September 2009

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Eco travel Green Special • Ko Samui • Affordable Hong Kong • Macau • Singapore • Alaska

SPECIAL 100+ TIPS AND TRIPS TO MAKE YOUR TRAVEL GREENER

Ko Samui 23 reasons why paradise needn’t cost the earth GREEN FASHION FINDS IN BANGKOK, TOKYO, BEIJING

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SEPTEMBER 2009

Green

City Guide How four urban centers shape up

Hong Kong Stay in these stylish city hotels for less

Macau 33 must-know ideas for your next vacation

S EPTEMBER 200 9

AUSTRALIA MOSCOW SINGAPORE ALASKA travelandleisuresea.com

Plus: Save with our exclusive deals

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

Privilege knows no boundaries.

Carried by the Global Elite, the world over.

By invitation only.

For expression of interest call Singapore: + (65) 6295 6293 Hong Kong: + (852) 2277 2233 Thailand: + (66) 2273 5445

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® PLATINUM CARDMEMBERS 10TH ANNUAL WORLD GOURMET FESTIVAL AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BANGKOK Celebrate the superb pleasures of fine food and wine in this weeklong culinary extravaganza at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok! Held in association with Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, this year’s Festival brings together some of the world’s top chefs and wines in what promises to be one of the biggest and best events ever.

For Platinum Cardmembers who want to experience every mouthwatering moment of this gourmet odyssey, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok offers an exclusive “Diamond” Festival Package and much more.

Members can also take advantage of two complimentary nights in a Lanna Pavilion at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai either before or after the Festival.

Venue: Date: Price:

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok October 5–October 11, 2009 THB26,000 per night (double)

The package includes: • Six nights, luxurious accommodation in a 126-square-meter spacious Four Seasons Executive Suite including daily breakfast for two guests • Round-trip airport transfer in Mercedes S-Class including fast-track immigration and customs airport service • Two bespoke tailored garments eg. suit and dress, one item per guest up to a value of THB10,000 each • Two tickets each for four dinners presented by featured Festival chefs • Two tickets to the Festival Gala Dinner including wine pairings, dancing and charity silent auction • Four Cooking classes for two including one private lesson with master Chef Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Fois Gras, USA • Two exclusive tickets for private reception with Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali, patron of the World Gourmet Festival • Classic afternoon tea for two on one occasion in The Lobby • Lunch for two in Spice Market, Bangkok’s #1 traditional Thai restaurant • Guaranteed early arrival and late departure PLUS: • Two complimentary nights in a Lanna Pavilion at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai either pre- or post-festival dates • Round-trip airport transfer from Chiang Mai International Airport to Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai • Cooking class for two at Chef Pitak’s Cooking School and local market tour • Guaranteed late checkout until 8 pm Reservations for this exclusive package are only available through The Platinum Card® Service on a first-come, first-served basis.

Terms & Conditions: Reservations must be made by September 30, 2009. A one night deposit of Baht 26,000 (double) is required to confirm the reservations. Full payment must be made by September 30, 2009. A cancellation fee applies for cancellation of the package after confirmation. Package excludes airfare, airport taxes, security / fuel surcharges, insurance, any other applicable surcharges, government taxes, visa application fees, incidental charges and personal expenses during the tour.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE EXCLUSIVE OFFERS OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, CALL THE PLATINUM CARD® SERVICE: SINGAPORE: +(65) 6392 1177 HONG KONG: +(852) 2277 2233 THAILAND: +(66) 2 273 5599

(Destinations)09.09 Alaska 132

Moscow 91

Macau 122

Samui 104

Ladakh 114

Kangaroo Island 83

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

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Issue Index Mongolia 142 Shanghai 44

THE AMERICAS Alaska 132 Boston 58 New York 34

EUROPE London 40 Moscow 91 Paris 39 Stockholm 42

ASIA Beijing 35, 52, 66 Ladakh 114

AUSTRALIA Kangaroo Island 83

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

(SGD)

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1.44

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7.98

48.2

6.51

4,191

1.44

8,517

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

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Saigon 60 Samui 104 Singapore 36, 48 Taipei 36

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bali 35 Bangkok 66 Cambodia 68 Hanoi 35 Hong Kong 55, 66, 71 Macau 122 Manila 74

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(Contents)09.09 >104 Ko Samui tries to go green.

104 Green Dreams Can a resort like Ko Samui embrace an eco-friendly outlook even as its popularity continues to skyrocket? MICHAEL SPENCER sets off in search of some definitive answers. Photographed by CEDRIC ARNOLD. GUIDE AND MAP 113 8

114 The Last Dynasty On a journey to Ladakh, SOPHY ROBERTS uncovers a bold new model of cultural tourism. Is this what’s next for travel to the subcontinent? Photographed by MORGAN OMMER. GUIDE AND MAP 121 122 Wow, Macau Any trip to Macau promises to be action-packed but go all-out over 24 hours and you’re bound to experience it all. PAUL EHRLICH

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

does just that—and manages to survive to tell the tale. Photographed

by DAVID HARTUNG 132 49th State of Mind Oversize mountains, remote fly-in lodges, spectacular wildlife, glaciers, floatplane rides, hiking, fishing and an endless supply of fresh salmon: JEFF WISE goes into the wild for the ultimate Alaskan adventure.

Photographed by BROWN W. CANNON III. GUIDE AND MAP 141

CEDRIC ARNOLD

103-132 Features

07758SIAG_BaliBoat_203.2x266.7_TravelLp_Inc.indd 1

8/11/09 12:51:35 PM

Eco travel SPECIAL 100+ TIPS AND TRIPS TO MAKE YOUR TRAVEL GREENER

Ko Samui 23 reasons why paradise needn’t cost the earth GREEN FASHION FINDS IN BANGKOK, TOKYO, BEIJING

+

Departments 6 12 16 18 20 22 25 142

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

> 58

31-60 Insider 31 Newsflash Singapore’s Sun Festival, river cruises on the Mekong and new hotel bars around Asia.

37 City Scene Green city guides to Paris, London, Stockholm and Shanghai.

46 Trends Hotels that will help you get a good night’s rest. BY ELIZABETH WOODSON 48 Eat Singapore tries to go sustainable.

BY EVELYN CHEN 52 Night Out Catch Beijing’s emerging after-hours scene. BY MANUELA ZONINSEIN 55 Check-In A look inside four wallet-friendly hotels in Hong Kong. BY HELEN DALLEY 10

58 Neighborhood Boston’s North End has become a magnet for food and fashion seekers.

BY FRANCINE MAROUKIAN 60 The Expert A top designer reveals her favorite spots in Saigon. BY ROBYN ECKHARDT

65-74 Stylish Traveler 65 Icon Eco-friendly and colorful canvas totes.

BY SHANE MITCHELL 66 Shopping Four Asia-based brands that have been recycled and are now fashionable.

BY HELEN DALLEY 68 Spotlight An expat couple launch a fair-trade website with a difference in Cambodia.

BY NAOMI LINDT 71 Design At a Hong Kong shop where green is good. BY LARA DAY 72 What’s In Your Bag? Fashion guru Tim Gunn keeps it simple when packing. BY MICHAEL GROSS 74 Fashion Manila’s Coconut Palace serves as a backdrop to showcase a collection aimed at beating the warm weather. PHOTOGRAPHED BY NAT PRAKOBSANTISUK > 65

SEPTEMBER 2009

Green

City Guide How four urban centers shape up

Hong Kong Stay in these stylish city hotels for less

Macau 33 must-know ideas for your next vacation

AUSTRALIA MOSCOW SINGAPORE ALASKA travelandleisuresea.com

Plus: Save with our exclusive deals

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

Cover At Manila’s Coconut Palace.

Photographed by Nat Prakobsantisuk. Styled by Araya Indra. Hair and make-up by Chechel Johnson for Max Factor.

Model: Alexandra / IM Agency. Silk jersey dress by Pucci. Snakeskin sandals by Prada. Necklace and bag by Bea Valdes. Cuff and earrings by Wynn Wynn Ong.

83-96 T+L Journal > 83

83 Preservation Can a luxury lodge tip the balance on a remote Australian island known for unspoiled beaches and kangaroos?

BY BRUCE SCHOENFELD 91 Food The days of the oligarchs may be numbered, but bling-crazy Moscow is still home to some of the country’s best restaurants.

ANYA VON BREMZEN seeks out her birth city’s new tastes.

96 Outdoors Though popular around Asia, golf is often seen as an environmental nightmare. PAUL SPENCER SOCHACZEWSKI explains why it doesn’t have to be so.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : R E E N A B A M M I ; C E D R I C A N G E L E S ; N I G E L C O X

(Contents)09.09

SOUTHEAST ASIA

PARADISE PERFECTED. THE ST. REGIS BALI RESORT. A century old tradition of exquisite service, luxury and refinement now resides in Bali.

A distinctive collection of beachfront villas and luxurious suites overlook silvery sands and azure waters.

This is paradise perfected.

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

ASPEN BALI BEIJING BORA BORA HOUSTON LONDON MALLORCA MEXICO CITY MONARCH BEACH NEW YORK PUNTA MITA ROME

SAN FRANCISCO SHANGHAI SINGAPORE WASHINGTON D.C.

STREGIS.COM

(Editor’s Note) 09.09

A

WARDS, AT LEAST IT SEEMS RIGHT NOW, ARE LIKE LONDON

buses. You wait for one for ages and then two come along at the same time.

(Shame they’re not like Bangkok buses—where you don’t have to wait for any as there are always six right next door to you.) Following our recent win for design, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia has just won a Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award in the Travel Journalism-Destination Article category.

Moreover, the winning writer was one of our own: features editor Jennifer Chen, for her story “Taipei 2.0” (September 2008). Well done, Jennifer, and well done (again) T+L SEA as a whole.

Moving on, this issue has a greenish eco-tinge, as I’m sure you’ll have noted from the cover. Since luxury travel has shifted towards affordable travel of late, tourists, more than ever, need to know that they are getting value for money while not paying a premium for questionable green credentials. Hence, our Strategies guide (page 25), which covers many of these themes, including a focus on the most endangered places in Asia-Pacific and what you can do to help preserve them, transformative trips on which you get your hands dirty, and tons of other tips for making your vacation less impactful. Elsewhere, you can compare the ecofriendliness of four cities around the world (“City Scene,” page 37), as well as read a somewhat counterintuitive story on how golf and the environment can peacefully coexist (“Aiming for Green,” page 96). Each of our green-themed articles this issue is flagged with a leaf at the top, for easy reference.

It’s not all green, of course, and I hope you enjoy, among others, our Alaska feature (“49th State of Mind,” page 132). I have friends from this frigid state and our sumptuous fashion shoot (page 74) will warm you up!—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.

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SEP TE M B E R 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

C H E N P O VA N O N T

can only say: it’s all true! And if that sends shivers down your spine, then hopefully

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR FEATURES EDITORS

Matt Leppard Fah Sakharet Jennifer Chen Chris Kucway

ART EDITOR DESIGNER EDITORIAL ASSISTANT INTERN

Ellie Brannan Wannapha Nawayon Wasinee Chantakorn Brijesh Khemlani

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Ehrlich (editor-at-large), Brent Madison, Adam Skolnick, Robyn Eckhardt, Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Lara Day, Naomi Lindt, Cedric Arnold, Steve McCurry, Peter Steinhauer, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Graham Uden, Darren Soh

CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER DIRECTOR SINGAPORE / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS CONSULTANT, HONG KONG/MACAU CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION GROUP CIRCULATION MANAGER

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Michael K. Hirsch Kin Kamarulzaman Shea Stanley Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Chinwongs

AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING CORPORATION PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC INSIGHTS, MARKETING & SALES EXECUTIVE EDITOR, INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND CONTENT MANAGER

Ed Kelly Mark V. Stanich Paul B. Francis Nancy Novogrod Jean-Paul Kyrillos Cara S. David Mark Orwoll Thomas D. Storms Marc Abdeldaim

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 3, ISSUE 9 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370. Printed by Comform Co., Ltd. (+66 2 368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic Scan Co., Ltd. (+66 2 291-7575). While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

This edition is published by permission of AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING CORPORATION 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright owner is prohibited. © Media Transasia Thailand Ltd. in respect of the published edition.

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Over 300 hand-picked luxury retreats in Asia US$2 is donated to charity for every booking Discounted room rates We promote responsible travelling Earn Reward Points

(Contributors) 09.09 rown W. Cannon III After shooting Alaska this month (“49th State of Mind,” page 132), the photographer points out that the guides at Camp Denali, who led his crew on day hikes to Wonder Lake and Redoubt Bay, and who escorted them on a wildlife tour of the campgrounds, greatly enriched his trip. “You don’t know what it means to be in good hands until you’re standing before two adolescent grizzly bears wrestling,” he says, noting his outfitters’ expert response. “Alaskans have to be in tune with the wild—it’s their backyard.” His work has also appeared in Audubon and Sunset.

B

Jeff Wise has traveled

Helen Dalley The Hong from his Manhattan Kong–based writer spoke home to Alaska six times to some of the region’s over the past eight years— most stylish purveyors of and is counting the days eco chic this month until his next visit (“49th (“Recycled Looks,” page State of Mind,” page 132). 66), including Eco “Alaska changes very little Couture, which fashions over time, but it always funky messenger bags changes you,” he says. and wallets from PVC Flying in bush planes over banners reclaimed from glaciers and forests, he Hong Kong’s landfi ll. adds, is a transforming “Saving the planet doesn’t experience. “You have have to mean sacrificing this incredible perspective your sense of style,” that erases imaginary Dalley says. “Quite the boundaries you feel on opposite, as each recycled the ground.” product is unique.”

Denali National Park in Alaska from above.

Below: Brown W. Cannon III with his work.

Manuela Zoninsein

reports on Beijing’s re-energized nightlife scene this month (“After Hours in Beijing,” page 52). “At first glance, everything about it seems gargantuan, impersonal and overwhelming,” she says. “Once you get to know it though, the city feels like an old friend with corners reserved just for those who know its secrets.” Based in Beijing, Zoninsein also writes for Newsweek and TimeOut Beijing.

A B OV E , F R O M TO P : B R O W N W. C A N N O N I I I ; C O U R T E SY O F B R O W N W. C A N N O N I I I B E L O W, F R O M FA R L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F J E F F W I S E ; C O U R T E SY O F H E L E N D A L L E Y; C O U R T E SY O F M A N U E L A Z O N I N S E I N

Beach Retreats Thailand Retreats Boutique Retreats Indonesia Retreats Eco Retreats Malaysia Retreats Villa Retreats Vietnam Retreats India Retreats Honeymoon Retreats China Retreats City Break Retreats Maldives Retreats Spa Retreats Laos Retreats Singapore Retreats Jungle Retreats Philippines Retreats Golf Retreats Japan Retreats Family Retreats Sri Lanka Retreats Australia Retreats Island Retreats Cambodia Retreats

(Letters)09.09 Or safari outfitters? Or car-rental agencies? I know these are global awards, but it may have been better to cut out the irrelevant stuff. Otherwise, a great issue.

t+l journal | portfolio

Burmese Years Having spent 15 years documenting the plight of the country, photographer NIC DUNLOP reflects on his experiences in Burma

— RO Z A NA

Novice monks at a visit by a general in Shan State in 2005. Generals are regularly, and conspicuously, seen making merit at religious ceremonies throughout the country. The events are televised to demonstrate their Buddhist credentials to the nation.

N EARLY 1992, I VISITED REFUGEE CAMPS ALONG the Thai–Burma border, which looked and felt like large villages. I could wander at will. It seemed a forgotten tragedy, and I had difficulty imagining where these people had come from. All I could see were the mist-covered mountains of the frontier behind. Burma remained a secret.

In Bangkok, I met political exiles, mainly students who had fled the 1989 crackdown. We were the same generation and I remember thinking that I might well have been among them had I been born in Rangoon.

We became friends.

I

Armed Forces Day in 2007 at the country’s new capital. Approximately 15,000 troops took part in what is considered the birthday of the modern army, which has ruled the country for almost half a century.

H A S H I M , K UA L A LU M P U R

It was, and remains, a complicated country, one that I remember thinking, “I’ll never make any sense of this.” So I decided to take my time, to travel the country and learn what I could. Perhaps then I would have a deeper appreciation of its problems and be able to explain something of the crisis.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INTERESTING TIMES FOR ME, from watching Aung San Suu Kyi speak to people at her gate, to being berated by a German tour operator in Bagan about how Burma was getting a bad press, to celebrating my birthday by eating frogs on the »

86

EDITOR’S REPLY 87

LETTER OF THE MONTH The Trouble with Burma

It was refreshing to see your Burma photo essay [“Burmese Years,” August 2009]. With all the unrest of late, plus the shifting advice on whether to travel there and the effects it has on the people and regime, this was very timely. More than this, I think it showed that Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is a magazine that takes the issues seriously and is prepared to go a bit deeper in its regional coverage. Credit, of course, to Nic Dunlop for his stark portrayal of a troubled country.

—MARK

GREEN, VIENTIANE

Fuss Over Nothing I looked over your World’s Best Awards [August 2009] with a feeling of bemusement. It’s always nice to know what readers think—especially as readers of all editions of T+L can vote now—but just how relevant are U.S. airlines to readers of your magazine?

✉

We feel that to serve all our readers, we should publish the results in their entirety. But I agree that more regionally focused awards would be great. Watch this space!

Go Go Gadgets I really enjoyed your recent focus on gadgets [Strategies, August 2009] since you tend to focus on more general topics. This down-and-dirty guide gave me, as a business traveler, exactly what I need: practical advice in bite-sized chunks. More of the same, please.

—KEN

GOH, SINGAPORE

A Swinger Writes...

At last, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is taking notice of the fact that Asians are obsessed with golf. I refer to “Chinese Tees” [July 2009], which focused on the boom in the sport in China. It may have great greens, but please don’t ignore Thailand, which has world-class courses around the country.

—SOMPONG

P E R M P O O N , PAT TAYA

EDITOR’S REPLY

This issue, see our green golf guide [“Aim for Green,” page 98], which also discusses the environmental impact that golf course development can have, as well as the courses that actively mitigate their impact.

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR LETTERS TO EDITOR @ TRAVELANDLEISURESEA.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.

(Best Deals) 09.09

A guest room at Les Suites Orient.

Fancy a beach getaway or city break?

Here, six budget-friendly ideas Three exclusive offers for Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia readers from Summit Hotels and Preferred Hotels (make sure to quote the “TNL” code).

Special introductory offer for T+L Southeast Asia readers at the soon-to-be-opened Les Suites Orient (65/6784-0300 or 800/963-365 in Hong Kong; summithotels.com) in Shanghai.

What’s Included Upgrade to a Bund Deluxe room; daily breakfast; complimentary broadband Internet; complimentary local calls; and complimentary tea, coffee and refreshments at le lounge. Cost RMB1,900, two-night minimum stay, from November 1– February 28, 2010. Savings 50 percent.

Winter Fest package at The Metropolitan Hotel New Delhi (65/6784-0300 or 852/29651902; summithotels.com). What’s Included A two-night stay; an upgrade to a Club room; daily breakfast; dinner for two at Chutney restaurant; a massage for two; free Wi-Fi; 10 percent discount on restaurants and spa; and for T+L readers, a welcome gift. Cost R26,666, from October 1–March 31, 2010.

Savings 30 percent.

20

Resort Escapes package at The Tongsai Bay (65/6784-0300 or 852/2965-1902; summithotels. com) on Ko Samui. What’s Included A twonight stay in a beachfront suite; daily breakfast; round-trip airport transfer; a 60-minute massage; a Thai set dinner; and for T+L readers, an upgrade to the next room category.

Cost Bt20,716, through December 20.

Savings Up to 20 percent.

■ INDONESIA Come Together package at the Karma Kandara (62-361/708-800; karmaresorts.com) on Bali. What’s Included Round-trip airport transfer and welcome cocktails. Cost From US$600, two-night minimum stay, from October 1–December 15. Savings Up to 50 percent.

■ MALAYSIA Westin Recharge package at the Westin Kuala Lumpur (60-3/2731-8333; starwoodhotels.com). What’s Included Daily breakfast and late check-out at 3 P.M. (upon availability). Cost From RM475, two-night minimum stay, through December 30 (blackout dates apply). Savings Up to 45 percent. ✚

SEP TE M B E R 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

SINGAPORE Weekend Special at Traders Hotel (65/62351666; shangri-la.com) in Singapore. What’s Included Accommodation in a superior room; daily breakfast; free broadband; and special rates for manicures and pedicures. Cost S$165, twonight minimum stay, through December 31 (black-out dates apply during F1 races). Savings 40 percent.

Outside the Traders Hotel in downtown Singapore.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F L ES S U I T ES O R I E N T; CO U RT ESY O F T RA D E R S H OT E L S I N GA P O R E

DEAL OF THE MONTH

Special Promotion

I

f you ve never visited Macau before—and even if you have!—this September–October is the ideal time to visit the glitz and glamour capital of Asia this year, as the skies are lit up with a myriad of magni cent reworks accompanied by the cheers and applause of spectators enjoying the sound and light experience of the show.

The annual Macau International Fireworks Display Contest has been running now for 21 years, and lights up the hearts and souls of all who witness the perfect pyrotechnics on show. In fact, Macau has a long history that is interwoven with reworks and recrackers, and these are seen as vital components of Macau s rich cultural heritage. In fact, the reworks display emphasizes the rich cultural melting pot that is Macau today. It has also gained well-earned worldwide recognition for the quality of the participating teams, and the scale and performance standard of the contest.

Starting in 1989 with only ve participating teams, the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest has grown to include more than

100 international teams hailing from such diverse countries as China, Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom and many more. Competing this year are teams from Spain and South Korea (September 5); Taiwan, China, and France (September 12); Italy and the Philippines (September 19); Japan and Portugal (September 26); and Austria and China (October 1).

All performances start at either 9pm or 10pm at the sea area in front of the Macau Tower, with the Macau Government Tourist Of ce and the General Union of Neighbours Association of Macau offering an array of live entertainment and other treats. These include a sound system at the waterfront of the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza and in other locations, as well as culinary delights and cultural highlights.

With the festival running from September 5– October 1, this is an ideal opportunity for an extended stay at one of the many world-class hotels and resorts. For more information, visit www.macautourism.gov.mo .

A CRACKING DISPLAY! Pyrotechnics show will light up hearts and minds in

Q:

(Ask T+L) 09.09 I’m a keen backpacker and have been looking into my options for later this year. However, one term I keep coming across is “flashpacker.” This seems to be a buzzword right now, but

MY FAMILY AND I ARE RENTING A HOUSE IN THE U.K. DO WE NEED TO FOLLOW ANY RECYCLING GUIDELINES? —CHARLOTTE GANDOSSI, FLORIDA

A:

Recyclable glass, paper and metal collection is common in England, but some cities and towns are going even further. For example, the London boroughs of Barnet, Brent and Waltham Forest are making recycling compulsory with a “three strikes and you’re fined” policy enabled by the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 (the local town councils are vigilant about its enforcement), and others are likely to follow suit. Before you arrive, check with your rental agency for information or visit recyclenow.com, which lets you search by postal code for recycling practices throughout the U.K.

what’s the difference?

—RIKA SUSANTO, JAKARTA

Put simply, flashpacking is backpacking on a bigger budget. It refers to the new generation of wealthier, tech-friendly travelers. Is it more environmentally friendly? There are pluses and minuses: Backpacking is “greener” travel, since it has less environmental impact (use of public transport, immersion in local cultures, length of trip and so on). In many ways, flashpacking is the same, but bear in mind that some flashpackers scrimp on one thing and splurge on another—there’s little point in being eco-minded by having a homestay holiday when you’re jetting around from airport to airport in business class.

I was recently stuck in Thailand without access to cash, so I had to withdraw money from an ATM using a debit card. I was surprised at the charge for the transaction, and the the limit on my withdrawal. What can I do?

The Thai Banker’s Association recently introduced a Bt150 ATM withdrawal fee when using foreign cards. Most Thai banks follow this, and it can be hard to avoid, although you can withdraw at the counter. The withdrawal limit is probably due to your daily limit at home—don’t forget that the exchange rate will also affect this. In terms of Asian banks, UOB (www.uob.co.th) ATM’s allow a fairly generous daily limit of Bt30,000 per withdrawal, if your card or home bank allows. ✚

✉

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

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

—JOHN UNDERHILL, SHANGHAI

(Strategies) 09.09

Traveling Green in Asia Pristine rain forests, gorgeous coral reefs, fascinating cultures—Asia has these in abundance, but their future is precarious. Here’s what you can do to ensure that the destinations you visit are there for future generations Illustrated by GUY BILLOUT

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strategies | travel

solutions The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system. Left: Tiger Leaping Gorge, in southern China.

W

E KNOW THEM ALL BY NAME.

THEY’RE the places every avid traveler needs to see at least once in his lifetime. But popularity comes at a price, and the wear-and-tear these natural and manmade monuments have endured is inflicting irreversible damage. However, we’re not about to declare a travel moratorium—you can still visit these destinations responsibly, and here’s how.

Cambodia The Temples of Angkor Wat “Heritage sites were often not designed to have millions of people tour through them,” says Dougald O’Reilly, director of Heritage Watch, a nonprofit committed to preserving Southeast Asia’s traditions. “Most of the temples at Angkor were reserved only for the religious elite and the interiors were rarely seen by the masses.” Today, nearly a million people visit Angkor Wat, and that’s caused the magnificent sandstone temples to erode at a quicker pace, say preservationists. But you can still visit Angkor without damaging the temples further. First, don’t touch the carvings or bas-reliefs—no one will stop you, but rubbing wears them down. There’s also concern that the fumes from tour buses and cars are harmful as well (think of the discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to pollution), so opt for transport such as bicycles, electric bikes or horse-drawn carts instead. O’Reilly suggests visiting during off-peak hours or the rainy season, when the crowds are thinner; fewer people means less pressure on the strucutres. You might even get more out of it: the main temple is blissfully quiet right after sunrise, usually a peak time for visitors, while the rains bring the lush surrounding jungle to life.

When you’re shopping or eating out in Siem Reap, look out for businesses with the Heritage Friendly seal, which means they’re helping to keep Cambodia’s arts and culture alive (log onto heritagewatchinternational.com for the full list).

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Australia The Great Barrier Reef According to The Nature Conservancy, 70 percent of the world’s coral reef—home to a quarter of all marine fish species—will disappear by 2050 if measures aren’t taken to protect them. Climate change poses the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest system, which could be gone in as little as 20 years. When booking your trip, look for operators with the national Eco Certification label, like the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge (hinchinbrookresort.com.au; cabins from A$200), which is located in a national park. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority (gbrmpa.gov.au) has a complete list of eco-certified businesses, including dive schools and boat tours, on its website. While visiting, apply sunscreen early to prevent the lotion from leaking into the water; never buy souvenirs made from coral; and be conscious of what you’re doing when in the water—don’t stand on the reef, kick it with your fin, or touch anything. If you notice a lot of damage to the reef, report it to your guide.

Laos Luang Prabang Over the past few years, more tourists have been flocking to Luang Prabang to witness its age-old rituals and wander through its luminous temples and regal colonial-era palaces and villas. But many travelers are unwittingly endangering the very culture that lures them here, with the morning alms-collection by monks now resembling a paparazzi scrum. “Start by reading,” suggests John H. Stubbs of the World Monuments Fund. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is not being aware of the historical, artistic and cultural significance of the places they visit. The more you understand, the better prepared you’ll be to be respectful.” Monks receiving alms isn’t a show—it’s an integral part of Buddhist practices, so keep your distance and be aware of how you point your camera. Better yet, invest in a telephoto lens that will let you take great shots

F R O M FA R L E F T : © J AVA R M A N / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; © D E B 2 2 / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

Asia’s Most Endangered Destinations. Some of the region’s most stunning sites are facing uncertain fates because of damage and degradation. Here’s how to save them. By NAOMI LINDT

without getting in the way. It’s also a good idea to dress conservatively, especially when you’re visiting the temples—exposed shoulders and thighs are a no-no.

Timing your visit with local celebrations—like the Festival of the Dead (Boun Khao Salak) in September and the new year in April—is a great way to expand your appreciation of the culture, meet locals and sample traditional foods.

And choose boutique accommodations like the Villa Santi (villasantihotel.com) or Lotus Villa (lotusvillalaos.com), which are working hard to preserve Lao arts and traditions.

The Maldives With its aquamarine waters, snowy-white sand, and overthe-water bungalows, the Maldives is considered the ultimate beach getaway. But with the world’s lowest elevation, this paradise will be one of the first to go with rising sea levels. Bluepeace (bluepeacemaldives.org), the Maldives’ only nongovernmental environmental organization, has been protecting the islands and its vulnerable creatures for 20 years; anyone can become a member, though donations will go even further. During your visit, spend a day volunteering and diving with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme

(maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org), a donor-funded group of international biologists who study this threatened, littleunderstood fish and develop strategies to protect it. Liveaboard dive operator Maldives Scuba Tours (scubascuba.com; from US$2,760) organizes special trips where guests assist in researching the reefs and manta rays. Finally, before booking a hotel, check what sorts of conservation projects it’s involved in—many, like the Four Seasons (fourseasons. com), run extensive environmental programs.

China Tiger Leaping Gorge In the foothills of the Himalayas, southwestern China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge is said to be the deepest river valley in the world. Part of the Three Parallel Rivers, which have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status, the area is known for its spectacular nature, colorful ethnic minorities, and thrilling treks. While the arrival of mass tourism threatens to spoil this mythical spot, there are ways to explore the region ethically. XinTuo Ecotourism (ecotourism. com.cn), which is owned and operated by 24 Naxi minority families and donates 10 percent of profits to conservation efforts, runs bird-watching trips and guided treks, with a stop at the cooperative-run Wenhai Ecolodge (northwestyunnan.com/wenhai_ecolodge.htm). Grasshopper Adventures organizes cycling holidays that emphasize supporting local communities and minimizing environmental impact (grasshopperadventures.com, from US$3,150). Make sure to bring along biodegradable soaps and shampoos, don’t litter, and take items like batteries back home where they can be properly recycled. »

SAVING THE SEAS With the world’s appetite for fish fast depleting stocks, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (fairmont.com) recently announced it was going to stop serving Chilean sea bass and bluefin tuna — two varieties at serious risk of overfishing — at its hotels and resorts. The company’s also working with environmental organizations to source local, sustainable seafood. If you want to learn more, check out the Seafood Choice Initiative by the WWF Hong Kong (wwf.org.hk). Remember: rare isn’t better, especially as we face the threat of mass extinctions.—JENNIFER CHEN

GREEN GUIDE Ever wonder if the eco-lodge you’ve booked is really doing its job, or which mode of transport you should choose to leave the smallest carbon footprint? The Guardian Green Travel Guide: How to Plan Your Ideal Break (amazon.co.uk; £16.99) tackles these questions and debunks all the green hype out there, enabling readers to make wellinformed decisions when planning their next trip. Edited by Liane Katz, the Guardian’s online travel editor, with contributions from academics, activists, journalists and business owners, the 256-page illustrated guide not only helps you understand and calculate your carbon footprint — comparing plane, train, bus and car travel, for instance — but also offers hundreds of ideas for the world’s most ecofriendly vacations, including adventure, fairtrade and family-friendly options. There’s also a global directory that lists ethical tour operators, volunteer organizations and hotels making a positive impact.—N.L.

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

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strategies | travel

solutions Seven Transformative Trips. Want more than just pampering? Here, journeys that will change your life. By NAOMI LINDT

We asked six professionals in the business of doing good — from setting up eco-resorts to designing ecofriendly fashion — how they minimize their environmental impact while traveling.—N.L.

•

“I fly as little as possible and plan enough time between meetings so I can use public transport. … One of my pet projects is to force drivers to turn off their engines when they’re stopped. This is something we initiated at Exotissimo — when clients are wandering around sightseeing with the guide, drivers are under strict instructions to shut down the ignition.” Hamish Keith, managing director of Exotissimo Thailand and director of business development for the Exotissimo Travel Group

•

“I turn off the water while brushing my teeth and soaping up in the shower. I try to get enough natural ventilation by opening windows, etc., but if I have to run the air conditioner I use it on the lowest speed and setting, around 26 or 27 degrees. And I always unplug or turn everything off when I leave the hotel room — the A/C, lights, appliances, TV.” Jürgen E. Seidel, group director of property maintenance, Six Senses Resorts & Spas

province in southern Thailand that’s home to mangrove forests, white-sand beaches, waterfalls and mountains.

WHAT YOU DO Both programs focus on care-giving, teaching and healthcare, with volunteers assisting in classrooms, helping out at an HIV/AIDS clinic, and spending time at homes for the elderly and children with disabilities. Volunteers also get to take part in cooking classes and massage demonstrations.

WHERE YOU GO

THE TRIP You’ll spend 10 days in Phnom Penh with Ambassadors for Children (1-317/536-0250;

Projects are scheduled year-round in places like Bali, Chiang Mai, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and a rural village outside of Phnom Penh.

WHAT YOU DO Good old manual labor, from laying bricks to erecting walls and roofs. No experience is necessary, but participants should be in good health. There’s also time allotted for market and village tours and visits to historical monuments, museums and orphanages.

Cross-Cultural Solutions THE TRIP Spend two weeks or more in Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions (1-914/632-0022;

crossculturalsolutions.org; from US$2,664 per person), an international non-profit that places over 4,000 volunteers every year in 12 countries around the world.

WHERE YOU GO

The organization operates two programs in Thailand: one in Bangkok, where participants meet city-dwellers and experience another side of the bustling city, and the other in Trang, a peaceful 28

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Ambassadors of Children

ambassadorsforchildren.org; US$1,299 per person), a U.S.-based nonprofit that runs humanitarian service trips around the world to benefit impoverished children.

WHERE YOU GO

Participants stay in Phnom Penh, with visits to historic sites like the National Museum, the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum included. You’ll also spend time in the verdant countryside outside of the city.

WHAT YOU DO You’ll assist the Cambodian Children’s Fund

(cambodianchildrensfund.org), who supports over 400 children with housing, medical care and jobtraining programs. Outside of the city, volunteers help build safe water systems for families and schools and teach kids about the importance of hygiene with the help of puppets.

Crooked Trails THE TRIP Be one of the first to

follow the migration of Bhutan’s

C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F C R O S S - C U LT U R A L S O L U T I O N S ; C O U R T E S Y O F H A B I TAT F O R H U M A N I T Y ; © S H A R I F F C / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

T R AV E L I N G LIGHT

Habitat for Humanity THE TRIP Two weeks working as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Program (habitat.org/ gv/; from US$1,275 per person), which provides affordable, environmentally friendly housing for struggling communities around the world. You’ll work side by side with the people who’ll be moving into the homes.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M R I G H T: CO U RT ESY O F G RASS H O P P E R A DV E N T U R ES ; CO U RT ESY O F C RO O K E D T RA I L S ; CO U RT ESY O F L AO S P I R I T R ES O RT; © TO M M Y H U YN H / I STO C K P H OTO.CO M

Dorip people on a 16-day journey with Crooked Trails (1-206/383-9828; crookedtrails.com; US$3,420 per person) a nonprofit, community-based tour operator that only works in areas where it’s been invited.

WHERE YOU GO A semi-nomadic people that migrate every fall and summer, the Dorips live in the breathtaking, mountainous Haa Valley, an agricultural area that borders Tibet that’s only been open to tourists for a few years. You’ll also visit Bhutan’s ancient city of Punakha and the 17th-century Tiger’s Nest Monastery, which is built into a cliff.

WHAT YOU DO You’ll stay with locals and participate in chores, like making hand-churned butter, before trekking with the Dorips and their cattle through lush pastures and orchards.

Grasshopper Adventures

Lao Spirit Resort THE TRIP Experience Luang Prabang in a new light and head to the Lao Spirit Resort (856-30/5140111; lao-spirit.com; doubles from US$90), an eco-lodge located 25 minutes out of town. The property is comprised of three restored centuryold French colonial buildings and new wood-and-stone bungalows.

WHERE YOU GO The hills and

valleys of Laos’ mountainous north are filled with picturesque villages inhabited by a large variety of ethnic groups; the resort sits alongside the tranquil Nam Khan River, ringed by jagged peaks.

WHAT YOU DO Every morning sees elephants from the rescue facility across the street bathing in the river; the center offers opportunities to hang out with the animals (856-71/ 252-417; elephantvillage-laos.com).

THE TRIP A wild 11-day bicycle ride

through Malaysian Borneo led by Grasshopper Adventures (66/879295-208; grasshopperadventures.com; US$2,150 per person), which runs bike, photography and trekking trips to Asia’s off-the-beaten track locales.

WHERE YOU GO The trip kicks off in Kota Kinabalu, heading north along the coast before reaching the tip of Borneo, where the South China and Sulu seas meet. The route then loops south to the Poring hot springs, before ending in Sandakan in the east.

WHAT YOU DO Rides, rated moderate to difficult range from 35 to 68 kilometers per day.

The trip culminates in a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where you’ll learn about efforts to save these amazing—and highly endangered— close relatives of ours.

ActiveTravel Asia THE TRIP Six days trekking through Vietnam’s breathtaking Pu Luong Nature Reserve with ActiveTravel Asia (84-4/3573-8569; activetravel.com; twin share US$279 per person), an adventure travel company that partners with organizations like Fauna & Flora International to protect Indochina’s biodiversity.

WHERE YOU GO You’ll traverse past limestone peaks, neon-green rice terraces, and stunning valleys, going from Mai Chau to the Cuc Phuong National Forest.

WHAT YOU DO Treks range from a few hours to all-day affairs.

You’ll pass through remote villages and spend nights in the homes of locals, learning about their way of life.

•

“I incorporate bicycles into my travel wherever possible, from booking hotels that offer bikes to bringing along my own portable one. I buy books in secondhand, exchange bookstores, where I always find little treasures from people who have come before me; when I shop, I always bring along a fabric bag. And I don’t travel with a lot of luggage.” Valerie Gregori McKenzie, founder and creative director of ecoluxury fashion label, Song

•

“I realized early on that giving money or food to street children just keeps them trapped in poverty. Instead, I look for a local organization that is helping these kids move away from the streets — maybe it’s a local business that provides vocational education for poor families or an organization that sell products made by parents or youth in training.” Sébastien Marot, executive director of Friends-International

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“My mantra is to pack light, live light and leave nothing behind. I wear hardy, moisture-wicking clothes and pack two of everything so I can wash one item while wearing the other.

Toiletries have to be biodegradable since I’m often in the jungle and don’t want to unleash harsh chemicals into the ecosystem. I love staying at tiny, community-run lodges and eating locally cooked food. … I’ll also try and buy additional supplies in a community throughout the trip.” Lee D. Poston, director of conservation and science communications, WWF

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“When I travel out of Singapore I always try to walk in airports rather than ride the mechanized walkways or escalators. When I reach my destination I prefer to eat local food that is fresh, employs local farmers and isn’t packaged. As I do at home, I try to walk wherever possible depending on the weather and local conditions.” Mark Edleson, CEO of Alila Hotels and Resorts

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New England’s best. A historic neighborhood in Boston undergoes a revival <(page 58)

HK on a shoestring.

Hong Kong’s best budgetfriendly hotels <(page 55)

Eat to live.

Sustainable dining in Singapore (page 48) >

+

• An insider’s tips on Saigon • After hours in the Chinese capital • Asia’s hottest hotel bars

(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: T I M E H A C K E R / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; R E E N A B A M M I ; C O U R T E SY O F C O S M O H O T E L H O N G KO N G ; M AT T H E W N I E D E R H A U S E R ; D A R R E N S O H

Traveling light.

Our eco-guides to London, Stockholm, Paris and Shanghai <(page 37)

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

FEB MROUNATRHY 2 0 0 7 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

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| newsflash New York’s New Restaurant Row. Who says midtown Manhattan has no culinary edge? Something is cooking along Gotham’s new restaurant row. By MICHAEL GROSS

extension of the Blue Ribbon brand, at 6 Columbus hotel, attracts a happy-hour crowd eager for Yuzu-Hi cocktails, made with Japanese shochu liquor, and sunomonu oysters on the half shell. Dinner for two US$90.

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cream-colored space takes a backseat to the inventive Austro-German fusion menu. Regional cuisine like Wiener schnitzel and slow-cooked Tafelspitz are perfectly executed and pair well with a daring list of Austrian wines. Dinner for two US$98.

Tucked inside the iconic Plaza Hotel, Vienna’s legendary tea, coffee and candy emporium has a classic selection of desserts like Sachertorte and Wiener Apfelstrudel studded with walnuts.

Pastries and coffee for two US$25.

6-meter acacia trees, sample more than 200 wines by the glass, matched with small plates of fava-bean crostini and duck pinchos with harissa, at the Four Seasons Hotel’s wine bar, set to debut next month.

Dinner for two US$90.

Arpaia and Michael Psilakis of New York’s perennially packed Kefi restaurant are behind this informal Italian kitchen. Not to be missed—Psilakis’s signature gnudi with crispy prosciutto and truffle butter. Dinner for two US$100.

CRUISE

SLOW BOAT TO SIEM REAP The coming weeks see the launch of the most luxurious cruises to sail the Mekong River in decades: the MV Jayavarman (84-8/5410-1439; heritage-line.com) and La Marguerite (84-8/3911-0578; indochina-sails.com). Picking up where the French left off some 80 years ago, both colonial-inspired vessels offer indulgently luxurious lodgings, and itineraries that include stops at the diverse historical sites and idyllic villages that line the river from the Mekong Delta to Siem Reap. Aboard the 58-meter MV Jayavarman, the 27 rooms feature tropical hardwood floors and floor-to-ceiling glass doors; itineraries range from three to eight days and start at US$743 per person. The 46-cabin, 72-meter La Marguerite, modeled on the life and times of Indochina-born French novelist Marguerite Duras, is offering eight-day cruises, starting from US$2,898 for double occupancy, including a port of call in Duras’s childhood home of Sa Dec.—N A O M I L I N D T 32

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

1 Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill The latest

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DRINK

New Hotel Bars in Asia

From Bali to Beijing, four glitzy watering holes that are attracting notice. By JENNIFER CHEN WHERE XIU Designed by cult Japanese firm Super Potato, this 3,800-squaremeter rooftop complex in the Park Hyatt Beijing includes a bamboo garden, wide terraces and Song dynasty–style pavilion fashioned out of reclaimed timber. Inside are a wine bar, cigar lounge, open kitchen and live music venue. 6th floor, Park Hyatt Beijing, 2 Jianguomenwai Lu, Chaoyang District; 86-10/8567-1108; parkhyatt.com; drinks for two RMB140 SIGNATURE DRINK The Xiu-jito — a tangy mix of rum, passion fruit, ginger ale, brown sugar and coriander.

WHERE ROCK BAR Catch Bali’s famed

sunsets at the Ayana’s minimalist, alfresco lounge perched on rocks right above the Indian Ocean. Yasuhiro Koichi’s open design exposes the space to the elements — and spectacular panoramic views. Ayana Resort and Spa, Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361-702222; ayanaresort. com; drinks for two Rp190,000.

SIGNATURE DRINK The refreshing Manaberry Panna combines strawberry vodka, blackcurrant liqueur, passion fruit syrup, fresh strawberries and lime.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F P A R K H YAT T B E I J I N G ; C O U R T E S Y O F AYA N A R E S O R T A N D S P A ; CO U RT ESY O F S O F I T E L M E T RO P O L E H A N O I ; CO U RT ESY O F H OT E L G

WHERE ANGELINA The legendary Sofitel

Metropole Hanoi recently underwent an extensive renovation, which included the launch of this of-the-minute, two-level restaurant/bar/lounge with chandeliers, beaded curtains, velvet sofas and comprehensive wine list. Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, 15 Ngo Quyen St.; 84-4/3826-6919; sofitel.com; drinks for two VND320,000.

SIGNATURE DRINK Order the Angelina Martini, a tropical twist on the classic cocktail with vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice, crème cassis and cherry brandy.

WHERE SCARLETT This casual, bistro-like

spot in Beijing’s retro-glam Hotel G draws the young and upwardly mobile with its impressive selection of cheeses and cured meats and 80-plus labels. Pool sharks will appreciate the mint-condition billiards table. Hotel G, 7A Gongti Xi Lu, Chaoyang District; 86-10/6552-2880; hotel-g.com; drinks for two RMB116.

SIGNATURE DRINK Wine is really the beverage of choice here, but if you’re after a cocktail, try the G Martini — Grey Goose vodka, peach liqueur, and orange, lemon and cranberry juice.

insider

| newsflash SUNNY DAYS

Robuchon in Singapore For five days in September, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon—

the eponymous open-kitchen culinary theater of the French superchef—will operate a pop-up restaurant on Singapore’s Keppel Island during the Celton Living In Style, a luxury exhibition running from September 22–27 (tdc.sg; S$88 for entry). Axel Manes, executive chef at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris, and his team will prepare a 10-dish tasting menu, which includes Robuchon’s famed langoustine ravioli with foie gras and black truffle sauce, lamb shoulder cooked for 24 hours with sweet spices and almond couscous, and a raspberry puff pastry with vanilla whipped cream.—S O N I A KO L E S N I KOV - J E S S O P

F E S T I VA L

Clockwise from left: Elvis Costello; Joan Chen; Wole Soyinka.

TRANSPORT

PEDAL POWER IN TAIPEI You can now explore Taipei on two wheels. Earlier this year, the city introduced a public bike rental system called YouBike (youbike.com.tw) as part of its push to make the city more environmentally friendly. Visitors can sign up for a one-day card for NT$40 (a NT$3,000 deposit is required); the first half-hour of each session is free, and then it’s a mere NT$10 for every 15 minutes thereafter. Five hundred bikes are currently available at MRT stations and kiosks in the Xinyi district, and there are plans to widen the program. Take a spin around the riverside bike paths to get a different perspective of Taiwan’s dynamic capital.

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C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F L’A T E L I E R D E J O Ë L R O B U C H O N ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F S I N G A P O R E S U N F E S T I V A L ( 3 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F G I A N T

E AT

Elvis Costello, Wole Soyinka, Angela Gheorghiu, Deepak Chopra and Joan Chen are just some of the luminaries gracing this year’s Singapore Sun Festival (October 3– 12; singaporesunfestival.com)—the region’s biggest lifestyle fair that blends the performing and visual arts, literature, gastronomy, and wellness. Other events include cooking classes by famed chefs Floyd Cardoz and Thierry Marx, yoga and tai chi classes, writing workshops, and screenings of cinematic classics. Better yet, in response to the credit crunch, tickets cost less this year, and more free events will be held.

ccity scene | insider GREEN CITY SPECIAL

F R O M T R AV E L + L E I S U R E AND GREENOPIA

Cities worldwide are trying to reduce their carbon footprints. T+L partnered with Greenopia, the leading publisher of eco-guides to U.S. cities (greenopia.com), applying Greenopia’s environmental criteria to hotels, restaurants, stores and sites in Paris, London, Stockholm and Shanghai.

GREEN GUIDE: PARIS In the City of Light, Parisian classics get an Earth-friendly twist. By CLAIRE DOWNEY

F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F S TA R W O O D H O T E L S ; P I E R R E H E N R I C A S T E T S ; C O U R T E S Y O F A LT E R M U N D I ; © T I M E H A C K E R / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

Perfect Paris From left: A suite at Le Méridien Étoile; sea bass over fresh vegetables at BioArt; inside Alter Mundi; the gardens at the Palace of Versailles.

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Already famous for its legendary jazz club, Le Méridien Étoile (81 Blvd. Gouvion Saint-Cyr, 17 Arr.; 33-1/40-68-34-34; starwoodhotels.com; doubles from ¤212) is now getting attention for installing energy-efficient mini-bars, televisions and heating systems in its polished rooms.

O If you are willing to sacrifice a central location for a great value, the business-oriented Ibis Porte de Clichy Centre (14 Blvd.

Victor Hugo; 33-1/41-40-18-90; accorhotels.com; doubles from ¤84), just outside the city and still served by the Métro, has more than 74 square meters of solar panels stretched across its façade.

A new addition to the city’s booming 13th Arrondissement, BioArt (3 Quai François Mauriac; 33-1/45-8566-88; dinner for two ¤70) serves an all-organic menu — risotto topped with shaved truffles; a terrine of diver scallops — in a design-forward space overlooking the Seine.

O Live out the farm-to-table fantasy at chef Alain Passard’s three-Michelin-starred Arpège (84 Rue de Varenne, 7 Arr. ; 33-1/47-05 -09-06; lunch for two ¤260). His menus incorporate the dozens of fruit, vegetable and herb varieties grown on his farm — tilled by horses — southwest of Paris, and ingredients (Breton lobster; Chalon duck) from producers who share his passion for terroir.

Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena’s Different Company (10 Rue Ferdinand Duval, 4 Arr.; 33-1/42-78-19-34) creates all-natural unisex fragrances from a mix of flowers and plants. Scents are sold in refillable museum-quality glass dispensers. O Close by, Alter Mundi Mode (9 Rue de Rivoli, 4 Arr.; 33-1/44-59-8166) specializes in organic clothes with an urban edge.

Look for Veja sneakers and hip Machja jeans for both men and women. O Ekobo (4 Rue Herold, 1 Arr.; 33-1/45-0847-43), within walking distance of the Louvre, works with Vietnamese artisans to handcraft brightly colored bowls, trays and vases from fast-growing bamboo.

In keeping with the spirit of the nature-loving Marie Antoinette, head gardener Alain Baraton of the Palace of Versailles (33-1/30-83-78-00; chateauversailles.fr) stopped using chemicals on the garden grounds and reintroduced insects for pest control. Not only have his efforts brought about the return of swallows and green woodpeckers, but his practices have also been adopted by other urban gardens.

O In the city center, tour buses have been rerouted and bicycle lanes added. Take advantage with the Vélib’ (velib.paris.fr) bikesharing program, which rents bikes for a small deposit (¤1 a day). A similar program is in the works for electric cars.

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GREEN GUIDE: LONDON Locavore restaurants, eco-boutiques and even a solarpowered city hall are a testament to Britain’s long-standing commitment to clean living. By KATIE BOWMAN

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The Apex City of London Hotel (1 Seething Lane; 44-131/666-5124; apexhotels. co.uk; doubles from £129), near the Tower Bridge, gets high marks for its on-site recycling; a keycard system that controls heating and lights when you’re out; energy-efficient windows and lightbulbs; and a carbon-offsetting program for guests.

What the guest rooms may lack in personality, they more than make up for in price.

O At 51 Buckingham Gate’s (44-207/769-7766; 51buckinghamgate.com; doubles from £265) smartly furnished town-house–style rooms and suites, set around a courtyard near St. James’s Park, have tasteful kitchenettes with recycling bins and nontoxic cleaning products.

Islington’s much-loved Duke of Cambridge (30 St. Peter’s St.; 44-207/359-3066; lunch for two £33) serves allorganic pub fare (along with eight microbrews on draft) at communal farmhouse tables under a high ceiling. The menu is ever-changing, but Dover sole, chilled cucumber soup, and a ricotta, beetroot and zucchini salad are recurring fall favorites.

O Chef Arthur Potts Dawson of Acorn House (69 Swinton St.; 44-207/812-1842; dinner for two £64), in King’s Cross, reinvents English classics like a Cornish crab risotto and an artichoke-and-pancetta salad in the open kitchen of his white-walled restaurant. Potts Dawson also trains 10 local youngsters each year in the art of sustainable restaurant management.

Covent Garden’s historic Borough Market (8 Southwark St.) is the place to go for top-notch artisanal foods, such as tasty Neal’s Yard cheeses, sourced from neighboring farms.

Shop with the market’s now-iconic jute bag, sold at the entrance for £3.

O Head to Eco-Age (213 Chiswick High Rd.; 44208/995-7611), actor Colin Firth’s home design store in a converted Chiswick town house with a green roof, for chic housewares, including fair-trade throw pillows and table settings.

O No-frills women’s clothing boutique Equa (28 Camden Passage; 44207/359-0955) is an ethical-style pioneer, selling cult-brand Del Forte denim and La Lesso ballet flats.

Cutting Edge Green Tours (44-7886/893-518; insider-london.co.uk; tickets £39.50) runs offbeat excursions on public transportation and by foot.

Sights include the Tate Modern (tate.org.uk), housed in a refurbished power plant; Junky Styling (junkystyling. co.uk), which sells reworked secondhand clothing; the organic chocolate store Montezuma’s (montezumas. co.uk); and City Hall (london. gov.uk), whose solar-powered, Norman Foster–designed egg shape improves interior ventilation and retains heat.

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F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F A P E X C I T Y O F LO N D O N H OT E L ; CO U RT ESY O F T H E D U K E O F C A M B R I D G E ; C O U R T E SY O F E C O -A G E ; C O U R T E SY O F TAT E

English Innovations From left: A guest room at the Apex City of London hotel; the Duke of Cambridge pub in Islington; housewares at Colin Firth’s Eco-Age boutique, in Chiswick; the Tate Modern building.

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scene

GREEN GUIDE: STOCKHOLM If Scandinavia is Europe’s greenest region, then Swedes are its biggest advocates. Sustainability is ingrained in their capital’s fabric, from its parks to its streets. By STEPHEN WHITLOCK

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The high-tech Nordic Light hotel (7 Vasaplan; 468/5056-3000; nordiclight hotel.se; doubles from SEK2,040 (US$270)) incorporates efficiency in its design: the futuristic lobby lounge (white walls; podlike tables and chairs) is heated with renewable energy, and some bedrooms have colorful mood lighting by way of energy-saving bulbs.

O For old-school charm, head to the Radisson SAS Strand (9 Nybrokajen; 468/5066-4000; radissonblu. com; doubles from SEK646), which is housed in a historic brick building. Large, lightfilled guest rooms overlook the harbor. Behind the scenes, the hotel’s parent company, Rezidor, has an ambitious water-, waste- and energyreduction campaign.

Chef Gustav Otterberg, the twentysomething rising star behind Leijontornet (5 Lilla Nygatan; 46-8/50640080; dinner for two SEK775), relies on farm-fresh ingredients for his hearty dishes, such as venison with dried cherries, ox marrow and black pudding. For dessert, don’t miss the baked apples with hazelnuts, bee pollen and house-made ice cream.

O Located on Djurgården, the most pastoral of Stockholm’s central islands, Rosendals Trädgård (12 Rosendalsterrassen; 46-8/ 5458-1270; lunch for two SEK566) is part café, part bakery and part nursery, thanks to the on-site greenhouse. What the restaurant can’t source itself, it purchases from local producers. Leftovers, naturally, are composted.

The 4-year-old market Street (4 Hornstulls Strand; 46-8/ 669-4780) transforms an anonymous corner of the hip Södermalm neighborhood into a bustling weekend fair, filled with vendors selling everything from antique embroidered linens to exquisite wooden dolls by Swedish toy maker Fredrik Hillerborg.

O The pioneering Ekovaruhuset (28 Österlånggatan; 46-8/229845) boutique (the House of Organic in Swedish) sells sophisticated fine clothing, such as designer Camilla Norrback’s wool knits and Stockholm’s cotton dresses; tailored, chemical-free jackets from Stockholm-based designer Anja Hynynen; and founder Johanna Hofring’s own linen shirts with crochet details.

Three royal palaces — including Haga Palace, where the current monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf, was born — can be found in the national Ekoparken (ekoparken.com), a sprawling, 2,700-hectare conservation tract (complete with roe deer, owls and pine martens) right in the center of the city.

O The UNESCO World Heritage listed Skogskyrkogården (skogskyrkogarden.se), or Woodland Cemetery, one of Stockholm’s most surprising architectural landmarks. Its rolling pine-forest landscape holds memorials designed by two of Sweden’s most important modernists, Sigurd Lewerentz and Gunnar Asplund, best known for designing the Stockholm Public Library.

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F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F N O R D I C H OT E L S ; CO U RT ESY O F L E I J O N TO R N E T; C O U R T E S Y O F E K O VA R U H U S E T ; S U S A N N E H A L L M A N N

Swedish Dreams From left: The Nordic Light hotel in central Stockholm; an amuse-bouche of fresh fruit and breads at Leijontornet; Ekovaruhuset boutique; Skogskyrkogården (the Woodland Cemetery).

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GREEN GUIDE: SHANGHAI China’s financial capital is leading the way to a cleaner tomorrow with organic restaurants, green retailers and eco-friendly accommodations. By MANUELA ZONINSEIN

Shanghai Strives From left: URBN hotel; Mei Xiang cheese; cushions at Nest boutique; inside the Purple Ridge Lodge kitchen at Naked Retreats.

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In a city where hotels seem to compete on height and lavishness, URBN Shanghai (183 Jiaozhou Lu; 8621/5153-4600; urbnhotels. com; doubles from RMB1,300) stands out for its size — 26 rooms — and its Zen-like atmosphere. It also towers over others in its ecoambitions: housed in a former post office in the pedestrianfriendly French Concession, the hotel features repurposed materials such as mahogany planks and bricks from old houses and vintage furniture.

Courses in Mandarin, Chinese cuisine and tai chi put travelers in touch with the local culture. It’s also China’s first carbon-neutral hotel, with investments going towards alternative energy projects.

Vintage Living Located in a revamped (2068 Nanjing Xi Lu; 86factory in Shanghai’s artsy 21/6249-8419; vintageliving.cn; neighborhood of Taikang Lu, dinner for two from RMB200) Nest (210 Taikang dishes up American-style Lu; 86-21/6466-9524; home cooking made from nestshanghai.com) showcases produce harvested from its handcrafted housewares, own organic farm outside of clothing, stationery and the city. Brunch on the rooftop furniture from local designers garden is a favorite among who embrace the earthexpats — make sure to try the friendly ethos. Among our blueberry french toast. favorites are Bambu, colorful dining ware fashioned from O Made from yak’s milk, Mei bamboo; A00, a line of Xiang Cheese is furniture created out of produced by a Tibetan family recycled plywood and in Yunnan province, part of an cardboard; and Hape’s toys initiative to help herders (handmade trucks and dolls) become entrepreneurs. In made from certified wood and Shanghai, you can taste this other natural materials. tangy cheese at Jujube Tree (258 Fengxian Lu; 86-21/ 62157566; dinner for two RMB200), a vegetarian eatery, and at Just Grapes (justgrapes.cn), a wine shop–restaurant with three locations.

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DO No, Naked Retreats (248 Taikang Lu; 86-21/54659577; nakedretreats.cn; RMB350 per person weekday; RMB450 per person weekend) isn’t a nudist colony, but a rustic-chic getaway in the bamboo forest of Moganshan, about two hours from Shanghai. Solar power heats the water in the bungalows, while recycled water irrigates the grounds. Guests get a taste for local life with activities like bamboo-shoot hunting and tea harvesting.

O Dragon Well Manor (399 Longjing Lu; 86-71/87888777; dinner priced according to ingredients) demonstrates that locavore-eating isn’t just a Western conceit. The chefs use pesticide-free, seasonal produce sourced daily from local farms. Sauces and additives are shunned.

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F RO M L E F T: DA R R E N S O H ; CO U RT ESY O F V E N T U R ES I N D EV E LO P M E N T; D A R R E N S O H ; C O U R T E SY O F N A K E D R E T R E AT S

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SEPTEMBER 7-OCTOBER 17, 2009 THAILAND CULTURAL CENTRE Evening performance: 7.30pm Afternoon performance: 2.30pm Complimentary shuttle bus service from Thailand Cultural Centre station (MRT) to Thailand Cultural Centre, available from 5.30pm to 7.00pm on show days

TICKETS (BT 400 - BT 4,000) FROM THAI TICKET MAJOR

Call centre 02 262 3456, outlets or www.thaiticketmajor.com (24 hrs) Other information: 02 204 2394 or www.bangkokfestivals.com

insider

| trends

Sleeping Aid. Hotels go beyond fancy

● The Spanish chain Quilibra is designed for sleep-deprived guests: indoor and outdoor spaces flow together to induce calm, rooms come with ambient-sound CD’s and light levels are adjusted according to findings by the hotel’s “sleep institute.” Ironically, the first property, Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza (Calle Salvador Camacho, Santa Eulàlia del Rio; 34/97131-9991; hospes.com; doubles from 210), is on Ibiza, famous for its all-night scene. ● Westin Hotels & Resorts (starwoodhotels. com) celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Heavenly Bed by adding a Heavenly Bath line, with products created by Bliss Spa and, for US$60, even a Heavenly Travel Blanket. ● The Hôtel Gabriel Paris Marais (25 Rue du Grand-Prieuré; 33-1/47-00-13-38; hotel-gabrielparis.com; doubles from 160) calls itself the world’s first “detox hotel” and fits some rooms with Night Cove, a system that encourages natural dozing patterns. ● Cabo, Mexico’s One & Only Palmilla (Km 7.5, Crta. Transpeninsular; 52-624/146-7000; oneandonlyresorts.com; doubles from US$525) has partnered with Espa to create a ambientsound CD to ensure good slumber. ● Twice a year, the Arizona destination spa Mii Amo (525 Boynton Canyon Rd., Sedona, Ariz.; 1-928/203-8500; miiamo.com; complimentary to spa guests or guests of the Enchantment Resort; doubles from US$350) holds a workshop to analyze sleep patterns and develop strategies to rest easier. ● Lorien Hotel & Spa (1600 King St., Alexandria, Va.; 1-703/894-3434; lorienhotelandspa.com; doubles from US$209) provides a “dream service menu” that includes scent diffusers, an iPod “lullaby library,” snore-relief products, and, of course, warm milk and cookies. ● London’s Andaz Liverpool Street (40 Liverpool St.; 44-20/7961-1234; andaz.com; doubles from £300) has a pajama-clad reader who can come to your room to tell you a relaxing story, just like mom used to do. ✚

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Photographed by NIGEL COX

P R O P S T Y L I S T: R E N ATA C H A P L N S KY F O R B I G L E O P R O D U C T I O N S . E Y E M A S K BY A R M A N D D I R A D O U R I A N ; T R AV E L A L A R M C L O C K , PA L O M A P I C A S S O F O R T I F FA N Y & C O . ; P I L L O W S H A M , P R AT E S I

mattresses and pillow menus to help guests get a good night’s rest. By ELIZABETH WOODSON

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| eat

The kingfish sashimi with avocado–papaya guacamole at The Garden, below. Right: Fresh herbs at The Garden.

SINGAPORE

Food for Thought. Three notable restaurants in Singapore that are trying spread the sustainable dining message. By EVELYN CHEN THE GARDEN

In 2008, Michael Leibl, the executive chef at The Sentosa Resort & Spa, decided that he wanted to introduce a restaurant that complemented the spa’s philosophy. The result is The Garden, a gracious eatery set in a restored colonial bungalow on the resort’s grounds, next to Spa Botanica. With an artificial tree as its centerpiece, the restaurant is a petite, serene space, that has an open kitchen and alfresco dining by the spa’s pool. The restaurant’s main goal is to introduce diners to healthy eating—icons on the menu indicate which dishes are antioxidant-rich, heart-friendly and cholesterol-reducing. “Ingredients are also paired with the best cooking methods to 48

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retain their beneficial components, for instance, fish is served mostly raw or cooked sous vide,” says Leibl. He’s also keen on reducing The Garden’s carbon footprint: Organic and biodynamic ingredients are used, the latest energy-efficient technology was installed in the kitchen, and the absence of table linens helps cut down on water and electricity consumption.

PERFECT MEAL Hiramasa kingfish sashimi with papaya–avocado guacamole and citrus vinaigrette; sous vide Scottish salmon and mango–buttermilk sorbet; organic soy milk panna cotta with fresh raspberries and lemongrass-infused syrup. The Sentosa Resort & Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Rd., Sentosa Island; 65/6371-1130; dinner for two S$200. » Photographed by DARREN SOH

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| eat

Eating to Live Clockwise from top left: The kitchen at Prego restaurant in the Fairmont Singapore; oven-baked rack of baby lamb with sweet potato cake at My Type restaurant; the dining room of My Type; chef Salvatore Silvestrino of Prego; inside The Garden; spinach gnocchi at Prego.

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MY TYPE RESTAURANT

Two years ago, U.S.-based hotel brand Fairmont Hotels & Resorts began encouraging its kitchens worldwide to source organic ingredients grown within 160 kilometers—a move that cuts down on carbon emissions and helps support local farms. Salvotore Silvestrino, the chef de cuisine at the Fairmont Singapore’s Prego restaurant, eagerly met that challenge and decided to take a few extra steps along the way. Besides installing energy-efficient light bulbs and taps, he switched to using dry wood—which emits less carbon than younger, green wood—for the restaurant’s woodburning stove. An avid gardener, Silvestrino also tends the hotel’s fifth-floor garden where lemons, laksa, pandan, rosemary and basil are grown using compost made from the hotel’s kitchens.

PERFECT MEAL Mushroom carpaccio with organic extra virgin olive oil; homemade squid ink tagliolini tossed in tomato salsa with tiger prawns, chili and basil; roasted freerange baby chicken with rosemary served with seasonal vegetables and extra virgin olive oil. Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Rd.; 65/6431-6156; dinner for two S$150.

On the more high-concept side of spectrum, this recently opened eatery follows the principles of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, who argues diets should be tailored according to blood type in order to achieve maximum health. Diners are offered one of four different menus, depending on their blood type. (The owner also has a store that sells blood type–specific supplements.) There’s no decisive medical proof that the approach works, but the kitchen’s emphasis on unprocessed, non-GM, and trans-fat and refined sugar–free ingredients can’t hurt. And you can leave the hair shirt at home—on offer are scrumptious spelt-flecked pizzas and a succulent oven-baked rack of baby lamb with sweet potato cake.

PERFECT MEAL Zucchini and roasted garlic soup; cod marinated in ginger fish broth and cooked in parchment paper; chocolate fondant with homemade vanilla ice cream. #01-29, Golden Shoe Car Park, 50 Market St.; 65/6226-5570; dinner for two S$150.

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ORGANIC FOOD IN SINGAPORE

Good for You Clockwise from top left: Inside the Duchy Originals shop in Singapore; Duchy Originals’ jams; drinks at Supernature; Supernature’s produce display.

Singapore has a number of shops devoted to organic food. While eating organic does reduce your carbon footprint, keep in mind that Singapore imports almost all of its food.—J.C. ● SUPERNATURE Large shop with a coffee and juice bar. #01-21, Park House, 21 Orchard Blvd; 65/67354338; supernature.com.sg. ●

DUCHY ORIGINALS Prince Charles’s organic brand.

The sweet biscuits are especially good. #B1-20A, Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd.; 65/6735-4208. ●

BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES Sells Singapore-grown organic produce. Visit their on-site bistro, Poison Ivy. 100 Neo Tiew Rd.; 65/6898-5001; bollywoodveggies.com. ●

L’ORGANIC An attractive shop cum café where you can also sign up for yoga classes. 18A Dempsey Rd.; 65/6474-7142; lorganic.sg. ● BROWN RICE PARADISE The granddaddy of Singapore’s organic stores still stocks an impressive selection. #03-15, Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Rd.; 65/6738-1121; mybrp.com.sg.

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CHINA

| night out After Hours in Beijing. Night owls have plenty to choose from in the Chinese capital, from world-class restaurants to indie music clubs. By MANUELA ZONINSEIN

6:00 P.M. Start the evening surveying the city from the 65th floor of the Park Hyatt Beijing, where you’ll find the suave China Bar (2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District; 8610/8567-1234; beijing.park.hyatt.com; drinks for two RMB150).

Before admiring the 360-degree panorama, a rarity in Beijing, peruse the exhaustive drinks menu, which lists more than 440 wines and nearly 100 cocktails. (We recommend the expertly made Manhattan.) With your drink in hand, join the well-heeled guests on black leather sofas or take a seat by the bar fashioned out of illuminated, translucent onyx for a front-seat view of the sunset. Then turn your attention eastwards to the iconic, OMA-designed CCTV towers (and its charred neighbor, the TVCC, where the Mandarin Oriental Beijing was meant to be).

for two RMB1,200). Daniel Boulud’s first Asian effort is as high-caliber as his famed New York eateries; diners tuck into Eastern-influenced French fare amid neoclassical murals and Art Deco furnishings custom designed by Paris-based Gilles & Boissier. We recommend starting with the king crab, which comes wrapped in avocado and accompanied by carrot coulis, followed by the crispy suckling pig with apple coleslaw, Dijon mustard jus and daikon sauerkraut.

Make sure to request a view of the back room where Henry Kissinger met Zhou Enlai in 1972 to arrange then-president Richard Nixon’s historic visit.

If you’re looking for a more casual ambience, head over to Beijing’s hipster hotel, The Opposite House, and sup at Sureño (The Opposite House, 11 Sanlitun Bei Lu, Chaoyang District; 86-10/6410-5240; surenorestaurant.com; dinner for two

7:00 P.M. Take a cab to the historic Legation Quarter

(23 Qianmen Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District; legationquarter.com), Beijing’s destination du jour just southeast of Tiananmen Square. Originally built to house U.S. diplomatic offices at the turn of the last century, the stately stone complex is now home to a contemporary art gallery, a Patek Philippe outlet, restaurants and, come next fall, a wine and jazz bar. Tour the elegant quad before claiming your table at the opulent Maison Boulud (86-10/6559-9200; maisonboulud.com; dinner

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Beijing After Dark Clockwise from above: China Bar at the Park Hyatt; Maison Boulud; Sureño, in The Opposite House.

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RMB500), a buzzing Mediterranean eatery with cerulean walls that lures the city’s worldly young professionals.

A wood-fired oven delivers the city’s most authentic thincrust pizzas, but save room for the Italian ham with white truffle honey and melon.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M BOT TO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F T H E O P P OS I T E H O U S E ; C O U R T E SY O F P U N K ; M AT T H E W N I E D E R H A U S E R ; C O U R T E SY O F L A N C L U B

9:00 P.M. Designed by Japanese minimalist master Kengo Kuma, The Opposite House boasts an impressive collection of contemporary Chinese art on view in its lobby. After viewing artworks such as Wang Jin’s PVC rendition of an imperial robe, go underground—literally—with Punk (86-10/6410-5222; barpunk.com; drinks for two RMB100), an edgy nightclub designed by Shanghai design darlings Neri & Hu, who’ve decorated the space with moveable pods and moody backlit walls. Expect pierced staff, music-mad locals and a line-up of international DJ’s spinning hip-hop, techno, house and more.

10:00 P.M. Punk stays open until 3 A.M., but there’s a lot

more live music to be discovered in Beijing, which boasts one of Asia’s liveliest indie rock scenes. Before beginning the club crawl, stroll through The Village at Sanlitun, a short

walk south of The Opposite House. A colorful collection of asymmetric glass-and-steel buildings, this lively retail and entertainment complex attracts a crowd late into the night.

Then hail a cab and head over to Mao Livehouse (111 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District; 86-10/6402-5080; maolive.com; tickets from RMB20), a gutted cinema that’s now the testing ground for local up-and-coming indie rockers and occasional acts from overseas.

12:00 A.M. Across from Mao Livehouse is Nanluoguxiang,

a gentrified hutong that’s packed with quirky-cool boutiques, cozy cafés and cheap-as-chips bars. Choose any of the convivial waterholes for a RMB10 beer, though we favor Salud (66 Nanluoguxiang; 86-10/6402-5086; drinks for two RMB60) for its homemade rums that come in flavors such as mango and anise. For a posher nightcap, join revelers at LAN Club (Fourth floor, Twin Towers, B12 Jianguomenwai Dajie; 86-10/5109-6012). Designed by Philippe Starck, it’s a celebration of excess: velvet chaise longues, crystal chandeliers and gilded chairs. Framed oil paintings cover the ceiling. It’s worth seeing—if only for the kitsch value and the sight of Beijing’s beautiful people preening.

9:00 P.M.

10:00 P.M. Show Time Clockwise from left: Punk bar; a local act at Mao Livehouse; the over-the-top décor at LAN Club; Wang Jin’s art at The Opposite House.

9:00 P.M. 12:00 A.M.

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check-in | insider Hong Kong’s Best Budget Stays. Hotels in this city often come at sky-high prices, but these four offer plenty of wallet-friendly style. By HELEN DALLEY COSMO HOTEL GREAT Location This chic hotel is smack in VALUE

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F C O S M O H O T E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F R O YA L P A R K H O T E L ; CO U RT ESY O F H OT E L J E N ; CO U RT ESY O F COS M O H OT E L

the middle of bustling Causeway Bay, which means easy access to shopping, nightlife, and, for punters, the Happy Valley racecourse.

The Rooms The 142 rooms display a funky edge, with neon color schemes, retro wallpaper and Verner Panton-esque chairs.

Expect the usual amenities that come with business hotels, such as 20-inch plasma TV’s and broadband Internet access.

Executive rooms, studios and suites are also equipped with PC’s.

Sore Spots Space is especially tight here, with standard rooms starting at a mere 15 square meters. Convenience, too, comes at a price: bring earplugs or the traffic outside might keep you up.

Trump Cards There’s a free shuttle bus service to spots around Causeway Bay and Central. And if you’re looking for a drink close to home, the hotel’s slinky Nooch Bar hosts salsa nights and live jazz performances. There’s also free Wi-Fi. 375–377 Queen’s Rd. East, Wanchai; 852/3552-8388; cosmohotelcom.hk; doubles from HK$850.

HONG KONG

Friendly Finds From top: Outside the Cosmo Hotel in Happy Valley; a twin room at the Royal Park Hotel; the sky lounge at Hotel Jen; the green room at Cosmo Hotel.

ROYAL PARK HOTEL Location Don’t be put off by its location

in the New Territories—it’s only a 20minute ride on the MTR to Central. This hotel is especially handy for those heading to the mainland, with the border only a 25-minute train ride away.

The Rooms Compared to other hotels in this city, the 431 rooms at the Royal Park are positively palatial, with all guest rooms sized at 33 square meters (suites are 66 square meters). The décor is tasteful rather than innovative, but the rooms are appointed with all the modern comforts and inviting, window-side sofas.

Sore Spots There’s no Wi-Fi, which is unusual for a Hong Kong hotel aimed at business travelers. And even with » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Spaces with Style From top: A simply designed guestroom at Hotel Jen; the slick lobby at the Novotel on Nathan Road; a premier room at the Novotel; the chic lobby at Cosmo Hotel in Causeway Bay; the café at Hotel Jen.

inspired design—blond wood, clean lines, neutral tones—make the 24- to 26-squaremeter standard rooms feel ample. Up-to-date amenities such as Wi-Fi and flat-screen TV’s enhance your stay. Suites are decidedly more generous at 50 square meters, though the bathtub is oddly placed at the foot of the bed.

All five suites and some rooms offer terrific views of the Victoria Harbour.

Sore Spots During the day, only guests staying in the Jen rooms and suites can use the hotel’s lounge, which serves complimentary cocktails, wine and snacks.

Other guests are only allowed in after 8 P.M. Trump Cards The rooftop swimming pool overlooking the harbor is the perfect spot for unwinding, while the 24-hour gym with state-of-the-art equipment is an unexpected perk in a budget-minded property. The hotel also provides a complimentary shuttle bus service to MTR stations, ferry terminals and the airport. 508 Queen’s Rd. West, Western; 852/2974-1234; hoteljen.com; doubles from HK$950.

NOVOTEL NATHAN ROAD GREAT Location Positioned amid the heady

convenient public transportation, the location might deter revelers eager to check out the city’s nightlife.

Trump Cards With all its space, the hotel’s health club rivals that of any five-star hotel, with indoor and heated outdoor pools, saunas, a tennis court and a jogging track.

Plus, New Town Plaza, home to more than 400 shops, is a short walk away. 8 Pak Hok Ting St., New Territories; 852/2601-2111; royalpark.com.hk; doubles from HK$1,280.

HOTEL JEN Location Situated on the outskirts of Sheung

Wan, this 280-room hotel—opened in March 2008—comfortably straddles old and new Hong Kong. Guests can get a taste (and a whiff) of the neighborhood’s old-school dried seafood shops, while the chic eateries and bars of SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong are still within walking distance.

The Rooms Pared-down, Scandinavian56

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neon glare of Nathan Road in Kowloon, the 15-floor Novotel offers easy access to everything from dai pai dongs to department stores. Nearby are some of the city’s famed markets, including the Temple Street and Jade markets.

The Rooms Sized at 24 square meters, the hotel’s 389 rooms were recently refurbished, and now boast a contemporary yet comfortable feel: earth tones, luxe linens, firm beds and deep soaking tubs.

Sore Spots Despite its proximity to Hong Kong’s harbor, the hotel doesn’t have any amazing views.

Trump Cards Breakfast is free for two children under 16, as long as they’re staying with their parents or grandparents; there’s also no charge for extra beds for the kids. All guests are entitled to daily allowance of 20 minutes free Internet access in the lobby, where a corner is kitted up with brand new iMacs. 348 Nathan Rd., Jordan; 852/39658888; accorhotels.com; doubles from HK$850.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F H O T E L J E N ; C O U R T E SY O F N OV O T E L N AT H A N R O A D ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F COS M O H OT E L ; CO U RT ESY O F H OT E L J E N

VALUE

insider

U.S.A.

| neighborhood Mass Appeal From below left: Vintage finds at Acquire; owner Alison Barnard at Boston’s Twilight; the Triton Plateau shellfish at Neptune; diners at Neptune Oyster.

A New England Makeover. Boston’s revamped North End is a magnet for food and fashion seekers. By FRANCINE MAROUKIAN BOSTON’S “BIG DIG” replaced the elevated highway, it reconnected downtown to the isolated North End peninsula, bringing fresh energy to the city’s oldest residential neighborhood.

EAT Located in the same curved redbrick building since 1926, Pizzeria Regina (11½ Thacher St.; 1-617/2270765; dinner for two US$16) is old-school pizza pie, with a fire brick–baked crust ordered light, regular, or well done.

The melanzane alla parmigiana at Trattoria Il Panino (11 Parmenter St.; 1617/720-1336; dinner for two US$100) is stacked so high it resembles an eggplant angel food cake. At the tiny Neptune Oyster (63 Salem St.; 1617/742-3474; dinner for two US$110), Olives alum Jeff Nace presides over the freshest local seafood, including an impeccable raw bar, complemented by a compact but brilliant wine list. Fellow Olives vet Torri Crowell packs a mean lunch at the low-key Volle Nolle (351

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Hanover St.; 1-617/523-0003; lunch for two US$25), offering skillfully constructed sandwiches like Cubanstyle pulled pork on grilled brioche.

The romantic Carmen Wine Bar & Trattoria (33 North Square; 1-617/7426421; dinner for two US$80) has an expansive list of fine Italian wines to accompany the full-flavored rustic specialties, like briny clams and earthy braised fennel in pebbly, house-made mustard-spiked cream sauce. Linger at neighborhood cafés over desserts like ricotta cannoli at Boston institution Mike’s Pastry (300 Hanover St.; 1617/742-3050; dessert for two US$6).

SHOP Judy and Joy Catuogno, the twin-sister curators behind Karma Boutique (27 Fleet St.; 1-617/7238338), mix well-preserved vintage as diverse as St. John and Fendi with contemporary designs for a one-off look. At Twilight (12 Fleet St.; 1-617/523-8008), owner Alison Barnard showcases day-to-night frocks

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in a lounge-like setting. In pursuit of the perfect top, Casa di Stile (317 Hanover St.; 1-857/233-4885) co-owners Allison Levangie and Lesley Carvalho display fashion-forward names like Rory Beca and Alisha Levine. At the Velvet Fly (424 Hanover St.; 1-617/5574359), Lorrinda Cerrutti and BethAnn Hoyos mix up “modern vintage” with on-trend labels like Saja, Tulle and Interlude alongside covetable Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses. Shake the Tree (67 Salem St.; 1-617/742-0484) carries jewelry from Alexis Bittar as well as adorable baby gifts, like French Bull’s colorful plates. Former National Geographic TV producer Nikki Dalrymple turns an anthropological eye toward home furnishings at Acquire (61 Salem St.; 1-857/362-7380), fusing independent design with vintage finds, including 1940’s barware.

Photographed by REENA BAMMI

Sout h & S outhe a st As ia Re g i o n a l He a d q u a r t e r s: C a n o n S i n g a p o r e P t e L t d 1 H a r b o u r F r o n t Av e n u e , # 0 4 - 0 1 K e p p e l B a y To w e r, S i n g a p o r e 0 9 8 6 3 2

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the expert | insider

Secret Saigon. A top designer reveals her favorite addresses in this everchanging city. By ROBYN ECKHARDT

T

Chic Capital City From top: Anupa Horvil sports her creative side; a lamp from Mantra; Catherine Denoual Maison Boutique bed linens; local tastes at Cepage.

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■ HOME DESIGNS Horvil’s business partner and Mantra co-owner Vivek Chaudhary collaborates with Swedish-Australian artist Kevin Lane on a line of elegant contemporary housewares, available at Mantra. Bulbous ceiling lamps, which can be hung alone or in clusters, “pack very well,” and the colorful and curvaceous, nearly 2-meter-high Seff lamp is “almost a piece of sculpture.”

More portable options include white marble tea-light holders that glow when illuminated and striking, lacquer bull’s-eye frames. The eponymously named Catherine Denoual Maison Boutique (15C Thi Sach, District 1; 848/3823-9394; catherinedenoual.com) stocks the French designer’s intricately embroidered bed and table linens and other wares. Horvil favors the designer’s simpler bed linens—plain with just a bit of stitching at the border—which “hold up amazingly well in the washer.”

■ SAIGON STANDOUTS “Saigon is an incredibly wonderful place to eat,” enthuses the designer.

Head to Cepage (Ground floor, Lancaster Building, 22 Le Thanh Ton, District 1; 84-8/3823-8733; lunch for two

F RO M TO P : CO U RT E SY O F A N U PA H O RV I L ; CO U RT E SY O F M A N T R A ; C O U R T E SY O F C AT H E R I N E D E N O U A L M A I S O N B O U T I Q U E ; C O U R T E SY O F C E PA G E

was helping to market massproduced products in Vietnam.

Today, the former corporate strategic planner designs limited-edition accessories that are sold at her Saigon boutique, Mantra (84 Pho Duc Chinh, District 1; 84-8/915-1473; mantravietnam. com) and luxury hotels such as Kuala Lumpur’s The Saujana and ChivaSom in Thailand. The London-born designer is also a Saigon resident, so we asked her for her favorite spots.

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VND350,000) for the lunchtime Black Box, a mystery three-course set menu.

Chef Andreas Ertle “does fantastic stuff with local ingredients” and “he’ll let you play with it a bit,” so don’t be put off if you’re a vegetarian. At night, the restaurant’s bar—which serves killer martinis—attracts a lively mixture of expats, tourists and locals.

Hidden in an alley, tiny Tib Restaurant (187 Hai Ba Trung St., District 3; 84-8/3829-7242; dinner for two with wine VND710,000) “has been around forever” but serves consistently delicious Hue and Vietnamese vegetarian specialties in a homey setting. Highlights include the jackfruit salad topped with sesame seeds, grilled eggplant and bamboo salad.

■ OLD SCHOOL “We’re losing the heart of what Saigon used to be,” laments Horvil of the city’s rapid redevelopment. She finds consolation in the still-intact lanes around Mantra, which once comprised the city’s Arab district. The butteryellow colonial-era building housing the Fine Arts Museum (97A Pho Duc Chinh, District 1; 84-8/829-4441; admission VND10,000) “has a very Indian feel about it” and its garden is “wonderfully peaceful, considering that it’s just off a main street.” Steps away is Le Cong Kieu, or Antique Street, a short lane lined with boltholes selling everything from period drawer pulls to 1960’s LP’s. Shop owners might seem gruff at first, “but are really lovely people who enjoy chatting,” says Horvil, who recommends taking time to admire the old buildings: “For me, this is the authentic part of Saigon.”

little details that make all the difference in the world.”

Regulars know the place as Cindy’s, for Canadiantrained owner Cindy Chung.

Horvil swears by the manicures, especially the reviving hot paraffin foot treatment.

■ URBAN OASIS Horvil admits that Saigon’s hectic pace can be wearying: “To be outside somewhere quiet is so special here.” In town, the alfresco Barbecue Garden (135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1;848/3823-3340; lunch for two VND120,000) serves good breakfasts, strong coffee, refreshing fruit smoothies and, for lunch and dinner, tasty grilled entrées. But if you really want to get away from it all, hop onto the complimentary boat at the central pier for the ride to the River Café (Riverside Apartments, 53 Vo Truong Toan, District 2; 84-8/3744-4111, ext. 707; call for boat schedule; drinks for two VND60,000), a relaxed, unpretentious restaurant with waterside tables where you can ponder the quieter side of Saigon. ✚

Saigon’s Beauty Spots From top: Details at Anupa Horvil’s Mantra; it’s all in the details at YKC Beauty & Hair Spa; limited-edition accessories at Mantra.

■ BEAUTY MOMENT If you’ve been shopping all day, you might want to treat your weary feet at YKC Beauty & Hair Spa (219 Dien Bien Phu, District 3; 84-8/3829-2791; treatments from US$20). “It’s not one of those over-the-top Bali sort of spas,” says Horvil, but “pays attention to the T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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SHOPPING

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HAT STARTED

out as a utilitarian bag designed to lug ice has become, in the course of its 65-year history, a standard-bearer for the American summer getaway.

L.L. Bean’s water-resistant cotton canvas Boat and Tote carryalls are still stitched, one at a time, in a small factory near the original store’s location in Freeport, Maine. The design of this sturdy classic for the flotsam and jetsam of outdoor life—deck shoes; snorkel masks; tent poles; pet toys; bicycle helmets—remains unchanged, but now the handles and the preppy monogram come in colors like deep fuchsia and mango.

The mini version doubles as a purse, and in a pinch, the larger tote can even haul the essentials for a Down East clambake.— S H A N E M I T C H E L L

Cotton canvas L.L. Bean Boat (llbean.com) and Tote bag in extra-large.

L.L. BEAN TOTE

Eco-friendly way ahead of its time, this preppy staple of New England summers never falls out of fashion. Photographed by NIGEL COX T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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| shopping

RECYCLED LOOKS Four Asia-based brands that turn recycled rice bags, candy wrappers and more into fabulous fashion. By HELEN DALLEY

GRIFTED

Located in one of Beijing’s funkiest neighborhoods, this 2-year-old shop stocks off-beat, in-house designed items such as cloth dolls of famous political leaders (Mao, Castro, Obama) and quintessential figures of Chinese life (a merry old man with a bottle of beer and his undershirt rolled up over his generous belly), and cheeky T-shirts.

For all its irreverence, the owner, a New York City native who goes by the moniker PP, takes socially responsible design seriously. Witness her one-of-a-kind bracelets and necklaces fashioned out of brightly colored candy wrappers and baskets made from wine crates salvaged from weddings and funerals. “Many of our items are handmade by local residents to allow a sense of belonging between us and the local community,” PP explains. More plans are afoot to broaden the brand’s green credentials, including using recycled stock for its postcards and wrapping paper. 28 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District; 8610/6402-0409; grifted.com.cn.

Reduce and Reuse Clockwise from above: Clutches by Chako Tokyo; inside Grifted; a tote

by Global Trash Chic; a puppet by Grifted.

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The owner of Bangkok’s kitsch hotel Reflections, Anusorn Ngernyuang has long been interested in environmental issues; one of the guest rooms at Reflections warns guests about global warming, and recycled art pieces are scattered throughout the property. Going a step further, Anusorn launched this label four years ago, which takes sturdy rice bags and juice cartons salvaged from local landfills and turns them into cheerful totes, suitcases, purses, aprons, jewelry boxes, photo frames and even teddy bears. Anusorn says the company now recycles around 2,000 bags a month. Meanwhile, many of his employees are from poor rural villages, and once they’ve received training in Bangkok, they’re allowed to work at home, where they pass on their skills.

“It’s very important for me that the staff really enjoy the work, and it’s much better for them to be at home than stuck in a small room in Bangkok,” he says. 24/2-18 Pradipat Rd.; 66-2/270-3344; global-trashchic.com.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M R I G H T: CO U RT ESY O F G LO BA L T RAS H C H I C ; CO U RT ESY O F G R I F T E D ; CO U RT ESY O F C H A KO TO KYO ; CO U RT ESY O F G R I F T E D

GLOBAL TRASH CHIC

Trashy Chic From left: EcoCouture uses old ad banners; an elegant clutch

by Chako Tokyo.

ECO COUTURE

Javier Serrano, a Madrid-born industrial designer, gives new life to a ubiquitous feature of Hong Kong life: billboards and advertising banners. Made out of PVC sheets, much of Hong Kong’s advertising winds up in landfills, and recycling vinyl is a highly polluting and expensive process. Serrano uses the discarded ads as they are to create hipster messenger and laptop bags, totes and wallets. Another green bonus—10 percent of the brand’s profits go towards WWF Hong Kong’s environmental education programs at local schools and kindergartens. HKDTC Design Gallery, Level One, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai; 852/2584-4146; ecocouture.hk.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F ECO CO U T U R E ; CO U RT ESY O F C H A KO TO KYO

CHAKO TOKYO

The polar opposite of fast fashion, traditional kimonos and obis are meant to last a lifetime. “A lot of man hours go into creating these garments—many are handembroidered or hand-painted,” says Kazumi Nakanishi, a Japanese expatriate living in Hong Kong. “However, most of them sit in people’s armoires for years without seeing daylight.” A lover of traditional textiles, Nakanishi wanted to give these gorgeous items a 21st-century spin, and one day, she asked her mother, a skilled seamstress, to make a handbag out of a vintage obi. A business was born, and Nakanishi now designs a line of glamorous clutches fashioned out of old kimonos and obis. Coming soon is a made-to-order service available online. Sabina Swims: 1st floor, 99F Wellington St., Central; 852/2115-9975 and Indigo: 32A Staunton St., Central; 852/2147-3000. Also visit chakotokyo.com.

stylish traveler

| spotlight Crafty Couple From left: Andrea and Brandon Ross; Nikaya’s Kampuchea necklace; silk jewelry boxes; the Hot Asian Nights pillowcase.

How to Give Back

An expat couple launches a crafts website with a difference. By NAOMI LINDT EVEN YEARS AGO, A NDREA AND BRANDON ROSS traveled to Cambodia, fell in love with the country, and within a year moved to Siem Reap. The young British–American couple also vowed to help this impoverished nation, and in the short time they’ve been there, they’ve accomplished more than most do in a lifetime.

Starting with a socially conscious tour company, Journeys Within ( journeys-within.com), they later founded Journeys Within Our Community ( journeyswithinourcommunity.org), or JWOC, a nonprofit whose good deeds include building wells, providing micro-loans, and offering scholarships to students in Cambodia, Laos and Burma. But the Rosses aren’t resting on their laurels. Their latest venture, Nikaya (nikayahandcrafted.com), sells high-quality, locally produced jewelry, bags, scarves and pillowcases at fair-trade prices, offering local artisans the chance to earn a decent living.

“Since moving here, we’ve been struck by the stunning products being made,” Andrea says. “But beyond selling at the local market, most people don’t have the means to share their work with a larger audience.” Many of these items— fine silk jewelry boxes, layered organza purses, checkered shawls and engraved brass pendants—are sold at the couple’s bed-and-breakfast and on Nikaya’s website, which ships internationally. Fittingly for a company whose name means “community” in Pali, 10 percent of all revenues goes towards JWOC’s projects; 100 percent of the sales of some products—labeled “Giving Back”—are donated.

The pair has now set up a job-training project at a women’s prison, employing the inmates to sew satchels and barbecue aprons from discarded plastic banners. Eventually, they plan to sell fair-trade products from other NGO’s.

“Consumers around the world are always looking for cool, one-of-a-kind products. Nikaya is connecting them with the amazing things made here in Cambodia,” says Andrea.

CAMBODIA

Style with Heart From above: Modeling Nikaya’s Buddha clutch; a brass pendant; a Krama scarf; silk pillowcases.

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Wild Ride Left: Andrea and Brandon Ross in Cambodia.

Below: The Seagrass Sika bag.

I M A G E S C O U R T E S Y O F N I K AYA

S

design | stylish traveler Style with a Conscience Clockwise, from left: Ronald Lo of ECOLS, an eco-minded shop; jewelry made from recycled plastic; what to do with your old CD’s; a handbag made of recycled aluminum pull tabs from cans; the entrance to ECOLS; a stool made of recycled teak.

HONG KONG

GREEN IS GOOD

A shop in NoHo challenges notions of environmentally friendly design. Story and photographs by LARA DAY

LO, THE CEO OF JOIN MERIT MEDIA, a Hong Kong–based outdoor TV advertising company, didn’t start out as an eco-warrior. “I used to work in the media promoting consumerism, but consumerism is one of the world’s big problems,” he says. “Obviously there was a conflict.” After watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Lo decided to peddle environmentally friendly consumerism, and together with business partner Phoebe Yuen, opened an LED lighting store that metamorphosized into ECOLS (8–10 Gough St., Central; 852/3108-4918; ecols.com), a seven-month-old shop cum gallery cum LED showroom.

Located in Hong Kong’s buzzing NoHo district, the stripped-down, 185-square-meter space designed by local architect Gary Chang stretches over two levels and is illuminated entirely be LED lamps, which consume up to 80 percent less energy and last over 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. What’s more, they produce very little heat, helping the store save on air-conditioning costs; Lo says the shop’s electricity bill comes to just HK$1,000 a month.

R

ONALD

The founders match their earnest beliefs with an eye for the cool, the quirky and the cutting-edge, and the store stocks plenty for design mavens to delight in. Sourced from Europe, the United States, Asia and South America, each of the products on display bears ratings on sustainability and style from the ECOLS teams. Recycling never looked so good, with innovative plastic jewelry by French brand Batucada, fair-trade totes fashioned from pull tabs by Escama Studio in Brazil, and irresistibly cute handbags woven from candy wrappers and barcode strips by U.S.based label Ecoist sure to please the fashion-conscious.

Equally eye-catching are the groundbreaking RD Legs chairs made from domestic plastic waste—such as water bottles—by the U.K.’s Cohda Design, and coffee tables constructed out of timber scraps by Osisu in Thailand. By choosing such playfully inventive designs, Lo hopes he can convert other Hong Kongers. “Being green is actually fun,” he points out. “People respond to that.” ✚

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Tim Gunn’s Packing Tips Project Runway fashion guru shows T+L how to keep things simple when it comes to packing Y TRAVELS ARE SO UNGLAMOROUS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA,” says Liz Claiborne chief creative officer Tim Gunn, the Project Runway host and former Parsons design professor.

Gunn regularly travels for work from his home in New York City to Los Angeles, “the nation’s other fashion capital.” Here, he shares his business-travel must-haves and tells how to “make it work” (to use his famous catchphrase). 1 & 5 His standard travel uniform: A dark John Bartlett suit and a neutral tie. “I try to travel without a tie, but if I’m getting off a plane and have to do television, I wear it instead of packing it, to avoid wrinkles.” 2 “I’m a Lab Series addict. I primp and groom more on the road: clay masks, loofahs—I treat a hotel bathroom like a personal spa.” 3 “I always check my Tumi roll-aboard—I don’t bother with toiletries in one-ounce sizes.” 4 A Jack Spade messenger bag in black Teflon-coated canvas keeps everything dry.” 6 & 7 Gunn never travels without a Tide to Go pen (for unforeseen mishaps) and packs his own soap, from Pears. 8 He also brings his Gateway laptop along. “Its tiny size is perfect for the plane.” 9 & 10 When packing, attention to detail is important: “I make certain that if I have a shirt with French cuffs, I pack cuff links. I’ve learned the hard way—paper clips can look modern and chic, but only in a pinch.”—M I C H A E L G R O S S

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heatwave STOCKISTS Douglas Hanant www. douglashannant.com; Anne Klein www.anneklein.com; Chanel www.chanel.com; MCL www.xxxxxxxxx.com; RJ Graaziano www.xxxxxxxx.com; Chloe www.chloe.com; Leslie Danzis www.xxxxxxxxxx.com.

With Manilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coconut Palace as a backdrop, lose yourself in a comfortable collection that will help you beat the warm weather. Photographed by

NAT PRAKOBSANTISUK. Styled by ARAYA INDRA

Bikini, Louis Vuitton; necklace, Bea Valdes; bracelet, Wynn Wynn Ong.

Silk chiffon dress, Fendi; ring and earrings, bag with shells, amber and white jade, Wynn Wynn Ong.

LamĂŠ kimono and sandals, Louis Vuitton; kimono belt, Bea Valdes; leather belt, Louis Vuitton; bracelet and earrings, Wynn Wynn Ong.

Silk jersey dress, necklace and bracelets, Chanel; belt, Bea Valdes.

Opposite: Silk trousers, Hugo Boss; embroidered vest and necklace, Bea Valdes; rings and bracelets, Wynn Wynn Ong; sandals, Louis Vuitton; bag, Bea Valdes.

Silk chiffon kaftan, Hermès; embroidered belt, Bea Valdes; cuff and earrings, Wynn Wynn Ong. Hair and make-up: Chechel Johnson for Max Factor.

Model: Alexandra / IM Agency.

Photographer’s Assistant: Sang Arun Champawan.

STOCKISTS Bea Valdes beavaldes.com Chanel chanel.com Fendi fendi.com Hermès hermes.com Hugo Boss hugoboss.com Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com Wynn Wynn Ong nagajewelry.com

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Special Promotion

Festival of Lights

T

In November, Thai rivers and skies across the country blaze with beauty

o experience one of the most enchanting events in

Rattanakosin-style Loi Krathong on the Chao Phraya River,

Asia, head for Thailand in November for Loi

at Santi Chaiphrakan Fort and other historical sites, as well

Krathong. This traditional and richly romantic

as from riverside restaurants and hotels. In the ancient

celebration is traditionally held on the full moon night of the

capital of Sukhothai, meanwhile, the Loi Krathong and

twelfth lunar month, falling this year in the rst week of

Candle Festival is celebrated with a procession of offerings

November. The origins of Loi Krathong are shrouded in

to pay homage to the great King Ramkamhaeng’s

mystery, myth and legend, which only add to the attraction.

monument, after which locals and visitors alike gather and

Some believe that the oating of a Krathong—a small,

oat their krathongs.

decorated oat or cup— in a river or waterway appeases

In Chiang Mai, the Yi Peng Festival sees the famous

the River Goddess, while others believe the ritual worships

balloon-like Khom Loi lanterns, including re and smoke

the footprint of the Lord Buddha or that it pays respect to

lanterns, launched into the sky as a symbol of worship and

one of his great disciples.

also to represent the ying away of grief and bad luck. In

Whatever the origin, to be part of Loi Krathong is to be

Tak province, the Loi Krathong Sai Festival is celebrated

part of Thai culture, and, it is believed, the oating of a

with thousands of people gathering at the riverbanks and

krathong can help keep bad luck at bay and give couples

oating their lit krathongs. Or head for Ayutthya for

an extra helping hand in love. The great thing is that you

spectacular events, including cultural shows,

can experience the magic of this night throughout Thailand.

entertainment, and a food and goods fair.

In Bangkok, for example, visitors can witness the exquisite splendor and elaborate beauty of the

Make this year a magical one and join us for this fantastic feast for the eyes and the soul.

For more information, visit www.tourismthailand.org

~ T R E N D S ,

C U L T U R E ,

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A

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M O R E ~

T+L Journal AUSTRALIA FOOD 91 GOLF 96

Wild Retreats

Can one luxury lodge tip the balance on a remote island best known for unspoiled beaches and kangaroos? BRUCE SCHOENFELD

considers the possible ramiďŹ cations.

Photographed by CEDRIC ANGELES

The Great Room lounge at Southern Ocean Lodge, on Kangaroo Island.

Inset: A familiar face at the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat.

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| preservation Local Menus From left: Penneshaw’s Fish Café; a seafood cone of fried prawns, scallops, and salt-and-pepper squid at the Rockpool Café, in Stokes Bay; chef–owner Matthew Johnson at the Rockpool Café.

I

DROVE MY FIRST HALF-HOUR ON K ANGAROO ISLAND

without seeing another car. I was on one of the main thoroughfares connecting the airport and Stokes Bay: a rutted dirt road that hugs the northern coast. When I passed a maintenance truck idling in the scrub, I couldn’t help skidding to a stop. I wanted reassurance that the landscape around me was, in fact, inhabited.

At Stokes Bay, the road ended near a few small cottages and a deserted beach. I pulled up to what looked like an abandoned trailer. This turned out to be the Rockpool Café, where I’d booked a table. This place was clearly no relation to Neil Perry’s renowned Rockpool in Sydney, where the cost of an average dinner probably exceeds the value of this entire establishment. I wrestled with a locked front door, mounted an investigation around back, stumbled upon what proved to be a rear entrance, then found a room outfitted with three picnic tables, stacks of board games, and a chalkboard for a menu. Once the chef emerged from behind the stove, I ordered the local whiting, then enjoyed one of the tastiest pieces of fish of my life, seasoned and grilled with a deft minimalism. “Caught over there,” said Matthew Johnson, the chef and owner, with a dismissive wave toward the water.

I’d made the brief flight from Adelaide to see the ambitious new Southern Ocean Lodge, a retreat combining

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true ecotourism with extravagant amenities along a picturesque stretch of coastline on the southern shore. What I found was an appealing remoteness even in the island’s populated areas—let alone the prehistoric bogs and lonely beaches that surrounded them—and an island that existed as a world unto itself, bearing little relation to the Australia I knew. “The 13 kilometers between here and the mainland, it could be three continents,” said Sue Pearson, a chef who emigrated to Kangaroo Island from England in 2000.

Those namesake kangaroos, which bound from the underbrush with such abandon, are a subspecies not found elsewhere; they’re smaller, darker and have more fur. The island’s koala population has multiplied to such an extent that a sterilization program is under way. Its honeybees, imported from Italy in the 1880’s, are the world’s only remaining pure specimens of the Ligurian strain, while a few hundred endangered glossy black cockatoos flit from one to another of the stately casuarina trees. Its fairy penguins, barely a foot high, bear a striking resemblance to Bloom County’s Opus. Sea lions, fur seals and wallabies abound.

For the collector of sightings of rare, freakish and improbable animals, this is one-stop shopping.

The 4,260 people who have spread themselves out across a landmass not much larger than Rhode Island constitute their own peculiar breed. They pronounce themselves eager for

Scene Stealers From left: Weirs Cove, on the island’s southwestern coast; a breakfast of asparagus wrapped in pancetta over poached eggs at Hog Bay Hill; one of three gardens at the Hog Bay Hill guesthouse, in Penneshaw, where an uncomplicated lifestyle is the aim.

tourism but do little to attract it. Like several hotels and restaurants I encountered, Rockpool Café couldn’t be bothered to have a sign. “The tourism infrastructure has been very slow to get here,” said Sophie Newland, an émigré from the mainland who opened Hog Bay Hill guest cottage, where I stayed, in March 2007.

Almost everyone I met on Kangaroo Island had been drawn here by the uncomplicated lifestyle. Yet they shrugged off any intimation that it might someday be threatened. “If it ever were, someone would complain,” said Susan Berlin, who owns Island Pure Sheep Dairy. Added Pearson, “People here are so passionate about what they have, they won’t let it change.” After spending time on the island, I sure hoped so.

But I couldn’t help worrying that the Southern Ocean Lodge—and the developments likely to follow it—would drastically alter Kangaroo Island’s international profile.

The lodge itself, set kilometers from the nearest building and an hour from the airport, is unobtrusive until you’re almost directly upon it. Then it’s breathtaking. Local limestone and glass fill dramatic public spaces. The 21 rooms snake along a bluff overlooking the water, offering an in situ wilderness experience mitigated by Wi-Fi, Modernist furniture and a stocked mini-bar. Floors are heated, bathrooms are glass-walled, linens are 500-count and the ratio of guests to staff is an Amanresorts-like 2 to 1.

Its owners, James and Hayley Baillie, who also run Capella Lodge, on the even more remote Lord Howe Island, are saying all the right things about sustainability, sourcing provisions locally and leaving the smallest possible footprint on the area’s ecology. Cliff-top hikes, penguin treks, beach walks and natural-history lectures encourage the requisite communion with the outdoors. An environment fund, created in partnership with South Australia’s government and relying in part on voluntary contributions from guests, is targeted to raise as much as US$50,000 annually, and more than 97 hectares acres of the 101-hectare site are earmarked to remain undeveloped. When I visited, I was given more information on the resort’s eco-practices than on what I might expect to eat for dinner.

The lodge is clearly targeting an affluent, worldly-wise traveler who previously wouldn’t have considered a visit to the island. (When I asked a hotel executive for the demographic of the typical guest, he answered, in all seriousness, “Nicole Kidman.”) Already, Southern Ocean Lodge has shone a spotlight on a place unaccustomed to such glare. “What we’re doing here will certainly raise the island’s profile,” said Tim Bourke, the chef, who’d worked in London. He meant that as a positive. I wasn’t so sure.

Perhaps Southern Ocean Lodge is a one-off, a singular exception to an otherwise low-decibel brand of tourism. » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Island Tastes From left: The granite Remarkable Rocks, in Flinders Chase National Park; sheep’s-milk cheese at Island Pure Sheep Dairy; Susan Berlin tending her flock at the dairy.

But the last few hundred years of human existence lead me to believe that a place this Edenic isn’t likely to remain so for long. Similarly remote locales such as Mexico’s Yucatán, the Maldives and the Galápagos off of South America attracted so many pilgrims seeking an unspoiled experience that—in a sort of hospitality-industry version of the Heisenberg Principle—the areas themselves were fundamentally and permanently altered.

I’d seen the transformation of Spain’s Costa del Sol, Phuket, Waikiki, even in parts of the Caribbean, all of which had once lured visitors with empty seacoasts, a relaxed cadence and authentic cultural connections. In a mere generation or two, places that had remained the same for centuries were changed beyond recognition. Perhaps it’s a stretch to connect the dots to Kangaroo Island, but the island is only a short hop from Adelaide, a major city, and a single connection away from nonstops to Europe, Asia and the Americas. The compelling story unfolding there, it seemed to me, wasn’t at the Southern Ocean Lodge, but all around it.

Statistics claim that 175,000 outsiders visit Kangaroo Island annually. Where they go, I have no idea. At last count, there are more kilometers of coastline (429) than there are hotel rooms (250). “You go to a beach,” says Jenny Clifford, 86

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A dozen or so pensioners milled around. ‘We’re off to see the koalas,’ one said, in a voice from a hundred BBC sitcoms

an island native who owns Clifford’s Honey Farm with her husband, Dave, “and you’re the only one there.”

Pulling up to their farm, I spied a bus in the dirt parking lot. The dozen or so pensioners milling around looked like they’d just arrived from a walking tour of the Cotswolds.

Their knee-length shorts had pockets inside pockets; floppy bush hats dangled around their necks. On a quick day trip from Adelaide, they had only a few minutes to settle on a souvenir before returning to the bus. “We’re off to see the koalas,” one of the tourists said, in a voice from a hundred BBC sitcoms.

Clifford’s is one of a growing number of specialty food producers on the island. Like others of its kind, it thrives because of restrictive policies put in place to keep Kangaroo

All Natural From left: A road dotted with narrowleaved mallee trees, near Penneshaw; preparing to collect honey at Clifford’s Honey Farm, in Haines; purebred Ligurian bees at the honey farm.

Island biologically pristine. (Attempting to bring your own honey onto the island, or even a bag of trail mix, is like arriving at customs in Peshawar with a stack of Playboys.)

Many of these growers, such as Island Pure and Kangaroo Island Abalone, sell goods to Southern Ocean Lodge. “We’re an isolated community,” Berlin said. “If they want something, they’ve got to get it from here, don’t they?”

Hotels, of course, are a different sort of product. They don’t merely offer a bed for the night, but a tone, a mood, an experience. Sophie Newland’s Hog Bay Hill, in Kangaroo Island’s northeastern corner, has only three rooms, each with a deck and a panoramic view, and is furnished with her discerning eye. There’s no restaurant, but Newland sometimes serves dinner. The night I ate there, the featured attraction was the local abalone, served with somen noodles, bok choy, piquant Chinese sausage and a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Cape d’Estaing, the best of the small wineries on the island. The full-throttle red wasn’t a natural match with the spicy seafood, but I loved the idea that so much of what I was consuming had its origins a few kilometers away—and that Newland herself joined us to share dessert.

The next morning, with the sun still below the horizon, I went wandering. From the end of the inn’s driveway I could

just see the hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula on the mainland. A kangaroo the size of an ATM sprang from the trees and crossed my path. I was eager to see others, but I’d arranged to meet Sue Pearson for coffee. Her résumé lists stints as a chef at the Ivy in London and the Pier in Sydney, two of the English-speaking world’s more serious restaurants. Now she does catering and owns a storefront fish-and-chips shop in Penneshaw, a town as trim and shuttered as Ferness, the tiny Scottish village in Local Hero.

It seemed odd that Pearson could be fulfilled deep-frying fillets for the same handful of people night after night. But when I thought about it further, I understood. If Sophie Newland had more entrepreneurial drive, she’d grow her three-room cottage into a full-fledged inn. If Graham Allison of Cape d’Estaing wanted to capitalize on its success, he’d plant more vines and make more wine. But then, they’d probably never have moved to K.I. in the first place. “People come in and say, ‘You could expand!’ ” Pearson said. “And we say, ‘We’re all set. We’re happy. We’ve got a bit of money.

And we’re here.’ ” On an island this sparsely populated, one keeps seeing the same faces. When I happened upon Sorrento’s, an Italian restaurant in Penneshaw, I found a table there full of people I’d already met, including Newland and her boyfriend, » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Remote Luxury From left: The glass-and-limestone exterior of Southern Ocean Lodge; a corridor of guest suites, which are set against the wilds of the island; the view from a terrace at the lodge.

Justin Harman. They were dining, it turned out, with someone I’d wanted to meet: Jayne Bates, the island’s mayor.

Bates clearly shared her constituents’ ambivalence about tourism. “We want to encourage development and money being spent,” she told me. “But it’s all about keeping vigilant.” She made sure I knew that there is no McDonald’s on the island (though I couldn’t imagine that anyone would have tried to open one), no movie theater and only three elevators. “We walk a fine line,” she said.

When I wondered where I might see another kangaroo before I left, Harman offered to drive me to the best spot.

We left the road at a dirt path and rambled to a clearing.

Suddenly, marsupials were springing past our headlights like goblins in the night. Sitting in the car, watching this otherworldly ballet, I had a disturbing vision of future resorts on the site. Each in itself would be tastefully restrained and well conceived, but taken together the increased development would drive the kangaroos farther and farther into the interior. Soon they’d be foraging for food in backyards, or even dodging BMW’s on a newly improved road system.

Does Martha’s Vineyard still have vineyards? I wondered to myself. Does Oyster Bay have oysters? Is Paradise Island still paradise?

N

0

1200 km

GETTING THERE Kangaroo Island is only a halfhour flight from Adelaide, the closest major city. Regional Express (rex.com.au) and Air

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South (airsouth.com.au) both offer daily service. At the island’s airport, car rentals are available through Budget Rent A Car (61-8/855-53-3133), while Kangaroo Island Transfers (61-4/2788-7575; kitransfers.com.au) provides regular shuttles into the nearby city of Kingscote.

WHERE TO STAY Hog Bay Hill Wrights Rd., Penneshaw; 61-8/85531394; hogbayhill.com; doubles from A$270, breakfast included.

GREAT VALUE

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Southern Ocean Lodge Hanson Bay; 61-2/9918-4355; southernoceanlodge.com.au; doubles from A$900, allinclusive, two-night minimum.

WHERE TO SIP Sunset Winery Hog Bay Rd., Penneshaw; 61-8/8553-1378; tasting for two A$18.

WHERE TO EAT Fish Café Off the Sealink ramp, Penneshaw; 61-4/3980-3843; lunch for two A$22.

WHAT TO DO Clifford’s Honey Farm Elsegood Rd., Haines; 61-8/8553-8295; cliffordshoney.com.au.

Rockpool Café North Coast Rd., Stokes Bay; 61-8/8559-2277; lunch for two A$36.

Island Pure Sheep Dairy Gum Creek Rd., Cygnet River; 61-8/8553-9110.

Sorrento’s Restaurant 49 North Terrace, Penneshaw; 61-8/85531028; dinner for two A$90.

Kangaroo Island Abalone North Coast Rd., Smith Bay; 61-8/85535322; kiab.com.au.

M A P B Y YA N I L TA C T U K

GUIDE TO KANGAROO ISLAND

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food | t+l journal

Moscow, Revisited The days of the oligarchs may be numbered, but Russia’s bling-crazy capital is still home to some of the country’s best restaurants. ANYA VON BREMZEN seeks out her birth city’s new tastes. Photographed by CHRISTIAN KERBER

RUSSIA

The main dining room at Bosco Bar, off Moscow’s Red Square. Inset: St. Basil’s Cathedral, on Red Square.

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The Konditerskaya Pushkin, on Moscow’s Tverskoi Bulvar, above left. Right: Its traditional berry-and-poppy-seed cake.

24 HOURS IN MOSCOW AND I’VE already ingested a year’s worth of foie gras at a glitzy fashion reception, nearly gotten trampled at the Revolution Square metro station, and been insulted by bus drivers and dill-hawking babushkas because I don’t radiate the finger-snapping imperiousness demanded by the world’s brashest capital.

Oddly, I find all the rudeness endearing. I feel like I’m home again, back in the U.S.S.R. of my childhood.

“Forget politesse—Muscovites respect only power,” instructs my old friend J. He and I are reconnecting over flaky pirozhki and almond croissants at Konditerskaya Pushkin, a neo-Baroque pastry annex of the ever-popular Café Pushkin. Once a pillar of the scruffy Moscow intelligentsia, J. is now a contemporary-art czar. He shares plans for a sculpture show on the roof of the FSB (ex-KGB) headquarters. “Imagine the hype!” he chuckles. He describes his fondness for restaurants like Semifreddo, an oligarch’s dining club with 1,572 Russian rubles (US$50) scampi carpaccios. “And soul? Redemption?” I tease. My Dostoyevskian mockery hits a nerve. “Aah, what’s become of us?” J. wonders, darkening. Hmm, interesting question.

The Moscow I grew up in during the stagnation of the Brezhnev era had no oligarchs or almond croissants—only soul and stale sausage. Now, back on one of my regular visits from New York, with my mother and boyfriend in tow, I’m

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even more bewildered than usual. Glamurno is the new most popular word in the Russian vocabulary, and this defiant profligacy seems unabated by recent tumbles. Faded old mansions have become garish replicas of their old selves— complete with two-Bentley garages. “It’s like Dubai with Pushkin statues,” exclaims my boyfriend, Barry, here for the first time. “A strange carnival,” adds my mother, who left 30 years ago. We pass a Maserati showroom near a house where we once lived—nine families sharing one bathroom in a ghastly communal apartment. “Nobody seems to remember the deprivations!” Mom laments.

Me, I don’t have time to regret collective oblivions. I’m too busy digesting Moscow’s booming restaurant scene. London minimalism, Romanov pomp, Tokyo appropriation, Cossack kitsch—it’s all here somewhere in a city that never stops eating, krizis or no krizis. You can even have a delicious arugula salad while gazing out at Lenin’s mausoleum and St. Basil’s candy-colored domes—as we do one lunchtime at Bosco Bar. Every tourist trap should be like Bosco Bar (adjacent to the expensive Bosco Café), with its prime Red Square tables and surprisingly elegant pastas and salads served alongside Russian classics. While Mom moons over the soulful dacha-style fried potatoes with mushrooms and Barry ponders the Kremlin, I scan the Russian food press.

Apparently, this season’s hot story is about Moscow’s new embrace of domestic ingredients, which doesn’t sound like a

story—until you notice that here, in one of the world’s richest agricultural countries, even the onions in the supermarkets are imported from Holland. Curious, I call my friend Igor, owner of two popular restaurants. “I get my ingredients mainly from France,” he admits. Local farmers produce excellent stuff, he explains, but most of it bottlenecks in the bureaucracy. Bribe-loving lawmakers create endless obstacles. “I’m always feeding political bigwigs,” says Igor, “and I tell them, ‘Stay out of our business, so we can feed you better!’ ” Perhaps there’s hope. Russia’s current food fights echo the Westernizers-versus-Slavophiles debates of the mid 19th century. The most recent wave of Westernizers has hooked Muscovites on Ibérico ham and burrata. Shunning Cyrillic, it has spawned restaurants named Suzy Wong Bar or Cherry Mio. But Slavophiles are fighting back. The unlikely leader of this return to the soil is molecular-minded chef Anatoly Komm, darling of European avant-garde food circles. Not

only does Komm deconstruct borscht and herring into capsules and gels at his new restaurant, Varvary, but he does so using exclusively Russian products, nurturing regional growers. Perhaps because of this, dinner at Varvary costs a golden arm and a leg. So, instead we head to the self-service Stolovaya No. 57, Moscow’s other new homegrown hotspot.

No gels or foams here at this doting replica of a Communist-era stolovaya (workers’ canteen) within the ritzy GUM department store. Just smoky pea soup, oladyi (small, lacy blini) fried in rich Vologda butter and cleanly rendered herring under a fur coat (a.k.a. beet salad), that sine qua non of a proletarian repast, served on grayish stolovaya-issue dishware. Mom’s almost in tears at the archival respect for the past. The golden schnitzels and rosy franks look like their Technicolor photos in the Book of Healthy and Tasty Cuisine, a beloved Stalin-era kitchen bible. Long lines at the cashier add authenticity. Everyone’s here: Kremlin staffers and slinky GUM salesgirls, a millionaire and his bodyguard, all »

What’s Old is New Clockwise from below left: Lunch at Bosco Bar’s; Bosco Bar’s silyanka soup; Stolovaya No. 57, at GUM department store; the Rococo-style interior at Turandot restaurant; the hostess at Nedalny Vostok; bottles of oil on display at Nedalny Vostok.

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Back in the U.S.S.R. Clockwise from top left: A server in traditional Ukrainian costume at Shinok restaurant; sturgeon kebabs at Barashka, an Azeri-style restaurant; the staff at Barashka; the State Historical Museum, as seen from the Ritz-Carlton Moscow.

clearing their own dishes, nostalgic for the days of the “classless society.” Apparently, Muscovites do remember. But here’s the irony: this simulacrum of the Homo sovieticus dining experience was created by a multinational luxury brand, Bosco di Ciliegi, owners of Bosco Bar. I forgive Moscow restaurants their theme-parkishness.

After all, it was less than 20 years ago that a dining-out culture re-emerged from long decades of Socialist shortages.

A Soviet restoran was a place where thugs groped peroxided blondes while a band blasted. When privately owned restaurants first started popping up in the late 1980’s, most Soviets were still pickling their own cabbage and brewing samogon (moonshine) using cheapo candies, because even sugar was scarce. Food critics date a Western-style dining 94

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scene to the 1992 opening of Sirena by restaurant überimpresario Arkady Novikov. After introducing the civilized pleasures of oysters on ice, Novikov rose to become Moscow’s ruling restaurateur, a coolmeister with infinite influence and some four dozen establishments in his US$40 million portfolio. New Moscow’s current adulation of London-style sleekness? Blame Novikov. That omnipresent menu mix of carpaccios and sushi, foie gras on brioche and black bread with herring? Novikov again.

Wherever the coolmeister goes, the jeunesse dorée follows.

Tonight, everyone’s having spicy tuna rolls, tandoori duck and stupendous Kamchatka crab—the new “it” comestible—prepared with great skill and Asian flair at Novikov’s Nedalny Vostok. Young dudes in Roberto Cavalli

velvets and animal prints actually blend into the décor, a postmodern tour de force of mixed textures and surfaces created by Super Potato, the cult Japanese design firm.

Industrialists’ daughters cluster together pouting over their green teas—worried, perhaps, about their dads’ petrofortunes. “Oligarchs? They’re nanogarchs now!” hoots the gypsy-cab driver we flag down to get home. Then he blames us—Americans—for Russia’s financial collapse.

We get blamed again the next day—by a manager showing us around the eye-popping Turandot restaurant.

This grandiose folly was erected by Novikov’s archrival, Andrey Dellos, who owns Café Pushkin up the street. “A slap in the face of the minimalism-loving elite!” is how Dellos, a former artist, describes his brand of unrestrained luxury.

Turandot is his masterpiece of Rococo on steroids: an invented 18th-century palace crammed with chinoiserie, frescoes and damask that took 500 artisans, six years, and a reported US$50 million to create. “Shame on you, moneyobsessed American press, always writing about what Mr. Dellos spent,” rebukes the manager. “Who can put a price on cultural patrimony?” In a semicircular chamber under a sky-blue dome we play Marie Antoinette as comrades in powdered wigs serve us fusiony fare. The fanciful dim sum, the crispy duck salad ringed by a wreath of greens, the venison pirozhki with black-pepper-and-oyster sauce—all are tasty, as they should be at these prices. Barry reports that the urinals in the men’s room are made of delft porcelain.

After lunch he and I are off to the All-Russia Exhibition Center, my favorite Moscow spot. Mom, an old dissident, passes on this vast Socialist Realist wonderland built in 1939 to glorify collectivization. The propaganda-kitsch sprawl of Stalinist pavilions now houses vendors of souvenirs. As a kid I adored the Friendship of Nations fountain: a gilded lollapalooza of collective farm maidens in the national garbs of the 15 erstwhile Soviet republics encircling a gigantic bundle of wheat. “Where’s that colonialist agrarian fantasy now?” Barry quips. “Russia’s cutting off Ukraine’s gas… hammering Georgia.” Suddenly I’m overcome with a childish desire to turn back the clock with a spin through the kitchens of the former republics.

Our first stop, Barashka, is Azerbaijan as imagined by Novikov. The smart, understated design is more Belgravia than Baku, but the vibrant cuisine—related to that of Persia—would do an Azeri grandmother proud. Mom’s back on board as we sip sage tea from cut-crystal glasses and try succulent Caspian sturgeon kebabs and herbaceous lamb stews spooned onto aromatic basmati-rice pilafs. Farther up Novy Arbat, a Khrushchev-era grand boulevard, Georgia is represented by a cavernous restaurant called Genatsvale Arbat, where the kitchen spins out its own spicy regional feast. Khachapuri pies ooze pungent cheese; knotted khinkali dumplings squirt peppery meat juices into our mouths; chicken satsivi is cloaked in a complex walnut sauce tinted

London minimalism, Romanov pomp, Cossack kitsch—it’s all here in a city that never stops EATING

yellow with marigold petals. “Remember how Georgia was our Sicily?” Mom reminisces—a land of sun, citrus, inky wines and epic corruption. I ask for Georgian wine. “My beauty,” the waiter snorts, “you forget about Moscow’s embargo on Georgian exports?”

Next day, it’s Ukraine’s turn. We eat more dumplings (this time, sour-cherry vareniki) at Shinok, a faux-farmhouse extravaganza. Animals wander a glass-enclosed courtyard while waitresses in embroidered blouses deliver folkloric earthenware pots of robust meaty borscht, smoked suckling pig and dense slices of freshly baked rye bread draped with snow-white petals of that wholesomely Ukrainian treat: cured lard. Hog-happy, we keep it Ukrainian the following day at Taras Bulba Korchma. At this raucous, democratically priced Cossack-themed chain, the food may lack the finesse of Shinok, but the garlic-studded cold pork, sour-creamed braised rabbit and porcini caps pickled with black-currant leaf are just right with the horseradish-infused vodka. When we befriend a gaggle of traffic cops here celebrating someone’s promotion, the convivial policemen draw us a little chart of how much of a bribe each moving violation requires. Then they propose an archaic U.S.S.R. toast.

Which is how we end up drinking—and drinking and drinking—to the friendship of nations. ✚

GUIDE TO MOSCOW DINING Barashka 21/1 Novy Arbat; 7-495/228-3731; lunch for two RUB1,886.

Borscht and fresh bread at Shinok.

Bosco Bar 3 Red Square; 7-495/627-3703; lunch for two RUB1,729.

Genatsvale Arbat 11/2 Novy Arbat; 7-495/203-9453; dinner for two RUB2,672.

Konditerskaya Pushkin 26/5 Tverskoi Bul.; 7-495/204-4280; pastries for two RUB786.

Square; 7-495/788-4343; lunch for two RUB629.

Nedalny Vostok 15/2 Tverskoi Bul.; 7-495/694-0641; dinner for two RUB3,773.

Taras Bulba Korchma 30/7 Petrovka Ul.; 7-495/694-6082; dinner for two RUB1,258.

Shinok 2 Ul. 25 Goda; 7-495/6518101; lunch for two RUB3,144.

Turandot 26/5 Tverskoi Bul.; 7-495/739-0011; lunch for two RUB3,300.

Stolovaya No. 57 GUM, 3 Red

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Aiming for

Green

Though popular around Asia, golf is often seen as an environmental nightmare.

PAUL SPENCER SOCHACZEWSKI

explains why it doesn’t have to be so

generating themes: Politics, religion and the idea that golf is bad for the environment are favorites. The first two are endless discussions.

But I’m more concerned with the golf debate, since anti-golf proponents seem as numerous as golfers themselves.

Taking a positive approach to the topic is Greg Norman, the highly successful Australian professional golfer who also designs courses. “Golf courses can be community assets.

Not only can they elevate property values, create jobs and provide tax revenues, they can also provide green spaces, filter air, purify water and create wildlife habitat.”

Still, I needed more than that to be convinced so I went to Singapore in search of my own answer. At the city’s Keppel Club, and elsewhere throughout Southeast Asia, are indications that suggest “good” golf courses exist, and that a well-managed course can be beneficial both for nature and for people.

These are not insignificant issues, given that there are an estimated 18 million golfers in Asia who play on 3,700 18-hole courses—more than a quarter of them built since 1990—according to the R&A, a St. Andrews, Scotland-based organization that serves as the game’s rules and development body. With many more courses under development throughout Asia—Vietnam alone has 18 golf courses open for business, 58 under construction, with a further 68 having applied for licenses— the questions revolving around golf and the environment take on more gravity.

Water use; contamination from fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; and land conversion are the main issues surrounding golf courses, and all lead towards the question of long-term environmental impact. “Courses get developed and the land and communities are changed, though not necessarily permanently,” says Christopher Plante, director of environmental programs at The Asia Foundation. “In the last 15 years, I have walked through abandoned golf courses in Southeast Asia that have pretty much returned to their original state, including a revitalized watershed capacity and wildlife habitat cover.”

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L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F R E D M O U N TA I N G O L F C O U R S E . A B OV E : C O U R T E SY O F S O F I T E L A N G KO R

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P H O K E E T H R A G O L F A N D S P A R E S O R T. O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F B A N G K O K G O L F C L U B

The course at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra resort. Below right: Teeing off at the Bangkok Golf Club. Below left: The Red Mountain Golf Course, in Phuket.

Like all of Singapore’s 32 courses, the Keppel Club must ADHERE to stringent environmental regulations

Plante adds that golf courses can be environmentally friendly, with careful planning. “Communities should be involved earlier and more often in the development,” he says.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am biased. As well as an avid golfer, I work in the nature conservation field and am chairman of the Swiss-based International Golf and Life Foundation (IGOLF), a nonprofit organization that promotes eco-friendly golf. I had been told that Singapore’s Keppel Club is one that sets a good standard. Within sight of Sentosa Island, the club was established in 1904 and now has some 4,000 members playing about 5,500 rounds a month.

As I tee off on the hilly, lush and difficult inner-city course, my mind overflows with mental baggage. I have the usual golfing thoughts clamoring around my head—straight back, bend right elbow, follow through. But I also have a head full of information that indicates Keppel has got it right.

When he took over as the club’s president, Edwin Khew instituted a “Go Green” master plan to make Keppel an “environmental standard bearer.” Khew, a nominated MP, engineer and industrialist specializing in transforming waste into renewable energy, explains that the plan includes extensive planting of trees and shrubs, which encourages birds, butterflies and animals to reproduce; waste management; outreach to the community and to members; and “green operations” such as energy saving and recycling.

Such efforts, he says, can also benefit the bottom line.

Recycling organic waste and turning it into bio-compost, for instance, saves several thousand dollars annually.

From the elevated open-air restaurant next to the first tee, I could see how several of Keppel’s holes parallel Berlayer Creek, a significant mangrove swamp. Desmond Chua, Keppel’s deputy general manager, explains that not only does the club help work with the city to manage the mangrove, but it has instituted awareness programs with upstream residents and local schools, to inform them about the importance of this scarce natural resource, which lies on club property.

While this sounds like an almost-utopian situation, in recent years Singapore’s outspoken conservation groups have vocally opposed new golf courses. Alan OwYong, a consultant in the satellite communications industry and a member of Keppel Club, says “Things are better now, largely because there is more dialogue. Courses are listening to the advice given by the conservationists.”

Admittedly, Keppel Club doesn’t have much choice in whether or not to be a good environmental citizen. Like all of Singapore’s 32 courses, Keppel must adhere to stringent environmental regulations—in Asia, only Japan has similarly tough rules. Of particular importance in Singapore is the maintenance of an independent water supply. Each of Singapore’s golf courses borders on one of the country’s 15 reservoirs and must comply with stringent pollution-control requirements, which are strictly enforced in the city-state. » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Keppel Club’s conservation work has been recognized by the Nature Society (Singapore), which, in a 2008 report, noted “although it is not itself a wildlife sanctuary, it has over the decades of its existence become increasingly indispensable as a wildlife corridor ... for birdlife.”

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HE PICTURE IS FAR MORE CONTENTIOUS

elsewhere in Asia. Golf developments have become a hot-button issue. South African Gary Player, another golf legend who also has his own golf-course design business, predicts that water issues will be the key factor in whether new golf courses get construction permits from local authorities. “A course’s irrigation needs can keep 60,000 people in water for a year,” Player says.

“Everyone thinks that if you put a tap on there’s water to be had, but that is coming to an end.” Part of the solution, he feels, lies in using effluent, or “gray,” water for irrigation, along with other conservation measures.

“Golf courses—like many things—are not simply good or evil,” Bruce Tolentino, a director at The Asia Foundation, points out. Some are wasteful or environmentally destructive, while others are as environmentally friendly as current technology allows. “As we learn more about the environmental impact of what we do,” Tolentino says, “we see courses adjusting in response.”

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I still needed to see for myself. So I went to Cambodia to see how to handle the challenge of building a course in a seasonally dry region. In designing the new Phokeethra course in the historic city of Siem Reap, Thai architect Weerayudth Phetbuasak worked with Sofitel, the resort’s managing company, to provide adequate water without harming the ecosystem or jeopardizing the water supply of local farmers. To do so, he created 19 lakes holding 800,000 cubic meters to collect rainwater for irrigation, and a pumping system to channel the water through all the water hazards on the course.

Other Asian courses have addressed environmental challenges in different ways. Red Mountain Golf Course on Phuket was built on a disused tin mine, a good example of restoration ecology in which a devastated, empty landscape has been transformed into a vibrant relatively natural ecosystem. Today the course has become a haven for wild birds seeking a sanctuary on an island where green space is fast disappearing.

Vietnam Golf and Country Club, outside Ho Chi Minh City, takes a “minimalist approach” to fertilizer and pesticide use, according to Blair Cornthwaite, the club’s general manager. One innovative strategy is to use the organic by-product produced by a nearby monosodium glutamatefactory to produce liquid organic fertilizer.

Bangkok Golf Club has taken a pro-active route to promoting biodiversity—they have planted some 2,500 species of plants and trees and introduced a wide variety of local waterfowl and other birds to create an “all-natural” aviary.

F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F BA N G KO K G O L F C LU B ; CO U RT ESY O F V I E T N A M G O L F A N D CO U N T RY C LU B

‘All land use has an impact on the environment. The trick is to minimize damage and enhance natural VALUES’

R I G H T: CO U RT E SY O F S O F I T E L A N G KO R P H O K E E T H R A G O L F A N D S PA R E S O RT

Green Designs Below: On the verandah at Sofitel Angkor. Left: The Vietnam Golf and Country Club.

Far left: Players at dusk at the Bangkok Golf Club.

Jeffrey A. McNeely, chief scientist of the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature, and a keen golfer, recognizes the need for responsible golf development, but thinks it’s possible to create sustainable courses in the future. “All land use has an impact on the environment. The trick is to minimize damage and, where possible, enhance natural values,” he says. “While there is no standard global certification process, an increasing number of people in the conservation movement recognize that golf is here to stay and urge that golf courses take steps to improve the site on which they are built. They can do it, but it takes some effort, planning and commitment.”

I got a good indication of the Keppel Club’s strategic importance on the course’s par-4 8th hole. Just 100 meters behind the tee-box, Singapore is adding a new station to its subway system. Behind that building site, cars whizzed past on the West Coast Highway, and behind that the Singapore skyline stood in all its steel-and-glass prominence.

But turning my back on “new” Singapore, I tee up and spot a broad green expanse on the right side of the uphill fairway. It’s the Belayar Creek mangrove, and as I walk to my ball I smell the moldy, musky scent of a living mangrove, where the vegetation grows and deteriorates in a satisfying, never-ending cycle. I read a signboard posted by the club that told me that the rare Tanimbar cockatoo, Cacatua goffini, which is listed as “near threatened” internationally by conservation experts, has been sighted here, just one of the 58 bird species which have been recorded within the club’s territory. This isn’t just a golf course after all.

JUDGING A GOLF COURSE As with anything else, the best way to uncover how environmentally sound your favorite golf course is to ask as many questions as possible.

sufficient in water? Does it use gray water for irrigation?

Can the course’s reservoirs provide water to neighboring communities during dry spells?

• CHEMICALS: How knowledgeable is the course superintendent on subjects like choosing and applying chemicals properly, selecting the right turf grass and applying principles of integrated pest management?

• ENERGY: How does the course get its energy — from public utilities or from its own generating plant? Does it use alternate energy sources, such as solar or wind, or attempt to conserve energy?

• WILDLIFE: Do you see birds, butterflies, dragonflies? Is there a variety of trees? Is part of the course set aside as an ecological no-go zone? Is there vegetation growing on the edge of lakes and in between fairways?

• RECOGNITION: Has the course been recognized by groups such as Royal and Ancient, IGOLF or Audubon International? Have key staff attended environmentally related training programs?

Do the club’s members support environmental initiatives?

• WATER: Is the course self-

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MACAU’S HARD ROCK HOTEL. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID HARTUNG

Trying to go green on KO SAMUI INDIA’s next big thing is in Ladakh 24 hours in MACAU is not enough The ultimate Alaskan adventure 103

Can a resort island like Ko Samui embrace an eco-friendly outlook even as its popularity continues to skyrocket? Michael Spencer goes in search of some deďŹ nitive answers for a question that faces every getaway.

Photographed by Cedric Arnold

green dreams

The tranquil hideaway Kamalaya. Opposite: Ko Samui still has a quiet, natural side to it.

T’S A PERENNIAL DILEMMA WHEN IT COMES TO

travel: How does a little-known and pristine hideaway retain its charm once it becomes popular? Think of Saint-Tropez, Bali and Phuket, and how they have changed since they were first discovered. And in today’s carbon footprint–obsessed world, is it an inconvenient truth that tourism and protecting the environment are incompatible concepts? It’s a tough call, especially when you have personal experience of tourism’s impact on a place you know well.

I’ve been visiting Thailand’s Ko Samui on and off for more than 10 years, and I’ve seen the transformation first hand. On my most recent trip, as I stand on the deck of the ferry watching the island draw closer, I think wouldn’t it be perfect if Samui could somehow have it all: a thriving tourist economy and only minimal impact on its precious natural beauty? The island was originally home to 50,000 residents, mainly fishermen and coconut farmers. Now that it receives one million visitors a year, it’s a no brainer that there’s going to be dramatic change.

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More than 20 kilometers long and just as wide, this tropical gem floats serenely in the azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a brochure-writer’s dream. Blessed with superb beaches and a stunning natural setting, Samui conjures up the image of a perfect paradise isle. It’s difficult to believe that only 30 years ago it was known mostly to hardy backpackers who took the weekly coconut barge from the mainland and camped on the beach or lodged with local families.

Fast forward to 2009. Flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore now ferry well-heeled visitors nonstop to Samui International Airport. With its open-air terminals and resort-like atmosphere it has to be the most relaxed airport in the world. And no longer do visitors camp under the palm trees. Popular travel site TripAdvisor now lists nearly 400 choices of accommodation on the island ranging from sophisticated five-star retreats down to simple bed-and-breakfasts.

Most of the resorts are still clustered on the east coast along the famous beaches of Chaweng, Lamai and the Choen Mon headland. In the north, Bo Phut and Mae Nam are becoming popular, but 80 percent of the island has barely been touched by the tourism boom, in particular the south and west coasts.

Samui Scenes Opposite, the next. A master plan for Samui’s future would One thing is clear: Samui is experiencing clockwise from top left: definitely help. growing pains. As you stroll through the perfect- Tapping rubber; Na Muang The good news is that hoteliers and conly landscaped gardens of your resort or lounge waterfall; a traditional Thai appetizer at the Kamalaya on the beach gazing at breathtaking views of the resort; an overview of Lamai cerned local residents have given up waiting for Beach; Austrian jewelery the powers that be to set things right and are surrounding islands, the island comes close to designer Bea Wichityam now taking matters into their own hands. The being an earthly Eden. But step out of the resort in her shop, Zer, at Baan Hua Thanon; a fl ying lizard it looks like any planning and zoning must have common to Samui; one of Green Island Project is just one of many initiabeen done under the influence. A typical exam- the three plunge pools near tives beginning to sprout on Samui and is aimed treatment rooms at the at softening the overall impact of tourism on the ple is the major intersection near the airport theKamalaya; a restaurant with a view at the Six island. The project attempts to encourage coopwhere the roads are barely wide enough for two Senses Hideaway. eration among the government, businesses, locars let alone the motorbikes, trucks and minivans that jostle for space on the uneven blacktop. There are cals and tourists to restore and preserve the island’s environno sidewalks and pressed close to the road are a motley collec- ment. By acting as a pressure group, the project hopes both to tion of restaurants, massage salons, bars and shops all built in influence and shape future development plans, as well as prodifferent styles. Typical for this part of the world, a wooden mote a culture of sustainable growth.

The project has identified the two biggest challenges as shack that doubles as a motorbike repair shop and an improvised gas station sells one liter bottles of petrol displayed on a waste disposal—Samui produces 130 tons a day—and water rack in the sun with enough firepower to blow the whole area consumption. By providing information to business people sky high. Billboards and signs compete for attention on every and the community on the need to re-use, recycle and reduce pole and tree and the way is lined by a thick tangle of electric- all forms of waste, the Green Island project hopes to change ity and telephone cables that droop from one skewed pillar to the current mindset. Ruangnam Chajkwang, who heads the »

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THERE IS HUGE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIES Healthy Views Above leave the room and try not to use too much local Thai Hotels Association and is a native of left: A clear day at Six water,” says Inge. Perfectly sensible advice for the island, says it is not too late to preserve the Senses. Above right: One green Samui he remembers from his youth. To- of nine decks at Dining on those with a carbon conscience because, acthe Rocks. Opposite: At Six gether with the mayor’s office, the hotel associa- Senses, an amuse bouche of cording to a UNESCO report, the average tourist tion plans to plant one million trees on the island rocket lettuce and yoghurt in the tropics uses seven times more water and soup with a celery biscotti. over the next four years. “We would like to offer energy than a local resident does. Fortunately visitors the chance to plant trees as a carbon offset for their for all of us, we’re at Six Senses Hideaway, where most guests flights here,” says Ruangnam. say their decision about where to stay was influenced by the The Green Island project is also focused on teaching the resort’s green policy. It’s a five-star property, part of a chain next generation to learn about recycling and proper waste dis- that has integrated good environmental practices into its posal. Hotels have adopted 10 schools on the island where operating systems. they organize lectures and practical exercises. “Hopefully, the To many industry observers, Six Senses represents the fustudents will take the lessons learned home and make our vil- ture of sustainable hotel management worldwide and their lage communities more aware of the need to properly dispose example has already led over a dozen resorts on the island, of waste and save water,” he says. including Tongsai Bay, Kandaburi, Kamalaya and Rocky’s Resort to implement similar practices. If more tourists begin to demand green initiatives from the hotels they visit, then HAT NIGHT, I MEET FRANK AND INGE MULLER, A YOUNG, vacationing German couple and ask their views on the more will surely follow. Six Senses’ general manager, David environmental impact of long-haul vacations. “We try Ashworth, freely admits that going green does impact the to behave the same on holiday as we do at home. We don’t bottom line. “There’s no doubt that it would be cheaper to litter, we turn off the lights and air-conditioning when we pay no attention to the environment but I feel we have a »

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moral responsibility to do this for the future of Two Islands Clockwise from the manager of Zazen, a cozy boutique resort top left: Kamalaya’s chef on Mae Nam beach. A keen fitness enthusiast, the planet,” he says. On the other hand, the Kai Mueller; away from the feedback he gets from the guests makes it clear crowds, the natural and lush Andries has explored many of the dirt trails in side of Samui; destressing that many have opted to stay at the resort based at the Kamalaya’s wellness the interior of the island by mountain bike. “It’s on Six Senses’ environmental policy. “In partic- center; elephant trekking the a part of Samui that most tourists never see beisland’s interior; enjoying the ular, Scandinavian guests tell me they have cho- later afternoon sun at the cause of course they mostly come here for the Hin Da Hin Yai rocks; Ang beach and water sports like scuba diving and sen us based on our green philosophy, so perThong Marine Park; a sailing,” he says. “But for me the mountains are haps it balances out the cost in the end.”

Japanese take on yellowtail with puffed sushi rice, equally fascinating, and it’s great place for naAn enthusiastic young Thai, Prapakorn seasoned seaweed salad and wasabi at Six Senses; the ture lovers to go hiking or bird watching.”

Huntontan, is the resort’s environmental coorresort’s main pool.

As part of his desire to see more eco-friendly dinator. On a guided tour of the resort’s impressive green facilities that include organic vegetable gardens and activities staged on the island, Andries has been a key compowaste separation areas, it occurs to me her job description nent in organizing the Ibis Samui Adventure Race 2009, probably didn’t even exist in the hotel industry 10 years ago. which will be held on September 19. The action race involves The only resort on Samui to have its own desalination plant, a challenging sea swim, kayaking, running on woodland trails Six Senses Hideaway even processes used cooking oil from and mountain biking. The aim is for as many as 150 teams of other hotels that it turns into biodiesel fuel for use in the main- two to participate and, so far, many local Samui inhabitants have shown a keen interest in the event. While the race is at tenance vehicles.

Beyond the resorts, there’s a whole other side to Samui. one end of the adrenaline scale, no matter how comfortable Given the island’s bounty of natural assets, there is still huge you are in your resort, it’s worth taking at least a day to go potential to develop ecotourism activities. So says Alex Andries exploring around the island. At your own speed, of course.

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I

F YOU’RE NOT STAYING THERE ALREADY, A VISIT TO CHAWENG Beach is the place for a bit of shopping, sampling the nightlife or to experience a complete contrast to more tranquil parts of the island. A gorgeous wide swathe of sand fronting a placid turquoise sea, Chaweng is best described as a full service beach. So it’s also the least eco-friendly part of Samui. You really never have to budge from your deckchair or beach towel and you’ll be offered everything you could possibly want and some things you probably don’t. Just lie there working on your tan and all day long you can feast on grilled prawns and Thai snacks, order fruit juices and cocktails, have a massage, get your hair braided and decorate your body with permanent or temporary tattoos.

As on other Thai islands around the gulf, you can haggle for souvenirs with the itinerant vendors who, despite the heat, are wisely covered up from head to toe to protect them from the sun. One enterprising tailor will even take your measurements while you sunbathe with a promise to have your new clothes ready before sunset. If the tailor is as good as his word then you won’t even have to go back to the hotel to change before the beach bars come to life as the moon rises. Pumping out

the inevitable reggae beats along with samplings of almost every other musical genre there is a beach bar for every taste from techno to chill out.

There’s little that could be construed as green about Chaweng by night except for the Heineken bottles clutched by the revelers, and it’s a vision of what could happen to the rest of the island if planning goes by the wayside. Just back from the beach, the chaotic rabbit warren of shops, restaurants, bars, cafés and outdoor karaoke lounges, is as unlovely to the eyes as it is on the ears.

For all the glitz of the upscale resorts and the globalized atmosphere of Chaweng with its Starbucks and McDonald’s outlets, once you stray off the beaten track in Samui you will find much of the island is surprisingly undeveloped with a fascinating mix of oddities and curiosities to be discovered that are typical of rural Thailand.

South of Chaweng near Lamai there are the unusual rock formations known as Hin Da Hin Yai that are supposed to resemble the male and female sexual organs, popular among Thais who believe they are a fertility shrine. Not to be missed is the mummified monk on display at Wat Kunaram, so » 111

pure in life that his body refused to decompose after death.

To Thais, this is a place of pilgrimage and for foreigners it has all the macabre thrill of a circus sideshow. Seated in the crosslegged meditation pose he assumed just before he died, the revered monk is now encased in a glass box gazing benevolently down on the worshippers through what appear to be a vintage pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers.

Most of the undeveloped southern coast of the island is a serene mix of coconut farms and deserted beaches waiting to be discovered. In the southwest corner, an amusing diversion is a visit to the Snake Farm that puts on a hokey variety show featuring live serpents, Thai boxing, a slightly disheveled chorus line of Thai classical dancers and the inimitable Scorpion Queen. The master of ceremonies animates the show with an incomprehensible commentary in “Thinglish” strangled through an antiquated PA system. Fortunately, none of the tourists can understand a word of his ribald commentary.

The west coast is home to traditional fishing villages like Ban Taling Ngam and a handful of upmarket resorts with stunning sunset views over the Angthong archipelago marine park on the horizon. Reputedly the inspiration for the cult bestseller The Beach, day trips to this pristine collection of islets and hidden lagoons include kayaking and snorkeling and the chance to experience what islands like Samui must have been like a thousand years ago.

Looking towards Samui from Angthong puts all development on the island in perspective. At this distance nothing man-made is visible; the massive bulk of the island looks as virgin as the day it rose from the sea. The gamble for Samui is whether it can somehow find a balance between green and greed in the race to exploit its natural beauty. It appears the desire is growing to preserve the charm that first attracted visitors to the island all those years ago, but can it be translated into concrete action? Check back in 10 years.

GUIDE TO KO SAMUI Kamalaya The place to stay if you’re looking for a tranquil hideaway or to take part in a wellness program, from 3 to 14 days. 102/9 Moo 3, Laem Set Rd., Namuang; 66-77/429800; kamalaya.com; doubles from Bt6,500.

Varinda Garden Resort Aside from its three categories of rooms, there’s also twobedroom house with veranda and gardens.

66-77/424-284; varindasamui.com; doubles from Bt2,200.

Kandaburi Resort & Spa A total of 183 rooms and suites on a hillside and surrounding a pool. Moo 2, Chaweng-Chongmon Rd., Bophut; 66-77/428-888; katagroup.com/ kandaburi; doubles from Bt7,200.

Villa Lawana Clean, modern lines define this upscale offering on Chaweng Beach. 92/1 Moo 2, Chaweng Beach, Bophut; 66-77/960-333; villalawana.com; doubles from Bt15,400.

Karma Kamet The 15 sea villas here use traditional Indochine architecture and colors.

58/1 Moo 4, Bo Phut; 66-77/962-198; karmakamethotel.com; villas from Bt4,503.

WHEN TO GO High seasons are from July to September and mid-December to March. September to December is considered the rainy season but sunny days are frequent. From December to August, the weather is sunny with occasional brief downpours. The daytime temperature on the island is constantly around 30 degrees Celsius and a bit cooler at night.

GETTING THERE Bangkok Airways (bangkokair.com) has frequent daily flights direct to Samui from Bangkok, Phuket, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Thai Airways has two flights a day from Bangkok to Samui. Buses and trains from Bangkok take about 12 hours and connect with the ferry from the mainland at Donsak.

WHERE TO STAY Fairhouse Villas & Spa 39 Moo 1, Maenam; 66-77/429-000; fairhousesamui.com; villas from Bt5,900.

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Rocky’s Resort Comfortable accommodation designed in a distinctly Thai style with lush gardens. 438/1 Moo 1, Maret; 66-77/233-020; rockyresort.com; doubles from Bt4,500.

Sala Samui A deluxe pool villa resort with private swimming pools in 53 of its 69 villas and suites. 10/9 Moo 5, Baan Plai Lam, Bo Phut; 66-77/245-888; salasamui.com; doubles from Bt8,600.

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort Located on a stunning rock beach, each villa has its own private pool. 208/66 Moo 4, Maret; 66-77/960-555; silavadeeresort.com; doubles from Bt8,000.

Six Senses Hideaway Samui Of the 66 villas here, 52 come with private infinity pools, the resort’s onus being on seclusion. 9/10 Moo 8, Baan Plai Laem, Bophut; 66-77/245-678; sixsenses.com; villas from from Bt12,400.

The Tongsai Bay The cottage suites here blend in with the natural surroundings. 84 Moo 5, Bo Phut; 66-77/245-480; tongsaibay. co.th; doubles from Bt8,710.

Villa Nalinnadda Each of the ocean-view cottages open up to the beachfront on two sides. 399/1-4 Moo 1 Maret; 66-77/233-131; nalinnadda.com; villas from Bt7,350.

Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa The villas here are equipped with the latest in technological gadgets. 177, Moo 1, Tambon Bophut; 66-77/425-085; samuizazen.com; doubles from Bt9,520.

WHERE TO EAT Dining on the Rocks A fresh and wholesome take on trusted recipes served across nine terraced decks. 9/10 Moo 8, Baan Plai Laem, Bophut; 66-77/245-678; sixsenses.com; dinner for two Bt3,500.

Kamalaya The menu is an integral part of the detox, yoga and fitness programs here. 102/9 Moo 3, Laem Set Rd., Namuang; 66-77/429800; kamalaya.com; dinner for two Bt2,000.

The Spa Resort Lamai Beach Vegetarian dishes and raw food are on the menu at this health-oriented destination. 66-77/230-855; thesparesorts.net; lunch for two Bt800.

Tamarind Springs Café The largely vegetarian offerings here center on traditional Thai dishes. 207/7 Moo 4, Thong Takien; 66-77/230-571; tamarindsprings.com; lunch for two Bt1,000.

Snorkeling at Ang Thong National Park.

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T H E LAS T

DY NAS T Y ON A J OU RN E Y TO LADA K H , I N T H E S H ADOW

OF THE HIMALAYAS, SOPHY ROBERTS UNCOVERS A B OL D N E W MOD EL O F C U LT U R A L TO U R I S M .

IS THI S WHAT’ S N EX T F O R T R AV EL TO I N DI A? P HOTOG RA P HE D BY M O RGAN O M M ER

The courtyard of Hemis Monastery. Opposite: Glacial waters ďŹ&#x201A;ow through Ladakh.

Y

OU LIKE IT?” MY GUIDE ASKS

as I look out from my roof terrace over Nimoo, a dusty village in far northern India. I nod, only half engaged. I’m too consumed with watching a woman who, like an ant, is climbing a hill in this strange moonscape of silver and gray.

I can see a prayer wheel in her hand, can almost hear the little tik-tik as it spins. I wonder where she’s going, for there’s nothing but emptiness ahead.

Somehow the scene deeply resonates. Perhaps it’s because she’s doing exactly as she’s always done—going about her business, nodding another woman good day, tipping her top hat with its corners upturned. Perhaps it’s the noise of children playing, the smells of roasted corn and boiled milk rising up toward me.

Or maybe it’s because I’m not being cut off from the community, which is so often the lot of the Westerner in India.

I’m here in the Indus Valley to see Shakti Ladakh, a network of sophisticated homestays occupying two-story Ladakhi mansions strung across several villages close to the regional capital of Leh. The premise—a rather singular one in India—is to invite visitors to immerse themselves comfortably in a traditional culture that has, for the most part, never been accessible to them before. “I want people to fall in love with India all over again, for them to connect with the essence of the place, its people, its culture,” says Jamshyd Sethna, a Parsi travel specialist from Mumbai who launched Shakti Ladakh last summer.

The homestays are located in the villages of Stok, Taru and Nimoo, all within 45 kilometers of one another. They are without question a cut above any other guesthouse in the region.

Each has three rooms with huge beds with European mattresses (the same brand that is used by Amanresorts) and duvets like clouds. The pretty cedar-wood furniture, by an Italian designer, has been custom-made in Rajasthan. All bathrooms are en-suite and showers are steaming hot. Linens are freshly pressed; the tables laid with impeccable china, beaten-brass cutlery and burnished brass bowls. Guests are looked after by the Ladakhi homeowners and Shakti Ladakh’s English-speaking guides and hostesses. Visitors can hike 9 to 14 kilometers per day, or choose to raft, from house to house—you decide your itinerary, walking less if you prefer—following the milky waters of the Indus, visiting monasteries, talking with monks, »

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Barren but beautiful, the Nubra Valley.

Lamayuru, one of the oldest monasteries in the region, dates back to the 11th century.

meeting with rimpoches, enjoying picnics complete with tables and chairs in orchards of walnuts, apples and apricots.

“Walking is the best way to achieve intimacy with the landscape,” Sethna insists. And this landscape is nothing like any you’ve seen elsewhere. Geologically, Ladakh belongs to the Plateau of Tibet, watered only by rivers and snowmelt, the white peaks of the Zanskar Range as clear as ice against blue.

The Indus snakes through it—liquid mercury flanked by patches of irrigated green that are all the more conspicuous against a landscape where nothing much grows. For this is a 3,000-meter-high Himalayan desert: India’s monsoon clouds are punctured long before they reach Ladakh’s altitude.

It is Ladakh’s bleak emptiness that draws the most intrepid of travelers, along with the brief poplar blossom that looks like snow. One can walk for hours amid the fields of barley and the mulberries strung along the rivers. Under a changing sky, with clouds scudding low across the horizon, the water turns from milky blue to turquoise. Buddhist burial grounds and stupas punctuate the roads that traverse jagged-edge passes such as Khardung La, which marks the boundary

between the Indus and Nubra valleys. The people, who are more Tibetan than Indian, have moon faces and eyes that squint in the sun; this makes them look like they’re laughing even when they’re cross. The children are always keen to talk, to swap pens and inspect a mobile phone. The monasteries, many of them newly renovated, are full of chanting and drumming and apprentice monks running around in flipflops. Prayer halls smell of yak butter and incense and—most important—are filled with living communities.

Which isn’t to say Ladakh is some Himalayan idyll. For six months a year the climate is so bitter, so cruel, with temperatures dropping to minus 30 Celsius and below, that there’s little to romanticize. Because of those high mountain passes, there’s no road access from September to June. And unless you take things slowly, altitude sickness can be a concern.

Politically, the region poses its own challenges. Along Ladakh’s eastern edge lies India’s once contentious border with China; to the west, the Line of Control, disputed territory with Pakistan—hence the military presence, with army bases feeding soldiers to India’s borders. Yet Ladakh remains

Ladakh belongs to the Plateau of Tibet, 100 118

The pass to the Nubra Valley is home to the highest motorable road in the world at 5,359 meters.

peaceful. Its foremost challenges are to protect the region’s Buddhist identity (so ravaged in Tibet) and to maintain the Ladakhi livelihood, which remains inextricably tied to ancient rural traditions.

O

NE OF THE MORE PASSIONATE PROPONENTS OF

this effort is 43-year-old H.R.H. Jigmed Wangchuk Namgyal. His ancestors ruled this strange, high-altitude desert from A.D. 900 until 1834, when their political power was lost to the neighboring Dogras of Jammu and Kashmir. Yet his family remains committed to cultural philanthropy—in particular a vigorous desire to preserve Ladakh’s monasteries. “Conservation and preservation—it’s only just beginning here,” Wangchuk tells me over tea, describing how in the past buildings might have been torn down rather than rebuilt. With new initiatives being driven by the local community, there’s now hope that Ladakhis will protect their cultural heritage.

Wangchuk’s latest initiative: to raise Ladakh’s profile among discerning visitors. To that end, he has converted three rooms

of his ancestral palace—a four-story mud-brick and stone edifice built in 1822—into a modest hotel.

The Stok Palace Heritage Hotel is 14 kilometers outside Leh. Wangchuk still occupies a large part of the 77-room palace. There are three guest suites, including one in lapis blue and another in ruby red, with balconies overlooking the Indus Valley. (Two more rooms are under way.) The aesthetic is wholly Ladakhi: every detail has been carefully handcrafted, from the Tibetan and Ladakhi rugs to brightly painted woodwork by local artisans. “Wherever there are cracks in the wood, I’ve kept them,” Wangchuk says. “I want to show people the building’s spirit.” There’s also a quirky museum featuring jewels, armor and an impressive collection of thangka—the painted and embroidered ceremonial scrolls that hang in Buddhist monasteries. Some are more than 450 years old, their colors made from crushed coral and turquoise. His crown, in silk and gold and encrusted with rubies, dates back a millennium. “I want my son to understand the importance of family and history,” he says. “I’m trying to teach him the importance of Ladakhi values and the Tibetan script.” »

watered only by rivers and snowmelt 119

Pangong Lake, on India’s border with China, is more than 4,000 meters above sea level.

Just as important to this legacy is the hotel’s small scale; to Wangchuk, Ladakh’s future depends on the region not being overwhelmed by volume-driven tourism.

Leh is where the Ladakhis will have to work hardest to keep the pressures at bay. The city nestles in a wide, wind-blasted valley in shades of sun-snapped brown, many of its elements unchanged from when I last visited 16 years ago. Boxy Tibetan-style houses with mud-brick walls line the narrow alleys. Vegetables are laid out to dry on flat rooftops, where Ladakhi women gather in circles on stools, their long braids almost touching the ground, arms weighed down in thick silver cuffs and chunks of red coral.

But today, as I walk from the 17th-century palace toward the town center, it feels as though everything’s been reborn a little brighter, the Namgyal Tsemo gompa (monastery) shining a little whiter than I remember, though still whipped by a million prayer flags. Leh has mushroomed into the bowl of the valley: I notice more people, more four-wheel-drives, more billboards in German and French. There are Englishlanguage bookshops and pricey antiques stores. I remember

a typical meal here in 1992 consisting mostly of momo, steamed and fried Tibetan dumplings stuffed with vegetables and meat. Today, menus offer everything from Italian breads to Israeli breakfasts.

In other words, Leh is beginning to look a little like Goa, Kerala or any number of places in India where tourism has brought Internet cafés, yoga retreats and backpacker hotels.

Perhaps this is why the woman advancing up the hill in Nimoo is so significant to me. As I watch her from the rooftop of the Shakti homestay, she is unaware of my quiet incursion into her village. It seems remarkable that I can witness this scene without her feeling affected by my presence—a rare event in this world of “managed” tourism. I’m being allowed to experience the everyday, the unpackaged, the unremarkable—all at the pace of a walk. For the first time in years I’m being forced to slow down, made to think about how to travel in a place without contributing to its demise. In this moment, I find Sethna’s vision convincing. There are some things, like the little tik-tik of a prayer wheel advancing up a hill, that, in their simplicity, are worth protecting.

I’m allowed to experience the everyday, 120

An information booth at Lotte World, in Jamsil. Opposite, from top: The beef galbi at Budnamujip restaurant; Bar Da, in Hongdae; television at Electroland, a shopping center for gadgets and technology in the Yongsan district.

Ladakh’s capital, Leh, is increasingly on the tourist map.

GUIDE TO LADAKH N

Leh LADAKH

CHINA

PAKISTAN New Delhi

NEP AL

0

WHERE TO STAY Padma Guest House & Hotel Simple but immaculate lodgings in a Ladakhi family’s ancestral home.

Fort Rd., Leh; 91-1982/252-630; padmaladakh.net; doubles from R900 (US$18), including breakfast.

GREAT VALUE

INDIA Arabian Sea

the warmer months (May through September), but expect dramatic temperature fluctuations — evenings can dip below freezing.

612 km

GETTING THERE Most of the region’s major cities have flight connections with Delhi. From there, Jet Airways and Kingfisher have regular flights to Leh. WHEN TO GO It’s best to visit Ladakh during

Shakti Ladakh’s Village Experience A network of chic homestay accommodations in the Indus Valley, reached by hiking, rafting, or driving.

Various locations; 91-124/4563899; shaktihimalaya.com;

doubles from R307,000 for seven nights, including meals, guides, and porters.

jewelry and antique headdresses.

Main Bazaar Rd., Leh.

Stok Palace Heritage Hotel The 77-room royal residence now has three guest suites. Stok; 44-20/7736-3968; wildfrontiers.co.uk; doubles from R9,700, including meals.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO Leh Palace The former seat of the royal family, built in the 17th century, offers panoramic views.

Old Town, Leh.

GREAT VALUE

WHERE TO SHOP Artou’s A bookshop filled with travel guides, maps and limitededition photographic essays.

Main Bazaar Rd., Leh. Ladakh Art Palace A treasure trove of affordable silver and Tibetan beads, as well as vintage trunks. Main Bazaar Rd., Leh. Tibet Arts Specializes in handmade Ladakhi and Tibetan

Wild Frontiers The monasteries adventure-tour company (call for tour prices) can arrange Ladakh itineraries, as well as trips to the numerous Indus Valley gompas.

Hemis is home to an impressive collection of religious artifacts, while Chemray is a small, atmospheric retreat off the tourist track. Thiksey houses numerous sacred shrines, and the tiny Tak-Thok, the site of a former meditation cave, is now home to 55 lamas.

the unremarkable—at the pace of a walk 121

W O W, M A C A U

From Neoclassical to neon, dim sum to grilled sardines, a perfect day in Macau will keep you busy, whether you’re looking to cash in at a casino or simply for a relaxed Portuguese afternoon. By PAUL EHRLICH. Photographed by DAVID HARTUNG

The view from the hotel’s modern lobby. Entering the Crown Hotel, left.

Memorabilia at the Hard Rock Hotel.

There are detractors, and always will be.

Those are the people who say there’s nothing to do in Macau besides gamble. But the city has its fair share of backers, too. These days, even some of the gamblers are finding Macau a great destination after they pry themselves away from the gaming tables.

This has to do with its split personality—one is oversized, overthe-top, overbearing and, overall, amazing. The other is quieter, traditional, more relaxed, older, but nonetheless charmingly seductive. So how best to spend 24 hours in Macau—a day that makes you want to stay and play, both in the casinos and beyond their money-churning borders? For starters, the good news is that because Macau isn’t that large, its many riches are easy to explore on foot or by taxi.

8A.M.–9A.M. On peninsular Macau, start the day with one of two breakfast choices at the opposite ends of the price scale. Occupying the high end is the outdoor terrace at the Pousada de Sao Tiago (Ave. da Republica; 853/2837-8111; saotiago.com.mo) in what was once a fortress—a genuine fortress, not a kitschy reproduction—shaded by big old trees with moss-covered branches and refreshed by a gentle sea breeze. Or on a bustling backstreet near Sintra Hotel, Margaret’s Café e Nata (Edificio Kam Loi; 853/2871-0032; closed Wednesdays) offers wonderful Portuguese egg tarts, not to mention Margaret herself, who is a font of great advice on the city.

Taipa has two hotel stops worth considering for breakfast: At the Blue Frog (1037 Grand Canal Shoppes; 853/2882-8281; venetianmacao.com) in The Venetian Macao, get going with a glass of champagne, an espresso and smoked salmon Benedict or a fluffy omelet. Or you can opt for first-rate dim sum, like steamed Shanghainese pork dumplings with crab, at the Michelin starrated Ying (Ave. Dr. Sun Yat Sen; 853/2886-8868; altiramacau.com) in Altira Macau. The place is also recommended for dinner. But save room for lunch, which definitely ranks as the favorite meal of the day among food-loving locals. »

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9A.M.–NOON If it’s glamour and clamor you’re looking for, head straight for City of Dreams (853/8868-6688; cityofdreamsmacau.com), a US$2 billion sprawling hotel–entertainment complex grouping three top hotels—a Crown Tower, Hard Rock and, opening later this year, a Grand Hyatt—with a 39,000-squaremeter casino and a lucrative stretch of shops, restaurants and bars known as The Boulevard. It’s the latest addition to evolving Cotai. Right across the street is the mountain-sized Venetian, Four Seasons and the half-built Galaxy Resort, with their own massive malls and cavernous casinos. The Vegaslike vision is to transform the reclaimed swamp, about 8 kilometers from downtown Macau, into an adult playground of glitzy shops, family shows, sporting events, restaurants, gambling, nightlife and more than a dozen hotels that eventually will include a St. Regis, a Shangri-La, a Raffles, a Conrad, an InterContinental and a Sheraton.

It’s all about spending money, or at least hoping to win money. But no matter if you’re a sarcastic traditionalist, tai tai, art snob or tree-hugging greenie, you can’t help but be impressed at the gigantic hedonistic project from the sweeping view from one of the suites.

Which poses the Macau challenge. Most visitors, coming from Hong Kong and mainland China, spend less than two days hunkered at the baccarat tables and slot machines sipping tea. Future success—even survival—depends on attracting people for more than a day trip or one-night stand. And City of Dreams is betting this is more than just a dream with its “integrated resort” experience.

On my stay, I enter a large dome-shaped room called The Bubble. Geoffrey Benham, the special effects project manager, takes us to his favorite spot near the back and mid-way from the center. “You don’t want to get too close to the center,” he says with a mischievous grin. He starts telling me about the 29,000 theatrical LED lights that are in play plus a variety of environmental and sensory effects, when, suddenly, the 360-degree multi-media show begins. I don’t want to spoil it, other than to say it’s at the crossroads where Star Wars meets Pink Floyd. Underwater. Oh, and it’s free. Opening early next year is a 2,000-seat Theater of Dreams featuring a spectacular water-themed show with divers and choreographed swimmers.

Later, walking into the Hard Rock Hotel (Estrada do Istmo; 853/8868-3338; hardrockhotelmacau.com) past its outdoor, heated, beach-like swimming pool, the scene is buzzing with a younger, hipper crowd seeking an edgier and louder experience. In the lobby with its rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack and staff in retro-chic outfits, I check out Madonna’s hot pants and black satin bustier. Also Ozzy Osbourne’s red-sequined stage outfit,

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a hat with gold chain-link veil once sported by Prince, and other hotel trademark memorabilia that includes its first Chinese artist: superstar Jacky Cheung’s guitar and two sequined outfits.

If glitz isn’t your thing, a mid-morning alternative is to tour the cultural side of China’s oldest European settlement. On peninsular Macau, the historic heart of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. I walk to its epicenter, beautiful Senado Square, paved in wavy black-and-white cobblestones and surrounded by neo-classical renovated shops and buildings painted mustard yellow and bright pink. If it weren’t for the local Chinese wandering around, it would feel like I’m in a small Iberian town. I explore the clothes, handicrafts, furniture and antique shops hidden along the side streets snaking away from the square’s center. Difficult to miss is the great carved stone façade of St. Paul’s nearby. Maybe it’s because it’s only a towering, two-dimensional façade, but to me what remains still represents one of the finest examples of Catholic church architecture in Asia.

If you’re not tired from browsing, take a 20-minute stroll that passes some of Macau’s top heritage sites.

Directly across from Senado Square is the white, two-story, Neoclassical Leal Senado Building. Built in 1784, it’s Macau’s central library, housing valuable books and manuscripts. Exit, turn left and walk to the end of the building then turn left up the slight hill. At the top is St. Augustine’s Church, the Ho Tung Library and the Dom Pedro V Theatre (853/ 8399-6699), built by the Portuguese in 1860, which is home to the occasional concert or play. Head down the hill and continue to St. Lawrence’s Church. Take a break in banyantree shade of Lilau Square, the site of one of Macau’s oldest water wells and surrounded by restored late-19th-century residences. If you’re hungry, great. Turn left to one of the city’s favorite restaurants.

NOON–2P.M. One of the highlights of Macau—some would argue the highlight—is a long, leisurely Portuguese lunch washed down with glasses of chilled vinho verde. Everyone argues about which is the best place for that ritual. The good news, it’s a never-ending argument because there are so many spots where the food is hearty and delicious. A Lorcha (289 Rua do Almirante Sérgi; 853/2831-3193; closed Tuesdays) gets my vote.

When I was living in Hong Kong, my wife, some friends and I would visit just for food, more often than not stopping at A Lorcha where we’ve gone to for years. But, having not been back for nearly three years, it’s still a surprise when head Filipino waiter Rico greets me like a long lost neighbor when we walk in. »

City Treasures Clockwise from left: A Taoist stone carving at the Ama Temple in Macau; the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bright lights; Our Lady of Carmel Church in Taipa.

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There are more stylish restaurants, but if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

At the Macau Tower, the Skywalk allows brave visitors to stroll around the city on a narrow platform high above the streets.

looking for an icon, join the crowds at Fernando’s

Before contemplating the extensive menu, we order a bottle of wine, fresh crusty bread and chorizo. Opened in 1989, A Lorcha serves home-style Portuguese cooking; the décor is simple, like a small European café that seats 90. We order grilled prawns; clams with garlic, coriander and olive oil; and a chewy squid salad.

Other dishes worth ordering: grilled codfish; sautéed pork with clams; a thick lamb stew; and African chicken. If you still have room—to date, I’ve never been in that position—the caramel egg pudding is reportedly delicious.

Salon de Ning.

Alternatively, across the big-arched bridge and through rolling green hills covered in pine trees is Fernando’s (9 Praia de Hac Sa; 853/2888-2264) in Coloane, another time-tested place (since 1986) for a lingering lunch near the sea. There’s no sign.

Fernando’s is in the brick building closest to the beach, the entrance below overhanging vines. Like its setting, time drifts at Fernando’s. Fans twirl overhead, windows are open for any breeze that passes by, no one knows when the wall clock stopped. Just as well, this is a place to enjoy. The large room in the back with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths has an atmosphere of people having a picnic under a tin roof. The friendly staff won’t rush you.

I’ve been there for lunch with one group and continued through dinner with another. There are more stylish Portuguese restaurants, but if you’re looking for good, ample, affordable dishes at one of Macau’s iconic restaurants, join the crowds that make a pilgrimage here, especially on weekends.

Recommended dishes include clams in a tomato, garlic, coriander and olive oil sauce; succulent fried crabs; crispy grilled sardines; oven-roasted suckling pig; and a big plate of thick, homemade french fries. There’s also a good house salad of shredded lettuce, juicy red tomatoes, black olives and slices of white onions.

Drizzle some olive oil on it all and sprinkle with salt. It’s best enjoyed with a bottle of Casal Garcia or a pitcher of Sangria.

Three Michelin-star Robuchon à Galera (2–4 Ave. de Lisboa; 853/2888-3888) offers Old World elegance with contemporary Gallic cuisine. The set lunches are a superbly delicious bargain; »

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In Coloane, I like to act out my Formula 1 fantasies on a 1.2-kilometer go-cart track so don’t fill up from the overflowing bread trolley (but try the rolls made with Comte cheese). It also has one of the best wine lists in Macau, with more than 3,400 labels to choose from.

2P.M.–5 P.M. Linger (or if slightly tipsy, take a siesta) at Hac Sa beach, Macau’s best, or explore Coloane Village, with its narrow lanes, pastel-colored shops and houses, old churches and temples. “Here, you will find clean air, beautiful trees and a much slower pace of life. Probably the fastest moving objects in the village are mahjong tiles swirling,” Jennifer Welker, resident and author of The New Macau, tells me. Be sure to snack on one or two of Lord Stow’s famous egg tarts (1 Rua da Tassara; 853/2882-2534).

Or search for treats. With a Venetian theme of canals and gondoliers, the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian (Cotai Strip; 853/2882-8888; venetianmacao.com) has more than 350 stores spread across 93,000 square meters. More? The Four Seasons Macao (Cotai Strip; fourseasons.com/macau) is linked to the Venetian for more luxe shopping.

Not in the mood for shopping and schlepping? Instead of maxing out your credit card, try blissing out your body. All the top hotels have spa facilities and many take non-guests. At Altira Macau’s award-winning spa (Ave. de Kwong Tung; 853/2886-8888; altiramacau.com), splurge on a private room package; or try Nirvana Spa’s (403 Ave. da Praia Grande; 853/2833-1521) Asian-style treatments where you can also get stoned—with a hot-rock massage.

For the more adventurous, the “omigod!” bungee jump from the 233-meter Macau Tower (Largo da Torre de Macau; 853/2893-3339; macautower.com.mo) is for you. If your sense of fun doesn’t include the fear factor, ride the glass-fronted lift to the observation deck, café and lounges for panoramic views of Macau and neighboring Zhuhai. Those with acrophobia, ground-level kicks for adults and kids include a bungee trampoline, rock climbing wall and belle-époque carousel. In Coloane, I like to act out my Formula 1 fantasies on Macau Motor Sports Club’s (Estrada de Seac Pai Van; 853/2888-2126) 1.2-kilometer go-kart track, where some carts zoom at more than 60 kilometers per hour on the straightaway.

5 P.M.–8 P.M. If you haven’t yet visited Senado Square, do what many Macanese do: stroll. Along one of the side streets, experience Portuguese wine at MacauSoul (31A Rua de Sao Paulo;

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853/2836-5182; macausoul.com). Try a bottle of Herdade dos Grous 23 Barricas Alentejo 2007, or a glass of one of their Colheita ports, with the outstanding cheeseboard of British farmhouse and Burgundy cheeses. Across the bridge, quaint Taipa Village has Chinese shophouses, Portuguese-styled homes and shops, and small temples. Of course, there’s also the popular Irish Bar (116D Ave. Kwong Tung; 853/2882-0708; irishbarmacau.com) if a pint and a pie are what you crave.

8P.M.–10P.M. Set in a corner of MGM Grand Macau’s ground floor faux Lisbon square, Aux Beaux Arts (Ave. Dr. Sun Yat Sen; 853/8802-3888) is an elegant, 1930’s Art Deco Parisian brasserie that eschews stuffiness for romantic comfort. Start with caviar paired with champagne and vodka shots and, your appetite whetted, enjoy delicious home-style French fare headed up by Michelin-star chef Philippe Marc. Try the fishfilled seafood platter, traditional French onion soup and main courses like beef fillet or one of the casseroles.

Il Teatro’s (Rua Cidade de Sintra; 853/8986-3663) award-winning New Yorker Anthony Alaimo oversees a southern Italian menu of handmade pasta, gourmet pizzas, sea bass, seafood risotto and lamb, while Wynn Macau’s musically choreographed color-changing fountains provide fun entertainment.

The more comfortable indoor ringside tables are best. End with a deliciously decadent dessert like the molten chocolate pudding or the trademark tiramisu.

Dine early and you’ll be able to catch Cirque du Soleil’s 90-minute show, ZAIA (cirquedusoleil.com/zaia), an amazing dance and acrobatic performance at The Venetian, which hits the stage at 8 P.M. each night.

10P.M. ON… Macau’s posh nightlife is limited mostly to big-name hotels, like MGM Grand’s Lion’s Bar (853/8802-3888) and The Venetian’s Bellini Lounge (853/8118-9940), both providing live bands and dancers, and Hard Rock’s music-backed outlets. If you really want to shake it, Club Cubic (2F Aia Tower; 853/2828-6696) is the scene to be seen, with its chi-chi cocktails, great music, beautiful people and the occasional celebrity and his or her entourage. Not glam but not closed until extremely late are a row of funky bars known as “The Docks” or “Docas” on Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in peninsular Macau. Tell the taxi driver “Lan Kwai Fong,” the more fashionable Hong Kong drinking-dining area, and he’ll know

PHOTO CREDIT TKTK

Night Moves Clockwise from top left: Garlic clams at A Lorcha; City of Dreams, part of Macauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern side; American blues singer Wanda Johnson at MacauSoul, a small wine bar near Senado Square.

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Oversize mountains, remote fly-in lodges, spectacular wildlife (including grizzly bears â&#x20AC;&#x201D; at a safe distance), glaciers, floatplane rides, hiking, fishing, and an endless supply of fresh salmon: Jeff Wise heads into the wild for the ultimate Alaskan adventure. Photographed by Brown W. Cannon III

49thstateofmind

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Wilderness guide Amy Smith at the Redoubt Bay Lodge, in Alaskaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chigmit Mountains, west of Anchorage.

Opposite: Denali National Park, as seen from a ďŹ&#x201A;oatplane, with Mount McKinley visible in the distance.

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

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C O M

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t

HE PILOT EYED THE CLOUDS AS HE TAXIED TO THE

end of Lake Hood, the seaplane base that runs alongside Anchorage’s international airport. We were hoping to get to Redoubt Bay Lodge, a tiny hideaway on the edge of a vast wilderness of rock and ice called the Chigmit Mountains, but above us, the low overcast was thickening. It was one of those Alaska moments: Should we push it or hold off? If we hesitated, we might be stuck in Anchorage until the weather cleared, and there was no telling how long that would be.

The clouds floated past, yellow and ragged. Overhead, a weak patch of blue appeared. The pilot gunned the engine, and the plane sat up on its haunches, then jumped into the air. We shouldered through the wispy clouds and up into the sky. The horizon was lined with snow-draped volcanoes.

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My wife, Sandra, and I were off on a journey that was to be the first leg of a 10-day summer trip to some of the state’s most iconic destinations. Laying our plans, we’d ticked off all the features of the classic Alaskan itinerary: the fly-in lodge; grizzly-bear and other wildlife sightings; fishing for salmon; a scenic railway journey; a backcountry trek in Denali National Park; a flight around the continent’s highest mountain; and then, to finish it all off, a power-down session at a luxury resort in the Chugach Mountains. In 10 days, we couldn’t see all of Alaska, or even a modest fraction (it’s more than twice the size of Texas). But we’d get a taste of what it has to offer, a roster of experiences the likes of which you can’t find anywhere else in the country. It would be a brief, intense immersion in the alternate universe that is America’s 49th state. »

The mountains near Girdwood, a resort town east of Anchorage. Opposite, clockwise from top left: On the Alaska Railroad traveling from Anchorage to Denali National Park; inside a cabin at Camp Denali; Richard Zitzow, a dockhand for Rustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flying Service, in Anchorage; Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake.

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We drifted down the river, watching the bald eagles watch us from their spruce-tree roosts FIFTY MINUTES LATER, WE WERE FLYING OVER A BRIGHT BLUE lake hemmed in by an amphitheater of rugged emerald hills.

In the farther distance, the fingers of innumerable glaciers descended the flanks of steep black mountains. The floatplane swooped down, settled onto the lake and taxied toward a small dock. As we drew close we could make out a cluster of log buildings in the surrounding forest. We had arrived at Redoubt Bay. Fly-in lodges are key to the Alaska experience. Usually quite modest in scale, never done up with excess luxury, they are, above all, remote, so that by the time you get there you have a huge wilderness to yourself.

Many of Alaska’s best lodges started out as homesteading claims back in the 1950’s and 60’s, when the government was giving land to anyone who would build on it and live there.

Redoubt Bay Lodge occupies a two-hectare lot adrift amid the 69,000 hectares designated as the Redoubt Bay Critical Habitat Area, a state-managed preserve that, thanks in part to massive runs of salmon, is thick with bears.

Bear-watching was what we’d come for. Our guide, an endearingly ursine young man named Drew Hamilton, led us from the dock up along a path through the dense undergrowth to our cabin. “You’re located right on a major bear path,” he said as we arrived at the front steps. “If you see one, stand your ground. Say, ‘Hey, bear!’ and wave your hands.”

Sandra looked uneasy.

“The important thing is,” Hamilton cautioned, “if you see one, don’t run.”

The cabin was small but pleasant, with a cast-iron stove and a view out over the lake. It did not seem particularly bear-proof. When it came time to go to dinner, I cracked the door open and craned my neck out. “It’s like being in a zoo,” Sandra said. “Except we’re in the cages, and the animals are roaming around.”

Not for the first or last time, we were forced to confront Alaska’s well-known potential for lethality. The state has been typecast as a land of fatal misadventures in such movies and books as Grizzly Man, The Edge and Into the Wild, and, in truth, the reputation’s not exactly groundless. The state’s tourism bureau has struggled to project a sunnier image. They shelved one of their slogans, Alaska B4UDie, a few years back, no doubt realizing it had slightly morbid overtones.

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Summer days are long in the subarctic, and it was still light out when we returned to the main lodge and settled down to dinner. Kirsten Dixon, who owns the property with her husband, Carl, is something of a culinary celebrity in Alaska, and she has made great strides in elevating the level of wilderness cooking. While exotic ingredients have to be flown in, there’s an incredible bounty of fresh ones right at hand, ranging from salmon and halibut to berries and fiddlehead ferns, which Dixon regularly forages herself. For dinner we had salmon fillet pan-seared at high heat and finished with a balsamic glaze. It was exquisitely prepared and also benefited from being the first of the countless salmon dishes we would eat during our trip.

For all the talk of bears, we hadn’t actually seen one yet.

The next day Sandra and I paddled across the lake with Hamilton to Wolverine Cove, a spot where a rushing creek emptied into a shallow, cobble-bottomed inlet. As I sat very still in my kayak, a vast school of sockeye salmon swirled underneath me, the fish’s backs roiling the water so thickly that I practically could have walked over them. Three brown bears, a.k.a. grizzlies, loitered on the shore about 15 meters away—an adult female with two adolescent offspring. A smaller black bear appeared on the hillside above them and stood observing cautiously. Hamilton told us that this is one of the few areas in the world where brown and black bears interact regularly.

SLAP! A 60-centimeter-long salmon jumped clear of the water a meter away. The juvenile brown bears waded out into the cove, prowling with their snouts in the water, plunging and splashing after the fleet-finned salmon. Their efforts brought them close enough that their splashes rocked my kayak. But they had no luck with the fish. “They’re just having fun,” Hamilton said. “When the salmon start running out of the lake and up into the stream, they’ll be much easier for the bears to catch.”

Over the next few days, we spin-cast for sockeye salmon, visited a waterfall and took a jet boat up a shallow gravelbedded river, then drifted down, watching the bald eagles watch us from their spruce-tree roosts. The last afternoon of our stay, I was sitting on the deck of the main lodge, examining the far shore for bears. I thought I spotted one in a bed of reeds, a black dot amid the beige. Just then, there was a clatter and shouting behind me. Two of the lodge’s cooks were banging pans to shoo a bear off the kitchen porch. I turned to see a black streak scurry up the path toward our cabin and then dart off through the undergrowth.

WE CAUGHT ANOTHER FLOATPLANE BACK TO ANCHORAGE ON our way to Denali National Park, the crown jewel of Alaskan tourism. As we did, we passed over a pod of beluga whales cruising the Cook Inlet, their backs making long white ovals as they surfaced, then disappearing in the silty water. »

Northern Tastes Clockwise from top left: Salmon over a salad at the Redoubt Bay Lodge; cocktail hour at Camp Denali; the Alyeska Lodge; pork chops for dinner in the dining room at Redoubt Bay.

Iconic Alaska Clockwise from left: The Colony Glacier, near the Alyeska Resort, in Girdwood; Denali National Park; cabins at Redoubt Bay; a Dolly Varden trout, caught in the south fork of the Big River, at Redoubt Bay; the road through Denali park.

To get to Denali, we would have to face a cruel reality of Alaskan travel: logistics. In a huge state with few roads, getting from A to B can require perseverance. The park itself is larger than Massachusetts, with only a single, unpaved road.

No private cars are allowed, so you have to travel by bus.

Along its entire length there are no services at all, only a handful of rustic lodges—ours was at the end, seven hours in.

“Seven hours on a bus”: the five most heartbreaking words in the English language for a traveler.

We spent the night at the Hotel Captain Cook, a wonderful relic of the pipeline-boom 70’s—I half expected George Hamilton to leap out from behind the wood paneling. Then onward north, 7½ hours aboard the Alaska Railroad. We sat on one of the top-deck observation cars, where the glass roof and walls gave unobstructed views as we made our way over narrow gorges and swift-rushing streams, past steep valleys framed by craggy mountains.

The next morning we boarded the converted school bus that would take us into the park. Soon enough, as we drove along the gravel road we saw spread before us a broad tundra valley with the Alaska Range rising from the far side and, many kilometers in the distance, the grand white slab of Mount McKinley (also known as Denali) itself. Almost all of the passengers erupted in cheers. Because of the unpredictable weather in these parts, and the mountain’s sheer distance from the park entrance, many visitors never lay eyes on 138

the tallest mountain in North America. So we could cross that worry off our list.

The High One—as its name translates from Athabascan—was soon hidden again behind intervening mountains as we wound through a series of valleys, climbing above the treeline to pass through tundra with sweeping unobstructed views, then back down into spruce forest. Along the way we spotted a couple of grizzly bears, Dall sheep, countless caribou, snowshoe hares and a lone wolf. Though Alaska is full of wilderness, the sheer scale of it here was awesome. Denali is the Alaska of Alaska—Alaska Squared, you could say.

At Camp Denali, we stayed in a one-room log cabin that stood by itself on a hillside, close enough to the main lodge for comfort and far enough for privacy. It had gingham curtains, a big wooden bed and gas-powered lamps. And there, through the window above the writing desk, shone Mount McKinley, as clear and bright as the moon. Through a pair of binoculars, I watched the clouds whipping around the cornices and ice cliffs of the summit. Climbers consider Denali one of the most dangerous mountains in the world, combining extreme altitude with a near-Arctic latitude. For us it would simply be an infrequently recurring treat, like whale sightings on a long cruise.

One morning at breakfast we groggily nodded hello to the chipper couple across the table from us, Henry and Kathy Huntington, from the small town of Eagle River, outside An-

All Alaskans seem to have a fearless confidence about the natural world

chorage. He was giving a series of lectures at the lodge about the tribes of the far north, where he travels frequently to record the local folkways.

That night, after a day spent vigorously hiking to the top of a nearby 549-meter-high ridge, Sandra and I attended Henry’s slide show about the Inuit of the North Slope. He said he was often astonished at the sangfroid with which the Inuit dwell in their environment. “One time,” he said, “they invited me to a picnic lunch out on an ice floe, where they passed the time fishing and chatting and eating. And I kept thinking, this floe could break off at any time, and we’ll be in deep trouble. But they didn’t mind at all. They figured if it happened, they’d deal with it. They’ve been living on the ice for thousands of years.”

It’s not just the Inuit—all Alaskans seem to have a fearless confidence about the natural world, embarking on 1,600kilometer snowmobile races and surfing in the frigid waters of Turnagain Arm. They fly small planes in unheard-of numbers—1 in 60 is a pilot—and think nothing of landing them on beaches and sandbars.

Indeed, bush flying is essential to the Alaskan character.

There are whole neighborhoods in which every backyard has a little dock with a floatplane tied up to it.

Here in Denali, the quintessential bush-flying experience is buzzing around the mountain and, weather permitting, landing on one of the glaciers that flows down its flanks. The

day of our flight dawned, alas, overcast and rainy. We loaded up. I got in front, with Sandra and three others in the back.

Once we were all buckled in, the tail was hanging low, so the pilot, Aine Roberts, got out and shifted a backpack from the tail compartment to the front seat. Much better.

Roberts took off and turned the plane toward Denali, in hopes that the clouds might open up and give us a route to sunnier altitudes. Instead, the weather got worse, and soon we were humming along in a steady drizzle. Visibility was bad and getting worse. I’d heard from an experienced bush pilot (he’d survived five crashes) that the cardinal rule of bush flying is never to lose sight of the terrain below you.

This seemed particularly important when flying up a steep, jagged canyon, as we happened to be doing.

“The challenge out here is the weather,” Roberts told me over the intercom. “It’s always changing, and changing fast.”

She banked steeply and pulled a 180. We passed through an even heavier rain shower, then emerged over a green valley and into sunshine. Denali was off the table, but I didn’t care. I was happy to be flying low over magnificent valleys and peaks, including one rounded hilltop where a dozen Dall sheep milled as we passed overhead.

BACK IN A NCHORAGE, WE RENTED A CAR AND DROVE 40 minutes south to the town of Girdwood. Now that we’d survived Denali, it was time to relax. » 139

Though Alaska is full of wilderness, the sheer scale of it here was awesome. Denali is the Alaska of Alaska â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Alaska Squared, you could say

Hiking near Wonder Lake, in Denali National Park.

Girdwood is the Palm Springs of Anchorage, the resort getaway where the state’s glamorous elite have built mansion-size log cabins. The town is also notable as the home of the Alyeska Resort, the only hotel in the state to which the word luxurious can plausibly be applied. Built at great expense by Japan’s Seibu conglomerate, it remains a monument to East-meets-West postmodern luxe. A gondola runs from the hotel up to the resort’s 762-meter-high ski mountain.

Sandra headed off for a massage while I took a long soak in the tub, then we reconvened to ride up to the mountaintop Seven Glaciers restaurant, a formal dining room with the best views in the state. It’s famous in Alaska as a place to celebrate an anniversary or pop the question, and our fellow gondola passengers, all in their Sunday best, seemed positively giddy as we levitated above the valley floor. As were we. The sky was clearing. Sunshine spilled across snow in the gullies and bowls. We came to a stop at the top, and the conductor called out: “Be careful when leaving the tram—remember, you’re on top of a mountain, in Alaska.”

We stepped out onto the snow to take in the vista, avoided a fatal plunge, and made our way into the dining room. Our table seemed to hang precipitously over the lush valley, the

fjordlike Turnagain Arm shimmering distantly in the latesummer light. In this refined setting, we felt both metaphorically and literally elevated above the drama and severity of Alaska. As I studied the menu, trying to choose between the mesquite-grilled elk loin and the mesquite-grilled-and-smoked Alaskan salmon, I felt like we were floating in a bubble.

And it was a bubble—the protective embrace of civilization, a reminder of the world to which we’d soon be returning. For the moment it felt odd. Something unexpected had happened to us over the course of our journey: we’d been exposed to a new perspective, the Alaskan view of reality. Up here, wilderness is still a formidable force, one that’s not under human control. You have to give up the idea that you are the top predator, that you are in charge of things. If you don’t learn to treat the natural world with respect, you will be in real danger. But if you do, you’ll see the world for what it is: a place where people are small and don’t matter all that much.

Living in our houses and riding in cars and planes, we don’t often glimpse that truth. Here, you see it all the time.

The feeling would fade, I knew. But for now, as the setting sun touched the tips of the mountains, we were still in that Alaska mentality, that 49th state of mind.

GUIDE TO ALASKA

Denali National Park

N

Mount McKinley

ALASKA Fairbanks Anchorage

Wasilla Chugach Mountains

Redoubt Bay

Anchorage Girdwood Prince William Sound

Chigmit Mountains

0

402 km

M A P BY M A R I A E B B E TS

WHEN TO GO The best time to travel is late June through early September, when it’s relatively warm with abundant daylight.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND Anchorage is the most sensible starting point; from there, traveling between destinations often means taking a ferry, train or plane — or all three. Depending on the trip, it may make sense to work with one of the following outfitters.

TRIPS AND TOUR OPERATORS Abercrombie & Kent On A&K’s Alaska Family Holiday, fly over Mount McKinley, travel on Alaska Railroad’s GoldStar

service, and meet a champion dogsledding team. abercrombiekent.com; multiple dates; eight days from US$6,995 per person.

Mountain Travel Sobek The outfitter’s 40th-anniversary excursion includes guided tours with wildlife experts from Audubon Alaska around Teshekpuk, the largest lake in the western Arctic. mtsobek.com; multiple dates; 12 days from US$4,595 per person.

Off the Beaten Path Animal life — sea lions, otters, whales and brown bears — takes center stage on a southeastern Alaska trip that includes visits to both the Chilkat Eagle Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park. offthebeatenpath.com; multiple dates; seven days from US$3,695 per person.

GREAT VALUE

Tauck World Discovery White-water rafting, Denali National Park, and cruising through the Kenai Fjords make up the itinerary on Tauck’s Grand Alaska vacation. tauck.com; multiple dates; 15 days from US$5,640 per person.

TRANSPORTATION Alaska Railroad A 71/2-hour ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park.

1-907/265-2494; alaskarailroad.com.

Rust’s Flying Service Flies to Redoubt Bay

Lodge and other camps. 1-907/243-1595; flyrusts.com.

Alaska State Ferry For trips along the Alaskan coast. ferryalaska.com.

Kantishna Air Services Camp Denali and other lodges. 1-907/683-1223; katair.com.

WHERE TO STAY Alyeska Resort 1000 Arlberg Ave., Girdwood; 1-907/754-1111; alyeskaresort.com; doubles from US$175.

GREAT VALUE

Camp Denali Denali National Park; 1907/683-2290; campdenali.com; doubles from US$2,850, three-night stay.

Hotel Captain Cook 939 W. Fifth Ave., Anchorage; 1-907/276-6000; captaincook. com; doubles from US$255.

Redoubt Bay Lodge 1-907/274-2710; withinthewild.com; doubles from US$1,000, all-inclusive, including round-trip floatplane transportation from Anchorage.

WHERE TO EAT Seven Glaciers At the top of Alyeska’s aerial tramway; 1-907/754-2237; dinner for two US$150.

WHAT TO DO Denali National Park 1-907/683-2294; nps.gov/dena.

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(My Favorite Place) MONGOLIA

Great Escape Top: Ger set against a sparse landscape.

Left: Joanne Ooi is ready to ride.

MONGOLIA, AND THE seasonal tented polo camp of Christopher and Enkhe Giercke, about eight hours’ drive south of Ulan Bator. The camp is situated on a small flat hill, with unbroken views of stark, rolling plains all around, overlooking a stream, where I bathe and swim every day. Considering the utter simplicity of the camp—10 sparely furnished ger (tents) built to withstand ferocious winds, and the lack of running water and electricity—camp life is very basic. But the days on horseback are spent either practicing Mongolian polo or riding around the plains with our guide. Towards the end of the day, we convene around the dining area to watch the sunset, then enjoy a long dinner together. The main course is thoroughly rustic and typically centered around yak. It is not unusual for dinners to last three or four hours, fueled by vodka, which helps keep you warm. Even in the summer, temperatures fall dramatically at night.

Despite the simplicity, or maybe because of it, I love coming here. There is a disconnection from all forms of technology and the hectic pace of my life in Hong Kong.

The barrenness and extremity of the physical environment

M

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Y GREAT ESCAPE IS TO

SEP TE M B E R 2 0 09| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

reminds me of how trivial and inconsequential many of my day-to-day concerns are. My customary compunctions and neuroses go into remission after just a few days of unbroken solitude and quiet. I love how untamed and unspoilt the natural environment is.

Coming from the commotion and noise of a big, frantic city, I appreciate Mongolia as a place, which has entirely sidestepped the environmental degradations of modern civilization. The lack of pollution of any sort restores peace of mind—and, even more importantly, puts me back into my rightful place in the universe, an infinitesimal presence in the ecosystem of Mother Earth. If only there were a few more such oases in our shrinking world. All too often, this has brought with it an ethos of Western-style consumption, putting unprecedented drains on our natural resources. The vast hinterlands of Mongolia present one of the world’s rare holdouts against the encroachments of consumerism. To me, Mongolia will always be the most miraculous of places, emptying the mind and body of all the toxins and hang-ups of modern life. ✚ The Clean Air Network can be reached online at hongkongcan.org.

CO U RT ESY O F J OA N N E O O I ( 2 )

Joanne Ooi, CEO of Clean Air Network, an independent group working to improve Hong Kong’s serious air pollution, tells PAUL EHRLICH about a place that takes her breath away