Destinations of the World News - October 2024

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“There’s no place like home,” said Judy Garland as Dorothy in the legendary 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, as she clicked the heels of her ruby slippers together to magically return to her favourite place on Earth. I can relate. There’s something so special about visiting home and pounding the pavements I’ve trodden a thousand times before. Especially as the promise of autumn’s crispy-golden leaves speckled across sun-lit streets creeps in. London, I love you.
There are so many things that sum up The Big Smoke. There are the live music venues and the West End’s illustrious theatres. There’s the thrill of moseying around Borough Market, Kew Gardens or the Victoria and Albert Museum. There’s taking a canal boat from Paddington to Camden. And picnics with friends in Hyde Park.
The capital’s history and architecture continually captures my heart, as I was reminded on my last visit, during a stay at the new Raffles London at the OWO. Weightlessly romantic, powered by nostalgia and timeless refinement, the five-star hotel oozes royal pedigree and historical charm. The former Old War Office – a Grade II-listed Edwardian building built in 1906 – was previously inhabited by numerous iconic and influential political and military figures, including Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Haldane and T.E. Lawrence. It was also the birthplace of British spy agencies MI5 and MI6, and was the main source of inspiration (and then the film set), for many of Ian Fleming’s James Bond movies. Turn to page 92 to read about the emblematic hotel and its extraordinary suites.
Sprinkled throughout this beautiful issue, we shine the spotlight on some of the very best suites and villas across the globe. From the Middle East and the Maldives to Camiguin and the Côte d’Azur, dare to dream with our meticulously curated edit of escapes that will inspire your next sojourn.
As I click my ruby slippers together, here’s wishing you a wonderful October, wherever you are in the world.
NINA CATT