Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2016 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM FOUR FAVORITE EATERIES OF A FOOD NETWORK HOST Michele Lean, celebrity foodie, shares her top restaurants from Bangkok to Beijing. DISCOVER PA-AN, BURMA A stylish new boutique hotel has shuttled this unspoiled town and its natural surroundings into the spotlight. THE NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE OPENS More than simply a grand cultural showcase, the Lion City’s most anticipated debut will highlight works by Southeast Asian artists. LOOKOUT The best places to travel in 2016; Lao cuisine with a twist in Luang Prabang; China’s rising design stars; the latest travel deals and 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 INSTAGRAM.COM/ TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA KEEP UP WITH US Sign up for our newsletter…

TripAdvisor has just released its annual TripBarometer study, a forecast of the coming year’s travel trends derived from 44,000 survey respondents worldwide. Data is broken down by region, and here’s what Asian travelers are thinking: 1:3 Proportion who say they’ll spend more money on trips in 2016 52% Of those who will spend more money, the proportion who said the reason was that they deserve it 42% Percentage of travelers who visit a destination to get to know its people and culture ¼ The number of people who choose to visit a destination simply because they found a cheap flight to get there 67% Proportion who would not book a hotel room without air conditioning, the No. 1 dealbreaker #TLASIA THIS FEBRUARY, OUR READERS REVEL IN THE ROMANTIC SIDES OF…

IT IS HARD TO THINK ABOUT Korean cuisine without picturing heaping piles of raw meat primed for the barbecue. There is prevailing attitude in Seoul that meat-free diets are for the pious or poor, which long has resulted in a dearth of vegetarian-friendly dining options. The last few years, however, have seen a surging public interest in healthier eating, combined with an effort to promote traditional Korean temple cuisine—which is prepared without meat, fish, MSG, garlic, onion or leek—to foreign visitors, and an influx of entrepreneurial cooks from overseas. All of this has fomented a vegetarian awakening in Seoul, exemplified by the five outposts below. PLANT Dishing up creative vegan cuisine in a cozy setting in the backstreets of bustling Itaewon, Plant feels as if you’re sitting in owner Mipa’s…

CHOCOLATE YOGA, reads the poster. “explore the mystery.” It’s selling a mix of kundalini yoga and ritualistic Mayan hot-cocoa consumption at a pop-up studio, timed to celebrate the full moon in Libra. This, more than anything, sums up Byron Bay, a small Pacific coast town at Australia’s easternmost point, 75 minutes north of Sydney by plane. For decades, it has been a waveriders’ magnet and a byword for Aussie counterculture. But the region’s surfer-Zen vibe is giving way to a serious culinary renaissance. Now, Byron Bay is luring those who would rather eat 10-course meals than perfect their downward dog—though at most local spots, both types are welcome. Thanks to its varied terrain and a wealth of microclimates, Byron Bay and the hamlets that surround it— Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads, Cabarita…

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, Malaysia’s fashion scene has taken a dramatic about-turn. A new generation of designers has jettisoned the wedding gowns, the cheongsams and the chintz in favor of their own evolving fashion narratives that are equal parts elegant and eclectic. Here, five designers you’ll be hearing more of in the years to come. JOE CHIA Joe Chia’s minimalist aesthetic is quickly making him a name to watch in the international fashion scene. Besides Kuala Lumpur, his clothes are currently stocked in Milan, London, Florence, Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Madrid, Los Angeles, New York and Shanghai. Chia’s utilitarian take on fashion is a commentary on recent world events influenced by street style. So expect structured hooded tops, cropped jackets and sportswear-type pants that veer on the right side of…

BALI Ayana Resort & Spa There’s a reason a dip in the ocean is so restorative: according to the 5,000-year-old practice of thalassotherapy—from the Greek word thalassa (sea)—those mineralrich waters can help the body detox, relieve symptoms of skin disorders and boost cardiovascular function. Soak in all the benefits at this thalasso spa, one of the largest in the world, where the Aquatonic pool contains 700 million liters of saltwater pumped directly from the Indian Ocean. ayanaresort.com; 25-minute Under Water massage plus two hours in the Aquatonic pool Rp954,000. HONG KONG Salt Spa Halotherapy originated from a centuries-old tradition in Eastern Europe in which patients spent hours in natural salt caves, where the air reputedly alleviates respiratory conditions. At these urban approximations, patients relax in snow-white, salt-crusted rooms inhaling dry…

FEBRUARY 2016 / Seeking salvation atop Mt. Kailash | A treasure map to Manila’s best new bars | Edgy Amsterdam grabs the spotlight | Palm Springs heats up | Cruising the Northwest Passage I know we’re supposed to stay at a teahouse near Zutrul Phuk Monastery tonight, but I don’t know much longer it will take to arrive there, nor how far away the rest of my group and our guides are. Yet I’m thinking with dismay— far ahead. Anxious to reach the monastery before nightfall, I trudge on without stopping in what I hope is the right direction. Over glacial ridges and false summits, down treacherous gravel slopes, and through Mars-meets-Middle-Earth landscapes. I munch a chocolate bar while hiking. I’m hungry, but my louder internal grumble is a stream…

It used to be that there were two places you’d stay in Singapore, both beautiful but representing earlier eras: the old-school Raffles, with its grand lobby and burnished teak floors, and the slick Fullerton Bay Hotel, a favorite of socialites and financiers. But this year, the city is suddenly very busy with hotel openings and renovations (including, it’s rumored, an overhaul of the Raffles itself). Three in particular—a colorful Philippe Starck gem, the no-expense-spared Patina, and the intimate Club Hotel—are on our radar. THE SOUTH BEACH Clocking in at 654 rooms across several floors of a Foster & Partners–designed tower and an adjacent lowrise, The South Beach is full of bright colors, eye-catching designs and energetic service. Philippe Starck is behind the interiors, including public spaces that combine Peranakan Chinese,…

BRUNO DE CAUMONT’S background is as colorful as his work. Based in Saigon, the French transplant started off studying international law, then dropped out and worked as a caterer for five years, and finally started up his own stall in the Parisian flea market, fixing vintage furniture. Self-taught in furniture design, he sketched out an idea for his first lacquer piece in 2001 but could not get it produced in France because of the high costs of this labor-intensive craft. It was a spur-of-the-moment trip to Vietnam that led him to his calling in lacquers and he has not looked back. “One day, my carpenter told me he was going to Saigon for his grandmother’s birthday, so I joined him,” de Caumont says. On this trip he found a local…

SIBERIA ISN’T ALWAYS a rolling blanket of white. For a fleeting three months a year, the Altai region of central Siberia shakes off the snow and sprouts a kaleidoscope of wild flowers and greenery. The melt reveals roads that aren’t on any map, and even in the halcyon days of summer these dirt trails will chew up and spit out the average car. In the Altai Mountains, the UAZ-469, or “Russian Jeep” reigns supreme, but our driver told us that when you fix one thing, two things break. So we opted for a Land Rover Defender, a capable off-road vehicle with military roots. I piggybacked on a British expedition to the Scythian Tombs, where Pazyryk mummies from the third century BC were unearthed eight years ago. Japanese, Turks and Native…

If You’re AN AIMLESS ACCUMULATOR With all the loyalty programs out there, it’s easy to end up with little stashes of points that hang around like those handfuls of foreign coins you find in your pockets after overseas trips. But just because the amounts are small isn’t a reason to ignore points; they are baked into the price of your hotel room or car rental, and you should get the full value of what you paid for. Here’s how to turn small pools of miles into useful, redeemable balances. Take inventory. You don’t have to keep count yourself. Use an app that accesses your accounts and collects all your balances in one place; just be sure to choose wisely (see “Track Happy,” on the next page). Transfer what you can.…

A WEEK BEFORE THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, THE SUN WAS setting at its southernmost point in Vancouver but, just as it did, it peeked out from behind a bank of winter clouds. In a nifty surprise from Mother Nature, the sky erupted in a solstice light that stopped people in the street. It was one of those unexpected moments we all secretly want to experience when we travel, that instance we know we will never forget even if we neglect to snap it on our mobile phone. This month is full of such surprises. We start with indulgent spa treatments, and our look at them, “Spas of the Future” (page 56), reveals a number of fascinating therapies we would have to make up if they didn’t exist—like being…

MANY JEWELRY designers aspire to create wearable art, but Dickson Yewn’s latest collection is actually being displayed as an installation at Nunu Fine Art (nunufineart.com) in Taipei this May. This isn’t the first time his work has been in the spotlight; one of his striking jadeite rings made headlines after Michelle Obama wore it to a dinner hosted by President Obama for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 2011. The exquisite Wish Fulfilling ring, reminiscent of latticed windows commonly found in ancient Chinese homes, marked the first time a contemporary Chinese jewelry brand was chosen by the American first lady, and thrust the Hong Kong-born designer and his eponymous label Yewn (yewn.com; pieces from US$1,200) onto the international stage. It was about time. Yewn had been quietly producing gorgeous…

IN FRANCE, WHERE I HAVE LIVED for the past 10 years, there are strong historical links to Morocco, and many French travelers know the country well. Everyone goes for different reasons—to laze by a pool, to visit family, to shop in the historic medinas. Some love the luxury bubble of Marrakesh; some, myself included, aren’t so keen. But there is one place all of them seem to agree on, across the spectrum of taste and budget: Essaouira. A small seaside town with impressive 18th-century fortifications, Essaouira sits on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, a three-hour drive west of Marrakesh. Strong trade winds make it one of the world’s great surf spots, and it has enjoyed a healthy tourist trade since the 1960s, when hippie icons like Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens made…

SUPER SAVER Sheraton Bali Kuta, Bali The free one-way airport transfer also gives you access to the Golden Bird Lounge at Ngurah Rai International Airport. SPG members get an extra 30-percent savings at any on-site restaurants. The Deal Relax & Enjoy: two nights in a Deluxe room, from US$330 for two, through August 31. Save 35%. sheratonbalikuta.com. DINING CHINA Le Passage Mohkan Shan A five-course seasonal French menu by acclaimed chef Toyo Koda at this French-style tea estate makes a trip to the mellow mountains of Zhejiang Province—200 kilometers from Shanghai—a worthy journey. The Deal Third Anniversary Winter Special: a night in a Deluxe room, from RMB3,760 for two, through February 29. Save up to 40%. lepassagemoganshan.com. BALI The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa There’s a feast for…

I WAS STANDING ON THE TENTH FLOOR OF THE FORMER Shell Tower in Amsterdam-Noord with Sander Groet, a boyish-looking 46-year-old dressed in a faded T-shirt and jeans, a construction helmet placed jauntily on his head. The view overlooked all of Amsterdam; below, the IJ River flowed past, sun glinting off the surface of the water in the late summer light. The legendary canals and historic architecture, with its red gabled roofs and steeples piercing the sky, looked quaint in miniature. “I was born about twenty kilometers outside the city and I could see the tower from my window and think, ‘There is Amsterdam,’ ” Groet said. Now, he is part of a team of four entrepreneurs responsible for transforming this iconic 22-story building—which was once home to Royal Dutch Shell…

By their very nature, postcards are often clichéd shots of a destination. Thanks to the growing number of ways to take photographs combined with the fact that everyone now snaps away at will, classic tableaux now are continually being injected with new life. A case-in-point is this slightly off-kilter, city-defining image taken with a drone from just west of Victoria Peak, high above the towers and treetops. As densely packed with superlatives as with skyscrapers, not to mention citizens—some 7 million and counting— Hong Kong is made up largely of mountainous parks. While an estimated 40 percent of the city’s total area is protected, green and serene, developed areas are, much like the denizens, in a constant state of motion. Every visit means a new look, each angle a renewed…