Outlook Traveller Luxe - July-September 2015

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xactly 10 years ago, I
acquired a lifetime lease
on some land in
Scotland, a square foot
of Islay—the ‘Queen of
the Hebrides’—to be
precise. Were I to walk
into the Laphroaig distillery one fine day (as
I hope to do), I’ll be able to claim my yearly
ground rent in the form of a dram of whisky.
I’ll also be able to inspect my plot, for which
a map and sundries will be supplied from
the Leaseholders’ cupboard. It’s a flattering
conceit, and required nothing more than
the purchase of a bottle from the duty-free
and signing up as a ‘Friend of Laphroaig’
(which is easy, because Laphroaig after all
is such a friendly fellow), and punching in
the code that came with the bottle. I know
it’s nothing, silly even, but it still has the
capacity to make me feel pampered.
That luxury came cheap, but I can’t say
the same for our cover story, which brings
together 25 of India’s most luxurious travel
experiences. They’ll cost you a bit more,
but I can assure you they’re worth every
rupee. That’s why they made the cut.
Elsewhere in the issue, we feast our
eyes on Tokyo’s plum blossoms, chug up to
snooty St Moritz, and bring you tasting
notes from some nice, new joints in Delhi.
And we undertake a pilgrimage to
Laphroaig in its 200th year.
I’ve been having some interesting
conversations lately. Two of these appear
in the issue: one with Giuseppe Aquila,
CEO of Montegrappa, Italy’s leading luxury
pen brand; the other with Ratti Dhodapkar,
MD of Abercrombie & Kent India’s
outbound division. Both of them were
passionate about their products. A fountain
pen is a thing of beauty and I needed no
convincing there. But I’m grateful to Ratti
from bringing me round to the idea that a
luxury holiday isn’t actually expensive—it’s
simply great value for money.
In other news, Team OT had a glimpse
into the Good Life recently. It suited us
rather well, as you can see.