February 2010

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

REVEALED: ASIA’S TOP SPAS, RETREATS, MORE!

SOUTHEAST ASIA

FEBRUARY 2010

EXCLUSIVE Spa special • Malaysia • New Zealand • Cambodia • Goa • Manila dining • Dream trips • Australia • South Korea

Discover Paradise

Save!

Join us as we peek inside Malaysia’s spectacular new spa

Best Asian travel deals

New Zealand

MANILA FREESTYLE DELVE INTO A BRAND-NEW WAY TO DINE

Why go now: your 16 essential addresses

+

CAMBODIA KOREA THAILAND AUSTRALIA

* 30

Romantic dream trips

FEBRUARY 20 10

GOA HIPPIE HANGOUT TURNS STYLE HOTSPOT Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

Plus: Must-keep airlines guide

SINGAPORE SG$7.90 ● HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 ● INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17● VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 ● PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 ● CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 ● LAOS LAK52,000

Privilege knows no boundaries.

Carried by the Global Elite, the world over.

By invitation only.

For expression of interest, please call Singapore: + (65) 6295 6293 Hong Kong: + (852) 2277 2233 Thailand: + (66) 2273 5445

EXCLUSIVELY FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® PLATINUM CARDMEMBERS

Th The T he Su he Sukho Sukho othai tha haai Bang h a kok an kokk

Par arkk Hyyat a t t Sh at han ha aannggha gh hai ha

Fo Fou Fo ouur Se Seea eas aaso onn Re ons Ressor so o orrt Hau aaul ullalaai

ENJOY BENEFITS WORTH OVER US$550* AT THE WORLD’S FINEST HOTELS

The 2010 annual FINE HOTELS & RESORTS PROGRAM showcases properties that extend EXCLUSIVE benefits for American Express Platinum Cardmembers.

With some 600 extraordinary properties around the world – like Amanresorts, Mandarin Oriental, Orient-Express Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, The Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Park Hyatt – the FINE HOTELS & RESORTS PROGRAM offers Cardmembers a variety of memorable experiences and a suite of benefits worth over US$550* for a two-night stay.

Raf afffl flees Beij eeiiijjing ing ng

Ama m nusa Bal alii

The Pe Pennni nin in inssul suula ula T ul Toky okkkyyo oky o

Maan Man M annd dar da dar darin a in i O Orri Ori rient enntal al Sa San San anya ya

EXCLUSIVE benefits include: • Room upgrade upon check-in (subject to availability) • Daily continental breakfast for two • 4pm late check-out • An ADDITIONAL PRIVILEGE unique to each property, such as a DINNER FOR TWO, SIGNATURE MASSAGE, and more!

And from now until March 31, 2010, enjoy a complimentary THIRD NIGHT accommodation offered by selected properties such as The Ritz-Carlton Krabi, Napasai Samui, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, The Gramercy Park New York and more.

For details, please visit americanexpress.com.sg/platinumfhr or contact The Platinum Card® Service.

*Based on double occupancy. The actual value might be lower than stated, depending on the property, room category, availability of benefits, the length and date of stay.

Terms and conditions apply. In order to receive Fine Hotels & Resorts program amenities and rates, reservations must be made through The Platinum Card® Service and payment must be made using The Platinum Card® in the Platinum Cardmember’s name. Room upgrade at check-in is based on availability. One special program amenity per room, per stay. Not combinable with corporate or group contracted rates. Participating partners and program benefits are subject to change without notice. Program valid for stay by December 31, 2010.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE EXCLUSIVE OFFERS OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, CALL THE PLATINUM CARD® SERVICE: SINGAPORE: +(65) 6392 1177 (option 1) HONG KONG: +(852) 2277 2233 THAILAND: +(66) 2 273 5599

(Destinations)02.10 Provence 130

Hawaii 74 Thailand 34, 40, 86 India 34, 40, 50, 116

Namibia 78

New Zealand 96

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

0 oF

20oF

-25oC

-10oC

40oF 0 oC

5oC

50oF

65oF

10oC

15oC

75oF 20oC

90oF 30oC

40o+C

Issue Index Phnom Penh 42 Phuket 40 Singapore 32, 33, 40 Thailand 34, 40, 86

Maldives 40 Nepal 35 Shanghai 40 South Korea 69

ASIA Goa 106 India 34, 40, 50, 116 Kyoto 116

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND New Zealand 96 Tasmania 116

AFRICA Namibia 78 EUROPE Provence 130 THE AMERICAS Hawaii 74 New York City 34

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

(SGD)

(HKD)

(BT)

(RP)

(RM)

(VND)

1.40

7.75

33.2

9,230

3.38

18,470

(MOP)

(P)

(MMK)

(KHR)

(BND)

(LAK)

7.99

45.8

6.41

4,153

1.40

8,480

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

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F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

M A P BY E T H A N CO R N E L L

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bali 116 Bangkok 40 Hong Kong 32, 40 Jakarta 40 Kuala Lumpur 44 Macau 40 Malaysia 40, 56 Manila 48

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M | V O L 0 4 | I S S U E 0 2

(Contents)02.10 >106 India’s western coastline near Goa.

86

6

Reset Your Life Lose weight, reduce stress, improve your diet or just bliss out for a few days: here are four exclusive destination spas in Thailand that can help you get your life back on track, writes CHAMI JOTISALIKORN. Photographed

by BRENT T. MADISON. GUIDE 94

96

Welcome to New Zealand Sand dunes, surf towns and a growing circle of friends, ADAM SACHS tours New Zealand, where the oysters are plentiful, the road is wide open, and everyone you’ll meet has a story to share. Photographed

by MARK ROPER. GUIDE AND MAP 105

106 Goa In the glamorous part of India’s west coast, ALEXANDRA MARSHALL discovers rugged

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

beaches, Portuguese-inspired architecture and impeccable hideaways. Photographed by ANDERS OVERGAARD. GUIDE AND MAP 114 116 30 Romantic Dream Trips From a beach resort in Zanzibar and a Costa Rican tree house to your own apartment in Rome, T+L scanned the globe for experiences that will put you in the mood.

Edited by JENNIFER FLOWERS and CLARK MITCHELL

ANDERS OVERGAARD

86-116 Features

FUNNY HOW THE GREATEST MEMORIES ARE OFTEN BUILT ON THE SIMPLEST MOMENTS. The gasp of a turquoise wave on a warm, sunny day. A moonlit dinner in the mountains. A museum itinerary prepared specially for you. No one knows how to turn a moment into a memory better than The Ritz-Carlton.

And whether you are exploring a new city or enjoying our resort destinations around the world, our Reconnect ® packages will enhance your stay with hotel and resort credits that you can use for a host of activities, such as spa, dining and shopping. Even if you’re here for only a few days, you’ll find your vacation with us will last a lifetime. For reservaEN JOY A

tions or more information, please contact your travel

HOTEL OR R ESORT C REDIT

professional, call The Ritz-Carlton or visit us at ritzcarlton.com/reconnect.

Call The Ritz-Carlton toll-free from: Indonesia 011 803 657 794 • Malaysia 00 800 241 33333 • Singapore 011 800 241 33333 • Hong Kong 001 800 241 33333 • Nor ther n China 10 800 650 0229 • Souther n China 10 800 265 0229 • Australia 0011 800 241 33333 • New Zealand 00 800 241 33333.

Rates are valid per room/per night, based on single or double occupancy, exclusive of taxes, gratuities, fees and other charges; do not apply to groups; cannot be combined with any other offer. Advanced reservations are required. Offer valid through April 30, 2010, subject to availability. Some hotels may require a weekend stay and/or a minimum length of stay. Credit may not be applied toward room rate, has no cash value and must be used during the dates of the reservation. ©2010 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

REVEALED: ASIA’S TOP SPAS, RETREATS, MORE!

(Contents)02.10

FEBRUARY 2010 EXCLUSIVE

Discover Paradise

Save!

Join us as we peek inside Malaysia’s spectacular new spa

Best Asian travel deals

New Zealand

MANILA FREESTYLE DELVE INTO A BRAND-NEW WAY TO DINE

Why go now: your 16 essential addresses

+

CAMBODIA KOREA THAILAND AUSTRALIA

30

Romantic dream trips

GOA HIPPIE HANGOUT TURNS STYLE HOTSPOT

Departments

Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

Plus: Must-keep airlines guide

SINGAPORE SG$7.90 O HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 O INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17O VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 O PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 O CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 O LAOS LAK52,000

Cover C

10 Editor’s Note 14 Contributors 16 Letters 18 Best Deals 21 Strategies 130 My Favorite Place

> 55

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Malaysia. Photographed by Nat Prakobsantisuk. Model: Pamela Lima/Mode. Styling by Weechee.

Make-up by Geraldine Loy. Hair

by David Shaw. Assistant: Ekarat Ubonsri. Bikini by Rosa Cha.

> 48 > 74

31-50 Insider 32 Newsflash Singapore’s latest happening ‘hood, luxury trains in India, two new retreats in Thailand and more.

36 Spas T+L’s annual poll of the world’s best spas, plus exclusive packages.

40 Trends From tea rituals to sleep analysis, T+L brings you the latest trends in Asian spas.

42 Address Book A new breed of luxury spas is popping up in Phnom Penh. BY NAOMI LINDT 44 Classics A tour of Kuala Lumpur’s old-time and unforgettable Chinese eateries.

BY ROBYN ECKHARDT 8

55-56 Stylish Traveler 55 Icon Brooks Brothers’ wrinkle-free classic.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY NIGEL COX 56 Fashion Sultry styles at the Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Malaysia’s pristine rain forest. > 56

69-78 T+L Journal 69 Preservation Traditional Korean homes are being resurrected as comfortable restaurants, relaxing teahouses and intimate inns, reports NICOLAI HARTVIG 74 Hotels Two historic Hawaiian hotels are fresh from renovations that have restored them to their former glory. BY MARIA SHOLLENBARGER 78 Adventure Namibia’s desert is the backdrop for a growing number of stylish hideaways, all in unforgettable southern African locales. BY RICHARD ALLEMAN

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

48 Eat Chefs in Manila are playing fast and loose with the rules. BY LARA DAY 50 City Scene In India, one man is creating the green city of the future. BY KARRIE JACOBS

(Editor’s Note) 02.10

I

T WAS LAST AUGUST THAT I FIRST SAW A FEW, EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS

of the Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Malaysia. I felt privy to something very rare: a resort that really does effortlessly blend into, and more importantly utilize, its rich natural resources to complement its range of wellness programs. At that early stage, I immediately saw a Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia cover and fashion shoot, and

I’m absolutely stunned by the results (“Natural Wonder,” page 56). Full credit goes to our regular cover photographer Nat Prakobsantisuk and his team for bringing the vivid landscape to life, catching the early-morning mist from the natural hot springs, and other visual treats. This is one of my favorite T+L SEA covers; I do hope you agree, but as always, please do let me know via e-mail if you don’t.

Actually, this whole issue has a spa and wellness thread running through it, led by T+L’s annual World’s Best Spas reader poll (page 36), as well as a glimpse at Asia’s spa trends (“Trend Watch,” page 40). I certainly fancy the idea of racing across India on a luxury train in a customized wellness carriage. The last word on our spa content this issue—and our last spa story—is a look at the wellness industry in Thailand (“Reset Your Life,” page 86), which is still vigorous, healthy and in great shape. Maybe the industry collectively went to a nice spa...

Elsewhere in the magazine, we open up New Zealand (“Welcome to New Zealand,” page 96) as a feature for the first time in T+L SEA. This beautiful country, with its own range of natural wonders, may be overlooked due to its relatively remote location and temperate climate, but is definitely worth considering for a special vacation experience. Last but not least, voting for the 2010 World’s Best Awards is now officially under way. See page 20 for details of how to readers can enter, so let us (and the world!) know your favorites.—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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2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

C H E N P O VA N O N T

enter, or simply visit www.travelandleisure.com/intl. As with previous years, all our

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CREATIVE CONSULTANT FEATURES EDITORS

Matt Leppard Fah Sakharet Jennifer Chen Chris Kucway

SENIOR DESIGNER DESIGNER EDITORIAL ASSISTANT INTERN

Wannapha Nawayon Sirirat Prajakthip Wasinee Chantakorn Monsicha Hoonsuwan

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Ehrlich (editor-at-large), Brent Madison, Adam Skolnick, Robyn Eckhardt, Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Lara Day, Naomi Lindt, Cedric Arnold, Steve McCurry, Peter Steinhauer, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Graham Uden, Darren Soh

CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER DIRECTOR SINGAPORE / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER 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 Pichayanee Kitsanayothin 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 DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER

Ed Kelly Mark V. Stanich Paul B. Francis Nancy Novogrod Jean-Paul Kyrillos Cara S. David Mark Orwoll Thomas D. Storms Madelyn A. Roberts Marc Abdeldaim

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 4, ISSUE 2 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370. Printed by Comform Co., Ltd. (+66 2 368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic Scan Co., Ltd. (+66 2 291-7575). While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

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

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

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Special Promotion PROMOTION

Xochicalco Archeological Site

THE MAGICAL STATE OF

MORELOS, MEXICO CENTRAL MEXICO

The Nativity Temple, Tepoztlán

Central México is one of the country’s richest regions in culture and natural beauty. The central region offers beautiful colonial cities with gorgeous buildings, and numerous forest, waterfalls, lakes, springs and caverns which are ideal for ecotourism activities.

In the Mexican heartland, you can visit México City, the nation’s capital and many other colonial cities famous for their architecture, fairs, history and culture.

Examples of these cities are: Puebla, the City of Angels. The historic downtown area of the city is home to 2,169 historic monuments and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Aguascalientes, you can experience traditional fairs such as the Festival of Skulls or the San Marcos National Fair, one of the best and oldest showcases of regional cultural and folklore. Queretaro’s monumental aqueduct located in the State of Queretaro and Morelia’s baroque cathedral, located in the State of Michoacán, are both impressive constructions and were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites.

LOVELY MORELOS. The State of Morelos is also located in the central region of México, and is blessed with warm tropical climate and nice weather all year round.

ATTRACTIONS IN THE STATE OF MORELOS: ◗ Ajusco-Chichinautzin Biological Corredor is an ideal spot for ecotourism outings ◗ Swimming resort Las Estacas, with crystalline springs, is surrounded by nature. ◗ The Zempoala Natural Park consists of seven beautiful lagoons of volcanic origin. ◗ Visit the charming city of Tepoztlán where you can climb the Tepozteco mountain.

On the top stands a white washed pyramid, an emblematic indigenous place of worship. ◗ The Xochicalco archaeological zone, is a UNESCO declared World Heritage Site.

Chinelo Dancer, Tepoztlán Carnival

CUERNAVACA, THE CITY OF ETERNAL SPRING: Cuernavaca, the city of eternal spring and the state capital, offers excellent hotels, crystalline springs surrounded by some of the state’s most beautiful natural scenery and marvelous historic buildings. Cuernavaca is located near México City, 89 kilometers (55 miles). The city has a pleasant climate, with an average year-round temperature of 23° Celsius (73° Fahrenheit). Cuernavaca is an excellent place to relax, enjoy nature and be impressed by beautiful buildings.

ACTIVITIES TO DO IN CUERNAVACA: ◗ Visit its luxurious spas, which offer all kinds of massages and relaxation therapies. ◗ Take a stroll through the city and marvel at the magnificent historic buildings: the Convento del la Asuncion (Convent of The Assumption), la Capilla de San Jose (San Jose Chapel), the Palacio de Cortes (Palace of Cortez), the oldest viceregal civic construction, which houses Diego Rivera murals, or the Jardin Borda (Borda Garden), an important city symbol due to its rich history and natural beauty.

Tepoznieves/Traditional ice cream shop

02MEXICO-SEA.indd 2

Aquatic Park, Ex Hacienda de Temixco

1/11/10 2:27:29 PM

(Contributors) 02.10 CHAMI JOTISALIKORN | WRITER THE ASSIGNMENT Checked into Thailand’s new generation of wellness resorts (“Reset Your Life,” page 86). TREATMENT NOT TO BE MISSED Hot

stone massage—a full body oil massage using heated stones to knead tense muscles. You won’t want to wake up. MOST RELAXING SPOT IN THAILAND The stillness within yourself, no matter where you are. Inner peace, baby, inner peace! YOGA OR PILATES? Yoga. If you can do yoga, you can do anything. WEIRDEST TREATMENT A Brie cheese body wrap in Bangkok. The aroma made me ravenous and want to bite myself.

THE ASSIGNMENT Covered Kuala Lumpur’s classic Chinese kitchens (“The Real Thing, page 44). TASTES BETTER THAN IT LOOKS Stuffed pork trotter at Sek Yuen—unmistakably an appendage, but the first taste banishes any doubts. FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN KL Honestly and truly, Sek Yuen. It’s like a second home—I’m there at least once a week. NEXT GREAT EATING CITY Taipei. As China-focused foodies fuss over Shanghai, this city has been kicking out delicious eats. FUTURE TRIP PLANS Luang Prabang, Taipei (to eat, of course) and Turkey—a road trip to the Black Sea.

NICOLAI HARTVIG | WRITER THE ASSIGNMENT Reported on the revival of traditional Korean houses, hanoks (“Heritage Homes,” page 69). GET INTO THE HANOK SPIRIT Take off your shoes, drink omija tea and listen to the wind. WE y SEOUL That this

erstwhile “ugly duckling” city is beginning to grow more than a few swan feathers. DISHES TO TRY Samgyetang chicken soup with ginger at Tosokchon, soy-marinated crab in Insadong and hanwoo beef barbecue. DON’T MISS Buckhon’s main street, nighttime lanterns at Jogyesa temple and the 11 A.M. bell-ringing parade at Jonggak for the changing of the palace guards.

ALEXANDRA MARSHALL | T+L CONTRIBUTING EDITOR THE ASSIGNMENT Wrote about one of India’s most glamorous coastlines (“Goa,” page 106). EXPLORE The region’s rivers. FOOD YOU’D FLY BACK FOR Fish curry rice is the standard plate, which every chef cooks differently.

At Elsewhere hotel, it was exceptional. UNPREDICTABLE INDIA Goa is very

Christian. It’s remarkable to see so many roadside shrines dedicated to Jesus instead of Sai Baba. GOAN GOODS A bottle of well-aged feni, or cashew brandy. TRAVEL TIP Be patient. Nothing moves quickly here. NEXT GREAT PLACE Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The vibe of Tangier is also changing a lot.

ANDERS OVERGAARD | PHOTOGRAPHER THE ASSIGNMENT Photographed “Goa” in India’s smallest state. ONLY IN GOA... Greater India is crowded and overwhelming, but here there’s an

emphasis on what’s small and intimate, from 12-seater restaurants to boutique hotels. TUNE IN The musicians who play during the evening markets are excellent and have a forward-thinking take on traditional Indian sounds. DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT Renting a motorbike and riding through the coastal mountains. GET READY TO... Relax. You won’t have a choice.

NEXT GREAT PLACE Croatia. It’s accessible but still off the general radar.

14

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

L E F T T O R I G H T, F R O M T O P : B R E N T T. M A D I S O N ; C O U R T E S Y O F C H A M I J O T I S A L I K O R N ; C O U R T E S Y O F R O B Y N E C K H A R T ; D AV I D H A G E R M A N ; V I N C E N T S U N G ; CO U RT ESY O F N I CO L A I H A RT V I G ; CO U RT ESY O F A L E X A N D RA M A R S H A L L ; A N D E R S OV E RGA A R D ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F A N D E R S OV E RGA A R D

ROBYN ECKHART | WRITER

(Letters)02.10 LETTER OF THE MONTH

(Strategies) 11.09 TIP 1 TRY A DAYTIME FLASH

If you’re taking portraits in the sun, turn the flash on. Not only will this brighten any shadowy areas, but it will also make the subject pop in the frame.

Professional photographers often use this trick at the beach.

that roll out the same tired clichés when writing about Pattaya. I have been a regular visitor for more than 30 years and the city has changed tremendously in that time. The “old” tacky version has been pushed aside and a sophisticated destination is taking shape. It’s also a favored family holiday place for my Thai friends and those from abroad. I urge all readers to take a look at the new Pattaya.

— M A RU T

N U I C H A N , BA N G KO K

N AT P R A K O B S A N T I S U K

Point and Click. There’s no better way to remember

a trip than through pictures. Here, Travel +Leisure (U.S.) photo editors offer six easy tips to better travel photos. PLUS We test-drive the latest digital cameras for different skill levels and preview four hands-on photography tours around the globe. Happy shooting!

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

.

C O M| N OV E M B E R

2 0 0 9

27

In Sharp Focus

I loved your November 2009 issue.

Not only were there cool travel updates and the latest on hotels, dining and the hippest shopping, but it also had one of my favorite topics: travel photography [“Point and Click”]. I’ve had a passion for photography since I was a teenager. I love to explore places by photographing them. Your article gave me lots of helpful tips, as well as comparisons between the latest and coolest shooting gadgets.

— C A RO L I N E L .

AQU I N O , TAC L O BA N

CITY, PHILIPPINES

Beyond Clichés I must congratulate you on the Pattaya article in your most recent issue [“City of Extremes,” November 2009], which underlines what the resort town has to offer. Again, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is ahead of other travel magazines

✉

Laos Uncovered Thanks for running Andrew Burke’s fascinating story on Laos [“Off the Map,” December 2009]. It seems we live in a smaller and smaller world where once off-the-beaten track destinations turn into Khao San Road overnight. How refreshing it was to learn of a corner in Southeast Asia that’s truly untouched by tourism, and how inspiring, too. My worry, though, is that by writing about it, you might open the floodgates. Whatever ethical conflicts there might be, I enjoy reading these sorts of adventure stories.

—RALPH

S M I T S , H O N G KO N G

Continental Drift January’s issue seemed to be focused on Europe: British pubs, Italian food and Provence. While I don’t object to the occasional piece about destinations in the West, I personally buy T+L Southeast Asia to find out about what’s going on in this region and greater Asia as well. Going forward, can you please be less Euro-centric?

—CEDRIC

SO, SINGAPORE

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR LETTERS TO EDITOR @ TRAVELANDLEISURESEA.COM AND LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECENT STORIES OR NEW PLACES TO VISIT. LETTERS CHOSEN MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE. THE LETTER OF THE MONTH RECEIVES A FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO TRAVEL + LEISURE ( SOUTHEAST ASIA ONLY).

READER OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN LETTERS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF TRAVEL + LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA, MEDIA TRANSASIA LTD., OR AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING.

(Best Deals) 02.10 DEAL OF THE MONTH

Life Culinary Package at AKA Resorts Hua Hin (66-32/618-900; akaresorts.com).

What’s Included A A room at The Majestic Malacca.

one-night stay in a one-bedroom deluxe pool villa; a visit to

■ CHINA Mr. & Mrs. G Package at Hotel G Beijing (86-10/6552-3600; hotel-g.com). What’s Included A one-night stay in a Great Room; a one-hour massage for two; sparkling wine and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival; breakfast; complimentary soft drinks from the mini-bar; and free Wi-Fi. Cost RMB1,288, through March 31. Savings 40 percent.

■ INDONESIA Exclusive to T+L Southeast Asia readers a free upgrade at the Alila Jakarta (62-21/2316008; alilahotels.com/jakarta). What’s Included A two-night stay in an executive room; breakfast; free Wi-Fi; access to the executive lounge; and free evening cocktails. Cost US$105 per night, through March 31; cite T+L Southeast Asia. Savings 40 percent.

■ MALAYSIA A Taste of Nostalgia package at The Majestic Malacca (60-3/2783-1000; majesticmalacca.com).

What’s Included Accommodation in a deluxe room; a complimentary Peranakan high tea for two; and a walk with the hotel’s resident historian. Cost RM500 per night, through March 31. Savings 42 percent.

18

■ SINGAPORE Exclusive to T+L Southeast Asia readers the Ritz-Carlton Getaway at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore (65/6337-8888; ritzcarlton.com). What’s Included A one-night stay in a Deluxe Marina Bay View room; breakfast; S$50 dining credit for a one-night stay and S$75 dining credit for a two-night stay; and a bubble bath. Cost S$498 per night, reserve from now until March 31 for stays through May 31. Savings Up to 48 percent.

■ THAILAND Classy Creature Comforts package at the Pathumwan Princess (66-2/216-3700; dusit. com) in Bangkok. What’s Included Accommodation in a superior room; breakfast; a dinner; 15 percent off F&B; 15 percent off at the spa; and use of the Club Lounge. Cost Bt4,800 per night, two-night minimum, through March 31. Savings 35 percent.

Sneak Away package at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa (66-32/708-000; sheraton. com). What’s included A two-night stay in a Garden View Room; breakfast; and late checkout at 3 P.M. (upon availability). Cost Bt8,400, through March 31. Savings 59 percent.

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

an organic farm; a degustation dinner for two with wine; a visit to the Cha-Am Seafood market; and a Thai cooking workshop.

Cost Bt14,000, through March 31.

Savings 66 percent.

A pool villa at AKA Resorts Hua Hin.

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F T H E M A J EST I C M A L ACCA ; CO U RT ESY O F A K A R ES O RTS H UA H I N

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these romantic getaways

Slug:Location (T+L Journal)

2010 World’s Best Awards VOTE NOW AT www.travelandleisure.com/intl For your favorite hotels, spas, airlines, cruise lines, travel companies and the destinations you love—in the only truly GLOBAL travel survey that matters!

Dear Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia readers, We trust you. We trust your judgment. That’s why we want you to rate your global travel experiences for us, in the 2010 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. These awards are recognized as travel’s highest honor, so it’s time to give back to those hotels, spas, airlines, cruise lines, travel companies and destinations you loved in 2009. And this year is a very special year, with readers of all eight global editions of Travel + Leisure now able to participate in the awards.

So visit www.travelandleisure.com/intl and tell us exactly what you think. The full global results will be published in our August edition.

Matt Leppard Editor-in-Chief Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia

PHOTO CREDIT TK

HOW TO ENTER: Log onto www.travelandleisure.com/intl and fill in a few simple details, then vote! No purchase is necessary. Closing date: March 31, 2010.

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

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C O M| M O N T H

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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

(Strategies) 02.10

The Future of Air Travel in Asia With low-cost carriers expanding across the region and airlines upping their games, savvy travelers only stand to gain, reports NAOMI LINDT. PLUS: An in-depth guide on how to score the best fares, budget airlines, new routes and perks, and more T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

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strategies | airlines

Dispatch: What to Expect in 2010 While airlines’ annus horriblis may well be over, they still have a long way to go towards recovery. For passengers, the good times should continue to roll

T

HE GLOBAL RECESSION, RISING OIL PRICES, SWINE

flu, climate change—all told, 2009 was not a good year for the airline industry. As passenger traffic declined, routes were eliminated while business and first-class seats—traditional cash cows—sat empty, inflicting a huge impact on the bottom line. The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, has predicted that the region’s major airlines last year lost US$3.4 billion, accounting for more than a quarter of the forecast US$11 billion in global losses.

Bad times for airlines, however, have been a boon for travelers with an eye for bargains. “Currently, and generally, consumers are benefiting from lower fares as airlines compete for customers in the prevailing economic climate,” says Kris Lim, associate director of the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Strategic Intelligence Centre. Recent data released by travel website Expedia.com shows a 25 percent decline in ticket prices within Asia, while premium seats are being discounted more than ever before, sometimes by as much as 17 percent, according to 2009 IATA figures.

Add to this the steady growth of low-cost carriers in the region and there are some great deals out there for the taking—a trend analysts say will continue this year. “While many network carriers struggled with declining traffic and losses, a number of established LCC’s [lowcost carriers], particularly in Southeast Asia, continued to record strong traffic, add capacity [and] frequency, launch new routes and at the same time remained profitable,” Lim comments. The proof is in the profits: Malaysia’s AirAsia witnessed an 18 percent rise in its group revenues in 2009, with an expected 25 million passengers—an enviable jump of 21 percent. Filipino carrier Cebu Pacific saw traffic volume in the first half of 2009 soar by 38 percent, resulting in revenue growth of 21 percent, while Jetstar, which operates hubs in Australia and Singapore, posted a beforetax profit of A$137 million in the 2008–2009 fiscal year.

Budget carriers are also moving aggressively into mediumand long-haul routes, markets long dominated by the major airlines. Last year saw AirAsia and its cohorts flying to London, Chengdu and Guilin in China, and destinations in India and Sri Lanka—with further incursions within Asia and to the Middle East, Australia and, possibly, the United States, to come.

There’s definitely room for them to grow. Currently, discount carriers account for roughly 12 percent of the Asian market—compared to 37 percent in Europe and 30 percent in the United States—and, by most accounts, they’re eager for a bigger piece of the pie. “The low-cost carriers are plundering the low-end of the market despite extensive protectionism,” says Peter Harbison, executive chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. “And once credit starts to ease, there will be more [low-cost] entrants.”

For travelers, the continual rise of low-cost carriers in Asia is helping to offset an expected rise in airfares.

Globally speaking, IATA doesn’t expect the industry as a whole to return to profitability until 2011, but because Asia’s private sector is less hampered by debt and bad assets than European and North American companies, most experts are predicting a quicker and stronger recovery here. And that translates into good news for Asian airlines; indeed, recent numbers show them already outperforming their counterparts in other regions. IATA is forecasting that Asia’s carriers will see losses of only US$700 million in 2010—compared to the US$2 billion in losses expected among North American airlines or US$2.5 billion in Europe.

A recovery, however, means higher prices: fares within Asia will likely increase by 3 to 8 percent (and 1 to 6 percent for international business travel), depending on oil prices. But with the expansion of budget networks and new ways to score deals through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, the bargains are still out there. You just need to know where to look. »

Bad times for airlines, however have been a boon for travelers with an eye for BARGAINS.

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strategies | airlines

A BETTER WAY TO FLY

Plan on doing some regional city-hopping? Consider an air pass, a system of pre-paid, one-way coupons on major carriers that can take the pressure off your wallet. Each pass has its own restrictions, so make sure to check the fine print carefully when trip planning.

Malaysia Airlines’ Asean Pass Introduced last year, this pass offers travelers a set of four pre-paid, one-way tickets for travel within Malaysia or from Kuala Lumpur to destinations in Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma, and Singapore at a cost of US$229 for economy class and US$729 for business.

Tickets are valid for six months.

Discovery Airpass Minimum of three and maximum of six one-way routes on Bangkok Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Lao Airlines, whose combined networks span Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Burma, including smaller destinations like Pakse in Laos and Thailand’s Sukhothai.

Most domestic flights cost US$60; international routes, US$100. Tickets are valid for two months, dates can be selected while on the road and no route may be repeated in the same direction. Not available for purchase in Thailand.

Cathay Pacific’s All-Asia Pass Cathay Pacific offers its popular air pass to residents of Southeast Asia, with a minimum of four routes and a maximum of eight.

Destinations include cities in Japan, China, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. You can’t travel via your country of origin, though stopovers, except Hong Kong, are permitted (only one is allowed on the final return journey). Tickets are valid for one month. Prices depend on which country you’re flying out of: from Singapore, a seven-city pass costs S$1,268, while the same pass costs US$788 out of Jakarta.

24

How to Score Deals. From social networking and websites to travel agents, here are five essential tips on how to save money the next time you fly

1

CHECK YOUR SOURCES

To get an idea of fares, start with a search engine like zuji.com or kayak. com, which list various fares by carrier.

Before snapping up a ticket on a particular flight, always check the ticket price on the airline’s own site, making sure to compare totals (including any taxes or service fees). You’ll sometimes find the same—if not better—fares through the airline itself along with more choices in departure times. Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Korean Air regularly list deals on their websites that you won’t find elsewhere.

2

GET SOCIAL

Airlines—from the region’s traditional heavyweights to its youngest entrants—and travel sites are latching onto the social networking movement to spread the word about news and special deals. By following them on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll be the first to know about special promotions and discounted fares. Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and zuji.com are just a few of the companies that tweet or post bargains.

3

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE

You might be inclined to tick “no, thanks” on e-mail alerts or newsletters, but you’ll be missing out on having deals land right in your inbox.

E-alerts sent out by carriers like Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar are a sure way to snap up the latest promotions.

4

KNOW THE SCHEDULE

Note the days and times of the week when the best deals are launched: Jetstar, for example, holds a Fare Frenzy every Friday between 2 P.M.

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

and 4 P.M. Singapore time, when you’ll find tickets going for as little as S$15 each way. Travelzoo.com, meanwhile, which runs individual sites in several Asian countries, releases its “Top 20” airfare deals of the week every Tuesday.

5

GO OLD SCHOOL

In countries with less saturated and less Internet-savvy markets like Laos and Cambodia, check in with a travel agent. They’ll often have access to better deals than you’ll find on your own.

6

START WITH THE END

Some regional airports are getting in on the action of selling airfares, sometimes promoting deals directly on their websites. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (airportsuvarnabhumi.com) hosts a search engine that checks sites like mobissimotravel.com and asiatravel.com, while Singapore’s Changi (changiairport. com) links to deals from viasingapore. com. Through Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport site (hochiminhcityairport. com), you can search for fares on several budget airlines.

Frills Included Clockwise from right: Korean Air jets; on-board Cathay Pacific; Malaysia Airlines; crew members at JAL; business class on Singapore Airlines.

F R O M T O P R I G H T : C O U R T E S Y O F C AT H AY P A C I F I C ; C O U R T E S Y O F M A L AY S I A A I R L I N E S ; C O U R T E S Y O F J A P A N A I R L I N E S ; CO U RT ESY O F S I N GA P O R E A I R L I N ES ; CO U RT ESY O F KO R E A N A I R

The Friendly Skies. Already legendary for their in-flight service, Asian airlines are adding perks to make flying even more enjoyable >>CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS (cathaypacific.com) is redesigning all classes, with 82 aircraft to feature the new look by 2012. First-class suites offer one of the largest beds on any commercial airline at 80 inches long by 35.4 inches wide, while business class travel sees the arrival of flat ergonomic beds. Economy seats maximize knee and shin clearance and allow passengers to recline without affecting those behind them. Power supplies will be installed in every seat, while some 100 movies, 350 TV shows and 70 video games will be available on-demand. Cathay has already rolled-out an application for iPhones, BlackBerries and Windows Mobile devices. >>KOREAN AIR (koreanair.com) is investing US$200 million in installing its new premium seats on 96 planes over the next few years, which include flat beds in both first and Prestige classes and ergonomically designed seats in economy. All classes will be equipped with larger individual screens to try out the faster, higher resolution entertainment system. Organic food has also been added to menus. >>JAPAN AIRLINES (jal.com) has introduced new suites and seats in first and business on its Tokyo to New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles routes. First-class leather-upholstered suites boast 20 percent more room,

while the business seats recline further and incorporate a 15-inch personal TV. The airline has also expanded its popular premium economy sections, which feature 20 percent legroom and a shell-shaped frame that limits disturbance to passengers behind you. >>SINGAPORE AIRLINES (singaporeair.com) is refurbishing its B777’s with upgraded seats and entertainment systems, which service cities including Sydney, Dubai and Shanghai.

The new package will see the sky’s largest beds in first class and leather flat seats in business. The airline has also released applications for mobile phones that include check- in and seat selection options and an SMS system that allows customers anywhere in the world to text message a representative and receive a call-back within 30 minutes. >>MALAYSIA AIRLINES (malaysiaairlines.com) is the first regional carrier to offer in-flight mobile connectivity that allows customers to use mobile devices, PDA’s and mobile phones throughout the flight, while passengers on its B747’s and B777’s can get online anytime during the flight. >>THAI AIRWAYS (thaiairways.com) expects this year to receive five new A330-300’s, which will feature eight more inches of leg room for Royal Silk passengers. Economy passengers can enjoy improved in-flight entertainment. »

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strategies | airlines

Flight Paths. Getting from one destination to another is easier than ever now as Asian airlines expand their networks.

Here, a look at new, notable routes

Beijiing Seoul Nagoya

Tokyo

Osaka

Shanghai

Chengdu

Taipei

Guangzhou Hong Kong* Hanoi

Haiku

AIRLINE ROUTES AIR ASIA (airasia.com) Not on map: To and from Kuala Lumpur: Kolkata, Kochi, Trivandrum, Abu Dhabi, London and Colombo. Ones to watch in 2010: Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Yangon, Sydney, Seoul and Paris.

Bangkok

Sihanoukville

Siem Reap Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City

Siargao

CEBU PACIFIC

Cebu

GARUDA INDONESIA (garuda-indonesia.com) Not on map: To and from Jakarta: Sydney, Melbourne and Amsterdam (starting June 1).

Phuket Penang

SHANGHAI AIRLINES (shanghai-air.com)

Kota Kinabalu

Kuala Lumpur

THAI AIRWAYS Flights from Bangkok to Johannesburg to start in mid-2010.

CAMBODIA ANGKOR AIR Flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville start in summer 2010.

Singapore

JAL DRAGONAIR (dragonair.com) TIGER AIRWAYS (tigerairways.com) Not on map: To and from Singapore: Krabi, Hat Yai and Langkawi.

SILKAIR (silkair.com) Not on map: To and from Singapore: Hyderabad.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES VIETNAM AIRLINES (vietnamairlines.com

Jakarta

JETSTAR (jetstar.com)

* Bali 26

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CATHAY PACIFIC Flights from Hong Kong to Milan start on March 28.

strategies | airlines

No-Frills on Land

Check-in at a Tune Hotel in KL.

One of the guest rooms at Tune.

Co-founded by AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, no-frills hotel chain Tune Hotels.com (60-3/7962-5888; tunehotels.com) wants to revolutionize budget stays in Southeast Asia.

The Malaysia-based company, which now runs seven properties in Bali and across Malaysia, models itself after low-cost carriers by doing away with amenities like pools, mini-bars and business centers. Thankfully, they haven’t sacrificed comforts like queensized beds topped with 250 thread-count cotton duvets and en-suite power showers.

Guests, meanwhile, pay RM5 to rent towels and RM12 for 24 hours of Wi-Fi access, while the air-conditioning operates on a pay-as-you-go system—measures that adhere to the chain’s pledge to be green by minimizing water and electricity use. Modeled on budget airlines’ demand-based pricing booking system—whereby the earlier you book, the better the deal, rooms at Tune Hotels start at RM9.99; recent promotions have seen rooms go for as little at 10 sen. Look out for more locations, including India and Phuket; future plans include additional properties in Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, and possibly London and Melbourne.

Low-Cost Carrier Lowdown. With the budget airline boom, T+L takes a closer look at what you get on Asia’s biggest no-frills airlines AIRLINE

AIR ASIA

JETSTAR (Asia and Australia)

TIGER AIRWAYS

CEBU PACIFIC

THE FLEET

• 86 A320’s with 29-inch pitch

• 10 A320’s with 28-inch pitch

• 2 A319’s with 28-inch pitch

• 11 A320’s

• Nine A330’s with 31-inch pitch

• 32 A320’s with 30-inch pitch

• 15 A320’s with 29-inch pitch

• Two A340’s with 32.5-inch pitch

• Five A321’s with 30-inch pitch

• 10 A319’s

• Seven A330’s with 30-inch pitch

ON-BOARD AMENITIES

• Iced tea, US$1.50

• Beer, US$5.50

• Apple juice, S$3

• Water, US$1

• Snickers bar, US$1.50

• Byron Bay cookie,

• Mixed nuts, S$3

• Chips, US$1

• Tom Yam Cup of Noodles, S$5

• Ham-and-cheese croissant, US$2

• Blanket, S$12

• Sleep kit, US$4

• Chicken satay, US$4 (pre-booking food saves 20 percent)

US$3 • Sandwich, US$5.50

EXTRA FEES FOR PRE BOOKING

• Standard seat selection, US$1.50

• Standard seat selection, free

• Standard seat selection, S$3

• Standard seat selection, US$2

• Extra leg room, US$7

• Extra leg room, S$20 for short haul, S$30 for long haul

• Extra leg room, S$10

• Extra leg room, US$4

• Bags up to: 15 kg, US$3; up to 20 kg, US$15; up to 25kg, US$25 COOL PERK

28

Freshly baked Krispy Kreme doughnuts are now served on-board

• US$20–US$40 per bag, up to 20 kg The website’s Low Fares Finder allows travelers to search for the best tickets over 30 days

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

• Bags up to: 15 kg, S$12.50; up to 20 kg, S$15; up to 25 kg, S$35 Passengers traveling in Singapore can purchase tickets at island-wide 24-hour AXS Stations

• Free up to 15 kg; longer-haul free up to 30kg (until June) After booking, passengers can offset their carbon emissions with a donation to a WWF climate program

CO U RT ESY O F T U N E H OT E L S.CO M ( 2 )

• Blanket, pillow and eye mask, US$10

Brave Green World.

Reinventing cities in India <(page 50)

Indulge Yourself.

Our annual poll of the world’s best spas <(page 36)

Classic Chinese.

The best old-fashioned fare in Kuala Lumpur <(page 44)

+

• Luxury train travel in India • News and trends from Asia’s spa scene • Two new retreats in Khao Yai

(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 S Y O F L AVA S A ; B L A S I U S E R L I N G E R ; D AV I D H A G E R M A N ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A N YA N T R E E ; L A R A D AY

Divine Dishes.

Chefs in Manila concoct creative menus (page 48)>

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

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

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insider

| newsflash

Crown Jewels

Experience, in a Box What do you give to someone who has it all? Hong Kong-based VIPbox (vipbox. com.hk; from HK$400–HK$28,000) has the answer. Standing for “very individual present,” the recently launched company offers a range of 120 pre-paid gift experiences culled from the best the city has to offer. Grouped in four collections—Thrill, Discover, Pamper and Escape—the experiences range from a two-hour surf lesson to a three-hour jam session in a professional recording studio to belly dance classes. As inveterate travelers who’ve always wondered what life is like in the cockpit, we’re secretly angling for the 60-minute session in a 737-800 flight simulator.

—H U I FA N G

ART

Literary Feast BOOKS Clockwise from left: Junot Díaz; Louis de Bernières; André Brink.

32

Mark your calendars: next month, Hong Kong will host the 10th M Hong Kong International Literary Festival (various venues; Man festival.org.hk; March 11–19; tickets from HK$120). Luminaries at this year’s event include international heavyweights such as Alexander McCall Smith of the Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and Junot Díaz, author of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, while Asian talents such as Tash Aw, Janice Lee and Ouyang Yu join discussions tackling everything from poetry to time travel. China hand Peter Hessler will weigh in on the world’s most populous nation. Don’t fret if you miss a gathering: many of the same names are also taking part in the Shanghai Literary Festival, hosted by M on the Bund, which runs until March 21.

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C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F V I P B OX ; C O U R T E SY O F A S I A N C I V I L I S AT I O N S M U S E U M ( 3 ) ; C O U R T E SY O F M A N H O N G KO N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L L I T E R A R Y F E S T I VA L ( 3 )

SHOP

The Mughals weren’t known for moderation. During their three-century rule, India’s Muslim emperors reveled in opulent baubles, some of which are on rich display at “Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals,” on view from February 12 to June 27 at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (1 Empress Place; 65/6332-7798; acm.org. sg; admission S$8). The dazzling show provides a glimpse into the Mughal empire’s penchant for excess; among the more than 400 objects on display are armbands, necklaces, cameos and turban ornaments, and more practical objects like furniture, drinking vessels and armor—but all dazzlingly bejewelled. One golden dagger and its accompanying scabbard are encrusted with no fewer than 1,685 rubies, in addition to a panoply of diamonds, emeralds and agate. Not to be missed.—L A R A DAY

Bukit Timah, Singapore This posh residential enclave is turning into one of the city’s premier culinary haunts.

By EVELYN CHEN 1 GELATERIA VENEZIA This shop right off the main drag could well be the neighborhood’s best-kept secret. If you’re looking for something substantial, there’s a menu of light meals, including smoked ham and melted cheese on multigrain toast. Or head straight to one of the 24 gelati, including gianduia, dark chocolate and even durian. #01-01 Guthrie House, 1 Fifth Ave.; 65/6468-3656; gelati for two S$6.60.

2 CHIHARU Hotelier–restaurateur Loh Lik Peng ventures into Japanese dining with this atmospheric restaurant kitted up with wooden tables and a petite sake bar. Try authentic offerings such as yaki hamaguri (grilled giant clam), or simply order the omakase and place yourself in the hands of master chef Patrick Tan. 779 Bukit Timah Rd; 65/6769-1929; chiharu.com.sg; dinner for two S$150.00.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F G E L A T E R I A V E N E Z I A ; C O U R T E S Y O F C H I H A R U ; C O U R T E S Y O F T R A T T O R I A L’ A N C O R A ; C O U R T E SY O F Y E S H A N G H A I C U I S I N E R E S TA U R A N T

2

3

4

Bukit Timah Road

Sixth Avenue

1 Fifth Avenue

ON THE MAP

3 TRATTORIA L’ANCORA For a rustic Italian meal that’s also easy on the wallet, consider this trattoria. Here, the focus is centered on southern Italian comfort food.

Standouts include homemade pappardelle paired with braised wild boar, red wine and taleggio cheese; and the rocket-crowned L’Ancora pizza with beef carpaccio. 789 Bukit Timah Rd.; 65/6467-3778; dinner for two S$100.00.

4 YE SHANGHAI CUISINE RESTAURANT Belonging to the category of chic Chinese eateries, this dark wood– swathed restaurant draws a crowd with its affordably priced Shanghainese fare. Order the pan-fried dumplings and sautéed crabs coated with salted eggs and butter. #01-01, 791 Bukit Timah Rd.; 65/6463-2989; dinner for two S$60.00.

| newsflash

insider

BACK TO NATURE

The Mighty Hermès Fans of the venerable Hermès label have reason to celebrate: this month, the 173-year-old brand opens its first boutique exclusively for men in New York (691 Madison Ave.; 1-212/308-3585; hermes.com). The four-story space will sell everything for the style-savvy traveler: custom-made suits, shirts, sweaters, and, of course, the classic neckerchief. Also look out for new boutiques in Hong Kong’s Elements mall and Macau’s new One Central.—M I M I LOMBARDO 34

complex of three traditional villas features 15 spacious, antique-filled rooms, many with their own balcony overlooking an idyllic stream. The seven-room, safari-chic Sala Khao Yai (99 Moo 11, Wangkatha, Pakchong; 66-44/760-500 or 66/898-460-500; salaresorts. com; doubles from Bt5,000) boasts sweeping views of the countryside from its hillside perch. Book one of the pool villa suites, equipped with two fireplaces and a rooftop deck to better survey the land.

R E T R E AT S

TRAINS

India on Track

Luxury train travel is booming worldwide, and two of the most exciting debuts are in India. Rolling out last month, the Maharajas’ Express (91-22/6690-4747; rirtl.com; six nights from US$11,200 for two, all-inclusive; September–April) travels four cross-country routes in an early 20th-century train that mixes timeless details such as wood-paneled dining cars and 24-hour butler service with modern technology. On the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (royal-rajasthan-on-wheels.com; seven nights from US$8,260 for two, all-inclusive; September–April), you’ll journey through the northwestern state aboard a 38-cabin train with large panoramic windows, perfect for viewing the Thar Desert.—JAIME GROSS

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P : D AV I E S + S TA R R ; C O U R T E S Y O F N D O L V I L L A S ; C O U R T E S Y O F S A L A R E S O R T S ; C O U R T E S Y O F C O X & K I N G ’ S

FA S H I ON

The cool, mountainous area around Khao Yai National Park has become the weekend destination for Bangkokians in the know, with small, character-rich stays springing up in recent months. Just a 1-1/2 hours’ drive from Bangkok, the recently opened Ndol Villas (191 Moo 1, Muaklek Rd., Muaklek; 66/818-998-780, 66/846-584-447 or 66-36/344-892; ndolvillas.com; doubles from Bt5,000) feels light years away from the capital’s mayhem. This century-old

Janet Hsieh T+L catches up with the Texas-born host of Discovery Travel & Living’s travel show, Fun Taiwan

TV host Janet Hsieh shows her climbing mettle.

Q+A

■

Favorite spots in Asia “For mountains and landscape, I’ll choose Taiwan and Nepal; some of the most beautiful mountains I’ve ever seen are there, as well as some of the best hiking and biking. For nights, lights and landscape I’ll have to choose Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong has some of the most amazing and awe-inspiring lights that I’ve ever seen. For culture and food I’ll probably say India and Taiwan, that’s just because in such a small area you can have so many different types of foods.”

■ Favorite eats in Asia “It’s impossible to choose one. For example in India, I love masala dosa. I also like butter chicken and palak paneer. … In Taiwan I like spicy hotpot, stinky tofu and oyster pancakes. Right now in Mazu, I like the old wine thin noodles.”

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F JA N E T H S I E H

■

Taiwan today “For me coming to Taiwan was a big culture shock because I always assumed that I spoke Taiwanese growing up and everybody would just automatically assume that I was Taiwanese. But arriving in Taiwan, having only heard my parents’ stories of what Taiwan was like 50 years ago, I was really surprised to find that Taiwanese was spoken mostly by people down south and not really our generation … And just what Taipei and Taiwan are like, with all the big buildings.”—K E I T I N G

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| spas

WORLD’S BEST

SPAS

When it comes to a great spa experience, attentive service, inventive treatments and, of course, value are top priorities.

Here, the winning retreats in Travel + Leisure’s annual readers’ poll, plus wellness news, trends and deals. It’s time to relax.

Edited by CHRISTINE AJUDUA and SARAH KANTROWITZ 36

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BLASIUS ERLINGER

An alfresco massage at Florida’s Hawks Cay Resort & Marina, voted the No. 1 hotel spa in the U.S. and Canada by T+L readers.

Serenity Now From left: The geothermal pool at Solage Calistoga, the No. 2 hotel spa in the continental U.S. and Canada; a ritual foot bath at Hawks Cay Resort & Marina in Duck Key, Florida, the top hotel spa in the region; the Fairmont Scottsdale, ranked No. 3 in the U.S. and Canada.

Top Hotel Spas by Region UNITED STATES AND CANADA HAWKS CAY RESORT & MARINA Duck Key, Florida 95.00 HAWAII FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALALAI Hawaii 90.43 THE CARIBBEAN, BERMUDA AND THE BAHAMAS COUPLES SANS SOUCI Ocho Rios,

Jamaica 94.54 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ESPERANZA, AN AUBERGE RESORT

Los Cabos, Mexico 95.80 EUROPE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GEORGE V Paris 88.35 AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC THE LANGHAM Melbourne,

Australia 85.00 ASIA ANANTARA KOH SAMUI RESORT & SPA Thailand 95.07 AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL & SPA Cape Town 95.40

Top 25 Hotel Spas

Continental U.S. and Canada 1. HAWKS CAY RESORT & MARINA

15. CAMELBACK INN, A JW MARRIOTT

Duck Key, Florida 95.00 2. SOLAGE CALISTOGA California 92.55 3. FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE Arizona 91.41

16. AUBERGE DU SOLEIL

4. RITZ-CARLTON, BACHELOR GULCH

17. THE GROVE PARK INN RESORT & SPA

Avon, Colorado 91.04 5. THE GREENBRIER

F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F S O L AG E CA L I STO GA ; B L A S I U S E R L I N G E R ; C O U R T E SY O F FA I R M O N T H O T E L S

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia 90.73

RESORT & SPA Scottsdale, Arizona 87.06

Rutherford, California 86.85 Asheville, North Carolina 86.54 18. THE BREAKERS PALM BEACH

Florida 86.52

6. AMERICAN CLUB Kohler, Wisconsin 89.35

19. WYNN LAS VEGAS 86.40

7. RITZ-CARLTON, NAPLES Florida 88.83

20. ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH

8. MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE

New Paltz, New York 88.66 9. RITZ-CARLTON, LAGUNA NIGUEL

California 87.96 10. TOPNOTCH RESORT & SPA

Dana Point, California 85.80 21. JW MARRIOTT DESERT RIDGE RESORT & SPA Phoenix 85.78 22. RITZ-CARLTON, HALF MOON BAY

California 85.52

Stowe, Vermont 87.89 11. CALISTOGA RANCH California 87.87 12. MONTAGE LAGUNA BEACH California 87.67 13. THE PHOENICIAN Scottsdale, Arizona 87.65

23. RITZ-CARLTON, AMELIA ISLAND

14. THE FAIRMONT SONOMA

25. THE HOTEL HERSHEY

MISSION INN & SPA California 87.50

Florida 84.56 24. FOUR SEASONS RESORT SCOTTSDALE AT TROON NORTH Arizona 84.49

DISPATCH

Stress Management Four new programs designed to help you unwind ■ At Parrot Cay’s Como Shambhala Retreat (parrotcay.como.bz; from US$2,232 for three nights), in the Turks and Caicos, Dr. Swati—resident ayurvedic doctor and Reiki master— focuses on “releasing negative emotions.” That could mean a change of diet, beachside yoga or a daily deep-tissue massage.

■ After an initial consultation, an on-staff physician prescribes everything from mental coaching to muscle-soothing techniques for the eight-day Burnout Prevention package at Design Hotels’ new Life Medicine Resort (lifemedicineresort.com; from US$3,860), in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria.

■ For the program at One & Only Palmilla (Mexico; oneandonlyresorts.com; US$3,503 for three nights), therapists counteract anxiety with special vitamin regimens, palapa-shaded yoga and obsidian-rock massages. ■ The De-Stress and Energize Life Passage at Six Senses Phuket (Thailand; sixsenses.com; from US$2,433 for three nights) can involve unique meditation techniques (practiced, say, on a raft in the Andaman Sea) to restore mindbody balance. — R I M A S U Q I

Pennsylvania 84.47

Denotes Great Value (a 60-minute massage for US$100 or less).

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Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa, in Thailand, The No. 1 Top 10 Hotel Spas in Asia. Right: A Swedish massage at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the top hotel spa in Hawaii. Below: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Top 10 Hotel Spas

Top 10 Hotel Spas

Asia

Mexico and Central and South America

1. ANANTARA KOH SAMUI RESORT & SPA Thailand 95.07 2. FOUR SEASONS RESORT Chiang Mai, Thailand 94.96 3. THE PENINSULA Hong Kong 94.69

1. ESPERANZA, AN AUBERGE RESORT Los Cabos, Mexico 95.80

4. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Bangkok 94.61

2. PUEBLO BONITO SUNSET BEACH RESORT & SPA Los Cabos, Mexico 88.09

5. ANANTARA HUA HIN RESORT & SPA Thailand 94.21

3. RITZ-CARLTON Cancún, Mexico 85.69

6. MANDARIN ORIENTAL DHARA DHEVI, CHIANG MAI Thailand 92.19

4. JW MARRIOTT CANCÚN RESORT & SPA Mexico 85.47

7. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Bangkok 91.80

5. FOUR SEASONS RESORT COSTA RICA AT PENINSULA PAPAGAYO 85.34

9. SHANGRI-LA’S TANJUNG ARU RESORT & SPA Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 91.15 10. THE PENINSULA Bangkok 90.63

Top 10 Hotel Spas

6. TABACÓN GRAND SPA THERMAL RESORT Costa Rica 84.04 7. ONE & ONLY PALMILLA Los Cabos, Mexico 83.98 8. LAS VENTANAS AL PARAÍSO Los Cabos, Mexico 83.78 9. ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL Buenos Aires 82.59 10. DREAMS CANCUN RESORT & SPA Mexico 82.43 F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F A N A N TA R A K O H S A M U I R E S O R T & S P A ; R AY M O N D P AT R I C K ; CO U RT ESY O F FO U R S E AS O N S R ES O RT H UA L A L A I

8. SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG RESORT & SPA Penang, Malaysia 91.52

The Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas 1. COUPLES SANS SOUCI Ocho Rios, Jamaica 94.54 2. COUPLES NEGRIL Jamaica 93.15 3. COUPLES SWEPT AWAY Negril, Jamaica 92.23 4. JADE MOUNTAIN St. Lucia 91.32 5. PETER ISLAND RESORT British Virgin Islands 90.18 6. ROSEWOOD LITTLE DIX BAY Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands 90.03 7. ANSE CHASTANET RESORT St. Lucia 89.67 8. REGENT PALMS Turks and Caicos 88.28 9. HALF MOON Rose Hall, Jamaica 87.50 10. ROYAL PLANTATION Ocho Rios, Jamaica 86.61

Top 5 Hotel Spas

Hawaii 1. FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALALAI 90.43 2. GRAND WAILEA, THE WALDORF ASTORIA COLLECTION 87.92 3. FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI AT WAILEA 85.94 4. GRAND HYATT KAUAI RESORT & SPA 83.26 5. WESTIN MAUI RESORT & SPA 83.20

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Denotes Great Value.

The indoor pool at Mii Amo, a Destination Spa at Enchantment, in Sedona, Arizona, the No. 1 destination spa. Right: Mii Amo’s adobe spa treatment rooms and individual wood massage wickiups.

BEAUTY NEWS

Custom Treatments These personalized services allow you to extend your spa experience ■ Stella Gray, “spa elder” at Half Moon resort’s Fern Tree (halfmoon.com), in Jamaica, picks the herbs for your

Top 10 Destination Spas 1. MII AMO, A DESTINATION SPA AT ENCHANTMENT Sedona, Arizona 89.59 2. MAYA TULUM WELLNESS RETREAT & SPA Mexico 88.16 3. MIRAVAL, ARIZONA RESORT & SPA Tucson 87.73 4. CANYON RANCH IN LENOX Massachusetts 83.93 5. LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT Austin, Texas 83.28 6. RANCHO LA PUERTA Tecate, Mexico 83.21 7. CANYON RANCH IN TUCSON Arizona 82.59 8. GOLDEN DOOR Escondido, California 82.43 9. THE OAKS AT OJAI California 82.34 10. THE LODGE AT WOODLOCH Hawley, Pennsylvania 78.55

bath soak (US$55), scrub (US$130), or massage oil (US$115) from her garden; you’ll walk away with a sample—and the recipe. ■ At the apothecary in Hawaii’s Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Spa (fourseasons.com), a spa concierge mixes indigenous ingredients (sea salts; volcanic clay) to personalize your scrub or wrap (from US$170).

■ For the aromatherapy massage (from US$135) at the sleek new Sè Spa, in the Sè San Diego Hotel (sesandiego. com), therapists blend a range of essential oils to relieve tension and give you a 88-milliliter bottle to take with you.

■ Before he became creative director at Shibui Spa, in New York’s Greenwich Hotel (thegreenwichhotel.com), Thuyen Nguyen developed a following for his custom-made beauty products; you can leave with the mask he creates for your facial (US$325). —R . S .

SPA SPECIAL: Exclusive Deals for T+L Southeast Asia Readers

F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F M I I A M O ( 2 )

■ SONEVA KIRI Ko Kood, Thailand

■ SHANGRI-LA’S TANJUNG ARU RESORT AND SPA Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

■ SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG RESORT AND SPA Penang, Malaysia

■ GRAND HYATT Singapore

BORNEO PARADISE PACKAGE

SPA SENSATION PACKAGE

What’s Included Breakfast; S$100

What’s Included A three-night

What’s Included Three nights in

What’s Included Accommodation

stay at the best available rate in the villa of your choice; breakfast; a Jungle Escape Spa Journey for two, including: a herbal scrub and massage; a 60-minute facial for two; and a daily group activity at the spa. Savings 28 percent. sixsenses.com; from US$3,576, double, April 1–December 19.

a Tanjung Seaview room; breakfast; a dinner at Coco-Joe’s; a 60-minute massage for two; free mini-bar; and complimentary broadband. Savings 30 percent. shangri-la.com; RM3,500, double, February 1–December 31.

in a deluxe sea-view room in the garden wing; breakfast; a signature therapy and a head and shoulder massage for one; 10 percent off additional spa treatments; and free broadband.

Savings 23 percent. shangri-la.com; RM739 per night, double, minimum four-night stay, February 1–June 22.

credit at Damai spa; exclusive to T+L SEA readers, a 30-minute reflexology treatment; and late check-out at 2 P.M. from Sunday– Thursday and 4 P.M. Friday– Saturday. Savings Up to 49 percent. hyatt.com; price changes, rates in February start at S$500 per night, double, minimum two-night stay; February 1–May 30; cite T+L SEA.

REJUVENATE IN THAILAND’S LAST FRONTIER PACKAGE

Denotes Great Value.

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

BALANCE PACKAGE

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Saving Face From top right: An outdoor bath at The Regent Maldives; the Crystal Energizing Facial at the Pudong Shangri-La; pampering at Devarana Spa; a sunken bath at the Banyan Tree Phuket.

Beyond Backrubs. From sleep analysis

■ SLEEP A solid night’s sleep is key to good health—a fact that spas are latching onto. If you’re suffering from ailments such as insomnia or sleep apnea, consider a sleep counseling session at Singapore’s Medical Sleep Spa (Level 20, Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd.; 65/6887-1299; medicalsleepspa.com; sessions from S$68), where Dr. Kenny Pang will do a nasal endoscopy and a detailed sleep assessment. Depending on your diagnosis, the medical treatment may involve minimally invasive tonsil removal, palate expansion or tongue suture operations using surgery techniques pioneered by Pang himself. Afterwards, patients are 40

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then prescribed a holistic regimen of massages, facial treatments, and yoga and Pilates classes. Need a quick recharge? Try the three-hour Power Nap Program offered by Devarana Spa in Bangkok’s Dusit Thani hotel (946 Rama IV Rd.; 66-2/636-3596; devaranaspa.com; Bt4,900 per treatment).

Clients are lulled with a lavender body scrub, a hot milk bath and a Swedish massage before 30 minutes of sweet slumber. There’s even a lullaby CD for you to bring home.—M E L A N I E L E E ■ TEA Tea’s medicinal qualities are well-known, but imbibing isn’t the only way to reap its benefits. Soak in a tub

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F T H E R EG E N T M A L D I V ES ; CO U RT ESY O F P U D O N G S H A N G R I - L A ; C O U R T E S Y O F D U S I T ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A N YA N T R E E

to serious workouts, spas in Asia are now offering much more than rubdowns.

Here, five emerging trends in the region

F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F CA M E RO N H I G H L A N DS R ES O RT; S O M P O R N S U E B H A I T

of this soothing, anti-aging brew before your spa treatment at the Spa Village in Cameron Highlands Resort (Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang Darul Makmur; 60-5/491-1100; cameronhighlandsresort.com; treatments from RM200)—a ritual that pays tribute to the property’s tea plantation past. In Jakarta, Q Day Spa (No. 9 Jln. Gunawarman; 62-21/725-0114; treatments from Rp650,000) takes the antioxidantpacked leaves further by offering a wide range of tea-based treatments such as a herbal tea body scrub, a hot stone massage using tea essential oils, and a green tea scalp treatment and hair spa.

With purported hydrating properties, white tea is also gaining popularity: in Singapore, Body Contours’ White Tea Spa Ritual treatment (#01-03, 30 Hill St.; 65/6334-6198; bodycontours.com.sg; S$200 per treatment) starts with a full body cleansing with tea, followed by a white tea–and-honey polish and a white tea wrap with lemongrass and grapefruit extracts.—M.L. ■ TRAINS Pampering goes on the move as new luxury trains in Asia debut with spa cars. India’s Golden Chariot (91-11/4686-8686; goldenchariottrain.com; US$2,450 per person for a seven-night journey) offers Ayurvedic massages in their massage rooms—a restorative accompaniment to the passing scenery of charming Karnataka. Next year, the long-awaited Tangula Luxury Trains (86-10/5809-5333; tangulaluxurytrains. com; US$3,300 per person for a three-night journey) will provide customized treatments using organic Ila products as you traverse across the remote Western regions of China.—M.L. ■ PRECIOUS GEMS Diamonds are a spa-goer’s best friend: hotel spas are utilizing gemstones in treatments. During the two-hour Diamond Magnetic Jewel ritual at the Four Seasons Macau (Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança; 853/2881-8888; fourseasons.com; treatment MOP1,700),

therapists apply semi-precious stones such as jade and lapis lazuli onto your chakra points and then buff your skin with a body polish made with diamond dust and micronized iron. In Shanghai, the Chi spa at the Pudong Shangri-La hotel (33 Fu Cheng Lu, Pudong; 86-21/6882-8888; shangri-la.com; treatment RMB1,280) deploys Biodroga’s Royal Aquamarine products, containing powdered aquamarine, in its Crystal Energizing Facial. The Pearl of the Orient package at the InterContinental Hong Kong (18 Salisbury Rd., Kowloon; 852/2721-1211; hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com; treatment HK$2,500) uses a nourishing emulsion blended with pearl powder to give your body a luminous glow.—S O N I A KO L E S N I KOV - J E S S O P ✚

The tea bag eye treatment at the Spa Village in Cameron Highlands Resort, left. Rock climbing near the Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, right.

GET FIT. PAMPERING IS FOR LIGHTWEIGHTS—THESE HOTEL SPAS COMBINE INDULGENCE WITH FITNESS FOR TOTAL WELL-BEING Banyan Tree Phuket Until the end of March, the resort is offering four personalized programs called Retreat for the Senses. The three-day exclusives combine indulgence with a range of activities, including Aerobox Thai Boxing, ATV Quad Biking and Nordic Walking.

The Sense of Bliss program includes a snorkeling trip to the Khai Islands; according to the spa experts, underwater time helps relieve muscle tension, increase circulation and clear up acne. 33, 33/27 Moo 4, Srisoonthorn Rd.; Cherngtalay, Amphur Talang; 66-76/324-374;

Changlang Rd., Maifad; 66-75/205-888; sikao. anantara.com; courses from Bt14,000.

banyantree.com; programs from US$1,830 per couple.

Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Trang From half-day workshops to three-day journeys, Anantara’s new rock climbing courses give participants an opportunity to experience Sikao’s majestic limestone cliffs.

Beginners and advanced climbers benefit from improved strength, stamina and willpower. Afterwards, venture into the area’s virgin rainforests and mangrove reserves — the humid environment keeps skin moist and young. 198–199 Moo 5 Had Pak Meng,

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

SNEAK PEAK The Regent Maldives Opening this spring, Thaa Atoll’s highly anticipated resort will boast a spa that brings together health, beauty and fitness. Morning swims in the ocean-view Vitality Pool and private tai chi, yoga or Pilates instruction in a pavilion overlooking a lagoon are followed by a massage and organic cuisine. 960/678 0088; regenthotels.com; prices unavailable as of press time.—L IL I TA N

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CAMBODIA

NAGA WORLD Though most visitors come for the baccarat, this newly opened casino-hotel also boasts one of the city’s prettiest spas. Modeled on the temples of Angkor, the sprawling space features pillared doorways and giant Buddha images; the sound of running water puts guests in the right state of repose. Foot rubs (US$25) take place on soft leather chaises hidden behind a bubbling fountain, while traditional Khmer massages and body scrubs are executed in huge private rooms equipped with a steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and queen-sized bed for post rub-down relaxation. Many of the treatments, like the 90-minute herbal hot compress massage (US$25), incorporate indigenous natural ingredients like cinnamon, clove, and coffee from Ratanakiri province. Hun Sen Park; 855-23/228-822; nagaworld.com.

Pampering in Phnom Penh. New openings have ramped up the Cambodian capital’s spa scene. By NAOMI LINDT

The reception at Naga World, one of Phnom Penh’s new generation of spas, left.

Aromatic oils at the ready at Naga World, above.

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AMARA SPA The first high-end day spa to open up along Phnom Penh’s riverfront, Amara offers a full menu of relaxation in simple, elegant surroundings. Malaysian owner Patricia Tan chose subdued black, white, gray and metallic hues for the dimly lit, three-story space, creating a welcome respite from the bustle outside. Inside the 20 treatment rooms, connected by stone pathways illuminated by floor-to-ceiling silk lamps, guests can choose treatments ranging from an anti-aging facial (US$58) to Amara’s signature hot-stone, four-hand massage (US$55). Traveling with friends? Then book one of the rooftop rooms, which each boast a Jacuzzi with views of the Tonle Sap River.

Corner of Sisowath Quay and Street 110; 855-23/998-730; amaraspa.hotelcara.com.

DE GRAN Early last year, Japanese businessman Jun Kikuchi opened the first foreign outpost of his minimalist, Tokyo-based line of salons in Phnom Penh. After constructing a strikingly Modernist building flanked by reflective pools in the expat area of Boeung Keng Kang, Kukichi brought over stylists, beauty Photographed by NICOLAS AXELROD

products and even furniture, like the elegant white leather swivel chairs used in the hair salon. The city’s fashionable set line up for expert facials (US$20), make-up applications (US$7) and manicures (US$7) as well as basic cuts (US$15). The attentive, black-and-white clad staff includes translators fluent in English, Japanese and Khmer. 19 Street 352; 855-23/999-707; de-gran.co.jp.

COMING SOON

DERMA-CARE SKIN CLINIC In search of a perfect complexion? This brightly lit, white-and–baby-blue clinic focuses on all things dermatological. After being greeted by the white lab coat–wearing staff, visitors are ushered into the office of Bangkok-trained dermatologist Dr. Em Samok, who peers through a large magnifying glass to identify and suggest solutions for flaws in one’s visage. Using Derma-Rx products, concentrated natural vitamin extracts and rejuvenating masks, the clinic promises to hydrate, purify and soothe your skin, whatever its needs may be (facials from US$35). Intensive procedures like Botox injections (US$12) and chemical peels (US$50) are available for those wanting to get serious; pedicures (US$10) and waxes (from US$10) are on offer, too. 161B Norodom Blvd.; 855-23/217-092; dermacareskinclinic.info.

ROYAL RUBDOWNS IN SIEM REAP Acclaimed resort La Résidence d’Angkor is buffing its image with a recently completed US$3 million upgrade that includes new suites and an exclusive day spa, called Kong Kea. The spa’s six treatment rooms are spread over a verdant 475-square-meter area themed on water (kong kea means “water for the king” in Khmer), with illuminated water walls, an aquarium and an indoor dipping pool. Treatments like body scrubs, facials and massage (from US$35) incorporate handmade, organic products that can also be purchased in the spa’s boutique, along with an exclusive line of naturally dyed dresses and scarves designed by Wanderlust’s Elizabeth Kiester. River Rd.; 55-63/ 963-390; residencedangkor.com. ✚

Siem Reap’s trendy Bodia Spa is coming to Phnom Penh this spring. Using the acclaimed Caudalíe skincare line from France as well as its own range of handmade organic products, Bodia will offer a full spa menu, including traditional Khmer rubdowns and aromatherapy treatments, brown sugar body scrubs and free-radical fighting facials.

Corner of Sothearos and Street 178; no phone as of press time; bodia-spa.com.

Spa Scene From top: Inside Amara Spa; the Modernistinspired building that houses De Gran; a treatment room at Amara Spa; happy feet at Derma-Care Skin Clinic.

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Perennial Favorites Clockwise from below: Fried noodles at Yut Kee, a popular kopitiam; sweet buns from Setapak Teochew Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur; one of the seasoned chefs at Sek Yuen.

MALAYSIA

The Real Thing. They’re not fancy or fusion, but these old-time Chinese eateries in Kuala Lumpur dish up reliably tasty eats. Catch them before they disappear. By ROBYN ECKHARDT ■ SEK YUEN Back in the day, Sek Yuen’s gramophone-serenaded dining room was the setting for KL’s swankiest wedding banquets. These days, its kitchen—staffed by a coterie of cooks with more than 250 collective years of experience and fueled entirely by wood— draws boisterous multi-generational families and hipsters rediscovering the charms of the city’s old-fashioned joints. The menu, dominated by Cantonese classics, exists only in the heads of its owners, but you can’t go wrong with anything porcine: tender trotters stuffed with gingko nuts, lotus seeds and black mushrooms or slices of belly layered with yam, seasoned with fermented bean

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Photographed by DAVID HAGERMAN

Keeping It Real Clockwise from far left: The dining room at Sek Yuen; deep-fried crab balls at Hong Ngek; deep-fried tofu with chicken feet at Sek Yuen; Yut Kee’s owner Jack Lee and his son Mervyn.

curd and then steamed. Another must is the “shark’s fin” (rest easy: it’s actually squid) stir-fried with egg and crab meat and eaten wrapped in lettuce with a drizzle of black vinegar. The whole sweet-and-sour fish, encased in barely there batter and resting in a pool of tart, lustrous crimson sauce, does justice to a hackneyed standard; roast duck, bronzed and imbued with wood smoke, is simply awe-inspiring. In the hands of Sek Yuen, even a dish as simple as baby gailan—singed in spots, napped in a light garlicky glaze—rises to dizzying heights. 313 Jln. Pudu; 60-3/9222-9457; lunch or dinner for two RM60.

■ HONG NGEK In a neighbourhood of Indian and Malay eateries that change hands almost yearly, Hong Ngek stands out for its Chinese menu and its staying power.

Opened in the 1940’s by an immigrant from Fujian, this casual joint still packs in lunchtime crowds with show-off specialties such as “two-way” pomfret—a whole fish shorn of one fillet, then steamed and served with its missing half, stir-fried with sweet peppers, celery and black pepper—and simpler bites like niangao, chewy rice cakes with pork, shrimp and cabbage. This is the spot for the city’s most deliciously wok hei–infused Hokkien mee (stir-fried thick noodles and pork seasoned with black soy sauce) and a blast from the culinary past in the form “salad chicken”—half a bird boned, pressed, stuffed with ham, deep-fried, and served alongside chunks of fresh pineapple dressed with salad cream. Eat here once and owner Liew Hing Ling will recognize you next time, even if it’s three years later. “I don’t forget faces,” she smiles,

displaying an attention to detail that’s as evident at the table as it is at the front of the house. 50 Jln. Tun H.S. Lee; 60-3/2078-7852; lunch for two RM45.

■ YUT KEE Occupying the same corner in downtown KL since the 1920’s, this kopitiam is legendary for its coffee, charcoal-grilled toast and kaya. Tables watched over by a wall-mounted portrait of its Hainanese founder (whose son and grandson now run the place) sport bottles of Lee & Perrins and soy sauce.

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carrots) and roti babi, deep-fried toast filled with melting pulled pork and onions; the latter to spike solidly Chinese dishes like congee, fried rice and beef noodles. If you can be here on Friday or Sunday at noon, do: Yut Kee recently debuted a wonderous pistachio and sage-filled rolled pork roast that invabiably sells out within thirty minutes of being pulled from the oven. 35 Jln. Dang Wangi; 60-3/2698-8108; lunch for two RM25.

■ SETAPAK TEOCHEW RESTAURANT It’s worth braving the occasionally crusty service at Setapak Teochew Restaurant for its fish balls. More often than not, fish balls have the taste and consistency of a squash ball, but here, they’re ethereally light, tender and redolent of the ocean.

They’re not the only piscine draw at this 97-year-old eatery. Look out for crackly skinned, deep-fried fish cake served with piquant housemade chili sauce and silver pomfret steamed with preserved mustard, ginger, tomatoes and sour plums. Beehoon is another specialty, wok-charred with sliced fish cake, cabbage, minced pork and cracklings or fried crisp as a bed for squid, petite prawns and choy sum in a gingery gravy shot through with egg threads. And leave room for sweets: the restaurant began as a bakery and its flaky mooncakes (available year-round—choose from red bean, mung bean, or bean-and-preserved vegetable) are justifiably popular. 283–5 Jln. Pahang; 60-3/4023-8706; lunch for two RM30. ✚

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No Frills From top: A bowl of beef noodle soup at Yut Kee; sweet-and-sour fish at Sek Yuen; Yut Kee is often packed.

insider

| eat Different Dishes Clockwise from left: A private function room at 21; sitting down to a meal at Purple Feet; chef Marco Legasto serves up a dish from his open kitchen at Purple Feet; chef Ed Quimson with Katrina Ponce Enrile in the dining room of 21.

PHILIPPINES

Menu on Demand. Maverick chefs in Manila are puting a brand new spin on eating out. Story and photographs by LARA DAY

I

T’S A CROSS BETWEEN A CHEF’S

table and an episode of Top Chef.

In Manila, a handful of high-end establishments are offering gourmands “freestyle” dining, an interactive, gastronomic free-for-all where diners say what they’re in the mood for, and chefs rustle up a meal from whatever ingredients are on hand.

An ideal antidote to jaded palates, this adventurous way of dining also gives chefs a chance to show off. Don’t expect any PR on these eateries, which rely purely on word-of-mouth, and don’t be afraid of getting creative. Of course, if you’d like something that’s wildly off-carte, be sure to make that clear when booking (reservations are essential). Here are T+L’s top picks.

■ 21 Chef Ed Quimson made his name with Filipino-crossover dishes such as beef-caldereta paella and blue-cheese 48

wonton soup. These days, he’s the executive chef of upscale carinderia Petra & Pilar and the gastronomic muscle behind its reservations-only private dining room 21.

Seating up to 21 people (hence its name), this private function room— complete with bar and butler—is available for everything from family repasts to romantic dinners for two (though the smaller the headcount, the higher the price). “This room gives diners complete freedom,” explains proprietor Katrina Ponce Enrile.

Under Quimson’s supervision, we supped on flat rice noodles with black-bean sauce, enlivened with garlic, parmesan and tomatoes served three ways (chopped, whole and pureed) in a kind of fusion tagliatelle. We also enjoyed his white wine–poached garoupa, emerging atop potatoes layered in a creamy soup and accompanied with a zingy, basil-infused

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tomato sofrito. Quimson is happy to take directions, or alternatively, to let his creative juices’ flow. Whatever you choose, remember not to skip dessert— Quimson’s sticky toffee pudding, also served in Petra & Pilar, is ambrosial.

Petra & Pilar, ground floor, JAKA Center Building, Export Ave. (corner of 2111 Chino Roces Ave.), Makati; 63-2/887-5168; dinner for 21, 400 pesos per person; dinner for two, P3,000 per person.

■ PURPLE FEET Concealed within a wine store and deliberately lacking any signage, this whimsically named spot—a nod to its grape-steeped location—feels like a modern-day speakeasy for foodies.

“Anything goes, so long as it’s legal,” bon-vivant chef–proprietor Marco Legasto says half-jokingly as he sips one of the venue’s house pours.

Blackboards list the seafood, meat and poultry du jour; resist the à la carte

Tailored Tastes Clockwise from left: Chef Bruce Lim’s blue-crab and pomelo salad at Chef’s Table; tiramisu at Purple Feet; a busy Lim in the kitchen.

dishes—they exist for the uninspired.

Better yet, when one of the chefs comes out to greet you, ask what’s fresh from the market, and talk you through the possibilities. Make sure you’re hungry: Legasto deploys generous lashings of butter and cream, the dishes are often large enough to share.

During our visit, we gave the kitchen free rein, and were rewarded with pan-fried duck breast with a shoyu–tamari jus, served with baby-spinach salad dressed with raspberry-and-macadamia-nut-oil vinaigrette. We found the duck was a tad dry but tasty, while the salad had a satisfying depth. Another diner demanded nouvelle Filipino—a request that produced a traditional tamarindbased sinigang stew enlivened with lemon zest and truffle oil. Desserts were more conventional, with classic rib-sticking dishes like tiramisu and bread-and-butter pudding.

Wine pairings are easy: all bottles from the shop are available, without a corkage charge. Cheers to that. 217 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.), Bel-Air, Makati; 63-2/897-3220; dinner for two P5,000.

■ CHEF’S TABLE Cordon Bleu–trained TV chef Bruce Lim prides himself on never making the same dish twice—that is, unless someone asks for it specifically. A passionate advocate of Filipino cuisine, he creates bespoke menus at his private studio–kitchen, a setting familiar to those who’ve seen his popular Tablescapes program on the Asian Food Channel. Don’t be dazzled by his TV credentials. Lim, who is FilipinoChinese but grew up in San Francisco, is a warmly welcoming host as well as a remarkable talent in the kitchen. “I love twisting a dish inside out to make something completely new,” he says.

Phoning well in advance, we asked for a meal that was “fresh, fun and zesty.” Lim didn’t disappoint, regaling us with a dazzling array of courses. All the dishes, made using ingredients hand-picked by Lim at his local market, were prepared and served in ingenious combinations: chilled carrot soup spiked with ginger and a scallop ceviche; rocket salad with pomelo, cashews and crabmeat drizzled with Ilocos vinaigrette; glass noodles topped with soy-marinated short ribs, garnished with apple, grapes, cucumber, radish, coriander and black sesame; cinnamon-inflected mango strudel encased in light, delicately crisp phyllo. In fact, next time we visit, we’re tempted to ask for the whole thing all over again—but then, as Lim might say himself, where’s the fun in that? 1238 Emilio Jacinto St. (corner of Kalayaan Ave.), Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati; 63/918-8871277; dinner for two P4,000. ✚

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| city scene

INDIA

Urban Utopias. In Lavasa, India—not too far

NDIAN INDUSTRIALIST AJIT GULABCHAND has spent the past eight years developing a hill station, a leafy mountain retreat of the sort that India hasn’t built since the British departed in 1947. An imposing man with a full head of gray hair, Gulabchand— whose Hindustan Construction Company is best known for the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a 5.6-kilometer-long bridge joining Mumbai to its western suburbs—habitually talks about the fledgling city, Lavasa, in the jargon of New Urbanism, a planning movement that has its roots in 1980’s Florida. “The idea is a Transect model, where it’s very high density,” he explains, using a term coined by Miami-based architect (and New Urbanist icon) Andrés Duany. “Seventy percent of

I A view of Warasgaon Lake, in Lavasa, India, 210 kilometers southeast of Mumbai, above. Opposite: Waterfront apartments in the newly built town.

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our population would be in walking distance from one another.”

Strange that a developer from India would look to the United States to achieve population density, something you’d think his own country had pretty much invented. But Gulabchand points out that the new sections of Indian cities such as Delhi tend to sprawl.

And while travelers go to India to immerse themselves in a culture that’s thousands of years old, India’s increasingly educated, prosperous young people—Gulabchand’s target audience—tend to want livability and comfort. “So the question becomes, How do we innovate, so that prosperity can come with much less carbon?” Gulabchand is creating India’s city of the future.

C O U R T E S Y O F L AVA S A

from Mumbai—one man is creating what may be the green city of the future. By KARRIE JACOBS

He’s turned to HOK, a U.S.-based architecture firm, and a string of American consultants to conjure up a city of 200,000 near Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, that will embody pretty much every au courant strategy intended to undo the bad habits of the late 20th century. Lavasa’s design will be based not just on the principles of New Urbanism but also on biomimicry, in which man-made things are shaped using nature’s methods.

Lavasa’s site, largely deforested, has been replanted with nearly a million trees, meant to naturally replenish and maintain the area’s water table and create the kind of shady outpost the British once cherished. It will be built with low energy consumption and water conservation in mind. The architecture will be of mixed provenance: the breezy vernacular of India’s Malabar Coast, Mumbai’s social housing, and even Mediterranean style. “Nothing will be a copy,” Gulabchand stresses. “It has to be an inspiration. Copies can look like Disneyland.”

To lure the permanent residents necessary for a real city, Lavasa has made room for educational institutions, including an outpost of the Swiss hospitality school École Hôtelière de Lausanne and Saïd Business School, a branch of the University of Oxford. Among other things, Gulabchand wants Lavasa to be an educational hive like Cambridge, Massachusetts.

But he’d also like to draw some 2 million tourists a year, primarily from nearby Mumbai and Pune. By the end of 2010 the development will feature a variety of hotels, including a Novotel and a Mercure, both

owned by the French hotel group Accor. A 60-room branch of the Indian Fortune Park Hotels chain has opened its doors, and the first of Lavasa’s four enclaves—Dasve, a multicolored string of Portofino-influenced apartments and cafés along a lakefront promenade—nears completion.

The Ekaant, a rustic 20-room lodge located in the hills above the town center, is now accepting guests; the town also has a NASA-themed space camp, academy, and mall in the works, as well as a branch of the MGM Studios theme park with both Hollywood- and Bollywood-related attractions. “Without Bollywood it would not work,” Gulabchand notes. A watersports center will be on the banks of Lavasa’s Warasgaon Lake, with a Nick Faldo– branded golf course nearby. Apollo, an Asian hospital chain, is opening a 200-bed facility to serve the needs of residents, plus a special clinic designed to cater to medical tourists.

What will likely be a popular weekend escape for upscale Mumbai residents may also turn out to be a draw for those of us who live much farther away. Gulabchand suggests that Lavasa’s location makes it an attractive jumping-off point into the ecologically significant Western Ghats mountain range. Perhaps even more important, Lavasa stands as a model for a new kind of international city, rooted in place and local culture, but at the same time plugged into global currents of green design and upward mobility. ✚ Karrie Jacobs is a T+L (U.S.) contributing editor.

FOUR MORE NEW ECO-CITIES MASDAR CITY ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MASTER PLAN: FOSTER & PARTNERS | A US$22 billion, 6-square-kilometer, car-free, carbon-neutral city and a test of whether alternative energy sources like solar and wind power — and lots of shade — can keep a desert city cool. masdarcity.ae.

Scheduled completion date of phase one: 2013.

SONGDO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DISTRICT SOUTH KOREA MASTER PLAN: KOHN PEDERSEN FOX | This 607-hectare, energy-efficient waterfront business and residential district will eliminate the need for garbage trucks with a pneumatic waste-transfer system and feature a Paris-inspired bike-lending system. songdo.com. Scheduled completion date: 2017.

TREASURE ISLAND SAN FRANCISCO MASTER PLAN: SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL | The mixed-use plan for an island in San Francisco Bay includes futuristic high-rise towers, low-rise residential districts, solar and wind power, and a 8-hectare organic farm. som.com. Scheduled completion date: within 20 years.

CHANGXINDIAN LOW CARBON COMMUNITY CHINA MASTER PLAN: ARUP AND THE BEIJING URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN INSTITUTE | Arup, the global engineering firm, has mapped out several Chinese eco-cities, including the 500-hectare project in Fengtai, near Beijing, where an eco-industrial park is part of the mix. arup.com. Scheduled completion date: unknown, pending approval.

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StylishTraveler Men’s non-iron cotton shirts by Brooks Brothers.

W

HEN IT COMES TO

defining the quintessential travel staple, nothing beats a crisp oxford shirt.

Enter 192-year-old Brooks Brothers, no stranger to men and women on the go, having outfitted everyone from Presidents Lincoln, Kennedy and Obama to the cast of Mad Men. After introducing a cotton-blend version more than half a century ago, the venerable American institution went one better in 1997 by pioneering the wrinkle-resistant button-down. There’s the classic men’s Ainsley, with its two-ply cotton, pucker-free seams, and single-needle tailoring and an equally versatile slim-fit women’s style with added stretch. Wear it with a smart blazer or untucked over your favorite pair of jeans; either way, you’ll look as chic at takeoff as you will having a nightcap in the hotel bar. —J A M E S J U N G

THE WRINKLE-FREE SHIRT No matter how many time zones you’ve crossed, this Brooks Brothers classic goes the distance. Photographed by NIGEL COX T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

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| fashion

Natural WONDER

The Banjaran j H Hotsprings i R Retreat in i Malaysia provides a pristine backdrop for this stunning fashion shoot.

Photographed by NAT PRAKOBSANTISUK. Styled by WEECHEE

Silk crĂŞpe halter dress, Miu Miu.

S

pas and wellness centers often offer nurturing treatments in natural settings, but few are as stunning as the Banjaran Hostprings Retreat. This ďŹ ve-star resort, with a wide variety of treatments from Thailand, Malaysia and India, is located in a 7-hectare valley surrounded by limestone karsts, geothermal hot springs and natural caves, all of which are used in harmony with the retreatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy of natural healing.

Short- and long-term treatment programs are offered, and the resort boasts 16 Garden Villas set in their own tropical gardens and nine Water Villas resting on the banks of the hot springs, with balconies overlooking the water. No. 1 Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3, Ipoh; 60-5/210-7777; thebanjaran.com; three-day packages from US$900 US$900.

Cotton anorak, Mike & Chris; bikini, Rosa Cha; fisherman’s hat, stylist’s own.

Opposite: Halter maillot and organdie cotton coat, Hermès.

CrĂŞpe jumpsuit, Paul & Joe; pony-skin sandals, Jimmy Choo.

Opposite: Pleated dress and cloth garland necklace, T-bags; pony-skin sandals, Jimmy Choo.

Bikini, Rosa Cha. Opposite: Sculpted crĂŞpe dress, RM by Roland Mouret.

Halter maillot, Hèrmes; bangles, Janna Conner.

Opposite: Silk safari shirt dress and studded belt, Gap; maillot, American Apparel; bracelets, CC Skye; sunglasses, Prada.

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Model: Pamela Lima / Mode Make-up: Geraldine Loy Hair: David Shaw Assistant: Ekkarat Ubonsri STOCKISTS American Apparel americanapparel.net CC Skye ccskye.com Gap gap.com Hermès hermes.com Janna Conner jannerconner.com Jimmy Choo jimmychoo.com Mike & Chris mikeandchris.com Miu Miu miumiu.com Paul & Joe paulandjoe.com Prada prada.com Rosa Cha rosacha.com T-bags tbagslosangeles.com

Halter Maillot, Hermes (hermes.com); bangles, Janna Conner (jannerconner.com).

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KOREA

Heritage

Homes In and around Seoul, traditional Korean homes, hanoks, have been resurrected as restaurants, teahouses and intimate inns, a move that has preserved a bit of the Korean past in the process. By NICOLAI HARTVIG.

Photographed by VINCENT SUNG Rakkojae, a guest house in Seoul that’s located in a traditional building. Inset: Rakkojae’s entrance.

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| preservation

ALK THE WINDING ALLEYS OF SEOUL’S Bukchon area and you follow in the footsteps of the Chosun dynasty’s elite.

Today, hundreds of years later, their hanoks—traditional Korean homes—still define this north village on the slopes of Mount Baegak, nestled between the imposing Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces. Their tiled roofs, with striking, curling eaves, roll downhill in a residential wave.

More than ever, the historical sites of spiritual alignment and natural harmony have become a symbol of the clash between South Korea’s values of the present and the past.

After decades of neglect, hanoks are being rediscovered as havens where time has slowed. Restaurants, teahouses, even a dental clinic and a barbershop have set up in Bukchon’s hanoks. But the driving force has been guesthouses and hotels, preserving a heritage that has often slipped away in 50 years of breakneck progress.

W

130-YEAR-OLD structures that were formerly Korea’s first history academy. That was before it was closed by the Japanese occupation forces in the mid-1930’s and split into four separate family homes for the next half century.

Owner Ahn Young-hwan snatched the hanoks away from developers in the late 1990’s and spent three years disassembling them, salvaging what he could and enlisting master hanok carpenter Young Jin-chung to rebuild them.

After years of organizing hanok stays in Andong and Gyeongju, south of Seoul, Ahn now plans to play a more direct role when helping others experience Korean heritage.

Within its gates, Rakkojae immediately shuts out the cacophony of modern Seoul. Only the wind whistling through the courtyard’s bamboo and the soothing music of traditional Buddhist strings and drums breaks the silence.

Sometimes that wind carries the faint laughter of children playing at the local elementary school or the ringing of a lone bell—a garlic seller announcing his trade as he pushes his wooden cart through the alleys.

At night, guests gather for traditional musical performances and tea ceremonies, sitting cross-legged at low hardwood tables on porches or around a solid stone wheel used to mash beans. Flames lick the sides of the ondol, the ancient Korean system that transfers heat from a central wood-fired oven through underground tunnels into the

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Inside the central courtyard of Rakkojae.

Right: Traditional pots used to store kimchi.

Within its gates, Rakkojae manages to immediately shut out the cacophony of modern SEOUL

Rakkojae’s six rooms. The scent of therapeutic herbs seeps out from a cave-like sauna and its heated clay.

Guests sleep the old-fashioned way: on the floor. “When you slept in the traditional ondol room in winter, you almost got burns on your body but you had ice on your nose,” says Ahn, laughing. He has coupled his ondol with wall heaters for the chilly months and an air conditioner for the sweltering summer. Each room also has its own en-suite bathroom.

Bukchon’s revival has sent house prices skyrocketing in tandem with increased government subsidies for preserving the traditional houses. The neighborhood was decreed out of bounds for developers in the 1970’s, but with little support for the costly maintenance of its historic hanoks, the area deteriorated into slums. When development was allowed in the 1980’s, thousands of homes were demolished as South Korean authorities trumpeted construction to boost the country’s economy.

“The Korean people were so poor, we had nothing,” Ahn says. “After Japanese colonial times came the Korean War and everything was destroyed. For forty or fifty years, all Koreans thought about was how to get away from poverty and feed their family. There was no room to think about culture or design, but now it’s much better than before. Now people realize that our traditional buildings are important.”

By the time Seoul launched support programs for those remodeling or rebuilding hanoks in the 1990’s, modern »

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Keeping Traditions Alive Clockwise from left: Seoul’s Bukchon neighborhood, where you’ll find many hanoks; a well-preserved hanok in Bukchon; a street in Bukchon.

‘We try not to overcome NATURE, we just borrow from it’

apartment living had become a symbol of modern prosperity. Even today, South Koreans will proudly drop the brand of their apartment—typically Samsung, Hyundai or Doosan—into conversation. The rudimentary hanoks, usually with separate outdoor bathrooms, were seen as humiliating relics. Hanoks were traditionally custom-built by highly skilled carpenters who inherited the craft from their fathers or apprenticeships with masters, but along with the fading image of the hanok, their numbers have dwindled.

“No one was building traditional houses, so the only way carpenters could survive was to build a temple. There weren’t many carpenters around and the labor cost was very high,” Ahn says as the sound of a drill pierces the quiet from the property next door, a reminder that outside Rakkojae’s walls, South Korea is still largely under construction.

Nowadays, there are several private schools teaching hanokbuilding. Modern materials have extended the hanok lifespan beyond its typical 100 years, with better roof tiles protecting against summer monsoon rains and the winter freeze. At Rakkojae, the old tiles now sit decoratively on the wall surrounding the garden, beside large clay pots traditionally used to store kimchi.

Ahn says he’d like to start a hanok school himself and if the students produce materials that are 95 percent finished, he can hire a master carpenter for the final touches and reduce overall costs by about a third. Ahn argues that the lower cost would encourage more people to build in the old style.

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KTX, A HIGH-SPEED TRAIN, ROARS THROUGH A landscape of verdant rolling hills and bright yellow cornfields on its way from Seoul to the southeastern historic city of Gyeongju, the seat of the Shilla dynasty for more than a thousand years. It’s now a vast open-air collection of Buddhist temples and royal burial mounds. Elderly men and women work the fields or tend to small cabbage patches outside their hanoks—some dilapidated, some liberally modernized with bricks and blue and orange-tiled roofs.

Many hanoks appear to be abandoned cattle farms, torn asunder by time and the elements. In the distance, the ubiquitous concrete apartment blocks spring out of nowhere.

South Korea’s only five-star hanok retreat, Ragung, sits at the edge of a purpose-built resort valley at the Bomun Lake outside Gyeongju, where the preservation of Korean heritage has openly met the profit margins of the modern corporation. The construction and development of its 16 expansive rooms in 2007 brought together 80 carpenters and other professionals for the largest hanok project since the restoration of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul.

The Ragung developers were also, arguably, the first to do what Rakkojae’s owner Ahn is also contemplating—using generic, instead of custom-made, wood beams and other materials to cut costs and construction time, to the disdain of hanok purists. It made for a hotel that’s more consistently aesthetic, but also unabashedly modern, with large glass windows stretching from the floor to it’s 10-meter high ceilings. Its hot spring spa is clad in luxurious marble.

Unlike most traditional guesthouses, Ragung’s rooms are furnished with ornate beds. Most are in a L-shaped building that overlooks a valley and opens onto a pond, which is fed by a vanishing horizon stream that trickles from Ragung.

Three brown-and-white hanoks are set nearby on the slope of Mount Unjesan, against a concert of crickets and streams flowing through mountainside reeds.

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EAR THE OUTER EDGE OF MODERN-DAY GYEONGJU, roses crown a green gate that’s always open to visitors to Sundosanbang. Artist Park Seo-jin waters the plants on the porch of the hanok guesthouse while his wife, Lee Ryong, ensures that all the rice-paper windows are open, as is customary during the day, through all four seasons.

The 100-year-old Sundosanbang has been the home of Lee’s family for the past 50 years in the ragtag residential neighborhood of old two-story prefab buildings and redbricks. Ryong’s grown daughter practices Buddhist art and her intricate paintings—along with the thick, black strokes of Seo-jin’s calligraphy—adorn the walls of the three guest rooms. A folk painting in one room depicts turtles and deer serene on a mountain, a wish for long life that Ryong painted for her 90-year-old mother, who also shares the home.

Ryong is a woman with soft features, a calm voice and dignified gray hair. Among seven siblings who went to study

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in Seoul, only she returned to live with her parents at Sundosanbang, caring for them to fulfill a traditional family obligation in Korean society.

The guesthouse allows Ryong to get a taste of the world, mainly Europe, from which most of her guests hail. Her 13-year-old son dreams of studying in the United States and her daughter has just traveled the Silk Road, across India and Tibet, to broaden her understanding of Buddhist painting. It has been more difficult for 60-year-old Ryong, who grew up in South Korea’s post-war poverty. “Our generation was not free to go out into the world,” she says.

“It’s still not easy. But I keep this home and everyone instead comes to me.”

Outside, a path winds past a koi pond, a little pagoda and dozens of plants and flowers that draw butterflies and bees in the afternoon sun. The garden was imagined by Ryong’s late father and designed by her eldest brother, an architect.

“We try not to overcome nature, we just borrow from it,” explains Ahn, Rakkojae’s owner, in Seoul. “The Chinese will put a big mountain or a big pond in the garden. The Japanese will use miniatures. We still have a way of doing it, it’s not just wild, but we don’t do too much. We don’t want to fight with nature. Lower the walls so you can see the mountains and the river, that’s our gardening.”

Ryong’s father and brother were stern traditionalists so Sundosanbang has been preserved, with some difficulty, using only traditional materials. A certain familiar rustic odor of old, dark wood pervades each room. Bathrooms are separate from the house, with modern tiling and showers— and the few meters’ walk becomes difficult on cold winter nights, Ryong says. Her family split the guesthouse from a neighboring property, where another hanok in disrepair is beyond the garden wall.

“We have to recognize that we have something good and then keep it,” Ryong says of the dwindling number of hanoks in South Korea and the heritage lost. “I know that through my father and mother.” ✚

GUIDE TO KOREA’S HANOKS WHERE TO STAY Rakkojae Book the Master Bedroom 1, which boasts a natural jade floor. 98 Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul; 82-10/73874004; rkj.co.kr; doubles from KRW250,000.

Ragung Book a Royal Suite.

719-70 Shinpyeong-dong, Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do; 82-54/778-2000; smpark.co.kr; doubles from KRW300,000.

Sundosanbang Book the An-bang room. 193

A guest room in Rakkojae.

Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do; 82-54/772-3123; sundosanbang. com; doubles from KRW40,000.

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| hotels The Royal Hawaiian hotel, on Waikiki Beach, below.

Inset: A vintage postcard of the “Pink Palace.”

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Hawaii, Revisited Two historic hotels—the Big Island’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian, on Waikiki Beach—are fresh from extensive, yet subtle renovations that promise to return them to their former glory and attract a new generation of high flyers. By MARIA SHOLLENBARGER. Photographed by JESSICA SCHWARTZBERG 74

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Big Island Revival Clockwise from top left: The Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill–designed Mauna Kea Beach Hotel; misoyaki butterfish with gobo, bok choy and beurre fondu at the hotel’s Manta restaurant; inside the property; the pool; a Mauna Kea guest room; Lee Updike, a hotel lifeguard.

MAUNA KEA BEACH HOTEL | Kohala Coast, Big Island When I was growing up in Los Angeles, my parents would regularly decamp, sans kids, to the Mauna Kea. It was the first place they’d saved pennies to stay at as newlyweds, and it hosted them for much-needed escapes in the following decades. They’d come back sun-burnished, rejuvenated and bearing the hotel’s signature navy-and-white yukata for my brother and me to wear as bathrobes. By the time I was 13, I had ascribed to the place an enormous mystique: What was this magical hotel that returned my mom and dad to me looking, without fail, just a little bit like movie stars?

They weren’t the only people in the 1970’s on whom the magic rubbed off; the Mauna Kea was then the ne plus ultra of Hawaiian glamour and one of the top hotels in the world.

Laurance Rockefeller, the founder of RockResorts, handpicked the site, overlooking the ivory crescent of Kaunaoa Beach on the then-pristine Kohala Coast; and he handpicked the architect—one Edward Charles Bassett of

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill—who erected in 1965 a series of dynamic horizontal spaces, stacked one atop the other, almost entirely unencumbered by walls to fully exploit views of the opalescent Pacific. To this buzz-generating building Rockefeller bequeathed a museum-quality collection of Oceanic and Asian art, ranging from wooden Melanesian sculptures to life-size gilded images of Buddha, which were scattered about in the open-air, tiled corridors.

Cut to 2005: the Mauna Kea had lost much of its cachet—aged to a comfortable, but not chic, family resort.

Prince Resorts, which acquired the hotel in the 80’s, wasn’t oblivious to the hotel’s faded interiors, and when an earthquake damaged the property in October 2006, management took advantage of the closure to stage a 15-month, US$150 million renovation.

The results are subtle, and near pitch-perfect. The original 310 rooms and suites in the main building have been reduced to 258, layouts revised and enlarged. » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

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Waikiki Legend Clockwise from top left: A view of Waikiki Beach from the Royal Hawaiian hotel; cocktail hour at the hotel’s Mai Tai Bar; the restored Coconut Lanai; a guest room; looking onto the pool; veal cheek ravioli with foie gras and quail egg from Azure restaurant.

Understatement prevails—there are white-tile floors, white ceramic lamps and light fixtures, abstract and ethnic fabrics that reference Rockefeller’s collections, and teak headboards.

The rooms also have ingenious compartmentalized teak wall units that slide closed to conceal 42-inch flat-screen TV’s (a concession to old-timers scandalized by the addition of televisions after all these years; the slick iPod alarm clocks and digital phones can’t have pleased them much, either).

Ocean-facing doubles acquired extra lanais, which are allocated to their bathrooms—white-on-white havens with deep soaking tubs and open rain showers. What could read as generic décor on first viewing soon reveals itself to be of exceptional quality (materials are all top-of-the-line and formidably expensive)—and, in its aggregate aesthetic, to make subtle nods to both the building’s Midcentury heritage and the hotel’s Asian-influenced ethos.

A small but lovely spa, managed by Bali-based Mandara, has been built in the former members’ club room. The restaurant, Manta, has a new display kitchen and a refined, 76

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locally influenced menu that’s heavy on excellent raw-bar offerings (with attendant prices); but its outdoor tables are positioned, as ever, for prime viewing of the mantas that feed at night below the terrace. And the beachside Hau Tree bar still serves the Ovaltine Froth milk shake—the singular deliciousness of which merits 45 years on a menu. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Kohala Coast; 1-808/882-7222; maunakeabeachhotel. com; doubles from US$450.

ROYAL HAWAIIAN | Waikiki Beach, Oahu “It’s little,” says the girl playing in the sand next to me, studying the rosy dimensions of the six-story Royal Hawaiian. Well, not really—it has 529 rooms, two restaurants, a spa and a lobby shopping arcade that could accommodate a soccer match—but I see what she means: viewed from the beach, the Pink Palace, as it’s also called, is so dwarfed by the towering forest of glass and steel bristling up around it as to evoke a generalized nostalgia for some Gilded Era of Waikiki Beach Past.

Lush Life Grilled chicken salad with a Fredrico’s cocktail — which consists of rum, Jack Daniel’s and fruit juice — from Mauna Kea’s Hau Tree restaurant, above left. Right: An outrigger canoe awaits the adventurous and physically fit on Waikiki Beach near the Royal Hawaiian hotel.

The Royal Hawaiian was constructed in 1927, 32 years before Hawaii achieved statehood, and has a guest roster that reads like a roll call of America’s rich, famous, and Pennsylvania Avenue–dwelling. It’s the home of the mai tai (first perfected at the hotel bar of the same name) and sits on the prime stretch of America’s most famous beach: wide, quiet, perfect for outrigger and longboard approaches.

But Honolulu has grown up, and as the Kahala and the Halekulani and even the sleek new Trump International Hotel Beach Walk arrived, it became increasingly clear that the green shag in the guest rooms wasn’t cutting it. So Starwood hotels (whose Luxury Collection division reflagged the Royal Hawaiian in January) set itself the task of recasting all that venerable history in a vibrant 21st-century light.

The shag has disappeared; the sleeked-up Mai Tai Bar now serves a killer ahi sashimi salad. The building’s Spanish-Moorish good looks (that hibiscus-pink paint job says aloha, but the vernacular is pure Rodeo Drive) have been exploited to their best effect. The wide lanai facing the storied Coconut Grove, sectioned off from the main lobby decades ago, has been refurbished and reopened to the building. Now, guests are welcomed with an unbroken view from the hotel’s porte cochère entrance past massive pink columns all the way to those sun-dappled coconut palms, which you can see from the polished koa check-in desks. Around the corner from the grove, billowing white cabanas set among gardens house the new Abhasa Spa’s alfresco massage suites.

The rooms strike a balance of traditional island-ethnic and modern references without sliding into either kitsch or blandness. The regular appearance of a metallic pineapple print on a poppy-pink background (on the walls and as upholstery), admittedly dubious-sounding on paper, is in the event a quite charming, David Hicks–ian conceit. Some junior suites are hampered by small bathrooms, a holdover from original construction—how did Henry Ford/Douglas Fairbanks/the Shah of Iran countenance such cramped quarters?—though the designers have done an admirable job of dressing them up with modern marble touches and state-of-the-art fixtures.

Then there’s the knockout restaurant, Azure, which merits a visit regardless of where in town you stay—preferably after dark, when the enormous suspended Moroccan lanterns are lit, their light flickering off the coffered white ceilings. The room is well and truly chic (not just chic “for Hawaii”), and chef Jon Matsubara has a masterful hand with the seafood, which comes straight from the fish auction building at Pier 38. If your tastes hew more toward pig, order the sublime baby back ribs in a Kona coffee marinade. They’re the familiar, made sophisticated and satisfying with a studied twist of good taste. The new Hawaii, really. Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort; 2259 Kalakaua Ave.; 1-808/923-7311; royal-hawaiian.com; doubles from US$560.

Maria Shollenbarger is the T+L (U.S.) Europe and U.K. editor. ✚ T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A

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| adventure The lodge and cottages at Little Kulala, a retreat in the Namib Desert.

NAMIBIA

Desert Lodges

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AMIBIA OFFICIALLY CAME ON THE RADAR A

few years ago, when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt stayed at a beach resort here while awaiting the birth of their third child. But this southern African country has been quietly coming into its own for more than a decade now. In addition to spectacular landscapes—vast deserts with 300-meter sand dunes and a coastline strewn with bleached whale bones and ancient shipwrecks—Namibia has some of the biggest yet least known game parks in Africa. It also has one of the continent’s smallest populations, highest literacy rates and most stable democracies. Tourism here is low-key: the emphasis is on small, well-designed, environmentally sensitive lodges in remote areas of the country. From a tented resort in the desert to a casbah-style fort on a zebra-filled reserve, these seven places are worth the trek.

NAMIB DESERT The Namib runs for 1,900 kilometers along the entire Atlantic coast of the country. A decade ago, 78

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adventure-travel company Wilderness Safaris acquired a 36,000-hectare spread adjacent to the colossal Sossusvlei sand dunes to create the Kulala Wilderness Reserve. Today, this private park contains three small lodges. The newest is the Little Kulala (wilderness-safaris.com; doubles from US$900, all-inclusive), with 11 distinctive cement, wood and glass thatched-roof villas. Each has a grand deck with a plunge pool; a rooftop terrace with “sky beds” for stargazing; and a minimalist studio with a platform bed, bleached plank floors, and leather shag throw rugs.

Bouncing across the sand on one of the guided desert drives, you’ll encounter giant dragonflies, springbok, spotted hyena, gemsbok with long elegant horns and camel thorn trees hung with the monster nests of the sociable weaver (these avian apartment buildings can hold several hundred birds and last for up to a hundred years). Equally intriguing are the mysterious circles of grass, some as large as 10 meters in diameter; there are many theories as to their origins, from termites to static electricity. »

DANA ALLEN

Namibia’s wilderness—a land of volcanic mountains and epic dunes—it’s also the backdrop for a growing number of stylish hideaways. By RICHARD ALLEMAN

F R O M T O P : D A N A A L L E N ; C O U R T E S Y O F L I T T L E O N G AVA

Desert Style From top: A private plunge pool at Little Ongava, a luxurious lodge in northern Namibiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 23,300-square-kilometer Etosha National Park thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home to zebras and rhinos; a table is set for dinner at Little Ongava, which is decorated with art and artifacts from across Africa.

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FROM TOP: DANA ALLEN; MIKE MYERS

Out of Africa From above: A view from Serra Cafema Camp of the Kunene River, which divides Namibia and Angola â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the region is home to the nomadic Himba people; inside one of the 11 villas at Little Kulala, each of which has a plunge pool and rooftop terrace for the sweeping views.

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One of the private decks in a chalet at Serra Cafema.

The main attractions, however, are the great Sossusvlei dunes, with their distinctive salmon color and sharp edges; they resemble colossal pyramids. Of the hundreds of dunes, a few are standouts, like Big Daddy, which measures almost 300 meters, and Number 45, where climbing up (and body-sliding down) are permitted.

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KAOKOLAND Greener than the Namib, Kaokoland, in Namibia’s northwest corner, is a tableau of dales framed by volcanic mountains. The region is home to many Himba, a nomadic people numbering 12,000 who are scattered throughout northwestern Namibia and southern Angola. The women are especially striking, with elaborately braided dreadlocks and glistening red skin (a special paste protects them from the sun). At the Serra Cafema Camp (wilderness-safaris.com; doubles from US$813, all-inclusive), the main lodge sits on stilts in an oasis of green albida trees above the Kunene River, which separates Namibia and Angola. The eight loft-like chalets are filled with carved Nguni furniture, and in the bathrooms, copper basins are mounted on log pedestals.

The food is sophisticated—especially the candlelit dinners, which might include fish en papillote followed by a decadently rich chocolate mousse. Take a hike with Franco Morao, who will point out goliath herons and fresh sets of long, smooth crocodile tracks. He’s also good at spotting small creatures, such as pairs of toktokkie beetles, the males piggybacking on the females to shade them while they forage for food.

NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE About a half-hour’s flight south of the Sossusvlei dunes is the 180,000-hectare NamibRand Nature Reserve, another private conservation project, begun in the 1980’s by Namibian environmentalist Albi Bruckner, who transformed this area of low rolling dunes and tall grass from sheep farms into a group of small lodges »

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A pool and cabana with a spectacular view at Little Ongava, left. A glimpse inside one of Little Ongava’s well-appointed cottages, right.

ANGOLA

Etosha National Park KAOKOLAND

Onguma Game Reserve

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Windhoek Kulala Wilderness Reserve NamibRand Nature Reserve

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ONGUMA RESERVE In 2007, The Fort at Fisher’s Pan (264-61/232-009; onguma.com; doubles from US$780, all82

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Ongava Game Reserve

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ONGAVA GAME RESERVE This 30,000-hectare private enclave comprises the south-central edge of northern Namibia’s 23,300-square-kilometer Etosha National Park.

Here, one of the country’s most luxurious compounds, the three-cottage Little Ongava (wilderness-safaris.com; doubles from US$1,996, all-inclusive), sits on a hillside of pockmarked boulders and giant cacti. The infinity pools almost make the property seem too glamorous for its setting. The interior design has made extensive use of African artists’ work: masks from Burkina Faso; wooden bowls from Zambia; Ethiopian trays; Congolese wall hangings; and Namibian paintings.

The ultimate prize of Little Ongava, however, lies out in the bush, where you are likely to see herds of zebra grazing peacefully and packs of surprisingly shy 3,600-kilogram white rhinos. If you’re lucky, your guide will be Rosie, a jocular Namibian who’s the country’s first female big-game guide. Little Ongava’s sister property, the nearby 14-room Ongava Lodge (wilderness-safaris.com; doubles from US$1,022, all-inclusive), is a less expensive alternative.

inclusive) opened on the southern edge of Etosha National Park. This exotic structure—tall, thick walls; massive studded doors; multiple patios; secret staircases—sits on the edge of a large watering hole. The Fort is the latest addition to the Onguma Safari Camps, a collection of lodges in the private 20,000-hectare slice of Etosha known as the Onguma Game Reserve.

The rustic cottages at The Fort exude casbah-cool: North African chandeliers, tadlakt floors and brass-tray bedside tables. The bathrooms are housed in octagonal towers with high ceilings, Philippe Starck and Oxo fixtures, and tall freestanding mirrors in distressed frames.

In addition to game drives in the private reserve, the Fort takes guests to the main Etosha game park. The toll-plaza entrance and private cars are a bit of a disappointment, but the game is another story. On a four-hour excursion, you can expect to see giraffes, elephants, wildebeests, steenbok, leopard tortoises, monitor lizards and the occasional lion.

Evenings back at The Fort are magical, with the deck lit by Moroccan lanterns and sconces. Out at the floodlit watering hole, you can watch zebra assemble at sunset. Onguma, it turns out, means “the place you don’t want to leave.” ✚

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GETTING THERE All of the lodges mentioned in the story will help you arrange air transfers from Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport.

Alternatively, book your trip through a seasoned travel agent. Trusted outfitters such as U.S.–based Uncharted Outposts (unchartedoutposts. com), South Africa–based Rhino Africa Safaris (rhinoafrica.com) and Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com) can also help arrange your itinerary.

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known as the Wolwedans Collection. The Dunes Lodge (264-61/230-616; wolwedans-namibia.com; doubles from US$750, all-inclusive) is a string of 10 wood-and-canvas cottages linked by walkways; the pool is shaded by a sailcloth awning. For minimal impact on the environment, the entire camp was designed using only wood and canvas. Wolwedans is known for the quality of its restaurants: the chefs are locals who have been trained at the company’s culinary school in the capital, Windhoek. The biggest news in this part of the desert is Wolwedans’s Boulders Safari Camp (wolwedansnamibia.com; doubles from US$950, all-inclusive), a remote compound of four luxury tents set between gigantic granite boulders. Days here are spent hiking or on scenic drives; at sunset, cocktails are served atop the highest ridge.

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THE ROMANTIC SIDE TO

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PAUL COSTELLO

Four THAI spas to revive your life TAKE the open road to New Zealand Going for the GLAM on a visit to Goa 30 dream trips to rekindle ROMANCE 85

If you’ve heard any of these remote Thai islands, you’re one step ahead of the sun-seeking crowd, writes STUART MCDONALD. Better still, there’s likely a secluded spot for you on the beach

Inside Chiva-Som, a famed health resort in Hua Hin. Opposite: The sun sets along the pier at Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket.

“UNPLUG NOW. UNPLUG FROM THE OUTSIDE.” So comes the murmur from massage therapist Victor Quemuel as he drops a heated towel on my forehead.

Victor exudes the comforting air of a father crooning his baby to sleep. Eyes closed, cocooned under a fluffy layer of thick white toweling, all I can sense is the lilting melody of Indian flute music in the cool, darkened room that shuts out the blazing island sun. I’m having the Maharlika treatment, a therapy unique to the Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket on Naka Island. Victor is unplugging my pores with a piece of string using a special technique that derives from ancient Filipino helot healing traditions. On a deeper level, his instruction to unplug myself is a guidance to detach my mind from the worries, thoughts and emotional tensions that normally occupy a person’s head. A vigorous reflexology massage on neck, shoulders, arms and hands relieves knotted muscles tense from long hours—no, make that years—hunched over a computer.

Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket is the latest offering in a spate of award-winning destination healing resorts that are putting Thailand on the map as the place for wellness seekers in search of a health holiday. Already known as a medical tourism hub where travelers can easily combine surgery, check-ups or dental work during their holiday, Thailand is drawing a new type of wellness traveler looking for more alternative and preventative holidays.

While the word “spa” evokes flowery images of massages and facials, a destination spa goes far beyond body pampering; massages are only one aspect of the total holistic overhaul that one undergoes in the course of a wellness retreat. Call them destination spas, wellness sanctuaries, health resorts or holistic retreats, these establishments aim specifically to provide a totally integrated holistic experience designed to achieve rejuvenation of the mind and body. The core of a destination wellness experience is the holistic health program that is custom-tailored for each »

Healthy Living Clockwise from top left: A guest room at Six Senses; bicycles are available for guests at Six Senses; healthy fare at Kamalaya resort, on Samui; a pool at Kamalaya; Chiva-Som’s spa rooms; ChivaSom’s restaurant.

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WHILE THE WORD ‘SPA’ EVOKES FLOWERY IMAGES OF MASSAGES AND FACIALS, A DESTINATION SPA GOES FAR BEYOND BODY PAMPERING

guest based on their individual needs, with the on-site wellness center being the nucleus of operations. Each stay starts with a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire that’s several pages long, which is then used to design an individually tailored program consisting of health consultations, daily massages, nutritional counseling, detox cuisine, exercise, personal trainers, physiotherapists, naturopathy, ayurvedic doctors, traditional Chinese medicine doctors, acupuncture, energy healing, and spiritual and emotional counseling—all set on a beautiful beach or in a lush garden. The objective is to heal the whole being from the inside out, not through medical treatment or body pampering.

“In this age, more than ever, people have access to more money, more toys, gadgets, entertainment, movies, everything all at once,” says Marc-Antoine Cornaz, managing director of Kamalaya Koh Samui, an acclaimed wellness resort. “Everything is so easily and instantly accessible now, especially material goods. More people have all these things, then wonder why they still aren’t happy.” Cornaz goes on to say that most of the guests who stay at Kamalaya are looking for something more meaningful. “They just want to de-stress or get healthy—but in the process they stumble across something deeper.”

Good Vibes From left: That “something deeper” often The beach at Six Senses; a marks the initial baby steps that hearty salad at Kamalaya; the pagodas at the lead people on a longer journey Mandarin Oriental Dhara of self-awareness. “In daily life Dhevi, in Chiang Mai. Opposite: A path through what people miss these days is the the rice fields at the human connection,” says Cornaz.

Mandarin Oriental.

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“Often successful people lose the connection to other humans because everyone is their subordinate. At Kamalaya we sometimes have celebrity guests, but here everyone can be their normal human self. People can connect to each other as humans without the façade, so they relax and can reconnect to others as well as themselves as individuals.”

A relaxed camaraderie is evident among the guests, staff and spa therapists. A sense of common goals creates a powerful community spirit that doesn’t exist on a normal resort holiday. Seventy percent of Kamalaya’s guests come alone, away from distracting partners and family members, choosing one of the many one- to three-week wellness programs on offer, but find themselves bonding easily over shared experiences and common goals. At the cliff-top plunge pool overlooking the sea, a couple of bond traders from London exchange tales of career burnout with an exhausted airline pilot. They’re clearly at the start of their stay. At the other end of the spectrum, I am enjoying my delicious dinner of baked snow fish and watercress while listening to two ladies share their experiences of meditation and past-life regression over herbal tea sweetened with stevia, a herbal sugar substitute. Clad in floating white tunics, the kind worn in ashrams, these are clearly retreat veterans. The next day I’m bemused to discover that both ladies are international investment bankers, one from Hong Kong, the other from Sydney, who are much happier here under the coconut trees than in their black power suits conducting conference calls. One of them keeps extending her stay and is even considering a career move from finance to the wellness industry. »

The ornate dĂŠcor at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. Clockwise from right: Good-for-you offerings at the Mandarin Oriental; outside Chiva-Som; a staff member at Six Senses; a sauna room at Chiva-Som; soothing sounds at Chiva-Som.

NORTHERN THAILAND, THE Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, though not an actual destination spa, features magnificent spa facilities including an ayurvedic wing, a templelike watsu pavilion, Turkish hammam and rassoul steam rooms, and a building housing luxury spa suite accommodations, all contained within a majestic complex modeled after the royal palace of Mandalay. To make the most of its stunning facilities, the resort offers a series of intensive week-long wellness programs, with varying themes such as yoga, life coaching and holistic workshops.

While yoga and health food are to be expected, what is surprising is the level of emotional healing that can result from these retreats. Among the Mandarin Oriental Chiang Mai’s spa offerings is the award-winning Inner Flow Therapy, a gentle water treatment created by resident specialist Raphael Sadowski that is practiced in warm water using the combined techniques of watsu, water dance, healing dance and yoga. My own experience with this resulted in a burst of uncontrollable sobbing, which Raphael explained were repressed emotions being released due to a state of complete relaxation; often, back pain is the physical manifestation of feelings of fear and sadness that we hold in by tensing the lower back. By relaxing the spine, this treatment allows the body’s energy to flow naturally, thus releasing trapped emotions. Other guests have experienced tears or states of extreme euphoria after this treatment. The program includes spiritual exercises in the resort’s temple, and basic reflexology classes teaching simple techniques guests can practice at home.

At world-renowned Chiva-Som International Health Resort, located at the beach resort of Hua Hin, “the most popular programs here are weight loss and detox,” says wellness director Jeff Nieuwenhuizen, “because they offer the most immediate and practical goal. Our most popular activities are sessions with personal trainers and aqua aerobics class.” The longer guests stay, sometimes for months, the more they explore other holistic classes. “This leads to changes in both their habits and attitudes about how they approach wellness.”

With its fame as a world-class resort and celebrity health center—Elle McPherson, Elizabeth Hurley, David and Victoria Beckham are some of the famous who come here—occupancy is always high but you would never know it from the hushed stillness of its deserted grounds.

Even on the sunniest days the swimming pool is deserted.

Everybody is sequestered inside the spa, a labyrinth of »

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AT SIX SENSES, A HILLTOP RESTAURANT SERVES NUTRITIOUS, HIGH-ENERGY RAW FOOD ALONG WITH THE RESORT'S SEA VIEW

air-conditioned treatment rooms stretching underground.

It’s only at mealtimes that you come face-to-face with other guests at the buffet serving fat-free, oil-free, butterless, sugarless salads and soups. Portions are miniscule, intended to make you lose weight, whether you want to or not.

Most guests want to. I’m enjoying Hua Hin’s pinkyblue sunset on Chiva-Som’s beach terrace while chugging lattes with Abdul Aziz Al Zabin, a cheerful businessman from Kuwait who combines his latte with inhalations of Marlboro Reds. He enjoys life too much, which is why he’s here to work it off. He’s already lost 12 kilos in three weeks and has another month and many more kilos to go. “I’ve been taking photos of myself every week,” he says, patting his ample tummy. “I’m thinking of starting a website showing my progress for my family and friends, what do you think?” He’s also trying hypnotherapy to stop smoking.

Another guest from Italy is staying three months, on his second stay here. On his first stay of two months he shed 24 kilos but gained 27 kilos after returning home. This time he’s brought his personal chef and masseuse and sent them to learn low-fat cooking and massage at the Chiva-Som Academy in Bangkok while he’s working the weight off again. Guests often find they struggle to keep their weight down once they return home. It’s also worth noting that many doctors advise against rapid weight loss, which can lead to a host of medical problems.

SENSES DESTINATION SPA PHUKET ENCOURAGES guests to take a self-empowering approach to health. “Our key focus is that we get people to take responsibility for their own well-being,” says Bryan Hoare, the spa’s director of wellness. “When guests arrive we ask them to define their wellness goals and sign a contract with themselves, so that they are actually making a commitment to themselves, rather than making their wellness someone else’s responsibility.” A typical contract might outline a desire to lose weight or stop smoking or exercise daily. “At the same time,” says Hoare, “guests aren’t forced to do anything they don’t want to do. They can just have a relaxing beach holiday. But there is an entire support system here to encourage them.”

Launched just a year ago, Six Senses Destination Spa’s holistic offerings have yet to reach the range and depth available at older establishments like Chiva-Som or Kamalaya. But the foundation is well in place, with a creative approach to wellness adding a quirky charm.

Personal training sessions take place at the Jurassic-style

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Jungle Gym, set in a beachside banana grove using rocks and tree trunks for strength training. The sprawling spa complex is cleverly divided into Thai, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian sections spread across a garden traversed by picturesque stepping stones, wooden walkways, lotus ponds and bamboo groves. A hilltop restaurant serves nutritious, high-energy raw food along with the sea view, while the beachside restaurant serves crystal-infused healing water.

Menus outline calorie counts while signs around the property indicate the calories used to walk from one point to another. Every guest is supplied with a bicycle for both transportation and exercise.

Judging from a scan of the pool, many of the Six Senses guests seem rather healthy regardless of their age. I’m examining a large wooden sign displaying a coconut bra forbidding topless sunbathing when an English lady in her late 50’s walks by in a pink bikini. She looks amazingly fit for someone who’s no stranger to childbirth—she’s traveling with her 34-year-old daughter. Clearly destination spas aren’t just for those in a crisis.

At their best, wellness retreats can trigger a whole new approach to life. “I came to Kamalaya for three nights expecting a hotel with some massages and yoga,” says Bob Peters, a party-loving London executive whose typical holiday involves extreme adventure, like the jungle survival course he’s doing in South America the following month.

“But I’m completely amazed by the personalized health assessments and the level of counseling I’m getting here.

It’s not just technical fitness and exercise. They give you the freedom to open up about your emotions too. It’s about total well-being.”

Would he come back again?

“Definitely! I wish I were staying longer.” ✚

GUIDE TO WELLNESS IN THAILAND Chiva-Som International Health Resort 73/4 Petchkasem Rd., Hua Hin; 66-32/536-536; chivasom. com; doubles from Bt17,000 per person per night for a minimum three-night stay.

Kamalaya Koh Samui 102/9 Moo 3, Laem Set Rd., Ko Samui; 66-77/429-800; kamalaya.com; doubles from Bt7,900.

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi 51/4 Chiang MaiSankampaeng Rd., Chiang Mai; 66-53/888-888; mandarinoriental.com; doubles from Bt15,499.

Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket 32 Moo 5, Tambol Paklok, Naka Island, Phuket; 66-76/371-400; sixsenses.com; doubles from Bt37,800.

Getting a traditional Thai massage at Kamalaya.

WELCOME TO

NEWZE Sand dunes, surf towns and an ever-expanding circle of fast friends: oysters are plentiful, the road is wide open and everyone has a story

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From far left: Rue Lavaud, in the town of Akaroa; Te Matuku oysters at Martin Bosley’s Restaurant, in Wellington; a view of the harbor on the way to Akaroa, a former French settlement on New Zealand’s South Island.

ALAND ADAM SACHS tours the far reaches of New Zealand, where the to share. Photographed by MARK ROPER

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“You can get tuatuas here,” Anne Moore says, brightly.

“A tuatua,” she adds by way of explanation, “is like a pipi but not as big as a toheroa.”

I have no idea what she’s talking about but the sound of the words makes me happy. Tuatuas and pipis and toheroas, Anne explains, are types of mollusks.

You dig them up at the beach as snacks.

Anne points out a sign by the road that says HOT HANGI. That’s a Maori stew, she says, cooked in the ground.

“Have you ever seen a kumara?” Anne asks. It’s a purplish sweet potato grown around here. And where is here? I’m trying to remember.

Anne is a new friend. We met the week before, at another pal’s wedding on the island of Waiheke, near Auckland. Now she’s our guide on a road trip somewhere far north of there, driving with the sunroof open across the very top of New Zealand. From the backseat of her silver-blue BMW jalopy, I watch the dreamy place-names pass by. Opononi. Kerikeri.

Pakaraka. Kawakawa. I repeat these words to myself and lose track of where we are on the map. Outside, it’s all lush greens and sparkling blues. There is a warmth, a pacific— lower- and uppercase—quality to the light in the north of the North Island.

At Russell, on the Bay of Islands, a little seagull follows us around. He waddles behind the car as we drive out of town with a look that seems to say, “What’s your rush?” Sorry, little bird. Nothing personal. Except that in New Zealand, everything has a way of feeling personal, intimate, connected. The country’s image handlers have done a great job positioning the place as a kind of holy land for extremesports seekers, as well as for those who seek extreme pamperedness at grand pleasure palaces known as super lodges. But what pulls me back is something more essential, a feeling I get from the people here. They’re friendly and open, but more than that there is this sense of an entire country where everyone seems to know one another, a sense of community you don’t get in bigger countries. Aotearoa— the country’s Maori name, meaning Land of the Long White Cloud—has an area slightly larger than the United Kingdom but one-fifteenth the population. Nearly a third of the 4.2 million Kiwis live in Auckland. Outside the city it’s a big-sky, small-world place.

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Looking to explore these connections, I devised a kind of travel challenge for myself, an experiment in serendipitous social networking. What would become of me if I arrived in Auckland knowing nobody and let myself be guided only by the introductions of people I met along the way? There would be rules: I couldn’t just ask someone to recommend a place they’d heard or read about.

They had to hand me off to friends or colleagues, people they actually knew. And I would keep moving. Landing in Auckland, I’d head roughly south with every suggestion to see how far down the length of the country I could get.

To hedge my bets, I needed a traveling companion and a starter pool of Kiwis. My first bit of good luck arrived in the form of my girlfriend, Evyn, whose best friend happened to be getting married on Waiheke. The bride, Anna Weinberg, grew up on the island, a wind-slapped half-hour’s ferry ride from Auckland. She now lives in San Francisco, where she runs South, an antipodean-themed wine bar and restaurant.

One of her partners is the Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan. Anna’s parents make wine in Hawke’s Bay. There would be guests from the New Zealand food, wine and fashion industries. If any place was going to give us a shot at meeting people who could set us off on an interesting journey, Anna and James’s wedding promised to be it.

So after a series of flights we landed in Auckland and made our way by ferry across the emerald Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke. There we fell into the rhythm of things with the aid of great quantities of the local rosé. The island has a Nantucket-ish vibe by way of California surf-town cool. A place, as one resident put it, where “billionaires cohabit with hippies and a few of us in between.”

We sailed a catamaran around the coves. We played cricket (badly) in the surf at Oneroa Beach. By the day of the wedding ceremony at Mudbrick Vineyard, we’d acclimated to island life. Finally, it was time to go off on our own.

Anne Moore, an old friend of Evyn’s, wanted us to see Hokianga, where she’d grown up. Anne is a quarter Maori, tall and striking, with big, dark eyes that suggest she is going to do what she wants to do. This is our first lesson in social traveling: Some people aren’t willing to just point you in the right direction; they want to take you there themselves. »

Island Country Clockwise from top left: A drawing of a New Zealand pigeon at Otahuna Lodge, near Christchurch; the tranquil Clyde Quay Marina, in Wellingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harbor ; owners Bruce and Carol Hyland at Maison de la Mer, their inn in Akaroa; an antler chandelier at Black Barn Vineyards, in Hawkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay; a guest room at Maison de la Mer; finding local crustaceans on Stone Beach, in Akaroa.

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The veranda at Otahuna Lodge.

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Which is how we end up in Anne’s car driving 4½ hours north of Auckland through rolling dairy farms and kumara country, cowboy towns and Maori land.

Arriving at Hokianga, you climb a steep hill and come to a remarkable vista: on the left is the Tasman Sea, to the right a river winding inland, and, in front of you, rising from the mouth of the harbor, a giant golden sand dune.

Anne’s friend who runs the boat-tour concession takes us across to the dunes. The full poetic name, he says, is Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe. “The returning place of Kupe, the Polynesian explorer who discovered New Zealand.”

This is Anne’s returning place, too, and it pleases her to share it. Growing up here, she’d somehow never gotten around to hiking the dune. Over the top we find a scene new to all of us, invisible from shore and boat: rocky red canyons, hidden forests and undisturbed white beaches far below.

This feels and looks like what it is—the start of a country at the end of the world.

We are again on the road, heading from Hokianga back to Auckland to meet friends who will steer us to our next destination. At Orongo Bay we pull off the road at a big blue sign that reads oysters open and find Clive, a giant with a yellow beard like the back of an unshorn sheep. He shucks us two dozen wild-spatch oysters pulled straight from the bay, and we eat them on the hood of the car with a bottle of the local hot sauce, Kaitaia Fire.

Somewhere near Elliots Bay a rainbow reveals itself over the ocean, so we stop again for a quick look. The hills are lime green and velvety soft. Surfers are in the water. Pipis and tuatuas are there for the digging. Behind us, on a little rise above the road, a cow is chewing grass and taking in the same view, looking as amazed as we are. The whole thing is so ridiculously pretty that we all just sort of shake our heads in the warm breeze and whistle, glad we ended up here, wherever here is.

“We reckon we’ve got one degree of separation in New Zealand,” Simon Woolley says.

Short-cropped gray hair, 53, fitted T-shirt, kind eyes behind artsy spectacles, Simon is an old friend of the bride’s.

He’s a cofounder of one of the country’s big mineral-water brands, Antipodes. We’re back in Auckland to see off the wedding party and receive our marching orders.

One of Simon’s partners in the Antipodes water venture is his old mate, Kim Thorp, an advertising man who started a winery and villa rental complex in the Hawke’s Bay wine region called Black Barn Vineyards.

Simon finds Kim on his mobile to make the introduction.

We’re in luck: there’s one house available for the night.

“Rush Cottage, my favorite,” says Simon. “You’re going to love it.”

And so we do. We fall rather helplessly and immediately in love with the very English-feeling two-bedroom shepherd’s

cottage beside a towering fan palm. And we fall for Kim and his wife, Bronwynne, who is making a fragrant pot of fig chutney from Digby Law’s Pickle & Chutney Cookbook: A New Zealand Classic when we arrive at their contemporary art– and sculpture-filled house for a visit. And all this love brings us to the second tricky issue with this exercise in constant motion: the stubborn desire to never leave a place.

Black Barn is many things: winery, summer concert venue, modern Kiwi art gallery, restaurant, local farmers’ market and lodging. What makes it all work is that it feels like a personal project, a kind of curated lifestyle, tastefully conceived and stylishly executed by Kim and Bronwynne and their partners. “We honestly just based things on what we like,” Kim says. The people are the brand—a slogan you might apply, without too much of a stretch, to New Zealand as a whole.

Leaving Hawke’s Bay and heading south through the North Island to Wellington, we stop for lunch at Elephant Hill Estate & Winery on the coast. “It’s the newest thing on the horizon,” Kim tells us. “It’s sort of outrageous: a bright blue-green copper shoe box owned by a German couple who have no history of wine.” The view alone is worth the detour: outdoor tables overlook a glassy pool, down past the rows of grapevines, and out to a thin ribbon of blue sea. It feels like a hybrid of Thailand and Provence. Fearing we’d be left without anyone to recommend a place to stay, in the rush to make Wellington by dark, we had taken Kim’s suggestion and booked a room online at Ohtel, a self-consciously designy boutique around the corner from Martin Bosley’s Restaurant.

“Go see Martin,” Kim directed us. “his food’s exquisite. Be sure to say you’re a vegetarian and don’t like fish.”

“Did Kim tell you to say that?” Martin asks when we deliver the fake news about our eating habits. “Well, the answer to your next question—‘What do you do for people like us?’—is, ‘Drown you to put you out of your misery.’”

Martin has a goatee and a winking, genial gruffness. His restaurant occupies the glass-walled dining room of a 126-year-old yacht club. The room is tidy but unpretentious, dominated by views of swaying sailboats and old sheds once used by the American navy. The focus, however, is on what’s on the plate, which mostly comes out of the waters around New Zealand.

“So personal recommendations—just don’t screw it up?”

Martin says to clarify.

Amazing how pawning off decision-making responsibilities on someone else can reduce your stress. I switch from Antipodes water to a Seresin Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough and look out at the clear sky.

“OK, I’ll go make some calls and see if we can get something happening. In the meantime, you guys need some oysters.”

Bluff oysters are not like other oysters. Available only for a brief season and only from the wild, cold, violent » 101

New Zealand is big and varied, in its way.

Sandy beaches in the subtropical north, glaciers and alpine skiing in the south

Kiwi Nation Clockwise from top left: St. Patrick’s Catholic church, in Akaroa; the delectable goat-cheese ravioli with pancetta and asparagus at Otahuna Lodge; the streamlined dining room at the Elephant Hill Estate & Winery, in Hawke’s Bay; boxus, viburnum and Chilean cranberry plants at Otahuna Lodge; the entrance at Black Barn Retreat; cows grazing near Hawke’s Bay.

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waters around Bluff, at the very bottom of the South Island, they are gritless, pure-tasting, intensely briny. The shells look like ragged fossils, with orange and pink and gray deposits. There is, it seems, something alive on one of my shells. I poke it with my finger. The something bites back.

“Hey, you’ve got clams living on your oyster!” Martin says, walking by to observe the action.

It’s hard to feel any stress in sunny wine country, but in Marlborough I manage it. This is where things fall apart a little and then come back together. Some of Martin’s suggestions don’t work out, places are booked on short notice, calls go unanswered. One of the reasons we wander is for the artificial highs and lows we feel along the way. Like Finns jumping from freezing pool to steaming sauna, we hop headlong into the good and bad, dull and delightful parts of a journey, and it makes our heart race.

From Wellington we take a ferry across to Picton, at the top of the South Island. Martin had directed us to a B&B run by a very friendly couple who give us wine when we arrive and a lovely home-cooked breakfast in the morning.

There is nothing wrong with the place at all, but we have the sinking feeling we’ve landed in a kind of pretty nowhere, a scrubbed suburb near beautiful wine country.

Here is another lesson: Live by the recommendation, die by it, too.

After some fumbling calls and scratched ideas, the nice couple mention that they are friendly with Therese Herzog of the Herzog Estate in Blenheim, not far away. Driving through sunny Marlborough wine country, we’ve got a good feeling about Therese, who doesn’t even know we’re headed to find her but who we hope will save our trip. And she does.

A handsome Swiss import, Therese doesn’t have time for the halting, ginger politesse of her Anglo neighbors. I start my rehearsed speech about what we’re looking for: not just a guidebook listing, somewhere you yourself would go…

“Okay, hold on,” Therese says, leaving me mid-spiel. She returns with a postcard she appears to have been keeping for just this purpose, ready to present like a prebaked cake on a TV cooking show.

“This is the secret sight to see,” she says, musically. “This is the golden bay, the million-dollar view. This is where we go to escape.”

Sold. Check, please. We call the number on Therese’s postcard and, against the odds, the cottage at Clifftops Retreat is available.

So we are back on course. Over the mountain passes to Nelson, through the city and out to the seaside hamlets and hill towns that line the road up and around to Ruby Bay village. After a few wrong turns, we find the tree-lined path to Clifftops cottage and a sign on the gate: “Welcome Evyn and Adam. Please turn the key on your left and zoom up to the house. Looking forward to meeting you. Pebbles and Frankie might also appear to say hello—woof woof.”

Pebbles and Frankie and their caretakers, Bob and Anne, lead Evyn and me to a pair of Adirondack chairs at the edge of the lawn. Below us is Tasman Bay and the curving coast of the South Island. We take a bottle from the well-stocked kitchen and watch the sky as it turns from pinkstreaked blue to quavering purple to starry black.

The dogs are back to say hello in the morning. Stay, they say, flopping around on the lawn. Stay and pat our bellies and enjoy this place you’ve come so far to see. Bob is more direct. “This is craziness!” he advises us when we say we really do need to get moving. The dogs were right, of course.

It was a shame to go before we took Bob’s advice about the hiking trails in Abel Tasman National Park and before we could finish all the cookies Anne had stashed in the kitchen cupboard. But rules are rules, even self-imposed ones, so we’re off, cutting southeast down the middle of the island.

New Zealand is big and varied, in its way. Sandy beaches in the subtropical north, glaciers and alpine skiing in the south. We didn’t know what we’d see of it until we met the people who would send us there. We pass through rolling farmland, and in the endless interior, ominous-looking craggy ranges. The radio cuts out for kilometers at a stretch.

Nearing Canterbury, the rocky terrain gives way to a sweeter, softer-again English country landscape. Nearing Christchurch we turn to Tai Taupo, and just as the light is faltering find our way to Otahuna Lodge.

Full disclosure—I cheated a bit here. I wanted to spend at least a night at one of the great lodges. I could see from the map that the recently refurbished Otahuna was a day’s drive south of Ruby Bay. So I dropped a hint: Did Bob and Anne by any chance know anybody at Otahuna? Wouldn’t that be a fine recommendation—for variety’s sake? They admitted they knew some folks there but not the owners. From Clifftops I called Otahuna preemptively and talked to Miles Refo and Hall Cannon, the American gentlemen who own and run the stately home. They agreed to let us come on shorter notice than is generally required. Rules are rules, but sometimes it’s okay to bend them, especially when it means a visit to a Queen Anne mansion with a tennis court.

The lodge was built in 1895, and has since served as a monastery, commune and hotel. We change and are served dinner in a private room off the drawing room. Prawn ceviche with a soup of green, yellow and red tomatoes. Locally raised duck, served rare. There is an almost comic formality to it, following yesterday’s dinner at an outdoor fish shack and our manic all-day road trip. But the food is good and we’re happy to take our glasses of port to our plush room just up the stairs.

After a morning of misty tennis we join Hall for breakfast in the airy kitchen. “I’ve traveled the way you’re traveling,” Hall says. “This is an easy country to do it in.” When he and Miles, formerly New York City real » 103

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Black Angus sirloin on rosemary mashed potatoes at Elephant Hill Estate & Winery.

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estate and marketing types, were looking to change their lives and find a grand project in New Zealand, they drove around the country for three months, taking advice and direction from those they met along the way.

“A lot of folks come here with intricate itineraries, with multiple flights, helicopters and dolphin watches. The irony is that traveling on your own in New Zealand is about the safest, easiest thing you can do. I’m probably shooting myself in the foot here, but if you’re coming here and you’re staying only in the so-called super lodges, you might be doing yourself a bit of a disservice.”

The pair have mastered the handle-anything calm of seasoned hoteliers. Hall and Miles are accustomed to complex guest needs, so my request barely registers as a challenge.

We’re in your hands for a night, I explain. Send us somewhere nice to stay with people you like.

“Akaroa,” Hall says, not missing a beat. “It’s the only French settlement in New Zealand. The street names are in French, little cafés, a charming bay, an amazingly scenic drive.”

After an hour of hairpin turns we descend to the harbor from which the French planned to secure a colony in Australasia. The British beat them to it, leaving Akaroa as a

museum relic of what a Gallic New Zealand might have looked like. Apparently it would have been unspeakably cute. Imagine if the French took over Devon and transplanted it to the Pacific. Again, we find ourselves somewhere we’d never heard of the day before, buoyed along by good advice, unburdened by advance planning, never sure which New Zealand we’d see today. We’re only halfway down the South Island, but we’ve come a long way from Anne Moore’s Maori returning place at the top of the country.

From his office at Otahuna, Hall had called Carol Hyland and told her he had some friends he wanted to send over to Maison de la Mer, the bed-and-breakfast she runs with her husband, Bruce. Our room has a nautical theme. There are cookies in the cupboard and a large round window looking out over the boats in the bay. That evening, the Hylands ply us and their other guests with wine and tell stories about decades spent raising their children on a sailboat traveling the world. We excuse ourselves after a couple of glasses, as we’ve got one final recommendation to pursue. Akaroa is said to have one of the best fish-and-chip shops in New Zealand. You can find it if you go. Just ask around.

Adam Sachs is a T+L (U.S.) contributing editor.

GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND

M A P B Y YA N I L TA C T U K

WHEN TO GO The climate is generally mild, but you’ll find some variation between the subtropical north and the glacier-dotted south. The warmest months are between January and March, and it’s coolest in July.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND Qantas (qantas.com) and Air New Zealand (airnewzealand. com) are the main carriers serving New Zealand, though Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com), Singapore Airlines (singaporeair. com) and Thai Airways (thaiair-

ways.com) also fly there. With scenic shoreline drives and mountain passes , the country is a road-tripper’s dream. Highways are well marked, and getting around is easy. There are short flights across the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands, and ferries operate regularly between Wellington and Picton. Keep in mind that you will have to switch rental cars when you cross the strait.

Maison de la Mer 1 Rue Benoit, Akaroa; 64-3/304-8907; maisondelamer. co.nz; doubles from NZ$325, including breakfast.

WHERE TO STAY Black Barn Vineyards Black Barn Rd., Havelock North; 64-6/877-7985; blackbarn. com; cottages from NZ$350.

Otahuna Lodge 224 Rhodes Rd., Tai Tapu; 64-3/329-6333; otahuna.co.nz; doubles from NZ$1,500, all inclusive, except lunch.

GREAT VALUE

Clifftops Retreat 1452 State Hwy. 60, Ruby Bay; 64-3/5402767; clifftops-retreat.co.nz; cottage from NZ$550, all-inclusive.

Eagles Nest Five modern villas — most with private pools. 60 Tapeka Rd., Russell; 64-9/4038333; eaglesnest.co.nz; villas from NZ$1,595.

Hotel d’Urville A good base for wine-country explorations. 52 Queen St., Blenheim; 64-3/577-9945; durville.com; doubles from NZ$335.

GREAT VALUE

GREAT VALUE

Mollies A 13-suite hotel in a Victorian house not far from Ponsonby. 6 Tweed St., Auckland; 64-9/376-3489; mollies.co.nz; doubles from NZ$545.

Ohtel 66 Oriental Parade, Wellington; 64-4/803-0600; ohtel.com; doubles from NZ$495.

Westin Auckland Lighter Quay The hotel seems to float over the water like one of the yachts in the harbor. 21 Viaduct Harbour Ave., Auckland; 800/228-3000; westin.com; doubles from NZ$300.

GREAT VALUE

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK Black Barn Bistro Black Barn Rd., Havelock North; 64-6/8777985; lunch for two NZ$120.

Cable Bay Vineyards A modern restaurant with sweeping vistas.

12 Nick Johnstone Dr., Waiheke

Island; 64-9/372-5889; dinner for two NZ$140.

Elephant Hill Estate & Winery 86 Clifton Rd., Te Awanga; 64-6/873-0400; lunch for two NZ$105.

Herzog Estate 81 Jeffries Rd., Blenheim; 64-3/572-8770; lunch for two NZ$112; dinner for two NZ$195.

Martin Bosley’s Restaurant 103 Oriental Parade, Wellington; 64-4/920-8302; dinner for two NZ$205.

Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant Vegetables grown on-site, and a great view of the Hauraki Gulf. 126 Church Bay Rd., Waiheke Island; 64-9/3729050; dinner for two NZ$170.

Pegasus Bay Fine Pinot Noir wine and super-fresh, locally sourced food in an idyllic garden setting. 263 Stockgrove Rd., Waipara; 64-3/314-6869; lunch for two NZ$140.

Terrôir Craggy Range Winery’s restaurant has a wood-fired oven turning out great roasted meats. 253 Waimarama Rd., Havelock North; 64-6/873-0143; lunch for two NZ$112.

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Waiter Broncy Barreto at South Goaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renovated Vivenda dos Palhaços hotel. Opposite page: Vagator Beach, in North Goa, as seen from Thalassa restaurant.

On India’s west coast, travelers can find rugged beaches, Portuguese-inspired architecture and a handful of impeccable hideaways. Alexandra Marshall uncovers Goa’s glamorous side. Photographed by Anders Overgaard 00

Feast for the Senses From left: Loulou Van Damme, the owner of Panchavatti, a hotel on the Goan island of Corjuem; spices from the Anjuna Flea Market, in North Goa; Panjimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fontainhas neighborhood.

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Van Damme, a spry, sixty-something hotelier and interior designer of Belgian descent, done up like Auntie Mame-Sahib in a flowing kurta and knuckle-dusting rings. We were enraptured by a beige, golf ball–size frog poised regally on the showerhead in one of the vast en suite bathrooms at Panchavatti, Van Damme’s guesthouse on North Goa’s Mapusa River. Though not even a ribbit was forthcoming, the frog’s demeanor fit in nicely with the black-and-white maharajah portraits that decorated the room. Uninvited wildlife would send most proprietors into an embarrassed pique, but on this night in late October, the atmosphere at the four-suite inn was like a swinging slumber party. Van Damme is particular about her guests, as socializing is the thing here: the common areas include a soaring open kitchen; a broad living room filled with

teakwood Indian antiques, groupings of club chairs, and stacks of art books; an infinity pool ringed with shaggy greenery; and a wide veranda, where we were sitting after dinner, drinking enthusiastic amounts of Grover Vineyards La Réserve Cabernet-Shiraz (bottled outside Bangalore). In addition to the other guests—a graphic designer, an editor from Vogue India and a couple in the foreign service—joining Danelle, my high school friend, and me were Van Damme’s four rangy dogs, hundreds of crickets and clusters of enormous striped moths, like one big interspecies family. Van Damme’s approach to hospitality isn’t radically juxtaposed with Goa’s let-it-all-hang-out reputation—one that has attracted Indian and foreign tourists alike, especially since the 1970’s and 80’s. But there is a crucial difference: all else » 109

The Macassar room at Casa Palacio Siolim House, a boutique hotel on the left bank of the Chapora River, in Goa.

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around us that night—the 10 hectares of Panchavatti’s grounds, the jungly river and the Western Ghat mountain chain—was at perfect, pitch-black repose. Even in India, whose countryside is some of the most densely populated on the planet, we felt as if we were the only people around.

Could such luxurious stillness really be Goa? Most of what I knew about India’s smallest state before I got there was that it was the unruliest vacation spot this side of Amsterdam, overrun with raver dreadlocks and aggressively drugged-out mountainside trance parties. It turns out that picture is almost as aged as Van Damme’s maharajah portraits. Indian and English tabloids still love to treat the state like a patchouliscented den of iniquity, and you can certainly still find a trance party if you’d like, but Goa has become the place to be for young Indian urbanites looking to escape the rest of the country’s social conservatism, for glamorous Indian designers (Malini Ramani and Wendell Rodricks), Hollywood stars chilling out with their families (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), arty amateurs of the good life (Jay McInerney) and royalty (the U.K.’s Princess Eugenie on her gap year); and for not-so-famous Europeans in search of a profoundly slow-paced taste of India, a country that can overwhelm the uninitiated with noise and pollution.

For two solid years, friends—from an Indian-American accessories designer and a Texan socialite to the Indian wife of a real estate mogul and several girlfriends working in the French fashion industry—had encouraged me to go. The Goa they knew and loved was all about seclusion, gentility and grown-up relaxation, and that’s exactly what I found at Panchavatti and a handful of other tranquil boutique manor houses on inland rivers away from the beach, mostly in the northern part of the state, and at one low-key shoreline villa.

The important thing about planning a trip here is to pick wisely where you go, and when.

As to the where, my friend Binith Shah, of the boutique accessory company Rickard Shah, instructed, “The best stuff is all up on the rivers.” But it’s the 105-kilometer beach running the length of Goa’s western shore that’s most famous, and where Goa most closely conforms to its unsavory reputation, especially during its high season in December and January, when charter flights deposit hordes of package tourists from Sweden and Russia. The main road that connects the better-known northern towns of Candolim, Calangute and Baga is lined with cheap mini mall–style architecture, thanks to the local government’s policy in the early 1990’s to open the coastline to whomever wanted to develop it. That and the uptick in the Indian economy has made Goa a hot spot for

speculators. Anjuna, once a hippie HQ just north of Candolim, is now as built-up as its neighbors.

Granted, the coastal area isn’t all sad. I got over my crowd aversion at the Anjuna Flea Market—a riot of jewelry, spices, wandering cows, Gujarati tribeswomen and, yes, tourists— because the shopping was so good. And one brilliant exception to the beachside-hotel rule is Elsewhere, a protected island owned by Goan fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira, in still-quiet Asvem at the northern edge of the state. But its 13 rooms (including three tents) are booked months in advance. And not everyone who can get a room can find it. The hotel obliges by sending an envoy to meet you at the airport.

Meanwhile, down in the south, below the Zuari River, the prettier white-sand beaches have been almost entirely colonized by luxury mega-resorts.

There is hope for change. Overdevelopment has caused controversy and a push for preservation from environmental groups with campaigns such as Save Goa. Last year the local government began to institute environmental measures to slow down the development of the interior as well. And the Indian government, aided by the Asian Development Bank, is now spearheading a reef-and dune-building initiative to be implemented up and down the state’s beaches by 2010.

Staying off the beach is, in fact, a far better way to get a taste of traditional Goan hospitality—albeit of an upscale kind. Casa Palacio Siolim House, which Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and their entourage took over for two weeks a few years ago, is on an outlet of the Chapora about 10 minutes inland.

One of the original indie establishments that have set a microtrend for heritage hotels, it’s a study in lazy manor living.

The hotel was recognized by UNESCO in 2001 for owner Varun Sood’s letter-perfect restoration of the 17th-century governor’s mansion. With old Portuguese tiles, formal sitting rooms and an enormous pool, it feels more like a villa than a hotel.

For someone like me, used to European luxuries, the thin mattresses and towels were a little jarring surrounded by all that stately grandeur. But within a day of floating in the sunlit pool, drinking fresh lime and soda, and eating a home-cooked fish thali, we gave ourselves over to it. The lack of a television was just what we needed, with the music of the frogs to keep us entertained at night. The vibe was similar at Casa Britona, an old riverside warehouse in the inland village of Britona that in 2003 turned into a 10-room property with brightly painted walls and lovely antiques. We were the only guests, owing to our arrival early in the season, and we were doted on with warm familiarity by the staff. Some of these historic hotels (also Panjim Inn, in the capital Panjim, also known as »

Goa has become the place to be for young Indian urbanites looking to escape 111

Tropical Colors From left: The entrance to one of the houses at the 13-room Elsewhere, near Asvem; a shopper as colorful as her surroundings at the Anjuna market; Thalassa restaurant’s mixed grill, featuring both beef kebabs and chicken; the 17th-century Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, in the center of Panjim; the lived-in feel of Panchavatti’s drawing room, which opens onto the hotel’s garden and pool.

Panaji, and the lovely Vivenda dos Palhaços, in the south) would have made great Merchant Ivory film sets. “Goa retains a great simplicity,” said interior designer Jivi Sethi, a Delhi native whose house in the mountain village of Assagao has graced the pages of Vogue India.

Inland is where Goa relaxes best and most alluringly. When Vasco da Gama first arrived just to the south of the state in 1498 “seeking Christians and spices,” there was already a bustling trade in livestock (and, yes, spices) in the Muslimcontrolled city of Gove, on the Mandovi River. Further Portuguese conquest established the towns of Panjim and Old Goa, a few kilometers in from the coast, as administrative and religious capitals, and the Portuguese influence is everywhere in the architecture and the religion. (Da Gama didn’t find any Christians, but he and his compatriots made plenty—Goa is 30 percent Catholic.) All of Goa’s churches, most built between the 16th and 17th centuries, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. And along any winding back road, hidden behind the banana and coconut trees, are colonial mansions and villas, painted in vivid primary colors, with bright-red tiled roofs and lacy wooden trim. The designer Jean-Paul Gaultier has found inspiration for whole collections in that latticework, unique to this part of the country. Portuguese influence in the area lasted until 1961, when the Goans achieved

independence 14 years after the rest of India. Goa didn’t become an official Indian state until 1987, almost 40 years after greater India coalesced, which helps to explain Goan cultural exceptionalism. Most locals refer to themselves and their traditions as “Goan,” and people from the rest of the country as “Indian.” Perhaps most tellingly, only in Goa do teenagers shun cricket, the national Indian pastime, in favor of football.

WE HAD TIMED OUR VISIT FOR THE TAIL END OF MONSOON season, in mid to late October, which brings with it dramatic rainstorms and a sultry landscape, so as to avoid the tourist onslaught of high season. It so happened that our visit coincided with Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which takes place during the new moon that falls between late October and early November. A celebration of the evil demon Ravana’s defeat at the hands of the heroic Lord Rama, with its tales of hand-to-hand combat between shirtless heroes and damsel-snatching villains, Diwali is a macho holiday and a teenage pyromaniac’s dream. Villages erect elaborate papiermâché demons (some equipped with moving heads and tapelooped guttural roars), parade them through town and light them on fire. (“Oooh, that’s a good one!” Danelle and I would shout as we meandered along back road after back road, admiring the handiwork of neighborhood kids.) During Diwali,

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doorways are strung with even more Christmas-tree lights and marigold garlands than usual, and firecrackers go off everywhere after dark.

We decided to spend Diwali night inland at Mapusa, the biggest modern city in Goa, where we had heard the best effigy-burnings would be. There we checked out an endless array of local boys, each commandeering a demon more aggressive than the last. (One was done up in a black vest and a giant belt buckle that said ROCK ON!) A talent show taking place in a vast parking lot by the bus depot featured 10-year-old girls lip-synching and gyrating to Hindi pop like cast members of Grade School Musical. Families were everywhere, with their babies out way past their bedtime, and they were as enchanted by the lights and the noise as we were. The firecrackers and singing and parading and torching went on till dawn.

ONE OF THE MOST VISUALLY STRIKING AREAS IN GOA, WHERE THE local and colonial aesthetics are most keenly felt, is in Panjim.

Anyone who has spent time in conquest towns in Brazil or Mexico will find the winding, narrow lanes of the old Fontainhas neighborhood, which is Panjim’s atmospheric draw, deeply familiar. Wood-framed row houses in saturated hues and neat little shops predominate, but the 17th-century Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the

jewel in the neighborhood’s Latin-style crown, planted atop a hill where the sun kicks off its blinding whitewashed exterior like a faithful torch. Panjim is tidy and sedate compared with other Indian cities, and spending a few afternoons there was like a vacation-within-a-vacation. Panjim is where Danelle and I shopped for elaborate Indian gold jewelry, where we meandered aimlessly without interference or questions, and where we ate one of our best Goan meals, at Mum’s Kitchen.

As much an archive of home recipes as a popular spot serving up crab fritters and prawns caldin (a green-chile-and-coconut stew), Mum’s is another proud preserver of Goan tradition that takes a stand against the encroachment of fusionism that is seen at so many other restaurants in the state. Where Western taste is indulged in loungey cocktail bars and Euroflavored beach restaurants like La Plage and Sublime, the food at Mum’s, Siolim House, Elsewhere and chef Urbano de Rego’s Beach House restaurant at the Taj Holiday Village is much more authentic. Goan food is southern Indian (think coconut milk, fish, fresh herbs, and tamarind), but it’s uniquely Portuguese-influenced, as Chef Rego, as he is called, explained during a discussion of piri-piri, a base for many Goan sauces made of toddy vinegar and chile peppers. Chef Rego was the first to bring Goan food to the world’s attention, having cooked for the elder President Bush and at the World »

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Economic Forum. “Our food takes time,” he said. “Time to marinate, time to simmer.” We tasted his pork piri-piri at the Taj, and then four other varieties at O’Papagaio. (Be sure to have your hotel call ahead, give thorough directions to a driver, and bring along the restaurant’s phone number, just in case.) On the menu that night were porcupine, venison, wild boar and frog’s legs, and all were boiled, then curried, to surprisingly subtle effect. Since we were the only guests in what is basically the large front room of a house, we popped back into the kitchen, watched the owner add endless pinches of dozens of spice powders, tasted some of the venison before he curried it. It was a fitting tribute. The porcupine was delicious, like unusually delicate lamb fed on lavender flowers. As development eats away at the remaining stretches of forest, hunting is becoming more challenging, so the porcupine’s days as a blue plate special could be numbered. At least we knew the same would never be true for plentiful frog, which translates from the local Konkani language as “jumping chicken.”

Despite Goa’s pride in its cultural identity, there’s worry about cultural dilution. (The tagline at Mum’s Kitchen is “A Move to Save Goan Cuisine.”) The state’s Hindu and Muslim populations are growing, and native Goans often leave to seek their fortunes in the Gulf states or Canada. There are strong non-Goan elements in the evolving cultural mix: the frenetic hustler’s pace of the Delhi and Mumbai natives who have set up shop here; the squajillionaires like Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya, who throws the party of the year in his enormous Sinquerim beach house each December; the Europeans in their Speedos, in search of a tan; the just-furloughed Israeli soldiers looking for the party. The Indian government is enthusiastically bureaucratic, and protecting one of the country’s most distinct regional cultures is not its highest priority.

For the moment, that’s left up to the Goans themselves, whose live-and-let-live shrug is not the best weapon with which to battle the onslaught. Pitted against the forces of rampant capitalism, it’s not clear who will come out ahead.

GUIDE TO GOA

Elsewhere Near Asvem; 91-982/003-7387; aseascape.com; doubles from R56,000 per week.

GREAT VALUE

T+L TIP Prebooking hotels with a credit card can sometimes be a problem in India, and local airlines don’t always accept foreign charges, so using a travel agent can be a huge help.

SAFETY Roads in Goa are unmarked and traffic is kamikaze-style. As taxis are surprisingly expensive, the best option is to book a driver through your hotel. Avoid beaches after nightfall, when the crowds can get a little unsavory.

Panchavatti Island of Corjuem, Aldona; 91-832/325-2946; islaingoa.com; doubles from R9,990.

Panjim Inn 212 31 January Rd., Fontainhas, Panjim; 91-832/222-8136; panjiminn.com; doubles from R2,000.

GREAT VALUE

WHERE TO STAY Casa Britona Near Charmanos Badem, Salvador-do-Mundo, Bardez; 91832/241-6737; casaboutiquehotels.com; doubles from R6,955.

Vivenda dos Palhaços An oasis of eccentric refinement in the charm-starved south. Costa Vaddo, Majorda; 91-832/322-1119; vivendagoa.com; doubles from R5,200.

Casa Palacio Siolim House The road leading here is a bit scrubby, but a treat

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK Beach House at Taj Holiday Village The open-air, waterside

GREAT VALUE

GREAT VALUE

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Lazy Days in Goa A British-run rental agency with numerous houses in North Goa. Ask for a condo at Coco Shambhala, decorated by Panchavatti’s Loulou Van Damme; the author Frank Simoes’s quirky former home Rockheart; or Kiranpani, in Mandrem, a fashion-shoot fave.

44-1202/484-257; lazydays.co.uk; rentals from R97,500 per week.

GREAT VALUE

setting at chef Urbano de Rego’s traditional Goan restaurant is not to be missed. Sinquerim; 91-832/664-5858; dinner for two R2,800.

La Plage This beach-shack restaurant is perfect for sunset drinks. On the beach just south of Asvem; 91-982/212-1712; drinks for two R460.

Lila Café The place for brunch or coffee. Near the Baga River, Arpora-Baga; 91-832/227-9843; brunch for two R460.

Mum’s Kitchen Martins Building, DB Marg, Panjim; 91/982-2175559; dinner for two R1,170.

O’Papagaio Across from St. Anthony’s Church, Siodem, Siolim; 91-832/227-2310; dinner for two R1,400.

Thalassa Ordering lettuce is not always advisable in India, but it’s safe to try Greek salads and juicy souvlaki here. On the cliff above Little Vagator Beach, down the road from Nine Bar; 91-985/0033537; lunch for two R900.

Zeebop Opposite Kenilworth Beach Resort, Utorda Beach, just north of Majorda; 91-832/2755333; dinner for two R1,800.

WHERE TO SHOP Anjuna Flea Market Anjuna Beach; open Wednesdays, 9 A.M. to sundown, from October to April.

Barefoot Sophisticated housewares and clothing. 1/26 31 January Rd., Panjim; 91832/243-6815.

Bombay Bazar A swap-meetstyle market for spices and people-watching. 18 June Rd., Panjim; 91-832/223-2044.

Fabindia Traditional clothing and linens in block-printed cottons.

Opposite Canara Bank, Murrod Vaddo, Candolim; 91-832/2489143; fabindia.com.

Sainath Jewellers Filigreed Indian gold and gemstones at great prices. No haggling required. Shop 2, Rizvi Chamber, Panjim; 91-832/242-2293.

WHAT TO DO Calizz A heritage-house museum with a lovely restaurant.

Bammon Vaddo, Candolim; 91832/325-0000; calizz.com.

Nine Bar If you want to check out the Goa music scene, this dusty, open-air disco is a reliable spot. The cliffs above Little Vagator Beach.

Shiro Beach The posh dance club of the moment for Indian urbanites. Marquis Beach Resort, Candolim; 91-832/665-3366; drinks for two R460.

Utorda Beach A white-sand beach with clear, warm water that hasn’t been overrun. North of Majorda.

M A P BY M A R I A E B B E TS

awaits inside. Wadi, Siolim; 91832/227-2138; siolimhouse.com; doubles from R5,500.

The riverside hotel Casa Britona, 20 minutes from the beaches of North Goa.

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From a beach resort in Zanzibar to a Costa Rican tree house to your own apartment in the heart of Rome, T+L scanned the globe for a range of experiences that will put you in the mood. Read on for 30 great ideas

C O U R T E S Y O F K I L I N D I . O P P O S I T E P A G E : P A U L C O S T E L L O . S T Y L E D B Y M I M I L O M B A R D O . F E M A L E M O D E L : N I C O L E P E T T Y/ N E X T . M A L E M O D E L : M A T T L O M B A R D O / W I L H E L M I N A . H A I R & M A K E U P : S A R A J O H N S O N / S A R A H L A I R D . H E R T R E N C H B Y B A N A N A R E P U B L I C ; D R E S S , D I O R ; S H O E S , F R A T E L L I R O S E T T I ; B A G , S A LVA T O R E F E R R A G A M O . H I S R A I N C O AT B Y M I C H A E L B A S T I A N ; S H I R T, R O B E R T TA L B O T T ; J E A N S , K I T O N ; S H O E S , K E N N E T H C O L E ; B E LT, B R I O N I

ROMANTIC DREAM TRIPS

Outside the Crosby Street Hotel in New York City. Opposite: A view from the Indian Ocean of Kilindi, in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

U.S. A MANHATTAN MOMENT

New York City London’s Firmdale Group brings the spirit of Soho to a cobblestoned lane in the other SoHo. The new 86-room Crosby Street Hotel feels very much a part of its vibrant, intimately scaled neighborhood: the restaurant-bar has become a local favorite, and the salonlike lobby is filled from morning to midnight. Kit Kemp’s bold interiors manage to challenge and soothe the eye all at once: austere charcoal-gray wall coverings set off pastel headboards; soft silk curtains frame steel warehouse windows; gritty brick façades background a lush rooftop garden. 79 Crosby St.; 1-212/226-6400; crosbystreethotel.com; doubles from US$495.

BAREFOOT LUXURY

A LOW-COUNTRY DRIVE

Islamorada, Florida Even after serving as the backdrop for countless fashion-magazine photo shoots, the Moorings Village & Spa—18 brightly accented cottages connected to the beach by wooden walkways on a former coconut plantation in the Florida Keys—still seems like your own secret discovery. Lush, almost jungle-like landscaping gives way to a private white-sand beach with swaying hammocks and a thatched-roof dock. Book a snorkeling trip à deux with Bay and Reef Co. (1-305/393-0994; bayandreef. com; tours from US$250) to view a multicolored swirl of marine life and the 136-year-old lighthouse; then return to your porch to feast on succulent stone crab. 123 Beach Rd.; 1-305/664-4708; themooringsvillage.com; cottages from US$275.

South Carolina There’s something particularly romantic about South Carolina’s low country: roads lined with moss-draped trees lead to tiny coastal towns, where there are plenty of places to try the region’s famed oysters. From Charleston, head north for 64 kilometers on Highway 17 to the fishing village of McClellanville, stopping at T.W. Graham & Co. Seafood Restaurant (810 Pinckney St.; 1-843/887-4342; lunch for two US$35) for a lunch of fried oysters. And in Georgetown, the Rice Paddy Restaurant (732 Front St.; 1-843/546-2021; dinner for two US$92) is known for its oyster pies. Thirty-two kilometers north is Murrells Inlet, where bivalves come steamed or on the half shell at the Inlet Crab House Restaurant & Raw Bar

(3572 Business 17; 843/651-8452; dinner for two US$61).

SKI IN, SKI OUT

CO U RT E SY O F F I R M DA L E ( 2 ) . O P P O S I T E PAG E : PAU L CO ST E L LO

Taos, New Mexico In winter, this snug town appeals for its art galleries, tequila cantinas, challenging black diamond trails at Kachina Peak and sunny climate. At the base of Lift 4, halfway up the mountain, »

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A guest room at the Crosby Street Hotel.

Opposite, from left: A sitting room at the hotel; the Crosby Bar, on the ground ďŹ&#x201A;oor.

The Hoshinoya Kyoto ryokan, on the Hozu River in Kyoto, Japan. Opposite, from left: A view from Heidelberg Suites; a cabana at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.

schuss into the Bavarian Lodge & Restaurant to warm up by a traditional Kachelofen tile stove. The four Alpine-chic chalets—designed by Alexandra Champalimaud—are done up with organic linens, stainless-steel fireplaces, and reproductions of 1950’s ski posters on the walls. 100 Kachina Rd.; 1-575/776-8020; thebavarian.net; doubles from US$335, chalets from US$750.

T H I S PAG E , F RO M L E F T: CO U RT E SY O F H E I D E L B E RG S U I T E S ; CO U RT E SY O F H YAT T R E S O R T & S P A . O P P O S I T E P A G E : C O U R T E S Y O F H O S H I N O YA K Y O T O

STARGAZING

Maui, Hawaii Thanks to its latitude, Hawaii is a celestial mecca (it’s one of the only states with views of both the North Star and the Southern Cross). At the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, director of astronomy Eddie Mahoney ushers couples to the rooftop, where a 16-inch reflector telescope is set up next to strawberries and champagne. Ask Mahoney to point out your astrological constellations, then head downstairs to Kaanapali Beach to watch bioluminescent creatures light up the waves. 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Lahaina; 1-808/661-1234; hyatt.com; doubles from US$311; Romance Tour of the Stars package US$70 for two.

ARTISTS’ RETREAT

Marfa, Texas On a 7-hectare plot here, hotelier

Liz Lambert has created the ultimate retreat for couples looking to get away from it all—El Cosmico, a collection of five expertly restored vintage travel trailers (including two Spartans and a Vagabond). Each has a mini-kitchen, glossy birch-veneer walls and beds topped with Bolivian wool blankets. For a dose of culture, visit the neighboring Chinati Foundation (artist Donald Judd’s military fort turned 137-hectare art museum). 802 S. Highland Ave.; 1-432/729-1950; elcosmico.com; doubles from US$75.

EUROPE A SCANDINAVIAN CABIN

Furillen, Sweden The pleasures are simple on the tiny islet of Furillen, off Sweden’s Gotland Island: clear blue skies, deserted beaches and fresh seafood. Here you’ll find Fabriken Furillen, a former limestone quarry transformed into Sweden’s farthest-flung design hotel. Locally

sourced sheepskin rugs and handcrafted Midcentury furniture give the seemingly spare six cabins an alluring warmth, while Bang & Olufsen stereos and flatscreen TV’s lend the 15 rooms in the main house a modern edge. Lärbro; 46498/223-040; furillen.nu; doubles from SEK1,950, including breakfast.

STORYBOOK TOWN

Heidelberg, Germany The pedestrian Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg, is lined with classic cafés—Schafheutle, Rossi and Knoesel—that overlook the Neckar River, serve up first-rate Milchkaffee and luscious chocolate tortes and offer the best vantage point for people-watching. Stay at the Heidelberg Suites, a converted 19thcentury villa across the Karl Theodor bridge, where 26 rooms are done up with heroic busts, deer antlers and etched mirrors; most have views of the city’s medieval castle. 12 Neuenheimer Landstrasse; 49-622/165-5650; heidelbergsuites.com; doubles from €255. » 121

Paris Amateur cooks now have access to the culinary secrets of Paris’s top chefs at the nine-month-old École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse. On a quiet residential block in the 16th Arrondissement, Romain Corbière, former head chef at Ducasse’s Le Relais du Parc, leads small classes with the help of such topflight toques as Christophe Moret, from Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée. A day might start with a trip to a farmers’ market to pick up ingredients for a soupe au pistou, followed by a hands-on demonstration of dishes like blanquette de veau. 64 Rue du Ranelagh; 33-1/44-90-91-00; ecolecuisine-alainducasse.com; classes from €280 per day.

PERFUME MIXING

Montpellier, France Lavender, geranium and mint are some of the scents that may inspire you during GoLearnTo.com’s weekend perfumery course in France’s verdant Languedoc region. In a sprawling 18thcentury farmhouse near Montpellier, study base and top notes and concoct your own signature scent. In the evening, meals—spit-roasted pork paired with wine from nearby vineyards—are served before guests retreat to the antique-filled rooms. You get to take your bespoke creation home in a carry-on container that meets airlines’ requisite 88-milliliter limit. Domaine de Alabrena, Laval de Nize, Lunas; 44-845/625-0445; golearnto.com; four-day courses from £379, including lodging and meals.

well-heeled locals. Manni can also arrange a Roman Holiday–esque tour by vintage Piaggio. 70 Via di Pietra; 3906/9727-4787; casamanni.com; daily rentals from €530, two-night minimum.

in oversize robes and slip past the glass doors to the relaxation room, where you’ll find lychee juice, the latest glossies and plenty of champagne. Park Lane; 44-207/319-7109; treatments from £55.

A VENETIAN PALAZZO

A LIGHTHOUSE HOTEL

Venice Beyond the crowded Rialto, this city is more than gondolas and Gorgonzola.

In the serene Accademia neighborhood, just beyond the Campo San Stefano, the 22-room Palazzina Grassi has a superb collection of Modernist glass from Murano masters in a sparkling space designed by Philippe Starck. The bar is molto romantico for Prosecco cocktails and the canal-side restaurant turns out a perfect raviolo. San Marco 3247; 39-041/528-4644; designhotels.com; doubles from €290.

Devon, England Set high on a 2-kilometer-long headland with sweeping views of the Channel, the 1863 Start Point Lighthouse is flanked by keepers’ quarters, which were recently transformed into two charming cottages. Inside you’ll find modern kitchens, fireplaces and a basket filled with tea and freshly baked bread. Don’t miss the spectacular walk along a stretch of the adjacent South West Coast Path trail. Start Point, near Hallsands Kingsbridge; 44-1386/701177; ruralretreats.co.uk; doubles from £377, two-night minimum.

SKIING BY MOONLIGHT

St. Moritz, Switzerland For a truly otherworldly trip down the slopes, nothing beats full-moon skiing at Diavolezza, the most spectacular of St. Moritz’s five ski areas. Once a month, a tram drops night-owl skiers off at the craggy peak’s nearly 3,048-meter summit, which affords jaw-dropping views of the glacial Bernina Range. The 914-meter vertical trail is blanketed in soft blue light. After a few runs, take the lift back to the top for a traditional Swiss dinner of Bündnerfleisch, Rösti potatoes and cheese fondue at the Berghaus Diavolezza restaurant. 30 Via San Gian; 4181/830-0001; engadin.stmoritz.ch; lift tickets from 50 Swiss francs.

YOUR OWN ROMAN HOLIDAY

Rome The olive-oil maker Armando Manni’s one-bedroom Casa Manni Roma is an Adam Tihany–designed space overlooking the Piazza Colonna. The real draw here is access to Manni’s black book: request a private agnolotti-making class with Oretta Zanini de Vita, Italy’s mistress of handmade pasta, or a decadent four-handed Thai couples’ massage at Acanto, a spa favored by 122

A DAY OF PAMPERING

London Decadence abounds inside London’s new Dorchester Spa, an ivory-and-coral-colored subterranean paradise with cream chiffon curtains and a chandelier made from 72,000 South Pacific pearls.

Seasoned aesthetician Vaishaly has developed a menu of facials, administered in enormous, mood-lit double treatment suites. Afterward, wrap yourselves

THE CARIBBEAN, BERMUDA AND THE BAHAMAS PURE PRIVACY

Antigua Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, situ-

ated on a private 121-hectare island 10 minutes by boat from Antigua, is still the standard-bearer of Caribbean luxury. Following a US$28 million reconstruction, 28 new suites have ocean views and outdoor bathtubs in lush private courtyards. But the most exciting addition is the property’s first-ever spa, Sense, an open-air facility with a garden just 15 meters from the beach; book the Sense Hammock Massage treatment for two. St. John’s; 268/4626000; jumbybayresort.com; doubles from US$1,350, all-inclusive.

ISLAND-HOPPING MADE EASY

Eastern Caribbean Regent Seven Seas Cruises has

perfected the island escape with a new eastern Caribbean itinerary on the Seven Seas Navigator. The cruise begins in Fort Lauderdale and continues on to classic ports of call on St. Bart’s, St. Maarten and Virgin Gorda. On a special stop »

ANNIE SCHLECHTERV

COOKING IN FRANCE

The Adam Tihany–designed living room at Casa Manni Roma, in Rome. Clockwise from above: A Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Rome’s Via di Pietra; a view of the centro storico from the terrace at Casa Manni Roma; the apartment’s dining area.

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The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. Opposite, from left: One of the suite terraces at Tuckerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Point Hotel & Spa in Bermuda; the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palm court.

in Princess Cays, a private island in the Bahamas, you’ll be treated to beach barbecues and Jet Skiing; in the Dominican Republic, guided excursions lead you through mangrove swamps in Los Haitises National Park.

But why leave the ship at all? Thanks to a recent renovation, all 245 cabins now have ocean views, and many have private decks—an ideal vantage point when you’re arriving in Puerto Rico and San Juan’s imposing fortress emerges on the horizon. 1-877/5055370; rssc.com; 10-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from US$5,065 per person round trip, including airfare from select cities.

NEW OLD-WORLD CHARM

T H I S PAG E : CO U RT E SY O F T U C K E R ’S P O I N T H OT E L & S PA ( 2 ) . O P P O S I T E PAG E : CO U RT E SY O F FO U R S E A S O N S

Bermuda Inspired by an era of horse-drawn carriages and cricket matches, Tucker’s

Point Hotel & Spa is the first luxury re-

Mansion, overlooking the posh Recole-

sort to open on Bermuda in almost four decades. Situated on 81 hectares overlooking Castle Harbour, the hotel’s 88 guest rooms come with everything you could hope for in an old-world Caribbean retreat: mahogany beds, deep soaking tubs and balconies. The whitetablecloth Point Restaurant & Terrace showcases local ingredients and is adorned with large murals depicting 19th-century clipper ships. 60 Tucker’s Point Dr.; 1-866/604-3764; tuckerspoint. com; doubles from US$340.

ta neighborhood’s French-colonial buildings, is the perfect spot for a sunset tango (arrange a lesson through the hotel). This Belle Époque gem has just 10 suites, each with cavernous limestone-and-marble bathrooms and ebony floors; most have views of the hotel’s central atrium and its two-story waterfall. The spa offers organic, wineinspired treatments, a rewarding end to a day spent exploring the colorful cityscape. 1647 Montevideo St.; 54-11/ 3530-7777; algodonmansion.com; doubles from US$400.

MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA AN ARGENTINEAN MANOR

Buenos Aires The rooftop of the six-story Algodon

A TREE-HOUSE ESCAPE

Punta Uva, Costa Rica Adventurous couples can live out their Tarzan-and-Jane fantasies at Tree House Lodge, a secluded spot in the rain forest on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean shore. The four individual bungalows, with wide-open canopy views, are made from fallen tropical hardwoods. The most dramatic of these—the eponymous Tree House—is a bi-level cottage built around the trunk of a rare sangrillo tree. Inside, a whimsical bamboo-walled shower and an elevated master bedroom (reached via »

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palm-thatched suspension bridge) are perfect for watching howler monkeys rustle in the treetops. 506/2750-0706; costaricatreehouse.com; doubles from US$200.

DINING IN THE DESERT

GARDENER’S PARADISE

Salcedo, Ecuador Between the central Cotopaxi and Tungurahua volcanoes 200 kilometers south of Quito lies Nevado Roses—the antithesis of your grandmother’s flower garden. More than 3 million rosebushes bloom in tidy rows, wafting their heady fragrance into the air. Roberto Nevado, who has co-owned this 126

36-hectare plot since 1996 with his son John, will walk you through the harvest, pointing out varieties that grow improbably tall at this altitude (2,743 meters) . Handpick your favorites—a fiery Lina or an organic Flaming Pale Pink—and the bouquet will be waiting for you when you return home. Km 3, Crta. Mulalillo; 59-3/3227-6100; nevadoecuador.com; tours from US$25.

ASIA A GLAMOROUS BEACH SCENE

Bali, Indonesia The just-renovated Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay sits on a crescent of soft sand that’s alluring enough by day—and now even lovelier after dark, thanks to the resort’s new Beds on the Beach nights. Every Tuesday and Saturday evening, dozens of votives are set alight in the sand, surrounding 20 canopied lounge beds swathed in colorful silk. Barefoot waitstaff bring cocktails and Asian-

inspired tapas, while jazz music plays and the sunset blazes across the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, lingering is strongly encouraged. Jimbaran, Denpasar; 62-361/701-010; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$680; dinner for two US$250.

HORSEBACK RIDING IN RAJASTHAN

India On the wild plains of Rajasthan—just an hour south of Jodhpur—the Mihir Garh is a palatial fortress hotel with an impressive stable of indigenous Marwari steeds. Take one on a maharajah-worthy journey through the desert or on a staff-guided picnic safari to a picturesque Bishnoi tribal village. Then come home to one of the nine enormous guest suites (each is over 158 square meters), which are done up in colorful Rajasthani textiles and rich fabrics that will put the final touches on your storybook adventure.

Knandi, Rohet, Pali; 91-9/636-169-665; mihirgarh.com; doubles from R14,500, including meals.

T H I S PAG E , F RO M L E F T: CO U RT E SY O F M I H I R G A R H ; CO U RT E SY O F FO U R S E A S O N S .

O P P O S I T E PAG E : CO U RT E SY O F RO S E W O O D H OT E L S & R E S O RTS

San José del Cabo, Mexico At One&Only Palmilla, on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, splurge on dinner in a hidden Sonoran canyon. You’ll be chauffeured in the resort’s ownHummer to this high-desert feast, where a table for two is illuminated by a bonfire and flickering candles. Share chilled champagne and dine on grilled meats and fresh salads, then take turns at the telescope set up to spot celestial bodies above the Pacific. Km 7.5, Crta.

Transpeninsular; 1-954/809-2726; oneandonlyresorts.com; doubles from US$675; dinner for two US$1,210.

A hammock awaits at Jumby Bay in Antigua.

Opposite, from left: In Rajasthan, the palatial Mihir Garh; at the Four Seasons Resort Bali.

Tasmaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quamby Estate, a serene setting. Opposite page: In Tanzania, Kilindi is within earshot of the surf.

A MODERN RYOKAN

Kyoto, Japan The Arashiyama neighborhood of Kyoto, full of bamboo groves and Zen temples, is the site of the city’s newest—and most exquisite—ryokan, or traditional inn. Hoshinoya Kyoto has 25 guest rooms along the banks of the Hozu River, each with Japanese futons, yellow cedar bathtubs and delicate rice-paper screens. In the morning, you can have a Japanese breakfast delivered to your room—nabe hot pot served with tofu and local vegetables—and sit by the window, against a backdrop of maple and cherry trees.

11-2 Genrokuzan-cho, Arashiyama, Nishikyo-ku; 81-75/871-0001; kyoto.hoshinoya. com; doubles from Y59,000.

AUSTRALIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC NAPA DOWN UNDER

C O U R T E SY O F K I L I N D I . O P P O S I T E PA G E : C O U R T E SY O F Q U A M BY E S TAT E

Tasmania, Australia This region’s highlight is the wineryfilled Tamar Valley. At the Ninth Island Vineyard, reserve a table at Daniel Alps at Strathlynn (95 Rosevears Dr., Rosevears; 61-3/6330-2388; lunch for two A$148), for fresh regional dishes such as Spring Bay scallops in a leek-andthyme butter sauce. The restored Quamby Estate —a 28-kilometer drive from the city of Launceston—was once

the centerpiece of an 1820’s ranch.

Now set within serene English gardens, the sprawling, contemporary-style homestead has been renovated into 10 spacious suites with colonial antiques and views of the surrounding farmland.

1145 Westwood Rd., Hagley; 61-3/63922211; quambyestate.com; doubles from A$300.

A NEW BLUE LAGOON

Cook Islands In the South Pacific, 644 kilometers southwest of Tahiti, you’ll find the lesser-known Cook Islands, an ideal playground for snorkeling, kayaking and motu walking (the local pastime of wading in the shallow waters between islets).

Rising from one of these white-sand motu is Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa—which has the island chain’s only overwater bungalows as well as the new Villa Te Arau, a mod-Maori haven with black-pearl-shell inlays, woven-pandanus walls and a private pool. This is the place to spend days learning to pluck a ukulele or dozing in the double-wide hammock. Akitua Island; 682/31203; aitutakilagoonresort.com; doubles from NZ$395, villas from NZ$1,875.

AFRICA THE BEST OF WINE COUNTRY

South Africa Few views are as stage-set for romance as the one over Stellenbosch Valley and the Western Cape Winelands, with hectares of vineyards, white Cape Dutch houses and dramatic mountains. Now there’s a prime spot from which to take it all in: the newly renovated Delaire Graff Estate. The property’s contemporary-art collection is a carefully edited selection of some of South Africa’s finest working artists.

Take an extravagant wine tutorial in the state-of-the-art tasting lounge, with flights of Delaire reds and whites and organic food pairings. R310, Helschoogte, Banhock Valley, Stellenbosch; 2721/885-8160; delaire.co.za; lunch for two 594 South African rand (US$80).

AN AFRICAN BEACH GETAWAY

Zanzibar, Tanzania This island is famous for its aromatic spices, Swahili culture, and most of all, its isolated beaches. At Kilindi, on a sun-bleached crescent opposite Tumbatu Island, 15 domed limestone pavilions are tucked along a tidal bay where wooden dhows still ply the aquamarine waters. Here, luxury comes with a light footprint—rainwater collected on the roofs of the cottages is used to water the lush gardens. The white-on-white rooms are within earshot of the surf.

255-24/223-1954; kilindi.com; doubles from US$900, including all meals.

ANTARCTICA THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

Argentina, Falkland Islands, Antarctica Following in the footsteps of explorers Captain James Cook and Ernest Shackleton, Silversea Cruises’ 17-day Explorer’s Antarctica has all the adventure of an expedition with a minimal amount of roughing it. The 132-passenger Prince Albert II embarks from Ushuaia, Argentina, and heads toward the Falkland Islands. You’ll get 360-degree views of hulking glaciers, blue icebergs and snowcapped peaks from the two top-deck, glass-enclosed whirlpools. For up-close encounters with wildlife (southern fur seals; albatross; chinstrap penguins), book a naturalist-guided tour on one of eight Zodiacs. This takes the phrase “getting away from it all” to a new level.

1-877/215-9986; silversea.com; 17-day itinerary from US$7,926 per person.

EDITED BY Jennifer Flowers AND Clark

Mitchell. REPORTED BY Tom Austin, Lisa Cheng, Christine Ciarmello, Anthony Dennis, Claire Downey, Irene Edwards, Rachel Felder, Jaime Gross, Catesby Holmes, James Jung, Sandy Lang, Peter Jon Lindberg, Carolina A. Miranda, Shane Mitchell, Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Maria Shollenbarger AND Amy Traverso.

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(My Favorite Place) Avignon in Provence, France. Inset: Actor Jean Reno.

FRANCE

I SHOULD SAY IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO name my favorite place. I was born in Casablanca, when Morocco was under the French administration. My parents are from Andalusia, in the south of Spain. I went to do my military service in Germany, to become a French citizen, and then I went to the States for my career. So you see, the world is mine—the world belongs to everyone. You just need to have the courage to get out and do something.

Honestly, my ideal vacation is on a boat. There are no paparazzi, and you can take your whole family along. The sea is perfect because it’s open. I especially love the Mediterranean, where you have everything: Corsica, Greece, Italy, Spain, France. I have a holiday house in Provence, surrounded by olive trees—it’s close to Avignon, where there’s a theater festival, and Arles, where there are bullfights. I’m looking for something else now, a bit bigger, still in southern Europe, maybe in the south of Spain.

I find Asia very appealing for its diversity, and the kindness of the people. You learn a lot just from people in the street.

The biggest surprise to me here has been China. At the

F

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IRST,

F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M

beginning I thought it was closed, but in fact it’s open. Look at the youth in Hong Kong. The kids here are just like in America, full of colors, wearing different clothes.

When you travel for cinema, everything is taken care of for you. You don’t have to remember anything—it’s both good and bad at the same time. Take Beijing. I was there for the film festival, and it was great. But I didn’t have time to visit the Great Wall of China. I want to go back and take black-and-white photographs. I want to go back to Shanghai, too. I was there for the film festival, and the Park Hyatt is really extraordinary, especially the breakfast. It has everything: fantastic pastries, a beautiful buffet … every day I woke up and ran straight to breakfast. Just ask my wife.

When you’re young, you can never imagine what will happen to you: the places you’ll go, the people you’ll meet. Your life is the biggest adventure, the biggest journey. It’s like a card game—every person has a card for you. That’s my philosophy in life. My goal isn’t to be on some beach by myself, but to be among people. Wherever you go, if you know how to look at people, the travel will be fantastic. ✚

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

All the world’s a stage—you just need to get out and discover it for yourself, famed French thespian Jean Reno tells LARA DAY

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Only in Oz! RIENC SSIE EXPE U A Y L E U 60 UNIQ

ES

+ • • • •

Drift off over the Great Barrier Reef Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge Dine under the stars at Ayers Rock Go city ballooning in Canberra and much, much more!

Plus: Win a trip to Australia!

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ONLY IN OZ... THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE Australia is a destination with strong ties to Southeast Asia; many of my Thai friends have family “down under,” or have studied there, and they retain a strong bond with this amazing antipodean country. No wonder: there are numerous attractions in Australia, or “Oz” as it’s fondly known, not least the warm, welcoming people, the star-studded Outback night sky, and the most popular beaches in the world. It’s also a cosmopolitan country, oozing style and sophistication.

But there’s much more to Australia than the TV clichés — which is where we come in. When Tourism Australia approached Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia about doing an extended promotional section, I had some trepidation, as these can sometimes veer quite far away from readers’ interests and needs. But I’m proud to say that this is a true collaboration for this special section; both T+L SEA and Tourism Australia selected 60 experiences you can have in Australia — and only in Australia! — with a strong idea of what we wanted to achieve, which is also to show a different side to Australia: that there are exciting and memorable adventures all around the country.

I do hope you enjoy it as much as we did preparing it and that it inspires you to look southwards and plan your next trip!

Matt Leppard, Editor-in-Chief KEY Arts

Wildlife Romantic Lifestyle Food & Wine City Adventure Educational

$ $$ $$$ $$$$

<$100 $100–500 $500–1,000 >$1,000

Price range in AUD

WIN A TRIP TO OZ! Tell us what you think of this feature in our survey at www.travelandleisuresea.com/australia and stand to win a trip for two to Australia! See full details plus terms and conditions online.

For more information, as well as contacts and booking details, about all the activities and experiences listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

While the editors, publisher and commercial partner believe all information to be correct at time of publication, they cannot guarantee its absolute accuracy.

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IN TRO D UC T I O N

D E S I G N : W W W. FA H S A K H A R E T. C O M / C O V E R P H O T O C O U R T E SY O F AY E R S R O C K R E S O R T

Nature

LES A W UTH O S NEW

This state—population nearly 7 million—boasts a wealth of world-famous attractions suitable for all travelers. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Opera House, iconic images known worldwide are found here. Elsewhere, you can adopt a koala, ride the world’s steepest railway and more! This highly cosmopolitan city is also famous for its welcoming multicultural attitude towards life.

1. CLASSIC CLIMB

Climb the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge Where: Sydney When: All year round, except

Christmas and Easter For: Adults and children aged 10 years and above How much: $$ Why: Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge is, next to the Sydney Opera House (also visible from the bridge), arguably the most iconic and well-known symbol of this quintessentially

Australian melting pot of a city. It opened in 1932 and measures more than 100 meters from water to top, affording spectacular views of the city and the harbor. And at almost 1,150 meters long, it’s the fifth longest such bridge in the world. A must for any visit to New South Wales and Sydney.

2. STAR PERFORMANCE

Experience the famous Sydney y y Opera House

The Sydney Opera House

Where: Sydney When: All year round, except

Christmas and Easter For: All ages How much: $$ Why: If you’re heading to

Sydney, then a visit to the Opera House is a must. Not only is this fabulous structure visually sumptuous, it is also the world’s busiest performing arts complex. Theater, ballet, pop music, symphonies, comedies and loads of activities for the kids put it high on any list of things to do in Australia. And if you’re there mid-May to mid-June, don’t miss out on “Luminous,” an event that has the Opera House bathed in dramatic lighting. To see the House in a different light, why not take an “Experience Package” tour?

3. WHITEST SHADE OF PALE

Glide barefoot over the whitest sand in the world Where: Jervis Bay, South Coast, 3 hours’ drive from Sydney

?

DID YOU KNOW

Jervis Bay

For: All ages How much: It’s free to walk

on the beach, but specialist tours, such as whale-watching, may cost Why The Guinness Book of Records states that Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales has the whitest sand in the world—although there are, of course, many other beaches close by that are almost as good. There are usually no crowds so you may well find that you have this beautiful beach all to yourself ! Jervis Bay is also where you can enjoy whaleand dolphin-watch cruises.

The Sydney Opera House’s distinctive design is not based on shells, but on sections of a hemisphere.

For more information on all the activities listed and details of how to book, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

NEW SOUT H WA LE S

3

Koala cuddling

rescue and treat sick and injured koalas, as well as preserve their natural habitat. An ideal gift for any animal-lover!

6. INCLINED TOWARDS INCLINES?

5. SWINGERS ONLY

Where: K Wh Katoomba, Blue Mountains, 1.5 hour’s drive from Sydney When: All year round For: All ages How much: $ Why: It’s the steepest railway in the world! If you need more reasons, the Katoomba Scenic Railway boasts a maximum gradient of 52 degrees and goes through a tunnel before descending into an ancient rain forest. The perfect scenic trip—with a dash of rollercoaster thrill—for naturelovers, couples and families.

Engineering in action at Darling Harbour Where: Darling Harbour,

Sydney When: All year round; the

4. OWN A FURRY FRIEND

Adopt your very own cute and cuddly koala Where: Port Macquarie, 4

hours’ drive from Sydney When: All year round For: All ages How much: $ Why: Koalas are cute, cuddly and unarguably one of Australia’s most-loved natural treasures. More to the point, they are listed as a “vulnerable” species. So why not adopt a wild koala at The Koala Hospital—the world’s only hospital dedicated to the care of koalas—and help the animals out? Adoptions help to

bridge opens at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm For: All ages How much: Free Why: Having lunch at one of Darling Harbour’s many top restaurants? There’s a good chance you might catch an example of great Australian engineering in action. Pyrmont Bridge in Darling Harbour is an opening swing bridge (which means it allows tall vessels to pass underneath) and the world’s oldest surviving electrical span bridge, built when most swing bridges were operated simply with basic mechanics. It was powered by the then Ultimo Power House, now converted to the Powerhouse Museum.

...then ride the world’s steepest p railway!

structure in the world. While Koala cuddling. most of it is under water, it’s one of the few places in Australia where you can regularly see A-list celebs like Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. It’s also a great spot to stop at Harry’s Cafe de Wheels for a “pie floater,” another Australian legend: a traditional Australian meat pie tipped upside down in a plate of thick pea soup and covered with tomato sauce (costs around A$5). Delicious!

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 8. SUITED AND BOOTED

Shop for Aussie designer g fashions

7. WOOD WALK

Spot stars on the world’s largest wooden structure Where: Woolloomooloo,

East Sydney For: All ages How much: Free Why: Another Australian

superlative, Woolloomooloo Wharf is a Guinness recordholder as the largest wooden

Where: Various locations

in major cities For: Adults When: All year round How much: From $ Why: Australian cities are

Woolloomoolo Wharf

4

N E W S O UTH W A L ES

well-known as shop-tillyou-drop destinations, and there are many world-renowned Australian designer labels such as Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho and Sass & Bide to put on your shopping list.

Australian bush and outback clothing (e.g., RM Williams) also has a reputation for excellent quality, while street- and beach-wear designed for the relaxed Aussie lifestyle is famous around the world.

RIA O T C VI

Victoria is Australia’s second-most populated state, with the majority of its citizens living in Melbourne, which is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. It also has a thriving bohemian culture, heavily inclined towards the arts, and, as such, is one of the events capitals of the country.

When: All year round How much: $ Why: Phillip Island is one of

the only nine islands in Australia where you can encounter a breeding colony of Australian fur seals.

Experience this spectacular 2-hour cruise while witnessing one of Australia’s largest wild fur-seal colonies situated on Seal Rocks, lying 2 kilometers off the rugged, impressive south-west coast of Phillip Island. The boat drifts within meters of thousands of seals, enabling you to witness their natural environment first-hand.

12. BABY WADDLERS

Parade with Little Penguins 9. A NEW DAWN

Witness the birthplace of authentic Australian multiculturalism Where: Ballarat, 1.5 hours’ drive from Melbourne For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: On November 30, 1854, a historic event, the Eureka Stockade, saw immigrants from 16 nations come together under a non-British flag—the Southern Cross— heralding the start of democracy and the notion of a “fair go” that underpins the nation today. Learn about the event at the Eureka Centre.

Nearby—down the road, in fact—is Sovereign Hill, an open-air museum that is a replica of a real 1850’s goldfields town where you can really pan for gold!

The Eureka Centre will be

?

DID YOU KNOW

closed from Easter 2010 till late 2011 for redevelopment, during which the Southern Cross flag will be exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

10. BAND ON BOARD

Shake, rattle and roll on a one-of-a-kind train

stop, revelers swap carriages to listen to a new band.

This award-winning experience is so frequently sold out, that for all potential passengers, it is advisable to book as early as you can to secure a seat or two!

11. FUR IS FOR SEALS

Where: Queenscliff, 1.5 hours’

Up-close encounter with Australian fur seals

drive from Melbourne For: Ages 18 and above only When: August to May,

Saturday nights only How much: $ Why: The world’s one and only Blues Train leaves the historic bayside town of Queenscliff and runs along the old Geelong train line offering a highly unique musical meal and show.

Guests can buy their drinks before boarding and enjoy a hearty meal, while they listen to the bands on board. At each

Where: Cowes, Phillip Island, 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne For: All ages

Where: Phillip Island, 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: At sunset each day, groups of Little Penguins —the world’s smallest penguins, native to Australia—emerge from the sea after a day’s fishing and waddle ashore to their sand-dune burrows.

Elevated boardwalks and viewing stands allow you to enjoy all the penguin action.

Penguin-watching

In 1956, Melbourne became the first city in Oz to host the Olympic Games — the first time that athletes entered the closing ceremony en masse. For full details of all listings, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

VICT ORI A

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A Melbourne tram

indigenous snow gum trees—or Eucalyptus pauciflora—appear simply everywhere you look. Snowy Mountains, 5 hours’ drive from Sydney in New South Wales, is another location to enjoy the Aussie alpine experience.

14. STATION TO STATION

Ride on the world’s biggest tram network

13. SLOPE STYLE

Ski among snow gums Where: Mount Buller,

3 hours’ drive from Melbourne For: All ages When: June–September How much: From $$ with accommodation Why: Where else in the world can you ski or snowboard down a run called the Wombat? Mt. Buller offers a variety of slopes to entice beginners and challenge more advanced skiers. Even non-skiers can enjoy a bit of fun in the snow with the sensational snow tubing and tobogganing facilities that are available here.

And you know you are in Australia when the

Where: Melbourne For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: Linking Melbourne’s

wonderful and storied past with its unarguably vibrant future, trams were first introduced to the city in 1865. Today, Melbourne has the biggest tram network in the world with approximately 250 kilometers of double track. There area, a staggering 1,770 tram stops across the network. Getting on the City Circle Tram is a great way for a quick and easy (and free) city tour.

15. A ROAD TO REMEMBER

Drive (or even walk) the Great Ocean Road Where: Apollo Bay, 3 hours’

drive from Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles

For: Adults When: All year round How much: From $$ with

accommodation Why: Join guided walking tours or drive at your own leisure down the Great Ocean Road, which stretches approximately 260 kilometers from Allansford, Victoria to Belmont, Geelong. Soldiers returning from battle in World War I were commissioned to build the road as a tribute to their fallen comrades. The project gave the soldiers much-needed jobs during the Great Depression and created a tourist route came to be known for its views of the iconic Twelve Apostles rock formations.

16. STUMPED FOR IDEAS?

See how cricket bats are actually made Where: Shepherds Flat, 1.5 hours’ drive from Melbourne For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: Aussies love cricket, and nowhere else in the world (even England) but at Cricket Willow can you see the entire process of making a cricket bat, from planting to harvesting to shaping and processing, in one place—and even have your own cricket bat made. Twenty-seven of the top 40 batsmen around the world use these bats, all made in the sleepy hollow of Shepherds Flat.

17. GET LOST!

Explore the chic laneways of Melbourne Where: Melbourne For: Adults When: All year round How much: Free (exclusive

of the cost of your designer shopping, of course!)

Why: The twisting 6

VI C TO RI A

inner-city laneways of Australia’s second-largest city are a treasure chest of unique shops, cosmopolitan open-air cafés and chic fashion catering for all tastes and budgets. The best way to explore them is to get lost in the maze—you’ll always find your way out again.

For authentic insider tips, Hidden Secrets Tours offers a 2- to 3-hour intimate walking tour—with a guide to show you the best places to shop—for A$115 per person including morning tea, lunch and a special goodie bag!

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 18. TUCK IN TO TRADITION

Sample real Aussie “bush tucker”

Where: Various locations

in the outback and in major cities For: All ages When: All year round How much: From $ Why: “Bush tucker” —the traditional diet of Australian Aborigines— is made up of native ingredients that can all be found in the wild. Sample it at numerous restaurants in any of the major cities in the country— from kangaroo steak and “yabbies” (lake prawns) to regular food flavored with lemon myrtle, wattleseed and quandong (wild peach) —or join bush food tours at the Sydney and Adelaide botanic gardens.

LIA A R T AUS N R E WEST Western Australia occupies the entire western side of the country, facing the Indian Ocean. With a pleasant climate that could be compared with the Mediterranean, WA’s southern coast is among the world’s top nine habitats for terrestrial biodiversity, as well as one of the top six regions for marine biodiversity.

Wave Rock

19. FLOWER POWER

Take in the world’s largest wildflower collection Where: Throughout Western Australia, including Pemberton, Albany, Margaret River and Kings Park in Perth, among others When: June–November For: All ages How much: Prices vary by location and tour, or do it at your own leisure for free Why: Banksias, grevilleas, kangaroo paws, milkmaids, honeypots, mountain bells...

Witness rugged landscapes or lush green fields come alive with a blaze of brilliant colors and fresh scents in Western Australia—home to more than 12,000 species of wildflowers, the largest collection of wild blooms in the world. More than 60% of these species can be found only in WA, and you can enjoy different ones at various times and locations throughout the state.

20. ROCK AND ROLL!

Surf a granite wave Where: Wave Rock, Hyden,

less than 4 hours’ drive from Perth When: All year round For: All ages

How much: $$ Why: Wave Rock is a huge,

stunning 2,500-year-old granite cliff shaped exactly like a wave. Stand under it, and you can almost feel the years pressing down on you! This natural wonder has to be experienced first-hand and in the bowl of the “wave.” This natural wonder has to be experienced first-hand and in the bowl of the “wave” to fully comprehend its magnificence.

21. GOLDEN WONDER

See the world’s largest gold bar exhibition Where: Perth When: All year round For: All ages How much: $ Why: Gold has been a

common currency since the beginning of historical records; it is perhaps the most alluring commodity, full of romance and mystery. In Perth itself, you can visit one of the world’s oldest currency mints—the Perth Mint—and find out your weight in gold, plus engrave your own personal medallion—as well as see a gold bar worth $225,000 being poured!

Elsewhere in Western Australia, the famous Kalgoorlie Goldfields is the richest gold mining area in the world.

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22. BIG FISH

Swim with whale sharks at the world’s most accessible reef

shark—the largest fish in the sea—which grows up to 16 meters long.

24. JEWEL IN THE CROWN 23. SPREAD YOUR MAT HERE

Where: Ningaloo Reef, offshore from Exmouth and Coral Bay, about 14 hours’ drive from Perth, or under 3 hours’ flight When: All year round For: Adults How much: $$ Why: Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, one of the most biodiverse reefs in the world, is the only large coral reef in the world found so close to land, making it easily accessible from the shore. It’s home to a myriad of marine life, so slip on your snorkel or diving gear and swim with graceful manta rays, sea turtles and schools of brightly colored fish in the clearest turquoise water imaginable. You can also swim with the majestic whale

Park in size by almost 1 square kilometer.

Picnic in the world’s largest inner-city green space Where: Perth When: All year round For: All ages How much: Free Why: If a picnic in the park

is your thing, you might as well choose one where there’s lots and lots of space.

Not only is it located slap-bang in the middle of a city, the Kings Park and Botanic Garden is more than 4 square kilometers in size and boasts amazing views over the Swan River, as well as the spectacular Perth city skyline. A dramatic experience that beats New York’s Central

See the largest “calcite straw” stalactite open to the public Where: Jewel Cave, Margaret River, 3 hours’ drive from Perth When: All year round For: All ages How much: $ Why: Deep inside the dazzling Jewel Cave hangs the largest straw stalactite of any cave open to the public, measuring a staggering 5.4 meters long.

The cave complex itself descends to 42 meters and is 1.9 kilometers long in total, with the main chamber measuring in at 90 meters long and 30 meters high. But these are just numbers and words— this is something you need to see up close and to explore, for a mind-blowing experience.

Snorkeling with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef

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DID YOU KNOW 8

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 25. VINTAGE VINO

Drink great wine harvested from the world’s wo d oldest vines Where: Hunter Valley, New South Wales; Barossa and McLaren Vale, South Australia; Yarra Valley, Victoria; Margaret River, Western Australia For: Adults When: All year round How much: $–$$ Why: Grapevines arrived in Australia from Europe with the early settlers and the first plantings were made in the fertile flood plains of the Hunter Valley around 1830.

Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia followed not long after.

Contrary to belief, Australia and not Europe lays claim to the world’s oldest vines (believed to produce better-quality yields), because from the 1860’s, the grape root louse Phylloxera wiped out European vineyards. Australia wasn’t entirely immune but the Hunter, South Australia and Western Australia were spared.

Western Australia’s capital, Perth, is almost as close to Singapore and KL than it is to the country’s capital, Canberra. For more details on this and other activities listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

W E S TE RN A US TR ALI A

ND A L S N QUEE

Not only is Queensland Australia’s second-biggest state, it is also home to some of the country’s—and the world’s— most impressive natural wonders, like the Great Barrier Reef and the contrasting, challenging outback. Boasting world-class beaches and with 7,400 kilometers of coastline, including the Gold Coast, Queensland is a must-visit for all outdoors fans! The climate is warm but not hot (summers average at about 25 degrees), and the state basks in more winter sunshine than many other states.

26. TOWERING VIEWS

Enjoy the scenery from the world’s tallest residential tower Where: Surfers Paradise,

Gold Coast For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: Savor the opportunity to enjoy spectacular 360-degree views from QDeck,

the observation deck of Q1, the world’s tallest residential tower at 322.5 meters high, where the view stretches from coast to hinterland.

It also has the world’s fastest elevator, from ground to Level 77 in 42.7 seconds.

That’s the equivalent of 1,331 steps from ground level, hence the need for a thousand kilometers of lift cabling!

ELSEWHERE IN OZ 27. HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME

Wave at the world’s only trulyy white whale Where: Byron Bay, New South Wales;

Hervey Bay, Queensland; and Sydney beachside suburbs For: All ages When: May–October How much: $–$$ Why: Every year since 1991 Migaloo the giant

28. SIP NATURE, DISTILLED

Sample native Australian botanical liqueurs Where: Mount Tamborine,

45 minutes’ drive from the Gold Coast For: Adults When: All year round How much: Free Why: Taste the unique flavors of liqueurs and vodkas that use native Australian

botanicals, such as eucalyptus and lemon myrtle at Mt. Tamborine Distillery. One of very few such distilleries in Australia, this small, independently run distillery has won nearly a hundred prestigious international awards for its very high-quality liqueurs, schnapps, vodkas, absinthe and bitters.

29. GET (OUT)BACK

Enjoy an urban outback experience white humpback whale has headed for warmer waters with thousands of fellow humpbacks as they take a break from Antarctica and travel the east coast of Australia. Migaloo’s claim to fame is that he is the world’s only known white whale, and if you are lucky you might spot him as he heads north in Autumn each year, and back home again in Spring. Even if you don’t spot Migaloo, Australia is one of the best places in the world to go whale spotting. Hervey Bay is known as the whale-watching capital of Australia, and you may spot dolphins too!

Where: Gold Coast For: All ages When: All year round,

except Christmas Day How much: $ Why: The vast Australian

outback is famous for its wilderness beauty. But you can skip the wilderness and still enjoy a piece of the outback in the city with Australian Outback QUEENSLA ND

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Spectacular, an action-packed, feast-for-the-senses performance capturing the grandeur of life in the Australian outback, complete with stampeding horses and a talented cast of Jackaroos and Jillaroos (stockmen and women)! Complete your experience with a proper Aussie Outback dinner of steak, Australian Damper (outback-baked bread) and Bush Billy Tea. 30. REEF SLEEPOVER

Drift off over the world’s largest g coral reef Where: Great Barrier Reef, about 2 hours’ boat ride from Cairns For: Adults

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 31. DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE

Travel around an entire continent Wh Where: All of Australia For: Adults When: All year round How much: Cost varies Why: As the largest island

and smallest continent on the planet, Australia is the only continent that you can circumnavigate completely on one continuous highway.

Highway 1 is the world’s longest at more than 20,000 kilometers.

Certain indigenousowned parts of Arnhem Land require special permission, and you’ll need to put the car onto the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to complete the most southerly part of your trip. For something less ambitious, you can choose to drive any of Tourism Australia’s 17 recommended routes.

10 QUE E N S L A N D

When: April–January are the best times How much: From $$ Why: After a day snorkeling in the pristine waters, you can spend the night on a floating pontoon 50 nautical miles from the mainland on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

This is just one of the many experiences offered by numerous operators promoting the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven wonders of the natural world, spanning more than 2,000 kilometers in length along the Queensland coastline.

32. NATURAL REJUVENATION

Relax in one of the world’s oldest rain forests Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa

Where: Daintree National

Park, 1.5 hours from Cairns For: Adults When: All year round How much: $$ Why: At the award-winning Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa you can indulge in a treatment that uses Aboriginal massage techniques and indigenous products, while relaxing in the heart of the rain forest. Try the special

Walbul-Walbul body treatment, designed in consultation with the local KuKu Yalanji people.

Southwards, the Healing Waters Spa at Silky Oaks Lodge offers treatments using mineral-laden waters of the nearby Mossman River, and floral essences from the Daintree rain forest.

33. FEEDING TIME!

Feed wild dolphins Where: Moreton Island, 75 minutes by catamaran from Brisbane (also possible at Tin Can Bay, Fraser Coast in Queensland; Monkey Mia, Shark Bay in Western Australia) Great Barrier Reef

For: All ages When: All year round How much: $–$$ Why: There are very few

places in the world where wild dolphins choose to regularly swim to shore to truly interact with people.

Australia boasts three places where you can witness this, and even get the unique chance to legally hand-feed these dolphins, with expert supervision, so as not to endanger these delightful mammals. At the Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on Moreton Island, you get to hand-feed wild bottlenose dolphins that come at dusk.

34. SUN, SEA AND BIG SAND

Walk on the largest sand island in the world Where: Fraser Island, 4 hours’ Wh

Dolphin feeding

Four-wheel-drive tour buses travel the island, while the Fraser Island Great Walk allows you to explore the island on foot.

35. GINGER, MAN!

drive from Brisbane For: All ages When: All year round How much: $$ Why: Freshwater lakes, colored sand cliffs, rain forests growing in sand, crystal-clear creeks and long white beaches—the World Heritage–listed Fraser Island, stretching over 123 kilometers in length and 22 kilometers at its widest point—has them all. With an area of 184,000 hectares, it is also the world’s largest sand island, and the only place in the world where you can see dingoes (native dogs) frolicking on the beach.

Try 65 different ginger ice-cream flavors Where: Yandina, Sunshine Coast, 2 hours’ drive from Brisbane For: All ages When: All year round, except Christmas Day How much: $ Treat yourself to this delicious experience at The Ginger Factory—the world’s largest —where you can find ginger food and products of every kind, including no less than 65 different flavors of ginger ice cream. Of course, no visit would be complete without eating at least one gingerbread man in the ginger café.

FA R R I G H T : G O R D A N A K E Z I

Fraser Island

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DID YOU KNOW

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 36. STAGGERING SCULPTURES

Admire unique installations at the world’s largest outdoor art show Where: Bondi Beach,

Sydney; Cottesloe Beach, Perth For: All ages When: October/ November in Sydney; March in Perth How much: Free Why: The “Sculpture by the Sea” exhibitions in Sydney and Perth are the world’s largest free outdoor art exhibitions.

Initiated in 1996 at Bondi Beach, featuring sculptures made by both Australian and overseas artists, it has become an annual event and has expanded to Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia since 2005. In June 2009, Aarhus in Denmark hosted the first “Sculpture by the Sea” exhibition outside of Australia. But why not take the chance to see it where it first started?

The Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing that can be seen from space. Yet despite its size, it’s “only” half a million years old. For more information on this and other activities, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

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ALIA R T S AU H T U SO

Located in—as the name suggests—the southern central part of Australia, South Australia borders all the other Australian states except the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. Because of its location, the more south you go in the state, the more temperate the climate becomes, reaching about 29 degrees, while the north can bake in temperatures that have been known to reach 50!

37. GOING UNDERGROUND

Walk into the world beneath your feet at Coober Pedy Where: Coober Pedy, 2 hours’ flight from Adelaide For: All ages When: April–October How much: Prices vary between tours and activities Why: Apart from being the place where almost all of the world’s precious opals are mined and where movies like Mad Max, starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner, were filmed, Coober Pedy is

most famous for its unique style of cool underground living. You can stay in four-star comfort at the Desert Cave Hotel, the world’s only underground hotel, drink at an underground bar, visit an underground art gallery and check out the underground homes of the locals (if you make friends with them!).

38. THE BIG BLUE

Swim with Australia’s famous blue fin tuna Where: Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula, a 50-minute flight

or 7 hours’ drive from Adelaide For: All ages When: All year round, except Christmas Day How much: $ Why: This world-first experience promises to excite, thrill and entertain all adventure lovers! The Swim with the Tuna tour has been described as “the most exciting and unexpected underwater experience anywhere.” Here in Port Lincoln, you can enjoy hand-feeding the fish from the platform, seeing the fish from the underwater glass viewing area or even swimming with one of Australia’s most Coober Pedy

valuable and famous fish, the mighty blue fin tuna.

39. BLEND FINE WINE

Bottle your own Australian vino Where: Barossa, 1.5 hours’ drive from Adelaide For: Adults When: All year round, except Christmas Day How much: $ Why: The Barossa is home to Australia’s most famous wine labels, including the worldrenowned Penfolds. At the Penfolds Winery cellar door, you can blend your own delicious drop of Aussie wine to take home. Stop at nearby Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop— Maggie Beer is one of Australia’s favorite cooks—for some fine local produce to go with your wine.

40. BITE A FROG’S HEAD

Sample the famous Balfours Frog Cakes Where: Adelaide For: All ages When: All year round

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How much: $ Why: Frog Cakes are one of

South Australia’s most quirky food icons. The famous confectionery comes in the shape of a frog’s head, composed of sponge cake and cream, covered with fondant.

It was created by the Adelaidebased Balfours bakery in 1922, and soon became a popular treat in South Australia.

Originally, Frog Cakes were available exclusively in green, but later brown and pink were added to the range. The Frog Cake has been called “uniquely South Australian” and has been employed in promoting the state.

of the 800-million-year-old quartzite and limestone outcrop that is the Flinders Ranges lies Wilpena Pound.

Wilpena Pound is a magnificent natural amphitheater 17 kilometers long and 7 kilometers wide, and is the centerpiece of the Flinders Ranges National Park.

Shaped like a giant cupped hand by the weathering and uplifting of land over time, it is ringed by saw-tooth peaks visible from 30 kilometers away and holds strong significance to the indigenous Adnyamathanha people.

The best way to appreciate its magnificence is to take a scenic flight over it.

Kangaroo Island

41. FLIGHT OF FANTASY

Fly over one of Australia’s magical natural wonders

42. SLEEPY SEA LIONS

Walk among these aquatic furry giants

Where: Wil Wilpena Pound,

Where: Kangaroo Island, a

Flinders Ranges, 5 hours’ drive from Adelaide For: All ages When: All year round How much: $$ Why: Amid the vibrant colors

30-minute flight or 2.5 hours’ drive plus a ferry ride from Adelaide For: All ages When: All year round, except Christmas Day

How much: $ Why: World-famous Kangaroo

Island is a microcosm of different landscapes and environments: stunning beaches, forests, desert dunes and farmland. As one of Australia’s National Landscapes, it is the place to go see amazing native wildlife in its natural habitat. In fact, it

is the only place in the world where you can walk among a colony of Australian sea lions as they doze in the sun after fishing in the Southern Ocean.

Various tours are available at the hugely popular Seal Bay Conservation Park.

43. REAL HORSEPOWER

Ride a horse-drawn tram across waters

Wilpena Pound

Where: Victor Harbour,

Fleurieu Peninsula For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: From Victor Harbor, take

the historic double-decker horse-drawn tram over to the nearby Granite Island via a 630-meter wooden causeway.

It is one of the very few horse-drawn tram routes remaining in public transit service anywhere in the world, and provides service every day throughout the year. It is the only horse-drawn tram route in the world that brings you across waters to a separate island.

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DID YOU KNOW

Of Coober Pedy’s approximately 4,000 residents, about half live underground, a necessity given the area’s scorching climate. For more information on all the activities listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

SOUT H AUST R A LI A

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ERN H T R NO

RY O T I TERR

The least-populated state in Australia, the Northern Territory extends deep into the center of the country.

With Darwin as its capital, the state boasts one of the most famous sights in the world: Uluru. Surprisingly, most of the population does not live close to the coastal boundary, but further inland, including in Alice Springs —famous for its immortalization in A Town Like Alice.

Uluru, or Ayers Rock

44. WORLD OF ROCK

See the world’s biggest and most famous rock Where: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru, 4.5 hours’ drive from Alice Springs For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: It’s the quintessentially Oz experience! Nothing prepares you for the first time you see Uluru. The overwhelming enormity of the monolith, coupled with a strong sense of spirituality, ensures that a visit to Uluru will stay with you long after you’ve left it. Australia’s most recognizable natural icon stands 348 meters high and, like an iceberg, has most of its

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 45. SURF’S UP!

Cheer on an Aussie surf lifesaver Where: All major beaches

around the country

bulk below the surface. World Heritage–listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a world-class visitor destination and a key part of Australia’s iconic Red Centre.

46. A FISHY TALE

Hook yourself a barramundi Where: Darwin For: Adults When: All year round How much: $$ Why: The barramundi is

widely regarded as Australia’s premier native sport fish, and the magnificent Top End waters, rivers and estuaries are the perfect place to hook your own “barra.” Take a fishing charter from Darwin and live on board the Reefmaster.

surf lifesavers on patrol, wearing their signature red-and-yellow caps. If you have the chance to catch an ocean sport competition between the various life-saving clubs, you would have experienced a part of true Australia.

For: All ages When: November–March How much: Free Why: Australia has more

than 10,000 beaches. In fact, it is home to some of the world’s best beaches and, in summer, all around the coastline you will see Australia’s iconic volunteer

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DID YOU KNOW

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, actually changes color throughout the day, as the minerals in the rock reflect the changing sunlight. For more information on the activities listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

14 NO RT H E RN T E RR I TO R Y

Experienced guides in big-game fishing will take you along the river system fishing for barramundi and thread fin salmon. Fish the reefs of the Perron Islands for black jewfish, coral trout, golden snapper, cod, Spanish mackerel, red emperor, Robinsons deep sea bream and other mixed-reef species.

more than 50,000 years, the Aboriginal people of Kakadu and Arnhem Land have lived in harmony with nature. Their history is intrinsically linked with the land, and their stories, told on rock canvasses, endure. Kakadu is home to one of the oldest and largest collections of Aboriginal rock art in the world.

47. RIVERS RUN DRY

50. SIPPING UNDER STELLAR SKIES

Join a dry river regatta Where: Alice Springs For: All ages When: Around late August/

early September How much: Free Why: Todd River is dry almost 365 days a year, making this a boat race with a real difference—it’s done on the dry sands of the Todd River.

The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is a day of fun where teams and individuals race “boats,” in the dry bed of the Todd River in outback Alice Springs. Have fun and enjoy the hilarity as you watch seemingly sane people race in bottomless “eights,” “oxford tubs,” “bath tubs” and “yachts” through the deep, coarse sand.

48. MONSTER CROC

Get up close to the world’s largest reptile

Henley-on-Todd Regatta

Australian fish species such as barramundi, saratoga and stingrays, plus freshwater crocodiles and turtles.

49. LIVING HISTORY

See the oldest living culture and artworks on the p planet Where: K Kakadu k National Park, 3 hours’ drive from Darwin For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: Beyond its majestic beauty, Kakadu National Park is teeming with wildlife and bursting with Aboriginal culture and art. Visit a place where time stands still and an ancient culture lives on. For

‘Table under the stars, sir’? Of course!

Where: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru, 4.5 hours’ drive from Alice Springs For: Adults and children aged 10 years and above When: All year round How much: $-$$ Why: At the Sounds of Silence experience, you can dine under the canopy of the desert night, while your very own storyteller—armed with a giant telescope—shares tales as told by the stars. Entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four hours of good food, fine wine and magical stories in an evening of dining under the outback sky.

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 51. FORE IN FOUR DAYS

Tee off on the world’s longest golf course Where: Ceduna, South

Australia to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia For: Adults When: September– February (best times) How much: $$$$ Why: This is definitely something you can brag to your friends about having done.

Covering a staggering total distance of 1,365 kilometers, the Nullarbor Links is an 18-hole cross-country golf course that spans two states, with holes at remote golf courses, towns, sheep stations, wheat farms, goldmines and roadhouses along the way. The entire course takes four days to play and the best way to do it is to join a hassle-free golf tour— nice tourist distractions included!

Kakadu National Park

Where: Darwin For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: Ever wanted to get up

close and personal with the largest reptile in the world?

Crocosaurus Cove offers you this chance with clear underwater viewing of these enormous “salties,” or saltwater crocodiles. There is also a “World of Crocodiles” exhibit and turtle sanctuary, plus a “touch and feel” reptile activities center. A two-story, 200,000-liter freshwater aquarium displays North NORT HERN T ERRIT ORY

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ITORY R R E T L CAPITA N A I L A R AUST

While tiny by comparison to other states, the Australian Capital Territory, which lies southwest of Sydney and northeast of Melbourne, contains the country’s capital, Canberra, famous for its leafy lanes and relaxed pace of life. Canberra also houses a host of historical and contemporary attractions.

52. BALLOONS OVER BUILDINGS

Where: Canberra When: All year round,

Experience ballooning in the heart of the capital cityy ci

except Christmas Day For: All ages How much: Free Why: Nowhere else tells the fascinating stories of Australia’s land, nation, people and cultures better than the National Museum of Australia. With more than 200,000 objects, the museum profiles 50,000 years of indigenous heritage, settlement since 1788 and key events.

Where: Canberra When: All year round For: All ages How much: $$ Why: A rare opportunity to

ride a hot-air balloon in a city, and not in any ordinary city: this is Australia’s storied capital city, Canberra, historically famous for its town planning and pleasant, green spaces.

And the views are well worth it: see the historical Parliament House and other city icons.

There’s also a balloon festival where you can see many colored balloons in the air, while enjoying great music, food and entertainment on the ground.

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA 55. CATTLE PROD

Learn to be a Jackaroo ((or Jillaroo) J Where: Various locations in

the outback For: Adults When: All year round How much: $$$ Why: Made famous in

Australia (the Baz

See the satellite dish that relayed Neil Armstrong’s famous moon walk

When: All year round For: All ages How much: Free Why: As part of NASA’s

Where: Tidbinbilla, a 45-minute drive from Canberra

Deep Space Network, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is one of only three facilities in the world responsible for

54. MOON IN A DISH

53. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Find out all there is to know about Australia

Luhrmann) movie starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman), a Jackaroo is the name for an Australian cattle drover.

Some cattle stations in Australia offer holidaymakers courses that will teach you how to ride and show a horse; muster cattle; crack a whip and throw a lasso while spending the nights under the “big sky.”

actually tracking spacecraft.

As well as checking out the facilities, including the dish that captured Neil Armstrong’s first moon walk, visitors can also see a piece of moon rock that is more than 3 million years old—ideal for families with curious kids!.

Hot-air ballooning over Canberra

National Museum

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DID YOU KNOW

Canberra replaced Melbourne as the capital of Australia in 1908, ending the debate on whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital. For more information on the activities listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

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NIA A M S TA

Uniquely in Australia, Tasmania is an island—the 26th largest in the world. Tasmania is known as the “island of inspiration,” due to its outstanding natural beauty: Some 37 percent of the island’s nature is protected.

How much: $$ Why: Where else in the world

can you sample the finest local produce and cool-climate wines in a location that looks like a wineglass? The spectacular Wineglass Bay—so named for its shape—is Tasmania’s most famous beach, voted among the top 10 beaches of the world, and renowned for its pure, clear turquoise waters. The Wineglass to Wine Glass tour offers great views, insights into the local flora, fauna and heritage, rounded off with a meal of fresh local produce and fine wines.

58. SWEET TEMPTATION

Taste Tasmania’s unique leatherwood honey

56. WHERE THE WILD THINGS REALLY ARE!

Spot Australian wildlife in its natural habitat

national park in a fourwheel-drive bus. This is your chance to see wombats, eastern quolls, possums, wallabies and Tasmanian devils face-to-face.

Where: Cradle Mountain,

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, 2.5 hours’ drive from Launceston For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: It isn’t always easy to see Australian wildlife in its natural habitat because most of the animals are nocturnal. Better your chances by joining a wildlife tour that takes you slowly into the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair

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57. FROM WINEGLASS TO WINE GLASS

Enjoy great views and fine wines Where: Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay, 2.5 hours’ drive from Launceston or Hobart For: Adults When: September–June (best times), Wednesday-Sunday (weather permitting)

Where: Chudleigh, 1 hour’s drive from Launceston For: All ages When: All year round How much: Free Why: Bees love the flowers of leatherwood trees, which are endemic to Tasmania, and it is only here that leatherwood honey is made. For a taste or to see how it is farmed, or to buy food and beauty products made from it, head to The Honey Farm in Chudleigh. To see the trees, visit Tahune Forest Reserve, south of Hobart.

Wineglass Bay

Sheffield

59. WRITING ON THE WALL

Vote for your favorite mural at Australia’s Town of Murals Where: Sheffield, 1 hour’s drive

from Launceston For: All ages When: All year round How much: Free Why: Stroll through Sheffield

—Australia’s Town of Murals —and admire the 40+ murals painted on beautiful old buildings throughout the town, telling the region’s history.

Sheffield also hosts the unique International Mural Fest, whereby the public gets to pick the winning mural artists in a live poem-inspired “paint-off.”

60. GORGE YOURSELF!

Ride the world’s longest single-span chairlift g Where: Cataract Gorge, a

15-minute walk from Launceston For: All ages When: All year round How much: $ Why: This 456-meter chairlift is located at Launceston’s magnificent Cataract Gorge, just 15 minutes by foot from the city center. The central span of 308 meters is believed to be the longest single chairlift span in the world. Take the chairlift to appreciate the beautiful scenery and the gorge across the basin.

The Tasmanian devil, inspiration for the cartoon character Taz, is only found in Tasmania, and is the world’s only carnivorous marsupial. For more information on the activities listed, visit www.australia.com/onlyinoz.

T ASM A NI A

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