Africa

July 31, 2006
Siwa, Egypt
Bálint Hudecz/Dreamstime
Everyone wants to know about the "next great places." But rather than simply make up a list, we turned to the people who explore for a living--for companies such as Starbucks, W Hotels, Trader Joe's, and Lonely Planet. Get ready for a serious case of wanderlust (not to mention job envy).

Cape Verde: Sal

Twelve years ago, former competitive skier Johnny Decesare began making extreme-sports films. After more than a dozen successes, including Not Another Ski Movie and Ski Porn, he turned his attention to a different sport--windsurfing. The founder of Poor Boyz Productions soon found himself on the Cape Verde island of Sal, 300 miles off mainland Africa.

"There are white-sand beaches and warm tropical water," Decesare says in his surfer drawl. "And the people are super nice." While filming The Windsurfing Movie, due out in the spring, Decesare stayed at the Sab Sab Hotel. "We were spending 20 bucks a night each on a nice hotel!" he says. Sab Sab is conveniently located behind the Angulo Cabo Verde Windsurf Center. Run by one of the sport's world champions, Josh Angulo, the shop rents equipment and will arrange lessons. Round-trip flights from New York to Sal on TAP Portugal, via Lisbon, start at around $1,200. Sab Sab Hotel: 011-238/242-1300, sab_sab_reservations @hotmail.com from $88. Angulo Cabo Verde Windsurf Center: angulocaboverde.com, one-hour rental $19.

Egypt: Siwa

"The oasis of Siwa is the only place that's left me speechless," says Kenneth Hieber, who travels at least four times a year for 2Afrika, his tour company. An eight-hour drive west of Cairo, near the Libyan border, Siwa appears in the Sahara like a mirage. The town is built atop an enormous network of natural wells, which bubble out of the earth in the form of two huge lakes--Birket Siwa and Birket Zeitun--and countless hot springs. Siwa is best explored by bicycle; rentals cost $10 a day.

In addition to the ruins of Shali, a 13th-century mud-brick village, Hieber recommends a trip to Fatnis Island, in Lake Siwa. "It's covered with date palms, except for a round, tiled pool at its center. I took a swim just before sunset and then sat at a coffee shop watching the sun sink into the Libyan desert." Ten miles outside town is Adrère Amellal, a luxurious ecolodge constructed of sand and clay. But Hieber promises he'll make Siwa much more affordable, offering extensions to the town as part of his company's growing selection of Egypt itineraries. "I'll be selling stays from as little as $35 per person per night," he says. Adrère Amellal: 011-20/2738-1327, adrereamellal.net, $400. 2Afrika: 866/462-2374, 2afrika.com.

Morocco: Imlil

Over two weeks of correspondence with Cherri Briggs, founder of Explore Inc., a high-end agency for customized vacations to Africa, she contacted us alternately from Cameroon, Botswana, and Morocco. It was fairly typical for Briggs, who travels throughout the continent about nine months a year, seeking "authenticity" and "real African comfort away from the crowds," as she puts it. (Before getting into the travel business, Briggs started a film company and served on the boards of various nonprofits interested in conserving African wildlife.) During her recent stint in Cameroon, she explored the country's northwest highlands and met with several fons, or tribal chiefs--some of whom, she says, have 500 wives.

One of Briggs's favorite spots of late is Imlil, a friendly village in the Atlas Mountains, 50 miles southwest of Marrakech. The landscapes around Imlil are so magnificent, Martin Scorsese decided they'd be a fine substitute for Tibet in parts of his 1997 film Kundun. "Imlil has gorgeous mountain scenery--but at 5,000 feet, rather than 20,000," says Briggs. The lower altitude means you're much less likely to be hampered by altitude sickness. "You can hike, take overnight donkey trips, and stay at the ancient casbah," which is now a hotel called Kasbah du Toubkal that helps fund community projects. Kasbah du Toubkal: 011-33/5-49-05-01-35, kasbahdutoubkal.com, from $177.

Niger: Agadez

"It's the most exotic place I've been," says Stacy Spivak, a buyer for Ten Thousand Villages, about the town of Agadez in Niger. On one of the old trading routes across the Sahara, Agadez was also once the seat of a Tuareg sultanate and dates back to the 11th century. It's still a main hub for the nomadic Tuareg people.

Ten Thousand Villages seeks out disadvantaged communities with unique skills, then sells their crafts internationally. Since 2001, stores in the U.S. have carried jewelry from the Agadez area. "It's mainly silver mixed with ebony, all made by hand," says Spivak.

She's also delighted by the architecture. "It's sort of like Timbuktu," Spivak says. "They use scaffolding made of branches, then build the adobe around it. The grand mosque, in the middle of town, has very intricate detailing; you can climb up to the windows and look out over the city." Spivak stays at a 13-room guesthouse, Auberge du Ténéré, now owned by an Italian expat. "It's an adobe room with an African canopy bed," she says. "Twigs hold up the mosquito netting." Auberge du Ténéré: 011-227/9659-8958, from $32. Round-trip airfare between New York City and Niamey, via Paris on Air France, costs about $2,000. Buses with and without A/C make the 12-hour trip to Agadez from Niamey: Corninche de Yantala bus station, 011-227/2072-3020, one way $27.

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When Bad Things Happen to Nice Cars

The most surprising thing about Michael Mann's new movie Miami Vice--which opened Friday nationwide--is the complete absence of pastel T-shirts and white loafers. Though I can't be sure, I'd bet the 21st-century Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Rico Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) even wear socks in this remake of the classic '80s cop show. They've still got the fast cars, fast boats, and fast women, but fans of the TV show won't recognize the characters: They're definitely duller versions of their former small-screen selves. The plot, however, will be familiar: The duo go undercover as drug runners to bring down a cartel, and Sonny falls in love with someone he'd have been better off avoiding. But one thing hasn't changed about watching Sonny and Rico: they still make you want to get on a plane headed for Miami. Here are three ways to have your own Vice-filled weekend in South Beach. Put the top down Somehow, on municipal salaries, Sonny and Rico roll in a Ferrari Spider convertible. Unless you want to spend upwards of $1,800 a day from a company like Prestige Luxury Rentals (888/513-9711, prestigeluxuryrentals.com), upgrade your regular rental to a soft-top. Get out on the water Sonny confesses to Isabella that he's "a fiend for mojitos," and then whisks her off to Havana in his cigarette boat. Any bar in Miami will mix you a mean mojito, but to cruise Biscayne Bay, contact Water Fantaseas. A go-fast captained charter will run you $3,500 for four hours. But you can rent a small sport yacht for as little as $1,550 (305/531-1480, waterfantaseas.com). Shake your moneymaker Before taking off after the drug-runners, Sonny and Tubbs organize a prostitution bust in a South Beach nightclub. Those scenes were filmed at 40,000-square-foot Mansion, a playground for everyone from Diddy to the Hilton sisters (1235 Washington Ave., 305/531-5535, mansionmiami.com, cover $20 and up). Related Articles:   Miami Vice-inspired Real Deals   Miami Snap Guide   Podcast: 48 Hours in Miami   Secret Hotels of South Beach

Europe

France: Calvi Kermit Lynch, a wine merchant, travels France's back roads looking to add to the more than 100 producers sold at his Berkeley, Calif., shop. "I follow my nose," he says matter-of-factly. One wine hunt 25 years ago brought him to Calvi, on Corsica's northwestern coast. "There are many empty beaches," he says. "Because the coastline is so mountainous and rocky, cars can't reach them. I love renting a boat with a crew from Calvi and boating along the coast between St. Florent and Calvi." They drop anchor at one of the beaches and swim. "Only the occasional boater passes by," he says. Lynch returns to Corsica once or twice a year. He splurges for the views at Hotel La Villa, and dines at Auberge du Coucou. "It's a family-run restaurant about four miles outside Calvi--very relaxed, casual, and spacious," he says. "Fifteen different tapas arrive after you're seated, and then you choose from about four main courses. And they have a really great wine list with tons of Corsican producers." Hotel La Villa: 011-33/4-95-65-10-10, hotel-lavilla.com, from $253. Auberge du Coucou: Route de Calenzana, 011-33/4-95-62-77-00, prix fixe dinner $33. France: Lohéac Michael and Andrika Brown are on the road at least half the year for their company, Streetwise Maps. True gearheads, the Browns are fans of the French village of Lohéac, southwest of Rennes. "It's a mecca of motor madness," raves Andrika. "Michael and I are avid kart racers and car enthusiasts, and there are racing schools, Rally Cross, 4x4 racing, and a kart track where they hold major regional and national championship races each year." This year's championship is September 2 and 3. "The highlight for us is Le Manoir de l'Automobile," says Andrika. The museum houses the collection of Michel Hommell, a media mogul. "There are more than 400 cars on display. Exploring it can be a religious experience." Indeed, the museum even has a chapel devoted to motors. The Browns stay at Chateau de Talhouët, a 16th-century manor house on nearly 50 acres near Rochefort-en-Terre, 45 minutes away by car. But they hang out in Lohéac, sitting in the cafés and joining the automotive discussions. "La Manivelle is the best crêperie in town," says Andrika. "The owners know several major racers, as you can tell from the photos on the stone walls." Le Manoir de l'Automobile: La Cour Neuve, 011-33/2-99-34-02-32, manoir-automobile.fr, $11. Chateau de Talhouët: 011-33/2-97-43-34-72, chateaudetalhouet.com, from $160. La Manivelle: 6 rue de la Poste, 011-33/2-99-34-06-15. Italy: Erice Waves of conquerors--from Phoenicians to Normans, and everyone in between--have left their marks on Erice, a fortified hilltop town overlooking Sicily's Trapani valley. "In some places, you can see the corner of a Roman wall, and then the modern city on top of it," says Andrew Appleyard, international sales manager of Exodus, a U.K.-based tour company. Appleyard, who started out as an archaeologist with Harvard's Semitic Museum and Earthwatch, found his background came in handy. "People are reusing Greek pillars as part of their own houses," he says. On Sicily's northwest tip, just over an hour from Palermo, Erice has spectacular views of the coastline, the Egadi Islands, and, on a clear day, Tunisia. Donkeys wander on medieval streets that wind down to the 14th-century Chiesa Matrice and the Balio Gardens. Vineyards dot the landscape. "You can cycle right up and do tastings," says Appleyard (he was in Erice scouting locations for biking trips). Enormous mounds of salt, covered by terra-cotta tiles, and Dutch-style windmills, once used to grind salt and pump water out of the salt pans, line the main road about 30 minutes southwest of town. The salt finds its way into local favorites like couscous with fish sauce, available at the cozy Hotel Moderno, which has 40 rooms, a rooftop terrace, and 19th-century touches. Appleyard raves about the food in Erice as "some of the best I've eaten anywhere in the Mediterranean." Hotel Moderno: 011-39/092-386-9300, hotelmodernoerice.it, from $121. Slovenia: Triglav National Park Cris Miller has worked in adventure travel for more than 25 years. For 12 years she ran her own tour company, then she spent a year traveling, co-managed a travel bookstore in Seattle (where she went so far as to lead patrons on trips), and eventually came aboard at REI Adventures, working as an Adventure Travel Program Supervisor. She creates itineraries and hires local tour operators for about 30 trips, most of which are international. A recent discovery is the Julian Alps in Slovenia: "Hiking there is a much more lonesome experience than hiking the Alps in other countries," says Miller. Triglav National Park encompasses nearly the entire Julian Alp range, preserving the 324-square-mile landscape of jagged peaks, sparkling lakes, traditional huts, and views of the Gulf of Trieste. The huts come with a full dinner, as well as beer and bedding. Bohinj Tourist Association: 011-386/4-572-3370, bohinj.si, huts from $16. Spain: Algamitas There's not a whole lot to do in the Spanish town of Algamitas. The slow pace and overall sense of timelessness have earned it and nearby Villanueva de San Juan the moniker "the forgotten villages." "You see maybe three cars in a day," says Francesco Guerrieri, a marketing executive at Exodus who visited in May. The draw is Cortijo Rosario, a farmhouse owned by Anne and Bill Brett, a British couple. It has two studio apartments (each with a small terrace and kitchen) and eight rooms. Fruit trees, cacti, and bougainvilleas bloom around the pool. "You really feel at home," says Guerrieri. The food helps: The cook makes traditional Andalucian food entirely with local produce. Guerrieri reminisces about dining on the terrace, walking through fields of wheat and sunflowers, and exploring the Moorish-influenced cities of Seville, Córdoba, and Cádiz, each two hours away. Dramatic peaks, gorges, and caves fill Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, just beyond the town of Grazalema, one of the area's pueblos blancos, known for quaint whitewashed houses. Cortijo Rosario: 011-34/955-957-351, cortijo-rosario.com; apartments start at $44 (three-night minimum). Rooms must be booked through Exodus, whose all-inclusive packages start at $850 (plus a local payment of $250). The Málaga airport is just over an hour away. Turkey: Kas Unlike its neighbors on the southwest Turquoise Coast, Kas has no beach, and Daniel Jackson, sales manager for Exodus, believes this has staved off the "mainstream holiday makers" that gang up on nearby resorts. Pronounced cash, Kas makes a terrific base for exploring the entire region, whether you're scuba diving, rafting the Dalaman River, tandem paragliding, canyoning, swimming, or mountain biking through pine forests. "We go sea kayaking over the sunken city of Kekova," says Jackson, who returned in July for his third visit in three years. "The water is clear and clean, and you can see the walls of the city beneath you." A handful of adventure operators cluster on the main street leading to the docks, where there's a lively outdoor bar and restaurant scene. The harbor is a 10-minute walk from the hilltop Oreo Hotel. Oreo Hotel: 011-90/242-836-2220, from $55.