Nadia Sawalha talks JORDAN

TV presenter shares with Kuoni, her passion for the history, sites & flavours found in Jordan

You have so many programmes under your TV belt, what would you say you are best known for?

These days people probably think of me as a TV presenter who cooks a bit, too! I was, at one time, a TV presenter that was always in the sun; and before that an actress in Eastenders.

Have you been able to travel as part of your career?

For years I did lots of shows in Spain and Australia. The best programme I ever did was called Eating in the Sun and I travelled all over the shop. Lucky girl, eh?

What’s your oddest travel moment?

Trekking across the Kaisut Desert in Kenya, the driest, hottest and most remote desert in the world. I was there to help raise money for Comic Relief and it was probably one of the oddest experiences I’ve ever had. In fact, sometimes I’m not so sure it happened at all.

After winning Celebrity Masterchef, you’ve become an in-demand foodie and TV chef. What’s the best dish you’ve discovered during your travels?

Ah, there are too many to say what was the best dish but I loved almost everything I ate in Sydney. There are so many fabulous restaurants there, whether you’re paying the equivalent of £100 or just £5 a head. Everything was heavenly. The produce was great, with incredible flavours, and dishes were always beautifully light and energising.

Your father was born in Jordan and you have a real passion for the country. What is it you love so much?

Jordan has everything anyone could want from a holiday – an extraordinary history with friendly people; gorgeous food; the Red Sea for diving and the Dead Sea for floating; the desert; the hot springs; and incredible ancient sights like Petra and Jerash.

What must-sees would you suggest for a first-time visitor to Jordan?

All of the above! But a night in the desert in a Bedouin tent is a must. Do your research to make sure you get a good one.

Have you had a perfect travel moment in Jordan?

Taking my daughters, husband and friend to Petra last Easter for their first visit was wonderful. Awesome is the most overused word but it is the perfect one to describe the sheer power and beauty of this ancient city carved out of pink rock by the Nabateans centuries ago.

All of us spent a pretty fantastic day at the Dead Sea, too, slathering ourselves in mud and floating our worries away. It made for a great holiday experience.

We’re hitting the restaurant scene in Jordan. What local specialities should we try?

You have to go and have a mezze – an array of barbecued meats, salads, breads, olives and pastries. It should take you a whole afternoon to eat it as you sip on arak, a delicious aniseed flavoured liquor.

Are there any big adventures still to be ticked off your travel wish list?

I haven’t been to the Far East and India so I will definitely have to do that before I die! And, I can’t quite believe this, but I haven’t been to Egypt yet either!

INDIAN OCEAN with Simon Reeve

Explorer Simon Reeve talks about his latest TV series for the BBC, an epic journey aroud the Indian Ocean

Exotic and extreme

From dodging bullets in Mogadishu, Somalia, to swimming with dolphins off the coast of Australia, Simon’s epic six-part travel series for the BBC was dubbed his ‘most exotic and extreme adventure yet’. Indian Ocean aired on 22 April 2014 and wasn’t just a soft and sunny holiday programme or hard-core Panorama; it’s a unique blend of the two. “You don’t get more exotic than the Seychelles and more extreme than being on the frontline in Mogadishu. It’s extraordinary that such devastation exists so close to total paradise. It’s baffling really and a bit of a head screw. Indian Ocean is a journey where we go to both of these extremes.”

Simon’s passport is a multi-colour patchwork of immigration stamps as he’s travelled to over 100 destinations around the globe, notching up acclaim for BBC travel series including Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn and Equator – not bad for the boy from West London who hadn’t been on a plane until he started work.

Simon has a down-to-earth appeal and a real passion for the world, its people and wildlife. He’s clearly the type of person who can’t sit still on a sun-lounger and his hunger to get to the heart of his destination ensures he’s not afraid to take risks.

“We were in South Africa, looking into a new drug called Tik that’s causing chaos. Its connection to the sea is that it’s smuggled into the country as part of a two-way deal. People who poach a rare mollusc from the sea, at huge personal risk, sell them to Chinese crime syndicates in exchange for this drug called Tik. The mollusc is then sent to China and sold as a rare delicacy.

“Someone said, why don’t you go and talk to the crazy man down the road? Stupidly, we said OK. We walk into his house and it goes from sunny blue skies outside to depraved, dark drug den. As soon as we enter we see a young woman passed out. There’s a group of guys sitting around smoking crack with handguns next to them and we stroll in ‘Hello! We’re from the BBC. Is it OK to come and film?’

“The drugs leader is telling me that he has to protect his drug stash. His lieutenants start coming in, with names like Blade and Killer – and they look hardcore. They’re talking about taking Tik and their drug deals and I’m sitting there thinking, we’re not safe and sometime soon they’re going to want to be paid for this. They soon start asking how much the camera is worth, asking for our passports, so we’re up, backing out and making our excuses to leave. It was a situation that could have gone horribly, horribly wrong. That was a darker side of life in the Indian Ocean.”

A protective forcefield

Simon admits that when filming, he feels like there’s a protective forcefield around him so he can’t get hurt. This explains his first open water dive – dropping down into a cave full of sharks during Indian Ocean. “It was terrifying but it soon became obvious they weren’t interested in us. I was with a ‘shark angel’ called Gail. She campaigns for them, loves them and respects them. She pointed out that they are the most important fish in the sea and we need them to keep the eco-system in balance, as killings have resulted in jellyfish invasions in some parts of our ocean. I’d recommend diving with sharks if you get the chance.”

Simon also found himself hitching a ride on a containership from Durban in South Africa to Mozambique, heading for pirate waters. Simon said: “It was a giant orange ship containing a load of armoured vehicles from the United Nations and was heading towards pirate waters without any military support. It was mad and crazy. Their principle method of defence against the pirates was cardboard! They would put it over the windows at night so it would go from being a floating Christmas tree to a stealth ship.”

Read More about this  Kuoni Interview

SWEDEN with Ebba Brahe Jewellery

Inspired by a Swedish king’s love for his beloved countess, Ebba Brahe, Charlotte Ramel presented her jewellery collection, at the Ritz, in Paris. It was King Gustav II Adolf’s gift – a pearl necklace with matching earrings – to the woman that he couldn’t marry, that gave Charlotte the idea of her brand. This is an interview with one of Ebba Brahe’s direct descendants, the jeweller, Charlotte Ramel.

When did you start creating jewellery?

 As far as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in jewellery and precious stones. In 2008, I met Donna Karen who inspired me to dare to build the start-up, Ebba Brahe Jewellery. Since then, everything has gone very fast and smoothly – it’s been quite a journey.

Did you attend a special art-school?

At the age of twelve, I worked as an apprentice at Swedish jeweller Carl Fredrik Carlman. I then studied ancient jewellery and contemporary art at Sotheby’s in London and got the title GG (Graduate Gemmologist) at GIA. (Gemmological Institute of America, established in 1931).

Where do you buy your diamonds?

Until now, I’ve bought all diamonds from Hong Kong, Antwerpen and Tel Aviv but I will move my entire production to Italy. The foremost reason being that I believe in a close cooperation with my dealers and I want to be able to visit them more often. That’s easier if they’re in Italy.

Do you travel a lot to get inspired?

I’m mostly inspired by people and exciting meetings with passionate individuals but equally by nature’s fantastic forms. It’s essential for me as a creator to collect beautiful memories.

You have also designed bracelets with children on. What do they represent?

I have for a long time been dialoguing with Childhood’s representatives. This fall I took part in a UN-conference that the foundation organized in New York, focusing on the project #EyesWideOpen. The initiative is about keeping our eyes opened to understand the global problem of sexual assault on children. It touched me deeply and as a mother of three, it felt like something that I could relate to.

Is the organization known in several countries?

Childhood Foundation exists in Sweden, USA, Brazil and Germany.

Where can one buy these bracelets and your other jewels?

In Sweden they’re represented in several shops, in Eden Rock Hotel at Saint Barth and now in the Ritz, in Paris.

And on Internet?

Well, I’m launching a Webb-shop so do keep your eyes opened!

Why did you choose the Ritz?

Ebba Brahe Jewellery is connected to a magical love-story and few hotels can claim as many historical events as the Ritz Paris. Coco Chanel lived in one of the luxury suites with windows over-looking her shop. Despite having an apartment above her shop, she slept every night, until her death, 1971, at the Ritz. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Ingrid Bergman were other frequent guests there. Sophia Loren called the Ritz Paris for “the world’s most romantic hotel”. Moreover, the champagne drink, Mimosa, is supposed to have been invented at the Ritz bar. The Ritz Paris is Europe’s – if not the world’s – most legendary luxury hotel. It’s also strategically located in the centre of Place Vendôme, Europe’s most famous jewellery place. Now Ebba Brahe Jewellery isn’t only the first jewellery brand in history to be presented at the Ritz, Paris but also at Place Vendôme!

         That a four hundred year old love story has resulted in a young woman’s collection is truly amazing. The jewels given by the king to his beloved remain in the Ramel family’s possession. The saga continues with Swedish Princess Madeleine who wears Charlotte’s jewellery. That the collection also benefits the cause of children makes it even more exceptional. So if you have a beloved that you want to offer a very special gift to, don’t hesitate to have a look at Ebba Brahe Jewellery.

by Anne Edelstam, Paris

EGYPT with Indji El Solh

A traveling sports coach

Indji El Solh has, after many diplomas, workshops and classes created her own brand of Body Design that she carries around with her wherever she travels. Her followers pick up classes in the countries where she currently resides.

We had decided to meet at Beano’s – a café where Cairo’s hip clientele gather for a latte or a light lunch, in Zamalek, the once elegant, Diplomatic quarters in the centre of this buzzling capital. It was a relief to come into the calm, clean and air-conditioned place from an otherwise dusty and polluted city - albeit a city whose mix of European and Islamic architectures give a taste for more of the exotic and less of the familiar, be it dusty or not. I immediately spotted Indji’s blond and athletic appearance.   

Where are you originally from?

I’m from a mixed background, British and Lebanese, but I grew up mostly in Egypt. However traveling often to England, my mother’s homeland. That’s also where I got my

first dance certificate, age 16, at Ballet Rambert and eventually became professor in the theatre department, directing numerous experimental movement theatre & also dance choreography.

So you have always been in the fitness business since a young age?

Yes, I started out as a child dancer and haven’t stopped since. I studied jazz at Martha Graham’s school in New York and dance with Mat Mattox. Then I came back to Cairo where I opened the first studio of Dance Fitness in the country. The school was a success and grew so eventually I trained some teachers.

Where did you go from there?

I settled for some years in Ottowa, Canada. There I completed my studies and became professor in Movement Studies before once more settling in Cairo. Since then I have expanded my experience with many more certifications, as you can see on my homepage (www.indjielsolh.com) and have created my own brand that I teach wherever I go.

Which are your countries of predilection?   

I teach in several cities from Toronto to Dubai and each one has its own special charm. Ottawa for example offers a wonderful variety of restaurants and sites such as the ones along the Rideau Canal or The Parliament. I especially enjoy seeing it from the river from a luxury yacht (http://privateyachttours.com/ ).

Toronto is a busy metropolis with lots of arts and interesting blending of cultures. Dubai is an up-coming place where fitness is becoming a way of life just as much as in the West.

Who comes to your fitness classes?

It’s an educated clientele consisting mostly of a younger group of women. They vary from 17 to 40 years of age. I would like to attract older people as well and am working on that. There are increasingly health problems related to lack of fitness and sedentary lives and it increases with age. 

I leave her in her classy tights that she designs and are part of her brand and decide to walk back to my hotel room instead of taking a taxi.

Anne Edelstam, Paris   

PARIS with Maud Héline

French designer based in Brooklyn (Travel & Chic Mag)

Talented Designer Maud Heline surprises and seduces lovers of beautiful fabrics, pure and structured lines. In each collection she reinvents a major basic of feminine dressing with subtle finesse: white poplin blouse. After learning the ropes at Isabel Marant and Balmain, she created her own brand encouraged by the enthusiasm of her relatives.
How would you define the Maud Heline look?
To go straight to the point, the Maud Héline style is minimalist, a balance between the feminine and tomboy, and easy to wear. I try to find the essential details of the basic blouse without any superfluous details ; a refined model.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Inspiration comes first from where I go in life, because I cannot create without listening to my emotions. Then, to illustrate these emotions, I find my inspiration in vintage pieces, in books, exhibitions, pinterest, travel, online research and I take a lot of photos of details of clothes I see strangers and friends wear in the street.
Nowadays so far from Paris, what do you miss most?
In Paris, what I miss and that comes spontaneously are the narrow cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes, markets the weekend, the beauty of the city and good electronic music.
What is your favourite neighbourhood in Paris? Why?
I love the Marais for the number of shops, restaurants, bars and museums condensed in one place.
It is a district rich in culture and is constantly on the move. When I go back, there are always new signs. It's a neighbourhood where young brands open their first store which proves that this area is really open to novelty.
What would be your perfect day in Paris?
Morning coffee with family in St-Germain-des-Prés, the Marais for lunch with a friend to chat about all and nothing, do some window shopping then dine at Racines with a good group of friends.
Of course I would also visit an exhibition at the Grand Palais or the Quai Branly followed by a vernissage of a young photographic talent in the late afternoon. All finished off with a few dances at Silencio.
Any advice for travelers to enjoy Paris?
A friend created the visitesparticulieres.com website and I find that proposed customised visits in Paris are an incredible way to enjoy Paris differently. They offer private tours of galleries and museums, gastronomic events, art workshops and even treasure hunts. Children also have their workshops so the whole family can have their own experience.
Which is your favourite French designer?
She is no longer with us, but I greatly admired Madame Grès.
What will be the iconic pieces of your Autumn / Winter collection?
The Bazal, Aroze and Baziris blouses are for me the 3 timeless pieces.
The Bigram blouse with tricolour detail is also a strong part of the season.