July 2008

JULY 2008

Beat that budget Great deals in Thailand, China and Hong Kong

VIETNAM

INSIDE HO CHI MINH CITY’S MOST FAMOUS HOTEL

PHILIPPINE CUISINE ICONIC DISHES TO TICKLE 5 YOUR TASTEBUDS

travelandleisuresea.com SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

23

AFFORDABLE BEACH BREAKS AROUND THE WORLD

Las Vegas Your must-read guide to 26 glamorous experiences

Ko Chang From desert island to deluxe destination

(Destinations)07.08 Rome 98 Hong Kong 26, 33, 44, 104

Las Vegas 116

Hanoi 128 Ko Chang 79

South Africa 93, 148

World Weather This Month -40oF -20oF -40oC

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Issue Index ASIA Bhutan 150 China 26, 36 India 36, 149 Japan 24, 42, 52

Italy 98, 145 London 36, 52 Montenegro 146 Spain 145 Turkey 146

THE AMERICAS Brazil 36, 145 Caribbean 143, 145 Costa Rica 145 Mexico 142 United States 36, 52, 116, 142

THE PACIFIC Australia 149 New Zealand 149

AFRICA Egypt 147 South Africa 93, 148 Tunisia 147

EUROPE France 145 Greece 146

Currency Converter Singapore Hong Kong Thailand Indonesia Malaysia Vietnam Macau Philippines Burma Cambodia Brunei Laos US ($1)

(SGD)

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1.36

7.78

31

9,283

3.25

16,065

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44.2

6.36

3,903

1.36

8,578

Source: www.xe.com (exchange rates at press time).

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SOUTHEAST ASIA Bali 72, 149 Bangkok 22, 33, 36, 38, 40, 43 Cambodia 22 Hong Kong 26, 33, 44, 104 Malaysia 33, 42, 84 Philippines 43, 48, 74 Singapore 24, 33, 38, 43, 56, 84 Thailand 22, 24, 62, 76, 79, 148 Vietnam 22, 50, 90, 128, 149

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(Contents)07.08 >104 Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

104 Island Life Away from the rush and neon of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, the SAR’s Outlying Islands offer a surprising—and little known— side to the territory. By CHRIS KUCWAY. Photographed by NICK DYNAMO. GUIDE AND MAP 115 12

116 The Veteran’s Guide to Vegas No longer just a stage set masquerading as a metropolis, Las Vegas has grown into a truly global city, offering a diversity of experiences to rival any other.

By ANDREA BENNETT. Photographed by NOE DEWITT. MAP 118 128 Hanoi’s Heart Officials say they want a modern and civilized city, but will it be at the expense of its

JULY 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

innate beauty and multilayered street life? By MATT STEINGLASS. Photographed by PETER STEINHAUER. GUIDE AND MAP 138 140 Affordable Beach Resorts There’s nothing like a hotel by the sea—especially when it costs less than US$250 a night. T+L sent correspondents around the globe, from Mexico to New Zealand.

What we found: 23 perfect escapes.

NICK DYNAMO

103-140 Features

(Contents)07.08

JULY 2008

23

Beat that budget Great deals in Thailand, China and Hong Kong

AFFORDABLE BEACH BREAKS AROUND THE WORLD

VIETNAM

INSIDE HO CHI MINH CITY’S MOST FAMOUS HOTEL

Las Vegas Your must-read guide to 26 glamorous experiences

PHILIPPINE CUISINE

ICONIC DISHES TO TICKLE 5 YOUR TASTEBUDS

Departments 16 20 22 24 26 30 150

> 74

Ko Chang

travelandleisuresea.com SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

From desert island to deluxe destination

Cover

Editor’s Note Contributors Letters Ask T+L Best Deals Strategies My Favorite Place

On Ko Kood, Thailand.

Photographed by Mitchell Nguyen McCormack. Styled by Jirat Subpisankul. Hair and make-up by Sokphalla Ban, using MAC. Model: Ginger Wang/Red. Printed silk dress and bracelet

by Prada.

> 44

35–56 Insider 36 NewsFlash A Beijing hotel, wearable art, Zubin Mehta and more.

44 Day in the Life What it takes to run one of Asia’s top hotels. BY SHARON LEECE 48 Classics Iconic dishes from the Philippines.

BY ROBYN ECKHARDT 50 Neighborhood Ho Chi Minh City at its sophisticated best. BY SAMANTHA COOMBER 52 Trend Hotels that make you feel right at home in a host of different ways.

BY BROOKE KOSOFSKY-GLASSBERG 56 Drink Singapore wine bars flow with style and substance. BY GERRIE LIM 14

61 Still Life Gold never goes out of style—12 gorgeous bracelets shine through.

62 Fashion Swept away with island-style glamour on Thailand’s Ko Kood.

72 Shopping Bali’s fashionable resort of Seminyak sets the style standard with the island’s best boutiques. BY HUI FANG 74 His and Hers The latest looks to set you apart from others on the beach.

> 72

79-98 T+L Journal 79 Dispatch Luxury comes to Thailand’s Ko Chang and Ko Kood.

BY NEWLEY PURNELL 84 Culture Sometimes, history is best explained through food. Such is case of the Peranakans.

BY CHRISTOPHER R. COX 90 Reflections Six months at the Continental, Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous hotel. BY PETER JON LINDBERG 93 Drive South Africa’s arid Karoo region is being transformed.

BY DOUGLAS ROGERS 98 Preservation How does Rome build a new subway line? BY STEPHAN FARIS

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : A N D R E W R O WAT ; S I T T I P U N C H A I T E R D S I R I ( 2 ) ; C E D R I C A R N O L D ; PA B L O A N D R E O L O T T I

61-74 Stylish Traveler

> 79

(Editor’s Note) 07.08

I

N THESE TIMES OF TIGHTENED BELTS, it’s heartening to know that

great vacation experiences don’t have to break the bank. Our roundup of 23 of the best value-for-money resorts around the world (“Affordable Beach Resorts,” page 140) gives you more beach for your buck—and some inspiring ideas for your next trip to the seaside, whether it be in Thailand, Mexico or Hawaii. My own personal fantasy for a beach holiday generally revolves around me, a secluded cove and a good book, with nary a tourist in sight. That’s why, some eight years ago, I fell in love with Ko Chang in Thailand, then something of a backpacker haven, all tropical jungle, white sand and exotic fauna. But in 2003, the Thai government decided to transform this idyllic destination into the “next Phuket,” with considerable outcry from those concerned about the impact of development on the national marine park Ko Chang sits in. Was the concern justified? Decide for yourself when you read “Sea Change” on page 79.

Also in this issue, T+L U.S. editor-at-large Peter Jon Lindberg spends six months at the Continental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (“Continental Drift,” page 90) providing an absorbing account of everyday life in a place steeped in literary and living history. As someone who recently—and coincidentally—just finished another reading of Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, the feature is, for me, both timely and timeless. Of course, the Continental is a quintessential Southeast Asian hotel, but these days, serviced apartments are an increasingly attractive accommodation option for business travelers and even families, so we’ve devoted our Strategies section (page 30) to this topic. Lastly, now that we’re more than six months old, we feel that it’s time we asked you, our valued readers, what you think details are on the opposite page. We hope to hear from you soon!—MATT LEPPARD TRAVEL + L EISURE EDITORS, WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE THE INDUSTRY’S MOST RELIABLE SOURCES. WHILE ON ASSIGNMENT, THEY TRAVEL INCOGNITO WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND DO NOT TAKE PRESS TRIPS OR ACCEPT FREE TRAVEL OF ANY KIND.

16

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C H E N P O VA N O N T

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The Style and Design Issue

VIETNAM

INSIDE HO CHI MINH CITY’S MOST FAMOUS HOTEL

Singapore Coolest clubs, best bars, divine dining

PHILIPPINE CUISINE

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ICONIC DISHES TO TICKLE YOUR TASTEBUDS

23

AFFORDABLE BEACH BREAKS AROUND THE WORLD

Las Vegas Your must-read guide to 26 glamorous experiences

7 stunning style ideas for spring

Airport Survival Guide

Trends, maps, shopping: what you need to know

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ITALIAN MUST-VISITS from Milan to Rome

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Ko Chang From desert island to deluxe destination

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23

Beat that budget

O

VIETNAM

INSIDE HO CHI MINH CITY’S MOST FAMOUS HOTEL

Singapore Coolest clubs, best bars, divine dining

AFFORDABLE BEACH BREAKS AROUND THE WORLD

Las Vegas Your must-read guide to 26 glamorous experiences

PHILIPPINE CUISINE

ICONIC DISHES TO TICKLE 5 YOUR TASTEBUDS

7 stunning style ideas for spring

Airport Survival Guide

Trends, maps, shopping: what you need to know

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ITALIAN MUST-VISITS from Milan to Rome

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Ko Chang

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From desert island to deluxe destination

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PLUS: A chance to win a three-night stay at The Sukhothai hotel in Bangkok.

What do you think about Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia? Give us your feedback so we can make the region’s leading travel magazine even better. Log on to: www.travelandleisuresea.com/survey

...then fill in the online survey (which should take you no more than 10–15 minutes) and give us your details so we can send you three free issues of Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia* and enter you into our prize draw for a three-night stay at The Sukhothai hotel in a superior room with breakfast. *The “three free issues” offer only applies to non-subscribers and paid subscribers, although entry to the prize draw of a threenight stay in a superior room at The Sukhothai applies to all entrants. Existing subscribers will have their subscription extended by three months. Your personal details will not be passed on to any third-party companies.

(Contributors) 07.08 From top: Matt Steinglass; Peter Steinhauer; Hanoi’s Presidential Palace.

Christopher R. Cox first heard of the Peranakans

Hanoi should learn from Singapore, which bulldozed its history and regretted it,” says Matt Steinglass, who writes about his concerns over rapid development in this historic city in “Hanoi’s Heart,” (page 128). However, American Steinglass, who has lived in Hanoi for the past five years, believes that it’s ultimately the citizens of Vietnam’s capital city that set it apart—something photographer Peter Steinhauer agrees with: “There is nothing like arriving in Hanoi to hear and feel the energy.

It is where I am so comfortable, as Vietnam was my home for 13 years.” Steinglass is the Hanoi correspondent for the German news agency DPA, while Steinhauer, who is now based in Hong Kong, also shoots for TIME, Harper’s Bazaar and Communications Arts.

“

20

Aun Koh “I’ve always loved Peranakan food and Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant has long been one of my favorite restaurants,” says Koh, who took the photographs for “Cultural Tastes” (page 84). Koh has shot for the Lonely Planet World Food Guide to Malaysia and Singapore. When not snapping pictures of food or updating his popular food blog, ChubbyHubby.net, he runs a lifestyle and media consultancy in Singapore.

Noe DeWitt The New York–based photographer, who has captured many U.S. destinations for T+L (including New Orleans, Chicago and Houston), made his first trip to Las Vegas—armed with a list of the writer’s favorite haunts—to shoot “The Veteran’s Guide to Vegas” (page 116). “I didn’t expect to like the extravagance of the city, but once I let go of my preconceptions. I really got into it.” DeWitt also shoots for Interview and Allure.

Robyn Eckhardt “The Philippines is rarely mentioned as a food destination,” says Eckhardt.

“I’d lived in Asia for 12 years before I visited Manila, but I’ve made four gluttonous return trips in just the last 12 months”—one of which was to compile “Five Filipino Icons” (page 48). Eckhardt lives in Kuala Lumpur, where she is the food editor for the local edition of Time Out. She’s written for the Wall Street Journal Asia and Chicago Tribune.

JU LY 2 0 0 8 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

L E F T C O L U M N , F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F M AT T S T E I N G L A S S ; C O U R T E SY O F P E T E R S T E I N H A U E R ; P E T E R S T E I N H A U E R . R I G H T C O L U M N , F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F C H R I STO P H E R R. COX; CO U RT ESY O F AU N KO H ; CO U RT ESY O F N O E D E W I T T; CO U RT ESY O F RO BY N EC K H A R DT

(“Cultural Tastes,” page 84) while researching the history of the spice trade. “Food was a large part of their culture. I knew I wanted to learn—and to eat— more.” The author of Chasing the Dragon, about Burma’s narco-warlords, Cox’s stories also appear in Lonely Planet’s Tales from Nowhere and By the Seat of My Pants anthologies. He contributes to Audubon and Caribbean Travel & Life and lives in Massachusetts.

NOW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

(Letters)07.08 LETTER OF THE MONTH driving | t+l journal

Riding High In a remote region rarely visited by foreign tourists, NEWLEY PURNELL takes to the road on a Soviet-era Minsk motorbike, rumbling through remarkable rural landscapes, limestone karst outcrops and dusty villages Climbing the Ma Phuc pass, north of Cao Bang town. Top: A Minsk motorbike.

CO U RT ESY O F E X P LO R E I N D O C H I N A

VIETNAM

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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C O M| A P R I L 2 0 0 8

91

Time’s Right

IEKJ>;7IJ 7I?7

INDULGE YOURSELF

Your April issue was the first time I bought a copy of Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, and I have to say that it was well worth it—it was also excellent timing, since I’m planning my regional travels right now. I especially enjoyed your article on motorcycling through northern Vietnam [“Riding High”], which was so different to the usual stories out of the region.

In the future, it would be great to see more coverage of Cambodia and the Philippines, especially if it has a budget travel theme.

—J E RO M E

BA LU Y U T , T H E P H I L I P P I N E S

Phuket’s Other Side I thoroughly enjoyed your article on Phuket’s Old Town [“Phuket Old Style,” April 2008]. As a long-time resident of Phuket, I’ve come to appreciate everything it has to offer, including its rich history and cultural heritage. But most people still think of

THE WORLD’S LEADING TRAVEL MAGAZINE www.travelandleisuresea.com/subscribe

✉

Phuket as a beach destination.

Hopefully, your article will help change their minds.

—S I R I P O R N E K K AC H A I , P H U K E T Timely Tips Your “Tips from Top Concierges” article [January 2008] was superb.

While it only focused on three cities [Moscow, London and Tokyo], it was a great reminder for all of us who travel frequently to use these local experts. I can’t think of how many times I’ve walked past the concierge desk without stopping. Next time, I’ll make sure to stop and seek their advice.

—C Y N T H I A J I N , TA I P E I Preserving Cambodia Thanks for your piece about Vann Molyvann and New Khmer Architecture [“A Vanishing Legacy,” June 2008]. Most stories about Cambodia focus on its tragic history and the Khmer Rouge, so it was fascinating to read about the country’s “golden age” and the distinctive architecture that emerged from it. I hope the article galvanizes locals into protecting the treasures in their midst.

—P E N E L O P E S I M M O N S , H O N G KO N G Suvarnabhumi’s Woes While informative and useful, I did think your story on Southeast Asia’s airports [“Guide to Southeast Asia’s Airports,” May 2008] was too harsh on Suvarnabhumi. Sure, it’s had its teething problems, but compared to the mess at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, getting through Suvarnabhumi is a walk in the park!

—C H R I S H E D G E S , S I N G A P O R E

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR LETTERS TO TLEDITOR @ MEDIATRANSASIA.COM AND LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECENT STORIES OR NEW PLACES TO VISIT. LETTERS CHOSEN MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE. THE LETTER OF THE MONTH RECEIVES A FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO TRAVEL + LEISURE ( SOUTHEAST ASIA ONLY). READER OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN LETTERS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF TRAVEL + LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA, MEDIA TRANSASIA LTD., OR AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING.

WHAT ARE THE BEST DESTINATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA IF YOU’RE TRAVELING WITH SMALL CHILDREN? —GERALDINE BARKER, HONG KONG

A:

When it comes to tolerant attitudes towards children, Southeast Asia is hard to beat. But you also need facilities, safe surroundings and activities for the little ones. With all that in mind, Thailand is our pick for traveling with children. There’s plenty for children to do, from mahout camps to museums. Restaurant staff seldom frowns upon younger diners; and in case of an emergency, you have your pick of some of the region’s best hospitals. A close runner-up is ultrasafe Singapore, which has one of Asia’s best zoos (we can watch the orangutans for hours) and other terrific nature parks.

24

online deals with the major airlines.

Singapore Airlines, for instance, often in my upcoming trip to Thailand. Is has promotions if there are two of you that feasible? traveling, just check their website —MICHAEL MITCHELL, PERTH regularly. With hotels, however, the best Trains provide a comfortable, enjoyable deals are often through middlemen.

Booking websites typically offer the best and inexpensive way to travel around Thailand, with four major routes: rates; we often turn to Agoda.com, Bangkok–Chiang Mai in the north; Asiarooms.com or Wotif.com when Bangkok–Nong Khai (on the border reserving a room. Another website worth with Laos) and Bangkok–Ubon checking out is Luxurylink.com, which Ratchathani in the northeast; and auctions off packages at luxury hotels Bangkok–Hat Yai (and on into Malaysia) worldwide to the highest bidder. It also in the south. Take a second-class sleeper posts packages that you can buy (air-conditioned), or first class, with your outright. The only catch is that its own private two-bunk cabin. Overnight listings in Asia are limited. trains leave from Bangkok’s Hualamphong station early-to-mid My wife and I want to stay at a evening and arrive at their destinations ryokan during our upcoming trip to early the following morning. A couple of Kyoto. Can you suggest any that offer an authentic experience? tips: chose the bottom bunk in secondclass sleepers to avoid the glare of night —PATRICK MEYER, CALIFORNIA lights in the carriage; if traveling alone, Among Kyoto’s most illustrious ryokan is pay a 30-percent premium on a first Hiiragiya (Nakahakusancho, Fuyacho class cabin to avoid someone else Anekojiagaru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75/221bunking down with you. It’s best to book 1136; doubles from US$989, including meals), at least one day in advance (earlier whose 33 rooms—featuring lacquered during holiday periods). You can pick up bathrooms with wooden tubs—have timetables at Hualamphong station. hosted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Charlie Chaplin. At the more intimate I love to travel, but I’m looking to cut Kinmata Ryokan (407 Gokomachi, Nakagyodown on costs. What are the best ku; 81-75/221-1039; kinmata.com; doubles ways to find deals in this region? from US$750, including meals), near the Nishiki food market, you can dine on —SHERIDAN TAN, SINGAPORE owner Haruji Ukai’s seafood kaiseki With oil prices hitting record highs, getting on a plane is becoming meals. And in Gion, the geisha quarter, the 17-room Yoshi-ima Ryokan (Shinmomincreasingly expensive. The best way to save on airfare is to cut out the zen; 81-75/561-2620; yoshi-ima.co.jp; doubles from US$355, including meals), holds middleman: opt for one of the region’s budget carriers or check for special candlelit evening tea ceremonies. ✚ I’m a bit of a train buff and would

like to incorporate some train travel

✉

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO TLEDITOR @ MEDIATRANSASIA.COM. QUESTIONS CHOSEN FOR PUBLICATION MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE .

JULY 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

I L L U S T R AT E D BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

Q:

(Ask T+L)07.08

(Best Deals) 07.08 DEAL OF THE MONTH

Six stylish retreats in Asia to help beat the summertime blues ■ CHINA Intimate Retreat package at the Kayumanis Nanjing (86-25/8410-7777; kayumanis.com).

What’s Included Three-night stay in a private pool villa; a bottle of wine; a candlelit dinner; a two-hour spa treatment; a full-day tour of Nanjing; daily breakfast and fruit; round-trip airport transfer; afternoon snacks; and 24-hour butler service. Cost US$1,490, double, through March 31, 2009. Savings Up to 30 percent.

■ HONG KONG Summer Grand Deal promotion at The Langham (852/2375-1133; hongkong. langhamhotels.com). What’s Included Daily breakfast and free Internet connection; for an additional HK$300, use of the Club Lounge; two hours’ use of a meeting room; free local calls; afternoon tea; evening cocktails; and a daily laundry allowance of HK$400. Cost From HK$2,150 per night, double, through August 31. Savings Up to 20 percent.

■ THAILAND Spa Serenity package at the Shangri-La 26

Hotel, Bangkok (66-2/206-8788; shangrila. com). What’s Included One-way airport transfer; daily breakfast; daily fruit basket; a spa amenity; a spa analysis; and two spa treatments. Cost From US$275 per night, double, three-night minimum stay, through August 31. Savings Up to 30 percent.

Four Nights for Three package at The Library on Ko Samui (66-77/422-767–8; thelibrary.name). What’s Included One additional night with a three-night stay; upgrade to a suite; daily breakfast; two cocktails; and free Internet. Cost Bt12,000 per night, through August 31. Savings Up to 30 percent.

Exclusive package for T+L Southeast Asia readers at the Aleenta Resort & Spa in Phuket (66-2/514-8112; aleenta.com). What’s Included Three-night stay; your choice of yoga, tai chi or kickboxing class; a 60-minute massage per person; and round-trip airport transfer. Cost From Bt23,500, double, through September 30. Savings Up to 50 percent.

JULY 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

A guest room in JIA hotel, Hong Kong.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F K AY U M A N I S ; C O U R T E S Y O F J I A

A villa at Kayumanis Nanjing.

HONG KONG Thai Boxing package at JIA Hong Kong (852/31969000; www.jiahongkong. com). What’s Included Two-night stay in a suite; one-hour Thai boxing personal training session at the Swish Club next door; 10 percent discount at Dragon-I restaurant; complimentary use of California Fitness gym nearby; daily breakfast; free local calls; and daily afternoon tea and wine at cocktail hour. Cost From HK$1,700, through July 31.

Savings Up to 40 percent.

Be who you are at Twinpalms Phuket

Use code words “Travel+Leisure” while making your booking and receive a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability).

Twinpalms Phuket Phuket’s Most Exciting & Stylish Contemporary Resort Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand t +66 (0) 76 316500 w www.twinpalms-phuket.com

(Strategies) 07.08 Abeo, a serviced apartment in Hong Kong.

TOP 5 TIPS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS

As with hotels, travelers can easily book a serviced apartment online these days, but they should keep a few things in mind before making the final click.

1 Serviced apartments can vary tremendously in price and services. Some have pools, tennis courts, spas, Wi-Fi, fitness rooms and other amenities normally associated with hotels. Others are more barebones. Tourists should know what services they absolutely need and those they can do without.

2 Since serviced apartments mostly target corporate clients, some brands have contracts with multinational companies and will give employees discounts for personal travel. It’s worth checking out.

Serviced Apartments Short-term rentals offer the perks of a hotel with the privacy of your own pad. Here, DANIEL TEN KATE examines this increasingly popular alternative. PLUS: Top websites and more HEN SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT Frances Boyne and her husband started planning a two-week trip to Bangkok to visit her son over Christmas in 2006, he suggested that she look into serviced apartments. Boyne had always stayed in hotels before, but with the longer stay she wanted more space. She quickly learned they had appealing extras, such as a washing machine and kitchen, plus a pool and spa for relaxation. More to the point, she also realized that she could live without a lot of what hotels tout. »

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4 While tourists won’t usually find serviced apartments at the beach, they can find time-shares. They operate in a similar fashion, offering a pied-à-terre for travelers who want something different from a typical resort.

5 Be sure to compare rates with those at hotels with similar services to gauge a fair price.

CO U RT ESY O F H O M E 2 H O M E

Guide to

3 In most Asian countries, a serviced apartment can be booked for only a few nights just like a hotel. But there are notable exceptions. In Korea and Singapore, government regulations stipulate that travelers can only book a serviced apartment for a week or longer.

apartments

Abeo, Hong Kong

“As we looked at the apartments and hotels, it became clear that hotels had more services than we needed: multiple restaurants, bars and other entertainment,” she says. “We wanted a restaurant for breakfast, but knew we’d be eating out with the family most of the time. We realized we wouldn’t use any of the amenities a hotel offers—and charges for.”

She’s not alone. Savvy tourists who want more space for a cheaper price are increasingly choosing them over hotels. In 2006, bookings for serviced apartments throughout Southeast Asia jumped by more than threefold from the year before, according to the Singapore-based travelbooking website Agoda. Property agent Colliers International said in a recent report that it expected “extreme competition” to develop between hotels and serviced apartments in the future. In Bangkok alone, the number of serviced apartment units is set to jump by 61 percent by 2011.

“Typically, travelers who book serviced apartments have been to a city before, know the geography and are staying more than a few nights,” says Wilfred Fan, an executive at Agoda.

Make no mistake, serviced apartments still cater mostly to business travelers, who comprise up to 70 percent of the market.

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Ascott Sathorn Bangkok

With that in mind, serviced apartments are usually found in major cities. And in most cases, travelers shouldn’t expect the luxurious touches that have become de rigueur at five-star hotels such as 300plus-thread-count sheets and designer toiletries (or even, for that matter, bathroom slippers).

There are other drawbacks as well.

Concierges aren’t on hand to book a taxi, navigate the city or meet a last-minute request. Meals, too, can become monotonous. Most serviced apartments only have one restaurant, which does triple duty with breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the rare occasion that a development does have more than one eatery or bar, they usually don’t meet the standards of those found in top hotels.

But for visitors who choose to stay in serviced apartments, the benefits still outweigh the disadvantages. For one, they’re usually better value than hotels; and if the global economy slows—and business expense accounts trimmed—they might be an even better deal in the coming months.

Short-term rentals also appeal to tourists looking for a base during their travels. “Space is at a premium Hong Kong, so my parents and I prefer staying in a serviced apartment,” says Jillian Ma,

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Banyan Tree, Bangkok

ASIA'S BEST BOOKING SITES ● moveandstay.com This global site provides listings all over Asia and can sort options according to amenities. It also has a user-friendly interface that allows travelers to effortlessly compare prices.

● agoda.com Accommodations booking site Agoda contains a map function that lists serviced apartments according to location. It also features 24-hour customer service and more than 10,000 reviews from travelers.

● roommillion.com A Bangkok-focused site that specializes in finding serviced apartments and condominiums for long-term as well as shortstay travelers.

● asiaxpat.com An Asia-wide site for professionals, Asiaxpat provides immediate booking services for apartments in major cities. It also lists restaurants, personal ads and advice on living in the city.

F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F H O M E 2 H O M E ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E A S C O T T G R O U P ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A N YA N T R E E

strategies | serviced

a New Yorker with relatives in Hong Kong. “We know the city well and we like to cook, so it’s really ideal.” They make particular sense for families, for whom having a second bedroom (not to mention a washing machine) can come in handy.

And as more and more people hit the road, discerning travelers are turning to serviced apartments as a refuge

from the hoi polloi. “Most of our residents choose us because they want a feeling of home, privacy and exclusivity,” says Melvin Tan, an executive with The Ascott Group, one of the top brands in Asia along with Fraser and Oakwood. “They don’t want to mingle with short-stay guests who may be very rowdy coming out of a bar full of Heineken.” ✚

Apartments or Hotels?

We stack up four of Asia’s finest hotels with serviced apartments to see which offers better value. Below are the results. Reported by JENNIFER CHEN

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F T H E A S C O T T G R O U P ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E P E N I N S U L A ; C O U R T E SY O F M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L ; C O U R T E SY O F F R A S E R S H O S P I TA L I T Y

PROPERTY

HOTEL

Spa Suite, Banyan Tree banyantree.com

RENTAL

Deluxe two-bedroom apartment, Ascott Sathorn Bangkok the-ascott.com

HOTEL

Deluxe courtyard room, The Peninsula peninsula.com

RENTAL

Deluxe one-bedroom apartment, Abeo home2home.hk

HOTEL

Club suite, Mandarin Oriental mandarinoriental. com

BANGKOK

SQUARE METERS NEIGHBORHOOD

PRICE

118

South Sathorn Road, a wealthy area where a number of embassies are located

Bedroom, living room and a spa treatment room; various spa treatments and products; daily fresh fruit; personalized stationery; afternoon tea; complimentary laundry, dry cleaning and pressing; and numerous other perks

Bt22,700 per night

106

Sathorn Road, closer to the SkyTrain

Two bedrooms, a separate living room and fully equipped kitchen; Wi-Fi; CD/ DVD/VCD player; washing machine; daily breakfast; welcome hamper; daily maid service; shuttle bus; gym; sauna; swimming pool; and 24-hour security

Bt6,205 per night

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Tsim Sha Tsui, Location in original 1928 building; daily Kowloon’s shopfruit basket; Wi-Fi; complimentary ping and enterlocal calls; Romanesque swimming tainment district, pool; some of the city’s best restauwith views of rants; flat-screen TV with DVD/CD/ Victoria Harbor VCD player; and legendary service

HK$4,400 per night

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Aberdeen, on the south shore of Hong Kong Island

Bedroom, partitioned-off living room and fully equipped kitchen; Wi-Fi; flatscreen TV with DVD player and iPod dock; Xbox 360 video-game console; 24-hour security; and grocery delivery

HK$1,450 per night

165

Kuala Lumpur City Centre, home to the Petronas Towers and KLCC Park

Bedroom, living room, dining room, guest washroom and fully equipped kitchenette; sauna and whirlpool bath; CD/DVD/VCD player; 24-hour room service; broadband Internet; and use of private club lounge

MYR6,900 per night

RENTAL

Two-bedroom premiere apartment, Somerset Seri Bukit Ceylon somerset.com

117

The Golden Triangle, the city’s major commercial hub

Master bedroom and second bedroom with two single beds, fully equipped kitchen and living room; 24-hour security; daily maid service; daily breakfast; DVD player; broadband Internet; and swimming pool and sauna

MYR600 per night

HOTEL

Standard one-bedroom suite, the Four Seasons Singapore fourseasons.com

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Orchard Road, Singapore’s glitzy shopping strip

Bedroom and separate living room with dining table; two TV’s; CD/DVD/ VCD player; guest washroom; 24-hour room service; and tennis courts

S$1,040 per night

RENTAL

Deluxe two-bedroom apartment, Fraser Suites River Valley Singapore singapore-suites.frasershospitality.com

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River Valley Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, sepaRoad, a posh resi- rate living room with dining room and S$570 per night dential area but a fully equipped kitchen; gym, swimming (for seven-night short walk to the pool and sauna; spa; 24-hour security; minimum stay) Boat Quay and daily breakfast on weekdays; shuttle Robertson Quay bus; and daily maid service

HONG KONG

KUALA LUMPUR

SINGAPORE

DESCRIPTION

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Filipino treats: A guide to classic dishes from the Philippines <(page 48)

High life.

Behind the scenes at a classic hotel in Hong Kong (page 44) >

Vineyard delights.

Four great wine bars in Singapore <(page 56)

+

• Saigon’s coolest neighborhood • Medical spas in Southeast Asia • The world’s best hotel amenities

(Insider) Photo credit by tktktk

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F L O N G TA B L E ; D AV I D H A G E R M A N ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E W I N E C O M PA N Y ; C O U R T E S Y O F M A I ’ S ; A N D R E W R O W AT

Communal dining: Bangkok’s hottest new restaurant <(page 43)

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

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| newsflash E DI T OR ’ S PIC K S

Best Amenities

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These days, mints on the pillows and fancy toiletries are just the beginning when it comes to in-room extras. Here are five of our favorite finds from around the globe.

1 INDIA At the Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur; 91-294/243-3300; oberoihotels.com; doubles from US$737), traditional Meenakari jewelry boxes are given as departure gifts to repeat visitors.

2 THAILAND Upon arrival, guests staying in a suite at The Sukhothai (Bangkok; 662/344-8888; sukhothaihotel.com; doubles from Bt7,600) receive a brightly colored raw-silk stuffed elephant, said to bring good luck.

3 BRAZIL The Hotel Fasano (Rio de Janeiro; 55-21/3202-4000; fasano.com.br; doubles from US$620) stocks two pairs of black-and-white Havaianas flip-flops in guest bathrooms, which are yours to keep.

4 LONDON Stylish travelers with a sweet tooth who stay at the Berkeley (4420/7235-6000; the-berkeley.co.uk; doubles from £309) can request these ginger cookies in the shape of covetable designs (a Jimmy Choo boot; an Yves Saint Laurent jacket).

5 CALIFORNIA Night owls rejoice: this clip-on reading light is within arm’s reach on every nightstand at Les Mars Hôtel (Healdsburg; 1-877/431-1700; lesmarshotel. com; doubles from US$575)—and is just US$20 if you want to take it home.

—J E N N I F E R W E L B E L

Peking Glitz Dozens of hotels have opened up in Beijing ahead of the Olympic HOTEL Games, including the Chinese capital’s first generation of bona fide boutique hotels. Unveiled last month, Hotel G Beijing (7 Gongti Xi Lu, Chaoyang district; 86-10/6552-3600; hotel-G.com; doubles from RMB2,369) is the latest of this genre. Owner Goodwin Gaw, the real estate entrepreneur behind the US$24 million renovation of the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, has hired the likes of couturier Han Feng and other design talents to create the 110-room property’s sultry, In the Mood for Love meets Parisian boudoir aesthetic. The hotel also brings posh L.A. burger bar, 25 Degrees, to Asia. Look out for more Hotel G’s in the future: Gaw plans to launch the brand elsewhere in the region.

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T O P : D AV I E S + S TA R R . B O T T O M : C O U R T E S Y O F H O T E L G B E I J I N G

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insider

| newsflash

ART

Since the 1990’s, British artist Anish Kapoor, one of the world’s most important sculptors working today, has become best known for engagingly playful works of public art. The Turner Prize–winning artist is now the subject of a comprehensive survey at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Ave.; 1-617/478-3100; icaboston.org; tickets US$12 per person). Running until September 7, “Anish Kapoor: Past, Present, Future” displays 15 works by the Mumbai-born artist, including pieces from his early 1,000 Names series—geometric shapes coated in colored powder pigment, an allusion to his heritage. The show also marks the debut of a new Kapoor sculpture.

BEST FIND

Wearable Art IT’S HARD TO CATEGORIZE

Singaporean label Kwodrent’s (kwodrent.com) ethereally beautiful creations. Are they necklaces? Avant-garde tops? Revivals of Elizabethan ruffs? Actually, they began as an accident, says founder Grace Tan. While working in the frenetic fashion world, Tan would experiment with fabrics to revive her creative juices, molding them into geometric shapes to be worn around the neck. Singapore’s design cognoscenti took notice, and in 2003, Kwodrent (the phonetic spelling of “quadrant”) was born. Fashioned out of chiffon, organdy, twill and Thai silk, the pieces can take up to two weeks to make.

“I let the fabric guide me rather than impose anything on it,” says the 28-yearold Malaysian, who confesses to having a noncommercial approach to her work.

Her one-of-a-kind designs, available in London and Singapore, don’t come cheap, starting at S$400. But view them as art—in fact, Tan has an exhibit that opens July 17 at Melbourne’s RMIT Gallery (344 Swanston St.)—and it’s a small price to pay.—J E N N I F E R C H E N

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FA S H I O N

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E I N S T I T U T E O F C O N T E M P O R A R Y A R T/ B O S T O N ; S I T T I P U N C H A I T E R D S R I ; D A R R E N S O H / C O U R T E S Y O F K W O D R E N T

Shaping Up

insider

| newsflash

Concert of a Lifetime

MUSIC

Bangkok seldom makes the cut as a stop for the world’s leading classical music performers. All the more reason to catch this month’s rare performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, led by the great Zubin Mehta (Thailand Cultural Centre; thaiticketmajor.com; 66-2/247-0028; July 30; tickets from Bt1,500). On the program are Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” and Mussorgsky’s magisterial “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Throughout his career, Mehta—who at age 72 is still electrifying audiences—has made it a point to bring music where it’s most needed, helming performances in the ruins of the Bosnian National Library in war-torn Sarajevo, Tel Aviv during the Gulf War and at the site of a concentration camp in Weimar, Germany—a concert that brought together the Israel Philharmonic and Bavarian State Opera Orchestra.

Bangkok hardly qualifies as a conflict zone, but it does need more live music, especially from a maestro at the height of his powers.

Fancy Feet Want to graduate from flip-flops on the beach?

Best known for his redsoled, sky-high stilettos, Parisian shoe designer

SMALL WORLD EXHIBITION

Two miniatures from the imperial Mughal era.

Kicking off a two-year celebration of Indian culture, the Alfred M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. recently opened a spectacular show devoted to the jewel-like miniature paintings and calligraphy of India’s Mughal period. “MURAQQA’: Imperial Mughal Albums from the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin” (1050 Independence Ave. SW; 1-202/633-1000; www.asia.si.edu; through August 3; admission free) spotlights 82 17th-century masterpieces acquired

by American-born industrialist and philanthropist Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, who later established the eponymous library to house his priceless collection. If this exhibition whets your appetite for Indian classical art, there’s more to come. Along with screenings of Indian films and musical performances from the subcontinent, the Sackler will stage another major show, “Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur,” later this year (October 11 to January 4, 2009).

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has launched a line of espadrilles and sandals in collaboration with One&Only Resorts.

The colorful footwear starts from US$375 and will be sold in One&Only’s properties in Mauritius, the Bahamas, Mexico, Dubai and the Maldives as well as Louboutin’s flagship stores in London and New York.

STYLE

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T : C O U R T E S Y O F O N E & O N LY R E S O R T S ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E A R T H U R M . S A C K L E R G A L L E R Y

Christian Louboutin

| newsflash MUSIC

Strike Up the Band Summer music festival season is in full swing worldwide, and this month features two of this region’s heavyweights.

Asia’s answer to Glastonbury (but with less mud and better toilets), the Fuji Rock Festival (Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawamachi, Niigata; smash-uk.com; July 25–27; tickets from Y16,800) attracts more than 100,000 music fans a year. This year’s edition will feature performances by U.K. electronic music duo Underworld, Irish indie pioneers My Bloody Valentine, British R&B singer Jamie Lidell, and reggae and dub legend, Lee “Scratch” Perry. Of a completely different order, the Rainforest Music Festival in Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak Cultural Village; rainforestmusic-borneo.com; July 11–13; tickets from RM90) assembles some of the best worldmusic acts from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe and the Middle East for daytime jamming sessions in traditional longhouses and nighttime concerts under the jungle canopy.

FA S H I O N

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KIMONOS REDUX

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BOXED SET It’s a match made in heaven: Chinese luxury-goods maker Shanghai Tang and the slickly stylish LUXE City Guides have joined forces to create a limited edition ebony and lacquer box containing all 28 of the series’ titles (available at Shanghai Tang flagship stores worldwide; shanghaitang.com; HK$6,800). Even LUXE’s notoriously opinionated writers would approve.

GUIDES

F R O M T O P : U C H U TA I S H I / S TA R ; C O U R T E SY O F S H A N G H A I TA N G ; C O U R T E SY O F C H A KO

insider

Heat Wave

■ Braise, Singapore Fusion is still going strong in A few years ago, the idea of Here, two new restaurants in Southeast Asia generating the City of Angels, though going to Sentosa Island for plenty of buzz. By JENNIFER CHEN it usually comes as spiceddinner would have raised up European fare. Opened more than a few eyebrows. in May, this eatery from the But with more than 30 FOOD team behind Bed restaurants and counting, Supperclub inverts that the resort has ditched its formula, using haute reputation for Merlion ingredients in Thai classics. kitsch. Housed in an old Dan Ivarie, the talented monorail station on the chef who originally helmed beach, this latest entry, Bed, has produced some which opened in March, serious winners here. Wagyu dishes up cuisine that’s Communal seating at Long beef is meltingly tender and unapologetically French, Table in served with a bracing jim though leavened with some Bangkok, left.

Right: Foie gras jaew, while the wok-seared Asian flourishes. Succulent terrine at foie gras with green papaya embodies the best in frogs’ legs, for instance, are served in the guise of Braise, in Singapore.

East-meets-West. As with Bed, Long Table’s stunning ravioli and tempura, drizzled with a morel-flecked design is in a class by itself. A communal teakwood velouté. Chef Desmond Lee, an alumnus of Raffles table stretches across the dining room, flanked by Hotel, handles his food with a light touch, as befits white leather booths. Revelers, meanwhile, can sip cocktails the beachfront setting. The restaurant’s décor also nods to out on the enormous patio and drink in the bird’s eye views its tropical seaside surroundings: an enormous fish tank of Bangkok. 25th floor, Column Tower, 48 Soi 16, Sukhumvit Rd.; occupies the lobby, while sisal covers the walls. 2nd floor, 60 66-2/302-2557–9; dinner for two with wine Bt5,200.

Palawan Beach Walk; 65/6271-1929; tasting menus from S$98.

T O P : C O U R T E SY O F L O N G TA B L E ; C O U R T E SY O F B R A I S E . B O T T O M F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F S M E D I C A L S PA ; C O U R T E SY O F D R X M E D I S PA ; C O U R T E SY O F T R I A I N T E G R AT I V E W E L L N E S S ; C O U R T E SY O F A M E Z C U A W E L L N E S S C E N T R E

■ Long Table, Bangkok

Alternative Pampering More and more spas in Asia are employing doctors as well as masseurs. Here, four of the region’s most cutting-edge medispas

S PA S

SPA

THE SCENE

SIGNATURE SERVICE

TAKE HOME

BANGKOK

SINGAPORE

BANGKOK

MANILA

S Medical Spa 2/2 Bhakdi Building, Wireless Road; 66-2/253-1010; smedspa.com; treatments from Bt1,200

DrX MediSpa 03-52–54 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd.; 65/6836-1555; drxmedispa.com; treatments from S$80

TRIA Integrative Wellness 998 Rimklongsamsen Rd., 66-2/660-2602; triaintegrativewellness.com; treatments from Bt2,000

Amezcua Wellness Centre 122 Katipunan Ave., Quezon City; 63-2/913-1353; amezcuawellness.com; treatments from P500

A 2,700-square-meter spa in Bangkok’s embassy area that attracts society doyennes

Decked in pure white, this facility offers state-of-the-art treatments, including Flotation R.E.S.T tank used for sleep disorders

Run by Piyavate Hospital, this four-story, 13,800-squaremeter center boasts a pool, 40 treatment rooms and four hydrotherapy rooms

Rustic and surrounded by greenery, this spot features five treatment rooms, a fitness studio and a garden

Half-day Purification treatment that includes a Thai herbal steam bath, seaweed scrub, colonic and detox massage

Mind and Body Rejuvenation treatment, which uses oxygen therapy, a session in the Flotation R.E.S.T. capsule and a massage

Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage that aims to improve the chi in your digestive system

The Green Coffee Cocoon Wrap, said to improve skin tone and reduce unsightly cellulite

Antioxidant and vitamin-rich products from Spain’s Skeyndor

In-house beauty product line Derma-Rx makes ample use of natural ingredients, such as algae, chamomile and cucumber

A selection from U.S.-based DNA Health Institute’s CryoStem Skin Therapy line

Amezcua’s shop stocks the spa’s own health products, including nutritional supplements and chi pendants

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insider

| day in the life Rainy Chan has breakfast at the hotel’s cafeteria, Chui Dim, with staffer Miyori Matsuki. Below right: The daily inspection continues on the Sun Terrace deck. Below left: A walk-through of the hotel’s pool area.

HONG KONG

8:15 A.M. Wonder Woman. What does it take to run one of Asia’s top hotels? T+L tags along with Rainy Chan, general manager of The Peninsula Hong Kong. By SHARON LEECE

7:00 A.M. 44

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■ 7:00 A.M. As the sun rises over Victoria Harbour, Rainy Chan whips through the 80-year-old Peninsula Hong Kong on a morning inspection.

A trailblazer in the hotel world, Chan worked her way up through the ranks to become the first woman and the first Asian ever to manage this flagship property. And with good reason: she’s a whirlwind of energy, checking on everything from the kitchens and the spa to the rooftop deck, and delivering a cheery “jo san” (good morning) to every staffer.

■ 8:15 A.M. After reviewing the overnight logbook—all was, thankfully, quiet—Chan heads to the staff restaurant, Chui Dim, for breakfast with a front-desk agent, the spa manager and a cashier.

■ 9:00 A.M. She’s off to the conference room for the meeting of department heads, where the guest relations director delivers a PowerPoint briefing on tonight’s VIP guests—with their head shots included.

■ 9:30 A.M. The US$1,027-a-night Floating Cloud suite is being prepared for a Korean businessman who has been visiting since the 1970’s. Chan checks on the cleanliness (even kneeling down to look under the bed and on the bathroom floor) and the temperature (he has requested a balmy 27 degrees). “I’m a stickler for details,” she says. “If I’m at a restaurant and there’s a crooked painting, I’ll fi x it.”

■ 10:00 A.M. The architects behind the hotel’s 1930’s-style jazz lounge— opening in October—present their plans, and designer Ranee Kok shows some options for the staff uniforms.

Chan, who has a keen interest in Photographed by ANDREW ROWAT

9:30 A.M. fashion and has most of her clothes custom made by Hong Kong’s top tailors, wants the sleeves adjusted and the jackets cropped.

■ 10:30 A.M. She convenes nine senior staff members in the conference room to discuss preparations for the Peninsula’s upcoming 80th-birthday celebration. The search for 80 children—who will dress up as tiny page boys and girls—is going well.

■ 11:30 A.M. Then it’s down to the basement garage, where she wields an enormous cleaver to slice a 11-kilogram roasted pig, part of the traditional Bai Sun ceremony to protect the drivers of the hotel’s signature green RollsRoyce fleet.

■ 12:45 P.M. Chan tries to sit down for a lunch of har gau (shrimp dumplings) and char siu bao (steamed pork buns) at Spring Moon restaurant, but constantly jumps up to greet guests.

“It’s a curse, but I can never relax,” she says.

■ 2:00 P.M. Switching from English to Cantonese, Chan welcomes new page boys and housekeepers at an orientation in the third-floor training room.

■ 2:30 P.M. Down in the kitchens, the chef is holding a tasting of new menu items. Chan gives a Mediterranean quiche the thumbs-up, even discussing its price and presentation.

■ 3:30 P.M. Then she’s off to strategize about Christmas. (It’s never too early.)

11:30 A.M. The 6-meter lobby tree will be decked out in white, gold, and silver.

■ 5:00 P.M. For the first time all day, Chan gets more than 10 minutes in her neater-than-neat office, complete with a picture of her dog, Bella, dressed up as a Peninsula page. She makes a call to check on a diamond ring for a guest who’s about to propose. “It’s a colorful life—I get to share other people’s special moments.”

■ 8:00 P.M. Chan slips into the 30thfloor China Clipper lounge, with spectacular harbor views and 1930’s aircraft memorabilia, to check on the preparations for a dinner party being hosted by a VIP guest. She sticks around to make sure the event goes off without a hitch, but forgets to eat.

■ 9:45 P.M. Back in her office, she orders sweet corn–and-crab soup from room service. “I don’t live the same glamorous life as our guests,” she says.

■ 10:00 P.M. The page boys swing open the doors of the lobby, and Chan—looking as stylish as she did when she arrived at 7 A.M.—emerges into the cool night, where the staff van is waiting to take her home. ✚

Under Her Watchful Eye Clockwise from below: Chan tastes new dishes in the firstfloor pastry kitchen; Chan inspects a VIP room with her senior staff; Chan with one of The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Rolls-Royce sedans.

2:30 P.M.

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Special Promotion

Munich Airport Europe’s Leading Air Hub At Munich Airport, a new dimension of shopping, relaxing and culinary delights awaits passengers 365 days a year, from early in the morning until late in the evening t Munich’s award-winning international airport, passengers can nd a variety of wares from dutyfree, electronics, fashion and accessories to trendy gift items.

A mixture of local, national and international brands are available in about 180 shops.

Approximately 40 restaurants and bars at Munich Airport suit everyone’s taste. There’s the airport version of Munich’s famous Hofbräuhaus, or the Il mondo—a rst-class Italian restaurant with an amazing view of aircraft operations. Mangostin Restaurant, with its high-quality teak

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oors and Asian accents coupled with a view of the bustling check-in hall, offers Thai and sushi dishes.

Meanwhile, the world’s rst airport brewery, Airbraeu, with an outdoor beer garden, is another highlight not to be missed. As the latest addition to the array of 40 restaurants and eateries run by Munich Airport, Bistro Organic provides a mini-retreat from the hustle and bustle of airport rush-hour.

Munich is also the only airport at which the famous Brants Barber & Shop opened its doors. Here, the male business traveler can indulge in a retreat area in the midst of bustling

activity. Conveniently located between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, passengers can also nd Kempinski’s exclusive health club and spa.

A ramp direct service offers delayed transfer passengers a direct shuttle transport to their connecting ight.

And, last but not least, upon request, well-trained staff assists travelers personally. This is Munich Airport’s Meet & Assist Service. “Service nonstop” has become Munich Airport’s advertising slogan—and the Skytrax award for being the Best Airport in Europe 2007 acknowledges the airport’s efforts in giving best service to its passengers.

FACTS AND FIGURES • Record minimum connecting time of only 30 minutes • First airport with a full-service medical clinic • Europe’s seventhbusiest airport

• Passenger throughput 2007: 34 million (+10.4 percent over 2006) • Skytrax 2007 awards for Best Airport in Europe (third year in a row) and fourth best in the world • Handles more than

90,000 passengers per day • New destinations for 2008 include Mumbai, Singapore and Seoul • Capacity and infrastructure for the Airbus A380

For more information, visit www.munich-airport.com

insider | classics

Five Filipino Icons. Philippine food is one of the region’s most underrated cuisines. Here, ROBYN ECKHARDT gives the lowdown on the country’s most cherished dishes ■ SINIGANG

Filipinos prize sourness, and they celebrate it in the form of sinigang, a tom yam–like soup of fish, chicken or meat tarted up with sour leaves or fruit. A casual eatery specializing in home-style comfort foods, Sentro 1771 (2nd floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati; 63-2/757-3940) combines house-made corned beef with daikon, string beans, okra and onions in a piquant tamarindbased broth that brilliantly counterbalances the richness of the meat. The restaurant also offers a lighter and more traditional, but no less tasty, seafood sinigang, a vessel of tangy fish-andtamarind stock crowded with chunks of boneless firm-fleshed milkfish, prawns, tomato wedges, sliced banana blossoms and mustard leaves, and whole mild green chilies.

■ LECHON

PHILIPPINES

Filipino Treats From top: Pork adobo at Fely J’s Kitchen restaurant; a bowl of seafood sinigang at Sentro 1771; tucking in at Milky Way Café.

For the country’s Christian majority, pork reigns supreme—an ardor embodied in lechon, or whole spit-roasted pig. Lechon actually describes the cooking process, but pig is so ubiquitous on the spit that the term has come to mean pork. While it’s generally considered special-occasion fare, Manila is dotted with eateries offering individual-sized portions. At Lechon Delight, a stall at Makati’s boisterous Saturday morning Salcedo Community Market (Jaime Velasquez Park; Saturdays from 7 A.M. to 2 P.M.), proprietor Boy Tan and his family dish up strips of unctuous meat crowned with shards of the bronzed skin prized by connoisseurs. Tan specializes in pig roasted à la Cebu, which is stuffed with ginger and onions and served with coconut-flavored vinegar.

■ ADOBO

If pressed to name a national dish, most Filipinos would probably choose pork adobo, a comforting braise made with vinegar, plenty of garlic and black pepper. Though it’s local in origin (cooking with vinegar was a common means of preservation before the advent of 48

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Photographed by DAVID HAGERMAN

refrigeration), historians believe its name was borrowed from a Mexican dish of meat stewed with wine and/or chilies. What sets a superior adobo apart? Deeply and evenly browned meat, something that, to the disapproval of some Filipino cooks, is occasionally achieved by using soy sauce. The cooks at Fely J’s Kitchen (2nd floor, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati; 63-2/7288878) a serene indoor–outdoor space in Makati, surely employ this shortcut. But even a die-hard purist would have difficulty resisting the restaurant’s version of this Filipino favorite: gorgeous mahogany-hued pieces of fork-tender pork shoulder garnished with sweet caramelized roasted garlic cloves.

■ PANSIT

As with elsewhere in East Asia, Philippine meals generally revolve around rice, but pansit, or noodle dishes, figure prominently in the country’s snack repertoire. Pansit luglug, round rice noodles smothered with a smooth shrimp-flavored sauce tinted orange from annatto seeds, is often eaten for merienda, the late afternoon mini-meal meant to tide one over between lunch and dinner.

Luglug, a Tagalog word, means to immerse anything in boiling water, and the snack’s name presumably refers to the way the rice noodles are heated and softened before they’re drained and doused with sauce. The pansit luglug served at Milky Way Café (2nd floor, 900 Arnaiz Rd., Makati; 63-2/843-7124), a cheerful incarnation of a popular 1950’s Manila dairy bar, features a briny sauce and is garnished with slices of hardboiled egg, chopped scallion greens and crunchy bits of chicharron (deep-fried pork rinds) that contrast wonderfully with the texture of the thick, chewy noodles.

■ TSOKOLATE

Filipinos love sweets and whip up a localized version of Spanish chocolate—thick enough to stand a spoon in—with homegrown cacao that rivals Barcelona’s best. Cacao production dates back to the 1600’s, when trees were imported from Mexico by way of Spain. Indulge in the lavishly thick beverage at Café Adriatico (1790 M. Adriatico St., Malate; 63-2/525-2509), a nostalgic neighborhood hangout that gave birth to Manila’s café society when it opened in then-

Local Delights Clockwise from top left: Tsokolate at Café Adriatico; Cebu-style lechon from Lechon Delight; pansit luglug at Milky Way Café.

bohemian Malate nearly 30 years ago. Here, the tsokolate and tsokolate-eh (an almost puddinglike version) is served in a pitcher with a batirol, a traditional wooden whisk used for frothing.

If you have a serious sweet tooth, sample the café’s puto (steamed rice cakes) or ensaimada, a buttery sweet bread served with a slice of aged Edam cheese.

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insider

| neighborhood 1, HO CHI MINH CITY’S downtown, has served as the backdrop to some of the most indelible moments of the region’s history. Long before wall-to-wall seedy bars catered to American G.I.’s and North Vietnamese tanks rolled down the streets, this quarter was the elegant playground of French colonials. Even now, the magnificent architecture on and around Dong Khoi Street—the neighborhood’s nerve center—still attests to 100 years of French influence. Today, with Vietnam’s embrace of free-market economics, luxury boutiques, and stylish cafés and bars have become as familiar a sight in District 1 as they are in Bangkok or Singapore. But this area hasn’t lost its original, laid-back charm—at least for now.

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Saigon Spring.

Ho Chi Minh City has regained its reputation as a freewheeling yet sophisticated metropolis.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in its heart.

By SAMANTHA COOMBER

ISTRICT

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SLEEP

The brainchild of Vietnamese–American designer, Le Thuong Thao, 5 Ordinary Bed and Breakfast (25 Dong Du St.; 848/824-8262; doubles from US$35) is anything but. In a city lacking boutique options, this 12-room hideaway within a five-story townhouse seamlessly blends antique furniture and silk décor with modern amenities such as its funky coffee bar.

Thoughtful touches include piles of paperbacks and thick fluffy towels.

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EAT 3

Temple Club (29–31 Ton That

Thiep St.; 84-8/829-9244) evokes Saigon’s Indochine era. Set in a colonial villa (that once served as a Hindu pilgrim guesthouse), the restaurant reeks of refinement.

Indeed, the objets d’art and beautifully preserved interiors practically overshadow the traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

Reserve a table on the glassencased, wooden balcony and sip your aperitifs on plush velvet Chesterfields in the lounge.

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The local café scene acquired an international flair with the opening of 1 Mojo (88 Dong Khoi St.; 848/827-2828). Part of the five-star Sheraton Saigon (hence the snappy service), the café touts a sleek look: split mezzanine floors, retro furniture and bright orange décor.

Located at Dong Khoi’s epicenter and justifiably popular, it lures caffeine addicts with its signature frosted coffee and tea frappes as well as international fare. Additional bonus: free Wi-Fi.

SHOP

One of Vietnam’s hottest designers, Mai Lam returned from Australia to her native Saigon in 1996 and opened her überstylish flagship store, 4 Mai’s (132–134 Dong Khoi St.; 84-8/827-2733; mailam.com.vn). Showcased among Harley Davidsons and framed antique robes are Mai’s trademark, handmade fashions and accessories, featuring embroidery on distressed, natural fabrics. Among the top picks are her embellished, vintage U.S. Army jackets.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P R I G H T: CO U RT ESY O F P H O E B E A N N RA M OS ; CO U RT ESY O F M A I ’S ; C O U R T E SY O F O R D I N A R Y B E D A N D B R E A K FA S T ; C O U R T E SY O F Q B A R ; C O U R T E SY O F M O J O ; C O U R T E SY O F D R A G O N S M I L E

Around for more than 2,000 years, lacquerware is one of Vietnam’s most renowned crafts.

Working with local artisans, 2 Dragon Smile, a EuropeanVietnamese ceramics firm, brings it bang up to date. Visit their store (74/5 Hai Ba Trung St.; 84-8/8231788; www.dragon-smile.com) and browse their collection of contemporary lacquer furniture and home wares. Their signature design combines lacquer with slivers of bamboo, another Vietnamese icon.

insider

| trend

Welcome Inn. Around the U.S. and Europe, hotels are introducing a host of ways to make travelers feel right at home.

By BROOKE KOSOFSKY-GLASSBERG ■ CHECK-IN Say good-bye to the front desk. At the first location of Hyatt’s new spin-off brand, Andaz Liverpool Street (44-20/7961-1234; andaz. com; doubles from £355), in London’s East End, a host will meet you at the door and check you in with a tablet PC on the way to the room.

■ PHONES From the Four Seasons Hotel Milan to the Setai in Miami, you can use your room phone throughout the property. But the Peninsula (1-866/382-8388; peninsula.com) is taking it one step further, rolling out room phones you can carry around town as you would your personal mobile—a feature now offered only at the Tokyo location.

■ CARS At the W (1-877/946-8357; whotels. com) in Silicon Valley and Honolulu, guests can take an Acura MDX for a drive—for free.

Since there are only two cars, it’s wise to reserve in advance. Bonus: the first tank of gas is on the hotel.

■ FOOD Dig in to a fully stocked gourmet pantry in the lobby of the eco-chic Element Lexington (1-877/3536368; elementhotels.com; doubles from US$165) in Lexington, Massachusetts. Kimchi soup, pad thai and pastas are available, and rooms have stoves for cooking. ✚

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Illustrated by STEPHEN CAMPBELL

insider

| drink

Days of Wine and Roses From left: Que Pasa, a tapas bar in Singapore; Angel’s Share restaurant in Dempsey Hill; The Wine Company.

Bacchus in the Tropics. With wine imports soaring,

Q QUE PASA SINGAPORE

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Nestled among a row of prewar Peranakan shophouses, Que Pasa is unquestionably one of Singapore’s best-known and longest-running wine bars.

While its location off Orchard Road might scream tourist trap, it still makes a great setting for enjoying a glass or two: the outdoor patio is ideal for peoplewatching and, in a town where alcohol consumption can prove a horribly expensive habit, the prices are very reasonable. The wine list displays an eclectic range, with champagnes included alongside a Chenin Blanc from India’s Sula Vineyards and some acclaimed Spanish favorites such as the 2002 Castillo de Maetierra Quatro Pagos from Rioja and the 2004 Torres Celeste from Ribera del Duero. While most patrons choose to sit alfresco,

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there’s also an upstairs salon— accessible via a spiral staircase— that resembles a plush gentlemen’s club (it’s available for private parties). Given its name, the food leans towards tapas; two regular crowd-pleasers are the garlic prawns with dried chili and the Moroccan-style sausages. Another attraction: Que Pasa stays open until 2 A.M. on weekdays and 3 A.M. on weekends. 7 Emerald Hill Rd.; 65/6235-6626; emeraldhillgroup. com; dinner for two with wine S$100.

Q ANGEL’S SHARE Calling itself a “restobar,” wine is clearly the focal point of this spot in the trendy Dempsey Road neighborhood. The wine list is jaw-droppingly impressive: no less than 700 labels, 50 of which are available by the glass.

Australian reds are particularly well-represented, among which

are the highly rated the 2004 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz from Barossa Valley and Ladbroke Grove’s 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra. The menu emphasizes small dishes meant to be paired with wine, such as Kurobuta pork loin with asparagus and roasted potatoes, and charcoal-grilled kangaroo meat with shallots and berries in a red-wine reduction sauce. But don’t be intimidated by its list or pedigree (it’s run by a local wine importer); both dilettantes and connoisseurs are welcomed in this informal, laid-back space.

The eatery is divided into three areas: an attractive multi-hued main space that resembles a trendy disco; an outdoor deck bordered by a garden; and a white-tented gazebo that’s perfect for this eternal-summer city. The only serious drawback

F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F Q U E PA S A ; C O U R T E SY O F A N G E L' S S H A R E ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E W I N E C O M PA N Y

bars dedicated to the grape are popping up throughout the city. Here are T+L’s top four picks. By GERRIE LIM

is the sometimes-shoddy service.

During the course of one evening, the staff delivered the wrong orders to our table three times. No. 01-23, 10 Dempsey Rd.; 65/6471-9595; angelshare.sg; dinner for two with wine S$65.

Q THE WINE COMPANY Embodying Singapore’s penchant for fi nding new uses for old buildings, this bar is housed in what was formerly the Eusoff College student dormitory of the National University of Singapore. There’s a smaller branch at Dempsey Road, but we prefer the flagship venue with its colonial-era ceiling fans and spacious outdoor wooden deck.

The place is a fi rm favorite for those with a fondness for the vineyards of the Western Cape; one of the owners is South African and thus 60 percent of

the wine here hails from there.

Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are also well represented, and the best wines are showcased in a glass-encased cellar, where patrons can personally select vintages. A taste of the establishment’s eclecticism: the list includes the 2005/2006 Clos Malverne Heron’s Nest Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage from South Africa, the 2006 Chinigue Andes Collection Carménère Reserve from Chile, and four remarkably different variations of Aussie Shiraz from the Koltz boutique winery in McLaren Vale. Food isn’t the main draw, though Sunday brunch is a steal at S$12 (wine not included).

No. 01-05, Evans Lodge, 26 Evans Rd.; 65/6732-1229; thewinecompany.com.sg; dinner for two with wine S$95.

Q DIVINE WINE EXTRAORDINAIRE Ornately Art Deco, this bar’s black-and-gold décor is as overthe-top as its name implies.

Located in the lobby of one of Singapore’s most striking office buildings (inspired by New York’s Chanin Building), the centerpiece of the bar is a gilded wine cooler that stores some 3,000 bottles. Just pick your bottle, and a waitress adorned as an angel, complete with wings and a silver tutu, will pluck it from the fridge and bring it literally down to earth, thanks to a contraption of harnesses and steel cables. Admittedly, the wine list is mainstream. But your surroundings—from the plush sofas to the crimson rugs to the chandeliers—are worth the trip.

Parkview Square Lobby, 600 North Bridge Rd.; 65/6396-4466. ✚

T+L TIP When pairing Asian food with wine, avoid anything too complex with a lot of tannins.

Riesling and Gewürztraminer are safe bets.

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haven of warm elegance and hospitality excellence, the Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur features 468 guest rooms, including 30 suites, located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the country’s premier business and shopping district, adjacent to renowned fashion boutiques and major shopping facilities.

Frequented by royal and state visits and international business travelers, the Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur has a classic yet stylish look, and is seen

as a legendary, iconic 5-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

GUEST ROOMS Exclusively designed for international business travelers, the hotel’s signature CORPORATE FLOOR offers tranquil yet spacious accommodation with amenities to assist fast-moving business travelers, express check-in and checkout, complimentary high-speed Internet access, a choice of complimentary

breakfast buffet or in-room dining and one complimentary 3-piece pressing during your stay. A non-smoking room is also guaranteed for every guest.

The Executive Club rooms and the 2005/2006 Hospitality Asia Platinum Award for Best Executive Club Lounge offers a host of oor amenities including complimentary buffet breakfast, all-day snacks, hot and cold beverages, hors d’oeuvres, private check-in and check-out facility,

Special Promotion

early check-in and late check-out, and laundry facilities.

Various choices of luxury suites offer all the comfort and convenience of extra luxury with a spacious lounge area, and a separate shower cubicle and long bath.

Again, guests will have full access to the Executive Club lounge.

F&B AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES The Mill This all-day dining restaurant offers an array of tasty Asian and Mediterranean selections with herbs and avors from the Chef-in-Command and action-station kitchens in view of diners.

Zing This contemporarily designed restaurant offers the nest, traditional pork-free Cantonese cuisine by awardwinning Master Chef. The restaurant

also has a noodle bar show kitchen and dim sum show kitchen.

Bistro 160 This lobby lounge and street cafĂŠ serves exquisite single-bean coffees, liqueur coffees, high-grade teas and sweet and savory pastries. Bistro 160 also carries a ne selection of wines and spirits, and offers signature items on the menu that include gourmet sandwiches and salads.

Pulse Highly energetic, hip and sophisticated, this number-one nightspot features spectacular entertainment by guest DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and top bands, and a dance oor that can accommodate up to 200 people.

RECREATION The Spa occupies more than 900 square meters and offers a complete health club

facility including a fully equipped gym and aerobics room with modern training equipment, a freeform outdoor swimming pool, an air-conditioned squash court, and separate spa facilities for men and women including wet and dry saunas, hot and cold whirlpools, Jacuzzis, and beauty and massage treatment suites. A range of massage therapies including traditional massage, acupressure, shiatsu, Balinese, and aromatherapy is also offered, while golf and tennis facilities are nearby.

For reservations and further information, please call 60-3-21174888; or fax to 60-3-2142-1441; or email us at enquiry@grandmillenniumkl.com; website: www.grandmillenniumkl.com.

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StylishTraveler ALL THAT GLITTERS

Gold never goes out of style. T+L gathers a dozen gorgeous bracelets that show off this perennially fashionable precious metal.

Photographed by SITTIPUN CHAITERDSIRI. Styled by ATINAN NITISUNTHONKUL

Top row, from left: Yellow and white gold bracelet, Cartier; 22-karat gold and black enamel bracelet, Kenneth Jay Lane; 18karat gold bracelet, Bulgari; gold-plated cuff with crystals, Matina Amanita; goldplated bracelet, Fendi. Bottom row, from left: Gold-plated cuff with crystals, Kloset Red Carpet; gold-plated cuff with crystals, Matina Amanita; gold bracelet with crystals and pearls, Louis Vuitton; lacquered brass bracelet, Lara Bohinc; 24karat gold-plated bracelet, Metropolitan Museum of Art store; 24-karat gold-plated Greek ďŹ ligree bangle, Metropolitan Museum of Art store; gold-plated and wood bangle, Kim.

STOCKISTS Cartier cartier.com; Kenneth Jay Lane net-a-porter.com; Bulgari bulgari.com; Sretsis sretsis.com; Kim bijouxdesin.com; Kloset klosetdesign.com; Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com; Lara Bohinc larabohinc.co.uk; Metropolitan Museum of Art Store metmuseum.org/store.

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stylish traveler | fashion

Pack some glamour into your holiday. Here, Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hideaway of Ko Kood serves as the setting for eight gorgeous dresses. Photographed by MITCHELL NGUYEN MCCORMACK. Styled by JIRAT SUBPISANKUL

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Printed silk head scarf, Louis Vuitton; silk dress, Fendi; bracelet and hat, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

Sequined shift, Pucci.

Blue corset tulle dress with Swarovski crystals and bracelet, Louis Vuitton; belt, Fendi.

Silk chiffon evening gown, Christian Dior; shoes, Fendi.

Printed silk scarf and polyester-mix lamĂŠ jersey dress, Louis Vuitton; sunglasses, Chanel; hat, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

Printed silk dress and bracelet, Prada; shoes, Christian Dior.

(Stylish Traveler) Slug:Location

PHOTO CREDIT TK

Printed linen dress, Marni; bag, Louis Vuitton; bracelet, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

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Slug:Location (Stylish Traveler) Silver lamĂŠ tunic, Pucci; bag, Chanel.

Hair and make-up: Sokphalla Ban using MAC. Model: Ginger Wang/Red.

PHOTO CREDIT TK

STOCKISTS Prada prada.com Christian Dior dior.com Pucci pucci.com Fendi fendi.com Marni marni.com Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com

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| shopping

ISLAND VIBES INDONESIA

Home to the Oberoi hotel, Jalan Laksmana in Bali’s fashionable resort of Seminyak also hosts some of the isle’s best boutiques. By HUI FANG. Photographed by PABLO ANDREOLOTTI

Off the Rack Sabia shop. Right: The Corner Store’s display.

The Corner Store Owner Sean Cosgrove hails from Melbourne, so laidback Australian street style dominates this airy spot.

You’ll find groovy 1970’s-inspired pieces from Ebony Eve, cool summer tunics by Prisoners of St. Petersburg (from Rs290,000) and Cosgrove’s own cheeky children’s label Littlehorn. Keep your eyes peeled for vintage finds like a pair of Carrera Sport shades. If you need a shopping break, nip to the back and have a peek at the art space. Or rest your feet out in the front and enjoy a cuppa. 10A Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/736-187.

sKs SimpleKonsepStore Not as straightforward as its name implies, this ambitious store peddles design-savvy fashion and lifestyle items from all around the world. On the 72

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ground floor, you’ll find local labels such as Coquette, Nakal and Baby Manis, which combine Italian flair with traditional batik-printing methods. Prices run on the steep side; a yellow polka-dot wrap dress from Coquette costs Rs600,000. But you won’t find these pieces anywhere else—and that’s reason enough to splurge. Venture upstairs to browse the carefully curated selection of furniture and house wares, including the store’s exclusive collection of handmade ceramic objects made in collaboration with Gaya Ceramic and Design, an Ubud firm that’s worked with Armani Casa and Bulgari Hotels and Resorts. 40 Jln. Laksmana; 62361/730-393.

Perlu Plenty of shops in Bali flog handcrafted silver jewelry.

What sets this shop apart is its devotion to locally sourced materials, which are fashioned into modern styles. You’ll find long necklaces made out of flattened silver pieces and turquoise and coral beads, and bangles trimmed with sterling silver that resemble Frank Gehry’s collection for Tiffany & Co., but at a fraction of Tiffany’s prices. All the pieces are made by craftsmen in the shop’s second-floor workshop, not from an assembly line. 44A Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/780-2553.

Tropical Chic Clockwise from above: Accessories at Perlu; swimwear at The Corner Store; furniture and home wares at The Orchard.

Bamboo Blonde The name says it all. This shop, complete with a velvet pink counter, oversized mirrors and Victorian footstools, specializes in attention-seeking clothes that are fun, flirty and colorful. If you’re a fan of British designer Celia Birtwell’s whimsical prints, you’ll find plenty of vivid patterns here to pad your wardrobe. Check out the shop’s own in-house line of party threads, Blurr. 1 Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/780-5919.

Lulu Bali’s fashonistas swear by this label known for its slinky cuts, delicate fabrics and subtle details. Housed in a boudoir-style boutique with black chandeliers, Brazilian–Chinese owner Luiza Chang’s silk and jersey designs don’t scream Las Vegas va-va-voom. Instead they whisper European élan—perfect for swilling cocktails at the perennially chic Ku De Ta. 100 Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/736-763.

The Orchard This is the place to stock up on bespoke décor pieces.

Pebble-textured, stingray-leather photo frames, hammered copper vases, teak sun loungers and elaborately carved wood screens litter the first floor.

Upstairs is a furniture showroom. If the pieces look familiar, you’ve probably spotted them at a nearby fivestar hotel; this shop is the retail arm of iBal Designs, a firm that’s decorated more than 70 luxury hotels worldwide including the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay. A cardholder made of stingray leather in a rainbow of colors (Rs325,000) or homemade scented candles (Rs150,000) make fine, and more portable, gifts. 33 Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/736-724.

Sabia A label that channels the Hamptons’ classic elegance burnished with French Riveria chic, Sabia produces a signature, must-have elegant tote basket in silver (available in six different sizes, the largest costs Rs170,000). Shoppers will also be tempted by pretty dresses (from Rs380,000) and T-shirts trimmed with ribbon (from Rs150,000). 44B Jln. Laksmana; 62361/731-439.

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BEACH STYLE

Not all beach bums are the same. We pick the best looks for summer.

Photographed by SITTIPUN CHAITERDSRI. Styled by ATINAN NITISUNTHONKUL 1

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Favored by celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Amanpulo resort is the ideal spot for a glitzy getaway in these sleek styles.

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1 Scarf, Hermès. 2 Sunglasses, Stella McCartney. 3 Necklace, Dries Van Noten. 4 Cotton floral-printed shirt, Hugo Boss.

5 Leather beaded shorts, Hermès. 6 Swimsuit, La Perla.

7 Sandals, Prada. 8 Patent leather tote, Pierre Hardy.

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1 Sunglasses, Tom Ford. 2 Nylon hat, Hermès. 3 Tropical print T-shirt, Kenzo. 4 Pleated cotton shorts, Emporio Armani.

5 Swimming trunks, Y-3. 6 Leather sandals, Tod’s. 7 Mesh tote bag, CK.

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Bohemian Get in touch with your inner hippie with these vibrant prints and colors, and pop by Bali’s Ku De Ta bar for sundowners.

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1 Scarf, Loewe. 2 Sunglasses, Loewe. 3 Necklace, Marni.

4 Floral-printed blouse, Shanghai Tang. 5 Floral-printed, floorlength skirt, Kenzo. 6 Swimsuit, Emilio Pucci. 7 Leather sandals, Tod’s. 8 Leather tote, Kate Spade.

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1 Sunglasses, Louis Vuitton. 2 Hat, Paul Smith. 3 Tie-dyed shirt, Alexander McQueen. 4 Cotton trousers, DKNY. 5 Swimming trunks, Paul Smith. 6 Patent leather sandals, Jil Sander.

7 Canvas tote, Jack Spade.

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| his and hers Thailand

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With its ritzy marina, Phuket reels in the yachting set. Don these classy threads and head for Twin Palms resort.

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1 Silk scarf, Fendi. 2 Sunglasses, Judith Leiber. 3 Necklace, Martin Margiela. 4 Mini-dress with belt, CK. 5 Striped trousers, Emporio Armani. 6 Bikini, Louis Vuitton. 7 Metallic sandals, Martin Margiela. 8 Tote with chain, Coach.

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1 Sunglasses, Stella McCartney. 2 Baseball cap, Prada.

3 Tank top, Hugo Boss Green. 4 Cargo shorts, CK. 5 Swimming trunks, CK. 6 Flip-ďŹ&#x201A;ops, Louis Vuitton.

7 Embroidered tote, Shanghai Tang.

CO U RT E SY O F T W I N PA L M S

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T+L Journal By the beach on Ko Kood.

Right: Night dining at Bang Bao Pier, on Ko Chang.

THAILAND

SEA

CHANGE In 2003, the Thai government earmarked the backpacker haven of Ko Chang and nearby Ko Kood for development into luxury island resorts.

NEWLEY PURNELL checks out the progress.

Photographed by CEDRIC ARNOLD

CULTURE 84 REFLECTIONS 90 DRIVING 93 PRESERVATION 98

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AM LOOKING OUT OVER a placid cove in the Gulf of Thailand. The turquoise water laps against the white sand, while palm trees above my head rustle in the breeze. A wooden fishing boat rumbles into view. There are no raucous beer bars or thumping dance clubs on this island. The place is devoid of souvenir stands. There are no tattoo parlors or 7-Elevens—it’s just me and the beach. I am on Ko Kood, a 129-square-kilometer island at the very end of Thailand’s well-worn tourist trail. This is the easternmost region of the Gulf of Thailand; the Cambodian border is just 30 kilometers to the west. Ko Kood is one of Thailand’s few remaining larger islands yet to be transformed into a major tourist destination. But that is changing by the day.

About 10 kilometers to the north, construction crews are at work on a long stretch of previously untouched beach. Laborers toil with their heads swaddled in shirts to shield themselves from the sun.

They’re building villas in a new resort that, when finished, will cost tourists up to US$10,000 per night.

“We’re going to help put Ko Kood on the map,” says Harsh Roopchand of Six Senses Resorts & Spas, the Bangkok-based luxury developer that purchased the land. “And I have no doubt that other developments will come, too,” he says. Indeed, other developments on Ko Kood have already come—from four to 30 in the past five years.

The island’s poor infrastructure and distance from the mainland have impeded development in the past, but with new properties such as Six Senses in the works—and with plans for a commercial airport underway—some have begun to wonder whether Ko Kood will become the next Phuket.

To ponder the future, consider what’s happened to Ko Chang, a 90-minute speedboat ride to the north.

Thailand’s second-largest island after Phuket, Ko Chang was, until the 1990’s, a backpacker haven of simple beach huts, thick rain forests and mangroves.

A paved road was built in 2000, but the turning point came in 2003, when Thailand’s government announced plans to promote the island as an eco-

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Beach Life Above: A beach on Ko Kood.

Left: The Ko Chang group is made up of 53 islands.

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tourism destination. Ko Kood, part of the Ko Chang island group, was slated for “exclusive” (meaning luxury) development. In the wake of this proclamation, developers rushed to snap up land on Ko Chang. Prior to 2003, Ko Chang received about 200,000 visitors per year, but by 2007, that number had risen to 650,000.

Concerns have been raised that the island’s flora and fauna are being forsaken for tourism dollars.

When approaching Ko Chang on a ferry from the mainland, the density of the island’s jungle is striking.

Masses of lush vegetation jut upward from the sides of steep hills. “Some people who see this place say it reminds them of Ko Samui 10 or 15 years ago,” says Ian McNamara, who owns a guesthouse on Klong Prao beach, midway down the west coast of the island. “I suppose that kind of development might happen here, as well.”

While some of Ko Chang’s enclaves still cater to backpackers, much of the island is now aimed at middle-of-the-road and upscale tourists. “A lot of people come here because they have out-of-date Lonely Planet books and think Ko Chang is still a backpacker hangout,” says Joachim Larsen, who owns a dive shop and first came to the island in 2002.

At a restaurant on Lonely Beach, the stretch of the coast with the highest concentration of bohemian lodgings, establishments have names like Magic Garden and Bizarre Bar, and dreadlocked Swedish tourists sporting tank tops and fishermen’s pants sip Singha beer in thatched-hut cafés.

But at the upscale GajaPuri resort, on Kai Bae

Last of a Legacy Below: The new Gold Tower 42. From right: The Institute of Foreign Languages; a foreman at the demolition site of the Council of Ministers; the run-down Municipal Apartments.

The island’s POOR infrastructure and distance from the mainland have IMPEDED development Beach, middle-aged German visitors drink cocktails beside a large infinity pool. The resort’s 20 villas, many of which are surrounded by tall walls and include private pools, cost between US$246 and US$750 per night. “Our guests come here because they want something different,” says Steffen Kroehl, the resort’s general manager.

At the southern end of the island, near Bang Bao Bay, another upscale project called Tranquility Bay Residence is nearing completion. “We’re building a five-star gated resort, and we think we have one of the best sites on the island,” says Simon Martin, the project’s director. New condos and villas, which will cost between US$200,000 and US$450,000, are situated atop a hill overlooking the bay. “Ko Chang is getting more upmarket,” says Weereeya Tepsarn, who works for the property. “Two years ago, you couldn’t find a good restaurant. But now it’s different,” she says.

Guests will need only make their way to Ao Bang Bao, less than a kilometer away, for several » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Water Views From above left: Rooms on stilts at Ao Bang Bao; some Ko Chang locals; a pool villa at GajaPuri.

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Holiday Hideaway From above: Outside at Away Resorts; fresh oysters at Ao Bang Bao; a beach on Ko Chang.

“Yes, we HAVE a few problems, like more wastewater … but we’re TAKING care of that” comfortable eateries. The Bay Seafood, with calminducing views of the water, serves crispy whole fried snapper and soft-shell crab. Further along the pier is Buddha View, a lounge bar with cushions on the floor, hanging plants and meditative music. Inside, an Australian family watches fishing boats glide by while sipping fruit smoothies. And next door, at Bangbao Delight Bakery Café, a Russian couple chats quietly, nibbling pastries and drinking iced coffee. The café has Wi-Fi and an extensive line of Thai-made face creams, body scrubs and bath oils.

“Many people are afraid that Ko Chang will become Phuket Number Two or Pattaya Number Two,” says Chuchart Oncharoen, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand office in Trat, on the mainland. “Actually, around 80 percent of the island is national park where no one can encroach … so [development] won’t affect the whole island.” While that may be true, some tourists are surprised by what they find on Ko Chang. In February 2008, a pair of 82

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foreign visitors posted an anonymous video on YouTube called “Toxic Ko Chang.” A man and woman narrate footage depicting environmental blights on and around White Sand Beach, Ko Chang’s busiest area. Piles of rubbish are shown sitting next to the road, as well as what the couple describe as open sewage being discharged into the Gulf and a swath of forest that appears to have been cleared for a new development.

“Yes, we have a few problems, like more wastewater … but we’re taking care of that,” says Surachai Pransilpa, superintendent of Mo Ko Chang National Park, which encompasses Ko Chang and 52 surrounding islands, including Ko Kood. “Now we have a garbage disposal plant and we’re planning to [build] a wastewater plant. It’s under control.” Still, while the area around White Sand Beach appears to have been cleaned up recently, mounds of refuse can be seen on many parts of the island.

I press on to Ko Kood, which suffers from no such environmental problems—for now. At Away Resorts, a tidy group of bungalows overlooking a pristine bay, the staff is respectfully subdued, though they needn’t be, as there are virtually no other guests to disturb.

The resort has meticulously manicured lawns, stylish bungalows and an abundance of silence.

I rent a motorbike, leave the resort, and make my way along a small paved road, which gives way to a

M A P BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

sandy track. Soon I’m at the 150-hectare site under development by Six Senses. Set to open in September in Ao Yai Ke, the resort, called Soneva Kiri, will have 42 villas that will start at US$1,000 per night.

Residential units are being sold for between US$4.5 million and US$7.5 million. Guests will arrive on a small plane that will land at a newly created airstrip on an adjacent island.

“We try to look for the most untouched spots and then create our own access,” says Roopchand, the resort’s director of residential villa sales. He brushes off concerns that the island will become overcrowded.

“Some people say, ‘Oh, what’s to stop the area from becoming just like Ko Samui or Phuket?’ And I say look around. Ko Kood has very little infrastructure. It will never reach the levels of Samui or Phuket.”

Other developers are making inroads elsewhere on the island. The Central Group, a Thai conglomerate that owns a chain of high-end department stores, has purchased a site at Ao Prao, in the island’s south. And at Away Resorts, where my beach-view bungalow costs US$80 per night, the developer is demolishing half of the property to construct a second one, called X2 Resort. Half of the 25 rooms will be pool villas with rates of US$300 to US$600 per night.

Thailand’s Treasury Department is planning to construct a commercial airport on Ko Kood, clearing the way for more visitors.

However, thickets of palm trees and undisturbed beaches still dominate the island. At Tapao Beach, billed as the island’s finest, I sit at a food stall and eat fried rice with chicken and tangy fish sauce. I’m the only patron and no one is on the beach. In Bang Klong Mad, one of the island’s oldest fishing communities, I count 18 people and two small convenience stores. In Ao Salad, another fishing village, I find little more than a temple and a small souvenir shop. The owners seem surprised to see me.

Back at Away Resorts, I meet a group of fellow visitors at dinner. “We’ve done sailing trips in the Caribbean and Croatia,” says Kip Moore, an American who’s piloting a catamaran around the island. “But this is totally different.” Fred Bamber, his friend, agrees. “You feel as if you’re kind of on the frontier here,” he says.

The next morning, I board a speedboat to return to the mainland with a group of four other tourists. “We loved it here,” a young Swedish woman tells me. “We came to Ko Kood because we heard it was beautiful and there aren’t many people.” I nod in agreement.

Whether these inviting attributes remain unchanged, however, remains to be seen.

GUIDE TO KO CHANG & KO KOOD bangbaodelight.com; snacks for two US$5.

Buddha View Midway along Bang Bao Pier; 66-39/558-157; thebuddhaview.com; drinks for two US$3.

Invito Italian Restaurant White Sand Beach, across from Plaloma Resort; whitesandsthailand. com/invito; 66-39/ 551-326; dinner for two US$20.

WHAT TO DO SIGHTSEEING Motorbikes can be rented from any number of shops along Ko Chang’s west coast for US$7 per day. This makes for an enjoyable way to see the island, but be careful on the many steep and winding roads, especially at night.

WHEN TO GO The dry season runs from November through April. In the rainy season, from June to October, it can be difficult to reach Ko Kood because of rough seas. The ferry from the mainland to Ko Chang operates year-round.

DIVING BB Divers Lonely Beach or Bang Bao village, Ko Chang; 66-39/558-040; bbdivers.com; trips from US$65.

ELEPHANT RIDES Chang Chutiman Elephant Camp Kai Bae Beach, Ko Chang; 66-/8993-96676; from US$25.

awayresorts.com; doubles from US$80.

WHERE TO EAT The Bay Seafood Midway along Bang Bao Pier, Ko Chang; lunch or dinner for two US$15.

Bangbao Delight Bakery Café End of Bang Bao Pier; 6639/558-074;

GETTING THERE Bangkok Airways has three daily flights to Trat, on the mainland.

From Trat Airport, you can take a taxi, via the ferry, to your hotel.

Ferries run throughout the day. From Trat or from Ko Chang, you can book a speedboat to Ko Kood (about US$30 one way). Book ahead because some resorts do not accept walk-in guests.

WHERE TO STAY GajaPuri 19/19 Moo 4, Kai Bae Beach, Ko Chang; 66-39/557-300; gajapuri.com; doubles from US$246.

Away Resorts/X2 Klong Chao Beach, Ko Kood; 66/8183-54517;

A guest room at GajaPuri.

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| culture an old-style Chinese restaurant, right down to the simple shophouse layout, fluorescent lighting and classic landscape paintings on the wall. But when the food arrives, it is like nothing I’ve ever tasted in Singapore—or Southeast Asia, or any overseas Chinatown, for that matter. The ayam buah keluak, a dish featuring chicken and a special seed from an Indonesian tree, is at once pungent and earthy, sweet and savory. The key ingredient, a toxic seed from a papaya-like fruit, must be boiled and soaked in water for three days to neutralize the poison. After the seed is split open, the flesh is chopped and mixed with pork, prawns and belacan shrimp paste, and then re-stuffed into the shell, and braised with chicken and spices like turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and tamarind.

“If you like this dish, you will crave for it,’’ says Jenny Yap, the third-generation owner of this otherwise no-frills restaurant doing business in Singapore’s eastside Katong district since 1953. “It is the most difficult to prepare.’’

Guan Hoe Soon’s elaborate creation isn’t a Chinese, Malaysian or even an Indonesian recipe. This is considered Peranakan cuisine, the most delicious manifestation of the so-called “Straits Chinese’’ culture, which developed centuries ago in the Malay Peninsula port cities of Singapore, Malacca and Penang.

G

UAN HOE SOON SEEMS LIKE

A bowl of ayam buak keluak from Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant, in Singapore.

Below: Houses along Koon Seng Road, in Singapore.

Cultural Tastes Sometimes, history is best explained through food. Such is the case of the Peranakan culture of the Straits Chinese of Singapore, Malacca and Penang. Here, every entrée tells a story. By CHRISTOPHER R. COX. Photographed by AUN KOH

SINGAPORE

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The Peranakan saga began in 15th-century Malacca (or Melaka), then the world’s most important spice entrepôt.

During the Ming dynasty, traders from China’s Fujian province settled in the sultanate and took local Malay women as their wives. While their offspring retained Chinese surnames and Buddhist and Taoist religious customs, they also adopted and adapted local Malay language, dress and especially foods, which they transformed into one of the world’s first fusion cuisines.

When the British East India Company united Malacca with Penang and Singapore in the early 1800’s to form the Straits Settlements, the cosmopolitan, multilingual Peranakans (a name meaning “locally born”) flourished as traders, merchants and civil servants. At home and among themselves, they spoke Baba Malay, a patois of Malay, Hokkien and Portuguese—the latter a vestige of Portugal’s 1511–1641 occupation of Malacca. Even today, older Baba (male Peranakans) and Nyonya (female) use the Hokkien word, tok, for “table,” and such Portuguese words as janela (window) and sapato (shoe).

The Straits Chinese “Millionaire’s Row’’ still stands along Malacca’s Tun Tan Cheng Lock Street, named for a local Peranakan who became Malaysia’s first finance minister. Some of the old homes, which are characterized by narrow width (property taxes were based on frontage) and often extend more than 50 meters back from the road, have been converted into boutique accommodations. The Puri Hotel, built in 1876, was originally a private Peranakan home so grand it even housed a private zoo with deer and a tiger.

Singapore, which had a superior seaport to Malacca, welcomed a steady wave of Peranakan immigrants throughout the 19th century. These transplants included

philanthropists Tan Tock Seng (1798–1850), a simple vegetable seller who became a wealthy landowner and underwrote construction of the Chinese Pauper’s Hospital (later named after him), and Gan Eng Seng (1844–1899), a businessman who helped develop Tanjong Pagar and also founded the Anglo-Chinese Free School for the poor.

As the Peranakan community prospered, its neighborhoods took on a distinct architectural aesthetic: a baroque hybrid that combined Western-style Corinthian columns with glazed Chinese decorative tiles and Malayinfluenced wooden fretwork on the eaves. The best of these terrace houses can still be seen in Emerald Hill, Tanjong Pagar and especially along Katong’s Koon Seng Road.

The city-state’s Straits Chinese heritage is on full display at the recently opened Peranakan Museum, a S$12-million branch of the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), which »

As the Peranakan community prospered, its neighborhoods took on a DISTINCT architectural aesthetic

Peranakan Pleasures Above: Hee peow soup at Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant. Left: Ngo heong at The Blue Ginger Restaurant.

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Bite Size Right: Tasty chendol at Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant.

Below: Kueh pie tee at The Blue Ginger Restaurant; Bottom: Peter Wee at Katong Antique House.

holds the world’s most comprehensive collection of BabaNyonya artifacts. “The Peranakan culture is unique to this region,’’ explains ACM director Dr. Kenson Kwok. “The Peranakans adopted many different cultural influences and made the resulting mix their own.’’

Refined and affluent, the Straits Chinese had an appreciation for the material things in life. Peranakan Museum pieces include blackwood furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, exquisitely decorated porcelain kamcheng food containers, and finely wrought silver-and-pearl kerosang used to fasten knee-length baju panjang tunics. Weddings weren’t humble affairs either: four museum galleries are devoted to these 12-day events, which brides attended in bejeweled gowns weighing six kilograms.

The most popular Peranakan fashion statements may be the sarong kebaya blouses—look no further than the uniforms of Singapore Airlines’ flight attendants—and highly collectible kasut manek beaded slippers, footgear decorated with thousands of tiny glass beads cross-stitched in floral and geometric patterns that are still handmade by Malaccan cobblers.

And then there’s the food, which may explain the Straits Chinese culture best of all.

“Everybody is there in the creation of a dish,’’ says Peter Wee, a fourthgeneration Baba who owns Katong Antique House. “Three to four cultures are all there.’’

As is the case with ayam buah keluak, many dishes demand meticulous preparation. The exact ingredients are closely guarded family secrets. Yap’s grandfather, a native of China’s Hainan Island, learned by cooking for Chew Joo Chiat, a wealthy Peranakan landowner known as the King of Katong, and passed down the recipes to his own children.

The foods are often spiced with turmeric, ginger and galangal; candlenuts, chilies and belacan are also common ingredients. For tartness, fruits such as tamarind and carambola may be added, while aromatic pandan, or screwpine leaves, and rich, caramel-flavored gula Melaka palm sugar are indispensable in many desserts. The dishes can be as complex as ayam buah keluak, or as elegantly simple as the sambal terong goreng, deep-fried slices of eggplant with sweet soy sauce and fresh chili paste that is a specialty of Singapore’s Blue Ginger Restaurant in Tanjong Pagar.

Peranakans such as Seet Tiang Chye, who operates Ole Sayang, the oldest Baba-Nyonya restaurant in Malacca, say there are subtle differences in the cuisines of the old Straits Settlements. Penang’s dishes often bear the influence of nearby Thailand, with more emphasis on tangy or sour

Despite its ephemeral nature, Peranakan food may be the MOST vibrant, enduring expression of this Sino-Malay society

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tastes through the use of tamarind and green mango. And because Malaysia is predominately Muslim, Malaccan restaurants maintain halal kitchens. Ole Sayang’s table includes such favorites as udang masak lemak nenas, or prawns with sliced pineapple and spicy coconut-milk sauce, but there is a void in the victuals. “We skip quite a number of dishes,’’ says Seet, a sixth-generation Baba. “We don’t sell pork.’’

Randall Ee, curator of the Peranakan Museum, believes the Straits Chinese culture is experiencing revived interest among younger members, particularly in food and fashions such as the sarong kebaya and beaded footwear. Wee agrees, to a point.

“When a country has advanced so fast, it is putting on the brakes and looking back,’’ says Wee, whose shop specializes in Peranakan collectibles. “People begin to appreciate the past. There is this surge of interest. The non-Peranakans find us fascinating. But we who are in this culture close it up.”

“It is a material interest,’’ Wee adds. “The porcelain. The furniture. And we’re interested in the value—typical Singaporean … Everyone would like to have a kebaya, but for a keepsake.’’

What is certainly fading to silence is Baba Malay, the dialect that is a cultural touchstone. In Malacca, it is rapidly becoming a “hearth language’’ spoken only at home by a dwindling, aging population. The situation is even grimmer in Singapore, where Peranakans are classified as ethnic Chinese. Students study Mandarin, not Malay, as their required second language. The younger generation has also intermarried, or moved overseas, further limiting the number of speakers. “Our language is finishing off,’’ says Robert Seet, assistant secretary of Malacca’s 108-year-old Baba Nyonya Association, who can trace his Peranakan lineage back to 1618.

Victor Low, 32, a sixth-generation Malaccan who operates Baba Low’s, a popular local restaurant, also takes a dim view of the dissolution. “In the future, the culture will just be in glass cases,’’ says Low. Or perhaps it will only appear on dinner plates. Despite its ephemeral nature, spicy Peranakan food may be the most vibrant, enduring expression of this Sino-Malay society. “The food will be there,’’ says Low, “but maybe in a different form. It is the spirit of how you make it.

We are a very fastidious people. Presentation is important.

And taste is always there. The belacan must use local shrimp.

And gula Melaka is essential. If they are no more, so too will be the Baba food.’’

At 61, Wee sounds a philosophical note as he watches his syncretic culture melt further into the mainstream. “The answer is found here,’’ he says, tapping his chest. “It’s never found outside. You are the one who makes the answer. What will be lost, will be lost. What will be retained, will be retained. Into what form it is retained, don’t expect it to be the 1930’s, the 1950’s. It will be this generation’s Peranakan—this eclectic mix. We are not pure.’’ ✚

Katong Antique House.

GUIDE TO PERANAKAN CULTURE The Majestic Malacca The town’s top-end hotel has big rooms, a spa, a talented kitchen and an atmospheric library. 188 Bunga Raya St.; 60-6/289-8000; majesticmalacca.com; doubles from US$250.

SINGAPORE Hotel 1929 Rooms are small, but stylish, in this design-oriented boutique property. 50 Keong Saik Rd.; 65/6347-1929; hotel1929. com; doubles from US$115.

WHEN TO GO Equatorial Singapore and Malacca are hot and humid year-round, with the heaviest rains from November through January. Haze from fires set

by Sumatran farmers can be a problem in September and October.

GETTING THERE Numerous airlines connect to Singapore’s Changi International Airport, a major regional hub.

Daily buses make the run from Singapore to Malacca in less than three hours. It’s a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur by private taxi, or 45 minutes from Tampin, the closest train station.

WHERE TO STAY MALACCA Hotel Puri 118 Tun Tan Cheng Lock St.; 60-6/282-5588; hotelpuri.com; doubles from US$50.

WHERE TO EAT MALACCA Ole Sayang 198 Taman Melaka Raya; 60-6/283-1966; dinner for two US$20.

Baba Low’s Relaxed open-air luncheon spot that concentrates on Peranakan classics such as popiah spring rolls. 486 Tranquerah Rd.; 60-6/283-1762; lunch for two US$10.

SINGAPORE The Blue Ginger Restaurant 97 Tanjong Pagar Rd.; 65/62223928; theblueginger.com; dinner for two US$45.

Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant 214 Joo Chiat Rd.; 65/6344-2761; guanhoesoon.com; dinner for two US$30.

WHAT TO SEE Katong Antique House Artifact-filled heritage house owned by a fourth-generation Baba. 208 East Coast Rd., Singapore; 65/6345-8544.

Peranakan Museum 39 Armenian St., Singapore; 65/6332-7591; nhb.gov.sg.

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t+l journal | reflections

Continental

Drift

Six months at Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous hotel, and loving it.

By PETER JON LINDBERG VIETNAM

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MARTIN WESTLAKE

T WAS HARDLY THE FINEST

hotel in Ho Chi Minh City— not in 1998, not by a long stretch. It had been once, back when Frenchwomen with silk parasols bustled through the lobby and Ho Chi Minh was working as a busboy in Boston. By the time I got to it, the Continental seemed—well, a lot deader than Ho Chi Minh, whose publicly displayed corpse at least received regular maintenance.

Hardly anything worked: the clocks in the lobby, telling the wrong time in Paris and Moscow; the brass light switches, labeled ouvert and fermé, that turned on nothing. The laundry The Hotel Continental in Ho Chi Minh City in 2007 and in 1925 (inset). forms had check boxes for waistcoat and tuxedo. No one in Vietnam had girlfriend followed, I resolved to abandon New York—for six worn those in 60 years. months, a year, whatever it took—and move to Ho Chi I adored the place anyway. It still looked fabulous, at least from the street, where that iconic neon sign and 1880 vintage Minh City.

At that time foreigners in Vietnam paid 10 times what a façade stood out like a lady in a hoopskirt. The courtyard, with its carp pond, century-old frangipani trees and cascades local would for rent. Expats leapt through burning hoops of bureaucracy just to obtain a phone line. Moving into a of bougainvillea, was as peaceful a spot as you could find in (purportedly) full-service hotel seemed a smart alternative. the noisy heart of Ho Chi Minh City.

And the Asian financial crisis had caused rates to plummet.

And the location was unbeatable—right on Dong Khoi, So I rang the Continental to see about booking a room. The the tree-lined boulevard the French called Rue Catinat, and reservations manager, Mr. Tin, spoke heavily accented but just 20 meters from Q Bar, which for a brief spurt in the late enthusiastic English.

1990’s was the greatest bar in Asia. I’d stayed at the Continental on my first visit to Ho Chi Minh City and fallen ME: I expect to stay at least six months, so I wonder if we hopelessly, irrationally in love, as you might with a threemight work out a discount. legged poodle.

MR. TIN: Long-term guest, special rate—one-hundredI’d also fallen hard for Vietnam. I was frankly miserable sixty-five dollar per night. back in Manhattan, and found myself obsessing over how I ME: Mmm. I was thinking more like 30. might return. I intended to write a novel, and to set it in Brief pause, sound of shuffling paper.

Vietnam. The next year, when my lease ran out and my MR. TIN: Special rate, 30 dollar per night.

This was going well. Mr. Tin told me the room included a color TV, coffeemaker and fuk machine.

ME: Excuse me?

MR. TIN: Fuk machine. Can receive fuk in your room.

ME: Oh, fax machine. Terrific, I’ll take it. Would you mind sending a confirmation letter?

MR. TIN: Gimme your number, I fuk you.

ID I MENTION THE MAIN REASON I chose the Continental?

Graham Greene wrote part of The Quiet American—my favorite novel ever—while staying in Room 214; many of that book’s pivotal scenes are set around the hotel and its terrace bar. (Oddly enough, the façade of the rival Caravelle Hotel, across the square, stood in for the “old” Continental in the 2002 film version with Michael Caine.)

During the American war, the hotel bar was again haunted by diplomats, journalists, soldiers and spies. TIME and Newsweek kept their bureaus upstairs. After the new regime took over in 1975, the hotel shut down, leaving the façade to rot like the bourgeois relic it was.

In the late 1980’s, however, as the government turned to tourism as a source of revenue, several musty “heritage” hotels, including the Continental, were trotted back into service. The hotel is now managed by Saigontourist, Vietnam’s state tourism authority, which has run it about as effectively as you’d expect a socialist bureaucracy to operate a luxury hotel.

By 1998 it was a forlorn and ghostly shell. The terrace bar had long been boarded up; the restaurant now exuded all the buzz of a prison chapel. In the lobby, a bulletin board was marked today’s events, but nothing was ever posted on it. The only sound track was a desultory Muzak recording of “Für Elise,” playing in an endless loop in the elevator. My room, No. 233, had a rolltop desk, a 14-inch television set and a stiff-backed rocking chair. A pair of French doors opened onto a balcony above the courtyard. During the day, the room heated up like a greenhouse, unless you drew the thick red velvet drapes, bleached pale pink from the sun.

Still, it wasn’t so bad: I had a frangipani outside my window, and a bowl of mangoes and dragon fruit refreshed daily. I had free housekeeping, a decent gym and a fuk machine. Mine was a life of Sundays. Each morning I made thick Vietnamese coffee with a cheap tin filter. At lunch I’d ride over to Ben Thanh Market for cha gio with vermicelli or a pork-and-pâté banh mi, then retreat to my room to write and avoid the afternoon heat. When it cooled off I’d fix another coffee and move out to my balcony, listening to the fountain below and the motorbikes sputtering out on Dong Khoi. At sundown I’d stroll to the river to survey the cranes and half-built high-rises, then have dinner out before dropping into Q Bar for a martini or three.

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And so it went, for weeks and months. I was thrilled to have a routine, and rarely did it vary. Nor did I tire of Ho Chi Minh City itself, which was metamorphosing before my eyes. This was only a decade ago, yet the city was still closer to its colonial and wartime past than to what lay ahead.

Gridlock was a thing of the future; so were Pizza Hut and Citibank. The Caravelle had yet to reopen, and next door, the Park Hyatt site was just a hole behind the derricks. It would be years before work on it was completed.

If Ho Chi Minh seemed like a vast construction site marked “Coming Soon,” it formed an untidy parallel to my own life. I was 27, clearly at the end of something, and although I convinced myself I was hopeful and even happy (Q Bar’s martinis helped), every third morning I woke up feeling lonelier than I’d been in my whole life.

Fortunately I had some company. There was Dung (pronounced “Yoong”), who walked up and down Dong Khoi selling tourists Xeroxed, staple-bound editions of The Quiet American, The Lover and Lonely Planet Vietnam. Dung was 12 years old and remarkably proficient in English. Every night he sold me a day-old copy of the International Herald Tribune, fresh from the seatbacks of Singapore Airlines flight 174, then the best source for uncensored newspapers. Each sale was accompanied by Dung’s summation of the headlines: “This Suharto—he a bastard!”

Or, “This Ken Starr—he a jackass!”

Then there was the hotel doorman, who once gave me a quarter-gram of opium. He simply handed it to me, unbidden, as a proper doorman might offer an umbrella. Maybe he could tell my book wasn’t going well. It was wrapped in a ball of tinfoil and smelled like dried plum paste; for all I knew it was plum paste. From that point on I called him Poppy. When I passed by he would flash the thumbs-up sign and a conspiratorial, likely drug-addled grin.

I also had a pet gecko. He appeared the first night, clinging to the wall, bright green and motionless. He slept behind the hideous oil painting that hung above my bed, but each evening, just as I would return to write, he would emerge to search for food. Chirping softly, he roamed the walls while I paced the floor. At first the chirping drove me mad, and I’d hurl things at the wall in an attempt to dislodge him: sneakers, shrimp rolls, The Portable Graham Greene. But his lizard reflexes were too quick—in a blink he’d dart behind the painting for cover. After a while I gave up. I grew accustomed to his steady vigilance, his reassuring chirps. I named him Gordon. At least he took care of the mosquitoes.

As the weeks passed I began to remake my room incrementally, under the radar. I replaced the velvet curtains.

Bought new sheets, a new shower curtain and a cheap Taiwanese stereo at Ben Thanh Market. I Hung a new painting on the wall for Gordon to hide behind. And after »

I was thrilled to have a routine, and rarely did it VARY

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50 straight days of enduring “Für Elise” in the elevator, I found a stray screwdriver and, late one night, with the lift doors closed, unscrewed the cover plate and disconnected the speaker wires. But then the spring wedding season kicked in and the Continental turned out to be its white-hot center.

Every weekend brought another goddamn wedding to the courtyard, directly below my balcony, and the cursed din of karaoke: “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas, socialist workers’ anthems, “Hello” by Lionel Richie. I became convinced that if I heard Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting” one more time I might hack up the groom with a chicken cleaver.

HE MONEY RAN OUT. Other work intervened; the novel faded from view. Friends asked when I was coming home. It had been ages since anyone had used my proper name; most people just called me “Sir.” The monsoon arrived, and with it the first rain in months.

We could smell it from miles away. All morning Poppy stood staring at the gathering clouds, murmuring excitedly. He was probably high. When finally the sky broke open, everyone in the lobby—Poppy, the front desk staff, me, the shoeshine guy—rushed into the street and leaned back to drink in the raindrops. Dung was there, too, spinning in circles, his Herald Tribunes soaked through and disintegrating. The

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temperature dropped suddenly—it had reached 41 degrees that week—and fragrant air rushed in from the delta. Every gritty surface now sparkled like diamonds. Shivering in my linen shirt, laughing with strangers and utterly alone, I knew this was my cue to leave. I checked out a week later. I considered smuggling Gordon back to New York. In the end I took nothing, not even a photograph.

I’ve spent more nights in the Continental than in any hotel on earth, yet I’d hesitate to recommend it to friends as a place to stay. There are far better options, like the Park Hyatt next door, which finally did open in 2005. It could be that I prefer to keep the Continental as my own private touchstone.

Perhaps appreciating it requires a certain nostalgia for the faded landmarks of la vieille Indochine. Or maybe it’s just that as a hotel, the Continental kind of sucks.

Nonetheless, I confess to some regret over reports that Saigontourist is planning a multimillion-dollar refurbishment to bring the hotel up to “21st-century standards.” Ho Chi Minh City has plenty of 21st-century hotels these days, all of which could just as well be in Toronto. But not this one. And despite the malfunctioning faucets, the hourly power failures and the infernal karaoke, I still miss the Continental as it was. The batty old joint had soul.

Peter Jon Lindberg is editor-at-large for Travel + Leisure (U.S.).

driving | t+l journal

SOUTH AFRICA

Lost Highway Below: The Swartberg Pass through the Outeniqua Mountains, which separates South Africa’s Karoo desert from the coast. Right: Ceramicist Hylton Nel at his house in the town of Calitzdorp.

WAS, I CONFESS, a reluctant convert to the charms of the Karoo, a vast semidesert covering more than 260,000 square kilometers of South Africa’s Cape region. My induction began, like an initiation into a cult, with a surprise phone call eight years ago from a college friend insisting I visit him there. His name is Hermann Niebuhr, and he’d stunned us all after we graduated from university in South Africa in the mid-1990’s by buying a tumbledown tin-roof shack in a remote Karoo dorp (village) where, he said, he planned to live the life of the ascetic artist, painting desolate landscapes populated by scrub, sand and rusty windmills. Ah well, to each his own.

My childhood memories of the Karoo were scorched on my brain like a stove burn. We used to spend our annual family holidays in Knysna, a gorgeous lagoon town on the Garden Route, the coastal road that curls below the Outeniqua Mountains, which barricade the parched Karoo interior from the Indian Ocean.

To get to Knysna from our home in Zimbabwe, we would have to drive for a day through the Karoo’s dusty emptiness. The only respite from the heat and boredom was to stop for “coke ’n’ chips” in some conservative Afrikaner dorp where Boer men in veld hats sipped brandy in saloons and the signs above the swing doors read “Men Only.” To me, the Karoo was the Wild West of the arid Cape plains—without the romance. And yet, when I took Niebuhr up on his invitation, the Karoo seeped through my skin.

The beauty that was lost on me as a child—the space, the quiet, the creak of those windmills— became apparent as an adult. I was entranced.

I’m not alone. Artist pioneers like Niebuhr (who now shows in galleries from Cape Town to New York) led the way. Today, they’ve been followed by creative urbanites—restaurateurs »

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Living

Desert

Driving through South Africa’s arid and once forbidding Karoo region, DOUGLAS ROGERS discovers a landscape now filled with artist pioneers, revitalized Afrikaner towns and vibrant vineyard oases. Photographed by DOOK Illustrated by MARK TODD

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Cape Adventure Overlooking Calitzdorp, South Africa’s port wine capital. From right: The Indian Ocean near Knysna; an ostrich farm along Route 62; the upstairs room at the two-room Boesmanskop inn, near Oudtshoorn; innkeeper (and farmer) Tinie Bekker with one of his calves; the Boesmanskop’s reflecting pool.

and hoteliers among them—who have grown tired of the crime and stress of South Africa’s cities and are embracing the Karoo’s charms in growing numbers. Together, they are creating an unlikely desert utopia, a network of revived dorps strung together by dusty roads and mountain passes. And the best way to see the transformation: a drive through the Karoo to Knysna, my childhood haunt.

DAY 1 BARRYDALE TO CALITZDORP 114 KM I began my journey in Barrydale, a serene hamlet and the gateway to the Klein (Little) Karoo, the slender valley oasis nestled between the Swartberg and Outeniqua mountains.

(The Groot, or Great, Karoo is the desolate expanse stretching deep into the provinces of Western Cape and Eastern Cape.) Once a typical conservative Karoo town, Barrydale has reinvented itself as a chic destination for weekending Capetonians, a renaissance best evident at the Barrydale, on the main drag. This formerly decrepit Victorian hotel has been turned into an offbeat, modern art– filled 14-room property.

For me, though, the real Karoo starts east of here. Exiting Barrydale, the R62, a former ox-wagon trail running 273 kilometers across the desert floor, flattens out; sand and fynbos

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scrub roll toward the horizon, and the sky ahead becomes so big it takes on the earth’s curve.

And yet, drenched by springwater, the Klein Karoo is filled with fruit farms, and in less than two hours I arrived in Calitzdorp, a dusty valley town of gabled Cape Dutch homes rimmed by vineyards. The Karoo’s Mediterraneanlike climate makes for sweeter grapes than the more famous estates of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek; there are no less than five cellars in Calitzdorp producing sublime fortified wines. I joined a carload of German tourists for a tasting at Boplaas, established in 1880, and sampled several ruby and tawny ports as good as any I’ve had from Portugal.

But there was another reason to come to Calitzdorp. In 2002, the South African ceramicist Hylton Nel, whose painted clay plates and dinner sets have been exhibited in London and Toronto, settled here. I met him outside his pretty farm cottage on the western edge of town and toured his mud-barn studio. Nel is known for using his ceramics as canvases, paints iconic, often satirical images filled with literary and political allusions. Later, relaxing in the shade of his latticed veranda, it was easy to see why the Karoo so inspires the ascetic artist. It was late afternoon—the magic hour—and the sandstone cliffs of the distant Swartberg

driving | t+l journal

Mountains were a swirling kaleidoscope of red and purple in the fading sun. “I came for the space, the quiet, the beautiful skies,” Nel said. Just then a raucous wailing rang out from the wine-soaked streets of town. “If you can just get past the rather chaotic drunkenness…”

DAY 2 CALITZDORP TO OUDTSHOORN 51.5 KM Calitzdorp is gentrifying fast, but the cultural heart of the Klein Karoo is the sister towns of Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert, in the foothills of the Swartberg at the eastern end of the R62. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Oudtshoorn feather merchants—many of them Lithuanian Jews—got wildly rich exporting plumes from area ostrich farms to the great fashion houses of Europe. They built Victorian mansions, so-called Feather Palaces, on the veld, with spiral staircases and stained-glass windows as grand as Gatsby mansions. Most fell into decline when the feather boom went bust before the Great War, but now they were being restored. Montague House, a handsome 1908 palace with a polished oak interior in the town center, has been transformed into a bistro; and the Feather Palace, a red-roof mansion just off the R62, is part of a stylish working guest ranch owned by a gay couple from Durban.

Yet it is not only inkommers creating the Karoo-chic aesthetic. On my friend Niebuhr’s insistence I booked a night at Boesmanskop, a two-room inn opened in 2006 by a local farmer named Tinie Bekker. A soft-spoken fiftysomething Afrikaner whose ancestors were among the first Boers to settle the Karoo in the early 1750’s, Bekker inherited the family’s grape and dairy farm in 1982. He has since transformed it, planting jungle-thick gardens of agapanthus and iris and furnishing the homestead with Victorian pieces and Cape Dutch antiques—a style he describes as “rustic Cape Country Afrikaner.”

My room, the upstairs room in a refurbished barn, had worn yellowwood floors, a vintage claw-foot bathtub and stunning vineyard views. In the evening, I dined on Karoo lamb chops and an organic fig pie that Bekker whipped up in his kitchen. Then came the check: a paltry US$30 a night— food included. (The prices have since gone up.)

Embarrassed, I offered to pay more. “Agh, no,” Bekker protested. “It’s really just a side business. My guests are mostly word-of-mouth, and I want to get it just right before I charge more.”

So much for those dour, conservative Boers of my childhood memory. »

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t+l journal | driving DAY 3 OUDTSHOORN TO PRINCE ALBERT 72.5 KM The town of Prince Albert sits on the other side of the mountains, through the majestic Swartberg Pass, a 27.5kilometer-long heart-in-mouth miracle of cliff-edge engineering built by Thomas Bain in the 1880’s. At the pass’s summit, 1,583 meters above sea level, the arid plains of the Groot Karoo stretch endlessly below, and the rocks around you seem all the more precipitous for their blood-red color.

And then the road winds gently down, delivering you into the most serene town in all of the Karoo. During the 19th century, Prince Albert was the biggest fruit-producing district in the Cape. It slipped into obscurity as ostriches replaced grapes and apricots, but today that isolation serves it well. Its wide streets are lined with beautifully preserved Victorian houses: handsome white-gabled bungalows covered with bougainvillea, many of them now owned by artists.

Fruit farming has returned to Prince Albert too. You can sample a sublime Shiraz Reserve at Bergwater Vineyards, and meaty Manzanilla olives at the thriving Swartrivier farm. I lunched on a juicy ostrich burger under the guava trees of the alfresco Koggelmander restaurant, and then bought bags of dried fruit, almonds and artisanal cheeses at several country stores in town. The village also serves as the jumping-off point for the Groot Karoo, where a spate of game lodges has opened in recent years.

DAY 4 PRINCE ALBERT TO KNYSNA 264 KM I took the soaring Montagu Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains and onto the Garden Route, only 90 minutes away. And here was another world: the rusty palette of the desert gave way to dense evergreen forest, the turquoise swell

of the Indian Ocean stretched in front, and skirting the edge lay the famous ocean road. I took it east, stopping briefly to swim in the wild waves at the aptly named Wilderness Beach. Another 48 kilometers and I arrived in Knysna, the glassy lagoon town of my childhood holidays. The once sleepy village was barely recognizable. A rash of condos and restaurants has replaced the rustic wooden oyster shacks along the waterfront; and my late grandmother’s cozy cottage on Leisure Isle, in the middle of the lagoon, has been torn down to make way for a larger house.

I checked into Pezula, a sprawling golf and spa resort on a bluff above the ocean, with a stylish, contemporary African look. It certainly has its charms; its restaurant, Zachary’s, is one of the finest in the Cape; and you can even transfer by helicopter from Pezula’s lawns to the polo estates of the tony beach resort Plettenberg Bay, 30 minutes to the east.

But had all this development changed Knysna for the better? I took Helena, my 84-year-old Afrikaner godmother, a Knysna local, to lunch on the new waterfront. She loved Limani Blue, the new Greek restaurant on the water. I told her I had just come from the Karoo and her eyes lit up. She grew up on a sheep farm in Steytlerville, a tiny dorp deep in the Groot Karoo. “When I was young, I couldn’t wait to leave,” she grinned. “But now, my dear, the local hotel has been bought by two wonderful fellows. They host cabarets and fancy tea parties. I hear it’s quite the scene!” We laughed. Crumpets and cabarets in the Groot Karoo? This I have to see.

Douglas Rogers is a freelance writer based in New York City. His Zimbabwe memoir, The Last Resort, will be published next year.

GUIDE TO KAROO Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines all fly to Johannesburg from their respective hubs. Rent a car at the airport at Cape Town. For the drive to Barrydale, take the N1 northeast of Cape Town to Worcester, then hop on the N15. Turn onto the R62 outside Montagu.

WHEN TO GO Spring (September–November) in the Karoo is ideal, with sunny days and cool nights, though the hot summer months (December– February), when temperatures can reach 38 degrees, are livelier.

GETTING THERE South African Airways has flights from Hong Kong to Johannesburg, with connections to Cape Town.

Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways,

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WHERE TO STAY The Barrydale 30 Van Riebeeck St., Barrydale; 27-28/572-1226; thebarrydale.co.za; doubles from US$76, including breakfast.

Boesmanskop Kruisrivier, R62, Oudtshoorn; 27-44/213-3365; boesmanskop.co.za; doubles from US$114, including breakfast and dinner.

De Bergkant Lodge Stylish Cape Dutch guesthouse with eight rooms and a swimming pool, on Prince Albert’s main street. 5 Church St., Prince Albert; 27-

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23/541-1088; debergkant.co.za; doubles from US$130, including breakfast.

Feather Palace Guest Farm R62, Oudtshoorn; 27-44/2516760; thefeatherpalace.co.za; doubles from US$104.

Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa Lagoon View Dr., Eastern Head, Knysna; 27-44/302-3410; pezularesorthotel.com, doubles from US$570.

Samara Private Game Reserve A six-suite game lodge in Karoosettler style on 28,300 hectares of wilderness. Off R75, near Graaff-Reinet; 27-49/891-0558; samara.co.za; doubles from US$332.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK Jemima’s Superb Karoo cuisine, such as lamb in muscatel sauce.

94 Baron van Reede St., Oudtshoorn; 27-44/ 272-0808;

dinner for two US$37.

Koggelmander Eatery and Art House 16 Church St., Prince Albert; 27-23/541-1900; dinner for two US$36.

Limani Blue Waterfront Dr., Knysna Quays; 27-44/382-0530; dinner for two US$44.

Ronnies Sex Shop A cult bar and burger joint owned by farmer Ronnie Price. R62, 25 kilometers east of Barrydale; 27-28/572-1153; lunch for two US$15.

VINEYARDS Bergwater Vineyards Prince Albert Valley; 27-23/541-1703; bergwater.com.

Boplaas 2 Saayman St., Calitzdorp; 27-44/213-3326; boplaas.co.za.

Joubert-Tradauw Private Wine Cellar Vleiplaas, Barrydale; 27-28/572-1619; joubert-tradauw. co.za.

t+l journal | preservation

ITALY

Unearthing

Rome

How does one of the world’s most historic cities build a groundbreaking subway line?

Extremely slowly—and with teams of city planners and archaeologists standing by.

STEPHAN FARIS reports. Photographed by DAVID CICCONI Construction at the Piazza Venezia stop for Rome’s new Linea C subway line.

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CRAPE BY SCRAPE, ancient Rome emerges.

At the heart of the city, in pits secured by scaffolding and little wider than railway cars, the modern gives way to the Renaissance. Medieval brick falls away. Sunlight shines on imperial marble. A shovel scratches the ground. The upturned earth, undisturbed for 2,000 years, smells sharp and fresh.

In the Italian capital, where every spade hole has the potential to contain buried treasure, the ancient

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still governs the modern. Any underground construction project—the laying of a gas line, the expansion of a basement—requires a visit from the city’s archaeologists. So when the city planners decided in 1990 to update their subway system, attempting to plug a glaring gap in one of the least developed underground transit systems in Europe, they expected a challenge.

The new Linea C—construction on the line began in 2007 and is scheduled for completion in 2015—

will be the first to service Rome’s historic center and will pass through an area of vital interest to locals, travelers and archaeologists alike. Plotted to run from the Colosseum to the Forum, it will pitch west at Trajan’s Market and head to the Theater of Pompey, where Julius Caesar recoiled from Brutus’s knife. From there, it will slip under the Tiber River toward Hadrian’s tomb and on to the countryside beyond.

Building the line through one of the world’s most history-rich areas will require feats of technical engineering and planning unheard of in most cities.

To pass under the oldest archaeological strata, the metro will have to plunge a full 30 meters below street level, three times deeper than Rome’s existing lines. In the city center, the twin tunnels will also be larger than Rome’s other metro lines, with a diameter of 8.8 meters instead of the standard 6.1 meters. The extra width means that if an archaeological discovery—an unexpected temple, say, or an emperor’s villa—blocks a proposed subway entrance, the station (and passenger platform) can easily be shunted down the line. To further avoid damaging archaeological layers (and any resulting controversies), the contractors will have to work like laparoscopic surgeons, minimizing trauma by tunneling through existing ventilation and entrance shafts to build the stations below.

And then there are the considerations for what’s above ground, such as that ancient symbol of the Eternal City, the Colosseum. To Francesco Rotundi, the project manager for Metro C (the contractor responsible for the new line), the amphitheater presents a technical headache. “The problem is: what happens to the Colosseum when I pass under it with the excavator?” he said, thinking of how the structure’s massive walls could shift as the ground below it settles. “And what happens after I’ve excavated and I pass through with the metro?”

Rotundi’s predecessors would have simply torn through. Rome’s first metro line, built during the 1940’s and 50’s, runs from the central train station to EUR, Benito Mussolini’s ambitious capital outside Rome. Workers dug in open pits as truckloads of history were sifted for valuables and dumped elsewhere. Subsequent expansions have been more cautious, but this new line has been the first to give preservation the same consideration as modernization: more than a year before construction could begin, every access point, ventilation shaft and escalator tunnel for the planned line had to be examined by teams of archaeologists—a Herculean task by any measure.

“What makes Rome different from other cities is that we can’t plan,” said Luigi Napoli, technical director at Roma Metropolitane, the agency overseeing the subway’s expansion. “We have to go straight to the field and see what challenges await us.”

NCIENT ROME didn’t fall so much as scatter and sink. Medieval masons quarried it for its bricks.

The Church carted off its marble. Renaissance art lovers collected its frescoes. What preservation did occur happened organically: Walls encased temple columns; an emperor turned a predecessor’s palace into a foundation for his public baths. Century by century, the new grew on the old.

Building a subway line across this palimpsest of history has inspired ambivalence among archaeologists. Some are concerned about what Linea C’s construction might destroy. Others,

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“What happens to the Colosseum when I pass under it with the EXCAVATOR?”

however, are excited by the rare chance it offers them to excavate in Rome’s historic center. “As urban archaeologists, we can’t decide where to dig,” said Fedora Filippi, who is leading the digs south of Piazza Navona. “We have to gather the opportunities the city gives us.”

Last winter, these opportunities arrived as a patchwork of plywood and tarping—erected to fence off work sites from traffic and tourists—settled over the roads and piazzas of central Rome.

Archaeologists took turns in the depths of the dig, while small cranes lowered buckets to pull out 2,000 years of detritus. Caution was justified: the old city had already made itself known. Archaeologists first broke ground in 1999, just outside the Aurelian city walls, seeking a site to slip in the excavator that would dig the tunnels. At their first choice, they found an antique water mill, dating from the 19th century. At their second, they uncovered Roman walls and two children entombed in amphorae.

In the city center, where the digs were hemmed in by trees, traffic, buildings and the cost of excavation (Linea C doesn’t give breakdowns of its costs, but each kilometer of track in the center is expected to » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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t+l journal | preservation wall was missing its foundation, hints of medieval builders burrowing underneath the road for imperial marble. “At some point, their tunnel collapsed, dropping the paving stones down with it,” one archaeologist inferred. “The next find might be a human skeleton, trapped below.”

19TH CENTURY, archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani created the first historical– chronological portrait of Rome when he plotted the ancient city onto the modern in a series of 46 detailed topographic sketches. Some 100 years later, in the office of the superintendent of archaeology, Filippi and her assistants worked on an update. On oversize paper, the kind used by draftsmen, they transcribed finds from scientific texts, archival photos and longhand notes from more than a century of construction work. Filippi was beginning to cobble together a vision of the Roman city below the Baroque church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, where her digs were centered.

In her southern pit, she had found a thick foundation capped with a block of marble—a colossal brick from a monumental wall. Plugged into her map, the wall ran perpendicular to a long piece of wall discovered in the 1930’s when a road was enlarged.

Nearby basements entombed capitals belonging to columns bigger than those of the Pantheon. “Each piece is a piece of the puzzle,” said Filippi. “It indicates we’re in a public area.”

According to historical records, this area once housed two important sites: the Temple of Good Fortune and the Baths of Agrippa, a complex of public pools and gardens dating back to the early reign of Augustus Caesar. But as of yet, they’ve never been unearthed and their exact location remains in the realm of conjecture. In her site’s second pit, Filippi uncovered stairs dropping to a swath of pavement that crossed an underground canal. Asked what she made of these puzzle pieces, Filippi danced around the subject and hesitated before finally admitting, “I’m speaking very speculatively here. But we might have found something.”

For a moment, the modern city held its breath. ✚

This new metro line has been the first to give PRESERVATION the same consideration as modernization

cost US$180 million), the finds were generally small: cart-rutted paving stone; shattered frescoes; handfuls of mosaic flooring. When a young archaeologist uncovered a malformed cube of orange-colored ivory—a gambler’s die—her screams of delight had her colleagues scrambling from their pits.

For most archaeologists studying the digs, the greatest discoveries lie in the stretches of dirt between the relics. Each stage in the excavation is a snapshot of ancient topography, and a layer of earth may contain more secrets than the perfectly preserved mosaics below it. Thick clay might mean flooding: a period of abandonment. Scatterings of fingernail-size marble chips suggest an ancient stonecutting workshop.

At a site across the street from the Colosseum, archaeologists uncovered Roman taverns, rough mosaic floors, a few gold ingots and what looked like a jade pendant. But their attention was focused on a small hole where the paving stones of an ancient road suddenly dropped in a V shape. Nearby, a Roman 100

JU LY 2 0 0 8|T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

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Island hopping in HONG KONG The inside running on LAS VEGAS Can HANOI hang on to its heart?

Best BEACH RESORTS for your buck 103

ISLANDLIFE

Away from the rush and neon of Hong Kong Island surprising—and little known—side to the territory. By 104

A waterfront house at low tide on Lamma Island. Center: A beach house at Pui O, on Lantau Island. Far left: A surfer at Pui O Beach.

and Kowloon, the SARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outlying Islands offer a y CHRIS KUCWAY. Photographed by NICK DYNAMO { G U I D E & M A P > PAG E 2 2 0 } 105

Cheng Chau Scene From left: Sunbathers and swimmers on Cheng Chau’s Tung Wan Beach; fishing boats moored at Cheng Chau. Opposite: Young day-trippers to the island.

CHEUNG CHAU

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in the narrow lanes of Cheung Chau, I’m busy avoiding elbows, sidestepping metal trolleys and ducking under makeshift plastic canopies. There are day-trippers and residents, somber Chinese funerals and leisurely lunches at dai pai dongs (street stalls)—it’s all here on this island of a few square kilometers, just 30 minutes away by ferry from Hong Kong Island. Concrete lanes twist, rise and disappear into the hillsides at either end of the island, more often than not leading to a Chinese cemetery or a small beach. Life here, as it was in Hong Kong’s past, is lived on the street.

Fishing junks still bob in Cheung Chau’s harbor, though Hong Kong’s fish stocks are severely depleted. At best, the boats trawl international waters. At worst, rumor has it that they simply buy their catch from Filipino fishermen on the open ocean. No matter to the day-trippers dining out along Pak She Praya at outdoor seafood restaurants. Names like Hong Kee and Wellness offer the same menus—deep-fried squid, garlic prawns, steamed fish in ginger and soy—and there’s little to choose between them. Glass tanks full of someone’s dinner are stacked like building blocks along the waterfront, but it’s in the maze of concrete lanes and zigzag-

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ging staircases where the island is of most interest. Getting lost on Cheung Chau is a given—even long-term residents make wrong turns—but climb out to a knoll called Fa Peng on the east side of the island and you’ll come across some eerie reminders of the past. Abandoned homes recede into the landscape, swallowed by banyan trees, wrapped with thick roots and partly hidden behind sharp-bladed weeds.

Ceilings have caved in, yellow-painted homes have lost their luster in the thick humidity and ruined furniture sits forlorn in spacious living rooms (the views from verandas must have been something in their day). The only constant with the past is the welcome breeze coming off the misty South China Sea that sweeps away the deep humidity.

Back to the present along Tung Wan Beach, the Cheung Chau Windsurfing Center is a more modern lure. Hong Kong’s first and, to date, only Olympic gold medalist, Lee Lai Shan, picked up her windsurfing skills from her uncle, Lai Gun, at the center and turned it to gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. These days, bronzed sailors and windsurfers mingle here with the less-athletic over cold beer. Perched as it is on a concrete platform watching the island’s day go by, I can’t blame them. From here, it’s difficult to imagine that, at one point, there were plans, albeit short-lived, to level Cheung Chau and turn it into the city’s airport.

Back in the claustrophobic lanes in the middle of the »

Lantau Life Clockwise from above: A surfing instructor in front of his home, on Pui O Beach; kebabs served at Bahce Turkish Restaurant, in Mui Wo; a beachfront café, on Cheung Sha Beach; a student at Tai O village; some of Lantau’s waterfront homes; the island’s famous Big Buddha; a colorful café, on Cheung Sha Beach; a lifeguard tower, on Pui O Beach.

island, well-established East Lake keeps the crowds coming back for more Chinese comfort food, while new spot Katie Dessert serves up delicious cheesecake, apple crumble and decent coffee. The secret is that Katie once worked as a baker in the city’s ultramodern convention center. Today, she proudly announces, her cake shop doesn’t even have a phone number.

That’s what Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands are like. Here, life is a little less hectic. Here, things work a little less efficiently.

Here, you can see the stars at night. Better still, here you can turn a corner to find something you’d never expect, a scene out of Hong Kong’s not-so-distant past.

Yet Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands are changing. For anyone who took their eye off the stock market for a minute or two in the past decade, it might have all started when the government imploded two small islands off the north coast of Lantau Island to make way for a huge, modern, international airport. Or maybe it was when a wind farm sprouted on Lamma Island.

Still, the allure of these islands remains. They are adept at hiding their riches. Where neon-washed Hong Kong Island blares, blasts, honks and, yes, even spits its way into our collective imagination, its more remote islands only reveal themselves at their own pace. Cheung Chau and a few of its neighbors in an otherwise frenetic Hong Kong are places to still the mind.

LANTAU

F

ROM THE WATER AT DUSK,

Lantau rises darker than the sky. The largest of Hong Kong’s islands, almost double the size of Hong Kong Island, Lantau’s majestic peaks sweep upwards, reminding me of a 150-year-old print not much larger than an index card I came across years ago. I saw the engraving of this island I’ve lived on for the past 18 years at an antique shop off Hollywood Road but, regretfully, didn’t buy. Yet it’s ingrained in my mind.

When she visited in the 1990’s, author Jan Morris described Lantau as “a bare and beautiful island,” and it’s hard to disagree with her. This is home to two of the three highest peaks in Hong Kong: the 903-meter Lantau Peak and the slightly shorter Sunset Peak. It’s a place where traffic signs warn of ambling water buffalo, and an island stitched together with 70 kilometers of walking trails. Monasteries, both Buddhist and Christian, abound. So too do waterfalls and thick stands of bamboo.

Of all Hong Kong’s 236 islands, it’s on Lantau that change is most obvious. It is the only outlying island with cars. In the 1950’s, it was populated simply with a series of fishing and farming villages. For five months of the year, those few living on its south coast had no access to emergency medical care on tantalizingly close Cheung Chau because of the South China Sea’s strong prevailing winds. That’s when the initial plans for a road arose. But it wasn’t until the city faced another water shortage » 109

Instead of tie-dyed holdovers from a different

NEWLYWEDS will be moving there to escape 110

decade, these days it is MORE likely that

Hong Kong Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s south side as seen from Lamma.

the high cost and the POLLUTION of the city 111

Laid-back Lamma Clockwise from above: The island’s towering wind turbine; fishing from the ferry pier, at Yung Shue Wan; waterfront restaurants; a schoolboy near the ferry pier; Yung Shue Wan, Lamma’s main settlement; beach life on Lamma island; a typical island apartment building; commuters’ bikes line the ferry pier.

that the roadwork began. The route would wind its way from the island’s eastern end to Shek Pik Valley, which was flooded to become a reservoir. The island dictated the road’s direction, slope and corners, which more or less followed the south coast, with a single track splitting the island in two northwards to Tung Chung. Today, Tung Chung is no longer a fishing village of 20 families but home to the city’s international airport and dozens of soaring apartment blocks.

The island’s rocky base bursts through sweeping hills of green, like muscles in a tight T-shirt. If those hills are too intimidating, the south coast is lined with beaches both crowded and secluded.

Lower Cheung Sha Beach is a quiet 1.6-kilometer stretch of sand. Its neighbor, the upper part of the beach, is home to The Stoep, a restaurant offering a mix of Mediterranean and South African dishes. On Pui O Beach, Ooh La La lives up to its name, offering a menu that’s as lively as the long list of weekend events the restaurant sponsors.

There’s a trio of sites on Lantau the guidebooks say are a must. In reality, none are. Newest to the landscape is Disneyland on the north shore, really a square peg in a round hole as far as Lantau goes. To the west, the once-tranquil Po Lin Monastery is dwarfed by a 32-meter statue of a Buddha image that was built

by Chinese rocket manufacturers and is now accessible by cable car. Even further, at the far end of Hong Kong itself is Tai O, a stilted fishing village that has seen better days. A walk through the crowded lanes of the old village means an all-out assault on your sense of smell as dried seafood in its many forms hangs from the rafters or is spread out in baskets to dry. But Tai O is also a great place to be on a summer Sunday evening as the sun sinks out past Macau.

LAMMA

T

RY AS IT MIGHT,

Lamma Island just cannot shake its reputation as a haven for Hong Kong’s hippies, if such people even exist anymore. In its favor, much of what an alternative lifestyle meant a generation or more ago is commonplace today on this island just southwest of Hong Kong Island.

Organic food and clothing, sustainable use of energy and a sense of community are all still in vogue on Lamma. That said, instead of tie-dyed holdovers from a different decade, these days it’s more likely that Chinese newlyweds will be moving in, looking to escape the cost and the pollution of the city.

Most of the island’s population is shoehorned into the small valley immediately off the ferry pier in Yung Shue Wan. Momand-pop stores stand in place of larger chain stores, offering a more personal take on daily life. Teddy Hui, for one, sells Chinese tea in its many forms from a smart shop in the village, while Just Green does its best to convince anyone who will listen that organic living is the way to go. » 113

On the southern edge of all this is the local Tin Hau temple, which wasn’t squeezed in among an outpatient clinic, concrete soccer pitch, one sickly banyan tree and a phone booth when it was first built in 1826.

To those who don’t live on the island, Lamma is also known for its seafood restaurants in Sok Kwu Wan. Yet that string of waterfront eateries is best left to the large tour groups, these days mainly package tours from China, that frequent them en masse each night. Both Man Fung and Lamcombe in Yung Shue Wan are better bets.

That alternative lifestyle still exists in small doses, but so too does a power station neatly tucked behind a hill. “It’s a real eyesore for people who don’t live here,” says Jeremy Tredinnick of the power station, “but it doesn’t affect you if you do live here.” Tredinnick is typical of the expat population on Lamma. He arrived on the island 17 years ago from England, single and with Asia spread at his doorstep.

As happens, he is now married, has two children, two dogs and two cats, and most recently he and his wife bought a comfortable house overlooking the northern tip of Lamma.

He’s the first to admit the island is full of contradictions, but also speaks quietly, as if sharing a secret, when he tells you that steps from his door in Pak Kok is a ferry pier that takes him to the city in 15 minutes. The paths in and around most areas of Lamma away from the Yung Shue Wan pier, are lined with elephant grass, bamboo and gnarled banyan trees. The rural feel is unmistakable even though the city is within sight.

As Jeremy and I trudge uphill from the north end of the island, the more politically correct version of that power plant soon comes into view. The Lamma Wind Turbine looks a little forlorn standing solo as it does in a breezeless sky. But the 71-meter-high attempt to generate power for the island—the power plant sends its efforts back to the city—is a lesson in the modern ways of the world. A small park below the turbine informs that its massive 50-meter rotors could save 350 tonnes of coal burnt annually.

Beyond the hulking power station and the solitary wind turbine, the rest of this deceptively large island fans out into the South China Sea. One main path leads to Sok Kwu Wan across rolling hills. Further south still is the 353-meter Shan Tei Tong, or Mount Stenhouse, the highest point on the island. It overlooks a secluded bay that doesn’t figure in the imagination except for the fact that it was once home to green turtles, which came ashore to lay their eggs. Today Sham Wan represents a hurdle all Hong Kong faces: pollution. Green turtles haven’t nested on the beach since 2003, most likely because of pollution, climate change and habitat destruction, according to environmental group WWF. They now face extinction. Between June and October each year, access to the beach is restricted in the hope that the turtles will make a comeback.

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PO TOI

H

ALF ASLEEP, LAU WA SITS in his doorway each day waiting for an opportunity. Well into his 80’s, he should be content to watch his little part of the world go by, but the Chinese businessman in him simply cannot rest.

Fresh off the only ferry of the day, I am walking past his ramshackle house on Po Toi Island when we strike up a conversation in halting Cantonese. He asked if I wanted a ride back to Hong Kong in his gaido. He wasn’t convinced that waiting another three hours for the ferry I arrived on to make the return journey was such a good idea. As so often happens in Hong Kong, the cross-cultural impasse only concluded once we started laughing at each other in frustration.

I continued on my short walk to the island’s Tin Hau temple, knowing full well that I would have to retrace my steps and face another sales pitch on the return journey. The temple, it turns out, is kept in immaculate shape, proudly welcoming all visitors to its tiny harbor. It’s freshly painted and clean, unlike the island, which is falling apart at every turn.

Then again, that’s Po Toi’s charm.

Tucked away in Hong Kong’s southeast corner, Po Toi seemingly exists for its lone seafood restaurant and some short hikes. Unlike the other islands, each with its own vibrant community, Po Toi has become a weekend magnet for junk trips, but its population has dwindled to less than 20, a count that literally depends upon the day of the week, from around 1,000 a generation ago. Young islanders have taken the twiceweekly ferry to the bright lights of Aberdeen and beyond one way, returning, if at all, only for Chinese holidays.

My own sights lay in the opposite direction. After my encounter with Mr. Lau, I follow a trail up to a spot called Coffin Rock. Along the way is a ruin of another sort: Mo’s old house, which, local legend has it, is haunted. Home to Japanese occupation forces during the World War Two, today it’s being absorbed back into the landscape as shoulder-high bush creeps in. The trail through low vegetation and windswept rock tops out at 188 meters. At this modest height, the view to the eastern half of the island, an area not accessible on foot, has a bit of romance to it: this is the last landfall in Hong Kong. From here, the trail steps down to Ngong Chong, a finger of granite that points out to the South China Sea, passing along a long sloping rock face that is simultaneously inhospitable and scenic. Hikers come for the birdlife and the rock formations such as Buddha’s Palm Cliff, which lies just off the trail here below a hillside dotted with Chinese graves. Stop and sit for a spell, with nothing but the wind and water, soaring birds and—this being Hong Kong—a freighter gliding by silently in the distant fog, and you’ll soon see that Lau Wa and his ilk have the right idea: the island wouldn’t be a bad place to spend some time. Not at all. ✚

Characters adorn the doors of a small Taoist temple on Po Toi Island. Right: The island’s seafood restaurant.

GUIDE TO THE OUTLYING ISLANDS

M A P BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK CHEUNG CHAU Katie Dessert In front of the Tin Hau Temple, near the pier. East Lake Tung Wan Rd.; dinner for two HK$200.

Cheung Chau Windsurfing Center The best place for a cold beer or a chilled glass of wine.

Overlooking Tung Wan Beach.

GETTING THERE Cheung Chau, Lamma and Lantau islands are all accessible from the Central ferry piers on Hong Kong Island, with fares ranging from HK$11 to HK$32 and travel time between 30 and 50 minutes.

On Lantau, buses travel across the whole island, with fares

ranging up to HK$20, while taxis are a better option for groups of less than five people.

Ferries for Po Toi leave from Aberdeen at the same pier for Lamma on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 A.M., returning to Hong Kong Island mid-afternoon, with several sailings per day on weekends. The fare is HK$20.

LAMMA Chin Yip Hin Tea Shop Stocks a huge variety of Chinese teas.

38 Sha Po Old Village; 852/ 2982-6988.

Just Green. 92 Main St.; 852/2982-2325.

Lamcombe Seafood Restaurant A wide-ranging menu of Chinese seafood. 47 Main St.; 852/29820881; dinner for two HK$200.

Man Fung Follow the crowds off the ferry and onto the patio for Chinese seafood. 5 Main St.; 852/2982-0719; dinner for two HK$200.

LANTAU Bahce Turkish Restaurant A Turkish café where you least expect it, with excellent kebabs and meze. 3 Ngan Wan Rd., Mui Wo; 852/2984-0221; dinner for two HK$300.

China Beach Club Simple but well-prepared dishes and sea views. Mui Wo Beach; 852/29838931; dinner for two HK$300.

Ooh La La Perfect for a lazy day at the beach and a barbecue. Pui O Beach; 852/2984-8710; dinner for two HK$250.

The Stoep Reservations on weekends are recommended.

32 Lower Cheung Sha Village; 852/2980-2699; dinner for two HK$350.

PO TOI Ming Kee Restaurant You can’t miss it — it’s the island’s only restaurant. Try the excellent chili squid. 852/2849-7038; dinner for two HK$200.

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e a s vg No longer just a stage set masquerading as a metropolis, LAS VEGAS has grown into a truly global city, offering a diversity of experiences to rival any otherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;be they intimate or over-the-top, ersatz or authentic, or somewhere in between. Insider ANDREA BENNETT reveals where to find the best of them. Photographed by NOE DEWITT

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A night out at Social House, the Pan-Asian restaurant and lounge at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

Opposite: The view from VooDoo Lounge, on the 51st ďŹ&#x201A;oor of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

I

M A P BY P U N TO OS

RECENTLY HAD LUNCH with a former neighbor at Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas, the French bistro in the shadow of the Paris casino’s Eiffel Tower, which, if you’re willing to ignore the sidewalk full of tourists toting yardlong margarita bongs, could, as the restaurant hopefully suggests, evoke dining on the Champs-Élysées. “I love this place,” she sighed. “It reminds me of Epcot.”

When I moved to town two years ago, some of my friends were scandalized, citing “appropriation” among the city’s offenses against the culturally aware. Yes, Las Vegas shamelessly borrows the world’s most celebrated icons and experiences, proudly stacking them atop one another for maximum loopy effect. But it also makes the rarefied accessible—and what’s so wrong with that? It’s virtually impossible to score a table at legendary East Harlem restaurant Rao’s. Yet at Rao’s in Caesars Palace, anyone can get in to savor Uncle Vincent’s Famous Lemon Chicken. And Las Vegas has an inimitable sense of humor, injecting things with a whimsy and weirdness that could never exist elsewhere. What other place would invite its citizens to town hall–style gatherings in local bars for “Martinis with the Mayor”? This town has always made its own rules, as easily as it has remade its own image. But lately something remarkable has happened: drawing on its local talent and sublime natural setting (look past the Witness Protection–worthy residential sprawl), Las Vegas has fi nally become a proper city, diverse and complex, that’s worth exploring in its own right. What follows are its current highlights: down-home rib shacks, glittering sushi bars, sultry nightclubs, ultracool design boutiques—plus the best deals on suites from where to survey it all.

La Dolce Vegas Clockwise from top left: Prosciutto and roasted pepper flatbread at Vintner Grill, in west Las Vegas; a reflection of the Wynn Las Vegas in a pond outside the hotel’s Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare; chef Carla Pellegrino and her husband, Frank Jr., a co-owner, at Rao’s, in Caesars Palace; 10meter-high Austrian crystal chandeliers in the Red Rock Resort lobby.

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FOOD + DRINK IS ACCESS THE NEW EXCESS? These days even big-ticket restaurants are opening casual, accessible offshoots—without the four-hour commitment or the four-figure bill. Adjoining Guy Savoy’s austere dining room at Caesars Palace (where 10 courses will run you US$290), the tiny, 20-seat Bubble Bar is among the better values in town, offering samplings from Savoy’s kitchen— jewel-like oysters in an icy gelée, perhaps, or a silky artichoke-and-truffle soup— at a fraction of the cost (four plates for US$40). ● It requires a very healthy appetite (and a very healthy bankroll) to take on the 16-course tasting menu at Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand. A less involved but equally sublime alternative can be found nearby at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, where delightfully tangy steak tartare, crispy crinkle fries and a sinfully buttery pommes purée can be ordered à la carte. ● At David Burke Las Vegas, in the Venetian, chef Burke’s rich and intricate dishes (like a colossal ostrich-egg shell fi lled with lobster scramble and caviar) can easily overwhelm. Instead, take a seat at the bar, framed by glowing bricks hewn from pink Himalayan salt, and order the delectable bento box, which collects five dainty portions off the menu for just US$38.

CHEF’S NIGHT OUT Sunday nights are the wrong time to dine on the Strip, since chefs tend to put their places on autopilot and go elsewhere for dinner. Many end up at Rosemary’s Restaurant—a 10-minute drive west of the Strip— where every bottle of wine is half-price on Sundays, the tables are free of rowdy conventioneers and the service is warm and spot-on. Michael and Wendy Jordan’s cooking also draws from their roots in the Midwest and the Deep South, with favorites such as pork chops with hopping john in a creole-mustard reduction. ● It’s not uncommon to see big-name chefs parked at cafeteria tables under fluorescent lights at T.C.’s Rib Crib, enjoying the moist pulled pork, spareribs and baby backs with sides like spicy collards and fried okra. Order sweet tea and check the chalkboard for the glazed-donut bread pudding. ● At the year-old Vintner Grill, the only indication you’re not in the Hamptons is that you reach the front door via an office park (look for the VG sign, visible from the street). The blinding-white, modern dining room sits on the western side of town; the menu includes crispy wood-fi red flatbreads, Moroccan-spiced lamb spareribs, and halibut with orzo and lemon gremolata.

WHY YOU SHOULD ORDER FISH IN THE DESERT In a single week at the Wynn Las Vegas’s Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, chef Paul Bartolotta receives 1½ tonnes of impossibly fresh Mediterranean seafood—langoustines, cuttlefish, prehistoric-looking slipper lobster. The theatrical dining room, with its neo-Baroque inverted chandeliers, is all about maximalism, but the best dishes are the minimalist ones: fish simply grilled with olive oil, lemon and parsley.

AFTER HOURS Late nights are the best time to hit Treasure Island’s buzzing sushi-and-sake restaurant Social House: after 10 P.M., chef Joseph Elevado (a Nobu veteran) begins grilling mouthwatering skewered meats and serving his tantalizing hand rolls (try the Korean-style beef with green onions and sesame oil). ● Bleary-eyed taxi drivers and late-shift poker dealers gather at Tiffany’s Café, a greasy spoon on the dicey southern fringes of downtown (it’s at the back of an allnight White Cross Drugs). When the craving for chicken-fried steak strikes at 5 A.M., this is defi nitely your place.

DESERT DESSERT Luv-It Frozen Custard is a beloved local shack on the northern end of the Strip, whose Western sundae (topped with caramel, hot fudge and pecans) has inspired cult-like devotion.

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GO TO YOUR ROOM

Three reasons to order in: ● Wynn Las Vegas The in-room dining menu is endless: fl awless hamburgers, Cantonese-style Maine lobster, sesame-encrusted ahi. Even if you don’t call down for dinner, start your morning with pain au chocolat and croissants made

by Frédéric Robert, who was Alain Ducasse’s pastry chef for 13 years. ● Bellagio There’s always a kilometer-long line to get into Noodles, the sleek, Tony Chi–designed restaurant on the Bellagio casino fl oor, which has delicious Hong Kong–style barbecue. Savvy locals skip the wait and call ahead for takeout. ● Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa The great Salt Lick Bar-B-Q opened its fi rst location outside Texas at the Red Rock.

It takes ages to get a table; the smart option is ordering that smoky brisket to go.

The Bubble Bar at Guy Savoy, at Caesars Palace.

It’s a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World From left: The patio at Vintner Grill, shrouded by African sumac trees; Alessi dog and cat bowls, designed by Miriam Mirri, at modern furnishings store Unica Home; one of the 12 GO Cosmopolitan suites at the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel; inside the Flamingo, newly redesigned by Cagley & Tanner.

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NIGHTLIFE + ENTERTAINMENT THE INSIDE TRACK A few things to know before you hit the scene: cover charges can be steep, but there’s little reason to pay. The city is thick with promoters handing out VIP passes and getting on the list can be as easy as calling in advance. The free online newsletter at thecircuitlv.com gives the latest on what’s on when—and how to get on those VIP lists. Also check the listings in Las Vegas Weekly, published every Thursday.

WHERE IT’S AT Open for nearly two years, PURE, in Caesars Palace, is approaching icon status. Tuesday (locals’ night) is the choice night at the club, whose interiors range from the stark white main room to the extravagant Red Room, with its immense chandeliers. The Terrace, a 1,300-square-meter deck overlooking the Strip with a long, sunken fire pit and private cabanas, has some of the city’s best people-watching. ● Wynn’s Tryst had a false start as La Bête, after which Steve Wynn partnered with Vegas’s king of nightlife, Victor Drai, to relaunch the place in its gorgeous current incarnation: velvet walls, alligator-skin booths and a 27.5-meter waterfall cascading into a pool topped by a dance floor that extends partly over the water. ● In the newly revved-up Luxor, LAX Nightclub has 2,400 square meters of (very public) opulence, with black chandeliers and Art Nouveau balustrades over the dance floor. ● Also in the Luxor (but with its own private outdoor entrance), Noir Bar’s plush

maroon room is meant to evoke a Parisian speakeasy, manned by old-school male bartenders. Admission is by reservation only, and Pure Management Group, which runs it, is quite happy to keep the room nearly empty to reinforce its privacy policy. ● Downtown’s Fremont Street holds strong as the locals’ favorite under-the-radar bar scene. It’s easy to miss the Downtown Cocktail Room (look for the tiny DOWNTOWN sign), set in a renovated wedding chapel, now a sexy, dark room with selectively lit nooks. Nearby, the Griffin bar has a perplexing but appealing aesthetic: medieval castle meets parking garage, with vaulted stone archways in a vast airy space.

BEST WAY TO SEE A SHOW Last June, Wynn Las Vegas’s mesmerizing Le Rêve production removed 480 seats from their “aqua theater-inthe-round” and replaced them with plush, comfortable new lounges.

For an extra treat, spring for the Champagne Circle tier, complete with video monitors showing close-ups of onstage acrobatics, not to mention PerrierJouët bottle service and chocolate-covered strawberries.

THE HOT PARTY Rock ’n Roll Wine hardly needs to advertise, and besides, savvy Las Vegans would prefer if it didn’t, so they could keep all the action to themselves—and why not. Every month, up to 800 revelers gather at an evershifting location—a club, a restaurant, a resort pool—to taste wines from as many as 50 visiting wineries. They also get to hear live bands, with tickets starting at just US$30. Get in on the scene by signing up for the e-mail newsletter at rocknrollwine.com.

ONLY IN VEGAS Three spa indulgences you won’t find anywhere else: ● Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian Cost of the 18 Carat treatment (a soak in a bath laced with fl ecks of gold): US$275. Only discernible health benefit: making you feel very wealthy for 80 minutes. ● Qua Baths & Spa, at Caesars Palace Its 4,650 square meters of Roman baths are worthy of Caligula. (Step into the Arctic Ice Room, and it snows.) Then there’s the Crystal Body Art ritual, which adorns you with tiny Swarovski crystals. ● Wynn Las Vegas A favorite of superstitious gamblers, the Good Luck Ritual Massage harnesses the fi ve elements of feng shui and (so say the hopeful) could give you an edge at the tables.

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HOTELS + CASINOS WHAT’S NEW The Morgans Hotel Group recently bought the Hard Rock Hotel &

Casino, announcing an expansion that would include 950 guest rooms and a 2,230square-meter spa. The renovation won’t be fully completed until 2009, but 63 Celebrity Suites have already opened on the hotel’s 11th floor (see below). You’ll find 2.5-meter-high leather headboards flanked by crystal lamps and custom-made pool tables. ● It’s impossible to stay any closer to Red Rock Canyon than at the year-old Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, just outside the stunning conservation area 16 kilometers west of the Strip. In the lobby, stacked sandstone brick, backlit onyx and ebony evoke the aesthetic of the canyon, and chandeliers and light fixtures dripping with more than 3 million crystals reference the glitzy city itself. ● Until recently, the Four Seasons was the only high-end hotel in town without its own casino (though it is connected to Mandalay Bay). More luxurious non-gaming properties are coming: MGM Grand has three Signature towers (a covered walkway away from the casino); and Donald Trump will soon open his own non-casino hotel.

WHAT’S BACK After classic joints like the Stardust were shuttered this year, Las Vegans had mentally marked the Flamingo Las Vegas—originally opened by Bugsy Siegel in 1946—for doom as well. Instead, its owner, Harrah’s, decided to redo the rooms in an exuberant tribute to its retro self. Shiny, white-vinyl headboards stretch to the ceiling; green, chocolate and pink—the Flamingo’s original colors—accent white Midcenturystyle low cabinets, while oversized marble-decked bathrooms keep pace with the retro theme. They’ve added updates where they count: MP3 docking stations, electronically controlled drapes and 42-inch flat-screen TV’s.

BEST VALUE A block from Las Vegas Boulevard, the year-old Platinum has 255 rooms, the smallest of which is 88 square meters; all have balconies and full stainless-and-granite kitchens. Rates start at US$149, and on floors six through 17, you can take in a view that stretches the entire length of the Strip.

CABANA CULTURE Poolside cabanas are the new nightclubs.

Here are the coolest:

● Most Opulent The cabanas surrounding Wynn Las Vegas’s “European” pool (read: tops are optional) are airy studio apartments, outfitted with plasma TV’s. ● Best by Night The Venetian’s Tao nightclub added its own beach club earlier this year. After dark, hit Tao Beach’s fl oating dance fl oor, ringed by 4-meter-tall columns of fi re. ● The Classic Hard Rock Hotel’s thatched-roof huts not only give you wraparound couches, personal misting systems and LCD TV’s but they also grant you access to Rehab, Vegas’s hottest pool party (all day on Sundays). ● Best Deal The Flamingo’s GO Pool cabanas give you a plasma TV, bottle service and more—from US$250 a day.

THE SUITE LIFE: THE TOP VALUES IN TOWN Hotel

THE VENETIAN

MGM GRAND

PALMS CASINO RESORT

HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO

The Flamingo GO Metropolitan Suite

Luxury Suite

The Signature at MGM Grand

Salon suite in the Fantasy Tower

Celebrity Suites

Two bedrooms; 140 square meters; from US$1,200

One bedroom; 60 square meters; from US$169

One bedroom; 88 square meters; from US$310

One bedroom; 74 square meters; from US$500, weeknights

One bedroom; 122 square meters; from US$1,050

Amenities

Four 42-inch flatpanel HDTV’s; marble baths; MP3 docking stations; wet bar

Anichini Egyptian cotton linens; sleeper sofa for guests; fresh-cut flowers

Private entrance; full kitchen with Cuisinart, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances; Egyptian cotton Anichini linens; HDTV

Bose sound system; 42-inch plasma TV; 23inch LCD in the bathroom; Jacuzzi

42-inch plasma TV; Nintendo Wii Game System; Playstation 3; Xbox 360; wet bar; pool table

T+L Tip

There are five kinds of GO rooms.

Choose classic GO Metropolitan for views of the Strip from the 27th and 28th floors

Bypass the unrenovated Venezia tower, which opened in 2003, for the redone suites in the main tower

Opt for a onebedroom suite over a junior suite; for around US$110 more, you’ll get nearly twice the space

Ask for rooms 16202 or 17202 ; they offer the best views of the Strip

Suites have either pool or Strip views.

Choose with care. On Sundays, the raucous Rehab pool party may not be what the doctor ordered

Suite

Stats

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FLAMINGO LAS VEGAS

The Cabana Bar & Casino, at the Wynn.

SHOPPING HOMEGROWN BOUTIQUES The location couldn’t be more unassuming—8 kilometers south on Interstate 15, inside a sprawling commercial-furniture center. But Unica Home is a design maven’s dream, stocking everything from curvy Ron Arad chairs to whimsical Alessi olive oil tasters, and even a reproduction of the classic Pan Am travel bag. ● Suffering from retail overload? Find relief at Talulah G, whose racks hold a carefully edited selection of designer clothing, from Zac Posen to Missoni to Chloé.

There are now three locations, in Fashion Show Mall (large), Summerlin (largest) and at Red Rock Resort (sanest). ● Modify, a vintage shop in downtown’s arts district, has a compelling array of classic 1960’s and 70’s furniture, including sofas by Paul Evans and Milo Baughman (1-702/384-6555).

THE LAST WORD ON OUTLETS Vegas is known for its scads of discount outlets.

But the king of them all is 56 kilometers west, in the border town of Primm: Fashion Outlets Las Vegas has outposts from Burberry, Versace, Neiman Marcus and Tod’s (check the table in front, where US$350 loafers sell for US$95).

A shuttle bus leaves every hour from the Strip (1-888/424-6898).

WHEN TO GO Spring and fall are the most pleasant seasons, when average highs range between 21 and 27 degrees. Avoid the summer months, when Vegas gets unbearably hot.

GETTING THERE Cathay Pacific has direct flights from Hong Kong to Las Vegas, while Vegas’s McCarran International Airport has direct flights from more than 100 cities across the United States.

SCORING THE BEST RATES When planning your trip, check to ensure a huge convention isn’t in town at the time: hotel prices go way up, as do airfares.

ADDRESS BOOK LAS VEGAS WHERE TO EAT Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-888/352-3463; dinner for two US$180.

Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-877/346-4642; dinner for two US$105.

5000; hardrockhotel.com; doubles from US$109.

S.; 1-702/262-5257; drinks for two US$32.

Rosemary’s Restaurant 8125 W. Sahara Ave.; 1-702/8692251; dinner for two US$100.

David Burke Las Vegas The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/414-7111; dinner for two US$150.

Salt Lick Bar-B-Q Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.; 1-702/ 797-7777; dinner for two US$50.

MGM Grand 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-877/880-0880; doubles from US$90.

PURE Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/731-7873; drinks for two US$25.

Guy Savoy’s Bubble Bar Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-877/346-4642; dinner for two US$180.

Social House Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/894-7223; late-night snack for two US$35.

The Platinum 211 E. Flamingo Rd.; 1-877/2119211; theplatinumhotel.com; doubles from US$139.

Tryst Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/770-3375; drinks for two US$26.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd.

S.; 1-702/891-7358; dinner for two US$130.

T.C.’s Rib Crib 8470 W. Desert Inn Rd.; 1-702/4517427; dinner for two US$23.

Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.; 1-702/ 797-7777; redrocklasvegas.com; doubles from US$160.

VooDoo Lounge Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Rd.; 1-866/746-7671; drinks for two US$20.

Wynn Las Vegas 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-877/ 321-9966; wynnlasvegas.com; doubles from US$199.

WHAT TO DO Le Rêve Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-888/3207110; tickets from US$99.

Luv-It Frozen Custard 505 E. Oakey Blvd.; 1-702/3846452; regular custard for two US$7.30.

Mon Ami Gabi Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702 /944-4224; dinner for two US$100.

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Tiffany’s Café White Cross Drugs, 1700 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/444-4459; dinner for two US$15.

Vintner Grill 10100 W. Charleston Blvd., Ste. 150; 1-702/214-5590; dinner for two US$85.

Noodles Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd.

S.; 1-888/987-6667; dinner for two US$80.

WHERE TO STAY Flamingo Las Vegas 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-888/9029929; flamingolasvegas.com; doubles from US$100.

Rao’s Caesars Palace, 3570 Las

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 4455 Paradise Rd.; 1-702/693-

WHERE TO GO OUT Downtown Cocktail Room 111 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/8803696; drinks for two US$16.

The Griffin 511 E. Fremont St.; 1-702/382-0577; drinks for two US$10.

LAX Nightclub Luxor, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd.

S.; 1-702/262-4529; drinks for two US$24.

Noir Bar Luxor, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd.

Rock ’n Roll Wine 1-702/240-3066; rocknrollwine. com; tickets from US$30.

WHERE TO SHOP Fashion Outlets Las Vegas 32100 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Primm; 1-702/874-1400.

Talulah G Fashion Show Mall; 1-702/7376000.

Unica Home 7540 S. Dean Martin Dr., Ste. 501; 1-702/616-9280.

THIS TOWN HAS ALWAYS MADE ITS OWN RULES

The lobby at Red Rock Resort, with open-weave rattan chairs and terra rossa glass doors. Above: Sockeye salmon sashimi, garnished with green onion and garlic chips, at Social House.

Government officials say they want a modern and civilized city, but will it be at the expense of its innate beauty and multilayered street life? By MATT STEINGLASS. Photographed

by PETER STEINHAUER

HEART

Hanoiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at night.

Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter.

Ask anyone and they will tell you: the heart of Hanoi is Hoan Kiem, the jade-green lake in the center of the city where, according to legend, the 15th-century Vietnamese emperor Le Thai To was visited by a sacred tortoise who demanded the return of a magical sword he had used to defeat the invading Chinese … and so forth. But I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hoan Kiem, but the heart of Hanoi lies elsewhere.

To explain what I mean, let’s go three blocks north of Hoan Kiem, to a cramped, squalid souk that, by the time you arrive in Hanoi, will probably no longer exist: Hang Be Market.

Hang Be Market isn’t actually on Hang Be Street, but on a cross street, Gia Ngu. In the mid 1800’s, Hanoi was an imperial citadel surrounded by royally chartered craft villages.

Hang Be was the street of the raft makers, Gia Ngu the street of the fishermen. This area of the city is known today as the Old Quarter, or the “36 Streets.” By early last century, the French colonial government had paved the streets and Vietnamese families living along Gia Ngu began selling wares in front of their houses.

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In January 2008, if you walked up Hang Be, past the tourist shops and the chic Vietnamese fusion restaurants, and turned into Gia Ngu, dodging the motorbikes and ducking under the eaves of the stalls, you would find yourself in a tunnel of frenzied commerce: bamboo trays proffering heaps of dried seafood, lady shoppers bargaining, motorbikes laden with squawking ducks, throngs of kids in blue and white uniforms out from school—this is why one falls for Hanoi.

Hanoi boasts no monumental architecture on the scale of Beijing or Bangkok. The city’s treasures are more modest: parks and lakes, pagodas tucked away in back alleys, the clumsy charm of communist culture palaces, the gracious villas of the French Quarter. But what stands out is the dense, multilayered fabric of its street life. If Hanoi has a heart, I think it’s in places like this, in the hundreds of years of culture and history packed into the crowded humanity of Hang Be Market. But Hanoi’s government is clearing out the market as part of a campaign to clean up the city. Other markets, »

Around Hanoi Clockwise from top left: Inside the Hanoi Opera House; the entrance to Cu Khoi Pagoda; the domed ceiling inside the Pharmacy University; a statue of Louis Pasteur sits in Pasteur Park.

Cranes have SPROUTED across the city, conjuring shopping MALLS and 20-story apartment towers out of the ground The Presidential Palace is one of the finest examples of French-colonial architecture in Hanoi.

Center: Bustling Hang Be Market. Right: The gracious entrance to a French-colonial villa.

Vegetable gardens in the city. Center: Asian flourishes on the roof of the History Museum.

Left: Quan Thanh Park, one of Hanoi’s numerous small parks.

like the huge Hom Fabric Market, are slated for closure as well. And city authorities are sharply restricting bicycle and sidewalk peddlers, the women carrying shoulder-poles laden with mangoes, sticky rice cakes or entire soup kitchens, who turn all Hanoi into a kind of mobile supermarket. The rationale, according to the city’s Trade Department, is modernization. Hanoi, they say, is becoming a 21st-century city, and in keeping with the city’s spruced-up, more orderly appearances, trade activities, too, will have to become more civilized and modern.

The clearing of Hang Be Market is part of a transformation in Hanoi’s character. Since 2000, Vietnam, once one of the poorest countries in the world, has seen its economy grow by more than 7 percent a year. Hanoi’s once ubiquitous bicycles have been replaced by swarms of motorbikes and, more re-

cently, cars. Low-rise houses and gardens have been swallowed up by multistory concrete townhouses. The facades of Art-Deco colonial villas have been hidden behind the marquees of mobile phone stores. Since Vietnam joined the WTO in 2007, the flow of money has swelled to a flood— US$21 billion in foreign direct investment in a single year.

The price of land in downtown Hanoi has reached as high as US$20,000 per square meter. Cranes have sprouted across the city, conjuring shopping malls and 20-story apartment towers out of the ground. And the risk is that the peculiar intensity of Hanoi’s urban fabric, the heart of the city, may be washed away with the tsunami of money.

Hanoi’s city government does have a vision for conserving the city’s historical character. That vision focuses on Hanoi’s imperial history as it gears up for a major ceremony in two »

years to celebrate its 1,000th anniversary. There isn’t much left of the capital founded by Emperor Ly Thai To in 1010, then known as Thang Long, though what remains, like the 11th-century Tran Quoc Pagoda jutting out into West Lake, is carefully preserved. But much more remains of the imperial city of the 19th century. All through the Old Quarter, one comes across romantic fragments of the imperial era, like the brick turrets of O Quan Chuong Gate, the sole surviving bit of the city wall, which looms up unexpectedly at the end of Hang Chieu; the massive walls of the Citadel, still headquarters for the People’s Army of Vietnam; the Ma May Merchant House and Bach Ma Temple, two well-conserved relics renovated as museums; and crooked, charming temples nestling into corners and alleyways.

Hang Dao Street, 1993.

HE MOST IMPORTANT SURVIVING imperial site is the Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu, where candidates for the imperial civil service studied under the Confucian system Vietnam adopted from China. Historically faithful renovations have kept the temple’s buildings intact without sacrificing their aura. Under the pavilions stand rows of identical stelae perched on the backs of stone tortoises, each inscribed with the names of the school’s graduates in Vietnam’s ancient Chinese-style Nom script.

It’s a peaceful place, and on a good day you can catch a ca tru performance by a state-trained traditional-music troupe.

But the audiences are largely tourists and the place often has the stale feel of a museum. The Temple of Literature is at its most vital in the weeks before Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, when Hanoians flock there to have amateur calligraphers inscribe Chinese characters on scrolls. And, each year in February, the temple hosts the celebration of National Poetry Day. In the youth segment, bracingly avant-garde by Vietnamese standards, shaggy musicians and hip literary bloggers watch spoken-word artists’ performances with jealously skeptical eyes. At moments like this, the monument seems to be genuinely participating in contemporary cultural life, the way historic buildings in Paris or Rome do, and you get a vision of how Hanoi could embrace modernity without destroying its antique personality. »

T

Hanoi’s city government has a vision for 134

Hang Dao Street, 2008.

conserving the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical character 135

Old Style Clockwise from top left: Hanoiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s once ubiquitous cyclists are now a rare sight; a staircase rendered in Vietnamese socialist style; a statue outside the History Museum; some French-colonial buildings have fallen into disrepair.

Much of the city’s colonial architecture is preserved as government buildings, such as the Army Hospital.

Modernization coexists uneasily with history in the French Quarter, the broad avenues laid out by the colonial government around the borders of the ancient city. Here’s where you get a sense of the real beauty of French-colonial architecture in the vernacular style that was created for the villas of the wealthy—a fusion of French countryside and SinoVietnamese elements. Wander down a street like Chu Van An, south of Ba Dinh Square, and look at the houses’ long overhanging eaves of orange Vietnamese tile, the deep hardwood shutters on the windows shading the façade from the tropical sun. The floor tiles in these houses were made in the ancient ceramic craft village of Bat Trang, just down the Red River from Hanoi, but painted with Mediterranean geometric figures; you can almost see the Vietnamese artisans struggling to adapt their brush strokes to unfamiliar French tastes, and creating, in the process, an entirely new style. You can still find these old tiles today in foreign embassies and a few chic restaurants, like La Verticale, which have had the good taste to keep the best elements of its villa’s original décor.

The French Quarter gives the city its grandest monumental architecture. At the quarter’s eastern end stands a cluster of gorgeous colonial buildings—the Museum of the Revolution, the University of Hanoi, the Opera House, the Metropole hotel and the 1925 History Museum, topped by a huge

octagonal turret that evokes both Chinese pagodas and medieval French chateaux. The building’s Art-Deco details overlook a garden full of antique statuary, another of downtown Hanoi’s precious quiet spots. Just down the street, the neoclassical 1911 Opera House is less innovative, but it projects an aura of history, and hosts increasingly interesting performances by foreign and local artists.

The French-colonial buildings occupied by government institutions, uniformly painted ocher yellow, play a crucial role in conserving the city’s character. Other colonial-era buildings are increasingly being torn down. Real estate operatives are buying up the old villas along Ly Thuong Kiet Street and putting together parcels for lucrative high-rises.

Government guidelines encourage high-rise developers to employ French-colonial style, but modern architects usually fail to mimic the old styles effectively. Embassies and government ministries provide some guarantee that much of Hanoi’s most beautiful colonial architecture will survive.

The most maligned part of Hanoi’s architectural history is probably the Soviet-socialist period. That reputation is not entirely deserved. Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum isn’t the world’s most graceful building, but it has iconic force. And while Russia’s Red Square and China’s Tiananmen Square are paved and gargantuan, Ba Dinh Square is a modest, grassy » 137

mall used by citizens for evening recreation with a communal informality that’s a strong hint to the Vietnamese character.

Ho’s Mausoleum, obviously, will be around as long as the Communist Party, but other socialist-era buildings may not last as long: the former hall of the National Assembly, whose gray marble used to echo the mausoleum from across the square, was torn down this year to build a new one. The National Assembly building was shoddy and obsolete, but I still felt a pang of nostalgia when it fell. If every shoddy building in Hanoi were torn down, what would be left to remind visitors of the years of old-fashioned Soviet Communism, or of the war?

When my family moved to Hanoi in 2003, we lived in an alley next to the city’s biggest park, now called Reunification Park, but still more widely known by its former name, Lenin Park. Walking into the park is like stepping into the former Soviet bloc. The entrances feature the same gray marble pillars as the old National Assembly building or the city’s Soviet-built Culture Palace. Crumbling colonnades frame a lake dotted with pedal boats shaped like swans. Children screech atop carnival rides; a toy train rumbles by, a carousel whirls. At 5:30 A.M., the park’s loudspeakers begin blaring marching music, and the throngs pour in to practice aerobics, tai chi and badminton. The old lady who sells pickled tamarind juice at the lakeside knew our children by name.

In 2007, it was announced that Reunification Park would be turned over to a real estate developer called Vincom, who would convert it into what was termed a Disneyland-style

amusement park. But public opposition was widespread and the redevelopment has been put on hold. Hanoians, it seems, do value parts of their communist heritage.

Hanoi does need to modernize, after all, and one hopes it can do so by preserving the thriving street life that makes it unique. The danger comes from a failure by some to recognize what makes Hanoi unique, or what it will take to keep it. Despite strict regulations that theoretically limit building in the Old Quarter, too much is being torn down— often to build hotels. As Paul Schuttenbelt, a Dutch consultant who has worked on Hanoi’s city planning, puts it: “Why do tourists come to Hanoi? Because of this Old Quarter. And what do you do? You destroy it to build hotels to accommodate these tourists.” The greatest service tourists can do today is to let Hanoians know why they’re coming to the city.

The massive stone foundations of the Long Bien bridge, the first bridge over the Red River, was built by the French in 1902. If you walk up and out over the bridge, which is closed to cars, you soon find yourself over a sandy island in the middle of the river. Behind you are the roofs and construction cranes of downtown Hanoi. Beneath are cornfields, bamboo hut villages and peasants tilling fields with oxen. It’s all just a kilometer east of Hoan Kiem, but you might as well be 100 kilometers away, and 100 years in the past. For the time being, Hanoi still has this kind of condensation: a thousand years of history and culture crammed into a single piece of ground. If the city handles its development well, it may yet be able to keep it.

GUIDE TO HANOI

WHERE TO STAY Sofitel Metropole Hanoi 15 Ngo Quyen St.; 84-4/8266919; sofitel.com; doubles from US$330.

InterContinental Westlake 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho; 84-4/2708888; ichotelsgroup.com; doubles from US$260.

Hilton Hanoi Opera 1 Le Thanh Tong St.; 84-4/933-0500; hanoi.hilton.com; doubles from US$340.

GREAT Zephyr Hotel 4 Ba VALUE Trieu St.; 84-4/9341256; doubles from US$98.

GETTING THERE Vietnam Airlines flies from major airports in Southeast Asia to Hanoi, while major Asian airlines fly from their respective hubs to Hanoi.

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AirAsia flies from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

WHEN TO GO The best times to visit Hanoi are from September to

WHERE TO EAT Highway 4 A traditional Hanoi rice wine bar with EuroVietnamese cuisine and hipster flair. 5 Hang Tre; 84-4/926-

0639; dinner for two US$20.

La Verticale Master chef Didier Corlou’s latest FrenchVietnamese creations in a charming colonial villa. 19 Ngo Van So St.; 84-4/944-6317; dinner for two US$52.

WHAT TO SEE Dong Xuan Market Dong Xuan St.; 84-4/928-0671.

Temple of Literature Quoc Tu Giam St.; 84-4/845-2917.

Ma May Merchant House 87 Ma May St. Reunification Park Tran Nhan Tong St. History Museum 1 Trang Tien St; 84-4/825-7752.

Opera House 1 Pham Ngu Lao; 84-4/825-7753.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Ba Dinh Sq., entrance at corner Ngoc Ha St. and Doi Can St. St. Joseph Cathedral Nha Tho St.; 84-4/828-5967.

M A P BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

November or March and April for the mild temperatures and pleasant weather.

The Hanoi Opera House.

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E D ITE D BY C H R I S TI N E AJ U D UA , L AU R A B EG L E Y, C L A R K M ITC H E LL A N D B R E E S P OSATO

MARTIN WESTLAKE

There’s nothing like a hotel by the sea — especially when it costs less than US$250 a night. T+L sent correspondents around the globe, from the tiny undiscovered island of Holbox, on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, to the shores of New Zealand’s South Island.

What we found: 23 perfect escapes.

A N N E M E N K E ; M O D E L : K I M I G L I N S KY / 1 M O D E L M A N AG E M E N T; S T Y L I S T : A N D R E A M E N K E / R AY B R O W N ; H A I R & M A K E - U P : R E B E C C A A L E X A N D E R / R AY B R O W N

On a guest room balcony at the CasaSandra Hotel, on Holbox, off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Dress by Diane von Furstenberg.

Opposite: The beach at La Veranda Resort, in Phu Quoc, Vietnam.

~T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S ~

$179

F L O R I D A Just past the Everglades is

the six-room Art Deco villa Azul del Mar (104300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo; 1-888/253-2985; azulhotels.us). The husband-and-wife owners stay behind the scene—breakfast (papaya yogurt, tropical fruit pastries) is delivered to your door and guests can barbecue on the two outdoor grills. The property is decidedly quiet, thanks to its small adjacent private beach and an adults-only policy.

Book the Garden Suite Caribe, for its Jacuzzi-jet bathtub and private patio. The Aquamarina and Celeste rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Florida Bay, tie for second place. WHAT TO DO Snorkel in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park—which includes part of North America’s largest living reef, located just beyond the hotel’s wood-paneled dock.—S A R A H K A N T R O W I T Z

$95

H A W A I I Tucked among the pricey resorts of

Hawaii’s southern Kohala Coast is one of the Big Island’s best-kept secrets: a tiny village with access to

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prime snorkeling and surfing beaches. The Puako Bed & Breakfast (25 Puako Beach Dr., Big Island; 1-800/9101331; bigisland-bedbreakfast.com) is as low-key as its location; host and hula performer–instructor Punahele Andrade has outfitted the four guest rooms with tropical furniture and bright Hawaiian quilts. After a breakfast of Belgian waffles, Hawaiian sweet bread and Kona coffee, the rugged blacklava and white-coral beach beckons. For pristine sandier stretches, head to nearby Beach 69, in the Hapuna Beach State Park. WHAT TO DO You can take a horseback tour of the 61,000-hectare Parker Ranch, 32 kilometers away.

—D AV I D A . K E E P S

~M EX ICO ~

$190

H O L B O X I S L A N D The island of Holbox (pronounced “Ole-bosh”) is a tiny spit off the Yucatán Peninsula with sand roads. At the chic 16-room CasaSandra Hotel (Calle Igualdad; 52984/875-2431; casasandra.com), Cuban-born owner and artist Sandra Pérez wanted the property to feel more

C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F A L E E N TA R E S O R T & S PA H U A- H I N P R A N B U R I ; D AV I D N I C O L A S ( 3 )

Sun and Sea Clockwise from left: Aleenta Resort & Spa Hua-Hin Pranburi; the beach at Azul del Mar, in Key Largo, Florida; the Azul’s dock; an inviting hammock at Azul del Mar.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F A L I L A M A N G G I S, BA L I ( 2 ) ; A N N E M E N K E ; D AV I D N I C O L A S

Palapas by the water’s edge at CasaSandra, in Mexico’s Yucatán.

Dress by Bally; sandals, J. Crew. Clockwise from bottom left: Sea kayaks at Azul del Mar; the lobby at the Alila Manggis, in Bali; daybeds at the Alila Manggis.

like a residence. So she spread CasaSandra out over five compact buildings and filled each of the spaces with oneof-a-kind regional pieces: rough-cut antique wooden tables from Guadalajara; rattan furniture; hand-woven linens; and bath products created by local artisans. Outside, a collection of palapas and breezy bales dot the sand, and the azure water’s edge is 50 uninterrupted steps away.

The hotel arranges fishing excursions with CasaSandra’s chef, Félix Diaz, who will prepare your catch for dinner.

WHAT TO DO From June through August, Holbox is one of the few places in the world where you can swim alongside harmless whale sharks—the largest fish in the world.

Holbox Tours & Travel (52-984/875-2173 or 1-305/3966987; holboxwhalesharktours.com; US$90) runs six-hour tours that guarantee time in the water with these gentle giants.

—E L I Z A B E T H W O O D S O N

~CA R IBBEA N~

$160

P U E R T O R I C O Rincón is known for its

pounding waves, which attract some of the

world’s best surfers. But the location of the Tres Sirenas Beach Inn (Sea Beach Drive; 1-787/823-0558; tressirenas. com)—on one of the town’s more tranquil strands—is just as appealing. Ex-New Yorkers Lisa and Harry Rodriguez returned to Harry’s native Puerto Rico to open a laid-back, stylish B&B. And with four breezy rooms (dark woods, rattan, white linens) and the elaborate breakfasts Lisa cooks up every morning for guests, this seaside spot fits the bill.

If you’re traveling with a group, consider renting out the entire villa. It sleeps 10, and goes for a reasonable US$840 per night. WHAT TO DO Make the 1½-hour drive southeast to Puerto Rico’s second-largest city, Ponce. The lovely historic quarter, with its Spanish-colonial and Art Deco buildings, is worth exploring for a day.—E . W .

$155

S T . T H O M A S In 2001, Wendy Snodgrass left her job in guest relations at The RitzCarlton, St. Thomas, and opened the Bellavista Bed & Breakfast (2713 Murphy Gade, Charlotte Amalie; 1-888/3333063 or 340/714-5706; bellavista-bnb.com), a 1930’s West Indian–style villa overlooking Charlotte Amalie Harbor.

The four rooms are done up in floral prints and bright » 143

Beach Luxury Clockwise from top left: The Coco Tiare suite at Sol é Luna Inn, on St. Martin; at the Sol é Luna; the entrance to the inn’s pool; a view of Charlotte Amalie from the Bellavista Bed & Breakfast, in St. Thomas; the Pousada Sage Point, in Itacare, Brazil; on the porch of a tree house at the Pousada Sage Point.

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hues, some with a canopy bed. Guests spend most of their time outdoors on the sun-drenched front balcony or lounging along nearby Magen’s Bay, a stretch of calm water that’s perfect for swimming. At breakfast, order the banana–sour cream waffles served with a pineapple–passion fruit frappé. WHAT TO DO Take a five-minute stroll along the Crystal Gade to the St. Thomas Synagogue, a peaceful 174-year-old refuge with sand-covered floors and whitewashed walls.—B R I D G E T M O R I A R I T Y

$115

S T . M A R T I N Between Grand Case and

Orient Bay on the French half of this multicultural island, the cliffside Sol é Luna Inn (Mont Vernon; 590-590/290-856; solelunarestaurant.com) delivers a modern twist on rustic Provençal style—an ocher-hued stucco exterior covered in bougainvillea, washbasins reminiscent of the Danish designer Verner Panton, colorfully tiled plunge pools. Each of the six spacious rooms and suites has a private terrace with a view of the cerulean waters of Orient Bay, just 10 minutes away. There’s no elevator here, and the hilltop rooms are located up a stone stairway—book the Jasmine or Nacre suites for a shorter climb. WHAT TO DO Visit the 1-hectare Plantation Mont Vernon (2 Mont Vernon; 590-590/295-062), where coffee is grown on-site, then dried and roasted to make potent petits cafés, served after the tour.— J E N N I F E R V . C O L E

~ S O U T H A N D C E N T R A L A M E R I C A~

O P P O S I T E P A G E C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : M A L Ú A LVA R E Z ( 3 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F B E L L AV I S TA ; C O U R T E S Y O F P O U S A D A S A G E P O I N T ( 2 )

$95

C O S T A R I C A On an isolated 10 kilome-

ters of dark-sand Pacific beach, the Bahari Beach Bungalows (Matapalo de Aquirre, Matapalo; 506/7875014; baharibeach.com) attract outdoorsy travelers who don’t necessarily want to rough it. There are two bright rooms in the main building; at the very edge of the water, the lodge’s hosts and owners, Ludwig and Andrea Zirkelbach, have pitched four oversize safari tents that sleep two people.

Here, the mesh walls give the sensation of sleeping outdoors, with the added comforts of tiled floors, freshly cut flowers and spacious bathrooms. In the thatched-roof, open-air dining room overlooking the grounds, the owners serve octopus salad in vinaigrette and tender grilled mahimahi. The Zirkelbachs also make delicious cocktails that you can carry onto the beach to watch the sun set. WHAT TO DO Fifteen kilometers away is the Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge (506/787-0003; haciendabaru.com), which protects 330 hectares of coastal rain forest. Look for capuchin monkeys, toucans and three-toed sloths along the reserve’s wellgroomed trails.— C A R O L I N A A . M I R A N D A

$107

B R A Z I L You’ll feel like you’re on the set of The Blue Lagoon at the Pousada Sage

Point (Praia da Tiririca, Itacare; 55-73/3251-2030; pousadasagepoint.com.br), on the palm-studded Tiririca Beach in Bahia. The two-story, secluded tree-house property is made entirely from Brazilian noble wood. Owner Ana Maria Pineiro decorated the 17 airy, rustic suites with four-poster canopy beds, Balinese accents and—the big draw—hammocks on private balconies. Every morning, the friendly staff lays out a breakfast of fresh fruit, mozzarella, açai and guava juice. Book the two-floor Mermaid Suite, with a 7.5-square-meter veranda and ocean views from the Jacuzzi. WHAT TO DO When you’ve had enough of the beach, the staff will set up a rafting tour along the Contas River.— L A R A S E D L A K

~EU ROPE~

$131

F R A N C E Near the fortified port town of

Concarneau, Les Sables Blancs (45 Rue des Sables Blancs; 33-2/98-50-10-12; hotel-les-sables-blancs.com) presides over an unspoiled strip of sand. The hotel opened less than a year ago, and has a mod, minimalist look, with bright orange chairs on a vast lantern-lit bar terrace where guests gather at night. Most of the 20 rooms have sea views from the bed and sliding glass doors that lead to private balconies. Le Nautile, the on-site restaurant, is known for creative seafood dishes like squid sautéed with bacon and cocoa beans. WHAT TO DO On a clear day you can see Les Glénans, an uninhabited archipelago called “the Tahiti of Brittany.” The hotel arranges day trips by boat to its largest island, which has a diving school and several pristine beaches.—T I N A I S A A C

$231

S P A I N The 65-room Hotel Codina (21 Avda. Zumalacárregui, San Sebastián; 34/94-3212200; hotelcodina.es) was completely overhauled in July 2006, transforming from an outdated hotel into a stylish businessmeets-beach haven. Rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi (rare in Spain), sleek wooden furniture, oversize windows and porcelain bathrooms. The hotel anchors the Antiguo neighborhood and is only a few yards from the perfectly shaped half-moon cove of Ondaretta Beach. For the best beach views, ask for a room with a patio on the north-facing corner of the seventh floor. WHAT TO DO Right near the hotel is the Palacio de Miramar, Queen María Christina’s old haunt. Her gardens are perfect for a picnic with a royal ocean view.—S A R A H W I L D M A N

$183

I T A L Y On the volcanic island of Ischia—

famous for its hot springs and therapeutic mud—and outside the small town of Lacco Ameno, sits the Hotel della Baia (Lacco Ameno; 39-081/986-398; negombo.it), a chic, secluded, 25-room inn. The outdoor » 145

$154

MONTENEGRO

An 18th-century Baroque palace turned 10-room hotel, Palazzo Radomiri (220 Dobrota, Kotor; 382/8233-3172; palazzoradomiri.com) is refreshingly at odds with the flashy all-inclusive resorts popping up along the Montenegrin coast. It is located in a quiet fishing village beside a mountain-rimmed bay. Exposed-stone walls and gilded furniture make for rustic–luxe rooms, while outside, waiters carry rakija (plum grappa) to guests as they soak up the sun. The hotel can plan a private trip by motorboat to secluded 146

beaches on the Gulf of Kotor, and will send you off with a picnic of local specialties, such as fresh figs and goat’s cheese. WHAT TO DO Some of Europe’s best white-water rafting is close by in the Tara River Canyon—a UNESCO World Heritage site.—S H A N N F O U N T A I N

$140

GREECE

The seven-story Poseidon Hotel (72 Possidonos Ave., Athens; 30-210/ 987-2000; poseidonhotel.com.gr) rises above a winding stretch of coastline between Athens and Cape Sounio, home to the Temple of Poseidon. The 88 rooms are stylishly sparse: pale wood furniture, crisp white bedding, opaque curtains.

Terraces along the eastern side of the hotel look across the road to hip Edem Beach, which is dotted with the resort’s white umbrellas and lounge chairs. Sip retsina at the rooftop restaurant as the sun sets over the Saronic Gulf. WHAT TO DO The hotel is five minutes away from the Alimos and Trocadero marinas, where you can rent a boat to Aegina to see the ancient Aphaia Temple.—A D A C A L H O U N

$180

T U R K E Y Built in the style of a seaman’s

manor, Oyster Residences (Ölüdeniz, 90-

C LO C KW I S E F RO M L E F T: M A RT I N W EST L A K E ; CO U RT ESY O F A L I L A M A N G G I S BA L I ; M A RT I N W E ST L A K E ; CO U RT E SY O F PA L AC E P O RT G H A I B ; CO U RT E SY O F E L S E W H E R E : CO U RT E SY O F

bar is surrounded by bougainvillea and lime trees, and the garden terraces off the first-floor rooms overlook both San Montano Bay and a private sandy beach. Negombo Park, across the street, has 14 outdoor geothermal pools of varying sizes and temperatures, all scattered over a rocky hillside. WHAT TO DO Visit the Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae (Corso Angelo Rizzoli; 39-081/900-356; pithecusae. it), in Lacco Ameno. The museum houses ancient artifacts, including the Coppa di Nestore (mentioned in Homer’s Iliad), from the ancient Greek settlement of Pithecusae.

—H A N N A H W A L L A C E

AWA ROA P O I N T LO D G E

A beach tent at Elsewhere, in Goa, India.

Clockwise from below left: The beach at Awaroa Point Lodge, in New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park; a room at La Veranda Resort & Spa; the palmfringed pool at Alila Manggis, in Bali; a spa receptionist at La Veranda; the lobby at the Palace Port Ghalib, in Marsa Alam, Egypt.

252/617-0765; oysterresidences.com) evokes the town’s quaint traditional architecture with its stone walls and an olive tree–shaded courtyard. But the real treat is the attentive staff, known to leave flowers on your balcony. The hotel has access to a 1.6-kilometer expanse of ivory sand and a turquoise lagoon on a tiny inlet along a rugged stretch of the Turkish Riviera. Book rooms on the ground floor, with garden terraces that open up to the pool and courtyard. WHAT TO DO Visit the nearby town of Kayaköy— the hundreds of abandoned Greek-style houses here supposedly inspired the novel Birds Without Wings, by Louis de Bernières, the author of Corelli’s Mandolin.

—Ö Z G Ü R G E Z E R

~A F R I C A A N D T H E M I D D L E E A S T~

$244

E G Y P T Marsa Alam, a remote fishing village on the west coast of the Red Sea, has long been a destination for die-hard scuba divers intent on exploring its pristine coral reefs and clear waters.

Now there’s a reason for the rest of us: Port Ghalib, a new

three-hotel complex. The Palace (20-22/336-0000; discoverportghalib.com)—the grandest of the three properties—is modeled after a 12th-century citadel, with soaring ceilings and elaborate North African wrought-iron chandeliers.

The 309 guest rooms look onto terraced gardens, a winding lagoon and the Red Sea. And there’s something here for everyone: rock climbing, camel tours, horseback riding and more. WHAT TO DO Take a diving trip along the reef with Emperor Divers (20-12/737-2126; emperordivers.com), which is adjacent to the hotel.—A N D R E A B E N N E T T

$175

TUNISIA

During the past decade, the Tunisian owners of the 27-hectare Africa Jade (Ave. Habib Bourguiba, Korba; 216-72/384-633; africajade.com)—one of the world’s first Club Meds—have turned it into a domed, columned palace ornamented with African art; all 260 rooms are outfitted with oversize wicker furniture, mosaic-tiled baths and private verandas overlooking the ocean. The property is set along a vast stretch of white, dune-rimmed beach on the Cap Bon Peninsula. True to its Club Med roots, there are plenty of diversions, with four restaurants, as many tennis courts, » 147

Beach Luxury Clockwise from left: The CasaSandra Hotel. Tunic by MerSoleil; on the beach at the Aleenta Resort, near Hua Hin, in Thailand; from a balcony overlooking the pool at Alila Manggis; balcony views at the Aleenta.

$208

S O U T H A F R I C A It’s all about whales in this sleepy hamlet, 90 minutes up the coast from Cape Town. To offer guests the best vantage point, Whale Sanctuary Lodge (41–43 Cliff St., De Kelders; 2728/384-2806; whalesanctuarylodge.co.za) is set on a cliff above Walker Bay, where you can spot orcas, southern rights and humpbacks out at sea. A private balcony juts over the water in each of the six suites, which have white marble floors, dark leather furnishings and Ngoni cowhide mats. The Orca suite is the biggest (65 square meters) and has the best views, with two walls made entirely of glass. There is a slightly rocky beach below the lodge, but there are 24 kilometers of deserted golden sand just a five-minute drive away in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve. WHAT TO DO The hotel can arrange cage-diving among great white sharks, from the nearby town of Kleinbaai.— G I L L I A N C U L L I N A N

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~A S I A~

$194

T H A I L A N D In-the-know locals travel

210 kilometers south of Bangkok’s steamy bustle to the Aleenta Resort & Spa Hua-Hin Pranburi (Pranburi Beach; 66-2/508-5333; aleenta.com), which commands a 5-kilometer stretch of white sand near Hua Hin. The 18 thatched-roof villas and suites range from studios with private plunge pools to loft-style bungalows near the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Egyptian-cotton linens, bamboo lamps and teak f loors make an ideal setting for an afternoon nap, but even better are the shaded beachside guest hammocks. Try the grilled kingfish or the tender steamed lobster at Chao Lay (15 Naresdamri Rd.; 66-32/513-436; dinner for two US$53), a wharfside restaurant next door to the Aleenta. WHAT TO DO There is a night-time market on Dechanuchit Road, a 30-minute drive from Hua Hin, where you can find locally made handicrafts like carved wooden elephants and silk fabrics.

—J E N N I F E R F L O W E R S

C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T: A N N E M E N K E ; C O U R T E SY O F A L E E N TA R E S O R T & S PA H U A- H I N P R A N B U R I ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E A L I L A M A N G G I S , B A L I ; C O U R T E SY O F A L E E N TA R E S O R T & S PA H UA- H I N P R A N B U R I

an archery range, a 1,115-square-meter swimming pool and a new thalassotherapy spa. WHAT TO DO Ask the concierge to arrange a sunset camel ride along the beach, or shop for ceramics and silks in the souks of Tunis, an hour’s drive west.—R I C H A R D A L L E M A N

$125

I N D I A In 2003, Mumbai-based fash-

ion photographer Denzil Sequeira opened up his ancestral compound, Elsewhere (Goa; 91932/602-0701; aseascape.com; minimum one-week stay), to paying guests. Four colonial beach houses and three candy-colored tents sit at the water’s edge; for the most affordable option, book one of the latter, outfitted with a muslin-draped four-poster bed, a fully modern bathroom, private lanai and your own wooden pier.

The hotel is set in a forest of towering coconut trees on a hidden spit sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and a saltwater creek, near the former Portuguese port of Goa. Recent celebrity sightings have included Bollywood belle Preity Zinta. Ask manager Vinod Pednekar to arrange an afternoon dolphin cruise with local fishermen.

WHAT TO DO Check out the innumerable starfish that wash up on the nearby 500-meter Mandrem Beach.

—A L Y S H A B R O W N

$135

VIETNAM

The sleepy, palm-fringed island of Phu Quoc is one of Southeast Asia’s most buzzed-about destinations, and the intimately scaled, 43-room La Veranda Resort & Spa (Tran Hung Dao St., Duong Dong Beach; 84-77/982-988; laverandaresort.com) is one big reason why. The poshest of Phu Quoc’s dozen hotels and guesthouses, La Veranda sports paddle fans, butter-yellow exteriors, whitewashed louvers and tropical gardens recalling a colonial plantation. Freestanding deluxe villas are the best choice for their sea-facing porches, spacious bathrooms and cathedral ceilings. There’s a good in-house restaurant, a lively bar and a modest spa, but the real draw is the location: smack on an 18-kilometer stretch of soft sand with a prime sunset vantage over the sea. Swim out to the pontoon dock and doze off to the gentle afternoon swells, or indulge in a US$5 surfside massage (vendors outnumber the tourists—at least for now). Next door, the rustic Palm Tree restaurant (Bai Truong; no phone; dinner for two US$16 ) serves grilled seafood and chilled fresh coconuts from dawn to late night, attracting a genial mix of backpackers and resort guests. NB: an impending development boom will soon bring mega-resorts and cruise ships to this impossibly quiet island; get there now before the tenor changes. WHAT TO DO The concierge can arrange snorkeling or diving excursions in the nearby An Thoi archipelago as well as nighttime squid-fishing trips (Phu Quoc squid is among the finest in Asia).—P E T E R J O N L I N D B E R G

$175

B A L I Yoga practitioners and nature buffs f lock to the rugged, volcanic-sand shore of Alila Manggis (Desa Buitan, Manggis Karangasem, Candidasa; 62-363/41011; alilahotels.com), an hour east

of touristy Kuta’s nightclubs and adjacent to Mount Agung, an active volcano considered Bali’s most sacred peak. All 56 rooms face the Bali Sea and overlook a lush central garden with coconut trees, white frangipani and pink bougainvillea—the setting for the resort’s free daily yoga sessions (all levels are welcome). The rooms are set in two-story thatched houses that surround a palmfringed pool and are designed with batik accents and hand-finished bedding; each has its own shaded private terrace. WHAT TO DO The resort arranges dives at the Blue Lagoon, a sloping reef just 15 minutes away. You’ll come face-to-face with scorpion fish, turtles and whitetip sharks. More adventurous types can trek up Mount Agung—a four-hour climb to the summit.— J . F .

~AU S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D ~

$215

A U S T R A L I A The Bannisters Point

Lodge (191 Mitchell Parade, Mollymook, New South Wales; 61-2/4455-3044; bannisterspointlodge.com. au) is propped on a Pacific coast headland, in a town that attracts both surfers and migrating whales. During the past four years the property has been updated from its origins as a 1970’s motel—it’s now equipped with an infinity pool, an outdoor cocktail lounge and a spa that specializes in hot-rock therapies. The 31 rooms are done up in rattan furnishings; balconies overlook eucalyptus trees and the ocean. Just a five-minute stroll down the hill is the white crescent of Mollymook Beach.

For the best views at the hotel, head to the spa’s private Jacuzzi, built into a deck above the clifftop. WHAT TO DO Weekend markets in the village of Milton, 4 kilometers northeast, feature antiques and crafts from local artisans.

—K E N D A L L H I L L

$195

N E W Z E A L A N D When he created the isolated Awaroa Lodge (Awaroa Bay; 643/528-8758; awaroalodge.co.nz), leading Kiwi architect Ian Athfield was inspired by a classic New Zealand bach (weekend cottage). Set deep within the Abel Tasman National Park, the 26-room eco-lodge is in harmony with the great outdoors: earth-toned interiors, recycled-driftwood banisters, balconies that overlook wetlands teeming with native birds (including rare white herons). The golden, iron ore–laced sands of Awaroa Bay are a two-minute trail walk through the bush. To get to the hotel, you can take a plane, helicopter or boat, but the least expensive way is with a water taxi from the Abel Tasman National Park entrance at Marahau (aquataxi.co.nz; one-way fare US$27). WHAT TO DO The 50-kilometer Abel Tasman Coastal Track, which runs right past the lodge, makes for a great hike along the Tasman Sea.—K . H .

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(My Favorite Place) David Tang in front of Tiger’s Nest monastery.

BHUTAN

if tortured to choose one, is Bhutan. It was August and it was my 50th birthday. I gathered 50 of my friends together and we had a wonderful adventure. I was so chuffed that so many arrived to join in the celebrations.

My friend and hotel genius Adrian Zecha had just opened his first hotel in Bhutan, the Amankora, in Paro.

Indeed, I begged him to have it finished for my birthday party. We arrived as the first guests, taking over all of the 25 suites at the resort. It was perfect—and glorious.

For the week we went walking and hiking, and ate and rested. The highlight had to be the scaling of Tiger’s Nest, a wondrous monastery perched precariously on the edge of

M 150

Y FAVORITE PLACE,

JU LY 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

a mountain, 3,500 meters up. The climb was not easy and some of us were offered ponies (mine threw me out of my saddle). It took me hours to climb on foot to the top and towards the end I thought I would collapse under my own weight! But our spirits were high.

On the night of my birthday on August 2, the heavens opened and we were all soaked walking up to my party venue—a marquee next to an ancient temple. But with a huge bonfire and delicious food, and each of us decked out in local gear (bespoke measurements were sent ahead), we had a ball. I will never forget the laughter, friendship and affection. The atmosphere captured in the pristine environment of Bhutan offered a perfect balance between our mundane urban sensibilities and a spiritual sense. ✚

C O U R T E S Y O F D AV I D TA N G

David Tang, entrepreneur and founder of luxury goods retailer Shanghai Tang, tells PAUL EHRLICH how he celebrated his 50th birthday in the reclusive Kingdom of Bhutan