departure lounge
NEWS, BRIEFINGS, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Glamping in Bali Inside ... one of the luxurious tent bedrooms at Menjangan.
B
ali’s first beachfront glamping resort has opened in the far north of the island, offering African-style safari tents with queen-size beds, polished floorboards, television, Wi-Fi, showers, flushing toilets and timber decks with sea views across to Java. The Menjangan Beach Camp and Dive Resort also has a day spa, a relaxed beach club where meals are served (try the fresh-caught fish), an open-air bar, and an infinity pool with waiter service. It’s a low-key affair, set on 16 hectares adjacent to a national
park, at least four hours by road from the hustle and bustle of Denpasar. There are plans to introduce helicopter and seaplane transfers. Some of the best diving is at nearby Menjangan Island, where turtles, big sea fans and wall diving provide the highlights. Snorkellers will like it, too, and there are other activities such as stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. Beach camp tents, ideal for two people, start from $US230 a night, including breakfast, afternoon tea, a 15-minute spa sampler and Wi-Fi. There are also one and two-bedroom tent villas
Far north Bali ... the Menjangan resort is sited on a peninsula.
that are suitable for families, from $US450. The villas have their own infinity plunge pools. The resort opened in September and the guests, so far, have mainly been expats living in the region. Be sure to get there before everyone else catches on. n Air Niugini flies to Bali weekly. See airniugini.com.pg and mdr.pphotels.com.
Japanese wine on the rise
T
he Japanese love their shochu, sake, whisky and beer, and lately even their wine, especially if it’s made from the emerging and increasingly popular koshu grape grown in the Yamanashi Prefecture (the Bordeaux of Japan) in the foothills of Mount Fuji. I visited Yamanashi recently and was surprised and impressed by
koshu. It’s a white table wine with a flavour that sits somewhere between sauvignon blanc and riesling, and as such pairs beautifully with Japanese cuisine – especially sashimi, sushi and tempura. Pale in colour and light bodied, it’s low in alcohol with a crisp acidity and a clean finish. Aromatically, it’s a melange of citrus and stone fruit.
NUMBER CRUNCH plant species live in PNG, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The country has more than 2000 species of orchids and 2000 species of ferns. There are still remnants of most plants of Gondwanaland, a ‘super-continent’ that more than 100 million years ago included most of the landmasses that make up Australia, New Guinea, Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Arabia and New Zealand.
15,000-20,000
20 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine
It’s refreshingly easy to drink and its purity and limpidity give it a ‘Zen-like’ character, according to world-renowned wine authority Jancis Robinson. Koshu wine is not new to Japan; however, its quality has improved dramatically over the past decade. In 2010 it was the first Japanese grape variety to be certified by the European Union. It is starting to pop up in some of Asia’s top Japanese restaurants and is served at Japan’s overseas embassies. It’s even reached as far south as Australia. Traditionally, wine is seldom served with local cuisine in Japan; however, koshu is starting to gain a wider acceptance, both domestically and internationally.
Koshu ... a white table wine perfect with sashimi or tempura.
Some of the better koshu I have tasted include Grace, Haramo, Katsunuma Jyozo, Kurambon, Lumiere, Marufuji’s ‘Rubaiyat’ and Yamato . So, if you’re flying to Tokyo with Air Niugini and you like white wine, and wish to savour something quintessentially Japanese, koshu is for you. n —MICHAEL HINCE