Mari Vanna
With a New York outpost and a sister restaurant in St Petersburg the Moscow Mari Vanna is one of the very best places in town to enjoy a genuinely home cooked Russian meal. Soups that come served in tureens, home salted salmon with light blini, pelmini (like ravioli) washed down with plenty of vodka and morst (freshly squeezed cranberry juice). Apart from the food, the main reason to go is the quirky atmosphere. The concept of the restaurant is that you are ‘at home’ – so you ring the bell to be allowed in – by a man disconcertingly dressed in a track suit that would make Sue Sylvester proud- who will take your coats before a lovely waitress takes you to your table.
Then you may see Vienia (the cat) and Shurik (the Chihuahua) who are allowed the run of the restaurant…. One night in Moscow here is a must. But make sure you request not to be seated by the door.
Dostoyevsky metro station
I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where there would be graphic depictions of suicide in a tube station…
The murals depict scenes from some of Dostoevsky’s best-known novels. On one wall, a Crime and Punishment character, Rodion Raskolnikov, wields an axe over the elderly pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna, who he chops to death in the novel. Nearby, a character from Demons holds a gun to his temple.
And can’t think of anywhere else in the world with stations as amazingly clean….
Queues
Us Brits have been well and truly trumped! Russia is a nation that really knows how to queue. The pictures below show the queue to get into the Isaac Levitan exhibition at the New Tretyakov. Levitan was Russia’s best landscape painter. Do you think that we would stand in a queue all day for Turner? Maybe it should have been a question on the census.
I was ushered straight in by my wonderful Exeter guide Alex. I really did feel rather guilty. This is perhaps the most visually graphic reason depicting how we add real value to our clients. Until museums in Russia discover timed entry, booking with Exeter is the way to go.
For more Russian insights www.exeterinternational.co.uk 020 89562756.
With such a wide choice of destinations and transportation available to today’s discerning traveler, the Bespoke Travel Club will come as something of a refreshing alternative.
Comprising a happy band of dedicated specialist agencies with a shared dedication to providing the best of advice to those travelers looking for unique vacations supported by expert knowledge, The Bespoke Travel Club is now open for business.
The Bespoke Travel Club is recommended by www.simonseeks.com, a community of travellers, journalists and celebrities who share their travel guides and tips on the best places to stay, eat and visit.
With lots of early snow in the Alps, the forecast looks good for the 2010/11 season ahead – so there is no better time to start planning that winter break! Skiing is perfect by private jet as you can fly to the smaller airports up in the mountains closer to your resort: Sion for Verbier and Zermatt, Chambery or Annecy for the 3 Vallees, Samedan for St Moritz for example. And of course there is no chance of your skis not arriving with you!
There are numerous jets to suit your party’s needs – from a cosy cabin for a romantic snowy getaway, to larger planes to accommodate groups of family and friends. So whether you’re a serious skier or an amateur who prefers the après to the piste, with your own choice of departure airports and times, you can ensure to be on the slopes in time for lunch.
These days safaris can be so disappointing: they used to be the preserve of the well-informed traveller but nowadays you see safaris advertised in all sorts of brochures. The idea of sitting on my bum, in a zebra-striped van with half-a-dozen others appals me.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Some years ago I camped on an oxbow of the river Garamba. We had made the trek after reading Mark Carwardine’s book “Last Chance To See”. I wanted to see one of the world’s last 28 Northern White Rhino. Getting to Garamba is a bit of a mission: it sits on the Sudan border, just inside Zaire (as it was in those days) and when we signed in, the foolscap ledger went back to the 1940’s. They hadn’t filled one visitor’s book in more than half a century! Believe me, it really is quite a mission to get there.
Safari in Garamba was an amazing experience for a variety of reasons, but the pinnacle was probably being woken by hippo breath. Camping on an oxbow is always dumb, particularly in remote country, but on this particular night we all went to bed in the usual way and by the time the hippos came out to eat, we were all fast asleep in two-man tents. I was awoken in the wee small hours by a hippo exhaling on my sleeping forehead. He took off. I went back to sleep with a grin on my face. Fortunate outcome. Read more »
On behalf of all the club members, I would like to wish all our clients, wherever you may be, a very Happy Christmas and safe travels over the festive season. I hope you avoid the disruption that has gripped our rail & air services and thank you for your loyalty to our respective specialist travel companies.
We look forward to welcoming new members into the Bespoke travel club and to arranging some memorable holidays for you all in 2011.
Stay warm! Andrew Loyd
We recently returned from another stay at the Carlyle in New York, which really is the most charming old school hotel, with delightful staff and very comfortable bedrooms. I was trying to think what made it so special and I suppose a key ingredient is the hotel still having lift attendants, who are all really charming and welcoming. It’s such a pleasant start and finish to your day, to chat with these great people. The bar is of course world famous and even though Bobby Short and Rosemary Cluny are long gone, there is still a real buzz in the evenings and new entertainers have filled their shoes. The hotel is not hip & trendy and does not cater to this crowd. It’s a product of a bygone age and in these uncertain times, we found that rather reassuring. They welcome you back with great charm and we are always sad to leave. What more do you want?
The location is brilliant (Madison and 76th Street) for work appointments, Christmas shopping and social engagements. We found a great cafe up the street Sant Ambroeus, which served the best hot chocolate and pastries. Swifty’s on Lexington and 73rd is also a wonderful local place for dinner. New York felt more subdued than usual and the Christmas decorations were more restrained, which is of course understandable. There were definitely less Brits in the shops than I had previously seen but sadly this didn’t stop us from bumping into our ex-PM in the hotel lobby. Fortunately we were on our way out the door to spend the weekend at the wonderful Inn at Stoneridge in Upstate New York, where we joined friends for the evening, having spent the afternoon touring the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park and lunching at the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck. The fall colours had passed but it was still pretty magical! Andrew Loyd, LTR. andrew@ltr.co.uk Tel. + 44 (0) 1573 229797.
Don’t miss the excitement and glamour of the Polo Masters Tour as it arrives in Val d’Isère from 11th – 14th January 2011.
For the third year in a row, the Polo Masters Tour invites the world’s best professional polo players to the stunning Alpine ski resort of Val d’Isère for four days of high-octane competition at the foot of the dramatic Face de Bellevarde. With competitions starting at 6pm each evening and a host of lively festivities to mark the occasion, this is après ski with a difference!
For four days from 11th – 14th January 2011, Val d’Isère will become the glamorous focal point for the world’s polo community. The best players from Argentina and Europe will battle it out on a snowy polo field at the foot of the Face de Bellevarde, one of the most famous and dramatic ski runs into the village.
Val d’Isère will party in style as it welcomes the Polo Masters Tour for the third successive year. After a day on the slopes, guests will be able to enjoy a host of festivities and fan-fare with a warming glass of Vin Chaud or Chocolat Chaud in hand as they take in the thrilling polo. Matches start at 6pm and 7pm each evening, culminating in the Semi-Final and Final on the evening of the 14th January.
For further information please visit: www.polo-master.com or for luxury accomodation in one of our chalets contact us on enquiries@consensioholidays.co.uk or +44(0)203 393 0833
Occasionally, rarely, you come across a place that stops you in your tracks and leaves a hint of a smile on your chops. These hidden gems tend to be off the beaten track, tricky to get to and even trickier to learn about in the first place. Privacy, these days, is the new luxury commodity. Anyone can do plush soft furnishings and good service, but a stunning location coupled with privacy, that’s the real nub of the matter; that’s what’s hard to find and even harder to preserve.
Nkwicki Lodge, Mozambique
I used to know Malawi pretty well but haven’t been there for some years, so it makes perfect sense that my latest trip to rediscover Malawi should end up on the shores of Lake Malawi but actually within the territorial boundary of Mozambique! I had heard about a top-draw little lodge with just 8 cottages that the grapevine told me it was impressed with. This lodge has no road access: you can fly to one of two airstrips that are close-ish, but then it’s either of long, long walk or an hour in a motorboat to reach the lodge itself. Intriguing! Read more »
The first snowfall of the season has arrived early to the 3 valleys and Val d’Isere which makes us think towards the start of the winter ski season and Christmas. This is a special time which you want to spend with family and friends and is why our weeks run from Sunday to Sunday, to ensure that you can enjoy a white Christmas in magical surroundings without any of the hassle.
Your chalet comes completely decorated for the festive period, unless you would like to dress the tree yourselves. Father Christmas will come to your chalet bringing presents for the children and a personalised life size advent calendars filled with gifts just add to the excitement.
Ski resorts are a winter wonderland with all the magic of husky rides and hidden igloos, perfect for alpine adventures. Your team will build an ice bar on your chalet balcony, perfect for enjoying some post skiing mulled wine or champagne. Children are guaranteed a white Christmas and the whole family can enjoy the excitement of building snowmen or going sledding.
Call us now to secure one of our last remaining Christmas weeks on +44 203 393 0833 or email enquiries@consensioholidays.co.uk
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful 4 nights in St.Petersburg, organized by Exeter International. As expected, we found a fascinating mix of Imperial splendour, mixed with Soviet era decay and modern day restoration. Obviously as the years pass, more and more progress is made and the city now feels safe and welcoming. The standard of the restauants we were recommended was universally good and the service friendly and attentive. Having not visited since the early eighties, we were impressed by the new Russia.
Having a driver and a guide was totally worthwhile, as the Russian street signs make little sense to foreigners, the local cabs are very rough & ready and there is so much to explore and history to learn about. Both were charming and very open about their lives, past and present, which in itself was fascinating. The Palaces were impressive, rather than beautiful but amazingly well restored and so interesting to tour, particularly the Yusupov, where Rasputin was murdered. The Churches are equally impressive and I will never forget being part of the Sunday mass at St.Nicholas’s.
Our hotel, the Taleon Imperial although slightly ‘bling’ in terms of decor, was very comfortable and has friendly and attentive staff. Exeter arranged just the right amount of sightseeing and free time, recommended some terrific restaurants, gave us comprehensive instructions about local ’customs’ and we felt very well looked after throughout our stay. St.Petersburg in some ways is not a light hearted place to visit, as there is so much sad Czarist and war time history. Indeed, we had to remind ourselves at one stage that we were ‘on holiday’. However we loved every moment and would recommend it strongly.
Uncategorized | admin | 
March 30, 2011 9:33 am | 
Comments (0) 
Subscribe