Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM SRI LANKA’S UNSPOILED SOUTHERN SHORELINE The rugged beauty of this coastline is undeniably compelling. Take a drive to find its new boutique hotels and hidden holes-in-the-wall. CYCLING IN YANGSHUO, LONGJI AND GUILIN The striking karsts and winding rivers of rural China are best explored by bicycle. Don’t worry—there’s amazing sustenance to power you on. SAIGON’S HOTTEST SUBURB Once a sleepy bedroom neighborhood, Thao Dien has evolved into a favorite drinking, dining and hangout spot of the hipster set. LOOKOUT Why Canggu is the it spot in Bali right now; discover some truly awesome street art all over India; Perth is now a culinary capital; how to make the most of your long layover; and much more. travelandleisureasia.com DOWNLOAD US T+L TABLET EDITIONS Available on ios, Android, Win 8…

VENTURING BEHIND THE SCENES on any trip is best done, as everyone knows, with the help of a local. Combine this with the goal of uncovering a great place to eat in Tokyo, and you end up with a mouthwatering look at the Japanese capital such as “Behind Closed Doors” (page 26). Through the eyes and lens of photographer Shinsuke Matsukawa, otherwise unknown—at least to gaijin—addresses spring to life along with more than a few unforgettable menus, whether you prefer oden, a traditional seafood hotpot, or a spell in a tempura “speakeasy” with only eight seats. Warning: this humble tale will leave you famished. It’s reminded me to ask Shin about that fresh soba place we went to one night in Tokyo, because I’ll never be able to find it…

A ROOM WITH A VIEW My husband, Gary, and I have been to Venice many times and have stayed in properties all over the city, from cheap B&Bs to high-end properties like Belmond Hotel Cipriani (belmond.com; doubles from €687). This time around, we spent a few days at Hotel Danieli (marriott.com; doubles from €440), which is steeped in old-world elegance and makes you feel like you’re in an Agatha Christie novel. The rooms have these stunning balconies that overlook the Venetian lagoon. STUDY ABROAD One of my new goals in life is to take four educational vacations a year. As a fragrance maker, I like adventures that activate my senses and spark my creativity. But the trip to Venice was actually my teenage son’s idea. He loves art and wanted…

CULT SCENT PURVEYOR Karmakamet knows pretty. Having built their “diner” in a sun-dappled industrial-chic greenhouse, they’ve opened their second eatery in Lhong 1919, a riverfront restoration project whose walls are adorned by new street art and century-old moss. But it isn’t just the romantic location of Karmakamet Conveyance that’s transportive; the finedining restaurant is a journey throughout Asia via the memories of chef Jutaman “Som” Theantae. The Thai dishes come in hot, whether it’s the sashimiesque, emotionally titled Humid Morning by Prachuab Khiri Khan Bay that leads off, or the hunka-meaty spiced-coconut crab claw with curried corn patty and yellow rice. Her take on Hainanese chicken rice is a salve for the soul, a rich broth that will cure any hangover, and that is paired with a shot of an…

SUPERSAVER Cassia Bintan, Indonesia Make Bintan your home for a long weekend—book at least three nights in a Cassia Bintan beachside apartment and receive 30 percent off the Best Available Rate. You’ll also get daily breakfast and a return transfer to and from the ferry terminal. The Deal Stay Longer Save More: a night in a one-bedroom apartment, from S$115, through March 31. cassia.com. BEACH THAILAND W Koh Samui Check yourself into an immersive island escape with this lavish deal that whisks you away to one of Thailand’s most luxurious isles. Book at least four consecutive nights at W Koh Samui in one of their one-, two- or four-bedroom Wow villas and you’ll be treated to daily breakfast at The Kitchen Table restaurant; round-trip airport transfers; a candle-lit set dinner…

AS IS SO OFTEN the case in Sydney, a whiff of debauchery was in the air. Elinor Wrobel, an Australian art collector in her mid-eighties whose silver bouffant evokes a 21st-century Marie Antoinette, settled in front of a wall of raunchy nude paintings and fixed me with a mischievous look: “Would you fancy some refreshments?” “Ice water?” I asked naïvely. “No-o-o-o-o!” She stared at me, aghast. “I was thinking champagne.” Elinor’s daughter, Andrea, slipped off to get the bubbly. “After all, it’s 3 p.m.,” Elinor sang. “Cocktail hour.” My afternoon was off to a bohemian start. I had stumbled into the John Passmore Museum of Art, Sydney’s most obscure and charming institution, which is housed in a majestic former pub in the harborside neighborhood of Woolloomooloo. Its origins date back…

1 David Van Driessche PHOTOGRAPHER “Maritime Frontier” Page 80 “I first went to the Mergui Archipelago in 2009. I’ve been back 15 times, and I stayed for a month at Boulder Island Eco-Resort, which has a visionary minimal-footprint policy. The Mergui is nearly as undiscovered and pristine as it was 50 years ago. I love to sail for a week without seeing another tourist. But one thing that has changed is the situation of the Moken, the sea nomads—they now live more in villages than on kabang boats. I get so excited when I see a Moken tribal family on a sea expedition, and I try to get close enough to photograph their way of life, which is very rare today.” Instagram: @davidvandriessche. 2 Jenny Hewett WRITER “Pure Shores” Page…

no. 1 There’s smoother sailing in Antarctica on board these new vessels. Book now on the cutting-edge ships setting sail in 2019 and beyond. Scenic’s Eclipse debuted last month with two helicopters, a submarine and a team of butlers (scenicusa.com; 12 days from US$15,395). This fall, Aurora Expeditions launches the Greg Mortimer, whose conical bow means a calmer ride across the notorious Drake Passage (auroraexpeditions.com.au; 11 days from US$9,100), and Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen arrives in Antarctica with hybrid engines that can cruise past glaciers in near silence (hurtigruten.com; 15 days from US$10,127). Quark Expeditions christens a new ship in 2020: its Zodiacs rapidlaunch, so you’ll never miss a breaching whale or colony of penguins (quarkexpeditions.com). — JEN SALERNO no. 2 This inspirational underwater tour explores the Indigenous ties to…

Sushi Yoshii Inspired by the transient Edo-era yatai food carts, this refined sushi bar changes its address once a year; it is now in an unmarked space in Aoyama. The haunting entrance is recognizable only by a dark, black-walled corridor punctuated by a small water fountain similar to those found at Japanese shrines. The six-seater bar also feels like a private art gallery, currently featuring artworks by Tokyo photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. sushiyoshii.com; 81-3/6459-1343; 3-2-8 Kita-Aoyama, Minato; tasting menu from ¥16,000. Tempura Miyashiro This tempura “speakeasy” hides within a 100-year-old building in the hip district of Nakameguro, with just a red postbox hailing the entrance. Making use of traditional Japanese woods, the small space fits just eight perches around the grill and fryer. It’s here that chef Naoaki Miyashiro takes center…

1 THE SHOP AT BLUEBIRD The original Shop at Bluebird in Chelsea is an institution, having drawn design lovers to its King’s Road concept store for more than a decade. Now Carriage Hall, a historic carriage house in what was once Covent Garden’s labyrinthine market center, is one of the neighborhood’s must-visit addresses. In this dazzling new 1,400-square-meter f lagship, you’ll find the eclectic selection of apparel (Acne Studios, Marni, Alistair James), beauty (Grown Alchemist, Votary), and homewares (Scandinavian design objects from Hay, Assouline and Phaidon art books) that made the original a London mainstay. theshopatbluebird.com. 2 MARIAGE FRÈRES This expansive store from France’s oldest and most prestigious teahouse is a veritable shrine to the U.K.’s national drink. Occupying five floors of a renovated Georgian town house, the Mariage Frères…

IT’S HARD TO DREAM up a more model brand ambassador for Thai food than a baby-faced, aw-shucks nice guy with an enviably thick mop of tousled hair. Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn—a natural of a judge on Top Chef Thailand—went to Culinary Institute of America and worked in such top New York kitchens as Jean-Georges before bringing that Michelin precision back to Bangkok. For a while after Le Du (“season” in Thai) opened in 2013, it was frankly a bit polarizing. Many loved it; others didn’t quite get it. Turned out, Ton was just on the vanguard with his mod, reimagined-Thai innovations. The rest of the city would quickly catch up. Le Du landed on Asia’s 50 Best list a couple of years ago. And Ton had just launched a new menu…

I CONSIDERED making this section just two words: goat ribs. Because I will cross town regularly (which is saying a lot in Bangkok) for chef Chalee Kader’s umami-filled, char-grilled, tender, tasty goat ribs. Sourced from a halal butcher in Ratchaburi, they are lollipops of perfection. But giving all the love to the goat ribs wouldn’t be fair to his and co-chef Randy Noprapa’s circus parade of excellent animals that troop into 100 Mahaseth from all over the Kingdom. Their Thai-raised Wagyu comes from Surin, Sakon Nakhon and Korat (get the flank steak). In fact, every item in this meat-eater’s dream, from the plates to the palm sugar, comes with its D.O.P., making this Michelin Bib Gourmand spot the most accountable locavore, least annoying nose-to-tail eatery I know. The more adventurous…

Inside the glittering, mosaic-tiled walls of Bar Trigona, in the heart of the KLCC, head bartender Ashish Sharma hands me a shot. The glass glows with a liquid gold, but this is not whiskey, nor is it rum. It’s raw Malaysian honey scooped from the hives of Trigona bees. “This honey will change your life,” Ashish tells me. My mouth tingles as I take a sip. Far from the saccharine gloop I’ve always known honey to be, this amber liquid is lip-puckeringly sour—like a syrupy, sweetened vinegar. Ashish discovered it at a kelutut (Malay for the stingless Trigona bee species) farm in Negeri Sembilan, a few hours south of Kuala Lumpur, on a quest to load his menu with local ingredients. He was so impressed, he named the bar after…

IT HAD JUST TURNED ONE O’CLOCK on a frigid day in January, and already the light was beginning to fade. By 2 p.m., it would be completely dark. From the deck of a trawler out in the Norwegian fjords, the ocean looked deeply forbidding: choppy, black and bone-numbingly cold. For the divers lined up on the prow, however, the conditions were perfect. Under the surface, a pod of orcas had gathered, drawn by a shoal of herring that had migrated to this stretch of the Norwegian Sea that morning. The divers were about to swim with the orcas in their natural habitat, something few amateurs have experienced. One of them was Felix Odell, the Swedish photographer who shot the images on these pages. In an interview after his return from…

Penang Celebrated on the 15th night of the New Year (this year, February 19), Chap Goh Meh will see the single ladies of Penang head to the esplanade where the tradition of throwing oranges into the sea aids their wish to find a husband. Sinkawang The Chap Goh Meh ritual is more shocking in this town in West Kalimantan, Indonesia: tatung banishes evil spirits with steel spikes piercing dazed participants’ bodies. Saigon In the first four days of Tet, a book festival in District 1 aims to preserve Vietnam’s ancient reading culture. Singapore During a communal dish of yu sheng (raw fish salad), family members use chopsticks to lo hei (toss up for good fortune). The higher you toss, the more fortuitous your year will be. Hanoi Located on the…

1. THE CATINAT BUILDING Between Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Opera House, you’ll find the Catinat Building—an evocative, Art-Deco building that once hosted Cochinchina’s leading French entrepreneurs. In more recent times, a wave of Vietnamese millennials has taken over, room by room, transforming this striking heritage site into a five-floor emporium filled with fashion boutiques and quirky cafés. Wander and browse freely after grabbing lunch at Bong Cai Xanh (fb.com/bongcaixanhcafe) or an iced coffee at the kitschy Công Cà Phê (congcaphe.com), literally, “Communist Café.” Entrance at 26 Ly Tu Trong. 2. RED DOOR CAFE Duck through the art arcade at 151 Dong Khoi (never mind the cheap knickknacks and ersatz Klimts), head down the hallway and turn right, then walk up to the third floor to find Red Door,…

MANY VISITORS to Hungary never leave Budapest. After all, it’s one of the most glorious cities in Europe, ablaze with Gothic castles and Belle Époque cafés. Plus, there are the famous bathhouses, fed by more than a hundred thermal springs beneath the city, so you can turn pretty much every day into a spa day. But those same healing mineral waters bubble up all over the country, and many Hungarian hotels offer wellness programs. In fact, when Hungarians go on vacation, they often choose to wellnessezni—a verb that means to take a weekend vacation to visit a spa hotel and generally focus on health. Following their lead, I set out on a five-day road trip across northern Hungary, beginning and ending in Budapest, to experience this distinctly Magyar brand of…

THE DRAW OF ALASKA is unrivaled. Sure, there are puffins, whales, otters, bears, glaciers and fjords in many places around the world, but what makes this natural winter wonderland unique is that only Alaska feels like Alaska: vast, empty, disconnected and, as you start to realize during your umpteenth hour in the air to Anchorage, farther away than you’d imagined. This is the end of the line. “Alaska isn’t a reserve. It’s wild,” I was told by Chris Srigley, the leader of the expedition team aboard my Seabourn Sojourn cruise last July. “Wild” is not quite the same as the pure, still majesty of Antarctica, which fills you with peace. Wild is a charge in the air. It’s the dark, ominous, infinite evergreens. It’s watching everything trying to eat everything…

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT faces the Gulf of Thailand, with its back to the hills, making the city militarily defensible, and bequeathing on the region a cuisine that blends seafood, wild animals and herbs. Put another way, says Supaksorn “Ice” Jongsiri, who comes from there: “It’s soldier food. A lot of rice, and small portions, and intense in flavor partly because it needed to be preserved with lots of salt or sugar to be carried for duty.” It’s rare that an haute Thai eatery can get the society set in a tizzy, but Sorn Fine Southern Cuisine has been booked out months in advance, Noma-style, practically since it opened last June. Exactly no one was surprised when they, serving hyperlocal common-folk food from villages in 14 southern provinces, won a Michelin…

SOME PEOPLE LIKE to snack on chips and salsa. In an ideal world, I’d keep a bowl of chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn’s rice-paddy crab dip in my fridge. She takes adorable little crustaceans from Sing Buri province, renders their fat with Thai herbs, returns the mix to their tiny shells and roasts it on the grill. The result, which you eat with sticky-rice balls, is a complex cream that kind of defines the beauty of Saawaan: it’s fine dining down-to-earth, creative but still decidedly Thai. The Michelin star it garnered last autumn, in its opening year, was heartily earned. I meet friendly Aom tableside (the whole place is small enough that you’ll get plenty of face time), when she comes by to whip up her koi pla, a raw-fish salad…

IN THE NEW Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, past an orderly open kitchen, is an airy atrium whose floor-to-high-ceiling windows face fairy-lit greenery. It is a most apropos place to go on a continent-hopping culinary perambulation with spritely and spirited chef Rungthiwa “Fae” Chummongkhon. Don’t let the “Nordic-Thai” theme throw you. It merely means she applies Scandinavian cooking methods—smoking, curing, fermenting—to mostly Thai ingredients. The upshot is that, despite the rarefied setting, Fae is super on-trend now. The plating is as bright as her personality, the flavors as clean as a fjord, the evocations as melting-pot as the influences from her mom’s Thai home-cooking to her dozen years’ training in Denmark. On her launch menu, paper-thin slices of sea bass are smoked and jigsawed together like a terrine, with coconut, broccoli, guava,…

HOTELS Alila Bangsar This modern urban retreat is filled with greenery and natural light; sleek, minimalist rooms overlook Brickfields and Little India. alilahotels.com; doubles from RM391. Banyan Tree The resort brand’s first outpost in Malaysia is an oasis of calm. The views here are phenomenal, everywhere from their signature spa to the rooftop Vertigo bar. banyantree.com; doubles from RM910. EQ Set in a multi-use 52-story building on Jalan Sultan Ismail, the newest hotel to the city offers 440 rooms, a wellness center and a rooftop sky restaurant. equatorial.com; doubles from RM658. Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur High-end dining, a fully kitted out twostory spa, and elegant rooms with full marble bathrooms make this one of the chicest stays in town. fourseasons.com; doubles from RM893. Pavilion Hotel Conveniently located above the Pavilion…

Boulder Bay Eco-Resort The trailblazer first resort in the Mergui has 10 villas. boulderasia.com; from US$240 per person per night allinclusive, two-night minimum. Wa Ale Island Resort Opened last October; 11 tented villas and two treetop villas. waaleresort.com; doubles from US$500 per night, inclusive of meals, house wine and beer, and transfers from Kawthaung or Ranong on Tuesday and Saturday. Awei Pila Opened last December, with 24 air-conditioned, yurt-shaped tented villas and a pool. aweipila.com; from US$750, inclusive of meals, non-alcoholic drinks and transfers from Kawthaung or Ranong. Island Safari Mergui Sailboat Cruisers and liveaboards; can add on stays at Boulder Bay Eco-Resort and photo tours with David Van Driessche (www.davidvandriessche.com). islandsafarimergui.com; from US$1,110 for five-day sail, inclusive of meals and non-alcoholic drinks. Burma Boating Luxury yachts, such as a new…

This eight-day trip with Natural World Safaris is not for the fainthearted, but those willing to brave frigid temperatures and choppy seas can be rewarded by remarkable wildlife interactions. Begin by flying to Tromsø, in northern Norway, on sas or Norwegian (you’ll transfer in Oslo or Copenhagen). Your base is the Kinfish, a former research vessel with comfortable en suite cabins and 360-degree views from all levels. The ship follows pods of orcas as they hunt for shoals of herring along the Norwegian coast. Herring migrate to the fjords in late October and usually stay until mid-January. There are about seven weeks during that period when the daylight is too weak to see underwater. Last year Natural World Safaris ran orca-viewing trips in November and January, but for 2019, all…