August 2010

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

WORLD’S BEST AWARDS 2010 T+L REVEALS THE BEST IN HOTELS, AIRLINES, CRUISES, SPAS AND MORE

AUGUST 2010 2010 World’s Best Awards • Phuket • Istanbul • Thailand • Hong Kong • Vietnam • Indonesia • Business Travel

PHUKET

COOL IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT STAY

SECRET SURABAYA

VINTAGE VERVE

Bag the best buys in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore

Indonesia’s hidden city

THE T+L GUIDE TO TUSCANY’S NEW SIDE

SPEED KINGS MUST-READ MUS

Making the most of the MACAU GRAND PRIX

BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS YOU NEED AUGUST 2010

PLUS: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING ASIAN TAXIS

SINGAPORE SG$7.90 ● HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 ● INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17● VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 ● PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 ● CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 ● LAOS LAK52,000

Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

Privilege knows no boundaries.

Carried by the Elite, the world over.

By invitation only.

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

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® PLATINUM CARDMEMBERS VISITING DUBAI

The R The Th Riitz tz-C Car Ca aarrlto tto on Duuba bai ba

Raaafffl ffles Duba u i

Dubai extends a warm welcome to holidaymakers as well as business visitors, offering hospitality of the highest standards combined with the charm and adventure of Arabia. With a perfect climate, top-class hotels, superb sports and leisure facilities, and excellent shopping, Dubai has something to offer everyone.

We are delighted to present to you our Exclusive Lodging Programmes showcasing the finest properties in Dubai that extend a special welcome to American Express Platinum Cardmembers.

The Fine Hotels & Resorts Programme offers you a variety of memorable experiences and a suite of exclusive benefits* including room upgrade as available upon check-in, daily breakfast for two, 4pm late checkout and an additional privilege unique to each property, giving you access to more than US$550 in valuable benefits^ for a 2-night stay. Some of our partners include The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, Raffles Dubai and Park Hyatt Dubai.

For full partner listing, please visit americanexpress.com.sg/platinumfhr

JUMEIRAH EXCLUSIVES

Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world. Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts encompass the world-renowned Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, the multi-award-winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. Platinum Cardmembers can enjoy a complimentary 3rd/4th night with room upgrade, daily buffet breakfast and other exclusive benefits* at the above Jumeirah properties.

Bur Bu B uurrj Al Arab raab b, Jume umeir ira rah ra

JJum um meir irrah h Em Emi miirat m raattes rat es Tow wers ers er

Jum meeir irrah rah ah B Bab Ba ab Al A Shams Sh ham ms

^Based on double occupancy. The actual value might be lower than stated, depending on the property, room category, availability of benefits, the length and date of stay. *In order to receive Fine Hotels & Resorts and Jumeirah Exclusive programme amenities and rates, reservations must be made through The Platinum Card® Service and payment must be made using the American Express® Card in the Platinum Cardmember’s name. Room upgrade at check-in is based on availability. One special programme amenity per room, per stay. Not combinable with corporate or group contracted rates.

Participating partners and programme benefits are subject to change without notice. Programme valid for travel until 31/12/2010. Other terms and conditions apply.

FOR DETAILS & RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CALL THE PLATINUM CARD® SERVICE AT SINGAPORE: +(65) 6392 1177 (option 1) HONG KONG: +(852) 2277 2233 THAILAND: +(66) 2273 5599

(Destinations)08.10 Istanbul 100 Montreal 146 Baja 87

Lucca 138

Phuket 130 Pondicherry 73

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

0 oF

20oF

-25oC

-10oC

40oF 0 oC

5oC

50oF

65oF

10oC

15oC

75oF 20oC

90oF 30oC

40o+C

Issue Index Phnom Penh 44 Phuket 130 Singapore 27, 44, 49, 65 Thailand 22, 49 ASIA Beijing 46 Bhutan 45

Pondicherry 73 Seoul 46 Tokyo 27

Sintra 60 PACIFIC Melbourne 48. 158

EUROPE Istanbul 100 Lucca, Italy 138 London 94

AMERICAS Baja 87 Montreal 146

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

(SGD)

(HKD)

(BT)

(RP)

(RM)

(VND)

1.38

7.78

32.4

9,033

3.20

19,000

(MOP)

(P)

(MMK)

(KHR)

(BND)

(LAK)

8.01

46.3

6.41

4,260

1.38

8,232

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

6

AUGUS T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

M A P BY E T H A N CO R N E L L

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bangkok 48, 65 Hanoi 57 Hong Kong 27, 48, 52, 65 Indonesia 45, 54 Macau 80 Malaysia 27, 45 Maldives 45

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M | V O L 0 4 | I S S U E 0 8

(Contents)08.10

129-146 Features 130 Plunge into Phuket The popular Thai resort continues in its attempt to be all things to sun seekers. By CHRISTOPHER KUCWAY. Photographed by BRENT T. MADISON 138 Undiscovered Tuscany In and around the walled city of 8

Lucca, GARY SHTEYNGART finds epic, rich and delicate Italian flavors all accompanied by long arguments about the quality of the local bread. Photographed by DAVID CICCONI 146 Magnificent Montreal Part Anglophone and part Francophone, with one foot in the past and the other in the future, this is a city that defies easy definition.

By ADAM SACHS. Photographed

by JESSICA ANTOLA

AUGU S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

Special ● World’s Best > 113 T+L readers have cast their votes for the top hotels, destinations, airlines, cruises, outfitters and transportation companies in the world. In 2010, our new and improved poll yielded a record number of votes, proof that T+L readers have an ever more powerful voice as they determine the travel experiences that matter now. Edited

by SARAH KANTROWITZ with BREE SPOSATO

CEDRIC ARNOLD

>113 Bangkok’s grand, and so too is its palace.

(Contents)08.10

WORLD’S BEST AWARDS 2010 T+L REVEALS THE BEST IN HOTELS, AIRLINES, CRUISES, SPAS AND MORE

AUGUST 2010

PHUKET

COOL IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT STAY

SECRET SURABAYA

VINTAGE VERVE

Bag the best buys in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore

Indonesia’s hidden city

THE T+L GUIDE TO TUSCANY’S NEW SIDE

SPEED KINGS

12 16 18 20 158

> 100

PLUS: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING ASIAN TAXIS

44 Newsflash Star Wars meets high fashion, Seoul’s coolest new corner, boutique art stays in Melbourne and more.

52 Night Out A fresh fleet of bars shakes up Hong Kong’s nights. BY AMY MA 54 24 Hours Seeing the sights in Surabaya.

BY STEVE MOLLMAN 57 Asian Scene Hanoi’s crossover art spaces.

BY NAOMI LINDT 60 Detour Sintra. BY ALEXANDRA MARSHALL 10

Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

Aboard Andara, one of the yachts from Andara Resort & Villas, in the waters near Phuket, Thailand.

Photographed by Brent T. Madison.

Assistant: Richard Jones. Model: Vicky Kroon. Styling by Karin Madison. Hair and makeup by Albert Schippers. Swimsuit by Phuket Mermaids. Accessories by LOLA and Ginger at Plaza Surin.

65-70 Stylish Traveler 65 Shopping Asia discovers the allure of vintage chic.

BY HELEN DALLEY 70 Beauty Eight great Internet sites for global beauty nomads. BY SHERRI EISENBERG

> 57

43-60 Insider

SINGAPORE SG$7.90 ● HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 ● INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17● VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 ● PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 ● CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 ● LAOS LAK52,000

Cover

Editor’s Note Contributors Letters Best Deals My Favorite Place

Strategies Special ● Business Travel > 27 Business travel doesn’t have to be boring. Here’s how to make the most of your work trips to four Asian cities. Plus: The lowdown on hidden hotel fees, how to score a hotel upgrade and making the most of your taxi ride around Asia.

Making the most of the MACAU GRAND PRIX

BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS YOU NEED

73-100 T+L Journal 73 Preservation Thanks to some well-aimed, not to mention timely restoration work, Pondicherry’s little taste of France in south India has never been more appetizing.

BY TANVI CHHEDA 80 Driving Macau’s annual grand prix offers a glimpse of the future stars in the deafening world of motorsports. HELEN DALLEY takes a crash course before this year’s races.

87 Food Lured by spicy quail, tuna ceviche and Mexico’s best fish tacos, PETER JON LINDBERG lights out for Baja—and from there, things just go south.

94 Opinion What happens when you return to a destination you once knew, only to find it unrecognizable?

Revisiting his old haunts in London, PETER JON LINDBERG considers the nostalgia for place.

100 Portfolio After visiting the fabled city, photographer BOAZ ZIPPOR can’t help thinking about Istanbul and all the fascinating twists and turns it presents.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : WA S I N E E C H A N TA K O R N ; B O A Z Z I P P O R ; A A R O N J O E L S A N T O S

Departments

MUST-READ MUS

Your Wonderland

A waits.

Photographed at The Langham, London

Hong Kong

The Langham Club, the new residence of choice for those in the know.

EnchantingE ncounters. since 1865

hongkong.langhamhotels.com 8 Peking Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong T (852) 2375 1133 F (852) 2375 6611

(Editor’s Note) 08.10 I GUESS THERE WAS SOME ELEMENT OF “DOUBLE TAKE” WHEN I FIRST SAW THE RESULTS OF THE WORLD’S BEST AWARDS 2010. SPECIFICALLY, OF COURSE , THE WORLD’S BEST C ITY, WHICH YOU’ LL KNOW — country and what to do when here.

Southeast Asians should also be proud that 10 percent of the 100 listed World’s Best Hotels are in our region, and that in Asia overall, 23 resorts and city hotels rank in a list of 40. It’s also very interesting for me to note the increasingly strong presence of India, Korea and China in the Awards, and I hope you’ll let us know your top travel spots in our 2010 reader survey (page 128). Not content with packing one of our biggest-ever issues with all this, we’ve also brought to you a stunning photo set by local Thai snapper Boaz Zippor (“Unforgettable Istanbul,” page 100) that captures the mystique of the city, where Europe famously meets Asia. And revving back into the modern world, we take an insider’s look at the Macau Grand Prix (“Give me Speed,” page 80) and how to experience it, as well as Macau itself. And if you travel for business, as I do mostly these days (and there’s the rub as a travel editor), make sure you glean as much as you can from our Strategies guide (page 27). For me, the best business travel advice? Always carry a pen for immigration cards on airplanes, and stop asking to borrow mine.—M A T T L E P P A R D

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. 12

AUGU S T

2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

TOM HOOPS

if you did as I would do and fl icked straight through to the full results on page 113—is Bangkok this year, as it was in 2008. But wait, Bangkok’s been razed to the ground, right?

Well, it hasn’t been, and most of our Thai readers will hopefully join me in emphasizing that Bangkok is currently completely safe (as I told an American friend who just asked); plus, as well as offering everything it did before, now is also the time to snap up great deals. And if you want to get out of the city, it’s the perfect time now for a quick (an hour-and-a-half) hop to the beach at Pattaya, an island break (“Plunge into Phuket,” page 130), or even a northern trip to Chiang Mai (it is, after all, the second-best city in the Awards).

Anyway, I digress, but if you do plan to come to Thailand, I’d urge you to check out Bangkok again if you haven’t before, especially in the leafy-green wet and cool seasons ( just bring a brolly if you’re here before November!). I’d love to list the multitude of attractions on offer, but we’re running a Bangkok special next month, so grab that in advance of the upcoming high season, and make sure you check out www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com for more on the city,

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR DEPUTY EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR SENIOR DESIGNER DESIGNER ASSISTANT EDITOR/ILLUSTRATOR ASSISTANT EDITOR

Matt Leppard James Nvathorn Unkong Christopher Kucway Lara Day Wannapha Nawayon Sirirat Prajakthip Wasinee Chantakorn Liang Xinyi

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer Chen (editor-at-large), Jen Lin-Liu, Robyn Eckhardt, Naomi Lindt, Adam Skolnick, Cedric Arnold, Darren Soh, Lauryn Ishak, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Christopher Wise, Brent Madison, Tom Hoops

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 CIRCULATION ASSISTANT

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Michael K. Hirsch Joey Kukielka Shea Stanley Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Chinwongs Yupadee Saebea

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, TRAVEL + LEISURE U.S. EXECUTIVE EDITOR, INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL

Ed Kelly Mark V. Stanich Paul B. Francis Nancy Novogrod Jean-Paul Kyrillos Mark Orwoll Thomas D. Storms

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 4, ISSUE 8 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 Tel. +1 212 382 5600 Online: www.amexpub.com Reproduction in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright owner is prohibited.

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08.10

TANVI CHHEDA | WRITER THE ASSIGNMENT Wrote this

month’s look at preservation work in a pocket of colonial India (“Cheery Pondy,” page 73). FAVE PONDICHERRY MOMENT Trying to communicate with two Tamil women in my laughable French at a restaurant because I don’t speak Tamil and they don’t know English. TRAVELING IN INDIA IS… A test of patience, but a reward for the soul.

FAVORITE INDIAN FOOD Any type of Bombay street food, but especially refreshing panipuri on a hot day. WHAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY THERE? Traffic.

But there’s traffic everywhere.

BRENT MADISON | PHOTOGRAPHER THE ASSIGNMENT Shot our Thailand feature (“Plunge into Phuket,” page 130). PHUKET IN THREE WORDS Rays, revelry, re-do. DON’T MISS Dining and dancing at Ka Jok See. Don’t go if you have an aversion to doing the limbo with a 100-kilogram cross-dresser in the lull between your entrée and your dessert. BEST DRINK IN TOWN Strangely, the welcome drink at the Sala Phuket spa. I’d pay good money to know how the sweet and flaking ginger ice cubes are made. TRAVEL ESSENTIAL A small, collapsible umbrella.

HELEN DALLEY | WRITER THE ASSIGNMENT Wrote stories

on vintage shopping (“Retail Therapy Goes Retro,” page 65) and on the Macau Grand Prix (“Give Me Speed,” page 80). OLD CLOTHES OR FAST CARS? As I’ve never learned how to drive, old clothes. I still own a corduroy camel coat from 20 years ago.

BEST OF MACAU Wandering around Coloane, then egg tarts outside Lord Stow’s Café. FAVORITE HOLIDAY PASTIME Passing the camera to my husband and soaking up the atmosphere. NEXT TRIP Tokyo’s Summer Sonic Music Festival to watch Stevie Wonder and my alt-rock heroes, the Pixies and Pavement.

A B O V E , F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F TA N V I C H H E D A ; S E B A S T I A N C O R T É S . M I D D L E , F R O M L E F T : B R E N T T. M A D I S O N ; C O U R T E S Y O F B R E N T T. M A D I S O N . B O T T O M , F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F H E L E N D A L L E Y ; C O U R T E S Y O F S AT I S FA C T O R Y

BANGKOK + DIM SUM + ARCHITECTURE + NIGHTLIFE + BLOGS + ISLANDS + BOUTIQUES NOODLES + STYLE + WINE + SPAS + HONG KONG + DESIGN + GALLERIES + SINGAPORE + HUA HIN + DRIVING + ONLINE BOOKING + LAKSA + FASHION + REVIEWS + GOLF + KHAO SOI BEER + DIVING + CLUBBING + HOT DEALS + TRAVEL NEWS + CRUISING + LAOS + BARS MUSIC + ART + ECOTOURISM + MALAYSIA + TREKKING + SAIGON + SHOPPING + DEALS + BANGKOK + DIM SUM +

www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com

(Contributors)

(Letters)08.10 LETTER OF THE MONTH

Chichijima, the largest island in Japan’s remote Ogasawara archipelago.

Opposite: Flamenco Beach, on Culebra east of Puerto Rico.

F R É D É R I C L AG R A N G E . O P P O S I T E PAG E : M O RG A N & OW E N S

ENDLESS E NDLES SUN, SUN, SALTY SALT BREEZES, OCEAN AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE: THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AN ISLAND GETAWAY. T+L HAS FOUND 30 PERFECT PLACES, FROM AUSTRALIA TO MAURITIUS, WHERE YOU CAN KICK BACK AND LET YOURSELF GO

Edited by Sarah Kantrowitz and Stirling Kelso. Reported by Tom Austin, Anya von Bremzen, Alysha Brown, Karen Burshtein, Irin Carmon, Jennifer Chen, Lisa Cheng, Jennifer Cole, Jennifer Coogan, Robyn Eckhardt, Irene Edwards, Kristina Ensminger, Jaime Gross, Catesby Holmes, Tina Isaac, Mark Orwoll, Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Ryan Poynter, Katerina Roberts, Ramsey Qubein, Jessica Schwartzberg, Meeghan Truelove, Jeff Wise and John Wogan.

Spoiled My Choice

While I enjoyed your report on the best islands around the world [“30 Secret Islands,” July 2010], particularly because many of the places mentioned I’ll never get to visit, the standout was in another one of your stories in the same issue. Now, I must visit Con Dao [“Vietnam’s Secret”]. The place sounds amazing and I have to say that I’m very disappointed you’ve informed the whole region about this secluded spot. How could you? If there are more readers like me who want to walk along one of Con Dao’s quiet beaches, then my footprints won’t be the only ones in the sand! So, in short, if you know of any other spots of solitude like Con Dao, can you let me know first? I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

—J E N N L E E , S I N G A P O R E

✉

More on India I have just finished the last issue of T+L Southeast Asia. I read it cover to cover in one sitting and really enjoyed it. Every aspect of your magazine is enjoyable to me, but I am particularly interested in voluntourism as I am planning for my India trip in a next few months. I’d like to see a column dedicated to India, which should cover voluntourism, art places, shopping and, as a foodie, I think a recommendation on local foods would be great. I love to go to restaurants where the locals go, preferably not a list of hotel restaurants someone found on a website. Thanks for your hard work in making this a good magazine.

— JA RU WA N

TA N R AT TA NAWO N G ,

BA N G KO K

EDITOR’S REPLY Thanks for your letter, Khun Jaruwan. We certainly intend to keep up our coverage of India in future issues.

Check out this issue’s T+L Journal Preservation story on Pondicherry (page 73) and expect a whole lot more!

CORRECTION In our July issue, in the Best Deals department on page 20, we listed the Summer Special package at the FCC Angkor as including 20 percent off à la carte dining. This is, in fact, not the case, and we apologize for the error.

Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia policy is to correct all factual errors as soon as possible for the benefit of our readers.

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) 08.10 DEAL OF THE MONTH

Business Traveller package at Hotel Éclat Taipei (886-2/27848888; eclathotels.com/ taipei). What’s Included A stay in a

Fancy a touch of class? Try one of these sophisticated getaways ■ CAMBODIA Stay 3 Pay 2 package at the Hôtel de la Paix (855-63/966-000; hoteldelapaixangkor.com) in Siem Reap. What’s Included Daily à la carte breakfast; welcome cocktails; free Wi-Fi; free use of iPods loaded with music and temple audio tours; bottled water; and early check-in/ late check-out when available. Cost From US$185 per night, through September 30.

Savings 60 percent.

Summer Promotion at Villa Kiara (85563/764-156; villakiara.com) in Siem Reap.

What’s Included Airport pickup; daily breakfast; complimentary tuk-tuk transport; and free Wi-Fi. Cost From US$76 per night, through September 30. Savings 25 percent.

■ LAOS Summer in Luang Prabang package at 3 Nagas by Alila (856-71/253-888; alilahotels. com/3nagas) in Luang Prabang. What’s Included Daily breakfast; free Wi-Fi; and afternoon tea. Cost From US$105 per night, through September 30. Savings 20 percent.

■ MACAU Opening offer at Mandarin Oriental, Macau (853/8805-8822; mandarinoriental.com/macau).

20

Deluxe room; daily breakfast; a welcome drink; free mini-bar (excluding chocolate and alcohol); transport from hotel to office;

What’s Included A one-night stay; welcome drinks; complimentary use of the steam room and sauna at The Spa; free shuttle-bus transfers to and from Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal; and one free additional night’s stay or a dining or spa credit valued at MOP388. Cost From HK$2,188, through September 30. Savings Up to 50 percent.

free Wi-Fi; and late

■ PHILIPPINES Last Minute Bookings promotion at Abacá Boutique Resort (63-32/495-3461; abacaresort. com) on Mactan Island. What’s Included Round-trip airport transfers; welcome drinks; daily breakfast; evening cocktails; personalized butler service; free Wi-Fi; and complimentary use of fitness facilities. Cost From US$224 per night, through August 31. Savings 30 percent.

through August 31.

■ SOUTH KOREA Introductory Offer package at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul (82-2/2250-8000; banyantree.com). What’s Included Daily breakfast for two; and a choice of a 90-minute spa treatment at the Banyan Tree Spa, one bottle of champagne or a Japanese set lunch for two at Mori N. Cost KRW402,000 per night, two-night minimum, through August 31.

Savings Up to 38 percent.

AUGU S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

check-out at 4 P.M. if available. Cost NT$5,999 for the first night, subsequent nights from NT$5,499, Savings 60 percent.

Hotel Éclat Taipei.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F 3 N A G A S BY A L I L A ; C O U R T E SY O F H O T E L É C L AT TA I P E I

3 Nagas

by Alila.

(Best Deals)

Thailand Special 08.10 The Metropolitan, left; Four Seasons Bangkok, right.

DEAL OF THE MONTH

Unbeatable Thailand package at Banyan Tree resorts (66-2/6791200; banyantree.com) in Phuket, Ko Samui and

Bangkok Bouncing Back package at Metropolitan Bangkok (66-2/625-3333; metropolitan.bangkok.como.bz). What’s Included A stay in a City Room. Cost From Bt2,600 per night, through September 30 (bookings must be paid on reservation). Savings 47 percent.

percent off all food and beverages; and late check out till 4 P.M. Cost From Bt3,060 per night per room, available for residents of Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, China, India, Taiwan and Australia only, through September 30.

Savings Up to 40 percent.

Dusit Take 2 package at Dusit International hotels and resorts (66-2/6363333; dusit.com/take2) in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai. What’s Included A one-night stay with 50 percent off either the second night or second room; and 20 percent off dining, spa treatments and laundry services. Cost From Bt1,900 per night, through September 30. Savings 25 percent.

Stay Longer, Third Night Free package at Four Seasons Bangkok (66-2/126-8866; fourseasons.com/bangkok). What’s Included Daily buffet breakfast; and a chilled martini and choice of tapas at Aqua outdoor lounge (once every three nights). Cost From Bt7,800 per room per night, three-night minimum, through September 30. Savings Up to 35 percent.

●

●

●

Great Affordable Escape package at the Napasai Koh Samui (66-77/429-200, napasai. com). What’s Included A stay in a Seaview Hill Villa; daily buffet breakfast for two; a dinner for two; round-trip airport transfers; and free Wi-Fi. Cost THB7,750 per night, through December 22. Savings 70 percent. ●

Welcome Back package at The Sukhothai Bangkok (66-2/344-8888; sukhothaihotel.com).

What’s Included Daily breakfast; free Wi-Fi; complimentary mini-bar (soft drinks and beer); one-way airport transfer by hotel limo (up to three passengers) for Executive Deluxe and Deluxe Suite stays; and a 60-minute Thai massage for Executive Deluxe or Deluxe Suite stays of two consecutive nights or more. Cost From Bt4,900 per night for a Superior Room, through August 31. Savings Up to 38 percent. ●

● Sawasdee! We’ve Missed You package at Anantara Resorts (66-2/476-1130; anantara. com) in Thailand including Hua Hin, Golden Triangle, Ko Samui, Phuket and Krabi.

What’s Included Daily breakfast buffet; 20

22

Summer Splendour package at The Peninsula Bangkok (66-2/861-2888; peninsula.com). What’s Included Free in-room Internet and Wi-Fi; free poolside Wi-Fi; boat transfer to and from Saphan Taksin Skytrain station; and a choice of room upgrade, one-way airport transfer or extra bed and breakfast for a third person. Cost From Bt8,600 per room per night, two-night minimum, through September 30. Savings 33 percent. ●

AUGU S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

Bangkok. What’s Included Daily breakfast; hotel credits equivalent to the second night’s room rate to use on in-room dining and mini-bar, spa treatments and shopping purchases.

Cost From Bt3,540 per night for a Deluxe Room; two-night minimum; through September 29. Savings Up to 60 percent.

At the Banyan Tree Spa.

F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F M E T R O P O L I TA N B A N G K O K ; C O U R T E S Y O F F O U R S E A S O N S B A N G K O K ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A N YA N T R E E

T+L’s pick of exceptional deals to fall in love with the Land of Smiles

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(Strategies) 08.10

WORKING IT

Business travel doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be boring. Here, T+L helps you make the most of your work trips to four Asian cities. Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN

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

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2010

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travel

Tokyo

Doing business in Japan’s capital? Leave behind the throngs of salarymen with our city guide. By KENJI HaLL

STAY Top End If your budget has no limits, the Peninsula tokyo (1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku; 81-3/6270-2888; peninsula. com; doubles from ¥38,000) has the best of everything: world-class service, luxurious rooms and suites, and, from the upper floors, splendid unobstructed views of the leafy Imperial Palace gardens.

BusinEss ChiC Plush, elegant and with an old-world feel, the Westin (1-41 Mita, Meguro-ku; 81-3/5423-7000; starwoodhotels.com; doubles from ¥30,000) is a favorite of jet-setting execs like sony’s Howard stringer. It’s also just across the street from Yebisu garden Place, which has a Mitsukoshi department store.

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LoCaTion there’s nothing fancy about the royal Park Hotel (2-1-1 Nihonbashi-Kakigara-cho, Chuo-ku; 813/3667-1111; rph.co.jp/english/; doubles from ¥18,000), but for the location and price, it’s hard to beat. a walkway connects the hotel to the tokyo City air terminal, where hourly express buses depart for Narita (a 60-minute ride), while Marunouchi and ginza are just a few subway stations away.

EAT Brisk BusinEss Located a block from the grand Hyatt, the Lauderdale (1st floor, Roppongi Hills, 6-15-1 Roppongi, Keyakizaka-dori; 81-3/3405-5533; lauderdale.co.jp/index.html; breakfast for two

augu s t 2 0 1 0 | t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

¥1,800) offeres a welcome alternative to your average hotel breakfast. Come here for the spacious environment, efficient service and well-prepared Western staples such as soufflé, pancakes and design-your-own salads. imprEss a CLiEnT seating just 14, the two-Michelin-starred Sushi Kanesaka (Misuzu Bldg. B1, Ginza 8-10-3, Chuo-ku; 81-3/5568-4411; lunch for two ¥10,500) is the ultimate tokyo culinary experience. the 38-year-old proprietorchef shinji Kanesaka has regular clients who include Kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa and contemporary artist takashi Murakami. disCrEET dEaLs two rooms (5th floor, AO Building, 3-11-7 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku; 81-3/3498-0002; tworooms.jp/ en/access/; dinner for two ¥30,000), in Omotesando, is a space divided. Room One is the restaurant, designed by san

co u rt esy o f t Wo ro o m s

strategies | business

c lo c kW i s e f ro m to p l e f t: co u rt esy o f t h e W est i n to kyo ; k e n j i h A l l ; co u rt esy o f t h e p e n i n s u l A to kyo ; © J o J o b o b / d r e a m st i m e .co m

Work and Play opposite: the terrace at two rooms. clockwise from left: At the Westin tokyo; a cocktail at star Bar; the peninsula tokyo spares no expense; the meiji shrine, one of the city’s greenest spots.

Francisco–based Eight Inc., which gives onto tokyo’s skyline and serves up local delicacies such as steamed Japanese white asparagus and Wagyu tenderloin from Yamagata. Room two is the bar, blessed with a 2,000-strong wine list, mainly from the New World; an outdoor terrace offers stunning views.

AFTER HOURS drink Japan is the land of the perfect cocktail, and tokyo’s top mixologists take their craft seriously: think tom Collinses served with ultra-fresh grapes and diamond-shaped carved ice. some of the best bars to sample these liquid works of art are in ginza. Operating since 1928, Lupin (Tsukamoto Fudosan Bldg., 5-5-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku; 81-3/35710750; lupin.co.jp; drinks for two ¥3,000 plus admission ¥800) counts writers Yasunari Kawabata, Kafu Nagai and Osamu Dazai among its patrons. a few blocks away is Star Bar (Basement, Sankosha Bldg.,

1-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku; 81-3/3535-8005; starbar.jp/access.shtml; drinks for two ¥3,500 plus cover charge ¥1,000), helmed by 45-year-old head bartender Hisashi Kishi, former champion of the International Bartenders association’s World Cocktail Competition. sEE this month, join over a million people converging on the city’s waterways for the edo river Fireworks Festival (August 7, 7:15 p.m.–8:30 p.m.), an awesome display of pyrotechnics. In the Koenji district, see Japan’s leading practitioners of awa-odori perform at the Koenji Awa-odori Festival (August 28–29; koenji-awaodori.com/indexEn.html). the frenetic dance style is believed to have originated four centuries ago on the southern island of shikoku. unWind For an antidote to the city's chaos, take a walk through one of tokyo’s greenest spots: the Meiji Shrine

tokyo epitomizes urban sprawl, GettinG so navigating Around it efficiently is key. the city’s subways and trains are convenient and fast — save time by picking up a prepaid, rechargeable Suica or Pasmo card, which will work on most lines. otherwise, hail a taxi; meters start at ¥710. cabbies rarely speak english, so be sure to have your concierge write down your destination in japanese.

(1-1 Kamizono-cho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku; free entry). Close to the bustling heart of the city’s Harajuku fashion district, the 90-year-old shrine sits on 71 hectares of forest. trails crisscrossing the grounds are open to the public. »

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2010

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strategies | business

travel

HONG KONG

Few places define business more than this glittering city, where everyone seems to be in it for the money. Then again, that’s its appeal. By CHRISTOPHER KUCWAY

STAY TOP END Long the business hotel in Hong Kong, the Mandarin Oriental (5 Connaught Rd.; 852/2522-0111; mandarinoriental.com; business packages from HK$3,080) never seems to lose any of its character. Its Business Plus package includes breakfast, local phone calls, Internet access and—remember this at 30

check-in—an upgrade to the next room category when available.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Amid the bustle of Tsim Sha Tsui, rooms at the Hyatt Regency (18 Hanoi Rd.; 852/ 2311-1234; hyatt.com; doubles from HK$1,400) offer wireless Internet, dataports, dual-line phones and a

AUGUS T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

separate work space, all in a modern setting. What’s more, it’s right above an MTR station, to minimize travel time.

GOOD VALUE Unlike higher-priced accommodation, the Hotel Jen (508 Queen’s Rd. W.; 852/2974-1234; hoteljen. com; doubles from HK$640) isn’t close to the MTR, but you get what you pay for: clean, modern rooms with Internet access in a low-key neighborhood.

EAT BRISK BUSINESS With a great earlymorning view, The Lounge (8 Finance St.; 852/3196-8888; breakfast for two HK$400) at the Four Seasons is perfect for a

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F H U T O N G ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L , H O N G KO N G ; CO U RT ESY O F H U TO N G ; CO U RT ESY O F T H E FO U R S E AS O N S ( 2 )

City Chic Clockwise from left: Hutong affords stunning harbor views; at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Hutong’s signature deboned lamb ribs; The Lounge at the Four Seasons; the restaurant’s breakfast menu includes dim sum.

breakfast meeting. Top of the wide-ranging menu here is homemade granola with mixed berries, a number of fresh juices and great coffee, while a Hong Kong breakfast set offers dim sum favorites like har gao and siu long bao.

DISCREET DEALS For an alternative to Cantonese cuisine, try the northern fare at Hutong (28th floor, 1 Peking Rd.; 852/3428-8342; lunch for two HK$800) over a business lunch. Crispy deboned lamb ribs are a specialty here, but the restaurant is also noted for its harbor views, chili oil and—believe it or not in a Chinese restaurant— attentive staff.

IMPRESS A CLIENT If you’re splashing out on a business dinner, the newly relocated Harlan’s (Level 19, The One; 100 Nathan Rd.; 852/2805-0566; dinner for two HK$1,600) is a great place for a hearty Mediterraneaninspired meal, whether that includes a prime cut of beef, lamb or venison fillet.

AFTER HOURS DRINK Irish bars are almost akin to fast-food outlets with beer taps, there are so many of them. Just off Hollywood Road, Kila isn’t a dank, dark place for a pint, but more of a modern take on the Celtic classic, opening up as it does to the cobbled street outside. And there’s a healthy list of whiskey and bourbon on offer too. Upper Basement, 79 Wyndham St.; 852/2522-8118; drinks for two HK$200.

DO For a glimpse of the past, head to 1881 Heritage, which is holding an exhibit until mid-September that looks at the past century in Kowloon through photographs, videos and artifacts. Canton Rd.; 852/2926-8000; free admission.

UNWIND If you’re one to get above it all, why not jog or walk around the Peak? It’s a 3.5-kilometer trail that, when not in lush vegetation, offers spectacular views of the city or, on the far side, the South China Sea. 852/2522-0922. »

From the downright cheap Star Ferry and the extensive MTR network to the modestly priced GETTING taxis, traveling around this AROUND compact city is a breeze. On arrival, your best bet remains the Airport Express (mtr.com.hk), which takes all of 25 minutes to reach Central. Our tip: A little Cantonese will go a long way with taxi drivers, though remember that Kowloon-side cabbies don’t know Hong Kong Island’s streets, and vice versa.

strategies | business

travel

Modern Kuala Lumpur.

Although LRT and Monorail GETTING services exist AROUND here, their uses are limited: for instance, they don’t link Bukit Bintang and Kuala Lumpur City Centre, where many business travelers will spend their time. Your best bet is to take a taxi, though avoid touts outside shopping malls, and make sure your driver uses a meter. For maximum convenience, call for one in advance: Sunlight Radio Taxi (603/9057-1111) is reliable.

Our guide to this up-and-coming Asian capital offers plenty of options for both work and play. By BRUNO LEE

STAY

EAT

LOCATION Right next door to the Petronas Towers, the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur (Jln. Pinang; 60-3/23808888; mandarinoriental.com/kualalumpur; doubles from RM522) has the most envied location in town. Rooms and suites blend modern luxury with understated Malay design flourishes.

BRISK BUSINESS Delicious (Ground floor, Marc Residence A-6-01, 3 Jln. Pinang; 60-3/2166-9099; delicious.com.my; breakfast for two RM64) is ideal for sealing an early-morning deal, and makes for a bright, airy alternative to a hotel buffet.

An inventive menu highlights Australianstyle big-breakfast fare such as cornedbeef hash, together with Southeast Asian specialties like gado gado.

BUSINESS CHIC The Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur City Centre; 60-3/2332-9888; shangri-la.com; doubles from RM455) offers spacious, minimalist rooms and complimentary broadband, as well as ultra-comfortable beds. An added bonus: the rooftop Sky Bar with its jaw-dropping cityscapes.

BOUTIQUE The 24-hour business center isn’t the only reason to stay at the Hotel Maya (138, Jln. Ampang; 603/2711-8866; doubles from RM368; hotelmaya.com.my). In-room draws that set the place apart: parquet flooring, retro rubber-band chairs and a personal coffee machine.

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POWER LUNCH Just minutes from the Bukit Bintang area, Fukuya (9 Jln. Delima; 60-3/2144-1022; fukuya.com.my; lunch for two RM192) is a secluded converted residence featuring six private dining rooms. Famed for its kaiseki sets and fashion-shoot-location setting, this place makes all the right impressions.

IMPRESS A CLIENT Moody, broody lighting and sleek interiors define the atmosphere at Third Floor Restaurant (3rd floor, JW Marriott, 183 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2141-3363; thirdfloor.com.my; dinner for two RM705), the

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AFTER HOURS DRINK Head to off-the-radar Terrace (241-B Lorong Nibong, off Jln. Ampang; 6017/209 8477; terrace.com.my; drinks for two RM48) at Hock Choon, a collection of nine restaurants and watering holes (including a poolside bar). It’s just the place to swill a whiskey on the rocks while chatting to the friendly locals.

DO Catch a jazz performance at No Black Tie, or NBT (17 Jln. Mesui, off Jln. Nagasari; 60-3/2142-3737; noblacktie.com. my; drinks for two RM48), an upscale Japanese restaurant that doubles as a late-night drinking spot. The space’s great acoustics attract the best local and visiting international jazz acts in town.

Arrive early to nab a seat.

UNWIND Book yourself a massage at the Kanebo International Salon (S21-25 Pamper floor, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2144-1218; treatments from RM96; starhillgallery.com), which offers a hotel-spa experience at a fraction of a hotel-spa price. Try a full-body massage with a scrub and warm compress. »

C O U R T E SY O F M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L

KUALA LUMPUR

fine-dining establishment of chef Ken Hoh, a major player in the city’s gourmet scene. Sample the degustation menu for its array of French, Australian and Asian–inflected dishes.

strategies | business

travel location, authentic Italian fare and hearty two-course set lunch deal.

Urban Ease From left: A ride from CityCab; at the St. Regis Singapore.

IMPRESS A CLIENT The awardwinning Rang Mahal (7 Raffles Blvd.; 65/6333-1788; rangmahal.com.sg; dinner for two S$160) restaurant at Pan Pacific gives Indian cuisine—and its diners—the royal treatment with its glamorous interiors, eclectic menu and gallant staff.

AFTER HOURS DRINK Hidden in a grassy suburb, Klee (5B Portsdown Rd; 65/6479-3997; drinks for two S$60) is a cozy cocktail bar with refreshing bespoke drinks; try their signature Old Fashioned, made with orange bitters, bourbon and whisky.

Compact, clean and supremely efficient, Singapore is a business traveler’s dream. Below, our guide to making the most of the Lion City. By MELANIE LEE

STAY BOUTIQUE Nestled among charming shophouses, The Scarlet (33 Erskine Road; 65/6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com; doubles from S$320) is in fact right in the middle of the Central Business District and within walking distance to Chinatown.

Don’t be fooled by its vintage aesthetic; the hotel’s emphasis is on modern convenience, with complimentary highspeed Internet, and even laptops and mobile phones for rent.

LOCATION Being in the heart of Orchard Road means quick access to the business district and endless outlets for retail therapy. The sleek Concorde Hotel (100 Orchard Rd.; 65/6733-8855; singapore.concordehotelsresorts.com; doubles from S$218) offers Premier Lounge access for you and one guest if you book a Premier Room or Suite, plus private use of a meeting room.

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TOP END It’s all about unsurpassed luxury at the St. Regis (24 Tanglin Rd.; 65/6506-6888; stregis.com/Singapore; doubles from S$475). Expect nothing less than your own personal butler and a chauffeur-driven Bentley throughout your stay, not to mention tailored secretarial and interpreting services.

EAT DISCREET DEALS For quiet discussions in a laid-back atmosphere, The Knolls (1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island; 65/6591-5046; capellasingapore.com; buffet breakfast for two S$76), Capella Singapore’s all-day fine-dining restaurant, offers alfresco privacy and breathtaking views.

BRISK BUSINESS Italian eatery Capricci (27 Tanjong Pagar Rd.; 65/62216761; capricci.com.sg; lunch for two S$56) is popular with businessmen for its CBD

AUGU S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

UNWIND Too much time spent hunched over a laptop? Banish any kinks at the award-winning Estheva Spa (2 Orchard Turn; 65/6509-3900; estheva.com; treatments from S$118) at ION Orchard.

Try their signature Aviva massage, designed to improve blood circulation.

Singapore’s MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) GETTING system makes AROUND traveling around the city a cinch, especially with the recently extended Circle Line. With even more stations peppered around town, it’s entirely possible to squeeze in several business meetings a day without ever hailing a cab – log onto journeyplanner. smrt.com.sg for help in planning your route. Or, if you prefer to travel door-to-door, call Comfort and City Cab (cdgtaxi.com.sg; 65/6552-1111), which share a 24-hour hotline.

C O U R T E S Y O F C O M F O R T D E L G R O ; C O U R T E S Y O F S T. R E G I S S I N G A P O R E

SINGAPORE

SEE Escape the corporate humdrum by way of Voyage de la Vie (65/6577-8899; rwsentosa.com/voyagedelavie; tickets from S$48), a multimedia rock-circus extravaganza staged by acclaimed British creative director Mark Fisher.

Until September 30.

Utilities are surcharged across the Caribbean — up to 10 percent of the total bill.

travel

ADD IT UP:

EXTRA CHA RGES

Energy Housekeepin

g

Towel Deposit Conversion Fe e Credit Card Fe e

US$5 0.00 25.00 32.00 125.00 100.00

Daily maid service is no longer a given at many properties.

There’s no reason to pay twice for currency conversion; your credit card company does this automatically for a charge.

M

■ EARLY CHECK-IN Hotels used to go out of their way to accommodate early arriving guests. Now you just might have to pay to check in even a few hours ahead. Fees range from US$20 to a whopping US$50.

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Many Australian hotels require a credit card to book, and then tack on up to a 2 percent surcharge when you use it to pay.

■ ENERGY SURCHARGE This fee is standard in the Caribbean, where you’ll pay anywhere from US$10 a night to as much as 10 percent of your entire bill to account for water and electricity use.

■ CREDIT CARD FEES Some properties in Thailand and many in Australia charge you up to 2 percent of your bill for using a card at checkout.

(This is particularly unfair if the hotel requires a card number for booking.)

■ CHARITABLE DONATIONS Increasingly, hotels are adding a few dollars to your bill for a charity of their choice. They’ll remove the donation on request—but should you have to ask?

■ IN-ROOM COFFEE AND TEA Hoteliers have set their sights on another amenity that used to be free: coffee. For instance, the Hyatt Regency Cancún asks US$6 for in-room coffee service.

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Check your bill carefully before you pay. It’s easier to dispute a charge at checkout than afterward.

●

Calmly object if you think a fee is unfair or was not disclosed in advance.

Desk clerks often have the authority to remove them.

If not, ask to speak to the manager. ●

More hotels are tacking surcharges onto the bill, whether they’re for in-room coffee or checking in early. MARK ORWOLL tells you what to watch out for and how to reverse unwanted add-ons.

Y DISTASTE FOR HOTEL

Be proactive. Ask when you book if there are any mandatory charges that will be added to your bill.

●

HIDDEN HOTEL FEES surcharges began years ago on my first business trip, when I ate an entire jar of what appeared to be complimentary macadamia nuts. At checkout, I discovered it had cost me US$12 (and an upset stomach). And since then, the addons at hotels have gotten worse. The industry collected US$1.55 billion in surcharges in 2009, which indicates they may be here to stay.

But unlike with airlines, where travelers have no choice but to shell out for so-called extras, hotel guests can often negotiate. Here are some of the most common fees out there.

HOW TO MINIMIZE EXTRA FEES

Watch out for this fee at beach resorts if you forget to return your towel.

● Join the hotel chains’ frequent-guest programs.

Benefits include amenities that might otherwise be surcharged, as well as free local and long-distance domestic calls and an Internet connection.

■ CONVERSION FEES If your overseas hotel offers to bill you in your local currency, decline. The hotel will charge a fee of up to 4 percent for this unnecessary service, more than most credit card companies charge for conversions (usually 3 percent).

■ HOUSEKEEPING Some properties now charge guests for that most basic of expectations: cleanliness. In the Bahamas, the British Colonial Hilton Nassau tacks on US$5 a day per person.

■ TOWEL FINES Forget to return your pool towel, pay a fine. At least, that’s the rule at Sandals Negril, in Jamaica (US$10) and the Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta (US$32).

■ PERSONAL SAFE You’ll find this annoying charge (US$1 to US$3 a day) at many properties, especially in the United States. ✚

CO U RT ESY O F S H A M A LUX E X I N T I A N D I

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

SCORE A HOTEL UPGRADE Just because you booked a standard room, doesn’t mean you have to stay in one. T+L gives you seven ways to sleep better.

1. GO WHERE THERE ARE EMPTY ROOMS During the economic downturn, certain destinations have had lower occupancy rates, particularly those with high room counts. “Hotels that can’t sell expensive suites bump people up so they can resell the standard rooms, which are in higher demand,” explains Nicole Hockin, a spokesperson for Hotels.com. Likewise, look to resorts in the off- and shoulder seasons, when fewer suites are booked.

2. BOOK THE RIGHT WAY A luxury travel agent who’s affiliated with a network such as Virtuoso, which includes travel agents like Exotissimo and Imperial Tours, can sometimes get you bumped up to the next room category.

3. GO STANDBY Hyatt recently partnered with E-standby to allow guests booking on Hyatt.com to pay a small fee — as little as US$30 — for the chance at a space-available upgrade. Hilton Worldwide offers a similar program for its guests.

4. BE CARD SAVVY At many hotels, booking with a Centurion or Platinum card from American Express can get you a better room, in some cases automatically.

Charging everyday purchases on a hotelaffiliated credit card can help you earn upgrades, too — regardless of whether you’re actually staying at the hotel.

5. USE YOUR CONNECTIONS If you bank with Merrill Lynch, UBS or HSBC, you can often book an upgraded Ritz-Carlton package though the banks’ member benefits programs. Occasionally, hotels partner with airlines in ways that can

benefit you, too. Business- and first-class passengers on Singapore Airlines flights, for example, receive automatic upgrades at Raffles hotels.

6. CHECK IN LATER The later you check in after noon (when most hotels require guests to check out), the better your chances for securing an upgrade, especially if you’re staying only one night. Rooms are less likely to be sold later in the day. Plus, it’s more likely that housekeeping has turned them over.

7. BE LOYAL Many hotel chains give priority to their loyalty program members based on how often they stay at their hotels. Make sure you use your loyalty member number every time you book a hotel room, particularly at large chains such as Starwood.

strategies | smart

traveler

A SURVIVAL GUIDE TO TAXIS

Cabs in Asia are cheap and plentiful, but sometimes unreliable or downright dodgy.

Here are our tips to avoiding headaches. By JENNIFER CHEN

38

regulations. Elsewhere in Asia, though, hailing a cab can be like playing Russian roulette. I’ve spent a lot of time in taxis throughout Asia, and here are some general rules that I follow to ensure a smooth ride.

1

GET THE ADDRESS OF YOUR DESTINATION WRITTEN DOWN IN THE LOCAL LINGO Even if you think you know how to pronounce a name, chances are it will come out wrong. I once spent 10 minutes repeatedly directing a Bangkok driver to the Oriental Hotel. “Oh-li-antan!” he finally exclaimed. In China,

AU G U S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

most drivers don’t read pinyin, so ask your concierge to write down the address in Chinese characters.

2

LOOK AT A MAP TO GET A ROUGH IDEA OF WHERE YOU’RE GOING Being taken for a ride is a common complaint.

Instead, arm yourself with a basic idea of the route.

3

CHECK THAT HE KNOWS WHERE HE’S GOING In Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong, drivers are usually oldtimers. But in other cities, cabbies are

WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

I

1851, LONDON INTRODUCED THE Knowledge, a notorious test of 25,000 streets, 1,400 landmarks and 400 routes that would-be cabbies to this day must master in order to obtain a license. Try and direct a London cabbie, and he’ll swiftly put you down. And rightly so—it takes two to four years to acquire The Knowledge.

Alas, no such test exists in Asia, and the experience of riding in a taxi can veer wildly from country to country.

Singapore has perhaps the region’s most reliable cabbies; drivers undergo both background and medical checks. Hong Kong and Japan, too, have a raft of N

often out-of-towners who just arrived yesterday. Some drivers will tell you flat out that they don’t know where they’re going. Others will just repeat the address endlessly. If the latter happens and you’re in an unfamiliar city, don’t take your chances and hop out.

4

ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CHANGE ON YOU Singapore cabbies take credit cards, while drivers in Taipei and Tokyo miraculously keep stacks of change.

You’ll have no such luck in other Asian cities. Have a stash of bills in the smallest denominations.

5

BAD VIBES? GET OUT AND HAIL ANOTHER ONE Especially as a woman traveling alone, if your driver is asking too many questions or is giving you the heebiejeebies, get him to pull over. In most Asian cities, there’s usually another one not too far off.

6

CHECK THE BACKSEAT BEFORE LEAVING Singapore is the only city that I’ve been to where a driver actually returned a mobile phone that was left behind. In Bangkok, some drivers will actually swerve in the hope that your valuable iPhone pops out unnoticed from your pockets.

7

BOOK OVER THE PHONE WHENEVER POSSIBLE In Jakarta, where cab drivers have an unsavory reputation, the Blue Bird taxi group (62-21/7917-1234 or 794-1234) offers reliable staff and clean cars. They also operate in Bali (62-361/701-111) and a few other Indonesian cities.

8

LOOK FOR A COMPANY NAME OR KNOW YOUR COLORS When you’re hailing a cab off the street in Jakarta, look for a company name emblazoned on the

side—they’re usually more reputable. In Bangkok, the taxis are as color-coded as the politics. Yellow-and-green cabs are usually better because they’re owned by drivers (though they sometimes rent their vehicles to others and aren’t always in the best of shape). Green cabs are run

by Howa, a solid company. Pink taxis might be colorful and ubiquitous, but I’ve had rotten luck with them.

9

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Cabbies in Kuala Lumpur often refuse to turn on their meters.

My stand? Someone else can have my business. Many Asian cities have taxi complaint hotlines—numbers are usually listed in the back seat—but outside of Hong Kong and Singapore, responses aren’t always effective. Still, take note of a driver’s name and registration number. ✚

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Hidden Portugal.

Authentic and ancient, Sintra proves to be a great break <(page 60)

Artistic Visions.

A new wave in Hanoi blends culture, design and dining <(page 57)

Second City.

The reasons for stopping by Surabaya have never been better (page 54) >

+

• A picturesque side of Seoul • Planning your next yoga escape • Why film buffs head to Beijing

(Insider) Photo credit by tktktk

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F 2 0 8 D U E C E N T O O T T O ; © T O R A S N A P S F / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; A A R O N J O E L S A N T O S ; F E L I C I A S H E LT O N ; C O U R T E S Y O F J AVA P A R A G O N H O T E L

Night Moves.

Hong Kong comes alive after hours at these new hot spots <(page 52)

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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insider

| newsflash SEOUL STREETS The up-and-coming neighborhood just west of Seoul’s grand Gyeongbokgung Palace has picturesque side streets, trendy design cafés and chic galleries. By F E L I C I A S H E L T O N

2. MK2 CAFÉ A painting of Isabella Rossellini gazes down over patrons at this chic European-styled café, with vintage Mod furniture all for sale. Try the Apfelwein (apple juice and white wine) paired with a ham-and-cheese panini, chased with an espresso from the vintage FAEMA E61 machine. 122-2 Changseong-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/730-6420; lunch for two KRW40,000.

DRINK

Hedonist Haven

1

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WA L K THIS BLOCK

3. GAGARIN This tiny secondhand bookstore, courtesy of the team behind MK2, is stocked to the brim with photography, fine-art and design books in English and Korean. You’ll also find funky stationery and kitsch flea-market items. 122-22 Changseong-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/725-3247.

Sajik Road

6. DUOMO BOOKS & COOKS Rustic wooden tables and cookbook-lined shelves define this cozy Italian eatery, whose standout takes on eggplant parmigiana and shrimp-andzucchini capellini are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Finish up with their deliciously dense apple cake and vanilla sauce. 40-2, Hyoja-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/730-0902; myduomo.com; dinner for two KRW60,000.

5. PALAIS DE SEOUL This buzzy, three-story art gallery shows monthly rotating exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography and even performance art by up-and-coming names like Seong Tae-hun and Dallae Bae. Up this month is “Photo Project from Seoul,” a showcase of Korean, American and German photographers, on display until August 25. 6 Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/730-7797.

AU G UST 2010 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

4. LE PETIT PRINCE B612 BOOK CAFÉ Created by three designer friends, this chic studio–café attracts a design-savvy crowd with replicas of classic furniture, like Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic Plywood chair, as well as hundreds of design titles, including the latest Maru magazine.

Savor the delectable handmade chocolate truffles and brownies while browsing. 4/1 Tongui-dong, Jongno-Gu; 82-2/733-0612; dessert for two KRW48,000.

FA R L E F T C O L U M N : C O U R T E S Y O F TA N J U N G B E A C H C L U B ( 2 ) . W A L K T H I S B L O C K : F E L I C I A S H E LT O N ( 6 )

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A fruity concoction at Tanjong Beach Club, above. A view of the bar, below.

1. PLAN B CAFÉ Java is the main draw at this sunny space with its sleek glass façade. Relax amid pre-loved furniture restored by owner Tae-woo Yim, who grinds and brews coffee beans to perfection; don’t miss his secret hand-dripped blend. 108 Yoengchunum-gil, Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-11/9701-4647; coffee for two KRW12,000.

a Jah

Urban beach babes are bound to love Singapore’s new Tanjong Beach Club (120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa; 65/6270-1355; tanjongbeachclub.com; drinks for two S$45), the slicker, sexier incarnation of erstwhile container-bar The Shack.

Japanese design maven Takenouchi Webb has outfitted the 2,787-squaremeter club with retromodernist touches such as hand-painted Peranakan tiles, giant buoy-like bubble lamps and sleek timber lattices. The result is a 1950’s beach-house fantasy, with an outdoor 20-meter infinity pool as its focal point, framed by towering palms and parasol-shaded daybeds.

Behind the bar, mixologists don blue-and-white striped uniforms and serve up cocktails in oversize pitchers.—L I A N G X I N Y I

Yoga Escapes F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F T H E A N D A M A N , L A N G AW I ; C O U R T E SY O F C O M O S H A M B H A L A E S TAT E , B A L I ; C O U R T E S Y O F A M A N R E S O R T S ; C O U R T E S Y O F O N E & O N LY R E E T H I R A H , M A L D I V E S

WELLNESS

Need to recharge your batteries? You might want to start by perfecting that sun salutation pose.

Here, four luxurious, guru-led yoga retreats to set you on the road to inner peace

LANGKAWI

The Andaman Lush forests and cerulean seas provide the backdrop for a three-day retreat led by internationally renowned yoga master Julien Levy (August 27–29), the founder of Centre Kalya in France. Expect daily sessions on beachfront platforms, blending Hatha, Sivananda and Yin yoga styles, along with healthy cuisine, nature walks and therapeutic spa treatments. 60-4/959-1088; luxurycollection.com/theandaman; singles from RM3,499 and doubles from RM5,799.

BALI

COMO Shambhala Estate Shambhala—Sanskrit for peace—should be found in abundance after a week with top yoga master Katiza Satya (September 19–25), who personally guides practitioners with an emphasis on Vipassana meditation. Open-air pavilions that overlook the Ubud’s River Ayung, top-notch on-site yoga facilities and luxurious touches like personal butler service should only add to the experience. 62-361/978-888; cse.como.bz; singles from US$3,615 and doubles from US$5,410.

BHUTAN

Amankora Divided between the ultra-luxurious Amankora Paro and Amankora Thimphu in Bhutan An, an all-inclusive seven-night yoga program will be led by Cora Wen (October 21–28), one of the America’s most acclaimed yoga instructors. Expect daily meditation and individualized yoga sessions complemented by excursions to the kingdom’s sacred sites and monasteries.

975-2/331-333; amanresorts.com; singles from US$9,100 and doubles from US$9,800.

MALDIVES

One&Only Reethi Rah Resident yoga guru Georgina Jones offers a selection of Ashtanga yoga classes year-round, as well as personal tuition and training tailored to individual needs. All sessions are conducted on the Chi Pavilion, which hovers above a shimmering lagoon. The rustic-luxe resort also offers a host of other complimentary yoga classes geared toward fat burning, deep meditation and optimum health. 960/664-8800; oneandonlyresorts.com; doubles from US$860 per night.

insider

| newsflash HOTELS

MUSIC

Charles Blackman, Adam Cullen and John Olsen are already luminaries in the Australian contemporary art world. Now, they’re rising stars in the hotel world, thanks to the Art Series Hotel Group in Melbourne. The Cullen and The Olsen have already opened to widespread acclaim, while this month sees the launch of The Blackman, which promises to maintain the group’s signature immersive approach: not only do all aspects of the design draw from the artist’s work—in this case, dark, dreamy and enigmatic—but the property comes complete with an in-house art curator and an art library in each of the 209 suites. 452 St. Kilda Rd., Melbourne; artserieshotels.com.au; doubles from A$169.

Suite Reads The Luxury Collection is going retro with a set of custom-made books.

By S T I R L I N G K E L S O The Luxury Collection has paired with publisher Assouline to create a series of exclusive destination guides for the guest rooms of its hotels and resorts.

The pocket-size books, which now cover six destinations (Argentina, Greece, India, Italy, Spain and the U.S.), are packed with history, shopping and dining recommendations, and insights from famous locals. But it’s the stunning photography by Andréa Fazzari (a frequent T+L contributor) that makes these beautifully bound books keepsakes.

US$140; luxurycollection.com.

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Songs on the Mekong Music lovers around Asia are aflutter with the news that Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian singer–songwriter, will be performing live at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium on November 27. Cohen, who has been off the world-tour circuit for 15 years, is known for his electrifying live shows, and the inaugural Mekong Sessions event—the artist’s only Southeast Asian stop—is set to draw fans from across the region.

Though tickets are breathtakingly expensive, ranging from US$241 to US$600, proceeds go to charities such as the Cambodian Red Cross.

Expect nothing short of a life-changing night. themekongsessions.com.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F T H E B L AC K M A N ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F L EO N A R D CO H E N ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F T H E LUXU RY CO L L ECT I O N ( 4 )

ARTFUL STAYS

Leonard Cohen, set to perform in Phnom Penh.

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www.spain.info www.andalucia.org

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| newsflash

The Force in Fashion

STYLE

48

Three views of the Opposite House in Beijing, where guests can make their own movies.

S T AY

Tell It Your Way Could you be the next Zhou Yimou or Ang Lee? The recently launched Suitcase Cinema package at the Opposite House (11 Sanlitun Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing; 86-10/6417-6688; theoppositehouse.com; doubles from RM2,800 per night, including breakfast) lets budding filmmakers get in touch with their inner cinéaste over a weekend. An extension of Short Stays, an experimental project whereby three young Beijing directors created film shorts on-site, the package gives guests free rein over a Canon camcorder, plus use of a bicycle and map for pedaling around the city’s old, atmospheric neighborhoods—the perfect cinematic backdrop. Your room, the spacious Studio 70, even comes equipped with a 24-inch iMac to edit footage. Until December 31.

BANGKOK'S BEST

ON THE RADAR

Time to mark your calendars: this September, not one but two world-class lass events are set to unfold in the Thai capital. For starters, the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok’s Annual World Gourmet Festival (September 6–12; fourseasons. com/bangkok; tickets from Bt4,500) will see big-name chefs such as Australian Alvin Leung, Matteo Vigotti and chef Douglas Keane, top. A Douglas Keane converge for a week creation by of epicurean wining and dining. Our Alvin Leung, tip? Book a package (from Bt11,650 right. Prince per night), which offers a two-person Igor, bottom. dinner for every night stayed. Next up is the International Festival of Dance and Music (September 11– October 24; Thailand Cultural Center; bangkokfestivals.com; tickets from Bt400), whose roster of performances includes Prince Igor by the Russian Novosibirsk Opera Theatre and a one-night-only concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by maestro Zubin Mehta. Not to be missed.

AU G U S T 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

C LO C KW I S E F RO M BOT TO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F J O H N WO O ; CO U RT ESY O F O P P OS I T H O U S E ( 3 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F W O R L D G O U R M E T F E S T I VA L ( 2 ) ; E V G E N Y I VA N O V

Hong Kong–born designer and artist John Woo is quick to clarify that he’s “not the Face Off director.”

But soon, he may not need to: he’s fast making a name for himself with standout projects that have won cult followings across the Internet. His most recent, “He Wears It,” is a set of illustrations that feature key Star Wars characters dressed in ultra-hip designer threads: think Scout Trooper in Viktor & Rolf and Jar Jar Binks in Maison Martin Margiela. Our favorite? Darth Vader in Band of Outsiders (pictured).

Prints go for US$50 a pop on woosazoo.etsy.com, or visit Woo’s website (wooszoo. com). —L A R A DAY

Cynthia Chua As global salon franchise Strip: Ministry of Waxing makes its Hong Kong debut, its Singapore-based CEO and founder of Spa Esprit talks to T+L about the future of spas. By DAV E N W U ● Late last year, you opened Ministry of Waxing in London, the first European flagship of the popular Strip salons in Singapore. Was this a case of bringing coals to Newcastle? “It was almost impossible to find a good dedicated place for Brazilian wax in London. Many people we spoke to had such bad experiences they just stopped waxing altogether. Our point of difference is that we make the experience as comfortable, hygienic, painless and fun as possible. These aren’t things you normally associate with Brazilian waxes.”

YIAM

● Where next? “Shanghai, Bangkok and Hong Kong have just opened. A second London outlet is opening in Floral Street in Covent Garden in August, and I just opened my first outlet in New York last month. A few cities in Europe are under negotiation.” ● You run four eateries, 30 beauty outlets in Singapore and 13 abroad.

How do you de-stress? “A great de-stresser is a slow flow massage that

incorporates hot wax with rhythmic strokes to coax the body into a deep state of relaxation. It is a powerful therapy that works on the physical as well as mental level.” ● What are your favorite spas in Asia?

“I love The Farm [thefarm.com.ph; doubles from P86,550] in the Philippines for its refreshing and delicious raw cuisine. It’s a five-star resort in a very relaxing rural setting. I also love the Six Senses Hideaway Samui [sixsenses.com; doubles from Bt14,925] for its amazing views and comprehensive treatments.” ● Why do Asian spas have such appeal?

“I always relax immediately in Asian spas.

As a city girl, I respond to the fact that they effortlessly meld their natural environment with a strong sense of place. How could you not admire the indigenous treatments with their creative use of local herbs? And Asian service is invariably excellent; they just have such a magical way of putting you at ease.”

Q&A

● What do you think Asian spas can teach the West? “Asian spas always have a very clear cultural identity. An Indonesian spa is immediately identifiable from a Thai spa and I like that differentiation.” ● What’s an important trend in spas?

“I think spas will start using more organic products. Beauty Emporium [8D Dempsey Rd., Level 2, Singapore; dempseyhouse.com; 65/6475-7375], for example, incorporates over 70 types of organic fruits and vegetables in its products. Design-wise, there will be a shift toward a modern vibe rather than the usual rustic MO. There will also be more creativity and innovation.”

When we say we will move mountains for our guests, we really mean it literally.

We are used to such sights: guests checking in with the barest minimum and checking out with tonnes of bags and luggage.

That’s the beauty of the 5-star One World Hotel. A door away from 1 Utama, a multi-award-winning shopping centre.

With over 5 million sq. ft. of innovative and exciting attractions to explore, 1 Utama is more than just great shopping. There’s always something to thrill all ages: from dining and entertainment to a unique Rainforest that houses over 100 species of flora and fauna. Adding to the experience, there’s the Secret Garden of 1 Utama, South East Asia’s largest rooftop garden with over 500 species of rare tropical and temperate plants.

For an ideal shopping vacation with 5-star services, be pampered with 6 new categories of lavishly furnished guestrooms and suites that enhance the experience of comfort and luxury, 7 signature restaurants, lounges and bars and an award-winning spa that offers an oasis of peace and tranquility.

You don’t have to move mountains to find a great shopping vacation.

Just begin your exploration at www.oneworldhotel.com.my

The BrandLaureate SMEs Chapter Awards 2009 Corporate Branding Best Brands in Hotel – Business

Cinnamon Coffee C ff H House Malaysia Tourism Award 2008 - 2009 Innovative Restaurant Premier Award - International Restaurant

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SPECIAL FEATURE

This classy camera is the world’s first digital compact camera with a back-illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS Sensor. Chic and sleek, it is also the world’s slimmest compact camera with this sensor in its 17.7mm camera body.

Sony’s Cyber-shot TX5 is so cool, so funky, and was so much fun on our recent trip to Thailand.

Nott only was it perf perfect N No rfec e t for capturing some amazing Bangkok’s skyline, could amaz am azin ing sh sshots otts of B Ban angk gkok ok’s ’s ssky k line,, we ccou o ld d take pool! thanks even ev en ttak ake e it to th the po pool o ! And d th than nks tto o itss build, withstood our handling! robust build d, it w iths it hsto tood od a all ll o ur rrough ough ou gh h andl an dlin ing! g!

It’s also totally usable right out of the box—and pocket-perfect in size, at a sleek 17.7mm thickness— which meant that after we’d bought it, we could go straight to the top of our building and take a wide panorama shot. It was so easy—just press the shutter button in Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode. The camera does the rest—even for faces and moving subjects.

The real fun was to be had when we headed to Phuket and to the pool. Not only were we able to capture sensational shots splashing around, the camera is waterproof to a three-meter depth with a battery time of 60 minutes when used underwater.

And this durable, dustproof camera can withstand drops from up to a meter and a half and can operate from 14 to 104 degrees Farenheit.

It’s Sony’s back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor that does all the magic. Underwater and in other low-light settings, the sensor compensates by doubling sensitivity. Couple this with the BIONZ

The Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode means taking snaps of stunning vistas like this one of Bangkok is so easy with the Cyber-shot TX5. But the really fun part is when you take it to the pool or seaside, since the camera is waterproof to up to three meters!

Image Processing Engine, which reduces “noise, “noise,” e,” natural and vibrant photos are possible in all situations, even at twilight. In fact, in Anti-motion Blur mode, noise is reduced by up to 50 percent and colors are so bright in all modes!

High-speed shooting is also as easy as pressing the shutter button—literally—at a full 10.2 megapixel resolution at 10 frames per second, with the help blur. of a mechanical shutter that reduces motion blur r.

We were so eager to get back from the pool and look at our snaps, and playing the pictures back on its amazingly intuitive touch screen was so easy! In fact, this slim, trim and totally trendy little box of tricks is the perfect photographic companion to carry along and shoot pictures in any situation at all!

The EXMOR R CMOS sensor and BIONZ image processing engine make twilight panoramas amazingly crisp, while colors always look vivid.

insider

| night out

One Night in Hong Kong. A fresh fleet of bars is shaking up

this city’s already buzzing nightlife scene. Here, T+L’s guide to eating, drinking and dancing your way into the early hours. By AMY MA

■ 7:00 P.M. A five-minute taxi ride brings you to 208 Duecento Otto (208 Hollywood Rd., Sheung Wan; 852/2549-0208; 208.com.hk), a New York–inspired Italian bar and eatery launched by Yenn Wong of JIA Boutique Hotels fame. Once a meat-storage facility, the two-story industrial space has a cozy osteria vibe thanks to a rehaul by renowned Turkish design team Autoban—think wrought-iron frames tempered with chic blue-and-white tiles. Squeeze into one of the barstools downstairs, where gung-ho barmen hand-squeeze, strain and muddle premium ingredients into a range of gourmet aperitivi—the Sherry Cobbler (HK$70), made with Hildago Fino sherry, pineapple syrup, fresh orange and lemon, pairs perfectly with a wooden

HONG KONG

paddle heaped high with freshly cut Italian salumi (HK$128).

Note the letters engraved onto the marble tabletop: they spell out the recipe for pizza (HK$148), a house specialty fired up in a custom-made oven from Naples.

■ 8:30 P.M. Forgo a lengthy dinner and opt for some no-utensils chow at nearby Burgers & Beers International (77 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2114-0662; dinner for two HK$120), a recent addition to Wyndham Street’s buzzing bar-and-restaurant row—the tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows are a prime spot for people watching. Each of the 15 burger and hot-dog combinations can be matched with a draft or bottled lager, ale or cider from one of 19 countries.

A Turkish lamb burger with feta, roasted peppers and mint yogurt (HK$48), for instance, should never go without a cold Efes beer (HK$44) from the same nation.

7:00 P.M.

6:00 P.M. Urban Flavors Clockwise from left: At modern British drinking den Alfie’s by KEE; the gourmet aperitivi at 208 Duecento Otto; Burgers & Beers is a casual spot for people watching on buzzy Wyndham Street.

8:30 P.M.

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C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F A L F I E ' S BY K E E ; CO U RT ESY O F 20 8 D U EC E N TO OT TO ; E DW I N L E E

■ 6:00 P.M. Start your evening at Alfred Dunhill’s newly minted Hong Kong flagship, where you’ll find the discreet Alfie’s by KEE (Mezzanine floor, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Rd., Central; 852/2530-4422), opened in collaboration with Hong Kong’s members-only KEE Club. This ultra-sophisticated, modern British den, designed by architect Gavin Tu, has the feel of a dapper gentleman’s club cum private study, complete with dark woods, leather banquettes, plush, old-world carpets, and black-and-white photographs.

Order a signature Black Velvet (HK$150)—champagne and Guinness served in a flute—alongside a gastro-pub palate pleaser like the Devonshire sausage in puff pastry (HK$90), and watch the city’s powerbrokers loosen their ties.

■ 9:30 P.M. Take the Mid-Levels escalator up to SoHo and stop by Posto Pubblico (28 Elgin St., Central; 852/2577-7160; postopubblico.com), a neighborhood watering hole with a conscience. This contemporary Italian bar-restaurant is the passion project of eco-friendly duo Todd Darling and Robert Spina, whose farm-to-table philosophy carries over from the menu to the cocktails. Make your selection from the chalk blackboard: those with a sweet tooth can’t go wrong with the deconstructed banana-cream pie (HK$75), whipped up from scratch. Don’t miss the “green” beverages, updated according to what’s in season—summertime brings in organic lychee-and-mint mojitos (HK$80), which you can sample to a soundtrack that includes Motown, jazz and hip hop at the central U-shaped bar.

■ 11:00 P.M. Head back down to Wyndham, where bartenders at slick, neon blue–colored lounge Sliver (48 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2522-8318) will give you a drink and a show at the slightest encouragement. Hong Kong’s only flare bartenders—here, bottles are twirled, tossed and sometimes even used for fire-blowing—serve up complex, layered concoctions like the Hong Kong Butterfly (HK$90), a

C LO C KW I S E F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F P OSTO P U B B L I CO ; E DW I N L E E ; CO U RT ESY O F S L I V E R ; E DW I N L E E

9:30 P.M.

delicate blend of cucumber, tequila, elderflower, apple juice and rose water. Prefer your liquor neat? Peruse the selection of malts served with specially made spherical ice cubes that won’t dilute your drink. As the night goes on, the music gets louder with a lineup of guest DJ’s helming the booth at the back of the bar.

■ 12:30 A.M. Step across the road to the glitzy Tazmania Ballroom (1st floor, Hotel LKF, 33 Wyndham St., Central;

852/2801-5009), the brainchild of Dragon-i’s Gilbert Yeung and brought to life by Tom Dixon’s über-hip Design Research Studio in London. Every detail here—from the geometric chandeliers to the Cohiba cigar menu and even the staff dressed in Fred Perry and Doc Martens—has a chic edge. Meanwhile, the space itself is something of a chameleon: a set of gold-plated pool tables can be raised to the ceiling to reveal a dance floor that draws the city’s young, stylish clubbing set, who stay fuelled with the reliably strong drinks—the signature Funk Me Up (HK$98) is a vodka-based thirst quencher featuring Amaretto, Chambord and Midori.

For a breather, relax on the banquette-lined outdoor terrace, before diving back in to party until dawn. ✚

11:00 P.M.

ONE-STOP NIGHTSPOTS Not up for a full-on crawl? Try our pick of destination bars: Les Boules Possibly Asia’s first pétanque bar. 18 Woo Hop St., Shek Tong Tsui; 852/2872-0102; lesboules. hk; drinks for two HK$100.

Yu Zen Flawless martinis – and omelet rice – in a Japanese-styled space. 21st floor, Circle Plaza, 499 Hennessy Rd., Causeway Bay; 852/2893-6120; hk-yuzen.com; drinks for two HK$350.

City Glam Clockwise from above: Posto Pubblico offers locavore dining and drinks; Sliver on a Friday night; the bar’s Red Dragon cocktail; Tazmania Ballroom’s luxury pool tables.

12:30 A.M.

The Canny Man Convivial Scottish oasis offering whiskies and haggis.

B1 Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57–73 Lockhart Rd., Wan Chai; 852/2861-1935; thecannyman.com; drinks and haggis for two HK$400.

Aqua Spirit Superlative views amid sleek environs. 29th floor, One Peking Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 852/3427-2288; aqua.com; drinks for two HK$160.

Salon de Ning Decadent lair featuring a virtual bouncer.

Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 852/2315-3335; salondening.com; drinks for two HK$300.

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insider

| 24 hours Java Breeze From left: The view from the rooftop Citilites Skyclub & Bistro; Sumatran tigers at the Kebun Binatang Surabaya zoo.

INDONESIA

Surabaya in a Day. This bustling port city at the mouth

■ DO Stroll the grounds of the historic Hotel Majapahit (65 Jln. Tunjungan; 62-31/545-4333; hotel-majapahit.com; doubles from US$114). Built in 1910 by the legendary Sarkies brothers. The still-opulent pile boasts manicured courtyards, white walls, and stately columns and arches that transport you to a bygone era. • In the heart of Jembatan Merah, Surabaya’s crumbling, atmospheric old center, stands the colorful, pagoda-topped Cheng Hoo Mosque (2 Jln. Gading), which commemorates a 15th-century Chinese-Muslim admiral. Though dating only to 2002, it’s the perfect starting point for exploring the Dutch colonial architecture, Arab mosques and Chinese shophouses nearby. • Beat the heat in the leafy Kebun Binatang Surabaya zoo, better known as KBS (Jln. Diponegoro; admission Rp10,000), which offers near-constant shade as well as playful sun bears, peanutcraving binturongs and beautiful big cats like Sumatran tigers.

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■ SEE Visit the House of Sampoerna (6 Jln. Taman Sampoerna; 62-31/353-9000; houseofsampoerna.com; admission free), a pretty 1860’s colonial compound: step inside the main factory-museum to watch workers hand-roll kreteks with fast-forward dexterity (smell that clove?), view exhibitions of Indonesian art in the gallery, then recharge in the café with a glass of fresh “lemonade” infused with lemongrass and lime juice.

■ EAT One bite into the succulent grilled fish or chicken at the original location of Primarasa’s (3A Jln. Kusuma Bangsa; 62-31/534-0387; primarasaresto.com; lunch for two Rp70,000), and you’ll realize why this place has gone citywide and beyond. • Under brightly colored bird cages, sample traditional Surabaya dishes from popular local restaurants— many with long track records—at the new D’Kampoeng (Surabaya Town Square, P17–19A, 6 Jln. Hayam Wuruk; 62-31/563-3962; dinner for two

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Rp65,000). Try the spicy bean-sprout dish lontong balap from Pak Gendut, established in the 1950’s. • For late-night chow, follow the locals to Rawon Setan (78-I Jln. Embong Malang; 62-31/6031-1102; dinner for two Rp60,000). Open from 6:30 P.M. to 3:30 A.M., it serves up tasty bowls of beef-noodle soup with a tonguescorching sambal on the side.

■ DRINK Perched atop the Java Paragon Hotel, the open-roof Citilites Skyclub & Bistro (101–103 Jln. Mayjend Sungkono; 62-31/562-1234; javaparagon.com; drinks for two Rp140,000) offers sparkling city views, intimate table lighting and a sexy neon bar. Arrive at 6 P.M. to watch the sunset over a cocktail; try the Skyline, a blend of guava, vodka and triple sec. • Catch local and international DJ’s at Foreplay (Surabaya Town Square, 6 Jln. Hayam Wuruk; 62-31/563-3932; drinks for two Rp140,000), a thumping club that plays everything from progressive house to hip-hop. ✚

F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F J AVA PA R A G O N H O T E L ; © C H R I S L O R E N / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

of the Mas River is Indonesia’s second largest metropolis, yet it rarely registers on tourist maps—until now. By STEVE MOLLMAN

asian scene | insider Creative Faces Clockwise from left: classic wooden bird cages hang in a small back alley at Maison des Arts; Tadioto attracts an eclectic crowd; owner Nguyen Qui Duc, in Tadioto’s second-floor art gallery, tinkers with a sculpture by artist Phuong Vu Nanh; Nguyen Nga, founder of Maison des Arts.

VIETNAM

Shape Shifters. Long known as Vietnam’s artistic heart, Hanoi is

witnessing a wave of visionary crossover spaces that blend art, culture, design, retail and even fine dining. By NAOMI LINDT

■ MAISON DES ARTS Wedged between two of Hanoi’s most traditional cultural experiences—the 1,000-year-old Temple of Literature and the Museum of Fine Arts—the Maison des Arts makes it its mission to bridge old and new. The five-story space organizes events ranging from traditional calligraphy workshops to cutting-edge exhibits by international artists, all under the direction of Madame Nguyen Nga, who lived in Paris for 35 years before returning to Hanoi in 2007 to open the shop–café– gallery. The first floor hosts a boutique filled with paintings, photos, prints and Photographed by AARON JOEL SANTOS

sculpture, while the rooftop café– terrace is ideal for a contemplative drink. In the traditionally styled, top-floor teahouse, performances of Vietnam’s ancient musical forms take place twice a month. 31A Van Mieu; 84-4/3747-8096; ngoinhanghethuat.com; tea for two VND40,000.

■ LA CO-OPERATIVE La Co-operative, or HTX (for hop tac xa, the Vietnamese translation of “co-operative”), was opened last October by a group of long-time friends, two French and two Vietnamese. In keeping with the

owner’s vision, diners here can linger over traditional dishes that straddle the two cultures—starters like fried tofu with salted egg or foie gras with fig terrine; mains ranging from grilled water buffalo to boeuf bourguignon—and sip glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon or rice wine, while partaking in crosscultural performances. Shows by international DJ’s, contemporary Vietnamese musicians and comedy theater troupes take place in the airy, covered rooftop, the outdoor courtyard and the exposed-brick dining room. 46 An Duong; 84-4/3716-6401; hoptacxa.net; dinner for two VND400,000.

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New Territories Clockwise from left: Pham Kieu Phuc, founder and designer of Module 7; salmon tartare at La Co-operative; Stan Boissau, the space’s owner; Nuyen Thuy Linh, a third-generation owner of Tan My Design; a colorful piece by artist Nguyen The Hung, at Tadioto.

■ TAN MY DESIGN After 40 years of creating embroidered clothing, accessories and home décor lovingly stitched by some of Vietnam’s finest artisans, the family behind the famed Tan My embroidery brand was ready to try something new. Last year, second-generation owner Do Thanh Huong launched Tan My Design, a stunning, three-story, glass-enclosed space on bustling Hang Gai street. The 800-square-meter shop displays work by eight renowned designers, including the fashion-forward Minh Hanh, Ha Linh Tu and Ha Truong, as well as lacquer guru Pascal Dang, whose gorgeous vases and jewelry boxes are worth the splurge. Contemporary pieces by famous local artists like Nguyen My Anh and Dinh Cong Dat are also scattered throughout the shop.

Drop by the newly opened café to 58

recharge from Hanoi’s hustle. 61 Hang Gai; 84-4/3938-1154; tanmydesign.com.

■ MODULE 7 Pham Kieu Phuc, a self-taught designer, opened this furniture gallery in 2006 to “reflect my inspiration for the simple beauty of life and the creative mind.” In practice, this means taking iconic Vietnamese objects— conical hats, say—and re-envisioning them as funky lamps and wall hangings, while also producing minimalist homeware staples like streamlined couches and heavy wooden dining tables, all creatively displayed in her shop. Phuc also organizes sculpture, painting and photography shows every other month, seeking out artists who, like herself, experiment with traditional forms and materials. 83 Xuan Dieu St.; 84-4/3719-7247; module7design.com.

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■ TADIOTO With its eclectic roster of live music, literary readings and art exhibitions, coupled with some of the city’s best cocktails and a low-key, artsy-cool atmosphere, Tadioto has become a staple on the Hanoi social scene since opening last year. The amicable owner, Nguyen Qui Duc, worked as a journalist and writer in the U.S. before returning to Vietnam and opening the funky art space, which is housed in a six-story traditional tube house with intimate nooks for art-viewing and socializing. Weekends often see an intellectual mix of locals and expats chatting, sipping rare liquors and nibbling snacks like mini-burgers and tofu fries with peanut sauce late into the night. 113 Trieu Viet Vuong; 84-4/2218-7200; tadioto.com; drinks for two from VND90,000. ✚

insider

| detour Historic Heights From left: A view of Pena Palace; the entrance to the Hotel Tivoli Palácio de Seteais; Monserrate Palace’s lush gardens.

Sintra: Portugal’s Mountain Hideaway. Just north of

Lisbon, this ancient village has romantic architecture, authentic restaurants and its own grande dame. By ALEXANDRA MARSHALL

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GUIDE TO SINTRA ic nt an ce

Sintra Lisbon

0

N U GA L

la

P O RT

■ WHAT TO DO In the 18th and 19th centuries, foreign and domestic royalty built over-the-top estates, such as the Quinta da Regaleira—now a museum and concert venue. Other manor

houses, including Pena Palace and Monserrate Palace, are landmarks overseen by Parques de Sintra (35121/923-7300; parquesdesintra.pt); they’re worth touring if only to compare the styles of the attached gardens (neoMoorish, neo-Gothic, Orientalist).

Don’t head back to Lisbon without stocking up on the local queijada pastry (made with goat cheese) at Pastelaria Piriquita (1 Rua das Padarias; 35121/923-0626; pastries for two €10). ✚

At

■ WHERE TO EAT About a 7-kilometer drive south of Sintra is the one-year-old Arola (Estrada da Lagoa Azul; 351-21/924-9011; ritzcarlton.com; doubles from €374; dinner for two €94), part of the palazzo-style, Ritz-Carlton–run Penha Longa Hotel & Golf Resort. It’s the brainchild of Spanish chef Sergi Arola, and the menu highlights posh tapas (sea bass with Kaffir lime sabayon; black pork with São Jorge cheese). For traditional Portuguese cuisine, Tulhas Bar (4 Rua Gil Vicente; 351-21/923-2378; dinner for two €34), on a street off the main drag, serves fresh grilled river trout stuffed with bacon.

O

■ WHERE TO STAY Sintra’s allure is about dipping into its decorated past.

Originally the 18th-century residence of the Dutch consul, the Hotel Tivoli Palácio de Seteais (10 Avda. Barbosa do Bocage; 351-21/923-3200; tivolihotels.com; doubles from €684, including breakfast) opened as a hotel in the 1950’s. A Neoclassical building with frescoed rooms, gilded antiques and famous guests (Catherine Deneuve; John Malkovich), the place had nevertheless seen better days. One year and 40 specialists later, none of the splendor suffered in favor of a meticulous restoration (complete with updated in-room technology and marble baths).

Alternatively, the 17-room Lawrence’s (38–40 Rua Consigliéri Pedroso; 35121/910-5500; lawrenceshotel.com; doubles from €275, including breakfast) dates back to 1764.

125 km

SPAIN

GETTING THERE Sintra is 40 minutes by train from Lisbon’s Rossio Station, but to see the city’s far-flung attractions, a car is helpful. Rent one at Lisbon’s Portela Airport.

F RO M L E F T: © TO RAS N A PS F / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; CO U RT ESY O F T I VO L I H OT E L S & R ES O RTS ; © AC H I L L ES / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M

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StylishTraveler RETAIL THERAPY GOES RETRO

C O U R T E SY O F S AT I S FA C T O R Y

In Asia, secondhand once meant second-rate, but today more people are discovering the allure of vintage cool. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the lowdown on where to find the best pre-loved threads, furniture, books and more in three ultra-fashionable cities. By HELEN DALLEY

A step up at SatisFactory in Hong Kong.

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HONG KONG

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HONG KONG IS ALL ABOUT flagship designer stores and multimillion-dollar malls, think again. The city also plays host to a burgeoning vintage scene, complementing the old Chinese memorabilia found in the night-market stalwarts like Temple Street and Tung Choi Street (aka Ladies’ Market).

For a taste of the retro action, head to Bang Bang! 70s (1st floor, 16A Aberdeen St., Central; 852/9045-8006). Newly relocated from its Tsim Sha Tsui space, this diminutive shrine to the disco decade offers authentic vintage clothes and accessories, plus a pair of friendly resident cats; look out for oversize flight bags, E-label Levi’s and retro-kitsch Mickey Mouse wristwatches.

Another pit stop for pre-loved clothing and jewelry is Vintage HK (Ground floor, 57–59 Hollywood Rd., Central; 852/2545-9932), run by a local design collective; top finds include chunky red ceramic rings and 1950’s-style dresses.

Looking for something more fancy? Step it up at SatisFactory (2nd Floor, Poo Foo Bldg., 1 Foo Ming St., Causeway 66

F YOU THINK SHOPPING IN

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Bay; 852/9783-5141), the perfect place to find a hat for the races, say, or even a vintage wedding dress with accessories to match. Even higher up the scale—but without the lofty price tags—is Chew (6th floor, 1 Lan Kwai Fong; 852/2810-0188), a relative newcomer. Owned by Ho Chiu Wan, daughter of casino billionaire Stanley Ho, the chandelier-adorned store hangs high-fashion pieces by Stella McCartney and Dolce & Gabbana with up to a 90 percent discount.

Moving beyond pure aesthetics, planet-conscious readers can enrich their minds at Flow Organic Bookshop, a plentifully stocked secondhand bookstore that’s chock-a-block with well-thumbed, affordable fiction (40 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; 852/8104-0822). Finally, music buffs who prefer old-school record players to the latest iPod will drool over the vinyl at Walls of Sound (3rd floor, 38 Cochrane St., Central; 852/2805-1584), which specializes in jazz, rock and classical-music records. »

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F S AT I S FA C T O R Y; C O U R T E SY O F V I N TA G E H K ; CO U RT ESY O F F LOW O RGA N I C BO O KS H O P

Old School Clockwise from top left: SatisFactory is the place when in need of something to wear for a day at the races; Vintage HK is home to a variety of vintage clothing and jewelry; rows of bulging bookshelves at Flow Organic Bookshop.

stylish traveler

| shopping

SINGAPORE

L

ONG A GO-TO DESTINATION FOR VINTAGE HUNTERS,

from mobile phones to furniture.

If you’re not a market person, don’t despair. The city-state has plenty of vintage clothing and homeware boutiques, especially on indie-cool Haji Lane. Male shoppers shouldn’t miss White Room (37 Haji Lane; 65/6297-1280; atwhiteroom.com), where the vintage sunglasses, including classic Ray-Bans and angular aviators by Raf Simons and Linda Farrow, are bound to unleash their inner superstar. Meantime, ladies will love Dulcetfig (41 Haji Lane; 65/6396-5648; dulcetfig.com) for its printed dresses, wicker handbags and vintage jewelry from Sarah Coventry.

For even more retro accessorizing, enter the world of Dustbunny Vintage (Block 112, 01–203 Bukit Purmei Rd.; 65/6274-4200; dustbunnyvintage.com). Emblazoned with striking geometric patterns, their Mod purses are the ideal finishing touch to a mini-dress, while the elegant, glass-bead evening bags go perfectly with twinsets and pearls.

Ready to deck out your home? Give it a vintage flavor courtesy of Like That One (Skytech 09–04, 2 Bukit Batok St.; 65/9023-2988; likethatone.com); we loved the laminateand-chrome dining tables and funky accessories, especially the brightly painted candelabras. Or keep sounds retro with Vinylucky (Unit B1-42; The Adelphi, 1 Coleman St. 24; 65/6336-9071; vinylucky.blogspot.com), where you can give records a spin on one of three in-house turntables.

Another gem is homeware store Lorgan’s (100E Pasir Panjang Rd.; 65/6272-4988; lorgans.com), founded by former teak-furniture dealer Lorgan Wong. Come here for colorful pieces, mostly from the 1960’s and 1970’s; if you’re lucky, you might find Eero Aarnio’s iconic Bubble Chair or even a 1950’s Crossley radio.

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Retro Style Clockwise from top left: Racks of printed dresses at Dulcetfig; outside Dustbunny Vintage; off the rack at Dulcetfig; browsing at Like That One; the colorful selection at Lorgan’s.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F D U LC E T F I G ; CO U RT ESY O F D U ST B U N N Y; CO U RT ESY O F D U LC E T F I G ; C O U R T E SY O F L I K E T H AT O N E ; C O U R T E SY O F L O R G A N ’ S

Singapore boasts flea markets such as Zouk Flea & Easy (17 Jiak Kim St.; zoukclub.com; four Sundays a year) specializing in hip clothing and the Sungei Road Thieves Market (Sungei Rd.; 11 A.M.–7 P.M. daily) selling everything

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BANGKOK IS A VINTAGE lover’s Valhalla. Start out at the bazaar to beat all others, Chatuchak Weekend Market (Mo Chit Skytrain station or Chatuchak MRT station; weekends only, 9 A.M.– 6 P.M.) for items like vintage denim, secondhand books and decorative homeware. Other markets worth a trip include Ratchada Night Bazaar (Corner of Ratchada and Lad Phrao Rd.; Saturdays only, 5 P.M.–midnight) for vintage clothing, vinyl and antique toys, Woeng Nakhon Kasem, or Thieves Market (Charoen Krung Rd.; open daily) for Thai and Chinese antiques, and Talaat Wang Lang (Wang Lang, near Siraraj Pier; open daily) for clothing and accessories.

Plenty of standalone stores also specialize in vintage gear.

This June, Masiri Tamsakul—a director at hip furniture brand Quattro—opened Again & Again (Room B1a, Market Place, Soi 4, Sukhumvit Soi 55 [Thonglor]; 66-8/9486-5359), a boutique selling vintage pieces the designer has sourced from around the world. This new entry lines up agreeably against other vintage fixtures in the city like It’s Happened to Be a Closet (266/3 Siam Square, Soi 3, Rama 1 Rd.; 66-2/658-4969;

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

ARKET-SATURATED

itshappenedtobeacloset.wordpress.com), where fringed cocktail dresses, brightly colored heels and cute crochet bed covers will all pull at your purse strings. Or, if you’d rather browse book spines than wardrobe items, Dasa Books (714/4 Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/661-2993; dasabookcafe.com) has a great selection of secondhand tomes.

For a retro furniture and household-goods fix, go to Tuba (34 Soi 21, Sukhumvit Soi 63 [Ekamai]; 66-2/622-0708; design-athome.com), which sells 70’s carpets and 60’s sofas by day and turns into a trendy bar come nightfall. Its neighbor, Y50 (24 Soi 21, Sukhumvit Soi 63 [Ekamai]; 66-2/711-5629), also doubles as a bar; test out funky chairs and Art Deco lamps over a few drinks while rubbing elbows with Bangkok’s film-industry movers and shakers. Still hungry for more?

Head to Le Café Siam (4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Rd.; 66-2/671-0030; lecafesiam.com), a restaurant set in a grand old colonial building, where many of the antiques and artworks are for sale. ✚

Bounty Hunting Clockwise from top right: A table awaits at Le Café Siam; Again & Again sources its stock from around the globe; a pair of shoes at It’s Happened to Be a Closet; the shop’s eclectic interior mirrors the goods on sale.

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CLICK AND REFRESH

Want to find a yoga class in Thailand or a Parisian scent that’s not yet available where you live? Here, eight great sites for global nomads. By SHERRI EISENBERG

wahanda.com

Based in London, Wahanda is an online community with user profiles and TripAdvisor–style reviews of 10,000 spas, salons and gyms, plus 2,500 independent therapists around the globe.

T+L TIP For each review you write, Wahanda gives US$1 to Charity: Water, a nonprofit that brings clean drinking water to developing nations.

spafinder.com When you’re not sure where to go for a last-minute mani-pedi amid manic Manila or a blowout in Bali, just type in your location on SpaFinder — the e-tool will find and book a place for you. The site also highlights exclusive deals and expert advice on destination and day spas worldwide.

T+L TIP The Massage Matrix helps you determine the best

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technique to relieve your stress.

yogafinder.com If you’re on the road and in serious need of a stretch, you can get info on classes from Australia to Taiwan.

T+L TIP Search for a range of yoga trips, whether at a temple in Thailand or on an Indian Ocean cruise.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS beautyhabit.com

Travelers love Beautyhabit for its stock of hard-to-find bath and skin-care products from all corners of the earth, like Christophe Robin’s color-safe shampoos and conditioners from Paris, or Ligne St. Barth’s Caribbean avocado oil, aloe-mint gel and vanilla body lotion.

T+L TIP The site sends free samples based on what you’ve ordered.

globalherbalsupplies.com This Australia-based company

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carries essential oils — and explains how to use them — plus all-natural makeup and hair products from down under.

T+L TIP Look for Lucas Papaw ointment, made from an Australian papaya known for its antiseptic properties — it heals cuts, soothes sunburns and makes a great lip balm.

saffronrouge.com Husband-and-wife team Jeff and Kirstin Binder (he started a natural health-products brand; she studied phytotherapy) travel everywhere to scout fairtrade and certified biodynamic lines, like Primavera, from Germany, which grows its skincare ingredients on co-op farms.

T+L TIP Not sure a product is truly organic? The Truth About Ingredients page breaks down what to look for and what to avoid.

FRAGRANCES aedes.com

You’ll find everything from this tiny gem of a shop in Manhattan’s West Village on its site, including European scents such as Nez à Nez Parfums from Paris.

T+L TIP Don’t miss Aedes’s private label; it has a cult following for mixing unexpected notes like leather and cardamom.

fragrancenet.com Used your favorite scent from Singapore to the last drop?

If FragranceNet doesn’t have what you want, the site will track down your request and add it to the inventory. On top of scents, it offers beauty products by brands like La Prairie, plus discounts on limited editions — even after department stores stop carrying them.

T+L TIP If you can’t wait, the product selector will show you alternative scents with similar notes. ✚

B O T T O M S E C T I O N , F R O M L E F T : © M A I LT H E P I C / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; © A N D R E S R / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F L I G N E S T. B A R T H ; C O U R T E S Y O F I N T E R T R A D E E U R O P E

SPAS AND WELLNESS

spa

spa

by Small Luxury Hotels of the World™

by Small Luxury Hotels of the World™

F

rom body scrubs with blends of raw almond to one-on-one yoga classes on a private beach, and facial treatments created individually from natural products, Spa by Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a mouthwatering collection of soothing oases where you can truly indulge in some hedonistic bliss and therapeutic pampering.

With over 500 of some of the world’s finest small independent hotels in over 70 countries, the choices are infinite with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Here is just a small selection, but visit www.slh.com/spa to find your perfect spa hotel and see all the latest special offers.

Pennyhill Park Hotel & The Spa, Surrey, England Experience the rejeuvenating effect of water at The Spa at Pennyhill Park Hotel, where you can wallow in hydrotherapy pools, soak in hot tubs, steam in a sauna or be invigorated under an experience shower.

Huvafen Fushi, Maldives Surround yourself with the glories of the ocean in the Maldivian hideaway of Huvafen Fushi and head for the underwater treatment room and the signature Unite-me Crystal Ritual where exotic ingredients from sea and land anoint and enwrap your body.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ Over 500 hotels in more than 70 Countries To book your perfect spa break visit www.slh.com/spa

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Arizona, USA Soothe, smoothe and indulge your body from the most comprehensive spa menu at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. Here in the heart of Arizona’s red desert lie back and luxuriate in an aloe skin quencher body wrap and a Sanctuary stone massage.

~ T R E N D S ,

C U L T U R E ,

F O O D

A

N D

M O R E ~

T+L Journal DRIVING 80 FOOD 87 OPINION 94 PORTFOLIO 100

INDIA

Cheery

Pondy Thanks to some well-aimed and timely restoration work, Pondicherry’s little taste of France in south India has never been more appetizing.

By TANVI CHHEDA. Photographed by SEBASTIAN CORTÉS

A spot to relax at Hotel Le Dupleix. Inset: École Française d’Extrême Orient opens its doors.

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On Rue de La Marine, the graceful French Consulate.

Below: A boutique now occupies a restored French colonial house.

W

PIZZA HUT OPENED IN PONDICHERRY, THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN launched a cheeky ad campaign on the back of rickshaws that stated: “There are only two things to see in Pondicherry: Pizza Hut and French architecture.” Interestingly enough, the one-liner aims directly at Pondicherry’s French connection, validating how crucial it has been in keeping the city alive and alluring.

Located on India’s eastern seaboard, Pondicherry served as the capital of French India until 1954. Though the French are long gone, Pondy, as locals call their coastal town, retains an atmosphere that’s markedly different from many other cities in India; it’s as though an Indian version of joie de vivre permeates the salty air coming off the Bay of Bengal.

It was Pondicherry’s—officially Puducherry these days—port location that drew everyone from the Portuguese and Dutch to the French and English here, with numerous battles and wars subsequently erupting among them during the 17th and 18th centuries.

After nearly every dispute, however, the city was restituted to the French on the grounds of some treaty or another. Ultimately, French Pondicherry emerged. The city’s street grid was envisioned by the Dutch originally, though implemented by the French, dividing Pondy into two sections: the French quarter, or ville blanche, literally white town, and the Tamil quarter, or ville noire, black town. A canal runs between the two and, despite having dried up in recent years, silently demarcates the boundaries of each precinct.

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French, Naturally Clockwise from left: Hotel de L’Orient in the French Quarter; sauteed snapper fillet at Hotel Le Dupleix; a simple yet colorful street along Rue Suffren in the French Quarter.

The trust has made the preservation of heritage buildings its mission during the last DECADE “Pondicherry naturally has an alliance with France,” says Ashok Panda, who co-runs INTACH Pondicherry, the local (and possibly most active) chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. “We just resurrected it.”

Indeed, the trust has made the preservation of heritage buildings in the French quarter and across the city its mission during the last decade, often working on a dozen or more projects at a time. From writing proposals to supervising on-site, INTACH is involved in nearly every step of restoring the city’s historic and colonial architecture. The nonprofit organization goes even further to ensure that new buildings, particularly those erected in the French precinct, are constructed bearing in mind their neighbor’s legacy.

“You’ll see our stamp all over town, very imperceptibly,” Panda adds. It’s true, but hardly feels imperceptible even to a first-time visitor like myself. From the recently restored Le Café, a beachfront restaurant along Goubert Avenue, locally known as Beach Road, that serves coffee and club sandwiches to the newly built, colonial-looking Citibank » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

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heritage awareness Clockwise from left: An interior courtyard in the Tamil Quarter; French colonial houses along Rue Romain Rolland in the French Quarter; definitely the feel of another era; A row of houses in the Tamil Quarter; lunch at a rooftop café in the same quarter.; palm trees amid the fading, pastel-hued villas of Pondicherry’s French Quarter.

atM on the corners of Rue suffren and Rue Bussy, intach has left its mark. (For startling sepia-toned photographs of local buildings from the 1930’s, browse the corridors of Le Café.) the trust’s team works with public and private partners to raise the funds for these projects; astonishingly, much of the support is coming from overseas foundations.

Critics might argue that preservation of the colonial quarter and beyond is really meant to ignite a tourism boom (a natural byproduct of all the restoration and beautifica-tion), but intach and its 20 full-time architects and planners seem more concerned with creating awareness and encouraging sustainable urban planning rather than an empire strikes back–style capitalization on nostalgia. Much of the intach center’s efforts are geared toward educating locals and officials about basic planning principles including pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, traffic congestion, wastewater treatment and structural safety. Pondicherry was built as a low-lying mix of mansions and row houses, and so, the sprouting of high-rises is sure to bring its fair share of challenges including parking and water shortages, argues Panda. sadly, more than 700 listed heritage buildings were demolished to make way for new buildings in the past 10 years alone, primarily in the tamil town.

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French Quarter

a one-and-a-half kilometer stretch along the beach and around re-landscaped Bharathi Park, the French precinct is an ensemble of pastel-hued residential villas (the local version of the hotel particulier, the typical 18th-century mansion of the upper classes in France) and stately government buildings. Most feature high garden walls with elaborate gateways and interior courtyards, as well as colonnaded porticos and vertical pilasters (decorative columns built into the face of a wall). some adapted Madras terrace-style flat roofs and wooden balconies—a nod to the local architectural style and humid climate of south India.

Inside, high ceilings, vaulted staircases, and tall arched windows and doors prevail. While some buildings are simpler than others, a general consistency in materials, finishing and detailing gives the French quarter a visually harmonious character. the town hall, Hôtel de Ville, just across the street from Le Café on goubert avenue, is one such example and a candidate for restoration. the two-story building has a terrace-style roof with cornice, as well as arched windows and doors. around the corner and down the street, sits the pale pink–colored Notre Dame des anges Church, one of the oldest in the city (note the exterior features like the periwinkle-and-salmon garden walls and the bifurcated staircase leading into the church). Walk through to the end of the church and look out, and a statue emerges in a neighboring courtyard. Joan of arc stands with the shimmering sea behind her. along Rue Romaine Rolland, the 16-room Hotel De L’Orient, restored and re-opened in 2000, is considered one of intach’s most successful projects. the peach-pink exterior leads into an airy, central courtyard where guests linger over breakfast or afternoon tea; meanwhile, stepping into a room feels like time travel thanks to terracotta tiles, four-poster beds and antique maps. today, the hotel is among the premier places to stay in the city. and at the Le Dupleix hotel, named for the French governor who once lived there, the exterior of the building was exactingly refinished with a traditional plaster made from egg white, powdered seashells and yoghurt. Enter through a wooden gate (also painstakingly reconstructed) into yet another courtyard, but one with a 200-year-old mango tree as its focal point. While tucking into lunch, look up to notice the intricate Franco-tamil woodwork in the lounge ceiling and on the second-floor pillars—all original and recovered from the same governor’s Nehru street house.

For a momentary sense of what a fully restored rue might look and feel like, walk along cobble-stoned Rue suffren, »

Stepping into a room feels like tIME travel thanks to terracotta tiles, four-poster beds and antique maps

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FRENCH INFLUENCE

Real India Clockwise from left: Lunch at a rooftop café in the same quarter; restored Tamil-style lodgings; a row of houses in the Tamil Quarter

where several colonial-style homes, awash in canary yellows and milky whites with red doors, overflow with hibiscus flowers and potted plants. It’s also along this charming (and peacefully quiet) lane—a frequent stop on INTACH heritage walks through the quarter—that many trendy textile boutiques, like Cre art and Fab India, are located.

TAMIL QUARTER

“Cross the canal, over to the other side of town,” explains Panda as our conversation turns to the Tamil precinct.

“That’s the real India.” (Incidentally, INTACH is proposing to revitalize the once grand canal starting with a major cleanup, upgraded pavement and street lighting.) With the Tamil Quarter begins the urban decay and disorganization that characterizes so many other parts of India. Still, a handful of streets, under the vigilance of INTACH, are preserving an endangered style of architecture and way of life. Here, row houses are the typical style of construction, with thalvarams, or semi-public street verandas, and thinnais, or raised platforms for seating, and were built according to the principles of Vaastu Shastra, an ancient Indian architectural science believed to predate feng shui. Building materials included burnt brick, lime, terracotta and wood—all natural and all local, decades before buildings were being certified as such. Inside, the row houses were anchored around muttrams, open courtyards dotted with carved pillars; these were the home’s hub of activity. Walking along Vysial Street (officially Rue Calve Subbraya Chetty), where 26 building façades were restored, visitors can grasp what an original Tamil streetscape might have looked like.

Pondicherry’s relationship with France might have begun with textiles and groundnuts being exported to Marseille, but since those days, the city has become home to several French institutions. The city maintains a French Consulate, along with an Alliance Française, a conduit to French language and culture (and partial sponsor of last year’s Bonjour India festival, a three-month-long celebration of French culture and Indo-French ties across 18 cities on the subcontinent).

Even schools have a French connection, from the Frenchmedium Lycée Français de Pondichéry, one of the oldest French schools in the world, founded in 1826, to the renowned Aurobindo Ashram nearby where French is one of four languages taught. Together, these institutions strengthen the historic bond between Pondicherry and France, as well as serve the local French-speaking community (many of them Tamils who opted for French citizenship at the time of independence).

Thanks to this community-oriented nature and its small size, Pondicherry is one of the more livable cities in India; INTACH hopes to make it a model for the rest of the country.

Still, like joie de vivre, Pondy must be felt to be truly seen. ✚

GUIDE TO PONDICHERRY GETTING THERE Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific. com), Malaysia Airlines (malaysiaairlines.com), Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) and Thai Airways (thaiairways.com) all fly to Chennai, which is 160 kilometers away from Pondicherry by road or rail.

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Le Café Plan your day or afternoon over fresh lime sodas, sandwiches and salads at this seafront spot. Goubert Ave.; no phone; lunch for two Rs125.

Le Club Serves a good selection of traditional French dishes, with some Indian offerings thrown in for good measure. 38 Dumas St.; 91-413/233-9745; lunch or dinner for two Rs600.

Le Dupleix 5 Rue De La Caserne; 91-413/222-6999; sarovarhotels. com; doubles from Rs4,200.

Hôtel De L’Orient 17 Rue Romain Rolland; 91-413/234-3067;

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neemranahotels.com; doubles from Rs3,500.

Dune Eco-Beach Hotel This nearby resort is as committed to eco-friendliness as it is beautiful.

Pudhukuppam, Keelputhupet, Tamil Nadu; 91-413/265-5751; thedunehotel.com; from Rs5,500.

WHERE TO SHOP Cre Art 53 Rue Suffren; 91-413/420-0258; creart.co.in.

Fab India 59 Rue Suffren; 91-413/222-6010; fabindia.com.

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Macau

Kicker in here pls Clockwise from left: Hotel de L’Orient, French Quarter, Rue Romain Rolland; Hotel Le Dupleix, French Quarter, Rue Suffren Sauteed Snapper Fish Fillet; French Colonial House, Rue Suffren, French Quarter.

Give Me

Speed

B

ack in 1983, motorsport legend ayrton senna won the first Formula 3 grand Prix in Macau. By the next year, he was steering through his first Formula 1 season. yet senna’s win in Macau wasn’t by any stretch the first race there. the start line for car racing in a city better known for its roulette wheels actually dates back to 1954 when amateur driver eduardo de Carvalho sped around the Macau circuit at 160 kph in a triumph tR2, a far cry from today when the speedometer tilts above 260 kph on the 6.2-kilometer course. the grand prix hasn’t simply been spinning its wheels since then. as well as senna, other big names to take the checkered flag here include Michael schumacher in 1990

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and David Coulthard a year later. that stepping-stone aspect of Formula 1 makes this more than a simple race each november. the motorsport masses show up to catch a possible glimpse of future heroes. Current F1 hotshots and Mclaren-Mercedes teammates lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have also taken part, with Button finishing as runnerup in 1999 a few months before making his F1 debut for Williams, while Hamilton won the qualification race in 2004. a few F1 fans may question top speeds of around 260 kph —Formula 1 cars now push the needle to more than 350 kph after all—there is always plenty of action at this F3 circuit. last year, Wayne Boyd took an astonishing airborne tumble in qualifying that crushed his dreams of winning as well as his car.

C O u R t e Sy O F t H e G Ov e R n M e n t I n F O R M at I O n B u R e a u

Macau’s annual grand prix offers a glimpse of the future stars in the deafening world of motorsports. Helen Dalley takes a crash course before this year’s races.

C O u R t e Sy O F t H e G Ov e R n M e n t I n F O R M at I O n B u R e a u

Revving Up From left: Macau’s Formula 3 event is seen by the elite drivers as a stepping stone to the more lucrative and higher profile world of Formula 1; before the big weekend, one that is very fan-friendly, touring a mix of the machines that will speed around the city circuit at up to 260 kph.

so where, aside from behind the wheel, is the best seat in the house? For many, it’s in the Reservoir stand overlooking the first corner, but the lisboa Bend also remains a favorite. given that more than 58,000 people are predicted to show up in the seating areas alone, spectators also rely on video screens—beaming across the city, not just to those in the grandstands—to get a detailed view of the action. Don’t know what to look for? then fake it by boldly uttering something about “hitting the apex,” meaning the driver has taken the straightest route (also called the racing line) around the track to achieve the fastest lap time. another ploy to sound like an old pro is to talk about tires. Hint: aggressive drivers can wear down the tread too quickly, often with calamitous results, while those with a smoother style leave their tires less vulnerable.

I

f sitting in the grandstand talking about tire

tread doesn’t sound like much fun, watch the race in comfort from one of Macau’s luxury hotels instead.

Many are located close to the track, including the lisboa and grand lapa (formerly the Mandarin Oriental), both of which have corners on the track named after them. More

Don’t KnOW what to look for? then fake it by boldly uttering something about ‘hitting the apex’

glam than the lisboa—and directly next door to it—is sister property the grand lisboa, a gloriously exaggerated-looking hotel that’s shaped like a pineapple and houses two Michelin-starred restaurants, eight (Cantonese) and Don alfonso (Italian).

While many hardcore racing enthusiasts maintain that earplugs are for wimps—admittedly, the Macau grand Prix Committee does say they’re not necessary—those staying close to the action for the full four days will find they help prevent post-race ringing. Keep the plugs racing-relevant by going for the in-ear offerings from Mclaren-Mercedes » t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a

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The Lingo Speed Merchants From left: Macau’s big weekend on the motorsports calendar also includes touring-car races; for those who prefer an extra element of danger, there’s also racing on two wheels in the form of an exciting motorcycle grand prix.

➻ THE GRID Place where drivers line up to take position determined in qualifying for the race

➻ OPEN WHEEL Cars with wheels outside the main body, as seen in F1, F2 and F3 racing

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➻ OVERSTEER When the back end of the car kicks out ➻ THE PITS Not a dubious location but where the drivers go to refuel and change tires

➻

POLE POSITION The first position on the track circuit determined by a qualifying session

➻ QUALIFYING Session prior to the race that sorts the contenders from the glorified go-karters

➻ SLIPSTREAM The area immediately behind a competitor’s car, used to rev up and then overtake

➻ STOCK BLOCK F3 engines must be produced from a production model block (“stock block”) so no private tuning can be carried out

➻

UMBRELLA GIRLS Smiling models who parade the pit areas shielding drivers from the sun or rain

➻ UNDERSTEER When the car struggles to turn into a corner effectively

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NCE THE RACES ARE OVER, THE ADRENALINE WILL

still be pumping. Don’t worry. Even without an invite to the driver’s cocktail, there are plenty of spots to continue the party. One place hip enough to lure the racing stars away from free-flowing booze and cosy tête-àtêtes with teams and sponsors is Club Cubic. Currently Macau’s biggest club, at 2,800 square meters, it has relocated to the City of Dreams and is now three times larger than its former incarnation in the AIA Tower. Still, the AIA is worth heading to, for dancing and raucous DJ sessions at popular »

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and Vodafone, or Toyota’s pair produced by Panasonic. So the noise doesn’t reach the deafening 130-plus decibel level of F1 engines, but some gadget-loving race goers make like the F1 teams and invest in noise-cancelling headphones. As the sound of F3 engines is unlikely to hold any genuine threat, put those cans to better use by plugging into a music player for some melodic distraction should the drone of the race become a bit much. And don’t forget, the ear-splitting weekend also includes a motorcycle grand prix, touring-car races and various amateur events.

Before or after the race, spectators can uncover more about the history of local motorsport links by checking in at the Macau Grand Prix Museum, a short walk from the start–finish line. Packed with cars, bikes and other mementoes that have competed in races throughout the years—including Ayrton Senna’s victorious set of wheels from 1983 along with his boots, suit, gloves and helmet—the museum also houses a MOP4 million Porsche 906 as well as F3 car simulators. Visitors who pay a MOP20 admission fee can also step inside the city’s diminutive Wine Museum next door to sample the Portuguese vintages for free, an experience best savored after the simulator. Feeling inspired to burn some rubber? Then head out to the Kartodrome in neighboring Coloane to test out those driving skills through 10 corners of varying difficulty on the track that hosted the World Karting Championships just last year.

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Motorsport Madness From left: Crowds pack the grandstand along Macau’s F3 circuit each November; a gaggle of umbrella girls in the pit lane.

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GUIDE TO THE MACAU GRAND PRIX This year’s competition reaches the start line November 18–21. In total, there are eight races, the highlight being the Formula 3 event, with 15 laps around the city. Book tickets and hotel rooms early as the races are popular. 853/8796-2210; macau. grandprix.gov.mo; tickets cost MOP50 to attend the qualifying sessions on Thursday and Friday and range from MOP80 (Reservoir Stand) to MOP500 (Grand Stand) on race days.

WHERE TO STAY Grand Lisboa One of the nearest hotels to the grand prix circuit.

2–4 Avda. de Lisboa; 853/28283838; grandlisboa.com; doubles from MOP2,250.

Grand Lapa Conveniently located near the Macau Ferry Pier. 956– 1110 Avda. de Amizade; 853/87933261; mandarinoriental.com; doubles from MOP1,533.

Wynn Rua Cidade de Cintra; 853/2888-9966; wynnmacau. com; doubles from MOP1,788.

Rocks Hotel Fisherman’s Wharf; 853/2878-2782; rockshotel.com. mo; doubles from MOP1,053.

GREAT VALUE

Guia Offers a lofty—and quieter—view over the

racecourse. 853/2853-2081; hotelguiamacau.com; doubles from MOP540.

WHAT TO DO Club Cubic City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai; 853/8868-6688; cityofdreamsmacau.com.

D2 2nd floor, AIA Tower, 251A–301, Avda. Comercial de Macau; 853/2828-6696; d2clubmacau.com.

Grand Prix Museum Basement, 431 Rua Luis Gonzaga Gomes; 853/8798-4108.

Kartodrome Estrada de Seac Pai Van, Coloane; 853/2888-2126; MOP100 for 10 minutes.

Lion’s Bar MGM Grand, Avda. Dr. Sun Yat Sen; 853/8802-2375; drinks for two MOP150.

The Roadhouse Wan Yu Villas, 45 Rua de Madrid; 853/28752945; drinks for two MOP120.

Wine Museum Basement, 431 Rua Luis Gonzaga Gomes; 853/8798-4188; drinks for two MOP40.

Whisky Bar 16th floor, StarWorld Hotel, Avda. de Amizade; 853/8290-8698; drinks for two MOP160.

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nightclub D2. Prefer eating to clubbing? Then sample the mostly Asian delicacies on offer at the Macau Food Festival over at Sai Van Lake Square.

On the Macau peninsula, head to the Lion’s Bar at the MGM Grand, which has an impressive selection of martinis (try the raspberry sakejito) and a non-stuffy, laid-back vibe perfect for your own post-race commentary. For something more casual, zoom along to the Roadhouse Pub, which has several screens showing car and bike racing, and also hosts blues and rock bands. Or admire the floor-to-ceiling city views from StarWorld’s 16th floor by pulling up a stool at the Whisky Bar, which offers more than 80 different wee drams.

With its air of a gentleman’s club, the adjoining cigar bar is the place to take the party down with a leisurely smoke.

F3 racing may be about as eco-friendly as puffing on a Cohiba, but the Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Warwick in the UK is challenging that reality, stunning the racing world last year by unveiling WorldFirst F3, the first planet-friendly F3 car. Running on chocolate biodiesel created from waste emitted from a chocolate factory, the car’s body is constructed from woven flax, recycled carbon fiber and recycled resin and a steering wheel courtesy of carrots and other root vegetables. If the Chinese government is serious about deflecting attention from Macau’s casinos and toward other attractions, it should give the research center a call. Who knows when the world’s first green F3 car will spin around a circuit? There’s even a chance to organize the first-ever sustainable F3 event. ✚

food | t+l journal

Cacti on the grounds of La Villa del Valle, a hacienda in the Valle de Guadalupe, left.

Inset: Fresh produce in the kitchen at La Villa del Valle.

MEXICO

The New Taste of

Baja

Lured by spicy quail, tuna ceviche and Mexico’s best fish tacos, PETER JON LINDBERG lights out for Ensenada—from there, things go south. Photographed by STEVE KEPPLE

E

NSENADA AND THE NEARBY VALLE DE

Guadalupe, in northern Baja, are known outside Mexico for three things: the burgeoning local wine scene, which has been hyped ad infinitum; the food, which hasn’t been hyped enough; and the spectacularly bad roads, which everyone warns you about, though you never fully believe them. Really, you think, how bad could they be? And then one night in the gathering dark you take an innocent shortcut across the valley and drive your rented Hyundai

into a riverbed. A dry riverbed, but a riverbed all the same. You and your equally baffled companion spend 40 minutes spinning the car’s wheels in what might as well be quicksand, then digging frantically, then panicking, then digging and spinning some more, until finally you resolve to abandon the car and hike the three kilometers back to the highway— suitcases sinking in gravel, sand fi lling your socks.

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t+l journal | food “Ah, the Baja shortcut!” said our innkeeper, Phil Gregory, when, at the conclusion of said ordeal, he collected us and our dusty belongings from the side of Highway 3. “Never a good idea!” Severe rains the previous week, our host explained, had caused the river to flood, washing away a whole chunk of the road we were on. Those tire tracks I’d followed across the sandy riverbed—believing we were still on course—had been left by a backhoe, dispatched to repair the road. No one had bothered to post a sign, let alone erect a fence. “Honestly, this happens all the time,” Gregory said as we rattled down the inn’s rutted dirt driveway. He meant this to be reassuring.

“But let’s get you settled, pour you some wine, and we’ll retrieve your car in the morning!”

Gregory’s tone was oddly chipper—maybe this did happen all the time? After showering off the dust, we sampled the inn’s own Tempranillo beside a crackling mesquite fire in the lounge. Not the smoothest specimen, but it worked: two glasses later I gave up worrying about the Hyundai.

Valley Views From top: Benito Molina and Solange Muris at Manzanilla, a Mediterraneaninspired Mexican restaurant in Ensenada’s shipyard district; the pool at La Villa del Valle, in the Valle de Guadalupe; grilled deep-sea rockfish at Manzanilla.

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T

HE VALLE DE GUADALUPE’S WINES GET

most of the attention here. But it was the food that lured me to this corner of Baja California, 90 minutes south of San Diego. Friends had raved about Ensenada’s plentiful huarache oysters, sweet baby abalone and ruby-red bluefin tuna. On the Baja forums of chowhound.com, I pored over descriptions of barbecued-quail stands and itinerant sea-urchin vendors, unfi ltered honeys and farmstead cheeses. I devoured the posts of StreetGourmetLA (real name Bill Esparza), a Los Angeles–based musician who seems to spend all his days eating his way across northern Baja, then regaling fellow Chowhounds with his discoveries, including an Ensenada ceviche stand “that will change your life.” (Baja Tourism should put this guy on retainer.) Most tempting of all were the fish tacos. Ensenada’s signature snack was invented by Japanese fishermen who migrated here in the early 20th century and introduced tempura cooking to the region. Today the taco de pescado—a perfect storm of double-fried fish, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, lime juice and mayonesa on a warm corn tortilla—is sold on every corner.

Ensenada had loomed in my imagination since Warren Zevon name checked the town in his 1976 ballad “Carmelita.” I’d always envisioned jasminescented, hippie-boho idyll where barefoot señoritas danced on beaches to the lilt of Spanish guitars.

(Those of you who’ve actually been to Ensenada can stop laughing now.) Stirred by visions of

oysters, tacos, warm sunshine and ice-cold micheladas, I invited my friend Adam to join me for a four-day bacchanal. How could we go wrong?

T

HE TRIP BEGAN WELL ENOUGH. NORTH OF

Ensenada the coast is quite lovely indeed, recalling that of Oregon or central California: vivid green slopes tumbling into the silver blue Pacific. Our first stop was at Casa Natalie Hotel Boutique, an intimate seven-room resort set above a rocky beach 10 kilometers north of town; we would spend two nights here and two in the Valle de Guadalupe, 30 minutes inland.

With its handsome infinity pool and votive-lit seaside bar, Casa Natalie made for a promising start: here you might convince yourself that Ensenada was a bastion of sophistication and style.

Well. The reality was decidedly less dreamy, with blocks of sleaze and tackiness between the occasional nice parts. Most of Ensenada’s 325,000 residents are employed in fishing or shipping (this is Mexico’s second-busiest port), but in the compact, low-rise downtown, you might think everyone works as a mariachi, a souvenir vendor, a strip-club tout or a pharmacist. Dozens of farmacias line the main drag, their billboards advertising cheap prescription drugs: Ultram, Cialis, Propecia.

(Orange County retirees seem to be the primary target.) It’s a reminder that Ensenada is still a border town, albeit a slightly more refined one.

Fortunately our meals made up for it.

We tasted raw perfection at La Guerrerense, StreetGourmetLA’s beloved ceviche cart, where just-caught shrimp, octopus and pismo clams are marinated in lime and soy sauce—another gift from Japan—then dressed with avocado and pico de gallo and served on crisp tostadas.

The bill: 38 pesos. (We discovered a nearidentical cart down the street, called Mariscos El Gordito, that was just as good if not better.) And at Tacos Mi Ranchito La Fenix, a corner stand no uninformed visitor would think to stop at, we found what may be the best fish taco ever. It’s a DIY affair: they give you the tortilla and double-fried nuggets of angelito shark, then you build the rest from a counterful of trimmings—though it hardly requires a thing, so moist and flavorful is the fish (food from busy street stalls is generally a safe bet, given the high turnover).

The trip highlight, however, was a four-hour lunch at Manzanilla, owned by acclaimed chef Benito Molina. The Mexico City native started his career in Boston, working under Todd English at

Olives, where he fell in love with the bold, direct flavors of the Mediterranean. Returning to Mexico, he found in northern Baja a Med-worthy combination of rustic wines and stellar ingredients from land and sea. Molina takes full advantage.

Local Manila clams arrive in a bacony broth tinged with saffron. Baby abulón, farmed in nearby San Quintin, is sliced into thin disks and seared on a hot rock, then sauced with mesquite-smoked tomato and cream; the delicate flesh is nothing like the outsize abalone so cherished in Asia. Tender grilled rib eye is seasoned with rosemary and served with strong mustard (how Mediterranean is that?); on the side come buttery morsels of fat, twice cooked to resemble crispy chicharrones.

After nine years downtown, Manzanilla moved last year to an industrial garage in the shipyard district, which makes a funky stage set: raw »

Fresh Flavors Clockwise from left: Mariscos El Gordito, a downtown ceviche cart; seared local tuna at Laja, the valley’s bestknown restaurant; Del Parque, in Ensenada.

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Land of Plenty From top: Valley vineyards; Sabina Bandera Gonzáles at La Guerrerense; La Villa del Valle’s main living room.

The valley’s arid microclimate, cooled by ocean breezes, is near ideal for wine cultivation and forms a REMARKABLE little foodie universe

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concrete floors offset by zany canvases and pink Plexi chandeliers. It’s a fine place to while away the day. Adam and I were due to check in that afternoon at La Villa del Valle—Phil Gregory’s inn in the Valle de Guadalupe—but we wound up lingering at Manzanilla over chamomile panna cotta and didn’t reach the valley until after sunset.

That was our first mistake. Our second mistake was taking that left in the dark. Only now do I realize (a) how insane we were to attempt a shortcut, and (b) how lucky we were not to wind up someplace worse. Oh, and (c) how foolish it was to take a two-wheel-drive Hyundai Sonata on a road trip in Baja. Back in San Diego, our rental company had charged us an extra US$25 a day in mandatory insurance just to bring the car into Mexico. At the time this struck me as suspect.

Now, with our Hyundai in the riverbed, US$25 a day seemed entirely fair.

We hiked back to the car the next morning, accompanied by Gregory, his handyman Juan Paredes and four shovels. It took a half-hour to uncover the wheels. Finally we were able to push the car forward a meter—and then it promptly sank back into the sand, unmovable. Clearly we needed a tow.

But what vehicle could negotiate the riverbed? Paredes suddenly pointed at a distant plume of smoke. “Retroexcavadora!” he cried. A backhoe—likely the same one whose tracks we’d followed the night before. So off we trudged, across 1.5 kilometers of floodplain, to enlist the operator’s help. I offered him US$50 to haul us out (in Baja there’s probably a going rate for backhoe rescues), and soon the Hyundai was bouncing and rattling down the pitted valley roads once again.

The Valle de Guadalupe’s terrain alternates between harsh (cacti and agave; hectares of dust) and graceful (olive and citrus groves; grapevines receding into the hazy distance).

Watching skinny horses graze in scrubby fields, I was reminded of Tuscany’s Maremma. Needless to say, the valley is far more attractive than Ensenada itself. The bulk of the region’s few visitors come for the wineries—more than 60 of them along a stretch of Highway 3 known as La Ruta del Vino. The valley’s arid microclimate, cooled by ocean breezes, is near ideal for wine cultivation, and though the product is still mostly uneven, the wineries, farm stands and restaurants of the Valle de Guadalupe form a remarkable little foodie »

t+l journal | food

The infinity pool at Casa Natalie, north of town.

universe. We savored buttery diver scallops, seared bluefin tuna and local roast lamb at Laja, the valley’s most famous restaurant. Amid the orange groves at convivial Restaurante Los Naranjos, we feasted on spicy Guadalupe quail and slow-cooked pork shank marinated in tequila, beer, red wine, garlic, orange juice and rosemary. There was fig jam and tangy Real del Castillo cheese from the

humble provisions shop Cremería Los Globos in the one-stop-light village of San Antonio de las Minas. And for breakfast there were eggs collected that morning from the coop at La Villa del Valle.

Poised on a lone hilltop with 360-degree views, La Villa del Valle occupies a handsome, two-story hacienda that was built in 2002 but looks as if it has belonged here forever. Phil Gregory and his wife, Eileen, imbue the place with thoughtful touches: bottles of mint-infused water at bedside; sprigs of lavender on your pillow. Guest rooms are basic, but the public areas are gorgeous, especially the main living room, with its cowhide ottomans, pressed-tin lamps and burnished-oak bookcases fi lled with bird-watching and wine guides.

As the sun descends, cool air sails in from the mountains, carrying the scent of rosemary, mint and citrus blossoms up the hill to the inn, where it mingles with the primal aroma of mesquite burning in the hearth. No better time to take a snifter of tequila reposado to your balcony and gaze out at those Georgia O’Keeffe hills. In the fading evening light you can trace the trajectory of the riverbed in the near distance—which, really, looks so much nicer from up here. ✚

GUIDE TO ENSENADA 7373; casanatalie.com; doubles from US$250, including breakfast.

GREAT La Villa del Valle VALUE Km. 89, Rancho San Marcos, Camino a Toros Pintos, Ejido Francisco Zarco, Valle de Guadalupe; 52-646/1568007; lavilladelvalle.com; doubles from US$195, including breakfast.

GETTING THERE From San Diego, it’s a 90-minute drive south to Ensenada. Be prepared for long waits at the border — up to 90 minutes — on your return.

Note: most rental companies permit only certain vehicles to cross the border and add a premium for Mexican

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insurance (around US$25 per day).

WHERE TO STAY Casa Natalie Hotel Boutique Book the waterfront Agave Suite or the sprawling, second-floor Yuca Suite. Km 103.3, Hwy. 1, El Sauzal de Rodríguez; 52-646/174GREAT VALUE

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Casa de Piedra Winery Km. 93.5, Hwy. 3, San Antonio de Las Minas, Valle de Guadalupe; 52-646/156-5268 or 52-646/155-3097; vinoscasadepiedra.com.

Cremería Los Globos Humble shop selling local cheese, wine, honey, olives and jams. Km. 92, Hwy. 3, San Antonio de Las Minas, Valle de Guadalupe; 52-646/120-5092.

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La Guerrerense Corner of Avda. Alvarado and First St., Ensenada; 52-646/174-2114; open 10:30 A.M. until late afternoon; lunch for two M$88.

Mahi-Mahi Tacky maritime interior; sublime oysters and seafood coctels (try the octopus).

33 Paseo Hidalgo, Ensenada; no phone; lunch for two M$455.

Mariscos El Gordito Corner of Avda. Ruíz and Avda. Ryerson; no phone; open daily from morning to mid-afternoon; ceviche for two M$76.

Muelle Tres Benito Molina’s casual seafood joint has a daily changing chalkboard menu; come for mussels and local wine. 187 Teniente Azueta, Ensenada; 52646/176-0318; lunch for two M$354.

Restaurante Del Parque Chic new downtown restaurant with an olive tree–shaded terrace and home to an excellent wine shop. 623 Avda.

Moctezuma, Ensenada; 52-646/178-8587; dinner for two M$316.

Restaurante Laja Km. 83, Hwy. 3, Valle de Guadalupe; 52-646/1552556; prix fixe dinner for two M$1,100.

Restaurante Los Naranjos Km. 82.5, Hwy. 3, Valle de Guadalupe; 52-646/155-2522; lunch for two M$392.

Restaurante Manzanilla 139 Teniente Azueta, Ensenada; 52-646/1757073; rmanzanilla.com; dinner for two M$632.

Tacos Mi Ranchito El Fenix Corner of Espinosa and Avda. Juárez, Ensenada; no phone; tacos for two M$76.

t+l journal | opinion

London Calling What happens when you return to a destination you once knew, only to find it unrecognizable? Revisiting his old haunts in London, PETER JON LINDBERG considers the nostalgia for place

Outside the Running Horse, in Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mayfair neighborhood, where the author once worked.

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U.K.

F R O M L E F T: © G A R E T H C AT T E R M O L E / A F P/G E T T Y; C O U R T E SY O F P E T E R J O N L I N D B E R G ; © L E E T O R R E N S / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

London Flashback From left: The famous Claridge’s Hotel; London, circa 1990; a classic British pint.

A

S PUBS GO, THE RUNNING HORSE WAS unremarkable. You’ve seen its ilk all over London: the finger-smudged brass and tobacco-stained mahogany, the framed equestrian prints, the dowdy carpet redolent of spilled lager and pipe smoke. It was, purportedly, the oldest pub in Mayfair, opened in 1738. Our neighbors were likewise established: Grays antiques, Queen Victoria’s Rifles, and, around the corner, Claridge’s Hotel. In the late mornings when I arrived to open the place, an unlikely calm took hold of this corner of the city, just a block from the clamor of Oxford Street. I came to savor those quiet moments, before the room filled again with smoke and the barking of drink orders.

The pub’s clientele, hardly a trendy lot, was summed up

by Reg, a diminutive, woollybearded Scotsman who looked like he’d be more comfortable perched on a toadstool. I never understood a single word he said—his accent was inscrutable and the words got lost in his beard—but he was patient with my bumbling and quick with a smile (I think he was smiling; it was impossible to see). As a bartender I was beyond hopeless, at least for the first few weeks. The regulars would order sloe gin fizzes just to watch me screw them up, even though no one ever wanted anything but beer. Eventually I learned to pull a decent pint, and after six months I wound up running the bar: a 20-year-old Yank who couldn’t legally drink at home.

I moved to London in December 1990 and stayed for nine months. It was my first extended sojourn overseas, yet I’d never felt so at home in my life. London remains, to this day, my favorite city on earth—but specifically that London, in that time. “The past is a foreign country,” L. P. Hartley famously remarked, but a foreign country can likewise

represent the past, forever fi xed in the moment you encountered it. For me, England began—and in many ways ended—in 1991.

Try to remember the United Kingdom back then, across two decades that feel like a century. David Beckham had yet to score his first professional goal. The Arctic Monkeys were in nursery school. These were England’s in-between days— after Manchester but before Britpop; after Marco Pierre White but before Gordon and Jamie and Nigella; after Thatcher but long before Blair. It was the dawn of the Major administration, when Britain’s key was sounding quite minor. The swinging London of Mary Quant and Carnaby Street was a distant memory, as was the heyday of punk and new wave. The eyes of the world were now cast elsewhere: Berlin, Prague, Seattle. My memories of that time are neither rose-tinted nor sepia-toned but washed in a pale gray, correspondent to the slate-colored sky, the grimy façades of our road in Pimlico, the prime minister’s hair and the national mood. The Gulf War was under way, and though the pound stood two-to-one against the dollar, Britain was mired in recession.

How convenient to be 20 and broke. I found a flat with six roommates for £45 a week. Went to plays for £2.50 (“youth concession”). Subsisted on £1 shawarmas, 70-pence samosas and free pints at the pub. Factoring in student discounts and the laxity of bus-fare collectors, my bartending wages proved just enough to sustain me. What free time I had was spent deep in research, puzzling over the mysteries of the British: their curious enthusiasms for “motorsport,” Lucozade and Status Quo (33 hit albums in the United Kingdom since 1969, second only to the Rolling Stones). I honed an appreciation for English football and rugby (but not cricket; never could get cricket). I subscribed » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

.

C O M | A U G U S T

2010

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Y

OU KNOW HOW THIS ENDS. TWO YEARS AFTER I

left, Britain would embark on its longest period of economic growth in modern history—a remarkable journey from the bleak and bleary doldrums to the era of Blair and Blur and bling. Few cities in history have transformed themselves so swiftly and completely as London did in the 1990’s. The movies alone were proof: Compare the drab, monochrome London of Mike Leigh’s Life Is Sweet (1991) with the Technicolor London of Sliding Doors (1998) and Notting Hill (1999), shiny, happy valentines to a city abloom with primroses and money.

From back home I watched this happen with a mix of fascination and regret. Each time I returned for a visit, the less I seemed to know of London. Tabloid references sailed over my head. I walked aimlessly down streets I no longer recognized, past couture shops that used to be haberdashers, Vespa dealerships that used to be Safeways. Another year,

The ANCIENT gas fireplace still flickered away in the corner, now dwarfed by a giant plasma screen

another Norman Foster tower. I kept my head down, trying not to notice, but the footwear had also changed: from tarblack Doc Martens to flashy rainbow-colored trainers. By the mid-2000’s it might as well have been a different planet.

But nowhere was London’s transformation more shockingly revealed than at my old pub. For the better part of two decades, until earlier this year, I deliberately didn’t go back to the Running Horse, not wanting to disturb my recollections of it and, frankly, worried that it might have closed. A few months ago I finally mustered the will to return. What I found was not the workaday tavern of memory but a roomful of attractive people sipping Pinot Grigio.

It looked like Denmark in there, all brushed-chrome lamps and bentwood chairs. The ancient gas fireplace still flickered away in the corner, now dwarfed by the giant plasma screen above that was tuned to a fashion show in Dubai. The ornery jukebox had been replaced by a stereo warbling out smoove Buddha Bar mixes. Gone, too, was the bleeping fruit machine (that delightful British euphemism

New Look From left: The daily news is still available at the Running Horse pub; the pub’s restored interior.

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to Viz and The Guardian and learned to decipher most of the jokes. I pronounced it “speci-AL-ity”; called them courgettes and aubergines; said “cheers” in place of “thank you”; even acquired a trace of an accent. God, was I pretentious.

Anglophilia was not so fashionable then. Britannia wasn’t yet cool again, and it absolutely wasn’t fabulous. At times it felt downright parochial. You couldn’t get a drink after 11 P.M. or a decent cup of coffee at any hour. There were four channels of TV and no one I knew owned a radio. Our coalheated flat had no telephone line; we made do with the chunky pay phone in the stairwell, which never worked anyway. In almost every respect, London felt decades behind the United States. I loved it like a brother.

t+l journal | opinion

Wine and charcuterie at the Running Horse.

for slots, which made gambling sound nutritious). Someone had removed the yellowing lace curtains that made the pub feel like Miss Havisham’s musty parlor. Now the room sparkled with late-afternoon sunlight and smelled not of stale smoke and drunk people but of hyacinths and espresso (courtesy of an Illy machine behind the bar). A chalkboard menu touted caipirinhas, caipiroskas and nine wines by the glass. Back in my day we served two varietals—“red” and “white”—that came in boxes. Nobody drank them.

When I walked in, the bartender was serving chanterelle risotto to a guy who looked like Chris Martin if Chris Martin worked in hedge funds. My first thought was that I was on the wrong block. Who were all these unsettlingly handsome rich people? Where was woolly-bearded Reg? Where was Christine, the irascible Irish cook with a mouth straight out of a McDonagh play, whose food was as bland as her language salty? Who the hell had put duck confit with bok choy on the menu, let alone pan-fried sardines with couscous and gremolata? Suddenly it struck me: my youth had been gastro-fied. Even the chips came with a ramekin of aioli. As if all that weren’t enough, on the wall beside the door I noticed the framed clipping: a rave review of the Running Horse from British GQ. I ordered a half-pint of stout, lingered for 12 uncomfortable minutes, then got out of there right quick. The whole experience had messed with my head—like sneaking into an apartment you once rented and seeing what the new tenants have done with the place, with equal parts dismay (Aw, they got rid of the dumbwaiter!) and envy (Damn, why didn’t it look this good when we lived here?).

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T

HEN AGAIN, ALL OF LONDON FEELS LIKE THAT TO me now—like a black-and-white movie that’s been colorized until the palette’s too bright and the picture too…perfect. The comfortably dreary London of the early 1990’s was a place where even the schlubbiest guy could somehow fit in, so long as he knew a few Britishisms and could talk a modicum of sport. For a kid from the colonies, the city was the consummate host, making him feel—against all expectations—entirely at home.

Today’s London is far more interesting, I won’t deny that.

Yet still I feel—is betrayed too strong a word? Because honestly, the way I see it, we were mates once. Best mates.

We liked the same music, liked the same clothes, followed the same football clubs. We even talked alike. And inevitably, we drifted apart. When we did reconnect—once a year at most—it wasn’t the same. His quips and puns eluded me. He developed a ponderous regard for wine, expensive cars and increasingly slim-fitting suits. Instead of our usual night at the pub he’d drag me out to champagne bars and Alan Yau restaurants. I persuaded myself it was just a phase. But phases bled into phases, changes compounded changes, until, finally, our estrangement was complete.

Good Lord, listen to me. I’ve become a bad novel: Aging crank revisits lost youth; cue strings, bittersweet regret.

Forgive my maudlin self-indulgence. (If it’s any excuse, I just turned 40.) But really what on earth did I expect? Only a child—a 20-year-old—could have wished London not to evolve, not to grow up. Of course, this isn’t just about London, is it? It’s about the feeling any traveler has returning to a place he once knew as well as any: a city that seems to hold you in it, or some earlier incarnation of yourself. Going back, you become again that long-ago person, even while the city changes utterly around you. As it is I’ve spent most of my post-London life in New York, 5,000-odd days of it, such that I’ve scarcely noticed the incremental, wholesale transformation of Manhattan over the past 15 years. Yet an Englishman returning here after a decade away might feel the same about New York as I do about London: that it looks like an artist’s rendering; that “it’s all about money now”; that glamour has eclipsed grit, and something has been lost in the process; that the city no longer belongs to me, but to other, younger, wealthier, more exciting people.

“You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now,” Colson Whitehead wrote in The Colossus of New York. For me that holds true in both Manhattan and London: this bank will always be that vanished cinema, this Abercrombie & Fitch forever the record shop it replaced. A diner is never just a diner, a pub never merely a pub. A city becomes yours when you start remembering it as it was. But what happens when the city stops remembering you? What if it just moves on, like a flame you never got over? Long after we stop haunting the places we loved, the places we loved keep haunting us. ✚

t+l journal | portfolio Ottoman Wonders Below: On the waterfront between continents.

Opposite: Most restaurants in Istanbul host local musicians.

UNFORGETTABLE

ISTANBUL After visiting the fabled city, photographer

BOAZ ZIPPOR canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help thinking about Istanbul and

all the fascinating twists and turns it presents

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portfolio | t+l journal Local Tones Opposite: A teahouse outside the Grand Bazaar fills up with customers after work. Below: Colored glass is an art form in Turkey.

Istanbul’s dual EXISTENCE has given it the strength to form an identity

w

HEN I THINK OF ISTANBUL , I CAN STILL taste the mackerel sandwich I ate on the Bosphoros boardwalk. The simple fish was grilled on the spot and enclosed in a fresh baguette. Aside from a drop of lemon and a little salt, there was nothing more to it: just a little taste of the city. Add to that the magnificent view of the strait, plus a cool breeze from the open sea, and it was a great lunch, not to mention a perfect example of the charm of Istanbul.

While its simplicity stays with me, Istanbul is one of the most complex cities in the world. It has always been a place with a split personality, with one foot in Asia, the other in Europe. Yet this dual existence has given it the strength to form a real cultural identity, in food, in art, in way of life.

Men in suits seem to live at the crazy pace of international business, but at the end of the day they still gather in their »

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Street Scenes Clockwise from top left: The iconic Blue Mosque; hand-painted tiles and plates are decorated with calligraphy; Istanbulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side streets are a warren of activity.

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local teahouse for a glass of strong, sweet tea and hours of gossip with friends around the nargila or sheesha. But Istanbul is not a place where you want to spend too much time lazing around in tea shops, and the only way to really see the city is on foot. Sometimes, you might smell a building long before you see it. Take the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old spice market. Inside, colorful mounds of fragrant powders, neatly displayed on golden plates, glow in the morning sun.

Nearby is the Grand Bazaar, where you could easily while away a day, or even a week. Shiny baubles, hanging lamps

and mosaic-tiled objects abound; the experience borders on overwhelming. Luckily, the bazaar’s passageways provide a great opportunity for people watching: there are some serious characters here. Just sit down, order a cold glass of almond juice and let the show unfold.

No visit to Istanbul is complete without seeing the two gems on the Bosphoros: the Hagia-Sofia, a church turned mosque and architectonical monument, and the Blue Mosque. In the Hagia-Sofia’s main hall, surrounded by its immense space, the sense of grandeur is unparalleled.

Meanwhile, the interior of the 17th-century Blue Mosque is naturally illuminated with its 200 stained-glass windows and inlaid with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles.

As dusk settles over the city, and the restaurants and cafés fi ll with people, it’s hard to shake the feeling that once, before we tweeted and facebooked, we also made time for a good conversation in the shade, a crackling fresh goat-cheese pastry and a cold beer.

Maybe we all need the time warp that is Istanbul. And a nice glass of hot, sweet, strong tea. ✚ 105

t+l journal | portfolio Past Times Below; An antique coin dealer and his glass of tea.

Opposite: Brass and copper utensils for sale.

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portfolio | t+l journal Local Icons Opposite: Stainedglass filtered light fills a room.

Below: An infinite variety of rugs are on sale in Istanbul’s markets.

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LARGE CITY HOTEL

1 2

Oberoi Vanyavilas, India

Triple Creek Ranch, Montana

3

Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Kenya

CITY HOTEL ASIA

1

The Peninsula, Bangkok

WORLD’S

AWARDS

Asia

CO U RT E SY O F FO U R S E A S O N S H OT E L CA I RO. O P P O S I T E PAG E : CO U RT E SY O F T H E P E N I N S U L A BA N G KO K

RESORTS 1. OBEROI VANYA AVILAS Ranthambhore, India 97.26 2. OBEROI AMARV VILAS Agra, India 95.94 3. OBEROI RAJVILAS Jaipur, India 94.78 4. OBEROI UDAIV VILAS Udaipur, India 94.71 5. FOUR SEASONS RESORT Chiang Mai, Thailand 93.95 6. HÔTEL DE LA PAIX Siem Reap, Cambodia 93.75 7. RAMBAGH PAL LACE Jaipur, India 93.60 8. TAJ LAKE PALACE Udaipur, India 93.46 9. MANDARIN ORIENTAL DHARA DH HEVI Chiang Mai, Thailand 93.26 10. UMAID BHAWA AN PALACE Jodhpur, India 90.96 11. FOUR SEASONS RESORT BALI AT T JIMBARAN BAY 90.80 12. ANANTARA GO OLDEN TRIANGLE RESORT & SPA Chiang Rai, Thailand 90.67 13. AMANPURI Phuket, Thailand 90.60 14. DISCOVERY SH HORES Boracay, Philippines 90.35 15. JW MARRIOTT PHUKET RESORT & SPA Thailand 89.03 CITY HOTELS 1. THE PENINSUL LA Bangkok 95.69 2. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Singapore 94.75 3. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Singapore 94.32 4. THE PENINSUL LA Hong Kong 94.11 5. TAJ MAHAL PA ALACE & TOWER Mumbai 93.83 6. RITZ-CARLTON N BEIJING, FINANC CIA AL STREET 93.04 7. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Bangkok 92.89 8. THE PENINSUL LA Beijing 92.88 9. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Hong Kong 92.84 10. LEELA PALACE E KEMPINSKI Bangalore 92.27 11. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Hong Kong 91.86 12. ISLAND SHANG GRI-LA Hong Kong 91.43 13. MAKATI SHANG GRI-LA Manila 91.03 14. SOFITEL LEGEN ND METROPOLE Hanoi 90.87 15. THE PENINSUL LA Manila 90.82 16. RAFFLES HOTE EL Singapore 90.76 17. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Bangkok 90.72 18. ST. REGIS Beijing 90.67 19. FULLERTON HO OTEL Singapore 90.50 20. THE IMPERIAL New Delhi 90.27 21. ST. REGIS Shanghai 89.91 22. PUDONG SHAN NGRI-LA Shanghai 89.90 22. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Shanghai 89.90 24. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Kuala Lumpur 89.69 25. LE MÉRIDIEN Bangkok 89.60

Denotes a Great Value

Africa and the Middle East LODGES AND RESORTS 1. FAIRMONT MARA SAFARI CLUB Masai Mara, Kenya 96.31 2. ROYAL MALEW WANE Kruger National Park, South Africa 94.67 2. SINGITA SABI SAND (EBONY LOD DGE, BOULDERS LODG GE, CASTLETON CA AMP) Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa 94.67 4. SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PAR RK (LEBOMBO LODGE, SWENI LODGE) South Africa 94.25 5. LONDOLOZI GA AME RESERVE Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa 94.18 6. TORTILIS CAMP, AMBOSELI Kenya 94.12 7. &BEYOND KICH HWA TEMBO MASAI MARA TENTED CAM MP Kenya 93.71 8. TWELVE APOST TLES HOTEL & SPA A Cape Town 93.62 9. MALAMALA GA AME RESERVE South Africa 93.07 STONE Victoria Falls, Zambia 92.59 10. ROYAL LIVINGS 11. SERENGETI SO OPA LODGE Tanzania 92.57 12. FAIRMONT MOU UNT KENYA SAFAR RI CLUB Nanyuki, Kenya 92.29 13. SANCTUARY CHIEF’S CAMP Okavango Delta, Botswana 90.40 14. NGORONGORO O CRATER LODGE Tanzania 89.90 15. NGORONGORO O SOPA LODGE Tanzania 88.55 16. ZANZIBAR SER RENA INN Tanzania 86.13 17. NGORONGORO O SERENA SAFARI LODGE Tanzania 83.82 18. SERENGETI SE ERENA SAFARI LOD DGE Tanzania 83.78 19. AMBOSELI SER RENA SAFARI LODG GE Amboseli Game Reserve, Kenya 82.80 20. LAKE MANYAR RA SERENA SAFARI LODGE Tanzania 82.09 CITY HOTELS 1. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CAIRO AT T THE FIRST RESIDEN NCE 93.27 2. CAPE GRACE Cape Town 92.52 3. BURJ AL ARAB B Dubai 91.57 4. SAXON BOUTIQ QUE HOTEL & SPA Johannesburg 90.86 5. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ALEXAND DRIA AT SAN STEFAN NO Egypt 90.25 6. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL AT NILE PLAZA Cairo 89.95 7. THE WESTCLIF FF Johannesburg 89.22 8. MOUNT NELSO ON HOTEL Cape Town 87.64 9. TABLE BAY Cape Town 87.17 10. MICHELANGEL LO HOTEL Johannesburg 87.11 11. KING DAVID HO OTEL Jerusalem 87.02 12. MENA HOUSE OBEROI Cairo 86.87 13. FAIRMONT THE E NORFOLK HOTEL L Nairobi, Kenya 86.76 14. LA MAMOUNIA A Marrakesh, Morocco 86.74 15. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Amman, Jordan 86.72

Denotes a World’s Best debut

What do you think of the results? visit www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com now to let us know your thoughts about this year’s World’s Best Awards results.

CITY HOTEL AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST

1

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence

WORLD’S

Californian resorts have always ranked highly on the list, and this year, San Ysidro Ranch grabs the top spot in the category. Among large city hotels, Chicago has four properties in the top 10 alone (including the No. 1 hotel, Trump International Hotel & Tower), yet New York still dominates, with seven urban retreats.

Continental U.S. and Canada RESORTS (40 ROOMS OR MORE) 1. SAN YSIDRO RA ANCH, A ROSEWOOD D RESORT Santa Barbara, California 96.17 2. FOUR SEASONS S RESORT JACKSON N HOLE Wyoming 93.43 2. INN AT PALMET TTO BLUFF Bluffton, Sout rolina 93.43 4. WICKANINNISH H INN Tofino, British Columbia 93.14 5. POST HOTEL & SPA Lake Louise, Alberta 93.07 6. SONNENALP RE ESORT OF VAIL Colorado 92.52 7. MONTAGE LAGU UNA BEACH California 92.15 8. LITTLE NELL Aspen, Colorado 91.78 9. MEADOWOOD NAPA VALLEY St. Helena, California 91.67 10. AUBERGE DU SO OLEIL Rutherford, California 91.61 11. HOUSTONIAN HOTEL, CLUB & SPA Houston 91.51 12. BLACKBERRY FARM Walland, Tennessee 91.46 13. INTERCONTINENTAL MONTELUCIA A RESORT & SPA Paradise Valley, Arizona 91.45 DGE Lake Placid, New York 91.25 14. WHITEFACE LOD 15. INN AT SPANISH H BAY Pebble Beach, California 91.20 16. LODGE AT SEA ISLAND GOLF CLUB B Georgia 91.00 17. THE SANCTUAR RY AT KIAWAH ISLA AND GOLF RESORT South Carolina 90.98 18. HOTEL HEALDS SBURG Sonoma County, California 90.89 19. STEIN ERIKSEN N LODGE Park City, Utah 90.88 20. INN ON BILTMORE ESTATE Asheville, North Carolina 90.76 21. THE CLOISTER AT SEA ISLAND Georgia 90.55 22. RESORT AT PEL LICAN HILL Newport Coast, California 90.49 NCH Napa Valley, California 90.13 23. CALISTOGA RAN 24. RITZ-CARLTON Naples, Florida 90.10 25. BRAZILIAN COU URT HOTEL & BEAC CH CLUB Palm Beach, Florida 90.00 26. THE BREAKERS S Palm Beach, Florida 89.95 27. LODGE AT PEBB BLE BEACH California 89.86 28. RITZ-CARLTON,, LAGUNA NIGUEL Dana Point, California 89.85 29. L’AUBERGE DE SEDONA Arizona 89.73 30. MIRROR LAKE INN RESORT & SPA Lake Placid, New York 89.71 31. GRAND HOTEL MARRIOTT RESORT T, GOLF CLUB & SPA Point Clear, Alabama 89.62 31. PONTE VEDRA INN & CLUB Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 89.62 33. ROYAL PALMS RESORT & SPA Phoenix 89.58 34. RITZ-CARLTON,, BACHELOR GULCH H Beaver Creek, Colorado 89.58 35. THE BROADMOO OR Colorado Springs 89.57 36. FOUR SEASONS S RESORT Whistler, British Columbia 89.57 37. RITZ-CARLTON Amelia Island, Florida 89.52 38. THE PHOENICIA AN, A LUXURY COLL LECTION RESORT Scottsdale, Arizona 89.51 39. RITZ-CARLTON GOLF RESORT Naples, Florida 89.46 40. SANDPEARL RE ESORT Clearwater, Florida 89.30 41. STEPHANIE INN N Cannon Beach, Oregon 89.12 42. VILLAGIO INN & SPA Yountville, California 89.00 L MAR Del Mar, California 88.86 43. L’AUBERGE DEL VIARA RESORT (FO ORMERLY FOUR SEASO ONS 44. PARK HYATT AV RESORT, AVIAR RA) Carlsbad, California 88.85 45. ATLANTIC HOTE EL Fort Lauderdale, Florida 88.73 46. RITZ-CARLTON Half Moon Bay, California 88.72 47. DISNEY’S GRAN ND FLORIDIAN RESO ORT & SPA Orlando 88.64 48. FOUR SEASONS S RESORT THE BILT TMORE Santa Barbara, California 88.53 49. WATERCOLOR IN NN Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 88.50 50. THE GREENBRIER White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia 88.48

LARGE CITY HOTELS (100 ROOMS OR MORE) NATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER Chicago 94.32 1. TRUMP INTERN LA Chicago 93.09 2. THE PENINSUL ANSION ON TURTLE E CREEK Dallas 92.28 3. ROSEWOOD MA E HOTEL Chicago 92.27 4. SUTTON PLACE 5. RITZ-CARLTON NEW YORK, CENTR RAL PARK 92.17 LA Beverly Hills 91.92 6. THE PENINSUL S HOTEL Chicago 91.77 7. FOUR SEASONS HINGTON D.C. LAFAY YETTE SQUARE 91.72 8. SOFITEL WASH S Dallas 91.48 9. THE ADOLPHUS 10. ST. REGIS New York City 90.97 OTEL Nashville 90.91 11. HERMITAGE HO 12. CHARLESTON PLACE Charleston, South Carolina 90.68 13. HOTEL COMMONWEALTH Boston 90.59 14. FOUR SEASONS S HOTEL Austin, Texas 90.55 OTEL Birmingham, Michigan 90.26 15. TOWNSEND HO 16. THE PENINSUL LA New York City 90.05 17. RITZ-CARLTON San Francisco 89.98 18. THE PALAZZO Las Vegas 89.94 S HOTEL St. Louis 89.83 19. FOUR SEASONS 20. WYNN LAS VEG GAS 89.68 21. PLAZA HOTEL New York City 89.60 NATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER New York City 89.58 22. TRUMP INTERN RESCENT HOTEL Dallas 89.48 23. ROSEWOOD CR S HOTEL New York City 89.36 24. FOUR SEASONS ON HOTEL Portland, Oregon 89.29 25. THE NINES, A LUXURY COLLECTIO 26. FOUR SEASONS S HOTEL San Francisco 89.15 S HOTEL Chicago 89.12 27. RITZ-CARLTON, A FOUR SEASONS 28. RITZ-CARLTON Sarasota, Florida 88.94 29. RITZ-CARLTON, TYSONS CORNER McLean, Virginia 88.93 30. HOTEL ZAZA Dallas 88.90 31. BELLAGIO HOT TEL & CASINO Las Vegas 88.89 32. WINDSOR COUR RT HOTEL New Orleans 88.84 33. FOUR SEASONS S HOTEL Boston 88.83 34. RAPHAEL HOTEL Kansas City, Missouri 88.80 34. UMSTEAD HOTEL & SPA Cary, North Carolina 88.80 36. FOUR SEASONS S HOTEL Las Vegas 88.64 37. RITZ-CARLTON Cleveland 88.53 38. HUNTINGTON HOTEL San Francisco 88.52 38. RITZ-CARLTON, PENTAGON CITY Arlington, Virginia 88.52 N LAS VEGAS 88.52 40. ENCORE WYNN 41. MANDARIN ORIENTAL San Francisco 88.47 S HOTEL Washington, D.C. 88.44 42. FOUR SEASONS AGO WATER TOWER R 88.38 43. SOFITEL CHICA 44. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Philadelphia 88.37 45. MANDARIN ORIENTAL New York City 88.26 S HOTEL Seattle 88.24 46. FOUR SEASONS 47. ST. REGIS San Francisco 88.22 48. MANSION ON FORSYTH PARK Savannah, Georgia 88.16 49. ST. REGIS Washington, D.C. 88.15 FORMERLY RITZ-CA ARLTON) 88.00 50. TAJ BOSTON (F SMALL CITY HOTELS (FEWER THAN 100 ROOMS) 1. HOTEL BEL-AIR R (REOPENING IN 20 011) Los Angeles 93.67 2. RITTENHOUSE HOTEL Philadelphia 92.97 NT-ANTOINE Quebec City 92.80 3. AUBERGE SAIN 4. ELIOT HOTEL Boston 90.15 N OF THE ANASAZI Santa Fe, New Mexico 90.15 4. ROSEWOOD INN N Charleston, South Carolina 89.70 6. PLANTERS INN 7. 21C MUSEUM HOTEL Louisville, Kentucky 89.60 8. THE JEFFERSO ON Washington, D.C. 87.77 9. XV BEACON Boston 87.71 10. RITZ-CARLTON GEORGETOWN Washington, D.C. 87.33 INNS (FEWER THAN 40 ROOMS) K RANCH Darby, Montana 96.76 1. TRIPLE CREEK 2. WOODLANDS RESORT & INN Summerville, South Carolina 94.12 3. POST RANCH INN Big Sur, California 93.13 4. LITTLE PALM ISLAND RESORT & SPA Little Torch Key, Florida 92.97 N HOUSE COUNTRY Y INN Pittsboro, North Carolina 92.47 5. FEARRINGTON

Denotes a Great Value

Denotes a World’s Best debut

C LO C KW I S E F RO M R I G H T: W I L L I A M H U B E R/CO U RT ESY O F T RU M P H OT E L S ; CO U RT ESY O F R O S E W O O D H O T E L S & R E S O R T S ; M AT T WA R G O/C O U R T E SY O F T H E R I T T E N H O U S E H O T E L

AWARDS

1

RESORT

LARGE CITY HOTEL

1

Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago

San YsidroRanch, A Rosewood Resort, California SMALL CITY HOTEL

2

Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia

Hawaii RESORTS LAI Hawaii 92.74 1. FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALAL 2. HALEKULANI Oahu 92.43 3. KAHALA HOTE EL & RESORT Oahu 91.53 4. FOUR SEASONS RESORT LANAI, THE LODGE AT KOELE 91.39 5. FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI AT T WAILEA 89.91 6. FOUR SEASONS RESORT LANAI AT MANELE BAY 89.52 7. MAUNA LANI BAY HOTEL & BUNG GALOWS Hawaii 88.96 8. HOTEL HANA-M MAUI & HONUA SPA A 88.64

11. RITZ-CARLTON N KAPALUA Maui 87.49 12. MAUNA KEA BE EACH HOTEL Hawaii 87.47 13. ROYAL HAWAIIIAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT Oahu 87.41 14. HYATT REGENC CY MAUI RESORT & SPA 87.20 15. MAKENA BEAC CH & GOLF RESORT T Maui 86.67 16. ST. REGIS PRIN NCEVILLE RESORT Kauai 85.95

1

RESORT

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

17. HYATT REGENC CY WAIKIKI BEACH H RESORT & SPA Oahu 85.52 18. JW MARRIOTT IHILANI RESORT & SPA Oahu 85.17 19. KONA VILLAGE E RESORT Hawaii 84.82 20. EMBASSY SUIT TES WAIKIKI BEACH H WALK Oahu 84.59 21. OUTRIGGER WA AIKIKI ON THE BEA ACH Oahu 84.18 22. TURTLE BAY RESORT Oahu 83.72 H MARRIOTT RESO ORT & SPA Maui 83.69 23. WAILEA BEACH 24. GRAND WAILEA A Maui 83.47 25. KAUAI MARRIO OTT RESORT & BEA ACH CLUB 83.31

The Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas RESORTS 1. NISBET PLANT TATION BEACH CLUB B Nevis 95.75 2. JADE MOUNTAIIN St. Lucia 94.91 3. JAMAICA INN & SPA Ocho Rios, Jamaica 93.50 4. COUPLES TOWE ER ISLE St. Mary, Jamaica 92.47 PT AWAY Negril, Jamaica 91.38 5. COUPLES SWEP 6. COUPLES SANS S SOUCI Ocho Rios, Jamaica 91.00 7. TUCKER’S POIN NT HOTEL & SPA Bermuda 90.59 8. SANDY LANE Barbados 90.24 9. PETER ISLAND RESORT & SPA British Virgin Islands 89.85 10. RITZ-CARLTON N Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 89.50 11. CURTAIN BLUFF RESORT Antigua 89.33 12. REGENT PALMS S Turks and Caicos 89.19 NY St. Bart’s 89.18 13. HÔTEL LE TOIN 14. ONE&ONLY OCE EAN CLUB Paradise Island, Bahamas 89.14 15. REEFS HOTEL & CLUB Bermuda 89.08 16. HÔTEL GUANAH HANI & SPA St. Bart’s 88.71 17. HOTEL SAINT-B BARTH ISLE DE FRA ANCE St. Bart’s 88.60 18. SANDALS WHIT TEHOUSE EUROPEA AN VILLAGE & SPA Jamaica 88.50 19. COUPLES NEGR RIL Jamaica 88.41 20. ANSE CHASTAN NET St. Lucia 88.00 20. LADERA St. Lucia 88.00 22. EDEN ROCK St. Bart’s 87.57 23. PARROT CAY Turks and Caicos 87.40 24. SANDALS REGE ENCY LA TOC ST. LU UCIA GOLF RESORT & SPA 87.33 OTEL & VILLAS Montego Bay, Jamaica 87.33 24. ROUND HILL HO

1

RESORT

Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis

F RO M TO P : S U SA N S E U B E RT; P E T E R F RA N K E DWA R DS

9. GRAND HYATT KAUAI RESORT & SPA 88.41 10. FAIRMONT KEA A LANI Maui 87.69

WORLD’S

AWARDS

Mexico RESORTS ORT Los Cabos 92.91 1. ESPERANZA, AN AUBERGE RESO 2. ONE&ONLY PALMILLA Los Cabos 92.69 3. FOUR SEASONS RESORT Punta Mita 90.92 4. LAS VENTANAS AL PARAÍSO, A ROSEWOOD RESORT Los Cabos 90.40 N Cancún 89.84 5. RITZ-CARLTON TO PACIFICA SPA & RESORT Los Cabos 89.52 6. PUEBLO BONIT 7. LAS BRISAS Acapulco 89.28 N RESORT 87.83 8. CASAMAGNA MARRIOTT CANCÚN 9. LE MÉRIDIEN CANCÚN RESORT & SPA 87.56 10. MELIÁ CABO REAL Los Cabos 87.29 11. FAIRMONT MAY YAKOBA Riviera Maya 87.20 11. FIESTA AMERIC CANA GRAND CORA AL BEACH CANCÚN A 87.20 RESORT & SPA 13. HILTON CANCÚ ÚN GOLF & SPA RES SORT 87.04 14. JW MARRIOTT CANCÚN RESORT & SPA 86.00 15. PUEBLO BONIT TO SUNSET BEACH RESORT & SPA Los Cabos 84.95 CÚN RESORT & SPA A (FORMERLY CAMINO O REAL) 84.53 16. DREAMS CANC

1

RESORT

Esperanza, An Auberge Resort, Mexico

16. TIDES ZIHUATA ANEJO 84.53 APULCO PRINCESS S 84.36 18. FAIRMONT ACA 19. GRAN MELIÁ CANCÚN 83.60 20. BARCELÓ MAYA YA BEACH Riviera Maya 82.44 CITY HOTELS 1. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MÉXICO, D.F. Mexico City 95.00 2. JW MARRIOTT MEXICO CITY HOTEL 89.14 NTERCONTINENTA AL Mexico City 82.00 3. PRESIDENTE IN

Central and South America

Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

RESORTS 1. BLANCANEAU UX LODGE San Ignacio, Belize 92.73 2. FOUR SEASON NS RESORT Carmelo, Uruguay 91.53 3. INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU PU UEBLO HOTEL Peru 90.69 4. FOUR SEASON NS RESORT COSTA A RICA AT PENINSUL LA PAPAGAYO 88.44 5. MACHU PICCH HU SANCTUARY LO ODGE Peru 88.21 6. LLAO LLAO HO OTEL & RESORT GOLF-SPA San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina 87.68 7. TURTLE INN Placencia, Belize 86.29 8. TABACÓN GRA AND SPA THERMA AL RESORT Arenal, Costa Rica 83.12 9. LOS SUEÑOS MARRIOTT OCEAN N & GOLF RESORT Playa Herradura, Costa Rica 82.53 10. JW MARRIOTT T GUANACASTE RESORT & SPA Costa Rica 81.33

LODGES AND RESORTS 1. HUKA LODGE Taupo, New Zealand 91.25 2. HAYMAN GREA AT BARRIER REEF Australia 90.00 3. INTERCONTINE ENTAL BORA BORA A RESORT & THALASS SO SPA Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 89.87 4. VOYAGES LONG GITUDE 131° Ayers Rock, Australia 84.19 5. INTERCONTINE ENTAL RESORT & SPA Moorea, French Polynesia 81.17

CO U RT ESY O F ES P E RA N ZA R ES O RT

CITY HOTELS 1. ALVEAR PALA ACE HOTEL Buenos Aires 92.25 2. PALACIO DUH HAU-PARK HYATT Buenos Aires 92.00 3. RITZ-CARLTON Santiago, Chile 91.65 4. FOUR SEASON NS HOTEL Buenos Aires 91.00 5. HOTEL MONAS STERIO Cuzco, Peru 90.88 6. HOTEL CASA SANTO DOMINGO Antigua, Guatemala 90.00 7. JW MARRIOTT T HOTEL Lima, Peru 89.09 8. JW MARRIOTT T HOTEL Quito, Ecuador 88.35 9. SOFITEL BUEN NOS AIRES 87.81 10. HILTON BUENOS AIRES 86.44

CITY HOTELS 1. THE LANGHAM M Melbourne 91.50 2. THE GEORGE Christchurch, New Zealand 88.13 3. PARK HYATT Sydney 87.68 4. PARK HYATT Melbourne 87.06 5. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Sydney 86.89 6. HILTON Auckland 86.71 7. HYATT REGENC CY Auckland 86.20 8. STAMFORD PLA AZA Auckland 85.60 9. SYDNEY HARB BOUR MARRIOTT HO OTEL AT CIRCULAR QUAY 85.30 10. INTERCONTINE ENTAL Sydney 84.88

Denotes a Great Value

Denotes a World’s Best debut

Italy beats France for the largest percentage of European hotels overall (31 versus 22 percent), but Ireland comes in with the greatest gains year-over-year, an increase of 250 percent. After making its debut on the list as the No. 1 resort in Asia last year, Oberoi Vanyavilas, set within 8 hectares next to India’s Ranthambhore National Park, continued its rise, nabbing the No. 1 spot in the world in 2010.

Location is also key for other far-flung winners: Fairmont Mara Safari Club (No. 1 lodge or resort in Africa and the Middle East) is next to the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, and the No. 1 city hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, overlooks the Great Pyramids.

Europe RESORTS 1. PALAZZO SASSO Ravello, Italy 95.17 2. LE SIRENUSE Positano, Italy 94.88 3. VILLA D’ESTE Cernobbio, Italy 93.66 4. HOTEL SPLENDIDO Portofino, Italy 93.52 5. VILLA SAN MICHELE Fiesole, Italy 91.80 6. SHEEN FALLS LODGE County Kerry, Ireland 91.47 7. HOTEL SANTA CATERINA Amalfi Coast, Italy 90.72 8. IL SAN PIETRO Positano, Italy 90.71 9. ASHFORD CASTLE County Mayo, Ireland 90.63 10. DROMOLAND CASTLE County Clare, Ireland 90.62 LARGE CITY HOTELS 1. OLISSIPPO LAPA PALACE Lisbon 94.60 2. HÔTEL DE CRILLON Paris 94.40 3. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Dublin 93.68 4. STAFFORD LONDON BY KEMPINSKI 93.44 5. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GRESHAM PALACE Budapest 92.96 6. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GEORGE V Paris 92.76 7. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Milan 91.77 8. HOTEL IMPERIAL, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL Vienna 91.52 9. PARK HYATT PARIS-VENDÔME 91.33 10. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Florence 91.27 11. HÔTEL DE PARIS Monte Carlo 90.91 12. THE MERRION Dublin 90.67 13. HOTEL DE RUSSIE Rome 90.59 14. ROCCO FORTE’S BROWN’S HOTEL London 90.43 15. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Prague 90.33

1

RESORT

Palazzo Sasso, Italy

SMALL CITY HOTELS 1. THE LANESBOROUGH London 93.47 2. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Prague 92.94 3. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ISTANBUL AT SULTANAHMET 92.63 4. BAUR AU LAC Zurich 92.20 5. THE GORING London 91.06 6. HOTEL HASSLER Rome 90.94 7. ROYAL CRESCENT Bath, England 90.90 8. HOTEL GRITTI PALACE, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL Venice 89.94 9. THE MILESTONE London 89.47 10. HOTEL GOLDENER HIRSCH, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL Salzburg, Austria 88.08 INNS AND SMALL COUNTRY HOTELS 1. DOMAINE DES HAUTS DE LOIRE Onzain, France 95.00 2. HÔTEL CHÂTEAU EZA Èze Village, France 93.33 3. CHÂTEAU DE LA CHÈVRE D’OR Èze Village, France 92.71 4. LA COLOMBE D’OR HÔTEL St.-Paul-de-Vence, France 91.67 5. DOMAINE LES CRAYÈRES Reims, France 91.09 6. HOTEL VILLA CIPRIANI Asolo, Italy 90.11 7. KATIKIES HOTEL Santorini, Greece 89.33 8. OUSTAU DE BAUMANIÈRE Les Baux-de-Provence, France 89.14 9. RELAIS IL FALCONIERE Cortona, Italy 88.75 10. VILLA GALLICI Aix-en-Provence, France 87.05

WORLD’S

AWARDS

1

OUTFITTERS

Micato Safaris

1. MICATO SAFARIS 97.03 2. AUSTIN--LEHMAN AD DVENTURES 96.60 3. BUTTER RFIELD & ROB BINSON 95.22 4. VBT BICYCLING AND D WALKING VACATIO ONS 94.73 5. WILDERNESS TRAVE EL 93.89 6. KER & DOWNEY 93.50 7. TAUCK WORLD DISCO OVERY 92.00 8. BACKRO OADS 91.98 9. WILDERNESS SAFAR RIS 91.00 10. INTERNA ATIONAL EXP PEDITIONS 90.39 11. COUNTR RY WALKERS S 90.09 12. CLASSIC C JOURNEYS 90.09 13. LINDBLA AD EXPEDITIIONS 90.00 ROMBIE & KE ENT 88.92 14. ABERCR 15. OVERSE EAS ADVENTU URE TRAVEL 84.36 16. INSIGHT T VACATIONS S 82.77 17. VIKING TOURS 82.70 18. GRAND CIRCLE TRAV VEL 82.57 19. GLOBUS S 80.51 20. COLLETT TE VACATION NS 79.61

00

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

Top Car Rental Agencies 1. HERTZ Z RENT-A-C CAR 78.56 2. ENTER RPRISE REN NT-A-CAR 77.40 3. NATIO ONAL CAR RENTAL 77.04 4. SIXT 76.71 5. AVIS RENT A CAR R 76.26 6. ALAMO O RENT A CAR 74.71 7. BUDGE ET RENT A CAR 72.49 8. EUROP PCAR 70.99 9. DOLLA AR RENT A CAR 70.25 10. THRIFTY CAR RE ENTAL 69.40

C O U R T E S Y O F M I C A T O S A F A R I S C O T T A R S 1 9 2 0 S C A M P, I N K E N Y A .

O P P O S I T E PAG E : G E N I VS LO C K /CO U RT E SY O F H OT E L PA L A Z ZO SA S S O

Top Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters

JULY 2010

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(T+L)08.10

A

GOOD DAY FOR A WALK IN

MONTREAL. PHOTOGRAPHED

BY J ESSICA

ANTOLA

130 PHUKET heads for the plunge pool 138 Lucca and its epic Italian FLAVORS 146 The THRILLS of Montreal’s mosaic 129

PI NLT OU PNH UG K EE T Always popular, the Thai resort continues to expand in its attempt to be all things to all sun seekers despite a series of setbacks.

By Christopher Kucway. Photographed by Brent T. Madison

Al fresco at Sri Panwa. Opposite: Making a splash on one of Andara’s yachts.

H

IGHWAY 4030 ALONG P HUKET’S WEST COAST

twists and turns with the topography, rising sharply above the ocean and descending like a rock to beach level. The two-lane road goes wherever you want it to, and in that way it’s much like the popular resort island itself. During the past 30 years—as difficult as it is to fathom today, in 1980 Patong Beach was lined with palm trees and little else— Phuket’s fortunes seem to have followed this same circuitous route. Today, what beaches and coves you pass by, where you turn off the highway says a lot—no, it shouts everything— about your tastes in travel. And, yes, about your income level too. Are you to be ensconced in a hillside villa with its own plunge pool on a still densely green cape? Or, at the other end of the tax bracket, are you bumping down the road headed for the seediness of some backstreet guesthouse, a dozen or so bars away from anything remotely resembling a tropical sea?

Most likely, you’re somewhere in between. That’s okay.

Phuket’s beaches and headlands underscore what you want, need and can afford in a vacation. The list reads like a starting lineup for a Thai football club. There’s the popular but not always likeable Patong; bling-encrusted Kamala, secretly one of the island’s great players; much sought-after Surin; pricey import Rawai; and the quiet Cape Panwa.

Always popular Phuket. This island is either a last-choice vacation spot—“we could go to Phuket” is a popular refrain—or the spa-suite, lemongrass-infused getaway of choice. You can lose yourself for a few days in spoiled tropical-interior bliss rarely found outside of a coffee-table book or surround yourself in all things familiar. Judging by the billboards, it’s all here. So much so that you might find yourself questioning whether Phuket is a resort island or a real-estate investment. The multibillion-dollar tourism industry accounts for 70 percent of the jobs on the island, and it’s not difficult to see why. » 131

Local surfers on Kata Beach. Left, top and bottom: In search of that ever-elusive quiet beach; emerging from Sri Panwa’s spa.

T

HE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR BEGAN WITH A BANG. Several of them, in fact. Not surprisingly, it being the rainy season, a lightning storm thundered across the island, leaving the lowest dips along its highways under a meter of water, scooters buzzing into the pools, gasping for air, then stalling. Side roads turned into small rivers, flushing the streets clean. From Kamala and Surin right down to Phuket Bay, the rain continued, more or less, until late afternoon.

Of course, a day’s rain is the least of Phuket’s worries. It’s no great secret that the island has been knocked hard in recent years. A devastating tsunami, ongoing political strife in the south of Thailand and, earlier this year, riots in Bangkok all dulled the vacation spot’s shine. Then there’s the question of overdevelopment. Put simply, there are too many resorts on the island, a getaway that still has moments of beauty. In 2009, Phuket’s hotels lost US$300 million, in large part due to room discounting. Yet, the expansion continues (those rains brought torrents of muddied water down from construction sites around the island). This is a place where new resorts open almost as frequently as the sun rises. Over tacos at the unassuming Burnt Tortilla, veteran hotel analyst Bill

132

Barnett says he’s still surprised by the resiliency of the island where he’s lived for eight years. May, he points out, was the best for visitor numbers since 2005. This January saw arrivals up by a third over a year earlier, setting an all-time record for the island, as well as a string of best-ever months.

The statistics, like the Mexican fare at the Burnt Tortilla— which is better than any found in Bangkok, the owner stewing ingredients for up to three days to get that distinctive Baja bite—are surprising. But the focus quickly turns to the coming months after the political turmoil that engulfed Bangkok earlier this year.

Talk of the island at the moment centers on Andara, which spreads up a hillside overlooking Kamala Beach. It oozes exclusivity—how else to explain a 2,000-square-meter villa (compound?) that is available for US$5,000 a night?

Andara Resort & Villas Phuket, to use its full name since it’s also home to a handful of private retreats, is a place you never have to leave. Even the smallest of villas are larger and better equipped—with, not only iPod docks, 52- and 46-inch flat-screen TV’s and in-ceiling Bose speaker systems, but fully decked-out kitchens that would likely leave Gordon

Water Works Above: Enjoying a waterfall in the island’s interior.

Out of the mist at SALA Phuket’s spa.

Ramsay agog—than most homes, almost to the point where you might need a map to find your way from one of the guest bedrooms to the front door. Twenty-six of the villas come with plunge pools, further removing the need to move about.

If you do get itchy feet—and don’t blame the leave-no-footunmassaged spa for that oversight—Andara also has two yachts at your disposal for US$6,000 a night. Instead, I head for Silk, the resort’s restaurant where mainstream Thai dishes are given a twist, without abandoning the kick of real Thai food. My favorite: goong saroong, deep-fried prawns wrapped in crispy noodles with a mango-and-chili sauce, though more obvious choices such as a black-pepper beef stirfry aren’t lacking either.

Further along the contours of this corner of the island, a nub of land that is largely given over to multimillion-dollar private villas, the equally upmarket Paresa clings to a cliff face and, aside from its lobby, you could easily drive past and not even know it was there. Blending into the sheer shoreline, this 49-suite resort incorporates timber and stone to create a feel that embraces the tropics, opening up to a sweep of the Andaman Sea at every opportunity. Even the 13 Talay Suites, the least expensive option, offer infinity pools steps from your bed. Scot Toon, the resort’s general manager, says the idea is simple: “We wanted people to feel like they’re in Thailand and in a Thai home.” To that end, everything from the mini-bar snacks—sour tom yum crisps—to the indoor–outdoor bathroom amenities is locally sourced. The resort has even worked with Karmakamet to blend its own scent. The approach here is low-key, the emphasis being on unparalleled calm and comfort, always with a view out over the sea. The resort’s Thai restaurant centers its menu on southern Thai food, some of which comes from family recipes, others from staff recommendations of the fare at roadside eateries.

As beautiful as these posh resorts are, it strikes me as odd that the one thing missing from these tropical island idylls is a wave-rolled strip of sand, something along the lines of Banana Beach, a postcard spot ringed by coconut trees just north of Layan. Andara’s staff are quick to point out that they offer a shuttle to the resort’s beach club, five minutes away along the sweep of Kamala. Call it the age of the plunge pool—the point apparently being that, if a resort itself has everything you could ever possibly need, why venture beyond its borders?

P

ICKING MY WAY THROUGH THE HEART OF PATONG AT DUSK, a Thai Rastafarian-wannabe tries to hand me a menu of diversions unprintable here. House music pounds out of oversize speakers, a makeshift barbecue smokes up the soiled soi and I’m wondering where Thailand has gone. Bang La Road should never be confused with anything Thai. Instead, it’s everything that a handful of Thais think foreigners want.

And, if you were them, why not? There are plenty of »

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Paresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tranquil dining terrace.

Clockwise from right: The head chef of the Blue Elephant restaurant; jogging along the southern tip of Phuket; taking in the fun vibe at Ka Jok See.

In Patong, buy T-shirts informing the local touts that, no, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

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want to buy a T-shirt

sunburned faces around to justify Patong’s existence. The signs are everywhere, literally, and they now come in Thai, English and Russian.

These streets around Patong Beach are crowded with ping-pong touts and tourists of every stripe, most with the same expression, one of disbelief that (a) they chose to come here for their vacation or (b) they didn’t arrive sooner. The barely believable is cheek by jowl with the everyday. Sickly thin Thai girls gyrate to a soundtrack of sheer boredom atop bars next to Starbucks and Boots. On the beach itself, a dreadlocked Thai fronts a band playing “Hotel California” in Thai and English in front of a crowd of farangs ordering three-liter tubes of draft beer (only Bt450!).

Patong is for those in search of, well, nothing really; the familiar, the same shops, restaurants, newspapers (even though they might be a day or a week old, negating the need for them at all), pints of draft. Come here, all farangs, to get your feet massaged until you can’t walk anymore; to have your hands hennaed or biceps tattooed (temporarily, for two weeks); your blistering sunburn salved. Buy fake Chanel sunglasses (at Bt2,000, a steal); T-shirts informing the local touts that, no, you don’t want to buy a T-shirt; jewelry made from seashells (one such shop probably offers more seashells than the best snorkeling spots around the island).

For all its faults, one thing Patong has done is to spawn a few stops along the west-coast highway worth looking into.

Unlike the posh addresses on the island, if you’re staying anywhere but a top-flight resort, you’ll likely venture around Phuket a bit more. Oh, and don’t forget small havens such as the polished concrete modernity of a resort like B-Lay Tong right in Patong, where the courtyard provides a bit of calm.

The year-old Acqua, on the northern outskirts of Patong, is as good a spot as any to start. Its clean black-on-white décor, an extensive wine list and fresh pasta dominate, but don’t pass too quick an eye over starters like the Italian seafood salad—fresh prawn, crab, squid and lobster liberally doused in lemon juice and oil—or the pepper-encrusted lamb. Nearby, and just getting off its feet, is Indochine, part of a small chain whose menus rely on dishes from the former French colonies. The place is all mod-con across four levels, three of which are glassed-in, overlooking the flash of Patong Beach in the distance, though unfortunately the best thing it has going for it at the moment is that view.

Further north, atop Surin Plaza, a high-end retail getaway from all things sunblock-related, the darkened Opus One aims to please those with a penchant for wine and cigars. An innovative, Bt900 tasting menu is a good introduction to the new- and old-world labels on offer and includes a selection of finger foods. On the Cuban side of the equation, a Cohiba Siglo VI will set you back Bt1,900, while Romeo y Julietas start at Bt1,050. If you have to ask about either, you’re simply not interested. » 135

A SALA Phuket pool villa. Below, left and right: The chill atmosphere of Opus One; at Phuket Town’s Blue Elephant.

Babylon Beach Club is a pleasant surprise — Phuket has many of them

A hammock awaits at Jumby Bay in Antigua.

The nextfrom day,left: a lazy Saturday, the in search Opposite, In Rajasthan, palatialof something much Mihir Garh; at the Four Seasons Bali. the crashing surf of more low-key than that trio, IResort stroll along

Bang Tao Beach to Babylon Beach Club, with its mix of Thai and Italian food. It’s a comfortable spot to while away a breezy afternoon, and a step up from the makeshift restaurants that blight too many a beachfront. The woodand-bamboo restaurant is a small, pleasant surprise and I’m beginning to think that Phuket has many of them.

Later that week, in need of something a bit more familiar, I stop by Siam Supper Club, which seems completely out of place in a small strip mall, almost thankfully so. This is for the martini-and-grilled-tenderloin crowd and is popular with local expats.

With the west coast mainly developed—Mai Khao being a 17-kilometer-long exception, though resorts are springing up there, including the comfortable SALA Phuket—the focus has turned to other pockets of the island. Off in the southeast corner, the Westin opens this month, offering a different look for Phuket. That look has you constantly gazing out over the calm Siray Bay, with the 28 rooms on the bottom floor fitted with a two-by-four-meter plunge pool. Closer to the bay itself are the resort’s villas, with plunge pools twice the size.

Even nearby Phuket Town has a new shine, though like the island itself, it appears only in bits and pieces. Renovated

19th-century shophouses now double up as antique shops or cafés, though they often sit next to an overflowing hardware store. Li Ann Loo, a former resident of the town who works in the marketing department at the Westin, is an avid backer.

“There’s so much to do there and few know about it,” she says, “which is a shame.” A foodie, she recommends Pak Nam for it crabmeat curry or the pricier Raya for tamarind prawns served in a two-storey Sino-Portuguese house with original tile-work floors.

Newest to town is a 100-year-old mansion that’s been converted into the chain of Blue Elephant restaurants. The Thai menu is straightforward, aimed as it is at foreigners, but the restored mansion—work that took two years to finish—is spectacular. Best known for its atmosphere, the lively Ka Jok See is so well established that there’s no sign outside.

Down on distant Cape Panwa, my final stop also ends with one last, little surprise in the form of Cloud 19, a private residence turned into trendy little hotel. The best rooms here are the five found in the original house closest to a clean beach with a soothing breeze. Fourteen other rooms were a late addition and fall into the clean-but-basic category. Still, Cloud 19’s seclusion is great for if you’re looking to get away from it all. Off in this corner, it also marks the end of Phuket.

Geographically speaking, of course. ✚

GUIDE TO PHUKET GETTING THERE AND AROUND Phuket has opened up to a wealth of flights from Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as Bangkok, which means some inexpensive fares to the island.

Getting around Phuket, on the other hand, can be pricey. Taxis have set rates to different locales (from the Kamala to Phuket Town costs Bt1,000 return) so if you do intend to venture around the island, look into renting a car.

WHERE TO STAY Andara 15 Moo 6, Kamala; 6676/386-010; andaraphuket.com; suites for two from Bt39,000.

B-Lay Tong 198 Taveewong Rd., Patong; 66-76/344-999; doubles from Bt4,900.

Cloud 19 30/10 Moo 8, Bor Rae-Ao Yon Rd.; 66-76/200-920; doubles from Bt2,800.

GREAT Outrigger This all-villa VALUE resort is family oriented, three- and four-bedroom villas.

116/13 Moo 6, Cherngtalay; 66-

76/336-900; outriggerphuket. com; villas from Bt6,500.

Paresa 49 Moo 6, Layi-Nakalay Rd., Kamala; 66-76/302-000; paresaresorts.com; doubles from Bt13,500.

The Pavilions Two dozen new pool villas open here in November.

31/1 Moo 6, Cherngtalay; 6676/317-600; thepavilionsresorts. com; villas from Bt14,000.

Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa Funky, colorful guestrooms and plenty of facilities right on the beach. 555 Moo 3, Mai Khao; 66-76/363-999; marriott.com; doubles from Bt5,555.

The Residence A different take on a resort, where villas are really private condominiums. 258/12 Moo 5, Bang Tao; 66-76/271-650; phuketresortmanagement.com; villas from Bt8,000.

SALA Phuket Most rooms at this stylish stop on the beach have pools. 333 Moo 3 Mai Khao Beach; 66-76/ 338-888; salaresorts.com/ phuket; doubles from Bt5,670.

Sri Panwa 88 Sakdidej Rd.; 6676/371-000; sripanwa.com; pool suites from Bt15,750.

pastas and seafood dishes. 28/46 Moo 1, Nai Harn; 66-76/289-574; dinner for two Bt1,500.

Westin Siray Bay Siray Bay; 66-76/252-701; westin.com/siraybay resort; doubles from Bt2,010.

Indochine 328 Prabaramee Rd., Kalim; 66-76/380-800; lunch or dinner for two Bt2,000.

GREAT VALUE

West Sands Phuket A 426-villa complex on Mai Khao Beach. 65 Moo 4, Mai Khao; 66-76/372-000; west-sands.com; doubles from Bt4,500.

WHERE TO EAT Acqua 324/15 Prabaramee Rd., Kalim; 66-76/618-127; dinner for two Bt2,000.

Babylon Beach Club Bang Tao Beach Rd.; 66-81/970-5302; lunch or dinner for two Bt1,000.

Blue Elephant 96 Krabi Rd., Phuket Town; 66-76/354-355; dinner for two Bt2,000.

The Burnt Tortilla 100/30-31 Moo 5, Cherngtalay; 66-76/325-628; lunch or dinner for two Bt700.

Da Vinci Comfortable setting for

Ka Jok See 26 Takuapa Rd., Phuket Town; 66-76/217-903; dinner for two Bt1,000.

Opus One 5/50 Surin Plaza, Cherngtalay; opusonephuket.com; drinks for two Bt800.

Pak Nam 52/220 Moo 3, Rassadanusom Rd., Phuket Town; 66-76/240-240; dinner for two Bt800.

Raya 48 New Dibuk Rd., Phuket Town; 66-76/218-155; dinner for two Bt1,200.

Siam Supper Club 382 Srisoonthorn Rd., Cherngtalay; 66-76/ 270-936; dinner for two Bt1,800.

Silk Andara, Kamala; 66-76/338777; dinner for two Bt2,000.

Talung Thai 49 Moo 6, LayiNakalay Rd., Kamala; 66-76/302000; dinner for two Bt1,700.

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Undiscovered

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TUSCANY

Italian Style From far left: A pre-dinner toast at Pult Drink & Food, on the Piazza dei Mercanti in downtown Lucca; a view of the town from Guinigi Tower; cod belly en pomodoro at Grano Salis.

In and around the walled city of Lucca, GARY SHTEYNGART finds epic Italian flavorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;delicate sea bass and spicy fish stews; rich, handmade ravioli and ribbons of pasta with tiny clamsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all accompanied by long arguments about the quality of the local bread and, of course, the Kebab Controversy.

Photographed by DAVID CICCONI 139

ICH, PRETTY LUCCA. WHAT shall we do with you? Surveying the Lucchese skyline from one of the handful of remaining medieval towers above the city, you’ll see a sea of low-lying ocher roofs, bounded by regiments of evergreens, bounded in turn by mountains forming phantom camels against the setting sun. Italian cities make for easy drama. It’s all here. Take a walk through Lucca’s Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a sun-bleached ellipse of medieval houses built upon the ruins of a Roman amphitheater. For all the beauty around you, the eye is drawn to a huge pair of boxer shorts hanging from a window.

Everything is an open story. Here red-and-black towels indicate a supporter of the football squad A.C. Milan, here lives an overweight man, here is someone who pines for a stronger Italian state. One of the region’s most conservative cities, a right-wing dinghy floating along in Tuscany’s veritable ocean of working-class red, Lucca does go on, reveling, feasting off its very Lucca-ness.

And then a small, almost unbelievable tempest stirred the world press.

The Kebab Controversy.

As newspapers reported last year, the city has banned new ethnic restaurants from opening in the city center in an effort to preserve the purity of its local cuisine. Too many of the town’s children were coming home bearing the greasy thumbprints of foreign kebabs. The local left wing quickly decried the “gastronomic racism” and “culinary ethnic cleansing,” while Italy’s minister of agriculture, a member of the antiimmigrant Northern League, supported the banning of non-regional food, proudly announcing: “I even refuse to eat pineapple.”

Lucca’s stand against the kebab-bearing Turks brings to mind not only the question, What on earth is happening to Italy? But also, What exactly are we looking for when we travel? Do we want to sift through the contents of a jewel box, or do we want to lean over the balcony of our hotel room and feel the gusts of a strange new breeze? Do we wish to see small pockets of history and tradition, or do we want to open our ears and hear the fresh news the world whispers insistently to us each day?

There is no simple answer, although the masses of tourists ping-ponging between Lucca’s Renaissance-era walls seem quite happy with the jewelbox approach. And yet, we all crave surprise. Lucca is known for its churches, among them the 11th-century wedding cake of San Michele in Foro and the San Martino Cathedral, its sacristy containing Jacopo della Quercia’s magnificent Gothic tomb of a poor young dear who died in »

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City Scenes Clockwise from left: Preparing beef-and-pork-ďŹ lled tortelli at Buca di Sant Antonio; the Palazzo Pfanner; a side street off Via Vittorio Veneto; chef Giuliano Pacini and his son in the dining room at Buca di Sant Antonio; San Michele in Foro Cathedral; Buca di Sant Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tortelli lucchese; Carli, a jewelry shop on Via Fillungo; one of many kebab shops downtown, cause of a recent controversy.

childbirth, her noble dog loyally roosting by her feet. But three months after my visit these images are relegated to quick postcard snaps on my phone. The only interior that still echoes in my mind is the Basilica di San Frediano.

Not for its simple Romanesque proportions or its relative humility, but because in the sullen emptiness of one afternoon a middle-aged procession of just-off-the-bus Germans with their rolling luggage still behind them unexpectedly take over one of the chapels and, under the guidance of their skinny, polyester-clad pastor, suddenly raise their voices to God. I’VE COME TO LUCCA TO VISIT FRIENDS AND TO EAT. SHILPA AND Antonio live in the peaceful villa district of Monte San Quirico, across the river from Lucca. For Italy they are an unexpected couple. Antonio’s background is half Lucchese and half Piedmontese (which might as well be foreign around here), while Shilpa is Indian American. Antonio’s politics are center-right, Shilpa’s the opposite. Their frequent disagreements about the quality of pale, white, salt-free Tuscan bread are at the same time operatic, hilarious and instructive. In a nutshell, a staple that to Antonio may represent identity, resilience and Tuscan thrift, to Shilpa represents some pretty bad bread. Meanwhile, their son Zubin, a browneyed four-year old, reminds us of his favorite nursery rhyme (“O is for Obama”). After a few hours with Shilpa and Antonio’s family, both the Kebab Controversy and the reign of the Northern League begin to seem slightly abstract.

The first place we hit for sustenance lies outside of Lucca’s walls.

What’s even more shocking for wine-soaked Italy is that we are headed for an award-winning brewery by the name of Birrificio Brùton. Inside this cavernous repurposed farmhouse, next to a sweet terrace filled with jazz and children, a waiter sporting sideburns and leather bracelets heats up a jar of baby food while stroking the cheek of a mesmerized youngster.

Iacopo Lenci, the 26-year-old owner, serves serious beer and formidable pub grub. Lenci’s dad is a winemaker, which brings to mind both continuity and rebellion. We’re quaffing large amounts of Brùton’s notable Dieci beer, so named for its 10 percent alcohol content, a magnificently fruity creation endowed with notes of caramel and licorice, as well as the chocolaty Momus, which somehow stacks up against the kitchen’s lightly fried rabbit, juicy grilled onions, and a hamburger (yes, a hamburger!) composed of rich Tuscan meat and a familiar sesame-seed bun. The bun instigates another discussion on the quality and provenance of Tuscan bread, during which Shilpa says of Lenci and his groundbreaking brewery, “This guy’s the future of Italy.

This is the only way it’ll go forward.” No one disagrees.

Our next stop: a restaurant named Grano Salis, also outside of Lucca’s walls. Firouz Galdo, an Iranian-born architect working in Rome, was brought in to create a contemporary space full of light, wood and pewter—the whole thing could easily sit atop a Hong Kong skyscraper.

Grano Salis, full of young locals, is certainly in the pro-kebab camp. Its website weighs in on the controversy, noting that Italian cuisine is flooded with foreign influences and that there’s not a whale of difference between, say, sashimi and crudo or, for that matter, kebabs and the Italian spiedini. The interior of Grano Salis is covered in mottoes such as mangia come pensi (“Eat like you think”), and thoughtful is the best way to » 142

describe the restaurant’s professional and knowledgeable wait staff, who will say things like: “The octopus we saw today at the market was too small. We didn’t like it.”

What they did like were the succulent mini-clams in the ramen-thick, beyond-al-dente tonnarelli con polipetti e pecorino and the silky trippa of baccalà alla romana atop tomato and garlic on toast. We drink down a Tenut delle Terre Nere, grown in the rocks of the Etna volcano, with an aromatic complexity that boggles the mind and leads to comments along the lines of “The filthiest wine I’ve ever had” and “It tastes like a very dirty child.”

Another night, we head for Ristorante Lombardo, in the pretty hills of Santo Stefano, 15 minutes outside of Lucca’s walls. Lombardo specializes in very honest Lucchese cuisine, such as the stewed codfish with leek, and also represents some decent and inexpensive local wines. Facing the port of Livorno, the restaurant’s terrace feels temperate and joyous with nuclear families, the mountains nearly glisten and the lack of light pollution is spectacular. The egg-yellow tortelli lucchese are a meaty double threat—there’s beef and pork and breadcrumbs inside, and beef and pork (and tons of vegetables) in the sauce. Lombardo’s pillowy specimens are so rich, eating them feels like biting into a Swiss franc.

In the opposite direction from the city is the famous Michelin-starred La Mora, which after 143 years still keeps tradition in check with its inventive cooking. The wine cellar is a glorious museum filled with dustcovered beauties—it’s worth a trip inside just to watch a 1980 Pétrus Pomerol gleam seductively—and the wine list leaves no stone unturned.

We gorge on the aquadelle fritte, sweet tiny river fish that must have sardines for big cousins, then hit the chickpea soup with shrimp, an entirely successful interpretation of a Lucchese classic, saving room for the fiori di zucca that have been with us at the table for half an hour but are still living and breathing, still firm and crisp. A deconstructed farro soup bearing a spicy, vaguely Mexican kick puts a brief multicultural smile on our faces.

The park along the ramparts in Lucca.

IT’S TIME TO HEAD DOWN TO THE CITY. THE WALLS, BUILT FOR defensive measures but never used as such, are perfect for an evening stroll, forming a kind of vertical expressway with handy exits. By sundown the parapets are overrun with chirping teenagers, industrious joggers, picnickers enjoying golden focacci by the battlements, and any people who think they are in love. I commute along the north side to the Palazzo Pfanner, a hydrangea-scented refuge abutting the walls, and the most geometrically lovely spot in Lucca, a copse of bamboo reaching up to the San Frediano bell tower. Within the space of a half-hour, I traverse the length of the city to find Lucca’s gem of a botanical garden, where an 1820 Lebanese cedar provides tall comfort. To build an appetite I do some browsing at Carli, the famous jeweler along the Via Fillungo.

Forgive what I said earlier about jewel boxes, because that’s precisely what Carli is, with its hushed, private air, its 17th-century safe, its bright frescoes and its outstanding collection of silver, watches and unusual objects such as Neapolitan corni (horns), amulets carved out of red coral that are imputed to ward off the evil eye.

Tonight’s dinner is at Trattoria da Giulio, an airy, undistinguished space smack-dab by the walls. Shilpa and I sample a heavy and chewy zuppa di farro that clearly benefits from the use of only the best grain and that inspired Shilpa’s mom, on a previous visit to da Giulio, to » 143

proclaim it every bit as flavorful as khichdi, the Indian national comfort dish. Somewhere out there, the Northern League is not pleased.

The next day I circulate hungrily within the city walls. At the touristy but still vital Buca di Sant Antonio restaurant, I lunch on a grilled fatribboned baby goat cooked on the spit along with an artichoke pudding that holds, but does not entomb, the complex, salty flavor of artichoke.

For dinner, I lean back at Ristorante All’Olivo’s outdoor terrace, which is seductively shrouded in bougainvillea and the aromas of a superior kitchen. I partake of a langoustine that might as well be butter, amazing red mullet, fatty raw oysters, and a sauce of balsamic, oil, pepper, salt and, yes, fellow kebab-defenders, soy.

But the best restaurant within the city walls is the newcomer Pult Drink & Food, located in the Piazza dei Mercanti. The staff here is as talkative and knowledgeable as the crew at Grano Salis: “I wouldn’t get that bottle first,” the waiter says. “It’s a little too insistent and powerful.”

He steers us instead to an expansive Ribolla Gialla from Friuli.

The owners used to have a popular shack by the sea and now they’ve gone big in the city, creating an outdoor summertime oasis favored by up-to-date locals—everywhere you look you’ll spot those famous Lucchese schnozzes buried tide-deep in fish. We feast on the red mullet and scampi so typical of nearby Livorno, and sweet shrimp that bring to mind Japanese ama-ebi. Pult has the best crudo in town, which is saying something, and nicely salted and olived sea bass.

The fritto misto is ethereal, particularly the zucchini and shrimp; indeed the art of frying at Pult is deft and Japanese. The only warning: During late nights in summer, a terrifying dance party may break out.

THIS TALE ENDS FAR OUTSIDE LUCCA, IN THE SEASIDE CITY OF LIVORNO. A short train ride away, tourist-free Livorno is everything Lucca is not.

Flattened by Allied bombs, lacking any must-sees except for some canals in the so-called New Venice district and a church featuring, forgive me, one of Vasari’s ugliest paintings, Livorno nonetheless manages to thrill because of its diversity.

The port city was once home to Italy’s largest community of Jews living outside of a ghetto and some of these free range Jews are still in evidence, along with churches bearing Armenian, Dutch, Anglican and Greek Orthodox affiliations. In addition to the slightly corroded sea air, I’ve come to sample Livorno’s famous dish, cacciucco, at Trattoria Antico Moro, a seafood restaurant that smells entirely like its wares. Cacciucco is one of several local dishes that have Jewish origins, a metaphor for multicultural Livorno. The fragrant stew is an amalgam of at least five different kinds of fish, made from whatever the fishmonger has on offer, set afire by liberal use of red pepper, enhanced by tomato and red wine vinegar and plenty of toasted garlic bread.

With its array of dismembered sea creatures, a flotilla of fish tails peeking out, a distinctively non-Jewish langoustine hiding underneath, cacciucco looks like an underwater Battle of the Somme. It is the messiest dish I’ve ever seen or eaten, and it burns my stomach, ears and eyes in a way that is memorable and real. After the studied perfection of Lucca’s cuisine, I am happy to live in a world where muddy fish stews can exist a short train ride away from heaps of golden tortelli lucchese, where kebabs are cheap and plentiful, and where a simple Tuscan farro soup can remind an Indian mother of home. ✚ 144

Summer Nights Clockwise from above: A canal in the coastal city of Livorno; cacciucco fish stew at Trattoria Antico Moro, in Livorno; early evening gelato in Lucca; shrimp crudo at Grano Salis; a bakery in central Lucca; outside Amedeo Giusti.

GUIDE TO LUCCA WHERE TO STAY Locanda l’Elisa Quiet inn located minutes from central Lucca. 1952 Via Nuova per Pisa; 39-05/8337-9737; locandalelisa.it; doubles from ¤186.

Ristorante all’Olivo 1 Piazza San Quirico; 39-05/8349-6264; dinner for two ¤81.

Locanda Sant’Agostino Bed-and-breakfast in a 14thcentury villa. 3 Piazza Sant’Agostino; 39-05/8346-7884; locandasantagos tino.it; doubles from ¤168.

Trattoria Antico Moro 59 Via Bartelloni, Livorno; 39-05/86884659; dinner for two ¤81.

GREAT VALUE

GREAT VALUE

WHERE TO EAT Birrificio Brùton 5135 Via Lodovica, San Cassiano di Moriano; 39-05/83579260; dinner for two ¤53.

Buca di Sant Antonio 1/3A Via della Cervia; 39-05/835-5881; dinner for two ¤64.

Grano Salis Via Dante Alighieri; 39-05/831-900-093; dinner for two ¤73.

La Mora 1748 Via Sesto di Moriano; 39-05/8340-6402; dinner for two ¤103.

Pult Drink & Food 42 Via Fillungo, Piazza dei Mercanti; 39-05/83495632; dinner for two ¤81.

Ristorante Lombardo 4801 Via della Pieve Santo Stefano; 39-05/83394268; dinner for two ¤73.

Trattoria da Giulio 45 Via delle Conce; 39-05/835-5948; dinner for two ¤37.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO Botanical Garden 14 Via del Giardino Botanico; 39-05/8358-3086.

Carli 95 Via Fillungo; 39-05/8349-1119.

Palazzo Pfanner 33 Via degli Asili; 39-05/8395-4029.

Roman amphitheater Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.

San Frediano Basilica Piazza San Frediano; 39-05/8349-3627.

San Martino Cathedral Piazza San Martino; 39-05/8349-4726.

San Michele in Foro Piazza San Michele, Foro; 39-05/835-3576.

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MAGNIFICEN

BOTH CANADIAN AND QUÉBÉCOIS, PART ANGLOPHONE AND PART FRANCOPHONE, A CITY THAT DEFIES EASY CATEGORIZATION — AND THAT, ADAM SACHS DISCOVERS,

T MONTREAL Out for a walk in the up-andcoming Mile End neighborhood.

Opposite: Vieux-Montréal’s Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, built in 1771.

WITH ONE FOOT IN THE PAST AND THE OTHER FIRMLY IN THE FUTURE, MONTREAL IS IS WHAT MAKES IT SO THRILLING. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JESSICA ANTOLA

M

Y FRIEND ADAM GOLLNER is on the phone, talking fast and describing the plan. Actually, it’s a series of plans. Or, more accurately: a jumble of narrative fragments, promising leads and meandering enthusiasms that, taken together, will form the big mosaic picture of everything I need to know about Montreal.

Gollner is precisely the type of person you’d want piecing together such a mosaic. A funny writer, the author of a beautiful and odd book about food and obsession called The Fruit Hunters, he is a Montreal native and committed explorer of the near at hand. He is someone who is not averse to spending 20 minutes on the phone explaining the history and provenance of a particular Portuguese rotisserie chicken you need to try, plus the strategies for placing an advance order and staging a picnic—only to call back five minutes later with directions to an alternate Portuguese chicken shop that has superior french fries. In other words, he’s an ideal guide, not just because he has the lowdown on how the grill men at Rotisserie Portugalia actually learned their poultry skills in Angola during the war for independence, but because he is a tireless seeker of such stories. And because he knows that no matter how many details you collect, Montreal, like any great city, resists being fully known.

So our plan for the next day is to drive from neighborhood to neighborhood, from the coffee shops and markets of Little Italy to the outlying Middle Eastern quarters of Villeray and Ville St.-Laurent. Leaving behind the pretty but well-traveled areas of the old stone port and Vieux-Montréal, we’ll wander and see how the living city is stitched together. “When you realize you can never quite get a hold on this place, that there are always these hidden pockets that surprise you,” Gollner says, “then I think you’re getting at the magic of Montreal.”

Plus, there’s a sujuk sausage sandwich he thinks I need to try at a Lebanese grill joint on the outskirts of town.

For now he’s urging me to take a walk up “The Main,” or

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Montreal Primer Clockwise from opposite, top left: Lunch at La Salle à Manger bistro; maplewood kitchenware at Les Touilleurs; a look at Vieux-Montréal; exploring the old city on bike; the glass exterior of the Palais des Congrès; shrimp salad with sturgeon and egg at Joe Beef.

Boulevard St.-Laurent, the traditional dividing line of the city, separating Montreal’s east and west sides. Walk up through the remnants of the Jewish section, past Schwartz’s, up past the slick bars and boutiques to where the cruddy curio shops meet the Portuguese bakeries around Rue Rachel. Rotisserie Portugalia is a block to the west. Romados, the place with the good french fries, is a couple of blocks east. Walk the chicken over to the park in front of Mont-Royal for a picnic lunch in the sun.

There is one problem: snow. I’d flown out of New York under warm, clear skies and landed an hour later in a freak late-spring snowstorm. The picnic will have to wait.

I like to think of cities as conversations. First you hear the simple layered cacophony of so many people talking to (and at and over) one another. Then there are the wider dialogues— between its buildings and nature, between planning and chaos, between the urban fortress and the world outside its imaginary walls. A visitor listens in on the chatter, on the racket a city makes—the hum of its hive—and is engaged in this never-finished conversation about what this place is.

I take the unseasonable snow as an admonition from the city, a not-so-subtle reminder: It’s not all fun and games here.

Je me souviens, goes the motto of Quebec, printed on all the license plates: I remember. And while nobody agrees on what precisely Quebecers are meant to be remembering, there is a shared awareness here, a respect for the collective memory of hardship in a cold, remote province at the northern edge of North America. Winters are long, dark and brutal. In the warm months, Montrealers take to their parks and waterfront activities and outdoor amusements like Swedes worshipping the vernal equinox. And for the same reason: the break in the season brings life, sanity, exultant release.

Late on my first night in town, I peek out my window at the quietly chic (and aptly named) Le Petit Hôtel: a picturepostcard view of snow wetting the slanting stone streets of »

Inside the antiques store Monastiraki.

Vieux-Montréal. Right picture, wrong season. I run around the corner, up narrow Rue St.-François-Xavier and into a bistro called Garde Manger. Expecting an empty room, I pull back the velvet curtain on a packed house. There’s a fire going, tables of happy people eating steak frites, loud music and one empty seat at the end of the bar. Two things the bartender says bolster my sense of being in the right place. One, they do half portions of the lobster poutine (their upgrade on that addictive Québécois absurdity, french fries with gravy and cheese curds, here topped with buttery chunks of lobster meat and a bisque-ish gravy), so I can in moderately good conscience order that and the bavette. Second, he says that this brief blizzard won’t faze the locals. “It’s been so nice recently,” he says, with a gentler French-Canadian take on the French shrug. “This makes us appreciate it more.” Whatever they’re talking about among themselves, the communal message of all these packed tables on a miserable wet Tuesday night is clear: we are unfazed. Above all, this is a city that takes its pleasures seriously. A little pre-summer snow is nothing, a reason to hunker down, light a fire, keep the dinner going late into the night.

T

HE SUN IS BACK THE NEXT DAY, SNOW AN impossible memory, spring rejoined. On Rue Dante, in Little Italy, the young men are talking to the old men holding court at the little tables outside Caffe San Simeon.

The young men stop for a moment, speak French and keep on their way. Between one another, the older gentlemen speak Italian and sit smoking cigarettes, ignoring folded copies of Corriere Canadese. The women are elsewhere. We stop in for coffee to drink on a stoop with our natas, yellow custard–filled pastries we picked up at a nearby Portuguese bakery. Everyone pays with dollars decorated with the face of the queen.

Inside there are Italian soccer flags on the wall and Italian soccer on TV. A graying Italian is making sandwiches.

“What’s on those?” Gollner asks while we wait for our macchiatos to be fixed.

“Soppressata, mortadella.”

“What do you call it?”

“Soppressata, mortadella.”

“That a house special?”

The man looks up for the first time. One gray eyebrow shoots up, like the back of an agitated cat.

“It’s an original.”

We ask about the patron saint of the café.

“Who’s St. Simeon? I have no idea. But I’ll tell you what happened. We used to have a soccer team a lot of years ago.

Called St. Simon. In 1979 we went to register the business and I guess the girl was French because she added the e.”

In Montreal, every conversation the city conducts with itself is bilingual, at the very least. This former seat of British power is now the second-biggest French-speaking city in the world, a two-tongued metropolis in a francophone province in an overwhelmingly anglophone country and continent. There is an odd sense of doubling everywhere—signs and menus in two languages, overheard conversations flowing fluidly from joual, as the Québécois French pronunciation is sometimes known, to English and back again, as you pass from block to block. East of Boulevard St.-Laurent, in the residential Plateau neighborhood, or down by the old port and Vieux-Montréal, you’re walking through a French movie with English subtitles. In western Anglo pockets, a wandering American forgets he’s speaking the language of the minority. When, days later, I finally make it to Romados, the Portuguese chicken place Gollner had suggested, the sweet lady cutting up the juicy, smoky chicken winks at her customers: “Obrigada, thank you, merci, bon voyage.…”

The easy ideas about Montreal are, like most easy ideas, somewhat right and mostly off base. The picture of Montreal as a kind of toy-size Paris on the St. Lawrence seems wrong, though I guess that Montreal is there if you go looking for it in the right neighborhoods, where all the restaurants have terrasses and all the boulangeries are staffed by nice girls flown in from Brittany.

But as we make our way from Little Italy to Jean Talon, the city’s largest farmers’ market, it becomes clear that the city’s true identity is more nuanced than it seems on paper or in its language laws. Near the market, a store called Disco Maghreb sits across from Italomelodie. A Korean jewelry shop shares block space with a Vietnamese grocery.

Gollner drives us north along Boulevard St.-Laurent, off the top end of the tourist map and far from where most of his friends from the hip Mile End neighborhood would ever find a reason to venture. The cliché has been that this is a city of the “two solitudes.” “The Lebanese-Canadian writer Rawi Hage says this is wrong, that it’s really a ‘multitude of solitudes,’ ” Gollner says as we drive past an outpost of Adonis, a Middle Eastern–focused supermarket. “Someone asked him how you bridge these solitudes, and his answer was: ‘food.’ ” You will recognize Abu Elias, a large Lebanese takeaway grill and grocery, not by the name painted on the window but by its always-crowded corner parking lot. The cars are »

THE SWEET LADY CUTTING UP THE SMOKY CHICKEN WINKS AT CUSTOMERS: OBRIGADA, THANK YOU, MERCI 151

Vieux-Montréal at twilight. From left: In Little Italy; croissants and cappuccinos at the Cluny Art Bar; outdoors at Dépanneur Le Pick Up.

triple-parked, their drivers inside waiting on orders of kafta, shish taouk or the mythical sujuk. Or they’re back in the car eating, transported by nostalgia, displaced or real, and hoping nobody appears to ask them to move. A Lebanese friend introduced Gollner to Abu Elias. “This is Beirut, exactly,” the friend had said, breathing in the smell of spices from the grill.

If this is Montreal’s Beirut, then I guess we are in the Paris of the Middle East of the Paris of North America. It gets complicated. But inside, all is friendly disorder. One of the guys working the counter notices us noticing the cervelle, or brains. “You try!” he says, pointing at his skull. Then he points elsewhere and emphasizes the soaring effects a good pressed brain sandwich with pink pickled turnips can have in the virility department. I can’t make any claims for it in that way, but purely as a sandwich it is a firmly uplifting thing.

We take our sujuk sandwiches and tamarind sodas to the car.

Sujuk is a kind of dry sausage with many Middle Eastern variants. I’ve never been to Beirut, so I can’t say if this sujuk is faithful to the original. I can only say that at Abu Elias it is a deeply flavorful, oddly earthy, tasty and somewhat confusing thing to eat. Confusing because it looks simple but then isn’t: a grilled sausage, painted with garlicky aioli and wrapped in charred flat bread. But the taste just…keeps going. “Oh, my God,” Gollner shouts. I suggest that it’s like you stop chewing and the sujuk chews back at you. I know I’m not explaining it right. A light rain falls; cars arrive and want our parking space.

We back out of the lot, still trying to chew and digest it all.

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O

NE OF THE STRIKING THINGS ABOUT

Montreal is that it doesn’t look like anywhere else. There are borrowed elements—bits that feel French, commercial strips that seem taken from any medium-size North American city’s downtown, houses that wouldn’t stand out in Boston.

And there are architectural features unique to the landscape of the city, like the external staircases everywhere, protruding like exotic steel muttonchops from the faces of otherwise normal buildings. Mostly it is the jumble of it all that gives the place its singular feel, like pieces of a puzzle that don’t quite fit together but form a picture of something unexpected, lovely even: the elegant fieldstone buildings of the old city; the hulking industrial shells along the water; the iconic Farine Five Roses neon sign, blinking on and off like a noir movie backdrop; the dainty pinks, greens and purples of the painted Victorian houses of the Plateau. It’s a college town, a dump, a city of art, placid parks, islands rigged for play and diversions, gray insular urban neighborhoods and colorful suburbs. It is tiny by megacity standards but world-class in its weirdness, in its shifting, comfortable indigestibleness.

I switch hotels and swap one Montreal world for another.

The taxi trip between Le Petit Hôtel and Casa Bianca, a boutique bed-and-breakfast housed in a white Renaissance Revival house on Avenue de l’Esplanade, lasts only a few minutes

but covers much territory. Moving north from the port you follow the chronological expansion of the city, leaving behind the tightly clustered stone buildings of Vieux-Montréal for the shady blocks of the Plateau and the wide-open expanse of Frederick Law Olmsted’s park around Mont-Royal, the notquite-a-mountain at the center of the city. Casa Bianca sits at the corner of a long row of park-facing apartment houses— ornate mini-mansions in alternating architectural styles that are connected to one another and set back from the street by little lawns. Across the street are tennis courts and fields for soccer and running, and beyond that the soaring angel statue, the kilometers of hiking paths through park forests.

I step out to watch the tennis players for a while in the early evening sun. At the edge of the park I pick up Avenue de Mont-Royal and take it east through the Plateau’s blocks and blocks of cafés, theaters, bookshops and pretty tree-lined streets. At La Salle à Manger, a new bistro on Mont-Royal, I find a seat at the bar, near the charcuterie-hanging room and close enough to the kitchen to watch the action. A young dude in a baseball hat is arranging lobster and snow crab on pillowy slices of brioche. The place is humming, with white tiles and a tin-lined bar back; big doors open to the street. I order a glass of Brouilly. “Okay, I will get you drunk now!” says Alexandre, the barman, misspeaking but not wrong. “I mean I will get your drink.” Alexandre warns me the house charcuterie plate is a lot for a lone diner but supports my choice. Again, he’s not wrong. A full inventory of what was presented on this

one wooden board—shredded jambon persillé; pork rillettes; headcheese with sweet carrots; a sweet, tart pickled tongue; an outstanding rabbit pâté in a jar—would take too long, plus the selection will have changed by the time you go. The thing is to go. It’s really good.

I am dwelling on the food, I know. Forgive me. This is a city that dwells on its food. That celebrates its feasting. That has feasting at the core of its original mission statement. A couple of days later, I’m at L’Express, the old, vaunted and still quite elegant bistro on Rue St.-Denis, having a drink with David McMillan, a chef and restaurateur who, with his partners, runs Joe Beef, Liverpool House and McKiernan Luncheonette Bar à Vins in the once mostly Italian neighborhood of Little Burgundy, to the west of downtown. McMillan and I are discussing the central importance of food to the culture of the city and province.

“We’ve been dining here for four hundred fucking years, bro,” McMillan says. “Samuel de Champlain, one of the first Europeans to winter here, brought five kinds of ham! The list exists. He came with olives, with preserved pineapples, vanilla, saffron, a spice rack that would be unmatchable today. He had sweet wine from Portugal, Sicilian wines.”

From the dawn of settlement, then, there has been a specific, pleasure-driven approach to this wild and vast territory.

“They were eating multicourse meals inside a fort a mile down the road from here,” McMillan says, tapping the zinc bar. “People are out hunting every animal they can, just » 153

THERE IS ANXIETY HERE, A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE CITY IS, WHERE IT’S GOING, WHO IT WILL BECOME to taste them. Champlain decreed l’Ordre du Bon Temps. He made a proclamation that, okay, we’re stuck here for the winter, so let’s just have fun. They’re doomed to the fort next to the water and they think they’re in China, but they are shooting everything and feasting and determined to enjoy it.”

McMillan is similarly determined, a swaggering, intelligent, combative, and extremely endearing and funny man. He is sort of the west-side Anglo complement to Martin Picard, the Québécois chef whose Restaurant au Pied de Cochon, on Duluth, is known for its hugely generous portions of foie gras poutine, duck-in-a-can and seafood platters. McMillan and Picard—also bigger than life and instrumental in putting Québécois food on the food nerd’s map—represent the two biggest influences on Montreal’s current vogue for food that’s elemental, gutsy and fun.

McMillan can get very excited about any of his many interests—white Burgundies, women, the scourge of bottle service, the preservation of Quebec’s language, trains (he and his partner, the chef Frédéric Morin, are so into trains that they’re basing a chapter of their forthcoming book on cooking on the Canadian railways, bringing back to life such otherwise forgotten recipes as “dining car calf ’s liver”).

McMillan comes from Irish stock, but he is adamant that the province retain its French nature and language. We’re back in his car now, cruising around between neighborhoods he wants to show me.

“This is a French-speaking province,” McMillan says, fixing me with a sidelong look that says: this is important. “There is, how can I say it, une richesse culturelle for me. I’m not a separatist but I think this has to be preserved at any cost. I feel no kinship, none, with the rest of Canada whatsoever. I worked in Vancouver for a while, and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around why nobody smoked, why the restaurants were full at 6 P.M., and why all anybody ever talked about was salmon.

What that city needs is some different blood.”

He pulls over and we go into Wilensky’s Light Lunch, a vigilantly unmodernized, nearly 80-year-old Mile End landmark deli where the one special—the “Wilensky’s special,” beef bologna and salami on a smushed toasted roll, mustard mandatory—is served with one option (cheese). We drink cherry Cokes from a fountain and eat our specials on stools unchanged since the place was featured in hometown literary star Mordecai Richler’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and the later film version of the novel.

“If it weren’t for the French Canadians rising up once in a while and threatening to break from the rest of Canada, we probably would have been steamrolled in the eighties,” McMillan says approvingly. “We scared away a lot of money.

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If there hadn’t been this exodus of big business, which was the worst thing and the best thing that could possibly have happened to Montreal, we would have become Toronto.”

Uncertainty. Tension. The question of the survival of French as the dominant language. There is a kind of anxiety here, an always close-to-the-surface conversation about what the city is, where it’s going and who it will become.

Part of this is the natural consequence of a place divided between two languages and cultures: a province that nearly separated from the rest of the country—then didn’t. And part, I think, is a kind of reverse-aspirational, romantic notion the city has of itself as gritty and real. Whatever the macroeconomics, it is universally agreed that Montreal’s own uneasiness, its volatile internal dialogue, has preserved it as an interesting, creative, sometimes grubby, much-loved oddity.

The sun is still out a few days later, streaming in the windows of Réservoir, a modern bistro where I’m having lunch with François Dufaux, an architectural historian.

He calls Montreal “an imperfect America and improbable Europe.” It is at the periphery of both, is not quite either, and, as a result, is totally other.

I’d heard several Quebecers refer to traveling to the provinces outside their borders as “going to Canada,” as if to a foreign country. “Technically, it’s the same country,” Dufaux says. “But emotionally, it’s another one.”

The divide between French and English neighborhoods dates to a time when the English were the dominant ruling class and built themselves housing in the west. The French were left to their own devices in the east. Nobody thought to make the neighborhoods connect. The streets literally didn’t run directly east to west, resulting in side-by-side isolation, a kind of de facto Checkpoint Charlie of obliviousness and mutual disregard.

And those external staircases?

“Oh, that’s a bloody Ph.D. thesis,” Dufaux says in a soft French accent slightly colored by his university years in London. The short answer is that it’s an accident of Scottish builders’ influence in the 19th-century development of the city. Whereas displaced Londoners were accustomed to row houses and leaseholds, the Scottish tradition was for year-toyear rentals built on top of one another. When the city imposed new setback laws to encourage green front lawns, the habit of building cheap staircases in back, to maximize interior space, moved street-side and mainstream.

I have a theory to try out on him, I tell Dufaux. I am sure it will be a deeply unpopular suggestion. My theory is this: That despite the very real and lingering political tensions between francophone and Anglo, despite a culture of political »

Ice cream in Vieux-MontrĂŠal.

Sandwiches from Dépanneur Le Pick Up. Right: Rue St.-Paul in Vieux-Montréal.

intrigue and complaint, despite the crushing winters and all the inherent imperfections, compromises and contradictions of the city—despite it all, Montrealers are happy. Or actually: not despite but because of these things.

My idea is that this is what life in a complicated, beautiful city should be. We want to fight with one another but live in close proximity. We want challenges, but not too many. We want alliances and enemies and intrigue, but not at the expense of, say, good bistros with excellent French wines and an extensive, public, well-designed bike-rental system that works. More than anything, we want to feel a part of something worthy, somewhat threatened and singular.

“It’s true,” Dufaux agrees, hesitant to endorse unqualified joie de vivre, “that despite whatever people say, it is a pleasant city to live in.”

And as with any great city, it’s the lifestyle that is the true attraction. “One of the ironies of Montreal,” Dufaux says, “is that the official institutions targeting the visitor, the museums and all of these things, they’re just not that interesting. What is interesting is daily life.”

Miguel Syjuco is a dapper, young Montreal-based writer who grew up in the Philippines and has lived in New York.

His first novel, Ilustrado, took the Man Asian Literary Prize and was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in May. “Let me put it this way,” he says when I ask him to describe the allure of life here, for both transplant and visitor. “The last time I had friends visiting from New York, I brought them to have foie gras poutine and then to a Montreal Roller Derby later that night, a topless diner the following morning, a quick look at the old city and a walk through the park to watch the 156

LARPers [live-action role players] joust, beat their drums and do battle in a clearing by the woods. That to me was a great Montreal weekend.”

It’s the mix that keeps you off balance, interested. To experience it, just find the nearest Bixi. The aluminum-gray bikes are in little rental stations everywhere. One day I meet up with a young francophone journalist named Judith Lussier. She recently wrote a book devoted to the lowly dépanneur, the indigenous Québécois version of the corner convenience store.

Deps, as they’re called, are a part of the city fabric you don’t really notice—until you do. The dep sells cigarettes and lotto tickets, wine and beer—and, crucially, delivers the latter during hockey games.

“A dep can give you a taste of Quebec even if you don’t really speak the language,” Lussier says. “People in Quebec love so much their little dep, even if I say in the book the reason they are popular is that the Quebecers are lazy.”

Lussier mentioned a classic dep called Le Pick Up, which has a sandwich counter and had recently been turned into a popular hipster lunch hangout. So I find a Bixi stand near Casa Bianca and swipe my credit card for deposit; the front wheel clicks unlocked, and I’m free to zip up the side streets north of the park, along empty industrial blocks, past the corner of Rues Mozart and Marconi, and onto a street lined with auto shops and Italian bakeries, the air fragrant with fennel seed and motor oil.

Le Pick Up is as advertised: a corner grocery store that sells artisanal pulled-pork sandwiches and attracts an arty bilingual crowd, but still has its takeaway beer fridges, racks of candy, and the rest of the classic conveniences.

After lunch, my cycling route is circuitous, serendipitous, aimless in a good way. Down through Little Italy, past the church with its mural of Mussolini and the Pantalon Napoleon factory and a store selling ancient sewing machines with memorable brand names like Brute and Blue Streak. The No. 18 bus crosses my path, its route sign flashing the words GO… CANADIENS…GO. I push along the Avenue Laurier, peeking into the windows of Les Touilleurs, the best-curated kitchenware store in the world, then turn down Rue St.-Denis, past L’Express and, as gravity takes me down the hill, I glide past the bar-lined Latin Quarter, its terraces packed with McGill students laughing in the sun. I mean to head back to the hotel but the city has a

hold on me now. I sweep past the Cirque Éloize practice studios in the old train station and down through the tight stone alleys of the old city. I ride along the quays of the port, past the blue and yellow peaks where I plan to see Cirque du Soleil in a few nights, and east along the water where a bike path leads under a snaking highway and over the Canal Lachine.

Montreal by bike—the experience of swiftly shifting landscapes, cities giving onto other cities, ever more to explore.

Eventually I stop, just to stop, because I’m tired. But there’s more to see, more paths to follow. I stop and walk a bit, wobbly from the ride and the sense I’d covered more ground than was possible in a brief afternoon exploration. But the city keeps on going, always going. ✚

GUIDE TO MONTREAL WHERE TO STAY Casa Bianca 4351 Ave. de l’Esplanade; 1-514/ 775-4431; casabianca.ca; doubles from C$129.

GREAT VALUE

Hôtel Le St.-James Glamorous rooms in an 1870’s bank building.

355 Rue St.-Jacques; 1-514/8413111; hotellestjames.com; doubles from C$400.

Joe Beef 2491 Notre-Dame Ouest; 1-514/935-6504; dinner for two C$99.

Kaizen Great sushi. 4075 Rue Ste.-Catherine Ouest; 1-514/7078744; dinner for two C$73.

Le Petit Hôtel 168 Rue St.-Paul Ouest; 1-514/9400360; petithotelmontreal.com; doubles from C$188.

La Salle à Manger New French bistro specializing in house-cured charcuterie. 1302 Ave. du Mont-Royal; 1-514/522-0777; dinner for two C$94.

WHERE TO EAT Boucherie Abu Elias 733 Blvd. de la Côte-Vertu; 1-514/747-7754.

Le Club Chasse et Pêche Serves outdoor lunch in the historic Governor’s Garden. 423 Rue St.-Claude; 1-514/861-1112; lunch for two C$64.

GREAT VALUE

Caffe San Simeon 39 Rue Dante; 1-514/272-7386; coffee for two C$5.

Les Cons Servent 5064 Ave. Papineau; 1-514/523-8999; dinner for two C$167.

Cluny Art Bar Funky little art gallery and café housed in a former foundry. 257 Rue Prince; 1-514/866-1213; lunch for two C$52.

L’Express 3297 Rue St.-Denis; 1514/845-5333; lunch for two C$70.

Dépanneur Le Pick Up 7032 Waverly; 1-514/271-8011; lunch for two C$21.

Liverpool House 2501 NotreDame Ouest; 1-514/313-6049; dinner for two C$80.

LITTLE ITALY

Blvd. St.-Laurent

N

VILLERAY MILE END

40

Parc La Rue Rachel Fontaine PLATEAU Parc du oke LATIN bro QUARTER r Mont-Royal e Sh Rue 20 therine DOWNTOWN .-Ca e t Rue S LITTLE St. Lawrence River VIEUXBURGUNDY MONTRÉAL 0

1.6 km

Rue St.-Denis

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

Garde Manger 408 Rue St.-François-Xavier; 1-514/6785044; dinner for two C$49.

Mas Cuisine Chef Michel Ross creates a dynamic menu in this neighborhood hideaway. 3779 Rue Wellington; 1-514/544-3779; dinner for two C$105.

McKiernan Luncheonette Bar à Vins Happy hour starts at noon at this 12-seat luncheonette.

2485 Notre-Dame Ouest; 1-514/ 759-6677; lunch for two C$24.

Réservoir Lively lunch spot and bar in the Plateau. 9 Rue Duluth Est; 1-514/849-7779; lunch for two C$26.

Restaurant au Pied de Cochon 536 Rue Duluth Est; 1-514/2811114; dinner for two C$136.

Rotisserie Portugalia 34 Rue Rachel Ouest; 1-514/282-1519; dinner for two C$31.

Hôtel Le St.-James.

29 Ave. Laurier Ouest; 1-514/4909555; drinks for two C$13.

Dominion Square Tavern Grand, newly reopened downtown space has a lengthy history. 1243 Rue Metcalfe; 1-514/564-5056; drinks for two C$17.

Rotisserie Romados 115 Rue Rachel Est; 1-514/849-1803; lunch for two C$21.

Pullman Sleek wine bar decorated by its owner and designer Bruno Braen. 3424 Ave. du Parc; 1-514/288-7779; drinks for two C$21.

Schwartz’s Legendary home of Montreal’s smoked meat. 3895 Blvd. St.-Laurent; 1-514/842-4813; lunch for two C$16.

WHERE TO SHOP Les Touilleurs 152 Ave. Laurier Ouest; 1-514/278-0008.

Sparrow Mile End hot spot known for its weekend brunch.

5322 Blvd. St.-Laurent; 1-514/ 690-3964; brunch for two C$30.

Monastiraki Eclectic Mile End space that’s one part antiques shop and one part gallery. 5478 Blvd. St.-Laurent; 1-514/278-4879.

Wilensky’s Light Lunch 34 Rue Fairmount Ouest; 1-514/271-0247; lunch for two C$15.

WHERE TO DRINK Buvette Chez Simone Trendy wine bar popular with the late-night crowd. 4869 Ave. du Parc; 1-514/750-6577; drinks for two C$16.

Dieu du Ciel Casual microbrewery with its own cask ales.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO Bixi Bikes This public bike system, launched just last year, offers 24-hour service at 400 docks scattered around the city.

1-514/789-2494; bixi.com; from C$5 a day.

Marché Jean-Talon This is the largest outdoor market in North America. 7070 Ave. Henri-Julien.

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(My Favorite Place) Melbourne’s Yarra River. Inset: Elizabeth Gilbert

AUSTRALIA

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MELBOURNE WITH MY HUSBAND, I OFTEN HEARD Aussies comparing Sydney to Los Angeles and Melbourne to New York City. Sydney has its share of glamour, but Melbourne is an urban center full of beautifully designed, progressive architecture, on the cutting edge of green development—and, as is true of New York, you can walk endlessly right in the heart of the city.

Anybody not walking or riding a bike in Melbourne is taking the tram. If I were there now I’d take the fifteen-minute ride from the city to St. Kilda beach, which is lined with old hotels and billiard halls in various states of disrepair—it’s very romantic and desolate. And then—if I could do this immediately, if I had a magic wand, I would—I’d take the tram back into the center of town to Movida for the best tapas I’ve ever had anywhere in the world. The chef, Frank Camorra, does incredible things with lard and pork belly. Even though it’s an exquisite dining experience, it’s also a friendly, gracious, warm place. You can’t find pretension anywhere in Melbourne—it’s all about matesmanship. It’s my idea of a perfect city. ✚ HILE ON HOLIDAY IN

Eat, Pray, Love, a film based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir and starring Julia Roberts, premieres this month.

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GILBERT’S TRAVEL TIPS DINING DOWN UNDER “Try the excellent tapas at Movida [1 Hosier Lane; 61-3/9663-3038; dinner for two A$83].”

TOP MELBOURNE NEIGHBORHOOD “The city’s European immigrants give Lygan Street an old-world Italian feel.”

A NEW HOTEL IN MELBOURNE “Book one of the twelve suites at Crown Metropol [8 Whiteman St.; 61-3/92926211; crownmetropol.com.au; doubles from A$275].

The rooms connect to the Isika spa via a private staircase.”

CARRY-ON ESSENTIALS “Earplugs, eye mask and slippers.”

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Elizabeth Gilbert says her idea of a perfect city is summed up in Melbourne. By DANI SHAPIRO