September 2008

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

SEPTEMBER 2008

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

WORLD’S BEST AWARDS HOTELS SPAS AIRLINES CRUISES ISLANDS CITIES WILD RIDE HONG KONG’S BEST BET AT NIGHT

Taipei The evolution of Asia’s new urban heart

Philippines Uncovering Palawan’s best-kept secrets

SE PTEMBER 2 008

PLUS HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT WINE EVERY TIME

travelandleisuresea.com 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

(Destinations)09.08 Istanbul 114 Portland 164 Amalfi Coast 50 Taipei 46, 140 Palawan 154 Bangkok 49, 78, 168

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

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Issue Index

ASIA Beijing 46, 48 Bhutan 104

Shanghai 46, 80 Taipei 46, 140

EUROPE Sofia, Bulgaria 170 Istanbul 114 Amalfi Coast, Italy 50

THE AMERICAS Los Angeles 72 New York 64 Portland, Oregon 164 Chelan, Washington 166

MIDDLE EAST Rosh Pina, Israel 172

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

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43.8

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6.45

4,082

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

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Manila 24, 100 Moyo Island, Indonesia 174 Palawan, the Philippines 154 Singapore 28, 30, 46, 48, 54 Thailand 28, 46, 56, 60, 82

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bali 30 Bangkok 49, 78, 168 Hanoi 44 Ho Chi Minh City 30 Hong Kong 28, 66, 93 Java 30 Kuala Lumpur 30, 48 Macau 58, 68

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(Contents)09.08

>140 A young take on fast-changing Taipei.

140 Taipei 2.0 Under the radar for years, Taiwan’s capital has forged its own unique, engaging identity, one rich on the dining and design fronts. But will it change as ties with China become closer?

By JENNIFER CHEN. Photographed by JASON LANG. GUIDE AND MAP 152 12

154 Perfect Palawan Gorgeous beaches fringing myriad islands, idyllic lagoons and isolated resorts, this string-bean archipelago has it all. CHRIS KUCWAY explores one of the region’s last frontiers.

Photographed by NICK DYNAMO. GUIDE 163 164 Another Night in Paradise Five travelers’ tales. By GARY SHTEYNGART, GUY TREBAY, MARIE BRENNER, MARK

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

LEYNER and DAPHNE MERKIN. Illustrated by MAIRA KALMAN Special

● World’s Best Awards > 121 Travel + Leisure’s readers select their favorite hotels, spas, airlines, cities, islands and outfitters around the globe.

Read on for a complete list of winners and a closer look at who’s on top.

JASON LANG

139-164 Features

(Contents)09.08

SEPTEMBER 2008

WORLD’S BEST AWARDS HOTELS SPAS AIRLINES CRUISES ISLANDS CITIES WILD RIDE HONG KONG’S BEST BET AT NIGHT

Taipei The evolution of Asia’s new urban heart

Philippines Uncovering Palawan’s best-kept secrets

Departments 16 20 24 28 30 34 174

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

> 60

PLUS HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT WINE EVERY TIME

travelandleisuresea.com 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

Cover > 54 64 Day in the Life Thompson Hotel’s Jason Pomeranc.

BY JEFFREY PODOLSKY 66 Check-in Hong Kong’s whimsical W Hotel.

BY ALEX FREW MCMILLAN 68 Eat Macau’s fast-changing dining favorites.

BY JEN LIN-LIU 72 First Look Hotel innovation in Beverly Hills.

BY DAVID A. KEEPS

At the Four Seasons, Koh Samui.

Photographed by Nat Prakobsantisuk. Styled by Araya Indra. Hair and make-up by Apichart Norasethaporn. Model: Suttikan Wangjaroentaweekul.

Floral printed silk dress by Zenithorial. Gold bracelet and flower ring by Disaya.

> 114

43–72 Insider 44 NewsFlash Hanoi shopping, Asia’s biennales, storied stays in Beijing and more.

50 Affordable Trips The Amalfi Coast within budget.

BY AMY FARLEY 54 Preservation Back to school in Singapore.

BY SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP 56 Where to Go Next Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park.

BY ADAM SKOLNICK 58 Room Report The stylish Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16.

BY PHIL MACDONALD 60 Classics Isaan is Thailand’s culinary heartland.

BY JANET FORMAN 14

77 Must-Haves Perfect ballet flats for travel.

78 On the Road Interior designer Jaya Ibrahim’s favorite spots in Asia and further afield.

BY GENEVIEVE TSAI 82 Fashion Kick back and relax on Ko Samui with these floaty dresses.

90 Beauty Seven essentials to keep you looking good under the tropical sun. > 82

93-114 T+L Journal 93 Obsessions Horse racing in Hong Kong means crowds, spectacle and unbridled excitement. BY ALEX FREW MCMILLAN 100 Cityscape Concerns about Manila’s historic district of Intramuros have led some to try and bring it back to life. BY LARA DAY 104 Portfolio Often called the world’s last Shangri-la, Bhutan is home to a form of Buddhism often shrouded in mystery. BY JOSEF POLLEROSS 114 The Arts Literary life at the heart of Istanbul’s changing society.

BY NANCY MILFORD

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

77-90 Stylish Traveler

(Editor’s Note) 09.08

A

RRIVING IN BANGKOK FROM A RECENT TRIP TO THE U.K.,

I was proud that the city I chose to live in eight years ago was voted the World’s Best City by Travel + Leisure readers in our annual survey of the best of the best in travel. Bangkok really is booming; not only has this thriving metropolis developed into one of the world’s most livable cities, it is also a must-visit on any tourist’s Asian itinerary. World-class hotels and resorts, some of the region’s best shopping and culinary experiences, an efficient transport system—currently being extended into the farther reaches of the urban areas—and, of course, unique cultural attractions all make Bangkok one of the world’s most desirable places to be right now. But, Bangkok-based as we are, we shouldn’t beat our chests too hard and ignore the other outstanding Asian winners, with Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Siem Reap and Hanoi scoring highly in the list of Top 10 Asian Cities.

Asian hotels, spas and airlines also feature extensively in the awards, and you can read the full results in our special section starting on page 121. One Asian city that isn’t in the World’s Best Awards, but probably should be, is Taipei, which has become the perfect urban destination for those in the know. Read why, and enjoy the stunning photography, in “Taipei 2.0,” on page 140.

Also in this issue—which, incidentally, is our biggest yet—we devote our popular Strategies section (page 34) to debunking some of the more common myths about wine, as well as point you in the right direction for choosing the best vino to go with Asian food. So whether you’re into Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese cuisine, we’ve found the perfect plonk to match most menus in the region. And if food’s your thing, I hope you enjoy our focus on delicious delicacies from the northeastern weather, this stuff is hot, hot, hot!—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.

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C H E N P O VA N O N T

region of Thailand (“In the Land of Chili,” page 60), but be warned—like the

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

Matt Leppard Paul Ehrlich Fah Sakharet Jennifer Chen Chris Kucway Ellie Brannan Wannapha Nawayon Napamon Roongwitoo Wasinee Chantakorn

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Wong, Joe Yogerst, Adam Skolnick, Robyn Eckhardt, Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Lara Day, Cedric Arnold, Steve McCurry, Peter Steinhauer, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Graham Uden, Josef Polleross

CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER VICE PRESIDENT / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS CONSULTANT, HONG KONG/MACAU CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION GROUP CIRCULATION MANAGER

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Michael K. Hirsch Kin Kamarulzaman Shea Stanley Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Chinwongs

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

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

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 2, ISSUE 9 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.

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(Contributors) 09.08 Above: Under the watchful eye of a local, Prakobsantisuk in Ethiopia.

Below: Ko Samui’s shoot.

“

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up in northern California and worked in Los Angeles before making the move to Asia. His most recent work, which has appeared in Monocle (UK) and Vogue China, now takes him across the region and the world. In this issue, Lang presents Taiwan’s capital (“Taipei 2.0,” page 140) in a new light, focusing on both the city’s traditional side and its funky, modern present.

Jen Lin-Liu An obvious choice for a tour of dining spots in Macau (“Macau’s Finest,” page 68), Lin-Liu is the author of Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China (Harcourt). Raised in California, she went to China in 2000 on a Fulbright fellowship. A restaurant editor for Zagat Survey and the coauthor of Frommer’s Beijing, she has also written for Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine and Time Out Beijing.

Ch’ng Poh Tiong “There is nothing mystical about

wine,” says Ch’ng, who helps clarify some of the misconceptions about the grape this month (“Wine 101,” page 34). “Drink it if you enjoy it and don’t if you do not. I have never met a snobbish bottle of wine, just snobbish people who, unfortunately, take themselves more seriously than the wine.” Ch’ng is the publisher of The Wine Review and of a guide to Bordeaux in Chinese. He also writes for Decanter.

Janet Forman “There’s a powerful intimacy about

the way Isaan people use their fingers, coated in sticky rice, to pluck food from a communal plate,” says Janet Forman (“The Land of Chili,” page 60).

“Not only does it draw a guest into the family circle, but this primal hand-to-mouth motion is a window on the character of these easygoing people.” When not writing at her computer in Harlem, Forman is likely eating her way through rural Asia.

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 0 8 | 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 C O L U M N , F R O M T O P : S I V I K A P R A KO B S A N T I S U K H , N AT P R A KO B S A N T I S U K . R I G H T C O L U M N , F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F J A S O N L A N G ; L U C Y C AV E N D E R ; C O U R T E S Y O F C H ’ N G P O H T I O N G ; C O U R T E S Y O F J A N E T F O R M A N

I love to come back here and find out that it’s always changing. Samui is fun, inspiring and most of all very convenient for everything,” says Bangkok native Nat Prakobsantisuk. One of the foremost figures in Asian fashion photography today, Prakobsantisuk is well known for his ability to infuse his shoots with a strong sense of emotion, whether in Asia or far-flung corners of Africa. Of his work close to home in Ko Samui (“Island Breeze,” page 82) this month, he says he hopes readers see a powerful narrative. A former fashion stylist, he took up photography in London before returning to Bangkok, and is now a regular contributor to Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia. His work has also appeared in the Asian editions of Elle, Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar.

Jason Lang Now based in Thailand, Lang grew

NOW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

(Letters)09.08 LETTER OF THE MONTH Adobo and Then Some

insider | classics

Five Filipino Icons. Philippine food is one of the region’s most underrated cuisines. Here, ROBYN ECKHARDT gives the lowdown on the country’s most cherished dishes

refrigeration), historians believe its name was borrowed from a Mexican dish of meat stewed with wine and/or chilies. What sets a superior adobo apart? Deeply and evenly browned meat, something that, to the disapproval of some Filipino cooks, is occasionally achieved by using soy sauce. The cooks at <[bo @Êi A_jY^[d (2nd floor, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati; 63-2/7288878) a serene indoor–outdoor space in Makati, surely employ this shortcut. But even a die-hard purist would have difficulty resisting the restaurant’s version of this Filipino favorite: gorgeous mahogany-hued pieces of fork-tender pork shoulder garnished with sweet caramelized roasted garlic cloves.

Thanks for running the story on Philippine food [“Five Filipino Icons,” July 2008] in your recent issue. Too often, visiting friends arrive with the idea that there’s no local cuisine worth eating and I feel like I spend all my time trying to change their minds. We end up eating our way around Manila. Just for a change, it’s good to see someone else saying that there’s much more than adobo on menus in Manila.

N I?D?=7D= Filipinos prize sourness, and they celebrate it in the form of sinigang, a tom yam–like soup of fish, chicken or meat tarted up with sour leaves or fruit. A casual eatery specializing in home-style comfort foods, I[djhe '--' (2nd floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati; 63-2/757-3940) combines house-made corned beef with daikon, string beans, okra and onions in a piquant tamarindbased broth that brilliantly counterbalances the richness of the meat. The restaurant also offers a lighter and more traditional, but no less tasty, seafood sinigang, a vessel of tangy fish-andtamarind stock crowded with chunks of boneless firm-fleshed milkfish, prawns, tomato wedges, sliced banana blossoms and mustard leaves, and whole mild green chilies.

N B;9>ED

PHILIPPINES

<_b_f_de Jh[Wji <hec jef0 Feha WZeXe Wj <[bo @Êi A_jY^[d h[ijWkhWdj1 W Xemb e\ i[W\eeZ i_d_]Wd] Wj I[djhe '--'1 jkYa_d] _d Wj C_bao MWo 9W\ $

For the country’s Christian majority, pork reigns supreme—an ardor embodied in lechon, or whole spit-roasted pig. Lechon actually describes the cooking process, but pig is so ubiquitous on the spit that the term has come to mean pork. While it’s generally considered special-occasion fare, Manila is dotted with eateries offering individual-sized portions. At B[Y^ed :[b_]^j, a stall at Makati’s boisterous Saturday morning IWbY[Ze 9ecckd_jo CWha[j (Jaime Velasquez Park; Saturdays from 7 A.M. to 2 P.M.), proprietor Boy Tan and his family dish up strips of unctuous meat crowned with shards of the bronzed skin prized by connoisseurs. Tan specializes in pig roasted à la Cebu, which is stuffed with ginger and onions and served with coconut-flavored vinegar.

N 7:E8E If pressed to name a national dish, most Filipinos would probably choose pork adobo, a comforting braise made with vinegar, plenty of garlic and black pepper. Though it’s local in origin (cooking with vinegar was a common means of preservation before the advent of

48

— S O L E DA D

JULY

N F7DI?J As with elsewhere in East Asia, Philippine meals generally revolve around rice, but pansit, or noodle dishes, figure prominently in the country’s snack repertoire. Pansit luglug, round rice noodles smothered with a smooth shrimp-flavored sauce tinted orange from annatto seeds, is often eaten for merienda, the late afternoon mini-meal meant to tide one over between lunch and dinner.

Luglug, a Tagalog word, means to immerse anything in boiling water, and the snack’s name presumably refers to the way the rice noodles are heated and softened before they’re drained and doused with sauce. The pansit luglug served at C_bao MWo 9W\ (2nd floor, 900 Arnaiz Rd., Makati; 63-2/843-7124), a cheerful incarnation of a popular 1950’s Manila dairy bar, features a briny sauce and is garnished with slices of hardboiled egg, chopped scallion greens and crunchy bits of chicharron (deep-fried pork rinds) that contrast wonderfully with the texture of the thick, chewy noodles.

N JIEAEB7J;

Filipinos love sweets and whip up a localized version of Spanish chocolate—thick enough to stand a spoon in—with homegrown cacao that rivals Barcelona’s best. Cacao production dates back to the 1600’s, when trees were imported from Mexico by way of Spain. Indulge in the lavishly thick beverage at 9W\ 7Zh_Wj_Ye (1790 M. Adriatico St., Malate; 63-2/525-2509), a nostalgic neighborhood hangout that gave birth to Manila’s café society when it opened in then-

Photographed by DAVID HAGERMAN

2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

BeYWb :[b_]^ji 9beYam_i[ \hec jef b[\j0 JieaebWj[ Wj 9W\ 7Zh_Wj_Ye1 9[Xk#ijob[ b[Y^ed \hec B[Y^ed :[b_]^j1 fWdi_j bk]bk] Wj C_bao MWo 9W\ $

bohemian Malate nearly 30 years ago. Here, the tsokolate and tsokolate-eh (an almost puddinglike version) is served in a pitcher with a batirol, a traditional wooden whisk used for frothing.

If you have a serious sweet tooth, sample the café’s puto (steamed rice cakes) or ensaimada, a buttery sweet bread served with a slice of aged Edam cheese.

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

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C O M| J U LY 2 0 0 8

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A R ROYO , M A N I L A

IEKJ>;7IJ 7I?7

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Dive In

(Best Deals) 09.08

A guest room at the Trisara.

Six perfect getaways in Southeast Asia we found for you ■ THAILAND Trisara Indulgence package at the Trisara (66-76/310-100; trisara.com) in Phuket.

What’s Included A champagne breakfast in bed; chocolates, cookies and ice cream; a three-hour spa treatment; and 20 percent off spa services. Cost From US$735, double, per night, three-night minimum stay, through October 31. Savings Up to 40 percent.

Discovery package at Le Méridien Chiang Mai (66-53/253-681–3; starwoodhotels.com).

What’s Included Accommodation in a deluxe room; daily breakfast; a gift upon arrival; daily fruit basket; and a voucher for a complimentary stay at Le Méridien Bangkok.

Cost Bt4,900 per night, double, from November 1 to January 31, 2009. Savings Up to 50 percent.

T+L Summer Offer at The Aleenta Phuket (66-2/514-8112; aleenta.com). What’s Included Two-night stay in the ocean view loft; daily breakfast; canapés; a choice of a dinner for two or a spa treatment for two; and a choice of a beach power walk, yoga, 28

tai chi or Thai boxing class. Cost Bt18,000 (additional night, Bt7,000), double, through September 30. Savings Up to 45 percent.

■ HONG KONG Mix ‘n Match package at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental (852/2132-0188; mandarinoriental.com). What’s Included Daily breakfast; one of the “mix” choices (a room upgrade; a bottle of champagne; a cheese platter; a fruit plate; or afternoon tea); and one of the “match” choices (a HK$600 spa voucher; a three-course dinner; one-way airport transfer; and 4 P.M. check-out). Cost HK$5,250, double, through December 28.

Savings Up to 15 percent.

■ SINGAPORE Weekend Retreat package at the Fairmont Singapore (65/6339-7777; fairmont.com).

What’s Included Daily breakfast; a welcome fruit plate; a welcome drink; upgrade to a signature room for a two-night minimum stay; and 4 P.M. check-out. Cost S$278, double, per night, through December 31.

Savings Up to 41 percent.

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

THAILAND Cool Summer Package at the Veranda Resort and Spa (66-32/709-000; verandaresortandspa. com) in Hua Hin, Thailand.

What’s Included Threenight stay in a Jacuzzi sea view room; daily breakfast; 90-minute spa treatment for two; a beachside candlelit dinner with wine; and round-trip airport transfers. Cost Bt27,000, double, through October 31.

Savings Up to 50 percent.

The pool at the Veranda Resort.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT E SY O F T R I SA R A ; CO U RT E SY O F V E R A N DA R E S O RT A N D S PA

DEAL OF THE MONTH

MY MOTHER, WHO’S IN A WHEELCHAIR, WANTS TO VISIT THE REGION. WHICH CITIES ARE THE MOST DISABLED-FRIENDLY? —ANN FENBY, SINGAPORE

A:

In Asia, the cities with the best reputation for being disabled-friendly tend to be the most modern. As with other parts of the world, wheelchair-accessible facilities are more often available in newer developments. That means cities like Singapore and Hong Kong, while not completely accessible, are easier to negotiate. Singapore even offers listings of wheelchair-friendly restaurants (hungrygowhere.com). That said, change is slowly taking place elsewhere, with Kuala Lumpur boasting light rail trains that provide access for the disabled and Ho Chi Minh City offering 10 buses that can accommodate wheelchair travelers.

30

receive an extra 20 kilograms in checked-baggage allowance on both you suggest a weekend trip?

Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.

SIA alters this slightly on flights to and —PETER HOSKINS, HONG KONG from the United States or Canada, Thanks to the deregulation of the where gold members are permitted just aviation industry a few years ago, it’s an additional checked bag. Carry-on easy to hop over to Bali from Jakarta luggage is another ballgame, with most these days; a round-trip ticket on Air airlines enforcing a 7-kilogram Asia costs around Rs1.3 million. But if allowance. On Cathay Pacific, first-class you’re looking for something a bit different, Losari Coffee Plantation Resort passengers are allowed 15 kilograms of and Spa (Desa Losari-Grabag, Magelang; 62- cabin baggage, business flyers 10 kilograms and economy travelers the 298/596-333; slh.com; doubles from standard 7 kilograms.

US$300) in Central Java is a lovely, romantic getaway. Located on a 22hectare working plantation that dates Where do you find the best nightlife back to the 1920’s, the resort comprises in Bali?

26 villas. It’s Java at its loveliest: lushly —NAPPADON THONCHAILERT, BANGKOK green with stunning views of the eight Seminyak is still the best spot for volcanoes that ring the property. And it’s revelers. You’ll find everything from only a 90-minute drive from the classy wine bars to pubs to party-tofascinating Borobudur temple complex. dawn clubs. We recommend starting the night at Sunset on Six, the 650-squareI’m confused about weight limits. meter rooftop lounge at the Anantara Can you give us a brief run-down on Seminyak Resort (Jln. Abimanyu-Dhyana what they are for Asian airlines?

Pura; 62-361/737-773) that’s become one of the island’s buzziest spots. Other —DAPHNE HSIEH, TAIPEI good pre-party bars are the legendary Baggage allowances have never been Ku Te Da (9 Jln. Laksmana; 62-361/736more relevant now that fuel costs have risen exponentially. And they’ve never 969), which still pulls in a cosmopolitan crowd, and Hu’u Bar (Jln. Oberoi Petitenget; been more convoluted. For the most part, first-class passengers are permitted 62-361/736-443). Then proceed to 40 kilograms of checked baggage, those Double Six (Jln. Double Six; 62-361/733in business class 30 kilograms and 067), Bali’s best-known nightclub and economy passengers 20 kilograms, with the only one with a bungee jump (next no single bag weighing more than 32 door is the more exclusive Paparazzi). kilograms. Malaysia Airlines follows For a completely different sort of those guidelines. But there are always nightlife, there’s Mannekepis (2 Jln. Raya exceptions and it’s best to check with Seminyak; 62-361/847-5784), a Belgian carriers directly. Established members of bistro with a pool table and live jazz, frequent-flyer programs benefit in this and Bahania (4 Jln. Dhyana Pura; 62area; Star Alliance gold cardholders 361/738-662), a salsa bar.

I’m going to Jakarta on business and my wife is accompanying me. Can

✉

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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)09.08

(Strategies) 09.08

WINE101

With wine more popular than ever in Asia, it’s time for oenophile CH’NG POH TIONG to explode some myths about selecting the right vintage.

PLUS: Asia’s best wineries and what to drink with Asian food 34

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Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN

strategies | wine

From left: Bottles of wine ageing in a cellar; a vineyard in California’s Napa Valley.

better than mediocre white Burgundies. The best Pinot Noirs from Central Otago, the Mornington Peninsula and Oregon are better than red Burgundies when these are austere. And the very best Syrah or Shiraz from South Australia, Chile and South Africa can give the best Northern Rhônes a run for their money. The most balanced California and Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignons are also worthy of top Bordeaux reds.

Basically, while we can say that France produces most of the world’s great wines, great wines are also produced in many other places.

3

THE OLDER THE WINE, THE BETTER

Price is always an indicator of quality. But it’s never conclusive. It’s simply the law of supply and demand: the more popular a wine gets, the pricier it will become, just as with watches, sunglasses, shoes or anything susceptible to trends.

You would, of course, expect the most expensive wine to be of very high quality, but whether the extra premium we have to fork out vis-à-vis other equally good or great wines is questionable. Some wines, particularly those from Bordeaux, have doubled in price in the last few years simply because seemingly every new millionaire in China, Russia and India wants them to reflect their newly acquired wealth. To conclude: expensive wines are usually of very high quality, but that same quality can often be had for half the price—in some cases, even less than that.

2

FRENCH WINES ARE BEST

France produces, at its very best, most of the greatest wines in the world. These include sparkling (champagne); Chardonnay (Burgundy); Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé); Pinot Noir (Burgundy); Syrah (Northern Rhône reds such as Cornas, Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie); Cabernet Sauvignon blend (Bordeaux, and particularly the wines of the Médoc); and Merlot blend (Pomerol, on the right bank of Bordeaux). That said, a wellmade sparkling wine is better than an indifferent champagne. New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are the envy of the Loire Valley. Great Chardonnays from New World countries such as Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand are 36

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NEW WORLD WINES CANNOT KEEP

When wines are great, regardless of their origin, they have no problem ageing and, in the ageing, evolving and getting better and more complex. The end result is a multidimensional, layered, peacock spread of flavors.

It would be a crying shame to drink a great New World red, such as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Ridge Monte Bello, Kanonkop Pinotage or Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, too young.

Ten years, for most vintages, would be the minimum. I’ve tasted, on two separate occasions in 2004 and 2007, every vintage (except the inaugural 1951) of Penfolds Grange ever produced, and even those from the 1950’s are still alive. Not just the great wines, but even a simple Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet will taste better when it is between three and five years.

5

WINES SEALED BY A SCREW CAP ARE INFERIOR

Popularized mainly by New Zealand and Australia producers, screw-cap wines are »

FROM LEFT: © NYUL / DREAMSTIME.COM; © PHOTOQUEST / DREAMSTIME.COM

1

THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE WINE, THE BETTER IT IS

As with humans, not all wine gets better as it ages. Only those that are complex and have great intensity of fruit and balancing acidity will be able to evolve and improve as they get older. For such white wines, including Rieslings, Chenin Blancs and Chardonnays, 10 to 20 more years is not too long. In the case of the greatest reds, including Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône, South Australian Shiraz, Western Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, between 30 and 50 years might be needed. We must also not forget the great red wines of Spain’s Ribera del Duero and the fortified sweet Ports of Portugal along the same “River of Gold.”

strategies | wine still thought by some people as fit only for very ordinary and simple wines. This is short-sighted.

The screw cap is all around us. Perhaps the world’s most famous wine, Dom Pérignon champagne, spends between six and 10 years sealed by no more than a crown cap (the same type of seal for a bottle of beer) before disgorgement. So, if you have no objections to drinking this fabulous champagne, surely a wine sealed by a screw cap should garner an even greater appreciation.

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CHAMPAGNE IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN SPARKLING WINE

This is almost 99 percent true. When a champagne is good, never mind great, there is nothing that can replace it. The combination of delicate fruitiness, elegant structure and effortless effervescence of champagne is unbeatable. But when it is dilute, watery and acidic, then a good sparkling wine would be far more enjoyable. Great sparklers are produced in California’s Carneros (situated in Napa and Sonoma); Italy’s Veneto (home to Prosecco); and in France’s Loire Valley, from Vouvray.

7

THE HIGHER THE ALCOHOL, THE BETTER THE WINE

This is definitely not true. A German Riesling with just 9 percent alcohol can be sublime. So too a 20 percent alcohol Amontillado sherry. On the other hand, a Shiraz at 15 percent may be too alcoholic if the components of fruit, acidity and alcohol are not in balance. Harmony is everything when it comes to wine. As an analogy: a big or small car can be just as beautiful if the lines of its shape and size are in harmony. But the design can seem very chunky if the parts are slapped on without consideration to the overall look.

8

THE DARKER THE COLOR OF THE WINE, THE BETTER IT IS

It’s hard to tell a wine’s quality just by looking at the bottle. But, if there is a promoter hovering over you and you are making your decision based on sight, remember a darkercolored wine does not automatically mean it is superior to one of a lighter complexion. It may well be better, but color alone shouldn’t guide your decision. Take, for example, the Pinot Noir grape.

Because of the grape’s thinner skin, a great Pinot does not have to be dark. On the other hand, you would expect a Shiraz to be deeper in hue because the skin is thicker (and also because so much flavor » 38

ASIA’S BEST WINES

Recommending the best wines made in Asia is a work-in-progress.

Wineries are constantly experimenting with new winemaking methods, changing consultants, and thinking and rethinking what varietals (and which of their clones) best suit their climate, soil and weather. That said, there are some decent — even good — wines grown in Asia, though nothing great yet. Here are some standouts: SULA OF INDIA Situated in Nashik region in Maharashtra state, Sula Vineyards is proudly Indian — from the name of the winery to the label of a mustachioed beaming sun with deep, dark eyes. Sula Chenin Blanc 2007 is true to its back label tasting notes, “perfect for a summer evening … light, fresh, fruity character finished in a semidry style.” The most ambitious Asian red wine I tasted this year was the Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz 2007. Solid brick in color, the peppery-berry fruit is delivered by rich skin and oak tannins. Cultivated on the red hills of Sula Vineyard’s Dindori Estate, this bold wine was aged for a year in new oak. If the oak is toned down a bit, the wine’s balance would be even more striking.

PB VALLEY Thailand launched its first wine in 1994. From day one, the kingdom has kept faith with Chenin Blanc, the Loire Valley varietal capable of producing a dry to intensely sweet wine of great freshness because of the grape’s high acidity. Although nowhere near as popular as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc is well-suited for the growing conditions in Thailand.

One of Thailand’s most dynamic wineries is PB Valley, situated on the edge of the Khao Yai National Park. Perhaps Thailand’s biggest

vineyard at 80 hectares, the winery produces three Chenin Blancs — Sawasdee, PB Khao Yai Reserve and Pirom Khao Yai Reserve.

Sawasdee is the entry-point Chenin Blanc and has a pleasant, fresh, soft sweetness. As for the two reserve wines, they are quite different in styles. PB Khao Yai Reserve Chenin Blanc 2005 is bright straw in color. The palate is of wild honey, ripe apples, pineapples and a whiff of lavender.

Medium-bodied, there is a soft sweetness in the middle palate, lifted by lemony acidity on the finish. Pirom Khao Yai Reserve Chenin Blanc 2005 is of the same bright straw color. The aroma comprises apples, pineapples and floral notes. The palate profile is much the same but with an added spiciness. The finish is, however, firmer and dryer.

GREAT WALL WINERY This vineyard was the official supplier of wine for the Beijing Olympics.

Red is, of course, the favorite color of the Middle Kingdom and, in the case of wine, the same bias prevails. Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 is very much what one would expect of the Bordeaux varietal. Ruby-red and medium-bodied, the palate is of capsicum, herbs and smoky fruit with fresh, crisp tannins.

GRACE VINEYARD Further away from the Great Wall in Shanxi province is Grace Vineyard, one of China’s most famous wineries. Owned by an Indonesian–Chinese family based in Hong Kong, their Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 is named after the granddaughter of the founder.

Medium-bodied and of a ruby–pale tawny complexion, this Chinese red has soft, round tannins and capsicum, fruity notes.—C.P.T.

strategies | wine

10

is embedded in the skin). Taste should be your guiding factor when choosing a wine. And always choose what you enjoy drinking, not what you think you should be drinking in order to impress others.

9

WINES PRODUCED FROM A SINGLE VARIETAL ARE BETTER THAN THOSE FROM A BLEND

REAL MEN DON’T DRINK ROSÉ

Some men might still shun the color pink. But just like quiche, rosé can be delicious. And whether you are a real man or not, you should be brave enough to drink what you like and not be inhibited by stereotypes. So pass that bottle of pink champagne please.

It all depends on the varietal. In the case of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Syrah/Shiraz, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, that preconception is almost always true. On the other hand, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc yield the most commanding wines when they are blended together—their sum total greater than their individual parts. ✚

What to Drink with Asian Food Want something besides beer to go with your meal? Three experts give their recommendations for some of the region’s best-known cuisines. Reported by JENNIFER CHEN INDIAN

THAI

VIETNAMESE

Melina: “Semi-sweet white German wines with high acidities and served very cold.”

Same recommendation as with Indian food

Melina: “Vietnamese food is basically sweet, sour and quite spicy. So wines which are ripe and fruity with good acidity like German and Austrian wines do go well.”

Melina: “Wines which N.K.: “With something are ripe and fruity like Peking duck, with good acidity and almost any red. The low tannin content problem with Peking generally go well with duck is the Cantonese. Soft, hoisin sauce. It ruins low-tannin ripe wines the taste of any wine. But such as Rhône wines, if you must pick, Saint-Émilion and I’d say a soft Shiraz Pomerol wines from from Australia or a Bordeaux, Spanish wines New World Cabernet from the Ribera, Priorat Sauvignon. Or maybe a and Bierzo.”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

Sweet sparkling wine, like a Prosecco. “It takes out the hot feeling and cleanses your palate.”

[For spring rolls and other appetizers] “A fully matured Chardonnay goes well with deepfried foods because it has enough body. …

A Chardonnay from Argentina would make an interesting choice because they have a high mineral content.”

[For mains] “Perhaps a Pinot Noir, a Bordeaux or a Chianti … something fuller-bodied but not aggressive.”

“If it’s really spicy, it’s better to go with beer!

But with some of the less spicy dishes, maybe a fruitier white wine or light red. Perhaps a MüllerThurgau [a white varietal from Germany].”

“A white wine might be boring. So maybe a Merlot, which is fruitier and when well-made, has a nice, round body.

A red that is too tannic might make the seafood taste steely … I’d go for a Bordeaux — which has more balance and is rounder. New World ones are fruitier and more tannic, and all the flavor comes in the front.

That doesn’t work with seafood.”

“Northern Chinese is basically Shandong cooking. So there’s a lot of braised food and heavier items.

With that I would try a Cabernet Sauvignon …

China is actually making some fairly good ones now.”

“A nice bottle of sparkling New World wine or non-vintage champagne. The vibrancy and freshness of a sparkling would offset the richness and oiliness of some dishes.”

“Perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc from the Clare Valley in Australia or a light Riesling. … Or you could even go for a Côtes de Rhône to enhance the sensation of the spiciness.”

“Something from the southern Rhône, like a Pignan, which is from Chateau Rayas … or if you want more balance, maybe an off-dry German Riesling, like those from Egon Müller.”

“For something like seafood with black bean sauce, which is richer. I would go for a mediumbodied wine, like a Pomerol, which has good acidity balance.”

“With Peking roast duck, which is oily, I’d go with a dry white wine, like a Viognier from the south of France, which is fruity but dry. I’d recommend one from [Domaine de] Triennes.”

N.K. AND MELINA YONG

authors of Wine Dinners: Pairing Asian Flavours with Bordeaux Wines

NELSON CHOW

president of the Hong Kong Sommelier Association

TIMOTHY GOH

chief sommelier for the Les Amis Group, in Singapore

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CANTONESE

NORTHERN CHINESE

Special Promotion

Eaton Hotel Hong Kong unveils new Club Room Exclusive services, exquisite facilities, exceptional rooms

G

reat location, exclusive services, exquisite facilities and exceptional rooms—that’s how Eaton Hotel Hong Kong is going to make an impression with travelers in search of the best four-star hotel within its class.

Located on Nathan Road in downtown Kowloon, close to Jordan Mass Transit Railway Station, and just 10 minutes’ drive from the Star Ferry and 40 minutes from Hong Kong International Airport, Eaton Hotel Hong Kong is superbly located for travelers.

Guests can take advantage of Eaton Hotel’s prime shopping location by simply informing the hotel’s experienced Concierge of their shopping plans, be they digital products, high fashion, jewelry, antiques, or anything at all! Then, the Concierge will tailor-make a time-saving and efficient schedule to take guests to the best places to shop and spend.

With a unique style all of its own, Eaton Hotel has also recently unveiled its newly refurbished E-Club Room, providing guests with the ultimate comfort and conveniences.

Designed with a contemporary fusion of East-meets-West, each E-Club Room features modern Chinese-styled lighting set against a backdrop of warm, earthy tones and splashes of color, reflecting the vibrancy of the hotel.

All Club Rooms feature top of the range comforts—mattresses covered in luxurious 100% cotton, 300-threadcount sateen weave sheets that guarantee all guests have sweet dreams.

Guests who stay in these rooms can enjoy complimentary E-Club benefits, including Continental breakfast, all-day lounge access with coffee and tea, evening cocktails and canapés. Complimentary access to the gymnasium and swimming pool is also available

—just what’s needed after a day enjoying the sights of Hong Kong.

Dining is also a highlight at Eaton Hotel, with six restaurants and bars, offering an array of culinary delights from around the world. Eaton Hotel is now offering a special promotional package rate for its Club Rooms, valid until December 31, 2008, for HK$3,100. This includes a one-night stay in a Club Room with E-Club benefits for two people; a one-hour hand or foot treatment at Chuan Spa at Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong; a traditional tea ceremony performed in the room; and two Eaton Chinesestyle pajamas. Alternatively room-only rates are also available.

For more information, please call 852/2710-1828, e-mail: rsvn@eatonhotels. com or visit the website at hongkong. eatonhotels.com.

Neoclassical.

A hotel–casino with a taste for history in Macau <(page 58)

Old-school style.

Take a peek inside the latest art center in Singapore <(page 54)

Chili cuisine.

Sample the classic dishes of Isaan (page 60) >

+

• Thailand’s newest paradise • A stroll in Hanoi’s hippest ‘hood • Asia’s Art Biennales

(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: C O U R T E SY O F W H O N G KO N G ; C O U R T E SY O F S O F I T E L M A C A U AT P O N T E 1 6 ; C O U R T E SY O F W Y K I D D S O N G ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E C L I F F & R I V E R J U N G L E R E S O R T; A U S T I N B U S H

Wonder world: Checking into the brand new W Hotel in Hong Kong <(page 66)

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

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| newsflash

FIVE QUESTIONS

Nha Tho Street

In the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, this picturesque lane is filled with some of the city’s best boutiques. By SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP

Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia 2. Mosaique Decoration

What do you always bring on a flight? My BlackBerry, my

Taking Vietnamese design as its inspiration, Mosaique Decoration produces beautifully crafted furniture, linens and home accessories. We especially like the slightly off-kilter silk lanterns, updated versions of a well-known—sometimes tired—classic. 22 Nha Tho St.; 84-4/928-6181; mosaiquedecoration.com.

iPod and AirAsia’s signature red baseball cap.

What’s your strategy for dealing with delays? I don’t get

What do you do to pass the time on long flights? I catch up

on work, reading reports and airline industry-related publications. I remain interested in the music industry [Fernandes worked at Warner Music] so I might have a look at the latest copy of Billboard. I also like to talk to the plane’s crew, whether I’m flying AirAsia or not.

1. Things of Substance

Frustrated by the lack of clothes in Hanoi for more statuesque women, Australian designer Simmone Fairhead simply set up her own fashion line, Substance. Her flagship store features a selection of smart outfits for the office and elegant cocktail wear at wallet-friendly prices. 5 Nha Tho St; 84-4/828-6965.

3. La Casa

This boutique offers a range of furniture and home wares that combine contemporary design with local materials such as rattan, horn and bone. Look out for the colorful fabric napkin rings and coasters, and saucepan stands designed to resemble a Chinese symbol. 12 Nha Tho St; 84-4/828-9616; lacasavietnam.com.

You’ve traveled all over the world. Any places left on your must-visit list? Rio de Janeiro and

Alaska.

4. Nagu

Tho

5

1

Hang Trong

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Nha

hung

Run by a Japanese expatriate, this charming, boutique offers a small but attractive selection of home wares, knickknacks and accessories. The colorful silk teddy bears with their conical hats and red-starembroidered feet make a nice memento, as do the embroidered book covers.

20 Nha Tho St.; 84-4/9288020; zantoc.com.

3 2

Nha C

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c Su

for the beautiful sunsets. Tanjung Rhu beach is especially tranquil.

I’m building a home in Bali, so that’s another favorite spot.— Interviewed by Robyn Eckhardt.

o Ly Qu

What’s your favorite quick getaway? I like Langkawi Island

5. Tina Sparkle

WALK TH I S BLOCK

If you’re a fan of Hong Kong–born designer Christina Yu’s Ipa-Nima handbags, this shop is a must. Also available are Yu’s flashier Young Collection (with even more embroidery and beading).

17 Nha Tho St; 84-4/9287616; ipa-nima.com.

L E F T C O L U M N : C O U R T E SY O F T O N Y F E R N A N D E S . R I G H T C O L U M N , 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 T H I N G S O F S U B S TA N C E ; C O U R T E SY O F M O S A I Q U E D E C O R AT I O N ; C O U R T E SY O F T I N A S PA R K L E ; S O N I A KO L E S N I KOV-J E S S O P ; C O U R T E SY O F L A C A S A

stressed about it. I use the time to get work done by texting my PA, or connect with my family by chatting with my daughter on the phone.

insider

Seventh Heaven

Further perfecting its barefoot-luxe formula, Six Senses has opened its first destination spa on Ko Naka Yai, an island right off Phuket (32 Moo 5, Tambol Paklok; 66-76/371-400; sixsenses.com; Bt36,300). Along with the hallmark Six Senses touches— personal butlers, organic design, private plunge pools—this 61-villa property, called simply the Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket, has four separate spas as well as extensive fitness facilities. As you’d guess from the name, the resort takes wellness and pampering seriously: on offer are around 100 treatments, The door to a spa at classes, therapies Six Senses Destination and activities.

Spa Phuket; a bedroom at the Spa.

A work by artist Jane Lee, who will be in the Singapore Biennale.

ART

Biennale Boom This September is biennale season in Asia. Leading the pack is the Singapore Biennale (singaporebiennale.org; September 11–November 16), which will feature works by 50 artists, including Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Belgian visual artist Hans op de Beeck, British filmmaker Anthony McCall and Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Look out for sideshows to Southeast Asia’s biggest art event; two of note are Showcase: Singapore (Old City Hall; showcasesingapore.com; September 9–12), an art fair that brings together 23 international galleries, and “82 Republic – The Birth of a New Generation” (Connoisseur Art Gallery; 02-23 Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd.; 65/6837-0320; connoisseur-art.com.sg; September 10–October 10), a show devoted to up-and-coming mainland Chinese artists. Further north, art mavens can attend the 6th Taipei Biennial (taipeibiennial.org; September 13–January 9) and the 7th Shanghai Biennale (shanghaibiennale.com; September 9– November 16), which focuses on China’s rapid urbanization and includes works by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke and American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner.

SECRET CITY A lot of attention has been focused on the remaking of Beijing, and the consequent tearing down of old neighborhoods. But we’re happy to report not every new development required the demolition ball. Exhibit A: 1949 – The Hidden City (Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang district; 86-10/6501-1949), the city’s newest dining destination, occupies an old factory right in the middle of the Sanlitun entertainment district. The 6,000-meter space—a warren of low-lying brick buildings—now houses three restaurants (including Duck de Chine, an eatery devoted to the aquatic fowl), two bars, a café, a gallery and a private members’ club.

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FOOD

1/5 Taverna in Beijing.

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 SY O F T H E N AT I O N A L A R T S C O U N C I L I N S I N G A P O R E ; CO U RT ESY O F 1 949 - T H E H I D D E N C I T Y; CO U RT ESY O F S I X S E N S ES ( 2 )

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| newsflash

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| newsflash SAIL AWAY HOTEL

Ulin Utame (voyageindochine.com; from

A Touch of Class Thanks to the buildup to the Olympics, Beijing now has rooms aplenty. But few properties in the Chinese capital can offer as storied a stay as the new, ultraluxurious Aman at Summer Palace (15 Gongmenqian Jie, Summer Palace; 86-10/5987-9999; amanresorts.com; doubles from US$480). Located in a series of buildings—some century-old courtyard houses—the hotel does its best to honor its imposing neighbor with its Qing dynasty red-and-green façades, sloping roofs, friezes and covered wooden passageways. Inside, the property’s 43 rooms and suites also pays homage to the imperial aesthetic. For all its embrace of the past, the hotel doesn’t stint on modern amenities, which include three restaurants, a 25-meter pool, two squash courts and a full spa.

US$2,000 per person), the newest schooner in Phinisi Voyages’ fleet, is scheduled to make its debut appearance in Singapore right before the Formula 1 races. The 60-meter vessel has six cabins (20–22 square meters each) furnished with all the amenities you expect from a five-star hotel room (including a 32-inch flat-screen TV and Bose speakers).

On board are 24 crew members and a resident chef.

Keep an eye on the CRUISE schedules: Michelinstarred London chef Tom Aikens is expected to do a stint in the ship’s mess.

SohoKL

ON THE RADAR

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■ After Hours This spot

■ Dubrovnik If the

may be home to 13 pool tables, but this isn’t your average sports bar. The drinks menu features an impressive selection of martinis and fine liquors sold by the bottle as well as cigars, and a DJ spins tunes nightly. Tall tables offer a bird’s-eye view of the felttop action. Unit J-01-05, 2 Jln. Solaris, Mont Kiara; 60-3/175-737-555; drinks for two RM50.

graceful entryway doesn’t transport you to its namesake, its menu will.

Croatian specialties like cevapi (beef and lamb kebabs) and strukli (pastry filled with cheese) dominate, though the Italian influence comes through in gnocchi, pastas and pizzas. Unit J-0G-14, 2 Jln. Solaris, Mont Kiara; 60-3/6203-6780; dinner for two with wine RM270.

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■ Shyet-Li’s Craving more local fare? Then head to this eatery, where dishes from all over the country are served in a bright room decorated with antiques and colorful textiles. Start south, with Johor-style nasi goreng, head north via the fiery Penang assam laksa and top it all off with a selection of kueh (sweets).

Unit J-01-14, 2 Jln. Solaris, Mont Kiara; 60-3/62037881; dinner for two RM35.

■ Raw Come evening the chic set descends on this sleek lounge outfitted in polished concrete and gray slate. Party-goers congregate at the ground floor’s enormous banquettes, while spectators head upstairs for more intimate ottoman seating. A snack menu complements the drinks.

Unit J-0G-9, 2 Jln. Solaris; 60-3/6203-6869; rawkl. com; drinks for two RM70.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F A M A N R E S O R T S ; C O U R T E S Y O F V O YA G E I N D O C H I N E ; C O U R T E S Y O F R A W ; C O U R T E S Y O F S H Y E T- L I ’ S ; C O U R T E S Y O F D U B R O V N I K ; C O U R T E S Y O F A F T E R H O U R S

T+L checks out Kuala Lumpur’s latest dining hub. By ROBYN ECKHARDT

ART

The Stage is Set Opera, jazz, ballet and flamenco all take to the stage during the 10th anniversary of Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music, which runs from September 15 to October 13 (Thailand Cultural Centre; thaiticketmajor.com; 66-2/2470028; tickets from Bt400). Among the highlights are Verdi’s Aida on September 16 and 18, performed by the Bashkir State Opera Theatre with Oleg Kulko, a principal singer at the legendary Bolshoi Theatre and The Nutcracker, on September 20 and 21, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich, the artistic director at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Always popular, jazz continues its run with San Francisco–based vocalist Lua Hadar and Australian trumpeter James Morrison on October 6. Dance fans will have plenty to choose from, including performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company on October 3 and 4; and Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, an acclaimed Spanish flamenco company, on October 8 and 9.

C O U R T E S Y O F B A N G K O K I N T E R N AT I O N A L F E S T I VA L O F D A N C E & M U S I C ( 3 )

Verdi’s Aida. Below from left: Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras; American vocalist Lua Hadar.

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| affordable trips

ITALY

Italian Beauty The see-and-be-seen Fornillo beach chairs.

Left: The Champagne Bar at Le Sirenuse.

La Dolce Vita. Long seen as an exclusive playground for the jet set, the Amalfi Coast is still within reach, even in the height of high season. By AMY FARLEY 7:30 A.M. I wake in my darkened room (US$164) at La Rosa dei Venti

(40 Via Fornillo; 39-089/875-252; larosadeiventi.net), in Positano. It feels like midnight until I crack open the wooden doors leading to the terrace and the sun floods in. My room at the small inn is simple and breezy: blue ceramic tiles line the floor; the only decoration, hung above the wide, comfortable bed, is an austere Byzantine-style Madonna and Child.

Honeymoon suite, this is not.

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10:30 A.M. The innkeeper arrives bearing a breakfast tray (no extra charge) with a cappuccino, croissants

and a collection of jams, which she serves on my flower-fi lled terrace. This private perch, high on the quiet Fornillo side of Positano, overlooks the town’s rugged cliffs and harbor. I nibble at a croissant and consider my good luck.

11:30 A.M. You can’t get anywhere in Positano without taking a few stairs.

The route down to the Fornillo beach

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involves some 400 steps, past white stucco houses covered in honeysuckle and bougainvillea. The black sand is covered with colorful umbrellas and brown bikinied bodies reading Oggi, an Italian gossip magazine. I could have my own chair for US$9.50, but the water at this public beach seems rather oily and uninviting. Instead, I stroll toward the end of the strip, slip through a passage carved into the rock, and wind up in a small cove.

Here, the water is clear. I shed my cover-up and dive in.

12:30 P.M. The stores lining the narrow stone streets of Positano are chockablock with ceramics, »

Photographed by DAVID CICCONI

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| affordable trips

sundresses and custom-made leather sandals. At La Botteguccia da Giovanni (Via T. Genoino; 39-089/ 811824), a cobbler pieces together for me a pair of white thongs from buttery-soft leather. Around the corner there’s yet another enticement at the stylish gelateria Il Vicoletto (41-43 Via del Saracino; 39-089/811-915), where I get two scoops of creamy hazelnut gelato (US$3.40).

1:30 P.M. The town of Amalfi is just a

25-minute hydrofoil ride from Positano, but the water is choppy, so the boats are not running this afternoon. I pick up a SITA bus ticket (US$1.80) at the tabaccheria (Piazza dei Mulini). The cliff-hugging, 40-minute drive has magnificent views of the private coves and terraced gardens that pepper the coast. Our bus driver handles the hairpin twists of the narrow mountain roads with Formula 1 aplomb. His only concession to blind turns: a disconcertingly light touch on the horn.

2:30 P.M. Safely in Amalfi, I grab lunch (US$13.60) —a fi lling pancettaand-mushroom pizza and a glass of house white wine—at Trattoria e Pizzeria da Memé (8 Salita Marino Sebaste; 39-089/830-4549). Afterward, I follow the town’s whitewashed alleyways higher and higher, until I reach the ancient Via Annunziatella, where the panorama of the Valley of

T O T A L

Mills (Amalfi is famous for its paper industry) is breathtaking.

6 P.M. The hydrofoils are running again, so I hop on the TravelMar ferry (US$7.50). When we reach Positano, I drop by Bar la Zagara (8/10 Via Mulini; 39-089/875-964) for a pick-me-up caffè freddo (US$2), a shot of sweet iced espresso.

8:30 P.M. Showered and changed, I’m off to the Champagne Bar at Le Sirenuse (30 Via C. Colombo; 39089/875-066; sirenuse.it), a private villa turned ultrafashionable cliffside hotel.

The sound track on the terrace bar is Edith Piaf; the clientele are glamorously tanned, white linenwearing couples. I order a refreshing glass of Prosecco (US$15) and watch the sun set.

10 P.M. It’s a general rule in many seaside resort towns that the quality of a meal is inversely proportional to the restaurant’s location. La Cambusa (5 Piazza A. Vespucci; 39-089/875-432), enviably set in the town center on a terrace with water views, proves the glorious exception. I start my dinner (US$45) with a glass of Ravello Rosso and a salad of arugula, tomatoes and mozzarella, followed by the spaghetti alle cozze (mussels). I know the tiramisu will push me over budget, but after climbing nearly 1,000 stairs, I think that I deserve the treat.

S P E N T:

$ 2 5 2 .30

GUIDE TO AMALFI COAST

WHEN TO GO High season runs from June through September.

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GETTING THERE Fly direct to Naples from Rome or Milan. From Naples, Metro del Mare (metrodelmare.com) runs regular hydrofoil service to Positano and other cities on the Amalfi Coast.

BEST BARGAIN An afternoon swim followed by grilled fresh fish at Da Adolfo (39-089/875-022; daadolfo.com; lunch for two

US$40), in a private cove five minutes by boat from Positano. The restaurant– beach pavilion runs a complimentary shuttle to and from the harbor.

WORTH THE SPLURGE Spend a day touring the coast’s villages with Lucibello Boats (39089/875-032; www.lucibello. it; private charters from US$408, for up to six people).

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Overlooking Amalfi. From top: Sandals from La Botteguccia da Giovanni, in Positano; mozzarella e pomodoro salad at La Cambusa; antipasti at La Cambrusa.

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| preservation Old School, the city’s newest art center.

Below: A chair from Cityscape store.

SINGAPORE

class at Singapore’s latest hotspot: a former school that now houses galleries, boutiques, cafés and an arthouse cinema. By SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP

S

INGAPORE HAS A KNACK FOR

sprucing up old buildings and converting them into hipster haunts, as witnessed with the resurrection of Dempsey Hill, Rochester Park and St James Power Station. The latest development to be rescued from the demolition ball is a former girls’ school, now called, in a nod to its previous incarnation, Old School (11 Mount Sophia; oldschool.sg).

Founded in the early 20th century, the Methodist girls’ school is a cluster of six buildings, many of which were built in the 1970’s and 80’s and boast a nofrills, Modernist look that (along with plenty of natural light) make them the perfect receptacles for art. Left vacant in 2005, the complex was given a makeover after three entrepreneurs leased it from the government and began subletting the units to artists, advertising and PR agencies, designers and other creative types. Here, our pick of the best at Singapore’s newest artsy hangout.

■ WHERE Old School is situated on the top of Mount Sophia, a small hill near Orchard Road that’s just behind

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the recently renovated Art Deco movie theater, The Cathay. It’s not easily reached by public transport, so either take a taxi or brace yourself for the 140-or-so steps up the hill.

■ WHAT TO SEE Art is the main

draw here, and that’s clear once you set foot on the compound. At the entrance is a giant red statue of a laughing boy

by Chinese sculptor Chen Wenling.

Osage (No. 01-12, 11B Mount Sophia; 65/6736-0166; osagegallery.com), which also has branches in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, stages wellcurated, edgy exhibitions by contemporary Chinese artists.

2902 Gallery (No. B2-09, 11B Mount Sophia; 65/6339-8655; 2902gallery.com) is Singapore’s first gallery dedicated to photography. Run by artists, this space promotes young, up-and-coming photographers, so the works are reasonably priced.

Have a few hours to kill? Then drop

by Sinema Old School (No. B1-12, 11B Mount Sophia; 65/6336-9707; sinema.sg), a 130-seat arthouse cinema devoted to local productions. The cinema’s shop stocks DVD’s of Singaporean films, as

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F O L D S C H O O L ; CO U RT ESY O F C I T YS CA P E

Schoolhouse Rocks. It’s back to

well as soundtracks, limited-edition movie merchandise, and books and CD’s by local authors and musicians.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F O L D S C H O O L ; CO U RT ESY O F WY K I D D S O N G

■ WHAT TO BUY Fashionistas should make a beeline towards the Comme des Garçons Guerrilla Store (No. 01-

01, 11 Mount Sophia; 65/6224-3226), which, in accordance with the stores hit-and-run ethos, is slated to shutter in January 2009. Housed in the old library, the store resembles a school science lab; a giant mannequin, its internal organs bared, graces the front.

Vintage wooden classroom tables now display stationery, Comme des Garçons fragrances and toys from Japanese design collective Groovisions.

Singaporean fashion designer Wykidd Song has also set up shop here.

Swing by his studio (No. 02-23–24, 11D Mount Sophia; 65/6337-3422; wykidd. com), where you can order a made-tomeasure dress.

Cityspace (No. 01-05, 11A Mount

Sophia; 65/6226-3533; cityspace.sg) showcases décor by acclaimed Filipino designer Antonio “Budji” Layug and Movement 8 Designers, a group of seven designers who are also from the Philippines. Their work features natural materials and traditional techniques, but they’re far from rustic.

Look out for the Kai Arc Lamp, a curved floor lamp made out of buri palm and abaca fiber.

■ WHERE TO EAT Located on the central lawn, Recess Café (No. 01-05, 11A Mount Sophia; 65/6226-3533) is the perfect place to luxuriate in the peaceful surroundings over a cup of coffee and a snack. For something more substantial, Bistro GAGA (No. 0103, 11 Mount Sophia; 65/6883-2120) offers a menu filled with Asianinflected dishes. We recommend the lemongrass-spiced crab cake, herbcrusted white cod and the spaghetti with braised oxtail ragù.

Wykidd Song’s studio. Above: Bistro GAGA.

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| where to go next

In the Jungle. Khao Sok National Park boasts all the natural

T

HAILAND’S NORTHERN

Andaman coast—home to beautiful white-sand beaches and no less than three national marine parks—probably doesn’t need another drop-dead gorgeous destination. But it’s got one anyway: the 739-squarekilometer Khao Sok National Park, which straddles the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani provinces. It’s the wettest spot in Thailand, recording an annual average of 350 centimeters of rain, which nurtures the pristine rain forest that blankets the park’s vertiginous limestone karsts and feeds into its spectacular waterfalls. Sheltered within the park is an abundance of wildlife, including 48 mammal species (tapirs, sun bears, gibbons—to name a few), 188 bird varieties and 38 different species of bats, which flock around the caves that dot the cliffs.

Just northeast of the park is the equally stunning Rajaprabha Dam. When the dam was built in 1982, a 165-square-kilometer area was flooded and turned into Thailand’s largest lake.

Hire a long-tail boat and spend the day exploring the tranquil emerald coves

framed by soaring limestone karsts, before the tour buses discover them.

WHEN TO GO The best time to travel is December and January, when the weather is dry and the nights can get cool. (You might also spot the Rafflesia, the world’s largest, and smelliest, flower, in bloom.)

April can be hot, and the rainy season starts in July and lasts through October.

WHERE TO STAY The Cliff & River Jungle Resort (Km.

97, Moo 7, Klong Sok Phanom; 66/872718-787; doubles for Bt1,800; thecliffandriver.com) is a bit removed from the other hotels in the area, but that’s a good thing. Comprised of 39 rustic but comfortable stilted bungalows, this resort opened last year, and all the rooms boast incredible cliff views.

The resort can also arrange treks (on foot or elephant), kayak trips and tours of Rajaprabha Dam.

relaxing kayaking. Sign up for a tour with The Cliff & Jungle Resort, and you’ll be driven upriver for an easy two-hour paddle downstream with sensational scenery (Bt600 for two people).

Hikers are spoiled for choice at Khao Sok. A well-marked trail leads 7 kilometers from the visitor’s center past five waterfalls—a trek that’s do-able in a day. More ambitious ramblers can hire a guide and camp overnight beneath the jungle canopy (Bt2,500 per person per night; arrange at the park’s visitor center; dnp.go.th).

You have two choices at Rajaprabha Dam: charter a long-tail boat (Bt2,000 per day) at the entrance or take a diving tour with Big Blue Diving (Bt5,900; 66-77/456-415; bigbluediving.com).

They’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you via long-tail to some of the lake’s best underwater caverns and caves where you can swim with purple catfish through a forest of stalactites and stalagmites. ✚

WHAT TO DO Narrow rivers drift smoothly and slowly between Khao Sok’s cliffs and offer

THAILAND

Back to Nature From far left: The Cliff & Jungle Resort, near Khao Sok National Park; a bedroom at the resort; a long-tail boat at Rajaprabha Dam.

F R O M FA R L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F T H E C L I F F & R I V E R J U N G L E R E S O R T ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E SY O F K H A O S O K N AT I O N A L PA R K

beauty that originally put the country’s better known destinations on the map, but without the crowds. By ADAM SKOLNICK

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| room report

Old Is New at the Sofitel Macau Clockwise from left: The Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16; one of the club suites; the hotel’s disco ball.

MACAU

A New Take. The Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 is different from other hotel– casinos in town. By PHIL MACDONALD

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THE AREA Located along the old waterfrontwarehouse area of the Inner Harbor, it is the only luxury hotel–casino within comfortable walking distance of Macau’s historical center, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

THE DESIGN Not content with a singular fauxcolonial design, the hotel goes all out in mishmash tribute to colonial architecture with elements of Portuguese-colonial, Victorian and Edwardian styles. Huge Romanesque columns with elaborate scrollwork grace the entrance to the casino, while the building is crowned with a domed baroque bell tower. Over-the-top?

Maybe—but this is Macau after all.

And it works in its own strange way.

Inside, the switch is to opulence, with a reception area flush with patterned marble floors, twisting columns and a huge crystal chandelier hanging from a concave ceiling.

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THE SERVICE The staff always seems eager to help.

However, as with many hotels in Macau, many of the wait staff are trainees, and while there is no doubting their commitment and desire to please, nerves are obvious—so a little friendly patience is required.

DELUXE ROOM The cozy rooms are done in appealing earthy tones. A 42-inch flat-screen TV sits along the wall opposite a bed stacked with down pillows. There’s a well-stocked mini-bar that includes Portuguese wine. The bathroom is stocked with L’Occitane toiletries.

THE AMENITIES The Mistral restaurant serves up French and Mediterranean cuisine.

Tapas is served at the Rendezvous lobby bar, while the elegant Vin Bar stocks an impressive wine list. There is also a fitness club and a beauty salon.

And, of course … there’s the casino. ✚

C O U R T E SY O F S O F I T E L M A C A U AT P O N T E 1 6 ( 3 )

THE OVERVIEW The latest edition to Macau’s evergrowing list of five-star hotel–casinos (it opened in August), the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 eschews the gaudy and neon-flooded looks of its competitors for a somewhat kooky faux-colonial look. This façade, the owners say, is more in keeping with the surrounding area of the city’s historic Inner Harbor, although the gigantic, glittering disco ball at the entrance to the adjoining casino seems a little at odds with the overall design (but it’s the sole concession to glitz). The 20story hotel–casino has 389 wellappointed rooms and suites, while set apart from the main building is the The Mansion at Sofitel, with 19 apartments (225 square meters each) designed to keep the casino’s high rollers feathered in luxury between stints at the gaming tables. Rua do Visconde Paco de Arcos; 853/8861-0016; accorhotels.com.au/Sofitel-Macau; doubles from HK$1,350.

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| classics

Q SOM TAM THE DISH Isaan is mostly farmland, and staying fit is crucial to the farmers who toil long hours under the hot sun. That might explain why Isaan cuisine favors healthy ingredients: fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit. Som tam—the classic green papaya salad that originated here—is especially invigorating: the lime juice used in the dish cools the body, chili sparks the appetite, and the enzymes released when the papaya is pounded in a mortar and pestle aid digestion. Elsewhere in Thailand, street cooks churn out a milder version, but the real deal uses plaa raa, a paste made of fermented anchovy-like fish whose brackish tang turns seductively musky in the company of vegetables like tomatoes and yard-long beans.

WHERE TO EAT These days, cucumber, unripe mango, carrots and even apples often stand in for green papaya, and one particularly imaginative cook, Tongkam Saelao, the owner of the eponymous Tongkam Som Tam in Khon Kaen city, turns out nine versions of som tam, including Koratstyle (referring to another city in »

The Land of Chili. Home of som tam and other mainstays, Isaan is Thailand’s culinary heartland. By JANET FORMAN

THAILAND

Thai Treats From far left: Sticky rice served in a basket; a roadside market; gai yang, or grilled chicken.

Above: A dish of chilispiked som tam.

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Photographed by AUSTIN BUSH

03673 M8 P61 1

8/11/08 2:43:38 PM

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| classics

Isaan) with snail, chili and sugar, and one with small crab found in rice paddies and “rotten fish.” The housemade plaa raa is so popular that she sells it by the bottle. 548 Nar Muang Rd., Khon Kaen; 66/867-172-772; lunch for two Bt100.

Q GAI YANG THE DISH Gai yang, grilled chicken, is found all over Thailand, but in Isaan, the secret is lean local birds that pack a lot more flavor than battery-raised birds. Gai yang usually accompanies som tam, along with a small basket of khao niao, or sticky rice. WHERE TO EAT Wanida Khunritti, the owner of Rot Viset (which means “superb taste” in Thai), uses only 45-day-old males. She remains faithful to her greatgrandfather’s preparation, which entails marinating the birds in salt, soy sauce, ginger and pepper, pounding the chickens flat to save cooking time, and then clamping them between bamboo sticks for grilling. As a finishing touch, the burnished birds are showered with toasted garlic and pepper. 177/80 Mitrapharp Rd., Khon Kaen; 66-43/225004; lunch for two Bt250.

Q PLAA PAO GLEUA THE DISH Fish encased in salt and then grilled is often sold alongside som tam all over Thailand, but for some reason, plaa pao gleua from Isaan roadside stands always tastes better. Perhaps it’s the local salt, which crisps the skin and keeps the tilapia, the bony freshwater fish that’s used in the dish, juicy. Or maybe it’s the herbal notes imparted by lemongrass, basil and pandanus stalks thrust into the fish’s mouth. Or maybe it’s the pleasing candor of eating Isaan-style: with your hands.

WHERE TO EAT Diners at Tong Plaa Phaow, a rustic establishment with wooden picnic tables and a corrugated tin roof, make a small packet by taking a crisp lettuce or cabbage leaf, and layering it with noodles, jeaw (chili and tamarind 62

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T+L TIP Bring home the taste of Isaan, stop by these two shops in Khon Kaen: O Naem Laplae A cluster of market stalls, this shop also carries simple versions of the traditional khaen mouth organ. 32 Klang Meuang Rd.; 66-43/236-537 or 66-43/239-498.

O Jeh Rach Khonkaen This larger establishment carries local beverages including wild raspberry juice and black ginger wine — a supposed aphrodisiac.

22–24 Klang Meuang Rd.; 66-43/237-787 or 6643/238-382.

Plaa pao gleua, or fish grilled in salt, another Isaan classic dish, prepared at a roadside stall.

paste), sprigs of basil and peppermint, peanuts and a few snowy morsels of fish. Sri Nuan Rd., Khon Kaen; 66/850144-140; lunch for two Bt200.

Q LAAB THE DISH Isaan and Laos have a long, tangled history, and many of the people in Isaan are ethnic Lao. You still see the Lao influence everywhere, especially when it comes to food. Yet Isaan versions of shared dishes can be decidedly more assertive. Take laab—the minced meat salad made from beef, fish, chicken, pork, duck or any other nearby creature that’s punched up with lime juice, chili and cilantro.

WHERE TO EAT At food stalls along the promenade above Kaeng Khut Koo Beach, a few kilometers from Chiang Khan in Loei province right along the Lao border, cooks prepare a homey version sparkling with mint.

Food stall No. 39, the first spot on the promenade above Kaeng Khut Koo Beach; lunch for two Bt150.

Q GUNG TEN THE DISH Few preparations are as fresh gung ten,

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translated as “dancing shrimp” because the tiny shellfish are still alive—and moving—when they hit the plate. Kasma Loha-unchit, author of Dancing Shrimp, Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood, surmises the dish arose from the local fetish for freshness. WHERE TO EAT By Huai Krating Reservoir outside the town of Loei, Raft Restaurant Jaow Khun-Tong provides front-row seats to the action. Diners recline on wooden platforms tethered to the shore, while fishing boats scoop up shrimp on order. Alternately, cooks can fry these crustaceans into a lacy pancake—which stays put. Ban Huai Krating, about 14 kilometers from Loei along Route 203; 66/815-744-263; lunch for two, including raft rental, Bt300.

Be who you are at Twinpalms Phuket

Use code words “Travel+Leisure” while making your booking and receive a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability).

Twinpalms Phuket Phuket’s Most Exciting & Stylish Contemporary Resort Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand t +66 (0) 76 316500 w www.twinpalms-phuket.com

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| day in the life

12:50 P.M

Branding 101 Clockwise from left: Jason Pomeranc tours the soon-to-open Libertine restaurant at the new Gild Hall hotel; inspecting minibars at Thompson LES, on the Lower East Side; Pomeranc and his girlfriend, Ali Wise, enjoying sunset drinks at New York’s 60 Thompson hotel; a meeting with the architects.

6:00 P.M.

U.S.A.

2:00 P.M. 7:10 P.M. Man About Town. Thompson Hotel’s cofounder Jason Pomeranc spends his days building—and dreaming—big. Here’s a look at his schedule, from morning to night. By JEFFREY PODOLSKY 8:15 A.M. Jason Pomeranc (pronounced “pom-mer-antz”),

the 37-year-old entrepreneur behind the growing Thompson Hotels group, sleeps through his alarm (twice) and gets a late start on a Manhattan day. No matter. A self-described “nocturnal kind of guy,” he usually stays up late brainstorming ideas for the portfolio of mod-luxe hotels he owns with his two brothers and business partner Stephen Brandman. (They currently have eight U.S. properties, including five in New York City and two in Los Angeles.)

10:00 A.M. It’s a short walk from the gym to the Thompson Hotels offices, where the studiously unshaven Pomeranc strides into a meeting of his New York GM’s. On the agenda for discussion: slippers. Or more specifically, whether flipflops or slip-ons belong in the rooms of his new hotel Thompson LES, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

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Pomeranc chooses the former for their dual use at the hotel’s roof-deck pool, which has an image of Andy Warhol printed across its bottom.

10:30 A.M. Next up: a call with restaurateur Jonathan Morr about their joint venture, BondSt, the restaurant at the Thompson Beverly Hills. Pomeranc, who is as concerned with creating buzz for his hotels as he is with details like thread counts, is planning the design of a promotional mailer to send to Hollywood A-listers. Behind him hangs his inspiration board, a collage of images of everyone from Steve McQueen to Bernard-Henri Lévy.

11:30 A.M. He then heads to the conference room to meet with another culinary partner, chef Todd English, to discuss their clubby restaurant, The Libertine, set to open this month in Pomeranc’s Gild Hall hotel, a converted Holiday Inn in Photographed by EMILIANO GRANADO

8:20 P.M. New York Minutes Left: Outside SoHo’s 60 Thompson.

Above: Dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, at 6 Columbus. Below: Drinks atop 60 Thompson.

7:10 P.M.

JASON'S ADDRESS BOOK Hotels 6 Columbus 6 Columbus Circle; 1-212/204-3000; thompsonhotels.com; doubles from US$395.

60 Thompson 60 Thompson St.; 1-877/431-0400; thompsonhotels.com; doubles from US$699.

Gild Hall 15 Gold St.; 1-212/232-7700; thompsonhotels.com; doubles from US$499.

Thompson LES 190 Allen St.; 1-212/460-5300; thompsonhotels.com; doubles from US$599.

Restaurants Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill At 6 Columbus; 1-212/397-0404; dinner for two US$120.

The Libertine At Gild Hall; 1-212/232-7700.

7:10 P.M. New York’s Financial District. Pomeranc proposes running a series of VIP tastings and setting up a secret reservations hotline. After the meeting, the pair leaves the Thompson offices for a site inspection of The Libertine.

12:50 P.M. Surrounded by sawdust, Pomeranc, English and Gild Hall designer Jim Walrod tour the still bare-bones space. With details like a quirky antler chandelier and mahogany bookshelves, the restaurant is meant to resemble a 19th-century drawing room.

2:00 P.M. Next stop: the Chelsea-based architecture and interior design firm Studio Gaia, to look at renderings of upcoming Thompson hotels in Toronto, Seoul and San Juan. Pomeranc pores over the details of his Canadian property—everything from the type of projector they’ll put in the screening room to the atmosphere of a private, members-only club he’s creating.

3:15 P.M. After eating a sandwich back at his office, he dashes in late for a meeting with his bankers to analyze the financials on future projects.

6:00 P.M. Pomeranc—changed into a crisp, white shortsleeve shirt after a stop at his apartment—arrives at the

Bars A60 At 60 Thompson; 1-212/219-2000; drinks for two US$20.

nearly completed Thompson LES, where he ponders the construction of a profitable mini-bar; in the case of the LES, it includes trail mix from Dean & DeLuca, Tocca candles and a Kiki de Montparnasse Intimacy Kit. 7:10 P.M. Over a cocktail at 60 Thompson’s A60 rooftop bar, Pomeranc powwows with girlfriend Ali Wise, a fashion public-relations executive, and music industry veteran Julie Panebianco about the creation of a Thompson-branded CD. Pomeranc favors indie musicians, including Santogold and Iron & Wine.

8:20 P.M. Now it’s off to 6 Columbus hotel’s Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill for a dinner meeting with Steve Garbarino, the editor of Thompson Hotel’s magazine, Room 100. But it’s not all business: the meal of fried chicken, cucumber rolls and sake devolves into planning a motorcycle trip through Laos.

11:45 P.M. Rather than moving on to mix with regulars Chloë Sevigny and Scarlett Johansson at the downtown haunt, the Beatrice Inn lounge, Pomeranc calls it an early night and heads home, where he’s back on the BlackBerry till 1:30 A.M. T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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HONG KONG

■ THE LOOK W Hotels’ newest offering, which opened last month, deftly mixes whimsy with a darker, more urban sensibility—a yin-yang approach to design that’s true to the brand’s fi xation on appearances. On the fanciful side: the “Please Make Up My Room” and “Do Not Disturb” signs flash from the pages of a mock book outside each room. And on the side of cosmopolitan chic: the steel-and-glass façade by famed architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates glows from the thousands of tiny lights within, slate slabs line the wall of the double-story lobby and a subdued palette of blues, grays and browns is used in the rooms and public areas.

■ THE SCENE While taking a chance on a new neighborhood—the reclaimed land of West Kowloon—the hotel is betting that the maverick location will appeal to hipsters. There are other perks, including having the space for an al fresco dining area and the adjoining Elements mall.

■ THE ROOMS Two interior design firms were hired to create the hotel’s 393 rooms, giving a slightly different feel to alternating floors. The rooms by Australian outfit Nicholas Graham + Associates feature a more sober look: darker greens and grays, with a swirling, wood-grain pattern

etched in steel on the walls behind the bed.

Japanese firm Glamorous, headed by sought-after young designer Yasumichi Morita, displays a lighter, more playful touch: silhouettes of butterflies on the translucent white walls behind the bed and bathroom mirrors with vine-and-paisley patterns.

The rooms start at 40 square meters, relatively generous in this space-deprived town. All rooms are equipped with 400-thread-count sheets, 42inch Sharp flat-screen TV’s, KEF speakers, DVD players, iPod docks, high-speed wireless Internet and bathroom amenities from the hotel’s Bliss spa.

■ THE EXTRAS Need to relax after a day navigating through one of Asia’s most hectic cities?

Stop by the 836-square-meter spa or take a dip in the pool on the 76th floor (which makes it the city’s highest pool). The hotel’s main restaurant, Fire, offers sophisticated takes on classic European fare as well as edgier fusion dishes; near the front desk is the more casual Kitchen eatery.

W prides itself on having an inside track, so be sure to make use of the concierge (or the W Insider in the brand parlance), who can score concert tickets, dinner reservations and more. 1 Austin Rd. West, Kowloon; 852/3717-2222; whotels.com/hongkong; doubles from US$400. ✚

‘S Wonderful. The sleek W Hong Kong is the city’s most anticipated launch of the year. By ALEX FREW MCMILLAN

CO U RT ESY O F W H OT E L ( 2 )

I Get a Kick Out of You Above: A design detail in the lobby of the new W Hotel in Hong Kong; one of the hotel’s guest rooms designed by Japanese design firm Glamorous.

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| eat Sino-Portuguese Clockwise from left: Fernando’s restaurant; mini-burgers at Blue Frog Bar & Grill; more meaty offerings from Blue Frog.

booming, the city’s dining landscape is changing quickly. Here, some of our favorites—old and new. By JEN LIN-LIU

MACAU

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BLUE FROG BAR & GRILL The Shanghai-based chain run by American entrepreneur Bob Boyce extends its reach past mainland China with this swanky restaurant-cum-pub in The Venetian Macao, bringing American comforts with a fusion twist, like Sichuanmarinade rib-eye steaks and Asian chicken salads. With its wide-screen televisions suspended above the bar, an extensive cocktail list and hip Café del Mar tunes, this is one place that exemplifies Macau’s Vegaslike rise. DON’T MISS The Bloody Mary kit—an assortment of ingredients for the iconic treat, which you assemble yourself— best ordered with Sunday brunch. No. 1037, Grand Canal Shoppes, The Venetian Macao Resort and Hotel; Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança (the Cotai Strip), Taipa; 853/28828281; dinner for two US$50.

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IMPERIAL HOUSE DIM SUM For a surreal experience, pop on over to The Venetian’s main casino floor around » F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F F E R N A N D O ' S ; CO U RT ESY O F B LU E F RO G BA R & G R I L L ( 2 )

Macau’s Finest. With the casino scene

FERNANDO’S Naysayers might call it overrated, but this longtime eatery, decorated with simple checkered tablecloths and wood-paneled walls, is still one of the best Portuguese restaurants in town. Located near the quiet Hac Sa Beach, it’s a fantastic reprieve from the growing hubbub of downtown Macau and the Cotai Strip. That Fernando Gomes and his manager Lorenzo Lopez are still fi xtures here attests to the consistent quality the restaurant has been able to maintain for 22 years. It also feels like a home—patrons are free to stroll around the back garden and even into the kitchen, which is capacious enough to accommodate the occasional curious diner. DON’T MISS The delicious suckling pig, roasted for several hours in a shallow baking pan to give the skin a crispy finish. 9 Praia de Hac Sa; 853/2888-2264 or 853/2888-2531; dinner for two US$50.

Now breaking through onto the always-sophisticated Chaweng beach, travelers can enjoy a luxurious and trendy lifestyle experience at The Library, the only place where swimmers can take a plunge into the exotic red pool overlooking the sea and avid readers can bury themselves inside the white library set amid lush greenery. Created with a smart, semi-minimalist and exotic design edge, The Library is stylish,modern and, at the same time, moving fast into the future.

| eat

Old World Eats Below: A plate of porco at Fernando’s.

Bottom: The dining room at Restaurante Litoral.

midnight, head up a short ramp set amid the clanging slot machines, and sit back as the waiters pour tea and serve delicious dim sum. Aside from being one of the few dim sum places in the world situated in the middle of a casino floor, it’s also open 24 hours. Decorated with Chinese lanterns and wooden tables, the place is perpetually packed with Cantonese who jet over from Hong Kong via speedboat. DON’T MISS The pan-fried noodles with pork and the shrimp dumplings (har gaw). The Venetian Macao Resort and Hotel; Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, Taipa; 853/2882-8888; dim sum for two US$30.

O INFANTE If you have time for only one meal in Macau, eat it here. This seven-table restaurant down a back alley in Taipa (not far from the Cotai Strip) serves delicious home-style Portuguese dishes and reasonably priced wines. Merlinde Clemente, the Angola-raised owner of Portuguese and Macanese descent, often eats near the kitchen, watching over her chefs who prepare meals with recipes from her childhood. DON’T MISS The arroz de mariscos—a dish similar to paella—crab, shrimp, clams and mussels slow-cooked in a clay pot with rice. Rua das Virtudes near Taipan Mercado; 853/2882-7421; dinner for two US$70.

LORD STOW’S BAKERY Housed in a tiny, two-story residence with a red-tiled roof, this café in one of the most charming parts of Macau—the sleepy beachside community of Coloane—is also the place that popularized the Portuguese egg tart in the 1990’s. Locals hang out reading the newspaper on barstools, while tourists cluster around the bakery counter.

Founded by Englishman Andrew Stow in 1989, the bakery now has a number of chain stores around Asia. DON’T MISS The Portuguese egg tarts, torched to give them a crème brûlée–like finish. 1 Rua da Tassara, Coloane Town Sq.; 853/2888-2174; breakfast for two US$15.

RESTAURANTE LITORAL Traditionally, male chefs and patrons dominated restaurants in Macau, says Restaurante Litoral’s female owner Manuela Ferreira. That changed with the opening of her establishment 13 years ago and other women restaurateurs in Macau have since followed suit. Decorated in the style of a Macanese home with a fireplace, stone floors and antique lamps, this restaurant buzzes with activity in the evenings—reservations are a must. DON’T MISS The grilled codfish with potatoes and garlic, a tender and flavorful treat.

261-A Rua do Almirante Sergio; 853/28967878; dinner for two US$80.

RIQUEXO CAFÉ It’s not easy to find authentic Macanese cuisine in Macau, especially when it’s hidden in a canteen among a bland row of commercial shops in central Macau. This unpretentious restaurant, with its standard cafeteria counter and trays, serves the real deal, made by a 92-year-old woman who has run the place for more than 40 years.

Open just for lunch, it’s the perfect stopping point after a walk around old Macau.

DON’T MISS The Bacalhau Natas, a saltedcodfish soufflé, and minchi, a combination of minced pork, potatoes, soy sauce, onions and egg. 69 Avenida Sidonio Pais; 853/28565655; lunch for two US$15.

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| first look

L.A.’s New Production. T+L gets an exclusive preview of the SLS Beverly Hills, an innovative concept in hotels. By DAVID A. KEEPS

U.S.A.

P

HILIPPE STARCK IS BORED WITH THE BOUTIQUE

hotel. “I want a revolution,” claims the man who is one of the progenitors of the movement. “I want to give people experiences not through gimmicks, but with elegance and intelligence.” Starck is hoping to do just that by teaming up with Sam Nazarian, the force behind some of L.A.’s most buzzy venues, including Katsuya, a Japanesefusion restaurant that is a T+L 2008 Design Award winner.

Their project: the US$230 million SLS Beverly Hills, slated to open in October. Nazarian wants SLS to hit the sweet spot between a trendy boutique hotel and a formal five-star establishment; along with Starck, he’s enlisted a team of industry innovators to help him achieve this vision. Spanish chef José Andrés, known for his cutting-edge approach at Washington, D.C.’s celebrated Jaleo restaurant, has developed a number of signature dishes (e.g., a hollow bread stuffed with La Serena cheese and topped with jamón ibérico) and cocktails (such as a sorbet-like sangria made 72

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with liquid nitrogen) for SLS. Design guru Murray Moss, meanwhile, is helping to rethink the hotel gift shop as a modern-day bazaar. The dining and shopping space, just off the lobby, will have a patisserie as well as vitrines stocked with collectibles (wooden models of famous midcentury Italian racing boats; bicycles made by artisans in Sweden) curated by Moss. “It’s the Harrods food hall meets Paris’s Colette,” explains Nazarian. Upstairs, the 297 minimalist rooms will have a palette of serene green-grays. Of course, it wouldn’t be Starck without some quirky touches—this time in the form of a bed that “floats” in the middle of the room and has a glass headboard backed by a desk, “so you can watch your wife sleep while you work,” says the designer.

Nazarian is already looking to create two additional properties with Starck, Andrés and Moss—this time in Las Vegas and Miami. Just call them the new dream team.

465 S. La Cienega Blvd.; 1-310/247-0400; slshotels.com; doubles from US$400. ✚

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : C O U R T E SY O F J A S O N O D E L L ; C O U R T E SY O F S B E ( 3 )

Designer Philippe Starck (left) and Sam Nazarian, the owner of the SLS Beverly Hills, at Nazarian’s new Starck-designed S Bar, in Los Angeles.

Right, from top: The hotel ballroom; the entrance to the guests-only lobby; a rendering of an SLS guest room.

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StylishTraveler Fendi

Marc Jacobs

PLIÉ

Prada

PLEASE

Marni

Easy to pack and comfortable, ballet flats have become our favorite footwear when traveling. Here, seven variations on the theme, from casual to dressy to even peep-toe.

Miu Miu

Photographed by SITTIPUN Maison Martin Margiela

Tod’s

CHAITERDSIRI. Styled by ATINAN NITISUNTHONKUL

STOCKISTS Fendi fendi.com Marc Jacobs marcjacobs.com Prada prada.com Marni marni.com Miu Miu miumiu.com Maison Martin Margiela maisonmartinmargiela.com Tod’s tods.com

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Asian Aesthete From far left: Interior designer Jaya Ibrahim; a ring by Lotus Arts de Vivre; Zanotti Ristorante in Bangkok.

INDONESIA

DESIGNS FOR LIFE

The interior designer of GHM’s most distinctive properties, Jaya Ibrahim is always on the move. Here, he stops for a moment to share with GENEVIEVE TSAI some of his favorite spots ATELY, IT SEEMS AS IF most new hotels in Southeast Asia are claiming to be design hotels, just by virtue of a few attention-grabbing details—Starck chairs in pony skin, damask wallpaper in shocking pink, deliberately bare concrete walls ... you get the idea. That makes Jaya Ibrahim, the elegantly turnedout interior designer of The Legian, The Dharmawangsa, The Chedi Milan and other discreetly sumptuous classics, shudder. “My interiors are about being the background,” says the Indonesian-born, U.K.-educated Ibrahim. “They don’t interfere with people. I don’t like designs that scream, ‘Please look at me.’” With projects in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, Turks and Caicos, Oman, South Korea and China, Ibrahim spends most of his time on the road, so we asked him to reveal his personal hit list.

NOUVEAU ASIAN “A wonderful place to shop in Shanghai is [Taiwanese designer] Shiatzy Chen’s store (No. 9, The Bund, 9 Zhong Shan Lu; 8621/6321-9155). Her clothing is just fantastic, it’s a good modern take on Chinese design and the quality is very good.”

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● FAVORITE ASIAN CITY BANGKOK “Sometimes it’s Timeless Style Above: The Chedi Milan, which Ibrahim designed.

Left: A look by Taiwanese fashion designer Shiatzy Chen.

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more fun to be a foreigner than a local. You’re free to do whatever you want, and I’m not just talking about the sleaze. Bangkok is so much more than just that. For instance, in Jakarta, you can’t really walk on the street …

In Bangkok, you can walk along the street and nobody even looks at you.” ● BANGKOK EATS “Bangkok truly is wonderful. It

doesn’t matter if you’re looking for cheap, middle or expensive, Western or Thai, it’s all clean and great.” »

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: JA M ES G RA F; CO U RT ESY O F LOT U S A RTS D E V I V R E ; CO U RT ESY O F Z A N O T T I R I S T O R A N T E ; C O U R T E SY O F G H M ; C O U R T E SY O F S H I AT Z Y C H E N

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stylish traveler

| on the road

Eastern Splendor Left: Lamont Design shop, in Bangkok.

Right: Earrings and a necklace by Lotus Arts de Vivre. Below: The façade of The Grand Hyatt Shanghai.

TOP PICKS Taling Ping (60 Pan Rd., off Silom Rd.; 662/234-4872); Zanotti Ristorante (1st floor, No. 21/1,

Saladaeng Colonnade Condominium, Saladaeng Rd.; 66-2/6360002; zanotti-ristorante.com); Pan Pan (6–6/1 Soi 33, Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/258-9304) “For a noisy evening in shorts and a T-shirt.” ● SPECIAL OCCASION “For a stuffy formal dinner

with black tie and all, we go to Le Normandie (48 Oriental Ave.; 66-2/659-9000) at The Oriental. This is now almost the only occasion where I can wear my Javanese court attire, apart from weddings.” ● ANTIQUE HUNTING “Shopping and browsing is almost only for antiques and decorative items at River City (23 Yota Rd.; 66-2/237-0077), Lek Gallery (1124– 1134 New Rd.; 66-2/639-5870) and Oriental Place (Soi 38, Charoen Krung Rd.) near The Oriental Hotel. Alex Lamont for contemporary accessories, and he has an antique shop as well in Gaysorn Plaza (Lamont Design, 3rd floor, Gaysorn Plaza, 99 Ploenchit Rd.; 66-2/656-1250). Art Resources (Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 155 Rajdamri Rd.; 66-2/2500723) does many of my designs for the various projects I am involved in all over the world … And if I happen to have a lot of money, then I go to Lotus Arts de Vivre (Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 155 Rajdamri Rd.; 66-2/2500732; lotusartsdevivre.com) to see what I can afford!” ● PERSONAL HEROES MIES VAN DER ROHE AND

GEOFFREY BAWA “You probably can’t get two more different architects, but I like this sort of confrontation. I 80

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THE GRAND HYATT SHANGHAI (53rd–87th floors, Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Blvd., Pudong; 86-21/50491234; shanghai.grand. hyatt.com). “Once when I was staying there, I was on the 87th floor, and it was mid-winter. I went to open the window, and below I couldn’t see anything. But there was blue sky above. I’ll never forget that.”

like taking these two and coming up with something completely different.” ● MENTAL SNAPSHOT THE POLANCO

NEIGHBORHOOD OF MEXICO CITY “Last year when I went, it was the fi rst week of spring and the jacaranda trees were all in bloom—these wonderful blue, purpley flowers. It was wonderful.” ● ON ROTATION “I’m listening to [ J.S. Bach’s] St.

Matthew Passion at the moment. It’s a very complex work and so powerful and so emotional, and I am a Muslim not a Catholic … The one thing I always play on Saturday, which is the day I was born, is the gamelan music from my mother’s ancestral royal house in Yogjakarta. It evokes many things for me and it brings me back to earth and to reality and peace.” ✚

C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F A L E X L A M O N T; CO U RT ESY O F LOT U S A RTS D E V I V R E ( 2 ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E G R A N D H YAT T S H A N G H A I

GREAT STAY IN SHANGHAI

stylish traveler

| fashion

Island

BREEZE

Kick back and relax with these floaty dresses in pastels and sweet floral prints, shot at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.

Photographed by NAT PRAKOBSANTISUK. Styled by ARAYA INDRA

Silk chiffon dress with rhinestones, Sretsis; gold and diamante cuff, Matina Amanita.

Opposite: Floral appliquĂŠd chiffon dress, Olanor; crystal and silver bracelet, Matina Amanita.

Bikini and silk chiffon dress with rufďŹ&#x201A;ed collar, Kai. Opposite: Floral printed silk chiffon dress with black satin trim, Senada. Feather hat, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

Silk dress with embroidered collar, Olanor; gold and diamante cuff, Matina Amanita; sandals, Tango.

Opposite: Printed silk chiffon dress with sewn-on rhinestones, Sretsis; ruby spider cuff, Disaya; sandals, Tango.

Floral printed silk dress, M.L. Chiratorn Chirapravati; gold bracelet, Disaya; sandals, Tango.

Opposite: Printed silk chiffon dress, M.L. Chiratorn Chirapravati; sunglasses, Ray-Ban; sandals, Tango.

Hair and make-up: Apichart Norasethaporn.

Model: Suttikan Wangjaroentaweekul.

Photographer’s assistant: Sangarun Champawan.

STOCKISTS Disaya boudoirbydisaya.com Kai kaiboutique.com Matina Amanita matinaamanita.com M.L. Chiratorn Chirapravati No. 32, The Promenade Decor; 2/4 Wireless Rd., Bangkok Olanor No. 343, 3rd floor, Siam Center; 979 Rama I Rd., Bangkok Ray-Ban rayban.com Senada senadatheory.com Sretsis sretsis.com Tango No. 352, 3rd floor, Siam Center; 979 Rama I Rd., Bangkok

stylish traveler

| beauty

SUN SOLUTIONS

Whether you’re off to Bangkok or Bali, these seven essentials will keep you looking good wherever you roam. Photographed by NIGEL COX

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beauty routine beachready with these smart new products. Prolonged sun exposure calls for extra protection. Not only does the RéVive Filtre de Soleil SPF 45 (5) shield against UVA and UVB rays, but it also absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy or chalky residue. For your body, the Powerful Sun Protection Sunscreen cream from MD Skincare (4) offers an SPF of 45— plus it helps guard against other environmental aggressors, like pollution. Soothe and repair your skin with After Sun Cellular Support Balm from Lancaster (6), a calming treatment. The last thing you want in a hot climate is a heavy moisturizer: AmorePacific Time Response Gel Crème (1) is hydrating and lightweight. For added TLC, apply Guerlain’s (7) Super Aqua-Serum under your moisturizer. Warm weather also calls for pared-down makeup. The T. LeClerc Sunflower Bronzer (3) gives a natural-looking glow. And instead of mascara, opt for a lash stain, such as this one from Tarte (2) ; it conditions and is smudgeproof, even in high humidity.

— ELIZABETH WOODSON AKE YOUR

~ T R E N D S ,

C U L T U R E ,

F O O D

A

N D

M O R E ~

T+L Journal CITYSCAPE 100 PORTFOLIO 104 THE ARTS 114

HONG KONG

A Night at the Races Horse racing in Hong Kong is like the city itself—filled with rambunctious crowds, plenty of color and spectacle, and unbridled excitement. ALEX FREW McMILLAN backs his luck and heads to the track. Photographed

by GRAHAM UDEN

Into the final stretch in Hong Kong. Inset: A punter keeps an eye on his two-minute investment.

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Race Night Above: Jockeys parade their horses before a race. Right: The Adrenaline Bar’s view of the home stretch.

Far right: Punters enjoying a night out at Happy Valley.

HE LIGHT IS FADING when the first spectators arrive at the Happy Valley Racecourse.

Residential skyscrapers soar over this outdoor stage, as if the buildings themselves were craning to get a better view of the track. Hong Kong is all about racing horses. The first race is at the gate, and at 7:15 P.M., the horses are off in the twilight, with Happy Valley Racecourse lit up like an airport runway.

The city really comes alive at race meets, and Wednesday nights at Happy Valley bring thousands of Hong Kongers to the track. Tonight, I am one of a crowd of more than 15,000. Over the course of the season, 1.9 million people will click through the turnstiles. If you hop in a taxi anywhere in Hong Kong on a Wednesday night, the cabbie is likely to be tuned into the action, scanning the papers for his picks at stoplights.

Both the Brits and the Chinese are famous for their fondness for a punt. Say what you want about how the two cultures have meshed, or not, over the years, come midweek, the only race relations that really matter to Hong Kongers are at the track. Around me, balding old Chinese men listen to radios via a wire dangling from one ear. They pay HK$22 to enter the public area and push down to the parade ring in order to vet the horses by sight. There are frowns of concentration as they scribble on their Chinese racing guides.

The crowd is three deep along the paddock rail. As a jockey in pink silks trots by on his mount, a TV commentator in the center of the ring casts his eye over the horse, then

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offers his take to the viewers watching screens in the luxury boxes or at home.

Other spectators take it easy in the stands. There’s a gaggle of investment bankers who have removed their suit jackets and loosened their ties. Chatting with pints firmly in hand, a couple of them watch the track, but most seem just as interested in the day’s stock market. A middle-aged Chinese couple wanders by, arm in arm, past young punters in tracksuits and sneakers, who are circling picks in the paper. Tourists are trying to capture it all on their newly bought cameras. One group of twenty-somethings in jeans and button-down shirts look like they walked out of a Benetton ad—white, black, Indian, Asian, mixed race.

In the beer garden, HK$22 gets you entry to a large compound right next to the track. There are pods of people gathered around tall metal tables, where they rest plastic cups or pitchers of beer. Hunger and the humidity have got the better of several hundred, who have settled into plastic bucket seats. They are gnawing on hamburgers or picking at barbecue pork rice boxes with wooden chopsticks.

The next race is near and I’m itching to join in the action.

I have read the form guide in the South China Morning Post and

Around me, balding old CHINESE men listen to radios via a wire dangling from one ear

watched the pre-race show, Racing to Win, on TV. I flick through the program and check out the talent in the paddock. And I still have no idea what I am doing.

There is so much information about each of the races that it’s overwhelming. In the form guide, every horse seems to be “Drawn to get the run of the race” or “Now realizing his early potential.” It’s like reading Chinese horoscopes.

My evening gets off to the worst possible start—I pick a winner in the first race. Somehow, Value Choice leaps off the page at me, given two wins in his last three races. I put HK$100 on him to win and pocket HK$470. It gives me the false confidence that I have turned into a horse-betting genius overnight, gifted with perfect insight. Then I lose every bet in the next four races.

HE RACES ARE OVER in a flash—less than two minutes. The longest is 1,800 meters, one-and-a-half times around the track. Half of tonight’s card consists of sprints that don’t even go around once. So there is plenty of downtime in between races to eat, talk with friends and figure out your next wager.

Besides the public stands, there are banks of public and

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private boxes climbing 12 stories above Wong Nai Chung Road. It costs HK$250,000 to join the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and the members are a select bunch—only 26,522 in a city of almost 8 million. In the owner’s box, there’s a dress code of jacket and tie, and the wealthy speak in muted tones about the horses they have bought. They sip wine and dine on white tablecloths. The double-story dining room has a huge bank of windows and a prime perch right in front of the finish line.

The Racing Club is on the 12th floor of the members’ stand, high above the finish line. There’s a bar, tricked out with a glass countertop, containing long, back-lit grass. Next door, there’s a fine-dining restaurant, where black-clad waiters are serving bottles of wine to diners. Beyond that, a sushi bar lines a long white room, with facing red-and-white sofas next to the window. A young Chinese couple—he in black, she in white—are eating oysters.

The nightclub Adrenaline has public access on the second and third floors of the Pavilion Stand near the finish line.

The club has indoor and outdoor seating, for a minimum charge—HK$180 per head if you stay at the bar. There are banks of TV’s and a huge screen inside the club, and a » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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On the Right Track From simply backing a horse to win all the way up to “exotic” bets involving multiple horses and multiple races, there are many permutations of punting. Most bets in Hong Kong start at HK$10 and rise in multiples of that, although exotics normally require a minimum of HK$100 in any combination of bets.

Hong Kong horse-race betting is based on pari-mutuel pools, meaning the odds change right up until the race starts and winners split the pool based on how much they bet.

Win The simplest bet, picking a horse to finish first in one race.

Place Your horse will finish anywhere in the first three places in a race.

Quinella Your two horses will finish first and second.

Quinella place Your two horses will finish in the top three, in any order.

Tierce Your three horses finish first, second and third in a race, in the correct order.

Trio First, second and third in one race, in any order.

First Four First through fourth in one race, in any order.

Triple Trio First, second and third place, in the correct order, in three specific races, normally in the middle of the meet.

Six Up Six winners in the six selected races.

Jockey Challenge Predict the most successful jockey at a particular meet, based on points scored in each.

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É É É É

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DJ spins techno tunes between races. The punters cool off inside, snacking on minipizzas, chips and dip, before stepping outside when the race starts.

By Race 7, I’m positive I am on to something again. King Acrylic has been on a bit of a streak, and Whiplash looks good to me too. “Well drawn, suited rising in distance and improvement on the cards,” according to the Racing Post. Master Gunner has champion jockey Doug Whyte, the “Durban Demon,” on board. It seems like he always wins—in fact he does once in every five races.

I feel positive horses 3, 4 and 5 are going to finish in the top three. It’s symmetrical, and it’s easy to remember. I bet HK$100 to win on King Acrylic, at 6:1 odds, and another HK$300 on the quinella place, that 3, 4 or 5 will feature as two of the first three finishers. I place another HK$20 on the trio, that my 3, 4, 5 will be the first three, in any order, and HK$20 on the first four, throwing in Kowloon Fit. I step to the railing and smell the turf churned up by 48 hooves in the last race— you never smell grass in Hong Kong.

Whyte sports black-and-white silks on board Master Gunner, Mark Du Plessis has a blue chevron on white for Whiplash, King Acrylic’s rider is in green and gold.

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The scoreboard shows millions of dollars racking up, the odds flickering and changing constantly.

Horses are led slowly to the gate. Then the bell rings, and they’re off. The steeds thunder clockwise around the tight emerald track. I cannot tell who is winning.

To be honest, it’s a bit of a blur but I think No. 4 is in there. I look to the scoreboard, which shows the order of the runners. He’s fading and Master Gunner is caught outside. They turn for the finish and head towards me. These horses are huge.

Suddenly, and from what seems to me like nowhere, comes King Acrylic, and he wins.

My HK$100 bet pays out HK$630.

Since I put down HK$440 on my various combinations, I have turned a profit of HK$190 for the race. Not too bad, I think, as I start scouring the form for the eighth race, the last of the night.

The crowds are thinning by the time the last winner crosses the line shortly before 11 P.M., Whyte raising his whip in a salute to the remaining, cheering bettors.

The thousands who were in the stands disperse immediately.

On this night, punters put down HK$773 million, an average of more than HK$96 million per race. For the 2007–08 season, gamblers placed a total of

By the END of the evening, there’s a mound of torn-up betting stubs in front of me

HK$67.7 billion, up 5.8 percent from the previous year but a far cry from the record HK$91.5 billion bet at the height of Hong Kong’s property bubble.

I have certainly helped to contribute to the worthy causes backed by the Jockey Club. By the end of the evening, there’s a mound of torn-up betting stubs in front of me. I’ve had winners in three of the eight races, but that punishing run of losers in the middle of the meet means that, after betting between HK$200 and HK$540 per race, I’m a total of HK$1,060 in the hole.

How could I have missed Fantastic Win in the fourth race, and Win-a-lot in the third race? And champion jockey Whyte on Dim Sum in the eighth race was staring me right in the face.

Still, it’s been worth it. I chalk my losses up to a night of entertainment, the price you pay to feel that shot of adrenaline running through your blood when you place the bet, that supremely awake focus you get when the gates shoot open, that joy in your own genius when you pick a winner.

The pain of the losses fades over time anyway. Like some seasoned track-side bettor, I can always fall back on the memory of the night I made HK$7,000 at the track. Most of all, it has been fun.

When’s the next meet?

Close-up Action Clockwise from above: Flashing a victory sign in the winner’s circle; betting screens in the Adrenaline Bar; following the horses. Opposite: They’re at the gate, the bell rings and they’re off.

GUIDE TO HONG KONG HORSE RACING WHEN TO GO Hong Kong’s horse racing season runs from midSeptember through to the start of July. There are two meets per week, with 7:15 P.M. starts on Wednesdays in Happy Valley and 1 P.M. on Saturdays or Sundays at Sha Tin. Check the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s website at www.hkjc.com/english for the schedule. For reservations at Happy Valley or Sha Tin, call 852/ 1817 or e-mail reservation@ hkjc.org.hk.

GETTING THERE The Happy Valley Racecourse is on Hong Kong Island, near the Causeway Bay MTR stop.

Sha Tin Racecourse is in the New Territories, with the Racecourse MTR stop open only on race days.

Both tracks show the races

on huge screens, even if they are taking place at the other venue.

WHERE TO EAT HAPPY VALLEY Visitor’s Box Platinum HSBC card or Citibank Visa card holders can book a table for four at the international buffet for HK$428 per person. 8th floor; 852/2368-7111.

Stable Bend Terrace This large open-air restaurant offers a buffet of Chinese, Indian and Western food, with unlimited beer and wine, for HK$390. 3rd floor; 852/1817.

Adrenaline Overseas visitors can buy a tourist badge for HK$100 that lets them into the Members’ Enclosure. Take your passport and buy the badge at the members’ entrance on race day or up

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to 10 days ahead of time at one of the Jockey Club betting shops around town.

Pavilion Stand; 852/36903690.

Beer Garden Anyone can enter the public enclosure and the beer garden for HK$22. Forecourt; 852/1817.

SHA TIN Pak Sing Restaurant Chinese à la carte and set menus are available for a minimum charge of HK$400. 5th floor, Grandstand II; 852/1817.

Champions Circle A selfserve international menu is available from HK$100. 3rd floor, Grandstand I; 852/1817.

MezzaOne A self-serve Asian menu priced from HK$35. 1st floor, Grandstand II; 852/1817.

Sushi Bar Offers a Japanese à la carte menu for walk-in diners. 2nd floor Member’s Enclosure.

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t+l journal

| cityscape

Soul Searching Concerns about the fate of Manila’s historic center, Intramuros, have led some to try and bring it back to life. Story and photographs

by LARA DAY

PHILIPPINES

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The very word whispers a thousand secrets.

In Latin it means “within the walls,” and in the Philippine capital it signifies the medieval walled city founded in 1571 at the mouth of the Pasig River. Once synonymous with Manila itself, Intramuros stood as Spain’s stronghold in the East, a ciudad murada (Spanish for “walled city”) which, in its 17th- and 18th-century heyday, hosted a vibrant multicultural society whose members played out their lives in its maze of cobblestone streets and shady plazas, Roman Catholic churches and colonial villas. Nowadays, few clues point to the citadel’s bustling prime and, for most, revisiting its past requires bold feats of imagination.

Wars, fires, earthquakes, and other natural and manmade mishaps have all left their mark on its 64 hectares— never more so than in 1945, when a retreating Japanese army sparked off a U.S. military assault that flattened the fledgling center.

Nonetheless, while today’s Intramuros exists as a skeleton of its former self, its bones may hold the key to Manila’s elusive, oft-misunderstood soul. If it does, I’m determined to try and unlock it. This isn’t my first visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site—that took place outside of living memory, when my family brought me to Manila Cathedral to be christened. More recently, I returned to report on a city that had long perplexed me with its complex weave of foreign, seemingly conflicting influences. Intramuros, I learned, provides a means for untangling the different threads, its mortar-and-adobe ramparts standing as testament to the Philippines’

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NTRAMUROS.

Within the Walls From far left: San Agustin; a city behind barbed wires; life in the streets. Opposite: Playing amid the key to Manila’s soul.

I linger and catch the SUNSET, when the entire city is suffused with a soft, ocher glow

four centuries of colonial intervention. Spanish, Chinese, Mexican, Malay, American and Arab elements have all made their way into contemporary culture, pervading everything from the area’s religious iconography to its street names.

Illuminating as the past is, I also want to find out what the walls have to offer today. But before I go, first there are practical matters to consider. “Come either early in the morning, before 10 A.M., or in the afternoon after 3:30 P.M. The sun’s too hot otherwise,” counsels Joel Torres, who runs the small library of the Intramuros Administration, the government body in charge of the citadel’s preservation. I’m speaking to Torres, author of Ciudad Murada, a slim volume subtitled “A Walk Through Historic Intramuros,” and, since I’m exploring the area on foot—rather than by calesa, a horse-drawn carriage, or personal pedicab, the walled cities’ other two most pleasant transport options—I obediently take his advice.

Torres’s book in hand, I enter the fortifications via the pedestrian Parian Gate where Chinese merchants from Binondo would pass through to peddle their wares within the city (the wary Spanish always kept the Chinese settlement within reach of a single cannon shot).

Though the book offers some useful insights, its scholarly bent means its practical uses are limited. Mercifully, it turns out that orienting yourself isn’t difficult: Intramuros is laid out in the style of Spanish and Roman colonial settlements, with straight roads, a gridlike layout and a central artery, General Juan Luna Street, running north to south.

The massive walls—4 kilometers long, up to 6 meters high and more than 2 meters thick—also help. Although no longer complete, they are Intramuros’s main surviving feature and offer a privileged vantage point over the tightly contained citadel and the sprawling metropolis outside.

You can mount the wall at Puerta Santa Lucia on Anda Street, heading south towards the Bastion San Diego before descending to street level. Climbing back up at Baluarte de San Gabriel along Muralla in the college district, it’s possible to explore the cannon-lined ramparts overlooking Manila City Hall from the Baluarte de Dilao.

I linger and catch the sunset, when the entire city is suffused with a soft, ocher glow. However, I leave before the light fades entirely, since Intramuros offers little nightlife.

Most of its population is made up of students, hospital employees and government workers, while squatters make the area’s safety after dark questionable. “Everyone goes home at night,” architect Augusto F. Villalon and heritage consultant tells me later. “I don’t know if anyone actually lives there.” At least leaving after dusk means staying true to tradition: until the 1890’s the Spanish locked the gates at midnight, only reopening at dawn.

The next day, not long after sunrise, I continue at Fort Santiago, Intramuros’ original garrison-turned-museum whose sybaritic grounds belie their violent history. Today, you can stroll around fountain-filled pleasure gardens, cross a tranquil moat dotted with lotus flowers and water lilies, and even catch the odd theatrical production if you’re » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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It’s undeniable that NOSTALGIA alone isn’t enough to keep Intramuros alive

lucky. Yet this was the military headquarters of the country’s various regimes, first built in nipa wood by the Philippines’ “discoverer” Miguel López de Legazpi after he ousted the Rajah Soliman from his palisade in 1571. Beneath the fort, winding tunnels and Stygian dungeons hint silently at its dark past. Here, prisoners were held and tortured during the Japanese occupation and one cell imprisoned Philippine national hero José P. Rizal before he marched to meet his Spanish executioners in 1898. Meanwhile, above ground level, a shrine and dedicated museum pay tribute to Rizal’s life and work, while bronze “footprints” embedded in the ground commemorate his final steps.

Fort Santiago was rebuilt in more durable stone two decades later. But even then, much of it had to be restored following the devastation of the Battle of Manila in 1945.

Not every structure has been so lucky. Imposing edifices loom over expansive, rubble-strewn lots. The walled city once boasted no fewer than seven Roman Catholic churches, but the sole survivor is the Baroque San Agustin, lopsided after losing one of its two bell towers to an earthquake in 1880; Manila Cathedral is a mere reconstruction, dating from 1958. Modern Spanish-inspired mansions, designed in keeping with local regulations, stand next to ramshackle dwellings that don’t even pretend to hint at what came before.

Nonetheless, more tourists are arriving, in part attracted by tour guides such as Carlos Celdran and Ivan Man Dy. But for all Intramuros’ draws, it offers few world-class amenities—for instance, there are no hotels to speak of and restaurant choices are slim, limited to places like Barbara’s

Coming Back to Life From top: A gate leading to the walled city; taking snapshots before a statue of national hero José P. Rizal; a calesa; lush gardens prove not all history is set in stone.

Opposite: The Manila Cathedral.

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on Calle Real and Ilustrado along General Juan Luna. Local eateries aren’t geared to foreign tastes, though the food and the service are a happy surprise. I order water at one small food stall and a smiling woman who runs it produces a clear plastic bag filled with the pure, cool and refreshing drink.

International awareness of Intramuros may be on the up, but when I speak to residents about its attractions, many seem apathetic. Two nurses from a local hospital, who commute there six days a week, say they’ve visited only its churches. San Agustin, the country’s oldest church, is perhaps Intramuros’s biggest drawcard for Filipinos, with waiting lists for weddings stretching to more than six months.

Yet the museums here are rewarding: Casa Manila on General Luna Street is a fascinating replica of a turn-of-the century villa, the Bahay Chinoy tells the colorful story of the Philippines’ Chinese population, and my favorite, the San Agustin Museum, run by Augustinian friars who line the former monastery’s bright corridors with ecclesiastical art.

After visiting the latter’s crypt, which houses a memorial to World War II prisoners as well as the tombs of prominent Filipinos and Spaniards, I step outside to Father Blanco’s Garden, expecting to find a striking set of ruins in the distance—I vividly remember a majestic sweep of crumbling arches. Instead I’m greeted with the sound of heavy construction, its source concealed behind a veil of dark green canvas. Later I find out that the ruin is on its way to being enclosed with cement blocks to be turned into a seminary, the site’s original function. I’m gobsmacked.

“It’s a shock but it needs to be done,” says Celdran, one of Intramuros’s most vocal champions. “I would have left it as an empty ruin, but they’re at least giving a nod to traditional Philppine architecture and its design is approved

by UNESCO … It’s a good example of Intramuros going back to its historical roots.” He’s right. “It’s people that make the

ruin, life that makes the ruin, and they’ve been shut out of Intramuros,” says the architect Villalon.

It’s undeniable that nostalgia alone isn’t enough to keep Intramuros alive. But how does one breathe life into a skeleton? I ask Anna Maria L. Harper, who heads up the Intramuros Administration. “No one has to reinvent the wheel. The plans are all there,” she says, referring to the goals set out in the late 1970’s. “We should have more restaurants, a boutique hotel, clean streets, cafés where people can sit outside. You should come back in a year.”

Much as I want to believe her, it’s hard to tell how this will happen in such a short space of time.

Before leaving Intramuros, I sit in a plaza shaded by frangipani trees and scan my surroundings: heavy wires binding crude electric pylons mar the view, but beyond them the city’s ramparts and the cathedral’s spire float beautifully against the sky. Seeing these elements side by side makes me wonder about identity and whether it isn’t found in the push and pull between old and new. That may also be a way of viewing Manila’s soul. In a city whose identity always shifts, borne as it is by the vagaries of history, it’s tempting to imagine its soul echoing those same eternal movements: fading and emerging, sinking, ineluctably, as it soars. ✚

GUIDE TO INTRAMUROS WHEN TO GO Manila shows its best face between the dry, balmy months of February to April. Explore Intramuros’s ramparts either first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. Duck inside a museum or stop for a leisurely lunch during at the hottest time of day. Museums are closed on Mondays.

GETTING THERE Philippine Airlines flies daily to Manila from major airports in Southeast Asia, while most regional carriers in the region have regular flights to the

Philippine capital from their respective regional hubs.

WHERE TO STAY Miramar Hotel Characterful Art Deco lodgings in front of the U.S. Embassy. UN Ave., Corner Roxas Blvd., Ermita; 63-2/523-4484; doubles from US$75.

Manila Hotel Old-world elegance nestled in the lush grounds of Rizal Park, with rooms overlooking either historic Intramuros or equally close Manila Bay. 1 Rizal Park, Roxas Blvd.; 632/527-0011; manila-hotel.com.ph; doubles from US$300.

WHERE TO EAT Barbara’s Traditional Spanish cuisine next to the Casa Manila and across the road from San Agustin. Plaza San Luis Complex, General Luna St., Intramuros; 63-2/527-3893.

Ivan Man Dy 63/917-329-1622; oldmanilawalks.blogspot.com; oldmanilawalks@gmail.com.

Ilustrado Upscale Spanish fare, with a more casual café next door. Calle Real del Palacio, Intramuros; 63-2/527-3674; ilustradorestaurant.com.

Casa Manila General Luna St., Intramuros; 63-2/527-4084; intramurosadministration.com/ museumcasamanila.htm; P50.

WALKING TOURS Carlos Celdran 63-2/484-4945 or 63/920-909-2021; celdrantours.blogspot.com; celdrantours@hotmail.com.

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WHAT TO DO Fort Santiago Santa Clara St., Intramuros; 63-2/527-1572; P50.

San Agustin Museum and Church Calle Real del Palacio, Intramuros; 63-2/527-4061; P50.

Bahay Tsinoy Anda St., corner Cabido; 63-2/527-6083; kaisa.ph/ Bahay_Tsinoy_text.html; P100. .

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NEAR TO HEAVEN

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Called the last Shangri-la in Asia, Bhutan is home to a form of Buddhism that’s shrouded in mysticism. Here, photographer JOSEF POLLEROSS documents its colorful religious rites

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ITH ITS SNOW-CAPPED

mountains, serene valleys and ancient forests, the landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is a photographer’s paradise. Many, though, are lured not only by the country’s pristine environment and abundance of wildlife, but also by the spirituality of its inhabitants. Buddhism, the official religion, is deeply interwoven with everyday life, and religious festivals— known as tshechus—draw thousands of onlookers, usually dressed in their best silken robes. Vienna-based photographer Josef Polleross has visited Bhutan three times, and each time he’s been struck by the kingdom’s spiritual beliefs and rites. Taken in the fall of 2006, this photographic essay includes shots from the tshechu in the capital of Thimphu, one of the country’s biggest and most popular festivals. Far from being solemn ceremonies, tshechus are riotous events, filled with dances and reenactments of Bhutan’s myths and legends. “Everybody brings food and beverages along and enjoys the religious dances, funny slapstick performances by the jokers,” says Polleross. And in the spirit of the country’s budding democracy “the jokers are allowed to make fun of government officials and monks,” he adds.

Monks at the Thimphu tshechu, which takes place in Tashi Chho Dzong, a complex that houses a monastery and the government.

BHUTAN

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An old bridge covered in prayer ďŹ&#x201A;ags over the Kulong Chhu river in Trashi Yangtse, in eastern Bhutan.

Young charges under the watchful eye of a senior monk at Trashigang Dzong, which was built in 1659.

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A rosary and whip (which is used to punish novices who are late to prayers) hanging over a monkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arm at the Thimphu tshechu.

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At the Institute for Zorig Chusum (arts and crafts) in Trashi Yangtse, a student puts the ďŹ nishing touches on a mural.

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A monk in repose, before getting dressed in costume for the festival at Thangbi Mani, a small village in central Bhutan.

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Senior monks provide musical accompaniment at the tshechu in Wangduephodrang, about 71 kilometers from Thimphu.

Crowds witness one of the many religious dances at the tshechu in Thimphu.

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Monks performing the Black Hat Dance at the tshechu in Wangduephodrang.

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t+l journal

| the arts

’D FLOWN TO ISTANBUL FROM New York to attend a literary conference at the university where I’d been a Fulbright scholar in the late 90’s, and hailed a taxi that looked familiar.

It turned out to be a Chevy Bel Air from the 1950’s, when I was in high school in the American Midwest. We raced along the great road that has led into Istanbul along the coast of the Sea of Marmara for centuries—Herodotus, in his Histories, describes this same path. After the assassination of President Kennedy, the road was renamed for him; today the sea is adrift with the rusted hulls of freighters that look like abandoned toys. We could just see the minarets of Hagia Sophia as we rounded the crescent by the Topkapi Palace in Sultanahmet, its gardens and harem asleep in the fresh morning air. When we reached Bebek, a rich community on the Bosporus, we drove up the impossibly steep road everybody calls the Twisty-Turny to Bog˘aziçi University, where a young »

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Istanbul’s Smart

Set

In and around the Turkish university where she once taught, NANCY MILFORD finds literary life at the heart of a changing society. Photographed by JASPER JAMES

TURKEY

Rumeli Hisari, a medieval fortress on the Bosporus, in Istanbul.

Above: Students on the green at Bog ˘aziçi University, in the Bebek neighborhood.

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| the arts

I pass two sleepy FISHERMEN, woolen caps perched atop their heads, pouring tea into tulip-shaped glasses half full with raki graduate student welcomed me in the traditional manner by pouring lemon eau de cologne into my hands. “Merhaba, Nancy Hanim! ” she said, smiling.

The university is built high above the Bosporus around a greensward that looks a lot like Princeton, which isn’t surprising since it was built by an American, Cyrus Hamlin, as Robert College in the 19th century. In 1971, when its American trustees could no longer afford to keep the school running, it was taken over by the Turkish government, and is now the most distinguished state university in Turkey. It was here that I taught American literature and writing in English, and met some of the writers who are now making their mark. Orhan Pamuk wasn’t at the university when I was, but his brother teaches there. And Maureen Freely—whose father, John Freely, has dominated American expatriate writing in Turkey since the 1960’s, when the family arrived—translates Pamuk and

accompanied him in Stockholm when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. He calls her upcoming novel, Enlightenment, a “Conradian drama set in a beautifully illuminated Istanbul, where the past is always with us.”

A good deal of that past is set in the Bebek Hotel.

It sits on the edge of a ravishing bay on the Bosporus, where huge freighters from Russia, Eastern Europe, the Black Sea and the Crimea silently slip by throughout the day and night. By 4:30 the next morning, the singsong Arabic chant of the muezzin at the Bebek Camii is calling the faithful to prayer, and wakes me up. It’s a good hour before the sun will rise out of that landmass we used to call Asia Minor, but is truly the beginning of Anatolia. The only other living creatures I can see from my terrace are sleek black Ottoman crows strutting along on the jetties below; their gray shoulders make them look as if they’re wearing military capelets, bird spies in the house of Osman.

It’s still too early for breakfast at the hotel, so I walk along the shore of the Bosporus to the great stone walls of Rumeli Hisari, a massive fortress built

by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, the year before he took Constantinople from the Byzantines. On the way, I pass two sleepy fishermen, their woolen caps perched atop their heads, pouring a steaming pot of tea into tulip-shaped glasses already halffi lled with raki. Beside them, a plate of black and green olives, as well as cubes of white cheese, are set out on a small wood stool beside their rods and gear.

Later, I pay a visit to a colleague who lives near Rumeli Hisari and who taught in Bebek for years, a good decade before I was at Bog˘aziçi. With the recent conflicts in England and France over Muslims wearing headscarves, I asked her what it had been like among her female students in

Left: The terrace at the Bebek Hotel.

Right: Bog ˘aziçi students.

116

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

A B O V E , F R O M L E F T : LY N S E Y A D D A R I O / C O R B I S ; A L E S S A N D R A B E N E D E T T I / C O R B I S

Writing Home From left: Author and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk at his office in Istanbul; a view of the Bosporus; novelist and public figure Elif Shafak.

Istanbul. She laughed and said, “I think the only question then was whether it was an Hermès.” But I had seen a very different reaction to the wearing of a headscarf at Bog˘aziçi when I admitted a devout Muslim girl to one of my classes in American lit.

She was absolutely first-rate intellectually, but I didn’t know then that headscarves were forbidden in the state schools of secular Turkey. She was the daughter of an imam, and although I’ve never regretted having her as a student, I was being naïve and ignorant of Turkey’s hard-won secularism.

This was nearly 10 years ago, but the question is even more vital today. In a society as determinedly secular as Turkey, is there any room for such a visible symbol of religious identity in a state school?

I suspect it is fear-mongering to describe a clash of civilizations, which is not to say there are not considerable differences among us—cultural, political, economic and culinary. But is the best way to handle those differences to deny, or in effect to punish them? If a scarved Muslim woman is not allowed to attend a state university, where will she go to learn? I will never forget one of the women in my department saying that we Americans were in part responsible for the growing religious intensity of the Muslims in Turkey. She insisted that American support of the Saudis was to blame, since they had opened religious schools for the poorest Turks, who then flooded into Istanbul from the countryside—where memorizing the Koran was the focus of study, where they were not learning basic reading, writing and arithmetic.

I thought she was exaggerating the potential danger of such narrow thinking. She wasn’t.

T WAS MAUREEN FREELY who introduced me to Elif Shafak, the young Turkish author of The Bastard of Istanbul, which has sold more than 120,000 copies in Turkey and more than 20,000 copies in hardback in the United States, which is quite a feat. The novel is the story of two young

I

women, both 19: Asya, who lives in Istanbul with her mother and three batty aunts, and Armanoush, who splits her time between Arizona and San Francisco with her divorced father’s family, who are Armenian. “What will that innocent lamb tell her friends when she grows up?…all my family has been Something-Somethingian, and I am the grandchild of genocide survivors who lost all their relatives at the hands of Turkish butchers in 1915, but I myself have been brainwashed to deny the genocide because I was raised by some Turk named Mustafa!

What kind of a joke is that?”

I wanted to talk to Shafak on her home ground.

But in Istanbul, I couldn’t find her novel in Turkish—or in English, the language in which she’d written it (considered a cultural betrayal by some)— and I couldn’t find Shafak, either. I knew that she, pregnant with her first child, had been charged with violating a Turkish law that prohibits writers from denigrating their Turkishness. She was acquitted, as Pamuk had been on a similar charge. Just why her fiction was causing such a brouhaha in Istanbul is very much worth trying to understand, for it may not be simply that her characters accuse the Ottoman Turks of the genocide of the Armenians in 1915—she uses the “g-word” explosively—it may also be about memory and amnesia, or as Shafak asks, “Was it really better for human beings to discover more of their past? And then more and more…? Or was it simply better to know as little of the past as possible and even to forget what small amount was remembered?” Just after I left Istanbul, Hrant Dink, the editor of Agos, a Turkish-Armenian newspaper, was murdered on the streets there. He was killed by a young man reported to be the pawn of an ultranationalistic group trying to » SEP T EMBER 2008| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

117

t+l journal

| the arts READING LIST

The best of Istanbul’s lively literary scene The Bastard of Istanbul

by Elif Shafak; Viking; US$24.95.

The Gaze by Elif Shafak; Marion Boyars; US$14.95.

Enlightenment by Maureen Freely; Overlook; US$24.95.

The Other Rebecca by Maureen Freely; Academy Chicago; US$23.

The Lost Messiah by John Freely; Overlook; US$26.95.

Istanbul: The Imperial City by John Freely; Penguin; US$17.

Other Colors by Orhan Pamuk; Knopf; US$27.95.

Snow by Orhan Pamuk; Knopf; US$26.

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk; Knopf; US$26.95.

sabotage Turkey’s pending membership in the European Union. This splendid sanctuary on the edge of the Muslim world, and a significant part of it, has not been able to forge an easy entrance.

Dink was a friend of Shafak’s, and after his murder she found herself living under police protection in Turkey. She was in the hospital in Istanbul nursing her newborn baby, S¸ehrazat Zelda, when she saw her book-jacket photo being burned on television. Frightened, she was about to cancel her American book tour. But she made an exception for New York, and this is where I met her.

Tall and slim and strikingly good-looking, she says, “I am demoralized.” The anxiety after the murder of Dink has been wearing. “Writers are public figures in Turkey, especially novelists.” She brightens as we begin to talk about the wonder that

is Istanbul—its myriad neighborhoods, the liveliness of the streets. “I like to walk to Ortaköy,” she says, “where the women over the weekends are setting up stalls, selling necklaces or pretty charms.”

Or baked potatoes, with fresh yogurt and scallions, cheeses, or pickles and sour cream.

“Istanbul is not a passive city—both pain and joy are visible. The dead and the alive live side by side in Istanbul, where tombstones are everywhere.”

Painted green, I remind her, as in the cemetery on the road up to Bog˘aziçi. “For us, history starts in 1923. It’s so far away.” And suddenly I think: I’m old enough to be her mother. I wrote my first book when I was her age, about Zelda Fitzgerald. Why had she given her daughter the middle name Zelda?

I understood her choice of the name S¸ehrazat (Sheherazade), the lovely storyteller whose life depended on the tales she told. “I picked Zelda for my daughter’s name,” she explains, “because under anesthesia I talked about The Great Gatsby. When I woke up, my doctor said that in all his 30 years as a doctor he had never seen a woman he operated on blabber on about a novel. He was smiling. And so I decided to name my daughter Zelda. I have a deep admiration for Zelda Fitzgerald.”

Maybe only I remember that when Zelda had her first and only child, she was also groggy when she came out from under the anesthesia. But it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who recorded what she said: “Oh, God, goofo I’m drunk. Mark Twain. Isn’t she smart—she has the hiccups. I hope it’s beautiful and a fool—a beautiful little fool.” When Fitzgerald used it in Gatsby, Zelda felt betrayed. No one, of course, is using Elif Shafak’s life to write one of the finest works of fiction of the 20th century. She’s making her own way as a writer and a mother in the perilous 21st century in her beloved Turkey. But I must wish her Godspeed, or “S¸ehrazat!” as the Turks say, raising a glass to toast new lives and new books in their kingdom by the sea.

GUIDE TO LITERARY ISTANBUL

WHERE TO STAY GREAT Bebek Hotel VALUE 34 Cevdetpas ¸a Caddesi; 90-212/358-2000; bebekhotel.com.tr; doubles from US$333, including breakfast.

118

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet This property boasts an ideal location, five minutes from major monuments and the Old City. 1 Tevkifhane Sokak, Sultanahmet, Eminönü; 1-800/332-3442; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$420.

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

CAFES AND BOOKSTORES Fez Café 62 Halicilar Caddesi, Grand Bazaar; 90212/527-3684; lunch for two US$26.

Robinson Crusoe Books 389 Istiklal Caddesi, Beyog ˘ lu; 90-212/293-6968.

Homer Kitabevi Books 12/A Yeni C ¸ars ¸i Caddesi,

Galatasaray; 90-212/ 249-5902.

WHAT TO SEE Bog ˘aziçi University Bebek; 90-212/359-5400.

Rumeli Hisari 42 Yahya Kemal Caddesi; 90-212/ 263-5305.

Topkapi Palace Sultanahmet, Eminönü; 90-212/512-0480.

D AV I E S + S TA R R

WHEN TO GO Mild, drier weather in the spring and fall seasons make those the best times to visit.

We are waiting for you.

The new Café, Hotel Mulia.

When it’s luxury you crave.

www.hotelmulia.com

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2008 In Travel + Leisure Leisure’s ’s annual poll, our readers once again select their favorite hotels, spas, airlines, cruise lines, outfitters, cities and islands around the globe. Read on for a complete list of winners and a closer look at who’s on top. Plus: The 15 to watch that nearly made the cut.

Turn and Open for Winners >> EDITED BY J O H N N EW TO N , WITH AD DITI O NAL R E SE ARCH AN D R EP O R TIN G BY ADAM BISN O AN D J EN NIFER FLOWERS

121

FOUR SEASONS RESORT, CHIANG MAI | SPAS

CAPE TOWN | CITIES

MICATO SAFARIS BEST OUTFITTERS

SANTORINI BEST ISLAND, EUROPE

The Top 100 Hotels

Properties in Asia make up more than 20 percent of our list of the world’s best hotels this year, up from last year as T+L readers continue to recognize excellence in the region. That includes 12 properties in the top 50 alone, including hotels in India, Thailand, China and Hong Kong. The United States is also well-represented with 11 additional properties this year, for a total of 30.

2 3 4 4 6 7 8 9 10 11

South Africa 97.50 Jaipur, India 95.71 Masai Mara, Kenya 95.58 Udaipur, India 95.00 Darby, Montana 95.00 Agra, India 94.27 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 93.89 Sabi Sands, South Africa 93.48 Amboseli National Park, Kenya 93.06 Onzain, France 92.56 Buenos Aires 92.44

13 14

Los Angeles 92.32

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Bangkok 91.94 91.88 Masai Mara, Kenya 91.59

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

59 60

Shanghai 88.70 Tanzania 88.67

61

Interlaken, Switzerland 88.65

62

Washington, Virginia 88.58

63

Shanghai 88.51 Salzburg 88.50

65

Mexico 88.50 Istanbul 88.41 Maui 88.40

68

Cernobbio, Italy 88.39 Park City, Utah 88.38

70

Udaipur, India 91.43

California 88.35 Shanghai 88.28

71

Chiang Mai, Thailand 91.25 Beverly Hills 91.15

72 73

Rome 91.10 Cape Town 91.05

74

Lake Louise, Alberta 88.26 Aspen, Colorado 88.23 Siem Reap, Cambodia 88.16

75

Hong Kong 91.04 Australia 90.94

Phoenix 88.15

76 77

Rotorua, New Zealand 90.77 90.64 Hawaii 90.63

Tokyo 88.09 Nevis 88.05 Playa del Carmen, Mexico 88.04

79

Vienna 87.93 London 87.88

81 82

87.86 87.84

83 84

Positano, Italy 90.13 Paris 90.08 Budapest 90.00 New York City 89.94 Beijing 89.92 Rutherford, California 89.89 Mexico City 89.82 Nanyuki, Kenya 89.71 Big Sur, California 89.65 89.57 California 89.55 Prague 89.47 Honolulu 89.45 Chicago 89.38 Jackson Hole, Wyoming 89.36 Johannesburg 89.32 Paradise Island, Bahamas 89.29 Carmel Valley, California 89.27 Chicago 89.24 Venice 89.17 Singapore 89.03 Bologna, Italy 89.00

78 80

Tofino, Vancouver Island 90.63 Hong Kong 90.37 Brussels 90.20 Cuzco, Peru 90.16

41 42

Beaver Creek, Colorado 88.78 Zihuatanejo, Mexico 88.75

58

69

Bangkok 91.51

26 27

Warsaw 88.81

57

67

25 27

Santa Barbara, California 88.82

56

65

15 16

55

64

Little Torch Key, Florida 92.39

12

88.99 British Columbia 88.94

54

85 85 87 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 94 94 97 98 99 100

California 87.77 Maui 87.72 Quebec City 87.72 Capri, Italy 87.67 Johannesburg 87.67 Buenos Aires 87.66 Zürich 87.63 Positano, Italy 87.60 California 87.58 Hong Kong 87.57 Guanacaste, Costa Rica 87.50 Jackson Hole, Wyoming 87.50 87.50 Georgia 87.38 Peru 87.24 Santiago, Chile 87.16 Beijing 87.08

Throughout the World’s Best Awards, scores are rounded to the nearest hundredth of a point; in the event of a tie, properties, companies, or destinations share the same ranking.

O P P O S I T E , F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F S I N G I TA G A M E R E S E R V E S ; C O U R T E SY O F O B E R O I H OT E L S & R E S O R TS ( 2 )

1

SINGITA SABI SAND & KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

OBEROI RAJVILAS

OBEROI UDAIVILAS

Considering the building boom in China, it’s not surprising that there are more Chinese properties in the Asia top 50 than any other country — more than double the number of the first runner-up, Thailand, which has eight hotels in the region’s top 50. Forty percent of the hotels below are located in Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai.

VOYAGES LIZARD ISLAND | AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Top 50 Hotels: Asia 2 3 4 5 6

Jaipur, India 95.71 Udaipur, India 95.00 Agra, India 94.27 Bangkok 91.94 Bangkok 91.51 Udaipur, India 91.43 Chiang Mai, Thailand 91.25

7 8

Hong Kong 91.04 Hong Kong 90.37

9 10

Top 25 Hotels: Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Australia 90.94

1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

12 13

87.50 Taupo, New Zealand 87.00 Sydney 86.24 Sydney 85.47 Melbourne 85.12 Melbourne 83.73 Melbourne 82.21 Palm Cove, Australia 81.54 Auckland 81.30 Queenstown, New Zealand 81.25 Christchurch, New Zealand 80.78 Sydney 80.70 Melbourne 79.55 Tasmania 79.17 Sydney 78.70 Great Barrier Reef, Australia 78.57 Moorea, French Polynesia 78.00 Auckland 77.52 Ayers Rock, Australia 77.12 Australia 76.46 Australia 75.72 75.36 Auckland 74.64

Shanghai 88.28 Siem Reap, Cambodia 88.16

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25

Tokyo 88.09 Hong Kong 87.57 Beijing 87.08 Bangkok 86.88 Singapore 86.66 Mumbai, India 86.34 Tokyo 86.24 Singapore 86.21 Shanghai 86.09 Taipei 86.02 Thailand 86.00

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Jaipur, India 85.98 Singapore 85.36 Luang Prabang, Laos 85.24 Hong Kong 85.17 Hong Kong 85.14 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 85.00 New Delhi 84.80 Shanghai 84.78 Shanghai 84.46 Bangkok 84.41

36 37 38 39

Hong Kong 83.77 New Delhi 83.42 Bangkok 82.57 82.57

39

Bangkok 82.50

41 42 43 44 45

Singapore 82.36 Hanoi 81.94 Hong Kong 81.74 Hong Kong 80.88

49

Phnom Penh, Cambodia 80.81 Beijing 80.68 Beijing 80.64 Beijing 80.43

50

New Delhi 80.22

46 47 48

126

Shanghai 88.70 Shanghai 88.51

14

23

Rotorua, New Zealand 90.77

2

11

Beijing 89.92 Singapore 89.03

T H I S P A G E : C O U R T E S Y O F V O YA G E S H O T E L S & R E S O R T S .

O P P OS I T E , C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F O B E RO I H OT E L S & R ES O RTS ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E P E N I N S U L A B A N G KO K ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E O R I E N TA L B A N G KO K

1

OBEROI AMARVILAS ASIA

THE ORIENTAL ASIA

THE PENINSULA BANGKOK ASIA

Named the best property in the world in 2004 and 2006, Singita Sabi Sand & Kruger National Park is once again No. 1 in Africa and the Middle East this year â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and No. 1 in the world. Five other leading African safari camps, including the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, take top spots in the category, along with hotels in Cape Town, Jerusalem and Johannesburg.

SABI SABI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST 00

M O N TH 2 0 0 8| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

Top 25 Hotels: Africa and the Middle East South Africa 97.50

1

Masai Mara, Kenya 95.58 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 93.89

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Sabi Sands, South Africa 93.48 Amboseli National Park, Kenya 93.06 Masai Mara, Kenya 91.59 Cape Town 91.05 Nanyuki, Kenya 89.71 Johannesburg 89.32 Tanzania 88.67 Johannesburg 87.67 Tanzania 86.96 Nairobi 86.87

13 14

Zambia 85.74

15

Tanzania 85.28

16

Cape Town 85.00 Cairo 82.89

17 18

Jerusalem 82.86 Tanzania 82.50

19

Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya 82.50 Tanzania 81.68

19 21 22 23 24 25

Amboseli National Park, Kenya 81.09 Tanzania 81.00 Zimbabwe 80.00 Cairo 79.36

Top 25 Hotels: Mexico, and Central and South America

Top 25 Hotels: The Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas 1

T H I S P A G E : C O U R T E S Y O F S A B I S A B I . O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F A LV E A R P A L A C E H O T E L

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

1 2 3

Paradise Island, Bahamas 89.29 Nevis 88.05

Bermuda 87.08 Anguilla 87.07

4

Buenos Aires 92.44 Cuzco, Peru 90.16 Mexico City 89.82 Zihuatanejo, Mexico 88.75

Mexico 88.50

5 6

Playa del Carmen, Mexico 88.04

Negril, Jamaica 85.45 Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands 85.44 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 85.23 Jamaica 85.17 Turks and Caicos 84.55 Anguilla 84.48 British Virgin Islands 83.85

7

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands 82.96 Rose Hall, Jamaica 82.86

13

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 82.35 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 81.96

8 9 10 11

87.84 Buenos Aires 87.66 Guanacaste, Costa Rica 87.50 Peru 87.24 Santiago, Chile 87.16

12

14 15 16

La Romana, Dominican Republic 81.38 Puerto Rico 80.65

17

Los Cabos , Mexico 86.84 Los Cabos , Mexico 86.69 Mendoza, Argentina 86.01 Lima, Peru 85.85 Lima, Peru 85.77 CancĂşn 85.61

18

San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina 85.60

Bermuda 79.88 79.55 San Juan, Puerto Rico 79.36 78.02

19 20

St. Lucia 77.97

Playa del Carmen, Mexico 85.50 Los Cabos , Mexico 85.11 85.00

21

Mexico 84.90

22

Westmoreland, Jamaica 77.50 24 25

ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL | MEXICO, AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Jamaica 77.39 77.14

23

Chile 84.86

24

Panama City, Panama 84.76 Mexico 83.86

25

129

TRIPLE CREEK RANCH CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

LITTLE PALM ISLAND RESORT & SPA CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

Top 100 Hotels: Continental U.S. and Canada California has the greatest number of properties on our Continental U.S. and Canada list, thanks to a wide variety of hotels that includes everything from wine-country inns to oceanfront resorts to San Francisco classics. But the category isn’t lacking for geographical diversity: in all, 26 states — as well as the District of Columbia and four Canadian provinces — can claim at least one hotel on the list below.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

130

Darby, Montana 95.00 Little Torch Key, Florida 92.39 Los Angeles 92.32 Beverly Hills 91.15 Tofino, Vancouver Island 90.63 New York City 89.94 Rutherford, California 89.89 Big Sur, California 89.65 California 89.55 Chicago 89.38 Jackson Hole, Wyoming 89.36 Carmel Valley, California 89.27 Chicago 89.24 88.99 British Columbia 88.94 Santa Barbara, California 88.82 Beaver Creek, Colorado 88.78 Washington, Virginia 88.58 Park City, Utah 88.38 California 88.35

21 22 23 24 25 26

Lake Louise, Alberta 88.26 Aspen, Colorado 88.23 Phoenix 88.15 California 87.77 Quebec City 87.72 California 87.58 Jackson Hole, Wyoming 87.50

27

Georgia 87.38

28 29

86.84

30

Philadelphia 86.59

31

South Carolina 86.51 California 86.48

32 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

86.48 Las Vegas 86.46 Dixville Notch, New Hampshire 86.36 Asheville, North Carolina 86.32 86.08 San Francisco 86.07 Naples, Florida 85.93 Walland, Tennessee 85.89

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

HOTEL BEL-AIR CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

41 42 43 44

New Orleans 85.76 Banff, Alberta 85.74 Big Sur, California 85.69 Seattle 85.60

45 46 47 48

La Jolla, California 85.51 Washington, D.C. 85.49

50

Boston 85.46

53 54

Colorado 85.39

54 57 58 59

72 73 74

Chicago 85.28 Charleston, South Carolina 85.26 Boston 85.23 Sedona, Arizona 85.22

60

77 78 79 80 82 83 83 85

87 88 90

61

Washington, D.C. 85.04

91

62

Florida 85.03 San Francisco 85.03

92

69

New York City 85.03 Palm Beach, Florida 84.94 Vancouver 84.85 Philadelphia 84.81 Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 84.75 New York 84.71

70

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia 84.69

62 65 66 67 68

South Carolina 84.36 84.24 Colorado Springs, Colorado 84.22 Florida 84.20 Vancouver 84.08 84.05 Denver 84.01 Santa Monica, California 83.97 Miami 83.97 Washington, D.C. 83.95

86

89

Greensboro, Georgia 85.11

62

California 84.61 Boston 84.57 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario 84.52 Scottsdale, Arizona 84.41

76

81

Lake Placid, New York 85.44 North San Diego 85.42 85.39

52

56

Alberta 84.62

71

75

Pasadena, California 85.59 Palm Beach, Florida 85.58 Pebble Beach, California 85.57 Las Vegas 85.54

49 51

WICKANINNISH INN CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

93 94 95 96 96 98 99 100

Paradise Valley, Arizona 83.92 Kohler, Wisconsin 83.90 83.88 British Columbia 83.87 Naples, Florida 83.85 New York City 83.79 Nashville, Tennessee 83.75 San Francisco 83.67 California 83.65 Quebec City 83.57 Portland, Oregon 83.52 Santa Fe, New Mexico 83.52 Tysons Corner, Virginia 83.44 Chatham, Massachusetts 83.37 83.34

131

DOMAINE DES HAUTS DE LOIRE | EUROPE

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GRESHAM PALACE | EUROPE

HOTEL AMIGO EUROPE

Italy maintains its status on our Europe list as the country with the most properties (17), but this year Ireland overtakes France, with two Dublin hotels and five country estates — clear proof of the Emerald Isle’s ascendancy.

Top 50 Hotels: Europe Onzain, France 92.56

1 2 3 4

FOUR SEASONS RESORT LANAI, THE LODGE AT KOELE | HAWAII

Rome 91.10 Brussels 90.20 Positano, Italy 90.13 Paris 90.08

5

Budapest 90.00

6

89.57

7

Prague 89.47

8

Venice 89.17

9

Bologna, Italy 89.00

10

Warsaw 88.81

11

Interlaken, Switzerland 88.65

12

Salzburg 88.50

13

Istanbul 88.41

14 15 16

Cernobbio, Italy 88.39 Vienna 87.93 London 87.88

T H I S PA G E : C O U R T E SY O F F O U R S E A S O N S R E S O R T L A N A I . O P P O S I T E , C L O C KW I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F D O M A I N E D E S H A U T S D E L O I R E ; C O U R T E SY O F H O T E L A M I G O ; C O U R T E SY O F F O U R S E A S O N S H O T E L G R E S H A M PA L A C E

17 18

Capri, Italy 87.67

19 20

Zürich 87.63

21

Positano, Italy 87.60

22 23

Top 25 Hotels: Hawaii

87.86

Ravello, Italy 86.84 Venice 86.63

2

25

Edinburgh 86.60

3 4

Istanbul 86.36

26

6

86.23

28

Athens 86.10

29 30 32 33 34

11

County Kerry, Ireland 85.50 London 85.40 County Limerick, Ireland 85.21 County Clare, Ireland 85.06 Ireland 84.75

39 39 41

12 13

Florence 85.43

37 38

10

Dublin 85.62

36

14 15

21

48 49 50

Hawaii 80.32 Oahu 80.17

19 20

Venice 83.99 Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy 83.97 Venice 83.79

Hawaii 81.32 Maui 80.74

Madrid 84.07

47

Maui 81.91 Kauai 81.87

Honolulu 80.54

Stockholm 84.55

Athens 83.89

Honolulu 83.74 Honolulu 82.11

17

43

46

84.60 Hawaii 83.86

18

Monaco 84.75 London 84.56

44

86.85 Hawaii 85.54

16

42

45

Maui 88.40 Maui 87.72

9

Budapest 85.71 Dublin 85.68

35

Hawaii 90.63 Honolulu 89.45

7 8

Milan 85.75

31

90.64

5

Italy 86.29

27

91.88

1

Reims, France 86.82

24

22 23

Honolulu 79.70 79.47 Oahu 79.21 78.73 Maui 77.76

24 25

77.75

Rome 83.55 Florence 83.54 County Mayo, Ireland 83.53

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ANANTARA SEMINYAK RESORT & SPA

15 to Watch ANANTARA SEMINYAK RESORT & SPA Bali Fifty-nine Balinese-inspired sea-view suites — with spacious balconies, silk daybeds and oversize terrazzo tubs — on exclusive Seminyak beach.

ANDAZ LIVERPOOL STREET London The former Great Eastern Hotel upped its hip factor last November with a redesign that included trading in lobby front desks for concierge-style check-in and a casual, secondhome feel.

COVE ATLANTIS Paradise Island, Bahamas

Canary yellow and fuchsia accent 600 rooms by Jeffrey Beers in this palm-studded oceanfront resort with two beachside pools.

DOLDER GRAND Zürich This century-old resort took more than four years to renovate, and has incorporated an extension by architect Norman Foster. The result: 173 sleek, modern guest rooms and a 4,000-square-meter spa.

GANSEVOORT SOUTH HOTEL, SPA & RESIDENCES Miami

Sharks swim at eye level with guests in a 15-meter lobby aquarium at this playful 334-room South Beach property.

LE RICHEMOND Geneva The prestigious 133-year-old hotel has a contemporary new look, courtesy of John Stefanidis, and views of Brunswick Gardens, the Alps and Lake Geneva.

THE PALAZZO Las Vegas

The Venetian’s 3,066-suite sister property opened this year — to the tune of US$1.9 billion. Each suite has a sunken living room, and guests can choose from 15 restaurants.

THE PENINSULA Tokyo

In the Marunouchi business district, guest rooms measure 50 square meters — among the city’s largest — and have unsurpassed views of the nearby Imperial Palace.

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Mumbai

THE REGENT Bal Harbour

Four Seasons’ first foray into the subcontinent blends Indian touches (silk pillows and local art) with high-tech amenities.

The Regent’s first U.S. property opted for classic décor over Florida flash, with crystal chandeliers and Anichini bedding.

Top 10 Small Hotels* 1 2 3 4 4 6 7 8 9 10

South Africa 97.50

Jaipur, India 95.71 Masai Mara, Kenya 95.58 Udaipur, India 95.00 Darby, Montana 95.00 Serengeti National Park, Kenya 93.89 Sabi Sands, South Africa 93.48 Amboseli National Park, Kenya 93.06 Onzain, France 92.56 Little Torch Key, Florida 92.39

*Small hotels have 100 rooms or fewer.

RITZ-CARLTON Palm Beach

This newly updated hotel has an elegant, Asian-inspired flair, oceanfront cabanas, two inviting outdoor pools and a 279square-meter terrace facing Florida’s azure Atlantic coastline.

ST. REGIS HOTEL Singapore St. Regis makes its bold Southeast Asian debut with chinoiserie armoires, contemporary Chinese artwork, and a multilingual, BlackBerry-armed staff.

UMAID BHAWAN PALACE Jodhpur This palatial, Art Deco–style hotel, which took 15 years to build and opened in 1943, sits on 10.5 hectares of manicured gardens high above the desert capital of Jodhpur.

The well-appointed 76 guest rooms include 40 oversize suites.

CRUISE LINE: AZAMARA CRUISES

Take part in the onshore excursions offered by this new cruise line (an offshoot of Celebrity Cruises) and visit Egypt’s Pyramids or China’s Xi’an-dynasty terracotta warriors; enjoy butler service and your own private veranda while at sea.

AIRLINE: L’AVION

Six days a week, all-business-class 757’s transport a mere 90 passengers per flight between Paris and New York and offer seasonal menus and seats that recline to 140 degrees.

Top 10 Hotels: $250 or Less*

Onzain, France 92.56 Dixville Notch,

1 2

New Hampshire 86.36 86.08

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Seattle 85.60 Bangkok 84.41 83.86 Portland, Oregon 83.52 Cairo 82.89 Asheville, North Carolina 82.86 Bangkok 82.57

* Prices are for a standard double room, either high-season (resorts) or published rack rates (city hotels).

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T H I S P A G E : C O U R T E S Y O F A N A N TA R A S E M I N YA K R E S O R T & S P A .

O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E SY O F C R YS TA L C R U I S E S

To qualify for a World’s Best Award, a hotel or company must receive a minimum number of votes from readers. The 13 new hotels, one cruise line and one airline here are the ones we predict will make Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best lists in the near future.

Cruise Lines, Airlines and Car-Rental Agencies 1

90.67 88.71

4 5 6 7 8

80.07

5

78.37

80.06

68.26

5

79.24 79.18

8

73.09

4

85.88 79.70

7

75.80

76.89

9

6 7

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10

77.38 74.54

69.96 67.79

2 3

67.50

4

65.56

5

80.89 80.77

9 1

84.32 82.09

8

76.24

10

86.17

3

79.86

6

77.92

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81.44

4

87.37

2

3

81.32

88.00

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82.44

2

82.50

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90.22

1

2

TOP 10 SMALL-SHIP CRUISE LINES

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

TOP 10 LARGE-SHIP CRUISE LINES

65.20

The Crystal Symphony, off the Whitsundays, Australia.

CRYSTAL CRUISES LARGE-SHIP CRUISE LINE

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MINILOC ISLAND RESORT, PALAWAN. PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICK DYNAMO

140 TAIPEI takes on a modern twist 154 Counting the beaches of PALAWAN 164 Travelers’ tales of HOTEL perfection 139

Nouveau Taipei Local hipsters.

Opposite: Villa 32 resort in Beitou, a hot springs district in Taipei.

UNDER THE RADAR FOR YEARS, TAIWAN’S CAPITAL HAS FORGED ITS OWN UNIQUE, ENGAGING IDENTITY. BUT WILL IT CHANGE AS TIES WITH CHINA GROW CLOSER?

BY JENNIFER CHEN. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON LANG

141

SOMETIMES, IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE OF A CITY, YOU NEED TO TAKE TO THE AIR. AND IN TAIPEI, THERE ARE TWO WAYS you can do this without chartering a helicopter. One is by tea plantations that cloak the hills in the city’s southern diszipping up Taipei 101, the 101-story building that, for now, trict of Wenshan. Taipei’s urban heart pulls back sharply, and you see the city’s topography clearly: a series of Lego-like holds the record as the world’s tallest skyscraper.

The journey begins with a high-speed elevator that ferries blocks nestled in a green basin.

Unlike Taipei 101, which lures Asian and Western tourists, you up to the 89th floor in 37 seconds. Once you disembark, head up the two flights of stairs that lead to the circular out- Maokong is a more local affair—teenage girls with guileless door deck on the 91st floor. Walk clockwise from the entrance expressions and white knee socks eager to get their picture for the full effect. If you go at night, you’ll first notice the new taken with any foreigners; bow-legged, sun-burnt farmers condominiums springing up in the east, then the dark silhou- from southern Taiwan. For them, the trip’s rewards aren’t just ettes of the mountains in the south. Finally, you hit the city’s the bird’s-eye views of the city, but also the traditional bustling center in the west and north—cars, mere specks of Chinese teahouses near the terminal station, where you can metal at this height, ease down the tangle of roads; building contemplate either the city or the dark-green mountains that lights seem to gently pulsate. Yes, it smacks of gimmickry, but ring Taipei while slowly sipping Taiwan’s famed gaoshan tea.

Both experiences are spectacular, but in vastly different there’s still something seductive about gazing at Taipei in all ways—and in different ways they encapsulate the its neon-lit glory from nearly 400 meters.

City of Light complex, nuanced metropolis Taipei has become in Or you can opt for a ride on the Maokong cable Above: High recent years. When it was unveiled on New Year’s car. Go during the day, preferably right before dusk school students in Danshui, a Eve in 2004, Taipei 101 was the city’s way of and emphatically not on the weekend, when it’s suburb north of announcing that it was no longer an arriviste, a thronged with day-trippers. From the main station Taipei. Opposite: Taipei 101 lights town of hucksters too busy making a buck to care near the Taipei Zoo, the cable cars glide up nearly up the evening. about their surroundings. It was an instant land4 kilometers of line, steeply climbing through the 142

mark that’s become a showcase for the city’s global ambitions. Sculptures by international artists, including American pop artist Robert Indiana’s iconic Love, dot the grounds, while the adjoining mall boasts big-name luxury brands, a gourmet supermarket, top-notch restaurants and even a café serving authentic Viennese coffees.

If Taipei 101 represents a metropolis of 6 million seeking its rightful place on the international stage, the tea plantations of Maokong are a throwback to its Chinese roots. One breezy spring afternoon at the Shui Ke Teahouse, a simple, outdoor establishment with lovely prospects, the owner’s daughter holds a quick tutorial for a group of friends and me on making tea the Chinese way, her slender hands gracefully pouring the amber liquid from teapot to carafe and then into tiny, glazed cups. One friend spies a young man trimming bamboo shoots and asks me to order a platter of them stirfried. The simple transaction turns into a friendly chat with the owner, and when I turn away to rejoin my companions, his wife quickly shoves a bag of peanuts into my hands, saying with a shy smile, “They’re on us.”

Her gesture, the setting, the way our fellow tea enthusiasts revel in this ancient pastime make me realize that in some ways, Taipei, in a hurry to grow up for so long, was now slowing down, and remembering—in fact, delighting in—its old ways. “We’re slower now,” my friend Leo, who’s lived in Taipei for years, says when I ask him what’s Urban Oases Top row, from changed. “We’re not so anxious about catching up.” left: Designer Jamei Chen

M

(left); VVG Bed & Breakfast, an offshoot of a popular bistro; Shi Yang Shan Fang restaurant; the restaurant’s grounds. Middle row, from left: Yongkang park; the hot springs in Beitou; a staff member at Villa 32 resort; quail eggs being sold on the street in Danshui. Bottom row, from left: Inside Chen’s studio; inside Shi Yang Shan Fang restaurant; a decoration at the restaurant; a living room inside VVG.

OST ASIAN CITIES are studies in sharp juxtapositions. Consider the stately grandeur of Bangkok’s palaces and temples, and the scrappy vitality of its seedier districts. Or Beijing’s ancient hutongs in the shadow of recently built monoliths. In most of these cities, contrasts collide or jostle for dominance. But they don’t in Taipei: though only 272 square kilometers, it’s somehow capacious enough to be accommodate modern wizardry—as embodied by Taipei 101—as well as Maokong’s rustic idyll.

Taipei wasn’t always like this, so comfortable in its own skin.

Wave after wave of conquest and migration forced it to try on several guises, which might account for its present-day generosity. Founded by immigrants from China’s southern Fujian province in the early 18th century, the city had become a thriving center of trade by the time the Qing dynasty remembered to formalize its claim on Taiwan in 1886. Taipei was anointed the capital, but imperial rule didn’t last long. In 1895, the island was ceded to Japan as part of the treaty that ended the Sino-Japanese War. The new regime remade the city, erecting not just low-slung timber homes but also brick and stone edifices that housed schools and government offices. For five decades, Taipei was Japanese: efficient, orderly and exceedingly polite.

Ownership reverted back to the Chinese with Japan’s World War II defeat in 1945. But in 1949, Taipei—in one of the strangest political conceits in the 20th century—became the seat of government for the Republic of China after Chiang Kai-shek, his Nationalist government and 2 million mainlanders fled to Taiwan to escape Mao Zedong’s victorious peasant army. Under Chiang’s iron-fisted rule, Taipei became, once again, a Chinese city. Over the years, when it became clear that the Nationalists’ belief that they would someday reclaim China was a distant pipe dream, they began constructing buildings in the image of their lost homeland: the National Palace Museum,

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China” and, most controversially, rechristening the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, the Chiang KaiModern Mix Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as the National shek Memorial Hall.

Above: The bar at Sofa, Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. But in a In the meantime, the island’s economy boomed, a trendy club. young democracy grappling with its identity, these as did its capital, and in the 1980’s and early 90’s, Opposite: The dressing rooms gestures carried weight. I’d left Taipei before Chen Taipei was choked on its own capitalist success, at Undercover took office, but kept visiting the city through the with foul air, chaotic traffic, blinking neon signs boutique. years, and I’d noticed other small but telling and hideously utilitarian buildings, distinguishable changes. Taxi drivers berated me for not understandonly by house plants grown luxuriant in the subing Taiwanese (though I do speak Mandarin) and some persisted tropical climate. A fascinating city, yes. Loveable? Not really.

In 1999, I moved to Taipei to work as a reporter for a local in speaking it to me despite my obvious incomprehension.

Beneath the clamor of politics, though, Taipei was evolving. newspaper. I already knew the city from childhood visits, and on the surface, it hadn’t changed much. But underneath, it Twenty years ago, a day in the city left your fingernails was humming with politics as the island continued to grope its encrusted with its grime. Now, thanks to the efforts of city hall way towards being a fully fledged democracy. With Taiwan’s and one of the best public transportation systems in Asia, the second presidential election slated for the following year, peo- air in Taipei feels fresh and clean. The epitome of fashion ple were already chattering about the candidate for the once- once consisted of T-shirts with mangled English slogans; in outlawed Democratic People’s Party: Chen Shui-bian, the the past few years, young people have started to dress more former mayor of Taipei. Besides wanting to cement Taiwan’s like their hip Tokyo counterparts, all sleek lines and quirky, de facto independence, Chen exhorted the idea of a separate telling details, with every permutation of geek-chic plastic Taiwanese identity. But given the island’s history—one so frames. My colleagues and I used to unwind at Underworld, a tiny smoky bar where grunge never grew out of fashion. intertwined with China—was that possible?

Chen tried his best, and when he won the election in March These days, I’m more likely to meet friends for a nightcap at 2000, he set to work at dismantling the Nationalist legacy, and Barcode, a slick venue known for its handsome bartenders and in effect, ties with China. True, many of his initiatives seemed creative cocktails. Nine years ago, there was only one Italian symbolic—like removing the portraits of Chiang and his son restaurant in town that didn’t douse spaghetti with ketchup, and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, from government offices, and serve it as, in the local parlance, yidalishi mian, or Italianstamping “Taiwan” on new passports instead of “Republic of style noodles. Today, the city abounds with trattorias.

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F

yet another wealthy Asian city with international appetites, minimalist architecture and Agnès B. boutiques, there’s still something distinctive—and alluring—about this city.

Taipei, more so than many Asian metropolises, has visible layers of historical sediment. Plenty of old buildings have been bulldozed. My mother once lived in a Japanese house with a tiled roof that disappeared ages ago. But what’s left has been given more than a fresh lick of paint; they’ve been handed a whole new identity—and not just as a boutique/café/restaurant/hotel. Take the former American ambassador’s downtown residence. It’s now an art-house movie wonderland, called SpotTaipei Film House, complete with a café and a bookstore specializing in film.

Then there’s MOCA Taipei, a contemporary art museum housed in a dignified, vaguely Victorian red-brick building that’s now onto its third incarnation. “This building embodies so much about Taipei’s history: it was a Japanese school and then it became the city hall under the Nationalists,” J. J. Shih, the gregarious director of MOCA Taipei, enthuses. “And now, it’s both something antique and something very contemporary.”

Contemporary is certainly the right adjective for the kind of exhibitions the museum stages. On my last visit, mannequins dressed in vintage Christian Lacroix struck insouciant poses along the ground floor hallway, part of a traveling exhibition on the French couturier by two of his countrymen. Upstairs, several rooms were taken up by video installations that range from the solemn to the absurdist to the grotesque.

Taipei’s historical layers aren’t just confined to buildings; they shade almost every aspect of daily life. Walk into stores here, and the staff will yell, “Welcome!” and then “Goodbye!” as you leave—a practice imported from Japan. Japanese kawaii, or cute, culture permeates teen life, and sometimes spills over into adult existence. The souvenir shop at the top of Taipei 101 peddles plush dolls of the 660-tonne pendulum, or damper, that keeps the building steady from high winds and earthquakes; equipped with legs, arms and a big “O” of a mouth, they’re called “damper babies.”

It’s not just the Japanese who’ve left an imprint here. Schools are more likely to have basketball courts and baseball diamonds than football pitches—reminders that Taiwan was, and still is to some extent, under the patronage and protection of the United States. In fact, just about everyone you meet in Taipei has some connection to the United States. “I have a green card [to the United States], can I vote?” a retired colonel and an avowed supporter of Barack Obama once asked me.

Then, of course, there is the Chinese influence, undeniable despite eight years of Taiwan-centrism. “We have the longest tradition of Chinese culture because, unlike China, we didn’t have a cultural revolution for 20 years,” Lee Yong-ping, the city’s cultural commissioner who’s part of the new brigade of Nationalists, tells me. “Even today, we still can claim that we are the better part of Chinese culture rather than Beijing or Shanghai.”

“We are more Chinese than the Chinese”—it’s an enduring Nationalist refrain that sent Chen and his sympathizers into apoplectic fits. But Chinese culture is stamped all over the DNA of Taipei. On the MRT, teenagers automatically yield their seats to the elderly, as Confucian principles dictate.

In the classical Chinese literature section of the flagship store of Eslite—a wonderfully eclectic homegrown bookstore chain—twentysomethings huddle in corners poring over centuries-old texts—all printed in the traditional Chinese characters that only Taiwan and Hong Kong still use. The city’s most famous attractions—from the National Palace Museum right down to AR FROM BEING

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A view of the hot springs in Beitou.

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Taipei 101—all draw from Chinese tradition in one way or another.

Taipei is also, hands down, the best place in the world to taste authentic versions of China’s varied regional cuisines.

Cantonese, Shanghainese, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hakka, Hunan, Hainan, Hangzhou, Fujian, Beijing—name a style of Chinese cooking and you can find it here. For me, an ideal day in Taipei starts with shaobing youtiao, a flatbread sprinkled with sesame seeds from northern China stuffed with a fried cruller (basically a bread sandwich, but when done right, ethereally flaky and crispy), moves onto hand-pulled Lanzhou-style noodles with melt-in-your-mouth beef tendon for lunch and peaks with a Sichuan meal at Chili House, whose mini wontons bathed in chili oil haunt my dreams.

But let’s get one thing straight: the version of Chinese culture present here didn’t have to endure revolution, famine and destruction. Instead, it’s been debated, dissected and at times, radically updated—that’s what happens in a democracy. Take, for instance, the National Palace Museum, home to the world’s greatest collection of Chinese antiquities, which was spirited out of China by the Nationalists. Two years ago, it reopened after an extensive renovation, and almost immediately drew fire for not being Chinese enough. Critics griped about how the new cafés and gift shop meant there was less exhibition space. But make no mistake: the museum desperately needed a rehaul and there’s no denying that the biggest 150

draw is still the collection. Even the elegant teahouse that occupies the fourth floor—and the target of particular ire from the critics—is undeniably Chinese in inspiration, down to its very name: San Hsi T’ang, which was the private study of Qianlong, the Qing dynasty’s sixth emperor.

Sometimes, all the influences that make up Taipei converge. Taxis are painted yellow, just like in New York City, though some drivers deck the windows with lacy curtains and dress in tailored blue vests and spotless white gloves—another Japanese habit. At night, Taipei’s main thoroughfares acquire Tokyo’s kinetic look, with swarms of people swirling through the traffic and brightly lit shops and restaurants. But tucked behind or between these big roads are pocket neighborhoods—such as the areas around Da’an and Anhe roads and behind the intersection of Dunhua South and Zhongxiao East roads—that are more European in flavor with denizens who wouldn’t look out of place in New York’s East Village circa the 1980’s. It’s a cultural mash-up that even the city’s cheerleaders admit can be disorienting at times. “Taipei is quite post-modern. You get all kinds of influences and cultural aspects, and you will feel some chaotic force,” Lee says.

I experience a moment of this cultural chaos in, of all places, a mall. In a courtyard across from a Starbucks, an African man dressed in a tracksuit practices the seamless motions of Shaolin gongfu while a local and his toddler grandson watch appreciatively. Suddenly, the strains of “La

The Other China From opposite: A daybed in VVG Bed & Breakfast; the view of Danshui River; outside Shi Yang Shan Fang; a canine citizen of Taipei; designer Jamei Chen; a lamp at VVG Bed & Breakfast.

Habanera” from Carmen come on, and two stout middle-aged ladies encased in pink spandex tops and flowing skirts shimmy together, flamenco-style, waving the feather fans used in a court dance that dates back to the Tang dynasty.

Both Lee and Shih call Taipei a sponge, soaking up all influences. But watching this spectacle—amusing yet arresting in its mixed cultural metaphors—I wonder if a salad is a more apt comparison: separate elements tossed at random, bound together by a dressing of free expression.

T

IS BUZZING with politics again. The Nationalists are back in power: Harvard-educated lawyer Ma Ying-jeou has won the March presidential elections by a landslide. After years of looking inward, Taiwan is eager to re-engage with the world, and that means dealing with China again.

Ma’s vowed repeatedly to build closer ties with Beijing, including establishing direct flights and raising the quota of mainland tourists from 1,000 a day to 3,000 a day. Most people I talk to about the impending onslaught of mainlanders are blasé about it, even upbeat. “It’s a chance to influence mainlanders and show them what is unique about Taiwanese culture,” says Christine Lee, an editor for the local edition of Harper’s Bazaar. “We have something they don’t have, and maybe they will learn that we’re not just an evil island.” Like many in Taipei’s younger generations, Christine, a bright, AIPEI

articulate woman in her late 20’s, takes a pragmatic view of China, one in which Taiwan happily reaps the economic benefits of better relations with the mainland but maintains a political distance.

Not everyone, though, shares this optimism. Mei Dean-E, an acclaimed artist who tackles the thorny issues of Taiwanese identity in his work, is among those who believe Ma’s strategy will allow China to swallow up Taiwan. “I’m afraid,” he tells me bluntly when we meet up in IT Park, a sliver of an art gallery off Nanjing East Road. “I hope the mainlanders will learn more about Taiwan before they come here and respect this place as an equal. But I don’t think that will happen,” he adds. A slight, neatly dressed man with round, tortoise-shell spectacles, Mei smiles apologetically as we talk. “I’m too pessimistic,” he says at one point.

I have to admit, he’s right. He is too pessimistic. In MOCA Taipei, I linger in one of the galleries showing a video installation. It’s the absurdist one—a series depicting performance artist Tsui Kuang-yu’s antics in Taipei, Amsterdam and Liverpool—though I’m more amused by the reaction from a group of schoolchildren, who alternately gawp at the videos and my husband, a tall Englishman. “The artist is working out his place in the world,” says their guide. Like the city itself, I think. And when I wonder about where Taipei has been and where it’s headed, I realize this: We’ve come too far.

There’s no turning back.

151

GUIDE TO TAIPEI Chili House 250–3 Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 4; 886-2/27216088; www.just-hot.com; dinner for two NT$1,200.

Yong He Dou Jiang Da Wong Chinese breakfast: hot soy milk and shaobing youtiao. Fuxing South Rd., Sec. 2; 886-2/27367560; NT$150.

Gi Yuan Restaurant An oldschool eatery best known for its chicken soup, which is simmered in clay pots for hours. 324 Dunhua South Rd., Sec. 1; 886-2/2708-3110; dinner for two NT$1,400.

Norwegian Wood Coffee House An arty favorite among university students. No. 9, Lane 284, Roosevelt Rd.; 886-2/23653089; coffee for two NT$500.

WHEN TO GO Late October to January is the best time to visit Taipei, when the weather is comfortably cool.

April to early October is the rainy season, with the occasional typhoon. The city shuts down during Chinese New Year (which usually falls in January or February).

GETTING THERE Major Asian airlines fly to Taoyuan International Airport, an hour outside of downtown Taipei. Metered taxis to the city cost around NT$1,200; express buses cost around NT$135.

WHERE TO STAY The Tango Hotel Xinyi This sleek boutique hotel offers huge, wellappointed rooms. 297 Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 5; 8862/2528-8000; tango-hotels.com; doubles from NT$6,000.

GREAT VALUE

The Sherwood One of the city’s first luxury hotels, this property has old-fashioned, generously sized rooms. 111 Minsheng East Rd., Sec. 3; 886-2/2718-1188; sherwood.com.tw; doubles from NT$10,200.

Grand Hyatt Taipei Five-star living, right next to Taipei 101. 2 Songshou Rd., 886-2/2720-1234; taipei.grand.hyatt.com; doubles from NT$7,700.

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United Hotel Minimalist chic in one of Taipei’s poshest neighborhoods. 200 Guangfu South Rd.; 886-2/2773-1515; unitedhotel.com.tw; doubles from NT$7,400.

Villa 32 In Taipei’s hot spring district of Beitou, this five-suite retreat mixes modern comfort and design with Asian traditions.

The resort’s Italian restaurant is also one of the city’s finest; and you can rent private hot spring rooms for the day. 32 Zhongshan Rd.; 886-2/6611-8888; villa32. com; suites from NT$25,000.

Sheraton Taipei Popular with business travelers, this 688room hotel offers serene comfort in a central location.

12 Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 1; 886-2/2321-5511; sheraton-taipei. com; NT$10,000.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK Shi Yang Shan Fang Taiwanese take on Japanese kaiseki cuisine in a refined, Japanese-style house. No. 160, Lane 101, Jingshan Rd., Shilin district; 886-2/2862-0078.

Kao Chi Shanghainese soup dumplings of the same quality as the famed Din Tai Fung, but without the queues. 150 Fuxing South Rd., Sec. 1; 886-2/27519393; kao-chi.com; lunch for two NT$800.

Taiwan. 2nd floor, 128 Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 4; 886-2/27725123; dinner for two NT$1,200.

WHAT TO DO National Palace Museum 221 Chih Shan Rd., Sec. 2; 886-2/2881-2021; npm.gov.tw; admission NT$160.

MOCA Taipei 39 Chang-an West Rd.; 886-2/2552-3721; mocataipei. org.tw; admission NT$50.

Spot 18 Zhongshan North Rd., Sec. 2; 886-2/2562-5612; www. spot.org.tw.

IT Park 2nd floor, 41 Yi Tong St.; 886-2/2507-7243.

Maokong cable car Take the Muzha MRT line to Taipei Zoo; NT$50 to Maokong station.

Barcode 5th floor, 22 Songshou Rd.; 886-2/2725-3520; cocktails for two NT$600.

Taipei 101 Observatory taipei-101.com.tw; admission NT$400.

Underworld Basement, 45 Shida Rd.; 886-2/2369-0103.

National Democracy Memorial Hall 21 Zhongshan South Rd.; admission free.

Shui Ke Teahouse Lane 40, Zhinan Rd., Sec. 3; 886-2/22341249; tea with snacks NT$750.

San Hsi T’ang 4th floor, National Palace Museum, 221 Chih Shan Rd., Sec. 2; 886-2/2881-2021; tea for two NT$500.

VVG Bistro This cozy French restaurant is a favorite with the city’s creative class. There are also two apartments next door that you can rent. No. 20, Alley 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 4; 886-2/8773-3533; www.vvgbbb.com.tw; dinner for two NT$1,790.

Sofa A swank lounge with retro furnishings and provocative artwork. No. 56, Lane 161, Dunhua South Rd., Sec. 1; 8862/8773-0906.

Din Tai Fung Perhaps one of Taipei’s most famous exports, this legendary dumpling chain now has branches all over the world. But locals swear the dumplings at the original outlet are the best. 194 Xinyi Rd., Sec. 2 (near Yongkang St.); 886-2/23218928; dintaifung.com.tw; lunch for two NT$750.

Qi-Min Organic Hotpot A stylish, and healthy, take on one of the favorite ways to eat in

National Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall 505 Renai Rd., Sec. 4; admission free.

WHERE TO SHOP Jamei Chen · Dialogue Across from Spot cinema, this softly lit store sells organic clothing and accessories and doubles as a tea house. No. 1-1, Lane 20, Zhongshan Rd., Sec. 2; 8862/2563-0568; jamei-chen.com.

Sonata On one Taipei’s most fashionable streets, this boutique sells Vanessa Bruno and other French designs. 125 Da’an Rd., Sec. 1; 886-2/2776-4235.

MOT The Museum of Tomorrow — a café/gallery/restaurant/ design store — stocks ingenious and beautiful Japanese home wares and furniture. 24 Fuxing South Rd., Sec. 1; 886-2/27518088; motstyle.com.tw.

Undercover Cutting-edge styles from Japanese avant-garde darling Jun Takahashi. There’s also a café serving cocktails created by Barcode. No. 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao East Rd., Sec. 4; 886-2/2775-3669.

Eslite Xinyi 11 Songgao Rd.; 8862/8789-3388.

Strolling in Danshui, which is famed for xiaochi, or snacks.

Island Idyll A lazy day at the beach. Opposite: A lagoon on Miniloc Island.

Perfect Palawan. Gorgeous beaches fringing and resorts lingering in splendid isolation, this CHRIS KUCWAY explores one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 154

g myriad islands, idyllic emerald lagoons string-bean archipelago has it all, and more. last frontiers. Photographs by NICK DYNAMO 155

Sporty Palawan Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Exploring beaches on foot; kayaking around the bay; all tanked up and ready to dive; preparing for certification.

Y GUIDE STOPS SUDDENLY and, without looking back, motions for me to do the same. He’s spotted something on the rise ahead, along a path that has been cleared through dense forest on Pangalusian Island.

“Kingfisher,” he whispers, though I don’t see a thing and am just content to catch my breath. As I do, the bird twitters and flies off. The hike to the top of this island, near the town of El Nido on Palawan in the Philippines, isn’t exactly an arduous affair, topping out at 193 meters. On the way up and without breaking stride or even a sweat, guide Raffy Dalabajan points out everything of botanical note—ironwood trees, rattan trees, stands of bamboo and bright red Mamilla flowers that pop out of the lush green forest—as well as identifying a countless number of birds common to the islands either by sight or sound.

Reaching the end of this short trek, we clamber up onto a wooden lookout. Spread out below us is the majestic bay where Raffy grew up. I ask him if he’s ever been to Manila.

Yes, he says, he tries to go once a year. Does he like the city?

His eyes sweep across the horizon before answering. “No.” He appears embarrassed but quickly justifies the point-blank admission. “It wasn’t until I went to Manila that I really saw how special all of this is.”

We’re completely encircled by the beautiful seascape around Bacuit Archipelago. Within this 360-degree view are dozens of islands formed by jagged 250-million-year-old limestone that punch out of the bay into the clear blue summer sky like so many giant, misshapen molars. And the sea that surrounds them, home to a stunning array of marine life, is every shade of aquamarine in nature’s palette. Standing here in a calm breeze, it’s easy to see why Palawan is often called one of Asia’s last frontiers.

Palawan is that slender finger of land, between 10 and 25 kilometers wide and about 380 kilometers long, that extends south from the rest of the Philippines almost to the tip of Borneo. Given half the chance, any local will let you know that there are more than 2,000 kilometers of beaches and some 1,780 islands in and around this land bridge. It’s the kind of place that, as soon as you arrive, you forget when it is you are to leave. Instead, and all too easily, you become obsessed with the length of beaches and the total number of islands, perfectly willing to verify the counts if the job happens to become available.

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Back to Basics Above: Grilled fish with calamansi, a delicious local dish. Left: Exploring the streets — both of them — in the compact El Nido town.

Opposite: Relaxing at the Miniloc Island Resort.

EING SUSPENDED IN A MOVING WALL of ox-eye scad, their small yellow and white bodies darting away a second before contact, is an otherworldly experience.

But it’s only part of the explosion of natural neon under the waves around Miniloc Island and unlike anything I’ve seen.

In a region where “do you dive?” is a standard greeting, I’m an odd one out in that I’m not certified. Here, that’s synonymous with certifiable. Parrotfish and clownfish dart about the brain coral, while on the seabed the purple lips of an endangered giant clam pucker, closing when I drift near.

Once back on the banca, proudly sporting the suctioncupped impression from snorkeling gear on my face, Raffy quizzes me about what I saw. I spew forth an ocean’s worth of descriptions, some a little less than scientific or even correct, and he hears me out. At 32 and having grown up in the nearby village of Babeladan, he’s heard it all before, but fills in the gaps where he can. I imagine he spent his childhood exploring these islands, but he says different. Raffy’s father was a farmer. Only once a year his extended family would gather for a day out on the bay like this. The obvious question then is what’s changed about Palawan since he was a kid?

Aside from a handful of resorts, “little,” he says.

Ten minutes further away, we come face to rock face with some of that ageing limestone at Small Lagoon on Miniloc.

As the boatman maneuvers his banca underneath, Raffy hoists himself onto a sheer wall with ease, his flip-flops grasping any foothold they can. Easy enough. So I pull myself up onto this

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game of vertical twister, careful to follow his every move on limestone as sharp as broken glass. The view is unbeatable.

Translucent water is surrounded by soaring serrated walls of rock that, on high, give way to a deep blue sky. It’s a scene a theme-park operator would kill for, but only nature can provide. Raffy then points to a distinct shape gliding through the water: a baby blacktip reef shark. Non-aggressive, it swims beside two kayakers.

Later that day, one last banca skitters across the bay like a water spider. From a waterfront resort, you can’t help but wonder what Small Lagoon is like at that moment.

Days on Bacuit Archipelago are best spent touring around its islands on your own banca. Beaches pop up everywhere.

Some are so secluded that they’ve developed a thin upper crust, like a sandy version of crème brûlée, one that breaks only when you set foot on the sand.

“Wake up in the morning and you see the islands and the sea,” says Italian Edo Flisi over his morning coffee. “The view is always the best thing.” Flisi and his Filipino wife Elena run Dolarog Beach Resort, a few kilometers from El Nido. He’s lived on Palawan for 20 years now and says his reason for staying remains unchanged: that view. Guests at this intimate resort mingle at breakfast and dinner, comparing notes on islands and beaches. With an Italian shrug of the shoulders, Flisi cheerfully adds, “You don’t need much: a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.”

Nearby, El Nido Resorts has properties on both Lagen and

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Walk the dock, hop in a boat and explore Bacuit Bay. Right: Water cottages at the Miniloc Island Resort.

There are so many SHELLS, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as if someone 160

Miniloc islands. As well as being located on pristine islands, both resorts are noted for their environmentally sound take on tourism. Guests are encouraged to remove any litter they see around the archipelago— thankfully, there is little—and are asked to take their non-recyclable trash with them when they leave.

For its part, El Nido is a hardscrabble town, caught between being a small fishing village and a tourist center. Kids shout hello and ask your name, gladly offering their own before giggling down a nearby path. The town is home to a handful of tour operators who will dutifully text message around for a boat, jeepney or plane. Plans are afoot to dredge the bay in El Nido and expand the pier to accommodate larger vessels and increased marine traffic. Not everyone is impressed.

While the dredging impact will be minimal, according to Rene Jay De La Calzada, a WWF project manager in El Nido, what is more problematic is the added strain of a growing population and new development.

Close to El Nido town is Cadlao, a massive, mysterious island that tops out at 609 meters—one that would be most affected by the increase in tourist traffic.

Encircled with coral reefs, it’s a snorkeling paradise. In fact, its lagoon looks like the world’s largest swimming pool, a constant green tint stretching as far as a distant shore under the mid-afternoon sun.

Nearby, Dilumacad, better known as Helicopter Island for its distinct shape, offers a sweeping beach, one covered in so many shells it’s as if someone came out at dawn every day to spread them underfoot.

On the far side of the protected waters of Bacuit Bay is the long, meandering island of Mantiloc, its cliffs rising to 393 meters. It’s here we come across Secret Beach, not exactly as advertised, given the two other bancas bobbing in the surf, but still an exciting stop. A hole in the limestone wall at low tide allows snorkelers to enter the shallow lagoon rich in coral and small fish—really, a natural, tropical aquarium. At this point, I’ve lost count of how many beaches we’ve visited, but would gladly backtrack if need be. that travel these days is too often dictated by guidebooks, then Palawan is the perfect place to test your own exploratory skills.

Flying, of course, is the easiest way around, but that won’t get you to remote, natural nooks and crannies like a boat does. So I book a boat. Problem is, I’m the only passenger and the boat never shows up. Instead, the

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came out every day to spread them underfoot 161

A room at El Nido resort.

Right: Puerto Princesa’s cathedral. Opposite: Port Barton promises tranquility.

This GLIMPSE of the island’s interior offers next day I squeeze into a van laden with passengers and cardboard boxes. Against the sound advice of others, I’m on the 267-kilometer road journey from El Nido to Puerto Princesa.

The first stretch out of El Nido lives up to all the warnings; it’s a washboard of a road, dust covered when dry and with the texture of thick oatmeal when the rains come. Chickens scatter on our approach to each village. Children are covered in dust. This glimpse of the island’s interior offers up patches of rice fields populated with water buffaloes—the only other traffic of note—and rolling hills.

Once we make it to Roxas, I ask around for any rides to sleepy Port Barton, a bay even more low-key than El Nido, if word of mouth is to be believed. But a storm a few days earlier has laid waste to the 22 kilometers of dirt track to that little bit of paradise, making an overland journey all but impossible. At least the remainder of the six-hour drive to Puerto Princesa is along a paved highway.

After the wilds of northern Palawan, Puerto Princesa comes as a bit of a disappointment. Its main street is clogged with coughing, motorized tricycles. Twenty pesos will get you past the five attendants, four of whom are asleep, at the Palawan Museum. It’s money well spent, with a glimpse of outside influences on the island, as well as explanations of the 162

11 different native tribes found on Palawan. Further along Rizal Avenue is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral notable for its age—it dates back to 1872—and a cool interior lit through stained glass windows.

Another worthy stop is Asiano, a shop near the airport that specializes in beautiful wood carvings from the Palaw’an tribe, which lives in the southern reaches of the island. As much as the shop is a find, it also underscores Puerto’s role as a jumping-off point for exploring the rest of the island. The islands of Honda Bay and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park are close by, though both smack of being simple day trips for Filipino families looking for little more than a barbecue lunch under the sun. For their part, islands like Pandan, Snake and Starfish are passable when it comes to snorkeling, but the environmental emphasis is lacking here compared with Bacuit Bay. Some 75 kilometers off Puerto Princesa, Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park offers a 100-meter diving wall, lagoons and two coral islands. As I’m thinking about a side trip to the park, it happens: I remember my flight booking and realize I won’t be able to make it any further south on this magical island, let alone out to the reef. My only hope now is that job counting islands becomes available.

up rice fields populated with water buffaloes GUIDE TO PALAWAN WHEN TO GO November to March is the high season in Palawan, though October, April and May can be fine on the west of the island.

The June–September monsoon is most pronounced in the east.

GETTING THERE EL NIDO ITI, or Island Transvoyager, flies from Manila to El Nido three times a day. 63-2/851-5674; islandtransvoyager.com; one-way P7,500. Seair flies from Manila to El Nido twice daily. 63-2/849-0100; return ticket P12,617.

PUERTO PRINCESA Air Philippines flies from Manila to Puerto Princesa twice a day (three times on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). 63-2/855-9000; return ticket P3,578.

Philippine Airlines flies Manila to Puerto Princesa three times a day. 63-2/855-8888; return ticket P4,090.

WHERE TO STAY EL NIDO Dolarog Beach Resort 63/91986-74360; edolarog@gmail.com; doubles from P3,500.

El Nido Beach Hotel This recently opened property will do in a pinch should you show up in town without reservations. Hama St.; 63-48/723-0887; elnido_ beachhotel@yahoo.com; doubles from P3,500.

Lagen Island Resort 63-2/894-5644; elnidoresorts. com; doubles from P13,500.

Miniloc Island Resort 63-2/894-5644; elnidoresorts. com; doubles from P9,500.

PORT BARTON Coconut Garden Island Resort The resort’s cottages are smart, simple affairs but well worth the price. Cacnipa Island; 63/9183702395; coconutgarden.palawan. net; doubles from P950.

PUERTO PRINCESA Casa Linda A comfortable timber-andbamboo inn built around a small garden. Book one of the nine air-conditioned rooms. Trinidad Rd., off of Rizal Avenue; 63-48/433-2606; casalind@mozcom.com; doubles from P780.

PUERTO PRINCESA Most guesthouses and hotels have information on tours. Island hopping day-trips cost about P900 per person, including lunch, while a day out to the underground river in the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is P1,300.

Check your fins, not your spelling.

WHAT TO DO EL NIDO El Nido Boutique & Art Café A one-stop shop for organizing tours of Palawan, whether by boat, van or airplane. Also popular for breakfast and lunch.

63/91834-55033.

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Another Night in Paradise Five travelers’ tales.

Illustrated by MAIRA KALMAN

HOLLY GOLIGHTLY BELIEVED THAT NOTHING

bad could happen to you at Tiffany’s, but allow me to respectfully disagree: many The Heathman Hotel bad, expensive things have happened to Portland, Oregon me there. The delightful Heathman Hotel

BY GARY SHTEYNGART in the über-delightful city of Portland, Oregon, however, is the place where I feel the safest and most welcome in the greater world. I usually go there under frightening circumstances: the coast-to-coast book tour. I am especially nervous about speaking before an audience of knowledgeable, meticulous readers, and Portland, with its exhaustive Powell’s Books (one of the largest bookstores in the country, if not the world), provides scores of these brainy specimens, willing to pick apart my work and my person.

But after checking into the Heathman I leave my beta-blockers and other anxiety meds in the suitcase. The well-broughtup Pacific Northwestern staff welcomes me with casual smiles that say “We’re here to help…but, you know, within reason.”

The standard rooms are on the smallish side and have a quaint yet modern feel. I lie on the couch and order a plate of British Columbia oysters—the plump, creamy Effingham; 164

the adorably tiny Gigamoto; and the salty Imperial Eagle, with its ancient-looking giant shell that’s just fun to hold in your hand—which I follow up with whatever serious Oregon microbrew they have on tap. And then I call room service and order up one of the 400 movies from the Heathman’s fi lm library, my usual choice being the 1999 documentary American Pimp. The combination of fine oysters and beer,

along with the f lamboyantly dressed street hustlers on the television, puts me in a strangely docile and contented frame of mind. I feel partly urban, partly relaxed, and partly really weird, which is exactly the mood the city of Portland projects.

With the television still blaring that slow, melancholy pimp jabber, I’ll heave myself onto the bed, maybe score another beer from room service, maybe call an ex-girlfriend who happens to live in Portland and whom I haven’t seen in 10 years, because everything is calm and right and without malice or recrimination at the Heathman (Truman Capote put it so much better). Looking out the window, I can’t catch sight of the snowcapped peak of the city’s iconic Mount Hood, but I do get the shoulders of some commercial buildings that project the quiet industry of a midsize American city fallen on good times. Before leaving for my reading, I’ll check the Heathman’s other library, the 2,000 books signed by authors who have stayed at the hotel. Feeling myself embedded in a mighty Northwestern literary tradition, I’ll sail off to my reading at Powell’s, happy and chemical-free.

The next morning I’ll head downstairs to the Heathman Restaurant & Bar, where the chefs do pretty good things with sturgeon and eggs and downright amazing things with Dungeness crabs and eggs. Then, I’m off to a day of drowsy wandering around this compact, bike-happy city. Perhaps I’ll run into somebody from last night’s reading and they’ll invite me to a three-hour midday coffee session. We’ll sit beneath a rain-splattered canopy and get all caffeinated up about the state of the rest of the country, while Mount Hood floats ethereally somewhere in the far distance.

A waiter approaches: “Can I top you off there?” Hey, why the hell not?

1001 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon; 1-503/241-4100; heathmanhotel.com; doubles from US$229.

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Campbell’s Resort Chelan, Washington

BY MARIE BRENNER

I

T IS AMERICA IN SLO-MO THAT DRAWS ME TO WASHINGTON

State apple country to check into Campbell’s Resort, an Ozzie-and-Harriet sprawl on the shore of Lake Chelan. For a city girl, Campbell’s, in Chelan— population 4,700, a town frozen in time since

Eisenhower—is an unusual Shangri-la.

“Are you kidding? Campbell’s again?” my husband, the five-star business traveler, says. I have my reasons.

I’ve stopped trying to explain the peculiar magic of Campbell’s, but it is conjured by kids jumping in and out of pools, a heady mix of chlorine and Coppertone, and barbecues by the lake that stretches 88 kilometers, fringed by mountains and emerald orchards. The buzz of boats, the swarm of boys casting for salmon from the pier. The chaise where I flop and unrev, surrounded by vanilla families, gathering as they have for almost a century. Up the lawn are the guest quarters and my room, a charmfree cocoon with sandpaper towels, where, on the hottest afternoons, I turn the air-conditioning up high, take to the bed, check out the classifieds in Wenatchee World, and relive Texas childhood summers in the lakes of the Hill Country, down a rabbit hole of memory.

The apple country, tucked away in the Cascade Mountains three hours east of Seattle, was the DMZ that brought me closer to my older brother, Carl: a Texas trial lawyer turned orchardist, red state to my blue state, yin to my yang.

On the hotel’s Pub and Veranda deck, Carl and I have tuna melts and fries and watch the town of Chelan stroll by. It is here that Carl zones out and dreams of developing a new breed for the area: the Honeycrisp, the caviar of fruit. We were up at dawn to walk his

orchard. The pickers on their silver ladders looked like koala bears. Baskets of dozens of varieties of apples for sale lined the side of the road. Before us was every kind of green, from moss green to the green of a gentleman’s club.

I remember the different colors of my first trip, at harvest time, when I saw from the tiny plane the astonishing panorama of orchard after orchard, a pointillist mirage. Welcome to the apple capital of the world was the sign that greeted me in those tense days after 9/11, when I landed in Wenatchee, 30 minutes down the Columbia River valley from Campbell’s and my brother’s orchard.

“You’ll calm down here,” Carl said, soon after I arrived. “Nothing much has changed in 50 years.”

Campbell’s has recently undergone a renovation, but when I return my routine will be the same. I will take a chaise by the lake. And decide once again not to wander over to Leavenworth to check out the Bavarian Village, or see Twisp, the sunf lower capital of the state, or spend an afternoon in Walla Walla and its trendy vineyards. I will close my eyes as the babble of lake noise washes over me, my mobile phone off, my BlackBerry ditched. Carl was right. Everything I need is there, especially my images of him and his apple trees.

104 W. Woodin, Chelan, Washington; 1-800/553-8225 or 1-509/682-2561; campbellsresort.com; doubles from US$250.

The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand

BY GUY TREBAY

N THE MAP THAT EXISTS IN ALL TRAVELERS’ MINDS,

O

there are cities one pines for and occasionally even dreams about. And there are others that register less vividly, even when you are in their midst. Each time I exit the crumbling

(now finally under renovation) Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and breach the throngs of curbside luggage porters and touts, and then drink in the smoggy, dusty, generally unwholesome, and yet, to my nose, perfumed, air of India, I feel at home. Strangely, I never have this feeling in Bangkok, although I have stopped in that gaudy, implacable capital city a lot since the early 1990’s, on my way in and out of Cambodia and Vietnam and other Asian outposts for which it is the transportation hub. On the cusp of 2007 I found myself there again awaiting permission to enter Burma, a gorgeous and benighted country whose political equilibrium, always fragile, would be shattered before year’s end.

In Bangkok I have tended to pass my time in well-cosseted transition, at a place I often think of as the hotelier’s rendition of paradise: the 130-year-old Oriental, perennially cited at the top of magazine surveys naming the world’s finest hotels. Paradise can be interpreted in many ways, of course, but I prefer to think of it in terms of the root meaning of a word first written in the archaic language of the Zoroastrians. In Avestan, pairidaeza is a walled enclosure, and it is primarily in this sense that The Oriental hotel feels like paradise to me.

A too-little-appreciated function of any hotel is that it provides a line of defense against the buffeting and nuisance of the world outside its walls. The more one travels, the more crucial becomes

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that sense of enclosure and the feeling of being kept safe, not merely from real or imaginary external threats but also from the rootless malaise that sooner or later causes every traveler to bolt awake in a cold sweat, wondering where the door is and what the time is and even which city one is in.

Once, in a New Mexico thunderstorm that cracked open the sky from heaven to horizon, I stumbled upon paradise at a US$29-a-night motel on Route 66. Once, I experienced the same relief in a hulking Transylvanian inn where a colleague and I took shelter as Romania underwent a violent revolution. Unlike the Kuwaiti hotel where we would later pass nervous weeks during Operation Desert Storm, the door to our chamber in that Dracula’s castle had both a knob and a working lock.

Regardless of whether there is actual peril beyond a hotel’s precincts or just the clamor of a city like Bangkok, making passage from the street and into the embrace of a hotel lobby is vital to the experience of travel. In Bangkok, of all the blaring, tumultuous, confusing and polluted cities I know, there is everything to be said for the ability to escape. And that is my main ambition when I am there.

The aura of poshness and the clockwork service at The Oriental may be squandered on me, since what I ask of a hotel from a practical standpoint is fairly simple: enough hangers and hot water, a place to stack the books and objects I ac-

cumulate on the road, a proper reading light, a flat surface for a laptop, and the assurance that a Do Not Disturb sign will not be locally translated as “Please Enter Immediately and Bring Every Person You Have Ever Known.’’

If I do not get much use from the now-ubiquitous in-room cable, CD player, iPod dock and mini-bar, or from the plush robes that are inevitably cut so that, on a tall man like me, the belt creates an empire gown effect, I accept that these things are considered the baseline of what constitutes fanciness in hotels.

At The Oriental, I always request a room on a high f loor overlooking the Chao Phraya River. I am aware that there is a fine garden pool and a spa reachable by ferry across the water and a cooking school and also that the slightly too recognizable person in the lobby is Brad Pitt. I don’t care.

I am not there, as a rule, to meet movie stars or wander Chinatown or visit Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha or to scald my mouth on incendiary street food or to ogle the sex workers in sad, seedy Patpong Road. If each time I leave The Oriental I am eager to return, it is not because the building itself is impressive or because the bartender at the Bamboo Bar has perfected anachronistic cocktails like the Singapore Sling.

Neither is it because of the hotel’s literary heritage. True, Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, Noël Coward, James Michener (and, let’s not forget, Barbara Cartland) all stayed at The Oriental, yet I doubt that they were drawn there in the hope of encountering others in their trade. They came, I tend to think, for the hotel’s exceptional quiet and nearly otherworldly sense of remove, and because they recognized that, in a culture where hospitality is deeply rooted and tolerance widespread, few requests will be found too curious to accommodate.

Is it saying too much to suggest there is a kind of paradise in that?

48 Oriental Ave., Bangkok, Thailand; 66-2/659-9000; mandarinoriental.com; doubles from US$390.

Grand Hotel Sofia Sofia, Bulgaria

BY MARK LEYNER

I

ARRIVED IN SOFIA, BULGARIA, IN THE BRIGHTEST MIDDAY

sunlight I’ve ever experienced. I was there for an extended working sojourn—I had cowritten (along with Jeremy Pikser and John Cusack) a movie called War, Inc., and we were about to begin shooting.

In the Blu-ray high defi nition of the Sofia sunlight, everything seemed extraordinarily vivid: the refulgent gold onion-shaped domes of the Orthodox churches, the sex shops with Cyrillic and English neon signage, the Communist monuments, the bright yellow peppers stacked into towering pyramids at open markets, and—what would be my home for the next two months—the glass-andgranite Grand Hotel Sofia.

I was, for those ensuing weeks, a kind of privileged guest worker. The days were long and exhausting. I’d usually get back to the hotel at about eight or nine at night and shuff le into the marble lobby, the genteel manners of the liveried doormen and bellhops sometimes disconcertingly contrasted with the truculence and baleful glowers of the muscle-bound, buzz-cut bodyguards who’d colonize the hotel bar in advance of some celebrated Balkan mobster.

A bunch of us would usually reconvene for dinner in the elegant dining room of the hotel. This group would consist of some combination of the cast (Cusack, his sister Joan, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei and Ben Kingsley, among others) and various producers. Each night, I’d order exactly the same thing. First, a scotch. Then I’d get a shopska salad (fresh tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, sweet peppers and grated white cheese) and a plate of lamb stew.

This was the meal that sustained me through the next two wildly entertaining

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months. But as the weeks passed, I began missing home.

The night before I was scheduled to fi nally return, I lost a bet and got stuck with the dinner check for the entire table.

I lingered alone a bit, transposing my loss from levs (the pre-EU Bulgarian unit of currency) to American dollars. An odd figure floated into the periphery of my vision—a raven-haired guy, mid-thirties, dark eyeliner and mascara, Gypsy features, a lavender polyester disco shirt unbuttoned down to the navel, and a long canary-yellow scarf. He paused to survey the table’s accumulated detritus. With a theatrically effeminate sweep of his arm and a gleaming, ingratiating smile, he said: “Maybe none of you vant to leave Sofia…” And then more ominously, “Ever.” With that, he disappeared.

I returned to my room and packed.

The next morning, I awoke to find that a supernaturally dense fog had enshrouded the city. All flights out of Sofia had been canceled.

I refused to believe it. I went downstairs, threw my bags into the hired car, and Pavel (the patient young Bulgarian driver) drove me to the airport. I don’t know how he was able to drive. It was impossible to see anything in front of the car. Once at the airport, Pavel waited with me for the next five hours until I believed that no f lights were leaving.

Then we drove back to the hotel.

This exact sequence of events would repeat itself for the next five days.

And each time, we’d return to the hotel and I’d withdraw to my room, leaving my packed bags in front of the door.

There’d be no more dinners with everyone. I’d already said my good-byes and I was too disgruntled to socialize. For five days, I wore a terry-cloth Grand Hotel robe and drank scotch and ate shopska salad and lamb stew alone in my room.

It’s a testament to the comforts of that room and the unstinting amiability of the hotel employees who’d bring me food and drink and towels, and stand around commiserating with me, that I remember even those days with such fondness and nostalgia.

The morning I was ultimately successful in leaving Sofia began as inauspiciously as all the others had. I opened the curtains and there was The Fog. I doffed my robe, got dressed, took the elevator downstairs, and tossed my bags into the waiting car. On the way to the airport, I confided to Pavel that I thought a disco Gypsy might have put some sort of spell on me. Pavel was skeptical.

“Sometimes we have fog,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

At my gate, as I said my final good-bye to Pavel, I realized something: As much as other people and places beckoned, it was naïve of me to assume that I could simply pack up and decamp without enormous regret and resistance. The Grand had been home. I’d found my comfort foods. I’d become happily habituated to a set of quotidian rituals—to laundry schedules, to particular routes and hallways and elevators. I’d found solace in the indecipherable conversations of maids and bellboys as they passed my room—a muffled obbligato, a white noise soothingly disengaged from meaning.

In the end, it was a sort of reciprocal haunting. I haunted the hotel and it haunted me back. What else can explain the spectral appearance one night of the disco Gypsy in mascara, and the thickening fog of memory and nostalgia?

1 Gurko St., Sofia, Bulgaria; 359-2/8110811; grandhotelsofia.bg; doubles from US$348, including breakfast.

FOR A TINY COUNTRY LIKE ISRAEL, IT’S A LONG,

dusty way by car (nearly four hours) from Jerusalem to the eastern slopes of Mount Mizpe Hayamim Canaan, and, having gotten lost on the Rosh Pina, Israel road as my sister, who lives in Jerusalem,

BY DAPHNE MERKIN squabbled over directions with her daughter, we were all a bit grumpy. That mood wore off almost the minute we stepped through Mizpe Hayamim’s doors and inhaled the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle. Instead of a massive monument to marble and gilt—the more aspirational but less inspired aesthetic of most of the country’s other hotel spas—the lobby was intimate, 172

its tone set by terra-cotta floors, a fi replace and small vases of wildf lowers.

From the welcoming receptionist’s “Bruchim habaim,” the usual, somewhat strident Israeli style of communication gave way to serene voices and an unhurried pace.

It has always been hard to associate Israel—a country marked by violence, a nightmare rate of car accidents and an aggressive, cigarette-smoking population—with the luxe, calme, et volupté of spa life. However, staying at Mizpe Haya-

mim, Hebrew for “view of the seas,” is a stark departure from daily existence in a part of the world that is always on guard. The difference is underlined by the resort’s setting, near a tiny artists’ colony in the verdant Galilee—an area that has enjoyed good relations between Jewish residents and their Arab neighbors since the 1880’s.

There are dazzling pastoral views everywhere you turn. Nestled high up in the hills 570 meters above sea level, Mizpe’s vistas encompass the Mediterranean Sea, the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights. The views close at hand aren’t bad either. Walking around the resort’s 15 hectares, you take in ponds and streams running through small groves of fruit trees, and herb and vegetable gardens. Goats and cows populate the pastures, providing the hotel’s yogurt, milk and cheese; chickens are given free range. The farm is run organically, and among its produce are olives that are cracked and pickled in a nearby bedouin village. Neighboring kibbutzim provide whatever cannot be grown right here.

The room I shared with my sister— like the one my daughter shared with my niece—had an expansive, airy feel, a kind of spartan chic. The wrought-iron bed was a bit crowded for the two of us and, to reiterate my usual beef with hotels the world over, the reading lights might have been stronger. But we had a sofa and comfortable chairs and windows that opened out onto the hotel’s lush green grounds.

The main draw for many of the hotel’s guests is the spa, which features treatments of every variety as well as the

unusual opportunity to chat with an aesthetician about the Middle East impasse.

I had only two sessions, a facial and a failed attempt at learning Feldenkrais.

For me, the spa wasn’t the main draw, in any case; it was the nongimmicky elegance of the hotel, the feeling that you were part of an indigenous culture rather than someone who’d come all the way to Israel to experience a tacked-on American style of glitz.

The second day of our stay, we stopped at the tiny organic bakery so I could study the hand-labeled jars of jams and honeys. I must have spent at least half an hour examining the different varieties, as if everything depended on it; I finally decided on a jar of strawberry jam and one of the honeys that came with the morning’s lavish buffet. My sister and the two cousins headed for the lobby, planning to do nothing more ambitious than watch the guests go by in their white terry robes and help themselves to herbal tea from the tea corner.

I took a swim in the large, blessedly under-chlorinated indoor pool and walked out to a terrace above a rocky expanse of dips and rises, undulating into the horizon. And then I did what Mizpe encourages you to do, which is to wrap yourself in its timeless landscape and give yourself up to the elements, to communing with the blue sky and warm sun. I felt as peaceful as I had in years, and managed, for a while, at least, to block out thoughts of the jolting dose of Israeli reality that awaited me back down the mountain.

Rosh Pina, Israel; 972-4/699-4555; mizpe-hayamim.com; doubles from US$356.

(My Favorite Place) Labuan Bajo is famed for its diving.

Below: The Atacama Desert in Chile.

Unlike the designs of his restaurants—from New York to Sydney—Tony Chi tells PAUL EHRLICH why he likes to keep his getaways as minimalist as possible ATACAMA DESERT in Chile to the tropical Indonesian archipelago, the journey rather than the destination is the epitome of my dreamscape.

While traveling from Bali to Lombok for a golden sunset, I spent one ride on a fishing boat across the clear sea watching the algae sway below me. I can still picture the kerosene lanterns just at the moment Tony Chi they began to illuminate the sky when the sunset turns the sea into gold. I can taste the squid I caught, standing at the end of the boat, and the fresh sashimi I ate, turning a day’s catch into the evening’s meal. This is the place to be— fresh food, a nice bottle of wine and intimate conversations with good friends into the night.

During the day, the waterfalls of Moyo

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Island and the creatures of Komodo always pull me towards land. I can never leave without spending some time with the Komodo dragons. And there is a little village just west of Flores I always return to—Labuan Bajo. For scuba divers, this is one of the best places to dive. I, however, simply enjoy floating in the water. After a few hours in the ocean, a barbecue is an ideal end to the day.

Although Indonesia and the Atacama Desert differ in many aspect, my love for the islands takes root for the same reasons that I find myself regularly thinking of the desert. There is a strong and innate bond between the dry desert of the Atacama and the calm waters that embrace the islands of Indonesia. It is this bond that I experience every time I journey through this paradise—an indescribable companionship with nature. ✚

F RO M TO P : © H O LG E R M E T T E / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; © C H R I STO P H E R H OW EY / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; CO U RT ESY O F TO N Y C H I

INDONESIA