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

THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM SKY-HIGH DINING AT ARTEMIS IN SINGAPORE Colombian chef Fernando Arevalo’s seasonally driven, utterly inspired tasting menus are a revelation. 4 AFTER-DARK GEMS IN KUALA LUMPUR The Malaysian capital’s nocturnal scene keeps booming, thanks to inventive new cocktail bars and clubs. JAVA’S THRIVING ART SCENE A land of fiery volcanoes and mystical temples, the Indonesian isle is also home to a vibrant artistic community. LOOKOUT Singapore’s stunning new Art Deco bar; Cathay Pacific’s custom-crafted beer; the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle just got an upgrade; the Strand Restaurant in Rangoon is reborn; apps to ease your fear of flying; the latest travel deals and more. travelandleisureasia.com DOWNLOAD US T+L TABLET EDITIONS Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and Zinio Desktop Reader. FOLLOW US TWITTER.COM/ TRAVLEISUREASIA FACEBOOK.COM/…

Where does your passport rank when it comes to visa-free access? Globally, as it has for a few years now, holding a German passport grants you access to 176 countries, tops in the world, according to a study by Henley & Partners. At 175 countries, Sweden comes a close second; with Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain and the U.S. tallying one less, and third overall. In fourth spot, Singapore leads the pack in Asia, with 173 countries on its list, which ties it with Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom. 23 Global ranking of Brunei Darussalam, whose passport is visa free in 151 countries. 5th Thailand’s—with 71 visa-free countries—ranking in Asia, behind Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Timor-Leste. LAOS AND BURMA The biggest climbers in Asia during the past year, with 48…

I WAKE UP COLD, a surprise since I’m just one degree north of the equator at a resort without air conditioning. The mosquito net billows around the bamboo fan above my bed, and I fumble to find the remote that will still its powerful wooden blades. The bedroom is wide open, facing the sea, and as the stars fade to a golden dawn, I crawl out of bed. It is too early for breakfast so I wander down the bamboo spiral staircase and go for a swim. I hang over the side of the infinity pool and just absorb the sky, blushing pink and rose, and the island-dotted ocean sprawling across the horizon. My internal clock slows down a notch, and it feels like there is nothing separating me from…

HYPE LUXURY BOAT CLUB The formula is simple: a beach club on the sea. Why restrict yourself to one stretch of sand when you can have them all? Every Tuesday to Sunday, Bt2,900 buys you a welcome cocktail, tropical fruit and finger food, with a showy drinks menu starring Moet & Chandon, Belvedere and Patron, and a cocktail list that comes served in three possible sizes: glass, bucket and maxi bucket. Casting off at 1 p.m., the back-sailed catamaran cruises the waters around Phuket while a DJ elevates the mood from lounge to full-on party. hypeboatclub.com; cocktails Bt250-1,900. CATCH BEACH CLUB Get a taste of Saint-Tropez at this charming bar with its weatherworn timbers underfoot, and starch white linen umbrellas shielding you from the sun. Gone but not forgotten, this…

/MAY 2017/ Spirits and myths of the Mentawai Islands | Lush and historic Bohol boasts the best of the Philippines | Australia’s beach capital, the Gold Coast, sizzles and burns | Eating through Cornwall, in southern, seaside England SITTING ON A WHITE-SAND, CASTAWAY-ISLAND BEACH, I’M DAYDREAMING UNDER THE HYPNOTIC SPELL OF ONE OF THE BEST RIGHT-HAND WAVES IN THE WORLD—HOLLOW TREE’S, also known as Lance’s Right. Had I been here in 1991, I would be focused on the giant tree, insides carved out by the elements, shooting straight out of the sea, and the lone Aussie, a wave-chaser named Lance Knight, surfing the barreling beaut. While the tree has been lost to time and unrelenting swells, the names Lance’s Right and Hollow Tree’s have been forever since on the minds…

O l a nset d a y summer the chefs Tom Adams and April Bloomfield splashed through a stream and then crossed a field behind Coombeshead Farm, their 18th-century Cornish farmhouse. Adams, of London’s celebrated Pitt Cue, and Bloomfield, a British native best known for her New York City restaurants the Spotted Pig and the Breslin, have turned the property, which is set on 26 hectares of gently rolling hills near the village of Lewannick, into a five-room inn and restaurant. They were expecting a dozen dinner guests that evening, and the afternoon’s mission was to forage ingredients—wild sorrel, blackberries—for the meal. We stopped under an oak tree reputed to be well over 600 years old. “I wonder what this tree has seen since day one,” Adams said. Consider: it would…

SUPER SAVER Grand Hyatt Macau This package includes a complimentary dinner for two at the hotel’s impressive open kitchen buffet, free laundry services and a minibar full of snacks and refreshments gratis. The Deal Grand Offer package: a night in a Grand Deluxe room, from HK$1,999 for two, through December 31. Save 56%. macau.grand.hyatt.com. HONG KONG Hotel Icon This deal gets you discounted room rates and a sumptuous daily breakfast. Stay two nights and receive an arrival airport transfer in a Tesla. Stay four nights and enjoy roundtrip. The Deal Bed and Breakfast with Limousine: a night in an Icon 36 City View room, from HK$1,900 for two, through December 29. Apply promo code “PROBB” when booking. Save 20%. hotel-icon.com. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong Get more time to explore…

1 Francisco Guerrero PHOTOGRAPHER Pure Philippines Page 96 “Bohol is a great microcosm of the Philippines,” Guerrero says. For dive spots, he picks Balicasag and Pamilacan. “The further of the two islands is Pamilacan, about an hour’s boat ride from Panglao. The majority is a marine sanctuary, with no fishing and no diving areas. But you can snorkel, and it is simply spectacular, teeming with marine life and coral gardens.” Above ground, “the Chocolate Hills probably top most people’s to-do lists, but I need to watch the sunset at the Baclayon pier. The sky turns into deep purple and all the locals come out to have a swim or just take a stroll.” Instagram: @studioguerrero. 2 Stephanie Zubiri WRITER Pure Philippines Page 96 Manila-based Zubiri headed back to Bohol for…

THE ANCIENT ART OF ALCHEMY IS alive and well at Jackalope, from the vines laden with grapes waiting to be turned into chardonnay to the hotel’s namesake: a seven-meter-tall Jackalope (a mythical creature that is half jackrabbit and half antelope) overlooking the entrance piazza. Framed by two coastlines, Jackalope sits on 11 hectares in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula’s wine region. The striking black modern building is in stark contrast to its surrounds where undulating grape vines stretch to the forest beyond. The hotel is a passion project for 29-year-old Melbournebased entrepreneur, Louis Li, who stumbled upon a small statue of a Jackalope while traveling in Germany knew this was the inspiration he needed for his hotel. Originally from southern China, Li’s family develops property and luxury hotels. After…

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES The island’s most famous destination is Bintan Resorts, a clutch of 12 resorts in total, with four new properties in the works, spread along 18,000 hectares of the island’s north coast. Treasure Bay, a recent addition to this vast collection, has a little bit of everything, from glamping at Canopi resort to all manner of splashhappy fun in their Crystal Lagoon, a six-hectare man-made seawater pool. There is a jetovator (above), wake boarding, waterslides, paddleboarding, aquaglide sailboats, kayaks, water-tricycles, sea scooters, bumper boats, an inflatable ball that lets you walk on water, ATVs, scooters and, if the list wasn’t long enough, much more. treasurebaybintan.com; entrance fee for non-guests S$6; tents at Canopi from Rp2,000,000. CULTURE & NATURE Rather than manufacturing a destination, new tours of the island…

THOUGH LAST YEAR’S Olympic Games prompted a wave of interest in Brazil, most travelers still stick to a fairly standard itinerary. But there’s more to the country than its famous coastline and cosmopolitan cities. Those willing to venture just a few hours (and many winding kilometers) inland from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo will discover a whole other side to this oft-pigeonholed South American nation—including a lush, mountainous region of cloudobscured peaks; cow-dotted pastureland; and pockets of the ancient Atlantic Forest. In this scenic setting, three quietly ambitious hotels are cultivating a stylish new vision of Brazilian turismo rural— going beyond the dude-ranch-style experience with high-end amenities, delicious farm-to-table dining and luxury-minded nature excursions. Sylvan charm is a common factor, but delve a little deeper and each property has…

TANJONG BEACH CLUB Inspired by the retro beach clubs of yesteryear, Tanjong Beach Club is a fun and fabulous seaside destination for those who love to sip on their mojitos with sand between their toes. Weekends find bikini-clad revelers dancing to up-and-coming DJs as night falls. Try the Sunset Daiquiri with mango and papaya, and the Piña Coladas that come in a whole pineapple. This is a great spot for daytime activities too, so grab a group of friends for an afternoon of beach volleyball, or stand-up paddleboarding in the cove. Once you've worked up an appetite, order the fresh snapper ceviche with lime and avocado, and the juicy lobster bun. tanjongbeachclub.com; cocktails S$19–23. FOC SENTOSA This new kid on the block is bringing Barcelona’s vibrant beach culture to the…

1 MovingWorlds Create a sustainable impact by transferring yours skills to locally led organizations and communities that need your help. MovingWorlds will guide you through a predeparture program that covers cultural sensitivity, sustainable development and will offer you a ton of other resources and global connections. movingworlds.org. 2 GoAbroad Launched in 1997, this is an online international portal where volunteers can find travel opportunities in nearly 18,000 verified listings and funding resources. They can also share their experiences, travel tips and program reviews. goabroad.com. 3 Go Overseas Started by a group of longtime travelers and overseas volunteers, this site offers a robust online directory of volunteer programs that are rated, ranked and searchable by country and project. It offers a social platform for participants, too. gooverseas.com. 4 GoVoluntouring Working with…

After too long an absence from this corner of Australia, I find myself driving along the edge of Broadwater, a dreamy blue estuary ringed by little beaches on the Gold Coast’s northern tip. Ahead of me are the glistening glass towers of Surfers Paradise, rising from the shoreline like modern phoenixes. The tallest is Q1, a 322-meterhigh monolith modeled on the Sydney 2000 Olympics torch. It was the world’s tallest residential tower when it opened in 2005 and is still the southern hemisphere’s tallest building. It’s also home to the Q1 Resort and Spa, where I’ve booked a 46th-floor spa apartment. The views are impressive but nothing compared to the 360-degree visual feast at the Sky Point Observation Deck on the 77th floor. From here, the Gold Coast skyline—edged by…

shapes and sizes. Whether you’re a millennial looking for a sporty break or a couple seeking some secluded down time, there’s a strip of sand that beckons. This month, we’ve got you covered, sunblock included, whether from a remote corner of Indonesia, a postcard setting in the Philippines or a section of the Australian coast that is in constant flux. One of the more intriguing locales on our map is the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra (“Seafaring Souls,” page 74). Here, writer Fraser Morton surfs above “flesh-splitting coral;” swallows a midnight snack he’d just as soon forget; and suffers a plight that all visitors to these remote islands face. I’m referring to the heartbreak of having to leave, not hard to fathom when you read his tale…

NEVER HEARD OF PHU QUOC? Not many have. It is easy to overlook the Vietnamese island, tucked away in a quiet corner of the South China Sea, just 14 kilometers from Cambodia. Despite being the largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, it is, for now, one of the area’s best-kept secrets. From the air, you would think Phu Quoc was the filming location for Jurassic Park, lush with tropical foliage, and ringed by ivory sands and a turquoise coast. It isn’t until you make your way out of the single-runway airport, which is undergoing a US$45-million expansion, and onto the new grand highway that the boom in development becomes apparent. Even though the Vietnamese government has been pushing Phu Quoc as a “modern center of tourism” since 2004, it…

Flying isn’t usually a very social activity. Often you sit facing the back of the seat in front of you, watching the inflight movie. Qatar Airways is changing things up with their new business class QSuite, which has adjustable panels and movable TV monitors on the center four seats, allowing people traveling together to turn the space into a private suite, with the chairs facing each other. In an industry first, those in the forward-facing middle seats can lower the dividing wall between them to transform into a 79-inch, lie-flat double bed. The rollout of the new customizable business class is expected this summer. qatarairways.com.…

AZUL BEACH CLUB With its lofty, three-story bamboo tree house, Bali’s only tiki bar is instantly recognizable. Opened in Legian a year ago, the large, open-air bar rises from the sand to a second level with sunset pods and an infinity pool overlooking sea and palms. Behind the bar, welltrained can-shakers fill custom-made, sculpted tiki-god glassware with signature cocktails. Try the Mai Tai 2.0, which fuses three rums and selected fruit juices. Chef Arief Wicaksono elevates Azul’s menu beyond the usual beachbar fare. Step out of the surf, shake off the sand, and order the calamari, sprinkled with lemon, crisped garlic, and shallots. Sturdier appetites will appreciate the wood-fired pizzas and Asian-influenced tapas. azulbali.com; cocktails Rp100,000–120,000. SUNDAYS BEACH CLUB At the bottom of a steep limestone cliff in Uluwatu, Sundays…

Once a popular way for university students to spend a gap year, volunteer travel—voluntourism, as it’s now called—has become one of the most booming segments of the travel industry, largely because of the changing tastes of both millennials and retirees. A Tourism and Hospitality Research study from 2014 estimated that more than 1.6 million tourists spend around US$2 billion annually on volunteer vacations. The explosion of programs means that there’s one for any budget and level of involvement, as well as for any length of commitment, either as a full trip or as an add-on. Here are five important things to consider before booking your next volunteer trip. In 2015 the word ‘voluntourism’ earned an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary 1 Decide What Type of Experience You Want A…

SUPERSAVER The Grand Luang Prabang Claim digs at this colonial palace along the banks of the Mekong. With this package, enjoy airport transfers, late check out and breakfast on the terrace looking over the river. A Laotian cooking class and a chance to participate in an almsgiving ceremony also come gratis. The Deal Weekend Getaway Lao New Year package: a night in a Deluxe room, from US$145 for two, through June 30. Save 38%. grandluangprabang.com. CITY BANGKOK Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Celebrate the hotel’s fifth anniversary with a stay in one of their top rooms, complete with striking city views, a massive bathtub and Hermès toiletries. The offer includes a sweet gift basket; access to Club Millésime, where treats, gourmet canapés, cocktails and tea are served throughout the day; and daily…

HONG KONG AND MACAU, AS THEY HAVE BEEN OVER THE DECADES, ARE CLOSE cousins on so many levels, yet each of these urban centers has a distinct personality. Anywhere else in the world, Macau would be considered a frenetic, neon-lit pinball machine of a city, though next to Hong Kong it’s a South China Sea getaway, a break from all things fast-paced and urban, with a touch of Iberian influence still prominent. Where the two ports overlap is when it comes to offering experiences you can’t find elsewhere. For starters, Hong Kong loves nothing more than a good meal at any time of day or night and this e-guide has insights into vegetarian takes on traditional Asian dishes as well as a peek at the design logic that goes into every…

IT TAKES A LOT OF MOXY to open a bar or restaurant in Hong Kong. For every success story like fine-dining Amber or hipper-than-thou Yardbird, there are dozens that vanish in months, barely making a dent in the city’s crowded culinary market. In an era when we eat with our eyes (and invariably phones) first, it’s not surprising that good design has become what sets a place apart. Here we profile three Hong Kong-based studios whose works propel restaurants to even greater heights, and ask the designers to reveal a few of their tactics and tricks of the trade. DESIGN FIRM: NC DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE SPECIALTY: SPEAKEASY STYLE Sometimes to stand out you need to blend in. This strategy proved fruitful for two speakeasy-style establishments in Hong Kong, Mrs. Pound (mrspound.com;…

THERE’S MORE TO MACAU than meets the eye. Look beyond the blinding neon of the next new giant casino-hotel opening, and you’ll find a lesser known and quickly developing side of the city that offers a subtler slice of life. Independent restaurants and shops, designed by a pool of upcoming local talent, are dipping into Macau’s history and natural bounty to offset the modern brightlight behemoths. Here, a weekend exploring the best of the city’s past, present and future. FRIDAY 4:30 p.m. | Strip Down To kick off your weekend, start with the big bling. Check in at The St. Regis for unrivaled views of the strip, a Vegasstyle boulevard lined with hotels and casinos in a kaleidoscope of constant action, then drop your bags and head out to explore…

IT TOOK 15 YEARS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNER Alberto Chan to return home to Macau, and less than 12 months for him to make a mark on the gaming center. His understated creative voice is rising above the bellow of the mega casinos, the whisper everyone leans in to hear. Chan spent almost two decades in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hong Kong, and he’s bringing some of the low-key cool of the urban centers to Macau with his brand-new concept store Quarter Square (89 Largo Maia de Magalhães, Taipa; 853/2857- 6914; quartersquare.co). As it has since opening, the store is shaking up Taipa’s village scene, blooming in the middle of decades-old local diners and shops selling overpriced tourist knickknacks. Soft-spoken and cheerful Chan says he is striving to “bring…