TABLE OF CONTENTS 114 AT SEA
DEPARTMENTS
BY NICK WALTON
It’s the right time to buy local, with South China’s shipyards 52
ART & CULTURE
BY PAYAL UTTAM
Make your bid for rare Chinese ceramics and thought-provoking contemporary pieces at Christie’s fall art auctions in Hong Kong. 110 IN FLIGHT
BY JUSTIN WASTNAGE
delivering top-notch vessels replete with luxurious fittings and technological savvy. 115 CHEERS
BY ANGIE WONG
Cognac has captivated the Asian market, spurring producers to
Asia’s private jet industry forges on with increasing orders from
issue inspired blends and limited editions worthy of collectors’
local charter operators, as FBOs start to tackle a much-needed
attention.
facilities ramp-up. 112 JET FOCUS
116 SERENITY BY MIKE ESPINDLE
BY REBECCA WALKER
Head to spa-perfect Bali, where an idyllic natural setting, rich
With a tall order for Embraer’s long-haul Legacy 650 from Beijing,
spiritual heritage and holistic healing make for an unforgettable
private jet travelers in the region can look forward to a super-
wellness retreat.
charged 2012. 113 TEST DRIVE
118 THE GUIDE BY HOLLY REICH
Bentley’s magisterial new Mulsanne handles with sporting ease, plus the poised but powerful Rolls-Royce Ghost and the speedy Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG with F1-like control.
Your guide to the hottest new clubs, bars, lounges and restaurants in some of the most happening cities on the planet. 136 PURE DECADENCE
BY NICK WALTON
Escape to Anantara Kihavah, one of the Maldives’ newest (and hottest) resorts, where sprawling villas, barefoot-chic living and indulgent pampering await.
Suede zebra print brogues, US$490, Miu Miu (Contact: Kirsty Attwood from Personal Shopping at Net-A-Porter, 44-203471-4919; www.net-a-porter.com). PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LEWIS TAYLOR
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
ASIA MEETS LAS VEGAS October brought some 26,077 attendees to the National Business Aviation Association’s 64th Annual Meeting & Convention in Las Vegas, not a small conference by any measure, underscoring the breadth of the global private jet industry. Of particular note, international attendance was up 23 percent, helping to break the 4,000 attendee mark for the first time. In addition to some 1,106 exhibitors inside the Las Vegas Convention Center, there were some 85 jets on display at Henderson Executive Airport. The ramp at nearby McCarran International Airport was too swamped with its normal high volume of private jets to handle the extra planes. Asia, you will not be surprised, was at the center of the conversation here in the U.S. desert. In fact, the daily conference newspapers were jammed with news stories related to Asian private jet purchases. There was news analysis of how the region is impacting the private jet industry: “Is China riding to the rescue of aviation?” blared a typical headline. One analyst predicted as many as 1,000 private jets will be delivered to Chinese owners in the next five years. Behind these types of projections, there were announcements of new projects for Asian FBOs, manufacturer completion facilities and manufacturer service centers for the region as well. So as you read this issue of Elite Traveler aboard your private jet, you are indeed a pioneer in one of the region’s fastest growing industries. Needless to say, over the next several decades, you will be able to share stories about the amazing growth of private jets that is in all likelihood in front of us. In this issue, read Group Managing Editor Mike Espindle’s report on the Embraer Legacy 650 (p. 112); Mike also just returned from Las Vegas and reports that Beijing-based lessor Minsheng Financial will take delivery of as many as 20 of the super-midsize jets. Minsheng also signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with French manufacturer Dassault for Falcon 7Xs and Falcon 2000s on top of firm orders the company made earlier this year. Also, aviation columnist Justin Wastnage details a bevy of private jet facility expansions and deals around Asia (p. 110): A US$40 million investment by Hong Kong’s Metrojet in hangar space at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport outside Manila. Charter firm VistaJet establishes an Asian HQ at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport’s SkyPark Subang in Malaysia. Thai operator MJETS bases charters out of Don Mueang in Bangkok. Again, lessor Minsheng signs an MoU, this time with Gulfstream, for as many as 50 jets, for a stunning US$2.5 billion, and more.
WHAT’S IN STORE By all accounts, Asia’s fleet of private jets is on the rise, proof positive of a booming economy with a healthy, discerning elite on the lookout for the utmost in luxury. And whether you’re entertaining or partying Vegas-style, seeking a luscious escape or planning a seasonal shopping spree, this issue of Elite Traveler’s Asia Edition is packed with the hottest high-end finds across the region. Award-winning Style Editor Tanya Dukes showcases winter’s fashion must-haves (p. 76, 84), from statementmaking boots for men to fanciful furs for women, plus exquisite baubles that keep you sparkling and in high spirits throughout these cooler months (p. 66). A stately Bentley will tempt those on the market for chauffeur-perfect wheels (p. 113), and a look at Switzerland (and Germany’s) most recent mechanical masterpieces may just get the watch passionate among you all wound up (p. 54-62). Hong Kong-based Managing Editor Nick Walton returns from the brand new Anantara Kihavah in the Maldives with the inside scoop (p. 136), and Hainan’s sprawling top suites and Bali’s unbeatable spas are revealed in all their glory (p. 94, 116). No matter your fancy, or your destination(s) this winter, Asia Pacific brims with luxe experiences made with you, the elite traveler, in mind. And as the region ups its private aviation ante, they promise to be all the more plentiful, and easily accessible.
Happy travels,
President and Editor-in-Chief doug.gollan@elitetraveler.com
ASIA EDITION GETAWAYS SUPERYACHTS HOTELS | RESORTS | SPAS DESTINATION GUIDES Group President/Editor-in-Chief DOUGLAS D. GOLLAN President/Publisher DANIEL WADE Associate Publisher/Advertising Director MADELYN ALPERT ROBERTS Head of Sales, Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia SIMONA SPIGA KASTLY Group Managing Editor MICHAEL D. ESPINDLE Senior Director of Marketing LISA WEISS Managing Editor, Asia Edition NICK WALTON
EDITORIAL
ADVERTISING SALES
Managing Editor MICHAEL D. ESPINDLE
John Carpenter House, John Carpenter Street, London EC4Y 0AN, United Kingdom 3 Head of Sales, Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia SIMONA SPIGA KASTLY phone: +44 207 406 6603, simona.kastly@elitetraveler.com 3 Publishing Director JAMES LISTER phone: +44 207 406 6581, james.lister@elitetraveler.com 3 Sales Director JACK ELLIS phone: +44 207 406 6592, jack.ellis@elitetraveler.com 3 Account Director BRYONY RAISEY phone: +44 207 406 6605, bryony.raisey@elitetraveler.com 3 Account Director, Hotels Worldwide STEPHEN BERTHIER phone: +44 207 406 6602, stephen.berthier@elitetraveler.com
Managing Editor, Asia Edition NICK WALTON Style Editor TANYA DUKES Assistant Editor, Special Projects TOVA SYROWICZ Assistant Editor DREW TAYLOR Editorial Assistant SAHAR KHAN DESIGN Art Director HENRIK WILLIAMS Designer MEHMET SEM
THAILAND 11th Floor, Room 11B Vanissa Building, 29 Soi Chidlom, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathhumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 3 YVAN VAN OUTRIVE, phone: +66 2 252 26 99, fax: +66 2 252 27 01, yvo@immediatethailand.com
Contributing Creative Director JOANNE GENZONE INTERNATIONAL ADVISOR Mary Gostelow
INDIA Global Media Network, M-138 Greater Kailash 11, New Delhi 110048, India
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
3 VIMAL ANAND, phone: +91 11 4058 1544, vimal@gmnindia.com
Jessica Michault (fashion and watches), Elizabeth Doerr (timepieces),
ITALY John Carpenter House, John Carpenter Street, London EC4Y 0AN, United Kingdom 3 Director GIANFRANCO CAPUTO, phone: +44 207 406 6607, mobile: +44 77 1143 2752, gianfranco.caputo@elitetraveler.com
Charles Tearle (horology) CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Victoria Burrows, Evelyn Chen, Caroline Eden, Matt Flemming, Margie Goldsmith, Greg Haradiran, Divia Harilela, Kaye Holland, Judy Ngao, Maida Pineda, Scott Podmore, Holly Reich, Andrea Seifert, Catherine Shaw, Rachel Silvestri, Dave Stamboulis, Mamidipudi Swaroop, Payal Uttam,
NORTH AMERICA 708 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017, sales@elitetraveler.com 3 Associate Publisher/Advertising Director MADELYN ALPERT ROBERTS phone: +1 646 430 7905, madelyn.roberts@elitetraveler.com
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Wilkinson, Angie Wong CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Rafael Stahelin, David Lewis Taylor PRODUCTION
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phone: +1 646 430 7909, lisa.weiss@elitetraveler.com
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Christine Wei (editorial), Jeffrey Mouscardy (marketing)
Ozzie Award, Folio Magazine Bronze Winner, Eddie Award, Folio Magazine Winner of 12 HSMAI Adrian Awards for Excellence
ELITE LUXURY PUBLISHING, INC. President DOUGLAS D. GOLLAN Executive Vice President DANIEL WADE
Benjamin Franklin Award, PIA/GATF Premier Print Awards Awards of Editorial Excellence, APEX Awards for Publication Excellence Awards of Editorial Excellence, N. American Travel Journalists Association Winner, Premier Print Awards, Printing Industries of America Bronze Award, Gold Ink Awards, Production Executives Hall of Fame Award Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
708 Third Avenue New York, New York 10017 phone: +1 646 430 7900 fax: +1 646 430 7901 Editorial Inquiries: editor@elitetraveler.com Art Inquiries: deena.campbell@elitetraveler.com Advertising Inquiries: sales@elitetraveler.com Circulation Inquiries: lorraine.chu@elitetraveler.com Website: www.elitetraveler.com
CONTRIBUTORS Singapore-based food and travel writer Evelyn Chen traded her jetsetting career for a critic’s pen and has been eating and drinking on the job ever since. She sits on the Southeast Asian judging panel of the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and her articles have appeared in Condé Nast Traveller, DestinAsian, The Independent and SilverKris, among others. Born in Michigan, Elizabeth Doerr has dedicated most of her waking hours to mechanical watches since 1991. Regularly contributing to high-quality magazines and websites all over the world, Elizabeth reaches millions of readers every year. Elizabeth, who lives and works in Germany’s Karlsruhe with her husband and two children, published her first independent book in early 2010: 12 Faces of Time, a “love letter” to independent watchmaking. Margie Goldsmith, a contributor to Elite Traveler since its inception, is also a columnist for Women’s Running, blogs travel for Huffington Post, is a published novelist and has written for O, The Oprah Magazine, Travel + Leisure, ForbesLife, Parade, Robb Report, National Geographic Traveler, Wine Enthusiast, Islands, Private Clubs, MORE, The Washington Post and The New York Times, among others. Margie has traveled to and written about 118 countries. Born in Jakarta, Greg Haradiran lived in the United States for 12 years, after which he returned to Indonesia. He continues to scour his new home for the best in luxury dining and nightlife experiences for a wide range of leading publications. Divia Harilela has been working in fashion and lifestyle media for over a decade and was recently the fashion editor at the South China Morning Post, where she remains a contributing editor. She has often been quoted as a leading authority on fashion in Asia, and can be found navigating the cobbled streets of Paris in her Rupert Sandersons or interviewing design luminaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and John Galliano. Jessica Michault is the online style editor at the International Herald Tribune. She writes about watches, haute couture, luxury and style, and reports live from the runways of Paris, New York, London and Milan. Jessica also makes weekly live appearances on France24 television, is a trendspotter for Italian Vogue, a contributor to Vogue Japan and has her own blog at www.jessicamichault.com. Freelance writer and editor Judy Ngao has contributed to the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Tatler, Home Journal, Jetsetter, Men’s Folio and World of Watches. Born in Malaysia, Judy has lived in the United States and studied in Sydney. She often sets off for nearby exotic locales in search of sparkling waters, authentic street eats and a good party. Over the past 12 years, international writer and author Maida Pineda has penned two books (Do’s and Don’ts in the Philippines and Six Degrees of Expatriation) and hundreds of articles on food and travel, capitalizing on her MA in gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu. Living her dream to eat her way around the world, she has indulged from Bangkok to Singapore on the Eastern and Oriental Express, made spring rolls in Hoi An, market shopped in Hong Kong with Alain Ducasse and stalked balut vendors in Manila.
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Born in Peru to Swedish parents, Andrea Seifert has called seven different countries home, including Italy, Thailand, Hong Kong, Holland, Singapore and the UK. Asia remains her true love although she enjoys eating, drinking (preferably mojitos), shopping and spa-ing her way around the world.
For the past three years she has been honing these skills at the LUXE City Guides headquarters in Hong Kong. Rachel Silvestri is a freelance writer and editor from rural Cheshire, England. She moved to Shanghai after spending five years in Dubai where her eyes—and stomach— were opened to the world’s cuisines as deputy editor of Spinneys FOOD and Jumeirah International magazines. She contributes to magazines including Plaza Watch, Emirates Woman and HELLO! Middle East. Specializing in food, drink and luxury lifestyle, she spends as much time in the kitchen as she does in restaurants. Dave Stamboulis is a Bangkok-based photojournalist specializing in fine dining and wine. As a regular contributor to the Fodor’s guidebook to Thailand, as well as Bangkok 101 and Tropical magazine, he has sampled fine food and drinks from the city’s top restaurants and bars. He also works with Remote Lands, the world’s foremost bespoke and luxury travel designer focused on Asia. Mamidipudi Swaroop is a Chennai-based writer, musician and lawyer. Although he officially lived in Hyderabad for only a year and a bit, he has spent most of his life drifting in and out of the city. Many of his short stories have appeared in the DNA, Bangalore. He also writes regularly for Sruti, India’s premier magazine for the classical arts, and the Times of India. Charles Tearle began his career in fine watches in 1990 at the age of 16 when he joined Somlo Antiques in Piccadilly, London. In 2005, he moved to California to establish a watch department for Bonhams & Butterfields auction house in the U.S. Charles joined Antiquorum Auctioneers, the world’s premier watch auctioneer, as a director and watch expert based in California in 2008, and moved to their U.S. head office in New York in 2009. Hong Kong-based Payal Uttam is a freelance writer armed with art world credentials. Following a degree in journalism, she took up sculpture and pursued a Master’s in art history. The former editor-in-chief of online magazine Lifestyle Asia, she now leads a peripatetic life covering her twin loves of art and travel. Her work has appeared in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Life, CNNGo, Prestige and the South China Morning Post. Aviation specialist Justin Wastnage is a former business aviation editor of Flight International magazine and is currently a luxury travel and aviation writer based in Sydney, Australia. A veteran of NBAA shows, he also consults to business aviation companies and other travel businesses. Tony Watts has been in the magazine business since the invention of the printing press, holding positions as diverse as photographer and editorial director. The Australian has lived in San Francisco and now calls Singapore home—at least when the suitcase is open there, as he has spent the last 15 years traveling the globe. Angie Wong attended Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Although she studied political reporting at school, after relocating to Asia, she settled into the world of food journalism. To date, Angie has worked for Newsweek, South China Morning Post and Time Out magazine, and she is the editor of Zagat’s Hong Kong restaurant guide. She also contributes to Condé Nast Traveler and The New York Times.
JAKARTA
THE GUIDE
BY GREG HARADIRAN
ODD BALL At first mention, Ocha & Bella might sound like a completely ludicrous proposition: It’s the name of Jakarta’s newest hipster restaurant, located in the posh district of Menteng and serving up Japanese and Italian fares. If there is such a thing as the perfect faux fusion cuisine disaster, this could have been it, but each cuisine is done exceedingly well, and the two are thankfully not piled on top of each other. Of course, Executive Chef William Di Nardo, having worked at places like Italian restaurant Issimo at the JIA Shanghai Boutique Hotel, would know better. His frenetic obsession with using only the freshest seasonal ingredients doesn’t hurt either. Hailing from a suburb of Milan, Di Nardo serves Italian dishes that are simple, honest and, above all, fiercely authentic. Cooked traditional-style in
CUTTING-EDGE TERRACE / OCHA & BELLA
a wood-burning oven flown in from Italy, Neapolitan pizzas are made of light dough that’s thin yet chewy and soft in the middle. The pastas are no exception, and one of his favorite creations, the Ocha Costolette (U.S. BBQ beef ribs with cauliflower mash) is a heavyweight contender as well. The Japanese concept is presented izakaya-style and pairs very well with the delicious cocktail offerings, crafted with the help of mixology consultants Bar Solutions from Sydney. Highly recommended are the rum cocktails, which use freshly pressed guarapo sugarcane juice to create innovative takes on the classics, including the inspiring Hibiscus & Vanilla Mojito. Ocha & Bella may just be the perfect light-hearted, yet edgy alternative to the usual five-star hotel dining littering the Thamrin-Sudirman thoroughfares. Contact: Director of Operations Peter Low, 62-811-816-1288; PIZZAS IN THE MAKING / OCHA & BELLA
peterlow@ochaandbella.com; www.ochaandbella.com CELEB CENTRAL Drawing from its vast nightclub management experience, Lifestyle Unlimited Entertainment Group came to realize that there exists a growing demand among Jakarta’s A-listers for an upscale, intimate venue where they can hang out and mingle with people in their own league. Enter Diagonale, a partnership with Haute Lister Management, the city’s first lifestyle management group founded by top socialites Veruscka Nadja and Yulie Setyohadi. As a result, less than three months after its grand opening, Diagonale has become the city’s hottest lounge and on any given night, you’ll spot celebrities, public figures, socialites, ambassadors or media moguls whiling the night away on soft, luxurious leather couches. Perhaps Haute Lister’s affinity for extravagant parties has something to do with it, because every week is a special party week at Diagonale, and each party is star-spangled by elite hosts such as Cathy Sharon, Marissa Nasution, Aimee Juliet, Michelle Worth, Benson Agus, Steven Gan, Deli Makmur and Daniel Mananta. Try the Diagonale Island Tea, a version of the classic Long Island Iced Tea with whiskey and pure honey, topped with the mixologist’s own secret recipe of Earl Grey green tea; or the Lemon Lychee Tini, the best lychee martini in town. If you’re a purist, you can also order a straight up Chivas Regal Royal Salute or Patron Silver Premium and call it a day. There is no VIP area per se because the whole tiny space is a VIP area; Diagonale is small and exclusive. It can only accommodate 100 people but regularly has up to 300 people waiting for entry during weekends. For the ultimate setup call ahead to have a little piece of paradise cordoned off for you, or follow in the footsteps of many celebs and book out the whole space. Contact: Marketing Manager Joy Tan, 62-878-7864-6569; joy@x2club.net
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STRIKE GOLD / DIAGONALE