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

THE BLOSSOM HIBIYA. Tokyo. In the heart of a mega-metropolis that is magnificent from above, THE BLOSSOM HIBIYA has planted the seeds to connect the world with Japan—in particular Hibiya Park, the Imperial Palace and Ginza, all of which are a short stroll away. Arrive smoothly from Haneda Airport, Narita Airport or Tokyo Station and land in this ravishing nest. In the lobby, the artwork and vibe combine for a modern-day expression of the vibrant, old-world gatherings at the Rokumeikan, an 1883 edifice famed for its galas and a symbol of Japanese civilization. Come to understand the art of Kyushu hospitality through its traditional crafts on display, and its flavors in sake and cuisine made with rice and water originating there. When you’re ready to dive into the cocoon that…

EAT + DRINK Louise A departure from the meticulous tasting menus of his Odette in Singapore, Julien Royer’s first foray into Hong Kong reimagines the farm fare of his childhood growing up in the countryside of Auvergne. Park yourself on the green patio with a well-crafted tipple before heading upstairs for Royer’s elegant take on comfort fare, from pâté en croûte to rosemary-perfumed roast chicken. louise.hk; two-course lunch from HK$398. Nectar Hometown hero Peggy Chan espouses her clean-eating crusade through multi-course tasting menus at this high-end restaurant that’s taken over her flagship Grassroots Pantry. While the experience has been polished and refined, Chan’s playful sense of humor remains intact in the faux–spicy tuna roll and the vegan cheese course with dairy-free versions of pepper jack and gouda. nectarexperience.co; Original Grassroots…

WHETHER YOU WANT TO PLUNGE INTO SANCTIFIED WATERS OR JUST THE DEPTHS OF YOUR OWN MIND, THESE WELLNESS RETREATS AROUND ASIA ARE AWASH IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SELF-HEALING. IT’S NORMAL for meditation sessions to begin with your eyes closed. However mine are squeezed shut, not because I am gearing up to clear my mind, but because I am airborne, clinging white-knuckled to the battered metal door of a very vintage Toyota four-wheel-drive that’s careening down a rocky trail, deep in the jungle of Indonesia’s Moyo Island. We are flying over potholes and boulders, ducking every few minutes to avoid the sudden smack of a surprise tree branch, hurtling toward our meditation destination—the sacred Matu Jitu waterfall. Sure, a rollercoaster, butt-bruising car ride doesn’t really seem like the typical path to…

In 2017, photographer Sara Black fractured her hip in an Ironman Relay and turned to yoga to help her heal. She accidentally found herself in a sattva yoga course in Rishikesh, India. The experience was life changing and since then she has been dedicated to promoting holistic wellness through her Live Awake Phillipines platform and retreats. She tells Stephanie Zubiri why it’s so important—and easy—to integrate yoga principles into your everyday. Why did you choose sattva? I actually had no idea what sattva was; I thought I was attending a vinyasa yoga course! It was only when I got there that I realized that this is far and beyond what I could ever dream. Sattva yoga is a highly integrated practice of kriya, mantra, meditation, asana. There is a variety…

Park Hyatt Shenzhen 5023 Yi Tian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, China, 518033 Tel: +86 755 8829 1234 | shenzhen.park@hyatt.com Andaz Seoul Gangnam 854 Nonhyun-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06022 Tel: +82 2 2193 1234 | Fax: +82 2 2193 1235 | seoulgangnam@andaz.com Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong 1 North Point Estate Lane, North Point, Hong Kong, China Tel: +852 3762 1234 | Fax: +852 3762 1235 | hongkong.hyattcentric@hyatt.com Park Hyatt Auckland 99 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, New Zealand, 1010 Tel: +64 9366 1234 | auckland.park@hyatt.com Park Hyatt Jakarta Jalan Kebon Sirih 17-19, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10340 Tel: +62 21 3111 1234 | jakarta.parkhyatt@hyatt.com Park Hyatt Kyoto 360 Kodaiji Masuyacho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan, 605-0826 Tel: +81 75 531 1234 | kyoto.park@hyatt.com Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono 328-47 Aza Iwaobetsu, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido,…

DO These are Asia’s most iconic slopes, so grab your skis and snowboards from Park Hyatt Niseko’s ski valet, and hit the trails—or book a Weiss Cat to truly own the mountain. Snowmobiling and snowshoeing offer other wintery fun. And come summer, this year-round mountain retreat turns emerald and you can dive into the outdoors by biking, hiking, rafting, playing the links on the famed Hanzono Golf course. Day-trips to Otaru and Sapporo also offer great culture. SEE Cute, nearby Kutchan town has its share of off-piste diversions. Be sure to visit the Shu Ogawara Art Museum, dedicated to the work of the famed surrealist artist who was from here, and the Kutchan Natural History Museum next door. You’ll also love Somoza, quintessentially Japanese woods-tucked complex made up of an…

SEE+DO Bustling Chun Yeung Street is the place to go to time-travel into the Hong Kong of yore. Tram lines bisect this narrow market road filled with old tenement buildings and stalls selling all manner of food. If that quaintness isn’t photogenic enough, keep those likes coming with a few snaps at the so-called Monster Building. One of Hong Kong’s most Instagrammed spots is five connecting high-rises where the city’s density overtakes you. Take in an enthralling Cantonese opera show at the landmark Sunbeam Theatre, founded by Shanghainese émigrés in 1972. SHOP For out-of-the-ordinary souvenirs with a true local flavour, gifts that will bring back a flood of memories, and, indeed, unforgettable shopping experiences, visit Wah Fung Chinese Goods Centre, once Hong Kong’s largest department store, where you’ll be hard-pressed…

no. 1 A chic, local-is-best nest in the Byron Bay hinterland. The iconic crack of a native eastern whipbird reverberates through the surrounding rainforest—the first clue that I’ve left civilization. Green valleys fold into the landscape, crumpling all the way to the Pacific Ocean, where a full moon prepares to rise above a misty Cape Byron. With my toes dipped in the magnesium infinity pool, my hand clasped around a glass of sparkling wine, it’s as if I can reach out and touch the easternmost point of Australia. It’s well out of earshot, though. Here in the hinterland outside the buzzy coastal refuge of Byron Bay, the beat of bongos is replaced with the primal hum of nature. Commanding a hillside above the township of Mullumbimby (Mullum to locals), the…

EAT & DRINK Hakkasan, Jakarta This modern Cantonese globetrotter might have originated in London, but it doesn’t turn its nose up at local ingredients. The Michelin-starred restaurant’s 11th outpost opened on the 25th floor of Jakarta’s Alila SCBD this year, where yum cha and à la carte meals are served in glossy interiors among stretching skyscrapers. Alongside signature bites, produce from local markets provides the anchor for eats such as the stellar Indonesian mutiara lobster with glass noodles. hakkasan.com; menus from Rp788,000, vegetarian from Rp498,000. Uni Bali, Canggu It’s not everywhere you can order French chablis by the glass in Canggu. A joint effort between the Mexicola Group, former Urchin chef Steven Skelly, and libation-literate Nicolas Lento, this newcomer offers a casual culinary affair that’s as much about drinking as…

EAT + DRINK Sushi Shin by Miyakawa, Tokyo The first Tokyo outpost of Hokkaido’s Michelin three-starred Sushi Miyakawa has touched down in the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. From a 350-year-old hinoki cypress counter on the hotel’s 38th floor, Miyakawa’s protégé Kazuo Ogura slices, rolls and sears seafood sourced daily from Hokkaido into Edomae-style one-bite wonders right in front of his guests—all with perfectly paired sakes and phenomenal city views to boot. mandarinoriental.com; omakase menu from ¥28,000 per person. Textura, Tokyo Spain meets Sichuan in Tokyo’s central business district, where chef Hirofumi Saito opened Textura earlier this year. After raking in a Michelin star with Ichirin, a Chinese mainstay in Tsukiji with a sister restaurant in the seaside city of Kamakura, chef Saito now extends his repertoire to Spanish fare. Served as…

SLOWLY FINNING along the edge of the reef drop-off, I see corals in hundreds of varieties covering every plot of real estate, and I’m overwhelmed by the pulsating life. Tabletop corals hide shy fish below, and boulder corals, eight meters across, shelter coral trout big enough to feed my extended family. Tiny baby reef fish dart inside the protective arms of a branching staghorn coral, while bright red fan corals filter the passing currents for tasty plankton morsels. Out in the deeper waters, the reef drops hundreds of meters to the sea floor. Harmless whitetip reef sharks rest in small caves, and mysterious garden eels protrude from sandy areas like fingers, retracting as I approach. Predators like barracuda and tuna loiter, seemingly surprised to see us, while a young manta…

ON A COOL MORNING, I am submerged to chest level in an outdoor thermal mineral stream cloaked in wisps of twirling steam, while kneeling in vajrasana yoga pose. “Water enhances the power of meditation by allowing deeper focus and breathing. Also, the natural therapeutic minerals that soak through the skin nourish and calm body and mind,” says brightly beaming meditation guru and spa manager, I Nyoman Yastama. The water meditation ritual he has curated and is now leading me through is movement therapy: As we inhale (above water) and exhale (under), my meditation becomes more mindful. The process engages the sense of touch, arousing greater awareness of not just the temperature but also of the spring’s higher buoyancy compared to ordinary water. It’s a fascinating twist on meditation, and one…

GETTING THERE There’s no getting around it; flying to this two-island nation takes a while. It requires a day’s travel and at least two stops—the second of which will likely be Accra, Ghana—to reach the capital city of São Tomé. Spend a day there before the half-hour flight to Príncipe. HOTELS Mark Shuttleworth’s development company, HBD Príncipe, owns four hotels on the islands. Bed down on São Tomé at Omali (omalilodge.com; doubles from US$280) before continuing to Príncipe. Once there, choose from among Bom Bom (bombomprincipe.com; bungalows from US$460), a collection of 25 dwellings linked by a wooden walkway to the tiny, forested Bom Bom Island; Roça Sundy (hotelrocasundy.com; doubles from US$245), in two historic plantation houses in the jungle interior; and the new Sundy Praia (sundyprincipe.com; villas from US$785), São Tomé and Príncipe’s…

SEE+DO The Futian district is a great place for a culture kick. Shenzhen Museum focuses on Cantonese and Hakka culture; the Shenzhen Contemporary Art and Urban Planning Museum is so neat aesthetically that it’s a sight in its own right; also check out the Shenzhen Science Musuem and the masterworks at Yachang Art Gallery. The area is also brimming with leafy parks and gardens, which look beautiful from above on the Freesky Observation Deck atop Ping’an Finance Tower. SHOP Make a beeline for Huaqiangbei Commercial Street, the it destination for buying the latest electronics and any gadget your heart might desire. It’s also got fashion, though to really fill up your wardrobe you might prefer Coco Park, where after browsing 200 stores you can reward yourself with drinks at its…

SEE + DO Korean traditions are timeless and moving. Try a tea ceremony at the 130-year-old Rakkojae house in Bukchon village, or a Bojagi wrapping class with HOHODANG. Andaz Seoul Gangnam guests have complimentary access to the stunning Hyundai Card Cooking and Travel Library, and an exclusive invitation to a SULWHASOO make-up lesson. Han River is good for Chimac and a picnic, and watch out for K-pop stars on Cheongdam-dong! SHOP Once we get going on shopping in Seoul, we could go on forever. Top picks: find the hottest local designers on Apgujeong Rodeo Street and all the international big names in bright lights on Cheongdam-dong Fashion Street. And you can’t beat Hyundai Department Store Apgujeong Main’s convenience, three minutes away. EAT+DRINK One of the delights of Seoul is its…

The Games One of the most hotly anticipated events of the year, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, takes place from July 24 to August 9. If you’re in Japan you can buy tickets online; the rest of us will need to go through a travel agent. Opening ceremony ducats—if you can get your hands on any—range from ¥12,000 to ¥300,000, though half of the games’ events tickets are priced below ¥8,000. Great Goes Global Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability are some of the driving themes of Expo 2020 Dubai (expo2020dubai.com), which opens on October 20 in the UAE capital. Dubbed The World’s Greatest Show, this 173-day event will feature exhibitions and innovations from 190 countries. One-day tickets are Dhs120; three-day passes cost Dhs260. High Goals Putting the Himalayas on next year’s…

GETTING THERE Fly to Perth with Qantas (qantas.com), Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com), Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com), Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com), Malaysia Airlines (malaysiaairlines.com) and others. Connect to a domestic flight to Broome on Qantas or Virgin Australia. Staff from True North will meet you at Broome airport and transfer you to their air-conditioned lounge where you’ll await departure. CRUISE True North cruises to the Rowley Shoals are seasonal, with itineraries planned to avoid the windiest conditions. The five-night “Coral Atoll Cruise” starts and finishes in Broome, with departures on September 5 and 10, 2020. A new 13-night “Coast and Coral Cruise” embarks in Kununurra, visits the Kimberley coastline and the Rowley Shoals, and finishes in Broome; departing August 22, 2020. There are three classes of stateroom on board. On the upper level, the 18-square-meter Explorer Class features a…

A FEW THINGS I learned the last time I was in Phuket: I carry my right shoulder higher than my left, causing muscle inflammation; I need to work on equalizing my single-leg balance because when I throw a teep (a muay Thai push kick) with my left foot I’m 100-percent more likely to lose my balance than when I do it with my right; and an orchestra of a couple dozen frogs makes for the best massage soundtrack you could imagine. Spa-resort pioneer Banyan Tree just turned 25 and as part of the celebrations, they inaugurated Spa Sanctuary in their Phuket property, one of the island’s original five-star beachheads. It’s a secluded cluster of 12 pool villas where residents have exclusive access to all the wellness activities and classes they…

Winding down the day on Amanwella Beach is best done simply by sitting back and watching the sun set. So we did just that, while the sky turned every natural shade possible. As the rest of us fell into that hush that accompanies the scenic end of the day in Tangalle on the south coast of Sri Lanka, two local guys energized the scene by dashing into the ocean at full speed. Tomorrow was a new start, but they still had some energy in reserve to make the most of this day.…

SEE+DO Jakarta is overflowing with history, as you’ll see on a visit to Kota Tua, known as Batavia by the Dutch who used it as a port. Attractions include the canals and architecture, and four musuems including Jakarta History Museum. The city is anchored in Monas, the arresting centre of Merdeka Square where the National History Museum, Hall of Independence and famed obelisk commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. Get some fresh air on a fab day-trip for the whole family to Gunung Mas Tea Plantation, which offers horseback riding, ATVing, and a pretty place for picnicking. SHOP Back in 1990, Plaza Indonesia opened its doors to shopaholics, and the rest is retail history. Spread across four vast floors, this upscale mall is conveniently located in the CBD at the…

SEE+DO If you haven’t sailed Waitematā? Harbour, you haven’t visited Auckland. Book an outing for a sail on the city’s iconic waters aboard an actual America’s Cup Yacht. The Sky Tower isn’t just your average tourist viewing deck; it’s a city-center hub of activity offering everything from cafés to bungee jumping to aerial yoga. And as long as you’re heading up in the clouds: a scenic flight on a helicopter or seaplane will give you a bird’s-eye view of the city and its lush environs, with the unbeatable convenience (read: baller move) of taking off right from the harbour. SHOP Auckland is eminently walkable, making shopping here a strolling, café-hopping joy. Iconic Queen Street and its cobblestoned laneways will meet your souvenir and luxe-label needs. Head to hip Ponsonby Road…

SEE + DO In a town full of unesco World Heritage sites, you’ve got eye-candy aplenty. Let’s start with two famed temples: You’re staying right next to garden-filled Kodai-ji, which dates to the 17th century, and in walking distance of Kiyomizu-dera, which is dedicated to the diety of mercy and compassion and more than 1,200 years old. Come evening, head to Gion, the city’s famed geisha district and entertainment quarter. Here, Minami-za, Japan’s oldest kabuki theater, from 1610, is a major highlight. SHOP Must-strolls in Kyoto include the iconic Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, beautifully restored historic alleyways filled with speciality merchants and sweet boutiques. In Gion, action-packed Shijo-dori is the place to get your retail therapy. EAT+DRINK One-hundred forty-two years seems about long enough to build up a following. Just ask…