“Caroline Phillips is a tenacious and skilful writer with a flair for high quality interviewing and a knack for making things work.”
These are the islands on the edge of the world. You may see porpoises, basking sharks or dolphins. Or perchance a peregrine falcon or sea eagle. You’ll pass rivers of moss and mushroom colours of plaid, and bens and glens cloaked in bracken and tradition. ‘It’s the last great wilderness,’ declares our ship’s chief purser, Charles Carroll. It’s as if we are lost in time. Welcome to the Hebridean Islands.
People say one of two things when I tell them I’m going to Bhutan. Either: “Where the hell’s that?” Or: “oooh, you’re so lucky, I’ve aways wanted to go there.” To the first, the answer is: it’s a kingdom in the Himalayas between India and the Tibetan plateau. To the second: yes, very lucky – it is one of the most magical and beautful places on Earth where truly you travel back in time.
Sometimes you find a place so good you don’t want to tell people about it. The Samling is one such. But its restaurant has just won a Michelin star, so it’s too late to keep schtumm…. The hotel can accommodate 24 lucky guests – in rooms and six cottages – in a gabled 1780s house in Windermere, the Lake District. All set on a steep hill and in 67 acres of gardens with giant genera, lavender and hemp. You may inadvertently walk past ‘reception’ – simply a bureau desk in the hall – but soon enough you’ll encounter the young, smiley, ever-solicitous staff. They’re doing great things. Since changing hands in 2011, The Samling has been snapping up awards. (‘Best boutique dining hotel in the world’ type monikers.)
The owner takes ‘guests’ for a spin in his Porsche and bundles them off to Prada in the company of a stylist. No, it’s not the latest boutique hotel but arguably the most exclusive – and wackiest – centre going. Caroline Phillips meets its aristocratic founder.
Chiva-som, Thailand – The mother of them all. Chiva remains triumphantly at the top of its game. Come here to scrub your chakras, give up sleeping pills or smoking (or both), lose your post-baby lubber or have accelerated subdermal therapy (ultrasound does battle with cellulite) in the medi-spa. There’s a daily schedule that’s more tightly packed than a tin of chickpeas, from vinyasa flow yoga to gyrokinesis (pilates meets ballet). Plus it’s all run with Swiss-style efficiency.
This is the story of the Marquess, the Old Masters and the Bentley. The tale of masterpieces by Van Dyck, Velazquez and Rubens being returned from Russia to Britain after 234 years. The tale of an exclusive 48-hour trip to blaze the trail for the return of these priceless works collected by Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and sold scandalously in 1779 to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, to adorn the walls of the Hermitage, St Petersburg.
Chiva Som is known as a Club Med for Holistic Junkies, and we Brits love the place. There’s something about the routine and the rules which is school-day reassuring. Cameras and mobiles aren’t allowed in public, and there’s no alcohol befre 6pm. You can smoke, but only in the designated spot (a favourite with Kate Moss).
There are thought to be some 15,000 abandoned villages across Italy. Alberta Ferretti has bagged one; the Ferragamo family have snapped up two; Daniele “the Saviour of Santo Stefano” Kihlgren nine. A really des village res is one that’s fortified with ancient city walls.
‘Think organised. Think organised squared… and that’s Susanna Hammond. In the space of a day she can change your life for the better. Susanna should be available on the National Health.’ These are the words of Emma Burns, the talented director of interior design company Colefax and Fowler.
As we sail away from the medieval coastal town of Kotor, Montenegro, all ancient walls and 12th-century churches, with a dramatic backdrop of mountains, the warm breeze is filled with the sound of altos and baritones. One minute they’re singing Bellini, the next it’s Bizet. There’s a piano on deck too.
If you’re looking to lose weight, get fit, reboot or just get away from it all, let our spa guide lead you to a life of wellbeing and serenity.
Everyone leaves there having made at least one change in their lives. That’s what I’m told about Kamalaya health spa in Koh Samui, Thailand. Guests rid themselves of multiple pounds (in weight and currency), have a turn of direction in their heart-attack-headed lives, and rejuvenate bodies more burnt out than a forest fire.
Hurrah. Some new intimate wellness solutions for the sisterhood. Gentil focuses on pH balance, gut and skin microbiome, alongside urinary tract health.
Caroline Phillips rounds up the best treatments from the most qualified experts to have in the comfort of your own home
St Andrews, Fife, packs a punch with its history, scenic beauty, fresh seafood and student hijinks. It’s the home of golf, the English-speaking world’s third…