December 2011

4th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

SOUTHEAST ASIA

THE BEST OF 2011

AND WHAT’S HOT IN 2012

The Fine Art of Getting Lost

GILI T HANOI CHICAGO MARRAKESH

DECEMBER 2011

SECRET SAIGON NIGHT MOVES

Hong Kong after dark

CHRISTMAS IN VENICE

WHY IT’S GOOD TO GO IN LOW SEASON 49 SINGAPORE S$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

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TravelandLeisureAsia.com

EXCLUSIVE TRAVEL OFFERS FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM RESERVE CREDIT CARDMEMBERS ENJOY A COMPLIMENTARY NIGHT AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTELS

FANTASTIC WINTER. ONE MORE EXCEPTIONAL NIGHT. What would you do with an extra day? This winter, indulge in a little extra at one of Mandarin Oriental’s legendary hotels and resorts around the world. With our Fantastic Winter offer, you can stay an extra day at no extra charge – giving you more time to soak up the sun, relax in the spa, shop ‘til you drop or explore to your heart’s content.

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Hotel Highlights Complimentary third night • Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong • Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta • Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur • Mandarin Oriental, Macau • Mandarin Oriental, Manila • Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo • Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona • Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London Complimentary fourth night • The Excelsior, Hong Kong • Mandarin Oriental, Singapore • Mandarin Oriental, Munich • Mandarin Oriental, Paris • Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC

Term and Conditions

* To enjoy this offer, full payment must be made with the American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card. Offer is valid for booking from 1 December 2011 to 28 March 2012 and stay from 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012. Offer is valid for new reservations only. Offer is subject to availability and blackout dates may apply. Cardmembers must stay at least two or three consecutive paid nights to receive the complimentary night. A stay is considered to be consecutive nights at the same hotel. Cardmembers may book up to a maximum of three rooms for the complimentary night offer, and must be part of the travelling party. Only one complimentary night is available per room, per stay. Advance booking is required and offer is valid only by quoting the promotional code “American Express Fantastic Winter”.

Available room categories vary according to each participating property. Cancellation policy depends on the participating hotel. Contact the individual hotel for full details. Offer is non-transferable and non encashable. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions, offers or privileges. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group reserves the right to change the terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Information is correct at the time of publishing.

For reservations, please visit www.mandarinoriental.com/americanexpress or call 6222 4722 and quote “American Express Fantastic Winter”.

contents december 2011 volume 05 : issue 12

features 110 Saigon Redux The secret’s out. Stroll around town and you’ll experience the “wow” factor, a take on culture that redefines what it means to be Vietnamese. by naomi lindt. photographed by christopher wise. guide 119 120 Venice at Christmas When does this tourist-filled city become a wonderland all your own?

When you arrive in the middle of winter. peter weller sets out on the ultimate tour of Venice. photographed by cedric angeles. guide and map 129

c h r i sto p h e r w i s e

130 Let’s Get Lost Sometimes, we travel to lose our way, to discover the pleasures of serendipity.

Seven tales of the unexpected. by gary shteyngart, gina alhadeff, patricia marx, maira kalman, mark leyner, andrew mccarthy and sam lipsyte

110

At Saigon’s King by Cong Tri.

138 One Cool Colony A host of Hong Kong nightspots away from the commercial side of the city that are not on any obvious radar. by christopher dewolf. photographed by samantha sin

travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 9

contents

december 2011 volume 05 : issue 12 TRAVEL+ LEISURE SOUTHEA ST ASIA

4th ANNIVERSARY ISSU

E

THE BEST OF 2011 / SAIGON / VENICE

SOUTHEAST ASIA

/ HONG KONG / SKIING EUROPE / GILI T /

THE BEST OF 2011

MARRAKESH / GETTING

AND WHAT’S HOT IN 2012

DECEMBER 2011

SECRET SAIGON NIGHT MOVES

The Fine Art of Getting Lost

LOST

DECEMB ER 2011

GILI T HANOI CHICAGO MARRAKESH

12Anniversary Cover.indd

Hong Kong after dark

CHRISTMAS IN VENICE

WHY IT’S GOOD TO GO IN LOW SEASON 49 SINGAPORE S$7.90 ● HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 ● INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17 ● VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 ● PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 ● CAMBODIA BRUNEI BND7.90 ● LAOS KHR22,000 LAK52,000

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TravelandL eisureAsia.

com

1 10/11/2011 12:26

On the cover

Just another day under the sun at Alila Villas Soori’s main pool overlooking the Indian Ocean in Bali.

40 The Best of 2011

Restaurants, hotels, shops, spas,

bars, cafés, art galleries—T+L

picks the year’s hottest openings.

newsflash 31

40 60

39

How to spend the holidays, where to drink java on Java, Penang’s new contemporary arts nexus, hip Melbourne and more.

insider 57

T+L Guide Off the coast of

Lombok, Gili T is going upscale with new accommodations and restaurants to complement the pristine diving. by jen lin-liu

60 Drink Pubs Down Under are

taking a stylish, personalized

turn, serving up craft brews and

memorable atmosphere in equal

measure. by benjamin law

66 10 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

66 Where To Go Next After

opening properties in Miami and

New York, peripatetic hotelier

Vikram Chatwal takes colleen

clark behind the velvet rope.

f r o m to p : co u rt e sy o f m u n t r i m e ws ; b u f f st r i c k l a n d ; co u rt e sy o f a r c h i v e b e e r b o u t i q u e

special section

contents

december 2011 volume 05 : issue 12

74 87

74 Detour Closer to Hanoi

than Halong Bay, yet just as

breathtaking, Ninh Binh offers

surreal limestone karsts and a new

all-villa resort. by karryn miller 76 European Scene Striking

alpine ski chalets pair modern

design with mountain views.

by meghan mcewen

stylish traveler 81

Icon Whether you’re on the go or winding down, the Baume & Mercier Hampton watch will always keep you looking sharp. by david colman

82 Street Corner In the heart

of Hai Ba Trung, eight stylish

locals on the fashion pulse of

Hanoi. story and photographs

by aaron joel santos 84 Gift Guide T+L rounds up 12

travel-friendly presents to help

your favorite globe-trotter hit

the road in style.

journal 87

12 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

14 In this issue 16 Editor’s note 20 Contributors 22 Mail 24 Best Deals 26 Ask T+L 52 Smart Traveler 54 Digital Traveler 146 Last Look

94 Essay Whether it’s French or

Farsi, Spanish or Vietnamese,

foreign tongues don’t come easily

to peter jon lindberg. But that

hasn’t stopped him from trying.

illustrated by paul davis 98

82

Food Follow our guide through Marrakesh to find fragrant couscous, the ultimate tagine and other secrets of Morocco’s culinary capital. by anya von bremzen. photographed by marcus nilsson

departments

Portfolio In and around Koyasan, Japan, christopher wise is entranced by a much- appreciated natural pause from the modern world.

106 Hotels For his latest act,

Ian Schrager debuts a new hotel

in a historic Chicago building

that is home to the Pump Room.

kate betts drops by.

photographed by greg ruffing

84

c lo c kw i s e f r o m to p l e f t: k a r ry n m i l l e r ; m a r c u s n i ss o n ; l a r s k lov e ( 3 ) ; a a r o n j o e l sa n to s

70 Room Report The Siam Kempinski is a welcome oasis

in Bangkok. by naomi lindt

in this issue

Venice 120 Chicago 106

Koyasan, Japan 98

Marrakesh 87

Hong Kong 40, 138 Saigon 40, 110

trip ideas

DESTINATIONS Southeast Asia Bali 40 Bangkok 40, 66, 70 Danang 40 Gili Islands, Indonesia 57 Hanoi 82 Hong Kong 40, 138 Hua Hin 40 Jakarta 40 Kuala Lumpur 40 Malacca 40 Manila 40 Ninh Binh, Vietnam 74 Palawan 40 Phnom Penh 40 Saigon 40, 110 Siem Reap 40 Singapore 40 Vientiane 40

Adventure

57

Arts and Culture

98

Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific Australia 60

City

110, 120

Drink

60

Fashion

81, 82

Europe Bruck, Austria 76 Côte d’Azur 66 Krün, Germany 76 Megève, France 76 Val d’Isère 76 Venice 120 Zermatt, Switzerland 76

Food

87

Hotels + Resorts

66, 70, 74, 106

Nightlife

138

Photography

146

Shopping

84

The Americas Chicago 106 Miami 66 Costa Careyes, Mexico 66

Sports

76

Travel Tips

52, 54, 94

Africa Marrakesh 87

Featured Destination

Venice

There’s nothing that says Venice more than a gondola ride around this fabled city, even in the winter.

Until the end of March, for €40 visitors can enjoy a romantic tour by gondola departing from Stazio Santa Maria del Giglio at 3.30 p.m., on a 40-minute trip around the heart of the city. (For more on the other attractions of Venice, see page 120.)

14 decEMber 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

cedric angeles (3)

travel tip

Asia Beijing 40 Goa 66 Koyasan, Japan 98

Shanghai 40, 146 Taipei 40

editor’s note where to find me )) chrisk@mediatransasia.com

What to Watch out for in 2012 going MOBILE Expect your travel planning to go even more mobile in the coming year.

Checking in using your mobile phone is already possible with a number of airlines, and predictions are that 18 percent of travelers will book trips with their smart devices in 2012.

A s i s o f t e n t h e c a s e w h e n w e t r av e l , t wo wo r l d s c o l l i d e a s I h e a d t owa r d m y g at e at Kua l a L u m p u r I n t e r n at i o n a l A i r p o r t.

My mobile phone pings as the wired side of my life takes hold. Unfortunately, the modern is offset by the mundane: my flight has been cancelled; my two-hour layover has grown to five. I have to admit, despite the delay, I’m impressed with the airline’s efficiency in tracking me down and am oddly content at this rare chance to sit down with a too-large latte and do little more than ponder the fact that we’re already at the end of another year.

Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia prides itself on being forward looking, though December marks one month when we do glance in the rearview mirror at notable openings around this always-interesting part of the world. To do it justice, we’ve expanded this year’s T+L Picks 2011 (page 40) to give you a better idea of what to enjoy on your next break.

From Mediterranean fare in Shanghai—or Vientiane if you’re headed in that direction— to a mineral-water lap pool in Singapore, we’ve managed to cover a great sweep of the year’s best. After reading the special section,

I have to admit to an urge to take in Manila’s growing art scene. Of course, that could have something to do with the wonderfully named Department of Avant-Garde Clichés, a printmaking gallery in Makati.

Back to our forward-thinking mode, this month’s look at Vietnam (“Saigon Redux,” page 110) sees the ever-changing center through the eyes of its creative and inspired younger generation. With two-thirds of the country’s population under 35 years old, writer Naomi Lindt says that this was an obvious and vital take on a city that always seemed to be searching for a distinct direction.

Still, getting helplessly off track often leads to a more enjoyable journey. We’ve got seven instances of just that in “Let’s Get Lost” (page 130), unexpected turns that reiterate the need to enjoy the journey itself. Wherever your travels take you this month and throughout the coming year, we hope they are memorable trips, even if, on the off chance, your flight is cancelled.— christopher kucway

lighter flight All Nippon Airways is the first in the world to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Why should you care?

For starters, the aircabin pressure and humidity levels are noticeably better, making for more comfortable flights.

Also, the windows are 30 percent larger and dim at the touch of a button. But most will be won over by the larger overhead baggage compartments.

ANA’s Dreamliner is used on its Beijing and Frankfurt routes. make that eco More travelers aim to be green-friendly, a trend that will continue into 2012.

Better news is that Asian companies are taking the lead when it comes to environmentally friendly travel. You too can be part of the solution.

travel + leisure editors , writers and photographers are the industry ’s most reliable sources . while on assignment, they travel incognito whenever possible and do not take press trips or accept free travel of any kind.

16 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

editor-in-chief art director features editor senior DEsigner DEsigner ASSISTANT editor/Illustrator Assistant Editor

Christopher Kucway James Nvathorn Unkong Lara Day Wannapha Nawayon Sirirat Prajakthip Wasinee Chantakorn Liang Xinyi

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

chairman president publishing director

publishER director singapore/associate publisher DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER business development managers CONSULTANT, HONG KONG/MACAU CONSULTANT, Australia/New Zealand chief financial officer production manager production group circulation MANAGER circulation assistant

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Michael K. Hirsch Joey Kukielka Shea Stanley Stuart Singleton Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Sirivejabandhu Yupadee Saebea

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, Travel + Leisure U.S. Executive Editor, International Publishing Director, International

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

travel+leisure southeast asia Vol. 5, Issue 12 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370.

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christopher wise photographer

peter weller writer

naomi lindt writer

AssignmenT Shot our Vietnam feature (“Saigon Redux,” page 110) and is featured in our portfolio section this month (“Still Moments,” page 98).

Best thing about Saigon Even if it’s steaming out, I like to stroll on the even, wellplanned streets.

Biggest change there The collection of great hidden cafés above street level in colonial-era buildings and Bitexco Financial Tower, an ultramodern, organic-shaped office tower. Don’t leave Saigon without Asking a local where to get delicious Vietnamese food in a shop house.

Photo tip Get away from Dong Khoi Street and move along the small streets between the river and Ben Thành Market that are slower paced and offer great street life.

Next big project Now on a feature assignment in Cambodia for T+L in the U.S.

Assignment “Venice at Christmas” (page 120).

Most stunning sight in Venice Snow at 3 a.m. in the Piazza San Marco, with no one there but me.

Need I say more?

Pick up holiday gifts… At Danilo Carraro’s eyeglass store, Ottica Carraro. They make frames in almost any shape and color. I have some 20-odd pairs, which may even put Elton John (who has a place in Venice) to shame.

Christmas plans After a trip to Italy, I’ll be at home in Los Angeles with my wife, Sheri, and our newborn son, Theodore Mark Gerald Francesco Weller.

(Four names, one kid—a stunner like his mom).

Assignment “Saigon Redux” (page 110).

You’d go back to Saigon for The banh mi sandwiches, bun thit nuong and tapiocanoodle crab-claw soup.

Favorite peoplewatching spot Tao Dan Park on a weekend morning. Locals tote their beloved birds in bird cages and head to the café for a café sua da. It’s a beautiful symphony of chitchat and chirping.

Craziest thing you encountered Le Cong Kieu, a sleepy lane lined with antique shops and friendly, elderly patrons that’s nearly encircled by dauntingly jammed roads and glittering highrises.

Saigon or Hanoi Saigon for energy, ideas, trends and innovation.

Hanoi to channel the country’s romantic, tree-lined past.

Ultimate young Vietnamese trend Vietnamese heavy-metal and thrash-metal bands coming into their own at venues like K13 Rock Café.

anya von bremzen writer assignment “Dishes of Marrakesh” (page 87). what surprised you about marrakesh I ate one of the best meals of my life at ... a gas station! bring home Colorful tea glasses. Get them at a supermarket instead of the souvenir shops for a much better price. favorite riad hotel La Maison Arabe: prime location, dreamy service and the owner is a Franco-Italian prince. His great-great-grandfather was the model for Proust’s Swann. I find this thought moving. morocco-packing must An empty suitcase (for all the stuff you’ll haul back). professional news I’m finishing a memoir: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking.

20 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

samantha sin photographer Assignment Shot “One Cool Colony” (page 138).

Best of Nighttime Hong KonG Have a barbecue outside a café in the city.

Most colorful sight Hong Kong from the Peak, you can’t beat it.

Best city for nightlife Hong Kong, of course!

A big night out for you means… Getting together with a large group of friends and then meeting a big group of strangers anywhere in the city.

In Hong Kong, don’t forget tO Check out local music programs at night. Bonus: Most of them are free!

TOP , FROM LEFT : P e t e r O h , c o u r t e s y o f C h r i s t o p h e r W i s e ; B a r r y Y o u r g r a u ; C o u r t e s y o f P e t e r W e l l e r ; c o u r t e s y o f s a m a n t h a s i n ; c o u r t e s y o f n a o m i l i n d t. B o t t o m , F r o m l e f t : C h r i s t o p h e r W i s e ; M a r c u s N i l s s o n ; C e d r i c A n g e l e s ; s a m a n t h a s i n ; C h r i s t o p h e r W i s e

contributors

mail

Letter of the month

Responsible Asia

Your Global Vision Awards [November 2011] came as a surprise to me. And I mean that in a good way. I was a bit shocked to see so many Asia-based winners, since this is a region that is too often equated with being environmentally unfriendly. I think

Off Duty free

Wow, another high-end fashion shop for airport duty-free [“Louis Vuitton Chic,” November 2011]—that’s not exactly what I need when I’m traveling. How come all duty-free areas seem to be mirror images of each other? And why is it that their prices aren’t always the best in town? Some more variety when it comes to airports would be much appreciated by most travelers I know.

—matthew wong, jakarta read Between the Tram Lines

Great, now I want to visit Melbourne but it no longer matters to me if it’s

the range and the work of each of the winners was just as important, from Indonesian resorts doing their bit to preservation projects in India and even some corporate leadership. I hope they keep up the effort and a few others will follow their lead.

—samuel brown, singapore

raining. That’s your fault since your story on the city’s literary side [“Paperback City,” November 2011] was such a good read. With seemingly half of Asia’s population walking around plugged into their mobile phones or glued to their iPads—oblivious to what’s happening right in front of them in other words—it was great to learn of a city that still has a love for books and the people who write them.

And it was only slightly disappointing to learn that the author, who prefers “the corpse of a dead tree,” has now invested in an e-reader. The price of progress, I guess.

—mandy low, 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.

bestdeals AFFORDABLE ASIAN TRIPS

budget-friendly tips for your travel planning

deal of the month s n a p

The Elysian, Indonesia.

The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.

beachside escapes

CAMBODIA Soft Opening package at Song Saa Private Island (855-236/860-

360; songsaa.com), in the Koh Rong archipelago. What’s Included A four-night stay; round-trip speedboat transfers; a 15-minute foot massage on arrival; all meals and drinks; laundry; high-speed Internet; water sports; and guided tours around Song Saa’s twin islands. Cost From US$798 per person per night, double, through February 12. Savings 50 percent.

VIETNAM Introductory Offer at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa (84-511/3981234; danang.regency.hyatt.com). What’s Included A stay in an Ocean View room; and breakfast for two. Cost From US$190

per night, double, through February 29 (blackout dates apply). Savings 40 percent.

balinese retreats

INDONESIA Elysian Hideaway package at The Elysian (62-361/730-999; theelysian.com) in Bali. What’s Included A two-night stay

in a one-bedroom villa with private pool; round-trip airport transfers; daily breakfast and afternoon tea; a set lunch; a one-hour spa treatment; mini-bar soft drinks; Wi-Fi; and shuttle services within Seminyak (if available). Cost US$650 (US$325 per night), double, through March 31. Savings 30 percent.

24 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, Vietnam.

INDONESIA Spa Rituals package at InterContinental Bali Resort (62-361/701888; bali-intercontinental.com). What’s Included A stay in a Singaraja room;

concierge service; round-trip airport transfers; daily breakfast; a spa treatment at Pevonia Botanica; a sunset bike tour; and a bayu suci (Balinese Tai Chi) session.

Cost From US$275 per night, double, through March 31. Savings 39 percent.

holiday heritage

singapore Holiday Cheer package at the fullerton hotel (65/6533-8388; fullertonhotel.com). What’s Included A one-

night stay in a Courtyard room; breakfast for two; in-room Internet access; and late checkout until 4 p.m. Cost From S$338 per night, double, through January 15 (New Year’s Eve surcharge applies).

Savings 50 percent.

CHINA Heritage 1934 package at The Langham, Yangtze Boutique (86-21/6080-0800; yangtzeboutique. langhamhotels.com) in Shanghai. What’s Included A stay in an Art Deco Junior suite; oneway airport transfer by limo; breakfast; a RMB500 dining credit; a 30-minute back massage; a guided hotel tour; and broadband Internet. Cost From RMB1,934 per night, double, through February 29. Savings 70 percent.

sky-high splash

macau Stay & Play package at galaxy hotel (853/2888-0888; galaxymacau.com).

What’s Included A stay in a Galaxy room;

one-way ferry tickets to Hong Kong; daily breakfast; HK$100 Galaxy Reward dollars; access to skytop wave pool; use of fitness center, heated lap pool and Jacuzzi; and free shuttle services. Cost The Langham Yangtze From HK$1,588 per night, double, Boutique, China. through December 31. Savings 25 percent.

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f Th e E ly s i a n ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e f u l l e r t o n h o t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f H y a t t R e g e n c y D a n a n g R e s o r t & Sp a ; c o u r t e s y o f Th e L a n gh a m Y a n g t z e B o u t i q u e

i t

askt+l The Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos.

A young orangutan and its mother at Sepilok, in Sabah.

The Tokyo Sky Tree.

I’d like to visit orangutans in Borneo. Where is a good location for this?

—myra lee, kuala lumpur

Q: Can you recommend a good tour for a short trip to Luang Prabang?

—Stephen cheong, hong kong a: While it’s small, the unesco World

Heritage Site has a lot to offer, so a guide is a good option on a brief visit.

Try Exotissimo Travel (exotissimo.com) for a three-day trip that takes in the Royal Ballet Theater, several temples, a weaving workshop, the Kuang Si Waterfalls and, on the final day, the early morning scene Luang Prabang is known for: monks collecting alms in this beautiful town.

Q: When will the Tokyo Sky Tree open?

—Candice Yeung, Shanghai a: The 634-meter Tokyo Sky Tree

(Tokyo-skytree.jp/English/) is slated to

officially open in May, though its construction should be complete

by February. One kilometer east of Asakusa, the highest observation platform in the digital TV and radio broadcast tower will be at 450 meters, offering unparalleled views of Tokyo from a glassed-in outer walkway. It will set you back ¥3,000 to reach that height. There will be a lower platform at 350 meters, which will come with a ¥2,000 entrance fee, and initial reports are that the lift will take less than a minute to reach that level. Your image of Tokyo will never be the same. what’s your travel question?

» E-mail us at

editor@travelandleisuresea.com

» Post queries at

Facebook.com/TravelLeisureAsia

» Follow us on Twitter at

@TravLeisureAsia (Questions may be edited for clarity and space.)

c l o c kw i s e F ROM t o p LE F T : © D c u b i l l a s / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; © Th o r o n / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; T o ky o - s ky t r e e . jp

The world’s largest orangutan sanctuary, Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (60-89/531-180; sabah.gov.my/jhl/) is 40 minutes from Sandakan in Sabah. Against the backdrop of a 4,300-hectare forest reserve, the center focuses on conservation but does allow visitors to view orangutans in their natural habitat from an elevated walkway. Keep in mind that actual contact with the apes is discouraged.

Sandakan is a 40-minute flight away from Kota Kinabalu.

Exploration of thE surrEal Breathing life into retreats, resorts and residences around the globe

huvafen fushi, Maldives Desert palm, Dubai niYaMa, Maldives (2012) nurai, abu Dhabi (2012)

luxury that dares to be different peraquum.com

newsflash your global guide to what’s happening right now...

george town modern Inside China House. Inset, above:​Aesthetics extend to dining at the complex. Inset, below: Art on show at China House.

culture

penang contemporary

Serving up food and drink, retail and art, a newly restored heritage building in George Town looks set to become its hottest cultural hub. b y r o b y n e c k h a r d t Penang has no shortage of historic architecture, but so far, it’s been lacking in spaces devoted to contemporary culture. Enter China House, the newest venture from hotelier Narelle McMurtrie of Bon Ton and Temple Tree Langkawi fame. Occupying three pre­­–World War II buildings stretching between George Town’s Beach and Victoria streets, the 929-square-meter multi-use complex wears McMurtrie’s signature heritage chic: worn timber and concrete floors, roughly plastered walls and exposed beams set off by contemporary art and an eclectic mix of chinois, Midcentury and au courant furnishings. Dig into all-day breakfasts or sweets like salted-caramel apple pie at the buzzy café, or sit down next door amid Tibetan blue walls and white tablecloths for tweaked Western fare like sumac-andzaatar roast chicken. Check out the art gallery and soon-to-open boutique, head to the cozy wine bar, or sample tapas in the sleek lounge. In the central courtyard, cool off in a dipping pool or relax in the shade of a mango tree. And don’t miss the 92-square-meter performance space, tailor-made for groundbreaking happenings like the recent George Town literary festival, the unesco-listed city’s first. 153–155 Beach St. and 183b Victoria St.; 60-4/263-7299; chinahouse.com.my.

Photographed by David Hagerman

travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 31

newsflash walk this block

melbourne’s Hippest high street You’ll find offbeat fashion boutiques, live music venues and more along this little-known strip in the Northcote neighborhood, a new hub for the city’s creative-cool crowd. b y e m m a s l o l e y

Hand-printed totes and knit hats—plus other crafty accessories such as earrings made from comic book pages­—are the stock-intrade at I Dream a Highway.

259 High St.; 61-3/​9481-8858.

T H IG H

S T REE

In-the-know stylists flock to Flashback Fabric & Wallpaper for vintage fabrics and wallpaper. 79 High St.; 61-3/9482-1899.

Northcote Social Club showcases indie musicians from near and far. Don’t miss the upscale pub grub served in the outdoor beer garden. 301 High St.; 61-3/9489-3917; dinner for two A$50.

A kitschy-chic hybrid restaurant-bar, Estelle Bar & Kitchen delivers house-cured meats and kangaroo fillets alongside classic cocktails with a twist (grapefruit-infused gin fizz, anyone?). 243 High St.; 61-3/9489-4609; dinner for two A$115.

Looking for a standout suitcase? At her namesake shop, Catherine Manuell Design, the former milliner ­creates eye-popping luggage adorned with floral patterns as well as Aboriginal prints from Northern Territory artists. 59 High St.; 61-3/9499-9844.

MARCEL AUCAR ( 6 )

Browse a well-edited selection of hard-to-​find local labels at Hummingbird 60. There’s​everything from limited-edition jewelry to flouncy dresses. 244 High St.; 61-3/9486-6778.

newsflash CAFFEINe fix From left: Coffee art at Monolog; outside the small café.

drink

JAVA GROOVE

Jakarta’s local coffee culture gets a kickstart with these three hot spots. b y j a s o n t e d j a s u k m a n a

LIBERICA Exposed brick walls, dark wood tables and black-and-white floors are the setting at Liberica, a first for Reeza Budhisurya, who wanted to create a place “about the freedom of enjoying coffee.” Named after a kind of trip

on the waterfront: Asia Four new ways to see the region

Part of the Life Resorts fleet, in Vietnam.

coffee tree, the place sells 100 percent Indonesian coffees, all made from Arabica beans, including espressos and macchiatos. Not a purist? Order a hot peach latte. 4th floor, Pacific Place, Jln. Sudirman, Kav. 52–53; libericacoffee.com; 62-21/5797-3375; coffee for two Rp50,000.

MONOLOG With lightly finished wood and a distinctly Australian vibe— the flat whites are a favorite—Monolog straddles a quasi street that gives it a charming, back-alley ambiance, along with its sister restaurant across the way. We love the all-day breakfasts, starting from 7 a.m.: don’t miss the chipotle chicken burger. Plaza Senayan CP 101 B, Palm Gate Entrance, Jln. Asia Afrika No. 8; 62-21/572-5144; monologcoffee.com; coffee for two Rp40,000.

Recapturing 19th-century explorations of Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta, Jahan (heritage-line. com) is modeled after riverboats from the colonial era and features 26 cabins with balconies. Also in Vietnam, Life Resorts (life-resorts. com) has launched a 22-junk fleet on Halong Bay; the boats accommodate up to four guests (two for overnight trips) and offer kayaks and snorkeling gear. And in Indonesia, the 33-meter Pearl of Papua (papualive​aboard.com), an ironwood-and-teak vessel with seven cabins, plies the waters around the unspoilt Raja Ampat islands. This month, Datu Bua (silolona.com)—a 40-meter, three-suite phinisi (traditional teakwood schooner)—will start taking guests around the littlefrequented waters off Sulawesi, Indonesia.—j e n n i f e r c h e n

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f M o n o l o g c o ff e e ( 2 ) ; C o u r t e s y o f L i f e H e r i t a g e R e s o r t H a l o n g B ay

ANOMALI Coffee lovers in search of an alternative to the big chains will adore the selection of locally sourced beans at Anomali Coffee— try the Aceh Gayo Organic, Sumatra Mandailing or Toraja Kalosi. Despite the setting reminiscent of a college campus hideaway—patrons sit down on beaten-up leather sofas—all three branches in Jakarta are buzzing with more than just caffeine. Jln. Senopati No. 35; 62-21/5292-0102; anomalicoffee. com; coffee for two Rp36,000.

The

Ultimate Paradise

newsflash

Welcome to Your Own Private Paradise

trip ideas

How to Spend the Holidays

Lying against the fine white sand of Chaweng Beach. The intimate beachfront resort allows guest to enjoy the beauty of nature and the entertainment sports, restaurants and shopping with the very best location to suit all tastes.

BANGKOK SALES OFFICE: Tel: (66 2) 530 7866 till 70 Fax: (66 2) 530 7871 till 2 E-mail: bkkmkt@chawengregent.com SAMUI: 155/4 Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Thailand Tel: (66 77) 230 391 till 400 Fax: (66 77) 422 222, 231 013 E-mail: admn@chawengregent.com

www. c h awe ngregent.com

T+L spotlights four different ways to celebrate the year-end in style. PLUS where to stay while you’re at it. b y l i a n g x i n y i If YOU WANT… a stylish vacation on the slopes HEAD TO… Hokkaido, Japan BECAUSE… Skiing is only half the story at Green Leaf Niseko Village, recently revamped by New York firm Champalimaud Design. Nestled at the foot of Mt. An’nupuri, the ski-in/ski-out retreat gives both novice and seasoned skiers access to 27 scenic, forest-clad runs. Come evening, relax with a dip in the natural onsen, sip cocktails at the lively Tomioka White lounge, or retire to one of the 200 guest rooms, hand-painted with murals by Sapporo-based artist Emi Shiratori. greenleafhotel.com; winter packages from ¥25,790 per room per night.

If YOU WANT… a taste of history HEAD TO… Tianjin, China BECAUSE… Not only is the 152room Astor Hotel one of the city’s stateliest, but it has plenty of culinary cred, accumulated over the property’s 148-year heritage. Choose from five “History Menus” inspired by its illustrious guests: expect dishes like the Eight-Fingered General Huang Xing (prawn cocktail, fricassée of rabbit), and the Aloha Wanderwell (poached salmon with Waldorf salad, breaded lamb cutlet), named after a female adventurer-pioneer. starwoodhotels.com; threecourse menus from RMB188 per person, through December 31.

If YOU WANT… hedonism at its hippest HEAD TO… Bali, Indonesia BECAUSE… The W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak is pulling out all the stops for its first New Year’s Eve party, with headlining DJ’s like Norway’s Djuma Soundsystem and Dan Avery and Graham Lord from the U.K. Sunset tunes start from 5 p.m. at the slick W Lounge, followed by dinner and dancing late into the night. whotels.com/ baliseminyak; New Year’s Eve dinner from Rp1,800,000 per person.

If YOU WANT... sea, sun and sand HEAD TO… Khao Lak, Thailand BECAUSE… With 56 sumptuous rooms, the secluded Sarojin has its own 11-kilometer private beach on the Andaman Sea. Time your visit over Christmas to enjoy the season’s perks: a five-course degustation meal, a seafood barbecue dinner, a chance to sing carols with children from a local orphanage, as well as a private snorkeling trip to the Similan Islands. sarojin.com; three-night Christmas packages from Bt30,400 per person, through December 26.

FESTIVE takes Clockwise from top: The onsen at Green Leaf Niseko Village, in Hokkaido, Japan; nightfall at the W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak; downtime at the Sarojin; the Astor Hotel, Tianjin; Green Leaf Niseko Village.

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f Th e G r e e n L e a f N i s e k o V i l l a g e ; c o u r t e s y o f W R e t r e a t & Sp a B a l i - s e m i n y a k ; c o u r t e s y o f Th e S a r o j i n ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e A s t o r H o t e l t i a n j i n ; c o u r t e s y o f Th e G r e e n L e a f N i s e k o V i l l a g e

Chaweng Regent Beach Resort

newsflash food

best in roe

Uruguay

United States

Italy

Israel

Canada

TYPE

Black River Sturgeon Uruguayan osetra

California Caviar Company Bourboninfused trout

Calvisius White sturgeon

Karat Caviar Russian osetra

Northern Divine White sturgeon

TASTING NOTES

Nutty and silky, with a long, rich finish and a glossy sheen.

Smoky and bold, with a subtle sweetness.

Decadent and oaky, suggesting a wellaged Chardonnay.

Intensely robust; briny with light grassy notes.

A crisp pop and creamy mouthfeel, with even grains.

ENJOY IT LOCALLY

Punta del Este’s La Bourgogne (Avda. del Mar and Pedragosa Sierra; 598-42/482007) pairs osetra with blinis, brioche toasts and lemony crème fraîche.

At Bubble Lounge (714 Montgomery St.; 1-415/434-4204), in San Francisco, in-theknow patrons order this unconventional roe over mini Yukon gold baked potatoes with chives.

The single-table Officina Cucina (119 Via San Zeno; 39-333/302-0033), in Brescia, in northern Italy, gilds seasonally inspired risottos with a heaping spoonful of caviar.

At Jerusalem’s Arcadia (10 Agrippas St.; 972-2/624-9138), Middle Eastern tapas such as herbed yogurt turn ritzy when served with a dollop of these Galilee pearls.

Vancouver’s Hawksworth Restaurant (801 W. Georgia St.; 1-604/673-7000) features halibut crusted in this caviar and finished with champagne foam.

BUY

blackrivercaviar.com; 50 grams for US$110.

californiacaviar.com; 57 grams for US$30.

calvisiuscaviar.com; 50 grams for €74.

markys.com; 50 grams for US$144.

northerndivine.com; 50 grams for C$150.

FROM

ASIA’S BEST RESORT - 2011 Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards wORld’S #1 SpA HOTEl - 2010 Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards ASIA’S lEAdING lUXURY VIllA (AYANA VIllA) - 2010 World Travel Awards

AYANA Resort and Spa Bali Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera Jimbaran, Bali 80364 T.+(62)361 702222 | reservation@ayanaresort.com www.ayanaresort.com

J O H N LA W TON ( 5 )

It used to be that great caviar came only from Russia and Iran—but other parts of the world are catching up. Eat these sustainably farmed varieties in situ, or purchase some for a perfect holiday gift. b­ y n i k k i g o l d s t e i n

special t+l picks

the best of

Potato Head Beach Club, in Bali. Clockwise from below: Le Marais, in Phnom Penh; Songtsam Meili, in Yunnan; molecular cuisine at Bangkok’s Gaggan.

T+L reveals the newest and hottest restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and more across the region. reported and written by Jennifer Chen, Lara Day, Robyn Eckhardt, Naomi Lindt, Jason Tedjasukmana, Daven Wu and Liang Xinyi 40 December 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

c l o c k w i s e f r o m to p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f g a g g a n ; c o u r t e s y o f p otato h e a d b e a c h c l u b ; courtesy of le marais; courtesy of songtsam

2011

f r o m to p : c o u r t e s y o f C u i v r e ; c o u r t e s y o f C u i s i n e Wat D a m n a k ; courtesy of Il Forno; courtesy of song saa resort

CAMBODIA EAT Joannès Rivière, the French chef who put Cambodian cooking on the map as executive chef of Hôtel de la Paix’s Meric restaurant, has opened his own place in Siem Reap: Cuisine Wat Damnak (behind Wat Damnak; 855-77/347-762; cuisinewatdamnak.com; dinner for two US$34).

In a converted Cambodian country home, Rivière creates innovative weekly menus, with Khmer-inspired dishes like grilled river fish and starfruit salsa, and frog braised with winter melon. Three Italians joined forces to open Il Forno (between Pub St. and the Lane; 855-78/208-174; ilfornorestaurantsiemreap.com; dinner for two US$20) in January; their traditional woodfired pizzas and homemade pastas, made with imported Italian ingredients, are now an essential Siem Reap experience. In Phnom Penh, the upstairs of the gorgeous Sino-French colonial Chinese House has been transformed into a fine-dining eatery, Tepui (45 Sisowath Quay; 855-23/991-514; tepui.asia; dinner for two US$50), offering a Mediterranean-Latin-Asian menu that spans seafood salpicón with banana chips to blissfully tender beer-braised beef cheeks.

DRINK The latest Phnom Penh lounge to open on high is Le Moon (1 St. 154; 855-23/ 219-579; amanjaya-pancam-hotel.com; drinks for two US$6), where young and hip Khmers sip mojitos while seated al fresco at woven rattan loungers and low tables. At low-lit, industrial-glam Rahu (159 Sisowath Quay; 855-23/215-179), the five-month-old sister of famed Café Metro, pair salmon rolls with well-made cocktails, like the Ginger Metropolitan (fresh ginger and vodka).

STAY This month, the much-anticipated Song Saa Resort (Koh Rong; 855-23/6860360; songsaa.com; villas from US$688 per person, all-inclusive) soft opens on a private island in the Gulf of Thailand near Sihanoukville. With 27 pool villas built from sustainable materials, a rainforest-protected spa and an executive chef hailing from the Seychelles’ North Island resort, the hideaway is putting Cambodia as a stop on the luxury jetsetter map. Thai designer and hotelier Anusorn Ngernyuang brings his eye-popping aesthetic to Siem Reap with

greatest hits Clockwise

Reflections Rooms (Wat Bo Rd.; 855-97/726-5525; reflections-thai.com; doubles from US$80). The 16 units were each dreamed up by an artist.

SHOP All-white, petite Le Marais (33 St. 22; 855-23/996-266; lemarais.com.kh), opened by a veteran of the Paris fashion business, Ermine Norodom, brings the latest trends from France to the capital city, with women’s apparel by famous brands like Les Petites and Bel Air.

from top left: Cuivre, in Shanghai’s French Concession; Cuisine Wat Damnak, Siem Reap’s hottest new restaurant; Song Saa Resort brings luxury travel to Cambodia; Il Forno, in Siem Reap.

CHINA EAT Korean cuisine gets an update at Beijing’s Ssam (B1-238, Tower 2, Sanlitun SOHO; 86-10/5935-9475; dinner for two RMB300), where chef Andrew Ahn sends out playful dishes such as glass noodles topped with sesame-oil foam and a sampler of its namesake—savory morsels in various wrappings. Wood paneling and bike seats serving as bar stools lend an air of informality at Cuivre (1502 Middle Huaihai Rd.; 86-21/6437-4219; dinner for two RMB400), in Shanghai’s French Concession. The Mediterranean-inflected food is similarly unpretentious (grilled lamb rack with pesto). California transplant Brad Turley, chef–owner of always-packed Goga, brings his winning mix of laid-back vibe and honest grub to Hai (7th floor, 1 Yueyang

Rd.; 86-21/3461-7893; dinner for two RMB500), a rooftop restaurant with a raw seafood bar. Two Shanghai newcomers to look out for in 2012: Paul Pairet’s Ultraviolet (uvbypp.cc)—10 seats, 20 courses, one undisclosed location—and restaurant–lounge Modernist (378 Wukang Rd.) by native New Yorker Hilary Ambrose.

STAY It’s the perfect match: Shanghai’s legendary Bund and one of New York’s most storied hotels. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai (No. 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Rd.; 86-21/6322-9988; waldorfastoriashanghai.com; doubles from RMB2,300) has 20 lavish suites with period details—claw-foot bathtubs, four-poster-beds—in the 100-year-old building that once housed the Shanghai » travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 41

special t+l picks

novel escapes

Club. Next door, the 252 rooms in the modern tower come with walk-in closets and river views. Three hours outside of Shanghai, naked Stables Private Reserve (No. 37, Shangxiazhuang village, Paitou; 86-21/6431-8901; nakedretreat.cn; doubles from RMB2,600) is a 24-hectare wellness retreat and equestrian park in scenic Moganshan; the 121 rooms and treetop villas have floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and cow-skin rugs. Tucked inside a Beijing hutong, restored courtyard house The Orchid (No. 65 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng district; 86-10/8404-4818; theorchidbeijing.com; doubles from RMB700) offers 10 Zen-like rooms, some with private gardens or terraces overlooking the Drum and Bell Towers. Ready to take on China’s Wild West? These days, roughing it is no longer required: Songtsam (86-887/8288889; songtsam.com; doubles from RMB900) has three rustic lodges—Songtsam Benzilan, Songtsam Tacheng, and our favorite, Songtsam Meili—in the northern reaches of Yunnan province. Timber floors, Tibetan rugs and hand-carved furniture define the rooms, which look out onto the idyllic 42 December 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

surroundings. In Tibet, many of the 162 guest quarters at the St. Regis Lhasa (22 Jiangsu Rd.; 86-891/680-8888; stregis.com/ lhasa; doubles from RMB1,900) face the Potala Palace. Inside, Tibetan art and vivid photographs of the region add a local flair.

SHOP In Shanghai, pale wood cabinets and white cloth hexagons serve as the setting for Shang Xia’s (F1, South Tower, Hong Kong Plaza, 283 Huaihai Rd.; 86-21/63908899; shang-xia.com) discreetly luxurious— and costly—line of clothing, jewelry, home accessories and furniture; we love the softly draping cashmere robes inspired by the Han dynasty. In Beijing’s buzzing Sanlitun neighborhood, Brand New China (NLG09A, 11 Sanlitun Rd.; 86-10/6416-9045) houses more than 100 Chinese designers, from T-shirt makers Plastered to budding couturiers Qiu Hao and Xander Zhou.

HONG KONG EAT Riffing on Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng culture, retro-cool Loyal Dining (66 Wellington St., Central; loyaldining.com.hk; 852/3125-3000; dinner for two HK$200) combines dizzying 1960’s floor tiles with

dim sum and nostalgic Canto-Western fare (shrimp cocktail; baked lobster fried rice) served late into the night. Don’t expect a table at Yardbird (33–35 Bridges St., Sheung Wan; 852/2547-9273; yardbirdrestaurant.com; dinner for two HK$450), the buzzy noreservations yakitori joint of former Zuma chef Matt Abergel. Arrive early (it opens at 6 p.m.) and perch barside for the sublimely turned-out skewers and serious drinks—the Whiskey Lemonade is not to be missed. The airy, industrial-chic Madam Sixty Ate (First floor, Shop 8, The Podium, J Senses, 60 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai; 852/2527-2558; madamsixtyate.com.hk; dinner for two HK$1,200) adds to Wan Chai’s fastgentrifying sheen with creative Euro fare: stracci with semi-cured pork and onion foam; yogurt parfait and chocolate mousse sprinkled with salted-caramel confetti. New York–inspired cuisine shines at Liberty Private Works (26th floor, 11 Stanley St., Central; 852/5186-3282; libertypw.com; 10-course omakase for two HK$1,600), where Daniel Boulud–trained chef Vicky Cheng picks up the mantle from Makoto Ono. DRINK Style rules at swanky barrestaurant duo Armani/Aqua and Armani/Privé (2nd floor, Chater House, 8 Connaught Rd., Central; 852/3583-2828; drinks for two HK$190; dinner for two HK$2,000), the first collaboration between Giorgio

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 i b e r t y P r i vat e W o r k s ; c o u r t e s y o f n a k e d S ta b l e s P r i vat e R e s e r v e ; c o u r t e s y o f S h a n g X i a ; c o u r t e s y o f R i t z - C a r lt o n , h o n g k o n g

Clockwise from top left: Cuisine by chef Vicky Cheng at Liberty Private Works, Hong Kong; naked Stables Private Reserve, in China; Shanghai boutique Shang Xia; a suite at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.

f r o m to p : co u rt e sy o f s i g n e d - by; co u rt e sy o f t h e g o o ds d e p t; c o u r t e s y o f t u r k u a z ; c o u r t e s y o f m a d a m s i x t y at e

Armani and Aqua Group founder David Yeo. Two kitchens present contemporary Japanese and Italian cuisine—grilled toro; beef tartare with truffle caviar—in a chic, bright space, while the low-lit bar-lounge offers DJ house grooves and a stunning 465-meter outdoor terrace; order the Wasabi Green Apple Martini. Burlesque in Hong Kong? You bet, thanks to ultra-glam cabaret–nightclub Bisous (9th floor, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St.; 852/2540-8595; bisous.com.hk; drinks for two HK$180), where a team of professionally trained dancers takes to the stage three times a night.

SHOP The city’s design lovers have welcomed the opening of two new concept stores: Nicola Borg-Pisani’s avant-garde, expectation-defying Signed-by (Ground floor, 43 Tung St., Sheung Wan; 852/25178900; signedbydesigners.tumblr.com) and Konzepp (50 Tung St., Sheung Wan; 852/2803-0339; konzepp.com), a champion of creative local talent. Ignore the name: General Store (41 Gage St., Shop H, New Central Mansions, Central; 852/2851-8144; generalstoreltd.com) is anything but generic.

The shop’s curated, highly covetable finds include handmade bags repurposed from vintage materials by Japan’s T.K. Garment Supply and rare Midcentury Modern furniture pieces.

STAY The Ritz-Carlton (International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Rd. W., Kowloon; 852/2263-2263; ritzcarlton.com; doubles from HK$6,000) resumed its place as one of the city’s top stays—literally. Sited on the top 16 floors of the 118-story ICC, the dizzyingly high property—officially the world’s highest hotel—has 312 plush guest quarters geared toward business travelers. Hong Kong designers get a showing at the 262-room Hotel Icon (17 Science Museum Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui E., Kowloon; 852/3400-1000; hotelicon.com; doubles from HK$1,900). Book the sleek, harbor-fronting VT suite, designed by Vivienne Tam. SEE Joining the SAR’s wave of high-profile international galleries, Gagosian (7th floor, Pedder Bldg., 12 Pedder St., Central; 852/21510555; gagosian.com) and de Sarthe (8th floor, Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House St., Central; 852/2167-8896; desarthe.com) offer show-

stopping exhibitions of big-name artists including Damien Hirst, Zeng Fangzhi and David LaChapelle. Next up: White Cube (whitecube.com), set to bring its edgy Hoxton credentials to the city next year.

INDONESIA EAT Jakartans are flocking to industrialstyled bistro-bar Union (Ground floor, Plaza Senayan Courtyard, Jln. Asia Afrika No. 8; 62-21/5790-5861; dinner for two Rp600,000), the toughest reservation in the capital.

With its own bakery and the culinary creations of 27-year-old Adhika Maxi, who once worked in a Gordon Ramsay kitchen, the place feels like a slice of the meatpacking district in lower Manhattan— especially after a few drinks. If it’s the buzz that brings them in, then it’s the food that keeps them coming back to Turkuaz (Jln. Gunawarman No. 32; 62-21/7279-5846; dinner for two Rp400,000), the 30-seat creation of Turkish chef Sezai Korlu in south Jakarta.

Dig into lamb shank, yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leaves) and burma (pistachio roll in filo pastry), served in an atmosphere as laid-back as the chef himself.

DRINK The latest addition to the capital’s restaurant and bar scene is PAD @28 (Jln. Tulodong Atas 28; 62-21/527-4085; pad28.com; drinks for two Rp80,000). Sit down at the street-level bar–lounge and sip on a grilledpepper martini shaken (not stirred) by British mixologist Lee Linford, or head upstairs to the secondfloor restaurant for some of the town’s best Argentinean-style steaks, prepared a la parilla. In Bali, the hottest new beach spot is Potato Head Beach Club (Jln. Petitenget; 62-361/473-7979; drinks for two Rp200,000), on the island’s hip Seminyak strip.

Housed in a striking architectural amphitheater fronted by a mosaic of salvaged teakwood shutters, the multipurpose space has a bar– lounge, a trio of eateries, a fashion boutique and an oceanfacing infinity pool—the perfect spot for a sundowner. »

avant-garde asia

From top: Outside Signed-by, in Hong Kong; The Goods Dept carries up-and-coming Indonesian labels; Turkish fare at Turkuaz, Jakarta; the bright interior of Madam Sixty Ate, in Hong Kong.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 43

special t+l picks market than a sterile, neon-lit box store.

Look out for trendy goods—clothing, jewelry, furniture, fixie bikes—produced by hot Indo lines such as Cotton Ink, Nickicio, G.H.O.S.T. jewelry and denim brands Pot Meets Pop and Elhaus. If you’re looking for gift ideas, Dia.Lo.Gue (Jln. Kemang Selatan 99A; 62-21/719-9671; dialogue-artspace.com) brings together locally made and designed products, from T-shirts and postcards to vintage posters, jewelry and furniture. A fine-arts gallery and exhibition space at the back shows the work of promising young Indonesian artists.

LAOS EAT In Vientiane, I-Beam (88 Setthathirath Rd.; 856-21/254-528; drinks and snacks for two US$15) hosts a lively scene of expats and local professionals, drawn to its Mediterranean fare and selection of New World wines.

SHOP Also in the capital, Lao-American architect Vieng Sourignosack showcases one-of-a-kind antique textiles, jewelry and other handicrafts at Indigo Lao (Rue François Ngin, Ban Mixay; 856-21/215-469; indigolao.com). The shop includes books devoted to Laos’s artistic traditions. Look out for Vieng’s own line of handcrafted home accessories.

STAY Two new small, style-driven stays are turning heads in Luang Prabang. Run by the renowned Cambodia-based hospitality school, Shinta Mani Luang Prabang (Phou Meo, Thai Lao Friendship Rd.; 85671/260-560; shintamani.com; doubles from US$130) is set on a hill outside of town, affording lovely vistas of the unesco site.

The 54 rooms and pool villas come with generous day beds and deep bathtubs. In keeping with its dedication to community development, the hotel will be opening a center for underprivileged youth next year.

Near the Nam Khan River, the 24-room Kiridara (22/13 North Rd., Ban Naviengkham; 856-71/261-888; kiridara.com; doubles from US$195) has panoramic views of the jungle-covered mountains and a large infinity pool. Private yoga lessons are held in an open-air pavilion while the spa offers traditional massage treatments.

MALAYSIA OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Clockwise from above: I-Beam, in Vientiane; Deus Ex Machina, on Bali; Vientiane’s Indigo Lao boutique; Shinta Mani Luang Prabang.

44 December 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

EAT In Kuala Lumpur, Albion (31 Jln. Berangan; 60-3/2141-9282; albionkl.com; dinner for two RM170) serves grown-up cocktails and mod-Brit cuisine—think homey duck confit with red cabbage—in a swanky minimalist space. A proper roast (beef and lamb) is served on Sundays. The capital’s skyline sets off the seasonal prix fixe at Upper Deck, Tanzini @ G Tower (Tanzini Penthouse, G Tower, 199 Jln. Tun Razak; 60-3/2168-1899: tanzini.com.my; RM155-215 per person), which boasts floorto-ceiling windows. Let’s hope the smoked-duck “tea” stays on the everchanging menu. Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille puts a new spin on French ingredients at Cuisine Gourmet at Nathalie (Menara Taipan, Jln. Punchak; 60-3/20724452; nathaliegourmetstudio.com; »

c lo c kw i s e f r o m to p : co u rt e sy o f i - b e a m ; co u rt e sy o f d e u s e x m ac h i n a ; c o u r t e s y o f i n d i g o l a o ; c o u r t e s y o f s h i n ta m a n i l u a n g p r a b a N g

Laid-back haunt Deus Ex Machina (Jln. Batu Mejan No.8, Canggu, Bali; 62-361/3683395; deus.co.id; drinks for two Rp100,000) doesn’t just customize motorcycles: it also has a shop selling its own line of Deus merch (clothing, bags, belts), a restaurant serving up excellent Thai curries in a garden setting, with a stage for live music, not to mention a gallery showcasing young artists and graphic designers.

SHOP A world away from your typical department store, the capital’s inspiring 1,066-square-meter The Goods Dept (Plaza Indonesia, Ext. L4 No. 14, Jln. M.H. Thamrin Kav 28-30; 62-21/2992-3629; thegoodsdept.com) feels more like a hip flea

A private paradise that knows no bounds

Chic industrial minimalism meets unabashed opulence. Bold light falling on richly textured surfaces.

A family’s storied past colliding with ultra-modern design.

Indigo Pearl now offers seven exclusive Pool Villas. A secluded haven at Phuket’s most daring destination resort. Luxury to crave.

www.indigo-pearl.com

special t+l picks southeast asian flair Clockwise

right: Muntri Mews, in Penang; a room at Bayleaf Intramuros, in Manila; design on show at Manila’s Kish boutique; summer pudding at Albion, in Kuala Lumpur.

Opposite: The Department of Avant-Garde Clichés, a Manila art gallery.

doubles from RM399), 20 restored Malay wooden houses serve as guest quarters.

dinner for two RM260), her second KL venture. Love snail? On the menu, look for escargot mille-feuille and an unctuous lasagne that pairs the mollusc with garlic mousseline. There’s a downtown Sydneyesque vibe at Bangsar’s Antipodean Café (20 Jln. Telawi 2; 60-3/2282-0411; breakfast for two RM80), where flawless long flat whites accompany all-day Aussie breakfasts.

In Penang, George Town’s smart new Venetian-leaning restaurant Il Bacaro (106 Campbell St.; 60-4/261-8290; campbellhousepenang.com; dinner for two RM150), at the equally smart new Campbell House, gives the island’s renowned hawker 46 December 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

fare a run for its money with wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta—we recommend the green pea agnolotti.

SHOP Homegrown talent is showcased at Malaysian International Fashion Alliance (MIFA)-sponsored The Twelve (Ground floor, Fahrenheit 88, Jln. Bukit Bintang; 603/2141-5472; mifa.com.my). Designer Benson Chen’s handmade footwear is a highlight.

Bangsar leather goods boutique Thirtyfour (Upper ground floor, Bangsar Village 2; 60-3/2095-0034; thirtyfour.net) has added a curated selection of contemporary Malaysian–designed jewelry, including a striking line of bangles and necklaces mixing three shades of gold.

STAY George Town flashpackers love Muntri Mews (77 Muntri St.; 60-4/2635125; muntrimews.com; doubles from RM330) for its stylish, spacious rooms, while those seeking more amenities opt for the pooland spa-equipped Penaga Hotel (Jln. Hutton and Lebuh Clarke; 60-4/261-1891; hotelpenaga.com; doubles from RM450). Casa del Rio Melaka (88 Jln. Kota Laksamana; 60-6/289-6888; casadelrio-melaka.com; doubles from RM500) boasts an infinity-edge pool with a view of the UNESCO World Heritage site’s river. On a quiet stretch of Terengganu coastline, at the luxe but low-key Terrapuri (Kampung Mangkuk, Terengganu; 60-9/624-5020; terrapuri.com;

EAT It may serve up “slow food,” but airy locavore bistro Tourné (The Fort Strip, 7th Ave. corner 26th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; 63-2/555-0267; lunch for two P900) is fast turning heads in the capital. Chefowner Sandralyn Hataway serves up dishes like Serrano ham salad with truffle-orange vinaigrette and roasted-garlic pizza slathered with mozzarella and micro greens. Over in Quezon City, Manila gets a taste of San Francisco at chef Bruce Lim’s Hyphy’s (Level 2, Robinsons Galleria Veranda, Edsa corner Ortigas Ave., Quezon City; 63-2/477-7611; hyphys.com; lunch for two P1,000), specializing in modern Fil-Am fare (hearty clam chowder in sourdough; moreish pasta with calamansi and tuyo, or salted fish). “Not your mama’s ramen” is the order of the day at Nomama Artisanal Ramen (Ground floor, FSS Bldg. 2, Sct. Tuazon corner Sct. Castor, Quezon City; 632/542-2558; dinner for two P1,200), Him Uy de Baron’s debut turn as chef-owner. Sit down in the slick, concrete-floored space for dishes made from scratch: short-rib curry with roasted Kabocha; ramen with a perfectly gooey soft-boiled egg.

DRINK More than your average nightclub, the plush, rococo-styled Fever Luxe Lounge (Sofitel Philippine Plaza, CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay; 63-2/5515555; drinks for two P400) raises the bar for going out in the capital, with top-flight cocktails, creative cuisine by northern

c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f M u n t r i M e w s ; c o u r t e s y o f B ay l e a f I n t r a m u r o s ; courtesy of albion; courtesy of kish

PHILIPPINES

Spanish chef José Luis Rodríguez and Fashion Fever nights showcasing local designers. It’s currently under renovation, so watch this space. Makati hot spot Elements Gastrolounge (3rd floor, Greenbelt 3, Makati; 63-917/937-5850; drinks for two P300) lures Manila’s party set with its sophisticated vibe, edifying cocktails—take the Sili Me, a frozen blend of tequila, rum and gin topped with a fiery red chili—and DJ nights featuring hip-hop, dubstep and electro.

SHOP Design store Kish (233 Nicanor Garcia St., Bel Air, Makati; 63-2/896-8366; kish.ph) opens in a stunning new Makati space, showcasing sleek homeware and furniture with a Scandinavian bent. Look for pieces by Cebu furniture designer Veto Selmo.

STAY At last, a real boutique hotel in Manila—in the old walled city, no less. The 57-room Bayleaf Intramuros (Muralla corner Victoria St., Intramuros; 63-2/318-5000; thebayleaf.com.ph; doubles from P3,700) boasts a sleek, modern design, well-appointed rooms with apple-green accents, and a café specializing in churros and hot chocolate, a delicious nod to the citadel’s Spanish past.

Ever wanted your own private isle? Located in northern Palawan, the all-inclusive Ariara (ariaraisland.com; from US$450 per person per night, 6-person minimum, 7-night minimum) gives you just that—minus the hassle.

SEE Forget stereotypes: the fabulously named Department of Avant-Garde Clichés (2289 Pasong Tamo Extension, UPRC III Building, Makati; 63-2/817-2042; dagcgallery.com) occupies the bleeding edge of the capital’s thriving art scene. The first gallery in the country to specialize in printmaking, it offers a print studio, workshops and exhibitions by local artists in an expansive converted warehouse space.

c o u r t e s y o f D e pa r t m e n t o f Ava n t- G a r d e C l i c h é s

SINGAPORE EAT When the shine wears off the S$400 per head celebrity chef restaurants at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort, book a table at the Oversea Restaurant »

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LUXURY

Winding through the jungle-covered hills, breathtaking rainforests and delightful villages of South-East Asia, the Eastern & Oriental Express is a luxury train experience unlike any other in the world.

Lavishly appointed cabins, with impeccable detailing, have been designed to meet the highly individual tastes of the most discerning traveller; while refined touches, such as personal 24-hour steward service and dramatic open-air observation deck, all add to the feeling of glamour and style. Your romantic adventure continues with fine dining in our restaurant car, before you retire to the legendary piano bar to share enchanting tales of trishaw riding in Penang and cruising the Kwai Yai River – all unique memories to last a lifetime.

Experience the golden age of travel aboard one of our Classic Journeys. Our opulent 2 and 3 night excursions between Singapore and Bangkok offer unforgettable adventures that will sustain a lifetime’s conversation For more information or to make a booking please contact our reservations centre directly on +65 6395 0678, or email us at oereservations.singapore@orient-express.com quoting code ‘TL’.

Singapore – Malaysia – Thailand – Laos orient-express.com/e&o ‘Like’ us on Facebook and stay up to date www.facebook.com/easternorientalexpress

ahead of the curve From top: 28th

Février, Singapore; Home Hotel, in Taipei; fare at Pantry at the Stables, in Singapore; at the Hotel Fort Canning; concept store A Curious Teepee.

48 December 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

(100 Beach Rd., #01-27 Shaw Leisure Gallery, Shaw Tower; 65/6294-2638; dinner for two S$60) for braised home-made tofu and some of Singapore’s best char siu (roast barbecued pork). Across town, in the bucolic setting of the Bukit Timah Saddle Club, the familyfriendly Pantry at the Stables (55 Fairways Drive; 65/6467-9328; lunch for two S$90) charms with restrained Nordic interiors by Albano Daminato. It’s the perfect setting for a leisurely lunch of Thai roast beef salad, and a spaghetti carbonara cooked sous vide.

DRINK When not working the runway for Gucci, Panamanian model Diego Cedeno is concocting cocktails at his new Little India bar Barkode (66 Dunlop St.; 65/6396-4463; drinks for two S$50). The drinks menu changes every three months, but recent hits have included Tanqueray No. 10 gin topped with creamy chamomile foam and a fizzy champagne spiked with cinnamon. Beer lovers should drop in on Prague Microbrewery (#01-00 Amara Hotel, 165 Tanjong Pagar Rd.; 65/6879-2608; praguemicrobrewery.com; beer for two S$25) for its heady menu of home-brewed Czechstyle pilsners. If you’re a teetotaler, drop by The Orange Thimble (#01-68 Blk 56 Eng Hoon St.; 65/6223-8068; theorangethimble. com; coffee and cake for two S$20), a retrofitted shop house in the up-and-coming Tiong Bahru ’hood for coffee and a sinful

slice of the hazelnut dacquoise.

STAY In a city swathed with skyscrapers, it’s a welcome relief to check into the Hotel Fort Canning (11 Canning Walk; 65/65596770; hfcsingapore.com; doubles from S$350).

Nestled in the thick green foliage of Fort Canning Park, the 86-room boutique hotel boasts Singapore’s first mineral-water lap pool and offers a calm oasis from the bustle, despite being just five minutes from Orchard Road. If you’re on a budget, the Wink Hostel (8A Mosque St.; 65/62222940; winkhostel.com; singles from S$50) features 68 soundproofed Japanese-styled capsule pods in a three-story pre-war shop house in Chinatown.

SHOP Amid the towering new shopping malls lining Orchard Road, it’s easy to miss a few retail gems, such as the curiously named A Curious Teepee (#02-24 *SCAPE, 2 Orchard Link; 65/6820-1680; acuriousteepee.com), a Scandi-chic mixed space of bar, café and boutique. The seasonal stock includes Swedish accessories like cute Sandqvist bags and Sifr accessories. If you’re in the market for vintage Dior and Gucci, clear space in the diary for Nostalgic Diva (25A Arab St.; 65/6292-2765; nostalgicdiva.com).

SEE Photographer Dominic Khoo’s 28th Février (5 Jln. Kilang; 65/6366-4642; dominickhoo.com) is an ambitious 325-square-meter space. Part photo gallery, café and pop-up space, it stages a joyfully wild creative mix of everything from bespoke tailors to fine-art printmaking.

TAIWAN STAY Playful touches abound at the buzzy 405-room W Taipei (10 Zhongxiao E. Rd. Sec. 5; 886-2/7703-8888; wtaipei.com; doubles from NT$9,500), from an outsize stainlesssteel chain fronting its neon-lit façade to the open-plan bathrooms framing the vistas of Taipei 101. “Made in Taiwan” is the ethos behind Home Hotel (90 Songren Rd.; 8862/8789-5151; homehotel.com.tw; doubles from NT$7,800), a 113-room stay that spotlights local design. The result? Comfy guest quarters by Ted Su paneled with Taiwanese teak, wooden furniture from Macro Maison, and designer touches—vintage-fabric

c lo c kw i s e f r o m to p : co u rt e sy o f 2 8 t h f É v r i e r ; co u rt e sy o f h o m e h ot e l ; c o u r t e s y o f Pa n t r y at t h e S ta b l e s ; c o u r t e s y o f h ot e l f o r t c a n n i n g ; c o u r t e s y o f a c u r i o u s t e e p e e

special t+l picks

cushions; stylish trays—by Brut Cake.

EAT Taiwan foodies are gathering at Justin Quek’s Just In Bistro & Wine Bar (First floor, Neo 19, 22 Songren Rd.; 886-2/87862000; justinquek.com; dinner for two NT$2,600), the third Taipei outpost by the Singaporean chef. On the menu is international cuisine with a Chinese twist: chicken casserole in Shaoxing wine; fried Hokkien noodles with Maine lobster.

Nearby patisserie ChocoArt (Le Méridien Taipei, 38 Songren Rd.; 886-2/6622-8000) is Taiwan's exclusive importer of Trinidadian Gran Couva chocolate. Away from Xinyi’s bustle, in the Shida university neighborhood, the boho-chic Café Trouvé (4 Lane 16, Taishun St.; 886-2/23655653; coffee and snacks for two NT$400) occupies a well-restored 60-year-old wooden house. Relax with a latte and a slice of homemade cheesecake amid exposed beams and stylish Midcentury furniture.

SEE It may date back to the 1910’s, but the three-story ArtYard (1 Lane 32, Dihua St. Section 1; 886-2/2552-1338; artyard.tw) houses a range of ultra-contemporary art-anddesign spaces, including textile-prints boutique In Blooom, ceramic studio Hakka Blue, Luguo Café and Thinkers Theater.

c l o c k w i s e f r o m to p : c o u r t e s y o f L e M e r i d i e n ta i p e i ; courtesy of opposite; courtesy of just in bistro & wine bar

THAILAND EAT New-wave Indian restaurant Gaggan (68/1 Soi Langsuan; 66-2/652-1700; eatatgaggan.com; dinner for two Bt3,000) hits the mark with clever takes on classics (spherified cumin-spiked yogurt; sous vide

mutton served in a rich curry). Floor-toceiling windows and pale wood floors set the stage for hearty eggs Florentine and other brunch standards at Kuppadeli (219/1A The Pride, Asoke Towers, Sukhumvit Soi 21; 66-2/664-2350; kuppadeli.com; brunch for two Bt600). The city also welcomed restaurants and shops devoted to one thing: while BKK Bagel Bakery (518/3 Maneeya Center, Ploenchit Rd.; 66-2/254- 8157; bkkbagelbakery.com; breakfast for two Bt220) serves the town’s most authentic bagel with schmear, Le Blanc (15 Sukhumvit Soi 39.; 66-2/259-4353; breakfast for two Bt80) has crisp baguettes; the flaky pastries, especially the pain au chocolat, are worth breaking any diet for. Ignore the disappointing food at Roast (2nd floor, Seenspace, 251/1 Soi 13, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo); 66-2/185-2865; coffee for two Bt280) and luxuriate in the expertly made espresso drinks.

DRINK On Samui, Zazen Boutique Resort raises the bar with Le Salon de Ti (177 Moo 1, Tambon Bophut; 66-77/425-085; dinner for two Bt5,000), an intimate nook overlooking Bophut Bay. During the day, elaborate high teas are served; at night, the space transforms into the Chef’s Table, where chef Cyrille Keyser creates teacentric tasting menus—fresh lobster rolls with Moroccan mint tea; roasted duck breast with Earl Grey–scented jus and lemon tea granita.

SEE Bohemian favorite WTF Café & Gallery continues to pioneer Bangkok’s

art scene with Opposite (2nd floor, 27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 51; 66-2/662-6330; oppositebangkok.com), a loft that hosts exhibitions, poetry readings, music gigs and pop-up restaurants.

STAY Two newcomers bring panache to Bangkok’s hotel scene. Designed by Singapore-based architects WOHA, the Hansar Bangkok (3 Rajadamri Rd.; 66-2/209-1234; hansarbangkok.com; doubles from Bt6,600) has 94 resort-like suites with teakwood floors, spacious bathrooms and Jim Thompson silks. Next door, the St. Regis Bangkok (159 Rajadamri Rd.; 66-2/207-7777; stregis.com/bangkok; doubles from Bt7,300) is devoted to old-fashioned opulence: the 227 rooms and suites are upholstered in rich purple and gray velvets.

Downstairs, JoJo dishes up house-made pasta, Italian cheeses and divine gianduiotto, hazelnut-laden chocolate. Koh Samui’s renaissance gathers steam with the »

sweet spots

Clockwise from right: Creations

by ChocoArt, at the Le Méridien Taipei; multipurpose arts space Opposite, in Bangkok; Just In Bistro & Wine Bar, in Taipei.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 49

special t+l picks VIETNAM EAT Six-month-old Southgate (28 Tong Duy Tan St.; 84-4/3938-1979; southgatehanoi. com; dinner and drinks for two VND800,000) and its modern Mediterranean cuisine and innovative cocktails (claimed to be the Hanoi’s best) has quickly become one of the capital city’s go-to spots for quality Western nosh. In an Asian-contempo setting— geometric screens, cherry red walls, ambient lighting—tuck into dishes like chicken, sage and zucchini ravioli and a seafood hotpot in carrot–ginger broth.

Saigon gets a taste of Hanoi with Mam Son (35 Ton That Thiep St.; 84-8/3915-3653; dinner for two VND400,000), located in a shop house designed with charming colonial tiles and French doors. Look for northern delicacies cooked the traditional way, like cha ca, grilled fish with dill and turmeric, and delicately assembled fresh spring rolls packed with shrimp and herbs.

Also in District 1, pizza lovers should make a beeline for Pizza 4P’s (8/15 Le Thanh Ton; 84-8/3822-9838; pizza4ps.com; pizza for two VND400,000), housed in a renovated home, for superb wood-fired pies: classic, with homemade buffalo mozzarella, or Japanese-inspired, with interesting toppings like edible flowers.

DRINK Named for the Czech motorbikes that once roamed Hanoi’s streets, moody Barbetta (34C Cao Ba Quat; 84-4/37349134; cocktails for two VND140,000) welcomes hipsters with its old-school theme—vinyl records displayed as art, secondhand sofas—and beer cocktails,

like the rocket beer, a potent blend of tequila and draft ale.

STAY Hyatt’s second property in Vietnam, the month-old, beachfront Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa (Truong Sa St.; 84-511/398-1234; danang. regency.hyatt.com; doubles from US$190) offers 200 rooms with terrazzo floors, pedestal baths and doors that open out onto views of the Marble Mountains or the South China Sea. Further down the coast is the secluded, eco-friendly Mia Resort Nha Trang (Bai Dong, Cam Hai Dong; 84583/989-666; mianhatrang.com; doubles from US$140), a seaside getaway about 20 kilometers from Nha Trang’s buzz, with tranquil granite-and-wood rooms; villas offer four-poster beds with direct sea views.

SHOP The effortlessly stylish Vo Thi Li Lam and her simple, retro-inspired women’s wear is the latest arrival to District 7’s booming Phu My Hung neighborhood.

At Lam Boutique (4 My Duc, Nguyen Duc Canh St.; 84-8/5142-3981; lam-boutique.com), the big sister to her petite District 1 outlet, you’ll find Audrey Hepburn–inspired necklines and lace shifts surrounded by vintage memorabilia. ✚

region on the rise Clockwise

from above: Akatsuki, on Koh Samui; the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, Vietnam; the Hansar Bangkok; a wood-fired pie at Pizza 4P’s, in Saigon.

50 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

c l o c k w i s e f r o m to p : c o u r t e s y o f P i z z a 4 p ’ s ; c o u r t e s y o f a k at s u k i ; c o u r t e s y o f H ya t t r e g e n c y d a n a n g ; c o u r t e s y o f h a n s a r b a n g k o k

ultra-exclusive Akatsuki (57/8 Moo 2 Lipanoi; akatsuki-resort.com; 66-77/485-704; entire resort US$2,000, single bookings only), which has five airy pavilions that combine Japanese screens with beachfront-chic wicker chairs. In Hua Hin, Cape Nidhra (97/2 Petchkasem Rd., 66-32/516-600; capenidhra.com; doubles from Bt12,100) offers 59 spacious pool suites with day beds, balconies and private gardens.

INDULGE Phuket’s Indigo Pearl unveiled Coqoon (Nai Yang Beach, 66-76/327006; indigo-pearl.com; treatments from Bt2,000), an eight-room spa designed

by Bill Bensley, this year. The spa’s showstopper is “The Nest”—a midair suite hoisted onto a banyan tree. The jasmine rice scrub incorporates papaya as well as ground rice, while the signature coconut wrap deploys coconut oil and plai, a local ginger root.

smarttraveler

the ins and outs of modern travel

Ahead of the Pack

Whether it’s figuring out the next hot spot or revisiting a welltrod destination, here are a few tips on how to have the place to yourself. BY JENNIFER CHEN

Think about the last time you lazed on a perfectly pristine beach—powdery sands, a fringe of palm trees, clear blue waters and no leathery European women of a certain age sunbathing topless. Or stumbled upon an idyllic mountainside village, where the locals wear traditional dress and don’t demand money for photo ops. Perhaps you’ve recently wandered through a famed historic site that was blissfully free of bus-tour hordes.

Unless you’re an old-school backpacker who’s happiest bouncing along a dirt road in an ancient bus with a few chickens on your lap, I’m betting many of you have spent your holidays this past year with a lot of unwanted companions. Asia’s rising middle class has been hitting the road in unprecedented numbers thanks to budget carriers and the Internet. Last year, 57.4 million mainland 52 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Chinese traveled abroad, and those figures are expected to nearly double over the next few years.

But I’m not here to rail against the democratization of travel. Tourism has brought much-needed money and development to countless communities. I am, however, a selfish traveler: the fewer people, the better. Climbing a desolate stretch of the Great Wall allows you to imagine what it must have been like to be a lone sentry a millennium ago. Very little is more relaxing than taking a dip in the ocean without the constant whirring of long-tail boats and Jet Skis. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can beat the crowds wherever it is you’re going.

1 Timing is all One of the simplest ways to avoid crowds is to find out when the peak seasons Illustration by Wasinee Chantakorn

and major holidays are. There’s also the shoulder season—between high and low. In Thailand, May and June means fewer crowds and lower prices.

If you don’t mind the occasional downpour, the beginning of the rainy season can be an ideal time to travel in Southeast Asia. Keep in mind that popular destinations such as Phuket are seeing tourists year-round.

Not to sound mercenary, but follow the news.

Natural disasters and political unrest coupled with the 24-hour news cycle often produces knee-jerk cancellations. I’m not advocating disaster tourism, but I’ve seen plenty of alarmist travel advisories that don’t amount to much a few weeks after they’re issued. Moreover, travel advisories are geographically specific—a warning about Manila doesn’t apply to Palawan—but panicky tourists tend to ignore the nuances.

2 Talk to locals Don’t limit yourself to hotel concierges and guides. They often have set notions as to what travelers want to see. If you have a chatty driver, find out where he eats and where he relaxes on the weekend. Social media are also a great way to cull local knowledge.

3 Go against the flow Study the itineraries of travel agencies and then do the exact opposite.

For instance, the popular circuit at Angkor Wat is to start at the west gate of Angkor Wat, followed

by Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom and Banteay Srei.

The day usually wraps up with sunset at Phnom Bakheng. To avoid being stuck behind a gaggle of South Korean seniors with giant sun visors, just follow the route in reverse.

Remember: going early isn’t always the best way to skirt the crowds. Chinese tour groups tend to visit attractions at the crack of dawn, often meanng the best hours to visit attractions in China just before closing time.

4 Get out of the city Go beyond the city limits, especially if you’re visiting a familiar metropolis. About an hour’s drive from Taipei, Yilan has beautiful parks, hot springs, nice beaches and tea plantations—and not many visitors. It’s also worth getting your own set of wheels so you can follow any whim. ✚ Get the guide for more ideas and recommendations on how to plan your next trip in southeast asia, please visit travelandleisureasia.com

traveler

websites, apps, tech gear, e-advice and more

Airs Apparent

innovator

Dominic Symons

who he is A Swiss designer with a passion for technology, Dominic Symons recognized early on that as our reliance on mobile devices grows, so does the organizational headache of storing and charging all these products. His Bluelounge (bluelounge.com) studio offers a line of innovative and simple solutions for tech management. his big idea

T+L Picks: resources for the road

1 Set to launch later this year, 3rdplanet.com provides a detailed 3-D map of the world that lets users navigate the streets of destinations even before arriving.

2 Travelzoo’s first, free app (iPhone) makes it a snap to bargainhunt on the fly. Find deals via GPS, pushpin-dotted map, photo collage and the week’s Top 20.

54 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

3 Trigger-happy with your camera? Back up your photos with a Verbatim Store ’n’ Go USB 3.0 500GB portable hard drive (Mac, Windows; verbatim.com).

4 For up to eight hours of advanced sound, try the Logitech Tablet Speaker for iPad (logitech.com).

Just plug it into the headphone jack and enjoy!

Symons began with the minimalist Cableyoyo, a sleek, spool-like contraption that keeps power cords in place.

His Sanctuary is a stylish box for organizing (and charging!) all your devices while keeping those cords neatly tucked away in a hidden compartment.

Bluelounge’s latest ­invention is the ­MiniDock, a charger that plugs into a wall socket and props up your iPhone or iPod, keeping it off the floor and out of the way.

Illustrated by Leif Parsons

C l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p R i gh t : m i c h a e l t i n g ; c o u r t e s y o f l o g i t e c h ; L i n d a D a v i l a ; C o u r t e s y o f V e r b a t i m ; c o u r t e s y o f t r a v e l z o o ; © m s t ay / i s t o c kph o t o . c o m

The Asus Zenbook UX21 11.6-inch-screen Ultrabook (asus.com) has a sexy aluminum alloy body and keyboard. It’s expected to power up in less than 30 seconds, and entrylevel models are projected to sell for the same as a starter MacBook Air. Like its Mac rival, the Asus is available with a state-of-the-art, speedy i7 processor.

Looking to really minimize the bulk in your carry-on? At a mere 0.59 inches thick, Lenovo IdeaPad U300s (lenovo.com) is the world’s slimmest laptop (a whole 0.09 inches thinner than the MacBook Air).

Trend of the Month It, too, can be outfitted with a speedy i7 ­processor.

At the top end, the carbon-fiber, 13.1-inchscreen The ultralight MacBook Air is no Sony VAIO Z Series (sony.com) lasts longer the only option for travelers up to eight hours on a single charge, making who want a real computer that fits in an it ideal for long flights and café work airplane seat pocket. In the past six months, sessions. It also turns into an instant desktop several major PC rivals have released an powerhouse when inserted into the optional ultra-slim notebook—a class of laptops that Power Media Dock, which comes with a are generally less than 0.8 inches thick, use Blu-ray drive, three USB ports and an HDMI quick-start solid-state drives (which means port for connecting to a high-definition they boot up in almost no time) and have full- television. With an i7 processor, it’s the best, size, physical keyboards that are comfortable no-­compromise option—whether you’re at to use. Are these new models MacBook Air home or on the road. wannabes—or killers?

— t om s a m i l ja n

insider

destinations trends restaurants + more

GILI T GROWS UP. Indonesia’s Gili islands were once a backpacker

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f k o - k o - m o ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f B l u e M a r l i n D i v e s

haven. now, the largest of the three is going upscale with classy new accommodations and restaurants to complement the pristine diving and snorkeling. By Jen Lin-Liu

island redux Clockwise from top: A pool villa at ko-ko-mo; sesame-encrusted tuna at the resort; scuba diving in the Gilis.

travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 57

gili charm Clockwise

from top left: Gili Trawangan, better known as Gili T; catch of the day; Desa Dunia Beda; a rustic-chic joglo villa at the resort.

STAY The most luxurious place to stay on

Gili Trawangan is ko-ko-mo (62-370/613-4920; kokomogilit.com; villas from Rp1,500,000), on the southeast side of the 3.5-square-kilometer island. The beachfront resort opened in 2009 and offers cozy one- to three-bedroom villas with clean lines and modern furnishings. Good for families, each villa comes with its own private pool and balé, or bamboo pavilion. • On Gili T’s quiet north side is the Desa Dunia Beda (62-370/614-1575; desaduniabeda.com;

58 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

villas from US$135), which boasts a 170-meter beachfront. With just 12 traditional Javanese teak-wood bungalows called joglo situated around a long lap pool, it’s perfect for a romantic getaway. • Want to feel like you have the island completely to yourself? Head to the isolated western shores and check into bed-and-breakfast Villa Julius (62-81/916-034549; villajulius.com; doubles from Rp990,000), a two-story white minimalist house decorated with contemporary art and Buddha statues.

Book the second-floor room with a spacious terrace facing the ocean. • The ever-popular Scallywag’s (62-370/648-792; scallywagsresort. com; rooms from US$85) has colonial-style accommodations with an Asian touch on the main strip of Gili T. The budget resort also features a great stretch of beach and its own speedboat, the Jackie O, which guests can use for waterskiing and other aqua sports. • On the southern edge of Gili T’s development, The Trawangan (62-370/664-7066; thetrawangan. com; doubles from US$100), recently opened by an Australian pro-surfer, gives you more than traditional surfers’ digs: the modern guest quarters come with petite courtyards and outdoor bathrooms, plus the villas have private pools. The resort also has a funky beachfront restaurant and bar with treehouses and horse sculptures made of driftwood.

EAT The sophisticated Gili Deli (62-812/3764443; thegilideli.com; lunch for two Rp80,000) serves dishes made with organic, locally grown ingredients in a bustling, urban atmosphere reminiscent of a New York City eatery. The 10 varieties of bread on offer are baked on the island—try the ham-and-cheese baguette or the classic BLT. • The restaurant at Scallywag’s (62-370/648-792; scallywagsresort.com; dinner

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : © L u c i a n o M o r t u l a / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; co u rt e sy o f ko - ko - m o ; co u rt e sy o f d e sa d u n i a b e da ( 2 )

insider T+L Guide

GETTING THERE FROM LOMBOK From the airport, Blue Marlin (62-370/613-2424; bluemarlindive. com) offers car and speedboat transfers from Rp400,000 per person one way. The trip is 45 minutes by car and 15 minutes by boat.

There’s no proper jetty at Gili T, so be prepared to wade through shallow waters with your bags. indo idyll Clockwise from left: Looking out

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : © h o l g s / i s t o c kph 0 t 0 . c o m ; co u rt e sy o f ko - ko - m o ; co u rt e sy o f B lu e M a r l i n D i v e

onto Gili T’s clear waters; beachfront dining at ko-ko-mo; turtle spotting with Blue Marlin.

FROM BALI Blue Water Express (62-361/841-3421; bwsbali.com) offers direct speedboat transfers from Serangan Harbor at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The 2-hour trip costs Rp690,000 per person one way.

diving in style for more southeast asian diving destinations that offer great style to boot, go to travelandleisureasia.com

for two Rp160,000) has become a Gili T institution for its grilled seafood, tapas plates and cocktails, as well as its friendly, efficient service—the latter not always a given on Gili T. • For fine dining, head a few doors south to the restaurant at ko-ko-mo (62-370/613-4920; kokomogilit.com; dinner for two Rp400,000).

Sydney-based chef Matthew Blundell flies in regularly to check on the menu, which features dishes like beef carpaccio, Peking-duck rolls and freshly shucked oysters.

DO With crystal blue waters, 18 recognized dive sites and more abundant marine life than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Gili T offers terrific snorkeling and diving. Expect to see friendly turtles, moray eels, cuttlefish and schools of angelfish. From December to March, manta rays pass through the waters.

Snorkels, masks and fins can be rented from beach vendors for Rp30,000 per day. The best snorkeling is on the rocky northern coast; it helps to enter with booties on your feet. The second best spot is on the popular eastern shore near Villa Almarik; the currents will gently guide you to the jetty area. Divers should head to Blue Marlin (62-370/613-2424; bluemarlindive.com; dives from US$40) or Manta Dive (62-370/643-649; manta-dive.com; dives from US$40), both PADI-certified. The best dive sites include Shark Point, where advanced divers can find reef sharks in its canyons, and Simons Reef, for undisturbed coral reefs and seamounts. For a refreshing alternative to scuba diving, FreeDiveGili (62-370/6143649; freedivegili.com; courses from Rp640,000) offers a rare opportunity to learn to free dive. The twoday introductory course will teach you how to hold your breath for up to two minutes and reach depths of up to 20 meters. ✚ travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 59

insider drink BOTTOMS UP

Clockwise from left: The Local Taphouse, in Darlinghurst, Sydney; Melbourne’s Biero Bar offers 200 drops; so-called “beer vault” dispensers at the bar.

One of Melbourne’s newest drinking spots, the chrome-furnished Biero Bar has arrived on the scene with much fanfare, largely because of its trumpeted “beer vaults”—pressurized devices that look like giant test tubes that flow into a tap, allowing drinkers to sample gourmet beers from the bottle, while keeping supplies fresh for new customers. It’s a nifty system: whatever’s on the tap is A$5 for a small glass and A$10 for a pint. With a menu of more than 200 drops, the brave and strong will dare each other to down the hangover-inducing Sink the Bismarck, a formidable Scottish brew that has claimed the title of World’s Strongest Beer, boasting a whopping 40 percent alcohol. T+L Tip Even non-beerdrinkers will be won over by Biero’s cheerful staff, whose encyclopedic knowledge and fanatical passion for beer quickly become infectious. 525 Little Lonsdale St., Melbourne; 61-3/9600-0940; bierobar.com.au; drinks for two A$20.

AUSTRALIA’S BEST NEW BOUTIQUE BARS. DOWN UNDER, pubs are taking a stylish, personalized turn, serving up quality craft brews and memorable atmosphere in equal measure. By Benjamin Law

60 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

HISTORY RESTORED | SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

While bars in Sydney often boast sleek metal furniture and avant-garde décor, the beloved Hart’s Pub is known for its homeliness and history. Having reopened in March with new management and fresh fittings, Harts is a rabbit’s warren of an old colonial home that dates back to the late 1800’s (it survived the bubonic plague and attendant threats of demolition). History lovers will adore knowing that the place is now run by fifth- and sixth-generation convict descendants, too. Though the pub’s beer selection is limited—you’ll find only 12 varieties at a time—the in-house beers from Rocks Brewing Company are some of the best »

c l o c kw i s e f r o m l e f t : A n d r e w M i t c h e l l ; c o u r t e s y o f B i e r o b a r ( 2 )

KALEIDOSCOPIC DROPS | MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

insider drink in the country, with the staff priding themselves on the fact that their ales and porters are made of “nothing but barley, hops, water and yeast.” Come for the beer and stay for dinner—don’t miss their famous crocodile or Wagyu beef burgers. T+L Tip Pair your beer and burgers with culture: Hart’s is a scenic 15-minute stroll from the Opera House.

Corner of Essex & Gloucester St, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW; 61-7/9251-6030; hartspub.com; drinks for two A$16.

At Archive Beer Boutique, in Brisbane.

Archive serves up beer for bibliophiles.

true loves: books and beer. Furniture here is constructed from giant hardcover novels, while light fittings look like metal tarantulas—until you realize they’re actually dozens of writers’ desk lights welded together. With the most extensive beer menu in Queensland, and one of the biggest in the country, Archive is nothing if not dedicated. At any given stage, the beer menu features close to 300 varieties (many of them Australian), with eight more on tap in constant weekly rotation. You’d be forgiven for thinking the place was simply for connoisseurs and snobs—they run beer appreciation evenings for the serious aficionados—but everyone is welcome. T+L Tip Weekly trivia evenings encourage newcomers to drop in, form teams and test their brains until intoxication blissfully wears them out. 100 Boundary St., West End; 61-7/38443419; archivebeerboutique.com.au; drinks for two A$17.

SERIOUS SUDS | SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES When it opened its doors in 2009, The Local Taphouse

immediately became a darling for both Sydney locals and international guests. The interiors are erratically beautiful, with lights dangling from odd angles or encased in delicate birdcages. Over the bar itself, giant capital letters hang dementedly from the ceiling, spelling out the bar’s simple, sacred motto: drink beer. Beer is taken seriously here, and the Local Taphouse has been rewarded for its dedication by winning Best Beer Bar (from Bartender magazine) for two years running, along with a prestigious listing in the Sydney Morning Herald’s best beer list. In any given week, there are 20 Australian beers on tap, and far more are available by 62 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

A beer tasting set at the Local Taphouse, in Sydney’s Darlinghurst.

the bottle. T+L Tip Feeling indecisive? Buy a tasting set of five beers for A$13, with the glasses served in a traditional wooden serving paddle. 122 Flinders St., Darlinghurst; 61-2/ 9360-0088; thelocal.com.au; drinks for two A$20.

ARTFUL ALES | BERRIEDALE, TASMANIA

Tasmania, Australia’s island state that claims to have the cleanest air in the world, is the producer of the country’s most flavorsome, hearty and crisp-tasting brews. It’s also known for its burgeoning modern art scene, not least thanks to one of the world’s newest and most exciting art galleries: the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), just 15 minutes outside of the capital of Hobart. Attached to the museum is Mona Winery Bar, a must-visit for anyone serious Artistic

about ales or art. After gazing at a private ales at Mona collection of some of the most fiercely Winery Bar. controversial art works in the world (it rivals London’s Saatchi Gallery for shock value), finish the day by discussing what you’ve seen in a glorious new bar.

The space itself is a work of art, boasting natural rock walls so high it almost feels like you’re drinking in a natural cathedral. T+L Tip Mona focuses mainly on Tasmania’s gourmet Moo Brew range (ales, pilsners and cloudy wheat varieties), but there are dozens more Australian craft brews to choose from. 655 Main Rd., Berriedale; 61-3/6277-9900; mona.net.au; drinks for two A$18. ✚

Art at MONA, home to Mona Winery Bar.

c l o c kw i s e f r o m t o p r i gh t : A n d r e w M i t c h e l l ; B r e t t B o a r d m a n ; c o u r t e s y o f MONA G ALLER Y ; c o u r t e s y o f A r c h i v e B e e r ( 2 )

LITERARY LAGER | BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND In Brisbane’s bohemian enclave of West End, Archive Beer Boutique brings together local residents’ two

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ORISSA SCENIC • SERENE • SUBLIME

A wealth of cultural treasures, seemingly endless beaches, local tribes and a long list of festivals all combine to make Orissa one of the most memorable parts of India. Make sure it’s on your list of places to visit.

O

ne of the few corners that is largely undiscovered by tourists, Orissa is blessed with a rich cultural heritage, unspoilt beaches, superb monuments, traditional tribes and colorful festivals.

It really is a land of unforgettable memories.

THE TEMPLES

The Buddhist Trail is well marked in Orissa.

Spanning six centuries, from the 6th to the13th centuries, Orissa’s temple culture holds a magnetic appeal. Central to this is the Golden Triangle of Orissa: the Temple City of Bhubaneswar; the magnificent Sun Temple of Konark, a World Heritage Site; and

Jagannath Temple of Puri. The indigenous core of the Kalinga School of architecture rests on the two essential structures— the deula or the conical convex spire ending in a lotus shaped form and the jagmohan, or the porch structure. Other halls of offering, for dance and other lesser shrines are often part of the temple.

THE BEACHES

With a coastline that is almost 500 kilometers long, Orissa offers some of the finest beaches in the world.

Stretching in the north from West Bengal down to Andhra Pradesh, unspoilt beaches are the norm.

For centuries, Puri Beach has been the venue of countless pilgrims taking a purification dip. But it’s also popular with foreign tourists who come for the crashing surf. Contrast that with the swaying casuarina trees and shimmering surf along Chadipur Beach, and it’s easy to see why it is so popular.

Next up is Gopalpur-onSea, a small but splendid retreat for sea worshippers.

Once a bustling seaport, today the blue waters here offer visitors a slice of serenity not often found in Asia. There’s also a long stretch of clean sands and cool blue sea at Chandrabhaga Beach, 32 kilometers from Puri.

For the true beach lover, there’s also the tranquil Talasari Beach, the exquisite Pati-Sonapur Beach and the picturesque Ramchandi at the confluence of Kushabhadra river off Konark in Puri.

WILDLIFE

Thick and dense forests make up more than a third of Orissa, including two national parks and more than 20 unspoilt sanctuaries. If you had to narrow down your choice, a good option would be to visit Nandankanan, the Similipal Tiger Reserve, Bhitarkanika National Park and Tikarapada. Nandankanan is famed for its white tiger population and is a family favorite. The Similipal Tiger Reserve is one of the best national parks in the country, one with a good population of tigers, leopards, elephants, crocodiles and a long list of bird species. Olive Ridley Sea Turtles nest by the millions at Bhitarkanika National Park each year, a spectacular feat of nature. At Tikarapada, the Satkosia Gorge where the great Mahanadi river crashes through with monumental force.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Orissa observes a large number of festivals mostly associated with harvesting seasons, religion and temples. Orissa is a confluence of the Aryan, Dravidian and aboriginal cultures, thus celebrations bring forth a grand collage of different rites, rituals and traditions. Rath Yatra of Puri is perhaps the grandest festival of Orissa that attracts a large number of tourists. There is no better evidence for this religion-spiritual yearning in its popular form than a fair or festival virtually every month in different part of Orissa. Most of these held on a full moon or dark moon days confirms the common belief that planets and stars are forces influencing human life.

Orissa’s temples span several centuries.

Flamingos over Chilika Lake.

DANCE AND MUSIC

Music and dance comprises one of the most exquisite forms of aesthetic expression for a man no matter to which century he belongs. Ancient cultures are rich in both these expressive art forms. The Orissan classical dance form, the Odissi, with its accompanying music, was performed in the hallowed precincts of Lord Jagannath’s Temple at Puri, an expression of the dancer’s total devotion to the God. Folk and tribal music, and dance, are an integral feature of Orissan culture. The Chow is one of the most dynamic traditional dance forms and is a volatile and colorful reflection of the tales of war and glorious battles.

The Dandanata is another acrobatic dance-form and the Chaiti Ghoda is a festivaldance of the fishing folk.

BUDDHIST TRAILS

Buddhism in Orissa is as old as the religion itself.

While Kapilvastu, Bodhgaya and Saranath are the places associated with Lord Buddha’s life, Orissa is now associated with his teaching. Literary evidence coupled with legends speak about the tooth relic of Buddha enshrined in Orissa.

Pali texts refer to Buddha’s association with Tapassu and Bhallika, two Businessmen from Orissa. This marked the growth of Buddhism and export of it around Asia.

Be sure to not miss the Buddhist Circuit of Orissa.

The rich treasure of Buddhist sculptures and monuments excavated from Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and the nearby Langudi hills give a clear picture of the Buddhist traditions in Orissa.

VISIT ORISSA NOW! Log on to orissatourism.gov.in or visitorissa.org

insider where to go next

Cool hunter. after opening

properties in miami and new york, peripatetic hotelier vikram chatwal takes colleen clark behind the velvet rope

CÔte d’azur costa careyes

miami goa

Bangkok

V

The hotelier in the courtyard of his new Dream Downtown, in New York.

London

Chatwal spent much of his youth in ­London, where his parents opened an outpost of their A sign at Mooli’s, Bombay Palace in London. restaurant chain. “­London is where I first connected with my Indian roots,” Chatwal says. Now whenever he’s in town, he stops into Mooli’s (50 Frith St.; 4420/7494-9075; snacks for two £12) for rotis or Dosa ’n ­Chutny (68 Tooting High St.; 44-20/8767-9200; snacks for two £6) for crisp riceand-lentil crêpes.

66 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

miami

The Dream South Beach (1111 Collins Ave.; 1-305/673-4747; dreamsouth beach.com; doubles from US$275), which has 108 mod-glam rooms and a restaurant from chef ­Geoffrey Zakarian, was created by combining two historic Art Deco hotels.

Just up the street is the Webster Miami (1220 ­Collins Ave.; 1-305/674-7899), a concept store housed in another Deco landmark, where ­Chatwal likes to pop in before gallery-hopping in the Design District. “The freedom of expression in Miami’s art scene rivals New York’s and Chicago’s,” he says. Of course, ­Miami is also about nightlife, and after hours the hotelier heads to Bardot (3456 N. Miami Ave.; 1-305/576-5570; drinks for two US$22), an intimate live-music venue in ­Wynwood.

He often ends his night with a medianoche sandwich and a yerba maté soda at David’s Café (1058 ­Collins Ave.; 1-305/534A room at the Dream 8736; sandwiches for two US$14), a Cuban South Beach. joint down the street from the Dream.

FROM TOP : BUFF STRICKLAND ; COURTESY OF MOOLI ’ S ; DAVID DURBAK

ikram Chatwal’s earliest travel memory?

Fleeing his childhood home in Ethiopia during the 1974 revolution. But that didn’t dampen his love for the road. At the age of 28, the Sikh globe-trotter launched his namesake boutique hotel company in 1999, following in the footsteps of his father, Sant, founder of Hampshire Hotels & Resorts. Now with eight stylish properties, including the just-opened Dream Downtown in New York and Dream South Beach in Miami Beach, Chatwal spends at least half the year jetting from hotel openings to fashion weeks, flea markets to sandwich stands. Here, Chatwal shares some of his latest haunts.

insider where to go next

Sapphires and tourmalines at Lambert Gems.

Bangkok

“Thailand is a crazy place, like a nicely twisted India,” Chatwal says.

He embraces that energy at the bustling, brasserie-style Minibar Royale (37/7 ­Citadines, Sukhumvit 23; 66-2/261-5533; drinks for two Bt300) or indie-rock bar Happy Monday (Ekamai Soi 10; 66-2/714-3953; drinks for two Bt150). Lambert Gems (807809 Silom Soi 17; 66-2/236-4343), an off-the-beaten-path custom jewelry shop, is where he’ll pick up some “extra bling.” Afterward, although he owns the stylish Dream Bangkok hotel, Chatwal often retreats to one of the Authors’ Suites at the Mandarin Oriental (48 Oriental Ave.; 66-2/659-9000; mandarinoriental.com; doubles from Bt10,000). “The oldworld colonial elegance takes me back to a different era,” he says.

Sarongs on display at the Anjuna flea market in Goa, India.

Goa, India “There’s a trancelike feeling to Goa,” Chatwal says, a vibe

reflected at the Nilaya Hermitage hotel (Arpora; 91-832/227-6793; ­nilaya.com; doubles from US$450). “The hotel is so earthy, you’d never think it has this posh reputation,” he says. Chatwal shops for Goan handcrafted furniture at Fusion Access (Dias House, 13/32 Rua de Ormuz; 91-832/665-0342; fusionaccess.com), ceramic tiles and textiles at the Portuguese markets, and tie-dyed sarongs at the Anjuna flea market. At night, he grabs curried fish fry at the family-run Viva Panjim (178 31st January Rd., Fontainhas; 91-832/242-2405; dinner for two Rs350), and perhaps some punch—a mix of rum, gin, curaçao, fruit juices and ginger—at the Primrose Café (Ozran Beach Rd., behind St. Anthony’s Church; 91-832/227-3210; drinks for two Rs350).

An abundance of bougain­villea has made fuchsia the unofficial color of this laid-back Beach cottagesi Pacific Coast resort in Costa Careyes. (costacareyes.com), “a great reminder of the outrageously hued fabrics of ­India,” Chatwal says.

He likes to spend time here with friends in cliffside villas that “look like Gaudí designed them.” Socializing tends to revolve around house parties and outdoor film screenings, but he’ll occasionally dine out deep in the jungle at the Polo Club (52-315/351-0320; dinner for two Mex$800) or dance on the beach at Cocodrilo Azul (52-315/ 351-0320; drinks for two Mex$225), a restaurant located across the bay from a lagoon filled with crocodiles.

Côte d’azur

Chatwal’s yacht, Fathom, is a regular fixture in the waters off Antibes, but he also loves to explore the area by car, indulging in some yogurt sherbet at the bistro L’Armoise (2 Rue Tourraque, Antibes; 33-4/92-9496-13; dinner for two €80) or grilled rack of lamb at Le Maschou (15 Rue St.-Antoine; 33-4/93-39-62-21; dinner for two €100), an in-the-know spot in Cannes. During the day, he joins the jet set working on their tans at Juan-les-Pins’ beach, but if it rains, he drives inland to St.-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval walled village that’s the site of the modern art museum Fondation Maeght (623 Chemin des Gardettes; 33-4/93-32-81-63). ✚

N

St.-Paul-de-Vence

D336

cÔte d ’a z u r

the newest hot spots see the bold new sites where the cutting-edge crowd is heading next, at travelandleisureasia.com

68 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Cannes

Cros-de-Cagnes

D6098/ D6007

A8

Nice

Mediterranean Sea

Antibes Juan-les-Pins

0

2.8 km

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : © C o s m o p o l / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m ; COURTESY OF LAMBERT INDUSTRIES ; C o u r t e s y o f A n g e l V e g a / F l i c k r . c o m

Costa Careyes, mexico

insider room report

URBAN RETREAT The courtyard of the Siam

Kempinski offers a respite from the daily bustle of Bangkok. Below: The T Lounge.

bangkok GRAND. Blending the

best of Europe and Asia, the Siam Kempinski is an oasis in the heart of Thailand’s capital. By Naomi Lindt

n The Overview Kempinski Hotels, Europe’s oldest

luxury hotel group, has been wooing travelers since 1897.

Now it brings its award-winning approach—European flair and service coupled with a strong connection to local culture—to Bangkok, with the arrival of the Siam Kempinski. Opened just over a year ago, the 303-room property oozes with glamour while maintaining a personable, family-friendly feel. A killer location in the heart of the city and ample options for lounging, dining and pampering make it the ideal urban oasis.

of Bangkok’s glitziest, most popular shopping malls, and walking distance to Siam Center, Siam Discovery and MBK, the hotel couldn’t be better positioned to partake in the city’s dizzying number of retail options. The proximity of the Siam Skytrain stop means exploring the rest of the Bangkok—and avoiding its crushing traffic—is a breeze.

And though it’s in the heart of the city, the hotel and its fountain-filled grounds are blissfully quiet thanks to its location within the grounds of the Sra Prathum Palace, the former residence of Queen Savang Vadhana. » 70 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

courtesy of Siam Kempinski (2)

n The Area Across the street from Siam Paragon, one

insider room report

siam splendor Clockwise from left: A Deluxe

room at the Siam Kempinski; the hotel’s opulent lobby; a marble-clad Garden suite bathroom.

couch and coffee table, a balcony overlooking the pool, a well-equipped desk (and free Wi-Fi) and, most importantly, a dream-inducing king-size bed stacked high with pillows and fitted with a white cotton duvet. Décor is subdued contemporary: a gray-stained wooden parquet floor; padded silk walls in beige; angular metal floor lamps with white, ovular lampshades. The palette’s simplicity is offset by giant photographs of lotus flowers that hang above the bed, and rich textures like the curvy, woven plastic couch and desk.

The 42 suites are at least twice the size of the standards and offer perks like complimentary afternoon tea and cocktails. n The Design The Siam Kempinski is about grand

n The Service Not only did our early arrival result in an early check-in, but late checkout was accommodated as well. The concierge made repeated attempts to reach a local airline in order to make a last-minute flight change over the weekend, providing us with frequent updates via phone messages and under-the-door messages. Doormen were happy to snap take after take of guests posing in front of the lobby’s stunning tiered fountain. n The Rooms Starting at 40 square meters, standard Deluxe rooms are spacious multi-taskers, with a small 72 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

n The Bathroom Clad in gray marble flecked with

white and full of mirrors, the sparkling baths are enclosed in glass with shades that can be drawn. There’s a separate Hansgrohe rain shower and a striking self-standing, rectangular tub with curved corners with a view of the 42inch flatscreen TV; the WC is hidden behind its own door. n The Amenities The hotel’s opulence is evident in its

abundant perks, like the expansive, 1,500-square-meter pool area that stands at the heart of the property. The three saltwater pools are broken up into quiet nooks for reading, larger lounge areas for chatting over a cold Tiger Beer, and a separate kid’s pool. There’s also a regal full-service spa, offering treatments that draw from Thailand’s therapeutic traditions, like the signature Royal Siam Experience, which includes a papaya–sea salt exfoliation and a lemongrass– kaffir lime herbal compress massage. The T Lounge and its plush silver and purple velvet seating is the perfect spot for the Siam Kempinski’s decadent afternoon tea, while Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin—a fine-dining restaurant conceptualized

by Danish chef Henrik Yde Anderson of Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred Kiin Kiin—offers experimental, dramatic interpretations of Thai dishes in a moody, wood-paneled space filled with lotus ponds and silk lamps. ✚

courtesy of Siam Kempinski (3)

gestures: guests are welcomed by a huge, gleaming whitemarble lobby with 15-meter-high ceilings and floating spiral staircases with glass walls, and is furnished with auberginehued velvet couches and oversize leather armchairs that dwarf their occupants. The Europe-meets-Thailand conceit is achieved through elegant, Art Deco–inspired touches— geometric patterns on the floors; soaring rectangular columns; tiered ceilings with recessed lighting—contrasted with elaborate floral arrangements of local blooms and some 4,000 works of local art displayed throughout the property, ranging from traditional, perforated bronze wall sconces to work by contemporary Thai artists.

insider detour hidden vietnam Ninh Binh’s

landscape of limestone karsts.

Below: Travelers can explore the area by rowboat.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND Take a 90-minute car ride from Hanoi. The Emeralda can organize door-to-door transfers.

Day-trip tours usually include hotel pickup; operators include Footprints Travel (footprintsvietnam. com; day tours from US$64) and Exotissimo (exotissimo.com; day tours from US$161).

WHERE TO STAY Check into Emeralda Resort & Spa (Tap Ninh Hamlet, Gia Van Commune, Gia Vien district; 84-303/658333; emeraldaresort. com; doubles from US$110), the area’s only upscale option.

WHERE TO EAT Emeralda’s earth-toned Organics Restaurant (dinner for two US$40) serves tasty homestyle dishes—try the bo la lot beef wrapped in pepper leaf, or the lime-seared mountain goat, a local specialty.

Head to Bamboo Bar & Restaurant (Ninh Thang, along the main road, Tam Coc; no phone; lunch for two VND300,000) for Vietnamese fare. Try the banana flambé.

next stop: NINH BINH.

vietnam’s ‘halong bay on land’ offers breathtaking scenery and a stylish new resort. story and photographs by Karryn Miller

W

ith its otherworldly landscape of massive limestone karsts, and its location away from Vietnam’s coast, Ninh Binh is sometimes dubbed “Halong Bay on land.” Like the famed unesco World Heritage site three hours east of Hanoi, the destination is best viewed by boat. But in Ninh Binh’s case, instead of an emerald sea at the base of its cliff faces, a network of tributaries from the Hoang Long river siphons through the towering stone formations. And unlike Halong, Ninh Binh isn’t yet on the main tourist beat—despite being just half the distance from the capital.

Until recently, the area drew only intrepid travelers, usually backpackers or adventurous day-trippers coming from Hanoi. That changed last month, with the opening of Ninh Binh’s first high-end stay. The Emeralda Resort & Spa has 172 luxe-rustic villas with terracottatiled floors, exposed-brick walls and standalone claw-foot tubs in the bathrooms. Guests can swim in and lounge around semi-private pools, dine on fare prepared with ingredients from the on-site organic garden, and stroll or pedal around the 16.2-hectare property next to the Van Long Nature Reserve.

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Of course, the real draw for visitors to Ninh Binh is its natural assets. A few kilometers from Emeralda are the Trang An Grottoes, a web of waterways and caves. The roads leading there are freshly paved—it’s a pleasant bike or moped ride—but the surrounding terrain remains rugged, with shacks built under overhangs and wild mountain goats perched on the rocks.

Once at Trang An’s jetty, a simple rowboat (VND80,000 per person) takes you on a two-hour loop along the waterways, gliding alongside the karsts and pagodas, and past a series of rock faces into low-hanging caves.

Vietnam’s former capital, Hoa Lu, is a short ride down the road from Trang An. Though little of the original citadel remains, make your way past the gate’s incessant hawkers into the relative solitude of the compound (admission VND10,000), and explore two temples, Le Dai Hanh and Dinh Tien Hoang, which show their age up-close. Next, venture to the Tomb of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang, sited on a neighboring hillside, for views of the citadel and the surrounding countryside. It’s a 15-minute ascent up a steep set of steps, but from there, the vista remains as stunning as it was over a millennium ago, when the complex was the political center of Vietnam. ✚

insider european scene

peak glamour. From France

to Switzerland, these striking Alpine ski chalets pair contemporary design with Europe’s more traditional winter charms—roaring fireplaces and mountain views included. by meghan mcewen The Omnia

Zermatt, Switzerland Sitting above one of Europe’s most celebrated ski villages, the Omnia forms an angular wood-and-glass apex that echoes the Matterhorn just beyond. A Modernist take on mountainside log cabins, the hotel is the vision of New York–based architect Ali Tayar, who also designed the interiors and much of the modular furniture. To add a dash of MoMA-approved flair, Tayar tossed in pieces from iconic masters (Mies van der Rohe; Saarinen), which complement the cool, egg-shaped fireplaces in many of the rooms. Après-ski, enjoy cocktails on a sheepskincovered chair at the outdoor terrace lounge. Auf dem Fels; 41-27/966-7171; the-omnia.com; doubles from €290.

Ch r i s t i a n G r u n d / C o u r t e s y o f T H E OMNIA , Z e r m a t t

DON’T MISS Take a guided four-hour hike up to the new, solar-paneled Monte Rosa hut— a futuristic, crystal-shaped base camp for mountaineers.

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insider european scene

Hôtel Ormelune Val d’Isère, France

An old-school sporting institution at the foot of the legendary Val d’Isère resort, in southeastern France—adjacent to the famed Les Trois Vallées—the Hôtel Ormelune got a Pop makeover two years ago.

Thanks to additions from French designer Alain Perrier, guests are now greeted by fabric-clad faux animal busts in the lobby. Check in at a reservation desk made from vintage suitcases, then mingle under feather chandeliers in the rainbow-colored bar. Playful touches aside, the Ormelune is serious about Alpine sports, offering heli-skiing and private lessons—along with the requisite deep-tissue massages. Rue Noël Machet; 33-4/79-06-12-93; ormelune.com; doubles from €189.

Das Kranzbach Krün, Germany

This high-style spa and nature retreat in the Bavarian Alps— with interiors by British design guru Ilse Crawford—is a 10-minute drive from the slopes at Alpenwelt Karwendel, known for the many winter athletes who call it home. The restored 1913 Arts and Crafts country house merges vintage and contemporary styles: tufted chesterfield sofas sit alongside George Nelson bubble lamps, while painted Windsor chairs play off custom wallpaper

by Timorous Beasties. Guests can take lessons at the local ski school, run by 1973 Alpine Ski World Cup champion Max Rieger. 1 Elmauer Weg; 49-88/ 2392-8000; daskranzbach.de; doubles from €296, including breakfast and dinner.

DON’T MISS Ride the cog railway—a 1920’s remnant— from nearby GarmischPartenkirchen to the Zugspitze peak, Germany’s highest point. On a clear day, you can see over the Alps to Lake Eib.

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FROM TOP : G i l l e s T r i l l a r d / C o u r t e s y o f H ô t e l O r m e l u n e ; C o u r t e s y o f D a s K r a n z b a c h ( 2 )

DON’T MISS Have dinner at L’Étable d’Alain (33-6/08-99-13-20; dinner for two €95), a nearby farm-to-table restaurant where you can watch cows graze as you dine on raclette, the regional specialty.

GREAT VALUE

Taxhof

Bruck, Austria Set on a pristine mountaintop smack in the middle of the Austrian Alps, this centuries-old inn is a gloriously quiet respite 15 minutes away from the busy resorts of Kitzsteinhorn and Schmittenhöhe—known for their daring glacier ski trails. Handed down from father to son for 12 generations, the Taxhof blends the best of both worlds, combining the fairy-tale charm of a rustic chalet with modern amenities. We love the newly added Dochbodnsuite—located in the renovated top floor of an ancient farmhouse, it features an en suite sauna, atrium-like windows and skylights for panoramic views, and a cozy rooftop terrace. 15 Hundsdorf; 43/6545-6261; taxhof.at; doubles from €99.

DON’T MISS Go tobogganing in the moonlight at Kohlschnait (kohlschnait.at), where you’ll also find an artisan brewery and bakery.

Le Lodge Park FROM TOP : J o h a n n e s F e l s c h / C o u r t e s y o f T a x h o f ; C o u r t e s y o f L e L o d g e p a r k ( 2 )

Megève, France

Owned by husband-andwife team Jocelyne and Jean-Louis Sibuet, Le Lodge Park is a mere five-minute walk from the center of the action at Megève, France’s hippest ski resort. Jocelyne gave the hotel its glamorous, trapper-style aesthetic, sourcing furnishings such as antler chandeliers and chairs crafted out of tree branches from around the world to create the country-chic rooms. After a day on the slopes, check in to the whimsically designed spa, an enchanted-forest fantasy of birches, moss-covered bark and sheepskin rugs.

100 Rue d’Arly; 33-4/50-9063-20; lodgepark.com; doubles from €256.

DON’T MISS Hail a horsedrawn carriage for a ride through the cobblestoned streets of Megève’s village square, which is illuminated by a Swarovski Christmas tree during the holidays.

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stylish traveler

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icon

UP TO THE MINUTE

WHETHER YOU’RE ON THE GO OR WINDING DOWN, THE BAUME & MERCIER HAMPTON WATCH WILL KEEP YOU LOOKING SHARP.

BY DAVID COLMAN

When it comes to luxury that has stood the test of time, does any destination summon it more swiftly than the Hamptons, with its cake-flour-sand beaches, old shingled houses and endless fields?

It’s not surprising that Baume & Mercier, the Geneva-based watchmaker launched in 1830, found inspiration for its latest chronograph in the New York plutocracy’s favorite getaway. The vintage-style look—inspired by one of the company’s 1940’s models, with an opaline copper face, alligator band and ultrathin polished-steel case—recalls a glamorous era without getting too literal. It’s at once timeless and of the moment. Strap it on and segue from weekday to weekend without missing a beat. ✚

Photographed by Charles Masters

Men’s Hampton watch with copper face, satin-finished steel case and alligator strap,

by Baume & Mercier.

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[st] street corner

HIP HANOI

In the heart of Hai Ba Trung, T+L checks in with seven style-savvy locals and takes the pulse of Vietnam’s frenetic capital.

Story and photographs by Aaron Joel Santos Just south of Hanoi’s charming but well-trammeled Old Quarter lies Hai Ba Trung, the city’s most densely populated district. It may also be its most diverse: the sprawling neighborhood boasts cafés and street food, construction sites and newly built shopping malls, and, almost incongruously, plenty of historic charm, from old French villas to narrow, winding alleyways. With a street

■ Tran Hung Hair stylist and salon owner “I shop at Runway (13 Hai Ba Trung; runway.vn) and 31 Boutique (31 Ba Trieu; 84-4/6270-1430; 31boutique.com.vn) in Hanoi. I love going to Thailand and Singapore on shopping trips. When I go out with friends, I drink at Angelina (56 Ly Thai To; 84-4/3826-6919; sofitel.com; drinks for two VND500,000) in the Sofitel Legend Metropole, or at the Rooftop Bar (Pacific Place, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet; 84-4/3946-1039; drinks for two VND350,000).”

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scene as lively as any you’ll find in the Vietnam capital, you can come here expecting the circus, not to mention the capital’s black market. Where to get a taste of the scene?

Head straight to Ba Trieu Street and its surrounding lanes, where you’ll find name-brand stores and new boutiques jostling for a piece of the capital’s emerging identity. Here, T+L asks seven well-dressed Hanoians for their style tips.

■ Nguyen Thi Viet Magazine marketing director “I actually bought this T-shirt right across the street, at Boo Citi (308 Ba Trieu; 84-4/3923-1147). It’s a picture of rau muong, Vietnam’s national vegetable!”

■ Tuan Bich Thuy Sales and marketing executive “I like clothes that make me look young; I like that style.

I shop everywhere I go. Vincom Towers (191 Ba Trieu) is great for clothes and shoes and just hanging out. We spend our days off in this neighborhood. It has everything.”

■ Trieu Thu Trang Assistant director “I buy things when I travel, but I also have things tailored in Hanoi. This shirt is from NAF NAF (nafnaf.com), my jeans are Mango (mango.com), and my watch is Marc Jacobs (Runway, 13 Hai Ba Trung; runway.vn). My vest is tailor-made.”

■ Hoang Dai Duong Hair stylist “I like working here; it’s a cool neighborhood. There are always pretty girls around because of the mall. For me, I like my clothes with a little splash of color. I forget where I bought this shirt, but it was probably somewhere nearby.”

■ Tuan Thuy Anh University student “I like shopping at F21 (18 Hoang Quoc Viet; 84-9/87280187; f21vietnam.com) and Zara (zara.com), where I bought this dress. Today we’re just hanging out around here, having some ice cream. I usually go with my boyfriend to the cinema on the weekend, but there’s nothing good out right now.”

■ Ha Anh Vu Model “I have a lot of friends in the fashion industry, so I’m never at a loss for things to wear. Look for Vietnamese designers Ha Truong (278 Nghi Tam; 84-4/3710-0675; mirror-design.com) and Kelly Bui (2D Ly Quoc Su; 84-4/3928-9663; kellybui.vn).

Also try grilled snails on Hang Luoc Street. So delicious.” ✚

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7 6

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top travel gifts

T+L rounds up 12 travel-friendly PRESENTS to help your favorite globe-trotter ring in the holidays—and hit the road—in style 1. Vinyl iPad case, Bombata Bag. 2. Noise-isolating Fix earbuds (with pouch), Skullcandy. 3. Travel alarm clock and sleep-aiding sound-therapy system, Sound Oasis. 4. Polycarbonate roll-aboard, Victorinox.

5. Sonic travel toothbrush, Violight. 6. Packable, down-filled HyBridge Lite jacket, Canada Goose.

7. Antiaging serum, Dior. 8. Travel-size Irresistible Caviar face cream, La Prairie. 9. Hints to Lady Travellers: At Home and Abroad, expanded from the 1889 original with tips from female travelers, Elliot & Thompson. 10. World’s smallest (3.9-by-2.3-by-1.2-inch) interchangeable-lens 12.4mp camera, Pentax. 11. Leather travel flats (with matching bag), Delman.

12. Faux-fur throw, Restoration Hardware. ✚

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Photographed by Lars Klove

4 : co u rt e sy o f v i c to r i n ox ; 7 : co u rt e sy o f d i o r ; 8 : co u rt e sy o f l a p r a i r i e

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journal

travel topics in depth, vivid visuals and more

Couscous with seven vegetables at Dar Moha restaurant, in Marrakesh’s medina.

Dishes of marrakesh

Few places on the planet offer such a dizzyingi array of flavors. Follow our guide to find thei most fragrant couscous, the ultimate tagine andi other spicy secrets of Morocco’s culinary capital.i

by Anya Von Bremzen. Photographed by Marcus Nilssoni travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 87

journal food

blackened conical pots. Good luck choosing between a whole country chicken, pungent with preserved lemons and olives, and a tender beef shank fragrant with cloves and sweet, smoky prunes.

BREAKFAST FEST Cult morning favorite (1) Espace Fruits Outmane (40 Ave. Moulay Rachid, Guéliz; no phone; breakfast for two MAD82) might be miniature, but it’s mirrored, tiled and festooned with soccer ball–scale papayas and grapefruits. At the rickety plastic tables outside, bearded gentlemen aerate their mint teas and pretty young moms ply kids with the thick, tart house yogurt. While awaiting your omelette with dusky shreds of khelea (dried preserved beef), slather aromatic flat cornbreads with honey and amlou, a nutty-rich almond-and-argan-oil spread that will ruin peanut butter for you forever. Finish with the Panache Outmane—a frothy kiwi, strawberry and orange juice potion.

SOUK standouts An orange sunset floods the tiny windows of the KutubĪyah minaret in the distance, smoke drifts up from myriad food stalls, the gnawa drums throb, and children swarm around snake charmers and monkey trainers. The roof-terrace tables at (3) Café de France (Jamâa El Fna square; 212-524/442-319; tea for two MAD57) offer the best vantage point for this great Jamâa El Fna square spectacle, but arrive well before twilight to snag a chair with a view. Tasting your way through the square itself can be challenging: the tablecloth stalls are filled with tourists, while the authentic ones can require a stomach of steel. So follow our lead to (4) Hassan (Stall No. 32; snacks for two MAD41) for juicy merguez sausages served at a tin counter thronged by big families.

Eat Like a Local The meal of your life... at a gas station? Indeed. A 20-minute hop from town along the old Fez route brings you to (2) Al ­Baraka (RP 24 Commune Annakhil, Sidi Yousef Ben Ali; 212-524/329-267; lunch for two MAD245), its cheery outdoor tables an agreeable distance from the pumps. Here’s the drill: flat bread—as blistered and chewy as Rome’s best pizza bianca­—at a window where Berber ladies slap dough into a wood-fueled oven. Next, grilled lamb from the butcher shop in the middle. Finish at the tagine station, where coals smolder beneath the

For roast lamb As humble street stalls open branches in upscale Guéliz, Haj Mostapha N’Guyer, the local mechoui (roasted lamb) emperor, has joined the wave. Find him first, in robe and skullcap, at his (5) Haj ­Mostapha stand in a medina alley (Souk Quessabine, off the northeastern end of Jamâa El Fna; no phone; lunch for two MAD98). Then seek out his alter ego at (6) Chez Lamine (19 Angle Ibn Aicha and Mohamed El Beqal, Résidence Yasmine; 212-524/431164; lunch for two MAD130), speaking French and sporting a European-style suit. At both locations the lamb is

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T o p l e f t Ph o t o : J o h n K e r n i c k

M

arrakesh wallops the senses.

A riot of colors (mosaic tiles; woven textiles), sounds (the drone of drums from the central square, Jamâa El Fna), and, of course, tastes. Whether in the souks of the walled Medina or the bourgeois district of Guéliz, there is no better place to savor the diversity of North African cuisine—lamb, couscous, eggplant all redolent of cumin, saffron and the crimson pepper sauce harissa—than this ancient crossroads.

spectacular: roasted in an underground clay pit until meltingly tender, sold by weight (request the moist neck and rib meat) and served on butcher paper with cumin salt. Your flatbread roll serves as plate, utensil, napkin and absorber of the rich, fatty goodness.

map: lucinda rogers

Grilled meats galore Once a popular hole-in-thewall, (7) Plats Haj Boujema (65 ­Mohamed El Beqal; 212524/421-862; lunch for two MAD163) retains its cheap prices and populist spirit despite the (almost) spiffy new digs in Guéliz. Beauties with kohl-rimmed eyes tend to order panini and pizza, but you should opt for the smoky carnivorous offerings. Succulent minced lamb kofte precede perfect beef brochettes, then flash-charred lamb chops and, for the adventurous, skewers of plush liver or brains. No tasting, please, without the taktuka, a zesty, garlicky tomato-andgreen-pepper relish.

Ultimate Couscous Few restaurants in town bother with the proper raking, swelling and multiple steamings of Morocco’s signature semolina grains. (8) Dar Moha (81 Rue Dar el Bacha, Medina; 212-524/386-264; dinner for two MAD1,100) bills itself as nouvelle marocaine, but its charismatic celebrity chef-owner Moha Fedal happily takes an ancien approach to couscous. Start with a mosaic of Moroccan salads at your candlelit poolside table on the patio of French designer Pierre Balmain’s former riad. Midway through the degustation menu, a duo of couscous dishes invites you to compare earthier Berber-style barley pellets with the more familiar durum wheat, here as light and fluffy as snowflakes. And near the end of your meal don’t forget, the dessert pastilla, made with apples and saffron, deliciously contrasts cream and crunch. »

MOROCCAN TABLEAU

Clockwise from top left: A butcher carves roast lamb at a stall in the souk; lunch on the go in Jamâa El Fna; Hassan, on Jamâa El Fna square, popular for merguez sausage; a typical Moroccan spread of salad, kebabs, merguez and harissa. Opposite from far left: At the entrance of La Mamounia, home to the best spaghetti this side of Campania; harira, a local bean soup, with chebakia pastries and medjool dates, at the Royal Mansour Marrakech hotel; the public park outside the Royal Mansour.

journal food

FRAGRANT DISHES From left: Jamâa El Fna

before the evening rush; traditional ghriba butter cookies from Al Jawda pastry shop; students enjoying their handiwork at La Maison Arabe’s cooking school.

the giggly madames will refresh you with hand towels scented with orange-­flower water.

a meal fit for a King The cliché “royal repast” reacquires its zing at the extravagant Royal Mansour Marrakech hotel, owned by the king of Morocco. Need more pedigree? Parisian chef Yannick Alléno of Michelin threestarred ­Restaurant Le Meurice oversees the hotel’s trio of restaurants. At the lofty (9) La Grande Table Marocaine (Rue Abou Abbas el Sebti, Medina; 212-529/808080; dinner for two MAD3,018), chandeliers glitter onto filigreed metal tables under a coffered ceiling. A waitress in a white caftan reveals a tagine pot’s treasure: sweetly spiced duck meatballs stuffed into tender artichoke hearts. The regal highlight: seffa medfouna, a complex veal-and-apricot stew, buried in a mound of ethereal, thrice-steamed vermicelli ornamented with almonds and cinnamon.

FAMILY-Style dining Run by the female members of the Chab clan and specializing in the intricate flavors of Fez, (10) Al Fassia Aguedal (9 bis Rte. de l’Ourika, Zone Touristique de l’Aguedal; 212-524/381-138; dinner for two MAD530) is equally adored by tourists, opinionated French expats and local foodies. The newer Aguedal location is more sociable than the original branch, with celebrating families upstairs and couples on the low, cushy banquettes on the ground floor. Bilingual servers will chat you through the 15 appetizers: salad-y dishes featuring three sumptuous iterations of ­carrots, an orange-blossom-scented tomato jam and dainty, crisp briouat pastries. Don’t miss the majestic whole lamb shoulder for two—slowly roasted, its brown, burnished glaze is punctuated by almonds. At meal’s end, 90 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

unlikeliest spaghetti Why schlep to Morocco for a bowl of spaghetti? Because Campania’s über-chef ­Alfonso Iaccarino is the genius behind (11) L’Italien (Ave. Bab Jdid, ­Medina; 212-524/388-600; dinner for two MAD1,223), within the renovated La Mamounia hotel. While the Jacques Garcia design is all dark, vampy opulence, the spaghetti Don Alfonso is an essay in sunny simplicity: a vibrant sugo of baby tomatoes clings just so to the al dente pasta from ­Gragnano producer ­Gentile, a single fragrant basil leaf the only garnish. The other primi present an equally bella figura.

Begin with the gossamer lobster fritto and fade out with a luscious, boozy Sorrentine baba au rhum, a dream of ­Amalfi by way of the Sahara.

Best pastries “Artistique!” cry sweet-toothed locals about the almond-y ­handiwork of Madame Alami, sugar diva of (12) Al Jawda pastry shop (11 Rue de la ­Liberté, Guéliz; 212-524/433-897; pastries for two MAD41). Feet aching? Claim a noir rattan chair on the terrace of her Parisian-looking (13) Al Jawda Plus tearoom (84 Ave. ­Mohammed V; 212524/434-662; pastilla for two MAD98) and order the definitive version of pastilla, Morocco’s baroque pigeon pie. Crunchy yet light without the usual excess dusting of sugar, the warqa pastry encloses a sweet-savory marvel of tender, chunky braised pigeon in a plush ambience of ground almonds and beaten eggs. It arrives redolent of orange-­flower water and a complex blend of spices. End with cornes de gazelles pastry half-moons and ultra-crumbly ghriba cookies. On the other side of town, by the covered produce souk, the dollhouse displays of some six dozen syrup-glistening pastries and »

journal Food

NORTH AFRICAN FLAVORS From above: The outdoor patio at La Table restaurant at the Royal Mansour; chef Mohal Fedal (right) of Dar Moha restaurant stocking up at the Mellah souk; a lunch of chicken and preserved lemon tagine at Al Baraka, at a roadside gas station outside Marrakesh.

date sweetmeats at (14) Patisserie Anjar (121 Ave. Houmane El Fetouaki, Arset ­Lamaâch; 212-524/378-983) entice even the most pastry-phobic. The white-chocolateglazed almond-and-citron confection tastes like marzipan from heaven.

DRINK WITH A VIEW The minimalist (15) Sky Bar (89 Angle Blvds. Zerkhtouni and ­Mohammed V, Guéliz; 212-524/337777; drinks for two MAD122), at the 1950’s-style Hotel La Renaissance, is the highest perch in the city. Come before dusk for the snowcapped Atlas Mountains vista, an ice-cold Casablanca beer, and the incongruous sight of macho dudes in Ray-Bans enjoying drinks with fruit slices. Once the red rooftop bar sign lights up, amble over to the lobby drinking den at the (16) BAB Hotel (Blvd. Mansour ­Eddahbi and Rue ­Mohamed El Beqal, Guéliz; 212-524/435-250; cocktails for two MAD196), where drinks are accompanied by ­Moroccoinspired tapas. The visuals here constitute another kind of tour de force, with a cool, camel-bone-tiled counter and lampshades of shaggy recycled plastic. The libations list is equally cheeky. How about a Jack Is Back—vodka zapped with kiwi, lemon and ginger?

Top Cooking School Franco-Italian aristocrat Fabrizio Ruspoli has added 10 rooms to (17) La Maison Arabe (1 Derb Assehbé, Bab Doukkala, Medina; 212-524/387010; lamaisonarabe.com; doubles from MAD2,039; half-day cooking classes from MAD612 per person), his sybaritic riad on the ­medina’s edge. The cooking school remains stellar, with small class sizes for a total immersion into the fragrant North African cuisine. Instructor Dada Fatiha learned from her mother, who cooked for a local pasha. Before rolling up 92 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

their sleeves to make flaky briouat pastries and a chicken tagine accented with cinnamon and sesame seeds, students tour the spice market and cull tips from congenial university professor ­Mohammed Nahir. (A saffron secret? Pulverize it in a mortar with a touch of salt before using.) Lessons conclude with a DIY feast overlooking a dreamy pool flanked by olive trees.

BRING it Back Savvy shoppers head to the venerable Mellah souk (near Place des Ferblantiers, in the city’s old Jewish ghetto), where donkeys ferry huge loads along narrow passageways, striped-robed vendors tend conical piles of turmeric and paprika, and sacks bulge with dried rosebuds and sandalwood. Take in the scene over a sage tea or anise-spiked Arabic coffee on the balcony café of the (18) Art de Vivre Oriental complex (88 Rue de Commerce Hay Salam, Mellah; 212-524/389-791; tea for two MAD16).

Stock up on saffron, spice blends and medicinal tisanes at (19) Herboristerie ­Ibnou Nafiss (52 Rue Dar Daou, Arset ­Lamaâch; 212-655/560-822). Those looking for chic handpainted tea glasses and earth-toned artisanal linen place mats and ­tablecloths should visit (20) Scènes de Lin (70 Rue de la Liberté, Guéliz; 212-524/436-108). For argan oil— both cosmetic and ­culinary—and vibrant essences from ­organic ­ingredients grown on the owner’s farm, get ­Nectarome-brand products at (21) Essence des Sens (52 Rue Mouassine, ­Medina; 212-6/7696-3107): the orange-­ flower water will perfume desserts or fruit salads, and a dash of black sesame oil can transform a stew. Dizzy from endless ­patterns? The tea sets, candlesticks and mini tagine pots at ­(22) Jamade (1 Place Douar Graoua, Rue Riad Zitoun J’did, Medina; 212-524/429-042), produced by artisans and women’s collectives, feature fluid, modern shapes, smooth glazing and eye-popping monochrome hues. ✚

LUXURY VILLAS IN THAILAND From THB 65 Million

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journal essay

words fail me

whether it’s french or farsi, spanish or vietnamese, foreign tongues don’t come easily to Peter jon lindberg. but that hasn’t stopped him from trying. Illustrated by Paul Davis

I

t’s back-to-school time at the Lindberg household, as a new semester of Vietnamese lessons begins this week. Once again I’ll climb the narrow stairs to my tutor’s Chinatown walk-up, dog-eared vocab book in hand. Once again I’ll return to my well-worn boulder and confounding hill, to resume my lifelong, Sisyphean attempt to learn a foreign language.

Professor Lap is an affable septuagenarian from Vinh Long province, possessed of periwinkle hair and infinite patience. Over the 22 months that I’ve studied Vietnamese with him, he has never lost his temper, no matter how relentlessly I butcher his mother tongue. His stoicism is a lesson in itself.

After retiring from a career in engineering, Lap took up teaching Vietnamese out of his apartment. Alas, it seems no amount of engineering could transform me into a capable

94 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Vietnamese speaker. My vocabulary still ranks below that of a toddler, my pronunciation no better than a newborn’s. As with every second language I’ve endeavored to learn, some basic click has gone unclicked.

The irony of this—Hi, I’m Peter; I make a living traveling and using words—is not lost on me. I may be a chatty raconteur at home, but overseas I’ve always been a conspicuously quiet American.

My wife has no such problems. Born in Tehran, educated at international schools, Nilou spoke three languages—Farsi, French and English—by the fourth grade. That same year her family left Iran for Paris; when she was 12 they moved to the U.S. In junior high she picked up Spanish, the way other people might pick up a stapler. Fluent in four tongues, she has no trace of an accent in any, such that shopkeepers in Chicago, Lyons, Seville or Shiraz will all assume Nilou is a local. (If I’m with her, they guess she is a tour guide.) »

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journal essay I, meanwhile, can’t even pronounce her proper name.

“Niloufar,” I’ll say.

“Niloufar,” she’ll correct me.

“Niloufar,” I’ll repeat, exactly as she said it.

“No, honey,” she’ll say. “Ni-lou-far.”

I’ll try again—the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate, to collapse, in shame, on the teeth.

This usually goes on for another 15 minutes before she gives up and goes back to her Le Figaro.

We have been married for eight years.

U

nlike Nilou, I came to languages late—at 14, with eighth-grade French. The teacher was a patchouli-reeking Deadhead originally from Montepelier, Vermont, which she insisted on pronouncing “Mohn-pell-yay.”

It was the wrong language for me from the get-go.

French, I quickly learned, is far less intuitive and far less forgiving than other tongues: precision is everything. (I have read that hapless French schoolchildren are forced to hold their crayons between their nose and upper lip for hours on end, to strengthen the muscles required to produce that pinched eu sound all budding francophones know and loathe.)

Through free-flowing conversation and interaction among students, the best language instructors make speaking feel as natural as possible. The problem is that (a) there is nothing remotely “natural” about speaking French, as any kid with a pencil mustache would tell you if he could only form the words; and (b) when you’re a shy, pimply-faced pubescent boy, the very last thing you want to do is make eu sounds in a dialogue with Gretchen Hoginski, who already thought you were kind of odd and mumbly to begin with.

And so it was in eighth-grade French class that I experienced the first twinges of performance anxiety. That’s how it’s been for me ever since. In France, I still break into flop sweats at boulangeries, banks and railway stations, nervously awaiting my turn in line. Often I’ll chicken out before reaching the front of the queue, telling myself, Y’know, I don’t ­really need that croissant/cash/train ticket. It’s cool. I’ll just walk over here instead.

So, as a monoglot traveler, do I have a less “complete” experience than my polyglot wife? Of course I do. Traveling in places where you don’t speak the language is like going to a play in Hungarian: the scenery is lovely, but you have no idea what the hell is going on. (Wait, why’d that guy kill the other guy? Is that her boyfriend? Hold up—that’s her dad?)

The monolingual tourist always has the nagging sense that he’s missed something—that same feeling you’d get from the rarely used dating sections of old Berlitz phrase books, which jumped magically from “Can I buy you a drink?” to “How was it for you?”

96 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

B

ut back to Professor Lap. I’ve been traveling to ­Vietnam since the mid-nineties, yet until two years ago I’d never attempted to learn the language. It is, needless to say, challenging for a Westerner. Like Mandarin and Thai, Vietnamese is a tonal language, demanding both a highly attuned ear and a high threshold of embarrassment, since one is not just uttering strange syllables but singing them. While it does use the ­Roman alphabet, written Vietnamese functions more like sheet music, with diacritics to indicate the tones. Those tones are crucial: a single phoneme—like ga—might have five different meanings based on variations in pitch. My constant fear is that the wrong melody could turn “I’d like to rent a motorbike” into “I’d like to eat your dog.”

After a few months with Professor Lap, I returned to ­Vietnam to try out my newfound skills. My fantasy was to sit in a café next to a tableful of giggling Vietnamese teenagers, who, as per usual, would poke fun at me in their native tongue, the big goofy American, until I’d finally spin around and say, in pitch-perfect Vietnamese, “AHA! So I amuse you, eh? Well, look who’s talking now, suckers!”

Sadly, Professor Lap hadn’t taught me how to say “suckers.” And overall, speaking Vietnamese didn’t work out like I planned. I was comfortable enough with food words—eating being my favorite thing to do in Vietnam. It was sentences that flummoxed me. I could launch conversations, but had to withdraw quickly before they got too involved. Here was a not-atypical exchange, this one with my hotel concierge: “Tôi tên là Peter,” I began. My name is Peter.

“Xin chào anh,” he replied. “Anh làm nghê` gì?” (Literally: “You do job what?”)

And here I was stuck.

“Mm-hmm,” I said, considering my options. He waited.

A full minute went by. My cheeks grew hot. Finally, like a typewriting monkey, I let loose a flurry of ­Vietnamese words—any words, just to fill the space—which I believe translated to: “Cat! Blouse! Shrimp! Pencil! Soup!”

A look of panic crossed the concierge’s face. He stood perfectly still, hoping I’d just walk away. I did.

In some cases people wouldn’t even acknowledge I was speaking Vietnamese. At restaurants I’d ask for my bill— thanh toán tiê`n—only to be met with blank stares. “Thanh toán tiê`n,” I’d repeat, scribbling the air as if signing a check.

Nothing. I could see the mental gears turning: How strange— it sounds like the pink man is saying “Check, please,” but he couldn’t possibly be speaking Vietnamese. So what is it he wants?

After a week of this I began to doubt my ability to communicate at all. Why had I chosen such a difficult language?

Why not, say, Italian? It always sounds so easy, so obvious, so fun. All those hand gestures! But no. I had to pick Vietnamese—lousy, useless, singsongy Vietnamese.

A

nglophones are blessed and cursed to speak the p ­ lanet’s lingua franca; wherever we go, the world indulges our ignorance. That’s surely why the U.S. has such a low rate of bilingualism. The other reason is just stubborn, swollen pride, particularly among males. American men don’t speak foreign languages for the same reason we don’t consult road maps or dance the tango: because we’re afraid of looking stupid, particularly in hostile terrain. It is a humiliating thing to be reduced to a babbling buffoon, all the while knowing that if they’d just OWH-HOTEL-2011-118_Travel&Leasure-Rooms_203.2x133.35mm

speak ENGLISH one would be revealed as the charming and eloquent man folks know back home.

In John Fowles’s The Magus, the protagonist—a ­British ESL instructor living in Greece—likens teaching E ­ nglish to foreigners to “being a champion at tennis … condemned to play with rabbits.” Whenever I travel to non-­Englishspeaking countries, I feel like a rabbit up against Rafael Nadal—except he doesn’t realize I’m awesome at hockey.

And there’s the rub. In my native tongue I take pride in deploying words carefully. Speaking anything else, I’m all too aware that I sound like a jackass.

Other people, not so much. At a restaurant in Provence, I winced as a British tourist made a fool of himself in horrible French, ordering “cocka van” (coq au vin) and “frizzy larduns” (frisée au lardons). The waiter understood it all.

When he arrived at our table, I could barely get a word out, hung as I was on proper conjugation and gender agreement.

Which prompts the question: Is it better to say a few things well, or many things badly? If you’re too concerned with linguistic correctness, you wind up losing le bois pour les arbres. The trick is to plow ahead undaunted, using whatever words you’ve got, no matter how ridiculous you sound.

Isn’t that so, Niloufar? ✚

This year, make room for something a little unique.

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Located at the fringe of Kuala Lumpur, just 45 minutes from KLIA, the One World Hotel offers a one-of-a-kind holiday experience for the whole family. Here, you can have a feast together or indulge in a romantic massage for two, go on a shopping frenzy or kick-back and enjoy a movie, tuck into barbecued ribs by the poolside or play a round of golf before sunset. You could also take your family on a guided city tour, or choose instead to relax in the plush rooms.

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f i r s t ave nu e , b a n d a r u t a m a c i t y c e n t re , 4 7 8 0 0 p e t a l i n g j ay a , s e l a n go r, m a l ay s i a . t o l l f re e d o m e s t i c : 1 3 0 0 8 8 7 8 8 8 t o l l f re e i n t e r n a t i o n a l : 1 8 0 0 8 8 7 8 8 8 t e l : 6 0 3 7 6 8 1 1 1 1 1 f a x : 6 0 3 7 6 8 1 1 1 8 8 we b s i t e : w w w. o n ewo r l d h o t e l . c o m . my

journal portfolio

still moments in and around the temples at koyasan, Japan, christopher wise is entranced by a much-appreciated natural pause amid a modern world— a feel he’s captured on camera.

98 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Tranquil lodging at Yochiin.

Opposite: Detail of a temple gate.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 99

journal portfolio Dressed stone effigies in Okunoin Cemetery.

Opposite: Wooden clogs on granite.

100 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

E

very day, the monks at the temples in Koyasan walk solemnly from their main quarters across great granite flag stones, over the gently arched wooden bridge, past the towering cedar trees and climb the last steps to the main sanctuary.

They carry with them breakfast for the monk Kūkai, the founder—in 819—of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhists. That would make Kūkai 1,192 years old today. While most would assume that he is simply entombed (he was not cremated as is traditional Buddhist practice), his followers believe he is in an eternal, higher level of concentrated meditation called samadhi and still alive on Mount Kōya awaiting the appearance of the next Buddha Maitreya (of the future). The town of Koyasan, which surrounds the Shingon temple tucked under Mount Kōya, appears, like Kūkai, to be in a state of suspended animation.

There are a few nods to modernity: a gas station, traffic lights, paved roads, perhaps a convenience

shop, but they are shrouded by the surrounding history. A traveler can still stay in temple lodgings that are most often run by the same families who built the shrines generations ago. Shops selling local sweets are built from old cedar planks and have linen drapes with the family crest hanging in their doorways. From town, there is a long walk to the main temple through a graveyard of moss-coated markers, statues of Buddha and dressed Mizuko kuyō, effigies to honor children who have died before birth.

Huge, impossibly tall cedar trees line the pathway.

The sound of the wind in the towering trees is more obvious than the humming of Toyotas’ tires on the clean pavements in town below. The stillness, a buffer from the future, is what I immediately tried to photograph—all quite elusive concepts that need to be shown by documenting the concrete.

If I managed this at all, it was by waiting, even meditating somewhat, until a moment appeared where the physical and ephemeral met for 1/60th of a second.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 101

journal portfolio

102 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Monks in a scene that harks back to a different century.

Opposite: A bronze image of the Buddha doused in water.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 103

journal portfolio

104 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

A temple gong. Opposite: Local lodging at Koyasan.

travelandleisureasia.com | December 2011 105

journal hotels

Going public

for his latest act, ian schrager debuts a new breed of hotel in a historic chicago building that also happens to be home to that legendary celebrity hangout, the Pump Room. kate betts drops by. Photographed by Greg Ruffing

I

t’s a sunny September morning in Chicago’s ritzy Gold Coast neighborhood, and Ian Schrager is up early, fiddling around with a glass vase holding a ­single, giant elephant’s ear leaf in the lobby of his new hotel, Public Chicago. Dressed in his ­uniform of polo shirt and jeans, Schrager bounces around the airy, bright lobby of the 1926 landmark building, getting ready for the first guests to check in and check out his latest concept.

“The operation of a hotel has a million moving parts,” he says.

“That’s hard for a perfectionist.”

The 285-room Public, formerly the ­­Ambassador East, is Schrager’s first project as an independent hotelier since the market crash in 2008. And, Schrager adds, it’s probably his most personal. »

The entrance to Public Chicago, formerly the Ambassador East, in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

106 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

»

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journal hotels

CHICAGO LIGHTS UP

From top: ­Inside the ­revamped Pump Room, at Public; hotelier Ian Schrager in the lobby; the ­Library, which serves as both coffee bar and cocktail lounge.

Public Chicago 1301 N. State Pkwy.; 1-312/787-3700; publichotels.com; doubles from US$135.

108 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Instead of hiring a ­famous designer like Philippe Starck or a famous artist like ­Julian Schnabel, he came up with the design himself, with lots of help from Anda Andrei, the sharp-eyed in-house architect who has been with him since the mid 1980’s, and other members of his long-term staff.

The guy who invented the velvet rope at Studio 54 and the slick boutique hotel is trying on a whole new look: the no-frills hotel. Schrager sees the Public brand as a reflection of a growing trend in the hospitality business, one that favors inclusiveness over exclusiveness. The idea is to combine the service of a Four Seasons with the practicality and value of “select service” brands such as a Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton ­Garden Inn. ­Schrager compares the concept with the retail experience at an Apple store: “You get what you need and get rid of what’s unnecessary. There’s a paradigm shift in this country,” he explains. “People want to be more modest. Even if they have the money, they don’t want to spend it extravagantly anymore. I don’t think luxury is based on what you pay for something,” he says. “It’s about an experience.” And this new experience is decidedly democratic. Just to prove how “­public” the ­Public concept will be, Schrager set about renaming the Pump Room, the hotel’s restaurant, which was once a favorite hangout of celebs such as Marilyn Monroe and ­Humphrey ­Bogart.

As a gesture of respect to the foodies of Chicago, he went to the website and asked people to vote on the name.

The overwhelming choice: keep the Pump Room.

Although he liked the bones of the building, Schrager wanted to open up the space between the restaurant and the lobby. The gestalt might be no-frills, but ­Schrager still wants people to hang out. “This is the opposite of Philippe Starck,” he says. “It’s more like Andrée Putman in the very beginning.

Design is no longer enough. There has to be an ethos, too.”

And so green marble floors gave way to integrated concrete; a handful of old chandeliers were reinvented as one giant cluster of crystal hanging by the entrance. The lobby serves as a kind of community office, with a huge Christian Liaigre table housing a bank of five ­MacBook Pro computers. It’s a self-serve mentality, offered up with a dose of signature Schrager wit: a giant clock behind the concierge desk has a minute hand that moves backward. ­Schrager calls it his Benjamin Button clock.

Back in the lobby, Schrager is finally satisfied with the placement of the leaf vase and moves on to the Library, a coffee bar by day and cocktail lounge by night. The walls are lined with tongue-in-cheek portraits by Dutch photographer Hendrik Kerstens in the style of Vermeer, except instead of pearl earrings, the models wear curlers made of Coca-Cola cans. Both the portraits and the columns fashioned from reclaimed wood were inspired by the work of Joseph Bennett and the production team behind the popular Alexander McQueen exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan

Museum of Art (“That guy is a genius—he’s going to do my next hotel”). Although the room seems the perfect mix of cozy and hip—a fire burning bright in the fireplace; board games stacked on a sideboard—something about the coffee bar, which was inspired by Viennese cafés and serves coffee from La Colombe, is not quite right. Schrager and Andrei zero in on a plastic cup of yogurt sitting on top of the coffee bar. Schrager is outraged by the US$9 price tag. He also hates the way a wire egg rack is placed on top of the glass case where the muffins and bagels—baked fresh every ­morning—are displayed.

In his quest to keep extra guest charges and an overpopulation of bellhops to a minimum, Schrager has worked hard to lower prices everywhere. There are no fluffy terry-cloth robes (available only on request), no irritating mini-bars stuffed with gross chocolates ( just ­Popchips, peanuts, Bombay ­Sapphire gin and a wool knit cap, which, in Chicago, is probably the smartest idea yet). “You won’t find US$5 Hershey’s bars in the mini-bar,” says Schrager, who admits that he is obsessed with retailers like Trader Joe’s.

“All sorts of people shop there—rich, poor. I like that they have a very specific point of view and not a lot of choice. It’s reasonably priced but no less sophisticated.”

And so every room in the Public is impeccably designed, but this time instead of three-legged chairs there are comfy linen-covered armchairs that are replicas of one Schrager found at a flea market in Paris. Walls are bare but for a huge flat-screen TV, an oversize clock and a series of JeanBaptiste Mondino photos of cows, a wink at Chicago’s famous meat market. Wi-Fi is free in the hotel. Room service comes in a brown paper bag instead of on a silver tray. You can take it to go or eat it in the room.

“I love it,” Schrager says. “When I started in the business you were paying a US$7 delivery charge and room service took 25 minutes. This arrives in six minutes, and I keep pushing the prices down. I call it bankruptcy prices.” He plans to take them—and ­Public—to several more cities, including New York and London.

But perhaps the biggest coup of all—and one that will no doubt please his neighbors—is the food. And Schrager the perfectionist obsessed for a long time to get it just right. For both room service and the restaurant, he wanted the food to be simple, delicious, healthy and not expensive­, so he called

in one of his favorite chefs, Jean-Georges ­Vongerichten, and asked him to bring ABC Kitchen to Chicago. To arrive at a menu that features small “market table” appetizers and such Jean-­Georges favorites as roasted beets with house-made yogurt, crab toast with lemon aioli and Wiener schnitzel, Schrager insisted on keeping the prices as low as possible: only one dish costs more than US$30. The signature Jean-Georges ­dessert—an unbelievably delicious saltedcaramel ice cream sundae topped with candied peanuts, caramel popcorn, chocolate sauce and whipped cream—will only set anyone with a sweet tooth back US$7. Perhaps as a gift to Jean-Georges, Andrei and Schrager reimagined the Pump Room with the requisite group table and signature booths, all topped off with a giant room-size constellation of softly lit resin globes.

Back in the lobby on opening day, Schrager does a discreet double-take when he spies four burly guys with backpacks checking in to the hotel. From the look on his face, it is clear Schrager still has to acclimate to the sight of the “public”—regular people, not ­hipsters—in one of his hotels. With their Patagonia fleeces and North Face backpacks, these guys would never have made it past the proverbial velvet rope. But they definitely shop at places like Trader Joe’s. ✚

Public details Clockwise from

left: The daily menu in the Library’s coffee bar; one of the guest rooms; breakfast at the Pump Room.

The Chill Skybar lives up to its name.

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t’s Saturday night in Saigon and the streets are thronged with motorbikes and cars. The din is deafening. The wide, multi-laned stretch of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia that plows through District 3— lined as it is today with billboards of smiling Vietnamese families in sparkling new kitchens in idyllic housing developments—is particularly obnoxious this evening, with a steady stream of spiky-haired teenagers weaving about on shiny, thinwheeled Hondas and menacing SUV’s plowing through the madness.

Down a quiet, narrow alley between shops peddling impressionistic renditions of lithe women in traditional ao dai and dreamy landscapes of the Vietnamese countryside, a crowd of about 100 has gathered inside a squat building with a colorful graffiti painting on one side. Alongside kids standing in a circle and kicking around a shuttlecock, locals and foreigners swig cans of 333 beer, sporting piercings, thick-rimmed glasses, and rolled-up pants and jacket sleeves. Though some are decidedly hipster, others couldn’t be more typically Vietnamese, in sweet floral tops and dainty sandals.

No matter their appearance, they’re all transfixed by the main event: an independent film screening by two young Vietnamese brothers, twins Le Duc Hai and Le Ngoc Thanh, called Into the Sea. The multiscreened installation explores the paths of two identical individuals in different places at the same time, whose emotional journeys take place while walking on the beach or floating on the sea. Like the venue’s hard-to-find location, a new independent art space called Zero Station/Ga 0, the film’s meaning might be obscured, but the message this Saturday night couldn’t be clearer: there’s an air of creative innovation sweeping through this city, despite—or because of—its anxious embrace of the Western world.

Nearly 10 percent of Vietnam’s burgeoning population of 90 million lives in what, officially at least, is Ho Chi Minh City; some two thirds of them are under the age of 35. And a fifth of the total is between 15 and 24 years old. So it’s no wonder that this vibrant city, considered the more entrepreneurial, more fast-paced, anything-goes counterpart to buttoned-up Hanoi, is home to a new breed of art

spaces, cafés, bars and boutiques that are exploring new aesthetics and forging a new definition of what it means to be Vietnamese, even if that identity is still very much in flux.

Characters who form this scene range from bornand-bred Saigonese, many of whom have studied overseas and come home with a renewed sense of possibility, and an edgy expat community with a large contingent of Viet Kieu—those with Vietnamese heritage—like Linda Mai Phung, an up-and-coming 27-year-old French-Vietnamese fashion designer who’s lived in Saigon for nearly four years.

“Everything is moving pretty fast right now,” she says, wearing one of her designs—a simple, cherryred, belted silk mini-dress—and sipping a glass of red wine at Cun House, a petite living-room-like café and bar opened by a young Vietnamese architect last year. “And everything seems possible. Young people go abroad to study and then come back and realize they have to make something happen. It’s a young, fresh spirit, and people are getting more openminded, even if the political situation is not so.

Everyone believes they can be the next Karl Lagerfeld or Christian Lacroix.”

Phung’s edgy, eco-friendly designs, made with sustainably produced silk, recycled fabrics and swatches of ethnic minority embroidery, are sold at L’Usine, a café–boutique opened by four friends two years ago. This is one of Saigon’s hippest addresses, tucked away down a narrow covered arcade full of knock-off paintings and cheap bags off of fashionable Dong Khoi street. Housed in an 1890’s building that was once the Hotel de Saigon, the 425-square-meter industrial-chic space had been converted into apartments, but co-owner Darren Chew, a Singaporean-Australian who also runs the design firm District Eight Design, tried to restore as much of the original architectural elements as possible during a seven-week renovation. Light pours in through the huge, arched windows, while ornate iron columns punctuate the open plan and its soaring 5.5-meter ceilings. Old weaving looms and sewing machine bases display items by local Vietnamese designers—men’s and women’s fashion, handmade jewelry, lacquerware in modern, punchy colors and » travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 113

shapes—while the long, communal tables in the café are made of wood Chew salvaged from junkyards.

Come lunchtime, they fill with young creative types and entrepreneurs between the ages of 20 and 35 munching on salads and baguettes; in the late afternoon, students arrive, sipping fruit smoothies and nibbling on the homemade desserts.

“Young Vietnamese are amazed when they walk in for the first time. I see the ‘wow’ in their faces,” says Tib Hoang, co-owner and café manager. “The flavors of our food are new to many of them, but eventually they get addicted to them. They will wait for the red velvet cupcakes to be delivered, pooling all their money to share a single one.”

Chew adds, “We just wanted to show what can be done with an old building. It’s nice to see local young people appreciate something historical because so many things are being knocked down.”

framed drawings from storybooks, served by barefooted waitresses (shoes are left at the door), with a Taylor Swift­–heavy soundtrack playing in the background. On weekends, the café hosts live acoustic music by local Vietnamese musicians; downstairs, there’s also a tiny shop popular with the café’s patrons that sells vintage clothing sourced from Thailand.

Other café-restaurants are putting art at the forefront and providing much-needed venues for the city’s young artists, like Himiko Visual Saloon, where 35-year-old owner and photographer Nguyen Kim Hoang regularly hosts shows and screenings by experimental painters, sculptors, installation artists and filmmakers, both Vietnamese and foreign. Three artist friends opened Pandora Studio Café along the border of districts one and five in April, with the aim of creating a space for their friends to congregate

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ovelty cafés like L’Usine are popping up everywhere in the city, attracting legions of Saigon youth seeking quirky spots far from the ubiquitous Highlands Coffee outlets. An architect designed everything in Up Café in Phu Nhuan District to appear to be upside down (even the façade), with tables, chairs and lamps suspended from the ceiling, while Cacophony recreates street scenes from Hanoi and Saigon in three-dimensional panoramas. On Sundays, creative types gather to play chess at sunny Things Café, a shabby-chic spot with French colonial tiles, canary-yellow wooden shutters and mismatched furniture, opened by a prominent young Vietnamese VJ for MTV and hidden in a small house in a residential complex in District 1. To find it, you have to follow the arrows painted on the walls in the crumbling stairwell.

At kitschy, girly The Princess and the Pea, the theme is fairytales: young women seated on purple floor cushions huddle around low tables beneath 114 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

and talk about and show their work. Here, Saigon’s young and inspired sip espresso among illuminated rice-paper trees and old electronics suspended from the ceiling; upstairs, there’s a library full of art books and piles of sketch paper and pencils for impromptu drawing sessions.

Creating a platform for Saigon’s nascent artistic scene to convene—and telling their stories—is one of the goals of 35-year-old Linh Hong Phan’s work at Fact & Fiction Films, a production company she cofounded. A Vietnamese-Canadian who left the country with her parents in 1977, Phan has spent much of the five years she’s lived in Saigon examining the ways in which Vietnam is changing and is viewed by the outside world. “I got tired of going overseas and just seeing stuff about war,” she says over tapas and wine at La Fenêtre Soleil, a trendy, candle-lit boîte housed in a colonial building and furnished with vintage couches, chandeliers, mismatched framed mirrors and mounted antlers. The Japaneserun spot has become a go-to for casual dance parties, in no small part thanks to Phan’s three-year-strong indie dance party, called Everyone’s a DJ. »

One-of-a-kind dresses at Kin by Cong Tri.

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Phan is currently working on a documentary about artists in different disciplines: a musician, a photographer, a dancer, a skateboarder. “There’s really a push-pull going on in Vietnamese society now. Many young people are still being pulled back to traditional values and what old Saigon and families used to be, back to what Asian culture centers around,” she says. “I went to eat some noodles on the street, and was served by a young guy with spiky hair and tattoos, that kind of thing. He’s carrying on his family’s business during the day, but I’m sure on weekends he’s out drag-racing his motorbike and doing all the other things young Vietnamese are currently obsessed with.”

Places like La Fenêtre Soleil are offering refreshing alternatives to a nightlife that once consisted mainly of cheesy expat bars, backpacker dens and obnoxious clubs. In District 3, three spots have opened that are entertaining the young and curious en masse: Acoustic, whose house band’s set list ranges from phonetically rendered covers of pop hits like Jay Sean’s “Down” to syrupy Vietnamese ballads and packs in an earnest, sing-along crowd on weekends; Yen Café, a mellow live-music venue with exposed brick walls, blond-wood tables and blooms in recycled bottles—it launched the career of folkmusic sensation Le Cat Trong Ly, who’s currently on 116 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

a national tour; and hipster favorite Yoko Bar, a contemporary yet low-key red, white and gray space hung with organically shaped light fixtures and posters of Aretha Franklin, Andy Warhol and Albert Einstein. There’s live music every night. Yoko drew a standing-room-only crowd for Future Shorts, an evening featuring 10 short films by emerging Vietnamese and international filmmakers.

The newest addition to Saigon’s late-night scene is Chill Skybar, a happening, see-and-be-seen lounge on the 26th and 27th floors of the AB Tower in District 1. The place boasts killer cityscape views, an eye-popping design by architects DWP Thailand of Sirocco fame—curved glass walls; leather loungers; lime-green marble cocktail tables; potted hot pink orchids and roses—and a cocktail list created by German mixologist Bernardo Bernard, who has shaken drinks for Lady Gaga and P Diddy. Taken as a whole, the space embodies the addictive, forwardthinking energy in this city.

It’s the sort of place that brings stars to the eyes of a young Saigonese like Nguyen Bui Quoc Dung, the 23-year-old assistant to one of the city’s most popular fashion designers, Do Manh Cuong, a darling of Elle Vietnam fashion shows. “Did you see the Devil Wears Prada?” Dung asks in perfect English, though he’s never been out of Vietnam. “I’m like Andy, the main

character.” DMC, Cuong’s boutique near Ben Thanh Market, carries the 31-year-old’s ready-to-wear line of casual-chic and cocktail wear: linen skirts with oversize pockets and cinched waists paired with silk chemises in dazzling brights, and 1960’s-inspired A-line mini-dresses.

“The city feels so fresh and inspiring now—I want to catch this feeling,” Dung says, peering through rectangular, wire-rimmed glasses. “Fashion has changed a lot in my city. It’s developing everyday as the big brands arrive and teach people about fashion.

Local designers have to make something that follows the trends but still fits Vietnamese people.”

Down the street, celebrities and pop stars flock to a shop run by designer wunderkind Cong Tri, called Kin. Each dress here is one-of-a-kind and a work of art, with intricate beading, hand-embroidery and fine silks and brocades in body-skimming, dramatic silhouettes, ranging from a rounded collar, canary yellow mini covered in yellow sequins to a red-carpet ready champagne-hued floor-length gown with an exquisite silk and chiffon train. The fact that such an esteemed clientele is willing to pass on Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs and dish out their dong to a young, local designer, speaks volumes about the desire for a Vietnamese identity as Saigon enters the world stage.

A different sort of aesthetic—and perhaps one more suited to Saigon’s indie bars and cafés—can be found at Lam Boutique, run by the effortlessly stylish and self-taught designer Vo Thi Li Lam, who’s known for her signature shaggy cropped bob and cherry-red lipstick. Like so many of the city’s gems, the shop is hidden from the hustle and bustle, up a few flights of dilapidated stairs with the neighbors looking on curiously. Lam’s otherworldly haven is a trove of vintage-inspired, breezy dresses and blouses in stripes, polka dots and soft florals crafted from cotton and silk. Nothing here is tight or fussy, but stands proud in its understated retro sophistication. The shop has proven so successful that Lam just opened a second, larger outlet in District 7, where many of the city’s urban elite are settling.

“Vietnamese women always want everything tight,” Lam says. She’s wearing one of her designs, a black sleeveless shift dress and black pumps, with the ease and elegance of a model. Her customers tend to be young Vietnamese professionals seeking an alternative to the doll-like, flat-ironed-hair, fakeeyelash look. “Women come to my shop and they like my designs. Their husbands like them, their friends like them. The point is that they can wear my clothes however, and wherever, they like. I help create freedom in their lives.” ✚ travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 117

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A view of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge.

Christmas

When does this tourist-filled city become a wonderland all your own?

When you arrive in he middle of winter.

From Torcello to San Marco and all the neighborhoods in between, peter weller sets out on the ultimate tour of Venice.

Photographed by Cedric Angeles

I first saw venice in june 1984. it was a sewer.

I had arrived in Rome with an insane man (a misanthropic friend with all the composure of a bag of cats), his new wife and an image of myself sitting in a white suit in the Piazza San Marco listening to violins while pigeons flew. Lord knows where this image came from—I had never read Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice nor seen Katharine Hepburn in ­Summertime. I picked up the suit in Rome, ditched my friends, and drove to Florence and on to Venice. At a mediocre trattoria on my first evening I met a photographer, a young woman from Mexico traveling up the Adriatic Sea. After snapping a picture of me in the suit, standing among the pigeons in the Piazza San Marco while violins whined the Beatles, she skipped town. Following a tour of the Doge’s Palace, I also fled the hordes for ­a n Orient-Express train through the quiet Tyrol. Trapped by summer and ignorance, I, like so many others, had missed the city’s blessings.

A few years later, I had the chance to return during a Christmas break from filming a movie in ­Quebec. The original plan was to meet my friend Brian and his fiancée in the ­Caribbean. One week before departure, ­Brian called to say that the affair was over…and so was the 122 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

beach. “Bill Murray’s ‘first law of paradise,’” he reminded me. “‘Bring a date.’” He suggested we visit the world’s most melancholy locale, as there would be nowhere to go but up. My response: “Well, Venice is miserable in summer, so winter should be deplorable.”

I returned, expecting gloom, but finding rapture. Venice at Christmas is the city as it exists for locals: organic, serene, beautiful. Canals twinkle with holiday sparkle; campo, calle, church and museum are empty, save for ­Venetians grateful for the respite from the crowds.

The enchanting and exalted Venetian light, immortalized by the paintings of Canaletto and Francesco Guardi, is even more hypnotic in winter, when moisture from the sea hits the chilled air, creating a haze off the lagoon that filters the sun into pink or gold, depending upon the hour. ­Approached from the airport in a water taxi, the distant skyline of Venice appears like a mirage under this pastel.

One winter, with a friend from Paris, I arrived at night during a snowfall. As we stood in the boat’s open cockpit watching the city’s lights twinkle through the flurry, the boat, with its one headlamp, interrupted a flock of gulls nestling on the whitecaps. In slow motion, white birds burst forth from a white sea into the white falling snow. The dizzying image left us speechless until the boatman whispered, “Dio mio.…”

After that first winter, I revisited Venice again and again, the boatman’s whisper becoming my mantra. A Christmas ritual was born. Each year, my wife, Sheri, and I gather here with a disparate collection of friends that grows and shrinks, but always includes Brian, a Venetian sculptress, a tomato baron couple from California, a real estate duo from Miami and others—most of whom we met here over the years and few of whom we see beyond the dream-borders of this place and time. This year we’re adding six men from the film business, and Sheri ­wonders if art and architecture will replace their golf, girls and games. I tell her: If they cannot »

Lights and Magic Clockwise from left: The steps of the Rialto Bridge; looking toward Andrea Palladio’s church of San Giorgio Maggiore; the Rialto Bridge. Opposite: The author and his wife in Caffè Florian, on Piazza San Marco.

Season’s Greetings Clockwise from above: New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Grand Canal; along one of Venice’s quiet canals in Castello; walking past the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (left) and Church of San Rocco (right) at night; warming up at Marchini Time pastry shop, in San Marco. Center: Antipasto misto di pesce at Busa alla Torre da Lele, on the island of Murano.

Winter Solstice Clockwise from near right: Owner Arrigo Cipriani at Harry’s Bar with his signature Bellini; a caffè break beside the Rialto Stairway; strolling the public gardens in the Castello district; the main stairway at Hotel Danieli.

wander the city and fall under its spell, then let them repair to a disco in ­Madrid.

We arrive on December 22. The boat leaves us on the island of Murano to meet our core group for lunch and continues on to the Hotel Danieli to drop our bags. At the intimate trattoria Busa alla Torre da Lele, we settle in for a lunch of ­Venetian classics: moeche (soft-shell crab) appetizers and granseola (a local spider crab) ravioli. Afterward, a 20-yard jaunt across a bridge and through the side door of the Church of San ­Pietro Martire leads us to Giovanni ­Bellini’s 1488 Barbarigo Altarpiece, one of my two Bellini favorites, if only for the endearing humanity and beauty in the Madonna’s face. Then we walk along the Murano canals until we’re standing before the Romanesque 12th-century Basilica of Santi ­Maria e ­Donato.

Hopping another water taxi, we cross the lagoon, cruising past the cemetery island of San Michele and Mauro ­Codussi’s diminutively inventive church (1469–78) with its façade of white ­Istrian stone, the first true ­Renaissance building in the city. ­Within the cemetery walls lies the tomb of legendary ballet impresario Sergey ­Diaghilev (whose grave is continuously adorned with dance slippers), as well as those of Ezra Pound, Igor Stravinsky and poet laureate Joseph Brodsky, whose ­Watermark is a brilliant memoir of his 17 winters in Venice and the most beautiful narrative I have yet read on the city.

Cruising past the walls of the ­Arsenale, where the republic’s formidable warships were constructed, our taxi descends into Byzantine shadows as we wind through canal after canal in silence. Pink light caroms off palazzi and the odd cat trots across a bridge. Aging women carrying bags of fresh fish murmur to one another as they stroll past caffès where men argue politics over grappa. A church bell chimes. This is Venezia per i veneziani— “Venice for the Venetians.”

Back at the Hotel Danieli, our ­Christmas home, Sheri and I stand on

our balcony and gaze over the lagoon at the island of San Giorgio with its Church of San Giorgio Maggiore (1566–1610), whose classical Roman interior and façade were designed by Andrea Palladio. Up the Grand Canal to our right lies the Punta Della Dogana, once the customs house, now home to a contemporary art museum, over which looms the famous Baroque rotunda of the church of ­Santa Maria della Salute.

The plans of a holiday agenda, all of the itineraries that make you feel that you are enjoying yourself—“Today, we go to the Louvre!”—went aground on my second Christmas visit. Gore Vidal, no stranger to the charms of Venice (check out his Vidal in Venice), once warned me that the city defies this sort of timetable: “Pick a church, Weller! Start out for it. If you get lost or detoured and never reach it—so what?” The point is to wander, especially at Christmas. You can happen upon a campo seen many times before in sun, fog or rain, and, because of the void of crowds and diffusion of ­wintry light, feel as though you’re encountering the square for the first time.

We begin the next morning, as we usually do, with coffee at the Bauer Il Palazzo hotel. Then we stroll along the San ­Marco Canal from the Riva dei Schiavoni to the eastern tip of the island of Sant’Elena, where an impressive rotunda palazzo sits with a laundry on the first floor. Our group greets its owner, Maria, and continues along Via Giuseppe Garibaldi toward the island of San Pietro. Its church, for centuries the ­Cathedral of Venice, sits beside Mauro Codussi’s gleaming white campanile (1480’s), made of Istrian stone.

We walk the Fondamenta Nuova beside the lagoon to the rear entrance of the Ghetto. The term ghetto originated in the early 16th century as a reference to the foundry (geto), which was offered to the republic’s Jewish population for “protection” from persecution on the mainland. Today, the top floors of two of the neighborhood’s tall buildings house the beautiful old German and » travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 127

Italian synagogues (open to visitors by appointment). Nearby are the Spanish and Levantine synagogues, a yeshiva and a handful of kosher restaurants.

After a visit with friends in the Ghetto, it is over the Grand Canal to my favorite campo, San Giacomo dall’Orio, in the heart of residential Venice. Here, you’ll see nary a tourist (even in summer), unless he is lost. The air crisp and the light turning sepia in the early afternoon, we sip espressos at an outside table in front of the diminutive Taverna Capitan ­Uncino where we will meet our film friends for lunch. They finally materialize, having indeed gotten lost threading their way through campi, calli and canals. They’re wide-eyed and quiet, visually stoned. Golf, girls and games are a distant memory.

We spend the morning of December 24 roaming the island of Giudecca, slipping down the alleyways between private palazzi, visiting Palladio’s Il ­Redentore church (1592), and stopping into a few inviting cafés. We cross the ­Giudecca ­Canal to lunch on tagliolini con le capesante (pasta with scallops) at Ristorante ­R iviera on the Zattere and, afterward, sip a caffè affogato, a dollop of vanilla ice cream “drowned” in an espresso, at Gelateria Nico, the home of this delight. We later indulge in a hot chocolate on the Piazza San Marco.

Now, however, we sit at the Caffè Quadri, where my friend Fabio, the head waiter, serves us while we admire the San Marco ­Basilica. Because of its dizzying mix of marbles, mosaics, arches, domes and columns of Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine and ­Islamic derivation, the influence and origins of the cathedral are the subject of endless debate.

At night we feast—beginning with the jewel of Alba: the white truffle. We devour them on tagliarini, as we have every Christmas Eve for 20 years, at the Martin family’s convivial, warm and elegant ­R istorante Da Fiore, in the San Polo ­district across the Rialto Bridge.

After dinner, we stroll around the corner for midnight mass (whatever our 128 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

religion) at the monolithic Franciscan Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. We take in the world’s most beautiful altarpiece, Titian’s Assumption (1516–18), while a children’s choir sings Christmas carols.

Christmas morning we sleep late before enjoying ­Prosecco and cappuccini at the Danieli. Afterward, Sheri passes out the lyrics to “The Twelve Days of ­Christmas,” which we gaily butcher. Our

by a sublimely hedonistic chocolate cake. Come midnight, we step into the cool night air and make our way to San Marco, where we duck inside the basilica’s gold mosaic domes—the fitting finale to Christmas day.

There are more days ahead to fill as we please: perhaps we’ll make a pilgrimage to Torcello, the original settlement of Venice, to see one of the oldest depictions of the Last Judgment

a friend suggested that winter’s venice would be the perfect city into which you could simply disappear—an absorbing fantasy merry band is shipped through backwater ­canals—past the marble water-gates of palazzi that tourists seldom ever see—to the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo (a.k.a. San ­Zanipolo).

Before we grab a lunch of panini from the snack bar Al ­Cavallo, we stop to appreciate the campo’s three precious gems. The gothic ­Dominican Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo houses priceless Venetian works of Lorenzo Lotto, ­Giovanni Bellini and Paolo ­Veronese, among others. The late-15th-century façade of the Scuola Grande di San Marco (now a hospital), by Pietro Lombardo and Codussi, is my favorite edifice in this life or the next: a High ­Renaissance masterwork of rounded, harmonious pediments and trompe l’oeil marble reliefs of porticoes and ­lions, crowned with ­Byzantine arches.

We celebrate Christmas night at the one and only Harry’s Bar, run by the gracious Arrigo Cipriani. Glutted with tourists during the day, by evening the downstairs is transformed. A fleet of nimble waiters navigate tiny, crowded tables to deliver platters of such Venetian delicacies as sarde en saor (pan-fried sardines) to mostly local diners. I prefer to gorge on baccalà and white truffles (yes, again!) the Venetian way: on eggs over-easy. Dinner is capped

in the Western world—in mosaic, adorning the Basilica of Santa ­Maria Assunta. Afterward we might lunch on goh (Venetian lagoon fish) risotto on the island of Burano, and then wander among the colorful gingerbread houses and lace-making studios. Or we could stroll through the art galleries of ­Dorsoduro and northward into the local markets of ­Canareggio. We don’t know.

Neither do our film friends. The last we saw of them, they were in San Marco, considering their options. Like facets in a diamond, Venice in winter offers a thousand of them.

One Christmas morning, several years ago, a friend suggested that winter’s Venice would be the perfect city into which you could simply disappear— an absorbing fantasy, like the city itself in this season. So Sheri and I will be here—watching the morning’s boats unload for the market at the Rialto, taking the better part of an afternoon to stare at the richly muted hues of Tintoretto in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, or even gazing up at the resplendent colors of Veronese’s restored paintings in the Church of San Sebastiano—until someone says of us, “They were last seen on Christmas day… in Venice.” In the meantime, you can catch us at Harry’s Bar. ✚

Guide to venice Ghetto

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San Michele

Cannaregio

Grand

Ca

Murano, Torcello, Burano na

l

Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio san polo

Rialto Bridge

Campo San Zanipolo

Campo dei Frari

Arse

nale

Santa croce

San Marco

Dorsoduro Fond

Piazza San Marco

San

castello

Riva dei Schiavo ni

Ma

Can rco

Via Giuseppe Garibaldi

al

ame

nta Z atte re

San Giorgio Maggiore

Giudecca 0

Stay Bauer Il Palazzo A ­Venetian classic, right next to Piazza San Marco. San ­Marco 1459; 39041/520-7022; bauer​venezia. com; doubles from €438.

Charming House DD724 Contemporary rooms steps from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the ­galleries of ­Dorsoduro. Dorsoduro 724; 39041/277-0262; thecharming​ house.com; doubles from €197.

Hotel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hotel Castello 4196; 39-041/522-6480; luxury​collection.com; doubles from €332.

Eat Al Cavallo Castello 6823; 39-014/528-5267; lunch for two €38.

Busa Alla Torre da Lele 3 Campo Santo Stefano, Murano; 39-041/739-662; dinner for two €57.

Caffè Florian 54 Piazza San Marco; 39-041/520-5641; ­coffee for two €17.

Gelateria Nico Dorsoduro 922; 39-041/522-5293; affogato for two €15.

Gran Caffè & Ristorante Quadri 120 Piazza San Marco; 39-041/522-2105; ­coffee for two €17.

Harry’s Bar Calle ­Vallaresso, San Marco 1323; 39-041/​5285777; dinner for two €152.

Marchini Time San Marco 4589 at Campo San Luca; 39-041/522-9109.

Ristorante Da Fiore San Polo 2202/A at Calle del Scaleter; 39-041/721-308; dinner for two €170.

Ristorante Riviera Dorsoduro 1473; 39-041/522-7621; lunch for two €98.

Taverna Capitan Uncino Santa Croce 1501; 39-041/721-901; lunch for two €71.

See Il Redentore Campo del ­Santissimo Redentore, San Polo; 39-041/275-0462.

Palazzo Grassi/Punta della Dogana, François Pinault

Foundation Contemporary art ­museum housed in the former customs house. Dorsoduro 2; ­39-041/523-1680.

San Giacomo dall’Orio Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio, Santa Croce; 39-041/​275-0462.

San Giorgio ­Maggiore The façade is among Andrea Palladio’s finest. San ­Giorgio ­Maggiore, ­Giudecca; 39-041/​ 522-7827.

San Marco ­Basilica A blend of ­Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine architecture and design. ­Piazza San ­Marco; 39-041/522-5205.

here. Campo di San Sebastiano, Dorsoduro; 39-041/​275-0462.

Santa Maria ­Gloriosa dei Frari Here you’ll find Titian’s ­Assumption altarpiece (1516– 18). Campo dei Frari, San Polo; ­39-041/275-0462 Santa Maria Assunta Look for the counter-façade’s Last ­Judgment mosaic. ­Piazza di ­Torcello; 39-041/730-119.

Santi Giovanni e Paolo Inside are works by Lorenzo Lotto, Giovanni Bellini, and Paolo Veronese. ­Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello; ­ 39-041/523-5913.

San Pietro di ­Castello Don’t miss Mario ­Codussi’s 15thcentury bell tower. Campo San Pietro, ­Castello; 39-041/ 275-0462.

San Pietro Martire This is home to Giovanni ­Bellini’s Barbarigo ­Altarpiece (1488). 3 Campiello Michieli, Murano; 39-041/ 739-704.

San Sebastiano Save Venice recently helped to restore Veronese’s cycle of paintings

250 m

Scuola Grande di San Marco The High ­Renaissance façade was designed by ­Pietro Lombardo and Mario Codussi.

Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello; ­39-041/529-4111.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco ­Tintoretto covered the ceiling and walls in paintings. San Polo 3052; 39-041/​523-4864.

travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 129

Let’s Get Lost

Sometimes, we travel to lose our way, to find ourselves at the mercy of fate, to discover the surreal pleasures of serendipity. Here, seven tales of the unexpected.

My Other Left

by Gary Shteyngart illustrated by christoph niemann

I have always gotten lost. My geographic survival instincts are low. I stare at things for way too long with my mouth hanging open, ignoring my father’s Russian advice to “Shut your mouth; a crow will fly in.” As a five-yearold, I stood in front of a train station in Crimea transfixed, trying to read an enormous Socialist slogan that began with the words glory to the great … while my mother circled the station like a dervish, looking for me. She was worried that I had been kidnapped by gypsies, a common concern of the times.

I never learned my left from my right. It would be nice if the GPS woman’s voice would insist: “Please turn to your other left.”

I don’t understand the compass. Why is true north not directly up? Why does Manhattan tilt in a certain direction when the avenues run north-south? (I believe the island tilts to the right, but I’m not an expert.) Shouldn’t they fix that?

My father blew my mind when he explained to me at the advanced age of nine or 10 how the earth wasn’t flat.

I had a childhood book on Australia that clearly showed kangaroos hanging upside down. What was that supposed to be, a joke? Sex education went down a lot easier than the whole round-earth-rotates-on-an-axis-while-orbitingthe-sun motif. You don’t need a compass to figure that one out.

But being lost has been good for me. I doubt two of my last three novels would have happened without my » travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 131

getting lost. Here is a partial list of places in which I have been hopelessly disoriented: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Brazil, Korea, Thailand, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Germany (East and West), the United Kingdom, Texas.

When you get lost there is a look on your face, a humble, peaceful, dreamy, let-that-crow-fly-in-your-mouth look that invites commentary as you float past some strange men playing dominoes or roasting an animal. “Hey, mister, do you like girls?”

“Hey, mister, I want to sell you a goose.” “Excuse me, mister, are you Jewish?” “Do you want to see my goose?” “I wouldn’t turn left if I were you!” “It’s right behind my house [the goose].”

“That is not a toilet.” “That is not a towel.” “Lake Balaton is not in this country.” “No! Your other left!”

The best dumpling you will ever find is slowly broiling in a laundry woman’s hut. A small, local fish crusted in chili peppers and swaddled in lemongrass is being stuffed into a plastic bag for sale. If you end up on the wrong side of the mountain around dinner, the setting sun won’t just illuminate the twin porticoes of that hilltop church, it will set fire to them. But you will have to get lost to find these things.

Boars of Tuscany

by Gini Alhadeff illustrated by matthew sporzynski

On taking a wrong turn while driving in the Tuscan countryside, I ended up in an oak forest so dense and dark that the wild boar crossing the road was barely visible—a long, shadowy mass speeding before my fender and then vanishing. I remembered that a German woman who had bought an estate in the region had irked local hunters by launching an appeal for the 132 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

Getting lost is getting harder. The world has been mapped and remapped to the point where it just might be flat by now.

We no longer travel to “destinations” but to a series of preset coordinates. Our smart phones are bursting with information.

It is possible to stroll confidently down Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, knowing just which soi to turn on, which SkyTrain stations to use, which little agglomerations of humanity—the malls; the neighborhoods; the little conclaves of fashion and style—are the most up-to-date, the best ranked. And it’s possible to do so in real time.

But the best gadget for the iPhone ever is the new Plane Finder AR, which allows you to identify planes passing overhead with the built-in camera (I imagine this is also handy for the budding terrorist). And so on a cold blue day in New York, I can see the tailwind propel good old N706JB, a JetBlue Airbus, toward the golden skies of Aruba. And I can dream of being on that plane, without anywhere particular to be, without anything to prepare or judge or rank, with no exit strategies to be planned. I would just stand somewhere beautiful in my bathing suit, zero gadgets in my pockets or hands, my mouth dangling open, the crow flying in. ✚

protection of wild boars. Her efforts, and those of other likeminded citizens, had been so effective that boars had become rife, scampering and uprooting their way through vineyards and olive groves. After pausing to catch my breath, I continued up the winding, unpaved road, sealing the windows of the Mini Cooper against the dust, and just when it seemed the road might never end, reached a clearing at the top of a hill. The forest gave way to open vineyards and, just below me, in a valley, was one of the most moving sights in all of Chianti: the abbey of Badia a Passignano, a medieval fortress with a tall bell tower and three other graceful turrets, set in a clump of tall cypresses. I’d had no idea it was there, and didn’t recall having seen any signs leading to it. The monk at the abbey, a young and forbidding Spaniard who appeared after I’d rung the bell twice, allowed me to have a furtive look at ­Ghirlandaio’s Last Supper, in which the only man sitting with his back to the viewer at a long, narrow table is Judas. The monk was in charge of its restoration but showed it as a special favor only, he said, since the last thing he wanted was for the abbey to start attracting visitors. (His wish was not fulfilled in the long run as the site, at least its exterior, soon became a popular attraction in that part of Tuscany.)

Right across the street was a place so simple and unpretentious you couldn’t call it a restaurant or a café: it served salami, pecorino and prosciutto on thick slices of unsalted Tuscan bread. I wondered at the fate of the wild boars, destined, perhaps, to be made into prosciutto and salami “di cinghiale,” and ordered another glass of wine. ✚

Dot on the Map

by patricia marx illustrated by guy billout

These days, when I leave home for a while, I pretty much always know where I’m going, and, thank you Google Maps and GPS, I know how to get there. You will not see me on the road less traveled. How different from the catch-as-catch-can style of my salad days. When I was in graduate school in England, I hitchhiked to Holland, half surprised not to find Copenhagen there. One winter I went to France to spend the holidays with an old friend, and I arrived in town Christmas Eve to discover that the address she had given me did not exist and the phone number did not work. I checked in to the cheapest fleabag I could find on the Left Bank.

The most extreme example of my youthful abandon and get-up-and-go behavior involved a blindfold and a map of Maine. Late one March night, my college roommate informed me that the next morning she planned to drive north until she happened upon a site sufficiently scenic for photographing rocks. We were in Massachusetts and she was aiming for a spot somewhere near the Maine/Canada border. Did I want to be dropped off somewhere along the way? she asked. Why not?

It’s not as if I had anything to do other than, well, go to school.

Besides, I had been taking a course in oral history and was looking for a subject for my end-of-semester project. I covered my eyes with a towel and, with a dramatic flourish, circled my hand over the map and then plopped my finger down on …. … a dot at the tip of a peninsula located midway up the Maine coast. Port Clyde, I was to learn very soon, was a picturesque lobstering village with a population so small or perhaps so bored that word of a newcomer showing up in town in the middle of the night would be headline news the next morning. I awoke to a sound of someone whistling—or was it yodeling?—outside my window at the Seaside Inn, a bed-and-­ breakfast across from the general store and the Atlantic Ocean.

Forrest A. Wall, a lanky, cowboy-hat-wearing farmer and local wit and wise man in his seventies, had come to take me on a tour of Port Clyde in his pickup truck. As we drove around the village, past a wharf stacked with lobster traps, down roads dotted with houses of weathered white shingle, through fields of unmowed grass, groves of pine trees, and bleak thickets of runty trees and shrubbery, something struck me. “This reminds me of an Andrew Wyeth painting,” I said. It was not a coincidence. As a child, Wyeth spent summers in Port Clyde.

Later, he would buy a vacation home nearby and, over the years, set many of his paintings in the area, including not only Christina’s World but also Man from Maine, a portrait of a fellow, mostly seen from the back, as he pensively gazes out a window.

Who do you think that man was? Yes, it was Forrest A. Wall.

A few days later, I went back to college, but that summer I returned to Port Clyde for many weeks, followed by a series of shorter stays in the fall. I was so enamored with the place that I sincerely considered dropping out of school to live in Maine and do God-knows-what, because practical was something I was not then. (I didn’t tell my parents about the plan: I may have been starry-eyed, but I wasn’t crazy.) Instead, my end-of-semester oral history project became my senior thesis. My so-called research was made up of going lobstering and clamming with fishermen, attending wild parties with local teenagers, eating homemade doughnuts in the Dip Net seafood shack, and hitchhiking aimlessly for “material.” I amassed hundreds of hours of taped interviews, all laboriously transcribed. Everything is in a carton somewhere.

“Things Have Changed Since Hannah Died” was the title of my thesis. It referred to an old saying in Port Clyde (and, for all I know, elsewhere) connoting that life is not what it used to be. Trite perhaps, but apt, don’t you think? ✚ travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 133

Armchairs in Tel Aviv

Latah Berkoh rapids xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx.

written and illustrated by maira Kalman

On Jersey Shore by mark leyner illustrated by james steinberg

Can you be lost and, at the same time, know exactly where you are? Like that nightmare of returning home from school one afternoon and finding a strange family in your house?

It’s a sultry day on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. I give the girls (my 10-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old cousin/BFF) some money and tell them to hang out in the arcade (located between a shop that sells sunscreen and shovels and pails and hermit crabs and a Kohr’s frozen custard stand) while I go ascertain the hours at the aquarium.

I promise them orange/vanilla twists on waffle cones when I return. I escort them in, make a cursory inventory (claw-drop games with stuffed Green Lanterns and Angry Birds; a Lost World: Jurassic Park shooter game, Twilight Zone pinball, Basket Fever Skee-Ball, a Wheels & Reels one-armed bandit; prizes including a SaladShooter, a Snuggie blanket, a George Foreman grill for 105,000 points, a baseball autographed by CC Sabathia for 112,000 points), and depart.

I’m halfway to the aquarium when, having qualms about leaving the girls alone, I decide to turn around and go back for them. There’s the arcade, between the shop that sells the sunscreen and the shovels and pails and the hermit crabs and ... a tiki bar. Hmm, I think, that’s odd. Where’s the Kohr’s frozen custard stand? I enter the arcade. But the girls are nowhere to be found. And I get an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.

This seems like the exact same arcade, except that I don’t recall a claw-drop game with stuffed Rastaman Bananas or an ­Addams Family pinball machine or a coin-operated Popeyein-a-dinghy ride or, for that matter, a baseball autographed by Omar Vizquel for 54,000 points. I walk outside to get my bearings. There’s the shop that sells the sunscreen and the shovels and pails and the hermit crabs (I’m squinting through my sweat in the blazing sun) … and a Frog Bog game that requires catapulting rubber frogs onto lily pads. Now where’s the tiki bar?

The thought of actually being lost on a boardwalk in Point Pleasant is mind-­boggling to me. I summered on the Jersey Shore throughout my entire childhood and adolescence. I know every briny inch, from Long Branch to Bay Head. But, straddling where I thought I was and where I think I am, I fall in between—into some ontological crevasse, some abyss of undifferentiated familiarity.

Panicking, I plunge back into the arcade, desperate to locate some distinguishing element, but it’s all more of the same—the ­Terminator Salvation shooter games, the Simpsons Kooky Carnival, the Whac-a-Mole, the Skee-Ball X-treme, the 777 Blazing one-armed bandit, the Fast & the Furious Tokyo Drift driving game, the Hamilton Beach Pizza Oven for 111,225 points. And the decibel level is rising higher and higher—the cacophony of electronic gongs and sirens; the revving engines of nascar simulations; fusillades of gunfire from first-person

shooters; the grunts of a virtual ninja bludgeoned in his solar plexus; the mumbled glossolalia of adolescent girls smoking weed and drinking Four Loko in the middle of the day, and the unremittingly scatological and belligerent trash-talk of their tattooed, steroid-swollen boyfriends; the hacking coughs of leather-skinned, chain-smoking gargoyles and the demented gibbering of their grandchildren. The cresting din of accusatory voices in my head now includes Nancy Grace and Judge Judy.

And then, suddenly, I’m outside.

I gasp. There are the girls. The beautiful discrepancy of the girls. The girls, who are the only thing that distinguishes this part of the boardwalk from any other part, the only thing that distinguishes this boardwalk from the florid monotony of any other boardwalk.

There are the girls, seated imperturbably on a bench, smiling at me with the bemused indulgence of … girls. They’d been sitting there the whole time. They’d been bored. “All arcades are the same,” they say.

Do I tell them about my Gethsemane, my dissociative fugue, how I’d suffered an acute existential crisis of harrowing, ­Hitchcockian proportions, lost in the terra cognita, in an irruption of duplicate universes, in a teeming surfeit of familiarity?

No. I buy them their orange/vanilla twists on waffle cones.

Which they both agree are quite delicious. And well worth the wait. “As usual.” ✚ travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 135

Mekong Zen

by andrew mccarthy illustrated by serge bloch

It takes me a long time to find a bike in Luang Prabang.

When I do, it’s because a tall young American woman with unwashed hair is shouting at an old Laotian man by the gutter.

“I won’t pay. Do you hear me? I won’t pay it! This might be a bad bike. Do you understand? Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

As far as I can tell, Luang Prabang—and all of Laos—is a fairly serene place. This rant, while perhaps routine in midtown Manhattan, seems almost violent here.

The old man hunches over a little further and fills the bicycle’s tire from an ancient foot pump. I cross the street.

“Can I rent a bike here?” I ask gingerly. The old man looks up, then lowers his watery eyes and continues pumping.

The woman spins to face me. “Make sure he gives you a good one. I went through hell in Vientiane with a bad bike. He’s not charging me 5,000 kip when I don’t know what I’m getting.”

I do the calculation: 5,000 kip is about 60 cents.

The old man finishes filling the tire. The woman starts in again. “Just take it,” he says. Triumphant, she throws her leg over and rides away.

“She talk too much.”

“Do you have another bike?”

“Come.” We go inside, through a kitchen where a young woman is preparing lunch. The air smells of garlic. Meat simmers. We enter a room filled with broken furniture, clothes, 136 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

an old sewing machine. Several bikes hang from hooks. “Which you want?”

They all look the same. I shrug. He lifts a red bike.

For three days I pedal around town. I eat a wonderful watercress soup. I watch the sunset from atop Mount Phousi.

At Wat Xieng Thong, I meet a monk with a long scar down the side of his face. When no one is near, he whispers about his friend who can take me up the Mekong River.

Down by the water I find the man with a wiry mustache beside a wooden plank canoe powered by a lawn-mower engine strapped to a long stick. It’s the slowest boat on the river.

I’ve not always had the gift to realize when I’m happy, but grinding upriver, it’s easy to know I am.

A few days later I’m at the airport, waiting for my plane.

The only other passenger, British, eventually speaks. “I saw an extraordinary young woman. At the Royal Palace Museum. She was shouting. Can you imagine? Shouting! In Laos?”

“What was she saying?”

“She was shouting— ‘I want five minutes! Five minutes! I’m leaving tomorrow! Don’t you understand? Don’t you understand what I’m saying?’ They threw her out and she rode away on a bicycle, still shouting.”

I look out across the valley into the ­Annamese Cordillera, the shadows long. The arriving plane barely clears a high peak and it dawns on me—wherever you go, there you are. ✚

End of the Affair

by Sam Lipsyte illustrated by wasinee chantakorn

My girlfriend and I were on a trip through Spain and Portugal. The plan was to see some sights and maybe find a reason not to break up. We’d been foundering, and it was nobody’s fault. We just had different needs. She needed to be away from me and I needed to be away from her.

But we were stuck together, at least for this trip. We had some good times, but the sadness had seeped in. We began to travel more like buddies than lovers. That took some pressure off, but it gave everything a strange taste. We had been passionate once. Or at least I thought we had. We spent a week in Lisbon, a few weeks in a tiny fishing village, and arrived in Seville in a rather numb state. We walked around, looking at stuff and people, but taking nothing in. I think we were planning for the singlehood that lay ahead of us when we got home. Then, for a few hours, everything changed. Strolling along a festively lit street, we noticed some bars down an alley.

We had no plans and no connections in the city, so we turned.

We walked past some people lounging at plastic tables, and as we did, one of them called my name.

I wheeled around and saw a guy I’d known in college. We hadn’t really been friends; in fact, I’d always gotten a sense that he didn’t like me that much, but we’d had some funny, drunken conversa­tions and I’d always thought he had real charisma and cool, so I never minded the mildly hostile undertones. But none of that came to mind now. Here was the

strange charge of being in a foreign city and randomly meeting somebody you know. We had a beer and caught up, and then he offered to take us to see the “real flamenco,” not the tourist stuff. Ed led us down a few more alleys into a tiny bar with a stage and there, for the next few hours, everything was bliss.

We drank and cheered the dancers and I could tell my girlfriend was elated and suddenly, so was I. We looked at each other and we were happy and happy together. Maybe the spark was still there. Maybe we could work it out. Everything was so joyful and sexy in this bar, why couldn’t we carry that feeling with us? I looked over at Ed and he was grinning. Maybe the odd vibes had always only been in my head. He had delivered us here. He had brought us to the place of love and freedom.

Of course, the night had to end, and it did. There was no exchange of numbers or addresses. We would honor the marvelous coincidence of this evening. But even as we started to walk away I could feel the mood cracking apart. By the next morning my girlfriend and I would be back snug in our breakup spiral. And the last words Ed spoke to me that night would echo in my ears.

“You know, Lipsyte,” he said, “it’s no coincidence I saw you here tonight.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because of all the friends and acquaintances I had in college, you’re the only person I’ve never thought of once.” ✚

One Cool Colony There’s a host of Hong Kong nightspots where you can get away from the relentlessly commercial side of the city, but they might not be on any obvious radar.

The first clue: avoid Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong.

By Christopher DeWolf

Photographed by Samantha Sin

Sense 99 has the feel of a private club, a bar, a gallery and a music venue.

N

obody really remembers when they first discovered Sense 99. But they usually hear about it through a friend. Most likely, she was told about it by another friend.

Word on the street is a powerful thing. It is not a bar, not quite a private club, not an art gallery or a music venue, but combines elements of all of these. To get there, you must make your way down Wellington Street, past the green-painted stalls of Hong Kong’s oldest street market, until you arrive in front of a worn metal door at the base of an old stone shop house. Press the second doorbell from the top and a tinny voice will greet you through a speaker in the door.

“Wai?” There is no secret password. Say pretty much anything and you’ll be greeted by a loud buzz. The door unlocks. Head up to the second floor, toward the sound of conversation and live music, until you enter a room that appears not to have been touched since the early days of colonial Hong Kong: green-and-white floor tiles, wood window frames, French doors opening onto a narrow balcony. There is a small bar on the right and a collection of stylishly mismatched furniture on the left. Upstairs, there’s another balcony and a lounge where musicians jam until the early hours of the morning.

This is not Lan Kwai Fong.

“If most Hong Kong people came across this space, the first thing they would do is ask, ‘How should I renovate it?’” admits Sense’s owner, Rupert Wong, better known around town by his Chinese nickname, Ah Shek. Dressed in a dark blue sweater with jeans, black-framed glasses and a baseball cap, Ah Shek looks at least a decade younger than his 48 years. “I don’t care about [renovating]. This place isn’t about décor, it’s not about drinks. It’s about having a space where people can come together.”

And that is exactly what happens every Friday and Saturday night, when Sense is open until the sun struggles over the horizon and the last customers stagger home. The crowd is diverse—artists, musicians, students, self-styled creative types. There is usually an odd group of bankers, sleeves rolled up on their striped shirts, looking a bit out of place. “Everyone is welcome,” says Ah Shek, sipping a glass » travelandleisureasia.com | december 2011 139

of whiskey. “It has a very natural, self-regulating atmosphere.

It feels like it has no rules, but everybody gets each other.”

H

ong Kong has always been awash in booze, a legacy of its history as a British-controlled free port, but its drinking spots have had a certain mercenary quality: your cash, and plenty of it, in exchange for alcohol. Places with a soul, a purpose higher than the simple dispensation of liquor, have been few and far between. But that, to a degree, is changing.

Over the past few years, a new generation of creative nightspots has joined the established havens of counter-culture.

They are antidotes to the grubby girly bars of Wan Chai and the cookie-cutter drinking holes of Lan Kwai Fong, places that capture a part of Hong Kong’s cultural zeitgeist—places to get away from the relentlessly commercial pace of life that characterizes so much of the city.

In the drizzly gray aftermath of an October typhoon, I wander down a back lane in an industrial part of Kwun Tong. Burly factory buildings rise on either side of me.

Waiting up ahead is Kimi Lam, the manager of Hidden

design studios and architects. On Kowloon side, in onceindustrial Kwun Tong, hundreds of amateur bands use old industrial space to rehearse.

Moving upstairs, Lam takes me around the 370-squaremeter Hidden Agenda. The ceilings are low, and concrete pillars block some views of the stage, but the walls are decorated with murals by local street artists, the fridge is well stocked with Tsingtao beer and the stage was recently expanded. Lam, who first got into music in primary school when her brother gave her a Radiohead CD, has eclectic musical taste, something reflected in Hidden Agenda’s lineup: one night might be Swedish dream-pop duo JJ, the next Chinese-Japanese rockers Lee Su Fu Connection.

“They’re crazy, rebellious young people,” says musician and performance artist Kung Chi-shing. “It comes down to having a vision, an attitude that goes beyond making a profit.”

Kung got to know the Hidden Agenda crew after he started organizing Street Music, a free outdoor concert held every month in a small plaza next to the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Since it began two years ago, Street Music has attracted a loyal crowd of followers who come for the mix of local and

We meet over a drink at club 71, a back alley in central. the walls are Agenda, an indie music venue located on the sixth floor of an industrial building. Lam is 23, with tattooed arms and a pugnacious build, but she is friendly and expressive. She apologizes for being tired. “We’ve been moving these all day,” she says, pointing to a yellow bench her friends are loading into a cargo lift. “The jazz festival gave them to us. We got 45 of them. They were just going to throw them away.”

Thrift is a virtue when you are running a live house. Since opening in 2009, Hidden Agenda has brought dozens of international acts into Hong Kong, with several shows every week and some of the lowest ticket prices in town—a deliberate strategy to make Hidden Agenda as accessible as possible. “In Hong Kong, we’ve got a lot of different concert halls, but they’re too big, they have seats and they cost tens of thousands of dollars to rent,” says Lam. She and her friends have spent a lot of time in mainland China, where venues like Beijing’s D-22 and Mao Livehouse support a thriving music scene. “We realized if we have our own space, we could bring in a lot of bands.”

Space, in this crowded city, was easy to find. Hong Kong was once filled with factories making cheap clothes, plastic flowers and toys, nearly all of which have opted for the lessexpensive land and low wages across the border in China. As a result, entire industrial neighborhoods are now half-empty.

But they’re being colonized by visual artists, performers, 140 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

international musicians from every genre imaginable.

“There’s one group who bring an ice bucket with sparkling wine,” says Kung.

We meet over a drink at his favorite watering hole, Club 71, a low-key spot tucked inside a leafy back alley in Central.

The interior walls are covered in a brightly colored mural. In the laneway outside, old men play cards until the evening, gradually replaced by drinkers as the night wears on. A blackand-white cat meanders between the legs of the bar stools.

Kung gulps some house red. He has a bohemian air about him, with long gray hair, clear-framed glasses and a braided goatee. Since returning to Hong Kong in 2005, after living for a decade in New York, Kung has been a mainstay in the city’s music scene, tirelessly organizing outdoor concerts and other cultural events. “People ask me why I don’t take a break, even when it’s so hot in the summer,” he says. “But if you don’t have a regular spot, if you aren’t always there, the impact is limited.”

That kind of consistency is rare in Hong Kong, where bars, restaurants and entire creative movements are extinguished almost as soon as they flare up. Club 71, named after a huge pro-democracy march in 2003, is the successor to Club 64, a larger bar that opened just after the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989—a traumatizing event, not just for the younger generation of mainlanders, but for »

low-key spot tucked inside a leafy covered in a brightly colored mural A night out at Sense 99.

Clockwise from left: On stage at Hidden Agenda; indoor pĂŠtanque at Les Boules; a diversion with a difference at Tai Lung Fung.

pre-handover Hong Kong as well. Throughout the 1990’s, 64 was a haven for Hong Kong artists, musicians and left-wing political activists like Leung Kwok-hung, better known in these parts as Cheung Mo, or “Long Hair,” who has now moved on to become a rabble-rousing member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.

1997 was another creative oasis that existed in the early days of Lan Kwai Fong, before it was taken over by a series of chain bars. “What made 1997 unique was the personal warmth of the people who owned it. If you had an idea for an event or art venture, you could go to Christian Rhomberg and Nichole Garnaut and they’d listen,” says one of the bar’s regulars, journalist Liam Fitzpatrick. “Usually they gave you creative license to do what you wanted, either by lending you their venue or by helping you with sponsorship or putting

you in touch with the right people. They must have mentored an entire generation of promoters, stylists and designers in that way.”

Otherwise, “the scene was hopeless,” says Fitzpatrick.

“There were fake Tudor pubs, karaoke lounges, Wan Chai girly bars or the tiny smattering of places in Lan Kwai Fong— take your pick.” So he and some friends started running raves in a rice warehouse in Western District. “Until we were shut down a few months later, we had thousands of people in there every weekend, everyone from school leavers to socialite heavies to genuine celebs. Kylie Minogue showed up one night. Michael Hutchens also came.”

Everyone has memories of dearly departed nightspots.

When I meet with Ah Shek at Sense 99, he places an envelope on the table and pulls out a stack of photos taken in 1999.

XXX Gallery was once a bank vault.

Clockwise from below right: Tai Lung Fung, a quirky back-street bar; street music in Wan Chai; tucked away at Club 71; the accessible Hidden Agenda; at Sense 99.

“This was Oil Street,” he says, referring to an abandoned government supply depot that was occupied by artists for a year. Many now speak of the time in reverential tones: there were impromptu performances, wild exhibitions and a general sense of camaraderie and creative fervor. “And there was a bar,” says Ah Shek with a grin, pointing at a photo of a amply stocked wood bar. An old television set sits on one end of the old bar; it survives at Sense, where it is now enjoys a new life as a fish tank.

Like so many other creative ventures in Hong Kong, Oil Street was shut down by the government, which intended to sell the supply depot to a hotel developer. (The sale later fell through and the site is still vacant.) As is common in Hong Kong, 1997 and Club 64 fell victim to high rents. And many local bars are still as bland as they were when Fitzpatrick

threw his warehouse parties in the early 1990’s. The cycle can seem vicious and endless. Because rents are so high, business owners need investors, and those investors are unwilling to take big risks if it means cutting into potential profits. “You see people opening up a new club or restaurant every week and the depressing thing is, they’re all going for the same aesthetic,” says Cassady Winston, better known as DJ Enso, whose diverse range of influences have earned him acclaim as one of Hong Kong’s best DJ’s. “I don’t know how you can look yourself in the eye if you’re doing the same thing as everyone else.”

But history is not always doomed to repeat itself. When I ask him if the spirit of 1997 lives on today, Fitzpatrick says, “Sometimes I find myself walking down some obscure alley in Sheung Wan or NoHo or Western, only to see the lights »

of a single bar or café up ahead, maybe a gallery or a boutique, and there are a couple of hipsters sitting on a step drinking beer out of bottles in the cool evening air. Everything is very quiet and undiscovered and cool—that’s what the original Lan Kwai Fong was like.”

Recently, there’s been no shortage of unusual ventures in those obscure alleys. There’s Visage One, a tiny barbershop that hosts lively jazz sessions publicized only by word of mouth. Les Boules is a lofty basement pétanque bar opened by a Frenchman who wanted a place to play balls and drink pastis. In October, the design space Konzepp opened a casual nighttime social club where friends can gather over a bottle of wine. Another design space, the Wan Chai Visual Archive, took a similar step by opening a quirky back-street bar, Tai Lung Fung, named after a 1960’s Cantonese opera troupe.

What all of these places have in common is that they place more emphasis on cultivating a sense of community than on generating a profit. Last spring, after throwing a New Year’s Eve party at Hidden Agenda, Winston was so inspired by the venue’s do-it-yourself ethos that he decided to open his own space. The result is XXX Gallery, a club and exhibition space located in a former bank vault four floors underground. Every week features some of Hong Kong’s best DJ’s, like Alok and Yao, and US- and UK-influenced sounds that range from bass line to dubstep and juke.

When he first came to Hong Kong from San Francisco in 2007, Winston was disappointed with Hong Kong’s club scene. “I figured there would be some really cool stuff going on here because of the influence of the UK and China, but 99 percent of stuff was really mainstream,” he says. So he and some DJ friends started throwing a series of electro parties called Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy, which “recontextualized” hip-hop 144 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

and pop songs. They brought in big names like A-Trak and Major Lazer. Now, says Winston, “the scene has changed. It’s stretched out and gotten more diverse.”

That’s something that becomes abundantly clear at XXX. On a weeknight in October, the gallery was the venue for a collaboration between American experimental hip-hop composer DJ Spooky and the classical Hong Kong New Music Ensemble. As the audience leaned back in black sofas, bathed in ultraviolet light, Spooky and the ensemble played pieces from Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica, an audio exploration of the Antarctic. “This is like a living room session,” DJ Spooky told the crowd. “It’s an unusual night. I wish you guys had pillows.” ✚

Hong Kong Address Book Club 71 Open daily from 5 p.m.

Man Hing Lane, Central; 852/2858-7071; drinks for two HK$110.

Hidden Agenda 6th floor, 25 Dai Yip St., Kwun Tong; drinks for two HK$40; hiddenagendahk.com.

Les Boules Open Tuesday to Saturday, 4 p.m.–11 p.m. 18 Wing Hop St., Shek Tong Tsui; 852/ 2872-0102; drinks for two HK$110.

Sense 99 Open on Friday and Saturday nights. 2nd floor, 99 Wellington St.; 852/9466-4695; drinks for two HK$100.

Street Music Series The third Friday of every month, 6:30 p.m.-

10 p.m. outside the Hong Kong Arts Centre. For details, see the “Street Music Concert” Facebook group. 2 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai; kungchishing@gmail.com.

Tai Lung Fung Open daily from 6 p.m. 5 Hing Wan St., Wan Chai; 852/572-0055; drinks for two HK$120.

Visage One Twice-monthly jazz nights; call for details. Alley behind Po Lung Bldg., 93 Hollywood Rd., Sheung Wan; 852/2523-8988; drinks for two HK$100.

XXX Gallery Bring your own drinks. Basement, 212 Wing Lok St., Sheung Wan; xxxgallery.hk.

Outside Tai Lung Fung.

Opposite: Visage One offers up lively jazz.

lastlook

shanghai, china “I first moved to Shanghai in 2002, at a time when the city was really cooking from a development point of view. The iconic Pearl Tower and Jin Mao buildings had already redefined the city’s skyline, but the Pudong cityscape had not yet thickened into the forest of towers that now crowd each other out. And from here on out it will only get more crowded—the Shanghai Center is slated to top the current tallest building, the Shanghai World Financial Center (a mere 101 stories), at 114 stories and will be completed in 2014. But Shanghai is not all new and gleaming. There is an old Shanghai as well. Surrounding Yu Gardens is Shanghai’s “old city”—a warren of streets that are filled with food and laundry. At the start of the 20th century, it was this walled enclave that was, for all intents and purposes, the Chinese Concession. Today, Yu Gardens with its Huxingting Tea House, pictured here, sits within that area. This vantage point neatly brings together the old Shanghai—though Yu Gardens has been completely refurbished—and the new: skyscrapers stabbing upwards.” ✚ p h o t o g r a p h e r a n d r ew r owat • interviewed by christopher kucway 146 december 2011 | travelandleisureasia.com

WHAT’S NEW / NEXT I N S I D E R WE RECENTLY REINVENTED OUR SARTORIAL OUTLOOK WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW YORK FASHION ICON JENNÉ LOMBARDO AS GLOBAL FASHION DIRECTOR, WHO EFFORTLESSLY PAIRS HIGH FASHION PIECES WITH FLEA MARKET FINDS. FOUNDER OF THE TERMINAL PRESENTS – WHICH OVERSEES NEW YORK FASHION WEEK’S M.A.C & MILK EVENTS HUB – LOMBARDO HAND-PICKED SIX HOT NEW DESIGNERS TO SHOW AT FASHION NEXT, WHICH FOR THE FIRST TIME HOSTED FASHION WEEK EVENTS IN LONDON, MOSCOW AND BANGKOK IN ADDITION TO NEW YORK. W HAS ALSO UNCOVERED EMERGING TALENTS IN MUSIC AND DESIGN, WITH UP-ANDCOMING DJ’S MIXING IT UP FROM BARCELONA TO BALI ON THE W BURN DJ LAB TOUR AND WINNERS OF THE W HOTELS DESIGNERS OF THE FUTURE EXHIBITING AT DESIGN MIAMI/BASEL. NEXT YEAR IS A BIG ONE FOR ASIA, WITH NEW OPENINGS IN SINGAPORE ON CHIC SENTOSA ISLAND, BANGKOK’S UPSCALE EMBASSY ROW AND GUANGZHOU’S ZHUJIANG, A LIVELY SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. BEYOND THAT, W WILL DELIVER A SHOT OF COOL TO SHANGHAI AND BEIJING, WITH BOTH HOTELS SET TO OPEN IN 2014.

JENNÉ LOMBARDO, NEW GLOBAL FASHION DIRECTOR JENNÉ LOMBARDO’S HAIR – A GLAMOROUS LONG BLOND MANE THAT’S BOLDLY SHAVED UNDERNEATH – IS A NEAT METAPHOR FOR HER IDIOSYNCRATIC STYLE, WHICH SEES THE NEW YORK FASHION ICON PAIRING RIPPED TIGHTS WITH TOWERING CAMILLA SKOVGAARD HEELS, OR VINTAGE GIVENCHY WITH SLOUCHY ESQUIVEL BOOTS. W’s new Global Fashion Director has spent her sartorial career collaborating with artists and designers, and as Executive Director of Global Fashion Talent for beauty brand M.A.C, she launched the sexy, ethereal Viva Glam campaign with Lady Gaga, which revealed the eccentric pop star’s softer side. Founder of The Terminal Presents, a consultancy that pairs brands with unique talent in fashion, design, music and popular culture, Lombardo also oversees New York fashion week’s M.A.C and Milk events hub, a collaboration between the beauty brand and Milk studios that offers designers a full service venue, from hair and make-up to a space to create their look-book for free, or at subsidized rates. Now in its fifth season, Milk Fashion Week championed over 40 designers this year, and previous collaborations include Alexander Wang, Band of Outsiders, Suno and Lulu Frost.

M.A.C and Milk jetted to Paris Fashion Week this October for its first foreign debut, and Lombardo eventually hopes to bring this cool initiative to all corners of the world.

Keeping W’s finger firmly on the fastchanging pulse of fashion and providing a global perspective on style to W guests, Jenné will be heading up the Fashion Next Program, which, for the first time ever this year, furnished five of design’s brightest talents with the opportunity to send their Spring 2012 creations down the catwalk at New York Fashion Week in September, with Lombardo additionally overseeing stylish presentations in London, Bangkok and Moscow.

With Jenné at W’s sartorial helm, who knows what will happen next, for as this unconventional fashionista once said, “I am visually drawn to and inspired by the grit and underbelly of cultures and art.

I like things to be a bit filthy, uncomfortable and controversial.”

ON THE RUNWAY

WITH W HOTELS WORLDWIDE

Bangkok Elle Fashion Week 2011 (11-16 October) acted as a stylish springboard for three key W happenings: the introduction of Global Fashion Director Jenné Lombardo to Asia-Pacific, the announcement of Ek Thongprasert as Global Fashion Next Designer for W and the unveiling of his gorgeous new collection. The chic event at Asia’s capital of cool also gave fashion insiders a preview of the W Bangkok and an opp to clink glasses to W Retreat Koh Samui’s first-year anniversary milestone at the W VIP Lounge and the W After Party.

Thongprasert is the visionary mastermind behind one of Bangkok’s most creative stores, Curated by Ek Thongprasert, a conceptual fashion brand for men and women located in the heart of the fashion district, Siam Discovery Center. As W Global Fashion Next Designer, he will be working closely with the W Bangkok to create chic staff uniforms a cut above.

Following the success of the W Lounge last year, W bought the party to Bangkok Elle Fashion Week once more by hosting its signature VIP Lounge, while the exclusive W After Party – with tunes from French Duo Miaou Mix a rising talent from W Hotels and Burn Studios DJ Lab on 13 & 14 October – provided a sneak peek of W Bangkok, which is poised to roll out the red carpet to Thai trendsetters next year.

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ELLE FASHION WEEK

W HOTELS PRESENTS: FASHION NEXT

BACK IN BLACK THE MODELS PULL THEIR BEST POSE.

ANGELS IN WHITE SHOWING OFF EK THONGPRASERT’S WHITE COLLECTION

MIXING IT UP MIAOU MIX CREATED A BUZZ AT THE AFTER SHOW PARTY.

PARADISE FOUND: CHILL BY THE INFINITY POOL BY DAY THEN HIT SIP BAR AT NIGHT.

KOH SAMUI TOP THREE

W KOH SAMUI:

SHOP: HIT CHAWENG BEACH AND SCOUR THE LIVELY, LABYRINTHINE STREETS FOR EVERYTHING FROM BEACHWEAR TO BESPOKE JEWELLERY

A NEW WAY TO ESCAPE EXOTICALLY CAST AMID THE GULF OF THAILAND – A BLISSEDOUT SETTING WHERE STUNNING COASTLINE AND BUDDHIST LANDMARKS ARE WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED – THE PALMFRINGED PARADISE OF KOH SAMUI BOASTS SHIMMERING SUNSETS, LUSCIOUS LAGOONS AND CRYSTAL-CLEAR WATERS BORDERED

BY DREAMY GOLDEN-SAND BEACHES. BUT THAT’S NOT IT, FOR AS ONE OF THAILAND’S MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS, SAMUI ALSO HARBORS HAPPENING NIGHTLIFE OPTIONS FROM OPEN-AIR RESTAURANTS/BARS TO RAUCOUS CABARETS, MOST OF WHICH ARE SITUATED ON CHAWENG BEACH, A SEVEN-KILOMETER-LONG SULTRY STRETCH OF POSTCARD-PERFECT WHITE SAND.

A peaceable haven from the everyday – enforcing the point is a hill that separates the resort from the rest of Koh Samui – W’s first retreat in Southeast Asia possesses an ‘island within an island’ ambience that’s deliciously disconnected from reality from its secluded spot on Maenam beach, the island’s most pristine coastal corner. A tropical Shangri-la that slumbers luxuriantly by day and purrs into action as the sun goes down, this chic retreat serves as a glittering playground for vacation makers and party-loving locals alike.

Stylishly and painstakingly put together by MAPS design studio and award-winning designer Carl Almeida of P49 Deesign, W’s only Thai property comprises 73 sleek villas sublimely scattered along the beachfront, with clean lines, wood elements and stone tones acting as the perfect backdrop to the brilliant turquoise seascapes beckoning outside. Feeling lazy? Then zone out on the private retreat patio with a paperback. Energized?

Make a splash in the generously proportioned pool.

Illuminated by white terrazzo

EAT: SAVOR FUSION DISHES LIKE TENDERLOIN STEAK WITH RED WINE CHOCOLATE SAUCE AND PEPPER AND PHILIPPE STARCK-DESIGNED CHAIRS AT 9GEMS VISIT: SAIL TO NEARBY KO PHANGAN FOR WHITE SAND BEACHES AND ITS LEGENDARY MOON PARTIES

floors and bleached wood walls, AWAY Spa’s locally inspired therapies – think nourishing coconut body treatments and cleansing sea salt baths – will restore your sense of well-being even further, and savvy spagoers take note: this is the only spa in Asia to offer the Thaimazcal herbal sauna/steam experience, a treatment inspired by traditional Mexican Temascal rituals to revamp body and soul.

In the mood to sample cuttingedge Japanese fare such as Maine lobster with Udon and Chili and Tasmanian ocean

trout with wasabi and sea urchin roe butter from a chic beachfront setting? Then pull up a chair at Namu, where green glass rods evoke bamboo and the surrounding water feature delivers a floaty sensation.

Before you chow down on these gastro masterpieces, cross the stepping stones to Sip for a sun-streaked aperitif. Bow out by smooching the night away at WooBar, where nightly live DJs provide the soundtrack to knockout 270-degree ocean views, before a well-deserved flop into W’s Signature Bed.

W RETREATS04 http://www.starwoodasiapacificpromotions.com/whotel/playandunplug/ W BALI / W MALDIVES / W KOH SAMUI

PLAY AND UNPLUG PACKAGE

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W HOTELS AND BURN DJ LAB WHETHER IT’S A KILLER DANCE MIX DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU HIT THE DANCE FLOOR IN A HEARTBEAT OR A SUBLIME CHILL-OUT NUMBER INTENDED TO PROVOKE A POOLSIDE SLUMBER, W HAS THE SOUNDTRACK FOR EVERY MOOD AND MOMENT, MIXED TO PERFECTION BY OUR VISIONARY CREW OF DJS. Constantly on the look-out for what’s new and next to hit the decks, W recently launched the burn DJ Lab with Coca-Cola to bring together the most talented new spinners from around the globe and help them realize their full potential. Wannabe spinners were sent off to DJ ‘boot camp’ in Barcelona and Ibiza, where they spun alongside mentors including W’s Michaelangelo L’Acqua, Arthur Baker, Jason Bentley and to fight for a slot on W’s burn DJ Lab Tour. With the help of burn studios music ambassadors Richie Hawtin, Sasha and David Guetta, Global Music Director Michaelangelo L’Acqua hand-picked six promising – but very different – talents to join the 20-date tour and rock 12 happening cities all over the globe, from Bali to St Petersburg.

The tour opened in New York this September with hip Parisian duo Miaou Mix (aka Noemi Sunshine Ferst and Judith Grynszpan) delivering a shimmering soundtrack at W New York. Resident DJs at Paris’ Le Baron, the girls serve up R&B and electronica with a heavy dose of glamour on the side. Also rocking it for the girls on the DJ Lab tour is Tokyo’s Eiko, whose unique musical voice and sense of style ensured her a place in the top six.

Resident DJ for W’s Symmetry Live Series, New York’s DJ Bouji (aka Lincoln Madley) delivers high energy sessions and is a favourite with A-listers: past gigs include Jennifer Aniston’s birthday party and after parties for Vanity Fair.

W Hong Kong resident DJ Angus Wong, with a style drawing from the ‘80s and ‘90s, also made the cut, as did Stopmakingme (aka Dan Avery), resident at London’s Fabric and a frequent face at Bugged Out. Dan rocks the dancefloor with everything from electro and post punk to techno and nu wave: a perfect proponent of the eclectic London style, and his set at W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – along with Miaou Mix in London and Bouji in Barcelona – will wrap up the DJ Lab Tour on New Year’s Eve. W Hotels will feature exclusive mixes created by this group in the DJ Lab at the burn Hacienda in Ibiza on the music tab of the W iPhone application, which features an integrated music platform. The DJ Lab mixes will also be available through online DJ community MIX.dj and via mobile devices.

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W HOTELS IPHONE APP UPDATE THERE’S A NEW PLAYLIST ON THE W HOTELS IPHONE APP AND 32 DJ MIXES, INCLUDING W HOTELS AND BURN STUDIO DJS EXCLUSIVE REMIXES, HAVE ALSO BEEN ADDED. CHECK IT OUT AT SYMMETRYSOUNDS.COM

BURN DJ LAB ASIAN TOUR DATES

01 ANGUS WONG HONG KONG COOL 02 DJ BOUJI NEW YORK NOISE 03 STOPMAKINGME BRIT SWAGGER 04 MIAOU MIX PARISIAN BEATS 05 EIKO TOKYO TUNES

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13 & 14 OCTOBER: MIAOU MIX: W VIP LOUNGE, BANGKOK FASHION WEEK 28 OCTOBER: EIKO: W TAIPEI 25 NOVEMBER: ANGUS WONG: W SEOUL-WALKERHILL 3 DECEMBER: EIKO: W HONG KONG

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14 DECEMBER: MIAOU MIX: W PARTY SHANGHAI 30 DECEMBER: ANGUS WONG: W RETREAT & SPA BALI SEMINYAK 31 DECEMBER: STOPMAKINGME: W RETREAT & SPA BALI SEMINYAK

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DESIGN FOCUS A PINNACLE OF MODERN DESIGN AND STARTLING INNOVATION, W SEOUL-WALKERHILL FLIRTS WITH YOUR SENSES FROM THE MINUTE YOU STEP INTO THE HOTEL’S 470 SQUARE METER DOUBLE HEIGHT LOBBY, A SERIES OF COZY SPACES WHERE YOU CAN FLOP INTO EGG-SHAPED CHAIRS OR SUMPTUOUS SOFAS AND SOAK UP THE HOTEL AMBIENCE. ELSEWHERE, GUESTS WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH W SEOUL-WALKERHILL’S HIP DINING SPACES LIKE NAMU AND DAZZLING ROOMS WITH RED ACCENTS FROM SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN DESIGN, INCLUDING NEW YORK’S GAIA AND TONY CHI, AND HONG KONG’S RAD.

W SEOUL A DESIGN ICON

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Pushing the design element further, the hotel has introduced a creative art in collaboration program with local and international artists including Canada’s Farmboy Fine Art and Korean artist Jae Hyo Lee to present the first new media and reactive hotel displays in a hotel in Asia to add further creative wow to Seoul’s most eye-catching accommodation.

02 W Seoul-Walkerhill also made waves in the Korean capital with Design Lab Seoul, an collective Kimchi and Chips additionally stepped imaginative event held this July that unveiled up. China was represented by Super Nature media art inspired by W from the hotel’s Design, a Shanghai based multi-disciplinary Living Room and WooBar. outfit that specializes in interactive design, Curated by media art specialists Art Centre visual communication & media technology.

Nabi, with KoIAN (Korea Interdisciplinary DJ Soulscape, the only Korean DJ featured in Arts Network)’s performance with telerobotic W Hotels App, spun the night away as 300 art installation opening the night, the event guests enjoyed the interactive happening. featured work from some of the hottest local W Design Lab Seoul was a second happening and international artists around working in in series following last year’s W Design Lab this medium, including Haeyul Noh, whose Tokyo, organized by W Seoul-Walkerhill. arresting pieces showcase a new perspective W Hotels first introduced this happening in on movement through the active involvement Tokyo, and the W design revolution continues 01 BRIGHT SPA-RK: of the visitors.Media art group everyware, as W Design Lab is travelling to Shanghai THE WATER ZONE the brainchild of Hyunwoo Bang and Yunsil this December to introduce the W Designers AT W SEOUL-WALKERHILL Heo who head the New Media Lab at Seoul of the Future along with W Hotel’s music and National University, also got involved in the fashion trendsetters to represent the world of 02 CREATIVE FORCE: SUPER NATURE DESIGN event. Keeping the local flavor, Korean/Brit what’s new and next.

W WIRED

DOUBLE STARPOINTS

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RETREAT AND SURRENDER:

W MALDIVES

TOUCH DOWN: YOUR MALDIVIAN OCEAN OASIS AWAITS.

W INSIDER AT W RETREAT & SPA – MALDIVES NAADU MOHAMED WON’T REST UNTIL EVERY GUEST HAS A SMILE ON THEIR FACE Dive master and sharp snapper W Insider Naadu Mohamed is so dedicated to his charges that he even takes guests diving on his day off. But with so much to discover under the pristine turquoise waters of Fesdu Island on the North Ari atoll, where W Retreat & Spa Maldives is located, who can blame him?

“You can go snorkeling two, three times a day in the same spot and find something different every time, and you can snorkel all around the Retreat and see dozens of species without ever having to get into a boat,” begins Naadu, who loves nothing more than watching guests have a close encounter with a turtle.

“The clarity and amount of species that we have access to here is the same all year long, and the water temperature, which averages 29 degrees, is always inviting too,” adds the W Insider. Not confident with a snorkel mask and flippers? Then book a personal guide to show you the reef’s sweetest, and shallowest, spots, like around the AWAY Spa just before the atoll drops off. “We have lots of guests from Korea and China, people who haven’t grown up by the sea, and we want them to enjoy the ocean as much as we do,” he says. With just 78 villas, the W Retreat & Spa – Maldives

is able to deliver a level of above and beyond service that’s simply not possible in a bustling city hotel with hundreds of keys. Naadu loves regaling guests with his personal Maldivian experiences and frequently inspires them into signing up for a night fishing trip, or an underwater video course.

When not introducing guests to turtles and mantas, Naadu is busy escorting them to Fesdu, an uninhabited island that’s a ten-minute boat ride away from the Retreat. “Guests often tell me they feel like Robinson Crusoe, as they have the island all to themselves and can play at being king and queen for a day.

They never want to come back.”

Serious divers, he says, can book an overnight sailing/scuba trip to Hammerhead Shark Point aboard the Retreat’s glorious two-mast sailing yacht, Escape, where in addition to these unusually-shaped creatures, sand tiger, sixgill and spottail sharks cut gracefully through the turquoise underworld.

The retreat is utilizing technology to tweak its level of service even further, and while guests are waiting for the seaplane to whisk them away from Male airport they can kick back at the W Lounge and plan their trip by checking out excursions and activities on the iPad. As for Naadu, you’re most likely to find him getting friendly with a turtle beneath the water, and recommending the best spot for a never-to-be-forgotten champagne dinner once he’s come up for air.

PULL UP A CHAIR AT 15 BELOW ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN.

MARINE VISTAS: VILLAS ARE ENCIRCLED

BY THE SEA.

NEED FOR SPEED: TRY JAMES BOND’S UNDERWATER ROCKET, THE SEABOB.

BLUE NIRVANA: A STINGRAY GLIDES THROUGH THE WATER. COOL CRUISIN’: BOOK A SEAT ON THE W’S SAILING YACHT, ESCAPE.

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WHAT’S NEW

W HOTELS DESIGNERS OF THE FUTURE COLLABORATING WITH THE MOST INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS GLOBALLY HAS GIVEN W HOTELS ITS INIMITABLE IDENTITY, AND FROM ITS FIRST HOTEL IN NEW YORK ON LEXINGTON AVENUE TO UPCOMING PROPERTIES IN BANGKOK, SINGAPORE AND GUANGZHOU NEXT YEAR, CUTTING-EDGE DESIGN IS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT.

ASIF KHAN SHOWS OFF HIS SUBMISSION, ‘CLOUD’ AT DESIGN MIAMI/BASEL.

MISCHER’TRAXLER WON FAVOR WITH LIGHT SCULPTURE ‘RELUMINE’.

W IS SPONSORING

BUSINESS OF DESIGN WEEK HONG KONG 28 NOVEMBER TO 3 DECEMBER

STUDIO JUJU WITH THEIR WINNING DESIGN, ‘A TENT’.

Promising young creatives delivered new directions in design culture for W Hotels Designers of the Future Award, with winning submissions uncovered in front of an influential crowd of collectors, dealers and journalists at Design Miami/ Basel in June. This year, the designers were asked to draw inspiration from ‘Conversation Pieces,’ with winners Studio Juju, Asif Khan and Mischer’Traxler delivering three engaging interpretations on the theme. Studio Juju’s submission, ‘A Tent’ looked to the unifying role of Mongolian yurts in villages for inspiration, and the Singaporean design duo Timo Wong and Priscilla Lui are the first Asian recipients of the Award. UK designer Asif Khan’s ‘Cloud’ – a floating roof made of helium gas, water and soap – turned foaming bubbles into an architectural yet whimsical element of design.

Austrian design duo Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler, aka Mischer’Traxler, submitted three pieces: ‘It Takes More Than One’, ‘Collective Works’ and ‘Relumine’, with the former using mirrors that work when only two or more people stand in front of them to demonstrate that, through others, one is able to discover oneself. W Hotels created a global platform for last year’s winners Beta Tank, Graham Hudson, rAndom International and Zigelbaum + Coelho, and the winners traveled to W locations across the globe during key design weeks, setting up on-site installations at W Barcelona and W Doha and showcasing their work during Istanbul Design week. Zigelbaum + Coelho and rAndom International were also integrated at the W Taipei premiere event in March 2011, where rAndom International created a permanent installation for the hotel.

NEW W DESTINATIONS

AFTER A TRAILBLAZING YEAR IN ASIA WHICH SAW W OPEN ITS FIRST HOTEL IN INDONESIA IN BALI TO RAVE REVIEWS, 2012 IS GEARED UP TO BE EVEN MORE MOMENTOUS, WITH THREE FABULOUS NEW HOTELS IN KEY ASIAN LOCATIONS POISED TO WOW THE REGION’S COOLEST CUSTOMERS FROM THE MOST HIP LOCALES.

First up is W Singapore Sentosa Cove, which will bring the party to the stylish city-state from 30 April.

Situated on the island resort of Sentosa, home to a 2km-long golden sand beach lined with chic restaurants bars and clubs, this hip new spot boasts an outdoor heated pool with sensational wraparound sea views.

Indulge the kids, or the kid in you, with a trip to nearby Universal studios, which is home to the world’s first Transformers ride, or take your chances at the Blackjack and roulette tables at Resorts World Sentosa’s glittering casino.

The epitome of Asian chic, W Bangkok will open its doors shortly after 1 August from a prestigious spot on Embassy Row, the epicenter of the city where hip sois are waiting to be discovered.

This 403-room property is in prime position to shop for cool couture in the city’s top malls like Siam Paragon and Central World, and tease your taste buds, Thai style, with red-hot eating experiences from street stall satays to regal Siamese cuisine.

Heading north, W makes its mainland China debut in the happening metropolis of Guangzhou – the middle kingdom’s third-largest city after Beijing and Shanghai and the birthplace of Cantonese food – on 15 May. W Guangzhou will open in the heart of Zhujiang, the city’s central business district set amid a backdrop of gleaming skyscrapers, that’s also home to luxury shopping and topnotch entertainment.

Get acquainted with this pumping cosmopolitan city by zooming up the 600m-tall hourglassshaped Canton Tower for a bird’s eye view of things then take it down at the Temple of Six Banyan Trees, which houses golden buddhas and incensecloaked halls.

Beyond that, W is turning its attentions to mainland China once more with W Beijing in Chang’an and W Shanghai on the Bund transporting W’s inimitable chic to China’s most important cities in 2014.

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