Farm visits, oyster tastings
and long lunches celebrating
the ingenuity of Kangaroo
Island producers are
planned at this year’s KI
Food Safari at Southern
Ocean Lodge. Lodge chef
Asher Blackford and guest
chefs, led by Maggie Beer,
will draw on the island’s
bounty and local expertise
during seven days of KI
immersion, from 28 July.
southernoceanlodge.com.auWhenthetastingforthismonth’sFiveofaKind(seep47)rolledaround,therewerealotof
brownies on the table–from classic school fête styles to gooey squares that leaned more towards
tarts and cakes. All agreed: if you’re not ready to commit to a full chunk of chocolatey fun, then
Dello Mano’s bite-sized and individually wrapped squares, in fudgy flavours such as Peanut Butter,
Espresso Walnut and Ginger and Orange are the business. $41.80 for a box of nine.dellomano.com.auSeabourn OvationSeabourn Cruise Line
promised “ultra luxury” when it launched its
600-passengerSeabourn Encorein late 2016,
and it repeats the brief with twin sister ship
Seabourn Ovation, which débuts in May. Both
ships are designed by prolific hospitality
designer Adam D Tihany, with the look and
feel of a luxury yacht in curvaceous lines, and
the liberal use of mahogany, chrome and
leather. High-profile partnerships include
a restaurant and bar by three-starred chef
Thomas Keller and a spa and “mindful living”
program by Dr Andrew Weil.seabourn.comThe A and The BThe first river cruise company
dedicated to travellers aged 21 to 45 sets sail
this month. U by Uniworld, a new brand by the
well-established Uniworld line, has renovated
two 120-passenger ships, renaming themThe
AandThe B(above). Design features include
rooftop lounges with DJs, spas and communal
dining tables. Onboard classes run from yoga to
cocktail mixing, while on shore there’s cycling,
kayaking and even river rafting. Five- and
eight-day itineraries on the Seine, Rhine, Main
and Danube rivers include overnight stops and
longer stays in major cities.ubyuniworld.comScenic EclipseAlleyesareonthesubmarine
and two helicopters on the long-anticipated
Scenic Eclipse, a 228-passenger ice-class
expedition ship billed rather diminutively as
a “discovery yacht”. The less novel onboard
features sound just as impressive. The size
of the suites, for example, ranges from 32 to
233 square metres, the latter a two-bedroom
penthouse bigger than a tennis court. And the
line-up of 10 restaurants is promising – from
sushi and sake to an eight-seat chef’s table – as
are the eight bars and lounges.Eclipsemakes
its maiden voyage on 31 August.scenic.com.auCruise control
Three new ships are loaded with features to suit adventure seekers.
THREE OF THE BESTMyconian Avaton
resort above Elia
Beach, Mykonos.28 GOURMET TRAVELLERNews
PHOTOGRAPHY RODNEY MACUJA (LA BELLE MIETTE)Greece is the word
After a decade in crisis, the Greek
economy is showing signs of recovery,
and it’s largely driven by tourism. In the
lead-up to the European summer, Qatar
Airways has added direct flights from its
Doha hub to Thessaloniki (Athens is
already on its route map) and, on 30 May,
the carrier launches flights to the style-
seekers’ isle of Mykonos. That will be
neatly timed with the opening of Myconian
Avaton, a resort inspired by traditional
Cycladic architecture and set above a
private section of sandy beach on the
island’s southern shore. Some of its
85 rooms, suites and two- to four-bedroom
villas have private pools and hot tubs.
qatarairways.com, designhotels.com