FRV Travel 9.5

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fashion restaurants and villas | bali & southeast asian style

edition 9.5, february - march ‘13 Rp. 60.000

Bali

Semara Uluwatu

Baba's Candi Dasa Cocktails Jakarta

Nip & Dram

Australia

Moonlight Losari Retreat Paul Ropp & Lily Jean

Travel

Rp. 60.000

Fashion at METIS

Switzerland Lake Toba Vietnam Singapore

Keong Saik Snacks design

food

architecture

fashion

art

wine

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february - march 2013

CONTENTS FEATURES 40 A Bag of Mixed Candi

Bali’s Candidasa as seen from the luxury of Villa Stella is a very sweet place to spend some holiday time.

49 & 98 Bali Fashion

Two stunning fashion shoots showcasing the best of Seminyak and Ubud: Metis and Four Seasons Sayan.

60 Breathtaking Horizons

Trauts spends the time of his life at Semara Uluwatu and asks himself if it can get any better than this.

70 An Island on a Lake on an Island

Thomas Jones visits Lake Toba in Sumatra and gets a whole lot of peace and quiet wrapped in beauty.

74 Hip Munchies

Melanie Lee tackles Keong Saik Snack in Singapore and gets a whole new take on fast food.

82 Passing Through

Thomas Jones crosses Switzerland’s St. Gotthard Pass and has an encounter with the Devil himself.

110 Gulf Country

Crossing the great Australian continent by 4WD can become a way of life for some.

9.5 Cover FRV Travel:

Fashion at Metis.

Photo: Adam Rasyid 6 l FRV Travel

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9.5

february - march 2013 CONTENTS Bali Inspirations

032

BABA’s

036

Bali Partners

048

Things that make Katie Truman go mmmmm.

Hu’u’s new Peranakan Asian fusion restaurant.

66

Erza explores whisky and cigars.

The two faces behind Bali’s Metis and BCC.

74 Golf NZ Style

086

Taipan Travel

090

Winds at Miu Ne

094

Star Bright

118

NZ golfing is simply some of the best.

The Grand Formosa in Taipei receives a visit.

134

Rachel Love talks collage with Kiwi artist Peter Madden.

All that there is to do on Vietnam’s best coastline.

Moonlight on the Great Ocean Road.

106

A Turkish coffee morning.

14

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Decade of Innocence An interview with artist Ribka Chanson.

132

Singapore with a shoestring and child.

114

Margaret River’s Losari Retreat.

- 16 Bits & Pieces - 34 Bali Villa - 38 Bali Cocktails - 122 1 2 5 Cheese - 1 2 6 Recipes - 1 4 0 Listings - 1 5 4 Last Word

Events

Wine

hu’u bar in bali

@huubali

reser vat io n s + 6 2 3 61 47 3 6 57 6, hu u bal i. co m jalan p etiteng et, s em inyak , bal i 80 36 1

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P T K ubu Dua M edi a J l. Petitenget 12A, Kerobokan, Bali, Indonesia Te l. +62 361 746 3751/52 | Fa x. +62 361 847 5458 email: info@frvtravel.com www.frvtra ve l.c om Di recto r Guna wa n I nd rob a skoro Graphics Coordinator Te guh Ana nta (artwork@frvtra ve l.c om) Graphi cs He lmi Nursya h P ho to g raphy Moc h. Sulthon, R a ma d ha n, Ad a m Ra syid Di stri buti o n Nyoman Rupma Ii n I nd ra p utra , I ma m, Ma d e i nfo@frvtra ve l.c om Fi nance Sri W ita ri, B a gus Oka Mark eti ng Gina , Oc hy (sales@frvtravel.com) A dmi ni strati o n Dya h, Poojie , Ta ri Co ntri buto rs T homa s Jone s, Da vid Tra uts, Erza ST, Nic hola s Wa lton, Katie Truman, Rachel Love, Herman Von Ber nhardi Aguayo, Ia n Lloyd Ne ub a ue r, Jo Fre a rson, Sa ra h De e .

S ubscri pti o n Yearly subscription available in Indonesia - Rupiah 315,000 Conta c t: sub sc rib e @frvtra ve l.c om Send e-mail to the above for details.

Consulting Stua rt D W ilford (stua rt@frvtra ve l.c om) L eg al Asso ci ates Nyoma n Ge d e Anta guna SE, SH, MH ACS La w Offic e J l. Mertanadi 88A, Kuta, Bali.

Te l: 082145689996 Fine Restaurants and Villas Travel magazine is an independent, b i -mo nthl y publ i cati o n. N ex t edi ti o n deadl i ne M arch 15, 2013

FR V Tr a v e l m a g a z i n e i s p r i n t e d u n d e r l i c e n s e d t r a d e m a r k . N o p a r t o f t h i s m a g a z i n e shou ld be re produ c e d with ou t th e wr itte n pe r m ission of th e pu blish e r.

A l l r i g h t s re s e r v e d . A r t i c l e s re f l e c t t h e o p i n i o n s o f t h e a u t h o r s , a n d n o t n e c e s s a r i l y th ose of th e pu blish e r s. F R V Tr a ve l m a ga zin e is pr in te d by P T M e ga I n da h (T: 02161 9 0 5 2 9 ) a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y ; P T K u b u D u a M e d i a ( I n d o n e s i a ) , P e r i p l u s - J a v a B o o k s (In d o n e s i a ) , P T I n d o p ro m ( I n d o n e s i a ) .

Con ta c t th e e -m a il a ddre sse s a bove f or f u r th e r in f or m a tion .

F R V Trav el Mag az ine

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E dit io n 9 .5

February - March ‘1 3

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Editor’s Note FRV Travel – It takes you places While the content of this magazine still remains focussed on the ‘fine’ end of town, we’ve taken the word ‘fine’ out of the title of FRV Travel and replaced it with ‘fashion’ in this edition and editions to come. This seemed an obvious change in name, if not direction, to us since we have been increasing the fashion content in the magazine with the masterly help of Micheala, chief honcho at Balistarz, and the fashion shoots she has been organising with the help of some of the best photographers and models on the island over the past year. Also pushing us in this direction is the fashion scene of Bali itself, and in particular, the exploding number of quality fashion boutiques on the island. These are exciting times in the fashion world here, with many designers, both foreign and local, pushing the boundaries in style and quality. While we have had fashion content since day one of this magazine, we are looking forward to be an even bigger part of this burgeoning fashion scene in the future.

Meanwhile though, the rest of the content remains the same with insightful articles and pictorial pieces on travel around the region, dining in the best establishments, staying in the finest

accommodations, with the arts, and food and beverage in hot pursuit.

In this edition, FRV Travel takes readers to Switzerland to travel off the beaten track, to one of Vietnam’s better beaches and climates to go windsurfing, down to NZ for an amazing golf destination, back to Margaret River’s Losari Retreat and there’s plenty more from around the region. We also feature a lot of accommodation and food from the island of Bali, with visits to Semara Uluwatu villas, the new BABA’s restaurant at hu’u Bar, a trip to Candidasa, and a chat with a couple of movers and shakers in the island’s dining scene, Said and Doudou at Metis.

Soon we will be enjoying the Balinese New Year again. Nyepi, which falls on Tuesday, March 12 this year, is one of the best times to be on Bali with the ogoh-ogoh parades on the streets the night before all over the island and the day of silence itself when the whole island closes down for 24 hours and nobody is allowed on the streets being an extraordinary experience not replicated anywhere around the world. We’d like to wish you a Balinese Happy New Year, wherever you may be.

FRV CONTRIBUTORS

David Trauts Correspondent, English.

This edition Trauts sets his sights on the south coast of Bali and the Semara Uluwatu villa complex, which is possibly one of the best accommodations on the island. He also catches up with Said from Metis to talk about his partnership with Doudou, and sips a few Spanish cocktails at the new Sundara restaurant at Four Seasons Jimbaran.

Erza S.T. Having finished with his first big Oriental trip for the year, this opera loving winter traveler is already planning another trip.

This time it is an exotic journey to Morocco. Luckily in between these long journeys, he managed to get a nip and a dram of good single malt in Jakarta to steady his nerves for the ride.

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Thomas Jones Thomas does a bit of domestic travel in this issue with trips to Bali’s east coast and Lake Toba in the Sumatran highlands for some watery good times and adventure. He also climbs the Swiss Alps and learns the art of making the perfect Turkish coffee in Istanbul from an expert named Mehmet.

Rachel Love Told by a fortune teller that her life would take a dramatic change in a move to the East, she arrived in Bali with a few hundred pounds and a vision to fulfill a lifelong dream of being a writer on a tropical island. FRV’s resident arts writer, Rachel writes extensively on all things lifestyle and travel related.

Nick Walton Nick has been writing on travel for over 10 years, including most recently as the travel editor for the South China Morning Post. From his home in Hong Kong he regularly travels throughout Asia and beyond, looking for new experiences, trends and destinations, both for his travel pieces in over 60 magazines globally, as well as his weekly radio show.

Ian Neubauer Ian is a Sydney-based freelance journalist specializing in adventure travel. He has reported extensively across East Asia and the South Pacific for many publications. He is also the author of two travel novels, Getafix (2004) and Maquis (2006), and an advocate for Topu Honis, an orphanage and women’s shelter in East Timor.

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regionalevents

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2013 Hot Air: Philippines The colourful and head-raising, annual Clark Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is projected to host over 100,000 tourists from around the world at the Clark Airbase this month with entrants from over 25 countries. The fiesta will feature aerial demonstrations, balloon rides and a whole host of inflatable fun for the whole family during the four-day event.

Feb 7 – 10

Happy New Year: Tibet Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan

Snow Business: Japan No one likes the cold, but if it’s going to snow you may as well make the most of it. For seven days in February in northern Japan, The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan’s largest winter events, will see about two million visitors arrive to see the hundreds of beautiful snow statues and ice sculptures which the streets and parks of the city. Feb 5 – 11

calendar and is celebrated over a period of two weeks with lots of merriment and fun in ceremonies that include chanting and passing fire torches through the crowds in ancient rites that represent the struggle between good and evil. Feb 11

Down On The Sand: Lombok The island of Lombok will be celebrating the age-old tradition of Bau Nyale, The Catching of the Sea Worms Festival, where thousands of people from the Sasak community troll the low tidal sands in search of the elusive polychaetes before partying on with poetry, plays, puppetry and rowing competitions. End of Feb

Party, Party: Australia

depending on the tides.

As part of the Sydney Mardi Gras,

The Perth International Arts Festival : Australia

Harbour ‘12 is one of the most unique

Kama Sutra: India Any opportunity to visit the famous Kama Sutra temples in India should not be missed but combine it with The Khajuraho Dance Festival - legendary for its outlandish classical dance performances, which takes place in front of Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, then this is one event that needs to be seen to be believed. Feb 1 – 7

and beautiful parties in the world, where guests can enjoy the sunshine, cocktails and thousands of sexy international partygoers in the lush surrounds of the Botanic Gardens that make it THE event of any Mardi Gras experience. Feb 23

At over 50, this is the oldest annual international

multi-arts

festival

in

the

southern hemisphere and this year it again offers some of the world’s best theatre, music, film, visual arts, street arts, literature and free community events. Look forward to seeing Laurie Anderson and the Cronos Quartet alongside a whole host of educational and entertainment programmes, not to mention all that great food and wine. www.perthfestival.com.au Feb 8 – Mar 2

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Rucking Good Fun: Hong Kong It’s time for silly hats, beer-soaked madness and outlandish dress ups as this year’s Hong Kong Sevens kicks off in the rugby party town from hell. Guaranteed to be celebrated with all the excitement, brilliant rugby and party fanfare that have made this one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events, with fans from all corners of the globe. Mar 22 - 24

Sino Fashion: Shanghai The Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival will showcase the best in haute couture with prestigious designers and models coming together to offer a visual feast of beautiful models, talented designers, gorgeous fashion culture and the varied future trends of this most cosmopolitan of Chinese cities. Mar 12 – April 10

The Bali Spirit Festival is here again with

A World of Sound: Penang

live dance and music performances by

After a three-year hiatus, the Penang World

some of the world’s leading artists who

Music Festival returns and is bigger and

will converge on the Island of the Gods in

better than ever before. Music lovers will

a global celebration. This year this major

be in for heaps of music and fun with well-

international yoga, dance and music

known international and local musicians

celebration will be held in the beautiful

to serenade them amid the resounding

grounds of the Purnati Center for Arts in

rhythms of nature at the picturesque

Batuan near Ubud, Bali. Mar 20 - 24

Quarry Recreational Park. Mar 30 - 31

Show Me The Way: Bali

Jazz In The Sun: Jakarta Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival

Movie Time: Hong Kong

2013 will subject the Indonesian capital to

Brought to you by the Hong Kong

a syncopated storm of fine jazz, drawing

International Film Festival Society, this

crowds from all around the region to enjoy

year’s film festival, the 36th in its successful

the talents of the likes of Lisa Stansfield,

and long life, features everything from

Basia, Joss Stone, Fourplay, Chuck Loeb,

international award-winning movies to

and Bob James alongside masses of other

documentaries to avant-garde indies, and

local and foreign acts on 18 stages over

will be screening hundreds of titles from

three days. Mar 1 - 3

around the world during the two-week event. Mar 17 - Apr 2

Cartoons Galore: Tokyo The Tokyo International Anime Fair is

Global Music: Adelaide

dedicated to all things animation and is

WOMADelaide 2013 will be bringing a

filled with fantasy sights, sounds, models

wealth of global talent to South Australia

and characters from the world’s major

as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of

anime production companies, who stand

the event this year with performances and

alongside thousands of die hard fans

workshops on seven stages by the world’s

dressed up as their favourite make believe

best musicians, dancers and DJ’s, alongside

characters. Don’t miss the visuals on this

street theatre artists and visual artists and

one. Mar 21 - 24

an all-star gala finale. Mar 8 - 11

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BITS&PIECES

Villa Sayang d’Amour A mix of flavours creating perfect taste.

With its wonderful sense of space and flow and opulent interior decorating Villa Sayang d’Amour, a six-bedroom villa located in the very heart of stylish Seminyak, on Bali’s southwest coast, is the very embodiment of grand living.

Set amongst lush tropical gardens resplendent with coconut palms and scented frangipanis it offers guests a beguiling blend of styles: unmistakably Balinese but with a distinctly French flavour spiced up with dashes of Morocco. Villa Sayang D’Amour provides the ideal setting for sophisticated gatherings around the pool, elegant dinner parties or fabulous rooftop parties, whilst also providing wonderfully comfortable spaces for relaxation.

It is absolutely fitting that a villa as stylish as this should be located in the most sophisticated area in Bali, just a stone’s throw from world-class restaurants and beaches. www.villasayangdamour.com

bits&PIECES East and West of Bali Air Asia increases frequency KLLombok.

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Air Asia has launched an additional fourth weekly flight between Kuala Lumpur and Lombok in response to growing demand along the route. Starting from January 28, the low-cost giant introduced its Monday service, in addition to its regular Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday flights. The airline has reported strong bookings since the route was launched and opened for sale in August 2012, with outstanding passenger loads attained for each flight. Air Asia identifies Indonesia as a very important market, with abundant opportunities and ample room for growth. With sustained economic growth, more people are able, and keen, to fly due to improved spending power, a factor which underline Air Asia’s belief in the growth potential of Indonesia’s aviation sector.

RE D E F I N I NG C U I SI NE C ULT U RE

Restaurant Bookings Essential: +62 361 4737 809 or info@sarongbali.com Jl Petitenget No. 19X Kerobokan, Bali, Indonesia

www.sarongbali.com

www.facebook.com/sarong-bali

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BITS&PIECES

Aston International announced recently that the company has renamed itself as Archipelago International, a new corporate legal entity that will serve as the group’s umbrella organization and be the name of the hotel management company behind all of its existing and upcoming hotels and resorts.

hotel management company with a presence in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia and an underlying portfolio of more than 140 hotels, resorts and residences, out of which 60 are operational, and more than 80 are in various stages of development and due to open within the coming two years.

A New Name Going Forward Aston International

Archipelago International managed hotels range from select service to five star hotels and luxury villas and operates under the hotel brands Grand Aston, Aston, Aston City, Crimson, Quest, favehotels, NEO, Alana and Kamuela.

Archipelago International Renamed To explained that the name Archipelago International “Aston” is in reality the name of the group’s hero brand and as such is no longer suitable as “With Archipelago, we have the a name for a management company intention of creating a platform that with nine booming hotel brands. While the allows each brand to showcase and highlight Aston label continues to grow, other brands such its individual hotels and enables different personalities to as the select service fave hotels and the new four shine. From our select service favehotels to the five star star lifestyle Alana Hotels, which is due to open its Grand Astons and luxurious Kamuela Villas our aim is first Indonesian Hotel in Seminyak, Bali in February for each hotel brand to be recognized as the best in its this year, are now representing more than 50 % class and to exceed expectations in accommodation, of the Archipelago group’s future hotel portfolio. amenities and personal attention,” said Norbert Vas, Archipelago International is Indonesia’s largest Vice President for Sales & Marketing.

Mountains of Investment Following the designation of the Mount Batur area at Kintamani as a UNESCO Geopark a number of investors have quickly expressed interest in project linked to the site. Three different projects have been proposed, which the local government is considering will be suitable for the area. One investor is interested in constructing a golf course on the slopes of Mount Batur, a second is seeking to commercially farm camelina flowers for use in the production of biofuels, and the third wants to grow bamboo for

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Land scramble for projects at Mount Batur Geopark.

use in creating bamboo products. The regent told the press that he most favoured investors interested in agriculture or bamboo saying that, “Investment in the agricultural sector is in line with the local community’s farming enterprises. I am hoping that these investors can help boost the local farmers’ living conditions. Meanwhile, the bamboo industry is expected to open new employment opportunities for the locals, while at the same time, it will also improve the area’s environment.”

BITS&PIECES

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BITS&PIECES

Low Cost Travel The Way To Go

Now everyone is flying.

Asia Pacific has recorded a meteoric rise in intraregional air travel over the last decade, and the low cost sector continues to drive capacity upwards through 2012 and into 2013. The low cost sector within Asia Pacific accounts for the majority of this growth, with 93% of the additional capacity in 2012 (78 million seats) being operated by LCCs. Subsequently their share of the market within Asia Pacific has grown dramatically from 19% in 2011 to 24% in 2012. Having sustained such high growth rates in intra-regional travel, with seat capacity doubling over the last decade, Asia Pacific has surpassed North America to become the largest intra-regional market. In the last 10 years, capacity within the region has seen an average annual growth of 7.3% taking the size of the market from 652 million seats in 2003 to just over 1.2 billion seats in 2012.

Discover A New Perspective Authentic Pan Asian Cuisines at Bamboo Chic.

The new Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran opened late December, 2012 and is a stunning new hotel. In the typical French chic and cool fashion of the stylish European brand, the Le Méridien is surprising in many ways. The new epicurean journey at their signature (and only) restaurant, sited right next to, and with access from, the fish warungs on the beach of Jimbaran, is very unique, contemporary and, dare I say it, exciting. Executive Chef Paul Lewis explains it like this, “Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran is bringing a new perspective to foodies and travelers on Pan-Asian taste that is authentically crafted from local Bali and Asian cuisines. Creative-minded guests will be taken on a journey in Bamboo Chic, and an

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inspiring dining experience awaits them, sharing foods and passing around dishes.” The Australian chef has spent many years in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia and he knows his stuff. “Some dishes are exactly as they would be found in their native countries, but others we were a little more creative and they have become a fusion of sorts,” he told FRV Travel. Great food is all about combining tastes, and the tastes of some of the dishes we had the opportunity to try from Lewis’ open-kitchen on a recent visit were nothing less than explosive on the palate and the mind.

Furnished with oversized contemporary dining sofas, communal dining or intimate dining under the stars offers a total dining experience. Located right next to the resort’s saltwater lagoon pool and adjacent to Smoqee Lounge and Sky Bar, Bamboo Chic also celebrates the finest wines by the glass from Starwood’s Wines of The World collection.

The 120-seat capacity restaurant has a shared dish, ‘Taste of Discovery’ concept for discerning lunch and dinner guests and is well worth the trip to Jimbaran Beach to experience it. FRV recommends this place to foodies. [DT] Bamboo Chic is open daily from 6.30am to 11pm. For reservation, please call +62 361 846 6888. www.lemeridien.com/balijimbaran.

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BITS&PIECES Coming soon to stores in February around Bali and Jakarta are Green Rock’s new Chino long pants made of lightweight, stretch cotton poplin. It’s a straight slim-fit which means it’s a little looser than skinny cuts on the market. The pattern was developed by a renown Spanish pattern maker and the classic Chinos are made using a block print with a stone wash, giving them a “worn in” look. Also, there will be a special collection of ‘Radical Batik Pants’ with local Bali-inspired batik prints using creative talents of local artists, and Green Rock aloha motifs printed onto a range of Chinos in limited quantities. According to the Australian designer, these particular ‘radical’ Chinos are not for the feint hearted. “We bring the “rock on” into your life with these beautifully crafted chino’s,” he told FRV Travel. Green Rock is available in top stores around the island, including Drifter and Somewhere, and in Jakarta at Goods Dept. www.greenrockvintage.com

Radical Chinos New trousers from Green Rock in stores this February

Olenka’s Fashion Statement Fashion at, and in, the very heart of Bali.

The distinct white wall of Olenka’s flagship store, which has just opened in Seminyak on Jalan Kayu Aya, embodies the essence of Olenka: Play, elegance and timeless design.

To coincide with their new store opening they have released a whole brand new line of clothing, that is inspired by geometric shapes, gemstones and art work by Kris Tate. The brand’s third collection is a combination of deer silhouettes and geometric shapes.

It’s bold and modern yet convincingly elegant.

The brand is, and always will be, Bali at heart and global by nature. www.olenka-olenka.com

New to Lily Jean racks AW 13 collection arrives in-store Lily Jean stores in Oberoi and Seminyak have been filling with the new 2013 collection. The designer says it has been exciting. “The past weeks have been all about the new collection. Finalizing, ordering fabrics, sampling, fittings and even more fittings. It always is a super hectic period and with the current blazing temperatures at our home base Bali it is all quite challenging to say the least, but we love it anyway. It is always exciting to see a new collection getting its shape and story.” The AW 13 collection will also be available in Brazilian stores in March 2013. www.lily-jean.com 22 l FRV Travel

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BITS&PIECES

Rest Your Weary Head

A new way to relax as only the Japanese can offer.

A new club in Tokyo is offering a brand new and unique service to weary members - a plump rump to rest their head on. Yes, for around US$10 per minute guests can request for one of the club’s female staff to lie down and offer up their behind for use as a pillow.

Alternatively, guests can rest their heads on staff members’ laps for three minutes for the same price.

The club, called Soineya, opened in Tokyo’s Akihabara district in September, but was so popular that another branch has since launched in Shinjuku. Other services on offer include foot massages, cuddling, or staring into a woman’s eyes. Where else but Japan?

How Much Is Too Much?

How Much is to much?

Former minister calls for tourism limits in Bali.

limited natural resources, limited water, and limited energy, it all translates into a finite carrying capacity, and as a result the island must enforce a limit on the number of tourists visiting the island.

Traffic congestion, pollution, and diminishing resources are clear indicators that the island is approaching full capacity, if it has not already done so, yet island planning authorities continue to issue new hotel permits, ignoring a moratorium on new development and restrictions imposed in 2009.

Indonesia’s former tourism minister has advised authorities to limit tourism growth in Bali, lest the island collapse under the weight of its own success.

I Gede Ardika, who now sits on the World Committee on Tourism Ethics at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said that since the island has

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Bali already has approximately 60,000 hotel rooms and this number is projected to increase by 2014 to 70,000 rooms. An official survey carried out in the 1970s revealed that the maximum carrying capacity for tourists was four million visitors each year. With more than eight million visitors arriving in Bali annually, that figure is a distant memory.

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BITS&PIECES

The Road To Mandalay The Road To Mandalay

Myanmar reaches out for the new tourism dollar.

The mystery of Myanmar continues to appeal to international travellers, with international arrivals expected to hit one million in 2012. Arrivals at Rangoon Airport were up 50% from January to October last year, with some 21 international airlines now registered to fly into Myanmar, including airlines from Japan, South Korea, China, Germany and the Middle East. And yet, while most of the international visits are related to business as investors flock to the Yangon to check on potential projects, it is giving the country a valuable boost in tourism-related revenue. Plans are underway to construct a new international airport to cope with future demand.

Bali’s Gastronomic Gain Mozaic welcomes Chef Xavier Mauerhofer as its new Executive Chef.

Chef Mauerhofer, joins the Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique family by establishing a new tradition of excellence in the kitchen of the famed restaurant.

At the helm of Chef Chris Salans’ gastronomy restaurant in Ubud, Chef Mauerhofer promises to dazzle in the footsteps of Chef Salans and Chef James Ephraim, adding his own truth to the ministry of culinary excellence Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique in Ubud has become.

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Chef Mauerhofer comes to Ubud fresh from Shanghai, Singapore and Beijing with a great experience extending over a 20 year period, working in restaurants from London to Atlanta to China including in prominent Michelin rated establishments. Mauerhofer spent 10 years in London. During that time he worked at some of the city’s top establishments with some of the best names in the business.

Try Mauerhofer’s cooking at Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique.

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BITS&PIECES

A new name for Waka Waka Hotels & Resorts is born to take them into a new era.

The former Waka Group, one of Bali’s pioneer eco-tourism accommodations, announced a new corporate brand Waka Hotels & Resorts in early December 2012. Waka Hotels & Resorts now plans to refurbish, upgrade and add new projects to its existing portfolio of properties around the island. The Waka Brand owners and PT K2 Consulting – a Hotel Management & Consultancy company established by veteran hotelier Kamal K. Kaul, have jointly incorporated PT WHM Indonesia, to manage all Waka Hotels & Resorts.

Guided by the vision of the patriarch of a Balinese business family in Denpasar, The Waka Group has been involved in pioneering the tourism on the island of Bali since the early 1970s. Waka Hotels & Resorts will be operating and managing hotels, resorts & cruises under two separate brands. “Waka” branded units will focus on the mid-to-higher price range market segment and “By WHM” will focus on mid-to-lower priced markets.

One of the first resorts to be upgraded is their Waka Gangga on Gangga Beach, Tabanan, Bali. It is now undergoing a complete renovation and redevelopment, and Waka Gangga will be modernized and even have flat screen TVs in rooms. After 10 years operation, the resort was closed in May 2012 and it is scheduled to reopen in mid 2013. The Waka Sailing Catamaran and the Waka Beach Club, Tanjung Sanghyang, Nusa Lembongan, Bali are also being upgraded this year.

The Rijsttafel experience at The Stones High-end Indonesian dining comes to Kuta Beach

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The Long Rice Table restaurant at The Stones Hotel on Kuta Beach is specializing in Indonesian cuisine and with help of the Executive Chef Christopher Smith and his team has created one of the few high-end Indonesian dining experiences in town. With classics like Matabak Telur, Sate Kambing, Lumpia, and Gado Gado, with myriad other local options on the a la carte menu, the new restaurant offers a true taste of local cuisine in comfortable and stylish surroundings.

The menu of choice, and especially for people wanting to experience a complete Indonesian meal steeped in tradition, is the Rijsttafel, which means rice table in Dutch. This menu explores the many tastes of Indonesian food, set out on the table on small plates where guests choose what they want. This traditional set menu came from the Dutch colonial period and is probably the best introduction to Indonesian cuisine a visitor could hope for. The Long Rice Table is only open for dinner from 6pm.

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BALIdining

Text: Dan Ashcroft Photos: Sulthon

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The tok panjang platter (below) bursts with a vast array of Asian style tapas - ideal for sharing.

Created by talented Bali-based designer Caroline Dumergue, BABA’s is a chic wonderland of eyecatching decor.

T

here’s an old saying (probably) that behind every great dish lies a story, and like any good story, it all starts with a journey. So take those first steps, wander into the remarkable and newly-renovated BABA’S restaurant at hu’u bar and find yourself in a chic Peranakan wonderland, where whimsical touches connect with a menu of proper Asian fusion cuisine from a bygone era.

A place where every ingredient, every seasoning, indeed every last morsel, has a tale to tell.

The term ‘Asian fusion’ has been bandied around so recklessly of late that it’s easy to dismiss as a modern fad. But centuries ago entire communities connected by the movement of free trade and transmigration around Southeast Asia were mixing it up fusion style, to produce Peranakan dishes that took a dash of Chinese, a pinch of Malay, a whiff of the East Indies, and a dab of Thai to create home cooking for the masses - rich and poor, families and wanderers, and in particular, the Babas. These men would wander the region; educated nomads seeking

out prosperity by bridging the gap between locals and colonials. Well-versed in literature and the arts, not to mention a thirst for exploration and a hunger for only the very best, the Babas represented what it is to be a global gastronome.

Remaining true to that ethos, the BABA’S menu embraces the finer points of traditional Southeast Asian cuisine, mixing it all up into a kaleidoscope of flavours, textures and colours that is as much about the taste as it is a reflection of the mishmash of cultures in which the Peranakan concept evolved from.

Take the bundle of mixed satay sticks from the tok panjang appetiser platter for instance. One legend suggests that a group of British soldiers on a tour of duty to the Southeast Asian region a century or two ago were big on hunger but short on cooking utensils, and found an inventive use for their rifle bayonets by skewering three chunks of meat upon them, then roasting over an open fire. The idea soon

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caught on amongst locals and Chinese travelers, who labeled the dish sa tay, meaning ‘three pieces of meat’.

And that’s just one part of a platter that is bursting at the seams - a veritable feast of classic Asian tapas with a twist, including wok fried wanton ingots, crispy spring rolls, golden soy bean curd and tempeh goreng, corn cakes, glass noodle salad with crispy chicken, corn cakes and soi salad. Despite there being more than enough to share, everything is hungrily devoured and washed down with a good glug of shiraz.

Next in line comes one of the dishes I, for one, have been looking forward to the most - the Singapore laksa noodles, and we’re not disappointed. there’s more than The spicy coconut broth packs enough to share and a neat kick and the assorted everything is devoured seafood is cooked to perfection. and washed down with Speaking of perfection, the a good glug of shiraz. inventive caramel coffee baby back ribs are pretty hard to fault, as is the street-style grilled peng gang sole – another dish with a nice bit of heat, courtesy of the Baba’s special sambal on the side.

The last two dishes we tuck into are the grilled jumbo king prawns, as succulent and meaty as it’s possible for prawns to be, and the exotic lobster on a bed of crispy noodles, the recipe for which I’m told was discovered by BABA’S owner Sean Lee on his travels at a tucked away Asian eatery in the London borough of Bayswater of all places. A fact that mirrors the satay story but the other way around, kind of like returning the favour somehow. We finish off with a very traditional helping of the Indonesian classic dadar guling, the thin pandan pancake stuffed with roasted coconut and palm sugar enhanced even more by the large dollop of coconut ice cream on the side.

It’s been a culinary trip of epic proportions, but don’t just take my word for it, make your own journey into the Peranakan world of BABA’S, and who knows what stories you may uncover. FRV 32 l FRV Travel

The caramel coffee baby back ribs (above) are a BABA’s speciality. Standout seafood dishes

include the Singapore laksa (below top) and lobster with crispy noodles (below bottom).

BABA’S at hu’u Bar Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali +62 361 4736 443 www.huubali.com