Forget the rainy start to the year and instead let us shower you with exciting new travel opportunities as we move into a — hopefully sunnier — spring. Things are looking especially bright in India’s Thar Desert and Thailand, both still riding the winter-sun high. Elsewhere we have animal encounters, a sweet US bed and breakfast, and an elegant opening in London.
Siri Sala
Bangkok, Thailand
At times, Bangkok can be a sensory overload, with beeping scooters and cacophonic cries of hawkers, look-at-me neon lights, a delicious assault of cooking scents… But to the west, along the Noi Canal, longtail boats lazily glide past stilted houses and catfish frolic in the water. This is the BPM-lowering side of the city where you can call Siri Sala home. This exquisite restoration was nearly lost when the owners’ first attempt to buy was thwarted, but now it’s very much been found again, with a restored heritage house as the bar, rooms that nod to tradition, a wat-style gabled roof and lots of luxe upgrades (including a full kitchen and glorious grounds). In fact, it’s been so well-tended-to that it starred in season three of The White Lotus.
Don’t miss Siri Sala has a spiritual side too. Activities include contributing to daily offerings and giving alms to the local monks. So, what providence that a key religious ceremony — the changing of the Emerald Buddha’s seasonal clothing — is reverently held in The Grand Palace in March. The King of Thailand performs this sacred duty, and to mark the beginning of summer, the Buddha is dressed in a diamond-encrusted golden robe.
Kate Weir, Deputy Editor
Blind Tiger Burlington
Vermont, US
The Blind Tiger group (an offshoot of Lark Hotels) earns its stripes yet again, with this charming Burlington stay — near the first ever Ben & Jerry’s store, FYI. What I find so sweet about this outpost is that it holds on to its historic integrity. Many features are original from when it was built in 1881 (including the glorious gardens); and it’s furnished with era-appropriate antiques and art, with any new additions carefully added by local artisans. It might be a bed and breakfast, but you can scarf free snacks from the pantry throughout your stay, and cocktails and afternoon tea can be taken in one of its many photogenic corners. Also above par is the service: staff have quizzed locals on the best things to see and do, from brewhouses to bike paths, performance art to axe-throwing, for when you wish to go on the prowl.
Don’t miss It’s not just ice-cream that gives the locals a sugar-rush here — early spring is maple-sugaring season, when trees are tapped and the region’s sugarworks spin syrupy treats. Give yourself a toothache-inducing tour, snacking on sticky doughnuts, sodas, sundaes and ‘maple taffy’, where syrup is drizzled on fresh snow.
KW
Kaner Retreat
Thar Desert, India
The desert isn’t typically associated with abundance, but Kaner Retreat in Northern India is changing that reputation. Native plants — such as the oleander the hotel is named after — make this hideout lush and fragrant, but its bounty is more than botanical; here, you’ll also find boldly hued interiors, Ayurvedic treatments and guided nature walks. The retreat also offers the lavish Kaner Clay experience, where you’ll explore its exhibition of beautiful, locally made ceramics, before feasting on a seven-course meal by esteemed chef Pankaj Sharma. It’s a true celebration of artisanal communities, female creatives and reimagined Indian cuisine.
Don’t miss March is a riot of colour in Rajasthan, with Gangaur — a spring festival for the Goddess Gauri and Lord Shiva — a celebratory time of song, dance and processions. Or simply hole up at Kaner Retreat for the holiday period — its gardens are equally vibrant.
Millie Field, Content Writer & Editor
The Newman
London, UK
Many hotels assume art deco or modernist affectations, but if you’re opening a new boutique address near Bloomsbury, where early 20th-century writers and radicals famously redefined art and aesthetics, your style influences had better be on point. Cue: The Newman, a new boutique retreat in the heart of neighbouring Fitzrovia that — already — feels like a neighbourhood institution. That’s in part due to the deep respect it pays to the area’s cultural history, from architectural nods to Easter-egg references to local notables — my favourite being the weaving into design of writer, activist and muse Nancy Cunard’s outré polka dots and Afro-inspired adornments. But that’s just me; the brasserie, cocktail bar, and entire floor devoted to wellness are pretty special, too.
Don’t miss Antique hunters will find excellent pedigree at Chelsea Old Town Hall from 19 to 22 March, when CADA’s annual art and antiques fair rolls into town — expect watercolours, clocks and rare modernist jewellery among the treasures on show.
Martin Dickie, UX and Production Editor
Bi Design House
Bali, Indonesia
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. From a travel perspective I wholeheartedly agree — a turn around the globe does wonders for your appreciation of ‘home’. An even more powerful salve? Keep the spirit of adventure but double down on forging connections while you’re away. That’s the philosophy behind Bi Design House, a five-bedroom artists’ retreat in Bali, close to Canggu’s black-sand beaches. It’s a passion project by local artist and interiors guru Sheila Man, who’s filled the rooms with one-off statement pieces, works by Indonesian artists and photographs from her personal collection. More importantly, it’s a meeting place for those looking for more than mere time off, where you can swap tales over communal dinners, dissect your dreams by the pool and delve into galleries, markets and artisan’s workshops as a group.
Don’t miss Nyepi, Bali’s sacred day of silence, will take place from 6am on Thursday 19th to 6am on Friday 20th. Streets empty and all lights are turned out as the entire population stays indoors, fasting and meditating. You’ll need to stay at your hotel for the duration, but the run-up to Nyepi is fascinating, as locals attend Melasti (purification ceremonies) and take part in Ogoh-Ogoh parades, where demon effigies are carried through the streets.
Hamish Roy, Senior Associate Editor
Rekero Camp
Maasai Mara, Kenya
March’s rainy season brings showers and the occasional storm to the plains of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. At upscale Asilia safari stay, Rekero Camp, fresh rains swell the Talek River at its base, bringing added drama to its headland perch.
It may not be the right time of year for the Great Migration, when herds cross the Talek in their hundreds, but the zebra foals and wildebeest calves are young and still with their mothers; game viewing is as abundant as ever, and while your camera can capture the natural artistry of cloud-filled Kenyan skies, your pocket can take advantage of low-season rates at this all-inclusive stay.
Don’t miss This 38-year-old camp recently had its lounge, dining area and deck rebuilt, meaning that alfresco lunches or sundowners overlooking the river are better than ever — especially when the hippos below oblige with an accompanying grunt or two to serenade your G&T.
Kate Pettifer, Senior Content Editor
Keep some space in your calendar for our other new arrivals