Heaven scent: 10 holidays you will remember forever

Nothing quite prepares you for the olfactory shock of arriving in India. Thirty years later, I still remember the first time I landed and the plane door opened. Back then, there were no bridges directly into the terminal and I remember being hit by a whiff of damp. Smell – more so than our other senses – evokes powerful emotions and helps define our sense of a place. 

Many places inspire me. There isn’t one country or destination that stands out: from the small house I have in Normandy that smells of grass, and which is an immense source of happiness; or the dream I have of visiting Africa to find the tree that bears a fruit called Miracle fruit, which has a strange mysterious smell. Legend has it that it sweetens anything that is bitter or acidic… even one’s character. Perhaps I need to make a perfume from that one day. 

As a perfumer, there are no good or bad smells – all scents are interesting. It is my nose that guides me on my travels or when I go for a walk. You can close your eyes but you can’t switch off your nose. People often ask me if I smell things differently because of my job. It’s true that my nose is sensitive and I probably smell more things than most. And, generally, one’s nose is not as developed as our other senses. But you can learn to smell – it’s like learning to see colours better. I’ve worked hard on my olfactory memory. When my nose becomes overwhelmed and I need to give it a rest, the way I calm it down is by smelling my own smell. I bury my nose into a shirt or sweater and that neutralises it.  

I never thought of becoming a perfumer growing up in Geneva, partly because I didn’t realise that job existed. I suppose I don’t have a typical perfumer’s background: I started out as a chemist at fragrance company Firmenich, and later worked as a chromatographer, a job that entails deciphering fragrances and their ingredients. 

The scent of my childhood was growing up by Lake Geneva. A lake is not the same as the sea – there’s a smoothness to its scent that distinguishes it from the sea because there’s no salt in it. It’s also the smell of pine trees and hiking in the mountains. It’s also mist and the smell of gruyere cream, actually make that double gruyere cream. You can smell the kilos a mile off!  

Possibly a smell that stands out the most is Borotalco, the Italian equivalent of Johnson & Johnson baby powder (my mother was Italian). As soon as I smell it, it’s like being transported to cherished moments with my family, snapshots in time growing up.

Christine Nagel is the first female head perfumer at Hermès.

1. Frida Kahlo’s Garden, Mexico City

Mexico city, or specifically Frida Kahlo’s Garden is where I encountered magnificent Lantana bushes. This small bush has red and white flowers or sometimes yellow and white ones. When you crush the flowers between your fingers, they give off a scent that is like that of passion fruit. It’s an acidic yet fruity and sulphuric aroma, a bit like a blackcurrant that tastes of sunshine. You also find it along the edge of the Mediterranean and I’ve used it in the cologne Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate. The house of Frida Khalo (museofridakahlo.org.mx) is worth a visit. You learn so much there about Mexican culture. If you get the chance, visit during the Day of the Dead, a festival that is celebrated in a very lively and colourful way. And if you like meat, head to La Mansion Marriott Reforma (marriott.co.uk/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/mexmc-mexico-city-marriott-reforma-hotel) and try the bread rolls with chili spices and the tuna with chorizo. 

A seven-day Art of Mexico tour from Journey Latin America (journeylatinamerica.co.uk; 020 3811 5828) starts from £1,847 per person including accommodation, some meals and local transport. Excludes international flights. 

2. Kerala, India

I have the most vivid memories of visiting Kerala and staying on a backwater, a boat made from straw which has one or two rooms like a hotel on water, with a guide and a chef. It was here that I met a woman who made up Ayurveda massage oils from unknown herbs and coconut oil. Later, I met an Indian journalist in London who had this oil in her hair and it took me back to Kerala immediately. I would love to use this smell in a perfume one day. If you like Ayurvedic treatments, I advise visiting the very professional Matt India Medical Centre (mattindia.com).

Transindus (transindus.co.uk; 020 8566 3739) offers a 16-day Kerala with a Difference tailor-made tour which costs from £3,114 per person including B&B accommodation, all meals on the riceboat cruise, entrance fees, local transport, transfers and international flights. 

3. Panarea, The Aeolian islands

The smallest of the Aeolian Islands at only 3.42 km2 is where during an evening passegiata, I came across the most incredible smell that was both milky and earthy. I looked up and there above me was the most enormous fig tree, its large leaves covering the path only steps away from the Boutique Raya (hotelraya.it/en-boutiques.php). Years later, I was chatting to another perfumer who had been struck by the exact same fig tree. Amongst all the little streets there, I also discovered the most wonderful restaurant which serves up a delicious and very original aubergine gnocchi, the De La Pina (Via San Pietro, 98050 Panarea ME, Italy). 

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.co.uk; 020 3883 6117) offers an eight-day aeolian Islands Sailing trip from £2,250 per person including accommodation, most meals, transfers, entrance fees and flights. 

4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A city of a thousand faces and where a love of perfume is so rooted in their culture, that each time I visit, I’m inspired to create a perfume. Several Hermes perfumes have been born following these visits – Cardamusc, Agar Ebene, Eau de Citron Noir. My advice is to visit the markets and breathe in all the smells, take in the sights. Here you will find Citron Noir, or a black lemon, which, when you hold it, feels light as air and gives of a scent that is almost metallic and very unique. It has very concentrated taste that is both salty and smoky. 

A seven-night holiday to Dubai with Sovereign (sovereign.co.uk; 01293 832 459) starts from £1,154 per person including half-board accommodation at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, return flights and private transfers.

5. The Dades Valley, Morocco

Don’t miss the fete of Roses at the beginning of May, possibly the best time to visit here where there are roses everywhere; at each crossroads you will find garlands of Damascean roses. I recommend staying at La Kasbah de Mimi, a restored Moroccan cliffside getaway. It’s very sweet with four rooms, piano concerts in the library and walls painted with Berber baraka: it’s undiscovered Morocco at its best.

La Kasbah de Mimi (00212 671523855; kasbah-mimi.webliberte.net;) has double rooms from 1,000 Moroccan Dirham with dinner and breakfast for two people. The nearest airport to the kasbah is Ouarzazate. 

6. Essaouira, Morocco

Previously named Mogador, Essaouira is a fortified village that was built by the Portuguese in 1506 that rather oddly resembles the architecture of St Malo. You must climb the ramparts at sunset because it’s the most breathtaking sight: the waves crash below on the rocks and the colour of the sky really is sublime. Coming back to the city centre you’re hit by the warm scent of the roots of the Thuya tree, a smell that is both woody and cedar-like and which has inspired many of the greatest perfumers. If you want to visit somewhere special, I can’t recommend L’hotel l’heure bleue highly enough. It’s situated in the heart of the Medina and recalls the luxury and charm of an old colonial hotel with its white central patio, luxuriant greenery, cosy salons and a large roof covered terrace with a swimming pool. The restaurant is excellent and you can even learn to make couscous with the chef Ahmed. 

A five-day Essaouira tour from Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; 01242 547 918) costs from £752 per person including private transfers and flights.

7. Sichuan province, China 

The region of Sichuan is a mountainous province at the foot of the Himalayas. At 2,800 metres high, after a long trek, I harvested Sichuan pepper with local women dressed in multi-coloured clothes. Despite its name this berry is not peppery but comes from the citrus family. It’s one of the oldest Chinese spices which was used to fragrance the dishes of the Gods and more recently used as a spice. It’s a region that is very remote, with not a hotel or restaurant for miles around. However, about 300km away, in the village of Chengdu, I came across a delicious local speciality called Mapo Tofu. It’s a mix of tomatoes, tofu, beef and is seasoned liberally with Sichuan pepper. 

A 15-day Sichuan Explorer tour from Wendy Wu (wendywutours.co.uk; 0808 2230 654) costs from £2,890 per person including accommodation, most meals, local transport, visa fees and international flights. 

8. Bluebell woods, Arglington, Sussex

A walk in the forest near Arlington, Sussex is where there are woodlands of bluebells, an enormous pleasure and total assault to the senses. When I was last there I spent the entire day on my knees in this sea of bluebells, smelling them, revelling in them and trying to remember their scent. It’s a smell that inspired a perfume. In Arlington there is a café with a small garden (Playcats Wilbees Road, Arlington Village, Arlington BN26 6RU; 0 1323 484549) that is seemingly quite ordinary but where you can tuck into the most wonderful Lemon Blueberry cheesecake or a rhubarb crumble. 

The Arlington Bluebell Walk and Farm Trail (bluebellwalk.co.uk/visitor-information; 01323 485151) re-opens in spring 2019. Cost: Adults £6, Seniors £5.50 (60 yrs+), Children £2.50 (3-16 yrs), Family £15 (2 adults and up to 4 children).

9. The Kununurra region, Australia

Inspiration from very faraway: this time a sandalwood plantation in Kimberley, NW of Australia, around four hours flight from Perth, where the temperature is always between 30-40c. This tree gives us ones of the most sought after essences in the perfume world. I recommend a meal at the The Pump House (thepumphouserestaurant.com), a nice restaurant on the water, where you can see a lot of fish and the occasional crocodile swimming around. It is run by French woman, Dominique and her German husband. Stay at the Freshwater resort in Kununurra (freshwaterapartments.net.au) and for breakfast head to the Kimberley Café (restaurantwebexpert.com/KimberleyCafe) which is great place for hearty Australian breakfast with great cappuccinos and the Avo smash that offers the unique flavour of the Australian Outback.

A 15-day Kununurra Region tour from Audley Travel (audleytravel.com/australia; 01993 838810) costs from £6,000 per person including three nights at the Freshwater Resort in Kununurra on a B&B basis as well as time in Darwin, Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and Uluru. The price includes international and domestic flights and transfers. 

10. Cadaquès, Spain

Immortelles and Bougainvillea grow all over the place in Cadaquès and are very inspiring. Really worth a visit is Salvador Dali’s house, a mile away in Portlligat. Hundreds of dried bunches hang there because his wife, Gala adored their scent. There’s a rather amusing story of an art expert who apparently authenticates Dali’s work by smelling the canvas…because 50 years later, any art created at Cadaquès still smells of Immortelles. 

In Cadaquès, I discovered in the backstreets a very simple restaurant called Embolic (Carrer Miquel Rosset, 5, 17488 Cadaqués, Girona; 00 34 697 71 08 41) which makes delicious food. Try the Cod doughnuts with a cucumber sauce and the hummus. 

A 10-day Roses, Cadaques and £1,795 per person including half-board accommodation, excursions, coach transfers and first class rail travel.