April 2012

SoutheASt ASiA

April 2012

Bestof

Bali 70

can’t-miss stops for your next visit

top travel sites in asia

Kuala lumpur

all the world in one city

addresses and apps on the go

paris burma london singapore

Singapore S$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

TravelandLeisureAsia.com

contents APRIL 2012 VOLUME 06 : ISSUE 04

features 84 BEST OF BALI The island that has it all just keeps getting better. Here’s what not to miss. by holly mcdonald and jen lin-liu. photographed by lauryn ishak 98 PASSPORT TO THE WORLD With influences from Australia to Iran, Kuala Lumpur has never been more global. by john krich. photographed by austin bush

LAURYN ISHAK

106 17 PARIS FINDS From the Marais to St.-Germain, these small hotels offer an authentic local experience. by tina isaac and alexandra marshall. photographed by james merrell. map 108 114 THE BEST LITTLE EATING

TOWN IN EUROPE A new generation of upstarts is earning Copenhagen its place at the epicenter of the food world. by adam sachs. photographed by marcus nilsson. map and guide 120

84

Sundowners at Ku De Ta in Bali.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 7

contents

APRIL 2012 VOLUME 06 : ISSUE 04 t+l southeast asia best of bali / paris hotels / kuala lumpur / asia’s top websites / burma / london / singapore

SoutheASt ASiA

April 2012

Bestof

Bali

70

Kuala lumpur

can’t-miss stops for your next visit

all the world in one city

top travel sites in asia addresses and apps on the go

ap r il 2012

paris burma london singapore

Singapore S$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

April 2012.indd 1

TravelandLeisureAsia.com

13/03/2012 12:33

ON THE COVER

A welcome dip in a plunge pool at Alila Villas Soori, Bali. Photographed

by Christopher Wise.

newsflash 27 Hanoi’s latest cocktail bar, Francis Ford Coppola’s Italian property and much more.

38

36

33 RESTAURANTS After a year of celebrity chef restaurant openings by the likes of Wolfgang Puck and Joel Robuchon, fine dining in Singapore is taking a back seat to these new casual French bistros. by evelyn chen 36 WALK THIS BLOCK There’s more to this tree-lined street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter than St. Joseph’s Cathedral. karryn miller scopes out the best shops.

38 GURU Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag on the importance of design and where he’d like to go on vacation. by mrigaa sethi 42 EAT From Paris to Istanbul, we’ve got the dish on neighborhoods where you can eat like a local.

33 8 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

44 ROOM REPORT A magnificent 19th-century teak house is resurrected as a discreet getaway in Thailand’s northern capital. by jennifer chen

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

insider

contents

APRIL 2012 VOLUME 06 : ISSUE 04

51

51 SMART GUIDE In London, a convergence of once-in-a-lifetime events—the Olympics; the Queen’s diamond jubilee—means now is the time to visit. We tell you where to stay, eat, shop and play—all in smashing style. photographed by james merrell

stylish traveler

Wahanda—looking good is feeling good on the go. by mimi lombardo 61 TRADING SPACES The designers and architects behind these five houses have raised the style quotient of the traditional villa-rental vacation by offering up their residences to travelers. It’s a rare chance to experience their personal aesthetics—eccentricities and all. by meghan mcewen

journal 73 GETAWAY Given its history, Burma might not be your first

57 PACKING Whether you’re headed to Bangkok or Beijing, there’s a new wave of convertible products that will never weigh you down.

10 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

78 DRIVE On a journey through Portugal’s Dão region, frank rose finds secluded vineyards, rustic pousadas and the area’s best wines. photographed by james and katherine pomerantz 81 MUSIC Has any one place inspired as many songs as L.A., let alone so many good ones? peter jon lindberg reflects on a lifelong obsession—and the unshakable pull of California.

Departments 14 EDITOR’S NOTE 19 CONTRIBUTORS

59 SPOTLIGHT Furniture and lighting designer Darren Chew draws his inspiration from Saigon’s old buildings and recycled objects. by naomi lindt 60 UNIFORM For Lopo Champalimaud—the globetrotting CEO of wellness website

choice for a seaside getaway. But peaceful Ngapali has its charms, and it will only get more popular. by ola wong. photographed by jackson lowen

20 MAIL 22 BEST DEALS 24 ASK T+L 65 STRATEGIES 70 SMART TRAVELER

57

122 LAST LOOK

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: © I N TS V I K M A N I S / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; JAC KS O N LOW E N ; L E V I B R OW N

48 ASIAN SCENE Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighborhood is extending its hipster reach, with a cluster of funky cafés and stores in low-rise tong laus (tenement buildings) around Tai Ping Shan Street. by helen dalley

73

in this issue

Copenhagen 114 London 51 Paris 30, 42, 61, 106

Los Angeles 81

Hanoi 29, 36

Kuala Lumpur 98 Bali 84

TRIP IDEAS

DESTINATIONS SOUTHEAST ASIA Bali 84 Bangkok 30 Chiang Mai 44 Hanoi 29, 36 Hoi An 27 Hong Kong 22, 48, 65 Indonesia 65 Kuala Lumpur 98 Laos 65 Macau 22 Malaysia 22 Ngapali, Burma 73 Singapore 22, 33, 65 Thailand 22, 38, 65, 70 Vietnam 65

Arts + Culture

30

Beaches + Islands

73, 84

EUROPE Amsterdam 28 Bernalda, Italy 28 Copenhagen 114 Girona 61 Istanbul 30, 42 Italy 30 London 51 Paris 30, 42, 61, 106 Portugal 78 Rome 42 Tuscany 61

City

51, 98, 114

Design

38, 59

Fashion

60

Food + Drink

29, 30, 33, 42, 114

Hotels + Resorts

22, 27, 28, 44, 61, 106

Music

81

Neighborhoods

36, 48

Shopping

36

Spas

30

Travel Tips

57, 65, 70

THE AMERICAS Bahamas 61 Los Angeles 81 Mexico 24 Trancoso, Brazil 61

FEATURED DESTINATION

Copenhagen

Mid-April marks the beginning of the season for Copenhagen’s City Bikes program, which makes 2,500 bicycles available for free to the public at 110 stands throughout the downtown area. City Bikes was launched in 1995 as the world’s first large-scale urban bike sharing system, and the alreadypopular program is slated for a design upgrade in 2013. (For more on Copenhagen, see page 114).

12 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

MARCUS NILSSON (3)

TRAVEL TIP

ASIA Beijing 65 Nepal 24, 65 Seoul 122

Shanghai 65 Tokyo 65

editor’s note WHERE TO FIND ME )) chrisk@mediatransasia.com )) @CKucway on Twitter

WHAT’S NEW

I have to laugh when someone tells me they are bored of Bali. How, after all, can ennui enter the conversation as memories of the island’s greener than green billiardtable rice terraces or the cherubic painted face of a young Legong dancer surface? After all these years, Bali remains an antidote to big-city Asia. That’s why this month we look at the best the island has to offer (page 84).

It’s also why, as a magazine editor, I lie awake at night pondering what we inadvertently may have overlooked—and in Bali’s case, there is never enough room to include everything in a single issue since the island seemingly has it all. So, if you spot one of your favorite stops on Bali missing, let us know. It gives us a great excuse to go back.

Of course, Samuel Johnson’s line about offering all that life can afford referred to London—even if Bali would more likely fit the bill today—and we would be remiss in not covering the city in this, its Olympic year (“Smart Guide to London,” page 51). Call it a spectator’s guide to spending some time this summer in one of the world’s great cities even if you’ve not scored tickets to the games

(including a delicious angle on where to find the best, admittedly very un-Olympian, fishand-chips).

Nothing against mushy peas, but Kuala Lumpur has always been a great crossroads on Asia’s culinary map. This month, John Krich heads off in search of an unexpected, global side of the Malaysian capital (“Passport to the World,” page 98), where Iranian dishes have become the norm and those in the know can tell you a thing or two about visiting Cuban dance bands, even if they happen to hail from Colombia.

If you’re still planning your next vacation, among your required reading this month is our look at Asia’s best websites and apps (page 65). With the wealth of information that assails our every move, whether online or in the real world, this handy guide will help you separate the good from the bad, and the truly off-the-beaten-track from the merely misguided. Use it wisely and, hopefully, see you in Bali.— c h r i s t o p h e r ku c way

HONG KONG In a city that isn’t always on the cutting edge when it comes to culture, there’s a new address worth checking out: Asia Society Hong Kong Center (asiasociety. org.hk), housed in four modernized colonial buildings in Admiralty.

“Transforming Minds: Buddhism in Art” is on show until May 20.

ONLINE UP HIGH Not long ago, taking a flight was a chance to distance yourself from Wi-Fi. That’s becoming less so these days: the latest to offer Internet surfing at 10,000 meters is Emirates aboard 11 of its 20 A380s now in service.

Passengers wanting to use their mobile phone inflight can purchase a plan for US$7.50 that would cover a 6½-hour flight, while the price tag for a laptop package is US$15.

travel + leisure 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.

14 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR FEATURES EDITORS SENIOR DESIGNER ASSISTANT EDITOR—DIGITAL

Christopher Kucway James Nvathorn Unkong Richard Hermes Mrigaa Sethi Wannapha Nawayon Wasinee Chantakorn

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Cedric Arnold, Jennifer Chen, Robyn Eckhardt, Tom Hoops, Philipp Engelhorn, David Hagerman, Lauryn Ishak, Naomi Lindt, Jen Lin-Liu, Brent Madison, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Aaron Joel Santos, Adam Skolnick, Darren Soh, Daven Wu

CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER DIRECTOR SINGAPORE/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS CONSULTANT, HONG KONG/MACAU CONSULTANT, AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND 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 Stuart Singleton Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Sirivejabandhu 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. 6, ISSUE 4 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.

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T O P , F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F A U S T I N B U S H ; C O U R T E S Y O F E V E LY N C H E N ; C O U R T E S Y O F H E L E N D A L L E Y. B OT TO M , F R O M L E F T: AU ST I N B U S H ; L AU RY N I S H A K ; SA M A N T H A S I N

contributors

austin bush photographer

helen dalley writer

ASSIGNMENT Shot our K.L. feature (page 98).

BEST FIND IN K.L. It had to be the starfruit juice.

FAVE MEAL YOU HAD THERE Mutton biryani served on a banana leaf at Vishalatchi Food Catering, a hall-like southern Indian restaurant.

FAVORITE PLACE IN ASIA Mae Hong Son, Thailand. I love the mountains, the interesting food and the remote small-town feel.

PHOTO ADVICE FOR SHOOTING IN THE TROPICS Buy a camera bag that has a good rain cover. And a polarizing filter for those bright, washed-out Southeast Asian afternoons.

NEXT BIG ASSIGNMENT OR PROJECT Working on Lonely Planet’s Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei guide.

ASSIGNMENT Wrote this month’s look at Hong Kong (page 48).

WHEN IN HONG KONG, DO NOT MISS... Walking along the Wisdom Path adjacent to the Big Buddha. Have a cup of Hong Kong milk tea and a bowl of dau foo fa (cold or hot tofu sweetened with syrup) at the ramshackle Tea Garden café.

BEST OF SHEUNG WAN It’s one of Hong Kong Island’s last authentic neighborhoods, home to Chinese herbal shops and dusty old antique stores, alongside pockets of cool, like Tai Ping Shan.

CHANGE IN THE AIR Many international art galleries now have a presence here, including New York’s Gagosian and London’s White Cube, where Gilbert & George’s “London Pictures” exhibition recently made its world debut.

CANTONESE SLANG Mun hau gau: a cowardly loudmouth who only acts fierce on his own turf. I just like the way it sounds.

evelyn chen writer ASSIGNMENT Wrote about Singapore bistros (page 33).

FAVORITE CUISINE French, Japanese and anything in between.

BEST CITY FOR EATING Right now, I would have to say Singapore, though Paris and Kyoto are fabulous too.

WHEN IN SINGAPORE, DON’T FORGET TO...

Eat like a local in the hawker centers.

RECOMMENDED LOCAL GETAWAY I’d like to say Auriga Spa at Capella but, to be truthful, it would shopping for fresh produce at Whampoa Market.

TRAVEL ESSENTIAL My little black book, which details all the dishes I’ve tasted at restaurants around the world.

MAIL LETTER OF THE MONTH BEYOND BACCARAT

Finally, some proof that there’s more to Macau than gambling [“The Real Macau,” February 2012]. I visit the city a few times each year, and there’s simply too much else going on there to spend hours at a baccarat table not knowing what time of day it is! I never tire of exploring the side streets of old Macau. While some of my favorite things about past trips are vanishing in all the modernity, there’s often something I’ve never seen before. That’s why I keep returning. (And of course, those perfect, hot egg tarts, cliché as they may be, are an added bonus!)

—Thomas Ocampo, Manila

NOT MY TYPE!

I know I’m not getting any younger, but could you please increase the type size on some of your stories? Trying to read “Encore Eateries” in February gave me a headache, and now I'll never know what the new hot spots are.

—Mandy Khumbute, Bangkok NEW-LOOK SYDNEY

As always, a great issue. Thanks in particular for the tip on Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art [“What’s New Down Under,” February 2012]. It’s already one of my favorite cities so I’m looking forward to checking out the sculpture terrace on the roof.

—Surwya Kurniawan, Jakarta

WHERE’S THE RABBIT?

I enjoyed your article on Cambodia [“Return to Cambodia,” February 2012], including the eloquent description of the temples at Ta Prohm and the drive to Battambang, which is lovely indeed. I was surprised, though, that you didn’t mention Rabbit Island off of Kep—it’s true that the beach on the mainland isn’t much, but we had a wonderful day on that island when we went there last year. It was peaceful, unlike many beaches in the region today, and we even managed to find a good crab meal at one of the ramshackle restaurants. A hidden gem for sure.

—Lien Kuo, Hong Kong

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.

20 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

bestdeals

BUDGET-FRIENDLY TIPS FOR YOUR TRAVEL PLANNING

AFFORDABLE ASIAN TRIPS DEAL OF THE MONTH S N A P I T

The Venetian Macao.

URBAN STAYS

Beach Front room, Hansar Samui.

ROMANTIC GETAWAYS

SINGAPORE Business at Oasia package at OASIA HOTEL SINGAPORE (65/6664-0333; oasiahotel.com). WHAT’S INCLUDED A stay in

HONG KONG Amour package at HYATT REGENCY HONG KONG, SHA TIN (852/3723-1234; hongkong.shatin.hyatt.com). WHAT’S INCLUDED

a Club room; daily breakfast; evening cocktails and canapés; two items of laundry per day; late check-out till 4 p.m. and one-way airport transfer. COST S$288 per night, two-night minimum, through December 31. SAVINGS Up to 60 percent.

A stay in a Mountain View room; buffet breakfast; a bottle of red wine; HK$600 dining credit at the hotel’s restaurants and room service; late check out until 2 p.m.

COST From HK$2,230 per night, double, ongoing. SAVINGS Up to 25 percent.

BEACH TRIPS

THAILAND Chiang Mai Heritage Discovery package at 137 PILLARS HOUSE in

THAILAND Ultimate Luxury package at HANSAR SAMUI (66-77/245-511; hansarsamui. com) WHAT’S INCLUDED Three nights in a

Sea View XL or Beach Front room; daily breakfast; Thai cooking class; one beachfront dinner; 90-minute massage for two; poolside Reflexology; full-day island tour; one high tea at Chill Lounge.

COST Starting from Bt50,400 (Bt16,800 per night), double, through December 19.

SAVINGS 25 percent.

MALAYSIA Back to Nature package at THE DATAI LANGKAWI (60-4/959-2500; thedatai. com.my). WHAT’S INCLUDED A two-night stay

in a Superior Villa; round-trip airport transfers; daily breakfast; spa treatment for two in an open-air villa; and mangrove tour with resident naturalist. COST From RM5,775 (RM2,887 per night) per couple, through December 15. SAVINGS 20 percent.

22 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Chiang Mai (66-53/247-788; 137pillarshouse. com). WHAT’S INCLUDED Three nights in the Rajah Brooke suite; round trip airport transfers; bottle of wine; daily breakfast; sightseeing excursion; Lanna dinner and 90-minute Thai massage. COST From Bt39,650 (Bt13,216 per night), double, through April 30. SAVINGS 25 percent.

THAILAND Amazing Summer package at Amari Vogue Krabi (667/560-7700; amari.com/ vogue). What’s Included Three nights in a Deluxe room; daily breakfast; roundtrip airport transfers; Bt2,000 credit for spa or food and beverage; use of kayaks; free WiFi and late check-out till 4 p.m. Cost Bt19,401 (Bt6,467 per night), double, through October 31. Savings 43 percent.

MACAU Your Rewards package at THE VENETIAN MACAO (853/2882-8851; venetianmacao.com) WHAT’S INCLUDED A stay

at the Royale suite; choice of breakfast at Café Deco or Fogo Samba for two or buffet lunch at Bambu or Fogo Samba for two; MOP500 credit per day to spend on any 180 participating shopping, dining, spa or entertainment venues. COST HK$1,898 per night, double, through July 12. SAVINGS Up to 15 percent.

Amari Vogue Krabi, Thailand.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF OASIA HOTEL SINGAPORE; COURTESY OF VENETIAN MACAO; COURTESY OF HANSAR SAMUI; COURTESY OF AMARI VOGUE KRABI

Oasia Hotel, Singapore.

askt+l On Nepal’s Annapurna circuit.

The ruins of Chichen Itza, in Mexico.

Entering the Maroma Resort & Spa.

I promised my daughter she could travel somewhere on her spring break if she combined it with volunteering. Can you recommend some options?

Restoration Works International (restorationworksinternational.org) organize volunteer vacations in Nepal restoring a 400-year-old Tibetan-style Buddhist monastery called the Chhairo Gompa, on the famous Annapurna Trail. Participants stay in a family-run guesthouse and spend their mornings helping to restore parts of the monastery, while afternoons are free to explore the area. No experience or special skills are needed, as the on-site team of architects, masons and carpenters help volunteers perform the work using traditional and contemporary techniques. Tasks might include plastering walls, cleaning ancient paintings in the temple or paving a courtyard.

The 12-day trip (US$2,950) includes ground and air transportation in Nepal, accommodation, meals and tours. Upcoming tour dates are April 16–27 and April 30–May 11.

Q: WHERE SHOULD I GO TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE WORLD IN 2012?

—BRAD DOUGHARTY, MELBOURNE A: To Mexico, of course, the home of

the ancient Mayans, whose calendar is a (misinterpreted) source of all the 2012 doomsday hullaballoo. Have fun with the concept at the Maroma Resort & Spa (44-845/077-2222; maromahotel.com; doubles with breakfast US$656) on the Riviera Maya, where they have tailored their menu, spa treatments and excursions to a Mayan theme. Visit the local temples of Coba and Chichen Itza, enjoy spa treatments

based on the four elements and feast on fish ceviche with chilled cucumber broth, jicama and avocado on the beach, under the stars (and possibly the apocalyptic approach of planet Niribu). Just make sure to take your trip before Dec. 21, the final day of the Mayan “Great Cycle.” After that, all bets are off.

WHAT’S YOUR TRAVEL QUESTION?

» E-mail us at

editor@travelandleisuresea.com

» Post queries at

Facebook.com/TravelLeisureAsia

» Follow us on Twitter at

@TravLeisureAsia (Questions may be edited for clarity and space.)

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : © PAV E L S V O B O D A / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; © A N G E L I K A S T E R N / I S TO C K P H OTO.C O M ; C O U R T E SY O F M A R O M A R E S O R T & S PA

—BARBARA LEE, HONG KONG

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C O U R T E S Y O F T H E F U S I O N A LY A ( 3 )

Hoi An is a growing hot-spot for luxury resorts, but the newest arrival is as much about the food as the beach The trading port-turned-unesco World Heritage Site of Hoi An may be known for its preserved traditional architecture, but luxury resorts have sprung up along the nearby stretch of sand formerly known as China Beach, making the area’s culinary scene another reason to visit.

The Fusion Alya is one of the new and innovative highend resorts claiming a patch on the Cua Dai shorefront.

The three-hectare plot features 98 rooms and villas, each with trellis-shaded balconies, designed to pay tribute to Hoi An’s Portuguese legacy with lofty arches and earth-toned exteriors. The resort’s focus, though, is food, with all meals included as part of the room rate. The all-day dining menus in the main restaurant and pool bar feature, in addition to international standards, northern and central delicacies like bun cha (barbecued pork in broth with cold noodles) and banh khoai (egg pancake with shrimp and bean sprouts). Want to explore the area without skipping a meal? Dishes at Fusion Lounge, located along the river in Hoi An’s Old Quarter, are also included in the rate. Other perks at no extra charge are foodie-friendly tours of local farms and wet markets, as well as Vietnamese cooking classes. 84-510/391-4414; fusionalyahoian.com; doubles from US$290.—ka r ry n m iller CHECKING IN From the top: A relaxing beachfront view from the pool villa; interiors of the pool villa; a peek inside the penthouse.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 27

newsflash HOTEL

ITALIAN PARADISE

For his fifth property, Francis Ford Coppola goes back to his ancestral roots.

“Bernalda bella” were the words Francis Ford Coppola’s grandfather used to describe his birthplace, the quiet hilltop village of Bernalda, Basilicata, in southern Italy. The Godfather director has now opened the nine-room Palazzo Margherita (64 Corso Umberto, Bernalda; 39-0835/549060; palazzomargherita.com; doubles from €328), where his daughter, Sofia, was married last August. The interior of the 19th-century estate was dreamed up with the help of French interior designer Jacques Grange, whose clients have ranged from Yves Saint Laurent to New York’s Mark Hotel.

Rooms feature restored frescoes, claw-foot tubs and Juliet balconies overlooking a courtyard garden.

In the brick-vaulted kitchen, guests learn to cook regional dishes. There’s also a screening room with a library of 300 classic Italian films selected

by Coppola himself. —va le ri e wat e r ho us e

Q+A

DUTCH STYLE Clockwise from below: Van Eeghen’s Klipper Diagonal bag; earrings from BLGK Goldsmiths.

HESTER VAN EEGHEN’S AMSTERDAM

This Dutch designer has become a cult favorite thanks to her leather bags, wallets and shoes. Here, the plugged-in local shares her top hometown picks.

Favorite restaurant? Proef (12 Gosschalklaan; 31-20/682-2656; dinner for two €92), a no-nonsense restaurant that’s organic and fresh, both in its menu and its urbanfarmhouse-style décor. Book ahead.

Must-visit jewelry store? BLGK Goldsmiths (28 Hartenstraat; 3120/624-8154) does metal jewelry honoring the natural shape of gemstones.

Top cultural spot? The Museum

28 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

of Bags & Purses (573 Herengracht; 31-20/524-6452) has a collection of 4,000-plus pieces that offers an overview of my favorite accessory.

Best mode of transportation? My husband and I bike everywhere. I love the bicycles from Vanmoof; they’re lightweight and rustresistant. Rent them at Cyclelution (258 Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal; 31-65/363-1973; €7.60 for two hours).

— chr ist ine a ju dua

T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F PA L A Z Z O M A R G H E R I TA ( 3 ) ; B O T T O M : C O U R T E S Y O F B L G K G O L D S M I T H S ; C O U R T E S Y O F H E S T E R VA N E E G H E N U S

BACK TO BELLA Clockwise from left: The central courtyard; the Cinecittà Bar; Suite Nine (a.k.a.

“Francis’s Bedroom”).

BARS

COCKTAIL ZONE

It may not have a sign on the door, but Hanoi’s latest cocktail bar is packing in the crowds.

BY AARON JOEL SANTOS Despite the sprawl, Hanoi is, at heart, a very small place. And like most small places, even the best-kept secrets are not held for long. So it’s no surprise that A.T.K., a new speakeasystyle venue in a nondescript French villa south of the center of this small town, is getting busy, as probably the only place in town that knows a Monkey Gland from a Lucien Gaudin.

The bar’s name stands for an toan khu, a Vietnamese phrase from the American War that means “safety zone.” And that it is.

With a classic and inventive cocktail menu (smoked Old Fashioneds with house-made Maraschino cherries, a spot-on New Orleans Sazerac), a no-smoking policy, quirky design details and local and international DJs playing most weekends, the venue is quickly positioning itself as the capital’s de facto neighborhood safe haven—comfortable, intimate and familiar all at once. 73a Mai Hac De; no phone; cama-atk.com; drinks for two from VND300,000.

T O P : A A R O N J O E L S A N T O S ; B O T T O M : C O U R T E S Y O F N U O V O T R A S P O R T O V I A G G I AT O R I

HIDDEN HANOI From top: The crowded bar at A.T.K.; cocktails being mixed; low-key entrance to the bar.

TRAINS

RAIL BLAZERS It may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but Italy’s new Italo (ntvspa.it)—which connects Turin and Salerno, as well as Rome and Venice—sure looks like one. The sleek design is no surprise: Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and Tod’s owner Diego Della Valle are behind the project. Prices mimic the tiered structure of airlines—but perks such as free Wi-Fi for all and a cinema car are better than what you get in the sky.—br o o k e p o rt e r TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 29

newsflash An artful plate of fig and Parma ham salad, part of the Palate plan.

SPA

BATHING BEAUTY Ah, the eternal Istanbul conundrum: a pummeling at a historic, no-frills hammam such as Cağaloğlu, or a luxurious steam at a modern hotel spa. AYASOFYA

HÜRREM SULTAN HAMAMI

—ANYA VON BREMZEN

RESTAURANTS

OLD STREET, NEW EATS. Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 11 is home to longstanding nightlife fixtures like Bed Supperclub and Nest. But newer openings bring in a more casual breeze. Here are three of our favorites.

CHIC AND CHEERFUL From top: Cozy dining room at Snapper; a Firehouse burger; fresh oysters at Marshmallow.

Firehouse With its tall ceiling and arched, wrought-iron windows, Firehouse feels like a brasserie but the menu is all-American.

The house specialties are burgers, and you can choose between Thai-French beef and Australian Black Angus. They also do other bar favorites like fried calamari and quesadillas, and basic cocktails are inexpensive. 3/26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 66-2/651-3643; dinner and drinks for two Bt1,200.

Marshmallow Part restaurant and part cocktail bar, the vibe at Marshmallow evolves through the course of the night.

Come early and

30 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

order fresh oysters, penne marinara and marshmallow salad. Or come closer to midnight and partake in the extensive wine, champagne and cocktail list and the moody, dimly-lit vibe.

33/16-17 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 66-2/254-2322; dinner and drinks for two Bt1,500.

Snapper Specializing in sustainable, cold-water fish from New Zealand, this cozy, nautical-themed shop house does perfect fish-and-chips with your choice of light batter or crumbs. Choose from varieties like Tarakihi and Southern King Fish, and don't forget to order some thick-cut fries and a glass of New Zealand wine to go with it. 1/22 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 66-2/651-1098; dinner and drinks for two Bt900.

—mrigaa

sethi

REWARDS

A REFINED PALATE

Singapore epicureans have a new way to save on dining and drinks with the January launch of PALATE (palate.sg; annual fee starting at S$428). With almost 60 participating bars and restaurants throughout the city, the program offers savings at such upscale establishments as celebrity chef Susur Lee’s Chinois at Resorts World Sentosa; the re-launched Brasserie Wolf at Robertson Quay; and Keystone Restaurant, whose “progressive European” cuisine was one of last year’s most heralded new additions to the Central Business District’s dining scene. Designed so that one diner always eats free, Palate offers discounts ranging from 50 percent off for two people dining to 20 percent off for groups of five or more.

There’s also 15 percent off drinks at several bars, including Post Bar at the Fullerton Hotel, and 10 percent off purchases at gourmet retailer Culina. Palate members will also receive vouchers for up to S$1,500 and have access to tasting menus and wine-pairing dinners. Palate membership is complimentary to American Express cardmembers from the Platinum Series issued in Singapore.

—richard

hermes

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : K E R E M U Z E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F L E N O I R , U N D E R T H E PA L AT E P R O G R A M ; WA S I N E E C H A N TA K O R N ( 3 )

The cold room at Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamami, a converted 16thcentury building in Istanbul.

(1 Cankurtaran Mahallesi Bab-i Hümayun Cad.; 90-212/517-3535; ayasofyahamami.com; treatments from TRL161), which recently opened between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, offers the best of both worlds. The double-domed structure returns to its original incarnation—it was built as a bathhouse in 1556 by Mimar Sinan. Now, it shines with 427 square meters of marble, gold-plated faucets and a galleried cedar cold room under a soaring cupola. After aromatherapy and bubble massages, guests can linger in the relaxation lounge over Turkish delights while the sound of a muezzin echoes in the distance.

insider

DESTINATIONS TRENDS RESTAURANTS + MORE

BACK TO BASICS. AFTER OPENINGS

BY WOLFGANG PUCK AND JOEL ROBUCHON, SINGAPORE’S TASTE FOR FINE DINING MAKES WAY FOR A HANDFUL OF CASUAL FRENCH BISTROS. BY EVELYN CHEN

■ Brasserie Gavroche

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: L AU RY N I S H A K ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F B R A S S E R I E G AV R O C H E

CASUAL CLASSIC

Clockwise from top: Steak-frites at L'entrecote; toiling in the kitchen at La Maison Fatien; a nostalgic vibe at Brasserie Gavroche.

Walk through Brasserie Gavroche’s antique swinging doors, past the hall, into a high-ceilinged space framed by gilt wall-hung mirrors, leather banquette seats and antique furniture.

Here, Paris-born chef Frédéric Colin, former executive chef of the St. Regis Singapore, has created an enormous menu teeming with brasserie classics such as tartine d’os a moelle; garlic confit and bone marrow sitting atop toasted bread with a generous spread of parsley puree; and tartare de bœuf Angus, hand-cut Angus beef with French fries. T+L TIP Ask for grand père Henri’s signature dishes. The chef’s early years were influenced by his grandfather’s Parisian restaurant and, naturally, the latter’s shadow is prominently felt in dishes, including the rarely seen fish quenelle, grated » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 33

insider RESTAURANTS escargots de Bourgogne in an addictive parsley accented garlic butter sauce and the hearty serving of tarte Tatin.

T+L TIP Given the no reservations policy at L’entrecote, come early. 36 Duxton Hill.; 65/6238-5700; lentrecote.sg; dinner for two S$130.

pike fish baked in dough and served in a crayfish bisque. 66 Tras St.; 65/62258266; brasseriegavroche.com; dinner for two S$150.

■ L’entrecote

FLAVORS FOR ALL From

top: The casual dining room at L'entrecote; fish quenelle at Brasserie Gavroche; wines by Maison Fatien Père & Fils at La Maison Fatien.

34 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Located on the cobblestone-paved Duxton Hill, this Parisian-inspired steak-frites joint, by millionaireturned-restaurateur Oliver Bendel, is as close as you can get to the Parisian Relais de Venise experience in Singapore. Like the Paris institution, L’entrecote is heaving with hungry diners and tables at this unembellished restaurant are cramped so tightly together that it’s impossible not to tune-in to your neighbors’ conversations. Nor are you afforded a choice of main course—in this case, two slices of entrecote with salad and vinaigrette and free flow of fries, though of course you can pick how you like your steak done. On the other hand, there are plenty of choices among the classic bistro starters and desserts. Don’t miss the dish of

Nestled in a four-story pre-war shop house along Duxton Road, La Maison Fatien has its roots in Beaune, Burgundy, where the Fatien family runs a bed-and-breakfast called Chez les Fatien, and a wine-merchandising business under Maison Fatien Père & Fils. Fittingly, the Singapore outpost also plays the part with rough-cut brick walls adorned with Frenchinspired posters. The Fatiens have crafted a tight yet perfectly executed menu of all-time French bistro standards: think pan-seared duck liver with caramelized apple, confit de canard and a daily cocotte special that, during our visit, featured a braised lamb shank with French beans and roasted new potatoes on the side. With starters priced below S$18 and mains capped at S$28, this is Singapore’s value-formoney bistro. T+L TIP Maison Fatien Père & Fils produces only 15,000 bottles of wines annually, a small fraction of which are exported to Singapore. Don’t miss their house Bourgogne pinot noir, a favorite among local diners. 76 Duxton Rd.; 65/6220-3822; lamaisonfatien.com; dinner for two S$115. ✚

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

■ La Maison Fatien

insider WALK THIS BLOCK

SHOPPING ON NHA THO. THERE’S

MORE TO THIS TREE-LINED STREET IN HANOI’S OLD QUARTER THAN ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL. KARRYN MILLER CHECKS OUT THE BEST SHOPS AND CAFES

H

13

WARES AND WEAR

Clockwise from top: A view of Nha Tho Street in Hanoi; teddy bears for sale at Nagu; the Mara collection at Three Trees; the upstairs dining area of The Cart; the interior of Ha Linh Thu’s namesake shop; a window display at Song.

36 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

NG

HU

AC

NH 7

14

2 3

4

5

G

1

NH

9

ON

8

O

H AT

TR

IEU TR AU 12

11

NG

6

HA

10

anoi’s Old Quarter is known for narrow streets and its historic buildings, but Nha Tho also offers laidback shopping and café culture. Kittycorner from St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the fair trade women’s clothing boutique 1 Song (27 Nha Tho; 844/3928-8733; song-life.com) housed in a French colonial-style building. The creator, Valerie Gregori McKenzie, draws inspiration from 1920’s Indochina. The subtle bows and other embellishments on some of the clothing are hand stitched by female artisans living in rural Vietnam.

2 Three Trees (15 Nha Tho; 84-4/ 3928-8725) is a jewelry store specializing in diamond-encrusted original designs by a BelgianVietnamese couple. Don’t miss Mara’s collection upstairs, which is dedicated to the owners’ daughter and comprises red and black-painted chunky wooden necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Fellow French designer Rebecca Bargas’ clothing collection at 3 Marielinh (11 Nha Tho; 84-4/3928-8773; marielinh.com) carries wide leg trousers, capped-sleeve blouses and fitted jackets in deep purples, forest greens and midnight blues—a touch more formal than Song’s casual array.

4 May (7 Nha Tho; 84-4/3828-9650), a quaint homeware store, sells high quality crisp white cotton and linen duvet covers, pillowcases and throws with simple floral patterns and embroidered edges.

The aptly named 5 Things of Substance (5 Nha Tho; 84-4/3828-6965; prieure.com.vn), opened by an Photographed by Aaron Joel Santos

Australian designer, addresses a local expat need for “Western sizes at Vietnamese prices.” The shop’s selection includes cotton slacks, breathable long-sleeved fitted tops and tanks and cropped jackets, along with some souvenir T-shirts featuring Ho Chi Minh.

For a bit of Harajuku-meets-Hanoi, visit 6 Nagu (20 Nha Tho; 84-4/39288020; zantoc.com) a Vietnamese-made, Japanese-designed outlet featuring teddy bears in cone hats, leather handbags and children’s clothing ranging from cotton onesies for newborns to tiny tartan shirts and floral pinafores for toddlers.

Fancy a fighter plane pendant or a cyclo brooch? Distinctly Vietnamese mementoes can be found around the corner at 7 P (8 Nha Chung; 84-4/39286588), a tucked-away purveyor of propaganda posters, mugs, shot glasses and T-shirts along with unique jewelry.

Also just off the main drag is 8 Chim Yen (4 Au Trieu; 84-4/39381949), a clothing shop with original floaty floral and patterned dresses, cardigans and jackets with fluffy collars created by young Vietnamese designer Nguyen Hong Trang.

Finish up at 9 Ha Linh Thu (79A Hang Trong; 84-4/3938-1877) a local design boutique that sells slightly more daring women’s attire with form-fitting lace dresses and puffy mini skirts.

They also stock bright silk dresses from Chula (chula.es), a Spanish fashion brand that was first launched in Vietnam’s capital.

Hidden in a narrow alley, 10 The Cart (18 Au Trieu; 84-4/3928-7715; thecartfood.com) does freshly baked baguette sandwiches named after various neighborhoods of Hanoi such as The Cha Ca Street (“Grilled Fish Street”), decadently filled with a potato and dill frittata with tuna spread.

Try a powerful Vietnamese coffee at 11 Moca (14-16 Nha Tho; 84-4/38256334), an independent café with

colonial era throwbacks—marble tabletops, vintage chestnut-colored chairs and even a wood fireplace. The large glass façade makes for perfect people watching.

Nab a table on the rooftop of 12 Marilyn’s Café (4 Au Trieu; 84-4/ 3938-1949) for an unobstructed view of the cathedral and simple, tasty café fare and smoothies.

Pair wine and tapas on the breezy balcony of Spanish restaurant 13 La Salsa (25 Nha Tho; 84-4/3828-9052; lasalsa-hanoi.com).

For something a bit more substantial go to 14 Mediterraneo (23 Nha Tho; 84-4/3826-6288; mediterraneo-hanoi.com) for woodfired pizzas and creamy pastas. ✚

STREET LIFE Clockwise from

top: Clothing at Chim Yen; Meditarraneo restaurant; the entrance to P; the bar at La Salsa; the Marie-linh shop; homewares at May; a cozy view of St. Joseph’s Cathedral from Marilyn Café; Vietnamese coffee at Moca Café; clothes at Things of Substance.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 37

insider GURU

DESIGN BY DUANGRIT. THE THAI ARCHITECT SPEAKS

ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN AND WHERE HE’D LIKE TO GO ON HIS NEXT VACATION. BY MRIGAA SETHI

P

DESIGN DESTINATIONS

From top: Cantilevered villa at The Naka Phuket, Phuket; Hotel de la Paix, Luang Prabang; Duangrit Bunnag; X2

eering out from behind his thick-rimmed glasses, in the sundrenched offices of his architecture firm in Bangkok, Duangrit Bunnag looks impossibly young.

But the 46-year-old Thai is a soughtafter design mind. His eponymous firm is behind resorts like X2 Resort Kui Buri and the Alila Cha Am (now Hotel de la Paix, Cha Am).

The celebrity architect—though he loathes the designation—also does furniture and product design and is an avid curator of all things cool through his blogs.

Here, we speak to him about the experience of travel, his hometown and his latest project.

ON BEING A CELEBRITY ARCHITECT

“I hate that term. I’m actually a low-key and introverted person. Being an architect forces me to be an extrovert, so people can know you and believe in what I do. But I never see myself as a center of gravity. I always tell my team, ‘Don’t trust me. I can be wrong.’”

ON THE THAI CAPITAL

“I’ve lived here for 45 years. Like any large city, it gets complicated sometimes. You have to understand the flow. You must not force it. Take the traffic for example: you have to be comfortable hopping onto the [Skytrain], getting on a motorcycle, a little bit of walking— this kind of hybrid thing. If you want to live in Bangkok, you have to improvise. It’s not classical music; it’s a big jazz band.”

ON RESORTS AS DESTINATIONS ON PERSONAL GETAWAYS

“I don’t really seek extraordinary experience.

My kind of vacation would be just myself, a book, on the beach. I would like to visit Bora Bora. I like the name. People say it’s a different kind of beach, and I’d like to know what that means. And Lake Como.”

ON SOCIAL NETWORKING

“I’m quite obsessed with my blogs. I have so many aspects of myself. People who love Instagram know me from my pictures.

And if they want to see my work, they go to the Flickr page for an organized portfolio.

If you believe in the diversity of the market, you can’t just have one website. I also just really like doing it.”

38 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

CURRENT PROJECT

“The project name is The Naka, in Phuket. It's a 94-villa property. You drive up a mountain to a secret valley facing the ocean, so there's a certain degree of privacy. But you’re not far away from Patong. Each villa will have a bedroom that cantilevers over the mountain so you’re sleeping in the air.” ✚

C O U R T E S Y O F W I S O N T U N G T A N YA

“Natural destinations are limited. There are five or six popular beaches in Phuket. If you put all the resorts onto those beaches, you’d kill the beach. But if the resort becomes a destination in itself, it helps. That’s why design is the key element—to provide that unique experience.”

insider EAT EATING STREETS

From left: Le Sot l’Y Laisse, in Paris; an apple pastry at Rome’s Antico Forno ai Serpenti; Istanbul’s Ca’d’Oro.

salads and baccalà carpaccio.

Antico Forno ai Serpenti

ISTANBUL, HERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE YOU CAN EAT LIKE A LOCAL. BY ALEXANDRA MARSHALL, ELIZABETH MINCHILLI AND ANYA VON BREMZEN OBERKAMPF PARIS

This former haven for dive bars has become ground zero for the casual bistros of high-end chefs. At Au Passage (1 bis Passage St.-Sébastien; lunch for two €55), chef James Henry, who trained at Spring restaurant, innovatively combines simple ingredients, as in the sous vide trout with grated horseradish. The marketdriven options at La Cave de L’Insolite (30 Rue de la Folie Méricourt; dinner for two €50), a natural-wine bar, range from bistro (pot roast) to nouveau (prawn ravioli with a foamy bisque). Book far ahead at Septime (80 Rue de Charonne; dinner for two €109), where a former L’Arpège chef does impeccable tasting menus—dishes such as squid a la plancha with radish and black-olive juice. Out by Père Lachaise cemetery, Le Sot l’Y Laisse (70 Rue Alexandre Dumas; lunch for two €84) has been revived by a Paul Bocuse–trained cook from Osaka 42 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

who laces a classic French menu (pied de porc; poulet rôti) with Japanese flourishes (sashimi; tuna belly with wasabi pesto).

MONTI ROME

This cobblestoned foodie enclave in the centro storico has gotten even more delicious in the past year. Lucio Sforza’s Tuscan roots are front and center at L’Asino d’Oro (73 Via del Boschetto; dinner for two €60), which serves revamped classics such as duck ravioli with a cardoon purée. Part cooking school, part bakery, Tricolore (126 Via Urbana; lunch for two €22) serves decadent sandwiches—try the poached organic eggs from cult purveyor Paolo Parisi, served with truffles on corn bread. Aromaticus (134 Via Urbana; lunch for two €15) is where urban farmers go for their gardening needs. Plants and tools take up the front room, while a small kitchen in back serves herb-filled

KARAKÖY ISTANBUL

The city’s once-gritty ferry docks district is now a magnet for gastronauts. Karaköy Lokantasi (37A Kemankeş Cad.; dinner for two TLR97) fired the first salvo when it moved to new digs decorated in tile and wrought iron. The vibrant mezes (smoked anchovies; chickpea-and-tahini pâté) are the perfect complement to aniseflavored raki. New York–trained chef Didem Şenol’s Lokanta Maya (35A Kemankeş Cad.; dinner for two TLR115) upped the ante with its neoScandinavian interior and small plates such as grilled octopus with sourcherry vinegar and red onions.

Legendary lunchtime fish spot Tarihi Karaköy Balikçisi (45 Tersane Cad.; dinner for two TLR159) has added a rooftop space with vistas of the Bosphorus. Order the house-cured bonito and parchment-baked sea bass.

At Ca’d’Oro (11 Bankalar Cad.; lunch for two TLR115), the pan-Mediterranean menu by chef Julien Maisonneuve, formerly of London’s Tom Aikens, is the draw. Sample smoked-cheese arancini and grilled artichokes with tarragon dressing while taking in views of Istanbul’s imperial mosques. ✚

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C L AY M C L A C H L A N ; C O U R T E S Y O F C A’ D ’ O R O ; G I N A T R I N G A L I

CONTINENTAL CRAVINGS. FROM PARIS TO

(122 Via dei Serpenti; lunch for two €11) resurrected the name of an 1800’s bakery that once occupied the marble-lined space. Grab a loaf of pane di campagna to go, or stay for a pumpkin-and-gorgonzola panino, a seasonal special.

insider ROOM REPORT A parlor with a definite Thai feel.

CHIANG MAI’S HIDDEN HISTORY. A MAGNIFICENT 19TH-

CENTURY TEAK HOUSE IS RESURRECTED AS A DISCREET GETAWAY IN THAILAND’S NORTHERN CAPITAL. BY JENNIFER CHEN THE OVERVIEW

Chiang Mai’s days as an idyllic, sleepy town are long past. Nowadays, Thailand’s second largest city lays claim to the same charms (bustling nightlife, sophisticated shopping) and ills (endless traffic jams, urban sprawl) as Bangkok. One area where Chiang Mai has a definite edge: a sense of history. The former capital of the Lanna kingdom, the town has proudly held onto its roots, from its gleaming temples to its lively night markets.

Restoration, meanwhile, has breathed new life into old houses. At the heart of 137 Pillars, a 30-suite property that opened in January, stands a teakwood house that was once the home of the manager of the East Borneo Company’s local outpost. Its graceful presence lends an air of authenticity—a rarity in Thailand.

Ping River, the property is tucked away on a quiet street in the laid-back Wat Gate neighborhood.

Unlike at more secluded resorts, good dining options abound. Pop into Hinley Curry House, a nearby local institution, for mustard seed–spiked pumpkin curry and freshly made roti.

THE PEDIGREE

The owners, the Wongphanlert family, originally envisioned converting the 19th-century house into a holiday home. Deciding the parcel of land was too large, they turned to SilverNeedle Hospitality, headed by Bill Black of Bed Supperclub and Hôtel de la Paix renown. More recently, the company also guided the opening of the Hansar Bangkok and Hansar Samui.

THE DESIGN

THE LOCATION

In light traffic, the hotel is just a 15-minute drive from the airport and a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the area within the ancient moat. Located near the 44 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Bangkok-based P49 Deesign consulted with historians and preservation architects in the restoration of the original building. Constructed in 1889, the building, which once rested on 137 » Photographed by Marisa Marchitelli

pillars, is a hybrid of colonial and traditional Thai styles: carved eaves, slatted shutters and peaked tiled roofs. Slate steps lead up to the house. The new buildings that house guest rooms, restaurant, and open-air reception echo the colonial look.

Wisely, none of the buildings exceed two stories so the teakwood manse isn’t overshadowed, and the designers sought to preserve trees, including a magnificent old banyan near the pool.

THE SERVICE

For a newly opened property, the service was remarkably polished—a reflection perhaps of the deep talent pool in Chiang Mai thanks to the plethora of luxury hotels. Requests at breakfast— hot water with lemon, multiple cappuccinos— were immediately granted. The front desk staff was adept at flagging down tuk-tuks, making reservations and suggesting places to go.

RAJAH BROOKE SUITE

Don’t have the funds for the 135-square-meter Louis Leonowens Pool Suite? This room category is your best option. Located on the second floor of the six new buildings that cluster around the original house, the 75-square-meter, blue-andwhite suite is kitted up in grand colonial style: four poster beds, clawed-foot bathtubs and cane armchairs covered in toile de jouy courtesy of Jim Thompson. The bathroom is nearly as spacious as the bedroom, with separate outdoor and indoor showers, a walk-in closet, and the de rigueur double vanities. Period décor doesn’t exclude 21stcentury technology: leave the sliding doors ajar and the air-conditioning turns off. Slightly jarring details such as elephant print curtains and framed blurry copies of vintage photos didn’t detract from the overall feeling of supreme comfort. Our favorite feature? The spacious private terrace with a massive daybed, shielded by foliage.

HERITAGE HOME From top: Louis Leonowens Suite; guests can also enjoy the outdoors; landscaped grounds at 137 Pillars.

THE AMENITIES

The hotel has free Wi-Fi, though expect slow speeds. An organic garden on the grounds ensures fresh ingredients, while coffee is fair-trade, sourced from hill tribe farmers. You won’t go wrong with the eggs Florentine at breakfast. A spa with three treatment rooms offers a focused range of services.

For sportier types, a pocket-sized gym is below the original house, though the slender lap pool with a 15-meter-high vertical garden might be a more appealing option in the sultry climate. ✚ TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 45

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April 2012.indd 1

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insider ASIAN SCENE URBAN AND ARTY Clockwise from left:

Grungy exterior at Rat’s Cave; a shoe display at Chum 5; the entrance to Homei; Chum 5’s handmade collars.

Fashionistas will adore the daring heels on offer at Chum 5, which stocks towering acid-bright statement pieces from Italy’s Daniele Michetti and Taiwan’s Heavy Machine (both from HK$2,250) on translucent shelves for maximum effect. There are also elaborate handmade collars from local designer Kenny Li and sturdy leather notebooks, wallets and clutches from up-and-coming Icelandic designer Sruli Recht. 5 Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/25482888; no website.

EAT

BEYOND SHEUNG WAN. THE HONG

KONG NEIGHBORHOOD IS EXTENDING ITS HIPSTER REACH, WITH FUNKY CAFES AND STORES IN LOW-RISE TENEMENTS AROUND TAI PING SHAN STREET. BY HELEN DALLEY

With low-slung wicker chairs and untamed potted plants casting a bohemian welcome, tiny café Homei (meaning “delicious” in Cantonese) has seating for less than a dozen. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in character, with primitive cat and floral murals illuminated by retro orange and white lamps. The latte menu has »

SHOP

Mini gallery and streetwear concept store Rat’s Cave, by Hong Kong street art crew Start From Zero, is a showcase for its darkly imagined graphic posters, juxtaposed with exposed brick and concrete floors for a tough, edgy feel. Here, you can pick up SFZ-designed T-shirts—alongside Californian labels Lucky 13 and Loser Machine— that would make a Hell’s Angel proud. Other nonconformist must-haves include quirky illustrationladen bags from Hong Kong-based design duo Graphic Airlines, and Hawleywood’s hair pomade to hold those punky spikes or rockabilly quiff in place. One of the most eye-catching items is a silkscreen print of Kurt Cobain (HK$380) limited to 30 copies by local illustrator Little Thunder. 18AB Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/2858-9001; startfromzero.org.

48 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Photographed by Samantha Sin

insider ASIAN SCENE a distinctly Chinese influence—green tea, fresh ginger and osmanthus (all HK$29), the latter delivering a sweet floral aroma and flavor. The café also offers rustic homemade soups such as leek and potato (HK$25), and generously proportioned pasta specials such as prawn spaghetti (HK$59). 2224A Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/2857-9991.

Similarly diminutive and equally charming is Teakha, where metal kettles, pastel teapots and oversized flasks line the shelves. There’s strong, sweet, Hong Kong milk tea and delicately flavored masala chai (both HK$32) to sip and homemade ginger scones (HK$18), filled with zingy pieces of crystalline ginger, to nibble at. Teakha also offers homemade preserves like roselle jam and kumquat paste (both HK$50), plus cups and saucers from Beijing ceramics designer Cui Rui to take home. 18 Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/2858-9185; teakha.com.

DO

Creative types looking for something different can book a flower jamming session at Tallensia Floral Art where pots of orchids, roses and other flowers spill out onto the street under the shadow of a banyan tree from the lime green–fronted store.

Head designer Lowdi Kwan says everyone is welcome but she advises fledgling florists to arrange blooms in one of the larger ceramic or glass pots they offer for easier assembling. The HK$380 price tag covers the cost of the flowers and your chosen vessel. 6C Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/2239-4300; no website; jamming session offered every Sun; private time slots can also be arranged. ✚

SEE

Founded by local DJ and blogger Mini Choi, Haji Gallery only has room for around 12-15 pieces on its whitewashed walls, proving that space needn’t be a barrier to hosting exhibitions. The floor-toceiling glass windows present pieces in their best light, and Choi likes to champion the work of local artists such as Pattsing Chau and Matthias Woo. There is a retail element to Haji, with art books, T-shirts, belts and bags available for sale. 24 Tai Ping Shan St.; 852/2891-1164.

COZY COMMUNITY Clockwise from above:

Tallensia Floral Art’s sidewalk presence; local art at Haji Gallery; the crowd at Teakha; Homei’s whimsical interior.

50 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

insider guide

© e l e n A e l i s s e e vA / d r e A m s t i m e . c o m

London skyline view from the Thames.

Smart Guide to LoNdoN. A convergence of once-in-A-lifetime

events—the olympics; the Queen’s diAmond jubilee—meAns now is the time to heAd over to london. we tell you where to stAy, eAt, shop And plAy—All in smAshing style. PhotograPhed by James merreLL

what not to miss more than 1,000 special events are planned for london this year—culture, sports, general merriment. here, our selective list.

Illustrations by Lauren Nassef

through may 27 “Lucian Freud Portraits” More than 100 paintings by the late great artist, including his final, unfinished work.

National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk.

more . . .

travelandleisureasia.coM | april 2012 51

insider GUIDE

OLYMPIC OASIS THE GREATEST LEGACY OF THE GAMES MAY BE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO LONDON’S NATURAL LANDSCAPE.

BY SHANE MITCHELL

London has a heart of green. Its abundance of parks is not accidental—they’re an essential aspect of the city plan, from humble community allotments to royal preserves, secret refuges like Mount Street Gardens, a walled churchyard sanctuary hidden away in Mayfair, to expanses that cut through the city, like Hyde and Green parks. In eastern London, a new open space on a grand scale will soon rival the old favorites. Olympic Park (london2012.com) will be among the largest metropolitan greenswards in Europe, comprising 100 hectares of lawns, flower gardens and a riverside promenade. It’s a remarkable feat of bioengineering. Wildlife habitats have been created; “futureproof” trees were planted as a hedge against climate change.

“This project marries a strong English tradition of pleasure parks with new green technologies,” says Mary Margaret Jones, senior principal of Hargreaves Associates, the landscape architecture firm contracted to transform this postindustrial wasteland. “Its ecological systems will unwind over time: meadows, wetlands, evolving plant communities. It means a whole part of the city will have a renaissance.” Even in this crowded capital, there’s room to grow.

ON THE HORIZON

London’s skyline is shifting before our eyes. b y b r i a n a f a s o n e

The Shard Opening in June at the foot of London Bridge, Renzo Piano’s 310-meter-high tower will be Western Europe’s tallest building.

Tate Modern Expansion Architects Herzog & de Meuron’s planned addition to the iconic museum will be a latticework brick edifice above two disused oil tanks.

Olympic Stadium, in Olympic Park

ArcelorMittal Orbit Ascend Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond’s 114meter steel sculpture—inspired by the Tower of Babel—for views of Olympic Park and London beyond.

THROUGH DECEMBER Charles Dickens Bicentennial Artifacts, film screenings, talks and walks. Please, sir, we want some more! dickens2012.org.

52 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

MARCH 31–AUG. 12 “British Design 1948– 2012” More than 300 objects, from the Brownie camera to the Jaguar E-Type.

Victoria & Albert Museum; vam.ac.uk.

MORE . . .

L E F T: © C H R I S H A RV E Y / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M

Aquatics Centre The undulating roof of the Zaha Hadid–designed venue (built to host Olympic swimming and diving events) was modeled on the fluidity of water.

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL THESE SMALL HOTEL GEMS ARE AMONG LONDON’S BEST ASSETS. THE BIGGEST PERK? YOU’LL FORGET YOU’RE A PAYING GUEST. BY MARK ELLWOOD

NO. 5 MADDOX STREET The 12 Asian-inspired suites (Chinese trunks; kimonos) are more flats than hotel rooms: each has a kitchen; some have balconies. The witty mini-bar divides treats into “good” (organic pasta), “bad” (jelly beans) and “baddest” (full-fat ice cream). 5 Maddox St., Mayfair; 44-20/7647-0200; living-rooms.co.uk; doubles from £258.

MILESTONE HOTEL A T+L World’s Best Award–winning hotel exuding old-fashioned country-house glamour, directly opposite Kensington Palace (home to the royal newlyweds).

The antiques were snapped up at Christie’s.

1 Kensington Court, Kensington; 44-20/7917-1000; milestonehotel.com; doubles from £249.

HAZLITT’S HOTEL Dating back to 1718, this string of town houses was once home to essayist William Hazlitt.

Duck into the library—there’s a long-standing tradition that authors who overnight here leave a signed copy of their work.

6 Frith St., Soho; 44-20/7434-1771; hazlittshotel.com; doubles from £166.

TO P L E F T: CO U RT E SY O F N O. 5 M A D D OX ST R E E T

London’s Newest Places to Stay

20 NEVERN SQUARE Hand-carved furniture; overstuffed pillows; tasseled curtains: is this the Edwardian house of an eccentric Rajera expat? No, it’s a joyously maximalist hotel in Earl’s Court. Book the Pasha Suite for a terrace on the square.

20 Nevern Square, Earl’s Court; 4420/7565-9555; 20nevernsquare.com; doubles from £80.

The Olympics have spurred a hotel building boom. The highlights: • Oscar Wilde courted Lord Alfred Douglas at the Belle Époque Café Royal Hotel (thesethotels. com; doubles from £553), on Regent Street; this summer it becomes a 159-room hotel designed

by David Chipperfield.

• Norman Foster’s latest creation,

APRIL–NOVEMBER World Shakespeare Festival Dozens of the Bard’s plays put on U.K.-wide, including a Sunni-vs.-Shia Romeo and Juliet. worldshakespearefestival.org.uk.

ME London (mebymelia. com; doubles from £287), opens in June on the Strand; drinks at the rooftop club are a must for the views.

• South Place (southplace hotel.com) opens this summer in the City. Expect high-tech rooms and Conran interiors.

• The new onefinestay. com (rentals

from £150 per night) rents more than 150 luxe houses and apartments across London, each with loaner iPhones and hotel-like amenities.

• In the pipeline: the U.K.’s first Shangri-La (shangri-la. com), with 170 outsize rooms and an indoor infinity pool, opens in 2013 in the new Shard skyscraper.

MAIN HOUSE Former DJ and safari guide Caroline Main hand-selected every item, whether animal skin or original painting, for her four-suite hotel in a whitewashed house. The genial proprietor delivers piping-hot coffee every morning. 6 Colville Rd., Notting Hill; 44-20/7221-9691; themainhouse. co.uk; doubles from £112.

MAY 4–OCT. 7 “Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist” The largest exhibition ever of the master’s sketches of the body. royalcollection.org.uk.

MORE . . .

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 53

insider GUIDE

THE STAPLE: FISH-AND-CHIPS LONG THE GO-TO SUPPER OF THE WORKINGMAN, BRITAIN’S ULTIMATE DISH SHOWS UP IN PLACES BOTH POSH AND PLAIN. BY MARK ELLWOOD

WHERE TO EAT NOW New restaurants that have Londoners buzzing. b y c h r i s t i n e a j u d u a

THE BARGAIN

THE THROWBACK

THE GOURMET

This canteen-like “caff” in Holborn caters to the most discerning Londoners: cabbies. Join them to chow down on crisp fillets of cod and chunky, fingersize chips sizzled in beef fat for extra sweetness. Don’t miss the golf ball–size, mouth-puckeringly tart pickled onions.

19 Theobald’s Rd.; 44-20/7405-4114; fish-and-chips for two £13.

Founded in 1889 as a “fish ordinary” (the Victorian name for a chippie), this City landmark is open only for lunch, and only on weekdays.

More than a dozen types of fish—try the haddock—are deep-fried to order and come with reassuringly uneven hand-cut fries.

39 Queen Victoria St.; 44-20/72483062; fish-and-chips for two £32.

In a former Soho meat market, celebrity chef Ed Baines serves traditional fish-andchips (dished up with mushy peas) as well as an upscale alternative: a grilled half lobster, drizzled with fresh lemon juice, on a mattress of piping-hot fries.

14-16 Brewer St.; 44-20/7287-4447; randallandaubin.com; lobster-and-chips for two £38.

SWEETINGS

Hix Belgravia secures the new Belgraves hotel a place in London’s foodie constellation.

Star “modern British” chef Mark Hix gives his dishes a global spin: rack of red deer from Scotland, or a curry of Red Sea prawns and pumpkin. Pont St.; 44-20/3189-4850; dinner for two £89.

Brawn is drawing crowds to East London’s Columbia Road, best known for its Sunday flower market.

The lure? A menu focused on seasonality and provenance—from the Suffolk pork belly to the natural wines. 49 Columbia Rd.; 44-20/77295692; dinner for two £40.

RANDALL & AUBIN

JUNE 1–JULY 28 “Gold: Power and Allure” A gleaming British history, starring chalices, jewelry and a royal coronet. thegoldsmiths.co.uk.

54 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Mishkin’s is the latest small-plates venture from Russell Norman, proprietor of Polpo, the Venice-meets– Manhattan hot spot in Soho. Here, the Jewish deli is the touchstone: chopped chicken liver with pickled radishes; latkes with smoked eel.

25 Catherine St.; 44-20/7240-2078; dinner for two £40.

The Delaunay

JUNE 3 Thames River Pageant The Jubilee’s main event: 1,000 vessels led by the queen on a royal galley. royal.gov.uk.

MORE . . .

R I G H T : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E D E L A U N AY

FRYER’S DELIGHT

The Delaunay, in Covent Garden, is a star-studded restaurant and takeout counter from the team behind the Wolseley. The menu is Mitteleuropa (wursts; schnitzel; an excellent Sacher torte); the Art Deco interiors are

by David Collins.

55 Aldwych; 44-20/7499-8558; dinner for two £68.

THE TASTEMAKERS’ TOUR WE ASKED THREE STYLISH LOCALS TO REVEAL THEIR SECRET HAUNTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY CALL HOME. BY MARK ELLWOOD

Skandium

Booking Office Bar & Restaurant

MAUREEN PALEY

DIRECTOR, MAUREEN PALEY GALLERY

“Marylebone is my favorite neighborhood. Head to the quirky Wallace Collection (Manchester Square; 44-20/7563-9500; wallacecollection.org), a 19th-century private house turned museum. Some works are presented in secret: you have to push back curtains and open drawers. Next, stroll Marylebone High Street, a chain-free strip with interiors stores such as Nordic-skewing Skandium (86 Marylebone High St.; 44-20/7935-2077; skandium.com) and independent bookstore Daunt Books (83 Marylebone High St.; 44-20/7224-2295; dauntbooks. co.uk). I always end up at Rococo Chocolates (45 Marylebone High St.; 44-20/7935-7780) for their thin darkchocolate wafers infused with violet, ginger or cardamom.”

BEN EVANS

DIRECTOR, LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

La Famiglia

ALANNAH WESTON

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SELFRIDGES

“World’s End, the boho-chic western “My wife and I live in Barnsbury, just tail of King’s Road, in Chelsea, was the north of King’s Cross. It’s basically focal point for Swinging London. It’s an 18th-century village within the city: a real mix: little old ladies who’ve lived tree-lined streets; elegant Georgian there for 60 years; old chaps in velvet terraces. I love to sit in the lush green park at the center of Lonsdale Square. jackets swanning along with dogs; moms with Bugaboo strollers. Bea’s The neighborhood is set to be a new style hub: Central St. Martins art of Bloomsbury (370 King’s Rd.; school, which Mike Leigh and Stella 44-20/7242-8330; tea for two £4) is a McCartney both attended, just moved cozy spot for tea. The antiques auctions to a new campus here. Large Glass at Lots Road (71 Lots Rd.; 44-20/73766800; lotsroad.com) are another treat— (392 Caledonian Rd.; 44-20/7609-9345; you never know what you’re going to largeglass.co.uk), an art space that hosts find. It might be an alligator made convivial openings, is a must, as is of bronze or a pair of 1950’s chairs. My the Booking Office Bar (Euston Rd.; husband and I love the hearty Tuscan 44-20/7841-3566; drinks for two £19) suppers at La Famiglia (7 Langton at St. Pancras station, which is now a Renaissance hotel. It’s grade-one St.; 44-20/7351-0761; dinner for two £64).

Gothic splendor, this vaulted room Zucchini flowers and pasta pomodoro— with paneling all the way around.” that’s what I always have.” ✚

JULY 27–SEPT. 9 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Can’t score tickets? You can watch on giant screens set up in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square. london2012.com.

AUG.–SEPT. “Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration” An unprecedented display from the royal trove. Buckingham Palace; royalcollection.org.uk. —b r i a n a f a s o n e

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 55

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stylish traveler

[st ]

LEVI BROWN

PACKING SOLUTIONS

WHETHER YOU’RE HEADED TO BANGKOK OR BEIJING, THERE’S A NEW WAVE OF CONVERTIBLE PRODUCTS THAT WON’T WEIGH YOU DOWN. TURN THE PAGE TO SEE HOW THEY UNFOLD.

Styled by Mimi Lombardi

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 57

[st] packing solutions

HOW TO PACK IT

HOW TO PACK IT

HOW TO PACK IT

HOW TO PACK IT

HOW TO PACK IT

HOW TO PACK IT

TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Nylon hooded jacket and cube, by ’S Max Mara; nylon swim trunks and pouch, by Prada; leather flats and sack, by Newbark.

SECOND ROW: Nylon-andleather quilted bag and pouch,

by Chanel; polyamide bucket hat, by Façonnable; polyester raincoat, by Façonnable.

THIRD ROW: Water-repellent fleece-lined sneakers, by Timberland; nylon foldable parka, by Uniqlo.

HOW TO PACK IT

58 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

HOW TO PACK IT

[st] spotlight

PERIOD PIECES

c lo c kw i s e f r o m to p : co u rt e sy o f Da r r e n c h e w; c h r i sto p h e r w i s e ( 2 ) ; © Glenn price / Dreamstime.com; © niGel spiers / Dreamstime.com; © eG004713 / Dreamstime.com

Furniture designer darren cHeW draWs His inspiration From saigon’s old buildings and recycled objects. By nAomi lindt

Since opening in December 2009, the café-boutique-gallery L’Usine (lusinespace.com) has become one of Saigon’s must-visit venues. Hidden down an alley off of Dong Khoi, in a century-old colonial building, it serves up a combination of delicious café fare and quirky-cool fashion and housewares by small-scale local and international designers. But it’s the setting—designed by co-owner Darren Chew—that’s unforgettable, with shelving made of salvaged items from the city’s junkyards contrasted with cast iron pillars. Emboldened by L’Usine’s success, the Singaporean-Australian Chew took this aesthetic and founded District Eight Design (districteightdesign.com) in April 2010 in a refurbished colonial townhouse in District Eight, becoming the first firm in Vietnam to merge design and build. District Eight produces industrial-chic furnishings and lighting that are modern yet rooted in the past. Dining tables might incorporate reclaimed timber and iron table legs formed from salvaged vintage machines, while lighting ranges from desk lamps with blackened steel bases and recycled chemistry clamps to hanging ceiling fixtures with petal-like, brass bulb cages. “I like to show people what you can do with this city’s old things, be it discarded sewing machines or old buildings,” Chew says. ✚

Chew’s saigon PiCks Thien Hau temple in Cholon.

Cholon “i don’t do a lot of clothes shopping, but cholon, the old chinese city, is my place for everything else. i like all the markets there. there is the vintage stereo market, the steel market, chemical and tool market, and the bike market.

the area is still pretty raw and undeveloped.”

An lAm SAigon RiveR hotel “the best part of this new resort is the 20-minute boat ride along the saigon river—i think it’s one of saigon’s most underutilized features. the rooms are simple and spacious, and

District Eight Designs at L’Usine shop, Saigon. From top left: Designer Darren Chew; hanging lights by District Eight Design.

the gardens are amazing. it’s a nice place to leave it all behind without having to go far.” An Lam Saigon River; 21 4 Ap Trung Xa Vinh Phu; 84650/378-5555; epikurean.com.

CRAig thomAS gAlleRy “i go here to see shows by some great upcoming vietnamese artists.” 27i Tran Nhat Duat St.; 84-903/888431; cthomasgallery.com.

BAnh mi And noodleS “Hands down, the banh mi on vo van tan in district 3 is the best. i keep mine simple—cold cuts, cucumber, carrots—but the vendor has all the extra fixings like eggs or pate. and the baguettes are light and airy. the ‘lunch

lady’ sets up at 23 Hoang sa and cooks up different dishes every day but sunday.

Her famous hu tieu—pork broth with prawns and quail eggs—is usually served on Wednesdays. i love the neighborhood around here, with the old, vietnamese men playing cards and drinking coffee and women yelling from their balcony. Banh Mi Sau Minh 170 Vo Van Tan, District 3, HCMC; Lunch Lady 23 Hoang Sa St. in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

travelandleisureasia.com | april 2012 59

[st] uniform

FIT FOR THE ROAD FOR LOPO CHAMPALIMAUD— THE GLOBE-TROTTING CEO OF WELLNESS WEBSITE WAHANDA—LOOKING GOOD IS FEELING GOOD ON THE GO “you’d think the airplane was an extension of the bedroom,” says Portuguese-born, London-based Lopo Champalimaud, the founder of wahanda.com, which offers wellness tips and exclusive deals at spas around the globe. “Too many people take the ‘dress comfortably’ thing too far.” Whether he’s headed to New York for business or to Lisbon to visit family, the dashing son of interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud never skimps on style.

Typically, he pairs a cotton shirt by British label Favourbrook with dark raw-denim Edwin jeans from Trunk Clothiers, in London. “Finding pants that fit me is tricky—I’m 1.93 meters tall—but these are perfectly tailored.”

Champalimaud always wears a leather Bill Amberg belt. His corduroy jacket was made by Sherlock Hart, a bespoke tailor on London’s Kingly Street. As for the stainless-steel chrono-automatic IWC “Portuguese” watch: “It was a present from my mother on my wedding day. I love its simplicity and elegance.” Lastly, Champalimaud never leaves home without his vintage canvas military bag, which he found at a souk in Marrakesh. “It cost me ten dollars, three cups of tea and ninety minutes of hard bargaining,” he says, “but it was worth it.” —m i m i l o m b a r d o

60 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

WHAT’S IN HIS BAG? WRAP IT UP “Whenever I vacation in Malindi, on Kenya’s southeastern coast, I stock up on cotton kikoy wraps (kikoyshop.com).

They’re sold in all the markets, and are great when you’re sleeping on the plane.”

AROMATHERAPY “Bring the Shelter essential oil blend by COMO Shambhala on long-haul flights.

The eucalyptus opens the sinuses.”

SNEAKERS “Vibram FiveFingers shoes have virtually no cushioning, which makes for a more natural stride. I love going for a run when I’m in a new place.”

CAMERA “My Leica D-Lux 5 has excellent optics and is lightweight— I like it for taking snapshots while traveling.”

Photographed by Matthew Hranek at the Wahanda offices in New York City.

[st] trading spaces

TRANCOSO, BRAZIL

Casa do Morro

TRADING SPACES

C O S TA P I C A D A S

THE DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS BEHIND THESE FIVE HOUSES HAVE RAISED THE STYLE QUOTIENT OF THE TRADITIONAL VILLA-RENTAL VACATION BY OFFERING UP THEIR PRIVATE RESIDENCES TO TRAVELERS. IT’S A RARE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THEIR PERSONAL AESTHETICS— WHIMS, ECCENTRICITIES AND ALL. BY MEGHAN MCEWEN New York–based interior designers (and reality-TV stars) Cortney and Bob Novogratz gave their fivebedroom plantation-style house in the beach town of Trancoso an earthier, more tropical look than their usual urban-bohemian aesthetic. But it still has their signature mix of modern and vintage furniture (note the four-meter-long reclaimed-wood table) paired with statement-making contemporary art. The couple’s favorite piece: a life-size rendering—in buttons—of Swedish tennis star Björn Borg, by British artist Ann Carrington. 55-21/2225-9476; brazilianbeachhouse.com; from R$12,000 per week.

Bob and Cortney Novogratz

T+L TIP “For caipirinhas and a light sushi dinner, we head to El Gordo restaurant (55-73/3668-1193;

dinner for two R$216), on the Quadrado overlooking the Atlantic.” — b o b

n ovo g r a t z

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 61

[st] trading spaces

GIRONA, SPAIN

Alemanys 5

When architect Anna Noguera and her husband, Juan Manuel Ribera, bought this 16th-century house in northeastern Catalonia, it was in such rough shape that only the walls could be saved. Now, the five-bedroom residence (which can divide into two living spaces) is a stunning mix of stone walls juxtaposed with clean lines of oak, concrete and glass. The best asset? A six-by-two-meter pool—the perfect place to relax after a day exploring Girona’s medieval city center. 34/64-988-5136; welcomebeyond.com; from €211 per night.

Anna Noguera

T+L TIP “Don’t miss a visit to El Canadell, a hidden beach in the picturesque fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, just outside Girona.” — a n n a n o g u e ra

PARIS

“There is something amazing about visiting museums like the Picasso and Carnavalet, and staying in a building with a sense of history,” says Jorge Almada of the 18th-century Paris apartment he owns with his wife, Anne-Marie Midy. Like their furniture company, Casamidy, the two-bedroom pied-à-terre— designed by Louis XVI’s architect, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux—honors the past with a decidedly modern approach. The Third Arrondissement space is filled with both French antiques and playful pieces, such as Casamidy’s own wrought-iron Symi lanterns. casamidy.com; from €1,395 per week.

Anne-Marie Midy and Jorge Almada

T+L TIP “Our go-to spot for dinner is nearby Café Charlot (38 Rue de Bretagne; 33-1/44-54-03-30;

dinner for two €34). The Chateaubriand with pepper sauce is divine.” — a n n e - m a r i e

62 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

midy

F R O M TO P : E N R I C D U C H ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E SY O F C A S A M I DY ( 3 )

Hôtel d’Hallwyl

HARBOUR ISLAND, BAHAMAS The Cricket Pavilion

A few years ago, India Hicks and her partner, David Flint Wood, were touring the Caribbean island of Eleuthera when they stumbled upon a crumbling white pavilion “with all the charm and romance of the old Bahamas,” she recalls. On a whim, the couple decided to replicate the building on their home base, Harbour Island. Hicks has decorated the open-plan, two-bedroom space with sprucedup flea-market finds; beachy bedspreads created by her late father, interior designer David Hicks; and mementos from her travels around the world. hibiscushillharbourisland.com; from US$5,600 per week.

India Hicks

T+L TIP “Head to the Queen Conch (Bay St., Dunmore Town; lunch for two US$20) for the fresh conch salad.

They say it’s an aphrodisiac, which may explain my four kids.” — i n d i a h i c k s

TUSCANY

F R O M TO P : B R I T TA N G O E T Z ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F PAT R I Z I O F R A D I A N I ( 3 )

Podere Palazzo

Chicago interior designer Patrizio Fradiani bought a decrepit Tuscan farmhouse as a way to reconnect with his native Italy. A top-to-bottom renovation transformed the five-bedroom hilltop retreat near the village of San Casciano dei Bagni into a stylish country escape with minimalist, Donald Judd–like installations (a wall decorated with individual hardware drawers, for example) and traditional postand-beam ceilings, stone walls and clay tiles. The gardens are filled with olive trees, and a heated infinity pool overlooks the countryside. 1-773/425-5730; poderepalazzo com; from €4,853 per week.

Patrizio Fradiani

T+L TIP “Spend an afternoon at the private gardens of the sprawling La Foce estate (61 Strada della Vittoria,

Chianciano Terme; 39-57/869-101; lafoce.com), with magnificent views of the Val d’Orcia.” — p a t r i z i o

f ra d i a n i

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 63

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STRATEGIES TRAVEL SMARTER

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y M I C H A E L M AT H I S

BEST OF THE WEB The Asia Edition

SURE YOU KNOW YOUR ORBITZ FROM YOUR TRIPADVISOR. BUT WHERE WILL YOU LOOK FOR A THREE-BEDROOM VILLA IN SRI LANKA, A DISCOUNT COUPON TO A SINGAPORE BISTRO OR A ROCK CLIMBING CLASS IN NORTHERN THAILAND? HERE ARE T+L’S 35 FAVORITE WEBSITES AND APPS FOR WHEN YOU’RE TRAVELING IN ASIA. PLUS: ASIA’S LIFESTYLE-SAVVY FOLKS TELL US WHERE THEY GET THEIR TRAVEL TIPS.

BY MRIGAA SETHI

Photo Illustrations by Dan Saelinger

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 65

strategies Best of the weB

AIR TRAVEL Book an inexpensive regional flight airasia.com Asia’s seasoned budget airline offers cheap fares to more than 20 countries, mostly in Asia, but also including Australia and New Zealand. Their broad reach in Asia includes seven cities in India and 14 in Indonesia, for example. The booking engine routinely offers great web promotions, and you can also book hotels and car rentals.

Drawback The online booking process is lengthy and each addition, such as checked bags, seat preferences and meal requests, carries an extra charge. You do have the option to refuse all of them, though that is not always the default setting, so pay attention.

T+L Tip Checking-in at the airport carries a price tag, too, so be sure to check-in ahead of time, either online or by using your smartphone.

Fly to off-thebeaten-track spots in Thailand

Don Muang airport in Bangkok.

T+L Tip For trips to further-flung southern islands like Koh Lipe and Koh Mook, look into their Fly n’ Ferry packages that combine flights, coach rides and ferries.

ecolodgesindonesia.com

BookIng A RooM

Get big discounts on hotel rooms for any budget agoda.com Covering 170,000 hotels in the world, and a total of 30,000 in Asia, Priceline sister Agoda works with affiliate hotels to offer some of the lowest prices on rooms for any budget. Arrange your results by popularity or price and even see how many people are looking at the same room at that moment.

Drawback Search criteria is basic (location, dates of travel), unlike, say, raveable.com which lets you search for kid-friendly hotels and rooms with Jacuzzis.

T+L Tip Create a profile and earn Agoda Rewards points by booking rooms and reviewing the places you stay at. Points can eventually be redeemed for free nights.

nokair.com Domestic travel in Thailand, especially to lesser-known destinations like Loei, Phrae and Koh Lipe, isn’t limited to cumbersome road journeys.

Discount airline Nok Air flies to 24 Thai destinations, including several islands in the south.

Drawback Limited reach, and most flights fly out of the smaller

66 April 2012 | trAvelAndleisureAsiA.com

Get close to nature at an Indonesian eco-lodge

Score a villa for the whole family thevillaguide.com Want to do something different for a group holiday in Indonesia, Sri Lanka or Thailand? Look no further. The Asian Villa Guide

This Denpasar-based ecotourism company runs five lodges in Bali, Sumatra, Borneo and Flores. The Satwa Elephant Eco Lodge on Sumatra, for example, on the edge of Way Kambas National Park, is solar-powered and offers cottage stays, river boat rides, access to elephants and rhinos and bike tours.

Drawback The site is easy to navigate, but lacks adequate photographs for the properties. The booking system is rudimentary, so you’re limited to submitting your requested dates and waiting to hear back.

The one-on-one interaction does, however, allow you to create your own packages and arrange internal flights and permits through Eco Lodges Indonesia.

T+L Tip Accommodation aside, the website links to Eco Safari Indonesia (ecosafariindonesia. com) which does treks, birding tours and river safaris.

Snag a short-term rental from a local roomorama.com Need a studio for two-weeks in Shanghai? How about a two-bedroom house with WiFi in downtown New Delhi?

Roomorama has both and lots more. Started in 2009 in New York, the site facilitates global personto-person, short-term rentals.

Their claim to fame is the helpful payment program: they hold on to your payment until you arrive at your destination and are satisfied with your check-in.

Drawback It’s free to list your property, but renters pay a small booking fee to cover the cost of the service.

T+L Tip Join their Perks Program to get discounts for car rentals, spa treatments and language classes in your destination city.

Earn points towards free hotel rooms & frequent flyer miles vhr.com Voila Hotel Rewards, a US-based loyalty program, represents a small group of independent hotels.

Sign up on the website—it’s free of charge—and earn 10 points for every dollar you spend at member hotels. Points are redeemable for free stays and airline mileage.

Drawback Their presence in Asia is patchy, with only one hotel each in places like Vietnam (the Swiss-Belhotel Golden Sand in Hoi An) and Malaysia. But take solace in the fact that there are many more options available in Thailand, Indonesia and China.

T+L Tip Ten nights over a twelve-month period gets you Orion membership (additional 25 percent bonus points), and by booking 20 nights, you will reach Centaurus status (additional 50 percent bonus points). There’s currently a point redemption promotion with Kingfisher Airlines, which means cheap or free flights within India.

Receive perks and money-back when you book a room mrandmrssmith.com Part independent loyalty program and part review site, Mr and Mrs Smith does a global, curated list of unique, value-for-money hotels around the world, including 35 in Thailand and 31 in Indonesia.

Through the website, you can sign up—the basic membership is free of charge—and get 1 percent in cash back for every booking you

I l l u s t r at e d B y M I c h a e l M at h I s

website does independent reviews of villa properties in these three countries, along with photos and a thorough list of amenities such as pool, garden, on-premises cooking staff, chauffeur and more.

Drawback Geographically limited, obviously, and though you can submit a request for your dates, you can’t make the booking without going to the villa’s own website. Plus the search engine is pretty basic with only locations and dates.

T+L Tip Buy the companion book (US$24), where the villas are also helpfully arranged and coded by price range.

cash back for every booking you make, small perks like a bottle of bubbly, late checkout and free upgrades.

Drawback As it’s a global collection, some Asian countries, like the Philippines, aren’t as well represented.

T+L Tip Don’t forget to additionally sign up for the monthly newsletter, which has great, members-only discounts and free night offers.

EATING Get big discounts on Singapore fine dining hungrydeals.sg Hungry Deals features daily promotions on selected restaurants around Singapore. Enter your billing information on a specific deal and you’ll receive a code.

Share this code when booking at the restaurant to receive your discount. We like the convenience of their traditional restaurant search function where you enter occasion, cuisine, establishment type and budget. Recent deals have included 30 percent off a la carte at Vintry at Royal Selangor and 40 percent off a la carte at Lai Lai Casual Restaurant—both for S$3.75.

Drawback Each deal only has a limited number of codes, so be quick when you’re trying to make a reservation in food-mad Singapore.

Deals change frequently—in fact, they are usually no more than one or two per day for each cuisine category.

T+L Tip Recommend a deal to your friend and get S$5 in HDeals credit.

Browse reviews from local foodies openrice.com Open Rice is to Asia what Yelp is to the US: a mostly user-generated review website focusing on restaurants. Currently available in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, the site lets you sort restaurants by location, cuisine and price range and displays photos and user reviews along with useful service information.

Drawback It isn’t much to look at, and each country-specific page has a slightly different layout.

And of course, not all listings have sufficient feedback to make an educated decision on where you might want to dine.

T+L Tip So insider-y is openrice. com that the Thai and Chinese pages, for example, are not in English, so unless you know Thai or Mandarin, stick to the other countries’ pages.

Order street food like a Thai austinbushphotography.com/blog

Austin Bush has been in Thailand for more than 10 years, speaks fluent Thai, is a major foodie and a good photographer (full disclosure: he contributes to T+L).

His reviews include plenty of street stalls, mostly in Bangkok but also in the north and wherever he happens to travel (Turkey, Malaysia). Entries are brief and give you some confidence to walk in and order for yourself.

Drawback As it’s a blog, the search features are largely limited to clicking on tags and using the search box on the sidebar. Give yourself some time to browse.

T+L Tip Most reviews come with handy Google maps at the bottom.

Use them as street stalls tend to be, well, on the street—no addresses in many cases.

Browse the food traditions of Southeast Asia eatingasia.com A writer-photographer team (also among our contributors) based in Malaysia travel the region, producing thorough records of their food encounters. Unlike Bush’s blog, Eating Asia’s posts

are more akin to food essays. In fact, they arguably travel a great deal more widely, so in addition to Malaysia and Thailand, they have great, more informative posts on, say, the history of teatime in Turkey, dumpling knots in Chengdu or school farms in the Philippines.

Drawback Again, as a blog, browsing options are limited to clicking between tags.

T+L Tip Eating Asia has a tendency to post frequently, then go quiet for a while, so do subscribe to their RSS feed.

RESOURCES Explore all options before you get there travelandleisureasia.com Yes, us. The T+L website condenses old issues into destination-specific tabs (15 countries). Click on, say, Macau, and browse through restaurants, bars, spa, shopping and hotel listings. There’s a small search box for flights, hotels and deals to get you started, though use it with other travel search engines.

Drawback Some destinations are better represented than others.

Taiwan, for example, contains tips almost entirely about Taipei.

T+L Tip Click on the T+L blogs tab for more tips. Sign up for the newsletter for deals and contests. »

aDVENTUrE aSia

Go online and get outdoors Take a hike

Zip on a line

Ride a bike

Climb a rock

nepalhikingteam.com Book a helicopter tour, a rafting trip or a multi-day trek on this thorough website. The treks offered here aren’t for the faint of heart, starting with nine-day tours, but include guides, accommodation, basic equipment (to be returned at the end) and most meals. While you can’t pay for the trip through the site, you can send a detailed enquiry with your preferred dates and questions.

SpiceroadS.com This bike tour company organizes single- and multi-day bike trips in 18 countries, such as Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam and India. Look over detailed itineraries, maps and galleries for each tour.

The straightforward engine lets you search for bike tours based on location, duration, tour style— based on themes such as heritage or family trips—and bike type (mountain or road).

greendiScoverylaoS.com This Laos-based adventure ecotourism company offers trekking, kayaking and biking trips in off-the-beaten track locales such as Luang Namtha, Champassak and Khammouane, in addition to the more usual stops like Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. The highlight, however, is the two- or three-day zipline adventure in the Dong Hua Sau National Protected Area.

thailandclimbing.com Railey in Krabi is the renowned rock climber’s paradise, but for a more hilly atmosphere and a top-notch professional outfit, head to the hills of Crazy Horse Buttress in Mae On, near Chiang Mai for a single-day outing or a several-day climbing course suitable for every skill level. The website also lets you browse and book courses online more easily than you can climb a cliff.

travelandleisureasia.com | april 2012 67

strategies Best of the weB ARTS & CULTURE

regular visitor to major art cities like Singapore and Hong Kong, then sign up.

Go on an Asian art jaunt

Soak up some heritage on a multiday walking tour

artinasia.com If you’re an art buff, bookmark this website for any upcoming visits to places like Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai and Tokyo. The site is straightforward, and it’s easy to navigate between the tabs.

While there are extensive listings of galleries and artists in various cities, the best part, we think, is the events listings for each. Simply click on the city you’re visiting

classicjourneys.com

and see which shows are on that very day.

DrAWbACK No major complaints. The homepage’s

featured galleries section is not particularly distilled.

T+L TiP The website does a newsletter as well, so if you’re a

Classic Journeys offers luxury walking tours around the world, but Eastern culture buffs will appreciate their programming in Asia: 7-12–day walking tours in regions as diverse as Bhutan, China, Vietnam and India. The site contains full itineraries and you

Aun Koh hong kong co-founder of The Miele guide

Hwee Peng Yeo Singapore pr conSulTanT

“one of my favorite sites is simply called Tokyo Cuisine Guide [tokyofood.blog128.fc2. com]. It's not the most technologically advanced (some sidebar links don’t work), but the author’s recommendations are amazing. I check on it at least 2-3 times a week and for upcoming trips.

Another food blog I like a lot is Eat Show & Tell [eatshowandtell.com]. this is by five friends in sydney and is a gorgeously-designed blog with great articles and photos.”

“I like to check out zuji. com, which is like an online travel agent. It helps you organize all you need for a business trip or holiday, from air tickets to accommodation, places of interest, insurance and so on. they have a fairly big presence in Asia, so the site is great for anyone planning trips in this region. I also like to find out the latest in the local scene during my travels, and always refer to Scene Asia WSJ [blogs.wsj.com/ scene] for tips. the stories are relevant to travelers and the writing to the point with a hint of humor.”

We ask Asia’s lifestyle gurus what sites are lighting up their travels lately.

68 April 2012 | TrAvelAndleisureAsiA.CoM

To p : C o u r T e sy o f s h A n g h A r T g A l l e r y h s pAC e ; f r o M l e f T: C o u r T e sy o f A u n ko h ; CourTesy of hWee peng yeo

ASIA EXPERTS

can book and pay online.

DRAWBACk They offer culinary tours in other parts of the world, though not in Asia. Sometimes even internal flights are priced separately from the package price.

T+L TIP For solo travelers, the single supplement fee is significant. But on request, you can match up with another single traveler of the same gender.

Design your own tour in Vietnam freewheelin-tours.com

This eco-conscious tour company specializes in what they call “a

la carte” tours of Vietnam. You pick the destinations, the mode of transport, the number of days, and they provide the logistical support. By way of example, they can arrange bicycle or motorcycle tours as well as homestays with hill tribes.

DRAWBACk The website has character, but is pretty low-tech.

Other than the contact form and lots of text, there are some videos of recent sample tours to give you an idea of what’s on offer.

T+L TIP If you have specific photography or film-shooting needs, staff at this website can help you rent equipment to take on the road, where you can record your every move. ✚

TRAvEL APPS

10 Asia-friendly travel apps we love TripIt

Price: Free Works on: iphone, android, Blackberry Grabs flight numbers, confirmation codes and loyalty program numbers from your email and assembles it into a master itinerary. tripit.com

FlightTrackPro

Price: US$10 Works on: iPhone, Android, Blackberry Works with tripit to synch your itinerary, plus shares flight status, predicts delays and offers alternative connecting flights. mobiata.com

BuUuk

Price: Free Works on: iPhone, Android, Microsoft Finds nearby restaurants and bars using Gps. especially good for Bangkok, Hong Kong and singapore. buuuk.com

Shanghai Metro App

Price: US$0.99 Works on: iPhone With its itineraries and bilingual station names, this app lets you plan jaunts around shanghai’s public metro system. shanghaimetroapp.com

Skype

Bottom leFt: courtesY oF Joanne ooi; courtesY oF JJ acuna Fa r r i G H t : c o u r t e s Y o F i t u n e s s to r e ( 1 0 )

Price: Free Works on: iPhone, Google Android the app lets you make (free) skype voice and video calls, with 3G or WiFi. skype.com

Joanne Ooi Hong Kong Ceo of jewelry site pluKKa.Com

JJ Acuna Hong Kong arCHiteCt and Culture blogger

“For well-written and produced fare, the two best female blog sites based in Hong Kong are sassyhongkong.com, aimed at energetic, discriminating thirtysomethings (the food and drink guide has become a big hit) and the-dvine. com, which covers international fashion.”

“CNNGo.com is the ultimate resource for the latest news, sightseeing activities and issues regarding your vacation destination. They have a team of contributors in all corners of our side of the world from India to Japan, and even down under. For personal travel blogs I trust my friends at Fili’s World [filination.com/ blog] and Connvoyage [connvoyage.com]. For art and culture, you can check out mine at theWanderlister+ Asia [wanderlister.com].”

Whatsapp

Price: US$0.99 Works on: iPhone, Google Android, Microsoft Windows Phone send texts and photos without racking up the roaming fees. whatsapp.com

XE Currency

Price: Free Works on: iPhone, Android, Blackberry no-frills live currency conversion with up to seven currencies on one screen. xe.com

Photosynth

Price: Free Works on: iPhone pan your smartphone, and photosynth turns it into a panoramic photo. photosynth.net

Beijing Taxi Guide

Price: US$9.99 Works on: iPhone 3,000 local addresses in chinese script you can show your driver. also available for some other cities. hoodhottravel.com

Asia and Russia Offline Maps

Price: Free Works on: iPhone local maps that can be accessed offline, so you save on roaming fees. itunes.apple.com

travelandleisureasia.com | april 2012 69

smarttraveler

THE INS AND OUTS OF MODERN TRAVEL

READING BETWEEN THE TRAVEL WARNINGS

POST 9/11, AFTER UNREST IN THAILAND, GOVERNMENTS ARE EVER VIGILANT OF THREATS TO THEIR CITIZENS ABROAD. BUT ARE TRAVEL ALERTS OVERLY CAUTIOUS OR ARE TOURISTS BEING TOO BLITHE? BY JENNIFER CHEN Years ago, when I first moved to Asia and was shuttling between Singapore and Jakarta, my father would forward me travel alerts issued by the U.S. State Department. When he sent me the warning about sectarian violence in the Malukus, I finally stopped him. “It’s not like taking the express train and winding up in the Bronx,” I added.

I ignored most travel advisories, especially after September 11, 2001. (If you followed the U.S. government’s advice, you wouldn’t leave your duct-taped home.) Until this past January, when the U.S. issued a warning about possible terror attacks in Bangkok. Anxious about the effect on tourism, Thai officials complained. Then in 70 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

February, an explosion led to the arrest of a group of Iranians, including one who blew his own leg off.

The bungled attack took place a day after a bomb wounded an Israeli diplomat’s wife in New Delhi, and another bomb was discovered on a car for the Israeli embassy in Georgia.

Never mind the incompetence of the would-be attackers in Bangkok—the drama unfolded off the tourist map, but close enough to the center of town to cause some unease. A recent story in USA Today said that most Americans pay little heed to travel warnings—but are they doing so at their own risk?

Not necessarily, say security experts. Most governments err on the side of caution. “Travel Illustration by Wasinee Chantakorn

advisories have to be very conservative because no one wants to be accused of not warning tourists,” says Daniel Karson, chairman of the Americas at Kroll, a risk consultancy that also advises clients on travel. Here, some key questions to ask when reading a travel warning: WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE THREAT? Is it a

terror attack or seasonal flooding? If terrorism is cited, who are the intended targets? Karson points out that the recent incidents in Thailand, India and Georgia were aimed at Israeli diplomats. “They weren’t going to traditional tourist sites.” In this case, steering clear of potential Israeli targets—the embassy, synagogues, community centers—would minimize risk, says Dor Raveh, the intelligence director of Max Security, an Israel-based firm.

Karson also warns against drawing conclusions about the events in Bangkok. “The UK regularly makes arrests of terror suspects. Does that mean you shouldn’t go to London? I don’t think so.”

WHERE IS THE THREAT? Travel advisories are

often geographically specific. The warnings about Thailand state Bangkok as the area of concern, meaning Phuket and other tourist hotspots are fine. Being informed about your destination also helps. Karson notes that Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have successfully combatted terrorism so far. “They’re not as restrained as Western countries in legal procedures, so they are fairly vigorous in their anti-terrorism efforts,” he says.

WHEN WAS THE ADVISORY ISSUED? An advisory about seasonal flooding is probably not relevant during the dry season. For political unrest, check the latest headlines. Be aware of special anniversaries. The recent attacks occurred around the anniversary of the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, a prominent Hezbollah member.

“We warned our clients of this date,” Raveh says.

Digital eDition

Out nOw

available at www.zinio.com

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY? Check travel blogs.

Reading alerts issued by other governments gives you a more balanced view. Look into local sources—as long as they are objective, advises Raveh. “A tour agent will usually say it’s safe, no matter what,” he cautions.

GET THE GUIDE FOR MORE IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRAVELING AROUND SOUTHEAST ASIA, GO TO TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com

journal

TRAVEL TOPICS IN DEPTH, VIVID VISUALS AND MORE

A BEACH IN BURMA

GIVEN ITS RECENT HISTORY, BURMA MIGHT NOT BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR A SEASIDE BREAK. BUT NGAPALI HAS ITS CHARMS.

BY OLA WONG. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACKSON LOWEN

Fruit sellers on Ngapali Beach. Inset: Guests relax outside the Ngapali Bay Villas & Spa.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 73

journal GETAWAY

QUIET SHORES From

top left: Local boys at play; a stupa at the end of Ngapali Beach; look closely and you’ll spot a statue of Aung San Suu Kyi; lounging beachside.

F

lying to Rangoon I begin to realize we’re headed for something different. The landscape below is untouched by modern development common in Asia. I see nothing but lush green hills to the horizon. Soon this emerald forest gives way to a string of yellow sand and the turquoise blue of the Andaman Sea. We have arrived at Ngapali Beach, where the most difficult item on the itinerary is simply pronouncing its name correctly (It sounds like the Italian city, Napoli). In colonial days, Ngapali was the beach destination of choice for the ruling British. Now that Burma is opening up after decades of sanctions and self-imposed isolation, could those days come back? Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has welcomed the advent of responsible tourism. So her country looks set to be the next major tourist destination in Southeast Asia, with Ngapali Beach as a major attraction.

We are here for an old-school beach holiday. There will be no jet skis, full-moon parties or noisy girly bars that infest the more popular strips of sand in neighboring Thailand. The wildest activity on offer is snorkeling, the most exciting experience is probably the crime novel read on your lounge chair, and the only hedonistic pleasure is

74 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Catch of the day, left. Below: Villagers lay sardines out to dry on Ngapali Beach.

We are here for an old-school beach holiday. There will be no jet skis, full-moon parties or noisy girly bars Burmese cuisine. On arriving, we walk down to the sea, which exudes a sense of calm.

A fisherman wades out of the ocean, net in hand.

A woman in a longyi passes with a basket of pineapples balanced on her head. A beach-side restaurant offers a chance to meet other visitors, including Olav Rise, a 53-year-old Norwegian acupuncturist and Swedish doctor Anna Ekvall. As with many other tourists, they have put Ngapali at the end of their Burma trip. They have already seen magnificent Bagan, its valley dotted with thousands of pagodas, the magical Inle Lake and the colonial side of old Rangoon. Now, they are ready to relax. “This is paradise.

The only thing we do is eat and sleep,” Rise tells me. It’s true, he says, what many say about Burma. The country’s historical sights, its ethnic color and natural setting are all spectacular, but what stands out the most are the people.

Along Ngapali though, change is in the air. “It’s like Vietnam 10 years ago, says Ole Rehländer, resident manager at the Bayview Beach Resort. A building boom is about to start. Several hotels are already under construction but, the hotelier he is, Rehländer says the tranquil atmosphere will not disappear. For now, there’s something behind that sentiment: prices here are high because of the remote

nature of the beach; the road from Rangoon is in bad shape; and, unlike at many beach resorts, the government has banned loud music. Actually, that last point isn’t a bad thing as most visitors come simply to relax.

T

he weather is perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. Like a second skin. We’re headed down the eight-kilometer-long beach, stopping to watch some kids kick around a rattan ball. The simple pleasures of beach life. After a spell, we continue on down the coast though not before a young man runs after me.

Smiling, he simply holds out my camera, which I forgot in the sand.

At the end of the beach, we wade out to the Pleasant View Restaurant located on a tidal island. We wash down juicy barbecued prawns with bottles of Mandalay beer as the sun settles into the sea. Two gigantic bats fly overhead and continue on into the jungle. Back in the 1920’s, George Orwell wrote of Burma: “…all you can remember is the blood-red flowers of the hibiscus and the flying foxes streaming overhead.” I now know that feeling.

In many ways little has changed since Orwell’s time. Out on the sea, a string of boat lamps bobs along the distant » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 75

journal GETAWAY

AT THE END OF THE DAY Above, from left: The local fishing fleet at dusk;

another view of the sunset at the Pleasant View Islet Restaurant.

horizon: fishermen heading out for the night. Ngapali’s tranquility is taking hold. The atmosphere is relaxed, the restaurant guests talk and laugh but all in a subtle way.

Later, we nod off to the sound of waves gently breaking in the Andaman. I wake at daybreak feeling completely refreshed. The beach is bathed in a pinkish hue. After a quick breakfast of honey-pancakes, we set out to explore a nearby fishing village. The colorful fleet has just returned from its nocturnal exertions. Pairs of fishermen jump into the water, hoisting baskets of fish between them on bamboo poles. The soft morning light shifts through the palm trees only adding to the tranquility. On the beach, village women wait for the men to bring up the catch. Under lampshade rice hats, their faces are painted with thanakha, the yellow bark powder that the Burmese use for sunscreen. Soon a glittering field of sliver sardines covers the woven palmleaf mats.

Every morning, chefs come for the daily catch. Sea bass, snapper, crab, squid and prawns. Later, we’ll feast on these at restaurants scattered along the beach.

Leaving the beach behind we enter the village, but that sense of timelessness continues. Palm-thatched houses line the dirt track. Chickens and pigs roam around. There is no running water and electricity is scarce. That said, there isn’t any traffic either. People welcome us with smiles and the Burmese greeting, “Mingalaba,” but are never pushy. Inside the houses children busy themselves with their homework under portraits of the Buddha and Aung San Suu Kyi. We continue up a hill next to the village. There, with a stunning view over the ocean, is a golden pagoda. The chirp of crickets fills the air, which is sweet with the smell of lemongrass. Along the dirt road back to our hotel, monks in crimson robes are collecting their morning alms.

76 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

As expected, in the evening we have a Burmese seafood dinner at a resort. Burmese cuisine reflects the country’s geographical location, squeezed as it is between India, Thailand and China. There are the curries from the subcontinent, lemongrass-infused dishes from Thailand, and Chinese soy and noodles.

We start with a traditional spicy fish soup with hints of tumeric. It is spicy but without the numbing fire of the Thai tom yam goong. We then dig into a gorgeous seabass marinated in lemongrass. Simple food in a simple place.

As we eat, a full moon rises over the sea. We’re completely at peace. The newspaper states that today’s date is the 14th waxing of Pyatho 1373 ME, and the main story is about an auspicious, white elephant. Burma, while appearing on the world’s radar again, still feels very much a world apart. ✚

GUIDE TO NGAPALI BEACH GETTING THERE Air Bagan (airbagan.com) and Air Mandalay (airmandalay.com) have daily, 45-minute flights from Rangoon to Thandwe.

US$192 return.

STAY Ngapali Bay Villas & Spa Designed in traditional Burmese style and surprisingly comfortable. 06 Ngapali Beach, Thandwe; 95-1/242-259; ngapalibay. com; doubles from US$190.

Pleasant View Resort Decent design and reasonably priced, with 26

rooms. Ngapali Beach; 95-43/42224; prvngapali. com; doubles from US$105.

EAT Pleasant View Islet Restaurant You have to wade through knee-deep water to get out to this tidal island with its wonderful view of the bay.

Ngapali Beach; dinner for two US$35.

Two Brothers One of the better restaurants on the Ngapali Road strip, with wine and great seafood.

Ngapali Rd.; dinner for two US$50.

LUXURY VILLAS IN THAILAND From THB 65 Million

W: kohsamuiresidences.com E: richard@amburaya.com T: +66 (0) 77 425 080

Amburaya Residences (Koh Samui) Co., Ltd. Registered and paid up capital Baht 1,000,000. Registered address: 4/1 Moo 1, Tambol Maenam, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320. Site location: on title deed numbers: 12757, 13188, 13529, 13530, 13531, 13614 and 13691. Project area: 26 Rai 3 Ngan 19.7 Sq. Wah. Presently mortgaged with Siam Commercial Bank Plc. Customers will pay the expense of the common areas according to the Sale and Purchase Agreement and/or regulations of the project. Bangkok contact: Tel. (0)2 253 4300 Fax. (0)2 254 2441. Samui contact: Tel. (0)7 724 5133 Fax. (0)7 742 7524. An Amburaya Residences (Koh Samui) Co., Ltd. project. The Residences at W Retreat Koh Samui are not owned, developed or sold by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., W International, Inc. or their affiliates. Amburaya Properties (Koh Samui) Co., Ltd. uses the W 速 trademarks and trade names under a license from W International, Inc.

journal DRIVE

DISCOVERING THE DÃO

From left: A street in Avô; an azulejo mural at Sé Catedral de Viseu; the restored Pousada de Viseu hotel.

UNDISCOVERED PORTUGAL IN THE DÃO REGION, FRANK ROSE FINDS SECLUDED VINEYARDS AND CENTURIESOLD POUSADAS. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAMES AND KATHERINE POMERANTZ

VINO CULTURE Clockwise from above: Quinta das Lágrimas, in Coimbra; the vineyards at Convento do Desagravo; wine grapes from the pousada Convento do Desagravo, in Vila Pouca da Beira.

Opposite: Outside Casa de Santar.

78 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

C

ruising down the a1 auto estrada, I took

the exit for the Forest of Buçaco, a nature preserve that was walled in by Carmelite monks 400 years ago. An hour later I was standing in a grassy clearing, surrounded by an ancient grove of cork oaks gazing at the Atlantic Ocean.

I was on my way to the Dão, a wine region in central Portugal that, though little known to most outsiders, produces some of the finest reds on the Iberian peninsula.

Like the Forest of Buçaco, the Dão is a secretive place whose charms, from stylish pousadas to medieval villages, must be sought out to be savored. Even the river it’s named after is so elusive you can drive past it without noticing.

PORTO TO COIMBRA 145 KILOMETERS My first stop after Buçaco was the ancient university town of Coimbra. The core of the city occupies a promontory crowned by two cathedrals—one Romanesque and fortresslike, the other grand and Baroque—and a university that’s among the oldest in Europe. Cobblestoned streets and alleys drop precipitously down to a district lined with hotels, shops and sidewalk cafés, many of them in creamy Belle Époque buildings. At dinner that night at A Portuguesa, a casual waterside restaurant overlooking the placid Mondego River, I feasted on cataplana, a traditional fish stew that’s cooked in a special copper pan.

On the other side of the river is the Quinta das Lágrimas (Villa of Tears), named for the macabre legend of Prince Pedro and his mistress Inês de Castro. In 1355, she was murdered on its grounds by assassins in the employ of Pedro’s father, the king. When Pedro himself took the throne, he is said to have exhumed her corpse and forced his courtiers to kiss her desiccated hand.

Now a hotel, the ocher-colored mansion looks across to the upper town, a citadel whose white walls and red-tile roofs are characteristically Portuguese. But the cult of the ill-fated lovers is everywhere. Downstairs at the Michelinstarred Arcadas da Capela, I was even offered Pedro & Inês wines, a red and a white. Each is a blend of two varietals, the waiter explained—one is powerful and “masculine,” the other graceful and “feminine.” I had the white with a tangy goat-cheese ravioli. But I was still troubled by that hand.

University of Coimbra Largo da Porta Ferrea, Coimbra; 351/239859-884.

IP 3

Ocean

•Santar

A

Dão River

EL

Paço dos Cunhas de Santar Largo do Paço de Santar; 351/232-960-140; lunch for two €59.

A1

•Buçaco

Mondego River DÃO REGION

•Carregal Seia do Sal •

TR

GREAT VALUE Quinta das Lágrimas Rua António Augusto Gonçalves, Coimbra; 351/239-802-

Church of São Pedro Largo do Monumento Nacional Lourosa, Oliveira do Hospital, Lourosa.

Lisbon

ES

Arcadas da Capela Rua António Augusto Gonçalves, Coimbra; 351/239-802-380; dinner for two €78.

PORTUGAL

A

de Viseu Rua do Hospital, Viseu; 351/218-442-001; pousadas.pt; doubles from €88.

PORTUGAL

Viseu•

SPAIN

D

GREAT VALUE Pousada

SEE Casa de Santar Avda.

Vicondessa de Taveiro, Santar; 351/232-942-937.

N

Atlanti c

EAT A Portuguesa Parque Verdo Mondego, Avda. da Lousã, Coimbra; 351/239-842-140; dinner for two €49.

Porto •

A

de Vila Pouca da Beira, Convento do Desagravo Calçada do Convento; 351/218-442001; pousadas.pt; doubles from €117.

GREAT VALUE Pousada

Quinta de Cabriz Estrada Nacional N234 P, Carregal do Sal; 351/232-961-222; lunch for two €49.

Ocea n

380; quintadaslagrimas.pt; doubles from €117.

Atlan tic

STAY

N 234 IC 2

Coimbra•

N 17

•Lourosa Vila Pouca• da Beira 0

R

GUIDE TO COIMBRA AND THE DÃO

R

VILA POUCA DA BEIRA TO VISEU 69 KILOMETERS After a 45-minute drive on back roads, I pulled into the town of Carregal do Sal. I was looking for the Quinta de Cabriz, headquarters of Dão Sul, one of the leading wine producers in the region. What I found, under a stand of pines at the edge of town, was its restaurant—an unpretentious place

where I had grilled spare ribs, crisp fries and a glass of Casa de Santar, a red from a nearby village.

Santar was just a half hour away, so I headed there after lunch and discovered one of the most beautiful villages in the Dão, with stone-and-stucco houses on narrow lanes and Baroque villas hiding behind high gates. The Casa de Santar itself is a long, white manor house with its back to the street.

A sign said it was open, but the gates were closed, so I inquired at a nearby shop. Cecilia Monteiro, the young proprietress, locked up the store and led me into the gardens, a terraced fantasia of topiary and boxwood parterres and roses in full flower.

Monteiro urged me to visit another estate: the Paço dos Cunhas de Santar, recently transformed by Dão Sul into a showcase of enoturismo. So I drove to Viseu, the center of the Dão wine industry, dropped my bags at the dramatically restored Pousada de Viseu, and set off to look for it. There, in a starkly elegant room with rustic stone walls, chef Henrique Ferreira served what turned out to be the most memorable meal of my trip: grilled duck breast with passion fruit and a sweet goat cheese custard flecked with orange and mint.

The restaurant may have been hidden, but the flavors of the dishes were extravagant. It was a combination I was starting to find familiar. ✚

SE

COIMBRA TO VILA POUCA DA BEIRA 76 KILOMETERS Beyond Coimbra lies the Dão itself, an upland plateau shielded by mountain ranges. This is a verdant region of two-lane roads that wind through piney woods and fields dotted with little hamlets. In tiny Lourosa, I stopped to see the 10th-century church of São Pedro, its unadorned stone walls a reminder of just how dark the Dark Ages must have been. A kilometer or so south at Vila Pouca da Beira—a relative metropolis of 400—I checked in to the 18thcentury Convento do Desagravo, a pousada that combines the minimalist and the Baroque: vast expanses of whitewashed plaster interrupted by polychromed saints in ecstasy. I sat on the hotel’s terrace overlooking the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s most forbidding mountain range, drinking a Quinta da Bica, a supple red from the region.

Tomorrow, I would hit the vineyards.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

80 km

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journal MUSIC Movement of the wind, back wheels spin Pop in a cassette and push play —LL Cool J, “Going Back to Cali”

Look away, down Gower Avenue —Warren Zevon, “Desperadoes Under the Eaves”

Pouring music down the canyon Coloring the sunshine hours —Joni Mitchell, “Ladies of the Canyon”

Dusty leaves and bees are humming 10-day says there’s no rain coming —The Bangles, “What a Life”

LISTENING TO LOS ANGELES HAS ANY ONE PLACE INSPIRED SO MANY SONGS, LET ALONE SO MANY GOOD ONES? PETER JON LINDBERG REFLECTS ON A LIFELONG OBSESSION WITH L.A. MUSIC—AND THE UNSHAKABLE PULL OF CALIFORNIA

JESSICA SAMPLE

T

here are cities you love for the way they look, the way they move, the way they talk, the way they taste—and then there are cities you love for the way they sound, for the music coursing through them like so much crosstown traffic. I don’t know if I would have the same feelings for Los Angeles had it not come packaged with its particular sound track, but I know it was music that first sold me on the place, and it’s music that keeps me forever circling back.

Other cities may have equally impressive music scenes, but they lack the peculiar imprint of geography that’s stamped on every bridge and chorus made in Los Angeles.

Hell, with most bands you can hardly guess where they

came from. I grew up in the thrall of Boston acts like the Cars and Mission of Burma, but none of their songs made me think, “Man, I want to go to Massachusetts!” Certainly none ever name-checked Faneuil Hall.

L.A. bands, however, were always calling out their turf.

Their music wasn’t simply of Los Angeles but about Los Angeles. From “Ventura Highway” to “MacArthur Park”; Tom Waits (“Crawling down Cahuenga on a broken pair of legs”) to Ryan Adams (“La Cienega just smiled, ‘See you around’”); “California Girls” (1965) to “California Gurls” (2010)—has any other city mapped itself out so completely in song?

I got hooked on Cali pop hard and early, like any kid coming of radio age in the 1970’s, when the gooey-sweet harmonies of the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac were » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 81

PCH TO ZUMA

journal MUSIC

1. PCH TO ZUMA

There are no bad words for the coast today. —r ilo kiley No matter how often I drive the Pacific Coast Highway, something always happens to my spine the instant I cue up Rilo Kiley’s “Spectacular Views.” On this crystalline morning I’ve got the top down on my rented Mustang and am bound for Zuma Beach. Somewhere, the 15-year-old me is wearing a mad grin.

Though I spent my boyhood under the spell of L.A.’s siren song, at no point in my youth did I visit the actual Los Angeles, the one north of San Diego. Music took the place of travel: through records and the radio, I conjured my own L.A. Over my bed was a poster of the skyline taken at sunset from Griffith Park—you know the one. I’d gaze at those twinkling lights and imagine myself on a golden beach whose name I couldn’t yet pronounce, perhaps with a girl who looked like Stevie Nicks.

California infused the music.

Harmonies wove together like lanes on a freeway, soaring up hills and winding down canyons SUNSET TO GOWER 82 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

F R O M TO P : © K E N B R OW N / I STO C K P H OTO S .CO M ; © ST R E E T E R L E C K A / G E T T Y I M AG E S / A F P ; © M AT T C A M P B E L L / A F P ; © E R N S T B O S W I N K E L / F L I C K R . C O M

LAUREL CANYON TO LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

MALIBU TO MULHOLLAND

A CITY’S SOUNDTRACK Above: The Pacific Coast Highway. Below, top to bottom: Tom Petty; Joni Mitchell and Warren Zevon.

stuck like syrup on the dial. They were the gateway for archetypal L.A. bands like the Byrds, Love and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and for singer-songwriters like Waits, Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell. For these and so many other acts, “Los Angelesness” was essential to their image, projected on album sleeves and magazine covers—whether it was the Beach Boys riding a woody at Paradise Cove or the Eagles with their cow skulls, denim, and fringe. More than movie stars, it was musicians who brokered the homegrown dream of California, selling us the promised land in 4/4 time.

To a wide-eyed boy from New England, it all seemed impossibly exotic, this wild frontier of deserts, salt spray and warm-smelling colitas (whatever those were). From my vantage—where the only salt spray was crusted on snowbanks, left over from the plow—L.A. sounded like more than a nice place to vacation; it sounded like the solution.

I mention all this having just returned from L.A., where I spent most of my time riding around listening to music at peak volume. There is no better place to do so. I keep a playlist for such occasions—419 songs, from Joseph Arthur to Warren Zevon—that, as the backing track for a long drive through the city, speaks to the many moods and muses of Los Angeles.

2. MALIBU TO MULHOLLAND

I wanna glide down over Mulholland. —to m p et ty After a dive into Zuma’s bracing surf—and a walk down the beach with Neil Young’s Zuma on my headphones—I head south. Soon I’m above the Pacific, winding up among the live oaks of Topanga Canyon, before I reach Mulholland Drive and turn east, with Petty singing me over the ridge.

The L.A.-ness of L.A. music wasn’t just in the lyrics and album art. California infused the music itself, like a whiff of hot asphalt, pot smoke and eucalyptus. Harmonies wove together like lanes on a freeway, soaring up hills and winding down canyons; Pacific-bright melodies crested into choruses frothy as surf. This was music calibrated for car stereos, made for singing along to while breezing along Mulholland in a convertible. I pull over and look down on the Valley. Petty joins me: “It’s a long day, living in Reseda/ There’s a freeway running through the yard.” The grid below stretches out for miles, its rigid angles a stark contrast to the swoops and curves of Mulholland.

But I couldn’t let go of L.A./City of the fallen angels.

—j o n i mitc he l l I was 17 when I finally made it to L.A., with a head full of songs. Every road sign spurred a sense of déjà vu. Having little interest in tar pits or Chinese theaters, I went in search of musical landmarks. I skulked outside the doors of the Roxy, Whisky and Troubadour clubs. I paid my respects to the Tropicana Motel, former flophouse of Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Tom Waits. And I combed the length of Laurel Canyon, where Jackson Browne and Gram Parsons once strummed guitars on front lawns and David Crosby would pop by for a cup of cocaine. I kept my ears peeled for the wail of coyotes and pedal-steel guitars. Alas, this was the eighties, when L.A.’s music scene was more Poison than Parsons. But I did track down the oak-shrouded bungalow on Lookout Mountain Road where Graham Nash

4. SUNSET TO GOWER

I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel/I was staring in my empty coffee cup/I was thinking that the gypsy wasn’t lying/ All the salty margaritas in Los Angeles/I’m gonna drink ’em up —wa r r en z evon As I grew older and listened closer, it struck me that even the happiest-sounding California songs were tinged with regret. Angeleno pop has always trafficked in a certain bittersweet melancholy, from the Turtles (with the majorto-minor mood swings of “Happy Together”) up through current-day canyon rockers Dawes (“You’ve got that special kind of sadness...That only comes from time spent in Los Angeles”). But few expressed ambivalence so profoundly as the late Warren Zevon, a piano-banging heir to Raymond Chandler and Nathanael West. While his compatriots sang of tequila-soaked parties in the hills, Zevon’s oeuvre was the pale, grubby dawn, populated with dope fiends stranded in Echo Park. The opening lines of “Desperadoes Under the Eaves” (1976), quoted above, capture that peaceful uneasy feeling in the City of Night.

The final verse has the narrator back at the same hotel, “listening to the air conditioner hum”—a plaintive melody that builds into a glorious, hymnlike refrain: “Look away, down Gower Avenue/Look away…” Gower! Of all the boulevards in Los Angeles, Zevon chose that one. Never was such a gorgeous melody attached to such a humdrum street.

But tonight, as I turn from Sunset onto Gower, the tune of that air conditioner keeps ringing in my ears.

5. SUNRISE ON THE 405

SUNRISE ON THE 405

MICHAEL LOCCISANO / GETTY IMAGES / AFP

3. LAUREL CANYON TO LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

wrote “Our House” for Joni Mitchell. Mitchell’s own L.A.themed masterwork, 1974’s Court & Spark, was like a grownup rebuttal to “California Dreamin’” and the naiveté of the Canyon scene. Draped in a marine layer of fuzzy horns and drowning guitars, the album found its heroine descending from her hilltop redoubt into the city’s star-maker machinery—only to wind up “breaking like the waves at Malibu.” Four decades on, Laurel Canyon still resembles that forested hippie idyll, but for all the Sotheby’s realty signs. Tree roots burst from the sidewalks; sun flares glint through foliage like on seventies album covers. And as far as I’m aware, Joni Mitchell still holds the deed on that house.

Tom Waits on his own way.

Six in the morning/Gave me no warning/I had to be on my way.

—tom wa its Daylight breaks as I head to LAX to catch my flight. I cue up “Ol’ 55,” from Tom Waits’s 1973 debut, Closing Time. (The Eagles had a hit with their version, but the original is way better.) As I merge onto the 405, Waits’s barroom piano rubs the sleep from its eyes and staggers toward the chorus: “Now the sun’s coming up/I’m riding with Lady Luck/ Freeway cars and trucks/Stars beginning to fade.” ✚ TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 83

BEST OF BALI

ISLAND ALLURE From top: Traditional Balinese dress; COMO’s colorful vegetable flower salad; a local waiter greets diners at Alila Villas Uluwatu. Opposite: The enticing view over the coast at di Mare Restaurant at Karma Kandara Resort.

M I D D L E : C H R I STO P H E R W I S E

THE ISLAND THAT HAS IT ALL JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER—FROM THE BEST BABI GULING TO THE MOST SCENIC SPOTS FOR A SUNSET COCKTAIL. HERE’S WHAT NOT TO MISS. BY HOLLY MCDONALD AND JEN LIN-LIU. PHOTOGRAPHED

BY LAURYN ISHAK

Just another day in paradise.

Opposite: Bali comes with its very own distinct soundtrack.

C H R I STO P H E R W I S E

HOT DESTINATIONS COME AND GO, BUT SOME, like Bali, are perennial favorites. The Indonesian idyll has never been more popular.

With good reason. A rich culture still permeates all aspects of life, lending an allure that makes the Island of the Gods a place people return to again and again. Close your eyes and think of a crimson bloom tucked behind a waiter’s ear; a rhythmic gamelan tinkling from a distant temple ceremony, rising above the hum of the ordinary; the scent of sweet incense wafting from a household shrine—all of these weave together to form a compelling and colorful tapestry of life.

On Bali, the traditional and modern collide. The southern side of the island offers edgy bars that wouldn’t be out of place in Sydney; quirky boutiques showcase curios both local and from around the globe; world-class spas pamper at competitive prices; and flash beachside cabanas tempt you to sit back in the sun and do nothing at all.

But Bali is much more than this and deserves exploration beyond the busy palimpsest of its south. Retreat to the cooler hills of Ubud, beach hop along the east or west coasts, or snorkel in the protected national park in the northwest. Succumb to the slower pace elsewhere on the island, and you too will realize that one trip just isn’t enough. »

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 87

EAT CLASSICS

AFFORDABLE ■ The lolly-colored louvre windows at Sea Circus (22 Jln. Kayu Aya, Seminyak; 62-361/738-667; seacircus-bali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp700,000) »

88 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

INSIDER PICKS ASWIN PRANOTO Nikko Bali Resort & Spa ● “If

it’s possible to stop time, Ubud is as close as it gets. I head to the Tegal Alang area and go to Kampung Café [CekingTegallalang, Gianyar, Ubud; 62-361/ 901-201; kampungtari.com; fritters with ice cream and coffee for two Rp70] for a nice cup of coffee or lemongrass tea and banana fritters—which is what they are known for—over a good book, or just daydream while looking over the rice fields on the hills.” you like Ubud, you’ll love Munduk [pictured above], a 30-40 minute drive from Bedugul, further up the mountain.

It’s a must go for those seeking relaxation, serene atmosphere and a return to the old ways. Puri Lumbung [Munduk Village; 62-362/701-2887; purilumbung.com; doubles from US$87] provides yoga and cooking classes, a mini library and no TV!”

● “If

● “You

can’t say you’ve really been somewhere unless you’ve tried the street food. Warung Nikmat, in Kuta, has a semi-buffet style with Indonesian classics.”

TIME FOR SOME CLASSICS

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Outdoor pathways at Mozaic are surrounded by lush greenery; babi guling at Ibu Oka; an afternoon on the deck at Ku De Ta; Balinese condiments at The Warung.

A B OV E : © K I M E V E R U SS / I STO C K P H OTO.CO M

■ Australian chef Will Meyrick’s Sarong (Jln. Petitenget 19x, Kerobokan; 62-361/ 473-7809; sarongbali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.5 million) pairs Asian street-food inspired dishes with lavish surrounds, showing that top dining in Bali isn’t always about sea views. There aren’t any here. Start with a cocktail in the open-air bar, which flows into the more formal dining area. Keen on something more casual? Meyrick’s new place Mama San (Jln. Raya Kerobokan 135, Br. Taman; 62-361/730-436; mamasanbali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.1 million) is a bistro-style setting in a converted warehouse, again serving topnotch Asian dishes but at slightly lower prices.

■ If you’re looking for authentic Balinese food in an upscale setting, there’s nowhere else like The Warung at Alila Villas Uluwatu (Jln. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak, Pecatu, 62-361/848-2166; alilahotels.com/uluwatu; dinner for two with wine Rp1.6 million), which delivers simple classics such as ayam betutu (whole roast baby chicken in banana leaf ) atop a cliff with soaring views across the Indian Ocean. Note the batik stamps worked into the polished surrounds.

■ It faces stiff competition from new Seminyak bar rivals these days but beachside Ku De Ta (Jln. Kayu Aya No. 9, Seminyak; 62-361/736-969; drinks for two Rp260,000, dinner for two with wine Rp2.5 million) remains a Bali institution and a must-stop spot for sunset drinks at least once during a visit to Bali. The cocktails are taken seriously here, with classics given a hipster twist—think Earl Grey martini or raspberry, cucumber and elderflower Collins—but don’t overlook the award-winning kitchen, either. Among the must-orders is the slow-roasted lamb shoulder, served with potatoes and rosemary galette, garlic greens and tomato relish.

■ Decades-old Mak Beng (just off the beach on Jln. Hang Tuah, Sanur; Rp30,000 per plate) is a hugely popular lunch spot in Sanur, where you’ll elbow locals out of the way for a dish of steaming fish soup and fried fish served with a fiery sambal. Equally popular among locals but also a huge hit with tourists is Ibu Oka (Jln. Suweta, Ubud; Rp30,000 per plate), famed for its owner’s take on Bali’s most celebrated dish, babi guling, or spit-roasted suckling pig. The crowds go through five or six delectably spiced pigs for lunch per day; pair one with a Teh Botol, Indonesia’s popular sweetened jasmine tea, for a typical Balinese fast food meal with class.

■ It’s a rite of passage for anyone who makes it to Bali: a visit to the beachfront seafood stalls at Jimbaran Bay (dinner for two Rp300,000). Diners select their fresh seafood, including crabs, lobsters, prawns and squid, all grilled to perfection and served at casual tables on the beach. Though most stalls are reliable, one local favorite is Menega Café (Jln. Four Seasons Hotel, Muaya Beach, Nusa Dua; 62-361/705-888; dinner for two Rp462,000).

■ You’re always guaranteed a raucous night of fun at the picnic tables of Naughty Nuri’s (Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/977-547; naughtynurisbali. com; dinner for two Rp300,000). An eclectic range of Western and Asian dishes make up the menu, but most come for the barbecued pork ribs and the cocktails. Anthony Bourdain stopped by on his way through Bali and proclaimed the martinis to be excellent. Thursday evenings are sashimi night, which attracts a friendly local crowd.

EVEN WITHOUT THE VIEWS, SARDINE IS WORTH SEEKING OUT FOR FRESH CUISINE. NEVER PASS UP THE GRILLED SARDINES, SALADS ARE A HIGHLIGHT TOO

suggest whimsy, and indeed the design at this eatery stands up to Seminyak’s best hotels (many of which are just spitting distance away). Accents include cheerful flower sprigs in empty gin bottles and an image of Buddha on the aquamarine bar. The menu is short, sweet and designed to be shared—think snapper ceviche and Baja-style tacos.

■ Its view over a rice field might be endangered as development continues apace in the Petitenget area, but even without the views Sardine (Jln. Petitenget 21, Kerobokan; 62-361/843 6111; sardinebali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp900,000) is worth seeking out for its fresh, unadulterated cuisine served under a bamboo roof. Never pass up the grilled sardines, but salads are a highlight too, with their produce sourced from their very own patch at the Organic Farm Bali.

■ Clear Café (Jln. Hanoman 8, Ubud; 62-361/889-4437; clear-cafe-ubud.com; lunch for two Rp150,000) has become a hit with those who’ve embraced the healthy, granola vibe of Ubud. The beautiful eatery in the center of town features ornate wooden doors, a bamboo-and-stone garden, and marble tables. In a homey atmosphere fitting for a casual lunch or dinner, patrons order from a largely vegetarian menu with salads, pastas, and Southeast Asian and Mexican entrees like tom yam goong and the chili lime prawn burrito.

■ In an elegant, white open-air dining room, Minami (Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/970-013; minami-bali.com; dinner for two Rp500,000) serves the island’s top Japanese food—with affordable prices to boot. Set menus, presented in a series of beautiful bento boxes, come with an assortment of meticulously presented dishes like fresh salmon sushi, miso-grilled beef and shrimp tempura.

A good selection of sake and cocktails complements the delicious fare. A new beachside location in Sanur has just opened (Segara Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur; 62-812/8613-4471), enlivening the area’s drab dining scene.

WORTH THE SPLURGE Another stunning bamboo construction, just meters from the waves on Batu Belig beach, Karma Beach Batu Belig (Batu Belig, Kerobokan; 62-361/361-8888; karmabeach.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.5 million) opened in January and is effectively a second branch of popular Nammos Beach Club at Karma Kandara down on the Bukit. Snare one of the comfy cabanas to while away a beachside day in style. If you’ve had enough of the beach for one day, ascend the 85 meters back up to di Mare where spice-encrusted prawns and Moroccan ahi tuna are tops on the menu. Oh, there’s also a 3,000-bottle wine cellar at this semi-circular restaurant with a view.

■ Set in a secluded candlelit garden, Mozaic (Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/975-768; mozaic-bali.com; dinner for two Rp1.1 million) is a formal affair by Bali standards but for a truly special occasion involving adventurous palates, it still can’t be beat. Choose from four extravagant six-course tasting menus that include vegetarian and surprise options designed by chef Chris Salans and expect the unexpected.

■ At Bridges (Jln. Campuhan, Ubud; 62-361/970-095; bridgesbali.com; dinner for two Rp600,000), fine dining without the steep price tag is served on an elegant white veranda overlooking a gorge. The setting—made more romantic by candlelight and jazz music—complements the straightforward continental fare, including excellent homemade pine nut and Roquefort cheese gnocchi, and a mushroom and feta tortellini. Upstairs, the restaurant runs Divine, a cozy wine bar with 180 labels, the perfect place to begin or end your visit.

■ Set in the lush surroundings of the luxury resort COMO Shambhala, Glow (Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar; 62-361/978-888; cse. como.bz/eat-and-drink/glow; Sunday brunch from Rp485,000) offers a creative »

O P P O S I T E : C H R I STO P H E R W I S E

■

BALI COOL Opposite: A welcome dip in a plunge pool at Alila Villas Soori.

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treasure trove of raw-food dishes and drinks that keep even the most hedonistic of diners healthy. Try the mango and alfalfa sprout pizza or the raw lasagna, both of which are just as good as the cooked versions.

SLEEP A collection of wooden houses transported from a number of Indonesian islands, refurbished and now nestled amid lovingly tendered gardens, eco-friendly Desa Seni (Jln. Subak Sari 13, Pantai Berawa, Canggu; 62-361/8446392; desaseni.com; doubles from US$125) is an enchanting place to stay. Healthy cuisine, much of which is sourced from their own gardens, and an airy yoga studio with plenty of classes seal the deal.

■ Get right off Bali’s beaten track and head to the Organic Farm Bali (Munduk Lumbung; 62-813/5337-6905; theorganicfarmbali.com; two nights, full board for two Rp3 million) where you’ll stay on your own private mountain for a night. Meals are prepared using the farm’s own produce and your ablutions will be with the locals at nearby hot springs skirting some rice terraces. A bonfire at night keeps the chill at bay before you retreat to your bed and warm duvet—or sleep under the stars.

■ One hour north of Seminyak by taxi, the cozy, ocean-view bungalows at the Alila Villas Soori (Banjar Dukuh, Desa Kelanting, Kerambitan, Tabanan; 62-361/ 894-6388; alilahotels.com; doubles from US$860) offer top-of-the-line luxury and peace on a black-sand beach framed by palm trees. The modern units come with plenty of indoor and outdoor lounging spaces, not to mention a plunge pool that snakes around the bedroom, a spacious bathtub and an Apple TV unit stocked with movies and music.

■ If you prefer the hubbub of Seminyak, W Retreat & Spa (Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/473-8106; whotels.com/baliseminyak; doubles from US$280) is the hottest new resort, with good reason. Don’t bother springing for a villa, the ocean-facing rooms at W are equipped with all the comforts you’ll need. Each comes with a balcony facing the sunset and a spacious bathroom decked out with Bliss products. The sprawling breakfast buffet, the enormous lagoon-like pool and the beachfront Woo bar will keep you entertained from morning to late at night.

■ Southwest of Ubud there’s a taste of old Java at Bambu Indah (Banjan Baung, Desa Sayan, Ubud; 62-361/977-922; bambuindah.com; doubles from US$75), where the 150-year-old teakwood homes and a series of bamboo structures sit in a tranquil setting on the Sayan Ridge. Guests are surrounded by rice paddies, and there’s that defining feeling that you are in Bali.

■ Three Brothers (Jln. Legian Tengah, 62-361/751-566; threebrothersbungalows. com; doubles from US$38) doesn’t exactly offer luxury, but few guesthouses can beat its rock-bottom prices that attract a steady following from backpackers and Asia-based expats alike. The well-kept grounds include a pool, while the rooms—opt for one with air conditioning—are a tad dark and Spartan but perfectly adequate if you’re looking for a base from which to explore Bali.

■ The panoramic ocean view from the open-air lobby sets the luxurious tone at the Ayana Resort (Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; ayanaresort.com; doubles from US$250). Formerly a Ritz-Carlton, the resort has made considerable upgrades—including the awe-inspiring cliffside Rock bar and a luxurious Thermes Marins spa. Set on 77 hectares of tropical gardens with five swimming pools, an 18-hole putting course, tennis courts and 12 dining venues and bars, the Ayana is perfect if you’re looking for a selfcontained holiday.

■

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FLEE THE CROWDS IN THE SEASIDE VILLAGE OF PEMUTERAN, WHERE YOU CAN SNORKEL OFF THE BEACH OR HEAD BY BOAT TO MENJANGAN ISLAND

If you want to feel like a VIP, the COMO Shambhala (Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar; 62-361/978-888; cse.como.bz; doubles from US$500), with its sprawling lush grounds suspended over the Ayung River, is a great place to indulge. You’ll be assigned a personal assistant, while the elegant rooms decorated in classy colonial-style furnishings come with a pool and communal open-air living and dining room. The resort offers award-winning wellness programs that focus on cleansing, exercise and stress management.

■ Also known for its impressive service is the Samaya (Jln. Laksmana, Seminyak; 62-361/731-149; thesamayabali.com; two-bedroom villas from US$1,220 per night), conveniently located in the heart of Seminyak. The modern, newly renovated oceanfront villas come with private plunge pools and thoughtful complimentary extras like afternoon tea, a mini bar and laundry service. A second location in Ubud (Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan; 62-361/973-606; villas from US$400 per night) is equally impressive.

■ The Menjangan (Jln. Raya Gilimanuk, Singaraja Km. 17, Desa Pajarakan, Buleleng; 62-362/94700; themenjangan.com; doubles from US$273), in the confines of Bali’s largest national park in the north, offers luxury, seclusion, and an excellent base for some of Bali’s best snorkeling and diving. Choose from newly built beachside villas or renovated lodge accommodations. The resort’s reception and dining takes place in a four-storey-tall tree house, a stunning piece of architecture where you can take in panoramic sunset views.

■

INSIDER PICKS RIO HELMI

Photographer and Gallery Owner ● “There

are some great galleries in the Ubud area, including TONYRAKA [Jln. Raya Mas No. 86, Mas, Ubud; 62-361/7816785; tonyrakaartgallery.com] and Komaneka Fine Art Gallery [Jln. Monkey Forest, Ubud; 62-361/976-090; gallery. komaneka.com] along with the more established Puri Lukisan Museum [Jln. Raya Ubud, Ubud; museumpurilukisan. com; info@museumpurilukisan.com] and Neka Gallery [Jln. Raya Ubud; 62-361/ 975-034; nekagallery.com].

● “I

like small Indonesian restaurants like Igelanca [Raya Ubud, Padangtegal, Ubud; dinner for two from Rp90,000] or Pulau Kelapa [Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Lungsiakan, Ubud; pulaukelapa.webs.com; dinner for two Rp60,000], in Ubud. At Made’s Warung [Br. Pande Mas, Kuta; 62-361/ 755-297; dinner for two Rp300,000], an old classic, the food can vary but it’s more about the scene. On any given night there will be divas, stars, bankers, tourists, local eccentrics, people from all over. It’s like the bar from Star Wars.” places that embody the spirit of Bali for me are up in the mountains [pictured above], off the beaten track.

Take time to interact with people on a one-to-one basis, in their own environment. If you want to have a memorable experience, don’t travel in packs. Go out and get lost. Wander.”

C H R I STO P H E R W I S E

● “The

DO It’s not as twee as it may sound: a birdwatching walk in the terraced paddy of Ubud’s hills originally kicked off by eccentric British twitcher Victor Mason and now generally led by his knowledgeable sidekick Wayan Sumadi. Su will have you both learning and laughing as she spots birds, butterflies, spiders, herbs and flowers and regales you with Balinese flora and fauna tales. (Bali Bird Walk; 62-361/975-009 or 62-812/3913-801; balibirdwalk.com; US$37).

■ Flee the crowds and base yourself at the sleepy northwestern seaside village of Pemuteran, where you can snorkel off the beach or drive to a nearby pier for a boat to Menjangan Island, in Bali Barat National Park. Menjangan is arguably Bali’s best snorkeling or diving location: glide over intricate coral gardens and spot a vast array of sea life on an organized trip or hire a boat from the pier yourself (three hours costs Rp550,000 for two people).

■ Kuta Beach may be derided for a lot of things, but it remains an excellent beach for learning to surf, with a forgiving break and waves that can be ridden at a comfortable depth. Take a class with an established surf school such as Prosurf (prosurfschool.com; 2 1/2-hour group lesson for beginners US$55) and if you’re not standing during your first lesson you’ll be given another lesson free of charge.

■ Tour the world’s largest commercial bamboo structure, which just happens to be a chocolate factory, a short drive away from Ubud. At the Bamboo Chocolate Factory (62-361/846-3327; Jln. Sibang Kaja, Banjar PiakanAbiansemal, Badung; e-mail for an appointment to tours@bigtreefarms.com; bigtreefarms.com; Rp25,000 per person for one-hour tour including samples), you’ll see how the cacao beans get broken down and ground into pure chocolate—in a seven-ton machine built in 1932—then flavored with organic coconut palm sugar or pounded into cacao butter and powder.

■ For an off-the-beaten path culinary experience, head to the new Bali Asli (Jln. Raya Gelumpang, Amlapura, Karangasem; 62-8289/703-0098; baliasli.com.au; set lunch for two from Rp260,000) on the island’s east side, for lunch or a cooking ■

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TO P : CO U RT E SY O F F I V E L E M E N TS . B OT TO M R I G H T: C H R I STO P H E R W I S E

ON BALI’S SOUTHERN TIP, PURA LUHUR ULUWATU OFFERS SPIRITUALITY WITH STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS. THE BEST TIME TO VISIT IS JUST BEFORE SUNSET

SOOTHING SIGHTS

Opposite, clockwise from top: A riverside spa with a view at Fivelements; colors aplenty at Kidsagogo on Jalan Laksmana; the Club Suite at Ayana Resort.

class themed around the lives of villagers and local fisherman. The restaurant and cooking school was born out of Australian chef Penny Williams’ zeal and appreciation for Balinese cuisine and life.

■ One of the easiest and most accessible wreck dives in the world, the Liberty shipwreck in Tulamben Bay, offers a great opportunity to view an extraordinary ecosystem of marine life that includes pygmy seahorses, and large schools of parrotfish and scorpion fish. One highly recommended shop on the island that offers daily trips to the site is AquaMarine Diving Bali (Jln. Petitenget 2A, Kuta; 62-361/473-8020; aquamarinediving.com; three-day dive packages from US$450).

■ Perched on vertigo-inducing cliffs on Bali’s southern tip, the Pura Luhur Uluwatu combines spirituality with stunning ocean views. The best time to visit the temple is just before sunset, when you can take in the Technicolor sky and watch a performance of traditional Balinese dance called kecak. Regardless of when you go, beware of the monkeys, which steal anything that’s unsecured, including eyeglasses.

SHOP They call it the Temple of Enthusiasm and you’ll find it hard to not feel exuberant after a visit to the Bali outpost of Australia’s Deus Ex Machina (Jln. Batu Mejan 8 Canggu; 62-361/368-3385; id.deuscustoms.com). They’ll equip you with all the tools for living the island fantasy: a customized motorbike or pushbike, surfboard, hand-made skateboard and threads. The food’s not bad either—try the Thai duck salad for a tasty light lunch.

■ Drifter Surfshop (50 Jln. Oberoi, Seminyak; 62-361/733-274; driftersurf.com) taps into the same sense of wanderlust but focuses on celebrating the art of surfing. Find a great range of men’s and women’s clothes, surfboards and surfing paraphernalia—organic soy wax, for starters—as well as books and beguiling artwork tapping into the drifter ethos.

■ Tie in a stop at Jenggala Ceramics (Jln. Uluwatu II, Jimbaran; 62-361/703-311; jenggala.com) on your way to a sunset visit to Uluwatu. The standalone building houses a colorful array of glass and ceramic items, from handcrafted small bowls through to complete dinner sets. Kids in tow? Book a paint-a-pot session for them while you have a coffee and brownie at the cafe.

■ For locally based designer kids’ clothes that reflect life in the tropics, trawl the eastern end of Seminyak’s Jalan Laksmana, which is dotted with several boutiques and cafés. Make a bee-line for the Corner Store, Kiki’s Closet, Kidsagogo, Clara Mia and Indigo Kids, and you’ll emerge with the best dressed kids on the island.

■ With an eclectic array of sharply designed clothes for men, women and children, quirky homewares, curios that will make you smile, and otherworldly religious paraphernalia, much of it with a Mexican twist—matador outfit, anyone?—newly opened Horn Emporium (Jln. Petitenget, Kerobokan; no phone) is one of Bali’s best spots to snare an unusual or striking gift for friends or relatives back home.

■ The design emporium Word of Mouth (9 Jln. Kunti, Kunti Arcade Shop 10, Seminyak; 62-361/847-5797; wordofmouthbali.com) is notable for its gallery-like display of contemporary art pieces and edgy furnishings. You’re likely to take home some of the smaller items, which range from pastel dresses with geometric designs to whimsical brass and enamel jewelry pieces. The shop features a café and bar, the perfect place for a cocktail or light meal to unwind from a day of shopping in the hubbub of Seminyak. » ■

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SPAS The Spa at Maya (Jln. Gunung Sari, Peliatan; 62-361/977-888; mayaubud.com; treatments from US$49) on the outs kirts of Ubud perches on the edge of the Petanu River, and the roar of its rushing waters will sooth your ears as much as your masseuse’s hands relax your body. This is one of the island’s best spa locations, meaning a soak in a tub is an exquisite experience.

■ Owned by a husband-and-wife team who searched high and low for the island’s best Balinese healers, Fivelements (Banjar Baturning, Mambal; 62-361/ 469-206; fivelements.org; 90-minute massage from US$85) offers some of the top therapies and treatments on the island. Spa sessions, which range from traditional Balinese massage to more holistic “chakra balancing” treatments, take place in tranquil riverside bungalows outfitted with balconies and luxurious open-air bathtubs. The spa menu offers biographies of their traditional healers, giving the experience more of a personal touch.

■ A favorite of expats and visitors alike, Jari Menari (Jln. Raya Basangkasa 47, Seminyak; 62-361/736-740; jarimenari.com), which means “dancing fingers,” offers excellent and affordable treatments by a professional, all-male staff. The four-hand massage harmony treatment, where two therapists work in sync to turn your muscles into putty, is highly recommended. Massage classes (full-day courses US$220) are offered every Tuesday.

■ There's no getting around the fact that Thermes Marins Bali (Jln. Karang Mas, Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; treatments from US$100) is a one-of-akind spa that centers its curative treatments around water therapies— everything from seawater circulatory showers to thalasso therapy rooms.

■

■ Offering a stunning location at the base of the sea cliffs at the Ayana resort, the Rock Bar (Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; ayanaresort. com/rockbarbali; drinks for two Rp270,000) gives you a chance to get up close and personal with crashing waves while enjoying delicious cocktails and tapas.

A steep inclinator shuttles visitors to the secluded locale, and live bands and DJs on the weekends add to the vibe.

■ The Woo Bar (W Retreat and Spa Bali, Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/4738106; drinks for two Rp124,000) overlooks the ocean and a lagoon-like pool that snakes around the resort. A revolving mix of international DJs livens up the dance floor on Fridays while the Monday through Thursday happy hour offers two for one drinks and complimentary tapas.

■ Next door is Potato Head (Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/473-7979; ptthead. com; drinks for two Rp450,000), one of the newer beach-club-cum-nightclub venues in Bali. Built out of 18th-century teak shutters collected from the Indonesian archipelago and decorated with retro furnishings, the venue attracts posh locals and visitors, who flock to the infinity pool during the day and the dance floor by night. ✚

MORGANA REID

Cocoon Restaurant & Beach Club ● “It

doesn’t take long to get out of the hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak: head north up to Balian or inland to Bedugal and you’ll see a very different landscape and a much slower pace.

For island hopping, Lombok, Nusa Lembongan and Gilli Trawangan are beautiful.”

● “My

weekends are spent mostly with my children. We love heading over to the beaches in Nusa Dua [pictured above] or Sanur for a day on the white sand and gentle ocean. Sometimes we even jump on a boat and head off to Nusa Lembongan—it’s only 30 minutes away—if I can get a long weekend.” rooms at the Prana Spa [Jln. Kunti 118X, Seminyak; 62-361/730-840; pranaspabali.com; 60-minute treatments from Rp450,000] are stunning, with an opulent, Middle Eastern feel, and the staff are helpful and experienced.”

● “The

BLISS IN BALI Opposite: Awed

by the view at the Rock Bar.

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TO P : © DA N I E L R O S N E R / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M

NIGHTLIFE

INSIDER PICKS

PASSPORT TO THE WORLD

WITH INFLUENCES FROM AUSTRALIA TO IRAN AND MOST STOPS IN BETWEEN, TODAY’S KUALA LUMPUR HAS NEVER BEEN MORE OF AN INTERNATIONAL CROSSROADS. JOHN KRICH SETS OFF TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES IT TICK. PHOTOGRAPHED BY AUSTIN BUSH

Iranian plates at Naab.

Opposite: Journal by Plan B, in Publika mall.

IT’S A SIGHT LIKE NO OTHER ON THE PLANET. EVERY NIGHT ALONG THE SIDEWALKS AND SHOP BLOCKS OF KUALA LUMPUR, GROUPS OF RESTLESS YOUTH, MOSTLY ETHNIC CHINESE in body-hugging black, puff away determinedly on Arabic- year-round programs of alternative dance, comedy, paintings, style shisha water pipes. Is this the latest statement of cultural local fashion design and avant-garde installations, to find the confusion run amok, to use the Malay word? Or is the capital city’s newest venue for belly-dancing. On an open-air balcony of a crossroads nation taking its bubbling ethnic hot pot to a where the lit minarets of the massive city mosque provide an hotter, hipper boil? atmospheric backdrop, our one-in-a-thousand night begins In far-flung neighborhoods and mixed-use developments, with some decidedly non-Arabic if scantily clad entertainers tatty “pulled tea” cafeterias are giving way to leafy pan-Asian drawn from a nearby dance studio. Never mind. If the sources cafés. One new mall comes with a sculpture garden, punk of sin in this town remain rather tame, that’s part of the bands and toilet stalls covered in protest art murals. At every charm. But Alex now whizzes his tinny Proton at urgent turn, it’s easy to find Korean barbecues, Iranian kebabs, speeds to a club hidden discreetly within the modern new artisan beer, African espresso, even dancing girls seductively CAPS Square district. swaying to a remarkable variety of world beats. Along the Within the dark confines of the Mehfil Bollywood Lounge, concrete banks of the “muddy estuary” that gave Kuala young beauties from India sit listlessly in a row of on-stage Lumpur its name, East now meets not only West but Middle chairs, taking turns in pairs thrusting hips and wildly East, South Asia melds with North Africa, North Asia goes swinging bangled arms to a superb house singer’s plaintive tropical—making the old tourist landmarks and itineraries versions of the latest Indo-pop hits. Women, too, are entirely increasingly irrelevant. welcome at this one-of-a-kind, only-in-K.L. venue that seems Six years back, I gladly left a posting in sleepy old K.L., a less sinful than simply sinuous. town where local action meant ring-tailed monkeys climbing But Alex insists he knows another floor show that’s far from primary rainforest onto my apartment balcony, and more surreal. Drawn by the politics of dancing, we’re joined where the only traffic jams were the result of Friday prayers on the next outing by Hishamuddin Rais. He’s one of at the mosque, a golf tournament or a sale at Asia’s largest Malaysia’s leading dissidents, underground filmmakers and Ikea. In the shadow of a few incongruously huge skyscrapers, blog commentators, usually happy to hang out amidst the lost Europeans in flip-flops staggered amidst mobs of Malay reliable multiculturalism of roti parlors and durian sellers in secretaries resplendent in floral dresses that guaranteed Brickfield’s, K.L.’s oldest and most hard-core Indian quarter. social modesty and also provided most of the town’s color. Years of exile have hardly dampened his curiosity—and we’re Crisscrossed by brand-new freeways, the last vestiges of soon sharing a table in the one massive, chandeliered colonial England had melded in the heat with one vast Los ballroom that comprises the Pyongyang restaurant—run by Angeles-style suburb. and for the nearby North Korean embassy. Befitting a nation These days, Kuala Lumpur has finally taken its place as in semi-permanent famine, the food here is nothing to write another of the region’s bona fide mega-cities—not merely home about, slightly cruder executions of the usual Korean more dense, more intense and overbuilt with a glut of luxury specialties like short ribs and seafood pancakes. Maybe the shopping malls, but a truly globalized metropolis. Breaking restaurant has something to do with Malaysia’s easygoing from its Chinese-Malay-Indian—really Hokkienwelcome of every and any nationality and GLOBAL CITY Bugis-Tamil—roots, drawing on its links to the ONE influence, though the service staff in flowing Opposite, clockwise Islamic world, energized by a host of new migrant from top left: At Wat hanbok gowns, clearly hand-picked to put a Chetawan; the communities and spurred on by its young people, Tha pretty face on their country, have all been trained fare at Magnificent many of whom are educated abroad, the new Fish and Chips; Alvin to give the pre-rehearsed reply, “Malaysia too owner of Taps Kuala Lumpur is a place where worlds don’t just Lim, hot. I miss my homeland.” brewpub; White collide but collaborate.

To prove the point, these servers change into Box, a gallery in the Publika On a night tour of the new K.L., my steadfast suburban Cinderella drag and then belt out paeans to North mall; belly dancing guide Alex Yong, a tall and taciturn reporter at De Kebab; a taste Korea’s Mount Paektu displayed on videoscreens Africa; in the turned art-space manager, has plenty of unusual of around the restaurant, heightening the crowd’s heart of Koreatown; options up his sleeve. He barely has to climb one a Nepalese meal bafflement, if not spirits. The karaoke draws Khukri. Center: level of stores from MAP, whose ample White at Hisham’s cackles. Malaysia is a land fated to serve Inside the aptly Box and Black Box galleries are packed with named Sahara Tent. as merry mix-up. » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 101

the most obvious sign of kuala lumpur’s international aspirations can be seen in the city skyline; in the iconic, 88-story Petronas Twin Towers. Yet the nation’s big global shift really began with what happened to New York’s twin towers on 9/11. Ostracized from the West by new suspicions and security procedures, free-spending Middle Eastern tourists looked towards welcoming Muslim realms for holidaying, setting off a summertime invasion that came to be known in Malaysia as “the Arab season.” By now, it’s turned into a year-round encampment. Never mind that the city’s “Ain Arabia,” a Middle Eastern bazaar championed by Ala Salih, the hard-charging Iraqi owner of the popular Sahara Tent restaurant, consists solely of a ceremonial gate to a nondescript side street. The ambience of downtown’s Bukit Bintang—K.L.’s combination of tacky Times Square aspiring to palm-fringed Champs-Élysées—has gone from one big Chinese foot massage parlor into a far-flung adjunct to Abu Dhabi. And just as the city has become the “in” spot for visiting Arabs to loosen their burnooses and experience an Islamic society with far fewer personal constraints, so its sidewalk cafés offer a chance for foreigners to engage in casual conversations that cross café tables and cultural boundaries. I had a debate with a Saudi man over gay rights as I watched his wife struggle to eat gelato through her veil.

of Morocco, along with various women’s beauty treatments, all inside a mall in Bangsar, the enclave west of downtown that has long housed K.L.’s latest galleries, dance clubs and trends. And with Malaysia as the main Southeast Asian country to maintain great relations with the renegade republic of Iran, a decidedly Persian presence continues to grow. Non-aligned as ever, the country has become a good place to obtain both Cuban cigars and Persian carpets. Nearly a quarter-million Iranians, from students to retirees, have now found refuge here. Both their active agitation against the regime of mullahs back home, and drug smuggling exposed in highly publicized busts, continue to cause tension.

Yet during Persian New Year in March, visitors can catch all-star concerts of Iran’s top musical divas. Aside from visiting Iran itself, Kuala Lumpur may be the best place to sample Iran’s famed almonds, yogurt, dates or caviar. Here, the most traditional Iranian dishes like mirza ghasemi, a lusciously charred eggplant dip topped by a poached egg, and sekanjabin, a sort of cucumber and mint smoothie, have become veritable Malaysian staples. Despite dozens of imitators, the best place to try these may still be Naab, with its comfortable interior in mud colors evoking the Persian desert, a restaurant opened out of nostalgia by a wealthy Iranian doctor.

KUALA LUMPUR HAS BECOME THE ‘IN’ SPOT. ITS SIDEWALK CAFES OFFER A CHANCE FOR FOREIGNERS TO ENGAGE IN CASUAL CONVERSATIONS THAT CROSS CAFE TABLES AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES In comparison, Koreans are a much smaller community, It’s cuisine, as much as any interpretations of the Koran, that has tilted the city toward a decidedly more halal identity. though their number is expanding rapidly and they may be Six years back, it was remarkable to see the first Lebanese the most visible, with their own school. If you can’t follow restaurant, Tarbush, and the Iranian Naab—now both Korean executive wives to Malaysia’s many inexpensive golf successful chains. Nowadays, such places aren’t just for group links, there’s always the four square–block Koreatown across tours from the Persian Gulf. Malays, Indians and Chinese from the Ampang Point Mall. It’s hardly a scenic area, but it have united around basic purveyors of kebabs, and dips have is crammed with grocers, beauty parlors and cafés, even become de rigeur in every district. The Iraqi-influenced authentic bulgogi barbecues and enough varieties of kimchee Sahara Tent, still satisfying with its hearty lamb stews, has in one stroll to make for an easy, virtual trip to Seoul. The opened a Shah Alam suburban outlet that offers private Japanese community, centered largely in high-income Mont parties staged within an indoor, fully carpeted tent. Al-Awan Kiara, has produced no similar meeting point. A fabricated has won awards for its higher quality menu served on white “Little Tokyo” on the sixth-floor of the shining Pavilion Mall tablecloths. Today, culinary reference points to the Middle attempts to give some flavor of Malaysia’s former occupiers Eastern world include Bosphorus, the Turkish restaurant on with arcades of tea and ramen shops.

For a more pleasant evocation of Asian neighbors, Alex the top floor of the high-end Pavillion Mall, which attempts to recreate Topkapi Palace favorites like imam bayeldi (“the brakes for the one Thai temple, Wat Chetawan, set on a green Sultan fainted”), a meze of roasted eggplant filled with onion, compound in distant Petaling Jaya and offering the usual glimpses of glittering gold-leaf images of the garlic and tomato. Several eateries emblazoned as INFLUENCES Buddha accompanied by, if you so choose, a Hadrawmat, while hardly authentic, represent FOREIGN Opposite, from top: traditional Thai massage. the flavors of that area of Yemen which first sent Tokyo Street, a Japanese-themed The Burmese, Nepalese and Bangladeshis Islam to this region via its roaming traders. area in the Pavilion who now do much of the nation’s dirty work are The latest outpost to bring distant Muslim mall; a graffiti artist the Klang River slowly adding their culture—and blaring music— worlds to the Malaysian capital is Hammam, near at KUL Sign 2012, a to the blocks around Chinatown and the » which somehow replicates the heated stone lairs festival of urban art.

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Jalan Sultan Ismail replicates a taste of the Middle East in Kuala Lumpur.

104 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

Jalan Sultan Ismail replicates a taste of the Middle East in Kuala Lumpur.

Puduraya Bus Station. For a steadfastly bland town where much of the old architecture has been blasted away, the enclave around Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin seems more wildly alive, prime territory for gawking, than the shrunken remains of nearby Little India. In the heat and crowds around cheap goods and remittance agencies, moneychangers and sari salesmen, it’s not always easy to decipher the many scripts of signboards hovering above. Up a narrow walk-up, the top gathering point for Nepalese is The Khukri, a basic, yellowpainted concrete chamber that also hosts music performances. The menu is unapologetic, though somewhat of an acquired taste.

but to earn global laurels, a city can’t

just be a refuge from world horrors; it must be a touchstone of world advancement. To that end, K.L. boasts a whole new brace of consciously cutting-edge outposts. Only in this city could one cruise through the distant bedroom community of T.T.D.I. (Tam Tun Dr. Ismail) and find a just-opened temple of caffeine to rival any in Italy. Forget about kopi o, the over-sweetened Arabica sludge that has been the only option for local java for decades. Amidst brick and concrete at Artisan Roast, where Aussie Michael Wilson—a two-metertall presence in black sarong and necklace of ivory beads— and his Malaysian wife have selected some of the finest single-origin organic beans on earth: on hand this day are Musasa from Rwanda that Wilson describes as “a journey through an exotic orchard” and Guatemala’s Finca Santa Clara, with notes of “plum and ripe guava.” With loving care, they are not just roasted in Kuala Lumpur but brewed in cylindrical beakers, with test-tube accuracy to the whir of timers and thermometers, producing non-acidic cups best savored straight and black. This is not only the most astounding caffeine in the city, but perhaps in all Asia.

Similarly new and international in ambience, TAPS aspires to be K.L.’s first true brew pub, and has carefully selected an amazing range of mostly Australian craft ales and Pilseners for leisurely sampling in special draught five-packs.

One long row of taps take center stage—strange brews like Old Engine Oil, IPA Punk and Kooinda Valhalla—in this no-frills drinking spot that also offers sports on large screens, sans the usual rowdiness. Then there’s Publika, a most internationalized sort of mall, a steel-encased arcade that bills itself as an arts and culture center and urges its patrons to “riot not retail!” A circular stage in its piazza has become a center for new theater, music and subtle forms of rebellion, right across from Malaysia’s new court for enforcing Islamic family law. Don’t miss—well, you can’t if you look for chairs on the ceiling—the indoor-outdoor restaurant Journal by Plan B, where New York deli intersects with Melbourne coffee house.

A mainstay of international culture, the cozy and acoustically perfect No Black Tie, run with aplomb by Sarawak-bred classical pianist Evelyn Hii, is the place to hear experimental musical talent. “I tried to make a club where any musician, of any style, instantly feels at home,” she says.

More international still, if more corporate, the Westin Hotel’s QBA presents the city’s only live Cuban dance bands, mostly Colombian these days, thumping out distant beats from a surprising setting of baroque Spanish colonial balconies.

Around the corner, amidst the night spots of Changkat Bukit Bintang, The Magnificent Fish and Chips Bar seems more like the latest in the exotic than a holdout of Malaysia’s former British masters, with its battered barramundi and Guinness pies, run by a potty chef who first came to Asia to feed rescued chimpanzees. Perhaps this is the last reminder of Malaysia’s loyalty to a foreign land. Now the whole world is here. Welcome to Southeast Asia’s global showcase. ✚

GUIDE TO KUALA LUMPUR STAY Berjaya 1 Jln. Imbi; 60-3/2141-0088; berjayahotel.com; doubles from RM268.

Prince Hotel & Residence 4 Jln. Conlay; 60-3/21708888; princehotelkl.com; doubles from RM315.

9900; starwoodhotels. com; doubles from RM355.

60-3/6205-5318; thebiggroup.co/planb; dinner for two RM140.

3949; naabrestaurant. com; dinner for two RM80.

Bintang); 60-3/2144-8310; saharatent.com; dinner for two RM100.

EAT AND DRINK Artisan Roast 4 Lorong Rahim Kajai, 14 Taman Tun Dr. Ismail; no phone; coffee for two RM10.

Khukri Nepali Restaurant No. 26 First Floor Jln. Tun Tan Siew Sin; 60-3/20720663; khukri.com; lunch/ dinner for two RM40.

No Black Tie Jazz Club 17 Jln. Mesui off Jln. Nagasari; 60-3/2142-3737; noblacktie.com.my; cover charge for two RM80.

TAPS Beer Bar One Residency, 1 Jln. Nagasari; 60-3/2110-1560; tapsbeerbar.cmy; drinks for two RM60.

The Magnificent Fish and Chips Bar 28 Changkat Bukit; 60-3/2142-7021; dinner for two RM75.

Pyonyang North Korean Restaurant 290A Lorong Palas, off Jln. Ampang; 60-3/4257-9986; dinner for two RM80.

DO Hammam Top floor, Bangsar Village II Mall, Bangsar; 60-3/2282-2180; treatments from RM85.

QBA Latin Dance Bar Westin Hotel, 199 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/ 2731-8333; drinks for two RM60.

MAP Solaris Dutamas, Jln. Dutamas 1; mapkl.org; 60-3/6207-9732.

Ritz-Carlton 168 Jln. Imbi; 60-3/2142-8000; ritzcarlton.com; doubles from RM510.

Bosphorus Level 6, KL Pavillion, Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2142-4000; bosphorus.com.my; dinner for two RM85.

Saujana Jln. Lapangan Terbang Saas; 60-3/78431234; thesaujanakualalumpur.com; doubles from RM357.

De Kebab D5-G4-06, Solaris Dutamas, Jln. Dutamas 1; 60-3/62053580; lunch/dinner for two RM90.

Mehfil Bollywood Lounge CAPS Square E Centre, Ground Floor, No. 8 Persiaran Capsquare; 60-1/9222-8287; drinks for two RM60.

Sheraton Imperial Jln. Sultan Ismail; 60-3/2717-

Journal by Plan B 1 Jln. Dutamas; Publika;

Naab Restaurant 130 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2143-

Sahara Tent 41 & 43 Jln. Sultan Ismail (in Bukit

Wat Chetawan No. 24 Jln. Pantai off Jln. Gasing, Petaling Jaya; 60-3/79572255.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 105

7

PARIS FINDS From the Marais to St.-Germain, these small hotels offer an authentic neighborhood experience in the City of Light.

By Tina Isaac and Alexandra Marshall

Photographed by James Merrell Additional reporting by Briana Fasone and Ingrid K. Williams

A room at the H么tel de la Porte Dor茅e, in the 12th Arrondissement. Opposite: The Relais St.-Sulpice (center), in the Sixth Arrondissement.

THE IDEAL

Parisian hotel is like a macaron—small, colorful and bursting with individual flavor.

But in reality, too many boutique properties here miss the mark. We sent our reporters across the city—testing mattresses; climbing staircases; sampling petits déjeuners— to come up with this list of intimate boltholes, in styles from traditional (a Neoclassical retreat near the Panthéon) to contemporary (an art-filled hangout by the Louvre).

The sweetest part: all have rates starting under €185 a night.

KEY

Air-conditioning

108 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

LEFT BANK FIFTH ARR. HÔTEL DES

FIFTH ARR. HÔTEL LES JARDINS

GRANDS HOMMES

DU LUXEMBOURG

Opposite the Panthéon, midway between the Luxembourg Gardens and the Rue Mouffetard’s fabulous food market, this plush, Neoclassical hotel has a marble lobby and 31 jewel-box rooms. The interiors reflect the spirit of Napoleon III—bas-reliefs; Greek statuary; laurel motifs—rendered with style and warmth.

For a view and/or balcony overlooking the Panthéon and the Right Bank beyond, you’ll need to upgrade from a Classic room to a Superior.

On his first trip to Paris, Sigmund Freud stayed at what is now the Hôtel les Jardins du Luxembourg, around the corner from the beloved park.

Its 26 tidy rooms may be spare, but they have a warm Provençal inflection in shades of olive, ocher and sunflower, plus cast-iron bed frames and 19thcentury prints. Rooms 1 and 27 (from €175) have separate entrances that open directly onto the street for added privacy. The setting on a cul-de-sac means nights should be restful—any dream interpretation is up to you.

17 Place du Panthéon; 33-1/ 46-34-19-60; hoteldesgrandshommes.com; doubles from €148. Métro: Cardinal Lemoine; Cluny-La Sorbonne

Free Wi-Fi

$

Wi-Fi for a fee

5 Impasse Royer-Collard; $ 33-1/40-46-08-88; les-jardins-duluxembourg.com; doubles from €163.

Métro: Cluny-La Sorbonne; Odéon Quiet street atmosphere

Map illustration by Wasinee Chantakorn

The courtyard of Relais St.-Sulpice, below. Left: The hotel’s lobby.

SIXTH ARR. RELAIS ST.-SULPICE

SEVENTH ARR. HÔTEL SAINT

14TH ARR. HÔTEL DE LA PAIX

Waking up to a view of the Baroque towers of St.-Sulpice church—on the edge of St.-Germain-des-Prés, one of Paris’s fanciest shopping neighborhoods—you’ll be willing to pardon faulty mini-bars and carpets that have seen better days. Even if the accommodations aren’t flawless (and some face a courtyard garden instead of the church), the 26 rooms at this friendly hotel compensate with colorful traditional fabrics and flat-screen TV’s.

The honesty bar off the book-lined lobby is another perk, as is the sauna.

THOMAS D’AQUIN

This backstreet gem is the perfect perch for exploring the Left Bank.

Sunny street-view rooms have ivy-laced, wrought-iron balconies that overlook a boutique-dotted lane. A wobbly winding staircase adds a flourish of well-worn Parisian charm, but the entire 21-room hotel has been updated with modern furnishings and a neutral palette. Wander up the street to browse for antiques; a few blocks farther east you’ll find python carryalls at Jérôme Dreyfuss and salted-caramel macarons at Ladurée.

Behind a sober Art Deco–era façade is a sitting room sprinkled with artifacts culled from the owners’ travels and family archives: old books; Chinese statues; a phonograph. Bustling street notwithstanding, the 39 diminutive rooms have a vintage country appeal: shutters repurposed as headboards; boutis bedspreads topped with multihued pillows. The location—just over the border from the Sixth—is ideal for would-be regulars at restaurants Le Dôme, Le Select, and La Coupole; one block south is the Fondation Cartier contemporary art center.

3 Rue du Pré aux Clercs; 33-1/ 42-61-01-22; hotel-st-thomas-daquin.com; doubles from €163. Métro: Rue du Bac; St.-Germain-des-Prés

225 Blvd. Raspail; 33-1/43-20-3582; paris-montparnasse-hotel.com; doubles from €104. Métro: Raspail; Notre-Damedes-Champs; Vavin

$ 3 Rue Garancière; 33-1/46-3399-00; relais-saint-sulpice.com; doubles from €182. Métro: St.-Sulpice; Mabillon

NOTE Prices listed are the lowest for a double room in April 2012; these may rise or fall depending on the season, availability, length of stay and other factors.

All hotels have elevators, 24-hour reception, en suite bathrooms and, with one exception, in-room TV’s and phones.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 109

Hôtel Saint-Louis en l’Isle, on the Île St.-Louis, below. Right: Le Crayon, just north of the Louvre.

RIGHT BANK 14TH ARR. LA MAISON MONTPARNASSE

FIRST ARR. HÔTEL MOLIÈRE

FIRST ARR. LE CRAYON

Owners Sophie and François Meisel ditched careers in advertising to open this attractive four-story contemporary find. Each floor has a different color scheme—fuchsia, mustard, prune, orange—with the 36 rooms offering variations, whether via customdesigned wallpaper or bright pillows atop down comforters. Within easy reach of the Gare Montparnasse, the neighborhood is an understated slice of vieux Paris: courtyard rooms overlook a small terrace and quaint houses in the alley behind. Nearby, there’s a flourishing bistronomie scene, notably at the Cantine du Troquet (try the goat-cheese salad with escargots).

There’s a quiet revolution afoot in this centrally located, family-owned hotel as it moves from quaint to sleek.

Bathrooms in most of its 32 rooms have just been renovated, and the rest of the property is gradually following suit, a piece of contemporary furniture added here, a new wallpaper (like the Paris rooftop motif in No. 16) put up there. Still, an old-world spirit remains intact, with a winding staircase, erstwhile sailors’ trunks recast as TV consoles, and brass bed frames that recall guesthouses of a century ago. As in most old Paris buildings, ceilings get lower the higher one climbs: under the seventh-floor eaves, you can lie in bed and gaze over the skyline.

Just four blocks north of the Louvre, the Crayon, as its name suggests, is all about a bright, “handmade” hotel experience, as though guests were staying in the residence of a local artist—namely that of its decorator, Julie Gauthron. A poetic, patchwork approach to prints and styles results in a good-humored mash-up: the 26 rooms feature offbeat geometric mirrors, Panton chairs and spruced-up flea-market finds (articulated lamps; marble-topped nightstands). The basement breakfast room was a work in progress when we were there, but you can opt for croissants and coffee in bed or in the lobby.

53 Rue de Gergovie; 33-1/45-42-1139; lamaisonmontparnasse.com; doubles from €126. Métro: Pernety; Plaisance

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21 Rue Molière; 33-1/42-96-22-01; hotel-moliere.fr; doubles from €182. Métro: Pyramides; Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

25 Rue du Bouloi; 33-1/42-36-5419; hotelcrayon.com; doubles from €111.

Métro: Louvre-Rivoli

The view from Hôtel Saint-Louis en l’Isle, above.

Right: A suite at Le Crayon.

THIRD ARR. HÔTEL JULES & JIM

FOURTH ARR. HÔTEL CARON DE

FOURTH ARR. HÔTEL SAINT-LOUIS

A discreet gray façade marks this Upper Marais hotel’s stylish interior.

Its concept: art-gallery-meets-loungemeets-hotel, where you’ll bump into locals as often as you will out-oftowners. Three buildings, including an 18th-century house, are clustered around a private cobblestoned courtyard outfitted with a vertical garden, fireplace and a café that serves breakfast by day and cocktails at night. An urban-chic palette (ecru, café au lait, chocolate) and arty photos documenting the renovation process define the hotel’s 23 rooms. Bonus points for the Molton Brown products in the smartly laid out bathrooms. For a view of Sacré Coeur, ask for a street-facing room on the seventh and eighth floors.

BEAUMARCHAIS

EN L’ISLE

Named for the 18th-century playwright (he wrote The Marriage of Figaro) and revolutionary who did some of his best work up the street—now one of the main shopping drags of the Marais— this 19-room retreat incorporates plenty of historical charm. Archival fabrics cover walls, and the rooms have exposed beams and real antiques.

Granted, even the top-rung rooms are cozy to the point of tiny—more so than other hotels on this list. And those facing the street may prove noisy.

But there is sweetness and light, from the tinkling little chandeliers to the patient staff.

The Île St.-Louis is picture-book Paris, its narrow, cobblestoned streets lined with cafés, boulangeries and the original Berthillon ice cream shop. The Hôtel Saint-Louis en l’Isle, 20 rooms in a handsomely renovated 19thcentury building, sustains the sense of well-polished nostalgia. A twist of your fleur-de-lis-shaped room key reveals stone floors, tufted velvet headboards and custom bathroom fixtures. Other thoughtful details—such as the loaner iPads with weather, currency, and translation apps—belie the reasonable price. So does the central location: the Latin Quarter, the Marais, and the tangle of flying buttresses at the rear of Notre Dame are all just a bridge span away.

11 Rue des Gravilliers; 33-1/4454-13-13; hoteljulesetjim.com; doubles from €174. Métro: Arts et Métiers

12 Rue Vieille du Temple; 33-1/ 42-72-34-12; carondebeaumarchais.com; doubles from €137. Métro: Hôtel de Ville; St.-Paul

75 Rue St.-Louis en l’Île; 33-1/46-34-04-80; saintlouisenlisle.com; doubles from €167. Métro: Pont-Marie; Cité TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 111

Breakfast at the Hôtel Amour, in the Ninth Arrondissement.

Right: A guest room at the hotel.

EIGHTH ARR. HÔTEL D’ALBION

NINTH ARR. GRAND HÔTEL DE TURIN

NINTH ARR. HÔTEL AMOUR

The Rue de Penthièvre is unexpectedly quiet for being just a few blocks from both the Champs-Élysées and President Sarkozy’s official pad on the Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré. Another surprise: how smartly some brightly patterned wallpaper and plush-looking bedspreads can perk up humdrum furniture and basic baths. One of several properties on the street, it’s by far the best value: the 26 rooms, though small, feel up-to-date and chic, aided by exposed beams (on the fifth floor) and wall-to-wall carpet that’s actually nice. A breakfast garden is filled with potted plants, marigolds and a chestnut tree. The quirky proprietors may seem gruff to guests not accustomed to Parisian manners, but give them a smile and they become pussycats.

Though the hotel has been open nearly half a century, its 51 rooms are IKEA-upbeat and regularly renovated, the latest handful about a year ago. Friendly and capable hotel staff can be counted on to steer you through the restaurant-rich neighborhood, a few blocks downhill from Montmartre. The modern sensibility carries through to the lobby and its poppy vinyl furniture. With seasonal and Web offers, a night here can cost as little as €63—making it easier to forgive the lack of AC.

This 24-room boutique is a perennial favorite: book far in advance, especially for stays during Fashion Week in October and March. Restaurant scion Thierry Costes and artist and nightlife celeb Mr. André splurged on highthread-count sheets, Kiehl’s products and unique design—think jewel-toned lacquer walls, original photography and collectible toys—while spurning needless amenities for the laptop generation, such as TV’s and phones.

Several rooms have bathrooms sans walls, so you should only stay with your closest intimate. A lively bistro—with one of Paris’s most hopping brunches— substitutes for a lobby and acts as an artery for the cool kids enlivening the Ninth Arrondissement.

15 Rue de Penthièvre; 33-1/42-6584-15; hotelalbion.net; doubles from €115.

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$ 6 Rue Victor Massé; 33-1/ 48-78-45-26; hoteldeturin.com; doubles from €104. Métro: Pigalle

8 Rue Navarin; 33-1/48-78-31-80; hotelamourparis.fr; doubles from €148.

Métro: Pigalle; St.-Georges

Reception at the Hôtel de la Porte Dorée, below.

Right: A room at Hôtel Amour.

11TH ARR. HÔTEL DES ARTS BASTILLE

12TH ARR. HÔTEL DE LA PORTE DORÉE

18TH ARR. LE RELAIS MONTMARTRE

The 35 recently renovated rooms at the Hôtel des Arts Bastille are snug, efficient, colorful—and well situated for taking advantage of the city’s bobo (bourgeois-bohemian) scene. Up the vibrant Rue de Charonne from the hotel is Septime, one of the hottest tables in Paris. A couple of blocks away is the Art Nouveau landmark Le Bistro du Peintre; closer to the Bastille you’ll find a lineup of fashion favorites such as Isabel Marant and French Trotters. And you’re less than 10 minutes by foot from the multi-culti Marché d’Aligre, open every day except Monday.

Located on the city’s residential eastern fringe, just a couple of avenues over from Paris’s largest park, the Bois de Vincennes, the Hôtel de la Porte Dorée feels like a bourgeois town house, with 43 charming rooms over four floors and a towering bookshelf on every landing.

Lovingly renovated by FrancoAmerican owners who stocked the place with antiques and reproductions, the hotel recently received a Green Key award for adopting energy-efficient operations and serving free-trade coffee at breakfast, among other eco-conscious practices. Traveling with kids? You’re a five-minute walk from the tropical aquarium at the Palais de la Porte Dorée and the boats and pony rides at Lac Daumesnil.

A block from the Moulin Rouge, in the quaint Abbesses neighborhood, is a cheap and cheerful 26-room retreat— emphasis on the cheerful. Common areas are mismatched in an informal, country-house way, with stacks of English-language books in the lobby and a basement-level breakfast nook with exposed stone walls. (The €15 continental breakfast includes fresh-squeezed o.j. and excellent croissants.) Rooms are a bit lived-in but pleasant, with happy hues and accents of handmade fabric; the friendly staff is ready to help with restaurant bookings. If genuine hominess is the goal, this is your spot. ✚

2 Rue Godefroy Cavaignac; 33-1/43-79-72-57; paris-hotel-desarts.com; doubles from €82. Métro: Charonne

273 Ave. Daumesnil; 33-1/43-0756-97; hoteldelaportedoree.com; doubles from €141. Métro: Porte Dorée

6 Rue Constance; 33-1/70-6425-25; hotel-relais-montmartre.com; doubles from €178. Métro: Blanche

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 113

The Christianshavns canal in Indre By, in central Copenhagen. Right: A chamomile gel and hay “parfait” with sorrel juice and rapeseed oil at Noma.

Opposite: The dinner scene at Relæ.

The Best Little Eating Town In Europe P H O T O G R A P H E D BY M A R C U S N I L S S O N

In the beginning there was Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant that sparked a chain reaction of culinary creativity around the globe. Now, the next generation of upstarts is earning the Danish capital its place at the epicenter of the food world. So, what are you waiting for? BY A D A M S A C H S TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 115

I

magine you are a mushroom. What do you dream of? In the not-so-distant past, the lucky few would have been shipped off to France and pressed into the service of haute cuisine, minced into a dainty duxelles. Or perhaps would have gone out in style, drowned in cream and Cognac.

But the world of fine dining has changed while you’ve been lazing in the shade, mushroom. You’re the main event now. (Suck it, rib eye.) You’re a hen of the woods. A gnarled, many-limbed and meaty beast, growing fat as an actual chicken on the cold Danish forest floor. Here comes a famous foraging chef to pluck you from obscurity, tote you gingerly back to his kitchen, age you like a steak and make you a star. Two weeks of rest deepens your fungal funk. Now you’re ready to be pan-roasted and presented whole tableside.

Shown off like some truffle-studded poulet de Bresse or the finest Dover sole. You sit on an inky purée of Gotland truffles and rich mushroom broth. You’re adorned with a garland of shaved truffles and crunchy blades of wild sorrel. This is the life, baby. You ain’t just a salad or a side dish anymore!

The crusading chef and ennobler of vegetables in question is, of course, René Redzepi. His restaurant is Noma, in the dockside Christianshavn district of Copenhagen. Redzepi has become well-known in the past few years for doing things like slowly sautéing winter-hardened year-old “vintage” carrots from the marshy fields of Lammefjord in goat’s butter and chamomile. Or serving a plump and perfect shelled langoustine clinging to the face of a large, warm stone—as if it had just washed ashore on this rock dotted with barnacles made of emulsified oyster and parsley and dusted with toasted rye.

You’d need to have been living under one of these beach stones to have missed the news: Noma is the best restaurant in the world. Actually, it works better if you shout it. Then imagine an entire country of beaming Danes high-fiving each other from the upright seats of their fixed-gear bikes, looking even more apple-cheeked, well-adjusted and handsome than they normally do, while in other quarters of the Continent, the French shrug long-sufferingly and disgruntled Spaniards shake their fists and rattle their nitrous-oxide canisters, wondering who this northern upstart is that’s stolen their culinary limelight.

For two years running, Noma has held the top ranking in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, a poll of international opinion-shapers and professional food nerds (full disclosure: I vote in the thing). Redzepi’s trick is balancing rigorous austerity with freewheeling deliciousness. It’s fun and it’s weird and it’s never, even for a moment, dull or preachy in the way that restaurants with lofty goals (and loftier selfregard) often are. The beams in the spare dining room show their age; gray, mottled and unadorned. The silverware fails to impress with its gleam or heft. In fact, a dozen small courses

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may pass before you’re presented with so much as a fork.

There is a serenity here achieved without the benefit of plush carpeting. No gilded cheese trolley. No waiters in dinner jackets. The chefs deliver the food they’ve made to the table themselves, introducing dishes with unscripted enthusiasm.

At lunch recently, Redzepi came by the table to explain a little plate of battered and fried leek ends—roots and all. “This is an example of what we call ‘trash cooking,’” he said. “By necessity, during a hard winter, we started thinking about what to do with the things in a kitchen you’d normally throw away.”

Of course the idea of crowning any one restaurant as the world’s best is a little goofy. One man’s trash cooking is, after all, another man’s garbage. Still, what’s important is that Redzepi and his team have conjured up that honest rarity: the new thing that isn’t mere novelty. And they did it not by trying to appeal to the exacting standards of the Michelin inspector, not by making things ever more fancy and unapproachable but by returning to the edible topography of Scandinavia and making something beautiful of the overlooked roots, sturdy weeds and cold-water sea creatures he found there.

In doing so he grabbed the attention of the gastro-tourists and wandering food writers and poll-takers alike. Praise and

NORDIC HEIGHTS From above: One of two enclosed pavilions at Torvehallerne KBH food market; the blackboard takeaway menu at Manfreds & Vin, on Jægersborggade. Opposite, from top: Chef Christian Puglisi of Restaurant Relæ; a hearty breakfast at Manfreds.

attention are heaped on the 34-year-old chef in the liberal manner that herring here is piled onto smørrebrød. More importantly, the success of Noma has inspired and challenged his fellow chefs—and changed the way the city eats.

Now Redzepi’s cooks are spreading through town, opening places of their own and trying on new styles. The first flush of Noma imitators seems to have died down (there is only so much edible dirt people can eat). And outside forces such as the financial crisis have led some big-name chefs to close their ambitious expense-account dining rooms and open more casual, populist restaurants. Redzepi told me he’d seen wild ramson leaves in a Copenhagen supermarket, something unthinkable a few years ago. I wouldn’t know a ramson if I stepped on it, but I got his point: the Nordic culinary revolution is real and ongoing. It’s an ideal time to visit what’s arguably the most exciting place to eat in Europe right now, a city enjoying its time in the spotlight and busy figuring out what comes next.

T

he best way to reach the cobblestoned street of Jægersborggade is to cut through the leafy lanes of Assistens Cemetery.

Grumpy Kierkegaard is buried here, as is the smooth American saxophonist Ben Webster. More transient visitors sunbathe between the cherry trees. The place is, like the whole city, designed for enjoyment, practical cycling and strolling.

There’s a hand-painted sign pointing up and down Jægersborggade. Food and art this way, wine and ceramics over here.

You could probably find the Coffee Collective without the sign.

Look for the bikes parked out front and follow the strong smell of good coffee into the phone-booth-size space. They roast their own beans here (from Panama, Brazil, Guatemala and Kenya). Sitting in the sun and sipping espresso at the picnic table outside, it’s hard to imagine this was once a derelict block run by hash dealers.

It wasn’t until two ex-Noma guys Christian Puglisi and Kim Rossen opened a small place called Restaurant Relæ that the neighborhood began to change.

Before long, people on pilgrimage to Noma heard about its ex-sous-chef doing inventive stuff in an unfashionable part of town. Locals jammed the place every night. Puglisi next opened Manfreds, a wine bar and casual all-day restaurant across the street, and now there was a place on the block to get a bottle of natural wine and stick around after dinner. Redzepi’s business partner, Claus Meyer, opened Meyers Bageri. The bakery, which makes bread and pastries from organic flour they produce themselves in the north of the country, stands opposite the Coffee Collective as a perfect breakfast counterpart: two very small places doing a narrow range of things remarkably well.

You could easily justify a day of eating your way up and down Jægersborggade. Stop for espressos at the picnic table outside the Coffee Collective, cross the street for some » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 117

GREAT DANES Clockwise from top left: Lars “The Viking”

Williams, head of research and development at the Nordic Food Lab; Noma’s quayside home, a former grain and whale-blubber warehouse; Bo Bech, executive chef and owner of Geist; fish-and-chips at Kødbyens Fiskebar.

knotty cinnamon rolls, cross back, repeat. Make some time to visit Keramiker Inge Vincents, whose diaphanous ceramics are used at Relæ. The one thing you can’t get on the street anymore is hash. Last summer, city officials took notice of how much business the Noma diaspora was bringing to a formerly unkempt area. Dining trumped drugs and the cops chased the pushers off Jægersborggade. (I hear they’ve relocated to a nearby park. No hard feelings.)

F

uck what they’re doing in France,” Puglisi says. Except it’s hard to get across how affable and gentle he sounds as he says it. Puglisi is half Sicilian, half Norwegian, raised mostly in Denmark, and a model specimen of the current crop of Copenhagen restaurateurs: young, entrepreneurial, loyal to Redzepi but eager to blaze his own trail. What he learned at Noma, what he calls “the dogmat-

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ic Nordic approach,” was to create lighter dishes, use more vegetables, more acidity, less dependence on veal stock and other building blocks of classic fine dining. “But the most important thing that Noma is teaching us is to do our own thing. Not everyone has to forage and use sea buckthorn and pine needles. The point is to do something that other people don’t and make it what you want it to be.”

For Puglisi that has meant cooking original food that doesn’t fit any particular label and having fun doing it. Relæ has two set menus a night, one of them vegetarian. Johnny Cash is on the stereo. The tiny open kitchen is full of silent orchestrated mayhem. First on the vegetable menu is an orb of sheep’s-milk yogurt enveloping bites of turnip. Layered over the yogurt, stems up, is a covering of green nasturtium leaves.

It’s all seemingly so simple, but then again it isn’t: the piquant yogurt whipped with a little cream into a supple mousse; the bright, surprising, peppery spice delivered by the nasturtium;

the turnips mellowed by cooking but still retaining a welcome crunch. It’s a dish to make you love a vegetable menu, and one that exemplifies Puglisi’s dictum: for a small kitchen to turn out thoughtful, engaging food at a decent price, you have to think as much about the flavors and composition of a dish as you would at a restaurant like Noma—then find ways to make them dead simple to get on the plate. “I don’t want a Michelinstarred restaurant with that kind of rhythm. I want something crazy busy. I want it to be hammering.”

I

tried several times to make a reservation at Radio but that wasn’t possible. I tried to make a lunch reservation but again, no luck. Finally the online reservation grid opened, though just a crack.

Precisely one seat was available that week at 1 p.m. on Saturday, which is precisely when I showed up to find the place completely empty.

“Adam?” the waiter warmly smiled when I poked my head in the door, wondering if I’d arrived on the wrong day. He explained that they intentionally limit the crowd at lunch. “We don’t want to be stressed all the time!” the waiter said. And it was true, he didn’t seem stressed at all. Today they’d decided to take just a dozen bookings. The other 11 would be here shortly.

Radio is small and wood-paneled and pleasant. Johnny Cash was on the stereo here, too, singing “Bridge over Troubled Water,” a song I’d never heard him cover. Maybe he only sings it in Danish restaurants, where it seems he is in eternal demand. Claus Meyer is a partner here, too, which explains the reach and undeniable popularity of what is, to all appearances, a tidy little neighborhood joint. The restaurant has a 8,000-square-meter patch of organically farmed land outside the city that supplies most of its vegetables, and it sources wild meat directly from hunters on Lolland Island, in the Baltic Sea. The waiter delivered a wooden tray of crunchy-chewy little bits of fried Jerusalem artichokes with horseradish cream and a glass of good Morgon. I covered a few slices of bread with some salty butter that had been whipped with little caramelized onions and found that I didn’t feel stressed at all, either.

My friend the waiter returned to suggest today’s chicken and named the farm it came from (“It’s world-famous in Denmark,” he said). It was meltingly tender and paired with roasted beets, slices of pickled pear and beet leaves dressed in something buttery. I finished with a plate of Danish hay cheese with sticky dabs of green-walnut compote and watched the parade of bicycles riding by outside. Bicycles with buckets on the front for healthy groceries and happy children. Bicycles decorated and personalized and practical. Radio reminded me of those sensible Danish bicycles: an everyday thing that’s well built but not showy, delivering what’s asked of it, with a seat just for one.

It’s a sign of how far things have come that it’s taken for granted that even a neighborhood restaurant will have its own organic vegetable source, clean design and good cheese. After lunch I walked over to Torvehallerne KBH, the city’s new

covered food market. Another former Noma sous-chef was, until recently, running a stall here selling vegetables. The market isn’t huge but its mere existence is a sign that interest in Nordic ingredients and cooking is making its way from high-level restaurants into the marketplace, changing how people shop and cook.

I carefully avoided eating anything more, and eventually headed to dinner at Geist, which faces Kongens Nytorv square.

This is a more formal neighborhood, surrounded by palace gardens and the Royal Danish Theater. And Geist is of a different breed of restaurants than pretty much anything else in town. It was designed by Space, the same Copenhagen-based firm that put the woolly throws on the wooden chairbacks at Noma. Where that room is restful, Geist is revved-up. It feels like a flashy London restaurant, with none of the earthy, delicate qualities I’d come to expect here. It is a sleek and sexy machine in shades of swank grays and shiny black. The food, like the finishes, is stark and muscular.

A gigantic, L-shaped black bar seats 30 and surrounds a mostly black and shiny kitchen theater at the center of which Bo Bech performs nightly. The chef is, like that chicken, worldfamous in Denmark. He looks as steely as his gleaming induction stoves, plating at a central station while around him an agile team of gray-smocked cooks pull an impressive range of things from sous vide baths, steam ovens and simmering pots.

The kitchen machine is, as Puglisi would say, hammering.

The food walks the line between sumptuous and brutalist, usually to good effect. Some of the dishes are monochrome: two gargantuan stalks of white asparagus dressed sparingly in a creamy white sauce on a black plate. Others are warming and direct: a rich potato purée with crabmeat, spooned up with a salty cloud of aerated butter; smoked eel with translucently thin shavings of cauliflower. Order a coffee and you get a big Einstein’s-head of white cotton candy on the side.

Bech’s cooking style seems rooted less in a Nordic culinary philosophy and more on a precise methodology: find great local ingredients, put a couple of them together in interesting pairings, cook them well, salt liberally and get them onto the plate with a minimum of distracting fuss. Sit at the bar, order as many courses as you care to eat. It’s modern restaurant cooking distilled to its elemental core. The food’s not aim-forthe-fences ambitious. It’s engineered to please, and in that sense seems as timely as anything happening in the city.

O

ne of the hallmarks of a city made for wandering is that the view is constantly changing, never dull. Copenhagen is a puzzle of islands and bridges, houseboatlined canals and man-made urban lakes, twee red houses slumping into their ancient foundations and stately Rococo palaces. Walk long enough and you’ll find yourself alone on a quiet canal, with only a seagull for company and an empty tugboat bearing the motto it’s only love give it away. Turn a few corners and here comes » TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | APRIL 2012 119

the Band of the Royal Danish Life Guards, stomping down the block in bibs and chin-strapped hats, banging their drums and blowing trumpets in the rain. (Come to think of it, I’ve never not seen a marching band in Copenhagen.)

It can be hard to see how the pieces fit together, different neighborhoods imprinting memories of distinct cities. Some places feel like different planets. One evening I walked to the address I’d written down for dinner and found myself facing the Danish national football stadium. The restaurant Geranium is affixed incongruously to the eighth floor of this arena, looking very much like it just crash-landed from Planet Fine Dining. All the cooks in the giant mission-control kitchen wear towering white toques. Their leader is Rasmus Kofoed, a chef who won the Bocuse d’Or competition, the “world cup” of chefs cooking things people don’t actually eat. If this achievement happens to slip your mind, your waiter will certainly remind you when he invites you to visit Kofoed’s gold, bronze and silver trophies proudly displayed in the spotless kitchen.

What can I say about the food that emanated from this trophy room? It was flawless in its way. Precisely composed, good-tasting, lacking only a soul. There were no missteps, except that for me the entire enterprise felt misguided, empty.

The actors knew their lines but the play was exquisitely boring.

And the experience was hideously expensive. There is a menu called, without a wink, “our total universe tasting menu” (see, these betoqued visitors have crossed the universe!), which costs more than €400.

At the end of a very long meal, after we’d been treated to many explanations about the house specialties, after we’d been presented with the side of lamb bacon and lectured on the ways it would enhance a dish called “herb garden,” after we’d been shown the golden trophies and instructed to drink a glass of milk with one of the desserts, after we’d paid the staggering bill and were ready to leave this kitchen stadium—after all that, the waiter offered one last treat.

“Would you like to take a tour of our wine cave?”

“Not really, thank y—” “Perfect, right this way…”

B

ut the spaceship was the rigid, retrograde exception that proved Copenhagen’s groovy rule. A few days later I returned to Noma for a visit to a very different vessel where a more compelling form of culinary futurism is being practiced. The Nordic Food Lab is run out of a boat docked on a quay next to the restaurant. Redzepi helped found the independent institute in the summer of 2011. He introduced us to Lars Williams, a tall, tattooed, friendly American who heads up research and development for the lab. “If the Vikings still existed, they would look just like Lars,” Redzepi said.

For the next hour or so Williams and Redzepi ran around the boat pulling out experiments in various stages of development for us to taste and smell. We sampled garum, that seasoning of ancient Rome, made from fermented herring. Aged

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yellow peas that had been turned into a kind of Scandinavian miso paste—pungent, delicious and confusing. We sipped buckwheat fermented in the manner of sake. They’ve developed a seaweed cheese. All the lab’s findings are made public in the hopes that big food companies will take up the task of using more of the edible landscape. Williams put a frozen canister into a Pacojet and whipped up seaweed ice cream.

“Fun stuff happens here,” Redzepi said.

When or how all of this inventiveness will appear on restaurant menus or supermarket shelves, it’s impossible to say. One thing Redzepi has accomplished that won’t go away soon is to push fine dining away from an idea of stuffy luxury and nudge it toward his own style of lyric naturalism. There’s an anti-fussy elegance to the new Nordic approach, and I hope it’s catching.

I asked Redzepi why he sends the chefs out to introduce their dishes. “There is something important in that idea of putting two hands forward and saying: ‘Here is something we made, we hope you like it.’ The essence of a restaurant is a sensation of giving.” ✚

GUIDE TO EATING IN COPENHAGEN N

Geranium

North Sea

SWEDEN

DENMARK Copenhagen

Restaurant Manfreds & Vin Relæ Coffee Collective Meyers Bageri

GERMANY

Torvehallerne KBH Radio

0

Geist 1.6 km

Noma

Coffee Collective 10 Jægersborggade; 45/6015-1525; coffee for two €7.

Meyers Bageri 9 Jægersborggade; 45/2510-1134; pastries for two €3.80.

Geist 8 Kongens Nytorv; 45/3313-3713; dinner for two €106.

Mielcke & Hurtigkarl A playful, pretty twist on Nordic cuisine from the two eponymous chef-owners in a floral dining room within the Frederiksberg Royal Gardens. 1 Frederiksberg Runddel; 45/3834-8436; dinner for two €183.

Geranium 4 Per Henrik Lings Allé, eighth floor; 45/6996-0020; dinner for two €300.

Kødbyens Fiskebar Casual seafood spot in Copenhagen’s lively meatpacking district.

There’s a Noma alum in the kitchen and a sommelier, Anders Selmer, who makes wine in Denmark that is also served at Noma. 100 Flæsketorvet; 45/3215-5656; dinner for two €110.

Manfreds & Vin 40 Jægersborggade; 45/3696-6593; dinner for two €24.

Noma 93 Strandgade; 45/32963297; dinner for two €400.

Radio 12 Julius Thomsens Gade; 45/2510-2733; dinner for two €80.

Restaurant Relæ 41 Jægersborggade; 45/3696-6609; dinner for two €90.

Torvehallerne KBH A visit to this colorful food hall is a must. 21 Frederiksborggade; 45/7010-6070.

Mads Juel, a barista at the Coffee Collective stand at Torvehallerne KBH.

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM | MARCH 2012 117

lastlook

SEOUL, KOREA “I took this picture at the Korea House, where I’d brought my foreign friends to see a performance of a traditional fan dance. To be honest, it was something that I had never seen either. I felt like it was the most beautiful dance in the world. I felt proud. My usual subjects as a photographer are the lives of people. I have been photographing people around the world for more than 10 years. You might think this picture is just a performance image, but I see it as a moment in the dancer’s daily life. The dancers perform this fan dance several times a day, so I felt like I was catching them in their regular routine. I took the picture with 1/13 of a second shutter speed, and the long exposure allowed me to capture the dynamic flow of the dance as well as the clear face of the dancer in the middle, like the eye of a beautiful storm.” ✚ p ho t o g r a p he r s e o ng jo o n cho • i n tervi ew ed by r i char d her mes 122 APRIL 2012 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

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BY WOO BAr BArTeNDer MiCKeY FrOM W SeOUL

Presented by W Seoul – Walkerhill and held at hip address bund 18, the maiden mainland W Happening showcased hot design and photography and genre-defying beats from DJ Angus Wong and celebrity Seoul spinner DJ Soulscape to the trendsetters of Shanghai.

Singapore duo studio Juju, one of the winners of the W Hotels designers of the future award 2011, represented the best in new design with its installation, ‘A Tent’, exhibited at W Hong Kong. The worlds of design and fashion also collided with a startlingly raw exhibition, ‘Between Us: A Model’s Life’ from annemarieke van drimmelen at this hip happening.

The model-turned-photographer and W design lab winner captures intimate portraits of leading models including Caroline de Maigret, Saskia de Brauw and Nimue Smias as they go about their daily lives. These intimate black and white portraits were first seen during the Fashion’s Night Out Happening in W New York – Times Square.

Two top names on the DJ circuit, angus Wong and dJ soulscape, were behind the turntables to create a fitting soundscape for W’s first foray on the mainland. Famous for lifting his listeners to exhilarating highs with his mix of cool retro beats, Wong is one of six up and coming DJs from the W burn dJ lab studio, which platforms hot young talent from the hippest cities worldwide. Seoul-born DJ Soulscape is currently making a name for himself in the US with hot remixes of ‘70s soul and funk, and his music is available via the W iphone app.

With several W Hotels poised to make their debut in mainland China starting with W guangzhou in 2012 – closely followed by beijing in 2013 and shanghai in 2014 – this W Happening provided the middle kingdom with a taste of new experiences based around W Hotels’ three passion points – design, music and fashion.

tHe best design: ‘A TeNT’ FrOM STUDiO JUJU exHiBiTeD AT W HONg KONg

mix and mingle: THe DJS WiTH ANNeMArieKe VAN DriMMeLeN AND DiMPHY DeN OTTer

new year new style The bigges biggesT T,, mos T mosT T glamorous par parT Ty T y nighT of The year, new year’s eve ve is celebra celebraTed in characTerisT eris ically show-s erisT show-sT Topping Topping sT sT Tyle yle a aT T w wiTh fab food, The he cooles coolesT T cockT cockT Tails ails and visionary dJ’s d J’s all luring hip revelers T To o an unforgeTT TTable able counTdown.

let tHe COUntDOwn BeGIn: ABOvE: REvELERS AT THE NEW YEAR’S PARTY AT W HONG KONG’S LIvING ROOM. RIGHT: DAN AvERY AT W RETREAT & SPA BALI

COCKtaIls wItH CHeer: TOASTING IN THE

w retreat & spa Bali – seminyak counted down to NEW YEAR IN STYLE 2012 with a buffet dinner at Fire, where sumptuous AT W RETREAT & SPA BALI –SEMINYAK oysters and prime meats revved up energy levels before the celebrations went full swing. Resident DJ nanda was first on the decks followed by W Hotels Burn Lab artist DJ Dan avery (UK), aka Stopmakingme, who paired electro with techno and post-punk with new wave without skipping a beat in the lead-up to midnight.

Top house talent Graham lord, another UK turntablist, took the tunes to another level for the champagne countdown and fireworks while the after party spinned out to the cool tech house of Norwegian DJ/producer Djuma soundsystem. Bali revelers recuperated on New Year’s Day at Fire’s recovery Brunch and star Fish Bloo’s Hangover Brunch, an exaggerated version of the hotel’s Sunday Brunch featuring turkey and roasted duck, plus a chilled-out sunset session at wooBar with DJ Angus Wong. Amid the neon-clad skyscrapers, w Hong Kong steered in 2012 with a Hed Kandi happening, Disco’s revenge, featuring a funk and electro soundtrack mixed up by DJ andrew Daniels, a live sax performance from aimee Jay, plus support from DJ’s adrian armirail and romi B. Post-party blues were blown away the next day with bamboo baskets of dim sum at top Canto restaurant sing yin, and an interactive buffet – complete with moving Mona Lisa and a countable wall of golden eggs – at Kitchen. From its luxury playground on Fesdu Island, w retreat & spa – Maldives saluted the New Year with Danish DJ duo enur, who whipped the crowd up into a frenzy at 15 Below with the W Happening ‘Unplug 2011 & Play 2012’. The next day, revelers shook off hangovers over barbecue feasts at Fire and Asianskewed seafood plates at Fish.

GastrO Heaven: W BALI GUESTS RECOUPED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY WITH BRUNCH AT FIRE AND STARFISH BLOO

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w hong an imaginative and playful design theme of “once upon kong awith time in the enchanted forest…” w hong kong remains as iconic now as when it first opened at its buzzing location amid kowloon’s bright lights. the enchanted forest is symbolic of the city’s distinctly lofty landscape, where skyscrapers reach up to create an urban canopy unlike any other. since its grand debut, w hong kong has earned several worthy accolades, including ‘top 10 trendiest hotels in asia 2011’ from tripadvisor, ‘top 5 best boutique/design hotels 2011’ in national geographic traveler china, ‘best new business hotel’ in asia pacific 2009 & 2010 _ business traveller and ‘hot list 2009/spa hotlist 2009’ – condé nast traveller.

an oasis of urban chic

The next stop on the enchanted trail is the Living Room, W’s trendy take on the traditional hotel lobby, where a vivid ecosystem of leaves, butterflies, hummingbirds and mosquitos – represented as installations and on plush printed cushions – propels the enchanted forest theme to further magical heights. A place to call home, iving Room is an eventful venue where W happenings – driven by music, design and fashion – take place. Recent events include Business of Design Week (BODW), W Hotels and Burn Studio DJ Lab Global Tour, and glam fashion events.

Topping out this bewitching wonderland is WET on the 76th floor, the hotel’s iconic rooftop swimming pool and poolside bar, WET DECK, which is the venue for W’s legendary Summer Series, the hottest invite in town. The magical journey starts from the tree trunks in the lobby, which continue all the way up to WET and ends with the dramatic Bisazza mosaic wall, which depicts an explosion of fantasy. The bar serves up sunsetinis and mitch martinis against a sonic backdrop of cutting-edge beats from Burn Studio DJ Lab artist Angus Wong.

The magical aura continues in the guest rooms, particularly the Extreme Wow suite and Wow Suites, all of which feature sensational harbor views best enjoyed from the deluxe tub. Many international celebrities are fans of W’s super-sumptuous suites, including Kylie Minogue, Avril Lavigne, Rain, Zhou Xun, Lionel Richie and Jay Chou.

Sing Yin is W’s first Chinese restaurant, designed by international architect and interior designer Steve Leung, who showases the unique features of Hong Kong’s streetscapes in a groundbreaking, contemporary way.

The main dining space pays tribute to the city skyline while the semi-private and private rooms zoom in on less obvious details: the gorgeously glam gold room is a nod to the city’s many gold boutiques, while one festooned with bird cages represents the city’s bird markets.

On the menu is authentic Chinese cusine from W Hong Kong’s Chinese head chef Bryan Lee.

Over in the Kitchen, the Mad Hatter’s tea party awaits as evidenced by the topsy-turvy bowls and dishes playfully stacked in glass cabinets behind the first true communal dining table in Hong Kong, which encourages guests to not only interact with the nearby chefs but also with each other.

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01 the daZZling singapore skyline 02 paragon Centre on orChard road 03 the Chilled out vibe of siloso 04 a white tiger at the night safari 05 w singapore – sentosa Cove

island glamour unleashed in singapore

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04 Combining the allure of a City setting – hot shopping, restaurants and nightlife – with the blissed-out ambienCe of a beaCh loCale, w singapore – sentosa Cove will have it all when it opens this august from its sexy spot on the glittering shores of sentosa island.

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One of Singapore’s top draws is only moments away from the hotel, Universal Studios, where you can ride adrenalin-pumping rollercoasters and other moviethemed attractions. Alternatively, ride the waves on a skimboard, join a game of volleyball or simply stretch out under a sun lounger at siloso, Singapore’s most happening beach location, which is also home to azzura, Sentosa’s first nightclub, where international DJ’s power up the turntables and a cool crowd soaks up the vibe from the beachside jacuzzi.

Beyond Sentosa’s action-packed, palm-thronged beaches, Singapore’s downtown area is shopping nirvana, home to hip UK fashion names like Top Shop

and Warehouse and luxury brands including Gucci and YSL, all located within swish malls such as ION Orchard and the Paragon Centre. The lion city is also the place to pick up more quirky retail offshoots, like haji lane, a tiny street tucked away in the Muslim quarter that recalls New York’s meatpacking district.

Browse the racks of retro stylings at Know It Nothing – from US heritage brand Gitman Vintage and Stone For Gold’s ethnic pouches and purses – or settle down in the cute ice cream parlour at Pluck after checking out its fashion/homeware emporium, where vintage kimonos line up against lavish printed pillows.

One of Asia’s most lip-smacking cities, Singapore is a delectable melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian, and the most authentic mouthfuls are found at the Hawker centres – pull up a stool at Maxwell Road or Lau Pa Sat – where dishes like Hainanese Chicken Rice and Nasi Lemak compete for your taste buds attention.

Come nightfall, the lion city roars into action – literally – at the night safari, where nocturnal species including elephants, tigers, rhinos and lions come out to play.

Wrap up your Singapore stopover at Zouk, where seven resident DJ’s spin a funky house set, then settle in with a nightcap back at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove.

dJ bouJi iNTERNATiONAL PARTy ScENE fAvORiTE

The W hoTels and burn sTudios dJ lab Global Tour has been crankinG up The TurnTables and packinG ouT dance floors aT W locaTions WorldWide WiTh creaTive, Genre-defyinG mixes from six of The World’s hoTTesT dJ’s since The Tour Took off lasT sepTember.

sTopmakinGme RESiDENT DJ AT HOT LONDON cLuB fABRic

anGus WonG: HONg KONg SENSATiON WiTH gLOBAL RETRO APPEAL

dJ eiko TOKyO TuRNTABLiST AND fASHiON BLOggER

miaoumix PARiSiAN DuO WHO SPuN AT fASHiON NExT AND RESiDENTS AT LA BARON

W Maldives just featured a residency from W Burn DJ Lab artist dJ angus Wong, who lit up the North Ari atoll with his sultry beats from 21-25 January as part of the tour. Wong also joined Tokyo-based DJ, singer and fashion blogger dJ eiko behind the decks at W Hong Kong on 3 December for the closing party of W sponsored event Business of Design Week (BODW), where established and up-and-coming designers bonded over Disco Detox, Spin Spin Sugar and Down Tempo cocktails. Back in October, W Taipei hosted DJ Eiko for the Heaven & Hell Hallowe’en Party as part of the tour, while W Seoul hosted Wong at its annual W WOW party on 25 November. W retreat & spa bali – seminyak’s first year anniversary party over the weekend of 2-4 march, was sound tracked by Hed Kandi and Angus Wong, who also rocks up for a date at W Retreat – Koh Samui this April.

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W TAipei ToAsTeD iTs firsT YeAr AnniversArY WiTh The ‘one Love’ evenT AT WeT AnD WooBAr, A sTYLish re-imAgining of The pArTY sCene from The TAiWAnese movie ‘Love’, WhiCh WAs fiLmeD AT The hoTeL. DireCTor Doze niu singLeD ouT W TAipei As A gLAmorous BACkDrop for one of The movie’s mosT memorABLe sCenes, AnD BesiDes The mAin ChArACTers, mAnY oTher CeLeBriTies AnD ArTisTs ATTenDeD The pArTY in The movie, As DiD W TAipei gm CArY grAY.

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Cheers To TAipei Niu – who scooped an Oscar nomination for his 2010 youth gang movie ‘Monga’ – and stars from the film rocked up to ‘One Love’ to check out a performance from Taiwanese singer Yoga Lin, who sung the film’s background soundtrack music, while DJ’s Cookie and Angus Wong later delivered energetic sets spun out amid a cinematic setting featuring studio cameras and movie screens.

Touted as the Taiwanese take on ‘Love Actually’, Niu’s latest movie is an urban romance set in Taipei and Beijing following the interconnected love lives of Ethan Ruan, Shu Qi, Vicki Zhao, Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, Amber Kuo and the director, who also stars in the film.

W Taipei gets its close-up via Ruan, cast as an in-room dining W Taipei talent who falls for a wealthy socialite played by Shu Qi, who checks into a Fantastic suite as a VIP guest with minted beau Mark Chao. Chao, who plays bad boy businessman Na Ma Ke in the movie, says, “W Taipei provided a most amazing environment for shooting our movie ‘Love’. Not only is it fun and relaxing but also the interior design is simply stunning. I guess that’s why the director and art director chose to shoot here.”

01 pooLsiDe poses W TAIPEI ‘ONE LOVE’ PARTy GuESTS DOZE NIu AND Shu QI ARRIVE 02 in A spin DJ COOKIE DELIVERS A hOT SOuNDTRACK 03 sTAr quALiTY yOGA LIN TAKES TO ThE MIC 04 mAgiCAL mixes DJ ANGuS WONG WAS ON ThE DECKS AT ThE PARTy 05 Born LippY ThE MOST GLAM ChOCS EVER?

findinG

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love a q+a with doze niu, director of the movie, ‘love’, which was partially shot inside w taipei

q: why did you chose to film inside w taipei? a: W Taipei is a comfortable, friendly and fashionable hotel, and it’s become something of a city landmark since it opened last year.

02 01 Golden line-up The casT, DirecTor anD W Taipei GM cary Gray GaTher for a phoTo 02 star quality W Taipei’s BaMBo anD eThan ruan 03 liGhts, camera, action! eThan ruan WiTh ashley hansen anD Mickey huanG 04 love scene a sTill froM The Movie

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q: what were you favorite moments filming at w taipei? a: The crew occupied a lot of space in the hotel when shooting, and it must have been a big challenge to take care of both the in-house guests and us at the same time, but W Taipei talents made it happen. When shooting, we normally came either very early in the morning or very late at night with more than 50 people but they were always so professional and patient. Their pastry chef, ponytail, prepared a very delicate dessert with my name written in chocolate sauce. he came in and told me that he loves my previous movie, ‘Monga’ and wanted to express his respect. i was very flattered. q: w taipei Gm cary Gray was in the movie. how did that come about and what did you like about his performance? a: cary is a very interesting character and i found him quite photogenic so invited him to one of the party scenes with a lot of local celebrities at bar at WeT. he is quite natural and relaxed in the movie, and at one point, he showed off a huge W logo in his hands, and it was actually quite fun. The party became more real with his attendance.

lookinG for love: shu Qi, Mark chao anD Doze niu

q: what do you like about w taipei? a: i love design, and the design, display and details in W Taipei wows me. i found that there are a lot of things in the hotel that i would love to have, and some i already have. i think we have the same taste.

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q: the movie was released on valentine’s day – how do you feel about it now? a: i learned that my work achieved what i wanted it to from those who watched the preview – i wanted the audience to cry and laugh with the movie characters, and they did. We’ve received very positive reviews, so all the hard work has paid off. q: ‘love’ has been selected for the Berlin film festival. do you think this could be one of your biggest movies to date? a: i’m very proud that the movie was selected for the Berlin film festival. This is the second time my work has received such an an accolade – my previous movie, ‘Monga’ was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best foreign language film at the academy awards in 2011.

Monga was a movie about youth gangs while this film is talking about modern romance and the nature of love, a topic that’s both simple and complex. q: do you have plans to film at w taipei again or any other collaborations with the hotel that you can tell us about? a: if W is not afraid of another hassle, of course!

Just kidding! if there’s any good topic that fits in with the hotel, then of course i will choose W again!

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