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

What makes The Song of India unique? It’s the only classic Indian restaurant in Southeast Asia that has been awarded a Michelin star for three consecutive years. The creative menus are designed to take guests on a journey through India, offering the opportunity to indulge in different dishes from all over the vibrant, multicultural country. Celebrating inspiration Chef Manjunath Mural’s dishes are the inspired by many things: he frequently draws ideas from meals he ate as a child, as well as traditional Indian recipes. But he tweaks them to give them a modern twist—something we find inspirational ourselves! Take the Journey We highly recommend the signature Journey Through India menu. Beyond being beautifully presented, it gives guests and their tastebuds a chance to perambulate across different regions such as Hyderabad,…

1 Jonathan Evans WRITER “The Far Side” Page 32 “It is tempting to imagine how tourism on Bintan Island might have developed if the resorts enclave had never been built; many time-poor visitors never leave its boundaries. But I can’t imagine anyone not being captivated by Kawal, Penyengat, Trikora or Gurun Pasir Busung. Interestingly, the local people don’t resent the success of the resorts: they are a major employer and have helped to boost land prices. By far the best food on my trip was the Javanese chicken I had at Rica Rica restaurant at The Residence resort—a taste sensation that was served accompanied by eight types of sambal.” Instagram: @adventures_in_journeylism. 2 Lindy Alexander WRITER “Family Special” Page 44 “Multigenerational travel is on the rise. Children are a great icebreaker.…

Odette, Singapore Though French fine-dining is often epitomized by its animal proteins—foie gras, beef, duck—at Odette, a Michelin-two- starred French eatery within Singapore’s National Gallery, acclaimed chef Julien Royer lists a completely plant-based dish as one of his signatures: an elegant landscape of candy-colored morsels all featuring beetroot prepared in multiple ways. There are also vegetarian tasting menus on offer for both lunch and dinner. odetterestaurant.com. Dewakan, Kuala Lumpur As the chef of a contemporary Malaysian fine-dining restaurant driven by indigenous flora and fauna, Darren Teoh is no stranger to his country’s vegetation; in fact, it forms the basis of his cooking. Although not permanently advertised, a vegetarian menu is available here with advance notice. Teoh says that Malaysia’s natural landscape provides the best of its bounty during the wetter…

Nirwana Gardens Activities from batik painting to quad biking keep guests of all ages busy around this elegant resort. Diners and drinkers should make a beeline for The Kelong for the seafood and to the Calypso Floating Bar for sundowners. nirwanagardens.com; from Rp2,354,850. The Residence The first luxury property outside the resorts enclave attracts watersports aficionados and families; Kakatu Kids’ Club runs treasure hunts, cooking classes and dance lessons. cenizaro.com; from Rp1,821,090. Cassia Bintan A youthful zest pervades this newcomer spattered with vivacious murals; split-level mini-apartments, tuk-tuk service and tiffin breakfasts add to the spontaneous fun. cassia.com; from Rp1,318,700. The Canopi Camp in a luxury teepee by a treated-saltwater oasis that’s the size of 50 Olympic pools. This envelope-pushing resort within Treasure Bay soon joins the Marriott Group’s Tribute Portfolio.…

IN THE YEARS AFTER the American civil war, Manhattanites of means began fleeing summer in the city for northern New York state, made newly accessible by the railroad boom. Some headed for the lakes and forests of the Adirondacks, where elite families like the Rockefellers, Merriweather Posts, and Vanderbilts built their own private lakeside “Great Camps.” By the turn of the century, more than 180 hotels had opened across the mountain range, many with amenities familiar to resort-goers today: golf courses, barbershops, children’s playrooms. Other affluent travelers decamped to Saratoga Springs, just south of the Adirondacks. Lavish hotels lined Broadway, the posh spa town’s main street, including the Grand Union Hotel, which was for a time the largest in the world. But in time the region fell out of fashion…

YANGSHUO, CHINA Explore the stunning landscapes of southern China on Backyard Travel’s Yangshuo Family Tour, which offers a sweeping adventure that explores this beautiful region in Guangxi, from Guilin to Yangshuo. Climb the “Dragon’s Backbone” by scaling a staircase of hand-cut rice terraces, cycle along the Yulong River surrounded by citrus groves, and go rock climbing in Yangshuo. backyardtravel.com; seven-day tour from $1,275 per person. HONG KONG There’s a sense of discovery at the new Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, with its 16-meter-high lobby aquarium, family-themed rooms, sprawling central lagoon pool and organized scavenger hunts. Next door is Ocean Park, where kids can take a seat on adrenaline-pumping rides, see the city from up high on the cable car, and get up close to animals and marine life from…

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA A stay in this historic Khmer town offers much more than just temples. Make the whimsically designed Shinta Mani Shack your base, and let the hotel’s staff craft an itinerary for you: choose from farm tours, market visits, a night at the Phare circus, a bike tour, and more. A percentage of the room rate goes to the non-profit Shinta Mani Foundation, which supports local communities through education, training and small-business loans. Families are encouraged to visit the villages where the foundation works to see how the resort collection embraces responsible tourism. shintamani.com; Poolside king room from $150. LUANG PRABANG, LAOS Nestled beside its own private waterfall, Rosewood Luang Prabang’s design-led suites and hilltop tents reflect the area’s history, from its hill-tribe heritage and colonial legacy to…

It’s a common misconception that making a round-trip reservation will result in the most affordable price. In fact, booking two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, can occasionally yield a lower total cost. So, can booking two legs of a journey with a stopover on different airlines (Just be careful of layover times in case you need to rebook your bags). Discounts are usually based on the destination’s off-season. Both Kayak and Google Flights display these paired fares automatically unless the user opts out. (Kayak tags them as “hacker fares,” but Google calls them “separate tickets.”) Just bear in mind: two separate flights means two distinct reservation codes, even if you depart and return on the same airline.…

SUPERSAVER Well Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, Thailand In the heart of the city, the health-centric Well Hotel makes a convenient base for exploring. For their third anniversary, this special package includes two nights in any room or suite; a one-hour massage or a cocktail for two at the Twist Bar & Bistro; free buffet breakfast for two; and free minibar. The Deal Third Anniversary Promotion: two nights in a Superior room, from Bt6,333, through October 31. wellhotelbangkok.com. OUTDOOR VIETNAM Sheraton Grand Danang Resort Take advantage of the white sands and clear waters that front Sheraton Grand Danang Resort to reach your exercise goals. The ocean-view hotel has a new fitness challenge for their guests, with incentives for those who complete the trials. Finish four laps in the 250-meter infinity pool…

WA ALE ISLAND RESORT, BURMA Lanbi Island next door is home to Burma’s only national marine park—convenient whether you’re staying in one of the 11 luxury tented villas on one-kilometer Turtle Beach, named for the sea turtles whose nests the resort carefully protects, or one of the two whimsical treetop villas made of recycled timber. A rustic yet elegant open-air pavilion contains the main dining area. Chef Ray Wyatt, a veteran of African safari camps, creates mouthwatering and dynamic menus using resort garden produce, sustainably caught seafood from the archipelago, and graded fresh meats from Thailand. The hotel naturalist doubles as a guide for cross-island treks and kayaking. waaleresort.com; from US$400 per night, per person sharing. — JOE CUMMINGS THE BEIGE, CAMBODIA Last year, nearly 2.5 million people visited Angkor…

Venture around Bali to any one of its smaller villages, and you’ll likely come across a proud elder and his sabung, a specially bred cock like I Wayan Kenyur’s here. Cared for with the utmost respect, and likely outliving its cousins who are destined for the dinner table, the rooster is part of the island’s cockfighting tradition. Today, it’s mainly practiced as part of a temple festival or a religious purification ceremony as a means to expel evil spirits through tabuh rah, or the spilling of blood.…

Istanbul Airport—the world’s largest—is set to officially open this month with six runways, 115 gates, 250 airlines and an eventual capacity for 200 million passengers a year. Its closest rival will be the new Zaha Hadid–designed Beijing Daxing International Airport slated to open in September. These sprawling, futuristic hubs are expected to help us fly faster and further. Here’s what to look out for. A tulip The design inspiration for Istanbul Airport’s air traffic control tower is this flower, a traditional symbol of the city. Magic Mirror One of the high-tech features at Istanbul’s 55,000-square-meter duty-free retail area is a virtual fitting room that allows shoppers to personally preview make-up, clothing, watches and more without physically trying them on. Starfish The nickname given to Daxing, due to its six concourse…

SUNRISE FINDS ME HARD at work in the village of Ywama, on the shores of Inle Lake. With a camera in my hand I am exploring a morning market, capturing scenes of daily life in this corner of Burma. The air is cool, the atmosphere busy at this early hour. Before me, rows of wooden stalls lead to the water’s edge, where boatmen disgorge loads of passengers eager to get on with their market chores. There is much hawking and haggling everywhere. In the middle of all this picturesque chaos, I glimpse a scene that makes my heart skip a beat. Backlit by golden sunlight, an Intha mother, a smoldering cheroot wedged between her lips, is carefully adjusting her daughter’s headscarf. I discreetly move in, careful not to disturb the…

SHOOTING UP FROM THE harborside in Santa Cruz, Tenerife’s palm-lined capital, is an angular building reminiscent of a medieval knight’s helmet. This concert hall, the Auditorio de Tenerife (auditoriodetenerife.com), is unmistakably by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava—and one of the reasons I traveled to this sunny Canary Island, which has become a surprising canvas for contemporary designers. I also found Calatrava’s provocative trademark white ribbing nearby at the Recinto Ferial (recintoferialdetenerife.com), a convention center and event space. Tenerife is the home of Fernando Menis, the Canaries’ greatest living architect. His Plaza España, in the southwestern town of Adeje, is a public square with a jagged concrete tower as its focal point. At his unfinished but already arresting Holy Redeemer Church (32 Calle Volcán Estromboli), in San Cristóbal de la Laguna, I…

BEFORE I WENT THERE for the first time, I had painted a picture in my mind of what Hamburg must look like based on what I knew it to be: a busy port off the cold North Sea. I knew that the Beatles had learned their trade in its rowdy riverside clubs, so throw in a few drunken sailors. Add a low gray sky and the container cranes of the St. Pauli dockyards and, voilà, the Hamburg of my imagination—gritty, commercial, and somewhat dreary. It was only after gazing out through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my room in the Fontenay (thefontenay.de; doubles from €357) that I could see what the Japanese mean when they call Hamburg “the green city in the woods.” Directly below me was the Aussenalster, the artificial…

CRUISE The new Explorer Dream from Dream Cruises will launch in Shanghai this spring and Tianjin in summer for a range of Japanese itineraries, before beginning weeklong cruises in Australia and New Zealand for the winter season. It’s perfect for multigenerational trips: the on-board Little Dreamers Club has a kids-only area with games, workshops, costume parties and a DJ booth; teenagers can step into another world at the ESC Experience Lab with virtual and augmented reality experiences; while adults can unwind at the Broadway-style Zodiac Theater, or the on-board spa. dreamcruiseline.com; three-night Japan cruise departing Shanghai from $406 per person. PHUKET, THAILAND Many kids dream about living in a tree house, and at Iniala Beach House, dreams do come true. Luxury suites, 24-hour service, wellness and water sports will meet…

VIETNAM On this two-week journey with Black Tomato Tours, explore Vietnam from north to south, with plenty of culinary finds along the way. Stops include Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Saigon and Con Dao (or Phu Quoc if you prefer). Visit bustling local markets and sample regional specialties such as the capital’s pho cuon rolls. In the ancient town of Hoi An, float along the coconut-palmed waterways in a traditional bamboo basket boat. blacktomato.com; two-week tours from $5,230 per person, all-inclusive except for international flights. KATHMANDU, NEPAL Learn to master the art of the momo (the Nepali-style dumpling) in an intimate cooking class with Backstreet Academy. This community-focused, peer-to-peer travel platform connects guests with local hosts, in this case, part-time electrician Purna, who invites you into his home to teach…

The race to cross the final frontier is heating up. Leading the charge is Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire determined to be in space in the next few months on board his own Virgin Galactic spaceship, in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Branson’s coup, if he pulls it off, is just the tip of a more ambitious, commercial vision of putting fare-paying private passengers into suborbital space—a joy-ride that, for now, anyway, given the limitations of the available technology, will last just a few minutes, since the spaceship does not pull free of the Earth’s gravitational pull. The caliber of Branson’s competitors vying to be the first to monetize space travel is impressive. Among them: Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s Blue…

FOR Coffee Fanatics First came Folgers and Nescafé, then Starbucks Via. Now popular third-wave specialists have entered the instant-coffee game with portable options that deliver flavor that’s as rich as a freshly brewed cup. Among them: Joe Coffee Co. (joecoffeecompany.com; US$18–$20 for six packets 1 ), which recently released the Daily, a chocolatey South American blend, and the nutty La Familia Guarnizo from Colombia; and Parlor Coffee, which creates a seasonally sourced jar that yields an impressive 15 servings (parlorcoffee.com; US$30 2 ). True diehards who want to grind their own beans away from home can tote the Porlex JP-30, a stainless-steel hand grinder (amazon.com; US$62 3 ) and an equally portable version of their preferred brewing method—be it an Aeropress (target.com; US$30) or a sturdy 12-ounce pour-over tool from OXO’s Good Grips (bedbathandbeyond.com; US$16). FOR…

IF you want to eat some of the best food there is to be had in Walla Walla, Washington, I suggest you head to the Cenex gas station at the corner of West Rose Street and North Ninth. That’s not a joke. Chef Andrae Bopp has done stints at world-renowned New York destinations like Bouley and Le Bernardin, but for now, this is where he’s chosen to run his own restaurant, Andrae’s Kitchen. Drive past the pumps, park, walk in. To the left is a blackboard menu and a counter; to the right, a few small tables and the usual gas station stuff: racks of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, tallboys of Monster Energy, an abundance of motor oil. Not long ago, I was sitting at one of those tables talking to…

A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO, I moved to Mexico City more or less sight unseen, taking it on good faith that this urban giant could find space for one more body among the 21 million that already called its entire metro area home. I came, like many foreigners before me, with vague ideas about its vibrant food and art scenes; its crooked glamour and effortless cool; its rich colonial and modern architectural landscape. I expected to find moments of enervating chaos and sometimes choking smog. But I was rejuvenated by gracious parks and sublime weather, by crisp autumn mornings and springlike afternoons, by spasms of rain and hail and thunder that gave way, just in time, to marigold sunsets blooming across the horizon. Mexico City, it seems, is…

SOME OF JAPAN’S BEST SKIING IS ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF HOKKAIDO Book your next winter escape in these cozy mountain towns that offer pristine powder without the madding crowd. THIS PHILIPPINE ISLE IS A SURF PARADISE Sun-drenched Siargao is all about catching waves, getting to know the locals and soaking in the island’s chilled-out vibes. WHERE TO GO IN MACAU RIGHT NOW With ambitious new hotels, diverse eateries and a vibrant arts scene, the former Portuguese colony is constantly reinventing itself. LOOKOUT Six hotels perfect for a family vacation; where to celebrate a special occasion; finding inner peace at Vietnam’s most spiritual resort; the latest travel deals and much 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/TRAVELLEISUREASIA PINTEREST.COM/TRAVLEISUREASIA…

THESE DAYS, MANY OF US YEARN to get back to basics. Tented camps are travel’s answer to this quest, and our look at their growing number around Asia (“Under the Big Top,” page 68) uncovers some of the newest canvas homes where you should be spending your next break. As you’ll discover in reading these stories, a stay at any of these properties is a far cry from roughing it. A gin and tonic on arrival at Shinta Mani Wild, a handmade copper tub at Wild Coast Tented Lodge and even dimpled teak floors at Capella Ubud—you’re not going to gain any merit badges here. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Fittingly for this age where giving back has become a vacation goal, guests can venture out on anti-poaching patrols in…

NOT LONG AGO, dining out as a vegetarian in Hong Kong usually meant sticking to Indian food or choosing restaurants designed specifically for strict Buddhists. In the latter, you’d have a choice of “Chinese mock-meats made of soy and sodium, and doused in oil and dressings,” says local chef Peggy Chan, who has been vegetarian for almost two decades. “The stigma that surrounds vegetarian and vegan foods has always been that it’s bland, and limited in variety.” Chan has been pioneering a change in this attitude, serving up creative plant-based menus at her vegetarian restaurant Grassroots Pantry (grassrootspantry.com; tasting menu from HK$850) since 2012. And now the rest of the city seems to be following in step. In addition to the growing number of vegetable-led eateries, there’s been a noticeable change…

Bintan is known as a resort paradise, with many visitors never straying far from their hotels’ manicured grounds. But the island’s diversity makes for a pastoral family trip, says Jonathan Evans, who heads out to find the cultural treasures beyond the developed northern coast. WHEN I FIRST VISITED Bintan in 2012, the resort island—the largest of Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago—wasn’t much known for its cultural immersion. I recall being shepherded onto a coach and driven through its neat, airbrushed landscape to my tightly guarded hotel for a weekend of quiet seclusion. Bintan was colonized in the 1990s by developers who turned its northern white-sand beaches into Singapore-by-the-sea. But as Indonesia’s economy stagnated toward the end of that decade, construction stalled, and the island’s curio-laden south remained a reservoir of untapped potential.…

KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA Set among 161 hectares of lush jungle and forested mountains and fronted with picturesque coastline, the Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa allows guests to experience Sabah’s rich natural wonders right from their doorstep. Children can become a ranger for the day and learn about the rainforest’s indigenous species, such as the long-tailed macaques, bear cats and pangolins. Night walks (complete with night-vision goggles) will also be a hit. shangrila.com; Deluxe Family room from $230. KHAO SOK, THAILAND The towels folded intricately in their namesake shapes in the lavish tents at Elephant Hills are just a hint of things to come. At this ethical camp in Southern Thailand, adventurous families can opt for a four-day nature safari in the region’s mountainous Khao Sok National Park and see…

CHINA Explore a lesser-known side of China with Abercrombie & Kent’s 12-day Family China and the Yangtze tour. This trip is made for kids: toboggan down quiet parts of the Great Wall; in Xian, learn to make traditional dumplings, see the Terracotta Warriors then craft your own clay soldier at a local pottery factory; head to Chengdu to see the giant pandas; cruise down the Yangtze, and visit an underwater museum; and finish with a kung-fu lesson in Shanghai. abercrombiekent.com.au; 12-day tour from $7,800 per adult, $7,270 per child. BURMA Join a two-, three- or four-night Strand Cruise that travels between Bagan and Mandalay. It’s suitable for kids aged four and up, with off-board experiences including a tour of the imperial capital of Ava by horse and cart, and exploring…

1 A JUMPSUIT “I love a good onesie, but it has to be easy to get in and out of when you go to the bathroom, especially on the plane. The top of this zips and the bottom part laces; it’s two pieces connected in the back but open on the front.” Unravel Project hooded cotton-jersey jumpsuit, US$1,320; net-a-porter.com. 2 SUNGLASSES “I have a drawer full of shades, and which ones I bring just depends on what I have on. Lately, I’ve been leaning on these kind of seventies-style Gucci foldaways. They collapse all the way down, and the lenses fold in on each other. They don’t need a big, cumbersome case that takes up a lot of room. Since I don’t like to check luggage, space is everything.” Gucci acetate-and-metal…

Getting There & Around Fly into Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport, from where Alaska Airlines offers three flights a day to Walla Walla; on the return leg, you can check a case of wine for free (though getting that back to your home country might be a problem; check the customs regulations of your final destination). Rent a car at the Walla Walla airport, or hire a tour guide to pick you up. Chris Wood of Tesla Winery Tours (teslawinerytours.com) and Ali Rodgers of the Touring Co. (thetouringco.net)—both fun, convivial and connected—can tailor an itinerary to your tastes. Where to Stay The top lodgings are just a short drive outside Walla Walla. The new Eritage Resort (eritageresort.com; doubles from US$169) offers peace and privacy in a luxe setting, and sublime food in…