Beirut

To eat:

I’m giving you three cities that are holiday cities for me, but Beirut is also my home. I live in London but my family is in Beirut, so I always go back and I get that feeling where I am at home and being cozy. My favorite place to eat in Beirut is a restaurant called Casa Blanca. It’s housed in a beautiful authentic Lebanese house in front of the sea, and it has the most amazing fusion type of food. The owner actually has an organic garden, so everything is organic. I go there all the time, so I know the staff very well. Everyone is very friendly and it has a great vibe, great atmosphere, so every time I am at Beirut I have to have dinner at Casa Blanca at least once.

To play:

Beirut is very vibrant city with the most amazing night life, so if you actually live in Beirut, you don’t crave going out anywhere else. There is always a lot of great places, I love being there in the summer because there is always parties on the beach. They do parties at a place called Decks on the Beach, which is on one of the beaches, or infamous Sky Bar, which is on the rooftop of this amazing building, opened by a friend of mine, and you can have the best nights there. Or otherwise, you can also go barhopping in the areas of Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, which are really nice.

To shop:

Favorite place to shop is a place called Orient 499. This guy recreated a modern version of an artisanat – which is a shop that sells locally made things. You will find the most beautiful wooden tables encrusted with mother of pearl, or hand blown glasses, but also kaftans, little Lebanese slippers, little pouches, even like small stationaries. It is a beautiful place, and every time I go to town, I buy lots of presents from there, and also things for myself and home, because I also love to travel in the dresses I find there.

The island of Mykonos

To Eat:

Mykonos is one of my favorite island and definitely my little holiday spot. Summer is not complete without stepping foot on the island. I will eat, shop and play all over the island, that is how friendly the island is. There are a lot of really good restaurants, but I love the Greek restaurant Phos. Otherwise I love having lunches in the tavernas on the beaches. There is one on the beach of Fokos, which is really delicious. I love to go there for lunch, or at KIKIs, which is also amazing.

To Play:

If you want to go out and party a little bit in the day, you can get a nice lunch at Scorpios and stay on for the party they have on the beach. You watch the sunset, which is the most amazing thing to do, and you can go back to town. If you are in town you can bar hop a bit everywhere. If anything, watch the sunset at Caprice, which is by the windmills, and have an amazing meal at the Sea Satin if you want to have a good lobster pasta, greek style. After I will always venture to this place called Guzel, but you have to wait until 4 am to go as it doesn’t happen before. That’s a great little spot.

To Shop:

To shop in Mykonos, I’ll shop for little trinkets. It’s just on the streets where you will find this really old little lady that sells handmade little shell necklaces which I love, and every summer I will go to her and pick up necklaces. Every summer I will have one evening where I will go out to town and do a little shopping, including evil eye bracelets and little necklaces with lots of shells and things like that are made on the island. There is also The White Shop, which is held by these two old ladies, where everything is traditionally made in Greece, and you will find these beautiful table linens and sometimes these white crochet bits.

Cannes

To Eat:

Another summer spot is Cannes. I have been going there probably since I was born because it’s my parent’s version of their Mykonos, so when I am in Cannes it’s mostly family time. We have breakfast, lunch, dinner and the evenings together every day. My favorite place to eat is actually not in Cannes, but you take a 10 minute boat ride and onto the island that is across. It’s a place called La Guerite, with the best kind of food. That will be my whole day of swimming in the sea and eating the most amazing food. They also play music, so you can stay and party.

To Play:

As I am with my parents, I will chill at the terrace of the Carlton which is where they like to stay, and we will have drinks and walk around. We will go to Juan les Pins, if there is a party on the beach. If you are really desperate to go out, then you are just an hour and a half away from Monaco, or an hour and a half from Saint Tropez, and you can get a good night out and come back.

To Shop:

In Cannes, I love to shop around Rue D’Antibes. There is something about Cannes that drags you to the stores everyday as there’s always something to buy. There is this shop called Le Grand Bazaar, which actually has a beautiful mix of designers, so I will pop in there quite frequently to get my shopping fix.

How you were inspired to start?

I have always wanted to design for my own brand, and it was a dream as a child that I one day become a designer. I studied fashion design and marketing, but when I graduated I wasn’t ready to start designing yet, so I basically opened a concept store in Beirut with my childhood best friend and I was a buyer for my own store for about 8 years. Every now and then I will draw a collection and say ok, I’m going to start – and then I will throw it away. Then one year I was hanging out at my parent’s house in the mountains in Lebanon over Christmas, and I felt like I was at a crossroad. I felt like there was something else I needed to do. I had the idea of a tuxedo. I’ve always worn a lot of black blazers, and I felt I needed an upgrade from that. I wanted something a little bit different, something I couldn’t find, and I shared the idea with my mum and my brothers who were all together. They said it was a good idea and I should go for it. The idea sparked there and then. My brother helped me purchase racil.com on the spot and then literally 5 days later I moved back to London full time and I started working on the brand.

So where can we find your things other than everywhere?

You can find us at matchesfashion.com and avenue32.com, and if you are in London pop into Selfridges and Browns. If you are in Paris, you can pop into Le Bon Marché and Montaigne Market. if you are in Cannes you can pop into Le Grand Bazaar that stocks Racil as well. In Beirut, it will be available at Boutique One.

How do you best wear your clothes?

I like to mix and match. I’ve always been someone who likes contrasts, so I love to wear a very dressy jacket with casual jeans or the other way round. I love wearing the blazers with a tank top and boyfriend jeans, or the trousers with a cool t-shirt. I like to wear my outfits from day to night, so I will wear the outfit in the day and slip on some shoes or trainers, and swap for heels and put on some earrings and be ready to go out in the evening.

Cover photo courtesy of Erik Melvin

All the better then that she has launched Indagare, a travel website and members service dedicated to sourcing some of the most authentic and special trips around. Together with her team, she scouts out remarkable travel experiences from Berlin to Bangkok, Chile to China, giving Indagare members the inside scoop on some truly wonderful holidays. Here, she rounds up some of her most trusted recommendations.

Best for: A Family Holiday: The American West

Stay: Located on 6,600 acres, the lavish Ranch at Rock Creek offers incredibly stylish rooms, suites, houses and tented accommodations in what is a personal and gorgeous interpretation of a Wild West adventure.

Eat: Chef Josh Drage whips up delicious farm-to-table dishes using produce, herbs and meats all sourced from the local community. Special themed dinners (think a Dutch Oven night), the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and s’mores at night are not to be missed. Tip: reserve fireside seats for chilly evenings.

See & Do: Clay shooting, fishing, paintball, skiing, snowmobiling, bowling and foosball at the Saloon.

Best for: A Romantic Getaway:  The Amalfi Coast

Stay: The sixty-two-room Le Sirenuse is built into the steep hillside of Positano and exudes an uncanny mix of serenity and elegance. Romantics, sybarites, art aficionados and those willing to splurge on one of Italy’s most iconic resorts will enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Eat: The most memorable lunch spots are accessed via boat only. Our favorite spots for romantic dinners—filled with truffle pastas and uber-fresh seafood—are the restaurant at Il San Pietro hotel, La Tagliata for a casual hilltop meal and Palazzo Murat, set in a beautiful garden in Positano town.

See & Do: The stunning coastline is equally beautiful from the water, and first-time visitors should not miss a day trip to Capri, arriving just in time for lunch at famed beach club La Fontelina.

Best for: An Adventure Holiday: The Atacama Desert

Stay: Located off of one of San Pedro de Atacama’s main streets, Awasi is the area’s most exclusive property with only eight rooms and offering private excursions, perfect for families and couples.

Eat: The Relais & Chateaux hotel fuses typical Altiplano flavors with international influences. Dishes tend to incorporate purple potatoes, quinoa and chañar (a sweet fruit from the local palo verde tree).

See & Do: Come to the proclaimed “driest place on earth,” 5,000 feet above sea level, to take in the striking topography and biological rarities during days spent horseback riding and mountain biking. This unique ecosystem is also home to several astrological observatories and boasts incredible stargazing.

Best for: A Once in a lifetime trip: A Tanzania Safari

Stay: The ideal Tanzania itinerary combines such highlights as the Great Migration, the Serengeti and a visit to a Maasai village. Our favorite properties include Singita Sasakwa and Mwiba, combined with a few nights at a tented mobile camp.

Eat: Guests of Sasakwa can enjoy breakfast in the bush or a romantic fireside dinner in their room.

See & Do: Game drives and bush walks occupy most days. To change your vantage point, take a hot air balloon ride over the plains to see the migration.

 Best for: That Cultural Escape: Berlin

Stay: Occupying a former bank building in Mitte, Berlin’s most luxurious property is the 146-room Hotel de Rome.

Eat: Like the rest of the city vibe, Berlin’s dining scene is casual and laid-back. Our favorite picks for a fun night out include The Grand, a former school house­–turned restaurant; Lavenderia Vecchia, an Italian hot spot that occupies an old laundromat; and Neni, a Middle Eastern rooftop restaurant overlooking the Berlin Zoo.

See & Do: Getting a handle on the enormous cultural and historic offerings of Berlin can be overwhelming (there are more than 170 museums). To complement more historic sights like the Berlin Wall, add in visits to Templehof (the old airport is now a park that visitors can explore via scooter) and Sammlung Boros (a contemporary art gallery in a former bunker), and contact Indagare to arrange a city graffiti tour.

For more information on all of the above, visit  www.indagare.com

Photo Courtesy of Indagare

1. Melissa in Egypt
2. Melissa in Zimbabwe
3. Josh Drage at the Ranch at Rock Creek
4. Beach Club La Fontelina in Capri
5. La Tagliata at Il San Pietro hotel, Amalfi Coast
6. Awasi at the Atacama Desert
7. the Atacama Desert
8. Tazania Safari
9. Lavenderia Vecchia, Italian hot spot that occupies an old laundromat in Berlin
10. Melissa at the Templehof, Berlin

Bed down in an igloo under the world’s most spectacular lightshow

Make like an Eskimo – and your way to Lapland – for a night in your very own igloo.  At the Levi Igloos in Finland, small glass roofed pods for two are nestled amongst the trees and feature snug bedrooms and little kitchens, all with warm (and extremely necessary,) furnishings – it could well be -22 degrees outside. The star attraction, however, is what happens in the sky above you as you cozy in for the night. For, located on the edge of the Arctic Circle and under the sky responsible for the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, these modern igloos with their specially designed glass viewing roofs are also in fact front row seats to greatest lightshow on earth.

Find yourself shipwrecked above the city of London

A Room for London is unique in so many ways; it’s hard to list them. A boat like structure that seems to have been shipwrecked on the roof of London’s cultural Southbank centre, it has just one room and a design inspired by the riverboat that wound it’s way down the Congo in Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness. Conceived as a place of refuge and reflection perched high above the hectic city below, visitors have to apply for a stay by ballot, and are permitted one night only. Once inside, it’s all cozy cabin furnishings and with views that stretch from the Houses of Parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral and beyond.  One night, one amazing view, one totally unique experience.

Take to your very own Tower

Positioned on England’s dramatic Jurassic Coast, the cliff top Clavell Tower was built in the 1830’s and used by local coastguards as a lookout.  Now you can follow in the footsteps of Thomas Hardy, who used to take the coastguard’s daughter and his first love Eliza Nicholl here with a weekend perched on the edge of England. Renovated after it was decimated by fire in the 1930’s and reachable only by foot, it now features just one small room on each floor, all curled around a spiral staircase that leads to a sitting room at the very top complete with a roaring fire and quite possibly the best views in England.

 Dine like a Maharajah, or a King, or James Bond…

If it’s glamour, history, romance and drama you’re after, then the Lake Palace in Udaipur has them all in spades. Built by the Maharajah in the 1740’s as his summer palace, this ice cream castle of a building floats on Lake Pichola, accessible only by boat. With it’s opulent interiors, amazing lily pond filled courtyard, gilt and marble inlaid pavilions and hand painted motifs, the Lake Palace has played host to everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Queen Elizabeth and even James Bond in Octopussy. And if it’s good enough for them…

 Be a modern day Robinson Crusoe on the shores of Lake Malawi

Tucking up for the night on a driftwood four poster bed positioned on it’s own tiny rocky island under the huge, star-filled African skies on the shores of Lake Malawi has got to be about as romantic as it gets. Guests are taken to their remote Lake of Stars bed for sundowners and a specially prepared dinner before being left all alone in the wild for the night (well, nearly left alone – hotel staff are always close on hand to make sure this is solitude with a heavy slice of luxury.) We’re talking is Robinson Crusoe style living, with a bit more romance and hotel service. What on earth is there not to like.