Pointe D'esny, mauritius
takemethere
Pointe D’Esny, Mauritius
Looks the picture of tranquillity, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t think that the waters off Mauritius can be more dramatic than a James Cameron blockbuster. Huge swells rise and fall, tumbling and churning with the trade winds agitating these fragile timber vessels near the southern town of Mahébourg. The waves may sometimes be whoppers, but beneath the surface, all is serene. Mauritius is haloed by the world’s third-largest reef, creating a band of natural lagoons best explored by glass-bottomed boat. Stripey orange clownfish, neon-blue surgeonfish and spiky firefish dart between the bronze-red coral and curly anemones. As you peer down, cast your eyes upwards to glimpse the coast in all its glory: guava and scarlet-dotted Flamboyant trees nodding along the shoreline, sugarcane fields shimmying across the ridge of raggedy extinct volcanoes, all framed by a sky as blue as an Avatar Na’vi’s skin. BA (0844 493 0758, ba.com) has seven nights at the Preskil Beach Resort in Mahébourg from £1,119pp, half board, including flights from Gatwick and daily glass-bottom boat and catamaran trips. words: LEE COBAJ photograph: SUPERSTOCK
10 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 11
takemethere
U Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Burma
For those who’ve been bitten by the Burma bug, the U Bein bridge is one the highlights of this hot new destination. At dusk, the whole span of the world’s longest 1.2km teak bridge is crowded with homeward-bound locals, and tourists who’ve come for the sunset. But the best view is from the water. Get there before 5.30pm, and talk to the boatmen hanging out on the beach next to the car park. For a couple of pounds – the rate is highly negotiable – you can head out onto Lake Taungthaman to be in position when the sun drops between the hardwood piles, turning the bridge and its users into perfect silhouettes. Set your camera to a low ISO and a fast shutter speed to enhance the effect and help counteract the rocking of the boat, or just enjoy the nightly promenade, as monks from the nearby monastery, and workers, students and families pause to watch the show. As soon as the sun has gone, make a quick escape – in Amarapura, the mosquitoes bite harder than the Burma bug. TransIndus (0844 879 3961, transindus.co.uk) has a 13-night Burma Highlights trip, including a visit to Amarapura, from 3,095pp, B&B, with Heathrow flights, guides, and ground transportation. The trip can be arranged as a private or a group tour. words: CHRIS HASLAM photograph: Tim Mannakee/4Corners
12 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 13
takemethere
Oktoberfest, Munich
A chair-o-plane at a beer festival seems like madness. But it seems the Bavarians can cope with a bellyful of lager at 11 revolutions a minute – you might prefer to give it a whirl before drinking any alcohol, though. You might also appreciate the chance to sit down – tables at the 16-day knees-up sell out months in advance (oktoberfest.de; Sept 21-Oct 6 2013), and if you can’t find a free bench in one of the beer tents, you won’t be able buy a beer. On the plus side, you’ll get drunk on the views from up there: Munich’s spires rise and fall like a zoetrope, and the neon-lit Theresienwiese fairground flashes against distant white Alpine peaks. Sobriety not for you? You can try to blag a place on someone else’s table: don the traditional costume of lederhosen (men) or dirndls (ladies) – for sale on site – then hover; if you’re lucky, the friendly Germans will appreciate your efforts and welcome you to join them for a stein or two (dozen). The beer comes by the litre, though, so prepare for the tent to start spinning. Hotel Bayerischer Hof (00 49 89 21200, bayerischerhof.de), 30 minutes’ walk from the festival ground, has doubles from £220, room only. Lufthansa (0871 945 9747, lufthansa. com) flies to Munich from Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham from £98 return. words: CHRIS HASLAM photograph: Reinhard Schmid/4corners
14 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 15
Pointe D’Esny, Mauritius
Looks the picture of tranquillity, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t think that the waters off Mauritius can be more dramatic than a James Cameron blockbuster. Huge swells rise and fall, tumbling and churning with the trade winds agitating these fragile timber vessels near the southern town of Mahébourg. The waves may sometimes be whoppers, but beneath the surface, all is serene. Mauritius is haloed by the world’s third-largest reef, creating a band of natural lagoons best explored by glass-bottomed boat. Stripey orange clownfish, neon-blue surgeonfish and spiky firefish dart between the bronze-red coral and curly anemones. As you peer down, cast your eyes upwards to glimpse the coast in all its glory: guava and scarlet-dotted Flamboyant trees nodding along the shoreline, sugarcane fields shimmying across the ridge of raggedy extinct volcanoes, all framed by a sky as blue as an Avatar Na’vi’s skin. BA (0844 493 0758, ba.com) has seven nights at the Preskil Beach Resort in Mahébourg from £1,119pp, half board, including flights from Gatwick and daily glass-bottom boat and catamaran trips. words: LEE COBAJ photograph: SUPERSTOCK
10 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 11
takemethere
U Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Burma
For those who’ve been bitten by the Burma bug, the U Bein bridge is one the highlights of this hot new destination. At dusk, the whole span of the world’s longest 1.2km teak bridge is crowded with homeward-bound locals, and tourists who’ve come for the sunset. But the best view is from the water. Get there before 5.30pm, and talk to the boatmen hanging out on the beach next to the car park. For a couple of pounds – the rate is highly negotiable – you can head out onto Lake Taungthaman to be in position when the sun drops between the hardwood piles, turning the bridge and its users into perfect silhouettes. Set your camera to a low ISO and a fast shutter speed to enhance the effect and help counteract the rocking of the boat, or just enjoy the nightly promenade, as monks from the nearby monastery, and workers, students and families pause to watch the show. As soon as the sun has gone, make a quick escape – in Amarapura, the mosquitoes bite harder than the Burma bug. TransIndus (0844 879 3961, transindus.co.uk) has a 13-night Burma Highlights trip, including a visit to Amarapura, from 3,095pp, B&B, with Heathrow flights, guides, and ground transportation. The trip can be arranged as a private or a group tour. words: CHRIS HASLAM photograph: Tim Mannakee/4Corners
12 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 13
takemethere
Oktoberfest, Munich
A chair-o-plane at a beer festival seems like madness. But it seems the Bavarians can cope with a bellyful of lager at 11 revolutions a minute – you might prefer to give it a whirl before drinking any alcohol, though. You might also appreciate the chance to sit down – tables at the 16-day knees-up sell out months in advance (oktoberfest.de; Sept 21-Oct 6 2013), and if you can’t find a free bench in one of the beer tents, you won’t be able buy a beer. On the plus side, you’ll get drunk on the views from up there: Munich’s spires rise and fall like a zoetrope, and the neon-lit Theresienwiese fairground flashes against distant white Alpine peaks. Sobriety not for you? You can try to blag a place on someone else’s table: don the traditional costume of lederhosen (men) or dirndls (ladies) – for sale on site – then hover; if you’re lucky, the friendly Germans will appreciate your efforts and welcome you to join them for a stein or two (dozen). The beer comes by the litre, though, so prepare for the tent to start spinning. Hotel Bayerischer Hof (00 49 89 21200, bayerischerhof.de), 30 minutes’ walk from the festival ground, has doubles from £220, room only. Lufthansa (0871 945 9747, lufthansa. com) flies to Munich from Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham from £98 return. words: CHRIS HASLAM photograph: Reinhard Schmid/4corners
14 Sunday Times Travel October 2013
October 2013 Sunday Times Travel 15
