Balance February 18 - 62

DOUBLE TROUBLE

LOMBOK,
INDONESIA
DALLAS,
TEXAS, US

TEE TIME
Just a short drive from
Faro airport, Vale do
Lobo - the longestestablished luxury resort
on the Algarve - is a
golfer's heaven, boasting
two of Portugal's finest
golf courses: the Ocean
and the Royal.

SHOPS

MICHELIN STARS
'Lion City' might be best
known as a place to
change planes, but it's
swiftly becoming a
destination in its own
right. Not least thanks to
its resurgent restaurant
scene, with 12 new
Michelin-starred
restaurants in the last
year alone taking the tiny
island's total to a
ridiculous 38.

TAN LINES
For unwilling caddies, it's
also got one of the most
incredible beaches on
the Algarve: A full
kilometre of private
golden sand, bookended
by top-end restaurants to
cater for every aspect of
good eating or daily
indulgence. The sea is
seriously beautiful so eat
well, knowing the best
cardio workout in the
world is sitting right in
front of you.

FOR MORE on the sunny
Algarve - even in winter
it's often 20°C - visit
visitportugal.com

62

ST MORITZ,
SWITZERLAND

SINGAPORE
Dallas is a shopper's
paradise, with more malls,
independent boutiques
and department stores
(including Neiman
Marcus' glittering flagship)
than you'll be able to
cover in a week. There
are new budget flights
from London Gatwick
starting in May (with
icelandair.co.uk). Did we
mention the shopping is
all tax free, too?

DOWNHILL
Tearing down black runs
on skis isn't everybody's
idea of fun in the
mountains. But if it is for
you, you'd struggle to
find better runs (to suit
all levels of winter fun
lovers), than St Moritz.
If skiing is all a bit 80s
power-play for you,
every other angle of
winter break is covered
too, high up in the Alps.

BE BETTER

CHOPS
HIPSTER BARS
For those who prefer a
night on the tiles, it's also
home to some of the
most unique pubs, clubs
and watering holes in
Asia, including no less
than six venues in the
current 50 Best Bars in
the World list. Make a
week of it, then have a
night to recover.

FOR MORE on
Singapore's island life
(there are 63 of them) go
to visitsingapore.com

America's coolest city in
the 1980s, Dallas is
undergoing a renaissance.
Not only is it a mecca
for barbecue lovers - the
beef brisket at Pecan
Lodge (pecanlodge.com)
is worth the price of the
flight alone - but the best
waiting staff you'll find
anywhere in the world
can be found at Kenny's
Wood Fired Grill.
(kennyswoodfiredgrill.com)

FOR MORE on The Big D
- America's ninth largest
city by population - see
visitdallas.com

BA LA N CE February 2018

GET WETTER
Not as overrun as Bali
(its neighbour) Lombok is
gaining a reputation for
independent travellers
who want to surf in its
crystal clear waters.
Having long lived in the
shadows of its surfing
sibling, it's a well chartered
(and cheap) plane ride
from Bali, where almost
perfect empty waves
meet deserted white
sand beaches. Practise
your Point Break fantasy
until you're ready to
go full Swayze.

DOWNTIME
Switzerland lays claim to
many of Europe's finest
spas, including the highly
lauded Badrutt's Palace
Spa (badruttspalace.com)
designed to cater for
every aspect of therapy,
massage and all round
wellness. Also, the views
are absolutely stunning.

FOR MORE on the
birthplace of Alpine
winter tourism (in
1864) see stmoritz.ch

With sessions on white
sand beaches or, if
you should choose,
through the highly rated
indigenous yoga studios,
class sizes are modest
and the instruction is
first rate - even the yoga
mats are provided. After
a day of solid surf or zen
like meditation, little Gili
Trawangan island off the
coast is where the party's
at for both of you. B

FOR MORE on this tiny
island, including
volcano Mount Rinjani,
see indonesia.travel

WORDS: JONATHAN THOMPSON; IMAGES: STOCKSY, SHUTTERSTOCK

VALE
DO LOBO,
PORTUGAL
http://icelandair.co.uk http://www.pecanlodge.com http://www.badruttspalace.com http://www.kennyswoodfiredgrill.com http://www.visitportugal.com http://www.visitsingapore.com http://www.visitdallas.com http://www.stmoritz.ch
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance February 18
