October 2017

Southeast asia

october 2017

Ultimate travel essentials Burma’s backcountry Last-minute travel planning

A food-lover’s guide to Tokyo

Singapore S$7.90 / Hong Kong HK$43 Thailand THB175 / Indonesia IDR50,000 Malaysia MYR18 / Vietnam VND85,000 Macau MOP44 / Philippines PHP240 Burma MMK35 / Cambodia KHR22,000 Brunei BND7.90 / Laos LAK52,000

EXPERIENCE A NEW LEVEL OF LUXURY Centara Grand is the luxurious brand from Centara Hotels & Resorts, the pre-eminent Thai hotel group offering the ultimate in luxurious escapes across Thailand and beyond. All boasting prime locations in the finest city or tropical beach destinations, the iconic Centara Grand hotels and resorts combine outstanding features and facilities with intuitive and personalised Thai service, to create extraordinary experiences and indelible memories for guests. Centara Grand is the natural choice for a picture-perfect holiday.

BOOK DIRECT FOR OUR BEST PRICE PROMISE centarahotelsresorts.com reservations@chr.co.th 02 101 1234 ext 1

THAILAND

·

MALDIVES

·

OMAN

·

QATAR

·

SRI LANKA

·

VIETNAM

October

ON THE COVER Chef Koichi Sugano serving at Kan restaurant in Tokyo.

Photographed by Shinsuke Matsukawa.

features 66

Secret Kingdom The ancient Burmese kingdom of Mrauk-U is filled with majestic temples and a little-known history buried in the jungle.

By Ron Gluckman.

Photographed by Jonathan Pozniak

c l o c k w i s e F R O M t o p LE F T: j o n at h a n p o z n i a k ; c h r i s t o n n e s e n ; s h i n s u k e m at s u k awa ; w i l l i a m h e r e f o r d

78

66 88 98 78

Inventive Izakaya Tokyo’s chefs are rethinking the izakaya in mad, delicious ways. Diana Hubbell joins an epic food crawl through the best of the old and the new. Photographed by Shinsuke Matsukawa

88

Fields of Vision A castle in rural Sweden has become a destination for contemporary art.

By Gisela Williams.

Photographed by Chris Tonnesen

98

This Green World To Costa Ricans, pura vida is about embracing a laidback, positive outlook and living in harmony with the natural world. By Adam Leith Gollner. Photographed

by William Hereford

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

9

In Every Issue

T+L Digital 12 Contributors 14 Editor’s Note 16 The Conversation 18 Deals 62 Wish You Were Here 106

contents Special pairing one of the hottest trends in travel, group gathering, with artistic altruism, proving that the path to a great vacation can be a simple straight line.

26 Misty Mountains The new

Samsara Ubud boutique hotel blends in seamlessly with its rainforest surrounds.

28 Khmer Comeback Phnom

29 Napa Off the Vine A slew of

hotels, restaurants, cultural hot spots and even breweries are giving the valley a new groove.

39 Ultimate Travel Essentials

What you pack can make your journey a pleasure...or a pain. We curated our favorite vacationworthy gear, bags and apparel of the season.

32 An Island Blessed A major

pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians, the Greek island of Tínos has long been overlooked by other travelers but we find this ruggedly beautiful, deeply spiritual place is a revelation.

Upgrade 55 50 Tips for Smarter Last-

Minute Travel Check out these savvy suggestions from more than a dozen travel experts on how to plan (and save money on) a perfect spontaneous getaway.

Penh’s trendiest new cafés and diners are serving ancient and traditional recipes in settings that pull colonial charm into modern-day style.

28

10

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

32

29

39

F R O M LE F T: c o u r t e s y o f s a m s a r a u b u d ; j u l i a n b r o a d ; k e l ly p u l e i o / c o u r t e s y o f t h e c h a r t e r o a k ; c o u r t e s y o f u lt i m at e e a r s w o n d e r b o o m

21 Let’s Stay Together Ani Villas is

t+l digital

+

Lookout

Protecting Asia’s Green Sanctuaries Several environmental sites around Asia-Pacific are in danger of losing their protective status. We talk about what you can do to help.

50 Tips for Family Tr avel Experts, writers and readers weighed in on practical, insider advice to make sure both kids and parents have a blast on your next vacation.

How Eco-tourism Is Saving Northern Cambodia’s Countryside This sustainable initiative helps both the forest and those who inhabit it.

Download Us

Follow Us

Keep up with Us

T+ L Ta bl e t Edi t ion s

twitter.com/ travleisureasia

Sign up for our newsletter for monthly highlights and offers from T+L Southeast Asia.

Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and Zinio Desktop Reader.

facebook.com/ travelleisureasia pinterest.com/ travleisureasia

tandl.asia/newsletter

instagram.com/ travelandleisureasia

Contact Us

f

12

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

tleditor@ mediatransasia.com

Meet Bhutan’s star jewelry designer; a quirky new boutique in Beijing; an artsy outpost redefining the Hong Kong creative scene; the latest travel deals and more. travelandleisureasia.com

fr o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f o c at s h e n z h e n ; C h r i s t i n e h a n ; c o u r t e s y o f j a h o o g i b b o n c a m p

this month on tr avel andleisureasia.com

Dusit Thani Pattaya

A world of distinctive experiences awaits Gracious hospitality inspired by authentic Thai values enriches every stay at Dusit Hotels & Resorts worldwide. Immerse yourself in luxury and experience artfully delivered, personalised service in China, Kenya, Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, UAE, USA, and more prestigious destinations. With four distinctive hotel brands to choose from, catering perfectly to business and leisure, no detail goes unnoticed in our pursuit of hospitality perfection.

Destinations: China • Egypt • Kenya • Maldives • Philippines • Thailand • U.A.E. • U.S.A.

contributors

2

Shinsuke Matsukawa

Diana Hubbell

Inventive Izakaya Page 78 — “Of the restaurants we visited for this story, my favorite was Kan. The cooking is very authentic kappo style— the traditional Japanese ceremonial dishes—but reinvented in a modern way.

They cook with very fresh fish, meat and veggies, and the ingredients and the sake come from all over Japan. I loved the house-made sesame tofu with sea urchin on top.

They spend time making fresh sesame tofu every day, but you will finish the dish in just one second, it’s so good. All the staff have great hospitality and cooking skills, of course, and they’re led by talented head chef Koichi.”

Instagram: @shin_suke.

Inventive Izakaya Page 78 — “Almost all the food in Tokyo we ate was extraordinary.

The dishes that surprised me most were the candy-sweet caramel corn at Shirube, the luscious uni-topped eggplant at Kagurazaka GiroGiro, and the outrageously good fried squid at Tempura Mikawa.

I’m fascinated by the concept of ikejime, which I’d never heard of until this trip. It involves inserting a metal rod into a fish’s spinal cord, partially paralyzing it and slowing down the process of rigor mortis so that it stays extra-fresh. The guys in Tsukiji Market are wizards who can time it pretty precisely to your dinner.”

Instagram: @diana.hubbell.

3

4

Jonathan Pozniak

Ron Gluckman

Secret Kingdom Page 66 — “Burma has a way of making me feel like I’m returning home to family. The richness of life extends far beyond the temples, and layer after layer of history to the present day makes locals’ stories come to life. Uncovering its secrets takes time but with a slow pace and lots of patience, this place will take you on quite a journey. As with anything I shoot, the experience comes first, the shots come second. Walk through the ruins, feel the energy and history of the temples, and let that imprint and experience guide the shots. The experience itself will always be your guide to a great shot.”

Instagram: @jonathanpozniak.

Secret Kingdom Page 66 — “Even after hearing about Mrauk-U forever, I was blown away to find such a place existed in Asia, and was still so unknown. You can email friends, ‘Google Mrauk-U,’ and everyone immediately wants to go. Our guide Rocky was amazing. He grew up playing in the ruins, but avoided Koe Thaung: leopards would be sunning themselves on top. Can you imagine?

He’s working on an Arkanese history book, handwritten, so he only has one copy. The situation in Rakhine State is dire, and deserving of more coverage and government action, but I never felt unsafe.

Mrauk-U is peaceful.”

Instagram: @rongluckman.

P h o to gr a p h er

3

14

4

W r i t er

W r i t er

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f s h i n s u k e m at s u k awa ; c o u r t e s y o f d i a n a h u b b e l l ; c o u r t e s y o f j o n at h a n p o z n i a k ; j o n at h a n p o z n i a k

2

october 2017

1

P h o to gr a p h er

1

|

editor’s note

|

october 2017

In an age where travel has shrunk our world, where overly familiar

@CKucway chrisk@mediatransasia.com

16

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

From My Travels

Checking in to the Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak, there’s a buzz in the air— something tells you that you’re going to have fun here. Maybe it’s the vibrant colors or the quirky design (accept the offer from staff to show you the way to breakfast that first morning). The resort relies on locally sourced goods, including Kintamani coffee beans that it can roast on site.

Each of its 270 rooms has a daybed, so finding a spot to enjoy that java overlooking the tiered pool is not a problem.

fr o m l e f t: t h a n a k o r n c h o m n awa n g ; c h r i s t o p h e r k u c way

coffee chains and inexplicable fashion trends greet us around every corner, there’s always Burma. Shut-off, forbidden, mysterious Burma.

My first foray there was more than 20 years ago, during an age where all Toyota models were white and every one could be operated with the same key, which explained away the triple parking. Burma has changed a lot since then, and little at all. This month, writer Ron Gluckman and photographer Jonathan Pozniak venture to the far west of the country (“Secret Kingdom,” page 66) to the largely forgotten outpost of Mrauk-U where pieces of the past are strung together only with the imagination of any traveler who visits.

Diving into their latest journey reminds me of the Burma of two decades ago, though the tone could be that of a journey from an even earlier era. “I am looking for the people who have always been there,” wrote the intrepid Norman Lewis in the 1950s, after his visit to this remote corner of the world, “and belong to the places they live. The others I do not wish to see.”

Through the mist, amid a jungle clearing, of his trip Gluckman writes, those “others” weren’t too prominent: fewer than 5,000 foreigners set sight on mysterious Mrauk-U each year. For many of us today, that is reason enough to visit.

SPONSORED SERIES

CLOC KWISE

FROM TOP:

1. Construc tion on Il Du omo di Firenz e be gan in 1296 and took 14 years. To bl 0 ur the pe de mounted th strians, I e EOS M6 on a tripod used a sl ow shu tter and speed.

F4, 1SEC, 11M M, ISO 100 2 . Tu scany has some of Italy's dreamiest landscapes . It was hard drive and look at th to e same ti I found my me, so self stop ping very often.

F4.5, 1 500, 200MM, ISO I 12 5 3. Locals in the mediev Lu cca ou t al to wn of for the cu stomary passagieta, the practi ce of strolling , which pres ents a gre time to ma at ke friend s.

F4, 1 100, 15M I M, ISO 100 4. Naples is the home of pizz a, wi fresh chee se and a cru th nchy-chewy cru st. It is impossible not to photograph food in It aly!

F5.6, 1 40, 22 MM, ISO I 64 00

Italian Enchantment

PHOTOGR APHED BY LESTER LEDESMA

Travel with a Canon EOS M6 to shoot like a professional, but look like a local.

How to reconcile the constantly competing desires to take great vacation photos but to do so as simply and subtly as possible? The Canon EOS M6 with a flip touch screen LCD, interchangable lenses and 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor had travel photographer Lester Ledesma blending in all over Italy—and returning home to Singapore with an SD card full of beauty shots.

To capture unusual angles, “you literally just flip the screen, move your hand high or low to capture the right framing, and compose the scene as you wish,” he says. “It’s a great way to take photos unobtrusively; I just shoot from the waist with the screen angled accordingly. This makes me look like I’m fiddling with the controls instead of taking pictures.” On this trip, he used an 11-22mm superwide lens, a 55-200mm medium telephoto lens, and a 15-45mm lens of which “the 15mm end was wide enough to shoot those grand Italian interiors and the 45mm end let me quickly switch to human subjects at the turn of a zoom ring.”

The camera challenged many rules-of-thumb learned from a lifetime of DSLRs. “I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of images I got after dark even at ISO settings well above 1000,” he says. “The Dual-Pixel CMOS AF locked on to my subjects at almost DSLR-like speed. It was also accurate—spot-on even in low-light.”

We call that a photographic renaissance.

EF-M15-45MM F/3.5-6.3 IS STM EF-M11-22MM F/4-5.6 IS STM EF-M55-200MM F/4.5-6.3 IS STM

South and South East Asia Regional Headquarters: Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd | 1 Fusionopolis Place #15-10 Galaxis Singapore 138522 | www.canon-asia.com

the conversation If you’re not awash in top-shelf bubbly in first class, you’ve been flying the wrong airline. From using pressurized tasting rooms to simulate how wines taste at 10,000 meters (we are looking at you Singapore Airlines) to consulting renowned chefs on the best pairings, some carriers are prioritizing champagne as highly as their sumptuous front-ofthe-plane meals. The results are expensively effervescent. Here, the best bubbles in the sky:

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque US$149

Dom Pérignon 2006 US$159

Krug Grande Cuvée US$169

Salon 2002 US$420

Served on:

*Prices based on U.S. retail and vary by country.

We’re smiling just looking at these shots from readers this month.

Making friends at Bali’s Sacred Monkey Forest. By @nataliewall.

A beaming chef in Seoul.

By @strangertalk.

All smiles in Bagan, Burma.

By @emma.k.jackson.

Enjoying paradise, a.k.a. the Gili Islands in Indonesia. By @pascal_clark.

Share an Instagram photo by using the #TLAsia hashtag, and it may be featured in an upcoming issue. Follow @travelandleisureasia

i l l u s t r at i o n s b y c h o t i k a s o p i ta r c h a s a k

#TLASIA

exotic & idyllic retreat ...where life is a private celebration

editor-in-chief art director Deput y editor Features editor senior DEsigner DEsigner assistant EDITOR

Christopher Kucway Wannapha Nawayon Jeninne Lee-St. John Eloise Basuki Chotika Sopitarchasak Autchara Panphai Veronica Inveen

Regul ar contributors / photogr aphers Cedric Arnold, Kit Yeng Chan, Philipp Engelhorn, Marco Ferrarese, Duncan Forgan, Diana Hubbell, Lauryn Ishak, Mark Lean, Melanie Lee, Ian Lloyd Neubauer, Morgan Ommer, Aaron Joel Santos, Stephanie Zubiri chairman president publishing director publishER digital media manager TRAFFIC MANAGER / deputy DIGITAL media manager sales director business de velopment managers chief financial officer production manager circul ation assistant

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj Robert Fernhout Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Varin Kongmeng Joey Kukielka Leigha Proctor Tim Rasenberger Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Yupadee Saebea

TR AVEL+LEISURE (USA) Editor-in-Chief Senior Vice President / Publishing Director Publisher

Nathan Lump Steven DeLuca Joseph Messer

TIME INC. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING & DEVELOPMENT (syndication@timeinc.com) Senior Director, Business De velopment E xecutive Editor / International

Jennifer Savage Jack Livings

TIME INC. Chief E xecutive Officer Chief Content Officer

Joseph Ripp Norman Pearlstine

tr avel+leisure southeast asia Vol. 11, Issue 10 Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, 1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, North Point, Hong Kong. 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.

Sanur I Ubud I Nusa Dua I Jimbaran

P. 62 361 705 777 F. 62 361 705 101 E. experience@kayumanis.com

This edition is published by permission of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Tel. 1-212/522-1212 Online: www.timeinc.com Reproduction in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner is prohibited. subscriptions Enquiries: www.travelandleisuresea.com/subscribe ADVERTISING offices General enquiries: advertising@mediatransasia.com Singapore: 65/9029 0749; joey@mediatransasia.com Japan: Shinano Co., Ltd. 81-3/3584-6420; kazujt@bunkoh.com Korea: YJP & Valued Media Co., Ltd. 82-2/37896888; hi@yjpvm.kr

kayumanis

kayumanisresort

kayumanisresort

Glacier Express on the Richleren bridge near Andermatt, Uri

The top train attraction.

The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.

Bringing together 1,280 kilometres of panoramic railways, the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland is an epic journey of discovery.

The wonderfully diverse journey whisks you through towns and villages, over mountains and past glaciers, lakes and rivers, as well as through all four language regions. Doable year round, the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland brings together the highlights of Swiss public transport in 8 route sections, placing the emphasis on selected must-see attractions and excursions. Simply start wherever you wish and hop off to explore whenever you feel like it. The Swiss Travel Pass is your ticket to the entire tour.

Grand Train Tour of Switzerland myTravel Stamp Booklet.

The exclusive booklet to the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland is offered to guests purchasing a Swiss my Travel Pass. Along the most beautiful train tour of Switzerland – in Zurich, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, St. Moritz and Lugano – passengers are thus offered opportunities to collect nine individual and unique stamps.

Each myTravel Stamp Booklet holder may participate in a competition with a chance to win a truly superb first prize. Altogether, the prizes total a value of CHF 12,500; therefore, many other major and minor prizes are “up for grabs”.

Booklet Travel Stamp

For more information: MySwitzerland.com/ grandtraintour

STS-P-GTT-XS-16-Karte3.pdf

1

All routes at a glance.

Zürich – Schaffhausen – St. Gallen "133 km  2 h 50 min

02.10.15

Schaffhausen

Basel EuroAirport

St. Gallen – Luzern "125 km  2 h 15 min

Zürich Flughafen

Basel

Zürich Säntis

Fribourg/ Freiburg Lausanne

Rigi

Pilatus

Bern

Brienzer Rothorn

Bern Flughafen

Zermatt – St. Moritz "291 km  8 h 6 min

Lugano – Bellinzona – Flüelen – Luzern "182 km  5 h 36 min

Luzern

Neuchâtel

Montreux – Visp – Zermatt "148 km  2 h 6 min

St.Gallen Appenzell

Luzern – Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux "191 km  5 h 8 min

St. Moritz – Tirano (Italy) – Lugano "154 km  6 h 42 min

09:29

Stanserhorn Engelberg Flüelen

Interlaken

Titlis Schynige Platte

Schilthorn

Jungfraujoch

Zweisimmen

Chur Davos

Andermatt

St.Moritz

Gstaad

Montreux Genève-Aéroport

Rochers-de-Naye Glacier 3000

Visp

Brig

Genève

Bellinzona

Tirano

Locarno Martigny

Luzern – Zürich "57 km  46 min

Zermatt

Gornergrat

Lugano

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Grand Train Tour of Switzerland Mountain Excursion Tips Where to get my Travel Stamp

Highlights of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.

Luzern – Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux From Lake Lucerne, the train climbs over the Brünig Pass, hugs the shore of Lake Brienz and makes a welcome stop at Interlaken before heading on to dazzling Lake Thun and through the Simmen Valley to Zweisimmen. From here, the GoldenPass Line continues its panoramic journey to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Zermatt – St. Moritz Welcome aboard the Glacier Express – the train that has been dubbed “the slowest express train in the world”.

Savour the breath-taking beauty of Swiss Alpine landscapes while enjoying modern conveniences and first-class service. The 8-hour-journey from Zermatt to fashionable St. Moritz negotiates 91 tunnels, traverses more than 291 bridges and crosses the 2,033 meters high Oberalp mountain pass.

St. Moritz – Tirano (Italy) – Lugano From the Engadin, the bright-red Bernina Express train winds its way up to the Bernina mountain pass and then steeply down the Val Poschiavo towards the Italian-speaking Valtellina region. In summer (14 April – 29 October), the journey can be extended from the Tirano terminus to Lugano aboard the Bernina Express Bus. From St. Moritz, the Palm Express Bus ascends the scenic Oberengadin valley with its quaint villages towards the Maloja mountain pass and down Val Bregaglia towards Lake Como and Lugano – a year-round service.

Lugano – Bellinzona – Flüelen – Luzern Settle comfortably back into your 1st class seat in an SBB panoramic carriage and relish the journey from Lugano to Flüelen on the legendary Gotthard train route with its numerous loop tunnels. From Flüelen, a historic paddle steamer takes you across Lake Lucerne.

Savour the spectacular views of Central Switzerland over a delicious meal in the onboard restaurant!

The Swiss Travel Pass – all-in-one ticket.

The Swiss Travel Pass is the key to trouble-free travel by public transport throughout Switzerland. With a single ticket visitors can travel 3, 4, 8 or 15 days throughout the entire country by train, bus and boat. The ticket includes all popular panorama routes on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Line and Gotthard Panorama Express, as well as trams and buses in no fewer than 90 towns and cities. In addition, Swiss Travel Pass holders are entitled to free admission to more than 500 museums nationwide as well as 50% reduction off most mountain railways.

Included mountain excursions

Children travel free

with a Swiss Travel Pass in 2018: Rigi, Schilthorn, Schynige Platte.

under the age of 16 when accompanied by at least one parent holding a Swiss Travel System ticket.

Swiss Travel Pass prices 2017 Swiss Travel Pass

2 nd class

1st class

Swiss Travel Pass Flex

2 nd class

1st class

3 days

CHF 216

CHF 344

3 days in 1 month

CHF 248

CHF 396

4 days

CHF 259

CHF 412

4 days in 1 month

CHF 298

CHF 474

8 days

CHF 376

CHF 596

8 days in 1 month

CHF 420

CHF 667

15 days

CHF 458

CHF 722

15 days in 1 month

CHF 502

CHF 793

Youth travellers aged under 26 receive a 15% discount off the normal price.

Luggage Services.

Touring Switzerland by public transport means much more than simply getting from A to B. It covers a whole range of specialized services from A to Z, designed to enhance the entire vacation experience – including checking in luggage at any airport in the world to some 30 destinations in Switzerland and back again. And within Switzerland, luggage conveyance between destinations – station to station or from hotel to hotel – while vacationers discover at leisure the country’s many delights by train, bus and boat. This is particularly advantageous on round-trips such as the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. Even luggage insurance is included.

Ask your Rail Specialists for details.

For more information and booking please contact our Rail Specialist.

Indonesia Pan Travel (62) 21 6305645 / (62) 21 71794543 / (62) 31 5652372 Malaysia Boustead Travel (603) 20316001, Pacific World Travel (603) 2141 3080, Apple Signature Holidays (603) 21433939 Philippines – Adventure International Tours (632) 8849438, TAC Tours & Travel Corporation (632) 7112506/7/8 Singapore – Dynasty Travel (65) 65364966, Platform 9 (65) 63172111 Thailand – Diethelm Travel (66) 2 1605200 ext 202 – 206, GM Tour & Travel (66) 2 6761501 ext. 819 or 820, Lostrip (66) 2 0181351, RTS.net (66) 2 6617157, TV Air Booking (66) 2 2335160 – 63 or visit MySwitzerland.com/rail.

T r av el + l eisu r e

October 2017

A beach banquet set for the entire party at Ani Villas Thailand.

backstory

C l oto a i r eCLreeadhi ty T e e k ay Ph

Let’s Stay Together Ani Villas is pairing one of the hottest trends in travel, group gathering, with artistic altruism, proving that the path to a great vacation might just be a simple straight line.

By Jeninne Lee-St. John

>>

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

21

“Being on your own is overr ated. We thrive when

from top:

Thailand’s iconic Railay Bay is a 45-minute speedboat ride from Ani Villas; Nakorn Sripetch moved from the east coast of Thailand to Koh Yao Noi two years ago to study at Ani Art Academy.

22

we’re with others,” says Tim Reynolds, founder of both international, billions-ofdollars-a-day trading firm Jane Street Capital, and of Ani Villas, a group of buy-out-only boutique resorts with all-inclusive amenities on four off-the-beaten-path islands.

The Ani brand was born of a combination of Reynolds’s need for a vacation home, his passion for art, and his long-time desire to open schools in the developing world.

Ani Villas is a place for “togethering”—a vacation concept that entails gathering your nearest and dearest and absconding to a resort you treat like your home. Maybe it’s a wedding, big birthday, family reunion, or maybe it’s just a great vacation. Sure, you could just book a block of rooms in the same hotel, but there would be strangers there, there would be bills, there would be inhibitions. Togethering properties offer five-star-resort rooms (some at Ani Villas Thailand, which I visited, have their own plunge pools) and bells and whistles (there’s a three-loop waterslide), with common areas (chess and checkers tables in the main pool) and communal meals (at a long table bowed at the center to facilitate conversation) meant to maximize interaction and grant the freedom to do with the place what you please.

Like at the first Ani Villas, in Anguilla, which opened in 2011, the community ideal spills from the resorts in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic to their prime beneficiaries: Ani Art Academies. Every hotel has a sister school that offers free tuition to all its students in the hopes of not only spurring

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

sustainable local art markets, but also ginning out international-caliber fine artists and creative stars in fields from textile design to video-game development. One graduate’s paintings pull US$25,000, and students within a year of starting training have sold drawings in New York for as much as US$2,000.

“Ani” is a play on a Swahili word that means to be on a path or a journey. Reynolds thought it was appropriate “for artists just setting out on their journey,” he says, and “people who wanted more than just a vacation.” Which is how I found myself in a togethering simulation on Koh Yao Noi, a little island halfway between Phuket and Krabi. It’s rare that I get to spend time alone with my brothers these days—we’re all in different countries—so I am psyched to bring the one who lives in Shanghai on this trip. Jaysen flies down to meet me for a week of what I’ve billed as an open-bar, boat-trip-filled, karst-climbing sibling-bonding beach trip.

On arrival, we meet a Singaporean writer and her husband. And a father and son from Bahrain. Then a writer from Hong Kong whose best friend has traveled from the U.S. to be her plus-one. This is sounding more like togethering. Then, who is this doing flips into the pool and scampering en masse down to the beach to take out the paddleboards? Americans from L.A., an actor and five friends (some also actors, natch), all on their first visit to Thailand, all managing to both brim with excitement about their island adventures and look completely at home on the property.

Well, of course. Celebrities in their need for privacy were togethering pioneers. Reynolds says professional athletes are a distinctive chunk of Ani guests. Justin Bieber made the news this year when he booked out the Lodge at The Hills outside Queenstown, after his Auckland concert. The six-bedroom Lodge includes a chef, grass tennis court, heated pool and access to the golf course that hosts the New Zealand Open, for NZ$28,000 a night in low season (with a five-night minimum).

Ani Villas Thailand is US$7,700 a night in low season for 10 bedrooms (with a three-night minimum). Sure, that’s not an insignificant amount of money, but it’s also not a price tag only accessible to the super rich. “Traveling with friends and staying at villas like Ani is actually more affordable than traveling alone,”

fr o m t o p : C l a i r e L e a h y; c o u r t e s y o f a n i a r t a c a d e m i e s . o p p o s i t e , c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f A n i ( 3 ) ; C l a i r e L e a h y

/ backstory /

says Andrew Wise, founder of online magazine Life, Tailored, who lives in New York City with his wife Stephanie and has made togethering an annual tradition. After getting married at Ani Villas Anguilla (with vows performed by head butler, Felix), they rented a villa in the Dominican Republic the next year, then came with the same group to Ani Thailand. They were “the best weeks of our lives,” Wise says.

On an obscenely blue-sky

day on a fruit-bowl tropical island, I find myself in a long, dark room with the windows blacked out, sitting at an easel trying to draw lines with a charcoal pencil. My orders: make a series of dots at random, then connect them with as light and as straight of lines as possible. I do this for 15 minutes, my face scrunching up, my mind tensing, my wrist jumping. Most of my lines are too dark, some veer off course like a drunk; the page looks like a blind man’s connect-the-dots.

Instructor Rodney O’Dell Davis, originally from Orlando, tells me I’m holding the pencil wrong, points out the few lines that are “not too bad,” and reminds me that if I were a student here, I’d be doing this all day. And all tomorrow.

The Waichulis curriculum of hyperrealism, created by Pennsylvania artist Anthony Waichulis, is a deliberate practice, skills-based process rooted in part in 19th-century French artistic training. It’s all repetition. You do one exercise until you’ve perfected it, then move on to the next, which builds on all those that came before. Straight lines are lesson No. 1 because they’re the building blocks of everything, even

spheres, a fact that blows my mind. O’Dell Davis nods—“spheres kicked my ass”—but waves off my wonder. “You learn to break things down into the simplest forms.”

“Being on an island is conducive to education,” he says. “There are not a lot of distractions.” That’s a dubious claim to a beach bum like me, especially considering how impressive the arrival at Ani Art Academy is. The vista under the grand peaked roof looks across verdant rice paddies, low rolling hills and out to the sea beyond. But this is intended as a source of fleeting inspiration at most, for the students will spend 3½ years (two years of drawing, 18 months of painting) minimum, eight hours a day average, in the classrooms under a stringent program of hyperrealism.

It’s not exactly the art form you’d expect springing up on an Asian isle. But take a peek over the shoulder of one student, Yos. The 40-year-old from a nearby province has been studying here since its opening two years ago and is creating his own version of a photograph of a traditional Thai building in foliage. Glancing between the photo and his drawing, it’s impossible to know which is which. In fact, in some ways, his drawing looks more like a photo. It’s uncanny.

“I don’t believe in talent; I believe in innate ability,” O’Dell Davis tells me, explaining that he admits students based on personality and dedication, not whether they’ve ever held a brush. “It all comes down to work ethic. Most people think artists live a bohemian lifestyle, get up at noon, splash some paint on the wall, call it a day. The reality is most artists clock 30

Clockwise from top: Ani Villas Sri

Lanka; founder Tim Reynolds; Ani Villas Thailand; that sunset glow in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

23

/ backstory /

clockwise from top left: Cooking

class with chef Yao; fairy-lit magic in Thailand; togethering by boat, in Thailand.

to 60 hours a week. When they really see what a solitary life it is, they say it’s not for them.”

The day I visit happens to be the first day of class for Robyn, an Australian who learned about Ani Art Academy when her daughter had the first wedding ever at Ani Villas Thailand. A self-described dabbler, Robyn found herself “uninspired with my own artwork,” so sold her house and moved to Thailand this year. That plus the three pages of lines she’d drawn so far seems like dedication to me.

Before we met our fellow

guests at Ani Villas, the jovial property manager Chaya told me and Jaysen that everyone already had been engaging in a bunch of prosecco-filled raucous antics. “You mean, together?” I asked, still not getting it. But it is quickly apparent that everyone’s in this party ensemble—including the staff, who are plentiful and discreet. If the bartender’s away, feel free to jump behind the

Ani Villas Thailand, Koh Yao Noi, sleeps 20 in 10 bedrooms. Rates range from US$5,500 for six bedrooms in low season to US$15,000 for 10 bedrooms in peak season. All bookings give you complete buy-out of the resort with all-inclusive food, drinks, spa, cooking classes, laundry and round-trip transfers from Phuket or Krabi airports. Visit anivillas.com for information on this resort and the properties in Sri Lanka, Anguilla and Dominican Republic, and aniartacademies.org to learn about the schools.

24

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

cl aire le ahy (3)

You could just book a block of hotel rooms, but there would be strangers... bills... inhibitions

bar and whip up some piña coladas or pop some bubbly. It’s all included anyway.

So is the spa, where nearly everyone gets a treatment per day. Chef Yao makes delicious classic Thai food served family style—and, since he’s also a trained florist, he can render a fairy-lit barbecue banquet magical with 100 chains of hand-strung flowers. (Guests may, of course, bring their own chefs, or make special requests. Ani has flown rabbis down from Bangkok to make the kitchen kosher.)

The art from the Academy that Yos and other students are creating will perfectly complement the natural beauty here. The porches of our suites, the lawns, library and pool all point towards the mossy, jagged teeth of Phang Nga Bay, and it’s tempting to just lie on a sunbed all day, but there are adventures to be had. “Hollywood,” which my brother takes to calling the Americans collectively and affectionately, have already fallen in love with the beasts at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, and earned war wounds from learning to scale a coconut tree. Their enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s no chore to share a speedboat to Krabi to climb Railay Bay’s iconic rocks, or long-tail boats deep into Phang Nga to examine karsts up close. In fact, when one of the two long-tail engines stalls, forcing us to do a mid-ocean transfer of troops, everyone piles onto one vessel shouting, “Yay! Together again... Err, don’t forget that other cooler of beers.”

That Koh Yao Noi is still such a relatively remote island helps promote togethering. And while I wish Ani luck creating a strong local arts community to start galleries, I also hope the island’s sleepy soul and the hotel’s inclusive spirit can withstand a tide of tourism. By our last night at Ani Villas, I’m pleasantly surprised at how sad I am to part ways with all of our co-togetherers. “You guys really screwed with my brother-sister bonding trip,” I tell Hollywood, wondering how five days flew by so fast. It’s true: being alone is overrated.

/ debut /

Misty Mountain

As Bali continues to grow, one designer is leaving his distinct imprint on the island. By Ian Lloyd Neubauer decades, an architect creates such a large body of work that their designs become interwoven with the mantra of the place. For Ubud, the spiritual and creative capital of Bali, that architect is Popo Danes. From the Hanging Gardens of Bali Resort, with its split-level infinity pool that seems to float above the jungle, to Natura, where all 14 treevillas are oriented towards sunset, the Balinese-born, Dutch-trained master draftsman now has eight resorts in Ubud under his belt. The newest, Samsara, opened in September.

Once every few

26

Twenty minutes by car north of Ubud on the knife-edge of a jungle gorge riddled with waterfalls, Samsara, like the rest of Danes’s resorts, is all about the views. The foyer, like the entrance to a modern luxury home, is understated, sleek yet dramatic, drenched in 270-degree mistymountain vistas. From there, the property steps down a steep hill, where manicured terraces, little laneways and tropical shrubs conceal 17 villas.

Each is dressed in Macassar marble, handmade teak furniture and oxidized brass faucets.

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Outside, on private wooden decks, heated plunge pools literally swim with views of the jungle and Samsara’s nucleus: a gravity-defying infinity-edge pool that hangs over the jungle.

A case of architectural déjà vu? Yes and no, Danes says: “We specialize in this kind of work, building on steep slopes, so our projects will naturally have a sense of continuity.

But each site is different.”

And here, the continuity between destination and design is striking: an artificial waterfall descends from the main pool into a water feature and faces a real waterfall across the gorge.

Samsara’s public spaces have the same drop-dead

gorgeous views while hidden in plain sight.

Below the pool, in a semicircle enclosed in glass, are the gym, sauna, yoga studio and day spa where ageless hot-stone-massage techniques are rejigged using heated bamboo.

Below the lobby is Kelusa, Samsara’s 52-seat restaurant and dining destination in its own right. Executive chef Iwan Sutrisno is trying Mediterranean-Balinese hybrid cookery. Think betutu (roast and spiced) chicken cannelloni with lemongrass pannacotta for dessert or, for breakfast, grilled river lobster and eggs. samsaraubud.com; onebedroom villas Rp4.2 million.

fr o m t o p : i a n l l o y d n e u b a u e r ; c o u r t e s y o f s a m s a r a u b u d ( 3 )

clockwise from left: Special delivery at Samsara; breakfast from Kelusa; Danes’s design feels as timeless as its forest surrounds; a villa bedroom.

1400 years of art in one day.

The art of architecture. An architecture for art.

Inspired and inspiring.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

/ dining /

Khmer Comeback

Phnom Penh’s trendiest new cafés and bolt-hole diners are serving up recipes in settings that pull colonial charm into modern-day style. By Merritt Gurley A local-cuisine cr a ze is r aging

FROM top: Inside the Battambangstyle Labaab; oysters at Nesat Seafood House; outside the breezy Phka Slaa; janang soup with noodles at Chun Cheat Doeum.

in Phnom Penh. That Cambodian food is popular in Cambodia might not seem like news, but as more money flows into the capital, it is noteworthy that up-andcoming talent is embracing its heritage rather than looking abroad for inspiration. The most buzzy new eateries showcase Khmer and indigenous home cooking. “In the five years I have been here,” says Bernard Cohen of MAADS, a hospitality operation company, “they have gone from the tackiest food-andbeverage scene you can imagine to some of the coolest restaurants in the region.”

Phka Slaa Khmer Restaurant This airy Khmer eatery offers a breezy experience, with fans replacing air conditioners and verandas spilling out to the street. The blackboard-and-chalkdoodle wall, wooden tables, mosaic floors and hanging-light fixtures ooze Europe,

Nesat Seafood House The seafood here is delivered daily from Kampot and Kep. Order the Nesat Madness platter, a medley of Kampotpepper crab, barbecue seafood and tom yum soup with white clams. Co-owner and designer Sophal Thim is behind the lush plantscape and rustic look that invites diners to pull a stool up to a shared wooden table. fb.com/ nesatseafood; mains US$3–$12.

Chun Cheat Doeum Yun Mane, owner of this bolt-hole, is on a mission to protect the indigenous cultures in Cambodia by offering a tangible taste of their rural communities.

The menu boasts dishes like janang, a pork soup with bamboo shoots and eggplant, which is a staple for Kreung and Tumpuon groups in Ratanakkiri. If you feel daring, order pi-pea, a Phong soup with beef entrails, wild ginger, lemongrass and garlic, or the samlor bok with pumpkin and chicken bones. fb.com/iprestaurantkh; mains US$2–$12.

Labaab Restaurant Its name means “soil of the Mekong” in Khmer, representing the bounty along its banks, and the restaurant juxtaposes traditional rural cooking with urban views of Vattanac Capital Tower. Try the fish amok, a toothsome take on the signature curry dish, and the prahok ktis, a blend of fermented-fish paste, coconut milk and minced pork. fb.com/ labaabresto; mains US$6–$8.

Two More to Try + Kraya Angkor (fb.com/krayaangkor. restaurant; mains US$5–$25) showcases largely forgotten royal Khmer cuisine dating back hundreds of years. That means grilled frog with vermicelli noodles and na tang, deep-fried sticky rice served with pork sauce. + Cafe Dei (20 Street 590; mains US$5–$20) in Tuol Kork, goes old-school when it comes to cooking (fish grilled in bamboo tubes, chicken smoked in a clay jar) but stays modern on the design front—the three-story space is covered in contemporary art.

28

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

F R O M TOP : COU R TESY O F L a b a a b R e s ta u r a n t; COU R TESY O F N e s at S e a f o o d H o u s e ; COU R TESY Of P h k a S l a a K h m e r R e s ta u r a n t; COU R TESY O F C h u n C h e at D o e u m

while the menu is a collection of Cambodian classics, like beef noodles, and chicken rice. Try the lunch set (US$6), an assortment of appetizers and mains that rotates daily, and might include pumpkin-flower salad, pork-rib stew, morning glory and tofu, and fresh fruit. fb.com/phkaslaa; mains US$4–$10.

/ next act /

Napa, Off the Vine

courtesy of l as alcobas

A slew of hotels, restaurants, cultural hot spots and even breweries are giving the valley a new groove. (But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of wine.) By Jenna Scatena

ever lost its appeal. Enough great wine can make any place seem exciting, after all, and vineyard-laden hills and temperate weather cover a multitude of sins. But by the beginning of this decade, the region had started to feel a little too familiar, as if every tasting room and hotel had modeled itself after the same platonic ideal of Napa. In recent years, the valley’s been on a reinvention kick, and the buzziest arrivals—some from newcomers, many from homegrown talents— have brought a breezy, creative energy to the area. Perhaps the most anticipated opening was that of Las Alcobas (lasalcobasnapa​valley. com; doubles from US$695), the Luxury Collection property from Mexico City–based hotelier Samuel Leizorek. Set amid St. Helena’s vineyard dream­scape, the 1907 Georgian building has been re-created as a 68-room resort with a freestanding cedar spa and contemporary luxe rooms by celebrated design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Acclaimed chef Chris Cosentino, of San Francisco’s Cockscomb, helms the hotel’s restaurant, Acacia House, crafting lively dishes like rustic cuts of lamb >> It’s not that Napa Valley

Las Alcobas, amid St. Helena’s vineyard dreamscape.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

29

/ next act /

People used to come to Napa because they liked good wine.

Now they want the whole experience 30

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

from top: Charter Oak, a new spot

from Michelin three-starred chef Christopher Kostow; grilled avocado, rhubarb, ember oil at Charter Oak; miso soft serve from Two Birds/One Stone. opposite: At Archer Hotel.

(liana​estates.com; tastings US$25) last fall in a spacious, sunny building overlooking San Pablo Bay. There, vintners pour wines that are decidedly rebellious—like a crisp, oyster-friendly orange Muscat, the first in a planned series made from uncommon grape varieties—and supplement tastings with lawn games, classes and comfortable spaces that encourage guests to linger. That spirit of community and playfulness is helping wine shed its intimidating reputation, and drawing visitors who don’t fit the stereotype of the stuffy oenophile.

“A renaissance has been happening in the town of

fr o m t o p : K e l ly P u l e i o / c o u r t e s y o f T h e C h a r t e r O a k ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f t w o b i r d s / o n e s t o n e

with charred, smashed carrots and fermented chiles—a take on California cuisine that emphasizes diners’ enjoyment over overwrought presentations.

“Napa still has the same high standards of hospitality, but it’s getting more casual,” says chef Christopher Kostow of the Michelin three-starred Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena. “That doesn’t mean ‘here’s a cheaper version’—it means ‘here’s a restaurant for everyone.’” In opening a new spot, Kostow was eager to forgo white linens and crystal stemware in favor of a more laid-back approach. The result is the Charter Oak (thecharter​oak.com; mains US$18–$26), which opened in May. Kostow favors simple, smokekissed produce, like peeled avocados rolled in chrysanthemum and dill, then blistered over a flame and brushed with an oil infused with sweet pimenton and blazing embers. Charter Oak beer koozies and drink tokens at the bar add a touch of levity. Up the road, chefs Sang Yoon and Douglas Keane’s yakitoriinspired Two Birds/One Stone (twobirdsone​stonenapa.com; small plates US$6–$24) opened to great fanfare last summer, featuring dishes like Saikyo miso soft-serve with toffee and a foie gras parfait with popped sorghum. For travelers staying in the northern reaches of the valley, the new additions have made St. Helena a dining destination to rival Yountville.

Not to be outdone, Yountville’s established players are shaking things up, too: the French Laundry (thomas​keller.com; tasting menus from US$310) is abuzz once again following a two-year renovation, and this past spring, Michael Chiarello opened Ottimo (ottimo-nv.com; mains US$8–$18), his Italian restaurant and marketplace downtown. The Vintage Inn has been reimagined as Vintage House at the Estate Yountville (vintage​house.com; doubles from US$325), a lighter, brighter property whose rooms feature whitewashed beams, stone fireplaces and velvet chesterfield chairs.

Wine remains an anchor for the region. Last year, once-rustic Coombsville got a little edgier when Covert Estate (covertestate.com; tastings from US$35) opened its private tasting salon in a hillside cave. Hidden among dilapidated farmhouses, the room is decked out with sleek leather couches, buffalohide pillows and a statement chandelier of obsidian and twisted metal.

Over in Carneros, the second generation of Napa’s Peju family, which founded the renowned Peju Province Winery, opened Liana Estates

c o u r t e s y o f Ar c h e r h o t e l

Napa since the 1990s, but now we’ve finally reached the point where it’s taken over as the star city of the region,” says designer Richard Von Saal.

Last year, he lent his expertise to JaM Cellars (jam​cellars.com; tastings from US$15), a small tasting room and music venue. The décor sets a rock-androll vibe: an accent wall is plastered with Rolling Stone covers and band photography, and the space is furnished with Midcentury Modern tables and Saarinen Tulip chairs. As the sole wine spot primed for the afterdinner crowd—shows usually go until around midnight—it’s given Napa’s nightlife scene a shot in the arm. Down the street, an outpost of New York City’s Blue Note (bluenotenapa.com) opened in the Napa Valley Opera House with a lineup of international jazz acts. Adding to the town’s increasingly compelling dining scene is a new crop of drinking and dining options, like Cru at the Annex (cruatthe​annex.com; tastings from US$29), a tasting room with boho flair, and the CIA at Copia (cia​at​copia.com; classes from US$15), a gleaming new multipurpose space from the Culinary Institute of America that houses pop-up wine-tasting booths, oenology classes and a restaurant.

Around town, bold murals now line once-drab walls, part of a 2.7-kilometer art corridor called the Rail Arts District. This autumn, visitors will finally have a worthy spot to stay when the Archer Hotel (archerhotel.com; doubles from US$209) opens with 183 luxe rooms and a rooftop spa, a cornerstone of the massive First Street Napa mixed-use development project.

Perhaps the clearest sign of Napa Valley’s transformation is the flurry of breweries that have set up shop, serving pints as palate cleansers between Cab tastings. “People used to come to Napa because they liked good wine.

Now they want the whole experience,” says Napa native Matt Cromwell. His brewery, Tannery Bend Beerworks (tannerybendbeer ​works.com), opened this spring, offering small-batch beers made with citrus and herbs from the garden at partner restaurant Oenotri. Bigger players, too, are moving in: Berkeley-based Fieldwork Brewing Co. (field​workbrewing.com) now has a taproom in the Oxbow Public Market, pouring drafts like Churro Cream Ale and Atomic Garden Double IPA. San Diego’s Stone Brewing (stonebrewing. com) will open late this year in a historic building by the Napa River. All this is a near-tectonic shift for a region built on wine, but those who’ve watched the valley evolve aren’t batting an eye. “That’s the thing about Napa right now,” says Charter Oak’s Kostow. “The style is different, but the ethos hasn’t changed.”

Cheers to Nine Years Special celebrations are meant to be shared. Bali’s finest address invites you to celebrate its ninth exquisite anniversary.

Reserve a three-night luxurious beach escapade and be enticed by 9 exquisite privileges throughout your stay. Join us in celebration from 1 September - 15 December 2017.

Experience other Cheers to Nine Years special dining and spa offers, visit stregisbali.com/anniversary.

The St. Regis Bali Resort Nusa Dua Bali Indonesia t. +62 361 8478 111 stregis.com/bali

©2017 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preferred Guest, SPG, St. Regis and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

Terms and conditions apply. Black-out dates may apply.

Subject to availability.

/ discovery /

An Island Blessed A major pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians, the Greek island of Tínos has long been overlooked by other travelers. But, as Gisela Williams finds, this ruggedly beautiful, deeply spiritual place is a revelation. Photogr aphed by Julian Broad It was our second morning in TInos,

Greece, when we saw our first pilgrim. The woman, who appeared to be in her 60s, was crawling on her hands and knees along the street that leads from the port up a hill to the majestic Our Lady of Tínos church. Though it felt disrespectful to watch her intimate struggle, it was impossible not to keep turning back to follow her excruciatingly slow but deliberate progress.

Ever since an icon of the Virgin Mary credited with miraculous healing powers was found at the site of the church in 1823, thousands upon thousands of Christian pilgrims have made their way to this raw and beautifully pristine island, often to present the icon with silver and gold votive plaques and pray for a blessing. The greatest number of believers arrive in March, for the Feast of the Annunciation, and in August, for the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin. Many of them crawl almost one kilometer up to the Renaissance-style church, the most important Eastern Orthodox pilgrimage site in Greece.

“The Virgin Mary has saved Tínos,” I was told by Maya Tsoclis, a Greek television personality who is based in Athens but spends more than half of the year on the island.

And though she laughed, she wasn’t really joking. Almost everyone I spoke to credited the Virgin with protecting Tínos from the fate of tourist-packed Mykonos, a 30minute ferry ride away but a world apart. “The pilgrims have scared both foreigners and Greeks away from here,” Tsoclis said. “When I was growing up, everyone associated Tínos with being dragged by their grandparents to the Virgin Mary on smelly boats with food packed in Tupperware. The people on the ferry going to Mykonos, which is the next stop, were happy to pass Tínos by.”

Tsoclis’s TV show, Traveling with Maya Tsoclis, ran from 2007 to 2013, and during three of those years she also served in the Greek parliament. Now she and her husband, Alex Kouris, own the successful Cyclades Microbrewery on Tínos, and she puts out an ambitious annual magazine

32

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

clockwise from left: Looking out over the rooftops of whitewashed buildings in Pyrgos; in the village of Pyrgos, streets are paved with marble from the nearby quarries the area has been famous for since antiquity; the bell tower at St. Paraskevi Church, in Pyrgos; a plate of sardines at Tarsanas, a taverna in the Tínos harbor.

about the island, Tama, which means “votive” in Greek. “I have been to so many beautiful places, but sometimes there is a voice that whispers to you that you belong to a place,” she said, describing the hold Tínos has on her.

“Other Greek islands are only about the beach, but here it’s also about the incredible villages you find inland.”

One morning I followed Tsoclis in my car out of the main port—also called Tínos—away from the streets lined with tourist shops selling religious paraphernalia.

Taking a narrow, winding road, we headed up into the hills, toward the village of Kampos, where her father, the renowned artist Costas Tsoclis, and her mother, Eleni, spend every summer. It was early April, and the rocky fields we drove by were covered in a haze of green grass and dotted with wildflowers—in contrast to the summer, when the land is dry and barren. We kept climbing upward, and occasionally I would spot a dovecote built into a slope or ravine. The island is home to hundreds of these stone towers, with fanciful geometric patterns cut into their façades, some meticulously maintained and painted bright white, others crumbling. They were built by the Venetians—who ruled Tínos for more than 500 years, ending in 1715—and were used to raise pigeons for meat and fertilizer made from the birds’ droppings.

When we arrived at Kampos, we parked at the edge of the village and entered on foot (almost all the villages on Tínos are car-free, because the ancient streets are too narrow). In the distance we could see craggy Mount Exomvourgo, the island’s highest peak. Next to the Tsoclis

family’s old stone house is the Costas Tsoclis Museum, a whitewashed former school with an extension made of local stone, which displays dozens of the artist’s works.

Visitors to the museum (open June through September) are greeted in the front courtyard by Tsoclis’s St. George and the Dragon, a multipart sculpture in which the saint is represented in a life-size wall relief and the beast by a sixmeter-long snaking metal tail. Despite being an atheist, Tsoclis—who is in his late 80s and continues to make new work—says he uses Christian symbols because “they carry the hopes of millions and millions of souls.”

TInos has attracted artists since antiquity, thanks in part to its famous marble quarries.

On the outskirts of the lovely village of Pyrgos, the sleek stone-and-glass Museum of Marble Crafts leads visitors through exhibits ranging from how the stone is quarried to how it’s carved. More interesting still is to stroll through Pyrgos and take in all the marble sculpture dotting the streets, from busts to bell towers, and the t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

33

/ discovery /

Rustic shutters painted in the typical blue in Pyrgo.

elaborately carved Christian symbols on the arched lintels embellishing almost every façade. The main square, surrounded by whitewashed buildings with cornflower-blue windows and anchored by an ancient plane tree, is stunningly beautiful, yet on the day I visited, there were no tourists in sight. I spent a lovely hour sitting at a café enjoying a slice of galaktoboureko, a semolinacustard pie, and exchanging glances with the only other person sitting in the square, a bearded Orthodox priest.

That kind of quietude is what makes Tínos such a prized sanctuary for people like Mareva Grabowski, cofounder of the Greek fashion label Zeus & Dione. Her family’s house here, a cubic structure that seems to grow out of a rocky hill, looks out over the sea toward the island of Syros. Grabowski discovered Tínos almost 20 years ago, when she made a pilgrimage to the church to give thanks for her son’s recovery from complications following a premature birth. “I promised I would pay tribute to the

34

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

icon every year if my prayers were answered,” she said. On her second visit, she missed the ferry back to Athens and found herself with a 10-hour wait until the next one. She hired a taxi to drive her around the island and was “mesmerized,” she recalled, “by the views, the villages, the hidden beaches. It’s been ten years since I built our house, and I am still discovering beaches.”

Grabowski’s favorite culinary find on the island is a taverna called To Thalassaki, which sits appealingly right on the small Bay of Ysternia. In two weeks I made the trip three times, and I would have happily eaten there every day. On my first visit, I was joined by Maria Nikolakaki, founder of the vacation-home rental company Beyond Spaces Villas. When we entered the small room, all eight casually arranged tables were taken. The crowd was clearly sophisticated, and the effortlessly stylish scene seemed to reflect what Nikolakaki meant when she told me, “There is nothing pretentious on Tínos. This is an island for the person who is looking for the luxury of simplicity.”

To Thalassaki’s menu listed about 20 dishes, and I wanted all of them. The cuttlefish risotto, singing with lemon zest, was the best I’d ever had. Mussels with capers and anise were served with a garnish of wild fennel. A salad of fresh cucumbers and melon was sprinkled with feta and bee pollen. “We add four or five new dishes each year,” said chef Antonia Zarpa, who has run To Thalassaki with her husband, Aris Tatsis, since 2000. “When I create recipes, I am drawing on culinary recollections of Tínos. I cook dishes that are inspired by my grandparents.”

To truly get to know this island, it’s essential to get out and walk. It’s the only way to access some of the most spectacular beaches and to explore the villages where people live almost as if the Industrial Revolution never happened. One morning Dimitris Papageorgiou, a hiking guide, led me, my husband, and our two girls on a fourhour excursion over ancient trails between picturesque towns. “There are more than seven hundred churches on Tínos,” Papageorgiou explained as we passed a hillside chapel barely big enough for one person. “Most of them are maintained by local families.” In the little village of Volax, we came upon a shop selling artisanal baskets made from twigs. The old woman inside told us that the secret to harvesting the twigs was to “collect them during the full moon, because then they are without bugs.” I couldn’t help appreciating how, on this irresistibly peculiar island, lunar cycles and miracles are still central to everyday life.

One afternoon near the end of my stay, I visited the convent on Mount Kechrovoúni, where legend says the Virgin Mary appeared to a nun named Sister Pelagia in her dreams, telling her where the island’s famous icon was buried. Inside the fortified medieval complex, I came upon dozens of ancient houses and several churches—all of which appeared to be empty.

Some 15 minutes went by before I ran in to anyone. A nun escorted me to the convent office. Sister Iouliano, the

mother superior, an older, genial woman who spoke little English, showed me the library, which contained magnificent illuminated texts, as well as other spaces where precious treasures donated to the sisters are displayed.

She brought me to the tiny room where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Sister Pelagia. Sister Iouliano invited me to touch the pillow. As I tried to imagine holy visitations, the sister blessed me.

Walking to my car, the ever-present breezes suddenly kicked up and gave me a shiver. My visit to the nunnery, which had felt like a journey to a lost world, had moved me deeply.

And as I drove through the rugged landscape, past centuries-old villages, I was sure I heard that whisper Tsoclis had spoken of—the island casting its spell and urging me to return.

Making the Most of Tínos Where to Stay Aeolis Tinos Suites Clinging to a slope in Triantaros, this rusticmodern property features 17 suites occupying 14 buildings, including a dovecote tower. All have kitchens and terraces with sea views. aeolis​tinossuites. com; doubles from €170.

Beyond Spaces Villas With few luxury hotels on the island, house rentals are a good option, and this firm is the go-to source beyondspacesvillas. com; from €4,839 for seven days.

Restaurants Exomeria This laid-back hillside spot in Ysternia is ideal for a lazy brunch or sunset dinner. Enjoy refined Greek comfort dishes and fantastic views on the terrace. exomeria.com; mains €7–14.

Marathia You might want to spend the whole day at this beach-club restaurant in Agios Fokas, especially if you land a table at the water’s edge. The frequently changing menu offers standout horta (greens) and favorites like sea-urchin pasta. marathia​ tinos.gr; mains €11-€25.

San to Alati This modern

Greek restaurant overlooking Agios Fokas beach serves first-rate fish dishes. fb.com/santo​alati; mains €9–€15.

Tarsanas The port of Tínos has several quaint tavernas, but this cozy spot is the most ambitious.

Order the taramasalata (fish-roe spread) and any of the daily specials. 30-2283 /02-4667; mains €7–€16.

To Thalassaki This intimate taverna on the Bay of Ysternia attracts daytrippers all the way from Mykonos. The faithful come for dishes such as the exceptional spaghetti with shrimp and cuttlefish risotto. 30-2283/03-1366; mains €14-€55.

Activities Costas Tsoclis Museum Discover the work of Tsoclis, a celebrated local artist. Kampos; tsoclismuseum.gr.

Hiking Kudos Life Experiences arranges expert-led walks on the island’s ancient trails. kudoslifeexperiences.com.

Museum of Marble Crafts Explore Tínos’s history as a center for marble production and carving. Pyrgos; piop.gr.

A New Benchmark In Contemporary Luxury In Singapore, when we talk about towering Swiss icons, we don’t mean the Alps, but Swissôtel The Stamford, which has been a regal destination for discerning travelers to the Lion City for a generation. The property has just completed the first phase of a comprehensive renovation. And when an icon decides to go in for a makeover, you know there will be something spectacular to look out for.

There’s something so refreshing about the Swiss rustic warmth. You can feel it as soon as you step into the elegant new guest rooms with teak and hand-crafted stone accents.

Sit back in your rocking chair and browse your picnic basket of snacks among a cocoon of subtle Swiss detailing.

We find the Swiss precision eminently calming. Technology solves all here, with smart-room features including a dynamic lighting system for different moods, motion-sensor safety lights and air conditioning, and an IP TV. Your intuitive roommanagement interface provides access to selected hotel services at a touch.

These state-of-the art rooms are ready and waiting now, and the rest of Swissôtel The Stamford will be redone by the end of 2018. From a country where everything works like clockwork, we can’t wait to see what wonders the next phases of this impressive reimagining reveal.

SWISSÔTEL THE STAMFORD +65-6338-8585 | Swissotel.com/Singapore-stamford

Vistas of mountains and sea along the MacArthur Highway. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Historic Crisologo Street in Vigan; outside Vigan’s St. Paul’s Cathedral; Ilocos Sur is known for its empanadas.

PHILIPPINES IN THE FAST LANE S T O RY & PH O T O G R A PH S BY J O E C U MMIN G S

My mission: roadtrip from Manila to Vigan City and back, 816 kilometers round trip. Considering the Philippines’ highly variable roads, this is no simple journey, but I’m driving the 2018 Lexus LC 500, a concept-turned-production touring coupe that should be more than ready for the challenge.

After plodding through Manila’s legendary traffic, I’m ecstatic to finally make it onto the North Luzon Expressway, enjoying a vista of deep green rice fields rolling across the plains to mountain peaks in the east and allowing the Lexus LC to show me what it can do.

We breeze through Subic Bay Freeport, a tax- and duty-free zone on a site that served as a US military base until 1991. I consider stopping at one of Subic’s duty-free malls or outlet stores, but instead I pull off in the small town of Rosario for a plate of tasty seared tuna at legendary Spice of Urban Life (SOUL) Café.

After gassing up, I leave the expressway behind to hug the coast along two-lane MacArthur Highway.

Northward, I’m hit with a jolt of nostalgia. Forested mountains overlook a pristine shoreline, reminding me of California’s famed Pacific Coast Highway. As the sun sinks over the South China Sea, I pull into San Juan, a strip of beaches that may be Philippine surf’s best-kept secret. A smattering of reefs and point breaks serve up three-meter waves, perfect for both beginning and advanced surfers, from October to April.

As I park in the hotel lot, staff come running out to admire the Lexus LC. Flaming scarlet—a color Lexus calls Infrared—undulates dramatically from the tessellated grille mesh in front to widening curves just before the back wheels. Now I know what it’s like to be the best-looking girl in the room.

The next day, I’m eager to ease back in behind the

SPONSORED SERIES

Vigan’s charming streets. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Burnay jars in Ilocos Sur; Vigan’s Bantay Belfry; San Juan Beach; St. Paul’s Cathedral in Vigan.

wheel and continue north. The highlight of the day’s drive is a view of 456-meter Old Quirino Bridge, a steel span over Lagben River and the Vigan Gap, a geologic fault between two tectonic plates that extends nine kilometers and cuts through three mountain ridges. It’s a man-made achievement of engineering that brazenly conquers and complements a natural wonder. If you feel like crossing the gap more daringly, follow signs to the Ilocos Sur Adventure Zone, where you can sling yourself across via a 400-meter zipline.

Cruising slowly into Vigan—an historic townscape with no equal in Southeast Asia—in this headturner feels like swaggering. Established as a Spanish colonial outpost in the 16th century, the town preserves the original 25-street grid lined with 233 massive two-story buildings, most dating to the mid-18th to late-19th centuries. Steeply pitched roofs reference traditional Chinese architecture; latticed windows of pearlescent kapis shell framed in wood add a Philippine flavor.

After checking into the Hotel Luna, built in 1882 by Spanish governor Don Jose Florentino, I take a tour of the cobblestoned streets in a karesa, the traditional

horse-and-buggy. It’s hard not to feel reverent at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a buttressed Earthquake Baroque church built in 1790, or at a burnay pottery workshop, where an artisan molds Ilocos clay into graceful jars on a footpowered wheel. Fired in hemispherical kilns, the jars are valued for their rich, unglazed patina.

In Vigan, the best for dinner is venerable Café Leona, in a thick-walled casona on Calle Crisologo and named for famous Ilocana poet, satirist and playwright, Leona Florentino. The kitchen delivers a sophisticated turn on Filipino recipes, including bagnet (deep-fried pork belly), pinakbet (vegetables in fermented fish relish), and longganisa (Ilocano-style sausage).

On the long journey back to Manila, I change drive modes from Comfort to Sport, allowing the car to hug the highway a little more tightly, giving me a playful hint of what more it can do. Even during an afternoon downpour, the car’s road grip inspires confidence. So, I decide to kick things up a gear and drop into manual transmission. Challenge mastered! I whip through the 10 gears just like a Formula One driver, emerging from the past in this car of the future.

Find us on WeChat:

BE PAMPERED IN THE EMBRACE OF PURE LUXURY Plethora of resorts to stay, fun-filled things to do, delightful local food to eat & endless new discoveries to make. A tropical island paradise, just 60 minutes away from Singapore!

Visit us: bintan-resorts.com

bintanresorts

Ultimate Travel Essentials

edited by Lila battis photograph by Levi Brown

2017

Pr o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

What you pack can make your journey a pleasure...or a pain. We road tested hundreds of items to find the absolute best gear on the market. Then we curated our favorite vacation-worthy bags and apparel of the season. The result? A definitive guide to the travel products you need to ensure your next trip is a success.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

49 39

Ultimate Travel Essentials

road– tested

suitcases

sof t- si de d c a r ry- on

The metal shell can withstand the abuse of baggage handling, but it weighs less than eight kilos. Tumi 19 Degree Aluminium Extended Packing Case, $1,395.

We love this bag’s lifetime warranty and locking expansion mechanism for hauling more stuff.

Briggs & Riley Transcend Expandable Spinner, $429.

sof t- si de d c h ec k e d c a s e

smart Su i t c a se

a f f or d a b l e c a r ry- on

h a r d - s i de d c a r ry- on

This behemoth is the toughest bag we’ve tried. It holds a ton, and the red is easy to spot.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel 120 L, $350.

A tech-centric bag that truly delivers, with an app-controlled scale and tracker, plus built-in charging ports.

Raden A28 Check, $395.

There’s a reason many crew members carry this brand: its bags are spacious, wellpriced and nearly indestructible.

Travelpro Platinum Magna 2, $300.

Even when stuffed to the gills, it zips through the terminal—and over rough terrain— with ease. Rimowa Salsa Air, $495.

*Prices throughout are in U.S. dollars and may vary between countries.

C l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p : C o u r t e s y o f T u m i ; C o u r t e s y o f R i m o wa ; C o u r t e s y o f Tr av e l p r o ; C o u r t e s y o f R a d e n ; C o u r t e s y o f Pata g o n i a ; C o u r t e s y o f Br i g g s & R i l e y

h a r d - s i de d c h ec k e d c a s e

road-tested

e di t or s’ fav or i t e

gear for parents

A first-class Sleep Set

C loc kw i se fr o m top le ft: L e v i Brown , P R OP sty l ist : A l ex b r a n n i a n at Art D e part me nt; C o u rtesy of mi fo ld ; C o urtesy of Ba by J o g g er ; C o urtesy o f Ba byB j ör n; Cou rt esy of He r s c h e l S u p ply C ompa n y; M an fre d Koh , PR OP St yl i st : J u d i th Tre z z a with R J B e nne tt R e pr es e nts ; C o urtesy o f Joy M a nga no

A supersoft blanket and matching mask are the coziest, classiest way to nod off at 10,000 meters.

c a r se at

It folds down to a mere 25 by 50 centimeters, so you can use it in cabs or rentals. It works for kids four to 12. Mifold Graband-Go Booster, $45.

Cuyana Baby Alpaca Travel Set, $195. s t rol l e r

This stroller folds up and fits into a backpack-style case you can carry on. Setup is a breeze, and it maneuvers smoothly. Baby Jogger City Tour, $200.

road-tested

packing accessories

mini st e a m e r

Lugg a ge sc a l e

pa c k i ng c u b es

This model is light and packable, but robust enough to quickly eliminate creases. Joy Mangano My Little Steamer Go Mini, $20.

It’s got a bright, easy-to-read screen, shows pounds and kilograms, and charges via USB. Balanzza Mini USB Luggage Scale, $25.

The most ingenious element of this four-piece set? A roll-top dry bag for swimsuits.

Herschel Supply Co. Standard Issue Travel System, $40.

t r av e l c r i b

Unfold the legs and this portable crib is ready to go.

It weighs less than a six-month-old, and it’s way easier to carry. BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, $297.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

41

Ultimate Travel Essentials

road– tested

in-flight essentials

Collapsible bottles tend to start collapsing right when you’re midsip. This one has a sturdy grip sleeve, so it keeps its shape. Nomader Bottle, $22.

e-r e a de r

sheet mask

hand cream

b att e ry

It’s the best product of its kind, with page-turn buttons, lighting that’s glowy, not harsh, and a battery that lasts.

Kindle Oasis, from $290.

SK-II’s masks live up to the hype, leaving skin soft and bright. Bonus: they tend to deter chatty seatmates.

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask,

This thick lotion’s delicate scent and painterly packaging are an instant mood-lifter during a long day of travel. Buly 1803 Pommade Concrète, $46.

It’s thinner than a phone, with built-in micro USB and Lightning cable ports and enough capacity (10,000 mAh) to power multiple gadgets.

Flux Charger Plus, $60.

$17.

Lip Balm

Dab it on chapped lips or cracked cuticles. You can also slick it onto dry, flaky skin after applying lotion to lock in moisture.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $3.

42

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

sleep mask

Not even the fiercest daylight can breach it: the molded cups prevent gaps while keeping pressure off your lids. Bucky 40 Blinks Sleep Mask, $15.

e a r p lugs

n ec k p i l l o w

If you want sweet silence, there’s no beating the classics. Made since 1962, these plugs mold to your ears to seal out every engine drone and infant wail.

Mack’s Silicone Earplugs, $4.

One flight with this funny-looking neck wrap was plenty to convince our skeptical testers. It has a springy internal skeleton that supports your head, so you don’t jerk awake. Trtl, $30.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f N o m a d e r ; C o u r t e s y o f Am a z o n ; C o u r t e s y o f SK - II ; M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ; C o u r t e s y o f F l u x C h a r g e r s ; M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ; C o u r t e s y o f Tr t l ; M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ( 2 )

wat e r bo tt l e

e d i t o r s ’ fav o r i t e

shoes th at go the extr a mile Ten pairs for men and women that are wearable, walkable and will take any ensemble up a notch.

L e v i Br o w n , p r o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

women’s

men’s

1

6

2

7

3

8

4

9

5

10

1/heels

2 / l oa f e r s

3/ t r a i n e r s

4 /S l i des

5/ m u l es

The crimson hue is playful by day, sultry by night.

Manolo Blahnik Maysale mules, $745.

Eel skin keeps this wardrobe staple from feeling basic.

Newbark Melanie loafers, $650.

The all-American color palette is jaunty and a little retro. Nike Cortez sneakers, $70.

A square toe and gently curved upper give these shoes dramatic flair. Rosetta Getty loafer slides, $795.

An angular python flat makes weekend wear look sharp. Alumnae Pointy Almond mules, $875.

6/sl i p - on s

7/s n e a k e r s

8/sl i p p e r s

Pair these crisp white kicks with denim—or even a suit. Hunter Original Lo Canvas sneakers, $105.

For a look that says “I have a library full of first editions.”

Stubbs & Wootton Private Stock slipper, $600.

9/ t e n n i s s hoes

10/ l oa f e r s

So weightless, they’re almost as good as going barefoot (but comfier). Toms Classics, $50.

Sneakers that stand up to sightseeing. Cole Haan GrandPro runner, $150.

These navy suede driving mocs are dapper but not fussy. Tod’s Double T loafers, $595.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

43

Ultimate Travel Essentials

road– tested

fitness + Adventure Gear s p or t pa c k

Hardy, waterproof, and less than 500 grams, this minimalist pack works for short hikes or lengthy excursions.

Hyperlite Summit Pack, $175.

a l l-t e r r a i n sneakers

w or k ou t s e t

f oa m rol l e r

These suspension bands are easy to set up in any location, and the case doubles as a door mount. Monkii MB2 Adventure Kit, $250.

Anyone with muscle tightness needs this 28-centimeter gizmo. It’s skinny enough to work the smallest of areas.

Tiger Tail Roadster, $28.

R esi s ta nc e band

No fitness tool is more portable, and the loops provide even more ways to use it.

TheraBand CLX, from $15.

R a i n ja c k e t

So waterproof you could fall into a lake and not get soaked—yet somehow it’s still breathable.

Columbia OutDry Ex Light Shell, $200.

44

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

s m a r t wat c h

Track heart rate, measure swim pace or use the GPS when you’re lost in a new city.

Apple Watch Series 2, $369.

y o g a m at

Thinner than a coin, with just the right amount of stickiness—and it folds. Manduka Eko Superlite Travel Yoga Mat, $42.

T o p R o w, fr o m L e f t: M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ; C o u r t e s y o f I n o v - 8 ; C o u r t e s y o f H y p e r l i t e M o u n ta i n G e a r . S e c o n d r o w, F r o m L e f t: M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ; C o u r t e s y o f T i g e r Ta i l ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t J u d i t h Tr e z z a . T h i r d R o w, F r o m L e f t: C o u r t e s y o f A p p l e ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a

Take them for a walk in town or a run up a mountain. They’ll keep your feet dry and comfortable. Inov-8 Parkclaw 275 GTX, $150.

1 / pj s e t

Dress up the silk top for daytime wear. Olivia von Halle Lila Six pajamas, $570.

e d i t o r s ’ fav o r i t e

Nine Easy Pieces Streamline packing with a mix-and-match women’s capsule wardrobe.

2 / t r e nc h c oat

It’s functional, classic and goes with everything.

Lacoste gabardine trench, $425.

3 1

2

3/ t- s h i r t

A breezy fabric elevates this basic.

Majestic Filatures Soft Touch tee, $120.

4 /s w i m su i t

Keep it packed­— you never know when you’ll stumble upon an inviting pool. Eres swimsuit, $470.

5/gl a ss es

These specs are shaped to flatter every face. Dolce & Gabbana opticals, $400.

4

6/ j e a n s

Wear-it-anywhere denim in just the right shade. Khaite the Vanessa jeans, $340.

5

L e v i Br o w n , p r o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

7/Sc a r f

Change up the drape to take it from jaunty to ethereal. Hermès fringe scarf, $590.

6

8/ d ay-t o n igh t dr ess

Layered, it’s 90s cool; alone, it’s a slinky going-out look. Protagonist classic slip dress, $450.

9/s w e at e r

Dusty rose feels romantic—and a little retro. Brock Collection Kathleen sweater, $1,890.

9 8 7

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

45

Ultimate Travel Essentials

1/Day-to-night blazer

e d i t o r s ’ fav o r i t e

The cut says business, the color says out-of-office.

Michael Kors flannel blazer, $498.

the Basics, but better

Nine wardrobe staples no man will ever regret packing.

2 / t- s h i r t

1

The fabric is so soft, you won’t want to take it off.

Vince short-sleeve crew, $55.

4

3/su ngl a ss es 2

Burgundy makes a timeless silhouette feel modern.

Emporio Armani sunglasses, $170.

3

4 / PJ S e t

Look sharp, even for room service.

Brooks Brothers pajamas, $99.

5

5/c a n va s ja c k e t

The clean lines and rugged material are ideal for any scenario. A.P.C. Howard jacket, $545.

6/ b e lt

Woven leather will dress up even well-worn denim.

Bottega Veneta belt, $470.

9

These off-duty joggers are relaxed, not sloppy. Brunello Cucinelli comfort trousers, $2,245.

8/s w e at e r 8

6

7

46

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

With jeans, it’s casual. With trousers, it’s polished. Theory Weston cashmere sweater, $425.

9/s w i m w e a r

Structured shorts you can wear into town. Solid & Striped the Kennedy trunks, $138.

L e v i Br o w n , p r o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

7/sweatpants

C l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f F l i g h t 0 0 1 ; C o u r t e s y o f Fa n c i i ; C o u r t e s y o f S k y r o a m T e c h ; M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ( 2 ) ; C o u r t e s y o f B o s e ; C o u r t e s y o f U lt i m at e E a r s WONDE R BOO M ; C o u r t e s y o f G o o g l e ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ; C o u r t e s y o f M i c r o s o f t; C o u r t e s y o f A p p l e ; C o u r t e s y o f HP ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ; C o u r t e s y o f B o s e

Adapter

h u m i di f i e r

This bright, modular unit will cheer up any trip. It comes with a color-coded map so it’s easy to check compatibility.

Flight 001 4-in-1 Adapter, $25.

Pack this when you head to a dry climate. It’s 13 centimeters wide, cordless and ideal for hotel rooms— just screw in any plastic bottle.

Fancii, $24.

road– tested

w i-f i Ho t spot

b lu e t oo t h tracker

Get secure Internet and unlimited data for up to five devices in more than 100 countries with this compact gizmo.

Skyroam Hotspot, $80.

Clip or stick this chip to valuables and never lose your keys again. Or your wallet. Or your kid. (Kidding.

Sorta.) Tile Mate, $25.

Sc r e e n w i p es

These handy cloths provide streak-free disinfecting and come in graphic packaging that’s easy to spot in your bag. Well-Kept Screen Cleansing Towelettes, $6.

I n-E a r H e a dp hon es

Want noise cancellation without the bulk?

These buds dampen exterior sounds better than many full-size models. Bose QC 20, $250.

tech for travel

l a p t op s

Time for an upgrade: the new MacBook Pro is as portable as the Air, but with faster performance, a crisper display, and up to 16GB of RAM. 13-inch MacBook Pro, from $1,300.

This is one sleek machine, with coppery trim and a slim half-inch profile. Fast processing and a 4K touch screen make the device shine. HP Spectre x360, from $1,280.

O v e r-E a r H e a dp hon es

POr ta b l e Speaker

No one beats Bose for noise-canceling headphones.

These are wireless, but come with a cord so you can keep listening when the battery runs out. Bose QC 35, $350.

It’s tougher than it looks: UE’s latest speaker can survive being dropped or drenched. Plus, it weighs less than 500 grams.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, $80.

ta b l e t s

You can finally leave your laptop at home. New iOS 11 functions—like multitasking and file management— make the 10.5-inch iPad Pro a worthy substitute. iPad Pro, from $650, Keyboard, $160.

p hon es

This model is thin and light, but with an expansive, highquality display.

The built-in kickstand makes in-flight use a breeze. Microsoft Surface Pro 4, from $800, and Type Cover, $130.

The supersize Plus won us over with its photo capabilities, like artfully blurred backgrounds in portrait mode and a telephoto camera. iPhone 7 Plus, from $770.

Unmatched battery life, a stellar camera, and Google Assistant make this phone the best Android pick for frequent fliers (it got raves from our Apple loyalists).

Google Pixel, $650.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

47

Ultimate Travel Essentials

road– tested

photo Gear Bu dge t A c t ion c a m

It’s a steal for the price, with a clean, unfussy interface, sharp video and stills, and a longlasting battery. YI 4K Action Camera, $250.

Bu dge t T r i p od

Sm a r t p hon e Lens

P ro A c t ion Cam

The flexible legs are tailor-made for rugged trips. Wrap ’em around a rail or branch—a built-in level helps you shoot straight.

Joby GorillaPod 3K, $80.

A phone case acts as a base so you can quickly switch between macro, wide-angle and telephoto lenses.

Moment lens, from $90.

If you need solid sound and don’t want to futz with waterproof housing, this is a step up from our budget pick.

GoPro Hero5 Black, $400.

I n sta n t Camera

48

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

P ro T r i p od

This little guy weighs less than eight kilos and fits in a carry-on, but can extend to 1.5 meters and support your heaviest DSLR setup. MeFOTO RoadTrip Classic, $200.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f JOBY; C o u r t e s y o f M o m e n t; M a n fr e d K o h , s t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ; C o u r t e s y o f YI T e c h n o l o g y; C o u r t e s y o f M e F OTO ; C o u r t e s y o f F u j i f i l m

This surefire crowd-pleaser takes crisp, scrapbook-worthy snaps. Fujifilm Instax Mini 90, $115.

l a r ge camera bag

A stylishly spare bag that you can kit out to suit your gear. Killspencer Precision Pocket Modular Camera Bag, $750.

Ditch the bag that advertises your expensive gear.

This one looks sharp and travels under the radar.

ONA Leather Prince Street, $389.

camera finder

Picks for every skill level and budget.

$$$$ l e i c a x- u

canon eos m6

It’s waterproof, dustproof and shockproof—so it can go wherever you do, and it has a surprisingly large sensor given its compact proportions. $2,885.

If you plan to take both manual shots and quick snaps with autofocus, snag this mirrorless, 24mp camera. $900.

nov ice

Pa n a s o n i c L u m i x D M C- LX 1 0

f u j i f i l m x-t 2

A high-powered unit for the pros, complete with 4K video recording and stills. $1,800.

A pocket-size camera that takes DSLR-quality photos and 4K video. $600.

sk il l ed

C l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f K i l l s p e n c e r ; M a n fr e d K o h , p r o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ; C o u r t e s y o f L e i c a ; C o u r t e s y o f F u j i f i l m ; C o u r t e s y o f O ly m p u s ; C o u r t e s y o f S o n y; C o u r t e s y o f Pa n a s o n i c ; C o u r t e s y o f C a n o n

small camera bag

O ly m p u s O M - D E - M 1 0 M a r k II

Hobbyists will appreciate its versatility and image stabilization; newbies will love its small, light, retro build. $650.

son y w x220

It’s a big step up from most phones—compare the 10x optical zoom with the iPhone 7 Plus’s 2x—but without a glut of features that’ll overwhelm a newbie. $200.

$

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

49

Ultimate Travel Essentials

e d i t o r s ’ fav o r i t e

Sm a ll Wonders to ca r ry on Mini bags, tags and pouches in buttery leather make an outsize impact.

1 / P ouc h

2 / T ec h k i t

You can fill it with everything you’ll need in-flight and slip it into the seatback pocket.

PB 0110 CM 19, $480.

A sleek case for storing gadgets.

Customize it with add-on inserts.

This Is Ground Mod Tablet 4, $385.

3/ T r av e l wa l l e t

4 / J e w e l ry Case

5/ Lugg a ge ta g

6/Makeup bag

Neatly sort your passport, boarding pass, documents and cash.

Smythson Panama Marshall travel wallet, $595.

The interior has tabs aplenty for keeping your rings, earrings and necklaces tidy.

Cuyana leather jewelry case, $115.

A bright pop of color makes even the most nondescript black bag easy to spot.

Longchamp luggage tag, $29.

Stow your beauty essentials in a smart pouch—in a pinch, it doubles as a clutch. The Daily Edited cosmetic case, $80.

1

2 3

6 5

50

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

L e v i Br o w n , p r o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

4

T o p r o w, fr o m l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f P e t e r T h o m a s R o t h ; C o u r t e s y o f T 3 ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a w i t h R J B e n n e t t R e p r e s e n t s ; C o u r t e s y o f J a o ; M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a . S e c o n d r o w, fr o m l e f t: C o u r t e s y o f M a r v i s ; C o u r t e s y o f T h i n k Pr o d u c t L a b ; C o u r t e s y o f K o h G e n D o ; C o u r t e s y o f E l i z a b e t h Ar d e n . T h i r d r o w, fr o m l e f t: M a n fr e d K o h , Pr o p S t y l i s t: J u d i t h Tr e z z a ; C o u r t e s y o f K i e h l’ s ; C o u r t e s y o f Av è n e ; C o u r t e s y o f K l o r a n e ; C o u r t e s y o f T h e L a u n d r e s s .

road– tested

toiletries

su n sc r e e n

This powder formula is spillproof and won’t leave a ghostly pallor. Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen, $30.

st y l i ng t ool

It auto-detects voltage, so you’ll never have to pack a converter again.

T3 SinglePass Compact Iron, $89.

h a i r b ru s h

Stylists swear by boar bristles for adding shine and bounce.

Mason Pearson Pocket Brush, $120.

Moi st u r i z e r

Sanitizer

This cult favorite goes on thick— slather it on before bed to wake up glowy. Weleda Skin Food, $13.

This spray kills germs, smells good and doesn’t sap your skin of moisture. Jao Refresher, $10.

T r av e l Dry e r

Sephora’s dualspeed dryer is light and tiny, but outperforms even conventional models. Sephora Mini Blast, $26.

T oo t h pa s t e

L i n t rol l e r

fa c e w i p es

E y e S e ru m

The old-fashioned package makes brushing your teeth in the airplane bathroom feel glamorous.

Marvis, $6.

Keep this retractable roller in your bag to make quick work of lint and pet hair.

Flint, $8.

Even waterproof mascara is no match for these hydrating cloths.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths, $39 for 3 packs.

Twist open a capsule to banish bags and dark circles. Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules, $60.

fa c i a l M i st

dry s h a m p oo

Just one spritz takes you from haggard to dewy in an instant. Avène Thermal Spring Water, $9.

Spray it on roots to absorb grease without any residue. Klorane Dry Shampoo, $10.

Sta i n r e mo v e r

st y l i ng cream

Use it as a frizz tamer, beard conditioner, or leave-in treatment.

Kiehl’s Creme with Silk Groom, $16.

Keep a single-use packet in your carry-on in case of red wine spills. The Laundress Stain Solution, $1.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

51

Ultimate Travel Essentials

e d i t o r s ’ fav o r i t e

Bags for a quick getaway

A luxurious weekend escape demands a duffel that’s roomy, yet refined.

1 /c l a ss ic w e e k e n de r

3/C u st om i z a b l e bag

It’s the ideal duffel bag, with buttery leather, a streamlined shape and a forest-green hue that’s perfectly genderneutral. Mansur Gavriel travel bag, $1,195.

Tailor it to your taste and commemorate favorite trips with LV’s new travelinspired patches.

Louis Vuitton Personalization Keepall, $2,200.

2 /c ol l a p s i b l e s at c h e l

It’s structured but unzips and flattens for easy storage.

Interior pouches keep your stuff sorted. Valextra versatile travel bag, $3,950.

2

L e v i Br o w n , p r o p s t y l i s t: A l e x b r a n n i a n at Ar t D e pa r t m e n t

3

1

52

o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

ADVERTORIAL

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei.

Pocket Dynamos Singapore and Brunei are two of Asia's easiest destinations to explore.

Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei.

Gardens

By The Bay, Singapore.

BRUNEI

SINGAPORE

Brunei packs a lot into its tiny dimensions. In the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, the gold-domed Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque dominates the skyline; Istana Nurul Iman—the sultan’s palace—is breathtaking in its scale.

Brunei’s diversity can be witnessed at religious buildings like the Teng Yun Temple and the giant Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, while history and science come to life at the Royal Regalia Museum and the Malay Technology Museum. Find retail therapy at the bustling Gadong Night Market and Tamu Kianggeh, where your palate will be tempted by seafood delights.

Outside of BSB, explore mangrove channels, or take a longtail boat to the stilt villages of Kampong Ayer.

Elsewhere, Ulu Temburong National Park is famed for its thrilling boat rides and canopy viewing walkway.

Other natural manna flourishes at the lovely Tasek Merimbun, Brunei’s largest lake, and the Tasek Lama Recreational Park, which is ideal for hikes and jogging.

Much of the action is in the downtown core. The iconic Marina Bay Sands, with its celebrity restaurants, classy shopping mall and SkyPark—home of the world’s longest elevated swimming pool—towers above the entrance to the Singapore River. Gardens by the Bay offers tranquil respite, the ArtScience Museum hosts high-profile touring exhibits, and the Singapore Flyer is the Red Dot’s 165-meter-high answer to the London Eye. Inland, Boat Quay and Clarke Quay are rich in lively bars and dining venues. No stop in Singapore can skip the malls of Orchard Road or the heritage homes of Emerald Hill, one of the city’s best conservation areas.

Sentosa Island, with its championship golf courses and draws like Universal Studios, is another magnet. A more authentic taste of Singapore life, though, can be found in charismatic neighborhoods like Little India and Chinatown, and on the island’s east coast, a fine place to find chili crab: the delicious de-facto national dish.

IT’S TIME TO TAKE FLIGHT AND VISIT ASEAN’S 10 INCREDIBLE COUNTRIES:

• CAMBODIA • INDONESIA • THAILAND • MALAYSIA • SINGAPORE • BRUNEI • VIETNAM • LAOS • MYANMAR • PHILIPPINES

Chili crab, Singapore.

SEOUL: WHERE KOREAN CELEBRITIES GO TO SHOP M A N Y WOU L D AT T E S T T H AT,

when it comes to shopping in Seoul the areas of Myyeongdong, Apgujeong and Garosugil in Sinsa-dong are often the ones visitors and Seoulites gravitate to.

However, thanks to a number of famous Korean celebrities and respected political figures opting instead to purchase goods at lesser-known, traditional districts and unique boutique stores, shoppers are now provided with more options on where to purchase products that will set trends.

With that in mind, I start my tour off at Seongsu’s hand-made shoe street. Steps away from Seongsu subway station, the area is absolutely packed with larger shoe stores and smaller boutiques where footwear is made-to-order according to individual wishes and tastes, one customer at a time. In fact, that is what makes this area so special. Orders are written down or spoken, giving the experience a much more personal appeal. Presently, there are roughly 500 different establishments related to the art of shoe-making. Visitors can find shops that sell accessories and heels to customize their shoes, as well as stores selling finished shoe designs. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, chances are it simply doesn’t exist.

My journey takes me to 8 Seconds in Seodaemun-gu, near Sinchon Station. The area is close to Hongik University so, needless to say, the shops are brimming with younger crowds. 8 Seconds is

Samsung Fashion’s highstreet brand and was made famous by K-Pop’s superstar G-Dragon. The two teamed up last year for a groundbreaking collaboration, with the shop launching G-Dragon-themed merchandise. G-Dragon worked behind the scenes with designers and merchandisers since April 2016 and even personally contirbuted to the creative and production process.

When it comes to eyewear, Gentle Monster has the market cornered. The brand has attracted all kinds of fans, namely Zion-T, one of the country’s most famous singers. Under the philosophy of “high experimentation”, the shop almost appears like a laboratory in parts, with the first and second floors featuring displays of scientific instrumentation and bottles to lend a really organic feel to the interior. The first display on the second floor features several columns that look almost like ice cream cones with round discs displaying the merchandise. The decor is extremely creative and like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere. Other sections of the store even have hanging artwork and sculptures on display to entertain shoppers. It truly offers a fully immersive shopping experience.

Trendy footwear on display in Seongsu’s shoe district.

Seongsu’s hand-made shoe street.

Museum The entrance to 8 Seconds Artwork installation at Kimchikan. Mapo-gu’s Gentle Monster. in Seodaemun-gu.

**FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.VISITSEOUL.NET

Creative displays of Gentle Monster eyewear.

||

t r av e l s m a rt e r

||

1 Know When to Book

6 10

Airlines often discount flights on Sundays and Tuesdays for travel later that week.

“Including a Saturday-night stay generally results in locking in the lowest ticket prices,” says Expedia spokesperson Alexis Tiacoh.

3 12

2 Compare One-Way Tickets

6 10

Purchasing separate one-way flights on two different carriers can sometimes offer a better value than booking a round-trip ticket.

If you’re traveling internationally, you’ll need to show proof of your return flight at check-in and at border control, so bring printouts of all itineraries and receipts.

i l l u s t r at i o n b y c h o t i k a s o p i ta r c h a s a k

3 12

3 Set Fare Alerts

50 Tips for Smarter

LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL

Putting together a trip on short notice, whether out of impulse or necessity, doesn’t have to break the bank—or you.

Stay calm and check out these savvy suggestions from more than a dozen travel experts on how to plan (and save money on) a perfect spontaneous getaway.

Sign up to receive alerts on Expertflyer.com

or the Hopper app to notify you as soon as seats become available on a particular route, letting you book before others—and score last-minute deals. >>

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

55

5 Look for Combo Deals

While you might pay a little more for the airfare, bundling your flight, hotel, rental car and activities can often reduce the total cost of a spontaneous vacation. Booking. com, Priceline, and Travelocity all offer good-value vacation packages.

6 Use a Consolidator for Foreign Travel “Airfare consolidators sell the types of fares that don’t require advance purchase, but most are on international routes and carry other restrictions, such as being nonrefundable,” says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.

Check out Airline consolidator .com.

7 Get Organized

File away all your flight information, hotel and rental car bookings in one spot with digital

56

8 Train it, Don’t Plane it

Southeast Asia can be easily accessed with overland transport, and trains can be an affordable and more scenic alternative to short-haul or regional flights.

The KTM train from Singapore to Butterworth connects travelers to Malaysia’s gourmet capital, Penang, while Vietnam’s 1,600-kilometer railway links the north of the country, Hanoi, to Saigon in the south.

el

in Low Se

#10

on

Paul Tumpowsky, owner of the travel agency Skylark, says that many firms, like his, have access to seats that don’t show up on airlines’ websites. If you’re finding only skyhigh fares for a trip this weekend, don’t assume that cheaper options aren’t available.

trip planning apps like Trip Case or TripIt. Forward any confirmation emails directly to one email address and the app will create a master itinerary you can access offline and share with others.

as

4 Consult a Specialist

Tr a v

/ upgrade /

11 Pay Attention to Newsletters

Subscribe to e-mails from your favorite airlines to find out about lastminute flight deals. Third-party sites, such as Airfarewatchdog, Scottscheap flights, and the

paid service DealRay will also help you find cheap fares.

12 Be Open to the Unexpected

Google Flights’ Discover Destinations feature lets travelers plug in

You can often get great last-minute deals on destinations that aren’t in high season.

Traveling in Southeast Asia during rainy season (March to October) will be a cooler, less crowded and more economical experience. their preferred travel dates— starting with the current day—and get a list of dozens of destinations that have the best airfare specials.

“Too often, travelers book one part of their trip in a rush, only to discover that the other components don’t fall into place,” she says.

13 Have a Complete Plan

14 Steer Clear of the Business Crowd

Be careful not to book too fast, suggests Julie Danziger, director of luxury travel services at Ovation Vacations. Don’t grab a great deal on a flight before securing your hotel—especially when traveling during high season.

To get the best deals on lastminute fares, avoid Friday evenings and Monday mornings, when business travelers, who often pay premium rates, are frequent fliers.

You’re most likely to find low fares when traveling on

Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

15 Pack Smarter

Type in your destination, trip length and purpose of travel into the handy PackPoint app, and a customized packing and luggage checklist will be created just for you. PackPoint takes into account the weather, potential activities and business events while you’re away, and can also connect to TripIt and Evernote.

9 Check International Travel Sites

“When flying with foreign airlines, it often makes sense to pay in the local currency,” says Brian Kelly, a.k.a. the Points Guy. He notes that you can do that by booking directly with a carrier on its native website—he cites Norwegian as one example—or by using the international sites of Expedia and other aggregators.

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

DRIVING

16 Try a Sharing Service

Car-sharing service Zipcar parked its first Asia-based outlet in Taipei in June this year, while Car2Go, owned

by Daimler, has launched in seven Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Haup, based in Bangkok, has a fleet of cars bookable directly through their app.

17 Search for CarRental Coupons

If you’re heading on a spontaneous road trip, you’ll find that many agencies routinely offer discount codes on their sites, usually for fully prepaid rentals. A recent

where to stay

Hertz promotion

shaved 15 percent off the base rate.

Check to make sure that the offer is valid at your rental location before booking.

18 Use a Discount Aggregator

While car-rental companies will sometimes offer significant discounts on unreserved cars, check out aggregator sites, too. Carrentals. com has some of the best deals, and it allows you to sign up for pricedrop alerts.

20 Rent Your Car to (and from) Others

22 Compare Online Prices

If you prefer to book online, “always compare rates quoted on aggregator sites and booking apps to those on a hotel’s own site,” says miles expert Dave Grossman.

“I’ve seen some amazing deals, but have also seen cases where it would have been significantly cheaper to book directly with the hotel.”

in

W ith You

r

#30

Ho

st

Rather than pay for long-term parking, let your idle car earn you money while you travel by renting it out with a local service.

Carshare.hk has more than 20,000 members in Hong Kong who rent cars from local car-owners, while Rent a Car Club is a peer-to-peer carrenting network based in Thailand.

21 Contact Hotels Directly

Call and ask to speak to the manager or front desk (not the reservations line) to ask for the best available rate.

First check the price listed online for your dates, then ask whether the hotel can do better.

a

Renting a car at the last minute in a major city is notoriously expensive, especially on weekends.

Consider taking public transportation to the suburbs, where name-brand agencies often charge less.

Consider packing light and staying at more than one hotel. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, upgrading to another property with steep day-of price reductions on vacant rooms can be cost-effective.

25 Enlist a Travel Agent

B ar g

19 Cast a Wider Net

24 Be Willing to Hotel-Hop

23 Take Your Chances

Travel sites like Hotwire and Priceline have offers for unnamed hotel properties (and car rentals) that aren’t revealed until you commit to a purchase. Some of their best deals can arrive at the last minute. Put on your blindfold and leave it to fate— you can often be rewarded with as much as 60 percent off published rates.

Sometimes a hotel’s website will indicate no availability for your preferred dates, but a good consultant has the connections to get a last-minute reservation.

26 Become a Member

Online travel agencies, such as Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak, and Hotels.com, give their members extra savings of 10 percent or more on last-minute bookings.

27 Use an App

Find spur-of-themoment hotel deals by using three great apps: HotelTonight can be used to book up to one week ahead of travel and has special Geo Rates that target users

based on their GPS location, One:Night offers same-day bookings for dozens of luxury properties, and Secret Escapes

has last-minute deals for upscale hotels— sometimes as much as 70 percent off published rates.

28 Go Off-Peak

Some cities have visitor patterns that you can work to your advantage.

Seaside spots will be popular for local weekenders, so cheaper to book during the week. If you plan on visiting Asia during Lunar New Year, make sure you book well in advance to beat the celebrating crowd.

29 Install Honey

The Web-browser extension Honey searches the Internet for promo codes to help you save on retail sites such as Amazon, Target and Macy’s.

Its newly launched travel site (honey. travel) offers exclusive discounts of up to 55 percent on hotels.

When booking on Airbnb, you’re dealing directly with the property owner (or renter), and rates can be negotiable, especially if you’re traveling at the last minute. While lowballing could misfire, a reasonably discounted offer might score you some savings. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

57

/ upgrade / table at the most sought-after restaurants. Even if they can’t fulfill your wildest dreams, they will have suggestions for little known or up-and-coming hot spots.

33 Go Early for Dinner

DInING

32 Use Dining Apps

A spontaneous trip means you’ll likely

39 Be Aware of What You’re Getting Not all cruise fares are all-inclusive, so double-check to see what’s excluded. Alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions may be extra. A very cheap cruise might seem attractive— until you add it all up.

In the end, a pricier cruise might be a better option.

40 Keep Checking Prices

36 Consider Breakfast or Brunch Instead of dinner, a meal earlier in the day could be the next-best thing.

Michelin-starred Singapore restaurant Forest, helmed by celebrity chef Sam Leong, is also open for breakfast, with walk-ins welcome.

very least, they may give you a shipboard credit.

41 Call a Travel Agent

As cruising has grown in popularity, many ships now sell out months in advance.

But an industry specialist will have close ties with reservation managers. Ruth Turpin, owner of Cruises Etc., says, “We know whom to call if we need something lastminute, because sometimes the

When booking at the last minute, you may have to take whatever accommodation is available. But if you want a specific

er

P t to r ice D

#44

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

If you can’t nab a table at your desired restaurant, consider seats at the bar or the chef’s counter.

Sometimes bar seats even have privileges like special menus with better pricing. Also make friends with the bartender, who might be able to tell you about offmenu dishes.

“When you dine midweek, there’s more availability, and the restaurant will appreciate your business. I have a restaurant-owner friend who always says, ‘If you want to show me how much you love my restaurant, show up on a Tuesday, not a Saturday when we’re slammed.’ ” — CAROLINE POT TER, OPENTABLE

43 Download the Cruise Finder App

cruise lines hold back cabins for last-minute issues.”

42 Confirm Your Cabin Choice

37 Sit at the Bar

38 Embrace Tuesday as the New Saturday

CRUISING

ps

58

Whether or not you receive Groupon’s subscriptionbased offers in your home city, taking advantage of its dining deals in your destination is an easy way to help with the cost of your vacation.

Southeast Asia’s Fave offers deals throughout Malaysia,

Hotel concierges have the connections to help you score a

ro

If you find your cabin offered for a lower rate after you’ve paid for it, call the cruise company to see if it will refund you the difference. At the

35 Sign Up for Discounts

34 Ask Your Concierge

l

When in doubt of where to eat, the best indication of a local hotspot is a crowded restaurant or queue outside the door. Join the line and ask the people in front for their menu must-eats.

be unable to get reservations at the city’s hottest restaurants.

Openrice is the go-to booking app for reservations in dozens of places around Asia, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, China, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Be A

31 Follow the Crowd

Walk-ins are often accommodated late in the afternoon, and reservations at buzzy restaurants are more plentiful then, too. “Plus you’ll experience a more leisurely meal,” says Caroline Potter, chief dining officer at OpenTable, “and the restaurant is less likely to have run out of any specials.”

Indonesia and Singapore.

cabin, “make sure your confirmation shows the room number.

Sometimes it will say ‘GTY,’ which means ‘guarantee’ for a specific

category, such as ocean-view or interior room or balcony,” says Liz Sadie Sutton, president of Alabama World Travel.

Though it’s best to book cruises well in advance, this app from iCruise has a deals feature for last-minute sailings. A recent search shows us a five-night cruise in Vietnam with Royal Caribbean in an ocean-view room for US$507 per person, just a week ahead of travel.

The cruise lines’ websites and social media are a timely place to look for deals, as they will slash prices to fill the boat. Also check CheapCaribbean, and follow Last Minute Cruises on Twitter for fare sales. You can also track fare fluctuations on Cruise Critic’s Price Drop feature, and sign up for notifications.

/ upgrade /

activities 45 Trust the Locals

If you’re traveling on a whim, chances are you haven’t had time to properly research the must-do activities in your destination, let alone where to shop, take the kids to a playground, or find a babysitter.

Don’t hesitate to ask shop owners and waiters for recommendations.

And if you’re staying in an Airbnb property, your host can be an invaluable resource.

47 Book a Private

Tour Tickets to popular attractions, such as the Sagrada Família, in Barcelona, or Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, in Milan, can sell out weeks in advance. You may still be able to gain access by booking a private tour, says Michael Brozek, a destination manager for American Express Travel. Context Travel, which operates in more than 40 cities globally, gives private tours and can access many top attractions.

48 Look on Social Media for Discounts Follow your favorite tour operators, hotels and airlines on social media, where they’ll often post flash sales and last-minute

deals. “If space becomes available in a popular destination, we’ll share the opportunity with our social community first,” says Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey Kent.

Also search Twitter for “last minute travel deal.”

49 Rent Your Own Yacht

Nowboat is an online marketplace for thousands of sea adventures around the world, and a convenient place to look for yacht charters, snorkeling trips and boat tours.

Airbnb also offer water-based rentals, from traditional Indonesian phinisi boats in Bali to luxury catamarans off Thailand’s most picturesque beaches.

Loo

n r C a cell a

#50

ns

60

fo

t io

If you’ve flown on short notice to, say, a celebration or work event and you need your hair, nails or makeup done, Vanitee is a Singapore beauty app that connects you to local hair stylists, makeup artists and nail technicians that you can book in an instant, and can even have come to your hotel or Airbnb.

k

46 Hire a Stylist for House Calls

Group-tour operators, such as Abercrombie & Kent, Butterfield & Robinson and Wild Frontiers, often have openings at the last minute.

Expeditions to bucket-list destinations often sell out far in advance, but check for cancellations, especially around the holidays.

Compiled by Talia Avakian, eloise basuki, Christopher Elliott, Mel anie Lieberman, Jess McHugh, John Scarpinato, Emma Stoneall, Christopher Tk acz yk and Shivani Vor a.

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

LET’S CONNECT W W W.TR AVEL ANDLEISUREASIA.COM

TR AVELLEISUREASIA

@TR AVLEISUREASIA

@TR AVELANDLEISUREASIA

/ upgrade /

DEALS | t+l reader specials

This month brings fun diversions in some of Asia’s greatest cities, like eating your way through Tokyo or strolling Beijing’s arty side.

Want to flee the urban jungle? There are beaches, too.

CITY TOKYO

Palace Hotel Whether you’re a foodie, a shopper, a museum buff or all of the above, this five-night package has you covered.

When it comes to sightseeing, you’ll get a half-day bespoke city tour tailored to your interests; a half-day foodie excursion with Tokyo insiders; two tickets to either the Edo-Tokyo Museum or the Sumida Hokusai Museum; and an intro lesson on Japanese taiko drumming. At the hotel, enjoy club lounge access and privileges; two 90-minute spa treatments; a prix-fixe dinner for two; a chocolate and champagne tasting at their Jazz bar; and a gift of the hotel’s signature Pure Tranquility essential oil to take home. The Deal Celebrating Tokyo: five nights in a Deluxe room, from ¥785,000 for two, through December 18. en. palacehoteltokyo.com.

The Opposite House atrium.

SUPERSAVER

Renaissance Koh Samui Resort and Spa What’s better than a private pool villa? A private pool villa that is part of a luxe beachside resort on Koh Samui. With this package, go full-on vacation mode with villa accommodation, daily breakfast and a complimentary aromatherapy massage for two. Even better, you’ll only have to pay for two of the three nights you stay. The Deal Stay 3, Pay 2: a night in a Private Pool villa, from Bt7,700 for two, through December 15.

62

october 2017 / t r av el a ndleisur e asia .com

HONG KONG

Hotel Icon Sisters, mothers and daughters, colleagues, and

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f T h e o p p o s i t e h o u s e ; c o u r t e s y o f r e n a i s s a n c e k o h s a m u i r e s o r t a n d s pa

BEIJING

The Opposite House With its fascinating mix of old and new, East and West, Beijing is a city waiting to be uncovered. Allow this art hotel, designed by Japan’s Kengo Kuma, to be your gateway to the dynamic capital. This package includes a day tour with a private guide and driver through the city’s historic sites and happening art districts.

Choose three iconic destinations to discover from a list that includes sites like Jin Shan Park and Caochangdi art village. You’ll also get daily breakfast in their muraladorned café and a complimentary room upgrade.

The Deal Ni Hao Beijing: a night in a Studio 45 room, from RMB3,300 for two, through December 31. theoppositehouse.com.

besties listen up: this stylish eco hotel is offering the ultimate girls’ getaway package, and it involves chocolate and spa time.

Located in energetic Tsim Sha Tsui, with shopping and sightseeing aplenty, Hotel Icon boasts sleek rooms that exude luxury. With this two-night package get round-trip airport transfers in a Tesla; a chocolate welcome platter; free copies of some leading women’s magazines; an afternoon tea session; and spa amenities from their Angsana Spa, complete with body massages and facial treatments. The Deal City Girl Getaway: two nights in a Deluxe room, from HK$8,340 for two, through December 30.

Apply promo code “LADIES” when booking. hotel-icon.com.

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f A n a n ta r a P e a c e H av e n Ta n g a l l e R e s o r t

KUALA LUMPUR

Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara This new hotel is raising the bar of luxury in Kuala Lumpur.

It boasts a design that blends French sophistication with traditional Malaysian charm— think sleek contemporary appliances (the freestanding bathtub is gorgeous) and teak furnishing accents. Their sky-high pool, along with most other areas of the hotel, offers unbeatable views of the capital. This opening special, which gets you discounted room rates and a sumptuous breakfast for two, gives you the perfect reason to see the space for yourself. The Deal Exclusive Opening Offer: a night in a Luxury room, from RM399 for two, through December 1. sofitel.com.

charm remains. With this package, make yourself at home in one of their luxurious suites for 30 percent off.

Explore more of Singapore’s historic sites with the help of the self-guided walking trail map they provide, and look forward to getting back to your not-so-humble abode, which is adorned with pampering L’Occitane toiletries. The Deal Weekend Heritage Adventures: a night in a Cutler suite, from S$295, through December 31. the-ascott.com.

BEACH HUA HIN

X2 Hua Hin Oasis Increasingly happening Hua Hin has just welcomed this all-villa resort that will be perfect for a city escape with friends.

Nestled within lush farmland away from the city center, the resort’s 23 villas all boast private pools and full kitchens, encapsulating a “home away from home” concept. This two-night package gets you and five friends daily breakfast, and an in-villa seafood barbecue dinner. You’ll also be

welcomed with complimentary cocktails and canapés, and have access to the resort’s Clubhouse, which features a sweet café, a bar and meeting rooms. The Deal Opening Special: two nights in an Joyful villa, from Bt23,000 for six, through February 28, 2018. x2resorts.com.

SPA SRI LANKA

Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort Between a coconut planation and a piece of pristine golden beach, this new resort gives way to some of Sri Lanka’s most awe-inspiring Indian Ocean views. It’ll suit as the perfect relaxing locale for you to kick-start your health journey. This two-night wellness package includes daily breakfast, two healthy lunches and fresh pressed juices, two spa therapies, and two holistic activities (think yoga and tai chi) for two people. You’ll also get 15 percent off food services and a la carte spa treatments.

The Deal Wellbeing Retreat: a

night in a Deluxe room, from US$245 for two, through January 31, 2018. tangalle. anantara.com.

VIETNAM

Evason Ana Mandara This hotel, downtown Nha Trang’s only beachside resort, sits just off the buzzy city’s main drag. With ocean views to kill and a world-renowned spa, this spot screams relaxation.

Help them celebrate their 20th birthday with this package and get a dining credit of US$20 per night, and 20 percent off mini bar goodies; spa treatments; laundry services; and private flying yoga and cooking classes. So don’t hold back on that second poolside coconut—but make sure to leave room for a feast of Vietnamese fare at the resort’s street food market that offers authentic dishes from royal cuisine to bowls of steaming pho. The Deal Twentieth Anniversary Special Offer: two nights in a Garden View room, from US$199 for two, through December 22. sixsenses.com.

—veronica inveen

Spa quarters at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort.

SINGAPORE

Ascott Raffles Place Singapore These serviced apartments are set in an architectural icon that was the tallest building in Southeast Asia in the 1950s.

Today the building has been refashioned to fit the modern traveler, but its Art Deco

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

63

See more of your friends, more often.

Created exclusively for American Express® Platinum Reserve and Platinum Credit Card Members.

Enjoy up to 50% savings* on your total food bill at our exciting restaurant partners such as

Search | amex.co/diningcards or visit any American Express Booth at ION Orchard and VivoCity to apply. Alternatively, please call 6298 2635.

*Card Members and/or their guest(s) have to each order a qualifying main course to enjoy the varying savings.

For full programme Terms and Conditions, please refer to amex.co/lovediningrestaurantstnc and amex.co/lovedininghotelstnc.

American Express International Inc., (UEN S68FC1878J) 20 (West) Pasir Panjang Road #08-00, Mapletree Business City, Singapore 117439. americanexpress.com.sg Incorporated with Limited Liability in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. ® Registered Trademark of American Express Company. © Copyright 2017 American Express Company.

SHINSUKE M ATSUKAWA

Morning catch at Tsukiji Market, in Tokyo, page 78.

/ october 2017 / An epic journey to Mrauk-U, a mystical land

of hidden temples in Burma | Gorging on Tokyo’s diverse izakaya culture | An unlikely haven for the arts in Sweden | The essence of Costa Rica is la pura vida

65

Novice monks at Shwe Han Thar Monastery.

OPPOSITE: Sanda Muni Phara Gri Kyaung Taik monastery and temple.

66 

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Secret P h o t o g r a p he d b y J o n at h a n P o z n i a k

Kingdom

Far in northwestern Burma was the ancient civilization of Mrauk-U, filled with majestic temples and a little-known history still buried in the jungle. R on Gluckman walks among the wonders.

Clockwise from above: River prawns are a Rakhine staple; carvings at Koe

Thaung Temple; an astrologer’s book at Mahamuni Buddha Temple in Kyauktaw Township; Mrauk U Princess Resort; a fisherman with his haul on the Lay Myo River; Shitthaung Temple; Sanda Muni Phara Gri Kyaung Taik.

First views of Mrauk-U have a mirage-like quality, whether the brown stone pagodas and bellshaped stupas gradually materialize from the mist as you boat up the murky Kaladan River, or pop up suddenly like unexpected treasure in a jungle clearing, after one bounces wearily along the new road from Sittwe in northwestern Burma. Either way, dozens of breathtaking relics pack a lush riverside valley, with more monuments dotting hillsides in every direction, marking this as one of Southeast Asia’s great ancient kingdoms.

Burma’s Bagan, to the east, and Cambodia’s Angkor are older and more famous, but Mrauk-U has immense Indiana Jones appeal, crumbling temples and unexplored mounds abounding for kilometers around this lost city.

And there are massive bragging rights for the fewer than 5,000 foreign visitors who ramble to this remote site in Rakhine State each year. With more than two million tourists annually, Angkor sees more visitors on an average day.

Photographer Jonathan Pozniak and I have magical Mrauk-U mainly to ourselves, except for giggling, resplendently robed novices who share sunrises at hilltop monasteries, stray cows, locals pumping water from public wells and students in crisp uniforms cycling home from class—all unaffected by the evocative monuments surrounding them.

Borobudur may be more elegant, Angkor Wat more immense, but nowhere in decades of travel around Asia have I encountered such an eclectic array of ancient temples. There are many quixotic creations, like Htukkanthein, a bulky complex of bell-shaped stupas set atop what looks more like a fortress than religious structure. Scant excavation has been done, but some estimate as many as 700 ancient structures remain around Mrauk-U, most unexplored. We hike to forlorn pagodas atop grassy hilltops that seem untouched in centuries, guarded by stone dogs and other animals.

Most visitors start at Mrauk-U’s northern group, which has the most structures, including Shitthaung, a true tour de force layered with several terraces. On the first sits a row of stately bell stupas, identically precise, like carved chess pieces, each taller than a man, composed of tonnes of stone. Higher above are even larger stupas, surrounding Shitthaung’s centerpiece, a gorgeous pagoda also bell-shaped but topped with the complex’s sole spire, pointing skyward. Shitthaung t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

69

It’s ethereal, more so considering it’s totally deserted

Koe Thaung stupas.

Opposite: A Chin woman

in Panpoung village, with traditional face tattoos.

70

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Artist J. Loca at Med Street Art’s gallery.

Opposite: A view of the city from the Gaudídesigned Park Güell, on Carmel Hill.

(built in 1535) is perched on a hill overlooking the major plain at Mrauk-U, and its back wall boasts exquisite arch cutouts, today perfect for framing pictures of the valley and temples below. We could spend hours marveling at the architecture.

But don’t forget that Shitthaung means not only “Temple of Victory,” but also “Temple of 80,000 Buddha Images.” Inside are chamber after chamber of beautiful Buddha renderings, set in niches above meticulously detailed stonework. After spending hours in this artistically designed complex, Jonathan has shot hundreds of pictures, and we happily compare images of what we agree must be an unrivaled architectural gem.

And then we reach distant Koe Thaung Temple. The name—“Temple of 90,000 Buddha Images”—says it all, almost in an ancient one-upsmanship of devotion. Alone, at the end of flat, dusty track, Koe Thaung (built a few years later in 1553) looks fort-like at first view, a massive building layered with terraces, atop rows of stone columns. Moving closer, we discover the columns are rings of hundreds of Buddhist stupas. There is only one large pagoda on this imposing structure, but inside is a treasure trove: Buddha images in every size and grouping.

How fleeting are our affections. Shitthaung is quickly upstaged. I like Koe Thaung’s inner chambers, a series of idyllic stone gardens. Sculptures, each carved with fascinating facial details, sit in niches, moldy greenery adding a timeless quality. Sunlight flickers atmospherically from above: locals say there were formerly nine terraces, but they collapsed over the centuries from the weight of all the statues. I’m so mesmerized by the stone heads that at first I miss how even the walls are carved: hand-chiseled stone wallpaper of images of Buddha. It’s ethereal; more so considering it’s totally deserted, except for us, and the man carving stone statues outside. That’s another Mrauk-U marvel— only one trinket vendor in sight.

Mrauk-U can seem desolate, but in a special way, and rarely for long. As we depart, a motorbike pulls up: a young couple hops off, and snaps selfies. A workman slowly ambles past, long pipe wobbling on his shoulder.

Behind him appears a woman, basket of vegetables on her head. Returning to the main temple area, we pass rice fields, blazing green amid yellowing grass and baked orange clay roads. Then Jonathan dashes off to photograph wrestlers practicing Kyun, a sport unique to Rakhine state. A bit like sumo or Mongolian wrestling, it’s celebrated in a big yearly festival, and Kyun figures can be seen on ancient carvings at some Mrauk-U temples.

That’s another wonderful contrast to abandoned sites like Burma’s iconic Bagan, with its sprawling mass of temples. Mrauk-U is not only more compact, but bounded by villages. And, while the majesty of Mrauk-U may have been buried for centuries, life has returned, even as the mysteries remain.

Those mysteries are enormous. During its heyday 500 years ago, Mrauk-U had a navy of 10,000 small, fast boats that dominated the Bay of Bengal coast to

72

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Chittagong in Bangladesh, and down to Tenasserim in southeastern Burma. A major trading port, Mrauk-U welcomed dignitaries from Europe, employing entire battalions of Japanese and Portuguese mercenaries. One of the world’s great cities in its prime, Mrauk-U’s stately temples, intricate stone carvings and evocative architecture put it on a map of regional capitals like Bagan, Ayutthaya and Angkor.

All rose to greatness, but were eventually sacked or abandoned.

Yet only Mrauk-U vanished with virtually no trace, and little record.

“It’s an amazing story,” says Jacques Leider, a renowned Burma scholar and one of the world’s few experts on Mrauk-U. “In the first millennium, we see remains north of Mrauk-U: coins, carvings, very sophisticated items. People were living there, and nobody really knows who they were.

“There has been no major archeological work done in Mrauk-U,” adds Leider, from the French Institute of Asian Studies in Rangoon. “It’s like taking a spoon and scratching the surface. There is so much to be done.”

Rectifying and redefining MraukU’s role in the region has been on the agenda of a wide range of local heritage advocates, national officials, and academics, but restoring Mrauk-U to glory has been a convoluted process. Despite official policy to promote tourism, Mrauk-U has more often than not been closed to visitors in the two decades since it first opened to tourism. My own effort to visit Mrauk-U had been stymied for years, though not always because of government restrictions.

Riots and mass burning of Muslim villages became headline news in 2012—many called it genocide. Yet ethnic conflict in this turbulent region predates Burma’s independence. While fighting has never spilled over to Mrauk-U, in August the conflict flared up again in Rakhine state.

To further complicate matters, as I found in my visit, there is little agreement among officials, academics and local heritage groups

Clockwise from top: Myatazaung

Pagoda; girls at the Guwa Temple of carved Buddhas; Mrauk U Princess Resort; fishing is a family affair on the Lay Myo River; blue eggs at Mrauk-U Central Market.

about exactly what form the promotion of Mrauk-U should take, or even the genuine storyline of its incredible history. All of this only adds to the allure.

Left in ruins and rubble, and covered by jungle, the site sat abandoned until its rediscovery in the 1960s, according to guide and local historian Kyaw Hla Maung.

Although 62 years old, he wears his hair shoulder length, sports tank tops, and is greeted by everyone like a local rock star. So, it’s no surprise that when he meets us in the Rakhine capital of Sittwe, he says: “Call me Rocky.”

Like most around Mrauk-U, he proudly proclaims himself an Arakanese. These are the people who populated the kingdom that included Mrauk-U, along with a variety of even older sites going back thousands of years more. They trace their origins to Dhanyawadi, an early Arakan kingdom that dates to 3500 B.C. Near Mrauk-U, it had brick walls and a wide moat, parts of which remain visible. Legend says Buddha visited around 554 B.C., and the defining Arakanese treasure is the Mahamuni. Arakan King Sanda Thuriya had an image cast of Buddha—among only five reportedly made in Buddha’s lifetime. Two are in India, two supposedly in paradise, and the last was moved to Mandalay.

This could be a parable for the uneasy relationship between the Arakanese and the ruling Burmese. The Arakanese represent perhaps 5 to 6 percent of Burma’s population, and complain about a lack of recognition for their history and culture. Local heritage groups decry the poor preservation at Mrauk-U, and being shut out of the process. “This area is filled with history, but there has

Legend says Buddha visited in 554 B.C.

Wrestlers outside Lay Myet Hna pagoda

74

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

been little study and excavation,” says Than Myint of the Mrauk-U Heritage Trust. “And what little restoration has been done includes so many mistakes.”

Daw Khin Than, a curator, and wife of the former head of the local government archeology department, says contractors with no supervision simply slapped concrete on temples, altering architectural integrity.

“There has been so much damage by people with no knowledge,” she says.

“There are so many things in Mrauk-U to show the world: not just the temples, but ancient city walls, and moats. We could dig it up, if they let us.” The ethnic issue unquestionably stymies progress.

“The government doesn’t support us.”

The story of unified Burma, and a grand civilization centered around ancient cities like Bagan, is challenged by a different kingdom that actually outlasted Bagan. And the Arakanese not only built grand Buddhist temples, but also forged a prosperous multi-ethnic society that included Indian Muslims and Christian traders.

We visit a couple sites that, halfa-millennium ago, hosted large European settlements. Little remains at Daingri Phet, the former port, but Bhaung Dwat still has stone walls where the Dutch had offices and a large settlement in the 1600s. Few visit the ruins, and likewise Vesali, where a magnificent Buddha image from the year 329 sits only six kilometers from Mrauk-U. Around Mrauk-U are numerous attractions, most hosting even fewer visitors than the temples. One popular daytrip is a boating expedition to Chin villages. One of the major ethnic groups in Burma, the Chin are famous for women sporting massive earrings, and tattoos, often covering their faces.

The explanations vary from protecting local women, of renowned beauty, from being stolen away, to avoiding incestuous liaisons.

These days, few women opt for the traditional tattoos, but several old-timers pose for pictures in a village where weaving is also sold.

GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT HOTEL 392 Havelock Road, Singapore 169663 T +65 6733 0880 E enquiry.gcw@millenniumhotels.com W www.grandcopthorne.com.sg or www.celebrateatgcw.com

For enquiries, please call +65 6233 1390 or email sales.gcw@millenniumhotels.com.

It doesn’t just happen in the movies.

ELEGANCE • MODERNITY • EXTRAVAGANCE

Early morning on the Kaladan River.

Much of it seems incongruously designed for tourists, but the journey itself is worth the price of passage, on a longtail boat that slowly winds upriver through bustling villages where life remains unquestionably authentic.

We keep passing long lines of connected bamboo rafts, and I speculate on what they are transporting. All seem empty. Rocky solves the riddle: “They have wood underneath, in the river. They are taking it to building sites, but if the government doesn’t see it, they cannot tax it.” These don’t fit the profile of pirates. Everyone we pass is uniformly friendly, eager to engage. As we putter alongside a pair of shirtless men, for example, one reaches into his boat and pulls up huge river prawns, posing proudly for photos.

“This is definitely a highlight of the entire trip,” says Dave, a visitor from Sydney who we meet in a Chin village. “I’ve been to Burma many times before, but it’s so

nice to get away from the tourists and see how people live.” Moving beyond the well-trod tourist track of Rangoon-Mandalay-Bagan is a major appeal of Mrauk-U, says Gerben Bloemendaal, managing director of destination management company ASIA DMC Myanmar. The company offers a variety of trips that include Mrauk-U, from private boat tours to a grueling eight-day trek from Bagan. “Most people are looking to do something different,” he says.

Reaching this majestic, mythical kingdom represents a personal milestone for me, the culmination of a nearly five-year quest exploring the long coast of Burma. Much of the journey was along wonderful stretches of beach and unvisited islands, in the first months after travel restrictions were being lifted.

After 25 years of travel around this remarkable country, I found it refreshing to visit so many places untouched by tourism, where the local welcome was as boisterous as on my first visits, but Mrauk-U was still off-limits at the time.

We watch our last sunset from a hilltop, and as golden light sweeps over the temples, shadows lengthen and shift, as do my questions. I’m reminded of those first views of Mrauk-U, filled with disbelief as the intriguing stupas emerged from the mist. Even after touring this mesmerizing site, I feel the myths remain buried like treasure, just waiting for the time to reveal all.

The details GETTING THERE An airport has been planned for Mrauk-U, but for now the only option is to fly first to Sittwe, via one of a half-dozen daily flights from Rangoon.

From Sittwe’s dock, boats leave daily at 7 a.m. for the seven-to-10–hour river journey. The cheap public boats are atmospheric with intriguing insights and aromas of local life, but they are rickety, so you might want to splurge for one of the private wooden boats provided by travel agencies.

Travel agents can also arrange pickup service from the airport, and it’s now only three hours by the new road from Sittwe all the way to Mrauk-U.

76

Most visitors to Burma require a visa, which can be obtained in advance from embassies or through travel agencies. As part of the recent reforms, Burma now offers reliable online visa service (evisa.moip.gov. mm), with approval generally given within one to two days. hOtel Tourist facilities are basic in Mrauk-U, with one sumptuous exception: Mrauk U Princess Resort. A member of the Secret Retreats collection, two-dozen spacious wooden villas are set around a lotusfilled lake. The resort offers packages that include pickup from Sittwe (by

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

private boat or vehicle), touring and pack lunches for the temples. The restaurant is fantastic; go off-menu and ask the Shan chef to whip up spicy Shan specialties. mraukuprincess. com; villas from US$240.

TOUR ASIA DMC Myanmar, a bespoke-tour company with offices around Asia, arranged this trip. The package included pickup from Sittwe; guided service around the temples by Rocky; side trips to the old Dutch settlement and other ancient towns; and the boat trip to the Chin village. asiadmc.com; a three-day tour is US$350 per person based on a two-person booking.

ADVERTISEMENT

Souq Waqif.

Desert Landscape.

Museum of Islamic Art.

Hamad International Airport.

STOP AND SMELL THE SPICES

If you’re still thinking of Doha as just a place to change planes, you’re missing out.

IN H A BIT E D SIN CE T H E FO U RT H CE N T U RY BC and with an airport ranked sixth in the world, Qatar is a dizzying mix of ancient culture and luxurious modern comfort. Just 15 minutes’ drive from palatial Hamad International Airport awaits a sophisticated urban metropolis full of enchanting Arabic tradition. With newly relaxed entry rules for visitors, now is the time to explore!

Beyond its stunningly patterned domed atrium, the Museum of Islamic Art houses ceramics, metalwork, manuscripts and textiles dating back to the seventh century. Delve a little deeper into the treasures with interactive tours, talks and workshops.

At Doha’s waterfront, Souq Waqif has been painstakingly restored to its historic glory. Get lost in the city’s ancient market with its exotic spices and dazzling trinkets, and pick out unique souvenirs as you snack on syrup-soaked kunafeh.

Ocean meets desert at Khor Al Adaid. In this UNESCOrecognized natural reserve, a creek flanked by salt-encrusted sand flats boasts its own ecosystem, and silvery dunes lure thrill-seekers. Spend nights beneath the stars and days spotting rare turtles and nesting ospreys, or hit the dunes for off-road 4x4 action and sand-boarding.

For more information, see www.visitqatar.qa.

Whether you’re coming to Qatar for its rich culture, unique shopportunities or otherworldly scenery, it’s now easier than ever to experience a true taste of the Middle East. All travelers on Qatar Airways enjoy a free transit visa for up to 96 hours when you apply at www.qatarvisaservice.com. And, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong are among the 80 countries whose passport holders are eligible for a visa waiver upon arrival in Qatar, valid for 30 days on single or multiple trips. From ancient wonders to natural beauties, there’s so much to Qatar, so transform your transit with a visit soon!

FOR TOUR PACKAGES, CONTACT THE EXPERTS: Singapore 1. Chan Brothers Travel (+65 6212 9660) 2. CTC Holidays (+65 6216 3456) 3. Country Holidays Travel (+65 6334 6120) 4. Broadway Travel (+65 6732 0990) 5. Azza Travel (+65 6292 7110) 6. Jetabout Holidays (+65 6734 1818)

7. Prime Holidays (+65 6291 3322) 8. Shahidah Travel (+65 6291 4555) Malaysia 1. CIT Travel (+603 2091 9988) 2. Apple Signature (+603 2143 3939) 3. Malaysian Harmony (+603 2145 4226) 4. Vic-Aire (+603 2141 9633)

I n v e n t i v e

I z a k a y a

Tokyo’s chefs are rethinking the archetypal izakaya in mad, delicious ways.

D i a n a Hubbel l joins a team of some of Hong Kong’s top restaurateurs on an epic food crawl through the best of the old and the new.

Photographed by S h i n s uk e M at s uk awa

Chef Jowett Yu (left) toasts the team at Jump, a traditional frills-free izakaya.

Opposite: Seared octopus on top of garlicky potato purée at Atelier Fujita.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

79

“

This is how you know the hipsters have won— they have avocado toast here,

”

quips Syed Asim Hussain. Yes, the two principle ingredients are present and accounted for, but the resemblance ends there. Beside the baguette rounds sits a ramekin full of the fattiest, freshest negitoro you ever did see, mixed with buttery fruit flesh topped with briny roe for a piscine riff on guac that is anything but basic.

It’s in fine company, surrounded by other plates of pseudo-junk food that sound simpler than they are, from tempura prawns dunked in liquid onsen yolk to mackerel blowtorched tableside until the skin curls while the barely pickled meat stays cool. The surprise bombshells of the bunch are deep-fried, candied bites of what one diner dubs “corn brûlée,” which taste like they escaped from the Iowa state fair and made it to the big city. While the flavors are sophisticated, the setting is anything but. At Shirube, a rowdy izakaya hidden by the rail tracks in Shibuya, Tokyo’s salarymen are blowing off steam at full decibel level. Around my table sit restaurateurs Asim and Christopher Mark, and chefs Jowett Yu and Shun Sato.

“Everywhere else, you have to keep your voice down, but here, the louder the better,” Jowett yells as another round of highballs shows up. “An izakaya is a democratic space with few inhibitions.”

As the executive chef at Ho Lee Fook, Jowett draws Hong Kongers to SoHo in droves for his fresh look at their own cuisine. Since 2016, Shun

Sato, inked in a tapestry of tattoos and veteran of some of Tokyo’s better kitchens, including Joël Robuchon’s Michelin darling, has been working with him to prep for his own star debut.

We’re here because a new izakaya, one that combines the visions of these four men, is taking shape. In the five years since Chris, a former executive chef at high-profile kitchens from Tokyo to Shanghai, and Asim, who left a successful career in finance to enter the business, launched Black Sheep Restaurants, they’ve made their mark on Hong Kong’s dining scene with more than a dozen eateries such as Ho Lee Fook, Maison Libanaise, and Belon. This year they opened New Punjab Club, a tandoori grill headed by Michelin-starred chef Palash Mitra, and Osteria Marzia, a coastal Italian in Wanchai’s boutique hotel, The Fleming.

This crew’s appetite for culinary anthropology can only be sated at the source. That’s why they’ve organized a truly gluttonous field trip to Tokyo.

The mission: nine restaurants in four days. The hit-list spans from fine-dining eateries to bare bones drinking dens. We’ll test the capacity of stomachs and fortitude of livers in an effort to distill the concept of an izakaya to its essence, to dissect it and then assemble something new from the pieces.

“The classic izakaya is simple.

The kanji for ‘izakaya’ translates as ‘stay’ and ‘sake house,’” Shun

Tempura uni-shiso sandwich at Tempura Mikawa. below: The Black Sheep gang: Shun Sato, Jowett Yu, Syed Asim Hussain and Christopher Mark. Opposite from far left: Fresh wasabi root at Tsukiji Market; the tasting menu at Tempura Mikawa; chicken sashimi topped with egg yolk at Lanterne.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

81

a a n d i e z m a o k c a r y a a t i i c s s p a c e 82 

w i t h f e w i n h i b i t i o n s

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Nigiri of fried sardine with mustard, tuna with green onion sauce, and mackerel with seaweed sauce at Kagurazaka GiroGiro.

says. “Now, some Japanese chefs are changing what the concept means— think of it as neo-izakayas.”

In a land where the simplest of dishes are steeped in centuries of history, where there is often a clear right and wrong way to do things in gastronomic spheres, izakayas have always been different, in part because of their informality.

Thought to have first appeared in the Edo Period, the earliest forms of these “drinking houses” were sake shops, or sakaya, that realized they could make more money by inviting customers to sip inside instead of lurking on the street. Their roster of salty, fatty, umami-loaded, charcoal-smoky or straight raw dishes evolved to complement all the booze and quickly became an equally critical part of the equation. Today, Tokyo boasts thousands of izakayas, where chefs can choose to keep it simple or get a little weird.

Somewhere in the middle is Kaikaya by the Sea, playing fast and loose with borders on items like what the menu describes as “Another-style sashimi,” dolled up with pesto like an Italian crudo or lemongrass, green chillies and fish sauce for a Vietnamese spin. The sign outside this bumper stickerbedecked neighborhood fixture since 1985 reads: we do not have any “stars” from the famous “m” or “z” guide. we are just an izakaya, after all. however, you may find that we do not f@#k around with the quality of our food.

“The owner’s obsessed with surfing,” Chris says of Teruyuki Tange, a beach bum who loves the sea and everything swimming in it.

“Places like this are what happens when chefs know they might never otherwise open their own restaurant, but they say, ‘I’m gonna make the food I want to make.’”

That means the sashimi, which is mostly from Kagoshima and comes with a knob of wasabi root for grating, and the slow-braised tuna ribs have a luscious, mackerel-esque mouthfeel and a crust like seared beef. Before long we’re ripping off Hokkaido prawn heads and sucking out brains like maniacs.

Atelier Fujita’s tomatotopped eggplant.

Below: A lively latenight crowd at Lanterne.

Opposite from top:

Plating the kaisekiinspired menu at Kagurazaka GiroGiro; the old-school entrance to Jump; crunchy karaage at Lanterne.

By now, we’re past full, but there’s no stopping. After a whiskey digestif at JBS, where patrons speak in reverent whispers so as not to drown out the warm crackle of vinyl from the owner’s vast collection of jazz, we make our way to Narukiyo, which has a blaring rock soundtrack and wall hangings too obscene to print in this publication. The punked-out attitude extends to the tableware, which includes saucers with phallic motifs and custom-crafted skull plates. When I catch Shun eyeing the latter, he explains to me that each is worth nearly US$400.

“The food here is really simple, but the plates are just wow,” he says.

“Each izakaya has its own strengths.”

Simple it may be, but caramelized hunks of Kobe fat or miso-glazed eggplant with a texture like fudge are hardly dull. Best is the sashimi, which comes in greedy slabs that need nothing. “Most sashimi platters are garnished and whatnot,” Chris says, gesturing with his chopsticks admiringly. “This is just fish on ice.”

The largest seafood market in the world has to be the last place any person with a skull-crushing hangover and what we come to call the “fish sweats” would want to go.

But Tokyo’s best chefs still make the early morning trek, and so we do, too. More than 2,000 tonnes of seafood pass through these halls daily. Supplies thin out over the morning and whatever’s left by lunch will be tossed to conveyor belt sushi joints. Not a single scale is wasted.

I catch Shun smiling slightly as we step into a cavernous hall. He worked here in his early twenties to learn more about the industry.

Though he was adopted at a young age by a successful chef, it was his first foray into the food business. On our left, a fishmonger is stripping poison sacks from deadly fugu, while to my right two men hack away at the semi-frozen carcass of a tuna the size of a three-seat sofa. The chain-smoking, nail-hard fishmongers are rough around the edges, but they’re masters of their art. Tell one of them what time you plan to serve the catch of the day

and they’ll insert a rod into a precise point in the fish’s vertebrae, slowing the spread of rigor mortis until right before it hits the frying pan.

Known as ikejime, the practice is why seafood in Tokyo tastes almost alive—minutes before you eat it, the muscles still were.

The future of the institution that is Tsukiji is a precarious one. Sooner or later, the beating heart of the inner market will migrate to Toyosu on the city fringes, leaving only the shops and restaurants that ring the premises. Many of these are justly famous in their own right, but they too are on borrowed time, as we soon discover. I follow Shun, Jowett and Erika Jackish, a resident Tokyo foodie, to Chuka Soba Inoue for bowls of breakfast ramen.

“Maybe we should save room for lunch…” Shun says dubiously.

“This isn’t one you want to miss.

Trust me,” Jowett insists. It’s a good thing we do, since this ramen has miraculous curative powers. Just a few slurps of the collagen-rich broth and springy, yellow noodles dispel my throbbing headache. “Come here in the winter months and the line stretches around the side of the building,” Jowett says.

Twenty-four hours later, the exact spot where we’re standing will be engulfed in flames. With little warning, a fire will rip through Tsukiji and the historic shop will shutter indefinitely.

The chefs at our next stop must have an in at Tsukiji, because the tempura uni sandwiched between two shiso leaves tastes of the ocean. Since fried food and sake are practically soulmates, you’ll seldom find an izakaya without it, so we’ve come to Tempura Mikawa to watch the maestros work. The place is a hushed temple where the chef presents diners with a parade of miniature marvels—young Japanese ginger, translucent prawns, squid so supple it makes me question why I’ve been eating erasers all these years. There’s nary a sound, save for the low hiss of oil, and no smell, thanks to a powerful ventilation system. Unlike the balloon-like t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

85

batter encasing inferior calamari elsewhere, the greaseless, barely there coating here takes a backseat.

“What’s exciting about tempura is that it’s not just about the batter.

It’s a way of accentuating the natural flavors,” Chris says. He and Asim are taking mental notes, marking the touch of sesame in the frying oil that lends a subtle fragrance, the sieve to prevent lumps in the batter, the way the chef severs asparagus fibers to keep the stalks tender. “In Tokyo, people think about every detail.”

Witness Kagurazaka GiroGiro, a Kyoto import with an izakaya vibe cleverly concealing its kaisekiesque ambitions. Presentations here are downright dainty, with edible flowers popping up on a bracing wasabi-dashi gelée with smoked salmon on prawns, and it’s a thrill to watch the staff whip up unagi katsu tea sandwiches with watermelon pickles in the open kitchen.

“When it comes to kaiseki, you tend to think it’s only for highsociety people,” a chef nicknamed Bonito tells me. He’s stabbing ferociously at an eggplant in what looks like a bizarre form of anger management. Soon, the same vegetable arrives topped with plump tongues of uni and more flowers.

All the petals are a bit precious for some of the Hong Kong crew, but the dish packs an umami suckerpunch that’s anything but demure. “We want young people, all kinds of people, to be able to enjoy that kind of sophisticated experience.”

This democratic sentiment is echoed by Zempei Fujita, the head chef at Atelier Fujita. “Our dishes are fairly sophisticated for the price,” Zempei says, and he likes to surprise. An amuse-bouche of leaves sandwiching caramelized orange jam and an ungodly amount of highfat European butter is ingenious, and a coiled octopus tentacle on garlic-saturated potato purée sets hearts aflutter. “I mostly cooked in French restaurants before, so this is my way of incorporating those influences. This is how we’ve evolved from the traditional izakaya.”

Atelier Fujita owes its cuisine to Paris, but it’s Tokyo through

and through. Not every dish sings—a one-note cauliflower side overpowered by dusty cumin leaves us cold—but its popularity speaks volumes about local urbanites’ appetites for the bold and the new.

There’s an ant on my salad with its head cocked quizzically.

It’s not the only thing on this plate staring at me—there’s also a carrot round cut to resemble a heart-eyed emoji. If you’re looking for the cutting-edge of creative cooking in Tokyo, Zaiyu Hasegawa’s exuberant, irreverent, unconventional take on kaiseki at Den is what you want.

Zaiyu is the polar opposite of a stereotypical stuck-up Michelinlauded chef. He beams at the Black Sheep crew as he sweeps in with his pampered pooch—who has his own Instagram account—in arm. The chefs have never met, but they greet one another as old friends, with gifts and fist bumps and an epic kitchen selfie. Jowett and Shun have brought along Ho Lee Fook staff T-shirts and Zaiyu immediately puts one on for the service.

“Those ants come from my friend’s farm. Actually, everything here is made by friends of mine, the pottery, the sake cups,” Zaiyu says, as the tart exoskeleton pops against my teeth. “I meet people through the restaurant and I travel a lot.

I’ve built up quite a good network of artisans and interesting people.”

There’s a subversive edge to the way everything at Den is personal and made by hand, especially items that usually aren’t. Trompe l’oeil runs rampant, from the custommade KFC-style boxes with chicken wings stuffed with glutinous rice and edamame, to the familiarlooking forest-and-white espresso cups with the logo star comebacks den with cappuccino foam concealing a heady pudding of burnt caramel and fresh black truffle—a sly flip of the bird at our culture of mass production.

After that fancy fried chicken we go for its old-school counterpart.

Lanterne is textbook izakaya and the karaage (fried chicken) is the stuff of drunk-food dreams, with

Burnt bonito, aji with sesame, and sea bream with basil and passion fruit sauce at Atelier Fujita.

Opposite from top:

Lanterne’s menu; chefs Shun Sato and Jowett Yu at Tsukiji Market; uni-topped eggplant at Kagurazaka GiroGiro.

The details EAT Shirube 1-11-5 Jinnan, Shibuya; 81-3/3463-1010; mains ¥580–¥880.

Kaikaya by the Sea 23-7 Maruyamacho, Shibuya; 81-3/3770-0878; kaikaya. com; mains ¥800–¥3,680.

Narukiyo 2-7-14 Shibuya, Shibuya; 81-3/5485-2223; mains ¥680–¥1,500.

Tempura Mikawa 6-12-2 Roppongi, Minato; 81-3/ 3423-8100; set tempura menus from ¥7,128.

Atelier Fujita 3-4-3 Shibuya, 81-3/6416-8241; mains ¥2,200–¥2,400.

Lanterne 3-5-3 Nishihara, Shibuya; 81-3/5738-8068; mains ¥300–¥750.

Den Architect house hall JIA, 2-3-18 Jingumae, Shibuya; 81-3/6455-5433; jimbochoden.com/en; tasting menus ¥15,000, ¥22,000 with sake pairing.

Kagurazaka GiroGiro 5-30 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku; 81-3/3269-8010; fb.com/

kagurazaka.girogiro; eightdish set menu ¥4,500.

Kan 2-1-1 Higashiyama, Meguro; 81-3/3792-5282; mains ¥1,200–¥2,400.

DRINK JBS 1-17-10 Dogenzaka, Shibuya; 81-3/3461-7788.

Jump 1-33-16 1F Otsuka Bldg., Uehara, Shibuya, 83-50/5590-8778.

pinkish thighs blanketed in an audibly crunchy coating. It comes with slithery chopped chicken sashimi, french fries with wriggling bonito flakes, and whole fried fish so addictive that my inebriated notes read only eat the bones scrawled in urgent, barely legible caps.

More refined, but just barely, is Kan, with an industrial look that’s spare, yet warm and inviting. Chefs sear pieces of squid directly on smoldering binchotan charcoal on the counter where we sit.

“I think this would make a good date spot,” Erika says. “Oh, if a boy took me here.”

We all laugh, but I can’t help but agree. By now, it’s a wonder that any of us can eat anything and the cumulative effects of a four-day binge are starting to show. But the food at Kan is so simple, so soulful that it hits even our jaded palates in all the right spots. Wagyu comes with nothing more than a slick of mustard and flakes of salt. The dish that I can’t keep my chopsticks away from is the homiest: a soy-braised sea bass with steamed broccoli not unlike what I imagine a Japanese mom might make.

The team is getting down to business, swapping notes on what they loved, what they didn’t, how to integrate the best of the best, and what constitutes the soul of an izakaya. While I started the trip convinced I knew what the answer was, my definition has expanded and blurred. “At the end of it all, izakayas are about enjoyment—good sake, good beer, good friends,” Shun says as we toast another round. “It’s not just about the food.” The food itself is spectacular, but he’s right, of course.

Our meals over the past four days couldn’t have been more different, but there’s a feel to the places that goes beyond the plate, one that Jowett sums up rather eloquently.

“Izakayas are the one place in society where Japanese people can feel free.”

As our laughter rises and blends into the cacophony around, as the sake flows and we discover that maybe we could manage just one more bite, we feel very free indeed.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

87

Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg’s installation In Dreams, on the wooded grounds of the Wanås estate, in southern Sweden.

Opposite: Wanås Castle, portions of which date back to the 15th century, has been home to the Wachtmeister family for eight generations.

88

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

f ield s of v i sion

Thanks to its mix of bucolic setting, historic architecture and cutting-edge art, the Swedish estate known as WanĂ…s has become a destination for cultural insiders. Now a smart new restaurant and inn are giving more travelers reason to make the trip.

by Gisel a W i ll i ams

photographed by C h r is Ton n ese n

Clockwise from top left:

House-made ice cream sprinkled with popped rye and violets, held by one of the girls from the Wachtmeister family; a painting

by Ylva Ogland hangs above the mantelpiece in the Wanüs Hotel’s sitting area; three generations of Wachtmeisters; dyed sheep that are part of a work by artist Henrik Plenge Jakobsen.

On a c h i l l y m i d-A pr i l morning, my t h r ee y o un g c h i l d r en and I were in rural southern Sweden, tramping along a dirt path through dense woods of pine and beech. Suddenly, the sporadic birdcalls were interrupted by the incongruous sounds of electronic music. “Did you hear that?” asked one of my daughters. We all nodded, continuing toward the increasingly audible strains of dreamy techno-pop. Reaching the top of a low ridge, we found ourselves looking into a clearing inhabited by strange, candy-colored sculptures of insects, acorns and leaves arrayed on a mirrored floor. With reflections of the surrounding greenery beneath them, this coterie out of Alice in Wonderland melded surreally into the forest. “Cool!” yelled my oldest as she ran ahead. For the next 10 minutes, we shimmied and spun around the space to hypnotizing beats seemingly piped in from the tops of trees.

As we later learned, the trippy middle-ofthe-woods disco is an installation titled In Dreams by Berlin-based artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg. It’s one of more than 70 works—including pieces by such celebrated names as Marina Abramović, Antony Gormley and Dan Graham—that are scattered across a remarkable 40-hectare art park on the historic Wanås estate. Located just outside the village of Knislinge, Wanås makes for a perfect day trip from either Malmö (a 90-minute drive) or Copenhagen (two hours). With a history going back to at least 1440, the estate is home to numerous buildings in a mash-up of architectural styles. Anchoring it all is a 1560s

step-gabled, Renaissance-style castle, which is flanked by two wings added in the 18th century.

Beyond those are several 19th-century farm buildings that today serve as art spaces, a shop and—as of this spring—a modestly stylish 11-room inn and a restaurant serving up locally focused dishes that use ingredients from Wanås’s own organic farm.

Some 75,000 people visited this unusual cultural destination in 2016, and with the new restaurant and hotel, more are expected this year. Indeed, while we’d enjoyed glorious solitude during our walk in the forest, we emerged to find the restaurant’s long, lightfilled dining room buzzing. In the kitchen, cooks were washing wild greens they had foraged that morning for a salad with edible flowers and house-made gravlax. Meanwhile, in a nearby gallery, two dancers were preparing for a performance for young children beneath a fabric dome.

W

anås has long been a pilgrimage site for art-world insiders, but most visitors don’t fit that profile. Many are from the region: older couples, families with children, a few of the Syrian refugees who have been settled nearby. Everyone wanders the grounds freely, without any of the hesitancy you often see in big museums. Kids run around looking for art as if they are on a treasure hunt.

“I think it’s thrilling to discover art in nature,” said Elisabeth Millqvist, who, along with her husband, Matthias Givell, is codirector of the foundation that oversees Wanås. “It makes you look more carefully. You wonder what is man-made and what is nature.”

The labels are small and discreet at Wanås, and a big part of the joy of the place is the unfettered encounters with art that it offers. Heading into the gallery where rotating exhibitions are staged, I looked up and noticed, near the top of the gabled roof, two enormous overlapping clocks created by Lithuanian-born artist Esther Shalev-Gerz.

One keeps real time, while the other has hands that go backward. My initial reaction was to interpret the work, titled Les Inséparables, as a commentary on regressive politics and culture.

But then it occurred to me that a double clock is actually a perfect symbol for Wanås: a place that never forgets the past yet is moving toward the future; it’s also a place where it is always time for art.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

91

T

he story of how Wanås became an art destination goes back to the mid 1980s, when Carl-Gustaf Wachtmeister and his wife, Marika, decided to settle down with their three sons (they later had a daughter) at the estate, which he’d inherited from his aristocratic family.

Marika, who was born in Sweden but had spent her teenage years in Manhattan, was a successful lawyer in Östergötland, a region south of Stockholm, while Carl-Gustaf worked in forestry. For a cosmopolitan couple with an active social life, retreating to a grand rural estate seemed dauntingly outdated and lonely.

“Moving to Wanås was quite difficult for us,” Marika told me.

To liven things up, she decided to pursue a budding passion by bringing contemporary art to Wanås. In 1987 she took time away from her law career and organized an exhibition at the estate (which has been open to the public since 1900), featuring 25 artists, most of them Nordic.

“I just wrote them each a letter,” Marika recalled, laughing at her own moxie. From the beginning, the project was a family affair. She enlisted her husband to cook for visiting artists, while her boys helped assemble artworks. The show was a hit, attracting record numbers of visitors to Wanås. So Marika just kept going.

During the past three decades, Wanås has presented new shows almost every year, with some 350 artists exhibited to date. Early on, most pieces were installed temporarily in the castle’s formal English garden. One exception was American artist Bernard Kirschenbaum’s Cable Arc, which became the first work to enter the estate’s permanent collection. Composed of a wire strung between two metal triangles across a pond, the minimalist piece subtly sags and tightens with changes in temperature, and its location behind the garden extended the physical boundaries of where art was shown at Wanås.

The art program officially ventured off-piste in the early 90s when German sculptor Gloria Friedmann sought to put her piece, Stigma—a massive curved metal wall painted a jolting shade of red—deep in the forest next to an old oak tree. The Wachtmeisters hesitated because it meant draining the area and resurfacing a road so it could be accessed, but soon they agreed. “Our motto from the beginning has been ‘The artist is always right,’ ” Marika explained as we talked in the sitting room of the castle, which is off-limits to visitors. “If an artist wants sixty tons of concrete you’d better get sixty tons of concrete.”

92

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Maya Lin’s earthwork Eleven Minute Mile squiggles across a cow pasture at Wanås, which is also one of Sweden’s largest organic dairy farms.

Original ceiling beams were preserved in a hotel guest room. Right: Steak tartare at the Wanås Restaurant.

“ W e we r e i n s pi r e d by t h e a r t i st s t o d o s om et h i n g di f f e r ent, t o ta k e r i s k s”

As Wanås became better known, more highprofile artists began taking on site-specific commissions. Many of them visited the property for inspiration, and they would often spend weeks installing their pieces. Fascinated by the ritual of the estate’s deer hunts, Abramović created The Hunt Chair for Animal Spirits, a towering metal chair embellished with antlers, and installed it in an overgrown field. Maya Lin placed her land-art piece Eleven Minute Line, a squiggly grass-covered berm, in an active cow pasture. Jenny Holzer carved hundreds of her truisms—witty philosophical and political one-liners—into the old stones that surround the property; the text is so small that you often have to squat to read it. Some artists, joked Carl-Gustaf, have been so entranced by their surroundings they didn’t want to leave. He recounted how German artist Stefan Wewerka, who created a small stepped bridge over a stream, “finished his work early but stayed on for a week, cooking soups and broths for us.”

While Marika was spearheading the worldclass art park, Carl-Gustaf was modernizing the estate’s farm, which had focused on livestock, milk production and forestry for centuries.

Most of the locals thought he was crazy when he decided to convert to organic dairy farming.

Today Wanås is one of the biggest such farms in Sweden. In the early 2000s Carl-Gustaf had a new cow barn built—a striking Modernist concrete structure, featuring an imposing triangular façade, that looks more like a church or a museum. “The new barn was inspired by the art,” Carl-Gustaf told me, and I immediately thought of American artist Jene Highstein’s Grey Clam, a monumental, bivalve-shaped concrete platform tucked among beech trees in the forest. “We asked ourselves, why can’t we make a farm building that is beautiful? We were inspired by the artists to do something different, to take risks.”

At the same time, they began converting old farm buildings into spaces for art. One fivestory barn was given over entirely to Ann Hamilton’s sprawling masterpiece Lignum.

Using all five floors like a tapestry, the artist wove together sound and sculptural elements that refer to the history of the building, the estate and the region. One floor is filled with carved wooden tables; another has cotton threads stretched from beam to beam, forming loom-like screens.

T

he latest phase of development at Wanås—the new restaurant and hotel—has been overseen by Marika and Carl-Gustaf’s oldest son, Baltzar.

Four years ago, he and his wife, Kristina, moved here with their four young girls to take over management of the estate, making the couple the eighth generation of Wachtmeisters to run the place. Kristina, an architect who interned under Rem Koolhaas, designed the restaurant interior and the hotel guest rooms, incorporating family heirlooms, vintage pieces, and furniture she commissioned from local artisans that uses wood and leather from Wanås. With no hospitality experience, she did extensive research and reached out to some of Sweden’s best talents, seeking advice from Jeanette Mix, owner of the Stockholm boutique hotel Ett Hem, and chefs Magnus Nilsson and Mathias Dahlgren.

“Mathias gave us some great advice,” Kristina recalled. “He said we shouldn’t worry about fine dining and instead find a signature dish that everyone dreams about, whether it’s our cardamom buns or the tartare made from the farm’s own beef. Whatever it is, people eating here should wake up the next morning thinking about that dish.” She added, “For me that dish is our soft ice cream, which we make exclusively from the milk of our own cows.”

That morning she had her daughters collect wild violets to put on top of the ice cream.

Just as art has no borders at Wanås, neither will the restaurant. “For the most part, we will serve our dishes in the restaurant, but we are thinking about making picnics for guests to take with them into the park,” Kristina said.

According to Baltzar, the secret to Wanås’s success has been its openness. “With many of these old estates there were codes, and modern ways tended to be frowned upon,” he explained.

“Properties were typically closed off and kept for the family. But my parents showed what a great journey it could be if we opened up the estate to contemporary culture and the rest of the world.”

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

95

Jacob Dahlgren’s Primary Structure plays off the surrounding forest.

Throughout his childhood, Baltzar and his brothers were exposed to artists from numerous countries. “They were always curious and fun and a bit crazy,” he said, laughing. “It meant that my brothers and I had regular contact with alcohol and cigarettes.” He can recount dinners with Abramović, and the late artist Jason Rhoades was a friend. “One day at school the principal called me in to say that I had to leave school early to pick up Christo and Jeanne-Claude at the airport.” And now Baltzar would like his daughters to grow up in a similarly inspiring environment.

Without the creative spirit that defines Wanås, Baltzar noted, he and Kristina would have found it difficult to move here. “We were fortunate to have been given this inheritance,” he said. “While some people could find it a burden, we want to continue to make Wanås as interesting as we can, both for us and for others.” With the family having overseen this land for centuries, Baltzar tries to take a longterm view. “I hope,” he said, “that in another eight generations the family will be happy with what we have added to Wanås.”

The details Located on Sweden’s southern tip, outside the village of Knislinge, the Wanås estate is a 90-minute drive from Malmö and two hours from Copenhagen.

Hotel Wanås Hotel Occupying 18thcentury stables, this recently opened 11-room inn is outfitted with a stylish mix of locally crafted woodand-leather furnishings and Midcentury Modern pieces. wanasrh. se; doubles from Kr1,613.

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

worth the detour

Restaurant Wanås Restaurant Located in a barn across from the hotel, the restaurant serves meals in a lightfilled dining room that has an assortment of communal wooden tables. Working in an open kitchen, chef Mathias Klingemann prepares seasonal Nordic dishes, including braised lamb with pickled fennel and sunflower seeds. wanasrh.se; tasting menu Kr535. activity Wanås Konst More than 70 artworks are scattered across the property’s 40 hectares, so give

96

yourself a few hours to see them all. Don’t miss Ann Hamilton’s Lignum, which occupies all five floors of a former farm building, and two multisensory installations in the forest: Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg’s In Dreams and Robert Wilson’s A House for Edwin Denby. wanaskonst.se.

While en route to Wanås from Malmö, stop in Lund, one of Sweden’s oldest towns. It’s filled with cobblestoned streets and medieval architecture.

A 24/7 ESCAPE. TRANQUIL BY DAY. ELECTRIC BY NIGHT. SITUATED BETWEEN MAENAM AND BO PHUT, IT HAS THE FINEST AND MOST PRISTINE BEACH LOCATION IN THAILAND, OVERLOOKING STUNNING BEACHES AND LUSH FORESTS, W RETREAT KOH SAMUI AWAKENS AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, IGNITING THE UNEXPECTED. ILLUMINATING.. ENVIRONS. TAKE IT EASY. SURROUNDED BY VERDANT FOLIAGE, EACH OF OUR 74 PRIVATE-POOL RETREATS BOASTS A PRIVATE OUTDOOR POOL AND INFINITE ISLAND VIEWS. INSIDE, PREMIER TECHNOLOGY MEETS W SIGNATURE BED, BLISS® SPA AMENITIES AND WHATEVER/WHENEVER® SERVICE. W RETREAT KOH SAMUI T 66 77 915 999 / F 66 77 915 998 EXPLORE WHAT’S NEW / NEXT WRETREATKOHSAMUI.COM WHOTELS.COM/KOHSAMUI

this Green To the people of Costa Rica, pura vida is about embracing a laid-back, optimistic outlook and existing in harmony with the natural world. On a road trip through the country, ADAM Leith GOLLNER finds the pure life—and spectacular wildlife—at every turn. photographed by william Hereford

world 00

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

tr av el andleisure asia .com / october 2017

99

his couldn’t be the right way. An actual river was flowing across the road. My girlfriend, Michelle, and I were deep in the wilds of Guanacaste, an hour from Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, when it appeared, like the opposite of a mirage: a not-insubstantial channel of muddy water blocking a distinctly insubstantial muddy road. A dense endlessness of palm-on-fern-on-orchid foliage pressed in from all sides, and every bit of earth and rock seemed to be coated in a sheen of green moss. Aside from the rush of the water, all we could hear was the ha-ha! and hoo-wee-doo! taunts of tropical birds.

When we picked up our rental car at the airport, the attendant had given us a long inventory of pitfalls to watch out for. But a río in the vía was not among them. Did we take a wrong turn somewhere?

Our phones had long since lost reception, so we put the Nissan in reverse, retraced our steps and swiftly confirmed there was no alternative route. “We can’t possibly drive through that…. Can we?”

Michelle mused, staring at the rapids ahead of us. I got out and threw a rock into the river, trying to gauge its depth. It sank into the murk with an indeterminate splash. We looked at each other. “I guess let’s see what happens?” she suggested as I got back into the driver’s seat and fastened my seat belt. “Pura vida!” I replied, repeating the words the rental-car guy had waved us off with, and put the car into drive.

Anyone familiar with Costa Rica knows pura vida. Something of a national slogan, its literal translation is “pure life.” But it means much more than that to Ticos (as Costa Ricans call themselves). Pura vida is used as a greeting, both when saying hello and goodbye. It’s also used as the equivalent of “cool” or “no worries.” The deeper significance, however, refers to an experience of life as it truly is, accepting both the good and bad forces that course through it all.

I’d seen many references to pura vida over the years: artists calling it their inspiration; burnouts wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase. I found the concept deeply appealing, and while I

Clockwise from top left: A red-eyed tree frog in

the forest near the Arenal Volcano; the view from Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas, a cliff-side boutique hotel overlooking Potrero Bay; a Highland Bramble cocktail at Casa Chameleon; the Nayara Springs resort near Arenal, where each villa has a private terrace and a geothermally heated plunge pool.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

101

wasn’t about to get it tattooed on my neck, I was curious about what would happen if I were to travel to Costa Rica in search of the pure life. When I ran the idea by Michelle, her response was simple: “If there are sloths, I’m in.” If pura vida was my quarry, it was the three-toed perezoso—that cutest, weirdest and most lethargic of all furry Central American creatures—that lured Michelle.

Aside from a lack of sloth sightings, our first day in Costa Rica had pretty much had it all. We’d observed an iguana the size of a grown man crawling huffily from the pavement, where it had been sunning itself, into the foliage. We’d seen emerald hummingbirds levitate before us in midair, before returning to their frenetic pursuit of the nectar contained by flowers the size of bodily organs.

And we’d become accustomed to the fact that most trees would, at the slightest disturbance, reveal a group of clamorous howler monkeys or a pandemonium of rainbow-feathered parrots.

C

osta Rica is home to a full 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity, yet it occupies just 0.03 percent of its landmass. It is about the size of Sri Lanka, or Ireland, and that compact scale makes it possible to take in a lot in a relatively short time. Still, Michelle and I had decided against getting too ambitious with our itinerary; that seemed contrary to the spirit of the trip. Instead, we planned to drive around the coastal reaches of Guanacaste province in the northwest, then make our way toward the Arenal Volcano region in the country’s Technicolor interior, hitting as many hot springs, cloud forests and waterfalls as possible along the way. But first we needed to get across this river.

At first our car moved through the current gamely, even as the water grew deeper. We’ve got this, we told ourselves. But then, for one blood-thickening instant, we stopped. The chassis got wedged on a rock and the wheels struggled to find purchase. Was our engine cutting out? Just as I started getting legitimately freaked out, the Nissan gave a wrenching lurch forward, and in seconds we found ourselves on the far side of the river, essentially unscathed.

It was our first lesson in pura vida: the more challenging an obstacle, the greater the sense of exhilaration from overcoming it.

Flush with accomplishment, we waved goodbye to the songbirds and zoomed off to the coast. The rest of the drive was spent in a state of giddy wonderment. Each bend opened up a new ecosystem, from the wide plains that give Guanacaste province its nickname, La Pampa, to tropical rain forests with fluorescent-hued plants growing into and over and on top of one another. Cowboys still ply their ranching trade here, and every so often we’d pass a cattle-herding sabanero on horseback, wearing a typical Costa Rican cowboy hat called a chonete and clasping a lasso or a machete. You could almost see the testosterone hanging over them like some kind of pheremonal mist.

It wasn’t all manly-man vibes though. The region’s famed corteza amarilla trees were in bloom, lighting up the landscape with their acid-yellow flowers. When we finally hit the Pacific Ocean, an hour later, little butterflies that looked a lot like corteza amarilla petals were fluttering in the breeze over the turquoise waves. The air smelled like honey and coconut lotion and boutiquey botanical herbs.

We were spending the next few nights in a beach community called Las Catalinas, a forward-thinking, car-free utopia being hewn from the hills between the Papagayo Peninsula and the welltrodden beaches of Potrero Bay. Las Catalinas is a small town (population 325, in high season) with a grand philosophy. Its guiding principle is that humans take pleasure from being immersed in

A sloth clings to trees with its long, distinctive claws, near the Nayara Springs resort.

nature—observing butterflies that mimic flowers, spotting a resplendent quetzal alighting in a tree, or simply not running over a dinosaur-size iguana. Guests can rent or buy villas, or breeze in for a drink or a bite, or just revel in the dramatic surrounds. The place also has a new, exquisitely designed boutique hotel called Casa Chameleon, up on a rocky outcrop.

The whole of Las Catalinas seems intent on redefining the meaning of living well. Juan Carlos Avelar, the town architect, told us about his vision that evening over passion-fruit cocktails with Cacique Guaro, a sugarcane spirit. “The idea is for people here to not feel isolated or have to get into a car to do what they need to do,” he said. Although it will be decades before Avelar’s vision is fully realized, when I half-closed my eyes, I could picture what Las Catalinas could one day become—its residents free to step outside their swish, modern beach houses, interact with their neighbors, and have everything they need in walking distance. “To us, pura vida means enjoying nature and giving the best of ourselves to others,” Avelar said.

T

he following morning, Michelle and I set off on an adventure with the mountain-bike team from Las Catalinas called—what else?—Pura Vida Ride. We’d selected a beginner course, thinking it would be a pleasure ride along a cleared trail. Instead, it ended up being a perilous jag up and down a narrow cliff-side path strewn with boulders. “The first time I came up on this trail, I fell so badly I couldn’t walk for weeks,” cackled our hyper-fit guide, Esteban.

Michelle and I are not hotdogger off-road mountain bikers, and to make matters worse, she had an eye infection and was having trouble seeing. After several terrifying near-misses in which she almost slid down the hillside and into the sea very far below, I suggested we walk our bikes for a while. Though Esteban tsk-ed at our timorousness, the trek was another reminder that travel means taking the negative with the positive—that not every excursion works out the way you think it will.

Our choice of activity was decidedly more low-key in the lush rain forest around the Arenal Volcano. The temporarily dormant, 1,665-meter stratovolcano has not erupted since 2010, but seismologists warn that it could start spewing lava again at any moment. We first tried the hot springs the traditional way, in the public spa Eco Termales. Taking the waters socially was entertaining, everyone drinking cocktails in their bathing suits as steam rose into the humid jungle night. But at our hotel,

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7

103

The details getting there The most economical flight itineraries from Southeast Asia to Costa Rica require two layovers, but if you can fly out of Hong Kong or Singapore via Los Angeles, you can get to the capital, San Jose, with just one stop. currency Don't bother getting the local currency, colones. U.S. dollars are commonly used; just be sure to bring crisp bills of US$20 or smaller.

Hotels Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas An adults-only boutique resort with 21 exquisitely designed private villas. Each infinity pool has an incomparable and highly Instagrammable view. casa​ chameleon​hotels.com; doubles from US$495.

Nayara Springs Bask in your own mineral-water plunge pool while looking up at the majestic Arenal Volcano at this romantic property. You can also enjoy the tropical flora and fauna—including sloths— and feast on local culinary delights at Amor Loco, the hotel’s fine-dining spot.

Arenal Volcano National Park; nayarasprings.com; villas from US$850.

Restaurants Café y Macadamia Lago Arenal Stop here on the way to Arenal and pick up delicious baked goods for the remainder of the trip. Try the banana-and-macadamia muffins—made with nuts

from the café’s own trees— which pair splendidly with the Costa Rican coffee.

Laguna de Arenal; fb.com/ cafey​macadamia​arenal.

Soda y Restaurante El Estero Azul This shack on the beach offers fresh cooking and incredible views of the Pacific Ocean sunsets. Have the morning’s catch alongside guacamole with fresh shrimp. Playa Flamingo; mains US$6–$13.

Surfbox A stylish beachadjacent breakfast and lunch spot that offers açai bowls, avocado toast and Montreal-style bagels—a nod to the owner’s Québécois roots. Playa Flamingo; fb.com/surboxcr; mains US$8–$12. activities Eco Termales Hot Springs A soak is one of the most relaxing ways to pass the time in the Arenal area, and these natural volcanic hot springs are open during the day and in the evening. La Fortuna; eco​termale fortuna.cr.

La Fortuna Waterfall It’s 500 steps down to the falls.

A dip in the chilly waters is the best way to cool off from the hike, so make sure to bring a bathing suit. arenal.net/la-fortunawaterfall-costa-rica.htm.

Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park This wooded refuge has walkways suspended high above the rain-forest canopy, each with a bird’s-eye view of the greenery below. misticopark.com.

local specialty

Be sure to order a plate of gallo pinto while visiting Costa Rica. The classic dish, made with rice and beans, is often served with fresh tortillas.

104

Nayara Springs, our villa had its own plunge pool complete with volcano views, and it was even more fun to walk out onto the porch and slip into the magmatic water in the nude.

Having skinny-dipped to our heart’s content, we were ready for the after-dark rain-forest walk at Arenal Oasis Wildlife Refuge. It wasn’t long before we realized that a jungle at night is unsettling for a stroll. At every turn our flashlights were met by spooky green animal eyes, shining back at us through the leafy gloom. Trying to repress a host of creeping phobias, we took cues from our guide—a laid-back local naturalist—and eventually found it was indeed possible to relax in the presence of bristly, striped-legged tarantulas, blue-jeaned poison-dart frogs, and venomous yellow snakes.

By the time we visited Arenal’s La Fortuna waterfall the next day, we were so relaxed we had no problem signing a release form acknowledging that the hike down would bring us “in direct contact with nature which can pose implicit dangers…including death.”

Cooling off in the pool beneath the 75-meter-high falls, we could feel the immeasurable energy pouring into the frothing water.

During our time in Arenal, we realized that confronting one’s fears is in itself a form of pura vida. This understanding hit me at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, where I faced my longstanding dislike of heights by walking over a series of rickety bridges suspended high above the forest canopy. Michelle, wearing a wicked smile on her face, had described the activity as a “trust game”—knowing full well how intense my vertigo can be. While I was certainly nervous, I also managed to surprise myself by loving almost every minute of it. It was strangely calming to stroll across bridges spanning an unsortable mess of flora, above trees drenched in epiphytes strangling one another in a death embrace and leafcutter ants marching by in solemn parade, carrying off their phytoremains. Everything was either eating something or being eaten by something. Despite being so high up, we felt like we were deeply immersed in the circle of life of this incredible place.

Our final activity of the journey was also our most anticipated: the time had come to meet the sloths, the poster animal for pura vida indolence. We had signed up for a volunteering session at Proyecto Asis, a wildlife-rehabilitation and education center not far from La Fortuna. There was only one hitch: they had no sloths in the sanctuary at the time of our visit. We fed cubes of papaya to tie-dyebilled toucans and ornery peccaries and monogamous macaws. But no sloths. “We often get injured sloths in here,” the coordinator, Adriana Aguilar Borbón, explained. Sloths in these parts often get burned when they mistake power lines for tree branches. Once their wounds have healed, the team at Asis sends them back into the forest, where they belong. “It’s actually good news that there are none at the moment, as it means they all got better,” she said.

Over dinner at Nayara Springs that evening, our last in Costa Rica, I consoled Michelle about the fact she hadn’t been able to hang out with any sloths. After our meal, as we crossed the sky bridge over the forest that connects one section of the resort to another, we noticed something shifting in the trees, just a few feet away. “A sloth!” Michelle cried. “A sloth!” I cried. The creature looked back at us, curiously, with its robber-bandit eyes. Symbiotic algae camouflaged its back. Entire colonies of insects appeared to be thriving in its fur. That sloth was an ecosystem, all of Costa Rica reduced to a single shaggy-coated tree dweller. In that moment, sharing a gaze with that amazing creature, we’d found what we came for: Michelle got her sloth, and I got a richer lesson in pura vida than I could ever have imagined.

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

‘Round the World with….

Rico Deang, Bar Manager, Artemis Grill Singapore What was your dream profession growing up?

When I was young, I wanted to become a pilot. Travelling the world and seeing what was outside my hometown of Manila was my dream.

You’ve worked at The Peninsula Manila, and then moved to Singapore to join the team at CUT by Wolfgang Puck.

The Peninsula was much more than working for a hotel business; it was like family. Their motto was to look after their staff, so their staff could look after the guests.

My time with the Wolfgang Puck team was incredible as the style of bartending was Japanese in its precision, complemented by an American steakhouse-style where you really engage with the guest and are very welcoming. It was a perfect marriage of the two.

I was also very fortunate to travel to Dubai to open their restaurant at the world-famed building, The Address. I went back to the Middle East a second time to open again, this time at the Four Seasons in Bahrain.

What does being a good bartender mean to you?

Being a good bartender requires having character and a passion.

Spending 10 to 14 hours on your feet everyday can get very tiring. Anyone can make a good drink, but not everyone can interact and really connect with people.

Believe me, you don’t want to work in a quiet bar.

You’re now at Artemis Grill in Singapore. Tell us a bit more.

Today I’m very proud to be part of the team at Artemis Grill, a stunning rooftop restaurant with an outdoor bar terrace overlooking the Singapore city skyline.

The absolute highlight of my job is when I see people coming back. We have an incredible view, which everyone loves, but I know they’re coming back because of the excellent service and the overall experience we provide.

Cheers!

Artemis Grill: 138 Market Street, Level 40, CapitaGreen Rooftop, Singapore 048946 Tel: +65 6635 8677, www.artemisgrill.com.sg

wish you were here

Pornsak Na Nakorn / Vang Vieng / Laos Given the natural beauty along the Nam Song River near a series of limestone cliffs, it’s no surprise that Vang Vieng was a hit among backpackers after Laos opened up in the 1990s. Rafting, rock climbing and caving brought the first tourists, but the adventure-minded were soon outshouted by hard-partying tubers. Happily, the complexion of this town has changed in the past few years. Concerns revolving around foreign norms—read: bikinis and beer—have prompted a search for the more traditional. You can find it just north of town, for example, in a Lao market where local textiles and authentic food help provide an immersive taste. Tapping deeper into the local culture, Lao, Kmou and Hmong villages are now on many visitors’ radars, while organic farms offer both fresh produce and a chance to stay overnight in a more traditional setting. Eco-tourism and volunteer vacations are more the norm. So, in lieu of a pint at an Irish pub, opt for a glass of organic mulberry wine direct from the farm. And toast to the Vang Vieng that’s got its genuine groove back.

106

october 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

UNPRECEDENTED LUXURY OF CLUB INTERCONTINENTAL ® A remarkable exclusive haven within the luxurious InterContinental Pattaya Resort, Club InterContinental® is where service hits the mark at unprecedented levels.

C H ICAG O

WASHING TON

NEW YORK

BO RDEAU X

LONDON

PA RIS

With our elegant Club InterContinental® Rooms, beachfront Club InterContinental® Lounge and whole host of thoughtful Club Privileges, the Club InterContinental® experience is complete with a personal butler and private check-in.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call +66 (0) 38 259 888 or visit intercontinental.com/pattayaresort

MARSEILLE

DAVOS

DU BA I

PATTAYA

SI NG A PORE

L i v e t he In t e rCo n t i n e n t al life.

AU DA C I E U X

AMERICAS

ASIA

EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST

ro se w o o dho t e l s. c o m

So o n

HONG KONG