Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau

this month on travelandleisureasia.com OUR EDITOR LEARNS TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK Jeninne Lee-St.John dons her monogrammed apron for a lesson on grilling up top-notch steak at the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok. 9 PERFECT QUARANTINE HIDEOUTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Some of the region’s best getaways don’t require boarding a plane. Isolate in style with your own luxury villa. HOW TO ENJOY TOKYO LIKE A LOCAL From trendy Tomigaya to scenic Kichijoji, we highlight some lesser-known Tokyo neighborhoods that score top points with locals. Lookout An art lover’s guide to Siem Reap; the top 10 hotel brands in the world; new and dreamy eco-resorts in Bali; and so 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 INSTAGRAM.COM/TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA…

AS YOU WOULD EXPECT from a cookbook called Baking with Licker, this collection of rejigged desserts assumes a somewhat irreverent tone, both literally and in its treatment of classic pastry recipes. American chef Licker, winner of Iron Chef Thailand in 2014, infuses more than 50 popular Western desserts with ingredients indigenous to Asia in the ultimate fusion for sweet-toothed foodies. Expanding upon Lickerland: Asian-Accented Desserts by Jason Licker, which was nominated for a James Beard Award, the follow-up’s colorful format and playful banter make following the recipes easy and fun. Meanwhile, its mouthwatering mash-ups—delights like peanut-butter-and-miso cookies, Thai tea rolls and yuzu cheesecake—take your taste buds on a journey around the region, even if the rest of you has to stay put. Baking with Licker is available now on jasonlicker.com…

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong Enjoy the urban spoils of a five-star staycation at a luxurious Hong Kong icon. T+L readers booking Island Shangri-La’s Staycation Offer receive a free Afternoon Tea for two, in addition to the deal’s standard HK$800 dining credit, redeemable during their stay. Reservations must be made directly with the hotel, and guests should mention T+L to claim their readers’ perk. The offer is available from now until December 31, 2020, via 852/2877-3838 or reservations.isl@shangri-la.com. Rates start from HK$2,600 per night. shangri-la.com. The Slate Phuket, Thailand This Bill Bensley–designed wonderland on Naiyang Beach is offering guests a package deal called Imagine the Slate. The package includes round-trip airport transfers, 10 percent discount on dining (excluding alcohol) and body treatments at the spa, and daily breakfast. T+L readers who…

AFTER RETAKING first place for islands in this year’s World’s Best Awards, Palawan is back in the global spotlight. But residents of Southeast Asia have known of Palawan’s charms for years—specifically those of its hard-to-reach island resorts dotted off the coastline of El Nido municipality. Humble little El Nido Town, the jumping-off point for those far-flung paradises, has been slowly but steadily carving out its own identity, and, with renewed interest in Palawan’s promised lands, seems set to flourish even more. Unlike its exclusive upscale neighbors, this small fishing village is more denim cutoffs than caftans. It’s definitely not a castaway idyll, what with its cement structures covered in sea-battered paint. However, the island vibe reigns, fueled by warm smiles, cold beers and breezy beachfront living. Most who arrive in…

Back to Basics If knowledge is power, then self-reliance is the new luxury. As the routines of our lives are upended, more of us are seeking to travel in ways that prepare us for whatever the world throws at us next. JENNY HEWETT preps us for the survivalist-tourism trend. BUTLERS AND PRIVATE chefs might be standard at one side of the spectrum, but the next big trend in travel is doing it yourself. All of it. There’s been a growing demand for immersive experiences that are heavy on practicality over the past couple of years, but since the pandemic disrupted the functioning of the world as we knew it, many of us have felt a strong urge to get back to nature and explore our connection with the land and,…

FALL WAS ALREADY well along in Kyrgyzstan. The afternoon sky was piercingly bright, and the brisk air, made cooler by the snowy peaks of the Tian Shan, the “Heavenly Mountains,” called for a jacket. Nomadic herders along the south shore of Issyk Kul lake had already gathered their stock from alpine pastures and loosed them in a broad valley that hung between the mountains and a parallel range of hills like a rug thrown across two clotheslines. The mixed herds of cattle and sheep scattered across the unfenced range, each animal a sluggish atom on its own course, their slow dispersal local proof of cosmic entropy. Herdsmen on horseback kept them in check. At first, from where I stood in the hills, I couldn’t make out the riders: the scale…

1. Lauryn Ishak SLOW BOAT TO KOMODO (P. 56) Pre-lockdown, the Singapore-based photographer sailed around Indonesia with several eco- and community-minded guides. “I always enjoy going back and connecting with my former home country every chance I get. I loved my two days on the river in Kalimantan. One specific moment remains a favorite of the trip: a sudden tropical downpour while slowly cruising on the river. It was so peaceful and beautiful.” @laurynishak 2. Aidan Dockery MEALS ON WHEELS (P. 48) The Bangkok resident hopped on a Royal Enfield to eat all the noodle soup up north. “I’ve lived in Thailand for nine years and been keen to visit Nan province for a long time. After travel restrictions were eased, we were looking for open landscapes with low population…

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME since rolling carts and loud leng lois were a prerequisite for delicious dim sum. While there’s a lot to love about the authentic, frantic, mom-and-pop-shop ambience, Hong Kong’s fine-diners are where it’s at for innovation. A glance around more upscale establishments in Central reveals nouveau-Cantonese delights not even a pandemic can quash—indeed, the city’s intermittent 6 p.m. dining curfews may even enhance the appeal of this early-day meal. Descend the glamorous staircase of Mott 32 Hong Kong (mott32.com) and you’re in for a stark contrast to the aforementioned typical dim sum joint. Opulent contemporary interiors by design studio Joyce Wang and decadent, modern dim sum are the name of the game here, with chef Lee Man-Sing, who previously worked at Mandarin Oriental’s Michelin-starred Man Wah,…

IT’S EASY TO WISH for a greener travel industry, but we all know it’s up to individual travelers—i.e. us—to shape the kind of sustainable future we want to see. The Green Edit: Travel by Juliet Kinsman outlines just how we as independent travelers can lessen our impact and create positive change, even on luxury getaways. The book contains guides on everything from the most energy-efficient types of aircraft to how to cure an addiction to miniature hotel toiletries, drawing on Kinsman’s 20 years of travel journalism and pivotal role consulting luxury-hotels guide Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The Green Edit: Travel, published by Ebury Press, is available from September 10, for US$12.35.…

TWO ELEPHANTS NUZZLED THEIR heads together and intertwined their trunks in shifting spirals. Watching from my four-poster bed, I wondered if their mahouts had trained them to make wrinkly heart shapes in the drizzly dawn as a romantic dream-state wake-up for the people sleeping in bubbles 20 meters away. So mesmerized was I by this dance that I didn’t even think to reach for my phone until one of the elephants nudged her chin up on her friend’s forehead and gave her a little love bite on the top of her crown. Pretty sure they heard me squeal in delight. Late last year, Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort planted two futuristic one-bedroom pods on a lush patch of their river-bound 65 hectares, transparent human-size snow globes in which…

THE SOUTHWESTERN REGION OF Louisiana is officially called Acadiana, but when I told people I was planning a road trip there, I found myself saying, “I’m going to Cajun country.” I was drawn to the region’s heritage, and hoped to eat Cajun food, listen to zydeco, maybe head out on the swamp. What I didn’t expect: soul-stirring natural beauty and a unique community, with a layered history that continues to thrive and adapt. I was traveling with my friend Katherine, who lives in New Orleans. Together, we set off on the three-hour drive to Lafayette Parish, which welcomes roughly 3 million people each year. Here, in the center of Acadiana, there are weekly Rendez-vous des Cajuns concerts, which showcase the region’s fiddle-and-accordion-driven music, and cultural events like the Festivals Acadiens…

EVERY PRINCESS KNOWS THAT SNARING A PERFECT SUITOR CAN BE A FRUSTRATING ENDEAVOR. And I’m beginning to show the surly characteristics of a jilted debutante as I pilot my motorbike fruitlessly around the nether reaches of Chiang Mai. We’ve been searching in vain for a legendary venue named Khao Soi Prince, known for its nomadic tendencies and irregular opening hours. It can be “hard to track down,” in the words of American chef and Chiang Mai food authority Andy Ricker, understating the point. After a voyage of thwarted hope to an out-of-date location pin, we are no closer to hunkering down to an aromatics-infused, coconut-milk-rich bowl of curry noodles endorsed by Ricker, cookbook author Austin Bush and legions of Thai regulars as a definitive version of khao soi, northern Thailand’s…

TWENTY-TWENTY HAS BEEN AN adventure for all of us—though not in the way most expected back in January, and certainly not in the way anyone would’ve hoped. But that’s the thing about challenges: hopefully they make us stronger. This issue is dedicated to finding our grit, to rediscovering our passion for exploration, to, far from urban centers, filling our lungs with fresh air and our sight lines with the grace of billions of galaxies. Some adventures follow our food cravings, others, the footsteps of trailblazers from another age. Still others demonstrate how much more edifying our trips can be when we consult true locals, whether that’s black Africans taking more prominent roles in shaping the safari industry or Indonesian tour guides empowering their own communities while protecting their waters and…

MISSING PISCO SOURS, sunset tunes and lemongrass-scented spa days? A pair of hotel-loving friends has created the perfect remedy. Kissa Castãeda and Alex Seitz have curated Checking In: Bringing The Hotel Home, a collection of hallmark experiences and inspirations from 35 luxury hotels and resorts around the globe. Speaking to designers, mixologists, chefs and CEOs, the book breaks down key touchpoints from every property that you can DIY at home—whip up a bowl of Amanpuri’s crab curry, host a Hoshinoya Kyoto–style tea ceremony, cue up a Desa Potato Head sunset session and even go on virtual safari. All proceeds from the book go to organizations supporting hospitality workers affected by COVID-19. Find out more, make a donation, and download your copy at checkinginthebook.com.…

I WANT TO SHARE my passion for my hometown, its pristine nature and Malay culture,” says Abdul Nasir Jalaluddin—or Nash, as friends fondly call him—as we cruise down Lenggong’s only street in his 1973 Jaguar XJ6. This vintage ride is just one of the highlights of the three-day Heritage Stay that Nash, a former Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts employee, bases out of his childhood home, Rumah Tiang 16 (fb.com/16pillarshouse; doubles from RM1,300, all-inclusive). Supported by 16 wooden pillars, this beautiful Malay stilt house is Lenggong’s only heritage boutique homestay—a real first in out-of-the-way northern Perak. Carved by a meteorite impact 1.83 million years ago, Lenggong Valley is Malaysia’s fourth UNESCO Site, inscribed in 2012, and noted for its burial caves and various archaeological discoveries. Its best-known artifact is the…

UNMISSABLE METROPOLISES Join us on a whistlestop tour around the pretty cities of Spain for top tips on your next authentic urban adventure. DIVERSE, WELCOMING and multifaceted, Madrid captures your full attention, not to mention your heart. Make a start with some art: stroll along Paseo del Prado and take your pick of world-class museums filled with masters from Renoir to Sorolla. It’s just a few steps to Parque del Retiro, a sprawling green space, dotted with gardens, sculptures, monuments, a crystal palace and boating lake. Dive into history in El Madrid de los Austrias—the old center and home to the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. From the action of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium and Gran Vía with its theaters and shops, to the bustle of gourmet markets…

Indonesian wildlife through the eyes of locals KOMODO NATIONAL PARK FEES Entrance and ranger day fees: foreigners Rp460,000 per person weekdays, Rp535,000 per person weekends; locals Rp265,000 per person weekdays, Rp267,500 per person weekends. To dive: Rs275,000 weekdays and Rp350,000 weekends and public holidays. To visit Rinca Island: ranger fee Rs115,000. FIND A GUIDE Seek Sophie Visit seeksophie.com for sundry eco- and community-minded local tour operators around Asia. Their vetted partners in Komodo include: Alexandria Cruise (oneday tours from US$81.72 per adult, including hotel pickup and drop-off, guides, lunch, snacks and snorkel equipment); Rafida (three-day private charters from USD$2,700 for a maximum of 16 people, including accommodation in four rooms, return transfer from Labuan Bajo, all meals, snorkeling gear, land excursions and local guides); and iDive Komodo (diving trips from USD$130, including two dives…