December 2007

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

DECEMBER 2007

Singapore • Hong Kong • Thailand • Indonesia • Malaysia • Vietnam • Macau • Philippines • Burma • Cambodia • Brunei • Laos

LAUNCH ISSUE YOUR ULTIMATE

ASIA GUIDE Where to go, where to stay, what to do Hong Kong Singapore Thailand Bali Cambodia Philippines ...and more

DEC EMBE R 200 7

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

25

TOP HOTELS WORLDWIDE REVIEWED AND RATED

+

Colonial chic: revival in Penang Paradise found in southern Vietnam Insider’s fashion guide to New York

Promotional Feature THAILAND

LANGHAM FINDS A PLACE IN THAILAND he choice of accommodation on Koh Lanta Yai in southern Thailand has taken a luxurious turn with the addition of the Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa (139, Moo 8, Koh Lanta, Krabi; 66 (0) 2881-2244; krabi.langhamplacehotels.com). This stunning five-star resort, overlooking a sparkling stretch of white-sand beach and azure Andaman Sea in Krabi province, marks a significant first step for Langham Hotels International in Thailand and a milestone for the group’s expansion in Southeast Asia.

This stunning resort has 185 rooms, villas and superlative suites rising from the beach to high on the verdant hillside overlooking Koh Lanta’s Klong Tob Bay, with most affording magnificent sea views. Spacious rooms and villas feature polished woods and Thai silks, while suites will impress even the most discerning guest with their soaring vaulted ceilings, private swimming pools and salas: places to relax and reconnect with yourself, your loved one and nature.

A distinguishing feature of Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa resort is its expansive main swimming pool lapping the beachfront with a dramatic infinity edge that blends seemlessly with the bright blue waters of the Andaman Sea. The resort’s unique “ocean pool,” anchored 100 metres out to sea, is a first for Asia. If you have the urge to abandon poolside relaxation for something more adventurous, Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa can arrange activities that will easily fill your days. Take to the sea for some diving, snorkeling or sailing; or work out at the health club, play tennis, or try mountain biking.

After a day out and about, guests can reward themselves with sumptuous treatments at the Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa’s luxury Chuan Spa. Housed in a series of serene Thai-style pavilions, the Chuan Spa offers guests an extensive selection of sybaritic health and beauty treatments. Set in a beautiful courtyard alongside a natural waterfall, the Chuan Spa also has an outdoor Jacuzzi and sauna rooms. Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa is committed to a number of conservation principles, including use of renewable energy sources and conservation of energy; water conservation; recycling; local engagement; habitat protection; and environmentally responsible purchasing policies. The resort’s commitment to conservation demonstrates its ability to build a bridge between the development of a luxury resort and concern for the environment.

T

GETTING THERE

By Air Thai Airways (daily flights), AirAsia (three flights daily) and Bangkok Air (three flights a week) fly from Bangkok International Airport to Krabi International Airport. Flight time is 70-80 minutes.

Tiger Airways has four flights a week from Singapore to Krabi. Flight time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

By Car Road transfers from various

airports can be arranged by the resort to Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa’s private pier via minibus or limousine: From Trang Airport, it’s 1 hour and 30 minutes to the resort’s pier; from Phuket International Airport, 3 hours; from Krabi International Airport, 50 minutes.

By Ferry From the pier, a 45 minute scenic ride on the resort’s cruiser with complimentary refreshments on board.

Promotional Feature THAILAND

LANGHAM FINDS A PLACE IN THAILAND he choice of accommodation on Koh Lanta Yai in southern Thailand has taken a luxurious turn with the addition of the Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa (139, Moo 8, Koh Lanta, Krabi; 66 (0) 2881-2244; krabi.langhamplacehotels.com). This stunning five-star resort, overlooking a sparkling stretch of white-sand beach and azure Andaman Sea in Krabi province, marks a significant first step for Langham Hotels International in Thailand and a milestone for the group’s expansion in Southeast Asia.

This stunning resort has 185 rooms, villas and superlative suites rising from the beach to high on the verdant hillside overlooking Koh Lanta’s Klong Tob Bay, with most affording magnificent sea views. Spacious rooms and villas feature polished woods and Thai silks, while suites will impress even the most discerning guest with their soaring vaulted ceilings, private swimming pools and salas: places to relax and reconnect with yourself, your loved one and nature.

A distinguishing feature of Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa resort is its expansive main swimming pool lapping the beachfront with a dramatic infinity edge that blends seemlessly with the bright blue waters of the Andaman Sea. The resort’s unique “ocean pool,” anchored 100 metres out to sea, is a first for Asia. If you have the urge to abandon poolside relaxation for something more adventurous, Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa can arrange activities that will easily fill your days. Take to the sea for some diving, snorkeling or sailing; or work out at the health club, play tennis, or try mountain biking.

After a day out and about, guests can reward themselves with sumptuous treatments at the Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa’s luxury Chuan Spa. Housed in a series of serene Thai-style pavilions, the Chuan Spa offers guests an extensive selection of sybaritic health and beauty treatments. Set in a beautiful courtyard alongside a natural waterfall, the Chuan Spa also has an outdoor Jacuzzi and sauna rooms. Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa is committed to a number of conservation principles, including use of renewable energy sources and conservation of energy; water conservation; recycling; local engagement; habitat protection; and environmentally responsible purchasing policies. The resort’s commitment to conservation demonstrates its ability to build a bridge between the development of a luxury resort and concern for the environment.

T

GETTING THERE

By Air Thai Airways (daily flights), AirAsia (three flights daily) and Bangkok Air (three flights a week) fly from Bangkok International Airport to Krabi International Airport. Flight time is 70-80 minutes.

Tiger Airways has four flights a week from Singapore to Krabi. Flight time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

By Car Road transfers from various

airports can be arranged by the resort to Langham Place Eco Resort + Spa’s private pier via minibus or limousine: From Trang Airport, it’s 1 hour and 30 minutes to the resort’s pier; from Phuket International Airport, 3 hours; from Krabi International Airport, 50 minutes.

By Ferry From the pier, a 45 minute scenic ride on the resort’s cruiser with complimentary refreshments on board.

(Destinations)12.07 Italy 89, 108 New York 72, 103, 132 Vietnam 134

Southeast Asia 118

Patagonia 146

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

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Issue Index Laos 121 Luang Prabang 24, 46, 53, 122 Manila 40, 46 Penang 54, 122 Phuket 36, 87 Phu Quoc, Vietnam 134 Rangoon 46 Siem Reap 26, 83, 87 Singapore 38, 46, 75, 122 ASIA Beijing 113 Guangzhou 80

Hong Kong 36, 42, 46, 87, 121 Kathmandu 158 Macau 46 Shanghai 26, 36, 127 Sri Lanka 26 Tokyo 52 Yunan 26 THE AMERICAS Argentina 115 Brazil 105, 111, 115 Chile 107 Georgia 114

Minneapolis 115 New York City 72, 103, 132 Panama 106 Patagonia 146 Pennsylvania 114 EUROPE Berlin 113 Greece 110 Italy 89, 108 London 86, 130 Prague 112 Spain 102, 110

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

(SGD)

(HKD)

(BT)

(RP)

1.46

7.75

32

9,030

(RM)

(VND)

3.37

16,000

(MOP)

8

(P)

44

(MMK)

6.40

(KHR)

4,000

(BND)

(LAK)

1.46

9,600

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

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SOUTHEAST ASIA Angkor 83 Bali 26, 48 Bangkok 24, 26, 46, 58, 87, 122 Brunei 46 Chaing Rai 87 Hanoi 46, 125 Ho Chi Minh City 36, 125 Hoi An, Vietnam 50, 104, 125 Hua Hin, Thailand 109 Jakarta 36, 46 Koh Ouen, Koh Bong, Cambodia 38 Kuala Lumpur 26, 46

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(Contents)12.07 > 134 Is Phu Quoc Asia’s next great beach destination?

118 Street Smarts From rural Laos to bustling Hanoi, JANET

FORMAN hunts down Asia’s finest street cuisine. Photographed

by JASON MICHAEL LANG. GUIDE 121

126 Style Insiders Vivienne Tam, Alice Temperley and Isaac Mizrahi share their favorite spots to eat, 12

play and shop in Shanghai, London and New York.

134 Waking Beauty It’s been

anointed as Asia’s next great resort.

But will Vietnam’s Phu Quoc be able to keep its charm? By PETER JON LINDBERG. Photographed

by MARTIN WESTLAKE. GUIDE AND MAP 145

146 Road to Patagonia In the starkly beautiful landscape of southern Chile and Argentina,

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

NATHAN LUMP checks into four stylish hotels that provide a gateway to some of the most spectacular treks in South America. Photographed by

FRÉDÉRIC LAGRANGE. GUIDE AND MAP 156

Special

● The IT List >101 T+L brings you the cream of the crop of new hotels and resorts worldwide.

MARTIN WESTLAKE

117–146 Features

(Contents)12.07 > 65 18 22 24 26 29 158

DECEMBER 2007

LAUNCH ISSUE YOUR ULTIMATE

ASIA GUIDE Where to go, where to stay, what to do Hong Kong Singapore Thailand Bali Cambodia Philippines ...and more

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

25

TOP HOTELS WORLDWIDE REVIEWED AND RATED

+

Colonial chic: revival in Penang Paradise found in southern Vietnam Insider’s fashion guide to New York

Cover

Editor’s Note Contributors Ask T+L Best Deals Strategies My Favorite Place

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Penang, Malaysia. Photographed by Mitchell Nguyen McCormack. Styled

by Kampol Likitkanjanakul. Makeup and hair by Teerayut Chunon.

Model: Liane Siebenhaar/Red. Silk printed shirtdress, Hermès; necklace, Marni; bracelets and rings, M.C.L.; shoes, Louis Vuitton.

> 42

75–89 T+L Journal 76 Asian Scene

35–58 Insider 36 NewsFlash

Birthday martini guide, Singapore’s new shophouses and more.

42 Eat

Where to find Hong Kong’s most delicious dim sum. BY DAVID WONG 46 Night Out

The best New Year’s parties in Asia.

48 Room Report

Moorish splendor in Bali. BY MARY JUSTICE THOMASSON-CROLL

65–72 Stylish Traveler 65 Icon

Sleek and simple, Cartier’s Tank watch is a timeless classic.

67 Packing List

From the beach to the mountains— your quick getaway style guide.

Exploring Singapore’s hot new hangout: Dempsey Hill.

BY LEISA TYLER 80 Cityscape

Ruminating on Guangzhou.

BY BONNIE TSUI 83 Mind Body

Luxury spas take off in the shadow of Angkor.

BY MICHAEL BUCKLEY > 94

71 Spotlight

Travel favorites from Peter Som, creative director at Bill Blass.

BY JENNIFER CHEN 72 Shopping

Tracking down New York’s finest vintage clothing shops.

Nesting dolls with a Vietnamese twist.

BY FAH SAKHARET 52 Neighborhood

Tokyo’s hippest new address.

BY TOM DOWNEY 53 See It

Luang Prabang’s new hill tribe museum. BY GENEVIEVE TSAI 54 Quick Getaway

Discovering the pleasures of Penang.

58 T+L Guide

Exploring Bangkok by SkyTrain.

BY PAUL EHRLICH 14

> 50

86 Trendspotting

What’s behind offbeat hotel packages. BY BRUNO MADDOX 89 Driving

Uncovering Italy’s artistic gems in Emilia-Romagna.

BY PETER WELLER 94 Portfolio

Discovering Buddhism through the stunning photography of STEVE MCCURRY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SAMANTHA SIN; NIGEL COX; ST EV E M CCU R RY; S I T T I P U N C H A I T E R DS I R I

50 Bring It Back

(Editor’s Note) 12.07

W

hen you’re a part of Travel + Leisure—as an editor

or as a reader—you’re in good company. T+L, as we affectionately know it, is the world’s leading travel magazine, reaching more than 5 million people every month via seven editions in four languages. These readers have come to rely on T+L as a trusted source of information, and also for delivering award-winning travel and lifestyle journalism and photography in captivating features.

So, as new magazine launches go, the Southeast Asia edition of Travel + Leisure is special, and being asked to edit the magazine was the fulfi llment of a personal ambition of mine. Having cut my professional teeth in publishing in the U.K., I moved to Asia more than seven years ago, and it’s my home now. I can’t think of any better way to express the fascination I feel with the places I’ve visited and the people I’ve met than crafting a magazine that celebrates the life-changing experiences that travel brings.

Putting the magazine together was something of a challenge. After all, this edition is the most widely distributed of T+L’s international family, reaching 12 countries and territories across the region. Our goal, then, was to create a worldclass magazine that reaches out to this incredibly diverse readership with a compelling blend of stories that captures the Asian travel experience—whether you’re bound for bustling Bangkok or the beaches of Vietnam. Of course, Asians are on the move, seeking out new experiences the world over, which is why you’ll also find guides to destinations as far afield as New York, Italy and even Patagonia.

So far, it has been an exhilarating ride for the entire team, and I sincerely believe that the passion we feel for both travel and for Asia is reflected on every page. I

E-MAIL T+L Send your letters to

tleditor@mediatransasia.com and let us know your thoughts on recent stories or new places to visit in Southeast Asia. Letters chosen may be edited for clarity and space.

18

this and many more issues to come.—MATT LEPPARD TRAVEL + L EISURE EDITORS, WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE THE INDUSTRY’S MOST RELIABLE SOURCES. WHILE ON ASSIGNMENT, THEY TRAVEL INCOGNITO WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND DO NOT TAKE PRESS TRIPS OR ACCEPT FREE TRAVEL OF ANY KIND.

DECE M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

C H E N P O VA N O N T

✉

think you’ll agree, and I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome you onboard for

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-AT-LARGE ART DIRECTOR FEATURES EDITORS ASSISTANT EDITOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Matt Leppard Paul Ehrlich Fah Sakharet Jennifer Chen Phil Macdonald Napamon Rongwitoo Wasinee Chantakorn

CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi

PUBLISHER VICE PRESIDENT / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION

GROUP CIRCULATION MANAGER

Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Michael K. Hirsch Kin Kamarulzaman Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Yupadee Sae-Bae Supalak Krewsasaen Arisa Kasempun Porames Chinwongs

AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING CORPORATION PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VICE PRESIDENT, U.S. PUBLISHER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SVP, STRATEGIC INSIGHTS, MARKETING & SALES EXECUTIVE EDITOR, INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE, INTERNATIONAL

Ed Kelly Mark V. Stanich Nancy Novogrod J.P. Kyrillos Paul B. Francis Cara S. David Mark Orwoll Thomas D. Storms Lawrence Chesler

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370.

Printed by Comform Co., Ltd. (+66 2 368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic Scan Co., Ltd. (+66 2 291-7575).

This edition is published by permission of AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING CORPORATION 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright owner is prohibited. © Media Transasia Thailand Ltd. in respect of the published edition.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription enquiries: www.travelandleisuresea.com/subscribe

(Contributors) 12.07

Mitchell Nguyen McCormack Although a frequent

Turning back the clock on Phu Quoc island.

22

Janet Forman “Sitting down at a food stall is a bit

like eating at grandma’s: a warm blanket of carbs and camaraderie,” says Forman, who, when not at home in New York, is likely eating her way through Asia (“Street Smarts,” page 118). A long-time enthusiast of Asia’s street cuisine, she urges the uninitiated to take the plunge. Her work has appeared in Saveur, CNN Traveller and Islands Magazine.

Forman is also a photographer and film producer.

David Wong A former South China Morning Post entertainment writer and advertising copywriter, Wong has lived in Hong Kong for 28 years. After years of consuming dim sum (“The Kings of Dim Sum,” page 42), he’s honed his technique in finding the best places. “Knowing where to start is almost impossible,” he concedes, “but like most things in Hong Kong, when in doubt look for the biggest lines and loudest noises.”

One of today’s finest image-makers, Steve McCurry has won many of photography’s top awards. His career was launched when he entered Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. Since then, his travels have spanned the globe, and his work has appeared in National Geographic and many other major publications. His photo essay, “Reflections of Buddha” (page 94), stems from a series of journeys he made throughout Asia over a 15-year period.

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

L E F T CO LU M N , C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P : M A RT I N W EST L A K E ; CO U RT ESY O F P E T E R J O N L I N D B E RG ; T I A RA W EST L A K E R I G H T C O L U M N , F R O M T O P : L U K A L A L I C ; C O U R T E S Y O F J A N E T F O R M A N ; C O U R T E S Y O F D AV I D W O N G ; A H M E T S E L

It’s such a singular place … so removed from the typical Southeast Asian beach resort scene,” says T+L U.S. editor-at-large Peter Jon Lindberg (above right). “It’s hard to imagine Phu Quoc becoming another Langkawi or Phuket—yet that’s exactly what the government and developers are hoping to create.” Lindberg has been with T+L since 1994 and much of his work focuses on Vietnam—most recently a report on the island of Phu Quoc (“Waking Beauty,” page 134).

Lindberg lives in New York. “It reminded me of my first travels in Asia 20 years ago,” adds Martin Westlake, who photographed Phu Quoc for the feature. “With very few tourists and no largescale hotel developments, Phu Quoc is a perfect tropical island.”

Westlake is based in Jakarta. His work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler and The Telegraph Magazine.

traveler to Asia, McCormack’s trip to Penang—to shoot the cover of T+L Southeast Asia’s inaugural issue—was his first. “The whole feel of the place was really amazing: the old buildings, the street life. You can really imagine what it was like100 years ago,” he says. McCormack was born in Vietnam and grew up in New York City, where he is now based. His work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire.

ARE THERE FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN BANGKOK IN A CONVENIENT LOCATION? WE ARE PLANNING TO STAY FOR THREE MONTHS. —NANCY ANDERSON, OKLAHOMA, U.S.A.

A:

There is no shortage of medium-term accommodation in Bangkok. With direct access to the SkyTrain, you can’t get much more convenient than the super-luxurious Emporium Suites (622 Sukhumvit Rd.; 662/664-9999; www.emporiumsuites. com; one bedroom Bt110,000 per month).

Nearby, Rembrandt Towers Serviced Apartments (22 Soi 20, Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/261-5900; www.rembrandtbkk. com; one bedroom Bt67,000 per month), also offers high-rise luxury. House By The Pond (230/3 Soi Sainumthip 2, Soi 22, Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/259-3543–7; housebythepond@yahoo.co.uk; one bedroom Bt23,000 per month), a low-rise block set in tropical gardens, is a homely, economical alternative.

24

Which are the main budget airlines that operate in Southeast Asia, and how do I book tickets?

—MARTIN SINCLAIR, HONG KONG

The budget airline sector has been booming in Southeast Asia in recent years. AirAsia (www.airasia.com)—the region’s biggest budget airline—flies from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to destinations in Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macau and some mainland Chinese cities.

There are also a few budget airlines operating out of Singapore, including Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com) and JetStar (www.jetstar.com), which fly to Southeast Asian and Australian cities.

Viva Macau (www.fl yvivamacau.com) is new to the scene, but it’s expanding quickly with flights to Phuket, Clark in the Philippines and Ho Chi Minh City. Booking flights with these carriers is easy: just log onto their Web sites. If you want to speak to an actual person, check their Web sites for the reservation hotline in your country.

How long does it take and how much does it cost to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang by bus? Are there various bus types?

—DAVID BOWDEN, KUALA LUMPUR

Unpaved roads, guerilla activity and rickety local buses that packed passengers alongside chickens once made the trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang extremely arduous and downright dangerous. Now, with Route 13 paved and the guerillas under control, buses ply the highway regulary and safely. Comfortable VIP and airconditioned buses leave Vientiane’s Northern Bus Station for the nine- to

✉

10-hour trip every 60–90 minutes, from 6:30 A.M. to 11 A.M. There are also late afternoon and early evening buses.

Fares are between about US$9 and US$12 depending on the type of bus, with VIP the most expensive. Local buses are best avoided.

Are there places in Southeast Asian countries that are restricted for tourists?

—MARICEL SAMARITA, MANILA

Travel is restricted outside the main centers of some Indonesian provinces, including Aceh, West Papua and Maluku, because of ongoing ethnic, religious conflicts or insurgencies. While not necessarly restricted, there are a number of volatile regions in Southeast Asia that you’d be well advised to give a miss anyway. The border area between Burma and Thailand is rife with ethnic conflict, warfare, banditry and drug smuggling. Central Sulawesi in Indonesia suffers from religious and ethnic conflicts. A Muslim insugency and general lawlessness (kidnapping is rife) in parts of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao make it a dodgy place. Meanwhile, the southern border provinces of Thailand (Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla) are also engulfed in a bloody Muslim insurgency, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives since 2004. Watch your step in rural Cambodia, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

Laos, too, has its share of unexploded ordnance, particularly around the Plain of Jars. Up-to-date advisories on worldwide trouble-spots can be found at the Australian government’s excellent Department of Foreign Affairs Web site (www.dfat.gov.au/geo). ✚

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO TLEDITOR @ MEDIATRANSASIA.COM. QUESTIONS CHOSEN FOR PUBLICATION MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE .

I L L U S T R AT E D BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

Q:

(Ask T+L)12.07

(Best Deals) 12.07

Gardens at the Banyan Tree Lijiang.

Still not sure where to spend the holidays?

Here are some great money-saving ideas ■ INDONESIA Golden Week package from The Elysian in Bali (623/6173-0999; www.theelysian.com). What’s Included Three nights in a one-bedroom villa with private pool; airport transfers; afternoon tea; a barbecue dinner; Balinese spa treatments; a full-day tour of Ubud; entrance to Hu’u Bar; and late checkout until 4 P.M. Cost US$799 for two adults through December 31. Savings 29 percent.

■ MALAYSIA Visit Malaysia 2007 package at Kuala Lumpur’s Hotel Maya (60-3/2711-8866; www.hotelmaya.com. my). What’s Included Two nights’ accommodation; dinner for two; city tour; airport transfer; butler on your floor; 20 percent off any spa treatment; and 10 percent discount at hotel restaurants. Cost RM1,688, junior suite, RM1,988, deluxe suite, through December 31. Savings Up to 17 percent.

■ THAILAND Bangkok Bliss package at The Metropolitan (66-2/625-3322; www.metropolitan.como.bz). What’s Included Two nights’ stay; one dinner at Cy’an; a massage for two; a chauffeured tour of Bangkok; a personal shopper at Siam Paragon; and one daily yoga class. Cost US$395, double, through March 2008. Savings Up to 32 percent.

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■ CHINA Spirit of Yunan package at the Banyan Tree Lijiang and Ringha resorts (65/6849-5800; www.banyantree. com). What’s Included Two nights at the Banyan Tree Lijiang and two nights in Ringha; round-trip airport transfer; transportation; tours of local sights; a trek; and a 90-minute massage. Cost US$565 a day per couple through March 31, 2008. Savings Up to 40 percent.

Pearls and Silk package at The Portman Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai (86-21/6279-8070; www.ritzcarlton. com). What’s Included Two nights in an executive suite with access to The Ritz Carlton Lounge; a massage; one herbal bath; round-the-clock butler; a four-course dinner at the Palladio Restaurant; one set of silk, king-sized bed sheets; one bespoke Chinese suit and dress; his and her’s silk robes; and a pearl necklace and cufflinks. Cost RMB28,000, through December 31. Savings 33 percent.

■ CAMBODIA Angkor Weekend Escapade at Le Meridien Angkor (855-63/963-900; www.lemeridien.com/angkor) in Siem Reap. What’s Included Two nights in a superior room with late checkout; and round-trip airport transfers. Cost US$159, on weekends, through December 31. Savings Up to 41 percent.

DECE M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

SRI LANKA Visit Amanresorts’ (65/6883-2555; www.amanresorts. com) properties in Sri Lanka. For US$250 a night, stay at Amangalle, near the charming port of Galle. Or, if you’re looking for a tranquil beach paradise, spend US$325 a night for a suite at Amanwella. Both deals represent savings of 50 percent, and are available now through December 14, then January 21, 2008, through September 30, 2008.

The pool at Amanwella.

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

DEAL OF THE MONTH

(Strategies) 12.07 UPDATE: AVIAN FLU

First it was mad cow disease.

Then it was SARS. But the disease that everyone has been concerned about recently is avian flu. At press time, avian flu is reportedly on the wane in Asia, but here’s what you need to know if you’re headed to one of the 12 countries where an outbreak has occurred.

Most trip-cancellation insurance plans will cover medical and travel expenses should you catch avian flu while traveling (though no tourist has to date). They will also cover you if your trip is interrupted due to a quarantine or a flight ban in the country you’re visiting. But if you cancel your trip ahead of time because you hear about an outbreak of avian flu, most policies won’t pay. For that, you need to buy a policy that has a “cancel for any reason” option.

●

Staying Healthy Abroad

ILLUSTRATED BY JULIETTE BORDA

From contaminated water to malaria, travelers confront a wide array of health risks. Here are 10 essential tips that will help you prepare for your next trip. By CHRISTOPHER R. COX. PLUS: What you need to know about avian flu, medical emergencies in the skies, confusing drug names and more

N

early half of all visitors to developing countries will get sick during a two-week trip, according to Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky, a travel-health consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. But health problems aren’t limited to these regions, of course; viruses don’t recognize borders and accidents can and do happen anywhere.

Stay away from live poultry farms and markets — even in urban centers. The virus is passed primarily through poultry feces and blood, but can be transmitted via other secretions. It’s safe to eat poultry and eggs, says Christine Pearson, a spokesperson for the CDC, as long as they are cooked thoroughly (at 70 degrees). ●

“Travelers tend to think of the world as a giant amusement park—that they can have a wonderful experience with little risk,” says Dr. Edward T. Ryan, director of the Travelers’ Advice and Immunization Center at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States. “The reality is that the world is a risky place. A wellinformed traveler is most likely to come back healthy.” Taking these 10 precautions T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

● Finally, if you develop flu-like symptoms while traveling, seek medical care immediately.

—Michelle Andrews

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strategies | staying HOW TO GET MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AT 9,000 METERS

healthy should be as much a part of your trip preparation as buying a plane ticket or booking a hotel.

outbreaks, disease and drug-resistance patterns, or the newer vaccinations and drugs,” says Keystone.

BEFORE YOU GO

3 Check your current health insurance policy. Since many health care plans don’t

1 Do your homework. Know the health Have you ever wondered what would happen if you got sick en route to your destination?

Airlines certainly have. For years, most carriers have relied on voice-response telemedicine systems that allow crew members to relay an ill passenger’s vital signs and symptoms to doctors on the ground. But some are now adopting a new high-tech version called Tempus.

TEMPUS What it is A shoe box–sized device with a built-in modem that measures and relays passengers’ images and vital signs — including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, blood-oxygen level and electrocardiogram information — via the plane’s satellite telephone.

Data is received at an emergency-response center on the ground, where doctors evaluate the information in order to determine treatment.

Who has it Emirates, BMI (formerly British Midways) and Virgin Atlantic. —M.A.

risks of your destination and what immunizations are needed by checking the Consular Information Sheet on the U.S. State Department Web site (www.travel.state. gov). The CDC site has a travelers’ health section (wwwn.cdc.gov/travel) and the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) site (www.istm.org) has a link to Outbreak News, a rogues’ gallery of “hot zone” diseases compiled by the CDC and the World Health Organization. The list should compel any reader to make a doctor’s appointment, ideally at least one month before heading overseas, to ensure routine immunizations are current and to begin specific vaccines or prophylactic drugs, such as antimalarials, if required.

2 Consider a travel-medicine consultation if you’re heading to a highrisk area. Although a personal physician

can advise on Western destinations, Dr. Jay Keystone, a Toronto-based travel- and tropical-medicine specialist, recommends visiting a travel-health clinic for anything more complex. A comprehensive list of travel clinics is on both the CDC and ISTM Web sites. “Family physicians don’t have the time to keep up with the risks and

cover emergency medical evacuation or even basic medical attention overseas, you should consider buying a travel-health insurance policy. In Asia, global insurance giant AXA offers travel insurance through its branches in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand (www.axa-insurance.com.hk; www. axa.com.sg; www.axa.co.th).

4 Consider purchasing evacuation insurance. Medical services provider

International SOS (www.internationalsos.com), which has offices throughout Asia, offers policies to individuals that include evacuation and repatriation.

5 Pack a small medical kit. The CDC has a helpful checklist: items such as tweezers, a digital thermometer, antidiarrheal medications and hydrocortisone cream.

Depending on your destination or allergies, you may want to include insect repellent, antimalarial medications, waterpurification tablets, prescription pills for skin or parasite infections and an epinephrine auto-injector. Travel Essentials (www.travel-essentials.com.au) sells medical kits from A$29.95 (US$26.75) as does MedShop Express (www.medshopexpress.com).

Both ship worldwide. Also remember to take extra prescription drugs and carry them in clearly labeled, original containers.

It may be hard to find your medications while abroad.

6 Carry your medical history with you at all times. Travelers who suffer from a

chronic or preexisting condition should bring a copy of their medical history (which can be stored on a wallet-sized disk or USB drive). Med-InfoChip (www.medinfochip.com; from US$70) sells USB drives that contain prepared forms for information on allergies and medications, medical history and doctor contacts.

ONCE YOU’RE THERE 7 Don’t drink the water. In less developed countries stick with bottled water in sealed containers, even for brushing your teeth.

(Refi lling discarded bottles with tap water 30

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

is a thriving business in many poor countries, so be sure that the bottles you buy are sealed.) Avoid fruit that’s already been peeled, salad and leafy green vegetables. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an antibacterial hand sanitizer.

IF YOU BECOME ILL 8 Seek top-notch medical care. A highend hotel’s concierge should have the names and numbers of reputable physicians, dentists and clinics. Many hotels, such as the Conrad Bangkok, have doctors on call 24 hours a day. If you buy travel-health insurance, you can get referrals from your provider. Otherwise, your embassy can suggest preferred physicians and facilities.

Also, the nonprofit International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (www.iamat.org) inspects clinics and has a list of English-speaking, Westerntrained physicians around the world.

9 Avoid buying medication locally. “A large number of antimalarials and antibiotics available overseas are counterfeit,” Kozarsky says. Drugs in many

developing countries can be purchased without a prescription, so if you must buy medicine abroad, make sure you get your hotel doctor to okay it. A 2004 study in the journal Tropical Medicine & International T+L Health found that 53 percent of TIPS antimalarials purchased in five Asian countries were bogus.

Other medications may be PRESCRIPTION FOR CONFUSION adulterated with additional Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs amounts of narcotics. have the same (or similar) brand names as

FOLLOW UP AT HOME 10 If you have a fever, seek medical attention.

Up to 11 percent of returning travelers can experience febrile illness, according to a study published in the journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. If you’ve been to a malarious area, a fever is “a medical emergency,’’ Kozarsky says, and you need to see a doctor immediately. ✚

drugs sold in other countries — but contain different active ingredients. Here are a few to look out for. —M.A.

BRAND A NAME + PURPOSE

BRAND B NAME + PURPOSE

Amyben (U.K.) sleeping pill

Ambien (U.S.) abnormal heart rhythm

Allegra (U.S.) allergy medication

Allegro (Germany) headaches

Prazac (Denmark) antidepressant

Prozac (U.S.) high blood pressure

FOR THE FULL LIST, GO TO WWW.FDA.GOV/OC/ OPACOM/REPORTS/CONFUSINGNAMES.HTML.

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

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strategies

| deconstruction Buzz Factor

Outside the Icebox

Water Bill

Tigerlily, a boutique hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, had one of the widest selections: guests can snag umbrellas for US$30, dental kits for US$6, and gifts like scented candles, also US$30.

On average, bottled water costs US$3.90 at the hotels we visited. La Samanna, in St. Martin, charged the most: US$9 for Perrier and US$9.50 for Evian; a bottle of Himalayan water at the Oberoi Amarvilas, in Agra, India, is a steal at 60 cents.

Expect to find Kingfisher beer (US$5.30) at the Oberoi Vanyavilas, in Ranthambhore, India; Russian Standard vodka (50 ml, US$9.40) at the Kempinski Hotel Moika 22, in St. Petersburg; and Bali Moon liqueur in a Javanese clay bottle at the Grand Hyatt Bali (50 ml, US$8.50).

Sugar and Vice Over 80 percent of the hotels had at least one chocolate fix. And while nutritious options do exist, like fresh fruit (US$12) at Little Dix Bay, on Virgin Gorda, there are unhealthy ones, too: cigarettes for US$3.60 at Básico, on Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

Mini-bar Exam The hotel mini-bar can test the will of even the most frugal traveler. But what’s the price of temptation? T+L’s editors have been taking stock on recent trips across five continents. Here are our favorite finds and biggest beefs.

By BRIDGET MORIARITY. 32

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

Bare Necessities The Merchant’s House Hotel, in Tallinn, Estonia, keeps its mini-bar minimalist, selling only eight beverages, and no food or liquor. Meanwhile, 45 items (from Rice Krispies Treats to Pellegrino in assorted flavors) are available at the Regent South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida.

Photographed by DAVIES+STARR

Dim sum delights: Tracking down Hong Kong’s best yum cha eateries <(page 42)

Quick getaway: Penang.

Escape from the region’s frenetic cities (page 54) >

Lavish living: A touch of Moorish splendor in tropical Bali <(page 48)

+

• Italy’s hidden treasures • Inside Laos’s tribal traditions • Asia’s New Year’s party capitals

(Insider) Photo credit by tktktk

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

Beat the traffic in Bangkok.

Your guide to attractions close to the city’s sleek SkyTrain <(page 58)

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

FEB MROUNATRHY 2 0 0 7 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

000

insider

| newsflash FIVEMINUTE EXPERT

A former actor, Englishman Grant Thatcher is the founder and editor of the LUXE City Guides, the proudly opinionated pocket-sized travel series.

T+L asked him to reveal a few of his favorite places in Asia for the perfect birthday martini.

BEFORE YOU DRINK

Grant Thatcher is the founder and editor of the LUXE City Guides.

“Okay, first of all, let’s get this straight. When is a martini, not a martini? Answer: when it contains anything other than gin—or vodka, if you must—and vermouth. Period. Anything else is a cocktail.”

HONG KONG Caprice (Four Seasons Hotel; 8 Finance St.; 852/3196-8888): “The tiny, tucked-away, baby bar at this catwalk glamster resto serves up a nice big scorcher, and, best of all, hardly anyone knows about it so you can sip in perfect peace and quiet.”

SHANGHAI DR Bar (15 North Block Xintiandi; 86-21/6311-0358): “This

charcoal-colored, in-the-know, sexbomb boite sports a way-cool playlist and laid-back crowd. It’s tiny, but very effective. Note: The martinis here are of good size, but they’re normally shaken. To avoid ice shards in The Beautiful Drink, you will need to ask for it to be stirred.”

HO CHI MINH CITY Q Bar (Opera House; 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, D.1; 84-8/823-3479): “Its impressive bar stock is comparable to any in London or Hong Kong. Add a sharp, contemporary design, intimate booths and labyrinthine layout, groove tunes and a hip weekend crowd, and you’ll be Q-ing all night.”

PHUKET Trisara (60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Rd., Cherntalay, Talang; 6676/310-100): “The Tanqueray is like silken, fiery ice. Take your magic-ina-glass out onto the huge, romantic seafront deck for a seriously stylish sunset sip.”

AFTER DARK

Oenophiles in Jakarta take heed: there’s a new outlet for your obsession. The cheekily named Cork & Screw is an all-in-one stop for connoisseurs and dabblers, with an inhouse wine shop attached to the bar. Guests are greeted at the door by rows of bottles stacked up in wooden bins. Simply select a vintage, hand it to a waiter, and wander over to the sleek lounge.

Local dining institution Koi supplies the nibbles.

Space is tight, so book a table at the weekend.

Wisma Kodel; Jln. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav B4; 62-21/5290-2030.

IN VINO VERITAS

36

DECE M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F L U X E G U I D E S ; ©T O D D TA U L M A N / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; C O U R T E SY O F C O R K & S C R E W

Martini Maestro

| newsflash

Singapore

WA L K THIS BLOCK

In the heart of Chinatown, ANN SIANG HILL and ANG SIANG ROAD were once the home of Chinese social clubs.

Now, their candy-colored shophouses shelter some of the city’s coolest boutiques and bars. By JENNIFER CHEN

2. The Asylum

1. Style: Nordic

CAMBODIA ON THE MOVE

3. The Patissier

Its jewel-like pastries with a twist have earned this patisserie a loyal following. Try the almond cake topped with Earl Grey-flavored chocolate or the green tea-scented sponge cake paired with a chestnut mousse.

18 Ann Siang Rd.; 65/62205565; www.thepatissier.com.

1 2 3

4

tr ee t

Ann Siang Hill

u Cl

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5

Sout h Br idge

oad gR ian nS An

An Hi n S ll P ian ar g k

NEXT STOP

This cutting-edge graphic design studio also houses a sleek, eclectic shop on its premises. Among the offerings are design books, limited edition sneakers and funky accessories by local designers. 22 Ann Siang Rd.; 65/6234-8264; theasylum.com.sg.

Owner Jonas Ericsson scours Scandinavia for the furniture, home accessories and fashions that epitomize the region’s elegant minimalism.

39 Ann Siang Rd.; 65/6423-9114; www. stylenordic.com.

Cros s st reet

4. Front Row

Occupying a three-story shophouse, this store features cult fashion labels such as A.P.C. and Eley Kishimoto.

Upstairs is an art gallery, and downstairs, weary shoppers can fuel up on goodies from Dean & DeLuca.

5 Ann Siang Rd.; 65/6224-5501; www. frontrowsingapore.com.

5. Screening Room

Bringing new meaning to dinner-and-a-movie, this bistro dishes up meals inspired by classic movies such as Chinatown and The Godfather. Diners can later watch a movie in the tiny theater upstairs or relax on the rooftop terrace. 12 Ann Siang Hill; 65/6221-1694; www.screeningroom.com.sg.

38

Pioneer Plans Architect Bill Bensley’s vision of Song Saa Island Resort.

DECE M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

Watch out Thailand. Cambodia wants to be Southeast Asia’s biggest beach destination. The Cambodian government has given six developers the green light to build resorts on islands off its southern coast. Five of the properties will be located off Sihanoukville. The sixth is slated for an island near Kampot province.

One resort to keep an eye on is SONG SAA ISLAND RESORT on Koh Ouen and Koh Bong—two small adjacent islands that are a 30-minute boat ride from Sihanoukville. For those not impressed by Cambodia’s current shoreline offerings, your tune will change once you’ve seen these islands, says Rory Hunter, the Australian developer who is building the US$20 million 40-room property.

And if natural beauty isn’t enough, expect all the usual flourishes of a luxury resort: personal butlers, spas and a seaplane to ferry guests between the resort and Siem Reap, home of the Angkor Wat temples. Bill Bensley, the architect who created the Four Seasons Koh Samui and the Four Seasons Tented Camp in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, has been drafted to design Song Saa. Hunter is also talking to several major luxury hotel chains about managing the property. Expect news of its opening in 2010.

TO P : CO U RT ESY O F B RO CO N G RO U P ; C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F ST Y L E : N O R D I C ; T H E A SY L U M ; T H E PAT I S S I E R ; F R O N T R O W ; T H E S C R E E N I N G R O O M

insider

insider

| newsflash

Funky Town Clockwise from top left: Mogwai’s café; Black Soup Project Artspace; retro toys in Vintage Pop; an art exhibit at Pablo.

40

Cool in Cubao Back in the 1970’s and 80’s, Marikina Shoe Expo—a strip mall in the Manila suburb of Cubao— served as a showroom for local cobblers. An unlikely candidate, perhaps, as an artists’ enclave. But lured by cheap rents and the neighborhood’s low-key vibe, a few artists and fi lmmakers began opening galleries, cafés and design shops here two years ago. Word about this bohemian community soon spread, and Marikina metamorphosed into the hangout for the city’s culturally inclined residents. A few of the original artists have since shuttered their spaces, which has left some old-timers grumbling about Marikina’s future. But a new generation is moving in, notes fi lmmaker Cesar Salaveria, one of the pioneers. “I honestly think that we’re just starting,” he says.

Here’s a pick of the best at Marikina, but note that most of the shops and galleries open at night and are closed on Sundays and Mondays. In the mood for an arthouse flick? Swing by Mogwai (No. 30; mogwai_cinematheque@yahoo.com), named after the saucer-eyed critter in Gremlins, and see what’s screening at this new pocket-sized cinema-cum-café. Retro furniture fans will have a field day rifling through Salaveria’s mid-century collection at Vintage Pop (No. 66; vintage_pop@yahoo. com). Pop culture mavens should check out Pablo (No. 7; why.pablo@gmail.com) for quirky art and funky accessories. A collective of five fi lmmakers, Black Soup Project Artspace (No. 61; blacksoup_projectartspace@yahoo.com) stages photo exhibits and showcases short fi lms. It also hosts live acts, including Filipino indie bands, and occasionally throws a communal dinner prepared by a selected artist. Marikina Shoe Expo, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, Manila.— J.C.

DECE M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F M O G WA I ; AT M A C U L A N G A N ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E SY O F PA B L O

SCENE

insider

| eat

Dim Sum Dreams Far left: A West Villa specialty. Left: Famously delicious dan tarts from Maxim’s. Below: Dim Sum’s traditional feel.

HONG KONG

Kings of Dim Sum. Just like kung fu masters, Hong Kong’s expert chefs move as fast as lightning. DAVID WONG seeks out the city’s best ‘touches of the heart,’ one steaming basket at a time

W

hat began as a welcome snack for weary travelers in the teahouses along the Silk Road has today become a weekly, if not daily, ritual for lovers of Chinese food all over the world. Dim sum, which translates to “touch of the heart,” or (appropriately) “order to your heart’s content,” has flourished in regions across China. But it was in Guangdong province and neighboring city Hong Kong that dim sum— traditionally a brunch meal and linked to tea drinking—became a way of life.

Restaurants start their preparations as early as 6 A.M. and normally stop in the early afternoon.

42

Serving styles differ depending on the restaurant—some still forgo menus and wheel the dishes of the day around on large steaming carts, while others have opted for picture menus to aid their foreign clientele. There is no one style of dim sum; the varieties are as diverse as the teahouses that serve them. With this in mind, we went in search of Hong Kong’s true masters in the ways of dim sum.

reputation among locals and tourists alike for years.

It also breaks tradition by serving dim sum all day long. The moderately sized venue effectively captures that Old Shanghai vibe, with rosewood furniture, big fans and tables squished intimately close together. However, be prepared to wait for a seat on the weekends, and use the time to admire the vintage posters and advertisements that line the walls.

OLD SHANGHAI FLAVOR One of the most renowned teahouses on Hong Kong Island, the simply titled Dim Sum (63 Sing Woo Rd.; 852/2834-8893) has upheld a great

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7|T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

TIME FOR TEA The only surviving member of Hong Kong’s “Big Four” old-fashioned teahouses, Lin Heung Lau » Photographed by SAMANTHA SIN

insider

| eat

Room for Food Left: Maxim’s cavernous and cacophonous dining room. Above: Tempting almond-flavored bread at West Villa. Right: Waitress on the move with tea at West Villa.

5–7 Edinburgh Place; 852/2537-8607) offers dim sum at its biggest, brightest and loudest. While perfect for larger groups, think twice about coming here for an intimate meal. Scores of customers line up to be part of the hustle and bustle that is Sunday yum cha.

WEST MEETS EAST (160–164 Wellington St.; 852/25444556) is classic dim sum dining at its best. Uniformed waiters weave between tables pushing heavy carts laden with food and pouring tea in the traditional way (sans teapot). This teahouse is an authentic window into yesterday’s Hong Kong.

Overlooking the frenzied neon of Causeway Bay, West Villa Restaurant (1st floor, Lee Gardens Two, 28 Yun Ping Rd.; 852/2882-2110) likes to keep the focus on the food and pays less attention to looks. The less-thanostentatious setting makes for a casual ambience. The menu pushes the envelope for oddball dim sum

creations and has become famous for its signature dish of ma cha, a fried Tibetan snack of walnuts and shredded coconut.

BEST OF THE BEST The multiple award-winning T’ang Court (1st floor, Langham Hotel, 8 Peking Rd.; 852/2375-1133) claims to serve Hong Kong’s best Cantonese cuisine.

The world-class chefs that create this dining experience are complemented by the luxurious décor, inspired by China’s Imperial era. It may be pricey, but with this two-time Gold Distinction winner of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Best of the Best Culinary Awards, you’ll be getting what you pay for. ✚

THE BIG BOSS First opened in 1933, Luk Yu (24–26 Stanley St.; DIM SUM MUST-EATS 852/2523-5464) is one of the city’s If you’re new to dim sum and feel overwhelmed by the vast longest-standing upscale dim sum varieties, start out with these staples. establishments, unwilling to modernize ■ CHAR SIU BAO: These steamed ball-shaped buns contain piping and keeping its Cantonese Art Deco hot barbecued pork encased in soft white dough. Try serving this to anyone who says, “I don’t like Chinese food.” influences. Patrons can watch more ■ HAR GAU: Wrapped in a light transparent covering, these steamed than 30 varieties of dim sum being dumplings contain a juicy prawn or two. Like most dim sum, you’re prepared while enjoying a vast range best off eating these in one bite.

■ SIU MAI: While many restaurants will have their own signature of fine Chinese teas.

Tea House

THE PEOPLE’S DIM SUM Located in the City Hall building, along the harbor’s edge next to the old Star Ferry terminal, City Hall Maxim’s Palace (2nd floor, Lower Block, City Hall, 44

Luk Yu Tea House. style for siu mai — some will top it with prawn, others with a scallop — they are essentially steamed pork dumplings encased in a thin yellow or white wrapping.

■ CHEONG FUN: Rolled up like miniature blankets, these steamed rice rolls are served with numerous different fillings, such as barbecued pork, prawns, beef or simply plain. Best served drizzled or dipped in the special sauce that always accompanies it.

■ DAN TART: Dan tarts are the most famous dim sum dessert. Best eaten warm, they contain a large center of egg custard within a crumbly pastry base.

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7|T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

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insider | night

out

on top of a mountain.

Descend to the park below to mix with the colorful crowd.

LUANG PRABANG Sleepy Luang Prabang comes alive for New Year’s. Start the evening with a four-course gourmet meal at the Three Nagas’ restaurant, Mango (Sakkarine Rd.; 85671/253-888) and end it at one of the bars that line the town’s main drag, Xiang Thong.

MACAU Take in the free fireworks show over Nam Van Lake, followed by a nightcap at the spanking new Bellini Lounge in the massive Venetian casino-resort (Cotai Strip; 853/2882-8877).

12 at 12. Stuck for New Year’s ideas?

Here’s our regional roundup of Southeast Asia’s hottest party spots. By PAUL EHRLICH BANGKOK The festivities in front of

HONG KONG In the fast-beating

Central World Plaza (4 Ratchadamri

heart of Hong Kong, Azure’s (29th floor, Hotel LKF, 33 Wyndham St.; 852/35189330) swanky top-floor bars and dining room provide spectacular glass-walled views of the city. Later, party with the crowd at the bars and clubs of Lan Kwai Fong.

Rd.) rival Times Square’s famed countdown. Later, dance the night away at Tapas (114/17 Soi 4, Silom Rd.; 66-2/234-4737), which hosts Bangkok’s most dedicated partygoers.

BRUNEI There’s no booze, but you’ll feel tipsy just hanging out amid the over-the-top opulence at the Empire Hotel & Country Club (Jerudong BG3122; 673/241-8888). Book a supersized suite for partying with friends.

HANOI First sup at chic Bobby Chinn (1 Ba Trieu St.; 84-4/934-8577), then grab a bottle of bubbly and head down to Hoan Kiem Lake to herald in the New Year with local revelers.

46

DE C E M B E R

MANILA Diamond Hotel’s 27th-floor Sky Lounge Music Bar (Roxas Blvd.

corner of Dr. J. Quintos St.; 63-2/5283000) overlooks Manila Bay, the perfect venue to watch the fireworks without being stuck in the mayhem.

PHNOM PENH Watch the sun go down over the Tonle Sap River from the Foreign Correspondent’s Club (363 Sisowath Quay; 855-23/724-014), then party at this city landmark’s annual New Year’s shindig.

RANGOON Head over to colonial JAKARTA Located in downtown Jakarta, the Hotel Mulia (Jl. Asia Afrika Senayan; 62-21/574-7777) is the place to be for a suave, fashionable bash. Or just head to Monas Park, a popular hangout for party people.

KUALA LUMPUR The open-air rooftop SkyBar at the Traders Hotel (Kuala Lumpur City Centre; 60-3/23329888) is like experiencing New Year’s

2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

classic The Strand Hotel (92 Strand Rd.; 95-1/243-377) for its elegant New Year’s dinner and dance.

SINGAPORE Better start practicing the Charleston. IndoChine Waterfront Restaurant (1 Empress Pl., Asian Civilisations Museum; 65/6339-1720) is throwing a 1920’s fancy dress ball, complete with a lavish, six-course dinner and a modern-day DJ. Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN

insider | room

report

Bali’s Occidental Opulence. A Moroccan-inspired villa is reminiscent of a more genteel age, but well-suited to grace this peaceful island. MARY JUSTICE THOMASSON-CROLL checks into The Shaba to seek out its Moorish pleasures THE OVERVIEW Forget Zen minimalism and thank Bali-based Moroccan owner and designer Zhora Boukhari for this property’s elegance and occidental splendor. The Shaba Bali reflects Morocco’s eclectic mix of cultures and history, along with Boukhari’s eye for detail. Two deluxe bedrooms, a one-bedroom suite and a three-bedroom suite surround a central riad (courtyard), made atmospheric by a flowing fountain and Moorish archways. A smart, open kitchen (staff prepare meal requests from guests or you can cook your own) and an elegant drawing room face a generous span of French doors, which open to the swimming pool and a poolside sheltered by mangroves. The suites and bedrooms can be booked individually, or you can take over the entire villa for ultimate privacy. Jln. Uluwatu, Gang Gigit Sari Jimbaran; 62-361/701-695; www.shababali.com; one-bedroom suite from US$200.

THE AREA Nestled in Jimbaran village, with The Four Seasons, Amanusa and the soon-to-be opened St. Regis as neighbors, The Shaba is a 10-minute walk to the beach. Coconut groves surround the front garden and

Class Act Clockwise from top: A one-bedroom suite; a cool, shady terrace; poolside; an antique sofa on the terrace.

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CO U RT ESY O F T H E S H A BA

INDONESIA

make for pleasant strolls through the property. A steady sea breeze adds to the allure of this resort.

Graceful Appeal Clockwise from top left: A Victorian tub in the bathroom; the elegant lounge and dining area; a fountain and columns add Moorish appeal.

THE DESIGN Boukhari’s Moroccan roots are apparent in the color palate she has chosen for The Shaba: a silkened, textured melange of purples, pinks, rich blues and browns that are both indulgent and pleasing to the eye.

Quirky artifacts from all over Indonesia are scattered about the villa. Colonial windows and doors, sourced from period buildings on Java island, underline the villa’s charm.

CO U RT ESY O F T H E S H A BA

THE SERVICE Much has been written about gracious Balinese service, and The Shaba certainly makes the grade. At 10 A.M. every morning, fresh tropical fruits are brought to guests wherever they happen to be on the property. The front desk was slack in delivering messages, but perhaps this is part of The Shaba’s recipe for leaving the outside world behind.

THE ONE-BEDROOM SUITE High ceilings, timber-plank floors covered with silk carpets and over 100 square meters of spacious surrounds make this space the ideal hideaway within a hide-

away. Boukhari has spiced up the atmosphere with striking blue silk bed linens and low-slung crystal chandelier bedside lamps. A teak desk and an upholstered mahogany chair make perfect props for a writer in residence. Custom designed Lui and Elle daybeds are well placed for his-and-her viewing of the wide-screen TV. Breezes flow from the courtyard and the large windows, lending an airy comfort to the space.

THE BATHROOM The one-bedroom suite’s bathroom has a large dressing room, with five-meter-long closets. It’s decorated with hand-painted floor tiles, a large free-standing Victorian tub (with padded paws), a glass mosaictiled shower and an antique apothecary jar filled with bath salts. Gorgeous kimonos are provided for all rooms and at the pool.

THE AMENITIES A vintage convertible Volkswagen Safari is on call to take you to the beach, where umbrellas and lounge chairs sit on the sand for your own private picnic. Another thoughtful touch are the hampers, which The Shaba’s staff pack for their guests at a moment’s notice. They come complete with chilled champagne and wines. ✚

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insider

| bring it back

Communist Collectibles. These hand-painted nesting dolls come with a unique Vietnamese twist that delightfully reflects a bygone era. By FAH SAKHARET

U

nlike other Communist revolutionary leaders—like Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin and Pol Pot—Ho Chi Minh, the father of modern Vietnam, has managed to hold onto his credentials as an unsullied national hero. While Vietnam has developed a more market-driven economy, Ho is still deeply revered and his image is everywhere, even when it comes to tourist souvenirs. You’ll find his serenely smiling likeness on pins, posters, T-shirts, postcards, coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets. But the most endearingly offbeat “Uncle Ho” souvenir that we’ve found is this set of hand-painted nesting dolls from Hoi An. The best thing about them? Each doll bears a different iconic image of Ho. Nguyen Hong; 27 Le Duan, Hoi An; 84-4/942-3962; nguyenhong-co@hn.vnn.vn; VND410,000 (US$25) per set.

VIETNAM

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Photographed by SITTIPUN CHAITERDSIRI

insider

| neighborhood

W

here the Japan Defense Agency was once situated, now stands the tallest building in Tokyo—Midtown Tower—the linchpin of a sprawling new mixed-use development called Tokyo Midtown. Poised at the edge of the already hipper-than-thou Roppongi district, Tokyo Midtown brings together exquisite food, fashion and design. But don’t expect cookie-cutter shopping malls with the usual high-end suspects. Instead, the development is a carefully designed architectural space and urban oasis with its own art museum.

There are still plenty of opportunities to indulge. Below are six essential addresses in this latest urban playground in the Japanese capital.

Tokyo’s Coolest Address. The city’s latest lifestyle megadevelopment offers a lot more than retail therapy.

By TOM DOWNEY

EAT SHOP 3

E Marinella Napoli

(1st floor, No. 21, Galleria, 9-7-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 813/5413-7651) is an in-the-know tie shop that’s been under the radar for years. This outlet, the first outside Italy, is as intimate as the original, with elegantly attired salesmen to help you select Italian-designed ties made from the finest English silk.

Gaie

e ka Av

i Ave

National Art Center

gash

n-Hi

Akasa

3 5

6 1

Tokyo wn Midto

JAPAN 2

SLEEP

Perched atop Tokyo’s tallest building, the 1 Ritz-Carlton (Tokyo Midtown Tower, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 81-3/3423-8000) feels far from the chaos of Roppongi’s narrow alleys. The city’s most elegant ladies flock to the sky lobby on the 45th floor for afternoon tea.

Book a spacious club room with access to the lounge on the 53rd floor, which has epic views that, on clear days, can stretch all the way to Mount Fuji.

Roppongi Ave

EAT 4

sh iga

-H

ien

Ga

Roppongi Hills

PLAY

52

ve iA

Tokyo is home to some of the most meticulous cocktail bartenders in the world. Just a few minutes’ walk toward the heart of Roppongi is an intimate cocktail lounge called 4 Jus de Peche (2nd floor, Minato-ku, Annex, 3-13-3 Roppongi; 81-3/3405-8805).

Ask your concierge for a map or you’ll never find it. The bar seats about 20 people, stays open late and specializes in cocktails that use the freshest fruit available. It’s perfectly lit and the soft sounds of jazz stream from the hi-fi.

SHOP

Muji (Basement, No. 9, Garden Terrace in the Galleria, 9-7-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 813/5413-3771; www.muji.net) was originally called Mujirushi Ryohin, which translates as “no brand quality goods.” But over the last few years this retailer has gone from a purveyor of reasonably priced household items to a minimalist style-maker.

The Tokyo Midtown shop is the first Muji that explicitly emphasizes this new direction, offering stunningly beautiful if still austere designs.

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If you wake up at the Ritz in the middle of the night, jet-lagged and famished, then wander down to the 24-hour 2

Ichiran Ramen

(2nd floor, GM Building, 4-11-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 81-3/ 3796-7281), located just beyond Tokyo Midtown. Each ramen eater must face his noodles alone in a curtained-off single stool.

No talking is permitted, presumably to encourage deeper contemplation of the broth. If patrons must summon the waitstaff, they’re permitted to press a button.

Otherwise, customers silently and reverently slurp down tonkatsu ramen: thin egg noodles floating in a rich pork-bone stock. ✚

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E R I T Z - C A R LT O N , T O K Y O ; © R O H I T S E T H L L / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; PAU L TSA I ; © J E RO M A N I AC / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; PAU L TSA I ( 2 )

Hayashi rice is a home-style Japanese meat and rice dish that may have originated as the staff meal at a classic Tokyo restaurant. 5 Tokyo Hayashirice Club (Basement, No. 19, Galleria, 9-7-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 813/5413-3277) is a gleaming new, retro-style counterspace that serves a rich meat stew laced with inner organs over a plate of white rice. Pair that with a microbrew, aptly named Motsuyaki (“grilled intestines”), and you have the ideal onebowl meal.

see it | insider

Young women from the Khmu Kouene ethnic group.

Culture Stash. Visiting Laos but tired of the same old temples? A new museum offers a glimpse into the lives of local hill tribes and their traditions. By GENEVIEVE TSAI isits to picturesque hill tribe villages might be obligatory in the quaint temple town of Luang Prabang, yet they seldom provide real insight into Laos’s incredible ethnic diversity. If you do want to find out more, you can now visit a museum in the town dedicated to the ethnic minorities living in the region and their cultures: the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre. Housed in a former colonial courthouse, the museum is the brainchild of an American development worker, Tara Gujadhur, and Thongkoun Soutthivilay, a curator at the Luang Prabang National Museum. After hearing visitors

CO U RT ESY O F T H E T RA D I T I O N A L A RTS A N D E T H N O LO GY C E N T R E

V

complain about the lack of accessible information on the hill tribes, Gujadhur saw a major opportunity.

“There’s always more to learn, and a lot of people aren’t sure what to do after seeing the waterfalls near here and the temples,” she says. Over the course of a year, the two women combed the surrounding countryside for traditional clothing, baskets and other handicrafts, and eventually assembled a collection of 200 artifacts from 17 different ethnic minorities.

Exhibits in the one-story museum are divided according to ethnic group.

Among the must-see items on display are a rare, elaborately embroidered Taoist priest’s ceremonial robe from

LAOS

the Mun Yao tribe and an Akha headdress with 300 pieces of silver sewn on. But despite showcasing traditional lifestyles, Gujadhur insists the museum doesn’t present a nostalgic, romanticized view of tribal cultures. “Yes, part of what we’re trying to do is to document,” she says.

“But we also want to show how these cultures have been changing for the past 300 years and how they continue to change.”

The museum also features a gift shop stocked with handicrafts and books, as well as an outdoor café run by the venerable L’Elephant restaurant. Ban Khamyong; 856-71/ 253-364; www.taeclaos.org. ✚

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insider | quick

getaway

Penang’s Pleasures. Once known as the Pearl of the Orient, this sleepy former British colonial outpost makes for the perfect minibreak from Asia’s hectic metropolises. By GENEVIEVE TSAI

SHOP Antique buffs will rejoice over the numerous second-hand shops in Georgetown, Penang Island’s main settlement. The best places to trawl for real rarities are Jalan Penang (near the E&O Hotel), Lebuh Chulia and Lebuh Bishop. • For a glimpse into Georgetown’s past as an international trading hub, swing by perfume shop S.M. Badjenid & Sons (184–186 Lebuh Pantai; 604/261-1222). Founded in 1917 by a Yemenite trader, this familyrun shop stocks an incredible range of scents, including Bibli-

MALAYSIA

Island Attractions From top: The exterior of the atmospheric Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion; the E&O Hotel’s colonial façade; a suite at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort. Right: Handmade dresses at Masion de Poupee.

Left: A chef at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang.

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cal standbys such as frankincense. • London-trained designer Jing Ooi returned to his hometown in 2000 to open Maison de Poupee (Lot A3, The Garage, 2 Jln Penang; 60-4/264-3314), where jet-setting fashionistas come to be fitted for exquisite cheongsams and gowns. • Fuan Wong Gallery (88 Armenian St.; 604/262-9079; www.fuanwong.com), showcases artist Wong Keng Fuan’s colorful glass bowls and sculptures.

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

STAY Penang boasts an impressive range of lodgings, but our favorite is the atmospheric Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (14 Leith St.; 604/262-5588; www.cheong fatttzemansion.com; doubles from RM265, or US$79), housed in the residence of a 19th- century Chinese merchant. Half traditional Chinese courtyard house, half European manor, the building—now fitted with spacious, comfortable guest rooms—reflects the mélange of cultures that makes Penang unique. • Frequented by W. Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling, the seafront E&O Hotel (10 Lebuh Farquhar; 604/222-2000; www.e-o-hotel.com; doubles from RM460) harkens back to the days of the British Raj, but its luxuriously appointed suites don’t stint on modern amenities.

• After undergoing a makeover, the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort (Batu Feringgi Beach; 604/888-8888; www.shangri-la.com; doubles from RM675) offers spacious, stylish rooms. Make sure to stop by the Batu Feringgi Grill, voted one of T+L’s Best Hotel Restaurants in June 2007.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F D A V I D B R O W N ’ S R E S T A U R A N T & T E A H O U S E ( 2 ) . L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F F U A N W O N G G A L L E R Y. R I G H T : M I T C H E L L N G U Y E N M C C O R M A C K

DO

EAT

A good place to start learning about the island’s fascinating history is the Penang Heritage Trust (26 Church St.; 604/264-2631; pht.org.my). Sign up for one of the group’s themed walking tours in Georgetown for RM50 to RM60 for more insights into Penang’s heritage. • Another good place is the Penang Museum and Art Gallery (Lebuh Farquhar; 60-04/261-3144; penangmuseum.com), housed in an impressively colonnaded building that used to be the Penang Free School. • The opulent Pinang Peranakan Mansion (29 Church Street; 60-4/264-2929; www. pinangperanakanmansion.com.my) rivals the Cheong Fatt Tze

Penang offers almost every major strain of southern Chinese regional cooking as well as Indian, Malay and Peranakan cuisines. Take a cue from locals and spurn posh establishments: the humbler the surroundings, the better the food. Most hotels will direct you to Gurney Drive, a seaside promenade famed for its hawker stands. For a lesscrowded experience, stop at the recently built New World Park Hawker Center (Lorong Swatow) for local favorites such as asam laksa (rice noodles in a tamarind-flavored fish soup) and ice kachang (shaved ice with sweet corn, red beans and condensed milk). • Penang institution Ocean Green Restaurant and Seafood (48F Jln. Sultan Ahmad

Below: A fanciful glass sculpture by local artist Fuan Wong.

Shah; 60-4/226-2681) features fresh fish cooked Chinese-style and sweeping views of the Andaman Sea. • Nestled in a garden atop Penang Hill, David Brown’s Restaurant & Tea House (Daya Strawberry Hill; 60-

4/828-8337) is housed in a colonial-style villa crammed with antiques. The menu focuses on English comfort food, along with high tea. +

Mansion in its faithful reconstruction of the lifestyles of 19th-century Chinese traders.

• For a change of pace, peer into the future with fortune teller Fatt Chye Wang (6 Jln. Mesjid; 60-4/262-1885), who specializes in the Chinese art of face reading. • Penang’s nightlife revolves around The Garage (2 Jln. Penang), where Slippery Senoritas (Lot B3A; 60-4/263-6868) lures local and visiting crowds.

Tea for Two From top: A view from the terrace at David Brown’s Restaurant & Tea House, located on Penang Hill; the restaurant’s genteel dining room.

The Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort’s gardens.

GUIDE TO PENANG GETTING THERE Direct flights to Penang International Airport are available from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Medan, Indonesia. If time isn’t an issue, you can take the train from Bangkok or Singapore to Butterworth, where you can catch a ferry to Georgetown. WHEN TO GO For the best weather, go from January through March or June through September. Avoid major holidays such as Chinese New Year, when Penang is heaving with tourists. USEFUL INFORMATION Before you go, log onto Penang’s official tourism Web site (www.tourismpenang.gov.my).

Hugely informative, the site also has a comprehensive guide to the island’s many dining options.

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7

AMAZING WONDERS

Thai-Ness

Experience the Thai way of life Wherever you are, the Thai way of life is always served up with a gentle smile, whether you Ă&#x20AC;nd yourself at an enchanting home-stay holiday or at a local cooking class.

TO STIMULATE THE MIND AND LIFT THE SOUL Nature

Immerse yourself in natural beauty Thailand offers a rich variety of natural and eco-friendly activities. Hitch a ride atop an elephant, or take a thrilling whitewater rafting adventure in Kanchanaburi.

Health & Wellness

Elevate your senses With a reputation as one of the wellness hubs of the world, Thailand has a wide range of clinics, spas and meditation centers to choose from to get in touch with your inner self.

Treasures

Explore the Thai Kingdom Thailand has a fascinating history, from heritage sites to national treasures, all of which offer the traveler unique insights into Thai culture.

Beaches

Embrace sun, surf and serenity Choose from a dazzling range of tantalizing beaches, from family-friendly Hua Hin to vibrant Patong in Phuket to the havens of tranquility at Koh Lanta.

Festivities

Enchant yourself with customs and events Immerse yourselves in festivities like Loy Krathong and Songkran, or visit international sporting events like the JW Classic golf tournament. In Thailand, the party really is non-stop.

Trends

Excite yourself Spoil yourself at mega-malls, boutique stores or sensational outdoor markets, or choose from the many theme parks, golf courses, clubs and restaurants that Thailand offers.

1600 New Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, THAILAND Tel: +66-2250-5500, www.tourismthailand.org

7

AMAZING WONDERS

Thai-Ness

Experience the Thai way of life Wherever you are, the Thai way of life is always served up with a gentle smile, whether you Ă&#x20AC;nd yourself at an enchanting home-stay holiday or at a local cooking class.

TO STIMULATE THE MIND AND LIFT THE SOUL Nature

Immerse yourself in natural beauty Thailand offers a rich variety of natural and eco-friendly activities. Hitch a ride atop an elephant, or take a thrilling whitewater rafting adventure in Kanchanaburi.

Health & Wellness

Elevate your senses With a reputation as one of the wellness hubs of the world, Thailand has a wide range of clinics, spas and meditation centers to choose from to get in touch with your inner self.

Treasures

Explore the Thai Kingdom Thailand has a fascinating history, from heritage sites to national treasures, all of which offer the traveler unique insights into Thai culture.

Beaches

Embrace sun, surf and serenity Choose from a dazzling range of tantalizing beaches, from family-friendly Hua Hin to vibrant Patong in Phuket to the havens of tranquility at Koh Lanta.

Festivities

Enchant yourself with customs and events Immerse yourselves in festivities like Loy Krathong and Songkran, or visit international sporting events like the JW Classic golf tournament. In Thailand, the party really is non-stop.

Trends

Excite yourself Spoil yourself at mega-malls, boutique stores or sensational outdoor markets, or choose from the many theme parks, golf courses, clubs and restaurants that Thailand offers.

1600 New Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, THAILAND Tel: +66-2250-5500, www.tourismthailand.org

insider

| t+l guide All Aboard Opposite: Siam is the busiest of all the BTS stations. Left: Students share a joke while in transit. Below: Modern and efficient, the SkyTrain is a convenient way to get around the city.

THAILAND

Station to Station. Zooming above gridlocked Bangkok streets, the elevated mass transit system, or BTS, makes beating the traffic a cinch. T+L hops onboard to find the best attractions, all within a 10-minute walk from the main stations. By PAUL EHRLICH The Sukhumvit Line, the longer of the two BTS (SkyTrain) lines, runs northwards and eastwards from Mo Chit to On Nut. ■ MO CHIT S

Just about everything. There are countless markets in Bangkok, but Chatuchak Weekend Market is the motherlode. More than 15,000 shops and stalls offer 14 hectares of art, antiques, plants, jewelry, clothes, furniture, toys, handicrafts, books, music, food, flowers, livestock and just about anything else you can think of. Go early, wear comfortable

shoes, and be ready to haggle.

GET THERE Take Exit 1 and follow the crowd across the bridge, down the stairs and along the stall-studded street into the market’s maze. Open from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

WHAT’S HERE

KEY S shopping E entertainment C culture F food

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■ VICTORY MONUMENT S E F WHAT’S HERE The monument

commemorating Thailand’s victory in a brief war with French Indochina. Come at around 6:30 P.M. for a small, nifty night market, then head off to one of the best places in town to hear blues and jazz. The Saxophone Pub & Restaurant (66-2/246Photographed by JASON MICHAEL LANG

BTS BASICS Opened in December 1999 and still expanding, there are currently 23 stations along two BTS lines, Sukhumvit and Silom, which interchange at Siam Station. Trains run from 6 A.M. to midnight at a rate of one every five minutes; while during peak hours (from 7 A.M. to 9 A.M. and from 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.) it’s every three minutes. Fares range from Bt15 to Bt40.

A one-day unlimited pass is Bt120.

Stations have stairs and often escalator access from the street, and both from the ticket booth level to station platforms. Many of the first levels have kiosks selling food, drinks (not allowed on trains) and other items.

The BTS Tourist Information Center is helpful, knowledgeable and has free BTS and city maps. Open daily from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. at Siam, Nana and Saphan Taksin stations.

5472; www.saxophonepub.com) has live music nightly in a dimly lit blues-bar setting. The Thai and Western food goes great with a draft beer out of saxophone-shaped mugs.

GET THERE Take Exit 4 and follow the bridge, veering right—with great views of the monument—to the first stairs.

Saxophone is at the back of the market, to the right, under a “Victoria Corner” sign.

■ PHAYA THAI C WHAT’S HERE The former residence of a

Thai prince and his wife, Suan Pakkad Palace (66-2/246-1775; www.suanpakkad. com) is a compound of traditional Thai houses fi lled with rare antiques, artifacts and furnishings, a lacquer pavilion with Buddhist murals and air-conditioned rooms displaying ancient artifacts.

GET THERE Take Exit 4, veer right and head down the street. The entrance is along a dark wooden fence decked with flags. It costs Bt100 (US$3) or Bt50 if you’re a local.

Open daily from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. ■ RATCHATHEWI E

■ SIAM S E F WHAT’S HERE The main BTS station and it’s

swamped with stores. Siam Paragon is Bangkok’s most extravagant retail center.

Filling 500,000 square meters is a staggering range of expensive shopping opportunities.

Three hundred premier stores make this a shopper’s paradise—or a wallet-busting guilt trip—for men and women. Adjacent are two more malls. Siam Center, mainly for a younger crowd, is linked to Discovery Center, with shops like Timberland, North Face, Apple and Armani Exchange, plus home furnishings and accessories.

Restaurants are scattered throughout. For the family, Siam Ocean World (www. siamoceanworld.co.th), reportedly the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia, has 30,000 exotic fish. Book a dive with huge grey nurse sharks, stingrays, leopard sharks and eagle rays (www.sharkdive.org).

GET THERE Take Exit 5 to Paragon and Siam Ocean World. Exit 1 to Siam Center.

WHAT’S HERE Head-banging since 1987,

The Rock Pub (66-2/208-9228; www. therockpub-bangkok.com) has top local bands playing songs from Jimi Hendrix to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Shows from 9:30 P.M. to about 1:30 A.M. It has a gray façade that looks like an amusement park castle.

GET THERE Exit 2 and follow the screams.

■ CHIT LOM S C F WHAT’S HERE Department stores to the left of you, department stores to the right. Wave your credit card and surrender. Gaysorn, Central Childom, Amarin Plaza and Erawan Bangkok feature the usual suspects: Coach, Dior, Gucci and Prada. The Erawan Tea

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insider

| t+l guide All Aboard Opposite: Siam is the busiest of all the BTS stations. Left: Students share a joke while in transit. Below: Modern and efficient, the SkyTrain is a convenient way to get around the city.

THAILAND

Station to Station. Zooming above gridlocked Bangkok streets, the elevated mass transit system, or BTS, makes beating the traffic a cinch. T+L hops onboard to find the best attractions, all within a 10-minute walk from the main stations. By PAUL EHRLICH The Sukhumvit Line, the longer of the two BTS (SkyTrain) lines, runs northwards and eastwards from Mo Chit to On Nut. ■ MO CHIT S

Just about everything. There are countless markets in Bangkok, but Chatuchak Weekend Market is the motherlode. More than 15,000 shops and stalls offer 14 hectares of art, antiques, plants, jewelry, clothes, furniture, toys, handicrafts, books, music, food, flowers, livestock and just about anything else you can think of. Go early, wear comfortable

shoes, and be ready to haggle.

GET THERE Take Exit 1 and follow the crowd across the bridge, down the stairs and along the stall-studded street into the market’s maze. Open from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

WHAT’S HERE

KEY S shopping E entertainment C culture F food

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■ VICTORY MONUMENT S E F WHAT’S HERE The monument

commemorating Thailand’s victory in a brief war with French Indochina. Come at around 6:30 P.M. for a small, nifty night market, then head off to one of the best places in town to hear blues and jazz. The Saxophone Pub & Restaurant (66-2/246Photographed by JASON MICHAEL LANG

BTS BASICS Opened in December 1999 and still expanding, there are currently 23 stations along two BTS lines, Sukhumvit and Silom, which interchange at Siam Station. Trains run from 6 A.M. to midnight at a rate of one every five minutes; while during peak hours (from 7 A.M. to 9 A.M. and from 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.) it’s every three minutes. Fares range from Bt15 to Bt40.

A one-day unlimited pass is Bt120.

Stations have stairs and often escalator access from the street, and both from the ticket booth level to station platforms. Many of the first levels have kiosks selling food, drinks (not allowed on trains) and other items.

The BTS Tourist Information Center is helpful, knowledgeable and has free BTS and city maps. Open daily from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. at Siam, Nana and Saphan Taksin stations.

5472; www.saxophonepub.com) has live music nightly in a dimly lit blues-bar setting. The Thai and Western food goes great with a draft beer out of saxophone-shaped mugs.

GET THERE Take Exit 4 and follow the bridge, veering right—with great views of the monument—to the first stairs.

Saxophone is at the back of the market, to the right, under a “Victoria Corner” sign.

■ PHAYA THAI C WHAT’S HERE The former residence of a

Thai prince and his wife, Suan Pakkad Palace (66-2/246-1775; www.suanpakkad. com) is a compound of traditional Thai houses fi lled with rare antiques, artifacts and furnishings, a lacquer pavilion with Buddhist murals and air-conditioned rooms displaying ancient artifacts.

GET THERE Take Exit 4, veer right and head down the street. The entrance is along a dark wooden fence decked with flags. It costs Bt100 (US$3) or Bt50 if you’re a local.

Open daily from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. ■ RATCHATHEWI E

■ SIAM S E F WHAT’S HERE The main BTS station and it’s

swamped with stores. Siam Paragon is Bangkok’s most extravagant retail center.

Filling 500,000 square meters is a staggering range of expensive shopping opportunities.

Three hundred premier stores make this a shopper’s paradise—or a wallet-busting guilt trip—for men and women. Adjacent are two more malls. Siam Center, mainly for a younger crowd, is linked to Discovery Center, with shops like Timberland, North Face, Apple and Armani Exchange, plus home furnishings and accessories.

Restaurants are scattered throughout. For the family, Siam Ocean World (www. siamoceanworld.co.th), reportedly the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia, has 30,000 exotic fish. Book a dive with huge grey nurse sharks, stingrays, leopard sharks and eagle rays (www.sharkdive.org).

GET THERE Take Exit 5 to Paragon and Siam Ocean World. Exit 1 to Siam Center.

WHAT’S HERE Head-banging since 1987,

The Rock Pub (66-2/208-9228; www. therockpub-bangkok.com) has top local bands playing songs from Jimi Hendrix to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Shows from 9:30 P.M. to about 1:30 A.M. It has a gray façade that looks like an amusement park castle.

GET THERE Exit 2 and follow the screams.

■ CHIT LOM S C F WHAT’S HERE Department stores to the left of you, department stores to the right. Wave your credit card and surrender. Gaysorn, Central Childom, Amarin Plaza and Erawan Bangkok feature the usual suspects: Coach, Dior, Gucci and Prada. The Erawan Tea

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

.

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t+l guide | insider

Old and New From left: A stall at Chatuchak Market; riding the escalators at Siam Center; a café at Gaysorn; the Erawan Tea Room.

ARI

MO CHIT

RATCHATHEWI

VICTORY MONUMENT

Bedtime Books From left: The futuristic Bed Supperclub, where revelers can dine then dance; a quiet browse at the TCDC. NANA

CHIT LOM

ON NUT

EKKAMAI

PHROM PHONG

SUKHUMVIT LINE SAPHAN KHWAI

Room’s (66-2/254-1234) rattan, lounge-like chairs around dark wooden tables are as relaxing as the herbal teas.

Afternoon tea includes dumplings fi lled with crab meat, chicken curry puffs, mango with sticky rice and scones served with Chiang Mai strawberry jam. The displayed pottery and plates, plus teas and gourmet jams, are all for sale. The Erawan Shrine is a popular place of worship. Thick incense smoke and jasmine garlands surround a four-faced Brahma; often a Thai dance troupe in traditional costume performs.

GET THERE Follow the long bridge (it connects to Siam Station) to Exit 1 for Gaysorn and to Exit 5 for Central Chidlom. For the Erawan Tea Room, take Exit 2, and turn left into the Grand Hyatt Erawan. It’s on the far side of the same floor. Then take the escalator to the ground floor, exit and turn left on the street. The shrine is just past the stands selling garlands. Buy some and lighten your karma. Tip: continue along the bridge to Exit A for 60

SANAM PAO

PHAYA THAI

Central World, Bangkok’s latest monster-sized mall. It’s like a shopping center on steroids. Good luck finding the bathrooms.

■ NANA S E F WHAT’S HERE This area of Sukhumvit

Road is one of the most entertaining sections of town. Street after street of stalls sell handicrafts, jewelry, clothes, knives, shoes, suitcases, sunglasses and knock-off DVD’s. Pushing through is a stream of tourists, transvestites, beggars and hawkers. There are also tailors, pubs, 24-hour coffee shops and supermarkets, and Indian, Thai, Italian and Western restaurants. At Bed Supperclub (66-2/651-3537; www. bedsupperclub.com), a space-age white tube that’s hard to miss, diners share long beds lining the walls and lounge.

In Bangkok, clubs, discos and bars stay open to around 2 A.M., but if you’re still restless, head back to Sukhumvit Road, which turns into a near-dawn bazaar of makeshift bars, fortune-tellers and street stalls jam-packed with revellers.

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

SIAM

GET THERE Take Exit 1 to browse

along Sukhumvit Road. Take Exit 3 for Bed Supperclub. Continue straight to the corner, turn left on Soi (road) 11 and walk for about 10 minutes. It’s on the opposite side of the street. Soi 11 is also a good place to get a pedicure or a soothing foot massage.

■ PHROM PHONG S C F WHAT’S HERE Swanky shops of high-

end variety not housed in a super-sized structure make the Emporium easy to explore and shopper-friendly. On the fifth floor is the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), with its arty shop and free exhibits.

GET THERE Take Exit 2 and treat yourself to a gelato near the entrance.

■ THONG LO F WHAT’S HERE Clusters of outdoor food

stalls serving a range of Thai food late into the night.

GET THERE Take Exit 4 and walk back to the corner. If you want something upmarket and unique, further down

PLOEN CHIT

Soi 38 is Face Bar (66-2/713-6048): Thai and Indian restaurants in a traditional northern Thai compound.

■ EKKAMAI C WHAT’S HERE The Museum of Science & Planetarium (66-2/392-5952) is

great for kids or the curious kid in you.

Six floors of exhibits and interactive experiments. It’s open from 9:30 A.M. to 5 P.M., except Mondays and public holidays. Shows at the planetarium are from 10 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. GET THERE Take Exit 2 for the museum and continue down main street.

The Silom Line consists of two train routes on different platforms originating from Siam Station. Starting at Platform 3, which ends at Saphan Taksin Station, the ride provides great views of the city.

THONG LO

ASOKE

streets, with their shops and stalls packed with cheap and stylish stuff, plus food and bars scattered along Silom Road and the side streets. There’s a vibrant nightlife as well, including Patpong, which consists of two streets of go-go bars and a night market.

GET THERE Take Exit 1 or 2.

WHAT’S HERE A major commercial

zone with department stores that won’t bust your budget. Also hit the bustling

and continue for about five minutes.

Then, retrace past the BTS station and turn left, past a Chinese wat (temple) to the pier area. Boats can be hired for various river trips. If you skip the wat, take Exit 1 to the pier.

■ NATIONAL STADIUM S F WHAT’S HERE Think indoor flea

■ SURASAK F

market or a Middle Eastern bazaar.

WHAT’S HERE The Blue Elephant (66-

Mahboonkrong Center, commonly

2/673-9353–6; www.blueelephant.com), a beautifully decorated yellow colonial Thai mansion with teakwood furnishings, tropical foliage and slowmoving fans spinning from high ceilings. Try the massaman lamb, spicy catfish curry or steamed sea bass.

GET THERE Take Exit 2.

called MBK, is eight floors of jewelry, jeans, amulets, clothes, cameras, CD’s, DVD’s—counterfeit and legit—and much more. A peaceful alternative is the Jim Thompson House and Museum (66-2/216-7368; www. jimthompsonhouse.com), open daily from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Set on lush grounds, there’s also a restaurant and gift shop.

GET THERE Exit 4 leads into the Tokyu Department store. Take the escalator to the third floor, left, and you’re in MBK. Turn right and browse. For Jim Thompson’s House, take Exit 1 and walk back a few feet to the first right (there’s a sign) and down the lane.

■ SAPHAN TAKSIN C E F WHAT’S HERE The closest temple is

Wat Yannawa, with a replica of a ■ SALA DAENG S C F

PHRA KHANONG

Chinese junk. At the Chao Praya River, you can take a river tour.

GET THERE To Wat Yannawa, take Exit 4 and veer right to the main road

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

.

C O M| D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

61

t+l guide | insider

Old and New From left: A stall at Chatuchak Market; riding the escalators at Siam Center; a café at Gaysorn; the Erawan Tea Room.

ARI

MO CHIT

RATCHATHEWI

VICTORY MONUMENT

Bedtime Books From left: The futuristic Bed Supperclub, where revelers can dine then dance; a quiet browse at the TCDC. NANA

CHIT LOM

ON NUT

EKKAMAI

PHROM PHONG

SUKHUMVIT LINE SAPHAN KHWAI

Room’s (66-2/254-1234) rattan, lounge-like chairs around dark wooden tables are as relaxing as the herbal teas.

Afternoon tea includes dumplings fi lled with crab meat, chicken curry puffs, mango with sticky rice and scones served with Chiang Mai strawberry jam. The displayed pottery and plates, plus teas and gourmet jams, are all for sale. The Erawan Shrine is a popular place of worship. Thick incense smoke and jasmine garlands surround a four-faced Brahma; often a Thai dance troupe in traditional costume performs.

GET THERE Follow the long bridge (it connects to Siam Station) to Exit 1 for Gaysorn and to Exit 5 for Central Chidlom. For the Erawan Tea Room, take Exit 2, and turn left into the Grand Hyatt Erawan. It’s on the far side of the same floor. Then take the escalator to the ground floor, exit and turn left on the street. The shrine is just past the stands selling garlands. Buy some and lighten your karma. Tip: continue along the bridge to Exit A for 60

SANAM PAO

PHAYA THAI

Central World, Bangkok’s latest monster-sized mall. It’s like a shopping center on steroids. Good luck finding the bathrooms.

■ NANA S E F WHAT’S HERE This area of Sukhumvit

Road is one of the most entertaining sections of town. Street after street of stalls sell handicrafts, jewelry, clothes, knives, shoes, suitcases, sunglasses and knock-off DVD’s. Pushing through is a stream of tourists, transvestites, beggars and hawkers. There are also tailors, pubs, 24-hour coffee shops and supermarkets, and Indian, Thai, Italian and Western restaurants. At Bed Supperclub (66-2/651-3537; www. bedsupperclub.com), a space-age white tube that’s hard to miss, diners share long beds lining the walls and lounge.

In Bangkok, clubs, discos and bars stay open to around 2 A.M., but if you’re still restless, head back to Sukhumvit Road, which turns into a near-dawn bazaar of makeshift bars, fortune-tellers and street stalls jam-packed with revellers.

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

SIAM

GET THERE Take Exit 1 to browse

along Sukhumvit Road. Take Exit 3 for Bed Supperclub. Continue straight to the corner, turn left on Soi (road) 11 and walk for about 10 minutes. It’s on the opposite side of the street. Soi 11 is also a good place to get a pedicure or a soothing foot massage.

■ PHROM PHONG S C F WHAT’S HERE Swanky shops of high-

end variety not housed in a super-sized structure make the Emporium easy to explore and shopper-friendly. On the fifth floor is the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), with its arty shop and free exhibits.

GET THERE Take Exit 2 and treat yourself to a gelato near the entrance.

■ THONG LO F WHAT’S HERE Clusters of outdoor food

stalls serving a range of Thai food late into the night.

GET THERE Take Exit 4 and walk back to the corner. If you want something upmarket and unique, further down

PLOEN CHIT

Soi 38 is Face Bar (66-2/713-6048): Thai and Indian restaurants in a traditional northern Thai compound.

■ EKKAMAI C WHAT’S HERE The Museum of Science & Planetarium (66-2/392-5952) is

great for kids or the curious kid in you.

Six floors of exhibits and interactive experiments. It’s open from 9:30 A.M. to 5 P.M., except Mondays and public holidays. Shows at the planetarium are from 10 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. GET THERE Take Exit 2 for the museum and continue down main street.

The Silom Line consists of two train routes on different platforms originating from Siam Station. Starting at Platform 3, which ends at Saphan Taksin Station, the ride provides great views of the city.

THONG LO

ASOKE

streets, with their shops and stalls packed with cheap and stylish stuff, plus food and bars scattered along Silom Road and the side streets. There’s a vibrant nightlife as well, including Patpong, which consists of two streets of go-go bars and a night market.

GET THERE Take Exit 1 or 2.

WHAT’S HERE A major commercial

zone with department stores that won’t bust your budget. Also hit the bustling

and continue for about five minutes.

Then, retrace past the BTS station and turn left, past a Chinese wat (temple) to the pier area. Boats can be hired for various river trips. If you skip the wat, take Exit 1 to the pier.

■ NATIONAL STADIUM S F WHAT’S HERE Think indoor flea

■ SURASAK F

market or a Middle Eastern bazaar.

WHAT’S HERE The Blue Elephant (66-

Mahboonkrong Center, commonly

2/673-9353–6; www.blueelephant.com), a beautifully decorated yellow colonial Thai mansion with teakwood furnishings, tropical foliage and slowmoving fans spinning from high ceilings. Try the massaman lamb, spicy catfish curry or steamed sea bass.

GET THERE Take Exit 2.

called MBK, is eight floors of jewelry, jeans, amulets, clothes, cameras, CD’s, DVD’s—counterfeit and legit—and much more. A peaceful alternative is the Jim Thompson House and Museum (66-2/216-7368; www. jimthompsonhouse.com), open daily from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Set on lush grounds, there’s also a restaurant and gift shop.

GET THERE Exit 4 leads into the Tokyu Department store. Take the escalator to the third floor, left, and you’re in MBK. Turn right and browse. For Jim Thompson’s House, take Exit 1 and walk back a few feet to the first right (there’s a sign) and down the lane.

■ SAPHAN TAKSIN C E F WHAT’S HERE The closest temple is

Wat Yannawa, with a replica of a ■ SALA DAENG S C F

PHRA KHANONG

Chinese junk. At the Chao Praya River, you can take a river tour.

GET THERE To Wat Yannawa, take Exit 4 and veer right to the main road

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

.

C O M| D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

61

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StylishTraveler Two-time-zone water-resistant Tank à Vis, US$15,200, with 18-karat-gold casing, sapphireset crown and alligator strap.

W

TIMELESS PIECE Born nearly a century ago, Cartier’s Tank Watch remains a classic. Photographed by NIGEL COX Styled by MIMI LOMBARDO T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

ith its sleek casing and modern design, the Tank may be the most unlikely fashion piece to come out of World War I. Inspired by an aerial view of a Renault tank, Louis Cartier created it for General Pershing as a token of appreciation for his role in the Allied Victory. But its appeal quickly spread beyond military quarters.

Rudolph Valentino famously wore the timepiece in The Son of the Sheik, singlehandedly making pocket watches passé. And over the decades, a who’s who— from Jackie O. to Truman Capote—strapped on one of the Tank’s seven iterations. Among the latest, the Tank à Vis is available with dual-timezone capability, ensuring that you’re stylishly on time (or fashionably late), whatever city you’re in.

—I S A U R A B O L T O N

.

C O M | D E C E M B E R

2007

65

city break

Sleek sophistication for today’s urban warrior

68

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

Main: Jacket, Emporio Armani, US$950; shirt, Dolce & Gabbana, US$515; satchel, Fendi, US$1,050; trousers, Emporio Armani, US$400. Top row: Sunglasses, Emporio Armani, US$250; shaving cream, Hermés, US$60; calculator, Hermés, US$590; playing cards, Hermés, US$85. Middle row: Stationery, Hermés, US$1,200; aftershave, Hermés, US$95; notebooks, Paul Smith, US$40 each.

Bottom row: Wallet, Dolce & Gabbana, US$920; sandals, Emporio Armani, US$250. Bottom: Toiletry bag, Marc Jacobs, US$200.

packing list | stylish traveler

Jet set

Sensational style ideas for the ultimate quick getaway, whatever your mood.

Photographed by SITTIPUN CHAITERDSIRI Styled by KAMPOL LIKITKANJANAKUL

beach party Turn up the heat with these glamorous goodies

Main: Dress, Kate Spade, US$270; sandals, Kate Spade, US$460. Top row: P.V.C. bag, Kate Spade, US$300; cap, Emilio Pucci, US$230. Middle row: Bikini, Emilio Pucci, US$430; toiletry bag, Emilio Pucci, US$325. Bottom row: Silver bracelet, Louis Vuitton, US$350; bracelet, Fendi, US$270; towel, Emilio Pucci, US$335; peacock bag, Kate Spade, US$108; sunglasses, Louis Vuitton, US$320.

67

packing list | stylish traveler

dharma destination Inner beauty and outer style unite in classic combinations

Main: Top, Puma, US$65; pants, Puma, US$80; sneakers, Puma, US$120. Top row: Sea horse bag, Kate Spade, US$130; blow fish bag, Kate Spade, US$130; Kelly Calèche perfume, Hermés, US$95; sneakers, Louis Vuitton, US$1,050. Bottom row: Purse, Fendi, US$300; water bottle, Nike, US$30; washbag, Emilio Pucci, US$325. Below: Yoga mat, Nike, US$50; bag, Nike, US$90; keychain, Louis Vuitton, US$250; bracelets, Tod’s, US$430 each; hairband, Louis Vuitton, US$180.

stylish traveler

| packing list

Main: Jacket, The North Face, US$200; global positioning system, Garmin, US$345. Top row: Backpack, The North Face, US$75. Bottom row: Boots, The North Face, US$95; waist strap bag with water bottle, The North Face, US$60; ďŹ&#x201A;ashlight strap, Petzl, US$90; carabiner clips, Petzl, US$30 each; Swiss knife, Victorinox, US$50.

a walk in the woods Experience the great outdoors with the latest in handy gadgets and wilderness wear

70

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

spotlight | stylish traveler Dig into dim sum at San Francisco eatery Yank Sing.

Models waiting backstage during Peter Som’s spring 2008 show in New York City. Right: The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake.

CO U RT ESY O F P E T E R S O M ( 3 ) ; S I T T I P U N C H A I T E R DS I R I ; SA M A N T H A S I N ; M A RQ U É S D E R I S CA L H OT E L ; © R I C H A R D FO R E M A N / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M

Som’sWay The new creative director at American sportswear giant Bill Blass reveals to T+L where and how he likes to travel.

By JENNIFER CHEN

Peter Som exploring the streets of Bilbao.

Below: Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Rioja.

U.S.A.

R

egarded as one of the brightest talents in the New York fashion scene, Peter Som is famed for breezily elegant designs favored by the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Claire Danes. The San Francisco native (and regular T+L reader) also loves being on the road to recharge and find inspiration for his collections.

NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT “I always bring a camera and an iPod. I love immersing myself in different cultures and cities. But, of course, getting there and back can take a long time, so having an iPod is a great way to chill out and relax.”

ON ROTATION Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, and the cast recording of the Broadway musical, Spring Awakening.

FAVORITE FOREIGN CITY “I would have to say Paris. Whenever I’m there, I’m always overwhelmed by the beauty, culture and style of the city. I go there twice a year for work, so I’ve been there lots of times. But it always feels like the first time.”

LAST HOLIDAY “Bilbao to see the Gugghenheim and to the Frank Gehry hotel in the Rioja region.”

FAVORITE MEMORY “All the food. It was all amazing, like the Iberian ham ... I love cooking and food. It’s the quickest way to immerse myself in another culture.”

FAVORITE WAY TO RELAX “The beach. I go to Jamaica a lot—I have some friends who own a house on Montego Bay.” BEACH READS The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown and The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, St. Laurent and Glorious Excess in 1970s A classic look Paris by Alicia Drake. from Som’s spring 2008 collection.

BEST SOUVENIRS “I love to bring back any kind of food item ... But if I can’t bring back food, I always try to get something that reminds me of the place. For instance, I have this huge seashell, and whenever I look at it, I just think of being in Jamaica.” ✚

TOP THREE PICKS IN SAN FRANCISCO Eat Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry Building for oysters and grilled cheese sandwiches.

See Muir Woods. “It’s such a beautiful, beautiful place with all the sequoias and redwoods.”

And Eat Some More Yank Sing (49 Stevenson St.; 1-415/541-4949) for dim sum and RNG Lounge (631 Kearny St.; 1-415/982-7877) for dinner.

71

stylish traveler

| shopping ■ Amarcord Vintage Fashion Owners Patti Bordoni and Marco Liotta handpick their immaculate finds during buying trips to their homeland, Italy. As expected, their tidy East Village store heavily favors Italian brands such as Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Versace and Valentino. 84 East 7th St.; 1-212/614 -7133; www.amarcordvintagefashion.com.

■ Rue St. Denis Named after the redlight district in Paris, this Alphabet City store’s reputation rests on its stock of secondhand clothes for men, especially its mind-boggling array of suits. If you fancy designer Thom Browne’s look, check out the collection of slim-cut European designers’ suits from the 1960’s and 70’s. 170 Ave. B; 1-212/2603388; www.vintagenyc.com.

U.S.A.

■ Beacon’s Closet Located in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, Beacon’s Closet is a Mecca for hipsters from all New York’s five boroughs. But unlike many of its Manhattan cousins, it remains true to the thrift store ethic: you can walk out with a new wardrobe (with accessories) for less than US$50. And thanks to the fashionable crowd that trade their threads for cash here, you’ll find edgy labels like Heatherette and Diesel. 88 North 11th St.; 1-718/486-0816; www. beaconscloset.com.

■ Cherry With its outlandish window displays, this West Village staple is hard to miss. The selection runs the gamut from Victorian lace to Azzedine Alaïa’s glamazon fashions from the 1980’s—and everything in between. Cherry also features a terrific collection of shoes, so

New York’s Finest Vintage Want to know where you can pick up a spotless designer dress for next to nothing? T+L has the insider’s list of the best retro clothing stores in New York City. By JENNIFER CHEN. Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN 72

DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

get in touch with your inner Imelda Marcos. 19 Eighth Ave.; 1-212/9241410; www.cherryboutique.com.

printed 1970’s gowns à la The Ice Storm. 351 West Broadway; 1-212/3439303; www.nyvintage.com.

■ Dulcinée A relative newcomer to New York’s vintage scene, this understated Lower East Side store focuses on refined, feminine dresses and accessories. Think pale pink Chanel pearls on a velvet ribbon and a peach Grecian gown circa the 1940’s.

Or a frilly white Chloé minidress with red piping from the 1980’s. Just browsing the beautifully presented offerings will make you feel more ladylike. 127 Stanton St.; 1-212/253-2534; www.dulcineenyc.com.

■ Cheap Jack’s Two cavernous floors of some of the country’s best vintage values. Expect to find pieces from every decade of the last century as well as rarities from the 1880’s. If that Jazz Age flapper dress doesn’t quite fit, in-house seamstresses can do alterations on the spot. 303 Fifth Ave.; 1-212/7779564 or 1-212/995-0403; www. cheapjacks.com.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F A M A R C O R D ; C O U R T E S Y O F B E A C O N ’ S C L O S E T ; S H I R A A G M O N H A R G R AV E ( 2 )

■ Resurrection Proprietor Kathy Rodriguez counts among her clients style mavens such as Sienna Miller, Amber Valetta and Shalom Harlow.

What keeps bringing them back is this Nolita mainstay’s trove of designs by Pucci, Halston and Courreges. But if you’re shopping with celebrities, expect to pay celebrity prices. 217 Mott St.; 1-212/625-1374; www. resurrectionvintage.com.

■ What Comes Around Goes Around Housed in an airy, lightfilled building in SoHo, this shop has separate rooms for his and hers retro wear. Gents can rummage through the store’s selection of classic denim and vintage rock tees. Ladies, get lost among the prettily embroidered blouses and floor-length, zanily

■ Zachary’s Smile Quirky and unassuming, this store distinguishes itself from the others with its own line of retro-looking dresses, skirts and tops fashioned out of vintage and new materials.

There’s also an outstanding assortment of boots and scarves. 9 Greenwich Ave.; 1-212/924-0604; www. zacharyssmile.com.

■ yu If daring, architectural Japanese styles from the early 1990’s set your heart racing, this is the store for you. Owner Eiko Berkowitz stocks museum-worthy pieces

by Japanese icons such as Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Issey Miyake and Matsuda, with the occasional item from British eccentric Vivienne Westwood. 151 Ludlow St.; 1-12/979-9370; www. yu-nyc.com. ✚

Passion for Fashion From top: Amarcord’s sparkling showroom; Beacon’s Closet; Dulcinée’s array of accessories; the frocks at Dulcinée.

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■ LUXURY ■ FASHION ■ TECHNOLOGY ■ DRIVING ■ DESIGN

& STYLE ■ PHOTOGRAPHY ■ FOOD & WINE

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SINGAPORE

Top of the Hill In the heart of the city, SINGAPORE’s colonial-era military barracks of DEMPSEY—one of verdant Tanglin Village’s three ‘clusters’—is being transformed into the city’s newest retreat for the chic.

Story and photographs by LEISA TYLER Alfresco dining at House.

Inset: Hirame (raw flounder) at Rakuichi.

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S House Specials Below left: Reading up at the library in House. Below right: a chill-out corner with garden view at the spa in House.

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et among 40 hectares of rolling lawns speckled with patches of fig and mahogany—their luxuriant foliage offering cool respite from the piercing midday sun—Tanglin Village is a heavenly breather from the nearby bustle of Orchard Road. Constructed in the mid 1800’s, the village—comprising three “clusters” of barracks, playing fields, a school and a church—was originally a base for the British Far East Land Forces. When the British left, it became the processing center for Singapore’s Central Manpower Base: the government department responsible for implementing and processing the two-year compulsory military service for all young men in Singapore.

When the Central Manpower Base transferred its operations to a mid-city high-rise 10 years ago, Tanglin Village’s identity—and reputation—slowly began to change. It became the latest in a string of neighborhoods and government buildings—including St. James Power House, Rochester Park and Gillman Village—to be transformed into lifestyle venues. Tanglin Village is throwing off its past and reinventing itself as the city’s hippest destination. The trend started with the opening of PS Café two years ago and, later, Oosh—restaurants that have become renowned more for their location than food or service—and, more recently, Dempsey Hill, the sparkling new entertainment venue inside the

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Hillside Dining From left: Gloriously fatty ootoro (tuna belly) at Rakuichi; candlelit outdoor seating at Angel’s Share; a shop sign for Dempsey Hill gourmet grocer Culina.

Dempsey cluster. Dempsey Hill’s offices, dorms and storerooms are being replaced with gourmet grocers, restaurants, bars, galleries and yoga studios. Car parks once reserved for military vehicles are now filled with luxury European marques, soldiers in khaki have been replaced by hipsters in the latest fashions.

“The bad old days have finally gone,” laughs Dennis Kwah, who recently opened the swish pub Rain in the Central Manpower Base building he feared as a child. Rain is decked in seductive black and red, with pressed paisley benches and shimmering chandeliers dangling over a shiny new pool table.

“I was 19 years old when I first came here to enlist in the army, and was very reluctant, to say the least. For many men coming back now, Dempsey Hill is pure nostalgia. They love the idea of eating good food and having a few beers in the old sergeant’s quarters,” says Kwah.

The façades of the heritage-listed buildings— rustic, with peaked tin roofs and airy verandas held up by pillars twice the size of my hug—have not been restored, perhaps an attempt to maintain the garrison mood. However, that feeling disappears as soon as you walk through the doors of any one of the new premises.

For some, it’s a little too trendy. “Tanglin Village was one of those rare places in Singapore that was grungy and unpolished; you could come here in your pajamas if you wanted,” says Jonathan

Hopfner, an old friend and Singapore resident, as we embark on a night out at Dempsey Hill. “Now it’s been yuppified; it just smells and looks and feels the same.”

We’re at Angel’s Share, a sophisticated wine bar perched at the end of one barracks, with ceilingto-floor windows looking out onto lush forest.

Evenings are best spent outdoors, lounging on cotton and cane papasan chairs with the grass between your toes. Its impressive wine list boasts over 700 labels, all hand-picked and from small wineries. I notice a bottle of almost-impossible-toget 1995 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Ermitage Cuvee Cathelin on the wine list. Cash to burn?

Pop a bottle of 1975 La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan for a cool US$2,750.

Jonathan and I opt for something a little more affordable, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia—one of the 50 wines served by the glass—which came highly recommended by Amir Solay, one of the two inhouse sommeliers. The wine is superb, overflowing with wafts of wheat and honeysuckle.

The staff, however, are decidedly less lively than my wine. I count one waiter for every three customers, but it still takes more than 15 minutes to get served.

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Tanglin Village is a heavenly breather from the nearby bustle of Orchard Road

Rustic Charms Clockwise from top right: The terrace at Oosh, a pioneer establishment in Tanglin Village; spa treatment room at House; another spa area at House.

For dinner, we venture next door for Japanese at Rakuichi. Clad with timber screens, it smells like a fish market (the mark of a good sushi restaurant, I am told). We’re impressed even before the sashimi arrives: plump cuts, including a few slices of ootoro, an extravagantly fatty tuna belly; hirame, a soft-assnow flounder belly; and a side dish of exquisite sea eel with burdock.

The next day I head to Dempsey Hill’s largest new tenant, House, for its yoga class: a gentle, if not dull, mix of Hatha and stretching. A threestory block falling down a steep precipice with lovely verdant views, House—a multi-venue “lifestyle hub”—is eccentric, fresh and kitsch.

The biggest draw card is the spa: schoolroom décor with unpainted concrete pillars, racks of books, Louis Vuitton–style cases-turned-wardrobes and wall murals by local artist Koon Beng.

Downstairs, a café serves novel teas (try the chilispiced “cocoa with a bite”) and booze-infused cakes on oversized tables, outdoors on the deck, or in a sun-lit glasshouse, where weekly poetry 78

Refined interiors at Angel’s Share.

readings are held. House is Dempsey Hill’s only tenant to incorporate the military look: mess tins for cutlery, red and green toy soldiers on the walls.

However, the sight of bored staff in school uniforms—girls with their skirts hiked up—is a little too surreal.

I satisfy my appetite at the elegant Vintage India, Dempsey Hill’s most upscale restaurant that has, by far, the best service. The food, like the wait staff, covers India’s culinary geography. I start with adraki panje, Kashmiri lamb chops coated in a rich yoghurt sauce. They are tender, juicy and with tantalizing Indian spices.

We follow with a Malabar fish curry from the southern Indian state of Kerala and okra masala from the north.

Once again, the kitchen proves its skill with the okra masala, which is wonderful. But the taste of the fish curry is marred by too much salt. There’s no guessing what part of India the restaurant’s chef is from.

Dempsey Hill’s developer, Koh Sim Teck, recently secured the rights to another cluster of barracks in Tanglin Village, set to open at the end of 2008. And rumors are circulating that the Singapore Land Authority is planning to release even more land for development.

When that happens, Tanglin Village will undoubtedly become even hipper. Whether it retains its low-key charm, only time will tell. ✚ Greeting statue at Harry’s Bar, another Dempsey Hill haunt.

GUIDE TO DEMPSEY HILL WHERE TO EAT Vintage India Dishes from Kashmir to Kerala.

Block 10 Dempsey Rd.; 65/64713100; dinner for two US$130.

Rakuichi Fresh sashimi and beer. Block 10 Dempsey Rd.; 65/6474-2143; dinner for two US$95.

Culina Premium gourmet deli: caviar, French oysters, Tasmanian ocean trout and blood oranges.

The café gets raves. Block 8 Dempsey Rd.; 65/6474-7338.

WHERE TO DRINK Angel’s Share Over 700 boutique wines.

Block 10 Dempsey Rd.; 65/64710111; drinks and nibbles for two US$26.

Adraki panje, Kashmiristyle lamb chops at Vintage India.

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Rain Glamour pub brazen in black and red with outdoor hot-pot restaurant. Block 11 Dempsey Rd.; 65/6476-6328.

WHAT TO DO House Quirky lifestyle venue with tea café, bar and spa. Block 9B Dempsey Rd.; 65/6479-0070; www.dempseyhouse.com.

Red Sea Gallery Expat-run art space that features up-and-coming Asian artists like Vietnam’s Dao Ao Phong. Block 9 Dempsey Rd.; 65/7632-6711; www. redseagallery.com. .

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t+l journal | cityscape

Canton revisited Guangzhou is the heart of modern China, but for BONNIE TSUI, it’s also a window into her family’s past.

Photographed by ANDREW ROWAT

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n the city of Guangzhou, 120 kilometers north of Hong Kong on the Pearl River, I can feel the promise of present-day China everywhere I go: a new international airport, a sleek ferry terminal, a stateof-the-art convention center. The skyline changes from week to week, as high-rise condos climb upward and shopping complexes rise throughout the neighboring suburbs. The city’s markets are filled with people, and just beyond Guangzhou’s borders, the Pearl River factories begin. If the old Hong Kong was all about eating, shopping and global business, then this mainland city is poised to fill its 21stcentury shoes.

The city, once known to Westerners as Canton, has long been a trade hub. Beginning in the seventh century, it served as the starting point of the maritime Silk Road, and in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the base for British and French commercial enterprises. Later, Sun Yat-sen made the city home for his revolutionary Nationalist Party. Along with the rest of China, Guangzhou fell to the Communists in 1949. It wasn’t until 30 years later, when Deng Xiaoping declared his famous “open door” policy, that the Pearl River Delta industrial boom began, and the region started to reclaim its mercantile roots. Today, this complicated, contradictory place—a provincial capital that’s a teeming international marketplace, a relentlessly forward-looking city that’s rich in reminders of its colonial past—is one of China’s largest cities. It is the heart of modern China. I have come here to visit my father, a painter who recently moved his studio from Beijing to Panyu, on Guangzhou’s outskirts, for its warm,

CHINA

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humid weather and proximity to Hong Kong. But my connection to the place runs deeper: my mother and her family fled the area in 1949 when the Communists came to power, and landed in Hong Kong. There, she met my father.

As I walk along the Pearl River with my father and watch old men cast fishing lines into the water, with the downtown skyscrapers as a backdrop, I try to reconcile my mother’s tales of rice paddies with the fast-paced, smog-filled behemoth I see before me. In her recollections, the area around Guangzhou maintained the traditions of village life: farming, communal meals and trips to the market. The sounds and textures of all that history still play a part in the city even now—you just have to know where to look.

Guangzhou, of course, is the home of Cantonese cooking, and locals are fiercely loyal to it. When it comes to dim sum, Guangzhou’s is unrivaled. Everyone tells me that I must rise early to get the freshest selections: sesame balls, steamed buns filled with red-bean paste, fried taro puffs with crab, sweet egg-custard tarts and rice noodles with barbecued pork.

We arrive with the morning rush at the Garden Hotel, where the Peach Blossom restaurant serves dim sum.

Inside, waitresses in starched gold-and-white uniforms pour us fragrant chrysanthemum tea. Later, we eat at Yumin, the largest and most famous of the live-seafood restaurants in Guangzhou. Dozens of tanks are filled with giant lobsters, sturgeon and Mandarin fish. One-meter-long alligators roam through Yumin’s front dining room, their mouths tied shut with pieces of twine. (Yes, you can order one for dinner, and no, we didn’t.) The restaurant’s array of sweets is almost as spectacular: fried peanut crêpes, intricately constructed buttercream pastries and dofu fa, a sweet silky-tofu dessert. I think of my mother. When I was growing up, she would make the delicate confection by hand at home by squeezing out the soybean water through cheesecloth.

True to its history, Guangzhou is, most of all, a buyingand-selling kind of town. In the city’s famous specialty markets, of which there are many, everything is on offer.

Jiangnan Road, on the south side of Haizhu Bridge, is dedicated entirely to the sale of traditional Chinese wedding gowns. There’s a center for fabrics (Haiyin Market), one for pets and plants (Huadiwan Market), and another for jade (Jade Market, on Changshou Road). In boutiques all across

There’s something that feels more authentic about GUANGZHOU’S wealth, which sits firmly in history, than Hong Kong’s

Guangzhou Moments From top: A view of Guangzhou from the Haizhu Bridge; waitresses at Yumin seafood restaurant in the Guangzhou suburb of Panyu; a moment of rest at Qingping Market.

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t+l journal | cityscape together. In an alleyway around the corner, set back under the city, I find designer labels such as Prada, Armani, Hugo hanging laundry lines and crumbling, colonial-style terraces, Boss and Perry Ellis, and wonder how much of the clothing two tables of elderly Chinese men are involved in intense has been made in Guangzhou. I also spot, in black-market displays, their counterfeit counterparts, which don’t look very play. And along the Pearl River waterfront, as freighters crawl past and customers drink beer at a nearby street different from the legitimate ones. café, a man serenely practices tai chi under the shade of Abutting the west side of Haizhu Circle is the massive a large banyan tree. My father, who grew up in Hong labyrinthine Haizhu wholesale market, with hundreds of Kong and later lived in the United narrow stalls selling everything from heavy States, says that there’s something that hand-carved stone Buddhas to more feels more authentic about Guangzhou’s banal objects, like stainless-steel wealth, which sits firmly in history, than thermoses. It’s in this place, and in the Hong Kong’s. crowded alleys of the historic Qingping In public spaces such as Haizhu Circle, Market, that I really feel the rhythm of where visitors on shopping extravaganzas Guangzhou. In Qingping, trucks rumble mingle with residents putting on a by, centimeters from standing customers, Chinese opera in the grass, the richness and swapping offers is a staccato dance of of Guangzhou’s traditions comes face-towords. My father and I have come for face with its modern-day ambitions. medicinal herbs and painting supplies, but My father and I find tranquility in if we want, we can buy dried mango, a colonial-flavored Shamian Island. This is baby duck, or even a snake. where the British and French trade At one cramped stall, I lean in to concessions were once situated, and the examine a strand of shiny pink pearls well-tended parks have whimsical bronze before asking the woman behind the table A live alligator at Yumin restaurant. statues whose chief theme appears to be for a price. After a brief exchange, she Sino-European relations. The Western sensibility of this area looks me up and down suspiciously: “Where are you from? appeals to my father, who misses certain aspects of his life in Not here. You don’t dress like you’re from around here. But the States. We watch two Chinese schoolchildren tentatively you speak Cantonese!” These days, even in Guangzhou, the approach a table of German tourists. default dialect is Mandarin, thanks to the influx of Chinese “Excuse me,” asks one of the schoolgirls, shyly, in English. from other parts of China, who come here seeking work.

“What do you think of Guangzhou?” An older German Unlike Hong Kong, where nightclubs and high-design boutiques set a glamorous model of urban life, Guangzhou is man at the table smiles at her and answers, emphatically, “It is very—nice!” not all shiny and new. But, as signaled by the construction The two children run off to rejoin their class, dissolving in that hammers on day and night, the city is on its way, and a fit of giggles. We laugh too. Nice may be the last word that the old has had to reposition itself alongside the new. comes to mind when I think of Guangzhou. Cacophonous, Outside a silk shop and a contemporary-art gallery on ambitious, sprawling, proud, authentic, enchanting, yes. But Shamian Island, the old European quarter of the city, I hear nice it is decidedly not. ✚ the deep, furious clicking of mah-jongg tiles smacking

GUIDE TO GUANGZHOU WHEN TO GO Plan to visit from mid-October through to the end of March, when the weather is the most comfortable; from June through September, Guangzhou is quite hot.

GETTING THERE More than a half-dozen major airlines fly into Hong Kong. From there, you can travel by either ferry or train to Guangzhou. For visa information, contact the Chinese embassy or consulate nearest you. www.china-embassy.org.

WHERE TO STAY The Garden Hotel GREAT A 1,028-room tower, with a soaring VALUE marble lobby. 368 Huanshi Dong Lu Rd.;

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86-20/8333-8989; www.thegardenhotel.com.cn; doubles from US$160.

White Swan A city classic, on Shamian Island, overlooking the river. Shamian Island; 86-20/8188-6968; www.whiteswanhotel.com; doubles from US$101.

WHERE TO EAT Peach Blossom restaurant The Garden Hotel (see Where to Stay); dim sum for two US$20.

Yumin restaurant 559–567 Yingbin Rd., Dashi Town, Panyu; 86-20/2287-8811; dinner for two US$25.

WHAT TO DO Yuyin Mountain House

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Also called Yuyin Garden, this is one of four major Qing dynasty gardens in the province. Nancun Town, Panyu; 86-20/8476-9293.

WHERE TO SHOP Haiyin Market Silks and wools; next to Haiyin Bridge.

Haizhu Market In Haizhu Circle, off Yanjiang Road.

Jiangnan Market To get to this “wedding dress street,” head south from Haizhu Circle on Jiangnan Road.

Qingping Market Take an afternoon to explore the maze of stalls and shops across from Shamian Island.

mind body | t+l journal

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HE KHMER RUINS OF ANGKOR ARE ONE OF SOUTHEAST Asia’s—if not the world’s—most awe-inspiring destinations: an archaeological wonderland of more than 70 ancient temple complexes sprawling over 200 square kilometers of jungle. Close to the ruins, in and around the city of Siem Reap, five-star hotels have sprung up in recent years to cater to the increasing number of well-heeled visitors descending upon this now easily accessible UNESCO World Heritage site. Now, in the latest twist on the high life, these hotels are adding luxury spas as indulgent complements.

ANGKOR SPA, SOFITEL ROYAL ANGKOR The VIP treatment rooms at the Sofitel Royal Angkor hotel’s Angkor Spa are stunning; low beds sheltered under a sala in a tropical garden. The spa’s garden

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Angkor indulgence

Super-luxe spas in Cambodia’s Siem Reap can take the edge off a dusty day at the ruins, as MICHAEL BUCKLEY discovers. Photographed by JOCK MONTGOMERY

CAMBODIA

Road To Ruins Clockwise from top left: A motorbike heads toward the ruins; a sala at the Sofitel’s Angkor Spa; a hilltop vista of Angkor Wat.

Other Spas in Siem Reap ➻ Amrita Spa, Hotel d’Angkor

Built in 1929, this stylish hotel was taken over and refurbished

by Singapore’s Raffles Group.

Its hydrotherapy room is stateof-the-art. Vithei Charles de Gaulle; 855-63/963-888; www. siemreap.raffles.com; doubles from US$280; spa treatments from US$70.

Spa Village, Angkor Village Resort The resort employs traditional Khmer designs. A 200-meter-long pool winds through lush gardens. Phum Traeng Village; 855-63/963-561;www. angkorvillage.com; doubles from US$140; spa treatments from US$40.

Spa Indochine, Hotel de la Paix A French colonial hotel renovated in 2005. There’s a sensuous array of treatments at the seven-room spa. Sivutha Boulevard; 855-63/966-000; www.hoteldelapaixangkor. com; doubles from US$270; spa treatments from US$45.

Sanctuary Spa, Shintamani Hotel Run by the same group as the Hotel de la Paix. Blessed with low-key ambiance. Spa treatments are by the swimming pool. Yoga and meditation classes are also on offer. Corner Oum Khum and 14th St.; 85563/761-998; www.shintamani. com; doubles from US$80; spa treatments from US$30.

Le Lotus Blanc Spa at the Victoria Angkor Hotel Graceful colonial architecture faithfully echoing the 1930’s.

There are Khmer-style spa treatment rooms and openair pavilions. Near Central Park; 855-63/760-428; www. victoriahotels-asia.com; doubles from US$130; spa treatments from US$50.

Visaya Spa, FCC Angkor The former residence of the French governor, the spa has outdoor and indoor treatment areas. The hot stone therapy is popular. Pokambor Ave.; 85563/760-280; www.fcccambodia. com; doubles from US$140; spa treatments from US$35.

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walls bear bas-relief panels copying those on the walls of the magnificent Angkor Wat—the centerpiece of the Angkor ruins.

Here, they depict a famous scene from Angkorian mythology that is apt for a spa: “Churning the Sea of Milk” by the gods to obtain Amrita, the elixir of immortality.

From this churning are released countless apsaras (celestial nymphs), which embody purity of spirit and eternal beauty.

Though spa expertise here derives from neighboring Thailand, some treatments at the Angkor Spa have a local flavor, with Khmer herbs and flowers traditionally used as part cosmetic, part sunscreen and part skin-softener. Among these is the Khmer herbal white-mud wrap.

Like the treatments, the setting is also conducive to relaxation. A chorus of birds sings from the lush garden. Besides the VIP pavilions outside, guests can opt for any one of nine treatment rooms indoors, which are swathed in silk and illuminated by candles.

All in all, the whole experience is the perfect way to unwind after a tiring day exploring the ruins. “The aromas at the spa were quite strong, but natural,” says Tina Bro Pederson, a hotel guest from Denmark, recalling her unusual herb-and-mud body wrap, which was paired with a fruity face

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Cleansing both MIND and BODY is the aim of treatments at the super-exclusive Amansara resort mask. But what really made an impression was the therapist’s tactile sensitivity. “Her fingers were very refined, very precise; she knew exactly how much pressure to apply and where,” says Pederson. “For the facial, she gave me a very delicate massage around the eyes, and then applied moisturizing cream, lip balm and face powder.”

AMANSARA SPA, AMANSARA Cleansing both the mind and body is the aim of treatments at the super-exclusive Amansara resort, a boutique hotel with spacious suites resembling stylish New York lofts, over-sized bathtubs and private patios with lotus pools. Spa treatments can be had in your suite, though most guests prefer to visit Amansara Spa with its dark-timbered spa rooms offset by white terrazzo floors and an Angkorian stone frieze of lotus

mind body | t+l journal

ANCIENT TREATMENT

Lap of Luxury Opposite: A pool terrace at the Amansara. Clockwise from left: Fragrant bathing, also at the Amansara; the Sofitel’s swimming pool; a suite at the Amansara; a facial treatment at Angkor Spa.

flowers. The Amansara was originally the royal guesthouse of former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk, designed by French architect Laurent Mondet in 1962. During the dark days of Khmer Rouge rule, from 1975–79, the guesthouse was looted and damaged. In 2002, the dilapidated property was taken over by the prestigious Singapore-based Amanresorts, and, under the guidance of Australian architect Kerry Hill, was restored to its original splendor.

The Amansara Spa’s treatments are masterly, seamlessly applied by professional therapists. Traditional Khmer treatments are used, including soaking tired feet in fresh tamarind and wrapping the stomach in lotus leaf and warm rice (the same herbal combination existed in the 13th century at Angkor). However, most of the repertoire relies on spa techniques imported from Thailand.

In ancient Angkor, spring-fed bathing sites were often linked to sacred cleansing rituals. In keeping with this theme, the Amansara can arrange visits to a temple where monks perform a simple water blessing ceremony. Yoga and meditation classes are also offered, some held in local temples or rarely visited ruins. ✚

Spa treatments, it seems, are nothing new to Angkor. “Men and women alike are anointed with perfumes compounded of sandalwood, musk and other essences,” wrote Zhou Daguan, a Chinese diplomat to the Angkor court from 1296—97.

Zhou was particularly struck by the women of the court, commenting on their elaborate coiffure and sensual dress — or complete lack of it. He described the spectacle of thousands of women taking part in daily bathing rituals. He also noted the extensive use of exotic herbs for both medicinal and beauty treatments.

GUIDE TO SIEM REAP WHEN TO GO November through February, when the weather is dry and not as hot as the rest of the year, are the best months. March to June is the hot season, and the rains can hit in late Treatments at Amansara.

June and can linger on into November.

and a number of other Asian cities.

HOW TO GET THERE There are regular direct flights to Siem Reap– Angkor International Airport from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore

WHERE TO STAY Sofitel Royal Angkor Vithei Charles de Gaulle; 855-63/964-600; www. sofitel.com; doubles from US$280; spa treatments from US$45.

Amansara Vithei Charles de Gaulle; 855-63/760333; www.amanresorts. com; doubles from US$800 (inclusive of all meals, transport and guide for the ruins); spa treatments from US$75.

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t+l journal | trendspotting

accessories. At the time, the nearby Egerton, a cozy boutique hotel in a pair of conjoined town houses, was duly offering fans a “V&A Kylie Package,” including room and board, gym passes, tickets to the exhibition, and a mysterious “Kylie gift.”

This, I think, means the little box. It can’t be anything else. It was right there on my pillow, exactly where a “gift” would be, and as I study the thing more closely, joining it on the bed and spending a minute or so opening and closing its hinged ceramic lid, I think I begin to understand. The box, like the 1.5-metertall Minogue, is very small. Furthermore, it is feminine and at the same time sturdy, like Minogue herself, whose inner fortitude was demonstrated in her successful battle with breast cancer.

The walk to the museum takes me a scant 2½ minutes, thanks to excellent directions from the Egerton’s concierge—“Oh, it’s very easy-peasy, sir”—and it occurs to me as I walk that perhaps the little ceramic box isn’t empty after all. For by its very randomness, its gossamer-thin, almost nonexistent connections to its supposed referent, it surely contains, in the sense of encapsulating, the hottest—and strangest—trend in all of modern hotel management: the high-concept, mildly derangedseeming package deal.

Kylie Minogue is, of course, not the world’s only pop star.

Nor do the dream-weavers at the Egerton have a monopoly on mild derangement. Surely no serious discussion of either category would be complete without Britney Spears, who startled the world at the annual MTV Music Video Awards in the United States this past September by squeezing her overweight body into some bling underwear and wandering around on stage performing an abysmal lip-synch to one of her songs. An earlier episode of Britney madness, in February 2006, when she shaved her head bald in a prelude to attacking a celebrity photographer with an umbrella, was celebrated by the “Britney Breakdown” package at six of San Francisco’s seven Personality Hotels. The deal included a bottle of Voss water (Spears had just emerged from rehab); a pair of thong underwear (such as what Spears conspicuously wasn’t wearing in a widely circulated paparazzi shot); and a US$50 gift certificate to a top San Francisco hair salon.

For more ethereal, less mean-spirited types, there was always the “Orchid Show Package” at the Buckingham Hotel in New York. In return for US$369 a night, the Buckingham was rewarding guests with tickets to the New York International Orchid Show, a copy of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief, orchidthemed cocktails, and, to top it off, a potted orchid. For US$15,000 the package could be upgraded to the “Ultimate Orchid Adventure,” which began in the Buckingham’s Penthouse Suite, with its 185-square-meter “rooftop aerie” overlooking Central Park, and ended with guests being flown first-class to Florida, where a guide would take them hunting for rare orchids in the steamy weirdness of the Everglades.

Then again, what normal, red-blooded female could have resisted the “Girls with Guns Getaway” package at the Teton Ridge Ranch in Idaho? Women, either singly or in groups of “high-caliber girlfriends,” were invited to come blow their troubles away on the ranch’s clay-pigeon range before repairing each evening to the ranch’s Great Room for a sumptuous threecourse meal and, presumably, a long, weepy, mutually supportive conversation about how great men are and how much of a shame it is they couldn’t come.

So far, so delightful. But there is more than mere whimsy propelling the rise and rise of these offbeat packages.

There is the mounting threat of “commoditization,” for one thing. It may not be a vivid or melodious term; Karl Marx himself would probably have to bite back a yawn, but it’s commoditization that is apparently keeping modern hoteliers up at night when it isn’t haunting their dreams. Thanks to the recent lurch forward in information technology, consumers have exponentially more hotel choices at their fingertips, and a »

GUIDE TO HOTEL PACKAGES High-concept packages from the quirky to the all-out extravagant.

■ JUMBO ADVENTURE Get up close and personal with pachyderms on a four-night Mahout Discovery Package at the Anantara Resort Golden Triangle in northern Thailand. Learn to bathe, feed and care for elephants, and explore the nearby forests on their backs. 229 Moo 1, Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai; 66-5/378-4084; goldentriangle.anantara.com; doubles from US$980.

■ STAIRWAY TO EXHAUSTION Break pleasure and pain barriers by tearing up the stairs of Bangkok’s tallest hotel, The Banyan Tree, in the annual Vertical Marathon. In between the exertion, immerse yourself in luxury with the Vertical Marathon Package. The package includes: a marathon entry ticket and T-shirt; daily breakfast; a packed breakfast or lunch on marathon day; and a medal if you manage to finish. Start training for the 2008 event. 21/100 South Sathon Rd.; 66-2/679-1200; www. banyantree.com; doubles from Bt6,900; valid September 2008.

■ ORIENTAL EXTRAVAGANCE With the Pure Indulgence Package at Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental, stay two nights in a lavish suite, with your own private spa suite next door; tailor-made menus for two in the ritzy Pierre and The Krug Room restaurants; limousine airport transfers; style consultations and treatments; private shopping with luxury retailers in your suite; breakfast in bed; and a private limousine and guide for a tour of the city. 5 Connaught Rd.; 852/2522-0111; www. mandarinoriental.com; HK$128,000; through to December 31.

■ ANCIENT RUINS TO CLEAR BLUE SEAS The Amanresorts’ Angkor to Andaman Sea Package lets you stay at the Amansara in Siem Reap before jetting down to the Amanpuri in Phuket. Package includes: at the Amansara, three nights in a suite; daily breakfast; choice of lunch or dinner; non-alcoholic beverages; house wine; twice-daily guided tours of Angkor; a one-hour massage for two; picnic brunch at Angkor; and airport transfers. Amanpuri: three nights in a Garden Pavilion; daily breakfast; one spa treatment; and airport transfers. 65/6887-3337; www.amanresorts.com; doubles from US$7,560; through to April 30, 2008.

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The suspicious Enjoying a Kylie Minogue–themed weekend at a London hotel, BRUNO MADDOX investigates the overthe-top HOTEL PACKAGE deal.

Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN

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he story of the Western world, it has been said, is the story of men holed up in hotel rooms straining to draw connections between the more far-flung elements of reality. I have in mind Nikola Tesla grappling with electricity and magnetism at the New Yorker Hotel, and Bob Dylan holed up at the Chelsea deciding to rhyme “hollow face” with “deck of cards missing the jack and the ace” in “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.” And I’m also thinking of me, here at the Egerton House Hotel in London, wondering what a tiny empty ceramic box I found on my pillow has to do with Kylie Minogue.

Australian pop star Minogue, 39, is intensely popular in many parts of the world. So much so that London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosted an exhibition of her clothing and

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driving | t+l journal The first-century B.C. triumphal arch of Caesar Augustus, in the seaside town of Rimini.

Italy’s

hidden treasures Viewing art in Italy is often a cheek-by-jowl experience, but the province of Emilia-Romagna remains blissfully crowd-free. PETER WELLER hits the road to explore some of the country’s greatest—and most overlooked— sights. Photographed by DAVID CICCONI Illustrated by MARK TODD

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precise picture of what each and every one of them charges for a room, with the result that it’s more difficult than ever for a hotel to stand out, except by being a “better deal.” The solution, apparently (according to various grim, jargony industry newsletters this correspondent has dutifully waded through), is the adoption of a “de-commoditization strategy.” In addition to offering extra perks and services, hotels are actively—though subliminally—trying to challenge the idea that what they provide is just another product. Hence all the playfulness and creativity.

The wacky package can be a powerful weapon in the battle for customers. It’s no coincidence that many of the packages mentioned in this article won’t be available by the time you read these words.

The more often a package deal quietly expires, the more often a new one can be born to deafening fanfare. In a word, package deals are news: a new package deal costs a hotel essentially nothing—a few dozen copies of The Orchid Thief, say, or a gross of cryptic little boxes from a failing ceramicist— and yet justifies the dissemination of a press release. If the package is quirky enough, the press release punchy enough, this can really pay off. The “Britney Breakdown” package, for instance, became the subject of its very own item in USA Today, which is how I found out about it, and, hey, now you’ve found out about it. All for the cost to Personality Hotels of a few lace thongs and some bottled water.

Which is not to suggest that package deals are scams.

Far from it. Nobody signs up for the “Britney Breakdown” package because they’re thirsty and they could use some new underwear. What’s for sale, instead, is an idea.

And I, for one, am grateful. I’m not saying “Kylie— The Exhibition” was entirely without merit; nothing’s entirely without merit. However, as I stood there at the museum, studying the clothing on a mannequin, it was

Surely no serious discussion of either category would be complete without Britney Spears

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a source of some comfort to know the experience was part of a package of experiences. We gauge our vacations by the strength of the memories they leave us with. The Egerton was memorably comfortable; the exhibition of Kylie Minogue’s clothing was memorably dire; but on its own, neither experience would imprint on me anything near the vividness and longevity with which I would retain the memory of the package as a whole. How many people can say they spent a Kylie Minogue–themed weekend in London? Very, very few.

How many can go further and say that as a result of that weekend, they have a small ceramic box that contains, in a transcendently subtle fashion, the very essence of Minogue?

None, as it turns out.

“Little box, sir?” repeated the concierge, when I called up later for some background information. “I’m afraid I’m not aware of any little box being part of the Kylie package, sir. Allow me to make some inquiries.”

The line went dead for exactly a minute, and he returned to tell me that no one knew anything, and that in all likelihood the box had been placed on my pillow as a non-Kylie-themed memento of my stay at the Egerton. My Kylie-themed gift, he explained, was the glossy, bound guide to “Kylie—The Exhibition” that I had found on my dressing table.

I was inclined to protest. How could a guide to an exhibition of Minogue’s clothing be considered Kyliethemed? Is the Bible a biblically themed book? Are the Olympics a sports-themed event?

But I held off, being suddenly more conscious than ever of how fragile the bonds are by which the disparate components of an offbeat package deal are held together. For while these strange packages may indeed be artifacts of the eternal price-wrangle between hotels and their temporary residents, they exist to benefit both parties and, like Tinker Bell in Peter Pan, depend for their very existence on a mutual act of faith by all concerned. And having spent an unrecapturable afternoon amid the tulle-wrapped, pixie-like mannequins of “Kylie—The Exhibition,” I now felt more able than ever before to join Wendy, the Lost Boys and Peter himself in that life-giving declaration: “I believe in fairies.”

Egerton House Hotel, Egerton Terrace, Knightsbridge; 44-20/7589-2412; www.egertonhousehotel.co.uk; doubles from US$608. ✚ Bruno Maddox writes a column for Discover magazine.

driving | t+l journal

Italian Idylls From left: The Basilica of San Domenico; Bologna by day; the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.

S

o you couldn’t get in to see the Last Supper?

Well, neither could we. My fiancée and I were in Milan for a whirlwind tour of museums and churches before we had to be back to our house on the Amalfi Coast. But thanks to a certain novel, the rectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie is booked for months in advance. With insufferable queues everywhere else, such is the state of art throughout Italy, even without a best-seller-as-marketing-campaign. For viewing the classical antiquity of Rome, the medieval and Renaissance of Tuscany, or the Byzantine and Gothic of Venice, my advice is: Go in winter!

Or try Emilia-Romagna. The region is rarely on the art pilgrim’s radar. But it should be. Extending from northcentral Italy between Milan and Florence to the nook of the Adriatic, Emilia-Romagna was absorbed by Rome in 191 B.C. and became, briefly, the seat of the Western Empire.

In the mid-fifth century, that empire fell here—in

Ravenna—not in Rome. Later, as the focal point of Byzantine attempts to reestablish a stronghold in Italy, the region was populated by tribal kings, pious clerics and astute laymen—and the artists they patronized.

The result of this thorny history is an eye-popping artistic legacy. So, after “no table” at the last supper, we motored on over to Emilia-Romagna.

Using Bologna as a base, we could explore the medieval and Renaissance palaces of Ferrara and the ancient ports of Rimini and Ravenna, where shine the most dazzling mosaics of the Western world.

DAY 1 BOLOGNA One could spend a month shopping in Bologna’s arcades and feasting on tortellini—which we did, immediately, at Ristorante Diana on Via Indipendenza. (The city is the caput mundi of stuffed pasta.) But after lunch, we turned to sculptural delicacies. Home to an illustrious university,

Past Glories From left: A promenade in Ferrara; the city’s 12th-century duomo; a Rimini local.

Bologna also boasts some of Italy’s most innovative sculpture—medieval and Renaissance marvels that anticipated the styles of later masters, such as Michelangelo, who took two influential sojourns here.

We began at Nicola Pisano’s 13th-century tomb for Saint Dominic in the Basilica of San Domenico. The founder of the Dominican order, Dominic (and Saint Francis of Assisi, his contemporary) delivered Christianity a shot in the arm by spreading the gospel across Europe, not unlike the medieval version of tent revivalists. After his death, an explosion of narrative art portrayed Dominic’s deeds. (A picture is worth a thousand words, especially if you’re illiterate.) And the sculptor who lit the fuse: Nicola Pisano.

Just as he covered the pulpit of Siena’s cathedral with a chronicle of the Passion, Pisano carved a short movie in marble of Dominic’s life on all four sides of the saint’s sarcophagus. The result is a tour de force of movement in

stone. We especially marveled at the front panel, which depicts the resurrection of Napoleon Orsini: an ingeniously orchestrated crowd scene of drapery, figures and horses, all carved in high and low relief.

The tomb also sports an opulent marble lid, or arca, sculpted in 1473 by Niccolò da Bari, known thereafter as Niccolò dell’Arca. And be there any doubt that Michelangelo studied the mastery of Pisano and dell’Arca, in front of the lid kneels a marvelous angel, executed by the Florentine in 1494. The angel’s face is a forerunner to the famous Delphic Sibyl in the Sistine, just as his Saint Procolo, on the back of the tomb, is a David in the making.

A brief stroll brought us to the diminutive church of Santa Maria della Vita, whose humble exterior belies another dell’Arca treasure within: the terra-cotta Lamentation, Il Compianto. San Domenico’s arca may have given Niccolò a name, but this earlier gem is regarded as one of the most imaginative creations in all of Renaissance art.

driving | t+l journal

Italian Idylls From left: The Basilica of San Domenico; Bologna by day; the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.

S

o you couldn’t get in to see the Last Supper?

Well, neither could we. My fiancée and I were in Milan for a whirlwind tour of museums and churches before we had to be back to our house on the Amalfi Coast. But thanks to a certain novel, the rectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie is booked for months in advance. With insufferable queues everywhere else, such is the state of art throughout Italy, even without a best-seller-as-marketing-campaign. For viewing the classical antiquity of Rome, the medieval and Renaissance of Tuscany, or the Byzantine and Gothic of Venice, my advice is: Go in winter!

Or try Emilia-Romagna. The region is rarely on the art pilgrim’s radar. But it should be. Extending from northcentral Italy between Milan and Florence to the nook of the Adriatic, Emilia-Romagna was absorbed by Rome in 191 B.C. and became, briefly, the seat of the Western Empire.

In the mid-fifth century, that empire fell here—in

Ravenna—not in Rome. Later, as the focal point of Byzantine attempts to reestablish a stronghold in Italy, the region was populated by tribal kings, pious clerics and astute laymen—and the artists they patronized.

The result of this thorny history is an eye-popping artistic legacy. So, after “no table” at the last supper, we motored on over to Emilia-Romagna.

Using Bologna as a base, we could explore the medieval and Renaissance palaces of Ferrara and the ancient ports of Rimini and Ravenna, where shine the most dazzling mosaics of the Western world.

DAY 1 BOLOGNA One could spend a month shopping in Bologna’s arcades and feasting on tortellini—which we did, immediately, at Ristorante Diana on Via Indipendenza. (The city is the caput mundi of stuffed pasta.) But after lunch, we turned to sculptural delicacies. Home to an illustrious university,

Past Glories From left: A promenade in Ferrara; the city’s 12th-century duomo; a Rimini local.

Bologna also boasts some of Italy’s most innovative sculpture—medieval and Renaissance marvels that anticipated the styles of later masters, such as Michelangelo, who took two influential sojourns here.

We began at Nicola Pisano’s 13th-century tomb for Saint Dominic in the Basilica of San Domenico. The founder of the Dominican order, Dominic (and Saint Francis of Assisi, his contemporary) delivered Christianity a shot in the arm by spreading the gospel across Europe, not unlike the medieval version of tent revivalists. After his death, an explosion of narrative art portrayed Dominic’s deeds. (A picture is worth a thousand words, especially if you’re illiterate.) And the sculptor who lit the fuse: Nicola Pisano.

Just as he covered the pulpit of Siena’s cathedral with a chronicle of the Passion, Pisano carved a short movie in marble of Dominic’s life on all four sides of the saint’s sarcophagus. The result is a tour de force of movement in

stone. We especially marveled at the front panel, which depicts the resurrection of Napoleon Orsini: an ingeniously orchestrated crowd scene of drapery, figures and horses, all carved in high and low relief.

The tomb also sports an opulent marble lid, or arca, sculpted in 1473 by Niccolò da Bari, known thereafter as Niccolò dell’Arca. And be there any doubt that Michelangelo studied the mastery of Pisano and dell’Arca, in front of the lid kneels a marvelous angel, executed by the Florentine in 1494. The angel’s face is a forerunner to the famous Delphic Sibyl in the Sistine, just as his Saint Procolo, on the back of the tomb, is a David in the making.

A brief stroll brought us to the diminutive church of Santa Maria della Vita, whose humble exterior belies another dell’Arca treasure within: the terra-cotta Lamentation, Il Compianto. San Domenico’s arca may have given Niccolò a name, but this earlier gem is regarded as one of the most imaginative creations in all of Renaissance art.

Mosaic Marvels From left: Mosaics in Ravenna’s Galla Placidia; Ravenna’s city streets; the Basilica of San Vitale.

No solemn pietà of muted reverence here: the event, instead, is a cacophony of angst and grief. Seven life-size figures bend and twist in agony and shock, with Mary Magdalene as the scene-stealer. She rushes forward—mouth agape, arms flailing back and robes flapping behind—a human airplane ready for takeoff.

Our sculptural quest ended at the porta magna (main door) of the imposing Basilica of San Petronio, where, starting in 1425, Jacopo della Quercia carved a brilliant low relief of Genesis and the Life of Christ.

A Sienese prodigy, della Quercia was one of those few virtuosos who bridged the gap between Gothic luxury and Renaissance realism. We could trace the ornate, late–Middle Ages style in the flowing drapery in his panel of Noah’s Ark. But it is the sharp definition and movement of della Quercia’s classically formed Adam and Eve that inspired Michelangelo—and many other Renaissance sculptors.

Dining that night at the local favorite, Da Cesari, on Via de’Carbonesi, we recuperated from our “mentors of Michelangelo” tour with heaping plates of gramignone verde (green bucatini-style pasta with local sausage). Tomorrow, we were off to see just how far an Italian city had taken this grand transition from medieval to Renaissance.

DAY 2 BOLOGNA TO FERRARA, 45 KILOMETERS A 40-minute drive through the green fields of eastern Emilia-Romagna brought us to the petite pearl of Ferrara.

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masterpiece is the city itself. Half medieval, half Renaissance, the dual cityscape was the vision of oligarch Ercole d’Este, who hired architect Biagio Rossetti to seamlessly meld the newer section to the old. This careful planning earned Ferrara the title of Italy’s first “modern city.” Today, its captivating, anachronistic ambience is best explored at a leisurely pace, either on foot or pedaling around on a bicycle.

Our stroll began atop Rossetti’s Renaissance city walls (the views are spectacular), before we dipped into the labyrinth of medieval buildings and tidy streets in the Jewish quarter surrounding the humble synagogue on Via Mazzini. Nearby, we sipped espressos at a café across from the pristine triple-arched façade of the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral before continuing on to the medieval Castello Estense, an ominous reminder to Ferrara’s populace that the d’Este—despite their humanistic tastes—were still the Absolute Bosses.

As we crossed Via Cavour onto the Renaissance-era road of Corso Ercole I, we were pitched three centuries forward into the flair of that most influential period of the last millennium.

Passing the Corso’s elegant houses, we came to the thrill of them all: Rossetti’s lavish Palazzo dei Diamanti. Adorned with more than 12,000 rhombus-shaped marble bosses, the palazzo seems constructed of gargantuan white diamonds.

Standing before Rossetti’s structure, we could almost feel Ferrara’s beautiful rarity. In no other Italian city is the distinction between the imposing austerity of the Middle Ages and the enthusiasm of the Renaissance so palpable.

driving | t+l journal DAY 3 BOLOGNA TO RIMINI, 114 KILOMETERS We set out early for Rimini, a seaside resort town and the birthplace of Federico Fellini. In summer, the city’s beaches, lined with hotels and cafés, become a carnival of bons vivants—just the sort of people Fellini would have fi lmed.

But the peaceful historic center contains not only the single surviving triumphal arch of Caesar Augustus, but also one of the most overlooked milestones in Western architecture: the bizarre church known as the Tempio Malatestiano.

Before becoming papal territory in the 16th century, Rimini thrived under the notorious Malatesta (“bad head”), an aptly named family with a sharp taste for art.

Sigismondo Malatesta was, indeed, a headache for Pope Pius II when, in 1447, he commissioned the medieval church of San Francesco to be “redecorated,” in honor of his mistress. So architect Leon Battista Alberti simply surrounded the edifice with a re-creation of an ancient Roman temple.

The result? Perhaps the first truly Renaissance exterior— a strange, yet ingenious concoction of soaring arches encapsulating Gothic walls. And if the exterior isn’t eccentric enough, inside, along with a priceless fresco of the “Bad Head” himself (by Piero della Francesca) is an entire chapel covered with marble pagan astrological signs—in a church, no less!

DAY 4 BOLOGNA TO RAVENNA, 74 KILOMETERS An hour’s drive east from Bologna put us just 3.2 kilometers south of Ravenna at the site of Classis, the long-gone Roman port built by Emperor Augustus. In the late third century A.D., when the empire was crumbling, the western capital was moved from Rome to Milan and then to Ravenna. In the following centuries, Ravenna survived under the Byzantine royals, whose legacy shines in a cascade of glorious mosaics. In ancient Rome, mosaics were formed with stone tesserae, but the Byzantines

elevated this craft by using glass, piecing together tiny shards into a collective radiance that boggles the mind.

Setting foot in the serene, columned nave of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, we were stunned by the shimmering Transfiguration in the apse. Christ the Pantocrator, Moses, the apostles as lambs and the hand of God radiate over the altar—all “painted” with minute and brilliantly colored pieces of luminous glass.

After an hour spent in awe in Classe, a 15-minute drive had us in Ravenna at the double-octagon Basilica of San Vitale. Inside, we found an explosion of sixth-century mosaics that redefine the word “ornate.” The entire presbytery, anchored on one wall by the court of emperor Justinian and by his wife Theodora on the opposite— showered by white angels and green and blue birds—is as incandescent and breathtaking a vision as the Sistine.

But the best was last. Out the side door of San Vitale sits the fifth-century mausoleum of Galla Placidia, a remarkable woman whose life would make a terrific movie. Captured by Visigoth king Alaric during the siege of Rome, she married his brother and lived among the Visigoths for six years.

Galla later returned to Ravenna as regent, but to avoid the advances of the feeble emperor Honorius, she eventually fled the city for Constantinople. It is fitting that one of the most sublime works in all of Europe would come from such a dynamic life.

The cupola of Galla’s tiny mausoleum depicts a fluid theme of redemption in a cloudburst of blue, trimmed in green, with stars scattered among luminous golden angels. Alabaster windows illuminate Peter and Paul, Christ the Good Shepherd, symbols of the apostles, deer, and—most precious of all—doves drinking from bowls of sapphire water.

As we beheld this celestial jewel box, the Last Supper was the last thing on our minds. Ravenna’s mosaics are sheer visual luxury—unsurpassed anywhere. And there was nary a Da Vinci Code fan in sight. ✚

GUIDE TO EMILIA-ROMAGNA WHAT TO SEE

2 P.M., and Thurs. 9 A.M.–7 P.M.

BOLOGNA Basilica of San Domenico 13 Piazza di San Domenico; 39-051/640-0411; open daily 7:30 A.M. –1 P.M. and 3:30 P.M.–7:30 P.M. Santa Maria della Vita 10 Via Clavature; 39-051/236-245; open Mon.Sat. 7:30 A.M.–7 P.M. and Sun. 4:30 P.M.–7 P.M. Basilica of San Petronio Piazza Maggiore; 39-051/225-442; open daily 7:45 A.M.–12:30 P.M., 3 P.M.–6 P.M.

RIMINI Tempio Malatestiano 35 Via IV Novembre; 39-0541/511-30; open Mon.-Sat. 8:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M., 3:30 P.M.–7 P.M. and Sun. 9 A.M.–1 P.M., 3:30 P.M.–7 P.M.

FERRARA Palazzo dei Diamanti 21 Corso Ercole d’Este; 39-0532/205-844; open Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun. 9 A.M.–

RAVENNA Sant’Apollinare in Classe Via Romea Sud; 39-0544/473-569; open Mon.-Sat. 8:30 A.M.–7:30 P.M. and Sun. 1 P.M.– 7:30 P.M. Basilica of San Vitale Via San Vitale; 39-0544/219-518; open daily 9 A.M.–7 P.M. Galla Placidia

Via San Vitale; 39-0544/541-688; open daily 9 A.M.–7 P.M. WHERE TO STAY Starhotels Excelsior 51 Viale Pietramellara, Bologna; 39-051/ 246-178; doubles from US$594.

Grand Hotel Baglioni 8 Via Indipendenza, Bologna; 39-051/ 225-445; doubles from US$248.

WHERE TO EAT Ristorante Diana 24 Via Indipendenza, Bologna; 39-051/ 231-302; dinner for two US$105.

Da Cesari 8 Via de’Carbonesi, Bologna; 39-051/287-710; dinner for two US$92.

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t+l journal | portfolio A worshipper at a temple in Batang county, Tibet, 2001.

Reflections of Buddha Over the course of 15 years, renowned photographer STEVE MCCURRY journeyed to Asia’s most remote corners to chronicle the many faces of Buddhism

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hough he covers everything from war to religion, Steve McCurry always keeps his camera trained on people. “Most of my images are grounded in people,” says the New York–based photographer. “I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape.” With that ethos in mind, it’s no coincidence that the image that catapulted McCurry to international fame—the haunted face of a young refugee girl from Afghanistan—was a portrait. Indeed, many of McCurry’s best-known images document human suffering and sorrow. Perhaps that’s why after two decades of chronicling conflict, McCurry found himself drawn to the serenity of Buddhism. “Wander through a monastery or talk to devotees,” he explains, “and you will see their priorities and things they care about seem more sensible and more sane than in other parts of the world.”

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A procession of Buddhist nuns in Burmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, Rangoon, 1994.

A woman praying in Lhasa, Tibet, 2000.

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A student of Shaolin kung fu in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Henan province, 2004.

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A nun sweeping a path at a temple in Thailand, 2004.

Monks walking in the rain at Cambodiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed Angkor Wat temple ruins, 1999.

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Buddhist prayer ďŹ&#x201A;ags bedeck a road in Lhasa, Tibet, 2000.

A young beggar rests beneath prayer wheels in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, 2000.

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Buddhist monks bring offerings to a statue of the Reclining Buddha, Sri Lanka, 1995.

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THE IT L IST Hundreds of hotels open their doors each year, but how many open your eyes? After anonymously road-testing countless contenders, we narrowed the field to an elite group of promising newcomers: 25 hotels that are redefining service, design— even where you’ll be going next. And so that you know what (and what not) to expect, T+L has sussed out the finer points of each. Scoring the coveted reservation? We’ll leave that to you.

C O U R T E SY O F FA Z E N D A D A L A G O A H O T E L

At Fazenda da Lagoa Hotel, on Brazil’s northeastern coast.

E DITED BY NILOUFAR MOTAMED REPORTED BY COLIN BARRACLOUGH, ARIC CHEN, FLORENCE FABRICANT, AMY FARLEY, MARK GRAHAM, JAIME GROSS, DARRELL HARTMAN, SARAH KANTROWITZ, XANDER KAPLAN, DAVID A. KEEPS, PETER JON LINDBERG, RALPH MARTIN, CONNIE MCCABE, SHANE MITCHELL, MELINDA PAGE, CHRISTOPHER PETKANAS, MARIA SHOLLENBARGER, BONNIE TSUI, LEISA TYLER, VALERIE WATERHOUSE, JENNIFER WELBEL, SARAH WILDMAN AND NINA WILLDORF

The twisted titanium design of the Marqués de Riscal suggests wine rushing from a bottle.

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TR AILBL AZERS

★ Marqués de Riscal, Rioja, Spain Frank Gehry creates a modern destination in one of Spain’s oldest wine regions.

Location The 149-year-old Herederos del Marqués de Riscal winery, in Elciego, a drowsy Rioja village of medieval vintage, 90 minutes southeast of Bilbao.

Pedigree The 43 -room Marqués de Riscal is Pritzker Prize–winner Gehry’s fi rst foray into hotels; Starwood’s Luxury Collection group manages the property.

Style + Design Gehry revisits his fascination with titanium (his fi rst big success with it was the Guggenheim Bilbao). Fat, twisting ribbons of pink and gold metal are meant to suggest wine rushing from a bottle.

Service + Amenities A knockout Caudalie Vinothérapie spa with wine- and grapethemed products and treatments. Surprisingly, there are Caudalie products in only some guest rooms.

Value for Money The hotel could probably charge twice as much and architecture buffs would still feel they were getting a bargain.

Needs Work Booking agents should make it clear that only 14 guest rooms are located in Gehry’s titanium fantasy. The balance are in an annex designed by his fi rm, and not all have views of the main structure. 34/94-518-0880 ; www.luxurycollection.com; doubles from US$460.

CO U RT E SY O F M A R Q U É S D E R I S C A L / A . T Y L E R

THE IT LIST

The guest area of Baghvan’s main lodge, in India’s Pench National Park.

★ Baghvan, Pench National Park, India The luxury African safari experience comes to the subcontinent.

Location A nature preserve in India’s northwestern hinterlands, a one-hour fl ight from Bombay to Nagpur followed by a two-hour drive.

Pedigree A-listers CC Africa and Taj Hotels & Resorts have teamed up here, with Taj supplying the service and CC Africa bringing in the naturalists.

Style + Design After following Bengal tigers and leopards in a Tata truck outfitted with an overstuffed picnic basket, guests retire to one of 12 suites, where irreverent touches (a rotary-dial phone) combine with traditional ones (ebony carvings ). All have outdoor machans ( jungle lookout towers), which can be transformed into romantic mosquito-netted hideaways for sleepouts.

Service + Amenities Bags magically appear in rooms and the staff gather to welcome guests. Thanks to lots of personal attention from everyone—including the pool attendant, waiters and naturalists—no requests go unfulfi lled.

Value for Money The free in-room massage and laundry service are nice, but at this price, the airport transfer (US$220 round-trip) should be complimentary, too.

Needs Work Glass-walled bathrooms are in full view of the main path, forcing guests to duck for cover. The booking process has a few kinks. 91-11/2650-7750; www.tajsafaris.com; doubles from US$1,500, all-inclusive.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F C C A F R I C A ; J AV I E R S A L A S

The Bowery Hotel’s Fireplace Room, in lower Manhattan.

★ Bowery Hotel, New York City Two stylish hoteliers breathe new life into Manhattan’s once infamously desolate Bowery.

Location Gotham’s former Skid Row is now home to luxury apartments and, since February, the 135-room Bowery Hotel. The dazzling New Museum of Contemporary Art, opening on December 1, is a few blocks away.

Pedigree Brought to you by Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode, known for Manhattan restaurants and a hotel with serious staying power.

Style + Design Entering the lobby is like stepping into a preRaphaelite painting: a Gothic fi replace, Oriental rugs over a Moroccan-tile floor. Rooms are pure vintage-repro, down to the patinated fittings on the marble washstands.

Service + Amenities Guest quarters have complimentary Wi-Fi, and toiletries from the storied Bigelow & Co. Apothecary. Those expecting a dose of New York attitude will be disappointed by the solicitous, uniformly friendly staff. An Italian restaurant is also in the works. No fitness center, though.

Value for Money Standards with queens, though relatively spacious at 22 square meters, are not exactly bargains. But this is Manhattan, where city views and atmosphere are at a premium. 335 Bowery; 1212/505-9100; www.theboweryhotel.com; doubles from US$425.

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BE ACHCOMBERS

The Nam Hai resort at night.

The Fairmont Mayakoba.

★ The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam

★ Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico

A high-design property on the South China Sea, one of several exciting newcomers in the region.

Location The property sits on a remote beach in central Vietnam outside the quaint town of Hoi An, once a 16thcentury trading port and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pedigree The Nam Hai’s sleek style is a testament to the impressive talent behind it: Regent and Aman resorts founder Adrian Zecha, French architect Reda Amalou and Indonesian interior designer Jaya Ibrahim (whose most recent project is the Chedi Milan, which opened in March).

Style + Design One hundred freestanding villas done in rich local woods, with elaborate hand-carved screens, pressed-eggshell surfaces and stone floors, are set around sandy coves. Some features are impractical, such as the vertigo-inducing beds, raised too high off the ground.

Service + Amenities Three swimming pools, spacious grounds and a stunning spa with sublime overwater relaxation rooms—plus great extras, such as the luscious wool-and-cotton-blend bathrobes and outdoor showers.

Value for Money The coolest hotel in the area—but food, drink and spa treatments are expensive for this region.

Needs Work Communication problems with staff should be addressed, and so should the difficult-to-use room facilities.

During our stay, the bathtub, DVD player and coffeemaker all needed repair. Quang Nam; 84-510/940-000; www.ghmhotels.com; doubles from US$550.

The Riviera Maya’s fi rst environmentally conscious golf-and-spa complex is an eco-friendly alternative to the Cancún strip on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

Location The debut hotel in the four-resort Mayakoba development is laid across 20 hectares of carefully preserved mangrove swamps, a network of freshwater lagoons and canals, and a 213-meter-long sugary white-sand beach—all just a 50minute drive from Cancún.

Pedigree Greg Norman designed the Audubon-certified golf course, his fi rst in Mexico; Maxime Cormier, a thalassotherapy expert from nearby Paraíso de la Bonita, is at the helm of the Willow Stream Spa. Style + Design Rooms have a Maya-goes-Zen aesthetic that pairs thatched roofs and splashy green-and-red fabrics with serene touches such as slatted wooden doors and cool marble floors. But the real masterpiece is the mangrove-and-flower landscaping.

Service + Amenities All the usual perks of a self-enclosed resort (five swimming pools, four restaurants), with a plethora of ways to get around: lanchas (boats), golf carts and bikes.

Value for Money A tranquil playground in the midst of one of Mexico’s busiest coasts? It’s a steal.

Needs Work When we were there, the staff seemed poorly trained at handling special requests (helping to locate a suitcase lost in transit) and even routine ones, such as delivering coffee for the in-room French press. 52-984/206-3000; www.fairmont.com; doubles from US$239.

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F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F T H E N A M H A I ; C O U R T E SY O F FA I R M O N T H O T E L S & R E S O R T S

THE IT LIST

F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F FA Z E N D A D A L A G O A H O T E L ; M A R K U S G O R T Z

Poolside at the Fazenda da Lagoa.

Beach dining on Koh Samui.

★ Fazenda da Lagoa, Una, Brazil

★ Koh Samui Four Seasons, Thailand

One of three Brazilian properties on our It List, this 14-room eco-retreat sets a new standard for stylish, intimate lodging on Bahia’s Câcao Coast.

Location Just 40 kilometers south of Ilhéus (reached by a daily nonstop fl ight from São Paulo), the resort lies on 607 verdant hectares backed by tropical Atlantic rainforest and fronted by four kilometers of deserted, ivory-white beach.

Pedigree The noted Carioca artist Mucki Skowronski owns the resort with her husband, Arthur Bahia, and designed the interiors herself.

Style + Design The public areas—in a series of open-sided pavilions—hew to cool, Aman-style minimalism, while the individually decorated guest cottages incorporate Skowronski’s trademark tropical whimsies: bold stripes, vivid floral patterns, and splashes of fuchsia, orange and lime green. All have gauze-netted platform beds, private decks with hammocks and, best of all, open-air showers.

Service + Amenities The friendly staff encourages guests to treat the resort like their own private beach house. Raise a flag outside your bungalow and afternoon snacks will be delivered in a handsome wicker basket.

Value for Money Anywhere else in Brazil, these casualThemight deck of Fazenda chic rooms cost half the price; you’re paying for the da Lagoa’s restaurant. magnificent, isolated setting, which is well worth it. Una, Bahia; 55-21/2259-8511; www.fazendadalagoa.com.br; doubles from US$300.

The Four Seasons’ fi rst Thai beach resort marks a turning point for an emerging hotspot.

Location A secluded bluff on the island’s far northwest corner, sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the rapidly developing beaches nearby.

Pedigree Thailand-based landscape designer turned architect Bill Bensley (also behind the Four Seasons Tented Camp in Chiang Rai, one of the properties featured in T+L’s 2006 It List) is responsible for both the resort’s elegant look and the sublime water views from every villa and all public spaces.

Style + Design The 60 stilted villas, which seem to tumble down the lush hillside to the white-sand beach, all have infi nity pools, teak floors and sea-colored fabrics.

Service + Amenities The possibilities are endless, with complimentary activities (snorkeling, fi shing, kickboxing, fruit carving, kayaking), tennis courts and a knockout spa.

Don’t miss a soak in one of the outdoor spa tubs, which spill out into the jungle. In-room details like iPod docks, big daybeds and well-stocked coolers of wine will keep you entertained even if you never leave your villa.

Value for Money The most expensive resort on the island, but worth it for the views alone. This would be a terrific honeymoon destination. 219 Moo 5, Tambon Angthong; 66-77/243-000; www.fourseasons.com; doubles from US$629.

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THE IT LIST

An aerial view of one of Islas Secas’ 16 tropical isles, in Panama.

WILD ONES

★Islas Secas, Panama At this upscale eco-lodge 19 kilometers off Panama’s Pacific Coast, 14 guests can indulge in the ultimate castaway experience.

Location The easiest way to get to Islas Secas is aboard a private plane—it’s a 1½-hour fl ight from Panama City to Isla Cavada, the main island; 15 uninhabited islands can be explored by kayak on day trips organized by the resort. Nearby Coiba National Park is a World Heritage site recognized by UNESCO for its remarkable biodiversity.

Pedigree Michael Klein, a hedge-fund manager from Santa Barbara, bought the islands as a retreat for friends and family before deciding to share them with paying guests.

Style + Design Seven prefab yurts—chosen to minimize impact on the environment—are powered by solar panels. All have outdoor sitting areas overlooking the ocean; the thick jungle canopy and lush vegetation create a feeling of seclusion, even from neighboring guests.

Services + Amenities Islas Secas’ primary appeal is to amateur naturalists interested in exploring the bathwater-warm ocean (home to humpback whales, white-tip sharks and rays). The Terazza restaurant will prepare decadent picnic baskets for pampered island excursions.

Value for Money At nearly US$1,000 a night for a casita, this eco-option isn’t for the budget-minded.

1-805/729-2737; www.islassecas.com; doubles from US$990, all-inclusive.

A guest room at Tintswalo at Waterfall, near Johannesburg.

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An ideal pre- or post-safari destination on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Location The lodge’s address in the 202-hectare Waterfall Country & Equestrian Estate, just 32 kilometers southeast of Rand Airport, means that travel time to the region’s game reserves is less than two hours.

Pedigree Founded by South Africans Warwick and Lisa Goosen, who opened their original Tintswalo Safari Lodge on a lush private concession in Manyeleti Reserve, which shares an open border with Kruger National Park.

Style + Design The heavy stone walls and bolted timber beams of the main lodge recall classic equestrian estates. In each suite, teak floors, pillow-strewn king-size beds and soft leather couches are livened up with animal prints ( lest you forget that you’re en route to your safari).

Services + Amenities Jet-lagged travelers can breathe fresh air and recharge on private walking trails, or in the outdoor lap pool. On your way back from the bush, ease tired muscles with a special hydrotherapy bath treatment at the intimate Elemis spa.

Value for Money On the pricier end of Jo’burg hotels, but you’re paying for great service and convenient access to safari country. Maxwell Dr., Kyalami, Midrand; 27-11/234-2456; www.tintswalo.com; doubles from US$404.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F I S L AS S ECAS ; CO U RT ESY O F T I N TSWA LO

★ Tintswalo at Waterfall, South Africa

Above: A bedroom in one of the bungalows at the Awasi, the perfect adventure hideaway. Below: Colorful cushions abound in the hotel’s lobby.

CO U RT ESY O F AWAS I

★ Awasi, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile T he stark Atacama Desert is home to a new intimate hideaway perfect for the adventure-minded.

Location The endlessly varied Atacama desert, with its steaming geysers, salt lagoons, wind-sculpted valleys, volcanoes and oases, rivals Patagonia as a wilderness destination.

Pedigree First-time hoteliers, Chilean architect Francisco Rencoret and his wife, interior decorator Paula Domínguez, have built their dream getaway in one of their favorite places. More Awasis are in the works.

Style + Design The eight roomy bungalows are made of adobe and stone, topped with thatch, and tucked among winding paths. Inside, hardwood and marble floors, and custom-made lamps and chaise longues are set off by Bolivian wool wall hangings and rugs.

Service + Amenities An open-air restaurant serving sophisticated Andean fare (quinoa tabbouleh, empanadas, and chupe de mariscos, or seafood stew) is a highlight, as are thoughtful extras like lip balm, complimentary cleaning of hiking boots and sandals, and a welcome pot of chachacoma tea—a local remedy to ease altitude adjustment. Guides (and 4 x 4’s) are on hand to take guests on excursions such as a llama caravan to the Tulor archaeological site or a picturesque hike crisscrossing the Vilamar River.

Value for Money The all-inclusive packages are a good price, but the best bargain is the fl at-rate US$350 a night, which doesn’t include excursions. 562/233-9641; www.awasi.cl; doubles from US$900, based on two nights, all-inclusive.

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THE IT LIST

THE HEALERS ★ Bauer Il Palladio Hotel & Spa, Venice

Bauer Il Palladio Hotel & Spa on Venice’s Giudecca.

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C O U R T E S Y O F S A L LY F I S C H E R P R

The newest hotel on Venice’s exclusive Giudecca island—and housed in a 16thcentury Palladio-designed former convent, to boot.

Location Just a 10-minute vaporetto ride from St. Mark’s Square, and right at the water’s edge, with Canaletto-worthy views of Venice.

Pedigree Hotelier (and chairman of the Save Venice Foundation) Francesca Bortolotto Possati has set a high standard for style, service and social responsibility at her three other Venice properties.

Style + Design Mostly laudable, beginning with the impeccable architectural credentials of Palladio. Public areas have Venetian terrazzo floors, original open-brickwork walls and antique furnishings; trelliswork stencils and Murano-glass lanterns add intimacy to the 37 rooms and 13 suites.

Service + Amenities T+L visited on what might have been the chaotic fi rst day of the new season, yet the staff was unfailingly efficient.

A 502-square-meter spa recently opened, with saunas, a Turkish hammam and an impressive menu of treatments using Daniela Steiner products.

Value for Money Run-of-the-house rooms overlook the back garden and are much more affordable than those with views of St. Mark’s Square. (The remainder of the rooms have views of unkempt courtyards and adjacent buildings, and aren’t worth the price.) 33 Giudecca; 39-041/520-7022; www.bauerhotels. com; doubles from US$297.

★ The Barai, Hua Hin, Thailand The spa suite trend—all the rage in Southeast Asia—reaches new heights.

Location A hotel within a hotel, on the grounds of the 204room beachfront Hyatt Regency, a 30-minute fl ight or threehour drive from Bangkok.

Pedigree Thai architect Lek Bunnag, who previously worked with Bill Bensley on the Four Seasons resorts in Chiang Mai and Langkawi, has mixed old and new, building spa suites and a garden courtyard, and turned a 19th-century house into a beachfront bar and dining room.

Style + Design A maze of pooled courtyards and ocher passageways leads to 18 chamber-style treatment rooms. The eight suites (starting at 121 square meters) have steam rooms, soaking tubs, balconies and massage tables.

Service + Amenities The convenience of a big resort is combined with the exclusivity of a private estate, which features personal butlers at your beck and call. The spa offers regional therapies (such as Hmong herbal compresses) along with a range of treatments using the Kerstin Florian line.

Value for Money Complimentary daily massages, private yoga classes, evening cocktails, and endless snacks like homemade chocolates and dried mango provide wallet-friendly pampering. 66-3/252-1234; www.thebarai.com; doubles from US$206.

The Barai: Both convenient and exclusive.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F T H E BA RA I ; BA R BA RA K RA F T

The Poet’s House Pagoda at Four Seasons Westlake.

★ Four Seasons Westlake Village, Los Angeles An eight-hectare retreat for the mind, body, and soul—alongside a full-service, 240-room Four Seasons hotel.

Location In a San Fernando Valley suburb, 19 kilometers from Malibu.

Pedigree A joint venture between Four Seasons and the California Health & Longevity Institute (CHLI), which includes a 3,716-squaremeter spa, state-of-the-art workout center, and CHLI’s innovative program blending modern science (DNA testing, diagnosticimaging) with alternative medicine, nutrition, exercise and restorative therapies.

Style + Design Public areas are a bit McMansion-y, with patterned marble floors and 19th-century antiques, but the butter-hued guest rooms dressed in Pierre Deux chinoiserie exude a cozy charm.

Service + Amenities The spa staff are doting. The Hydrossage (a detoxifying underwater massage) is a highlight of the extensive menu of wraps and rubs. Don’t miss the creative sushi at the lounge-like Onyx restaurant.

Value for Money The California Health and Longevity Institute’s five-day package runs a steep US$4,200, but a full battery of health tests (more than 20 labs are taken during the physical; your average doctor does five), plus innovations such as DNA testing, make this a lifeenhancing splurge.

Needs Work On our recent visit, hotel service was not yet up to speed: it took two calls to housekeeping and a half-hour wait to get a turndown.

2 Dole Dr. ; www.fourseasons.com; doubles from US$295.

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The marble-andglass bathroom.

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MODER N CL ASSICS

★ Hospes Palacio del Bailío, Córdoba, Spain This 16th-century palace is the most dramatic property in the stable of a Spanish haute-design hotel group.

Location Situated on a whitewashed street in Córdoba, the eighth-century seat of the Moorish caliphate, the hotel is a 15-minute walk from the famous Mezquita, or mosque, and has also become an attraction in its own right.

Pedigree Hospes, Spain’s smallest—and hippest—hotel group, has a knack for turning crumbling architectural marvels into pitch-perfect contemporary hotels, with the help of archaeologists and art historians.

Style + Design A fluid melding of modernity and antiquity; sleek hallways are set off by 15th-century doors; public spaces and bedrooms are lit by cutting-edge Italian fi xtures from Catellani & Smith. The star is the soaring atrium, which has a restored 19th-century fresco and a glass floor overlooking a Roman-era villa that was discovered beneath the building’s foundations.

Service + Amenities A top-notch multilingual staff, anchored by chef Periko Ortega, who serves Andalusian cuisine, with Arabic influences, in the popular Senzone restaurant; the Bodyna spa incorporates Roman bath-inspired design.

Value for Money Historic atmosphere and of-the-moment amenities, for a few dollars more than other local hotels. 10 Calle Ramírez de las Casas Deza; 34/957-498-993 ; www.hospes.es; doubles from US$285.

CO U RT E SY O F H O S P E S PA L AC I O D E L BA I L Í O

THE IT LIST

TO P : CO U RT ESY O F M E L E N OS L I N D OS ( 2 ) . BOT TO M : CO U RT ESY O F CO N V E N TO D O CA R M O

Sea Views Above and right: Taking in the Mediterranean Sea from the Rhodes’ Melenos Lindos hotel.

★ Melenos Lindos, Rhodes, Greece An Aegean clifftop aerie secreted out of the way of the day-tripping crowds.

Location A 45-minute drive from Rhodes airport, on a promontory that juts from the eastern side of the island and plunges into the sea. The village is crowned by a world-class Greek-Byzantine medieval acropolis.

Pedigree Michalis Melenos, a native of the town of Lindos, spent nearly 15 years assembling this multilevel property.

Style + Design Created as a village within a village, with stairs and passageways, the 12 white stucco rooms and suites open onto terraces hand-set with pebble mosaics. Local craftsmen carved the wooden doors and sleeping platforms, artfully placed pottery and copper pieces from Greece and Turkey abound, and bathrooms have stone basins for sinks.

Service + Amenities Up-to-date luxury hotel appointments are a given and should you decide to climb to the acropolis, there are hand-carved walking sticks to borrow. The dining area, outdoors but shaded by latticed vines and fabric tents, makes a fi ne setting for the hotel’s modern Greek-Mediterranean cuisine.

Needs Work Mattresses on broad platforms enclosed with spindle railings pay homage to Greek tradition and provide sleeping comfort, but crawling in and out of them is better suited to toddlers than adults.

Value for Money Prices are highest in July and August, when they go up to US$500 or more—but if you want to be on Rhodes, the price is fair. 30-22440/32222; www.melenoslindos.com; doubles from US$384.

★ Convento do Carmo, Salvador, Brazil Finally, Brazil’s most vibrant city has a luxury hotel with character to match.

Location In a former convent that dates back to 1586, in the cobblestoned Pelourinho district—the heart of Salvador’s Old Town.

Pedigree This is the first Brazilian property from Pousadas de Portugal, a network of some 40 Portuguese inns, many of them historic landmarks updated with contemporary touches.

Style + Design A striking blend of the colonial and digital ages. Just beyond the convent’s whitewashed stone walls, tranquility awaits. Graceful cloisters are atwitter with birds. Pitched-beam ceilings and 19th-century antiques evoke Salvador’s past—punctuated by accents of brushed steel.

Service + Amenities The front-desk staff and concierges are fluent in English—a rarity in Salvador. A small spa offers an impressive range of treatments. And the central courtyard, with its lovely stone fountain transformed into a wading pool, is an ideal place to relax over a caipirinha with lime and maracujá (passion fruit).

Value for Money Impeccable service, a prime location, and the museumworthy sacristy make this one of the city’s best deals.

Needs Work Convento could be more integrated into the neighborhood.

With its imposing walls and guards at the front door, the hotel can feel a bit forbidding to public and guests alike. 1 Rua do Carmo ; 55-71/3327-8400; www.pousadas.pt; doubles from US$327.

The 16th-century courtyard at the Convento do Carmo in Salvador.

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THE IT LIST

NEW URBA NISTS ★ Mandarin Oriental, Prague

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

The luxury Asian hotel group, famous for skyscraping glitz and glamour, has set up shop in a 17th-century monastery.

Location In the middle of the ancient Mala Strana neighborhood, a few minutes’ walk from the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge.

Pedigree The arrival of a Mandarin Oriental hotel is a merit badge for a city. This is the fourth European property from the Hong Kong–based company.

Style + Design The spotless cobblestoned entrance courtyard, occupied only by the hotel’s black Mercedes, feels like a Czech version of Davos—you almost expect to see Bill Gates and George Soros stroll by. Inside is an elegant maze of chambers and staircases, polished blond limestone and cream suede, accented red throw pillows. Many rooms have the original deep bay windows, and a blending of rich colors and natural tones dominates the décor.

Service + Amenities The youthful staff are helpful to the point of exuberance. The spa is set in a former Renaissance church (with a transparent floor revealing Gothic ruins beneath) ; the restaurant serves both pan-European cuisine—including a delicious pata negra ham appetizer and lots of game—and Asian dishes.

Value for Money Long live Eastern Europe! For the price of a night in a third-tier London or Paris hotel, Prague’s Mandarin Oriental has surroundings fit for a king.

459/1 Nebovidska , Mala Strana; 420-2/33088888 ; www.mandarinoriental.com; doubles from US$295.

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The Mala Strana neighborhood of Prague, adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental.

From left: A private dining room at Qi restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street; the RitzCarlton suite.

★Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street, Beijing A glass-and-chrome tower whose ultra-sleek interiors seem spot-on for the city during its 2008 Olympic Games buildup.

Location Beijing’s newest commercial district, on the less developed western side of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

Pedigree This is a radical departure for Ritz-Carlton, which rolled out a new look for the company in 2006.

Style + Design Slightly minimalist, but with bold splashes of classical China, such as the entrance’s massive yinand-yang marble sculpture, paintings by Chinese artist Bo Yun and decorative screens.

Services + Amenities Standard rooms are a generous 50 square meters and feature 94-centimenter flat-screen TV’s. The 1,486 square-meter spa has, bizarrely, a full-length movie screen dominating one end of the 20-meter swimming pool. (Slot in a DVD of Mark Spitz for inspiration and your lap times just might improve.)

Value for Money While it doesn’t enjoy walking-distance convenience to the Forbidden City, as do its five-star rivals, the hotel surpasses them in design, and a solicitous staff seems more than eager to please. 1 Jin Cheng Fang St. E., Financial St.; 86-10/6601-6666; www.ritzcarlton.com; doubles from US$195.

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F R I T Z C A R LT O N ( 2 ) ; BUFF STRICKLAND

★ Hotel de Rome, Berlin

The Hotel de Rome lobby, designed by Tommaso Ziffer.

A grand 19th-century monument gets a new look from an ambitious hotelier intent on giving the illustrious Adlon a run for its money.

Location Billing itself as “Berlin’s architectural gem,” the Hotel de Rome occupies the old Dresdner Bank headquarters on Unter den Linden, overlooking the Baroque-era Bebelplatz.

Pedigree The Rocco Forte group (Brown’s Hotel in London, the Hotel de Russie in Rome) typically makes magic out of rundown but exquisitely situated properties in Europe’s prestige capitals.

Style + Design Public areas, overseen by in-house guru Olga Polizzi, are simultaneously modern and grandiose: the lobby is replete with marble, dark velvet furniture and heroically proportioned Romanesque vases. Bedrooms are less successful, but the bathrooms are the vast polished limestone playgrounds expected of this class of hotel.

Service + Amenities The Mediterranean restaurant, Parioli, serves up faultless veal saltimbocca and wild mushroom ravioli, and the bar has quickly established itself as a favorite with Berlin’s glitterati. The black granite-and-limestone spa, in the old bank vaults, is spectacular; among the fi rst-rate treatments are a lomilomi massage and a carrot-vitamin body wrap.

Value for Money The address is ideal and the public spaces deliver, but room prices are ultimately out of line with the rooms themselves. The buffet breakfast, at US$36 a person, is a particular sore spot. 37 Behrenstrasse ; 49-30/460-6090; www.roccofortehotels.com; doubles from US$635.

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COMEBACK KI DS

From left: The lobby of Georgia’s Cloister at Sea Island, one of America’s oldest oceanside escapes; the Gramercy Park Hotel’s lobby, with interior by the artist Julian Schnabel; the reception area at the Hotel Fauchère, once a weekend getaway for the rich and powerful.

★ The Cloister at Sea

★ Gramercy Park Hotel,

★ Hotel Fauchère, Milford,

One of America’s oldest oceanside escapes reopens its main building after a US$500 million renovation.

Location Nearly 129 kilometers south of Savannah, the resort is fl anked by a beach and a nature preserve.

Pedigree Designed by Florida visionary Addison Mizner in 1928, the Cloister has attracted well-heeled families and more than a few world leaders (Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Margaret Thatcher).

Style + Design Dripping with Spanishrevival style : voluptuous bouquets, Turkish rugs, and 17th-century tapestries adorn stately stone and polished wood—an opulence rivaled only by the lush landscaping.

Service + Amenities Old-world details are the emphasis: gadgets are hidden inside armoires, stationery is personalized and butlers are on duty around the clock. The new spa includes a state-of-the-art gym, yoga classes and a meditation garden.

Value for Money Worth it for 60square-meter standard rooms, Jazz Age glamour and Southern hospitality. It would be nice if breakfast was included.

100 Cloister Dr. ; www.seaisland.com; doubles from US$450.

A classic is reborn, thanks to an A-list design duo.

Location Manhattan’s genteel and historic Gramercy Park. (Think Edith Wharton—she used to live in this neighborhood.)

Pedigree The old Gramercy had a literary reputation and a gilded past; the new one has Ian Schrager and the artist Julian Schnabel, whose eclectic interior here is a radical departure from the cool minimalism Schrager is known for.

Style + Design Haute bohemian.

Velvet draperies and leather armchairs share space with surrealist objects (sawfi sh-snout lampstands!) and sprawling canvases by Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly. Rooms and corridors are underlit, but the lobby, with its fi replace and Douglas fi r columns, is a winner.

Service + Amenities Keys to Gramercy Park, the only private park in Manhattan, are available for guests at the front desk. Mahogany liquor cabinets stocked with full-size bottles trounce your typical mini-bar.

Value for Money By New York standards, US$655 for a standard double isn’t all that unreasonable. 2 Lexington Ave.; 1-212/920-3300; www. gramercyparkhotel.com; doubles from US$655.

This weekend getaway for New York’s rich and powerful throughout the late 19th century has been reincarnated.

Location The town of Milford, Pennsylvania, 120 kilometers northwest of New York City.

Pedigree The 1880 hotel—opened by Louis Fauchère, the master chef at Delmonico’s in Manhattan—hosted everyone from prominent philanthropists (the Carnegies) to entertainers (Charlie Chaplin).

Style + Design The Italianate building has been painstakingly restored: chestnut floors, a walnut-and-mahogany banister, and a bead-board ceiling are all original.

By contrast, the 16 rooms are contemporary retreats, with rain showers, radiant-heat floors and Frette sheets.

Service + Amenities Food is a focus.

The Delmonico Room has an oldfashioned US$50 three-course prix fi xe menu. Bar Louis is more sleek, with classic cocktails and sophisticated bar food.

Needs Work The staff is a bit young and undertrained.

Value for Money Free Chilean Merlot and local chocolates are generous, but it’s still costly for blue-collar Milford.

401 Broad St.; 1-570/409-1212; www. hotelfauchere.com; doubles from US$200.

114

New York City

Pennsylvania

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

Island, Sea Island, Georgia

ARTFUL LODGERS

THE IT LIST

From left: El Casco Art Hotel in Argentina, one of many exciting openings in Argentina this year; the white-themed room in Rio’s La Suite, complete with an original Warhol print; the lobby at the Chambers Hotel, featuring contemporary art from the collection of the owner.

F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F E L C A S C O A R T H O T E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F L A S U I T E ; J O E L K O YA M A

★El Casco Art Hotel, Patagonia, Argentina One of many exciting openings in Argentina this year, a modern-art showcase with a stunning backdrop, Lake Nahuel Huapi.

Location Secluded in a copse of fir, pine and sequoia, 11 kilometers from Patagonia’s famed resort Bariloche.

Pedigree First opened in 1970, El Casco had a reputation for restrained elegance throughout the seventies.

Decades of neglect ended when a new owner, Buenos Aires art collector Ignacio Gutiérrez Zaldívar, completed a US$5 million refurbishment in December 2006.

Style + Design A sober coffee-andcream color scheme extends from sofafilled common spaces bedecked with 300 works of modern Argentine art to the 33 spacious guest rooms, where Egyptian cotton, goose down, and fine linen make up in coziness what they lack in flair.

Service + Amenities Executive chef Fernando Trocca (owner of buzzing Buenos Aires restaurant Sucre) elevates Patagonian classics. Zaldívar has assembled an amiable, efficient staff.

Value for Money Worth every penny for the superlative (if conservative) comfort surrounded by abundant Patagonian nature. 54-2944/463-131; www.hotelelcasco.com; doubles from US$314.

★ La Suite, Rio de Janeiro This seven-room hotel offers an alternative to the jam-packed Ipanema and Copacabana.

Location Set in a former private house, 50 meters above the Atlantic, in Joatinga, a gated community 10 minutes’ drive south of Rio. Pedigree Created by former investment banker Francois-Xavier Dussol, who opened La Maison, Rio’s first boutique hotel, in 2004, quickly garnering a fan base of fashion and beau monde types.

Style + Design Each of La Suite’s rooms is painted a different shade—acid green, poppy pink, lavender, saffron— with an überluxe bathroom clad in matching marble (yes, yellow and purple marble). All have private terraces with sea views. There’s a small plunge pool, two cabanas and an infi nity pool.

Service + Amenities Either Dussol or his partner, Rodrigo Harold, is always on site to greet guests; other staffers are eager and friendly, but speak only Portuguese. The dreamy breakfast includes exotic tropical fruits, smoothies and house-made French pastries.

Value For Money Service is warm and lovely, but decidedly small-hotel; and the business traveler might feel stranded.

501 Rua Jackson de Figueiredo, Joatinga; 5521/9557-5986; doubles from US$390.

★Chambers Hotel, Minneapolis Who could have predicted that the prairies would be home to a minimalist hotel packed with maximalist art?

Location Downtown Minneapolis, a short drive from Herzog & de Meuron’s Walker Art Center extension and Jean Nouvel’s electric-blue Guthrie Theater.

Pedigree The Midwestern sister of the Chambers in New York, with interiors by David Rockwell and a restaurant helmed

by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Style + Design It’s all about the eyepopping contemporary art from the collection of owner Ralph Burnet.

There’s a Damien Hirst at the front desk, video art in the halls, and original paintings and photographs by up-andcomers in the 60 guest rooms.

Service + Amenities All the perks of a fashionable hotel (24-hour room service from the Vongerichten restaurant, three trendy bars), with arty extras such as a gallery off the lobby and a gift shop specializing in design magazines.

Value for Money Pricier than anything else in town, but incomparably stylish: Where else can you sip a pineapple mojito within inches of MOMA-quality art?

901 Hennepin Ave.; 1-612/767-6900; www.chambersminneapolis.com; doubles from US$450. ✚ 115

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A PATAGONIAN TRAIL ON HORSEBACK. PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRÉDÉRIC LAGRANGE

118 Street Smarts: Eating out in ASIA 126 STYLE insiders reveal their secrets 134 VIETNAM’S undiscovered paradise 146 The lonesome landscapes of PATAGONIA 117

Street smarts Bowls Of Goodness Ladling up lunch in Hanoi. Far left: Chiang Mai stand-by, khao soi noodles. Left: rice vermicelli awaiting the cooking pot in Hanoi.

LOOKING FOR THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD ASIA HAS ON RESTAURANTS, AND FOLLOW JANET FORMAN AS SHE SEARCH OF DOWN-HOME CULINARY MASTERPIECES. 118

OFFER? FORGET FORMAL DINING HALLS AND POSH DELVES INTO THE BACKSTREET KITCHENS OF ASIA IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MICHAEL LANG 119

Street smarts Bowls Of Goodness Ladling up lunch in Hanoi. Far left: Chiang Mai stand-by, khao soi noodles. Left: rice vermicelli awaiting the cooking pot in Hanoi.

LOOKING FOR THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD ASIA HAS ON RESTAURANTS, AND FOLLOW JANET FORMAN AS SHE SEARCH OF DOWN-HOME CULINARY MASTERPIECES. 118

OFFER? FORGET FORMAL DINING HALLS AND POSH DELVES INTO THE BACKSTREET KITCHENS OF ASIA IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MICHAEL LANG 119

A

Josef Polleross

fter 30 years of eating khao pad naem and curry kapitan, my rulebook for eating in Asia has evolved into one simple dictum: Never set foot in a restaurant. At least not one with a proper roof or four walls. While other gourmets analyze guidebooks and blogs for the sleekest temples of haute cuisine, I follow the scent of ginger and mint to hunt down the most compelling food stalls. And when I come upon a diminutive granny sternly commanding her minions to press a deeper char on the gai yang (grilled chicken), I feel like French explorer Henri Mouhot stumbling upon the ruins of Angkor Wat. In fact, I feel better: This is a cultural artifact I can eat.

That’s how I’ve come to be sandwiched between local farmers on the rough planks of a food stall in northern Laos, the embers of a cooking fi re toasting my face against the dawn chill. As I slurp, a heady mix of fragrances and flavors bombard my senses: a fierce bite of garlic piercing the vegetal tang of fresh coriander, the acrid aroma of wood smoke.

Even the sounds are enchantingly alien: an oxen’s snort etched against a babble of Hmong and Akha, tongues so foreign I can’t separate one syllable from the next. A few stalls down, a hill tribe woman in a black headdress weighted with silver coins is snipping a tangle of rough noodles with tiny blunt shears. When she beckons me to buy ingredients for a loamy forest stew, I eagerly fill plastic bags with banana f lowers, pumpkin shoots and pepperwood (which, to my admittedly untrained eye, looks suspiciously like kindling).

Then it dawns on me that my guesthouse lacks a kitchen. So I settle on the local version of takeaway: a sheaf of crispy black chips made from sun-dried rock algae and a thick palm full of sticky rice squeezed around a bit of meat. As always, I surrender to the siren song of jeow, the local fermented soybean paste, with full knowledge that the garlic and chili will remain my faithful companions for hours.

GUIDE TO FOOD STALLS & STREETSIDE RESTAURANTS For an authentic taste of Asia, check out these culinary curios and roadside eateries, with recommendations from seasoned travelers HONG KONG

Welcome to Asia’s street-side banquet: a 24-hour

sensory circus that can stagger even the most well-traveled chefs. Anthony Bourdain, the American TV personality and author of Kitchen Confi dential, admits to having been bowled over by the dizzying array of sights, smells and tastes on offer in the continent’s food markets and street stalls. “Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo was a life-changing moment. It rocked my world,” he confesses. “I’d never seen color like that before. I didn’t know there was so much fish in the sea.”

Michelin three-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose restaurant empire now spans the globe, was equally overwhelmed on his first visit to Asia. “When the door of the plane opened in Bangkok,” he recalls, “the air was so different from 120

Prime Cuts Bun cha, the lunch of choice in Hanoi.

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Sashimi at Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo; chefs at Tsukiji; roast ducks galore at a Hanoi street market.

Q Want the freshest fish possible? Then take a short trip to one of Hong Kong’s fishing villages, where you can buy fish from a stall and have a local restaurant cook it up. In Sai Kung village (take the MTR to Choi Hung Station and then hop on the No. 1A minibus), dine at Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant/Market (53 Hoi Pong St.; 852/27911195). This waterfront

restaurant has an openair kitchen where workers pull fish and mollusks from tanks.

Remember: superstition maintains a fishing boat may capsize if the diner upends a fish so wait for the waiter to separate the skeleton.

Q In Kowloon, stop in at Chong Fat Chiu Chow Restaurant (60–62 South Wall Rd.; 852/2383-3114). This utilitarian-looking spot makes imaginative use of ingredients like goose

intestines and pomfret.

There’s no printed menu, but waiters speak some English. At the end of the meal, you’re presented with a thimble-sized cup of strong kung fu tea, said to aid digestion.

LAOS VIENTIANE Q Egg Noodle Soup Shop (Near the Anou Hotel at 01-03 Heng Boun St.) Handmade daily, the noodles are served with pork and (Continued on page 122) 121

A

Josef Polleross

fter 30 years of eating khao pad naem and curry kapitan, my rulebook for eating in Asia has evolved into one simple dictum: Never set foot in a restaurant. At least not one with a proper roof or four walls. While other gourmets analyze guidebooks and blogs for the sleekest temples of haute cuisine, I follow the scent of ginger and mint to hunt down the most compelling food stalls. And when I come upon a diminutive granny sternly commanding her minions to press a deeper char on the gai yang (grilled chicken), I feel like French explorer Henri Mouhot stumbling upon the ruins of Angkor Wat. In fact, I feel better: This is a cultural artifact I can eat.

That’s how I’ve come to be sandwiched between local farmers on the rough planks of a food stall in northern Laos, the embers of a cooking fi re toasting my face against the dawn chill. As I slurp, a heady mix of fragrances and flavors bombard my senses: a fierce bite of garlic piercing the vegetal tang of fresh coriander, the acrid aroma of wood smoke.

Even the sounds are enchantingly alien: an oxen’s snort etched against a babble of Hmong and Akha, tongues so foreign I can’t separate one syllable from the next. A few stalls down, a hill tribe woman in a black headdress weighted with silver coins is snipping a tangle of rough noodles with tiny blunt shears. When she beckons me to buy ingredients for a loamy forest stew, I eagerly fill plastic bags with banana f lowers, pumpkin shoots and pepperwood (which, to my admittedly untrained eye, looks suspiciously like kindling).

Then it dawns on me that my guesthouse lacks a kitchen. So I settle on the local version of takeaway: a sheaf of crispy black chips made from sun-dried rock algae and a thick palm full of sticky rice squeezed around a bit of meat. As always, I surrender to the siren song of jeow, the local fermented soybean paste, with full knowledge that the garlic and chili will remain my faithful companions for hours.

GUIDE TO FOOD STALLS & STREETSIDE RESTAURANTS For an authentic taste of Asia, check out these culinary curios and roadside eateries, with recommendations from seasoned travelers HONG KONG

Welcome to Asia’s street-side banquet: a 24-hour

sensory circus that can stagger even the most well-traveled chefs. Anthony Bourdain, the American TV personality and author of Kitchen Confi dential, admits to having been bowled over by the dizzying array of sights, smells and tastes on offer in the continent’s food markets and street stalls. “Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo was a life-changing moment. It rocked my world,” he confesses. “I’d never seen color like that before. I didn’t know there was so much fish in the sea.”

Michelin three-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose restaurant empire now spans the globe, was equally overwhelmed on his first visit to Asia. “When the door of the plane opened in Bangkok,” he recalls, “the air was so different from 120

Prime Cuts Bun cha, the lunch of choice in Hanoi.

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Sashimi at Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo; chefs at Tsukiji; roast ducks galore at a Hanoi street market.

Q Want the freshest fish possible? Then take a short trip to one of Hong Kong’s fishing villages, where you can buy fish from a stall and have a local restaurant cook it up. In Sai Kung village (take the MTR to Choi Hung Station and then hop on the No. 1A minibus), dine at Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant/Market (53 Hoi Pong St.; 852/27911195). This waterfront

restaurant has an openair kitchen where workers pull fish and mollusks from tanks.

Remember: superstition maintains a fishing boat may capsize if the diner upends a fish so wait for the waiter to separate the skeleton.

Q In Kowloon, stop in at Chong Fat Chiu Chow Restaurant (60–62 South Wall Rd.; 852/2383-3114). This utilitarian-looking spot makes imaginative use of ingredients like goose

intestines and pomfret.

There’s no printed menu, but waiters speak some English. At the end of the meal, you’re presented with a thimble-sized cup of strong kung fu tea, said to aid digestion.

LAOS VIENTIANE Q Egg Noodle Soup Shop (Near the Anou Hotel at 01-03 Heng Boun St.) Handmade daily, the noodles are served with pork and (Continued on page 122) 121

homemade wontons.

Nearby, pushcarts sell coconut milk desserts, soy milk and rotis smothered with sweetened condensed milk. —Bill Tuffin, owner of The Boat Landing eco-lodge in Laos LUANG PRABANG Q Coffee Shop under the Mango Tree (Near the old passenger boat landing) Lao coffee with sweetened condensed milk, baguettes and little cakes. Stalls on either side sell noodle soup and grilled meat. Try the Luang Prabang patty sausage.—BT

MALAYSIA PENANG Q Hot Wok Nyonya & Local Cuisine (3H Jln.

Pantai Molek; 60-4/8907858). Dine amid an atmospheric jumble of Peranakan relics such as carved wood cabinets and richly woven textiles.

Signature dishes are gulai tumis ikan, a goulash-like sour fish stew, and curry kapitan — dry coconut milk chicken curry.

SINGAPORE Q Sin Huat Eating House (659–661 Geylang Rd.) This coffee shop is a grimy open-air place with fish tanks, crates of shellfish, and waiters stripped to their waists, wearing Wellies and shorts. The fish is as good as New York’s three Michelin star Le Bernardin and not as

expensive. Signature dish: crab beehoon.

—Anthony Bourdain Q Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu (01-220/221 Chinatown Complex Food Centre) Open from 6 A.M. until about 1 P.M. In a grubby Byzantine maze is a stall for ikan bilis yong tau fu: a forcemeat of fish — often flavored with pepper and sesame — inside tofu, okra, or bitter melon. Sometimes it’s fried, or, as at this place, cooked in a delicate stock.

—James Oseland

Paris—a mixture of lemongrass, incense, jasmine and pollution—I knew I was someplace very different.” Nowadays, he heads straight for the temples whenever he’s in Bangkok, knowing that vendors set up shop where people frequent daily. After a few sticks of nutty saté, he’d likely head toward the nearest schoolyard for sweets like gooey roasted banana with condensed milk, tuiles with grated coconut and salt and lollipops spiked with lip-puckering tamarind—delicacies usually not found in more formal settings.

It’s not just about eating. There’s always something

THAILAND BANGKOK Q Polo Fried Chicken (Soi Sanamkhli, popularly called Soi Polo, off (Continued on page 125)

Choice Foods Saté in Singapore. Clockwise from top left: The hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s Ortokor market; winding down in Singapore; rice choices in Malaysia.

122

to learn from watching the skilled men and women behind Asian street cuisine, even for an acclaimed chef like Vongerichten. He recalls closely observing the vendor of tiny crispcrusted cakes to discover the secret of their pillowy center: twice-poured batter in a cast-iron pan. And he’s far from alone in drawing lessons from these curbside artists.

For chef and author Mai Pham, a vendor cooking over a wood fire near the Hyatt in Ho Chi Minh City is working on the highest culinary plane. After a lifetime of making only three varieties of one dish—plain, turmeric and black sticky rice—this street cook, Pham maintains, is a master at balancing the crunch of roasted peanuts and sesame seeds against toasty rice paper, before topping the dish with creamy mung bean paste.

This modest stand is a ritual stop on Pham’s forays sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America, which lead small groups to iconic dishes the casual traveler might miss. She’ll happily accompany aficionados to the center of Ho Chi Min City’s boisterous Ben Thanh Market for the best bun thit nuong: a flavor riot of grilled lemongrass pork and cool rice noodles with a mix of sliced spring rolls, fried shallots, roasted peanuts and pickled vegetables doused in Vietnamese fish sauce.

“You can have this dish in other parts of the world,” Pham observes, “but you don’t really understand it until you come here and see how it’s done.” However, she urges the curious to come to Vietnam soon because of government plans to get vendors off the streets and into sanitized indoor settings, where she fears some of the most authentic dishes may perish.

To help visitors further understand how these foods evolved in Vietnamese culture, Pham also takes them into the homes of artisans who focus on producing a single, key ingredient, like the rice paper producers of Trang Bang village. “We sit down at an earthenware pot under a thatch roof and make rice paper with the grandmother, who explains the origin of local traditions such as taking the paper outdoors at midnight to absorb the dew,” says Pham. “Cookbooks are great, but there’s no substitute for the real experience.”

These time-honored traditions, too, are under threat, and their loss would reverberate far beyond Vietnam. Already, Charles Phan, the Vietnam-born owner of San Francisco’s famed Slanted Door restaurant, pines for artisinal delicacies such as delicate rice paper and silky tofu, found only in Asia.

123

homemade wontons.

Nearby, pushcarts sell coconut milk desserts, soy milk and rotis smothered with sweetened condensed milk. —Bill Tuffin, owner of The Boat Landing eco-lodge in Laos LUANG PRABANG Q Coffee Shop under the Mango Tree (Near the old passenger boat landing) Lao coffee with sweetened condensed milk, baguettes and little cakes. Stalls on either side sell noodle soup and grilled meat. Try the Luang Prabang patty sausage.—BT

MALAYSIA PENANG Q Hot Wok Nyonya & Local Cuisine (3H Jln.

Pantai Molek; 60-4/8907858). Dine amid an atmospheric jumble of Peranakan relics such as carved wood cabinets and richly woven textiles.

Signature dishes are gulai tumis ikan, a goulash-like sour fish stew, and curry kapitan — dry coconut milk chicken curry.

SINGAPORE Q Sin Huat Eating House (659–661 Geylang Rd.) This coffee shop is a grimy open-air place with fish tanks, crates of shellfish, and waiters stripped to their waists, wearing Wellies and shorts. The fish is as good as New York’s three Michelin star Le Bernardin and not as

expensive. Signature dish: crab beehoon.

—Anthony Bourdain Q Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu (01-220/221 Chinatown Complex Food Centre) Open from 6 A.M. until about 1 P.M. In a grubby Byzantine maze is a stall for ikan bilis yong tau fu: a forcemeat of fish — often flavored with pepper and sesame — inside tofu, okra, or bitter melon. Sometimes it’s fried, or, as at this place, cooked in a delicate stock.

—James Oseland

Paris—a mixture of lemongrass, incense, jasmine and pollution—I knew I was someplace very different.” Nowadays, he heads straight for the temples whenever he’s in Bangkok, knowing that vendors set up shop where people frequent daily. After a few sticks of nutty saté, he’d likely head toward the nearest schoolyard for sweets like gooey roasted banana with condensed milk, tuiles with grated coconut and salt and lollipops spiked with lip-puckering tamarind—delicacies usually not found in more formal settings.

It’s not just about eating. There’s always something

THAILAND BANGKOK Q Polo Fried Chicken (Soi Sanamkhli, popularly called Soi Polo, off (Continued on page 125)

Choice Foods Saté in Singapore. Clockwise from top left: The hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s Ortokor market; winding down in Singapore; rice choices in Malaysia.

122

to learn from watching the skilled men and women behind Asian street cuisine, even for an acclaimed chef like Vongerichten. He recalls closely observing the vendor of tiny crispcrusted cakes to discover the secret of their pillowy center: twice-poured batter in a cast-iron pan. And he’s far from alone in drawing lessons from these curbside artists.

For chef and author Mai Pham, a vendor cooking over a wood fire near the Hyatt in Ho Chi Minh City is working on the highest culinary plane. After a lifetime of making only three varieties of one dish—plain, turmeric and black sticky rice—this street cook, Pham maintains, is a master at balancing the crunch of roasted peanuts and sesame seeds against toasty rice paper, before topping the dish with creamy mung bean paste.

This modest stand is a ritual stop on Pham’s forays sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America, which lead small groups to iconic dishes the casual traveler might miss. She’ll happily accompany aficionados to the center of Ho Chi Min City’s boisterous Ben Thanh Market for the best bun thit nuong: a flavor riot of grilled lemongrass pork and cool rice noodles with a mix of sliced spring rolls, fried shallots, roasted peanuts and pickled vegetables doused in Vietnamese fish sauce.

“You can have this dish in other parts of the world,” Pham observes, “but you don’t really understand it until you come here and see how it’s done.” However, she urges the curious to come to Vietnam soon because of government plans to get vendors off the streets and into sanitized indoor settings, where she fears some of the most authentic dishes may perish.

To help visitors further understand how these foods evolved in Vietnamese culture, Pham also takes them into the homes of artisans who focus on producing a single, key ingredient, like the rice paper producers of Trang Bang village. “We sit down at an earthenware pot under a thatch roof and make rice paper with the grandmother, who explains the origin of local traditions such as taking the paper outdoors at midnight to absorb the dew,” says Pham. “Cookbooks are great, but there’s no substitute for the real experience.”

These time-honored traditions, too, are under threat, and their loss would reverberate far beyond Vietnam. Already, Charles Phan, the Vietnam-born owner of San Francisco’s famed Slanted Door restaurant, pines for artisinal delicacies such as delicate rice paper and silky tofu, found only in Asia.

123

“The U.S. doesn’t have Vietnam’s superb tofu craftsmanship,” he says, reminiscing about simple dishes that showcase high-quality ingredients, like pork belly with a dipping sauce.

“So every time I go home to Vietnam I end up giving away half my clothes and fi lling my suitcase with food,” he admits.

But there’s hope yet. Recently opened eco-lodges in Laos are doing their bit to revive interest in food traditions by giving travelers hands-on experience in tasks most of us have only seen through a camera lens, like planting rice. At Kamu Lodge, a three-hour boat journey upriver from Luang Prabang, the hardest part of my brief rice farming apprenticeship is staying upright in the slippery mud. It isn’t so easy getting the rows straight, either. My reward for laying in a few lopsided plants— which the farmer doubtless pulled out the moment I left—is a village-style meal under a pavilion deep in the paddies: chunks of fire-charred river fish shot through with lemongrass, pork curry with grace notes of kaffir lime and mounds of inky sticky rice spooned from a hand-pounded silver tureen.

The fare along Asia’s city streets can be just as

rustic. On a soi near Bangkok’s Klong Toey market, I hand over a few baht for what looks like plump golden fries. Grasping the paper cone, I blink: these “chips” have legs and wings.

The preferred snack in this part of town is crickets.

Today, rural dishes like these arthropod offerings of northeast Thailand’s Isan region are arriving in Asian cities with migrant labor. In Singapore, however, a singular cuisine has its roots in an earlier wave of migrants: wealthy Chinese traders who later married local women. In shophouses wedged between the city’s soaring office towers, cooks still prepare the elaborate dishes that evolved in their ancestors’ well-staffed kitchens, where the hands of many servants could wring milk from grated coconut and hollow out hundreds of nuts.

Elsewhere in Asia, though, reminders of street food’s debt to the countryside are never too far away. In Hanoi’s markets, the squawks of ducks mingle with hawkers’ cries, while locals breakfast on pho—creamy rice noodles bathed in corianderscented broth—hunkered low on blue plastic stools. One morning, I find myself trailing French-born Didier Corlou, formerly executive chef at the Métropole Hotel. After more than a decade in Vietnam, he still revels in the market, admiring street cooks’ intimate feel for temperature, honed by cooking directly over embers or open flames with no thermostats.

But you don’t need to be a trained chef to appreciate Asia’s street cuisine. “Southeast Asian cuisines are so exuberantly flavorful,” declares James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine. “You get an immediate boom of nutmeg! Clove!

Lime leaves! Not so much information that it cancels itself out, but glorious and joyful, where you can taste the earth or the jungle or the Java Sea.” “Stay at a swanky hotel if you like,” Oseland advises, “but get out there and eat from the street vendors. If you see a crowd of locals, you’ll be fine.”

124

Wireless Rd.) Bangkok is one of the few cities in which a tourist can eat like a local. Try this joint for fried Isan chicken smothered in garlic.

—Paul Ehrlich, T+L Southeast Asia editor-at-large Q Seafood Market (89 Soi 24, Sukhumvit Rd.; 662/661-1255–9) Admittedly touristy, but fun. Shop with a caddy as in a supermarket, then take your fish to a stand for grilling or steaming.

—Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Hungry in Hanoi Breakfast is served.

Clockwise from top left: Pho noodles; Cha Ca La Vong; dining alfresco; spring rolls.

CHIANG MAI Q Khrau Duang Som Pong (Mae Rim-Samoeng Rd.) Near the Four Seasons Resort, this place specializes in frog.

Try a plate of 20 quickfried frog’s legs, washed down with a Singha beer.—Michael Coon, culinary tour director of the Culinary Institute of America Q Kuaytiaw Kai Tun Coke (Kampaeng Din Rd.) As its name implies, its signature dish is chicken marinated overnight in cola and spices, steamed and served with rice noodles.—MC

VIETNAM HO CHI MINH Q Kim Luong (Ben Thanh Market) Great for grilled pork with rice noodles.—Mai Pham Q Quan Banh Xeo (Stall #46A; Dinh Cong Trang St.) Go there for banh xeo

(sizzling pancakes).

—MC HOI AN Q Sandwich shop in the central market. Facing the market from the big well, it’s the sandwich shop on the left. Soft, wet sandwiches, with cho fat — pork belly — roasted to perfection.

—Charles Phan HANOI Q Cha Ca La Vong (14 Cha Ca St.; 84-4/8253929) Said to be one of the oldest dining spots in Hanoi, this family-run restaurant serves only cha ca, a dish they invented generations ago: chunks of white fish fried on a tableside stove over hot coals, with rice noodles.

125

“The U.S. doesn’t have Vietnam’s superb tofu craftsmanship,” he says, reminiscing about simple dishes that showcase high-quality ingredients, like pork belly with a dipping sauce.

“So every time I go home to Vietnam I end up giving away half my clothes and fi lling my suitcase with food,” he admits.

But there’s hope yet. Recently opened eco-lodges in Laos are doing their bit to revive interest in food traditions by giving travelers hands-on experience in tasks most of us have only seen through a camera lens, like planting rice. At Kamu Lodge, a three-hour boat journey upriver from Luang Prabang, the hardest part of my brief rice farming apprenticeship is staying upright in the slippery mud. It isn’t so easy getting the rows straight, either. My reward for laying in a few lopsided plants— which the farmer doubtless pulled out the moment I left—is a village-style meal under a pavilion deep in the paddies: chunks of fire-charred river fish shot through with lemongrass, pork curry with grace notes of kaffir lime and mounds of inky sticky rice spooned from a hand-pounded silver tureen.

The fare along Asia’s city streets can be just as

rustic. On a soi near Bangkok’s Klong Toey market, I hand over a few baht for what looks like plump golden fries. Grasping the paper cone, I blink: these “chips” have legs and wings.

The preferred snack in this part of town is crickets.

Today, rural dishes like these arthropod offerings of northeast Thailand’s Isan region are arriving in Asian cities with migrant labor. In Singapore, however, a singular cuisine has its roots in an earlier wave of migrants: wealthy Chinese traders who later married local women. In shophouses wedged between the city’s soaring office towers, cooks still prepare the elaborate dishes that evolved in their ancestors’ well-staffed kitchens, where the hands of many servants could wring milk from grated coconut and hollow out hundreds of nuts.

Elsewhere in Asia, though, reminders of street food’s debt to the countryside are never too far away. In Hanoi’s markets, the squawks of ducks mingle with hawkers’ cries, while locals breakfast on pho—creamy rice noodles bathed in corianderscented broth—hunkered low on blue plastic stools. One morning, I find myself trailing French-born Didier Corlou, formerly executive chef at the Métropole Hotel. After more than a decade in Vietnam, he still revels in the market, admiring street cooks’ intimate feel for temperature, honed by cooking directly over embers or open flames with no thermostats.

But you don’t need to be a trained chef to appreciate Asia’s street cuisine. “Southeast Asian cuisines are so exuberantly flavorful,” declares James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine. “You get an immediate boom of nutmeg! Clove!

Lime leaves! Not so much information that it cancels itself out, but glorious and joyful, where you can taste the earth or the jungle or the Java Sea.” “Stay at a swanky hotel if you like,” Oseland advises, “but get out there and eat from the street vendors. If you see a crowd of locals, you’ll be fine.”

124

Wireless Rd.) Bangkok is one of the few cities in which a tourist can eat like a local. Try this joint for fried Isan chicken smothered in garlic.

—Paul Ehrlich, T+L Southeast Asia editor-at-large Q Seafood Market (89 Soi 24, Sukhumvit Rd.; 662/661-1255–9) Admittedly touristy, but fun. Shop with a caddy as in a supermarket, then take your fish to a stand for grilling or steaming.

—Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Hungry in Hanoi Breakfast is served.

Clockwise from top left: Pho noodles; Cha Ca La Vong; dining alfresco; spring rolls.

CHIANG MAI Q Khrau Duang Som Pong (Mae Rim-Samoeng Rd.) Near the Four Seasons Resort, this place specializes in frog.

Try a plate of 20 quickfried frog’s legs, washed down with a Singha beer.—Michael Coon, culinary tour director of the Culinary Institute of America Q Kuaytiaw Kai Tun Coke (Kampaeng Din Rd.) As its name implies, its signature dish is chicken marinated overnight in cola and spices, steamed and served with rice noodles.—MC

VIETNAM HO CHI MINH Q Kim Luong (Ben Thanh Market) Great for grilled pork with rice noodles.—Mai Pham Q Quan Banh Xeo (Stall #46A; Dinh Cong Trang St.) Go there for banh xeo

(sizzling pancakes).

—MC HOI AN Q Sandwich shop in the central market. Facing the market from the big well, it’s the sandwich shop on the left. Soft, wet sandwiches, with cho fat — pork belly — roasted to perfection.

—Charles Phan HANOI Q Cha Ca La Vong (14 Cha Ca St.; 84-4/8253929) Said to be one of the oldest dining spots in Hanoi, this family-run restaurant serves only cha ca, a dish they invented generations ago: chunks of white fish fried on a tableside stove over hot coals, with rice noodles.

125

S G T Y L INSIDERS E uangzhou-born designer Vivienne Tam has been making twice-yearly pilgrimages to Shanghai for more than two decades to find inspiration. “In the early 1980’s, the country was opening up and people were experimenting with new looks. They wanted to be different,” Tam remembers. It was just such experimentation that propelled Tam to create some of her most iconic pieces, like her groundbreaking Mao collection, which featured silk screens by artist Zhang Hongtu.

On a recent visit, Tam took T+L on a tour of her hidden Shanghai.

Vivienne Tam in front of the 1930’s Paramount, her favorite dance spot in Shanghai. Dress, bag and shoes by Vivienne Tam.

Three top fashion designers open their secret address books to provide the ultimate guides to SHANGHAI, LONDON & NEW YORK 126

CHIC BOUTIQUES “There’s so much talent here,” says Tam, referring to the designers on Taikang Road, an up-and-coming gallery and boutique area. At Lao Shanghai (No. 5, Lane 210 Taikang Rd.; 8621/5465-1580), run by three young artists who trained at Qinghua University’s Art Academy, Tam—the daughter of Chinese opera fans—spots a dress adorned with painted opera masks. Across town, Duolun Road, the former home to Shanghai intelligentsia, is now an emerging shopping zone, lined with antiques shops and used

127

S G T Y L INSIDERS E uangzhou-born designer Vivienne Tam has been making twice-yearly pilgrimages to Shanghai for more than two decades to find inspiration. “In the early 1980’s, the country was opening up and people were experimenting with new looks. They wanted to be different,” Tam remembers. It was just such experimentation that propelled Tam to create some of her most iconic pieces, like her groundbreaking Mao collection, which featured silk screens by artist Zhang Hongtu.

On a recent visit, Tam took T+L on a tour of her hidden Shanghai.

Vivienne Tam in front of the 1930’s Paramount, her favorite dance spot in Shanghai. Dress, bag and shoes by Vivienne Tam.

Three top fashion designers open their secret address books to provide the ultimate guides to SHANGHAI, LONDON & NEW YORK 126

CHIC BOUTIQUES “There’s so much talent here,” says Tam, referring to the designers on Taikang Road, an up-and-coming gallery and boutique area. At Lao Shanghai (No. 5, Lane 210 Taikang Rd.; 8621/5465-1580), run by three young artists who trained at Qinghua University’s Art Academy, Tam—the daughter of Chinese opera fans—spots a dress adorned with painted opera masks. Across town, Duolun Road, the former home to Shanghai intelligentsia, is now an emerging shopping zone, lined with antiques shops and used

127

Bargain Hunter From far left: Guo Chunxiang Family Collection, a boutique on Duolun Road; bargaining for vintage finds at Stall No. 32 in the Nan Fang Curio Market; frocks at Lao Shanghai.

Tip Sheet O Always carry the address of your destination in Chinese — the concierge can write it out for you. “Even I do this in Shanghai, because the dialect is so different,” says Tam. O After a long day of shopping, look for a foot massage stand, often located across from hotels.

The cost is about US$15 an hour. “It’s the best thing for jet lag.”

O Pick up the monthly English-language magazine That’s Shanghai, available at hotels. Great for the latest hotspots.

bookstores. At Guo Chunxiang Family Collection

Shanghai Style Clockwise from top left: Sitting pretty at the Old Shanghai Teahouse, in the Old City; admiring the designs at Lao Shanghai; Old City God’s Temple, in the market of the same name; the colonial Xian Qiang Fang restaurant.

(179–181 Duolun Rd.; 8621/5696-3948), the memorabilia includes retro vinyl Chairman Mao and Lin Biao buttons; Laiyin Art Garden (158 Duolun Rd.; 86-21/5671-5506) has a collection of Shanghai Deco lampshades.

Another favorite: Chinese Classics Bookstore (424–440 Fuzhou Rd.; 86-21/63220825), where Tam snaps up reproductions of communist-era comic books and an artist’s backpack that fits a sketch pad and a portable easel.

MARKET WATCH At the sprawling Old City God’s Temple market, Tam leads the way past stands selling paper

128

In SHANGHAI, Vivienne Tam finds not only antiques shops but plenty of inspiration too

lanterns, tea and painted fans to the Nan Fang Curio Market (69 Jiuxiaochang Rd.), where vintage clothing abounds. Stalls No. 32 and 33 carry cheongsams in Art Deco prints and a Qing dynasty skirt with embroidered medallions that Tam just has to have. It is here that Tam imparts the first rule of bargaining: “Walk away,” she whispers. “If you’re lucky, the sellers run after you, but if they don’t, you can’t go back because then they double the price. But like anything worthwhile, sometimes you have to risk losing it.”

GOING TO THE SOURCE Tam often incorporates elements from traditional crafts into her clothing. The dusty, oneroom Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition Hall (No. 24, Lane 637 Changle Rd.; Shanghai photographed by GREG GIRARD

86-21/5403-7947) displays samples of batik dating back to the 1890’s. All the tools of dyeing are on display, from wooden printing blocks to wax-paper cutouts. Tam, who has translated the designs into black-and-white embroidery, is this time drawn to the wax overlay on the fabric before it’s dyed. “I love the whiteon-white texture and patterns—so subtle.”

PICTURE-PERFECT “One of my favorite souvenirs is the hand-tinted wedding photographs from the Cultural Revolution. I love the red cheeks! I had my own picture done in the early 1980’s just to see what it would look like,” says Tam, as she strikes a pose at Wangkai Photography Shop (378 Nanjing East Rd.; 86-21/6322-1098), which still produces the hand-painted pictures. The studio is filled with evening gowns, bridal dresses, even a Korean costume for women who want to dress up like Korean soap star Lee Young-ae. But Tam doesn’t need to borrow an outfit: she’s brought her own black metallic organza cocktail dress.

FOOD SCENE In 1918, Wing On was

one of four Nanjing Road department stores that helped define Shanghai as the Paris of the East. Now it houses Xian Qiang Fang (600 Jiujiang Rd.; 86-21/63515757; dinner for two US$50), which is a perfect balance of old and new, with its green-marble vestibule and Art Deco dining room. In Shanghai tradition, patrons are treated to a show of Chinese opera and folk songs while shrimp is cooked at the table over a bowl of hot rocks. Tam gently mimics the performers’ hand movements. “It feels like an old Chinese movie.” She can’t get over the design of Dongbeiren (1 Shaanxi South Rd.; 86-21/5228-9898; dinner for two US$38), which celebrates the Chinese Northeast, with shucks of dried corn at the entrance.

“They carried the idea through every single detail,” she says. The food is equally dramatic: stewed lamb shanks still on the bone are stacked like firewood.

MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR In the Old City, there’s the Old Shanghai Teahouse (385 Fangbangzhong Rd; 8621/5382-1202; tea for two US$6), which is part museum, part teahouse and part sa-

lon. “I came here first because of the owner’s huge cheongsam collection, but now I love the whole ambience he has created.” For a taste of Shanghai foxtrot glamour, Tam visits the circa 1933 Paramount (218 Yuyuan Rd.; 86-21/62498866; admission for two US$10). Tonight the lead singer is crooning Chinese torch songs. Tam sings along, sounding just like Doris Day. SHANGHAI ART Fifty Moganshan Road is a series of warehouses along Suzhou Creek that have been converted into artists’ studios and antiques shops.

Tam wanders from the Western-owned Art Scene Warehouse in Building 4 (8621/6277-4940) to Buildings 16 and 18, where ShanghART (86-21/6359-3923) represents some of China’s best-known contemporary artists. On the way out, she heads up a fire escape, which overlooks a field of red and yellow calla lilies and empty buildings waiting to be renovated. “Can you imagine how great it would be to have a workshop here?” she asks. “Now that’s my fantasy.”

—M A R T H A H U A N G 129

Bargain Hunter From far left: Guo Chunxiang Family Collection, a boutique on Duolun Road; bargaining for vintage finds at Stall No. 32 in the Nan Fang Curio Market; frocks at Lao Shanghai.

Tip Sheet O Always carry the address of your destination in Chinese — the concierge can write it out for you. “Even I do this in Shanghai, because the dialect is so different,” says Tam. O After a long day of shopping, look for a foot massage stand, often located across from hotels.

The cost is about US$15 an hour. “It’s the best thing for jet lag.”

O Pick up the monthly English-language magazine That’s Shanghai, available at hotels. Great for the latest hotspots.

bookstores. At Guo Chunxiang Family Collection

Shanghai Style Clockwise from top left: Sitting pretty at the Old Shanghai Teahouse, in the Old City; admiring the designs at Lao Shanghai; Old City God’s Temple, in the market of the same name; the colonial Xian Qiang Fang restaurant.

(179–181 Duolun Rd.; 8621/5696-3948), the memorabilia includes retro vinyl Chairman Mao and Lin Biao buttons; Laiyin Art Garden (158 Duolun Rd.; 86-21/5671-5506) has a collection of Shanghai Deco lampshades.

Another favorite: Chinese Classics Bookstore (424–440 Fuzhou Rd.; 86-21/63220825), where Tam snaps up reproductions of communist-era comic books and an artist’s backpack that fits a sketch pad and a portable easel.

MARKET WATCH At the sprawling Old City God’s Temple market, Tam leads the way past stands selling paper

128

In SHANGHAI, Vivienne Tam finds not only antiques shops but plenty of inspiration too

lanterns, tea and painted fans to the Nan Fang Curio Market (69 Jiuxiaochang Rd.), where vintage clothing abounds. Stalls No. 32 and 33 carry cheongsams in Art Deco prints and a Qing dynasty skirt with embroidered medallions that Tam just has to have. It is here that Tam imparts the first rule of bargaining: “Walk away,” she whispers. “If you’re lucky, the sellers run after you, but if they don’t, you can’t go back because then they double the price. But like anything worthwhile, sometimes you have to risk losing it.”

GOING TO THE SOURCE Tam often incorporates elements from traditional crafts into her clothing. The dusty, oneroom Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition Hall (No. 24, Lane 637 Changle Rd.; Shanghai photographed by GREG GIRARD

86-21/5403-7947) displays samples of batik dating back to the 1890’s. All the tools of dyeing are on display, from wooden printing blocks to wax-paper cutouts. Tam, who has translated the designs into black-and-white embroidery, is this time drawn to the wax overlay on the fabric before it’s dyed. “I love the whiteon-white texture and patterns—so subtle.”

PICTURE-PERFECT “One of my favorite souvenirs is the hand-tinted wedding photographs from the Cultural Revolution. I love the red cheeks! I had my own picture done in the early 1980’s just to see what it would look like,” says Tam, as she strikes a pose at Wangkai Photography Shop (378 Nanjing East Rd.; 86-21/6322-1098), which still produces the hand-painted pictures. The studio is filled with evening gowns, bridal dresses, even a Korean costume for women who want to dress up like Korean soap star Lee Young-ae. But Tam doesn’t need to borrow an outfit: she’s brought her own black metallic organza cocktail dress.

FOOD SCENE In 1918, Wing On was

one of four Nanjing Road department stores that helped define Shanghai as the Paris of the East. Now it houses Xian Qiang Fang (600 Jiujiang Rd.; 86-21/63515757; dinner for two US$50), which is a perfect balance of old and new, with its green-marble vestibule and Art Deco dining room. In Shanghai tradition, patrons are treated to a show of Chinese opera and folk songs while shrimp is cooked at the table over a bowl of hot rocks. Tam gently mimics the performers’ hand movements. “It feels like an old Chinese movie.” She can’t get over the design of Dongbeiren (1 Shaanxi South Rd.; 86-21/5228-9898; dinner for two US$38), which celebrates the Chinese Northeast, with shucks of dried corn at the entrance.

“They carried the idea through every single detail,” she says. The food is equally dramatic: stewed lamb shanks still on the bone are stacked like firewood.

MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR In the Old City, there’s the Old Shanghai Teahouse (385 Fangbangzhong Rd; 8621/5382-1202; tea for two US$6), which is part museum, part teahouse and part sa-

lon. “I came here first because of the owner’s huge cheongsam collection, but now I love the whole ambience he has created.” For a taste of Shanghai foxtrot glamour, Tam visits the circa 1933 Paramount (218 Yuyuan Rd.; 86-21/62498866; admission for two US$10). Tonight the lead singer is crooning Chinese torch songs. Tam sings along, sounding just like Doris Day. SHANGHAI ART Fifty Moganshan Road is a series of warehouses along Suzhou Creek that have been converted into artists’ studios and antiques shops.

Tam wanders from the Western-owned Art Scene Warehouse in Building 4 (8621/6277-4940) to Buildings 16 and 18, where ShanghART (86-21/6359-3923) represents some of China’s best-known contemporary artists. On the way out, she heads up a fire escape, which overlooks a field of red and yellow calla lilies and empty buildings waiting to be renovated. “Can you imagine how great it would be to have a workshop here?” she asks. “Now that’s my fantasy.”

—M A R T H A H U A N G 129

A

lice Temperley is a country girl at heart, brought up on a farm in Somerset, 208 kilometers outside London. “When I moved to the city, I thought it was grim,” says the designer, who came here 12 years ago. But as she built her bohemian fashion line—silk dresses, tailored velvet pantsuits and black lace blouses—the urban life grew on her. Temperley’s London is an outdoor place, a city of rooftop restaurants and parks, quaint neighborhoods and open-air markets that she explores by bike and in her Citroën 2CV.

Art of the City

London Calling Clockwise from top left: By Regent’s Canal; Notting Hill’s Les Trois Garçons; the restaurant’s menu. Dress

by Temperley London.

130

Having studied at London’s most prestigious art schools, Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, Temperley loves to scope out the city’s art scene, “although there’s never enough time to see everything.” When Temperley has a free afternoon, she’s usually here: O Gagosian Gallery (6–24 Britannia St.; 44-20/7841-9960). “It shows amazing British artists like Damien Hirst and Francis Bacon.”

O Tate Modern (Bankside; 4420/7887-8008), which had its first rehang last year since opening.

O Hayward Gallery (South Bank Centre, Belvedere Rd.; 44-20/79210813), located on the south bank of the River Thames.

O Serpentine Gallery (Kensington Gardens; 44-20/7402-6075). “I always wander across Hyde Park and end up here.”

FAVORITE STREET On Golborne Road, Portuguese patisseries and Moroccan restaurants sit next to electrical repair stores and antiques shops, while wealthy bankers in stucco houses live side by side with working-class traders. “Being so close to such a diverse street culture feeds the mind with constant sources of inspiration,” says Temperley. After a stop at Les Couilles du Chien (65 Golborne Rd., North Kensington; 44-20/8968-0099), a trove of quirky treasures, Temperley wanders a few doors down to Ollie’s (69 Golborne Rd., North Kensington; no phone), another magnet for her magpie eye.

TOP SHOPS Many of Temperley’s designs have a vintage feel, so it’s hardly surprising that she has a taste for London’s flea markets. She searches for London photographed by JAMES WADDELL

hidden gems in unexpected places, such as Church Street Market, just off Edgware Road. “It’s completely rough and awful,” she says. “But there are some amazing French-vintage-furniture shops.” Temperley also frequents nearby Alfies Antique Market (13–25 Church St., Marylebone; 44-20/7723-6066). Her insider shopping source for vintage clothes is the London Vintage Fashion, Textiles & Accessories Fair (Hammersmith Town Hall, King St.; 44-20/8543-5075), which takes place once every few weeks. Also on her retail trail: the Façade (99 Lisson Grove, Marylebone; 44-20/7258-2017), filled with lamps and chandeliers from around the globe, and Coco Ribbon (21 Kensington Park Rd., Notting Hill; 44-20/7229-4904), where she goes for lacy underthings.

Temperley’s favorite gem shop, for “gold jewelry by a range of current designers,” EC One (184 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill; 44-20/7243-8811), is right near her own store, Temperley London (6–10 Colville Mews, Notting Hill; 44-20/7229-7957).

FOOD SCENE Temperley loves vibrant restaurant culture, from the eclectic French restaurant Les Trois Garçons (1 Club Row; 44-20/7613-1924; dinner for two US$170), near Shoreditch, to Notting Grill (123A Clarendon Rd., Holland Park; 4420/7229-1500; dinner for two US$115), which has “the best steaks in town.”

Temperley gets her caffeine fix at Tom’s (226 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill; 4420/7221-8818), while The Cow (89 Westbourne Park Rd., Notting Hill; 4420/7221-0021) is a fun evening, especially for Irish oysters and Guinness. For sorbet and ice cream, Temperley makes a trip up to North London’s Marine Ices (8 Haverstock Hill; 44-20/7482-9000).

COUNTRY PURSUITS When she’s in need of an escape but can’t leave London, Temperley takes long walks along Regent’s Canal—a peaceful thirteen-and-a-half-kilometer stretch of water that cuts through the heart of the city.

She’s also a fan of Carshalton Lavender Fields (Carshalton Beeches; 44-20/84044880). “They are vast fields of color and scent—and in London, no less,” she says.—A L E X G O R T O N

From funky markets to lush parks, Alice Temperley offers a peek at her boho-chic LONDON

Little Miss English Clockwise from left: A view of swans in Richmond Park, one of the designer’s favorite urban escapes; candy-colored lingerie at Coco Ribbon; a collection of pieces at EC One; Temperley with her dog, Monkey, at Les Couilles du Chien.

A

lice Temperley is a country girl at heart, brought up on a farm in Somerset, 208 kilometers outside London. “When I moved to the city, I thought it was grim,” says the designer, who came here 12 years ago. But as she built her bohemian fashion line—silk dresses, tailored velvet pantsuits and black lace blouses—the urban life grew on her. Temperley’s London is an outdoor place, a city of rooftop restaurants and parks, quaint neighborhoods and open-air markets that she explores by bike and in her Citroën 2CV.

Art of the City

London Calling Clockwise from top left: By Regent’s Canal; Notting Hill’s Les Trois Garçons; the restaurant’s menu. Dress

by Temperley London.

130

Having studied at London’s most prestigious art schools, Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, Temperley loves to scope out the city’s art scene, “although there’s never enough time to see everything.” When Temperley has a free afternoon, she’s usually here: O Gagosian Gallery (6–24 Britannia St.; 44-20/7841-9960). “It shows amazing British artists like Damien Hirst and Francis Bacon.”

O Tate Modern (Bankside; 4420/7887-8008), which had its first rehang last year since opening.

O Hayward Gallery (South Bank Centre, Belvedere Rd.; 44-20/79210813), located on the south bank of the River Thames.

O Serpentine Gallery (Kensington Gardens; 44-20/7402-6075). “I always wander across Hyde Park and end up here.”

FAVORITE STREET On Golborne Road, Portuguese patisseries and Moroccan restaurants sit next to electrical repair stores and antiques shops, while wealthy bankers in stucco houses live side by side with working-class traders. “Being so close to such a diverse street culture feeds the mind with constant sources of inspiration,” says Temperley. After a stop at Les Couilles du Chien (65 Golborne Rd., North Kensington; 44-20/8968-0099), a trove of quirky treasures, Temperley wanders a few doors down to Ollie’s (69 Golborne Rd., North Kensington; no phone), another magnet for her magpie eye.

TOP SHOPS Many of Temperley’s designs have a vintage feel, so it’s hardly surprising that she has a taste for London’s flea markets. She searches for London photographed by JAMES WADDELL

hidden gems in unexpected places, such as Church Street Market, just off Edgware Road. “It’s completely rough and awful,” she says. “But there are some amazing French-vintage-furniture shops.” Temperley also frequents nearby Alfies Antique Market (13–25 Church St., Marylebone; 44-20/7723-6066). Her insider shopping source for vintage clothes is the London Vintage Fashion, Textiles & Accessories Fair (Hammersmith Town Hall, King St.; 44-20/8543-5075), which takes place once every few weeks. Also on her retail trail: the Façade (99 Lisson Grove, Marylebone; 44-20/7258-2017), filled with lamps and chandeliers from around the globe, and Coco Ribbon (21 Kensington Park Rd., Notting Hill; 44-20/7229-4904), where she goes for lacy underthings.

Temperley’s favorite gem shop, for “gold jewelry by a range of current designers,” EC One (184 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill; 44-20/7243-8811), is right near her own store, Temperley London (6–10 Colville Mews, Notting Hill; 44-20/7229-7957).

FOOD SCENE Temperley loves vibrant restaurant culture, from the eclectic French restaurant Les Trois Garçons (1 Club Row; 44-20/7613-1924; dinner for two US$170), near Shoreditch, to Notting Grill (123A Clarendon Rd., Holland Park; 4420/7229-1500; dinner for two US$115), which has “the best steaks in town.”

Temperley gets her caffeine fix at Tom’s (226 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill; 4420/7221-8818), while The Cow (89 Westbourne Park Rd., Notting Hill; 4420/7221-0021) is a fun evening, especially for Irish oysters and Guinness. For sorbet and ice cream, Temperley makes a trip up to North London’s Marine Ices (8 Haverstock Hill; 44-20/7482-9000).

COUNTRY PURSUITS When she’s in need of an escape but can’t leave London, Temperley takes long walks along Regent’s Canal—a peaceful thirteen-and-a-half-kilometer stretch of water that cuts through the heart of the city.

She’s also a fan of Carshalton Lavender Fields (Carshalton Beeches; 44-20/84044880). “They are vast fields of color and scent—and in London, no less,” she says.—A L E X G O R T O N

From funky markets to lush parks, Alice Temperley offers a peek at her boho-chic LONDON

Little Miss English Clockwise from left: A view of swans in Richmond Park, one of the designer’s favorite urban escapes; candy-colored lingerie at Coco Ribbon; a collection of pieces at EC One; Temperley with her dog, Monkey, at Les Couilles du Chien.

For fashion icon and TV host Isaac Mizrahi, there’s no place like home—NEW YORK, that is

I

’m as much a part of New York as the rats,” says Isaac Mizrahi, the fashion designer, host of the cable TV show Isaac, and unofficial poster boy for Big Apple– induced ADD. “I never wanted to live anywhere else. But I’m in my forties now and starting to think, are you really going to stay in the same place your entire life?” Probably. Mizrahi has been known to arrive at the airport only to tell his driver to turn around. Besides, he’s too much a creature of habit to ever decamp. “I have my dog, my Yankees, my friends. I love the continuity I have in New York. In my dreams, I go to the farmer’s market in Union Square and buy micro greens for dinner. But in truth, I eat out at the same places—Benny’s Burritos is an important part of my life.”

Just as he plays limbo with high and low, designing for both Bergdorf’s and Target, Mizrahi lives in the West Village and splits his time seamlessly between uptown and downtown.

WHAT’S IN STORE When he’s looking for inspiration, Mizrahi heads to Estella (493 Ave. of the Americas; 1-212/2553553), a children’s clothing store in the West Village. “It sounds totally random, I know, but I adore the incredible color sense. They never get too twee the way 132

they do in other kids’ stores—it’s very eclectic and sophisticated in an exclusively New York way.” Another favorite stop is Penine Hart Antiques & Art (100 Kenmare St.; 1-212/226-2602). “I love the idea that a shop like this still exists in New York City—the owner doesn’t take any of it too seriously. If you were young and just decorating your first apartment, you could go and afford things.” When it comes to Mizrahi’s shoes, only the best will do, so he heads uptown for custom creations at John Lobb (680 Madison Ave.; 1-212/888-9797). “Philippe flies in from Paris four times a year to do the fittings.”

BROOKLYN BOUND Even though he grew up in Brooklyn, Mizrahi rarely ventures outside of Manhattan—except to Klaus von Nichtssagend (538 Union Ave., Brooklyn; 1-718/383-7309), to see the work of emerging artists. “The gallery feels like the real deal, like there’s someone with an actual point of view behind it—even though Klaus von Nichtssagend is a made-up name.”

RESTAURANT SCENE “It’s cozy to have a neighborhood place you love, like Sant Ambroeus (259 W. 4th St.; 1212/604-9254; dinner for two US$110) and return a few times a week,” says Mizrahi.

“It has a kind of Village glamour, like it’s

been there for years.” The other place he can’t live without is Il Cantinori (32 E. 10th St.; 1-212/673-6044; dinner for two US$110), where he has been going since he was a kid. “I had a million first dates there. I’ve had birthdays there. And I’ve dined there after funerals. It’s full of memories, and the food’s good. I eat the same thing almost every time: grilled whole striped bass and cauliflower.”

CLUB RULES Mizrahi recently taped a segment for his TV show in the winecellar room at 21 Club (21 W. 52nd St.; 1212/582-7200; dinner for two US$150), a former speakeasy, and was taken by the special bottles that line the walls. “There’s a bottle for Elizabeth Taylor, a bottle for Richard Nixon—I don’t know what they think they are going to do with that—and a bottle for Jocelyn Wildenstein. Maybe it’s her secret elixir—you know, like the one in Death Becomes Her. I should have asked for a shot.”

NIGHTLIFE The former Studio 54 habitué says he is too old to go out these days and would rather go somewhere grown-up like Knickerbocker (33 University Place; 1-212/228-8490) for a late-night soufflé than to some trendy club for girlie pink drinks. “What am I going to do?

Hang out with a Brazilian model in a New York photographed by JONATHAN BECKER

Street Savvy The designer frequently finds himself strolling down 43rd between 9th and 10th Avenues. “It’s so Sesame Street, so happy tenement! I keep expecting a puppet to jump out of a garbage can.” His favorite pit stops: ● Celebrity chef Mario Batali’s seafood restaurant Esca (402 W. 43rd St.; 1-212/5647272; lunch for two US$70).

“I love the crudo, but I can’t have it for lunch because it upsets my stomach — God, I sound like my mother.” ● The pool at the Manhattan Plaza Health Club (482 W. 43rd St.; 1-212/563-7001; day pass, US$35 per adult), where he has been swimming for more than 20 years. ● Good and Plenty to Go (410 W. 43rd St.; 1-212/268-4385; dinner for two US$24). “I eat at a sidewalk table even in the freezing winter.”

clingy dress or a big tall guy with muscles?

They’re the last people I want to talk to!”

readings two or three times a year. He’s a real optimist.”

PEOPLE WHO SEE PEOPLE A fussy patron of the paranormal, Mizrahi chooses his psychics as carefully as his fabrics. “There’s my astrologer, Maria Napoli, who I’ve been seeing since I was eighteen. I go to her every six months for a checkup, like you would a doctor.” But since getting an appointment with Napoli is as difficult as getting into the Oscars, Mizrahi also recommends Tony LeRoy (1-877/818-2700). “I see him for tarot

A DOG’S LIFE A subscriber to writer E. B. White’s theory of selective privacy in New York, Mizrahi and his dog, Harry (“part border collie, part golden retriever, part Yeshiva graduate”), like nothing more than to be alone and side-by-side by the Hudson at the dog run by the West Side Highway. “I love it there in the winter because it feels obscure, like no one knows about it.” Harry loves it madly too.—H O R A C I O S I L V A

Big-City Style Opposite, from left: Estella, a West Village children’s shop; owners Sam Wilson, Ingrid Bromberg and Rob Hult at their gallery, Klaus von Nichtssagend; Sant Ambroeus, Mizrahi’s West Village neighborhood canteen.

Isaac’s World Top: The designer at Penine Hart, an antiques store. Above: The Union Square Greenmarket.

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On the quiet, palm-fringed shores of Phu Quoc, 45 kilometers off the coast of Vietnam, a dramatic transformation is under way. With billions of dollars—and perhaps millions of visitors—set to pour in, is this sleepy island ready to become Asia’s next great beach resort?

By PETER JON LINDBERG Photographed by MARTIN WESTLAKE

On the quiet, palm-fringed shores of Phu Quoc, 45 kilometers off the coast of Vietnam, a dramatic transformation is under way. With billions of dollars—and perhaps millions of visitors—set to pour in, is this sleepy island ready to become Asia’s next great beach resort?

By PETER JON LINDBERG Photographed by MARTIN WESTLAKE

If there’s a potent symbol of the delicate equilibrium of Phu Quoc—of everything that’s so alluring about this island right now—this place has to be it: an open-sided beach shack just 10 meters from the surf, with a thatched roof, 12 tables and red plastic chairs that sink into the sand. Decorated with cowrie shells and lamps made from coconut husks, it’s the kind of place that makes you almost sort of appreciate Jimmy Buffett.

Mom cooks, daughter takes your order, son makes the drinks. The family lives out back, with their babies and roosters, in a tenuous assemblage of canvas and corrugated metal. They’ve clearly put all their money into the restaurant, which they run with great pride. There’s no credit-card machine, no telephone, no music, no TV showing Premier League soccer games. They have tubs of ice and a blender,

Phu Quoc Today Right: A masseuse for hire on Bai Truong (Long Beach).

Opposite: The Palm Tree restaurant, the author’s favorite on Phu Quoc. Below: The daily market in Duong Dong, the island’s largest city.

That such a spot could still exist in Southeast Asia seems miraculous but they don’t have a refrigerator. Add a fridge and you introduce the possibility of spoilage. The Palm Tree serves everything the day it’s caught: squid, scallops, garrupa, kingfish. And the food is fabulous. We had fine meals at the resort next door, for 20 times the price. But we kept being drawn back to the Palm Tree—for banana-pancake breakfasts, that backpacker staple; dinners of smoky grilled eggplant and barbecued prawns; midday coconuts and midnight beers.

That a quiet, humble spot such as this could still exist in Southeast Asia in 2007 seems a minor miracle. In this part of the world, one is forever hearing about some bygone golden age. From Ko Chang to Ko Lanta, Lombok to Luang Prabang, the refrain’s the same: should have been here 10 years ago. Well, in Phu Quoc, at this moment, it is 10 years ago.

I was in Ho Chi Minh City when I first heard about a remote, beach-rimmed isle off southwestern Vietnam. This was in 2003. Prices were dirt cheap, my informants said, the reef diving fantastic, the sands pristine and nearly empty.

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Among Vietnamese, Phu Quoc had long been a household name for producing the country’s finest nuoc mam, the pungent fish sauce that is a foundation of Vietnamese cooking. Among international travelers, however, the island was largely unknown. That was just fine with early pioneers, such as Phuong Anh Nguyen, owner of Ho Chi Minh City’s famous Q Bar. “The beaches are lovely and it’s incredibly peaceful,” she told me back then. “When there are better hotels and more regular flights, it will be amazing.” Now, four years later, there are more regular flights and better hotels—and, yes, Phu Quoc is pretty amazing. But for how long?

The largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is actually closer to Cambodia—just 15 kilometers

away—than to mainland Vietnam. Cambodia lays a competing claim to the island, which is why the Vietnamese keep a substantial military presence there. (Much of Phu Quoc, in fact, is off-limits to the public.) Stretching 50 kilometers north to south, it is roughly the size of Singapore, but it has only 85,000 residents to Singapore’s 4.5 million.

In 2001, nearly one-third of the island—including 14,000 hectares of primeval forest—was designated a national park. From the air, Phu Quoc registers as a bright-green paint drop, ringed by flecks of ivory, splashed on a turquoise canvas. People compare its shape to a conch shell. Others see a kingfish twisting its tail. Still others will say that Phu Quoc looks like a fat green wad of money. For if all goes according to the official plan, this quiet backwater could become the next Phuket.

137

If there’s a potent symbol of the delicate equilibrium of Phu Quoc—of everything that’s so alluring about this island right now—this place has to be it: an open-sided beach shack just 10 meters from the surf, with a thatched roof, 12 tables and red plastic chairs that sink into the sand. Decorated with cowrie shells and lamps made from coconut husks, it’s the kind of place that makes you almost sort of appreciate Jimmy Buffett.

Mom cooks, daughter takes your order, son makes the drinks. The family lives out back, with their babies and roosters, in a tenuous assemblage of canvas and corrugated metal. They’ve clearly put all their money into the restaurant, which they run with great pride. There’s no credit-card machine, no telephone, no music, no TV showing Premier League soccer games. They have tubs of ice and a blender,

Phu Quoc Today Right: A masseuse for hire on Bai Truong (Long Beach).

Opposite: The Palm Tree restaurant, the author’s favorite on Phu Quoc. Below: The daily market in Duong Dong, the island’s largest city.

That such a spot could still exist in Southeast Asia seems miraculous but they don’t have a refrigerator. Add a fridge and you introduce the possibility of spoilage. The Palm Tree serves everything the day it’s caught: squid, scallops, garrupa, kingfish. And the food is fabulous. We had fine meals at the resort next door, for 20 times the price. But we kept being drawn back to the Palm Tree—for banana-pancake breakfasts, that backpacker staple; dinners of smoky grilled eggplant and barbecued prawns; midday coconuts and midnight beers.

That a quiet, humble spot such as this could still exist in Southeast Asia in 2007 seems a minor miracle. In this part of the world, one is forever hearing about some bygone golden age. From Ko Chang to Ko Lanta, Lombok to Luang Prabang, the refrain’s the same: should have been here 10 years ago. Well, in Phu Quoc, at this moment, it is 10 years ago.

I was in Ho Chi Minh City when I first heard about a remote, beach-rimmed isle off southwestern Vietnam. This was in 2003. Prices were dirt cheap, my informants said, the reef diving fantastic, the sands pristine and nearly empty.

136

Among Vietnamese, Phu Quoc had long been a household name for producing the country’s finest nuoc mam, the pungent fish sauce that is a foundation of Vietnamese cooking. Among international travelers, however, the island was largely unknown. That was just fine with early pioneers, such as Phuong Anh Nguyen, owner of Ho Chi Minh City’s famous Q Bar. “The beaches are lovely and it’s incredibly peaceful,” she told me back then. “When there are better hotels and more regular flights, it will be amazing.” Now, four years later, there are more regular flights and better hotels—and, yes, Phu Quoc is pretty amazing. But for how long?

The largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is actually closer to Cambodia—just 15 kilometers

away—than to mainland Vietnam. Cambodia lays a competing claim to the island, which is why the Vietnamese keep a substantial military presence there. (Much of Phu Quoc, in fact, is off-limits to the public.) Stretching 50 kilometers north to south, it is roughly the size of Singapore, but it has only 85,000 residents to Singapore’s 4.5 million.

In 2001, nearly one-third of the island—including 14,000 hectares of primeval forest—was designated a national park. From the air, Phu Quoc registers as a bright-green paint drop, ringed by flecks of ivory, splashed on a turquoise canvas. People compare its shape to a conch shell. Others see a kingfish twisting its tail. Still others will say that Phu Quoc looks like a fat green wad of money. For if all goes according to the official plan, this quiet backwater could become the next Phuket.

137

In October 2004, Vietnam’s prime minister ratified a proposal—Decision No. 178/2004/QD-TTg—to develop Phu Quoc into “an international and modern center of tourism.”

It was a tall order. The island now draws about 150,000 visitors a year. By 2020, the government expects to boost the figure to 3 million. (To put that in perspective, Vietnam as a whole had only 2.8 million visitors from January to August 2007, and 3.6 million visitors for all of 2006.)

Announcement of the plan set off a flood of investment applications. Foreign corporations have already pledged more than US$4.6 billion toward luxury resorts, cruise-ship terminals and other tourist facilities on the island. Authorities have promised millions more dollars’ worth of infrastructure improvements. A new international airport is also in the works.

Two decades after the government embarked on Doi Moi, its fitful liberalization program, Vietnam’s economy is finally expanding at a rapid clip, helped by the country’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization. And tourism is the golden goose. Vietnam currently ranks seventh in the world for tourism growth. But in order to make its mark as an Asian vacationland, it needs more than a handful of second-tier beach resorts—Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Vung Tau. It needs a young, bankable star. And so Phu Quoc—like a wide-eyed kid blinking in the footlights—is being groomed for a splashy debut.

The word “sleepy” doesn’t begin to describe Phu Quoc.

Most of the island’s roads are rough tracks of Martian-red clay, pocked by craters and layered with dust. Only a few motorbikes occupy the main highways, and hardly any fourwheeled vehicles besides tractors, oxcarts and the occasional hotel minivan. The island’s unofficial capital, Duong Dong, has the tumbledown aspect of a frontier town. In the villages along the coast, the only time the collective pulse quickens is during one of the all-too-frequent blackouts, when the sputtering of generators breaks the pervasive calm.

For now, tourism is just a trickle. Phu Quoc’s tiny airport can accommodate nothing larger than an ATR turboprop; four to five daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City bring in a maximum of 335 passengers. (A new airport, with a capacity of 2.5 million, is expected to be built after 2010.) The remaining visitors—backpackers, mostly—arrive from the mainland by ferry. The first place everyone heads for is Long 138

Island Life Clockwise from left: The pool at La Veranda Resort; a schoolboy on his way to class in Xa Cua Duong District; a few of the 2,000 local fishing boats.

139

In October 2004, Vietnam’s prime minister ratified a proposal—Decision No. 178/2004/QD-TTg—to develop Phu Quoc into “an international and modern center of tourism.”

It was a tall order. The island now draws about 150,000 visitors a year. By 2020, the government expects to boost the figure to 3 million. (To put that in perspective, Vietnam as a whole had only 2.8 million visitors from January to August 2007, and 3.6 million visitors for all of 2006.)

Announcement of the plan set off a flood of investment applications. Foreign corporations have already pledged more than US$4.6 billion toward luxury resorts, cruise-ship terminals and other tourist facilities on the island. Authorities have promised millions more dollars’ worth of infrastructure improvements. A new international airport is also in the works.

Two decades after the government embarked on Doi Moi, its fitful liberalization program, Vietnam’s economy is finally expanding at a rapid clip, helped by the country’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization. And tourism is the golden goose. Vietnam currently ranks seventh in the world for tourism growth. But in order to make its mark as an Asian vacationland, it needs more than a handful of second-tier beach resorts—Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Vung Tau. It needs a young, bankable star. And so Phu Quoc—like a wide-eyed kid blinking in the footlights—is being groomed for a splashy debut.

The word “sleepy” doesn’t begin to describe Phu Quoc.

Most of the island’s roads are rough tracks of Martian-red clay, pocked by craters and layered with dust. Only a few motorbikes occupy the main highways, and hardly any fourwheeled vehicles besides tractors, oxcarts and the occasional hotel minivan. The island’s unofficial capital, Duong Dong, has the tumbledown aspect of a frontier town. In the villages along the coast, the only time the collective pulse quickens is during one of the all-too-frequent blackouts, when the sputtering of generators breaks the pervasive calm.

For now, tourism is just a trickle. Phu Quoc’s tiny airport can accommodate nothing larger than an ATR turboprop; four to five daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City bring in a maximum of 335 passengers. (A new airport, with a capacity of 2.5 million, is expected to be built after 2010.) The remaining visitors—backpackers, mostly—arrive from the mainland by ferry. The first place everyone heads for is Long 138

Island Life Clockwise from left: The pool at La Veranda Resort; a schoolboy on his way to class in Xa Cua Duong District; a few of the 2,000 local fishing boats.

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The beach at La Veranda Resort.

In a few years, this quiet island could become the next Phuket Beach (Bai Truong), a 20-kilometer sweep of hourglass-fine sand on the east coast, where most of Phu Quoc’s hotels and guesthouses are clustered. Development has so far been confined to the northern end of the beach, a pleasantly dizzy 2 kilometers of thatched-roof salas, concrete bungalows, seaside cafés strung up with twinkly lights and volleyball courts.

The volleyball courts were empty for all eight days I spent on Phu Quoc, accompanied by my wife and two friends. Each morning we would stroll up the beach, bare feet squeaking in the sand. Clusters of Vietnamese women in indigo smocks and conical hats proffered pineapples, mangoes and back rubs. Vendors outnumbered vendees. We watched one portly German flop down in the sand to receive, from an especially bored group, a 12-handed massage. Nearby, three bone-skinny cows grazed in the shade of a coconut palm, lowing in accompaniment to the German’s grunts and groans. Soon a young girl appeared, brandishing a switch of bamboo. At her coaxing the cows began a slow march down the beach, the surf splashing at their hooves.

Into this rustic scene has entered a surprisingly well-heeled guest. The US$4.2 million Grand Mercure La Veranda Resort & Spa, which opened on Long Beach in August 2006, is Phu Quoc’s most imposing property yet and no doubt the vanguard of what’s to come. This is no sprawling, soaring mega-resort—just 43 rooms on 1 hectare. But among the beach shacks and guest cottages that flank it (the Palm Tree is just next door), La Veranda sticks out like a triple-tiered wedding cake in a breadbasket.

The look is cheery French colonial: yellow walls, terracotta tiles, whitewashed louvers, paddle fans stirring the air.

And the setting, in contrast to the rough, dusty road beyond, is pure tropical bliss. Each time we drove in we were struck by the fragrance of jasmine and frangapani, the shock of manicured lawns, heliconia, bougainvillea and birds-of-paradise along the brick paths.

The better guest rooms are set, three abreast, in single-story villas on a gently graded hillside above the beach; the remainder are in a two-story hotel building near the back of the property. Villas are the clear choice here, for both their ocean views and their generous size. Our front-row suite had 4-meter cathedral ceilings, a teak canopy bed with mosquito netting, and a jarringly big, echoey bathroom with twin sinks, a stall shower and a massive tub.

Most of the other guests were middle-aged Germans.

They lingered long over the breakfast buffet and sang boisterous songs by the pool. In the afternoons they booked up all six treatment rooms at the spa; at sundown they gathered on the wraparound porch for cocktails and the slow descent into dinnertime.

How much you enjoy the resort depends on how much you insist on being taken care of. Those expecting minimal attention will do fine. But if you require one-hour laundry service or half-caf soy-milk lattes, La Veranda isn’t for you. Though the resort has a two-to-one staff-to-guest ratio, the point is moot when 90 percent of the staff speaks only Vietnamese.

Resort employees answer “yes” to every inquiry, even when they don’t understand the question. But then, how could one expect otherwise? Ten months ago many of them were farmers or fishermen.

“Finding and training the staff has been a challenge,” the resort’s owner, Jean-Pierre Gerbet, admits. “It is an island, after all.” Gerbet is the scion of a French family that has been in Asia since the 19th century. “My maternal great-grandmother was Vietnamese and was actually born on Phu Quoc,” he says, with hypercorrect pronunciation: “foo wok.” Twelve years ago, he moved from Hong Kong to Vietnam and was an original investor in Ana Mandara, the country’s first luxury beach resort, which opened in 1997 in Nha Trang. Gerbet first visited Phu Quoc a decade ago and immediately recognized its potential. “I was in Phuket in 1985 for the opening of Club Med, which back then was the only luxury resort on that island,” he recalls. “I can still picture it so clearly—the mountains, the jungle, the wonderful beaches, all of it relatively unspoiled. The feeling’s much the same now in Phu Quoc.”

When I ask him about the government plans, Gerbet is reflective. “I know they intend to develop the island,” he says. “It’s just a question of when. When will the infrastructure go up? When will all this money actually get here?”

Our fellow guests were content never to stray beyond the beach, the spa and the omelette station, but we were determined to see the rest of the island. This came as a surprise to the staff. “Yeeeess,” they said, though their expressions said, “Why would you want to do that?” Eventually they relented, and each afternoon we’d pile into a 1973 open-top Jeep with our teenage driver and bump down the road in search of kicks. First stop: a fish-sauce factory.

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What Tuscany is to olive oil, Phu Quoc is to nuoc mam. In Asian supermarkets you’ll find plenty of counterfeits trading on the island’s name. The genuine article is made only from ca com anchovies (literally “rice fish,” a reference to their palewhite flesh) that flourish in the waters around Phu Quoc. The island’s hundred-odd distilleries produce 12 million liters of nuoc mam per year. When we stopped in at the Khai Hoan factory, workers were unloading heaps of anchovies from a disheveled wooden boat onto a rickety pier. Inside a warehouse were rows of 13,500-liter vats made from go sao, a Phu Quoc native hardwood that lends its own distinct flavor to the sauce.

Inside the vats, anchovies and sea salt ferment for a year or longer, then the resulting liquid is drained through a tap. The first pressing—a glowing amber brew known as nuoc mam nhi—is the most coveted, but even subsequent pressings have an impressive clarity and consistency. The noxious stench belies the taste: bright, rich and delightfully tangy. Khai Hoan sells bottles at its gift shop, but you can’t actually carry them home. Because of the risk of spillage, Vietnam Airlines won’t allow nuoc mam on its planes. One local guesthouse bans “toxic, explosive, and inflammable substances, weapons, pets, and fish sauce” from guest rooms.

Local Delights Clockwise from opposite, top: Grill-it-yourself squid at the restaurant Gio Bien; Phu Quoc dac san (peppercorns) drying on mats at Ngoc Anh pepper plantation; the restaurant at La Veranda Resort.

We’d heard raves about the beauty of Bai Sao, the most

talked-about beach on the southeast coast, so we went there expecting a scene. But when we arrived at the end of a long rutted track through the woods and emerged onto a glittering ivory crescent of beach, we found only a dozen fellow travelers—Australians, Thais, a trio of Brits—reading, dozing on blankets, floating on their backs in the calm cerulean water. For all an uninformed visitor could tell, they’d been shipwrecked here or dropped like leaflets from a low-flying plane. For a kilometer there were no lifeguards, no vendors—almost nothing man-made except a small café and a few rustic bungalows. The silence was almost eerie.

At the daily market in Duong Dong town we encountered our only traffic jam: half the island’s population packed into six chaotic blocks, where hundreds of vendors sold suckling pigs, fish just off the boat, and local fruits and vegetables. Three seamstresses, shielded from the sun by pink parasols, worked foot-cranked sewing machines. Nearby, a young girl was unraveling skeins of off-white yarn, or so we thought: a closer look showed them to be rice noodles. Con142

sidering how few restaurants Phu Quoc has, we ate extraordinarily well. Bowls of robust and aromatic pho noodle soup convinced us to return three times to the convivial Le Giang café in Duong Dong. At a nearby street cart tended by a friendly grandmother in a lavender pantsuit, we lucked upon a great banh mi sandwich: a baguette with barbecued pork, pâté, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and cucumber.

Up north, at the beachside joint Gio Bien (“Sea Breeze”)—with hammocks and tables under casuarina trees—we found what was easily the finest squid I’ve ever tasted. Our waiter set a brazier full of smoldering charcoal on the table, then returned bearing a platter of raw squid—mottled, 20-centimeter beauties, their rigid beaks still intact, swimming in chili oil and sea salt. Nervously at first, we placed them on the grill to sizzle for a few minutes. They came out perfectly tender, with a buttery taste backed by a hint of brine.

Locals told us that the squid around Phu Quoc eat a diet of ca com, the same anchovy used in nuoc

mam, which gives them their rich flavor. We ordered grilled squid twice a day for a week and never tired of it.

Nor was there any shortage of the stuff: of the 2,000 fishing boats registered on Phu Quoc, at least half ply the squid trade. Fishermen work after dark, using flashlights and lanterns to attract their catch. Every night, we would gaze out at a fleet of squid boats, a makeshift city twinkling on an inky black sea.

In May 2006, a conference was held in Ho Chi Minh City to promote investment in Phu Quoc. The keynote address, by Truong Quoc Tuan—a member of the Communist Party and chairman of the People’s Council—could be summed up by its title: “Building and Developing Phu Quoc Island into an International143

What Tuscany is to olive oil, Phu Quoc is to nuoc mam. In Asian supermarkets you’ll find plenty of counterfeits trading on the island’s name. The genuine article is made only from ca com anchovies (literally “rice fish,” a reference to their palewhite flesh) that flourish in the waters around Phu Quoc. The island’s hundred-odd distilleries produce 12 million liters of nuoc mam per year. When we stopped in at the Khai Hoan factory, workers were unloading heaps of anchovies from a disheveled wooden boat onto a rickety pier. Inside a warehouse were rows of 13,500-liter vats made from go sao, a Phu Quoc native hardwood that lends its own distinct flavor to the sauce.

Inside the vats, anchovies and sea salt ferment for a year or longer, then the resulting liquid is drained through a tap. The first pressing—a glowing amber brew known as nuoc mam nhi—is the most coveted, but even subsequent pressings have an impressive clarity and consistency. The noxious stench belies the taste: bright, rich and delightfully tangy. Khai Hoan sells bottles at its gift shop, but you can’t actually carry them home. Because of the risk of spillage, Vietnam Airlines won’t allow nuoc mam on its planes. One local guesthouse bans “toxic, explosive, and inflammable substances, weapons, pets, and fish sauce” from guest rooms.

Local Delights Clockwise from opposite, top: Grill-it-yourself squid at the restaurant Gio Bien; Phu Quoc dac san (peppercorns) drying on mats at Ngoc Anh pepper plantation; the restaurant at La Veranda Resort.

We’d heard raves about the beauty of Bai Sao, the most

talked-about beach on the southeast coast, so we went there expecting a scene. But when we arrived at the end of a long rutted track through the woods and emerged onto a glittering ivory crescent of beach, we found only a dozen fellow travelers—Australians, Thais, a trio of Brits—reading, dozing on blankets, floating on their backs in the calm cerulean water. For all an uninformed visitor could tell, they’d been shipwrecked here or dropped like leaflets from a low-flying plane. For a kilometer there were no lifeguards, no vendors—almost nothing man-made except a small café and a few rustic bungalows. The silence was almost eerie.

At the daily market in Duong Dong town we encountered our only traffic jam: half the island’s population packed into six chaotic blocks, where hundreds of vendors sold suckling pigs, fish just off the boat, and local fruits and vegetables. Three seamstresses, shielded from the sun by pink parasols, worked foot-cranked sewing machines. Nearby, a young girl was unraveling skeins of off-white yarn, or so we thought: a closer look showed them to be rice noodles. Con142

sidering how few restaurants Phu Quoc has, we ate extraordinarily well. Bowls of robust and aromatic pho noodle soup convinced us to return three times to the convivial Le Giang café in Duong Dong. At a nearby street cart tended by a friendly grandmother in a lavender pantsuit, we lucked upon a great banh mi sandwich: a baguette with barbecued pork, pâté, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and cucumber.

Up north, at the beachside joint Gio Bien (“Sea Breeze”)—with hammocks and tables under casuarina trees—we found what was easily the finest squid I’ve ever tasted. Our waiter set a brazier full of smoldering charcoal on the table, then returned bearing a platter of raw squid—mottled, 20-centimeter beauties, their rigid beaks still intact, swimming in chili oil and sea salt. Nervously at first, we placed them on the grill to sizzle for a few minutes. They came out perfectly tender, with a buttery taste backed by a hint of brine.

Locals told us that the squid around Phu Quoc eat a diet of ca com, the same anchovy used in nuoc

mam, which gives them their rich flavor. We ordered grilled squid twice a day for a week and never tired of it.

Nor was there any shortage of the stuff: of the 2,000 fishing boats registered on Phu Quoc, at least half ply the squid trade. Fishermen work after dark, using flashlights and lanterns to attract their catch. Every night, we would gaze out at a fleet of squid boats, a makeshift city twinkling on an inky black sea.

In May 2006, a conference was held in Ho Chi Minh City to promote investment in Phu Quoc. The keynote address, by Truong Quoc Tuan—a member of the Communist Party and chairman of the People’s Council—could be summed up by its title: “Building and Developing Phu Quoc Island into an International143

Classic Vietnam Right: A room at La Veranda. Below: The spa receptionist at La Veranda.

Class Marine Eco-Tourism Center of High Quality.” A few hundred prospectors listened as Truong and other officials outlined their bold agenda.

The speeches showed a typical socialist exuberance over public works: the most spirited passages concerned sewage treatment plants and power grids, those glorious symbols of revolution. But conservation was also key. Chairman Truong affirmed that “Phu Quoc’s natural landscape must be conserved” and development “must ensure stability and sustainability.” Everyone seemed to appreciate how precious an island Phu Quoc really is.

But their ears really perked up at the long list of development incentives. Compared with mainland Vietnam, Phu Quoc is a veritable free market. Foreign direct investment is actively encouraged. Generous tax breaks are given to local and foreign developers. For non-Vietnamese, leasing property on Phu Quoc is far easier than on the mainland. And entry requirements have been relaxed, so tourists don’t need visas for short-term visits. All this amounts to a radical departure 144

for Vietnam’s notoriously insular government. One of scores of investors so far is John Goodyear, an Australian expat who is building a 10.5-hectare resort, Cape Da Bac, on Phu Quoc’s east coast. (Goodyear also co-owns the Islington, a chic boutique hotel in Hobart, Tasmania.) When it is finished in 2009, the resort will comprise about 20 guest rooms and several private villas on a hillside dotted with mango trees and cut by a mountain stream.

But Cape Da Bac will be a mere blip among the mammoth developments under way elsewhere on Phu Quoc. A Zurichbased consortium called Trustee Suisse is creating a US$2.6 billion “luxury ecotourism complex,” dubbed the Pearl of Asia, on an isolated shoreline up north. And an American firm, Rockingham Asset Management, has broken ground on a US$1.2 billion, 1,000-hectare development near Bai Sao. Set for completion in 2015, the project will have 2,000 hotel rooms, a 36-hole golf course, a Las Vegas-style casino, and an auto-racing track.

Wait a minute: auto racing? For all the lip service paid to sensible development, the bigger projects being proposed show little evidence of that bent. (When ecotourism and Las Vegas–style appear on the same prospectus, somebody’s obviously deluded.) “I’m sure the government wants to do the right thing, but whether they have the education and the willingness to enforce is another matter,” Gerbet says. “They have to decide what an ‘ecological’ development really is, and what the standards are.”

Still, there have been encouraging signs, not least the national park created in 2001. Last year UNESCO declared all of Kien Giang province (which includes Phu Quoc) a Biosphere Reserve. And plans are afoot to establish a 100square-kilometer marine park in the An Thoi archipelago, just south of Phu Quoc—a prime habitat for dolphins and sea turtles. (Gerbet hopes eventually to create “a low-

impact eco-resort” there himself, on an uninhabited islet he owns.) Goodyear is cautiously optimistic about Phu Quoc’s prospects.

“The government’s got a damned impressive wish list and is absolutely serious about it,” he says. “Then again, I don’t know how you turn a totally undeveloped island into Ko Samui. How do you get there?”

Some places you see through the lens of the past. Walk

around Teotihuacán, Le Marais or the Old Quarter of Hanoi, and you imagine them in their long-ago heyday. In Phu Quoc it’s impossible not to flash-forward to the future. Everywhere we went, we found ourselves jolted by visions of things yet to exist, ghosts yet to be born. We’d pass a tin-roofed shack in a field and see in its place a towering waterslide. We’d come upon two chickens pecking at a compost heap, and instead see a KFC. Beside the coastal road, cows had grazed the grass down to the dirt; we saw a putting green. Every plot of land might as well have been posted WATCH THIS SPACE. (Some actually were: we spotted plenty of real-estate signs in barren fields.) Phu Quoc’s wilder corners felt like a football stadium in the hours before the crowds pour in for the game, the wind blowing the candy wrappers around the empty seats.

Whiling away one last languid afternoon at the Palm Tree, we couldn’t help thinking our beloved shack would be replaced by some sprawling 17-star resort, complete with a Kidz Klub and US$12 daiquiris you can charge to your room. But from our perch, on the Palm Tree’s crooked plastic chairs, that outcome seemed too harsh to consider. So we ordered a last round of coconuts and watched the sun fall into the Gulf of Thailand—somewhere over Ko Samui, from which we were separated by 443 kilometers, and maybe a decade or two.

Peter Jon Lindberg is a special correspondent for Travel + Leisure.

GUIDE TO PHU QUOC GETTING THERE Book tickets through a travel agent or Vietnam Airlines offices (84-8/844-6667; www.vietnamair.com.vn).

WHEN TO GO Phu Quoc is dry from November to April and rainier and more humid from May to October.

The year-round average temperature is 27 degrees.

December and January bring the biggest crowds.

WHERE TO STAY Grand Mercure La Veranda Resort & Spa

Tran Hung Dao St., Duong Dong Beach; 84-77/982-988; www. laverandaresort.com; doubles from US$146.

RESTAURANTS Note: Expect to pay in cash only.

Banh mi cart Ly Tu Trong at 30 Thang 4 (across from the Vietcom bank, outside the souvenir shop), Duong Dong.

Lunch for two, 60 U.S. cents.

Gio Bien On the beach at Mui Duong, Ganh Dau District; 84-77/845-507; lunch for two US$20.

Le Giang 7 Tran Hung Dao St., Duong Dong;

84-77/846-444; dinner for two US$15.

The Palm Tree Bai Truong (Long Beach), next door to La Veranda; lunch for two US$10.

WHAT TO DO An Thoi Islands Book a trip through Rainbow Divers. 84-91/340-0964; www.divevietnam.com; trips from US$25.

Khai Hoan Fish Sauce Factory Remember, if you buy sauce, you’ll have to ship it home.

Hung Vuong St., Duong Dong; 84-77/848-555.

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Tomás Demaría, on a horse saddled and bridled with traditional tack.

ROAD TO PATAGONIA

BETWEEN TREKS INTO THE FABLED LONESOME LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN CHILE AND ARGENTINA, NATHAN LUMP TAKES IN FOUR STYLISH NEW HOTELS. PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRÉDÉRIC LAGRANGE 146

Hiking excursions from Los Cerros afford stunning views, like this one of Argentinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mount Fitz Roy.

P

atagonia is mythical, one of those places that live as much in the imagination as in reality, which makes a trip there feel momentous: in an age when your neighbor has penetrated the monasteries of Bhutan and your boss has paid court to the mountain gorillas of Uganda, Patagonia has somehow retained the mystique of the frontier. The name alone conjures images of a fabled landscape—spiky peaks veiled in clouds, glaciers that extend to the horizon tumbling into electric-blue lakes, endless steppes unpopulated for hundreds of kilometers save for a lone gaucho on horseback, herding sheep with a dog by his side. And it puts you in a mood that has been enshrined in classic travel literature, especially Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia: that of the exile, the outlaw, the wanderer, drawn to a place where one can as good as disappear into the sheer enormity of physical space.

Patagonia covers about 675,000 square kilometers in size—roughly the same as Texas—and spans a significant portion of lower South America. The region is no longer the uncharted territory it once was. Although hotels can be up to six hours away from the nearest airport, those airports link to Chile’s and Argentina’s metropolises. For years Patagonia has been on the map of international trekkers, who have found there some of the world’s best hiking and who have hardly minded the lack of infrastructure and creature comforts. Things began to change in 1993, however, when the Explora lodge opened in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and gave those who demanded a dose of luxury with their adventure a reason to head to Patagonia.

Although Explora’s success did not immediately spur further development in the region, today a full-scale boom is under way. The number of visitors is growing. Airports are expanding. Roads are being widened and paved. Towns are doubling in size, almost overnight. And, most significant for the traveler, a clutch of stylish new hotels has begun to open up parts of the region that many visitors previously passed by. Even the best of them have some kinks to work out, but that’s largely not a problem: these properties aim less to be destinations in and of themselves than the means by which people can enter and experience this remote, and largely unspoiled, place.

It is possible to envision a time when tour buses roaring across four-lane highways and disgorging tourists at sprawling mega-resorts will banish the incredible sense of peace here. But for now, with any of these hotels as your base, you can hike in silence for an entire day—through ancient forests and up to the top of wind-whipped moraines and along glistening rivers that cut through valleys so lush and perfect they could be motion-picture stand-ins for the Promised Land—all without seeing another human being. For now, at least, Patagonia still feels like your own discovery.

~EOLO, EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA~ Alone among the hotels I visited in Patagonia, Eolo, 712 kilometers above the tip of the continent, was in its second season, and it shows; while many properties here are still ramping up, Eolo is already providing a complete and satisfying experience. Although it is not without flaws (over-ambitious and under-executed food, most notably—a problem I found throughout the 148

Pure Patagonian Above: Tomás Machado, an Eolo guide. Opposite, clockwise from top left: A trail ride begins at Eolo; the approach to Eolo; Tomás Demaría, also an Eolo guide; room No. 3, with photographs of Patagonian landscapes.

region), it is already the best hotel in southern Argentina. Built in an austere style inspired by the utilitarian architecture of Patagonia’s estancias (ranches)—gabled roofs, walls of corrugated sheet metal overlaid with half-timbering—Eolo is located about an hour west of the rapidly expanding town of El Calafate, near Estancia Anita, one of the largest, oldest and most infamous ranches in Argentina. (Infamous because it was the site of what is known as la Patagonia trágica—a 1921 labor uprising that resulted in the ambush and massacre of close to 1,500 workers by the Argentine army.) The setting is about as convenient as you can get, but it is still entirely isolated. Within Eolo’s sight lines there is almost no human habitation, just the wild, otherworldly Patagonian steppe— monochromatic hills, blanketed in tall tufts of golden coirón grass, rolling all the way to red-rock mesas in the distance and

For now, at least, PATAGONIA still feels like your own discovery the shore of the glittering, limpid blue Lago Argentina, the country’s largest lake. You could easily pass a fine day here just watching the changing light transform this serene landscape, while horses graze in the valley below, hares scamper before you, and caranchas circle overhead.

Inside, Eolo also takes its inspiration from the early estancias, whose owners brought antiques from their houses in the old country and mixed them with more rustic, locally built furniture. Comfy armchairs upholstered in corduroy, leather sofas and chunky wooden tables topped with sandstone mingle with an English Empire table (displaying bird feathers collected on the hotel’s land) and 18th-century Spanish chairs, heavily carved and studded with square nail-heads.

The overall effect is sophisticated yet homely—this is the kind of place where you don’t worry about kicking off your muddy boots and tossing your fleece beside you when you

Guides roam the Patagonian range, near Eolo.

return from a hike. Guest rooms have a similar feel: beds are made with crisp white sheets and big fluffy duvets, wall-to-wall sisal carpet is topped with beautifully patterned woven-wool rugs, and plain white walls are hung with black-and-white photographs of local flora and fauna. (All 17 rooms are large and similarly decorated—Nos. 3 and 8, both on corners, have the widest views.)

Most people come to El Calafate to see ice: the town borders the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the third largest in the world, after Antarctica and Greenland (although from 1995 to 2000, the ice melted at twice the rate it did from 1975 to 2000), and Eolo can arrange excursions to the nearby Perito Moreno and Upsala glaciers. The hotel is also beginning to hold special photography, yoga and athletictraining workshops. But to my mind some of the best things to do are simple and on the property, like a long, lazy horseback ride through the Anita Valley or a hike up Cerro Frijas, the broad hill behind the hotel, with one of the house dogs tagging along, to get a 360-degree view of the area (on a clear day you’ll see all the way to Torres del Paine, in Chile).

One of the chief pleasures of these activities is that you’ll be guided by members of Eolo’s staff, exceptionally friendly and professional young people who can just as neatly take you up a mountain in the morning as deliver champagne on ice to your room at cocktail hour.

~LOS CERROS, EL CHALTÉN, ARGENTINA~ Several hours to the north of El Calafate is El Chaltén, a dusty speck of a town with unpaved roads and tiny cinderblock houses that the government founded in 1985, to stake a definitive claim after a border dispute with Chile and the awarding of the land to Argentina by an international tribunal. Chaltén, situated in an unusually beautiful spot beneath the granite spires of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, is as remote as it gets—Calafate is the nearest town of any size, mobile-phone service is non-existent, and even a gust of wind (not infrequent) can knock out the satellite service that allows residents access to the Internet. Nonetheless, the town quickly became a fixture on the international backpacking circuit; today, it is cheek by jowl with delis, cheap restaurants, hotels and sporting goods shops. Although Chaltén has existed for more than 20 years, everything here looks as if it went up yesterday, and indeed much of it did—as in Calafate, the sights and sounds of construction are constant reminders that this is a frontier outpost on the rise. Although far from aesthetically appealing, Chaltén has hardscrabble charm, and it is the major gateway to some of the most dramatic topography in Patagonia; until recently, it offered few, if any, lodgings for those not willing to camp out or share a bathroom with strangers.

Time off for a baquiano (cowboy) from Chilean Patagonia. Left: The lounge in the largest public area at Los Cerros, in El Chaltén, Argentina.

Los Cerros opened here in 2005, billing itself as the “first international hostelry” in town, and it is by far the most comfortable place to stay. It was built and operated by the team behind several other Patagonian properties (including Los Notros to the south, at the doorstep of the Perito Moreno glacier in Los Glaciares National Park), and developed with FitzRoy Expediciones, one of the biggest local tour companies. Los Cerros has many positive points, including some of the very best hiking excursions in the region.

Then there are the negatives. The hotel sits on a hillside overlooking the town: a hulking form of peaked roofs and flat façade clad in wood and stone, it is not exactly the most sensitive piece of architecture, and it dwarfs everything nearby. (“It’s like a castle, up on its hill with the town around it,” is how one resident described it.) Inside, I couldn’t help noting the missed opportunities. The main public area, a combination sitting room, bar and dining room with a vaulted ceiling, is plenty comfortable, but the arrangement of its plush furniture—abundant sofas and chairs in leather and pinwale corduroy—actually minimizes the mountain views from the oversize windows. A skylit upstairs sitting room is flooded with sunlight, but its soaring ceiling and enormous size make it feel cavernous rather than inviting. And placing all 44 guest rooms on one side of the building necessitated 152

long corridors and ranks of facing doors, an arrangement that suggests an institution.

Those rooms are, for the most part, small and fairly basic (the four Premiums are bigger and more comfortable), with nondescript functional furniture, cheerful striped duvets and geometric-print curtains, a few framed bird prints on the walls, and a picture window with a beautiful view of snowcapped mountains. An open closet on the way to the bathroom, with pegs and shelves and a rail, will remind you of your college dorm room. And yet there are the trappings of a more ambitious hotel: turndown service with branded chocolates on your pillow, a mini-bar (almost unheard-of in Patagonia) and a complete range of bath amenities (including those little folded tissue paper blotters and a loofah).

What I came to realize after a few days is that Los Cerros is more luxury hostel than luxury hotel, in keeping with the spirit of El Chaltén. After all, people come here to hike, not to linger in their oversize bathtub or spend all evening over a gourmet dinner (although on this front the hotel does try to deliver, and the food is fine, if occasionally overreaching, as in a dried fruit “ravioli” with roasted venison and sweet potatoes). Guest accommodations really are souped-up economy-size rooms with en suite baths; that cavernous dining room really is more of a prettified mess hall. The relatively

The pool at Remota. Opposite from above left: The resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reading room; Indian ponchos on display in a guest room.

Remota, in Puerto Natales, Chile, on the Seno de Ă&#x161;ltima Esperenaza. Below from left: A gaucho at a ranch in Chile; the lounge at AltiplĂĄnico Sur, in Puerto Natales.

inexperienced staff will grant most requests when put to the test, and they contribute a youthful energy—from lounge music on the sound system to the cocktail of the day cleverly served in a shot glass with your amuse-bouche—that feels right.

In the end, I would recommend Los Cerros for the excursions alone. It’s nice to have a menu of activities to choose from, all well conceived and guided by people who know what they’re doing, and to be sent out each day with a backpack stocked with just the right variety and amount of food to keep your energy up. The hiking around El Chaltén was the best I’ve experienced anywhere in the world.

One full-day hike (excursion No. 6) took me through a thick forest of lenga trees growing from an ancient seabed, a flock of green parrots bursting into call as I passed, and on a steep climb up to the shore of Laguna de los Tres, a glacial lake in the shadow of Mount Fitz Roy, then along a red-rock ridge high above a broad valley cut by the twisting Río de Las Vueltas, as majestic as the Colorado. Suffice it to say, after hours on the trail, as I sank my tired feet into cool fine pebbles on the beach at Capri Lagoon, and watched the clouds moving above the mountain peaks in the distance, I was reminded that it was Los Cerros that afforded me the privilege of being there.

~REMOTA, PUERTO NATALES, CHILE~ In Chile, it is impossible to think about Patagonia without thinking of Explora, the homegrown hotel-adventure company whose important innovations included the integration of design into the adventure-travel experience. Much of the company’s success, therefore, is credited to Germán del Sol, the great Chilean architect who designed Explora properties in Torres del Paine and the Atacama Desert. After a recent falling-out between del Sol and Pedro Ibañez, Explora’s owner, observers suspected it was only a matter of time before del Sol struck out on his own with a new project.

That project is Remota—which quietly opened in late 2006 just outside Puerto Natales—conceived and designed by del Sol and paid for by a wealthy Chilean family who also operate a corporate hotel in Santiago. Puerto Natales is another Patagonian boomtown, a once sleepy, still scruffy port that has become a launching pad for hikers headed to Torres del Paine, a two hours’ drive to the north.

As Patagonian tourism takes off, Chileans see Puerto Natales eventually becoming the center of a tourist circuit that will move travelers from Torres del Paine south to Ushauia and even Antarctica, and on to El Calafate or El Chaltén in Argentina.

There is only one word to describe Remota’s design: dazzling. Whether or not you like the look of it from the outside—a severe, angular U-shaped building clad entirely in black asphalt and topped with a multitude of gigantic curved exhaust pipes—within, it is a study in del Sol’s brand of

inventive modernism. The heart of the building is a soaring, sun-drenched, cathedral-like space facing a bay, Seno de Última Esperanza, with a series of intersecting ramps and staircases creating different spaces and levels for lounging and dining. Del Sol took his inspiration from Patagonian industrial buildings, and the materials throughout are willfully humble but used in highly stylized ways: the ceiling is a geometric tour de force of raw structural two-by-fours; enormous concrete columns punctuate the vertical space and have only a rough coat of white paint, their seams and ridges exposed; open fire pits in sitting areas are made from concrete and fieldstone, and vent into huge black metal ducts that descend from the ceiling.

Juxtaposed with these consciously rusticated elements is furniture designed by del Sol’s firm—heavy, angular modular sofas and full-size platform beds for lounging—as well as museum-quality Chilean artifacts, including Indian ponchos and headdresses, stone tools, and pottery on display in vitrines. The guest rooms are less dramatic—for one thing, they’re not oversize like everything else—but also more organic, with slate floors and lots of solid, untreated wood, used for a modular bench, table and headboard, as well as decorative beams, each crafted from a single plank—a cross-section of tree, really, with the bark left on the edges. What the rooms lack in views (only public areas look onto the bay, which leads to the Reina Adelaida Archipelago and the Pacific), they make up for in comfort.

Like most hotels in the region, Remota offers a menu of excursions, and aside from the design, this is what the hotel is currently doing best. Max Salas, a former head guide at Explora, planned outings that allow guests not only to see Torres del Paine (though, frankly, if that is your main goal, you’re better off at Explora) but also to get a more complete picture of this part of Chilean Patagonia. I certainly did things Explora guests generally don’t: toured the impressive new Puerto Natales industrial museum and visited an organic vegetable farm; hiked up the nearby Cerro Benitez for an astonishing 360-degree view; and, in the remote Sierra Baguales, walked along a stream littered with fossils before having lunch with a cowboy who has lived entirely alone in this valley for 20 years.

Remota still needs time to get things right. Service is not as solicitous and helpful as it should be at these prices (when I complained about a lack of hot water, the answer I got was, “Wait longer”), and I’m concerned about how this staff would keep up if all 72 of the hotel’s rooms were occupied. Although I didn’t love the food at any of the hotels I visited in Patagonia, Remota’s fell well short of acceptable— canned mushrooms on a salad, powdered “orange juice.”

Happily, there are a couple of good restaurants in town (including the convivial pizza place Mesita Grande). And so for the moment, Remota is a hotel with great promise, one of the most originally designed properties I’ve seen in 155

a long time and a real alternative to Explora—provided you’re happy enough not to be expecting perfection.

~ALTIPLÁNICO SUR, PUERTO NATALES, CHILE~ A further testament to the pace of development in Puerto Natales is Altiplánico Sur, which is a two-minute walk from Remota and opened about the same time. Owners Maite Susaeta and Juan D’Étigny have made something of a habit of opening properties near Exploras; their first hotel was in the Atacama Desert, and their next project is on Easter Island, where Explora also has a new property under way. With 22 rooms, Altiplánico Sur is smaller and more pared-down than the Explora in nearby Torres del Paine, not to mention less expensive. Altiplánico is a bunker hotel—a semicircle set into a hillside, its roof covered in grass blanketed with dandelions and its façade faced in “bricks” of turf. According to Susaeta, who designed the place, the goal was to make it largely disappear into the landscape, and for the most part that is the effect. Whether you enjoy the underground feeling when in residence is a matter of taste. The dominant decora-

tive features inside are concrete (concrete walls patterned in two textures, concrete bed platforms and modular night tables) and metal (modern wrought-iron chairs, steel-and-glass tables), softened here and there by a sheepskin throw rug or a driftwood lamp. Some will find the smallish rooms, reached via long, dark, curving hallways, a lesson in Flintstones chic; others might call them a new-wave cellblock. Even those in the latter group will appreciate the large window facing the water in both the bedroom and bath (all rooms have good views, but those closest to the central hall of the property have slightly better ones).

Much less of a full-scale hotel than Remota, Altiplánico offers a set daily menu (the food is just okay, and few people avail themselves of it, given the better offerings in town), and you’re on your own for excursions. Most guests here are traveling as part of a group and therefore have their days planned for them; the minuscule but friendly staff can point you toward the many operators in Puerto Natales if you want guidance.

This being Patagonia, you’ll be unlikely to go wrong.

Nathan Lump is the travel editor of the New York Times magazine, T.

G U I DE TO PATAG O N I A WHEN TO GO Summer in Patagonia (December to March) is the mildest and most popular time to visit, though temperatures rarely go much above 21 degrees and winds are strong.

GETTING THERE There are daily flights from Buenos Aires to El Calafate and from Santiago to Puerto Natales. In high season, tickets go quickly, so book well in advance. Some visitors rent cars in Patagonia, but unpaved roads can be a challenge; many hotels provide transfers to and from the nearest airport.

For travel overland between Argentina and Chile, there are three border crossings; my transfer, from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, was handled

by South Road (54-290/2492393; www.southroad.com.ar).

Planning a trip can weary even seasoned travelers, especially non-Spanish speakers, so work with a knowledgeable agent; I called on the fantastic Betty Jo Currie of Explorations (1-770/432-3247; bettyjo@ explorationsltd.com).

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WHAT TO PACK Breathable waterproof layers, a hat, sunglasses, sturdy hiking boots and high-SPF sunblock: the hole in the ozone over the South Pole lets in very strong sun.

Note: Mobile phones do not work in most of the area; if you must stay in touch, rent a satellite phone to bring with you.

WHERE TO STAY EOLO El Calafate, Argentina; 54-114/700-0075; www.eolo. com.ar; doubles from US$1,650 for a three-night stay, all-inclusive.

LOS CERROS El Chaltén, Argentina; 54-115/277-8200; www. loscerrosdelchalten.com; doubles from US$1,976 for a three-night stay, all-inclusive.

REMOTA Puerto Natales, Chile; 56-2/387-1500; www.remota. cl; doubles from US$2,320 for a three-night stay, all-inclusive.

ALTIPLÁNICO SUR Puerto Natales, Chile; 56-61/412-525; www. altiplanico.cl; doubles from US$170.

WHERE TO EAT EL CHALTÉN, ARGENTINA Asador-Parilla Mi Viejo A good traditional Patagonian asador (barbecue restaurant); dinner for two US$30.

Estepa Resto & Bar For soups, pastas and pizza; in season, be sure to reserve. 54296/249-3069; dinner for two US$25.

PUERTO NATALES, CHILE Mesita Grande Great pizzas, pasta and fresh salads (a rarity in Patagonia).

56-61/411-571; dinner for two US$20.

Restaurant El Asador Patagónica An asador for serious carnivores. 56-61/413-553; dinner for two US$25.

WHAT TO READ In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin (Penguin Classics, US$15). A classic not only of writing on the region but also of the travel genre.

There is almost no human habitation, just wild, otherworldly steppe

A lenga tree and coir贸n grass blowing in the wind near Eolo, in Argentina.

(My Favorite Place) Pashupatinath, the secondholiest site in Hinduism.

NEPAL

He is a yogin in a loincloth, who, when in residence, Some places impose ritual on us. Whenever occupies an allotted slab of stone near the gaudy shrines I visit Kathmandu I stay in the same suite at the opposite the temple complex. He has not cut his hair in Kathmandu Guest House. I always spend the more than 30 years; most of the time he first morning at Swayambhunath, the keeps it in a huge bun on top of his head. monkey temple, which is, in reality, I once made the mistake of asking his a tough animal neighborhood atop name, after he had filled his great chest with a hill where primates rule and their an inhalation of smoke from his black stone adolescent offspring whip apples chillum. He took a full minute to exhale, then from out the hands of innocent said: “Bam Shankar”—I am Shiva. tourists. But the first afternoon I It is for such dizzying perspectives that always save for Pashupatinath. one travels to Nepal. Everything here is giant Pashupatinath is the second-holiest size, from the courage of the Sherpas—those site in Hinduism, after Benares. The professional conquerors of Everest—to the public cremations here are a popular Gurkha heroes of the British Army, to the attraction for tourists (“Look, honey, mountains themselves, to the gangs of they’re burning someone’s granny monkey thugees, to the godlike visions of on that huge bonfire over there next the holy men. Shiva makes Pashupatinath to the water”), but I come whenever my favorite place, whether he’s in residence I can to see a pal I made many John Burdett seeks yogin company in Nepal. or not. ✚ years back.

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DEC E M B E R 2 0 0 7| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

TOP: JEREMY HORNER; BOTTOM: JOSEF POLLEROSS

Thailand-based novelist John Burdett is best known for his popular series of mystic thrillers set in Bangkok, but, he tells PAUL EHRLICH, he finds transcendence in KATHMANDU