Your weekly travel roundup
#1 Aman launches new hotel brand, Janu
Meet Janu, a spin-off of ultra-exclusive hotel brand Aman. Unlike the luxurious privacy that Aman is synonymous with, Janu which means “soul” in Sanskrit, is all about “connectedness”, “playfulness” and interaction. The first three Janu properties in Tokyo, Montenegro, and Al Ula in Saudi Arabia are currently under construction, are slated to welcome their first guests in 2022.
#2 Berlin’s first 3-starred Michelin Restaurant
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Rutz, a wine bar and bottle shop in Berlin has just become the first restaurant in the city to earn a third Michelin star. Led by chef Marco Müller, the restaurant gained its first star in 2008 and second in 2017. Müller’s “inspiration menu” is available as either six or eight courses and includes dishes like grilled pigeon with red current and mushroom, wild quince with aroma of woods and malt and baltic cod and combu with elderflower and walnut. The six courses are available for about US$176 (€158) and eight for US$220 (€198), excluding wine pairings.
#3 Permit needed to hike Kalalau Trail in Hawaii
To address concerns of additional environmental damage to the coast of the island of Kauai in Hawaii, authorities have limited access to the Kalalau Trail to only 60 people per day. Hikers will have to apply for a Napali Coast State Wilderness Park camping permit (even if you don’t intend to camp). Permits are $20 per-person per-day (Hawaii residents get a $5 discount) and are being granted no earlier than 90 days before your journey.
#4 Diving Maldives like a regular Jacque Costeau
For one week only starting on March 9-16, 2020 divers will descend on the Maldives for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure cruise onboard the luxury catamaran, the Four Seasons Explorer. The cruise will begin in South Malé Atoll, the first of four lesser-known southern atolls in the Maldives, giving guests unprecedented access to some of the world’s last untouched waters. On the ship and in the water guests will be guided by a crew of experienced dive masters as well as Four Seasons staffers. The team will take guests on daily explorations in the waters along the Laamu, Huvadhoo, and Fuvahmulah Atolls.
