FRV Travel 7.5

IDR 48.000 - SGD $10.50 - HKD $55.00 - MYR RM26.00 - AUD $10.00 - TWD $230 - THB 190

fine restaurants and villas | bali & southeast asian style & travel

edition 7.5, feb - mar ‘11 Rp. 48.000

Bali

New Zealand

Jakarta

A tour through the central provinces

Fashion and food a stone’s throw from the beach

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Art meets nature beyond the city limits

Vietnam

Japan

into the wilds of luxury and good taste

Rp. 48.000

QATAR, FIJI MYKONOS Between the desert and the deep blue sea

d e s i g n f o o d a r c h i t e c t u r e f a s h i o n a r t w i n e r e s t a u FRVr Travel a nl 1 t s

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

CONTENTS FEATURES 70 Nature and Culture? Yes We Can

Thomas Jones goes on a jaunt in the NZ countryside in search of blue skies, forest glades and lots of expensive art.

74 Of Gods and Monster Trees

Japan’s Yakushima takes Thomas’s breath away as he travels around its mystical windswept shores.

102 Republic Of Laucala

How billionaires spend their money when they decide to become hoteliers.

108 Old World Charm Comes of Age

Katie Truman gives the full heads up on all that’s going on in and around Danang.

112 Family Reunions of a Different Kind Sarah D gets the whole clan together in a memorable return to Mykonos.

On The Cover and page 34: Cocoon interior shot.

Photo by Sulthon

38 The Stones Charisma.

Fashion and good looks at one of Kuta’s hottest new venues: The Stones.

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26 Villa Hansa: Kindred Spirit

Katie Truman finds inspiration in the spirituality, tradition, culture and healthy living of Villa Hansa.

34 Cocoon Beach Club

Dan Ashcroft takes a daybed at Seminyak’s new beach club and winds up fine dining.

54 P for Pesto

Erza stumbles across more good food in Jakarta.

60 Arella. The Mall Angel

Taking a break on a mission to max out the Amex, Ve Handojo stumbles across the ideal spot to recover.

64 The Great Breakfasts of Jakarta

98 Nick Walton visits this

marvelous desert kingdom and gets a taste of what lies ahead. ..

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

CONTENTS

Erza wakes early and saunters his way through the pre-noon hours in search of the perfect breakfast.

80 The Hotel at the End of the Earth

Sankara Hotel & Spa is pure class and pleasure and so very much worth the journey.

84 A Mountain Retreat

Mr Jones travels deep into the mountains of Kyoto for a beautiful slice of Zen living at the Ugenta Inn.

88 Bird’s Eye View

Nick Walton looks down on all he surveys at The Pavilions in Phuket and feels like royalty.

92 Baan Ling Noi

Nick then crosses the country to take the high road of Koh Samui to a spectacular hilltop villa.

94 Pooja Kanda

Emma Boyle tells tales of colonial grandeur and history in a Dutch-inspired villa in Sri Lanka.

134

Rachel Love talks with artist Bret Polok.

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Rebecca Kelly experiences three days of holistic mind and body betterment in Ubud.

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Luna Negra.

Bits & Pieces 15 Re-cheque 56 Beverages 116 Cheese 119 Recipes 120 FRV Zodiac 144 FRV Listings 146 Last Word 162

106 Five of the Best. HCMC

Five places to eat, sleep, shop, spa and get your groove on in Saigon.

126 Paradise Found

Walking in the footsteps of Marco Polo brings Kenny Santana to a place between heaven and earth.

130 A Walk in the Clouds

Kenny Santana takes the third person on holiday to Park Hyatt Shanghai and lets us do all the talking.

140 To the Futuristic Side of Singapore

Erza stays at his picture perfect epitome of what a boutique hotel should be. And he likes it.

AFTERNOON TEA AT KING COLE BAR A DISTINCTIVE LEGACY. Cherish a timeless tradition that comes alive each day with a delightful and elaborate selection of hot and cold delicacies including lobster pie and house made smoked salmon.

Our French Pâtissier and team also present Valrhona chocolates, homemade pralines and ice cream, with memorable classics of scones complemented with clotted cream and finger sandwiches.

Our tea master will complete your experience while you bask in the ambience and relax to melody from our classic piano.

Life is good.

Afternoon Tea is from 3.00pm to 5.30pm.

Reservation is recommended.

Pool and beach facilities are reserved for hotel guests only.

KAWASAN PARIWISATA NUSA DUA LOT S6 NUSA DUA . BALI 80363 . INDONESIA STREGIS.COM/BALI (62)(361) 8478 111

TO DAY: A S PE N AT L AN TA B ALI B E IJING B O RA B O RA D EE R C RES T HAWAII HOU STON L O N D O N M AL L O RCA M E X ICO C ITY M O N A RCH B E ACH N EW YO RK PUNTA M ITA RO M E SA N F RA NC IS CO S HA N G HAI S INGA POR E WA S HIN G TO N , D.C .

STREGIS.COM © 2010 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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P T Kubu D ua M ed i a J l. Petitenget 12A, Kerobokan, Bali, Indonesia Te l. +62 361 746 3751/52. Fa x. +62 361 847 5458 email: info@finerestaurantsandvillas.com www.fine re sta ura ntsa nd villa s.c om Direc tor Guna wa n I nd rob a skoro Graphics Coordinator Sya ffri Soe wa rd i (artwork@fine re sta ura ntsa nd villa s.c om) Graphics Te guh Ana nta

fashion,

restaurants

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villas

Photography Moc h. Sulthon, R a ma d ha n, Ad a m Ra syid Di str i buti on Nyoman Rupma Ii n I nd ra p utra , I c ul, Ma d e i nfo@fine re sta ura ntsa nd villa s.c om Finance Sri W ita ri, B a gus Oka M ar keti ng Bra vina Eme ria (sales@finerestaurantsandvillas.com) Ad mi ni strati on Gina , I me , La lu Contr i butors Ve Ha nd ojo, Da vid Tra uts, Thoma s Jone s, Erza ST, Nic hola s Wa lton, K a tie Truma n, R a c he l Love , R e b e c c a Ke lly, Da n Ashc roft, He rma n Von B e r nha rd i Agua yo, Ke nny Sa nta na .

Subscr i pti on Yearly subscription available in Indonesia - Rupiah 250,000 Conta c t: sub sc rib e @fine re sta ura ntsa nd villa s.c om Send e-mail to the above for details.

Consulti ng Stua rt D W ilford (stua rt@fine re sta ura ntsa nd villa s.c om) Legal Associates Agus Sa mija ya & Pa rtne rs Gra ha Asa , Jl. Ka p te n Cok Agung Tre sna 49 Re non, De np a sa r. Te l: +62 361 242447, 247302, 08123924509.

F R V Travel magaz i ne i s an i nd epend ent, bi -monthly publi cati on Nex t ed i ti on d ead li ne M arch 15, 2011

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 ) , F o re i g n P re s s ( H o n g K o n g ) , P a n s i n g D i s t r i b ut i o n (M a l a y s i a ) a n d N a t i o n B o o k s I n t e r n a t i o n a l ( T h a i l a n d ) .

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 Trave l M ag azin e

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Editor’s Thought FRV Travel – It takes you places Travel is the name of the game. Don’t we all love the chance to travel whenever possible to far distant lands, or even interesting getaways not so far from home? The places that allow us to forget about the mundaneness and predictability of daily life and concentrate on things that count; new experiences, new adventures and broadening our horizons as well as our minds.

In this edition of FRV Travel we take off through Japan, Thailand, Indonesia—Bali, Jakarta, Greece, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam guided by our intrepid correspondents to some of the most luxurious, beautiful and interesting places in our region. Also check the new regional calendar of events on the next pages for interesting reasons to get out there over the next couple of months and enjoy what this amazing region has to offer.

This, being the beginning of a brand new year, is the perfect time to start making travel plans for the upcoming 12 months, and what better place to start than right here? Take a look inside and feast your eyes on the possibilities within.

It may well blow your mind.

If you are in Jakarta in early March please come to visit us all when FRV joins Bali’s Hu’u Bar for a night of fun and frivolity at Dragonfly in Jakarta. It’s the Nyepi long-weekend and we look forward to seeing you there.

Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this edition of FRV Travel magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Send comments, gripes and letters to: editor@finerestaurantsandvillas.com

FRV CONTRIBUTORS

David Trauts Correspondent, English.

Trauts appeared to be spending more time on web issues than anything else lately. The new FRV Travel website is almost ready to go and The Beat Daily, a new daily news, email bulletin sent out via the beat network, has changed more than just his early morning sleeping habits.

Go to www.beatmag.com to subscribe.

Erza S.T. It’s a new year, so our opera producer has decided to start a new healthy habit, thus breakfast is back in his routine again. His new endeavor crystallized into an article of breakfast adventure around Jakarta. We are not sure how long this new habit will last, as he is a midnight owl kind of writer… but hey, one can only try.

Ve Handojo Ve sampled some new choices for your Valentine dinner in this issue. Have an artsy one in Portico, or a swanky feast in Luna Negra. When creativity is not your forté, and shopping malls are your favorite spot, try Arella; he himself plans to cook some instant noodles.

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 is one of Bali’s most prolific authors, writing extensively on all things lifestyle and travel related.

Thomas Jones On a recent trip to Japan’s remote southwest, Thomas walked in the forest shadows of 5,000-year-old cedar trees, feeling humbled by their age, before winging his way to the New Zealand Summer for a forest experience of a different kind altogether.

Nick Walton Nick has been writing on travel for the past 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.

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Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2011 Always a time of great anticipation, the streets of Asia’s cities will be filled with electric excitement February 3rd as everyone looks forward to an auspicious and prosperous New Year with family and friends and massive fireworks displays to welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. Gong Xi Fat Chai!

Janet Jackson Pop’s most famous baby sister is playing a “very intimate, very different show” in Singapore on February 7th, before moving on to Jakarta, Hong Kong, Taipei and the Philippines through the rest of the month.

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Ladies and Gentlemen. Iron Maiden!!!

Heads will bang, fists will pump and gallons of testosterone will be unleashed as Iron Maiden sceams into town bringing metal mayhem to Asia. They will play at Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 15, Jakarta Carnival Beach Ancol on Feb 17, and Bali’s GWK on the 20th. Get ready to rock!

The Eagles The old stadium rockers are in the skies and will perform shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Feb 23, Bangkok Impact Arena Feb 20, and the Hong Kong Exhibition Center on Mar 18.

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62nd Sapporo Snow Festival February 7-13 One of Japan’s biggest winter events, for seven days in February about two million people come to walk Sapporo’s streets and parks and enjoy the hundreds of intricate statues and ice sculptures, both large and small, that turn the city into a winter dreamland of crystal-like ice and pure white snow. www.snowfes.com

Eric Clapton God-of-the-axe Eric Clapton will rock the Singapore Indoor Stadium February 14, Hong Kong Asia World Arena February 18, Bangkok Impact Arena February 16 and Seoul Olympic Gym on the 20th.

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2011 New Zealand Fringe Festival 18 February - 5 March Celebrating its 21st birthday this year in Wellington, the creative capital of New Zealand, the festival features a massive line-up of original and captivating cutting edge productions, spanning comedy, theatre, dance, visual arts and music. www.wotzon.com

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Perth International Arts Festival 11 February - 7 March Joyous and celebratory, thought provoking and poignant, cutting-edge and contemporary, this year’s program offers a feast of culture for arts lovers of all ages and persuasions. www.perthfestival.com.au

Santana The legendary guitarist plays Bangkok Impact Arena March 1, Jakarta Java Jazz March 4 & 5, Singapore Indoor March 7, and Perth Sandalford Swan Valley March 13, with a donation to his Milagro Foundation made on every ticket sold.

AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 4 - 6 March Now in its seventh year, Java Jazz brings to you an awesome line-up of performing musicians including Santana, George Benson, Kenny Loggins, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamie Lidell, and many more. www.java-jazz.com

Hong Kong Sevens 2011 March 25 - 27 More than just Asia’s biggest sporting event, the annual arrival of the tournament to town signals citywide celebrations, in the nearest thing Hong Kong has to mardi gras, with all the best rugby nations teams in the world vying for the prize.

Nyepi 2011 Street parades of huge and intricate monster effigies prepare the island for a day of silence and contemplation in Bali as the island shuts down for a full 24 hours to chase away the demons on Saturday March 5th. No fire, no noise, no lights, and definitely no leaving the house.

“24K SOLID GOLD in J-Town” Saturday 5 March. 10pm Hu’u Bar, Dragonfly, The Beat Jakarta and FRV Travel join together for one night only to present a special night of food and music. DJ Golddigger will be supplying the vibes, while Chef PM supplies the canapes, Jonathan Gardener does drinks, and Janne DeBoer and Dimas Cungkring work the floor. Dragonfly Graha BIP Jalan Gatot Subroto.

Mosaic Music Festival Singapore 11- 20 March Since 2005, this eclectic live music event at Esplanade Theater on the Bay Singapore has been wowing audiences with vibrant performances by a line-up of renowned international acts from genres such as jazz, blues, hip-hop, world, funk, electronica, folk, indie and R&B. www.mosaicmusicfestival.com

Michael Buble Heartbreaking Canadian crooner brings his indomitable style and stage presence to Southeast Asia to play the Singapore Indoor Stadium 9 March 9, Perth Sandalford Estate - Swan Valley March 4 & 6, Hong Kong Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center March 11, and the Kuala Lumpur Stadium Malawati March 13.

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BITS&PIECES

bits&PIECES A New Gado Gado Set to re-open soon and with a whole new outlook.

Gado Gado restaurant on Seminyak Beach looks set to reopen sometime in early April. There has been a major refurbishment over the past few months, and according to Chef Quib the whole concept of the design will become more restaurant than what it was till now. “Before, guests would walk in and cross the floor to the bar, just like a typical club or bar venue, but now we have brought the bar more to the centre and closer to the entrance. So, people can now walk across to the bar without disturbing other guests,” the Dutch chef told FRV Travel. “You will also get a great view to the ocean from the new bar,” he added. The outdoor beachfront dining section remains, but with a new pergola above and is modified with removable windows to close up when raining; always a problem with the previous design in inclement weather. The dining will remain basically the same concept, but obviously with some changes on the menu. “I’m hoping with the brand new kitchen we will be able to offer a whole new standard of dining at Gado Gado. All kinds of new inspiration should come from that new kitchen,” said the proud and talented Chef Quib. We are sure many of their long-term guests will be waiting in anticipation for their reopening in April.

JU-MA-NA Restaurant Revived Re-introducing chef de cuisine Mandif Warokka.

Banyan Tree Resort opened to great fanfare on Januart 22nd of this year and its magnificent Ju-Ma-Na Restaurant was suitably rejuvenated in time to enjoy the celebrations. As part of Ju-Ma-Na’s revival the resort re- introduced its dynamic Chef de Cuisine, 32 year-old Mandif Warokka, who heads the impeccably appointed fine-dining cliff top restaurant. Chef Mandif brings a renewed avant-garde menu of cutting-edge French-Japanese cuisine to the glamorous destination restaurant, which includes a stylish Shisha Bar and Lounge and an exceptional wine cellar.

Jumana which means ‘White Pearl’ in Arabic, offers the ultimate epicurean experience and an inspired menu that offers a seductive showcase of the worlds finest fare with personalized dishes that focus on ingredients, flavours and a variety of textures presented in flawless signature dishes.

Chef Mandif Warokka, has won prestigious gold, silver and bronze awards, not only for his culinary expertise but as one who has personally cooked for well known identities such as the former US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, King of Abu Dhabi, former PM Thaksin of Thailand and Manchester United’s, Alex Ferguson to name but a few. That’s quite a dinner party!

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The Jewel of Augusta reopens Western Australia’s famous underground world is back Down Under.

Photo by Lindsay Hatcher

The Jewel Cave Preservation Centre features retail and cafe facilities complete with an interpretive area that will take visitors on an educational, visual and inspiring fifty-year journey. AMRTA CEO Simon Ambrose reflected on this iconic achievement. “Jewel Cave was officially opened by Premier Sir David Brand in 1960 and this is the most spectacular way possible that we could celebrate this fifty-year milestone.”

The stunning Jewel Cave reopened in December after a spectacular three million dollar, 18 month redevelopment, to preserve its natural wonder. Jewel Cave is Western Australia’s largest tourism show cave and home to the world’s third longest straw stalactite – suspending an impressive 5.4 metres from the ceiling.

The meticulous project involved the removal of fifty-year old infrastructure above the cave to enable the natural filtration of water to protect threatened ecological species that live within the cave. A new tunnel entrance, carpark and board walk has also been constructed.

“The new centre and the installation of eco-friendly interpretive lighting will enable repeat visitors to enjoy a completely new Jewel Cave experience” said Mr Ambrose.

Jewel Cave is located ten kilometres north of Augusta just off Caves rRad which meanders its way from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste, and it captures the illustrious beauty that the Margaret River region has become so world-renowned for.

The stalactites and straws stretch, suspend and hang across the ceiling like vines and dancing cobwebs making it easy to admire why it is one of the most spectacular attractions in Australia’s South West region.

Let your imagination run wild and descend into a world like no other at the Jewel Cave Preservation Centre.

For more information on caves in Margaret River visit the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association website on www. margaretriver.com or contact CaveWorks on +61 8 9757 7411.

Come play at jimbaran bay An offer you can’t refuse in south Bali.

Set on one of Bali’s prettiest beaches, Jimbaran Puri Bali has launched a promotion targeting Asian travellers and expatriates based in Asia. The ‘Between Us’ promotion allows guests to enjoy the lowest prices available at the property for two or more nights. Villa guests will have a dedicated butler for the duration of their stay and complimentary welcome mini-bar, afternoon high tea each day and one 20-minute jetlag massage per person at the Beach Spa. Set directly on the beach, the hotel offers 42 cottages and 22 luxury pool villas, all furnished in traditional Balinese materials with all the typical Bali accoutrements that make holidays on the island so unbeatably memorable. This promotion is accessible is valid for stays until March 31st, 2011 with rates starting from US$205 per night including breakfast for two people and is based on double occupancy. www.jimbaranpuribali.com

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A Magical New World Class resort at borobudur Eco-friendly tourism comes to Central Java. officials from Yogyakarta, Bali, Magelang, Solo, Semarang and Jakarta, and several international agents. PLataran Borobudur is part of the resorts and hotels owned by PLataran Indonesia, whose resorts and hotels are located also in Bali, Tugu and Jakarta.

PLataran Borobudur offers an outstanding view of the Borobudur Temple, Mount Merapi, the Menoreh Hils and environs from its own observation platform and restaurant deck. Surrounded by lush teak forests, the PLataran Borobudur offers guests more options for luxury accommodation when visiting Borobudur Temple.

PLataran Borobudur assures a total experience of Borobudur.

Its soft opening was held last December and was attended by high government officials, partners from Magelang, tourism

As a world-class international resort, the PLataran Borobudur is equipped with various excellent facilities, mong them the Stupa Lounge & Restaurant which offers a variety of international and Indonesia cuisine, the Padma SPA & Yoga Club which offers the concept of detoxification, the Colonial Ballroom, an excellent venue for private functions such as weddings or corporate meetings,. There are villas with their own private pools, a large main swimming pool, the Borobudur Cultural Heritage Theater, and the Manoreh Open Air Deck.

Also available to guests are a variety of activities conducted by our warm staff, which include the Borobudur village trekking, cycling tours and other activities that will guarantee a complete and fulfilling experience of the mighty Borobudur temple.

For reservations and inquiries: Tel: +62 813 8000 2727 www.plataranborobudur.com

ELITE HAVENS New association with Knight Frank brings global exposure to Bali real estate.

Leading Bali realtor Elite Havens has recently formed a strategic association with Knight Frank. Matthew Georgeson, a partner at the Elite Havens group, says, “We’ve seen the benefits of scale and associating ourselves with strong overseas brands. This association allows us to showcase Bali’s best properties to a larger international audience through Knight Frank’s extensive networks.”

Knight Frank provides high quality residential and commercial property services in 43 countries across the globe, and are the world’s largest privately-owned global real estate agency and consultancy. Patrick Ramsay, Residential Division Head of Knight Frank in London says: “Our aim is to develop a network linking the top international locations around the world and working with the best professional firms, to ensure our clients have access to the best properties and receive an outstanding service wherever they go.”

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St regis loves its wine more than most Sommelier Harald Wiesmann’s Tour de France.

Members of The St. Regis Bali Resort team had an extraordinary and unique two-week wine exploration trip to France recently. The resort’s sommelier Harald Wiesmann took his two junior sommeliers to France to begin the second phase of their wine training with the objective of visual education and obtaining a clearer understanding of the wine industry.

In a desire to train the two local Indonesians into full- fledged sommeliers over the past year, Harald has held weekly training sessions with them. A direction that is also in tandem with building Kayuputi restaurant into be a world class dining venue with knowledgeable and dedicated sommeliers.

The training by Harald covers a step by step education in wine beginning with the general history of wine, wine preparation, understanding the wine process in the making of all the different types, wine etiquette and finally, and most importantly, a lesson on assisting and guiding guests in enhancing their dining experience with perfect wine pairing.The trip to France marks the beginning of the second phase of the training. They headed first to the Loire region to immerse themselves in the old French culture of white wine making in the villages of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume with one of the most famous wine makers in that region, Henri Bourgois. The team then made their way to the Bordeaux region in which they familiarised themselves with Haut Medoc, Pomerol and St. Emilion. There, they visited Château Lynch Bages, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Palmer, Château Pontet Canet and lastly Château Petrus. The team was also invited to a famous two-star Michelin restaurant at Hotel Cordeillan Bages by Château Owner Monsieur Jean Cazes, where they were treated to a nine-course menu paired with Lynch Bages wines, which was a grand experience to savour the truly exquisite fine dining culture of France.

The educational trip ended in the Champagne region, where they visited Barons de Rothschild, Pol Roger, Billecart Salmon, Jacquesson before ending with Duval Leroy. Finally, in Paris, Harald identified and made a trip to wine shops and famous Chacuteries in Paris. A rather nice day at the office, you might say.

Fivelements Special Guest Lecture and Feast Author and raw food guru David Wolfe comes to Bali.

One of the world’s top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, herbalism, chocolate, and organic foods will provide a lecture and chocolate event at Bali’s Fivelments, Puri Ahimsa in March. A leader in the field of vegan cuisine and natural nutrition, David Wolfe has dedicated more than 15 years to understanding the inner workings, delicate chemistry, and hardcore mechanics of the human body and the interaction with raw food.

For further information on David Wolfe: www.davidwolfe.com Saturday, 12 March 2011 - 4.30pm to 7.30pm David Wolfe lecture - Gourmet raw vegan dinner at Sakti dining room by Chef Made Runatha - Chocolate Celebration with David Wolfe Attendees can choose to attend the lecture Rps. 450.000++ Lecture, dinner & chocolate celebration Rps. 950.000++ www.fivelements.org.

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Anantara Bali Uluwatu A luxurious cliffside lifestyle.

Anantara Uluwatu Resort & Spa is due to open in April 2011, and encompasses 1.7 hectares of unspoiled coastal land with a sweeping, lofty view of the Indian Ocean. Developed

by PT. Tiara Inti Mulia, the luxurious five star resort comprises a collection of 74 sea-view suites, private pool villas and duplex penthouses with dimensions ranging from 84 square metres for the smallest suites up to an impressive 350 square metres for villas offering two or three bedrooms and a private 3 x 12 metre pool.

natural beauty of solid wooden materials, to floors of travertine marble, sliding tempered glass doors that open onto the balcony, charming wooden façades, louvres and wall partitioning, culminating in elegantly harmonious Balinese style. Warm tones and rich textures enhance the visual experience, while hi-tech creature comforts in all accommodation types include an iPod docking station, double Hans Grohe rainmaker showers, a living area equipped with BOSE hi-fi entertainment systems, and a signature balcony jacuzzi hot tub for two.

The resort was designed by Budiman Hendro Purnomo of Indonesia’s PT Duta Cermat Mandiri Architects. It seamlessly blends in with its spectacular seaside location by inviting endless sea views into living spaces, the abundant use of natural materials, a partnering of innovative design and function, and an emphasis on paying homage to the exotic surrounds. The result is a luxury beach resort that celebrates its Anantara heritage by embracing every element of its inspiring setting.

Guests will revel in a diversity of lifestyle choices, deciding whether to spend their time languishing on the resort’s private secluded beach, or enjoying the exploration benefits afforded by a regular shuttle service to nearby beaches, shopping centres and cultural sites. Unwinding at the resort affords the idyllic pleasure of plunging into the cliff edge, infinity swimming pool, energising at the fitness centre, and rejuvenating body, mind and soul within Anantara Spa’s five treatment suites, reflexology room, sauna and poolside spa cabana. Dining will unfold in culinary journeys characterised by world flavours and extraordinary views.

Replenish at the international Rooftop Dining, Bar & Lounge or at the Mediterranean Poolside Restaurant & Bar. Discover the resort’s secret dining cave or a bespoke Dining by Design experience where a private table for two is set up in a range of dream locations and comes complete with a private chef and butler service, enabling guests to experience Anantara’s tailormade focus and heartfelt service at its very best.

Located just 20 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport and a 40-minute journey from bustling Kuta, Anantara Uluwatu Resort & Spa harnesses the island’s pristine natural beauty and alluring mysticism through an awe-inspiring location and ingenious architecture. Situated on Impossibles Beach, aptly named after its rolling surf, wild waves, limestone cliffs and secret caves, the resort is nothing short of an escapist’s dream with no lack of adventure, or imaginative relaxation to satisfy intrepid travellers.

Anantara’s signature services and elite facilities accompany guest discoveries of one of Bali’s most breathtaking secrets, ensuring unforgettable stays in every possible way. The height of Balinese coastal living takes shape with a resort unfolding, in a seemingly impossible design feat, over a dramatic cliff-side, cascading into the sea. From this private refuge, unending panoramas of sky and ocean are enhanced by indigenous romantic touches, including a secret dining cave.

A wealth of complementary design features immerse guests in a luxurious lifestyle from every angle and perspective, from the 24 l FRV Travel

Perfect investment options are available. And the question begs, why should you check in when you are able to move in?

Anantara Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Investment Opportunities Contact: Mariusz Mierzejewski marius@balianantarauluwatu.com www.balianantarauluwatu.com

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BALI VILLA hansa

Villa Hansa:

Kindred Spirits Text by Katie Truman. Photos by Christopher Leggett Located in a traditional village surrounded by rice fields and a dramatic coastline, this deluxe surfer’s ‘dream bolt-hole’ comes with a large dose of spirituality, tradition, culture and healthy living. All in all, a positively relaxed introduction to Balinese life.

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Below: From the infinity-edged pool to the main pavilion, Villa Hansa seamlessly blends old and new Indonesia.

Right: Lazing around the pool; another chilled out moment at the villa.

I

never did meet the owners of Villa Hansa. However I’ve already warmed to them as their lifestyle concept appears similar to mine. And I feel I know them well, as this American couple left their personalities stamped all over this gorgeous four-bedroom villa. It even starts with the name, ‘Hansa,’ Goddess of Knowledge.

Luxurious Villa Hansa has all the discerning comforts you’d expect of a top-notch property, ranging from slinky Grohe bathroom fixtures in the open-air tropical bathrooms, to the striking 18 metre infinityedge pool, monopolizing pretty gardens leading down to a river and terraced ricefields. And as the owners are avid collectors of antiques and traditional objects, this contemporary Balinese-designed property is littered with them, carefully sourced over

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Below: A pebble’s throw from the pool, behind tropical foliage, one of the divine four bedrooms.

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Above: The living room abounds with good taste, fine antiques and luxurious comforts.

Right: A fullyequipped kitchen and bathroom are just two more facets to this luxury villa.

the years from the Indonesian islands. Rooms, including the semi-open main pavilion with living-dining room and kitchen, plus four guestrooms in detached outer wings, reveal anything from Buddhist stone statuettes and Javanese wood chests to vintage woven throws from Sumba.

Yet, despite all this, there is a wonderful informality and relaxed calm about the place.

Following the villa philosophy that staff are very much part of the family and there to make guests feel relaxed, the local team of ten are endearingly friendly, welcoming and thoroughly at ease with new arrivals.

Everyone ends up part of one big extended Balinese family, perhaps learning how to make traditional offerings, or Indonesian delicacies in the kitchen. Heaping on the casualness, surfing seems a big factor and there’s no escaping the beach influence. Forty or so surfboards are generously available for guest use and it’s perhaps no coincidence that Villa Hansa is conveniently near to several excellent surfing beaches strung along south-west Bali’s wildly beautiful coast. Pererenan Beach is just a 300 metre stroll through a Balinese village, while legendary surfies’ haunt, Echo Beach, is a mere ten minutes in the villa car. Even the guest washroom displays shelves stacked with glistening ivory horn shells.

Spirituality and wellness, though, is a core element, with practically everywhere offering a ‘zen moment’: from the soothing sounds of the water wall feature in the living area to continually burning herbal incense, handpicked to enhance the day’s vibe. There’s even a stand-alone timbered room dedicated to yoga, supplied with yoga mats and outside, adorned with fluttering Tibetan prayer flags.

It is here you’ll find the only TV of the house, emphasizing the villa’s underlying serene nature. The 2007-built property is based on Balinese Vastu principals, full-time manager, Asmara, doubles as the villa’s spiritual advisor and each delightful guestroom is named after a Hindu god, such as Brahma and Wisnu.

Guests are given a privileged opportunity to participate in full- and new-moon offering ceremonies and blessings, performed at the villa by Hindu priests.

Food prepared in the kitchen is predominately organic, fresh and locally sourced. Recycling systems have been established here and for the surrounding village, while a trust fund – the Hansa Foundation – has been setup to help local community children learn about traditional culture and music, and the environment. Villa Hansa is indeed a charming hub of knowledge. FRV

Spirituality and wellness is a core element. from the soothing sounds of the water wall to continually burning herbal incense, handpicked to enhance the day’s vibe.

Villa Hansa www.hansabali.com

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BALI COMO SHAMBALA

Como

Shambhala

By Rebecca Kelly Visitors to Bali are spoilt for choice when it comes to spas. But, if you’re looking for an experience that goes beyond massages and manicures, Como Shambhala could be the place for you. Rebecca Kelly checks in to work on mind, body and soul.

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’s a place where two rivers meet. A spectacular jungle peninsular where the sound of water is everywhere - roaring, and falling, gurgling and flowing. From the jade green rockpool to the startling blue hydrotherapy pool, Como Shambhala near Ubud is not only built around water, it’s built on water. The property sits on top of a natural spring called The Source (or Sumba in Balinese) which is revered by the locals and still used in traditional ceremonies. Even the estate’s perfectly manicured lawns are like water, cascading into one another like a waterfall, each level looking out over dense jungle and impossibly green rice terraces.

Holistic Approach

Como Shambhala aims to change your whole approach to wellness – physically, spiritually and mentally – and it’s got the staff to help you do it.

On hand are eight specialists including a dietician, ayurvedic doctor, psychologist and acupuncturist.

During my three-night stay, I was put on a mini bespoke program – a tailor-made program for overall wellness. Others I could have chosen ranged from fitness to stress management to a straight up detox, which includes colonic irrigation on a machine aptly named the Angel of Water.

My first consult was with the estate’s nutritionist, Lacey Hall. We put every aspect of my diet under a microscope as she outlined foods to help with 30 l FRV Travel

this, drinks to help with that, and superfoods that should just help if I forget all the others. The result was a custom-designed menu which I was presented with every time I stepped into one of the estate’s restaurants, complete with my name on top, and a nutrition plan to follow once I left.

Next I met with the estate’s ayurvedic doctor, Deepak G Deginal. Ayurveda, or the science of life, is about achieving balance. After the hourlong consultation, Dr Deepak spelt out a kind of blueprint for me to live my life by – everything from what time of day is best for me to eat to when I should go to bed to what type of climate is most suitable for me to live in. “The work we do here is just a glimpse,” he told me. “The real work is when people go home.” And that’s the philosophy of Como Shambhala. While it’s a spectacularly beautiful place to spend a few days or weeks, the information you gather while you’re there puts you on a path to wellness you can follow once you walk out the door.

Activities

No wellness program would be complete without exercise, and I eased myself in by taking part in an aqua therapy class. The treatment was part aqua aerobics, part underwater massage as I sat in a series of custom-made seats with jets targeting different areas of the body. Next on the itinerary was a yoga session. The yoga room is open, with tranquil pools

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on one side and outrageously beautiful views of the jungle and rice terraces on the other. The yoga instructor, Katiza Satya, all calmness and serenity, also managed to guide me through an hour-long meditation class without me dying of boredom or falling asleep.

Also on my itinerary (overseen by my resident personal assistant) was the Estate Walk which took me all around the property, including down to the Ayung River where I watched the whitewater rafters hurtle past. I also did a mountain bike ride around the surrounding villages and rice fields, with our local guide Merta shouting at us over his shoulder every time we lagged behind. Other activities on offer included rock climbing, tennis and martial arts, although I left those to the people on the fitness programs.

Accommodation

The property is divided up into five main residences, each with its own theme – wind, fire, earth, forest and, of course, water. Each residence has four or five suites which are rented individually, or if you’ve got the cash, as a whole. There are also nine private villas. My residence, Tejasuara (Sound of Fire) had a primal feel to it, inspired by the Indonesian island of Sumba. In the spirit of authenticity, 1,200 tonnes of stone from the island were used in its construction.

The main pool has a ring of fire set in it which is lit every night. My suite was absolutely stunning: all dark wood and stone, glass and bamboo. The enormous glass sliding doors could be opened up to reveal the jungle surrounds, which gave me the feeling of being in an enormous and extremely luxurious tree house.

Facilities

Other treatments I could have chosen ranged from fitness to stress management to a straight up detox, which includes colonic irrigation on a machine aptly named the Angel of Water.

Como Shambala Spa Ubud, Bali, Indonesia Tel: +62 361 978 888 www.cse.como.bz 32 l FRV Travel

Como Shambhala’s day spa is understated and elegant.

Each of the nine treatment rooms had a glass wall looking into a private garden, complete with outdoor shower. The Como Shambhala signature massage was one of the best I’ve had in Bali and the list of other treatments available was impressive, with over 20 to choose from. And if you’re not too worn out after all that pampering, there’s also a sauna and gym.

The estate also has two fantastic restaurants. As part of my program, I got to choose breakfast, lunch and dinner from my tailor-made menu, with the dishes all created in the open kitchen so I could watch the chefs at work. Everything I ate was organic, healthy and absolutely delicious, although I wasn’t game to try some of their juices, which included broccoli, cauliflower and garlic.

After three days of eating well, exercising and relaxing at this incredibly serene retreat, I definitely felt I’d been put back on the path to wellness. The good news is if I fall off that path, it will be a great excuse to go back. FRV

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BALI COCOON

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C

C

The ultimate beach club and entertainment venue on double six beach has been turning many a head since opening last july. frv travel’s dan ashcroft takes a peek and a taste of what’s on offer.

O Cocoon Beach Club Text by Dan Ashcroft Photos by Sulthon & Cocoon

nce upon a time, many moons ago, I remember the term ‘beach club’ being synonymous with warm fizzy drinks, sandy sandwiches and a meagre flotilla of different watercraft moored up in various states of disrepair - think half-submerged pedalos and malfunctioning jetskis. How times have changed. Recently established Cocoon Beach Club has practically reinvented the concept to bring superb world-class dining, entertainment and design to buzzing Double Six beach.

The emphasis is firmly on providing ultimate relaxation with a sophisticated ambience throughout for a well-heeled and taste-conscious clientele. From 8am through ‘til 3am every single day of the week Cocoon Beach Club provides a place to relax, unwind, indulge, detox, retox and everything else in between - all with the stunning views of the sands and crashing deep blue waves of the Indian Ocean as a backdrop.

Entering up the main steps it’s the clean white decor and breezy interior that initially evokes something of a Mediterranean vibe - think less Southeast Asia and more Santorini. Pull up a pew at any of the several bar and lounge areas, or on one of the white day beds or private VIP cabanas dotted around the pool, and the feeling is further enhanced. The ever-growing menu compliments the Med feel perfectly, with innovative breakfast, grazing, and à la carte dinner options available depending on what time of the day you happen by the Cocoon realm. Head Chef Stephen Moore has worked FRV Travel l 35

extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Australia - his cumulative experience with cuisine from around the world is instantly apparent upon close inspection of the menus.

Talking to Stephen it’s clear that he’s extremely passionate about food, with a keen eye for experimentation and detail. The menu is constantly evolving with dishes being added, tweaked, and of course if something isn’t quite working, then changed up for something else.

“We are seeing that many of our first time visitors to Cocoon are returning again and again, and this can only be maintained by being consistent,” he explains. “For me and my team, that’s paramount in ensuring that Cocoon keeps up a great reputation for quality, service and satisfaction”.

I decide to delve in and see exactly what it is that keeps diners coming back, and order up a salad 36 l FRV Travel

of blue swimmer crab from the entrée menu.

Presented on a lengthy serving dish the succulent fresh white crab meat is mixed in amongst pomello, tomato and chilli dressing with croutons, creating some fantastic textures and flavours. Other entrées that had me salivating in anticipation of my next visit included the house sugar-cured salmon with potato croquettes, avocado and créme fraiche, and the bbq quail with salsa romesco, grapes and pistachio.

It seems that chefs in Bali are now more spoiled than ever with incredible local produce more than holding it’s own against the imported stuff.

With this in mind I opt for the roasted breast and confit of duck slow-roasted in its own juices with pearl onions and lentils. Fish lovers won’t go far wrong with the golden-crumbed yellowtail kingfish with tomato fondue and black olive butter or grilled yellowfin tuna with samfaina and chorizo, all caught locally in the very ocean

Talking to chef Stephen it’s clear that he’s extremely passionate about food, with a keen eye for experimentation and detail.

Far left: Pool lounging elevated to an art form at Cocoon.

Right top: All dishes are delicious and presented perfectly at Cocoon.

Left: Twilight tables set up for some al fresco dining on Cocoon’s outside decking area.

Below: The breezy low-level interior is perfect for escaping the heat and lapping up the cool Cocoon vibe.

in front of you. The extensive wine list is sourced globally and contains plenty of labels that can be perfectly paired to each of the menu offerings.

Dessert comes in the form of a salad of fresh lychee with orange sorbet and rhubarb syrup. It’s light, refreshing and a great way to end the meal as the sun melts into the horizon – much like the dollop of orange sorbet atop the salad.

As darkness falls and the in-crowd begin to arrive, the ambience livens up along with the music, which has so far been firmly tuned into ‘blissed out’ mode. Evening time and Cocoon Beach Club becomes more of a party venue with regular appearances from DJs from around the globe as well as the occasional incredible event night for special occasions. I leave feeling that Cocoon really is the ultimate in a multifunctional venue and contemporary beach club for the 21st century. Not many places in Bali can truly claim to cater to such a wide range of guests, from families, couples and VIP’s to partygoers, lunchtime loungers, pool junkies and everyone in between. FRV

Cocoon Beach Club Jl. Double Six, No. 66, Blue Ocean Boulevard, Seminyak, Bali.

Tel: +62 361 731 266 www.cocoon-beach.com FRV Travel l 37

BALI FASHION

Printed long dress.

Material: Printed satin silk, crochet wool thread and imitation fur details.

Accessories: Silver bangles, necklace, beads, white shoes.

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The Stones Charisma Set on the beach in central kuta the stones is a complex complete with restaurants, entertainment venues and a soon to be open hotel. it is an exciting venture in an exciting town and frv travel drops in to take some snaps with a large dash of charisma

Text by Trauts Photos by Adam Rasyid

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White tube dress with oversized jacket.

Material: White satin silk dress and Thai silk jacket with crochet wool plus beaded details.

Accessories: White shoes.

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Short white dress with full cover thread.

Material: White satin silk bodice and cotton thread detail.

Accessories: White shoes.

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Simple long dress with obnacle cover.

Material: Organza silk bodice in three colours (off-white, grey and black).

Accessories: Scarf in chiffon silk.

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Printed top and loose jodpur pants.

Material: Chiffon silk top with printed silk on collar and satin silk pants.

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Long, one-shoulder dress with lace.

Material: Satin silk lining with organza silk outer.

Material: Lace mix with obnacle and cotton thread.

Accessories: Bangles.

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The Stones Hotel and Entertainment Center Feel young, sexy, and carefree....

Think different, be different, become...... The Stones Jalan Pantai Kuta Kuta, Bali Indonesia +62 361 766 100

Model: YANTI SUASTIKA Clothing Designer: ALI CHARISMA Jl. Tengah No. 52 Banjar Anyar Kelod Kerobokan, Kuta Utara Bali 80361, Indonesia Telp. +62 361 844 6237 Photos: Adam Rasyid Aids: Trauts, J W, Dedi Kristian Styling: Happy Hidayat, Satria Make Up: Eka SHOPisticated Bali Jalan Palau Belitung Gg Pura Griya No3 Tel: 0812 3783 0079 46 l FRV Travel

Flare top with leggings.

Material: Satin silk top and stretch rayon.

Accessories: Scarf in black chiffon with braided polyester details.

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JAKARTA LUNA NEGRA

The Dark Side of The Moon

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Photos by Ramadhan

A pair of unbalanced shoes, or a traditional Italian dinner?

Ve Handojo’s destiny was defined in Luna Negra.

It

Left: The ubermasculine bar is blessed with a row of black-coloured lamps.

Above: The main dining area of Luna Negra is an eclectic indoor garden with playful, contemporary details.

Right: Luna Negra’s private dining section for casual gatherings.

was near the end of the moon, and I had to make the most important choice in my life as a script editor for Indonesian daily TV serials (yes, those zoom-in, zoomout close-ups, and mega-close-up shows with screaming ladies, and wimpy guys!): a stress-relieving shopping spree in the closing down Harvey Nichols, or a well-deserved, self-indulgent dinner in Luna Negra. The thought of having highly branded fashion items at 90% off the regular price was a greater temptation. However, the only thing possible for me to grab was the last pair of black Paul Smith black. The downside? The left one was 41, and the right one was 42. Oh, my … how am I supposed to walk in a straight line?!

So, wearing my Adidas sneakers, I headed down Jalan Sudirman to the Jakarta stock exchange where Luna Negra is nestled in the ground floor of the Citibank building. The long, dark-coloured, solid wood bar with marble top was a welcoming sight at Luna Negra. Above the bar was a row of black curvy lamps. This dinner time Ermenegildo Zegna-wearing executives, stockbrokers, and fellow jocks mingled with their classy playmates along the bar.

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Right: Bricks maintain an atmosphere of intimacy the old school way.

Facing page: The deal-winning corner where conversations also revolve around social issues.

Above: Beef carpaccio with grapes and pecorino.

Below: Chocolate, caramel, and strawberry panna cotta.

but-what-the-hell attitude that created a fun and stylish urban atmosphere. The Wall Street pretenders were trying to impress their girls with 17-year old Ballantynes, Old Bushmill, or 10-year old single malt Laphroaig. Yet, the real achievers were swapping their Amex Blacks for the 25-year old Glenlivet slated at around fifteen hundred dollars.

However, my eyes went sideways, to the corner of the front area, where a two-storey wine cellar with the twirling stairway was displaying bottles of joy. This sacred ground was dramatically low lit, and stocked with intercontinental wines. You know, when your shoes say the wrong thing about you, make sure the bottle you pick balances that image.

A good 2005 merlot did it well.

The main dining hall was a festive area.

Dominated with glamorous black mahogany, and rustic red bricks, Luna Negra was made all the more elegant with the high-ceilings and glass windows. Modern lamps clashed

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with the traditional style, all dipped in a black background. The soundscape was something that would make Pete Tong nod in approval. The overall view was as appetizing as my first item, beef carpaccio with grapes and Pecorino. Another notable antipasti was smoked beef carpaccio with rucola and shaved Parmesan. Each slice of the fine beef was so very delicate.

Popular pasta dishes here included spaghetti with clams and garlic, and tortelini with green peas and sautéed ham. The latter was an instant favorite! Yet, that night I went for bucatini with pork bacon, Pecorino romano, and fresh tomato sauce. Just like every item on the menu page, this dish was presented in a non-pretentious traditional way. No out-ofthis-world appearance. It came straight from the kitchen of Mama Soprano. The taste was for the purists, and it revived my faith for a good Italian kitchen in town.

The generous Luna Negra pizza is topped with Porcini mushroom, Parma ham, tomato sauce and mozzarella, and should be finished

in a flash with fellow omnivores. The second you should try is Bresaola pizza, topped with dried beef, rucola, shaved parmesan, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. Feeling stuffed?

Hail the waiter, and ask for the fresh and neutralizing limoncello – a shot of vodkainfused lemon peel and sugar.

straight from the kitchen of Mama Soprano. The taste was for purists, and it revived my faith for Italian kitchens in town.

The biggest temptation on this dark side of the moon – Luna Negra means black moon – is an item promoted as ‘the dessert that you can drink’: liquid tiramisu. Served in a martini glass, it was a mix of vanilla ice cream, a shot of espresso, Baileys, mascarpone cheese, Irish foam, and coffee powder. Just

like the traditional tiramisu, it came with finger bread, and Irish sauce.

Smooth operators can get their ultimate cocktail weapon from the Flower Ranger. The name and the appearance is as harmless as a Hawaiian hula dancer, but don’t tell your girlfriends that it actually kicks like Bruce Lee. Just tell them to take that bourboninfused lychee, and pour it down their throats along with a big gulp of that mix of pinky pomegranate juice, lemon squeeze, apricot brandy, rose syrup, and dry gin. The next thing you know, you’re getting lucky.

By the time my plates, bottles, and martini glasses were empty, I had proven that life was full of the choices that will eventually lead us to the same happy ending. I might cancel buying that pair of unbalanced Paul Smith shoes, but at the end of the day, I left Luna Negra with the same nagging question, “Oh, my … how am I supposed to walk in a straight line?!” FRV

Luna Negra Plaza Bapindo, Citibank Bulding, GF Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 54-44 South Jakarta Tel: +62 21 2995 0077 www.lunanegra.co.id

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JAKARTA MASTRO

Mastro Meat Market:

For Meat Lovers Only!

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Text by Erza S.T. Photo by Ramadhan

W

ith its ups and down, somehow Jakarta still manages to keep on surprising me with its new additions. The latest addition that I found is a place that will surely excite all meat lovers in town. The name is Mastro Meat Market and they specialize in imported meats. Name your meat and Mastro will most likely have it. Varieties such as Australian beef, certified black angus beef (from both US and Australian stockyards), New Zealand beef, fresh seafood from Japan, Norwegian salmon, Canadian lobster, right through to Australian Wagyu beef pure blood grade 12+ are just some of the highlights in Mastro. Oh, by the way, vegetarians might want to pass this story altogether and move on to the next article.

Nestled in South Jakarta, Mastro Meat Market has been open for nearly a year now. At the beginning, Mastro was purely a market store that sold imported products such as meats, seafoods, spices, cheeses, sauces, beverages and more. However, six months after opening, they started receiving requests from their clientele who wanted to have their meat cooked there. Due to this high demand, Mastro Meat Market has transformed into a both a retail market with a restaurant area to cater to meat lovers.

Thus, Chef Thomas was hired to run the kitchen. During my last visit there, I was very impressed with the variety of meat on offer and it is really top-notch quality. I decided to try their Australian black angus stockyard rib eye (200g) that came with a baked potato and salad. It was nice to see that Chef Thomas understands how to cook meat. My rib eye arrived medium-well with that golden brown edge and pink inside.

It was tender, luscious and had the right seasoning without overdoing it, making this a true hero of a dish. Add some sauce of your choice from a selection of mushroom, black pepper, barbecue or teriyaki, if you order seafood. For IDR 45,000, you can choose French fries or mashed potato as your side dish, however I have to say kudos to the baked potato, as it is absolutely delicious.

Any meat lover will be spoiled here, especially since Mastro updates their fresh meat almost everyday; the seafood arrives twice a week. It is also important to know that in this place, the meat arrives chilled and not frozen. Mastro Meat Market has immediately become my favorite place every time I crave red meat. Finally Jakarta has its own proper meat market that keeps the standard with good pricing too. I just hope that they can also make the service as good as the meat and add a dash of friendliness as a side dish. FRV

Mastro Meat Market Jl. Walter Monginsidi no. 36 Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan Tel: +62 21 726 7660

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JAKARTA PESTO

Text By Erza S.T. Photo by Ramadhan Despite all the problems that Jakarta is facing at the moment, we are still very lucky to have A Great Range of restaurants covering all culinary corners of the earth.

P for Pesto

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Facing page: Pesto’s masculine and rustic look is very modern and a la minute.

In

October last year another new restaurant celebrated its grand opening; a new Italian restaurant called Pesto Autentico located inside the new ANZ Bank building that has started to sprout more and more chic restaurants since it opened earlier in the year.

Unlike other Italians in town, Pesto’s design is far from traditional. They instead used a modern taste from the awardwinning architect Willis Kusuma who also designed Social House in Grand Indonesia.

The result is a modern Italian restaurant in an industrial rustic atmosphere that is dominated by dark tones of wood and strengthened with metal accents. A handsome-looking open kitchen in the central area completes the look of the big dining room surrounded by unpolished wooden furniture and big windows. And, although we enjoyed Willis’s masculine design for Pesto, we somehow felt that it still has a strong resemblance to Social House.

Luckily, what is not so original about Pesto’s design is the balance with their food on the menu. Claiming to serve authentic Italian cuisine that mostly comes from the Mediterranean, Pesto’s food is actually quite promising. Lead by Mikko Mastrogiacomo, who is known for his “Osteria Telese” restaurant in Bali, Pesto’s kitchen serves us up with some interesting home-style cooking that is simple but has a very memorable taste.

Hailing from Napoli, Chef Mikko brought some of that bravura taste and introduced it to Jakarta’s tongue. Offering a wide range of food, you can find pretty much every kind of Italian dish here; from antipasti, pasta, pizza, seafood, meat and even a vegetarian menu. Try their gnocchi alla Sorentina, potato dumplings with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.

It is not only vegetarian-friendly but also extremely delicious.

Hailing from Napoli, Chef Mikko brought some of that bravura taste and introduced it to Jakarta’s tongue.

Mikko created the entire menu and made sure that the crew learned how to serve it right in Pesto. His philosophy is to have great olive oil and tomatoes, as it is the essence of Italian cooking. This philosophy seems to work well for the food served there. My bucatini alla calabrese was simply wonderful and you can really taste that fresh tomato sauce.

Pesto is also very proud of their seafood menu, thus we decided to try some spiedini di pesce in agro dolce – roasted snapper, salmon, prawn and orange on a skewer with fresh green salad. The seafood was fresh and cooked perfectly, however it is the sauce that gives the ultimate taste.

Above: Gamberoni alla griglia and the must try desserts; tiramisu, panacotta al rum and crostata di mirtillo.

This spectacular sauce is made from a very simple combination of olive oil infused with orange juice. Aside from this, we also tried gamberoni alla griglia from the island of Sicily. It is a king prawn dish cooked in butter sauce served with a fresh salad.

Make sure to leave some space for dessert when you come to Pesto. It would be a great loss to skip it. Mikko is as serious about his dessert as his main courses. “We are doing serious tiramisu here,” he said to me and he was not joking. The tiramisu is as great as I remember when I was in Rome a few months ago. His pannacotta al rum is also worth a try but make sure you don’t miss the crostata di mirtillo. This pie-like pastry is filled with blueberry paste and it is heavenly.

With its spacious ambiance, Pesto is good for any social event. The food comes in good-sized portions to share and the pricing is also not intimidating for such good quality. Match all of the above with Italian best original Peroni beer and you will be guaranteed a most memorable evening’s dining. FRV

Pesto Autentico ANZ Square, UG Floor Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 10 Jakarta Pusat Tel: +62 21 2993 7230 www.pesto.co.id FRV Travel l 55

RE-CHEQUE PORTICO

A harmonious blend of contemporary arts, modern setting, and urban relationship in Portico.

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Deliciously Artsy Ve Handojo reconnects himself with the arts and good food in Portico Terrace Bistro.

Photos by Ramadhan

A

rts and cuisine are old buddies. Some friendships go the classic way. You put art-deco chairs from an unknown carpenter in Solo (or Ciputat, come to think of it), and antique tables from somebody else’s grandma, and you serve overpriced gado-gado there, while all the furniture has a price tag. Then, you call it resto-gallery. I wouldn’t say it’s a sin.

Yet, Portico Terrace Bistro is taking the idea further. The venue in Panin Tower Level Ground, Senayan City, is positioning itself as an urban holy ground for tasty food and exciting artworks by emerging artists. Its glass-walled indoor space and green outdoor area serves as an exhibition area that’s easy to customize. The whole site is ready to accommodate limitless imagination. Tables and chairs already come from the very basic design style base, so they can blend easily with just about any kind of artsy installation.

ARTiculation in Portico is a tantalizing platter of art, society, creativity, and originality all served with a dash of playfulness.

The series aims to give an experience of contemporary dining and arts at a higher level. Opening the series is awardwinning designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo with his collection of sculptural benches made of outdoor materials. Ten “Crease” lounge chairs were spread over the lawn and terrace area of Portico – all were lightweight, compact, and made from woven wicker. The whole of November 2010 was dedicated to display Indonesia’s sensational design talent.

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Portico Terrace Bistro is taking the idea further. The venue is positioning itself as an urban holy ground for tasty food and exciting artworks.

Fida, Sulung Widya, Ign Ade, Abrams Gobram, Iwank, Nurify, Janu Satmoko exhibited their works on different mediums, and tagged them “Comic Demonic”. The whole month of January 2011 saw this mischievous demo. February 2011 will see Portico’s glass walls being invaded by organic creatures - butterflies, grasshoppers, trees, flowers, and friends - all created by Capung.

In March 2011, an outdoor bar with benches in the form of a tree house will fill Portico’s green lawn. The first series of ARTiculation will be concluded by another award-winning creative force. Photographer Davy Linggar will show off his collage of videos and photos, projected on the wine tower, using the glass as the medium. They will create a spectacle on Portico’s glass surface and the outdoor area.

Left: The white cloud hanging on Portico’s green lawn.

Above: The glass walls become showcases of genius artworks and Jakarta’s ultimate lifestyle.

With Christmas, ITB (Institute of Technology, Bandung) graduates Septian Harriyoga and Mira Franciska collaborated in “Flickers and Flakes, Feathers take Flight”. Harriyoga visualized clouds and sun – objects of his obsession – in the form of sculptures and photographs printed on aluminium. Francisca displayed his feminine sensitivity in lighting and projection. The result was an other-worldly installation to present the closest thing to “laser winter in tropical city”.

And, along with these artworks, we would have our delicious pasta, or Bitburger beer.

“Flickers and Flakes, Feathers take Flight” was followed with another kind of expression: comic art. Artists Yudha Sandy, Danang Catur, Moki,

All throughout the first five months of this year, we will always have a reason to go to Portico.

ARTiculation is making dining there an always exciting and fresh experience. And if by chance you do not get the ideas behind those eclectic artworks, you can always focus on that delicious and spicy aglio olio. And, yes, ask the waiter to take some pictures of you with those demonic comic prints in the background, and post them in your Facebook page. A dozen “Likes” are guaranteed. FRV

PORTICO Terrace Bistro Panin Tower, Ground Floor Senayan City South Jakarta Tel: +62 21 7278 1641

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JAKARTA ARELLA

Arella The Mall Angel Photos by Ramadhan After a stylish, busy day in the fanciest shopping mall, what you need is a stylish place for simple comfort food.

Ve Handojo drops by at Arella and reports.

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Left: Arella integrates itself with the mall’s batik decor.

Top left: An intimate atmosphere within the middle of a cold, elegant shopping mall.

Top right: Chalkboard arts strengthen the homey and traditional feeling.

A

rella, means ‘angel’ in Hebrew, and comes from the people behind the seventeen years of success of Nannini in Plaza Senayan. The woody bistro is envisioned to merge with its neighborhood - an eclectic mix of fashion boutiques in the fanciest shopping mall in town, Plaza Indonesia. With no walls to separate them, Arella interacts with this locale, and becomes the preferred place to rest, relax and refill in the middle of your mallcentric lifestyle.

Sitting to face the escalators means checking out the LV-garnished mall-goers, which is not always appetizing. The batik ornaments that belong to the mall automatically become Arella’s own design element as well.

Mannequins from the surrounding boutique’s showcases become a background to add the volume in Arella’s environment. Every external

influence is captured inside a frame of darkcoloured wood and black.

The menu boasts a wide range of comfort food from pasta to oriental delights. Its strength comes from the hassle-free presentation without any pretension. You know what you are going to get. The clam chowder is predictably creamy with a nice ting from the white wine reduction. It comes with a simple yet elegant thin slice of crouton. The Arella onion soup in infused with truffle oil.

The name seavocado salad already suggests the whole idea. Inside the half-cut avocado is a mix of seafood. Scoop it, then quickly combine with the greens to neutralize the strong taste, and get a fiesta of freshness. This salad is a good bridge to poulet rosty, one of the main courses.

Half baby chicken is roasted, then served with

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grilled baby potatoes and pumpkin. Add black pepper as you wish to bring the taste alive.

Beef mountain lava is a best seller, thanks to its theatrical presentation.

Stewed beef is piled on top of mashed potato, showered with red wine sauce, then torched. The beef is made tender, delicious, and warm to chew - a top-notch climax of a dinner. Wrap the whole set with the preferred dessert, sticky toffee pudding. The warm toffee sponge cake is bathed in extra hot toffee sauce, and comes with a dollop of ice cream.

The menu boasts a wide range of comfort food, from pasta to oriental delights. Its strength comes from the hassle-free presentation without any pretension.

Arella’s Asian menu extends to Vietnamese pho bo, Chinatown beef, Shanghai drunken prawns, Sulawesi spicy chicken, Gulai ribs, and much more. With more selection, Arella is strengthening its position as the most comfortable choice to rest your feet and designer bags. FRV

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Left: The best-selling Beef Mountain Lava; stewed beef piled on top of mashed potato, bathed in red wine sauce.

Arella Plaza Indonesia, 2nd floor.

Tel: +62 21 2992 3650 www.arellajakarta.com

Right: Half baby chicken, roasted, then served with grilled baby potatoes and pumpkin.

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JAKARTA BREAKFAST

Crepe Parmentiere at Cafe Batavia is still a delicious breakfast dish to enjoy in here.

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The Quest

to Find

the Great Breakfasts of Jakarta Text & Photo by Erza S.T.

B

reakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, that is what most people believe. However, since I have become a midnight owl writer of late, I seem to have forgotten that fact. I normally only eat have lunch and dinner, with the occasional brunch every once in a blue moon (and it takes plenty of effort to actually get up for it).

Researching this particular article was challenging for me, but in the end, I now understand why people enjoy breakfast so much.

The first thing that surprised me was the discovery of so many restaurants these days that actually have breakfast as one of their specialties. This is significant progress compared to early 2000 when the Sunday J-Brunch at The Regent (now The Four Seasons Hotel) was pretty much the only substantial and sought after late morning meal in town. The options these days are overwhelming. Here are some of my interesting and not so interesting findings on the current breakfast hot spots of Jakarta for 2011.

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Aussie/ Kiwi Style Brekkie at Antipodean

Peranakan Style Breakfast at Kopitiam Oey

In my opinion, brunch should not only confine itself to weekends, and a great brekkie place like Antipodean will give you plenty of reasons to brunch daily. Hidden at the Hero supermarket in the Kemang complex, Antipodean is the brainchild of Arlini and Alun Evans, the founders of Merdeka Coffee.

I was so happy when famous foodie Bondan Winarno decided to open his own kopitiam in town. In Malaysia and Singapore you can find kopitiams everywhere and enjoy that simple, yet addictive, local food for breakfast. In Bondan’s Kopitiam Oey, you can find an excellent tasting of local flavours in their breakfast menu with influences from the Chinese and the Dutch.

With a simple and intimate setting for a maximum of 20 people, Antipodean seems to be always packed with New Zealand or Australian expats with a smattering of local Indonesian breakfast enthusiasts. Check out their All Day Breakfast which consists of toast, bacon or chicken sausages, baked beans, wrangled eggs and grilled tomatoes or if your appetite allows perhaps you can try the Big Breakfast with toast, bacon or chicken sausages, mushroom, scrambled egg and hash browns. The BLT seems to be the main concept here.

Filling as it was, I found the bacon was slightly overcooked and the hash brown was cooked unevenly. But I just washed it down with one of their great single original Merdeka Coffees and all was forgiven. So if you are willing to venture into Kemang’s traffic jungle on the weekend (which is not as bad as weekdays) then Antipodean is definitely worth a visit.

Bring your iPad, it’s free WiFi territory.

Breakfast is definitely back in fashion in J-town

Kopitiam Oey is located in a small shop house in Sabang Street and is decorated with bric-a-brac from olden times. It is the kind of place that can actually entertain your entire family. I took mine there and my father was very excited to find Telor Setengah Mateng (halfboiled eggs), while my mother preferred to have Roti Bakar Taloea Boekitinggi (toast served with half-cooked scrambled egg Padang style). I personally enjoy a more Western-style breakfast and chose Roti Bakar Prantjis Pain Perdu (French toast with cinnamon and honey.

My sister went for a more hearty kick start and had Nasi Tim Ajam Glodok (fragrant steamed chicken rice). Like my sister, my brother also decided to have a heavier meal, a Boeboer Kambing Pekalongan (mutton porridge Pekalongan style).

These days it is not easy to gather the entire family and have a good time together. In Kopitiam Oey, they seemed to enjoy the experience.

Oh, by the way, the drinks are also special at this spot. We had a Kopi Taloea Boekittinggi (traditional west Sumatran coffee with beaten egg), Chai (Indian masala tea) and Kopi Soesoe Indotjina (Vietnamese dripcoffee, with sweet condensed milk). It was a delicious breakfast and economical, too!

In Kopitiam Oey they start breakfast at 7am and finish at 11am. Most visitors are loyal customers and they are already aware that if you come late, there will be nothing left from the breakfast menu. The restaurant’s slogan is “The Coffee is Good and The Price is Honest”. I couldn’t agree more.

Bring your iPad, it’s also connected.

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Long Past and Forgotten Brunch at Cafe Batavia

Bubbly Brunch at Cork & Screw Plaza Indonesia

As a restaurant, Café Batavia is still considered to be one of the most elegant in town. Housed in one of Jakarta’s oldest colonial buildings on Fatahillah Square (circa 1850), the two-storey Café Batavia artfully marries history and modern day chic to make this place a must for any occasion, from romantic dinners to a showpiece for out of town guests. Sadly, after almost two decades Café Batavia is starting show its age.

Cork & Screw in Plaza Indonesia finally decided to join the breakfast club and released their brunch menu this January. Finally, there is a proper brunch place in this mall besides Starbucks. Being a wine bar of sorts, it’s a shame they don’t have a champagne brunch though.

Café Batavia has once known as the best fine-dining restaurant in town and the best place for a long lingering brunch.. With this in mind, I decided to have a New Year’s brunch with my friends to welcome in 2011. The menu still remains the same since my last visit three years ago. The extensive Chinese menu offers an interesting selection of dim sum, which is fairly good. Unfortunately, their western menu has falling far from grace. My advice would be to stick with the Chinese dim sum or, if you must, try to order Crepe Parmentiere that arrives with smoked salmon, crème fraiche and black caviar. It is still consistently good.

The food is not the only thing that is going downhill in Café Batavia.

During brunch, we had to suffer not only unremarkable food, but also rude service. Somehow these days, the management have generated a new interesting rule where you have to pay extra if they feel that you are taking too many photographs. This combined with the state of the food and overpriced menu was enough to make this brunch at Café Batavia our last.

The menu is short but solid. Selections of soups, eggs, sandwiches, Asian fare and even something for your sweet tooth are on offer.

During my visit, The Eggs Benedict served on hot bread with herb tomato and rucola salad was decently presented and really delicious.

I also went for their Oriental Porridge that’s served with shredded chicken and duck. It is definitely far from disappointing.

Cork & Screw does not have the champagne brunch package yet and so you have to order the champagne separately by glass or bottle. You can choose either Charles Heidsieck or Laurent Perrier for IDR 125K per glass or IDR 900K per bottle. Kir Royale is also available for IDR 125K per glass. I guess it’s not easy these days to have a free-flow champagne brunch package like years gone by due to the preposterous import regulations nowadays.

It was a nice and quiet breakfast at C&S with a great WiFi connection. I just wish that they could work on the service so we can really get that perfect brunch. FRV

Antipodean

Kopitiam Oey

Café Batavia

Cork & Screw

Kemang Selatan No. 1 Inside Hero Kemang Complex Jakarta www.antipodeancoffee.com

Jl. H. Agus Salim No. 18 Jakarta Pusat www.kopitiamoey.com

Taman Fatahillah Jakarta www.cafebatavia.com

Plaza Indonesia 1st floor Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30 Jakarta www.corknscrew.biz

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BALI TUGU

Perfect Breakfast

By The Sea at Tugu Bali Text by Erza S.T.

My

quest to find a great breakfast continued outside of Jakarta during a recent visit to Bali, where I was very impressed with the variety of breakfast menu options in many of the restaurants on the island. My challenge was not only about the breakfast menu but also how the breakfast rates as a memorable experience, and I found the breakfast served in the Tugu Bali way exceeded the goal.

For many travelers, the Tugu Group as a brand is no longer a stranger. Created by paternal mastermind Anhar Setjadibrata, the Tugu Group, with their eight properties that lie from Jakarta to Lombok, is famous worldwide. Tugu Bali was their third property and is located at Batu Bolong beach in Canggu. It is beautifully secluded and hidden from the tourist jungle, without being too far from it. The hotel’s design and antique collections are mesmerizing, but I am not here to talk about that. Instead, it is their breakfast this time that captured my imagination.

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Feeling slightly hungover from the night before, I dragged myself out of bed, against my better nature, to have breakfast. When we got to the beach, I stood aghast to see what the hotel has prepared for me. The receptionist asked me the previous day if I was interested in having breakfast by the sea. Thinking that it could be fun, I said yes without giving it too much thought.

Imagine this; a set of wooden tables with benches on a sandy beach complete with a lovely table setting, ready to welcome you to the morning. My personal butler arrived to ask what kind of breakfast I was interested to have that morning. A selection from the oriental set that included porridge and dim sum, western style with eggs, bacon and toast, or a traditional Indonesian breakfast with their famous nasi pecel.

The nasi pecel at Tugu is without a doubt my favourite. This tasty Javanese rice dish, served with cooked vegetables and peanut sauce, as well as soybean cake and crackers is simply delicious. Match this with a

delicious cup of Balinese coffee and you can say carpe diem to the rest of your day.

This experience was not the ordinary breakfast that I had in mind when I woke up that morning. Instead, it is more like a picture perfect postcard from a high class travel magazine that you always wondered about experiencing. What could be better than to start your day with beautiful beach scenery, a nice sea breeze, fantastic food, muscle bound surfers passing by and soft Balinese praying chants flowing from the distance as the backdrop? It’s that kind of breakfast. FRV

Hotel Tugu Bali Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong Canggu. Bali www.tuguhotels.com

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NEW ZEALAND BRICK BAY

Nature and Culture?

Yes we can Brick Bay Sculpture Park is a 2km art trail surrounded by farmland and lush New Zealand native forest just north of Auckland and an opportunity to revel in the natural glory that is 100% Pure New Zealand while getting the big fix of culture that city dwellers crave. all washed down with some artisanal cheeses and a nice glass or two of fine wine, of course.

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Text by Thomas Jones

B

rick Bay Farm is located in Matakana, just one hour from Auckland and ten minutes from one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the North Island. It’s a chic rural area of quiet beauty, where wineries, holiday homes, and hip cafes sit comfortably alongside public camp grounds, fish ‘n’ chip shops and paddocks filled with sheep. For those people who have decided to make the move to the land beyond the city limits the abundance of space and scenic wonder allows for the imagination to run wild. People such as Christine and Richard Didsbury, who bought Brick Bay Farm to use as a weekend/holiday retreat and slowly turned it into a wonderful cultural - and viticultural- destination that now attracts thousands of visitors a year.

Brick Bay Farm’s vineyards with the cafe in the foreground; the start and end of the FRV Travel sculpture trail.l 71

Having long been patrons of the arts they decided to incorporate sculpture into the gardens to liven the place up AND also TO showcase the works of some of New Zealand’s most talented artists.

Soon after buying the farm in 1986, Christine and Richard realised that it was a more compelling place to live than the city, so they set about making it into their full-time home. But how to make it pay? “For the first eight years we focused on farming the land with sheep, cattle, and goats and general beautification of the property,” explains Christine. “We fenced off the small areas of native bush to allow for regeneration, we created seven small lakes, put in many trees, including an olive grove, and planted the main vineyard block.” Five years ago they opened up part of the property to the public and built a tasting room adjacent to the vineyard to share the fine wines coming off the vines.

Like all labours of love, the ideas never stop flowing and there was still more that could be done. Having long been patrons of the arts they decided to incorporate sculpture into the gardens to not only liven the place up with a semblance of culture, but also to provide a platform to showcase the works of some of New Zealand’s most talented artists.

“We talked to a number of sculptors before we launched into the project and their enthusiasm matched our own,” she says. “This was largely because the traditional gallery indoor space is very limiting to the artistic imagination, which often longs to break free of the gallery walls and express itself on a grand scale in the natural environment. There is an ongoing conversation between the sculpture, the bush and trees, changing weather patterns, birdlife and so on.”

The result is a happy conjunction of the two ideas of the grape and contemporary sculpture, something that is reflected in their branding, ‘Art and Wine Entwined.’

Starting at the café the circuit passes by lakes, the vines, swamp, farmland and shady, birdfilled forest glades. Large works command

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hilltops, pieces emerge from the waters, they lie on the grass, sound installations haunt the forest and smaller, eclectic works are to be found in the Shrunk courtyards, a perfect setting for their more intimate scale. All manner of media are represented from glass to bronze, rope and wood to brick, chrome, steel, plastic and stone. Adding so much more to a peaceful walk through the forest the artworks inspire discussion and creative criticism and offer guests something a little different in their country sojourn.

The number of sculptures at any one time varies from around 40 to 55 depending on when works sell and when new works come online. They have sold many pieces on behalf of the artists and, in fact, sold six works in the last six weeks of 2010, including two major pieces to an overseas collector. “A growing number of our pieces are sold offshore and this is a wonderful development of the business,” says Christine. Great for the artists, too!

They also encourage and inspire the artistic endeavours of the artists through the Brick Bay Sculpture Trust, which is designed to assist selected artists in meeting the considerable expense of building outdoor work. This has allowed many sculptors to expand the scale of their works, and also consider working in more costly materials.

Brick Bay is proving to be a big success drawing around 13,000 visitors a year, a number that continues to grow. And when it’s all over and the wine has been drunk, the cheese nibbled and the art critiqued, it’s just a quick nip down the road for a swim. You have to love those small cities and the imaginations they inspire. Why else is half the world clamouring to get in? FRV

Townie Lauren Lysaght.

Wooden pathways wend their way through the bush, protecting both tree roots and shoes.

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail Snells Beach, New Zealand Tel: +64 9425 4690 www.brickbaysculpture.co.nz

The Memory Windmills Leon van den Eijkel.

Awaiting Transportation Lucy Bucknall.

Step Lightly Virginia King.

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JAPAN YAKUSHIMA

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Of Gods and Monster Trees.

Text by Thomas Jones About sixty kilometres off the southern end of Kyushu, in the confluence of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, lies Yakushima Island, a mountainous wilderness, 110km around, that rises straight up out of the ocean to near 2000 metres above sea level. Blessed with an unusually high rainfall and a subtropical climate it is covered in spectacular old-growth forest and surrounded by waters that are unbelievably productive and rich in marine life.

Thomas Jones visits this primal Eden and finds a different Japan.

A three-thousand year old cedar tree in the Sugiland forest park on the eastern side of the island.

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Y

akushima is a brandname unto itself in Japan thanks to the UNESCO World Heritage recognition it received in 1993.

It is cited for its natural glory and, in particular, its primeval forests filled with millennia-old cedar trees. These trees are revered for their age and longevity and stand for the very essence of Japan itself. The oldest, Yakusugi, is around 7,000 years old and can only be reached by a grueling ten-hour hike through the mountains.

Not that this deters visitors; quite the contrary, all year round hundreds of hikers brave the challenge through rain, snow or shine to visit this natural treasure in search of Eden...and to enjoy the island’s quality produce, of course.

Yakushima has a population of only 12,000 people, and moves to the beat of a very slow drum. For hundreds of years they have survived on farming, forestry, and fishing and now tourism is playing an increasingly large part of the island’s economy.

Visitors come either by plane or by the twohour ferry ride from Kagoshima to the north. There are many familyrun ryokan and minshiku (Japanese style inns) but only one five star resort, the newly opened Sankara Hotel and Spa on the southwest corner (see separate story this issue), the purpose of my visit. I was not here for the hiking - it was a tad cold in November. No, I was here for the food and the sightseeing. Sankara’s Executive Chef Takei would prepare my meals and would also act as my guide. He knows the island like the back of his hand as he has explored it inside out in search of the best local produce for use in his restaurants, so who better to show me the sights?

pulled from the water only moments before. I could tell that dinner would be worth waiting for. From here we drove to Onoaida Onsen for a soak in the mineral springs. This 150-yearold bathhouse sits at the base of a mountain valley and has served the local people with their bathing needs for generations. The roof joinery consists of huge rough-cut cedar logs and the whole place smells like a forest, with a faint whiff of sulphur. Split into two areas for men and women it is a very interesting way to throw off western sensibilities and enjoy the very Japanese tradition of group bathing; there is no need to be shy here. Bathing is one of the consummate Japanese rituals, right up there with eating sushi and shopping so don’t miss out. It’s only about two dollars and you get no English with that except “ok”. Other outdoor hotsprings (rotenburo) like the Kaichu onsen

all year round hundreds of hikers brave the challenge through rain, snow or shine to visit this natural treasure in search of Eden.

We started off in the morning down at the port at Anbo where the daily catch is delivered. Takeisan had to select the seafood for the restaurant before we set off for the day and it offered me a chance to see what the seas around Yakushima are capable of delivering. There on the wharf was a gourmet selection of beautiful looking, fresh fish and shellfish that look like they were just

Clockwise from top left: Ohko-no-Taki Waterfall in southwest Yakushima.

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Japanese Macaques inhabit most of the forests and like monkeys everywhere can be a real pest.

and Yudomari onsens can be found down on the coastline, some right amongst the tidal pools and only accessible on low tide. These are open to the elements and both sexes so are not for the modest.

Driving further along the coast along narrow lanes, past orchards and the occasional pig farm - Kurobuta black pork is a specialty of the area we turn a corner and the land flattens out into a couple of large paddocks on either side of the road. Both are filled with black and white cows.

“Kagoshima cattle,”says Takei-san. “Good meat and grown locally on a mix of grass and corn. I use it in the restaurant sometimes.” My mouth waters, again. How many hours till lunch?

Although it’s cold in the November air we see papaya, bananas and pineapples growing on the thin coastal strip surrounding the island and the roads are lined with tropical hibiscus and palm trees. Up in the high interior the alpine forests are lush and green with fast-flowing cold rivers

One of the fishing boats at Anbo port that delivers the fresh catch every morning.

The Shinto shrine at Onoaida Onsen.

Tribute to the forest and the hot waters.

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Below left: The rugged west coast of Yakushima. Deep water and strong currents mean an abundance of seafood.

Below right: Looking east across to Tanegashima, home to Japan’s space program, where launches occur several times a year.

and large waterfalls, some, like Ohko-no-Taki, easily accessible from the road. In winter, snow falls high upon the tops.

Houses are sparse on the island at the best of times but by the time we reached the southwestern tip they disappear altogether. As we start to climb the forestcovered cliffs that dominate this part of the island and enter the national park that actually earned the UNESCO thumbs up, deer and monkeys become a common site and the road often reduces to one lane as we cross crashing river gullies that pass under the road and continue on their steep trajectory to the surf, hundreds of feet below. The road is shaded by a terrific canopy of overlying trees, bent inward by the relentless winds, as it winds its way around the mountainside.

This forest is thick like a Tolkien fantasy with tangles of roots and large granite outcrops that form the base of this mountain giant. It is a rugged yet lush and beautiful landscape.

As we travel further north the coast starts to flatten out as we get closer to sea level. We cross large rivers flowing out of the deep valleys and pass protected white sand beaches where hundreds of turtles come each year to lay their eggs, another major tourist attraction for the island. In the main settlement of Miyanoura, where the ferry terminal is located, we finally see some evidence of town life, humble as it is, with restaurants, convenience stores and karaoke bars. We stop at a small restaurant

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Above: A footbath at the Onoaida Onsen at the base of the trail. A welcome sight for weary hikers.

A pathway through the forest leading to one of Yakushima’s many rivers.

for lunch, a typical Japanese set lunch of rice, miso, pickles and a local delicacy, fried flying fish washed down with green tea and ice cold Asahi lager.

After lunch it was time for a bit of grown-up fun and we drove to Hombo Shuzo brewery for a look-see at how to make some of the island’s famous sweet potato shochu.

Made with rice and not unlike sake, at around 25% this demon brew is a delicacy that will fair knock the uninitiated off their feet if they are not careful; I wasn’t driving, luckily enough. It was about six hours since we had left the hotel but one can’t really come to Yakushima and not walk in the shadows of its giants. While I wasn’t prepared to kill myself taking the multi-hour trek up the mountain to the ancient 7,000 yearold Yakisugi, I was more than happy to spend an hour or so walking through the forest at Sugiland to stretch my legs and bask in nature’s glory. Sugiland is a large forest park with many marked trails through the valleys offering a variety of walks among the towering cedar trees and clear mountain streams. It also has a great museum devoted to the island’s forest and logging history. A soft option it may be, but a beautiful end to a tour of this mind-blowing primeval island at the end of the earth. And after a walk in the humbling shadow of noble giants it was high time to head back to the Sankara Hotel for a massage, a hot soak, some sake and a taste of that great fish, beef and pork we had seen a few short hours before. FRV

The road is shaded by a terrific canopy of overlying trees, bent inward by the relentless winds, as it winds its way around the mountainside.

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