Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2015 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

instagram.com/travelandleisureasia 1.On the streets of Hanoi. (@ongmelani e) 2. Champagne delivered in style at the Taj Exotica, Maldives. (@pindropchaos) 3. Framed on the beach at the Four Seasons Resort, Koh Samui. (@tat iana_s) 4. Outside of Chiang Mai, shelter from the sun. (@ongmelanie) Share your favorite photos on Instagram and tag them with #TLAsia for a chance to be featured in the magazine.…

Just as chefs are increasingly careful about knowing where their food comes from, beauty brands are thinking more about what goes into their products— and even growing their own ingredients. Bottega Organica (bottegaorganica.com) produces its own olive oil, sage and roses on farms in Liguria, Italy, and Columbia County, New York, while Manila-based VMV Hypoallergenics (vmvhypoallergenics.com) harvests organic virgin coconut oil for its skin-care and makeup lines on a family-run estate. Julisis (julisis.com) combines liquid precious metals with medicinal plants grown in a 120-year-old biodynamic garden near the Italian Alps. Cult favorite Tata Harper (tataharperskincare.com) raises flowers and herbs for an extensive range of skin care and cosmetics on its property in Vermont. For Guerlain (guerlain.com), the unique honey produced by black bees in Brittany, France, led to the anti-aging…

Why do I love Hawaii? I love it because it’s not too far from the U.S. mainland, but it feels like it’s worlds away. I love the lush landscapes, the mountain vistas, the perfect weather. I love that people go swimming after work before they get ready for dinner. What could be better than that? stay+eat I always spend a few days in Honolulu—it’s the ideal blend of city and sea. The divine Halekulani Hotel (halekulani.com; doubles from US$495) is right on Waikiki and close to some of the best restaurants and shops. One of my favorite dishes is the pho French dip at The Pig & The Lady (thepigandthelady.com; sandwiches for two US$26) , a braised brisket sandwich you dunk in Vietnamesestyle broth. Another must: lunch on the terrace…

What brought you to Burma in the first place? I’ve always sought out exotic locales and ancient cultures, so I was intrigued by this once isolated land. Traveling there felt like I was being let in on a secret. From the moment I set foot in the country, I was under its spell. I was so impressed with the generosity, humor and compassion of the Burmese. How has the country changed over the years? Since I first started visiting six years ago, tourism has increased rapidly. After 50 years of isolation, their doors are now open to the world, resulting in heightened interest and investment. This charming land will soon change forever, but as the contemporary world comes crashing in, I only hope that Burma will retain its spirit. What…

FOR THE TIME-STRAPPED Booking Now (Free; iOS) Browsing Booking.com’s network of 585,000 hotels for a last-minute deal just got easier. Tell the app your name, contact information and lodging preferences, then it loads up a map of hotels nearby, ranked according to how well they match your needs. It also learns from your history, which means an even faster reservation next time. top find 20 percent off at The Grove Suites, in Jakarta. FOR THE INDECISIVE SHOPPER Worldmate (Free; Android, iOS, Windows Phone) Say farewell to buyer’s remorse: this handy all-in-one travel organizer now sends price- drop alerts for any refundable booking that you forward to trips@worldmate.com. It will also send counteroffers if cheaper rates pop up at similar hotels in the area— or if you can upgrade to a…

For reviews and photos of all 43 winners, visit tandl.me/itlist. • • • FAR-FLUNG FANTASIES Alila Jabal Akhdar Oman Cape Weligama Sri Lanka Norden Camp Gansu, China Vana Malsi Estate Uttarakhand, India Viña Vik Millahue, Chile Vines Resort & Spa Mendoza, Argentina DESIGN STARS Adler Mountain Lodge Dolomites, Italy El Blok Vieques, Puerto Rico Temple Hotel Beijing ECO-PIONEER Pikaia Lodge Galápagos Islands, Ecuador SAFARI SHAKE-UPS Namiri Plains Tanzania Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Botswana Wilderness Safaris Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp Namibia INSTANT CLASSICS Aman Tokyo Four Seasons Resort Orlando, Florida The Norman Tel Aviv Park Hyatt New York The Peninsula Paris Raffles Istanbul Ritz-Carlton Kyoto Rosewood Beijing Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard London INDIE DARLINGS Drake Devonshire Inn Prince Edward County, Ontario Hotel La Semilla Playa del Carmen, Mexico La Villa…

SUPPOSE YOU WERE TO BUILD YOUR OWN RESORT—ON A REMOTE FIJIAN ISLAND, SAY—AND MONEY WERE NO OBJECT. Common sense not a factor, either. Maybe you don’t even need people to come. Maybe you’d be content to use the place yourself, with the occasional paying guest, and only a distant chance that someday you’ll break even. What might that place look like? And what would you put there? Perhaps you’d put in an 18-hole golf course, then hire a team of 32 just to maintain it. You could add a couple of restaurants—no, how about five restaurants?—that would each stay open every night. You’d want a state-of-the-art airstrip and a pair of planes trimmed in leather and burled mahogany. Definitely a marina or two. And maybe there’s another island two kilometers…

Washington, D.C., always takes its cues from its Resident in Chief. And since the Obamas have been in town, D.C. has been riding a wave of energy, with millennials, who helped put the administration in office, moving to the metro area in big numbers. Cranes now hover over a boomtown skyline, and gentrification is sweeping through inner-city neighborhoods, bringing with it new businesses—and new restaurants. A host of pioneering chefs, bartenders and entrepreneurs caters to D.C.’s fresh faces, who refuse to settle for the bland, lobbyist-filled steak houses and diplomat-packed French dining rooms that used to define the city’s cuisine. DOMESTIC POLICY As you might expect in the nation’s capital, there are many distinct takes on classic American fare here, with chefs sourcing crops and livestock from across the mid-Atlantic…

THE RACHAMANKHA Portico-fronted rooms wrapping a central quad evoke a monastic cloister. This beauty brims with Golden Triangle antiques, and signed Robert Motherwell lithographs. 6 Rachamankha Rd., Soi 9; 66-53/904-111; rachamankha.com; Bt9,728. TAMARIND VILLAGE Step out of the Old City and into a serene retreat right in its center. Tropical-colonial wings envelop spacious courtyards and a huge, eponymous 200-year-old tree. 66-53/418-896; tamarindvillage.com; Bt7,062. THE ARTEL NIMMAN Artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook has transformed a former dorm into a funky boutique: circular windows; wrought-iron chandeliers; vintage floor tiles. 40 Nimmanhemin Rd., Soi 13; 66-81/594-623; Bt2,300. DHARA DHEVI CHIANG MAI The sprawling resort, paying tribute to Asia’s royal capitals, is filled with Burmese, Lao and Tai Lü treasures, and, in the top villas, baby grand pianos. The new Ren restaurant is already hailed as…

Contact me @CKucway chrisk@mediatransasia.com AS IT NORMALLY DOES, OUR ANNUAL IT LIST (page 68) is bound to give you an itch to uncover some game-changing hotels, many in Asian time zones. Whether it’s the Rosewood Beijing, the Aman Tokyo or Cape Weligama on Sri Lanka’s coast, each is worth ticking off your to-stay list. Art Director Wannapha Nawayon checked in to The Sanchaya in Bintan for this month’s cover shoot, while I’ve stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, and what stands out from my visit is that the design-centric hotel felt more of a piece of Kyoto than it did of a major chain, even though it bore all the luxe hallmarks you would expect from the storied brand. The hushed public areas and guest rooms that demand lingering are just two…

The juxtaposition between the surrounding ancient temples of Angkor and the luxe shopping and vibrant nightlife within Siem Reap makes the city feel like bit of a paradox. Wedged in between the past and present is American photographer John McDermott, who has spent decades behind the lens capturing the history while embracing the evolving culture. Eat+Drink For authentic Khmer food, no place is better thanry while embracing the evolving culture. Cuisine Wat Damnak (Wat Damnak Market Street; 885-77/347-762;cuisinewatdamnak.com; five-course tasting menu US$24). The dishes focus on back roads recipes served within a Western-style tasting menu. I’ve been almost a dozen times and never had a repeat dish. Cambodia’s best-known dish is amok—a fish curry with coconut milk—and my favorite place to get it is Sugar Palm (Taphul Road; 855-63/636-2060; thesugarpalm.com;…

As we struggled with our last spoonfuls of silken potato purée—an unearthly emulsion more beurre than pomme de terre—chef Olivier Limousin of Thailand’s new L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon swooped by. “You had better finish those potatoes or no dessert for you,” he admonished with a swooninducing French accent and nary a wink. Rakish and evidently deadpan, the man is the 12-year veteran of the culinary empire who previously helmed its London outpost. “If you do not finish them, I am going to call my mother.” He meant his maman, of course. En France. It wasn’t the small talk I’d expected in this most serious of gastronomic temples. The term “spare no expense” springs to mind as you enter the darkly opulent, Pierre-Yves Rochondesigned space, where the floor-to-ceiling curtains of crystal…

Inn A Day, Bangkok Unprecedented were Veraus Chinitsarayos’s aims when he sought the help of Jurathip Intrassai, the architect behind Old Bangkok Inn, to transform his parents’ riverside coconut palm sugar factory. The result is a scrapbookinspired B&B where guests feel, he hopes, “at ease, as if staying at a friend’s house.” Boasting stirring views of Wat Arun, each of the 11 rooms is time-stamped, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and represents a snapshot of his Tha Tian community framed by a dawn, midday or dusk color scheme mirroring the hues reflected off the temple’s prangs. The restaurant pays homage to the shophouse’s industrious past with walls of red bricks and peeps (metal cans used to store the sugar); countertops made of blocks of jaggery; and the bathroom’s folding…

One of France’s food obsessions of late is whether la gastronomie française is in decline, eclipsed by the sexier, more innovative cooking coming out of Copenhagen, Spain and even London. But another popular dinner-table conversation—one about the onslaught of Japanese chefs who are setting up high-end restaurants in Paris— suggests that the nation’s cuisine isn’t imperiled, it’s just evolving. For a group of talented young chefs from Japan, French food is not only relevant but also worth crossing continents to master and adapt. Parisians have welcomed the new guard’s gentle hybridization, which emphasizes seasonal, intellectually ambitious, delicately prepared, and mostly French food—with only the slightest hint of a foreign accent. There’s long been an affinity between French and Japanese cuisines—both ritualistic, both demanding. “For so many of us who got…

Kale juices and beetroot smoothies used to be the domain of crunchy, raw vegan health-food junkies. Now that celebrities are happily quaffing these antioxidentlaced concoctions, it’s safe to say that the juicing craze has gone mainstream. After all, a few extra vitamins are a nice change of pace for the lessvirtuous— or less sanctimonious— eaters among us, especially when on the road. Get your fix at Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing (amanresorts.com), where the wellness facilities, in addition to fitness consultants, squash courts and a 25-meter pool, include a freshly squeezed juice bar. Over at Bali’s COMO Shambhala Estate, Ubud (comohotels.com), the signature restaurant uses mostly organic ingredients, minimal salt, zero processed sugar, and offers ginger-wheatgrass shots whenever the craving strikes. There’s a whole menu of juices with names like…

Avolcano—right there!—blasts plumes of smoke and ash, white-hot stones skittering down a slippery-dip of hardened lava to plunge hissing into the ocean. We’re not running away though; my dive buddies and I instead glide to the Banda Sea floor surrounding Indonesia’s uninhabited Pulau Komba, ignoring the intermittent rumblings of Gunung Batu Tara. The landscape beneath is just as shocking. The island’s isolation to the northeast of Flores means nearby marine life thrives. Abundant corals, soft and hard, range through the colors of the rainbow and teem with all kinds of critters—it’s a documentary breathed to life. Tuna swish by on the hunt and a thousands-strong school of violet, juvenile anthea fish encircles me. Two shy but curious octopi thrust out their tentacles, fusiliers in electric blues and yellows dart by,…

RESTAURANTS Red Hen 1822 First St. NW; theredhendc.com; dinner for two US$60. Seasonal Pantry 1314½ Ninth St. NW; seasonalpantry.com; dinner for two US$260. Rasika 633 D St. NW; rasikarestaurant.com; dinner for two US$60. Del Campo 777 I St. NW; delcampodc.com; dinner for two US$80. Toki Underground 1234 H St. NE; tokiunderground.com; ramen for two US$24. Estadio 1520 14th St. NW; estadio-dc.com; dinner for two US$60.The Source 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; wolfgangpuck.com; brunch for two US$64. Sundevich 1314 Ninth St. NW; sundevich.com; dinner for two US$20. Le Diplomate 1601 14th St. NW; lediplomatedc.com; dinner for two US$70. The Partisan 709 D St. NW; thepartisandc.com; dinner for two US$75. Southern Efficiency 1841 Seventh St. NW; whiskeyhome.com; dinner for two US$40. Eat the Rich 1839 Seventh St. NW; etrbar.com; dinner for two US$50.…

COLOUR FACTORY Local and international artists (Mark Jacobs; Isaac Mizrahi) have painted whimsical designs on hundreds of resin elephant sculptures in several sizes to produce Elephant Parade, sold here to benefit The Asian Elephant Foundation. Striking original-design scarves, handbags and other accessories are also available. 154-156 Charoen Rat Rd.; 66-53/246-448; colourfac.com. SOP MOEI ARTS Here, Pwo Karen villagers market their arts and crafts in novel ways. Traditional basket shapes morph into handbags and wine-bottle holders; bamboo and wood interwoven with bright fabrics produce sumptuous wall hangings. 150/10 Charoen Rat Rd.; 66-53/306-123; sopmoeiarts.com. THE BOOKSMITH Sirote Jiraprayoon, former director of Thailand’s ubiquitous Asia Books, runs this independent shop heavy on oversize art, architecture and graphic design books, along with a small but wellselected fiction collection. 11 Nimmanhemin Rd.; 66-91/071-8767. SILVER BIRCH…

Cedric Arnold — Photographer “Decoder: Chiang Mai,” page 112 Chiang Mai evolution December 2000 was my first trip up there; it was still fairly rustic. The city is now very well set up and connected for tourism, but still has kept its warm, laid-back vibe. Best reason to return Coffee! Favorite northern Thai food It’s not an original choice, but it’s a classic. When done well, khao soi gai (coconut curry noodle soup with chicken) always hits the spot. Chiang Mai in three words Cozy, creative, caffeinated. Marcus Nilsson — Photographer “Capital Dining,” page 106 Did you try any of the D.C. restaurants you photographed? I’ve been to several Spanish restaurants, and my favorite by far is Estadio. It feels like a proper Madrid tapas den. And the ramen noodles…

Hong Kong cocktail bar Highline has formed an aromatic partnership with British perfumery Penhaligon’s, where snifters are shaken for customers based on their olfactory preferences. Inspired by the spirit of the elevated public park in Manhattan from which the bar takes its name, the approach is simple: follow your nose to a fragrance and the mixologists will whip up a corresponding cocktail. If you’re the dashing gentlemanly sort, ask for a Bayolea, which takes its aromatic cues from Penhaligon’s first grooming range for men with notes of black pepper, musk and sandalwood. More of a delicate flower? Raise your pinkie and sip your Juniper Sling—made with crushed juniper berries and the rosemary-infused Gin Mare—from the daintiest of china teacups. It’s a wonder no one else in Asia thought of it…

“As a chef, it is important to stay curious, to keep learning,” says Jose Luis “Chele” Gonzalez, an El Bulli and Noma alum whose sleek, sexy Basque tapas bar Vask is a Filipino A-list favorite. “I went to meet the Aetas indigenous people, one or two hours away from Manila, and in the middle of the forest you see people still cooking in bamboo, just as they did 5,000 years ago… and that is the magic of the Philippines. This is what we want to embrace in Madrid Fusión.” Magic. That is the operative word. Gastronomic magic from a whole lot of stars is what happens when you put a culinary dream team including Andoni Aduriz, Elena Arzak and Andre Chiang under one roof and give them hightech toys, locally…

So how do you get VIP service if you’re not a big spender and haven’t racked up a million loyalty points? There’s no app for that—so here are a few strategies. Work with a top agent The luxury-hotel industry is built on relationships, many of them formalized agreements between hospitality companies and travel agencies. Travel advisors get preferred rates and better commissions when booking clients into partner hotels—along with special amenities like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout, and often spa or restaurant credits. Two of the biggest agency groups, Virtuoso (virtuoso.com) and Signature (signaturetravel network.com), each work with thousands of top hotels. At Phnom Penh’s Raffles Hotel Le Royal, for example, guests who book with either a Signature or Virtuoso advisor will automatically get daily breakfast and a…

FAR-FLUNG FANTASY • • • CAPE WELIGAMA SRI LANKA Five years since the end of a decades-long civil war, Sri Lanka is gaining its footing as a leisure destination, and luxury hotels are arriving to meet the demand. The most resplendent among them is Cape Weligama, a cluster of 40 terra-cotta-roofed bungalows, each with its own frangipani-filled private garden, on a secluded stretch of southern coastline. From here, immersive trips to scenic tea plantations, Buddhist ruins and rain forest leopard habitats are all within easy reach, and the 16thcentury fortified city of Galle is just 26 kilometers away. capeweligama.com; $605 including half-board, alcoholic beverages and one activity per day. DESIGN STAR • • • EL BLOK VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO The term design hotel gets tossed around indiscriminately these days, so…

Practicing yoga is great for balance—especially if you’re on a boat. CHRISTOPHER KUCWAY attempts his first high lunge saluting the rising sun over a small piece of paradise in the Maldives. As I trip out of my beach villa, the sky is as pitch black as the two coffees I’ve just downed. With apologies to the meditative purists out there, I needed to kick-start my way to a yoga session. At sunrise. On a boat. In the middle of the Indian Ocean. This is good for me, I murmur to myself walking along a sandy trail lined with palm trees and dense bougainvillea that leads me through the dark to the dock. It’s the start of a four-day yoga getaway at W Retreat & Spa Maldives with Tara Stiles, an…

Getting There Several airlines offer one-stop itineraries between Berlin and Asia. Getting Around Berlin’s public transit system, which includes the U-Bahn and S-Bahn, is fast and convenient. Taxis are also plentiful and easy to hail. STAY Das Stue Drakestrasse 1; das-stue.com; doubles from €220. Hotel Adlon Kempinski Unter den Linden 77; kempinski.com; doubles €260. Soho House Berlin Torstrasse 1; sohohouseberlin.com; doubles €170. 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin Budapester Strasse 40; 25hours-hotels.com; doubles from €120. Hotel Zoo With Diane von Furstenberg carpeting and a central fireplace, this recently reborn icon embodies the lush style of its predecessor, the VIP hotel for the Berlin International Film Festival through the 1950s. Kurfürstendamm 25; hotelzoo.de; doubles from €127. Hotel am Steinplatz This 1913 hotel got a luxury boutique makeover for its 100th birthday. Steinplatz 4;…

Old City The original city plan forms a near-perfect square, bounded by a moat and the remnants of brick walls. A network of lanes bisected by four broad avenues leads to 30-some Lanna temples. Tha Phae A grouping of streets lined by Shan-Burmese temples, hotels, restaurants and the famed Chiang Mai Night Bazaar radiates from here. Wat Ket/Faham A century ago, this was the center for Western traders and missionaries. Today, historic shophouses and villas are hotels, clubs, restaurants and galleries. Nimmanhemin and West A grid of modern streets encompasses Chiang Mai University, the town’s oldest forest monastery and Nimmanhemin Road, an area exploding with well-off Thai vacationers. Getting Around Red songthaews—small pickup trucks with benches for passengers in back—ply the streets from Bt20 per trip. Tuk-tuks and taxis charge…

WAT PHRATHAT DOI SUTHEP Of many well-touristed temples, this gilded 14th-century cloister 1,000 meters above sea level on Doi Suthep should not be missed. If you’d rather not slog up the 306-step naga staircase, take the tramway for Bt50. To avoid crowds, arrive around 5 p.m. and stay through sunset, when the chanting of resident monks brings peace. 66-53/206-835; admission Bt30. WIANG KUM KAM Visit the excavated ruins of Lanna’s first capital, originally founded by the Mon in the 8th century and later sacked by Burmese invaders, flooded and left underground for 700 years. A ride in a tram or horse carriage for Bt200 takes you through the brick remains of 10 temples, including Wat Chedi Liam, one of two still functioning. MON JAM At the heart of the Nong…

Don’t pass up smoky jintup (semidried grilled beef flank, hammered for tenderness) and Sangsom at Pa Daeng Jin Tup (Chiang Mai Outer Ring Road, San Sai). For somewhere more civilized, try the larb khua (stir-fried minced-meat salad) at Huen Jai Yong (65 Moo 4, Sankampaeng), a nice Lanna home redone as a restaurant. For larb pladuk yang (spicy smoked catfish salad) and gaeng aom (spicy soup simmered with pork ribs and pickled cabbage), I highly recommend Larb Dee Khom (208/82 Moo 2, Arak Rd., Soi 5). Ginger & Kafe at The House (199 Moon Muang Rd.) is my go-to for coffee and eggs Benedict, in a fabulous setting with a shop selling original fashion and home décor. Café de Nimman (12/1 Sirimangkhalajan Rd., Soi 13) is great for mouth-watering deep-fried…

The mountain-valley village of Mae Kampong provides a year-long cool-climate respite from Chiang Mai’s brutal hot season, yet relatively few international visitors seem to find their way here. Mae Kampong Waterfall drops seven levels from a plateau with inspiring, misty views. Wat Khantha Phreksa is the community’s spiritual center; its ordination chapel is topped by a wood-shingled roof blanketed with ferns and moss. Villagers cultivate orchids, oolong (young leaves for brewing tea, older leaves for pickled-tea salad) and great Arabica coffee beans. Take off on thrilling aerial tours with Flight of the Gibbon (treetopasia.com; Bt3,599 per person), with three skybridges and five kilometers of ziplines, including the longest in Asia.…