EDITORIAL
W
e have just entered the Year of the Snake. Like everyone, we were fascinated to see what this year has in store for the world. So we trawled around some horoscope sites to find some answers.
They begin by telling us that stock markets will continue to swing violently and more investment scandals may surface (not much of a surprise, there) and the Euro will hang in there. The geomancers go on to say that good businesses to be in in 2013 (thanks to Earth, Metal and Water) are automobiles, finance, water-oriented enterprises, fishing and (good news) travel. This is a prosperous year for the travel industry, especially those involving water. Hence this would be a good year for the cruising sector. According to research by Cruise Lines International Association, some 20.97 million passengers are expected to set sail in 2013. Many lines are adding more Asian destinations to their itineraries but also some others we’d love to see: Morocco, Antarctica Iceland and the Galapagos. They are also planning live on-board shows with Tony-Award-winning stars performing. So break out your blazers and your cruise frocks, as they are concentrating their marketing on Asia and there will be deals galore. We go into the Year of the Snake with great enthusiasm and, in this issue, there is a lot to distract you. We take a trip to Malta, well off the beaten track but well worth the effort. It is fascinating, not least for its history. Did you know it boasts the oldest building in the world? It is also a very pleasant beach, waterside and soft-adventure alternative in the middle of the Mediterranean. Wine is big in this issue. We take a look at the new star quality of some vineyards – those bought by movie and rock stars, not as a whim but as a serious effort to produce good wine. We also go to South Africa for a new wine adventure there. Nobody can deny the impact of ‘star power’ – and just like wine, stars have created a new interest in New Zealand, location of Middle-Earth in the Hobbit movies. Simply spectacular. We also travel to Singapore and to southern Italy and another ‘star power’ project, a hotel by Francis Ford Coppola. On the food scene, our stars continue – some giving us their favourite recipes from over the years. And we look at the most versatile tropical standby: the many variations of the chicken salad. Plus all the latest hotel and restaurant news from around the world. And there are some exciting things happening, not least in Australia where they have given out their first design awards for bars and eateries. So Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone. We hope it is a year of peace, prosperity and a year filled with interesting travel as well as fine food and wine. Enjoy this issue of Viva Asia. Graham Pearce
06
TRAVEL
Malta, New Zealand, Singapore
FOOD
Chicken Salads, Celebrity Fare
On our cover this month, the spectacular spiral staircase that gives its name to the signature restaurant of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila, just re-opened after an $11 million facelift.