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

THIS AUSTRALIAN ISLE IS A FOODIE’S PARADISE Just off the Tasmanian coast, Bruny Island is where gourmands in the know slurp down pristine oysters and gorge on rare raw cheese. EXPLORING THE LEGENDS OF LANGKAWI This Malaysian island is more appealing than ever: come for the new luxury hotels, stay for the lessons in its prehistoric natural wonders. WHY TRAVELERS ARE FLOCKING TO FIJI Dive into the underwater treasures of this South Pacific archipelago from new private-island resorts and eco-friendly boutiques. LOOKOUT T+L World’s Best Awards; a luxury resort brand opens its first city hotel in Singapore; discovering an unspoiled Thai island; our ongoing hit-list of reasons to travel right now; the latest travel deals; and more. travelandleisureasia.com DOWNLOAD US T+L TABLET EDITIONS Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and…

I WAS STUCK IN THE MUD WHEN THE WILD PIGS ARRIVED. It wasn’t just any mud: it was Amazonian mud, in one of the wildest stretches of rain forest a boat can safely reach. I had come to the Tambopata National Reserve, more than 270,000 protected hectares in southeastern Peru, on a visit organized by Rainforest Expeditions, a tour operator that owns and manages lodges where travelers can experience the biodiversity of the region while assisting the scientists working there. I was looking at a band-tailed manakin, a bird the size of a teacup and the color of sunset, putting on a show for a prospective mate. It crossed my mind, as I watched the manakin displaying its plumage, that I’d never seen anything more beautiful. Then I caught the…

How do you define responsible tourism? The term refers to a focus on how individual actions affect individual locations and businesses. It’s about bettering communities and bolstering local economies through individual actions. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, formalized the travel industry’s objective as “making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.” Why does it make a difference to travelers? For one, you’ll have a more authentic experience. The better informed you are, the easier a time you’ll have connecting with locals and immersing yourself in the culture. You’ll probably make more friends and discover some cool local hangouts. What are some vacation experiences the responsible traveler should avoid? Steer clear of elephant rides and other performative wildlife…

WE’RE FLYING OVER AUSTRALIA’S Red Centre, a mostly barren landscape stretching to the horizon, a dramatic reminder that this is more a continent than country, and so much is truly the Outback. Which isn’t to suggest a lack of beauty. Quite the contrary, since a large measure of Australia’s allure stems from its staggering emptiness, mindboggling stretches of hills, coastline and raw earth. Such terrain naturally sends the mind drifting into reflective dreams that question our creation and purpose, jarred back to reality only occasionally by evidence of humans: a ribbon of road, some weathered houses, a desolate fence line. Then, out of nowhere, we suddenly see rocks. Big rocks. Humongous. By far the largest one is also the most impressive, and extraordinarily located. Uluru, known since 1872 as Ayers…

A TEN-MINUTE PAUSE BEFORE THE MAIN COURSE?” ASKED OUR SERVER, ALEX. HE STARTLED ME. BACK IN THE UNITED STATES, I’D NEVER BEEN INVITED TO TAKE MORE TIME. My girlfriend, Jessica, and I were already an hour and a half into dinner at 3 Pavaru, a modern restaurant tucked away in a former military barracks in the Old Town of Riga, the capital of Latvia. Our meal had begun with a half-dozen sauces—including smoked apple, sea buckthorn and hempseed oil—and flakes of dried honeycomb painted directly onto our place mats and served with bread for dipping, a maneuver that should have felt pretentious, but didn’t. Then came three hillocks of local ostrich tartare, served with a duck egg and lingonberry-beer foam. We had meant to order a bottle of wine from…

no. 1 It’s never too late to start your engines in Singapore. So you’re a fan of speed but were slow off the mark to get tickets to this month’s Formula 1 in Singapore? Not to worry, as there are now more ways than ever to enter the Marina Bay Night Circuit come September 14–16. One of the newest options is a single-day ticket for the Bay Grandstand—S$208 each on the Sunday—while anyone looking for a more cutting-edge feel can opt for Twenty3, a 3,000-square-meter facility on the final corner of the street circuit. The venue includes both al-fresco and air-conditioned dining spaces with free-flow drinks, along with indoor and outdoor viewing galleries for the race itself. The hitch is that a Sunday-only pass with this view will set you…

SEPILOK ORANGUTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE Come close to Borneo’s most iconic ape at this world-class conservation center, where orangutans young and old swing down the thicket like curious children in furry orange jumpsuits. sabahtourism.com/destination/sepilok-orangutanrehabilitation-centre; adult tickets RM30. BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTER See the world’s smallest bear in a life-sized forested enclosure opposite the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. The center is home to about 40 rescued sun bears, which are hunted for their paws and bladder—highly priced items on the menus of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. bsbcc.org.my; adult tickets RM31.80. LABUK BAY PROBOSCIS MONKEY SANCTUARY Despite being perennially crowded and a tad overpriced, this former palm-oil estate houses long-nosed monkeys that are used to being observed and will come up very close to visitors. proboscis.cc; adult tickets RM60.…

DISCOVER BEETLES IN BORNEO Taxon Expeditions leads 10-day trips to Borneo that includes hands-on biological field work in a professional research center among the untouched rain forest of Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei. Last year’s expedition discovered six new beetles, and named one after environmentalist and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. taxonexpeditions.com; 10-day trips from US$4,600. MONITOR SIBERIAN TIGERS There are only about 530 of these animals left in the world. For Natural World Safaris, conservationist Alexander Batalov leads groups to set and collect camera traps to record the tigers’ movements. naturalworldsafaris.com; seven-day trips from US$3,150. TRACK BIG FISH IN THE SEAS OF SRI LANKA Orca Project Sri Lanka invites the public to share their sightings of the mammals, and collates the findings online via social media. Logs have found that…

GETTING THERE It’s easiest for Asia-based travelers to fly to Cuba from ports in the U.S.; JetBlue, American, United, Delta and Southwest all have flights to Havana. PLANNING A TRIP You’ll need a Tourist Card to enter Cuba. These are valid for 30-day stays and are available from travel agents or airline ticket offices, and in some cases obtainable at the airline counter on the day of departure; check with your local embassy for details. For a hassle-free experience, book through an outfitter—they’ll handle flights and itineraries and ensure you’re complying with current regulations. The Orvis Company plans weeklong fishing trips (orvis.com; from US$5,895) and subcontracts with Cuba Educational Travel (cubaeducationaltravel.com) for the Havana portion of the trip. If you’d rather skip the fishing altogether, CET can arrange custom itineraries.…

Tourism can be a financial boon for cities and an aid in the preservation of natural wonders. But there’s a limit to the volume any place can reasonably sustain before it (and its resources) are overwhelmed. During the past year, several governments have started implementing restrictions aimed at reining in all the traffic. The most abrupt closure this year was of popular Philippine holiday spot Boracay in April as part of the government’s efforts to rehabilitate the island’s environment, which the country’s president labeled a “cesspool.” Its beaches—which hosted more than 2 million tourists in 2017—were plagued by recent algal blooms due to the island’s poor sewage conditions, but are set to reopen at the end of October. Thailand is no stranger to island shutdowns either, with temporary closures of…

The short answer: most likely. The majority of mainstream sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a chemical filter that protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, but can also negatively affect the ocean’s coral reefs. Researchers have found that when corals are exposed to the chemical, they encounter an increased rate of bleaching, DNA damage, and, in some cases, death. Even if you aren’t swimming near a reef, your sunscreen can still endanger coral. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to set foot in the water to cause harm. Oxybenzone can both stick to the sand and wash off in the shower, which means the chemical could end up in the sea. In response, many hotels, tour operators and destinations have begun advocating the use of reef-safe products.…

THERE ARE 64 TYPES OF mango on the island of Hiva Oa, all introduced,” says Henri, my Marquesan guide, tossing a small fleshy plum-sized fruit across the hood of his 4X4. It is tennis-ball green, blushed with peach. I bring it to my face and the smell is intoxicating, like magnolia, apple pie and kaffir lime leaves. I bite into it. The taste is equally awakening, and suddenly the inside of my mouth feels like the host of what will become a wild party. Cue the Bollywood dancers and release the conga line. Henri watches as my normal resting bitch face slow-morphs into a wide smile as the tastes penetrate deeper, his own smile mirroring mine with a look of island pride. Henri and I both know that mangoes originally…

GETTING THERE A variety of European carriers such as KLM (klm.com) and Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) will get you to Riga via a stop in a major hub. LODGING When I visited Riga previously, I stayed at the Neiburgs (neiburgs.com; doubles from €140), a boutique hotel with rooms overlooking the mansard roofs of Old Town, a library that doubles as a showcase for local textiles, and a spa that can be reserved for private use, as I did every night. This time, I opted for the contemporary sleekness of the Hotel Bergs (hotelbergs.lv; doubles from €215) and the sumptuous old-world style of the Grand Palace Hotel (grandpalaceriga.com; doubles from €150). With a subdued palette, high-design flourishes and refined restaurant, the Bergs, which neighbors a luxury-shopping arcade, would not be out of place in Miami. The…

Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons, The Peninsula, Royal Caribbean, Starbucks and all of Taiwan… 2018 has been the year of big names banning the plastic straw. While it may seem small, it’s pushed the wider travel industry to reduce their impact further, pledging to lessen water usage, support communities and more. But it’s not just up to corporations—here’s a reminder on how we, as travelers, can minimize our footprints. Be a pest Ask tour operators how their trips support the community. Ask for your hotel’s policy on recycling, waste water and use of renewable energy sources. Ask airlines how they source responsible catering options. They may not have a good answer yet, but the question itself may prompt action. Keep the cleaner out Despite hanging towels and opting for no sheet…

MY FRIEND ASHLEY LIVED IN Phnom Penh’s Raffles Hotel Le Royal for two months 10 years ago, in the historic wing in the front of the building, which opened in 1929. His room had a clawfoot tub. He has fond memories of their tom yum soup, their French restaurant with classic silverservice dining and their old-school gin-and-tonics. Rosewood Phnom Penh—which is contemporary and crisp, while artistically and pragmatically incorporating local design elements, like wall panels that resemble louvered shutters—opened this year, and, from our highfloor room, we literally look down on the Raffles, as well as parkland Wat Phnom to its west and the fortified U.S. Embassy to its east. “I’ve never seen Phnom Penh from this perspective,” Ashley marvels. “It looks so clean.” I met Ashley the day he…

HOTELS Nak Hotel Sandakan’s first hotel has received a new coating of Old China–inspired chic that makes its central rooms a comfortable option. nakhotel.com; doubles from RM158 including breakfast. Paganakan Dii Set on a narrow ridge overlooking Sepilok’s rain forest, the 14 rooms here blend classy comforts with the simplicity of nature, and are ideal for families. paganakandii.com; doubles from RM162 including breakfast and free shuttles to Sepilok Orangutan Center. RESTAURANTS Balin Roofgarden Besides the glorious sunsets, this eclectic Western-fusion bistro draws a crowd for its many events. balinsandakan.com; mains from RM40. Heng Loong This traditional Chinese restaurant at Mile 4 is the place to go for scrumptious seafood. GF, Blok 4, Jln. Utara, Bandar Pasaraya; 60-8/921-1023; mains from RM30. San Da Gen Dive into local food history at this hip bistro…

GETTING THERE Fly via Johannesburg, Mauritius or Paris to Antananarivo (TNR). From there, connections are available to gateways like Tôlanaro, on the island’s south, or Nosy Be, off the northern coast. DAYS 1&2 Antananarivo The capital, known as “Tana,” is a city of more than 1.5 million in the island’s central highlands. Check in to Lokanga Boutique Hotel (lokanga-hotel.mg; doubles from US$150), a renovated 1930s town house in the central Royal Hill district with retro touches like a 1950 Citroën available for driving tours. Or stay at Maison Gallieni (maisongallieni.com; doubles from US$157), a smartly designed four-room hotel in a 19th-century building that once housed Madagascar’s first bank. DAYS 3&4 Andohahela National Park Transfer to Mandrare River Camp (madaclassic.com; tents from US$1,650 per person for three nights, all-inclusive), near the southern tip of…

Fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima then transfer to Padre Aldamiz International Airport in Puerto Maldonado. Rainforest Expeditions (perunature.com) operates both Refugio Amazonas (doubles from US$578; two-night minimum) and the more remote Tambopata Research Center (doubles from US$628; three-night minimum). The cost includes meals, activities, river transportation and transfer to and from Puerto Maldonado; alcoholic beverages cost extra. Your luggage should weigh no more than 15 kilograms. Bring long-sleeve cotton shirts and pants, hiking boots, a broad-brimmed hat, rain gear, sunblock, insect repellent and slippers or sandals to wear around the lodges. Vaccinations for hepatitis, typhoid and yellow fever are recommended. Aracari (aracari.com), a Lima-based tour company, can incorporate visits to the lodges into a longer Peruvian itinerary.…

SUPERSAVER Movenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin, Thailand To celebrate its grand opening last month, this retreat on the Gulf of Thailand is offering 30 percent off stays in their pool villas, plus daily breakfast, dinner for two, and an extra US$20 restaurant voucher. The beachfront hotel’s one- and two-bedroom villas include luxurious living areas, outdoor decks and plunge pools. The Deal Exclusive Opening Offer: a night in a pool villa, from Bt5,036, through November 30. movenpick.com. CITY JAPAN Noku Kyoto Situated next door to the former Imperial Palace, Noku Kyoto is just as much a temple of Japanese culture, with its handcrafted interiors and curated art displays that feature in its 81 rooms. Noku Kyoto is offering an exclusive 20 percent discount off their standard rates and a…

LONG AGO, THERE LIVED AN APE. THE APE HAD BABIES, AND THOSE BABIES GREW UP AND HAD BABIES of their own, and over time their descendants drifted apart to the point that they could no longer be considered one type of ape, but five. All were highly intelligent, but one was smarter than the rest. With its gift of speech, this super-smart ape gave the others names: “gorilla,” “chimpanzee,” “bonobo” and “orangutan.” This intelligence, however, came at a cost. Though this talking ape was capable of creating wonders, it was also capable of destroying them. Among the wonders it destroyed were many of the forests in which the other apes lived. One such forest is on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where members of a unique species of orangutan are…