacier Ice Adventure Tour (from AED 1,250; 001-888-586 8489, alaskashoreexcursions.com) ups the adventure ante with canoeing across an iceberg- filled lake, walks atop the Mendenhall Glacier and hiking through deep-blue glacial pools and across crevasses. And the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari Tour (from AED 805; 001-888-586 8489, alaskashoreexcursions.com) sails through fjords and temperate rainforests with the chance to sight whales, seals, waterfalls and the Davidson Glacier before arriving on the secluded shores of Glacier Point.WORDS: TOBY SKINNER; PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK For a glimpse of the future of urban design, look at the campuses and parks of the Big Five tech companies. In Seattle, Amazon employees take screen breaks in giant glass orbs filled with rain forests, while Apple Park – a Norman Foster- designed, all-renewable spaceship of a building in California – is surrounded by 9,000 trees. At London’s King’s Cross, Thomas Heatherwick and Bjarke Ingels are collaborating on a “landscraper” for Google, with a 300m-long rooftop woodland. Biophilia – the much-studied idea that human beings are happier when surrounded by nature – is already a flourishing aspect of designing in cities. Look at Biofit’s (biofit.io) gyms in London, Montenegro and Stockholm, with foliage-filled spaces inspired by forest bathing; or the new East Hollywood branch of workspace pioneer Second Home (001-323-366 2554, secondhome.io/hollywood), with glass pods amid a sea of plants and palm trees. Even airports are getting greener: Moshe Safdie’s glass, doughnut-shaped Jewel terminal at Singapore’s Changi Airport (changiairport. com) houses a canopy forest with a 40m slab of water cascading through the open roof. It will be the world’s biggest indoor waterfall until later this year, when China’s Eden Project opens – a series of biodomes built near coastal Qingdao, with a torrent as high as Niagara Falls. Breathing space The biophilic architecture trend OTHER GAME-CHANGING AIRPORTS At the new Istanbul Airport (istairport.com), vaulted ceilings have skylights to provide the terminal with natural, energy-saving light. It’s a similar story at the AED 43 billion Zaha Hadid Architects-designed Beijing Daxing International Airport (daxing-pkx- airport.com), which opened last September with solar farms on its starfish-shaped roof. In America, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (flychicago. com/ohare) already achieved a LEED Gold rating last year for its geothermal energy system, and now Chicago urban designer Jeanne Gang has created a wood-clad terminal with trees, breaking ground in 2023. The waterfall in Changi’s Jewel terminalFebruary 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 43 WORD OF MOUTH INTERVIEW: LAUREL MUNSHOWER; WORDS: MANU SHARMA, LAUREL MUNSHOWER; PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Good as gold Argan oil is Morocco’s miracle product, but it’s taken to the next level of efficiency with 24k gold, which fights ageing while revitalising and healing skin. Rejuvenating Day Cream, AED 560, Argan Liquid Gold What inspired you to launch Nature Expeditions Africa? When we launched in 1996 there were very few, if any, indigenous and authentic Kenyan tour operators – so I took it upon myself to be a pioneer in that realm. What would you suggest travellers experience in Kenya beyond the typical safari? The country has a rich diversity and I would recommend off-the-beaten-track activities such as bicycle tours, camel safaris, mountain hiking, paragliding and canoeing on the Tana River, which runs 800km from the Aberdare Range to the Indian Ocean. You also work to help empower women in Kenya – how can tourists contribute? I’m the current chairperson of the Kenya Association of Women in Tourism, a non- profit organisation that empowers women in the tourism and hospitality sector. Travellers can partner with us to sponsor mentorship programmes in schools or help empower them economically by teaching skills to improve their small businesses in their daily trade of weaving baskets, beadwork and carvings. Top tips for sighting the Big Five on a short trip? You need a professional driver and guide who know the national parks well. Visiting during the migration season, when there’s an abundance of wildlife around, ups your chances to see the Big Five and more. Where is a dream safari destination for you? There are many places I would love to visit, but Nepal is at the top of the list. I would like to experience the elephant safaris, and while I’m there, experience the Kingdom’s culture and glimpse Mount Everest. 2 minutes with... JANE ADAM The Kenya-based tourism entrepreneur on empowering women through travel and her dream safari destination For those who find using city guides, bus tours and Google maps rather unexciting when getting to know a new town, there’s good news: recently, scavenger-hunt tours have been popping up, naturally leading visitors to take a closer look at their surroundings – with a little competition on the side. Let’s Roam (tickets from AED 48; 001-833-202 7626, letsroam.com) takes to the streets of Prague, Vienna and Rome with hunts that proffer riddles at landmarks and reveal interesting facts like where the coins in the Trevi Fountain end up. Based in Toronto, Urban Capers (tickets from AED 125; 001-647-852 6444, urbancapers.com) uses its scavenger hunts to highlight the history, culture, colourful characters and local folklore of the region. There’s a caper for every interest, from following the trail of an artist’s murder at the Art Gallery of Ontario to solving a Twenties-era heist in a distillery. It’s a holiday that even Sherlock Holmes would approve of. Travel trend CLUED IN Scavenger-hunt tours are offering travellers a way to explore new cities with a twist Explore Rome while following a trail of cluesWORDS: TABITHA JOYCE; PHOTOS: ED ANDERSON, ANTONIO DIAZ, SILO: THE ZERO WASTE BLUEPRINT (LEAPING HARE PRESS) BY DOUG McMASTER Foraging king and Noma founder René Redzepi’s influence on sustainable eating has been so prevalent that today, with wild edibles turning up everywhere but in petrol-station food, it’s almost a cliché. But he was also way ahead of the game in 2011 when he launched MAD, a two-day symposium to discuss the future of food, from climate-friendly crops to immigration. Nose-to-tail pioneer Dan Barber, of Blue Hill at Stone Barns outside New York City, reached a wider public when his pop-up WastED partnered with chefs like Nancy Silverton (of Pizzeria Mozza) and Enrique Olvera (Pujol) to create menus from discarded ingredients. Dan Hunter’s Brae, in Victoria, Australia, meanwhile, has not only solar panels on the roof but an on-site worm farm that breaks down by-products to help create a near-closed loop. Looking beyond the supply chain, Spanish-American chef José Andrés, who’s credited with bringing small plates to America, is committed to curbing overfishing in the Caribbean, as well as hunger issues around the world. After Hurricane Maria, his non-profit, World Central Kitchen, served more than 3.5 million meals to storm victims in Puerto Rico. Also working with conviction on this front is San Francisco-based Dominique Crenn, of three-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn, whose Root Project helped plant a million coffee and cacao trees in Haiti after the crop devastation following a 2016 hurricane. In New York, Jehangir Mehta leads the charge, sourcing seafood that would otherwise be discarded for his Manhattan joint Graffiti Earth – the scallop brûlée is made from molluscs with chipped shells. And in the UK, Silo chef Douglas McMaster has just moved the world’s first zero-waste restaurant from Brighton to London. Thanks to an aerobic digester (turning waste into energy), there isn’t even a trash can. Taste buzz Feed back The chefs championing zero-waste dining From top left: Chef Dominique Crenn’s honey beeswax caramels; chef Crenn. Below: Dishes featured in Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint (Leaping Hare Press)February 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 45 WORD OF MOUTH EDITED BY: CHARLOTTE DAVEY; WORDS: LAUREL MUNSHOWER; PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK No flagon left behind A fragrance house founded by an avid traveller, a new series of chic pouches ensure you can carry Henry Jacques’ delicate crystal bottles filled with precious essences wherever you go. Voyage Collection pouches, from AED 3,020, Henry Jacques “I am a die-hard New Yorker. It’s one of my defining characteristics. The city is so freeing; you can be whoever you want. I’m endlessly inspired by the colour and variety I see on the streets – it’s such an eclectic metropolis. I love Paula Rubenstein, an antiques store, for interesting textiles and trinkets, and John Derian Company, just around the corner, for decoupage and ceramics. McNally Jackson in SoHo is the best place for browsing new novels and De Vera sells precious jewellery. I live in Brooklyn, so my ideal day would start with a morning run through Prospect Park, near the Botanic Garden, one of my favourite spots. Then I’d stop by Fort Greene Park farmers’ market to pick up organic vegetables and freshly baked bread for lunch. In the evening, I’d head to Roman’s, owned by friends of mine – my family has a long-standing Friday-night date here. The menu changes daily and it has a super-low-key, locals-only vibe. French brasserie Balthazar in SoHo is fun for oysters and French bubbly – a New York classic. As much as I love the city, I have realised that leaving on the weekends with my children creates a perfect balance. The beaches in Montauk and the Hamptons, where I just launched a store, are only a few hours away. The sky is so open and the light so magical; it feels like a true escape.” Style file ULLA JOHNSON The bohemian-print powerhouse on where to find local haunts and weekend breaks WHERE TO STAY The Sherry-Netherland, a timeless Fifth Avenue hotel that stands across the road from Central Park, has marble-filled bathrooms. Doubles from AED 2,200; 001-212-355 2800, sherrynetherland.com Clockwise from top: Leather trenchcoat, AED 24,200, Michael Kors; Earrings in gold and diamonds, AED 44,450, Sutra; Leather heels, price on request, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Eye Cream Rich, AED 905, Estée Lauder; Crystal clutch, AED 16,940, Judith Leiber Couture A Brooklyn streetWORDS: HELENA DEVINCENTI; PHOTOS: DAVID MITCHELL, MICHELLE GERARD, CLIFF RITCHEY Once the epicentre of American steel manufacturing, the Midwest’s derelict industrial strip is being reinvigorated as buildings from the Rust Belt’s glory days – abandoned railway stations, soda-bottling plants and car manufacturing sites – are being repurposed, offering a new beginning without erasing its past. In Detroit’s historic Corktown district, Ford Motors is restoring the grand Michigan Central Station. This comes alongside a slew of new boutique restaurants in the area – Mink (sharing plates from AED 33; 001-313- 379 6465, minkdetroit.com) is an intimate 24-seat raw bar with sharing plates, and in the West Village Marrow (entrées from AED 52; 001-313-652 0200, marrowdetroit. com) is a combination butcher shop and restaurant by Singaporean owner Ping Ho who creates a nouveau-steakhouse vibe with plates like local Michigan beef with miso-anchovy vinaigrette. In Indianapolis, the Circle City Industrial Complex (001-765-734 7117, circlecityind. com) took over the historic Schwitzer automotive manufacturing site to bring art galleries, breweries and distilleries under one roof. Browse the galleries during the First Friday Art Walk or head to 8th Day Distillery for home-crafted spirits. Set to open later this year is the Bottleworks District (bottleworksdistrict.com), previously an old Coca-Cola bottling factory that will be home to a new food hall, cinema and a 140-key boutique hotel. In Milwaukee, the newly opened Saint Kate Arts Hotel (doubles from AED 875; 001-414-276 8686, saintkatearts.com), named after the patron saint of artists Saint Catherine, blurs the line between hotel and modern-art museum. In a partnership with the Museum of Wisconsin Art, 219 rooms live alongside three exhibition spaces with rotating modern art and a black-box theatre showcasing local performing arts. Artsy, rebellious and with more to discover, the Rust Belt is rising from the ashes of its industrial past. Clockwise from top left: The look at Saint Kate Arts Hotel; Mink; Circle City Industrial Complex; a dish at Marrow USA RUST BELT RENAISSANCE The American Midwest is seeing a transformation from post-industrial zone to revived hotspot with new restaurants, mixed-use developments and an artsy hotel “Maths. Definitely not my strong suit. But I have found ways if not to cure then at least to accommodate my own innumeracy, and I now lead a full, happy and outwardly quite normal life. I have even come to accept that numbers do have their uses. Consider the following: time it takes to drop an old plastic toothbrush into the bin: 0.5 seconds. Time it takes for an old plastic toothbrush to decay: up to 1,000 years. Old plastic toothbrushes that people throw away every year: 3.6 billion. Proportion of these that wind up in the sea: 80 per cent. Number of years, according to scientific reports, before the sea will contain more plastic junk, including old toothbrushes, than fish: 31. Now consider this: during a recent visit to the gorgeous new Six Senses Maxwell in Singapore, I was intrigued to find, among the kit provided in my bathroom, a magical disappearing toothbrush. It looked as if it were made from soapstone, but a note on its cardboard box pointed out that it was entirely fabricated from cornstarch, and that it would biodegrade in 180 days. Just dissolve. Six Senses was, and remains, one of the great trailblazing brands in the wellness and sustainability sectors. That, I suppose, is one of the joys of running a smallish, quirky, innovative outfit: you can indulge your hobbyhorses. Earlier this year, however, Six Senses was acquired by the InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the bigger beasts in the global hotel jungle. As I scrubbed my gnashers in my bathroom in Singapore, it occurred to me what excellent news this could be. A toothbrush is a small thing. But 3.6 billion toothbrushes a year getting pointlessly and harmfully deposited into the world’s oceans is not. And IHG has more than 840,000 rooms all around the world. Most of these rooms are occupied by two people at a time. If you could persuade two people at a time in 840,000 rooms to trade in their plastic toothbrushes for cornstarch ones, and if those rooms are booked between 290 and 350 nights a year – well, you do the maths. Please.” ODE TO A MAGICAL DISAPPEARING TOOTHBRUSH STEVE KING waxes lyrical on an everyday hotel-room amenity that’s gone environment-friendlyFebruary 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 47 WORD OF MOUTH 7-9 UDAIPUR Now in its fifth edition, the Udaipur World Music Festival (udaipurworldmusicfestival.com) will showcase artists from around the world performing in India’s City of Lakes. Welcoming a confluence of cultures and musical genres, watch Ginni Mahi perform Punjabi hip-hop and hear electro-jazz from French group No Jazz. Groove to the tunes of enchanting folk and dance music, then stroll around the picturesque city. 15-MARCH 3 MENTON Get your lemon fix at the 87th edition of Fête du Citron (0033- 49-241 7695, fete-du-citron.com) taking place in the French Riviera. The region’s second-largest event, attracting some 200,000 people, it will feature Golden Fruit Parades during the day, processions with citrus floats at night, the Exhibition of Citrus Patterns at Biovès garden and more. 17-29 DUBAI Get a seat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2020 (dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com). The ATP World Tour and the WTA Tour stop in with some of the sport’s biggest icons, such as Roger Federer, Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitová competing. Launched 26 years ago, it’s one of the city’s favourite days out. 21-26 RIO DE JANIERO The Rio Carnival may be the greatest street party in the world, with nearly two million people from around the globe gathering with the Cariocas to celebrate alongside samba parades, outlandish costumes and colourful balls. The Sambadrome is where much of the action goes down, built especially for this over-the-top event. WORDS: MANU SHARMA, LAUREL MUNSHOWER; PHOTO: DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS Plastic turned fantastic Created with a special yarn that’s made from waste intercepted from coastal areas before it reaches the ocean, these eco-conscious trainers will keep both you and our planet healthier. ALPHAEDGE 4D Parley for the Oceans, AED 1,399, adidas See Roger Federer play in Dubai February What in the world is happening this monthFor more information call 0091-93-1990 3388 or visit roseate.com GREEN IS THE NEW LUXURY At Roseate Hotels & Resorts in India, the environment is treated with as much care as its guests TRAVELLER PROMOTION A t three hotels across India, a new concept of contemporary luxury welcomes guests at Roseate Hotels & Resorts. Starting with flagship-property The Roseate New Delhi, an avant-garde urban oasis with over 1,000 trees, followed by chic city stay Roseate House New Delhi and mountain retreat The Roseate Ganges in spiritual Rishikesh, guests are immersed in an atmosphere of style and excellent service. Adding to the experience are eco-credentials that underline the brand’s dedication to the environment, with all three Indian properties recycling 100 per cent of waste water, replacing plastic straws with biodegradable ones as well as implementing a non-smoking policy. When night falls, dreams are extra sweet when falling asleep on the hotels’ plush linens, which have been sustainably produced at a Certified Green Factory. Dining goes green, too, and at sanctuary-like The Roseate an organic farm and cattle help give diners a farm-to-table and fresh-dairy experience. In the verdant Himalayan foothills, The Roseate Ganges makes the most of Uttarakhand’s bounty using organic, home-grown produce and local ingredients to put together dishes at Chidya Ghar restaurant that are flavourful, authentic and healthy; working in harmony with the resort’s Ayurvedic treatments, it’s a holistic experience that’s good for the body and the Earth on the shores on the holy river. As the first hotel in India to become LEED-certified, Roseate House goes the extra step in environmental consciousness, having attained the Gold category for its commitment to improving eco-friendly practices. In another first-in- India, it’s also certified with the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC), which includes environmental monitoring among other high-quality food standards. Check in for an exceptional Indian hotel experience that gives back to the natural world that makes travel unforgettable. From top: Villas and the private beach at The Roseate Ganges; a Deluxe Room at Roseate House New DelhiNext >