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

travelandleisureasia.com THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM HOW TO UP YOUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GAME We asked the experts for tips on how to take better travel photos, no fancy camera required. BALI’S HOLISTIC HEALERS In Ubud, shamans still practice mystical arts to help restore body, mind and soul. We visit the source to find out if there is truth to the legends. CHIANG MAI’S BURGEONING ART SCENE A spate of gallery openings is drawing attention to this once under-the-radar creative community. DOWNLOAD US T+L TABLET EDITIONS Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and Zinio Desktop Reader. FOLLOW US TWITTER.COM/ TRAVLEISUREASIA FACEBOOK.COM/ TRAVELLEISUREASIA PINTEREST.COM/ TRAVLEISUREASIA INSTAGRAM.COM/ TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA KEEP UP WITH US Sign up for our newsletter for monthly highlights and offers from T+L Southeast Asia. TANDL.ASIA/NEWSLETTER CONTACT US TLEDITOR@ MEDIATRANSASIA.COM…

A FOUNDING FATHER OF fashion in Thailand, Somchai Songwattana keeps pushing the boundaries. Since launching his first clothing label in 1983, Flynow (flynowbangkok.com; dresses from Bt3,000)—which is still trendsetting today with a new pink- and rose-hued collection of bold silhouettes accented by his signature appliques and frills—he has rolled out eight other brands, including a leather label and a cool-girl streetwear line. Songwattana is also a founder of Thailand Creative and Design Center (tcdc.or.th), and his latest project to nurture the country’s budding talent is even more grandiose. Next month he is unveiling ChangChui, a two-hectare art space in Bangkok’s Thonburi district that will reinstate a cultural capital west of the Chao Phraya River with its galleries, concert venue, library and collection of bars and restaurants, including a five-star eatery inside an…

ONE FINE MORNING a year or two ago, at an open-air counter in the Maboneng precinct of Johannesburg, South Africa, an elegant lady served me one of the world’s more perfect cappuccinos. In the willfully sentimental way of travelers in search of stories, I imagined a whole biography for her—maybe she’d brought her family’s La Marzocco machine all the way from Rome in a steamer trunk. With its dour fortified compounds, Brutalist skyscrapers and acrid mine-tailing hills, Johannesburg doesn’t beguile the visitor like its relentlessly picturesque counterpart, Cape Town. So in Maboneng I was glad to find galleries, food trucks, sidewalk cafés, street art, cool cars, an artisanal craft market, the David Adjaye–designed Hallmark House hotel and the Museum of African Design (located in a former auto-body shop). A sign…

When Rangoon Tea House, a hipster haunt with a menu encompassing everything from biryanis to baos, announced that it would move, there was an initial outcry, until word came out that the restaurant’s new incarnation would feature a slick cocktail bar upstairs. Named for the sweet palm wine fermented at toddy plantations, The Toddy Bar is already packing in guests with locally inspired tipples like a Jasmine Gin & Tonic, with jasmine tea–infused gin. “The Toddy Bar was set up almost as an older sister to Rangoon Tea House. If the latter felt like it had one foot in the past and one in the future, so does The The Toddy Bar,” says cofounder Htet Myet Oo. And here you’ll find the same fastidious attention to detail that has made…

IT’S 5 P.M. ON A SUNDAY, and Vientiane’s languid pace is being broken by a series of flips, jumps and tricks: members of the Lao freerunning club are training along the capital’s riverfront. Anouxay Chanthanong, 16, takes the lead, performing a daring leap over the steps to the majestic Chao Anouvong monument, before tumbling artfully to the pavement and rolling to a stand. “I saw some older freerunners and I wanted to do it,” he says through a translator, explaining that he now trains up to four hours a day, five days a week, to perfect his moves. Symbolic of the social changes now underway in the capital of this communist state, freerunning—an energetic form of parkour, which emerged in Paris in the late 1980s—is a paragon of self-expression. And…

“Attilio Codognato (attiliocodognato.it) is a must in Venice. Their jewels are stunning, and rarely appear at auction. I could spend days at Belperron (belperron.com) in New York. And the Grand Bazaar (grand bazaaristanbul.org) in Istanbul has more gold than anyone could view in one visit.” — FRANK EVERETT, DIRECTOR OF SALES FOR JEWELRY AT SOTHEBY’S “When I go home to New Mexico, I seek out vintage turquoise and silver jewelry, as well as contemporary artists like Estevan Castillo and Jasper Nelson. Castillo’s shop, El Rincón (114 Kit Carson Rd., 1-575/758-9188), is the oldest trading post in Taos.” — ANNA SHEFFIELD, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF ANNA SHEFFIELD JEWELRY “A must for Art Deco jewels and objets is La Galerie Parisienne, in Paris (lagalerieparisienne.com). London has the best Victorian jewelry—A.R. Ullmann (arullmann.com) is my…

Flair is a store and gallery with a unique collection of design objects and furnishings, all chosen for their emotional resonance and character. It’s a space for the imagination to celebrate. flair.it. The perfumes of Lorenzo Villoresi are inspired by Renaissance-era merchants— scents of Tuscany meet the spices of the Middle East. lorenzovilloresi.it. Open since the 1930s, Luisa Via Roma is now recognized globally as a cutting-edge brand, discovering young design talent and exploring new technologies. luisaviaroma.com. Loretta Caponi is more than a shop—it feels like a home. The elaborate lace and embroidery, produced by Caponi’s daughter, are testaments to Italian craft. It’s among the last surviving such stores in Florence. lorettacaponi.com. Santa Maria Novella products are made by artisans whose skills have been handed down for generations. The smell…

“The Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair (clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk), in London, has outstanding couture. The Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show (manhattanvintage.com) has wonderful items. And high-end auction houses like Sotheby’s (sothebys.com) periodically offer vintage and couture.” — MADELEINE KIRSH, OWNER OF C. MADELEINE’S “There’s a place in Marrakesh that I love, Mustapha Blaoui (mustaphablaoui.com). I’m always looking for patterns in every form, from mosaics to carpets to leather saddles—they have it all. In Nairobi, the Maasai Market (fb.com/maasaimarketnairobi) has incredible beads, both vintage and new.” — DESIGNER STEPHANIE VON WATZDORF, FOUNDER OF FIGUE “The shop I most look forward to visiting is Morita (morita-antiques.com), in Tokyo. It’s where I was introduced to boro, an indigo-dyed Japanese textile made with mended fabrics that are passed down from generation to generation. They have an incredible beauty to them.” —SCOTT MORRISON, FOUNDER AND…

ASIA IS HOME TO MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF DREAM TRIPS, longer journeys through a cross-section of the continent, itineraries that take in both past glories and modern advances, sometimes in the same day. Writer Joe Cummings embarked on just such a trip for this issue, aboard a small cruise ship up the Mekong River with stops in four countries (“Against the Current,” page 70). One day finds him meeting Lao and Hmong villagers, the next staring at a contemporary kilometer-wide dam. A two-week cruise is not too long, he writes, for the pace allows time to catch up and chill out, to appreciate Asia’s constant change without missing a beat of the Mekong’s natural beauty or culinary offerings. About the only one moving more slowly than the cruise…

TOUGH LOVE I grew up in a small town in Kerala, so when I visited New York when I was 24 it was like a punch to the head. That trip began to shape the kind of writer that I am now. I saw that I didn’t want to write about sunsets and museums, but more about the personal connection between me and the place that I’m visiting. LIFE AND ART When I wrote Idris, Keeper of the Light set in 17th century Galle, I had not been to Sri Lanka before. But I went this year, attending the Fairway Galle Literary Festival, and I enjoyed staying at Tamarind Hill (tamarindhill.lk; doubles from US$280). ITALIAN FLAVOR Food plays an important part in my books. The food that I eat when…

1 / LONDON In 2007, Brompton became the first of several London neighborhoods to rechristen itself as a design district. Mint (mintshop.co.uk) sells housewares from emerging talents, while 10 Thurloe Place hosts pop-up exhibitions. 2 / SINGAPORE The government established the DesignSingapore Council in 2003 to develop the city’s design sector. They succeeded. Now it teems with high-design festivals, galleries, shops and eateries; there’s even an app (museum. red-dot.sg) to help travelers navigate the design district. 3 / CHRISTCHURCH Rather than rush to rebuild after the devastating 2011 earthquake, the Kiwi city (christchurchnz.com) installed a rainbow of shipping containers to reboot businesses, and architects have been turning it into a pedestrian, low-rise hub of innovative structural engineering and cutting-edge design. 4 / DUBAI The D3 district was purpose-built in 2015…

GET BUTTERFLIES as soon as the plane leaves the gate? This collection of apps will help ease your flying fears, so you can relax and enjoy the ride. AM I GOING DOWN? The answer: no, probably not. Need proof? This app presents you with the cold, hard facts. Enter your journey details and this flight-risk calculator will provide you with the statistical likelihood of something catastrophic happening onboard based on the plane model, airline and departure and arrival ports. For example, it could tell you that your flight from Singapore to Sydney on an Airbus A330 via Qantas Airlines has a one in 5,308,023 chance of crashing and if you took the flight every day you’d expect to last 15,542 years before you went down. The odds are definitely in…

ICONIC This bohemian womenswear line by designer Akrawut Panthumvanich is certified fresh. Their Cairo Snow collection lit up the catwalk last fall with pop-art spins on Egyptian iconography, like Nefertiti wearing shades. iconic.co.th. BOLANA LAB An oldie but a goodie, this leathergood brand has been churning out beautiful handbags for the past 30 years. Their new collection is called Baitong, the Thai word for banana leaf, and leverages their ample experience experimenting with leather in a fringing technique that mimics the geometric veins of a banana leaf. The result is a zero-waste, highly versatile line of purses and totes. bolonalab.com. APRILPOOLDAY In a country where it is summer yearround, there’s a high demand for swimwear. Founded by Lilanan Ronakiat, Aprilpoolday is all about minimalist throw-back shapes, like full-bottomed one-pieces and…

TOPOLINA The French-born designer Isabelle Topolina combines her love of color and prints with her couture skills to create whimsical pieces—think Marni in the medina. There are A-line coats with wax prints from Benin, smock dresses made from hand-dyed fabrics from the Sahara, and patterned, tasseled loafers. The atelier also has a jaunty menswear collection by Topolina’s son, with tropical print shorts and bow ties. 134 Dar El Bacha, in the medina. EL FENN The riad El Fenn has always attracted a fashion-forward crowd, so for its boutique, owner Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard) enlisted an industry insider. Former New York casting agent Paul Rowland (who launched Kate Moss) helped create a handsome shop within the hotel’s restaurant, with custom-made leather djellabas, vintage Berber jewelry and handwoven blankets. el-fenn.com. 33…

“Peoples Records (peoplesdetroit.com), in Detroit, is good for soul. Record Graveyard (1-313/870-9647), in Hamtramck, Michigan, has one of the best selections of LPs anywhere. George’s Song Shop (georgessongshop.com) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has the biggest wall of 45s you’ll ever see.” — MATT “MR. FINE WINE” WEINGARDEN, RARE-VINYL ARCHIVIST AND RADIO DJ “Groove Merchant Records (groovemerchantrecords.com), in San Francisco, is one of my favorite shops in the world. In Oakland, Park Blvd Records & Tapes (parkblvdrecords.com) is a must for fans of hip-hop. Cosmos (cosmosrecords.ca), in Toronto, has everything a real rare-groove fiend could want.” —JONATHAN SKLUTE, OWNER OF GOOD RECORDS NYC…

BE APPROACHABLE Take off the headphones and ease up on the angry eyes. Think about the people you’d be willing to approach: their faces probably aren’t glued to their phones, and their expressions are likely at ease. Present yourself as open to conversation and others will sense it as well. STAND OUT A surefire way to garner a little attention: flaunt something outlandish that will get people talking. Whether a flashy pair of shoes, a flower crown or a top hat, don something out of the ordinary and you’ll undoubtedly have admirers, skeptics and the curious approaching you to learn more. BE INQUISITIVE We can all agree that people love talking about themselves.to brag about their hometown or to reminisce about a meal they had last week. Asking a few…

the grandeur of Anantara Kalutara is less likely to hit you visually than elementally. That’s not to say the enormous hollow A-frame, one of the last hotel designs by Geoffrey Bawa, inventor of the tropical modernist design school, is not stunning. On the contrary: it is simple, regal, breathtaking. But it faces the confluence of the Kalu Ganga Estuary and the Indian Ocean, with guests arriving via the backside (and instantly becoming the grand marshal of their own welcome parade that’s led by local singers, dancers and drummers), meaning you must later head north to the hotel’s spa or pan-Asian restaurant Spice Traders and glance back to get the full picture of the building’s angular glory. But wait. Sitting under the big top is a powerful experience. Go to the…

• Air pollution • Energy consumption • Renewable energy production #TLASIA IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE, AND THIS MONTH READERS ARE RAISING A GLASS TO RELAXING VACATIONS AND PERFECTLY CRAFTED DRINKS. SHARE AN INSTAGRAM PHOTO BY USING THE #TLASIA HASHTAG, AND IT MAY BE FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE. FOLLOW @TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA…

It may come as no surprise that the developers behind a 24-story Art Deco tower are a little bit obsessed with art. Parkview Arts Action, the group’s charitable arm, also opened Parkview Museum in the Gotham building last month, so after downing a few martinis at Atlas you can use that liquid confidence to coax out your inner creative connoisseur. Art with heart, it is the museum’s mission to raise awareness of environmental issues. The first show, On Sharks and Humanity, on display through June, is a traveling multidisciplinary collection of thought-provoking artwork focusing on shark protection and ocean conservation, which showcases pieces by 26 artists from countries all over the world, including the U.S., Singapore and Hong Kong. Later in the year, expect to see a rotating line-up of…

IF THIS IS CAMPING, then sign me up. While no stay at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle would be considered roughing it, the northern Thai resort has taken comfort to a new level with its two-bedroom Explorer’s Lodge. A king-sized room and a twin room— both with en suite bathrooms—are bisected by a private pool that drops off into the dense, green valley that separates Thailand from Burma. The first room on the property that isn’t a tent, it can fit six people into a 232-square-meter space, but four would be better, or two, if complete solitude is your aim. At the far end of what already is a secluded resort, it’s walking distance to the stars of the show, the rescued elephants. As much as the pachyderms—beautifully…

“ARE YOU READY?” my server asks, before simultaneously pouring dry champagne and liquid nitrogen into a silver bowl. With flourish, he whisks it until the bubbly morphs into a sorbet the color and consistency of fresh snow. While most palatecleansers are little more than an afterthought, this one comes close to upstaging the blush-pink quail robed in a tawny, toasted coffee sauce that follows. For all the theatricality of its presentation, there’s something pure about a dish that contains only two ingredients and tastes of a crisp grand cru. That balance between the classic and contemporary, between the fanciest of frills and utter simplicity, is what makes The Strand Restaurant sing. It took more than seven months to bring new life to the crown jewel of Rangoon’s grande dame. To…

WITH ITS THATCHED ROOF and a portico with wooden columns made from actual knobbly tree trunks, the charmingly humble Hex Cottage, on the edge of a forest in Suffolk, would have appealed to Hansel and Gretel. Inside, the décor is appropriately rustic, with roughhewn tables and chairs, unpainted plaster walls, broad brick floors and a wood-fired range that you have to keep lit if you want to have hot water. When I arrived, I felt beside the door for a light switch, only to realize that there wasn’t one. I fought a moment of panic when I realized there would also be no power supply for my laptop or cell phone. Welcome to the new breed of English country-house hotel. In the 1980s, both Britain and the U.S. fell hard…

For cool little boutiques, take a stroll in the Sheung Wan district. It always presents unexpected surprises. Paribawga Collection and Paribawga Bespoke, the contemporary Burmese furniture brands founded by my friend Ivan Pun, just opened a new showroom in Hong Kong in collaboration with McNamara Art Projects (mcnartprojects.com). The gallery shows a constant rotation of curated exhibitions alongside the pieces of furniture. paribawga.com. The statement eyewear brand Reve makes the coolest sunglasses. revebyrene.com. I am all about the homegrown luxury brand Moiselle, which showcases unique craftsmanship and inspired designs. Last winter, I bought a decadent hot water bottle covered in mink here. It has kept me luxuriously warm during some of Hong Kong's colder nights. moiselle. com.hk. I love how each area of the city has its own flavor. For…

Daunt Books is the most wonderful bookshop. There’s one at the end of my road, and I often walk down there with the kids and we each browse our own section. dauntbooks.co.uk. I have always loved Bonpoint, because it’s so quintessentially French. They make chic clothes that aren’t overly fussy for kids. And the detail is really beautiful. bonpoint.com. Harrods (harrods.com) is such a great store for the children, particularly at Christmastime. And I like the mix of clothes and shoes at Caramel (caramel-shop.uk). Their housewares and toys are always tastefully chosen. WEAR IT LIKE BECKHAM Victoria Beckham shares her favorite looks from her new kids' clothing line for Target. For my daughter, Harper, I especially like the collared Clever Bunny dresses in the new Target line. The silhouette is so signature…

EDIT LIFESTYLE This four-room space on Tanglin Road run by interior designer Florence Lim is beautifully styled and gratifying to shop in. Niche brands like Lisa Marie Fernandez and jeweler Ileana Makri mix with fragrances from Carthusia in Capri, a smattering of tabletop curios, beaded ornaments from South Africa, and Alba, Lim’s resortwear line. editlifestyle.com. STRANGELETS This shop in the Tiong Bahru neighborhood has been at the forefront of Singapore style since it opened in 2008. It essentially created a market for Balinese ceramics, introduced the Lion City to the tableware of Astier de Villatte, and it stocks leather clutches and exquisite letterpressed goods. strangelets.sg. CLUB 21 COMO Hotels founder and style maven Christina Ong’s slick boutique brings experimental designers (like Rick Owens and Yoshio Kubo) to Orchard Road. The…

I’m from California, so I love the laid-back L.A. vibe. I go to Galerie Half for inspiration. I like how they mix pieces. You’ll see furniture from names like Kjarholm, but they bring in rustic and ethnic pieces, too. It’s an eclectic, Midcentury style. galeriehalf.com. For anybody who’s in love with design, JF Chen is a mecca. You feel like you’re in the most incredible flea market, but everything has a pedigree. I’ll find something from William Haines next to club chairs from Sweden that are destroyed and perfect. You could lose several days browsing here. jfchen.com. Lief is so refreshing, cozy and quiet. They make amazing outdoor furniture. Go here after JF Chen—it’s a nice palate cleanser. liefalmont.com. The pieces at Lucca Antiques are so inviting. It’s the furniture…

PARTY WITH A LOCAL You’ll never have to hit the town on your own with this aptly named app that unites partiers in more than 150 countries. Whether it’s to grab a drink, meet festivalgoers or find parties and events in town, you’ll be able to connect with both locals and foreigners looking to have a good time. Hit a speakeasy with a fellow gin dilettante or scroll through nearby events ranging from concerts to pool parties to underground dance blowouts. partywithalocal.com; iOS and Android. MEETUP Attend a happy hour at a new bar in Hong Kong, join a photography workshop in Bangkok, learn about natural health in Bali or even attend a club meeting for a political movement while in Singapore. Meetup is your all-access pass to hundreds of…

SUPERSAVER Amorita Resort, Philippines Atop a cliff on Panglao Island, a quiet seaside retreat awaits. After a free airport pickup, go full vacation mode with this package’s included bottle of champagne, pintxos at the tapas restaurant and daily yoga. The Deal Splendid package: a night in a Garden villa, from P35,800 for two, through December 20. Save 38%. amoritaresort.com. WELLNESS VIETNAM La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc Nestled within the lush tropical foliage of Phuc Quoc Island, this resort will have you exhaling with relief as soon as you step out of the car that they’ve sent to pick you up from the airport. Revel in the peacefulness of the location with daily massage treatments and yoga by the sea. Take breakfast alfresco on the porch of a colonial style mansion…

I CONFESS I CAME LATE TO BORDEAUX. MY EXPERIENCE WITH WINE BEGAN AS A KID GROWING UP IN BUFFALO IN THE 1950S. My paternal grandfather, Gaetano, who emigrated from Sicily, concocted a rough-edged wine in the backyard every fall. One year red; one year white. He “aged” it for a few months in old whiskey barrels to give it a bigger bite and watered it down for me and my siblings to sample. During my first decade living in France, I mostly avoided visiting the Bordeaux wine region. To many, the very name means old-fashioned, snobbish and unaffordable. For centuries, its winemakers have created some of the world’s most prized and expensive wines— Thomas Jefferson was famously devoted—and they devised a system of classifying them that hasn’t changed since the…