< PreviousLISBON AND THE ALGARVE PORTUGAL The city bit You can see most of Lisbon by foot or by tram. Our advice: hop on tram 28 to the beautiful Alfama district to see iconic Castelo de Sāo Jorge. Then, after a tour of the hilltop castle, make for the Pombaline downtown area to tick off landmark-lined Rossio Square, and the Museum Of Design And Fashion, housed in a grand former bank.* Destination refuel Pick up a picnic of gourmet grape, bread and cheese from the stalls at Mercado da Baixa before queuing for a pastel de nata (custard tart) at iconic pastry shop Pastéis de Belém (there are many imitations, but this is the best), then scoff it all overlooking the city in beautiful Parque Eduardo VII. Finally, head to stylish bar and club LuxFrágil for drinks and dancing. Check in at… The Lumiares in the Old City has an enviable rooftop bar, two incredible Portuguese restaurants, rooms fi lled with furniture and textiles made by local artisans, and the cobbled lanes of one of the hippest locations in town, Bairro Alto, to stumble onto when you leave its many wine bars. From Dhs690 per night; Thelumiares.com The beach bit Done Lisbon? Then take a train to Tunes station in the Algarve (around two hours). No longer Sand and CITY the Want a side of culture with your beach trip? Have the best of every world with these city- and-sea breaks that offer two holidays for the price (and effort) of one THE LUMIARES Rooftop bar views? Worth at least two more stars 90 | APRIL 2019 Now live at cosmopolitanme.com LIFE STYLIST | TRAVELthe preserve of time-share British pensioners, the Algarve is Portugal’s reinvented jewel, with golden beaches and white- washed villages. Check in at… Vila Vita Parc, a sprawling beach resort (170 rooms, suites and villas) that’s quintessentially Portuguese. You’ll love the hand-painted tiled tables and fl oors almost as much as the freshly baked *CHECK OPENING TIMES AS IT’S CURRENTLY BEING REFURBISHEDIMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED breads crowding the breakfast buff et: it’s a self-contained slice of paradise. The hardest decision you’ll make? Whether to pose by the pool (choose from indoor, infi nity or swim- up- bar) or head straight to the beach (white sand framed by stunning cliff s). If you get bored of lounging around (unlikely but still), try stand- up paddle-boarding or take a boat trip to one of the nearby sea caves. Staff are always on hand so a spritz or bucket of chips – or, hey, both – are never far away. Plus, it has a newly revamped spa that’s just become the only Sisley spa in Portugal. Try their signature full-body massage and walk out smelling of lemon, peppermint and ultimate zen. Unfortunately we couldn’t fi t in a cruise on the resort’s private yacht, but that did leave some time to hit the shops. Yep, this resort has its own mini mall fi lled with Heidi Klein kaftans and bikinis and By Rory straw hats – the sort of cool, celebrity-style beachwear we swear we’ll invest in every year but forget, so end up packing our baggy old H&M sun dress and baseball cap the night before the holiday. From Dhs1,490 per night; Vilavitaparc.com Destination refuel You don’t have to travel far because one of this resort’s restaurants, Ocean, has not one but two Michelin stars. Serving up colourful plates that feature local ingredients (think red mullet with chorizo), you can dine overlooking the Atlantic. Not your thing? There’s nine other eateries to choose from. Moroccan-inspired Aladin Grill is more relaxed with an open kitchen, giving you prime position for some handsome- chef-watching: seeing them dice, fl ip and fl ambé just does something to us, OK? (Or maybe it’s the Espumante buzz.) GET ME THERE FLIGHTS TO LISBON FROM DHS3,500 ON EMIRATES VILA VITA PARC How did we live without a wicker pool tepee? The tram or, as we call it, the Custard Tart Express VILA VITA PARC Here for all your bad “livin’ la Vila Vita” gags WORDS AMANDA STATHAM, CHRISTINA SIMONE, AMY GRIER. PHOTOGRAPHS MARIE BAISCH/BLAUBLUT EDITION/AUGUST, ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, SHUTT ERSTOCK APRIL 2019 | 91 Now live at cosmopolitanme.com LIFE STYLIST | TRAVELThe city bit Honkers’ must-sees peak with The Peak, HK island’s highest point, with all the views (it’s reached by a steep funicular railway, no need to pack climbing gear). Set your phone to fi lm mode for A Symphony Of Lights – each night at 8pm Victoria Harbour’s skyscrapers light up to music like an urban Disneyland. Watch for free on Kowloon waterfront, but it’s best seen cruising around the bay on the deck of Aqua Luna, a traditional red-sail junk boat with a bar. Shopping here is incredible, so pack light. Mega malls such as IFC have everything from Tom Ford to True and Religion, while cool streetwear can be found from the Korean boutiques on Granville Road. But our favourite is the giant Lane Crawford (Hong Kong’s answer to Selfridges) outlet, a 15-minute cab ride out of town with discounts of up to 70 per cent on every designer you can think of – plus there’s a Prada outlet down the road. For great gifts, hunt out Goods Of Desire in PMQ, a former police headquarters now fi lled with artists and designers. Want an experience that’s more off the beaten track? Book a Wanderlust Walks street-art tour in Old Town Central (aprox Dhs470, Wanderlust walkshongkong.com). Destination refuel Make like a local and sit at the counter of Little Bao to feast on sharing plates of truffl e fries, baos and fi sh tempura. Queue for a table at Tim Ho Wan to sample the city’s best dim sum (the steamed shrimp dumplings are insanely good) and some of the cheapest Michelin-star food in the world. Mott 32 serves modern traditional dishes (applewood-roasted Peking duck, smoked black cod) in gorge surroundings, and for a feast of blow-out Mediterranean cuisine (beef carpaccio, spaghetti lobster), great cocktails and an unbeatable view of HK harbour, try Paper Moon. The beach bit Take a taxi just 20 minutes out of Hong Kong Central and you’ll fi nd yourself in Repulse Bay: white sand backed by lush hillside, dotted with the priciest property on HK island. Swimming in the warm(ish) sea and brunching at hip little seafront cafés like Classifi ed (with its swinging chairs, veggie burgers and fresh juices), you’ll forget the hum of the city entirely. Kwun Yam open- air temple at one end of the beach sorts your life out in 10 minutes – walk over the little red Longevity Bridge (each crossing gains you three days’ life, apparently) then throw a coin into a giant fi sh statue’s mouth for prosperity and luck. Check in at… The Peninsula, one of HK’s oldest and best addresses. You’ll love, in no particular order, Rolls-Royce airport transfers, diving into its pool surrounded by decadent columns and statues, drinks overlooking a movie-like skyline at Felix bar, a 15-minute helicopter tour from the hotel’s rooftop helipad and the dim sum cooking class. They’re as fi ddly to make as they look, so be prepared not to want to social- media the results. Rooms from Dhs1,800; Peninsula.com/hongkong HONG KONG CHINA GET ME THERE FLIGHTS FROM DHS3,200 ON EMIRATES HK: can touch the sky just as well as Kanye THE PENINSULA Yep, totally us at 6am 92 | APRIL 2019 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TRAVELShop ’n’ surf cities Five iconic destinations to do both NICE, FRANCE A pastel city with a wonderfully retro promenade. Hit Galeries Lafayette for chic accessories, then splash out on a sunlounger on the pebble beach Stay: Hotelwindsornice.com; From Dhs290 per night SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Probably the best beach city in the world, with loads to do, from climbing the iconic bridge to a harbour tour and lounging on the golden sands of Bondi. Stay: Qthotelsandresorts.com; from Dhs650 per night CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Once you’ve taken the cable car up Table Mountain and wined and dined at V&A Waterfront, hang with the locals on Clifton Beaches’ white sands. Stay: Lagrenadine.co.za, from Dhs452 per night SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN Wander the old town, stopping for tapas and wine at the numerous pintxos bars, before laying your towel down on Zurriola Beach, a legendary surf spot. Stay: Akelarre.net; From Dhs1,770 per night LOS ANGELES, USA Spot celebs in West Hollywood, tour Universal Studios and shop Abbot Kinney’s boutiques before dinner at Shutters On The Beach. Stay: Palisociety.com; from Dhs1,530 per night New dream job *checks driver’s licence* APRIL 2019 | 93 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TRAVELBEACH BOD, ACTIVATE. RiRi never sleeps and she’s done it again by blessing us with a new blinding limited edition Fenty Body Lava Body Luminizer in shade, ‘Trophy Wife’. The deep rich golden hue will leave your skin looking like liquid gold perfection, ideal for the summery months ahead of us. She’s even brought back ‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Who Needs Clothes’ Body Lava shades, equipping our skin with all the glow we need this season. Dhs260, available at Sephora stores and at www.sephora.ae or at www.fentybeauty.com FIT-CATION! FUEL WEEKENDS AT W DUBAI THE PALM NOW – that’s the best time to start working on that beach bod and W Dubai is the place to get working on this feat. Their FUEL Weekend comes complete with celebrity workouts, killer dance parties and surprisingly healthy meals that’ll have you feeling recharged and rejuvenated. Expect to be trained by the best in the fitness biz from the likes of Bradley Simmonds, Barry’s Bootcamp, KO8 and CRANK. Leave your fatigue at the door. Dhs6,720 per person for double occupancy rooms, Dhs4,725 for single occupancy, includes 3 night stay with breakfast, workouts and culinary experiences, The W Dubai, +971 4 245 5555 The Palm, www.marriott.com Picture This FUJIFILM’s instax SHARE Sp-3 Photo Printer is here to bring your memories to life with its sensational ability to print out your photos directly from your smartphone, with the tap of your finger. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection and you’re good to go. The instax SQUARE film on what the SP-3 prints out your photo on makes for aesthetic room décor and is every retro-lover’s dream come true. With the SHARE app you can make edit the photo however you want and hit print whenever you’re satisfied with the finished product. Fab. Dhs734, Available in White and Black, www.namshi.com Aqua Woman Super SUP HIIT is just the workout for those of us who like to try new things. Put all that energy to good use and hop on their fi tmats while they work you out using resistance bands, balls and some killer exercise drills, all while in the middle of a swimming pool. The super charged 40 minute high intensity interval training is paired with funky beats that will get you grooving along. You won’t even realise you’ve been working out! It’s the perfect way to trick yourself into getting fi t for summer. Dhs120 including VAT, Drift Beach Dubai, Wednesday 8-8.40am, 9-9.40am and Saturdays 8-8.40am, 9-9.40am, +971 4 315 2200, www. supersupfit.com Shoes On! AQUAZZURA’s collaboration with Lebanese designer, Racil Chalhoub has us dreaming of floral prints, denim cut-outs and sundress days. Spring’s here and what better way to grace the season than to throw on a pair of the OTT shoe collection made up of 7 looks and 5 pairs of shoes. The union of polka dots, stripes and a magnificent vintage floral prints will make any plain dress ensemble pop. We’re obsessed. Aquazurra collab with Racil Chalhoub, available at The Dubai Mall 94 | APRIL 2019 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TO DOHair To Dye For! Affinage, the prominent UK hair care band is debuting in the U.A.E and they’re starting by popping some colour into our roots this Spring! Ditch the ordinary hues and opt for Affinage’s INFINITI® Metallics range; with incredible tones such as Pearl, Bronzed Amber, Pearl Rose, Copper Rose, Grey Rose, Mahogany Violet, Light Violet and Light Blue. The colour is packed with Shea butter and Argan oil to give your locks the extra TLC they deserve, which will leave your hair looking luscious and shine-tastic. Dhs31 per 100ml tube, 01794 527111 or visit www.affinage.com SATURDAYS SORTED Le Cirque’s Saturday brunches are the perfect weekend comedown to get you prepped for a healthy week ahead. Their deliciously curated Italian dishes with a unique Parisian flair like Scrambled Eggs with Salmon and Truffle are the perf end-of-weekend pick-me-up. There’s no other way to indulge in a bit of joie de vivre than with Le Cirque on Saturdays and they’ll also be serving up brand new brunch items every week so you can keep going back for more and more tasty treats. Don’t forget to dress chic! Dhs295 including soft beverages, Dhs395 including house beverages, Dhs495 including special beverages, Dhs695 including bubbly, from 12pm to 4pm, Le Cirque, Ritz Carlton, DIFC, + 971 4 372 2323, www.ritzcarlton.com Festival Frenzy! COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL Kicking of the hot music festival season will be the Coachella music festival come April 12, in Indigo, CA. We can’t wait to don on the fl ashiest of colours and dance the days away at the hottest music event of the season! The acts we’re most excited to see hit the stage at Coachella come April are Ariana Grande, the 1975 and Khalid. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indigo, CA, April12-21 2019, www.coachella.com A. We cant wait to FOIL FOR YOU Lottie London’s Lip and Eye Foils are a revolutionary make- up invention and they’re just quirky enough to make it into our beauty bags. The Lottie Eye Foils are iridescent and leave an ethereal glow that’s absolutely out-of-this-world. It’s just the right amount of glitter with just enough glam to step up your beauty game. The Lottie metallic Lip foils are also packed with glitter to give you that OTT sheer finish in a flash. L.O.V.E. Dhs35 for the Lottie London Eye Foils, Dhs39 for Lottie London Lip Foils, available for purchase at Virgin Megastores and online on Namshi.com and Beautysolutions-me.com. OPA, DUBAI MY BIG, FAT, GREEK RESTAURANT If you’ve watched the film, Mamma Mia enough times you’ll have fallen in love with Greek hospitality, breath-taking vistas and of course Greek food. With OPA, Dubai you’ll feel as if you’ve just been whisked away to picturesque Santorini, while you feast on their delectable Greek dishes and partake in all their Greek customary traditions like Zorba dancing and plate-smashing. Opa! OPA, Dubai, Fairmont Dubai, +971 4 357 0557, www.fairmont.com, Open from 7pm-1am on Sat to Wed and Open from 7pm to 2am Thurs to Fri WORDS: CHANTEL PEREIRA APRIL 2019 | 95 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TO DOBrekkie Hot-Spots Edgy and cool with a fun buzz, you can rock up here in sweats and eat up a storm! Team Cosmo totally binged and it was worth every calorie! Brambles Unlikely combos and bathed in powder pink, this new spot is great for a catch up with your squad. They had me at ‘kale brownie’. W hen I heard kale and brownie in one sentence, I knew Brambles was pretty special. Plus kale in dessert takes away most of the guilt. Located in Barsha Heights, Brambles is the latest spot to open in the Metro Centro Hotel. Chef Mandana Shabani, who is part Iranian and part American, has created an inspiring menu of vegan and healthy off erings, all freshly cooked on order. Breakfast is our number one fave meal of the day but tbh I would take my laptop and eat at Brambles all day! Our top picks include the shakshuka breakfast tacos, sweet potato frittata and of course the kale brownie to fi nish with. Metro central hotel, Barsha Heights, open daily from 8am- 7.30pm @Bramblesdubai 96 | APRIL 2019 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TRIED & TESTEDCassette Dxb ‘Are you edgy enough to enter?’ I asked myself as I walked through the doors of the newly opened concept bistro, Cassette Dxb, tucked into the corner of the Courtyard. Now, I’ve been to my share of places in Dubai but the Parisian décor with a curated music corner furnished with a record player and a wide selection of records alongside a bespoke Spotify playlist, made this place feel and look like nothing else we’d been to. The food was as fabulous as the vibe. I’m obsessed with the cult brekkie fave, Avo Toast, and this one scored a perfect 10 in my discerning book. Fresh avocados on a crisp bruschetta... I’ve been dreaming about it since. It’s no wonder the manager was confi dent enough to proclaim it the best Avo Toast in the city! Cassette is not just a brekkie spot. There’s plenty of delish and healthy lunch and dinner options on off er, alongside tons of detox smoothie options. If you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, dig your teeth into the crème custard fi lled French toast! It’s the perfect ending to a delish meal. The courtyard, open daily, 8am to 6pm, @Cassettedxb WORDS: CHLOE BOSHER; IMAGES: SUPPLIED APRIL 2019 | 97 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast LIFE STYLIST | TRIED & TESTEDIT’S OKAY TO BE CLICHÉ AS LONG AS YOU CONTRIBUTE. BY CARINA HSIEH Which Group-Text Stereotype Are You? What gets the fastest response from you? A Any text ripe for a Kim K. ugly-cry GIF. B When anybody is left on read for more than five mins. C Someone sending a 1:1 text to make sure I’m alive. What’s most likely to stress you out about your group chat? A No one gets my Mean Girls reference. (To be fair, it was from the DVD bonus.) B Thirty-minute silence after my “What’s everyone doing tonight?” text. C Someone else leaving the chat. I wonder what freedom feels like. At any given moment, what’s your notification sitch? A Zero. I’ll take any op to ignore the things I should be doing. B None, because the past 10 messages are from me. ;) C I disabled notifications a long time ago. Look at your phone: What’s the last thing you texted to your group thread? A A screenshot of something from @NotAllGeminis that felt relevant. B “Have you guys read any good books lately?” C I can’t scroll back that far. What do you rely on the group text for? A Distracting myself from the painful banality of everyday life. JK? B Updating people on my day and what I’m eating; sending screenshots of exes’ IGs.... C Catching up on my friends’ lives when I have time to kill. What are you most likely to blow off? A Anyone’s cute baby pics. How can I make fun of those? B I read every single message because that’s what friends are for (and they’re usually replying to something I said). C Basically anything that doesn’t require a direct response. MOSTLY A’S THE MEME QUEEN With relatable GIFs and memes at the ready, you’re the go-to for turning “haha” energy into “DEAD” energy. Things would get real quiet real fast if you weren’t constantly popping in, and everyone knows it. MOSTLY B’S THE MOMAGER You’re the only one with the initiative and follow-through to keep things flowing and make sure everybody gets love. If it weren’t for you, some messages would just go un- LOL’ed. Someone’s gotta look after the fam. MOSTLY C’S THE LURKER In this thread, you’re like Ken on Vanderpump Rules . You may not be in every episode (read: almost none), but when you eventually decide to make an obligatory appearance, everybody’s happy to see that you still care about your crew. IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK 98 | APRIL 2019 Are you following us on Instagram? @CosmoMiddleEast COSMO | QUIZDOWNLOAD THE LATEST ISSUE FOR YOUR DEVICE FROM THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY Download the digital issue of COSMOPOLITAN MIDDLE EAST for only Dhs10.99 and start building your archive NOW!Next >