Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM IN SEARCH OF TOKYO’S TOP IZAKAYAS Join some of Hong Kong’s finest chefs and restaurateurs on a sake-soaked crawl through the Japanese capital’s culinary landscape. 50 TIPS FOR SMARTER LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL Whether you’re a spontaneous free-spirit or a procrastinator, these travel hacks ensure an amazing trip even if you’ve left the planning to the 11th hour. MYSTERY AND MAJESTY IN MRAUK-U, BURMA Venture way off the well-trodden tourist trail as we uncover the mysteries of an ancient civilization in the country’s northwest. LOOKOUT Where (and how) to travel in 2018; introducing the Rosewood Phuket; Saigon’s best new bars; wellness trends to check out this year; the latest travel deals and more. travelandleisureasia.com DOWNLOAD US T+L TABLET EDITIONS Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and Zinio Desktop…

HAN PALOE (braised goose) at Tung Sui Heng Pochana. This family-run shophouse is known for its fragrant braised goose, slowly stewed in a clay pot and served with a tangy pickled chili sauce. Order a side of noodles to mix into the rich, spiced broth. 528/45 Rama 4 Rd., Bang Rak; 66-2/234- 0084; mains Bt50–Bt500. HOI THOD (fried oyster pancake) at Nai Mong Hoi Tod. This Chinatown stall has been dishing out some of the most beloved oyster pancakes in the city for the past 30 years. Choose from crispy (awlua) or soft (awsuan) and be sure to dip in the accompanying bowl of tangy chili sauce. 539 Phlapphla Chai Rd., Pom Prap Sattru Phai; 66-89/773-3133; mains from Bt100. GAI TOD (fried chicken) at Polo Fried Chicken. This 50-year-old restaurant on the…

OKINAWA IS SO LUSH that buildings and rivers are often obscured by its profusion of greenery. Along the coasts, tourists swim in aquamarine waters. All this natural beauty may surprise anyone who associates Okinawa with World War II, when invading Americans bombed its terraced fields and wild forest down to the dirt. Okinawa is the largest of the 160 islands, most of them unpopulated, that are between the Japanese mainland and Taiwan, collectively forming the country’s southernmost prefecture. The archipelago, also named Okinawa, was an independent kingdom until Japan overthrew its monarch in the late 19th century. An era of U.S. military rule followed World War II, with Americans bulldozing homes and farms to build bases, which remained after the islands were returned to Japan in 1972. Many locals continue…

Off Piste 4WD Tours Jump into McLaren Vale tour guide Ben Neville’s four-wheel drive as he leads you through the best local secrets of the region. His Fork and Grape tour includes a picnic in the Onkaparinga Gorge, behind-the-scenes cellar door tastings and a drive along the pristine Sellicks Beach. offpistetours.com. au; eight-hour tour A$299. Pizzateca Sliding authentic Italian pizzas from their woodfire pizza oven, the Mitolo family’s new pizza house is now an essential lunch stop when touring the Vale. The family’s Mitolo & Sons wines are available exclusively to drink here, and don’t leave without trying nonna Mitolo’s tiramisu. pizza-teca.com; mains from A$20. Willunga Farmers Market Every Saturday more than 80 farmers and producers gather at the Willunga Town Square to sell their best Fleurieu fruit, vegetables, meat,…

GETTING THERE Fly into New Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International Airport and hop on the NDLS Shatabdi Express for a six-hour journey from Old Delhi Railway Station to Kathgodam Railway Station. From Kathgodam, it’s three hours by car to Khali Estate in the Binsar Wildlife Preserve. Village Ways’ capable drivers handle all ground transportation in Delhi and Kathgodam, and will pre-book train tickets for you. Tourist visas are required for entry into India. E-visas can be obtained in advance at indianvisaonline.gov.in. VILLAGE WAYS TOUR Launched in 2004, Village Ways was founded by a group of seven mountaineers and guides from India and the U.K. Modeled after inn-to-inn walks popular in the English countryside, the walking programs can be tailored to suit each group’s preferences. The program’s founders trained the communities to…

On Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain, there’s surprisingly decent schnitzel. There are also life-altering views. As I stood atop a glacier, the ski town of Garmisch- Partenkirchen more than 2,700 meters below me, I looked down at what resembled an Alpine lake but was in fact the top of a cloud. Tethered to my wrist was a toboggan, the instrument of my shame—and eventual revelation. The main reason for my trip to this part of Bavaria, the large state that occupies Germany’s southeastern corner, was to indulge a curiosity about tobogganing. For years, I’d been eager to recapture the rush I’d experienced as a child, in Moscow, sledding down the man-made crevasse in front of our Cuban Missile Crisis–era tenement. And while most Americans regard sledding as a children’s pastime—as quaint…

GETTING THERE Connect to Kigali International Airport through major hubs including Brussels and Doha. VISAS Nationals of Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore may visit Rwanda for up to 90 days without a visa. All other passport holders can obtain a 30-day visa on arrival at Kigali International Airport; some must pay a US$30 fee. migration. gov.rw. PERMITS Gorilla permits in Volcanoes National Park cost US$1,500 per person per day. Buy them through the Rwanda Development Board (rwanda tourism.com) or through a tour operator. TOUR OPERATORS Micato Safaris Expeditions with this decorated company—a nine-time winner in our World’s Best Awards— range from gorilla-tracking in the Virunga volcanoes to city tours of Kigali. micato.com; four-day trips from US$3,950, excluding gorilla permits. Wilderness Safaris Itinerary options include museum tours in Kigali as well as…

GLOBETROTTERS FIRST CAME to Queenstown in the 1860s to try and strike it rich on New Zealand’s goldfields and, while the commodity may have changed, that pioneering spirit most definitely remains. The world’s unofficial adventure capital now hosts a staggering 3.2 million visitors every year from backpackers to bourgeoisie, combines fast living with rare beauty, and has stayed true to the boom-or-bust culture on which it was founded. “This town, I love it, it’s amazing, but it’s a gold rush that never stopped. It was a gold rush that built it, and it’s a gold rush to this day,” reflects Richard Docherty, the Glaswegian owner of popular health-food eatery Rehab (therehabstory.com; mains from NZ$10) and a Queenstown resident of nine years. Docherty is indicative of many Queenstown “locals,” a rather arbitrary…

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: 1. CAFE MANI, JEJU-DO This is a favorite pit stop for many cyclists along the island's northwest. 2. JOSEON THROWBACK Locals and tourists alike enjoy strolling palaces in traditional hanbok, reliving old royal glory. 3. MUSEUM SAN, WONJU A must for fans of Tadao Ando's work, as seen here, and architecture lovers. 4. HALLA MOUNTAIN Horses roam free below Hallasan, the 1,950-meter-high tallest peak in South Korea. 5. LILAC FIELDS Autumn is the most picturesque time to visit Korea, when the colors bleed onto leaves and daylight stretches to golden-tinged dusks. When a trip spans everything from adventure to art, landscapes to lifestyle, we need a camera that is rugged yet sleek, and packs a lot of power into portable package. Hats off to the PowerShot G1 X…

SUPERSAVER L Hotel Seminyak, Bali Plan an island escape up to 14 days in advance and you’ll save 15 percent off stays at this premium Seminyak spot. The five-star resort will also treat you to daily breakfast at Grow restaurant, airport pickup, an indulgent one-hour Balinese massage at L’Spa, 24-hour butler service and more. The Deal Advance Purchase Promo: a night in a Lifestyle suite, from US$127, through December 31. thelhotels.com. ROMANCE THAILAND 9Hornbills, Koyao Island Resort Do Valentine’s Day a little different this year with a romantic stay in one of the luxury tented villas at 9Hornbills, a secluded part of Koyao Island Resort on Koh Yao Noi. Spend three nights in a Panorama Tented Pool villa, with 180-degree panoramic views of Phang Nga Bay, and you’ll be treated…

HOTELS Hotel Bachmair Weissach Located an hour south of Munich, this rambling, comfortable resort has a Zen-meets-hunting-lodge vibe, several good restaurants, and stunning mountain views. The property provides easy access to skiing and tobogganing on the Wallberg. Rottach-Egern; bachmair-weissach.com; doubles from €250. Schloss Elmau This grand hotel, hidden in an Alpine mountain valley about an hour west of Bachmair Weissach, is an utterly singular Bavarian experience. Daily concerts, numerous spas, nine restaurants, and a bookstore on the premises are just part of the story. Elmau; schlosselmau. de; doubles from €434. RESTAURANTS Fischerei Bistro Impeccable local seafood served on the shores of the Tegernsee. Bad Wiessee; fischerei-tegernsee.com; mains €9–€32. Herzogliches Bräustüberl Tegernsee A rollicking beer hall in a former monastery, this spot can’t be beat for its Laugenbrezeln— traditional pretzels made…

THE FIRST AND LAST TIME I SAW RIHANNA— IN A SWIMSUIT, NO LESS— WAS AT THE airport. Her likeness was just behind the customs booth, hanging in a place typically reserved for government leaders. I had expected to see Barbados’s most famous daughter many, many times over the course of my weeklong stay. But I quickly discovered that the locals aren’t especially caught up in Rihanna’s allure. They’d rather focus on people and places that the rest of the world hasn’t already discovered. Barbados has always been a bit of an outlier in the Caribbean. Geographically, this former British colony is the region’s easternmost country, a pear-shaped island jutting far out into the southern Atlantic. (It is so far east, in fact, that it is usually spared by hurricanes.) And though…

1 Stuart Walmsley WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER “Risk and Reward”Page 19 “Resort towns can be a bit soulless, but Queenstown is a diverse, creative, caring community, a place the seasonal worker seems to feel inspired to become a citizen,” Walmsley says. Best meal? “Asparagus soup at Sherwood Queenstown, made of produce picked with chef Kane Bambery that morning. Fresh, simple and absolutely delicious.” And good hiking fuel: “On a tip from a local barman, I started my ascent up Roys Peak at about 3 a.m. All I saw on the trail were a few bleary-eyed sheep, before sharing sunrise with several hardy souls who had camped out at the summit.” Instagram: @stu_walmsley. 2 Rachna Sachasinh WRITER “A Walk to Remember” Page 56 Sachasinh returned to India to hike the Himalayas with Village…

SOUTH KOREA takes the spotlight this month when the Winter Olympics kick off February 9. Centered in Pyeongchang, this year’s games will serve as a showcase for the natural beauty, culture and food of the surrounding area, inspiring travelers to explore the region long after the torch is extinguished. Getting there is easy—Pyeongchang is just 90 minutes from Seoul or around two hours from Incheon Airport via high-speed train. Once there, visit Seoraksan National Park (english.knps.or.kr/knp/ seoraksan) to see the majestic Taebaek mountain range. The Sorak cable car transports you to a lookout point and several trailheads; vendors supply proper South Korean trekking fuel like boxes of kimbap, or rice rolls, and soju. Nearby Woljeongsa Temple (woljeongsa.org) is home to a museum of Buddhist culture from the 10th through the 14th centuries,…

DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN THE BEST INGREDIENTS COME IN such a beautifully unpretentious package? Tucked away on the most inviting terrace in Bangkok, you’ll find La Bottega di Luca, a veritable larder of the tastiest products from across Italy and Europe, hand-sourced from small suppliers whose love of food is a way of life. Charming and effervescent chef-owner Luca Appino has dedicated years of research to studying Italian ingredients, cultivating relationships with pasta-making nonnas in tiny villages and fishmongers in the most bountiful waters to bring the best of Italy back to Bangkok. Among the premium, D.O.C. delights on the menu are Fassona from Piedmont, pistachio from Bronte, Mulino Marino flour for the homemade breads and pastas, mullet roe bottarga from Sardinia, and burrata from Andria in Puglia. Talented…

DOWN A SIDE STREET in Saigon’s Phu Nhuan district, the day is unfolding to a very Vietnamese soundtrack. Jackhammers provide abstract rhythmic punctuation to a background thrum of motorbike engines and a frontline of chorusing food vendors. As I enter the family home of Nguyen Hong Giang—one of the city’s most exciting young underground producers and musicians—the melodies begin to take sharper focus. In the downstairs parlor, Giang’s mother is watching an episode of Bolero Idol: a reality TV show where young singers perform updated takes on the gentle love songs popular in the south of the country before the fall of Saigon in 1975. Upstairs, her son is creating an altogether more radical form of musical alchemy. “I call this my crazy music,” laughs the bespectacled 25-year-old. He closes…

GETTING THERE Fly to Hobart via Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney. TOUR OPERATOR Big Five Tours & Expeditions This trusted company’s Tasmania offerings range from hiking and beach-hopping on the Freycinet Peninsula to a four-day trek through Maria Island, where you can spot kangaroos and emus in one of the world’s most remote wildlife sanctuaries. bigfive.com; 12-day trips from A$16,500. HOTELS The Henry Jones This chic space, built inside one of the oldest warehouse buildings on the wharf, has become an integral part of Hobart’s burgeoning nightlife scene. thehenry jones.com; doubles from A$275. Highfield House A Victorian-era estate, once home to noted colonial politician and cricketer William Henty, has found new life as a boutique bed-and-breakfast overlooking the Tamar Valley. Launceston; highfieldhousebandb. com.au; doubles from A$168. Islington Located a quick car…

GETTING THERE Connect via U.S. cities including New York, Boston and Miami for nonstop flights to Grantley Adams International Airport. HOTELS Lone Star Boutique Hotel A small yet polished boutique hotel on the west coast. Enjoy breakfast on your suite’s terrace. thelonestar.com; doubles from US$2,000. Sea-U Guest House The best place for a visit to the island’s east coast, this property may not have air-conditioning, but it makes up for it with tropical gardens and unspoiled beaches. seaubarbados.com; doubles from US$179. RESTAURANTS & BARS De Garage Grilled whole fish and piña colada cheesecake at this divey local haunt are made even better by the loud soca music and convivial atmosphere. Bathsheba; 1-246/433-9521. Dina’s Bar & Café Sit outside at this multicolored café and indulge in the island’s famous rum punch.…