World_Traveller_-_March_2019

Opposite: JA Manafaru

This page, from top to

bottom: COMO Uma Canggu;

Taj Lake Palace

worldtravellermagazine.com 33

weather and fewer crowds,
so you can explore the sights
at your own pace. Cruise the
shimmering lake, admire the
peacock mosaics at the City
Palace, and catch a nightly
screening at a rooftop café
of James Bond’s Octopussy,
filmed here in the eighties.
WHERE TO STAY: With 83
opulent rooms and round-
the-clock butlers, Taj Lake
Palace is an all-white marble
dream that seemingly
floats on the lake.

Ibiza
Before the midsummer
madness ensues, the White
Island feels like a tranquil
slice of paradise. With clear
skies and temperatures
nudging 20°C in April and
May, Ibiza’s pine-clad hills
are perfect for hiking and
mountain biking – although
it's tempting to spend your
days lazing on crowd-free
beaches and swimming in
remote rocky coves. Dine
among locals in quaint
villages such as Santa
Gertrudis and Es Cubells, and
shop for unique handicrafts
in arty Sant Carles de Peralta
and Sant Rafel de sa Creu.

WHERE TO STAY: In a

19th-century farmhouse

near Santa Gertrudis, the

boutique Cas Gasi has just

12 rooms, plus a spa, yoga

deck and outdoor pool.

Ohrid

In the newly named Republic

of North Macedonia, this

picturesque town on the

edge of Lake Ohrid is the

country’s most popular

tourist destination.

Outside of July and August,

Ohrid is still, somehow,

an undiscovered idyll

of cobblestone streets,

medieaval buildings and

lakeside cafés. Wander

around the Old Town,

sunbathe at rocky beaches

and visit the Fortress of

Tsar Samoil for the best

lake views. Just out of town,

Galicica National Park,

situated on Mount Galicica,

is a biodiversity hotspot

dotted with hiking trails.

WHERE TO STAY: With

gorgeous lake views, the

four-star Park Lakeside

Hotel has an outdoor

pool and 49 modern

rooms and apartments.

Sydney

March may signal the start

of spring in the northern

hemisphere, but it’s autumn

Down Under. Daytime

temperatures hover in the

low 20s and the harbour

city’s relaxed outdoors

lifestyle is still in full swing.

Stroll along the spectacular

clifftop coastal trail from

Bondi to Bronte – keep your

eyes peeled for migrating

humpbacks in May – and

pack your glad rags for the

Sydney Autumn Racing

Carnival, the city’s biggest

horse-racing festival held

over six weeks in March

and April.

WHERE TO STAY: The

200-room QT Sydney has

highly Instagrammable

interiors and a so-called

Director of Chaos to help

craft unique experiences.

Whale feeding at

Glacier Bay, Alaska

During the spring,

humpback whales travel

to the 5,000-square-

kilometre Glacier Bay

National Park, on the

southern tip of Alaska.

And they do so for one

reason; food. Back from

their fast from winter

season, these colossal

mammals will feed here

for the entire summer to

fill their empty stomachs.

Serving as a humpback

whale sanctuary, the

mammals benefit from

Glacier Bay's strict

protection, which has

resulted in a steady rise

in the number of whales

spotted every year. Along

with the chance to see

these serene mammals

up close, springtime at

Glacier Bay bestows

spectacular scenery

(most of the snow has

melted, allowing the

green of the mountains

to peek through) and

a chance to see the

aurora borealis. JT

NATURAL

SPRING #2