Blog | Gadabouting

Last week we managed to get hold of multi award-winning photojournalist and celebrated curator, director and producer, James Morgan. Our aim? To get this extremely talented chap on board and part of the Gadabouting Studios family before he set off for the Arctic. It was a resounding yes from him with a view for the first batch of Gadabouting films and photographs to be shot with James later this year, but for now let us introduce you to the man himself and the awe-inspiring work he has created.

Aged 27, James is based in London, although his work means he is hardly ever there. He works mostly across Asia, Africa and South America, shooting indepth features and advocacy campaigns for the WWF, BBC, Sunday Times, New York Times, Guardian and USAID.

James’ most recognised work comes from his trip to Indonesia where he lived alongside the last of the nomads and documented their lives. This short film and story of photographs were the end result.

James’ work plays an important part in communicating undiscovered and endangered cultures, communities and species to the wider world through his use of raw, gritty and very honest film and photography. The story you see above not only documents the lives of the last sea nomads in Indonesia, but also highlights the dangers of destructive and unsustainable fishing practices that the Bajau people still use today that feed the international exotic fish trade.

His recent work has included an investigative report looking at the links between international terrorism and the illegal wildlife trade, a behind-the-scenes look at an election race in Papua New Guinea and a group of indigenous female wrestlers fighting back against discrimination in Bolivia.

Being quality content crusaders, it was only natural for Gadabouting to attend the Deutsche Börse Photography 2014 exhibition at The Photographers Gallery in Soho last week.  

It was clear to see why winner Richard Mosse was given the The Photographers Gallery stamp of approval, and prize money of £30,000.

Born and bred Irishman Mosse’s series of photographs illustrate the war torn region of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where 5.4 million people have died of war related causes since 1998. Shot on a large format camera using  discontinued military surveillance film, the resulting imagery captures the invisible spectrum of infrared light. Rendering the jungle war zone in disorienting psychedelic hues, Mosse explores two poles of content curation: contemporary art and photojournalism. Mosse attempts to find a way of adequately conveying the Congo’s complex and horrific cycle of violence through the beauty of colour contrast.

The question that we kept asking ourselves was: “Is it morally and ethically right to view something contextually so horrific but aesthetically so beautiful?”.

With the war having both an economic and political side, fighting was fuelled by the country's vast mineral wealth, with all sides taking advantage of the anarchy to plunder natural resources. Some small militias still fight on even today.  Mosse reflects this with the vast use of landscape within his photographs that either frame the characters within his work, or simply take precedence on their own, standing as bold and brutal as the hot fuschia that saturates the land.

His work ‘General Fevrier’ was the piece that struck us the most. The largest in size of his 5 photographic creations, the offset of the deep crimson land against the almost opaque, chalky-looking turquoise waters of the Congo River was somewhat reminiscent of the bloodshed that Congo has made a name of itself for and, of the unoxidised bloodshed that is undoubtedly still to come.  

His defeated rivals, namely Lorna Simpson, Alberto García-Alix and Jochen Lempert, still put on a good show.

How does today’s discerning traveller want to spend their money when it comes to travel? A far cry from sipping Cristal or increasing your carbon footprint with the superyacht you’ve just arrived on, today’s affluent consumer is seeking more than just a golden tan and sun-kissed locks. The buzzwords for wealthy wanderlusters in the know these days are exclusivity, rarity, authenticity and sustainability.

Every now and then, we meet an industry ‘know-it-all’ like Sonu Shivdasani, the founder of luxury resorts Soneva Group and Six Senses Spa.

“Deep down, people desire the simplest things which are often the ‘money-can't-buy experiences. Dining on a tasty organic salad in a vegetable garden, strolling barefoot in the open air, feeling the sand between your toes. That is luxury, that is what people want.”, says Sonu.

Über luxury has had its day of ignoring the culture around it. Luxury companies are now realising that ‘doing good’ and giving back to the community is much more rewarding for guests than glitzy frills that contribute little to a warm glow of satisfaction.

The Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in the Maldives is a prime example of a resort that is thinking and acting more sustainably. The Marine Lab on the island is the first of its kind to be funded and built by a private resort. You can join their specially trained in-house divers to help with programmes such as reef and species inventory checks, and even sponsor your own coral gardens. 

The laboratory is even equipped with instruments for research in coral ecology and green sea turtle conservation. In short, it's a fully-fledged science lab in one of the most abundant marine environments on the planet.

Frégate Island Private in the Seychelles is another resort that is thinking about the wider community, including the island’s wildlife and habitat.

Conservation is at the heart of the island's philosophy. Due to the island’s seclusion, it has its own ecosystem. What makes Frégate Island so special is that they take extra care to preserve it for future generations, ensuring all creatures - including the rare fairy tern - can prosper for years to come.

The island is also home to two thousand free-roaming Giant Aldabra Tortoises, it safeguards the nests of hundreds of endangered Hawksbill Turtles and has even saved the "Seychelles Magpie Robin" from extinction.

The question we ask of you is this: what’s more rewarding than staying at a hotel that understands that even though you’ve spent the entire day searching for tiny sea turtle hatchlings emerging from their nests and helped sustain the island's flora and fauna in your flip flops, you also want the little luxuries waiting for you back at base: fine food, thoughtfully-designed rooms and cosseting touches everywhere.

Born West Yorkshire lass and bred 'all about town' Indian, Philippa Kaye has spent over 7 years travelling, discovering and making India her home. Recently back in the UK, she now heads up Best at India (part of Best at Travel), is in the middle of writing her first book that is soon to be published later this year and brings her stories to life on her blog Memsahib in India.

Here, she she paints some vivid portraits of time spent in India.

OK, the title may cause some sniggers.  ‘’OMG, India stinks!’’ declare all the people who have never been there, the same ones who are convinced that all you will be confronted with are an overwhelming wave of poverty and will be struck down imminently, never to recover, with Delhi Belly as soon as one foot is placed in the country. However, as we know, my India is a very different place.

In my first blog piece on here, I wrote about my return to India last year and the smell that confronts you as soon as you arrive at Delhi airport. It’s a hard one to describe, a mix of grime and dust and struggle and survival, if such things can be translated into a ‘smell.’

I noticed a very similar odour this week on, or should that be ‘in’, the London Underground. 

Now before I head off into my romantic observations of the olfactory senses which assaulted me on this trip, I am aware that India has its fair share of unpleasant aromas.  I am not going to go into these you will be pleased to know. As low as I will go is to tell you about when my first negative realisation of what living in India as a ‘native’ might entail. 

Six weeks after arriving in Kanha, it was my first ‘lie-in’ in over 4 weeks as there were no guests to get up at 0430. I awoke, savoured the realisation, stretched languorously, partially twisted and caught a whiff of my own armpit. Oh My God, curry!  I surreptitiously turned the other way, yup, that armpit too, it was in stereo, surround aroma.  I was mortified. I officially smelt like the eponymous corner shop to be found gracing most streets in West Yorkshire. 

It’s something that you don’t notice when living there, but each nation has its own smell. Is it the French that think Brits smell like milk? It’s an unavoidable by-product of the diet that is eaten and you simply get used to it.  

Noticing all of these aromas of India, distinct from city to city, made me wonder if the scent of a city can determine its personality?  To me, on this trip, it seems it can. Living in India I really got to see that each city has a very different personality. Delhi is tough and aggressive, there is no give, it is about survival, man vs man and dog eat dog and the smell is one of enduring and existing. Smiles are hard to come by.  Mumbai is frantic but friendly, the sea relaxes and calms, it is chaotic but has more of a carefree attitude than Delhi.  Smiles are quick to turn into a laugh and quick to dash off again into the trials of another busy day. Cochin has always been the land of plenty, it is a chilled out destination due, ironically, to its permanent balmy climate, but one where smiles are frequent and come straight from the heart. 

To read Philippa's full story, click on the link below.

Mark Upton, the Director of MGMT Yacht Management and MGMT Concierge, talks to Gadabouting about his latest new mobile commerce venture: the MGMT App.

What is the MGMT App?

“The MGMT App is a concierge service specifically provided to closed user groups. The easiest way to explain it is this. Take, for example, members of golf clubs, private members clubs and client databases from top law firms. These are lists of data that are highly protected. The MGMT App is intended to be used by those clubs and companies as a membership and/or client loyalty programme by being able to offer exclusive luxury products and services that are free to the members of the MGMT App club.

We work with our carefully selected partners to put together exclusive experiences (not packages may I add), ranging from helicopter chauffeured ‘days at the races’ to stays in hidden boutique five star hotels that are only available to purchase for our members through the App. Having such a large partnership portfolio of internationally renowned luxury brands and services, we’re able to offer a whole array of experiences from car services, tickets to sporting, music, and theatre events, bespoke travel planning and all of the usual offerings you can find at MGMT Concierge.

Ultimately our goal is to put a smile on your face and make you feel special in everything we do, and our App offerings reflect that.”

Where did the idea come from?

“We were approached by a creative agency looking to put something together for a football club they were currently working with. They wanted to add value and boost client loyalty, and immediately thought of MGMT Concierge. Knowing who we were and what we did, they asked us if we could come up with an idea that would be able to offer their clients something unique to their club offerings. We put pen to paper and fingers to keypad and things developed from there really. The App is being finalised now and will be ready for launch on the 2nd of June.”

Do you think mobile commerce is important in the luxury service industry?

“Absolutely. People do not have the time or patience to do the research these days. If they can source a company that can do all the legwork for them and come up with the goods faster and more efficiently than they can, it’s a no brainer and the company has a market as long as they offer value and very strong, reputable customer service. We tend to find that if we can prove our worth and not overcharge for our services like so many individuals and businesses do in the luxury service industry, we gain more new clients and retain more of our existing ones. It’s a great way of attracting and maintaining integrity and loyalty. The first MGMT experience with every customer is critical, as it is very hard to prove how good you are until someone tries you out for themself.”

Where do you see the future of travel heading?

“For me personally, the future of travel is in the unknown. I believe people are bored of standard packages, exhausting the usual beach holiday where the only activity is sunbathing. We are finding that people are increasingly looking for adventure, and the discovery of new places and experiences. Whether this is a new destination, hotel opening or leisure/adventure activity, our clients are warming to the concept of feeling slightly out of their comfort zone which has rarely been seen before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a holiday after all: the service and standards still need to be there but our clients are thirstier than ever for deeper cultural knowledge and new experiences, which is (or should be) what life is all about.”

The 22nd of May marked the first anniversary of the international communications agency PRCo’s #LuxVox Twitter chat. Since May 2013, PRCo have been leading the way in discussing trends, insights and consumer behaviour in the luxury world, and we had the pleasure of being invited to hear the latest from some of the heavyweight thought leaders of the industry.

Hosting the night was PRCo’s Digital Communications Director Andy Whiteside with guest speakers Juliet Kinsman - the brains behind and Editor-In-Chief of Mr and Mrs Smith, James Dearsley (founder of The Digital Marketing Bureau) and Tom Hall, Online Editor at Lonely Planet.

The night consisted of a mix of old and new: from the way we conversed in person to how it was documented in real-time on Twitter.

One of the highlights was getting my hands - or should I say eyes - on one of the most recent models of the Oculus Rift VR. This amazing piece of technology has made its name in the gaming industry but since it was bought by Facebook in March for $2bn (yes, billion dollars), markets including travel and property are getting extremely excited at the prospect of showcasing their offerings in 360 degree, 3D perspectives.

Imagine what it will be able to do for holidaymakers and property buyers that want to be able to experience what it feels like to live in a 9 story mansion in the heart of SW1 in London, or to climb up into your treehouse bungalow in the verdant treetops amid the Balinese rainforest, as if you were actually there.

Aside from having our minds blown by the Oculus Rift VR, the whole evening surrounded itself around one primary topic of conversation: the future of travel.  Obviously, Gadabouting had a lot to say about this as did Tom Hall, James Dearsley, Juliet Kinsman, Kings Road Rocks, Triptease and many more.

By the end of the night there was unanimous agreement that visual content, especially film, is the way forward when it comes to engaging with new and existing customers in an immersive and timeless fashion. Tom Hall said in his presentation: “It's all about imagery and film. Footage that tells a story, which in turn drives engagement.”  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Tom.

Two weeks ago, we were invited to the launch party of Beast in Marylebone, which is the brand new sister restaurant to the Burger & Lobster collection of restaurants that is doing so well in London. It's upmarket but not complicated; relaxed yet not chaotic. In short, it's perfect for the discerning diner who loves unpretentious, delicious food.

This môde of dining seems to be part of a wider movement in the London foodie scene, with a convergence of two trends. Firstly, there's the move back towards doing simple food well, such as delicious burgers and steaks prepared to a high standard using quality ingredients. For too long this has been cheapened and commoditised in the restaurant industry, but this is now changing with establishments like B&L taking it to new gastro heights.

Secondly, there's the trend for luxury dining becoming more informal, with lobster and crab 'deformalised' and brought to the people. For some people, such dishes can be intimidating to order with the perception that they are for a certain cadre of people, so this is a welcome change. If that sounds like Communism, sign us up now!

Much like Burger & Lobster, the concept is simple. It's beef and crab, but the finest examples of both. And there's a great story behind it too. The king crabs are caught in Norway by small fishing boats (by the eponymous Norway King Crab company), brought to base within two hours and flown live over to London. The beef is prime Nebraskan steak, aged for suitably large number of days and grilled to perfection.

From the moment you head down the stairs into the Norwegian beach hut-inspired dining hall lit by candelabras, you're met by the crabs floating in their tank - showing you exactly how fresh they are. 

Over drinks, we met with the CEO Svein Ruud who told us how each crab is tagged with the location and date it was caught, allowing guests to know the exact provenance of their crustacean. They're even working on an app that allows customers to scan a tag on the crab and have the information pop up on their smartphones.

After being seated at the long wooden tables, the starter then arrived - a huge wheel of Parmigiano that you could carve chunks out of like a crumbling cliff face. Coupled with savoury pickled onions, queen green and pimento black olives in oil and chargrilled artichokes, the tastebuds start to tingle.

At the far end of the room is the open kitchen, where you can catch a glimpse of the chefs at work with the slabs of meat.

And what beef this is when it arrives at your berth. This is simplicity done extremely well: lightly seasoned, medium-rare, melt-in-the-mouth perfection. Roasted root vegetables and salad are served alongside for a complete back-to-the-earth experience, alongside the classic sides of peppercorn sauce and garlic butter. 

The only thing that serves to stop yourself gorging like that greedy snake is the thought of the succulent crab still to come: a light layer of white, feathery flesh on top of the bovine anvil just consumed.

With crab crackers and lemon butter sauce at the ready, you’re encouraged to dive in with your fingers, pulling the sweet meat out by hand. Napkins are on hand of course, but the emphasis is very much on enjoying the experience of this rather than conforming to a staid dining protocol.

Dessert is probably the last thing on your mind at this point, but you should welcome it as a thoughtful end to the evening. Anything heavier than a fruity palate cleanser would be excessive, and so the light lemon mousse or deconstructed cheesecake hits the spot for us. 

  All in all, we think this is going to be a huge success, with hearty food, a buoyant atmosphere and a great story behind it. What more could you want?

Nearly everyone has heard the saying “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. Well, we believe it’s about both. And now apparently, we aren’t the only ones.

With the likes of Four Seasons announcing the launch of their new (and the industry’s first ever) branded private jet service, it seems hotels are quite literally taking off in the most unexpected places.

From the furnishings that include fully reclining leather seats handcrafted in Italy to a “globally inspired” menu developed by Four Seasons chefs and the services of an in-flight concierge and photographer, the sky's the limit when it comes to first class service and now it seems, Four Seasons brand extensions.

If you’re on the edge of your Chesterfield reading this and simply can’t wait to take off in true Four Seasons style, you’re going to have to wait a little while longer.

  Departing in February 2015, a 24-day round-the-world trip will travel from Los Angeles to London with stops at Four Seasons properties in Bora Bora, Bali, Mumbai and elsewhere en route. It will cost £70,500 ($119,000) per person.

  Global Airport Concierge

Are you fed up with waiting around and having to check in at commercial terminals? Global Airport Concierge are one of the world’s largest airport concierge services, and have introduced ‘Airport by Invitation’ - a highly discrete, private and efficient way to travel on commercial flights.

Passengers are invited to bypass the commercial terminal and sit back and relax in their own private lounge before boarding the aircraft. As with every ‘Airport by Invitation’ experience, media discretion is guaranteed, and there is a chauffeur on hand to drive you from the lounge to the jet, allowing you to board the plane first and settle down for the trip.

  Emirates Executive

Emirates are famous for their attention to the guest experience and with the arrival of Emirates Executive, this takes it to another level. Unsurprisingly, demand for exclusive services has risen alongside wealth in the Middle East, India, Russia and China where Emirates will be operating their private jet service, alongside the majority of their other global locations.

Like many others, we were pretty miffed when we tried to secure our (available) Google+ vanity URL of plus.google.com/+Gadabouting and Google wouldn't let us. Instead, they tried to to make us put an extra suffix on to the end of it, like so:

/+GadaboutingTravel

/+GadaboutingUK

/+Gadabouting123

None of those we really wanted, so we decided to hold off for a bit. One week later, we checked again and just having /+Gadabouting was now possible. Here's what we did:

Don't dive in and pick something you don't actually want. There's no guarantee Google will let you change it in future. This may also quietly indicate to Google that you're unsatisfied with what they've offered you.