MAXX-M Edition 1, 2015 by Maximillian Publishing

The Best of Everything

EDITOR’S LETTER

Fly Me to the Moon

s the end of 2014 was approaching and we were talking about the past year and our hopes for 2015, a friend asked me, “What makes you happy?” That simple question got me thinking. My immediate reaction was that lots of things make me happy. But then I began to think, “What makes me really happy?” I mean happiness that lingers, not the kind that lasts a few hours, like when I buy a new pair of shoes. Then I realized that I didn’t really know what made me happy. That night I thought about my life and realized I had every reason to be happy. The only thing that made me unhappy was the fact that I didn’t realize how lucky I was. I was too busy working or planning my life that I forgot the most important thing: to enjoy life. I was so busy I never thought to count my blessings. Now, I’ve started to appreciate life more and enjoy every moment. It turns out it doesn’t really take much to be happy, as the most precious things in life are free.

One thing that always makes me happy is travelling. I love to travel and so do most of my colleagues. However, we all like different destinations we all enjoy different activities on the road. My managing editor, Grace, recently told us something interesting about personality types and how personality plays an important role in deciding things like places to travel, hotel preferences, where to eat, what to do and more. I was a bit sceptical at first, but the more I learned, the more it made sense. I could see how a colleague with a similar personality to mine would enjoy the same things as me. And I understood why some colleagues might love a particular resort that I found to be very ordinary. In this best of everything special edition, we discover the best in travel for your personality type. It is fun and it is interesting, and it is a great way to get more out of your holiday. Thank you so much for all the support and loyalty you have show us over the years. We look forward to many more prosperous years. Happy reading, everyone!

Melani Semuel

Photo by Likinto Oentoro | Location: Pullman Jakarta Indonesia Make up & Hair by Ika Damajanti | Stylish Novina Saragih Jewellery Tiffany & Co

Clarisa mutriafica Clarisa@ptmaximillian.com

CONTENT

Insight Secret 32

The Amazing Sky100

Cover Story THe Best of Everything 36 Profile 140

Philippe Le Bourhis, General Manager of Pullman Jakarta Indonesia

Check - in Nyaman Villa 156

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INBOX

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Let Me Entertain You Anantara Hotels & Resorts has announced special Stay & Concert packages for the Robbie Williams concert in Abu Dhabi on 26 April 2015. The concert, to be held at du Arena on Yas Island, is the second stop on his “Let Me Entertain You Tour”. Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa is ideally situated just 20 minutes from the concert venue and is offering tickethold-

ers staying at the hotel complimentary pre-scheduled transfers to and from the venue. The Robbie Williams deluxe package starts from AED 800 (excluding service charge and tourism fee) per room. The Robbie Williams platinum package is AED 55,000 (excluding service charge and tourism fee) and includes a one-night stay in the three-bedroom Royal Mangroves Residence for six

guests with rooftop swimming pool, preconcert drinks and canapés served in the suite, breakfast, one 60-minute Spa Massage per person and private limousine transfers to and from the venue. Robbie Williams Stay & Concert packages at Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa are available at www.anantara.com or by emailing Reservations at crome@ anantara.com.

Thailand's First AVANI Hotel Appealing to business and leisure guests who appreciate a prime location in the Thai capital, a passion for design and a relaxing stay, the new refreshingly contemporary and simple AVANI Atrium Bangkok is the first upscale hotel under the AVANI brand to open in Thailand. The hotel blends contemporary style and an upbeat vibe, Thai hospitality with professional and welcoming services, plus AVANI’s signature hallmarks of sleep satisfaction, a lifestyle zone, honest food and a warm welcome.

AVANI prides itself on a great night’s sleep by offering essential comforts and amenities for all the senses. The hotel has 568 guest rooms and suites in a range of categories and sizes that are designed with every travel style in mind. Guests can rest easy knowing that all the modern conveniences are provided in their rooms to make their stay as comfortable as possible. A Design for Life living space is signature to AVANI, and the hotel’s 12-storey atrium lobby creates an impressive central area for the trendy

lifestyle hub. Social and private spaces mean guests can interact, catch up with friends, meet for business or just enjoy a quiet time out. A Connect zone makes it easy to email, chat online, surf the web, print boarding passes or charge up a device. Ideally located in this communal living area, Pantry is a casual venue serving drinks, snacks and light meals, either to eat in or grab on the go.

Millennium Partners Introduces Millennium Tower Boston Millennium Partners, developer of the award-winning Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Towers, Millennium Place and other acclaimed projects in Boston and across the United States, is pleased to introduce Millennium Tower Boston. The innovative sales centre, which just opened, is located at 40 Franklin Street, across from the site of the former Filene’s Department Store and iconic Burnham Building. The 60-storey Millennium Tower Boston will rise from the very heart of Boston to showcase a bold new way of living by merging contemporary design with unsurpassed amenities,

exclusive Club offerings and 360degree sky-high views never before seen from a private residence. Designed by Blake Middleton of Handel Architects, the dramatic glass tower will comprise 442 luxury residences, encompassing a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom City Residences, Grand Residences and Penthouses that range in size from 759 to 12,846 square feet. Millennium Tower Boston is located at 1 Franklin Street in Boston. Residential move-ins will commence in summer 2016. www.millenniumtowerboston. com.

Singapore Airlines Deepens Ties With Tourism Australia Singapore Airlines and Tourism Australia have announced plans to deepen their existing commercial partnership by signing a new three-year strategic marketing deal worth a total of A$12 million. The agreement will see the two parties jointly fund a range of tourism campaigns and promotional activities in seven key inbound markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the UK, Germany and China. Singapore Airlines will be the exclusive airline partner for all Restaurant Australia campaigns in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as provide international flights for Tourism Australia’s key

Corroboree Europe trade event, taking place in Adelaide in 2015. Outside of New Zealand, Singapore is the most connected city to Australia. In recent years, Singapore has emerged as one of Australia’s most important inbound tourism markets. There were 368,400 visitors from Singapore in the 12-month period ending 30 September 2014, an annual increase of 14.4 per cent. The Tourism 2020 strategy estimates that the Singapore market has the potential to grow to between A$2.3 billion and A$2.8 billion in total expenditure by 2020.

Filippo Sciascia On 20 November 2014, Ciptadana opened the Filippo Sciascia exhibition which a cocktail party. Filippo Sciascia is an artist fascinated by the way society absorbs and understands the production and consumption of images as a form of reality, and he explores this fascination through painting, photography, film and video technologies. Filippo made Bali his home in 1998

and he works and lives on the island with his Indonesian wife, Esti, and their son, Alighiero. He continues to exhibit in Italy, in a number of important museums and galleries, and maintains a work studio there. Filippo’s concepts and subjects are neither Italian nor Indonesian; they are universal, based on deep common knowledge that has been around for thousands of years.

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ber 2014. It was attended by some of the industry’s most renowned personalities, making the awards a truly starstudded event. Eighty-two extraordinary organisations and individuals took home a 24K gold-plated signature Hermes trophy, representing the best and brightest in the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry. Gran Melia Jakarta took home a trophy for Best City Hotel-Jakarta at the 25th TTG Travel Awards.

Gran Melia Jakarta Named Best City Hotel The TTG Travel Awards started in 1989 and are amongst the most prestigious awards in the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry. This year, the 25th TTG Travel Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner honoured 82 winners. The ceremony was held at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld in Bangkok, on 2 Octo-

The Best City Hotel-Jakarta was part of the Travel Supplier Awards category, with winners determined through voting by readers of TTG Travel Trade Publishing’s print and online titles: TTG Asia, TTG China, TTG India, TTGmice, TTG-BTmice China, TTG Asia Luxury and TTGassociations. Voting began in May and ran until July 2014. Best hotel awards were based on several factors including best service and facilities, best value-added benefits and most professional sales and marketing team in terms of innovative ideas and servicing. Winning the award for Best City HotelJakarta underlines that Gran Melia Jakarta has made an impression on the industry with standards above those of its peers and reflects the competitiveness amongst hotels in Jakarta.

Together We Can Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni celebrated its 2nd Anniversary with the theme “Together we Can”. To celebrate this anniversary, Grand Mercure Maha Cipta Jakarta Harmoni held several events. Things kicked off with the “Clean - Up Day”, as employees and management came together with the local community to clean up the environment. In the afternoon was a ceremony in the cafeteria to cut the ceremonial tumpeng rice cone. Continuing the pro-

gram was a surprise for guests, including a Room Voucher or Dining Voucher for guests who completed their check-in process at 2 pm and a bottle of wine for guests who settled their bill at 2 am at F & B outlets. A Meet and Greet held on the same day was attended by 30 members of Jakarta’s media and took place at the Sky Lounge on the 19th floor. A getaway to the Safari Park for all the hotel’s employees closed out the Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni 2nd Anniversary celebrations.

Asia's First all Women's Ski Holiday Launches in January 2015 After 13 years of leading the world’s most popular female surf retreat in Bali, the Surf Goddess Retreats team have put on their winter gear and taken to the mountains, where Snow Goddess Retreat will open in January 2015 on the northern alpine slopes of Hakuba, Japan. Akin to her surf sisters in Bali, a Snow Goddess has a passion for movement in nature and Hakuba provides a world-class playground. Home to the 1998 Winter Olympics, part of the beauty of Hakuba is the size of the valley with nine varied mountain resorts, more than

200 groomed runs and 139 chairlifts. The Japanese Alps are also world famous for the quality and depth of the fluffy powder snow that falls in great abundance each year. On average you can expect 11-plus metres per season, and with plenty of backcountry areas to explore and no competitive boys to catch up with or wait for, this is a female skier’s and snowboarder’s dream. Snow Goddess Retreats in Hakuba, Japan are available from January to March 2015, with limited places available.

Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort & spa Reveals One of the World's Pristine Treasures

Idyllically located on a tiny private island in the jewellike Quirimbas Archipelago off the northern coast of Mozambique, Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort & Spa offers a paradise escape that is naturally exclusive. Currently being considered for World Heritage Site status, the Quirimbas Archipelago is undoubtedly Mozambique’s best-kept secret, a 250-kilometre string of tropical islands that are both marine wonderland and historical melting pot. Environmentally pristine, the archipelago’s 32 islands are surrounded by dazzling coral reefs and a wealth of untouched marine life. Within its waters, the 1,500-square-kilometre Quirimbas National Park provides sanctuary for sea turtles, dolphins and whales,

as well as tropical and game fish. A boutique collection of 12 thatched Beach Pool Villas line a postcard-perfect beach and reveal panoramic Indian Ocean views. With direct beach access, a private pool and hammock, the charmingly furnished interiors blend comfortable luxury with Anantara’s signature modern amenities to offer the ultimate tropical island retreat. In the clear, tropical waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, guests will discover a marine ecosystem that is absolutely pristine. Far removed from worldly cares, where total tranquillity is assured at an adults-only hideaway, Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort & Spa is perfect for romance, special celebrations, a dream honeymoon or unforgettable anniversary.

The Earth Pullman Jakarta Central Park hosted an exhibition by the Indonesian artists Laksmi Shitaresmi and Anggar Prasetyo. Taking place at Collage Foyer – L Floor, the exhibition, “BUMI”, opened on Wednesday, 26 November 2014 and was open for the public until

6 December 2014. As part of Pullman’s global commitment to contemporary art, Pullman Jakarta Central Park hosted the opening night for the artists. BUMI is the third art exhibition hosted by Pullman Jakarta Central Park.

Step Out in Style Havaianas brings a touch of Brazil to Indonesia at the Make Your Own Havaianas Pop-Up Shop! As the holiday season brings the spirit of giving, it’s that special time of year when Havaianas gives you the creative license to decorate this season’s musthave accessory – flip-flops. Mix and match your favourite colours and create your very own unique pair of sandals, with a range of 10 summery fun shades in straps and soles in both Top and Slim styles and with more then 50 fun,

quirky and cute pin options to choose from to personalise your pair! Each pair is assembled before your eyes in the Havaianas custom pop-up shop. Havaianas has been bringing this MYOH concept to flip-flop fanatics around the world in major cities in Asia, Europe and the United States, and now it’s your turn in Jakarta. Havaianas Pop-Up Shop comes to life at Plaza Indonesia, Level 4, from 5 December 2014 to the end of February 2015, from 10am to 10pm.

WHO’S NEW

Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali Welcomes New General Manager Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali is pleased to announce the appointment of Alfonso Romero as General Manager of the 73-villa luxury resort located in southern Bali. Romero brings with him 25 years of industry experience, having worked in 5-star hotels across Europe and Asia. He has dealt with all aspects of operations, sales, marketing and crisis management. A high achiever, his professional accolades include the Civil Merit Cross Award from King Juan Carlos I of Spain and the Award of Appreciation from Chaîne des Rôtisseurs for the title of “Maître Hotelier”. “His career has demonstrated a keen ability to implement both strategic direction and tactical measures when it comes to managing a hotel brand with significant weight,” said Abid Butt, Chief Executive Officer of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. Romero’s role at Banyan Tree Ungasan also sees his return to Bali, where he has been a member of SKAL International Bali (International Associations of Travel and Tourism Professionals) since 2005.

Oz Clarke Joins Singapore Airlines Wine Panel

Oz Clarke, one of the world’s most celebrated and colourful wine authorities, has joined Singapore Airlines’ distinguished panel of wine experts. The Briton’s passion for wine began as a student at Oxford University, where he was captain of the Wine Tasting Team. After graduation, Clarke acted with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as playing leading roles in several West End musicals including Sweeney Todd and Evita, before turning to writing to indulge his love for wine. His tasting skills have earned him worldwide recognition as having one of the finest palates of anyone writing about wine today. The Singapore Airlines Wine Panel’s two other members are Michael HillSmith, the first Australian to pass the challenging Master of Wine examinations, and Jeannie Cho Lee, the first Asian to be awarded the Master of Wine title. Together, the panel is responsible for recommending the wines and Champagnes to be served on Singapore Airlines’ flights. Up to 1,000 bottles of wine and Champagne are sampled by the consultants each year in blind tastings, where the bottle labels are concealed.

The InterContinental Bandung Dago Pakar Welcomes Jasmine Maulidya as New Director of Sales & Marketing The InterContinental Bandung Dago Pakar is pleased to announce the appointment of Jasmine Maulidya as Director of Sales & Marketing for the 226-room property. The InterContinental Bandung Dago Pakar is the newest 5-star luxury hotel under the InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the most famous international hotel chains. The hotel is scheduled to open in February 2015 with a contemporary design, spacious guest rooms, gorgeous views of Bandung and a ballroom with a capacity of 2,000 people. It will be located in the Dago Pakar Resort complex to the north of the city.

Samali Hotels & Resorts Appoints Doddy Pribadi as General Manager Samali Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Doddy Pribadi as General Manager of Hotel Ammi Cepu. Doddy was previously Senior Sales Manager at The Dharmawangsa Hotel, Jakarta before joining Samali’s first Upscale Hotel Collection, the Allium Airport Hotel, Tangerang in 2013, as Director of Sales, before being promoted to Rooms Division Manager. Now Doddy will oversee all pre-opening activities at Hotel Ammi Cepu and its day-to-day operations. Hotel Ammi Cepu is the first of the Ammi Luxurious Collection. It is nestled pleasantly in Cepu, in Central Java, a district recognized for Indonesia’s biggest oil and gas discovery in the last decade and legendary for its Forestry Railroad, featuring a 1928 German steam locomotive making the loop through vast teak forests.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Appoints Carlos Monterde as General Manager Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Monterde as general manager of Fairmont Jakarta, which is slated to open in the first quarter of 2015. Previously the hotel manager of Fairmont Singapore, he saw to the smooth transition of the property in 2007 from Raffles The Plaza to the current brand. His passion for the environment has seen him involved in creating a partnership with Waterways Watch Society to clean the Marina Reservoir. Monterde has also organized events for charities including the Spastic Children’s Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Having lived in Asia for 18 years, Monterde has worked for reputable brands such as Marriott and Hilton. He studied Hotel Management at Centre d’Estudis Tecnics Turistics in Barcelona, Spain. In addition to spending time with his two daughters, the single father dedicates his waking hours outside of work to training for triathlons, and has participated in many, including the Full Ironman Western Australia.

HOW TO GO

My Cable Car Journey

Amazing aerial view of Lantau Island Text by Grace Solarbesain | Photos courtesy of Ngong Ping 360 antau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong, the home of Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ngong Ping Village, and it is famous amongst locals for its unspoilt countryside, lush green valleys and giant outdoor Buddha statue. When I travelled to Hong Kong a few months ago, Ngong Ping 360 was one of the destinations on my itinerary. This is one of Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-see tourist attractions. Ngong Ping 360 is the ideal springboard for exploring Lantau Island by cable car, a visually spectacular 5.7-kilometre from above journey that transports people from Tung Chung Town Centre to Ngong Ping Village. My friends recommended taking the cable car to Ngong Ping Village because it offers amazing and unforgettable views of Lantau Island. I fell in love with the stunning views of Lantau Island from

above. The 25-minute aerial journey lets riders explore the culturally themed village and the Tian Tan Buddha statue, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue. The cable car has Standard Cabins, Crystal Cabins, which feature glass bottoms, and Private Cabins. Private Cabins offer queue-free ticketing and priority boarding service, so you can enjoy the journey in comfort and convenience. I rode in a Crystal Cabin, all the better to enjoy the stunning view. It was like flying through the lush landscape. During the ride I was treated to breathtaking panoramas of Hong Kong International Airport, Tung Chung Bay and the South China Sea. As we approached Ngong Ping Village, I was treated to lush green mountains and the Buddha statue up on the mountain in the distance. After 25 minutes, we arrived at Ngong Ping Village. The village features traditional Chinese architecture,

shopping, dining and entertainment. Dining in the village is a culinary adventure, with choices ranging from traditional Chinese cuisine to Western food. Nearby attractions include Ngong Ping Piazza, the Buddha statue sitting at the top of 268 steps, Po Lin Monastery and the Wisdom Path, which features an arrangement of 38 giant wood columns measuring eight to 10 metres long and a metre wide to showcase the calligraphy of Heart Sutra by Professor Jao Tsung-I. Ngong Ping Cable Car is a magical journey that must be tried at least once in a lifetime. Ngong Ping 360 Tat Tung Road Hong Kong Phone. +852 3666 0606 www.np360.com.hk

INSIGHT SECRET

The Amazing sky100 Experience magnificent 360-degree Victoria Harbour views at sky100, a must-visit attraction in Hong Kong Text by Grace Solarbesain | Photos courtesy of sky100 Hong Kong

henever I travel, I seek out the most unusual, most unique and most interesting sights, letting me stock up on fun stories for my friends. So when I was in Hong Kong a few months ago, I headed to sky100. Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck is located on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong. At 393 metres above sea level, this is the only indoor observation deck in Hong Kong offering 360-degree views of the territory and its famous Victoria Harbour. Sky100 is

connected to major transportation networks and a world-class shopping mall called Elements in West Kowloon. A high-speed lift takes you from the 2nd floor to the 100th floor in just 60 seconds. When my lift arrived at sky100, I stepped out onto the transparent glass floor that put Victoria Harbour beneath my feet. Windows encircle the observation deck, ensuring sweeping views in every direction. Facilities

modes, offering magnificent Hong Kong views. Guests can enjoy 3D trick arts as part of “Sky-high 3D Hong Kong Street”, featuring Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre, the iconic Bruce Lee and a nostalgic Cantonese café, which together enable visitors to experience the unique culture of Hong Kong. Memory Lane I (3D projection exhibition) is a six-metre sculpture superimposed on a 360-degree stereoscopic projection, presenting Hong Kong’s evolution over the decades.

Telescopes in every corner of sky100 feature four different built-in viewing

Memory Lane II is a six-metre-long Time Tunnel featuring LED lighting ef-

fects and ink-painting video projections, showcasing Hong Kong’s transformation over the past century. Using the latest interactive technology of Kinect, “Skyhigh Tour of Hong Kong” lets visitors experience various features of Hong Kong with just a wave of the hand. Sky100 features four anti-reflection photo booths to help visitors take glorious Hong Kong night shots without annoying reflections off the glass windows. The photo booths let visitors take spectacular photos with a selection of attractions as a background and purchase customised souvenirs featuring the photos.

Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck is open daily from 10am to 9pm. There are plenty of great views in Hong Kong, but sky100 is in a league of its own. Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck 100/F International Commerce Centre 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Phone. +852 2613 3888 www.sky100.com.hk

36 HUGO BOSS Phone +6221 31926552 www.hugoboss.com

Best of Everything Your holiday is coming and you still have no idea how to spend it. In this edition, Maxx-M offers the best destinations, restaurants, hotels and activities for your holiday pleasure, based on your personality type. First, take our quick temperament test, recognise your personality type and then enjoy holiday suggestions catered specially to you (Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholic and Phlegmatic).

Personality Test INSTRUCTIONS: Mark one word in each row that best describes you: Part 1: STRENGTHS

___ Animated

___ Adventurous

___ Analytical

___ Adaptable

___Playful

___Persuasive

___Persistent

___Peaceful

___Sociable

___ Strong-Willed

___Self-Sacrificing

___Submissive

___Convincing

___Competitive

___Considerate

___Controlled

___Refreshing

___Resourceful

___Respectful

___Reserved

___Spirited

___Self-Reliant

___Sensitive

___Satisfied

___Promoter

___Positive

___Planner

___Patient

___Outspoken

___Scheduled

___Shy

___Spontaneous

___Sure

___Orderly

___Obliging

___Funny

___Forceful

___Faithful

___Friendly

___Delightful

___Daring

___Detailed

___Diplomatic

___Cheerful

___Confident

___ Cultured

___Consistent

___Inspiring

___Independent

___Idealist

___Inoffensive

___Demonstrative

___Decisive

___Deep

___Dry Humor

___Mixes Easily

___Mover

___Musical

___Mediator

___Talker

___Tenacious

___Thoughtful

___Tolerant

___Lively

___Leader

___Loyal

___Listener

___Cute

___Chief

___Chart-Marker

___Contented

___Popular

___Productive

___Perfectionist

___Permissive

___Bouncy

___Bold

___Behaved

___Balanced

38 ___Optimistic

Part 2: WEAKNESSES ___Brassy

___Bossy

___Bashful

___Blank

___Undisciplined

___Unsympathetic

___Unforgiving

___Unenthusiastic

___Repetitious

___Resistant

___Resentful

___Reticent

___Forgetful

___Frank

___Fussy

___Fearful

___Interrupts

___Impatient

___Insecure

___Indecisive

___Unpredictable

___Unaffectionate

___Unpopular

___Uninvolved

___Haphazard

___Headstrong

___Hard to Please

___Hesitant

___Permissive

___Proud

___Pessimistic

___Plain

___Angered Easily

___Argumentative

___Alienated

___Aimless

___Naive

___Nervy

___Negative Attitude

___Nonchalant

___Wants Credit

___Workaholic

___Withdrawn

___Worrier

___Talkative

___Tactless

___Too Sensitive

___Timid

___Disorganized

___Domineering

___Depressed

___Doubtful

___Inconsistent

___Intolerant

___Introvert

___Indifferent

___Messy

___Manipulative

___Moody

___Mumbles

___Show-Off

___Stubborn

___Sceptical

___Slow

___Loud

___Lord Over Others

___Loner

___Lazy

___Scatterbrained

___Short-tempered

___Suspicious

___Sluggish

___Restless

___Rash

___Revengeful

___Reluctant

___Changeable

___Crafty

___Critical

___Compromising

Personality Plus Test Results Here is how you grade yourself. Count the check marks for each of the four columns for both tests. Next, total them. You should have four numerical results, one for each column. The grand total should be 40 check marks, 20 for each of the 2 tests above. Column 1 represents the Sanguine personality Column 2 represents the Choleric personality Column 3 represents the Melancholy personality Column 4 represents the Phlegmatic personality For example, you might have the following results: Column 1 - 18 Column 2 - 12 Column 3 - 6 Column 4 - 4

This means that your tendencies lean towards a Sanguine, Choleric personality.

Choleric

Choleric people tend to be dynamic and active, self-sufficient, ambitious and leader-like. They are naturally gifted businesspeople, strong-willed and independent. They see the whole picture, organize well, insist on production, stimulate activity and thrive on opposition.

WHERE TO GO

42 The towns of western Turkey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and especially the great multilayered metropolis of Istanbul â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are as cosmopolitan as they are historic, and as tapped into the zeitgeist as they are in tune with their past. But 600 kilometres to the east is a rugged border region home to hard brown mountains, Cobalt blue lanes ancient palaces and warm hospitality

Borderlands:

A Journey to Turkey’s Eastern Frontier Text and photos by Tim Hannigan he light is sharper than glass, and the stark, ochre mountainsides slice at a sky the colour of lapis lazuli. The afternoon sun is slanting away to the west, beyond the great snow-streaked peak of Mount Ararat, and a cold breeze is blowing from the east carrying with it the scent of Central Asia. The salmon-tinted sandstone of the palace wall is rough beneath my fingertips. I am standing looking out from the battlements of Ishak Pasha Palace, the ruined stronghold of a local chieftain, perched on a craggy outcrop above the remote town of Dogubayazit. The wild world of Eastern Anatolia stretches out before me. The Iranian border lies some 20 kilometres to the east behind a bank of hard hills; Armenia is only a little farther away to the northeast. Two hundred kilometres to the south is Iraq, while behind the northern ramparts of the Caucuses, Russia is scarcely more distant. One thing is certain, however – Istanbul is a very long way away. The towns of western Turkey – and especially the great multilayered metropolis of Istanbul – are as cosmopolitan as they are historic, and as tapped into the zeitgeist as they are in tune with their past. Travellers from all over the world visit in their thousands each year

to view the great mosques and palaces, and to trace shopping itineraries that run from the grand bazaars to designer boutiques. The beaches of the Mediterranean coast, meanwhile, suck up the sophisticated sun-seekers of Northern Europe during the summer months. But I have chosen to explore another side of Turkey altogether. Some 600 kilometres to the east is a rugged border region. It is a place marked by the countless invaders who have swept through its passes, teetering on the multiple brinks of the Middle East, the Persian world, Central Asia and Russia, and steeped in the romance of the old Silk Route. It is also home to hard brown mountains, cobalt-blue lakes, ancient palaces and warm hospitality. The first stop on my journey is the town of Erzurum, a place adrift in the vast Anatolian landscape. I have winged my way in directly from Istanbul, and the transition is total, instant and thrilling. A 5th century citadel looms over the town; the bazaar is crowded with donkey carts, bulky women swathed in coal-black chadors and old men in woollen skullcaps fingering worry beads. There is a faint scent of tea and cumin on the chilly wind. Erzurum was a Silk Route staging post and a first prize for a litany of invaders. Armenians, Persians, Mon-

gols, Seljuks and others have all conquered the town. Many left their mark, and the arrow-straight main street is a thoroughfare through Turkey’s architectural history, with ancient seminaries, cusped archways and Persian-style tile work slotted in amongst the modern shops. The highlight is Cifte Minareli Medrese, the Twin Minaret Seminary, built in the 13th century by the Seljuk Turks. An elaborately carved limestone portal opens to a shady courtyard. In the little garden outside old men sit on benches, enjoying the autumn sunlight, and in the distance a bank of ribbed brown hills rises to a clear sky. From Erzurum, the gateway to Turkey’s borderlands, I travel onwards by road through a landscape on the cusp of the coming winter. The fallow fields run out to lines of distant mountains, villagers lead flocks of shaggy brown sheep down poplar-lined lanes, and in the little roadside towns there is a smell of watermelons. The road carries me across an ever wilder, ever emptier landscape to Kars, perhaps the most remote city in all of Turkey. Here there are historic traces of a more recent set of invaders – the streets are a neat grid of sturdy classical townhouses, laid out during a period of Russian occupation. The pavements are

coloured with the fading year. There are traces of an older city too in Ottoman bridges, a medieval castle and a scattering of stocky Armenian churches. The town – best known today as the setting of the Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow – was once deep in Armenian territory, but the violent turbulence of the early 20th century saw the old-established Armenian population wiped from the map of eastern Turkey. As a chilly dusk falls on Kars I hurry along the bustling streets. People move swiftly here, hands thrust deep into the pockets of their heavy jackets, and the warmth of the cafes and teashops is too much to resist. I feast on stewed lamb with tomatoes and aubergines and warm myself from the inside with glass after glass of sweet black tea from tiny, delicate glasses.

Mount Ararat looms ahead, a great cone propping up the sky, rising from a level plain of small, flat-roofed villages, wandering herds and cropped grass. I leave Kars after breakfast and now I am heading for the frontier. The landscape is growing wilder with each sweep of the road as a minibus carries me towards Dogubayazit, Kurdish folk music playing on the stereo and a blue charm dancing from the rear-view mirror to ward off the Evil Eye. Ararat is the great icon of eastern Turkey, a 5,137-metre peak steeped not just in Turkic mythology, but also in Biblical traditions. This, the story goes, is the place where Noah’s Ark finally came to rest as the waters of the Flood subsided. According to one story, the Turks themselves are descended from Japhet, a son of Noah who raised a family on the lower slopes, and for the Armenians too, across the border,

the mountain is a powerful spiritual presence. It dominates Dogubayazit, last stop before the Iranian frontier, but there is another lofty presence looming over this place too – Ishak Pasha Palace – and once I have checked into a cosy guesthouse, that’s where I head. Ishak Pasha Palace is perhaps the most stunning building in eastern Turkey, a perfect complex of yellow-gold sandstone that catches a pinkish tint in the late afternoon light. Dating from the late 18th century when it was the headquarters of the local ruler, it is a perfect piece of Ottoman architecture, slotted into a wild landscape. According to a local legend the chieftain had the architect executed when the work was finished so the palace would never be surpassed! It is here, looking out from this spectacular eyrie, that the full romance of a journey in these rugged borderlands hits me, and I walk back down into the town, following the wafting smell of fresh Turkish bread and grilling kebabs, with a spring in my step. Though both Armenians and Turks have made their mark here, eastern Turkey today is a stronghold of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish homeland stretches across the borders of the neighbouring countries, and these hardy upland folk have long had a strained relationship with distant governments. But for travellers passing through, there’s no doubt that the welcome is warm. In the bustling city of Van, last stop on my eastern itinerary, I am invited to stop to share sweet tea, apricots and creamy feta cheese by shopkeepers as I wander in the thronging bazaar between old men in black and white keffiyeh headdresses. Here slender minarets loom above the rooflines, and the alleyways are arrayed

with bright clothes, dried fruits and shiny hardware. Tomorrow a two-hour flight will carry me back to Istanbul with its slick bars and sleek fashionistas, a world away from the Wild East. But I have one more place to visit before I wing my way west. Van stands on the shores of a huge lake, an intensely blue inland sea wrapped in a bowl of rugged mountains beneath a vast sky. Along the winding southern shoreline from the city lies the tiny island of Akdamar. There is not a breath of wind as a white ferry, a blood-red Turkish flag hanging limp at its stern, carries me across three kilometres of smooth blue water to the landing stage. There is still a hint of summer warmth in the air, and small white lizards scurry over the rocks on either side of the steep steps that rise from the jetty. Back on the mainland, however, the upper slopes of the mountains are dusted with new snow. No one lives on the island now, but standing amongst the stones and scrubby trees like a stubby, red-brown missile is the Church of the Holy Cross, another poignant relic of eastern Turkey’s vanished Armenian population. The carvings of the wall niches are sharp, and inside the echoing inner sanctum the wall murals of sad-faced saints are as crisp as they were almost a thousand years ago when the church was built. Its lonely island setting has saved it from the ravages of rough-handed invaders. Once I have explored the church I scramble up the thorny hillside beyond and find a place to sit in the thin sunlight, looking out over the blue waters of the lake, soaking up the last of the warmth before setting out on my journey back to the west. It is the perfect spot to end my journey through Turkey’s wild but welcoming borderlands.

WHERE TO GO

The Grand Valley As I stepped into this celebrated valley, I was awestruck by its majestic beauty. A string of soaring mountains looming over a wall of forest, a winding river and tranquil creeks tucked away amongst emerald fields of sweet potatoes, all dancing beneath the serene blue sky … what a sight to behold! Text and photos by Nanny Budiman

ocated near Wamena, in West Papua, the easternmost island of Indonesia, Baliem Valley is a mythical destination of otherworldly beauty that promises unbelievable rewards for those willing to make the trek. Intrigued, I recently decided to visit. Two friends and I took a flight from Jakarta to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province. From there it was a 45-minute flight to Wamena airport. Our guide whisked us to our hotel, the Baliem Palimo. This is considered the best hotel in Wamena and is functional, but it clearly doesn’t live up to the standards of luxury hotels in Jakarta or Bali. But it is centrally located in downtown Wamena, near several good restaurants and minutes from Jalan Irian, Wamena’s main shopping street, making the hotel a favourite with tourists and visiting Indonesian officials. After checking in, we crossed the street to Blambangan restaurant. Ibu Dewi, the chef and owner, who is originally from Banyuwangi, East Java, greeted us and suggested we try a traditional Wamena delicacy — udang selingkuh, or cheating prawns. The name comes from the unique shape of this Baliem River prawn, which has the body of a prawn and the claws of a crab. Its succulent meat, mixed with Ibu Dewi’s special seasoning and sambal, make this a dish to die for. For the rest of our stay in the valley, we

could not resist savouring a plate of the prawns each and every night, cholesterol be damned. Wamena, which literally means “tamed pig” in the local tribal language, is the capital of Jayawijaya regency. The name is appropriate as pigs are considered the most vauable possession for members of the valley’s tribes. The city lies in the heart of Baliem Valley and is the gateway for exploring the secluded valley and its tribes’ unique way of life. But be warned, never venture into the valley on your own. There are no trekking maps or signs, making it very easy to get lost, which you really don’t want to do. So always hire a guide. News of this Eden-like valley was first reported to the outside world in 1938 by Richard Archbold, an American philanthropist and passionate explorer. Christian missionaries were soon descending on the area, but were met with much resistance and many were killed. It was some time before tribe members stopped regarding these outsiders with suspicion. Despite the arrival of these missionaries, to this day some of the tribes’ ancientanimistic rituals and traditions continue to be practiced. Situated at 1,600 metres above sea level, the isolated Baliem Valley is surrounded by the soaring

peaks of Mount Puncak Jaya (4,884 metres), Mount Trikora (4,750 metres) and Mount Mandala (4,700 metres). Because of these mountain guards, access to the valley is by air only. This helps maintain the area’s exotic sense of isolation, but it also helps eplain why food and other supplies in the valley are so pricey. Baliem Valley has three main tribes: the Dani, Yali and Lani. While the Danis live in the basin of the valley, most of the Yalis inhabit the southeast of the valley and the Lanis live in the west. The tribes have managed to hold onto some of their traditions in the face of modernization’s onslaught, and visitors can still get glimpses of what life may have been like for them before the valley was opened up to outsiders. Most people are fascinated in particular by the koteka, or penis gourds, and sali, weaved dry grass worn by women like a skirt, that are still used by some tribal members. The tribes are also apt farmers, making full use of their fertile pockets of land and abundant rivers to cultivate sweet potatoes, taro, corn and sago palms. Jibama, Wamena’s biggest market, is not far from Palimo Hotel. It features rows of tin-roofed stands filled by farmers from the surrounding villages. A bit farther on, Wouma is a smaller but more charming

as oranges, pineapples and avocados, ferns, dried flowers and coiled rolls of pungent tobacco, creating an explosion of colours in these vibrant markets. In Jibama, we spotted some men crafting necklaces with pigs’ teeth and others were selling koteka and noken, a traditional bag made of naturally dyed threads that women usually carry strapped across their foreheads.

And, of course, there were plenty of pigs around. This highly revered animal has great cultural and ritualistic significance for the tribes, including their use as a dowry — four to five pigs must be presented to the family of the bride. It was their astronomical price that made me flinch; a piglet costs around Rp 2 million, or more than US$200, while a mature pig could fetch an astounding Rp 40 million. Tribal tradition allows for polygamy and some of the wealthier men “buy” several wives, some as many as 11. The social status of men is distinguished by the number of pigs and wives they have. One of the more unique traditions is for tribe members to cut off one of their fingers or to slice their ear as a sign of grief for a death in the family. We saw the results of this tradition in many of the villages we visited. Escorted by a guide and three porters, we roamed the pristine valley, visiting some of Wamena’s more remote villages including Sugokmo, Yetni, Polimo and Kurima. The clear air energized us as we tramped up steep hills and along narrow trails, crossed countless streams on tiny wooden planks or shaky hanging bridges, and passed carpets of green fields and endless trees. Wherever we cast our eyes we saw nothing but

picturesque scenery. We also enjoyed our encounters with the local children. We handed out packets of milk biscuits that they gratefully accepted, rewarding us by singing Nahosa Nipase, a local children’s song about a sweet potato. It is hardly surprising their favourite song would be about a sweet potato as it is the staple food for the tribes; they eat it twice or three times a day, with its leaves as a vegetable. Our hike up the Napua Hills was particularly spectacular. Protruding mountains paraded before my eyes, each reaching up to touch the milky clouds. We drank in the sunset from the top of the hills, a palette of colours painting the sky. It was stunning. Our treks to Aikima, Pabuma, Suroba, Dugum, Jiwika and Sumpaima in the northern part of Wamena were less strenuous, as the villages sprawl out in the lowland of the valley. First we headed to the Mabel clan’s honei in Jiwika village, where Wimintok Mabel, a fragile 250-year-old mummy, is housed. It was a bit frightening, so we quickly shook hands with the clan’s chief, Konono Mabel, and drove to Suroba. There we were greeted by Miyagon Kosai, the charismatic chief of the village. He insisted on accompanying us to the next village, Dugum, where he showed us a few interesting spots.The highlight of the trip had to be our visit to Sumpaima. A full mock war was being staged in the village by its chief, Yali, and his whole clan. The men strapped on their koteka, smeared their bodies with pig fat and dry mud, adorned their heads with colourful feathers and accessorized themselves with walimo, a kind of really big necklace made of silver and

pigs’ tusks. Then they got down to the business of fighting, or pretending to fight, using long spears and bows and arrows. Following the performance we were ushered to Yali’s compound where his six wives and children greeted us with a local victory song. The Dani’s honei is made up of round huts with thick thatched roofs. There are rows of honei surrounded by stone walls and gates to prevent the pigs from escaping. Men and women occupy separate honei; women and children are forbidden to enter the men’s honei (pilamo). There’s an elongated honei with several holes in the floor that serves as the clan’s kitchen. We were treated to the Pig Feast, one of the main festivities for the Dani. Fire to heat the stones is made by rubbing a small piece of rattan on a little pile of dry hay. The pig is killed by shooting an arrow into its heart, and then it is slaughtered with a piece of sharp wood. It is then cooked on hot stones together with sweet potatoes and lots of sweet potato leaves. Afterwards, we retreated to Baliem Valley Resort for tea. Located deep within the valley, it is set atop a hill with a stunning panorama of the valley. We were breathless as we watched the sunset from the lobby deck, dazzlingly intense reds and oranges illuminating the valley before the sun disappeared over the horizon. As dusk settled in, we left Baliem Valley for the last time, but our memories of this grand valley and its people will linger on. Yogo (goodbye), Baliem Valley!

WHERE TO SLEEP

Approachable Luxury Suanni Lee checked into the RITZ-CARLTON JAKARTA, for a couple of days of rest and relaxation. Both hotels are close to everything and provide every amenity imagined. Business and leisure travellers who understand the balance between work and play will find unsurpassed service in an atmosphere of tranquillity and luxury when they check in. Text by Suanni Lee | Photos by Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place

Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place complex consists of a hotel, mall, offices and residential units. The hotel side of the property provides guests a tranquil atmosphere, where they will be surrounded by silence and warmth. There are no crowds passing through; the hotel was designed to provide guests the utmost privacy. Dream a Little Dream We check in at the Club Floor. We are staying in the Mayfair Club Spa Suite on the 21st floor. All the rooms are furnished in modern style with a touch of

simplicity and some hi-tech support. The Spa Suite measures in at 127 square metres. It is attractively spacious and we enjoy all the amenities it contains. The suite is divided between living room, bedroom and a grand bathroom. The living room features impressively large windows that offer a breathtaking nighttime view of the sparkling city. There is a private sauna room in the grand bathroom. What I like most is the spectacular bathtub situated near floor-to-ceiling windows. Can you imagine soaking in the tub at night looking out over the city bathed in the moonlight? Only at the Ritz-Carlton. Staying on the Club Floor, we have our own elevator access, just one of the many perks available. We also

have access to the Pacific Place Club Lounge where continental breakfast, a light lunch and afternoon tea are served. Spa lovers must try the Spa at the Pacific Place. Located on the 8th floor, it has eight treatment rooms, two relaxation rooms and a fully equipped fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool. The spa offers another world for all those who enter. You will lose yourself completely in the comfort and ease, like being in your own tropical island paradise. Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD) Jl. Jenderal Sudirman Kav 52-53, Jakarta Phone. +6221 2550 1888

Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Checking in at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, we instantly feel how the property differs from the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place. Of course, both provide excellent service and deliver a sense of well-deserved luxury. But at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, we feel the whole atmosphere is livelier. A grand lobby entrance greets guests, setting the tone for a luxurious stay. The hotel is designed based on the principles of feng shui. Grand Stay We are again staying on the Club Floor. This hotel within the hotel is located on the 26th floor and provides distinctive amenities and rooms that offer complete pampering and prestige. The Grand Club Room we are staying in measures 63 square metres. The area is divided into two large spaces, with a large marbletiled bathroom with dressing area and a grand bedroom with a comfortable seating area and workspace.

As soon as we arrive, we turn on the 42-inch plasma TV and find ourselves watching the Ritz-Carlton movie “The Delay”. Directed by Shyam Madiraju, the award-winning filmmaker, the movie describes how the Ritz-Carlton puts its heart and soul into serving all guests, offering unsurpassed service from the heart. The nine-minute film is about a RitzCarlton guest who is saddened by a break-up with her boyfriend and a travel delay that has made her miss a Duncan Sheik concert with friends. In an interesting twist at the end of the film, fate and Ritz-Carlton have a hand in providing her with a late-night surprise. Culinary Heaven At the Ritz-Carlton, we indulge in scrumptious dishes at their food and beverage outlets. We enjoy a light lunch and, in our indolent evening hours, we relax with cocktails at the Club Lounge. Chef de Cuisine Jordi Bernus introduces the Royale Brunch at Lobo restaurant

every Sunday from noon to 2:30 pm, bringing together the finest farm-to-table ingredients accompanied by imported delicacies. Moët and Chandon Champagne and a selection of premium wines and beverages are served throughout the brunch. Sunday brunch at the popular Asia Restaurant can be enjoyed from noon to 3 pm. This is one of the best brunches in the city and should be savoured with family and friends. Our stays at both Ritz-Carlton properties were perfect. Both hotels are strategically located, allowing business travellers to reach Jakarta’s main business districts in just minutes. For leisure travellers, dream shopping malls filled with top brands from around the world are just a walk away. The Ritz-Carlton is a cut above when it comes to luxury and service. Ritz - Carlton Jakarta Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan Kav E1.1 No.1 Mega Kuningan, Jakarta Phone. +6221 2551 888 www.ritzcarlton.com

WHERE TO SLEEP

Mountain Escape Busy but still want to get out of town? Bandung is the answer, and it is hard to beat the Sheraton Bandung Hotel &Towers for luxurious accommodation. You get stunning views of the luscious green scenery and all the fresh air you can breathe. Make the most of your short getaway by taking advantage of everything Sheraton Bandung has to offer. Text by Melani Semuel | Photos courtesy of Sheraton Bandung Hotel and Towers

topped by white chocolate erasers. Executive chef Severin came up with the brilliant idea. You warm the chocolate pencil with the provided candle and then use it to write on the piece of white chocolate paper. What a fun idea. I am not sure which was more fun, writing a note with the chocolate pencil or eating the chocolate treats, which I did later that night, and oh boy, was it delicious. The welcome chocolate is not the only delicious thing at Sheraton Bandung. During lunch at Feast restaurant, I was blown away not only by the taste but also the presentation, especially the desserts. My advice is to make sure you leave room for dessert, as it is all so beautifully presented and absolutely delicious.

he moment I arrived at Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers, I was impressed by the beautiful lobby. Crystal-clear glass chandeliers decorate the high-ceilinged lobby, symbolising Bandung’s blue skies and clouds, while art deco-style dining tables and chairs provide a fresh feeling to the room. A friendly desk clerk greeted me with a smile as I checked in at this beautiful hotel. As I was escorted to my room, I came across the lagoon-style pool surrounded by palm trees, while a tall frangipani tree in the centre, adding a resort-like atmosphere to the area. The fresh, crystal-clear water invited me to take a dip, but first I had to check out my room. I was staying in a Towers Suite, which are generously sized and boast lush views over the neighbouring valley. My suite had a large and airy bedroom with separate living room, dining table, coffee table and a small pantry. The room itself reflected the warm hospitality of Bandung. On the dining table was a tray filled with ingredients and instructions to make a Cosmopolitan welcome cocktail. What really took my breath away was a platter of stationery made from chocolate. The paper was made from white chocolate, with pencils made from dark chocolate,

It was cold and wet during my stay at Sheraton Bandung, which was a nice break from hot and steamy Jakarta, and there is no better way to warm up than a Bancino (bandrek cappuccino), a drink created by the hotel’s culinary team. This is a must-try and I savoured a cup every day I was at the hotel.Feeling full after a delicious lunch, I retreated to my room. I wanted to do some work and check my email. Feeling so relaxed, I decided to watch a bit of TV and ended up falling asleep. It was the first nap I had been able to enjoy in a year. The signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed is so comfortable, like it adjusts to your body and embraces you in a gentle hug, that I dare you not to drift off into sweet slumber the moment your head hits the pillow. Nestled in the cool mountain air of the Dago Valley, Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers is a luxurious urban oasis with intricate touches of traditional and contemporary Bandung décor. Featuring 156 guest rooms luxuriously fitted with signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® beds, Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers is the only hotel in Bandung designed with private balconies that offer scenic views. In addition, Sheraton Towers Rooms provide guests access to a private reception area and the exclusive Towers Lounge. In the evening, I went to Towers Lounge for evening cocktails. Located on the third floor, the exclusive lounge offer breathtaking panoramic views of the Dago Valley. The newly renovated Towers Lounge features terra cotta and gold colour combinations, together with a refined fireplace and natural materials that immerse you in elegance and comfort in a warm and contemporary setting. When I first saw the

fireplace I thought it was purely decorative, but I could feel the delicious warmth as I walked past and I realized it was genuine. I love fireplaces. They add romance and warmth to a space, and the fireplace in the Towers Lounge makes evening cocktails that much more delicious. After my nap I thought that I would have trouble sleeping at night, but that was not the case. The whole atmosphere of the hotel is so relaxing that it calmed my body and nerves. It made me feel at ease and I never wanted to step foot outside the hotel. The next day, I headed to Shine Spa for some well-deserved pampering. Setting foot in the spa, I could tell that every single detail had been carefully considered. Inspired by the soothing effects of Mother Nature, refreshing aromas and subdued lighting offer the ideal environment for pampering. I chose a scrub and relaxing body massage, and while I was enjoying my treatment, I looked up and realized the ceiling of the spa had actually been designed to pamper the eyes. It was the first time I had seen this at a spa. The treatment really transferred me to nirvana, while indulging all my senses. Feeling a bit nippish after the spa treatment, I went to the newly opened Toastina. A bright and cheery atmosphere57 with a contemporary design, coffee tables and oversized sofas offer a warm and cosy ambience that is perfect for hanging out with friends while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, accompanied by cakes and sweets, or even a gourmet pizza. And of course I just had to have another Bancino. The time I spent as Sheraton Bandung was absolutely precious. Usually when I think of Bandung, I think of the traffic, the shopping and the dining. But this trip I never left the hotel. After seemingly unending trips and never-ending deadlines, it was just so wonderful to stay put and relax. I had everything I needed at Sheraton Bandung, and I spent every single moment soaking in the beauty and the relaxing ambience of the hotel. It was the best three days I had spent in a long time. I really enjoyed the art of doing nothing, and when I got home the only thing I could think of was planning my next trip to Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers. Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 390 Bandung – Indonesia Phone. +62 22 2500 303 www.sheratonbandung.com

WHAT TO DO

Adventure in Little Africa East Nusa Tenggara, or Nusa Tenggara Timur, has a reputation as Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Little Africa. It has the savannahs, the wild animals, the gorgeous green seas and white-sand beaches, and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Text by Grace Solarbesain | Photos courtesy of Indonesian Ministry of Tourism

ast Nusa Tenggara is located in the eastern reaches of the Lesser Sunda Islands. The provincial capital is Kupang, located in West Timor. The province consists of about 565 islands, but is dominated by the three main islands of Flores, Sumba and West Timor. If it is adventure you desire, East Nusa Tenggara is the destination you have been dreaming of.

closest thing the world has to dinosaurs. The island is part of the Komodo National Park and Marine Reserve, a professionally managed world-class nature park and diving destination. Komodo is a unique destination, with a stretch of dry forest and savannah combining with the hilly terrain and the infinite blue sky overhead, a sprinkling of white clouds making for an incomparable painting.

Jurassic Park

The legendary ancient dragon is naturally the main draw, but the park also provides refuge for many other notable species such as the orange-footed scrub fowl, an endemic rat and the Timor deer.

One of the most exciting destinations in East Nusa Tenggara is Komodo Island, home to the famed Komodo dragon, the

Below the water there are about 1,000 species of fish, hundreds of species of coral and 70 species of sponge, not to mention the whales, dolphins, dugongs, sharks, sea turtles, mangroves and seagrass beds that call the area home or are frequent visitors. There is so much natural beauty in the park and so many animals to spot, but the main show of course is watching for the Komodo dragon, an ancient animal that has survived for more than 300 million years. The Komodo is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest lizard species with an average

length of 3.13 metres while it can reach up to 165 kilograms in weight. There are about 2,500 Komodo dragons on Komodo Island and a couple of other smaller islands, including Rinca and Padar islands. When you go in search of the dragons, take care and always go with a park ranger, who can show you the best areas for dragon spotting and can keep the creatures at bay if they try and get frisky.

about 30 minutes. Morning is the best time to witness the beauty of the lakes. Starting around midday a thick mist descends over the lakes, blocking the view. On sunny days, the peak of Kelimutu affords sweeping views over Flores’s hilly topography. And Kelimutu National Park is alive with the chirping of birds and the screeching of long-tailed monkeys.

Mysterious Lakes

Perhaps the best way to explore East Nusa Tenggara is from under the water. And the best snorkelling and diving can be found around the Alor Archipelago. Alor is a hidden paradise for marine biodiversity. Diving allows you to appreciate all the richness of the underwater world, but with just your snorkelling gear, you can enjoy the incredibly rich and lively coral reefs. Several dive sites in particular are renowned for big fish, including schools of big-eye jacks, dogtooth tuna, sharks, giant groupers, Napoleon wrasse, eagle rays and the occasional mola-mola. There is also an impressive concentration of invertebrates, anemones and hard and soft coral. In the Pantar Strait, you can also see pilot whales and dolphins. Pods of whales will also pass through the islands on their way to the Pacific Ocean. If you are looking for first-class diving or a more authentic setting than the regular tourist haunt, come to Alor and explore the stunning sea life and coral gardens.

In a region of incredible sights, few top the mysterious Kelimutu lakes. The three coloured lakes are located in the crater of Mount Kelimutu, a volcano near Ende on Flores Island. The lakes change colour over time due to the volcanic activity that started millions of years ago. It is believed that the Kelimutu lakes are the only lakes in the world that change colour like this.The lakes were at one time red, blue and white, but in 1969 an eruption occurred and the lakes changed to brown, green and black. Locals consider the lakes sacred, where the souls of the dead dwell. According to legend, the souls of young people go to the warmth of Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (green lake), the souls of the old go to the cold of Tiwu Ata Mbupu (brown lake) and the souls of thieves and murders go to Tiwu Ata Polo (black lake). But after an earthquake in 1992, all of the lakes turned green. Who knows what colour they will take next. To get to the top of Mount Kelimutu, start in Moni, a village at the foot of the volcano. It’s about 12 kilometres to the peak, but you can drive 11 of those and then park and walk the last kilometre, which takes

Take the Plunge

Easy Does It All that adventure can be tiring, but luckily there are plenty of places in East Nusa Tenggara that are all about relaxation.

First on your list should be Pink Beach in Flores. It seems there are only seven pink-sand beaches in the world, and one of them is in East Nusa Tenggara. The pink sand is formed from fragments of red coral. Or you can go to the most famous beach in Kupang, in West Timor. Lasiana Beach, about 14 kilometres outside of Kupang, is an ideal spot for some rest and relaxation. It is a popular weekend destination for locals, and you will find friends and families on the shore grilling fish, playing guitar or knocking around a volleyball. And it’s the best place to catch the sunset.

Bloody Good Time A visit to East Nusa Tenggara would not be complete without taking in the unique culture. The most famous cultural event is probably the Pasola Festival. Pasola is a war game played by Sumbanese men to celebrate the rice-planting season. It involves throwing wooden spears at opponents while riding a horse. It is played by two different groups of men from different clans or tribes and it requires a lot of skill at horse riding and spear throwing, and it goes without saying that it is dangerous and blood is spilled. The Sumbanese believe the spilled blood will fertilize the land and increase the rice harvest. Pink beaches, thriving reefs, coloured lakes, dragons and flying spears. Only in East Nusa Tenggara will you find such a thrilling combination of sights and sounds.

WHERE TO EAT

Best Buffet What makes the perfect restaurant? Is it selection and taste? Atmosphere and ambience? We look at three restaurants that combine the best of all worlds for the perfect culinary journey. Text by Dennis Latif & Grace Solarbesain Photos courtesy of InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza & Anantara Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa and Hotel Mulia Senayan

Fresh Taste

Rasa Restaurant InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 10-11 Jakarta â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Indonesia Phone. +62-21-251 0888

Rasa Restaurant is an all-day restaurant on the second floor of the InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza. The interior of Rasa is a contemporary space featuring elaborate columns and artistic wall panels in a refreshing interpretation of local design. With a modern, simple, clean and luxurious concept, the restaurant is influenced by traditional Javanese culture, seen in the lattice panels and carvings incorporated in the columns. Sungkai wood is the dominant material in the restaurant, giving it a warm and comfortable feeling. Rasa has an open kitchen with live cooking stations so you can interact with the chefs. There is also an island kitchen, a central focus of the restaurant, which was created using white marble elements. Rasa is defined by its daily buffet of in-

ternational dishes and authentic Asian specialties displayed with a modern twist. The menu anticipates the various culinary preferences of its international guests with dishes cooked to order from a hot wok, open grill and tandoor oven. Buffet selections are rotated on a regular basis and on any given day guests can expect food items from the West as well as India, China, Southeast Asia and beyond. High-end meats and seafood choices include wagyu beef, lamb chops, veal, red snapper, salmon, sea bass and more. All this is complemented by separate stations for fresh juices, appetizers, soups and home-baked breads and croissants, along with separate salad and dessert bars.

Good 360

Anantara Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa Jl. Pemutih, Labuan Sait Uluwatu, Bali – Indonesia Phone. +62 361 895 7555 www.bali-uluwatu.anantara.com

Uluwatu is home to beautiful beaches, a world-famous temple, a surfing community and cultural activities, including the famous Kecak dance. This area is well known for its wild waves, limestone cliffs and secret caves, attracting surfers and nature lovers from around the world. This is also where Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort & Spa is located. The resort not only

offers five-star accommodation for discerning travellers but also countless activities and places to explore. 360 Dining & Lounge is an all-day restaurant with remarkable ocean panoramas and views of lush green cliffs. Guests can choose from an array of local and international dishes, and indulge in innovative cocktails and mocktails.

Café Life Hotel Mulia Senayan Jl. Asia Afrika Senayan Jakarta – Indonesia Phone. +62 021 5747777 www.hotelmulia.com

The Café, located at Hotel Mulia Senayan, offers a unique concept that provides 24-hour variations of local and international dishes. The Café boasts one of the most complete buffets in Jakarta, with a pastry section, Asian and Middle Eastern section, a Japanese section and a Western section. When you dine at The Café,

you must indulge in five of its favourite dishes. They are Sate Maranggi (Indonesian), Naan (Indian), Korean Barbeque, Mie Tarik La Mien (Hong Kong) and Serabi Solo (Indonesian).

Sanguine

People with this temperament tend to be lively, sociable, talkative, pleasure-seeking, entertaining and persuasive. They make friends easily, are imaginative and artistic, and often have many ideas. They like to dress according to current fashion.

WHERE TO GO

A unique collection of nine outlet villages serves gateway cities in Western Europe with a consistently high-quality shopping experience.

Chic Outlet Shopping Villages Text by Grace Solarbesain and Dennis Latif Photos courtesy of Chic Outlet Shopping

f you are planning a trip to Europe, you will want to check out the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages for some retail therapy. Chic Outlet Shopping is a unique shopping concept created by Value Retail, which draws millions of visitors from around the world each year. Imagine a beautiful village consisting of 60 to 140 individual boutiques selling the top luxury brands, all arranged along an open-air mall designed to satisfy your deepest shopping desires. Chic Outlet Shopping Villages offer an unsurpassed retail experience – like one-off pieces from luxury brands, items from hard-to-find local niche brands or the world’s most prestigious luxury fashion and lifestyle brands such as Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace and many more. There are nine Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in Western Europe, each strategically placed to attract both local shoppers and customers from surrounding countries.

London Bicester Village in the UK is a simple trip from both London and Oxford. Discover a relaxed shopping haven in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, where spacious boutiques showcase the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brands, normally only found in the most exclusive shopping streets, and all offering fabulous savings all year round. Shopping is pure pleasure at Bicester Village, where sophisticated boutiques, spacious boulevards, attentive service and a friendly, unhurried atmosphere combine to offer a truly unique retail experience. There’s so much to enjoy here, whether it’s browsing prestigious boutiques at leisure for great-value buys or sampling fine food and drink in the Village’s cafés and restaurants. And with such a rich selection of attractions nearby, from

gorgeous scenery, imposing stately homes and historic towns, to Michelin-starred restaurants and sophisticated places to stay, it’s easy to create a memorable itinerary around a visit to Bicester Village. Ireland Kildare Village is located less than an hour from Dublin and offers Ireland’s leading luxury outlet shopping experience. With luxury outlet boutiques providing fashion and luxuries for the home, Kildare Village offers a unique selection of Irish and international brands with savings of up to 60 per cent all year round. Anya Hindmarch, Brooks Brothers, Cath Kidston, DKNY, Furla, Hugo Boss, Juicy Couture, Kenneth Turner, Lulu Guinness, Pandora and Wolford are just a few of the

international brands on offer, as well as the boutique of Ireland’s leading international designer, Louise Kennedy. Services at Kildare Village include a Tourist Information Centre, tax free shopping for visitors from outside the European Union and a complimentary shuttle service to the nearby Irish National Stud & Gardens. With a range of restaurants and cafés, the Village has become a destination for visitors seeking a superior shopping experience and an enjoyable day out. France La Vallée Village is the most successful outlet shopping destination in France, and is located within Disneyland Paris, Europe’s most-visited tourist attraction. With its pedestrianised street and intimately scaled buildings, La Vallée Village evokes the charming rural towns and vilages of the Ile-de-France region.

La Vallée Village is east of central Paris along the A4 Motorway. The Village draws on the Eurostar rail network and the TGV high-speed train service connecting the Village to the rest of Europe. It also has direct links to Paris and its airports, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly. The Village operates a daily shuttle to and from the Disney hotels, and its regular and direct Shopping Express coach runs between central Paris and the Village.

Germany Germany has two Villages to explore. Ingolstadt Village Ingolstadt Village, a one-hour drive from Munich, is located in the heart of Bavaria, Germany’s wealthiest region, close to the Austrian and Swiss borders. Known for its beautiful castles, striking landscapes, in-

novative industry and traditional culture, Bavaria is also Germany’s most-visited region. The architecture of Ingolstadt Village is inspired by the tradition of European textile mills and industrial estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With hand-painted detailing drawn from the German decorative arts of the period, the buildings and public spaces interweave art and industry, creating a shopping venue unique in all of Europe. Wertheim Village Wertheim Village is situated within the picturesque wine-growing region of the Tauber Valley, and is near Wertheim, recognised as one of the country’s most beautiful towns. The Village is also located near the intersection of the famed Castle Route and the Romantic Road, two of the most important and popular itineraries in Europe. The architectural design of Wertheim Village is a creative interpretation of the regional Franconian style, and makes use of architectural details to recall the historical building traditions for which the region is world famous. Varied facades, different roof profiles, architectural ornamentation and rich landscaping provide customers with an engaging shopping environment. Italy Fidenza Village is located in Emilia Romagna, in the heart of the wealthiest and most populous region of Italy. The Village is close to Parma, a world-renowned artistic and gastronomic centre. The architecture of Fidenza Village is inspired by the region’s rich cultural heritage, especially well known as the homeland of opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. The Village incorporates an inspired interpretation of theatrical stage sets from a selection of Verdi’s operas.

Spain There are two Shopping villages in Spain, Las Rozas Village, near Madrid, and La Roca Village, not far from Barcelona. Las Rozas Village Las Rozas Village offers the only up-market luxury outlet options in Spain. Las Rozas Village was the second of the Villages to open in Spain. The architecture of Las Rozas Village is designed to evoke a collage of international architectural styles, with more than 100 boutiques lining open pedestrianised malls. Las Rozas Village is home to a wealth of revered brands found in Spain’s most prestigious shopping streets, such as Adolfo Dominguez, Armani, Belstaff, Burberry, Hackett, Hugo Boss, Loewe, TAG Heuer and Versace. La Roca Village La Roca Village was the first of the Villages to open in Spain. Inspired by the historical Modernista movement, the architecture of La Roca Village is an interpretation of a traditional turn-of-thecentury Catalan town, complete with detailing inspired by historical buildings in the region. This Village is home to more than 140 boutiques of Catalan, Spanish and international fashion brands, including Custo Barcelona, Sita Murt, Loewe, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, Swarovski and Versace. Benelux Maasmechelen Village is unique in having a catchment area that spans three countries, centred on the cities of Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, Cologne in Germany and Maastricht in the Netherlands. The design of Maasmechelen Village celebrates the architectural heritage of the Limburg region with buildings and details inspired by the artisan crafts and traditions of the area.

WHERE TO GO

The Finer Things in Life

Nick Walton pines for the finer things in life after cruising the Mediterranean on Crystal Serenity.

t’s been a week now and I still listen for the door, hoping I’ll hear Ediz bringing me my morning paper or perhaps my evening canapes. I listen for the rustle of his tuxedo tails, his cheery Turkish accent, the pop of a Champagne cork heralding another evening on board. But deep inside, I know he’s not coming. I’m in my office and the ship, and Ediz, is far away. Ediz, my penthouse butler aboard Crystal Cruises’ flagship Crystal Serenity, is just one of the many perks that come with cruising with the world’s best line. Along with his fellow crew, Ediz helped change my perceptions of cruising. No longer the domain of the elderly or the socks-and-sandals mass tourism brigade, luxury cruise ships offer sophistication at sea, with the seamless elegance of a fivestar hotel, married with the adventure of waking to new ports each morning. Crystal Serenity itself is a mind changer. With

one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the industry, spacious cabins, attentive staff, world-class cuisine and plenty of things to keep you occupied when you’re not visiting exotic ports of call, the ship boasts huge brand loyalty and repeat cruiser rates that have many other lines green with envy. And Europe is the place to swoon. As much as travellers love delving into the living history of cities like Rome and Athens, Europe can be a logistical nightmare at the best of times. It can also be exorbitantly expensive, and every meal, every taxi trip, every hotel booking can be a game of traveller’s Russian roulette. With a luxury cruise, you unpack once – technically Ediz will do it for you – and then sit back and enjoy a multi-country odyssey, sans the Euro-hassle. My fiancée, Maggie, and I board Crystal Serenity in Barcelona, officially Europe’s

busiest cruise port and a good chance to see the true diversity that cruising affords travellers. Ships catering to all budgets and all cruising styles jostle for quay space and Crystal Serenity looked right at home with the other towering, sleek ocean liners. But the difference between cruise ships is much more obvious as soon as you step inside. On a ship that would, on most other lines, cater to two, maybe three thousand passengers, Crystal Serenity takes only 1,000 souls, fully booked. Couple this with 655 crew members (the crew actually outnumbered guests on our cruise) and you have a level of service far removed from the mega-liners of bigger cruise companies like NCL and Royal Caribbean. After a painless check-in, our bags were delivered to our penthouse, a spacious (for a ship) stateroom with a queen-sized

bed, ample luggage and storage space, a lounge suite and a large private balcony. Crystal Serenity’s penthouse categories recently benefited from an extensive refurbishment, giving them a chic new persona more reminiscent of a stylish boutique hotel in Covent Garden or New York’s Soho than a cruise ship. With 100 per cent Egyptian linen, a pillow menu, flat-screen television, complimentary mini-bar, high-speed wifi and a bathroom that boasts a Jacuzzi bathtub, double vanities and Aveda bath products, the ship’s penthouses make for a rather indulgent home away from home. And this is when we meet Ediz, who appears at our penthouse with a smile, introduces himself, pops a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Champagne, produces a duo of delicate Riedel flutes and retreats with half my wardrobe, destined for complimentary pressing. During the cruise, we would see Ediz each evening when he delivered decadent canapes, offering insight on the next day’s activities and arranging bookings in the ship’s specialty restaurants. Like the first time you flew business class, once you’ve had a butler like Ediz, it’s very difficult to go back to ironing your own slacks and popping your own Champagne. We quickly joined other couples exploring our new

home for the next 11 days. Crystal Serenity, at just shy of 69,000 tons, isn’t the largest or the smallest liner on the seas. But what it might lack in size it more than makes up for in amenities. If you’re looking for oddly placed ice-skating rinks, endless souvenir shops, rock-climbing walls and hydro-slides, I’m sorry to say you’d be in the wrong place. But if you’re looking for an elegant and sun-kissed pool that looks straight out of a scene from The Talented Mr. Ripley, a duo of Jacuzzis, plenty of chic full moon-styled sun-loungers and an army of pool bar attendants, Crystal Serenity’s pool deck is a good place to start. In the Mediterranean the pool deck is the epicentre of shipboard activity. The active can battle it out on the two paddle tennis courts, walk the jogging track, which rings the top deck, or hit the comprehensive fitness centre. But as we cruise towards Monte Carlo, and after two exciting days of exploring Gaudi’s architectural legacy in Barcelona, most guests make the most of the downtime and the dazzling sunshine, reading books on the sun-loungers in between dips in the swimming pool. That evening we enjoy our first formal night on board. For many passengers, this is what sets Crystal apart from the all-day-casual nature of many

other larger cruise ships. There is an oldworld elegance to dressing up in a tuxedo in your penthouse and enjoying a dance at the Captain’s Reception as you sail past Capri or through the Cyclades, before dinner in the main dining room, home to rich wood panelling, crystal chandeliers and Schott Zwiesel crystal. Cuisine plays an important role on both Crystal Serenity and her sister ship, Crystal Symphony, with the ships’ many restaurants taking their cues from the culinary traditions of the ports of call. In addition to the main dining room, Crystal Serenity boasts three signature restaurants, including the modern Asian cuisine of Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa’s Silk Road, with its popular sushi bar, and the European fine dining of Piero Selvaggio’s Prego. Another special space is the Vintage Room, an elegant venue that hosts special wine-pairing dinners for up to 14 people (nightly by reservation), offering a tasting menu created to complement rare vintages and wine regions of the world. During the day there are casual restaurants and grills and even an ice-cream bar to sample. After dinner there is always a chance to explore the ship’s many bars and lounges. Crystal’s two ships go

all-inclusive this year, giving guests even more excuse to delve into the refined surrounds of the Avenue Saloon, where the ship’s jazz band plays Dixieland classics into the wee hours. Alternatively, enjoy a Cuban cigar in the Connoisseurs Club with its overstuffed Chesterfields, or catch a world-class show in one of the ship’s two cabaret lounges, the Stardust Club and the Galaxy Show Lounge. Of course a major component of cruising is the destinations, and our Mediterranean itinerary offers a great cross-section, from the bustle of Barcelona, Rome and Athens, to the laid-back ambience of Mykonos and the Amalfi Coast. Port visits are handled seamlessly by the cruise ship staff, and with an extensive list of excursions covering everything from food and wine to culture, history and the

arts, there is always something for everyone. In Mykonos, Maggie and I explore villages by foot, peeking into tiny whitewashed churches, while in Sorrento we join the throng of people watching from the cafes of the Corsa Italia. There are also a few surprises on board Crystal Serenity that are a little less “cruise conventional”. In response to cruising golfers who need a fix while at sea, PG-certified instructors are on hand to offer workshops and one-on-one tutorials at the ship’s own driving nets and putting green. Those cruisers looking to bridge the digital divide can sign up with the Computer University@Sea program, which teaches everything from basic computer skills right up to advanced digital photo editing on state-of-the-art Apple computers.

The learning continues at the Creative Learning Institute, with everything from keyboard lessons and language courses, through to wellness seminars, wine workshops and sushi-making sessions in partnership with the likes of Yamaha, Berlitz and the Cleveland Clinic. On our last evening, as the ship sails for Athens, Ediz comes to our penthouse to bid us farewell. I promise to write, he promises to do the same. If anything, he’s a one-man persuasion to book another cruise and live the high life at sea once again. For more information, visit: www.crystalcruises.com.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Haute Stay Text by Andy Sachs | Photos courtesy of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Bali

ome of the biggest names in the hospitality and design industries have found their way to the island of the gods, Bali. The designer-branded hotel Bulgari opened its 59-villa property in Bali in 2006 and recently celebrated its eighth anniversary. Once the hunting grounds of the Balinese royal families, the Bukit peninsula is now home to some of Bali’s most exclusive villas and resorts, including Bulgari Resort Bali. It is also home to one of the island’s holiest temples – Pura Luhur Uluwatu – reputed to be more than 1,000 years old and a popular destination for surf enthusiasts. Jimbaran Bay and the international airport lie approximately 20 kilometres north of the Bulgari resort, while Kuta, the touristy heart of Bali, is a 40-minute drive. Sleep in Style

Bulgari Resort Bali has one of the hautest hotel designs you can check out and check into. Located on Bali’s rugged south coast, 160 metres above the sea, the 59 ultra-private, ocean-view villas, including three two-bedroom villas and the 1,300-square-metre Bulgari Villa, are tucked into the terraced hillside. Each villa features a plunge pool, a breezy dining pavilion, a patio overlooking the cliffs and the Indian Ocean, a tropical garden, a bathtub, an indoor and outdoor garden shower, an extensive range of amenities and a highly personalized and discreet service thanks to the resort’s personal butlers. Curtains surround the bedroom, entirely enclosed with glass. If you can tear yourself away from the unbridled luxury of your villa, step inside the resort’s glass elevator, which makes a 500-foot journey down the cliff face towards the mile-long beach. Inaccessible by land or sea, the only visitors you’re likely to encounter in this secluded cove are friendly dolphins. Dine with a View Consistent with Bulgari’s Italian tradition, great attention has been given to the dining experience. Overlooking a reflection

pool, the resort’s signature Italian restaurant, Il Ristorante, pays homage to classical Italian specialties in a seductive ambience enhanced by suggestive soft lighting. The pond surrounds the openair structure. Open only for dinner, the 36-seat restaurant features creative interpretations of classical Italian cuisine, perfectly blending the finest imported Italian ingredients with the island’s organic produce, as well as a selection of over 200 wines, predominantly iconic Italian labels. Uniquely located on the cliff-edge and characterized by a more casual atmosphere, the all-day dining Sangkar restaurant serves a vast array of Asian and international specialties, creatively prepared and presented, as well as authentic Indonesian favourites. Other dining facilities include the Cliffside Lounge Bar, the Poolside Bar and the Beach Club. A haven of relaxation next to the infinity-edge pool, the poolside area is the perfect setting to enjoy a selection of refreshing juices and healthy potions. Nestled between the 150-metre cliff and the Indian Ocean, beneath a bamboo-clad bale, the beachside pavilion is another mesmerising location. For utmost privacy, in-villa dining is available 24 hours a day. Artsy Ambience Balinese culture and architecture greatly inspired both the design concept and the construction process of the resort. Collaborating with island artisans, who represent Bali’s vibrant artistic heritage, all the hotel accessories were designed and produced in Bali, exclusively for Bulgari – from every single piece of furniture to the handcrafted unique tableware and refined textiles. Marrying traditional Balinese design with distinctive Bulgari Italian style, the layout and overall design incorporate the cultural and natural elements of the location. The hotel has been built and furnished using hand-cut volcanic stones, rich exotic woods and refined fabrics. Natural lava and palimanan stone were used for the garden and interior walls.

Art aficionados need not go far as a collection of exquisite Balinese antiques and exotic art pieces adorn the entire resort. Local Indonesian art, spanning from the Stone Age to present, is the focus of the Bulgari Resort antique collection. Original and impressive works of art from contemporary Indonesian artists, created exclusively for Bulgari Resort, also decorate public spaces. The wide range of woodcarvings, stones, statues, pots of various sizes and shapes, originating from Flores Island, Toraja, Sulawesi, Celebes, Java, Sumba Island, Nias, Sumatra and Bali, featured in the resort reflect an artistic depiction of the local history. Woodcarvings and carvings from stone are amongst the oldest and most traditional art forms, usually gracing pillars, panels, doors, walls, lintels and shrines of temples, palaces and gardens across the region. Chiselled mainly from the local volcanic tuff and native woods, the prime function of these artefacts has always been to entice and entertain the gods. A unique collection of ceramics and other functional and decorative objects is displayed throughout the resort’s public spaces and guest rooms. Indonesian and Balinese themes – ranging from daily life to local culture and religion, the arts, crafts and nature – inspired the creative process, thus providing every single item with a touch of history and meaning, strongly tied to the region. While there are countless hotels to choose from in Bali, Bulgari Resort affords guests not only a comfortable stay but also picturesque scenery, stylish ambience and a chance to soak in culture and history right inside the resort.

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Bali Jl. Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin Uluwatu - Bali Phone. +62 361 8471000 www.bulgarihotels.com

WHERE TO SLEEP

WOW W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak is the venue of choice for discerning and style-conscious trendsetters who want to be wowed by the finer things in life. Text by Dennis Latif | Photos courtesy of W Retreat & Spa Bali

Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak is located in the trendy enclave of Seminyak and reinvents the exuberance of its locale, where designer boutiques, art galleries, lively restaurants and modern cocktail bars and clubs hold court. The first W Hotel in Indonesia, W Bali brings a “new scene unseen” to the island through its modern design and signature bars and restaurants. Arriving at W Bali, we are welcomed by the signature W Lounge (W’s take on the traditional hotel lobby), with its vibrant tropical pinks and purples, oversized daybeds facing the coastal breeze and sturdy synthetic rattan that further blur the line between inside and out. The sea breeze whips past monsoon screens and whistles through a wall of hand-blown glass jars, each holding a piece of capiz shell that allows the wall to “sing”. The sleek resin contours of the W Lounge, with its eyecatching back-lit bar glowing in electric LED hues, meld with lampshades woven from synthetic rattan to resemble pagoda roofs in Bali. W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak reflects the rich natural beauty and cultural heritage of the destination, with playfully bold designs and textures, inspired by the “conceal and reveal” mysticism of Bali. With a contemporary take on traditional Balinese design, each space allows you to mix and mingle and be part of the scene or remain unseen as you escape into your own retreat. Wine & Dine W Bali features some of the island’s hottest new restaurants and clubs. Indulge in true taste sensations at Starfish Bloo,

where the world’s best meats, seafood and spices are interpreted in the finest Asian flavours by way of Western sensibilities. Get your heat on at FIRE, where an open kitchen showcases a wood-fired grill and oven where meats sizzle and gourmet pizzas scintillate their way to your gastronomical heart. Cool down at ICE, where you can chill out with artisan cheeses, imported and house-made charcuterie and frozen cocktail confections. By day, the Retreat’s signature WooBar is a relaxed beach club with delicious nibbles and an intoxicatingly extensive choice of imported beers, wines and colourful signature cocktails. By night, WooBar comes to life with island rhythms spun by Bali’s hottest DJs and the largest and most colourful collection of martinis, vodkas, single malts and wines in town, and the sweetest collection of Cuban and domestic cigars. For more intimate options, 1 Below features a private dining room where a personal chef and wine expert will design a customised menu pairing original dishes with the perfect wine. Welcome The beach beckons beyond W’s signature sleek designs. There are 237 retreats, suites and villa retreats. All 158 Wonderful and Spectacular retreats and suites exude high-energy interiors and vivid design, complete with modern amenities such as complimentary wireless internet, Bose in-room entertainment system with MP3-player docking station and Bliss Spa bathroom necessities. The retreats are some of the largest on the island with the majority offering views of the Indian Ocean. Seventy-nine villa retreats,

including 65 Marvellous one-bedroom pool villas, 10 WOW two-bedroom pool villas and 4 Extreme WOW three-bedroom pool villas, are also available, each with private entrance and pool. Whatever/Whenever W Bali also boasts the W Hotels signature Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, offering guests whatever they want, whenever they want it (as long as it’s legal). W Bali boasts a WET pool deck and a SWEAT state-of-the-art fitness centre. A trip to W Bali would not be complete without a visit (or more) to AWAY Spa, the only 24-hour spa in Bali. AWAY Spa offers special detox after a long, playful night out or refuelling for whatever comes next. Being at W, nothing is ordinary, and that includes the spa. AWAY Spa offers more than 60 unique treatments, from a Red Carpet manicure to a seven-hour Premiere package – a complete head-to-toe treatment, the epitome of pampering. Treatments at AWAY Spa incorporate Asian influences in a cool and playful way, and the spa offers the “Blue Room”, a pure oxygen-filled lounge where guests can set their mood before treatments begin. The AWAY experience blends vivid colours, playful scents, imaginative sounds and energizing light with detoxifying potions used during a mood-boosting menu of recharging and reinvigorating treatments. W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak Bali – Indonesia Phone. +62 361 4 738106 www.whotels.com/baliseminyak

WHAT TO DO

Five - Star Pampering The festive season is all about pampering. With all the parties and gatherings to attend, it is only natural that you want to look your best. Or maybe you simply want to disappear for an afternoon, leave the world and all its comings and goings behind. When it comes to pampering, these treatments are unbeatable. Text by Melani Semuel, Grace Solarbesain & Clarisa Mutriafica | Photos courtesy of each property

Exotic Tribal Escape At InterContinental Spa, InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 10-11, Jakarta â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Indonesia | Phone. +62 21 251 0888 | www.jakarta.intercontinental.com Tribal Body Escape is an exciting new treatment that features organic products from the award-winning Bernard CassiĂ¨re Paris. The ingredients are inspired by ancestral recipes and all treatments explore ancient beauty rituals performed by African, Amerindian and Polynesian women. My two-hour Tribal Escape ritual starts with a quick foot washing and

then my therapist scrubs my body with 100 per cent Arabica coffee and baobab oil. After I am ensconced in a moisturizing cactus body wrap. Its deep hydrating effect restores dull - looking skin, leaving it soft and radiant. Finally, I am pampered with a full-body massage using monoi balm from Tahiti. The spa at InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza adds a

special touch to the massage by applying its Signature Reiki technique, which is said to restore a smooth flow of energy, leaving you feeling 100 per cent relaxed and reborn. I leave the spa feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Manis Klepon At DaLa Spa, Alaya Resort Ubud Alaya Resort Ubud | Jl. Hanoman, Ubud, Bali â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Indonesia Phone. +62 361 972 200 | www.alayaubud.com

Manis Klepon is the signature treatment at DaLa Spa. It is inspired by the colourful ingredients of a traditional Balinese rice flour cake known as a klepon. Before the treatment, they give me the opportunity to see how they prepare the ingredients, like rasping the coconut and the palm sugar. The treatment begins with a foot bath, then an exfoliating coconut and palm sugar scrub is applied to my body to remove dead skin cells. After that, the expert therapist applies a fragrant body mask, made from pandanus and suji leaves. Then I move to the bathtub and sink into water that is a soothing 25 degrees, as the therapist drops seven types of fragrant Balinese flowers into the water. After a delicious soak, I am treated to the deeply relaxing massage, the long strokes easing the tension from my muscles. The ritual ends with the application of a refreshing Chamomile Facial Mist. After the treatment, I am served a warm ginger tea and klepon. I am lighter and relaxed.

Slimming Treatment At Le Spa, Le Meridien Jakarta Le Meridien Jakarta Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 18-20, Jakarta â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Indonesia | Phone. +62 21 251 3131 www.lemeridien.com/Jakarta This treatment is ideal for people who want a combination of relaxation and slimming. It starts with a lymphatic massage of the legs combined with tapping and rolling movements, as the skin is detoxified and toned though the application of suction pads. This incredible

treatment will reduce the appearance of cellulite as well as tackle fluid retention in the stomach and legs. After the slimming massage, a green tea and kelp wrap is applied for 30 minutes to activate the cellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; metabolism, leading to a visible and measurable inch loss after just a few

sessions. While waiting for the wrap, the therapist will give expert foot and scalp massages for a total relaxation that enables the skin to rediscover its suppleness and firmness. For a visible result, a series of treatments is required.

Maduranese Harmony At Chi Spa, Shangri-La Hotel, Surabaya Shangri-La Surabaya | Jl. Mayjen. Sungkono 120, Surabaya, East Java – Indonesia | Phone. +62 31 566 1550 www.shangri-la.com/surabaya I often go to Surabaya for business and pleasure. But one thing I had always dreaded was trying to find a good spa in the city. But those days are gone since I discovered Chi Spa at Shangri-La Hotel, Surabaya. Considered by many, including this writer, to be the best hotel spa in Surabaya, Chi Spa at Shangri-La is the place to rejuvenate the body, refresh the mind and restore the senses. The first time I stepped into the spa, I was impressed. Created as an exclusive luxury retreat, the contemporary design is carried through to the reception, consultation area, relaxation lounge and the four single treatment rooms and one couple’s room. Focused on overall well-being, Chi Spa is a luxurious, spacious and professionally equipped haven where you can relax and revitalize.

Looking through the spa menu, I saw that the treatments incorporate traditional Indonesian healing therapies and beauty rituals, with indigenous herbs and ingredients passed down from generation to generation. I decided to try one of the spa’s signature treatments, Maduranese Harmony. The treatment is said to restore vitality and energy and to be a stress releaser for business travellers. Being in Surabaya for business and in need of an energy boost, I was eager to try the treatment. As I entered the treatment room, I was very impressed. Wood and granite set the tone, while local artefacts and motifs create a warm, rich ambience. The treatment starts with a foot wash, during which my therapist explains the treatment. A body scrub is next. Using natural

plants and herbs, the scrub removes dead skin and washes away the dullness after a long business trip. Then it is time to soak in a natural mineral bath and just relax with a glass of ginger tea. The treatment concludes with the Maduranese massage using aromatic essential oils. As I surrender to the expert hands of my therapist, it feels like I am being transported to seventh heaven. I have to say that Chi Spa at Shangri-La Hotel, Surabaya really exceeded my expectations. Allow yourself to be pampered from head to toe and enjoy a journey of physical and spiritual relaxation under the expert hands of the Shangri-La Hotel, Surabaya’s trained therapists.

WHERE TO EAT

All Together Now The Best of 2014 It is always better together Text by Grace Solarbesain and Dennis Latif Photos courtesy of Gumaya Tower Hotel & Exclusive Dining, JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta Maxx-M chooses the best restaurants based on our reviews during 2014 in a very sanguine survey of top venues. Sanguine people love to enjoy life with friends, hanging out and dining together. They hate to be alone. All the restaurants on our list are ideal for leisurely meals and long chats with friends.

Culinary haven in North Jakarta Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, is becoming more popular as a hangout. The prime location, in the midst of several high-end residential complexes, makes it fertile ground for new restaurants, bakeries, bars, lounges and eateries. More than 100 stores are now open in Pantai Indah Kapuk, and it seems like there is a new venue popping up each day, filling the vacant multi-storey shop-houses. There is a varied collection of restaurants and cafes at Pantai Indah Kapuk serving Western, Korean, Indonesian, vegetarian and many other cuisines. There are also numerous drink options available, including bubble tea, wine, coffee and tea, beer and cocktails. If you are not in the mood for a big meal, you can find plenty of snacks. One day is surely not enough time to explore this culinary haven. So we have listed some options to help make your weekend choice easier. The venue at the top of each list is our favourite!

Snacks & Desserts • • • • • • • • • • • •

Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks Hong Tang Cozy Dessert Company LIMA Martabak Alim Champs Patisserie Bitter Sweet Cafe La Creperie The Cream and Fudge Factory Kroket & Risoles Karawaci Kue Putu Bambu Medan

• • • • • • • • • •

Societea Fat Bubble Ochado Chatime Detention Room The Lab Excelso Cafe Bangi Kopitiam Kopitiam Corner Bengawan Solo Coffee

Bubble Tea & Drinks

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

A Gantea The Trader’s Coffee Dakasi Taiwanese Tea & Coffee Sumoboo

Hangouts Locale 24 Diner & Bar Soju House / Hangover VITI Porter House Pan & Barrel Hops & Malt Bar and Bistro Gastro Alley Tuck & Chug Minus Two Seven Sins Tongue N’ Groove Tortuga Momento Restaurant & Bar E-Bar The Twig Cafe Oktober Feast Hottencole Cafe & Bar

Afternoon Story

JW Marriott Jakarta Jl. DR Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung, Kav. E.1.2 No. 1 & 2 Mega Kuningan, Jakarta Phone. +62 21 5798 8888

Blu Martini at JW Marriott Jakarta is a comfortable venue for chatting and enjoying high tea in the afternoon. A variety of cakes, freshly baked scones, finger sandwiches and premium teas and coffees are available for High Tea at Blu Martini. Also on offer are sweets such as green tea opera cake, red velvet cake,

Sumatran coffee eclairs, strawberry tartlets and much more. Naturally lit during the day and with dramatic lighting in the evening, oversized day sofas and a comfortable ambience make Blu Martini the perfect venue for a meeting, gathering or simply to unwind after work. The classy venue’s wide selection of beverages in-

cludes no fewer than 88 different martinis. The venue certainly justifies repeat visits, as you’ll have plenty of reasons for calling by during the week and at weekends. If you want to escape the traffic or just want to gather with friends, Blu Martini is a must-visit.

Dining in the Sky

Sky Line Lounge and Exclusive Dining 17th Floor, Gumaya Tower Hotel Jl. Gajahmada No. 59 – 61, Semarang Phone. +62 24 3551999 www.gumayatowerhotel.com

Sky Line Lounge and Exclusive Dining is one of the best restaurants in Semarang, the capital of Central Java province, for enjoying dinner with friends. The restaurant is located on the top floor of Gumaya Tower Hotel, a five-star business property built with the discerning guest in mind. To reach Sky Line Lounge and Exclusive Dining you must take the stairs to the 17th floor, which is decorated withcolourful masks and a story of how to

plant grapes to produce wine displayed on the restaurant wall. This piqued my curiosity; the restaurant supervisor told me the restaurant had the most complete wine collection in Semarang. Boasting panoramic views of Semarang, Sky Line is aimed specifically at lovers of Western delicacies and wine. The entire dining room has glass walls that provide panoramic, 270-degree views of the city. The restaurant’s combination of modern

style, décor and contemporary design creates a stunning ambience. In addition to a steak, salmon or gindara and poultry menu, Sky Line Lounge and Exclusive Dining offers an assortment of mocktails, Champagne and wine. Sky Line Lounge and Exclusive Dining opens from 5pm to 1am Thursday to Saturday and 4pm to midnight Sunday to Wednesday, with live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

MELANCHOLIC

Melancholic personalities usually have a high degree of perfectionist tendencies, especially in regards to their own lives. They are serious, purposeful, analytical, musical, artistic, talented, creative, self-sacrificing, conscientious, idealistic, philosophical and more prone to genius.

WHERE TO GO

Slovakian Getaway Slovakia may be small in size but it offers a huge selection of exciting destinations and unique sights. Antonius Martono hopped on his bicycle for an up close and personal look at the ‘Country at the Heart of Europe.’ Photos courtesy of Slovakian Tourism Board

hen I was in elementary school, I dreamt about biking around the world. I made calculations, I researched different kinds of bikes and I made lists of what I would need to bring with me. Childhood dreams, of course, are just that: dreams. I have been fortunate enough to see much of the world; it’s just that I have done it in a bit more comfort than on a bicycle.My last European adventure was great. I started in the north of the continent and continued south. But the highlight was a cycling trip I had planned through The Carpathian Mountains. I was finally going to live out that childhood dream. Since the accession of several Slavic countries into the European Union, it is much easier to travel in the eastern part of the continent. And the Balkan countries offer tastes of natural beauty that for much of recent history were kept hidden away from the outside world. The temptation to explore the unknown was too great, and I set my sights on Slovakia, a decision I would not regret.The reason I chose Slovakia is because the geography of the country makes it perfect for a biking holiday. The country is noted for its mountainous landscape, with the majestic peaks of the Carpathians extending across much of the northern half of Slovakia, accompanied by fertile valleys and large rivers. The natural beauty of the country is

punctuated by the reminders of its history sprinkled around the countryside.

Bratislava: A City of Contrasts Bratislava was my starting point. Forget about grey, gloomy, communist towns with suspicious inhabitants watching your every move. Bratislava is a beautiful European city, with grand historical buildings and courteous and helpful residents. At least that was my experience, as I asked where I could enjoy a good coffee and they proposed I sample some of the great Slovak beers. That is helpful. Bratislava, a city of half a million inhabitants, often called the Beauty on the Danube, is bordered to the north by the

confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, and to the south by the fertile valleys of Rye Island (Zitný ostrov). Bratislava is uniquely positioned near the borders of two neighbouring countries – Hungary and Austria. The stark contrast of the picturesque architecture and narrow streets of the Old Town and the drab concrete housing schemes offer a visual history of the rise and fall of Bratislava during its long history. Many beautiful historical monuments of the past have been lovingly preserved, including the dominant landmark in the city – Bratislava Castle and, beneath it, St. Martin’s Dome, where nineteen Hungarian rulers donned St. Stephen’s crown. Although Bratislava is somewhat more relaxed than its glamorous neighbours Vienna and Prague, there are still plenty of fun hangouts to explore, and every year the city hosts a variety of festivals. Following the Velvet Revolution the tempo of life in Bratislava has visibly accelerated. Land of the Fairy Story Out of Bratislava, I ride to one of Slovakia’s main tourist attractions, the Tatra Mountains, the highest peaks in the Carpathians. The Tatras present an op portunity for high-mountain hiking and climbing, and also for pleasant walks and bicycle tours.

Visitors make a beeline for the chalets located close to the summits of the Tatra peaks, and the glacial lakes with their crystal-clear waters. The best-known are Strbske, Popradske, Skalnate and Hincovo lakes, the last of which is the largest lake in the Tatras. The lakes are called tarns. They are the “eyes” of the Tatras and each one takes on a specific colour resulting from its location and the shade of the surrounding mountain background. There is a nice view of the Obrovský vodopád waterfall from the bridge on the Tatra arterial road. The foaming white water falls in a notch between two rocks to a depth of 20 metres. The Trojitý vodopád waterfall has in Hungarian and German a poetic name that may be translated as the “waterfall of artists.” It is hidden in the forest and receives few tourists. Cableways in the mountainous areas of the High Tatras and the Low Tatras help tourists conquer their peaks without much difficulty. A popular destination is Hrebienok, which can be reached by funicular from Stary Smokovec. As someone who is afraid of heights, I had to challenge myself to make the trip by an aerial ropeway without a single supporting column from Lomnicke sedlo to Lomnicky stit, at an altitude of 2,632 metres. It was an exhilarating experience.

The Gothic Route From the mountains, I continue along a path called the Gothic Route. It stretches 267 kilometres and is an integrated circuit that passes by the most interesting and valuable treasures of the Spis and Gemer regions – castles looming from the top of hills, well-preserved historical town centres, museums and cathedrals, as well as smaller gems like rural churches, burghers’ and craftsmen’s houses and picturesque stone bridges.The trip is like a journey back into childhood memories of Brothers Grimm fairy tales, filled with beautiful castles, palaces and small villages. Among the highlights of the route are Krasna Horka Castle and Manor House in Betliar, with its magnificent park spread out over 70 hectares, boasting exotic plants from around the world. Slovak Sea Lying in the heart of Europe, Slovakia is a landlocked country, but tries to compensate for this lack of direct access to the sea with a large number of dams and reservoirs. At the point where the Danube River becomes a Slovak river it passes through Devínska Brána (Devin Gate). Here the Danube meanders its way to Bratislava, which spreads out across both banks of the grand river.

The flow of the Little Danube, together with the network of Danube arms, creates ideal conditions for water trips and other types of water tourism. The water sports area at Cunovo, built in connection with the hydroelectric Gabcíkovo Dam, offers top-quality training conditions for sportsmen and women Slovakia is also rich in mineral springs, many of which claim therapeutic properties. There are thermal baths located close to the Tatras, offering a welcome respite after a day of climbing through the mountains or hurtling down its slopes on skis. Traditional swimming pools are equipped with modern amenities and offer wellness programmes – saunas, various types of massage, aromatherapy and hot compresses. It may not have the reputation, but Slovakia certainly has its allure for a spa connoisseur. The beautiful natural scenery, rich history and grand monuments make Slovakia an unforgettable destination. Travelling by bicycle lets you to see the country up close and personal, falling in love over and over again with the sights and sounds of beautiful Slovakia.

Where is the Slovak Republic? The Slovak Republic is located at the precise geographic centre of Europe. Hence, this Central European country is referred to as the “Country at the Heart of Europe.” Slovakia borders five other countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. What language can I use when travelling in Slovakia? You’ll find Slovaks to be an extremely helpful, pleasant people prepared to go out of their way to welcome you. Of course, “broken English is the world’s most universal language. You do not have to learn Slovak, although it is a good idea to master some simple words and phrases. (Did you know that “áno” actually means “yes”?) What’s cool? The New Bridge across the Danube River in Bratislava is unique in Europe. Its steel construction hanging on one pylon weighs more than 7,000 tons. There is a restaurant located in the pylon 80 metres above the ground. The

bridge has been in use since 1972 and was named “The Building of the 20th Century.” However, the price for this success was the destruction of a large part of a historical extramural settlement. Getting There: If you insist on arriving in Slovakia by air, Czech Airlines has frequent connections to Prague; Air Slovakia flies from Bratislava (BTS) to Tel Aviv and Kuwait; and Tatra Air flies daily to Zurich. There’s a departure tax of around US$6. Realistically, though, Bratislava is only 64 kilometres from Vienna and 215 kilometres from Budapest; most travellers are going to stay grounded. Several daily buses and trains link Vienna and Bratislava, and there are numerous trains to Budapest. There are heaps of road borders to/ from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Walking in and out of Slovakia can circumvent the hassle of buying an expensive international ticket. From mid-April to September, there’s a hydrofoil between Bratislava and Vienna, which is

a pretty cruisy way to get to Austria for an afternoon strudel. Getting Around: Buses are more expensive than trains, although weekend bus fares are sharply reduced. Plan on doing most of your travel on the efficient and cheap trains, with side trips by bus. Buses are known to leave a few minutes earlier than the given time on the timetable so it’s advisable to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to departure. Slovakia’s size and relatively quiet roads make it pretty easy to get around under your own steam, either by car, motorbike or bicycle. Roads often follow old routes through villages and small towns with sudden sharp bends and reduced speed limits, but they are fairly well maintained and other road users are mostly considerate. Be aware that a Western car with foreign number plates is an automatic target – never leave anything valuable in your car.

WHERE TO GO

Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, is a melting pot of ethnic groups. Its 10 million people boast an incredible diversity of linguistic, cultural and religious traditions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a true representation of the vast archipelago.

Capital of the Archipelago Text by Antonius Martono and Melani Semuel

ne of the great global tourist destinations, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, a country of more than 13,000 islands and over 225 million people. In the last 20 years the city has seen dramatic growth, most notably in the state-of-the art shopping centres, upscale housing complexes, convention facilities, museums, amusement parks and elevated toll roads. Jakarta has its own special Betawi culture, reflecting the myriad of influences that reached the city’s shores over the centuries. A long process of selectively borrowing and blending Chinese, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch elements with native ingenuity has produced the colourful, composite Betawi culture. The word “Betawi” is derived from Batavia, the old name of the capital during the Dutch colonial administration. Shopping Jakarta has become a prime shopping haven for a vast array of local and international products. From luxury items to local art, Jakarta is as good a shopping destination as anywhere in Asia. Mega shopping arcades dot the city, including the sophisticated Plaza Indonesia and its neighbour, the eX Entertainment X’nter, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Kelapa Gading Mall, Taman Anggrek Mall and Pondok Indah in the southern suburbs. Traditional markets like Pasar Cikini, Pasar Tanah Abang, Pasar Senen, Pasar

Baru, Pasar Mayestic and Asemka are great places to find anything and everything under the sun. Mangga Dua Mall in the north of Jakarta is fantastic for clothes but its true specialty is electronic items like computers and household appliances, all of course with absolute rockbottom prices. Visit Pasar Seni Ancol for unique Indonesian arts and crafts. Check out the artisans at work – leather-puppet makers, wood-carvers, painters and many other craft makers from throughout the archipelago. You can also get a portrait done from a local artist on the spot.

Jalan Pecenongan, near the Presidential Palace, is a regular street by day. But once the sun sets, the food stalls come out, turning this into one of the premier open-air street food extravaganzas in the world. From satay to seafood to simple nasi goreng, there is a stall here selling just about every kind of food Indonesia is famous for. But the most famous stall of them is Sate Babi Krekot. This place is a real institution, and if you eat pork and live in Indonesia, you will know about it. The food is all freshly made and it goes so fast that every night they are basically sold out.

Where to Eat Jakarta is a true foodie town. From street stalls to world-class restaurants, there is always something new and delicious around the corner. In addition to dishes from all over the country, you can find excellent Chinese, Japanese and many other international foods thanks to the cosmopolitan population. Jakarta is famous for its street delicacies and just about every neighbourhood has its specialty. Some areas for great street food are Kelapa Gading (seafood), Muara Karang/Pluit (seafood), Kebon Kacang in Central Jakarta (nasi uduk) and Blok S in South Jakarta (tennis ball-sized meatballs). Beware, though, as these foods may take a toll on your stomach. You might want to give yourself a couple of weeks to get used to the Indonesian environment before diving into the streetfood scene.

Kemang Food Fest, in Kemang, the city’s most famous expatriate neighbourhood, offers great food 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For one-stop dining pleasure, this is the place to hit, with a number of restaurants offering both Eastern and Western food in an outdoor setting. Tebet is another great option near the centre of the city. The area offers great food (both indoors and outdoors) and is surrounded by fashion stores.

Where to Stay There are plenty of accommodations in Jakarta for every budget. From modest lodgings to luxurious 5-star hotels, Jakarta has it all. There are also plenty of starrated apartments in addition to conventional rooms and penthouses — ideal if you are staying for a few months or more.

Most visitors choose to stay in and around the city’s main commercial district, also known as the Golden Triangle. Certainly this is to be expected, with the markets, museums, cultural centres, upscale shopping arcades and monuments dotting the district. Most 5-star hotels are along Jalan Thamrin, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said. International chain hotels within the area include the Grand Hyatt, which offers panoramic views of the busy Jalan Thamrin, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta, Le Meridien, InterContinental MidPlaza Jakarta and Shangri-La Jakarta. In addition to gorgeous rooms and personalised service, these lavish hotels offer some of the best restaurants in town. The Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta and the Gran Melia Jakarta are centrally located in the heart of Jakarta’s exclusive diplomatic and business district, Kuningan. The JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta offer five-star luxury in the Mega Kuningan district. Hotel Mulia, a luxurious hotel with a superb location next to the Senayan Golf Course and close to the Plaza Senayan and Senayan City shopping centres, is just minutes from the Central Business District and a great choice for business and leisure travellers alike. The Park Lane Jakarta is conveniently and strategically located on Jalan Casablanca, with easy access to Mall Ambassador and the main business district around Jalan Rasuna Said and Jalan Sudirman. Where to Go Jakarta is an endlessly fascinating sprawl of a city, with plenty to do and see, from museums and parks to shopping and nightclubs. However, if you are going to spend more than a few days in Jakarta, it is not a bad idea to take a day trip to Bogor, Puncak or Bandung. While in Jakarta, you have to visit Monas, a marble obelisk topped by a gold flame, easily visible from most of the city. Standing 132 metres tall, it is Jakarta’s most recognizable monument. Visitors can ride the elevator to the viewing platform at the top for a panoramic view of the city and suburbs. Dunia Fantasi, or Fantasy World, is a 9.5-hectare theme park located inside the Taman Impian Ancol entertainment centre in North Jakarta. It’s

got great attractions and fun rides, and even its own characters roaming the park in their oversized bobble heads. Nearby is Ocean Park and SeaWorld, where you can see everything from sharks to Shamu. One of the most spectacular recreation and educational spots is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The park, covering 120 hectares in East Jakarta, is a celebration of the diversity of Indonesia. You can walk through reconstructed traditional houses from every corner of the country, from Sulawesi to Papua. There is an impressive aviary, many displays of arts and crafts as well as a wide assortment of traditional foods available. The National Museum is Jakarta’s finest museum. It was built in 1862 and the bronze elephant in front of the museum was a gift from Siam’s famous King Chulalongkorn. The museum features archaeological treasures, gold jewellery, local artefacts, stone carvings and ceramics. Kota Tua Kota Tua, Jakarta’s Old Town, was known as Batavia in the 17th century under the Dutch. The area is a treasure trove of buildings dating back hundreds of years, with Dutch or European architectural styles, Chinese and even some combination of the two. Some of the old buildings have been transformed into museums and cafes, others are empty and waiting to be discovered. Kota Tua started as a small port at the mouth of the Ciliwung River several centuries ago. The port city slowly developed into a trading hub that attracted ships from all over the known world. Journals of 16th century European traders refer to a city called Kalapa (Kelapa in Sundanese, which means coconut), which was the main port of a Hindu kingdom named Sunda, whose capital was Pajajaran, located near the current location of Bogor. The Portuguese were the first European traders to come to Kalapa Port. Kalapa was then attacked by the Demak Kingdom, which was led by the legendary Fatahillah. Kalapa was conquered on 22 June 1527 and the name changed from Sunda Kalapa to Jayakarta, which means city of glory or victory. The date of 22 June 1527 is celebrated as the founding date of Jakarta.

What to Do Ancol Dream Park (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol) Consists of Dunia Fantasi (Fantasy World), SeaWorld (for the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia), Gelanggang Samudra (Ocean Park), resorts, hotels, a beach, marina and great restaurants. This is one of the biggest amusement parks in Asia. Jalan Surabaya (Surabaya Street) For a unique shopping experience visit this lively open-air antique market on the fringes of the Menteng residential neighbourhood. A good place to bargain for exotic treasures. Ragunan Zoo Located in the south of the city, near Pasar Minggu, this 185-hectare zoo contains a comprehensive collection of some 3,600 species of wildlife from throughout Indonesia and farther afield. Look for the rare Komodo dragon. Not to be missed is the Schmutzer Primate Centre, which is a beautiful facility to check out gorillas, orangutans and more. Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) Located north of Jakarta, in the Java Sea, these stunning islands are easily accessible by speedboat from Ancol marina. This spray of some 300 hundred sandy, picturesque islets offers an invigorating respite for those wishing to escape the city. Why Jakarta Jakarta Nightlife Jakarta has an upbeat and hip nightlife that is famous around the region for its no-holds-barred fun! Almost every café and club in the city is full on Friday and Saturday night. From staid lounges to slightly seedy clubs, Jakarta at night is unlike anything in the world. You don’t want to miss out on this wild ride. Jakarta: Culinary Mecca Jakarta is a gastronomic paradise for gourmets and has a variety of restaurants to choose from. Indonesian, European, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and Thai culinary treats are all available around the city, from hip little cafes to full fivestar luxury restaurants.

WHERE TO STAY

Romantic Leisure in Ubud Bring a loved one and enjoy romantic nights at Royal Kamuela Ubud. Text by Clarisa Mutriafica | Photos courtesy of Royal Kamuela Ubud

e all know Bali is one of the greatest places to visit, whether is it only for a short getaway or for a long holiday with a loved one. And when you visit Bali, make sure Ubud is on your itinerary. Ubud is where you can experience the true heart and soul of Bali. On my last trip to Bali, I stayed in Ubud 100 at Royal Kamuela Villa, which is near the famed Monkey Forest in central Ubud. Royal Kamuela is in the heart of Ubud, surrounded by shops and restaurants. Expect a warm welcome at Royal Kamuela, which defines Balinese luxury. This is an exclusive resort, with only 12 villas, ensuring absolute privacy. Little wonder Royal Kamuela is so popular with honeymooners. The rooms are surprisingly spacious. I had done my research before arriving but the size and luxury of my villa was beyond all expectations. My villa was a spacious 150 square metres, with an outsized private swimming pool, bale, a complete kitchen and a comfortable living room. The bedroom boasted a fantastic pool view, king-size therapeutic bed and luxurious bathroom including a Jacuzzi. I thought to myself, I am never going to leave this villa. But be warned that the inhabitants from the nearby Monkey Forest can sometimes stop by for a visit, so make sure you keep all your belongings in your room so the monkeys don’t walk off with your stuff. The room itself features modern décor with a touch

of Balinese art. “The owner is a maestro of art, that’s why we put genuine Balinese art in every room,” said Oka Cahyani, the Manager of Royal Kamuela. I hadn’t finished enjoying my room but I decided to sample some of the offerings at Royal Kamuela’s Aum Spa. I chose the Royal Kamuela Package, which is two hours of pure blissful pampering. After a hot ginger tea, I went downstairs to start the treatment. The package includes a footbath and full-body massage, leaving my body feeling lighter and more relaxed, with all the tiredness gone. After the spa treatment, I felt like there was a marching band in my tummy. So I asked for a dinner recommendation and was pointed to the Balinese Rijsttafel, which I complemented with a virgin mojito. The Balinese Rijsttafel is a specialty of Royal Kamuela and is perfect for a romantic meal. If you want to order Balinese Rijsttafel, you should let the staff know the day before because it takes around two hours to prepare. When the meal arrived at my room, I was surprised by the portion size. There was yellow rice cooked with spices and herbs, four side dishes, soup and, of course, sambal. Royal Kamuela features 24-hour butler service. As part of that service, they will deliver your chosen breakfast menu to your villa and prepare everything at your table. They also do custom breakfast orders, which means you can order breakfast at any time,

including in the afternoon or at night. Royal Kamuela also has turndown service. When I returned to my villa in the afternoon, my bed had been prepared for sleep time, the curtains were closed and everything in the villa was just so for bedtime. In the morning, I opened the curtains to enjoy the sunrise and also to keep an eye out for visiting monkeys. I was hopeful that a couple of monkeys from the Monkey Forest would drop in for a visit, and to search for food, but no one came by. I guess the monkeys got all the food they needed at the Monkey Forest and did not need to venture out for snacks. I was a little disappointed but still, it’s a good idea not to leave food or any of your belongings outside for the monkeys to steal. Royal Kamuela is a romantic destination, with magnificent villas where the luxury is matched only by the personalized service. Royal Kamuela promises privacy and pampering in the heart of Ubud, near Monkey Forest, shopping and restaurants and cafes. There are also plenty of cultural attractions in the area, including traditional dances like the Legong and Kecak at the temples near Pasar Ubud market. Ubud is not as crowded as Kuta or Denpasar, and lets visitors experience Bali at its best. Royal Kamuela Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Jl. Wenara Wana Ubud – Bali Phone. +62 361 970099 www.kamuelavillas.com

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WHERE TO STAY

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Once Upon a Time in Yogyakarta For someone in my profession, it can be a breath of fresh air to take a break from the usual vacation spots. No matter how much I like Bali, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always nice to try something different. We all like a little change now and then, a different atmosphere, different people, even a different airport and roads. That is why I jumped at a recent chance to stay at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta. Text by Melani Semuel | Photos courtesy of Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta

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f I had to choose just one city in Indonesia for a holiday, my choice would be Yogyakarta. The “City of Art and Culture”, Yogyakarta is home to a stunning wealth of cultural and artistic treasures. There are magnificent temples, the ruins of palaces and monasteries, cultural events, art galleries, traditional performing arts and so much more. This is all part of the living culture of Yogyakarta, and colours the daily lives of its residents. Because of its cultural richness and heritage, Yogyakarta has long been known as the cradle of Javanese culture. I fell in love with the city the first time I set foot in it and just can’t get enough of Yogyakarta.

It is located in the lush outskirts of Yogyakarta, to the north near Mount Merapi (you can see the mountain from the hotel) and Borobudur Temple, and decidedly away from the city’s centre, which is exactly what I was looking for a relaxing retreat. The hotel is nestled amidst beautifully landscaped tropical gardens. Built around the exotic theme “Misty Tropical Ruins”, which calls to mind images of some forgotten city shrouded in the mist of an impenetrable tropical jungle, the hotel calls out to lovers with its air of mystery and grandeur. Adding to the exoticism, the hotel incorporates the same axis as many of the architectural details of the nearby ancient Borobudur Temple.

game at Hyatt Regency’s in-hotel golf course, followed by a relaxing massage at the Health Club Spa, located next to Bogey’s Terrace, the hotel’s flagship nightspot with live entertainment. The golf course is pleasant to play on, beautifully landscaped and poses just the right amount of challenge for a novice like me.

Having time for myself has really become a rare luxury. It seems like I am spending more and more hours in the office, leaving me with little time for anything else. I long to escape the daily grind, to stop and smell the roses. My hectic schedule had drained me, so I decided to look for a place where I could unwind, chill out and lavish some well-deserved pampering on myself. I decided to have a little escape, so I packed my bag and flew to Yogyakarta.

After checking in, I am escorted to my suite at the Regency Club, Hyatt’s unique “hotel within a hotel”. The suite is spacious, designed in a contemporary style and furnished with the latest conveniences. It also graciously overlooks the brilliant emerald greens of the golf course. I decide to make use of my club privileges. The club is located on the second floor of the hotel, and as part of my privileges, I receive a complimentary daily Continental Breakfast Buffet, all-day tea and coffee, fruit, freshly baked cookies, roasted crispy nuts and evening cocktails.

As I prepared to say goodbye to Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta, I realized that you have to step back from the daily routine to understand what Italians mean by la vita e bella, or “life is beautiful”. My time at the hotel gave me the chance to do nothing but enjoy myself. I spent peaceful hours just soaking it all in, and in those times, one is able to realize how beautiful and precious life is. Too often we take things for granted, and we spend too much time working and forget to stop and smell the roses. Thankfully, I have found a little slice of heaven at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta.

When I am away on a rare holiday, I want the best for myself, so I booked a couple of nights at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta. I had heard good things about the hotel, an international quality 5-star hotel-resort situated on 24 hectares of beautifully manicured grounds and fringed with lush green jungle. It also boasts multi-level swimming pools, is close to major local attractions and has a beautiful nine-hole par-30 golf course, something that I was keen to try my hand at.

Within the hotel, I am treated to a host of never-ending delights at the hotel’s restaurants. Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta itself is host to a never-ending range of culinary delights. Everything at the hotel is delicious, but you must try the Indonesian dishes, which have the authentic flavours sure to tantalise your taste buds. The climax to my experience is the short

I love the personal service at the hotel. Every evening when I retreated to my room, I would find the nicest turndown service of bakpia (Yogyakarta traditional cake) and, on top of the bed, a leaf with the words “sweet dreams” written on it. Indeed, a stay at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta is like a dream, a very sweet dream.

Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta Jl. Palagan Tentara Pelajar Yogyakarta – Indonesia Phone. +62 274 869 123 www.yogyakarta.regency.hyatt.com

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A River Runs Through It Nick Walton cruises Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake aboard the newly launched Aqua Mekong, a luxury river cruiser that promises to take well-heeled adventurers far from the tourist traps. Text and Photos by Nick Walton

t’s cocktail hour and in the dimly lit lounge a bartender shakes up a storm as the last brushstrokes of day fade on the horizon. Darkness comes quickly on Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, as if a giant vacuum has sucked up all the light, leaving only inky darkness punctuated by the bumblebee sounds of fishermen’s long-tail boats as they head out on the night’s catch. It’s a breathtaking transition, enjoyed from a unique perspective. The beautifully styled Aqua Mekong river cruiser, which launched midway through October, is by far the most luxurious way to experience Tonle Sap and the mighty Mekong River, two waterways that are vital to Indochina. Combining the chic décor and personalised service of an inner-city boutique hotel with the cul-

tural immersion that comes with life on the waters of Cambodia, Aqua Mekong heralds a new era in high-end tourism for one of Indochina’s least visited corners.

gress east and south across the vast expanses of Tonle Sap as the captain raises the ship’s anchor and we begin to cruise into the darkness.

It’s the first night of our four-night itinerary as we cruise from Siem Reap, home to Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s tourism legacy, across the ocean-like lake and down to the capital, Phnom Penh, from where the ship continues on the Mekong into Vietnam. The route and the many excursions along the way are explained by the ship’s team of Cambodian and Vietnamese guides during the first nightly briefing. In the comfort of the ship’s intimate lounge, with its polished wood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and bespoke furniture, the guides map out our pro-

Tonle Sap Lake is perfect for expeditionary cruising. A vast, dumbbell-shaped body of water, it’s a crucial ecosystem and home to over a million people whose lives and livelihoods ebb and flow with the lake’s waters. During the wet season, when floodwaters from the Himalayas expand Tonle Sap to 12,000 square kilometres, making it one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, its floating fishing communities move together into deeper water. During the dry season, when we visit, the lake shrinks to 2,500 square kilometres, its villages returning to the lake

Banks en Masse and the waters of Tonle Sap Lake reversing in a unique hydrodynamic phenomenon that can be seen from the ship. Aqua Mekong is the newest vessel of Aqua Expeditions, a two-ship expeditionary cruising company owned by Italian-American Francesco Galli Zugaro. His passion for expeditionary cruising was forged during years working with a cruise line in the Galapagos Islands and his two South American ships ply the Peruvian Amazon. Many of my fellow guests, who number just 27, have cruised on the Aqua Aria or Aqua Amazon, and have eagerly awaited the new ship’s arrival on the Mekong. She was worth the wait. Designed by Saigon-based architect David Hodkinson and built in shipyards in Singapore, Aqua Mekong is the first five-star vessel on the Mekong, a river that’s increasingly sought after by intrepid travellers. Dressed in the natural tones of polished wood and locally sourced fabrics, the Aqua Mekong is spacious, airy and modern without being flashy. The ship’s 20 Design Suites – eight of which feature private balconies – weigh in at a surprising 30 square

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metres and are minimalist yet welcoming, with plush twin daybeds wreathing French door-styled windows, addictively good king-size beds and walk-in rain showers. It’s also the little touches that go a long way, from the Nespresso coffee machine and built-in USB connectivity to the complimentary wi-fi service and a triple-fold turndown service that makes coming back from excursions a dream. For the ultimate indulgence, interconnecting suites may be booked together to create private living rooms and multiple bedrooms. Despite its expeditionary credentials, modern touches extend throughout the Aqua Mekong, from the bar on the top deck, with its collection of small-batch rums and inventive evening cocktails, to the plunge pool perched above the bow and the intimate day spa. A crew ratio of 1:1 and a menu created by Michelinstarred chef David Thompson, who regularly joins the ship, ensure this is no simple river meander. Early the next morning, we depart the ship on the modern skiffs that had 108 brought us from the pier outside Siem Reap. These powerful vessels – the only ones of their kind on the lake – are a signature of the Aqua experience and offer guests a chance to explore deep within this unique aquatic landscape. Loaded with cameras and Aqua water thermoses – one of many green initiatives created by the company – we set off, bound for the flooded forests of the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, a fundamental component of the Unesco-recognised Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve that encompasses Cambodia’s Great Lake. Regarded as the single most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for many threatened waterbird species, the sanctuary covers an impressive 31,282 hectares in the lake’s northwest corner and is the perfect first excursion for Aqua Mekong’s newest guests. The company has entered into a partnership with the sanctuary’s research station that allows the ship to use its own skiffs rather than the station’s rather dubious options. The Mercury engines of the skiffs run almost silently, and we cruise through the flooded landscape with breaths caught as we spy flocks of great egrets and Indian shags. Atop trees slowly dying from their

guano, Oriental darters parade before us, their outstretched wings drying in the sun, while squadrons of giant pelicans patrol above, their expansive wingspan allowing them to glide high above the flooded vista with ease. Under one large water-wreathed tree, we chat with three poachers-turned-rangers; the sanctuary is home to many endangered species, and hunters who once preyed on the migratory visitors now protect them at 36 ranger stations. Armed with rifles and radios, and perched in tree houses for days at a time, the rangers maintain passage through the sanctuary, guarding the many species passing through the submerged forests, especially during the dry season when numbers of birds are highest. We keep one eye on the trees and another at their base in search of elusive Siamese crocodiles. In the afternoon, as the heat of the day begins to ebb, we set out again, this time bound for one of the lake’s many floating villages. In the tiny village of Kampong Khleang, children and adults alike glide through mirror-like waters on traditional long boats, leaving lingering wakes that wash against homes perched on pontoons. Fish farming is a core business on the lake and each simple home is attached to netted tanks of thrashing catfish. We head on, navigating by line of sight and GPS through the labyrinth of treetops that reach over eight metres from the lakebed. Pure white herons burst from the foliage and into a sky that’s vivid blue as the floating village of Moat Kla emerges from a sea of green trees and reflected clouds, excited children rushing to doorways and waving frantically as we, among the first foreigners they’ve seen, cruise by. Dusk begins to stretch across the sky as our pair of skiffs, a makeshift convoy of local boats in our wake, beeline for the village’s tiny floating temple, where a wizened old monk and three novices greet us with a blessing chant that dances across the water. It’s nothing short of magical. The inclusive excursions, combined with the comforts of the most modern ship on Asia’s rivers, make Aqua Expeditions unique. During the four-day itinerary, we visit floating and stilted communi-

ties, some thriving towns and intimate, isolated villages; we visit families that have crafted silver and silk for generations, and are welcomed into homes to experience life on the lake first-hand. In Chnok Tru, I watch as massive ice blocks are shredded at a floating ice factory, and as homes and stores are formed into convoys to be repositioned in deeper water. In tiny Koh Oknha Tey, we visit a local school and take turns to donate stationery supplies and sing with the children, and amongst the palm plantations of Kampong Chhnang, we watch Angkorian pottery re-spun and sip palm nectar in the shade. It’s cultural immersion with creature comforts. Of course, it’s no hardship returning each evening to cocktail hour in the lounge and David Thompson’s stunning cuisine in the ship’s intimate dining room. Famed for being awarded the first-ever Michelin star for a restaurant serving Southeast Asian cuisine, at Nahm in Bangkok, Thompson serves up delectable dishes on the Aqua Mekong as sharing platters, the daily changing menus laced with signature favourites, from river prawns with tamarind and palm sugar served on betel leaves, to sticky ribs, green papaya salad and fiery coconut laksa. Locally sourced ingredients, including Khmer Kampot black pepper, Mekong River catfish and prawns, and fruit from the markets of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, ensure brilliant flavour combinations and insightful cuisine throughout our cruise, even if a few passengers had their palates – and spice tolerance – tested. And then, each evening, it’s back to the lounge or one of two outdoor decks, to watch fisherman lure their catch with green florescent bar lights that sway in the evening breeze, and to listen as silence cascades across the Great Lake once more. The Flight Fly from Jakarta to Phnom Penh with Garuda Indonesia www.garuda-indonesia.com The Cruise A four-night downriver itinerary is priced from US$3,500 per person, inclusive of all meals, selected beverages, transfers, excursions and internet access. www.aquaexpeditions.com

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WHERE TO EAT

Fine Style Enjoy the finest dining experiences at the best restaurants as selected by MAXX-M. Text by Dennis Latif and Grace Solarbesain Photos by Philip Kwok and Bluefin, The Chedi Sakala, Bali, Lyon

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European Fusion

The Chedi Sakala, Bali Jl. Pratama 95 Tanjung Benoa – Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia Phone. +62 361 775 216 www.ghmhotels.com/en/sakala

Dining at The Chedi Sakala, Bali is an award-winning experience from the start. Perched on the captivating sandscape of Tanjung Benoa beach in Nusa Dua, overlooking the Indian Ocean, Sakala Bali achieved instant recognition for the contemporary French cooking of Chef Frédéric Boulay. The freshest local produce and relaxed beach ambience make this venue, open to the public, an island-

wide favourite. Sakala Bali is my favourite restaurant; I had a wonderful dinner at this contemporary European fine-dining restaurant. My five-course menu featured foie gras and delectable Wagyu beef, all artistically presented. My favourite was the chocolate plate, with seven kinds of chocolate, all delicious. Sakala Bali is a must-try restaurant in Nusa Dua.

The Best Shiro

One Eleven Pangkung Sari No 3 Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia Phone. +62 361 731343 www.111resorts.com

A Charming Lyon

Lyon Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta Jl. M.H. Thamrin Jakarta – Indonesia Phone. +62 21 2993 8824 www.mandarinoriental.com/jakarta As I enter Lyon at Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta I feel the elegant atmosphere spread over me. Every last detail has been carefully thought out to ensure the ultimate fine-dining experience for each guest.

Eastern Fusions Bluefin Japanese Fusion Lounge Complex Kuta Sidewalk Jl. Kartika Plaza Kuta - Bali - Indonesia Phone. +6231 764 100 www.restaurant-bali.com/bluefin Bluefin restaurant is located right on a main street in Kuta, Bali’s thriving tourist district, so it’s easy to find. Keep an eye open for a modern-looking Japanese restaurant in blue and black with two teppanyaki counters out front. As soon as I entered, a friendly waitress welcomed me and asked whether I wanted to sit outside near the two counters or inside be-

One of the best things about One Eleven resort in Seminyak, Bali, is Shiro Sushi/ Sake Bar. Located on the second floor of One Eleven, this Japanese restaurant welcomes guests with modern nuances and minimalist decor that combine to create a calm, relaxing ambience. One of the unique features of Shiro Sushi/Sake Bar is the walls made from complex wooden blocks placed at various levels. I had dinner here, enjoying some truly great food. I loved the shiro sushi and the crème brulee served with fresh fruit made for an unforgettable dessert. I will certainly visit this restaurant again the next time I am in Seminyak.

For a starter, I choose the delicious Hokkaido sea scallop with baerii sturgeon caviar, pan-seared foie gras and perfectly cooked escargot. It is the perfect opening salvo to the main course, coq au vin, chicken cooked with mushrooms, onions and a light gravy. The second course is the fresh Tasmanian salmon fillet with green peas and wild mushrooms. But my favourite is the premium black angus steak au poivre. The steak is juicy and meltes in my mouth. Dessert is fresh red berries with whipped cream and amazingly delicious profiteroles with cocoa nibs of ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. If you want the best of French cuisine, Lyon will tame your cravings.

tween another teppanyaki counter and a small lounge. I had the dragon roll sushi as a starter. It was delicious. For the main course I chose the Australian tenderloin steak, marbled beef cooked perfectly in teriyaki sauce, giving it a tender and juicy texture, and served with slices of broccoli, fresh enoki and shimeji mushrooms with sauteed potatoes. For dessert I had the tempura ice cream, a unique blend of fried vanilla ice cream, served with peanuts, bread and delicious chocolate sauce, a perfect ending to my wonderful dining experience. Bluefin restaurant offers a peaceful ambience inside and plenty of activity outside, as tourists stroll past in their beach outfits.

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Phlegmatic

People with this temperament tend to be thoughtful, reasonable, calm, patient, caring and tolerant. They have a rich inner life, seek a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and are content with themselves. They tend to be steadfast and consistent in their habits, and thus are steady and faithful friends.

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Across the Roof of the World to Pangong Lake:

A Journey in Ladakh Ladakh is many things to many people: an adventure playground for trekkers; a place for cultural tourists to sample the traditions of an age-old community; a richly spiritual land for those intrigued and drawn by the rhythms and complexities of Buddhism; and above all a destination for anyone impressed by dramatic landscapes. Text and Photos by Tim Hannigan

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he smooth strip of road winds away across a vast, empty landscape. In the distance iron-coloured slopes rise to jagged ridges; beyond the village tawny brown hillsides descend towards a narrow gorge, and above everything arcs a huge sky. There is a sharp breeze from the southeast. It snatches at the threadbare prayer flags of the thousand-year-old monastery and sets a copper bell, hanging from the thatched eaves of the main hall, ringing into the surrounding silence. Alpine choughs with glossy black wings twist and tumble in the cold updrafts.

air after the steep climb from the road, then begin my clockwise circuit of the monastery, spinning the prayer wheels set into the masonry as I go.

I am 3,390 metres above sea level, looking out from the upper terraces of Lamayuru Gompa, a remote Buddhist monastery in the wilderness of western Ladakh. The monastery, perched on an outcrop of toothy rock, and the little village of whitewashed houses that cling barnaclelike to the slopes below, are adrift in a vast and empty landscape that extends for hundreds of kilometres in all directions. I catch my breath in the thin, clear

Barren mountains rise above windscoured valleys where bone-white monasteries cling to sheer cliffs, and where villages huddle in stands of glacier-fed poplar and willow trees. All of Ladakh, including its main town, Leh, lies more than 3,000 metres above sea level.

Ladakh lies at the most north-westerly tip of India, hard against the Chinese border, and riding on the backs of the more accessible mountain regions of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. This is a land apart. Cut off from the monsoon weather systems of the Indian subcontinent by the full might of the Himalayas, little rain or snow falls here.

This extreme altitude long kept this mountain fastness isolated from the rest of India and the rest of the world. It still does.

There are only two roads into Ladakh – one across the stomach-churning Zoji La Pass from Kashmir and another south to Himachal Pradesh through even wilder country. Winter snows keep both of these roads closed for much of the year. Although the Indian government first allowed foreign travellers into Ladakh in the 1970s, those rough, tough roads long kept it the preserve of hardy backpackers prepared to endure the bone-shaking two-day bus ride from Manali during the brief summer season. But reaching Ladakh is much easier than it once was. The short flight from Delhi to Leh – served regularly by Indian Airlines, Kingfisher, Jet and others – is one of the most spectacular on earth. You can breakfast on parathas and chai in the steaming heat of the plains, then head for the airport, cross the full breadth of the Himalayas and settle down to Tibetan-style butter tea and momos for lunch in a hotel on the roof of the world.

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I have chosen to enter Ladakh the dramatic, old-fashioned way – by road from Kashmir – and my first stop is the tiny village of Lamayuru. The monastery here is the oldest in Ladakh. Buddhism first spread north from India across the mountains towards China some time in the first millennium. It put down strong roots in the chilly world of the Tibetan plateau – of which Ladakh is a part – mixing with the indigenous Bon religion of these uplands to create the unique character of Tibetan Buddhism, with its lamas, prayer wheels and gompas, and its wild whorl of demons and protector deities. I am shown around the monastery’s silent chambers, with their bright murals, smoke-darkened silks and offering-scattered altars, by a young monk called Tashi. He tells me the monastery was built by the great Buddhist missionary Rinchen Zangpo, who spread the faith throughout the western parts of Tibet. Today the place is home to about 200 monks, drawn from villages all over Ladakh. Once Tashi has left me I am alone in the wind beneath the snapping prayer flags. Each flag is stamped with a Buddhist mantra, and each time it flaps in the wind its prayer is carried heavenwards. From Lamayuru I journey on eastwards into the Ladakhi heartland. Although the region is part of India today, it was not always that way. For many centuries Ladakh was ruled from Tibet; later it was an independent kingdom. It was only in 1834 that it was annexed by the Hindu ruler of Jammu, bringing it into the Indian sphere of influence for the first time. But the culture of Ladakh remains more closely tied to Lhasa than to Srinagar or Delhi. The religion, the language and the landscape here is Tibetan, and for many visitors to Ladakh that is its biggest attraction. After a stopover in the little village of Alchi, with its poplar-lined irrigation channels, ancient monastery and rows of bright brass prayer wheels, I continue east along the banks of the Indus. This river is the backbone of Ladakh, enter-

ing the region from across the Chinese border and continuing west to the Pakistani frontier. Following the Indus I arrive in Leh, the capital of Ladakh and a place that mixes creature comforts with age-old colour, where there is fine food, top-notch accommodation and air links to the outside world, but where more than a whiff of the romance of the Silk Route and the days of camel caravans still lingers. Leh was always a crossroads. It grew up as a junction on the trading routes between Kashmir, Tibet, India and Central Asia. A century ago long trains of loaded mules, yaks and twin-humped Bactrian camels regularly struggled into town under loads of Chinese silk, Indian tea and Tibetan shawl wool. The caravan trade is no more, but there is still a buzz about the town with international travellers from all corners of the world mixing in the old quarter’s maze of mud-walled alleys with monks from nearby monasteries, Kashmiri salesmen and nomadic Drokpa tribesmen. A rugged, prayer flag-strewn fortress rises over the streets. The city is home to the best accommodation on the Tibetan Plateau. A far cry from the days when Yarkandi camel-men bedded down in the caravanserais of the old bazaar, the outlying suburb of Changspa – a mesh of quiet, poplar-shaded lanes – has some excellent accommodation. Hotel Omasila is a boutique hideaway that has its own brand of “Ladakh style,” with traditional murals on the walls and fine views from its flower-filled terrace. There’s good food in some surprisingly sophisticated little eateries, tucked down these same lanes – from hearty Tibetan staples like momo (meat or vegetablefilled pasta dumplings) and thukpa (thick noodle soup) to cakes and cappuccinos that you wouldn’t normally expect to find 3,500 metres above sea level. Leh is also the first stop for those who come looking for spiritual solace in Ladakh. There are yoga and meditation courses, Buddhist retreats and Ayurvedic treatment centres amongst the poplars

and willows. I am looking for my own soul food out in the wilderness beyond the town. Across the Indus Valley the long white line of the Stok Kangri Mountains rises; north across the Khardung Pass is the upland desert of the Nubra Valley. But I am heading for somewhere even more remote – on the far side of a dizzying pass, running right across the Tibetan border, is the long turquoise lozenge of Pangong Lake. I set out from Leh, stopping at more ancient monasteries to see monks performing morning puja ceremonies with conch shell horns and clanging gongs, and then I cross the 5,289-metre Chang La Pass. This is the third-highest motorable pass in the world. I am travelling in comfort in a hired jeep with some fellow travellers from Mumbai, but the air is so thin at the top that we are all left feeling faint. On the other side it’s a long descent through a stark, fractured landscape of tumbled boulders, sharp ridges and steep scree slopes. Wild horses watch us from the roadside; plump marmots peer from their burrows or lounge on smooth rocks in the thin sunlight. And then the lake appears, and we all draw a breath. The colour is intense in the sharp light, turquoise in the shallows, deepening to a rich lapis lazuli blue further out. A breeze is blowing and flocks of delicate white water birds crowd the shores. I leave my companions huddling over tea and soup at a simple lakeside café and scramble up the mountainside. The lake, a narrow strip of salty water, runs 130 kilometres away to the east, crossing an international frontier. The conspiratorial cluster of white mountains I can see rising in the far distance lie deep inside Chinese Tibet. It is a staggeringly beautiful place, and a suitable culmination for my journey through the stark wilderness of Ladakh. I button my jacket against the wind, close my eyes and listen to the sound of silence.

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Beyond the Palace Walls Yogyakarta is the living, beating heart of Javanese culture. Antonius Martono shares with us some of the city’s best secrets. Photos by Satya Budi Widagdo

ost people who visit Yogyakarta explore Jalan Malioboro and the Sultan’s Palace. But there is a lot more to this city, including Vredeburg Fortress and the ancient path around the former palace that once served as the front line in the Javanese’s defence against the expansion of Western culture. I recently made my second visit to the city of my ancestors after staying away for 10 years, and had the chance to explore the real Yogyakarta. Truly Javanese To know the Javanese and to know Yogyakarta, Kota Gede is a good place to begin. Located southeast of Yogyakarta is an archaeological site that contains the remains of the Kraton, the Royal Graveyard and Royal Mosque of Mataram. The site dates back to the late 1500s and early 1600s. In high Javanese, the site is called Pasar Gedhe. As I had expected, there was not much to see of the Kraton, or Royal Palace, at the

site. My father and grandfather used to tell me that there was nothing there anymore but local legends and tales about the palace. While the mosque and the graveyard (the precursor to Imogiri, the current royal graveyard) were quite intact, only a few sections of the original palace walls remained.

of Panembahan Senopati (the founder of the Mataram Kingdom) is located. A small gravestone covered in white fabric marks the resting place of one of Senopati’s grandsons, Prince Martapura, who is my ancestor and who held the throne of Java for less than a month. Royal Bath in the City of Culture

The ancient palace began to fall in disrepair when the centre of power shifted from Yogyakarta to Kartasura, near modern Surakarta. It further lost political and cultural significance after Imogiri became the royal cemetery for the sultan and his family. The remains of the Royal Graveyard in Kota Gede provide evidence of the past glory of the area. Graves trace the lines of connection from the Mataram Kingdom and earlier kingdoms, and the placement of the graves can be considered a physical representation of silsilah, or the genealogy of the rulers. Although it is guarded and maintained by juru kunci (literally, keepers of the keys), I was able to gain access to the sacred inner part of the graveyard, where the mausoleum

The identity of Yogyakarta has changed over the years as it has played different roles in Indonesian history and social life. For years, Yogyakarta was known as the “City of Education” and the “City of Culture.” Recently, Yogyakarta was named by the United Nations as one of 88 historical cities around the world, including Kyoto, Paris and London. It was the only city in Indonesia to receive the honour. To this day, the Kraton plays a major role preserving Javanese culture and traditions. When I visited the Royal Palace, preparations were being made to welcome visitors with a traditional dance. The palace itself is a veritable treasure.

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trove of ancient artefacts that point to the origins of Javanese culture. Most visitors head straight for the Prambanan and Borobudur temple complexes, but I preferred to explore the heritage in the city itself. My first stop was Taman Sari. This was part of the royal gardens and was called the Water Castle. Built in the 18th century, it served a number of functions, including as a workshop, meditation area, defensive area and a secret retreat. It also represents the modern history of Java since it was built during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, three years after the great Mataram Kingdom split

according to the Giyanti Agreement. Few people know that Taman Sari was built on top of the former royal palace, Pesanggrahan Garjitawati. It is very interesting that Taman Sari combines European and original Javanese architectural styles. The completion of Taman Sariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction was marked by a relief that shows birds drinking the nectar from flowery trees. It symbolizes the year 1691 on the Javanese calendar, or 1765 on the Gregorian calendar. Taman Sari can be divided into four areas. The first is the artificial lake, Segaran, located in the west. The second area is a bathing complex to the south of the lake, called Umbul Binangun. The third area, now completely gone, was the Pasarean

Ledok Sari and Garjitawati Pool, located to the south of the bathing complex. The fourth area extends far to the east and to the southeast complex of Magangan. Today, the area around the Taman Sari complex is filled with the houses of the 2,700 residents of Kampung Taman. The community is known for producing batik and traditional paintings.

Crossing the City Wall Looking for the origins of traditional Javanese houses, I drove back to Kota Gede, hoping that the ancient city would reveal its mysteries to me.

The only well-preserved building in the area that may reflect Javanese architectural traditions is Sekar Kedhaton. The small building is beautiful, covered in ornaments that carry their own unique legends. The building was originally owned by Prawiro Soewarno, whose name will not be unfamiliar to Yogyakartaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bon viveurs, having gained a reputation as a jeweller to Javanese aristocrats and the royal family. Sekar Kedhaton is a treasure trove of artefacts from Yogyakartaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinguished past. The establishment includes a twostorey restaurant and lounge. The ground floor is decorated in traditional Javanese style and houses the restaurant, as well as playing host to elegant rijsttafel ser-

vice, that stately colonial dining experience. The second floor is the luxurious lounge, where wine and other beverages are available. The second floor also provides access to the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President Room, with its sweeping views over Kota Gede. But Sekar Kedhaton, of course, is not a traditional Javanese house in the strictest sense. I was told to drive north to Kudus, where I could find a well-preserved joglo, or traditional Javanese house. The house in Kudus is an antique knockdown house designed using solid teak and ornamented with beautiful traditional carvings and elevated floors. It was built based on the three necessities

of life, according to Javanese tradition: food, clothing and shelter. All these appear in the different parts of the house. The best of the traditional houses were three independent constructions, each with its own roof, and together they formed one whole. The three parts were the Pendopo, in which visitors were received, the Pringgitan, a narrow passage to the back of the house, and the Dalem (ageng), the private space for the family. What I had planned as simply a fun journey to Yogyakarta turned out to be an enlightening trip back into the past, which opened my eyes to the majesty of Javanese culture.

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WHERE TO STAY

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Heaven on Earth Sunsets at Raja Ampat are so beautiful that it almost seems you are looking through the gates of heaven. Text by A.J. |Photos by Joni Iskandar

‘The night skies here are brilliantly lit by the moon and stars, a cool sea breeze lulling the senses. I forgot the last time I could count the stars. It is a rare opportunity to escape the busy world and just disappear for a spell. That is exactly what you get at Papua Paradise, an escape to paradise.’

ravelling to me is a form of self-expression. It is highly personal and allows me to extract the feelings and thoughts that may be hidden deep in my soul. Travelling also means to me running towards something, an experience that helps me grow, recharge and dream.

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After travelling to so many places, so many islands, cities and resorts in the last two years, I found paradise in Papua, at Raja Ampat, an area of natural wonder that may be heaven on earth. It is peaceful and tranquil, the answer to the hustle and bustle of the world. I arrived at the airport in Sorong, in West Papua, on an early morning flight from Manado, North Sulawesi, and headed to the port for the two-hour boat ride to paradise. I was staying at Papua Paradise Eco Resort, located on Birie Island, off the northeast coast of Batanta, one of the four main islands in Raja Ampat. This is not just a tropical island surrounded by pristine reefs and unspoilt flora; it’s a slice of heaven for divers and non-divers like me, and of course for honeymooners and nature and adventure lovers. Papua Paradise offers 16 bungalows, all constructed with an unparalleled attention to detail, from the rustic bathrooms to the eco-friendly energy and water system. The resort, managed by Justin and Cheryl Duerden, was designed to be environmentally friendly. All bungalows

were built using natural materials, with timber sourced only from strictly controlled designated forests, under contract with local landowners, and not a single tree was cut down. The resort also uses eco-friendly soaps and cleaning products, and it purchases food and supplies from local vendors. Not only is Papua Paradise environmentally responsible, but it’s also socially responsible. It employs local Papuans and the bungalows and resort buildings feature natural materials sourced locally. All this simplicity comes together to create sophisticated bungalows that offer glorious island views, from sunsets on the terrace watching the baby sharks and stingrays swimming around the bungalows. Papua Paradise is not just for divers. If you are a snorkeler like me, you can still join the friendly staff of Papua Paradise to explore the coral reefs and underwater life, including the majestic manta rays. I slipped into the water and floated above majestic manta rays as they somersaulted, glided and pivoted through the light below. In a truly thrilling experience, three big manta rays swam beside me. After lunch on the jetty, I got back in the water for more snorkelling, drinking in the colourful fish and vibrant coral. Papua Paradise offers a variety of island excursions including trips to Fam Islands. These islands are the very definition of paradise, white limestone cliffs plunging into the sea and ultramarine lagoons

nestled next to monumental pinnacles and untouched beaches. For bird lovers, Papua Paradise offers bird watching expeditions. Visit a neighbouring village at sunset and get ready to spot hornbills and other bird species. Savour the local dishes prepared by the chefs at Papua Paradise restaurant, accompanied by the rhythms of local musicians. The night skies here are brilliantly lit by the moon and stars, a cool sea breeze lulling the senses. I forgot the last time I could count the stars. It is a rare opportunity to escape the busy world and just disappear for a spell. That is exactly what you get at Papua Paradise, an escape to paradise. Would you get on a plane and fly for 20 hours to reach Papua Paradise? If your answer is no, then you will probably never experience heaven on earth. Indeed, people come from all over the world to Papua Paradise to experience the beauty of nature and the peace and tranquillity of Raja Ampat. This is a place you can hear the sound of the ocean, swim with manta rays, watch hornbills and drink in spectacular sunsets. Papua Paradise is a place you must visit before you die. Papua Paradise Eco Resort Birie Island – Raja Ampat West Papua, Indonesia www.papuaparadise.com

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WHERE TO STAY

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Soul of Beloam If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a unique and memorable experience, you must stay at Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp. Text by Grace Solarbesain | Photos courtesy of Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp

eeva Beloam, which means ‘The Soul of Beloam’, is a unique tropical beach camp that allows you to escape the madding crowds. This beautiful and rustic camp is located at the very southern tip of Lombok and faces a private white sand beach. Each thatch, bamboo and wood beruga cabin combines elements of a Lombok hunting camp with eastern Indonesian motifs to create a tranquil and serene Robinson Crusoe tropical experience. Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp is one of the few untouched places in the world where you can truly return to the rhythms of life. All berugas are equipped with a spacious covered terrace and large daybeds, an air-conditioned bedroom and an open-air bathroom. The resort is located in a secluded area of Lombok, two kilometres from Pink Beach and around two hours from the airport. You will be greeted on arrival by friendly and helpful staff, who will look after your every need throughout your stay. In addition to the dedicated service, Jeeva Beloam offers magnificent views, a beautiful beach 128 clear blue skies as far as the eye can see.

Tenda Restaurant Meals at Jeeva Beloam are served in a large open-sided tent that serves as the camp’s restaurant and central gathering area. Tenda Restaurant is located on a large sunbathing deck with views across the Jeeva Beloam cove to Sumbawa and Mount Rinjani behind the dining tent. Tenda offers an open menu for breakfast and lunch consisting of a mix of Western and Asian favourites. The dinner menu changes daily with two to three meal selections at each serving. All seafood dishes are catch of the day with each meal prepared using fresh fish sourced daily from local fishermen. Poultry is raised by local farmers who work closely with Jeeva Beloam to supply eggs and other poultry items on a daily basis, and vegetables are sourced in the nearest local market. Most dinner menus are prepared based on what is freshly available in the market that day. Tenda Restaurant will, as much as possible, accommodate requests by guests for special items or dishes depending upon the availability of ingredients. Tenda will also arrange beach barbecues, campfire roasts and other special meals.

Sleep in a Camp

Fill Your Days

There are 11 cabins, called Beruga Pantai, at Jeeva Beloam. They are traditional camp-style accommodations inspired by and modelled after a traditional Sasak fishing camp. The handmade oceanfront Berugas were built using recycled wood and bamboo, with alang-alang roofs. All Beruga Pantai have unfettered views over Beloam Beach, with its private cove, Alas Strait and the island of Sumbawa. Each Beruga Pantai is exceptionally large, with a total 60 square metres of covered living space providing unexpected comfort within a rugged camping environment. The Beruga Pantais boast a large oversized daybed on the covered terrace. The sleeping area is air-conditioned with a luxurious king-size mosquito-netted bed. A mix of coffees and teas is provided in the room with hot water provided daily. The bathroom and terrace areas are covered but are not fully enclosed. As electric power is limited, air-conditioning is only available in the evening.

There is a fantastic selection of activities at Jeeva Beloam. Each activity offers a unique experience and breathtaking sights.

Swimming Jeeva Beloam is located on a private, sandy - bottomed cove where only the occasional fisherman visits. The cove is enclosed by a steep hill to the northwest and Beloam’s Umang Island to the southeast. Jeeva Beloam’s two white-sand beaches, the north beach and the south beach, are located on the west side of the cove facing Alas Strait and are separated by a rocky headland. Swimming is best off the south beach and on the cove side of Umang Island. The ‘sea pool’, located at the southern end of the north beach, is marked by buoys and is surrounded by nets.

Snorkelling and Diving You can snorkel or dive off the beach in

front of Jeeva Beloam. A variety of colourful tropical fish live in the rock and coral gardens in the southeastern section of the cove in front of Jeeva Beloam and between the south beach and Umang Island. The mixture of sand and coral on the seabed in this area provides an excellent hiding place for fish of all kinds. Tangsi Beach, Semangkuk, Pulau Tiga and Ekas Bay are the best spots to snorkel and dive.

Nature Walk and Trekking On any walk around the Tanjung Ringgit peninsula in the vicinity of Jeeva Beloam you should expect to see a variety of tropical flora and wildlife, including monkeys, monitor lizards and civet cats. You may also meet domesticated goats or water buffalo grazing in the small open meadows around the area. A magnificent view of the sunrise over the mountains of Sumbawa and Alas Strait is just a 10-minute walk away to the top of the headlands on the north side of Jeeva Beloam beach. Around 6am, the morning sun burns off the clouds that surround Lombok’s Mount Rinjani, allowing for spectacular views from Jeeva Beloam of Rinjani’s two cones towering over the landscape. For the more adventurous, a five-kilometre morning trek will take you to the lighthouse and the tip of Tanjung Ringgit, where the sunrise over Alas Strait colours the high cliffs at Air Undur and highlights the full majesty of Mount Rinjani across the calm waters of Teluk Temeak.

Other Activities Biking, relaxing, reading, sunbathing, picnics on deserted beaches, massages and yoga are all available right outside your door. If you want to relax, this is the place. Jeeva Beloam is recommended for anyone looking for a quiet escape and private time to clear away the stresses of the big city. Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp Jl. Pantai Beloam, Tanjung Ringgit Sekaroh – Jerowaru East Lombok, Lombok – Indonesia Phone. +62 370693035

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WHAT TO DO

Underwater Beauty Leave the everyday world behind and escape to the sea. You can rule over your own underwater kingdom of colourful coral and exotic fish. Text by Annisa | Photos courtesy of Indonesian Tourism Authority

Derawan, East Borneo

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Raja Ampat Raja Ampat, or Four Kings, is a bewitching archipelago in the exotic eastern reaches of Indonesia, in West Papuaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sorong regency. The four main islands are Salawati, Misool, Batanta and Waigeo. Raja Ampat is a magical destination of untouched natural beauty. From above it is a blend of blue, green and silver waters, lapping at golden shores. But where it really comes alive is below the water, a kingdom of coral reefs and marine life seen nowhere else on earth. The name Raja Ampat comes from an ancient story about a woman who found four eggs. From the eggs hatched four princes. After they grew up, they became the kings of Salawati, Misool, Batanta and Waigeo islands. Visitors to Raja Ampat are also treated like kings, with a choice of international-standard hotels and resorts such as Raja Ampat Dive Resort, Sorido Bay Resort, Kri Island and more. There are also homestays available for travellers on a limited budget. To reach Raja Ampat, fly to Sorong from Jakarta, Singapore, Manado or Makassar. Flights are offered by a number of airlines including Merpati Airlines, Express Air, Batavia Airlines and Lion Air. From Sorong it is about 70 kilometres by sea to Raja Ampat.

Banda Islands Raja Ampat

The Banda Islands are a group of small volcanic islands floating in the middle of the crystal blue Banda Sea. The area around Neira Island, Volcano Island, Ai Island, Syahrir Island and Hatta Island is a marine park of stunning beauty, with water so clear you can almost gaze down to the seafloor. Banda is in Central Maluku regency. From Ambon city, the area can be reached by ferry. Banda Sea teems with marine life, including 350 species of fish, some so ancient that they almost date back to the time of the dinosaurs. The variety of coral is even more impressive, with 432 different types.

Sengigi Beach

The Banda Islands sit above a trough of water that descends to a depth of

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6,500 metres. It is an underwater paradise where divers will come face-to-face with Mandarin fish, Napoleon fish and so much more. And when you are tired of the sea, as if that were possible, explore the islands, which have gorgeous beaches and some of the oldest heritage buildings in Indonesia. Getting to Banda takes some planning and transportation is not available every day. The first step is to fly into Ambon with Merpati Airlines, which usually has flights on Wednesday and Friday. But the schedule is known to change and flights do get cancelled, so call ahead before you leave for the airport. Derawan Islands The Derawans are a string of golden green islands that lie shimmering off the coast of East Kalimantan. One of the largest islands is Derawan, which gives the archipelago its name. Derawan can be reached from Balikpapan by plane. The 132 flight takes about an hour and be aware that you will be in a small plane. If travelling through Samarinda, take a ship to Tarakan Island and then to Cape Redeb. The trip takes about two hours but is extremely pleasant, with great sea views and the chance to spot fish. Derawan has a sandy, shallow lagoon that is overgrown with coral and seaweed. There are a number of popular dive spots in the area, including the Channel Entrance, Coral Gardens, Turtle Town, Sandy Ridge, Manta Run, Sherwood Forest, Manta Parade, Manta Avenue, Eel Ridge, Lighthouse and The Rockies. Just imagine taking the plunge and finding yourself swimming with a school of manta rays. Sangalaki is another island in the chain and is a natural paradise. There are mangrove forests, coral reefs and more. This is a world of natural wonder, and you can spot plenty of protected wildlife, including green turtles, hawksbill turtles,

barracudas, dolphins and even whales. To reach the Derawans, fly to Tarakan and then head to Berau on the mainland. From Berau to Derawan you will cruise along the Berau River, the main artery in the area for moving goods and people. You will float through mangrove forests that teem with monkeys, snakes and more. It will take about an hour to get past the mangrove and then head out to sea towards the Derawans. Derawan Island has a choice of accommodation, including Derawan Dive Resort, Maratua Paradise Resort and Nabucco Island Resort. If you are looking for something a bit more rustic, try Losmen Family. Bunaken Island Bunaken has become almost synonymous with scuba diving. Bunaken is located off the northern tip of the island of Sulawesi, and is part of the municipality of Manado. Bunaken National Marine Park extends over an area of 890 square kilometres, of which only 3 per cent is land, including Bunaken Island, as well as the islands of Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are up to 1,566 metres deep in Manado Bay, with temperatures ranging between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius. The area is famed for the diversity of its underwater life, including coral, fish and sponges. There are even giant clams that you can spot if you are lucky. The southern tip of Bunaken Island is crescent shaped and the waters just offshore are a magnet for free-swimming larvae. There is just so much marine life to explore, and you might even come face-to-face with a gobie fish, with its great, bulging eyes. Bunaken National Marine Park is just a kilometre or so from Manado city. From Manado’s port you can catch a speed-

boat, which depart fairly regularly. Accommodation is not a problem with a choice of hotels and resorts, including Bunaken Beach Resort, Lorenso Cottages Bunaken and Bunaken Sea Garden Resort. Wakatobi Islands In Southeast Sulawesi are the Wakatobi islands. The main islands in this marine park are Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko. There is also a sprinkling of smaller islands like Tokobao, Hoga, Tolandono, North Lintea, South Lintea and Kampenaune. Wangi-Wangi is the largest of the islands, covering about 150 square kilometres. “Wangi-Wangi” means fragrant and the name comes from the many cloves on the island. Wakatobi features a cluster of colourful coral reefs. There are at least 25 groups, including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls. This is a snorkeler’s paradise and whole days can be spent gliding over the surface of the water, drinking in all the colours. Wakatobi is at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the greatest collection of coral in the world. There are 942 marine species and coral reef to be found in the Wakatobi islands. The diving here is good all year, but the weather is particularly gorgeous between April and December. To reach Wakatobi in the past required travelling to Makassar or Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi, by plane or ferry. Then you had to catch another plane or ferry to Bau-Bau before making the final jump to Wakatobi. But now there’s Matahora Airport on Wangi-Wangi Island. Susi Air has 10 flights a week between Kendari and Wakatobi, and the flight only takes about 45 minutes. Once there you can stay at the Wakatobi Dive Resort, Patuno Resort Wakatobi or any of the homestays operated by residents.

Papua Barat, Raja Ampat EXOTIC BEACHES Clear blue water and snowy white sand. Fresh sea breezes and tropical sun. Enjoy the sun, sand and sea at these stunning beaches. Kelayar Beach Though it is located in Kalak village, just 35 kilometres from Pacitan, East Java, Kelayar Beach remains a hidden gem. Maybe so few people have heard about it because reaching Kelayar is something of a journey, up and down the hills on a road that could generously be called rough. But the effort is well worth it. The name Kelayar comes from the Javanese “Kluyae Kluyur,” meaning a love for travelling. Kelayar Beach is a rare bit of unspoilt nature in Java, a little sandy oasis. Tikus Beach The rather alarming name of this beach, which is Indonesian for Mouse Beach, belies the beauty of the place. Located in BangkaBelitung, Tikus Beach is surrounded by steep hills that protect its fine white sand. The sand is dotted with large rocks, some in the most surprising of shapes, and the water is so blue it is almost blinding. Senggigi Beach

Wakatobi Island

Sure, Mount Rinjani on Lombok Island is nice, but nothing beats Senggigi Beach. Located about 12 kilometres from Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara, Senggigi is an unspoilt paradise for beach lovers. You can go swimming, snorkelling or diving, or just lie out in the sun, a book by your side. And when you work up the energy, check out Batu Bolong Temple, built high up in the surrounding cliffs. According to myth, they used to make sacrifices at the temple, human or otherwise. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes near the strand serving up a true taste of Lombok, and you can even exercise your shopping muscles at the stands selling souvenirs, pearls and woven fabrics.

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Tanjung Marthafons Beach Tanjung Marthafons, or Martha Alfons, is located opposite the city of Ambon in the Maluku Islands. Tanjung Marthafons has plenty of unique charm with the sloping sandy banks that provide cover if you want to hide out and get away from it all. And if you visit at the right time you just might catch some traditional boat races. Parangtritis Beach For a little big-wave action in Java, check out Parangtritis Beach. The beach is in Bantul regency, about 25 kilometres from the royal city of Yogyakarta. The water here is blue and warm, but you wouldn’t expect anything less from the Indian Ocean. And if you get tired of the beach, just opposite it you can find some sulphur springs. Afternoon before sunset is the best time to visit Yogyakarta’s most popular beach, but don’t expect to get the place to yourself. And climb up Gembirawati cliff behind the beach for a gorgeous view over the whole area.

Pantai Kelayar, Pacitan

WHERE TO EAT

The Most Beautiful View There is nothing more perfect than a great meal accompanied by a magnificent view. We pick our favourite restaurants for a meal with a view. Text by Grace Solarbesain and Dennis Latif Photos courtesy of Arumdalu Private Resort, Bridges, and Rizky Ade

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Blue Horizon Arumdalu Private Resorts Jl. Arumdalu, Desa Batu Lubang Membalong – Belitung Phone. +62 816 807 389 www.arumdalubelitung.com

My favourite spot in Belitung to enjoy food with a view is Sahang Beachfront Café and Resto. The seafood here is amazing, rivalled only by the beach views. There is powdery white sand, turquoise water and towering granite stones, all within sight of your table. It is incredible, and sunset from here is just wow. ‘Sahang’ means pepper in the Belitung language and the restaurant serves

a fusion cuisine that combines international, Chinese and local Belitung flavours. Sahang Beachfront Café and Resto only uses the freshest produce, ensuring that guests enjoy an authentic taste of Belitung. Enjoy your meal with a signature mocktail while enjoying the irresistible beachfront view at Sahang Beachfront Café and Resto.

River View Bridges Jl. Campuhan Ubud – Bali (next to Museum Antonio Blanco) Phone. +62 361 970095 www.bridgesbali.com

Bridges, in Ubud, Bali, pulls off the enviable feat of being a casual fine-dining restaurant, serving delicacies from Asia and the West. When I arrived, I had the pleasure of being seated at table with a view. Mr. Claude, the owner of Bridges, said my table was an absolute guest favourite. I could see why as I gazed out at Campuhan Bridge, drank in the relaxing

sound of the gurgling Wos River and took in the lush greenery of the valley. It was so romantic and comfortable, but Mr. Claude said the atmosphere and the view were even more magnificent and romantic at night. I loved the light wood hues that dominate the décor of Bridges, giving it a casual yet luxurious feel. All the food is served with love and is as deli-

cious as it is gorgeous. Bridges is also the only wine bar in Ubud. Divine, Bridges’ cellar, sells a wide variety of wines. You can enjoy Divine every day from 4-7pm and Fridays from 4-8pm. If you are in Ubud and looking for a beautiful spot with great food, Bridges is the place. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Javanese Touch Abhayagiri Restaurant and Banquet Service Dusun Sumberwatu Sambirejo Prambanan – Sleman Yogyakarta Phone. +62 274 4469277 www.sumberwatuheritage.com

Located at a height of 196 metres above sea level, Abhayagiri is a fine-dining restaurant with traditional touches and amazing views of Prambanan and Sojiwan temples. ‘Abhayagiri’ means a ‘vihara (temple) on a peaceful hill’. True to its name, the moment I stepped into the property, I experienced a sudden feeling of serenity and peace. The design of the restaurant is truly Javanese, with a joglo-style building and batik ornamen-

tation, all surrounded by emerald green paddy fields. Abhayagiri is part of Sumberwatu Heritage, a luxury resort with several exclusive villas. It is said that the interior of the restaurant and resort are modelled after temples in the area. The furniture and decor reflect the reliefs on Prambanan and Ratu Boko temples, as wells as legends from the Ramayana. The restaurant’s interior is like a gallery dedicated to the arts of Yogyakarta. There

is locally sourced furniture, Kasongan pottery, unique tiles and batik. The food at Abhayagiri is a combination of local ingredients and international flavours, all carefully prepared by the chef, which means it is not only delicious but also attractively presented. One of the unique drinks here is fermented sparkling ginger, which tastes a bit like soda and gets its fizz from the fermented ginger.

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PROFILE

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Love what You Do Melida Weber a General Manager at MESA Hotels and Resorts share her great experiences working in hospitality industry to Grace Solarbesain Photos by Dimas Soeyana Can you share with us about you and your background?

level you are, everyone wants to get a good service. That is why I Love it.

What do you find out the nice working in Messa Hotel?

I was born in Indonesia and when I was 3 months I was adopted by German family who life in Indonesia and still life in Indonesia. After gratuated from high school in Jakarta, I went to University in America, and worked in my first Hotel also in Amerika for two and half years after that I worked in a lot of places like Caribbean, Maldives, Thailand, and brought me to back to Bali about 5 years ago and 4 years ago I started working for this company as General Manager at The Edge Bali by Mesa Hotel and Resorts, and now I am in Jakarta working as General Manager of Mesa

From your perspective, what are the differences between hospitality in Bali and in Jakarta?

I like it the philosophy behind it, I like the fact that they developing project in Pulau Seribu, and the challenging working with different properties because each strategy has to be different, and the brand itself is so very Indonesia.

After you are in Jakarta, what are the differences you see between Jakarta and Bali? It was very big different, I think Jakarta is becoming a very develop city, and It has become develop city since I was here in 1976 until 1994, it is busy city; it is great city for young, and metropolitan people. I prefer Bali because Bali is more lifestyle, resort, people come to holiday while hotel in Jakarta is business hotel. In Bali if the day off you can go to the beach easy, in Jakarta if you want to beach, Ancol for example, you need a day to arrive there. Beside that there are many beaches that I love in Bali then in Jakarta. Why do you love working in hospitality industry? Because not a single day is the same, in hotel you are dealing with 3 very important factors. You dealing with guest, with staff, and you dealing with the owner and Management Company, and all the 3 aspect never ever give you boring experiences. I think there is something in hospitality that will not change, not for you not for me, that is, People always want to be treated well, it is no matter what

In Bali we are dealing with guest in leisure level, in Jakarta you are dealing with business hotel, so the approaches are different. People still want to get service but manage a resort guest is must different than business. As a General Manager, you will always lead people. And In your opinion, do you think managing people is difficult? No, it is fantastic. It is more interesting part of any job, like managing them, guide them, coaching them, and training them. I think it is easy to do somebody job for them then to teach them how to do their job by themselves. Teaching them to think, to have an opinion, to disagree, you know that it is not necessary something Indonesian do, they don’t like to disagree but it is good to questions and improve because if you do not question you can not improve them. That all so interesting. As a woman and as a General Manager, is it difficult for you? I do not think it is difficult, I think people choose in life to success whether you are woman, whether you are short, or maybe fat it doesn’t important. Sometimes people think being a woman and general manager is more difficult because woman has lot of emotion, had more temperamental but if you deal with people fairly it doesn’t matter you are man or woman. People just want to be treat fairly, if they realize that they treat fair and we do not necessary how the emotionally unstable, they will happy to work with you No matter what level. Do you have to work hard as woman I think so.

What is the biggest challenging you face? I think the challenging is how to manage 3 properties well. Because Grand Kemang is very successful hotel, MesaStila is very successful experience which surrounding by natural, and The Edge Bali concern in wedding. The challenging is make sure people know about the 3 properties. Do you enjoy?

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Yes I enjoy. You have to love what you do and you will never work a day in your life Do you think, you are a successful woman now? I have still a long way to go. I am on the way to being success, it is depend on how you measure success, I am happy with what I am going and I know that I can be more successful What is a meaning of success for you?

Success means happy, not just in my carrier but also in my life. I want lead people in the good direction, and I want to be a direction to people who work with me, so I don’t thing a success is whether you are GM, or CEO but how you are satisfied with your self. Do you have any favourite travel destination in Indonesia? I like to go anywhere. Indonesia is amazing.

PROFILE

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Passion, Respect and Commitment Philippe Le Bourhis, General Manager of Pullman Jakarta Indonesia, spoke with Dennis Latif about his passion for hospitality and the newest upscale icon in Jakarta, Pullman Jakarta Indonesia. Text by Dennis Latif | Photos courtesy of Pullman Jakarta Indonesia

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you get into the hospitality industry? Actually, it started as a young child, when I dreamed of becoming a chef. When I was 7 years old, I liked to help my mom in the kitchen and the passion continued until I was 12 years old and I started to work at my aunt’s restaurant. Then I went to hospitality school and I have been involved in the hospitality industry ever since. From working in the kitchen to working and learning about hotel management, but my first love was in the kitchen and to become a chef. What quality should people have to work in the hospitality industry? First things first, of course, we have to be passionate. Hospitality has a very nice working environment, but it is a very demanding industry. Every day in our job we have to be at our best, respectful and friendly to other people, in a good mood at all times, otherwise we could not perform our duties properly. So, I would say, the qualities that people should have in this industry are passion, respect, commitment and consistency. You simply cannot be good one day and not good the next. How do you pick the right person for the right job? We look at the personality and the attitude. I always say recruit the attitude and then train them. We are looking for people who really want to take care of people, rather than people who only do it for the sake of a job. People who don’t have

a passion for the job will become easily frustrated in this industry. This can be a tough job. How do you stay motivated? My best motivation is the fact that I really like what I do. I have a passion for what I do, in the food and beverages division and for hotel management in general. In my experience, you stay at one property for several years and then move to another property to expand your experience and to implement what you have learned. So there is almost never a boring routine in this field. For example, you manage a property for three or four years and then you move on to another property where your skills are needed. Never take it easy in this industry, always challenge yourself and stay current with trends. How many countries have you lived in? Which country did you find most challenging? I have lived in seven countries. I started in France, and then I moved to England. Then I was in Germany for several years, Cambodia, Thailand, India and Indonesia. I have been in beautiful Indonesia for 10 years now. For me, every place has its own upside and downside, which I love. This is especially true around Asia, because the quality of hospitality in this region is very nice. What is the main difference between the hospitality industry in Europe and in Asia? In my opinion, Asia offers more service than other regions around the world.

Maybe it is because the cost of employees is not the same. In Europe they have cut so many employees because the cost is very high, so you have less service even if you stay in a luxury hotel. On the contrary, in Asia you can find good service from friendly people in almost every range of hotel. And in terms of ‘sense of hospitality’, it is stronger in Asia than in Europe, which is more systematic. People are faster in Europe and everything has to be super-efficient because the cost is higher. Could you tell us a little bit about Pullman Jakarta Indonesia? What is the latest news about the hotel? Over the last two years, we have started a big renovation and done some repositioning of the hotel. We have renovated almost every part of the hotel, including the lobby, restaurant, bar, banquets, rooms and suites. We have many new talents and new people, including a Japanese chef, Chinese chef, German chef, pastry chef, etc., who are delivering extraordinary service to our guests, especially in the food and beverage experience. We have four restaurants that have been integrated into one at Sana Sini Restaurant to satisfy guests’ appetites through various delectable foods and drinks. We are now working to finish the renovation of the meeting rooms and business centre. We have different types of meeting rooms to cater to the needs of every client and we hope to be finished at the beginning of 2015.

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Fall in Love with the Event Industry Ronnie Salam sat down with Grace Solarbesain to talk about her experience, her passion for the event industry and her journey to the position of Director of Events at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta. Photos by Harry Wibawa How long you have been in the hospitality industry? I have been in the hospitality industry for 18 years. I have worked for 14 years in the event industry and about five years at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta.

tinue to trust that The Dharmawangsa Hotel is still the number one venue in South Jakarta and they will not hesitate to hold their events here. What kind of events does Dharmawangsa Jakarta host?

The

Why did you decide to pursue a career in the event industry? I quickly discovered that working in the event industry is always interesting and challenging. I started my career in the travel industry, and I felt that the industry did not suit my personality. So I decided to move to the hotel industry. My first job in the hotel industry was guest relations. I met lots of people, did a lot of brainstorming, got to interact with lots of people and gained much knowledge. It was so interesting and I found that I really liked working in the hotel industry. Then one day I was promoted to events because the management saw that I loved meeting people, chatting and helping guests. And after several events handling, I fell in love with this industry. It was a challenging yet dynamic and exciting industry that requires my attention to detail, and I gain personal satisfaction as a consultant who manages to fulfill their needs. Can you talk about your responsibilities as Director of Events? My responsibility is to achieve and increase event revenue and to monitor events so there are zero complaints. The last thing I want is to get a call from a client who was happy with our service. What are the challenges you face in your role? Convincing new clients that The Dharmawangsa Jakarta Hotel is the best venue for their events and maintaining good relations with old customers so they con-

with vendors to create the best wedding for them. It was amazing that we could make it. There are lots of venues for events. What sets The Dharmawangsa Jakarta Hotel different? The Dharmawangsa Jakarta Hotel is different because of the Indonesian atmosphere and because we always provide what customers want and offer personalised service, in the sense that we put a priority on attention to detail. Besides that, the hotel is such a peaceful, calm, homey and natural venue. We have natural daylight in almost every venue, so guests can see the green garden. We also have venue with a veranda with a view of the pool or garden 143 so smokers can use it during coffee breaks or just to chat. How do you describe a successful event? A successful event is one where everybody is happy. Guests must be happy because their positive opinions of us are important. What advice would you give to our readers who want to work in the event industry?

We usually host corporate events on weekdays like training events, seminars, workshops, breakfast and lunch meetings, corporate launches and corporate anniversaries. On the weekend there are social events like weddings and birthday and anniversary parties. What is the proudest or most memorable moment of your career so far? My most memorable event was a big wedding that we had to organize on a very tight schedule. I had less than a week to organize the wedding. I spend most of my time on weekdays in the office, to the weekend is family timeThankfully we still had an available venue and we worked

You have to be creative, helpful, energetic, responsive, down to earth, always learning, committed and have a passion to be the best. What do you do in your spare time? I am a mother for two. My oldest son is 9 and the youngest boy is 3.5. My favourite thing to do in my spare time is to spend time with my sons. We usually cook together, make their favourites foods, and then we enjoy it together and talk and eat. I spend most of my time on weekdays in the office, to the weekend is family time.

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Art of Cooking Ignatius Emmanuel Julio, Chef de Cuisine at Sriwijaya Restaurant at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta, believes cooking is an art â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the art of making people happy. Photos by Harry Wibawa Why did you decide to pursue a career as a chef? I have loved cooking since I was a child and I realized that my talent was as a chef. When I was in junior high school, I decided that I would work as a chef. After I graduated from high school, I continued my studies in hospitality.

Because French food is the mother of all kitchens. French cuisine is classic in both technique and presentation and is always elegant. Indonesian food is rich with many seasonings. Is it difficult when combining all these flavours on one plate? This is the challenge, combining several methods of cooking on one plate.

Who inspired you to become a chef? My father. He loved to cook in our family restaurant. You were in Dubai before working in Jakarta. Why did you choose Dubai? At first I wanted to go to London, but it was difficult to get a visa. At that same time I received an offer to go to the Middle East and Dubai was my choice. Dubai is a multicultural country, with people from around the world, which taught me about respect and learning from other people. I also learned about Italian fine dining, especially when I was at the Armani Hotel.

Sometimes we find Indonesian dishes that cannot be changed or reconstructed like sup brenebon (bean soup), so the solution is that we added foie gras (from France) to the soup. Another food is sayur asam. We could not change it, so we made the presentation finer. What is your personal culinary style?

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Cooking with love and from the heart. When I cook, I imagine a guest. What does a guest want when they are served food? So I create and cook from the heart so I can give the best to guests. If you were to eat at Sriwijaya Restaurant as a guest, what would you order and why?

What made you decide to come back to Jakarta? After five years in Dubai, I felt that I wanted to come back to Jakarta and develop my knowledge and also to share what I had learned with the people here. What is a new concept that you want to bring to Sriwijaya Restaurant?

Lobster Bunaken because it is unique, with the use of pasta and tuturuga sauce, and wagyu tenderloin. What is the interesting thing about being a chef? We are creators, not followers. What is your favourite food?

We want to create different menus that still use Indonesian influence, which is the signature of The Dharmawangsa Jakarta. So we are creating menus that combine Indonesian and French methods in one plate. We call it Progressive Indonesian dining, a modern approach to Indonesian cuisine presented in an elegant manner using French techniques. Why is French cuisine used in Progressive Indonesian dining?

Italian food. What advice would you give to readers who want to become a chef? Do not be afraid to try and be creative.

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Stay With The Friendliest What makes a good resort? Lush gardens, five-star dining pleasures, gorgeous swimming pool. Sounds like a great resort, but it is the staff at Bumi Surabaya City Resort that sets the resort apart. We spoke with the managers of Bumi Surabaya City Resort about their passion for excellence. Text by Melani Semuel | Photos by Billy Buana Location: Bumi Surabaya City Resort

Prima Soemarso Marketing Communications Manager The dynamism of the hospitality industry, meeting people from different backgrounds; that is what Prima 148enjoys most about the hospitality industry. Having worked in the hospitality industry for more than 19 years, the last 10 years at Bumi Surabaya City Resort, Prima is one of the most experienced marketing communications managers in Surabaya. Role and responsibility As marketing communications manager my main responsibility is to maintain the good image of Bumi Surabaya City Resort in the eyes of our customers and to ensure that our image is always positive. I use many difference communications channels to let customers and also our staff know about all the innovations here and the hotel programs and activities. I am also responsible for supporting the sales and marketing teams by handling promotions that help drive revenue for the hotel. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya Bumi Surabaya has a unique managerial system called concert management. Each staff member has his or her own role, allowing everyone to show off their talent in providing the best service to guests. On the other hand, all players must follow the conductor’s lead in just

one gesture so that the music is beautifully played. This managerial system works because Bumi Surabaya has a clear vision, mission and strategy that show clearly in the daily attitude of each staff member. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years One thing for sure, the competition is going to get tougher with many new hotels opening. That’s why we have to be creative, innovative and also know exactly what the market needs, so that we can deliver our service in a unique way and “the only way”, so people will keep on coming back to our hotel. Fenny Kristina Tenant Relations Manager Fenny Kristina chose to work in the hotel industry 26 years ago so she could broaden her knowledge and meet new people. Role and responsibility • To reach revenue targets by increasing sales programs and handling building maintenance. • To ensure that customers, especially the tenants, receive the services and facilities as mentioned in the lease. • To ensure the building, its surroundings and facilities are in prime condition for tenants. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya

The company strategy and company culture set Bumi Surabaya City Resort apart. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years Very challenging with new hotels opening. We can’t stop innovating to be able to win the Surabaya market. Budi Nurjaya Assistant Director of Engineering “Dynamic” and “flexible” are two words that interest Ask Budi Nurjaya why he joined the hotel industry four years ago and he will give you two words: dynamism and flexibility. Role and responsibility • Anything to do with engineering (repairs and maintenance, fire safety, new projects). • To ensure all heavy machinery and backup facilities in hotel operations are in prime condition and properly functioning. • To ensure the safety and comfort of guests and staff. • To maintain buildings and facilities according to government standards and company policy. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya • As the only hotel located in the heart of the city with a resort concept, Bumi Surabaya City Resort is a comfortable

place to stay and to relax in the hustle and bustle of Surabaya. Being in Bumi Surabaya City Resort, you feel like you are out of town, while the truth is you are in the middle of Surabaya. • It expansive grounds means that Bumi Surabaya City Resort can be developed even more to be an even better city resort and be one of the must-visit icons in Surabaya. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years The tough competition from new hotels will make Bumi Surabaya City Resort continue to innovate and set itself apart. The city resort concept has its own market, which values comfort and peacefulness. Anang Dwi Priyanto Information Systems Manager The hotel industry requires people who are friendly and outgoing. That is why the industry is filled with people who are easy-going, fun and talented, and that is what Anang likes most about the industry he got his start in nine years ago. Role and responsibility An information systems manager is responsible for the computer systems in the company. That includes the supervision of the installation process and ensuring that all systems are working effectively, buying hardware and software, preparing information technology infrastructure and contributing to company policy on quality

standards and strategic planning. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya • Here at Bumi Surabaya City Resort we have a clear vision and strategy to follow. All that, plus company values that shape the character of all staff members at Bumi Surabaya City Resort, make this hotel different. • In terms of assets, Bumi Surabaya City Resort has a large area, beautiful building and beautiful green gardens, plus a creative team. That is what makes Bumi Surabaya City Resort very competitive in the hotel industry. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years People will always need food, beverage and a place to stay. Even in unstable economic situations like the recent economic crisis, the hotel industry is relatively safe. Muhammad Ahmad Bagraff Assistant Director of Finance Muhammad Ahmad Bagraff has worked in the hotel industry since 2001 and joined Bumi Surabaya City Resort three years ago. “Hospitality, hygiene and dynamism. Working in the hotel industry requires these three things to provide guests excellent service and these three things are what I love the most about the hotel industry,” he says.

Role and responsibility To support the director of finance and to ensure all aspects in the finance department are working efficiently and effectively. As the assistant director of finance, working with the director of 149 finance, I am also responsible for budget and cost control in the hotel operations. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya Bumi Surabaya City Resort has the management, assets and creativity to compete and be a trendsetter in the hotel industry. Our gardens and Pasar Malem (night market) concept have made the resort a favourite culinary spot in Surabaya. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years. The hotel industry is an industry that changes very quickly, not only in cities that are famous for tourists but also in business/industrial cities such as Surabaya, where the hotel industry is booming. I am confident that in the next five years the industry will be even more active and creative. Yekti Hari Mulyani Purchasing Manager “The hotel industry is interesting, challenging and promises a variety of career opportunities. It is strongly connected with lifestyle and working in

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the industry lets you build an extensive network,” says Yekti, a 17-year veteran of the industry. Role and responsibility As the purchasing manager I am responsible for the smooth operation of every aspect of the buying, receiving and distribution of goods according to the hotel’s needs. I help reduce costs by smart and effective buying, in order to provide quality products and good service at a very competitive price. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya Bumi Surabaya City Resort is the only hotel with a resort concept in the heart of the city, offering great service, facilities and convenience for our guests. It starts with the relaxing aroma that welcome guests in the lobby, the professional staff with traditional frangipani as part of the uniform, tropical gardens and a wide range of international, Asian and traditional foods served in our “three restaurants for one price” concept. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years The hotel industry in the next five years will be very competitive with new players entering the industry. The industry will be an important and growing part of the economy, creating a lot of employment opportunities. Harimurti Training Manager Harimurti got involved in the hotel industry 20 years ago because of the people in the industry. He has been with Bumi Surabaya City Resort for the last 13 years. Role and responsibility • Assisting the director of human resources to train the staff according to the management standards of the hotel. • To supervise and develop all the necessary training in the hotel. • To ensure that all training and development works to support the operational goals of the hotel. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya Our managerial style and staff are what

make us different. Our spirit is different from other hotels because we are Bumi Surabaya City Resort. We have a clear company strategy that is easy to understand and is embraced by all the staff. The hospitality industry in the next 5years This industry will develop very fast, especially in the next five years. AFTA will encourage more people to enter the hotel industry as a promising place to work. Andik Asmoro Food & Beverage Manager The creativity and chance to innovate and do something new is what Andik likes most about the hotel industry. He has been in the industry for more than 15 years and still enjoys the chance to meet people from different backgrounds. Role and responsibility Responsible for the food and beverage outlets and to make sure that the daily, weekly and monthly operations run smoothly. I am also responsible for the revenue at the food and beverage outlets, the service, and introducing new innovations to help reach revenue targets. And, of course, for maintaining good relations with guests. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya At Bumi Surabaya City Resort, we treat our staff the same way we treat our guests. Our staff locker room was designed to maximize staff comfort. We have family values and everyone is a member of the family. We are open and helpful which each other, which carries over to the way we treat our guests. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years With new hotels opening, the competition is going to get tougher. But we are sure that we can survive and be even better than now because we are constant in our efforts to satisfy our guests’ eyes, ears and taste buds, which is our company strategy. Suharyanto Security & Safety Manager Suharyanto likes everything about the hotel industry. “I like being in the hospitality industry,” says Suharyanto, who has been in the industry for three years.

Reason Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya Bumi Surabaya City Resort is famous for being the friendliest in Surabaya. Our brand promise is “Stay with the Friendliest”. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years In the next five years, the competition will be very tough with new hotels opening. If we don’t give guests the satisfaction that they are looking for, then guests will move to another hotel. Therefore, it is very important to satisfy our guests every time they stay at Bumi Surabaya City Resort. Endah Renowati Director of Sales Endah Renowati has worked in the hospitality industry for 18 years, all of them at Bumi Surabaya City Resort. She thinks this is one of the most interesting and challenging industries to work in. You meet new people from all different backgrounds, which is her favourite part of the industry. “Our friends are our guests and our guests are our friends,” she says.

151 Role and responsibility To show leadership in all sales activities in the hotel and work with all divisions at the hotel to maximize revenue. Reasons Bumi Surabaya City Resort is different from other hotels/resorts in Surabaya • We have adopted an “orchestra” managerial system. • To achieve our goal, or as we say our “diamond area”, we take these specific actions: • Maximize the five senses in our every move to satisfy our guests beyond their expectations. We satisfy the eyes, the ears and the taste buds. • Deliver our brand promise, which is “Stay with the Friendliest”. The hospitality industry in the next 5 years With many hotels opening everywhere, we have to be unique and interesting for our guests. That is why we have our “company culture” at Bumi Surabaya City Resort. We are innovative, we are customer-focused, we encourage personal growth, we work as a team, we care for each other and we are multicultural.

FEATURE

Best in Saigon

nterContinental Asiana Saigon was honoured at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2014 as Asia’s Leading City Hotel for the first time and Vietnam’s Leading 152 Conference Hotel for the third consecutive year, cementing its leading reputation not only in Vietnam but across Asia’s hospitality market. Rising 21 stories above cosmopolitan Hai Ba Trung Street, InterContinental Asiana Saigon is an exclusive business and leisure destination, offering unparalleled 360-degree views of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The hotel features a comprehensive Club InterContinental Lounge with panoramic views and the finest meeting and banquet facilities in town, all designed with the savvy traveller in mind. Next door are the InterContinental Asiana Saigon residences, with 260 world-class residential suites. Tan Son Nhat International Airport is a 35-minute drive away. The hotel is located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, a vibrant destination known for its beautiful French colonial landmarks, including Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Post Office, Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Opera House, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Ben Thanh Market, Museum of Vietnamese History and Museum of Ho Chi Minh City. The dedicated team at InterContinental Asiana Saigon will provide incredibly informative “In the Know” recommendations to connect guests with the pulse of contemporary Ho Chi Minh City. Each guest room is equipped with thoughtful amenities to ensure a pleasurable stay, including floor-toceiling windows, deep-soaking bathtub with separate

153 walk-in rain shower, pillow top bedding, coffee and tea makers, mini-bars, 42-inch LCD TV with a wide range of entertainment options, home theatre system, iPod and iPhone docking station, individually controlled airconditioning system, generous workspaces and desks, and high-speed internet access. InterContinental Asiana Saigon is the premier meeting venue in the city, offering the latest audio-visual equipment and elegantly furnished banquet and meeting spaces. Meeting rooms range from 39 square metres to 818 square meres in size, with a majority featuring abundant natural light. The Grand Ballroom is perfect for themed dinners, gala events and stylish weddings for up to 600 people in banquet style. Guests enjoy amenities such as premium restaurants and room service, health and fitness centre, spa, 24-hour business centre, travel service, relaxing lounges and swimming pool. InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hai Ba Trung, Vietnam Phone. +84 8 3520 9999 www.ihg.com

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A Peaceful Place at The Payogan A beautiful private villa that makes you feel at home Text by Clarisa Mutriafica | Photos courtesy of The Payogan Villa Resort & Spa

came to Ubud looking for a comfortable and peaceful place to stay. When I arrived at The Payogan Villa Resort & Spa, it surpassed all my expectations.

villa was the view and the best spot to enjoy it was from the spacious outdoor pavilion. It’s the perfect place if you are looking for some inspiration.

It was raining when I arrived at The Payogan and the resort was fresh and green. Expect a welcome at The Payogan that is full of warm smiles, along with a cool welcome drink. After a quick checkin, a buggy drove me through the rain to my villa, so I arrived nice and dry.

The first thing I was inspired to do was jump into my private swimming pool and drink in the views of the rice terraces and jungle. The staff advised me to wake up at 6am to catch the sunrise from the comfort of my bed.

I was in a one-bedroom villa with a pool view. The villa was spacious and featured classic Balinese design, with wood furniture and a luxurious fourposter bed. One of the highlights of the

The Payogan provides a shuttle to downtown Ubud if you want to explore the shopping, restaurants and nightlife. I headed downtown around 6pm and headed to Ubud Palace, near Pasar Seni Ubud, for a traditional Legong dance. It

was a magical show. Back at the hotel and feeling peckish, I called up room service and asked about their signature dish. Thirty minutes later the Crispy Duck arrived at my villa, with yellow rice, satay, vegetables and Bali’s famous Sambal Matah. A Perfect Morning at The Payogan I set the alarm for 5.30am, because I didn’t want to miss the sunrise. I woke up full of energy and excitement. I went down and sat near the pool and played with the water while waiting for the sun to rise. Around 6am the first golden rays of the day began to appear on the horizon, bringing with them the warmth of

another perfect Bali day. I wish I could begin every day like this. The Payogan buggy picked me up and delivered me to Sawah Restaurant for breakfast. I sat in a hut, surrounded by paddy fields. After a leisurely and utterly delectable breakfast, I headed to the reception desk and asked about spa treatments. They told me I could have a treatment in the comfort and privacy of my villa. I chose the two-hour Javanese Mandi Lulur, a pampering treatment from the traditions of the royal Javanese courts, followed by a refreshing youghurt moisturizer to restore the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural pH balance and ending with an aromatic floral bath and a warm cinnamon, ginger and hibiscus tea. It was heaven. The Payogan promises a friendly and luxurious stay. This is a true Balinese experience, with personal service, indulgent pampering and tropical comfort. The Payogan is the destination of choice for anyone looking for a calm oasis in the midst of the cultural and artistic splendour of Ubud.

The Payogan Villa Resort & Spa Jl. Cocoa 2, No. 77 Banjar Bunutan, Ubud â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bali Phone. +61 361 978839 www.balipayoganresort.com

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CHECK - IN

Hidden Gems in the Heart of Seminyak

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An exclusive hideaway situated in the heart of Seminyak, Nyaman Group offers contemporary, spacious, functional villas have been designed to offer the highest comfort and the best amenities for a luxury stay. Text by Melani Semuel | Photos courtesy of Nyaman Group

Luxury Villas

yaman Villas and Villa Chocolat were designed by the well-established interior architect Stephan Rémini. The contemporary, spacious, functional villas have been designed to offer the highest comfort and the best amenities for a luxury stay. They were designed with style, surrounded by luxurious gardens with a private swimming pool, and located near a stretch of sandy beach. Within walking distance of shopping and dining areas in Seminyak, Nyaman Villas and Villa Chocolat offer an uncompromising standard of luxury amidst the serenity of Bali’s natural landscape. From the centre of

Seminyak, a road bordered by splendid palm trees escorts you towards the residential district not far from the well-known Oberoi Hotel. In this private setting one passes a guardhouse and then takes a wooded driveway leading to the luxury Nyaman Villas. The central feature is an open-air lobby, just like a hotel, from which a pathway leads to a variety of villas. On the right of the lobby a wide pathway bordered by palm trees, elegantly illuminated at night, guides you to your villa. Contemporary, spacious and functional, Nyaman Villas’ six villas have been conceived to offer the highest comfort and the best facilities for a luxury stay. Decorated with style, surrounded by luxuriant gardens with private swimming pool, the villas are

located near the beach. The impressively large front doors of each villa are made of locally carved noble wood. These villas, with full hotel service, consist of four 4-bedroom and two 2-bedroom villas that can be interconnected to make a 6-, 8- or even a 10-bedroom villa. During our visit, we stayed in a 4-bedroom villa. Covering a generous area of 570 square metres, our villa was huge. Immediately upon entering we were in a vast living room complemented on the one side by a fully equipped American fitted kitchen with a large worktop of beautifully carved local stone and open to the garden. The living room leads to the first bedroom. In the middle of the villa was a private garden with a 92-

Cruising in Style While you are in Labuan Bajo, Flores, experience the traditional cruise ship Perjuangan Boat. Cruise along to the famous Komodo national park in Flores, a Unesco World Heritage site, in elegant comfort about the Perjuangan Boat. This traditional Indonesian cruise ship sails various routes and you are guaranteed to have a great time with all the activities available on board. square-metre swimming pool. Opposite the landscaped garden were the second and third bedrooms, each with a private dressing room and a semi-open-air bathroom. The large bay windows give great luminosity and views to the garden and pool. The stairs took us to the upper floor which is where the master bedroom was located. It boasts an outdoor seating area for relaxing, and a very generous sized bathroom that has a Large Bath Up large enough to fit four people. It is perfect for relaxing and unwinding after exploring Bali. Staying at Nyaman Villa, it is hard to believe that it is strategically located in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Seminyak, as the atmosphere is so serene. Staying here gives you the best of both worlds, where all the happening places in Bali are located nearby, while at the same time once you retreat into your villa it feels like you are in a different part of Bali. Nyaman Villas’ sister property, Villa Chocolat, was designed to offer a vacation villa in an urban setting, while maintaining the

atmosphere of a peaceful retreat. The architect Stephan Rémini focused on optimizing all living areas in these graceful 2-, 5-, 6- and 8- bedroom villas, each with its own swimming pool, fish pond, gardens, patio, bar, fully equipped kitchen and living room. The villas offer a striking daily sunset from the upstairs bedrooms. The feeling of space is achieved by the blend of a sober colour palette such as beige, grey and chocolate. Swimming pools are surrounded by spacious gardens with deck chairs. The interior decor is a mix of sober style and timelessness with a purified line of furniture designed with local materials such as sonokeling wood. Located in the centre of Seminyak, unlike some other villas in Bali, there is a safe and quiet feeling free from all nocturnal nuisances. Offering the same standards as found in resorts in Bali and international luxury villas, there is a dedicated staff available to provide all the services you expect of a private villa.

Perjuangan means “passionate” in the Indonesian language. The 21-metre traditional boat features a teak interior and three air-conditioned teak cabins that exude a feeling of warmth and elegance. The master cabin has a double bed, shower room and toilet, the second cabin has two single beds and the last cabin has a double bed, a single bed and a shower room and toilet. The afterdeck, with a bar, kitchen and dining area, is a great place to enjoy delicious meals and share unforgettable alfresco evenings. The front deck presents generous and shaded areas. Nyaman Group Jl. Sari Temuku No. 16 Seminyak, Oberoi Bali – Indonesia Phone. + 62 361 735 117 www.nyamanvillasbali.com www.villachocolatbali.com www.perjuanganboat.com

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ADVERTORIAL

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The Arumdalu Lifestyle Arumdalu Private Resorts is the ultimate exclusive getaway and the gateway to an inspired lifestyle

s the first and only eco luxury private resort on Indonesia’s Belitung Island, Arumdalu Private Resorts offers something more than a peaceful atmosphere, delicious food and inspired decor. Arumdalu offers a unique charisma and an inspired “lifestyle” destination.

Every guest who visits Arumdalu Private Resorts, whether to stay or to dine in the resort’s restaurant, will feel the eco luxury because Arumdalu is where exclusivity and luxury combine with the concept of harmony in nature. Arumdalu strives to inspire guests so they can be part of the Arumdalu Lifestyle.

nature for a better and more organic life. Arumdalu believes that the greatest gift is nature itself and true happiness can only be obtained when humans and nature exist in harmony. Feel the Arumdalu experience yourself. Arumdalu looks forward to welcoming you and introducing you to the Arumdalu lifestyle!

Starting with the concept of “local, organic and fresh” used in each meal and beverage at Beachfront Sahang Resto, the eco concept applies to every element at Arumdalu, from the organic vegetables and fruits planted around the resort to the Arumdalu service based on local wisdom. These concepts are not mere words, but are successfully applied to every thing that Arumdalu does.

Besides inspiring guests to embrace the Arumdalu Lifestyle with its exclusive service, this beautiful private resort actively inspires guests with exciting activities such as cooking workshops, planting tours, interactions with locals and selfrelaxation in the embrace of nature. At Arumdalu, both locals and guests are encouraged to embrace the essence of

Arumdalu Private Resorts Jl. Arumdalu, Desa Batu Lubang Membalong – Belitung Phone. +62 819 2760 7626 +62 812 1050 324 www.arumdalubelitung.com

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162 Fairmont Sanur Jalan Kusuma Sari No. 8, Sanur, Bali Phone. + 62 361 3011 888 www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali

Ammi Cepu Jalan Gianti No. 14, Cepu – Central Java Phone. +62 296 426 9191 www.ammicepu.samalihotels.com

Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali is a world-class all-suite-and-villa resort set amidst four hectares of lush tropical gardens. Only 25 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport, the property is located along 200 metres of golden beach in the Sanur district in southeast Bali. Once a fishing village, Sanur is today full of historical charm and is a hub for Balinese art, culture and tradition well away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the island. Luxury accommodation at Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali comes in the form of 94 suites and 26 pool villas that are available in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations. Food and beverage offerings include two restaurants and a lobby lounge that offers unparalleled views of the grounds and ocean beyond. Other facilities range from a 55-metre infinity-edged lap pool and a well-equipped fitness centre to an expansive spa and kid’s club.

Identical in ambience to a large private estate, the five-star Ammi Cepu reflects peace and charm in colonial style. Offering a home away from home, Ammi Cepu is an oasis of tranquillity and serenity. The classical look of Ammi Cepu, with a subtly harmonious interior design combined with modern facilities, ensures that travellers are kept well connected to their homes. Ammi Cepu offers 62 rooms, four meeting rooms able to accommodate from 10 to 100 people depending on the room is set up, Jati Restaurant and Tea Tree Lounge, swimming pool and fitness centre. The Grove Suites By Aston Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Kawasan Rasuna Epicentrum Central Jakarta Phone. +62 21 29941880 www.aston-international.com

This new five-star hotel is located in the heart of Jakarta’s Golden Triangle. Epicentrum Mall, Bakrie Tower, Pasar Festival and Jakarta’s newest mall, Kota Kasablanca, are all within a fiveminute drive. With easy access to Jalan Rasuna Said, this is the ideal spot for guests doing business in the Kuningan area. Every single one of the 151 rooms at The Grove Suites is a luxurious one-bedroom suite. With on-site butlers, super-fast wifi, a selection of international restaurants, beautiful meeting room facilities, in-room spa and an outdoor pool, your stay will be smooth and relaxing. Casa Bonita Villa Jimbaran – Bali www.premierhospitalityasia.com Casa Bonita Villa perches at top Jimbaran Hill and boasts undisturbed views of the Indian Ocean. This spacious private villa with five bedrooms features a pool and Jacuzzi, spa, gym, sunset rooftop deck and outdoor pavilion surrounded by the pool and lush lavish gardens, making it ideal

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164 for inspired wedding celebrations. Casa Bonita is 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport and is a 10-minute drive to the famous Jimbaran seafood dining area and the famous surfing beaches of Balangan, Suluban, Padang-Padang, Impossible and Uluwatu. Courtyard Bali Seminyak Jalan Camplung Tanduk No. 103 SP Dhyana Pura, Seminyak – Bali Phone. +62 361 8499600 www.marriott.com Opened in August 2014, Courtyard Bali Seminyak offers 287 designer rooms and suites featuring private balcony with garden or pool views and equipped with modern facilities. Located in Bali’s vibrant Seminyak area, guests can enjoy a range of excellent dining, shopping and entertainment options, as well as some of Indonesia’s best beaches. Trans Resort Bali Sunset Road Kerobokan, Seminyak – Bali Phone. +62 361 8981234

Conveniently located in the heart of the exclusive Seminyak district, Trans Resort Bali is just a gentle walk from trendy dining, entertainment and shopping venues. Nestled between a dramatic beach pool and tropical gardens, the resort features 184 exceptionally appointed guest rooms and suites and 16 palatial villas with private pools.

surprises in luxurious accommodations as you drift off to sleep soothed by the ocean’s enduring rhythm.

Ritz-Carlton Nusa Dua Jalan Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Lot #3 Sawangan, Nusa Dua – Bali Phone. +62 361 8498988

Swiss-Belhotel International officially opened Hotel Ciputra World Surabaya on 27 November 2014. The hotel has a high-end executive lounge, eight well-appointed meeting rooms, including a ballroom catering for up to 450 people, a health club, non-smoking floors and a roof-top outdoor pool deck overlooking the city and featuring a kid’s pool and Jacuzzi. “Hotel Ciputra World Surabaya provides a fashionable, boutique-style atmosphere in a luxury setting,” General Manager Christiane Wasfy said. “This is the reason why Hotel Ciputra World Surabaya has already become the preferred choice for business and leisure travellers in Surabaya.”

With the Indian Ocean providing a mesmerizing backdrop, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali welcomes guests to this luxury resort’s cliff-top setting in distinctive Balinese fashion, warmly, spiritually and full of new discoveries. For it is here that relaxation, rejuvenation and a harmonious balance are easily attained. Experience it on the white sandy beach lapped by calm, gentle waves. Give in to it under the expert hands of our spa therapists. Taste it in the authentic flavours of the resort’s unique restaurants. Then relive each day’s new

Hotel Ciputra World Surabaya Jl. Mayjen Sungkono 87-89, Gunungsari Dukuh Pakis, Surabaya Phone. +62 31 51201000 www.hotelciputraworld.com

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Intercontinental Bandung

166Opening: April 2015

Address: Dago Pakar, Bandung West Java The InterContinental Bandung Dago Pakar is a new five-star luxury hotel with a contemporary design located in the Dago Pakar Resort complex to the north of the city. Immediately adjacent to the Mountain View Golf Club, the hotel enjoys easy access to downtown Bandung and is only half an hour from Bandung International Airport. The hotel offers 225 spacious rooms and exotic villas with stunning views. For events, the hotel will have one of the largest ballrooms in Bandung. There will also be an all-day dining and a specialty restaurant. Similarly, there will be health club facilities in the hotel, as well as a spa. Alila Seminyak Bali Opening: 2015 Address: Seminyak – Bali Cocooned along a pristine beach on Bali’s southwest coast, less than 30 minutes

from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Alila Seminyak is a stunning hotel on the last remaining undeveloped beachfront site in Seminyak. This is a beautiful tropical retreat encompassing five-star resort facilities, where time slows down and relaxation becomes second nature. The ultimate expression of contemporary chic, The Suites at Alila Seminyak are an exquisitely crafted composite of thoughtfully designed spaces, unparalleled quality and comfort, and attention to detail worthy of any luxury home. Housed in four-storey blocks, The Suites comprise three types ranging in size from 46 to 147 square metres, and one spectacular 811-squaremetre penthouse. Raffles Jakarta Opening: January 2015 Address: Ciputra World Tower 1, Jakarta Raffles Jakarta is located in the Central Business District, within Ciputra World Jakarta, a prestigious new development comprising a shopping mall for premium retail boutiques, office buildings and an art museum. Raffles Jakarta will feature

180 exquisitely designed rooms and suites exuding the charm and elegant style associated with Raffles Hotels & Resorts around the globe. Fairmont Hotel Jakarta Opening: January 2015 Address: Jalan Asia Afrika No. 8, Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta Fairmont Jakarta has an unbeatable location in Senayan, near the Indonesia Stock Exchange and Jakarta Convention Centre and linked directly to one of the city’s most stylish shopping venues, Plaza Senayan and Office Towers. Fairmont Jakarta provides guests luxury, privacy and convenience at its finest. The hotel offers 380 well-appointed guest rooms and suites with incredible views of the Jakarta skyline. Each room is remarkably spacious, complete with premium amenities that are essential to both business and leisure travellers, including the Fairmont Gold, an exclusive lifestyle hotel experience.

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Montblanc Star Classique and Hugh Jackman Crafted for New Heights Manufactured in Switzerland, the Star Classique Automatic, with its slim 8.9 mm 18 K red gold case and its ergonomically shaped case back, is a ďŹ ne companion for an elegant appearance. Visit Montblanc.com

Boutique address: Plaza Senayan, PaciďŹ c Place, Plaza Indonesia, Taman Anggrek, Pondok Indah, Tunjungan Plaza, Sheraton Hotel Surabaya Telephone Number (021) 2992 4015

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Crowne Plaza Bandung Opening: June 2015 Address: Jalan Lembong No. 19 Bandung – West Java

Ginno Feruci Villa Raja Ampat Opening: 2015 Address: Raja Ampat – West Papua

Allium Panorama Batam Opening: January 2015 Address: Komplek Panorama Nagoya, Batam

Crowne Plaza Bandung is a contemporary upscale hotel nestled in the heart of Bandung, a 25- minute drive from Husein Sastranegara International Airport and 15 minutes from the city train station. There are 270 well-appointed guest rooms, a ballroom and 16 meeting rooms for multipurpose events, from corporate meetings to social events, with state-of-the-art meeting facilities and a dedicated Crowne Meeting Director. There is also an outdoor pool where snacks and drinks will be served, a lobby lounge, a delightful fusion of international and local delicacies at an all-day dining restaurant, fitness and spa facilities and an Executive Club Lounge on the 16th floor with personalised service and a panoramic view of Bandung.

Gino Feruci Villa Raja Ampat features a collection of 10 luxurious Raja Ampat Villas designed from the ground up as your luxurious haven right in the heart of the illustriously beautiful Raja Ampat. Expect only the finest here, with exquisite attention to the finest details. The exclusive Raja Ampat Villa collection from Gino Feruci Villa Raja Ampat consists of three types of villa: Deluxe, Executive and one VIP Villa. This is the ideal way to experience Raja Ampat in true luxury. Raja Ampat Villas are worthy of a visit to this Paradise on Earth.

Allium Panorama in Batam is the newest member of the Allium Upscale Collection. Allium Panorama is located in one of the liveliest parts of the city, Nagoya, just a few steps from Batam’s business and shopping district, 15 minutes from Harbour Bay International Ferry and 35 minutes from Hang Nadim International Airport. Allium Panorama offers 212 finely designed guest rooms and suites, ranging from 30 to 210 square metres and featuring free wifi. The facility also features an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness centre.

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FEATURE

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Ubud Agent Table Top for The Domestic & International Market 2015

ali is a world-class tourist destination that still has untapped potential to draw visitors from around the world. This is particularly true for Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali that was named the “Best City in Asia” by Conde Nast Traveller in 2009. To celebrate everything which Ubud has to offer and to introduce its many charms to even more domestic and international tourists, the Ubud Hotels Association (UHA) organized the “Ubud Agent Table Top for the Domestic & International Market 2015,” the second time the event has been held. The Table Top took place on 27-29

November 2014 at The Royal Pita Maha, Ubud. The UHA invited 30 representatives of travel agencies from Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Bali, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines that specialize in selling Ubud as a tourist destination. “There are lots of Balinese cultural activities for tourists in Ubud, like Balinese dance, painting, traditional Balinese music and others. That helps us make Ubud the cultural centre of Bali,” said Adit Pande, the UHA Chairman. “Our dream is that Ubud will become the primary destination in Bali.” On the opening day of the three-day event the

travel agents and media arrived in Bali and had the chance to explore Ubud. On the second day, the 56 members of the UHA presented their properties to the travel agents. This table top was split into two sessions, in the morning and afternoon, so every travel agent would have the chance to get to know all the properties under the UHA.The day wrapped up with a grand Farewell Dinner. On the third day, the travel agents had the chance to visit hotels around Ubud and explore more of the city’s offerings.

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FEATURE

here were smiles all around as InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza celebrated the official launch of the festive season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on 27 November 2014. This joyful event took place in the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lobby Lounge, which was decorated in an uplifting display of purple and gold. A group of 66 little ones from Pondok Si Boncel orphanage were generously transported to the hotel to enjoy the festivities courtesy of Blue Bird Group. Located in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, Pondok Si Boncel is a Catholic charity facility operating under the Vincentius Association. It provides a safe and nurturing home environment for children under the age of 7 years.

InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza Shares the Spirit of Christmas Christmas is all about giving children a magical experience filled with happy memories.

The children, along with media partners and the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christian staff members,gathered to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. The hotel also took this opportunity to launch its Christmas Giving Tree, an inspiring initiative symbolizing community care. The tree wasdecorated with a collection of cards featuring the photos and Christmas wishes of children from Pondok Si Boncel. Guest were invited to choose a card and make an appropriate donation to ensure that every child received a gift.

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LUNAR NEW YEAR Welcome the year of the Goat and start the Lunar New Year in the opulent setting of The Pond. Savour the finest creations, all freshly prepared by the Culinary Team to honor this indelible occasion and revel in the fortunate blessings of the Lion Dance performance. Participate in the Lucky Angpao Dip to win complimentary treats on us! Thursday, 19 February 2015 THE POND Rp. 350.000++ per person For further information & reservations, please contact Tel. +62 361 751067

Managed by Discovery Hotels & Resorts Jl. Kartika Plaza, South Kuta Beach 80361, Bali, Indonesia Tel. +62 361 751067 Fax. +62 361 752475, 754585 reservation@discoverykartikaplaza.com www.discoverykartikaplaza.com

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HAPPY HOUR

Uganda Be Kidding Me By Chelsea Handler Wherever Chelsea Handler travels, one thing is certain: she always ends up in 174 the land of the ridiculous. Now, in this uproarious collection, she sneaks her sharp wit through airport security and delivers her most absurd and hilarious stories ever. On safari in Africa, it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s more dangerous: the wildlife or Chelsea. But whether she’s fumbling the seduction of a guide by not knowing where tigers live (Asia, duh) or wearing a bathrobe into the bush because her clothes stopped fitting seven margaritas ago, she’s always game for the next misadventure. The situation gets down and dirty as she defiles a kayak in the Bahamas, and outright sweaty as she escapes from a German hospital on crutches. When things get truly scary, like finding herself stuck next to a passenger with bad breath, she knows she can rely on her family to make matters even worse. Thank goodness she has the devoted Chunk by her side – except for the time she loses him in Telluride. Complete with answers to the most frequently asked traveller’s questions, hot travel tips and travel etiquette, none of which should be believed, “Uganda Be Kidding Me” has Chelsea taking on the world, one laugh-out-loud incident at a time.

Everybody’s Got Something By Robin Roberts and Veronica Chambers “Regardless of how much money you have, your race, where you live, what religion you follow, you are going through something. Or you already have or you will. As momma always said, ‘Everybody’s got something.’” So begins Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts new memoir in which she recounts the incredible journey that has been her life so far, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. With grace, heart, and humour, she writes about overcoming breast cancer only to learn five years later that she will need a bone marrow transplant to combat a rare blood disorder, the grief and heartbreak she suffered when her mother passed away, her triumphant return to Good Morning America after her medical leave and the tremendous support and love of her family and friends that saw her through her difficult times. Following her mother’s advice to “make your mess your message,” Robin taught a nation of viewers that while it is true that we’ve all got something — a medical crisis to face, ageing parents to care for, heartbreak in all its many forms — we’ve also all got something to give: hope, encouragement, a life-saving transplant or a spirit-saving embrace.

My Inappropriate Life By Heather McDonald Following her laugh-out-loud New York Times bestseller “You’ll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again,” Heather McDonald moves on from dating to motherhood with this new collection of outrageous essays chronicling her attempt to have it all — her way. This self-proclaimed “Real Housewife of Woodland Hills” is determined to achieve A-list status (thus expanding her entourage beyond her three school-age children and a househusband who is infuriatingly bad at collecting neighbourhood gossip) and to defeat (or at least be accepted by) the mean neighbourhood moms who judge her for taking her kids to a stripper pool party in Vegas. It’s a lot to juggle when she’s also battling Chelsea Handler and co-workers for the crudest practical jokes (just ask her about that “free” Vera Wang dress).

Enjoy an Australian welcome and discover the best of Australia

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Book your next holiday to Australia, New Zealand and South America at qantas.com

Important Information: Information correct as at 03 July 2014. All flights to Australia or New Zealand are via Sydney. Flights to South America are via Sydney and Santiago. Flight schedule subject to change. Some domestic Australian flights may be operated by QantasLink. Audio-visual entertainment is not available on most QantasLink operated flights.

Important Information: information correct as at 20 January 2015. All flights to Australia or New Zealand are be viaa Sydney. SouthFrequent America are viaprogram Sydney to and Santiago. Flight Food and beverage offerings and checked baggage limits vary between flights, see qantas.com. You must memberFlights of the to Qantas Flyer earn and redeem schedule subject to change. Some domestic Australian be are operated bytoQantasLink. Audio - visualofentertainment is not available on most QantasLink operated flights. Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and flights Qantasmay Points subject the terms and conditions the Qantas Frequent Flyer program available at qantas.com/terms. Food and beverage offerings and checked baggafe limits vary between flights, see qantas.com. You must be a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program to earn and redeem Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the terms and conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program available at qantas.com/terms

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For more information or to make a reservation, please cal us on +62-21-251 0888 or visit intercontinental.com Terms and conditions apply