May 2015 by Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia

Your Perfect

COMBINATION OF HUA HIN HOLIDAY

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Contents Special 65

T+L Family Our annual look at trips for the ages— for all ages. aimee chan rounds up 2015’s top five trends in family travel. Plus: The best babymoon retreats, a cooking and canning class for Bangkok kids in need, and more.

Features

ERNEST GOH

On Lombok Time Just 35 kilometers from Bali, this Indonesian island can feel generations behind. Before the inevitable tourism

boom, holly mcdonald enters the time lapse, to the clip-clop of horse carriages and the crashing of waves on one empty beach after another. pho t ogr a phed by er n est goh . gu ide a n d m a p page 87 88 Brisbane’s Boom The Queensland capital has evolved into an incubator for forward-thinking art and design—with a quirky point of view. by dav id a . k eeps . pho t ogr a phed by pe tr ina tinsl ay

96 Paris Match Two of the city’s “It” girls take spring’s latest looks for a twirl. Plus: The top new restaurants in town. pho t ogr a phed by a lista ir tay lor - you ng . st y led by e t hel pa r k

104 9 Shades of Green Showy Samui and Phuket may hog the spotlight, but there’s a host of Thai isles where the beaches are still snow-white and blissfully empty. by j im a lgie . pho t ogr a phed by cedr ic a r nold . m a p page

111

Tangur Luar morning market, in Lombok, Indonesia, page 78.

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Contents Radar 24 Fit for a Maharajah A brand new grande dame in Jaipur. 28 Six Dishes Jakarta Eating through the Indonesian capital. 32 Zen Garden Hotel Chinzanso in Tokyo gets a face-lift. 44 Peaks and Valleys Canyoning in Dalat.

53 Magic Carpets Glorious textiles aplenty in Morocco.

Plus Food trucks run roughshod all over Asia; hotelier Loh Lik Peng shares his best-of Singapore; our favorite brick-and-mortar bookstores; and more.

Trip Doctor

63 Deals

Plus Apps for emergencies; portable speakers; and the dish on Singapore Airlines’ new premium economy seats.

Decoder 112 Our Definitive Guide to Copenhagen

Last Look

118 South Korea

In Every Issue t +l digi ta l

e d i t o r ’s n o t e

con tr ibu tor s

14 i n b ox

112 8

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On the Cover On a secluded shore at Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp, Lombok. Photographer: Ernest Goh. Stylist: Monica M. Lawton. Model: Anastasiya Gavryushkina. Silk-beaded maxi dress, Cocomoku; jewelry from Juju Art Gallery.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: Y O P P Y P I E T E R ; M AT T H I E U S A LV A I N G ; C O U R T E S Y O F H O T E L C H I N Z A N S O ; U L F S V A N E ; A N I TA C A L E R O

60 Strategies Two tech investors’ tips on traveling like a pro.

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Editor’s Note

Contact me

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WE EACH HAVE OUR FAVORITE PLACES UNDER

the tropical sun—Bangkok, Langkawi and Singapore spring to mind—but on some trips it’s better to head for the shadows. That’s where you will find destinations that, while near cherished stops, are often overlooked. For starters this month, we feature Bali’s immediate neighbor to the east, Lombok; as well as Brisbane, instead of Sydney or Melbourne. Then it’s on to nine Thai islands that are not named Phuket or Samui. Think of these journeys as taking a left turn instead of heading right—zig instead of zag.

A turtle in its natural habitat in Thai waters.

What better place to start than on an Indonesian isle? Our story, (“On Lombok Time,” page 78), begins with the blissful absence of televisions, mini-bars and Internet, carrying you to another world entirely. Simplicity rules. In place of those modern distractions are snorkeling trips with turtles. There are volcanoes to trek. And there are hammocks strung between palm trees waiting for you on empty stretches of sand. Your incessant e-mails will seem a distant memory, and rightly so. “Brisbane’s Boom” (page 88) is a tale of a city evolving thanks to its bursting events calendar, its burgeoning arts scene and visitors like us. Food and drink are also of serious import—this is Australia after all—so caffeine addicts need to know the difference between a “shlong” and a “long black” before they arrive. Scroll through your digital maps to uncover the Thai islands featured in “9 Shades of Green” (page 104). Remote, sustainable, free-spirited, wild and even literary in some cases, these blue-sea surrounded dots will have you recalling your first global forays, likely strapped into a weighty backpack. There’s no reason why you can’t return—like all of us, the islands have changed some, but still they offer that ideal of a perfect escape. This month we also look at family travel (page 65), though with stops like Everest, Mongolia and Bhutan, in addition to Hong Kong, Cambodia and the Philippines, this is no longer your parents’ idea of an annual vacation. Anywhere is possible.

The T+L Code While on assignment, Travel+Leisure editors and contributors travel incognito whenever possible. They also generally do not accept free travel or take press trips; we will clearly identify any instances in which we’ve made an exception to this policy.

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F R O M T O P : N A P AT R A V E E W AT; C E D R I C A R N O L D

Christopher Kucway

Contributors Aimee Chan — Writer “Family Special,” page 65

DISCOVER MYANMAR

FROM MYANMAR’S GREAT CITIES TO RIVERBANKS WHERE OXEN COME TO DRINK, THIS LUXURIOUS CRUISER GLIDES THROUGH BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES UNTOUCHED BY TIME.

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Ernest Goh — Photographer “On Lombok Time,” page 78

Rachel Will — Writer “Six Dishes Jakarta,” page 28

Each resort in a sentence: On Gili Meno, Karma Reef’s good vibes extends to its food and people. Tugu Lombok is an exotic cultural temple for the gods of relaxation. Jeeva Beloam’s magical powers will cure any social-media ailments you might have. Personal experiences In Lombok, the locals always have a wide smile and a warm greeting ready for anyone who crosses their path. Best meal of trip? That honor goes to the nasi campur at Tugu. It looked great and tasted even better— heavenly food fit for the gods. Nature photography It’s not just about seeing but also touching, smelling and hearing what is around you. Immerse yourself.

You’ve lived in Jakarta for two years. Best thing? The people. Indonesians are some of the warmest, most inquisitive people I’ve ever met. Indonesian food is... an amalgamation of flavors from more than 17,000 islands—there’s no one way to define it. Favorite cuisine? Manado food from North Sulawesi. Teeming with seafood and exotic meats, it’s some of the spiciest I’ve ever had. Top table? Namaaz Dining, an Indonesian molecular gastronomy restaurant headed by chef Andrian Ishak. With 17 courses fueled by plenty of liquid nitrogen, you get a modern taste of the archipelago’s cuisine.

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

You wrote up five family travel trends. Name a sixth Gap years with kids. Pioneering families have quit their jobs, sold their houses and are traveling the world raising global citizens. More families will be taking sabbaticals, pulling the kids out of school for a bit and doing the kind of developing-country, backpacking-style travel they used to do in their 20s. Worst family travel experience? The first 24 hours of skiing with a preschooler and a baby, outside of Melbourne, was pretty hellish. Dragging unhappy children and multiple sets of gear and wet clothes through the snow in ski boots is not comfortable. Where is your brood headed next? Hopefully, Argentina.

Inbox Are you kidding me with that Batman-worthy submarine in Fiji [“Out of the Blue,” March]? Everything about Laucala seems unbelievable, from their Wagyu cattle ranch to the private island built to house their 385 staff. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this study in seeming inefficiency does sound like, as author Peter Jon Lindberg says, my kind of crazy. –Ashley Phelps, hong kong

Island Living

Central Asian Adoration

I loved it at Soneva Kiri Koh Kood [“Sacred Spaces,” April]. They have great staff and food. —Becky Kent-Perchalla

I visited Dushanbe in 2013 [“Last Look, Tajikistan,” April]. There, I found the most generous, hospitable and appreciative people I have ever met anywhere. The entire country is very scenic, with its mountains and rivers. —Jeremy Walker

adelaide

I’d love to see the newly uncovered Baphuon temple at Angkor and then jet back to the beach. Sounds like the best of both worlds. —Pichayanee Murdoch bangkok

Soneva Kiri is a wonderful place. I went there for the soft opening, and would absolutely love to go back. —Jennifer Heitmankova

A Yen for Zen

Don’t worry, Christopher Kucway, I also cannot put my knee to my ear [“Breathe in the Air,” March]. But if anyone could get me to try, it sounds like Tara Stiles at the W Maldives would be the one. Sign me up for the next trip… or should I say ship? —Hugo Sneed

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Radar News. Finds. Opinions. Obsessions.

the view

C H R I S T O P H E R K U C W AY

KYOTO The former Japanese capital always blends classical elements with modern, and Suiran, the latest luxe offering in Kyoto, fits that sentiment perfectly. Set against the calm Hozugawa River in bamboo-filled Arashiyama, the Luxury Collection hotel melds modern, pine-influenced takes on Japanese design in its 39 guest rooms with two century-old buildings that serve as sleek dining areas. For this hushed view, opt for a garden room, where the Zen-like tranquility soothes all the senses. luxurycollection.com/suiran; doubles from ¥70,000. —christopher kucway

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Radar Clockwise from below: Loh Lik Peng; Wanderlust’s quirky touches; vibrant Little India; a tipple at Tippling club; Gardens by the Bay; Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken.

m y t ow n

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL CITY

Eat For a humble lunch, you’ll find me at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken (Stall

10-11, 1 Kadayanallur St.; chicken rice for two S$8) in the bustling Maxwell Food Centre. Almost every hawker around the city sells it, but it’s worth the lines to get it at this stall. When I’m in the mood for spicy Indonesianstyle curry, I head to Yanti Nasi Padang (45 Keong Saik Rd.; 65/6324-9268; lunch for two S$10) and order their killer rendang. A trip to Singapore isn’t complete without a fancy meal and for that I recommend Tippling Club (38 Tanjong Pagar Rd.; tipplingclub.com; tasting menus from S$160 per person). The food is modern and eclectic but always good, and the laid-back vibe really fits my style. Shop I like to shop for

knickknacks in the vibrant

Little India. When I go to

that area to hunt for treasures, I normally don’t have a specific destination 22

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and just let myself get lost in the alleyways and in shophouses that seem out of the ordinary. You’ll see my collection of oddities displayed in my restaurants and hotels. Do I’m a family man now and my schedule doesn’t leave me much free time, but I try to get away from work and enjoy the parks with my son on the weekends. I like to take him to the Botanic Gardens (1 Cluny Rd.; sbg. org.sg) or Gardens by the Bay (18 Marina Gardens Dr.; gardensbythebay.com.sg). Otherwise, you’ll find me wandering around my two favorite neighborhoods: Kampong Glam, with its refurbished shophouses and multiculti charm, and Tiong Bahru, a hipster enclave outside of the city center. Stay Unlisted Collection

(unlistedcollection.com), my company, has hotels around the city. Each one has a different vibe. Wanderlust

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Hotel (2 Dickson Rd.; wanderlusthotel.com; doubles from S$161) is a retro gem near Little India and New Majestic Hotel (31–37 Bukit Pasoh Rd.; newmajestichotel. com; doubles from S$229) showcases work by top Singaporean designers.

Apart from my own places, I like Parkroyal on Pickering (3 Upper Pickering St.; parkroyalhotels.com; doubles from S$360). I love the way that they incorporate strong architecture and design elements into the hotel. +

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

Ashley Niedringhaus asks Loh Lik Peng, a lawyer-turnedhospitality guru with restaurants and hotels from Sydney to Shanghai, for his top picks in Singapore.

Radar hotels

FIT FOR A MAHARAJAH Jaipur’s glamorous new grande dame is unlike any palace hotel you’ve seen before. Michael Snyder pays a visit. Photographed by Matthieu Salvaing ➔

The Durbar Hall at Suján Rajmahal Palace, in Jaipur.

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Discover our secrets and share

#CentaraFamilyFun At Centara, we know that taking care of your children is taking care of you. Our luxurious but family-friendly range of hotels and resorts make it easy for you to relax at our spas and take a little time oﬀ while your children have the time of their lives at our full-on, full-time kids’ clubs for both children and teens. We also have amazing waterparks, snorkelling adventures and outdoor sports activities that’ll keep your children busy and entertained while you do just as you please. At Centara your kids stay and play absolutely free. BOOK DIRECT FOR OUR BEST RATE GUARANTEED www.centarahotelsresorts.com T: +66 (0) 2101 1234 #1 • E: reservations@chr.co.th

THAILAND • BALI • MALDIVES • SRI LANKA • VIETNAM

Radar Clockwise from top left: The entrance to Rajmahal Palace; a marble staircase; a dining table in the Pink room.

Jaisal Singh and I were installed over whiskies in the jasmine-scented Polo Bar of the Suján Rajmahal Palace, the newest palace hotel in the Indian city of Jaipur, when a pink-turbaned attendant glided over to tell him that the maharajah, the city’s young king, was about to arrive for dinner with friends. Jaisal, whose hospitality group, Suján, manages the hotel, gracefully excused himself, returning moments later with a slight young man in mud-soiled polo whites: the maharajah, 16-year-old Padmanabh Singh. Aside from his impeccable manners (and the glass of champagne dangling from his fingers), he might

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have been any high school kid returning home after a game. Though India officially abolished its aristocracy after independence in 1947, there is still an honorary royal family in Jaipur, the capital of the northwestern state of Rajasthan. And as any visitor to this former princely state will tell you, palace hotels are no rarity here—in fact, they can seem almost ubiquitous. There are several in Jaipur: some formerly owned by the royal family, others by wealthy merchants. But Rajmahal Palace, notably, is the only one that remains a family residence. “The royal standard still flies here,” Jaisal said. The princess, who’s involved in local politics, keeps an office on the grounds, while the queen mother’s resplendent 1960s Thunderbird sits parked in front of the hotel. The family’s personal art collection hangs on the walls and the Maharajah’s Apartment—if unbooked—remains open to the young king, should he decide to drop in. When I visited, Jaisal was preparing for the princess’s extravagant birthday party at the hotel, two days later. For decades after independence, the royal family used this rose-tinted Art Deco house for just a few months each year, leaving most rooms to

gather dust. Then, two years ago, the queen mother hired society interior designer and family friend Adil Ahmad to revamp the palace, which he described as being “almost derelict” by the time he came on board. “That’s one reason I accepted the project,” Ahmad told me. “It was a blank canvas to do whatever I wanted with.” Anyone expecting the air of faded grandeur that can sometimes define Indian palace hotels will be disappointed: Ahmad has banished any hint of shabbiness. Inspired by Rajasthan’s tradition of lavish surface decoration, the designer borrowed patterns and motifs from the City Palace—the architectural showcase of Jaipur’s Old City—to design custom-made wallpapers for the hotel’s public spaces, as well for its 14 rooms and suites. A rich botanical print envelops the Durbar Hall, a chandelier-lit jewel box decked out in fuchsia, cobalt, gold and jade. Cusped arches in 51 shades of pink crowd the walls of the sunlit breakfast room, where meals are served on intricate china designed specially for Rajmahal. The guest rooms, each one unique, have the air of a country manor: grand in scale, but strewn with objects that instill a sense of personality, like a handpicked posy or an old family portrait. “I was commissioned to restore and renovate a home,” Ahmad said. “Sitting here, you feel like you could be a guest of the family.”

The charismatic Jaisal, a wellknown figure on the New Delhi social scene and himself the descendant of a prominent Indian family, was a natural choice to manage Rajmahal. And indeed, he and his wife, Anjali— the creative force behind Suján and a gifted painter, with an MFA from Central St. Martin’s in London—are a big part of what makes a stay here memorable. They oversee everything from bookings to lightbulbs, and the place exudes a particularly glamorous kind of hospitality. “There isn’t a job that’s too big or too small,” Anjali said. “We live what we do.” Taking on an existing property was new for the couple; they typically develop their projects from scratch. In 2000 Jaisal set up India’s first luxury tented camp, Sher Bagh, on the edge of Rajasthan’s Ranthambhore National Park. His parents, well-known conservationists and filmmakers, were some of the first people to document the park’s tiger population in the 1970s, and Jaisal grew up thinking of Ranthambhore as home. When he opened Sher Bagh at the age of 20, Jaisal said, “I wasn’t planning to get into the hotel business.” But he and his idea caught the imagination of the travel world—and a tiger-camp boom swept India. Today, in addition

to his work with Suján, he serves as a vice president of the Relais & Châteaux hotel group. Jetting between Rajasthan, R&C headquarters in France, and potential member properties, he has, at 35, become something of an arbiter of luxury travel in Asia. In 2008, Jaisal and Anjali dreamed up the Serai—an award-winning 21-tent camp set on 40 aquifer-fed hectares of desert outside Rajasthan’s ancient fort city of Jaisalmer. At Jawai tented camp in an untouched part of Rajasthan, each guest is asked to pay a nominal daily fee to help fund local development, a reflection of Suján’s investment in conservation and local economies. The company hosts clinics for farmers living around the Serai, while the staff at Sher Bagh helps state wardens patrol the borders of Ranthambhore. This progressive attitude, combined with a respect for tradition, is Rajmahal’s defining characteristic and why, in a land of palace hotels, it feels utterly refreshing. “You cannot re-create the past. It just feels like pastiche,” Ahmad told me that evening. “But to re-create this style of living—that’s where the past comes in.” sujanluxury.com; doubles from US$500. + Clockwise from top: The Polo Bar; a hotel attendant; the Yuvraj suite; the veranda.

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Radar ↓ snack Kerak telor at Fatahillah Square Served by street vendors performing a perilous balancing act with two boxes on a pole, this sweet-savory omelette is best enjoyed in an atmospheric square in the old city. Jalan Pintu Besar Utara; Rp30,000.

↑ breakfast Chicken porridge at Bubur Kwang Tung Take a spin on the lazy Susan to see what tops your steaming chicken porridge. At Bubur Kwang Tung, try the savory, saline 1,000-year-old egg. 67I Jln. Pecenongan; Rp40,000.

six dishes

JAKARTA

↑ lunch Peranakan-style fish at Waha Kitchen At this laid-back restaurant, the catch of the day comes dressed in a tamarind-pineapple sauce with lemongrass. 127 Jln. Wahid Hasyim; wahakitchen.com; Rp95,000.

Our abridged meal-by-meal guide to where and what to eat now in Indonesia’s buzzing capital city.

for the flight home → Kue lupis at the morning market

↑ dinner Javanese oxtail soup at Bogor Café For a sophisticated take on this humble local dish, Hotel Borobudur’s all-day dining venue serves rich and deeply nuanced sop buntut. While there, try to tease out stories from the staff of highflying parties held by tycoons and military generals in the storied hotel. hotelboro budur.com; Rp198,000.

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Join the crowds from dawn until 7 a.m. to snap up your take-home treats at Blok M’s famous pasar kue (cake market). Try kue lupis, a glutinous rice cake doused in a gooey mix of palm sugar and coconut flakes. Blok M Square; Rp10,000.

← dessert Durian panna cotta at E&O Durian is divisive, but this sweet from chef Will Meyrick appeals to just about everyone. 1F Menara Rajawali, 5.1 Jln. Dr. Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung; eandojakarta.com; Rp55,000. — r ac h el wil l

PHOTOGR A PH ED BY YOPPY PIE TER

b e au t y

SEOUL SEARCHING The South Korean capital is the epicenter of the beauty world, dreaming up ever-morecutting-edge products. Alicia Yoon, who travels there to source makeup and skin care for her retail site, Peach & Lily (peachandlily.com), shares where to go for facials, saunas and more, as well as how to get their equivalents in the U.S.

UNITED STATES

Fashionistas in Seoul are all obsessed with the finisher, which is a serum made by brands like VDL, Nature Republic and Espoir. It seals in your moisturizer and primes the skin for makeup application.

BEAUTY EMPORIUM

Shangpree Spa (shangpree.com) is known for its rigorous training program. Aestheticians go through three years of study before they can even touch a client’s face for one of Shangpree’s customized facials, which lift, firm and stimulate circulation.

My New York City-based KoreanAmerican friends and I go to King Spa & Fitness (kingsaunanj.com) in Palisades Park, N.J., because it feels like a small piece of Seoul. I like to sit in the Hwangtoh Room, a dry sauna that has walls made of a special detoxifying clay. In the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Palace Beauty (epalace beauty.com) is a one-stop shop for products from popular skin-care companies like Charmzone, mid-priced lines like Clio and organic specialists like Aromatica.

FACIAL FIX

I L L U S T R AT I O N : W A I / G E T T Y I M A G E S

The flagship Lotte Department Store (lotteshopping.com) in the Myeongdong shopping district has the widest selection of brands, including both high-end stalwarts like AmorePacific and more affordable lines like Nuganic and Tony Moly.

Face size and symmetry are important in modern Korean culture. For a contouring or more intensive reshaping facial, go to Yakson House (yaksonhouse.com), which has outposts in New York City and Los Angeles.

CULT PRODUCT

People still go to traditional public bathhouses, but today’s mega-spas have taken the scene by storm. My friends and I spend hours at Siloam Sauna (siloamsauna.com)—we visit the ice room, get a massage and grab samgyetang stew at the restaurant. There’s even karaoke.

DAY SPA

SOUTH KOREA

The cushion compact, which contains full-coverage, lightweight BB cream, is huge in South Korea, and has just now hit the States. Try Sulwhasoo’s exceedingly popular Perfecting Cushion (sulwhasoo.com; US$60).

CMY

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apps

We’ve had our share of rough run-ins with taxis over the years, from betel-leaf-spitting drivers in rainbow-hued cars in Bangkok to chain-smoking, obscenity-spewing shifus in Beijing, which is why we’re generally proUber. In a powerhouse alliance, the app has paired up with Starwood Hotels, allowing Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members to rack up hotel rewards points whenever and wherever they call for a lift. As long as they stay at one of Starwood’s nine hotel brands at least once during the calendar year, regular SPG members earn one point per US$1 spent on Uber, with double points if they use Uber during a stay at a Starwood hotel. Platinum members who’ve stayed 75 eligible nights will earn quadruple points per US$1 spent on Uber during a hotel stay. The offer is available anywhere that Uber operates, meaning you can work your way towards a free night in 44 cities throughout Asia Pacific while you sit back and enjoy the ride. spg.com/uber.

COURTESY OF UBER

SUITE RIDE, DUDE

drink

Red Chuang whips up a cocktail.

MATCHMAKING

ANDREW LUM

Wine menus? So 2014. Chefs these days are getting more creative with their food and drink pairings, finding new ways to tease nuance out of both. By Diana Hubbell Don’t get us wrong: we love a well-matched Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc with dinner. But, as it happens, other likable libations are edging their way to the table. For a pop-up back in January and February, Noma, that slavishly exalted trendsetter, paired its intricate tasting menu at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo with juices. Sure, diners could choose vino, but many opted instead for elixirs such as pine-infused apple with kabuso, or turnip juice with black current shoots and yuzu, each matched to a course by the Danish sommeliers. It’s a clear sign that something is up when René Redzepi enters the fray. So, while we may not give up the grape entirely, it makes sipping

sweeter to know there’s a wealth of options out there. Single-malt suppers or even coffee-fueled haute cuisine? We’ll be waiting for you with baited breath. Get Juiced If you still want to get your fruity fix with fantastic food, head down to Sydney, where David Chang’s brazen, brash Momofuku Seiōbo (momofuku. com/sydney/seiobo; tasting menu A$185 plus A$60 for juice pairing) offers a tasting menu paired with house-blended juices like apple and fennel, or celery and pear. Cocktail Hours In Singapore, an edgy new craft cocktail bar is offering omakase

with a twist. At DSTLLRY (facebook.com/dstllryco; 11-course menu S$120, cocktails from S$25), the food menu changes daily and the drink menu... well, don’t even bother looking for one. Stop by in the evening and let Taiwanese mixology fiend Red Chuang match an 11-course tasting menu of small plates—think Alaskan king crab in crustacean “umami” broth—with tailored potions perfect for your palate.

Higher Tea Through June 4, Spring Moon (hongkong.peninsula.com; fivecourse tea pairing menu HK$1,280) in Hong Kong is offering a special five-course Cantonese meal paired with four rare teas, such as the delicate osmanthus white peony and the coveted Keemun super black tea. Chef Frankie Tang’s especially elaborate dishes allow the subtleties in these brews to shine. +

REDISCOVERY OF LEGACY

OPENING SOON

J7 Hotel Road 6 Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia www.j7hotel.com

info@j7hotel.com

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ZEN GARDEN A historic Tokyo hotel gets a 21st-century face-lift without losing its Meiji charms and sacred sakura-strewn gardens. By Ashley Niedringhaus Set in the previous residence of one of Japan’s former prime ministers, Aritomo Yamagata, the 260-room Hotel Chinzanso has just emerged top-to-toe renovation. The architects stayed faithful to the building’s heritage roots, while adding a host of fivestar upgrades geared towards well-heeled travelers. The place sports no fewer than 12 restaurants and the city’s largest hotel spa, but the real highlight is the immaculately groomed garden—a true haven right in the heart of Tokyo. hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.com; doubles from ¥48,000. +

The hotel offers tea ceremonies with a master, as well as kimono fittings.

Expect exceptionally elegant Eastern and Western table settings—and teas.

Glazed Arita ceramic lamps, Nishijin-ori throws and silk-screen paintings adorn each of the stylishly minimalist room.

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Yu, the hotel’s on-site spa, brings in mineral-rich waters from Ito’s natural hot springs in Shizuoka.

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Chinzanso Garden has 20 distinct varieties of cherry-blossom trees and a 1,000-year-old pagoda built without nails.

3 exceptionally powerful incredibly compact

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SHAKING THINGS UP An innovative breed of mixologist is bringing cocktail culture to Shanghai at four hot boîtes.

Speak Low This speakeasystyle bar offers a trio of distinct drinking dens. One level highlights familiar favorites with a twist (cinnamon-and- coconut-water coladas); another focuses on technique-heavy cocktails (shiso-infused tequila with plum salt); and the third is a whiskey club. 579 Fuxing Zhong Lu; 86-21/6416-0133. Heyday With its cushy banquettes, terrazzo floors and waitresses in qipaos, this justopened club is an homage to Shanghai’s 1930s jazz era, complete with vocalists crooning Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald songs. Bostonian Aaron Feder, whose encyclopedic menu at the nearby El Ocho won high praise

among local spirits geeks, serves a more edited list of creative libations here: try the chilivodka-based Heaven Built on Hell, ornamented with a brightly flavored cloud of raspberryorange foam—the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. 50 Tai’an Lu; heydayjazz.cn. Flask A vintage Coca-Cola vending machine inside a sandwich shop conceals the entrance to this whiskey mecca from Taiwanese bartenders Allen Hsu and Bear Weng. The dimly lit space evokes the Prohibition era and draws a latenight crowd in search of drinks like the Robin Hood Roy, a version of the classic that blends scotch, sweet vermouth and

lemongrass. It arrives in a metallic flask alongside a chilled martini glass. 432 Shaanxi Nan Lu; 86-21/3368-6108. Union Trading Company The playful concoctions of Chinese Americans Austin Hu and Yao Lu have earned this neighborhood bar a strong following. The Once a Pun a Thyme, an herbaceous riff on an Old-Fashioned, gets its earthy flavor profile from a blend of rosemary-and-peppercorninfused scotch, thyme, sugar and house-made celery bitters. The Witchy Woman, a mix of Campari, white rum and toastedalmond syrup, is an ode to summer. 64 Fenyang Lu; 8621/6418-3077. — cryst y l mo

Heyday brings back the glory days of Shanghai’s jazz era.

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PHOTOGR A PH ED BY A LGIRDAS BA K AS

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A BOOM ON THE BOSPORUS

10 KARAKÖY

SOHO HOUSE

Neighborhood Arty, of-the-moment Karaköy, a once-downtrodden harbor district now revitalized with spot-on cafés and hip galleries. Style Low-luster bling with a touch of the traditional. Architect Sinan Kafadar gave this 1875 Neoclassical building a modern makeover, styling the interiors in neutral tones and stocking the 71 rooms with Malin & Goetz toiletries. Don’t Miss The top-floor bar, where the in-crowd comes to party. morgans hotelgroup.com; doubles from US$220.

Neighborhood Youthful Beyoğlu, known for its Art Nouveau buildings, raki bars and shopping thoroughfare. Style Clubby, boutique-hotel cool with an emphasis on design. The group refashioned a 19th-century palazzo in its typical masculine aesthetic and restored the original Italianate details (frescoes, stained-glass windows). Don’t Miss The Embassy—it’s surprisingly the brand’s first-ever nightclub and it’s already a hit. sohohouse.com; doubles from US$221.

RAFFLES

ST. REGIS

Neighborhood Levent, an affluent, business-oriented riverside district. The hotel is part of the Zorlu Center, home to an array of upscale shops. Style Sexy Ottoman opulence. Chandeliers adorn the lobby, while the 181 rooms feature mosaic-tiled bathrooms, prints inspired by the Blue Mosque, and sweeping Bosporus views. Don’t Miss The knockout 3,066-squaremeter spa, which has three hammams for steaming and two pools for chilling. raffles.com; doubles from US$681.

Neighborhood Leafy, Parisian-feeling Nişantaşi, a tony enclave of high-end residences and luxury boutiques. Style Art Deco meets beigy-tastefulness. Local designer Emre Arolat outfitted the 118 rooms in this newly built structure with dark wood and velvet-lined armchairs. Don’t Miss Contemporary Turkish sculptures and paintings on loan from the family-run Demsa Group, the city’s top private art collection. stregis.com; doubles from US$525. — andrew sessa

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F 10 K A R A K Ö Y; C O U R T E S Y O F S O H O H O U S E ; C O U R T E S Y O F S T. R E G I S ; C O U R T E S Y O F R A F F L E S

Istanbul’s latest crop of hotels ups the city’s luxe quotient.

Radar Perusing pages at Taipei’s 24-hour Eslite.

t+l p i c ks

PAGE TURNERS Taipei Any 24-hour bookstore holds a special place in our hearts. So the original Eslite branch on Dunhua South Road deserves mention—as do the avid readers squeezed in every nook. Tip: in Taipei, the oversized store (five floors of books, food, fashion, and Japanese knickknacks) in Xin Yi is best for tomes in English. eslite.com. 38

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Bangkok For English-language titles at hard-to-beat prices, head to Kinokuniya. The go-to branch is in Paragon mall, while the newest outlet is in EmQuartier at Phrom Phong BTS station. Inside tip: watch for paperback versions to hit the shelves; then hardcovers of the same book often go on sale at half price. thailand. kinokuniya.com.

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Jakarta Strong on bestsellers, as well as business and design books, the four Ak.’sa.ra outlets are a dream in the Indonesian capital. Staff are also well-versed in fiction titles, both current and classic, and the shops now offer a good selection of design-oriented items— think stationery, homeware and audio equipment. aksara.com.

Hong Kong Kelly and Walsh in swish Pacific Place resembles an old-world bookshop with its classic, dark-wood shelving weighed down with a strong selection of Chinese history, business and design titles. The shop also excels at bringing in interesting authors for talks, though it’s best to prebook a spot at any event. kellyandwalsh.com. +

C H R I S T O P H E R K U C W AY

Bookstores may be dropping off the map faster than you can read the latest bestseller, but these four stalwarts around the region are still going strong. By Christopher Kucway

Radar From top: Pierre Hardy suede sandal, US$795. Manolo Blahnik leather wedge sandal, US$755. Proenza Schouler woven leather mule, US$995.

m u s t- h av e

Resort-ready blackand-white sandals to take you from poolside to dance floor. By Jane Bishop. Photograph by Stephen Lewis.

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P R O P S T Y L I S T: A R I A N A S A LV AT O

GRAPHIC EDGE

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Clockwise from top: Frederic Meyer and Luca Apino crank up the heat; Pizza Massilia’s scarmorza-sausage pie; StrEat.

food

Meals on wheels have been making their way from Brooklyn to Berlin to Bangkok. Monsicha Hoonsuwan takes a look at the latest Asian incarnations of this roving foodie fad. Bangkok

With banh mi, burger and even Philly cheesesteak options, it’s getting harder to rise above the noise in this increasingly crowded food-truck town. But a new entry is ginning up buzz rivaled only by the mobile phones of patrons waiting for confused friends who need directions. Tucked around the backside of a parking lot, Pizza Massilia (pizzamassilia.

com; dinner for two Bt600) opened in February and is already being praised for serving one of the city’s best pies. Both the shady, serene setting and the blackened, bubbled pizzas are Marseille-inspired, with ingredients imported from France and Italy—the home countries of the duo who lit this oven, Frederic Meyer of Namsaah Bottling

Trust and Luca Apino of La Bottega di Luca and Vesper. But we suggest you figure out how to get there soon or you might find yourself hot on their wheels: this truck will be zooming off once a month to new locations in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Khao Yai and Hua Hin. Barbecue’s humble roots make it perfect for a movable feast, which is why you’ll find scene kids scarfing down

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F P I Z Z A M A S S I L I A ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F S T R E AT

WHAT THE TRUCK?

pulled pork on pillowy home-baked buns at the new Deli-Q (facebook. com/DeliQBKK; pulled pork for two Bt380) alongside Italian beef sandwiches and other gloriously caloric grub. Then there’s Meat & Bones (facebook.com/ meatandbonesbangkok; dinner for two Bt560), a new joint hawking dry-rubbed, sauceslathered, 12-hoursmoked ribs finished on the grill for a hint of char. Kuala Lumpur

Mexican fare is gaining serious followers, thanks to the fusion recipes like chili con carne with Indian papadams, cheesy beef cubano sandwiches and crispy mozzarellalayered chicken quesotacos at Curbside Cantina (instagram.com/ curbsidecantinakl; burgers for two RM20),

cooked up in a bright-red truck by the Cantina Moderna catering team. Manila

If you prefer a bit more predictability with your provisions, head to the new food park StrEat (facebook.com/ streatmaginhawafood park), which fully opened in March. It combines old-school brick-andmortar establishments like Lost Bread—think brioche pain perdu with rings of maple-candied bacon, wobbly poached eggs and olive oil-slicked spinach—with their trendier, more mobile cousins selling everything from tacos to chicken-fried steak. Hipsters may come to this community-centric hot spot for the Instagram-friendly vehicles, but they’ll stay for the quality eats. +

Quintessential Bali

Living the pure royalty where legendary holds its timeless beauty Feel the grace of Balinese kingdom of hospitality in Ayodya Resort Bali. Spread across twenty nine acres water palace landscape garden facing to the 300 meters of a golden sandy beach, the resort is offering 541 rooms and extensive range of restaurants serving an international

C O U R T E S Y O F M E AT & B O N E S

cuisines, Balinese Theater showcasing traditional dance performance, bars, spa, kids club, sports and leisure activities as well as meeting facilities. Experience the royal Twelve-hour ribs from Meat & Bones.

Balinese hospitality, experience the Ayodya Resort Bali.

www.ayodyaresortbali.com ayodyaresortbali

l info@ayodyaresortbali.com @AyodyaBali

@AyodyaBali

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a dv e n t u r e

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

From top: Skimming the treetops en route to Thien Vien Truc Lam monastery; canyoning in Datanla takes endurance, and a leap of faith.

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It is the height of the dry season in Dalat—Vietnam’s City of Eternal Spring—but all I can hear is the sound of crashing thunder and a whooshing deluge of water raining down on me from above. The weather gods are notoriously fickle in this part of the country’s Central Highlands, however it’s not an unexpected downpour that is creating the cacophony and soaking me to the bone. It’s the fact that I’m suspended on a rope beneath a cascading waterfall halfway down the Datanla Canyon with only the guide supervising my cautious descent as protection (or, perhaps just as a talisman) from a nasty drop onto the rocks 15-meters below. Risking life and limb in a rugged ravine is not the typical tourist experience in a country best known for endless beaches, honking metropolises and one of the world’s most on-trend cuisines. Yet, the unique topography of Dalat, a 50-minute flight from Saigon, has helped it grow into a center for adventure sports. The mountain destination has long been geared towards

recalibration. French-colonials founded the town in the pine-clad foothills of the Central Highlands as a place to retreat to when the summer months down in Saigon reached their most intolerable. In those days, the main activities encompassed a bit of tiger hunting in the hills mediated perhaps by a regenerating round of golf at Dalat Palace Golf Club (vietnamgolfresorts.com; green fees from VND1,400,000 for a nine-hole round), the oldest layout in Vietnam. The short but challenging course is still there and the cool climate remains as refreshing as ever. Clearly, big-game hunting is off the table these days, so visitors have turned to more acceptable extreme diversions such as canyoning. The act of traversing a river valley by any means necessary, canyoning has enjoyed a huge growth in popularity worldwide in recent years. In Vietnam, the sport has been boosted by the arrival of several foreign-run companies with internationally recognized expertise and a willingness to ➔

F R O M TO P © N G O C H U O N G ; © J E S S I C A T R AV E R

Dalat is best known for romance, but it has swashbuckling aplenty. Duncan Forgan clambers up ravines and evades cowboys in swoon-inducing surrounds.

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

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invest in the right safety equipment. Among these, the American-headed Phat Tire Vietnam (ptv-vietnam.com; half-day canyoning tour US$45) is one of the best known. All of its canyoning guides are certified in Abseiling Proficiency Level 2 by the Singapore Mountaineering Federation, ensuring professional backup for the Datanla descent, which includes sheer drops of up to 20 meters. With such safeguards, visitors can relish the experience of scrambling over rocks, rappelling down waterfalls and launching full pelt into deep, cool, emerald-hued jungle pools. The typical route, taking about four hours to navigate, is replete with memorable moments. The sight of multi-colored butterflies and the sounds of birdsong are soon lost as the waterfall batters your helmet while you abseil down the lichen-covered rock face. Other highlights include the 14-meter cliff jump, a slightly terrifying leap of faith that I complete with minimal grace and an incomprehensible frightened bark; luge-like intervals where we whoosh over miniature waterfalls, hands crossed over our chests like reverent devotees of some thrill-seeking sect; and peaceful periods of respite where slow-moving sections of the river invite a leisurely swim. The ruggedness of the area’s terrain belies the comparative calm of Dalat’s sprawling center. It is possibly the most peaceful city in the country—and, many say, the most romantic. Beret-clad locals catch up on the news over cups of thick Vietnamese ca phe,

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while an Eiffel Tower-like radio mast spears out of the pine trees. Nestled in hilly green gardens, Ana Mandara Villas Dalat (anamandara-resort.com; doubles from VND3,229,062) ups the canoodling factor with woodburning fireplaces in their turreted rooms, while the Dalat Palace Hotel (dalatresorts.com; doubles from VND3,400,000), a grand relic of the days of French rule, overlooks the scenery from a crest in the middle of town. But the colonists don’t get all the credit: Dalat was a favorite of Vietnam’s last emperor, Bao Dai, and his summer palace (admission VND20,000)—a striking Art Deco villa—is an architectural standout. So too, but for entirely different reasons, is Hang Nga Crazy House (crazyhouse.vn; admission VND40,000). The brainchild of owner Dang Viet Nga is something perhaps only the daughter of a former president would have the effervescent audacity to concoct. The sprawling structure is a riot of woozy concrete shapes, lopsided stairways, and cave-like crannies and rooms linked by precarious bridges. It’s a must-see, Dalíinspired hallucinatory oddity. Still, most of Dalat’s trippy action is in the surrounding river-cut highlands. Apart from canyoning, popular activities now include trekking through one of Vietnam’s newest and largest national parks, Bidoup Nui Ba; hiking to the summits of the two towering 2,000-meter-plus peaks after which the park is named; and taking up the challenge of a rafting and biking expedition with Groovy Gecko Tours

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(groovygeckotours.net; US$110 per person): a cycling trip along a 28-kilometer downhill pass in the shadow of the two summits, before discarding the bikes to brave the Cai River rapids. But, you don’t have to take your heart rate up a few notches to appreciate Dalat’s amazing scenery. The cable car ride (terminus is two kilometers south of the city center; VND100,000 per person round trip) from town to the hilltop Thien Vien Truc Lam monastery offers stirring views over the forest. And you’d be remiss to pass up on the Pongour Falls and the outlandishly kitsch Thung Lung Tinh Yeu (Valley of Love), where Vietnamese honeymooners pose in front of lovey-dovey props and are transported on horseback by riders in full cowboy regalia. Another way to take in Dalat and its surrounds at a more sedate pace is on the back of the motorbikes of the Easy Riders (dalat-easyrider.com; tours from US$24 per day)—Englishspeaking locals with insights on the hidden charms and tribal culture of the Central Highlands.

In truth, Dalat doesn’t offer much in the way of a post-action party scene—and just because this is Vietnam wine country doesn’t mean you’ll want to drink a lot of the local vino—but there are a few options. V Café (vcafe dalatvietnam.com; meal for two VND400,000) offers bistro-style cuisine, Western and Vietnamese, with live jazz, and nearby bar Saigon Nite (11 Hai Ba Trung St.) has decent drinks and friendly service. There are also a couple of Vietnamese clubs offering bottles and pounding house music. It is at one of these that I find myself after my Datanla Gorge trip. The dance floor nearly empty, we are lavished with attention by the friendly staff. Giant platters of tropical fruit are proffered and my whiskey glass never seems to be empty due to the replenishing efforts of the hovering waitresses. But with another full slate of activities to look forward to the next day, we decide not to stay late. Adventure and a hangover are a notoriously queasy combination and with all that visual manna to enjoy, Dalat is worth appreciating with a clear head. +

F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F D A L AT P A L A C E G O L F C L U B ; C O U R T E S Y O F H A N G N G A C R A Z Y H O U S E

From left: Dalat Palace Golf Club, the oldest in Vietnam; the—we kid you not—Honey Moon room in a spider-webbed garden at the Crazy House.

Traditional folk arts defying time.

So what are you waiting for? Come to Tamilnadu now with your family and friends for a complete holiday. There’s something for each one of you that’s absolute Whew!

And plenty of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Few destinations offer as much fun, excitement and variety, for every member of the family, as the amazing state of Tamilnadu. There’s plenty for everyone to learn, see and do…all over Tamilnadu, all year round!

Tamilnadu is a great holiday destination when you want to have an action-packed holiday. For those who want to take a trip down the culture lane, Tamilnadu is an amazing state rooted in a glorious past. A culture that’s older than the rest of the country itself. The world’s oldest living language. The most evolved music systems known to man. India’s finest temple architecture. Magnificent temples and pilgrimage spots for every reason and season. World’s finest beaches. Wildlife sanctuaries with exotic flora and fauna. Exotic hill stations. beautiful getaway spots. Historic monuments.

ONE LAND - MANY GLORIES

TAMIL NADU

DIPR/351/Display/2015

Commissionerate of Tourism,

Tamil Nadu Tourism Complex, No. 2, Wallajah Road, Chennai - 600 002, India. Call : 91-44-2538 3333 / 9857, Fax : 91-44-2536 1385. Visit : www.tamilnadutourism.org, E-mail : ttdc@vsnl.com, For online booking log on : www.ttdconline.com Ooty : 0423 - 2444370 to 377 Kodaikanal: 04542 - 241336 to 339 Yercaud : 04281 - 223335 to 336 Ahmedabad : 079 - 2658 0317 Hyderabad : 040 - 2766 7492 New Delhi : 011 - 2374 5427, 2336 6327 Mumbai : 022 - 2411 0118 Kolkata : 033 - 2423 7432 Jaipur : 0141 - 2204 999

Tamil Nadu Tourism

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Swooshing down the slopes at Sado Wonder Valley. Below, clockwise from right: Takahan’s atmospheric onsen; mad drumming at Obon; Manotsuru sake.

why go

SNOW COUNTRY A new Shinkansen route has cut the travel time from Tokyo to Niigata prefecture in half. Scott Haas shares five reasons to go now.

Typically made from highly polished rice, the sake produced here has a smooth taste thanks to the use of pure water from melted snowfall. The island of Sado hosts two of Japan’s finest breweries. One is Hokusetsu (sake-hokusetsu.com), which produces the sake sold outside Japan exclusively at chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s global empire. “I met Nobu 25 years ago,” says Fumio Hazu, CEO, “and we closed the deal with a handshake.” The other, Manotsuru (obatashuzo.com), is run by one of the few women in this business, Rumiko Obata, whose sake is so good that you find it in first class on Air France and Vietnam Airlines. Arrange a tour for superb sipping. Because the historic ryokan here are deeply rooted in Japanese culture. “The train came out

of the long tunnel into the snow country.” So begins Nobel-prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata’s iconic tale of illicit love in a ryokan in Yuzawa, Niigata. Stay in that very same, deeply atmospheric inn, Takahan (takahan.co.jp/english.html; doubles from ¥8,640), for a sense of the region’s history and romance. Who knows— maybe while soaking in the onsen you’ll feel inspired to pen a sequel. Because this is a place where you can really make some noise. Although

sleepy Sado is generally revered for its serenity, every August the ancient Buddhist 48

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

Because sake connoisseurs call this “the Burgundy of Japan.”

C O U R T E S Y O F N I I G ATA V I S I T O R S & C O N V E N T I O N B U R E A U ( 2 )

festival of Obon, held to honor the dead, is a time of mad drumming. The Kodo drummers as well as musicians from around the world participate in what amounts to a three-day celebration of peace and love in a pristine natural setting. It might go by a more modern, hippy moniker—“Earth Celebration,” (kodo.or.jp; August 21-23, 2015)—these days, but the locals will always know it as Obon.

steaming bowl of udon in broth accompanied by warm sake.

Because the skiing here is pure powder and pure pleasure. The alpine

Shirone Grape Garden

regions of Niigata prefecture get a whopping average nine meters of fluffy, white snowfall a year, making for some of Japan’s best skiing. On Sado, Wonder Valley (snowjapan.com; adult day passes ¥1,600) has great runs for all experience levels. And no better après-ski experience exists than a

Because “farm-fresh” takes on a whole new meaning here. Niigata’s

produce snags top billing at some of Tokyo’s hottest tables. Depending on the season, you can visit farms and pick your own pears, grapes, edamame and strawberries. Koshihikari, a type of heirloom rice with plump, toothsome kernels, also grows here.

offers everything from organic blueberries to figs. For a flat rate, they’ll let you eat as much of this sweet bounty as you want. enjoyniigata.com/ english/04/shirone-grapegarden.html; all-you-caneat strawberry picking from ¥1,000 per person. +

With Our Compliments from SilverNeedle® Collection Stay 3 consecutive nights and enjoy a complimentary 3rd Night* at any 3 SilverNeedle® Collection Hotels. PLUS, present this ad at check-in to receive a F&B credit worth 500 THB at 137 Pillars House and Riva Surya or 15 USD at Kiridara.

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kiridara, luang prabang From now to 31 October 2015, discover authentic travel experiences in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang. Picking organic strawberries.

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ta l k i n g t r av e l

GLOWING EMBERS Lynette Ong, self-made businesswoman, jewelry designer, and fair-trade advocate shares her favorite brands and haunts with Grace Ma. (edgeofember.com), a boutique accessory company with a conscience, supports local artisans by bringing their works to a global audience and donates 10 percent of its profits to stopping child-trafficking in Cambodia. The clean, elegant designs reference the communities that created them, as well as the wanderings of Lynette Ong, the brand’s Singaporean designer and creative director, who left a highpowered financial career to found the business.

Clockwise from top: Lynette Ong; hard at work in Phnom Penh; repurposed bomb shells; a silver ring is one of Ong’s go-to pieces.

Two must-pack types of accessories?

I can’t do without a pair of statement earrings and a simple ring that goes with everything, usually in silver to match my wedding ring. What places in Southeast Asia inspire your work?

I traveled quite a bit during the five years I lived in Hong Kong. I saw such beautiful crafts in the local markets and wanted to create a slightly more contemporary take on them. Bali and Phnom Penh are close to my heart and we work with artisans in each. In Phnom Penh, we work with Rajana Association and Craftworks Cambodia to make metal pieces repurposed from old bomb shells. 50

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What other jewelry brands do you admire?

John Hardy (johnhardy. com) not only has a longstanding commitment to work with local artisans in Bali, but also focuses on environmental sustainability. I also love A Peace Treaty (apeacetreaty.com), an American company that works with disadvantaged artisans in developing areas of conflict, including many Asian communities in Nepal and India. They have such great designs and are able to translate traditional craftsmanship into contemporary, commercial works with a distinctive signature look. You emphasize “fair trade” jewelry. What questions should consumers ask to find out if a company’s products are ethical?

It is all about finding the real story behind the products: ask them where the products are made, who makes them, how they are made, and how the raw materials are sourced. Where do you go to shop for baubles?

Markets in Bangkok and Phnom Penh have some terrific finds. Bali is also a great destination for discovering distinctive local wares. +

C O U R T E S Y O F LY N E T T E O N G (4)

Edge of Ember

SHANGHAI 1 - 4 JUNE 2015

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Radar debut

MINISTRY OF FINE DINING A sleek new resto in Siem Reap is luring visitors away from the iconic temples for a taste of contemporary Khmer. By Nicole Saunders

Clockwise from top: Embassy restaurant; an intimate atmosphere; an appetizer of crispy shrimp with rose apple, star fruit and fresh herbs, with a greenmango sauce; Sok, half of the Kimson duo.

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which might include anything from seared scallops with red curry to caramel-glazed pork topped with green Kampot pepper. The Kimsan Twins will be regularly revamping the menu to reflect what’s in the nearby markets. Although the produce is mostly local, the wine list boasts an alluring array of vintages from Australia, France and New Zealand. In a town that entices more than 2 million visitors to explore its wonders each year, Embassy’s intimate atmosphere offers a well-deserved breather from the tourist-packed temples and bustling nightlife. Veer away from the din of Pub Street for a glimpse of Cambodia’s culinary future and meal worthy of a visiting diplomat. King’s Road Angkor, 7 Makara Rd., Achar Sva St., corner Old Market Bridge; restaurantsiemreap.com; five-course dinner sets US$36. +

C O U R T E S Y O F E M B A S S Y (4)

Long overshadowed by its Southeast Asian sister cuisines, Khmer cooking is finally getting the love it deserves. Years ago, when the upscale Cambodian restaurant Cuisine Wat Damnak opened in Siem Reap, it was an anomaly in an area notorious for shilling out greasy panAsian fast food. Now, the freshest fine-dining face catering to the town’s increasingly sophisticated palate boasts two talented young chefs mentored by Régis Marcon, France’s triple Michelin-starred guru, serving resolutely local cuisine with a twist. Nicknamed the Kimsan Twins, Pol and Sok have ambitiously reinvented the regional classics of their childhoods to create Embassy, a thoroughly modern, seasonally driven restaurant with a pinch of French influence. Diners embark on a five-course culinary exploration of the country,

Radar PILLOWCASES I bought these from a merchant in the Fez medina who’s been collecting textiles for more than 20 years. They’re all hand-stitched from fragments of handwoven rugs. The idea of mixing materials to make something unique is important to me.

STRIPED RUG This man in Ain Leuh, a small village in the Middle Atlas, sells a crazy collection of rugs from his house (his wife made us an incredible vegetarian tagine). This one felt modern and simple. I like the irregular lines—it’s imperfect.

CERAMIC NECKLACE I’ve seen a lot of Berber jewelry, but never a piece like this one from southern Morocco, which I found in the medina in Fez. I love the color, the weight and the intricate way it’s knotted.

P R O P S T Y L I S T: M E G A N K R I E M A N

SILK FABRIC Abdelkader El Ouazzani is one of the only master weavers left in Morocco who still practices the art of brocade, which is traditionally loomed by hand. I visited his shop in the Fez medina and commissioned a variation on this ornate, graphic pattern for my collection.

shopping

MAGIC CARPETS P HOTOG R A P H ED BY A NITA CA L ERO

For Danielle Sherman, exploring Africa is a perk of her job as the creative director of Edun, the ethical fashion brand founded by Bono and Ali Hewson, which produces 95 percent of its goods on the continent. Looking for inspiration for her Fall/Winter 2015 collection, Sherman toured Fez, Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains for 10 days, guided by Artisan Project, a promoter of local craftspeople. These are her favorite discoveries from medina merchants and makers’ cooperatives. For information on customized itineraries, visit artisanprojectinc.com. — eviana hartman T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

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Radar

book

A WINDOW TO THE PAST Booth says. “We even included original research on weather patterns to help the reader better plan their travel and touring, and even included a large, expandable map of the park.” Also featured are previously unpublished images from the archives of the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, a 115-year-old French institute dedicated to the preservation of the temples. Profits go towards the AboutAsia Schools project, a non-profit organization working towards the academic development of more than 53,000 children in the Siem Reap province— all the more reason to pocket this piece of history. angkorguidebook.com. —mark lean

trending

SAMI BRACELETS Traditionally made by the indigenous people of Lapland, these reindeer-leather-and-pewter bands have become the bangle du jour among fashionable Swedes and stars like Benedict Cumberbatch. If you’re in Stockholm, handicrafts store Svensk Slöjd (svenskslojd.com) carries versions by Svea Länta (from US$120), a Sami designer known for her colors and braided motifs. Or, find bracelets by Maria Rudman on Net-A-Porter.com. — ingrid k. williams

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF ANGKOR GUIDEBOOK ; COURTESY OF SVENSK SLÖJD

As awe-inspiring as the enduring temples surrounding Siem Reap are, history tells us that they’re pale shadows of their former splendor. That’s why The Angkor Guidebook, written by Cambodia-based British expatriate Andrew Booth, is so compelling. Designed as a pocket companion for first-time visitors, the book includes visual reconstructions of the temples as they once were on transparent overlays. Booth goes beyond the usual art renderings, reaching a fine level of detail with the help of ceramics experts and historians, and providing a wealth of useful, but concise, information. “We added sections on the fascinating nature around the archaeological park,”

tool kit

FINISHING SCHOOL Easy-to-use apps that transform your travel snapshots into Instagram perfection.

JACQUELINE GIFFORD

Original Photo

Brushstroke

Pixelmator

Fused

Many apps can make your photos look like paintings, but this one outshines the rest. Channel van Gogh or Warhol with effects that range from “illustration” to “experimental.” Then tweak the surface texture (think “canvas” or “stucco”) and color quality. You can even have your work framed and shipped to your door. US$2.99; iOS.

This app offers many of the same advanced editing tools as Photoshop, but makes them a cinch for novices. Our favorite is Retouch, which allows you to remove unwanted elements by simply highlighting them with your fingertip. Poof—there goes the yellow umbrella (or unwanted photobomber). US$9.99; iPad only.

Creating double exposures used to be a professional job; now it’s a matter of two simple taps. Overlay a selfie with a beautiful landscape, mash up a pair of city skylines, or let your imagination run free—just search the Instagram hashtags #doubleexposure and #madewithfused for inspiration. Free; iOS. — nikki ekstein

Radar

d i s c ov e r y

THE NEW OLD HOLLYWOOD The once-neglected district may have had a little work done, but it’s still seductively seedy—just the way David A. Keeps likes it.

A lissome brunette in a Prohibitionera dressing gown introduces herself as Charlotte, the “madam of the house.” She flips a switch, revealing a staircase that leads to a wallpapered parlor where a DJ is spinning 1970s soul. The attractive patrons, who likely consider themselves artists, actors and models, sip cocktails. On the porch, burlesque dancers shimmy to a live jazz band. A bricked-in garden conceals this silent-film-era hideaway from the lights and clamor of Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of 56

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Fame, just beyond. This is No Vacancy, a 21st-century speakeasy hidden inside a 1902 Victorian, opened two years ago by local nightlife entrepreneurs Mark and Jonnie Houston as an homage to the neighborhood’s glory days. It’s a bit of new Hollywood, dropped into the old. Erica Jong wrote that Hollywood is located “chiefly between the ears in that part of the American brain lately vacated by God.” For most people, Hollywood is less a place than an idea—one that includes destinations

Emerson College’s campus is Hollywood’s most prominent new landmark.

like the Chateau Marmont and that famous sign, which don’t lie within the district’s actual boundaries. Those are commonly accepted as Franklin and Melrose Avenues to the north and south, respectively, and Western and Fairfax Avenues to the east and west. And with its Art Deco towers and faded movie palaces, the sometimes seedy section of Hollywood Boulevard that runs through the heart of this 7.8-squarekilometer zone is the last remnant of what the neighborhood once was. Two decades ago, this place was all tattoo parlors and sex stores. Helen Mirren once told me she went to the “stripper district,” a stretch of risqué lingerie shops, for her awards-show secret weapon—“pole-dancer shoes with plastic platforms and heels that make you 18 centimeters taller.” I myself used to revel in the Raymond Chandler vibe of the old movie-colony haunts—Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Magic Castle, the Musso & Frank Grill and the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel—and the gritty side streets that felt like Charles Bukowski turf. But like downtown L.A., another formerly forlorn enclave a few exits down the 101, Hollywood is in transition. It began in the early aughts, when creative companies drawn to the area’s cheap spaces and rich history moved in—like the artbook publisher Taschen, whose U.S. offices are in the 1936 Crossroads of

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Still sketchy after all these years.

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

the World complex, and the cinephilic fashion label Band of Outsiders, headquartered across from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Private development came in tandem: after the Dolby Theater in the Hollywood & Highland complex brought back the Oscars, Thompson Hotels rebooted the iconic Roosevelt, luring nightlife to the area again. Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners’ Alliance, cites nearly US$5 billion in investments since 2000 in the commercial district her group manages, which she insists will soon be “the most vibrant downtown in Los Angeles.” Now, stylish newcomers are opening nonstop. At the once-sketchy intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the glass-and-steel W and the homey Redbury hotels have joined the Philippe Starck–designed Katsuya Restaurant near the Capitol Records Building. More high-profile hotels are coming, including the Dream Hollywood and the first U.S. outpost of Starck’s Mama Shelter brand. Nearby Cahuenga Boulevard, once a no-man’s-land, now features the street-fashion arcade Space 15Twenty, nightlife venues Saint Felix and

the Hotel Café, and the organic small-plates restaurant Birch. And the powerhouse art gallery Regen Projects has a two-year-old location on Santa Monica. Much of the area’s appeal— besides the advantages of a gentrifying neighborhood—comes from its stock of Victorian and Deco buildings, which lend history and urbanity in a city where both are in short supply. On North Bronson, the intimate Lombardi House is a hotel that, like No Vacancy, occupies a restored turn-of-the-century house. And the Houston brothers have opened no less than seven timecapsule lounges throughout the neighborhood. This summer, the New York co-working space NeueHouse will debut in the old CBS Building on Sunset, and in 2016 MTV and Comedy Central will set up shop next door. The area is also proving to be a canvas for architectural experiments, like the futuristic US$110 million campus for Emerson College by Pritzker Prize– winning architect Thom Mayne. No, it’s not Chandler’s Hollywood anymore. But the street outside of No Vacancy still feels like its old self. And while Angelenos do welcome the

Capitol Records Building.

cool-kid newcomers, many, like me, are relieved that this tarnished patch of Tinseltown hasn’t become overly sanitized. “There’s something stubbornly authentic and gritty about Hollywood Boulevard,” says Fenton Bailey, cofounder of the production company World of Wonder, located on the street. Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts his talk show from a theater nearby, agrees: “You can see Robert Downey Jr. getting a star on the Walk of Fame while a guy dressed in an Iron Man costume hustles tips six meters away,” he says. “Hollywood is a place where abnormal is normal.” +

HOLLYWOOD, THEN AND NOW THE OLD

THE NEW

Hollywood Roosevelt 1920s landmark that now hosts the nightspot Teddy’s, a favorite of young A-listers. thehollywoodroosevelt.com; doubles from US$299.

Regen Projects Influential gallery that reps art stars like Matthew Barney and Wolfgang Tillmans. regenprojects.com.

Magic Castle Private club for magicians, where legends from Johnny Carson to Steve Martin have performed. magiccastle.com. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Movie palace famed for its pagoda-like entrance. tclchinesetheatres.com.

Small plates from Brendan Collins.

Musso & Frank Grill This local spot has served everyone from Greta Garbo to George Clooney. mussoandf rank.com; entrées from US$15.

No Vacancy Speakeasy-style club with gas lamps and a marble bar. novacancyla.com. Birch Small-plates restaurant from acclaimed British chef Brendan Collins. birchlosangeles.com; entrées from US$8. Lombardi House Victorian residence once owned by vaudevillians, now a stylish under-the-radar hotel. lombardihouse.com; suites from US$450.

T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

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be s t n e w p or ta bl e

COURTESY OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Trip Doctor

BY THE NUMBERS Singapore Airlines’ new Premium Economy seats launch August 9 on the Singapore-Sydney route. Here’s the lowdown on the perks: 38-inch seat pitch (versus 32 inches in economy); 19.5-inch seat width (18.1-19 inches); 8-inch seat recline; a 13.3-inch personal video screen; two USB ports and Wi-Fi (from US$9.99 for 10MB); 35 kilos of checked baggage; and the ability to preorder meals. Price? S$1,899.40 (S$1,549.40 in economy) round trip for the 8.5-hour flight. Still, the 2-4-2 configuration means there are middle seats, and mileage accrual is only 110 percent of distance flown, while some Star Alliance partners offer 125 percent. siapremiumeconomy.com T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

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Trip Doctor

Strategies Joshua Abram and Alan Murray, cofounders of NeueHouse.

ROAD WARRIORS With the launch of the David Rockwell–designed NeueHouse (neuehouse.com) in New York, tech investors Abram and Murray upended the concept of co-working. Instead of spare desks populated by nascent start-up founders, they built a members-only club for bold-faced creatives, complete with screening rooms, broadcast studios and private dining areas. With outposts in L.A. (see page 56) and London on the way and more in their sights, Abram and Murray average 100 days a year on the road. — corina quinn

clothes. Exercising while traveling is key to maintaining one’s sanity.

Carry-on vs. checked bag JA: I check everything

because I hate to feel like a Sherpa walking through airports. Alan is an abstemious packer and reminds me of the error of my ways with each turn of the luggage carousel. Favorite airport JA: Amsterdam Schiphol

was an early innovator in 60

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good as business class, but at a fraction of the cost. Top travel apps JA: Flightstats (Android;

NeueHouse, in New York City.

thinking about the potential of an airport as an experience. In addition to upgraded food and shopping, there’s an annex of the Rijksmuseum. I also like Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic—its thatched-roof arrivals hall quickly puts me in a Caribbean frame of mind.

always great, particularly after a long flight. Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at JFK in New York is a winner with its fun serpentine bar, salon and wool-lined “cavities” in the wall, which are great places to decompress.

Best airport lounge AM: I love a room that’s

Virgin Upper Class is great. We also like the Prem Plus on OpenSkies between New York and Paris—almost as

thoughtfully designed and tranquil, and showers are

T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

Preferred airline cabin JA: For New York to London,

iOS) for real-time info on delays and gate changes. Onavo (Android; iOS) to manage data consumption abroad. Google Goggles (Android) to quickly figure out the story behind that intriguing-looking building in an unfamiliar city. Biggest travel annoyance AM: Wireless fees at hotels.

Will those who impose these charges never realize how much goodwill they lose? Pack your own mobile hot spot and be done with this hassle forever. Red-eye survival tactic AM: Don’t do a red-eye

while sitting in a coach seat. Ever. Life is too short—and the recovery too long. +

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

Must-pack items JA: Running shoes and gym

Catching some shut-eye aboard Virgin’s Upper Class.

Trip Doctor

Packing SOUND OFF

The best new portable speakers are stylish, powerful and easier than ever to stash in your carry-on. Tom Samiljan takes them for a road test.

For true music wonks, the Philips FL3X offers the highest-quality audio in the smallest possible package. Pull out the rubberized top for punchier bass, or keep it collapsed for remarkably clear, warm sound. philips. com; US$50.

The Cambridge Audio G2 has solid sound, with upfront vocals and defined bass. The extras—a USB port to charge your phone and a water- and sandresistant exterior—give it a rugged edge. cambridge audio.com; US$150. If you’re looking for 360degree sound, Bang & Olufsen’s BeoPlay A2 delivers, with speakers that face both front and back. It also has the longest battery life of the bunch: a full 24 hours. beoplay.com; US$399.

Clip the iFrogz Tadpole, which weighs just 20 grams, to a backpack, and you’ll barely notice it. Its diminutive size is no match for big orchestrations, though; stick to podcasts. ifrogz.com; US$20.

PHOTOGR A PH ED BY JA MIE C HUNG

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Trip Doctor

Tech

Have a tech question, or a hotel app you want to share? Tell us at tripdoctor@travelandleisureasia.com.

APPS FOR EMERGENCIES

When disaster strikes, these portable programs make your smartphone a laudable lifesaver. By Diana Hubbell

TRAVELSMART

TRAVEL HEALTH GUIDE

ICE STANDARD

BSAFE

Let’s say you’re trekking your way up Sabah’s Mt. Kinabalu, only to slip and fracture a leg. Who you gonna call? This handy app from Allianz Global Assistance uses GPS to pinpoint your location and provide all basic medical information for that country, including general emergency numbers and the contacts of major hospitals. You’ll even find international drug names and first-aid phrases in various languages. It’s effective in 129 countries and gives you everything you need to know when time is of the essence. Free; iOS, Android.

Whether you’re suffering from indigestion as a result of all that street food or something more serious, there are plenty of times when travelers could use a little expert medical advice. Backed by Dr. Deborah Mills, the author of Travelling Well and specialist who has been taking care of travelers’ ailments for more than two decades, this app offers advice on everything from jellyfish stings to altitude sickness. Our favorite part? The information is stored directly in your phone, meaning you won’t need Wi-Fi to track down your symptoms. US$2.99; iOS.

When a crisis hits, you may not be in any sort of condition to talk to the doctor. That’s why this simple app is a must-have when setting out on a journey. ICE Standard makes sure that paramedics can access all of your most essential medical records immediately, just by taking a quick look at the lock screen of your smartphone. Although practical for anyone on the go, this one is especially useful for travelers with severe allergies or pre-existing conditions. It’s nothing fancy, but in a pinch, you’ll be glad you downloaded it. Free; iOS, Android.

Take extra precaution when you venture out to treacherous territory with this app. A tap on the SOS button prompts the system to turn on a flashlight and siren, discreetly send to preset emergency contacts your location and a video record of your surroundings, and automatically dial your guardian. If you think you might need to squeeze out of an uncomfortable situation, you can even set bSafe to send you a fake phone call. It works anywhere in the world, though the premium version is not available in Asia just yet. Free; iOS, Android.

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I L L U S T R AT E D B Y C H O T I K A S O P I TA R C H A S A K

Trip Doctor

Deals

T+ L RE A D E R S PECI A LS

THIS MONTH’S BEST DEALS From a bottle of exclusive daiginjo sake in Tokyo to a Yunnanese cooking and cheese-making class in China, these offers are perfect ways to beat the summer heat.

A Wonderful room at W Hotel Bangkok.

CITY

COURTESY OF W BANGKOK

✪ JAKARTA The Deal Opening offer from Raffles Jakarta (raffles. com), whose dedicated Art Concierge and interior decorations pay homage to Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan. Stay A night in a Raffles King room. The Highlight Twenty-five percent off rooms and suites with complimentary 24-hour butler service and Wi-Fi. Cost From US$244, double, through June 30. Savings 25 percent. BANGKOK The Deal Free Nights from W Bangkok (whotels.com/bangkok), a

31-floor glassed tower in Sathorn with interiors mirroring the city’s energy. Stay Three nights in a Wonderful room. The Highlight A complimentary third night for every two nights booked, or a complimentary fourth night for every three nights booked. Cost From Bt9,600 (Bt4,800 per night), double; book by June 30. Savings Up to 33 percent. SHANGHAI The Deal Weekend Retreat package from URBN Hotel Shanghai (urbnhotels.com), a 26-room sustainable boutique set in a renovated factory warehouse in Jing’an District. Stay Two nights in a Studio

✪ Newly opened ✪ T+L Reader Exclusive

Super Saver

SINGAPORE The Deal All for S$1 from Mandarin Orchard Singapore (meritushotels.com), 1,077 lushly outfitted guest rooms and suites on Orchard Road. Stay A night in a Deluxe room. The Highlight An additional S$1 per person on top of room rates for a package that includes breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking, extra bed and 20 percent off food items at Triple Three and Shisen Hanten. Cost From S$263, double or triple, through December 31. Savings Up to 71 percent.

room. The Highlights Traditional Chinese massage for two at Dragonfly spa and an URBN brunch for two, valid for stays on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. Cost From RMB2,760 (RMB1,380 per night), double, through May 31. Savings 39 percent.

CULTURE ✪ CHINA The Deal Ethnic Yunnan from Linden Centre & Commons (linden-centre.com), a heritage Bai-style compound dedicated to local cultural preservation. Stay Four nights in a Superior room. The Highlights A tour of village ➔

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Trip Doctor

Deals

Lounging through Halong Bay aboard the Emeraude.

homes and food market, and a lesson with local families on cooking homemade cheese and rice noodles. Cost RMB7,000 (RMB1,750 per night), double, through December 31. Savings 30 percent. CHIANG MAI The Deal Lanna Chic package from X2 Chiang Mai villas (x2lobby.com), modern Lanna-themed residences right outside the Old City’s walls. Stay Two nights in a five- or six-bedroom pool villa. The Highlights Daily champagne breakfast for 10 at North Gate Villa, or for 11 at South Gate Villa; one-way transfer from Chiang Mai airport; and one non-alcoholic mini-bar replenishment. Cost From Bt47,578 (Bt23,789 per night) for 10 people, through October 31. Savings 50 percent. ASIA The Deal Amazing Asia from Design Hotels (designhotels.com), a network of more than 270 independent properties in 50 countries with architectural and cultural originality. Stay Two nights in a

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standard room. The Highlight Up to 30 percent discount on room rates, with daily breakfast included, at 16 member hotels in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. Cost From US$136 (US$68 per night), double, through May 31. Savings 30 percent.

✪ VIETNAM The Deal Heavenly Halong from Emeraude Classic Cruises (emeraudecruises.com), traversing the karst-studded waters while offering massages, facials and body scrubs on board. Stay A night in a suite. The Highlights A private visit to Titov Island by private tender for two; a private catered dinner for two beside the wheelhouse area; and a round-trip shuttle between Hanoi and Halong. Cost From US$664, double, through August 31. Savings 20 percent.

VIETNAM The Deal Live for Family Fun from Angsana Lang Co (angsana.com), a seaside family resort and launching point to three unesco World Heritage sites in central Vietnam. Stay Two nights in a Premier Pool suite. The Highlights Unlimited access to non-motorized activities; access to two motorized (ATV, Jet Ski, flying fish or banana boat) activities per day for up to four persons; a family picnic; access to Angsana Kids Club; and complimentary meals for children 12 years and below. Cost From US$740 (US$370 per night), double; book by October 29. Savings 45 percent.

FOOD & DRINK BANGKOK The Deal Play, Stay & Dine from LiT Bangkok (litbangkok.com), an imaginatively designed hotel minutes away from National Stadium BTS station and the city’s main shopping district. Stay Two nights in an Extra Radiance room. The Highlights A Thai or Western set dinner for two; and two one-day BTS passes. Cost From Bt6,703 (Bt3,352 per night), double, through December 31. Savings 35 percent.

✪ TOKYO The Deal Wanderlust

FAMILY ✪ BALI The Deal Special opening offer from Holiday Inn Resort Bali Benoa (balibenoa.

T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

Weekend Exclusive for T+L from Palace Hotel Tokyo (en.palace hoteltokyo.com), whose floor-toceiling windows open up to views of the Imperial Palace East

Garden. Stay Two nights in a Deluxe room. The Highlights Two 50-minute Vitalizing signature treatment; a prix fixe kaiseki lunch for two; a prix fixe dinner with wine pairings; and —for the first five reservations made via reservations@palace hotel.jp that cite “T+L Southeast Asia” in the booking request—a premium bottle of 1-1-1 daiginjo sake produced exclusively for the hotel by Hakkaisan. Cost From ¥185,000 (¥92,500 per night), double, ongoing. Savings 20 percent.

BEACH PHUKET The Deal Hot Deal promotion from SALA Phuket Resort & Spa (salaphuket.com), 79 cleanly designed, airily warm villas and suites located north of the island. Stay A night in a Deluxe Balcony room. The Highlight Twenty percent discount on best available rates with daily breakfast included. Cost From Bt4,800, double, through September 30. Savings 20 percent. BORACAY The Deal Boracay Mandarin Island Escape package from Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel (boracaymandarin.com), whose 52 rooms and suites showcase modern Filipino design. Stay Two nights in a Grand Poolside room. The Highlight A round-trip land-and-boat transfer via Caticlan Airport for two. Cost From P17,344 (P8,672 per night), double, through June 15. Savings 20 percent. BALI The Deal Experience Inaya from Inaya Putri Bali (inayahotels.com), nine hectares of gardens in a gated resort community of Nusa Dua. Stay A night in a Deluxe room. The Highlights Daily non-alcoholic mini-bar replenishment and breakfast for two. Cost From US$115, double, through May 31. Savings 30 percent. +

✪ Newly opened ✪ T+L Reader Exclusive

COURTESY OF EMERAUDE CL ASSIC CRUISES

holidayinnresorts.com), the latest opening in Nusa Dua, and boasting four swimming pools. Stay A night in a Classic Resort room. The Highlights Free meals and accommodation for children below 12 years old when accompanied by paying adults; access to the kids’ club and resort center; and daily buffet breakfast for two. Cost From US$93, double, through June 15. Savings 35 percent.

5 Family-Travel Trends for 2015 t+l family special

plus: ➔ baby wraps 71 ➔ kids’ clubs 72 ➔ babymoons 73

T O P I C P H O T O A G E N C Y/ C O R B I S

➔ cooking for a cause 74

From laid-back retreats to adventures of a lifetime, there are more options than ever for intrepid families. aimee chan, the founder of Suitcases & Strollers, an online family travel magazine that provides tips and inspirations to wanderlust-struck parents in Asia, shares the latest and greatest ways to embark on a journey for the ages—for all ages.

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Family Special View the world’s highest peak with tiny travelers.

Real Adventure Travel Traveling with the little ones doesn’t need to be a snooze. For the bold and the brave, there are still bucket list-worthy trips that you can tackle even with mini adventurers in tow.

VISIT EVEREST BASE CAMP Yes, you read that right. You can actually drive to Mount Everest Base Camp from Tibet, a far more child-friendly approach than attempting to hike from the Nepalese side. Along the way you will pass glorious mountains, valleys and monasteries. Note: travelers into Tibet must always be accompanied by a licensed guide. Jamin “Losang” York, who co-runs Plateau Photo Tours, is a father of two himself, and suggests that parents wait until the wee ones are at least three or four before they attempt to conquer these legendary slopes at such high altitudes. plateau phototours.com; 11-night Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Overland tour US$3,499 per person.

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RIDE THE WIND-SWEPT PLAINS OF MONGOLIA For every kid who always wanted a pony, mounting a sturdy steed and galloping across endless expanses of wilderness is the next best thing. Mongolia Horseback Riding organizes tours that trace the steps of Genghis Khan and visit nomads living the way their ancestors did. mongoliahorseriding.com; eight-day tours from US$1,829 excluding airfare.

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LIVE LIKE LOCALS IN BHUTAN See a whole new side of one of the world’s happiest nations. Bhutan Homestay can coordinate visits in which you spend 80 percent of your time interacting with a local family, learning their traditions and experiencing their lifestyle. bhutanhomestay.com; Bhutan daily tariff from US$230 per adult, including accommodation, meals and guide, and free for children under the age of five.

Family Special Strolling through the canopy at Taman Negara.

VILLAS VERSUS RESORTS

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket.

F R O M T O P L E F T: W W W . I M A G E S B Y H A F I Z . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F C E N TA R A G R A N D B E A C H R E S O R T P H U K E T. O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F P L AT E A U P H O T O T O U R S

VILLAS + Privacy. It’s enough having to handle your own tiny tots—why listen to other people’s? + Five magic words: The. Nanny. Can. Come. Too. + Choose what you want to eat, when you want to eat, without fear of exasperating other diners in a stuffy restaurant. + No need to “shush” the kids. There’s no one else to disturb at your private beaches and pools. + A safe haven from the cheesy “family fun” they push at many resorts— no singing cartoon characters at brunch!

Trekking the Jungles

RESORTS

Asia is rich with natural beauty, and hiking around the wilderness is fast becoming a popular family pastime. mal aysia.

taiwan.

hong kong.

The lush greenery just outside of George Town provides many beautiful walks and the trails of Penang Hill (penanghill.gov.my; two-hour guided nature walk from RM15 per person) are the most family friendly—though only recommended for children 12 years and older. There you will find ample easy paths that only take an hour or two to complete. Or head to Taman Negara (tamannegara.asia; three-day Real Inner Jungle trek RM350 per person), a 130-million-year-old rain forest and Peninsular Malaysia’s largest national park, for rare wildlifespotting, spelunking and a canopy walk over Indiana Jones-worthy rope bridges.

Beyond the skyscrapers, this isle offers a surprising number of hikes suitable for every level of skill and sense of adventure. If you’re just looking for a quiet stroll, try Yangmingshan—kids and parents alike can regain their stamina at the many natural hot spring rest stops along the way. The Four Beasts Mountains offer spectacular views of the Taipei 101 tower. Teens might enjoy the rope ladders and exposed cliffs of the trails around Pingxi. Taiwan Adventures (taiwanadventures.com) offers guided day hikes at Yangmingshan, Four Beasts Mountains, Pingxi and more from NT$12,000 for up to three people.

Ditch the urban jungle and head to Lamma Island, popular with locals for the famous Family Trail. This winding walk is easy on little legs and offers spectacular scenery for relatively minimal effort. The vistas along the way vary from beaches to wind farms, traditional fishing villages to hilltop outlooks. Best of all? The whole thing can easily be done in a day trip before you head back to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. If you’ve got the time, you can walk the whole island to experience more of its charms. walkhongkong.com; 7.5-hour Lamma Island Hike HK$800 per person including transportation.

+ There are always plenty of kids to play with on the property and, if you’re very lucky, a kids’ club stocked with games and crafts. + Everyone wants to babysit in Asia—whether the hotel’s official child minders, or the munchkin-loving general staff always ready to coo over your kid. + You never have to worry about picky eaters. Just open the hotel’s dictionary-size menu. + Lots of entertainment —think camel rides at Grand Nikko Bali (grandnikkobali.com) for wannabe explorers and a waterpark with swimming pools, slides and waterfalls galore at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket (centarahotelsand resorts.com).

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Family Special

Lending a Hand

Traveling with kids is about introducing them to the world outside their little bubble. Rather than checking the obligatory tourist traps off your list, use your next trip as an opportunity to teach compassion, empathy and true global citizenship. MOTHER MARSUPIALS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. It’s not all about the ’roos, mate. Quolls, quendas and quokkas—also known as the Walpole Wilderness Area’s most adorable inhabitants—need your help. You and your teammates will be responsible for radio tagging the trio of curiously alliterative marsupials. Accommodations are cushy and these furry-faced critters are sure-fire kid-pleasers. biosphereexpeditions.org; nine-day trips A$2,850; next available trip January 23-31, 2016.

From above: Getting your quokka quota in the Western Australia; reef-building in Koh Tao.

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HELP MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE THE KOH TAO REEF IN THAILAND. Kids 14 and up can don scuba gear for a good cause. By building artificial reefs with Kaya, you and your family will bolster damaged dive sites by encouraging coral growth. You’ll also receive ISS dive certification while tending to giant clams and monitoring seahorses. kayavolunteer.com; two-week Koh Tao Island Marine Conservation project US$4,130 per adult with a child aged 15 and under; available January 2-October 14.

F R O M F A R L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F B I O S P H E R E E X P E D I T I O N S ; C O U R T E S Y O F K AYA . O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F J U M P S T R E E T

BUILD A HOUSE IN CAMBODIA. Gather a few families together to construct a home for those who don’t have one. Tabitha, which has been organizing aid for the Khmer people for two decades, keeps its overhead costs low and makes sure most of the funds get to the folks who need them the most. It’s hard work, but you and your children will know that you’ve made a real difference. tabitha.org.au; groups pay their own travel costs and must contribute a combined A$1,700 for building materials.

Family Special

Breaking a Sweat

These days, Iron Man champs aren’t the only ones getting their heart rates up on the road. More families are incorporating fitness goals into their vacations, making it more fun than ever to stay in shape. COMPETE IN A TRIATHLON IN THE PHILIPPINES. Drag your kids away from the Playstation and let their competitive streak shine at Alaska IronKids Philippines. The event is held in Cebu and has categories for kids who are in it to win it as well as those who are just starting out. ironkidsphil.com; registration fee P1,200; next triathlon August 1. BRING YOUR BABY TO YOGA IN INDIA. Normally, moms head to a yoga retreat to breathe deep and get peace-and-quiet time away from the kids, but Ayurveda Retreat in Coonoor, India, will allow babies into the practice rooms provided they are calm. Bring your own mat and let bubba chill on the floor while you channel your inner Zen. ayurveda.org; all-inclusive retreats from €155 per night, double.

Shooting hoops like a pro at JumpStreet in Kuala Lumpur.

BOUNCE ON A TRAMPOLINE IN MALAYSIA. If 800-squaremeters of trampoline madness doesn’t sound like kid-heaven, we don’t know what does. At Kuala Lumpur’s JumpStreet, every age group can burn off steam by jumping into a foam pit or joining gravity-defying games of basketball. It’s one of the only places where they can literally bounce off the walls. jumpstreetasia.com; first hour RM20, second hour on from RM17.

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Family Special ALL SAINTS ESTATE, RUTHERGLEN, VICTORIA Inside the cellar door is a play table to entertain little ones as you taste the many varieties on offer before you head into the fine-dining restaurant. All other times, children are welcome to play football, throw their own Frisbees or feed the ducks in the large grounds outside. allsaintswine.com.au; six-course chef’s tasting menu with wine A$85 at Terrace Restaurant; kid’s menu A$40 for children 12 years and under.

Sipping Through Aussie Wineries Think long, languid, boozy afternoons on a family vacation are out of the question? Think again. These wineries have plenty of diversions to keep the kids out of your hair while you sample this year’s finest vintages.

Clockwise from top: Outside at Brown Brothers; fine dining and fine Riesling; little ladies at Whistler Wines; boys exploring Whistler Wines.

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BROWN BROTHERS, MILAWA, VICTORIA In the tiny town of Milawa, spend the afternoon lazing around over tapas-style sharing portions at the café sipping the white, sweet and sparkling wines while the kids run on the grass or play in the safely enclosed playground. brownbrothers.com.au; winepairing dinner from A$68.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M TO P : C O U R T E SY O F B R OW N B R OT H E R S (2); W H I S T L E R W I N E S (2). O P P O S I T E : B A BY S A BY E

WHISTLER WINES, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Kangaroos, puppies, swings, toys, lots of open space and even treasure hunts keep the kids entertained while you try the famous reds. Entry is free to their events. All you need to bring is your own chair and an empty stomach. whistlerwines. com.au; Stew and Shiraz event June 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; food A$5-18 per serve, wine from A$6 per glass and A$20 per bottle.

Family Special style

Old-School Wrap

Forget scarves and sunglasses—Merritt Gurley says babies are the ultimate travel accessory. BABY K’TAN BREEZE This is one of the simplest designs to figure out—you slip it on like a T-shirt. The cotton-mesh hybrid is breathable, which helps keep you cool and collected even when the weather is willing you to wilt. It only comes in black and white, but those classics go with everything; plus isn’t the important thing that your outfit underneath stays stylishly sweat-free? babyktan.com; US$59.95. SAYA BABY CARRIER Nobody wants to jostle across the treacherous sidewalks of Manila with a stroller. Enter this homegrown Filipino brand, leading the charge on educating parents across the region about the benefits of baby-wearing. To sweeten the deal, SaYa baby wraps come in a huge variety of styles, backing up their slogan “A SaYa sling for every sanggol.” facebook.com/Sayababy; P1,400. BOBA WRAP Boba’s wrap is just one piece of extra-stretchy cotton and spandex, so you can entirely mold the fit to suit you and your baby, while new playful designs by Holli Zollinger add sass to the sash. Bonus feature: the elasticity makes it easy for moms to nurse discreetly on the go. Also from Boba, the Air model weighs one third of a kilo, is self-storing and has a built in rainproof hoodie. boba.com; wraps from US$37.95.

BaBy SaBye wraps are made with organic cotton.

BABY SABYE Made in Thailand, these handwoven wraps are something special. No two are alike and each is gorgeous. All their products are organic and dyed with natural vegetable colors. We are particularly fond of the chicken-eye woven honey emerald wrap, made of cotton and linen. etsy.com/shop/BaBySaBye; wraps from US$82.

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Family Special thail and

Angsana Laguna Phuket

vietnam.

The Nam Hai

This beachfront property is set within a multi-resort destination that’s heaven for children thanks to the shuttles, multiple lagoons to explore and activities, our favorite of which is the culinary course. Let your eight-year-old cook you dinner for a change! Classes are held in a kids’ club that looks like a tree house. angsana.com; twobedroom loft from Bt11,840.25, cooking classes Bt300.

Want to nurture your little guy’s green thumb? Kids can ride a buffalo cart through the paddies of Hoi An’s countryside. The landscape is so inspirational, they’ll rush back to the resort’s garden, where they can don conical hats and till the land under expert supervision. Watch out for that farm-fresh produce in your dinner later. thenamhai. com; two-bedroom pool villa from US$1,620, Buffalo Pulling Cart tour US$65.

indonesia

mal aysia

Here you can let your kids run away to the circus without ever leaving the hotel. After a few classes they’ll be flying through the air with the greatest of ease, these brave students of the flying trapeze. If your wee ones aren’t ready to take to the air, they can try the bungee trampoline, juggling or spinning plates, also taught at the circus workshop. balidynasty.com; family rooms from US$365, 75-minute trapeze class US$35, or four classes for US$100.

Sandwiched between the South China Sea and Borneo’s rain forest, this resort is ideal for viewing the area’s rare-animal inhabitants like goofy proboscis monkeys. Your kids can hang out with orangutans, feed animals, and help real rangers who look after the 26-hectare nature reserve. They’ll also learn about the indigenous flora and fauna. It’s edutainment at its best. shangri-la.com, family suites from RM800, Ranger for the Day program RM55. —M.G.

Bali Dynasty

Shangri-La Rasa Ria

Chilling out in a nook with a book at Angsana Laguna Phuket’s colorful kids’ club.

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A Flare for Family

With children’s activities this cool, who wants to be a grown up? 72

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Family Special planning

Babymoon Bliss

Planning a trip for two before baby makes three? Here, our favorite retreats for the perfectly pampered final hurrah.

Kekatiya suite bathroom at Reef Villa.

COURTESY OF REEF VILL A. OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF ANGSANA

bintan. Spa

mal aysia. Beauty

sri l ank a. Romance

singapore. Relaxation

Banyan Tree

The Chateau

Reef Villa

Capella Singapore

What could be better than unlimited spa treatments? The Banyan Tree is famous for its massage menu, and the Sense of Rejuvenation package offered at its Bintan resort lets you glut on glorious bodywork. If you are more than three months pregnant, go for the Tender Touch Massage. The practitioners are trained to work around your bump, and know all the spots in need of extra care. Gentlemen may opt for the Balinese Massage—dads need attention too. banyantree.com; doubles from US$485 (US$243 per night); two-night minimum, through December 17.

Facials, tubs, scrubs and rubs—get ready for seven days of inside-out and head-to-toe rejuvenation. Hidden in the hills of Kuala Lumpur, this spa was modeled after the 12th-century Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle in Alsace, France. Dads have a week of horseback riding, massages, mud baths and fitness sessions, while moms are treated to a holistic prenatal package with all kinds of extras. thechateau.com.my; seven-night all-inclusive prenatal package RM21,595 (RM3,085 per night); seven-night all-inclusive men’s package RM21,056 (RM3,008 per night); ongoing.

If the baby bump has been acting more like a speed bump for your love life, this quixotic vacation gets those sparks flying again. There are just seven palatial suites on this beachfront property, so you have your own private slice of the Indian Ocean. Breakfast in bed, a romantic herbal oil bath, massages for the parents-to-be, private yoga sessions and a candlelit dinner paints the scene for love-struck dalliance. reefvilla.com; Babymoon Bliss US$445 (US$223 per night), excluding accommodation; two-night minimum, through November 30.

Set on Sentosa Island resort, this babymoon is perfect for ladies deep into the waddling stage; the free buses and beach trams make it easy to get around without torturing swollen ankles. Though surrounded by loads of attractions, the property is set on 12 hectares of garden, so you get a mix of kinetic fun and soothing calm. This getaway treats couples to massages, hair and scalp treatments, facials and afternoon tea. capellasingapore.com; doubles from S$750, Baby Moon Experience spa package S$688 per couple; ongoing. —M.G.

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Family Special

cooking

Just a Dash of Courage

Something’s cooking in the Thai capital, where a chef-led project is combining good food with a good cause. By Diana Hubbell

From top: Chopping away; aromatic olives ready to go; hands-on lessons from the pros; Courageous Kitchen olives for Bt300.

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“It’s easy to start a conversation with food,” says Dwight Turner, founder of In Search of Sanuk (insearchofsanuk.com), a Bangkok-based organization that aims to provide sustenance, housing and education to some of the city’s least privileged. “It’s a lot harder to open with ‘Some of these kids survived war.’” Judging from the curious faces, you’d never guess that these 20 or so young teens have already endured more hardship in their short lives than most people ever experience. Their backgrounds are varied, their stories long. Most of their parents are urban refugees who eke out a meager living as migrant workers in the outmost margins of Thai society. Today, though, this gaggle of adolescents has VIP access to the sun-splashed open kitchen of Opposite Mess Hall (oppositebangkok.com; dinner for two Bt1,000), one of Bangkok’s favorite tables, and the undivided attention of Jess Barnes, its tattoo-covered chef. Before them in a meticulous assembly line sit gourmet olives, rosemary, mountains of garlic and chilies, and mason jars for canning. For a couple of hours, they work, giggle, snack and have the rare luxury of a little sanuk—fun. In the process, they’re getting Bangkok talking about a difficult topic. Cooking and nutrition lessons with Turner and Thai-Laotian American teacher Christy Innouvong are a weekly affair, while these particular chef-led canning sessions occur about once a month. The jars of

aromatic olives they produce under the label Courageous Kitchen pop up at monthly food markets such as Urban Eatery (kvillagebangkok.com) and Spring Epicurean Market (facebook.com/springepicurean market) both to spread awareness and to raise funds to purchase fruit, vegetables and rice: staples their parents might otherwise end up scavenging. “We want to give the kids some sense of business skills. They get to sell these at the market and are paid for their time,” says Turner. “All the money goes directly back to the community. They see the difference they can make. We’re fulfilling an immediate need, but also a psychological one.” For now, the operation is still in its infancy, but Barnes and Turner have big plans. They’re on their way to having a dedicated kitchen space by autumn and selling their products in cafés throughout Bangkok. “We’re starting simple, just treading water right now,” Barnes acknowledges. “We want the infrastructure set up so visiting chefs have an easy way to contribute their time.” It may be small in scope, but the effects of the project are already evident. Bashu, a cheeky 14-year-old who admits—in excellent English—that he’d rather have “a nice juicy steak” than some of the veg-heavy meals, has already brought some of his newfound skills home. “I’m happy to come here. When I make something for my parents, they like it and I know that it is healthier for them.” +

PHOTOGR A PH ED BY COL E PEN NINGTON

May 2015

In This Issue

CEDRIC ARNOLD

78 Lombok, Indonesia 88 Brisbane 96 Paris 104 Thai Islands

Chugging around Koh Phra Thong, in Thailand, page 104.

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on lombok time Just 35 kilometers from Bali, this Indonesian island can feel generations behind. Before the inevitable tourism boom, holly mcdonald enters the time lapse, to the clip-clop of horse carriages and the crashing of waves on one empty beach after another.

Jeeva Beloam sits on the Alas Strait. Opposite: At Tugu, filled to the gills with nasi campur, mixed grill and ayam taling.

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photogr aphed by ernest goh

Clockwise from below: Jeeva Beloam from the headland; Tanjung Luar fish market; rugged beach at Jeeva Beloam; Tugu is in the details; private boat and pavilion set for romance at Tugu; candlelit dinner at Karma; plying the sea between Lombok and Gili Meno.

Restless horses shuffle their carts outside the market, waiting for fares. In Lombok’s smaller towns and villages, the traditional cidomo remains a popular means of traveling short distances. But, with the sky glowing indigo above a sea of roughly beaten silver, we opt instead to arrive from across the bay by wooden outrigger, one among dozens of similar vessels plowing towards land in the morning market’s version of a D-Day invasion. With their night’s work done, the local fishermen bring their haul to Lombok’s Tanjung Luar. We’ve come ashore to check out the seafood for sale on this Indonesian island’s under-touristed southeast coast, as dawn spills into the day. The activity is frenetic. Women clad in sarongs and shod in flip-flops jostle for position next to tubs of pink-gray baby squid and Styrofoam boxes of striped, spotted, plump, long, round fish; a man chips away at a huge ice block—no refrigeration here, aside from what he provides. In a crowd of scurrying fishmongers balancing buckets of the sea’s bounty on their head, it’s dangerous being 1.8 meters tall; I’m alert to those weaving around me in the madness and dodge a few mouthlevel, flopping tails. Even for someone who’s seen plenty of Southeast Asian markets, the buzz here is worth soaking up. Authorities in this part of the world are finally cracking down on the now illegal practice of fishing for manta rays and slaughtering sharks for their fins, and a prominent sign warns against the capture of certain species. We do see some sharks, but none are de-finned. It’s a start.

Squinting as the sun rises properly now, we board our boat and glide past massive fish traps emerging from the sea, looking like a film set for Waterworld. My guide points to a pristine, empty stretch of yellow sand nestled between striking headlands. “A 400-room hotel is supposed to be on the way,” he says. Right now, this corner of Lombok, one of the Lesser Sundas in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province, remains almost devoid of visitors, with just a few places to stay. In fact, the entire sleepy isle sustains a tourism infrastructure that right now punches far below the hefty weight of its offerings. But with stretch after stretch of empty inviting beach, and neighboring Bali seeming to multiply in popularity by the year, development seems inevitable. “When the holidays arrive in Bali, the expats come to Lombok,” a hotelier tells me during my trip. “‘It’s so crowded there,’ they say.” He’s right. I know because I’m one of those Bali-dwelling expats, and I’ve taken the 25-minute air-hop to Lombok to slow down, even as I nearly circumnavigate the place. While it’s not true that Lombok is like the Bali of yesteryear—they are too culturally different—it’s fair to assert that time has moved at a different pace here. day earlier, I arrived at Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp, a cluster of 11 alang-alang and recycled wooden bungalows strung along a picturesque private beach on Tanjung (meaning “peninsula”) Ringgit. To get there from Lombok’s relatively new international airport, we drive through paddy after paddy crisscrossed with cassava and banana palms, all gilded by the lemon-light of late afternoon. We pass villages of cement bungalows with windows shuttered like demure eyes, often with a domed mosque rising in their midst. Red hibiscus flowers bunch shut from an earlier rainstorm and as the day winds down, children in beige-and-chocolate school uniforms crowd outside a warung, or street-side shack, slinging T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M M AY 2 01 5

iced desserts in garish colors; men in black velvet peci and batik shirts chat by the side of the road or attend to fighting cocks in woven cages; women soothe babies in slings tied around their necks, some wearing Muslim headscarves, called jilbabs, some not. Lombok was once ruled by the vast Southeast Asian Majapahit Empire. The indigenous Sasak people converted to Islam in the 16th and 17th centuries, but blended the creed with their established Hindu-Buddhist beliefs to create the local Wetu Telu religion. Bali’s Gelgel Kingdom conquered the west of the island in the early 1600s—which is why, though the majority of Lombok’s population is Muslim, a small percentage remains Balinese. The colonizing Dutch took control in 1895, keeping the reins until the Japanese invasion and occupation of World War II. The island joined independent Indonesia in 1945, tourism rose in the 1980s, but was later slammed by the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and is only now picking up after the Bali bombings across the strait. When I get to my beruga (traditionally, a stilted, open-sided Sasak pavilion used for family gatherings) on the dunes of Jeeva Beloam’s secluded beach, the sudden surge in volume of nature’s sound track is a shock. Waves crash meters away. Insects hum. Simplicity rules. I cannot be distracted by fiddling with a TV remote—there’s no TV. No point in asking for the Wi-Fi password— we’re Internet-free. I can’t send a text because we’re far out of range, and I can’t fix myself a drink because there’s no mini-bar. Draped over a daybed on the veranda, soaking up the tranquility is sublime. Sumbawa, the next island to the east in Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago, sits on the horizon across the Alas Strait; an occasional crack of rainless thunder ricochets around the bay. The beachside flora is scrubby and tough, anything delicate long-ago slain by the sun. Australia lies to the south, and the geography indeed feels more defiantly antipodean than lushly Southeast Asian. The activity list is short, but sweet. Aside from visiting Tanjung Luar, I 82

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children crowd a warung slinging iced desserts in garish colors

trek out to the headland, sharing the track with a shy monkey… how quaint—shyness is not a trait you see in Balinese monkeys. We see the beloam (it means “hole”) worn away by the ocean’s currents in rocks that are alive with scuttling crabs, as well as breathtaking views back to the resort. I snorkel at nearby Pink Beach, a stretch of sand renowned locally for its unusually pretty color created by the breakdown of fuchsia coral in the surrounds. Fusiliers, butterfly fish and huge intact coral gardens can be enjoyed with little surrounding boat traffic; when I pop my head up in the bay, the silence is striking. Goats amble along the beach, lined with a handful of warungs, and Mount Rinjani towers in the distance.

unung Rinjani, Indonesia’s second highest volcano, is never far from view on Lombok, whether smoldering behind moody monsoon clouds, or showing its crevices etched crisp against a freshly washed blue sky. Driving the northwest coast, my driver is gleeful about the near-empty roads—it’s Friday prayer time. Rinjani peeks through buildings, then fields. We pass mud-slicked water buffalo, their crescent horns swaying behind rows of maroon-tipped corn. At a Sasak weaving village, we see women working rhythmically at oldstyle looms. We cruise past the looping bays of Senggigi, Lombok’s key draw for tourists since those 80s heydays. But competition is tougher now, with higher-end hotels further afield, and we’re checking out the white sands of Sire Beach, home to a Tugu hotel. The eccentric Tugu is ramshackle, mystical luxe: the hotel overflows with hundreds of Indonesian antiques and artworks—some dusty, some quirky, all interesting—sprinkled across the grounds and rooms, with a focus on Lombok’s history. You can’t lift your hand to signal for a cocktail without hitting a statue. I come across stone carvings even under the water in the iridescent green pool. Hammocks are strung between palms, beach loungers await basking on Sire Beach, or there’s my private infinity-edge pool lunging towards the ocean. In the dark, atmospheric bar, I meet a Texas couple here for a long weekend from Jakarta. “We went to Bali a few years ago for New Year’s Eve,” they drawl between sips of wine. “Too crowded!” I decide to strike out alone. First stop is a market, where fresh tobacco is sold in mini-bales,

Clockwise from top left: Karma’s duplex huts; the bridge to Tugu’s restaurant; sunrise at Tugu; coral and shells on Gili Meno; carting the catch of the day to Tanjung Luar; standing guard at Tugu. Opposite: Off tubing, Karma.

At art-filled Tugu, there are even carvings in the pool.

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along bags of green coffee beans and buckets of rice. Hungry shoppers snap up grilled fish on sticks and take-away bags of gado gado. At the starting point of the trek to Kerta Gangga Waterfall, the locals have prepared for a boom that hasn’t quite arrived. A pristine strip of small shops awaits tenants, but only six tourists have been this week, my guide says. The owner of a few modest bungalows here with priceless paddy and ocean views immediately tells me that this land is for sale. “From here to that coconut palm over there!” he cries. The walk to the first two sets of falls is easy enough, but the third is challenging, and to reach the viewing spot we have to wade through the river a few times before clambering up bamboo poles, wedged between rocks at a near-45-degree angle while water rushes down them. I can’t remember the last time I did something quite so thrilling and dangerous, but I make it despite the voice in my head repeatedly asking how exactly I’d get out if I broke a leg. Two huge, crystal-clear falls tumbling from the near-summit of Rinjani make it worthwhile. At a more chill pace, I take a breakfast cruise on Tugu’s wooden outrigger to watch the sun rise over Rinjani. The clouds don’t quite cooperate, but another stunning strip of Lombok coastline preens in the dawn light. We can see the volcanoes of Bali, then Java; this is the way to enjoy coffee and pastries. We can see Lombok’s “Gilis” from here too: the resort islands of Trawangan, Air and Meno. While there are plenty of other gilis (the word for “small islands”) off Lombok’s mainland, “The Gilis” has stuck for this particular trio of car- and motorbike-free ones, probably more popular today than Senggigi. My next stop, in fact, is Gili Meno, from where Karma Reef Resort dispatches a speedboat to collect me from Sire Beach. We zoom past Gili Air, straight to the sands of Karma, where 10 bungalows in the style of lumbungs (traditional rice barns) line facing the ocean. All boast a lounge and kitchenette and, upstairs, an ocean-view bedroom; the vibe is social and chic here, with movie nights, resident DJs, and a restaurant cooking exceptional Mediterranean-style fare. It takes about an hour to circumnavigate Meno on foot following a mostly sandy path. The hushed island feels like it’s had a heyday that passed, but is on the verge of taking off again; I hear rumors that one abandoned resort plans to reopen while a sprinkling of new hotels, such as Karma, have staked out their claim on the turquoise shores. I could snorkel with turtles, or head out on a glass-bottomed boat. But there’s a bohemian spa-in-a-tent at Karma, and I’m tired. Two sunrises, multiple waterfalls and markets… I succumb to a massage a day on this throwback paradise, blissing out to the jangle of cowbells clunking on wandering cattle and the clip-clop of passing cidomos. As for Bali—well, you can’t even see Bali from this side of Meno. Which suits me fine. Because I’m looking back over to Lombok, eager to see what other adventures might await there. +

i bliss out to the jangle of cowbells and the clip-clop of passing cidomos

IF LOMBOK DIDN’T SEEM LAID-BACK ENOUGH ALREADY… This island boasts a veritable bounty of tucked-away places to stay that are more rustic than luxe, but great for simply chilling out. Forget, for instance, finding spas at these spots; expect instead a connection to nature and good oldfashioned hospitality. Rinjani Beach Eco Resort offers a cluster of spacious bungalows made of all-natural materials in welltended gardens right on Sire Beach, and an exceptional restaurant. Lounge by the pool or on the black sands, overlooking the Gilis. Karang Atas, Sokong; 62-819/3677-5960; lombok-adventures.com; deluxe doubles from Rp750,000. Sunrise at Karma. Bottom, from left: Hammock, Tugu; traditional weaving at Sasak village; Karma, playground for all ages; nature-filled Tugu; Jeeva Beloam’s smallest guest.

BALI SE A GILI TR AWANGAN GILI AIR GILI MENO BALI

KERTA GANGGA WATERFALL

SIRE BE ACH GUNUNG RINJANI

SENGGIGI BAY LOMBOK STR AIT

AL AS STR AIT SUMBAWA

SASAK WE AVING VILL AGE NUSA PENIDA

Lombok

TANJUNG LUAR

BANDAR UDAR A AIRPORT TANJUNG RINGGIT

5 KM

T L Guide Getting There Garuda (garuda-indonesia.com), AirAsia (airasia.com) and Singapore Airlines (singaporeair. com) fly to Lombok’s international airport, while Bali is a 25-minute flight away. Visas are available on arrival in Indonesia for most nationalities, for free or for US$35.

STAY Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp Jalan Pantai Beloam, Sekaroh, Jerowaru; 62-370/693035; jeevabeloam.com; doubles, inclusive of food, from US$345. Hotel Tugu Lombok Jalan Pantai Sire, Sigar

Penjalin Village, Tanjung; 62-370/612-0111; tuguhotels.com; doubles from US$284. Karma Reef Gili Meno; 62-370/630-982; karmaresorts.com; doubles from US$430.

Gili Gede is one of Lombok’s “new” gilis—a smattering of white-sand islands to the southwest piquing the interest of backpackers who eschew the more popular trio. Head to super-chilled Madak Belo, with three rooms above a restaurant sharing a veranda with great ocean views, plus a few freestanding bungalows. Medak Belo Beach, Gili Gede Indah, Sekotong Bay; 62818/0554-9637; madak-belo.com; bungalows from Rp400,000. The menagerie of free-range animals at Rinjani Mountain Garden enjoy views down to the ocean and back up to Gunung Rinjani. This isolated pad is great for simply getting back to nature. Don’t miss the house-smoked fish: the German couple that runs the place cooks food that is especially impressive given the size of the little kitchen. Teres Genit Village, Senaru; 62-818/569-730; doubles from Rp300,000, camping available. With just four rooms set on a huge lawn abutting the rich black sands of Labuan Pandan, Pondok Siola is all about tranquility and beachcombing; for a change of pace, hire a wooden boat for day trips snorkeling the little-visited islands to both the north and south. Jalan Labuan Lombok-Sambelia, Labuan Pandan, Sambelia; 62-819/97769364; doubles from Rp300,000.

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BRIS BAN E ’ BOO S M N and o longe Melb r in ourn the s h for w as ev e, the hadow ard- ol ve Que s of e a qu think ing d into a nsland S ydney n irk y c poin art and incuba apital t of desi tor f view gn— or all it with s ow PHO TOG n. RAP B H ED B

Y Y P E D AV I D TRIN A. KE A TI EPS NSL AY

The New Farm Riverwalk, looking toward the Central Business District.

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GOMA, Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest contemporary art museum. Opposite from left: Vases by Erin Lightfoot at her shop in Eat Street Markets; the view from the rooftop bar at Spicers Balfour Hotel.

IN THE DIM, INDUSTRIAL DEPTHS of Brisbane’s Powerhouse arts center, a crowd of bronzed

socialites and well-heeled art fans shuffled around a cotton-candy-pink neon electric chair, part of a collaborative design-art show. “It’s called BarbieQue,” said the work’s creator, Jason Bird, who was giving me a personal tour of the former power station, now the turbine of Brisbane’s cultural life. “Imagine that Barbie sat in the chair, someone pulled the switch and she melted,” he told me, pointing out the piles of dripping silicone on the floor. The evocative piece is a sly flip-of-the-bird at Sydney and Melbourne, who refer to the Queensland capital as “Briz Vegas,” a playground for overly suntanned Barbies and Kens that lacks sophistication and culture. It’s a perception that Bird and others in Brisbane’s emerging creative class are keen to eradicate. “Sydney and Melbourne want to be New York or Los Angeles,” he told me, “but Brisbane would rather be the Australian San Francisco, Seattle or Austin.” I first met Bird, the founder of the Brisbane-based furniture company Luxxbox, at a design expo in Los Angeles. He was there with Quench, a Queenslandsponsored consortium whose designs won best in show.

“Brisbane punches above its weight, mate,” he said then. I wasn’t convinced. Having spent a wondrous holiday in Sydney and a miserable weekend in humid Cairns, I was sure my next journey down under would take me to Melbourne or even Tasmania. But Brisbane? The city hardly registers with most travelers, overshadowed by Sydney’s beachy glamour and Melbourne’s gritty cool. And those two cities always considered Brisbane to be the backwater of Queensland, tucked inland between touristy beach towns to the south and the Great Barrier Reef to the north. From 1968 to 1987, the controversial and conservative Queensland Premier Johannes BjelkePetersen governed the province with an iron fist, bringing in prosperity—and casinos—but turning its capital, Brisbane, into a corrupt police state. “A year after the premier resigned, we hosted Expo ’88—it was the first time we realized Brisbane’s potential,” Bird recalled of the technology-focused world’s fair, which drew more than 15 million visitors. With a new, liberal government in place, the city blossomed throughout the 1990s, embracing progressive policies and artistic expression. After the Powerhouse opened in 2000, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)—Australia’s largest contemporary art museum— T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M M AY 2 01 5

T N A W E N R U O B L E M D T N U A B Y , E S N E D L E G ‘SY N A S O L R ’ O O K C R S I O C Y N W A E R N F E N B A O S T E B R E H T WE’D R A followed in 2006. And as the city evolved, so did its design sensibility: a blend of steampunk nostalgia and sunny, color-saturated modernism. In 2014 Brisbane hosted the G20 summit, ushering in another wave of development. Now the city has become an incubator for contemporary art and design, with a booming café and culinary culture and a vibrant indie music and fashion scene. Cool new hotels like Tryp keep popping up, along with black-tiled gastropubs and flashy flagships for Brisbane fashion labels. So when Bird kept insisting that I check it out, I figured he was right. One of the first things I noticed about Brisbane is its Queenslandian sense of humor. In the courtyard of the M&A Apartments, where I had a flat, I looked up to see a massive geometric metal stag’s head hanging upside down above my head. And at a small café on one of my first mornings, I declined a “shlong” (a double espresso with hot water, but not so much as to make it a “long black”) in favor of a flat white. Outside, a sign declared that awesome things will happen today if you choose not to be a miserable cow. With this turn-everything-on-its-head spirit in mind, I set out to explore the city on too little sleep and not enough caffeine. Founded as a penal colony in 1824, Brisbane has grown with little urban planning. But the river, which wiggles like the letter W through the city, provides an easy geographical and socioeconomic division. The South Bank is lined with museums and parks that adjoin funkier precincts like the West End and working-class Woolloongabba. To the north is the Central Business District (the CBD) and the more upscale neighborhoods: suburban Paddington, chic Fortitude Valley and New Age-y New Farm, home to the Powerhouse and Spicers Balfour, the city’s best boutique hotel. In 1999 the Queensland government instituted an Art Built-In policy, requiring that a percentage of building construction be dedicated to public works. The project has employed thousands and has helped to recognize the importance of artists in the community (which inspired a whole host of creative industries like 92

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Brisbane’s Urban Art Projects, a world-renowned art-based manufacturer, where that upside-down stag was made). This well-meaning civic policy hasn’t always resulted in very pleasing architecture. When author Alain de Botton proclaimed that Brisbane’s rampant waterfront development had produced “chaotic ugliness,” he had a point. But the showcasing of culture in the city is impressive. On Brisbane’s South Bank, the civic buildings of the Queensland Cultural Center couldn’t be more glorious. At the Modernist Queensland Art Gallery, contemporary Chinese sculpture is displayed in an indoor reflecting pool, and the galleries have installations of tribal totems and ornately decorated emu eggs. Next door, at the blackaluminum-and-glass GOMA, I saw an exhibition of LP cover art and toured the permanent collection of 20th century indigenous Australian paintings. Despite the nearby CBD’s jumble of skyscrapers, the neighborhood is hardly intimidating and easily navigable. A service alley called Burnett Lane is part of downtown Brisbane’s secret life. Following in the footsteps of Melbourne’s revitalized laneways, it’s a gritty counterpoint to the glistening buildings of the city’s thoroughfares and is full of street art and cool-crowd hangouts. I discovered a bar winningly named Super Whatnot and a groovy vintage-vinyl shop, along with provocative murals by the famed Brisbane artist and activist Richard Bell. One depicts an Aboriginal man holding a placard that reads: pardon me for being born into a nation of racists. The city is full of these bold public proclamations. Liberal expression, whether political or personal, is celebrated everywhere—on streets and in galleries, shops and restaurants. I stopped for lunch at the Survey Co., which has brick walls, cork floors and plywood benches covered in leather hides. “We serve dude food,” the whiskered waiter said to me, bringing out foie gras profiteroles, merguez

The lobby at the Brisbane Powerhouse arts center. Clockwise from right: Designer Jason Bird at Luxxbox design store; the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Openâ&#x20AC;? exhibition at Artisan; inside Easton Pearson boutique.

lamb cigars and the daily “death row” meal, a nod to Australia’s convict past that’s presented on a metal tray accompanied by a ginger drink in a Mason jar. Later that night, I met up with Bird and his wife, Kara, for an art show at Artisan, a Queensland crafts emporium. On display was a sculpture made from bicycle seats and antlers, along with rain-forest tribal basketry and silk screens in blazing colors. Bird introduced me to John Stafford, a director at the arts consulting group CreativeMove; he explained Brisbane’s particular ethos. “The cool intellectual art comes from Sydney and Melbourne,” Stafford said. “In subtropical Brisbane, it’s too hot to think deeply, so the art is more expressionist.” Not to mention expressive. I told him about seeing Richard Bell’s in-your-face mural on Burnett Lane, and he smiled, telling me how, as a judge for a prestigious arts competition in Brisbane, he once decided on the winner by simply flipping a coin. After a couple of “tinnies” of beer, the Birds took me to James Street Up Late, where the fashion and design shops stay open until 9 p.m.—or whenever the booze runs out. Kara, who owns Idlebird, a women’s après-swim collection, gave me a crash course on Australian fashion as we strolled down a stretch of James Street: it all goes back to Easton Pearson, the 26-year-old label that popularized bold prints and ethnic textiles—a look that continues to influence the designs at trendy local stores like Camilla, Sass & Bide and Gail Sorronda. The next day, Jason invited me on a tour of the up-andcoming Paddington district, where he lives in an enclave filled with native Queenslander houses. Set on stilts with broad verandas and decorative rails and trellises, these metal-roofed timber homes are reminiscent of Hawaiian plantation villas designed to withstand the subtropical heat and rain. The neighborhood itself is crammed with quirky vintage clothing stores, an antiques center housed in a 1929 cinema and a Paleo Diet café, all of which draw a weekend brigade of bicycles and baby carriages. We broke bread—well, A$18 bacon waffles—at the Kettle & Tin. “A few years ago, Brisbane discovered good coffee and breakfast,” the owner and street artist Asa Boardman told me. “Now we serve it all day.” A whistle-stop on El Bulli chef Ferran Adrià’s recent book tour, Brisbane is rapidly working its way up the Australian food chain with restaurants offering elaborate tasting menus and its own spin on the food-truck fad. Eat Street Markets, housed in graffiti-splashed shipping containers in Hamilton, dish out locally caught oysters, wood-fired pizza and spiral-cut deep-fried potatoes on sticks, a hearty Aussie specialty. The weekend event has a carnival atmosphere but is also a serious retail outlet for local artists like Erin Lightfoot, who creates 1970sinfluenced patterns on ceramics and silk. I picked up two vases and a stack of greeting cards. 94

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That night, I found myself in an entirely different scrum. At the corner of Ann and Brunswick in Fortitude Valley, Saturday night fever was raging. I couldn’t beat this mass of people, so I joined them, embarking on a bar crawl to dimly lit bordello-style bars, English pubs redone as sleek lounges, and a massive indoor-outdoor gay dance club. Crossing the river in the early morning hours, I headed for the West End to meet clothing designer Lydia Pearson, who started her business with Pamela Easton in 1989. “Mediterranean immigrants originally lived here, but now there are Asians, gay girls, students and hippie-trippy liberals,” she said as she guided me through the area. “Though Brisbane was small, it always had an underground.” Much of it still thrives in the neighborhood, where there are comic-book stores, music lounges and cute rustic boutiques like the Happy Cabin, which carries local labels such as Three of Something. Pearson treated me to a vegan version of Australia’s national desert, the lamington, a chocolatedipped sponge cake said to have been invented in the city more than a century ago. I ate mine Brisbane-style, sitting outdoors on stools probably made by a local designer. We drove toward the blue-lit Story Bridge, eyeing the rainbow of graffiti that is embraced by Brisbane’s designconscious citizens as a stamp of urbanity, in a city that Pearson considers “a big country town that’s starting to grow up.” Indeed it has, and the signs were everywhere. I looked to the right and someone had pulled a Jenny Holzer on the concrete wall of an underpass and written a statement in big red capital letters that, for me, said everything about Brisbane’s evolution: the more i think about it, the bigger it gets. +

T L Guide

Brisbane STAY M&A Apartments m-aapartments.com.au; doubles from A$175. Spicers Balfour Hotel spicersretreats.com; doubles from A$279. Tryp Fortitude Valley trypbrisbane.com; doubles from A$199.

EAT Kettle & Tin kettleandtin.com.au; breakfast for two A$30. Super Whatnot superwhatnot.com; bar snacks for two A$30.

Survey Co. surveyco.com.au; dinner for two A$90. SHOP Easton Pearson eastonpearson.com. Erin Lightfoot erinlightfoot.com. Happy Cabin 58 Vulture St.; 61-7/3844-9989. James Street Up Late jamesst.com.au. Luxxbox luxxbox.com. DO Artisan artisan.org.au. Brisbane Powerhouse brisbanepowerhouse.org. Eat Street Markets eatstreetmarkets.com. Queensland Cultural Center arts.qld.gov.au.

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

At the steps of Pont Alexandre III. ON MARIEKE (LEFT): Nina Ricci dress and shoes. ON JEANNE: Dior dress and shoes.

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Paris

Match

Two of the city’s “It” girls—model of the moment Jeanne Damas and her friend, the artist Marieke Gruyaert—take spring’s latest looks for a twirl. Plus: T+L picks the top new restaurants in town. PHOTOG R A PH E D BY A LISTAI R TAY LOR-YOU N G ST Y L E D BY E T H E L PA RK

A L L É N O PA R I S AT PAV I L L O N L E D OY E N |

or about a decade now, the trends of hyper-local ingredients, sustainable sourcing and nose-to-tail cooking have been sweeping through Paris. In the process, the city has shed its museumof-food reputation and once again become a mecca for culinary creativity. Ambitious chefs from near and far are bringing with them new ideas for the kitchen and a fresh approach to dining out. There’s experimental haute cuisine at the gastronomic temples, sophisticated cooking at scruffy bistros, and surprising small plates at buzzy nouveau bars frequented by the kind of pretty young things featured in these pages. Here are some of the latest openings taking Paris in new directions. 98

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Last year’s shuffle among top chefs began when Yannick Alléno returned to Paris after almost two years of retreat at Le Cheval Blanc, in Courchevel. There he pioneered a technique of extracting liquid from vegetables, fish and meat for deeper flavor, and he recently took over Ledoyen, housed in a Beaux-Arts villa near the Petit Palais, to show Paris the results: roasted veal with fermented cherry leaves, caviar with beef marrow mousse and lovage jus, smoked-eel soufflé. Validation came in the form of three Michelin stars. yannick-alleno.com; entrées 95–145.

B A R M A R T I N | Without insulting it,

Martin could be called a dive—but one that serves refined small plates like leeks with pear vinaigrette and beef cheeks confit. bar-martin.fr; small plates 3–8.

monkfish carpaccio dotted with gribiche and mushroom velouté with poached egg. 68 Rue des Dames; 33-1/42-94-24-02; small plates 7–14.

H E I M AT | Pierre Jancou, an early adopter of natural wine, has a strong track record of opening indie bistros with integrity, like Racines and Vivant. His latest is a hybrid of French and Italian that shows the locals (guilty for centuries of turning pasta to mush) the meaning of simple, flavorful and al dente, as in a rich rabbit-ragù tortellini in sardine bouillon brightened with lemon zest. heimatparis.com; prix fixe from 52. H E X A G O N E | Mathieu Pacaud hasn’t

C A F F È S T E R N | Good food served all day long is already scarce in Paris— authentic Venetian fare even more so. This swanky café has excellent Italian classics—pasta, risotto, veal Milanese—as well as small bites like fried polenta with salted cod, all of it paired with a deep by-the-glass list of wines from Italian small producers. alajmo.it; entrées 26–50.

just slipped into father Bernard’s whites at the Michelin three-starred L’Ambroisie; he’s also opened this hit of his own near Trocadéro. The standout dish is a blancmange of celery-root cream, coddled egg yolk and black truffle. Honorable mention goes to the sole encased in a thin layer of toasted bread, with vin jaune cream and smoked potato. The cooking is high-minded, but the lively bar scene keeps things informal. hexagoneparis.fr; entrées 30–40.

D E R S O U | Japanese chefs have been

L E C I N Q | Ledoyen’s former toque

making waves in Paris for several years, but usually with French food. Here, chef Taku Sekine adds flavors from his homeland—a kimchi amusebouche, mackerel chirashi with cucumber and strips of omelette— to a menu of grilled pigeon, Iberian pork chop and chicken pot pie. Stellar cocktails blend flavors like smoky tea and clementine with whiskey, and spiced grape juice with aquavit. dersou paris.com; entrées 12–25.

G A R E A U G O R I L L E | The draw at this

restaurant in Batignolles is excellent, unpretentious food from a former sous-chef at L’Arpège and Septime. The three-course lunch for €25 is a bargain, but the small-plates menu at dinner is the star, with dishes like

Christian Le Squer headed over to the dining room at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, where he is winning raves for preparations like tangerineglazed John Dory with mango petals and rose-scented lychee snowballs. restaurant-lecinq.com; entrées 100–140.

L E S C H O U E T T E S | Almost as good as

Les Chouettes’ modern spin on comfort food (guinea fowl with Comté cheese crust, hanger steak with a fried roll of cheese-and-potato aligot) is the all-day bistro’s location, in the upper Marais shopping area. The bright, two-story, Moroccan-tiled space— which has a curated list of spirits including Nikka Pure Malt Whisky and 15-year-old Caroni rum encourage chic carousing. restaurant-leschouettes.fr; entrées 21–27. —a lex a ndr a m a rsh a ll

Golden hour at Place de la Concorde. Nina Ricci dress and shirt, modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own necklace.

In Caffè Stern. Isabel Marant Étoile jacket, Chloé blouse, J Brand pants, Charvet scarf, model’s own jewelry. OPPOSITE: At Les Chouettes. ON MARIEKE (LEFT): Derek Lam coat, Nina Ricci skirt, shoes and bag. ON JEANNE: Calvin Klein Collection coat, Gerard Darel jacket, Prada shoes.

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A cocktail at CaffĂ¨ Stern. Pedro del Hierro Madrid dress, Charvet scarf. OPPOSITE: At Les Chouettes. ABOVE, ON MARIEKE (LEFT): 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket, Damir Doma jacket. ON JEANNE: Anthony Vaccarello jacket, T by Alexander Wang shirt. BELOW, ON MARIEKE (LEFT): Gucci dress. ON JEANNE: Gucci dress, Calvin Klein Collection shoes.

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Shades of Green

Showy Samui and Phuket may dominate the spotlight, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a host of other Thai islands out there where the beaches are still snow-white and blissfully empty. by j i m a l gi e

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Swimming in sanctuary at the turtle conservation center. Opposite: Golden Buddha Resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beach.

pho t o gr a ph e d by c e dr ic a r nol d

The island has gone to the birds. Inset: On the approach to Kuraburi pier, parting Koh Phra Thong is sweet sorrow.

Plub Pla Koh Mak Retreat.

Stretching into the sea from Koh Mak.

SEDUCTIVE SECLUSION In fast-developing Thailand, remoteness is a hot commodity. That’s the main allure of Koh Mak. Despite its status as the third biggest island in the Koh Chang chain, it’s home to only a few hundred locals and two-dozen-odd resorts hugging the eastern coastline. Translation: Koh Mak has few roads, no crime and few tourists. So head here for a family vacation or a long weekend with a retinue of friends—you’ll feel like the island is yours alone to play basketball or volleyball, dive and snorkel, fish, kayak, mountain bike, or just kick back and bond at the five-star Plub Pla Koh Mak Retreat (kohmakretreat.com; doubles from Bt3,500) in beachside villas replete with Jacuzzis. Fly from Bangkok to Trat then catch the high-speed, 45-minute ferry (kohmakboat. com; Bt450 per person one way) from Laem Ngop, departing at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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Koh Phra Thong Say you’re looking for an under-the-radar, super-green getaway. How about an Andaman isle with more resident rare wildlife, birds and sea turtles than people? Koh Phra Thong, with a human population of a grand total of 800, is renowned as one of the last nesting places for sea turtles in Thailand. Of the four species found in the kingdom, three of them (the leatherback, the olive ridley and the green turtle) nest here. Imagine watching a 700-kilogram imperiled leatherback, the largest of all turtle species, crawling across the beach at night to lay her eggs during the November to January nesting season, and you get a sense of the wonders in store on this wee patch of paradise. Wildlife-spotting tours and treks through the mid-section are prime pastimes here, but, really, all you need to do is hang in and around the Golden Buddha Beach Resort and remain vigilant to watch an Animal Planet documentary unfold in the wild, in real time, sans any reptile wrestling and superimposed storylines. With

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Boats at anchor, Koh Racha Yai.

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DELUXE HIDEAWAY Sustainable tourism does not always mean roughing it. The Racha (racha.com; doubles from Bt8,200), on Koh Racha Yai, is the embodiment of ecochic with thick-walled (to reduce the need for airconditioning) villas built to merge with their environs. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll notice trees growing out of terraces and backyards, because the owners refused to chop them down. Ozone is used instead of chlorine in the pool. The whole island is a vantage point to soak up a panorama of maritime serenity. Only a 35-minute speedboat ride from Phuket, Koh Racha Yai, which has no cars or ATM machines and only intermittent Wi-Fi, feels a world away. Fly into Phuket, from where the resort arranges land-then-sea transfers to the island via the pier at Chalong Bay.

SATING WANDERLUST Backpackers were the Marco Polos of the region’s modern travel era, discovering islands like Koh Samui and Phuket long before the Jet-Ski set began to whine. You can channel the free spirits of old-school wanderers and their contemporary brethren at the other isle of Koh Chang, this one in Ranong province. Settled some five decades ago by itinerant cashew-nut farmers, the island is bastioned around the bays of Ao Lek and Ao Yai, a long stretch of beach that also serves as the main walking strip, as there are not even motorcycles here. The thatched-bungalow accommodations are studies in Spartan sustainability, though Cashew Resort (facebook. com/CashewResort; bungalows from Bt600) has the most abundant amenities. The neo-hippies and punks will enjoy their tunes and herbal supplements, but don’t expect any howling-at-the-full-moon parties to disturb your peace. Fly from Bangkok or Rangoon to Ranong then take a taxi to Saphan Pla Pier, from where several long-tail ferries leave daily for the one-hour trip. During the monsoon season from May until October, the boats rarely run and many of the resorts are closed.

only 28 stilted, hardwood bungalows, this intimate spot sports a distinctly Thai aesthetic and an eco-conscious sensibility. Situated on a large swath of impeccable beachfront free of touts, sun-loungers and blaring bars, the property allows the local fauna to run rampant. So crab-eating macaques scurry across the sand in search of their staple supper. The famously shy sambar deer go for dips around dawn or dusk. And bird-watchers will have a field day with Indian rollers, Asian fairy bluebirds, ruddy kingfishers, hornbills and Brahminy kites—all frequent fliers in the island’s air space. Maintaining the delicate ecosystem and ensuring that the creatures, which depend on it for shelter and succor, continue to thrive was the original ethos of the minimalist, nature-loving founder Dick Sandler. And it continues with the Golden Buddha’s new owner, Jochen Mosthaf, who has begun feeding the farm’s pigs leftovers from guests, and drawing water from wells on the island rather than having it shipped over by boat. Many of the kitchen’s herbs and vegetables are grown on-site, while others are sourced

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Koh Chang, Ranong, Thailand.

Casting away for the ocean’s bounty.

Scuba divers, Richelieu Rock, 14 kilometers east of the Surins.

from nearby Kuraburi. He and his partner, Valérie Blouin, who co-manage the resort, have also started sponsoring vets to neuter the island’s stray dogs, to the benefit of both the canines and the local monkeys and deer whose territory they invade. Then there are those majestic, hardback sea-giants who need so much nurturing to make it to a ripe old age. In conjunction with Naucrates, an Italian voluntourism group, and the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), the resort runs a turtle conservation center and rehabilitation clinic. Grab a flashlight and lend a hand—and both your legs— in the nightly patrols during the nesting season to tag females, locate nests and, to prevent poaching and erosion, move them to safer ground near the resort. There, the eggs are protected, and the hatchlings are measured before being released into the sea. For a little perspective on the importance of this project, the 10 to 12 turtle nests discovered annually on Koh Phra Thong account for roughly half the total found on the entire Andaman coastline in Thailand.

GREAT OUTDOORS A deep-dive into full ecomarine immersion can be found two ways in the quintuplet of the Surin Islands. For minimum impact on the environment and maximum freedom, rent a two-person tent already pitched on the beach from the National Marine Park station (dnp. go.th; double tent with bedding and pillows Bt420). These islands are renowned for the wild assortment of marine life, from whale sharks to ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp and barracuda. Long-tail boats departing from the National Park station every morning and afternoon will putter you out to the area’s best snorkel spots. To dive, book a liveaboard from Phuket, and live the life aquatic as a true aquanaut. Fly into Phuket and then get a taxi to the pier at Kuraburi for the 90-minute speedboat journey, which costs about Bt1,700 round trip. In addition to tents, there are also a few bungalows for Bt2,000 a night. Sea Dragon Dive Center offers three-night cruises including Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai and the Surin Islands from Bt13,200 per person, double, aboard the M/V Andaman. The Surins is inaccessible during the monsoon season from around mid-May to early November.

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Serving up smiles at Golden Buddha.

MINIATURE MECCA The south of Thailand still sports a strongly Islamic culture and set of traditions. You’ll be warmly welcomed into the fold by members of Koh Yao Noi’s community-based tourism club. The club’s trophy case gleams with prizes for their trailblazing work, like the World Legacy Award from National Geographic. Through Koh Yao Noi Eco-Tourism Club (kohyao-noi-eco-tourism-club.com; homestays Bt300 per person per night, including food), homestays can be arranged with local Muslim families that include day trips to watch the fishermen and rubber-tree tappers in action. This is a friendly but conservative community: dress accordingly. Alcohol is served only in the resorts, the star of which is the Six Senses (sixsenses.com; doubles from Bt14,786; roundtrip transfers Bt4,000 per villa), whose shady property, complete with outdoor muay Thai ring, in-house yogi master and beachfront cinema, winds around a hill on the island’s northeast. Fly into Phuket and catch a taxi to Bang Rong Pier where five ferries depart daily for the hour-long journey at Bt50 per person, or, if you’re staying at Six Senses, they can arrange the 20-minute car and 45-minute speedboat journey.

Naucrates, its voluntourists and the PMBC have also been cleaning the nearby coral reefs and protecting the mangrove forests that beard the island. Their tangled roots shelter juvenile fish, crabs and mollusks, prevent soil erosion and serve as the last lines of defense against floods and tsunamis—the last an issue close to the heart of an island that suffered dearly in the 2004 Indian Ocean natural disaster. But it’s not just foreign do-gooders making their mark. Villagers have begun forming their own groups to protect such rare local residents as the adjutant storks— believed to be the last living flock in Thailand. Now that the nearby Koh Ra has become a nature reserve, Mosthaf says plans are afloat to turn the entire area into a national marine park. He does not believe that would be an improvement: “This island could not get more ecological than it is.” + Golden Buddha Resort (goldenbuddharesort.com; doubles from Bt2,700) is open November through April. Fly into Phuket International Airport and hire a car for the two-hour drive north to the ferry pier at Kuraburi. Or, the resort can arrange transfers for you from the airport via car and long-tail boat.

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From the hilltop retreat at Six Senses Yao Noi.

The saltwater lake in Koh Mae Koh.

THAILAND

Sea kayaking in Ang Thong Marine Park.

A fish farm in Songkhla lagoon.

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KOH MAK

KOH CHANG

KOH MAE KO SURIN ISLANDS

KOH PALUAY KOH PHRA THONG KOH YAO NOI

KOH YO

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MALAYSIA

THE REAL BEACH Literary legend has it that the Ang Thong National Marine Park in the Gulf of Thailand provided the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel The Beach rather than Koh Phi Phi—the place made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s visit in the film adaptation. Drawing parallels between the imaginary vision of an uncharted oceanic retreat and this archipelago of 40-plus islands is elementary. Only Koh Paluay, with its mountainous backdrop, is inhabited and, even here, all the locals are sea gypsies who still fish for a living. Some day trips include lunch in the village, where you can enjoy flashbacks of what Koh Samui used to be like before it landed on the mass-tourism map. If you visit the most precious emerald in Ang Thong’s tiara—a green, saltwater lake walled in by limestone ramparts on Koh Mae Koh (Mother Island)—you can pick a leaf, quite literally, from Garland’s novel. Fly into Koh Samui and head for Big Buddha Beach to hire a speedboat, though there is a multitude of different boat tours, yacht charters, and camping and kayaking trips available. Accommodations are offered on Koh Wua Talap through the Department of National Parks (dnp.go.th; doubles from Bt500).

TOURS OF BEAUTY Sitting pretty in Songkhla Lagoon, the lower part of the country’s largest lake, and encircled by rustic resorts, Koh Yo is notable for southern Thai touches, a benevolent climate and agro-tours of some truly spectacular scenery. Much like the mélange of seawater from the Gulf and freshwater from the mountains that sloshes around Songkhla, the region, positioned in the northeastern crook of the Malay peninsula, is a melting pot of Thai, Chinese and Malaysian cultures, cuisines and traditions. Start the morning by taking a longtail boat to watch the fishermen trawling for net profits, before breakfasting on a seaweed salad, a vitamin-rich snack plucked straight from the lake. Afterwards, the time is ripe for visiting the orchards of jackfruits, sapodillas and mangosteens, or head for the Institute for Southern Thai Studies, a repository of finery in fashions and handicrafts. Fly from Bangkok into Had Yai and take a taxi across the Tinsulanonda Bridge to the only island in the lagoon. Rajamangala Pavilion Beach Resort (pavilionhotels.com/ rajamangala; doubles from Bt1,500), the nicest hotel option, has great beachside views and a mere 25-minute commute to the island.

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Our Definitive Guide to

The Danish capital is a captivating mix of Midcentury Modern design, forward-â&#x20AC;&#x2039;thinking restaurants and storybook charm. By Anya von Bremzen. Photographed by Ulf Svane

The view from the Church of Our Savior, in the Christianshavn district.

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COPENHAGEN

The library lounge at Hotel SP34.

NØRREBRO

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Lay of the Land Christianshavn With its gabled houses and canals, this man-made island is a quiet escape in the heart of the city. Frederiksberg Come to this historic neighborhood to see the city’s Neoclassical architecture and to picnic at Frederiksberg Park. Frederiksstaden The 18th-century Amalienborg Palace anchors this waterfront quarter, which is lined with antiques shops. Indre By In the medieval center, you’ll find indie bars and cafés, along with luxury shops, museums and the Botanical Garden. Nørrebro A multiculti enclave north of downtown, Nørrebro has a creative, bohemian vibe. Vesterbro Trendy bars and clothing stores fill this former red-light district near Tivoli Gardens. Getting Around The metro (intl.m.dk) is expansive, and taxis are efficient. Copenhagen also has a great bikesharing program, Bycyklen (bycyklen.dk).

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Stay The city’s best hotels are both buzzy newcomers and old favorites. HOTEL SP34 Spread across three town houses in Indre By’s Latin Quarter, this new family-owned hotel puts a spin on Danish design. A concrete-and-brass bar acts as the reception desk, the lobby doubles as a library lounge, and the tapas restaurant serves killer pimientos with anchovies. The spare rooms are small, but who wants to linger inside when the boutiques of Sankt Peders Street beckon? brochner-hotels.dk; Kr1,295. HOTEL D’ANGLETERRE After a US$110 million renovation, the 18th-century Hotel d’Angleterre has been reborn with polished marble, rich carpeting and a muted gray palette. At night, head to the lively Balthazar bar for a

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passion-fruit-and-champagne cocktail before tucking in to chef Ronny Emborg’s Nordic creations at the Michelinstarred restaurant, Marchal. dangleterre.dk; Kr3,000. NIMB HOTEL Book well in advance for one of the 17 rooms at this 1909 neo-Moorish extravaganza that lights up at night like a Christmas tree. The interiors mix colorful textiles and antiques with works by contemporary local artists. Bonus: free admission to Tivoli Gardens, but go at night when the crowds disperse. hotel.nimb. dk; Kr3,000. HOTEL ALEXANDRA The obsessively curated Hotel Alexandra has furniture that rivals the holdings of the nearby

Design Museum. Guests can hang out on a Finn Juhl sofa and listen to impromptu lectures on design by the knowledgeable staff. There’s also the Verner Panton suite, where designer Christian Louboutin has been known to stay while in town. hotelalexandra.dk; Kr1,125. BABETTE GULDSMEDEN Designed with Balinese teak, Oriental rugs and four-poster beds, the 98 rooms at this boho-chic property offer a respite from Scandinavian minimalism. We love the cowhide walls in the elevator and views of the Marble Church from the rooftop spa. guldsmedenhotels. com; Kr1,045. Hotels rates represent starting cost for double occupancy.

Eat There’s more to Copenhagen’s culinary scene than Noma (but go there if you can get in). These six places also deliver big on taste and atmosphere. RELÆ Chef Christian Puglisi, a Noma alum, now has a cult following all his own. At the 40-seat Relæ, dishes like poached trout topped with raw mushroom shavings and a terrine of cucumber, nasturtium and umeboshi-style strawberries are spectacular in their simplicity. restaurant-relae.dk; four-course dinner Kr450 per person. NO. 2 This casual sibling of Michelinstarred AOC is perennially packed, thanks in part to its sleek Scandinavian aesthetic and views of the Black Diamond Library on the waterfront. But it’s the confident New Danish dishes (scallop tartare with pea tendrils and dill oil, steak with smoked bone marrow) that linger. nummer2.dk; Kr650. KUL Even die-hard Nordic food fans tire of kohlrabi and gooseberries, which is why this newcomer is such a hit. The inviting aroma of char fills the slate-toned dining room, where the creative menu

by chefs Henrik Jyrk and Christian Mortensen swings from the Mediterranean (jamón ibérico with squid tempura and black aioli) to Asia (pepperglazed veal ribs with romaine kimchi). restaurantkul.dk; Kr800. TORVEHALLERNE MARKET The designer food hall has revitalized the Israels Plads area in central Copenhagen. The perfect snackathon should include a new-wave congee with chicken at Grod, and fluffy fish cakes from Boutique Fisk. torvehallernekbh.dk. AMASS To get to this airy, repurposed shipyard building, hop a waterbus from the Royal Library. Here, charismatic chef Matt Orlando—a veteran of Per Se and Noma—elevates classic Danish ingredients in dishes like wild duck with black garlic and pickled yarrow flowers. amassrestaurant. com; set menus from Kr575.

Inside Torvehallerne Market. Right: Sea scallops with beet crudités in mussel juice and dill oil at No. 2.

KEBABISTAN Visiting celebrity chefs like David Chang head to this TurkishKurdish takeout dive for an epic shawarma sandwich—order the mixed meats—loaded with pickles, sauces and trimmings in a round bun. The fries are great, too. 45/3582-8993; shawarma sandwiches for two Kr66.

Restaurant prices represent approximate cost of dinner for two, unless otherwise noted.

Shop

Designer Zoo’s showroom.

Covetable Scandinavian design worth shipping or schlepping home.

At the modern design emporium Hay House (hay.dk), the two floors are filled with furniture and accessories by Danish company Hay along with geometric wares like Ori pepper mills and George Nelson bubble lamps. + Nearby Storm (stormfashion.dk) sells iconic fashion labels (Givenchy, Pucci) and up-andcomers, including Swedish sneaker brand Eytys and jeweler Mads Trolle. + In addition to his own boldly patterned clothing line, native artist-musiciancouturier Henrik Vibskov (henrikvibskovboutique.com) also carries Comme des Garçons shoes and small-batch gin. + With its Hans Wegner armchairs, Ole Wanscher desks and Borge Mogensen sofas, Dansk Møbelkunst (dmk.dk) is ground zero for fans of vintage Midcentury design. + In an otherwise drab corner of Vesterbrogade, Designer Zoo (dzoo.dk) showcases one-offs from local artisans, like asymmetrical cups and colorful slanted vases. + Ikea meets the dollar store at the spacious Tiger (tiger-stores.com), which peddles everything from reading glasses to retro toys and tea sets. T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A .C O M

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The 1960s room, with furniture by Verner Panton, at Designmuseum Danmark.

Four ways to get a crash course in Danish culture.

In the Rococo building that once housed Denmark’s first public hospital, Designmuseum Danmark puts Danish design into historical perspective. Expect fresh insights on streamlined Poul Hennigsen lighting and Hans Wegner seating—along with a newly opened fashion and textile gallery. designmuseum.dk.

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Far more intimate than Europe’s usual imperial palaces, the turreted 17th- century Rosenborg Castle has three cozy floors with gilded chambers, chinoiserie and intricate tapestries. In warm months, pick up lunch to go from the smørrebrød shop Aamanns (aamanns.dk) and go for a picnic on the lush grounds. dkks.dk.

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One of the Continent’s oldest amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens, is known for its lake, flower beds and Chinese pagodas. You’ll also find great shopping (Illums Bolighus has an outlet here), concerts and the new restaurant Kähler i Tivoli, where the open-faced sandwiches are served on signature ceramics. tivoli.dk.

Whether it’s handcrafted caramels, custom-built bikes or wood-rimmed eyeglasses, CPHmade champions the city’s most creative artisans. The walking and biking tours include stops at the workshops of chocolatier Rassmus Olsen, goldsmith Ragnar Jørgensen and ceramist Inge Vincents. cphmade.org.

From left: Lot #29; avocado toast at Atelier September; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek’s winter garden.

Local Take Three tastemakers share their go-to places in the city.

RENÉ REDZEPI

MALENE MALLING

Chef-owner of Noma

Publisher of Cover magazine

I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y L A U R E N N A S S E F

At Lot #29 (lot29.dk) downtown, there’s a well-curated selection of Scandinavian and international clothing designers. In Amager, Andersens Contemporary (andersens contemporary.dk) shows works by big-name artists like Olafur Eliasson. For lunch, I love the smoked salmon and steak tartare at Lumskebugten (lumskebugten.dk; lunch for two Kr330), near the border of Frederiksstaden. When I want to escape town I go to Bellevue Beach north of the city. It has these incredible lifeguard towers designed by Arne Jacobsen.

Where to Drink After Dark

My favorite spots for breakfast are

Café Det Vide Hus (45/6061-2002),

which serves delicious coffee and avocado on toast, and Atelier September (atelier-september.dk), a stylish all-day café like the kind you’d find in London or TriBeCa, in New York City. In the spring, I like to go for a picnic at the King’s Garden, where you can pick mulberries and walnuts from a 300-year-old tree. Ismageriet (ismageriet.dk), which sells artisanal ice cream in house-made waffle cones, is a great place for an afternoon treat.

Lidkoeb The minds behind the popular cocktail club Ruby recently opened this cozy lodge-style lounge. Order the Fin’ Rom, made with rum, sherry and caramelized figs. lidkoeb.dk.

Ved Stranden 10 Show up early to score a waterside table at this wine bar on Holmens Kanal, especially on Monday nights for the wildly popular one-pot dinners. vedstranden10.dk.

TAL R

Artist

The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (glyptoteket.com) art museum, in Vesterbro, has beautiful classical sculpture. Stop in the café for a slice of apple cake. Several blocks north, Arbejdermuseet (arbejdermuseet.dk), or Workers’ Museum, traces the daily lives of laborers in Copenhagen over the past 150 years. Denmark is a trove of foreign antiques, thanks to its seafaring history. For Chinese treasures, check out Oliver Antik (45/ 3311-0202), whose owners advise the queen’s husband—an avid collector.

Mikkeller & Friends The second outpost of local microbrewery Mikkeller has more than 40 beers on tap. A highlight: the refreshing Tiger Baby, brewed with mango and passion fruit. mikkeller.dk.

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Last Look

Photographed by Jason Teale

South Korea Bright night lights The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, set against Seoul’s traditional city gates, is but one dramatic juxtaposition of ultra-modernization sitting alongside ancient culture found across fast-changing South Korea.

The root of Korean retail Despite its image of new-world affluence, Busan still counts many old markets like Bujeon around town. Here you can buy anything from fresh seafood to herbs and roots for traditional Korean dishes.

Soul-soothing sounds A monk at Beomosa Temple in Busan performs a nightly drumming ritual. The continuous beat pays respects to the land and the spirits, while keeping to a repetitive pattern that helps monks prepare to rest.

Looking ahead A vibrantly painted, carved pavilion in Ulsan looks out across the metropolis, which, with the world’s largest auto plant and shipyard, has been integral to South Korea’s economic rise.

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