February 2017 by Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia

Southeast asia

february 2017

Tranquil Tamil Nadu Another side of bali L.a. in the spotlight Paradise in Papua New Guinea

Singapore S$7.90 / Hong Kong HK$43 Thailand THB175 / Indonesia IDR50,000 Malaysia MYR18 / Vietnam VND85,000 Macau MOP44 / Philippines PHP240 Burma MMK35 / Cambodia KHR22,000 Brunei BND7.90 / Laos LAK52,000

T+L WorLd’s BesT aWards 2017

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pornsak na nakorn

dear Travel+Leisure southeast asia readers,

February

ON THE COVER Vivid colors of Tamil Nadu and its temples. Photographer: Val Shevchenko.

features 64

The Gods are in the Details Spirituality infuses all of Tamil Nadu, from temples to the trees. Horatio Clare journeys through the Indian state’s colorful layers. Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram

76 64

c l o c k w i s e F R O M t o p LE F T: t i m l a m a n ; m a h e s h s h a n ta r a m ; d y l a n + j e n i ; i a n l l o y d n e u b a u e r

86 96

Birds of a Feather In Papua New Guinea, Adam H. Graham packs his binoculars for the rare birds-ofparadise, but finds equally enriching human encounters. Photographed by Tim Laman

The Lost Coast On the far eastern shore of Bali, Ian Lloyd Neubauer explores a stilluntainted alternative to the more touristy areas of the island.

Los Angeles Plays Itself What once seemed like so much sprawl has become a closeknit and accessible city driven by culture and cuisine. By Abby Aguirre. Photographed by Dylan + Jeni

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

In Every Issue T+L Digital 8 Contributors 10 Editor’s Note 12 The Conversation 14 Deals 60 Wish You Were Here 106

departments

17 Perfect Exposure An ambitious new gallery in Bangkok builds a home for world-class photographers.

22 The Bahn Mi Bandit Celebrity

chef Luke Nguyen opens up about his new joint in Hong Kong and his quest to propel regional Vietnamese cooking onto the world stage.

the latest travel-friendly

24 Tech for Every Trip We tested innovations and sorted them for all kinds of itineraries

Florists The ancient Japanese

26 Samurai School for Aspiring

art of flower arranging, ikebana branches out.

Big Apple or the Big Easy,

30 Stepping Out Whether it’s the

hole-in-the-wall charm or skyhigh glamour, Singapore’s new bars have a myriad of influences.

Beyond

stylish seaside resort in Sanya

48 Tropics of China The arrival of a heralds the beginning of a new era for Hainan, China’s favorite island getaway.

33 Alone with the Gods A new

tented camp and freshly paved roads offer travelers better access to the Banteay Chhmar temple complex in northwestern Cambodia.

Upgrade

53 When in Rome When it comes to traditional customs, travel can be a behavioral minefield. We’ve collated a few essentials to help you get culturally attuned before your next trip.

37 It’s All in the Bag Handcrafted,

Philippine-made minaudières pack a powerful sartorial punch.

wraps the country’s full array of

40 Ripe on the Vine South Australia wine making into one delicious package.

46 Coming into Focus After finding a following for her stunning travel images, chef-turned-

photographer Lauren Bath traded her apron for a new life.

february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

F R O M LE F T: j o h n l a u r i e ; d i a n a h u b b e l l ; c o u r t e s y o f ya a n a v e n t u r e s ; c o u r t e s y o f k e n s a m u d i o

Here & Now

t+l digital

Lookout

An Eco-St ylish Safari Lodge Arrives in Nepal Meghauli Lodge is bringing travelers back to Chitwan National Park, and helping to save endangered rhinos.

A Jungle Feast in Borneo Join two of our intrepid contributors on a river-rafting adventure into the heart of Borneo’s rainforest.

The Ultimate Craft Cocktail Guide Bars around Asia are ginning up mind-bendingly complex craft cocktails. We offer our list of the region’s top tipples.

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fr o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f ta j h o t e l s ; k i t y e n g c h a n ; c o u r t e s y o f b o i l e rm a k e r h o u s e

this month on tr avelandleisureasia.com

New life in old Bangkok; Asia’s first luxury destination club debuts; travel trends for the year ahead; where to go in 2017; the latest travel deals; and more.

contributors

february 2017

P h o to gr a p h er

w r i t er

Perfect Exposure Page 17 — Before shooting Bangkok’s hot new gallery, House of Lucie, Vetchamaleenot had to find it. “It is hard to find. The door is small, but inside you’re transported to a big, bright space, like going in a tunnel and emerging in a new place.” It heralds a new era in the arts scene. “In Thailand, in the past, a photographer wasn’t an artist. Paintings, not photos, went in galleries. But now people are interested in photos as creative work.” He, though, is interested in some of the old ways. “I like to take my family to the floating markets near Bangkok so my kids can see the way people live on the river, making do with the simple boat life.”

Alone With the Gods Page 33 — “Compared to Angkor Wat, where you are almost never alone,” says Cummings of a new immersive glamping program in Cambodia, “at Banteay Chhmar you can explore in depth for hours without seeing another soul. I could wander the ruins any time. I loved being so close to the amazing 32-armed Avalokitesvara relief.” He wasn’t just soaking it in but also giving back. “The project has pulled together the entire community in support of archaeological and cultural conservation. I sensed an immense pride in Banteay Chhmar history among almost every local I met.” Instagram: @joejcummings.

Adam H. Graham

Nan-Hie In

Birds of a Feather Page 76 — “Birds-of-paradise have the most bizarre mating displays that transform their entire bodies,” says Graham, who went to Papua New Guinea to spot them. “They’re also increasingly threatened and need as much protection as possible.” You might think the same of tourists to PNG, due to its crime problem. “But I found the opposite during my trip to the Highlands. People were incredibly friendly and kind. No one asked for money. I felt a special kinship with the shy Wigmen. I also learned a lot from my Mt. Hagen guide Natasha, who spoke honestly and candidly about sensitive subjects.” Instagram: @adamgraham.

The Banh Mi Bandit Page 22 — In the slowing Hong Kong economy, In says, many new kitchens have replaced oldguard ones, making the dining scene dynamic. “Luke Nguyen is the Vietnamese equivalent of Jamie Oliver,” she says. Look out for obscure duck dishes from Sapa, and his banh mi—options include a “pho-guette,” with oxtail smothered in hoisin sauce and pho garnishes like chilis, citrus and bean sprouts. “Chef Nguyen is this lively, gourmand. He’s experienced many culinary and adventure travel hijinks. His passion to raise the ante of his native cuisine on a global level is as infectious as it is admirable.” Instagram: @nanhiein.

W r i t er

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f S u pa c h at V e t c h a m a l e e n o n t; c o u r t e s y o f j o e c u mm i n g s ; c o u r t e s y o f a d a m h . g r a h a m ; c o u r t e s y o f n a n - h i e I n

Supachat Joe Vetchamaleenont Cummings

editor’s note

february 2017

There’s an evocative scene in our Tamil Nadu story this month

@CKucway chrisk@mediatransasia.com

f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 / t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

From My Travels

Yes, I’m the guy who plays with the buttons on the Dreamliner window shades aboard long-haul flights. After the movies, after dinner, at the end of the chapter and once the last song on the album is over, I like to check on what things are looking like from 10,000 meters. I’ve even started taking photos, like this overview of the British Columbia interior, and, what’s worse, I’ve begun recognizing places I’ve been. But it’s all those places I have yet to set foot on outside that window that keep me mesmerized.

fr o m l e f t: t h a n a k o r n c h o m n awa n g ; c h r i s t o p h e r k u c way

(“The Gods are in the Details,” page 64) that mentions “the absolute ease in the air” common to India’s southernmost state. I remember it well, from a venture I once made to India’s zero road marker in Kanyakumari at the bottom of the country. It might simply be the first stone of many but there’s a certain allure to being at the tip of India, particularly on a religious holiday when thousands of others have the same idea. Every person there was intent on watching the sunset. The crowd swelled to such a size that I couldn’t tell where the land ended and the Arabian Sea began, yet all was calm and quiet. Glancing the other way, I saw a seated, elderly man staring off towards the Bay of Bengal. He had it right. When we travel, we should always look in a different direction. Head off the beaten path, it will be worth it. I’ve not been to Papua New Guinea but Adam Graham’s tale (“Birds of a Feather,” page 76) of his quest to spot rare birds-of-paradise in that island nation is enough to provoke a journey to the country’s remote jungles. Unbelievably, some of his incredible natural sightings in the country’s highlands were first recorded only a generation ago. Even if wildlife isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other locales that are worth a look, including South Australia (“Ripe on the Vine,” page 40) where the perks are simple: great food and even better wine.

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the conversation

These days, we are barely fazed by our iPad-controlled hotel rooms, or the vanishing mirror TVs in the bathrooms. But what if your room came with a 3D printer to gin up a pair of sandals similar to the ones you forgot at home? According to Hotel.com’s Hotels of the Future study, that could be as standard as the minibar as soon as 2060. Researchers teamed up with futurist Dr. James Canton of the Institute for Global Futures to predict what tomorrow’s hotels may look like, based on trends in technology, science, energy and entertainment. “The emergence of a new travel design science—a combination of using big data, artificial intelligence and predicting travelers’ dreams—will mean the whole travel experience will change,” Canton says. Here, a guide to some of our favorite hotel amenities that could be present, oh, a mere 43 years from now.

#TLASIA

The white sand dunes in Mui Ne, Vietnam. By @raphaeldupertuis.

Not into the rustic décor of your room? Maybe a Jurassic Park, tropical luau, or minamalist theme strikes your fancy more. Just let the hotel staff know and, by using nanotechnology and machines that can self-assemble environments and buildings, your fantasy room could be waiting behind the hotel door.

Robo Butlers

3D Printers

With autonomous robots not only offering you concierge service and room assistance, but also greeting you at the airport and teaching you the local language, don’t be surprised if your new favorite friend closely resembles R2-D2.

Pack less, print more. 3D printers will generate everything from pharmaceuticals to tank tops—even computers. If these machines become standard in every hotel room, taking luggage on holiday may become a thing of the past.

Other cool hightech predictions

Facial recognition room access n TVs that talk back n Smart toilets n Wireless and automatic temperature controls n Neuro-enhanced aromas that sense and relieve stress n

This month, readers relish the wide open spaces of our beautifully diverse region.

Starting the day on a good note from Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand. By @shawndb.

A blissful stroll through the rice paddies in Nantou, Taiwan. By @nomadicfare.

Nearing the top of the world in Bali, Indonesia. By @xoxodane.

Share an Instagram photo by using the #TLAsia hashtag, and it may be featured in an upcoming issue. Follow @travelandleisureasia

f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

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Morphing Hotels Made to Order

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culture

Perfect Exposure House of Lucie, an ambitious new gallery in Bangkok, builds a home for world-class photographers.

P h oto C r e d i t T e e k ay

By Ron Gluckman. photogr aphed by supachat vetchamaleenont.

Afghan Girl on display at House of Lucie.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ here&now /

february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

From top: Camels, Gulf War, Kuwait, by McCurry; Farmani (left) and McCurry at the gallery opening; Woman in a Canary Burqa; a wall of black-and-white prints.

opening in November, the stunning space was showing “A Lifetime of Work,” a comprehensive career retrospective of photographer Steve McCurry, renowned for arresting portraits, like Afghan Girl. The exhibit abounded with photographs from Tibet, Burma, Sri Lanka and India. “I love working in Asia,” said McCurry, 66, who first visited in 1978 and was smitten. “I’ve been back pretty much every year since then. I never tire of it.” This is among the largest shows ever mounted by McCurry, featuring more than 180 photographs, not only his evocative portraits from around Asia, but also work dating back to his days starting out with newspapers and even the rare celebrity shot of Robert de Niro. It was particularly moving to see so many images up close, the huge, haunting eyes of his subjects locking upon onlookers. On exhibit at House of Lucie through March 14, the

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f H o u s e o f L u c i e ( 3 )

as photography fans packed one of the most anticipated openings of the Bangkok art scene. Like many of the partygoers, I was hovering around Afghan Girl, a photo made famous as the cover of National Geographic in June 1985 and one of the most enduring images of all time. This caliber of show was a rarity in Bangkok, but may soon be the norm with publisher and photophile Hossein Farmani’s opening of House of Lucie, in Ekkamai. Born in Iran, Farmani migrated to the United States for university, where he studied photography and eventually combined his love of photos and publishing by launching the magazines VUE and FotoFolio. Farmani relocated to Bangkok in 2012, married a Thai lawyer and opened Rooftop Gallery, which was a huge departure from his fine-art photography Farmani Gallery in New York and Los Angeles. The space hosted radical shows that blended music, fashion and photos atop a run-down shophouse in Thonglor. Though Rooftop garnered a lot of buzz (even unadvertised shows drew crowds that regularly snaked down the stairs), the place closed in 2015 when the lease ended and the building was sold. Farmani decided for his next Bangkok venture he’d return to his lifelong passion: pure photography. Spread across four renovated shophouses, the stark white gallery offers clean lines and tidy presentations, in which Farmani still continues to push the artistic envelope. When I attended the Champagne flowed

from top: Inside

fa r r i g h t: c o u r t e s y o f H o u s e o f L u c i e

House of Lucie; Shaolin Monks Training. middle: A few of the arresting portraits displayed in “A Lifetime of Work.”

McCurry show will next travel to Chiang Mai, and possibly Cambodia and other parts of Asia. Don’t visit House of Lucie with the hope of coming home with a McCurry original: nothing is for sale. It isn’t a commercial venture, but more of a non-profit center for the arts. “This is really a pure gallery, devoted to photography and creativity,” Farmani said of the three-level space. “I want to show the best photographers in the world, from Thailand and around Asia.” Besides the main area that can be configured to serve a variety of shows at the same time, there are meeting rooms upstairs and a roof that will be used for open-air exhibitions and projections, like at Rooftop Gallery. There is also space for printing and workshops. “My goal is to really create a photography center here in Bangkok,” Farmani said. “This is a place where local photographers can work, study and

congregate.” The entire project is a prototype for a group of non-profit galleries and photography centers that Farmani is working to open around the region, and he’s eyeing Manila and Chengdu as the next prime candidates. House of Lucie will exhibit other international superstars of photography, including winners of the Lucie Awards. Farmani intends to tap talent in a range of categories from classic reportage to portraiture, commercial work and fine arts. The next powerhouse show will feature 140 Lucie honorees, including Bruce Davidson, Sarah Moon and Sebastião Salgado. Gallery-goers should expect a few treats from Farmani’s vast personal collection as well, which is among the world’s largest, with more than 30,000 prints. But Farmani’s photo reserve isn’t the only thing that House of Lucie is airing out. The inaugural exhibit

arrives on the back of a recent controversy with the revelation that some of McCurry’s images had been graphically altered. McCurry has countered that his role had changed over the years from strict reportage to “visual storytelling,” meaning that touching up the photos was fair game. Farmani, a longtime friend of McCurry’s, embraced the controversy. “The whole point of photography, and art, is to provoke discussion,” he said. “I want people to see this exhibit and have a conversation.” House of Lucie, 1 Ekkamai Soi 8, Sukhumvit 63, Bangkok; luciefoundation.org/house-of-luciebangkok; admission is free.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ here&now / Four Seasons The Nam Hai in Hoi An.

Beaut y

Case On Point

Reboot

Changing Tides

Four Seasons is sprinkling a little of their hospitality magic on a beloved Hoi An resort in their much-anticipated Vietnam debut. old and new combine to elegant effect at Four Seasons The Nam Hai. Since it opened a decade ago, the Nam Hai, on a quiet kilometer of beach in Hoi An, has been one of the region’s

great five-stars and the sleekest property to grace these sleepy shores. Now, the Four Seasons is making their Vietnam debut with a spectacular revamp of the feng shui-forward, all-villa resort that includes eight new family villas, a beach bar, a new concept for the spa and a cooking academy. “We’ve taken the best of everything The Nam Hai has to offer,” says the property’s longtime general manager Anthony Gill, “and made it even better.” fourseasons.com/hoian; doubles from US$574.

Book

Follow the Artist Eight artists shed light on the softer side of the Lion City in The City Book - Singapore, by Production Q. The hardback is the second installment of The City Book, following the Hong Kong edition, which came out last year. The work of Genevieve Chua, Sarah Choo Jing, Hilmi Johandi, Charles Lim, Tang Ling Nah, Dawn Ng, Shubigi Rao and Robert Zhao Renhui fills its pages in a rich visual narrative of all angles of the city, from park benches to high rises, that have inspired the artists. Each artist specializes in a different medium and uses their craft, along with personal anecdotes, to convey their experience of the city, covering multicultural themes of urban isolation, transitory spaces and memory. A trip through the city with this book in hand will make even newcomers feel nostalgic. qcitybook.com; S$74.

f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Give your makeup bag an upgrade with Rimowa’s new line of beauty cases. This capsule release is available in almost all Rimowa collections so you can match it with your luggage set. The spacious toiletry trunk has the brand’s classic grooves and comes in aluminum or polycarbonate, yet for its robust appearance, its lightest version weighs a modest 1.2 kilograms. Inside is a treasure trove of clasps and fasteners to help delicately secure all manner of lipsticks, brushes, lotions and potions. It also comes with the TSA-approved lock, so you can keep your beauty products—and secrets—safe. rimowa.com; from S$585, Bosa Nova 38 (pictured here) S$1,320.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f f o u r s e a s o n s ; c o u r t e s y o f r i m o wa ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e c i t y b o o k

Design innovation usually reserved for elite luggage is making its way to your makeup case.

/ here&now / The Dish

The Bahn Mi Bandit Talk about arresting

from above: Chef Luke Nguyen; Vietnamese flavor with modern

flair at Red Lantern, in Sydney, Nguyen’s first restaurant.

f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

cuisine. Chef Luke Nguyen was hauled off to a jail in Vietnam for a fiery mud-crab dish. Luckily, Nguyen— owner of the famed Red Lantern restaurants in Australia and star of hit TV shows such as Luke Nguyen Vietnam—thrives on chaos and has a knack for wiggling out of sticky situations. During a street-food shoot in Saigon, the chef and his film crew were whisked away by the cops after Nguyen was caught whipping up the offending crab curry at a street vendor’s cart. “The cameras were on, I had all my ingredients, then the authorities came and I didn’t even notice [their arrival],” Nguyen says. At the police station, he explained that they were not hawking their food, which was illegal on that corner, and after presenting his filming permit they were released. The chef has countless stories about his shows, travels and more, which make for great television and great food. Many of his experiences in Vietnam inspire dishes at his restaurants, including his first venture in Hong Kong, Moi Moi by Luke Nguyen (GF, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Rd., Central; vietkitchenhk.com; dinner for two HK$500), in partnership with ZS Hospitality Group, which opened in January. The green-tea-smoked duck at Moi Moi was conceived during a visit to the northern highlands of Sapa, where he tried the local specialty prepared with ingredients from the surroundings: green tea from

the garden, star anise plucked off a nearby tree. “This is the kind of meal I want to share,” he says. “I love these kinds of dishes; it’s why we do what we do.” Nguyen’s love of cooking has come full circle: his dishes today are inspired by Vietnam, but his own story begins with leaving the country. In the 1970s during the Vietnam War, Nguyen’s family escaped by boat while his mother was pregnant with him. They reached Thailand, then resettled in Australia where his parents eventually opened a Vietnamese eatery in Sydney called Pho Cay Du. The experience taught him the craft of cooking and stirred his ambition to open his own restaurant. In 2012, he realized this dream with Red Lantern, in Sydney. His lifelong mission is to encourage greater Vietnamese food literacy among diners as “there is more to Vietnamese food than pho and banh mi,” he says. At Moi Moi in Hong Kong, the menu will be prepared with organic and sustainable produce, hold the MSG. Expect a broad repertoire of Vietnamese fare, including a caramelized Kurobuta pork with lemongrass, spring onions, lime leaves, and topped with pork floss. And now that he’s putting down roots in Hong Kong, the city is already providing inspiration for a new TV show. “I think the next series would be about Hong Kong because there’s much going on here,” he said noting his affection for local seafood plates. This time though, he’ll stay away from crab curry.

courtesy of red l antern (2)

The refugee-turned-celebrity-chef opens up about his first venture in Hong Kong and his quest to propel regional Vietnamese cooking onto the world stage. by Nan-Hie In

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/ here&now /

THE CORPORATE RETREAT

Handwritten notes can be quickly digitized with Moleskine’s new Smart Writing Set. A tiny camera in the aluminum pen uploads every mark on the page to an app for editing and sharing. Record audio while you write and it syncs to your notes for real-time playback. moleskine.com; US$199.

THE GROUP GETAWAY

In a market saturated with speakers, the UE Roll 2 takes top marks. It’s waterproof, weighs less than half a kilo, and at up to 85 decibels is far louder than its size would imply. Stream for nine hours without charging; a mini float and built-in bungee let you take it anywhere safely. ultimateears.com; US$100.

THE BACKCOUNTRY TREK

The twin lenses of Nikon’s KeyMission 360 capture immersive stills and 4K video of your adventures—all automatically stitched together incamera. It can also capture loops and time-lapse footage, and it’s shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof to -10 degrees Celsius. nikon.com; US$500.

gear

Tech for Every Trip We tested the latest travel-friendly innovations and sorted them for all kinds of itineraries. These are the essential products worth stowing in your suitcase. BY MELANIE LIEBERMAN. Photogr aphs by Sam K apl an

THE LONG-HAUL FLIGHT

Bose’s QuietControl 30 wireless headphones offer adjustable noise cancellation (turn it down for the PA, up for engine roar) to rival that of the overear classics in a slim, ultra-packable design. The neckband battery stays charged for up to 10 hours and prevents tangled wires. bose.com; US$300.

THE ROMANTIC ESCAPE

Nannette de Gaspé’s reusable dry facial masks smooth and brighten skin with an innovative peptide-embedded fabric. A waterless formula means they’re mess-free, and since you don’t rinse, the active ingredients keep working for up to eight hours. nannettedegaspe.com; US$120.

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THE CITY EXCURSION

The analog aesthetic of the Hagen Connected hybrid smartwatch lets you go from gym to dinner without reaccessorizing. It instantly adjusts to new time zones, tracks steps and sleep, and vibrates for VIP e-mails and texts. A traditional watch battery means no charging required. skagen.com; US$195.

THE ROAD TRIP

Dashboard gadget Navdy takes GPS to the next level by projecting directions onto your view of the road ahead. The app lets you control music, accept calls and send texts with a gesture or command. It installs with relative ease—tote it along to turn your budget rental into a smartcar. navdy.com; US$799.

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Noticed

Samurai School for Aspiring Florists

The ancient Japanese art of flower arranging branches out as Ronan O’Connell roles up his sleeves and joins the blossoming fan base.

Some samur ai enthusiasts might visit Japan to learn about swordsmanship. I’m here to arrange flowers. Wandering the quiet alleyways of Kyoto’s geisha district, I’m in search of a traditional Japanese wooden home where a local woman is helping keep the ikebana art form alive. Kyoto is the hub of ikebana, which made its journey to Japan some 1,500 years ago when Buddhist missionaries imported the practice from China. While the aim of these missionaries was to introduce Buddhism, which is now practiced by the majority of Japanese, they also taught their neighbors about preparing ritual offerings of flowers to Buddha.

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Oddly, Samurai later popularized ikebana; the fearsome warriors made fabulous florists. Along with tea ceremonies, Samurai used ikebana as a means of relaxation. Japan’s first flower-arranging school, Ikenobo, opened in Kyoto more than 500 years ago and is still in operation today. With art workshops becoming an increasingly popular tourist activity across Asia, ikebana is finding new fans from outside Japan, while within the country hotels like Tokyo’s Keio Plaza (keioplaza.com; doubles from ¥29,000) and Palace Hotel (palacehoteltokyo.com; doubles from ¥62,000) have begun offering ikebana classes to help guests unwind. Indeed it is the soothing

BLOO M i m a g e / g e t t y i m a g e s

Samurai popularized the art of ikebana.

exotic & idyllic retreat ...where life is a private celebration

nature of flowering arranging that has lured me to Kimiko Yamamoto’s home, where she has led classes as part of the Wa Experience KAFU center for the past three years. The chance to slow down and indulge my artistic sensibilities is appealing. Everything from the tranquil setting to Kimiko’s calm tells me I’ve come to the right place. Kneeling on a bamboo mat in a light-pink kimono, Kimiko explains the foundations of ikebana. There is a framework of rules within which its practitioners can express their creativity. It is, she says, “all about harmony.” Ikebana attempts to mimic the beauty of nature and key to this is establishing a balance between “neutral” and “dynamic” spaces, and between subtle and bold colors. “In nature we have open spaces and crowded areas with many plants and we show both type of spaces in ikebana,” Kimiko says, as she begins her arrangement. She teaches me the moribana style, one of many schools of ikebana arrangements that developed over the centuries. The word moribana means “piled up

flowers” and arrangements are constructed in a dish, rather than a tall vase. The dish is split into four segments to represent the seasons. Following Kimiko’s lead, I start with a long branch of Thunberg Spirea, tilted to its side. Then I add a long-leafed Iris Ochroleuca, a pink-flowered Snap Dragon and some Camellia leaves at the bottom of my dish. It looks presentable but Kimiko explains my plants are bunched together too closely. “Remember the balance,” she says, adjusting my configuration. “There is no rush. Nature is slow. Now the world is so fast, but in ikebana we create nature so we must be patient. It is an important lesson for life.” Kimiko’s words resonate with me. I’ve been so busy I’ve barely had time to relax, to switch off and forget about my schedule and upcoming commitments. Yet, as I arrange my flowers, my mind clears. I focus just on Kimiko’s instructions, trying to create symmetry and artful beauty. While my arrangement is not spectacular, my mood certainly is. Ikebana has a new devotee.

Catch the Bouquet Three spots to try your hand at ikebana.

Wa Experience KAFU

Sogetsu Ikebana

Ikenobo

Hosted in the home of a Kyoto family, this cultural center offers an intimate experience of the art form. A teacher explains the history of ikebana and guides students step-bystep as they create their own flower arrangement. 373-26 Horiike-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto; kafu.co/ikebana; 30-minute demonstration classes ¥3,000, 90-minute hands-on classes ¥5,000 per person.

This large ikebana school specializes in the more free-form sogetsu style of ikebana. Its group classes give students the chance to critique each other’s arrangements and learn from a rotating panel of ikebana experts who host the workshops. Classes in Tokyo and Osaka; sogetsu.or.jp/e/ study/hq; 90-minute beginner workshops are ¥5,000 per person, 150-minute workshops ¥9,150 per person.

Japan’s oldest ikebana school offers classes only for more experienced ikebana students or for beginners looking to commit to an intensive schedule of training. Ikenobo has chapters in 33 countries, including Singapore and Thailand, and encourages its foreign students to further their learning at its Kyoto headquarters. Ikenobo.jp/english; cost of lessons vary by class and location.

Sanur I Ubud I Nusa Dua I Jimbaran

P. 62 361 705 777 F. 62 361 705 101 E. experience@kayumanis.com

www.thegangsa.com

www.kayumanis.com

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Goods

Happy Feet

Slide your feet into shoes that go with anything and seem to accomplish everything, from feeling good to looking great to helping solve world hunger. After 17 years of designing and supplying shoes to international retailers, Singaporeans Benny Chee and Phoebe Charn wanted to create their own brand that would stand out for superb craftsmanship, incredible comfort, below-marketrate prices, and positive social impact. From this ambitious to-do list, Anothersole was born. These soft oxfords with a ballet-shoe feel are made from all-natural materials, such as full-grain leather and suede from Argentina and Italy. They are great to take on trips because the stitchand-turn leatherwork offers lots of flexibility making them easy to pack, and the high-performance foot-bed offers an extra spring in

every well-supported step, meaning you can cover more ground. They come in a bevvy of colors, ranging from classic nude to paintsplattered designs, and expect glitter and pop-culture cool when the Mommy+Me collection launches later this year. Following in the footsteps of Toms, that canvas moccasin company that’s brought shoes to needy kids around the world, 10 percent of Anothersole’s total sales revenue will go towards food donations to underfunded orphanages and school-feeding operations across Southeast Asia. “We want to help one soul at a time and then another,” Chee says, “hence our Buy1Feed1 slogan.” The motto refers to their promise to provide a meal to a hungry child for every pair of shoes sold. If you want to help out, put yourself in their shoes. anothersole.com; shoes from US$50.

courtesy of another sole

Comfort, charm and charity: a new Singaporean shoe brand is offering soles with soul. By Gr ace Ma

Dining

Italian Fair A new restaur ant in Hong Kong is tr ansporting diners across the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D;And back in time.

courtesy of spiga

Romance, wonder, spectacle and handmade

spaghetti: this new Italian eatery accomplishes quite the juggling act. The main room at Spiga channels a vintage Italian circus, with silk wallpaper and a ceiling draped in tent material and lined in ropes. A slowly moving pendulum chandelier is the centerpiece while flamethrowers and juggling pins add to the theme. The 650-square-meter space is broken out into six dining areas, each with its own distinct style, all inspired by some element of Italy in the 1950s, from street performers to flower markets. The menu is created by two-Michelin Star consulting chef, Enrico Bartolini, highlighting dishes of the Lombardy and Piedmont regions with many of the ingredients imported directly from Italy. Try the crunchy veal cheek with potatoes mille-feuille, and the chocolate foam with hazelnut ice cream. After dinner, head to the outdoor terrace, Portico, for cocktails in a glowing garden. fb.com/ spigahongkong; five-course tasting menu HK$788.

Travel + Leisure H203.2mm X W133.35 with Bleed 3,175 each side.pdf 1 1/12/2017 9:59:07 AM

from top: The outdoor

terrace, Portico, for after-dinner drinks; order the crunchy veal cheek with crispy potatoes mille-feuille; Spigaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slowly moving pendulum chandelier.

A NEW LUXURIOUS FIVE STAR AND LIFESTYLE IN BEACH RESORT OF KUTA

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8:00 p.m. Employees Only

after dark

Stepping Out Whether it’s the Big Apple or the Big Easy, hole-in-the-wall charm or sky-high glamour, Singapore’s new bars have a myriad of influences. This itinerary hits all the hot spots, for a night packed full of fun. By veronica inveen 5:00 p.M. Red Tail Bar The brand responsible for iconic nightclub Zouk Singapore has left out booming sound systems and LED lights at their new casual drinking and dining spot, Red Tail Bar, in Clarke Quay. With banging cocktails and a well-crafted menu of small plates to share with your drinking crew, the bar backs up its claim to be “the drama before the party.” redtailbar.com; drinks for two S$40. clockwise FROM top left: Skinny’s Lounge

bar manager, Leo Chewy (left), and owner, Nick Haas, mix up trouble; the rum-heavy Kaya Toast cocktail at Lounge@ Jen; the infamous Pimm’s Cup tower at Skinny’s; Bourbon Street serves chicken and waffles; Red Tail Bar’s motto sets the stage for the night ahead.

6:30 p.m. Hotel Jen Bar Hop Just before sunset, head to the top floor of the Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway, on the shopping paradise of Orchard Road, and beeline to the poolside bar, BayWatch@Jen. Scoot into a lounger and enjoy a panoramic view of the city as it surrenders to twilight, then after dark sip on one of the bar’s signature cocktails while the Marina Bay Sands laser show lights up the sky. Next, move a few floors down to visit the hotel’s more specialty-drink-focused bar, Lounge@Jen. From DJ showdowns to crazy cocktails, there’s always something

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Next stop: the 1920s. This stylish speakeasy on Amoy Street channels the Prohibition-era United States to a T. The highly lauded bar is the second outpost of iconic Employees Only in New York City, which is on Drinks International’s World’s 50 Best Bars roundup for 2015. Try the Ready Aim Fire, a mix of mezcal, lime juice, house-made honeypineapple syrup and Hellfire Bitters. employeesonlysg.com; drinks for two S$50.

10:00 p.m. Bourbon Street Sticking with the 1920s theme, beam from New York City to New Orleans at this Louisiana-style canteen bar. The venue, opened in September, is a tribute to the rich spirit of the Big Easy with its exposed brick, dimly lit industrial hanging lamps and cozy spaces. Its central location on buzzing Club Street evokes the bar’s namesake Bourbon Street. There are 30-plus labels of bourbon on the menu, including purple-shiso, Earl Grey and even cinnamon-infused varities. And to stay true to their New Orleans tribute, the bar serves favorites like chicken and waffles. bourbonstreet.com.sg; drinks for two S$35.

12:00 a.m. Skinny’s Lounge If the clock strikes midnight and you’re still standing, stumble over to Skinny’s Lounge in Boat Quay. This dive bar is the perfect place to keep the good times rolling, with private karaoke rooms, a well-used pool table, rock-and-roll, and a menu labeled “Fast & Cheap,” which includes the British classic Pimm’s Cup and the tequila-based Paloma. If you and your crew aren’t quite ready to fold in, order a your cocktail in a tower, large enough to serve 12—it is the quality of the drinkers, not the quantity that will really determine how many it takes to empty it. fb.com/drinkskinnys; drinks for two S$30.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f S k i n n y ’ s L o u n g e ; c o u r t e s y o f H o t e l J e n ; c o u r t e s y o f S k i n n y ’ s L o u n g e ; c o u r t e s y o f B o u r b o n S t r e e t; c o u r t e s y o f R e d Ta i l B a r

happening here. One of the bar’s newest concoctions, Uncle Kaya, is a rum-heavy nod to Singapore’s famous kaya toast breakfast snack. hoteljen.com; doubles from S$213; drinks for two S$30.

ILTM ASIA SHANGHAI 5TH - 8TH JUNE 2017

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t he phil ippines | aust r a l i a + mor e

The fine details at Banteay Chhmar.

Alone with the Gods Discovery

A new tented camp and freshly paved roads offer travelers better access to the Banteay Chhmar temple complex in Northwestern

J o e C u mm i n g s

Cambodia. Joe Cummings talks to the people behind the joint venture that supports the community while preserving the ancient site. >>

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ beyond /D i s c o v e r y Banteay Chhmar Tented Camp, a venture that Khiri Travel and the local community launched a year-and-a-half ago, I see only one other foreigner—an elderly, Hasselblad-toting European man—roaming the vast site. For the first time in recent memory in Cambodia, visitors can enjoy an intimate, lowimpact encounter with an Angkor-era temple from the inside out, while at the same time giving back to any neighbors in need. From beneath the awning of my well-appointed tent, pitched within the outer walls of the temple complex, I toast the gods for my good fortune with a raised bottle of Angkor beer.

Fireflies float so high above the

from top: The east

wall of Banteay Chhmar; sunset over Baray Pol Pot, a reservoir commissioned by the Khmer Rouge leader near Banteay Chhmar. Opposite, cLOCKWISE from top left: Inside

one of the tents; a well-preserved Buddha statue; private dining at the camp.

tall, dark trees that they become almost indistinguishable from the stars overhead. Below, in a forest clearing, a ragtag ensemble of village musicians issues slippery melodies and exotic beats from rustic, handmade instruments. The composition, I’m told, invokes the blessing of the gods who inhabit Banteay Chhmar, one of Cambodia’s most important, most remote, and least understood Angkor-era temples. Surrounded by thick forest, 170 kilometers away from Angkor Wat, Banteay Chhmar is Cambodia’s fourth largest temple dating to the Angkor. Yet the millennium-old complex sees a fraction of visitors the more popular temples receive each year. While Angkor Wat is flooded by an average of 10,000 tourists a day, Banteay Chhmar attracts fewer than six. Six. And that’s average, remember; in the three days I’m a guest at

february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

resembles Ta Prohm, the jungle-strangled Angkor-area temple complex made famous by the Tomb Raider movies. The temple requires a similar physical agility for clambering over toppled sandstone blocks and threading narrow dirt trails to view the ruined galleries, walls and towers. But without the distraction of hundreds of other tourists vying for photos and chattering loudly, here at Banteay Chhmar I savor the majestic stillness, interrupted only by the occasional birdcall. Stone inscriptions left behind by temple builders indicate the complex was commissioned in the late 12th to early 13th centuries by the last Khmer king before the Angkor Empire’s decline, Jayavarman VII. One of Angkor’s most prolific temple sponsors, Jayavarman VII was also responsible for The Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and the Terrace of the Elephants, among many others. The full-lipped, sloe-eyed faces carved into the towers of The Bayon are also found here at Banteay Chhmar. King Jayavarman VII converted Cambodia to Buddhism, and Banteay Chhmar is one of only two sites outside The Bayon to bear the enigmatic face

J o e C u mm i n g s ( 2 )

At first glance, Banteay Chhmar

c o u r t e s y o f ya a n a v e n t u r e s ( 3 )

towers. Some historians believe the visages represent Jayavarman VII himself, while others suggest it’s Avalokitesvara, the future Buddha-to-be of Mahayana Buddhism. Inside my comfy, illuminated tent, furnished with sturdy beds, a desk, private toilet and hot-water shower, I dig into the works of French linguist and archaeologist Étienne François Aymonier, who in the 1890s became the first foreign explorer to systematically survey the temple. He declared Banteay Chhmar to be the third most important temple in Cambodia after Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Another Frenchman, Cambodia-born George Groslier, further elaborates in his 1937 book Une Merveilleuse Cite Khmere, pointing out that unlike other Jayavarman VII temples, in which secondary buildings are often haphazardly placed, here the series of structures successively built from east to west never break their rigorous symmetry.

Aymonier considered these carvings to be better than those at Angkor Wat, with “the women in its low reliefs less insipid and better drawn than the nymphs of Angkor Wat.” My favorite of all the carvings is an elegant basrelief of the 32-armed Avalokitesvara on the outer wall of the west gallery, conveniently close to the camp. There were once eight representations of the deity who represents Buddha’s compassion and protection for all beings here, but looters made off with all but two of them in the 1990s. Mao Sy and his staff of 15 form a presence that has halted looting since CommunityBased Tourism started up in 2008 with the support of the Global Heritage Fund and Heritage Watch. His stewardship extends to Khiri Travel’s camp, where he makes sure I’m comfortably lodged. Simple but hearty Khmer meals are served at a private wooden table placed on the forest floor with a view of the forest and inner temple walls. While budget homestays with local families have been available outside the temple grounds since 2008, the Khiri camp expands the possibilities to include a luxury bivouac

at banteay chhmar, i savor the majestic stillness

During my visit, I’m guided through the ruins complex by Mao Sy, a sprightly, mustached Banteay Chhmar native who also serves as president of Community-Based Tourism and local representative of Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. Mao Sy makes sure I don’t miss the remains of Banteay Chhmar’s three face towers; only one tower is still standing. We climb a precarious pile of rocks nearby to catch an astonishingly close glimpse of the faces, a feat nigh impossible at The Bayon. Elsewhere in the temple, Mao Sy points out fallen stone blocks carved with lips, eyes and eyebrows—puzzle pieces separated from their tumbled towers. His lively interpretations of gallery friezes bring to life scenes of battle, royal ceremony, music, dancing, farming and wildlife. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ beyond /D i s c o v e r y

CLOCKWISE from top: An oil lamp

illuminates the camp site; a silk weaver at Soireries du Mekong; the tented camp.

pitched right inside the temple complex. With just two tents that accommodate a maximum of six people, I’ve really got the run of the place, and when I feel like an early-morning temple walk, I’m inside the innermost sanctuary within five minutes. “When I came to Banteay Chhmar with the Global Heritage Fund in 2011, I immediately recognized the site’s tremendous potential for diverting visitors from overcrowded Angkor Wat,” says sustainable tourism consultant Randy Durband, who introduced Khiri to the village tourism project. Yet at the time, the site saw only 400 visitors a year, limited mainly by the fact there were only 30 total rooms available in local homestays. At a unesco conference in Siem Reap in 2015, Durband ran into Willem Niemeijer, owner of Khiri Travel, a tour operator known for its sustainable tourism and social responsibility. “I was pitching the idea of a luxury camp at Banteay Chhmar to practically everyone I met,” Durband says, “and when I mentioned it to Willem, he immediately went for it.”

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banteaychhmartents.com; two-person tent experience US$549.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m T o p : J o e C u mm i n g s ; c o u r t e s y o f ya a n a v e n t u r e s ( 2 )

with just two tents for six people, i’ve got the run of the place

Khiri Travel scheduled a meeting with the shareholders of Banteay Chhmar’s Community-Based tourism, and offered to provide tents and associated gear in return for local support in running the camp. “It was an offer they couldn’t refuse,” Durband says. “Banteay Chhmar got the camp, plus all the jobs associated with setups, strike-downs, storage, housekeeping, food service and tour guiding.” In return, Khiri takes a percentage of booking, while setting aside a generous contribution for staff development. The establishment of the Khiri camp coincided with the paving of the road from Sisophon last year. What was once a bonejarring, all-day drive from Siem Reap is now a pleasant two-and-a-half-hour cruise. Mao Sy says that since the road and the camp opened, Banteay Chhmar visitation has doubled and local income tripled. He and his staff have set up camp around 30 times so far. “It’s popular with families and with visitors who value privacy,” Mao Sy says. “Here at the camp you almost feel like you’re staying at the original temple palace. It’s so quiet, and you can see so many stars at night.” Exactly, I think as I drift off, as the gods intended it.

/ beyond / f a s h i o n

It’s All in the Bag

Don’t be fooled by their size, these handcrafted, Philippine-made minaudières pack a powerful sartorial punch. By Stephanie Zubiri

have embraced the purse as a medium to showcase creativity. Around an island nation where sunscreen and shades and are musttotes, the landscape is dripping in Technicolor inspiration, natural materials abound and there is a tradition of highly skilled craftsmanship, it isn’t surprising that the fashion scene is bubbling up with truly eye-catching handbags. Blurring the lines between fashion and art, these artisans have adorned the clutch— perhaps the perfect canvas for innovation as it is bigger than most jewelry but small enough not to overwhelm—with bespoke beadwork, weaving and embroidery, carved woods, metals and even precious stones. The result? One-of-a kind statement pieces so graphic and sculptural that a would-be accessory becomes a gallery-worthy display, glittering in your grasp. Here are six innovative designers who are establishing the Philippines as a vanguard of couture clutches.

c o u rt esy o f k e n sa m u d i o

Filipino designers

Ken Samudio’s neon clutches mimic vibrant seascapes.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ beyond /f a s h i o n K en Samudio

This former biologist marries both his passions in his three-part Aquapocalypse collection, first released in 2014, with clutches that mimic vibrant coral landscapes. “I never had any training in fashion,” Samudio says. “What you see now are remnants of vivid memories from when I was exposed to the beauty of underwater life. They say experience is the best teacher. I do not sketch but create only from experiences and memories of my past work.” Each bag is a triumph of engineering; it took a five months to perfect the clasp mechanism and the proportions, and every string of beads is individually hand-sewn upright to lambskin. The psychedelic pieces are as hypnotic as the seabed scenes that inspire them. ken-samudio.com; handbags US$600–$1,500.

Joa nique

There is a pre-colonial Philippine edge to Joanique’s founder Malou Romero’s work, with each piece handmade from sustainably sourced acacia wood. The graphic motifs have an unearthed-from-anarcheological-dig feel, but are rendered in vibrant modern hues, like lime green and metal-flake sapphire blue. Her new Maskara collection takes inspiration from the MassKara Festival, a raucous three-day carnival where revelers don masks, with each wooden minaudière carved into smiling or surprised face. The creations are sure to stir up conversation while the color combinations can meld with any wardrobe. Just don’t tote one to a museum or you may have the guards accusing you of theft. joanique.com; handbags US$420–$560. “As they begin to kiss, Midas would slowly turn Medusa into gold,” San Pedro says as he explains the story behind his golden snake minaudière. “And as he looked into her eyes they would forever be frozen in time, locked in their passionate embrace. This is what I imagined would happen if they fell in love.” San Pedro manages to translate narratives of epic proportions into clinquant clutches that fit in the palm of your hand. From Marie Antoinette meeting the Mad Hatter to a box of tumbling monkeys to a spectacular sardine run, each of his pieces have a tale to tell. The beautiful brass, shell and finishedwood designs are elegant yet whimsical, and despite the use of rigid materials there is a certain fluidity and movement to the finished shapes. Whether adorned in swinging simians or marching ants, these purses have looks and personality. neilfelipp.com; handbags US$750–$785.

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fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f k e n sa m u d i o ; c o u rt esy o f n e i f e l i p p sa n p e d r o ; j oa n i q u e

Neil Felipp Sa n Pedro

A r anaz

Bea Valdes

When Bea Valdes first established her brand, her vision was to design purses that would be regarded as “art to wear.” This principle holds true today as her work becomes increasingly elaborate. The richly textured bags in her signature asymmetrical shape are all minutely hand-embroidered and embellished with crystals and semi-precious stones. Although she sources materials and draws inspiration from across the globe, Manila is still her home base. “In a factory you just do a piece of something, you don’t get to own the whole,” she says. “In our atelier, my girls take a lot of pride in their work. Everything is created in-house, from concept, to design, to production. Everything is proudly made in the Philippines.” The bags are a testament to the ultimate luxury: time. Each clutch takes a month to complete and reflects the tastes of the individual embroiderer. The extreme attention to detail elevates these bags to heirloom pieces. beavaldes.com; handbags US$800–$5,000.

Becky, Amina and Rosanna Aranaz, the mother-and-daughter trio behind Aranaz, are all about tropical living in style. From leather-adorned woven raffia to blinged-out coconuts, the local materials used move well beyond the realm of souvenir shops and onto the catwalk. Their team of skilled artisans transforms playful imagery like pineapples, toucans and palm leaves into formalwear by giving them a luxe and glamorous makeover. Molded metals and vibrant high-gloss-paint finishes allow the pieces to work just as well with a casual caftan in Bali or with a glitzy cocktail dress at a Hong Kong art show. aranaz.ph; handbags US$465–$800.

fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f b e a va l d es ; c o u rt esy o f a r a n a z ; c o u rt esy o f e m i j o r g e

Emi Jorge

“A thousand fireflies red-hot against the night sky, their reflections like fire dancing on water; the carabao, beast of burden, marked by a majestic crescent horn; the rice terraces, viridescent staircases extending towards the heavens,” designer Emi Jorge says of her travels to Banaue, Donsol and Bohol, experiences that inform her creations. Using natural materials like shell and wood and combining artisanal and modern techniques such as inlay and laser-cutting, she encapsulates these memories in her handbags. Most of her clutches are petite, but when it comes to these bitsy beauties it isn’t what’s on the inside that counts. Available in select stores in Manila and online at curav.com; handbags US$340–$500.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ beyond /d i s p a tc h

Ripe on the Vine

South Australia wraps the country’s full array of wine making into one delicious package. Nathan Lump takes a tour and discovers some of the best eating and drinking anywhere. Photogr aphs by John L aurie

Cured venison with a goat’s-curd “cigar” at the Lane Vineyard.

february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

from left: Testing port at Seppeltsfield,

in the Barossa Valley, which keeps decades’ worth of vintages; The Lane’s estate sweeps across the Adelaide Hills.

Most tr avelers to Austr alia —first-time ones, at least—follow a fairly prescribed itinerary, what locals refer to as the Rock (Uluru), the Reef (Great Barrier), and the Harbour (Sydney). About a decade ago some started adding Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, a place of great natural wonders that got noticed thanks to a terrific luxury resort, Southern Ocean Lodge. (The lodge was ranked fourth in the world among hotels in T+L’s World’s Best Awards last year.) Still, few stop to savor much else in this beautiful corner of the continent. They should, especially if they have any interest in wine. If what you think of when you think of Australian wine is the big, high-alcohol Shirazes that dominate the export market, then South Australia is the perfect place for you to discover the full variety of Australian wine making. Within just a couple hours’ drive of Adelaide, you have four world-class wine regions that are entirely distinct. What’s more, the state is also home to exceptional produce, which means the kind of talented chefs who are often drawn to wine regions the world over have great material to work with here. Drop yourself into any of these four regions and I guarantee you’ll find some of the best drinking—and eating—of your life.

ADELAIDE HILLS Just a few minutes out of Adelaide you quickly find yourself among eucalyptus groves (keep your eyes peeled for koalas) as the road wends its way up into the Adelaide Hills. This is a true wine-producing region, but it’s also a poshly suburban place, a scenic jumble of vineyards and dairy farms punctuated with prosperous little towns that cater to city dwellers on lazy weekend excursions. You could easily spend a few days up here, but I had just one, so I made a beeline for Hahndorf, a touristy but

cute town with, characteristically, a single main street lined with stone cottages built by German settlers that house shops, bakeries and pubs. A stroll down the street will take you to stores selling everything from artisanal knives and German handicrafts to Aboriginal art. My favorite: Udder Delights, a dairy and café where you can do a tasting of house-made cheeses. For a great meal, everyone recommends the Lane Vineyard—a winery with a sleek glass box of a restaurant that takes in sweeping views of the surrounding vineyard—and it doesn’t disappoint. The creative farm-to-table menu runs to dishes like roasted lamb dotted with salsa verde and tangy sheep’s curd beside broad beans and sweetbreads given an earthy coating of burnt herbs. The wines are a fine representation of what the Adelaide Hills region does well, including some beautifully restrained cool-climate red varietals. For my one proper wine tasting, I settled on Nepenthe, a large producer that demonstrates the variety of wines made in the area. I tried a Grüner Veltliner (here, typically minerally and astringent but softened with a touch of oak) as well as a crisp, intensely citrusy Sauvignon Blanc and a soft-but-spicy Pinot Noir. Nepenthe is one of more than 50 “cellar doors” in the Hills, so it was clear how much I was missing.

BAROSSA VALLEY Take the pretty Onkaparinga Scenic Drive northeast from the Adelaide Hills and you’ll follow the path of the German settlers toward the Barossa Valley, the beating heart of Australia’s wine industry. There are tidy towns of Lutheran churches, busy farmers’ markets and bungalows festooned with roses, but mostly this is a t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ beyond /d i s p a tc h

from top: Dining

at Seppeltsfield; kingfish sashimi, and prawn-andcrab dumplings at the Salopian Inn, in McLaren Vale.

broad, gently undulating landscape with row upon row of vines stretching to the horizon. There are upwards of 150 producers in the valley. Right across the street from the valley’s best hotel, the Louise, is Tscharke, where winemaker Damien Tscharke is doing exciting work with varietals like Savagnin, Touriga Nacional and Montepulciano. At the Standish Wine Co., Dan Standish uses organically and dry-farmed grapes to craft only a few wines per year; his 2014 Standish Shiraz knits concentrated blueberry and stone into a wine of exceptional depth and purity. It was a standout among the hundreds of wines I tasted in a week. I love discovering smaller makers like these, but you’d be remiss if you skipped Penfolds’s slick tasting room, where you can sample the full range of what this famous producer does, including the Grange, one of the country’s most cellar-worthy reds. And don’t miss the recently restored 19th-century Seppeltsfield winery for a glass of port—called Para Tawny here. You can sample right from the barrel, including the current 100-year-old vintage and the one from your birth year. I had several great meals in the Barossa, but none topped the sevencourse extravaganza at the Hentley Farm winery. Chef Lachlan Colwill creates showstopping dishes like bluefin tuna, chicken liver and toasted sunflower seeds in a shroud of cured egg yolk—an unlikely symphony of flavor, texture and temperature—all well paired with the winery’s vintages and served in the original stables. It was the perfect expression of what the Barossa is all about: a beautiful marriage of the rustic and the refined.

CLARE VALLEY Heading north out of the Barossa the landscape shifts from vineyards to vast fields of wheat and canola, sheep and dairy farms, and Victorian villages of stone buildings with lacy ironwork. When the topography grows hilly and you see vines again, you know you’ve arrived in Clare. You could describe Clare as the Sonoma to Barossa’s Napa. It’s quieter, more agricultural in feel, and the conditions—steeper, cooler—lend themselves to doing things at a smaller scale. This is Riesling country, probably the best place to taste the Australian way with the grape: bone-dry, flinty wines with notes of citrus or green apple and a strong acid backbone. Jim Barry is one of the best places to get an introduction to Clare Riesling, though it also makes some fine reds and experiments with new varietals (I tasted its first bottling of Assyrtiko, also a first for Australia). A maverick spirit permeates one of my favorite Clare wineries, Shut the Gate, where winemakers Richard Woods and Rasa Fabian are working with purchased fruit to produce some fascinating wines, like their intensely minerally Fiano and a restrained Shiraz expressing plush red fruit and smoke. They sell local cheeses and terrines in their rustic cottage, so you could

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pick up a few snacks, select a bottle and while away an afternoon in the pretty garden out front. One afternoon I had a leisurely lunch at the beloved winery and restaurant Skillogalee. I sat on the terrace under the shade of an olive tree facing the vines as swallows and butterflies careened by, and after placing my order I went into the stone farmhouse. In a narrow room with a stone floor and blazing fire, the staff generously had me taste every wine on offer (a dozen!), and I selected one to drink with my meal. The experience felt simple and sweet and deeply hospitable and— although both the food and the wine were delicious—that was the magic of the place.

MCLAREN VALE In all the wine regions of South Australia you’re never very far from the sea, but it’s in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide at the base of the Fleurieu Peninsula, that wine country meets the water. You can, as I did, start your day with a drive along the wide, white expanse of Silver Sands Beach and end it at the Star of Greece restaurant, watching the tide come in while having some of the freshest, creamiest oysters you’ll ever eat. And in between you can taste some pretty great wine. As elsewhere in the state, there is a great variety in producers and experiences here. On one end of the spectrum is d’Arenberg, which makes some knockout Shirazes and is currently building an ambitious piece of

modern architecture called the Cube; when completed it will house a restaurant and cellar door where visitors will be immersed in a “wine fog.” I had a lot of fun doing the blending course, in which you taste and learn about the juice that comes from different parcels and then craft your own wine. There are also avant-garde producers making wines you’ll likely never find at home, like Brash Higgins, where former New York sommelier Brad Hickey is making Zibibbo and Nero d’Avola in clay amphorae, or Primo Estate, a gorgeously modern winery where Joseph Grilli is showing what Australia can do with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. I loved the wines at Bekkers, stylistically some of the most elegant I tasted on my trip, like the 2013 Syrah with typical black-fruit and chocolate notes but an unusually perfumed nose and liveliness on the palate. I happened to be in McLaren Vale during the annual convention of the region’s winemakers. They gather under a big tent in a field, have lunch, and enter their wines in a competition judged by their peers. When I arrived the lunch was over, and the group was mingling over more wine and discussing the winner from S.C. Pannell, which took first with one of its Touriga blends. It was a true community gathering, and even though I was an interloper, I was welcomed with a hearty handshake and a glass. It felt so emblematic of this place, sophisticated but casual, serious but fun-loving. I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.

The winery at Primo Estate, in McLaren Vale.

/ beyond /d i s p a tc h This is what the Barossa is all about: a beautiful marriage of the rustic and the refined

A local cheese plate at Udder Delights, in the Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf.

the details GETTING THERE Adelaide is the gateway to South Australia, with frequent connections from other Australian cities. HOTELS The Louise A low-slung compound of stucco buildings surrounded by lavender plantings. Rooms have gas fireplaces and outdoor showers, and there’s a great restaurant, Appellation. Marananga; thelouise.com.au; suites from A$606; four-course tasting menu A$128. Thorn Park by the Vines A bed-and-breakfast in rural Clare Valley where owners David Hay

and Michael Speers treat you like friends staying for the night. Sevenhill; thornpark.com.au; doubles from A$434. Vineyard McLaren Vale Four cozy cottages with kitchens and porches set on a hill with lovely views out to the vineyards. Blewitt Springs; thevineyardmv. com.au; cottages from A$383. RESTAUR ANTS & CAFeS Fino at Seppeltsfield Enjoy sensitively prepared local produce and an interesting wine list. Seppeltsfield; seppeltsfield. com.au; small plates A$23–$29. Hentley Farm Try the sevencourse Discovery Menu paired

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with award-winning wines. Seppeltsfield; hentleyfarm.com. au; tasting menu A$189. Lane Vineyard An attractive glass-walled restaurant with excellent food. Hahndorf; thelane. com.au; prix fixe menus from A$61. Salopian Inn Set in a former private house, this McLaren Vale hangout is popular for its Asian cuisine and gin bar. salopian.com. au; mains A$29–$37. Skillogalee Stop at this Clare Valley spot for lunch in a charming setting. Sevenhill; skillo galee.com.au; mains A$19–$50. Star of Greece A seaside restaurant serving oysters and Mediterranean-influenced fare. Port Willunga; starofgreece.com. au; tasting menu A$78. St. Hugo Chef Mark McNamara’s tasting menus are designed specifically to pair with St. Hugo’s wines. Rowland Flat; sthugo.com; tasting menus from A$120. Udder Delights Have a cheese tasting before picking up the fixings for a picnic lunch. Hahndorf; udderdelights.com.au. Vintners Bar & Grill This Barossa hot spot does nouveauAsian dishes like coconut curry short rib with puffed beef tendon. Angaston; vintners.com.au; mains A$37–$41. WINERIES Bekkers Toby Bekkers and his wife, Emmanuelle, make some of McLaren Vale’s most refined wines. bekkerswine.com. Brash Higgins Brad Hickey experiments with varietals and ferments some of his wines in clay amphorae. McLaren Vale; brashhiggins.com. d’Arenberg This McLaren Vale producer of killer Shirazes will add a new restaurant and cellar door in 2017. darenberg.com.au. Jim Barry Riesling and Shiraz are the specialties at this winery in the Clare Valley. jimbarry.com. Kilikanoon This producer offers a structured tasting of its coolclimate reds. Penwortham; kilikanoon.com.au. Maxwell Wines A favorite winery with a terrace and grounds for enjoying a glass. McLaren Vale; maxwellwines.com.au. Nepenthe One of the larger Adelaide Hills producers has an extensive range of bottlings and a popular cellar door. Balhannah; nepenthe.com.au. Paulett Wines Famous for its

casual café and sweeping views, Paulett is worth visiting for the wines, too. Polish Hill River; paulettwines.com.au. Penfolds Although this 172year-old brand sources fruit from several regions across Australia, its main cellar door is in the Barossa Valley. Nuriootpa; penfolds.com. Pikes Its Rieslings are beloved, but Pikes also produces some nice Savagnin, Chardonnay, Grenache, Sangiovese and even beer, including a pilsener lager, a stout and a sparkling ale. Polish Hill River; pikeswines.com.au. Primo Estate Winemaker Joseph Grilli draws on his Italian heritage in his innovative takes on Colombard, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. McLaren Vale; primoestate.com.au. S.C. Pannell Named Australia’s Winemaker of the Year in 2015, Stephen Pannell is making some of McLaren Vale’s most creative blends. pannell.com.au. Seppeltsfield This historic Barossa Valley estate was recently restored and has great port-style wines. Seppeltsfield; seppeltsfield.com.au. Shut the Gate Taste their carefully crafted wines, then buy some local nibbles and relax with a bottle in the garden. Watervale; shutthegate.com.au. Standish Wine Co. Winemaker Dan Standish makes terroirdriven red wines of exceptional depth and finesse. Light Pass; standishwine co.com. Tscharke Savagnin, Tempranillo and Montepulciano are among the stars at this inventive winery. Marananga; tscharke.com.au. Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale’s 123-year-old producer makes characteristic Shirazes and some interesting biodynamic wines. wirrawirra.com. TOUR GUIDES Barossa Daimler Tours John Baldwin shares his extensive knowledge while squiring guests in a vintage Daimler. barossadaimlertours.com.au. Barossa Taste Sensations Jonathan Milne is friendly and experienced and specializes in all four wine regions. barossa tastesensations.com. Off Piste 4WD Tours Ben Neville knows every corner of McLaren Vale and can introduce you to nature and wildlife between your tastings. offpistetours.com.au.

Website: odishatourism.gov.in/www.visitodisha.org• E-mail: oritour@gmail.com • Toll Free : 1800 208 1414, OTDC Central Reservation Counter (10 am - 6 pm): Tel. : +91674 2430764

For pure nature lovers, the diversity of Odisha’s flora and fauna will come as a pleasant surprise. With Wild Life Sanctuaries such as Bhitarkanika, Similipal and Chilika home to some of the rare plants and animals like tigers, leopards, hyenas, elephants, wolves, deer, mangrove forests, among others, you can be one with nature.

Similipal – A UNESCO National Park awaits for your wild amazement.

Bhitarkanika wild life sanctuary– The best place to sight the giant Salt Water Crocodile and other rare species

EXPLORE THE EXOTIC WILD LIFE OF ODISHA IN ITS PRISTINE WILD LIFE BIOSPHERES AND ESTUARINE SANCTURIES

sanket odisha tourism 2016

/ beyond /j o u r n e y

Coming into Focus

can easily be divided into two parts: before December 31, 2012, and after. That New Year’s Eve, she was working as a chef in the kitchen of Café Marina, a casual Italian restaurant on the Gold Coast, in Australia, and it was a particularly rough night. “I had a few drinks with friends after service, and was just over everything,” Bath says. “The next day, I rode out my hangover, and on January 2, 2013, I told my boss I wanted to quit.”

Lauren Bath’s life

Good thing she had a backup plan. Over the course of the previous year, Bath had quietly become one of Australia’s most successful Instagrammers, teaching herself the tools and tricks of photography with a professional camera and then posting three to four pictures a day on the social media platform. “My friend Garry and I would practice. We’d do a sunrise shoot on Wednesday, then research a technique like water-droplet or macro photography and learn it together. It became an addiction,” she says. Bath knew she was on to something when her account, where she was posting beautiful beach pictures of the Gold Coast, started growing by 1,000 followers per day. By the end of 2012, as New Year’s Eve approached, the total

Bath capturing the Vermilion Lakes in Banff, Canada, on a campaign for Travel Alberta.

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SEAN BY R NE / COU R TESY O F LAU R EN BATH

After finding a following for her stunning travel images, chef turned photographer Lauren Bath traded her apron for a new life exploring the world one shot at a time. By Jacqueline Gifford

‘Traveling changes you fundamentally. It helps you understand other cultures’

COU R TESY O F LAU R EN BATH

Portrait of a pachyderm, taken by Bath in Thailand.

was nearly 200,000. That’s when she decided it was time, in her words, to “go rogue and become a full-time Instagrammer.” Doing so allowed her to indulge her love of travel, a passion that, like photography, Bath discovered later in life. Her father, a professional chef, and her mother, an excellent home cook, gave Bath the love of the trade that led her to the chef’s life. (“Hospitality is such an invigorating industry,” she says. “You form these friendships and people become your family, but the hours are terrible.”) Then, several trips to Thailand and Bali changed her perspective on the world. “I loved the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, and all the Thai street food. And in Bali, I stayed in a little budget hotel in Kuta for a few months. It cost US$7 per night—I negotiated that rate—so I could afford to leave half my stuff there and go explore the other side of the island. It was total freedom.” Now, her travel schedule is so busy and action-packed, those unscripted moments can feel few and far between. And she’s okay with that. “I do believe in the energies and the universe. I had a gut feeling this would work out. Being on the road is amazing, but I’m also running a business, and it’s hard. However, I’m in this for the long haul.”

As of press time, Bath’s followers have soared to more than 460,000, and she is now a highly-sought-after travel photographer and social media influencer, advising tourism boards and hotel brands on how to navigate the digital world—and capturing stunning images for them along the way. In four years, she’s worked on 150 campaigns and visited destinations as varied as Oman, Finland, Canada and Argentina, in addition to exploring all corners of her home country. Within six months of quitting her job, she was earning as much as she had been in the kitchen. “I’m not the same person I used to be, when I was a chef,” she says. “Traveling changes you fundamentally. It makes you more accepting of other people, it helps you understand other cultures. There’s not even a piece of me that has any prejudice anymore. You can’t learn that sort of thing—you have to experience it.”

Bath snapped sakura blossoms in Japan.

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e ck s itnogr y in / beyond /cb ha ck

Curator Yumiko Lo in Just Space gallery.

Tropic of China

The arrival of a stylish seaside resort heralds the beginning of a new era for Sanya, China’s favorite island getaway. story and photos by Diana Hubbell

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I look up to see a trio of mermaids thrashing their tails in a shallow sea above my head. One waves her hand before slithering down the neon-lit plastic sheet to lavish attention on other audience members. Hundreds of smartphone screens follow her like a school of luminous fish. The scantily clad ladies are just one element of the show at Sanya Romance Park, a deliriously trippy performance that’s part Cirque du Soleil, part Vegas and part bombastic Beijing Olympics. A flying carpet descends from the ceiling with a troupe of bedazzled belly dancers. A love ballad culminates in a cascade of cherry blossoms. Ostensibly, the show tells tales from Hainan province’s illustrious past, but as my Mandarin is beyond rusty, I never quite figure out the historical context of the onstage laser battle with a flying actor strapped to a jet pack.

fa r r i g h t: t h e s a n ya e d i t i o n

Someone shrieks.

Even if I fail to grasp the subtleties of this Song dynastyinspired tribute, the tornadoes of glitter and dancing girls seem to scream “vacation” in any language. Hainan Island’s southern latitude has earned it the dubious nickname “the Hawaii of China,” which manifests in a myriad of signs that read aloha en route to Sanya, a sunny coastal city draped along several prime bays that lures burntout mainland urbanites hoping to let loose—so much that it received 15 million visitors in 2015, more than 20 times the local population. Maui it is not, but there’s a surplus of palm-, coconut- and pineapple trees and an escapist quality that Jimmy Buffet would recognize. I feel out of place in my gray-scale outfit, surrounded by floral shirts and a bring-on-the-tikidrinks attitude. Fear of the lei-toting jet-set is precisely what kept me away from

Hainan when I lived in China. As a rule, I’m leery of beach towns with too much bustle, and I never did care for cheeseburgers in paradise. Still, I kept hearing that Sanya was changing its tune. As new international flights from Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Germany and the U.K. pour in, the island is trying to veer away from kitsch in an effort to broaden its appeal beyond the local market. A bevy of five-star hotels is already in the pipeline, including a W, a Rosewood, and a Marriott Autograph Collection within the next year. All that added polish has helped emphasize what made this island so popular in the first place: a raw natural beauty largely spared from the ravages of rapid industrialization. Decades of strict developmental regulation mean you can still find swathes of untamed rainforest and the dreamy, blue skies that are becoming

from left: There are no tides to fight while kayaking the clean, clear waters of The Sanya Edition’s artificial ocean; executive chef Jordi

Villegas puts the finishing touch on a mojito-inspired dessert at The Jade Egret; crystal drops mimic stars in the interior of the Sky Bar.

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/ beyond /c h e ck i n g i n

from left: Bumpers cars in Playland bring out the kid in everyone; natural hues set a calming tone in The Sanya Edition’s ocean-front

As I lounge on the pseudo-shore by the glow of floating lanterns, I’m all too happy to be swept up in this dream world increasingly scarce on the mainland. If Sanya was growing up, I decided it was time to set aside my cynicism and go get lei’d. Who better to facilitate that than Ian Schrager, the co-founder and creative force behind New York’s swinging seventies club Studio 54? The flair for theatricality that propelled Schrager’s younger, wilder works is evident in The Sanya Edition, his swish hotel brand’s giddy debut in Asia-Pacific. Case in point: it centers around a man-made ocean filled daily with 37,854 liters of saltwater pumped and purified from the bay where guests can swim, paddleboard, kayak, take a yoga class on a buoyant platform, and embark on a circuitous champagne

cruise before dining on a private floating island. It’s no doubt over the top, but the mature edition. “When you have so many international luxury brands coming to Sanya, it’s a sign of the market growing more sophisticated,” says Xavi Gonzalez, the hotel’s general manager. Stepping into this space with its blonde-wood walls, objets d’art and sleek Zen aesthetic feels worlds apart from the gaudy megaresorts of yesteryear. As I check in, I’m greeted by a forest of nine-meter-high bamboo framing a jet-black infinity pool that seems to melt into Haitang Bay. The hotel’s crescent shape ensures that each of the 500-plus rooms and suites offers the same

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oceanic vista, along with a clear look at the jungle of indigenous flora that covers more than half the grounds. While the lofty design extends to eateries such as The Jade Egret, a fusion-forward tapas lounge, the presentation belies the down-toEarth deliciousness of the food. “Cooking is pretty simple. It’s not like sending a rocket to the sky,” says executive chef Jordi Villegas with a modest grin. He’s spent months visiting farms to source the best possible local ingredients, from sustainably raised salmon from Chengdu for house-cured gravlax, to honeycomb from Hainan’s only migratory beekeeper. “You need the right products, a certain level of care, and to be honest with the food.” For all the fine-dining flourishes, he’s kept the laid-back ethos intact. Barbacoa, a Balinese-style barbecue spot on the sand, feels more like a fuss-free beach party than a fancy resort affair. It helps that the warm,

fr o m l e f t: T h e S a n ya e d i t i o n ( 2 )

lofts; nine-meter-high bamboo greets guests at the entrance to vast property.

personable staff steer clear of the cookie-cutter sort of service still prevalent in many Chinese hotels. They don’t wear nametags, but I seem to remember them in part because of their uncanny ability to remember me—and my preferences, right down to my coffee order. “It’s not about scripted protocol,” Gonzalez says. More than 13,000 applied for these coveted positions, but only a few hundred had the right combination of charisma and attentiveness needed to make the final cut. “It’s a people business, not a factory, and we want them to be passionate and have fun.” The irony of the real ocean sitting in the backdrop behind this sanitized, cerulean one is not lost on me, but it’s hard to deny its charm as I lounge on its pseudo-shore after dark by the glow of floating lanterns. Even if it sometimes feels detached from its surrounding reality, I’m all too happy to be swept up in this dizzying dream world. I may not be the target age group, but I could easily spend an afternoon in the

kids’ area with its surrealist, Dr. Seuss trees, roving train and bumper cars. So I do, and join forces with a bunch of other so-called adults for a bumper-car skirmish that ends in giggles. Equally whimsical is the resort’s gallery, Just Space, a store stocked with covetable pop art décor and coffee table tomes. I meet curator Yumiko Lo, a petite Cantonese veteran of the Beijing art scene, who leads me around the opening exhibition, “New Order,” which spotlights some of China’s boldest emerging painters. “Most people don’t associate Sanya with art, they come here for the beach,” she says, a situation she sees as an opportunity. “My hope is to expose people here to something new.” With this in mind, I leave behind the glamorous resort bubble and pursue my own new experience of the region. One lazy afternoon before the mermaid-spangled extravaganza, I head to one of the many mineral-rich hot springs that dot the isle. Pearl River Nantian Hot

Spring offers a particularly serene soak, with 36 natural thermal pools infused with everything from ginger to green tea to coffee to traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Maybe it’s because I’ve absorbed some of the caffeine by osmosis, but I leave feeling more awake and relaxed than I have in weeks. By the time I board my return flight, I’ve got the first blush of a tan, there’s a sassy pink flower behind my ear, and I’m dressed in citrus hues that would make Tommy Bahama himself proud. I watch the boarding line dwindle and I’m the last through the gate. What’s the hurry? It has only been a few days, but I’m already living on island time editionhotels.com/sanya; doubles from RMB1,888.

from left: Sunrise over The

Sanya Edition’s man-made saltwater ocean; a carefully curated selection of pop-art and décor is available for sale at the on-site store.

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A 24/7 ESCAPE. TRANQUIL BY DAY. ELECTRIC BY NIGHT. SITUATED BETWEEN MAENAM AND BO PHUT, IT HAS THE FINEST AND MOST PRISTINE BEACH LOCATION IN THAILAND, OVERLOOKING STUNNING BEACHES AND LUSH FORESTS, W RETREAT KOH SAMUI AWAKENS AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, IGNITING THE UNEXPECTED. ILLUMINATING.. ENVIRONS. TAKE IT EASY. SURROUNDED BY VERDANT FOLIAGE, EACH OF OUR 74 PRIVATE-POOL RETREATS BOASTS A PRIVATE OUTDOOR POOL AND INFINITE ISLAND VIEWS. INSIDE, PREMIER TECHNOLOGY MEETS W SIGNATURE BED, BLISS® SPA AMENITIES AND WHATEVER/WHENEVER® SERVICE. W RETREAT KOH SAMUI T 66 77 915 999 / F 66 77 915 998 EXPLORE WHAT’S NEW / NEXT WRETREATKOHSAMUI.COM WHOTELS.COM/KOHSAMUI

t r av e l s m a rt e r

When in Rome

A T+L guide to culturally sensitive travel.

s o u r c e I l l u s t r at e d : c o u r t e s y o f v e c t e e z y. c o m ; c o u r t e s y o f fr e e p i k . c o m ; c o u r t e s y o f pa l a c e s .t h a i . n e t ( k i n g b h u m i b o l a d u lya d e j )

By Veronica Inveen Illustr ated by Autchar a Panphai

Nowadays, The ability to fly around the globe only to be

greeted by familiarities from home makes it increasingly easy to lose sight of our cultural differences. But travel can still be a behavioral minefield. From eating with the wrong hand, to kissing the wrong cheek, we are presented with tons of ways to not only embarrass ourselves while traveling, but perhaps also offend our hosts. Here are a few essentials to help you get culturally attuned before your next trip. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

/ upgrade / damage. The ubiquitous water fights also mean that there are road closures in nearly every major town, in order to make room for super-hoses and performance stages. If you plan to travel during this time, be warned that traffic may be at its worst.

Philippines Easter, April 14–16, 2017 Star ting with Maundy Thursday and ending Easter Sunday, this four-day long-weekend marks one of the most impor tant religious holidays in the Philippines, where the vast majorit y of the population identifies as Christian. Aside from the countr y nearly shut ting down as people leave for vacation or return to their hometowns, solemnit y spreads across the land with various ceremonies taking place, ranging from self-flagellations and crucifixion reenactments to theatrical plays. Christmas and other Christian holidays are also impor tant here and spark ex tended business closures.

Malaysia

A breakdown of some of the most important holidays and festivals in our region to help you decide when—and when not—to travel where over the next 12 months. Cambodia, Burma, Laos and Thailand New Year, April 13–15, 2017 The Buddhist New Year is a three-day holiday where revelers across the region break into a giant water fight. The practice began as a symbol of purification, but has evolved into a big, splash-happy party. If you find yourself in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Rangoon during Songkran, take to the streets at your own risk. Ruthless residents will soak you with their squirt guns, or worse, bathe you in a bucket of ice water, with no remorse. No one is safe, so make sure to hide any electronics susceptible to water

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With a population nearly two-thirds Muslim, Malaysia goes big on lots of religious holidays, including Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the massive celebration following the month of Ramadhan. The entire nation goes to pay respects at their ancestors’ graves, prays, and visits relatives and friends. With bigger cities like KL emptying out, shophouses may be closed and traffic will likely be heavier as the population mobilizes. Other important holidays include: Hari Raya Haji, commemorating the sacrifice of the prophet Abraham, on September 1 this year; Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, this year on October 18; and Chinese New Year, on February 16, 2018.

China Mid-Autumn Festival October 4, 2017 A full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness and family reunion. That’s why, on the 15th day of the eighth

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CULTURAL CALENDAR

Hari Raya Aidilfitri, June 26, 2017

alcohol, as the public uses the day for merit-making or to spend time with family. Alcohol sales are also restricted during most important Buddhist holidays, such as Makha Bucha (February 11, 2017), Visakha Bucha (May 10, 2017), Asahna Bucha until Wan Khao Phansa (July 8–11, 2017), as well as election days and Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday, on August 12.

Vietnam

s o u r c e I l l u s t r at e d : c o u r t e s y o f pa l a c e s .t h a i . n e t ( T o p r i g h t ) ; c o u r t e s y o f f r e e p i k . c o m ( b o t t o m ) . t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f Li n h L e

Thailand King Bhumibol’s Birthday December 5 The birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej is one of the Kingdom’s most important holidays, and is also Father’s Day. After the passing of His Majesty last October, it will remain a holiday, with royal ceremonies as usual. There’s a national ban on

Group Managing Director of destination management company, Asia DMC How do you prep for travel within an unfamiliar culture?

Tet, February 16, 2018

lunar month, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest, Chinese families across the nation gather together at home or make visits to nearby cities and cultural sites. The entire populace is on the move, so it may be best explore wherever you are by foot to avoid heavy traffic and more hoards of people than usual— or just steer clear of the whole country full-stop during this time.

EXPERT INTEL

Linh Le

The Lunar New Year is an important time of the year for most countries in Asia. Where there are significant populations of people of Chinese descent—from Thailand to Taiwan to Malaysia— there is a 100-percent chance you’ll be seeing red for the duration of the festivity period, which can last up to 15 days. Tet, the Vietnamese version of the holiday, is the biggest celebration in the nation. It is a time for Vietnamese to express their respects to ancestors and welcome the new year with a clean slate. The whole country mobilizes to return to hometowns and visit tombs, shrines and temples. Because everyone follows the tradition of giving money to children and gifts to elders, pickpocketing in the large cities unfortunately increases just before Tet. Other notes of warning: roads and airports can be crowded with travelers heading home, while big cities clear out leaving many businesses closed for at least a week or maybe more.

I always seek to learn the basic phrases—even if pronounced incorrectly, it shows I’m trying, offers an icebreaker and builds rapport when meeting local people. Our guests always have a pre-departure kit, which details customs, cultural etiquette and some common phrases. We consult with local guides, and on the ground they can weigh in to really enhance your travel experience.

Is the tourism industry becoming more culturally sensitive?

Guests traveling with responsible travel companies are being better educated to help protect and preserve the cultural integrity of each destination. It’s becoming pertinent for travelers to choose their local operator carefully to ensure they are managed by people with sustainable motives. Unfortunately, there are still a number of travelers who don’t seek this advice, which often creates embarrassment and can lead to legal issues for destinations like Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, where respect to Buddhism and religion are so important. Historically, cultural customs tend to ease with the onset of mass tourism. I think we need to maintain a high integrity for these destinations as they grow.

Common mistakes

Not covering up when visiting temples, indiscreet hand gestures to locals, mistreatment of local staff, and forgetting the idea of personal space when taking pictures of local people are among the common cases. For all of Asia, avoid pointing your finger towards strangers to keep that bad karma away. However when eating soup and noodles, slurping is a sign of joy for the chef—do more of that!

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The Etiquette Map How to dress and act the part on your next international holiday.

Attire

On the Beach Despite the influences from around the world, and the obvious modernity of big cities like Bangkok and Singapore, modesty and conformity prevail as an integral part of Southeast Asian culture. Strongly religious or traditional areas firmly discourage beach goers from wearing revealing swimwear. To respect cultural sensitivities, you could be asked to cover up when wearing a bikini in Brunei, or rural areas of Malaysia. At public beaches in Vietnam, it is not prohibited to wear something revealing, but the unusualness of the act will likely earn you extra attention from locals—and topless tanning is definitely illegal even in private resorts. If you are traveling to a Muslim country, it might be best to choose a one-piece or a more modest getup. Throughout the region, never leave the beach in only your swimwear.

At Religious Sites Asia is full of religious sites, from ancient tombs in Vietnam to mosques in Indonesia. Dressing respectfully is particularly

GREETINGS EUROPE

The air kiss is a common salutation throughout much of Europe, however, not all smooches are the same, even within the same country. It’s four kisses in Nantes, France; three in the Netherlands; two in Spain; and a single peck in Francophone Belgium. When it comes to aim, in Portugal and much of France, you move from left to right, but if you’re in,

for example, Strasbourg, France, go right to left.

INDIA

Shaking hands is common, but only between two men or two women. Members of the opposite sex do not make contact with each other in greeting. The traditional salutation when meeting an elder is to bend down and touch their feet.

JAPAN

With your hands to your side or relaxed on your lap, bend at your waist for a bow dipping to a 45 degree angle.

ME X ICO

Handshakes and a strong hug are common, but if someone comes at you with pursed lips, expect a simple touch of the cheeks, on your right side, with a kissing sound rather than a real smack.

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NEW ZEALAND

prayer. The motion also might be accompanied by a bow. If greeting someone important, such as a monk, you will raise your hands in front of your face and bend slightly at the waist.

THAILAND, LAOS and CAMBODIA

Do not be alarmed when someone on the street sticks their tongue out at you. Just return the gesture kindly with an open mouth and exposed tongue.

A simple handshake is standard around most of the country, but if you find yourself among the Maori people touch your forehead and nose to the person you are greeting to say hello.

Known as the wai in Thai, this salutation involves pressing your palms together and bringing them to your chest, as if in

TIBET

courtesy of v ectee z y (3)

An incomplete guide to Saying hello from Lhasa to Los Cabos.

entirely in Brunei, Middle Eastern nations, China and India.

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Photo-taking

important when visiting these places, not only for religious reasons, but for their cultural and historical significance as well. Whether a Buddhist or Hindu temple, or Muslim mosque or a shrine, it is likely you’ll have to remove your shoes at some point during a visit. At any of these places, you can count on dresses, shorts and skirts above the knee, as well as exposed shoulders and chests to be forbidden. Don’t cover up and, quite simply, you’re not getting in. In some locations, women may also need to cover their hair. Always carry a spare, multi-purpose sarong just in case.

A Country in Mourning With the recent passing of beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand has entered a yearlong period of mourning. The population is displaying their grief by donning all black, and visitors should try to stick to subdued colors out of respect for the rest of the year. If muted tones don’t do anything for your complexion, pin one of the widely available black tribute ribbons on your shirt to show your condolences.

PDA You’re on a romantic getaway and all you want to do is cuddle up to your partner. But—even if you’re not canoodling like love-struck teenagers—you may want to think twice before even giving pecks on the cheek. In some countries, like Morocco, any display of affection beyond holding hands may be perceived as abnormal and even offensive. To avoid making anyone uncomfortable, make sure what you are doing is not considered rude by local people. Be extra aware in both religiously conservative and rural areas around Southeast Asia, and refrain

We get it: that bejeweled golden Buddha figure would make for a really awesome Instagram post. However, while you may not identify as a Buddhist, some images are considered too holy to photograph. And before you try to replicate the relaxed pose of the sacred idol, remember that many devout people see such an imitation as offensive. As for photogenic locals, if you are from somewhere where it’s not unusual to snap a picture of a cute baby on the train or interesting character at the park, keep in mind such actions might not be as accepted in the country you are traveling to. Always ask permission before photographing someone or their home.

Tipping Things get messy when it comes to tipping and traveling, as the rules vary by country and scenario. Skipping out on a tip after an expensive meal when on a trip could very quickly earn you some enemies in your host country—particularly in the U.S. and Canada, where servers must make up for their low wages with gratuities, which are expected to be 15 to 20 percent. In many European countries, a service charge of 5 to 15 percent is built into the bill; in Australia, diners tend to leave 10 to 15 percent; in New Zealand, it’s 10 percent only for exceptional service. While many Asian countries don’t have much of a tipping culture, the tourist-heavy region has grown more familiar with the practice with its influx of foreign visitors. But, if you are in Japan or Brunei, hold off entirely: it can be considered rude to leave a tip.

APPS

Download these apps for an easy in on local lingo, history and culture throughout the region. Google Translate Not everyone has the time and dedication to learn a language before traveling abroad. But memorizing a few key phrases can earn your host’s respect, keep you from getting lost on the spider-web-of-a-subway in Tokyo, or make sure there is no pork in your pad Thai in Bangkok. With features like offline ability and instant camera translation, Google Translate will be your key to a garrulous getaway. translate. google.com; Android and iOS.

Culture Explorer Launched by Samsung, this app is an ode to Southeast Asia’s cultural and historical heritage by connecting modern people with the region’s rich past. To facilitate appreciation of heritage landmarks in Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and soon the rest of the region, the app uses augmented reality to work like a personal tour guide. Whether in Kuala Lumpur or Saigon, you can uncover a new neighborhood each day or roam around freely and receive a notification when you come across an important site. Download via Google Play; Android only.

Duo Lingo You are a few months out from your trip to Seoul and are looking forward to tucking into bowls of steaming tofu soup and plates of daeji bulgogi. But if you can’t read Korean or ask locals where the best spots are, you may find yourself defaulting to TripAdvisor recommendations. Duo Lingo offers free lessons for more than 25 different languages. Learn to speak, read, write and understand through lessons that feel more like games. You’ll find yourself practicing everywhere from your desk to the subway. Fluency never seemed so fun. duolingo.com; Android and iOS.

Airbnb Experiences You start to feel like a local as soon as you turn the key into your skyscraping apartment in the city center or charming bungalow off the main drag. And with Airbnb’s new experiences feature, guests can book everything from zip-lining day trips, to cooking classes, to neighborhood tours with their hosts to connect with their temporary hometown in an intimate way. airbnb.com; Android and iOS.

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EXPERT INTEL

Jay Tindall

Co-founder and COO of luxury trip designer Remote Lands

BALI ARTS IMMERSION, DANU ENTERPRISES Husband-and-wife duo Judy Slattum and Made Surya are just the people you want to show you around Bali. Slattum, a scholar on Balinese arts, and Surya, a local and culinary expert, are putting together trips that are immersive and educational, but still relaxing and fun. Practice the art of dance or carve traditional masks under the tutelage of Bali’s best. With language and cultural briefings upon arrival, you’ll be ready for a stellar trip. danutours.com; two-week tour from US$1,725.

TIBET & NEPAL, DJOSER This sustainable, small-group tour to the Himalayas focuses on genuine cultural experiences in a region with much to discover. Venture to towns and villages not yet spoiled by the explosion of tourism. Learn from locals on excursions like the one to a Tibetan monastery built in 1447 where you can attend a religious ceremony. Or, set out to do your own thing, as Djoser encourages participants to be independent and makes all planned activities optional. djoserusa.com; 19-day tour from US$3,135.

Common mistakes

The biggest mistake I see is when a traveler refuses to adapt to the local culture and expects things to be the same as they are at home. For example, in Japan it is considered extremely rude to cancel a dinner reservation or appointment, whereas in the U.S. it is quite normal to cancel things. It’s amazing how many people still cancel dinner reservations at a top restaurant, lose a US$1,000 deposit, and then question why.

How do you prep for travel within an unfamiliar culture?

I am always in communication with local guides or tour operators prior to arriving to assess not only where to go, but the best way of doing things. This includes both logistics and getting familiar with the new culture. We have created our own destination guides with tips about cultural issues for each country and we do bon-voyage calls prior to travel where we discuss these things in detail with the traveler.

HANOI GOURMET TRAILS, TRAILS OF INDOCHINA

CAMBODIA & LAOS ENCOUNTER, INTREPID

There may be no better way to connect with a place you are traveling to than through delicious gastronomic interactions. During this tour in Hanoi, you’ll sample the best of the local cuisine, from tender meatballs in bun cha to sweet mung-bean balls in chè. A local guide will be there throughout the trip, so you’ll be in on all of the native secrets. Tour a wet market and venture outside the city for a cooking class in the home of a local chef. trailsofindochina.com; prices upon request.

Southeast Asia is a history-and-culture goldmine with an overwhelming amount of sites to uncover. On this two-week trip, you’ll discover many facets of the region, from exploring hidden Khmer temples, to walking along Laos riverside exotica. Experience the sites that draw in tourists, but also get a taste of life from a local’s perspective with a homestay in Cambodia’s Kampong Thom province. intrepidtravel.com; 13-day tour from US$2,015.

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Is the tourism industry becoming more culturally sensitive?

I think that most of our clients try to be at least a little culturally sensitive when traveling around Southeast Asia, whether that means taking off their shoes when entering a temple, giving a wai to be polite, or learning how to say thank you in the local language. I’ve also noticed that the locals in the region have become quite tolerant of tourists not knowing the local customs as long as they are not rude, and they really appreciate it when foreigners make an effort.

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While everyone seems to be touting the local experience these days, these are four of our favorites that give you a true deep-dive into the countries you’re visiting.

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DEALS | t+l reader specials

ROMANCE HONG KONG

With a dinner on a private island in the Maldives, or a play date with elephants in Northern Thailand, this month’s deals are sure to enchant your valentine.

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Tea and a hydrating massage are two surefire ways to heat up your February. Luxuriate in a 60-minute full-body massage for toning and hydration with your partner, then ease back to life with a steaming cup of world-class tea and an enticing spread of homemade chocolates, pastries, cakes and soufflés. The Deal Rose Indulgence package: massage and afternoon tea, from HK$2,200 for two, through April 30. Save 38%. hyatt.com.

Pool cabana at Shinta Mani Club in Siem Reap.

SUPERSAVER Avani Quy Nhon and Anantara Hoi An, Vietnam Experience two of Vietnam’s most enticing spots: the shores of Quy Nhon and the alluring alleys of Hoi An. The Deal Ultimate Vietnam Special: three nights in a Deluxe Balcony room at Anantara Hoi An and three nights in a Deluxe Studio room at Avani Quy Nhon, from US$1,200 for two, through December 23. Save 40%. Reservations: hoian@anantara.com.

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SIEM REAP

Shinta Mani Club Let Siem Reap’s beguiling wats, and grand colonial-era architecture serve as the backdrop for the perfect romantic getaway. With sunset drinks on a charming wooden boat along the Siem Reap river, a 190-minute spa treatment and a six-course rooftop dinner, Shinta Mani will ensure love is in the air. To make the trip extra special, partake in a blessing ceremony with Buddhist monks at historic Preah Ang

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f s h i n ta m a n i c l u b ; c o u r t e s y o f ava n i q u y n h o n

MALDIVES

Per Aquum Niyama Maldives As if the Maldives’ amber sunsets and sweet island breezes weren’t romantic enough, Per Aquum Niyama Maldives is taking island amour to whole new heights. From the bottle of champagne upon arrival, to a 90-minute couple’s spa session, to a private meal along the pristine banks of the island, experience uninterrupted romance with your valentine. A professional photo-shoot with makeup and wardrobe is also included in this package, so you’ll look your best in those envyevoking photos you send home. The Deal Honeymoon Passions: a night in a Beach Studio room, from US$1,942 for two, through December 19. Save 20%. minorhotels.com.

Chek Preah Ang Chom shrine. Fast track immigration upon arrival, return airport transfer and late checkout also make this package worthwhile. The Deal Romantic package: three nights in a Deluxe room, from US$1,200 for two, through September 31. Save 25%. shintamani.com.

ADVENTURE

a garden picnic lunch one day, and a sumptuous candlelit dinner the next. Also enjoy Village Club benefits, a one-way airport transfer and shuttle services to Ubud center. The Deal Kamandalu Experience package: a night in a Pool villa, priced from US$600 for two, through March 31, 2018. Save 20%. kamandaluresort.com.

thailand

Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, and Anantara Siam Bangkok The beauty of Northern Thailand is captivating, and the bustle of Bangkok, thrilling. Combine the two for the perfect holiday, starting at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort where you can watch the sun rise atop an elephant, try your hand at rice cultivating, sample one of the world’s rarest and most expensive coffees or learn the art of Thai cooking. With your two free nights in central Bangkok, stock up on gifts for home in the city’s shopping hub or take it easy with a traditional Thai massage at the Anantara Spa. Also enjoy airport transfers and room upgrades with this deal. The Deal Bangkok with Compliments: three nights in a Deluxe Three Country View room at the Anantara Golden Triangle and two nights in a Deluxe View room at Anantara Siam Bangkok, from US$3,058 for two, through December 19. Save 20%. Anantara.com.

KRABI

Amari Vogue Krabi Skipping the breakfast buffet for a boxed morning meal won’t seem nearly as disappointing when you get to unwrap your meal with the view of Hong Island smack-dab in front of you as you cruise to shore by long-tail boat. This trip will be full of #nofilter moments, from a kayak trip around the hotel’s beach, to the beautifully concocted cocktails at the Sunset Lounge. Also enjoy a special discount for dining and spa services, a private Thai cooking class and round-trip airport transfers. The Deal Krabi Island Hop: a night in a Deluxe room, from Bt10,631 for two, through October 31. Save 20%. amari. com.

CITY MACAU

The St. Regis Macao There is so much to see, eat and do in Macau, this package, which encourages a longer trip, will help you tick the boxes on your wish list. Whether it’s the glitz of the city’s many casinos or its rich heritage and local culture that has drawn you in, the St. Regis Macao will serve as an ideal home base as you explore the vibrant destination. Treat yourself to a sumptuous meal at the hotel’s world-class restaurant, The Manor, and sample fusion bites like their Golden Coin Bao, made with red roast pork belly, foie gras and porcini in a soft bao bun. And don’t forget to make room for one of Macau’s famous egg tarts before you head back to your luxurious abode. The Deal Thirty percent off for your three-night stay: a night in a Deluxe room, from HK$1,461 for two, through May 22. Save 30%. stregismacao.com. SINGAPORE

Villa Samadhi Singapore Tucked away from the bustle of Singapore, encircled by a thick green flora, a beautifully restored colonial villa awaits

your arrival. This freshly debuted 20-room hotel seamlessly fuses modern comforts with a rustic-luxe character. Celebrate their opening with discounted accommodations, breakfast under the veranda and evening cocktails for two at The Lounge. The Deal Opening Special: a night in a Crib room, from S$315 for two, through April 30. Save 20%. villasamadhi.com.

FAMILY PENANG

Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Get both surf and city in one package with a stay at this beach-skirting resort only a shuttle-ride away from vibrant George Town. Live the suite life with discounted accommodations, breakfast at either the Feringgi Grill or Spice Market Café, and complimentary afternoon tea and pre-dinner cocktails. Kick back at Rasa Lounge while your children go wild at the Cool Zone Kid’s Club. The Deal Suite Deals: a night in a Studio suite, from RM1,174 for two, through December 20. Save up to 45%. shangri-la.com. — VERONICA INVEEN

courtesy of amari vogue krabi

BALI

Kamandalu Ubud Experience ultimate bliss with this package that provides everything you need for a relaxing holiday. Wake up in your private poolside villa, then tuck into a hearty breakfast before exploring the vast resort grounds. Spend your days doing yoga, exploring Ubud by bike, trekking through rice paddies to local temples, or unwinding with an Indonesian massage. Indulge in

An awe-inspiring sunset at Amari Vogue Krabi’s Bellini restaurant.

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Il Fumo Fires Up Bangkok “The job of a chef is to create a dish with full respect for what nature originally intended for us” —Chef-partner Luca Appino

ARTISANAL PRODUCE FROM EUROPE IN the center of Bangkok? You’ll be delighted to find it at Il Fumo, an inviting wood charcoal grill house serving contemporary Italian cuisine, that has captured our hearts with their dedication to extracting the purest flavors from the most exquisite ingredients. The team works closely with some of the most exclusive suppliers in Europe, including Rubia Gallega beefs of Txogitxu (which you can also find in Arzak, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in San Sebastian), Mora Romagnola porks of Ca’ Lumaco (which you may have sampled in three-Michelin-starred Enoteca Pinchiorri, in Florence) and the famed red prawns from Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. They also boast one of the most enviable dry-aged beef collections in the region—Chianina from Tuscany, Limousin from Bordeaux and Charolais from Burgundy, to name a few. Bringing these wonderful ingredients to life are the creative minds of their charismatic, multi-talented Chef-partner Luca Appino and inventive wunderkind Head Chef Nelson Amorim. Chef Amorim honed his Italian culinary skills in 8 1/2 Bombana, first in its Hong Kong location (the only three-Michelinstarred Italian restaurant outside Italy) and later in its Macau outpost (which holds one Michelin star). His cooking philosophy is, “Great ingredients speak for themselves.” Settle into one of their sumptuous armchairs, peruse the immaculately culled

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Charcoal grilled Iberico lamb shoulder; Head Chef Nelson Amorim and Chef-partner Luca Appino; showcasing one of the region’s top dry-aged beef collections; lobster, scallop and crab ravioli.

wine list, and be sure to order one of Chef Amorim’s latest creations. Perhaps wood charcoal grilled Iberico lamb shoulder served with its natural jus, char-grilled young leeks and caramelized hazelnuts; or ravioli filled with Canadian lobster, Hokkaido scallop and crabmeat served with baby spinach cream and seafood emulsion? Whatever you choose, Il Fumo is sure to set your heart ablaze.

1098/2 Rama IV Rd., Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2 286 8833, +66 (0) 97 170 6260 Web: ilfumo.co | Line ID: ilfumo | Email: choti@ilfumo.co

tim laman

A Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia bird-ofparadise, in Papua New Guinea, page 76.

/ february 2017 / Tamil Nadu, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spiritual utopia | Why

Papua New Guinea has the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best bird watching | Get back to the real Bali in these off-the-beaten-track towns | The new high-tech, close-knit Los Angeles 63

Meenakshi Amman temple, in Madurai. Opposite: Roses and madurai malli, a local variant of jasmine, at Svatma, a hotel in Thanjavur.

THe Gods Are in the details

Spirituality infuses every part of Tamil Nadu, from the temples to the trees. Horatio Clare journeys through the state’s colorful layers of history and finds an India unlike any other. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAHESH SHANTARAM

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Clockwise from top left: Hidesign, a boutique in Chennai; the â&#x20AC;&#x153;meter coffeeâ&#x20AC;? at Svatma; inside the Brihadisvara Temple complex, in Thanjavur.

On the Coast of Coromandel Where the early pumpkins blow, In the middle of the woods Lived the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo...

As a child I assumed that these lines by Edward Lear, England’s 19th-century master of nonsense poetry, described a magical home for the Yonghy, his fantastical protagonist. So it was with a shiver of thrill, as at a spell taking effect, that I landed in Chennai, on India’s southeastern shore—the actual Coast of Coromandel. Lear himself visited the city in the 1870s, when it was called Madras. Lear’s primary modes of transportation then were bullock carts and sedan chairs. I was grateful to be riding in a Toyota minivan driven by S. Jayapaul Sreenevasan, a gentleman of courtly manners wearing entirely immaculate white, who navigated the roaring capital of the state of Tamil Nadu with a mix of nerve and verve. The morning rush was thick with traffic, crow calls and the salty air of the Bay of Bengal. Tamil Nadu might best be thought of today as a country within a country. Under its charismatic leader, Jayalalithaa Jayaram (who died suddenly last December, plunging the region into political uncertainty), it became one of the stablest and most developed parts of India. Its more than 70 million residents power the third-largest state economy in India, with a gross domestic product of about US$130 billion. Yet even as Tamil Nadu has embraced the present, traditional Tamil culture and language, which date back thousands of years, remain vigorously alive. The state’s temples and treasures have long drawn travelers and pilgrims from other parts of India, but they are less familiar to foreign visitors. Because Tamil Nadu has not been as economically reliant on developing a tourism infrastructure as other parts of India, like neighboring Kerala, only now are a number of sleek hotels coming to the state. They provide an ideal way to experience Tamil Nadu’s diverse living history, which includes the monuments of long-ago dynastic rulers, hermetic spiritual practices, and eccentric breakaway communities. From the inscriptions at the burial site of Adichanallur carved in 500 B.C. to the great Meenakshi temple at Madurai where mystic rituals are

enacted nightly, there is much to discover, even for frequent travelers to India. As we reached the outskirts of Chennai, Sreenevasan pointed out the shining headquarters of several international tech companies. The buildings looked incongruous beside lagoons and marshes where egrets stalked and bent-backed farmers tended rice paddies, just as they had during Lear’s time.

reenevasan and I drove for several hours through a repeating landscape of rice paddies, palm trees and little villages until we reached the first treasure of the coast, the beguiling town of Pondicherry. Officially Puducherry since 2006 (though I never heard the new name used), it is a languid and floral place, busy with birds and dragonflies, that still reflects centuries of French rule. This is another of Tamil Nadu’s oddities; while Britain colonized nearly all of India, France maintained a few small enclaves on the Coromandel Coast, including Pondicherry, which it controlled from 1674 until 1954. After independence, some Pondicherrians chose to become French citizens. Today, French is less an influence than a mode de vie. “I think in French most of the time,” said Christian Aroumougam at the Café des Arts, on Rue Suffren. He was born in Pondicherry and educated there and in France, where he ran a yoga school until returning to India to help his parents settle into retirement. “French rule in Pondicherry was not as harsh as British rule in the rest of India,” Aroumougam explained. “They were more tolerant and permissive of local traditions and arts. You have seen the statue of Joseph Dupleix?” A bronze tribute to Pondicherry’s 18th century governor, grandly dressed in a long coat and riding boots, stands on a plinth by the sea. Like the French street signs, the cuisine of the French Quarter, and the tricolor flying over the consulate of France, it is a symbol of pride in Pondicherry’s unusual heritage. My base was La Villa, a delightful hotel in a colonial mansion that has been updated with imaginative architectural flourishes, like a spiral staircase leading to a pool overlooked by elegant rooms. Each evening, I sallied out to join the crowd of flaneurs strolling Pondicherry’s seafront. We relished the milky-green violence of the Bay of Bengal bursting on the breakwater and the cool of the sea wind. At Le Café, a beach restaurant, students and families drank café au lait and ate dosas while across the road men played boules. They posed with the same meditative hunch that gentlemen in France adopt when they fling the steel balls. One spoke briefly to me. “I worked for the police in Paris for twenty years,” he said. “Of course we care for France. Soldiers from Pondicherry fought for France in Vietnam.” I pondered the otherworldly atmosphere of the place: the bright colors of the women’s saris glowing against the sea, the melancholy in the fading shades of the boulevards, the absolute ease in the air. It is no coincidence that one of Pondicherry’s industries is spirituality. In 1910, the Indian t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

nationalist, poet and holy man Sri Aurobindo, fleeing a British arrest warrant for fomenting rebellion, arrived in Pondicherry. Safe within French jurisdiction, he began to preach enlightenment and spiritual evolution through yoga and meditation. Aurobindo and his disciple, Mirra Alfassa, a charismatic Parisian whom he christened “the Mother,” founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry in 1926. Pilgrims were drawn by Aurobindo’s belief that oneness with the divine does not mean renouncing the world but “turning the will away from motives of self-interest to the truth and the service of a greater reality than the ego,” as he wrote in his memoir. Today, the ashram provides food and shelter to hundreds and guides the lives of thousands. Its headquarters, library, cafeteria, publishing operation, embroidery business, post office and stores are in colonial buildings clustered in Pondicherry’s French Quarter. One of Aurobindo’s adherents is Jagannath Rao N., an energetic sexagenarian who told me meeting the Mother was one of the great events of his life. “I was fourteen, and I felt all my problems were solved,” he recalled. “She seemed to have an answer for everything.” Rao N., who spent his career in the diamond trade, is a volunteer at the ashram. “It’s her work. We get rid of our ego. No job is too small or great.”

bit north of Pondicherry lies Auroville, the utopian community Alfassa founded in 1968, when she was 90, in what was then arid scrubland. Calling it “the city of the dawn,” she conceived Auroville as a town devoted to new ways of living: cashless, international, dedicated to peace and spiritual harmony. Today, its more than 800 hectares accommodate 2,000 people from 43 countries who live together under the canopy of the two million trees they have planted. Aurovilians run businesses in fields from technology to textiles. The campus focus is the Matrimandir, a meditation space inside a structure that resembles a giant golden golf ball on an immaculate fairway. Visitors are welcome to stay at Auroville, attend courses, volunteer their labor, join a yoga session in the Matrimandir. In Dreamer’s Café, part of a complex of stalls and boutiques at the information center, I met one of Auroville’s newest residents, Marlyse, 70, who goes by only her first name. She described the journey that had brought her here three months earlier from Switzerland. “I worked in

corporate IT,” she said. “I had to raise my kid! Then I found the Auroville website and knew immediately—this is where I belong.” In her linen shirt, a Maori pendant symbolizing friendship hanging around her neck, Marlyse radiated enthusiasm for her new life. “I just want to contribute to this endeavor,” she said. “Auroville makes it easy if you have a dream.” She is part of a team developing electric transport for the community, funding a portion of the enterprise from her own savings. Upon arrival she was “horrified,” she said, by all the motorbikes. Marlyse also works behind the information desk and on the website. She is being assessed by her fellow Aurovilians, who will decide if she has the personal qualities and work ethic to stay on as a full member of the community. Around us young people consulted their laptops. Belief in the teachings of the Mother and Aurobindo is no longer required, Marlyse explained—“but you have to work. Community members work six days a week.” The atmosphere was one of quiet excitement, industrious and dedicated to something beyond personal advancement.

he following evening I found myself in the city of Thanjavur on the back of a moped, weaving terrifyingly through traffic like a pebble in an avalanche. My driver, the impish and charismatic K. T. Raja, beeped constantly and never looked right, left or back, navigating by instinct and faith. As the city swept past, I thought of Lear again: “Violent and amazing delight at the wonderful variety of life and dress here.” The serenity of Auroville felt far away. In the morning, Raja, a “Tourist Guide Government Trained,” as his badge stated, continued my education in the story of Thanjavur. The city was the capital of the medieval Chola dynasty, which 1,000 years ago spread across southern India, northern Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We walked around Brihadisvara, the mighty temple completed by King Rajaraja I in the year 1010, admiring its signature feature, a soaring orange granite tower decorated with thousands of figures, niches and cornices. We joined a line of devotees to Shiva that has formed every day for centuries. A priest raised a pyramid of fire composed of small candles. The crowd’s shouts made the room ring with supplication. “Temples meant employment,” Raja told me. “If people have employment and food, there is dance, sculpture, painting.” Parakeets and swifts flew over the great walls and around the tower’s 70-tonne capstone—raised, Raja said, by elephants who conveyed it along a great earthen ramp that went all the way to the top. We studied a huge carving of Nandi, Shiva’s sacred bull, that dates to the 16th century. Nearby, there were sculptures of Shiva that seemed to have four arms and four legs. These were both devotional and instructional, Raja explained, depicting the deity striking two poses at the same time. Inside the Royal Palace, now a museum, he showed me astonishing 11th-century bronze sculptures of Shiva and his beautiful consort Parvati, the goddess of fertility, love and devotion. Their detailed necklaces and bracelets all but jangled with the swelling movements of their muscles.

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Clockwise from left: The meditation center at Auroville, near

Pondicherry; a vegetarian thali lunch at Svatma; hawkers selling goods on the street outside Meenakshi Amman temple.

The 14 towers of Meenakshi Amman temple are covered with intricate figurines of gods, demons and animals.

Everyone I met carried the stories of the gods’ relationships and squabbles like a shared and universal soap opera

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La Villa, a hotel in a former colonial mansion in Pondicherry.

Afterward, I returned to Svatma, a new hotel in an old merchant’s mansion in a quiet quadrant of Thanjavur. Its philosophy is predicated on the relationship between a healthy body and a quiet mind. The restaurant is “pure,” my waiter informed me, meaning it serves vegetables only. At the beginning of each sumptuous meal, he displayed a tray of onions, peppers, eggplants, potatoes and spices, like a conjurer challenging the diner to imagine how the chef could possibly transform such mundane fare into the delectable curries and sauces he would soon serve.

outh of Thanjavur, the landscape becomes drier and less populated. A granite cliff rears above the plain. I had reached a zone of India’s lesser known and more mysterious faiths. One is Jainism, founded in the sixth century B.C. by Mahavira, a companion of Buddha. Meditation, fasting and the rejection of any action that might harm another living creature, Jains believe, lead to the liberation of the soul. Sreenevasan turned off the road so we could visit the Sittannavasal Cave Temple, a 2½-meter cube hewn out of the cliff in the seventh century by Jain craftsmen. Inside were tirthankaras, carved Buddha-like figures, and glowing murals of religious figures, swans and lotus flowers. We stood in the middle and hummed. The stone took up the sound. It lingered even after we fell silent. We could feel it pulsing through the rock that surrounded us. Farther along the road, in the isolated village of Namunasamudram, hundreds of terra-cotta horses lined the path to a shrine. These were artifacts of the Aiyanar faith, an egalitarian offshoot of Hinduism that recognizes worshippers of all castes and religions equally. The fierce watchfulness of the horses combined with the eerie silence of the shrine gave me a prickly feeling on the back of my neck. “Keep away from the horses,” Sreenevasan said. “There are snakes.” Inside the shrine we found drapes and colored pigments that had been left recently, but no sign of anyone—only the feeling of being observed while standing on holy ground. The sensation of falling through a crack in modernity only deepened upon our arrival in the Chettinad region. A Hindu merchant class organized in a clan structure, the Chettiars established themselves in the 17th century, likely through the salt trade. Their heyday came late in the 19th century when they began borrowing money from British colonial banks and lending it to small traders at a higher interest rate. The fortunes they made allowed them to finance the construction of thousands of palatial houses, many in the Art Deco style, arranged in a spray of planned villages. The Parisian architect Bernard Dragon has renovated one of the mansions and now runs it as a dreamy hotel called Saratha Vilas. Built in 1910, it is a succession of halls and courtyards in Italian marble, English ceramic tiles, and Burmese teak, all arranged according to the principles of vastu shastra, the Hindu philosophy of architectural harmony. Many of the surrounding mansions are shuttered and decaying. Dragon and his partner are leading the effort to conserve them, chronicling their marvels and applying,

on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, to unesco for protected status. In the village of Athangudi, at Lakshmi House—named for the goddess who was a patron of wealth, a Chettiar favorite—the entrance is guarded by statues of British colonial soldiers with rifles and helmets, testament to a mutually beneficial relationship. Later, I walked the lanes of the village of Pallathur, delighting in the architectural symphony of the big houses and the long Italianate barns, the parakeets and swallows overhead, and the egrets flocking from the rice fields in ragged skeins. Because these narrow roads have little motorized traffic, the soundscape remains what it was a century ago: birdsong, bicycle bells and distant conversation.

veryone I met in Tamil Nadu, from drivers to businesswomen, carried the stories of the gods’ relationships and squabbles like a shared and universal soap opera. The great temples are where they go to see those stories enacted, and no temple is greater than Meenakshi Amman in Madurai, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in India. The temple is in the letters of Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador of the third century B.C., by which time it would have been about 300 years old. The bulk of the complex, though, was built in the 17th century by Thirumalai Naicker, a ruler of the Nayak dynasty and a patron of the arts. Meenakshi remains the spiritual heart of Madurai, drawing pilgrims from across the subcontinent. It is a 6½-hectare city within a city, protected by 14 looming towers that writhe with intricately painted figurines. Because much of the site is roofed over, walking inside is like entering a subterranean citadel. After dark, when the hot moon glows through the night haze, visitors jostle at the gates. Fifteen thousand are said to come every day, but the space inside is so vast that there is no crush. I walked high corridors between stone beasts, becoming unmoored in time. There were no windows. The stone was hot underfoot. The smells were floral, sour, sweet. I heard bells, chanting, voices. Men prayed prostrate, as if swimming on the slabs. Tapers flickered, wax dripped. Statues were adorned with garlands, oil, vermilion and mysterious chalk marks. Here was Kali, the destroyer, draped in offerings. There was a sense of fearful powers held in check, appeased and placated. A small crowd watched a procession that has taken place nightly since the 17th century. First

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came cymbals, drums and a horn, and then, led by two men bearing flaming tridents, a little palanquin, silver and curtained, borne by four priests from the shrine of Shiva. With great solemnity, the priests conveyed it to the shrine of Parvati. They were bringing the two lovers together. They set the palanquin down before the gates of the shrine while the band played a lively, dancing rhythm (two students swayed along, filming on their phones), then fumigated it with clouds of incense. The crowd pressed toward one of the priests, who anointed their foreheads with gray ash. He prepared an offering of sandalwood paste, jasmine and herbs, then lit it on fire. The crowd raised a great shout and a trumpet called. Then the priests shouldered the palanquin again, and took Shiva inside Parvati’s shrine. There was a marveling, uplifted feeling among the crowd, and we smiled at one another. Though I had been observing, I did not now feel separate from what I had witnessed, but part of it, as if I had played a role in putting the gods to bed. Tamil Nadu has this effect: you arrive an outsider, only to find yourself a participant.

The details TOUR OPER ATOR Our Personal Guest This New York City–based operator offers a Tamil Nadu itinerary with stops in Chennai, Pondicherry, Madurai, and Thanjavur. All lodging, transfers, guides and entry fees are included. ourpersonalguest. com; 12 nights from US$7,878, for two. HOTELS Gateway Hotel Pasumalai This colonial manor is surrounded by gardens and offers views of the Pasumalai hills. Madurai; tajhotels.com; doubles from US$80. La Villa Hotel A charming colonial house with six suites, a rooftop pool and an excellent menu. Pondicherry; lavilla pondicherry.com; doubles from US$180. Saratha Vilas An exquisite Chettiar mansion with cool, comfortable rooms, beautiful food, and a contemplative atmosphere. Chettinad; sarathavilas. com; doubles from US$125. Svatma This large,

refurbished estate has an excellent vegetarian restaurant and spa. Try the detox massage, which ends in a honey, milk and coconut scrub. Thanjavur; svatma.in; doubles from US$215. ACTIVITIES Auroville Visitors are welcome to book sessions at the Matrimandir, a meditation center in the heart of this utopian community. auroville.org. Pondicherry Museum This acclaimed institution is filled with collections of coins, bronzes, ceramics and French-colonial artifacts. St. Louis Street, Pondicherry. Sarasvati Mahal Library You’ll find this medieval library on the Royal Palace grounds in Thanjavur. It’s filled with rare manuscripts, books, maps and paintings. sarasvatimahal.in. Temple Visits Entrance to Brihadisvara, Meenakshi Amman, and other sites is free, but you may be asked to pay for shoe storage.

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A performance of bharata natyam, a form of classical Indian dance, outside the Brihadisvara Temple.

An adult male King of Saxony bird-ofparadise waves his head plumes in a bouncing display.

Birds of a Feather papua new guinea is aflutter with avian diversity. A dam H. Graham packs his binoculars for the rare birds-of-paradise, but finds equally enriching close encounters of the human kind. Photographed by T im L aman

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top: Michael Runkel/robertharding/get t yimages

he sky is an inky blur and I’m marching up a steep, wet trail in a forest 2,000 meters above the city of Mount Hagen, in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands. I’m a hiker, but I struggle to keep up with my local guide Joseph—who’s short on words and long on uphill strides. We’ve no flashlights nor rain gear, and I’m delirious with jetlag after the 24-hour journey here. But I push myself because it might be my only chance to witness the Superb bird-of-paradise, which has one of the world’s most bizarre mating rituals. As dawn seeps into the cool, moist forest, Joseph suddenly hears the snapping and clicking call of the Superb and we scramble through a patch of dewy ferns to a clearing. There, atop a lanky grove of casuarina evergreens, is the tiny, dull, black and blue creature responsible for the noise. It swoops down to a low branch before emitting a crescendo of pops, clicks and snaps, like some mechanical drone in Star Wars. Joseph, whose gaze is fixed on the bird through his binoculars, whispers with exhilaration, “Lucky. A male courtship display!”

For the uninitiated, Papua New Guinea is home to the world’s highest concentration of birds-of-paradise. The country—also boasting the planet’s most diverse population of humans, with 700 cultural groups and 838 languages—is on the eastern side of the Wallace Line, a faunal boundary between Bali and Lombok separating the two eco-zones of Asia and Australia. All 43 of the planet’s birds-of-paradise are found in this region, with 38 of them in PNG, 12 of which are endemic, found nowhere else. I’m here on a nine-day journey through the highlands with tour operator Cox & Kings to track these beautiful and increasingly threatened birds. These mysterious avifauna flit across the entire country, from Fergusson Island’s hill forests to the rainforested foothills of the northern Morobe Province. But the densest concentration of species is here in the rugged cloud forests of the Papua Highlands, home to brightly colored show-ponies like the Superb, the Blue, The King of Saxony and the fantastic Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia. This

I look again: the bird has morphed into a black semi-circle with an iridescent sapphire stripe across its center and two matching false eyes. It begins gyrating back and forth. Surely this is a sleepdeprived hallucination. It is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, even in the movies. The dance is voodoo-like, with the bird jumping back and forth in an attempt to mesmerize a mate. Ornithologists wait their entire careers to see this extraordinary creature and Joseph has led me to it less than 12 hours after I landed.

Clockwise from far left: A male

Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia; a lush valley near the Enya Highlands; Huli Wigmen do a traditional dance, with human-hair wigs adorned by plumes of several species of birds-of-paradise.

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A male Stephanie's Astrapia birdof-paradise goes foraging.

there’s such an abundance of birdlife that it’s hard to imagine any of these animals is threatened t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

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last is the most recently discovered bird-of-paradise and brandishes dual white tails stretching more than a meter long, proportionally the longest in the bird world. The Superb’s courtship display was only captured on film for the first time in the 1990s and led to a much greater understanding of the Paradisaeidae family. I had been so looking forward to experiencing it in person that it is almost a buzz-kill to do so this early in my journey. But I’m later grateful, for I realize it allows me to focus on spotting additional birds without the pressure of constantly seeking my Moby Dick. And during the hike back down, we see three more species: Stephanie’s Astrapia marked with a dramatically long tail and a jadegreen mask, the buff yellow King of Saxony with its flicking blue wiry antennae, and the black-billed Sicklebill noted for its mottled cinnamon plumage and clear, piping call. Each sighting is a revelation. Exhilarating as it is in the forest, I am glad to get back to Rondon Ridge for a shower and breakfast. My room—with tribal carvings and a million-dollar view of the Wanghi Valley—is comfortable, but not luxe. There is no WiFi (which I welcome) and the TV has one channel, MTV China (less of a bonus). Breakfast at Rondon is fullon fortification for long treks—fatty cuts of bacon, thick slabs of toast, pots of local jam and creamy Highlands butter. Rondon is also home to the Meri Market, a farmer’s market designed to support local women and organized by the lodge’s cheery manager, Jean.

from top: Ambua

Lodge; a woman from Chimbu Province with King of Saxony bird-ofparadise feathers in her nose. Opposite: A female Brown Sicklebill in the cloud forest near Mount Hagen.

My stay includes two daily excursions, natural or cultural. So my next guide, Natasha, a stylish young local from Mount Hagen, picks me up for visit to the Mudmen, one of the Melpa clans in the area. A truck wobbles us down the bumpy dirt road past tidy thatched villages and lovingly kept vegetable gardens. Along the roadside, handsome young men hold hands with one another, afro-ed women wear flowery Meri dresses, and scruffier types with red stained teeth congregate on corners occupied by betel nut hawkers. Nearly everyone smiles and waves as we pass. Of the 100 countries I’ve visited, none has been this friendly. Skipping the cultural tours would have been a huge mistake. Forty-five minutes later we arrive at the Mudmen village. Natasha leads me through a thicket of woods to a clearing, where I sit on a wicker bench. Slowly, three Mudmen, with bodies painted ashen and wearing oversized white masks, emerge from the woods with bows and arrows, reenacting the legend of their origin. Despite the stronghold of Christian missionaries, many locals are reluctant to abandon traditional beliefs. These clans’ theater respectfully showcases their ancient customs and crafts. Afterwards, Natasha takes me to the Mount Hagen Market, a bustling jumble of vendors selling produce like ginger and passion fruit, and later to a roadside market where pyramids of purple and white sweet potatoes lay stacked on the ground.

The next morning, I set out for Ambua Lodge, 200 kilometers west, to continue my bird tour. The 45-minute flight to Tari Airport on a new Hamilton single-prop was knuckle-whitening, but offers magnificent views of the Central Cordillera without a sign of human development during the entire flight. We fly over volcanoes, jagged limestone ridges, gushing waterfalls and steamy tropical rainforests teeming with flora and fauna still being discovered. There are more than 3,000 species of orchids here and a staggering 708 of birds, the planet’s most varied, a reminder that this bio-diverse country is

from top: Rondon

Lodge; a view of Mount Hagen through low clouds. Opposite, from top: A male Superb bird-ofparadise works his voodoo in a rarely seen courtship display; Wigmen clan members.

of the 100 countries i’ve visited, none has been this friendly

located five degrees below the equator. Fortunately, these mountaintops are considered sacred and development atop them is strictly forbidden. My guide Thomas welcomes me and a few other new lodge guests at the airport and we drive straight to Ambua, a snake of thatched huts surrounded by manicured gardens at the end of a long mountain road. After settling in, we head out on our first excursion to meet a group of Huli Wigmen, who create helmetshaped headdresses from their own hair. The shy and kind Wigmen are just one of many Huli clans in Tari, each with their own customs. Other clans paint their faces red and yellow, or wear elaborate headdresses decorated with birds-ofparadise feathers. Interestingly, the Huli people along the roadside are generally not as friendly or smiley as their Melapa neighbors. I eventually come to understand why. Tari is at the crossroads of tourism and oil and a recent Exxon deal that promised to bring in millions went bust, so the sight of foreigners left a sour taste in the mouths of many. In Tari, conservation is in a nascent stage and awareness lacking. Typically lodges like this draw dyed-in-the-wool naturalists, but Ambua attracts a different ilk. Three fellow guests are U.S. Embassy diplomats from Port Moresby. During a visit to a Huli market, one of them holds up a black band of cassowary feathers and asks how much it cost. She then looks at me to ask if the cassowary bird is endangered. I blurt out a solemn “Yes” before the Huli vendor can respond with a price. During our

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“Mt. Hagen is known for its sweet potatoes,” Natasha says with a wide smile. “We eat them all the time because we have the best in the country.” Though botanists agree that potatoes come from Meso-America, a local theory argues they originated here. Regardless, the potatoes are delicious, especially with a pat or two of salted Highland butter. As we drive back up to Rondon past the many mobile-phone shops and missionary offices, I notice there are no major fast-food chains. It doesn’t entirely surprise me; the Highlands’ first contact with the outside world was only in 1930. But I ask Natasha if they have McDonald’s, Starbucks, or KFC. Her response says it all: “What’s McDonalds?”

b o t t o m : A d a m H . Gr a h a m

bumpy drive back to the lodge, Thomas suddenly stops the driver. On the roadside is a man with red-stained teeth selling an elongated King of Saxony feather antennae. Thomas buys it from him and puts it into his hat, already festooned with local ferns, flowers and moss. “The government don’t want us to kill birds-ofparadise, but many will anyway,” he says. “They can make a lot of money selling their feathers.” Thomas hands me the antennae, perhaps hoping I might offer to buy it from him. To many, the idea of keeping a small piece of wild Papua New Guinea for yourself is madly alluring. But it’s that very mentality that’s beginning to chip away at the landscape. After returning to Ambua, I hike the property’s 60-minute waterfall trail linked by a few rope bridges. Along the way I encounter scrubwrens, honeyeaters, mannikins and cuckooshrikes. Later from my room’s window, I see a yellow-browned melidectes, an ominous butcherbird, a squawking colony of yellow-billed lorikeets and a brilliant-red-flanked lorikeet. There’s such an abundance of birdlife here that even for a conservationist like me, it’s hard to imagine any of these animals are threatened. The next day, Thomas takes me on a pre-dawn hike to a logging forest, ironically the best bird-watching spot because of its clearings and worn paths. It’s fog-choked when we enter, but by 7 a.m. buckets of golden light pour into the clearing, which becomes atwitter with birdsong. We spot three more birds-of-paradise in the clearing: a male King of Saxony twitching his antennae in hopes of a mate, a brown sicklebill with its elongated azure tail, and finally, a ribbon-tailed Astrapia, whose elegant and pendulous dual tails float silently through the air. We come upon a band of positively intimidating loggers walking barefoot through the muddy forest towards us

with machetes and plastic bottles filled with amber petrol. But like most locals, they’re incredibly warm and offer nothing but huge smiles as they pass us on the narrow trail. Moments later, we hear buzzing chainsaws and felling trees. “Like us birders,” Thomas says, “loggers pay to access this land, too.” It is a stark reminder of Papua New Guinea’s delicate emergence into the complicated modern world. Nine-day tours of Papua New Guinea’s Highlands with Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) including stays at Ambua Lodge and Rondon Ridge, from US$6,775. From Southeast Asia, Air Niugini (airniugini.com.pg) flies nonstop from Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore. Check papuanewguinea. travel for visa regulations.

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the

Lost On the far eastern shore of Bali, Ian Lloyd Neubauer goes looking for ghosts of his past. What he finds is a still-untainted alternative to the more touristy areas of the island.

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A fisherman prepares to cast a net over his jukung, or outrigger canoe, in the Bali Sea. opposite: A Japanese shipwreck off Banyuning Beach.

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here’s nothing more electrifying in the spectrum of human experiences than falling in love. If you happen to be traveling when the magic strikes, the setting can become larger than life in your head and heart, developing a mythology of its own. For me, that place is Amed, a string of small, scalloped sandy bays and villages on Bali’s spectacular, coral-fringed east coast. Five years ago, I spent a few days with the woman of my dreams there. Ever since, I’ve thought of Amed fondly, recalling memories of walks along the beach collecting seashells, small talk with fisherman repairing the nets and watching the sun melt behind a mountain in luminous colors. Love, like travel, doesn’t always go according to plan. My relationship didn’t. Likewise, over the years in Bali, a perfect storm of unchecked development and inadequate infrastructure has turned some of the island’s most adored regencies into traffic-choked tourist traps. They’re still stunning, but it sometimes can be hard to see the beauty through the crowds. Yet in Amed, Bali’s prolific blogging and Instagram community has kept

telling me, the knockout natural beauty has remained wholly intact. While for some, revisiting the origin of lost love might be salting the wound, a return to the pristine and unsullied seemed just what I needed. So, in the week following my breakup, I flew to Bali, hired a scooter and set out on a 100-kilometer road trip to Amed in the hope of finding closure. I wanted to see if the Amed of my memories still existed.

My journey takes me from the Uber-hip surfing town of Canggu, where glistening-green rice fields are being replaced by a new urban sprawl; and through the concrete jungle of Denpasar where I fight for space on the road with a million other scooters and smokebelching trucks til I reach the coastal road heading east. Two hours later I pass the once-paradisiacal seaside town of Candidasa, where the beach has been swallowed by the sea after the fringing reefs were mined to build foundations for the slew of resorts and villas now dotting the coast. At the city of Amlapura, the regional capital of east Bali, I take a wrong turn after passing the Ujung Water Palace. Instead of heading north on the main arterial road, I find myself careening along a barely sealed oneand-half-lane road that meanders through jungle, crosses rambling brooks where children prance around nude, and offers passing glimpses of the deep blue Bali Sea. Four hours after leaving Canggu I reach Aas, the southernmost of the seven fishing villages collectively known as Amed. My first stop is an oceanside temple

where a dozen men lounging around smoking clove cigarettes regard my arrival as the most exciting development of the week. They ask me to take their photos, and want to barter for my T-shirt, which was a gift from my ex and carries significant emotional value. I reflexively reject all offers until something snaps in my mind and I rip it off on a whim and hand it over to the nearest punter. I then ride off, shirtless, on a road that zigs and zags like a rollercoaster along a mountainous jungle-clad coast, passing beaches lined with hundreds of jukung—traditional wooden outrigger canoes—until I reach Blue Moon Villas, a small resort on a cliff near the village of Selang from far left: where I’ve booked a room. Postcard-perfect The following morning arrives Jemeluk Beach, overlooked by with two of the most beautiful sights Mount Agung; a I’ve ever seen in Bali. The first is a local woman fleet of a thousand-odd jukungs assists with diving returning to land after spending the prep; crumbed night fishing. The second is the mahi-mahi at Sails in Bunutan village; summit of Mount Agung—Bali’s towering over highest and holiest mountain, and Amed. one of the eight chakra points of the world—peeking out through the

clouds. Although it’s visible from elsewhere in Bali, nowhere is it larger or clearer than in Amed, where the volcano’s eastern flank rolls all the way to the sea. “Amed is special—it has a combination of beach and mountain, so you can trek in the morning and dive in the afternoon,” says Komang John of Blue Moon Villas. “There’s no other place in Bali like this.” I recall having seen only three kinds of shopfronts on my first trip to Amed: small hotels, cafés and dive shops. On this trip, it seems nothing much has changed other than the fact that there are more of them. However I also discover a small art gallery called Artcid Rock set in a tiered rock garden overlooking the sea. The proprietor is called Muani Kangin—which is Balinese for “Man of the East,” and he’s a tropical Renaissance man who dabbles in painting, photography and installation art. But customers are few and far in between. “Sure, I could do better business in Canggu,” he tells me. “But Amed is a spiritual place and that’s more important than money to me. Gunung Agung,” he says, pointing at the 3,142-meter peak, “is here and if you ride five kilometers inland there is Bangle village and five holy water springs. I believe this village is a key to the spirit world. I can’t explain why. You have to see it for yourself.” The road to Bangle ebbs and flows through emerald paddies and past a moss-grown temple until I reach a colossal banyan tree in the center of the village, where a t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

A boatload of candy-colored jukungs crowd this beach in tiny Aas, one of the seven villages that collectively comprise Amed.

i’ve found a little peace, sleeping under the watchful shadow of the mountain

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

large circle of men have gathered for a cock fight. I ride to the end of the road where I follow a foot trail to springs. The springs themselves are nothing worth writing home about—just a series of small, shallow freshwater pools headlined by a shrine—but the setting is cut straight of the Garden of Eden. Since my relationship ended I’ve had trouble sleeping. But when I lie down under a small bamboo shelter, the sound of running water and the barely perceptible hum of the holy mountain help me drift into a short but energizing sleep.

Compared to the Technicolor waters in Raja Ampat and other parts of Indonesia, Bali is less known for what lies beneath the waterline. But in Amed, beautiful coral and bountiful marine life proliferate. “Diving is the main attraction here,” says Marion Masse, the French co-owner of Bali Diversity, one of many little dive shops that have opened here in recent years. “We also have two of the most accessible World War II shipwrecks in the world—the USS Liberty in Tulamben, half an hour’s drive to the north, and the Japanese shipwreck right near Banyuning village. All you need is a snorkel and mask.”

Most of Amed’s beaches are volcanic black, but some, like Banyuning beach, are stony, and barefooting it across to the waterline isn’t much fun. But once I swim 10 meters out to the shipwreck I’m in a subaquatic wonderland. Parts of the wreck lie only two meters below the surface, covered with hard and soft corals, sponges, sea fans and gregarious feather stars. There’s also a healthy diversity of fish—clouds of blue trevally that move like a beating heart, scorpion fish, ghost pipefish, bump head parrotfish and one very large grouper. With so much seafood available so close to shore, Amed should have an endless supply of good food. But until recently, the opposite has been true. Happily, the kitchens in Amed are improving, and on this visit I discover three particularly good eateries. The first is Warung Ole in Amed village, where everything on from left: At the the menu, is “cooked with love.” I Griya Villas and Spa, Amed's only order roast chicken that takes an hour luxury resort; a to arrive because it’s roasted for me synchronized from scratch. The taste conjures school of trevally. memories of my Jewish grandmother’s Friday dinner table.

COU R TESY O F T h e g r i ya

it was a return to the

pristine and unsullied The second is Sails in Bunutan village, a whitewashed cliff-top al-fresco joint that wouldn’t look out of place in Santorini. Amid 180-degree ocean views, I’m served a stellar lunch: a fresh-as-the-sea-air Greek salad, three stupendously tender pieces of crumbed mahi-mahi with hand-cut fries and homemade tartar sauce, and washed down with a crisp South Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Yet, the best meal I have in Amed is a traditional pork sate, grilled by an elderly couple in a hole-in-the-wall near the five-star Griya Resort where I shout myself a stay in a pool villa. Served on a banana leaf with cubes of congealed rice and a sweet-and-sour chili paste, it costs US$1.50. I share my table with a couple of locals—a grandfather in his early 40s and a savvy teenager who wants to practice his English—as well as a young couple from Montana who agree this is the best meal in town. When I first decided to return to Amed, I pictured myself obsessing nostalgically about the past. But in the four days I’ve spent here, I rarely had a moment to think about what I’ve lost. Whether mountain-biking, beachcombing or sailing on a jukung, the scenery was so stunning and the locals so genuinely friendly that wallowing became impossible. One of the great loves of

my life may be relegated to the past. Yet I’ve found a little peace sleeping under the watchful shadow of the mountain Balinese know as the home of the gods. For two other less-traveled locales in Bali, please turn the page.

The details Hotels Blue Moon Villas A micro-resort styled like a Mediterranean village with 17 rooms, including six clifftop villas, and four pools. Selang village; 62-36/321-428, bluemoonvillas.com; rooms from US$68. The Griya Villas and Spa Amed’s only five-star fully integrated resort, one that is home to a restaurant, gym and spa. Lipah village; 62-36/323-571; thegriya.com; one-bedroom pool villas from US$180. Restaurants Warung Ole Amed village;

facebook.com/warungolebali; mains US$3-$10. Sails Bunutan village; 62-36/322006; mains US$7-$14. Activities Bali Diversity offers guided dive and snorkeling trips plus sunrise or sunset sailing on traditional outrigger catamarans. 62822/3014-1772; balidiversity.com; snorkeling trips at USS Liberty in nearby Tulamben US$22. East Bali Bike Tours offers half-day guided downhill mountain bike tours. 62-812/4667-752; eastbalibike.com; US$82 for two people including lunch.

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TWO OTHER GEMS

If you’re looking to get beyond Bali’s beaten path, there are still plenty of quiet corners offering respite from the more popular towns. We suggest you seek out these new favorites of ours before everyone else finds them, too.

SIDEMEN

MEDEWI

When Walter Spies, the German artist whose atmospheric paintings are credited with introducing Balinese art and culture to the world, first traveled to the island in 1927, he settled in Ubud. But, weary of the social engagements in the spiritual capital, he moved to Sidemen, a rural idyll in a fairytale valley in the foothills of Mount Agung. New-age travelers are now following Spies eastward, to trek and bike, take Balinese language, -painting and -cooking classes, practice yoga, or just zone out to the gentle rhythms of village life. “Sidemen feels authentic because the locals don’t all work in tourism,” says Francesco Solfrini, a traveler from Italy. “Mostly they’re farmers. Their daily life isn’t too different from how it would’ve been in their grandfathers’ time.” Accommodations range from quaint B&Bs to yoga retreats to luxurious private residences like Villa Sidemen (villaside men.com/the-villa; from US$158 a night). Built by the royal family of Sidemen, this infinity-pool bedecked two-bedroom home has misty-mountain views ad infinitum. Check out the guestbook for comments by Mick Jagger, David Bowie and other celebrity Baliphiles who stayed here while finding their Zen in Sidemen.

A two-hour drive from the oversubscribed beaches of southern Bali is Medewi, a sleepy fishing village on the west coast known among Balinese for the peaceful dispositions and candycolored mosques of its mostly-Muslim population. But in recent years Medewi has attracted a new kind of pilgrim—wave riders who come to worship the surf gods on what is the longest left-hand point break on the island. A curved mirror of water that peels gently for hundreds of meters along a sandy cobblestone point, waves reach heights of up to three meters. “Medewi doesn’t attract much of the younger crowd because there are no nightclubs or parties. Most of the surfers here are in their 30s or older,” says Michael Holzrichter, an Austrian surfer who chanced upon Medewi a decade ago and now runs Medewi Surf Homestay (medewisurfhomestay.com; singles US$110 a week), a traditional double-story wooden home surrounded by rice fields and the sounds of a million crickets chirping at dusk. For nonsurfers, Medewi offers a glimpse of what the island looked and felt like before mass tourism kicked off in the 1970s. And an added bonus: blood-red, violet and canary yellow sunsets that are off-the-Richterscale—even for Bali.

Like Kuta in the Seventies.

Mount Agung presides over breakfast at Villa Sidemen.

Michael Holzrichter at Medewi Surf Homestay.

february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Local rhythms in Sidemen.

Medewi's impressive sunset.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p : COU R TESY O F v i l l a s i d e m e n ( 2 )

The Ubud of the East.

s e l e g n A LPolasys Itself What once seemed like so much traffic and sprawl has suddenly become a close-knit and accessible city driven by culture and cuisine. A B B Y A G U I R R E navigates her way around town to discover how technology has rewired the way we experience L.A. photographed by

DYLAN + JENI

Pedestrians along the Santa Monica waterfront.

e h t n i g n i n r o m I t ’ s S u n d ay . s n ai t n u o M a c i Sa n ta M o n Along a winding stretch of Mulholland Drive between Malibu and Kardashian Country, packs of cyclists, Harley crews and a Mustang car club rolling a dozen deep are all vying for space on this two-lane ribbon of blacktop. They are here to improve their times, to practice their S curves, and to perhaps be documented doing so against a classic canyon backdrop by Victory Jon, a photographer who has set up shop on the shoulder and who sells his pictures on the Internet. (highwayphotos.net, a banner screams.) But later, when they are finished, many will end up where I am going: a tiny roadside restaurant called the Old Place. You might think it was an Old West movie set, built in the Disney spirit to look the right amount of

ramshackle. Large antlers hang above the front door. Inside, Malibu tweens in soccer uniforms mix with eccentric locals and canyon hipsters, ombré dye jobs peeking out from under felt hats. Customers crowd a nine-meter antique saloon bar or, if they’ve secured a reservation months before, into one of five wooden booths separated by doors salvaged from the Santa Barbara Mission. Moody paintings of Native American figures hang on the walls. As if on cue, overhead speakers begin to play the Oklahoma country-blues singer J. J. Cale’s rambling road song “Call Me the Breeze.” But while its owner, Morgan Runyon, used to be an art director— he is renowned in the surfing world for helping make the Runman films, a cult series of 1980s surf movies shot

with a Super 8 camera—nothing about the Old Place’s atmosphere is staged. Morgan’s father, Tom Runyon—a fiction writer and bon vivant whose uncle, the coal baron Carmen Runyon, gave Runyon Canyon in Hollywood its

clockwise from left: A collaborative mural serves as a backdrop for the garden of the Downtown gallery Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel; Isa Genzken’s nine-meter-tall sculpture of a rose in the courtyard of Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel; beef tartare and yam in kefir at Destroyer, in Culver City; inside the Old Place, a classic restaurant in the Santa Monica hills.

name—opened the restaurant in 1970 in a building dating back to the early 1900s that had been a general store and post office. For decades he served only two mains—grilled steaks and steamed clams—to a cast of regulars that included Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, and sometimes Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Though Tom was not himself an actor, another regular, Sam Peckinpah, cast him as a bad guy in The Getaway. The portraits were painted by Morgan’s mom, Barbara, for years the restaurant’s only waitress. When Dolly Parton sang here one night, the story goes, she was accompanied on the upright piano by Bob Dylan. In other words, the Old Place is the kind of establishment that it is a cliché to say doesn’t exist in L.A., one with original character and “real history,” as the website advertises. And for a long time, not many people knew that it did. Then, a few years ago, something changed. Malibu locals began to encounter a wait list. The crowds were attributed in part to a new menu, updated by Morgan after Tom passed away, and in part to a new wave of reviews. “The Internet has been very good to us,” Morgan told me one Friday night at the start of the dinner rush. Because the surf was good that afternoon, he had arrived a few minutes late, eyes bloodshot from the salt water. “What I’ve realized is that our restaurant is a very visceral experience,” he said. “You can’t order a steak online.

People want to smell the smoke, to hear the wood creak.” There is another key reason more travelers are visiting the Old Place and other far-flung spots in Los Angeles: thanks to GPS navigation and car-hailing apps like Waze and Uber, we can find them. With no knowledge of the terrain and only Waze to guide me, I drove here from Venice, up the Pacific Coast Highway, through the sandstone outcrops of Malibu Canyon, past the old M.A.S.H. set and Paramount Ranch. Other routes were taken just as blindly by a group of German bikers on Ducatis and Triumphs and by a young Japanese couple, conspicuous in deconstructed denim and what looked to be vintage Comme des Garçons, iPhones in hand. If the navigability afforded by such apps has altered the way we get around everywhere, it is a downright game changer in L.A., a sprawling metropolis so vast only longtime residents could previously traverse it with confidence. Over two decades of visiting family here, I acquired merely basic knowledge of the freeways and an appreciation for Bette Davis’s tongue-in-cheek advice to starlets hoping to get into Hollywood: “Take Fountain.” Now, however, since relocating from New York City a few months ago, I can set out in my car without the faintest inkling of how to get where I’m going and trust that I will not only arrive but skirt traffic to boot. It almost feels like cheating. The “Waze effect” may be a testament to the power of algorithms, but it is also a testament to the force of nature that is L.A. traffic. Angelenos are as intimate with their navigation app of choice as they once were with their dogeared, spiralbound Thomas Guide. More than 2 million people use Waze in Los Angeles, and so profound is its impact on the city that the rerouting of traffic through formerly quiet surface streets is the subject of heated debate, with so-called traffic nimbys decrying the new commuter flow. Updates to the app even make the occasional headline in the Los Angeles Times.

For newcomers and visitors, at least, there is no downside: technology has knitted together L.A.’s cities-within-cities and unlocked their secrets. A visitor who five years ago might have stayed in a hotel on the Sunset Strip and ventured only as far as West Hollywood for dinner can today book an Airbnb in Echo Park or a beach lodge in Venice and voyage to Koreatown for bulgogi on a whim without incurring a US$50 cab fare. Mass transit will soon be a far more viable way to get around the city, too. In November, residents voted to support a permanent sales tax, Measure M, that will provide US$120 billion for transportation projects. Construction is already under way to connect the Metro system to LAX. Last summer, the Expo line was extended to Santa Monica, bringing light rail to the Pacific Ocean for the first time in more than 60 years. Sunday ridership on the line has since more than doubled, L.A.’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, told me, “meaning Angelenos and visitors alike are using the Metro even more to explore Santa Monica, Downtown, and everything in between.” And though weekday ridership has also increased, by some 13,000 people, parking lots along the line remain at about 50 percent capacity—a sign that residents are ready to move away from car dependency. “Most riders are getting to the station by foot, bike or transit, or being dropped off,” Garcetti said, “challenging the stereotype of L.A. as a place where people are only interested in getting behind the wheel.”

transportation revolution is not only changing tourism in L.A. It is also fueling an explosion of new cultural institutions and development across the city—just as an influx of millennials has brought the city’s population to more than 4 million, the largest increase among California’s cities last year. In Venice (part of “Silicon Beach,” in tech circles), five years after Google, Buzzfeed and Snapchat all opened offices there, the main drag, Abbot

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Brunch at chef Travis Lett’s popular Venice restaurant Gjusta.

ne o n r a b d n a s t n e r e l b . a w o r g Reasona s f e h c g n u o y p r o d u c e a r e h e l p in g nt. e m e v o m y r a in l u c e d is t in c t iv

Kinney Boulevard, more closely resembles New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SoHo than the derelict beach community it once anchored. On the east side, a creative class priced out of Brooklyn and Oakland is snatching up the Craftsmans and Victorians in Highland Park, Atwater and Mount Washington, bringing a demand for cold-brew coffee, small galleries and vintage stores. Nowhere has the growth been more dramatic than in Downtown, where a burgeoning underground art scene was joined in 2014 by the Ace Hotel; in 2015 by the sprawling new Broad museum, jam-packed with classic works by the likes of Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari; and last spring by Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel, a massive outpost of the blue-chip international gallery. The building

boom continues. A Park Hyatt will go up in Oceanwide Plaza, the US$1 billion mixed-use complex under construction by a Beijing-based developer near the Staples Center. Another Chinese company, the Greenland Group, is building its own billion-dollar project, Metropolis, down the street. Herzog & de Meuron and the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels have both recently proposed larger-scale developments for the arts district. I had come to Downtown, again via Waze, to meet the Broadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding director and chief curator, Joanne Heyler. The line to get in snaked around the building, underscoring an announcement the museum had made 10 days earlier: in its inaugural year, the Broad attracted 820,000 visitors, nearly triple its preopening projections. On

clockwise from above: One of the RTH clothing stores in West Hollywood; diners at Night + Market Song, in Silver Lake; the shop- and restaurant-lined Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

the first floor, another line formed at the entrance to a comprehensive exhibition of Cindy Sherman’s work. I sat down with Heyler at a long table in a conference room. “I think L.A.’s moment might go down on record as the longest moment ever,” Heyler joked. And yet, she said, “it really is a city that I think has yet to be completely defined and is going to be

in the distant future a quintessential twenty-first-century city.” This feeling about L.A.—that the city is not overburdened with history, that there is much more yet to come—has famously exerted a pull on Ruscha, Baldessari and David Hockney, and it continues to draw young artists, as do the more practical concerns of cheaper

housing than in New York or San Francisco, larger studio spaces, and good weather. Similar virtues— reasonable rent, bar-none produce— are now cited by the young chefs who are growing a distinctive culinary movement with diverse ingredients and casual experimentation. Theirs are arguably some of the most exciting restaurants in the country, in no small part because they’re easier to reach in a sprawling city that’s more accessible than ever.

hen a New Yorker thinks of L.A. restaurants, she is likely to think of Sqirl, in Silver Lake, whose chef, Jessica Koslow, has elevated toast and rice bowls to dishes worthy of René Redzepi’s praise, or of Gjelina and its offshoot, Gjusta, in Venice, where vegetables are roasted to perfection and, as a friend recently put it, “everyone looks like Lauren Hutton.” But there is a whole other world of cooking in L.A.—often Asianinfluenced, and not always plantbased—to be explored, provided you can locate it. Take Bestia, in a Downtown loft, half a block from the Los Angeles River. Chef Ori Menashe, who was born in L.A. but lived for 14 years in Israel, and pastry chef Genevieve Gergis, also from L.A., a married couple, opened this Mediterranean restaurant, where Menashe serves things like pan-roasted chicken gizzards, lamb heart, sea urchin with chiles and housemade speck that he prepares and ages himself. When I visited him one Friday morning, he invited me to the parking lot out back where a delivery truck had just arrived after traveling all night from northern California. Menashe hopped aboard and began cutting open boxes, inspecting and biting into heirloom tomatoes, figs and a finger lime, which he cracked open to reveal tiny self-contained beads of juice that chefs call “lime caviar.” “The produce in L.A. is incredible,” he said. Another reason the city’s food scene is flourishing now, Gergis adds, is that our collective palate has

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evolved to revere the spices, flavors and pungent sauces of the Hispanic and Asian communities that have been a staple here for decades. “There are a lot of different cultures here,” she said, “that were for a long time underappreciated and weren’t noticed in mainstream cuisine.” Certainly this more open sensibility is a prerequisite for the success of Guerrilla Tacos, a truck that on Mondays is parked in front of the Blue Bottle Coffee on Mateo Street, not far from Bestia. There, you might try a taco with rib eye, mushroom escabeche, arbol-chile salsa and parsley, prepared by Wes Avila, whom the Los Angeles Times food critic and local kingmaker Jonathan Gold describes as “one of the city’s most interesting culinary minds.” Translated into tacos, this means Avila may combine sujuk—a beef sausage you find in Armenian recipes—with poached egg, mint, Mexican oregano and sumac onions. “There’s no old-guard way of doing things,” Avila says. “It really is the Wild West. Anything goes.” On Thursdays, Guerrilla Tacos is usually parked on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, 10 blocks west of another of L.A.’s most exciting restaurants, Night + Market Song. Inside, pleasantly idiosyncratic décor—a poster of Cindy Crawford in denim cutoffs is framed by a string of chili-pepper lights—belies the complex northern Thai food made here by chef Kris Yenbamroong, who was named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine in 2016. Yenbamroong started Night + Market Song as a popup in his parents’ more standard Thai restaurant in West Hollywood, eventually took over the place, then opened this second location. At first, he adhered to his northern Thai concept, preparing larb, grilled pork collar and warm blood soup with spices he personally transported from Chiang Mai in a suitcase. Then he decided that “it’s okay to not be the Indiana Jones of dining” and added a chicken sandwich to the menu. “If it comes down to one thing,” Yenbamroong said when asked to define today’s restaurant scene in L.A., “I think it’s a sense of freedom.”

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e h t t a h t .— .A L t u o b a T h e r e ’s a f e e l in g y,. r o t is h h it w d e n e d r u c it y is n o t o v e r b me o c o t t e y e r o m h c u t h a t t h e r e is m

above: Night + Market Song chef Kris Yenbamroong. opposite: The Broad museum, a contemporary art showcase in the Downtown Arts District.

Case in point: Kwang Uh, a Noma alum from Seoul who is pushing the possibilities of fermentation in a 19seat space next to a 7-Eleven in an East Hollywood strip mall. Though his café, Baroo, was named one of America’s best new restaurants last year by Bon Appétit, no plaque indicates the distinction. There isn’t even a sign on the storefront bearing the restaurant’s name. There are, however, scores of plastic storage bins and jars in which cabbage, berries, roots, pineapple and melon rinds sit fermenting, waiting to be arranged alongside elaborately rendered versions of kimchi fried rice and bibimbap. But “it’s not Korean food,” Uh insisted one afternoon over elderflower kombucha. “It just happened.” Crisscrossing the city in pursuit of good food can feel like traveling the unofficial Jonathan Gold Trail. So one morning, I accompanied the man himself on his second visit to Destroyer, a restaurant in Culver

City. Named after a comet, the place turned out to be what I now recognize as pure L.A.: though the chef, Jordan Kahn, has worked at the French Laundry, Per Se and Alinea, he chose to open a neighborhood café on an unremarkable block. Its design is minimalist and nonchalant, with only a handful of tables, but the food is wildly intricate and determined. Gold, unmistakable in a pink buttondown and suspenders, was spotted right away. Our order thus arrived swiftly: beef tartare with smoked-egg cream and pickled mushrooms, hidden under an ornate layer of sliced radishes and a salad of caramelized eggplant, spelt, kale, green peanuts and almond ricotta. “I’ve lived here almost all my life, and so much of it is acquiring a mental map of the city,” Gold told me. “In a way, I sort of do it through food. I don’t have every exit on every freeway, but it’s close. There’s mindblowing stuff if you will drive those extra four exits.”

The details hotel s Ace Hotel Since it opened in the 1927 United Artists building three years ago, the property has become a hub for all things Downtown L.A., including the booming arts district. acehotel. com; doubles from US$345. Line Hotel Among the many reasons to stay in Koreatown are Olympic Spa’s body scrub, Gwang Yang’s bar-none bulgogi, and this elegant hotel from the Sydell Group. thelinehotel.com; doubles from US$249. Palihouse Santa Monica A Mediterranean-style boutique hotel within walking distance of the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Pier. palihousesantamonica.com; doubles from US$315. Rose Hotel A fashion photographer and his business partner converted a storied Venice building into a hipster hotel. therosehotelvenice.com; doubles from US$450. RESTAUR ANTS & CAFeS Animal The first restaurant in Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s mini empire is the opposite of plant-

based. Try the melted P’tit Basque cheese, pig’s ears with chili, or biscuits with foie gras and sausage gravy. West Hollywood; animalrestaurant.com; mains US$13–$39. Baroo On the vanguard of the fermentation revolution, Noma alum Kwang Uh serves highly original takes on kimchi fried rice and a gruel-and-beets dish called noorook. East Hollywood; baroola. strikingly.com; mains US$9–$15. Bestia Mediterranean flavors marry well at this arts-district institution. Choose from among perfect pizzas, spaghetti with sea urchin, and pan-roasted chicken gizzards. Downtown; bestiala.com; mains US$28–$75. Destroyer Easily L.A.’s most delicious new lunch hangout. Chef Jordan Kahn, formerly of Red Medicine, will blow your mind with a beef tartare you may mistake for a radish tart. Culver City; destroyer.la; mains US$9–$24. Gjelina and Gjusta Everyone’s idea of California cuisine is served at Fran Camaj and Travis Lett’s two Venice institutions. gjelina. com; gjusta.com; mains US$12– $28.

Guerrilla Tacos A roving taco truck serving tostadas with ahi poke and a roasted-sweet potato taco with almond-chili sauce and feta. guerrillatacos.com; mains US$7–$10. Night + Market Song NorthernThai street food in the heart of Silver Lake. Go for the savory blood soup, or the crispy rice salad and Chiang Rai–style friedchicken sandwich. nightmarketsong.com; mains US$9–$15. Old Place Bob Dylan reportedly once accompanied Dolly Parton on the upright piano at this 1970s steak-and-clams roadhouse. Agoura Hills; oldplacecornell.com; mains US$15–$48. Sqirl Chef Jessica Koslow elevated the rice bowl and toast with jam into the new L.A. cooking. The weekend line outside the Silver Lake café is formidable, but the brunch is worth the wait. sqirlla.com; mains US$8–$16. GALLERIES & SHOPS The Broad Millennials love Eli Broad’s blockbuster new museum, and it’s easy to see why—rooms and rooms of Jeff Koons pieces.

Downtown; thebroad.org. Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel Maria Lassnig’s abstractions were the most recent subject at the blue-chip gallery’s massive Downtown complex. hauserwirthschimmel.com. Mollusk Surf Shop San Francisco’s venerable Outer Sunset surf shop has two locations in L.A. Both stock the best in boards, wet suits and serapes. Venice and Silver Lake; mollusksurfshop.com. Night Gallery This champion of young artists moved to a 575-square-meter Downtown warehouse and brought the underground scene with it. nightgallery.ca. RTH A pair of stylish shops on La Cienega carry reworked denim and Native American beaded jewelry. West Hollywood; rthshop.com. Tortoise General Store You will want to replace all your kitchenware with the gorgeous ceramics, enamel pots, and copper canisters found at this sanctuary of contemporary wabisabi Japanese design. Venice; tortoisegeneralstore.com.

wish you were here

Jim Kostecky / Seoul / South Korea In recent years, the hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, has been enjoying a resurgence in Seoul. Historically, the brightly colored, clean-lined clothing of the Joseon period was worn at semi-formal or formal gatherings, weddings and celebrations. These days, however, you’ll find groups of young Korean women enrobed in these beautiful outfits snapping selfies among the greenery of historical gardens and in front of palaces that date back to the 1400s. Catching a fleeting glimpse of one of the billowing skirts can be in some places—like down the narrow lanes of 600-year-old Bukchon Hanok Village—a dreamlike game of cat-and-mouse. In others, the classic frocks are so ubiquitous that you feel like you’ve stepped into a period play. Here, a young girl walks through a doorway at Unhyeongung Royal Residence, which became a Joseon palace in the 19th century and is a setting frequented by hanbok-wearing fashionistas. Experiencing the Korean capital as a Joseon-era princess has become a tourist attraction: there are several vendors in Seoul that will rent hanboks for a day.

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february 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com