August 2012

southeAst AsiA

August 2012

World’s Best aWards 2012

an inSider’S guide To Sydney

Jet lag myths and cures

social media: changing how you travel

burma Painting a new Picture

Shaken & Stirred

cocktails with a view

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

TravelandLeisureAsia.com

contents august 2012 volume 06 : issue 08

127

Boracay was voted the top island overall by readers in the World’s Best awards.

GUNTHER DEICHMANN

features 120 ToronTo LighTs Up Thanks to an infusion of fashionforward shops and nightlife, inventive restaurants and top-tier design, Canada’s largest city has gained a newfound swagger and an edgy style all its own. by jonathan durbin. photographed by rob fiocca. map and guide 126

127 WorLd’s BesT AWArds Every year, we ask T+L readers to tell us which destinations represent the very best in travel, and 2012’s roster of winners is bigger and better than ever.

We’ve added new categories; highlighted the newcomers, great value options and editor’s picks; and, for the first time, recognized the 97 Hall of Fame winners that have been on the list for a solid

decade now. edited by sarah spagnolo 140 hUngry for MAdrid The singing, dancing, and gin and tonics; the art, architecture and shopping; the late-night tapas, olives and langoustines: gary shteyngart takes on the Spanish capital. photographed by monika hofler & jens schwarz. map and guide 149

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 11

contents

august 2012 volume 06 : issue 08

t+l southeast asia world’s best awards 2012 / burmese artists / sydney / tokyo / madrid / jet lag cures / toronto

southeAst AsiA

August 2012

World’s Best aWards 2012

burma Painting a

an inSider’S guide To Sydney

Jet lag myths and cures

au gu st 2 012

social media: changing how you travel

new Picture

Shaken & Stirred

cocktails with a view

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

08Cover FINAL V4.indd 1

TravelandLeisureAsia.com

12/07/2012 16:21

On the cOver

the bright lights of Bangkok—voted as this year’s top city in the World’s Best awards—seen from sirocco, atop the state tower lebua. Photographed by stuart Westmorland.

newsflash 31 Shanghai’s 4-D dining, spas for the sleep deprived, Singapore layovers and more.

insider

58

37 deToUr Arrowtown, New Zealand celebrates its 150th birthday. by karryn miller 44 eAT nell mcshane wulfhart offers a local guide to Seoul food.

51 spAs Salt spa treatments you can savor. by catharine nicol 52 Wine Pairing tips for Asian cuisine. by merritt gurley 58 geTAWAy One of Thailand’s biggest islands, Koh Kood is also one of its best-kept secrets. by merritt gurley 60 MUsic Southeast Asia’s best festivals. by richard mcleish

44 12 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

66 experT Author christopher elliott advises on how to avoid getting scammed while you travel.

f R o M T o p : C o U R T E s y o f s o N E vA k I R I ; s E o N G j o o N C H o

46 heALTh Does a cure for jet lag exist? justin peters investigates.

contents

august 2012 volume 06 : issue 08

113

108 70 drinks This summer, place your order at one of these breezy bars. by bruce schoenfeld

84 pAcking Seaside staples for a dapper day at the beach. fashion direction by mimi lombardo

72 gAdgeTs The big brands battle it out to bring you the most snappy mobile devices.

journal

76 ciTyscApe Sydney’s thriving art scene, game-changing restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops. by mark ellwood

stylish traveler 83 WATches These ocean-hued watches combine both form and function. fashion direction by mimi lombardo 14 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

101 ArT Burma’s artists are emerging with a dynamic take on their nation and its future. story and photographs by cedric arnold 108 neighBorhood In Tokyo’s less-touristy northeast, a former black market offers everything under the (rising) sun. by marie doezema. photographed by alfie goodrich 113 AsiAn scene Battambang is rediscovering its native tune.

by robert turnbull. photographed by aaron joel santos

66

departments 16 in This issUe 18 ediTor’s noTe 22 conTriBUTors 24 MAiL 26 BesT deALs 28 Ask T+L 91 sTrATegies 96 sMArT TrAveLer 98 digiTAL TrAveLer 150 LAsT Look

C lo C kw I s E f R o M To p l E f T: A A R o N j o E l sA N To s ; A l f I E G o o D R I C H ; l E v I b R ow N

72

in this issue

Toronto 120 Tokyo 108 Madrid 140 Battambang 113 rangoon 101

sydney 76 Arrowtown 37

trIp IDeAS

DeStInAtIOnS SOutheASt ASIA Bali 70 Bangkok 18, 52 Battambang, Cambodia 113 Boracay 26 Hong Kong 35, 51 Koh Chang, thailand 26 Koh Kood, thailand 58 Koh Phi Phi 26 Koh samui 34, 70 luang Prabang 26 malaysia 28 maldives 26 mui ne, vietnam 150 rangoon 101 sarawak 60 singapore 35, 60

art

101

awards

127

AuStrAlIA, new ZeAlAnD AnD the pAcIfIc arrowtown, new Zealand 37 sydney 76

Beaches + islands

58

cities

37, 76, 108, 113, 120, 140

Fashion

83, 84

Food + drinks

34, 44, 52, 70

eurOpe madrid 140 the mediterranean 32 Paris 32 rome 34

Hotels + resorts

26

music

60

spas

34, 51

technology

46, 72, 91

travel tips

28, 35, 66, 96

the AmerIcAS Catalina island, California 70 Hawaii 70 Hilton Head, south Carolina 70 toronto 120 st. Bart’s 32

Featured destination

toronto

canada’s largest city defines multicultural, so it’s no surprise that the festivals in the city do too. this month sees the three-week caribbean carnival—a celebration straight out of those islands—wrap up with a colorful parade on august 4. if that’s too early, you can always take in the canadian national exhibition, august 17–september 3. (For more on Toronto, see page 120).

16 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

©Rob fIoCCA(3)

travel tip

ASIA Beijing 28 guangzhou 26 Kyoto 32 niigata, Japan 60 seoul 26, 44

shanghai 31 tokyo 108

editor’s note Where To find Me )) chrisk@mediatransasia.com )) @CKucway on Twitter

upDAteS

Now that you have our annual World’s Best Awards issue in your hands, I can cue the phone calls and e-mails. Spoiler alert: Bangkok has been voted the top city in the world for the third year running (“World’s Best Awards,” page 127). Given that our offices are based in the Thai capital, a standard question is what influence that has in the final tally. In a nutshell, none. We’d like to think that the content of the magazine reflects the infinite variety of attractions in Bangkok, but this is an independent vote from you, our readers. Bangkok is not alone either. The region looms large in our annual vote, when it comes to cities, islands, cruises and airlines (without naming names, six of the top 10 airlines in the world are based in Asia). All that said, let us know what you think of the results, particularly if you didn’t manage to vote, and we’ll let you know about next year’s awards in the coming months.

Also in this issue, we venture Down Under (“Sydney Uncovered,” page 76). Where else in the world will you explore a neighborhood with the unforgettable, roll-off-the-tongue name of Wooloomooloo or meet a chef by the

name of Hong who just happens to head up the best Mexican restaurant in town?

Burma’s emergence as a travel hotspot is so new that you won’t yet find its hotels on many awards lists, but the country’s artists have been a guiding light for years. Our look at Rangoon’s current collection of painters and performance artists (“A Country’s New Canvas,” page 101) offers a glimpse of where this long-secluded country, one that still faces many struggles, might be headed.

There’s no doubt that social media plays an increasing role in our daily lives. So “How Social Media Will Change the Way You Travel” (page 91) is a must-read if you tweet or post, search or save, clip or check-in, want to protect your privacy or simply need the lowdown on innovative ways to help you travel better. I have no problem with that, just as long as you remember to look up from your screen every now and again to take in all that your journeys have to offer.

—c h r i s t o p h e r ku c way

MALdives in reserve after our look at Baa atoll and the work being done by several resorts in its biosphere reserve in the maldives (July 2012), the indian ocean nation went a step further by announcing plans to form the world’s largest marine reserve by 2017, one that would include all of its 1,192 islands. not long after, a forum of scientists in cairns drew up a petition calling for international efforts to save the world’s coral reefs. at least 85 percent of reefs in asia’s coral triangle are at risk from overfishing, pollution and development.

AirporT screening new at Hong Kong’s international airport is a 350-seat imaX theater. ticket prices, which start at HK$100, are comparable to those in the city.

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.

18 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

editor-in-CHieF art direCtor Features editors senior designer designer assistant editor—digital assistant editor

Christopher kucway james Nvathorn Unkong Richard Hermes Merritt Gurley wannapha Nawayon Chotika sopitarchasak wasinee Chantakorn Diana Hubbell

regular ContriButors / PHotograPHers Cedric Arnold, jennifer Chen, Robyn Eckhardt, Tom Hoops, philipp Engelhorn, David Hagerman, lauryn Ishak, Naomi lindt, jen lin-liu, brent Madison, Nat prakobsantisuk, Aaron joel santos, Adam skolnick, Darren soh, Daven wu

CHairman President PuBlisHing direCtor

PuBlisHer digital media manager Business develoPment managers

Consultant, Hong Kong/maCau CHieF FinanCial oFFiCer ProduCtion manager ProduCtion grouP CirCulation manager CirCulation assistant

j.s. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-bajaj

Robert fernhout pichayanee kitsanayothin Michael k. Hirsch joey kukielka louisa Daly shea stanley 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. 6, issue 8 Travel + leisure southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia limited, Room 1205-06, 12/f, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, sheung wan, Hong kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New york, Ny 10036, United states of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand ltd., 14th floor, ocean Tower II, 75/8 soi sukhumvit 19, sukhumvit Road, klongtoeynue, wattana, bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370. printed by Comform Co., ltd. (+66 2 368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic scan Co., ltd. (+66 2 291-7575). while the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

This edition is published by permission of ameriCan eXPress PuBlisHing CorPoration 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New york, Ny 10036 United states of America Tel. +1 212 382 5600 online: www.amexpub.com Reproduction in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright owner is prohibited.

suBsCriPtions subscription enquiries: www.travelandleisuresea.com/subscribe advertising Advertising enquiries: e-mail advertising@mediatransasia.com

marie doezema writer AssignMenT “Bargain Haven” (page 108).

BesT MArkeT find Potatoes the size of marbles, in a market in Putao, Burma. Three MeMorABLe sMeLLs eau de tokyo: a mixture of incense, shoyu (soy sauce) and tatami. oAsis froM Tokyo chAos the beach in Kamakura (surfing, hiking and sweet potato ice cream) or tenzan onsen in Hakone (hot springs and massages).

UsefUL phrAse When geTTing A MAssAge “under the chicken wing, please!” (But don’t make me transliterate that.)

MArkeTs yoU’ve knoWn And Loved marché d’aligre in Paris or the vucciria market in Palermo—both have beautiful produce and are happily chaotic. if i Were To open A shop, iT WoULd seLL... everything fermented, from natto (fermented soybeans) to kombucha (fermented tea)!

richard mcleish writer nell mcshane wulfhart writer AssignMenT “Beyond Barbecue” (page 44).

UsefUL Word in A koreAn resTAUrAnT Sogeum. it means salt. grouchy elderly female restaurant owners get insulted if you ask for it (“But you didn’t even try it!”), so it needs to be said emphatically to get results.

MisconcepTion ABoUT koreAn cULTUre some people think Koreans are robots—working 12 hours a day, following all rules, never deviating from the norm. i can confirm that they are not! But Korea has developed some very cool robots that dance, play football and welcome customers into shops with a formal and courteous bow.

AssignMenT “Following the music” (page 60).

MosT MeMorABLe concerT dJ Krush played a dawn set in the mist with lasers at Fuji rock Festival in 2004. atmospheric and amazing. MoUnTAin sLope cAMping Tip either use full beer cans to prop up your air bed or drink enough of them before sleeping to level out internally. fAvoriTe fesTivAL fAiLUre at the after party for the melt Festival at Ferropolis in germany in 2006 i was denied entry by the bouncers for not being “melted enough.”

“WorLd MUsic” sTereoTypes ThAT Are AcTUALLy TrUe rasta musicians like to smoke weed. irish musicians like to get drunk. classical musicians go to bed early. it’s true! nexT fesTivAL on yoUr rAdAr exit festival in serbia. it’s time for eastern europe to shine.

T o p, f R o M l E f T : C o U R T E s y o f M A R I E D o E z E M A ; C o U R T E s y o f N E l l M C s H A N E w U l f H A R T ; C o U R T E s y o f R I C H A R D M C l E I s H b o T T o M , f R o M l E f T : A l f I E G o o D R I C H ; s E o N G j o o N C H o ; R yA N C H A N G

contributors

mail

LeTTer of The MonTh I’m not the kind of person to get excited by hotel openings, but I wanted to compliment you on your story about the new Siam hotel [“New Life For Old Siam,” June 2012] on the river in Bangkok. Both the writing

and photography made me feel like I could almost experience the antiques and atmosphere of the place through the page, even though (to be honest) I won’t be able to afford to stay there any time soon.

—Eimear Clarke, Jakarta

A BreAth Of fISh AIr

mAD mADDOX

Kudos to the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation for what looks like a conscientious renovation of the old Tai O police station [“A New Turn For Tai O,” June 2012]. It’s important work in a city that doesn’t place a lot of value on preserving the past. But there was something conspicuous missing from the writer’s description of the “verdant hills,” beaches and dolphins on Lantau Island: the smell of shrimp paste!

Despite visiting Lantau for years I’ve never really gotten used to it. Some may find the aroma pleasantly pungent, but when I’m enjoying the greenery and fresh air on the island I sometimes find myself wishing the wind was blowing the other direction.

—Karl Cotleigh, Hong Kong

When I looked at the contents of your June issue I thought the article “I Was a Las Vegas Concierge…” [June 2012] was the last thing I’d want to read in the magazine. It wasn’t until the photographs of Bruno Maddox’s crazy hair caught my eye that I started to read it, and was I wrong! Maddox is one of the weirdest, funniest writers you’ve published. He makes “being concierge” seem both slightly sad and cool at the same time.

—Sunardi, Jakarta

StellAr SIAm

hOw much?

I loved the striking photos in this year’s It List [June 2012], but what happened to the prices? A string of dollar signs doesn’t tell me a lot.

—Isabel Orijuela, Manila

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

budget-friendly tips for your travel planning

affordable asian trips deal oF the Month s n A p

sheraton maldives Full moon resort & spa

the district Boracay

ISLAND ESCAPES

mAlDIveS A Tropical Escape package at Sheraton MaldiveS Full Moon reSort & Spa

(960/664-2010; sheratonmaldives.com).

What’S included A stay in an Ocean villa; complimentary breakfast at Feast restaurant; dinner at either Feast or Sand Coast; complimentary combined airport transfers by speed boat from Male; free Internet access in the villa. coSt US$780 per night, double, with a three-night minimum, through December 30.

SavingS 20 percent. phIlIppIneS Pre-Opening Special package at the diStrict Boracay (63-36/2882324; thedistrictboracay.com). What’S included A stay in a Deluxe suite; a free welcome drink; complimentary Wi-Fi access; use of resort facilities, fitness equipment and pool. coSt P8,470 per night, double, through September 30.

SavingS Up to 30 percent.

SPA INDULGENCE

guangzhou marriott Hotel tianhe

GrEEN GETAWAY

lAOS Discover Luang Prabang package at villa Maly and kaMu lodge (856-71/253902; villa-maly.com). What’S included A twonight stay at Villa Maly; a one-night stay at Kamu Lodge; round-trip airport transfers; return transport trip in a long tail boat to Kamu Lodge; dinner at Villa Maly; massage at Kamu Lodge; cultural activities including rice planting, fishing, cave excursion, tour of a local village and gold panning. coSt US$174 per person, through September 30. SavingS 65 percent.

NEW ON THE SCENE

chInA Opening package at guangzhou Marriott hotel tianhe (86-20/6108-8888; guangzhoumarriott.com). What’S included

A stay in a Deluxe room; RMB400 food and beverage cash coupon for use within the hotel; 1,000 Marriott Rewards points. coSt RMB1,200 per night, double, through August 31. SavingS 20 percent.

thAIlAnD Stay 4 Pay 3 package at zeavola reSort koh phi phi (66-75/627-000, zeavola.com) What’S included A four-night

KOreA New Member Offer package at the plaza hotel Seoul (82-2/310-7710; hoteltheplaza.com). What’S included A stay

stay in a Pool villa; daily breakfast for two at the Thai cuisine restaurant Baxil; complimentary Wi-Fi access. coSt Bt14,250 per night, double, through October 31. SavingS 25 percent.

in a room of your choice; Wi-Fi access. coSt From W221,000 per night, double, three-night minimum, for bookings through August 31 on stays through September 30. SavingS 15 percent.

26 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

thailand Web Saver package at koh chang tropicana Beach resort & Spa Managed by centara (66-3/955-7122; centarahotelsresorts.com/ ckc) What’S included A stay in a Superior room; complimentary stay for two children under 12 if sharing a room with parents; breakfast. coSt From Bt2,350 per night, double, seven-night minimum, through October 31. SavingS Up to 63 percent.

Koh Chang tropicana Beach resort & spa

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 s H E R ATo N M A l D I v E s f U l l M o o N R E s o R T & s pA ; C o U R T E s y o f T H E D I s T R I C T b o R A C Ay ; C o U R T E s y o f G U A N G z H o U M A R R I o T T H o T E l T I A N H E ; C o U R T E s y o f k o H C H A N G T R o p I C A N A b E A C H R E s o R T & s p A

i T

askt+l vegans won’t go hungry in malaysia.

Black sesame Kitchen offers cooking classes in a traditional Beijing hutong.

seasick? try pressure bands as a cure.

do you know of a serious cooking class i could take when i go to China?

—MINGMEI HAN, sINGApoRE that depends on where you’ll be going. in Beijing, we’re big fans of Black sesame kitchen (84/136-9147-4408; blacksesamekitchen.com, classes RMB300 per person). set in a hutong, the school’s informal classes cover a range of chinese dishes, including traditional Beijing snacks, imperial cuisine, dumplings and shanxi noodles. elsewhere in the country, if you’re looking for something more intensive, The sichuan higher institute of cuisine (cookingschoolinchina.com, from US$2,000 per person, including accommodation) offers two-week cooking classes in english.

A: Caused by a disturbance of the

inner ear, seasickness never affects some people and absolutely debilitates others. Many sufferers swear by medications such as Scopolamine, Dramamine and Stugeron. Others turn to herbal remedies such as fresh ginger. Pressure bands—bracelets that press gently on an acupuncture point on the wrist—have become popular in recent years, though they are not scientifically proven. sea-Band (sea-band.com) is one of the more widely distributed brands. In general, try to stay above deck when possible, keep your eyes on the horizon, avoid reading for too long and steer clear of pungent odors and foods.

Q: WhAT shoULd My vegAn Boyfriend eAT in MALAysiA? —MACk HAyDoN, MElboURNE A: Your boyfriend won’t be the only vegan in Malaysia. Although the country is principally Muslim, there are still sizable Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh sects with followers who practice various forms of vegetarianism. In Kuala Lumpur, there are plenty of options. Outside the capital, look for southern Indian food and get used to saying, “Saya tidak makan daging, telur, ayam, atau makanan laut” (I don’t eat meat, eggs, chicken or seafood).

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.)

clocKWise From toP leFt: courtesy oF BlacK sesame KitcHen; © Hein teH / dreamstime.com; courtesy oF sea-Bands

Q: My Wife finALLy TALked Me inTo going on A crUise. Any WAys To coMBAT seAsickness?

—AMNAT GRIssARIN, AyUTTHAyA

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

RestauRant

4-D DINING

s CoT T w R I G H T o f l I M E l I G H T sT U D I o

Shanghai’s hottest new restaurant serves up an avant-garde dining experience in a secret location After the success of Jade on 36 and Mr & Mrs Bund, Paul Pairet has upped the ante on Shanghai’s dining scene again with Ultraviolet, an intriguing restaurant that blends food, ambiance and technology.

Moving beyond your usual molecular gastronomy, the acclaimed chef’s latest launch brings all five senses to life in a minimalist room featuring customized video and light projections, soundtracks, scents and even hot or cold air, among other museum-standard technologies.

The concept is based on what the Frenchman calls “psycho-taste,” his belief that food is about emotions and staging the ambience will enhance the food served and the memory of it. “[It’s] like wine pairing, but with atmosphere,” explains Pairet.

Meals are a convivial affair with a single dining table. The restaurant’s location is undisclosed so guests are ferried to the restaurant at the same time, embarking on the three-hour culinary journey together.

For now, there’s just one fixed-price menu featuring a staggering 22 courses, which

includes drink pairings such as wine, as well as clever concoctions crafted with Pairet’s whimsical style: a dessert of flash-frozen Coca-Cola Pop Rocks candy is served with gummy-flavored Evian water, for example.

Scenarios are staged to complement the cuisine. Truffle burnt soup bread, a dish combining the surprisingly addictive flavors of cigar smoke, burnt bread, meuniere sauce and truffles, makes its entrance amid scenes of a dark, mist-filled wood accompanied by a haunting piano melody. At the same time a hidden door opens up to reveal a real-life giant Camphor tree root.

With just 10 seats each night and bookings that fill up quickly, you’ll invariably find yourself alongside longtime Pairet fans.

Pairet’s artful cuisine may be the star of the show, but the blend of senses, and ultimately emotions, adds up to an impression that is certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

Ultraviolet; location undisclosed; uvbypp.cc; reservations online at uvbypp.cc/bookings; set dinner RMB2,000 per person, including beverage pairing.—l i m s i o h u i

ultraviolet unveiled Clockwise from top: The Ultraviolet dining room; chef Paul Pairet under the projector; a dish of “foie gras can’t quit;” “Hibernatus gummies” for dessert.

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 31

newsflash hotels

Made in the Med LAURA BEGLEY BLOOM surveys new design-statement properties from Marseille to Majorca

Off THE rUNWAY Paulina Porizkova—a star of photographer Timothy GreenfieldSanders’s latest HBO documentary, About Face: The Supermodels Then and Now—reveals her favorite destinations. pAris When i visit, i always go to the

Jardin du Luxembourg and buy barbe à papa—cotton candy twice the size of your head. sacré coeur is another must. Walking up all those steps? totally cliché, but i just love it.

sT. BArT’s my family and i have been going there for 28 years. the classic place to eat is Maya’s (mayas-stbarth. com; dinner for two €170), for simple creole-French food right on the water.

kyoTo i shot an ice-cream commercial

in Japan when i was 16, but i’d never been to Kyoto until recently. We stayed at hiiragiya (hiiragiya.co.jp; doubles from ¥64,000), run by one family since 1818. three generations waved goodbye to us as we left.

—h o w i e k a h n

32 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

StyliSh StayS From top: The pool at La Plage Casadelmar, in Corsica; the bar at Mama Shelter Marseille comes complete with a foosball table.

Hitting a different note is the wonderfully eclectic Monastero santa rosa (monasterosantarosa.com; doubles from €375), on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. It’s the passion project of Bianca Sharma, who took over a converted 17thcentury cliff-top monastery, filling the 20 rooms with a variety of antiques that she collected during her travels.

The result is more quirky and handmade than designer-polished, but if it was good enough for the first guests to check in, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, then it’s good enough for us.

C l o C k w I s E f R o M b o T T o M l E f T : C o U R T E s y o f pA U l I N A p o R I z k o vA ; T I M oT H y G R E E N f I E l D sA N D E R s ; Co U RT E sy o f D E s I G N H oT E l s ; f R A N C I s A M I A N D

spotlight

Wherever Aman goes, the style tribe slavishly follows. And just when you thought there were no more variations on the word aman, the trailblazing hotel company has opened Amanzoe (amanresorts.com; doubles from €825), in a remote area of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula. With reflecting pools, soaring marble walls and panoramic views, architect Ed Tuttle’s pared-down sanctuary strikes a delicate balance between serenity and drama.

Another disciple of minimalism, Jean-François Bodin— who created Paris’s Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine—brings his trademark restraint to PortoVecchio, the St.-Tropez of Corsica. At the waterfront resort La plage casadelmar (designhotels.com; doubles from €350), he has crafted 15 rooms out of volcanic rock and 300-year-old oaks.

On the Spanish island of Majorca, the Jumeirah port soller hotel & spa (jumeirah. com; doubles from €362) is intended to stimulate the senses, from the approach through orange groves and the hand massages at check-in to the 120 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, most overlooking the sea.

Contrast that with the latest effort from Philippe Starck: Mama shelter Marseille (mamashelter.com). Smack in the center of the buzzy city, the hotel is loaded with in-your-face Starck whimsy— graffitied chalkboard ceilings; pool toys over the bar.

Love it? Hate it? Up to you, but we do like the rates, starting at €79.

newsflash DRink

la granita di Caffè

spa

SHUT-EYE

A new spa treatment in Thailand caters to the sleep-deprived among us

SWeet dreaMS Clockwise from left: The spa facilities at Kamalaya Koh Samui; marma point therapy; dozing off to sleep-inducing massage techniques.

Jetlag and the ensuing insomnia can slow even the toughest globetrotters down. now weary travelers can find relief with sleep enhancement spa treatments at kamalaya koh samui (66-7/742-9800; kamalaya.com, sleep packages from Bt86,000). drawing on techniques from shirodhara, acupuncture, foot massage and traditional chinese medicine, the five-, seven- or nine-day programs aim to make long-term improvements to clients’ sleeping patterns.— d i a n a h u b b e l l

34 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

To p : A N D R E A w y N E R . b oT To M , f R o M fA R l E f T : M AT T H E w wA k E M ( 2 ) ; C o U R E s T y o f k A M A l A yA / j D M A R s T o N

First you have to learn to pronounce it, so that years from now, when you are old and gray, standing at a counter and in need of the magical potion, it will sound right: granita, rhymes with margarita. If you’re in Italy, you have to add di caffè, a coffee granita. (I won’t discuss other flavors such as lemon, which are also classics.)

Here is what it looks like at the Antico caffè greco (86 Via dei Condotti; 39-06/679-1700), in Rome: a chalice of frosted silver, bearing a small mound of frothy brown ice with a generous dab of whipped cream (real cream). The recipe is something of a secret (it consists of water and coffee, some sugar—not too much—and in some cases a bit of liqueur). Italians say, “Anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte”—the eye wants its share, too. When I see a granita coming toward my marble-topped table on a hot day, the sight alone makes my temperature drop. The fresh flavor of chilled coffee fills my mouth as the ice melts and mixes with that rich, room-temperature cream. It is a completely addictive combination. I have to have one every summer afternoon when I’m in Rome, at around four, an antidote to the heat.—g i n i a l h a d e f f

US$26

.8

Tokyo

US$17.5 Seoul

US$1

7.8

Hon

gko

ng

US$1

4.3

US$14.1

guiDe

hip hong Kong Mapped out

cool coMpaSS: Clockwise from left: Creative City unfurled; map cover; founders Danielle Huthart and Louise Wong.

Beijing

Sing

apo

re

US$9

.3

New

Delh

i

creative city hong kong, the city’s first and only design and culture-focused guide, is

now in its second edition following its launch in 2010. Like its predecessor, the updated map highlights traditional and cutting-edge hideouts within six key districts on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon including Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui & Jordan. The guide still divides attractions into things to “See,” “Stash” and “Savor.” In response to the emerging independent coffee house scene, the new map also features a spread on the best cafés frequented by local artists. The 2012 map is presented in one of four limited edition sleeves designed by Hong Kong design collective Graphic Airlines and Hong Kong–based illustrators Don Mak, Emily Aldridge and Emilie Sarnel. (creativecity.hk/ index.php; HK$28).—h e l e n d a l l e y

Value

THE COST Of A CLUb

C lo C kw I s E f R o M To p : C A R M E N C H A N ; Co U RT E sy o f H oT E l s .Co M ; Co U RT E sy o f T H E s I N G A p o R E To U R I s M b oA R D

A layered approach to managing your travel budget

afteR houRs

bright lights, big City changi airport and singapore airlines linked up back in 1987 to offer transit travelers with long layovers in the city-state a free guided tour of singapore, but until now that perk ended at sundown. the new after-dark city Lights Tour (changiairport.com/atchangi/leisureindulgences/free-singapore-tour) runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and includes stops at now-iconic sites like the marina Bay Waterfront Promenade and Bugis village.— m e r r i t t g u r l e y

Never mind your plane ticket— how much are you spending on food? The new club sandwich index by Hotels.com looks at the average price of the famous club sandwich, with its classic chicken, bacon, egg and lettuce filling, as a measure of the costs associated with traveling to a destination. Zoe Chan, senior public relations manager at Hotels.com Asia Pacific says, “By providing an estimate of daily food and drink expenses, the Club Sandwich Index helps travelers assess a destination’s real cost and thus plan their travel budget accordingly.”

Check out the graphic above for the towering truth about the cost of a sandwich in six major cities across the region.—d av i d n g o travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 35

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insider

destinations trends restaurants + More

the quaint stone House Cottage has plenty of charm.

bOOm TO bUST TO bOOm.

C o U R T E s y o f l I N D s Ay s o M E R v I l l E

A NEw zEAlAND GolD MINING sETTlEMENT, ARRowTowN, CElEbRATEs ITs 150TH bIRTHDAy THIs oCTobER. By kArryn MiLLer

f

rom a booming gold settlement to a nearly deserted ghost town, Arrowtown has gone through a few changes since its establishment in 1862. What haven’t changed are the quaint schist buildings and timber abodes that line the main street. This quiet country town on New Zealand’s South Island has retained much of its bucolic charm.

Surrounded by the pristine natural scenery the area is known for, Arrowtown has more than 70 protected structures ranging from former miners’ cottages to converted horse stables.

“We had around 7,000 people after gold was discovered in Arrow River,” explains David Clarke, director of the town’s Lakes District Museum. “In 1960, the population dropped to around 100. Now we’re one of the fastest growing towns in New Zealand with a population of 2,500.”

With the town’s 150th year anniversary celebrations set for October 19–22 and complete with gold panning, historical walks, cottage tours, jazz performances, a golf tourney and even a beard-growing competition, this preserved piece of history will get to show how far it has come without forgetting its past (arrowtown150.co.nz). » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 37

insider DEToUR

DOwntOwn revIvAl

Clockwise from top left: saffron restaurant; nadene milne gallery; outside somebody’s darling design shop; fishcakes at Provisions.

two NZ$40) serves modern bistro fare in a converted miner’s cottage. Choose a savory pie or sandwich like the hot smoked salmon and brie bagel with Provisions chili-apple jelly—the owners make their own gourmet preserves—and grab a seat on the terrace overlooking pear trees in the grassy backyard. Be sure to save some room for dessert.

The gooey, sweet sticky buns with homemade apricot jam were called “obscenely good” by Australian MasterChef judge Matt Preston.

On the other side of town is saffron (18 Buckingham St; 64-3/442-0131; saffronrestaurant.co.nz; dinner for two NZ$160), a fine-dining restaurant housed in a building constructed of corrugated iron. Head chef and owner Peter Gawron creates contemporary, seasonal menus. Dishes are crafted from local ingredients like blue cod from Stewart Island served with a green-lipped mussels and kaffir lime fishcake, paired with fried soft shell crab and a tamarind dressing. drink Since 1863, there has always been a pub on the site where Arrow Brewing Company’s oak Bar (48-50

Buckingham St.; 64-3/409-8849; arrowbrewing.co.nz; drinks for two NZ$15) now operates. Having opened four years ago, the friendly craft brewers take pride in their ales and lagers—so much so that you might get an impromptu tour of the beer fermenting out back. If not, catch the afternoon sun in the courtyard out front or sit at a high table indoors. The metal pipe that’s holding up your tabletop was once used to transport gold from the river.

38 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

Arrowtown’s famed The Blue door, (18 Buckingham St.; 64-3/442-0131; saffronrestaurant.co.nz/bluedoor; drinks for two NZ$30) which shares a phone with Saffron, has a Prohibition-era vibe, tucked away in an alley down the road from Oak Bar. Enter through a wooden door with chipped blue paint into a cozy wine cellar-like setting with a central fire and clusters of leather chairs. There’s a good selection of local wine here, but whiskey feels more appropriate. shop nadene Milne has a penchant for the past. Her

namesake gallery (16 Buckingham St.; 64-3/442-0467; nadenemilnegallery.com) was once home to mercantile storeowners from the Gold Rush era. Besides a fresh coat of paint, virtually nothing about the building has changed since. Though the New Zealand art displayed and sold is contemporary, it too is linked to the country’s heritage. “We look for rigor, historical relevance, contemporary comment, beauty and mastery over materials in the work we exhibit,” says Milne.

Local artisans Holly Hargreaves and Sara Muntz run gallery and design store somebody’s darling (61 Buckingham St.; 64-3/409-8187; somebodysdarlinggallery.co.nz) showcasing independent Kiwi designers’ creations. The homewares include upholstered wall tiles of retro images ranging from rotary phones to pavlova dessert. The Grimm’s »

C lo C kw I s E f R o M To p l E f T: Co U RT E sy o f sA f f R o N ; Co U RT E sy o f N A D E N E M I l N E GAllERy; kARRyN MIllER; CoURTEsy of pRovIsIoNs

eAT provisions (65 Buckingham St.; 64-3/442-0714; lunch for

insider DEToUR

ruStIc retreAt From top: the stone House Cottage; arrowtown House Private garden; the lakes district museum.

fairytales–inspired jewelry sold there is just as unique as the store’s location—a wooden church built in the 1870’s.

6634; stonehousecottage.co.nz; doubles from NZ$399 per night) is one of the town’s oldest buildings, constructed in 1863 as a storehouse. These days it’s a two-bedroom inn with an original schist exterior, wooden slat roof, polished kauri bench tops, antique phones and an open fireplace. For added luxury there’s a Victorian slipper bath, underfloor heating and flat-screen TV. Arrowtown house, a boutique five-room B&B (10 Caernarvon St; 64-9/441-6008; arrowtownhouse.com; from NZ$489 per night), has a homier vibe thanks to friendly hosts Steve and Jeanette. The couple serves divine breakfasts made from local, seasonal produce. do The Lakes district Museum and gallery (49 Buckingham St.; 64-3/442-1824; museumqueenstown.com) brings the town’s former gold heyday to life with mannequins and fake storefronts depicting how the town looked when it was first established. A series of images and displays illuminate the area’s Maori heritage, along with the lives of migrant Chinese and European gold miners.

Visit the chinese settlement near the western end of Buckingham Street to learn more about the town’s early days. The 40-minute walking path makes its way through ruins and restorations of huts and stores. Panels along the path explain the area’s history and introduce a few of the 1,200 Chinese men that once lived there. ✚ 40 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

f R o M T o p : C o U R T E s y o f l I N D s Ay s o M E R v I l l E ; C o U R T E s y o f A R R o w T o w N H o U s E b o U T I q U E H oT E l ; Co U RT E sy o f l A k E s D I sT R I C T M U s E U M

sTAy The stone house cottage (3 Berkshire St.; 64-50/878-

insider EAT

bEYOND bArbECUE.

CURIoUs AboUT koREAN CUIsINE? neLL McshAne WULfhArT offERs A loCAl GUIDE To DINING IN sEoUl ■ NeNg MyuN (coLd noodLes)

One of the most refreshing summer meals in Korea is neng myun, or cold noodles. Mul neng myun (W8,500) is a classic version of the dish; a bowl of buckwheat noodles floating in a tangy, chilled broth enlivened by cucumber and pear.

Where to try it: Nampo Myeon-ock offers a wide variety of Korean foods and an Englishlanguage menu. Nampo Myeon-ock; 125 Da-dong, Jung-gu; 82-2/777-3131.

■ Hae JaNg guk (hAngover soUp)

Hae jang guk (W6,000) is a traditional Korean remedy for the morning after a booze bender.

The broth is studded with bean sprouts, cabbage, congealed ox blood and sliced scallions, served up boiling. Guaranteed to fix what ails you. Where to try it: Han Sung Ock has served this classic for over 70 years. With only a few tables, no website and a carefully guarded phone number, it’s a well-kept secret.

Han Sung Ock; 96-4 Hyochang-dong, Yongsan-gu.

SeOul fOOD

Clockwise from top left: a chef whips up bin dae duk, or pancakes, at JBd; diners at nampo myeon-ock; sundae at Hovan; sam gae tang, a local version of chicken soup.

■ BiN Dae Duk (sAvory pAncAke)

Made from ground mung beans and liberally stuffed with seafood or pork and kimchi, these savory pancakes might be Korea’s most moreish food. Dense, chewy and slightly greasy, bin dae duk (W8,000) are the perfect

44 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

pre-drinking meal. Where to try it: JBD, a chain that specializes in a particularly delectable bin dae duk. Jongno Bin Dae Dug (JBD); 57 Unni-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/742-9494; jongnobindaedug.com.

■ SuNDae (koreAn sAUsAge)

Sadly, sundae (W20,000) is not a visually appealing food, but it’s a winner in the taste department. In a spectacular spin on sausage, casings made from pigs’ intestines are stuffed with a variety of ingredients, including finely ground meat, glass noodles and vegetables.

Where to try it: Hovan is an excellent place for beginners to get their first taste of rich, flavorful sundae. Hovan; 85-2 Jae-dong, Jongno-gu; 82-2/733-4886.

■ SaM gae TaNg (sTUffed chicken soUp WiTh ginseng)

Counterintuitively, the warm and hearty sam gae tang (W14,000) is usually eaten during the hot months to combat fatigue. A chicken is stuffed with herbs, then boiled. The result: chicken soup packed with nutrients and flavor.

Where to try it: Korea Sam Gae Tang is patronized by long-time sam gae tang addicts.

Korea Sam Gae Tang; 55-3 Seosomun-dong, Junggu; 82-2/752-9376; koreasamkyetang.com. ✚ Photographed by Seong Joon Cho

insider HEAlTH

hoW do You Fight Jet lag?

We asked the frequently afflicted.

i

t may be that the best way to combat jet lag is preemptively: take a sleeping pill, stretch out in a lie-flat business-class seat, and fall asleep before the plane reaches altitude. I’ve never managed to do any of those things.

Instead, I tend to thoughtlessly consume whatever wine or liquor comes my way, grab one or two hours of fitful, contorted sleep and then stagger through the next day until I collapse. It should not be surprising, then, that I am an experienced connoisseur of jet lag. I get it a lot.

Fortunately, there are numerous over-the-counter products that claim, P. T. Barnum–style, to reduce jet lag’s effects, if not cure it entirely—some of them conveniently advertised in the seat-pocket

46 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

SkyMall catalog. I gathered eight such remedies and devices—ranging from herbal ointments to therapeutic light panels—and flew from New York to Tokyo and back again to put them to the test.

To be clear, this test was not scientific.

It was not double-blind, or even halfway rigorous. Nevertheless, I did my best to devise a coherent, reasonably balanced methodology. I would test homeopathic and relaxation-oriented remedies on one leg of the trip and more technological cures on the other, and make sure to stay as sober and hydrated as possible both ways. In order to gauge whether the products were working, I would keep track of when I woke up each day, when I started to feel the onset of fatigue, how long I slept, the time of »

rIchArD BrAnSOn founder, virgin group “i travel about half the year and i manage to feel fine. drinking water is key. and pick an airline with a smart design. a plane’s lighting system can help lessen jet lag by transitioning the cabin lighting based on outside light, and gradually awaken you on red-eye flights.” »

Photographed by Dan Saelinger

MoDEl: joEy MINTz; CAsTING: wUlf CAsTING; HAIR: ElsA CANEDo

THE CUrE fOr JET LAG.

DoEs IT ExIsT? Is THERE A DEvICE, A TECHNIqUE, AN INvENTIoN—A spECIAlly DEsIGNED slEEp MAsk oR GlowING EARbUDs fRoM fINlAND—THAT MIGHT solvE THE pRoblEM oNCE AND foR All? JUsTin peTers INvEsTIGATEs.

cAprIcIA mArShAll chief of protocol of the United states; travels with president Barack obama on all diplomatic missions “i try to eat light when traveling, and when i arrive at my destination, no matter what the hour, i work out and really break a sweat. i find the exercise gives my system a jolt of oxygen. on the advice of my husband, a cardiologist, i also wear compression stockings on long flights. it improves circulation, and when i land, i’m ready to hit the ground running.”

insider HEAlTH day I started feeling particularly loopy and so on.

Jet lag happens when your internal circadian clock—the part of your brain that regulates your sleep cycles—is disrupted by travel. The feeling can be exacerbated by stress and restlessness. Many products claim to relax the wearer, thus fostering sleep.

I tested these while wending my way over the North Pole to Tokyo.

No-Jet-Lag pills, a homeopathic remedy from the same people who brought you No-Shift-Lag (for night-shift workers) and Drink Ease (“for those occasions when a celebration may lead to regrettable after-effects”), are supposed to aid the body in recuperating from the rigors of long-haul travel. Users chew the small, tasteless tablets made of leopard’s bane and other plant extracts upon takeoff and landing, as well as every two hours while in flight. I did this faithfully for the duration of the trip, to no discernible effect.

Halfway through the flight, I slathered my temples and neck in Badger Sleep Balm, an herbal, Vaseline-like product that claims to promote slumber. (“Use it regularly and expect results,” the tin promises.) Smelling like a human cup of lemon verbena tea, I then donned the Glo to Sleep mask, which

emits a dim blue light when activated.

Theoretically, these blue lights are supposed to have a calming effect. In reality, it felt more like I was staring at the inside of an MRI machine.

Though I didn’t find the Glo to Sleep mask particularly restful, I landed in Tokyo mid-afternoon, feeling about as fresh as one can feel after having endured a mostly sleepless 14-hour flight, and was optimistic that the preventives might have had some sort of effect. Yet, four hours later, I found myself wandering around a supermarket for 45 minutes, dazed and incoherent, unaccountably frightened by the unfamiliar chocolates. I awoke the next day at 4:30 a.m. and recorded the onset of jet lag at 1 p.m.

This feeling of asynchronous idiocy persisted throughout most of my four-day stay, despite my best efforts at recovery. I dutifully applied the sleep balm each night and then fell asleep with the Glo to Sleep over my eyes and a Sound Oasis machine on in the background, a portable alarm clock/ white-noise device that has a special “jet lag” setting—which is, as far as I could tell, just a mixture of all the other noises in the machine’s memory bank. (It sounded something like an angry, distant mob, but carrying wind chimes instead of torches.) »

there are many treatments for the symptoms of jet lag, but light is the only thing that affects the actual disorder

48 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

tipS (continued)

tIll rOenneBerg Author of internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why you’re So Tired “light exposure sets the clock: when you are at your destination, expose yourself to as much natural light as possible during daylight hours. conversely, if you wake up in the middle of the night, keep it as dark as possible.”

chrIS JAnSIng MsnBc anchor and nBc news correspondent “i am a big believer in mind over matter; once i get to the airport, i adjust my watch to the time of my destination. i use the flight to try to get my body on that schedule.”

Ben wAttS fashion photographer “a jog is a great way to beat jet lag and also a great way to see the city in which you’ve arrived. i always feel pumped and ready to go at it after that.”

—stirling kelso

insider HEAlTH Yet my sleep/wake cycle took about as long to normalize as it would have otherwise. It was only on my fourth night in Tokyo that I found myself able to stay awake past 9 p.m. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the homeopathic products—which are big on promises but short on science—were ineffective. According to Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University and an expert on sleep, while there may be all sorts of treatments for the symptoms of jet lag, exposure to light is the only thing that affects the actual disorder.

When you travel, your circadian clock resets gradually, over a period of days, after prolonged exposure to natural light. There are several products that claim to speed the circadian-reset process, and I tested these on the return leg of my trip. The Valkee Bright Light Headset, for instance, is a slim, attractive Finnish invention that beams bright light into your brain through tiny bulbs embedded in a pair of earbuds. Though the science behind the Valkee is vague—for one thing, it’s unclear whether mammals can actually sense light through their ears— the company claims success treating seasonal affective disorder in Finland.

So as soon as I knew dawn was breaking in New York, I fired up the Valkee to blast my neurons with nourishing light. The treatment lasts for 12 minutes; while it’s in progress, your ear canals feel plugged, and slightly warmer, but that’s all. I continued to use it upon landing in New York, and I also doubled down on light therapy with the Northern Lights panel, a laptop-size light board that bathes the user’s eyes in a soft, unremitting brightness, and is meant to be used for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. I positioned the board 30 centimeters from my head and gazed at it faithfully for three consecutive mornings after my return. This may have been overkill: though it took me four whole days to recover from jet lag in Tokyo, when I returned to New York I was back to normal in 36 hours.

Was this success attributable to the light-panel treatments or the Valkee? Or was it because jet lag is supposedly less severe when traveling east to west; or because of a placebo effect? My one-man study was far from definitive, but it did leave me with a mostly commonsensical anti-jet-lag protocol: stay hydrated and relaxed in flight; avoid airplane liquor, even if it’s free; get a good night’s sleep before traveling; and spend as much time as possible in the morning sun (or, alternatively, with a Northern Lights panel) upon arrival. ✚

insider spA the salt Playground at Halo spa. inset: a salt-therapy session.

IN SEArCH Of SALT AIr.

sAlT Is EsCApING THE sHAkER AND HEADING To yoUR loCAl spA. By cAThArine nicoL

j's sTUDIo 2011

s

alt may be intermittently banned from our plates, but that hasn’t stopped the tracemineral-rich compound, renowned for its antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, from turning up in our spas. Though salt has long been popular in the form of scrubs, many spas are beginning to delve into salt therapy, also known as speleotherapy or halotherapy.

Salt cures originally hail from Eastern Europe. Salt mine workers noted benefits to their respiratory system and skin, encouraging sufferers to spend time in naturally occurring salt caves. Modern experts such as Dr. Alina V. Chervinskaya have attempted to simulate these conditions in a controlled environment. The resulting speleotherapy is gaining a devoted following throughout Asia, particularly in cities where pollution exacerbates respiratory issues.

Hong Kong’s inhalo spa founders Caroline GoldsmithShamir and her husband Omri Shamir were impressed by the improvement to his asthma when he discovered the therapy in Israel. Inspired by their personal success with the treatment, they launched one of the top spas for

speleotherapy in the world and the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Regular treatments reportedly relieve breathing difficulties, sinusitis, allergies and bronchial issues and improve skin problems like eczema and psoriasis.

One of Inhalo’s three salt-encrusted rooms is a Salt Playground where kids (from six-months-old) can play with toys and games on the sand-like salt floor during their 30-minute session. Adults get 50 minutes, and a higher concentration of salt in the air, in either the Himalayan Salt suite for couples or the Salt Chalet for groups of six.

During each session, participants inhale approximately five milligrams of pure, man-made, dry sodium chloride aerosol.

The tiny particles hold a negative ion charge and detoxify the airways, giving the lungs a spring cleaning. According to Goldsmith-Shamir, the treatment also softens skin, reduces stress and improves sleep. Participants can recline on a lounger, watch nature programs, book a head massage or simply close their eyes and breathe for 50 minutes of therapeutic relaxation. Inhalo Salt Therapy; W place, 7/F, 52 Wyndham St., Central, Hong Kong; 852/3489-3144; inhalospa.com; trial sessions from HK$350. ✚ travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 51

insider wINE wIneS fOr ASIA Clockwise from below: Jeannie

Cho lee; her book Mastering Wine for the Asian Palate; red wine can go with Chinese cuisine.

PAIrING fOr THE ASIAN PALATE MAsTER of wINE jEANNIE CHo lEE sHAREs TIps oN wHAT To DRINk wITH AsIAN CUIsINE. By MerriTT gUrLey

52 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

Things To Avoid

■ Blatant marketing names

such as “Purple cowboy” and “cupcake cabernet.”

■ any seepage or leaking from the top, which indicates the bottle was most likely badly stored, handled or transported.

■ any wines targeted just for women or just for men.

Wine MyThs deBUnked

■ gewurztraminer goes with all asian food. Wrong. this variety is so powerful that it overwhelms delicate flavors and textures easily.

■ White wines with fish.

Wrong. With asian food, it is not the ingredients that need to be paired with wine but the seasonings.

■ lightly-colored red wines like Pinot noir are thin and light wines that should be paired with light foods.

Wrong. Pinot noir pairs wonderfully with barbecued meats, especially Peking duck and roast goose.

Three Wines To keep

■ good sparkling wine,

especially champagne.

■ Pinot noir from Burgundy,

oregon or new Zealand.

■ vintage 1980’s Bordeaux

(Bordeaux becomes more versatile after 20 years).

l E f T: C o U R T E s y o f A s i A n PA L AT e ( 2 ) ; © H o R I A b o G DA N / D R E A M s T I M E . C o M

w

hen it comes to wine, Jeannie Cho Lee is one of a kind—literally. She is the only Korean Master of Wine in the world. A Master of Wine, in case you aren’t familiar with the rare title, is a gifted oenophile who has passed the course of study at London’s Institute of Masters of Wine. There are currently less than 300 individuals alive who bear the distinction.

One of only four Masters of Wine based in Asia, Lee has made it her mission to educate the public about enjoying wine with Asian cuisine. Too long wine has been collecting dust in Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and Chinese restaurants while sake and local beers have taken the limelight. Now Lee is hoping to put wine at the center of many Asian meals.

Lee has authored two books on the subject: Asian Palate and Mastering Wine for the Asian Palate, with a third in the works. Her latest project is educating people on how to talk about wine. “By using descriptions of ingredients we know and love, I hope to have people remember the flavors better,” she says, “thus building confidence and increasing the chances that they will really remember the wines.” Lee will take part at world gourmet festival at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok (September 3–9) where she says attendees can expect to learn a more Asiancentric wine vocabulary. “I will share my thoughts on how best to introduce wine to a table brimming with intense spices and seasonings, such as those in a typical Thai or Vietnamese meal.”

Read on for her input on how to pair wines with classic Asian meals, along with tips on wine buying and recent trends. ✚

insider wINE ■ BAngkok StArter dish: Som tam Wine: Alsace Riesling Why: Intense sour

and tart flavors require wines with high acidity levels.

Refreshing Riesling, with firm acidity, served chilled, will liven up the palate. mAIn dish: Chicken green curry Wine: New Zealand Pinot Noir Why: Strong fruit intensity is key to stand up to the many

spices and flavors.

DeSSert dish: Mango sticky rice Wine: Sauternes Why: Delicate

try a riesling with your som tam.

sweetness from the mangoes works well with the sweetness of Sauternes while the richness of the sticky rice is also complimented by the full-bodied flavors of the wine.

■ kUALA LUMpUr StArter Dish Laksa soup wine Sparkling Rosé why A refreshing

sparkling wine can work very well with a dish that is spicy, flavorful and hot. mAIn Dish Beef rendang wine Fruity Cotes du Rhone why The

f R o M To p : C o U R T E s y o f f o U R s E A s o N s H oT E l b A N G ko k ; C o U R T E s y o f A s i A n PA L AT e ( 2 )

pepper and nutmeg taste of the Cotes du Rhone brings out the spices in the rendang while the red berry fruit adds dimension to the beef.

DeSSert Dish Ondeh ondeh (coconut sweet) wine Tokaji why Sweet

Tokaji from Hungary has an acid backbone that balances the grated coconut.

Laksa? opt for a rosé.

■ singApore StArter Dish Rojak (fruit and vegetable salad) wine Late harvest Chenin Blanc from Loire why The sweet and spicy chili

sauce that coats the ingredients needs a strong wine like a late harvest Chenin, with its baked apple flavors, to cut through the mélange of ingredients and seasonings. mAIn Dish Fish head curry wine Off-dry Riesling from the New World why This spicy curry dish with delicate fish is best

offset with a refreshing wine, so a chilled Riesling is perfect.

DeSSert Dish Fried carrot cake wine New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc why This is not sweet like a traditional dessert. It has

Fish head curry pairs well with new World rieslings.

pungent flavors but is not heavy or protein-based. Thus a medium-bodied, vibrant wine like Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand stands up to the dish very well. travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 53

insider wINE ■ hong kong StArter Dish Dim sum wine Young, red village-level Burgundy why Red Burgundy has firm acidity and a medium body— perfect for dim sum. mAIn Dish Crab in black bean sauce wine California Fumé Blanc why High salt intensity can clash with aggressive tannins in

red wine so a robust white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc is ideal.

DeSSert Dish Wife cake wine Sweet Vin Santo from Tuscany why The nuttiness of the wife cake from almond paste and

sesame plays off the sweet nutty flavors of Vin Santo.

Crab in black bean sauce goes with a Fumé Blanc.

■ seoUL StArter Dish Kimchi and white rice wine Prosecco why Considering the strong fermented flavors, a fairly

neutral but refreshing and cool wine is best. mAIn Dish Beef bulgogi wine Aglianico from southern Italy why The thinly sliced beef needs a wine that is not too

heavy and has sweetness to play off the marinade, with a fruity core and firm tannins—Aglianico offers all of this.

DeSSert Dish Mattang (sweet potatoes with syrup) wine Sweet wine from Barsac why A full-bodied sweet wine from Bordeaux

try Beef bulgogi and aglianco.

pairs well with this dish. I chose the Barsac instead of a Sauternes because the sharper acidity helps cut through the creamy potatoes.

■ Tokyo StArter Dish Miso soup wine A savory but flavorful Pinot Noir why The umami-laden miso pairs well with savory

Pinot Noir which has the fruit to stand up to the flavors but the elegance to balance the soup. mAIn

texture of yellowtail is creamy and rich in a subtle way, which is what great Grand Cru Chablis is about—depth with delicacy.

DeSSert Dish Green tea ice cream wine Late harvest Pinot Gris from Alsace why There is an herbal element in Pinot Gris which

echoes the green tea.

54 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

Pair Yellowtail sashimi with a Chablis.

C o U R T E s y o f A s i A n PA L AT e

Dish Yellowtail sashimi wine Grand Cru Chablis why The

insider GETAwAy

KIcKIng BAcK On KOh KOOD From left:

Canoes lined up along the shore; relaxing in a gazebo in front of soneva Kiri.

SLOW GOING. oNE of THAIlAND’s bIGGEsT

IslANDs Is Also oNE of THE CoUNTRy’s bEsTkEpT sECRETs. By MerriTT gUrLey

sEE & Do

■ Hike to klongchoa Waterfall. If you

are feeling brave, climb the rungs 58 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

winding along a well-worn tree and rope swing out over the water. Just remember, it’s a 10-meter free fall into the pool below.

■ Check out the fishing village of Ao yai, a cluster of traditional houses perched on stilts over the sea. Fishing boats bob along the horizon here and if you’re wondering what those long wooden poles adorned with oversized lights are, you’ve obviously never been squid fishing.

■ Visit in the high season, between November and February, and head to the Ao yai seafood restaurant for fresh plates of bass, grouper and delicious king fish, a steal at around Bt350 a kilogram.

■ Admire the ancients. It’s worth the short hike to see the pair of 500-yearold trees in the center of the island.

Any taxi driver will know how to find them. A lot of history is packed into those gnarled trunks.

■ There are a number of dive shops across Koh Kood that offer PADI courses and certification. The BB

divers center (66-86/155-6212; kohkood-diving.com) at Away Resort arranges excursions starting at Bt1,000 to coral reefs and neighboring islands, for snorkeling, diving or just a day out on the water.

GETTING THERE

It is around a five-hour drive from Bangkok to the Laem Sok pier where the Ko Kut Express (kokood.com/ko_ kut_express; 75 minutes; Bt350) leaves each day at noon. You can always charter a speed boat but it will cost between Bt10,000 and Bt20,000.

sTAy

neverland Beach resort 99 Moo 5;

66-81/762-6254; neverlandresort.com; doubles from Bt1,600.

Away koh kood 43/8 Moo 2, Baan Klongchao; 66-87/136-4036; awayresorts. com; doubles Bt3,000. soneva kiri 110 Moo 4; 66-81/3452791; soneva.com; doubles from US$1,200. Plane and boat transfers available as well. ✚

f R o M T o p l E f T : C o U R T E s y o f T I G E R G A l l E R y ; C o U R T E s y o f s o N E vA k I R I

K

oh Kood is blissfully undeveloped. Waves roll onto empty crescentshaped beaches, dense jungle meets the sea and its salt air. This is the perfect place to put down your iPhone, clear your schedule and just do nothing.

The fourth largest island in Thailand, after heavy hitters Phuket, Chang and Samui, Koh Kood is nothing like its counterparts. During the rainy season, the island is deserted.

That may change now that the Ko Kut Express, a new high-speed passenger ferry, has shortened the journey to just over an hour and runs year-round.

If there’s anything happening on the island, it’s likely along Klongchoa Beach. There are a dozen places to stay along this stretch of sand, with the Tawan Bar, Castaway Pub and Sunset Bar making up the after-hours scene.

insider MUsIC

fOLLOWING THE mUSIC. wITH.

fEsTIvAls DRAwING Top-TIER ACTs To. soUTHEAsT AsIA, AUDIopHIlEs ARE lINING. Up foR lINEUps. By richArd McLeish.

t

alk of Asian festivals conjures images of dragons, temples and body decorations, but a more contemporary incarnation—the music festival—is finding crowds, taking advantage of the region’s appealing climates, infrastructure and growing interest in live performances. What better place to enjoy some world music than in the shadow of a rainforest-clad mountain in Borneo? Japan’s Niigata prefecture is an unlikely rock festival site, but it trumps the muddy plains of Glastonbury in many ways. And Singapore has become an ideal setting for an indie fest with its self-conscious style and thirst for the fringe. T+L visits three varied and compulsory stops on a music festival tour of Asia.

60 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

StOp One rAInfOreSt wOrlD muSIc feStIvAl SArAwAK, BOrneO

Wedged on a sliver of land between rainforestcovered Mount Santubong and the South China Sea, the rainforest World Music festival (rwmf.net) provides the perfect world music soundtrack to enjoy the scenery. Sarawak Cultural Village’s wooden walkways teem with smiling faces of all shapes and shades during the festival, as punters move between stages, workshops and amenities. The main performance area is a natural amphitheater, backed by thick rainforest, offering space for around 8,000 revelers. Rub shoulders with eccentric music buffs, expatriate NGO workers, curious locals and performers alike.

The main draw for music lovers is the polyglot of acts showcasing a global audio almanac. The lineup features everything from Kenyan drummers to Finnish folk ensembles to local Sape dancers.

Recent highlights have included Leweton Women’s Water Music (Vanuatu), who create rhythms by slapping the lake’s surface with their hands; Paddy Keenan Trio (Ireland), with its deep-pub traditional folk; and Kissmet (India/UK), known for energetic genre-fusing percussion.

During the day, the musicians are grouped together outside their normal ensembles to lead informal workshops in this global folk jam. Other cultural activities on offer include ethnic music lectures, cultural demonstrations and stalls of handmade goods and local dishes such as laksa (aromatic soup), nasik aruk (fried rice) and koko mee (noodle soup).

When July, 2013. geTTing There Air Asia flies to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur almost hourly and from Singapore twice daily. cosT This year, a three-day pass cost RM300, while a single-day pass was RM110. Children (three to 12 years) are half price. Where To crAsh The festival site is a one-hour shuttle bus from Kuching, where most festival-goers stay. »

C l o C k w I s E f R o M T o p l E f T : © R I C H A R D M C l E I s H ( 2 ) ; © R yA N C H A N G

rAInfOreSt revelry Clockwise rAI from left: Kenge Kenge systems; leweton Women’s Water music; a rapt crowd watches the show.

insider MUsIC

the InDIe crOwD From left: m83 closes out this year’s st. Jerome’s laneway Festival; a crowd readies for the next performance at the Fuji rock Festival; tents teeming with festival-going campers in Japan.

StOp twO fuJI rOcK feStIvAl nIIgAtA prefecture, JApAn

StOp three St. JerOme’S lAnewAy feStIvAl SIngApOre

The indie little sister of the music events of the region, Laneway festival (singapore. lanewayfestival.com.au) brings a new flavor to the circuit. It has its origins in Melbourne, the home of alleyway hipster culture, hence the name.

Singapore was its first port of call in the region, and it has found a style-conscious crowd to match its leanings.

It’s the smallest festival among these three, filling two stages in one night of sound for a crowd of around 8,000. But its strength and reputation comes from the savvy selection of bands. Last year’s acts included The Drums, Cults and Feist, who collectively brought a fringe element to a region that has slim indie offerings to brag about.

When July, 2013. geTTing There A free shuttle

bus runs from JR Echigo Yuzawa train station, about 75 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train. cosT This year, a three-day pass cost ¥42,900 and a day pass was ¥17,800. Where To crAsh Camping on the ski slope is available for ¥3,000 per person, and access to the Moon Caravan is ¥12,000 a car, or ¥3,000 a person.

62 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

When February, 2013. geTTing There The

one-day festival is easily accessed with its central location in Fort Canning Park. cosT This year, tickets cost S$135 pre-sale, or S$150 at the event.

Where To crAsh Most attendees opt for Singapore’s more modest guesthouses to match their creative industry incomes. ✚

C lo C kw I s E f R o M To p l E f T: © R I C H A R D M C l E I s H ( 2 ) ; © M AsA N o R I N A R U s E

With humble and muddy origins on the side of tornado-ravaged Mt. Fuji in 1997, the fuji rock festival (smash-uk.com/frf12) has evolved into a civilized and heavily organized affair in the picturesque surrounds of Naeba Ski Resort. Fuji Rock has the pulling power to match its years, with many of the world’s best acts having graced the main stage, which can accommodate up to 50,000 screaming fans. Radiohead, Coldplay, PJ Harvey— all the big guns have played here. Tip: to discover lesser-known acts, visit the smaller stages.

The infrastructure is worthy of the high prices, with plenty of amenities scattered throughout the long festival site keeping queues minimal. The delicious food is a common talking point, with a range of cuisines ready for sampling and an impressive array of bento boxes on offer. The best bet for accommodation is to book a hotel package early—like now.

insider ExpERT

SkIrTING THE SCAm. AUTHoR

CHRIsTopHER EllIoTT GIvEs HIs ExpERT ADvICE oN How To AvoID GETTING sCAMMED wHIlE yoU TRAvEl

a

t any popular destination there are chiselers looking to make fast cash off unsuspecting tourists.

Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott’s new book Scammed exposes the creative ways corrupt businesses try to fleece their customers, including the many swindles and schemes that riddle the tourism industry. Here we get his guidance on how to artfully dodge shady deals and find better service, so you can kick back and enjoy the ride instead of getting taken for one.

DeScrIBe yOur BOOK In 20 wOrDS Or leSS. Scammed is about

the increasingly clever ways businesses try to separate you from your money, and what you can do to prevent it. whAt ScAmS ShOulD trAvelerS Be wAry Of DurIng BeAch vAcAtIOnS? Beaches are scam magnets, from overpriced,

rOAD wAry

From above: a pickpocket in action; author Christopher elliott; his book Scammed.

whAt Are three thIngS peOple cAn DO tO AvOID gettIng ScAmmeD when they trAvel? Remember why you’re on

vacation—to enjoy yourself, not to buy art, jewelry or real estate.

Also, don’t drink and buy. And you know that saying,“If it looks too good to be true, it probably is”? Every word of it, true. whAt’S the fIrSt thIng yOu DO when yOu ArrIve SOmewhere new? I take a picture and post it to Instagram and

ta-da and check in on Foursquare. I know what you’re thinking— nerd! Guilty as charged.

In yOur BlOg “AwAy IS hOme” yOu tAlK ABOut the yeArlOng trIp AcrOSS AmerIcA thAt yOu Are tAKIng wIth yOur chIlDren. whAt’S yOur tOp tIp fOr trAvelIng wIth KIDS? Keep them occupied, but not too occupied. If you have

enough activities on their iPod to distract on a long road trip, you’ll keep the peace, especially if you’re in a small car like we are. But don’t make it so interesting that they ignore the trip and miss what’s going on around them. I’m a strong believer in technology time-outs.

IS there Any SpecIfIc QueStIOn A trAveler ShOulD ASK thAt wIll help eXpOSe A ScAm? One of the biggest problems

today—and this is especially true when you’re flying—is unexpected surcharges. Airlines charge extra for seat assignments and even carry-on bags. Always ask: What’s included in that price? ✚ 66 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

f R o M To p : © 2 0 1 2 T H o M A s w I N T E R ; © p y E wA C k E T T ; C o U R T E s y o f C H R I s To p H E R E l l I oT T

unhealthy food sold by vendors to the nearby street markets that peddle knock-off watches and art. But the scams you really have to watch for are the ones that look harmless, like the attractive woman who buys you a drink and invites you to a “no obligation” timeshare presentation. That’s how you lose half your retirement fund.

insider DRINks

COCkTAILS bY THE SEA. THIs sUMMER, plACE

yoUR oRDER AT oNE of THEsE bREEzy IslAND bARs.

By BrUce schoenfeLd BALi, indonesiA

From its own private bluff on the island’s northeastern coast, the terraced drinks on the rocks at the Six Senses Samui resort offers stirring views across the Gulf of Thailand to the lights of Koh Phangan.

The drink The Six for Six Senses, made from Sang Som whiskey, lychee, lime and butterfly pea, a local flower. sixsenses.com.

Sure it gets mentioned more often than not, but rock Bar at the Ayana still is a spectacular cliff-side setting for a drink at the end of the day. The drink Many of the concoctions here play on the word rock, but don’t let that put you off. Try Ayana Passion, a blend of vodka, papaya, strawberry, passion fruit and red pepper syrup. ayanaresort.com.

Big isLAnd, hAWAii There are no walls at Beach Tree Bar, an intimate

beachfront spot at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, in Kailua-Kona—just a thatched-roof space at the water’s edge. The drink Tom’s Pink Shirt (named for a bartender’s wardrobe of choice), a mix of Tanqueray Rangpur gin, Orchid guava liqueur, strawberries and lime juice. fourseasons.com.

cATALinA isLAnd, cALiforniA

At the new, laid-back Avalon grille, accordion windows frame a panoramic view of the water and, in the distance, the California coast. Slide into a rattan seat and watch the ferries glide by. The drink Avalon’s Grog, with two kinds of rum and fresh juices, guava nectar and Falernum, a sweet syrup. 1-310/510-7494.✚

drinks with a viewi at six senses samui.i

70 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

CEDRIC ARNolD

koh sAMUi, ThAiLAnd

insider GADGETs

SmArT-PHONE CAmErAS.

The big brands battle it out to bring you the most snappy mobile devices

i

n a year when 122-year-old Kodak declares bankruptcy and Facebook pays US$1 billion for a startup that has only been around for a year and a half (the photo-sharing service Instagram), it’s perhaps no surprise to find that smartphone cameras are finally starting to rival—and, in some cases, surpass— dedicated point-and-shoots.

Though the iPhone sets the bar high, the best of the new breed have features— continuous-shoot mode; wide-angle lenses—that previously existed only in professional-grade digital SLRs, which can cost a small fortune. With their HD video cameras, they also eliminate the need for a stand-alone camcorder. Your phone can now do what it once took four different machines to accomplish.

It is a camcorder, camera, GPS and computer all in your backpocket. And they have an added benefit: superfast wireless connections, which ensure that your 12-megapixel landscape shot of the sun setting over Angkor Wat or 720-pixel HD video of Thai street performers will upload quickly onto social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Picasa, Flickr or YouTube in no time. ✚

72 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

HtC one X

not only is this superslim (0.9 centimeters) model shockingly light for a phone with a big Hd screen (it weighs less than 0.14 kilograms) but it also has one killer feature the others don’t: a continuous-shoot mode that can take up to 99 images at a rapid-fire pace (up to five shots per second).

best features

noKia lumia 900

thanks to the built-in carl Zeiss lens, this model can handle wide-angle shots and low-light environments with clarity. it will also automatically wirelessly upload your pictures to the microsoft skydrive cloud storage service, so you can easily access your photos from any computer.

best features

samsung galaXY note

the stylus-like s-Pen that comes with this phone can be used to retouch photos. and viewing your pictures and videos on its massive, ultra-bright 13.5-centimeter screen, which displays better contrasts and uses less energy than standard screens, is an unparalleled experience. best features

sonY XPeria ion

if you like to crop your vacation photos into perfectly framed compositions, then the Xperia ion’s 12-megapixel capability is for you. it creates large images so you don’t have to worry about centering your subject accurately.

Plus, it’s fast: even from standby mode, it can take a picture in less than a second. best features

Photographed by Levi Brown

insider CITysCApE

SYDNEY UNCOvErED.

A THRIvING CoNTEMpoRARy ART sCENE. GAMECHANGING REsTAURANTs. oNEof-A-kIND sHops.

THE sTylIsH HARboR CITy HAs IT All— AND MoRE. MArk eLLWood GETs THE sCoop. phoTogrAphed By peTrinA TinsLAy

76 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

The Door Was Open . . . , a chandelier by nicholas Folland, at the museum of Contemporary art australia, in the rocks district. opposite: icebergs dining room & Bar, overlooking Bondi Beach.

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 77

insider CITysCApE

Marking Time, a group installation at the museum of Contemporary art australia, left. above: a work in fiberglass by Jiao Xingtao at White rabbit gallery.

N

the rOcKS cBD DArlInghurSt Surry hIllS DArlIng hArBOr

BOnDI 0

See+Do

Lay of the Land five need-to-know neighborhoods. cBD the central Business district is home to the sydney opera House, Harbour Bridge and top hotels.

The city’s latest cultural spots (beyond the opera house).

BreenSpAce

cArrIAgewOrKS

mcA AuStrAlIA

whIte rABBIt

Owner Sally Breen’s gallery may be tucked away on the third floor of a nondescript building near Chinatown, but don’t let that fool you: inside are works

by Australia’s top talent, including Mitch Cairns and Simryn Gill. 17-19 Alberta St., level 3; breenspace.com.

In a converted 1880 rail yard in Eveleigh, this multi-venue performance space has been painstakingly preserved. The original cavernous brick-walled interiors house Sydney’s most progressive theater and contemporary art. A highlight: “Playwriting Australia,” a series of plays by local writers.

245 Wilson St.; carriageworks.com.au.

Carve out an afternoon to explore the new wing of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. On view: “Possible Composition,” part of the 18th Biennale of Sydney, which features 48 works by 26 international artists.

140 George St.; mca.com.au.

gAllery

78 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

The well-curated collection of modern Chinese art at this spacious gallery was assembled by longtime collector Judith Neilson, one of Australia’s richest women. Fortunately, her taste level more than matches her deep pockets. We love Cang Xin’s 2007 sculptural series.

30 Balfour St.; white rabbitcollection.org.

the rOcKS centuries-old cobblestoned streets are filled with outdoor cafés and boutiques.

DArlInghurSt Bustling and chic oxford street is the main artery—and essentially the soHo of sydney.

Surry hIllS the onetime garment district is now a bohemian enclave with funky shops and some of the city’s most creative restaurants.

BOnDI this world-famous surfing beach is just a 20-minute drive east of downtown. gettIng ArOunD the best way to navigate the city is on foot, so pack a pair of walking shoes. tired? cabs are also handy (A$15 for 10 minutes) and can be hailed on the street.

1.6 km

N

Shop Where to find the best Aussie designers, housewares and more.

1

St .

3

X O

fO

4

r D St.

0

0.8 km

AUSSIE ART

From top: an abstract resin ring by dinosaur designs; the He made she made concept gallery. Below: the lobby at the darling.

The six places to bunk down right now—each with a view of the harbor, of course.

Blue

I N s E T: Co U RT E sy o f D I N osAU R D E s I G N s

n St. OceA

rD

th St.

Stay

fO

elIZABe

Swing by the 1 intersection paddington (Oxford St. and Glenmore Rd.; theintersectionpaddington.com.au), a high-end emporium carrying avant-garde and traditional Australian labels. Browse Alannah hill’s colorful dresses fit for Katy Perry (No. 118-120); yummy-mummy staple sass & Bide (No. 132), with its slinky denim and vintage-inspired separates; and dinosaur designs (No. 339), a local mainstay known for its Day-Glo resin jewelry and housewares. 2 he Made she Made (70 Oxford St.; hemadeshemade.com) sells whimsical art and furniture, including graffiti-covered chairs, by emerging regional designers. 3 donna hay general store (40 Holdsworth St.; donnahay.com), on a quiet residential corner in Woollahra, is run by Australia’s Martha Stewart. The designer has converted an old house into a pastel-colored shop filled 1940’s-style ceramics in white or seafoam green, scented candles and white enamel bakeware. Drop in to 4 victor churchill (132 Queen St.; victorchurchill.com.au), even if you don’t need picnic fixings. This butcher’s shop looks like Willy Wonka’s meat-minded counterpart, down to the cast-bronze sausage links that serve as the front-door handle. Don’t miss the house-made goodies to go: mushroom tarts with parsley butter, duck rillettes or galettes with smoked salmon and artichoke hearts.

O X

2

rooms at this gem on Woolloomooloo Wharf are loft-style, with exposed beams and plush beds set against a chocolate-brown and aquamarine palette.

BesT for stylish quarters off the beaten path. tajhotels.com; doubles from $A225.

the DArlIng

sexy and cutting-edge— that’s how to describe the newest addition to darling Harbour. there’s blackand-red flecked wallpaper in the low-lit corridors, and the push of a button

lowers your room’s blinds, turns on the tv and adjusts the air temperature, all at the same time.

BesT for Hipsters in search of a scene. thedarling.com.au; doubles from A$239.

hIltOn

fOur SeASOnS

pArK hyAtt

From the sky-high atrium lobby to the clubby hotel bar and, at 20-meters long, sydney’s largest heated outdoor pool, this classic in the rocks never disappoints. BesT for unbeatable service. fourseasons.com; doubles from A$319.

the glass-walled tower, designed by architects Johnson Pilton Walker, is a quick stroll from the main landmarks. BesT for sightseeing. hilton.com; doubles from A$268.

Fronting the Harbour Bridge, the Park Hyatt occupies the city’s most coveted location.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and amenities from le labo add to the allure.

BesT for Knockout views. park.hyatt.com; doubles from A$745.

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 79

insider CITysCApE reuben Hills coffee shop, in surry Hills.

Eat from haute cuisine to comfort-food classics, sydney has a restaurant for every type of traveler.

Retro-style gardel’s Bar is like a vintage supper club with comfy leather booths, leopard-skin throws and a young, tattooed staff.

Come for the juicy chorizo-and-octopus skewers and hot dogs topped with chili and fried onions, then chance a game on the 1940’s foosball table.

358 Cleveland St.; gardelsbar.com.au; tapas and drinks for two A$62.

drink in a city known for its beer, cocktail lounges are the newest obsession.

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Hidden in the industrial backstreets of Surry Hills, reuben hills is the place to sample the city’s best coffee, Aussie-style: ask for a flawless flat white from the apron-clad barista strolling the floor—he’ll take your order on his iPad. 61 Albion St.; reubenhills.com.au; breakfast for two A$35.

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The city’s latest hot spot? neild Avenue, in Rushcutters Bay. Meze-style dishes are the draw here— there’s four-cheese arancini (deep-fried rice balls), buffalo halloumi and baked duck-egg custards. The funky interiors were designed

by Italian-Australian duo Lazzarini Pickering.

10 Neild Ave.; idrb.com; dinner for two A$150.

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A bright blue doorway welcomes you to el Loco, which serves some of the finest Mexican food in the city, thanks to renowned chef Dan Hong. Sydneysiders gather at the colorful tables to munch on pork, beef, prawn, chicken and tofu tacos doused in mouthwatering toppings. 64 Foveaux St.; elloco.com. au; dinner for

two A$30.

1 text the number on the door of sticky Bar (182 Campbell St., level 2)—the bouncer will appear within minutes to whisk you to the top floor; order a lovegun (amaretto, campari and orange juice).

2 mad-scientist-style cocktails are made using such ingredients as liquid nitrogen at the roosevelt (32 Orwell St.; theroosevelt.com.au). try the martini of tomorrow.

3 For a standout negroni (and a 300-bottle wine list), head to Love, Tilly devine (91 Crown Lane; lovetillydevine.com).

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Run by bad-boy chef Matt Moran, Australia’s answer to Anthony Bourdain, chiswick dishes up signature unfussy modern food: woodroasted lamb from Moran’s farm and heirloom-tomato salad with green olives. Caveat: tables fill up quickly, so call at least two weeks ahead. 65 Ocean St.; 61-2/8388-8688; chiswickrestaurant.com.au; dinner for two A$175.

T H I s s p R E A D : I l l U s T R AT I o N b y l A U R E N N A s s E f

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Secret SpOtS From left: steamed spanner crab with autumn salad at icebergs dining room & Bar; Cooper Park, in Woollahra; artisan Focacceria, in darlinghurst.

Local Take Three sydneysiders share their favorite spots in the city.

lOuISe OlSen

cofounder, designer and creative director of dinosaur designs Where i go for... ...a swim in the ocean “Bronte—a wonderful little cove

with a beach near Bondi. There’s great snorkeling.”

...a relaxing sunday lunch “Hands down, the cliffside icebergs dining room & Bar [1 Notts Ave.; idrb.

com], where you feel like you’re sitting on the water.”

...a casual cocktail and dinner “At Miss chu [178 Campbell Parade;

misschu.com.au], you can order delicious Singapore Slings with spring rolls and fresh dumplings.”

Beyond the city

Follow the weekend crowd two hours west to the Blue Mountains, sydney’s popular hilltop getaway. there, spend your days hiking the lush valley.

lIZ Ann mAcgregOr

mAtt mOrAn

chef, chiswick restaurant

director of the Museum of contemporary Art

Where i go for... ...an afternoon pint “Lord dudley public Bar [236 Jersey Rd.;

Where i go for... ...an indulgent splurge

lorddudley.com.au] is one of my go-to bars: you can actually sit there and have a beer quietly.”

“One of the most revered restaurants in Darlinghurst is Buon ricordo [108 Boundary St.; buonricordo.com.au], with truffle pasta to die for.”

…burning off calories after lunch

…my morning caffeine jolt

“cooper park has a huge hill that’s great for running. It’s very familyoriented, with tennis courts and plenty of open space.”

“I never pass up a flat white at Artisan focacceria [230 Palmer St.; 61-2/9326-9227].”

…an afternoon with my son

“The city’s best-kept secret is gordon’s Bay. I go down to the beach with my

little guy, and we feed the groupers.”

For an easier jaunt, hop a harbor ferry to the northern beaches on the city’s outer edge and stroll the victoria Parade in Manly.

…takeout after work “Lucio pizzeria [248 Palmer St.;

luciopizzeria.com.au], in Darlinghurst, serves without a doubt the best pizza anywhere in the city.”

seeking a more tropical escape? Head 222 kilometers south to Jervis Bay for white sands lapped by clear, blue water teeming with rays.

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00 monXtH 0000 travelandleisure.com

stylish traveler tRue Blue We love our smart PHones, But WHy not cHecK tHe time tHe old-FasHioned Way? tHese ocean-Hued WatcHes comBine BotH Form and Function. fAshion direcTor: MiMi LoMBArdo.

[st ]

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tImeleSS tImepIeceS 1. diamond-set steel cape cod, by hermès.

2. constellation-dial automatic with alligator strap, Movado.

3. luminescent and waterproof regatta chronograph, Louis vuitton.

4. triple-time-zone chronograph with rotating bezel, Breitling.

5. stainless-steel with dual alarm, seiko.

6. 24-city richard Branson limited edition, Bulova Accutron.

7. reversible ultra-thin ladies’ watch with valextra strap, Jaeger-Lecoultre.

Photographed by Levi Brown

travelandleisure.com| august decemBer 2011 travelandleisureasia.com 2012 8300

[st] packing

pReppy Beach Basics

sure, Bermuda sHorts are a must. But WHat else sHould a man Bring along For a daPPer day at tHe BeacH? t+l selects a FeW seaside staPles. fAshion direcTor: MiMi LoMBArdo

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1. deniM Unisex espAdriLLes, by industry of all nations.

2. cAMeL sUngLAsses, illesteva.

3. eMBossed-LeATher Anchor WALLeT, Jack spade.

4. checked BUTTon-doWn, vineyard vines.

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5. sTrAW TriLBy, elk.

6. hAnd-sTiTched BeLT, smathers & Branson.

7. sTriped cAnvAs TrAveL kiT, coach men’s.

8. coTTon pAnTs, Bonobos.

9. drAWsTring sWiM TrUnks, nautica.

10.seersUcker BAg, a.P.c.

11. LighTWeighT BoMBer JAckeT, Band of outsiders.

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Photographed by John Lawton

s T y l I s T: R I C H I E o w I N G s / H A l l E y R E s o U R C E s ; fA s H I o N M A R k E T E D I T o R : j E s s I E b A N D y.

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strategies p R o p s T y l I s T : k AT H E R I N E R U s C H ; C A s T I N G : w U l f C A s T I N G ; M o D E l : A b I G A I l / I M A G E s N y ; H A I R A N D M A k E U p : b R I T C o C H R A N

travel smarter

hOw SOcIAl meDIA wIll chAnge the wAy yOu trAvel Seven eSSentIAl tIpS fOr SeArchIng, ShArIng, SAvIng—AnD prOtectIng yOur prIvAcy. By tOm SAmIlJAn

i

t’s inescapable, from Facebook’s IPO to presidential campaigns being waged on Twitter. And now for many travelers, social media has become an invaluable tool for virtually every part of planning and taking a trip: they find inspiration on Pinterest, hunt down deals on Twitter, get restaurant tips on Foursquare and share photos on Facebook. For others, it’s a bewildering blur of tweets, posts and check-ins. T+L looks at how travelers are using the major social networks—plus the apps, sites and services that seem to launch every day—and boils it all down to the key lessons on the following pages.

Photo illustrations by Phil Toledano

pLUs

InTRodUcIng

T+L’s 2012 social Media in Travel + Tourism Awards

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 91

strategies soCIAl MEDIA 2

deal feeds to follow now

tHese tWitter accounts comPile tHe Best oFFers. or searcH tHe site For #traveldeals.

@cruisedeals sales and exclusive offers on cruises. @smartertravel deals and tips from the travel-advice website. @travelbargains a constant stream of offers. @travelzoo discounts on everything from hotels and vacation packages to all-inclusives. @orbitz specials and advice listed by the online travel company. @wego news, travel tips and discounts on airfare. @asiawebdirect updates on the lowest hotel rates across asia. @lastminute_com deals on hotels, spas, restaurants, theater tickets and vacation getaways.

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find Better Ways to share your photos

tHree oF tHe Best aPPs For enHancing and Posting Pictures.

Blurb Mobile all-in-one “storytelling” app that makes slideshows from photos, videos and audio. pros you can use existing images and videos, or take new ones on the fly. cons no android version. camera Awesome a full-featured editing tool that works both when you’re taking pictures and after. pros Whizbang effects: take nine continuous shots or focus on a face and blur the background. cons the one-touch awesomize effect looks great, but the interface is clumsy. instagram snapshot enhancer and social network in one: take a picture, add cool effects, and share to your stream. pros easy to use. and with 50 million members, it’s the app your friends are most likely to use. cons no video; limited in-app filters.

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checK Out whO’S checKIng In

F

oursquare, an app that lets members “check in” to a restaurant, coffee shop, airport or other place and broadcast their whereabouts to friends, has become popular enough that it’s useful to all travelers—even those who have no interest in telling people where they are—thanks to its massive database of 750,000 listings. Looking for a nice wine bar in Chicago? The Explore feature displays listings, reviews and pictures, with places that people in your network have visited shown first.

“Seeing an unfamiliar city through the

history of check-ins is useful,” says Kevin Systrom, cofounder of photosharing service Instagram. On a recent trip to Barcelona, Systrom used Foursquare’s Trending button—which tells where the most people have checked in—to find out where the nightlife was buzziest. Many restaurants and bars even reward users that “check in” with special offers. foodspotting is a similar app focused on dining. When users check in to a restaurant, they can submit a photo of a dish, which will help scan the nearest options when your stomach is growling.

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AmplIfy the wOrD-Of-mOuth effect

ips from friends are still among the best types of travel advice, and it’s simple enough to post a question on Facebook or Twitter asking for suggestions on, say, a quiet bistro in Paris. But there’s no guarantee your savviest friends will even see the post.

Now, a number of niche apps and services promise to help spread the word. The most popular is gogobot, a website and iPhone app that will send your queries about a specific place to your Twitter and Facebook networks and—for extra assistance—to the site’s own members. I recently requested advice on getting to Dubrovnik, Croatia, when flights to the local airport were

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sold out. A globe-trotting friend of a Facebook friend saw the post on Gogobot and suggested flying to a city across the border in Montenegro— a tip I hadn’t found anywhere else.

Adding a social layer to travel planning is the goal of a slew of new sites. Tripbirds figures out who in your Facebook, Foursquare and Instagram networks has been to a destination and directs your questions to them.

Twigmore analyzes your Facebook contacts to put you in touch with friends and friends of friends in cities worldwide.

Wipolo builds an itinerary from the confirmation e-mails you’ve forwarded to it, then shares the plan with your Facebook friends for comments.

Wheels squeak Louder on social Media

more and more travelers are voicing tHeir dissatisFaction WitH airlines and Hotels on tWitter and FaceBooK. WHy? tHe comPlaints are PuBlic (Prodding comPanies to resPond) and can Be made in tHe moment. BeloW, tHree true-liFe eXamPles.

@americanair having trouble checking in. tried “click to talk” 5 times + simply disconnected. please help!

—@JCreaturetravel

reSult an american airlines agent got in touch with the user and resolved the complicated ticketing issue.

@westin @peachtree disappointed me terribly! get in the room late 2 lights out in the bathroom what a start maybe i change brands?

—@professorinfo

reSult management at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, in atlanta, moved the guest to another room despite being almost full.

@Cruisenorwegian Wow, another us$158 to move two people out of one room and into a new room? no bueno.

—@swtHrtCPa

reSult norwegian cruise line contacted the customer via e-mail and offered her an additional cabin for a much lower price.

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What the heck is pinterest?

(And Why should i care?)

From out of nowhere, pinterest has become the third largest social network, after Facebook and twitter, thanks to its purity of purpose and its simple pinboard metaphor. users can instantly clip pictures of things they discover on the Web—clothing, recipes, hotels—onto their own themed boards. For travelers, Pinterest is useful in two ways. First, it’s a fun and easy way to create a life list of the monuments, beaches and works of art you want to see. second, browsing the thousands of travelthemed boards— devoted to everything from london restaurants to brutalist architecture and quirky maps—is a rich source of inspiration.

Pinterest’s popularity is driving a boom in photo-centric makeovers by other social-travel services. gtrot is like Pinterest meets yelp, focusing on local places and events. Wanderfly adds hotel- and flightbooking links to its themed photo pages. fancy tacks on daily deals offered by upscale online boutiques. travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 93

strategies soCIAl MEDIA

SOcIAl meDIA In trAvel + tOurISm 2012 To determine which travel companies made the most innovative use of social media last year, we assembled a jury of industry insiders and asked them to sift through hundreds of applications from airlines, hotels, tourism boards and more. Here are the winners.

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fIve StepS tO tAKe tO prOtect yOur prIvAcy

Privacy concerns are Particularly acute For travelers: you don’t Want to trumPet tHe Fact tHat you’ll Be aWay From Home or alone in a strange city. so it’s critical to maKe sure your travel-related Posts can only Be seen By PeoPle you trust. Here’s HoW.

➜ On Facebook, go to Privacy Settings and change your defaults to either Friends or Custom (which will let you create lists of individuals who can and cannot see your posts). ➜ Now go to the Timeline and Tagging section and enable the option to review posts that others tag you in— so if one of your travel buddies tags you in a photo, you can choose who sees it.

➜ On the same page, check the privacy settings for all the apps you’ve linked up to Facebook. Also check the settings on individual sites.

Travel app Gogobot, for instance, automatically makes your itineraries and check-ins visible to friends and search engines unless you tell it not to. ➜ On Twitter, go into Settings and make sure that “Add a location to my tweets”

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is unchecked; otherwise your latitude/longitude coordinates will be published along with every tweet you post. ➜ Only Foursquare friends can see your check-ins on the Foursquare app—but you need to turn off the option to share that information on Facebook and/or Twitter if you want to make sure your location stays private on those networks.

Jonathan crowley director of business development at Foursquare and founder of Black20 digital studios. @jonathancrowley porter gale Public speaker, blogger and former vP of marketing at virgin america. @portergale peter shankman consultant, blogger and founder of Help a reporter out (Haro). @petershankman clara shih ceo of Hearsay social and author of marketing textbook The Facebook Era. @clarashih sree sreenivasan Professor and dean of students at columbia university graduate school of Journalism. @sree Andrew Zimmern creator and host of Bizarre Foods on the travel channel and Appetite for Life on msn. @andrewzimmern

f R o M To p : C o U R T E s y o f j o N AT H A N C R o w l E y ; C o U R T E s y o f p o R T E R G A l E ; C o U R T E s y o f p E T E R s H A N k M A N ; C o U R T E s y o f C l A R A s H I H ; C o U R T E s y o f s R E E s R E E N I vA s A N ; G I l b E R T C A R R A s q U I l l o / G E T T y I M A G E s

meet the JuDgeS

BeSt uSe Of A SOcIAl meDIA plAtfOrm global hotel/resort chain (tie) ritz-carlton hotels Every Friday, the luxury group hands over its Twitter account to a guest tweeter from an individual property—general managers; chefs; sommeliers—often coinciding with major events such as the Formula One races in Singapore.

Standard hotel, new york On its Tumblr page, the hotel showcases works by up-andcoming photographers and artists, including Tim Barber, Cheryl Dunn and Cara Stricker—some created exclusively for the page. individual hotel/resort, U.s. ritz-carlton resorts of naples, florida Asking questions such as “How do you like your coffee?” on their Facebook page, the hotels keep track of the responses, then use them in case a fan ends up booking a stay. individual hotel/resort, global four Seasons resort costa rica To promote its volunteer and environmental programs, the hotel gave free stays to bloggers, filmmakers and media personalities with large social-media followings—former Real Housewives star Kelly Bensimon, for example.

Tourism Board, U.s. greater philadelphia tourism marketing Philly was one of the first destinations with a presence on foodspotting.com, launching comprehensive guides to the city’s culinary highlights, such as Old-School Red Gravy Italian Restaurants.

Tourism Board, global visitSweden The Curators of Sweden program lets ordinary citizens—a feminist blogger; a 24-year-old unemployed welder; a former Ms. Sweden—compete to control the official @sweden Twitter account, a week at a time.

Tour operator Adventures by Disney How to put a personal face on a big corporation: a rotating cast of “mom specialists”—all former clients— answer customer questions on the

tour operator’s Facebook page.

Airport, global Dubai Airports In October 2011, the company orchestrated a flash mob featuring 55 dancers to promote a new branded credit card. A video of the event posted on YouTube attracted 1.8 million views in less than three months.

Airline, U.s.

JetBlue Airways The airline’s Facebook app, Go Places, gives frequent-flier points and discounts to customers who use Facebook Places to digitally check in at a JetBlue terminal. cruise Line norwegian cruise line In conjunction with the company’s “Cruise Like a Norwegian” ad campaign, Facebook fans could create videos using their own photos, set to the campaign’s theme music.

Attraction radio city christmas Spectacular Users connected their Facebook accounts to the show’s microsite and received a personalized, heart-tugging video—incorporating their own friends and photos—to send to loved ones during the holidays. car-rental Agency hertz rent-a-car A cute quiz divided the company’s Facebook fans into personality types: Gas (exciting and adventurous) or Brake (more reserved). Users could also label their friends as Gas or Brake, which added an interesting viral element.

BeSt SIngle SOcIAl meDIA prOmOtIOn individual hotel/resort, U.s. four Seasons hotel Austin, texas The property organized a photo scavenger hunt in which fans and visitors submitted pictures of the hotel and Austin landmarks on Facebook or Flickr.

The first 100 participants to submit at least half the items received an overnight stay or other prizes. individual hotel/resort, global le Quartier français, franschhoek, South Africa After a con man booked a table at

its restaurant under an alias and walked out without paying, the hotel asked Facebook fans to submit clever fake names (Bill M. Laytah; Ms. Sum Ting Wong) to win a free dinner.

moment it’s dropped on the conveyor belt until it’s picked up.

It went viral on YouTube, a clever way to promote Delta’s bag-tracking mobile app.

global hotel/resort chain Joie de vivre Guests willing to sing for an upgrade upon check-in received one, and videos of the performances were uploaded to YouTube and Facebook. Fans voted for their favorite, who won a two-night stay.

Tourism Board, U.s. visit Bucks county, pennsylvania The destination incentivized everyday people to promote it on social media by organizing a scavenger hunt. Fans had to complete tasks—say, checking in to a local attraction on Foursquare and posting a photo or review—to win prizes.

Tourism Board, global netherlands Board of tourism With its French counterparts, the board created a Facebook quiz where users could see if they’re better suited to Paris or Amsterdam. They would then receive detailed itineraries.

Tour operator contiki Facebook fans of the vacation company created virtual buses, picked four friends to fill them and designed a dream trip. They then campaigned for votes. Members of the two highest-scoring buses got to take the trip.

Travel Agency expedia For the FriendTrips contest on Facebook, users piloted a virtual plane and invited friends to join. Those friends were then urged to create their own entries; the viral structure pushed Expedia’s fan base past 1 million.

Airport, U.s.

San francisco International The airport tweeted photos of a cartoon turkey named Pardon at spots throughout SFO. By tweeting the correct location or checking in on Foursquare, users were entered into a sweepstakes to win an iPad. Airline, U.s.

Delta Air lines An airlineproduced video showed what happens to your luggage from the

Airline, global (tie) Air new Zealand Fitness guru Richard Simmons starred in a funny in-flight safety video for the airline that circulated worldwide, with more than 2.5 million views on YouTube. finnair In conjunction with Helsinki’s airport, the carrier recruited “real people” via social channels to suggest how to improve service. The effort reached over 15 million people. cruise Line paul gauguin cruises Before you commit to a real cruise, why not try it out virtually? Users could plan an imaginary trip, inviting Facebook friends, adding activities and sending e-postcards.

Attraction vail resorts The skiing giant turned the traditional model of selling expensive mountaintop photos on its head: they made the pictures free to share on Facebook and Twitter (though you still have pay if you want prints). car-rental Agency enterprise rent-A-car Customers submitted a story on Facebook about their favorite experience with the company; fellow fans then voted for the best submission, with a grand prize of a year’s worth of free car rentals and hotel stays from Hilton.

BeSt SOcIAl meDIA prOmOtIOn Of trAvel DeAlS global hotel/resort chain fairmont hotels & resorts Special rates at 11 hotels were revealed exclusively on Facebook and Twitter. The depth of the discounts (as low as US$89 a night) helped drive significant revenue.

Airline, global germanwings Targeting the European market, the low-cost airline, based in Cologne, created a Facebook app that shows where your friends are worldwide and displays the least expensive routes to get you there. ✚

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 95

smarttraveler

the ins and outs of Modern travel

On the rOAD

HAvING yoUR owN wHEEls CAN MAkE A HolIDAy MEMoRAblE—oR DIsAsTRoUs. Jennifer chen pRovIDEs yoUR GUIDE To DRIvING IN AsIA Before any presentation on his company, Jackson Lau, the marketing manager for driving tour operator On the Road China, likes to start with a particular PowerPoint slide.

On it are photos of a smokestack, an overloaded truck and an impossible traffic snarl, with “driving in China” written in Chinese and the words “You must be kidding me?” emblazoned over them.

Those words can apply to any number of countries in Asia, where drivers have to negotiate poorly maintained roads, inexperienced motorists, scooters driven by reckless teenagers, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, corrupt cops, endless traffic and occasionally a goat, cow or water buffalo with no immediate plans.

The inconveniences aside, a driving holiday in Asia can be incredibly rewarding. Having a car gives you the freedom to explore hidden corners, act on a whim and dictate your own schedule. “The reality is, when you go on a road trip holiday in Europe, you don’t go to London or Paris. In Asia you wouldn’t go to Tokyo or Bangkok,” says Lau. “You would go to the countryside.” And the countrysides across Southeast Asia are spectacular. Here are some essential tips for driving in the region.

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chOOSe yOur DeStInAtIOn AnD rOute cArefully

Not all Asian countries are equal when it comes to safety records. Japan is a best-in-class example with excellent roads, clear signage and courteous drivers. “The trouble with Japan is that on the mainland of Honshu the train services are so good that it is usually best to travel by public transport,” says James Mundy of Inside Japan, a UKbased travel company. “We usually recommend a car for the more rural areas of Japan such as Hokkaido, Okinawa and Ishigaki.” With six scenic byways, Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands, is a particularly popular spot for self-driving tours. (Hokkaido’s tourism board has a useful handbook on driving tours on their website: en.visit-hokkaido.jp.) Taiwan and South Korea also have tip-top roads, though drivers in those countries tend to be more frenetic.

Traffic laws are haphazardly enforced in Thailand and the roads are populated with Formula One wannabes. That said, roads are in good shape and if you pick a less-traveled route, say from Udon Thani to Loei, you’re less likely to encounter Bangkok-style road rage. (Tip: keep an eye out for minivans, which are often racing to meet tight schedules.)

Illustration by Wasinee Chantakorn

For newbies in China, Lau suggests a weeklong sojourn in southwestern Yunnan province, which has wellmaintained roads, little traffic and luxury hotels en route.

And if you’re looking for something more off-the-beaten track in Asia, signing up with a specialized travel company can be a smart move.

KnOw the lOcAl hABItS Honking in China is not

considered bad manners; indeed it’s a crucial way of communicating in a country of drivers who have yet to discover their rear-view mirrors. Flashing your headlights in China also means “give way” rather than “please go first,” notes Lau. While using your horn with abandon won’t earn you a second look in Vietnam, it is considered impolite in Thailand. It also helps to know the dates for big holidays, when local revelers are more likely to drive drunk. eXpect the uneXpecteD “There will be motorbikes,

pedestrians and even wild animals—be prepared,” warns Lau. Stop signs in Thailand are often seen as a sign to slow

down momentarily before quickly accelerating. Lane marks are often blithely ignored and many people drive barefoot.

Slow, defensive driving is the best way to go. reAD the fIne prInt Most Asian countries allow

travelers with international driving permits to rent a car.

While major international rental companies such as Avis and Hertz have locations throughout Asia, if you’re in a more far-flung destination, you might be at the mercy of less scrupulous companies. Some rental companies in China offer private registered cars that aren’t licensed for rental use—that means you’re not covered by insurance.

DeAlIng wIth crOOKeD cOpS In a region rife with

official corruption, cops are often looking to pad their salaries by pulling over motorists. But attitudes towards foreign drivers vary: in China, cops are more likely to let a laowai go, while in Thailand, a farang might be seen as an easy shakedown. Be polite but firm—and stick to speaking in English, even if you’re fluent in the local lingo. Chances are they’ll give up rather than deal with the language barrier. ✚

traveler

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

➝ The L Resort Krabi and Shangri-La Toronto are two of nearly 50 hotels providing in-room iPads powered by Intelity’s pioneering ice Touch technology. The intuitive interface lets you order room service, schedule wake-up calls and book spa appointments. Best of all? It works. ➝ OpenWays has created an app— currently being tested at select Holiday Inn and Choice Hotels properties—that allows guests’ own smart phones to be

Tech

used as room keys.

yOur neXt-gen hOtel rOOm

WhAT’s nexT

In a recently issued industry report, futurist Ian Pearson predicted the following hotel-room innovations: ➝ your bathroom mirror will also

When it comes to reliable, easy-to-use tech amenities, hotels have lagged confoundingly behind what most travelers have at home or on their smart phones or tablets. Even at many so-called state-of-the-art properties guests wrestle with inscrutable room controls, ornery A/V setups and awkward communications systems.

Thankfully, some hotels are now stepping up their tech game—for real.

WhAT’s here noW

➝ These days, any property worth its room rate offers free Wi-Fi. But too often it’s exceedingly sloooow. Solution: many hotels (including the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo) are rolling out 100 Mbps internet service, which is fast enough to download an album in three seconds.

t+l pIcKS: reSOurceS fOr the rOAD

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the Tumi smart key fob (tumi.com) uses Zomm to virtually tether to your phone and alerts you if they become separated; it can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker and to make emergency calls.

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2

transform your iPhone 4/4s into an underwater camera with the Aqua solar Tek case (snowlizardproducts. com); it has a tough polycarbonate exterior and a solar-powered battery that extends the charge by 150 percent.

3

the sportiiiis (4iiii.com) attaches to glasses and employs led’s to help you track your heart rate, running pace and cadence. the device also provides verbal prompts to let you know when you’ve met your targets.

Illustration by Leif Parsons

f R o M l E f T : C o U R T E s y o f z o M M ; C o U R T E s y o f s N o w l I z A R D ; C o U R T E s y o f 4 I I I I N N o vAT I o N

function as an interactive display

showing news, weather and messages. ➝ Wall surfaces could serve as voice- and gesturecontrolled monitors that double as video-conferencing panels or even play slideshows of guests’ own photos. ➝ electro-responsive fibers in sleepwear and soft electronics in pillows will monitor your blood pressure, sleep patterns and stress levels; music or lighting will be adjusted accordingly to help you relax. In extreme cases, the system could even summon a doctor. But in less urgent ones, perhaps it could just book you an appointment at the hotel spa? ✚

journal

A CoUNTRy’s NEw CANvAs

travel topiCs in depth, vivid visuals and More Preparing for the rendezvous street art event in rangoon, with a painting by Ku Kue.

as Burma sloWlyi oPens to tHei World, its artistsi are also emergingi WitH a dynamic taKei on tHeir nation andi its Future. sToryi And phoTogrAphsi By cedric ArnoLdi

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journal ART

an untitled work

by Zwe Yan naing, right. above: aung soe min, owner and founder of Pansodan gallery amid his artwork and vast book collection.

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attling away, my crumbling taxi pulls up in front of a colonial-era building on Rangoon’s Pansodan Road. The driver giggles as I pay him and point at the window handle, which has just fallen off.

“Yangon style” he says with a big grin.

I walk up an old staircase to Pansodan Gallery, where every Tuesday owner Aung Soe Min hosts an open evening that draws an eclectic mix of local artists, expats, enthusiasts and collectors. It’s a relaxed affair, a chance for Rangoon’s artists and art lovers to rub shoulders and share ideas. Tonight there’s quite a crowd, and I’m sitting at a large table with drinks and pickled tea leaf salad, a local snack. There’s a bohemian feel to the place; every inch of wall space is filled with artwork, and countless more pieces are stacked in corners. It feels like a living space as much as a gallery, with a hodgepodge of ample seating and a large balcony overlooking Pansodan Road and the busy downtown.

It’s the perfect place to take the pulse of a local art scene that, like Pansodan Gallery itself, seems to be bursting at the seams with energy and purpose.

Despite years of isolation, censorship, sparse funding and, often, a lack of public understanding, Rangoon’s art scene is burgeoning. In the 1960’s, while Ne Win and the military-run Revolutionary Council were establishing Burma as a socialist

state isolated from the rest of the world, artists like Baji Aung Soe (1924-90)—now widely considered to be “the father” of Burmese modern art—were first described by critics and traditionalists as “madmen” who made “crazy art.”

Contemporary artists are still received with mixed feelings in Burma, but if the weekly scene at Pansodan is any indication, they are slowly gaining acceptance.

Aung Soe Min is a captivating, easy-going man, with contagious enthusiasm. Trained as an engineer, once a filmmaker, an avid collector and an artist himself, his collection of Burmese history books and art is thought to be one of the largest in Burma. Housed on two floors, the gallery reflects his varied passions. The main space showcases a wide array of mostly young contemporary artists, while the upper level is dedicated to a still-growing collection of vintage prints, posters and photographs, piles and piles of them. I thought I’d never leave this chaotic treasure trove, searching through stacks of old movie stills, some in black and white, others hand-colored, along with old propaganda art, movie posters, magazines and comics.

With the help of American anthropologist Kirt Mousert, associate curator at Pansodan, Aung Soe Min will soon publish the collection in a book that “explores the visual and cultural history of Burma.”

While things are still far from easy for artists in Burma— with few opportunities for recognition, not enough galleries to exhibit their work and no grant system—a growing number are gaining international exposure. Galleries in England, Australia and the U.S. have already taken notice. Promising Pansodan artists such as Zwe Yan Naing are participating in group shows in Amsterdam and Seattle later this year.

Changes in the local perception of art are also helping.

“About 10 years ago, there was little market for original Burmese art and the economy was poor,” says Aung Soe Min. “Most artists supported themselves by working as illustrators.” As the public re-embraces contemporary art’s »

in the 1960’s, modern artists like baji aung soe were described by critics and traditionalists as ‘madmen’ who made ‘crazy art’ vIBrAnt Scene

Clockwise from top: artist Yan naing tun puts the finishing touches on one of his paintings; Mother and Child (36) by aung myint; ma ei paints in her studio.

journal ART place in society after a long and difficult history, artists can hold out hope of supporting themselves with their work.

Despite the fact that, until recently, there has been little to lure new artists into the field, Gill Pattison has discovered extraordinary creative talent over the years as the manager of River Gallery on the Strand Road. “Tracking them down took me to corners of the city I would never have seen otherwise,” she says. “The journey—learning something of the artists’ hopes and dreams—has proved just as satisfying as showing the art to an appreciative audience.” In 2004 Pattison sponsored, along with The Myanmar Times, a national arts competition. The winner was Zaw Win Pe, now 42, from Mague, Central Burma. His colorful, abstract landscapes have since been shown in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Pattison introduces me to 33-year-old Yan Naing Tun, who is currently in a group show at the East Gallery in Toronto. At his home and studio, tucked away behind a monastery on the outskirts of the city, he offers me tea and we sit on the terrace, his preferred painting spot because of the light and soft breeze.

Yan Naing Tun is putting the finishing touches on a work from his series Good News at the Teashop. The paintings, originally in monochrome, have evolved with the addition of color and script either silk-screened directly onto the canvas or depicted realistically with characters reading a newspaper. The Burmese teashop has long been a place

rISIng StArS From top: artist Yan naing tun, with one of his paintings, Good News at the Teashop (4); performance artist and curator moe satt; Fantasies (19), a mixed media work by Hein thit at the river gallery.

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where people come together to discuss the issues of the day, and during the last nine months of political reformation, newspapers have increasingly been a source of “good news.”

The changes in Yan Naing Tun’s work reflect those in the country. “Ordinary people are deeply interested in the news these days, eager to read how change is coming,” he tells me.

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he opening of Burma will also make it easier to bring in foreign artists. Pansodan keeps an informal residency space, and outspoken artist Aey Ko co-organized The Rendezvous, a street art event with graffiti artists from across Southeast Asia. Street art is increasingly present in Rangoon and Mandalay, linked to an ever-growing local hip-hop scene.

I meet Aey Ko at his studio, a large mezzanine-like space called New Zero Art Studio. Established as a non-profit with highly respected artist Aung Myint as one of the directors, New Zero initiated a residency program in 2009, and has since hosted artists from the U.S., U.K., Japan, Spain and many other countries.

Aey Ko is an imposing figure, recognizable for his ponytail, traditional longyi and graphic T-shirt. He takes me around the space, with its school, free library and studio. Another location

nearby houses the gallery. Aye Ko does not think the recent changes in the country will necessarily have an immediate effect on funding for the arts. “Yes, our country has been opening up very fast. But the vast majority of foreign investors are looking for business opportunities, not art,” he says.

Indeed, it’s possible that Burma’s changing political landscape could be a double-edged sword for artists, as they find that they have more freedom and contact with the rest of the world, but less support from international granting agencies that see their situation as improving.

The issue of censorship has not gone away, either. Moe Satt formed Beyond Pressure, and each year organizes an international performance art festival of the same name.

Beyond Pressure’s latest street performance last May resulted in the arrest and deportation of 12 participating artists including four Malaysians and one from the U.S. At the police station, where they were questioned for hours, an obscure law from 1964 was cited as the reason for arrest.

Despite remaining challenges, there’s a sense among Rangoon’s artistic community that new opportunities are near. Moe Satt, though, isn’t waiting. He seems to be constantly working. At Rangoon’s French Institute, he introduces me to Ma Ei, an accomplished performance »

journal ART artist, painter and photographer. The next day, we meet at her chaotic studio on the top floor of an old apartment block. The place is packed with large canvases and photographs, often exploring the plight of women in Burma.

A large canvas painted black lies on the floor. I watch her paint wildly in large, bright green strokes, moving frenetically around the work with tireless creative appetite.

There’s no lack of initiative or talent in Rangoon’s vibrant art scene, but most agree that much needs to be done when it comes to management and curating.

According to Mousert, things are already moving in that direction. Recently, the Independent Burma Artists Alliance was founded at Pansodan, aiming to provide more training and resources to curators and gallery owners. “Everyone is eager to gain the skills we’ll need to ensure that the arts community in Burma is able to work together and with the world at a fully professional level,” Mousert says. There has even been talk of plans for a modern art museum, but the country’s immediate priorities obviously lie elsewhere. For now, it is up to the likes of Aung Soe Min, Aey Ko and Moe Satt to keep things moving forward. ✚

i watch Ma ei paint wildly in large, bright green strokes, moving frenetically around the work with tireless creative appetite

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gUide To ArT in rAngoon exhibitions usually have a relatively fast turnaround in rangoon, with work staying on the walls for about two weeks. When purchasing art, you will often be pleasantly surprised to find the artist present at the gallery. french institute rangoon 340 Pyay rd.; 95-1/536900; institutfrancaisbirmanie.com; open monday to Friday 9 a.m.– 12:30 p.m, 2 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

pansodan gallery First floor, 286 Pansodan rd.; 95-9/513-0846; pansuriya. wordpress.com; open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. river gallery strand Hotel annex, 92 strand rd.; 95-1/243-377, ext. 1821; rivergallerymyanmar.com sharky’s 117 dhamazedi rd.; 95-1/524-677.

inya Art gallery 50 (B), inya rd.; 95-1/534-327; open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. new Treasure Art gallery 84/a, thanlwin st.; 95-1/526776; open 9 a.m.–6 p.m. new Zero Art space 54 (1-e) Bo yar nyunt; 95-1/7312-9520; newzeroartspace.com.

thu myat, organizer of the rendezvous street art event. opposite, top: Untitled (Street Musician Troop) by Zwe Yan naing. aey Ko at the new Zero art studio, bottom. above: an untitled work by ma ei.

journal NEIGHboRHooD at the entrance to ameyokocho market, near tokyo’s ueno Park.

bARGAIN HAvEN

in toKyo’s less-touristy nortHeast, tHe Former BlacK marKet oF ameyoKocHo oFFers everytHing under tHe (rising) sun.

By MArie doeZeMA. phoTogrAphed By ALfie goodrich

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here’s nothing like Cheez Whiz and soft-shelled turtles to make foreigners feel right at home in Tokyo.

Welcome to Ameyokocho, one of the capital city’s most international and eclectic parts of town. While there’s plenty here to remind you that you’re in Japan—from boisterous shouts of irashaimase to conveyer-belt sushi joints—other smells and tastes can transport you, however fleetingly, to Istanbul, Bangkok or Nairobi. For the uninitiated, walking through Ameyokocho—an open-air market in northeast Tokyo, along the train tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi

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stations—can be intimidating, an overwhelming mix of pointy-elbowed bargain-seekers, seedylooking love hotels and relentlessly noisy pachinko parlors. Vendors barking into megaphones at top decibels, peddling everything from vitamins to grab bags of cheap chocolate, add to the chaos.

While the east side of Tokyo is generally a less popular place for foreigners to live and shop than the swankier west side, the Shitamachi, or old downtown, neighborhoods around Ueno Park have a unique charm and are one of the last places to experience old Edo culture in the city. Street cats prowl small alleys lined with window boxes and dotted with bicycles, while the clip-clop of wooden sandals can be heard as locals make their way to

the nearby sento, or bathhouses, soap and towels in hand.

After four years of living in this part of Tokyo, Ameyokocho remains one of my favorite areas to explore. While I might hit the fancier foreignfriendly grocery stores on the west side of town for granola or stinky cheese, Ameyokocho market is my top pick for treasure hunting or aimless wandering. This isn’t just shopping—it’s entertainment. Much has changed since the post-war years, when Ameyokocho was known as the place to buy black market goods in Tokyo, but these days the area remains a popular place for browsing and people watching. You can find most things you might need or want (from salad spinners to neckties), in addition to countless

things you never knew you wanted, or stopped wanting several decades ago (think duck-shaped measuring cups and lava lamps). On the practical side, there are dirt-cheap handbags, bins of clothing and running shoes crying out to be pawed through, and plenty of bling, from earrings to cellphone charms. If traditional is more your style, there are stalls selling green tea, dried fish, fans and even samurai-emblazoned socks.

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ecause of its array of international ingredients, Ameyokocho is popular with Tokyo’s embassy staff. One Sri Lankan embassy friend relies on the market for the jumbo prawns and spices that go into her trademark curry. One gray morning, I meet up »

ameyokocho market is my top pick for treasure hunting or aimless wandering. this isn’t just shopping—it’s entertainment

mArKet mASterS

Clockwise from below: Browsing ameyokocho’s fresh market finds; inside a pachinko parlor; octopus from morocco and Hokkaido.

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journal NEIGHboRHooD with Robert Osogo, chef of the Kenyan embassy in Tokyo, for a shopping trip. Our plan is to hit the basement market of the Ameyoko Center Building, in the heart of Ameyokocho, home to an impressive selection of produce, spices, spirits and more parts of pig than most people know what to do with. “It’s is the closest thing to Nairobi I can find in Japan,” he says.

Osogo is a passionate chef and an intrepid shopper, at home wandering market stalls in search of the perfect ingredients. We had planned to meet at a kebab stand, a place I had passed countless times, always distracted by the smell of roasting meat and the long line outside. I show up at the shop just as Osogo is calling me on my mobile phone to tell me he is there too, though nowhere

to be seen. Apparently there are three kebab shops, all with the same name and within several hundred meters of each other. With the help of various kebab shop workers—who get a kick out of our game of hide and seek—we manage to find each other somewhere in between.

We descend the dingy stairs into the market and are hit by disparate smells and ingredients crammed together. A medley of diverse languages rings through the air. There are fresh herbs, leafy greens, live seafood and slowly squirming turtles.

Tropical fruits include plantains from the Philippines and the potent love-it-or-hate-it durian, imported from Thailand.

Osogo is here to stock his own fridge with tastes from home and to buy ingredients for an embassy

in this part of town, normal rules don’t apply. hardcore hagglers wait until dusk for salmon roe and octopus at a fraction of their earlier prices greAt grAZIng

Clockwise from below: Kafka’s turkish Kebab House; a vendor offering mentaiko, or salted fish eggs; shrimp being sorted for sale.

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fAntAStIc fInDS

lunch the next day. I follow him around in hopes of gleaning some recipe ideas. I trail behind as he points out his favorite varieties of chilies and suggests recipes for small lentils and stir-fried greens. After making several rounds of the food stalls to find the best deals, he buys three kilograms of ground chicken for samosas; two free-range chickens; three whole tilapia; and several cuts of oxtail. The frozen tilapia in this market doesn’t begin to compare to fresh tilapia from Lake Victoria, Osogo tells me, but it is the best he can manage in this country. Same story with maize flour, the main ingredient in ugali, Kenya’s starch of choice. He can find the flour in Japan, but the taste and texture are never quite right. Still, 11,000 kilometers from home, he’s grateful to find it at all.

Though bargaining is something much of the world might take for granted, quibbling over a couple hundred yen is simply not done under most circumstances in Japan. In this part of town, however, normal rules don’t apply. Hardcore

hagglers often wait until dusk to hit the market, when salmon roe and octopus can be had at a fraction of their prices earlier in the day. It is still morning, but a bit of bargaining is in order. The best deal of the day is the two chickens, priced at ¥400 apiece, but selling as a pair for ¥700. My happiest finds include preserved duck eggs; bundles of fragrant coriander, an ingredient hard to find in most supermarkets; and, for its nostalgia factor, Skippy peanut butter.

We emerge into the humid air and make our way to a stall selling fresh fruit—strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple—on a stick. One of the best approaches to Ameyokocho is to graze your way through. Free samples of nuts and dried fruits abound, and take-out stands sell a wide range of goodies, from sweet to salty. There’s seasonal soft-serve ice cream in flavors ranging from black sesame to cherry blossom, as well as cream puffs and crepes. On the savory side, there’s oversized gyoza; okonomiyaki, an omelet-pancake hybrid filled with veggies, meat or seafood; »

From left: Fresh Sanma (Pacific saury); Kazuhiko Kobayashi and his wife in their enka music store.

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journal NEIGHboRHooD and takoyaki, doughy spheres stuffed with octopus and doused in mayonnaise and seaweed. If you’d rather settle in for a spell, there are plenty of casual restaurants with stools and small tables spilling onto the street, selling sushi, yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), snacks and cold beer. By now I have my favorite shops for freeze-dried okra, imported olive oil and manuka honey, but the best part about a trip through Ameyokocho is the little things that catch you by surprise. Today, I stop short when I see an antique Western-style saddle in one of the covered alleyways. Going price? A cool ¥380,000, or about US$3,640.

When the hustle and bustle of the market become too much, I head to my favorite massage parlor—there are many places offering shiatsu and reflexology in the neighborhood—and I get an hour of shiatsu pounding by a tiny-fisted but fierce woman. Though it may not be the glitziest spa in town—no organic cotton loungewear here, only oversized sweatpants and a grandfatherly fleece top—it works out the kinks. Trains thunder by overhead, but for ¥3,600 (US$35) an hour it’s one of the best deals in town.

There’s no doubt Ameyokocho is a place of plenty. Standing near the market’s iconic entrance sign, I ask Osogo if there’s anything missing. He pauses, and comes up with one crucial element of home: the taste of his mother’s cooking. That’s something no market, not even the mighty Ameyokocho, can muster. ✚

ameyokocho is a place to find fashions both new and vintage, right.

Below: a scooter from a tokyo delivery service speeds past ameyokocho street.

mOre tO See & DO In ShItAmAchI ➝ kappabashi a well-known shopping area for restaurateurs and food professionals, selling, among other things, a wide selection of those Japanese plastic food displays that look eerily like the real thing. Closest station: Tawaramachi. ➝ Ueno park one of tokyo’s best spots for cherryblossom viewing, this park is popular year-round for its art museums, shrines, a zoo and a large pond complete with duck-shaped paddleboats. Closest station: Ueno. ➝ shitamachi Museum Focuses on the way of life and former traditions of

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tokyo’s old downtown, with maps, photos, toys and tools used during the edo period. 2-1 Ueno Park, Taito-ku; 81-3/3823-7451; ¥300 adults, ¥100 children.

Closest station: Ueno. ➝ Asakura choso Museum the former home of Japanese sculptor Fumio asakura, this art deco–style building is now a museum of his work. a traditional Japanese garden and rooftop terrace add to the ambience, making this one of tokyo’s undiscovered gems. 7-18-10 Yanaka, Taito-ku; 81-3/3821-4549; ¥400 adults, ¥150 children.

Closest station: Nippori.

➝ yanaka cemetery a short walk from the sculpture museum, this cemetery is the final resting place of famous politicians, soldiers and scholars. sakura-dori (cherry Blossom st.) runs through the center of the cemetery, making it another popular spot for flowerviewing parties. Closest station: Nippori. ➝ yanaka-ginza a famous old shopping street, the area is still bustling with shops selling everything from sweet-potato treats to tea, pottery and clothing. also features numerous restaurants and pubs. Closest station: Nippori or Sendagi.

➝ scAi The BAThhoUse an art gallery in a former public bathhouse, showing rotating exhibits of international and Japanese artists. Kashiwayu-Ato, 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito-ku; 81-3/3821-1144; scaithebath house.com/en; free. Closest station: Nippori or Nezu. ➝ space oguraya run by takao ito, featuring his mother’s paintings depicting everyday life during the edo period, and housed in a structure originally built in 1847. 7-6-8 Yanaka, Taito-ku; 81-3/3828-0562; oguraya. gr.jp; free. Closest station: Nippori.

journal AsIAN sCENE

statues at the Battambang museum, below. right: Wat Banan in Battambang.

soNGs oN THE sANGkAE camBodia’s long-overlooKed nortHern city is rediscovering its native tune, Writes roBerT TUrnBULL. phoTogrAphed By AAron JoeL sAnTos lower of BattamBang, when I held your hand below the moonlit night, I begged you not to betray me.”—Sinn Sisamouth, 1968

Mention the city of Battambang to Cambodians and the chances are they will break into one of Sinn Sisamouth’s plaintive ballads. The Elvis of his day, murdered by the Khmer Rouge sometime around 1975, Sisamouth showered the city with lyrical tributes to its delicious food, efflorescent gardens and beautiful women.

Those were halcyon years. Independent since 1953, Cambodia conjured up a sense of pride and invincibility, much of it linked to the vaulting ambitions of monarch Prince Norodom Sihanouk. During his reign, Battambang’s agricultural productivity soared. The city became a “rice

bowl” large enough to feed the entire country. It was Cambodia’s Shangri-La. But it was also here that Sihanouk’s dreams turned most tragic. In scenes resembling the infernal depictions covering the walls of Buddhist monasteries, many thousands of Cambodians met the same fate as Sisamouth in the 1970’s, losing their lives in killing fields around Battambang.

Despite living in Cambodia since 1997, I had largely avoided the city. Far from Cambodia’s Garden of Eden, the image Battambang conjured in Phnom Penh then was of a gun-toting Wild West, forgotten by all but intrepid missionaries or war reporters in pursuit of Khmer Rouge leaders in the nearby town of Pailin.

Yet the Battambang I wake up to is bathed in a kind of timeless serenity. Call it the glow of a sun-baked backwater or Asia’s capacity to regenerate after tragedy; the » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 113

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a room at la villa hotel, above. From right: Phin sophorn and mao soviet, the husband and wife owners of make maek art space; a vendor naps at Psar nath market.

overpowering impression is of a place untouched by time, let alone war. I am besotted.

At La Villa, the 1930’s French mansion turned hotel, barman Sethy explains. “My parents ran a traveling theater troupe and were told to leave the city by the Khmer Rouge with everyone else,” he says. “But when they returned nothing had really changed. It wasn’t like in Phnom Penh where they blew up some important buildings.” One of the first colonial structures to be renovated, La Villa’s vintage lamps and framed maritime insurance documents are welcome touches of authenticity. I wonder what letters were penned on the imposing art deco desk by my bed.

At breakfast I down my coffee on hearing a tuk-tuk is waiting for me. It’s my first opportunity to test my Sinn Sisamouth theory, so I cheekily challenge the driver to sing a ballad. We pass a 19th-century pagoda, saffron-colored robes drying in gardens with purple bourgenvilia. My driver, Kim, waits until we cross the Sangkae River before intoning: “Oh Sangkae, don’t flood my memory, don’t drown my love. River Sangkae, the moon goes down when the lady comes.”

Now in his forties, Kim speaks charmingly idiosyncratic English. As Siem Reap expanded with the deluge of tourists to Angkor Wat, Battambang, he tells me, has largely retained its pre-war boundaries. Tourists began to arrive in the 1990’s, surprised to discover a well-preserved colonial city with Angkorian temples set in lush countryside. Battambang “is the most beautiful city in all Cambodia,” he insists.

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At 8 a.m., Muslim Cham fishermen stand poised with their bamboo rods at the bend of the river. Shuttered Chinese shop houses with arched windows and auburntiled roofs line the river banks, so we make our way over, stopping at Psar Nath, a 1930’s concrete market with a clock tower, built in the angular Art Deco style.

Behind the market is the commercial hub of the city.

Amid the usual mélange of stores, much of the town’s nascent consumerism seems to mix modern images lifted from the internet with more innocent forms of advertising.

A barbershop pronounces itself to be “The Art of Love Scissors.” Under a bakery’s green awning is a poster of a muscleman holding a baguette.

A few blocks down at Madison Corner restaurant, images of Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea, his Battambangborn singing partner, decorate a wall. French owner Patrice Berlin came to the city “for the slow pace of life and the genuineness of the people.” There was little of the impatience of bustling Phnom Penh, he says; an easy-going informality distinguished Battambang from wealthier, status-conscious Phnom Penh.

We talk of the fate of the colonial core, approximately 800 buildings. I’d heard Battambang-born First Minister Sa Kheng had approved a master plan to exploit the city’s architectural legacy; but with no effective legal protection locals are skeptical that it will come to pass. Rumors are already circulating that the city’s mayor was buying up these

the battambang i wake up to is bathed in serenity. the overall feeling is of a place untouched by time, let alone war. i am besotted buildings for more ominous ends. Rich Cambodians like their palaces brand new, garish and gleaming.

One who shares this concern for the city’s cultural heritage is Darren Swallow, a 47-year-old Welshman who is currently renovating an old building to open what will be the city’s first multimedia arts center with a cinema, gallery and garden bar. We meet at Kinyei Café, an Australian NGO that trains young Cambodians in café management and offers the city’s best homemade cookies, pastries and coffee.

Many artists currently making waves in Phnom Penh and beyond are from Battambang, Swallow says, and there are also opportunities to see art without leaving this city. “Tourists are increasingly exposed to the work of local artists,” says Swallow, “but new galleries also help to introduce Cambodian contemporary art to the consciousness of the local population.”

The other new galleries emblematic of Battambang’s cultural emergence are Sammaki and Make Maek, both converted shop houses blocks from the market. Make Maek was created by Mao Soviet and his wife Phin Sophorn to showcase locally based artists, many of whom originally trained at the Phare Ponleu Sepak cultural center, an organization founded in the late 90’s to help war-scarred children find healing through creative expression.

The riverside Café Eden, where Swallow’s artist wife Khchao Touch has her work on the wall, is owned by Anna Milligan, who originally came to Cambodia from Seattle to teach soccer at a sports and leadership training program.

The menu is decidedly funky and includes molasses cookies, her aunt’s pies, Philly cheesecakes and Korean bibimbap. In general, Battambang’s local food reflects the fact that it has been shaped by the influence of foreigners for hundreds of years. The Siamese controlled the area until 1907, when the French took over, and Thai-influenced dishes like gnop— fish, shrimp and prahok, a salted and fermented fish paste, grilled in banana leaf—and spicy coconut curries are as popular today as more traditional Cambodian dishes.

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owering over the local university is the symbol of Battambang, the painted statue of King Dambong and his magic stick. One version of the story holds that a peasant farmer once deposed a despotic king using a magic wand, but then lost the throne » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 115

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to the Crown Prince who appeared on a charging white horse. The usurper fled but dropped the stick in the forest.

The city’s name, then, comes from combining the words bat, or “lost” with dambong, which means “stick.”

“If you find the stick, then Battambang will be called Robert-Found-the-Stick City!” Kim shouts as we leave for the village of Wat Kor. I don’t get my hopes up, but I do find a sign for the “Ancient House,” which leads us to two old stilted wooden houses where a portly French-speaking owner hovers inquisitively. Pushing 70, he has created a small museum. Old coins, money and photos rest on period desks between wooden pillars and walls of woven bamboo.

In the surrounding countryside, swaying palms and tiger fruit trees suggest Sisamouth’s Garden of Eden. Standing on a suspended pedestrian bridge, I am transfixed by the immaculately tended rows of morning glory, sweet corn, peanuts and eggplant along the riverbed.

Three kilometers along the road the silhouettes of five ancient towers appear on the horizon. There are few people at Wat Banan, a mid-river Buddhist shrine suspended on a rocky promontory. Proud and aloof, the Angkorian temple with magnificent crumbling 12th-century structures serves as a reminder of Cambodia’s once adamantine power. Yet the temple has a relaxed, unfettered air about it, with eroded lintel carvings and portals guarded by massive spiders’ webs.

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proud and aloof, the angkorian temple with its crumbling walls serves as a reminder of Cambodia’s once adamantine power unrequited love for a beautiful woman. The animal eventually took his revenge by drowning her and her lover, a prince. This story, too, was immortalized by Sisamouth: “I miss your head on my heart in the caves of Phnom Sampou.

Even if I die today the grass won’t grow over my love.”

Pol Pot turned some of the most romantic places in Battambang province into places of horror. Death fills these caves, but unlike other Cambodian memorials there is neither mountain of skulls nor commemorative plaque. For a few thousand riel (less than a dollar) local kids will regale you with grisly details in surprisingly idiomatic English.

They do it routinely, with unnerving sangfroid, pointing to the bones within.

As the sun descends we return to the city in just enough time to visit the Phare Ponleu Sepak cultural center. Since its founding in 1994, it has become one of the largest cultural providers in Cambodia, with facilities for art,

a dilapidated French colonial building along the sangkae river, above. From far left: a student prepares for a performance at the Phare Ponleu selpak cultural center; art and local handicrafts for sale at the funky eden Café in Battambang.

design, dance and drama, including European-style circus acts. Foreign choreographers, trampoline champions, guitarists and artists of all descriptions visit the place regularly to teach workshops.

We arrive to find a vernissage with the clink of wine glasses. I hear drumming coming from the campus theater and investigate, avoiding a posse of teenage jugglers in my path. The show is called Rouge. Combining circus, modern

dance and drama, it depicts memories of the Khmer Rouge but with panache that shows a strong sense of ensemble and a sheer joy in performing. I leave with the drums still beating in my heart but my body aching for a comfortable bed after an intoxicating but long day.

“Battambang, I dream about you but there are times when I wake and you are gone, so I close my eyes again and wait, and wait.” ✚

gUide To BATTAMBAng StAy Bambu hotel and restaurant 5 Phum romchek; 855-53/953-900; bambuhotel.com; doubles from us$60.

La villa 185 Pom romchek 5 Kom; 855-53/730-151; lavillabattambang.net; doubles from us$60.

Maisons Wat kor street 800, Wat Kor village; maisonswat kor.com; 855-98/555-377; doubles from us$75. eAt café eden 85 street 1; 855-53/731-525; cafeedencambodia.com; lunch for two us$20.

kinyei café street 1.5; 85517/292-119; kinyei.org; lunch for two us$11. riverside Balcony Bar street 1; 855-53/730-313; drinks for two us$4.

DO sammaki gallery 87 street 2.5; 855-17/968-050; sammaki.kinyei.org. phare ponleu selpak anch anh village on the outskirts of Battambang; 855-53/952-424; phareps. org; circus tickets us$8.

Make Maek Art space 66 street 2.5; 855-17/ 946-108; makemaek.org.

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 117

Toronto Lights Up

The Royal Ontario Museum, in downtown Toronto, with Daniel Libeskind’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal addition at right.

Thanks to an infusion of fashion-forward shops and nightlife, inventive restaurants and top-tier design, Canada’s largest city has gained a newfound swagger and an edgy style all its own. by jonathan durbin photographed by rob fiocca

cOOl AnD cOSmOpOlItAn From

On a recent Saturday. evening in downtown.

Toronto, underground. superstar the Weeknd. made a rare hometown. appearance..

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To p l E f T: © M A N o N R I N G U E T T E / D R E A M sT I M E .Co M ; R o b f I o CC A

left: the distillery district, in the east end; a guest suite at the drake Hotel. opposite, clockwise from top left: the sharp Centre for design; at goodnight bar; inside the art gallery of ontario; men’s shoes at sydney’s, on Queen street West; templar Hotel.

The 22-year-old musician (real name: Abel Tesfaye)—known for grinding, clothing-optional hip-hop, R&B and electronic jams—was DJ-ing a set at one of his local hangouts, a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge called Goodnight. It was too packed to dance, but that didn’t stop people from trying; the multi-ethnic crush of twenty- and thirtysomethings jostled roughly in time to the beat. From the unmarked alley-side entrance to the retro drinks menu (featuring such concoctions as the Monkey Gland and Satan’s Whiskers), the scene had the hallmarks of the kind of nightlife people like to later claim they’d been a part of—the sort of party that, once the hangover subsides, inspires screenplays and fashion shoots and commemorative coffee-table books. Goodnight was impossibly stylish and photogenic. It felt slightly dangerous, out of control and loaded with possibility.

It was not the Toronto I remembered.

Safe, clean, bland: until quite recently, these were the adjectives traditionally applied to Canada’s financial and media capital. Toronto was known primarily for its livability,

and for its admirably welcoming attitude toward immigrants.

Yet despite a steady influx of new cultures, the city lacked verve, vitality, a sense of pride or of real identity. What Toronto was missing in character, it made up for in its rigorous pursuit of sensible liberal values. For cultural cues, Toronto looked to both New York and London, while keeping a disdainful eye on its more effortlessly hip older sibling, Montreal. It exported some of its talent to the United States, but—as is generally true of Canadian artists—those who stayed behind found that their fame stayed behind, too. (The Tragically Hip, indeed.)

Lately, however, Toronto has undergone a remarkable sea change, one that’s redefining the city as stylish, sophisticated, cosmopolitan—cool, even—yet still utterly local. Goodnight is emblematic of this new spirit, as is Matt George, the guy behind the bar, who happens to be the owner. A former snowboarder turned entrepreneur who moved to Toronto from England when he was 21, George is street-smart, business-minded and totally committed to his adopted » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 123

hometown. In addition to Goodnight—a favorite haunt of Toronto-based musicians such as Drake and Metric—he owns an upscale-casual men’s clothing store, Nomad, that features a selection of up-and-coming labels (Robert Geller; Gitman Bros. Vintage; S.N.S. Herning) and understated Canadian brands such as the easily wearable (despite the name) Wings & Horns. With footholds in fashion, music and nightlife, George is undeniably wired into Toronto society and beyond. (At press time, he was one of only five people whom Kanye West followed on Twitter.) And his burgeoning empire—which stretches from Toronto’s increasingly polished, high-rise-filled downtown to the Queen West enclave, full of trendsetting shops, restaurants and bars— mirrors the evolution of the city itself.

T

oronto’s transformation can be traced, in part, through its changing skyline. The uninspiring CN Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in North America, is no longer the city’s defining landmark. In the past decade, starchitects have been reimagining downtown Toronto: there’s Will Alsop’s Sharp Centre for Design at the Ontario College of Art & Design, a black-and-white domino held aloft by brightly colored struts that resemble pick-up sticks. There’s Daniel Libeskind’s alternately lauded and reviled Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, an addition to the Royal Ontario Museum—all steel, glass and hard angles that sever the stately lines of an otherwise lovely building. Most successful is Frank Gehry’s expansion of the Art Gallery of Ontario, with its graceful, curvilinear glasswork melded to the exterior of the building. And at the heart of downtown—just west of the Financial District—is the monolithic TIFF Bell Lightbox, the C$193 million headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival, held each September.

Plenty of cities can lay claim to high-profile architecture.

Paralleling this, however, is an insatiable boom in residential and hotel development. According to research company Emporis, Toronto has more high-rises under construction than any other city on the continent. The view from the roof of my hotel, the recently opened Thompson, recalls Shanghai or Dubai; I lost count of all the cranes. Among the current builds are the new flagship Four Seasons Hotel, opening this summer and featuring Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant in the city; and the massive Shangri-La Hotel, debuting next month with another New York restaurant import, an outpost of David Chang’s Momofuku chain. Both properties arrive hard on the heels of the Ritz-Carlton and Trump hotels that opened in February 2011 and January 2012, respectively.

The real estate market, meanwhile, has been humming along unabated by the financial crisis, a fact that can be partly attributed to immigration: greater Toronto is growing by 100,000 people each year, with the biggest percentage

124 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

Toronto, in the throes. of a development boom,. has more high-rises. under construction. than any other city. on the continent. arriving from urban centers in South Asia and China. (It’s a good town for dumplings.) Indeed, the population is large enough to support two Chinatowns in the city center alone, one downtown and one just east. Still other neighborhoods are dominated by émigrés from Italy, Portugal, Greece and the Philippines. When I was growing up there in the 1970’s and 80’s, multiculturalism was the ethos of Toronto’s immigration policy—in contrast to the “melting pot” drive for homogeneity embraced in the United States—and remains very much a point of local pride. The range and variety of national heritages here is never more evident than during the FIFA World Cup, when the entire city develops a raging case of fútbol fever.

What makes all this especially exciting for travelers is that, while downtown Toronto grows ever denser and more international, the city’s creative classes have established

A tASte Of tOrOntO From left: the Woodlot, a restaurant and bakery in toronto’s little italy; happy hour at the drake Hotel’s sky Yard; a view from the roof of the thompson hotel.

stylish outposts all their own. Look at Queen West (one of the city’s thriving art and design districts, anchored along a fivekilometer stretch of Queen Street); at the Distillery District (a complex of shops, restaurants and arts organizations located on the 5.5-hectare grounds of a former whiskey distillery, on Toronto’s east side); and at Little Italy (a charming district of bars and eateries along College Street, to the north). In any of the above, you can’t get too far without running into a table crafted out of a reclaimed barn door.

There’s a bountiful supply of Edison-bulb-lit restaurants emphasizing seasonal organic ingredients; stores stocking both international and homegrown designers; galleries, theaters and music venues; and clubs and lounges you might actually want to spend an evening in. And despite the increasingly urbane and worldly vibe, the city still pays tribute to the big-sky country surrounding it. (Drive north from downtown and you reach real Canadian wilderness in almost no time.)

In its way, Toronto feels like a frontier town—one that’s in the midst of a cultural gold rush.

Q

ueen West is the apotheosis of the city’s new energy, a swath of row houses and former factories reminiscent of London’s East End or parts of Brooklyn. This is definitely where you’d want to move if you were young and in a band. “My joke was always that you couldn’t find a roll of toilet paper, and now you can get an ironic Sonic Youth onesie for your baby,” said singer Emily

Haines, of Metric and Broken Social Scene, a longtime Queen West resident.

On weekends the neighborhood feels like a playground for street-style photographers—not surprising given the ever expanding collection of fashion boutiques. Besides Matt George’s Nomad, there’s Sydney’s, which carries men’s wear from Dries Van Noten, Jil Sander and Japanese brand the Viridi-anne; and the local label Klaxon Howl, which, in addition to vintage military gear, sells its own men’s clothing: stiff selvage denim and chinos; flannel scarves; ultra-structured shirts. It’s the chic, woodsy look: wear it the next time you’re hiking to a model casting.

For all the global brands, there’s a distinctly local flavor to Queen West—this isn’t Hipsterville, Anywhere. The neighborhood’s two standout hotels, the Gladstone and the Drake, both feature Canadian artworks; at the former, a different Ontario artist decorated each of the 37 guest rooms, while the Drake employs a full-time curator and rotates its collection throughout the hotel every month. Both properties were 19th-century Trunk Railway lodgings that had fallen on hard times before being renovated. Jeff Stober, who bought the Drake in 2001 and reopened it three years later, sees the hotel as a cultural space. “As downtown becomes more dense, you can only do so much entertaining in your personal living spaces,” he said. “What happens by default is that the city becomes your living room. Everyone recognizes that this is a really good place to pitch a tent.”

Or to build a brand. Stober also owns three shops—one of them attached to the hotel—called Drake General Store. » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 125

pool with a transparent floor that’s positioned over the lobby’s lounge area.

When I asked for dinner recommendations, George steered me to Woodlot: bakery by day, restaurant by night, in a warm, inviting, bi-level space with Native Canadian artwork on the walls and a casually stylish waitstaff. Chef-owner David Haman’s style of cooking has been dubbed “urban lumberjack;” though I was skeptical, his food turned out to be the finest of my trip. The bipartite menu offers both “Regular” and “Without Meat” options: whey-fed pork chop and steak on one side, caramelized Jerusalem artichokes and roast Japanese sweet potato on the other. Almost everything comes out of the restaurant’s wood-burning oven.

There wasn’t anyplace like Woodlot when I lived in Toronto. But the restaurant and its small-scale, artisanal approach seem to represent the future: a well-designed, thoroughly confident experience that respects Toronto’s heritage and simultaneously breaks new ground. There was no sense that the place was a knockoff or that it owed its menu and genial vibe to some other restaurant, in some other city. And thanks to the wood-burning oven, I left smelling like I’d been at a campfire. How Canadian is that? ✚

Their stock capitalizes on a groundswell of hometown pride, running the gamut from genuinely desirable stuff (Hudson’s Bay Company blankets) to Canadiana kitsch—maple syrup, red-cedar incense (which I bought and love) and a decorative ceramic dish that reads i miss the old blue jays, a reference to the 1990’s glory days of Toronto’s baseball team.

This sense of affectionate irreverence is pervasive in the city. My favorite instance: a quote from the late journalist Pierre Berton, emblazoned in a hallway at the Thompson: “A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe.” At the splendid Frank’s Kitchen, a small, chef-owned spot in Little Italy, half the menu reads like a caricature of what you’d think Canadians might eat: rare elk loin; rarer venison tartare. Both are fantastic.

Torontonians are effusive in promoting one another. After a tour through his Nomad boutique, George took me to a new boutique hotel in the Entertainment District designed by a friend of his named Del Terrelonge. Called the Templar Hotel—“as in Simon, not the Knights,” Terrelonge qualified— the hotel has 27 smartly decorated suites and lofts, a spa and a chef’s-table restaurant called Monk Kitchen; deploys a Porsche Panamera as an airport shuttle; and features a lap

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StAy drake hotel 1150 Queen st. W.; thedrakehotel.ca; doubles from c$189.

ritz-carlton 181 Wellington st. W.; ritzcarlton. com; doubles from c$595.

Thompson 550 Wellington st. W.; thompsonhotels.com; doubles from c$239.

four seasons hotel 60 yorkville ave.; fourseasons.com; doubles from c$545.

shangri-La hotel 188 university ave.; shangrila.com; rates not available at press time.

gladstone hotel 1214 Queen st. W.; gladstonehotel.com; doubles from c$239.

Templar hotel 348 adelaide st. W.; designhotels.com; doubles from c$395.

Trump international hotel & Tower 325 Bay st.; trumphotelcollection. com; doubles from c$425.

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feasting room nose-totail pop-up (open through nov.) from an alum of london’s st. John restaurant. 580a college st.; thefeastingroom.com; dinner for two c$120. frank’s kitchen 588 college st.; 416/516-5861; dinner for two c$110. goodnight 431 richmond st. W.; goodnightbar.com.

tIff Bell lIghtBOX entertAInment fInAncIAl DIStrIct DIStrIct

dinner for two c$120.

eAt café Boulud 60 yorkville ave.; danielnyc.com;

keriwa café seasonal, indigenous cuisine made by a canadian siksika tribe descendant. 1690 Queen st. W.; keriwacafe. ca; dinner for two c$120.

Luma inside the tiFF Bell lightbox and run by the duo behind hot spot Jump. 350 King st. W.; oliverbonacini.com; dinner for two c$125.

Monk kitchen 348 adelaide st. W.; 1-416/ 479-4080; dinner for two c$170. origin go early for cocktails on the patio, and stay for favorites like the thai beef salad with

mango. 107-109 King st. e.; origintoronto.com; dinner for two c$130.

Woodlot 293 Palmerston ave.; woodlotrestaurant. com; dinner for twoc$110.

DO Art gallery of ontario 317 dundas st. W.; ago.net. distillery district 55 mill st.; distillerydistrict.com. royal ontario Museum 100 Bloor st. W.; rom.on. ca. sharp centre for design at ontario college of art & design, 100 mccaul st.; ocadu.ca.

Tiff Bell Lightbox 350 King st. W.; tiff.net.

ShOp drake general store queen 1144 Queen st. W.; drakegeneralstore.ca. klaxon howl 706 Queen st. W.; klaxonhowl.com. nomad 819 Queen st. W.; nomadshop.net. sydney’s 682 Queen st.

W.; shopsydneys.com.

2012 the avenida alvear entrance to Palacio duhau – Park Hyatt, in Buenos aires.

wOrlD’S BeSt AwArDS

every year, we ask t+l readers to tell us which hotels, destinations and companies represent the very best in travel, and for our annual compendium, the roster of winners is bigger and better than ever. We’ve added new and expanded categories; highlighted the newcomers, great value options and editors’ picks; and, for the first time, recognized the 97 Hall of Fame winners that have been on the list for a solid decade.

j A v I E R p I E R I N I . M o D E l : f l o R E N C I A l A yA

e diT e d By sArA h s pAgnoLo

pALAcio dUhAU – pArk hyATT no. 1 ciTy hoTeL central and soutH america

Turn the page for your 2012 World’s Best Awards winners. »

World’s Best

Top Cities tOp 10 OverAll 1. Bangkok 89.87 2. florence 89.14 3. istanbul 89.11 4. cape Town 88.64 5. sydney 88.52 6. rome 88.49 7. new york city 88.12 8. hong kong 88.03 9. kyoto 87.90 10. paris 87.67 unIteD StAteS AnD cAnADA 1. new york city 88.12 2. chicago 87.30 3. san francisco 87.27 4. charleston south carolina 86.99 5. new orleans 86.55 6. santa fe new mexico 85.40 7. vancouver 85.08 8. savannah georgia 84.37 9. quebec city 84.26 10. honolulu 83.51

meXIcO AnD centrAl AnD SOuth AmerIcA 1. cuzco Peru 86.63 2. Buenos Aires 86.09 3. rio de Janeiro 83.48 4. Mexico city 83.40 5. santiago chile 78.49 6. playa del carmen mexico 78.21 7. puerto vallarta mexico 78.01 8. Lima Peru 76.12 9. panama city 75.18 10. cancún mexico 74.67 eurOpe 1. florence 89.14 2. istanbul 89.11 3. rome 88.49 4. paris 87.67 5. Barcelona 87.52 6. venice 86.42 7. Madrid 86.23 8. vienna 85.48 9. seville spain 85.33 10. siena italy 85.25

ASIA 1. Bangkok 89.87 2. hong kong 88.03 3. kyoto 87.90 4. siem reap 87.09 5. shanghai 84.65 6. Tokyo 84.29 7. singapore 84.20 8. Beijing 82.74 9. saigon 82.43 10. xi’an 80.02 AfrIcA AnD the mIDDle eASt 1. cape Town 88.64 2. Jerusalem 85.35 3. Tel Aviv 82.36 4. Luxor egypt 80.98 5. cairo 79.66 AuStrAlIA, new ZeAlAnD AnD the SOuth pAcIfIc 1. sydney 88.52 2. Melbourne 85.16 3. Auckland 81.36

Bangkok views from atop the state tower.

BAngkok no. 1 ciTy overALL

stuart Westmorland

World’s Best awards debut Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade)

BorAcAy, phiLippines no. 1 isLAnd overALL

Top Islands

GUNTHER DEICHMANN

tOp 10 OverAll 1. Boracay 93.10 2. Bali 90.41 3. galรกpagos ecuador 89.55 4. Maui Hawaii 89.53 5. great Barrier reef australia 89.28 6. santorini greece 89.20 7. kauai Hawaii 89.09 8. hawaii, the Big island 87.95 9. sicily italy 87.87 10. vancouver island British columbia 87.48 cOntInentAl u.S. AnD cAnADA 1. vancouver island British columbia 87.48 2. Mount desert island maine 86.91 3. san Juan islands Washington 85.13 4. florida keys 84.02 5. kiawah island south carolina 82.93

hAwAII 1. Maui 89.53 2. kauai 89.09 3. hawaii, the Big island 87.95 4. oahu 85.34 5. Lanai 81.50

eurOpe 1. santorini greece 89.20 2. sicily italy 87.87 3. capri italy 85.93 4. Mykonos greece 85.00 5. canary islands spain 83.70

the cArIBBeAn, BermuDA AnD the BAhAmAS 1. vieques Puerto rico 87.36 2. harbour island Bahamas 84.46 3. virgin gorda British virgin islands 84.44 4. grenadines st. vincent and the grenadines 84.26 5. st. John u.s. virgin islands 83.28

ASIA 1. Boracay 93.10 2. Bali 90.41 3. phuket 83.43 4. Maldives 83.33 5. koh samui 79.87

meXIcO AnD, centrAl AnD SOuth AmerIcA 1. galรกpagos ecuador 89.55 2. Ambergris cay Belize 82.89 3. isla Mujeres mexico 81.52 4. cozumel mexico 78.89 5. roatรกn Honduras 78.23

AuStrAlIA, new ZeAlAnD AnD the SOuth pAcIfIc 1. great Barrier reef australia 89.28 2. fiji 86.11 3. Bora-Bora French Polynesia 85.17 4. Moorea French Polynesia 84.93 5. huahine French Polynesia 84.46

Boracay is known for its white-sand beaches.

The Top 100 Hotels

singita grumeti reserve’s 1920’s-style sabora tented Camp, in tanzania’s serengeti plains.

1. singita grumeti reserves serengeti national Park, tanzania 98.25 2. Triple creek ranch darby, montana 98.22 3. southern ocean Lodge Kangaroo island, australia 97.87 4. oberoi Udaivilas udaipur 97.50 5. discovery shores Boracay 96.77 6. nayara hotel, spa & gardens la Fortuna, costa rica 96.36 7. singita kruger national park south africa 96.33 8. palacio duhau – park hyatt Buenos aires 96.13 9. ngorongoro sopa Lodge tanzania 95.85 10. singita sabi sand Kruger national Park area, south africa 95.74 11. The peninsula Bangkok 95.72 12. Wentworth Mansion charleston, south carolina 95.47 13. sabi sabi private game reserve Lodges Kruger national Park area, south africa 95.40 14. one&only cape town 95.33 15. kirawira Luxury Tented camp serengeti national Park, tanzania 95.27 16. Lodge at kauri cliffs matauri Bay, new Zealand 95.25 17. Mombo camp and Little Mombo camp moremi game reserve, Botswana 95.17 18. Mandarin oriental Bangkok 95.04 19. Tu Tu’tun Lodge gold Beach, oregon 95.00

20. fairmont Mara safari club masai mara national reserve, Kenya 94.84 21. osprey at Beaver creek colorado 94.75 22. Waldorf Astoria (formerly the elysian hotel) chicago 94.67 23. The peninsula shanghai 94.63 24. four seasons hotel istanbul at the Bosphorus 94.54 25. Lizard island resort great Barrier reef, australia 94.53 26. hotel santa caterina amalfi, italy 94.48 27. &Beyond kichwa Tembo masai mara national reserve, Kenya 94.48 28. oberoi rajvilas Jaipur 94.45 29. hotel salto chico/explora patagonia torres del Paine, chile 94.40 30. The sebastian vail, colorado 94.37 31. The peninsula Hong Kong 94.34 32. The Willcox aiken, south carolina 94.25 33. Live Aqua cancún, mexico 94.22 33. saxon Boutique hotel, villas & spa Johannesburg, south africa 94.22 35. rosewood Mansion on Turtle creek dallas 94.18 36. Umaid Bhawan palace Jodhpur 94.07 37. capella singapore 93.85 38. grand velas riviera maya, mexico 93.80 39. Amansara siem reap 93.78 40. four seasons resort hualalai Hawaii, the Big island 93.75

C o u r t e s Y o F s i n g i ta

For the second year in a row, Travel + Leisure readers have voted tanzania’s singita grumeti reserves, on the edge of serengeti national Park, as their favorite hotel in the world. and for the first time in World’s Best history, a costa rican resort breaks into the top 10 at no. 6, a sign of the destination’s massive popularity. But the biggest top 100 breakthrough comes from down under: australia’s 21-suite southern ocean lodge, the country’s first luxury wilderness retreat, which opened just four years ago, makes its World’s Best awards debut in the no. 3 slot.

World’s Best

41. Twelve Apostles hotel & spa cape town 93.71 42. four seasons resort Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 93.68 43. The peninsula chicago 93.66 44. cape grace cape town 93.65 45. palazzo Avino (formerly palazzo sasso) ravello, italy 93.64 46. fairmont Mount kenya safari club nanyuki, Kenya 93.60 47. oberoi Amarvilas agra, india 93.56 48. Lodge at doonbeg county clare, ireland 93.56 49. four seasons hotel gresham palace Budapest 93.50 49. huka Lodge taupo, new Zealand 93.50 49. Morrison house alexandria, virginia 93.50 52. pines Lodge Beaver creek, colorado 93.48 53. sheen falls Lodge county Kerry, ireland 93.40 54. four seasons hotel istanbul at sultanahmet 93.36 55. Amangiri canyon Point, utah 93.33 55. Le sirenuse Positano, italy 93.33 57. capella pedregal los cabos, mexico 93.29 58. hotel caruso ravello, italy 93.25 59. La casa que canta Zihuatanejo, mexico 93.20 60. ocean house Watch Hill, rhode island 93.14 61. Auberge saint-Antoine Quebec city 93.12 62. katikies hotel santorini, greece 93.07 63. hôtel crillon le Brave Provence, France 93.05

64. domaine des hauts de Loire onzain, France 93.00 64. rambagh palace Jaipur, india 93.00 66. Taj Lake palace udaipur, india 92.92 67. serengeti sopa Lodge tanzania 92.89 68. &Beyond ngorongoro crater Lodge tanzania 92.88 69. hôtel plaza Athénée Paris 92.86 69. sofitel Angkor phokeethra golf & spa resort siem reap 92.86 71. Milestone hotel london 92.83 72. La résidence phou vao luang Prabang 92.80 73. ritz-carlton Millenia singapore 92.75 74. hermitage hotel nashville 92.72 75. Blackberry farm Walland, tennessee 92.72 76. The reefs Bermuda 92.71 77. four seasons resort chiang mai 92.68 78. hotel Museo casa santo domingo antigua, guatemala 92.67 79. inn at palmetto Bluff, an Auberge resort Bluffton, south carolina 92.65 80. Amangani Jackson Hole, Wyoming 92.62 80. grand hyatt santiago, chile 92.62 80. park hyatt saigon saigon 92.62 83. ritz-carlton Bachelor gulch avon, colorado 92.58 84. Wequassett resort & golf club chatham, massachusetts 92.57

85. post ranch inn Big sur, california 92.49 86. hotel Bristol, a Luxury collection hotel vienna 92.46 87. koa kea hotel & resort Kauai, Hawaii 92.44 88. Tortilis camp amboseli national Park, Kenya 92.40 88. Trump international hotel & Tower new york city 92.40 90. Mandarin oriental dhara dhevi chiang mai, thailand 92.38 90. ritz-carlton, dove Mountain marana, arizona 92.38 92. domaine Les crayères reims, France 92.38 93. xv Beacon Boston 92.35 94. four seasons resort Lanai, The Lodge at koele Hawaii 92.32 95. Llao Llao hotel & resort, golf-spa Bariloche, argentina 92.31 96. four seasons hotel new york city 92.28 97. st. regis atlanta 92.26 98. The peninsula Beverly Hills 92.23 99. four seasons resort Maui at Wailea Hawaii 92.19 100. four seasons hotel ritz lisbon 92.12 throughout the World’s Best awards, scores shown have been rounded to the nearest hundredth of a point; in the event of a true tie, properties, companies or destinations share the same ranking.

World’s Best awards debut great value (rate of us$250 or less) Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade) t+l Find (first featured in the t+l it list or previously included as a World’s Best one to Watch)

singiTA grUMeTi reserves no. 1 hoTeL overall

indian retreats, such as udaipur’s lakeside oberoi udaivilas, have overtaken thai hotels in the resort category three to one, but Bangkok properties still dominate the city Hotel list. in fact, the landmark mandarin oriental, Bangkok—at no. 2—is the only property in the world that has ranked in t+l’s top 100 overall for each of the past 17 years. in europe, hotels in dramatic settings take center stage: the no. 1 winners include italy’s Hotel santa caterina, on the amalfi coast, and two Four seasons properties in istanbul—a destination that ranked higher than ever as the no. 2 city in europe this year.

oBeroi UdAipUr no. 1 resorT in AsiA

suryamahal restaurant at the oberoi Udaivilas in india.

opposITE: DUsTIN AkslAND

World’s Best hotels

Asia

Europe

reSOrtS 1. oberoi Udaivilas udaipur 97.50 2. discovery shores Boracay 96.77 3. oberoi rajvilas Jaipur 94.45 4. Umaid Bhawan palace Jodhpur 94.07 5. capella singapore 93.85 6. Amansara siem reap 93.78 7. oberoi Amarvilas agra 93.56 8. rambagh palace Jaipur 93.00 9. Taj Lake palace udaipur 92.92 10. sofitel Angkor phokeethra golf & spa resort siem reap 92.86 11. La résidence phou vao luang Prabang 92.80 12. four seasons resort chiang mai 92.68 13. Mandarin oriental dhara dhevi chiang mai 92.38 14. four seasons resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay 89.47 15. Ayana resort & spa Bali 88.80

reSOrtS (40 rOOmS Or mOre) 1. hotel santa caterina amalfi, italy 94.48 2. palazzo Avino (formerly palazzo sasso) ravello, italy 93.64 3. Lodge at doonbeg county clare, ireland 93.56 4. sheen falls Lodge county Kerry, ireland 93.40 5. Le sirenuse Positano, italy 93.33 6. hotel caruso ravello, italy 93.25 7. villa d’este cernobbio, italy 91.61 8. dromoland castle county clare, ireland 91.48 9. il san pietro di positano italy 91.47 10. hotel splendido Portofino, italy 91.37

cIty hOtelS 1. The peninsula Bangkok 95.72 2. Mandarin oriental Bangkok 95.04 3. The peninsula shanghai 94.63 4. The peninsula Hong Kong 94.34 5. ritz-carlton Millenia singapore 92.75 6. park hyatt saigon saigon 92.62 7. Taj Mahal hotel new delhi 92.00 8. sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi 91.84 9. Mandarin oriental Hong Kong 91.66 10. The peninsula Beijing 91.64 11. Taj Mahal palace mumbai 91.53 12. raffles hotel singapore 91.42 13. ritz-carlton, financial street Beijing 91.25 14. ritz-carlton Kuala lumpur 91.20 15. park hyatt tokyo 91.16 16. The shilla seoul 91.16 17. shangri-La hotel singapore 91.14 18. four seasons hotel Hong Kong 91.12 19. royal orchid sheraton hotel & Towers Bangkok 90.78 20. grand hyatt erawan Bangkok 90.46 21. shangri-La hotel Bangkok 90.42 22. pudong shangri-La shanghai 90.40 23. grand hyatt tokyo 90.35 24. The sukhothai Bangkok 90.35 25. Leela palace Bengaluru (Bangalore), 90.11 26. La résidence d’Angkor siem reap 90.10 27. The oberoi mumbai 90.00 28. The peninsula tokyo 89.91 29. fullerton hotel singapore 89.74 30. Mandarin oriental singapore 89.53

World’s Best awards debut great value (rate of us$250 or less) Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade) t+l Find (first featured in the t+l it list or previously included as a World’s Best one to Watch)

lArge cIty hOtelS (100 rOOmS Or mOre) 1. four seasons hotel istanbul at the Bosphorus 94.54 2. four seasons hotel gresham palace Budapest 93.50 3. hôtel plaza Athénée Paris 92.86 4. hotel Bristol, a Luxury collection hotel vienna 92.46 5. four seasons hotel ritz lisbon 92.12 6. four seasons hotel Milano milan 92.00 7. hôtel hermitage monte carlo, monaco 91.75 8. four seasons hotel firenze Florence 91.75 9. four seasons hotel London at park Lane 91.68 10. four seasons hotel george v Paris 91.58 11. ritz-carlton moscow 91.56 12. Le Méridien Bristol Warsaw 91.53 13. Merrion hotel dublin 91.50 14. stafford London by kempinski 91.47 15. hôtel de paris monte carlo, monaco 91.36 SmAll cIty hOtelS (fewer thAn 100 rOOmS) 1. four seasons hotel istanbul at sultanahmet 93.36 2. Milestone hotel london 92.83 3. The Lanesborough london 90.82 4. ca’ sagredo venice 90.60 5. soho hotel london 90.59 6. Mandarin oriental munich 90.00 7. hotel goldener hirsch salzburg, a Luxury collection hotel austria 89.71 8. hotel hassler roma rome 89.33 9. La Mirande avignon, France 88.21 10. 41 london 88.14 InnS AnD SmAll cOuntry hOtelS (fewer thAn 40 rOOmS) 1. katikies hotel santorini, greece 93.07 2. hôtel crillon le Brave Provence, France 93.05 3. domaine des hauts de Loire onzain, France 93.00 4. domaine Les crayères reims, France 92.38 5. L’oustau de Baumaniere les Baux-de-Provence, France 91.78 6. hôtel château eza Èze village, France 89.33 7. cliveden house taplow, england 89.33 8. villa gallici aix-en-Provence, France 88.32 9. La chèvre d’or Èze village, France 87.43 10. il falconiere cortona, italy 85.91

Africa and the Middle East lODgeS AnD reSOrtS 1. singita grumeti reserves serengeti national Park, tanzania 98.25 2. singita kruger national park south africa 96.33 3. ngorongoro sopa Lodge tanzania 95.85 4. singita sabi sand Kruger national Park area, south africa 95.74 5. sabi sabi private game reserve Lodges Kruger national Park, south africa 95.40 6. kirawira Luxury Tented camp serengeti national Park, tanzania 95.27 7. Mombo camp and Little Mombo camp moremi game reserve, Botswana 95.17 8. fairmont Mara safari club masai mara national reserve, Kenya 94.84 9. &Beyond kichwa Tembo masai mara national reserve, Kenya 94.48 10. fairmont Mount kenya safari club nanyuki, Kenya 93.60 11. serengeti sopa Lodge serengeti national Park, tanzania 92.89 12. &Beyond ngorongoro crater Lodge tanzania 92.88 13. Tortilis camp amboseli national Park, Kenya 92.40 14. giraffe Manor nairobi, Kenya 91.53 15. royal Livingstone victoria Falls, Zambia 89.90 16. Le quartier français Franschhoek, south africa 89.42 17. MalaMala game reserve Kruger national Park area, south africa 89.27 18. Amboseli serena safari Lodge amboseli national Park, Kenya 88.83 19. Mara serena safari Lodge masai mara national reserve, Kenya 88.00 20. kempinski hotel ishtar dead sea, Jordan 87.60 cIty hOtelS 1. one&only cape town 95.33 2. saxon Boutique hotel, villas & spa Johannesburg, south africa 94.22 3. Twelve Apostles hotel & spa cape town 93.71 4. cape grace cape town 93.65 5. four seasons hotel cairo at the first residence 91.64 6. Mena house oberoi cairo 91.27 7. La Mamounia marrakesh, morocco 90.52 8. four seasons hotel cairo at nile plaza 90.49 9. Mount nelson hotel cape town 90.20 10. Burj Al Arab dubai 89.82 11. The Westcliff Johannesburg, south africa 89.55 12. fairmont The norfolk nairobi, Kenya 89.06 13. victoria & Alfred hotel cape town 88.16 14. king david hotel Jerusalem 88.00 15. sofitel Winter palace luxor, egypt 87.20

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 133

reSOrtS 1. southern ocean Lodge Kangaroo island, australia 97.87 2. Lodge at kauri cliffs matauri Bay, new Zealand 95.25 3. Lizard island resort great Barrier reef, australia 94.53 4. four seasons resort Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 93.68 5. huka Lodge taupo, new Zealand 93.50 6. st. regis Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 91.25 7. hayman great Barrier reef, australia 89.00 8. hilton Bora Bora nui resort & spa French Polynesia 85.47 9. hilton Moorea Lagoon resort & spa French Polynesia 84.63 10. sheraton Mirage Port douglas, australia 80.27

the osprey Pavilion at australia’s southern ocean lodge, on Kangaroo island’s southwestern coast.

cIty hOtelS 1. The Langham melbourne 90.55 2. shangri-La hotel sydney 88.83 3. park hyatt sydney 88.20 4. The george christchurch, new Zealand 87.77 5. observatory hotel sydney 86.82 6. sofitel queenstown hotel & spa new Zealand 86.67 7. sydney harbour Marriott at circular quay 86.51 8. four seasons hotel sydney 85.36 9. park hyatt melbourne 85.28 10. grand hyatt melbourne 85.00

Canada cIty hOtelS 1. Auberge saint-Antoine Quebec city 93.12 2. ritz-carlton toronto 89.58 3. shangri-La hotel vancouver 88.67 4. fairmont Le château frontenac Quebec city 87.39 5. hotel grand pacific victoria, British columbia 87.00 6. four seasons hotel vancouver 86.88 7. fairmont empress victoria, British columbia 86.81 8. Loews hotel vogue montreal 86.50 9. Wedgewood hotel & spa vancouver 86.10 10. fairmont hotel vancouver 86.02

reSOrtS 1. Wickaninnish inn tofino, British columbia 91.33 2. sooke harbour house British columbia 90.80 3. four seasons resort Whistler, British columbia 90.24 4. post hotel & spa lake louise, alberta 89.93 5. fairmont chateau Whistler British columbia 88.73 6. fairmont chateau Lake Louise alberta 88.63 7. rimrock resort hotel Banff, alberta 88.15 8. fairmont Le Manoir richelieu la malbaie, Quebec 88.00 9. hilton Whistler resort & spa British columbia 87.06 10. Westin Whistler resort & spa British columbia 86.89 World’s Best awards debut great value (rate of us$250 or less) Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade) t+l Find (first featured in the t+l it list or previously included as a World’s Best one to Watch)

george aPostolidis

Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

World’s Best hotels

Central and South America reSOrtS 1. nayara hotel, spa & gardens la Fortuna, costa rica 96.36 2. hotel salto chico/explora patagonia torres del Paine, chile 94.40 3. Llao Llao hotel & resort, golf-spa Bariloche, argentina 92.31 4. four seasons resort costa rica at peninsula papagayo 91.83 5. inkaterra Machu picchu pueblo hotel Peru 91.63 6. Los sueños Marriott ocean & golf resort Playa Herradura, costa rica 88.67 7. Lodge at chaa creek san ignacio, Belize 88.24 8. hotel Arenal kioro la Fortuna, costa rica 86.67 9. Machu picchu sanctuary Lodge Peru 84.70 10. Westin golf resort & spa, playa conchal – An All-inclusive resort costa rica 84.48 cIty hOtelS 1. palacio duhau – park hyatt Buenos aires 96.13 2. hotel Museo casa santo domingo antigua, guatemala 92.67 3. grand hyatt santiago, chile 92.62 4. hotel Monasterio cuzco, Peru 90.15 5. intercontinental Buenos aires 90.11 6. JW Marriott hotel lima, Peru 90.07 7. Alvear palace hotel Buenos aires 90.05 8. four seasons hotel Buenos aires 89.29 9. park hyatt mendoza, argentina 89.19 10. ritz-carlton santiago, chile 89.04 11. faena hotel & Universe Buenos aires 87.47 12. W santiago chile 87.00 13. Miraflores park Hotel lima, Peru 85.42 14. park Tower, Buenos Aires, a Luxury collection hotel 85.2 15. hilton Buenos aires 84.70

Mexico reSOrtS 1. Live Aqua cancún 94.22 2. grand velas riviera maya 93.80 3. capella pedregal los cabos 93.29 4. La casa que canta Zihuatanejo 93.20 5. st. regis punta Mita resort 91.72 6. one&only palmilla los cabos 91.14 7. Las ventanas al paraíso, A rosewood resort los cabos 91.09 8. four seasons resort Punta mita 90.52 9. secrets Maroma Beach riviera cancún 90.47 10. fairmont Acapulco princess 89.76 11. Banyan Tree Mayakoba resort & spa riviera maya 89.43 12. ritz-carlton cancún 89.18 13. grand velas riviera nayarit nuevo vallarta 88.96 14. esperanza, an Auberge resort los cabos 88.90 15. royal hideaway playacar riviera maya 88.71 16. iberostar paraíso Maya riviera maya 88.50 17. fairmont Mayakoba riviera maya 88.00 18. secrets Marquis los cabos 87.78 19. pueblo Bonito pacifica resort & spa los cabos 87.61 20. pueblo Bonito sunset Beach resort & spa los cabos 87.03 cIty hOtelS 1. four seasons hotel México, d.f. mexico city 90.40 2. JW Marriott hotel mexico city 86.48 3. camino real polanco mexico city 84.00

The Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas reSOrtS 1. The reefs Bermuda 92.71 2. nisbet plantation Beach club nevis 92.00 3. eden rock st. Bart’s 91.86 4. Jade Mountain st. lucia 91.52 5. couples sans souci st. ann, Jamaica 90.84 6. couples Tower isle st. mary, Jamaica 90.71 7. Biras creek resort virgin gorda, British virgin islands 90.44 8. couples negril Jamaica 90.36 9. couples swept Away negril, Jamaica 90.29 10. hotel saint-Barth isle de france st. Bart’s 90.22 11. ritz-carlton grand cayman, cayman islands 89.18 12. regent palms turks and caicos 88.95 13. rosewood Tucker’s point Bermuda 88.42 14. ocean club turks and caicos 88.27 15. four seasons resort nevis 88.14 16. W retreat & spa vieques, Puerto rico 87.85 17. ritz-carlton st. thomas, u.s. virgin islands 87.71 18. rock house hotel Harbour island, Bahamas 87.24 19. Anse chastanet resort st. lucia 87.20 19. Ladera resort st. lucia 87.20 21. caneel Bay, A rosewood resort st. John, u.s. virgin islands 87.13 22. rosewood Little dix Bay virgin gorda, British virgin islands 87.07 23. secrets Wild orchid montego Bay, Jamaica 87.06 24. Las casitas village, a Waldorf Astoria resort Fajardo, Puerto rico 86.82 25. sandy Lane Barbados 86.55

soUThern oceAn Lodge no. 1 resorT australia, neW Zealand and tHe soutH PaciFic

WALdorf AsToriA, chicAgo no. 1 LArge ciTy hoTeL continental u.s.

When it comes to urban hotels in the u.s., t+l readers love chicago. For the third consecutive year, the lakefront metropolis is home to the top-scoring large city Hotel.

But manhattan icons are worthy rivals; both cities are home to six winners. in the West, montana’s triple creek ranch retained its no. 1 rank in the inns category, and almost 25 percent of resort winners are located in colorado and utah, despite a challenging year for snowfall. a strong showing from charleston, south carolina—including a first-time win for the 19th-century Wentworth mansion in the small city Hotel category—is proof that southern escapes still have their charms.

146 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

the mosaic-tiled pool at the Waldorf astoria, Chicago.

World’s Best hotels

o p p o s I T E : C o U R T E s y o f T H E wA l D o R f A s To R I A C H I C A G o

Continental U.S. reSOrtS (40 rOOmS Or mOre) 1. osprey at Beaver creek colorado 94.75 2. The sebastian vail, colorado 94.37 3. pines Lodge Beaver creek, colorado 93.48 4. ocean house Watch Hill, rhode island 93.14 5. Blackberry farm Walland, tennessee 92.72 6. inn at palmetto Bluff, an Auberge resort Bluffton, south carolina 92.65 7. Amangani Jackson Hole, Wyoming 92.62 8. ritz-carlton Bachelor gulch avon, colorado 92.58 9. Wequassett resort & golf club chatham, massachusetts 92.57 10. ritz-carlton, dove Mountain marana, arizona 92.38 11. sanctuary at kiawah island golf resort south carolina 92.10 12. Allison inn & spa newberg, oregon 92.03 13. stein eriksen Lodge deer valley, utah 91.60 14. Waldorf Astoria Park city, utah 91.43 15. st. regis deer valley Park city, utah 91.20 16. royal palms resort & spa Phoenix 91.15 17. san ysidro ranch santa Barbara, california 90.97 18. L’Auberge de sedona arizona 90.95 19. Wentworth by the sea, a Marriott hotel & spa new castle, new Hampshire 90.93 20. Lodge at pebble Beach california 90.91 21. ritz-carlton lake tahoe, california 90.88 22. The Broadmoor colorado springs 90.83 23. four seasons resort scottsdale at Troon north arizona 90.76 24. four seasons resort & club dallas at Las colinas irving, texas 90.74 25. Montage Laguna Beach california 90.74 26. ritz-carlton naples, Florida 90.68 27. old edwards inn & spa Highlands, north carolina 90.67 28. ritz-carlton laguna niguel, california 90.64 29. Auberge du soleil rutherford, california 90.58 30. park hyatt Beaver creek resort & spa avon, colorado 90.58 31. Williamsburg inn virginia 90.44 32. White elephant nantucket, massachusetts 90.44 33. four seasons resort vail, colorado 90.43 34. four seasons resort Jackson Hole, Wyoming 90.36 35. calistoga ranch california 90.33 36. Little nell aspen, colorado 90.17 37. pinehurst resort north carolina 90.16 38. solage calistoga california 90.08 39. keswick hall at Monticello virginia 90.00 40. Bardessono yountville, california 89.94 41. harbor view hotel & resort edgartown, massachusetts 89.91 42. inn at spanish Bay Pebble Beach, california 89.88 43. Lodge & club at ponte vedra Beach Florida 89.85 44. inn by the sea cape elizabeth, maine 89.74 45. pelican hill newport coast, california 89.74 46. Montage deer valley Park city, utah 89.68 47. The phoenician, a Luxury collection resort scottsdale, arizona 89.66 48. The greenbrier White sulphur springs, West virginia 89.65 49. enchantment resort sedona, arizona 89.55 50. ritz-carlton Palm Beach, Florida 89.46

lArge cIty hOtelS (100 rOOmS Or mOre) 1. Waldorf Astoria (formerly the elysian hotel) chicago 94.67 2. rosewood Mansion on Turtle creek dallas 94.18 3. The peninsula chicago 93.66 4. hermitage hotel nashville 92.72 5. Trump international hotel & Tower new york city 92.40 6. four seasons hotel new york city 92.28 7. st. regis atlanta 92.26 8. The peninsula Beverly Hills, california 92.23 9. Beverly Wilshire in Beverly hills (A four seasons hotel) california 92.00 10. Mandarin oriental las vegas 91.86 11. Umstead hotel & spa cary, north carolina 91.36 12. Mandarin oriental Boston 91.17 13. four seasons hotel Los Angeles at Beverly hills 91.14 13. ritz-carlton new york, central park 91.14 15. Beverly hills hotel & Bungalows california 91.07 16. The setai miami Beach 90.96 17. hotel Bel-Air los angeles 90.71 18. Avia savannah, georgia 90.67 19. The peninsula new york city 90.47 20. four seasons hotel Boston 90.45 21. Mandarin oriental (formerly the Mansion on peachtree) atlanta 90.35 22. four seasons hotel chicago 90.33 23. Boston harbor hotel at rowes Wharf 90.30 24. Montage Beverly hills california 90.24 25. four seasons hotel las vegas 90.17 26. rittenhouse hotel Philadelphia 90.07 27. park hyatt chicago 90.04 28. roosevelt new orleans, a Waldorf Astoria hotel 90.04 29. Trump international hotel & Tower chicago 90.00 30. four seasons hotel atlanta 89.76 31. four seasons hotel denver 89.74 32. hotel 1000 seattle 89.60 33. charleston place south carolina 89.59 34. grand Bohemian hotel asheville, north carolina 89.57 35. ritz-carlton new orleans 89.57 36. ritz-carlton Boston common 89.55 37. ritz-carlton chicago (A four seasons hotel) 89.42 38. cosmopolitan of Las vegas 89.38 39. ritz-carlton Philadelphia 89.38 40. Mandarin oriental new york city 89.27 41. proximity hotel greensboro, north carolina 89.25 42. ritz-carlton, pentagon city arlington, virginia 89.17 43. st. regis san Francisco 89.15 44. hotel commonwealth Boston 89.09 44. The pierre new york city 89.09 46. heathman hotel Portland, oregon 89.04 47. Mandarin oriental miami 89.04 48. Windsor court hotel new orleans 89.03 49. hotel palomar Philadelphia 89.00 50. ritz-carlton charlotte, north carolina 88.97

World’s Best awards debut great value (rate of us$250 or less) Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade) t+l Find (first featured in the t+l it list or previously included as a World’s Best one to Watch)

SmAll cIty hOtelS (fewer thAn 100 rOOmS) 1. Wentworth Mansion charleston, south carolina 95.47 2. Morrison house alexandria, virginia 93.50 3. xv Beacon Boston 92.35 4. Market pavilion hotel charleston, south carolina 91.79 5. rosewood inn of the Anasazi santa Fe, new mexico 90.22 6. 21c Museum hotel louisville, Kentucky 89.39 7. planters inn charleston, south carolina 88.84 8. inn at the Market seattle 88.76 9. delamar greenwich harbor greenwich, connecticut 88.47 10. ritz-carlton georgetown 87.91 InnS AnD SmAll lODgeS (fewer thAn 40 rOOmS) 1. Triple creek ranch darby, montana 98.22 2. Tu Tu’tun Lodge gold Beach, oregon 95.00 3. The Willcox aiken, south carolina 94.25 4. Amangiri canyon Point, utah 93.33 5. post ranch inn Big sur, california 92.49 6. Marquesa hotel Key West, Florida 91.60 7. inn at Little Washington Washington, virginia 90.94 8. Mayflower inn & spa Washington, connecticut 90.44 9. elizabeth pointe Lodge amelia island, Florida 89.68 10. Little palm island resort & spa torch Key, Florida 89.38

Hawaii reSOrtS 1. four seasons resort hualalai Hawaii, the Big island 93.75 2. koa kea hotel & resort Kauai 92.44 3. four seasons resort Lanai, The Lodge at koele 92.32 4. four seasons resort Maui at Wailea 92.19 5. halekulani oahu 91.05 6. kahala hotel & resort oahu 90.74 7. grand hyatt kauai resort & spa 89.88 8. st. regis princeville resort Kauai 89.43 9. royal hawaiian, a Luxury collection resort oahu 89.42 10. Mauna Lani Bay hotel & Bungalows Hawaii, the Big island 89.05 11. fairmont kea Lani maui 88.88 12. ritz-carlton kapalua maui 88.49 13. hapuna Beach prince hotel Hawaii, the Big island 88.13 14. Mauna kea Beach hotel Hawaii, the Big island 87.58 15. JW Marriott ihilani resort & spa oahu 86.11 16. grand Wailea maui 85.72 17. fairmont orchid Hawaii, the Big island 85.57 18. outrigger reef on the Beach oahu 85.44 19. four seasons resort Lanai at Manele Bay 85.28 20. hyatt regency Waikiki Beach resort & spa oahu 85.26 21. embassy suites Waikiki Beach Walk oahu 84.25 22. Wailea Beach Marriott resort & spa maui 84.20 23. hyatt regency Maui resort & spa 84.05 24. Moana surfrider, a Westin resort & spa oahu 83.36 25. hilton Waikoloa village Hawaii, the Big island 82.80

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 137

World’s Best

Top Cruise Lines lArge-ShIp cruISe lIneS 1. crystal cruises 89.90 2. regent seven seas cruises 89.36 3. Azamara cruises 87.31 4. oceania cruises 86.05 5. disney cruise Line 84.96 6. cunard 83.26 7. celebrity cruises 81.61 8. holland America Line 80.37 9. royal caribbean international 79.40 10. princess cruises 79.08 SmAll-ShIp cruISe lIneS 1. seabourn 91.93 2. paul gauguin cruises 90.56 3. seadream yacht club 89.76 4. Lindblad expeditions 89.52 5. silversea cruises 88.97

Top Car-Rental Agencies 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

hertz 79.91 Auto europe 79.78 national car rental 78.23 enterprise rent-A-car 78.01 Avis 76.37 World’s Best awards debut great value (rate of us$250 or less) Hall of Fame (listed every year for the past decade) t+l Find (first featured in the t+l it list or previously included as a World’s Best one to Watch)

viking river crUises no. 1 river crUise Line

viking river Cruises’ Viking Legend on the danube in Budapest.

courtesy oF viKing river cruises

rIver cruISe lIneS 1. viking river cruises 88.64 2. Uniworld Boutique river cruise collection 88.10 3. Tauck 87.74 4. Abercrombie & kent 86.02 5. grand circle cruise Line 83.13

roW AdvenTUres no. 1 ToUr operATor

Top Safari Outfitters 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Micato safaris 97.97 Africa Adventure company 97.09 African Travel 95.00 ker & downey 94.45 &Beyond 92.98

Top Tour Operators 1. row Adventures 97.97 2. Austin-Lehman Adventures 97.00 3. vBT Bicycling & Walking vacations 95.36 4. Butterfield & robinson 94.83 5. odysseys Unlimited 94.19

Top Airlines

courtesy oF roW adventures

InternAtIOnAl 1. singapore Airlines 91.33 2. Air new Zealand 87.63 3. emirates 86.88 4. korean Air 85.97 5. cathay pacific Airways 85.86 6. Asiana Airlines 85.59 7. qatar Airways 84.93 8. virgin Atlantic Airways 83.80 9. Thai Airways international 83.25 10. eva Air 83.00

rafting the salmon river in idaho with row Adventures.

hungrY for madrid The food and drink; The singing, dancing, and gin and Tonics; The arT, archiTecTure and shopping; The laTe-nighT Tapas, olives and langousTines: gary Shteyngart Takes on The spanish capiTal

p h OtO g r A p h e D By m O n I KA h รถ f l e r & J e n S S c h wA r Z

Flamenco dancer gerardo Ferrero sĂĄnchez, a student at the amor de dios school, on Calle gran vĂ­a in downtown madrid.

eAt, DrInK AnD Be merry

Clockwise from top left: Francisca sandornil ruiz, a flamenco instructor at amor de dios; restaurant Casa Fidel, in the malasaña neighborhood; tapas and beer at la Castela, near retiro Park; the vertical garden at Herzog & de meuron’s CaixaForum madrid; the writer diego salazar; boquerones and anchoas at antigua Casa Ángel sierra, in Chueca; on the street in malasaña.

it’s 4 a.m. on a tuesdaY night—

New York and London are mostly asleep, Berlin and Barcelona are getting tired, Hong Kong and Frankfurt are completely tuckered out—and here I am surrounded by throaty singers, some in their sixties and seventies, jammed around a piano at a bar called Toni2, hollering lustily about amor and besos and all that good stuff. Where am I? Where could I possibly be? Madrid, of course. And nowhere else.

The seniors are singing a ballad by the Spanish crooner Nino Bravo. My companion on this journey into night is Diego Salazar, a young Peruvian writer and foodie who came to Madrid a decade ago and never looked back. “If Nino Bravo hadn’t died in a car accident,” Salazar tells me, “Julio Iglesias wouldn’t exist.” I consider the tragedies that could have been averted. Salazar tells me of a right-wing pundit who got into a fine mess at Toni2 after touching someone’s culo. Many stories in Madrid seem to end this way. In any case, some 30 years from now, if I decide not to go gently into that good night, if I decide to push the limits of mortality and common sense, this is where I want to be, crooning and drinking and being goosed by a right-wing pundit and generally just being alive.

“You go to Barcelona to have children,” Salazar tells me in a way that makes me understand that he’s not quite ready to reproduce. Great cities need archrivals. St. Petersburgers routinely hate Moscow. Bostonians still can’t seem to get over the rise of New York (and the success of a certain baseball team). But nothing in the world beats the rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, the two competing international faces of Spain. Some sample quotes: “Barcelona’s much more closed if you’re not Catalan.” Ouch. “We have more rhythm, friendliness.” Perhaps. The truth is both cities are worthy of respect, sometimes love. But Barcelona, the sixth-most-visited city in Europe, is ruthlessly gorgeous, while Madrid’s beauty has to be uncovered, her sweltering summers and freezing winters endured. And then there’s the pollution cloaking the place, watering your eyes and tickling your throat.

And yet, Madrid is on the rise! The city has been going to the gym, cutting out the trans fats and taking summer courses. Today’s Madrid, despite the economic nightmare that is Spain circa 2012, is both lean and welcoming, with a recently reclaimed river, a burgeoning new arts district within the walls of an old slaughterhouse, oodles of creative cuisine and, yes, nocturnal 70-year-olds gathered around a piano in the rollicking Chueca neighborhood waiting for the sun to rise.

barely survived 13 months of my first postcollege job as a paralegal in New York. After the arduous, exacting nature of being a junior legal eagle, I recall stepping off a crowded Spanish train, walking into a bar near Valencia and getting misty-eyed at the sight of used napkins and shrimp shells on the floor. What a terrific, easygoing lifestyle awaited me!

(Almost 20 years later, what impresses me most is how clean those barroom floors always are the next day.) I befriended a clutch of young miscreants in a small village and was invited to join their little summer club, the Penya Colpet (roughly “Club Shot Glass”). Together we welcomed the summer fiestas, taunted a bull, ate enough pulpo a la gallega to empty out the northern region of Galicia and slept maybe four hours during the entire month of July. At a little pensione in Madrid the elderly landlady sized me up and said: “I have just one rule: No women in your room.”

“It will not be a problem,” I told her sadly.

My other memory of Madrid consisted of being chased down at least two blocks in the city center by a heroinaddicted transvestite clamoring for my patronage.

Downtown Madrid will now have none of that, thank you.

The city has gentrified tremendously in the last decade or so, but you can still catch a little flicker of grit in your peripheral vision. There are fancy new olive oil stores next to shoe-repair shops whose proprietors live in darkened holes illuminated only by the flicker of the TV behind thick curtains. In the oh-so-cool area of TriBall, short for Triángulo de Ballesta, there are prostitutes being edged out by fashion boutiques, cooking schools, artisanal hamburger joints and the Belgian-owned Al Cuadrado Taglio & Bar pizza shop. The remainder of TriBall’s streetwalkers like to cluster

Madrid is on the rise! the city has been going to the gyM, cutting out the trans fats and taking suMMer courses. today’s Madrid is both lean and welcoMing

The first time I came to Spain I was recovering from a mild nervous breakdown. The year was 1996, and I had just

outside Al Cuadrado, perhaps getting a whiff of the spicy salami, rosemary, caramelized sweet onion, and potato slices, a nice addition to the Roman pizza al taglio canon.

Most places would not survive being called the “new SoHo” for long, but TriBall is still slightly gritty and semi-weird.

For one of the world’s party capitals, the cleanliness and general order are amazing. Parts of Madrid have gone from The Panic in Needle Park to Al Cuadrado’s surgical cleanliness seemingly overnight. » travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 143

The Toni2 piano bar, in the Chueca neighborhood.

Giles Tremlett is the Guardian’s debonair correspondent in Madrid and author of Ghosts of Spain, a definitive guide to the country’s postwar history. Tremlett has lived in the city for decades and he tells me the story of one of his friends, a Muslim man who, wearing a white robe, was seen by the neighborhood kids as “an angel.”

“But now Madrid is used to the diversity,” he says. Indeed a stroll through the Lavapiés neighborhood, a stone’s throw from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, reveals

standing in a row, their postures perfect, practicing their clicks. Directly downstairs, Variantes y Bollería Juanjo, an olive shop, dispenses buckets of tasty pickles and marinated baby eggplant (berenjenas de Almagro) stuffed with red pepper and fennel.

In less than four typed pages I realize I’ve mentioned three people and nearly twice as many dishes. Madrid does that to you. The feast is not just movable, it is endless, with much of it boiled down to 10 square city blocks.

Malasaña, directly north of Calle Gran Vía and northwest of gay-friendly Chueca, is still the hippest stretch of town. I’m strolling through with my friend, the wonderful Spanish writer Mercedes Cebrián, author of La Nueva Taxidermia, or “The New Taxidermy” (authors in this town have the coolest book titles). We cross Malasaña’s main plaza and make our way to Casa Fidel. “Traditional cuisine,” Cebrián tells me, “with a touch of modernity” (read: chicken curry). I am introduced to salmorejo, a dish from Córdoba made chiefly from tomato and bread and the holy trinity of oil, garlic and vinegar, garnished with jamón serrano and hard-boiled egg. I quickly fall in love with this cold, thick and hammy gazpacho substitute. Next up, a dish of porky lomo embuchado, which Cebrián says “tastes like the bastard child of jamón and chorizo.” I notice that, appropriately enough for a place called Fidel, most of the men are wearing thick, lovingly maintained beards. Finally, chipirones en su tinta con arroz, squid in its own ink with rice; the squid is as dark as night, darker than Goya’s black paintings. Javier Blasco, the friendly owner, comes around with a bottle of orujo, a Galician spirit, somewhat grappa-like. After drinking it, I’m told: “You sleep very bad.” Sleep very bad? The problem with Madrid is there is no sleep at all.

Blasco, who seems to pop up in every second establishment I visit, either in human form or as a subject of conversation, also happens to own my favorite clothing store in Madrid, L’Habilleur, on the small Plaza de Chueca. By their striking wooden doors you will find this very Eurocentric shop. The clothes have a classic vintage feel; the fabrics are sumptuous. Here are designs from Italy’s Coast & Weber & Ahaus and the French at-ease stylings of Hartford. My ritual is to shop until I am ready to swoon, then walk to nearby Antigua Casa Ángel Sierra, a dark and lovely space with cherubs gracing the ceiling and a beautifully rendered crustacean out front. There, along with a glass of vermouth, I feed myself anchovies, vinegary boquerones and salty anchoas (together, Cebrián tells me, they are called el matrimonio).

The vermouth here is de grifo, or “from the tap.” Which can pose problems the next morning. »

if i decide noT to go gently into that good night, this is where i want to be, crooning and drinking and generally just being alive a palimpsest of the waves of immigration that have washed over this barrio, an indicator of how wealthy Spain has become, and how relatively tolerant Madrid is perceived to be. “First the Arabs, now the Pakistanis and Chinese,” Lawrence Schimel, a New York–born author who now speaks English with a slight castellano accent, tells me over excellent Basque pintxos and a caña of the ubiquitous Mahou beer.

We’re at Lamiak, a tapas establishment at the center of Lavapiés, the pleasant muted yellows and the exposed brick lending the bar a cheerful demeanor. Prolific Schimel has published more than 90 books, from a collection of short stories in English entitled The Drag Queen of Elfland to Spanish-language children’s books like Mi Gata Eureka (“My Cat, Eureka”). Being smoothly bicultural, Schimel has been perfect at charting the way immigrant groups spill in and out of Lavapiés. “The Chinese used to sell lighters on the street,” he tells me, “but now they have little establishments and entire industrial zones away from the center.” Schimel is a vegan, but that doesn’t stop me from viciously attacking a three-bite tartare of bacalao and tomato, along with a little solomillo de cerdo al oporto, pork tenderloin marinated in port and covered in pineapple and onion, which tastes classier than it sounds. Outside, vegan stores jostle with dark Chinese markets. An overwhelmingly Pakistani street gives way to an array of local hippies. We are far from the land of bullfighting and beachfront siestas, yet we do manage to find flamenco.

The Mercado de Antón Martín is a vital neighborhood market. The second floor of this vast building is an odd place to put the exquisitely named Amor de Dios flamenco school.

But there it is: crowded with Japanese girls (flamenco is another unlikely Japanese obsession), resounding with castanets. I wish Renoir were here to capture a half-dozen women 146 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

the Art Of lIvIng

Clockwise from top left: drinks at la Chula de valverde, in triBall; wood pigeon with endives and sun-dried tomatoes at sergi arola gastro, in Chamberí; al Cuadrado taglio & Bar, in triBall; a view of the gran vía; contemplating Corot’s Solitude.

Recollection of Vigen, Limousin at the museo thyssen-Bornemisza.

the contours of a madrid visit

are familiar to many: art, tapas, dinner, short, troubled sleep....

The fact that a sophisticated city is buzzing outside your window is a bit shocking when you wake up at 4 p.m. to run to the Museo Nacional del Prado. But run to it you must. The golden triangle of Madrid museums has been made into a golden square with the 2008 addition of the CaixaForum Madrid, Herzog & de Meuron’s five-year-long conversion of the Mediodía Electric Power Plant, roughly equidistant from the Prado and the Atocha train station in the center of the city. The arts center, a clean, well-lighted place, is a mix of intelligent design and smart exhibits. When I visit the centerpiece is a show on Soviet architecture featuring such gems as Le Corbusier’s famous Tsentrosoyuz building in Moscow. It is one of the best and most comprehensive exhibitions of Soviet architecture I’ve seen anywhere. The museum’s gorgeous steel-and-brick exterior is wowed into place by a 24-meter-tall “vertical garden,” making it a true example of Cool España.

Across the street, the Jerónimos addition has given the Prado a 21st-century, vaguely Nordic redo, the accent on soothing burnished copper. The museum, once a sweaty scavenger hunt for Goyas and El Grecos, is now almost antiseptically user-friendly. The Reina Sofía sports a new, 32,500-square-meter Jean Nouvel expansion, cleverly matched to the bulk of the original 19th-century building, the General Hospital of Madrid.

But perhaps the most notable expansion has taken place at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, when the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection was added in 2004, comprising some 300 works, the majority of which are on display at any given time. The new collection fantastically reconfigures the museum. Corot’s mesmerizing Solitude. Recollection of Vigen, Limousin stepped up this dazed visitor’s hungover melancholy, the solitary woman at its center a placeholder for the loneliness of travel. There’s no sense in resisting the strange but effective jumble of it all: Van Gogh’s splendid Watermill at Gennep living down the hall from Frederic Church’s lush South American Landscape, down the hall from Pissarro’s The Cabbage Field, Pontoise, the cabbages covered in serene morning mist, while, nearby, a fresh-faced young docent cools herself with a large black fan. I haven’t left Spain, after all.

But now it’s time to cross Retiro Park to see Giles Tremlett again. We’re in the middle-class part of the Retiro neighborhood, one of Madrid’s “Zonas Nacionales”: according to Tremlett, many of the ugly apartment houses here were built for nationalist supporters of the Franco dictatorship in the 1950’s. Madrid may have embraced edgy pizzas by 148 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com

Belgian newcomers, but there’s still nothing like an old-fashioned tapas crawl in a middle-of-the-road, decidedly un-happening neighborhood. First stop is La Castela, a noisy, well-lit, cheek-to-jowl, all-ages, napkins-on-the-floor kind of place. The Thursday rush is crazy. We eat a plateful of garbanzos con langostino, enjoying prawns and the poor man’s bean soaked in olive oil and studded with ajete, the green stalk of the young garlic plant.

Walking down the main drag, Calle del Doctor Castelo, we hit the next bar, La Montería, which is crammed with young Retiro residents. We match a hearty Ribera del Duero with a heavenly fatty oxtail, the rabo de toro, and a plate of cecina de ciervo, blood-red dried venison meat soaked in salmorejo, the thick tomato-and-bread soup I’ve fallen for. This is still a real neighborhood, even if its demographics are changing. People look out for one another here and being alone is not a part of the lifestyle. Tremlett tells me of a local store owner, a Chinese woman, who just had a baby and got sick of the adoring locals dropping by to ask “Bebé bien?” “Bebé bien,” she’d growl back.

Finally, we nightcap at the Antigua Taberna Arzábal, farther down Calle del Doctor Castelo. We are looking for some cava to “cleanse the palate.” After the madness of the previous two places this one is over-polished and slick, with champagne soaking in silver buckets. We eat the tasty oliveoil-soaked anchoa and sip the bubbly, while next to us some wannabe urbanites are posing with a bottle of Tanqueray.

This is perhaps the right place to talk about Spain’s newfound love of the Gin and Tonic. If I were a juniper berry I’d be scared of the Spaniards. Rivers of gin are consumed in Madrid. The best new place to do so is La Chula de Valverde, back in TriBall, a sweet, exposed-brick kind of place with the Johnny Cash version of “Personal Jesus” on the stereo. The preparation of the sacred Gin and Tonic lasts five minutes, as the bartender Carlos moves the lime around the rim, gently, oh-so-gently pouring in the tonic. The G’Vine version is made with grapes and raspberries. If the gin and tonics fail, try the old clara con limón, draft beer with a helping of lemon Fanta. At the start of the evening (9 p.m., basically), there are shy older men here with sex sells T-shirts and manically groomed terriers. Bears from Chueca, hipsters from TriBall, everyone comes for the company and the Citadelle Gin, made in a French cognac distillery with aromatics including Chinese licorice and Spanish lemon rind.

After a few G&T’s, the question: straight to dinner, or tapas? We stop at the recently modernized Mercado de San Miguel, the wrought-iron foodie’s paradise off the Plaza Mayor. Here are some fine little things to pick on: the mussel canapés and garlic brandade from La Casa del Bacalao, and the heavenly, eggy tortilla from an outpost of good old Lhardy restaurant (desde 1839, no less!).

And then there’s Sergi Arola Gastro, the Michelin two-starred Art Deco tunnel of fun over in the quiet Chamberí district. I’m thinking of their play on the bocadillo de calamares, the squid sandwich that is a Madrid tradition, here reduced to a little handful of bread and thoughtfully fried seafood.

Then there are the deconstructed patatas bravas; the “bread nougat,” a thin tube of caramelized bread filled with tomato and ham (it tenderly goes to pieces in your mouth); and a counterintuitive cornet of trout roe and wasabi ice cream.

The scorpion-fish panna cotta comes with percebe, a goose barnacle, and seaweed powder. The barnacle, which looks like your old college roommate’s big toe on a bad day, is a briny knockout. The king prawns with peaches are simple and delicious. I’ve never been inducted into the wonders of the powerful Priorat wines, such as the plummy and chocolaty, larger-than-life 2004 Francesc Sánchez-Bas Montgarnatx, but there’s no looking back after the first sip.

And I’m not the only person falling in love. The woman in tight sequins next to me, looking like she just stepped off the set of an Almodóvar movie, is making out hard with her date, one hand deep into the opening of his blue Oxford shirt, her minidress rustling under the table. In their defense, it is well past midnight, almost time for the main course.

Daylight reveals Madrid’s new gems. Matadero Madrid, the repurposed slaughterhouse by the Manzanares River, is already a crowd-pleaser. The vast space buzzes with art, such as Mexican artist Gilberto Esparza’s Urban Parasites, a group of robots programmed to seek electricity wherever they can find it. The whole thing is “made of technological waste and electronic systems,” and the robotic fruit flies are easily excited.

The new river park, Madrid Río, is itself worthy of a detour. Snaking through large apartment blocks on its way to the royal palace, the river has become a truly democratic space—older women wearing hats made out of newspaper lounge around with their Sunday beers, there’s a “beach” where children play under sprays of water enjoying the last stretch of summer, and the whole thing is threaded through with happy-looking poplar trees and attractive playgrounds.

But, as far as I’m concerned, the best architecture in Madrid is still the Richard Rogers–designed Terminal 4 at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Muscular but sinuous, flooded with natural light, the design reminds you that Spain—a country that sent so many of its citizens abroad during its worst days and now welcomes so many immigrants from across the globe—has mastered both the art of greeting and, sadly, the art of farewell. ✚

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Letras Handwoven rugs and punchy, modern furniture fill the 109 rooms of this Belle Époque mansion. 11 calle gran vía; 34-91/ 523-7980; hoteldelasletras.com; doubles from €136. hotel villa Magna centrally located, the 150-room property was extensively renovated in 2009. 22 Paseo de la castellana; 34-91/587-1234; villamagna.es; doubles from €375.

Lamiak 10 calle de la rosa; 34-91/ 539-7450; drinks and tapas for two €8.

La Montería 35 calle de lope de rueda; 34-91/574-1812; drinks and tapas for two €24.

CHUECA Plaza de Chueca

Calle Gran Vía Plaza Mayor

La castela 22 calle del doctor castelo; 34-91/573-5590; drinks and tapas for two €20.

1.6 km

eAt Al cuadrado Taglio & Bar 10 calle de la Ballesta; 34-91/ 521-3515; dinner for two €21.

Antigua Taberna Arzábal 2 calle del doctor castelo; 34-91/5572691; drinks and tapas for two €31. casa fidel 6 calle del escorial; 34-91/531-7736; dinner for two €52.

La casa del Bacalao Plaza de san miguel; 34-91/542-6473; tapas for two €7.

Lhardy 8 carr. de san Jerónimo; 34-91/522-2207; dinner for two €72. sergi Arola gastro 31 calle de Zurbano; 34-91/310-2169; dinner for two €220.

DrInK Antigua casa Ángel sierra 11 calle de gravina; 34-91/531-0126; drinks for two €12.

La chula de valverde 11 calle de valverde; 34-91/523-9044; drinks for two €18.

Toni2 9 calle del almirante; 3491/532-0011; drinks for two €21.

See and DO caixaforum Madrid 36 Paseo del Prado; 34-91/330-7300; obra social.lacaixa.es; free admission.

centro de Arte flamenco y danza española Amor de dios.

5 calle de santa isabel; 34-91/ 360-0434; amordedios.com; dance lessons from €8.

Matadero Madrid 8 Plaza de legazpi; 34-91/517-7309; matadero madrid.org; free admission.

Museo nacional centro de Arte reina sofía 52 calle de santa isabel; 34-91/774-1000; museo reinasofia.es; admission €6.50.

Museo nacional del prado Paseo del Prado; 34-91/330-2800; museodelprado.es; admission €13.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza 8 Paseo del Prado; 34-91/369-0151; museothyssen.org; admission €10.

ShOp L’habilleur 8 Plaza de chueca; 34-91/531-3222.

Mercado de Antón Martín 5 calle de santa isabel; mercado antonmartin.com.

Mercado de san Miguel Plaza de san miguel; mercadodesanmiguel.es. variantes y Bollería Juanjo 5 calle de santa isabel; 34-91/3692370; mercadoantonmartin.com.

travelandleisureasia.com | august 2012 149

lastlook

muI ne, vIetnAm “I’ve always been fascinated by how the environmental conditions and wind around Mui Ne have created this surreal landscape. It’s amazing and incongruous because it feels like you’re looking at Vietnamese vendors in the middle of the Sahara desert. I took this shot in the morning, when the light was low and gave each dune a different hue. The sky was actually a little cloudy that day, but the blue was still bright enough to make a striking contrast with the yellow-orange of the sand. I think that contrast is what I like most about this picture. I tend to take close-up portraits of people, but I didn’t have a wide lens mounted when I took this shot, so the effect is that the people become part of the landscape, which works in this instance. I lived in Hanoi for six years, so I know Vietnam well, and I love it for its contradictions—how simple ways of living are mixed so closely with emerging modern luxury. I admire the Vietnamese, they’re tough people. The vendors, who are mostly women, exemplify this. Afternoons on the dunes get scorchingly hot, and when I look at this photograph I appreciate the beauty even as I feel empathy for the reality it portrays.” ✚ p ho t o g r a p he r m a s s i m o c asal • i n tervi ew ed by r i char d her mes 150 august 2012 | travelandleisureasia.com