Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

their credits often appearing in miniscule type, some of their better shots not even making the final cut. Everyone assumes they’ve got the best job in the world, and while the gig has its perks, the craft has come far from the days of “f8 and be there.” A case in point is a story I worked on this month with Scott A. Woodward (“Mystery Trail,” page 70). To put it into perspective, Scott shot almost 10,000 photos over the course of our nine-day hike in Japan. The first set of selects totaled 450, which were whittled down—painfully—to 45, then 25, then the 18 that appear in this issue. As any photographer will tell you, the final photographs cut are the ones that stick in the mind. How we managed…

In theory, a dinn er cruise on the Chao Praya carries plenty of appeal— sipping and supping on a grand ship as it plies Bangkok’s River of Kings, passing the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Kalayanamit, Wat Prayoon and all the other bankfront splendors of Old Town. Yet the reality—a giant boat, packed with 200 people, bathed in dizzying strobe lights, pop music blaring—can be daunting. In December, Supanniga Eating Room launched its cure for the common cruise, serving up their Isan-style Thai cuisine, Tattinger champagne and signature cocktails by Vesper, a hip cocktail bar in Silom, on an intimate 40-seater boat. The newly built double-deck 18-meter-long monohull is decorated in cheerful yellows and oranges, with plush couches, padded benches, wooden tables and comfy rattan chairs. The bottom deck has…

It wasn ’t long ago that many Capetonians steered clear of the city’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and surrounding Foreshore. The area served as both an industrial shipping hub and a tourist magnet, trading in souvenir bric-a-brac, sightseeing harbor cruises and Cinnabon Stix. That perception changed with the news of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (zeitzmocaa.museum), which is scheduled to open this September in a former grain silo that’s been overhauled by London architect-of-the-moment Thomas Heatherwick. The museum will house one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary African art, much of it from the holdings of Jochen Zeitz, the owner of Kenya’s Segera Retreat and former Puma CEO. It’s Cape Town’s missing element: a cultural anchor to complement the city’s natural beauty and stellar food and wine scenes.…

Spring style this year is all about a playful approach to color and texture, with luxe materials done in a bold, retro palette. Paris’s Hôtel Saint-Marc, a jewel box in the Second Arrondissement, has mastered that mix—it’s the perfect stage for showing off the season’s best bags (and one seriously great shoe). FASHION EDI TOR MELI SSA VENTO SA MARTI N. Photographed By Crista Leonard >>…

BEACH BALI The St. Regis Bali Resort Known as one of Bali’s finest addresses, this suite- and villaonly resort sits in opulence on the powdery white beach of Nusa Dua. By booking your stay 60 days in advance, you’ll save on rates, enjoy a lavish breakfast spread at Boneka restaurant and receive roundtrip airport transfers. And with the extra time to organize your trip, you can get strategic about which activities to add to your itinerary. A four-hand massage? Wind-surfing lessons? A bespoke Mazzei wine dinner? There are ample options to pick from in the extensive list of offerings. The Deal Early Booking. Bigger Savings: a night in a St. Regis suite, from Rp5,347,000 for two, through December 31. Save up to 20%. stregisbali.com. CITY BANGKOK Centara Grand at Central…

JAWI PERANAKAN MANSION Where: Penang Rooms: 14 A bit removed from the Muntri/Love Lane/ Chulia Street cluster of heritage boutique digs, Jawi Peranakan Mansion still perfectly conjures the opulent spirits of Penang’s 19th-century Indian-Muslim millionaires. Tucked behind a heavy brass gate, the fourth jewel in heritage hotelier Chris Ong’s crown celebrates Hutton Lane’s past, an era of luxurious bungalows built by Muslim traders from Pakistan, Central Asia and the Middle East. Inside, intricately carved arches over room doors perfectly marry with antique furniture from India and bewitching Mughal motifs throughout the spacious common areas. The four Mansion Family rooms are particularly delightful, their wooden mezzanines concealing king-size beds and attractive way-back-when wooden writing desks—a clever hideaway for parents with children in tow. Regardless, with just 14 suites, an exclusive and…

CLUB AGUTAYA Where: Palawan Rooms: 38 Say “Palawan,” and most people think of the prehistoric karst garden that is El Nido up north. But halfway down the island’s west coast is an even less-traveled tropical Eden. Undeveloped San Vincente boasts the country’s longest stretch of beach, and you can have it all to yourself. Indulge in your castaway wanderlust without the hassle of building your own hut and fishing for your dinner if you stay at Club Agutaya. Just past the lush jungle surrounding the main town, this brandnew eco-resort sits in the middle of 14.5-kilometer pristine, powdery Long Beach. Designed to respect the nature that envelops it (bamboo railings; seashell lamps), the resort generates its power by solar and wind and has a state-of-the-art sewage-treatment system, the first of…

Etienne Bossot manager of Hoi An Photo Tour and Workshop “Catch the sunset on the bridge heading to An Bang Beach on Hai Ba Trung. The juxtaposition of palm trees and fishing boats makes a great subject. In my view, Hoi An looks its very best early in the morning so if you want to capture the town in its prime I advise hitting the streets between 6 and 8 a.m. That way you will also avoid the tourist traffic. Lastly, remember to smile. Hoi An has some of the friendliest people in Vietnam and interaction will get you a long way if you want to take portraits.”…

Hoi An has become a hotspot for having a suit made or a dress copied—“you need a tailor?” will become a familiar refrain during a visit. The ancient buildings are brimming with cute boutiques and upscale souvenirs. MADE TO MEA SURE Some attribute Hoi An’s plethora of tailor shops to its history as a center for the silk trade. Others believe the phenomenon comes from a Vietnamese propensity for copycatting. Either way, this is a suit center, with several reputable (and many not so reputable) tailors in town. Yaly Couture (47 Tran Phu; yalycouture.com) is expensive but highly regarded. Other good names include: A Dong Silk (62 Tran Hung Dao; dongsilk.com) and Thu Thuy (60 Le Loi; thuthuysilk.com). SEDUCTI VESOU VENIRS The town is famous for Chinesestyle lanterns, which family-run Hoi An Handmade (hoianhand…

Duc Tran chef/proprietor of Mango Mango restaurant group “Com Ga Long at 53/16 Phan Chu Trinh is my favorite place in Hoi An. They start you off with some crispy shredded papaya and thin slices of onion and lime juice on the side before giving you a juicy half chicken with soft and fluffy golden turmeric rice. Just add the cold beer for perfection. For cao lau (Hoi An’s signature noodle dish made with pork and local greens) I like to visit Cao Lau Miss Thao at 12 Tran Quoc Toan. It is a little bit away from the center but it is worth the early morning bike ride. The pork loin is tender and she seasons it beautifully with five-spice powder, soy sauce, lemongrass, black pepper and garlic.”…

this month on travelandleisureasia.com 3 of th e Best cooking Class es in ba ngkok Mastering Thai cuisine’s delicate synergy of sweet, sour, savory and spicy flavors is a challenge, which is why we called on the experts. 4 Asia n Craft Beers You Need to Try Now Local brewmasters are taking advantage of all kinds of Southeast Asian ingredients to create innovative ales, stouts and IPA s. Sustai nabl e Tiger Tourism in India Deep in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, these eco-chic safari lodges are educating travelers and helping the local wildlife. Lookout A bold new gallery debuts in Bangkok; a grande dame in central Vietnam gets a Four Seasons makeover; a star Vietnamese chef branches out to Hong Kong; studying the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement…

ASIA AMANEMU Mie Prefecture, Japan This new hot-spring resort near the Grand Shrines of Ise is opening up an area that’s previously been hard for foreigners to penetrate. It’s unique within the Aman family in that it offers a classic onsen experience, blending the traditional ryokan with Aman’s sense of space. From ¥87,300. CANYON RANCH Kaplankaya, Turkey The brand’s first international outpost has panoramic views of the Aegean, a sleek design, and local flavors on display in the cuisine. Hammam treatments are authentic, with a cleansing scrub on a heated marble table followed by an olive-soap massage. From US$472, including meals. KATAMAMA Bali, Indonesia The MO here skews more modern than the typical thatched-roof bungalow, but locally made details— lemongrass-infused gin, handdyed bathrobes—keep the look warm, not sterile. Private rooftop…

Gone are the days when frugal travelers could expect nothing more than schlepping their own luggage to bare-walled rooms in properties so generic they’d wake up and forget where they were. Luckily, hotels have learned that personality goes a long way and that mantra has trickled down to even their lowest-cost options. Nimbler labels are focusing on catering to specific clientele, be they flashpackers, fitness fanatics or digital nomads. While some properties flaunt splashes of local color, others may feature meeting spaces reminiscent of a Google office. Best of all, these high-end extras are often available at bargain prices. Read on to find the hotel that best fits your wallet-conscious wanderlust.…

From the headlines, you wouldn’t guess that the Maldives is an excellent place to go in 2017. This island nation of just 375,000 citizens, spread across 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, has come in for a tough reckoning of late, and not without good reason. Corruption charges have plagued the government since former president Mohamed Nasheed, elected in 2008 in the country’s first multiparty democratic vote, was ousted in 2012 and briefly jailed on “terrorism” charges, in what his supporters called a military coup. (He eventually sought asylum in the United Kingdom.) The Maldives is still a democratic republic, but Islamic law plays a major role in both government and society. And when the British Commonwealth threatened to suspend the Maldives last September because of the country’s increasingly poor…

VILLA SAMADHI Rooms: 20 The island city’s western corridor usually doesn’t register so much as a blip on the tourist’s radar, but minds may be changed soon with the opening of Villa Samadhi, ensconced as it is in such tropical tranquility. Housed in a restored colonial garrison for British army officials, this 20-room gem hibernates quietly at the verdant fringes of Labrador Nature Reserve, a treasure trove of mangrove flora and fauna complete with friendly walking trails. Pulling up the driveway and walking though the doors to attentive staff waiting with chilled towels, making your way along wood-paneled walkways to your room, passing the high ceiling and shuttered windows of the guests-only library… it feels like a grand invitation to a stately private home. A two-minute stroll down a jungle…

ROADERS Where: Taipei Rooms: 68 Shades of arcane Americana color the concept at Roaders. A collage of American license plates enlivens the elevator area while the basement lobby—dubbed Roaders Saloon—features ephemera such as fake wanted signs, giant wooden barrels and wagon wheels. Although elements of the design philosophy hark back to the days before the West was won, the hotel is largely a model of modernity. Situated right next to Ximen MRT station, it is ideally located for investigation of the Ximendeng area as well as Taipei’s other highlights. But there’s also reason to linger: the lobby has a broad selection of English-language magazines to browse as well as air hockey, foosball, free snacks and drinks, and a selection of beers and spirits. Rooms, meanwhile, are cozy and soundproofed from…

Hoi An embodies Vietnamese charm. Convenient, compact and charismatic, it supplies essential local experiences in easily digestible form. Just a 30-minute drive from Danang’s international airport, which now services non-stop flights from Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Macau, Hong Kong and Malaysia among others, the town nestles on the Thu Bon River a few kilometers from the coast. Its unesco-listed old center—a colorful jumble of Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples and French colonial buildings— evokes its heritage as the trading center of the Champa Kingdom. Hoi An is a mighty tasty proposition as well, with a glut of delicious indigenous dishes, and an informed dining scene. Just take a stroll.…

Aaron Joel Santos Photographer 1 The Place: Hoi An Page 102 Many cities in Vietnam vie for top culinary creds, but when it comes to banh mi, Santos says there is no contest—it is Hoi An for the win. “It’s that sweet and spicy chili jam they spread on the bread.” If you’re still famished, then there’s Cao Lau noodles or sweet-potato pancakes. But Santos is quick to veer away from any clichéd look at Vietnam. How many conical hats against yellow walls can one tourist take? “Look around for something different,” he says. “Get out of town to the countryside. Peek into houses, walk through rice fields. Get lost. Leave your lens cap at home.” Instagram: @aaronjoelsantos 2 Scott A. Woodward Photographer Mystery Trail Page 70 A 90-kilometer pilgrimage through…

Notel, a mold-breaking hyb rid hotel, was created by James Fry, a guy who says he has zero experience in the hospitality industry. Chalk it up to fresh eyes or beginner’s luck, but it has Melbourne abuzz. Set on the rooftop of a high-rise in the Paris end of the city’s central business district, the funky new property has only six rooms. Well, not rooms exactly but vintage Airstream caravans polished to a sheen. “It was an underutilized space, a beautiful blank canvas with a terrific view of the Melbourne skyline on the rooftop of a building my father and I own,” Fry says. “We discussed many different ideas over the years but nothing was exciting until I came up with the idea of accommodation with a twist, in caravans.”…

Lauren Yates is one of Southeast Asia’s freshest bon vivants, curating her loves of fashion, food and travel in her playful blog Ponytail Journal. The Hong Kong–born, Australiaand Thailand-raised fashionista brings her global tastes to the fouryear- old website, with posts that range from a roundup of stores in Hong Kong to a video tutorial on how to make Burmese chicken, all with a feel-good edge that reflects her slogan, “funnest life possible.” Yates’s editorial fashion focus, which she calls “W’menswear” —accidently sexy, smart-casual— started to accumulate a fan base, now climbing past 36,000 followers on Instagram. Buoyed by the audience and connections in the industry, last February she launched her clothing brand of the same name. Her travels, whether collecting vintage Vietcong infantry garments in Vietnam or shophopping in…

We talked to designers behind some of the most distinctive new properties in the region—including an Indonesian oasis that blends into the beach, an urban hotel in Australia that isn’t afraid to get flirty, and a zero-carbon eco-pod in Malaysia—to find out how they are shaping the future of hotels. FOUNDER: SOO K. CHAN SPECIALIT Y: HARMONY Firm: SCDA Architects (scdaarchitects.com) Design Philosophy: Seamlessly transition between indoor- and outdoor-spaces. “Many places in Bali have been loved almost to death, but Soori Bali is different,” says Soo K. Chan, owner of the property and founder of SCDA Architects. “It is a neighbor with a genuine connection to the villages and local culture.” Conjuring connections is Chan’s modus operandi in his quest to link the surrounding world with the spaces he creates.…

We push through a sn arl of vines, bend under low-hanging branches and hike a rugged path until we stumble upon a stream. Machete in hand, our young guide Herman Solungin jumps over the slippery stones that peek above the surface. He lands safe on the opposite side, but we hesitate. The bottom of the riverbed looks like a nasty place for a fall. “Put your right leg on the second rock and use that hanging liana to balance. Be careful, it’s very unstable,” Eddie Chia, the tall Sabahan-Chinese our tour leader says. This 38-year-old is the reason we have entered the depths of this forgotten jungle, a place that, until now, has been only visited by researchers, rangers and, sadly, the occasional illegal poachers. About 100 more treacherous rocks…

Tune Hotels What they lack in frills, hotels from this Malaysia-based chain more than make up for by nailing the basics every business or short-term leisure traveler needs. Expect super-comfy beds with 250-thread-count duvets and powerful showerheads. Base rates are a steal, but you might want to fork over a little more for extras like air-con and TV. + where in asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia + newcomer: While the Malaysian mogul behind Tune has been busy lately opening properties in Nairobi and London’s Shoreditch, the recently rebranded Tune Hotel Sepang, Malaysia (doubles from $58) offers a place to crash 15 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur airport. The hotel will let you book a shorter stay between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and pay even less. tunehotels.com. Ibis Hotels Sometimes all you…

“Do you know what shape your mind is?” a monk by the name of Nobuhiro Tamura asks. We’re standing late one autumn night in Okunoin, a thousandyear- old cemetery in Koyasan, the center of Shingon Buddhism. This major sect believes the secrets of life are found through meditation and, in a few, choice words, Nobu has given us a lot to ponder below 600-year-old cedars that scrape together high above this otherworldly setting. A jovial monk, he doesn’t wait for an answer. Our mind, Nobu says, is the shape of the moon. Like the lunar orb, it’s in constant flux. Full one day, ebbing a week later. Yet, wherever we find ourselves in that cycle, eventually, just like the moon, our minds will be full again. These are brain-bending thoughts,…

Templation Where: Siem Reap Rooms: 33 While getting up close to the iconic ruins of Angkor is exhilarating, leaving the tourist mobs can be equally satisfying. This new, super-green hotel— with enough solar panels to make the operation energy efficient and one of Cambodia’s ecofriendliest— offers the easiest of outs. Taking up residence a mere 800 meters from the heritage site’s main gates, the place makes getting in and out a breeze. The architecture is mid-century Khmer, a vernacular style that leans heavily on breezeways and open ventilation to encourage airflow. Vertical water walls line stone walkways; small ponds keep the ambient temperature cool and refreshing; and old-growth trees with overarching canopies cast a welcome shade. The 33 suites and pool villas are among Siem Reap’s most spacious, loosely dressed…

HELENA BAY Where: Northland, New Zealand Rooms: 5 With their estate-to-plate cuisine, wide open spaces and unpretentious-upscale hospitality, the Kiwis do lodges better than anyone, and this new stunner at the top of the country is already heading besthotel lists around the world. Taking its name from its lovely shoreline, Helena Bay courses with history, culture and natural beauty. It’s all served on a silver platter, along with a daily menu of local fare, by a staff that outnumbers the max number of guests (10) five-to-one—and don’t get us started on the arithmetic of the 1,000-label wine cellar. Each standalone villa has a waterfront deck and two have wood fireplaces. But since temperatures in the “winterless north” never dip below 14 degrees, you’re always free to swim in the pool,…