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n an







E X P E R I E N C E S taxi ride to the Star Castle (star-castle.co.uk;
doubles from $97), a family-run hotel set within a
16th-century garrison.
But with remoteness comes an intense and
memorable sense of place. The Isles, I soon
discovered, are a place where you go to be rather
than to do. Just taking a morning stroll feels like
an uplifting celebration of the senses: the
delicate scent of the Isles’ famous narcissi, the
taste of salt air, endless blue skies. Leave the London
bucket list behind: here you feel deep
satisfaction seeing a pod of porpoises or a colony
of seals or just rambling among ruins (Scilly has
more than all of Cornwall put together). People Isles of Scilly
tend to return year after year, which means the
new visitor needs to plan ahead (a London art
dealer told me he had booked his spot at a
campsite a year in advance). we ate delicate pan-seared scallops and watched
Scilly feels as timeless as the tides that exert the boats glide by in the harbor.
so much influence over daily life on the islands. We walked the two-mile length of St. Martin’s
It’s the sort of place where a dramatically placed on immaculate coastal paths lined with heather,
oceanfront rope swing, just down the path from gorse, and blackberries, stopping at Adam’s
a community apple orchard and next to an (adams fish and chips.co.uk; entrées $9–$16), for
ancient burial site, counts as a genuine phenomenal fish-and-chips, and the Island
attraction (more than one person suggested we Bakery (theisland bakery-stmartins.com), for
visit). Rather than flashy nightclubs, there’s the Cornish pasties and ginger cakes. Then we toured
Bishop & Wolf (staustell brewery.co.uk), where on Cosmos (cosmosscilly.co.uk), the EU-funded
a weekly basis you can hear locals play observatory, to stare at the sun through filtered
traditional folk songs on fiddles and other telescopes and “rockpooled” with the Isles of
instruments—feel free to bring your own. Scilly Wildlife Trust (ios-wildlife trust.org.uk),
There’s also the Low Tide Event, a pop-up food turning over clumps of seaweed at low tide to
and music festival that takes place several times uncover what to us were exotic marine specimens.
a year, depending on the tides, in the channel On Tresco, the island where Archipelago was
separating Tresco and Bryher. Normally 20 feet filmed, we spent most of our day at the Abbey
underwater, on certain days it’s temporarily Gardens (tresco.co.uk), which are right next to the
dry enough to traverse. ruins of a Benedictine abbey. They are filled with
Each isle has its own distinct feel, so we spent thousands of tropical flowers and plants, as well as
our days shuttling between them on the vessels the Valhalla Collection, a grouping of gorgeously
of the St. Mary’s Boatmen’s Association—one of polychromatic, haunting ship’s figureheads From left: The
the companies that provides transport between salvaged from shipwrecks off the Isles. Garrison Bell
the islands. St. Mary’s is the largest and most On windblown, rocky St. Agnes, I tasted Tower, in Hugh
Town, the
populated, with actual two-way roads and the some of the most luxuriant ice cream I’ve ever
capital of Scilly;
most dining options. At its newest restaurant, had at Troytown Farm (troytown.co.uk), which the main path
On the Quay (onthequay.com; entrées $20–$32), claims to be the smallest dairy in the U.K. On on St. Martin’s.



ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAY PARSEY




T+L A-LIST INTEL
“Tahiti’s Le Taha’a Island Resort offers ‘drift snorkeling,’ where instead of paddling, you let the current push
you through the crystal-clear waters, which are teeming with brightly colored parrotfish and coral.”
— FRENCH POLYNESIA SPECIALIST CHRISTINA TURRINI ([email protected])






48 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

GETTING THERE
AND AROUND
Take a train to
Penzance, in Cornwall,
then reach St. Mary’s
via either a quick flight
with the airline Skybus
(islesofscilly-travel.
co.uk) or a three-hour
ferry ride on the
Scillonian (islesof
scilly-travel.co.uk;
operates March to
November). The
St. Mary’s Boatmen’s
Association (scilly
St. Martin’s boating.co.uk) has a
the way back to the ferry we bought
fleet that transports
apples from one of a seemingly Bryher visitors between the
endless array of farm stands, which five main islands.
offer organic vegetables and Tresco There are no cars for
hire; to get around,
ridiculously affordable bouquets.
rent a bike or an
As our boat pulled out of St. Mary’s, electric golf cart.
I thought about what the volunteer
astronomer who’d given us a tour of the TRAVEL PLANNER
U.K. specialist Ellen
observatory had told me. “No one ever St. Mary’s
visits the Isles of Scilly once,” she said. LeCompte (ellen@
lecompte travel.com;
I pulled out my phone. o ci 804-510-0608) is a
“I’m just going to check on some member of T+L’s A-List
cottages for next summer,” I told my of travel advisors.
She can incorporate
husband.
a multiday visit to the
“I already sent you some links,” he Isles of Scilly into a
replied. St. Agnes Britain itinerary.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 49

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Relaxed Romance © 2020 MEREDITH CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.



in the British Virgin Islands




Whether you’re seeking adventure or peace and quiet,
the British Virgin Islands are the perfect place to celebrate
your love, reconnect, and discover one of nature’s best-kept secrets.
Be Love Birds on Jost Van Dyke

Toast your significant other with sweet Painkiller
cocktails overlooking White Bay Beach at the
iconic Soggy Dollar bar and experience BVI’s
Flirt with Tortola legendary sailing with easy, island-hopping

On BVI’s largest island, get your heart pumping excursions. Pop over to Sandy Cay for fantastic
with windsurfing and water sports on Cane snorkeling, Sandy Spit for a secluded beach day,
Garden Bay Beach, a popular anchorage for boats and Diamond Cay for a scenic bird sanctuary
lined with lively restaurants and bars. Or, head to surrounded by powdery beaches and rocky cliffs.
Long Bay Beach for a mile-long stretch flanked by
stylish resorts and quiet places to swim. Hide Away on Anegada
Expanded ferry service from Tortola to Anegada
Sneak Kisses on Virgin Gorda has simplified getting to this one-road island
Snap adorable selfies amid the pretty coves and known for its off-the-radar feel, small hotels,
granite boulders of The Baths and swim in the and protected pink flamingos. Grab cocktails on

crystal-clear water of nearby Spring Bay Beach. Cow Wreck Beach—or cuddle up on a hammock
Bring along a thoughtfully packed picnic basket along lovely Loblolly Bay Beach.
for an al fresco lunch and explore the 5.5-acre
Spring Bay National Park, featuring small coves For more places to go in the British Virgin Islands,
ideal for snorkeling. visit bvitourism.com.

The Baths, Virgin Gorda.





CLOSER TOGETHER





AWAY FROM IT ALL.




Uncover the true spirit of the Caribbean from sunup to sundown.
Stay on land where endless possibilities are just a beach away,
or explore out at sea with the wind in your sails. Wherever your

compass takes you, your trip will be one of a kind.


















































































BVITOURISM.COM | 1-800-835-8530


Tortola | Virgin Gorda | Jost Van Dyke | Anegada | Cooper Island | Guana Island
Little Thatch | Necker Island | Norman Island | Peter Island | Saba Rock | Scrub Island

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Cuba p.64
p.55

Bermuda
p.57









British Virgin Islands p.64

St. Martin/
Jamaica
Vieques
p.65
p.57
p.54
T + L
Dominica
ISL AND p.60
ESCAPES


St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
Barbados
p.64
p.60






















+ Bermuda and the Bahamas




Change is in the air in this part of the world. Despite
the challenges posed by the past few hurricane
seasons, there’s a buzz throughout the islands that is
TETRA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY
unmistakable. New and improved hotels are popping
up from the Bahamas to Dominica; a locally-grown-
food scene is flourishing in Barbados; and the
hard-hit Puerto Rican island of Vieques is now
a model of resilience and ingenuity. Here, to help
plan your winter escape, our collection of the

best experiences to book now.
EDITED BY HANNAH WALHOUT AND JOHN WOGAN













T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 53

VIVA VIEQUES

Though battered by Hurricane Maria, this rugged island off
mainland Puerto Rico has found a renewed sense of purpose
in the process of recovery. SARA B. FRANKLIN discovers
what has been lost—and what is flourishing once again.





SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT of Sylvia De Marco’s jeep
I as we wound uphill on a road flanked by untamed
foliage. It was fall of 2019, and I had just arrived on
Vieques after a short but breathtaking flight from San Juan.
De Marco, a designer and the proprietor of Dreamcatcher, a
hotel on the main island, acted as my unofficial guide.
She had recently taken over what was left of a scrappy,
50- year- old retreat in the Vieques hills—leveled during the
hurricane—and rebuilt it as La Finca Victoria (lafinca.com;
doubles from $139), which opened last February for its
inaugural season.
“The word hurricane comes from the indigenous Taino
word hurakán, ‘god of the storm,’ ” De Marco told me.
Though the memory of Maria was fresh, she dispelled the
notion that disasters are in any way novel to Vieques. “This
island has survived so many waves of colonialism,” she
explained, veering to avoid one of the many horses that run














































Horseback
riding at
Esperanza
Beach, on
Vieques.

Construction on El Blok (elblok.com; doubles from C A R I B B E A N S P E C I A L
$140)—a striking concrete hotel in the town of
Esperanza—was under way, and everyone was
excited about its forthcoming restaurant by
San Juan chef Jose Enrique.
Maria came as a punch to the gut. If Puerto
Rico was abandoned after the storm, Vieques—
reliant upon ferries for groceries and gasoline—
was doubly so. Many residents left, unable or
unwilling to rebuild. The destination is still in
recovery. Those who remained, like De Marco,
feel a deep sense of loyalty. “Until Maria, a lot
of people had forgotten the potential this island
has to support the community here,” she told
me. “By making us vulnerable, the disaster
helped us wake up.”
Today, De Marco’s 12-room inn and wellness
retreat is completely transformed— save for the
wild. Vieques has had a tumultuous history, as the From left: The giant rubber tree still shading the walkway. There
site of conquest, annexation, plantation slavery, ayurvedic are many millennial-friendly updates: vegan
kitchen at La
and, famously, dangerous munitions testing by breakfast and daily yoga, an honor bar with
Finca Victoria,
the U.S. military after World War II that continued a guesthouse locally brewed kombucha, and a boutique market
until 2003. In that context, De Marco sees Maria and wellness stocked with homegrown herbal teas and jewelry,
as just the latest episode in a series of cycles. retreat on clothing, and artwork by Puerto Rican women.
Vieques; a
I had stayed at La Finca in its previous But De Marco is more interested in cultivating
mango served
incarnation in 2014. Visitors were flocking to on property. long-term success and sustainability than she is
Vieques, a densely forested island with black-sand in being on trend.
beaches and bioluminescent waters, and the place So is Vieques native Ivan Torres Ortiz, owner
was flush with development. The W, by far the of the Crab Island Rum (crabisland rum.com)
largest and most luxurious hotel ever built there, distillery, which De Marco took me to visit.
had opened a few years earlier. The Modernist, “I wanted to stay on Vieques,” he explained, in a
13-room Hix Island House (hixisland house.com; room stacked with barrels containing his first
doubles from $160) had recently expanded. commercial batch. “But I wanted to find work in







T+L A-LIST INTEL
“One upside to the ban on cruises from the U.S. to Cuba: fewer crowds in Old Havana. New
casas particulares, such as Casa Chacon, a lovingly restored property, offer great value and
put money directly into the hands of Cubans.”

— CUBA SPECIALIST JOE SANDILLO ([email protected])





PHOTOGRAPHS BY SORAYA MATOS T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 55

C A R I B B E A N S P E C I A L something other than construction and
bioluminescence tours.” The distillery, housed
inside a former U.S. Navy firehouse in a rural
green valley, offers tastings in a tent outside, and
will soon feature pop-ups with local chefs. Ortiz
hopes businesses like Crab Island can help brand
Vieques as being about more than just beaches.
“My product will create a lot of jobs, even if
indirectly.” De Marco nodded in agreement as we
sipped a smooth, orange-infused rum.
While Ortiz focuses on lowering
unemployment, others are imagining self-
sufficiency literally from the ground up. We
headed uphill, past the skeletons of once-showy
homes, to La Finca Conciencia (finca conciencia.
com), where De Marco sources produce for her
inn. This organic farm is aimed at improving
food security and reviving local growing The terrace contaminated soil, but Cora’s work is planting
practices. Farmer Jorge Cora greeted us at the of a suite at the seeds for a nascent food-autonomy
La Finca
gate, and De Marco proceeded slowly around his movement. As a downpour broke, he packed up
Victoria.
terraced gardens, snipping holy basil, mustard our crate of eggplants, and we departed.
greens, and flowers, pinching leaves and asking On my last evening, I drove north from Finca
questions. My attention was divided between the Victoria, past the still-shuttered W, where vines
tiers of hives, home to Vieques’s unique species and saplings are overtaking the whitewashed
of honeybees, and the stunning vista of the sea walls as nature reasserts its claim. I then cut back
beyond. The legacy of weapons testing on to Esperanza, on the southern shore, and sat on a
Vieques means farmers sometimes face fishing pier across from El Blok. Islanders have
come to appreciate this Brutalist behemoth; the
building, with its massive generator, housed relief
workers and displaced locals after the storm, and
became a hub for emergency services. Puerto
Blok Punch, a El Blok’s Rican–born Carlos Perez, who became executive
cocktail served Esquina suites chef at El Blok’s restaurant Placita (elblok.com;
at Placita, in have two entrées $20–$35) after Jose Enrique returned to
Esperanza’s walls of floor-
El Blok hotel. to-ceiling San Juan, provided thousands of free meals. El
windows. Blok was also the first hotel to reopen after Maria,
welcoming guests just two months later.
I headed to dinner at my favorite restaurant
on Vieques, El Guayac‡n (fb.com/restelguayacan;
entrées $15–$20), an unassuming place at the
end of Esperanza’s main strip. Its proprietor,
Marcos Vegas Arias, is one of the few restaurant
chefs on the island who serve traditional Puerto
Rican home cooking: stewed chicken, tostones
slathered in garlicky green sauce, vinegary conch
salad. El Guayacán feels both of, and for, Vieques—
a beacon of purpose that has survived both literal
disaster and failed disaster management. I
watched an electric-orange sun sink into the
Caribbean as the musicians in the restaurant
sipped Medalla Lights between sets. A few people,
reunited for another tourist season, greeted one
another in Spanglish—“Hola, welcome back.”

DOUBLE THE FUN

Been to Bermuda lately? This Atlantic isle (we know it’s not in the Caribbean,
but it shares a common spirit with the region) is booming, thanks to
spiffed-up hotels and regular airlift from the States. Here’s why it’s perfect
Jamaica, James for both honeymooners and fun-loving families.
Bond Style BY JACQUELINE GIFFORD







IN APRIL, special agent Bond
will return to the island for
the 25th official 007 movie:
No Time to Die. It’s a great
year for travelers to visit
overall. At GoldenEye
(golden eye.com; doubles
from $715), fans can rent
out the cliff-top villa (from
H O N E Y M O O N F A M I L Y G E T A W A Y
$6,365) where Ian Fleming
wrote the original 12 Bond Where to Stay
novels in the 1950s and
The Rosewood Bermuda recently Kids love the Hamilton Princess for
60s—and where Daniel swapped out its formal, slightly the free snacks in the Gold Lounge
Craig, Léa Seydoux, and dated décor in favor of a more and harbor-front infinity pool. Its
Naomie Harris gathered to youthful look. The Conservatory, Beach Club, a short shuttle ride
a new open-air lounge, is the away, has a pirate-themed
launch the new movie. And
perfect place for a G&T. rosewood playground. thehamilton princess.
this summer, the property hotels.com; doubles from $495. com; doubles from $399.
will debut a three-bedroom
lagoon villa and two one- Where to Eat
bedroom lagoon cottages.
Over in Montego Bay, Little Venice is a Hamilton Rustico, in Flatts Village, makes the
institution with a hushed best pizza on the island. Come
Half Moon, a member of
atmosphere and excellent pastas. evening, the patio is busy with
Preferred Hotels & Resorts Order the linguine with Guinea families wolfing down perfectly
(half moon.com; doubles chicks (a Bermudan term for spiny crisp margherita and quattro
from $305), is another place lobster) when they’re in season. stagioni pies. bermuda-dining.
littlevenice.com; entrées $29–$47. com; entrées $15–$40.
to experience Fleming’s
Jamaica. Remember the
What to Do
scene in Live and Let Die in
which Roger Moore takes Couples massage, anyone? With If you need a break from the
down a snake with a can of Winnow, a Bermudan app that beach, take the kids to the
shaving foam and a lit cigar? gives access to curated small but still informative
experiences, you can book an Bermuda Aquarium, also in
It was filmed in Half Moon’s
80-minute treatment inside the Flatts Village, to spot eels,
Cottage 10. The entire island’s famous crystal caves. balloonfish, gray triggerfish,
resort, with its seafront winnow.life; $224 per person. seals, and more. bamz.org.
gazebos and colonial-style
architecture, feels like a Friday, not Saturday, is the big Hot Tip A new VIP airport arrival service
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAY PARSEY tuxedos at dinner. Which is night to party on the island. Head lets you cut straight to the front of
throwback to the era of


not to say it’s stuck in the
the line—key if you’re traveling
to Hamilton when the locals start
with multiple children, bags, and
past: 57 new cottages will
going out—happy hour begins
promptly at 5 p.m.
strollers. Arrange through your
be added this year. Just be
hotel or at skyport.com.
sure to check the bathroom
for snakes. ― FLORA STUBBS

T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 57

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sustainability—are creating a new Bajan cuisine.
TALENT TAKES ROOT
Cobblers Cove is one of the few hotels of its
In Barbados, SARAH GREAVES-GABBADON finds young chefs caliber with a restaurant, Camelot (entrées
bucking Eurocentric trends to create a cuisine that is $37–$60), helmed by a local.
authentically, unapologetically Bajan. “Visitors like to know that they’re eating
something fresh and traditional to the island,”
continued Joseph, whose kitchen is steps from the
water. Under his watch, Camelot no longer serves
From left: Chef HEN I WAS A KID, my cousin and I imported items like smoked salmon or berries.
Javon Cummins; W taught ourselves to cook,” Jason Joseph Instead, Joseph chooses smoked barracuda and
dishes at told me during my recent trip to the a bounty of island fruits, and his breakfast buffet
Tapestry, where
Cummins is British Commonwealth nation of Barbados. “We includes yogurt flavored with mauby, a bittersweet
executive chef. didn’t have money to dine out, so we would fend beverage made from tree bark that’s common in
for ourselves.” Their hard work paid off: the chef, Barbados. He invited me to try his interpretation
who hails from Lower Carlton, now leads the of souse—boiled pork belly, trotters, ears, and
kitchen at Cobblers Cove (cobblers cove.com; snout marinated in lime and typically served at
doubles from $400), a Relais & Châteaux resort room temperature. Joseph’s version was an elegant
on the western coast. I had come to check out update, prepared with curled purple “sea cat” (as
the property’s recent renovation, and to meet locals call octopus) and tender chunks of fresh-
one of a new wave of chefs who—inspired by the caught conch. Served in a sculptural white bowl,
food they grew up with and with an eye toward it was flecked with bits of scarlet Scotch bonnet








T+L A-LIST INTEL COURTESY OF TREASURE BEACH BY ELEGANT HOTELS

“I’m excited about Dominica’s new Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, near Cabrits
National Park. Guests can horseback-ride to the hot springs in the park for a dip.”

— CARIBBEAN SPECIALIST MARGIE HAND ([email protected])






60 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

A Barbados
pepper and embellished with edible flowers. Luckily, fishermen and farmers are
I found a similar philosophy at Tapestry increasingly able to deliver ingredients Culinary
(elegant hotels.com; entrées $26–$41), the (octopus, sea urchin, purslane) to her Checklist
restaurant at Treasure Beach (doubles from door daily—and soon, more will start
$540), where 27-year-old Javon Cummins of arriving from ECO’s own recently
Christ Church heads up the kitchen. Cummins planted plot.
made his first dish, a pan of muffins, at just six Chef Nathan Crichlow needs only No visit to Barbados
years old. “I know now that they were horrible!” to step outside his kitchen to reap would be complete
he joked. “But my mother started buying me a Bajan bounty. His breakfast-and- without a meal at the
Cliff (thecliffbarbados.
cookbooks, and from there my love for cooking lunch restaurant, the Chrysalis Café
com; prix fixe from
just grew.” Cummins’s menu may include a (pegbarbados.com; entrées $14–$20), $133), where British
velvety soup made from curried breadfruit, the is at the 108-acre PEG Farm & Nature chef Paul Owens helms
starchy staple brought to the Caribbean in the Reserve, which grows organic produce the kitchen—it’s been
18th century to feed the enslaved population, and raises free-range cows, chickens, a star of the dining
scene since it opened
or an open-faced sandwich of flying fish on and pigs. Established in 2013 by Paul
in 1995. Also worth a
focaccia, which has its roots in the fish “cutter” Bourne, the farm’s mission—People, stop is La Cabane
(Bajan for sandwich) that’s considered an Environment, Growth—includes (lacabanebarbados.
unofficial national dish. restoring land depleted by centuries of com; entrées $20–
$45), a French-owned
I tasted another cutter at ECO Lifestyle & Lodge sugarcane production and supplying
beach bar with a great
(ecolifestyle odge.com; doubles from $160), this the community with nutrient-rich food. wine list and live
l
one piled with roasted eggplant. Opened in 2018, Crichlow enjoys first dibs on PEG’s music. Barbados’s
the 10-room lodge on the rugged Atlantic coast harvest. His menu at the Chrysalis offers most famous cutter
is centered around wellness and sustainability. twists on familiar flavors, like a roast has been served for
more than half a cen-
There, St. James–born chef Alisha Stoute serves chicken bowl with fried plantains and
tury at nearby Pebbles
mostly seafood and plant-based dishes. The 33- garlic-chive dressing or a vegan hash Beach, where Cuz, of
year-old, Cordon Bleu–trained Stoute admits that of breadfruit, okra, curried eggplant, Cuz’s Fish Shack (cuzs
consistency of ingredients is a challenge—produce and wilted sweet-potato leaves. fish shack.restaurant
COURTESY OF SUNTOURS BARBADOS lack of resources. Still, her goal is “always local.” me on my last day there. “Don’t come sandwiches—each
snapshot.com), turns
“I wish people would come and
grown on Barbados has historically been limited
out his $5 marlin
taste the real Barbados,” Crichlow told
not only by the island’s coral soil but also by a
fried up on a single hot
plate in his tiny wooden
here to eat Yorkshire pudding and
stall. And be sure to
Dover sole. You should be enjoying
head to Oistins, a fish-
mahi-mahi, flying fish, and barracuda.”
The Chrysalis Café, at PEG Farm &
ing town on the south-
As I savored my pan-seared
ern coast, for the
Nature Reserve, which emphasizes
amberjack, I had to agree.
legendary Friday night
organic ingredients grown on site.
Oistins Fish Fry—there
are more than 30 stalls
to choose from, includ-
ing standout Pat’s
Place, serving grilled
mahi-mahi and maca-
roni pie since 2003.
Visit Mount Gay Rum
(mount gay rum.com)—
Barbados claims to be
the birthplace of the
spirit—to taste the
work of Trudiann
Branker, the island’s
first female master
blender. Barbados is
also known for its fabu-
lous Food & Rum
Festival (food and rum.
com; October 2020),
the perfect event to
build a trip around.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 61

THE FLU SUCKS





EVERYTHING OUT OF YOU.
























































Feel better in just over

2 days with XOFLUZA. *


When the flu hits, the fever, aches and chills can flatten you


fast. Over-the-counter medicines just treat symptoms, but


prescription XOFLUZA works differently. It attacks the flu
virus at its source with just one dose. But your window for
prescription treatment is short, so you need to act fast.




Ask your doctor about XOFLUZA within 48 hours of your first symptoms.

*On average, patients felt better in 2.3 days versus 3.3 days with placebo.



INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
XOFLUZA is a prescription medicine used to treat the flu in people 12 years of age and older who have had

flu symptoms for no more than 48 hours.

Do not take XOFLUZA if you are allergic to baloxavir marboxil or any of the ingredients in XOFLUZA.
If you develop an allergic reaction, call your doctor immediately.




XOFLUZA is not effective in treating infections other than influenza.
Please see the following page for brief summary.

Brief Summary
XOFLUZA™ (zoh-FLEW-zuh) (baloxavir marboxil) tablets

What is XOFLUZA?


XOFLUZA is a prescription medicine used to treat the flu (influenza) in people 12 years of age and older who

have had flu symptoms for no more than 48 hours. It is not known if XOFLUZA is safe and effective in children

less than 12 years of age or weighing less than 88 pounds (40 kg).
Do not take XOFLUZA if you are allergic to baloxavir marboxil or any of the ingredients in XOFLUZA.

Before you take XOFLUZA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if XOFLUZA can harm your unborn baby.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XOFLUZA passes into your breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter
medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.


Talk to your healthcare provider before you receive a live flu vaccine after taking XOFLUZA.
How should I take XOFLUZA?
• Take XOFLUZA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
• Your healthcare provider will prescribe 2 tablets of XOFLUZA you will take at the same time as a single dose.
• Take XOFLUZA with or without food.
• Do not take XOFLUZA with dairy products, calcium-fortified beverages, laxatives, antacids or oral

supplements containing iron, zinc, selenium, calcium or magnesium.

If you take too much XOFLUZA, go to the nearest emergency room right away.

What are the possible side effects of XOFLUZA?


XOFLUZA may cause serious side effects, including:
Allergic reactions. Get emergency medical help right away if you develop any of these signs and symptoms
of an allergic reaction:
• trouble breathing • swelling of your face, throat or mouth
• skin rash, hives or blisters • dizziness or lightheadedness

The most common side effects of XOFLUZA in adults and adolescents include:

• bronchitis • nausea • diarrhea • sinusitis • headache


XOFLUZA is not effective in treating infections other than influenza. Other kinds of infections can appear like



flu or occur along with flu and may need different kinds of treatment. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel


worse or develop new symptoms during or after treatment with XOFLUZA or if your flu symptoms do not
start to get better.

These are not all the possible side effects of XOFLUZA.


Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Keep XOFLUZA and all medicines out of the reach of children.

General information about the safe and effective use of XOFLUZA.

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do
not use XOFLUZA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give XOFLUZA to other people,
even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. You can ask for information about
XOFLUZA that is written for health professionals.

You are encouraged to report side effects to Genentech by calling 1-888-835-2555 or to the FDA by visiting

www.fda.gov/medwatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088.


For more information, go to www.xofluza.com








PAY AS $30 Visit XOFLUZA.com/save or text


LITTLE AS COUPON to 96260 to get a coupon.

BOUTIQUE BAHAMAS
C A R I B B E A N S P E C I A L Swimming with Dorian, the storm left most of the archipelago’s 700 islands untouched. It’s
While Grand Bahama and the Abacos face years of rebuilding after Hurricane


an exciting time to visit, thanks to a group of recently arrived and renovated
indie hotels that channel the pride of their owners. BY HANNAH WALHOUT

squirrelfish in the
British Virgin Islands.
1. NEW PROVIDENCE
With a Zen aesthetic 2. ELEUTHERA floor-to-ceiling
windows facing the
You’ll find the Other
and an art-house Side on one of the sea. onthe os.com;
Dive in to cinema, the 30-room country’s least doubles from $600.
the BVIs Island House is an developed islands. 3. SOUTH ANDROS
alternative to
Less beach resort and
Nassau’s larger more solar- powered HGTV Canada stars
resorts. Guests have safari camp, the luxe Bryan and Sarah
Did you know? These access to a private tented suites and Baeumler purchased
beach club nearby. hilltop cottages will an abandoned 1960s
islands have some of
the-island-house.com; soon be joined by resort and trans-
the best scuba spots doubles from $395. three villas with formed it into the 24-
in the region. Kay Van room Caerula Mar,
which opens this
month. It’s the first
Abaco new hotel in nearly 20
Islands
years, and has inspired
loves Seal Dog Rock, other businesses, like
Grand
off her home of Bahama conch shacks and
Virgin Gorda. The fishing charters.
site, ideal for all e a
levels, teems with doubles from $375.
rays, barracuda, and
sharks. She also After Dorian, the team
recognizes Beyond
Kamalame Cay raised
the Reef, which
more than $30,000 for
designs artificial reefs the residents of the
to boost marine life.
The nonprofit North
Andros owners David and
created a new
Michael King-Hew from
“wreck” last year
when it submerged
the Willy T, a beloved
barge bar damaged
by Hurricane Irma,
off Peter Island. And
Van Leuven says the COURTESY OF BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TOURIST BOARD AND FILM COMMISSION. ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY
best wreck in the
Caribbean is the
RMS Rhone, a 310-foot
U.K. Royal Mail ship
that sank off Salt
Island in 1867. Louisa
Fisher (louisa@
original diving.com),
the dive specialist on
the T+L A-List, can
help plan a trip.
— REBECCA
ASCHER-WALSH






64 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

The pool and C A R I B B E A N S P E C I A L
private beach
at Belmond
La Samanna,
open again on
St. Martin’s Baie
Longue.






THE COMEBACK KIDS
operational. There is complimentary shuttle service
The twin-nation island of St. Martin/St. Maarten, one of the between the two properties, so guests can enjoy views
worst hit during the storms of 2017, is officially getting its of the bay from both vantage points.
groove back. BY SARAH GREAVES-GABBADON On the Dutch side, Sonesta has rebuilt its two all-
inclusive properties. The 130-key, adults-only Ocean
Point Resort (sonesta.com; doubles from $309 per
person) has added two restaurants: tapas-focused Casa
Blue and the romantic Candlelit Island Grill. All 420
ITH BOTH AIRPORTS open and the blue- rooms at its family-friendly neighbor Maho Beach
W tarped construction zones long gone, this (sonesta.com; doubles from $199 per person) have been
half-French, half-Dutch island is doing its given an update, with a renovated spa and the addition
best to put Hurricane Irma in the rearview. In fact, of a teen club. A Montauk dining staple moves to the
65 percent of the resorts are up and running again this island this spring with the debut of Navy Beach
season. Among the most spectacular is Belmond St. Maarten (navy beach.com; entrées $21–$36), a new
La Samanna (belmond.com; doubles from $545), an restaurant at IGY Yacht Club Isle de Sol. The second of
83-room grande dame that’s been given a full the brand’s two Caribbean openings (the other, at
redesign. The polished revamp, which coincided with St. Thomas’s Yacht Haven Grande, launched in
necessary structural repairs, extends to all public December), it will offer poolside daybeds, a horseshoe-
shaped teak bar, and dining overlooking Simpson Bay.
areas—including the Baie Longue Bar and the main
COURTESY OF BELMOND LA SAMANNA know that the 12,000-bottle La Cave, said to be the parade of over-the-top yachts passing through the
Come sunset, ascend to the Sky Deck and watch the
restaurant, L’Oursin—but oenophiles will be glad to
marina. Also on Simpson Bay: the reopened Karakter
largest private wine cellar in the Caribbean, remains
(karakter stmaarten.com; entrées $14–$34), a school bus
unchanged. Also on the French side, the 10-room
beachfront boutique Le Petit Hotel (lepetit hotel.com;
turned bar that, just minutes from the SXM runway,
doubles from $475), in Grand Case, and its hillside
serves as an unofficial departure lounge for in-the-know
sister a mile away, the 24-room Hotel L’Esplanade
travelers. Swing by before you leave and raise an Amstel
Bright to the resilient island’s brilliant future.
(lesplanade.com; doubles from $425), are fully



T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 65

find your island paradise



The luxuries of a modern resort and the privacy of a secluded home, sea oats Captiva’s eleven-bedroom
rental estate offers breathtaking views and exclusive amenities for an unmatched getaway. nestled between

the Gulf of Mexico and one of florida’s pristine preserves, sea oats Captiva is a modern island escape.
offering unique grounds and comforts, sea oats’ guests can improve their game on our tennis and basketball

courts, kayak and paddle board by our scenic dock, and take in beautiful sunsets on the beach.
With accommodations for parties of up to 30 guests, sea oats Captiva is the premier coastal estate.

available for full-home rentals only, with minimum one-week stays. Great for families, corporate retreats,
and intimate weddings.
























www.SeaOatsCaptivaIsland.com | 800-787-5829

Intelligent



The








Traveler















TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU TRAVEL SMARTER
Edited by SARAH BRUNING




















AC C E S S I B L E
T R AV E L E DI T IO N



A World of
Potential



Certain destinations and
experiences have historically
been tricky—or even
impossible—for people with
DYLAN GEE @ EXTREME KID PRODUCTIONS/COURTESY OF MAKINGTRAX
disabilities or some physical
conditions to navigate. But in
recent years, there’s been a
push to make travel more
inclusive. Here, our guide to
how the shift impacts us all.







Operators like
New Zealand–based
Makingtrax can make
paragliding possible
for those in wheelchairs.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 67

Five Online
Resources to

T H E I N T E L L I G E N T T R AV E L E R ABLETHRIVE
Bookmark






The travel section of this
lifestyle site for people with
disabilities blends in-depth
destination reviews and
recommendations with
community-sourced travel
hacks. To find the most
relevant topics, you can
filter stories by specific
impairments and mobility
levels. ablethrive.com.

HANDISCOVER
One of the most thorough
sites out there for accessible
accommodations, this
A travel advisor can help people with mobility issues track down suitable trails booking engine has more
around the world, including this one in Sićevo, Serbia. than 23,000 listings in
50 countries. Users can
narrow results by mobility
level, plus variables like city
Accessibility Goes Global size, price, and number of
guests. handiscover.com.
Exploring the world with disabilities still isn’t easy, says wheelchair user
ACCESSIBLEGO
MELISSA BLAKE. But as societies become more inclusive, she finds the A one-stop shop for travelers
travel industry stepping up to do its part. with disabilities who are
looking to book hotels,
cruises, transportation, and
more, this platform allows you
AST SUMMER, I headed from mobility— particularly in unfamiliar to filter by accessibility needs,
L my home in Illinois with my places—has always been complex. including ramped entrances,
mother and sister to New York I’d heard horror stories about how braille menus, and hearing
City to visit a cousin. We’d scored ill-equipped New York’s subway systems. accessiblego.com.
tickets to the Broadway show Ain’t Too stations were, so I opted instead to
HAVE DISABILITY,
Proud, and I couldn’t wait to explore use lift-equipped taxis (to my relief, WILL TRAVEL
Central Park. But in addition to the they were plentiful). And the Broadway This podcast spotlights
excitement of seeing the city, a host theater had accessible seats. While personalities like Neha Arora,
the founder of travel
of questions loomed: Would I be able challenges certainly remain, my
company Planet Abled. It’s
to navigate the packed Manhattan New York trip offered proof that travel produced by the Accessible
sidewalks in my wheelchair? What is becoming more inclusive. Travel Forum, which has a
about maneuvering around the city’s The story of the accessible travel useful discussion board for
people with special needs.
notoriously small hotel rooms? Even movement is one of slow, incremental
accessible travel forum.com.
with good information online and a progress. Several milestone regulations
relative who knew the city intimately, were passed in the late 1980s, such as AIRBNB
I felt a strong sense of apprehension. the Air Carrier Access Act, which When Airbnb bought
accessible vacation listing
Vacationing with a disability can be implemented aviation requirements
site Accomable in 2017, the
complicated. I was born with Freeman- and prohibited discriminatory rules,
home-sharing behemoth
Sheldon Syndrome, a genetic and the Americans with Disabilities Act, rolled the start-up’s 1,100
musculoskeletal disorder that’s led to which introduced structural and listings into its massive
more than 20 corrective surgeries in inventory standards for hotels and database. Airbnb’s search
function can now screen for
15 years and requires the use of an other lodgings. But it wasn’t until 2008
needs like step-free access GETTY IMAGES
electric wheelchair to get around. And that baseline rights and protections, and wide hallways. airbnb.
despite being otherwise healthy, such as physical accessibility to com. — MADELINE BILIS






68 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

Hotels are upping their game,
too. In 2017, Beaches Resorts became
The alpine terrain the first such company in the world
of Slovenia’s Logar to be designated as a Certified Autism
Valley can be Center, with at least 80 percent of the T H E I N T E L L I G E N T T R AV E L E R
enjoyed on a
wheelchair- staff at its three properties trained to
friendly path. work with autistic guests.
Travel has always had the potential
to build empathy by bridging cultural
and geographic divides. Now it’s
activities and locations, were Gatwick and Heathrow airports building even greater understanding
established on a more global scale by have introduced green “sunflower” by addressing the personal challenges
the United Nations’ Convention on lanyards to help staff recognize that travelers with disabilities deal
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. and better support travelers who with every day. As the world gets
Now we’re in a cultural moment have dementia, anxiety, and other smaller, let’s strive toward a future in
where innovation, action, and conditions that aren’t readily which we can all move around freely—
advocacy are spurring real, substantive apparent to the naked eye. and nowhere is deemed off-limits.
change. Social media has been a
huge force: travelers like me connect
more easily than ever on Instagram
and other platforms, where hashtags
facilitate kinship on macro
(#wheelchairlife) and micro levels Finding a Happy many cooks in the kitchen,”
(#accessibletravel). Consider the fact Multi-Gen Medium says Kimberly Wilson Wetty
that the world’s 65-and-over (kimberlyww@ vwti.com), whose
Three T+L A-List family-travel
population is expanding at a rapid specialties include the Caribbean
specialists share tips for making
clip—the UN estimates it will reach and cruising. “We can advocate
senior relatives feel included. for everyone’s needs and plan
1.5 billion by 2050—and accessibility
BY SIOBHAN REID activities that appeal to all, while
becomes an issue that will touch picking the right guides and
every traveler’s life eventually. arranging wheelchairs and audio
Between 2013 and 2015, more supplements,” she explains.
For all its rewards, traveling with Cruises are a slam-dunk, says
than 26 million adults with disabilities
the whole family can involve Julie Danziger (julie@embark
traveled globally for pleasure or complex logistics. Beyond juggling beyond.com), who’s a pro at
business, taking 73 million trips, individual interests, there’s the creating adventure itineraries. To
according to research from the added layer of accounting for any keep youngsters happy, she says,
health issues or mobility problems take voyages to more outdoorsy
nonprofit Open Doors Organization
that older members may be destinations such as Alaska:
(ODO). “The industry is waking up to
facing. With multigenerational trips “Grandparents can enjoy the
the fact that travelers with disabilities on the rise, advisors have become scenery from the deck while the
GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO. ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY
represent a very significant market,” adept at helping clients navigate kids partake in onshore activities
says ODO executive director Eric Lipp. tricky dynamics. “You often get too like dogsled tours.”
Villas are another great option,
Airports around the world are also
according to Europe and Africa
stepping up to better accommodate expert Julia B. Pirrung (julia@ et set
j
challenges both visible and invisible. world travel.com). Groups can
In 2016, Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson consider ease of access (for
example, the number of floors or
International Airport partnered with
stairs) when choosing which
Delta Airlines to open a multisensory
rentals make the most sense, and
waiting room with bubbling-water a private chef can take care of
tubes, tactile activity panels, and multiple dietary requests. An
other features designed to create a added benefit, Pirrung says, is the
price: “Generally, buying out a villa
stress-alleviating space for passengers
for 10-plus people is going to be
on the autism spectrum. As part more affordable than renting out
of a U.K.-wide initiative, London’s five or more hotel rooms.”





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 69

SNORKELING IN THE GALÁPAGOS
T H E I N T E L L I G E N T T R AV E L E R Surprising as it may seem, adventure-tour operators are some expedition through Ecuador and the
In for the Thrill
Dignity Travel, a luxury tour company
that specializes in travel for people with
physical disabilities, plans an annual
of the most pioneering companies in the accessible-travel space.
Galápagos. Trained escorts and personal-
BY ANDREA BARTZ
care nurses can be arranged to support
sea kayaking and snorkeling. dignity
travel.biz; 15-day itinerary from $9,837.
ADVENTURE-TRAVEL ENTERPRISES seem to share a certain
can-do spirit. This guiding ethos is why many of them
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
are quite literally blazing new trails to make adrenaline-
Endeavour Safaris designs trips to
revving pursuits more inclusive. Because these WILDLIFE SPOTTING
some of the best reserves in Botswana,
i
companies already focus on safety and working within Na mib a, and South Africa. Both lodge-
participants’ physical parameters, staffers know how to based and riverboat journeys include
wheelchair-friendly accommodations
break down activities or certain types of terrain for
and jeeps, plus easy access to medical
travelers requiring assistive mobility equipment. Much facilities. endeavour-safaris.com; seven-
of the success stems from creative problem-solving, day Botswana itinerary from $3,600.
according to Jezza Williams, director of New Zealand–
PARAGLIDING IN NEW ZEALAND
based outfitter Makingtrax, who’s also a tetraplegic with
The nonprofit Makingtrax offers a
a C5 spinal injury: “We had a 13-year-old boy with a gamut of accessible options, from the
From left: neurodegenerative condition who wanted to climb to extreme (skydiving, bungee jumping,
Rafting the Mount Cook’s Mueller Hut—which is at just above 7,000 paragliding) to the more low-key
Buller River in feet—so we built a custom harness using a backpack and (stargazing, horseback riding). The
New Zealand; paragliding excursions take participants
handiskiing in unicycle seat.” Read on for ways other specialists are soaring over the countryside around
Savoie, France. opening up the great outdoors. Christchurch. trax travel.co.nz; nine-day
itinerary from $2,445.

HIKING AND RAFTING IN MONTANA
Wilderness Inquiry offers adaptable
excursions in the U.S. and all over the
world, from Uganda and Iceland to
Belize. Their Glacier National Park outing
incorporates rafting on the Flathead
River and trails that are wheelchair-
i
friendly. wilderness nquiry.org; six-day
Montana itinerary from $1,795.

SKIING IN THE FRENCH ALPS
U.K.-based Disabled Holidays takes
skiers of all levels to four- and five-star
resorts in France’s Val Thorens, the
highest ski area in Europe. In addition to
securing lift passes, it can organize
private instructors for the whole group
and adaptive equipment (such as sit FROM LEFT: DYLAN GEE @ EXTREME KID PRODUCTIONS/COURTESY OF MAKINGTRAX; HEMIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
skis). disabled holidays.com; six-day Alps
itinerary from $2,200.


























70 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

Making Travel

Autism-Friendly


Uncertain environments and changes
to routines mean vacations can pose
unique challenges for ASD families.
SAMANTHA MCNESBY shares her
proven strategies.
Families of kids on the spectrum can practice airport trips through Autism Speaks.


AS A TRAVEL WRITER, I get paid to jet
around the world with my husband and
START THE have sights, sounds, a nonprofit for
two kids. Since both of our girls have CONVERSATION textures, and even individuals with
EARLY.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Jeff scents that are developmental and
and I have had to devise tricks to keep Travel-related TV unfamiliar and intellectual challenges.
programs can help potentially alarming. Held several times a
our travels seamless and worry-free.
your child anticipate Pack (or ship ahead) year at Boston’s Logan
Our oldest, 16-year-old Sarah, is known some of the social some favorite items International, as well
to lose her possessions and become situations that may from home to make as other airports
easily disoriented in unfamiliar places. arise at the airport or the room more across the nation,
in other foreign comfortable. For the dry runs usually
Meanwhile Olivia, seven, is prone to
environments. If your Sarah, I’ll bring stuffed include a visit to a
making sudden dashes from the group child has a favorite animals and plenty of terminal, a tour of a
when she feels overwhelmed. Air travel show, find a travel- books, while for Olivia, plane, and practice
is especially rife with challenges: centric episode that a picky eater, I’ll carry with screening and
managing sensory overload in a depicts these her favorite foods. boarding. Advocacy
scenarios in a positive organization Autism
crowded airport, getting through
light. Two of our Speaks arranges
security checkpoints, dealing with family’s favorite FORMULATE similar events.
anxiety attacks in the confined space of programs are Little A BACKUP
an airplane. The following survival Einsteins, in which the PLAN.
characters travel to Since kids with autism GET THE
strategies, which I’ve implemented
destinations like India are more likely to RIGHT
over the years, can help ASD families and Australia, and Wild wander, contact and GEAR.
anticipate some of these hiccups and Kratts, a show about identification details Headphones, sensory
focus on the fun that lies ahead. animal habitats are essential. Add toys, and other
around the globe. I’ll them to your child’s assistive devices can
also use learning tools backpack or the help combat mental
like “social stories”— insides of their collars and emotional
COURTESY OF AUTISM SPEAKS. ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY
written or pictorial and waistbands, overload. These
cues that help ASD listing your name, devices either help
individuals plan for phone number, and burn off energy that
potentially anxiety- other important could otherwise be
inducing moments— notes, like allergies expressed physically—
to help break down or strong aversions.
say by jumping or
travel processes into
Requests for easy-to-follow steps. stomping—or help
wheelchairs at block out stimuli
airports grew SCHEDULE before they become
30 percent from BRING A TEST RUN. overwhelming.
2016 to 2017, COMFORTS One tool to help For Olivia, I’ll pack a
according to FROM HOME. familiarize ASD kids Kindle, a coloring book
research from Whether you’re staying with airports is the and crayons, and, if
the International in a hotel, an Airbnb, or Wings for Autism we’re traveling by car,
Air Transport a rented villa, the new program run by the a weighted blanket to
Association. environment will Arc (thearc.org), calm her nerves.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 73

SPIRITED. SOULFUL.



SINGULARLY ST. KITTS.









There’s only one Caribbean island that can send you

up a volcano, down to a shipwreck, and across a
rainforest, all in the same day. Only one that’s home to

a people as warm as its weather. And now, it’s easier
than ever to get there, thanks to weekly nonstop

flights on Delta, United, and American Airlines.



Start planning at OnlyInStKitts.com



* Flight routes and duration are
subject to change without notice.

FEBRUARY 2020



GREENLAND SPIRIT OF THE NORTH P. 76



ST. BART’S ROCK STEADY P. 86



MARRAKESH SHOP THE CASBAH P. 92









































































CHRISTOPHER CHURCHILL Silversea Cruises’ Silver Cloud, anchored at Sam Ford Fjord, off the coast of Baffin Island, Canada.













T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 75

The cliffs of Canada’s
Sam Ford Fjord, as seen from
the deck of the Silver Cloud,
a Silversea Cruises
expedition ship. Opposite:
An iceberg in the Ilulissat
Icefjord, in Greenland.

By M A G G I E S H I P S T E A D Photographs by C H R I S T O P H E R C H U R C H I L L















S P I R I T

























O F

























T H E










Sailing above the Arctic Circle is like discovering an entirely new world: a place where
narwhals swim between fjords, the sky flickers with dancing lights, and

centuries-old Inuit communities have learned to thrive.








N O R T H












T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 77

The Lutheran
church in Qaanaaq,
Greenland—one of
the northernmost
towns in the world.







A resident of Pond
Inlet, in Arctic
Canada, wears
traditional bone
snow goggles.







excursions. We were anchored in Markison Fjord,
an inlet on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island
in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. This was
midway through a 16-day voyage hopscotching up
I ’ M N O T S U R E I’ve ever experienced the western coast of Greenland and into the
sharper regret than in the fraction of a second northeastern extremes of Canada in pursuit of
between leaping from a boat platform and hitting starkly spectacular, rapidly changing landscapes,
the surface of the Arctic Ocean. The drop was rare wildlife, glimpses into local cultures, and,
only six feet or so, but that was long enough for apparently, freezing cold water. Thin membranes
my brain to respond to the sight of dark, ice- of new ice floated like transparent lily pads
strewn water flying up to meet me by shrieking, between the white bits and bergs calved from a
“You should not have done this!” Too late. I was nearby glacier. When I hit, the cold seized me
doing a polar plunge. like a full-body ice cream headache. I was wearing
I was on the Silver Cloud, a Silversea Cruises a safety harness, and as soon as I surfaced, a crew
expedition ship that carries 254 passengers— member started hauling me in like a big, cold,
though for polar sailings, it’s capped at 200, in sputtering fish. Above, more prudent passengers
an effort to prevent overcrowding during shore hung over their balconies, taking pictures.






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polar regions: you go to realize just how out
of your depth you’d be without a warm, cozy
ship waiting nearby. You go to have thrilling
encounters with an inhospitable environment
while under the vigilant supervision of
experienced guides. You go to appreciate your
own vulnerabilities, while also enjoying butler
service and bottomless champagne.

OUR VOYAGE HAD begun with a charter flight
from Reykjavík to Kangerlussuaq, a settlement
at the end of a 120-mile fjord of the same name in
western Greenland where a small and scrappy
international airport has evolved out of a U.S. base
built during World War II. Greenland’s ice sheet is
the second-largest in the world after Antarctica’s.
From above, it was almost indistinguishable from
the clouds, were it not for the occasional bright
blue pool or river of meltwater. The plane passed
over the edge of the ice sheet and circled down
over glacier-scraped rock and rust-colored tundra,
banking over the Silver Cloud at anchor out in the
fjord. Greenland had been in the news less than
a month before we arrived because a heat wave
had caused a massive five-day melt that sent
approximately 55 billion tons of ice rushing into
the sea. But to me, as a visitor, the magnitude of
that loss was difficult to grasp. This, too, was a
theme of the trip: the way the Arctic reveals itself
in glimpses, its scale remaining elusive even
when you’re in the middle of it.
Once on the ground, we were ferried to the
ship in Zodiacs, the nimble inflatable boats that
would take us to shore each time we landed. The
Silver Cloud, a sleek navy and white vessel, was
the first ship in Silversea Cruises’ fleet when it
The candy-colored Once I was out, I felt fiery and supercharged. launched in 1994. In 2017, it underwent a
houses of My friend Nicholas, who was traveling with me, $40 million refurbishment to upgrade its
Kangaamiut, had also jumped. The two of us were handed structure and systems for safe cruising in icy
Greenland, are
home to about shots of bourbon as we hustled upstairs to the seas—and to breathe new life into the passenger
350 people. outdoor pool, which was moderately heated but experience. Champagne and chocolates were
suddenly felt like a hot tub. Other exhilarated waiting in our suite, which was spacious by ship
plungers were bobbing around, talking about how standards, with a walk-in closet and a balcony,
cold their toes were. The whole idea is to a sitting area, and two twin beds adorably close
experience the wild physiological ride of a near- together, as though Nicholas and I had formed a
death experience in a controlled setting. Water splinter duo from Snow White’s other dwarves.
that frigid would rob you of the use of almost all Our butler, Joselyn Dias, swung by in his natty
dexterity within two minutes; within 15, you’d black bow tie and waistcoat to say hello.
be unconscious, and within 45...well. “I guess I’m That evening, as the anchor chain clanked up,
glad I did it once,” a guide told me about his we rushed giddily onto our balcony, pressing our
plunge, “just for safety reasons, so you understand cheeks together for selfies as the setting sun and
you’re almost dead as soon as you go in.” Therein rocky mountainsides passed behind us. That
lies at least part of the appeal of cruising in the mysterious white shape hovering enormously at





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 79



Colonies of Sisters in Qaanaaq
seabirds nest on pose in traditional
Coburg Island, in pants made from
the Canadian polar-bear skin.
Arctic Archipelago.








T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 81

the top of every unfurled Mercator map in our two of 31 expedition guides onboard who gave Passengers stand
childhood classrooms? We were there. Greenland! formal talks, but were also happy to hang out on the bow of the
Silver Cloud as it
The Arctic! We were heading to the far north, and, over meals and share their stories.
sails through the
in my opinion, almost nothing is more exciting. Discussion of humans in the Arctic too icy water near
One of the defining differences between the frequently centers around the exploits of 18th- Qaanaaq.
far north of our planet and the far south is the and 19th-century European explorers—tales of
presence of humans. Other than the transient bravery and discovery, but also often of hardship
residents of Antarctica’s scientific stations, no and death. The famously doomed Franklin
group of people has ever colonized the frozen Expedition, for example, set out from England
far southern latitudes, but the Inuit and their in 1845 in search of the last portion of the
predecessors have lived in Arctic parts of Canada Northwest Passage. Its two ships were lost and
and Greenland for thousands of years. “They all 129 men eventually succumbed to illness and
are the most adaptable people on earth,” said exposure as, somewhere nearby, the local Inuit
Canadian archaeologist Jane Thompson in a carried on with their lives. An extravagant
lecture. “They’ve lived in this extremely harsh succession of expeditions were sent to look for
place for a heck of a long time without the remains and had limited success. In 2014 and
damaging their environment, which is more 2016, both ships were finally found, thanks to
than any of us can say.” Thompson and her melting ice—pretty much exactly where Inuit oral
husband, Callum, also an archaeologist, were tradition, long ignored, had said they would be.






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All this is to say that visiting the Arctic isn’t spent a day at sea crossing the Davis Strait to get
just about magnificent vistas and rare wildlife. there, arriving in the early morning, when Baffin’s
It’s also about the people whose subsistence and peaks were still shrouded in clouds. A local guide,
culture are bound to the environment. Almost accompanied by a merrily AWOL dog trailing a
90 percent of the 57,000 residents of Greenland broken rope behind her, led a group of us out to
are Inuit (though because Denmark claimed it as a coastal archaeological site beside a creek: low
a colony some 300 years ago, most also have stone rings that were once sod-roofed winter
some European ancestry). Sisimiut, Greenland’s houses belonging to the Thule people, the
second-largest town, which has a population of ancestors of the modern Inuit.
5,600, was our first stop. Sisimiut literally Later, in the town’s cultural center, a
translates to “people living in a place where there multigenerational group of locals, perhaps
are fox dens.” I didn’t see any foxes, but I did see directly descended from the residents of those
all the elements of Greenlandic settlements that stone houses, gave a performance about Inuit
would become familiar on this trip: colorful culture. Their drum dancing and throat singing
houses; vast colonies of chained sled dogs that were haunting, their games and sports intriguing,
we were sternly instructed not to touch; reindeer but what really got me was the woman who
and musk ox hides hung up to dry next to sang “O Canada” in the Inuktitut language. What
laundry; local artisans selling totems and trinkets a delicate, complex thing it must be, the
carved from reindeer antlers or the tusks of
walrus and narwhals; Lutheran churches; fishing
boats and fish-processing facilities; smaller boats
from which hunters were unloading reindeer
and seal carcasses.
Our next stop, Uummannaq, about 260 miles Markison Fjord
north of Sisimiut, was similar, though smaller and
dramatically situated on a rocky island loomed
over by a sheer mountain shaped like a craggy
heart. Huge icebergs drifted in the surrounding reen an
waters, white and electric blue, some flat and
slablike, others carved by water and wind into
peaks and spires. Since almost 90 percent of an ana a
iceberg’s mass is underwater, and the melting
process is destabilizing, the Zodiacs zipping us to
shore gave the bergs a wide berth, just in case one BAFFIN BAY
unexpectedly cracked apart or rolled over. Pond Inlet
Silversea Cruises provides its Arctic expedition
passengers with warm red parkas, and we made
Sam Ford’s Fjord
a visually arresting invasion, swarming through Gibbs Fjord
the residential streets like King George’s troops. Uummannaq
Some of us hiked around the heart mountain
under the watchful eye of an armed guard
patrolling for polar bears; others investigated
the church and museum. The locals generally
regarded us with bemused good humor: a Sisimiut Kangerlussuaq
temporary influx of 200 outsiders bringing
income and novelty that, I hope, balanced out
ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY photographed everyone’s houses.
the annoying way we drifted into traffic and


Our red parkas were even more conspicuous
in our next port, Pond Inlet, a community of 1,600
on Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of
Nunavut. The colors were more muted than in
Sisimiut, the streets quieter and unpaved. We’d

relationship between an ancient people and mitigate energy consumption, perhaps through
the modern nation that subsumed them, laden carbon offsets (I donate to reforestation projects).
with betrayals and failures but also, I could see, For its part, Silversea Cruises is a member of the
considerable pride. “Nunavut became our own Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators,
land from the Northwest Territories in 1999,” the whose affiliates adhere to a set of sustainability
singer said, her voice building to a shout, “and guidelines that include limiting the number of
changed the map of Canada and of the world!” guests going ashore and restricting the overall
The performers raised their arms, holding capacity of ships to the region.
Nunavut’s red, yellow, and white flag aloft.
After Pond Inlet, we shifted fully into the THE NEXT DAY at Gibbs Fjord, we heard the
natural-splendor portion of the voyage by hitting announcement every Arctic cruiser hopes for.
two Baffin Island fjords—the delightfully named “The team has spotted polar bears onshore,”
Sam Ford Fjord and, the following day, Gibbs said an expedition leader over the PA, “just off
Fjord. Sam Ford Fjord looks like Yosemite on the bow.” We hadn’t even made it out on deck
steroids, cleared of all the RVs and people. It when a follow-up announcement I’d barely dared
is stunning, magnificent, blow-your-mind wish for rang out—a large group of narwhals was
impressive. Glaciers undulate down valleys. also nearby. I scanned the shoreline through my
Sheer cliffs rise up everywhere. Mountains binoculars (bring binoculars!). Big rock, big rock,
carved by prehistoric ice sheets into fantastical, big rock—big bear. Two bears, in fact, one sitting
Seussian shapes created otherworldly horizons. on the beach and one standing in the water, both
Sometimes, high among the peaks, we could dingy with summer dust. I scanned the water and
see floating bands of white. These were the edges caught puffs of the narwhals’ exhalations hanging
of ice caps in Baffin’s interior that date back tens of above the surface, then arcing speckled bodies,
thousands of years to the last ice age, remnants and brief glimpses of tusks spiraling up to 10 feet
of the huge prehistoric ice sheet that once covered out of their heads like flashing sabers. Dozens of
almost all of Canada but that are now disappearing them, maybe a hundred. Narwhals are so
at an accelerating rate. Nicholas and I took it all in, fantastical it seems they shouldn’t be real, but
trying not to think about the enormous carbon cost they are. I’ve seen them. An iceberg in
of polar travel, the mind-boggling quantity of fuel Here’s the thing about wildlife in the Arctic: the Markison
Fjord, on the
expended to bring a ship and hundreds of people seeing it takes patience and persistence. Many
coast of Ellesmere
and all their champagne and steak and breakfast passengers on the Silver Cloud had been to the Island, Canada.
bananas to the planet’s farthest reaches. The hope Antarctic Peninsula, where marine mammals
is that experiencing the Arctic will inspire visitors congregate to feed and penguin colonies offer
to advocate for the region and seek new ways to reliable encounters with hundreds or thousands
of birds at a time. But on this voyage, we would
go days without seeing anything but seabirds Near Ilulissat, a
(no offense to seabirds). Then when we had this humpback whale
breaks the surface.
miraculous bout of fjordly abundance, some
people complained that we didn’t get close
enough to the animals. “We kind of saw them,”
a woman murmured at that night’s recap, when
a guide mentioned the bears we’d spotted. Thing
is, it’s manifestly impossible, not to mention
invasive and against international regulations,
to get 200 cruise-ship passengers anywhere near
a dangerous predator like a polar bear. And
though we went out in Zodiacs to see the
narwhals, the animals are accustomed to being
hunted from small boats so, understandably,
they moved away from us. Most of the images
we see of wild animals are taken through
powerful telephoto lenses or filmed by nature
documentarians who spend months in pursuit






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Plan an Arctic

Adventure




The Journey
Silversea Cruises, one of the first luxury
lines to offer expedition trips, now has a
fleet of three ships for this purpose.
There will be a variety of nine- to 27-day
voyages above the Arctic Circle this year,
though the closest itinerary that
matches the one taken by the writer
departs from Reykjavík in August 2021.
silversea.com; this itinerary in 2021 from
$17,910, all-inclusive; shorter Arctic
sailings from $9,990, all-inclusive.

Getting There
Icelandair (icelandair.com) flies nonstop
to Reykjavík’s Keflavík International
Airport from several major U.S. cities.








La Dame,
the French
fine-dining
restaurant on
the Silver Cloud. rippling dunes, cliffs and mesas and arches to
rival the Western landscapes of cowboy films.
On a less majestic note, we drank mai tais in
the hot tub while the chill wind froze our hair,
and we shook our tailfeathers at late-night dance
of the perfect shot, and it’s easy to forget they’re parties led by cruise director Moss Hills.
not replicable with an iPhone. The beauty of
seeing Arctic animals in nature is witnessing POLAR BEARS, narwhals, walrus, whales—what
their very wildness, their mastery of the else could remain on an Arctic traveler’s wish list?
landscape. As we watched, one polar bear slid There was that one thing. On our second-to-last
into the water and vanished, as if by magic. night, just before midnight, a green glow
The other effortlessly climbed up the mountain appeared in the sky. We crowded the ship’s upper
behind it, disappearing over a ridge. deck, craning our necks as the northern lights
Over the following days, we continued north, flickered and pulsed, appeared and disappeared
visiting the Ellesmere Islands. Eventually, before and appeared again. On the horizon, the moon
we could reach our planned northernmost stop was Aperol orange. The Milky Way spanned the
at Pim Island, drifting sea ice cut us off, and we dome. Meteorites streaked overhead.
turned east for Qaanaaq, Greenland. Itinerary Auroras are caused by charged particles from
changes are common on polar cruises, as the sun traveling 93 million miles through space
conditions are unpredictable, but we were hardly and interacting with atmospheric gases as they are
deprived. We walked on a beach among pieces of pulled inexorably to Earth’s magnetic poles. It’s a
glacial ice that made a sort of Modernist sculpture journey that makes the mind reel and hints, like
garden. We kayaked along rocky shores among so much else we encountered on our voyage, at
harp seals and glaucous gulls. From Zodiacs, we our own smallness, at how little we comprehend
saw a heap of fat brown walrus, perfectly of the scale of space and time. The hidden bulk of
camouflaged among fat brown boulders. In icebergs, the ancient, unseen ice sheets cradled
Greenland, we stopped in the town of Ilulissat, high among the mountain peaks, the animals
a neighbor to one of the most active glaciers in moving soundlessly over the mountains and
the world. Local boats took us out among the through the sea—we can never fully see these
icebergs, the biggest we’d seen—so big they made things. But we can glimpse, and we can marvel,
entire topographies: rolling white hillsides and and we can be humbled by the wonder of it.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 85

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ROCK







STEADY







Nowhere embodies St. Bart’s unique

mix of natural Caribbean beauty
and French va-va-voom

quite like the iconic Eden Rock hotel.
As the property bounces back
from Hurricane Irma with a total

rebuild, PETER J. FRANK digs
out his Vilebrequin and checks in.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NOE DEWITT












Clockwise from top left: A life
preserver in Eden Rock’s signature
red at the Beach Bar; the private
pool at Nina Villa; flip-flops,
complimentary for guests; hotel
employee Martin Richard; lunch at
the Sand Bar restaurant; new staff
uniforms at the Sand Bar.





















































T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 87

DEN ROCK, in St. Bart’s, has Eden Rock, Rémy de Haenen, a swashbuckling French
reopened. And that means St. Bart’s which sits on a merchant marine. De Haenen landed the first
bluff above Baie
is officially back. plane on the island in 1946 and, in 1953,
de St. Jean.
Two years after Hurricane Irma established its first hotel on a promontory made
barreled through the Caribbean of quartzite that juts into Baie de St. Jean: Eden
with 178-mile-an-hour winds, tossing cars and Rock. Among his early guests, fortuitously,
catamarans and Janus et Cie lounge chairs like was David Rockefeller, who, smitten, promptly
so many crumpled cans of Perrier, the hotel is bought several tracts on St. Bart’s for himself.
once again welcoming guests. Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, and Edmond de
Before I go any further, I’ll make a confession: Rothschild followed, and the rest is history.
until I flew in last November, I had never set foot
on St. Bart’s. In my preconceived opinion, it was TODAY, THE ISLAND is an autonomous “overseas
where the extremely wealthy went to compare collectivity” of France—most of the 10,000
their latest Art Basel acquisitions, where Beyoncé residents pay no income tax but enjoy many of
swan-dove off yachts, and where moguls ran up the benefits of French citizenship, including a
$50,000 champagne tabs at Nikki Beach. In short, post-storm infusion of cash that helped swiftly
a place that held little interest for me. But enough fix the $1.4 billion in damages from Irma.
people who I love and respect had such affection Matthews painted a utopian picture: the St.
for this tiny, rocky islet—located 20 miles south Bart’s government is stable and debt-free, and
of St. Martin and spanning just over nine square employment is near full. And its famously
From left:
miles—that I knew there had to be more to it. Crudités with short runway, which limits arrivals to small
I booked my flights, packed my most stylish hummus, harissa, propeller planes, keeps mass tourism at bay.
bathing suit, and attempted to open my mind. and chutney at Matthews and his wife, Jane, discovered
the Sand Bar; the
“Welcome home,” the affable receptionist said St. Bart’s and Eden Rock while sailing offshore
Sand Bar’s palm-
as I ascended Eden Rock’s front steps. The flight fringed dining in 1995. Shortly after, they acquired de Haenen’s
from San Juan, Puerto Rico, lasted an hour, and room. then-ramshackle guesthouse, eyeing it as a family
my ride from the airport took about two minutes.
Sun dappled the blue water off the crescent-
shaped beach of Baie de St. Jean on this hot
morning. But David Matthews, the British owner
of Eden Rock, seemed cool as a bottle of
Domaines Ott as he joined me for breakfast
in the Sand Bar, the hotel’s seaside restaurant.
Over yogurt with pistachio granola and
poached eggs on toast, I asked the septuagenarian
businessman and former race-car driver why he
believes the island is so beloved. He credited
St. Bart’s particular appeal to a confluence of
historical fact and socioeconomic structure. The
island was colonized in the 17th century by
French Huguenots, who, unable to cultivate the
arid, rocky soil, survived on salt fish, goat’s milk,
and the spoils of both free trade and contraband.
In 1784, France sold the island to Sweden, but
bought it back within less than a century.
Generations later in the 1950s, the colonists’ dirt-
poor descendants turned to tourism for
economic salvation—a project spearheaded by






88 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0



Walking home
from Les Salines,
a beach on the
island’s southern
coast that takes its
name from the salt
pond nearby.

A St. Bart’s Primer






Getting There Where to Stay doubles from $1,640) blanc.com; doubles menu of simply
Tradewind Aviation Eden Rock–St Barths reopens this month from $1,245) just prepared dishes like
(flytradewind.com) (oetker collection.com; with 23 updated expanded into the for­ chicken curry and
operates daily flights doubles from $1,664), rooms in colonial­mod mer Taïwana hotel tomato salad, while
to St. Bart’s from on Baie de St. Jean, style by the French next door. The best Fish Corner (41 Rue de
l
Antigua, St. Thomas, welcomed guests in design team Gilles & choice for a romantic la Répub ique; 590-
and San Juan, Puerto November, with a top­ Boissier. On Flamands getaway is Hotel 590-51-36-33; entrées
Rico. It also recently to­bottom redesign. Beach, the LVMH­ Le Toiny (letoiny.com; $24–$33), wedged
partnered with Ameri­ In Gustavia, Hôtel owned Cheval Blanc doubles from $2,195), behind Gustavia store­
can Airlines for seam­ Barrière Le Carl Gustaf St-Barth Isle de set on the remote fronts, serves
less connections. (hotels barriere.com; France Hôtel (cheval Côte Sauvage, while the day’s freshest
Le Sereno (sereno catch. Nikki Beach
hotels.com; doubles (saint-barth.nikki
from $1,330), on beach.com; entrées
Grand Cul de Sac, has $43–$46), meanwhile,
a minimalist beach­ is the place to observe
chic look. And in Anse the outrageously
de Caye, the eco­ wealthy getting outra­
resort Hotel Manapany geously drunk.
(hotel manapany.com;
doubles from $610) Beaches
debuted its refresh Gouverneur, with its
last March. expanse of white
sand, is surprisingly
Where to Eat quiet, perhaps
Eden Rock’s restau­ because of the steep
rant, Sand Bar descent required.
(entrées $43–$94), Nearby Salines is
serves beach­dining almost as striking
classics (tuna tartare, and a touch more
roasted lobster) from crowded. A long hike
Jean­Georges Vonge­ (or a boat ride) is
richten. Near Gustavia, required to access
Maya’s (mayas-st Colombier, which
barth.com; entrées offers near­desolation
$37–$48) offers a and pristine waters.













home. The couple soon realized it made more From left: vases. Their son Spencer, a former reality-TV star
financial sense to turn it into a hotel, which Reinforced in the U.K., was also in-house to make sure his
“submarine doors”
they’ve expanded and operated ever since. new line of low-alcohol spirits was stocked behind
protect the resort
“The deal I made with Rémy was that he was to against future the bar. (One of their other sons, James—not
leave everything behind except his toothbrush,” storms; the lounge there—happens to be married to Pippa Middleton,
David Matthews explained, because he wanted to of Villa Frangipani, sister of the future Queen of England.)
designed by
preserve the eccentric atmosphere. The The closure allowed the family to add needed
co-owner Jane
adventurer’s furniture, photographs, and bric-a- Matthews. features. The formal restaurant that occupied
brac are mostly gone, but his singular personality the summit of the Rock—as the landmark outcrop
still guides the proprietors. is called—has been replaced with three new
It’s a decidedly family-run place: Jane signature suites. A small spa has been added
Matthews, a Zimbabwe-born artist responsible for where the kitchens once were. The main building,
much of the interior design, was there on my visit, completely destroyed by the storm surge, was
still tinkering with the placement of bowls and rebuilt with the addition (Continued on page 102)





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 91

There are retail
destinations, and
then there is
Marrakesh: a riotous
mash-up of exquisite
craft traditions,
global influences,
high fashion,
and homegrown
hipster chic. EVE
MACSWEENEY
blows the budget
on a week in the
medina.

PHOTOGRAPHS
BY SORAYA MATOS





Ultrasoft fabrics
at Marrakshi Life,
all of which are
woven on site.



The entrance to
one of the 53 riads
at the Royal
Mansour hotel in
Marrakesh.

























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I
















AM STANDING ON a rooftop slap-bang in the middle Clockwise from
of the Marrakesh medina, the winding maze top left: Shtatto, a
concept store that
of streets that makes up the Moroccan city’s
carries Marrakesh-
original, medieval heart. The 360-degree view is inspired leather
a patchwork of pink walls, stone-lattice accessories by
windows, and flat roofs, some with colorful Nasire; a guest
room at El Fenn;
rugs hung out to air in the sun. The occasional
a model shows
minaret or extra-tall palm tree rises above the off the menswear
skyline. Beyond them, the burning blue horizon at Marrakshi Life;
stretches all the way to the Atlas Mountains. If it Palais Saadien,
in the medina.
weren’t for the ubiquitous satellite dishes, this
could be a scene from 500 years ago.
But there is nothing old-fashioned about the
building whose terrace café I have climbed many
stairs to reach: Shtatto is a concept store as hip
as anything you’ll see in Brooklyn or Canal St.-
Martin in Paris. Here you’ll find curated pieces
by cutting-edge Moroccan designers, including
fashion by Amine Bendriouich, photography by
Hassan Hajjaj (one of the store’s owners), and
a 1950s-style hair salon.
Everything is witty and fresh, with subtle
cues to remind you where you are—such as the
soft leather bags by the local label Nasire. They’re
made in a restrained palette of black, white,
red ocher (the color of Marrakesh’s soil, and its
houses), and the vivid blue that the artist Jacques
Majorelle used in his iconic gardens nearby.
I was introduced to Shtatto by Cristel Deren,
a young Frenchwoman who moved to Marrakesh
three years ago and runs Kitula, an exquisite
hotel in a riad, or traditional Moroccan home, Our next stop in the souk, Funky Cool Medina,
in the medina. She is a former right hand to was another real story. This hole-in-the-wall is filled
Colette Roussaux, owner of the beloved Parisian with hats, shirts, T-shirts, and vintage pieces in British
concept store Colette, which closed in 2018, “Buffalo Boy” street style. As we approached, the young
sending shock waves through the fashion Marrakshi owner, Jimmy Boukhris, rushed out to greet
community. Deren is the perfect guide for us, modeling the kind of Stetson/porkpie- hat hybrid that
sleuthing out the most creative retail in the city. Pharrell wore to the Grammys a few years back, along
“I like a real story,” she told me as we walked back with rolled-up striped pants and a shirt emblazoned
down to the street. “Not one just for selling.” with giant stars.






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From the research I had done before my trip, I was
expecting to find the glorious traditions of carpet-weaving,
silversmithing, and leatherwork that form the foundations
of the Marrakesh shopping scene. And it was no surprise
to see a swath of stores, both in and outside of the medina,
where European designers work with Moroccan materials
and resources to make products that sit at a comfortable
midpoint between authenticity and bourgeois familiarity.
But it was thrilling to also see evidence of a new wave of





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 95

Moroccan designers and artists, like those I The Ultimate more. Soufiane Zarib
admired at Shtatto, reclaiming and updating Marrakesh (soufiane- zarib.com) stocks
their traditions in innovative ways. Too bad I had Shopping Trip eye-popping carpets, while
the nearby Galerie Tindouf
just missed late February’s 1-54 Contemporary (galerie tindouf.com) displays
African Art Fair, which, since its launch in 2013, treasures including antique
has built a reputation as one of the most dynamic Berber jewelry and vintage
textiles. In the city’s industrial
events on the region’s cultural calendar. In
district, you can watch
April, Marrakesh also served as the setting Getting There weavers creating the fabric
for Dior’s Resort 2020 show, a collection that Royal Air Maroc (royalair used to make on-trend
maroc.com) offers the only
included collaborations with African artists. More clothing at Marrakshi Life
direct flight from the U.S.
evidence that it’s not only Instagram—which (marrakshilife.com). Over
to Morocco, from JFK to near the king’s palace, spice
the town’s colors, light, and textures feel overtly Casablanca. While internal
shop Herboristerie Bab
suited to—that can claim credit for the city’s flights are an option, the Agnaou (1 Rue Bab Agnaou;
current resurgence. smart move is to have your 212-5243-91632) lines its
hotel book a driver to whisk shelves with jars of saffron,
you off to Marrakesh by
YOU CAN EXPERIENCE Marrakesh in myriad ways. road. The journey takes rose petals, and orange-
You can also tailor your degree of immersion 2½ hours, and the highway flower water. Tucked away
on a road leading to the Atlas
to suit your tastes, excavating or cocooning to is a dream. Mountains, Popham Design
your precise comfort level. I had arrived two days Where to Stay (popham design.com) makes
earlier with my mother, who lives in London but, tiles that combine Moroccan
Design lovers will adore the technique with a modern,
at the first sight of scruffy camels and strings of Royal Mansour (royal
graphic sensibility. And at
roadside palm trees on our way in from the mansour.com; riads from Nectarome (nectarome.
airport, was instantly transported back to her $1,230), an opulent property com), an apothecary and
near the medina, where
childhood in Alexandria, Egypt. nursery in the Ourika Valley,
guests stay in 53 picture-
Our first home base was the ultimate urban perfect traditional Moroccan locally grown plants are
sanctuary, the Royal Mansour hotel, right in the homes. The hotel puts local made into aromatic soaps,
oils, and creams.
middle of town. Built by King Mohammed VI craftsmanship front and
center; its boutique is also
just a decade ago (he is said to have simply Travel Planner
world-class. For a more
requisitioned a street and covered it with this T+L A-List member Michael
informal take on the riad Diamond is a Morocco spe-
lavish compound), the property was designed experience, stay at El Fenn
cialist who can enlist a
as a showcase for the very best of Moroccan (el-fenn.com; doubles from Marrakesh-based designer to
craftsmanship. Everything here is exquisite, from $255), a 28-room hotel inside lead you on a day of shopping
the medina with colorful,
the onyx floors to the walls of inlaid wood, food and design in the city. hello@
Intagrammable interiors and cobblestone travel; trips from
courtesy of a chef from a Michelin three-starred a must-visit design store on
Parisian restaurant, and Andalusian gardens the ground floor. $475 per person per day.
— MADELINE BILIS
landscaped by the team who recently refurbished
Where to Shop
the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
Contemporary art and
Instead of conventional guest rooms there
fashion converge at Shtatto
are 53 individual riads, spread over three small (81 Derb Nkhal Rahba
floors with a plunge pool and roof terrace where Lakdima; 212-5243-75538), a
you can request that your meals be served. It took concept store with a 1950s-
style hair salon attached.
a day or two for me to realize what was especially
Duck into Funky Cool Medina
unusual about the place: wandering its grounds, (fb.com/funkycmedina), a
among the trickling fountains and twittering tiny boutique chock-full of
lovebirds in ornamental cages, I realized that shirts, hats, and vintage
they were almost entirely empty of other people. pieces, before continuing to
Palais Saadien (palais
Turns out, the incredibly attentive service is
saadien.com) for a lesson in
administered via a series of underground tunnels, the art of rug buying. Clothing
so you rarely encounter a member of the hotel’s and embroidery atelier
550-strong staff. Al Nour (alnour- textiles.com)
provides work for local
A true cocooner could simply stay, soak in
women with special needs
the hammam, and shop at the Royal Mansour: its and sells pajamas, linens,
boutique features regular designer collaborations, children’s clothes, and






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Clockwise from left:
Rugs from floor to
ceiling at Palais
Saadien; preparing
mint to make into
beauty products at
Nectarome; a view
of the medina from
Shtatto; making tiles
at Popham Design.

98 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0