National Geographic Traveller UK - 01 e 02.2022

AMANDA CANNING //

TRAVEL WRITER

CHRIS HE YWOOD //

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS,

NYC & COMPANY

SAM LEWIS //

TRAVEL & SPA WRITER

JULIA BUCKLE Y //

TRAVEL WRITER

THE EXPERTS

Q // I’m

looking to

kick off the

new year with

a wintry

wellness

retreat, ideally

somewhere

with stunning

scenery.

Where do you

recommend?

Q // Do you

have any

insider tips

for visiting

the Vatican?

Italy and Austria are safe bets

for some all-out indulgence,

with excellent spas overlooking

awe-inspiring landscapes. If

you’re looking for a reboot, try the

adult-only, family-run Preidlhof

Luxury DolceVita Resort in

Italy’s South Tyrol. Healing

Holidays’ four-day Preidlhof

Transformational Journey

combines a variety of massages

with mindful eating, dance and

meditation, as well as time set

aside for the sauna, Turkish baths

and infi nity pool. If it ’s food that

lift s your spirits, book a table at

the onsite restaurant, serving

modern South Tyrolean cuisine.

From £1,649 per person, including

fl ights, transfers, full-board

accommodation and four-day

wellness programme.

Also in the Italian Dolomites,

Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti,

northwest of Trento, has outdoor

pools framed by peaks and

Up to 25,000 people visit the

Vatican Museums every day,

although they’re largely drawn by

a few key attractions. The Sistine

Chapel, for example, is oft en

packed, so if that ’s all you want to

see, arrive fi rst thing in the morning

or visit on a Friday evening.

The Vatican is home to 26

museums, meaning there are

plenty of places to explore. The

Gregorian Etruscan Museum,

for instance, is home to the

2,700-year-old Regolini-Galassi

tomb and a vase of Achilles and

Ajax playing dice. Then there’s the

Pinacoteca, which, despite housing

works by da Vinci and Caravaggio,

tends to be skipped by most tour

forests, as well as a 5,000sq-

metre spa, complete with yoga

studio, gym and programme

of exercise classes. Health

and Fitness Travel’s fi ve-day

Detox at Lefay Resort & Spa

Dolomiti package includes B&B

accommodation, treatments

and spa access from £2,285 per

person, excluding fl ights.

Neighbouring Austria is a

superb choice, too. For a typical

Tyrolean experience, try the

organic farm and family-run

Stanglwirt, overlooking the Kaiser

mountains, which has a rock

pool, pine-clad sauna and natural

swimming lake. Local herbs are

used for massages and wraps,

and packages can be individually

tailored. Rooms from €906 (£766)

for three nights, B&B.

preidlhof.it healingholidays.com

dolomiti.lefayresorts.com

healthandfi tnesstravel.com

stanglwirt.com SAM LEWIS

groups. Don’t miss the Gregorian

Egyptian Museum, either, where

Roman-era portraits sit alongside

mummies and statuettes.

Elsewhere, book the Scavi Tour

under St Peter’s Basilica and you’ll

be guided into an underworld of

perfectly preserved streets and

buildings, complete with doorways

and windows. For visiting St Peter’s

Basilica itself, the atmosphere is

much quieter if you arrive by 7am.

There’s also a happy hour

option on select Fridays during the

summer, when €40 (£34) will get

you entry to the museums, a glass

of fi zz and a charcuterie board.

museivaticani.va scavi.va

JULIA BUCKLEY

The US reopened its borders to

fully vaccinated UK travellers

on 8 November. At present,

the ESTA/visa system for entry

remains unchanged and all

travellers must still apply for

approval to enter the US. Flight

carriers will be asking to see

proof of double vaccination,

as well as a negative Covid-19

test result or documentation of

recovery. Children under the age

of 18 are exempt from the double

vaccination entry requirement,

so long as they also present a

negative test.

Those aged 12 and over

must show ID and proof of at

least one Covid-19 vaccine

dose to access various indoor

venues, including restaurants,

gyms and recreational venues

like museums, galleries and

professional sports arenas.

Broadway theatres have also

reopened and are operating at

full capacity, with world-class

health and safety protocols in

place. Visitors must wear masks

throughout the performance and

provide proof of vaccination.

Guests are also encouraged to use

the state’s contact tracing app,

COVID Alert NY. travel.state.gov

coronavirus.health.ny.gov

CHRIS HEYWOOD

Q // I’m hoping to visit

friends in New York

now borders have

reopened. What entry

requirements do

I need for the US?

Jan/Feb 2022 175