Chamonix

The ski season is open, the snow is here all perfect. Chamonix has a major face lift. With the ringing out of the old year and in with the new comes an enormous change . Elsewhere shops are empty and closing in Chamonix there is an enormous amount of fantastic new shops and restaurant openings capturing the spirit of the place .
Lets start by mentioning a major restaurant and bar opening with Cap Horn ( related only by the owner being the cousin of the piste restaurant in Courchevel ) . It has a super sushi bar , fab tapas Jazz bar and excellent restaurant : opposite is Munchie also very cool and some of the most interesting food in Chamonix - move over Nobu this is much better

Other major changes are the Boardrider shop , completely in the freeride spirit of Chamonix . People talk about Chamonix in many ways but often mention extreme sports and purity of sport . To be clear its been updated - you can ski wild on skis so fat that they could be two snow boards ( black crow was born here ) but you can shop in Chanel , see the beautiful people 20 years younger than Megeve and beautifully dressed in cutting edge ski wear and now chic evening wear . Watch out Courchevel and St Anton and Verbier- Chamonix is changing the beautiful , the wealthy and those avoiding the change in the swiss franc will all be here this year with shopping , eating and skiing to match every range from world champion skiers , russian oligarchs ; english bankers ( usually French but working in London) to boys and girls in camper vans who just want to ski . An exotic mix - IT WORKS - be there or be square .
Best of the Alps it is!

Favourite adresses in Chamonix:
Restaurants: Munchie, Bistro, La Remise d'Argentière
For lunch on the slope: "eat shit " or go to Courmayeur....best place Maison Vieille.
Woman fashion: Chanel
For mens clothing by on line: Mr Porter
Sport Shop: for training shoes : Ravanel and co
For ski boots and fitting see Jules at Sanglard
For skis and all technical equipment : Snell
For ski google: POC
For sportswear: peak performance
Best bread: Saint Hubert
For traditional Butcher (one of the best in france) : Minié
Hairdresser: Le Salon

Paris

Before the ski season, and when the Christmas decoration are on Paris is a wonderful destination.
After having staying in some of the best boutique hotel in Paris we want back to the real Palace and I have to say it is much much better. The Plaza Athénée is a great place the service is as it would be and even better than expected. The breakfast is delicious. They have a very trendy bar. The location is excellent on Avenue Montaigne, right in the luxury shopping district (Montaigne and close to Saint Honoré) You can walk to  the main Museum (Le Louvre, Musé d'Orsay, Branly, Musée d'Art Moderne, Palais de Tokyo). Ask the Concierge for the entrance ticket it will save you from queuing up.
For a fine dinning Lasserre is a very good choice, very France cuisine and nothing molecular. It is in amazing building with a retractable roof !

Tanzania Dar El Salem & Serengeti

If you fancy a long safari week end in Tanzania I highly recommend Singita Sabora tented Lodge in Grumeti Reserves.

To get there you need to  spend a night In Dar El Salam. The unique choice for the hotel is the Kilimangaro Hyatt. Probably the best hotel in town : good services, fine diner. The guest are very mix , business people, safari tourist, hunters, NOG workers, Chineses, airline crews.... which make it very interesting.

The next day you will have to fly at least to small planes to arrived in Grumeti Reserves. The Sabora Tented camp is a fix camp. We all the luxury you can dream off. Bath, air conditioning, fine cuisine, excellent service, spa. Two games are schedule per day... a great pleasure. For the first time we saw some  tree Lions, very amazing. What it is fantastic in this camp is that you are surrounded by wild life all the time. You see  during the day some zebrs, Buffalo...and you hear them during the night.

You can also have diner in the two other lodge they have in the Reserves.