Is the fate of many unique, virtually abandoned villages in the unknown corner of Abruzzo sealed? Not if Swedish-Italian millionaire Daniele Kihlgren can help it. In 1999, a solitary motorbike trip proved to be a revelation for this modern-day idealist. By chance, he stumbled upon the almost-deserted hilltop village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park in the Apennines. He was struck speechless, not only by the outstanding beauty of the setting, but also because almost everything was untouched. “Time seemed to have stood perfectly still – no concrete buildings, no factories, no tourist infrastructure like the Swiss chalets you find in so many Abruzzese towns,” says Kihlgren. It wasn’t long before he returned to Santo Stefano – not only with his motorbike, but also with a plan to save this village from extinction. Kihlgren, in his mid-forties, has been described as a maverick, a millionaire with enormous willpower. And where there’s a will, there’s a way. Kihlgren bought a house in Santo Stefano and soon many more. Next step was signing a deal with the local authorities to leave Santo Stefano in its original condition – in other words, an embargo on building new houses and a ban on the use of concrete. In exchange, Kihlgren would spend a substantial sum, up to €4.5 million – a mix of his own and borrowed money – on breathing new life into the village and giving it a second chance. “This has nothing to do with renovation,” Kihlgren insists. “It’s about restoration – restoring honour. I had a unique opportunity to save one of the last authentic places in Italy from the grip of cement.” In 2004, five years after Kihlgren first wandered through Santo Stefano, the village was ready for its second life. Kihlgren received help from some big names, including the renowned British architect David Chipperfield, who also supports the concept of ‘conservative restoration’, or restoring while maintaining original features.The result of the first project here in Santo Stefano di Sessanio is Sextantio Albergo Diffuso. A fairly recent concept in the hotel business, an albergo diffuso is a ‘hotel’ scattered throughout a town in different houses. Guests are assimilated into the village and feel part of the community. Kihlgren’s Sextantio originally had 32 houses, but some have been sold to foreigners. Buying a completely restored house from Kihlgren costs about €1200 to €1500 (from $1470) per square metres. The rest serve as hotel rooms with a central reception area, hotel manager and staff.The rooms usually come with a kitchenette, a table and chairs, a fireplace – Spartan luxury. “We try to retain everything that refers back to village life,” says Kihlgren. “Only local materials are used, and old furniture and artefacts were sourced in the area. Modern technology, such as under-floor heating and light switches, is discreetly hidden. We also conducted research with the National Museum of Abruzzo and talked to the elderly residents of Santo Stefano to discover how people used to live and what materials they used. Even beter, after a couple of days staying here, you feel connected with the place. Probably just how Kihlgren felt the moment he decided to save a part of Italian heritage.

How to get there

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is 150 kilometres (a 1.5-hour drive) from Rome and 100 kilometres from the Adriatic coast and the city of Pescara. The best way to explore the region is by car. Sextantio Albergo Diffuso has 27 rooms dotted throughout several buildings, ranging from double rooms to suites, which are twice as large.
A Classic Room with breakfast for two starts at a bargain €160 ($196) per night in low season. While the setting is perfect, there’s definitely room for improvement on the hospitality side.

WWW.SEXTANTIO.IT/SANTO-STEFANO/

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In dreamy Montana, heaven knows no end. This quiet corner of America’s Northwest is the territory of America’s last, genuine cowboys. Montana is also famous for its Big Sky, endless and ever changing. The best way to experience this state is to stay in comfortable guest ranches like Triple Creek Ranch, owned by Craig Barrett, the former CEO of the American IT company Intel. He bought Triple Creek Ranch, a cattle farm of 10 hectares, a while ago and has a clear and correct vision what hospitality is all about.In a place like Triple Creek it’s difficult to say whom the wrangler, or the cowboy, the billionaire, the Hollywood celebrity or the cowgirl is. During the day everyone wears the same uniform: a worn jeans, weathered leather boots, a chequered shirt, maybe a leather jacket and of course the obligatory cowboy hat.No matter what background, income or age, everyone is here

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for the same reason: the charm of Montana. After a day in the saddle, guests and aspirant cowboys can relax at the ranch. Owner Craig Barrett is often here too, staying at his massive log villa where he treats all guests to an appetitive and a peek into his house. The fireplace looks like it can digestive complete trees and the huge beds can probably accommodate a dozen of sleepy cowboys. Chalets with names like Sapphire have luxuries in the form of a private hot tub on the terrace, a fireplace, and your own golf caddy to explore the domain. We like the privacy approach of the Ranch. Triple Creek provides breakfast, lunch and dinner in the chalets, if you wish. An apero before dinner? No problem, serve yourself from your own minibar with huge bottles of all kinds of drinks, with compliments of the house.[/wpcol_1half_end]

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On our way the our second lodge we had a stopover in the town of Hamilton where during a high school rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from across Montana compete with each other. We witnessed some spectacular exercises of horsemanship. Cowgirls manoeuvring their athletic horses around barrels, trying to be the quickest to catch a goat and tie it up. Viewers with a soft heart for animals, might [/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]

want to look away. The cowboys, some barely twelve years old, venturing into the arena on the backs of snorting bulls, they throw lassos around horses and act as it is all simple tricks. Yihaa! If you want to attend a major rodeo event in Montana, head to the Nile stock & rodeo show, held every year in October at the MetraPark in Billings, Montana.[/wpcol_1half_end]

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Another Ranch deluxe for wealthy would-be cowboys is The Ranch At Rock Creek, near the charming town of Missoula. The in-house wranglers look like they’re straight out of a John Wayne movie: dusty, with olive-skinned faces, dressed in the typical outfit, leather gloves and boots included.  Here you can get up very early in the morning for several hours of horseback riding, in the afternoon do some fly fishing or clay pigeon shooting and in the evening drink with some mates glasses of whiskey. The hotel may be new, the ranch is more than 120 years old and is completely sealed from the outside world. [/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]

There is the main building with some rooms, a bar, the restaurant, a shop and even a bowling alley. But if you’re smart, you stay in one of the older buildings on the other side of the river. Our favourite is the Wrangler, a cosy room, completely out of wood and hidden in an old shed dating from the 19th century. Just next door you can see the real action of the wranglers managing the cattle. There’s no better place than sitting on the balcony of your cottage and watching the Montana way of living with in the background the Big Sky of this unforgettable region.[/wpcol_1half_end]

THE VERDICT

We were charmed by the stunning beauty of Montana. After a road trip of more than 5000 km through America’s Nordwest, we couldn’t think of a better state to end our voyage. Surely, Montana is great in any season, but we are fan of September and October. Think about Indian Summer and autumn colors……
And try to combine your trip with a major rodeo event.
Our  favorite lodge is Triple Creek Ranch.

HOW TO GO

Fly to Missoula and rent a car.
We opted for a Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV, available as of 333 euro with first tank of fuel and all extra insurances and extras included.

WWW.SUNNYCARS.COM 

WHERE TO STAY

Triple Creek Ranch:  from approximately 530 euro for 2 persons per night. (OUR FAVORITE)
All meals, all drinks and aperitifs, on ranch trail rides and other activities included.
The Ranch at Rock Creek: from approximately 1280 euro for 2 persons per night in an all-inclusive package.
All meals, all drinks and aperitifs, on ranch trail rides and other activities included.
Our favorite room is the Wrangler. We don’t recommend the rooms in the main building.

WWW.TRIPLECREEKRANCH.COM
WWW.THERANCHATROCKCREEK.COM
WWW.VISITMT.COM

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What is the result when an Asian country tries to manage the tourism industry by charging a fair amount of entry tax to the adventurous traveller? Plus when it wants to keep far away from the madding backpacking crowds? Take 20.000 visitors a year and mix it with a 100% Buddhist population in a landlocked country with dreamy landscapes that will tantalize every serious travelista. Ok, you have to have a certain budget to get in. But who wouldn’t pay a bit more for a destination where the happiest people in the world live, where chilli peppers are eaten as a vegetable rather than a spice and where the beer, called Red Panda, is devilish tasty? And oh, we forgot to mention the Zhongs where monks live who perform now and the then the most hypnotic chants and dances and the fact that the locals are dressed as if they are huge fans of Dries Van Noten who decided that men also can wear skirts and sexy socks. If this isn’t enough we can give away that one of the best hotels Classe Touriste ever every stayed in is located here. High in the valley of Punaka you can stay in one of the five, fabulous Aman Resorts of Bhutan. In Punaka it’s an old summer palace that is hosting eight guests who will experience Bhutan at it’s best. An experience trough guided visits and tours in comfy jeeps, refined cuisine and mesmerising vista’s over de Punaka valley. And if you wonder after a while why the people of Bhutan are voted as the most happiest in the world, then just smell the air and find out that there grows more marihuana along the side of the road than in Jamaica and that a man AND a woman can have several spouses. Who wouldn’t pay a bit more for that!

WWW.AMANRESORTS.COM

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Amangiri is an ode to the mysterious rock formations of southern Utah and the ancient Navajo culture. An enclave of luxury and style in America’s most dramatic desert landscape. Take one of the world’s most influential and eccentric hoteliers, bring him together with several prominent American architects and drop them into the magical moonscape of immense rock formations, mesas and rolling hills somewhere deep in southern Utah. The location is Canyon Point, a stone’s throw from the famous Lake Powell and spot on the invisible border between Arizona and Utah. Finding Amangiri in this desert landscape is not easy. A mini signpost indicates left, towards a dusty road that disappears into endless oblivion. After a long drive between looming rock formations with characteristic flowing lines etched in the sandstone, you at last spot Amangiri in the distance. A mirage in the form of a razor-sharp, rectangular pavilion made of polished concrete. Amangiri nestles alongside a huge sandstone escarpment. The architecture does not impose itself on the landscape. The only unnatural note in this desert setting is the sharply contrasting blue of the swimming pool. Out of respect for the rugged Utah terrain and its typical Entrada sandstone, the hotel was designed as a massive block that seems to have emerged from the earth through natural erosion by the elements. The three architects used a mixture of local sand and cement to closely match the colour and density of the surrounding geological formations. Because of its remoteness, a special concrete casting plant had to be built on-site and colossal moulds were used to achieve the resulting monolithic forms. And light is undoubtedly one of the most important protagonists here. Amangiri is so remote that there’s literally nothing else to see here except nature and the exceptional play of light that changes at every moment of the day. Zechia and I-10 Studio have designed Amangiri in such a way that light constantly manifests itself in different ways. The angular minimalism of the building’s design is enhanced by an equally jagged play of light, from the fine sunrays sketching patterns on the sand-coloured walls, to the views through glassless windows that give the impression that the landscape is a painting. The architecture grabs the extreme environment, together with the light, and pulls them inside.

Every aspect of the architecture refers back to the immediate surroundings. Like two eagle’s wings, the 34 rooms and suites sweep out from the main building towards the desert. Each room overlooks this harsh scenery and wide panoramic views are even visible from the bath or bed. The idea is to step immediately out of your room into the desert. A large folding window opens completely onto a private terrace with a fire pit. Perfect for admiring the intense pitch-black nights and starry skies of southern Utah. In the main pavilion there is a bar, a restaurant, a library and a shop. In true Asian tradition, Zechia has also included a posh spa, where you find cool, enclosed spaces that hark back to traditional Navajo hogan buildings and for less sweltering moments of the day, small open-air treatment pavilions. The spa’s small swimming pool also provides relief from the dry desert heat. Wherever you look, all you see is water, rock or sky, nothing else. Amangiri is dominated by a purity of design and an absence of over-decoration. It’s a bit like camping in ultra-luxurious surroundings. Imagine: no noise, not even music beside the swimming pool, and shifting, hallucinatory landscapes with no light pollution because the civilized world is so far away. Perhaps these elements give Amangiri its extraordinary character and explain why those who visit, always wish to return.

The verdict

We were blown away by the location and the design. This is truly one of the most remarkable resorts in the US. We would go back immediately to sit on the terrace of our room, admiring the views over the desert or to watch the sunset on the terrace of the main building with a glass of good wine offered by the house. However we were not impressed by The spa therapist. And please feed me some real bread for breakfast!

How to get there

Amangiri (opened in October 2009) is approximately 5 hours driving from Las Vegas (the biggest close by city). Renting a Ford Mustang convertible to explore the area around Amangiri is a big adventure and a real must-do. Sunny Cars offers convertibles starting around 50 dollars per day, all extras and taxes included. Try to explore Glen Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and the famous Horse Shoe Bend plus Antilope Canyon.

The closest airport is Page from where Amangiri organises free transfers.

Room rates start as of 1050 $ + taxes.

WWW.AMANRESORTS.COM

WWW.SUNNYCARS.COM

What to do

Try to explore Glen Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and the famous Horse Shoe Bend plus Antilope Canyon. These highlights of nature are all in easy reach and the drive towards them are already worth the effort. Even a day-trip to Monument Valley is an option.

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What better to escape the winter, the cold humidity and a hectic life than venturing into the deep Sahara of Morocco? Spend some unforgettable evenings with the Touareg nomads, also known as “les hommes bleus” and be surrounding by nothing else than the endless dunes of this grand desert.

The adventure begins with a flash helicopter flight from Marrakech that will take you in no time into the heart of the Sahara. Les Hommes Blues with their indigo blue head scarfs are waiting for you in a deluxe mobile village. Camels, goats and sheep, and the typical Moroccan nomadic tents, owned by the chief and his family, included. No need to sleep with the camels this time because your accommodation is a beautiful, well-appointed tent with own shower, toilet and comfy bed.
When night falls, guests are invited into an impressive Touareg tent to have an authentic Moroccan dinner. Lots of candle light, lots of charm and ambiance because the Touareg like to end meals with music and dance around the campfire.
Don’t party too hard because the best time in the Sahara is early morning when the sun peeps up behind the sand dunes.
Solitude never felt so good.

HOW TO GO? From approximately 540 euro for 2 persons per night. Including dinner, all drinks and aperitifs, and breakfast. Want the camp completely for yourself ? Two nights in the desert, with helicopter flight from Marrakech and all meals, drinks and entertainment costs around 15,000 EUR. (camp without helicopter starts at 7000 EUR for 2 nights)

WWW.LEREDSAND.COM

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I know, it’s winter and it’s cold but can I still entice you with a stripe of Mediterranean blue and this amazing, new hotel in Greece….? We were here when it just opened and had the opportunity to spend some time here to shoot and experience this new Aman hotel. After two years of building, Amanzo’e opened in August 2012 on a huge plot of land along the eastern coast of the Peloponnese. It is near the coastal town of Porto Heli and only a boat ride away from the jet set islands of Spetses and Hydra. When in 2006 Adrian Zecha was taken to this spot, the hilltop of Aghios Panteleimonas, he said, “This is an Aman site.” It took Aman Resorts and their partner/investor several years to buy more than 50 plots of land from different owners needed to make Amanzo’e possible. Not only pieces of farmland on the hillside but also a plot of land near the sea, in the bay of Korakia, where the Aman Beach Club is situated.

It’s an ambitious project, costing over 100 million euro, with 38 guest pavilions and a dozen of villas that will be sold in the near future. Once again, Aman Resorts turned to Ed Tuttle, the renowned American architect, who has already designed several other Aman Resorts. Tuttle studied the site for two years and came up with a very striking and rather dramatic concept. A resort with the looks of an ancient Greek village, with a grandiose temple-like décor, high ceilings with giant pillars, colonnades and lots of marble and local stone. All this interpreted in a contemporary, clean style with modern furniture and accents. It’s like a smaller, 21st century version of the Acropolis. All the rooms have a courtyard entrance and a large living area opening onto a secluded private pool and pergola-shaded terrace. Glass doors slide away into recesses for comfortable indoor-outdoor living and the contemporary, custom-built furniture is locally made. The six-meter long cool pool is made of dark green marble and there is enough space on the terrace to throw a small garden party.

A 20-minutes drive along winding roads you will find Korakia Bay where a handful of elegant yachts and sailboats are bobbing in a tranquil sea. It’s here that you will the beach club of Amanzo’e. The eye-catcher in this bay is without a doubt the Wally One powerboat, the only prototype in the world. This 740 hp (with a 90km/h topspeed) is a dream come true for every boat lover in search of sophisticated sailing. You can charter it for the day and make boat trips to Spetses and Hydra, explore the bays and secluded beaches along the coast or even take a romantic sunset cruise.Lots of glamorous yachts anchor in the Korakia bay so that guests can come and eat lunch next to the huge swimming pool. Freshly grilled octopus, locally caught shrimps from the nearby fishing village of Kilada, heavenly grilled bread topped with local herbs…The Amanzo’e menu lists all the local producers by name and where they are located. This local food approach, quite new for the Aman Resorts group, is thanks to executive chef Rick Gonzalez and his Greek sous-chef Ilias Doulamis. “We have worked very hard to present a menu with very local products,” explains chef Gonzalez. “For months we looked for producers close to the hotel who can supply us with the best products. We believe that the local community and small businesses and farmers should also benefit from a big project like Amanzo’e.” To show what they mean, Gonzalez and Doulamis take us to the farm of Pascale, who is in charge of supplying Amanzo’e with the best eggs you have ever tasted. Pascale has a farm of 400 chickens in the hamlet of Arki. He gets the special seeds for his grass from New Zealand. “Only the best for my chickens!” says Pascale who lived for more than 18 years in New York but came back to Greece because he missed the sun. Now he sells eggs, lots of eggs to Amanzo’e where Gonzalez and Doulamis turn them into the most fantastic breakfasts, served with local greens and beans. When Pascale has too many eggs, he makes pasta. “We should create some new dishes together,” he suggests to the two Amanzo’e chefs. “Why not? Come over to our kitchen and let’s see what we can make together!” says chef Doulamis. After the chicken farm, the two chefs take us to their fish supplier in Kilada and to Ermionis, the beekeeper next-door to the resort. All these small producers seem quite happy with their new client. It is encouraging to see that the smile of Pascale, the charismatic egg supplier, is as wide as the smile on the face of the well-heeled, foreign guest of Amanzo’e when he is having his 100% Greek and perfectly poached egg for breakfast. They might live totally different lives, but it’s here under the Greek sun that they are both happy and content.

HOW TO GET THERE

From Athens, it is a 2,5 hour drive to the area around Amanzo’e. The road until Corinthia is a fast and newly built tollway. The drive from Corinthia to Porto Heli is beautiful, passing through coastal villages and the interior of the region. Do not be afraid to drive in this part of Greece. It is only in big cities that you may encounter more southern-style driving habits. A weeklong car rental with Sunny Cars, all taxes and all extras included, starts from 142,00 EUR per week.(289,00 for a convertible)
Amanzo’e is open until January and reopens again in April 2013.
The best periods to visit Greece are in spring and autumn when the temperatures are lower and the Saronic islands are quieter.
Room rates at Amanzo’e start around 825 EUR per night for a double room, plus 7% tax.
Take advantage now from the Amanzo’e Spa Retreat offer ;
You stay for three nights or more at Amanzo’e from 1 October through 23 December 2012 and you will enjoy:
• Complimentary breakfast
• One 60-minute massage per person per day
• Daily 60-minute yoga or Pilates group class
• Daily group stretching class
• Olive harvest excursion
Rates starting at 825 euro a night for this package.

WWW.AMANRESORTS.COM
WWW.SUNNYCARS.COM

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What is the cost?

ESPA massages start from £95.
2 hours ESPA time starts from £210.
Staying at the Corintha Hotel starts around £400 a night.

WWW.ESPALIFEATCORINTHIA.COM 
WWW.CORINTHIA.COM

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