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

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HIS LE BERNARDIN IS STILL one of the hardest tables to snag in New York, thanks to its pitch-perfect seafood with minimally invasive cooking techniques that coax out maximum flavors. The highlights at this Michelin three-star are sundry, but the sea trout and the baked lobster are revelations, and the genial service makes even first-timers feel like treasured regulars. Turns out that’s trickledown hospitality from the boss himself. We caught up with Eric Ripert at the World’s 50 Best awards in Singapore recently, where he discussed his take on good kitchen karma—basically, trust your people, be a mentor, and don’t yell. A practicing Buddhist for 30 years who has cooked for the Dalai Lama at Le Bernardin, he says he loves traveling to Asia, especially China, India, Japan, Korea and…

One thing we appreciate most about our favorite hotels is their ability to distill the best of their destination within their luxury walls, while also keeping boundaries fluid and helping us deep-dive into the city. Checking into JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, it was clear we were in just such an evolved urban hotel, a place that could open our eyes in many directions at once. In fact, you might say that this brilliantly fused complex of heritage buildings and hotel towers is Singapore incarnate. We love the senses of peace and of place you get from a good walk. And one reason we booked here was that it’s only a few blocks to so many wonderful cultural attractions, from the National Gallery to St. Andrew’s Cathedral to the Singapore…

AFF ECTIONATELY NICKNAMED THE BIG MANGO, BANGKOK NEEDS MORE THAN A FEW BITES UNTIL IT REVEALS ITS CORE. AND RIGHT AFTER YOU THINK YOU’VE HAD A TASTE OF ALL THE SWEET SPOTS, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT A SLEW OF EXCITING NEW BARS, RESTAURANTS AND GALLERIES HAVE POPP ED UP IN THE MEANTIME. DRIVEN BY LOCALS WITH SEEMINGLY UNBRIDLED CREATIVITY AND SAVVY EXPATS BRINGING IN THE BEST FROM ABROAD, THE THAI CAPITAL CONSTANTLY MANAGES TO REINVENT ITSELF—MAKING IT AN ENTHRALLING DESTINATION FOR BOTH FIRST-TIMERS AND VETERANS. WE’VE COMBED THROUGH ITS ON-THE-UP NEIGHBORHOODS IN SEARCH OF NOTEWORTHY NEW ADDITIONS AND UNMISSABLE CLASSICS. THONGLOR There’s plenty of café-hopping and brunch-munching to do in Thonglor during the day, and you can't go wrong with The Commons (thecommonsbkk.com), an inside-outside, always busy spot that has…

TOP 10 ISLANDS OVERALL 1 Sri Lanka 92.12 Even as it heals from the Easter Sunday attacks, this vibrant nation continues to captivate readers with its wildlife parks, tea plantations and eclectic cities. 2 Palawan Philippines 90.87 3 Bali Indonesia 90.76 ⋆ 4 Mílos Greece 90.50 5 Maldives 90.48 6 Anguilla 90.28 7 Crete Greece 90.12 8 Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia 90.06 9 Koh Lanta Thailand 90.00 10 Azores Portugal 89.77 TOP 10 ISLANDS ASIA 1 Sri Lanka 92.12 While there’s no denying the draw of the ocean, the country offers many inland pleasures, from leopard safaris to lush tea plantations, both offering proximity to luxurious resorts along the coast. 2 Palawan Philippines 90.87 3 Bali Indonesia 90.76 ⋆ 4 Maldives 90.48 5 Koh Lanta Thailand 90.00 6 Naoshima…

TOP 100 HOTELS OVERALL 1 Leela Palace Udaipur, India 98.89 Rajasthan’s Lake Pichola provides a stunning backdrop for this lavish property, where guests unwind with Ayurvedic spa treatments and time in the grand pool. 2 Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch Saratoga, Wyoming 98.67 3 Singita Sabi Sand Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa 98.59 4 Farm at Cape Kidnappers Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 98.57 5 Gibb’s Farm Karatu, Tanzania 98.56 6 JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa Vietnam 98.56 7 The Mulia Bali, Indonesia 98.25 8 Singita Grumeti Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 98.12 9 Bushcamp Company’s Mfuwe Lodge South Luangwa National Park, Zambia 97.87 9 Lapa Rios Lodge Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica 97.87 9 Rosewood Beijing 97.87 12 Royal Mansour Marrakesh, Morocco 97.78 12 Turtle…

A survey developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, in association with research firm M&RR, was made available at tlworldsbest.com from November 5, 2018, to March 4, 2019. Readers were invited to participate through Travel + Leisure magazine and its international editions, T+L tablet editions, newsletters, social media, and travelandleisure.com. M&RR maintained, monitored and kept the website secure, and also collected and tabulated the responses. To protect the integrity of the data, Travel + Leisure and M&RR screened the responses, eliminating fraudulent votes from the final tallies. Respondents were asked to rate airlines, airports, car-rental agencies, cities, cruise ships, destination spas, hotels, hotel brands, islands, tour operators and safari outfitters on a number of characteristics (see below). For each, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average,…

GETTING THERE Within Southeast Asia, Scoot (flyscoot.com) offers direct flights to Athens from Singapore. From there, fly to Milos or Santorini, where you can transfer between the islands by boat. Or take a ferry from Piraeus, the port of Athens—the fastest jet boats reach Milos in just under three hours, Folegandros in four hours, and Santorini in less than five. Rental cars are easy to arrange on all three islands. To find out if you need a visa for the E.U., visit schengenvisainfo.com. Santorini There’s no shortage of high-end hotels on Santorini—though you’ll need to book well in advance. I stayed at Canaves Oia Epitome (canaves.com; doubles from €700), where each of the 24 suites and villas has its own private pool with Aegean views. Perivolas (perivolas.gr; doubles from €675) is a classic…

GETTING THERE EgyptAir (egyptair.com) flies nonstop from Bangkok to Cairo. Visit visa2egypt.gov.eg for visa information before you travel. Cairo Make the Nile Ritz- Carlton (ritzcarlton.com; doubles from US$240) your base in the Egyptian capital. Though just a stone’s throw from downtown, its riverbank location provides a peaceful respite from the city. Visit Cairo’s Islamic quarter and its Khan el-Khalili bazaar, and spend at least a day in nearby Giza to see the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx (and, as of 2020, the Grand Egyptian Museum). Aswan Cruise the Nile on the Oberoi Philae (oberoi hotels.com; five-day trips from US$874 per person), a luxurious 22-cabin vessel that stops near several important ancient sites, including the Nubian Museum, the High Dam and the Philae Temple. Cruises can begin in either Luxor or…

1 Grace Ma WRITER “Rule Breaker” Page 80 “A meal at Zén, the new fine-diner in Singapore, is totally worth it. I can’t stop thinking about the binchotan-grilled kinmedai, exquisite petits fruits desserts, and rare sake. The experience compared favorably to the 20 courses I had at Stockholm’s Michelin two-starred Oaxen Krog—including a 200-year-old mahogany clam, and wooden crockery handmade by chefowner Magnus Ek. Another memorable meal was at the Kyubey sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The ingredients were so fresh that one of them—a prawn—hopped off the plate in a vain bid to get away.” Instagram: @littlehappyideas. 2 Duncan Forgan WRITER “An Angel’s Share” Page 28 “I’d tried Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique in Bangkok and loved it, so I was prepared for the quality of Taiwanese whisky. But I was…

AT THE END OF A HECTIC WEEK, I went to the airport early. There’s only one place in the world where I would admit that—Singapore. Always-evolving Changi remains a favorite for many, although one of my carry-on-only friends detests the carpeted floors that slow wheeled luggage. Still our readers around the globe agree, yet again, as Singapore’s air terminal takes the top spot for airports in this year’s World’s Best Awards (page 51). My own reasons for checking in early were much more basic: I hadn’t had lunch or dinner and, on my own, combined both in a Nyonya feast for two at Violet Oon in Jewel, the latest addition to the airport. The retail complex is best known as an Instagram hit with its circular, indoor waterfall, but Changi’s…

SUPERSAVER Amari Phuket Stay a minimum of three nights and receive a host of extras at this island getaway. You’ll get round-trip airport transfers; a set dinner at the resort’s Thai restaurant; a 10 percent discount off all food and beverage; 20 percent savings at the spa and off laundry services; and late checkout until 4 p.m. The Deal Nightly rates from Bt4,854, with a 10 percent discount available for extra nights until May 31, 2020. amari.com. CULTURE CAMBODIA Shinta Mani Angkor Guests can participate in programs set up by the Shinta Mani Foundation, which aims to enhance the lives of those who live in the community. “Open Doors, Open Hearts” has guests visit the foundation and its projects, interacting with Shinta Mani Angkor staff who have received an education…

TOP 10 ASIA CITY HOTELS 1 Rosewood Beijing 97.87 Situated across from the iconic CCTV building, this property offers a bevy of finedining options and proximity to marquee sights like the Ancient Observatory and Sun Park. It provides what visitors crave: a convenient place to unwind. 2 The Oberoi Mumbai 97.25 3 Leela Palace New Delhi 96.69 4 Park Hyatt Saigon Vietnam 95.46 5 Lebua at State Tower Bangkok 95.43 6 Temple House Chengdu, China 95.32 7 The Peninsula Beijing 95.00 8 The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo 94.97 9 Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai 94.96 2 The Oberoi Mumbai 97.25 3 Leela Palace New Delhi 96.69 4 Park Hyatt Saigon Vietnam 95.46 5 Lebua at State Tower Bangkok 95.43 6 Temple House Chengdu, China 95.32 7 The Peninsula Beijing 95.00 8 The Ritz-Carlton…

Hong Kong Surprisingly few know that there are four separate taxi fleets in the city: in the New Territories, the cars are green; they’re light blue on Lantau; while Hong Kong Island and Kowloon boast the ubiquitous red cabs. Both urban areas have specific taxi stands to cross the harbor, but if you’re hailing a car on the street, make a smooth dipping motion with your hand to indicate you want to travel via the tunnel. These days some drivers will cross the harbor to “the other side” but remember to factor in the toll in both directions. Bangkok Note that many drivers of Bangkok’s rainbow-hued taxi fleets are from outside the city and may need directions—so be sure to know exactly where you want to go, preferably written in…

Everything that makes our destinations enthralling is heightened at sunrise. In the enchanting stillness, the sun’s first rays gently warm the landscape. It’s a time of day we rarely get to savor in our frenetic lives. Belmond extends an enticing invitation to make the most of the morning with experiences in Southeast Asia, from a sunrise cruise on the Mekong river to a peaceful sunrise walk around Shwedagon Pagoda. SIEM REAP: SPELLBINDING SUNRISE OVER ANGKOR WAT Enjoy Angkor’s mystical jungle in blissful quiet on a dawn walk. Tread a tranquil route, away from the crowds, reaching Angkor Wat in time to watch the sun rise over the majestic temple. LUANG PRABANG: SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTERS AND SENSOR Y DISCOVERIES As dawn approaches, head into the town to participate in the traditional ritual…

KOH LANTA CONJURES MEMORIES of blissful days on the beach, drinking beer in sling chairs and cruising the coast in a chartered longtail. A few years ago, just getting there involved two long waits for ferries, but the world is catching on and catching up to this tropical idyll. Foreigners now outnumber locals on Koh Lanta Yai’s Khlong Dao—a strip lined with small- to medium-size resorts, tourist restaurants and beach bars—so that, although it never feels crowded, even in high season, you’re not really going to have much of a “Thai” experience here. But when the sand twinkles and the sky runs clear blue to the horizon, nothing else matters. It’s the same most of the way down Koh Lanta’s west coast, with another nine or 10 eye-popping beaches making…

STAY Grand Hyatt Taipei Opened in 1990, this city fixture still delivers top-notch service and style, thanks to a landmark renovation in 2014 that saw all of the 850 guestrooms and suites stripped back to their concrete beginnings, redesigned and rebuilt. Opt for one of the apartment-sized Grand Executive View Suites for panoramic views across the city. hyatt.com; rooms from US$270 per night. DRINK Kavalan Distillery Distillery tours are free of charge. Whisky tastings cost NT $400 and allow customers to taste four different Kavalan “expressions,” or varieties. You can also blend and personalize your own whisky by taking a DI Y class, which costs NT $1,500. kavalanwhisky.com L’Arriere Cour 886-2/2704-7818; drinks from NT$350. MOD Public Bar 886-2/2731-4221; drinks from NT$315. Nantou Omar Distillery omar.ttl.com.tw; tastings and tours not yet…

EDOARDO TRESOLDI Italy Tresoldi plays with the balance of time, space and dimensions referencing Renaissance masters and classical architecture. Forbes named him one of the 30 Most Influential European Artists Under 30 in 2017. JOÃO Ó & RITA MACHADO Macau Their multi-disciplinary studio Impromptu Projects focuses on ephemeral structures and their social relevance. They represented Macau at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale. JENNIFER STEINKAMP USA Steinkamp works with video and new media producing computer-generated 3-D animations that transform architectural spaces with light and construct hyper-real environments with organic forms. BENOIT + BO Belgium Benoit is French, Bo is Chinese and their contemporary works blend the two cultures. Their oeuvre ranges from photos and paintings to installations, to video and digital art. CAROLINE CHENG Hong Kong An American National Council on…

TOP 10 CITIES OVERALL 1 Hoi An Vietnam 90.39 The enchanting port city leaps from last year’s No. 8 spot on the strength of its artisanal goods, innovative cuisine, and historic architecture, which incorporates Asian and French influences. 2 San Miguel de Allende Mexico 90.23 3 Chiang Mai Thailand 89.56 4 Mexico City 89.30 5 Oaxaca Mexico 89.16 6 Ubud Indonesia 89.08 7 Tokyo 88.95 8 Kyoto Japan 88.42 9 Florence 88.26⋆ 10 Udaipur India 87.80 Top 10 CITIES ASIA 1 Hoi An Vietnam 90.39 A new spirit of innovation across the port city’s arts and culinary scenes has made this a distinctive, must-visit urban destination. 2 Chiang Mai Thailand 89.56 3 Ubud Indonesia 89.08 4 Tokyo 88.95⋆ 5 Kyoto Japan 88.42⋆ 6 Udaipur India 87.80 7 Bangkok 86.52⋆ 8…

TOP 5 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND RESORT HOTELS 1 Farm at Cape Kidnappers Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 98.57 On New Zealand’s North Island, this 2,400-hectare sheepand- cattle ranch immerses guests in Kiwi cuisine and rural life at its finest. 2 Southern Ocean Lodge Kangaroo Island, Australia 97.43 3 Matakauri Lodge Queenstown, New Zealand 96.27 4 Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Blue Mountains, Australia 94.73 5 Lodge at Kauri Cliffs Matauri Bay, New Zealand 94.50 TOP 5 SOUTH PACIFIC RESORT HOTELS 1 Turtle Island Fiji 97.78 Fiji’s recent resort boomlet ushered in a handful of glittering options, but none quite as next-level as this jaw-dropper, which boasts 14 couples-only villas that attract guests seeking a laidback stay. 2 Six Senses Malolo Island, Fiji 96.44 3 St. Regis Bora Bora Resort French Polynesia…

I PRESSED THE DOORBELL of the whitewashed three-story townhouse, and waited. There was light chatter and the shuffling of footsteps inside. Through the window, I saw an interior bathed in warm lighting, and decorated with flickering candles and framed prints on wooden shelves, and swirls of potted botanicals on the windowsills. For a moment I thought I was heading to a lagom Swedish house party, but when the door opened, a smiling girl dressed smartly in a navy blue uniform said, “Welcome to Zén!” With a tasting menu that goes for S$450 per person, 24-seater Zén is the Lion City’s notorious Nordic newcomer. Its audacious price tag mirrors that of its Michelin three-starred sibling, Frantzén, in Stockholm, and restaurants of similar pedigree in northern and western Europe. Throw in drinks,…