Black Tomato Blog

enchanting sri lanka and maldives

Hi, it's Carolyn here.

I've just gotten back from a totally entrancing visit to Sri Lanka which I wanted to share with you all.

We kicked off our trip with a few days lying on what has to be the world’s most achingly perfect beach at Cocoa Island in the Maldives – perfect shock therapy for our London-frazzled nerves (and a highly recommended way to start).

Sun kissed and de-stressed, we landed in Colombo primed for adventure...  we knew we’d like it but we were totally unprepared to love this tear-drop island so unreservedly.  Beyond its many obvious advantages (piles of UNESCO World Heritage sites, lush and varied scenery, soul-stirring palm-studded beaches), there are two things that make Sri Lanka such an amazing discovery: the first is the people – from the waving schoolchildren to the smiling villagers, this has to be the friendliest country ever. The highlight of was our cultural ambassador (our heaven-sent chauffeur-guide) who spent the drives in between our many destinations regaling us with everything from the latest cricket updates to ecological factoids to ancient local lore... he was indispensable, utterly charming, and made the whole adventure an absolute dream.

The second incredible advantage to Sri Lanka (and a reason to hurry there now rather than later) is that the recent (now resolved) political turmoil has kept away both masses of tourists and the mass-market hoteliers that cater to these unwieldy hoards. Instead, Sri Lanka’s many stylish accommodations are by-and-large operated by artistic, bohemian types building a life and legacy here as a labour of love – each place we stayed was imbued with a totally different and equally enchanting character.

 

Coupled with the lack of high-speed motorways that make travel necessarily leisurely, Sri Lanka is a perfect embodiment of the boutique, slow-travel ethos. From the baby monkeys playing on our balcony on our first morning to elephant families in Minneriya National Park to the rickety colonial-era train we took up to the tea country and the breathtaking views when we got there, we were totally hooked and by day three we were plotting a return with family, friends – anyone we could physically push onto a plane.

Get thee to Colombo – you won’t regret it.

CA

If you like the look of this trip to Sri Lanka check out our Countryside to Coast experience or give us a call on 0207 426 9888 and we can help design your perfect trip.

how to travel back in time (no flux capacitor required) by black tomato

This New Year’s we’ve come up with an amazing trip-of-a-lifetime that lets you to ring in 2010 not once, but twice.

Fly off on Boxing Day to Auckland and arrive at the luxurious Westin Auckland Lighter Quay. Spend your days chilling in the spa, or if you fancy, head out and explore the city. 

On December 31, don your party hat and take in the fireworks over the Harbour Bridge as you sip on a glass of bubbly to welcome in the New Year.... for the first time.

After the revelry of your city celebrations, it’s time to hop in your Delorian (alright, so it’s an aeroplane). Leave Auckland on January 1, 2010, and by the time you get to the island of Aitutaki (part of the Cook Islands) it’ll be December 31, 2009. Neat huh?

Once you’ve ditched Doc Brown (he’s off to stock up on his plutonium) settle in to your luxurious waterfront bungalow and get ready to enjoy your last meal of 2009 (really this time).  Then it’s time to dust off your party hat and bring in 2010 for the second time; except this time skyscrapers and crowded streets have been replaced by tall palm trees and pure white sand.  Amazing.

Find out more about this amazing new year holiday.

EB

heads up for valentine

For a Valentines weekend with a twist, consider Estonia. A drop dead gorgeous new property has just opened called Pädaste Manor, marooned on the unspoilt island of Muhu. We think it makes for a refreshing alternative to the Eiffel Tower.

A two-hour drive from Tallinn, this rustic manor is set in a remote spot overlooking a pristine Baltic beach. It is far-flung, but it certainly doesn’t compromise on chic design. In fact we are all out bowled over by this place: warm wooden floors, roaring fires, understated indigenous touches; all framed by magnificent views.

Take an island tour around dolomite caves or navigate the coastline by canoe. Back on dry land there are 12^th-century fortresses to explore, Juniper forests to horse ride through, and frosted landscapes to snow-shoe across. Black Tomato can also hook you up with a local lady called Leida who will teach you the old-fashioned way of baking dark Muhu bread in a woodfired oven. Afterwards kick back with some warm bread and a shot of vodka, share a Muhu bath, or watch a film in the manor’s private cinema.

Beats a box of chocolates.

SSL

motorcycle diaries: peru

 
Hi, I’m Shaun and I am one of Black Tomato’s resident South America experts.

I think that Peru is one of the best places in the world for travelling by motorbike. I also think that it’s only once you get away from the tourist hubs like Cuzco that you get to experience the real Peru. There are lots of dogs trying to bite your heels as you ride past… lots of curious Llamas and Alpacas that pop up to have a look. It’s also magnificently quiet once you get away from the towns.

This photo brings back great memories. I decided to rent a bike and get away for a day to ride this road that I'd heard about that looks out over Mount Veronica (on the side of the Sacred Valley). Up this windy road you get to the “Abra Malaga” (Malaga Pass) where the views are amazing. Behind you are the Andean Mountains with its snow covered peaks, beneath you is the Sacred Valley which leads to Machu Picchu, and in front of you the views stretch over the foothills of Andes to the Amazon Jungle. The affect of the altitude, the silence and the huge condors flying overhead all combine to make you feel tiny…

Locals still live in small stone shelters and huts and wear handmade traditional clothing and, best of all, they love to stop and chat. I remember sitting there for quite some time talking to a local “Campesino” about what life is like for him, his family and his animals. Love that country….

SB

beijing winter garden lounge nights

For an intriguing peek into Chinese art, cinema and Beijing’s beautiful Botanic Gardens, we recommend a trip to west London. The Louise Blouin Institute is featuring a solo exhibition of the renowned contemporary Chinese artist Wang Guangyi from 17 October to 1 March 2009. Part of the gallery’s ‘Culture Beyond Borders’ series, the exhibition will include an installation of life-size sculptures that depict Cold War preparedness, a large-scale twelve-panel mural and a series of watercolours. The gallery is also staging various lectures, workshops and music recitals. We are particularly keen to pop along to their dreamy ‘Beijing Winter Garden Lounge Nights’, taking place from 6-9pm on Thursday 4, 11 & 18 December. Tickets cost £5 and there will be screenings of Chinese film masterpieces, electronica music, live Guqin performances, and 1930s Chinese film and garden photography.

Inspired? We thought so. See the real thing with a trip to Beijing’s Forbidden City and Botanic Gardens, followed by a retreat to the beautiful mountainous landscapes that have inspired artists for millennia. 

SSL

the chilli hunter reporting from the road to cayo levisa

We set off early to Cayo Levisa, a tropical island off the North West coast of Cuba. Travelling out of Havana along a rather bumpy autopista (motorway) with no central reservation or road markings, we were soon dodging everything from 1950s American cars and trucks, 1970s Russian Ladas, horse drawn carts and even the odd stray cow. But in Cuba if anyone has the priority on the road it's the stray cows. Because if you're not careful you could find yourself doing 24 years in jail for trying to produce your own beef burgers on the road...  

We turn off onto smaller roads and whilst our driver skilfully navigates pot holes big enough to be classified as caves, we keep our cool and admire the jungle and surprisingly mountainous interior. Security check points occasionally slow our progress but it gives us the chance to check out the sugar cane fields, coffee bushes and banana trees that line our route.

A quick ferry ride and we are soon settling into our thatched sea front cottage (one of only 22 on the whole island). It’s not long before we venture out to explore what the surrounding beaches have to offer. And a romantic dinner at sunset completes our practically perfect day.

IB

The Black Tomato Chilli Hunter

the chilli hunter reporting from havana (part 2)

The whole world is a stage and we are but actors upon it...

Again living up to the stereotypes of Cuba we climb into a sea blue 1955 Chevrolet to cruise the larger area of Havana . In Revolution Square banners are being unfurled in preparation for Workers Day – something our tour guide describes as ‘a good party interrupted by long speeches’.

We stop for lunch at Hotel Saratoga's roof top terrace over looking Habana Veja (the old town) and the harbour. And the fresh sea air inspires me to order lobster which, at the equivalent of £13, seems excellent value. The afternoon brings our final salsa lesson and though we complete a routine involving an impressive number of turns and whirls I am certainly not a natural.

In the evening we reserve a table at the Tropicana club which typifies everything I have seen of Havana so far: music, dancing and glamour from years gone by. Show girls hand out cigars and flowers and waiters in dinner suits serve champagne and Havana club rum. The show itself probably hasn’t changed much since the clubs inception in 1938 (part of a Mafia plan to make Havana the Vegas of the Caribbean ). Gaudy costumes, gymnastic feats and singers with a fondness for brylcreem – all fabulous if ridiculously over the top. And though it’s a tourist trap, it’s also a brilliant, unique experience. So go for the show and the dazzling kitsch factor.

IB
Black Tomato Chilli Hunter

mountain retreat with a difference

What have hay, polenta and archery got in common?  The answer?  The Vigilius Mountain retreat in Italy where I have just returned from and “executive business trip”.

1.) Hay - the spa has a 'hay bath' treatment.  In short, you lie down on a bed of wet hay, then get covered in more wet hay and then you get wrapped in what is essentially a rubber mat filled with hot water.   You lie there for 20 minutes to relieve aching muscles and to alleviate tiredness.  As you can imagine, it was quite an experience and even more so as a rather large grasshopper bounced out of my hay bath as I was preparing to get in

2.) Polenta – The spa here also offers a Polenta peel and scrub.  Unlike my esteemed colleague Helen’s initial comment on this treatment (“I thought that Polenta was a starter at Strada”) it is actually a treatment to resurface your skin and leave it smooth and silky.

3.) Archery - one of fantastic activities that you can do here.  As much as I loved the archery, it was no surprise to the other “Tomatoes” that it really wasn’t a skill that I should pursue – I didn't hit the target once....

In all seriousness, Vigilius is such an amazing experience and if anyone wants a chat about it, give me a tinkle and I will have you going there before the end of a phone call.

MS

whisked away to mexico…well, almost

Authentic Mexican market-style eating in the centre of the Big Smoke…fat chance! Or so we thought. With the recent opening of Wahaca, a new Mexican mecca dedicated to bringing fresh and delicious taquitos, tacos and tostadas to London’s masses, it seems the tide has turned.

Wahaca is smoking hot, and that’s not just when it comes to the own-made salsas. The corn tortillas are soft and chewy, the guacamole just the right lime- and coriander-laced green and the melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork drips with red-hot chilli sauce. In short, it’s just like eating with the muchachos. And dare we mention the tequilas? Oh what a range…

When it comes to taste, Wahaca provides a pretty darn close approximation of Mexico, but if you want the full sensory experience of Central America, you’ll still have to hop on a plane. We like to think of this place as a teaser, a little slice of the fresh spicy flavours of Oaxaca to tantalize your taste buds and kick start your next holiday plans.

SE

love is in the air

One of my favourite things about working in travel is all the lovely people we get to know whilst working on what to do with their limited time off.  From the short sharp bursts of a long weekend, to the memorable and once in a lifetime honeymoon, it is always fun fulfilling someone's holiday dreams.  The satisfaction you get when they come back beaming and totally refreshed is to say the least, highly rewarding.

One of my happiest clients recently had asked for some help planning a weekend break with a special twist.  He wanted to take his girlfriend away to pop the question!  We worked through a few destinations and eventually settled on Italy. Where could be more perfect than the stunning and very romantic "La Bandita" near Sien. This beautiful, recently opened rural retreat has proved to be one of the best kept secrets of the summer and I was only too happy to share it with someone on a very special quest.

For the big moment my clients set off on a beautiful stroll through the vineyards and olive groves with extensive views over the picturesque Tuscan Hills.  Anywhere along this walk would be have been perfect, but the owner (John Voigtman) wanted to make it totally unique.  Their walk led them up to an old chapel where they stumbled across an exquisite picnic which had been freshly prepared with all the trimmings and of course the chilled champagne ready to pop.

I was delighted to find the following email in my Inbox this morning: "We have just returned from 'La Bandita' as an engaged couple!!  I wanted to let you know that the holiday could not have been more perfect, the location, the people and La Bandita delivered above and beyond our wildest expectations."  I have plenty more of these hidden gems up my sleeve and look forward to sharing them with you.

SK

a man, a plan, a canal...

Panama. And it’s where I have just come back from on a scouting trip for Black Tomato.

The verdict? It has made the cut on future destination selection here by a country mile and in my eyes is going to become a ‘must visit’ for the discerning traveller over the next couple of years.

A great combination that bucks the pre-conceptions held by most friends who I told about the trip before I went. “Oh great. seeing the canal then?”. Well, yes, there is the canal, and what an amazing site it is – but the amount of tropical islands located in it along with the regular site of crocodiles and turtles swimming by the boat I was travelling in wasn’t what I had expected.

Best part? Hire an island in the canal for a day of barbies and cold beers (go for one of the local brands – Balboa’s great) before heading back into the colonial quarter of Panama city for a night of jazz bars and moody underground clubs and restaurants. Atmospheric, distinctive and far removed from any cookie cutter nightclub and bar that you will find in many other cities. Panama has a style of its own, the people are incredibly welcoming and in my opinion will be at the top of many holiday wish lists by the end of the year. We already know about the gorgeous islands of the San Blas, but there are so many other gems to be unravelled in the country. From the other star island attraction of the Bocas del Toro archipelago to the beautiful countryside surrounding inland towns such as El Valle.

We are working up our dream experience for Panama at the moment and expect to see it on the site soon. Me? I can’t wait to get back there. I have just booked a beach house for some friends on the Pacific coast of the country for a Christmas break and just had the invite to join them. An easy decision to make….

TM

Rio Chagres, Panama

happy days in namibia

I’m just back from an incredible two weeks in Namibia, where we drove thousands of miles from Windhoek, up to Etosha, down to Damaraland and Erongo Wilderness Camp and topped off the trip by spending a few days in Swakopmund before heading to Wolwedans Camp. It’s impossible to sum up a trip in a blog entry (it would take at least 10!) but some of the best moments were camping under the stars, quad biking in the dunes, and taking a cruise around Walvis Bay, where the seals actually jump into your boat (we also spotted a multi million pound floating garage for someone’s yacht, which deserves its own blog entry, but that’s another story… along with Jaggiebombs and experiencing Swako’s finest nightlife…) But if I had to pick just one highlight, it would be the game. What made the game viewing extraordinary was the setting. We spotted giraffes, herds of zebra and elephants in the backdrop of sand dunes and deserts, and there were no cars or people for hundreds of miles, although it felt like it could have been thousands. This photo is of a cheetah taken at Okonjima, the home of the AfriCat foundation which rescues big cats. We spotted this cat just before sunset, and we could have watched it playing and stretching in the sun for hours.. But there were also sundowners calling our name…

CV

skywalks and skiing in japan

Uncovered destinations, travel trends, and funky new products- it’s hard to keep up with everything that’s going on in the travel industry these days. Our new biweekly Current Affairs column will highlight the most interesting news and trends in the industry, whether it’s a hot new region in southern Italy or an interesting airline concept. We will scan the newspapers and the best travel sites from around the world to bring you a short (and we promise, sassy) round-up of the most compelling travel news stories that people are talking about. Enjoy, and if you spot a trend that you feel we have overlooked please email us on info@blacktomato.co.uk.

Grand Views

This one is not for the faint of heart, or for those who suffer from vertigo. The brand new, multi-million pound Skywalk recently opened up in the Grand Canyon. This u-shaped steel-reinforced walkway is 70ft long and just four inches thick. It allows tourists to walk out over the Grand Canyon and peer down- a very long way down. The walkway is suspended 4,000ft above the floor of the valley and the Colorado River. The project, of course, is not without its controversies and critics.

The Independent, BBC

Big in Japan

Think of Japan and “Lost in Translation” comes to mind, as well as geisha and harajuku girls (well, that’s what pops up in our minds). But how about skiing? We’re seeing a lot of articles saying that skiing in Japan is the next big thing. After all, Japan has hosted the Winter Olympics twice and has over 60 ski resorts. There’s also no shortage of snow- the Niseko resort consistently averages more than 45 feet of dry powder a year and stays open until the first week of May. Reading a positive ski story is a nice change to all the dire reports about the fate of European ski resorts.

CNN, The Scotsman

 

Dead Right

If you think that airline food and long delays is cause enough for grief, consider this. Last week passengers in the first-class section of British Airways were forced to sit next to a corpse for the duration of Delhi to London flight. We’re not making this up; an elderly woman died on a long haul flight and had to be put be in first-class because there was no other adequate room for her on the plane. Other passengers weren’t too pleased. Read more here: The Times 

 

 

when in rome...

What do you get if you cross 200 vespas, the castle where Cruise and Holmes Wed, a private visit to the Sistine Chapel and access to the most exclusive nightlife a city has to offer.

The answer is..........  a VIP Black Tomato incentive trip for 260 people to Rome in Nov 2007.  There are alot of happy faces in the BT office today, late last night the client put pen to paper and all of our hard work has come to fruition. We are off now for a few celebratory drinks, maybe a couple of bottles of chianti and a few chasers of Limoncello...

MPS

shhh…

The thing with secrets is that they should stay that way. Secret.

But every now and then its good to let a few others in on it, or maybe a million others as the Sunday Times did last weekend when it revealed its top ten secret beaches in the world. Amongst the ‘in the know’ places was our trip to Mal Pais, Costa Rica. Jeremy Lazell gave it a crusoe rating of 7, rough around the edges but with some decent creature comforts.
Sums it up very well in my opinion. Having spent last New Year there, I did delight in the feeling that I was in on a big secret that few others back home knew about. However, as travel is all about sharing experiences, I felt it only my duty to report back to friends and customers on this beautiful place of huge, deserted beaches, rolling surface and lush rainforest packed full of wonderful wildlife. My morning wake up calls from howler monkeys beat my standard alarm and snooze setting. Just a shame they aren’t indigenous to London.

So yes, the secret is out, but what a good one to share. Thankfully, I feel it’s the kind of place that will still retain its ‘strictly between me and you’ vibe as its not right on the end of a direct flight and the country offers alternatives for those after a developed resort type break in the north of the country. However, if you can manage the connections and a short transfer, this is one secret that you really want to get in on.

TM

count down has begun...

A lot of excitement at BT right now. Have whittled our Talent Scout entries down to a top 10 and are soon to be getting in contact with the people to begin the final process of finding the next Talent Scout.

Have been overwhelmed by the number of entries and quality of the submissions. Each one inspiring and shows just how much travel stirs the emotions. So much so that we are hoping to release a book of them in the near future. Has kept everyone at Black Tomato enthralled and hope it will do the same for others.

TM

Images of beautiful Belize below - a frequent reference in Talent Scout entries

on the road to nowhere in cameroon

Finding destinations that are genuinely 'off-the-beaten track' can sometimes seem almost impossible in an era when globalisation often makes the world seem only half as big a place as it used to be. Thankfully, however, there are still places where the ubiquitous Golden Arches are unlikely to be seen just yet, as I was reminded by a friend of mine who has recently returned from Cameroon.

Encouraged by their brother who runs the Limbe Wildlife Primate Centre over there, they traveled throughout the country and came back armed with some incredible stories and ideas for potential trips to this little known region.

Esu, for example, is a tiny village in the north-west of the country that they were prompted to visit purely because of the fact that 'the road just seemed to run out there on the map.'  After a three day bus ride, this proved to be the case, but on arrival my friend was welcomed by incredibly hospitable and curious locals and was promptly invited to the birthday party being held the next day for the chief or 'Fon' of the village - who came to the throne in the same year as Queen Elizabeth.

Other highlights included helping out in numerous primate conservation projects; climbing Mount Cameroon and tracking mountain gorrilas near the border with Nigeria as part of a World Conservation Society team. Recounting all of this with a seemingly immovable grin, I was tempted to book a flight there and then, so look out for Cameroon in 'Intrepid Time' in the not-too-distant future.....

JM