November 2013

SOUTHEAST ASIA

EXPERT TIPS FOR TRAVEL GIFTS DUE SOUTH On a luxury cruise to Antarctica

NOVEMBER 2013

Bali

Healing, hedonism and the best ways to enjoy the island

Our 2013 Global Vision Awards WHAT DOES BOMBAY MEAN?

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THE PLATINUM SERIES

BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

Volume 07 / Issue 11

Contents

November 2013 The Mulia Resort’s main pool and gardens in Bali, page 90.

Features

nikol a kostic

90 Through the Looking Glass Bali is booming in the best and most bizarre ways. j en in n e lee - st. joh n tumbles down the rabbit hole to an island where every day isn’t any other day. pho t ogr a phed by n ikol a kostic . gu ide page 97 98 Wild at Heart Forget what you’ve read about some of Southeast Asia’s sketchier spots because they’re growing up on us. di a na h u bbell takes a

closer look at backpacker destinations, as they mature from full-moon party mayhem to upscale sophisticated sanctums. pho t o illustr ation by wasin ee ch a n ta kor n . m a p page

98, gu ide page 105

106 Maximum Bombay An epic journey to the heart of a vast, teeming, seething and electrifying Indian megalopolis, with many stops along the way for rich curries and otherworldly delicacies. by gary

shteyngart . photographed by trujillopaumier . map and guide page

115

116 Driving Hawaii’s Big Island Restaurants, hotels, and a stunning landscape of volcanoes, jungles and beaches and cliffs—on a drive around the Big Island of Hawaii. by jeff wise . illustr at ed by k y u n du k k im

118 T+L’s 2013 Global Vision Awards The

hotels, tour operators and cruise lines that are transforming the world through travel.

126 Sub-Zero Antarctica, ahoy! Luxury liners can steer you to the frozen continent and provide front-row seats to polar wildlife. But the journey is still a mental and physical challenge testing even the hardiest traveler’s resolve. st ory a n d pho t os by i a n lloy d n e u bau er . m a p a n d gu ide page

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Contents

dest i nat ions

64 Packing How to pack wrinkle-free business clothes.

by mimi lombardo

40 Mighty Aphrodite niña terol - zialcita speaks with a young woman in the Philippines on a mission to save the seas.

48 T+L’s 2013 Gift Guide We enlisted the help of a few experts to find some of the coolest presents of the holiday season.

Plus Chasing the elusive flavor of umami; Hong Kong scenester style; Asia’s hottest coffee shops; and more.

Trip Doctor

Strategies 74

66 Tech tom samilijan takes a look at the best apps for touring cities on foot.

68 The Fix Plan your best vacation ever. Solo.

82 Deals An island escape in Boracay; a family holiday in Penang; a romantic vacation in Bali; and more.

Plus Hidden secrets of your boarding pass; how to deal with a screaming child on a plane; and more.

Airport Travel Update 2013 Globe-trotting readers rate their favorite airports. Plus, our thoughts on the best international terminals for food, efficiency and accessibility.

On the Cover Chilling out in Bali at The Nammos Beach Club.

Photographer: Jenya Luzan; model: Polina Kisyanceva.

Decoder

152 Auckland New Zealand’s largest city has the appeal of a small town and the style of a modern metropolis. maria shollenbarger checks out the North Island scene. photographed by kieran scott

Point of View

86

Global Street Style guy trebay takes a look at fashion choices around the world and finds out that no two cities strut quite the same.

142 Burma scott a . woodward snaps striking shots from Rangoon to Bagan, all using only his iPhone.

Last Look

Many guises of umami, Square One, Vietnam, page 32.

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courtesy of square one

25 Inside the Studio sylvia gavin takes an inside look at Bangkok’s burgeoning art scene.

Departments 16 18 … i n b o x 2 0

e d i t o r ’s n o t e

contr ibu tors

Radar

34 Ode to the Exotic Jet-setting designers reveal the places that inspire their newest looks.

14 …

Destinations

November 2013 123

118

116

h awa i i

m u m ba i

106

k yoto

106

ba li

90

auc k l a n d patagon i a

136

118

destination

page

when to go

what US$5 buys

who to follow

Auckland

136

Weather is ideal during summer (November to February), but that’s also high season

One-way ferry ticket to the historic seaside town of Devonport

@Auckland_NZ

Bali

90

The best time of year is from April to October, when the weather is cool and dry

A Pisang Cooler signature mocktail at Potato Head Beach Club

@BaliTourismBoard

Hawaii, the Big Island

116

In winter, it’s possible to ski Mauna Kea in the morning and sunbathe at sea level in the afternoon

Daily beach-chair rental from Hulakai, a surf shop in Kamuela

@gohawaii

Kyoto

118

Avoid both the hot, muggy season of June and July, and the typhoons in September and October

A brightly colored, homemade assortment of pickled vegetables at Nishiki Market

@VisitKyoto

Mumbai

106

Avoid the hottest time of the year (March to May) and monsoon season (June to September)

Dosas and idlis for two at any South Indian Udupi-style café

@timeout_mumbai

Patagonia

118

The weather is fairly mild year-round, but the warmest months are December through February

A glass of Argentinean Malbec

@ecotourismchile

Long Weekend

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Beach

Active

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m

Food+Drink

Shopping

Arts+Culture

Editor’s Note

where to find me chrisk@mediatransasia.com @CKucway on Twitter

Best Laid Plans

A break from the daily routine near El Port de la Selva, Spain.

our next stops

Brunei China

Singapore Cape Town

The T+L Code Travel + Leisure editors, writers and photographers are the industry’s most reliable sources. While on assignment, they travel incognito whenever possible and do not take press trips or accept free travel of any kind.

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jaume cabruja

V

acation time is precious to us all, so carefully planning your next break has never been more essential. Every issue, we offer practical planning advice and hot tips, whether you’re headed to a beach or a big city. This month, our Global Vision Awards (page 118) look at how each of us can transform the world through travel. Bonus: there’s no shortage of winners around Asia, an indication that, in this part of the world, we are not only connected to global travel trends, but also setting them. Safeguarding Kyoto’s architecture, supporting education in Cambodia and establishing ecologically friendly travel in Indonesia—each an award-winning example this year—are the types of journeys to which many of us aspire.

So too is boarding a ship bound for the Antarctic (“Sub-Zero,” page 126). It’s not a journey for the faint of heart—nor any tropical dwellers averse to the cold—but, as Ian Neubauer is told, “You need to expect things to be a little difficult and perhaps not always working out like you planned.” Those hardships evaporate with the scenes of silent majesty Neubauer encounters on his trip.

Back where thermometers show more mercury and travelers more skin, assistant editor Diana Hubbell takes a look at several spots around Southeast Asia that have graduated from backpacker havens to full-service resort destinations (“Wild at Heart,” page 98) and how this has changed each place.

Sure, all destinations might not appeal to all travelers: I love the urban madness that is Bombay—where else but on Oval Maidan will you witness five overlapping cricket matches?— though I recognize it isn’t for everyone. That crowd-surging frenzy comes through loud and clear when Gary Shteyngart visits the sprawling city (“Maximum Bombay,” page 106) this month.

So, whether your travels take you to Apollo Bunder or Antarctica, here’s hoping your journey is unforgettable.

— chr istopher k uc way

Contributors

Gabrielle Jaffe

Trujillo Paumier

Amy Farley

peking duck with caviar? Since Imperial times, Peking duck has been the most opulent, indulgent dish. So caviar would seem the perfect complement. how do you take yours? I love dipping freshly carved skin into sugar. It melts in your mouth, and you’ve got to get it while it’s hot! are the chinese bored with culinary classics? Not yet! It’s only been a few decades since they’ve rediscovered them, after being limited to the Communist canteen.

There’s great respect for tradition, but they’re not afraid to try new dishes. next beijing food trend “Vegetarian” used to mean puritanical fare for monks, but now we’re seeing interesting, highend, meat-free restaurants.

King’s Joy in Wudaoying Hutong is the stand out.

mumbai 101 The Taj Mahal Palace hotel’s drivers are incredible guides and can show you a whole new side of the city. They brought us to Thieves Market, with its stalls of antiques. It was such an experience. how do you best capture the city?

There are so many Mumbais—so many layers.

We especially love taking portraits. When we visited Horniman Circle Garden downtown to watch a cricket match, the teams were dressed head-to-toe in blue or white. Photographing the uniforms and nearby architecture felt like capturing another era. in the news We recently opened our own gallery, Galería Ermita, in Zacatecas, Mexico.

this year’s most inspiring winner Camp Jabulani, in Hoedspruit, South Africa. It evolved from a single wildlife research center into a top safari lodge, with endangered-species conservation as its mission—an example of a successful business founded on the right values. one green trip you’re dying to book Owner Zita Cobb’s enthusiasm for Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn and the island’s unique cultural heritage is infectious. I already have my tickets. what’s the easiest way to make a difference when traveling? Choose the right company to travel with. T+L’s 2013 Global Vision Award winners are a good place to start.

Photographers “Maximum Bombay,” (page 106).

Editor “Global Vision Awards” (page 118).

‘I love dipping freshly carved duck skin into sugar. It melts in your mouth, and you’ve got to get it while it’s hot!’

—gabrielle jaffe

f r o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f g a b r i e l l e j a f f e ; c o u r t e s y o f T r u ji l l o P a u m i e r ; c o u r t e s y o f W hi t n e y L a w s o n

Writer “Daring Duck,” (page 36).

Inbox

Spreading the Love T+L August is a very nice edition. It’s great that the features, including the main story [“World’s Best Awards”], pertain not only to a single destination, but so many asean nations. Love ’em all! f

Ronald Ray Tiu Ensalada cebu, philippines

In Transit

Changi airport is definitely my number one favorite airport for a long layover [“Is This the Best Airport in the World?” August]. @LadybugWonder San Francisco and Beyond

Thanks for the Memories

“The Books They Carried” [August] reminded me of my own shabby copy of Let’s Go: Europe 1990, which saw me through that quintessential summer backpacking tour of Europe. I may have succumbed to using Google Maps, but the classic print travel guide will always mean much more.

Jeffrey Marchal indianapolis , ind .

“T+L Decoder: Our Definitive Guide to San Francisco” [October] was jam-packed with such variety of unique things to do, places to go and experiences to remember that it made me feel I was back in one of my favorite U.S. cities (wishful thinking on a miserably hot New York night).

Next time, you might remind your readers that more pleasures await if they drive north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County.

Michael J. Connelly new york , n .y.

Seaviews

This native and homesick Sydneysider thanks you for the beautiful photos of Bondi from another perspective [“Last Look: Bondi Beach,” July].

Liam Simms jak arta

contact info

tleditor@mediatransasia.com, travelandleisureasia.com, f facebook.com/ TravelLeisureAsia or @TravLeisureAsia.

Got something to say? Tell us at

Comments may be edited for clarity and space.

editor-in-chief art director features editors senior DEsigner DEsigner ASSISTANT editor—Digital ASSISTANT EDITOR

Christopher Kucway John Boyer Merritt Gurley Jeninne Lee-St. John Wannapha Nawayon Chotika Sopitarchasak Wasinee Chantakorn Diana Hubbell

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

chairman president publishing director

publishER DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER senior account manager business development managers chief financial officer production manager production group circulation MANAGER circulation assistant

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

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american express publishing corporation President/Chief Executive Officer Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Senior Vice President/Editorial Director Executive Editor, International Publishing Director, International

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

travel+leisure southeast asia Vol. 7, Issue 11 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370. Printed

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Radar On Our

News. Finds. Opinions. Obsessions.

art

Inside the Studio The art scene in Bangkok is burgeoning, and there’s no better way to experience it than to visit the artists’ personal workspaces.

By Sylvia Gavin

Khamnan Chin (oil on canvas) by Christian Develter.

Photographed by Cedric Arnold

Tucked away in the secret side streets of Bangkok are the creative havens of artists who are part and parcel of the city’s vibrant art scene. Visiting these private studios offers the opportunity to get off the tourist trail and gain a deeper understanding of the art, up close and personal. In intimate, by-appointment-only spaces, you can speak to the artists, learn the inspiration behind each work, and maybe even come home with a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. ➔

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Radar

A Bangkok resident for the past 16 years, Belgian artist Christian Develter opened his new “Warp Studio 54” workspace, named after the Star Trek technology and the famous New York nightclub, in February 2013.

The über-stylish, renovated warehouse is tucked away in a small lane off Yenarket. The idea is that it “takes a bit of an effort to find us,” Develter explains, “but people that do are warmly welcomed.”

Develter’s latest series of work, Chin, Urban & Tribal, is inspired by the dramatic and intricate facial tattoos that distinguish the women of Chin ethnic group in Burma. The series also features in a collection from local clothing label Tube Gallery (1F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd.; 66-2/676-1971; tube-gallery.com).

Develter says he likes that the art scene in Bangkok is less structured and more spontaneous than some of the region’s other major cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Develter’s distinctive work can be seen in stylish venues across the region. Also, Verne Troyer, best known for playing Mini Me in the Austin Powers films, is a fan.

Arrange a visit: Warp Studio 54; Yenarkart 39/2, Unit C; 66-84/016-6550; christiandevelter.com and warp54.com.

Tawan Wattuya

Gaining stature in the Thai contemporary art scene, 40-year-old Tawan Wattuya is best known for his luminously provocative watercolors.

His home/work space is a treasure trove of some of his recent work. Drop by and you will almost inevitably find a cluster of his friends gathered around the table, lingering leisurely over drinks while Tawan manages to focus his intensity on one of his huge canvas portraits. Across the road is his watercolor workspace, which he likes to refer to as his “paper studio.”

The many photographs scattered around his studio highlight the influence of the medium on his work.

He considers photographs to be a “raw starting point.”

First exhibited in 2000, Tawan’s work has since been shown in Belgium, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. His work is collected by the likes of Thai filmmaker and 2010 Cannes Palme D’Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Arrange a visit: Tawan Wattuya’s Studio; Sathorn Soi 11, Yak 9; 66-86/3008333. Tawan is represented by the Tang Contemporary Art Gallery (tangcontem​ porary.com) in Asia and by Toot Yung Art Centre (tootyunggallery.com) outside of Asia.

Pinaree Sanpitak

A firm fixture on the international art scene, conceptual artist Pinaree Sanpitak’s work has been described as lying “at the intersection between new art forms and old techniques drawn from local craft traditions.”

Pinaree’s studio workspace—a vaulted high-ceilinged hangar awash with light—adjoins her traditional family home in central Bangkok. Here she has all the space she needs for the dramatic large-scale installations that have brought her global recognition.

The diversity of her art is evident in the materials scattered across her studio. Indeed, Pinaree is remarkable for the variety of media in which she works: painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, performance art and installation.

This year, Pinaree participated in the Art Basel fine-art fair and had a solo show in New York at Tyler Rollins Fine Art, showcasing her Hanging by a Thread exhibition—a collection of hand-woven hammocks, made of paa-lai, a traditional Thai textile.

Arrange a visit: Pinaree is represented by 100 Tonson Gallery (100tonsongallery.com) in Bangkok and Tyler Rollins Fine Art (trfineart. com) in New York. Contact Tonson Gallery to arrange a studio visit. ✚

Clockwise from left: Color-saturated canvases at Christian Develter’s Warp Studio 54; photos inspire paintings at Tawan Wattuya’s studio; Pinaree Sanpitak’s Here/Not Here exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

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r i g h t: a r t i s t c o u r t e s y o f pi n a r e e s a n pi ta k

Christian Develter

Radar dining

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b e au t y

What’s In Your Baggie, Francisco Zacarias?

The former Giorgio Armani National Face Designer, beauty maven and creator of his own private label Francisco Zacarias Beauty shares his on-the-road beauty must-haves: 1 Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate (kiehls.com; US$46). “Boosts the appearance of skin, leaving it nicely hydrated.”

2 Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub (philosophy.com; US$16).

“Scrubs and soothes your lips, leaving them ultra-soft.”

3 Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection SPF 50 (shiseido.com; US$39).

“Stays on in humid climates.”

4 YSL Beauty Touche Eclat (yslbeautyus.com; US$40). “With the click of a pen, you capture eight hours of sleep.”

5 Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara (lancome-usa.com; US$27).

“Lengthens and thickens without looking clumpy.”

6 Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation Compact (giorgioarmani beauty-usa.com; US$64).

“Perfect harmony between the lightness of a fluid and the comfort of a compact.”

7 Nars Orgasm Blush (narscosmetics.com; US$29).

“Contours and shapes just about any cheek for a perfect rosy complexion.”

8 Basq NYC Cucumber Tea Eye Gel (basqnyc.com; US$24). “Works miracles on tired eyes. Store in the mini-bar for best results.”

—loren braunohler

Call it table-surfing. Just as it can be cheaper and cozier to book a bed or couch in someone’s home when you travel, what better alternative to the usual tourist-trap restaurants than an actual home-cooked meal? Via websites that are popping up around the globe, hospitable cooks can post possible menus, and, for a modest fee, interested guests can come over for dinner.

Cookening (cookening.com) has 128 hosts participating in 17 countries worldwide, and the site recently spread to Asia, touching down in Japan. Meanwhile, Asia-centric PlateCulture (plateculture.com) already has 15 countries in our region in its portfolio. Offerings range from a gourmet Ghanaian dinner in Bangkok, to Turkish barbecue in Singapore, to Indian classics in Kuala Lumpur. So culturecraving locals, take note as well: sounds like a recipe for palate expansion.—diana hubbell

Indian dinner

n ot i c e d

Five People You Meet Sleeping in Coach

The average economy class seat is a torturous 46 centimers wide, yet there’s at least one Rip van Winkle on every flight. Recognize any?

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The Contortionist A sometime yogini, as comfortable jammed against the window as folded over the tray table.

The Lohan Accoutrements: Ambien + vodka + earplugs. Mutters “Wake me when it’s over” before takeoff.

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m

The Won’t-YouBe-My-Neighbor What armrest?

Just needs a shoulder to fly on.

Watch out, it might be yours.

The Gadgeteer Noise-canceling headphones?

Check. Sleep Now app and cashmere blankie? Check— and check out.

The Rock This rare but envy-inducing type just buckles in and…zzzzzzz.

–kathryn o’shea-evans

b e a u t y, i l l u s t r a i t o n b y w a s i n e e c h a n ta k o r n . c l o c k wi s e f r o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f k i e h l’ s ; c o u r t e s y o f phi l o s o ph y; c o u r t e s y o f s hi s e id o ; c o u r t e s y o f y s l b e a u t y; c o u r t e s y o f l a n c o m e ; c o u r t e s y o f g i o r g i o a r m a n i ; c o u r t e s y o f n a r s ; c o u r t e s y o f b a s q n y c . di n i n g , c o u r t e s y o f p l at e c u lt u r e . n o t i c e d , i l l u s t r at i o n s b y l- d o p a .

Musical Tables

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3

Radar obsessions

Another Taste

Clockwise from top: Inside Bukhara, Delhi; sesame-sprinkled beef skewers at Square One, Saigon; sushi unleashes the power of umami at Sushi Sora in Tokyo; rack of lamb at Square One.

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Going beyond sweet, salty, sour and bitter, umami breaks down the boundaries of cuisine. Discovered in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese chemist, this elusive, savory flavor is, to put it simply, the natural version of MSG. There’s a lot of scientific jargon to explain the make-up of the mysterious taste, but the only thing you need to know is that it makes food taste really good and many of the world’s most acclaimed chefs experiment with it to churn out divine dishes.

Umami-rich ingredients include aged cheeses, dried and fermented foods, meats, and vegetables such as tomatoes and mushrooms.

Here are some hotel restaurants across the region serving up umamiintense plates.

In New Delhi, go to Bukhara (91-11/2611-2233; itchotels.in; dinner for two Rs6,750). Try the umamirich grilled paneer and the tomato-infused sauce on the stewed lamb, and wash it down with a cold draft beer.

Going further east to Chiang Rai in Thailand, visit Latest Recipe restaurant (66-53/603-333; lemeridienchiangrai.com; dinner for two Bt940).

Whether it’s grilled prawns or braised snowfish, nam pla (fermented fish sauce) lends an umami-rich flavor to everything it touches.

This is cuisine defined by ingredients and tradition.

In Siem Reap, Cambodia, there’s no shortage of restaurants that vie for your attention and while there are a few standouts, like Wat Damnak and FCC Angkor, one of the best in town is inside The Heritage Suites Hotel (855-63/969-100; heritagesuiteshotel.com; dinner for two US$60). Try the Mekong lobster for a delicate entreé into the world of umami.

One of the calmest dining experiences is found in Saigon at Square One (84-8/3824-1234; saigon.park. hyatt.com; dinner for two VND2,000,000). The menu features dishes so umamicentered that fans of the flavor will be spoiled for choice—think Australian beef, Mekong lobster, tanks of live fish and shellfish in pristine salt water.

Finally, conclude your umami adventures in the city where it was first discovered—Tokyo. Go to Sushi Sora (81-3/3270-8188; mandarinoriental.com/ tokyo; dinner for two ¥50,000) where Yuji Imaizumi, the head sushi chef, allows the freshness of the simple, but often rare, ingredients to unleash the umami within. Sora means “sky” in Japanese and the flavors from the deep blue sea combined with the skyscraper view high above Tokyo seem to elevate the captivating essence of umami to nearly unthinkable heights. ✚

f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f B u k h a r a ; c o u r t e s y o f s q u a r e o n e ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f s u s hi s o r a

Scott Haas tours Asia in search of the science-confounding, flavor-astounding, taste-abounding sensation of umami.

st yle

Ode to the Exotic

These jet-setting designers reveal the places that inspired their newest resort looks. By Mimi Lombardo

Stephanie von Watzdorf

Marie France Van Damme

Natalie Martin

The Place Marrakesh, Morocco.

The Place Phuket, Thailand.

The Place Bali, Indonesia.

The Look Anais dress, in cotton voile, and leather Medicine Pouch. figue.com.

The Look Summer Long Dress, in silk satin. mariefrance vandamme.com.

The Look Vivi dress, in silk. nataliemartin collection.com

The Trip After a seven-year stint as Tory Burch’s design director, von Watzdorf went solo with her boho-​chic brand, Figue. Her ideas spring from international jaunts that include twice-yearly trips to Marrakesh to shadow artisans. “I’m drawn to reinterpretations of old Moroccan treasures—repainted antique lanterns; altered caftans—and the magical tales in carpet patterns, echoed in this colorful print.”

The Trip The Canadian-born, Hong Kong–based designer travels to the Thai island every two months for both business and pleasure.

“Phuket’s minimalism and tranquillity are irresistible. I admire the way its residents wear fisherman’s pants and sarongs— all practical and lightweight. This dress keeps it simple, using comfortable fabric and a print that brings palm-tree plantations to mind.”

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The Trip “I love the Balinese sense of freedom— the feeling that you don’t know where the day will take you,” says Martin, who was born in Australia and has been making regular visits to the lush isle since she was 12 years old.

(She now lives in Los Angeles.)

Each piece is hand-stamped with batik motifs, while the loose silhouettes easily transition from beach to dinner.

f a s hi o n ph o t o s : w e s t o n w e l l s . s t y l i s t: c o u r t n e y k e n e f i c k . m o d e l : a n a l u a r a u j o / wi l h e l m i n a . h a i r a n d m a k e u p : b r i t c o c h r a n at a r t d e p a r t m e n t. s h o e s : H & m . c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: © Kh e l l o n / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; © Ta zz y m o t o / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; © E r i k d e g r a a f/ D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; c o u r t e s y o f n ata l i e m a r t i n ; c o u r t e s y o f m a r i e f r a n c e v a n d a m m e ; A n d r e w H . W a l k e r / G e t t y I m a g e s

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opinion

Staying on Theme

i l l u s t r at i o n b y l- d o p a

Nowadays it’s easy to find hotels that stick to one subject.

But, asks Bruno Maddox, at what cost?

The world’s first panda-themed hotel opened a few months ago in Sichuan, China. Guests at the Panda Inn luxuriate in black and white surroundings overlooked by panda paintings and enormous panda teddy bears. Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, fans of the Boca Juniors soccer team are luxuriating at the new Hotel Boca, self-billed as el primer hotel temático de fútbol en el mundo—one of those phrases that fleetingly raises one’s hopes of having acquired the ability to comprehend all of Earth’s languages.

The décor pays only discreet homage to the team colors of yellow and blue, but balances this restraint with pictures all over the place of the world’s least restrained man, former Boca superstar Diego Maradona. Even in gritty, unpretentious Liverpool, visitors now have a choice of nautically themed hotels: one modeled on the Titanic, the other, more disconcertingly, on the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.”

Why is all this happening, this explosion of themed hotels? The curious can either read to the end of this very short magazine article, or book passage to Mallorca, Spain, home of the Sol Wave House, the “First Twitter Experience Hotel,” catering to that fringe of the population (90

percent of us, roughly, and climbing) that finds itself refreshed by hashtags, and choppy punctuation, and blurted, gnomic expressions of personality.

For that is why all this is happening: it’s because of those people. Where once a fan of pandas would book a nice, normal room in a hotel near a zoo, and use it as a base from which to make private memories of actual encounters with pandas, the panda fan du jour must subject friends and followers to a steady stream of panda-related images and moments, or in some key modern sense cease to exist. It is these images and moments, I submit, not any “experience” per se, that the pandathemed hotel is in business to supply, and this applies across the category.

It’s not what a theme hotel is “about” that draws guests to it; it’s the promise of another chance—and we’ll take all that we can get—to tell the world what we’re about. Which, in the case of this reporter, would increasingly require a curmudgeon-themed hotel, with Wi-Fi-blocking Harris Tweed draperies, an escritoire at which to write letters to still-in-business newspapers, and in every alcove a bust of the late, great Andy Rooney, who saw all this coming, and more, and worse. ✚

Radar r e s tau r a n t s

Daring Duck

Da Dong Roast Duck

Jing Yaa Tang

Duck de Chine

The eponymous chef behind Da Dong is a giant presence on China’s culinary scene. He was the first to add contemporary flair to the traditional Peking duck, pioneering the use of “super lean,” non-oily birds. The 200-pluspage menu features plenty of other innovative duck dishes, ranging from crispy skin topped with caviar to hearts sautéed with lily bulbs.

In addition to the original restaurant in Tuanjiehu, Dong has added three other Beijing branches. The Jinbao branch, with its dark walls covered in light projections of Chinese motifs, is our top pick. 5F Jinbao Dasha, Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng Dist.; 86-10/8522-1111; dadongdadong.com; dinner for two RMB500.

Located in The Opposite House boutique hotel, Jing Yaa Tang is the first restaurant in Mainland China from Alan Yau—the celebrity restaurateur behind the Hakkasan, Britain’s first Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant.

Other places roast duck over pear or peach wood, but the poultry here is fired over date wood for more aromatic flavor. Crushed dates are also added to the accompanying tianmianjiang (sweet bean sauce) and, alongside the expected duck pancake combo, you’re also served duck stir-fried with bamboo, mushrooms and Chinese sausage. 11 Sanlitun Rd., Chaoyang Dist.; 86-10/6417-6688; theoppositehouse.com; dinner for two RMB775.

At Duck de Chine, an industrial-chic space filled with contemporary paintings, dishes are served with artistry to match the interior design. Diners can choose to innovate by adding sesame and/or peanut paste to the traditional tianmianjiang and, if they do so, the servers will swirl the sauces together tableside, with the virtuosity of expressionist masters. Other duck dishes here include liver terrine on toast and duck tacos—palm-size crisp flour shells filled with tiny cubes of stir-fried duck and water chestnut. 98 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng Dist.; 86-10/6521 2221; elite-concepts.com; dinner for two RMB700. ✚

Date wood-fired duck at Jing Yaa Tang.

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COURTESY OF J I NG YAA TANG , S W I RE H OTELS

A growing number of restaurants in the Chinese capital are defying tradition by taking the age-old dish of Peking duck and giving it an ultra-modern makeover. By Gabrielle Jaffe

Radar street scene

Happening Hong Kong Discover Hong Kong’s hippest hideaways from some of the city’s most plugged-in residents. By Helen Dalley

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1 Arnault Castel Founder, Kapok Cafe “New restaurant/bar TED’s Lookout [GF Moonful Court, 17A Moon St., Wan Chai; lunch for two HK$200] has cool industrialstyle decoration, and a great bar. The Brooklyn Julep is really the perfect drink for a hot Hong Kong evening.”

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2 Vicky Malone Designer and founder, Vic and Lily “It’s a two-hour ferry ride to Tung Ping Chau from Tai O in the New Territories but the rock formations and abandoned buildings make it a great adventure for documenting with your camera.”

3 Ian Fong Founder, Cuffs tailors “18 Grams [Unit C, GF, 15 Cannon St.; 852/2770-1339; 18grams.com; coffee for two HK$50] is a great little coffee shop, with top-notch specialty coffee from rockstar roaster Kammie. Look out for the fat cat that lives in the alley.”

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4 Derek Ting Filmmaker “Yu Lei [5F Harbour front Landmark, 11 Wan Hoi St.; 852/3746-2788; kodining.com; set menu HK$1,288] is a Michelin-starred Shanghainese restaurant by Miki Imagawa, who serves up mouthwatering visual masterpieces.”

5 Vickie Chan Artist and founder, chantown.com “I love going to Café Deadend [72 Po Hing Fong; breakfast for two HK$210] for the great coffee. The bread comes from the bakery next door, Po’s Atelier. After snacking, stroll down the street—it’s lined in lovely boutiques.”

6 Paul Mclean Studio manager, Red Room “There’s a quiet back alley bar called Club 71 in Central [67 Hollywood Rd; 852/ 2858-7071; beer for two HK$92]. It only holds 20 people, the beer is cheap, the owners are cool and there’s a good crowd of creative types.”

Photographed by Philipp Engelhorn

Radar

Clockwise from left: Shark attack; Anna Opposa at the Pinay and Proud awards; a reef check at Dauin Marine Sanctuary.

Mighty Aphrodite

A young woman in the Philippines has made it her personal mission to save the seas. By Niña Terol-Zialcita

Many little girls dream of becoming mermaids. Not too many, though, take the mission to heart.

Philippines-based Anna Oposa is different. Her business card reads “Founder and Chief Mermaid of Save Philippine Seas,” and at the tender age of 25, she has already helped expose a smuggling ring that poached the country’s waters for corals, sea turtles and other precious marine species; started an independent movement to protect aquatic resources across the archipelago; and taken her mission to the international stage as a Young Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum. This woman’s love of the ocean is so deep, all she’s missing are flippers.

Here, we dive into her underwater and on-the-ground pursuits.

Which came first—your love of diving or your passion for conserving the environment?

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Malapascua, Cebu, where I’m working with the community to conserve the island’s marine resources. In addition, we’re gearing up for the Pawikan Watchers project, a training program to empower locals to handle marine turtles; and SCUBA Squad, which trains scuba divers to do reef checks.

What tips can you share about being friendlier to the oceans when you snorkel and dive?

Use everyday products that won’t harm the sea. My top picks are Human Nature (humanheartnature.com) for personal care products and Messy Bessy (messybessy.com) for household products. The ingredients they use are not toxic, and thus not harmful. Messy Bessy even offers discounts if you return the bottles.

Which dive sites in the Philippines are leading the way in sustainability?

When I was 19, I volunteered in a cleanup dive to be exempted from an exam, and I saw diapers underwater. That’s when I told myself I needed to do more.

The interests complement each other perfectly. I am reminded of what needs to be conserved every time I dive.

Apo Island. They’re very strict about implementing the do’s and don’t’s, and imposing fines to people who still do the don’t’s—such as taking home marine life (dead or alive), touching the coral reefs or not using gloves when diving. They have gone as far as blacklisting delinquent divers.

What led you to establish Save the Philippine Seas?

Why have you chosen this particular area of advocacy?

I started the movement in response to the large-scale extraction of marine life in the Southern Philippines. I’m currently also the Project Director of the Shark Shelter Project in

The sea gives us jobs, food, recreational activities and at least half of our oxygen… We have to have parallel concerns if we want to live comfortably in the present and future. ✚

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c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p : S a m a n t h a C r a v e n ; A b e t i n a V a l e n z u e l a © S t e v e d e N e e f

Q& A

Radar t+l p i c ks

Not Your Average Joe

Caffeine fiends have plenty of places to get their fix across Southeast Asia but these java joints stand out for brewing outstanding artisanal beans in style.

By Diana Hubbell

thailand Casa Lapin Hipster-fave Casa Lapin has opened a new branch in bigger, spiffier digs up in the trendy Ari neighborhood.

Latte art is de rigueur here, as are delectably brewed espressos and drip coffees.

1F Noble Reform condominium, Phahon Yothin Rd., Soi 5, Bangkok; 66-81/261-2040; coffee for two Bt170.

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singapore Jimmy Monkey Café & Bar A colossal Slayer espresso machine—one of less than a hundred in the world, and the first in Singapore—is behind the fair-trade brews here. Owner Michael Ryan’s local roots show in every cup, and shine through in snacks like cheesy Vegemite toasts. 9 One-North Gateway; 65/6777-8470; jimmymonkey. com; coffee for two S$8.

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vietnam L’Usine If you’re looking for something sweet or savory to accompany your latte or ca phe sua da, the cupcakes at this skylight-filled, arty indie store-cum-café have a fanatical following, and the roast beef baguette is perfectly dappled with cornichons. 1F 151 Dong Khoi St., Q1, Saigon; 84-8/6674-9565; lusinespace. com; coffee for two VND120,000.

china Café del Volcán Painstakingly sourced single-origin beans from Guatemala, Sumatra, Yunnan and more are roasted fresh for the perfect cup of Joe. True java extremists can join their Coffee Club, or ask the expert baristas for custom blends. 80 Yongkang Rd., Xuhui Dist., Shanghai; 86-156/1886-9291; cafevolcan. com; coffee for two RMB80. ✚

courtesy of Jimmy Monkey

Jimmy Monkey Café & Bar, in Singapore.

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tread alert You’ll spot Nikes everywhere from Boston to Bali, but we love sneakers with a local stamp. Can you guess each shoe’s country of origin?

1 Is it odd that these all-terrain running shoes are named for a legendary sea captain?

Not in a country with more than 24,000 kilometers of coastline, fjords included.

2 To natives, feiyue means “flying

forward”—an allusion perhaps to their high-​ speed rail network, the world’s largest.

3 Lace up a pair of these on your walk to Skagen or your feet will be in a rotten state.

4 When does a sneaker have a logo derived

from three planetary orbits? When it comes from the Land of the Rising Sun. 5 To get ready for your walkabout, put these trainers down under your feet.

6 The name refers to the birthplace of the

hula, but these kicks actually hail from the capital of the samba.

7 Your chances of winning the jackpot are slim, but wearing a pair of Lottos can bring you one step closer to living la dolce vita.

—tomás martín

a n swers 1 n o r w aY ( H e l ly h a n s e n ) 2 c hi n a ( F e i y u e ) 3 d e n m a r k ( h u m m e l ) 4 j a p a n ( m iz u n o ) 5 a u s t r a l i a ( v o l l e y ) 6 b r a zi l ( h a v a i a n a s ) 7 i ta ly ( l o t t o )

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Photographed by Victor Prado

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The Italian-designed Mahadthai Uthit Bridge, Bangkok; Baan Hollanda, in Ayutthaya, was a gift from the Netherlands.

flights

Tiger’s New Stripes

guides

Shared History

Never-colonized Thailand probably isn’t the first place that springs to mind when you’re looking for a taste of old-world Europe. But, in fact, you can get your Continental fix from just strolling through the current capital and one of its ancient ones. In both Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thailand’s long-standing relationships with countries such as Italy, Germany and Belgium made marks on city planning and culture that survive even today.

Dating back to the 15th century, King Rama Thibodi II traded with the Portuguese, while in the early 1900’s

King Chulalongkorn looked to Europe for inspiration on building roads, canals, railways and universities. The European Heritage Map of Bangkok and Ayutthaya, recently released by the European Union, highlights palaces, bridges, trading posts architects, churches and even military uniforms of European design or influence. Think bas-reliefs, frescoes, columns and murals. A walking tour with this map in hand will unveil more than a few surprises and may even cast the capital in a new, stained-glass, light. eunic-online.eu/thailand.

goods

wild things

Nylon shopper tote (fendi.com)

You don’t need binoculars to spot the season’s fiercest trend: vibrantly updated animal prints that help you stand out from the herd.

—mimi lombardo

Satin pump (bionda castana.com)

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Gold-tone stainless-steel watch (guess watches.com)

c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f t i g e r a i r ; © EU n i c Th a i l a n d ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f GUESS w at c h e s ; ya s u + j u n k o ( 3 )

The Singapore-based budget airline Tigerair, formerly Tiger Air, may have lost a space in its name, but it’s more than making up for it by adding space to its seats, plus tacking on many new services.

The re-launched airline now offers soup to nuts travel services, so guests can book hotels, holiday homes, insurance, rental cars and, of course, flights, including a few new routes, all from its revamped website. tigerair.com.

Radar Clockwise from left: A ship docked in Pemuteran Bay; distant mountain views from the village’s shoreline.

d i s c ov e r y

Quiet Corners

On the popular island of Bali, privacy often feels in short supply, but there are still secluded coasts that remain picturesque and untouched. Brian Spencer kicks back on one of his favorites: the sunny shores of Pemuteran.

Pemuteran, a sleepy fishing village ringed by craggy mountains, is tucked away in relative seclusion on Bali’s virgin northwest coast. The only indication of anything man made is a single line of telephone poles rising above this deep-green valley.

The island’s pastoral charms dazzle in this Edenic setting, where blooming frangipani color quiet, dusty roads traversed by more free-roaming fowl than people. Volcanic mountain peaks shrouded by wispy stratus clouds in neighboring Java shape the area’s dramatic daytime backdrop, while on clear nights a dizzying star-filled sky sparkles with planetarium-like clarity.

Cheap, cheerful and open for lunch and dinner, family-run Santai Warung (Jln. Pantai Balangan 1, Pantai Balangan, Pecatu; dinner for two US$15) is a casual spot to indulge in simple, tasty Indonesian fare. Gadogado (boiled veggies with peanut sauce) is recommended, but their fish satay, made with charcoal-grilled Photographed by Brian Spencer

chunks of seasonal catches, will have you coming back daily. Everything goes well with a bottle of Bintang.

Restaurants are empty by 10 p.m., the trickle of visitors retiring to beachside bungalows to prep for the next day’s aquatic pursuits. The Taman Sari Bali (tamansaribali.com; deluxe bungalows from US$100 night) is great seaside hideaway. All about relaxation, this resort has a spa, temple and meditation center, set between the ocean and the mountains. All paths, indeed, lead to Pemuteran’s coralstrewn, black-sand beach.

Diving expeditions to nearby Menjangan National Park yield some of Bali’s finest underwater wonders, though offshore snorkeling right at Pemuteran Bay provides a glimpse into Southeast Asia’s most-successful coral comeback story. Launched in 2000 in response to the bay’s decimated habitat, Biorock (biorockbali.webs.com) is the world’s largest coral reef restoration and preservation project, with more

than 60 artificial and electrically powered cages, many shaped like hulls from shipwrecked vessels, dotting the submerged Technicolor landscape.

“The electric current flowing through the structures and titanium mesh forms a galvanic cell that raises the structures’ pH levels, causes minerals to be taken out of the seawater, and to accrete on the structures,” says Karin van Beeck, manager of Bali Diving Academy Pemuteran (62-361/ 270-252; scubali.com). “This process makes it easier for the coral to get these minerals, which means they can grow faster than normal. They also have more energy for reproduction and selfdefense, making them more resistant to coral disease and other pollutants.”

Last year Biorock earned one of 25 Equator Prizes, awarded biennially by the Equator Initiative to the world’s leading eco-friendly sustainability projects. It’s Pemuteran’s biggest tourist draw and its only claim to fame—and that’s just fine by me. ✚

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Santa’s Helpers

Looking to spread holiday cheer? Mark Lean interviews some experts for tips on this season’s perfect presents.

Maximilian Büsser

A 1973 Porsche RS 2.7 “For me, it’s the most iconic street-legal Porsche of all time. It’s stunning, super light, incredibly fun to drive and will never depreciate in value.” porsche.com.

Frank Buchwald’s Light Object 01 “Handcrafted by Frank from scratch (it takes him five to six weeks to complete one), this is one of the most beautiful pieces of mechanical art I have seen.” frankbuchwald.de; $9,745.

A Week at EcoCamp Patagonia “In the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, this geodesicdomed property is Patagonia’s first 100 percent eco-sustainable accommodation. The scenery is breathtaking.” ecocamp.travel; from $1,798 for a twin-sharing six-day hiking and skiing package.

Berluti Formula 1001 Travel Bag “It’s super practical and exquisitely made. The patina also ages beautifully with time.” berluti.com; from $9,600.

Rhodium Prodigy Birdfish Guitar “Ulrich Teuffel, one of the most talented guitar makers in the world, has only made five of these to date and crafts virtually every part himself.” teuffel.com; $18,300.

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*All prices throughout the Gift Guide are listed in US dollars and may vary by region and retailer.

C l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f m a x i m i l i a n b Ü s s e r ; c o u r t e s y o f p o r s c h ; c o u r t e s y o f e c o c a m p ; c o u r t e s y o f b e r l u t i ; c o u r t e s y o f t e u f f e l ; c o u r t e s y o f f r a n k b u c hw a l d

Watchmaker, MB&F; Geneva mbandf.com

T o p, c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f G o ya r d ; c o u r t e s y o f g u c c i ; c o u r t e s y o f g u t b e d a r id a ; c o u r t e s y o f p e r r i n p a r i s ; c o u r t e s y o f l o r o pi a n a ; c o u r t e s y o f j o h n h a r d y. b o t t o m , c l o c k wi s e f r o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f A n d r e F u ; c o u r t e s y o f m o l e s k i n e ; c o u r t e s y o f s m y t h s o n ; c o u r t e s y o f g o ya r d ; c o u r t e s y o f Th e A n t i t h e s i s ; c o u r t e s y o f j o m a l o n e

Gucci Lace Up Sneaker with Signature Web Detail “I am constantly traveling and running around. These shoes are incredibly comfortable with a classic design that can be paired with everything I wear.” gucci.com; $495.

Goyard Boeing Bag “I think this bag is really both functional and sophisticated, making it the perfect gift for a sporty-chic friend.” goyard.com; price upon application.

Naga Braided Chain Bracelet “The dragon in this bracelet will bring the wearer protection on their travels while keeping them wonderfully chic!” johnhardy.com; $1,895.

Guy Bedarida Creative director, John Hardy; Bali johnhardy.com

Loro Piana Plane Mask “It’s made of luxurious cashmere and silk, making it so soft and light for the travelers to sleep in style.” loropiana.com; $345.

Perrin Travel Clutch 9 “A great gift for people always on the go because it keeps everything organized and together in the most luxurious way.” perrinparis.com; $2,800.

Smythson Gresham Passport Cover “A personal passport cover for all seasons and travels. It could also be gold-stamped with initials to add a personal touch.” smythson.com; $182.

André Fu Architect, AFSO; Hong Kong afso.net

Goyard Name Card Case “Its timeless monogram design in a hybrid of colors caters to all tastes.” goyard. com; $250.

Moleskine Pocket Daily Planner for 2014 “In our digital era, I always encourage all to go back to basics and keep a notepad to record all moments in life.” moleskine.com; $20.

Jo Malone Blue Spruce Deluxe Candle “Scent is always an integral part of today’s lifestyle and this unique flavor should invoke a great sense of festivity.” jomalone.com; $182.

A Bespoke Journey Hardcover Book “A coffee table book that showcases a handful of my signature projects made over course of the past 10 years of my career.” amazon.com; $60.

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Cars: The Movie “A films and car buff, Spanish graphic artist Jesús Prudencio has created a collection of illustrated color posters celebrating cool cars from memorable movies: Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction, Goldfinger and more.” carsandfilms.com; $28.

Gaggan Anand Chef, Gaggan; Bangkok eatatgaggan.com

Rise Up Over-Ear Headphones from the House of Marley “The ultimate gift for any music aficionado, the device offers warm bass notes and beautiful, clean mids and highs.

And they are environmentally friendly as well.” thehouseof marley.com; $150.

Kitchen Finger Guard “With this nifty gadget, everyone can slice and dice like a pro chef and still keep their fingers intact.” chefscatalog.com; $10.

Chelsea Miller Knives “My chef friends love these handcrafted knives made using local materials and old tools used to shoe horses.” chelseamillerknives.com; from $350.

Louis Vuitton 15th Anniversary City Guides “As a travel freak, I’d love to keep this limited edition set for myself.

It covers the best of what to do in 15 of the most exciting cities in the world.” louisvuitton.com; $80.

Prada Gingham Check Handbag “Checks are on-trend this season. I am in love with this bag. It is ideal when matched with jeans and T-shirts for high tea outings with friends.” prada.com; $1,930.

Miu Miu Orange Down Jacket “Sporty elements like zippers and big pockets with a cinch at the waist transform this down jacket into a chic item that keeps one really warm too.” miumiu.com; $1,900.

Earrings and necklace from Bernard Delettrez’s Third Eye Collection “These accessories from Bernard Delettrez’s Third Eye collection are both eye-catching and symbolic.” bernard delettrez.com; from $700.

Church Burwood Brogues “A musthave for every stylish gentleman—you can’t go wrong with these classic shoes.” church-footwear.com; $520.

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Chen Ran Model and actress, starred in Chen Kaige’s Caught in the Web; Shanghai

T o p, c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: e atat g a g g a n . c o m ; c o u r t e s y o f Th e h o u s e o f m a r l e y; C o u r t e s y o f C o l u m b i a P i c t u r e s I n t e r n at i o n a l ; c o u r t e s y o f c h e l s e a m i l l e r k n iv e s ; c o u r t e s y o f l o u i s v u i t t o n ; c o u r t e s y o f c h e f s c ata l o g . c o m . b o t t o m , c l o c k wi s e f r o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f m i u m i u ; c o u r t e s y o f p r a d a ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f c h u r c h - f o o t w e a r ; c o u r t e s y o f b e r n a r d d e l e t t r e z

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T o p, c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f a m ph r a i d u r e l l ; c o u r t e s y o f N a n c y Ch a n d l e r ; c o u r t e s y o f N a r a i P h a n d ; c o u r t e s y o f O c e a n d y n a m i c ; c o u r t e s y o f ji m t h o m p s o n ; c o u r t e s y o f s i a m b o ta n i c a l s . b o t t o m , c l o c k wi s e f r o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f a m a n r e s o r t s ; c o u r t e s y o f r a f É ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f Ta p u l a n g a f o u n d at i o n ; c o u r t e s y o f g l o b e t r o t t e r 1 8 97. c o m

Amphrai “Pai” Durell Sales Manager, Siam Botanicals; Bangkok

Siam Botanicals Facial Starter Kit “This four-step replenish kit will cleanse, exfoliate, tone and repair the skin with natural ingredients that are totally chemical free and organic.” siambotanicals.com; $11.

A Stay at Amanpulo, Philippines “I’d love to spend one week by the beach reading, going diving and swimming, or just relaxing.” amanresorts.com; from $1,150 per night.

Globe-trotter Special Edition James Bond Suit Case “How chic is this all-black suitcase? Now this is traveling in style!” globetrotter1897.com; $1,875.

Thai Handicrafts at Narai Phand “You can find fabulous ceramics, Khon masks, scarves and many other unique items at this governmentsponsored store, which supports rural villages throughout the country and helps preserve traditional skills.” naraiphand. com; gifts starting at $10.

Nancy Chandler’s Handdrawn Maps and Cards of Thailand “These maps are as helpful as they are beautiful, providing a graphic insider’s guide to cities across the country.” nancychandler.net; maps $15.

Jim Thompson Thai Silk “I love Thai silk as I love the feel of the fabric; this product makes me feel proud to be Thai.” jimthompson.com; silk shirts $65.

A Rafé Maryanne Minaudière “This iconic box clutch is completely handcrafted, incorporating artisanal techniques using different shell varieties as well as industrial elements like brass and stainless steel.” rafe.com; $495.

Ocean Dynamic Waterproof Dry Bags “A gift idea for all year and for any climate to keep your things protected from the elements.” planetscuba.net; $28 for a 20-liter bag.

Rafé Totengco Fashion designer, Rafe; New York rafe.com

Giving Back “Every holiday season as a gift to select friends I donate money in their names to a non-profit organization in the Philippines called the Tapulanga Foundation that provides educational and healthcare assistance to children from farm communities in my hometown.” tapulanga.org.

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Christina Yu Creative Director, Ipa-Nima; Saigon ipa-nima.com Michele De Albert Helmet Lacquer Salad Bowl with Bamboo Handle “A lot of my friends are foodies and this salad bowl is funky, elegant and practical.

The lacquer is hand-painted and the bamboo-shaped handle makes it easy to carry from the kitchen to the dining room table.” gayavietnam.com; $85.

Tri Colored Small Bangle and Coil Bracelets from Charmés “I love fine jewelry that is versatile and this fits the bill perfectly. The bracelet and the coils are plated in three colors of gold, rose gold and silver. They can be worn together or separately for an evening or a casual look.” chezcharmes.com; $220 as a set or $95 per coil.

Dominique Saint Paul Name Card Case “DSP saved my life in terms of finding gifts for men.

Handcrafted, painted and polished in patina leather, I can customize each case to my friends’ favorite colors and no two items will look the same.” dominiquesaintpaul.com; $110.

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Catherine Denoual Bed Linens “My beauty secret is sleep, and I have never slept better than in Catherine Denoual bed linens. Made with 500 thread count Egyptian cotton complete with mother-of-pearl buttons and hand embroidery, they feel like satin on the skin and look exquisite.” catherinedenoual.com; from $51.

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Ipa-Nima Valentine Leather Bag “This is my favorite bag from my latest AW1314 collection. Made with the softest Italian lambskin with hand appliqué embroidery, this bag has a great hand feel and it’s very functional. I love the quirky birds pattern, which reminds me of love and friendship.” ipa-nima.com; $285.

Quasar Khanh Grenade Barstool “Quasar Khanh is one of the most influential designers in Vietnam today and his earlier designs can be found in museums all over the world. Each Grenade barstool is individually casted, cooled, sanded and hand-polished for a unique finish.” gayavietnam.com; $450.

c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: B o r i s z u l i a n i ; c o u r t e s y o f ip a - n i m a ; c o u r t e s y o f g aya vi e t n a m ; c o u r t e s y o f c at h e r i n e d e n o u a l ; c o u r t e s y o f d o m i n i q u e s a i n t p a u l ; c o u r t e s y o f g aya vi e t n a m ; c o u r t e s y o f c h e z c h a r m É s

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Editors’ Picks And finally, here are a few items we’d love stuffed in our stockings this holiday season. Here’s hoping Santa’s a subscriber.

Chopard Imperiale Ring Borrowing from traditional imperial blossom motifs, this gorgeous ring comes in diamonds and white gold or seven carats of amethyst set in rose gold. Either way, you’re sure to feel like royalty. chopard.com; $4,060.

Instabeat High-tech swim gear at its best, this waterproof heart rate monitor mounts on your goggles and displays your heart rate directly onto the lenses, so you can maintain your peak performance. instabeat.me; $149.

Canon Powershot G16 Canon released this new little powerhouse in October, with artistic HDR modes that allow aspiring photographers to give their shots an original spin, and built in Wi-Fi to share the fruits of that creativity. canon.com; $550.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date This classic chronometer wristwatch now comes with modern touches and in a bold variety of colors, from cognac to cherry, while the watchcases are matched in 18-carat yellow gold, white gold or ever rose, to stunning effect. rolex.com.

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IdeaPad Yoga 11s This nifty device is compact, powerful and perfect for travel. The size of a magazine, it transforms from a tablet to a laptop in an instant for adaptable on-the-go entertainment. lenova.com; $1,120.

Lucaris Shanghai Soul Grand Bordeaux and Burgundy These gorgeous, oversized crystal glasses are both durable and elegant, making them perfect for entertaining. lucariscrystal.com; $65.

Burberry Long Gabardine Trench Coat The revamped classic references the original Burberry trench with details including epaulettes, a gun flap and a rain shield, and is finished with the iconic check undercollar for that extra touch of style. burberry.com; $2,230.

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Coach Leather Scrabble Set A triple-word score for the person in your life who falls in the middle of the Venn diagram between “dandy” and “geek,” this comely leather Scrabble set disports a lofty level of taste; the superlative complement to a capacious vocabulary. coach.com; $1,115.

c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f c h o p a r d ; c o u r t e s y o f i n s ta b e at; c o u r t e s y o f l e n o v a ; c o u r t e s y o f l u c a r i s c r y s ta l ; c o u r t e s y o f c o a c h ; c o u r t e s y o f b u r b e r r y; c o u r t e s y o f r o l e x ; c o u r t e s y o f c a n o n

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advertising special Akshardham Temple in Delhi, opposite: Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha

A MATTER F

or centuries India’s spiritual heritage has remained a magnet for people from all over the globe. Whether it was Buddhist scholar Hieun Tsang from ancient China in the 6th century, who travelled around India seeking the wisdom of the Buddhist faith, or English songsters, The Beatles, seeking solace in their frenzied lives at the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh in the Himalayas — the pull of spiritual India continues to provide a host of enriching cultural encounters for travelers.

The secular framework of Indian society has accommodated an astonishingly diverse range of religious traditions, so richly evident in the Hindu, Islamic, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Bahai and tribal religious structures scattered across the length and breadth of the country. India is the cradle of two of the world’s oldest religions— Hinduism and Buddhism, which have left their mark way beyond the frontiers of their homeland. From the earliest times the two streams of religious thought forged lifelong influences with the nations of South East and Central Asia, creating numerous ties that bind them to the compelling spiritual landscape of India.

Hinduism

It is the desire of the Hindu devotee to find moksha (spiritual liberation) from samsara (cycle of rebirth) — to become one with Brahman (the Supreme One), who is

nirgun (formless).There are seven holy places which can bestow a Hindu the spiritual freedom that he seeks— Varanasi/Benaras (the old Kashi), Mathura, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Kanchi, Ujjain and Dwarka…today lively tourist hubs all.

Varanasi Set upon the Great North Indian Plains of Uttar Pradesh is Varanasi the city of Lord Shiva, where his celestial light first pierced the earth. Said to be older than legends themselves this hallowed city of indeterminate antiquity is the most sacred place for Hindus— for Lord Shiva himself, it is believed, whispers the mantra of moksha in the ear of the dying. Housed within the venerable Vishwanath Temple here is that deeply revered symbol of Shiva, the linga.

A slow boat ride at dawn down the Ganga puts in perspective this city’s “splendid jumble of massive and picturesque masonry…movement, motion and human life”. Manikaran Ghat is the site of last rights of millions of devout Hindus, while Dashashvamedha Ghat beckons with superb atmospherics and moving aarti at dusk.

Since 1830 people have thronged here to witness the 31-day pageantry of the Ram Leela of Ramnagar, a staging of the Hindu epic Ramayana, inSeptember/October.

Savour the sites and aromas of culinary Benaras, then plunge into Gaudulia Market and Chowk for Benarasi brocades and silks.

OF FAITH Haridwar and Rishikesh Ruminating by the hallowed waters of the revered Ganga River in the “Devibhumi” (abode of the gods) of Uttarakhand, Haridwar and Rishikesh fall on the route taken by ancient sages in search of the gods amongst the pinnacles of the Himalayas. Pilgrims perform time-worn rituals at Haridwar’s Har-ki-Pauri bathing ghat (the exact point where the river enters the plains) before setting off for Ganga’s earthly birthplace, Gaumukh, at Gangotri in the Garhwal Himalaya. Every 12 years, Haridwar hosts a Kumbh Mela, for this is one of the places in India where the divine nectar is said to have fallen from the celestial pot (kumbh). For the Hindu, faith, meditation and yoga have traditionally sustained one’s spiritual well-being. Rishikesh is today the yoga capital of the world and attracts global visitors for the annual 7-day International Yoga Festival in March.

Puri Situated in Odisha by the Bay of Bengal along India’s eastern coast, Puri is home to the Jagannath Temple, one of the four primary Hindu Char Dhams located on the four compass points of India. The temple is also renowned for the 9-day Rathyatra Festival (June/July) attended by one of the world’s largest religious congregations. Though Hindus alone are allowed in the sacred temple, anyone can join the procession of the chariots bearing Lord Jagannath, an avatar of Lord Krishna.

Pushkar The only known temple to Lord Brahma is located around the lake at Pushkar in Rajasthan, home to one of India’s biggest cattle fairs, held on Kartik Purnima (Oct/ Nov). The week-long mela has fused together commerce and religious fervor in an extravaganza of cultural delights, enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.

MATHURA AND VRINDAVAN The sacred region of Mathura and Vrindavan Braj in Uttar Pradesh linked to Lord Krishna’s early life, is the setting of one of India’s exuberant Holi festivities. Braj’s Lathmar Holi is a unique affair, in which the ladies of Barsana village playfully beat Nandgaon men with laths (sticks), as a re-enactment of Radha and the gopis (milkmaids) beating the naughty Krishna and his friends. Mathura is Krishna’s birth place and Vrindavan is where, as a flute-playing youth, he frolicked, danced and wooed Radha and the gopis — inspiring India’s beautiful, 400-year-old Rasa Leela tradition of plays.

Spread across India, the traveler will discover the astonishing wealth of religious structures of the Hindu faith—from the simplest shrines to the grandest edifices—among them Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati Shrine, Tamil Nadu’s Great Living Chola Temples, such as the Brahadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur and Gujarat’s Somnath and Ambaji temples. Many new structures

Guilded Reclining Buddha in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh

have further enriched this spiritual heritage. Among the modern temples are the ISKCON temple at Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi’s Akshardham temple.

Buddhism

Year round, streams of Buddhist devotees converge on a hallowed pilgrimage point—Bodhgaya’s Bodhi Temple in Bihar, now a UNESCO–acclaimed World Heritage Site.

The temple, which is home to the Bodhi tree believed to be the direct descendant of the original tree under which Lord Buddha meditated and attained Enlightenment, is part of a Buddhist pilgrimage circuit which encompasses Lumbini, Sarnath, Rajgir, Sravasti, Vaishali, Kushinagar with its gilded reclining Buddha—compelling sacred spaces in Nepal and the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh associated with the Lord Buddha’s journey on earth. A wider circle across India encompasses other Buddhist sites linked to Buddha’s spiritual legacy.

Odisha Some of the most astonishing discoveries were made of Odisha’s Buddhist past at the archeological sites of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri and Langudi dating from the 6th century. Amongst the finds were monasteries, temples, shrines and stupas. The sculptures of iconic Buddhist images, created by the monks in the cave dwellings, are a source of wonder even today.

Madhya Pradesh India’s second largest stupa (283 BCE), commemorating Emperor Ashoka’s propagation of Buddhism, is located at Sanchi — a UNESCO-acclaimed World Heritage Site. It was a flourishing Buddhist enclave till the 14th century. Also worth visiting is the late-Ashoka era stupa at Bharhut.

Maharashtra Swelling throngs of tourists arrive every year to marvel at the wonder of the compelling beauty and freshness of the centuries-old Buddhist frescoes and rock art, discovered accidently in the 19th century at the Ajanta Caves (visited along with Ellora) . The Pithalkhora, Bhaja and Karla Caves are filled with Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhist-inspired art.

Andhra Pradesh A much-revered Buddhist site, India’s tallest stupa— the 2nd century BCE, 95-foot high Mahachaitya Stupa, is located in Amravati in Andhra Pradesh.

CHHATTISGARH Astonishing discoveries are being made of its Buddhist past at Chhattisgarh’s sprawling 5th-8th century archaeological excavation, Sirpur by the banks of the Mahanadi River.

advertising special Karnataka Though best known for their ancient Hindu temples, Aihole and Badami are now also being recognized for their Buddhist heritage. Aihole features a 5th-century Mahayana Buddhist rock-cut shrine—possibly the oldest surviving structures in Karnataka, and Badami has yielded a 6th-century Buddhist shrine with a statue of Padmapani Buddha. Sannathi reveals Buddhist sites dating to the 1st and 3rd centuries, while a short distance away the monastic site of Kanaganahalli features a 1st-century stupa, Buddha padas and sculptured panels.

BUDDHA’S HIMALAYAN DEVOTEES Living Buddhism experiences await visitors across the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan regions of India.

The venerable 16th-17th century Buddhist monastery at Tawang, in the remote Himalayan enclaves of Arunachal Pradesh, attracts thousands of visitors to witness the rich pageantry of its traditional festivals. Sikkim has a slew of centuries-worn monasteries in the Himalayan precincts of the world’s third biggest mountain—the holy mountain Kanchendzonga. Himachal’s Mcleodganj is a magnet for visitors all year round as is Buddhist Ladakh for its painted cave dwellings, gompas and traditional pageantry of the Hemis Fesival. One of the most beautiful gompas is the one at Likir with its statue of the Maitreya Buddha.

Maitreya Buddha Statue at Likir Gompa in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir

Mahaparinirvana Express Travellers, who want to follow India’s Buddhist trail on a tight schedule, can now do it with the Mahaparinirvana Express, an eight-day airconditioned rail journey which covers all the primary points of homage associated directly with Buddha’s life. The itinerary also covers Lumbini (Nepal) to the Buddhist pilgrimage hubs in India—Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar where he attained Nirvana.

Leaving from Delhi the eight-day journey covers Bodhgaya - Nalanda/Rajgir - Varanasi/Sarnath Kushinagar - Lumbini - Sravasti - Agra/Delhi.

The Buddhist Package includes a traditional welcome, luggage assistance, security, travel, meals, entrance fee at various places and stay on twin share basis.

TIP: Foreign nationals need a Nepali double/ multiple entry visa for Lumbini which can easily be attained at the border so keep two passport-size photographs handy.

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Islam

Rooted in India since the 12th century with the arrival of Muslim conquerors Islam is followed here by the world’s third largest Muslim-minority population—now an integral part of the cultural fabric of India. Scattered across the country are a host of deeply venerated mosques and tombs with their Persian and Arabic architectural inspirations. Some of the best known are Mughal-era Jama Masjid in Delhi, Asafi Mosque in Lucknow, Makkha Masjid in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar. Sufi saints

Salim Chisti Dargah at Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, Uttar Pradesh

played an important part in the spread of Islam. Primary Sufi pilgrimage hubs include Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti’s Dargah (Ajmer, Rajasthan), Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (Delhi), Salim Chisti Dargah (Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh) and the Deva Sharif Shrine near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

One of the most visited Sufi shrines is Delhi’s Dargah of Khwaja Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Close by lies his beloved disciple, Delhi’s great Sufi poet Amir Khusrau, whose beautiful devotionals are sung even today at the much-attended qawwali sessions at the Dargah. Dressed

Arthunkal Church in Alappuzha, Kerala

Harmandir Sahib (GoldenTemple) in Amritsar, Punjab

in yellow join the traditional Sufi Basant Walk to the dargah celebrating the arrival of spring with mustard flowers, as in the days of the Khwaja. The festival of Eid is celebrated with great fervor.

Sikhism

The Sikh faith, established in the 16th century in India

by Guru Nanak, has spread far beyond the frontiers of undivided Punjab, its birthplace. Sikh’s also adhere to the symbolic kesh, kara, kacch, kangha and kirpan, which represent the initiated khalsa (pure) order established by 10th guru Gobind Singh. He also started the Holla Mohalla Festival at Anandpur Sahib, which showcases the legendary courage and military prowess of the Sikhs.

Amritsar’s serene Golden Temple is the spiritual fountainhead of Sikh devotees. Be there at dawn or late night to witness the beautiful ceremonial journey of the holy Guru Granth Sahib from Darbar Sahib to the Akal Takht where it is put to bed for the night. Sikh devotees also pay homage at the Kesar Sahib Gurudwara at Anandpur Sahib, Maharashtra’s Nanded Gurudwara and Patna’s Harmandir Sahib, of the four principle seats of the Sikh faith.

Jainism

A contemporary of Buddhism in the 6thcentury (but without its widespread popularity) Jainism has a small but devoted following. Some of most exquisitely carved Jain temples can be found at Dilwara in Rajasthan and Mumbai in Maharashtra. At Sravanabelagola in Karnataka the object of worship for streams of Jain devotees is the 57-foot-high Gommateshvara Bahubali, the world’s largest monolithic stone statue. The Jain temple at Palitana draws huge throngs of devotees.

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Judaism and Christianity

Not only has Kerala’s harbour city Kochi been a magnet for traders in search of the “black gold,” pepper, it has also given refuge to communities fleeing persecution. Slip into the Pardesi Synagogue in Jew Town, India’s oldest synagogue, built by White (Pardesi) Jews who fled their homes in the Middle East centuries ago. The descendants of the first Jewish settlers are known as the Black/Malabari Jews.

Christianity came to India with the Apostle St. Thomas (52 AD) in Kerala. At Allappuza, the Arthunkal Church is one of Kerala’s most important pilgrimage sites. Christianity’s many streams found a home on the Konkan Coast and in the North East states. The Portuguese came through Kochi and Goa for trade with Jesuit missionaries such as Francis Xavier. Visit Old Goa’s beautiful churches (Basilica of Bom Jesus, Church of St Francis of Assisi, Se Cathedral, Church of Francis Xavier), savour Goan cuisine and remember the Goa Carnival when it’s over.

Zoroastrian and Bahai

India’s many faiths have created an enduring spiritual heritage within the framework of its secular traditions.

Persecuted and exiled from Persia (Iran) in ancient times, small communities of Zoroastarians (Parsis) and Bahais found refuge in the social fabric of India. Though the Parsis are protective of their faith, they have contributed to India in industry, commerce and culture.

Mirrored in the calendar of festivals is India’s secular spirit and magnetism as a tourist destination. Important festivals include Diwali, Dussera, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi and the amazing Kumbh Mela. Little wonder India’s spirituality, philosophy and traditions make it one of the most alluring places on earth.

India Tourism Singapore, info@indiatourism.com.sg, www.incredibleindia.org

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by Amy Farley

Inside

Travel + Leisure’s air travel update 2013 Page 72

1 the Bar code

The International Air Transport Association mandated in 2005 that all 240 member airlines have to use boarding passes embedded with bar codes rather than magnetic strips—making it possible to print them at home and ushering in the era of paperless travel.

2 flight time The practice of padding flight times to account for unpredictable tarmac traffic peaked around 2010. Airlines have since scaled back. This JFK-LAX flight went from six hours, four minutes in 2005 to six hours, 40 minutes in 2010. It’s now six hours, 15 minutes.

3 SECURITY

In the United States, the TSA’s PreCheck expedited security program continues its rapid expansion, adding new airlines and airports to its ranks (see “The Fast Lane,” page 74, for more). If you’re a member, scan your boarding pass to see if you’ve been granted PreCheck clearance for a given flight.

4 flight number In general, the higher the number, the more likely you’ll be flying with a code-​ share partner. Historically, American Airlines flights in the 2700 to 4500 range are largely operated by American Eagle.

United flights between 3255 and 6548 are often on ExpressJet planes.

Photo-Illustration by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin

six things you Didn’t know about your boarding pass 5 in-flight wi-fi Sky-high connectivity is becoming an industry standard. Almost all of American’s planes have Wi-Fi. Hong Kong Airlines and Turkish Airlines provide Wi-Fi access for free, while Emirates, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines charge a small fee.

6 seat number and Status At American Airlines, just 20 percent of passengers represent 70 percent of the company’s revenue. That means more perks (priority check-​ in and boarding; waived fees; upgraded seats) the closer you are to the front of the plane.

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Packing

By Mimi Lombardo

Q: i don’t want to schlep a garment bag on business trips. hOW should i pack A suit IN MY carry-on? —Bruce Saber, New York, N.Y. A: Our six-step method, below, keeps creases at bay for a smooth arrival.

To release any remaining rumples, use that old trick: hang the ensemble in the bathroom while showering—the steam will work wonders.

1.

2.

Hold the jacket facing away from you.

4.

Turn one half of the jacket, including the sleeve, inside out.

Fold sleeve across, then insert a curled-up pair of briefs under the shoulder pads to protect their shape.

Wool blazer and cotton twill pants by Lands’ End, landsend.com.

Treated fabric keeps out wrinkles. Watch: Baume & Mercier.

5.

Lay the jacket flat and align the lapels and collar, keeping natural folds.

Suit by Burberry Travel Tailoring, burberry.com. Memory wool allows it to keep its shape. Watch: Tag Heuer.

3.

Slip the right-side-out sleeve into the opposite armhole and pull all the way through.

6.

Roll the jacket around the bundle, then fold suit pants in half lengthwise and roll around jacket. Place in bag.

Savvy Shirts

Tie It Down

For quick packing and unpacking, opt for a roll-up tie holder (ties.com). It fits into the corner of your suitcase and slips over a hanger on arrival.

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A hard-sided roll (ties.com) provides extra protection for neckwear; just curl and place into the case.

Tumi’s leather-trimmed holder (tumi.com) packs flat and features a hidden pocket for those easyto-lose collar stays.

Photographed by Yasu + Junko

S t y l e d b y Ri c hi e Owi n g s f o r h a l l e y R e s o u r c e s

Brooks Brothers (brooksbrothers.com; right) and Thomas Pink (thomaspink.com; far right) offers a variety of crease-resistant shirts.

A packing cube, like this one from Victorinox Travel Gear (swissarmy. com), helps keep everything organized.

Tech Best New Walking Tour Apps Love exploring cities on your own two feet? These mobile services—vetted by tech correspondent Tom Samiljan—put the guide right in your pocket, giving you local expertise wherever you go.

FOR SPONTANEOUS ADVENTURES Field Trip (free; Android, iOS) This Google-designed app uses your phone’s location services to pick up on what’s cool around you nearly anywhere in the world.

(Use the app’s “Feeling Lucky” setting to minimize data-roaming charges.)

Wander the streets of Bangkok, for example, and you’ll get notifications about great restaurants, shops, historic sites and even special deals nearby—each tip pulls information from resources such as Zagat and the American Institute of Architects Exploring by car? Set the app on “speaking” mode for a hands-free experience.

FOR FAMILIES OR GROUPS Stray Boots (from US$2 per tour; Android, iOS) By combining the typical content of a city tour (historical information; themed itineraries) with the whimsy of a scavenger hunt (trivia; photo ops), Stray Boots creates a fun, gamelike approach to discovery. The downloadable, subjectspecific quests, which run the gamut from a New York sweets tour to a spin around romantic San Francisco, typically take two to three hours to complete, but you can stop and go as you please, making it easy to accommodate curious (or hungry) team members along the way.

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FOR HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE BUFFS Historypin (free; Android, iOS, Windows Phone) Want to identify a local landmark and see what it looked like a hundred years ago?

Try Historypin, which delivers nostalgic snapshots based on where you are. The images and accompanying text show up on an interactive map, and are entirely crowdsourced by a dedicated community of amateur and professional historians— meaning that you can upload your own finds along the way. For a more formal tour, turn to the app’s myriad preplanned excursions, which cover niche topics like Sydney’s Hyde Park or 19th-century Paris.

FOR EUROPE Cities Talking (US$4.65 per tour; iOS) Stealing a page from the ubiquitous museum audio tour, Cities Talking offers guides for 10 European hubs. Simply choose an itinerary (unexpected Florence or Prague’s castle district, for instance), press Play and start walking. The material, which ranges from historical facts to period gossip, begins automatically as you approach each site; the app knows where you are, thanks to your phone’s GPS. A bonus: since the content is downloadable, it doesn’t require a Wi-Fi connection, so roaming is never an issue.

Illustrated by Ben Wiseman

The Fix

By Amy Farley

Q: can you recommend any companies that are good for solo travelers?

—carolyn hall, chicago, ill.

The best of solo travel does just this: offers you all the solitude you crave, while also facilitating meaningful encounters with other people.

Cruises

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travelers and waiving the often-steep single supplement (an additional charge for unfilled space) that they usually tack on to such trips.

In my case, I chose a safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

And although I left somewhat reluctantly, I can honestly report (with apologies to my husband) that I had an even more remarkable time for being on my own. I often had safari vehicles and bush planes all to myself, and I had the undivided attention of my guides. Over meals and during shared game drives, I developed an easy camaraderie with people from around the globe. At night, lions, hippos and elephants congregated outside my tent.

I was alone, but never lonely.

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Azamara Club Cruises

35 By the Numbers

The percentage of solo travelers on tours offered

by Overseas Adventure Travel.

(azamaraclub​cruises.com) often drop it to 25 percent, and Crystal Cruises (crystalcruises.com) goes as low as 10 percent. Grand Circle Cruise Line (gct.com) has no single supplement for its small-ship cruises.

River cruises, in particular, have been rolling out the welcome mat for singles.

Companies such as AmaWaterways (amawater​ ways.com), Uniworld (uniworld. com) and Avalon Waterways (avalonwaterways.com) regularly waive the supplement altogether. AmaWaterways ➔

I l l u s t r at i o n s b y p e t e r a r k l e

A: A couple of months ago, after my daughter had passed through the dependent stage of infancy, I started to get the itch to take a big trip. The problem, my husband and I realized, was that one of us was going to have to stay home to take care of our kids. (With two of them under the age of four, it’s not a job that’s easily outsourced.) I would be traveling solo.

The good news: where there used to be a stigma associated with hitting the road on your own, there are now an increasing number of companies that recognize the value of single travelers. Tour operators and cruise lines have become more accommodating in recent years, creating special programs for unaccompanied

Not long ago, it was common to see a 100 percent surcharge on solo cruises. And though that’s still the case on some ships, the landscape is changing.

Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl. com) has a class of Studio cabins tailor-made for single travelers and priced at roughly 30 percent less than a double stateroom on its Epic, Breakaway and Pride of America ships. Lindblad Expeditions (expeditions.com) offers single-occupancy cabins on its National Geographic Explorer and Endeavour (and soon Orion) ships for about a third off a regular room. Other lines, meanwhile, have simply been reducing the supplement: Silversea (silversea.com) and

The Fix Room rates at most African lodges are based on double occupancy, making solo safaris quite expensive.

But some companies, notably Singita (singita.com), which has luxury camps and lodges in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa, are breaking with tradition and abandoning the single supplement. There are also opportunities for savings during the off-season.

Micato Safaris (micato. com), for example, slashes its supplements for East Africa departures in April and May.

Tours and Safaris

Wilderness Safaris

As with cruise lines, tour operators are offering more value for solo travelers—and are becoming adept at keeping group tours inclusive. Overseas Adventure Travel (oattravel. com) has no single supplement on any of its 44 land trips. (See T+L’s 2013 Global Vision Awards, page 118, for more on the company.)

Tauck (tauck.com) is reducing the surcharge on more than 30 of its 2014 land tours; Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com) either waives or lowers it for dozens of trips. (Both operators also frequently ditch the supplement on river cruises.)

(wilderness-safaris.com) waives the charge for flights and accommodations on trips throughout southern Africa from November through April 15. (I visited in early April, and the game viewing was spectacular.)

Again, the key is to book through an agent or safari operator who will know where the deals are and can place you with other solo travelers. Leora Rothschild of Rothschild Safaris (rothschildsafaris.com) also notes that picking the right camp is crucial. You’ll want one with family-style dining and not an overabundance of honeymooners.

What’s Your Problem?

I’ve been pickpocketed!

Do...

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Q: Is it rude to ask someone to quiet a child on a plane?

If the child is an infant, try to be sympathetic.

Intervening won’t help, but some earplugs might. When an older child is misbehaving (kicking the back of your seat, for example), then go ahead.

Usually, talking directly to the parent­­­—or even the child—will do the trick. If the problem persists, you should involve a flight attendant to keep the situation from escalating.

A: Find the nearest Western Union.

You can get cash wired to you within the hour.

Report a stolen passport to police and consular authorities; a replacement may be issued within 24 hours.

Don’t...

Expect a new bank or credit card to arrive immediately.

It could take a few days to reach you abroad.

Q: Is there any way to typhoonproof my vacation?

A: Short of completely avoiding travel in coastal areas during rainy season, your best defense is travel insurance (from companies such as Travel Guard or TravelEx). A few things to keep in mind: First, buy the insurance as soon as you book—before the storm has been named; otherwise you won’t be covered. Second, you might want to upgrade to a “cancel for any reason” policy, which allows you to change your plans even if your travel destination has not (yet) been directly affected by a typhoon. And finally, read the fine print closely. Not all policies are created equal.

the final say

Forget to cancel all cards immediately.

Some card providers charge fees for fraudulent use.

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The percentage of passengers who would prefer to sit next to a crying baby than a smelly adult. source: Harris Interactive

I l l u s t r at i o n s b y p e t e r a r k l e

and Viking River Cruises (vikingriver​cruises.com) also have a small inventory of single staterooms on some ships; book early to get them.

To keep track of specials geared toward solo travelers, it’s best to work with a travel agent. T+L A-List advisor and cruise specialist Mary Ann Ramsey, with Betty Maclean Travel in Naples, Florida, points out that not all ships have the right atmosphere and amenities for solo travelers; a good agent can steer you toward the best one.

Strategies

Air Travel Update 2013

Our annual report on the state of the skies takes a closer look at airports around the world, from security innovations to the best shopping.

PLUS Make the most of your layover with a transit tour. top airports overall

World’s Best Airports

For the first time, this year’s World’s Best Awards survey asked globe-trotting readers to rate their favorite airports. Read on for the results.

1 Singapore Changi Airport 2 Dubai International Airport 84.02

3 Hong Kong International Airport

SINGAPORE “Baggage claim is the best. I clear immigration and in minutes the bags come out.”

83.65

4 Abu Dhabi International Airport

Robyn Whittingham, Stamford, Conn.

81.39

5 Ben Gurion International Airport Tel Aviv 80.79

6 Incheon International Airport Seoul 80.36 hong kong “I like the people movers that run the length of the main terminal, whether I’m in a rush or have time to spare.”

Barbara Ng, Singapore

7 Munich Airport 80.10

8 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 78.43

9 Zurich Airport 78.34

Oslo Airport 10 Gardermoen 77.50

CLOCK W I SE FROM TO P LEFT: D a r r e n S o h ; C o u r t e s y o f D u b a i Ai r p o r t s ; © S a n j ay P i n di yat h / d r e a m s t i m e . c o m

88.26 DUBAI “The business-class check-in and lounge are magnificent— there’s even an ice cream station.”

Chris Barltropo, Toronto

For the full World’s Best Awards methodology, go to travelandleisure.com/ worldsbest.2013.

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Strategies

top airports for check-in + security

What makes a good airport great? Efficiency. Mark Orwoll explains how hubs are getting you there and back (and through security) faster than you might think.

For all the bells and whistles that airports are adding to their terminals—libraries; spas; art galleries; sleeping pods—it’s clear that travelers still value a seamless experience above all else. In recent years, airports across the globe have been tackling check-in and security in an attempt to make the process smoother and more efficient, employing everything from cutting-edge technology to better layout and design.

Globally, it’s large, ultramodern and brutally efficient airports that top this year’s World’s Best list. At mega-hubs catering to thousands of connecting

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international passengers every day, convenience and customer service are crucial. Singapore’s Changi airport has new private check-in lounges for premiumclass travelers, with direct access to the immigration halls. In Hong Kong, Terminals 1 and 2 are connected and within a quick walk of one another, and guides can also direct you if you get lost.

A growing trend among thoughtful airlines—in Seoul, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere—is the rise of check-in offices in city centers, where you can drop off your luggage, pick up a boarding pass and spend

1 Ben Gurion International Tel Aviv

93.90

2 Singapore Changi Airport 91.01

3 Hong Kong International 85.51

4A bu Dhabi International 84.17

P h o t o - I l l USTRAT I ON BY J a s o n F u l f o r d a n d Ta m a r a Sh o p s i n

The Fast Lane : Check-in and Security

top airports for location + access 1 Singapore Changi Airport 89.70

P hoto - I l l U S T R AT I O N B Y J ason F u l ford and Tamara S hopsin

more time in town. And if you want to know what’s on the horizon, pay attention to Qantas. Australia’s national carrier has reduced check-in time by issuing some passengers smart-chip frequent-flier cards that speed up the whole process by serving as permanent boarding passes.

When it comes to international security, each country and airport has its own protocol. Some rely on a strong in-terminal military presence (with gun-toting soldiers), while others focus on behavior-

based screening. Unfortunately, long lines are often the norm. One silver lining for Americans: in addition to its popular Global Entry program, which expedites members through Immigration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection now has kiosk-based automated passport-control lanes in several North American airports.

EU passport holders also have special channels in many European airports. And many airports in Asia open exclusive security lanes for premium-class travelers.

2 Dubai International 88.05

3 Adelaide Airport Australia

85.46

4B en Gurion International Tel Aviv

84.75

5 Tokyo Haneda International 84.62

Spotlight: Exit Routes We love the high-tech touches and fabulous food at the world’s best airports but, in the end, we just want to get to our final destination as quickly as possible, which is why we appreciate airports that are easy to access. Hong Kong leads the way in Asia with its super-convenient 24-minute train journey to Central—where, on the way out of town, you can check your bags pre-departure. A

shout out to Singapore too, where taxis can get you to most addresses in less than half an hour or, if you want to save money, you can just jump on the MRT: a train trip, with an easy transfer, to Orchard Road is doable for less than S$2 one way.

Shanghai’s maglev train is the fastest in the world, with an operating speed of 431 kph over the 30-kilometer stretch, though you’ll still

have to hop a taxi to your final destination. Saigon’s airport is just 6 kilometers from the city center, meaning that even during rush hour, you need only budget 30 minutes max for the VND120,000 cab ride.

The new terminal in Bali is still working out some kinks, but a toll road to Nusa Dua and an underpass to Seminyak have just opened, making for swift passages to both the southern peninsula

and Kuta. Brunei’s modest but efficient terminal reflects the tiny nation as a whole and shouldn’t be overlooked for trips to Borneo. Two rail links can get you to and from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi terminal; one is a direct, 15-minute route and the other makes several stops throughout the city. Both are best during high-traffic Friday and Sunday nights.

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Strategies top airports for food

1 Singapore Changi Airport 86.86

2 Hong Kong International 83.40

3 Dubai International 83.20

4M unich International 79.86

5 Incheon International

Going local at Singapore’s Changi Airport is as easy as slurping down a warming bowl of laksa.

Seoul 78.82

Terminally Delicious

If an international airport is meant to reflect the country it serves, then few do better than Singapore’s Changi, especially if you need a meal. By Christopher Kucway In Terminals 2 and 3, check out these delectable restaurants for multiple stamps on your palate’s passport: Chinta Manis for classic Peranakan dishes; Heavenly Wang for savory Chinese fare; and Ananda Bhavan’s outlets for a wide variety of Indian vegetarian dishes.

If your growling stomach is looking for something more straightforward before a long-haul flight, then head to Panapolis Café and Bakery, where fresh sandwiches will set you back less than S$10.

Airport Food Hit List

hong kong

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Dumplings

Caviar

dubai

san francisco

Order the xiao long bao soup dumplings at Crystal Jade (Terminal 1).

Feeling fancy?

Try the Caviar House & Prunier bar in Terminal 3.

Curry Up Now, a beloved local food truck, is parked near Terminal 1 at lunch on Thursdays.

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Curry

charlotte, north carolina

Barbecue

Brookwood Farms BBQ in Terminal 2 lures in-the-know locals.

munich

Beer

Sip one of the seasonal house brews at Airbräu (Terminal 2).

c h r i s t o ph e r k u c w ay. I l l u s t r at i o n s BY J o e MCKEN D RY

Even if you’re only in transit in Singapore, take advantage of the fact that you can get a good taste of the city. Changi is home to a handful of decent restaurants serving Chinese, Malay and Indian dishes—three worlds in one meal, depending upon how hungry you are. If in Terminal 1 you’re in need of a nasi lemak or laksa fix, head straight to 1983 Taste of Nanyang, for bygone flavors in a bowl. There’s even some dried, do-it-yourself versions for sale to sate your appetite once you’ve returned home.

Strategies

Airport Shopping

The Good, the Bad and the Just Plain Crazy

● Origami supplies (and creations) at the Nippon Origami Museum, in Tokyo’s Narita.

● Finely woven alpaca sweaters from Kuna at the Lima, Peru, airport.

Used race-horse shoes—dirt and all—at Louisville airport, in Kentucky. ●

● Bamilese juju hats at South Africa’s Johannesburg International (they make fantastic wall hangings).

● Spellbinding Haitian voodoo dolls at Port-au-Prince International.

sensible ● Caramel-filled Goo Goo Clusters, a regional classic, at Nashville International.

To do that voodoo that you do so well

outlandish Ooh la-la

● Local microbrews from Portland International, in Oregon.

● Coveted Korean cosmetics (the Face Shop; Etude House) at Seoul’s Incheon.

Ka-ching!

● Pretty little underthings at La Perla in Singapore’s Changi.

● Gold-bardispensing ATM’s (for real!) at Dubai International.

● Scorpion lollipops at Phoenix International.

expensive ● A monogrammed roll-aboard from the world’s first duty-free Louis Vuitton boutique, at Seoul’s Incheon airport.

top airports for shopping

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1 Singapore Changi Airport 89.59 2 Dubai International 88.05 3 Hong Kong International 86.41

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Oh! You shouldn’t have!

● A classic Tiffany Setting engagement ring from Tiffany & Co. at Hong Kong International.

4 Incheon International Seoul 84.54 5 Abu Dhabi International 80.00

CLOCK W I SE FROM TO P LEFT: I STOCK P H OTO ; b l i c k wi n k e l /A l a m y; I STOCK P H OTO ; J ON H ELGASON /ALAMY; OL I V ER NEE D H AM /ALAMY; MART I N W I LL I AMS /ALAMY; J UNGYEO l & M I NA / TONGRO / CORB I S ; C o u r t e s y o f Ti f f a n y & C o . ; C o u r t e s y o f L o u i s V u i t t o n ; C o u r t e s y o f Th e F a c e Sh o p ; C o u r t e s y o f M a d e i n O r e g o n ; COURTESY OF STAN D AR D CAN D Y CO . C e n t e r : V i c t o r V i r g i l e / G a m m a - Rh o / G e t t y I m a g e s

As airport stores multiply, so do your chances of finding the perfect souvenir.

But first, you’ll have to navigate all the alternatives, from budget breakers to safe bets to impulse buys that you may (or may not) regret once you’re home. We charted a few of our favorite finds.

Strategies

Making the Connection

The Hop-On Hop-Off double-decker bus.

Hong Kong’s big Buddha.

The Marina Bay Promenade.

Memorial Hall at Incheon.

Changi, Singapore Transiting passengers with at least five hours to spare can sign up for either the daytime Heritage tours (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily), or the atmospheric City Lights tours (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. nightly). On the latter, you’ll head to the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, before visiting the Bugis Village night market for souvenir shopping. The guided tour then ends at the famous colonial-era Raffles Hotel. changiairport.com

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Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong’s transit tours don’t quite compare to those offered in the Lion City. For starters, they’re not free. Second, the tours are actually run by outside travel agents. But on the plus side, airport departure tax is waived for same-day transit. The Lantau and Monastery Tour run by Splendid Tours (splendid.hk; adults HK$750) ticks off many of the local highlights. hongkongairport.com

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Incheon, Seoul Say anyong to South Korea, with their free tours that last up to six hours. A highlight of the Temple Tour is the Memorial Hall for the Incheon Landing Operation, built to commemorate when UN forces came ashore under American general Douglas MacArthur in 1950. After its opening, passengers will also be able to go for a free ride on the new maglev. airport.kr

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur’s tourism authorities have put together a smart Showcase KL package, where RM95 gets you a special pass that allows you to exit the airport, take a trip into town on the high speed Ekspres train (60 kilometers in 28 minutes), and a free ride around town on a KL Hop-On Hop-Off double-decker bus, which follows a loop circuit around more than 40 of the city’s major attractions. showcasekl. com

c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f KL H o p - O n H o p - O f f Ci t y T o u r ; Ch r i s t o ph e r k u c w ay; © S e v e n ay u / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; c o u r t e s y o f K o r e a T o u r i s m O r g a n iz at i o n

As competition for a spot on the World’s Best Airport list has intensified, it’s become an annual battle for the major players to outdo each other, coming up with new, innovative products such as passenger transit tours.

Nobody looks forward to a layover, but these creative excursions transform what’s usually just killing time into an exciting exploration of the city, and a few of them are even free. By Simon Ostheimer

Deals

Indonesia

US$245 per night

A Luxe suite at L Hotel Seminyak.

INDONESIA

Active

What Find the Suite That Fits Your Style at L Hotel Seminyak (thelhotels.com). Details Four nights in a Lifestyle suite.

Highlights A one-hour massage for two, a dinner for two, personal butler, and airport transfers.

Cost From US$980 (US$245 per night), double, through December 31. Savings 40 percent.

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LAOS

What Stay 3 Pay 2 at Hotel de la Paix Luang Prabang (hoteldelapaixlp.com). Details Three nights in a Garden suite.

Highlights Roundtrip airport transfers and complimentary mini-bar. Cost From US$840 (US$280 per night), double, through March 31, 2014.

Savings 33 percent.

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CAMBODIA

What Five for Three Retreat from Song Saa Private Island Resort (songsaa.com). Details Five nights in a One-Bedroom villa. Highlight Sea kayaking and snorkeling off the island’s shore.

Cost US$2,004 (US$401 per night) per person, all-inclusive, through January 31, 2014.

Savings 40 percent.

INDONESIA

What Found in Sumba at Nihiwatu (nihiwatu.com). What Seven nights in a Luxury suite.

Highlight The resort can arrange a deep-sea fishing excursion with their resident expert. Cost US$2,925 (US$418 per night) per person, allinclusive, through December 19.

Savings 40 percent.

c o u r t e s y o f l h o t e l s e m i n ya k

Romance

Island INDONESIA

What Lovable Home Staycation at Four on Drupadi (fourondrupadi. com). Details Two nights in a One-bedroom Pool villa.

Highlights One three-course candlelight dinner for two, one Bali Horse Riding session for two, one Balinese massage for two, return airport transfers, and access to Canggu Club. Cost From US$700 (US$350 per night), double, through December 20. Savings Up to 20 percent.

PHILIPPINES

What Exotic Boracay at Shangri-La Boracay Resort & Spa (shangri-la.com). Details Five nights in a Pool villa.

Highlight Add your own coral plantings at a nearby reef. Cost US$3,600 (US$720 per night), double, through December 25.

Savings From 30 percent.

terrace, one Thai buffet lunch at Sala Rim Naam per stay, and complimentary roundtrip limousine airport transfers. Cost From Bt34,198 (Bt17,099 per night), double, ongoing. Savings 38 percent.

Culture REGIONAL

What Treasures of Indochina from Asia Transpacific Journeys (asiatranspacific.com). Details Eight nights in hotels in Hanoi and Saigon, Vietnam; Luang Prabang, Laos; and Siem Reap,

Cambodia. Highlight A Vietnamese cooking class, including a trip to a local market and a four-course lunch. Cost US$3,895 (US$487 per night) per person, through December 31. Savings 30 percent.

INDIA

What Royal Experience at Taj Lake Palace (tajhotels.com).

Details Two nights in a Palace room. Highlight A half-day chauffeured tour of Udaipur.

Cost US$1,568 (US$784 per night), double, through December 31. Savings 30 percent.

Family MALAYSIA

What Family package at Holiday Inn Penang (holidayinnresorts. com). Details A stay in a Ferringhi Tower Kid suite.

Highlights Penang Escape Theme Park Tickets for two adults and two children, one family pizza meal per stay, one free popcorn, Kids Eat Free program, free Kids Club activities, and late check-out until 4 p.m. Cost From RM551, double, through December 19.

Savings 30 percent.

The Chao Phraya River from the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok terrace.

THAILAND

What 20% Special at Anantara Phuket (phuket.anantara.com).

Details Two nights in a Pool villa.

Highlights Daily buffet breakfast for two. Cost From Bt20,000 (Bt10,000 per night), double, through December 20.

Savings 20 percent.

City

c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l b a n g k o k

SINGAPORE

What Advance Purchase at Carlton City Hotel (carltoncity.sg).

Details Four nights in a Deluxe room. Highlights Complimentary Wi-Fi. Cost From S$760 (S$190 per night), double, must be purchased 30 days in advance, through November 30, 2014. Savings Up to 20 percent.

THAILAND

What Getaway package at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (mandarinoriental.com). Details Two nights in a Superior room.

Highlights Daily buffet breakfast at the Verandah

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Point of View

Munich Tokyo

Rome

Paris

Global Street Style

S

tyle, in a way, functions as a kind of sociocultural GPS, a psychic location finder. You can tell you’re in Paris, of course, because that’s the spire of the Eiffel Tower piercing the sky and there, in the distance, is Notre Dame, with its bell towers and imposing flying buttresses.

Just as confidently you can confirm your presence in the City of Light by the vision of its female residents disporting themselves along cobbled streets in pencil skirts and bank-heist satchels and blouses that require an instruction manual. Where but in Paris do women promenade in 16-centimer platform-wedge sandals worn as casually and as often as if they were Keds?

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Despite the march of globalization, a Parisian look persists. Others may ape it; eventually, they will throw up their hands in defeat. While the French are generally (and possibly too much) celebrated for their clever scarf-tying techniques, on anyone but an authentic Parisian a casually knotted kerchief from Hermès can just as easily say Girl Scout troop leader as paragon of chic.

True, I am trucking here in stereotypes, both sartorial and nationalistic. Yet cliché images of soigné Frenchwomen and Dutch boys in knickers and wooden shoes didn’t come out of nowhere. I blame the United Nations gift shop for leaving this wide-eyed first-grade class tripper with early misimpressions about folks from other places, the idea that the Dutch all looked like the bowl-cut kid

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on a box of household cleanser and that Asian children universally wore pigtails and had pencil erasers for feet.

Since then I have watched as, decade by decade, the distinctive superficial markers of regionalism disappeared. Away went kimonos and then wood-soled clogs and then sarongs and then Javanese teluk beskap and then turbans and eventually saris.

Time-tested uniforms have become so endangered that in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan the ruler made it essential for male citizens to don a belted traditional robe called a gho. It didn’t matter. The second the country relaxed its trade restrictions, Bhutanese guys fell in line with globalization and started wearing their gho over Lady Gaga T-shirts and acid-washed Mom jeans. ➔

f r o m l e f t: STREETFAS H I ONMON I TOR .COM (2) ; TOKYOFAS H I ON .COM ; STYLECL I CKER . NET

How can you tell a Parisian from a Roman? When it comes to the dress code of a city, Guy Trebay finds, it’s a matter of distinction.

Still, something mysterious persists in the human spirit, some subtly coded flock mentality. Thus a Parisian who exchanges clothes with a Kansan will likely end up looking French regardless, just as, to an experienced eye, a Milanese gent can never be mistaken for a Roman one, though they share a nationality.

Whether learned or innate, the specific sartorial code of each city remains distinctive, and you can tell a Milanese gent at a glance by his plumage and by a sober northern Italian style of tailoring that favors a smartly structured jacket, trousers snug and cuffed at the ankle, monkstrap shoes that are de rigueur for business or else the slouchy-casual driving loafers few have ever worn to drive an automobile (except perhaps to go zooming down the two-block length of the Via Montenapoleone, Milan’s main shopping drag, in a Maserati Ghibli).

That man with an old wristwatch of modest dimensions, worn on a leather strap: Milanese. The zip-front cashmere sweater, the Moncler puffer worn over a jacket, the loden coat are all giveaways. And so is the pocket square tidily drawing a line of contrasting color at the breast pocket of a Caraceni suit.

No cloud of paisley-patterned silk will be seen to puff from a Milanese gentleman’s jacket. For that you have to go to Rome. In Rome, patterns are boldly contrasting, ties knotted wider, shirt collars more generously expansive—as if to signal that, unlike their uptight northern cousins, Romans know how to chill out.

Roman women signal this tendency by maintaining their tans regardless of the season. Never mind that tanning is universally understood to cause premature aging and cancer. To a Roman like the designer Valentino Garavani, the risks are insignificant compared to the satisfaction of attaining a skin tone somewhere between Sunkist orange and burnt brick on the Pantone scale. And no one can argue that a walnut tan is not 86

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Brooklyn

Magpie travelers like myself become collectors of sense souvenirs— fragments that are pleasing to revisit and arrange in memory’s vitrine perfect for setting off the sorbet colors that many Romans favor—or for creating a contrast with the thick gold chains they drape at their throats or the gilded manacles they cram onto their wrists.

Well, a Florentine might. But that is only because in Florence a lunar Giaconda complexion remains popular five centuries after the Renaissance, but never mind that.

Among other things, magpie travelers like myself become collectors of sense souvenirs—fragments that, while they seldom add up to anything definitive, are pleasing to revisit and arrange in memory’s vitrine.

Foodies store up recollections of the old-socks perfume of truffles; the voluptuous flesh of an Alphonso

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mango; the scintillating sizzle of a dumpling fried in oil at some Singapore hawker’s stall. Personally, I tend to forget what I’ve eaten the moment the knife and fork are crossed on the plate. In truth and in general, I prefer to eat with my eyes.

Traveling, I consume, with equal parts befuddlement and abandon, images like one spotted on a warm spring afternoon on the Tokyo metro.

Standing on the platform of the Meiji-jingumae station were two groups. One, a coven of the demented goth Lolitas called Harajuku Girls, was clad in Frankenstein boots and nurse uniforms and had bleached-blonde dreadlocks or else tie-dyed yarn hair clipped into ponytails with real-life dentures. The other, a collection of office workers, was dressed, penguinstyle, in Identikit black suits, white shirts, black ties and black shoes.

It struck me then that there has got to be something strong in the cultural water to produce both Harajuku Girls and salarymen and contrasts of a kind you will observe in Tokyo and no other place on earth.

I love this quiddity, the somewhat inexplicable fact that in Munich, say, folks of all sorts cling to customs of formality in dress and also elements of rustic Bavarian fantasy.

In Munich, it is no rarity to see people at the opera or strolling through the Englischer Garten dressed in Maria von Trapp–style dirndls or boiled-wool jackets or stiff bürgermeister loden coats with elkhorn buttons or Trachten hiking hats adorned with US$1,000 Gamsbart hat brushes made from the whiskers of Alpine nanny goats. Not only during Oktoberfest do men loop the suspenders of suede lederhosen over their shoulders and button up saucy trapdoor flaps.

If Paris is a city of well-turned ankles, Munich is a city of knees.

And Brooklyn is a borough of body modification, the whole of Bushwick populated, it can sometimes seem, by people who spend their idle hours poring over catalogues of tattoo

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Point of View

flash art or surgical supplies. Like Greenwich Village beatniks and San Francisco hippies before them, the hipsters of Brooklyn oblige the random visitor by dressing the part.

Exit the Morgan Avenue stop on the L train and emerge into a style landscape whose governing rules are as little varying as those of the Sepik River valley. Where the indigenous of New Guinea tend to go in for nosebones and scarification, the Bushwick folks favor Gold Rush whiskers, Sailor Jerry tattoos and gauge-stretched earlobes expanded to the size of portholes.

And the natives of Los Angeles dress as if to blur to invisibility any boundary between public and private, indoors and out.

If you happen to have been raised in Manhattan at a time when men and women alike considered it appropriate to wear a hat and gloves in town, there is exoticism to be found in the Angeleno habit of wearing sweatpants and shower shoes in almost every setting or sloping around in fur-lined bedroom slippers or wearing a bikini, as Joan Didion once did, to do her grocery shopping at Ralph’s.

The novelist Robert Stone remarked—in Prime Green, his underappreciated memoir of the weedscented 1960’s—that the best-looking people in the U.S. are to be found in Salt Lake City. That is, if you happen to like the stereotypical “Anglo type.” Certainly, it is true that several generations of Mormon intermarriage have produced both a comely and startlingly homogeneous population.

Yet the influence of Mormonism goes well beyond genetics. In the Utah capital, the streets are filled with fit and even-featured men dressed alike in short-sleeved white shirts and crisply pressed trousers, and women in low-heeled pumps and the kind of Donna Reed shirtwaist dress so seldom seen in other places that a visitor to Salt Lake City can sometimes feel as though he’d wandered into a black-and-white kinescope someone stealthily colorized.

Distinctions like these still hold in most of the cities of the U.S. and also of the world. And they produce one of the great and reliable pleasures of travel, a mental Instagram album in which you can click on an image of stork-thin slackers perched on Pike Street in Seattle clad in Doc Martens and snap-brim trilby hats; or of London City types hastening down rain-slicked Piccadilly wearing Savile Row suits with hourglass waists; or of flocks of faceless ravens in hijabs alighting at some refrigerated mall in Dubai; or of ruddy San Francisco kite-surfers clad in neoprene and Polar Fleece arrayed like gulls along the shoreline at Crissy Field; or of dignified Malian vendors preening themselves on a corner in Harlem, the hems of their richly patterned and voluminous boubous suddenly lifted by a breeze on Lenox Avenue. ✚

November 2013 In This Issue

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90 Bali 98 Backpacker Havens Head Upscale 106 Mumbai 116 Hawaii, the Big Island 118 Global Vision Awards 126 Antarctica

Aboard the MV Orion en route to Antarctica, page 126.

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Through the Looking Glass

Walk like an Egyptian on Grand Nikko Bali’s beach. Opposite: One of the new Grand Nikko pool villas.

Bali is booming in the best and most bizarre ways. Jeninne Lee-St. John tumbles down the rabbit hole to an island where every day isn’t any other day.

Photographed by Nikola Kostic

was in a giant Sno-Cone machine. Shaved ice made of pure oxygenated water fell into a mini-Matterhorn in the middle of the room.

Staring through each rhythmic plop of packed frozen crystals to the neon-illuminated walls beyond, my eyes glazed over from the mindmelding cycle of colors. Shocking pink.

Sunburnt orange. Lemon. Chlorophyll green.

Cobalt blue. Purple plum. Shocking pink.

Sunburnt orange...

Things were getting trippy.

Maybe that’s what drove me to voluntarily rub handfuls of snow on my bare skin, impervious to the cold. Maybe that’s why the spa attendant kept peeking around the corner to check on me, because what non-Russian would subject herself to the ice room for so long, especially sans vodka?

Chlorophyll green. Cobalt blue. Purple plum.

After two go-rounds through the computercontrolled steam room, sauna and this ice room, I blinked hard a few times, squeezed my eyes shut, hoisted my goose-bumped self off the bench and out of the color carousel into a steaming shower in the tricked-out Wellness Suite of the spanking new Mulia Spa, then down for an Around the World four-hand massage and crystal face-rub by two gentle masters, and off into a week of new ideas, technologies and services sharing in common that particular brand of over-the-top for which Bali is beloved.

In an endless march of Mad-tea parties, rose-petal baths and camel rides, I was Alice following the White Rabbit through what the ever-growing legion of visitors—an estimated 3.15 million this year, up about 10 percent from 2012—can expect from next-wave Bali. It would be easy to disdain the pace of development on

Clockwise from left: Lounge with your toes in the sea, sand or pool at The Mulia; Rock Bar bulwarks Ayana’s long coastline; roasted beet salad

by Sundara at Four Seasons; things get trippy in the ice room at Mulia Spa; whipping up sundowners at Sundara.

Indonesia’s resort capital, if only because the notions of “tropical vacation” and “traffic” seem so irreconcilable. But thanks to APEC’s decision to hold its annual summit here last month, the government has even made headway on that front, this year having opened US$230 million worth of new road works to ensure swifter passage between all the new resorts in the southern peninsula and all the hotspots up in Seminyak. And thanks to some visionary developers, those new rooms, the resorts they’re wrapped up in, and their spas on the side are cooler, greener, better serviced and, yes, trippier than ever. On today’s Island of the Gods, it’s more fun and ever more bizarre to worship at the altars of healing and hedonism—sometimes in the same place.

If it’s possible to trudge and bounce at the same time,

that’s what I’m doing. Across the sands. Under a blazing sun. Atop this crazy, crooked-toothed camel.

One guide runs ahead every so often to snap photos of me, and the other silently leads the camel down the beach. Correction: the camels down the beach, two camels, attached via roped nose rings. We’ve got four camel-top seats for one passenger. Why? “We don’t know,” says the photo-taking guide. “Camels don’t want to walk straight if not in a line. No camel behind, camel walks over here, over there, over here.”

Oh wait. Is the question, Why am I on a camel at all? The cliff-side castle that is the Grand Nikko Bali punctuates the drama of its positioning with a waterslide, a glass wedding chapel and a complimentary-cocktails club lounge capitalizing on the eastward 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 guide wags his finger, ‘that one is naughty camel. no good camel!’

From left: A rotation of international DJs rock Hu’u Bar; a palette for the palate at The Mulia. Opposite: Lining the lawn at Potato Head Beach Club.

ocean view, and shoreline rides on four camels imported from Australia—to which their forebears were imported from Central Asia—making the curious creatures both doubly displaced and perfectly located in this wacky Wonderland. There’s actually a fifth camel, an extra curiosity since he gets to chew cud all day, tethered only to the tree that shades him. When he shoots us an enigmatic Cheshire Cat grin, the guide wags his finger, “That one is naughty camel. No good camel!”

I take that for the warning it is, and retire post-trek to my sea-view villa on high, from which I can keep an eye on that no good camel at a distance. Grand Nikko’s 19 pool villas, which opened in July, are painted a purposefully distressed earthy maroon that precisely matches the high wildflowers that landscape this section of the resort. That level of thoughtfulness is rendered unsurprising when I get to know my butlers, especially Eka, who talks smack about American football with me using sports knowledge gleaned from his hospitality-internship year at State College, Pennsylvania, and draws me, unrequested, a precision-arrayed flower-petal bath one night he realizes I’m under the weather.

As if there were a competition in pre-emptive flower baths (and Four Seasons tapped into this game too), there’s one ready and waiting for me in the bay windows of my bathroom suite when I arrive at the Ayana Resort and Spa—though it takes me 20 minutes to notice, so massive is this ranch house of a Cliff Villa and its private, pool- and sala-filled grounds befitting a Queen of Hearts croquet match. But that’s just a warm-up for the baths, the Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool that takes up a huge chunk of the resort’s Thermes Marins Spa. 94

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It’s impossible to comprehend this 700-millionliter pool of ocean water without actually diving in. It’s an absurdist grown-up water park of elephant fountains and physical challenges: in 12 separate stations you run against the tide, swim against the tide and subject every section of your body to the micro-tides of individual jets. It’s a two-hour, literal blast. I’ve never taken a more powerful muscle relaxant (though not for lack of trying). It lulled me into just the right state to fully buy into the 7 Chakra Dhara gemstone-, aroma- and sound-therapy massage in which my lovely Hindu therapist transmitted energy to my body and soul via colors and internal chanting.

In keeping with their practice of wrangling nature for of rest and rehabilitation, Ayana has just now added to its immense grounds the super-sustainable Rimba Jimbaran Bay on the summit of a hill in the forest, bringing a little Ubud-style to Bali’s southern shoreline. The month-old Rimba has planted 50,000 trees to offset its carbon footprint, and has used old ships to construct the dramatic lobby that is fittingly half-submerged, driftwood to make all the in-room wall art, and recycled glass to construct the rooftop bar. The sweeping view of greens and blues and, in the late afternoon,

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Clockwise from above: Sundara’s sea view; the elephant fountains and physical challenges in Ayana’s Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool; breathe deep in the oxygen bar at W’s spa; Rimba’s half-submerged lobby; Potato Head’s tantalizing Twinkle, cinnamon-loaded bourbon, melon liqueur, ginger beer, lime and apple juices, and starfruit. Opposite: Spa on the Rocks at Ayana.

It’s an absurdist grown-up water park. i’ve never had a more powerful muscle relaxant

orange hues, make for satisfying sundowners— though if you’re looking for more outlandish drink me effects, decend to Ayana’s ocean-front bluffs. As a guest of the resort, bypass the line and hop directly into the bitty inclinator that disappears down to the much-in-demand-atdusk Rock Bar. Bulwarking a stretch of Ayana’s 1.3 kilometer-long coastline, this imaginative optical illusion of unsafety spans a series of cliffs lashed by waves as strong as the drinks.

For spirits more sedate but just as scenic, head down the road to the chilled-out new Sundara, Four Seasons’s bay-fronting beach club with daybeds lining the lap pool, complimentary cocktail-hour canapes, a fire pit and a moodmollifying DJ. Ease in with a Ginger Mojito, and survey the perfectly parabolic coast, lined on your left with the resort’s regal villas peeking out among the trees, on the right with a smattering of ever-popular seafood shacks, and dead center with guys playing soccer in the sand, couples taking sunset strolls and little kids boogey-boarding their last waves of the day. The Wasabi Martini, for its part, makes a tonguetingling accompaniment to either surf or turf, both grilled on fat flames in the open kitchen.

If Sundara represents a grande dame rediscovering her vim and vigor, over in Seminyak, a couple of the cool kids are growing up. Potato Head Beach Club—with its broad lawn rolling down into rows of daybeds perched on the infinity pool; its pull to bring in giant artists like Snoop Lion, née Snoop Dogg, for surely the best (and most psychotropic) pool party ever a couple of months ago; its original cocktail list longer than the unbelievable Saturday afternoon queues—is primed to build a 59-suite hotel to open in 2015. The name, Katamama, means “mama said,” as in—I’m interpreting—“mama said sample all those drinks and just stumble home safely across the parking lot.” Around the corner, the perennial houseparty that is already Hu’u Bar is this month adding nine, well, houses—fully fit-out near-condos, each with its own kitchen, pool and butler. (A penthouse is in the works.) And don’t worry: they’re super soundproofed so that the global line-up of DJs Hu’u rotates through won’t keep you up… not that you’re planning to turn in before last call.

Of course, if you do feel yourself lagging mid-evening and you happen to be up the street at the W, the responsible thing to do is to take a break from beachfront Woobar, wander back to the spa and go space-age. Strap on one of the masks at the oxygen bar and after a few minutes lying on a banquette channeling pure air, you’ll get your second wind, putting you in just the right state to sample the bubbly-bedecked spa

bar or maybe a treatment on a neon massage table—both of which are on offer ’round the clock. The new all-suite Regent Bali in Sanur went for a different healing innovation in hiring Jari Menari, famed for its regiment of all-male massage therapists, to train the spa staff. There are female masseuses working at the Regent, opened in September, but they’ve got the strength (and technique!) of dozens of men.

But it’s back at The Mulia, home of that psychedelic-trance ice room, that may best characterize boomtown Bali’s blend of upscale and outré. Take the beds: My back and neck were unsurprised to learn that even the lowest room category comes with a US$8,000 mattress, though my mental calculator went nuts once I did the math times 745 rooms. The Sunday brunch at Soleil features your standard excellent raw bar and roast meats, but also creative passed courses like cheesestuffed zucchini blossoms and polenta pudding with fig compote. At daily high tea, you’ll wonder whether it’s the free-flowing alcohol or the towers of eat me cakes that shift your perspective on the rows of two-story-tall stone women lining the pool, making offerings as they would at the temple. It’s serene and surreal, traditional and postmodern, Alice down the rabbit hole and up in the penthouse. With Nusa Dua anticipating the Sofitel’s opening in February and a RitzCarlton and Kempinksi now in early construction, I can’t wait to see what materializes the next time I step through the looking glass. ✚

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T L Guide stay Ayana Resort and Spa Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/ 702-222; ayanaresort.com; doubles from US$289, body massages from Rp1,215,000.

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay Kuta Selatan; 62-361/701-010; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$649, body massages from Rp1,065,000.

Grand Nikko Bali Jln. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Nusa Dua; 62-361/731-377; grandnikkobali.com; doubles from Rp1,500,000, body massages from US$55.

Hu’u Villas Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/849-9130; huuvillasbali.com; doubles from Rp359,000.

The Mulia Jln. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Kawasan Sawangan, Nusa Dua; 62-361/302-7777; themulia.com; doubles from US$247, body massages from US$95.

Regent Bali Jln. Kusuma Sari No. 8, Sanur Beach; 62-361/301-1888; regenthotels.com; doubles from US$357, body massages from Rp500,000.

Rimba Jimbaran Bali Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/ 846-8468; rimbajimbaran.com; doubles from US$200.

W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak Jln. Petitenget, Kerobokan, Seminyak; 62-361/473-8106; starwoodhotels. com; doubles from US$270, body massages from Rp850,000.

eat+DRINK Hu’u Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/473-6574; huubali.com; drinks for two from Rp200,000, set menus from Rp255,000.

Petitenget Hip resto-bar with films and guest chefs. Jln. Petitenget 40, Seminyak; 62-361/473-3054; petiten get.net; dinner for two Rp500,000.

Potato Head Beach Club Jln. Petitenget 51B, Seminyak; 62-361/ 473-7979; ptthead.com; drinks for two from Rp240,000, dinner for two from Rp800,000.

Rock Bar Ayana Resort and Spa, Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; ayanaresort.com; drinks for two from Rp280,000, tapas for two Rp400,000.

Sundara Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, Kuta Selatan; 62-361/ 708-333; sundarabali.com; drinks for two from Rp250,000, dinner for two from Rp800,000.

Watercress Rustic breakfasts and prohibition high tea. Jln. Batubelig 21a, Kerobokan; 62-361/780-7830; watercressbali.com; breakfast for two from Rp140,000.

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Dali If the town center feels crowded, make the trek up the Cangshan Mountains for stunning vistas.

Pai This once remote town outside of Chiang Mai is no longer a well-kept secret.

Find locally made batik fabrics at the markets or stop by for farm-fresh food at Om Garden Cafe.

Luang Prabang Backpackers still flock here, but there’s charm to spare in this boutique-dotted riverside oasis.

vang Vieng Soi Khao San, Bangkok Where many backpacker journeys begin, this bizarre microcosm of debauchery has little in common with its city.

Koh Phi Phi Blame The Beach. The Leonardo DiCaprio 2000 film about a freewheeling hippie community turned this stunning coral island into hostel-central.

The Banana Pancake Trail

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Sihanoukville Still crazy after all these years, Cambodia’s seaside town continues to dodge gentrification.

Koh Samet This tiny island contains both extremes: bucket bars and fire shows on Tub Tim, all-villa resorts and white sands by Ao Wai.

Negombo These increasingly upscale shores are the perfect place to soak up the sun.

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Siem Reap Step away from the slightly rowdy main drag and check out local artisans at Theam’s House.

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George Town, Penang Skip the banana pancakes outside the reggae bars and head straight for the oyster omelettes on Chulia Street.

koh phangan

Phu Quoc If the Khai Hoan Fish Sauce Factory is too pungent for your nose, take a day trip to the An Thoi Islands.

boracay

Forget what you’ve read about some of Southeast Asia’s sketchier spots because they’re growing up on us. Diana Hubbell takes a closer look at backpacker destinations, as they mature from full-moon party mayhem to upscale sophisticated sanctums.

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p h o t o -i l l u s t r at i o n s by wa s i n e e c h a n ta ko r n

“I don’t know how far back this one goes,” Meng, my guide said. “I just found it the other day. I don’t think anyone else has been here.”

We were deep in the dark heart of a cavern, tracing the path of a thousand monsoon-season floods. Stalactites hung in profusion, reaching almost to their stony counterparts jutting up from the floor. In a spot like Phuket, this cave would be overrun with tourists, their many hands wearing smooth the rock formations.

Here, we were alone.

The light from my helmet was too feeble to see much farther and we were nearing the end of our trip, so Meng waived a hand and we spelunked our way back to the entrance. When we emerged, the sunlight was almost blinding, the sky an electric blue, and the backdrop of limestone karsts jutting up from dense jungle and the winding curves of the Nam Song River both impossibly vivid and unreal.

This was Vang Vieng, Laos, but not the one that many people—myself included—once knew.

Years before, between university and real life, I had embarked on an abridged version of that quintessential rite of passage: backpacking through Southeast Asia. The Vang Vieng I saw at the time wasn’t much to write home about. With racks of neon-colored T-shirts, restaurants hawking insipid pan-Euroasian cuisine (we sell aussie burgers, pizza and pad thai!) and hordes of inebriated teenagers, this dusty town of 51,000 could have been any one of a dozen locations in different countries. I left quickly, with no intention to return.

And like many other obligatory stops along the banana-pancake trail, it was known not only for fruit- and Nutella-filled rotis but also for all the wrong reasons, having made news primarily for drugs, debauchery and, in extreme cases, actual fatalities.

Are the sordid, headline-making details true?

Frequently, but they don’t always represent the current reality of these places. In the last few years, much of the backpacker circuit has grown up and shaped up—whether due to government intervention or simply the march of development in a region hosting ever more, and ever more discerning, tourists. After a bumpy adolescence, spots once known only for their buckets of booze are taking advantage of their natural beauty, and catering to a more sophisticated clientele. In the process, the new wave of hoteliers, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs is taking better care of their local communities, environments and, yes, the 100

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tourists who frequent them. Some of Southeast Asia’s most notorious destinations are evolving into the havens of tranquility they always had the potential to become.

Just take a look at Siem Reap and Luang Prabang. It wasn’t too long ago that grunge dominated Cambodia’s ancient temple town, though it’s now filled with cute cafés and boutiques, not to mention an Aman and a Park Hyatt. And it’s easy to forget that quaint, riverside Luang Prabang, with its excellent restaurants and peaceful, leafy streets, only recently earned its upscale stripes.

Following in the footsteps of these now-established luxury destinations, similar coming-of-age tales are unfolding across the region. The once drugged-out Boracay is now better known for the powdery White Beach and top-tier resorts. Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin beach, home of the Full Moon (and Black Moon, and Half Moon and every other kind of moon) party, still teems with glow-in-the-dark painted bodies, but the rest of the island offers some of the cleanest, greenest shores left in Thailand. While upscale resorts have been gradually popping up, they’re working to preserve Phangan’s charm in a sustainable way. And Vang Vieng? In place of drunken tubing, a quieter, more conscientious, and far more responsible sort of tourism has emerged. Slowly but surely, visitors have started giving all of these once-maligned spots a second look—and I decided it was time I did too.

That was how my slightly more grown-up self ended up on this kayaking and caving expedition with the excellent guiding prowess of Meng from VLT Natural Tours. As we paddled our way back to town, we passed the remnants of the backpacker bars. With the notable exception of Fluid Bar, a mellow, family-friendly spot decorated with upcycled salvaged materials, there wasn’t much left, save a few concrete skeletons. They stood, abandoned, looking for all the world like the vestiges of a bygone civilization. Ferocious and abundant greenery had already crept over most of them, forcibly restoring the landscape.

V

ang Vieng might be a case study in the power of the socialist edict. In August of 2012, after 60 Minutes launched a scathing report and the Australian government complained, the Lao president and other top officials finally decided the mounting negative publicity was too much, and they shut down the town’s seedier side. Hard and fast. Within less than a week, the bucket-bars had been demolished, the “magic mushrooms” confiscated, and the party ended.

When I revisited the place, a year on, there were still banana pancakes, but few 18-year-olds in singlets wandered the streets— leaving a wholesome space for the local children to play, and their parents a whole lot happier.

“They loathed the tourists,” says Chris Perkins, a resident of the town for six years who manages the hostel Pan’s Place. “They walked around in bikinis. They would sprawl across the road and stop traffic.

There were fights. Stuff got smashed. It was absolute chaos.” Despite the obvious loss of income, few locals were sad to see the tubing go.

And just as I had found that morning, new visitors to the town have plenty to do, Perkins says: “There’s more people canoeing and kayaking these days.”

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Full-moon parties no longer define Koh Phangan.

Vang Vieng’s savage garden.

The old guesthouse where I had once stashed my belongings still stood, but this time I opted for slightly more upscale digs, of which there are now several. The newest is Riverside Boutique Resort, an intimate 34-room oasis with an unimpeachable view. The interior echoes the traditional aesthetics of eight of the country’s ethnic groups. Wherever possible, the resort uses and sells local, sustainable, handmade products, from silks to soaps. Proceeds to go help Laotian artisans here and in Vientiane.

“People thought it was crazy at first to build this kind of place in Vang Vieng,” says Emmanual Prasodjo, the general manager at Riverside. Yet the resort was fully booked during my stay, mostly with families and NGO workers.

A few doors down, also along the Nam Song, is the equally inviting Silver Naga. With a solarpowered hot water system, an organic farm growing vegetables and sticky rice, and customized furniture, basketware and fabrics created by local artisans, this place sports some serious eco-cred. While the resort will arrange all sorts of excursions, from hot-air balloon rides to mountain-biking trips, you might be tempted to do little more than lounge in an infinity pool overlooking the river, cocktail—or everyone’s throwback favorite, Beerlao—in hand.

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nlike Vang Vieng’s swift and rather violent transition, Thailand’s Koh Phangan quietly has been enjoying a subtler sort of transformation for years. If anything, all the SangsomRed Bull-fueled pandemonium of the Full Moon has saved the rest of the island from overdevelopment. True, the island welcomes between 20,000 and 40,000 each month for the lunar festivities, but most flock to a small stretch from Thong Sala pier to Haad Rin, leaving the rest surprisingly untouched.

“The Full Moon and the parties are such a small part of what there is to discover here,” Patrick Both, general manager of Anantara Rasananda tells me over mango smoothies. “I mean, Phangan got famous for it, but it doesn’t do the island justice. Here you still have small local fishing villages with hardly any tourists.

You just don’t have that in many areas of Thailand anymore.”

How right he is. A far cry from sister island Samui, Phangan still offers beaches without a soul in sight. Veer ever so slightly away from the beaten path towards hidden spots like Ao Chaloklum, also known as Malibu Beach, and the asphalt fades to dirt paths leading to sandy shores framed by swaying coconut trees. There’s a whole aquarium’s worth of fish for snorkelers

to see at nearby Koh Ma, not to mention mountain biking and the reefs of Angthong National Marine Park.

If you’re seeking seclusion with more creature comforts than your standard bungalow, head to Thong Nai Pan Yai and Noi, two sheltered coves on a long, golden bay. The view is achingly lovely. Stroll over to the red umbrellas at the Anantara Rasananda for non-stop beach access. The resort’s central courtyard, restaurant and infinity pool all merge into the sand. Virtually none of the guests wears shoes.

Anantara may be chilled out, but it’s plenty luxe. The resort’s 64 pool suites and villas, pleasantly cocooned in tropical foliage, sport Apple TVs, Lavazza machines and a full menu of impossibly fluffy pillows. The spa, with its flower baths and Ayurvedic oils, manages a similar balance of refined and rustic. The stepping-stone path to treatment rooms twists through the lushest of gardens on a small hillside. All this greenery isn’t merely for show. So careful is the resort about recycling waste and conserving water that it last year received the Green Globe Certification Highest Achievement Award.

Speaking of green, Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort & Spa, which overlooks the same bay, also harbors eco-friendly ambitions. The resort’s beachfront is relatively small, but what it lacks in sand-space it more than makes up for in aesthetics. The resort, composed of villas wound through the lush hillside, centers around a massive, multitiered swimming pool complete with a waterfall and flowering island.

Ornate teak carvings by local artisans adorn the property, which is at it’s best with a view of the clear waters melting into the horizon come the end of the day.

“We were one of the first ones here to change the mindset of the people,” general manager, Panja Nakapong, says. Seven years ago when the resort was built, there was nothing of its kind anywhere on the island. “I think people now know more, and are trying do something other than just the Full Moon.”

It’s worth noting that, as I sat on Santhiya’s breakfast terrace looking out at that magnificent view and sipping a cappuccino, it was the day after a full moon. Sequestered away in my pool villa, I hadn’t heard a sound above the crashing of the waves. There wasn’t the slightest hint of the bacchanalia going on across the island. A few guests at the resorts may have attended—both Anantara and Santhiya will arrange private speedboats to Haad Rin with bottles of champagne, for those who wish to take the party upscale—but for those who wanted peace, there was plenty of it.

I’d call that a minor miracle—and one that, unfortunately, can’t go on much longer. After years of negotiations, the Thai government announced that it would build new roads, power lines and an airport on the island, heralding a surge of visitors in 2014. How its newfound accessibility will alter Phangan remains to be seen, but residents are hoping that the changes will be mindful. “Yes, everywhere will develop,” Panja acknowledges. “But it must be in a friendly way. It’s something we need to be aware of. I think people realize how Koh Samui and Phuket grew without control and we try to educate people so that it will not happen here.”

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ne might look to Boracay, which also once was known for its Full Moon festivities and everything that came with them. These days, the Philippine island still capitalizes on hedonism, but in a different way. Iconic hippie haunts like Hey Jude—an unkempt bar into which patrons wandered sunburnt and sandy for cheap booze and good music—have begun closing in favor of newer, sleeker spots. 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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Negombo Sri Lanka These once shabby sands are improving their station in the world, with everswankier resorts moving in. Visit now for the perfect balance of seaside charm and understated yet stylish places to stay.

STAY: Jetwing Beach has a minimalist flair, a luxe spa and an in-house naturalist. jetwinghotels.com; doubles from US$155.

Phu Quoc Vietnam Six years ago, T+L declared this sundrenched isle poised to become the next Phuket. We’re still waiting, but that’s for the best. There’s a new international airport and alternatives to the older bungalows.

STAY: La Veranda Resort is pure French colonial comfort. laverandaresort.com; doubles from US$190.

Dali Yunnan Province, China A Lonely Planet comment about certain herbs growing wild turned this sleepy town into backpacker central. Despite the initial waves of tourists, hostels and tacky shops, the area remains breathtaking—the surrounding mountains reach 5,600 meters.

STAY: The Regent Hotel is the town’s poshest offering to date. regenthotel.cn; doubles from RMB880.

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“For those who have grown up here or spent the last 20 years here, it’s a difference of two worlds,” says Jude Lee, Hey Jude’s former owner. “In essence it went from being a hidden backpackers’ gem in the late 80’s to being a world-class tourist destination today,” Lee first came to the island in 1991, in an era when the kind of flashy, Ibizaesque architecture that dominates the shorefront today would have been inconceivable.

These days, visitors flock to streamlined hot spots such as EPIC and The Tides. Unlike the laid-back, barefoot bars of yesteryear, these are international-standard clubs that happen to be located near a beach. Their clientele are more inclined to stay in the stylish suites of Discovery Shores than a humble, thatched-roof nipa.

Not everyone is thrilled with the changes, of course, and more than a few visitors to the island have expressed nostalgia for its rougher, rowdier past. “As a person in the industry, I understand the importance of maximizing space and design,” says Peter Pysk, director of food and beverage at the Mandarin Oriental Manila who backpacked to Boracay a decade ago, “although the sentimental side in me wishes that there would be some owners who would like to keep the native aspects of the island alive.”

Still, Boracay’s rebirth as an upscale destination has only further fueled its popularity. The backpackers may have moved on, but the other 1.2 million tourists who visited in the last year don’t seem to mind. And the fact that two-thirds of those visitors are Filipino says that the island’s development still has plenty of local appeal.

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s Vone, who runs VLT Tours reminds me, before any of these backpacker places made the news, their allure was of a more natural sort. “I love Vang Vieng very much,” he says softly. “When the first tourists came, they loved it for simple reasons. The mountains and the river are so close. It was beautiful and quiet.”

Piece by piece, Vang Vieng is getting back to that. It’s a surprising sort of place, as I discovered one evening hunting for a place to dine. I passed by all of the old guesthouse bars playing reruns of Friends and wandered instead into a converted garage off the main drag. Though it didn’t look like much from the outside, the interior had a cozy charm hovering between your favorite neighborhood bistro and a gracious host’s convivial dinner party. There, with a few glasses of a very solid red, I ate boeuf bourguignon and chatted with the owner, a French expat, who detailed how he sourced each and every one of the ingredients for his restaurant, Le Café de Paris. This was the real deal—no compromises.

And night after night, his place is full, with locals, expats and lucky tourists. The stories being swapped might have changed from a few years ago, but there was still a sense of excitement in the air, and of a genuine curiosity. As Perkins from Pan’s had told me earlier, “There are backpackers, and then there are travelers.”

Some of the guests that evening had spent the day volunteering at SEA Lao, a small establishment across the Nam Song where visitors offer up their time basically doing whatever needs to be done, everything from teaching English or chopping firewood. Another couple had gone on a customized motorbike tour through the Lao villages across the river. A family—friends of their guide—had invited them in for lunch.

And so we talked and laughed and listened until late, feasting on steak tartar, stuffed eggplant and, yes, crêpes avec bananes.

—with additional reporting by stephanie zubiri. ✚

f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f j e t wi n g b e a c h ; c o u r t e s y o f l a v e r a n d a r e s o r t ph u q u o c ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e r e g e n t h o t e l

Moving on up: Three places to watch

At Discovery Shores, Boracay.

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T L Guide VANG VIENG, LAOS Getting There Thai, Lao Airlines and Bangkok Airways fly daily to Vientiane. From the Lao capital, minivans run regularly to Vang Vieng and taxis are available to make the threeto four-hour drive.

DO Green Discovery Laos 115 Kangmoung St.; 856-23/511230; greendiscoverylaos.com.

VLT Natural Tours Nam Song riverside; 856-20/552-0823; vangviengtour.com.

Balloons Over Vang Vieng Hot-air balloon trips over limestone karsts. 856-20/96918111; balloon rides US$80 for adults.

philipp engelhorn

KOH PHANGAN, THAILAND stay Silver Naga Hotel Nam Song riverside; 856-23/511-822; silvernaga.com; doubles from US$50.

Riverside Boutique Resort Nam Song riverside; 85623/511-7268; riversidevang vieng.com; doubles from US$119.

Getting There Bangkok Airways flies to the nearby Koh Samui Airport. Major resorts on Koh Phangan offer direct speedboat transfers from the airport.

eat+DRINK Le Café de Paris Rue de L Hospital; 856-20/5465-0451; dinner for two LAK200,000.

Elephant Crossing The hotel’s restaurant offers riverside dining with traditional Lao cuisine and the hotel’s own organic sticky rice. Nam Song riverside; 856-23/511-232; theelephantcrossinghotel.com; dinner for two LAK150,000.

stay Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villa Resort & Spa 5/5 Moo 5, Thong Nai Pan, Noi Beach, Baan Tai; 66-77/239555; phangan-rasananda. anantara.com; doubles from Bt7,925.

Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort & Spa 22/7 Moo 5, Baan Tai; 66-77/428-999; santhiya.com; doubles from Bt10,000.

eat+DRINK Phangan Homemade Ice Cream As the name promises, this family-run establishment serves chilly desserts in flavors ranging from durian to pumpkin, in addition to savories such as their tasty yum tua ploo. 66-7/723-8681; lunch for two Bt800.

Fisherman’s Restaurant & Bar Skip tourist-tailored staples like pad thai and go straight for the super-fresh, locally caught barracuda, crab and other seafood. Baan Tai Pier, 62/1 Moo 1 Baan Tai; 66-84/454-7240; dinner for two Bt1,200.

DO Kiteboarding Asia This internationally certified kiteboarding school has equipment for the pros and lessons for the beginners.

66-80/600-0573; kiteboardingasia.com.

Safari Boat Offers snorkeling, boat and diving trips to Koh Ma, Haad Khom, Angthong Marine National Park and more.

66-77/238-232; safariboat.info.

BORACAY, PHILIPPINES Getting There Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines both fly from Manila to Boracay.

stay Discovery Shores Boracay Station 1, Balabag; 63-36/2884500; discoveryshoresboracay. com; doubles from P19,962.

The District Boracay Station 2 Barangay Balabag; 63-2/2349058; thedistrictboracay.com; doubles from P11,700. eat+DRINK Dos Mestizos Excellent paella and authentic Spanish classics.

Remedios St.; 63-36/288-5786; dosmestizos.com; dinner for two P1,500.

Real Coffee and Tea Muffins perfumed with local calamansi lime. Station 1 near Willy’s Beach Resort; 63-36/288-5340; breakfast for two P500.

DO Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy Shimmy into your Ariel-style tail and learn to swim or pose for pics.

63-917/324-3947; philippinemer maidswimmingacademy.com.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, in Mumbai.

Opposite: Jhinga thali at Mi Maratha, in the Lower Parel neighborhood.

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Maximum Bombay

An epic journey to the heart of the vast, teeming, seething and electrifying Indian megalopolis, with many stops along the way

for rich curries and otherworldly delicacies. By Gary Shteyngart

Photographed by Trujillo Paumier

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known god.

It’s 5:41 a.m. and I’m headed from the airport into the city formerly known as Bombay. In the next two weeks I will hear its current name, Mumbai, spoken exactly zero times, so I’m going to stick to Bombay. Bleary-eyed and tired after 15 hours aboard Kuwait’s intriguing and completely dry national airline, I am staring at the ramshackle temple by the side of the road with these beguiling words stretched across its façade: Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known god.

What the hell does that mean?

We are puttering down a series of dying streets and highways in a tiny, ancient Fiat that would have made an East German Trabant look sturdy, dodging an obstacle course of mopeds, fellow Fiats, and the occasional resignedlooking bullock. Suddenly I am feeling spiritual. My usual liberal arts agnosticism is difficult at a time like this. I want to trust in a known god for the duration of my stay in the city.

In short order, we pass by the Status Refine Gourmet, the Palais Royale skyscraper, and the Happy Home & School for the Blind. A sign instructing the reader of the symptoms of malnutrition (“If your child complains of constant lethargy perhaps malnutrition is to blame”) hangs next to a gleaming Porsche dealership. I am silent, and a little stunned. My driver is honking every other second, as is everyone around him. But it feels less like a plea to get out of the way than an affirmation of one’s existence. The honking says, “I’m here!”

Which is what everyone in this impossible, ridiculous and addictive city wants you to know. They’re here! And they’re coming right at you.

I’ve come to Bombay because of a book written by a friend. Ounce for ounce, Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found is, in my opinion, not just the best book on Bombay, but the best book on anywhere in the world right now. Maximum City, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has been rightly compared to Dickens’s and Balzac’s 19th-century treatments of London and Paris, and it gives Bombay the same immortal sense of flowing, unabated, tragicomic life.

You close Suketu’s book thinking that Bombay is not just a snapshot of the world, it is the world. Or at least the entry level to the world. It’s where you get off the train from your village and join the The Taj Mahal path that leads eventually to London or Palace Hotel Palo Alto or, as I see from the grimy and its pool.

window of my Fiat, to a gated community in the suburbs built exclusively for aristocrats.

I forgot to mention that it’s also a very funny book. And Bombay is a very funny city. At one point during this trip, as Suketu’s taxi idles at a red light, a 14-year-old kid tries to sell him a pirated paperback copy of Maximum City. Suketu asks him what the book is about.

“Oh, all of Bombay is in this book!” the young street salesman says.

“Well, how much do you want?” Suketu asks.

“Six hundred rupees!” the kid says—about US$9.

“Six hundred? Do you know I’ve written it?”

“Fine,” the kid shrugs. “If you’ve written it, you can have it for four hundred.”

Which is to say, if you want to trust your unknown future to a known god in Bombay, he might as well be Suketu.

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hat’s it like to be a lonely person in Bombay? I guess I’ll never find out. People talk to me even when it’s clear that I don’t understand Marathi, Gujarati or Hindi. To not talk to someone here, to keep your opinions to yourself, is seen as mildly offensive. I meet Suketu at the best place for talking, the Press Club. Suketu’s journalist buddies are gathered on the club’s rooftop, which overlooks the cricket field of the Azad Maidan. This is part of the greenbelt in the center of South Bombay that leads to the Victorian Gothic skyline of the famous Oval Maidan (the Rajabai Clock Tower is a fearsome answer to Big Ben). We munch pappadum and deep-fried tapioca balls, smoothing their crunchy passage with a combination of Thums Up, a beloved local Coca-Cola impostor, and Old Monk, a beloved local rum impostor.

After the worldwide coverage of the horrific rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi, I get the immediate sense that the country is wounded. One of the journalists says, “They’ll talk about rape for now, the way they used to talk about corruption, and then nothing will change.” It’s hard to argue with this brain trust, most of whom seem to have written at least one book about their country. But I take note that on our busy rooftop, there are only three women in a sea of men, and all of them are at our table. One of them is a young journalist named Nishita Jha who covers gender violence and pop culture for Tehelka, “India’s most fearless weekly.” Everyone chimes in to tell me that Bombay is far more cosmopolitan than Delhi and far safer for women.

(After the recent gang rape of a female photojournalist in Bombay, I’m not as sure about the second part.)

I am introduced to Naresh Fernandes, a delightfully bearlike, shaved-headed journalist. “Naresh is the gangster of Bombay,” Nishita says, affectionately. “He runs everything.” Naresh has an “alcoholic’s license,” allowing him to buy 12 units of whiskey a week, as a way around Bombay’s draconian booze laws. He was also part of the Wall Street Journal staff and has a facsimile of one of the paper’s Pulitzer Prizes hanging proudly above the toilet in his apartment. But Naresh, the author of Taj Mahal Foxtrot: The 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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Story of Bombay’s Jazz Age, is no cynic when it comes to this city’s past.

The next day he takes me and Suketu to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, better known by its former name, the Victoria Terminus, and still better known to all Bombay natives as VT. Naresh is excited because this truly stunning structure—supposedly the second most photographed in India, after the Taj Mahal—has just opened a so-called Heritage Gallery, allowing visitors a guided tour of the building’s innards, whose scale and detail have no earthly equivalents. “Exotically Gothic” is what our guide calls this mix of Gothic Revival and Mughal architecture. The railway station easily puts New York’s Grand Central to shame with its solid granite columns, Italian marble, carved wood ceilings, an open cantilevered staircase beneath the octagonal dome, and stained-glass windows that light up the structure like a veritable Duomo of the rails. There are bas-reliefs of the different ethnicities of India, along with a sculptural riot of squirrels, dragons, crocodiles, monkeys, birds and foxes. Only Queen Victoria is missing from her central niche.

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From far left: A The state of the trains departing VT is not quite as stunning. Even the first-class view of Antilia, the 27-story cars are like prisons on wheels, the beige residence of color scheme and the barred windows Mumbai perfectly complementing the maximumbillionaire security motif. There is a compartment Mukesh Ambani, on Altamount for ladies only and another car for people Road; inside with disabilities and cancer patients, the Café Military, a last represented by a drawing of a crab. restaurant in The done thing for the millions who South Mumbai. commute from the far-flung suburbs to Opposite: On the city every day is to jump out of the the street near the Bandstand moving carriage while the train is still Promenade, in slowing into VT. In my attempt to look the Bandra cool before the Bombay natives, I nearly neighborhood. kill myself when I try this, my arms windmilling to gain balance as I stumble across the platform, the wind of the still-passing train—and the sound of laughter—against my back. I end up on my knees, palms on the ground, in a near-universal position of prayer, pain coursing up my shoulders and thighs.

Naresh and Suketu take me as far away from the Press Club and my hotel in relatively tony South Bombay as one can go, to the slums abutting the railroad tracks near the Bandra station, which is north of Bombay proper. The iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel, where I am staying, has a “destiny planner,” or in-house astrologer, but we decide to consult a white-clad, bearded man sitting by the railroad tracks with his parrot. The parrot picks out cards from a deck and the man interprets his little green friend’s advice. “Saturday is not a good day for you,” the parrot tells me through his master. “Do not conduct business on a Saturday.” I am stunned by the parrot’s ability to identify my ethnicity. Do I really look that Jewish? The parrot and I lock eyes, and beaks, for a while. “Your wife is smarter than you,” the man interprets for the parrot, which is also true. He asks me my name. “Gary is not your birth name,” the parrot tells me.

Which is correct as well: my birth name is Igor. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known god, I think.

The dusty parrot by the railroad tracks knows all.

Naresh walks me over to a hunger strike conducted by a gathering of slum dwellers, sitting beneath banners for L’Oréal Paris. In the distance, the shimmering locus of their anger—the ugly, shoddily built apartment buildings, the so-called transition housing to which they will soon be shunted. Six months after being built, these six-story tombstones look like ruins, and the locals tell us they’re infested with bugs. It is one of Bombay’s paradoxes: sometimes it is preferable to live in a slum. “This is an epic land grab,” Suketu says.

On the other side of the train tracks we pass the series of century-old heritage bungalows that comprise the Catholic Willingdon Colony. Naresh tells me a crooked developer has bought up all of them and is going to tear them down to make way for something called Orchard Elegance or Elegant Orchard, another high-rise. Even as he is saying this, a group of thugs in khakis and dress shoes, lean and menacing, confront us in the lush passageways of the colony. The thugs begin screaming at us. Naresh shows his press pass. I can almost sense the violence about to start, and Suketu braces for impact. I can suddenly feel every bit of the humidity, the breezes of the Arabian Sea too far away. A fat-bellied police officer approaches and we ask him to intervene, but the constable is clearly on the side of the thugs. The cop and the gangsters decide to give us a good lesson in Bombay’s municipal civics. “Bhagao! Bhagao!” they shout in unison.

“Get out! Get out!”

And so we run.

That evening I am glad to be back at the Taj hotel, where the staff still speak in hushed tones about “the unfortunate events” of the 2008 terrorist attacks. That tragedy notwithstanding, the Taj does a preposterously good job of tuning out the steamy world outside, the parrot astrologers and khaki-clad thugs. When you’re looking down the stairs at the sublime pink Escher-scape of its infinite staircase or swimming below the fantastic Victorian cupola of the hotel, 112

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a congregation of pigeons above you, the world feels better than it should. The Taj’s butler staff (each of the club rooms has its own butler) may have given me the nicest treatment I’ve ever had in my life outside of marriage. Need a horrific stain magically rubbed off your suede shoes? Samrat, the butler, makes everything right in less than half an hour.

Then there are the joys of a sunny Parsi breakfast of akuri (spiced scrambled eggs) on toast at the Sea Lounge, the boats bobbing by the triumphalist British bulk of the Gateway of India, a line of tankers coming into port. Which brings me to the food.

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ithin my ghee-covered pages of Maximum City lies a veritable larder of India’s many cuisines, Suketu’s subjects constantly munching on street snacks. There is a two-page disquisition on the vada pav (the spicy deep-fried potato patty) alone.

Back at the Press Club I meet Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi, a food columnist for a website called Mumbai Boss. The lovely Roshni has a Bombay native’s wonderful sense of nostalgia, and during our drive through the city yells out things like “They used to sell popcorn over there!” or “I lived behind Schroff’s eye clinic!” More poignantly, as we pass the green expanse of the Horniman Circle Garden, she says, “I used to go to the study corner in the park, because my family was too noisy and I couldn’t concentrate.” The next day, I stop by the park’s little study corner, tucked away within the greenery, and find a small enclave of schoolboys and girls with monstrous backpacks poring over numbers and figures. Some of the kids look barely high-school age but are already elbow-deep into Marketing and Human Resource Management. Far more than the land grabs and the headlines about crime, this is India.

Roshni takes me to Highway Gomantak, a restaurant off a service road in the unfashionable Bandra East neighborhood (I’ll get to Bandra proper shortly). It’s a working-class family place, with writing on the walls attesting to Krishna’s many names. The food is coastal Maharashtrian and Goan, all of it heaped before you in great waves of fried sublimity. There’s an elegant fried version of the lizard-like “Bombay duck,” an intensely ugly fish that is beautiful on the inside. There’s a pomfret curry with coconut milk and tons of turmeric and green chilies and coriander seeds. Roshni tells me that the dish has at least a dozen ingredients, but it’s the coconut that gives it such a nice, sweet balance. The fish in my stomach makes way for hot clams, swimming in spices and bearing a sharp kick of cinnamon and cloves that manages to overwhelm even the 220-volt current of chili. “These are spices that will wake you up from the dead,” Roshni says.

As we drive back to South Bombay we pass the infamous new Antilia building on upscale Altamount Road. The 27-story, reportedly US$1 billion tower is home to a family of five who, rumor has it, delayed moving in because the mega-home conflicts with Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian architectural doctrine (disobeying it brings bad luck to

The mass spread of psychoanalysis would suit this city well: there are few places in the world where people talk as much, as eloquently and as passionately and randomly inhabitants). The world’s most expensive private residence is owned by one Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest person, who is worth an estimated US$21.5 billion. The tower apparently has three helipads and a series of floating gardens.

“Ambani built a special snow room for his mother,” Suketu tells me. “His mother once got caught in a snowstorm in Boston and she enjoyed it quite a bit. So he built her a room that produces artificial snow. She looks out on the hot Arabian Sea beneath a Massachusetts snowstorm.”

We’re at the Café Marina, the rooftop bar at the Sea Palace Hotel. In addition to the sea, the hotel looks out to the fabled dome of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India beyond. I can practically see my room from here. I’m

The Gateway of talking to Kitu Gidwani, a friend of India, on the Suketu’s and star of TV and indie Mumbai Bollywood films. “The lifespan of a waterfront.

Bollywood star,” the brilliant actress tells Char-grilled me, “is from 14 to 35.” She has crossed the corn on the cob at Pali Bhavan, latter threshold, but looks as beautiful in Bandra. as ever.

As the sea breezes sweep the rooftop and I down another vodka tonic, the conversation turns to tango and psychoanalysis. The mass spread of psychoanalysis would suit this city well: there are few places in the world where people talk as much, as eloquently and passionately and randomly.

The sharp kick of cinnamon and cloves manages to overwhelm even the 220-volt current of chili. ‘These are spices that will wake you up from the dead,’ my friend says

t

he next day I head north to Bandra. Once a suburb of the great metropolis, this former farming and fishing village has been transformed into a rival of the densely settled South Bombay. Comparisons with Brooklyn have been drawn, although Bandra’s relative tranquillity, and its proximity to Bollywood studios, make it feel a little more like Santa Monica. Bandra is aspirational in a cute way. The American Express cleaners are right next door to the American Express bakery.

The party center of Bandra used to be the Olive Bar & Kitchen. The whitewashed Mediterranean place is still known for its profusion of cleavage on Thursday nights, when the DJ really lets loose. On other nights, it serves fatty duck, foie gras and all the contemporary classics of the big-belly set. I watch a suitably large man set two BlackBerrys down on the bar next to a woman in power

The Dadar Flower Market.

stilettos. “Drink, boss,” he says to the bartender who wordlessly answers with some tall, icy concoction.

I meet Suketu and Naresh, who is a resident of Bandra, at the recently opened Pali Bhavan restaurant. The atmosphere is laid-back, with old sepia-toned studio photographs of Indian families, a corrugated-steel ceiling, and a back window that, according to Naresh, is sealed “because it looks out on a slum.” After a week in Bombay, the proximity of poverty to luxury no longer surprises. I bite into the galouti kebab, which, according to the menu, was “created for the leisure-loving nobles who preferred not to chew.” The food at Pali Bhavan ranges from the country’s north to south without missing a beat. Next, we travel back to the common man’s vada pav, the fried potato patties that are a proud vegetarian answer to the burger. The Pali Bhavan version is amazing, filled with peanuts and garlic

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ne of the last chapters in Suketu’s Maximum City, “Goodbye World,” concerns a wealthy family who give up their riches to become Jain monks and nuns, wandering around the countryside, living under brutal and basic conditions, trying to reclaim something they had lost amid the frenzy of Bombay. I’ve only been here for 10 days, but I have been chased out of a housing colony by gangsters, charmed by psychoanalyzed Bollywood stars, banged up after jumping out of a moving train, and eternally convinced of the prescience and wisdom of railroad parrots. I end my journey at one of the holiest Hindu places in the city, the Banganga Tank, on Malabar Hill.

The holy lake was originally built in the 12th century and, according to legend, flows straight from India’s holiest river, the Ganges. Flanked by the laundry sprouting off apartment buildings, the greenish holy water accepts worshippers in saris and dhotis. Ducks and geese take to it as well, the only place in the city where the car honks are exchanged for goose honks. Everything smells of cooking and family life, and children play cricket on what may well be the world’s smallest pitch. The eyes are dazzled by the pastel colors, the rising stupas of nearby temples, the kites launched by gaggles of kids.

I walk around and sample the continuous call-andresponse of religious chants, and then, during a sudden interval between prayers, I hear that Bombay rarity, the impossibility you can enjoy only in the “snow room” of your 27-story personal skyscraper perched high above the slums: silence. ✚

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and served with a vibrant ghati masala. Even the presentation is simple and beautiful—five perfect sliders lined up on your plate. The juicy char-grilled corn on the cob, another street favorite, is a gratifying snack. Then there’s bharwan karela, stuffed bitter gourd in pumpkin gravy. Indian children endure their karela the way ours do broccoli, but at Pali it is an eye-opening combination of bitter and sweet.

The next day, I follow Roshni’s advice and head to the Café Military, in the Fort neighborhood, smack in the center of South Bombay. Military, despite its name, is a friendly, open-window kind of place with beer-drinking locals and excellent Parsi food. The keema salli is a snack-perfect dish of crunchy potato sticks with savory minced meat. With the cheerful staccato of the ceiling fan and the old brown cabinetry, Military is timeless and fun, like a cool boteco in Ipanema.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the Mi Maratha restaurant, in Lower Parel, a spare white room where locals from the corporate park nearby graze on hot-and-sour fish curry and the spice bomb that is chicken sukha, filled with bony morsels, slurped up with the aid of many chapatis. The jhinga thali with dried shrimp and jumbo prawns is alone worth the trip to this neighborhood-in-progress.

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T L Guide Getting There In Southeast Asia, several airlines run direct flights to Mumbai from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Getting Around Metered taxis can be found everywhere, but have your hotel call ahead for the most reliable service. Cars can also be reserved for eight hours (or the equivalent of 80 kilometers) for less than US$15; consider paying extra for an air-conditioned taxi.

stay Four Seasons Hotel 114 Dr. E. Moses Rd., Worli; 91-22/2481-8000; fourseasons. com; doubles from Rs10,800.

The Oberoi Nariman Point; 91-22/6632-5757; oberoihotels. com; doubles from Rs28,500.

Taj Mahal Palace Apollo Bunder; 91-22/6665-3366; tajhotels.com; doubles from Rs11,750.

eat Café Marina 26 P.J. Ramchandani Marg, Apollo Bunder; seapalacehotel.net; dinner for two Rs800.

Café Military Ali Chamber, Tamarind Lane, Fort; 91-22/​ 2265-4181; dinner for two Rs300.

Highway Gomantak Pranav Cooperative Housing Society, 44-2179 Gandhi Nagar, Highway Service Rd., Bandra East; highway​ gomantak.com; dinner for two Rs500.

Mi Maratha G.K. Marg, Lower Pavel; 91-22/​2493-0345; dinner for two Rs650.

Olive Bar & Kitchen Pali Hill Tourist Hotel, 14 Union Park, Bandra; olivebarandkitchen. com; dinner for two Rs5,000.

Pali Bhavan 10 Adarsh Nagar, Pali Naka, Bandra West; 91-22/​ 2651-9400; dinner for two Rs1,000.

Sea Lounge Taj Mahal Palace, Apollo Bunder; tajhotels.com; dinner for two Rs2,500. book with a t+l travel expert T+L A-List Super-Agent Pallavi Shah specializes in India. opgny@ourpersonalguest.com.

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c l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p : C o u r t e s y o f the Four Se asons Resort hual al ai; G . B r a d L e wi s /g e t t y i m a g e s ; r o g e r

The Three Fat Pigs The agricultural capital of Hawaii, the Big Island is home to some of the state’s most prominent chefs. Ippy Aiona, for example, one of the youngest Food Network Star contestants, opened the island’s first gastropub, with menus inspired by his Italian and Hawaiian ancestry (think prosciutto di Parma served with Hawaii Nui Hapa beer). 250 Waikoloa Beach Dr.; thethreefatpigs.com; dinner for two US$100.

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Ulu Ocean Grill Set in a beachfront pavilion, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai’s newest restaurant uses more than 160 local suppliers in its mission to create regional, seasonal, artisanal cuisine— such dishes as crispy local octopus with pickled ginger and Japanese barbecue sauce. 72-100 Kaupulehu Dr.; fourseasons.com; dinner for two US$100.

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Illustrated by Kyungduk Kim

Adventurous restaurants, newly renovated hotels, and a stunning landscape of volcanoes, cliffs, jungles and beaches—on a drive around the Big Island of Hawaii, j eff w ise maps out nine reasons to go now.

Driving Hawaii’s Big Island

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Surfing Where better to learn the quintessential Hawaiian sport than on the home island of King Kamehameha? The native watermen of Hulakai offer lessons at a beautiful reef break a short stroll from the Mauna Lani. hulakai.com.

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Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows The Mauna Lani’s five villas, refurbished last year, are tucked away in a secluded area of the seaside hotel. The airy living quarters open out onto private pools and gardens that overlook the ocean. maunalani. com; doubles from US$300.

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Mauna Kea Golf Course Set high above the Kohala Coast, this Robert Trent Jones Sr.–designed course at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is 6,738 meters of golfing bliss—or agony—depending on how well you play. Narrow fairways, deep-set bunkers and cliff-side greens make this one of the island’s most challenging courses, especially following its redesign in 2008 by Jones’s son Rees.

62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Dr.; princeresortshawaii.com.

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volcano house; sami sarkis, get t y images; k e l ly f a j a c k , g e t t y i m a g e s ; c o u r t e s y o f m a u n a l a n i b ay

Hilo Farmers Market Home to climatic zones ranging from tropical coast to misty plateau and bamboo forest, the Big Island generates a dazzling array of produce, on display in downtown Hilo. hilofarmersmarket.com.

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Mauna Kea Observatories Exceptionally dry air and dark skies make this summit a premier site for astronomy, with two of the world’s three largest optical telescopes.

Now plans are under way to build a new record-breaker.

From the visitors’ station at 2,800 meters, smaller telescopes provide front-row seats to the vastness of the universe. ifa.hawaii.edu.

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Volcano House The only hotel in America set on the rim of an active volcanic caldera, this iconic National Park Service property has just reopened after a four-year renovation.

On a clear night, step outside your room and watch the glow of a subterranean lava lake reflected in the billowing plume. hawaiivolcanohouse. com; doubles from US$250, campsite cabins US$80.

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Puu Oo Lava Flow For more than 30 years lava has been spilling into the sea on the island’s southeastern coast. Kalapana Cultural Tours leads two-hour hikes across a twisted, blackened landscape to a lookout above the spot where molten rock collides with steaming ocean. kalapanaculturaltours.com.

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A voyage to Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago with Lindblad Expeditions.

reported by nina fedrizzi and stirling kelso. edited by nikki ekstein, amy farley and lindsey olander

R a l ph l e e h o p k i n s / c o u r t e s y o f l i n d b l a d e x p e di t i o n s

The hotels, tour operators and cruise lines that are transforming the world through travel.

Z e b r a s : J o h a n n v a n H e e r d e n / G e t t y I m a g e s ; l a p o s r i o s c o s ta r i c a : g e t t y i m a g e s ; J o c h e n z e i t z : A n d r e a s R e n t z , G e t t y i m a g e s ; J u r o r s , C l o c k wi s e f r o m t o p l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f V a i l R e s o r t s ; J e f f W e i n e r / C o u r t e s y o f W o r l d M o n u m e n t s F u n d , C o u r t e s y o f V i ta l V o i c e s , S e r g i o V i l l a r e a l / C o u r t e s y o f R o o m t o R e a d , Courtesy of Ale x Prud’Homme, Courtesy of Vishakha Desai, Courtesy of Maiyet

From a pool of more than 200 entries, T+L’s 2013 Global Vision Awards jury evaluated dozens of projects—hotels, tour companies and cruise lines among them—to select 15 honorees in five categories. They embody the extraordinary ways that travelers can give back to the places we visit.

Rob Katz CEO of Vail Resorts (a 2012 GVA winner)

Bonnie Burnham President and CEO of the World Monuments Fund

Paul van Zyl Cofounder and CEO of the ethical fashion brand Maiyet (a 2012 GVA winner)

Alyse Nelson President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an NGO supporting women’s empowerment

Vishakha N. Desai President emerita of the Asia Society and a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board

John Wood Founder and board co-chair of Room to Read, a nonprofit focused on literacy and girls’ education.

Alex Prud’homme Author of The Ripple Effect: the Fate of Fresh Water in the Twenty-First Century

Former Puma CEO and chairman Jochen Zeitz is on a multiple-front crusade for ethical commerce across the globe.

Tasked with overseeing the sustainabledevelopment efforts at luxury-goods conglomerate Kering (whose holdings include Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Saint Laurent), he has now turned his attention to travel. His 20,200-hectare Segera

Retreat (segera.com), in northern Kenya,

has transformed a stylish, eight-villa safari retreat into a model for conservation and thoughtful community development. And then there’s his Long Run campaign (thelongrun.org), which is certifying and championing sustainable resorts and lodges (many of them earlier T+L GVA winners) across the globe.

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Tourism can play an important role in safeguarding the pockets of distinctiveness that inspire and shape our travel experiences.

As this year’s winners demonstrate, the best preservation efforts are as attentive to living culture as they are to the accretions of the past.

Winner

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Winner

Fogo Island Inn newfoundland, canada What It Is A high-design inn that’s revitalizing a remote island in Newfoundland.

How It Works As Canada’s cod fisheries dried up in the 1990’s, so did the prospects for Fogo Island (population 2,435). Tech maven Zita Cobb, a native, built the 29-room inn to showcase the region’s traditions—and boost its economy.

International designers worked with local boatmakers and quilters on the inn’s interiors. Fishermen act as tour guides and hosts. Foragers supply the excellent restaurant. And, all the profits are directed back to the community.

Take the Trip Explore the terrain on a geologist-led hike. fogoislandinn.ca; doubles from C$550 all-inclusive.

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Runner-Up

Fundación Altiplano Arica y Parinacota, Chile To protect the heritage of the centuries-old Aymara villages in Chile’s Andes, this foundation is restoring 31 Spanish-colonial churches­, each embodying distinct religious practices, and turning them into a draw for travelers. The result? Enlivening the area culturally and economically.

Take the Trip Trek the Ruta de las Misiones connecting Aymara’s churches. rutade​las​misiones.cl; from US$80 per person.

C l a i r e Ta k a c s / G e t t y i m a g e s

What It Is A nonprofit safeguarding Kyoto’s pre-World War II architecture.

How It Works Faced with the rapid destruction of the city’s machiya town houses, marked by their distinctive latticework and open-air courtyards, KCCC launched a campaign to help owners—some 70, to date—restore these houses and open them to visitors as living museums.

Take the Trip Learn about the city’s culture and history on a walking tour with a resident. deepestkyototour. com; US$30 per person.

Even the most remote landscape needs defending these days. The primary mission for our winners: introduce travelers to endangered places, while plowing the profits back into conservation. It’s a simple plan, but one that requires perfect execution to create a destination that’s both appealing and protected.

What It Is A for-profit conservation company

with two low-impact lodges and a goal of protecting southern Chile’s wilderness.

How It Works Patagonia Sur uses tourism to its properties to support and showcase its innovative environmental efforts. A reforestation program—the largest in Chile—plants nativespecies trees (500,000 and counting) on both its own reserves and in national parks. These trees will eliminate an estimated half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the course of their lifetime—offsetting the equivalent emissions of 10,000 average U.S. households.

In addition, Patagonia Sur’s foundation provides English-language education, economic development programs and sustainable jobs to nearby villagers—recognizing the essential link between conservation and community.

Take the Trip See Patagonia’s ancient lenga forests and wild pampas on a horseback ride through the Valle California reserve. patagoniasur.com.

Runner-Up

Camp Jabulani

M e g a n W e e k s Ad a m s / C o u r t e s y o f P ata g o n i a S u r R e s e r v e s

Hoedspruit, South Africa A family-run safari lodge on a private reserve near Kruger National Park, Camp Jabulani keeps wildlife stewardship at its heart. Its Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center rehabilitates at-risk animals and reintroduces them into the bush, while the six-suite lodge helps fund local land conservation and zoological research.

Take the Trip

See the bush—and the Southern Hemisphere stars­on an evening elephantback safari. camp jabulani; doubles from ZAR9,000 all-inclusive.

Winner

Runner-Up

Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat Clanwilliam, South Africa Intent on restoring its 7,500 hectares to their original state, this luxury resort has been replacing the area’s alien species with indigenous ones and saving endemic populations, such as the Cape mountain zebra, from the brink of extinction.

Take the Trip

Visit between July and October for one of the world’s most diverse wildflower displays. bushmans​kloof.co.za; doubles from ZAR2,100 all-inclusive. 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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Responsible travel is in the very DNA of these winners.

Though their chosen campaigns vary widely in geography and content, they are each, in their way, standard-bearers for the industry. You could be touring Europe, cruising to Antarctica, or simply spending a night in a business hotel, and you’d be in good company with any of these three honorees.

What It Is A philanthropic group-tour outfitter with global itineraries and a local cause.

How It Works Since 1992, the company’s Grand Circle Foundation has pledged US$97 million toward education and preservation initiatives in more than 30 countries around the world, from a farming project in Costa Rica to classroom building in Zimbabwe. Last year, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis turned their attention to their own backyard in Boston, launching a US$10 million program aimed at high school students.

The lofty goal: to more than double the number of four-year college degrees attained in the city’s most underserved neighborhoods by 2018 through mentoring and leadership training.

Take the Trip Visit the Pucruto Primary School, near Cuzco, on a tour of Peru and the Galápagos. oattravel.com; 15 days from US$4,495 per person.

Runner-Up

Lindblad Expeditions New York City A small-group expedition-cruise company, Lindblad immerses guests in cutting-edge marine conservation research, from studying leopard seals in Antarctica to tracking humpback whales in Alaska. By shining a spotlight on environmental issues, the company, in alliance with National Geographic, has raised US$10 million for ocean restoration, education and the preservation of the Galápagos Islands, the fleet’s flagship destination.

Take the Trip See South Georgia Island’s king penguins on a 19-day trip through the Falklands. expeditions.com; US$14,990 per person.

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Runner-Up

Hilton Worldwide

McLean, Virginia

This hospitality powerhouse—with 10 brands and more than 4,000 properties—has made sustainability a priority. Its LightStay program evaluates each location’s footprint and has helped Hilton cut carbon output by 10.9 percent, water use by 7.5 percent, and waste by a 23.3 percent over five years. Meanwhile, an array of initiatives (hospitality training for at-risk youth, for instance) enrich the myriad neighborhoods that Hilton calls home.

Take the Trip Spend a night at Edinburgh’s Caledonian, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. hilton.com; doubles from £165.

C o u r t e s y o f Ov e r s e a s Adv e n t u r e T r a v e l

Winner

While governments waver on how to approach climate change, private businesses are stepping into the void. These three winning hotels have embraced the challenges of sustainability, finding innovative ways to lighten their footprints— all without sacrificing the traveler’s experience.

COURTESY OF e m i r at e s w o l g a n v a l l e y r e s o r t & s p a

Winner

What It Is A beacon of environmental efficiency in Australia’s Blue Mountains.

How It Works Set on a 1,600-hectare reserve, this 40-suite retreat—built largely from reclaimed materials—maintains an exceptionally light footprint. Solar and wind power minimize carbon emissions, while a replanting program aims to reverse 190 years of agricultural damage.

Take the Trip Observe wallabies in the reserve. wolgan​valley.com; doubles from A$1,560.

Winner

Cavallo Point sausalito, california What It Is A historic army post turned hotel that’s a model of adaptive reuse.

How It Works The 28-hectare Fort Baker was given new life five years ago, when it was transformed into a 142-room hotel— the first on the National Register of Historic Places to receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The retrofit salvaged 75 percent of the original interiors and added rooftop solar panels, drought-tolerant landscaping, and a water-reclamation system that saves 7.5 million liters a year.

Take the Trip Sample local wines and produce at Cavallo Point’s culinary school. cavallopoint.com; doubles from US$379.

Runner-Up

Nikoi Island Nikoi Island, Indonesia This private-island resort champions the local ecosystem and its community, with 50-plus sustainability measures that leave no detail overlooked. On the checklist: line-drying laundry, cleaning the beach daily and eschewing in-room appliances.

Take the Trip Snorkel Nikoi’s reefs to spot stingrays, sea horses and puffer fish. nikoi.com; doubles from S$360.

People are the heart and soul of any journey— and the inspiration for the efforts of our winners.

These companies build schools and houses, support literacy and develop infrastructure.

But most important, they integrate locals into their business plans, offering “a hand up, not a handout,” according to juror John Wood.

What It Is A small-scale tour company devoted to supporting education in Cambodia.

How It Works When founder Andrew Booth learned how few tourism dollars from foreign-owned companies stay in Cambodia, he resolved to mend a broken system.

All of his tours’ profits go toward funding rural schools in the Siem Reap province—108 so far, with 53,000 students. In 2012 alone, this meant donating thousands of uniforms, digging wells and delivering more than 30,000 sets of supplies. Plus, the program provides training, transportation and fair wages to teachers, ensuring that quality education reaches beyond the city limits.

Take the Trip Visit the floating fishing villages of Tonle Sap Lake, in central Cambodia, on one of AboutAsia’s weeklong journeys. aboutasiatravel.com.

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Runner-Up

Solms-Delta Wine Estate Franschhoek, South Africa An award-winning winery that is empowering the farm workers behind its labels through profit-sharing partnerships, housing loans, college scholarships and music-based heritage projects.

Take the Trip Learn how Cape music inspires Solms’ wines on a tasting and tour complete with performances. solms-delta.co.za.

Runner-Up

Reserva do Ibitipoca Minas Gerais, Brazil This eight-suite lodge is charting a new course for rural Brazilians, not just by offering employment and literacy programs for its neighboring communities but also by creating vital infrastructure for a once-disconnected area.

Take the Trip Explore the reserve on one of Ibitipoca’s Mangalarga horses. ibiti.com; doubles from R$1,000.

A n n a B e l l a B e t t s / C o u r t e s y o f ABOUTA s i a T r a v e l

Winner

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO OUR DIGITAL EDITION Available at www.zinio.com 1 year / 12 issues for US$29.99.

SUBZERO Antarctica, ahoy! Luxury liners steer you to the frozen continent in relative comfort and provide a front-row seat to polar wildlife. But the journey is still a mental and physical challenge that will test even the hardiest traveler’s resolve.

stor y a n d photos by I a n llo y d Neubauer

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Sixty nautical miles from the coast of Australia’s Antarctic Territory.

From left: Seagazing in style off the starboard railing; Snares crested (“professor”) penguins totter the Sub-Antarctic Islands;

“I don’t know… maybe 40 times,” hotel manager Ian Vella tells me casually one night at the bar aboard the MV Orion when I ask him how many times he’s sailed to Antarctica. “The first time was in 1993 with Lars-Eric Lindblad.”

That same year, precisely two decades ago, T+L named the famed Swedish adventurer one of the Top 20 Explorers of All Time—and with good reason. After migrating to the U.S. in 1951, he pioneered cruise-based tourism to some of the world’s most exotic and far-flung destinations: the Galapagos, Easter Island and the Northwest Passage, among others. Lindblad was also the first to offer post-war tours to Vietnam and Cambodia—a move that saw him prosecuted and sent to the cleaners for breaching American trade embargoes.

Of all Lindblad’s endeavors, none was more ambitious than his original to Antarctica. His 1966 voyage in a chartered Argentine navy ship is regarded as the precursor to contemporary sea tourism in the region. There are now around 100 tour companies in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa that will sell you a ticket to Antarctica in the Austral summer.

Among them is Orion Expedition Cruises, a Sydney-based company offering three different itineraries to East Antarctica every year in its luxury cruise liner MV Orion.

“Travel in my opinion is not ordinary trade,” Lindblad told the New York Times in 1989. “Travel

unlike on the earliest expeditions, going hungry isn’t a problem on the MV Orion, with a five-star galley and a crew of chefs.

is a way of communication.” To commune with the wildest forces of nature—not to mention my own inner viking—I set sail with Orion Expedition Cruises to Antarctica, the windiest, driest, remotest, least visited, tallest, most barren and mysterious continent on the planet.

With wide windswept boulevards fronted by century-old buildings and near-constant rain, Invercargill, the southernmost city of New Zealand, makes a fitting launch-point for my 18-day voyage to Antarctica. The actual port lies in the fishing village of Bluff, 10 kilometers south, where the MV Orion is berthed.

Weighing 4,000 tonnes and measuring 103 meters from end to end, she is a formidable vessel with a top speed of 15 knots. She is not an icebreaker, but ice-rated: she can push through pack ice that has room to move but not smash her way through solid mass. She comes with an armada of creature comforts: a gym, sauna, day spa, salon, boutique, elevator, outdoor Jacuzzi, satellite Internet access and 54 luxurious suites. She also comes equipped with computer-controlled fin stabilizers to take the edge out of carving a path through the Southern Ocean, home to the largest and most violent seas on earth.

Minutes after leaving port we get our first taste of the ocean’s wrath as 6-meter waves lash against the hull. Seasickness pills help keep my dinner down but they can’t take away the non-stop nausea.

Luckily it’s a short run, and at noon the next day we drop anchor at the Snares, one of New Zealand’s ancient Sub-Antarctic Archipelagos.

Mammals like rabbits and rats that were introduced by sealers and whalers to other Sub-Antarctic islands in the 1800’s never reached the

Snares. Therein lies its uniqueness—and the rationale behind its strict conservation regulations. We aren’t allowed to set foot on the Snares but, via Zodiac runs, we do get within meters of some of the islands’ huge penguin, seal and seabird rookeries. Wherever I look, I see some kind of arct-exotic creature, be it a Snares crested penguin (which my partner names ‘Professor Penguins’ for their bushy eyebrows), New Zealand fur seal, giant petrel or wandering albatross with wings 3 meters wide. Missions on the agile and fast-moving Zodiac shuttles are what differentiate the Orion and other premium-priced Antarctic cruises from cheaper trips that sail from the Argentine port of Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula—a place Orion’s expedition leader Don McIntyre says is like “the tropics” compared to our destination: Commonwealth Bay. In 1995, McIntyre and his now ex-wife Margie spent a year living in a shipping container at Commonwealth—a bizarre experiment in selfimposed isolation documented in the film and book Two Below Zero. The pair are walking, talking encyclopedias on the region and just two of the luminaries who work as guides and 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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Clockwise from top left: Captain Mike Taylor mans the bridge; AdÊlie penguins waddle off an iceberg; the ship approaches a coastal cliff on Enderby Island; a fern clings to life on New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands; a breaching fin whale; ice-covered deck chairs.

Clockwise from top left: Prepping for an icy plunge, the Antarctic-virgin initiation ceremony; mapped out; morning tea includes fresh pretzels and hot cocoa; zooming in on an ice field; celebrating a birthday in the MV Orion’s dining room; the ship’s library.

This iceberg is so massive that it likely holds enough drinking water to sustain 4 million people for a year.

lecturers on this ship. There’s also, to name but a few, seabird expert Dr. Alex Watson; Antarctica’s first female station leader, Diana Patterson; Antarctic historian David Day; and whale whisperer Olive Andrews. My favorite crewmember, though, is hotel manager Vella, an erudite Brit who’s part Austin Powers, part David Attenborough, and storyteller writ large.

“Lars was an enormous character, larger than life, bombastic. He loved sitting on the bridge,” Vella says. “We had this rambunctious Norwegian captain called Erik Bjurstedt and they did not see eye to eye. Both were big characters so it was kind of a prima donna situation that was highly entertaining. Lars was getting quite old then and losing his marbles a little bit, but we all respected him a lot. That was the year before he died.”

The next day we make our first landing, at Enderby Island, one of the Auckland Islands, New Zealand’s southernmost archipelago. McIntyre and his team take extraordinary precautions to ensure our safety, including lugging ashore dozens of waterproof barrels. Inside is enough food and water to sustain us for up to 36 hours, as well as tents for more than 100 people in case the wind picks up and we aren’t able to return to the ship on schedule.

Our landing site is Sandy Bay, home to a family of yellow-eyed penguins, the rarest penguins on earth, and a large colony of New Zealand sea lions. The males of the species are boisterous, barking, bloated giants that weigh up to 400 kilograms. They spend the majority of their time on land fighting over the far smaller females,

who cower in harems governed by the largest and most aggressive bulls. When challenged by would-be usurpers, the alpha male charges forward blind to all in his path; sea lion pups are often trampled to death in the mêlée, in a drama worthy of an opera or ballet. But what’s truly amazing is how close we are to it all: 5 meters. It might sound scary but it’s not. The animals see us, hear us, smell us but are nonplussed because, as our guides explain, they don’t consider us any kind of threat. It’s a zoo without cages.

After a sunset cruise through Carnely Harbour—a city-size basin surrounded by a series of 700-meter-high peaks—we commence the 940-nautical-mile, four-day voyage to Commonwealth Bay. I kill time on the treadmill in the gym and by attending lectures on everything from the politics of Antarctica to the history of whaling. I gorge myself on the five-course meals created by chef Serge Dansereau of the acclaimed Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant in my hometown of Sydney and on room service delivered by ever-smiling Filipino stewards. I make fast friends with a university professor from Phoenix called Randy, a nature photographer from L.A. named Tim,

sea lion pups are often trampled in the mÊlÉe, in a drama worthy of an opera. it’s a zoo without cages and an eldery but hard-drinking couple from Queensland, Ross and Denise. Despite the many diversions, at times I feel as if I’m trapped in some kind of sub-zero Groundhog Day spending day after day aboard a perpetually rocking ship. I’m close to losing my own marbles when I find solace in the biographies of pioneers from the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Men like Ernest Shackleton, who spent more than a fortnight adrift in the Southern Ocean aboard a small raft in constant peril of capsizing; Douglas Mawson, who trudged through 300 kilometers of snow on starvation rations; and Robert Scott, who froze to death attempting to reach the South Pole.

Compared to near and grueling deaths, my ennui seems manageable. Still, it isn’t all easy sailing. “This is not a bus tour,” expedition leader McIntyre tells me after a particularly rough night where I sleep strapped to the bed. “It’s a rite of passage getting to Antarctica, like Mawson did. You need to expect things to be a little difficult and perhaps not always work out like you planned.”

McIntyre’s words prove prophetic. On what is meant to be our last day sailing south, he announces that we will attempt a landing at the French base Dumont d’Urville, but thanks to sheets of pack ice 45-kilometers wide, there’s no guarantee—as a note on every single page of our itinerary explains.

Furious, I march to the library and bury my head in a polar tragedy written by an ‘Antarctic virgin’ who lists cracked teeth as a nasty byproduct of the extreme cold. I’m starting to regret having set foot on this ship when I see an unusually shaped wave out the porthole.

It’s a whale! Two whales! No… wait… four whales! Four mighty humpbacks rolling through the sea, pulling off breathtaking breaches and deafening tail slaps. I’ve been on dozens of whale-watching excursions over the years but never have I seen anything like this. Later in the day we pass our first iceberg—a frozen colossus 1 kilometer across with column-like ice sculptures encircled by seabirds. Waves carve out huge caverns and stress cracks that will eventually see it divide and disappear, depositing 220 million tonnes of water into the Southern Ocean.

The iceberg is a sight for sore eyes: emotionally fulfilling and emblematic of our upcoming arrival at the Antarctic Circle—the polar opposite of the fear that gripped mariners in the days of exploration whenever they sighted dreaded ‘bergs.’ But the real moment of truth, the one that makes the travails of the past four days seem worthwhile, is waking up the next morning to see we are cruising alongside a wall of pack ice.

It’s a scene of such majestic beauty, so silent and pristine, glistening eye-burningly white, that I can do nothing but stare at it for hours.

Late in the day we take our Zodiacs to the ice, boating around brilliant blue ice chunks of all 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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On a Zodiac mission, passengers discover a lone Adélie penguin stranded and lost, more than 30 nautical miles from its rookery.

shapes and sizes. The thermometer reads minus-1 degree Celsius but the wind and snow make it feel a hell of a lot colder. The smallest patch of exposed skin on my face burns as if it’d been sprayed with a strong anesthetic, while my fingers go stiff in a way I’ve never experienced before. Then my toes begin to stick together with the onset of frostbite, despite being ensconced in two pairs of thick socks and inner soles made of possum skin. Explains the ship’s chief medical officer, Dr. Chris Bulstrode, an emeritus professor in trauma from Oxford University: “We are simply not supposed to be here.”

Despite the cold (or perhaps because of it?) life finds a way to survive. We come within meters of a school of minke whales feeding on krill—small crustaceans that are Antarctica’s No. 1 food source. We also see crabeater seals, Adélie penguins and snow petrels gliding gracefully over the water. “It’s like being behind the scenes of a National Geographic documentary,” says Matthew Carson, a geologist from Australia traveling with his father.

The calm, however, doesn’t last, and a low-pressure system forms the moment we reboard. Our ship is engulfed in wind, snow and waves and we can only wait it out for two days. Halfway in, McIntrye suggests it could prove a blessing in disguise by breaking down the wall of pack ice blocking our access to the continent. Yet by the time the storm passes we see it has made things worse, bolstering the wall with a field of brash ice that prevents any Zodiac missions. To top it off, there’s a hurricane now bearing down on our position. Never having entered Commonwealth Bay, we won’t set foot on Antarctica.

The captain makes the call to commence the return journey home. Like the expeditions of Shackleton and Scott, ours has been trumped by the force of Mother Nature in the last remaining place on earth where we can’t hope to tame her.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but there are manifold lessons to be learned from the experience—most salient that no matter how far we’ve advanced, how smart we think we are, humanity still has our limitations. “People today are used to instant gratification. They are used to having it easy on holiday. They have itineraries.

They have plans,” McIntyre says. “But we work in the most inhospitable place in the world and we never know how things are going to turn out.

And that’s what makes this a real adventure.”

It’s a triumph of technology we even made it as far as we did, on an odyssey I now understand to be more human than geographic. I’m certain Lindblad, whose 1983 autobiography Passport to Anywhere I find stashed behind the rows of books that have proven such an entertaining and informative part of this voyage, would agree. “I believe in creating new possibilities,” he wrote, “for human experience and understanding.” ✚

A crabeater seal stares at the camera lovingly or unimpressed—the author can’t figure out which.

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T L Guide Getting There Air New Zealand (airnewzealand.com), Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com) and JetStar (jetstar.com) fly into Dunedin, New Zealand.

The Cruise Orion Expedition Cruises 8 West St., North Sydney, Australia; 61-2/ 9033-8777; orionexpeditions.com; twin-share 21-day fares to Antarctica range from A$20,720 per person twin share in a Stateroom to A$39,955 per person for an Owner’s Suite.

STAY Safari Lodge 51 Herbert St., Invercargill, New Zealand; 64-3/214-6328; safarilodge.co.nz; doubles including breakfast from NZ$280.

The Henry Jones Art Hotel 25 Hunter St., Hobart, Australia; 61-3/ 6225-7000; puretasmania. com.au; doubles from A$245.

DOCUMENTS New Zealand and Australian visas are required to visit the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Island and East Antarctica, respectively. Medical certificates are required for all passengers aboard the MV Orion.

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Our Definitive Guide To

New Zealand’s largest city has the appeal of a small town and the style of a modern metropolis.

Maria Shollenbarger checks out the North Island scene.

Photographed by Kieran Scott

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Stairs leading to the Loft Suite at Hotel DeBrett, in Auckland’s Central Business District. Opposite: Pizza Boxes, an exhibit by Steve Carr, at the Michael Lett gallery.

auckland

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sou th i s l a n d H au r a k i G u lf

From left: The three-story Lighthouse Suite at the Boatshed hotel, on Waiheke Island; a bedroom in the suite.

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Lay of the Land CBD Auckland’s Central Business District, or CBD, is made up of the waterfront harbor area, the SkyCity casino complex, and the buzzy, newly rehabilitated Britomart shopping and dining district.

Ponsonby The rambling residential neighborhood teeming with beautiful people and Victorian-style houses is Auckland’s answer to New York City’s West Village.

Ponsonby Road, lined with bars, cafés and restaurants, is the best place to shop and eat alfresco.

Parnell A slightly more staid version of Ponsonby, this district is characterized by a handful of good restaurants and contemporary art galleries along Parnell Road.

Takapuna Previously known mostly for its dreamy white-sand beach, the monied northern suburb—about a 15-minute drive from downtown— is gaining attention for its burgeoning retail and culinary scenes.

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Stay Our picks of the top hotels, from the CBD to nearby Waiheke Island.

Hotel DeBrett Smack in the middle of the CBD is this funky redo of a turnof-the-20th-century building.

The 25 rooms are a riot of graphically patterned carpets, Midcentury furniture in orange and turquoise upholstery, and generous black-​and-​white-tiled baths. hoteldebrett.com; NZ$300.

Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour The marble- and metal-clad lobby at this sleek former Westin in central Auckland glows with the light of hundreds of candles in the evening; Sabrage, the champagne bar, fills early with an after-work crowd of young professionals. On the top floor, there’s a new 1,070-squaremeter spa. Rooms are done up in shades of brown and white, and have all-inclusive mini-bars

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and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the boat-filled marina. sofitel.com; NZ$296.

The Langham Auckland’s onetime jewel has retained some of its luster thanks to the renovated lobby and lounge, with their high ceilings, marble floors and old-school tea service. The CBD and Ponsonby are within easy walking distance of the hotel, and the exceptional warmth of the staff goes a long way toward compensating for the rooms, which, though spacious, could use a little sprucing up. langhamhotels.com; NZ$350.

Hilton A local favorite since its opening in 2001, this steel-and-glass structure has 240-degree views

of the city and Waitemata Harbour from its front suites. The rooms are simple—gray carpets; sparse furnishings; large, comfy beds—but the lively Fish restaurant and Bellini Bar more than make up for it. hilton.co.nz; NZ$534.

The Boatshed This seven-room hotel is set above Little Oneroa Beach on Waiheke Island: interiors have wainscoted walls, teak and rattan furniture, and nautical touches (a ship model here, a telescope there). Three-course dinners and breakfasts are served on terraces. Book the Lighthouse, with its private veranda high above Hauraki Gulf. boatshed.co.nz; NZ$695 including breakfast and island transfers.

Hotel prices are starting rates for double occupancy.

Shop Five one-of-a-kind boutiques across the city.

Department Store

Flotsam & Jetsam

Stylist Stephen Marr and fashion designers Karen Walker and Dan Gosling are the brains behind Auckland’s version of Colette, in Paris, or Dover Street Market, in London: independent labels such as Lemlem and 3.1 Phillip Lim mix with Walker’s own line and those of other Australasians.

Home accessories by the ceramicist Simon James are also on offer, as is a small edit of TopShop pieces each season. thedepartment​ofnews.com.

Cameron Woodcock’s funky merchandising style belies the blue-chip quality of many of the goods at this antiques and ephemera emporium. You’ll find vintage gardening books and eclectic furniture, Fiesta Dinnerware and photographs with serious provenance, and much more in the multiroom space. flotsamandjetsam.co.nz.

Zambesi A Ponsonby Road classic, designer Elizabeth Findlay’s one-room boutique stocks clean-lined, deconstructed pieces for men and women that recall Helmut Lang or Rick Owens: draped cottons and linens in greige and shades of ebony. A well-curated collection of shoes and boots rounds out the picture. zambesi.co.nz.

Father Rabbit Devotees of Restoration Hardware won’t want to miss the impeccably ordered housewares here, including vintage wooden cutting boards, southern-French crockery and white enamel cookware. fatherrabbit.com.

World This hodgepodge of ownbrand clothing for both sexes (think a little Paul & Joe, a little Theory), jewelry and, um, taxidermy (a fetish of the owners) is a longtime Auckland favorite. worldbrand.co.nz.

Clockwise from top: The Department Store, in Takapuna; looks by Ruby, a local label, at the Department Store; home accessories at Flotsam & Jetsam, in Ponsonby.

See+Do 1

Off the coast of Waiheke Island.

Auckland Museum One of the country’s most recognized heritage locations, the 84-yearold museum houses the most comprehensive collection of Maori and Pacific Islander art in the Southern Hemisphere: graphic textiles; carvings, some of them war canoes; whare (traditional Maori meeting houses) and other full-size buildings; and 18th- and 19thcentury portraits. auckland​museum.com.

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Three places worth the detour.

Devonport This self-contained, late-Victorian neighborhood has historic sites, including North Head, a British fort dating back to 1887; popular cafés and restaurants— Dida’s Wine Lounge & Tapas (didas.co.nz) is a must—and not one but two of Auckland’s picture-perfect beaches.

Climb to the top of Mount Victoria for staggering 360-degree views of the city, Hauraki Gulf and the North Shore.

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Waiheke Island A 40-minute ferry ride from downtown brings you to this island escape. Rent a moped or car at the landing and cruise the beaches; Little Oneroa, Palm Beach and the expansive Onetangi are among the best. End the trip with a dozen Bluff oysters and a glass of Chardonnay at the Oyster Inn (oysterinn.co.nz), a barefoot-chic restaurant and guesthouse opened last year by a former Louis Vuitton executive.

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From left: Lunch hour at Ebisu, in Britomart; mango crab maki with tobiko and baby coriander at Ebisu; the blackboard menu at Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar, in the CBD.

Eat Haute cuisine? Kiwi comfort food? Traditional French dishes? Here, six of Auckland’s top tables.

Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar Al Brown’s temple to dude food is the buzziest spot in town. If there’s a wait for a table, the friendly servers will set you up outside with a quartino of Sauvignon Blanc; inside, it’s all about the seasonal small plates: lamb with mini Yorkshire puddings, carnitas tacos and snapper sliders with a killer lemon mayo. eatatdepot.co.nz; NZ$110.

Ebisu The converted warehouse in up-and-coming Britomart turns out contemporary Japanese— the seared duck breast and soft-shell crab with wasabi

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tartare and orange ponzu standout—with a formidable cocktail list. Try the Sakura Daiquiri. ebisu.co.nz; NZ$140. engine room eatery Owners Natalia Schamroth and Carl Koppenhagen opened their bistro seven years ago.

But mouthwatering dishes such as the signature twice-baked goat-cheese soufflé and Thai pork salad with green mango— along with unusually personal service—have kept it packed. engine​room.net.nz; NZ$150. everybody’s izakaya Concrete and raw brick, filament lights and exposed pipes set the backdrop at

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Everybody’s Izakaya. The food ranges from Asian-inflected raw-bar offerings to maverick takes on sharing plates like mirin-​braised ribs with curry and tiger prawns with pork belly, bok choy and yuzu miso. everybodys.co.nz; NZ$100. french café Locals swear by this awardwinning temple to gastronomy for the city’s most elegant dining experience. You’ll find contemporary French cuisine with innovative twists on classic roasts (the quail with bacon, chestnuts and croissant sauce is unbeatable). The addition

last summer of the 30-seat chef’s table, the French Kitchen, only adds to the allure. thefrenchcafe.co.nz; NZ$140. spqr Is the food at SPQR among the best in Auckland? We’re not sure it matters. Ponsonby’s unofficial social epicenter is all about air-kissing, flowing Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris, and a hilarious, campy waitstaff.

For the best people-watching, snag a table on the terrace and order the cockle linguine or thin-crust pizza with smoked salmon and watercress. spqrnz.co.nz; NZ$120.

Restaurant prices are approximate rates for dinner for two.

From left: A server at Coco’s Cantina, in Britomart; Bethells Beach, west of the city; Michael Lett gallery.

Local Take

m idd l e : © TU P UNGATO/ D REAMST I ME . COM 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

Three Aucklanders share their go-to spots in the city.

Al Brown

Katie Lockhart

Chef/TV host/ owner of Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar

Interior designer and owner of Everyday Needs housewares boutique

“Some of my favorite places to eat: Coco’s Cantina (cocoscantina.co.nz; NZ$100), in the CBD, has great food—risotto balls, bruschetta and polenta fries; it’s casual to a fault, but super fun. Barilla Dumpling (571 Dominion Rd.; 64-9/638-8032; NZ$26) is for down-and-dirty late-night snacking—wobbly tables and fluorescent lights set the stage for house-made dumplings from another stratosphere. On Waiheke Island, I love to go saltwater fly-fishing for large snapper off the rocky outcroppings (mtmguides.co.nz).”

WineTasting Trips

“In Ellerslie, Mexican Specialities (mexicanspecialities.co.nz; NZ$50) is a well-guarded secret; it’s only open for lunch Thursdays through Saturdays, and is slightly off the beaten track, but worth the trek. The Golden Dawn (goldendawn.co.nz; NZ$40) has the best seasonal food, craft beer and natural wines in Auckland, not to mention great live music. On summer afternoons, I like to walk on the black-sand Bethells Beach, take a quick dip in the sea, then grab a West Coast burger with kumera chips at the Bethells Café (64-22/​384-0500; NZ$40).”

Karen Walker

Fashion designer

“I’m a big fan of Michael Lett’s gallery (michaellett.com), in Newton; one of his top artists is Michael Parekowhai, who was New Zealand’s entry for the 2011 Venice Biennale. Sunday Painters (sundaypainters.co.nz; NZ$140), in Ponsonby, is my go-to restaurant; there’s an old record player—you can grab a Wham! album and just put it on—and the chef serves elevated French home cooking. About halfway between Milford and Takapuna Beach, there’s a little cove I like to visit on weekends called Minnehaha. It’s private and relaxing.”

Auckland is surrounded by some of New Zealand’s best wine regions. Less than an hour north of the city lies Matakana, with more than 30 rolling vineyards. Takatu (takatulodge.co.nz) grows standout Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pinot Gris. • Just south, there’s Clevdon—don’t miss Puriri Hills (puririhills.co.nz) for rich red blends. • Or visit a few of the vineyards on Waiheke Island. Obsidian (obsidian.co.nz) and Kennedy Point Vineyard (kennedy​pointvineyard.com) are more grassroots; Cable Bay Vineyard (cablebayvineyards.co.nz), Te Whau Vineyard (tewhau.co.nz) and Stonyridge Vineyard (stonyridge.co.nz) all have established reputations.

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Last Look

Photographed by Scott A. Woodward

Burma

Sunny-side up or over easy Sunrise on the wooden boardwalk that circumnavigates Rangoon’s Kandawgyi “Great Royal” Lake. “Rather than hunting,” Woodward says, “I allowed the photographs to find me.”

Window on the ancient world The photographer took several DSLR cameras and lenses for two weeks in Burma, and used them only twice.

Like all photos here, this temple in Bagan was shot with his iPhone.

A silent dialogue

Painted tiles and toes The secret behind photography, he says, is making something ordinary— such as feet on the cool, colorful tile floor of Shwezigon Pagoda in Nyaung-U—“appear extraordinary.”

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Gazing up at a giant image of Buddha at Pahtothamya temple in Bagan.

Toting just an iPhone allowed Woodward “to be present and live the adventure with my own two eyes.”