Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

ON OUR WATCH IN-FLIGHT CALLS The topic sets already frustrated fliers howling about irritating Chatty Cathy seatmates gabbing on the phone at the top of their lungs all the way across the Pacific—regardless of whether they’ve ever experienced such a horror. In fact, chances are they haven’t. First, there’s the question of technical feasibility. In our region, only six airlines (Air China, Emirates, Hong Kong Airlines, Nok Air, Philippines Airlines and Turkish) offer free on-board Wi-Fi, though not necessarily high-speed or on all routes, and the cost-to-speed ratios on the airlines that charge for Internet access mostly preclude dialing-on-the-fly anyway. Second, though no global law governs the issue, in the U.S., the FCC prohibits cell and VoIP calls, as do several individual airlines around the world, including Singapore Airlines, Air…

SEPTEMBER/2015 BANGKOK | World Gourmet Festival| 9/7-13 | Anantara Siam Bangkok’s executive chef Nicolas Schneller amps up the beverage lineup this year, adding the festival’s first pairing of sake with Thai food, orchestrated by rice-wine expert Keith Norum, and high-tea sets matched with beautiful blends from Mariage Frères. Round out a masterchef meal with concoctions from Alexandre Hersent, a mixologist from Banana Island Resort Doha whose whiskeyapple drink prompted Schneller’s confession: “For a long time, I didn’t have a cocktail so good.” SHANGHAI | Echo Park Music Festival | 09/19-20 | This reincarnation of the beloved Black Rabbit festival is headlined by former My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way and bolstered by alternative artists of all genres, from Scottish rap to Seoul ska to Yunnanese electro-pop. LONDON | London Design…

TWO MILLION PEOPLE visit Cambodia’s Angkor temples each year, and the majority stay in the busy gateway town of Siem Reap. Now the family-owned Zannier Hotels group is offering a serene alternative among the rice paddies 10 minutes outside town. Phum Baitang is an eight-hectare resort designed by the Paris architecture firm AW2 (which also did Six Senses Con Dao) comprising 45 stilted villas with antique furnishings, some with private plunge pools. “Most of the hotels in Siem Reap are done in a colonial style,” says company founder Arnaud Zannier, who opened his first property, a ski chalet in Megève, France, in 2011. “The land we acquired is in the countryside, so we decided to recreate the traditional houses that farmers live in.” Phum Baitang means “Green Village” in Khmer,…

JAPANESE FASHION CAN GET WEIRD. Take the style of Fukuoka, for instance. It’s a tapestry of different aesthetics, stitched together by the local ethos that there are no boundaries. Every mismatched item of clothing serves a purpose, offering often bizarre statements in an otherwise very traditional culture. Fukuoka, on the north coast of Kyushu island, has a reputation for its lovely parks and foodie-luring, fragrant pork-broth ramen, but it is evolving into a rapid incubator for the avant garde. The openings of international brands like Barneys New York and French high-end designer Lanvin in Tenjin, the city’s fashion hub, signify Fukuoka’s luxury awakening, but even more exciting is the local talent churning out innovative designs that include everything from homemade bracelets to bags made from old seat belts. The streets…

Modern-day China is often accused of having terrible design standards, and when the Chinese designer Lyndon Neri was working with his wife, Rossana Hu, in the Princeton office of starchitect Michael Graves, he was often one of the accusers. Then a Chinese journalist challenged him to do something about it. So in 2004, the duo moved to China to launch their firm; today, they employ a staff of 100, who design everything from teacups to buildings. For one signature project, The Waterhouse hotel, in Shanghai’s South Bund, they repurposed a 1930s building, introducing modern architectural elements to the original structure. Neri says that when it opened, in 2010, many Chinese considered it “controversial for its rawness,” but that changed when celebrities began staying there. In 2012, Neri&Hu brought a similar…

WITH BRANDS YOU’VE never heard of popping up on what seems like a weekly basis, choosing a place to stay has gotten harder than ever. It doesn’t help that so many of them sound the same, look the same and promise the same amenities. In short, they’re all examples of what the hotel industry calls a “lifestyle” hotel—which generally means a sense of style at a reasonable price. To help you figure out the brand for you, Travel + Leisure scouted a few exciting newcomers to see what makes them tick and how well they live up to their ambitions. ALILA The big idea High-end design that puts local environment and community at the forefront, for travelers who like to leave as few footprints as possible. Where they are now…

The haunting strains of a maritime lament drift through the damp air as we make our way onto the rocky beach at Bikuni Harbor to meet local fishermen. Our guide Kemanai is reciting a salty traditional work song, the words of which are inscribed on a giant stone monolith marking the entrance to the harbor. The calligraphy looks intricate but the stanzas are very simple—variations on “row the boat, and pull the net,” according to our Japanese companions. It is a surreal start to the day, but Kemanai’s soft and wistful tones make a fitting accompaniment to a gloomy summer’s morning on the remote Shakotan Peninsula. As she concludes her performance, rain patters down on the Sea of Japan while the cries of gulls echo around an amphitheater created by…

This Thai designer’s future is so bright, she’s gotta wear her own shades. With elaborate curlicues and playful porcelain detailing, Moo Piyasombatkul’s (mooeyewear.com; frames from Bt20,000) ornate frames, both for sunnies and prescription lenses, adorn the visages of style icons like Lady Gaga and Rita Ora. The flourishes in her latest line, Luxe Baroque, reference your eccentric aunt’s antiques, but with a modern twist—no wonder they’ve caught the eyes of bolder fashionistas around the world. Every bit as chic and unconventional as her accessories, this Bangkok native is a certified globetrotter. From London, where she earned a jewelry design degree at Central Saint Martins, to fashion-obsessed Seoul, to cruising Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar for treasures, she clocks serious air miles. Moo says travel is a major inspiration for her work, favoring…

1 At the original branch of London’s Daunt Books, wonderfully diverse titles line Edwardian oak shelves. This tote, given only to devoted shoppers, has become a coveted talisman of the wellread jet-setter. 83 Marylebone High St., London. 2 Espardenyes were traditionally worn by Catalan farmers. Now the rope-soled shoes, available at La Manual Alpargatera in Barcelona, one-up everyone else’s espadrilles—not least because they show you sympathize with the Catalan independence movement. 7 Carrer Avinyó, Barcelona. 3 Spot a man with the number seven embroidered on his tie? You can bet he shops at Milanese men’s-wear emporium Al Bazar. The range of cuff links, ties and rings bearing store owner Lino Ieluzzi’s birth date—and lucky number—have acquired cult status. 9 Via A. Scarpa, Milan. —COURTNEY KENEFICK…

‘WE GET ASKED IF WE KNOW WHERE the caves are all the time,” says Anne Bedford, a local official from the district where the abyss in question, the Esa’ala Caves, are located. James Cameron’s 3-D thriller, Sanctum, released in 2011, is to blame. It’s the story of extreme divers exploring the caves in the southeast corner of Papua New Guinea. When a flash flood seals their exit, they risk their lives to find an escape through subterranean rivers out to sea. Oddly enough, Sanctum was filmed, not in PNG, but in Mexico and Australia. Still, it created a buzz around the Esa’ala Caves that hasn’t let up. Yet to the best of anyone’s knowledge, no outsider has ventured into the Esa’ala Caves. Enter Waiyaki Nemani of Villink Tours (675/7005-5624; villinktourspng@gmail.com) who,…

The cultural center of Singapore, known as the Civic District, is a hotbed of modern-day architecture and fancy hotels, but later this year The Patina, Capitol Singapore (patinahotels.com) will open its doors, hoping to usher in a new era of grand luxury to the city-state. The story of this hotel starts with Pritzker Prize laureate Richard Meier, who was hired to renovate two adjacent buildings—the iconic Capitol Building and its neighbor, the Stamford House—to create a home for The Patina, which is nestled within the two stately structures. With the wheels in motion to renovate the exterior, the award-winning designer Jaya Ibrahim, who decorated The Legian in Bali and the Capella Singapore, was commissioned to create an interior design inspired by the colonial influences of the building’s exterior. Before his…

Cities often commission large-scale public art to create events that draw visitors and give locals a fresh perspective on their environs. Few are better at delivering such experiences than Janet Echelman. Urban space is her canvas, and rope—kilometers of it—is her brush. With these simple tools, the Boston-based artist fashions multihued installations that hover over once-ordinary plazas like airborne fishing nets. Her latest, inspired by a cat’s cradle, floats above Boston’s Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (rosekennedy greenway.org), a zone reclaimed from car traffic after the Big Dig. Echelman says she conceived the project, on view through mid-October, as a way to “link the city back together along the gash that had been a sixlane highway.” Echelman, who developed her technique after watching fishermen construct nets in the Indian village of…

1. It’s all about the millennials. There are two things budding jet-setters want: constant Wi-Fi and not to feel like a tourist. Hotel companies are listening— and the results appeal to more than just today’s twentysomethings. According to Tina Edmundson, Marriott’s global brand officer, “Lifestyle hotels tap in to a new creative class, including young entrepreneurial business types who want affordable access to art, culture and design, as well as more-seasoned, independent travelers who appreciate singular experiences and high standards of service.” 2. Travelers want to feel like part of a club. “We know a lot of people are looking for a shared experience among like-minded guests,” says Barry Sternlicht, CEO of Starwood Capital Group, whose new brand, 1 Hotels, is built for luxury seekers with a passion for sustainability.…

PART OF THE JOY OF TRAVEL IS MEETING PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING things you never would have imagined. We’ve got a few examples of that this month in our annual Style+Design special. Senses of style are personal and shaped by our surroundings. So in this issue, a few locals help us explore the destinations they know best. In “Flash-Point Fukuoka” (page 52), we enlist fashion editor Keisuke Ueno to uncover what makes his city’s style hub of Tenjin tick. Swimwear designer Bárbara Barreto Ian, meanwhile, escorts us souvenir shopping in Macau (“The Takeaway,” page 60), filling our suitcase with locally made, cultural curios. And in Bangkok (“Frame-Up,” page 25), the downright funky Moo Piyasombatkul draws inspiration from her travels to design eyeglass frames, ones that show the world through new…

NO ONE COULD EVER SAY that Jack Lee was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but by the time he reached adolescence, this child of Cholon, Saigon’s historic Chinatown, long had been wielding a kitchen ladle. Poor, widowed and with five children, Lee’s mom in 1980 sent her nine-year-old son, née Ly Vinh Vien, off on a boat to Singapore, and then the U.S. From that point on, his efforts in kitchens both paid tribute to his mother, who had taught him to cook, and allowed him to send money back to his family. He worked his way from the very bottom of L.A.’s culinary industry—bussing tables at age 12 for minimum wage—to the tip top, as the banquet chef at Hotel Bel-Air, before opening his own business,…

ROCK-STAR EDGE, sophisticated polish, a cult following, fantastic haircut— Johanna Ho has it all. The Hong Kong-based designer began her career in 1998 with a show at London Fashion Week that led to the likes of Barneys New York, Selfridges and Harrods placing orders. Now, her star-studded client list includes Lana Del Ray, Karen Mok, Eason Chan, Faye Wong and Miriam Yeung. Ho brings a playful punch to the Hong Kong fashion scene, which she says is “still being driven by high-end western brands or their K-pop counterpoints.” So to disrupt this monotony, Ho came up with Uchi, a sustainable line that merges vintage clothes from her personal collection combined with leftover knit samples to create one-of-akind couture-like pieces on offer at her eponymous shop (GF, 13 Wyndham St., Central;…

YOU’LL NEVER SLEEP ALONE at Brisbane’s Tryp Fortitude Valley hotel. During my stay, I shared my suite with a gorgeous woman with big, beautiful blue eyes. She was painted on a wall two stories high, peering into my windows. Which, admittedly, may sound creepy. But this is Brisbane’s first street-art designed hotel—a unique boutique property that justifiably has garnered international acclaim for its avantgarde style that includes massive murals on outside walls, spraypainted hallways and graffitibedecked interiors. Practically every corner of this brand-new 65-room downtown hotel is slathered in colorful art. In a world of cookiecutter hotels endlessly embracing the latest buzzy design, it’s surprising nobody thought of this catchy theme before. Of course, the owners at Tryp missed it too, ’til they practically tripped over it. Maybe it makes…

EMBROIDERED HANDKERCHIEF “I love these Portuguese hankies called lenços dos namorados—lovers’ hankies.” Mercearia Portuguesa, 8 Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro; merceariaportuguesa.com; small handkerchiefs MOP330. DESIGNER UMBRELLA “Manuel Correia da Silva and Clara Brito are two really well-known designers in Macau. Their latest Sombra parasols are a mix of Victorian style with Macau gate motifs.” Lines Lab, 5 Trv. da Fabrica; lineslab.com; US$128. WOODEN NOTEBOOKS “Calvin Sio makes his pieces in his own studio at the Macau Design Centre, mostly out of different woods, and takes a sustainable angle towards his crafts.” Hylé Design, Macau Design Centre, 5 Trv. da Fabrica; fb.com/macau designcentre; MOP167. PORTUGUESE BREAD “The Portuguese Bakery that opened this year serves pão alentejano, making their own yeast the traditional way. You can order the night before and…

THE YEAR WAS 1992. I was nine and my best friend Nandini and I signed up for a horseback-riding camp in Kanchanaburi run by a German woman named Lee Rhodes. It wasn’t exactly the all-American experience I’d seen in movies like Meatballs, Camp Nowhere and Indian Summer, but my father’s job had brought our family from California to Thailand, so it was the closest I could manage. Rhodes had moved to the kingdom in 1924 and was already well into her seventies when I met her, though she seemed old beyond age, like a mountain or a redwood. We spent the mornings riding horses, magnificent animals I still fear to this day, and the evenings sitting around a campfire listening to her tales about Thailand in the 1920s and 1930s:…

ART SERIES This collection of Australia’s most artistic hotels, each named after a local artist whose work adorns the property, makes commuting fun with its Smart cars and Lekker bikes. artserieshotels.com.au. FUSION RESORTS Each of Fusion’s eight properties in Vietnam has its own character inspired by local environment and people, including Asia’s first all-inclusive spa resort, Fusion Maia Da Nang. fusion-resorts.com. THE HOUSE COLLECTIVE Swire Hotels’ “houses” truly feel like homes, with designfocused accommodations in China and Hong Kong. The emphasis on warm service will woo even the most seasoned travelers. the-house-collective.com. SALA Sala’s boutique resorts provide modern luxury wrapped in the old-time charms of Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khao Yai. salaresorts.com. UNLISTED COLLECTION: Small hotels set in heritage buildings that have been carefully restored to quirky Dadaism perfection.…

SUPER SAVER Outrigger Konotta Maldives, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll Lots of private space at this new resort: your two-story villa has its own garden, an open-plan living room, a king-size bed, a dual-sink bathroom, a second-floor deck with sun loungers, and a pool. The Deal Special opening rates: a night in a Beach Pool villa, from US$419 for two, through October 31. Save 70%. outriggermaldives.com. CULTURE RANGOON Sedona Hotel Yangon One of the city’s most comfortable accommodations affords views of the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda as well as Inya Lake. Complimentary with your stay are entry to Shwedagon Pagoda and a meal for two of the hotel’s signature Hainanese chicken rice. The Deal Discover Autumn: a night in a Superior room, from US$165 for two, through September 30. Save 20%. sedonahotels.com.sg. CHIANG…