Southeast asia november 2018

Vietnam
north to south
New Stays in
Sydney

Raise your
travel photo
game

Has there ever been

Singapore S$7.90 / Hong Kong HK$43
Thailand THB175 / Indonesia IDR50,000
Malaysia MYR18 / Vietnam VND85,000 a better time to visit
the Maldives?
Macau MOP44 / Philippines PHP240
Burma MMK35 / Cambodia KHR22,000
Brunei BND7.90 / Laos LAK52,000
UNITED

AMERICAS ASIA EUROPE MIDDLE EAST Soon HONG KONG MONTECITO BANGKOK
rose w oodhotels.c om
 favehotels.com

IMAGINATIVE SELECT SERVICE HOTELS WITH STYLE, FUNCTIONALITY AND GOOD VALUE
 November
contents

features

84
Harbor City Stays
A slew of new rooms
in heritage hotels,
blockbuster brands
and baby boutiques
offers exciting
reasons to hightail it
to Sydney right now.
By Ron Gluckman

94
North to South
Photographer Aaron
Joel Santos has
voyaged Vietnam from
Chinese borderlands
to tropical islands,
taking in current and
former capitals; ethnic
areas; loved traditions;
84 94 and all that coastline.
102 112
102
c l o c k w i s e F R O M t o p LE F T: t o m r o s s ; a a r o n j o e l s a n t o s ; s i m o n wat s o n ; c o u r t e s y o f k u d a d o o

Atoll Tale There are

now so many beautiful
reasons to visit the
Maldives, it’s hard to
keep track. We offer a
hit-list of some great
new resorts.

112
In the Still of the
Light North of Sicily,
the unspoiled Aeolian
Islands have been
beloved by travelers
since Homeric times.
Once you’ve settled
into the gentle
rhythms, it is tough to
leave. By Howie Kahn.
Photographed by
Simon Watson

ON THE COVER
In the far southwestern reaches of
Vietnam, Hon Gam Ghi, off Phu Quoc
Island, remains untouched, for now.
Photographed by Aaron Joel Santos. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8  7
contents

In Every Issue 
T+L Digital 10
Contributors 12
The Conversation 14
Editor’s Note 16
Deals 78
Wish You Were Here 122

21 Reasons To Travel Now New 40 Japan Comes Into Bloom On Special

tours offer intimate
photography-skills workshops
on five-star vacations; a green
music festival takes glamping to
a whole new level; and more.
24 Homegrown Delights The
artisanal-foodie push happening
across the region is combining
locally made ingredients with
foreign know-how.
28 That Light Though A new
resort in Flores brings luxury to
an untouched part of the island
an eight-day cruise that visits
some of the nation’s lesser-
known ports, fall under the spell
of cherry-blossom season.
44 Auckland, en Vogue New
Zealand’s North Island gateway
boasts chic shops showcasing
homegrown talent.
45 The Golden Path A walking
vacation in Greece is an ideal
way to enjoy a balmy climate
and empty beaches.
52 A New York State of Wine One
61 Gift Guide 2018 Whether for
hitting the beach, the mountains
or the city, or taking a trip with
the kids, our holiday gift ideas
will suit any type of traveler.
Upgrade
71 Raise Your Travel Photo Game
When choosing your ideal
equipment, it helps to consider
what subjects typically catch
your eye. The gear in our guide

and swift access to a unesco
World Heritage Site.
30 Grazing Guangzhou Timed to
the debut of the city’s first
Michelin Guide, we eat our way
through the southern Chinese
port town long loved for food.
of America’s most spectacular
wine regions just happens to be
in the northeast.
58 A Camp of One’s Own For the
best African game-spotting,
mobile safaris are becoming
more widely available options.
fr o m l e f t: JD a n d r e w ; c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l g u a n g z h o u ; c o u r t e s y o f pata g o n i a ; s c o t t a . w o o d wa r d
and tips from some of our
favorite pros will serve you well
from off-the-cuff smartphone
images to DSLR photo shoots,
for portraits to landscapes and
everything in between.

40 30 61 71

8  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
t+ L d i g i ta l

+ Lookout
A new luxury hotel
lands in Luang Prabang;
a formerly sleepy suburb
of Saigon heats up; new
suites at a lodge in
this month on tr avel andleisureasia.com Tasmania offer full
Where to Dine in Java new Cr aft Cocktail A Gourmand’s nature-immersion; an
As compelling as Bali’s menus Inspired Journey Through unspoiled corner of
culinary scene is, this other by Asian Culture Ker ala Borneo begs to be
Indonesian island is giving its Mixologists across the region After millennia as a cultural
chefs a run for their money. are putting a distinctly local melting pot, the southwestern
explored; the latest
Plus: must-eat street foods spin on some exceptionally Indian state has become a travel deals, and more.
across Southeast Asia. creative tipples. fertile ground for gastronomy. travelandleisureasia.com

fr o m l e f t: i a n l l o y d n e u b a u e r ; c o u r t e s y o f o r i g i n b a r ; a a r o n j o e l s a n t o s

Download Us Follow Us Keep up with Us

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10  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

1 2
Cathy
Adams
W r i t er
“Grazing Guangzhou”
Page 30
— —
“In Guangzhou, Cantonese
food is still very traditional,
1
with soups and TCM elements
in every meal,” says Adams,
who lived in Hong Kong. Now
that Guangzhou has a
Michelin Guide, the upscale
places are getting more global
recognition: “they have better
service, English menus, more
salubrious options (i.e. no
suspicious-looking meat),
plus they usually come with a
swaggering view. Drawbacks
compared with more local
places, though, are they don’t
have as lively an atmosphere,
and cost 10 times the price.”
Three must-eats in the port
city? “Dim sum, char siu, and
a bun with lotus-seed paste.”
2
Instagram: @cathyradams.
3 4
Rachna
Sachasinh
W r i t eR
“Homegrown Delights”
Page 24
— —
“With sheer determination
and a great attitude, the team
at Laos Buffalo Dairy are
producing excellent cheese in
Luang Prabang, sharing the
economic and nutritional
benefits with the community,
3
and developing healthier
breeds of milking buffalo,”
Sachasinh says. “In Vietnam,
Victor Ceano-Vivas Savall is a
mad genius. He can MacGyver
any contraption. He employs
his neighbors, many of whom
had no idea what a ‘bonbon’
was; now they work alongside
him with passion, precision
and lots of laughs.” Watch for
Thai kombucha start-ups, like
Fresh De Ka and Chiang Mai
Kombucha. Instagram:
@rachna_sachasinh.
12 4
c o n t r i b u t o rs
Aaron
Joel Santos
P h o to gr a p h er
“North to South”
Page 94
“I lived in Vietnam for seven
years, and I wouldn’t even
know how to begin counting
how many assignments I’ve
shot there. Hundreds,” says
Santos. “The northern
mountains have always done
it for me. The valleys of Ha
Giang or Mu Cang Chai” offer
the most magic. “Northerners
and southerners love to talk
about how different they are,
but I’ve found people across
the country to be inviting,
open and keen to learn about
you.” A favorite personality:
the general who posed for a
portrait in Hanoi. “He exuded
that classic northern
fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f c at h y a d a m s ; c o u r t e s y o f a a r o n j o e l s a n t o s ; c o u r t e s y o f r a c h n a S a c h a s i n h ; J o n at h a n P o z n i a k
Vietnamese élan. Effortlessly
cool, confident and graceful.”
Instagram: @aaronjoelsantos.
Ron
Gluckman
W r i t er
“Harbor City Stays”
Page 84
“I like everything about
Sydney: ebullient people, the
stunning harbor and beaches,
fresh food and fabulous bars.
It’s so green and vibrant,”
Gluckman says. “I adore The
Old Clare Hotel, with its retro
cool and wacky modern
design; Ovolo Woolloomooloo
for breaking all conventions;
and Sofitel for full luxury and
incredible views.” Eat? “Thai-
food guru David Thompson
has come home to Australia
with Long Chim, a modern
update of his beloved Nahm
in Bangkok. Automata has a
constantly changing tasting
menu at The Old Clare Hotel,
whose lobby bar is perfect for
beers, cocktails and mingles.”
Instagram: @rongluckman.
 1400 years of art in one day.
The art of architecture. An architecture for art.
Inspired and inspiring.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

t h e c o n v e rs at i o n

#TLASIA
Morning tea by the window at

For our photography issue we’ve selected some of our

readers’ most unique frames within frames.
Inle Lake. By @superchinois801.
Can airplane food ever shake its bad rep? Thai Airways has
announced that Jay Fai, Bangkok’s only Michelin-starred street-
food stall, will curate a menu for first-class passengers that
emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients. Airlines have long
been trying to step up the tin-foil mystery meats to more fine-
dining fare—Qantas celebrated its 20th year of collaboration
with acclaimed Aussie chef Neil Perry last year—but can an
in-flight meal ever really be on par to one from a restaurant
kitchen? Here are a few Asia-Pacific airline plates we think
make a strong case for the positive.
Swinging into the sea on Nusa
Ceningan. By @whereswilsons.

China
Southern
Passengers on flights from Guangzhou
can choose from a traditional Lingnan
menu, with options including a deluxe
beef-shank noodle soup and a
Cantonese clay-pot rice with
preserved meat and Chinese sausage.
Singapore
Airlines
This award-winning airline offers a
Book the Cook service to pre-order
dishes by eight chefs from its
International Culinary Panel. Our pick:
the hazelnut-crusted veal by celebrity
Italian chef Carlo Cracco. Admiring the Taj Mahal on a
misty morning. By @over_globe.

Japan Cathay Qantas

Airlines
Offering business-class
guests an artistic
representation of
Japanese cuisine,
former Iron Chef Jun
Kurogi creates a
colorful bento box of
hors d’oeuvre including
cauliflower purée with
bonito broth jelly topped
with caviar, and sukiyaki
braised pork.
Pacific Announcing its non-
stop flight from Perth to
Since July, Cathay London this year, the
Pacific has been rolling Australian airline added
out its new dining a healthful menu to
concept, and business- nourish tired bodies on
class menus will soon the 17-hour flight—think
have six main options to probiotic-infused
choose from across all cold-pressed juice Jumping through hoops at Lok
flights, including Hong shots, tuna poke bowls, Wah, Hong Kong. By @ikkikevin.
Kong–style char siu, and a bedtime hot
spicy laksa and chocolate containing Share an Instagram photo by using the
#TLAsia hashtag, and it may be featured
Shanghai drunken the sleep-inducing in an upcoming issue. Follow
chicken. amino acid tryptophan. @travelandleisureasia

14  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
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editor’s note

F
The Golden Gate
Bridge, from below.

From My Travels
In San Francisco for a brief
stay, on my last night I met
up with a photographer
friend who, upon hearing I
had skipped the many tourist
locales on the map, stopped
walking and earnestly asked
if I wanted to see any of
them. Photographers are like
ew countries in Asia come with as much that, especially in a town as
baggage as Vietnam, and yet few are fetching as San Francisco.
as alluring. As part of this month’s So, it was no small relief that
Photography Issue, we asked Aaron I was able to backpedal a bit,
because I did take in the
Joel Santos for a portfolio that depicts most Instagrammed site of
the country from top to bottom: its vivid colors and unimaginably the city, the Golden Gate
beautiful settings, people and food. As with any good travel story, Bridge—how could I not?
the result, “North to South” (page 94), should inspire you to visit the
country, every corner of it. Vietnam is changing fast.
Of course, a camera is a great introduction to any destination. So, we
asked a few of our photographers for their insider tips when it comes
to seeing your journeys through a lens or on a LCD screen (“Raise Your
Travel Photo Game,” page 71). Bangkok-based Leigh Griffiths summed
up his approach, whether in a big city or off in the wilds: “I want people
to feel like they are experiencing the same moment that I have.”
That we’re all photographers these days isn’t lost on Scott A.
Woodward, who just won another award
for his iPhone photography (check out
page 76 for the winning snap). Obviously
more compact than a regular camera—
though don’t rule those out either—a
smartphone is always at the ready. I’ve
fr o m l e f t: Irfa n S a m a r t d e e ; c h r i s t o p h e r k u c way

witnessed Scott take a quick photo of a

Japanese priest in full garb on an Osaka
subway, the result being worthy of
hanging on your wall at home. Another
perfect travel memory.

@CKucway
chrisk@mediatransasia.com

16  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 editor-in-chief Christopher Kucway
art director Wannapha Nawayon
Deput y editor Jeninne Lee-St. John
Features editor Eloise Basuki
senior DEsigner Chotika Sopitarchasak

Regul ar contributors / photogr aphers

Cedric Arnold, Kit Yeng Chan, Marco Ferrarese,
Duncan Forgan, Lauryn Ishak, Mark Lean, Grace Ma,
Morgan Ommer, Aaron Joel Santos, Stephanie Zubiri

chairman J.S. Uberoi

president Egasith Chotpakditrakul
publishing director Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

publishER Robert Fernhout

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TRAFFIC MANAGER / deputy DIGITAL media manager Varin Kongmeng
sales director Joey Kukielka
business de velopment manager Leigha Proctor
regional manager Paul Adams

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production manager Kanda Thanakornwongskul
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TRAVEL+LEISURE (USA)
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 REASONS TRAVEL NOW
november 2018

TO
T+L’s monthly selection of trip-worthy places, experiences and events.

An eagle
hunter in
Mongolia
by Scott A.
Woodward.

no. 1
Up your travel photo game with these
expert-led photography tours.
While our photography guide on page 71 is packed with all the tools and
tips to raise the bar on your travel snaps, sometimes it’s easier to put
yourself in the hands of a pro. These three tours give budding
photographers a chance to make the most of their equipment while
traveling scenic locales, with top advice from the best in the business.

National Geographic Scott Dunn Monogram Asia

See India from behind the lens with this
10-day photographic rail journey on board
the fit-for-a-maharaja, totally Wes
Anderson, Palace on Wheels. With guidance
from big-league photographers like
photojournalist Ed Kashi and intrepid Nat
Geo photographer Jonathan Kingston,
you’ll take professional shots of the
country’s best sites, including, of course,
sunset over the Taj Mahal. The tour will also
capture the marble palaces of Udaipur’s
Lake Pichola on a scenic boat ride, camels
trailing the dunes of the Thar Desert, and
even a potential tiger sighting in
s c ot t a . wo o dwa r d
If traveling in a pack isn’t quite your style,
why not bring your own professional
photographer on your trip? Luxury tour
operator Scott Dunn has appointed its first
Asia-based “Flying Photographer,” frequent
T+L contributor Scott A. Woodward. Guests
on any of their tailor-made itineraries can
choose to book Woodward for the full
duration of the trip or just for a few days. So
you can start your travels with an image-
taking crash course. Whether it’s catching
the action at the Pasola festival in Sumba,
Indonesia, or visiting the remote hill-tribes
in Burma, Woodward can assist with
This Singapore-based company takes pride
in promoting Asian photographers, hosting
exhibitions, lectures and workshops around
the region. Eager snappers can also join
their intimate 12-person tours that hit off-
the-beaten-path locations during regularly
off-limits hours—a travel photographer’s
dream. Spots are filling fast for their 10-day
trip in February to Hokkaido, which will
capture the snow and icy seas around Cape
Notoro and the frozen Oshinkoshin
waterfalls and Kussharo Lake; the tour will
be led by accomplished British landscape
photographer Paul Gallagher. Next year the

Ranthambhore National Park.
nationalgeographic.com; tours in 2019 are
scheduled for February 11–21, March 18–28
and September 30–October 10; from
US$13,195 per person, double occupancy.
lighting, composition, exposure and more,
and can customize each trip to guests’
photography skill levels. prices vary based
on the itinerary, for details visit scottdunn.
com or call 65/3158-6530.
group will also host journeys to Bali, Burma,
Iceland, and the Yellow Mountains in China.
monogramasia.com; Hokkaido tour runs
February 1–10, from US$4,400.
— Eloise Basuki

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   21
r e a s o ns t o t r av e l n o w

no. 2
A wellness pioneer is bringing a jolt of fresh energy to Bhutan’s
hospitality scene with a new collection of rustic-chic lodges.
This month, Six Senses will unveil three of the five intimate lodges it has planned across the
Himalayan nation: one located among the rice fields of Punakha, one overlooking the capital of
Thimphu, and one near the historic ruins of the Paro Valley. Each resort will have only 16 to 20 suites
and a handful of private villas, along with amenities that emphasize health and mindfulness, such
as meditation huts and prayer rooms. The remaining two lodges, Gangtey and Bumthang, are slated
to open in March. sixsenses.com; doubles from US$1,010.

3
As ski season approaches,
many will be beginning the
no. trek to Hokkaido’s frosted
mountain slopes. But if the
These thought of lugging your heavy
they land, and begin
exploring the city right away
knowing their luggage is
headed straight for their
hotel room. With the website
black-cat logo. Celebrating
their 100th anniversary next
year, Yamato has counters
at most Japanese airports
and popular train stations,

companies will equipment through crowded

stations adds to your chills,
already available in eight
languages, including the
and offers options to send
all sorts of luggage, from
do the heavy there are easier ways to
reach the powder.
recent addition of Thai, more
of the region can travel
small bags and boxes to
heavy golf equipment and
lifting on your This year, the Japan lighter in Japan. bulky snowboards.

next trip
Tourism Board launched Another big name delivery Both companies can also
Luggage Free Travel service is Yamato Transport deliver your luggage from
c o u rt esy o f s i x s e n s es

to Japan. (luggage-free-travel.com;
large bags from ¥2,000),
where users can book online
to receive a QR code, drop
bags off at the airport when
Co. (www.global-yamato.
com/en/hands-free-travel;
large bags from ¥2,138), run
by Japan Tourism Agency
and recognizable by their
hotel to hotel, between
prefectures and back to the
airport, so you can enjoy your
entire trip without having to
lift a finger.

22  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 4
clockwise from left:
Angkorn Fire Show
no. lights up the night;
silkscreening is one of

Thailand’s premier many craft workshops

on offer; music goes til
music festival is big dawn at the Solar Stage.

time upping the ante.

Wonderfruit, the annual four-day
food-and-wellness artsy dance
party that descends on rolling fields
near Pattaya, calls itself “hedonistic
sustainability.” Next month’s
iteration brings boosts to both
halves of that phrase. Besides feasts
from famous chefs, sound therapy
and chakra balancing, and global
music acts including Nightmares on
Wax, Goldie & the Ensemble, Stars
and Rabbit, and Craig Richards, here
are three new reasons to indulge in
a little pre-holidays hippie-shake.

+ Already flashing a fairly fancy-

pants rep, Wonderfruit is this year
introducing a special ultra-luxury
glamping section called Camp
Kerela, where guests will stay in
carpeted, furnished, Wi-Fi-enabled,
air-conditioned Maharaja tents with
special access to their own set of
bathrooms, as well as a private spa,
lounge, and costume-and-make-up
tent…say, if you accidentally leave
your headdresses and glitter-tights
at home. The whopping Bt427,000
price tag also comes with two tickets
to the festival, all meals including
24-hour room service, and all
drinks. Helicopter-transport from
the airport sold separately, but your
concierge will be happy to arrange.

+ Certified as carbon-neutral last

year, the event is using both
innovative and ancient techniques to
stay sustainable. By investing in a
cryptocurrency called TreeCoins,
they’ve planted more than 10,000
mangroves in Burma’s Thor
c o u rt esy o f wo n d e rfr u i t ( 3 )
comes from on-site lakes, all
tableware is compostable, and all
single-use plastic is banned. We’d
call that guilt-free pleasures.
coconut groves and sandy lakefront
beaches. And if the real natural
surrounds don’t help you get into the
forest groove, don a VR headset that
will simulate your hopping around

Heyerdahl Climate Park. Working
with the land where they hold the
festival to improve its ecosystem,
and building with bamboo, they pay
homage to, respectively, isolated
low-lander Mayans and generations
of Asians before them. All water
+ December may be “winter” in
Thailand, but that can still make for
pretty sweaty middays. This year,
Wonderfruit has uprooted all stakes
and moved them a few minutes but a
lush world away. The new grounds
promise to be cooler, with shady
through the eyes of woodland
animals. Totally not trippy at all.
wonderfruit.co; December 13–16;
tickets from Bt5,200 for Sunday pass
to Bt6,500 for a four-day pass.
– Jeninne Lee-St. John

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   23
trending

Homegrown
Delights
There’s an artisanal push with food across the
region, where locally grown ingredients combine
with foreign know-how to create a true taste
of Southeast Asia. By R achna Sachasinh .
illustr ations By wasinee chantakorn

Chocolate Concierge
Crafted from single-origin cacao
beans grown in the Malaysian
highlands, the chocolate by this
Kuala Lumpur–based chocolatier is
proudly “tree-to-bar.” “Malaysian
cacao is unlike any other in the
world,” says founder Ning-Geng
Ong, who credits his sustainable and
traceable beans for his Cocoa of
Excellence award won at the Salon
du Chocolat in Paris last year.
The country’s mix of tropical and
highland climate is perfect for
growing cacao, and when Dutch
colonists introduced the trees here
in the 18th century, production took
off. Although Malaysia remains one
the world’s top exporters of raw
cacao, few farmers pay attention to
fermentation and roasting practices,
which are critical for coaxing
nuances of terroir in bean-to-bar
chocolate, something Ong learned
through his studies in the U.S.
Sourcing premium local cacao
meant working directly with the
growers. Ong partnered with
indigenous Semai and Temuan
communities, learning to grow,
dry and ferment the beans alongside
the farmers. “When cultivated,
fermented and roasted correctly, the
beans yield exquisite taste profiles
of saffron, nutmeg and dry figs,”
Ong says.
His bars are now stocked in the
city’s Four Seasons and W Hotel and
used in cafés and restaurants
around town, but Ong still likes to
play matchmaker for his customers
at his Bangsar shop, choosing bars to
suit their preferred sweetness:
“Pairing chocolate lovers with their
perfect bar: that’s still the end goal.”
chocconcierge.com; bars from RM27.

Laos Buffalo Dairy artisanal buffalo dairy in 2016.

When American Rachel O’Shea and
Australians Susie Martin and Steven
McWhirter left their high-profile
corporate gigs in Singapore to
become inn-keepers in laid-back
Luang Prabang, an insatiable
appetite for cheese sidetracked the
trio, who launched the country’s first
“Cheese was pricey here,” Martin
says. “We saw all these buffalo, and
no one was milking them. So, we
decided to give it a go.”
Getting their hands on a decent
milking herd was a challenge, as
most farmers let their buffalo roam
wild. Furthermore, the idea of
milking the buffalo was a foreign
concept: “The farmers thought we
were going to barbecue them.” blended with traditional Lao flavors
Martin says. The trio built a small like roselle and tamarind, and
dairy in Ban Thinkeo, 20 kilometers buffalo-milk ricotta doughnuts.
from Luang Prabang, leasing buffalo Visitors can drop by for dairy tours
from local farmers as well as and cheese tastings, and should stay
breeding their own herd. for a slice of their creamy New York-
Besides buffalo mozzarella, style cheesecake. laosbuffalodairy.
Camembert, feta and a piquant blue com; cheese from LAK125,000 per
cheese, the dairy also makes sweets, kilogram; tours and tastings from
including buffalo-milk ice-cream LAK100,000 per person.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 25
trending
When Tyutin traded Siberian
winters for Koh Samui’s balmy
beaches, he quickly gleaned the
growing market for caviar in
Thailand and across Asia. After
brainstorming ideas with friends
who farmed caviar in the Caspian
Sea, Tyutin set out to simulate
Russian winters in tropical waters.
Tyutin and Khamsai established
their first operation in Chengdu,
China, where they refined their
cooling and feeding systems. In
2016, the duo began raising sturgeon
Caviar House of Bangkok oscietra, the type of fish best suited
Launching Thailand’s first home- for caviar, by the Gulf of Thailand in
grown caviar factory has been a Hua Hin. While these harvests are
personal mission for Russian still sample-size at this stage—it
transplant Alexey Tyutin. “Of takes three to four years to begin
course, Thailand is not suitable
for breeding sturgeon, but I like
a challenge,” says Tyutin, who
partnered with Thai developer
Noppadon Khamsai to launch
Caviar House of Bangkok.
Pop Keo
In the Vietnamese coastal city of
Danang, a Spanish Willy Wonka is
creating masterful artisan
confectionery just like his
grandfather taught him. Barcelona-
born Victor Ceano-Vivas Savall hails
from five generations of
confectioners, and their family
sweet shop, Pastelería Reñé, has
been a city legend since 1892,
supplying Spanish kings and
noblemen their candies. Savall came
into the family business at an early
age, working alongside his
grandfather to prepare the desserts.
After training as a pastry chef, in
2016 the then 21-year-old apprentice
decided to set up shop in central
Vietnam, enchanted by the scents of
market spices and tropical fruits he
recalled from regular summers
26  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
harvesting—Tyutin expects to be
producing 2,000 kilograms of Thai
caviar a year by 2021.
For now, their current Chinese-
made caviar—which the Russian
proudly declares is free of common
preservatives like borax, which can
stay in the body for a long time—is
harvested from several types of
sturgeon, including beluga, oscietra
and Russian sturgeon. According to
Tyutin, the long gray-brown
oscietra, a hybrid of beluga and
sturgeon, produces the most popular
caviar: “It tastes mellow and nutty,”
he says. “Perfect with champagne or
vodka.” caviarhouse.co.th; Russian
sturgeon caviar from Bt3,600 per
100 grams.
spent traveling the country as a child
with his family.
Savall makes all his lollipops,
candies and chocolate bonbons by
hand, and uses all local ingredients,
such as cane sugar, organic cacao,
fresh ginger, turmeric, passion fruit
and honey. He also handcrafts his
own molds, drawing inspiration
from royal insignias of former
imperial kitchens and mythical
creatures, like the flying dragon
candy, a homage to the Dragon
Bridge over Danang’s Han River. In
just two years, Savall has turned his
family tradition into an icon of
Danang—his candies are now also
available in local cafés, at the Four
Seasons Nam Hai and the
InterContinental Danang. That
smells like sweet success. popkeo.
com; lollipops from VND24,000.
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debut

That Light Though

A new resort in Flores brings luxury to an untouched part of the island, and swift
access to a unesco World Heritage Site. Rather than intrude, it blends and flows.

go ahead, just try to stop snapping photos
at dusk at the paint-still-drying new Ayana Komodo
Resort, Waecicu Beach (ayana.com; doubles from
Rp5,097,500), where all rooms are ocean view. Every
incremental dip of the sun brings a new wave of
Kodachrome, each more dramatic than the last, a
fitting curtains down at the first luxury hotel in Labuan
Bajo, which is nestled on a hillside, wings stretched to
present all the beauty of Flores.
Boarding the back-loading prop plane at dawn in
Bali, it started to sink in that I was headed somewhere
special. Only so many passengers fit on this wee flight;
only so many travelers come to Labuan Bajo, launch-
point to Komodo National Park, home of those giant
dragons. An hour up and down and a quick drive to the
resort, and I was simultaneously off the grid and
swimming in that Ayana embrace. Which felt all the
more special since the property prioritized recruiting
locals to train to their top-notch standards. Witness:
my own paparazzo, who, unrequested, followed me
with my phone lens as I paddleboarded around the bay.
There’s a stellar snorkeling spot off a private island
a two-minute speedboat ride around the corner (look
out for the deep maroon clownfish), and a glass-
bottom boat for those who don't want to take the
plunge. The pièce de résistance is the custom, nine-
bedroom, liveaboard phinisi that begs you to plan a
grand excursion on it and sail with 100 or so of your
nearest and dearest out into the salmon sunset.
I suppose a private diving trip will suffice, too. The
showers in some of the cabins have floor-to-ceiling
windows, and the master suite has a clawfoot tub—
both of which offer divine views for end-of-day awe.
— jeninne lee-st. john

c o u r t e s y o f aya n a

28  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Looking out over
rooftop Unique
bar into Ayana
Komodo’s bay at
dusk, their luxury
phinisi Ayana Lako
di’a docked in the
middle distance.
 dining

Grazing
Guangzhou
The Michelin Guide may have only just set its
stars on this foodie port of southern China, but
Cathy Adams finds a city that has long been
loved for its hot plates. >>

c o u r t e s y o f t h e R i t z- C a r lt o n g u a n g z h o u

Lai Heen
at The Ritz-
Carlton
now has a
Michelin star.

30  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 ADVERTORIAL

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your rendezvous point here at the top of world-famous Orchard Road, a casual stroll takes you among outdoor cafes,
Michelin-starred restaurants and countless international brands. In the other direction lie the unmissable orchids of
the magnificent Singapore Botanic Gardens and the military-barracks-turned-lifestyle-mall, Dempsey Hill. Authentic
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dining
clockwise from On the 71st floor of the Four Seasons
top left: Chef Mai Guangzhou, I’m being poured Longjing tea at the
Zhi Xiong at Yu Yue hotel’s modern Cantonese eatery, Yu Yue Heen
Heen; skyline
views from the (fourseasons.com; mains from RMB150; doubles
private dining from RMB2,000). In this restaurant, now
room; the embellished with one Michelin star, even a
Michelin-starred simple cup of tea turns into an artful gong-fu
Yu Yue Heen’s dim
sum selection.
ceremony. On a tableside trolley, the tea leaves
are strained, and the steaming liquid carefully
decanted into a miniature cup.
This black lacquer– and red glass–accented
fine-dining haven overlooks the glassy towers
and pastel housing blocks of Guangzhou’s
urban sprawl. It’s the ultimate contrast: the old
and the new, the high and the low, the local and
the international—a good analogy for
Guangzhou’s food scene.
There’s a well-known saying in China:
“Be born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in
32  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou,” which may
explain Guangzhou’s other nickname, “Rice
City.” The capital of Guangdong is well-known
historically as a trading port and in recent
generations as a factory floor. While its
Cantonese cuisine is lauded among its
countrymen, the city is not so much known
internationally for its foodie scene. Now that
Michelin has launched its inaugural
Guangzhou guide, that’s all about to change.
“In Guangzhou, people only talk about food,”
says Bram van Ooijen, local gourmand and
founder of Cycle Canton (cyclecanton.com; tours
from RMB350), a tour company on two wheels.
“The food they had yesterday, the food they’re
eating now and the food they want to eat
tomorrow.” (His favorite Cantonese dishes:
whole steamed fish in soy sauce; roast pigeon;
and the city’s famous ginger milk pudding,
among others.)
Guangzhou has long been the center of
gravity for Cantonese cuisine, characterized by
its simplicity and lightness—rather than
overpowered by spices or sauces. The city’s
history as the epicenter of southern China trade
meant a range of ingredients and ideas
coalesced around the city, and burgeoning
courtesy of Four Se asons guangzhou (3)
wealth meant more emphasis on fresh,
premium dishes. Teddy Xiong, a Chinese food
expert who grew up in Guangdong province,
also credits the city’s “ideal geography”:
mountains to the north, perfect for crops; and
set at the mouth of the South China Sea, on the
banks of the Pearl River, which meant an
abundance of fresh seafood.
In late June, Michelin awarded eight of the
city’s restaurants one star and countless others
a Bib Gourmand. Guangzhou, the second city >>
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dining
in mainland China after Shanghai to welcome
a Michelin guide, showcases “a great local
gastronomic interest,” according to Michael
Ellis, international director of the Michelin
Guides. He adds: “Guangzhou has a wealth of
astonishing restaurants with a strong and
historical Cantonese background.”
Note the “local” and “Cantonese
background.” All eight of the one-star
restaurants serve predominantly Cantonese
food—the cuisine best known for dim sum,
barbecued meats and fresh fish—while only
a couple of the Bib Gourmand–awarded
from left: Lai restaurants hint at other cuisines, including
Heen at The Ritz- Sichuan and northern Indian. Which is
Carlton; Lai Heen's
steamed crab
somewhat surprising, given that this megacity
custard with is home to 14.5 million people and is fast
caviar. gaining international profile.
“In Guangzhou, people only talk about
food. The food they had yesterday...
the food they want tomorrow”
34  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
On Michelin’s one-star list are Guangzhou’s
most swaggering restaurants, including the
Four Seasons’ Yu Yue Heen, where executive
chef Mai Zhi Xiong was praised for his “skills
and attention to detail.” I checked in for a lazy
lunch: the siu mai dumplings were juicy and
bursting out of their rice paper pockets, the
baked pork buns were as sweet as a dessert, the
steamed grouper with strands of ginger was
both meaty and light. It would’ve been rude to
refuse the signature dessert, chilled mango
pudding, wouldn’t it?
Other awarded restaurants include
intricately decorated Jade River
(whiteswanhotel.com; mains from RMB300;
doubles from RMB1,000), in the White Swan
hotel on Shamian Island, in the former French
Concession; the elegant Jiang by Chef Fei
(mandarinoriental.com; mains from RMB200;
doubles from RMB1,300) in the Mandarin
Oriental; and Wisca (86-2/3438-1188; 172
Binjiang Xi Lu, Haizhu; mains from RMB150),
most loved for its eel claypot stew (juejuebao),
which had five minutes of fame in national
television documentary A Bite of China a few
years ago.
Local favorite Bing Sheng—a Guangzhou
friend told me she would choose where to live
based on the distance to her local branch—was
also recognized, twice, with Bing Sheng
Mansion (bingsheng.com; mains from RMB80)
and Bing Sheng Private Kitchen (bingsheng.
com; mains from RMB300) both awarded a star.
Why? The crispy barbecue pork is simple but
unforgettable, as is the silky three-colored tofu,
my friend says. The soups and pork were dishes
the Michelin reviewers highlighted at Lei
Garden (86-2/8363-3268; 4F Yi An Plaza, 33 >>
c o u r t e s y o f t h e R i t z- C a r lt o n g u a n g z h o u ( 2 )
dining
from left: Wild Jianshe Liu Ma Lu, Yuexiu; mains from
mushrooms with RMB200), while The Ritz-Carlton’s upscale Lai
scallop at Jiang
by Chef Fei; Heen (ritzcarlton.com; mains from RMB200;
Guangdong-born doubles from RMB1,800) was praised for its
Fei started cooking contemporary dishes, in particular sunflower
in Cantonese seed–fed chicken, fish maw black garlic soup,
kitchens at the
and poached star grouper.
age of 16.
Guangzhou’s booming status in China’s
“Greater Bay Area”—official figures showed
that the economy expanded 4.3 percent in the
first three months of 2018—has also meant a
shifting urban geography. Zhujiang New Town
and Tianhe (the glossy, modern neighborhoods
of Guangzhou that are home to upscale
restaurants and smart pavement cafés) jut up
against Liwan, one of Guangzhou’s oldest
districts and a slice of traditional Canton with
cobblestone alleyways, low-slung tenements
and European-styled shopfronts. Rather than
the typical (and uniquely Guangzhou) blend of
Mandarin and Cantonese, in Liwan all I hear is
the musical notes of Cantonese.
To taste traditional Cantonese cuisine,
Liwan is a good place to start, and it’s where
the Eating Adventures (eatingadventures.com;
RMB529) four-hour food tour focuses. Here,
there’s the Huangsha Market (15 Huangsha
Dadao, Liwan), the largest seafood market in
southern China that shifts 5,000 metric tons of
seafood a day. For breakfast, I buy fresh prawns
and scallops from a stall, and take them to be
grilled in one of the restaurants housed on the
upper floors of the central market building.
36  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
Nearby is the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street,
the oldest commercial street in Guangzhou, a
brash boulevard lined with street vendors
peddling treats including cheung fan rice rolls
(a Guangzhou specialty usually eaten for
breakfast), lotus seed pastries from Lianxiang
Lou Bakery (67 Shipu Lu, Liwan; cakes from
RMB8), which dates back to the Qing dynasty,
and fat pork-and-chive dumplings in super-
local eatery Liwan Mingshijia (99 Dishifu Lu;
dim sum from RMB10), or “Liwan Famous
Eatery” as it’s known anecdotally.
Liwan is also home to the vast Qingping
Market, selling all kinds of disturbing things in
jars and pots: tiny scorpions, cow penis, shark
fin (all for medicinal purposes, naturally). It’s
testament to Cantonese cuisine’s link to
Traditional Chinese Medicine, emphasized by
the focus on soups and herbal teas. I notice this
at Liwan’s most-loved yum cha joint, the all-day
Dian Dou De (587 Long Jin Zhong Lu, Liwan; dim
sum from RMB20): sheeny har gaw dumplings
arrive in a little bowl of clear soup. Their 100-
plus types of dim sum testify to the translation
of their name: everything is possible.
But this concentrated Cantonese flavor
won’t stay undiluted for long. Estimates put
the number of domestic migrants living and
c o u r t e s y o f M a n d a r i n Or i e n ta l g u a n g z h o u ( 2 )
working in the city at around five million,
bringing with them myriad regional Chinese
cuisines: Sichuan; Pekinese; Shanghainese;
and, most memorably, the delicious lamb
skewers and flatbreads from a Uyghur
restaurant in Guangzhou’s gritty Xiaobei
district, otherwise known as “Little Africa.”
After three days of feasting across this
dizzyingly indulgent city, I have only one
answer to the common Cantonese greeting
of “Have you eaten?”
Absolutely.
 ADVERTORIAL

Brave New Napa

An olive-oil
tasting lunch at
Round Pond.

VENTURE BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE VALLEY

KNOWN FOR ITS VINEYARDS, AND YOU’LL COME
AWAY TRANSFORMED BY A SERIES OF TOP-OF-THE-
LINE EXPERIENCES YOU WILL NEVER FORGET.
 What a sedan should
be: the Lexus LS 500.
LEFT: Rows of ripening
vines at the
Beckstoffer Estate.

BEHIND THE WHEEL of a silver Lexus LS 500, zipping
through the vineyards of Napa on a brisk autumn
afternoon is one of those moments when travel is truly
exhilarating. You feel like the king of the road, with
Lexus LS standing out with it’s elaborate mesh
signature grill of no less than 5,032 individual grid
facets—something so intricate that it took months from
conception to production—a perfect representation of
Lexus’ bold aesthetics combined with sophisticated
craftsmanship. Inside, the Lexus’ attention to detail
becomes more evident in the ornamentation: from
hand-folded origami-inspired pleats that adorn the door
to the thinly sliced veneered wood panels that are
unique to each vehicle, enveloping all the senses in
luxury.
Seated in this sedan, the winding Napa roads offer a
great backdrop for a drive. This is a valley known for its
own artisans, whether at a vineyard or when it comes
to the culinary arts.
As we accelerate along the sun-dappled highway,
how could we not stop at a vineyard in a land known for
wines? We pull into Round Pond Estate (roundpond.
com) for lunch, but not for wines, more for an
unexpected experience. Our lunch table is set among
the vines, a series of olive oils and syrups, as well as
fresh garden produce greet us. Aside from the basil-,
rosemary-, and lemon pepper-infused olive oils, are
other hand-crafted bottles that have a very local flavor:
Blood orange or Meyer lemon olive oils and citrus
syrups are like nothing else found outside of Napa. Of
course, these are best appreciated as part of our
multi-course lunch that includes charred pole beans
with cherry tomatoes doused in a lemon-dill
vinaigrette, and a grilled balsamic-glazed chicken with
roasted beets, figs and arugula. Our chance to enjoy
the sweeter syrups comes with local artisanal cheeses
and seasonal fruit.
Surprisingly, these oils carry an ideal balance of fruit
aromatics and warmth; a possibility achieved only by
testing dozens of blends, producing only small lots of
each. Trained by Italian mill masters, the craftsmen
here use a hammer mill to produce sharper, more
robust olive oils: preserving age-old traditions and
applying them by hand to modern techniques, which

had dawned on me the similarity of Lexus philosophy
with this culinary belief.
That evening at the Beckstoffer Ranch, winemaker
Jessica Edson hosts us for an elaborate outdoor dinner
presented by Michelin-star chef Christopher Kostow and
his team from The Charter Oak (thecharteroak.com), a
notable Napa address. Along a hillside carpeted in
gnarled oak trees, as the sun sets and an oversized
barbeque proves its worth, we dine on raw vegetables
from the farm, smoked beef ribs that melt on the
tongue, hearth-roasted mushrooms native to these
hills, and salted grilled corn on the cob plucked only a
few feet away. Our entire meal derives from the
surrounding, rolling and well-tended landscape, which
begs exploring in the muscular Lexus LX 570, an
off-road SUV capable of tackling any terrain with
finesse literally at the flick of a switch.
Back at the Beckstoffer Estate (tbwines.com), we
take a behind-the-scenes look at a working vineyard.
Staff here like to say the estate is a combination of a
grower’s history, a farmer’s humility and a vintner’s
hand. With that in mind, this is rubber boot, roll up your
ADVERTORIAL
Going off road in Napa
in the Lexus LX 570.
LEFT: The beautiful
coastline near the
Napa Valley.
sleeves work that results in some of the valley’s tastiest
tipples. Edson offers a laid-back but detailed look at the
winery best known for its Mockingbird Cabernet
Sauvignon. Nestled as it is in the eastern hills of St.
Helena, she says this canyon is a grand canvas ripe
with possibility. It’s difficult to say whether her
enthusiasm for wine outweighs her knowledge of it, but
she boils her talk down simply to teaching us how to
ask for a wine we enjoy. “Wine is an adventure and it’s
fun,” she reminds me in the cool cave lined with
French-oak barrels of Beckstoffer’s offerings. While this
is a learning experience, Edson is the first to admit that
her own wine education is never ending. “When you see
something compared to seeing it and touching it, it is
so much better than reading about it in a book,” she
says of her own travels in the wine world, whether
around Napa or on another continent. That’s the same
thinking behind the experience in a Lexus. To fully
appreciate each of the flagship models, you have to get
behind the wheel and feel all those years of passion
come to fruition, especially in a place as unique as
Napa Valley.
cr u i s e
Japan Comes
into Bloom
On an eight-night voyage that visits some of the
archipelago’s lesser-known ports, Eleni N. Gage
falls under the spell of cherry-blossom season.
from left: From m y bird’s-e ye perch in the women’s sauna,
The grounds 15 decks up on the 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess,
surrounding I watched the Sea of Japan glide by, its deep cobalt
Hirosaki Castle
waters cut by choppy waves. The ship has the largest
offer some of the
best sakura Japanese-style spa at sea, and it follows traditional
viewing in Japan; onsen rules in terms of layout and etiquette—men on
the 18-deck one side, women on the other, with a sauna and hot
Diamond Princess pools in each indoor section. A shared outdoor pool sits
cruises across the
country and the in between them, but I was content indoors, where the
continent. sauna provided warmth away from the chilly spring air
and the floor-to-ceiling windows framed impressive
ocean views. The steam eased my body, and the endless
expanse of sky and sea soothed my soul.
40  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
When I think of cruises, I
picture plying the Mediterranean
coast or zipping in and out of
Caribbean islands, both of which
I did in my twenties. It never
occurred to me to sail around
Japan. I always imagined that some
day I would hit up Tokyo for the
high-gloss shopping malls, then hop
a bullet train to Kyoto to see the
temples—in other words, the trip
that nearly every first-time visitor
to Japan takes. But when I came
across this eight-night itinerary,
circumnavigating the island of
Honshu (with a quick stop in South
Korea), a cruise suddenly made a lot
of sense. Japan is a maritime
nation, after all. Princess Cruises
does 77 sailings a year there, from
three-day weekend jaunts from
Tokyo to Taipei to 22-day voyages
that encompass Japan, China and
Vietnam. This trip, timed to the
blooming of the famous sakuras
would dip into lesser-known ports,
like Sakaiminato, on the main
island of Honshu, best known for
the 153 bronze statues of yokai
(animist spirits) that line its Mizuki
fr o m l e f t: j d a n d r e w s ; c o u r t e s y o f p r i n c e s s c r u i s e s
Shigeru Road, and Hakodate, on the
northernmost island of Hokkaido,
which was the first Japanese city to
open to international trade in 1859.
Depending on how far north or
south in the archipelago you are,
the sakura flowers are in various
stages of blooming, and by traveling
all corners of the country, you have
a much better shot of seeing them at
their peak.
My husband, Emilio, and I began
with a night in Tokyo, where we
spotted young women with hair the
 color of cherry blossoms strolling
through Harajuku in their platform
shoes. There, the sakuras had come,
awed everyone and gone. After
boarding the ship in Yokohama and
sailing the Kanmon Straits, past the
island of Kyushu, we were able to
see a few late bloomers at the
Tottori Flower Park outside
Sakaiminato, our first Japanese
port of call. But they were not
nearly as impressive as the
kilometers of tulips, planted in
star-shaped formations at the front
of the park, or the orchids hanging
from the hothouse ceiling.
Later on, at the Adachi Museum
of Art, home to a dry garden and
paintings by modern Japanese
artists, we saw remarkable
landscapes by the renowned pre–
World War II painter Yokoyama
Taikan. His pieces were neither
abstract nor figurative; Autumn
Leaves reminded me of iPhone
courtesy of princes s cruises (2)
photos with filters applied, so that
the red of the maple glowed against
an electric blue, watery
background. The paintings
exhibited what our guide, Shun
Adachi (no relation to the museum’s
founder), called yugen, a concept
that he translated as “mysterious
profundity.” “A flower has visible beauty,” he explained. from left: The
“But its yugen comes from the fact that it survived wind ship does multiple
and rain and sun—and from the knowledge of its itineraries,
covering Okinawa
future, that it’s dying.” in the south and
The excursions opened our eyes to Japanese culture, Hokkaido in the
but so did activities on board the ship. The majority of north; the onsen-
the passengers were Japanese, with the rest a mix of style spa on board
North Americans, Europeans and Israelis. On sea days, the Diamond
Princess has
as we made our way north through the Sea of Japan, several pools
I found myself hopping next to Japanese senior citizens and saunas.
during a folk-dance class and being wrapped in a
yukata by women who had volunteered to help me dress
in the ship’s collection of traditional garb. During lunch
at on-board Japanese restaurant Kai Sushi, the chef
taught me how to season sushi properly. (Yes, I finally
learned that you don’t mix a soy-wasabi slushie in your
dish, but rather place a dab of wasabi on top of the nigiri
and then gently tap the fish side only in your soy sauce.)
In Hakodate, a historic port on the northernmost
island of Hokkaido, we took an elevator to the top of the
75-meter observation tower next to the Goryokaku, a
fortress built in 1864. From there you can see the moats
that shape the grounds into a pentagram, and the entire
five-pointed star that is planted with sakura groves.
Budding and hung with lanterns, the cherry trees
were lovely, but not quite in full bloom. After touring
Cherry blossoms covered branches
so completely that the treetops looked
like bowls of popcorn
cr u i s e

trending
The outdoor
onsen on the
Diamond
Princess.
Going Deep in Asia
New cruise itineraries in this part of the world are
taking a close look at a single destination or region,
immersing passengers in their culture, food
and history. Choose the voyage that’s right for you.

Who’s
going?

a c o upl e or a fa mily
s o lo t r av el er

How much How old are

the Motomachi district, where the time do the kids?
first Westerners to arrive in Japan you have?
had built a Roman Catholic church
and a Russian Orthodox church, two w eek s a w eek to w ell- b eh av ed l i ttl e o ne s
or more 10 days t een s a nd tw een s
Emilio and I explored the new part
of town, ducking into a teppanyaki
restaurant for a dish of sautéed Do they
snow-crab legs. want to see
The next day, after we had major cities?
rounded the northern tip of Honshu
and headed south again, we docked yes no

in Aomori. This city, as our guide

Naoko explained, is home to more
cows than people (not to mention
snow monkeys and black Asian
bears in the surrounding birch
forest). It was outside Aomori, in
the neighboring city of Hirosaki,
that I had my Goldilocks moment: China India Golden triangle
The sakuras were just right. Viking’s 15-day Far In December, Pandaw Mekong Kingdoms
East Discovery voyage Expeditions will debut just launched the two-
Hirosaki Park, home to 2,500 trees
on the 930-passenger weeklong Lower cabin, exclusive-use

and a 17th-​century fortified castle, Viking Orion gives
was a sea of pink and white. Cherry you plenty of time to
blossoms covered branches so tour and shop in China’s
completely that the treetops looked greatest cities,
including Shanghai,
like bowls of popcorn. Hundreds of Beijing and Hong Kong.
picnickers were setting up blankets In lesser-known
and buying snacks of fried squid Qingdao, you can visit
balls, octopus on a stick, and soft the former Governor’s
Residence and the
serve made with the revered local
Qingdao Beer Museum,
apples. It took traveling more than on the site of the
3,890 kilometers from Tokyo, but I original Tsingtao
could finally experience the beauty Brewery, which was
of the flowers—and appreciate founded by German
colonists in 1903.
their yugen. princesscruises.com; vikingcruises.com;
eight-night sailings from US$1,399 from US$4,799
per person. per person.
Ganges river voyages on
the Orient Pandaw,
sailing from Kolkata to
Farraka (and vice versa)
through the heart of
West Bengal.
Experiences along the
way include colonial-
heritage tours in
Chandannagar, ruled
by the French until
1950; visiting the brass
works in the village of
Matiari; and taking in
the famed terra-cotta
temples of Baranagar.
pandaw.com; from
US$1,700 per person,
all-inclusive.
c o u r t e s y o f p r i n c e s s c r u i s e s . i l l u s t r at i o n b y l a n t r u o n g
Gypsy—a vision of wood,
thatch, bamboo and
vibrant Thai silk that
takes small groups
between Luang Prabang
and the Golden Triangle,
where Laos, Thailand
and Burma meet. Land
options include guided
jungle treks and
weaving workshops; on
board, there are folk
dancing, cooking and
Lao language classes.
mekong​kingdoms.com;
from US$5,450 for three
nights for up to four
people. — Brooke
Porter K atz

42  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

ADVERTORIAL
JAPAN’S BEAUTIFUL
TRADITIONS
Tokyo and Niigata are united on a cultural continuum. A trip to this
fascinating country should immerse you in the highlights of both,
taking you on a journey from past to present and back again.
JAPAN IS A COUNTRY steeped in history,
and the best way to understand that is by
joining two millenium-old traditions in
one inspiring trip. From the 1,000-year-
old bonsai at the Shunkaen Bonsai
Museum in Tokyo to the 1,000 years of
Murakami City.
Shibuya
crossing.
A Yayoi Kusama
Shunkaen Bonsai sculpture “Tsumari in Bloom”
Museum, Tokyo. at Matsudai Nohbutai, Niigata.
cultivating life in the Matsudai area of
Niigata, the past beguiles the present.
Begin your trip with a mindful
meditation at the Shunkaen Bonsai
Museum, where bonsai master Kunio
Kobayashi has won the Prime Minister’s
Award four times. This special place
exemplifies the longevity and austerity
of nature. You’ll find it a fascinating
contrast with trendy Shibuya, home of
the famous intersection and the origin of
youth culture. After you’ve gotten a good
dose of hip in the shops and cafés, take a
breather with a stroll along the tree-
lined streets of Daikanyama, and have
an upscale dinner in a cosmopolitan
setting.
The Shinkansen bullet train ride
from Tokyo Station to Niigata Station is
only approximately two hours, but
transports you to a timeless land. To
immerse yourself in its wonders, head to
Matsudai Nohbutai, a field museum that
fuses art with the traditional satoyama
mountain living. It is mesmerizing to
experience how people in this snow
country have coexisted with nature over
the centuries.
Sample a delicious facet of snow
country in Uonuma no Sato, where the
https://www.hokurikuandtokyo.org
Village of Uonuma.
traditional sake producers at Hakkaisan
Yukimuro use mountain snow to chill
their warehouse year-round. Niigata
T O P R I G H T: P H O T O B Y O S A M U N A K A M U R A
vegetables are also said to taste
especially sweet after a month in this
natural refrigerator, and you can enjoy
such local produce at nearby restaurants.
Before saying goodbye, walk off your
immersive drinking and dining
experience with forest bathing in the
peaceful surrounding nature.
Another exemplar of Niigata’s
culture can be found in Murakami, the
northernmost tea-growing district in
Japan. The connection to mother earth
courses through the rivers that flow
through the city—particularly in the
form of the salmon for which they
are famous. Top off your immersive
holiday with a Gotokuya Jube
photoshoot, where you can
dress up like a Geisha in
luxurious kimonos.
It’ll be an
enchanting • Niigata
memory to take
with you on
the train back
to Tokyo... Tokyo •
and home.
i ns i d e r ' s g u i d e
Auckland,
en Vogue
New Zealand’s gateway to North Island adventures
is a destination in its own right, with great food, a
bevy of museums and galleries, and chic shops that
showcase homegrown talent. We turned to
wunderkind Maggie Hewitt—the designer behind
women’s clothing brand Maggie Marilyn—to get the
lowdown on the best stops for style-minded
travelers. As told to Siobhan Reid
Clockwise from top
left: Auckland fashion
designer Maggie Hewitt,
founder of the line
Maggie Marilyn; Maggie
Marilyn Love
Unconditionally Jade
Stripe pants (NZ$745);
Curio Noir, a local
perfumery; watches at
the Superette store in
Takapuna; design
concept store The
Shelter; Muse, a
boutique in Ponsonby.
44  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
One of my favorite
places to shop is Ponsonby,
a neighborhood with
plenty of boutiques and
concept stores. Muse (264
Ponsonby Rd.; 64-9/378-
8850) is a multi-brand shop
from owner Olivia
Vincent. She stocks
international labels like
Stella McCartney along
with local names like
Georgia Alice, who is
known for her impeccably
cut, easy-to-wear designs.
From there, I’ll pop in to
the flagship of Harman
Grubiša (harman​g rubisa.
com), a New Zealand brand
that specializes in
minimalist silhouettes
with feminine details.
Nearby concept store
The Shelter (theshelter​
online.com) holds a special
place in my heart, as it was
the first to carry my line.
I’ll browse the racks of
new and established labels
like Wynn Hamlyn and
MM6 Maison Margiela,
then grab a juice at its café.
If I want to treat myself,
I’ll pick up a candle or
fragrance at Curio Noir
(curio​n oir.com), a small-
batch perfumery that sells
its scents in bespoke hand-
blown glass bottles.
For a more laid-back
retail experience, I’ll head
to Takapuna, on the North
Shore. The area is known
CL o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: A n g e l a D at r e ; C o u r t e s y o f M a g g i e M a r i ly n ; S i m o n W i l s o n / C o u r t e s y o f C u r i o n o i r ;
for its beach, so it makes
for a scenic shopping
trip—especially on a
sunny day. The
Department Store (the
department​of ​n ews.com)
was a collaboration
between legendary Kiwi
designer Karen Walker
and local fashion
entrepreneur Dan Gosling.
C o u r t e s y o f S u p e r e t t e ; C o u r t e s y o f T h e S h e lt e r ; C o u r t e s y o f M u s e
The multilevel space has a
beauty counter, a hair
salon, a café and an
impressive array of Aussie
and New Zealand brands,
including luxury leather
labels like Georgia
Jay and Deadly Ponies.
After, I’ll drop in to the
Takapuna outpost of
Superette (superette.co.nz),
a long-standing New
Zealand retailer. This
location has a fun, quirky
vibe and offers a crowd-
pleasing selection of
wardrobe staples.
maggiemarilyn.com.
 wa n d e r

The Golden Path

Greece may not be the first destination that springs to mind when picturing a walking
vacation. But on a low-season tour of Andros, in the Cyclades, Rebecca Rose finds that
hiking the island’s historic trails—now newly passable—is an ideal way to enjoy balmy
temperatures, empty beaches and a clutch of idyllic places to stay.
photogr aphs by Marco Arguello

In autumn, visitors My pockets were bulging with walnuts, wild
to Achla Beach, on pistachios and mulberries, and I’d been gorging
Andros, will often
on figs and blackberries. Yet I couldn’t resist
find they have it to
themselves. picking a couple of low-hanging pomegranates,
so ripe they had split, oozing translucent, ruby-
red juice and glistening seeds. My husband,
Nicolas, and I were on the final day of a hiking
tour of the Greek island of Andros, and were
going to need sustenance for the afternoon
ahead. It was 2 p.m. when we began winding
our way down from Vourkoti, a mountain
village wrapped in vaporous cloud, via a stone
path. As we finished the pomegranates, we
could just make out our destination, Achla—a
slice of cobalt sea twinkling away on the
horizon. We would need to be at the coast in
or around six if we wanted an evening dip
before dark.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   45
wa n d e r

It was late September, and the days were

getting shorter. The light was softer than in the
summer months, when temperatures on
Andros regularly reach the high thirties and
only the truly deranged would set off on a
10-kilometer hike. Greece is predominantly
thought of as a summer destination, but it is
wonderful in the shoulder seasons: spring,
when the wildflowers are in bloom, and
autumn, when, as we discovered, the sea is at
its warmest and the visitors have dwindled.
Andros, the northernmost of the Cyclades, is
acquiring a reputation as a walker’s paradise,
luring a crowd that is attracted by the quiet of
spring and fall and eager to explore the island’s
extravagantly beautiful interior and many
secluded coves. This is largely thanks to Andros
Routes, a new grassroots initiative to clear the
island’s network of kalderimi, or ancient
pathways, and signpost them clearly in Greek
and English so that even the least experienced
hikers can navigate their way without the use
of a map.
When Nicolas and I learned that Andros also
has a handful of quietly luxurious places to
stay—several of which happen to be at the start tourism has never really dominated, despite At Ktima
or end of daylong walks—an off-season the island’s incredible beaches and lush Lemonies, a
boutique B&B on
walking trip began to seem eminently doable. interior. Andros couldn’t be less like its glitzy Andros, much of
So, as the chill of autumn set in at home in neighbor, Mykonos—and is all the more the produce served
London, we packed our brand-new walking appealing for it. at the breakfast
shoes and set off. We spent our first two nights at Ktima buffet is grown on
the property.
On the two-hour, early morning ferry ride to Lemonies, a boutique bed-and-breakfast
Andros from Athens’s Rafina port, we read up nestled in the hillside just outside Chora, the
on the island’s history. Andros is where much main town. Access to the hotel is via a long,
of Greece’s shipping industry began; from the fragrant pathway lined with heaving citrus and
mid-18th until the mid-20th century, it was the fig trees, past a small vineyard (which, we later
country’s second-biggest port. The island’s learned, produces an amazing 800 bottles of
large, fragrant lemons were its first export (to dry Muscat per year) and an enviably large,
this day, lemon groves and citrus farms still dot overflowing kitchen garden. We were staying
the landscape). Over the centuries Andros in a pigpen that had been converted into a snug
became an affluent base for shipbuilders, little suite next to a swimming pool framed by
captains, engineers and crew, and many of olive trees.
their descendants still own second homes on The place is owned by Nelly Grypari, a
the island. warm, sophisticated Athenian who first came
In the decades following World War II, to Andros when her architect husband began
Andros’s population plummeted from 45,000 designing vacation homes on the island. She
to 9,000 as many Andriots headed to the employs local gardeners year-round who tend
mainland to look for work. While that number to her crops and produce the incredible array of
swells in the summer with day-trippers and jams we sampled the next morning. These,
Athenians retreating to their country houses, along with fresh pomegranate and melon, >>

We set off in the golden sunshine

along a cypress-lined cobblestoned path
worthy of a Renaissance painting
46  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 ADVERTORIAL

The sleek new

tower rises in
the heart of
central Bangkok.
STAY
Check in to the new Hyatt Regency
Bangkok Sukhumvit, a 273-key hotel that
will celebrate its opening in January
2019. With a direct link to the Nana BTS
Skytrain, guests of Bangkok’s new Hyatt
easily transition from the frenetic capital
to an urban oasis. The sleek exterior was
designed by the award-winning Bangkok-
based firm OBA and boasts extensive
outdoor spaces. The three dining venues
include two all-day eateries: The Market
Café, designed in the spirit of a local
market, and The Lobby Lounge, with live
music at night. Up top: Spectrum Lounge
and Bar, an event venue by day that’s a
tapas spot in the evening, with a rooftop
bar. The new property also boasts over
1,300 square meters of function space.

Bask in Bangkok DO
Get the blood flowing with a traditional
Muay Thai session at YOKKAO, where
Take in the most culturally diverse and interesting district in living legends Saenchai and Singdam
Thailand’s capital from the new Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit. Kiatmoo9 often train, before heading
back to Hyatt Regency to cool off in the
expansive outdoor pool. Sauna and
Thai style shower, then explore Baan Kamthieng
gets a luxe,
modern
House, a preserved Lanna-style teak
update inside house that was brought from northern
the hotel. Thailand more than 50 years ago. The
museum now stands in stark contrast
to the modern buildings surrounding it.
Stop by H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn’s Phufah Shop for a one-of-a-
kind souvenir made by rural craftsmen.

EAT + DRINK
Most know Nana for the nightlife, but its
roots are as a multicultural marketplace.
Some of the world’s best, most diverse
street food is in the blocks around Hyatt
Regency Bangkok, with Little Korea,
Little Arabia and Little India all here.
Start with the international buffet at
Hyatt Regency’s Market Café. Lunch in
the food court at Terminal 21, a “lifestyle
mall” with more than 600 boutiques. Try
Comfortable a curry at Punjab Grill, widely considered
guest rooms in the best Indian in town, and wash it down
warm, inviting with a cocktail at Havana Social, a hip
tones.
bar offering a glimpse into old Cuba. Still
thirsty? Head to Hyatt Regency’s rooftop
bar for a tipple and tunes, while taking in
the light show that is one of Southeast
Asia’s most electric cityscapes.

For more information, please visit

hyattregencybangkoksukhumvit.com
wa n d e r

Hiking paths The routes were often obstructed by fallen

signposted by
Andros Routes, a
nonprofit aimed at
promoting walking
tours of the island.
house-made cakes and breads, and creamy
Greek yogurt, made up one of the most
delightful hotel breakfasts we had ever eaten.
It was lucky we had lined our stomachs, as
Olga Karayiannis, the passionate,
knowledgeable islander behind Andros Routes,
had an ambitious day of walking planned. As
we set off in the golden sunshine along a
cypress-lined cobblestoned path worthy of a
Renaissance painting, Karayiannis, a bronzed
Athenian with graying hair and intense brown
eyes, explained how the project had come about.
A regular visitor to Andros since the early
1990s, Karayiannis moved there permanently
in 2004 and started to explore the stone
pathways near her house. Each time she went a
little farther and discovered extraordinary
things—waterfalls, crumbling tower houses,
water mills—hidden in the island’s interior.
trees, and their signposts were derelict or
uprooted. Realizing the potential of the ancient
pathways, Karayiannis approached the local
authorities to get funding to restore them. She
was not always met with enthusiasm: “ ‘Why
would you want to take a path, when there is a
road?’ they asked me.” Since gathering a team
of volunteers, Karayiannis has managed to
clear and restore 160 kilometers of the island’s
kalderimi, about 100 of which have been
endorsed by the European Rambling
Association. “It’s a huge project and one
that needs constant maintenance,” she said,
opening up a gate into a lemon farm she
wanted to show us, “but it is worth all the
effort. It preserves a beautiful landscape and
an ancient culture, and makes it valuable for
the community.”
We stopped at a rusted water mill once used
to grind wheat—one of the biggest mills in the
Mediterranean, we learned. The factory
building next to it is a skeleton now, but it used
to be a prolific producer of spaghetti. As we set
off again, Karayiannis explained that no one
knows quite how old the pathways are. There
has been human presence on Andros since the
Neolithic period; the earliest paths probably
date from at least A.D. 1200, when they were
used to connect two castles by mule. Built by
hand with slabs of local stone, now polished by
the elements and centuries of footfalls, some >>

Getting WalkING on private yacht. cluster of converted

how to do YOUR OWN andros there ANDROS The inaugural farm buildings
WALKING tour Andros has no The trails restored Andros on Foot can house up to
airport and is by Andros Routes Festival (androson​ 10 guests. Farther
accessible only by (andros​routes.gr) foot​festival.gr) north, you’ll find
boat. Fly in to are open to the launched last the stone houses
Athens and take a public, free of month, where of Onar Villas
quick taxi to Rafina charge. If you’d like villagers organized (onar-andros.
Port, where some guidance on activities along gr; doubles from
passenger lines your journey, the the paths. €169), a resort at
like Golden Star adventure experts the confluence of
Ferries (golden at Butterfield & Lodging forest, river and the
Greece Aegean Sea starferries.gr; one- Robinson Ktima Lemonies white-sand Achla
way tickets €13.50) (butterfield.com; (ktima​lemonies.gr; Beach. The hotel,
depart for Andros eight-day trips from doubles from €119) also closed during
Andros
multiple times €8,492 per person) is hidden in the winter, showcases
each day between can curate a guided hills of a sprawling local materials
Athens April and October, tour of Andros, part estate covered with throughout—from
and once daily of a larger walking olives, lemon trees, the reeds in the
year-round. The itinerary where and Muscat wine ceilings to the
trip takes around you’ll island-hop grapes. Open April olive oil in the
two hours. the Cyclades on a to September, the bath products.

48  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
STYLISHLY MEMORABLE

Avista Grande Phuket Karon

EVERY HOTEL IN THE MGALLERY BY SOFITEL COLLECTION TELLS ITS OWN STORY. AND EACH IS INSPIRED BY ITS
DESTINATION. UNIQUE AND BOUTIQUE, THESE HOTELS INVITE GUESTS TO ENTER A TALE OF ADVENTURE, ROMANCE,
HISTORY, CULTURE, AND NATURE FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF CHIANG MAI TO THE BEACHES OF PHUKET.

Perched above the Andaman Sea,
Avista Grande Phuket Karon
is the perfect blend of European and
Sino-Portuguese styles just a two-minute
walk from the beach. With modern
designs accented by striking references
to Phuket’s tin-mining boom, extra-
large rooms and suites are bright and
welcoming with balconies offering sea or
mountain views. An oasis of relaxation,
the resort’s saltwater infinity pool features
ample loungers, a waterfall, and a full-
service bar.
Hotel Muse Bangkok immerses
guests in the glitz and glamour of the
golden age of travel. Its playful elegance
is seen in opulent rooms with claw-foot
V Villas Hua Hin
bathtubs, hand-painted basins, and
Venetian mirrors. 1920s Chicago come
alive at Babette’s, where premium steaks
and fine wine meet Art Deco elegance
and live jazz. At The Speakeasy, a variety
of unique venues include a rooftop bar,
cigar lounge, and private rooms with
spectacular views for special occasions.
valley, the infinity pool offers a swim with
the ultimate view, while guests can get
hands-on learning Thai arts and crafts
daily in the cultural pavilion.
V Villas Hua Hin is for discerning
guests in search of intimate moments.
Inspired by romantic Italian holiday
homes, each pool villa is a haven of
secluded luxury with world-class touches
like Hermes amenities and round-the-
clock butler service. In the private garden
surrounding the pool, guests can breathe
fresh ocean air as they enjoy a delicious
breakfast al fresco or a barbecue dinner
prepared by a dedicated chef.

Tucked away in Northern Thailand’s

lush green hills, Veranda Chiang
Mai - The High Resort blends the
region’s unique cultural heritage with
the contemporary Veranda style. The
result is a boutique retreat with a Zen-
Hotel Muse Bangkok
like feel that emphasises quiet relaxation. Veranda Chiang Mai - The High Resort
On the roof terrace overlooking the

For more information, visit mgallery.com or accorhotels.com.

wa n d e r

paths even have two lanes—a sort of proto- the monastery of Agios Nikolaos, the largest on
highway. On our hike, however, the only other the island. There we met a portly, bearded
traffic we encountered was villagers on their monk swinging a huge bronze key, which he
way to tend their terraced gardens. As the sun used to unlock a door to the dark, icon-filled
started fading, I couldn’t help glancing at the chapel—the monastery’s inner sanctum.
pedometer on my smartphone: 14,000 steps Karayiannis had arranged for us to have a
and counting. By the time we retrieved our late lunch on a working farm on the last stretch
rental car and drove off in the direction of our of the walk. There, tended to by the female
next hotel, I was ready for dinner. owner, who seemed quite at ease hosting
Onar Villas is situated on an isolated cove English-speaking hikers in her tiny, open-air
that is tricky to get to. You need a 4 x 4 to kitchen, we feasted hungrily on slow-cooked
navigate the 40-minute drive along a dirt track goat with homemade cheese and bread. This
peppered with hair-raising bends. But as we was followed by “spoon sweets,” a fruity
crested a hill and caught sight of the turquoise preserve served on teaspoons—just the
horseshoe bay below, it was hard not to calorific injection needed for the last hour or so
accelerate. The hotel, set back from this sweep of hiking. When we got back to Achla, it was
of deserted sandy beach, consists of a group of time to catch the evening ferry to Athens—but
simple yet luxuriously appointed stone not before a good stretch on the sun-warmed
cottages. The rustling leaves on the plane trees white pebbles and a last dip in the glassy sea.
leading down to the shore were on the verge of
falling. Dinner was a candlelit affair in a rustic,
alfresco dining area, with good Cretan wine,
vegetables from the kitchen garden, and fresh
local fish. Three more Off-Season Walking
We took a break from hiking the next day, vacations in Greece
basking on the beach in gentle sunshine and
swimming in the warm, clear water. It was Crete Aegean Sea. Book a
perfect preparation for the exertions of our Petros G. Zissimos, a self-guided walking
final day: the 10-kilometer walk from the misty member of the A-List, tour with Macs
A guest cottage T+L’s collection of the Adventure to wander
built from the local
hills of Vourkoti back down to Achla Beach.
world’s top travel through ancient
stone at Onar Halfway through the hike, we stopped for
advisors, crafts Greek villages, combining
Villas, a resort in another reviving dip in a natural pool at the vacations with his 46- stays at luxurious
northern Andros. foot of a small waterfall, and later called in at year-old, family-run hotels with smaller
company Hellenic heritage inns. macs​
Holidays. Zissimos can adventure.com; eight-
help plan walking day trips from €624.
itineraries through
Crete, including tours Santorini
that take in its famous Santorini may be best
Samaria Gorge—a known for its iconic,
breathtaking canyon in Instagram-friendly
one of the country’s caldera and
largest national parks. whitewashed houses,
hellenic​holidays.com; but it has a quieter side.
10-day trips from Christos Stergiou of
€2,063 per person. tour operator True
Greece—also a T+L
Pelion A-List travel advisor—
Peninsul a can curate a custom
Arguably the most walking adventure to
underrated area of help you discover the
Greece, especially for lesser-known parts of
nature lovers, this this spectacular
mainland peninsula island, from idyllic
north of Athens is vineyards to unspoiled
where the Pilio villages. true​greece.
Mountains meet the com; eight-day trips
crystal-clear from €2,378.

50  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
E S C APE
from top: Serenity Vineyards, a family-run winery
bordering Seneca Lake; a sourdough tartine with
ricotta, tomato confit, egg and broccoli rabe at Graft
Wine & Cider Bar, in the town of Watkins Glen, which
serves wines exclusively from New York State.
52  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
A New York
State of Wine
One of America’s most spectacular wine regions is in
the Northeast. Take a detour from the big city to spend
a weekend in New York State’s Finger Lakes, where
Ray Isle samples crisp Rieslings and farm-to-table
cuisine. photogr aphs by william hereford
There are days when life makes you feel as though
you’ve been poured into a blender and whizzed into a
froth of nervous exhaustion. As a resident of New York
City, I find this happens to me with disconcerting
frequency. But when it does, I have a solution: hightail it
300 kilometers northwest, to the Finger Lakes.
A patchwork of vineyards, apple orchards, hiking
trails and small, thriving towns, this bucolic region of
New York State takes its name from 11 narrow glacial
lakes between the cities of Rochester and Syracuse that
run north to south, like the fingers of an extremely
unusual hand. The five largest lakes, where you’ll spend
most of your time in the region, are Seneca, Cayuga,
Skaneateles, Canandaigua and Keuka. They are quite
deep (almost 200 meters, at some points), and because
water warms and cools more slowly than air, their
immense volume helps moderate the surrounding
temperatures. Grape varieties like Riesling and Pinot
Noir in turn can flourish, despite the bitter winters.
Add the region’s rocky soil and a new generation of
ambitious winemakers to the mix, and you’ve got the
ingredients for truly exciting wine. While there are still a
fair number of uninspiring bottles produced for the bus-
tour crowds, several top-flight wineries have opened over
the past decade or so. (Note: when winery hopping,
consider bringing along a designated driver or, if you’re
going solo, enlisting the help of Uber.) Most are open year-
round, but fall is the ideal time to visit. It’s harvest season,
and the weather is cool and breezy. Here’s how to spend
three perfect days exploring the region.
Friday
A 1½-hour flight from New York City brought me to
Rochester, the easiest entry point to the Finger Lakes. I
headed 50 kilometers southeast to the town of Canandaigua
for a quick lunch at New York Kitchen (nykitchen.com;
mains US$12–$21), a nonprofit culinary center that
highlights the work of Empire State farmers, brewers and
vintners. I tried a few Pinots in the tasting room, then dug
in to a decadent “Adirondack”—a pizza named for the >>
E S C APE

mountains to the east, with wild mushrooms, grilled ham,

Gruyère and fresh pea shoots.
I decided to kick off my wine tasting in the place Lake Ontario

where quality bottlings in the Finger Lakes got started—

Dr. Konstantin Frank (drfrankwines.com), on the western Rochester

shore of Keuka Lake. In the 1950s, this winery’s

eponymous founder proved that the region could grow
classic grape varieties such as Riesling and Pinot Noir.
I skipped the main tasting room and headed down the
road to my reservation at the serene 1886 Reserve Room, Canandaigua
Geneva
which offers a more personal experience, as well as older

Sene
Lak
vintages and food pairings.

ua

ca La
Aurora
A quick swing around the southern tip of Keuka Lake

aig
and

ke
took me to Domaine LeSeurre (dlwinery.com), part of a

Can
new wave of ambitious wineries driven by young

Ca
yu
vintners convinced of the region’s potential. Here, French

ga
La
expats Céline and Sébastien LeSeurre fashion dry, elegant

ke
ke
wines that hover between old and new world in their New York

a La
k
sensibility—case in point, their thrillingly precise,

Keu
Watkins
Chablis-like 2015 unoaked Chardonnay. Glen

I next checked in to Geneva on the Lake (geneva​

onthelake.com; doubles from US$245), a grand resort in the
lively burg of Geneva. It’s an excellent home base, since
Geneva’s downtown has become the region’s restaurant
and bar nexus thanks to places like the Linden Social Club
(fb.com/thelindensocialclub; small plates US$5–$7),
which is renowned for its cocktails. Despite my abiding
love of wine, I couldn’t resist the Prescription Julep
(Cognac, rye, Jamaican rum and mint). Was it the perfect
pairing for the “farmers’ market tostada,” made of
marinated and grilled zucchini and yellow squash?
No idea, but the duo seemed like an ideal balance of
indulgence and health.

Saturday
To navigate around the lakes and avoid endless north-south
shuttling, it’s best to concentrate on one body of water a
day. For Saturday, I chose Seneca. Stretching for 61
kilometers between Geneva and Watkins Glen, it’s the
largest of the five main lakes and is ringed with a number of
good wineries. A to-go cappuccino from Monaco’s Coffee
(fb.com/monacoscoffee) fueled my drive down Route 14 to
my first stop, Forge Cellars (forgecellars.com). A
partnership between local talents Rick Rainey and Justin
Boyette and acclaimed Rhône vintner Louis Barruol, Forge
focuses on terroir-expressive Pinot Noir and Riesling. Their
wines could go head-to-head with those from anywhere in
the world. I stocked up on the smoky 2016 Forge
Leidenfrost Vineyard Dry Riesling.
After Forge, it was time for lunch at F.L.X. Wienery
( flxwienery.com; mains US$3–$18), a roadside shack
serving excellent house-made hot dogs and brats. There’s
also a surprisingly extensive wine list that features
everything from the house Riesling at US$5 a glass to a
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche for US$2,500 At Ravines Wine Cellar, guests can have a
a bottle—a classic pairing with a chili dog, right? >> multicourse meal with pairings at its Ravinous Table.

54  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
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E S C APE
from top: Visitors can take a break from wine tasting at
the Linden Social Club, a craft cocktail bar in Geneva;
F.L.X. Table, a 14-seat restaurant in Geneva, pairs local
wines with dishes such as chicken royal with Burgundy
truffle; the historic E.B. Morgan House, one of the Inns of
Aurora, has seven antiques-filled guest rooms.
56  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
Dozens of wineries line Route 14, so it’s important to
choose wisely. One of my favorites is Ravines Wine Cellar
(ravineswine.com), just south of Geneva. Winemaker
Morten Hallgren’s stony Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling is
not to be missed, nor is the winery’s Ravinous Table wine-
pairing experience. This season’s dishes might include a
2008 Blanc de Blanc with a tart of potato and hazelnuts or
a 2016 Cabernet Franc with pork loin and plums smoked
over grapevine trimmings.
I drove back to Geneva for dinner, as I had scored a
much-coveted reservation at F.L.X. Table (flxtable.com;
tasting menu US$59), arguably the region’s best
restaurant. Owned by the couple behind F.L.X.
Wienery—Master Sommelier and chef Christopher Bates
and his wife, Isabel Bogadtke—the restaurant has only 14
seats at one long dining table. In addition to sampling
dishes such as wild salmon with a red-pepper-and-olive
panzanella, you can’t help getting into a lively
conversation with your fellow diners.
Sunday
I started my day with a three-kilometer hike through the
rock gorges at Watkins Glen State Park (parks.ny.gov),
where the leaves on the trees were at their scarlet-and-gold
peak. Afterward, I nipped around the southern end of
Seneca and over to tiny Bellwether Wine Cellars
(bellwetherwine​cellars.com), on the western shore of Cayuga
Lake. Winemaker Kris Matthewson is one of the region’s
up-and-coming stars, and bottles like his violet-scented
Sawmill Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir make it clear why.
Dano’s Heuriger on Seneca (danosonseneca.com; mains
US$9–$26), a short drive west, is modeled on a classic
Austrian wine tavern and probably the only place on the
planet where you’ll find a “Viennese bento box” on the
lunch menu. And yet the combination of classic Austrian
sausages, spaetzle and tapenade served Japanese-style
somehow makes perfect sense.
On the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, Heart & Hands
Wine Co. (heartand​h ands​wine.com) is another cult,
boutique producer. Husband-and-wife team Tom and
Susan Higgins make a tiny amount of Pinot Noir and
Riesling from their own estate vineyard. The wines come
and go as they sell out, but if their fragrant, top-of-the-
line Mo Chuisle (pronounced ma-cush-la) Pinot is there,
grab a few bottles to take home.
For my final night, I checked in to the Inns of Aurora
(innsofaurora.com; doubles from US$165), also on Cayuga
Lake’s east. Owned by Pleasant Rowland, the creator of
American Girl dolls, this quartet of historic buildings has
been stunningly restored. Which of the inns you choose
is a matter of personal taste—the furnishings in the
Aurora Inn itself are classic, for example; Rowland House
feels more contemporary. But no matter where you stay,
be sure to sit by the lakefront firepit and have a glass of
wine at sunset. Any last vestiges of stress you might feel,
from a life anywhere in the world, will soon dissipate.
 SPONSORED SERIES

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THE WORLD’S LARGEST LIZARD might not be the first thing you think of
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a five-star gateway to Komodo National Park before. AYANA Komodo Resort,
Waecicu Beach is the pampering launchpad to a plethora of natural wonders.
AYANA’s recreation team will guide you to the park, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and Man and Biosphere Reserve, where rangers introduce you
to the world’s largest lizards, the up-to-three-meter-tall Komodo dragons
who offer such rich evolutionary insights. At the juncture of two continental
plates, the park has a wealth of unique endemic wildlife, and strong currents
bring dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and whales for your spotting pleasure.
AYANA’s glass-bottom boat was custom-built for this! Before the hotel came
along, the highest-end way to access these animals has been via liveaboards.
Though we smugly note that the resort has one of their own: a super-luxe,
nine-bedroom, phinisi-style yacht, AYANA Lako di’a, which makes for a magical
dive-trip home base (or the most impressive seafaring wedding location ever).
Back on Labuan Bajo, there’s a two-tiered pool for chilling, a plush spa,
an ocean-view gym... wait, actually, all the rooms are ocean-view, and most
provide a clear horizon sight-line from your tub! You’ll easily spend an entire
afternoon at the resort’s private islet, tucked two minutes around the corner,
where the bay is a kaleidescopic coral garden, teeming with life. If you need
a little break from snorkeling with Nemo and his pals, just swim up to shore
Clear views of
clear seas, and kick back in one of their lounge chairs with an icy beer or roselle tea, on
from every the secluded sandy beach manned by a friendly AYANA lifeguard.
guest room. The easiest way to get a sense of place? Paddleboard out past the private
pier and about-face. Time it right and you’ll catch a propeller plane taking
off through the trees, ascending through the valley, disappearing behind the
hill down which AYANA Komodo cascades, and reappearing to soar into the
cerulean skies. The smallness of the aircraft will drive home how few people
come here, the swiftness of its departure will have you shaking your head in
pity for those who leave. Ah, never mind. Eyes on the horizon. Your attention
will quickly refocus to the serenity of these little-trammeled Indonesian seas.
ayana.com; doubles from US$500 (subject to 21% tax and services).

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f i rs t l o o k
The lounge area of
Uncharted Mobile
Expeditions’ camp
in Botswana.

A Camp of
One’s Own
Until recently, mobile safaris—widely seen as the best way to get
close to Africa’s wildlife—were available only for large, private bookings.
Now anyone can get in on the action. By Jane Broughton

five minutes after we set out from
Uncharted Mobile Expeditions’
mobile camp in the Okavango Delta,
Botswana, someone in our vehicle
yelled “Lion!” Everybody spun in
their seats to see a lioness in pursuit
of a baby warthog hurtling toward us.
Zigzagging frantically, the piglet was
soon pinned to the ground by a giant
paw. There was a collective gasp as we
steeled ourselves for the inevitable.
But seconds later, 70 kilograms of
protective mother bush pig hit the
lioness at full speed, throwing up a
cloud of dust. Released by the impact,
the squealing piglet sped across the
dirt road and away to freedom.
operation puts you in exactly the
right place at the right time, which is
why it’s currently a big trend in
safaris. If the animals travel or the
weather changes, simple camps can
be packed up after breakfast and set
up again in a new location in time
for dinner.
Mobile safaris are typically
offered on an exclusive basis,
meaning they have usually been the
preserve of families or large groups.
With the introduction of set-date
departures, Uncharted Mobile
Expeditions allows guests to book a
single tent, rather than the entire
camp—opening up the experience to
space is the holy grail—the definition
of luxury. There are no permanent
lodges in NG12, despite the fact that,
at 81,000 hectares, it is more than
20,000 hectares larger than
Vumbura to the south, where
Wilderness Safaris operates two
luxury camps. In four days of
exploring, we saw only one other
vehicle. The surrounding landscapes
ranged from open plains dotted with
elephants, buffalo, zebras, and
giraffes to lagoons where hippos
jostled for territory and crocodiles
cruised silently in between.
This part of the delta can be
reached only by a patchy network of
t h i s s p r e a d : c o u rt esy o f n at u r e s e l ect i o n

Such thrilling encounters seem to
happen with remarkable frequency
on mobile safaris—a wildlife trip on
which guests stay at a movable camp.
That’s because when it comes to the
African wilderness, sleeping in a tent
(whether it be a basic fly camp or a
slightly more complex, comfortable
setup with flushable toilets) is the
best way to get close to the action.
Deeply immersive, a mobile
a wider audience and making it
considerably more affordable.
I had begun by flying in a Cessna
from Maun, northern Botswana’s
hub, to the farthest-flung airstrip in
the Okavango Delta. My destination
was NG12, a remote government-
owned concession that, until
recently, was known only to safari
insiders. In the Okavango, as in
Africa’s other iconic wild places,
dirt tracks and rudimentary bridges,
and this inaccessibility is precisely
what appealed to Uncharted’s Ralph
Bousfield. Bousfield is a fifth-
generation Botswanan who, in 1992,
opened Jack’s Camp—a pioneering
lodge on the remote salt pans of
Botswana’s Makgadikgadi region—
with his late father, Jack, a legendary
crocodile hunter. During the early
90s, father and son frequently flew

58  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
over the delta in the family’s small
plane searching for a suitable place to
establish a base. They wanted to offer
their guests a circuit that combined
the wonders of the desert with the
delta’s big game. After decades of
searching, Bousfield leased the NG12
site at the end of last year. “The
distance from Maun, the tricky
logistics, and the lack of roads might
have been off-putting to some, but it
made this site more attractive to me,”
he told me with a laugh.
Because the concession is not
within an officially designated
wildlife reserve, where certain rules
have to be followed, Bousfield is able
to blur the boundaries between what
usually happens in camp and what
takes place in the wild. “It’s fun to set
up a table in shallow water for a
surprise lunch, or to linger after
sunset drinks to take a boat trip
through the reeds—that’s when the
delta really comes alive,” he said.
Positioned under a canopy of fig
and jackalberry trees, the little camp
of three guest tents and an open-sided
mess tent was everything I’d dreamed
of in a mobile site. Taking its cue from
Jack’s Camp, it channels the
glamorous East African safari style of
the 1940s: vintage furniture and a
front porch decked out with a canvas
wash basin, a copper water jug, and a
mirror added serious Out of Africa
appeal. Each kilim-lined tent has an
en suite bathroom with a hot-water
bucket shower and a flushable toilet. It
was hard to believe that when our
group checked out, the entire camp
would be packed up and driven across
the delta—a journey of almost two
days—to the Central Kalahari Desert.
Uncharted Mobile may have nailed
the nostalgic aesthetic, but, more
importantly, it also employs some of
the best guides in the business—such
as the legendary Super Sande, who
used to work at Jack’s Camp and now
heads up the team in NG12. I shared
the camp with an American family
that ranged in age from a preschooler
to retirees, and the two-meter tall
Sande was as skilled at imparting
bush lore to a four-year-old as he was
Uncharted Mobile
Expeditions guests
on a game drive in
the Okavango Delta.
at explaining the subtle differences
between a coppery-tailed coucal
and a Burchell’s coucal to me.
On returning to camp after a
game drive, we found a table laid
under the stars. Kerosene lanterns
provided light, along with fireflies
dancing in the grass. For dinner,
spiced butternut soup was served
with rolls still warm from the oven.
Next came steak, mashed potatoes,
and cumin-roasted carrots, followed
by a rich chocolate tart. The meal
seemed even more impressive after
I visited the chef in his camp kitchen
the next day and saw his oven: an old
metal trunk filled with hot coals.
Mobile CAMPS: THE BEST OF THE REST
1 Zimbabwe
In untrammeled
Gonarezhou National Park
in southeastern Zimbabwe,
respected guide Ant
Kaschula offers an
experience that combines
wildlife viewing with guided
walks. Small, exclusive-use
camps are run mainly
during the dry season (April
to November) for a
maximum of 10 guests. The
solar-lit Meru-style tents
each have a bucket shower
and a composting toilet.
gonarezhou-bushcamps.
com; from US$690 per
person, all-inclusive.
t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8
Sitting outside my tent on my last
afternoon, perusing a bird book from
the camp library, I looked up and
realized that my tent was under an
enormous sausage tree. What were
the chances of one of its hefty, long
fruits—some weighing as much as
6 kilograms—falling on my head?
Sipping iced coffee and listening to
the rumble of distant thunder, I
decided that it would be a fine way to
go. naturalselection.travel; from
US$2,780 per person for four nights,
all-inclusive. Mobile safaris in the
Okavango Delta can be packaged with
a stay at Jack’s Camp, as well as other
experiences in the region.
2 Tanz ania 3 Ken ya
Legendary Expeditions Kenya is said to be where
sets up mobile camps in the modern-day mobile camps
path of vast herds of started, and Royal African
wildebeests migrating Safaris continues the
through the Serengeti Plain. tradition with expert guides
The tents, each of which has and elegantly appointed
an en suite bathroom, are tents set up around the
moved around the park Masai Mara National
according to breeding and Reserve. Locations vary
weather patterns. Individual from week to week
tents are available to book; according to the
groups of six or more are movements of the animals.
allocated the entire camp Safaris fill up via word of
on an exclusive-use basis. mouth, and as many as 65
The camps close May 1–15. percent of bookings come
legendary​expeditions.com; from repeat guests. royal​
from US$1,025 per person, african.com; from US$1,500
all-inclusive. per person, all inclusive.
59
 Hong Kong’s Tanjong Beach Club,
neon-lit skyline. Singapore.

A lobby with
charm at The
Myst Dong
Khoi, Saigon.

GIFT GUIDE 2018

whether you’re hitting the beach, climbing mountains, going urban or on a
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c loc kw i se fr o m to p le f t: Ja m es L e yn se / g e t ty i m ag es ; l aury n i s h ak ( 2 ) ; s hins u k e m ats u k awa

(plus a few indulgent wants) for their next vacation. Edited by Eloise Basuki

Mentawai Islands, Jawai Leopard Camp,

Indonesia. Rajasthan, India.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 61
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removable charger for phones
and MacBooks, and an
unbreakable yet light shell—
this may just be the ultimate
carry-on. $450; arloskye.com.

The Apothecary
MCM Berlin Omni Solid Cologne
Cassette Made in Malaysia,
Crossbody From The Apothecary’s
MCM’s musical Omni solid fragrance
themed A/W 2018 includes masculine
collection, this notes of juniper,
leather bag is blackcurrant, leather,
c o u rt esy o f l e i ca

inspired by disco wood and tobacco.

days. $1,740; mcm $18; theapothecary
worldwide.com. malaysia.com.

62  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m *Prices listed are in U.S. dollars for ease of comparison.

 GIFTS FOR ADVENTURERS
Izola Travel Cutlery Set Avoid
plastic cutlery when you’re out
in the wild (or just the airport)
with these foldable utensils
that come in their own canvas
travel bag. $11; izola.com.

Matador FlatPak
Toiletry Bottle Bang & Olufsen
Made in Boulder, Beoplay E6 These
Colorado, this ultra- lightweight, in-ear,
compact travel bottle wireless earphones
uses welded Cordura are splash- and
waterproof fabric, so dust-resistant and
you can fill it with have a snap-on
anything from soap charger that can be
to toothpaste. $17; used on the go.
matadorup.com. $328; beoplay.com.
c lo c k w i s e fr o m to p l e f t : c o u rt esy o f m ata d o r ; c o u rt esy o f i zo l a ; c o u rt esy o f h a n d p r ess o ; c o u rt esy o f patag o n i a ;

Epic Hikes of the Handpresso Auto

World From the Capsule This in-car
c o u rt esy o f tag h eu e r ; c o u rt esy o f k l e a n k a n t e e n . m i d d l e : c o u rt esy o f lo n e ly p l a n e t ; c o u rt esy o f b eo p l ay

Shikoku Pilgrimage to espresso machine fits

the Kokoda Track, this most coffee capsules
book will inspire your and slots in to your
next trek. $35; shop. car’s cup holder for
lonelyplanet.com. an easy road-trip
wake-up. $190;
handpresso.com.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer
Carbon Watch Featuring
a 41-millimeter black
PVD-covered titanium
case with a carbon
bezel, this ultra-light
and durable dive
watch is waterproof
to 300 meters.
$4,000; tagheuer.com.

Patagonia Lightweight
Black Hole Cinch
Klean Kanteen Insulated Backpack Protect your
Reflect Using stainless steel gear from the elements
and sustainably harvested with this tough, water-
bamboo, this no-plastic water repellent, 20-liter
bottle keeps liquids cold for backpack made from
24 hours and iced for 40. ripstop nylon. $79;
20-fluid-ounce bottle $41; patagonia.com.
kleankanteen.com.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 63
gift guide 2018

Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2018

Tropical Plants With a Cloisonné enamel
birds-of-paradise face, 113-diamond bezel,
rose gold case and turquoise alligator band,
the Strelitzias watch is total tropical glam.
price available on request; patek.com.

GIFTS FOR BEACH BABES

Binary Style Scarf
This Singaporean
brand creates vibrant
Adriana Degreas Muse
silk and chiffon scarves
Print Bikini Playful ruffles
that depict the colorful
and flattering high-waist
culture of the Lion City.
bottoms make this feminine
From $48; binarystyle.
swimsuit a poolside must.
myshopify.com.
$608; farfetch.com.

c lo c k w i s e fr o m to p l e f t : c o u rt esy o f fa rf e tc h ; c o u rt esy o f pat e k p h i l i p p e ; c o u rt esy o f b i n a ry st y l e ; c o u rt esy o f fa rf e tc h ;

Three Balancing UV Protector
Karen Walker Mrs

c o u rt esy o f c o r kc i c l e ; c o u rt esy o f b e n to n c o s m e t i c s ; c o u rt esy o f ba n . d o ; c o u rt esy o f t h r e e c o s m e t i c s

Save face with this sunscreen
made with 94 percent natural Brill Crazy Tort
ingredients including rosemary Sunglasses These
and bergamot fruit essential oils. frameless sunnies
$38; threecosmetics.com. put an edgy spin on
the cat-eye trend
and are adjustable to
fit all face sizes.
$267; farfetch.com.

Benton Aloe Propolis

Soothing Gel Sun-kissed
skin needs hydration—this
K-beauty aloe gel contains
the anti-inflammatory and
soothing propolis extract.
$17; bentoncosmetics.com.

Ban.Do Monstera Rifle Paper Co. Corkcicle

All Around Giant Canteen With stationery
Towel Supersoft and brand Rifle Paper Co.’s
oversized, this terry- floral design, Corkcicle’s
cloth towel is made triple insulated bottles
for a tropical escape. stand out in the sand. From
$68; bando.com. $35; corkcicle.com.

64  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
gift guide 2018

Kikki K Canvas
Kenzo Kids Tiger Patch Luggage Tag:
Backpack Too cool for World Easily spot
school, this designer your bags on the
backpack will keep kids conveyer belt with
stylish on family trips. this cheeky cloud
$130; farfetch.com. tag. $7; kikki-k.com.

FujiFilm Instax
Square SQ6 Gold
The first square
format Instax camera
makes creating
inspiring memories
fun for everyone.
$129.95; fujifilm.com.

GIFTS FOR TRAVELING TRIBES

Kikki K B5 Feature
Journal: Sweet Kids
Ultimate Ears
can record their favorite
Wonderboom Freestyle
travel moments in this
Collection With a new
illustrated notebook.
playful design, this 360-
$18; kikki-k.com.

c o u rt esy o f f u j i f i l m ; c o u rt esy o f k i k k i k ; c o u rt esy o f i zo l a ; c o u rt esy o f bag g u ;

degree speaker is drop-
and waterproof. $109.95;
ultimateears.com.

c lo c k w i s e fr o m to p l e f t : c o u rt esy o f fa rf e tc h ; c o u rt esy o f k i k k i k ;

c o u rt esy o f u t i m at e e a r s . m i d d l e : c o u rt esy o f a p r i l p o o l day

Baggu Go Pouch Set
Aprilpoolday Twin
We love Baggu’s folding
Collection This Thai
totes, and their new
brand makes matching
Flora pouch set makes
swimsuits for the cutest
organization a breeze.
mom-and-mini dips. From
$36; baggu.com.
$27; aprilpoolday.com.

Izola Gold Flask

Give dad a classy way to
stash his favorite tipple;
this stainless steel flask
can also be personalized.
$40; izola.com.

66  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 ADVERTORIAL

Seeking Sanctuary
NEW IMMERSIVE WELLBEING PROGRAMS AT BANYAN TREE
PHUKET WILL SEND YOU HOME FEELING FULLY FRESH

To refresh, recharge and rediscover
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we marveled at the peace, with quiet
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New to the wellness bandwagon, we
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Speaking of food, a variety of plant-
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subscribe now!
Resort Panorama.

Every month, more than 5 million people
worldwide read Travel + Leisure, the world’s
leading travel magazine.
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is the
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of the magazine, offering readers around the
region a chance to experience the world.
Timely and trusted advice on where to go
now, need-to-know travel tips and service
details we all need, and a bold new look are
what sets the magazine apart today.
It’s your indispensable guide to Southeast
Asia and the world beyond, a must-read for
today’s cosmopolitan and sophisticated traveler.

For more information e-mail travelandleisure@mediatransasia.com.

Contact us at Circulation Department, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Media Transasia (Thailand) Ltd., 14th Floor,
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Help the Bali Community
Creating Bright Futures for Bali’s Disadvantaged Children

Education
Life Skills
Success

Find out more :

info@balichildrenfoundation.org
www.balichildrenfoundation.org Providing an education pathway
Phone : +62 (0) 851 0064 8400 for disadvantaged Bali Children
 photo
gear
special

UPGRADE
november 2018

t r av el sm a r t er

Raise Your Travel Photo Game

Whether you obsessively Instagram off-the-cuff smartphone images or produce mini photo shoots
with a DSLR and tripod, your goal is the same: to take the best pictures you possibly can to
commemorate your experiences. While all the gear in our guide will serve you well in a variety of
circumstances, when choosing your ideal equipment, it helps to consider what subjects typically
William Abranowicz

catch your eye. Here, we present our picks for four key categories of travel photography, plus tips
from pro photographers and social media stars who stoke our wanderlust.
By Eloise Basuki, Sar ah Bruning, David Kukin, Mary Robnett and Mariah T yler

*Prices listed are in U.S. dollars for ease of comparison. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   71

upgr ade

Investment Smartphone
Nikon D50 0 DX-Format Digital A p p l e iP hone X S
SLR with 16 – 80 mm lens It’s received a fair amount of
People + A go-to model for many travel
photographers, this lightweight
flak for its eye-watering price,
but the newest model from this

Wildlife and long-lasting investment

works seamlessly with the
T ip smartphone giant is built with
selfies in mind. Behind the
types of telephoto lenses you’ll use a prop 5.8-inch all-screen design is a
It’s tough to predict when the powerful A12 Bionic chip and
need to snap wildlife from a “If you’re
opportunity for an evocative 12mp dual camera with Smart
safari vehicle. Having an taking a self-
candid or portrait might HDR and advanced depth
impressive 153 points of focus portrait, it can
arise during your travels, but segmentation. This means even
is useful for moments when be nice to have
you’ll be ready for a range beginners can achieve
your subject occupies a tiny an object,
of circumstances with gear sophisticated-level portraits
area within the frame (think: a like a teacup or
that excels in low light, has a with that creamy bokeh that
pride of lions amid a vast tea bag, to
fast shutter speed, and professionals aim for. Larger
savanna), as well as when your hold. It gives
focuses with precision in both pixels and a faster sensor
subject is on the move and your hands
auto and manual modes. improve low-light shots and
you’re shooting multiple frames something to
at once to get the shot. nikon. do and makes video stabilization. apple.com;
com; from $2,096. the shot look from $1,200.
more natural.”

Jessica
Sample,
Entry-level
S e l f - p o r t r a i t,
Ca non P ow erSh o t SX 7 3 0 El Fenn,
Marrakesh,
Ideal for casual photographers, M o r o cc o
this sleek point-and-shoot
has an adjustable screen that
pivots up to 180 degrees,
making it easier to take close-
ups. But a powerful optical
40x zoom framing assist means
it’s just as easy to nab faraway
shots. Self-portrait and
smooth-skin modes adjust hues
and brightness levels to save
you editing time. canon.com;
from $399.

Mid-tier
F ujif il m X-T 2

The latest update to this top

mirrorless option includes
face-detection technology,
ensuring that any humans or
animals in your image are
automatically in focus, properly
From Top: Courtesy of Canon; Jessica Sample

exposed, and white-balanced—

and that you don’t miss textural
details like fur and eyelashes.
A max ISO of 51,200 improves
your chances of obtaining a
great shot in low-light
situations. A bonus: the design
is dust- and water-resistant and
can withstand temperatures as
low as minus 10 degrees,
making it a good bet for a once-
in-a-lifetime polar expedition
or a more low-key ski trip close
to home. fujifilm.com; body
from $1,099.

72  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 T ip
Do Your
Re se a rch

Action +
“Try to find
reference

Adventure
images before
setting off,
look at the
If you’re documenting cars sun’s path,
whipping past you at the and allow
Singapore Grand Prix or the sufficient time
view while scaling a glacier in to reach your
New Zealand, you’ll want a location to
rugged, compact camera with get the shot
a broad field of view and high- you want.”
resolution video capabilities,
plus sturdy accessories Martin
that help you capture your Morrell,
chosen activity from V i a F e r r ata ,
Chamonix,
interesting angles. Fr ance

Phone accessory
EVO SP - P RO G en2

A handheld stabilizing tool that

can pivot, this gimbal works
with both Android devices and
iPhones and can go up to 14
hours without being recharged.
Its handle has a scroll wheel
and menu buttons that offer
controlled zoom and focus—
useful for taking scenic shots
mid-hike on Lantau Peak.
evogimbals.com; $249.

Entry-level
Oly mp u s T oug h TG - 5

Water-, ice- and dustproof, this

sturdy model lets you focus on
enjoying dune bashing in Dubai
without worrying about errant
dust particles that might
scratch the lens. Its new 4K
movie capabilities record vivid
details in ultra-high-definition
video, even while you’re
navigating rapids or snorkeling
with schools of fish.
getolympus.com; from $520.

360-degree
R ic oh T he ta V

The four-channel microphone

F r o m T o p : M a r t i n M o rr e l l ; C o u r t e s y o f DJI

in the latest iteration of this Drone

three-dimensional camera
picks up omni-directional audio,
which comes in handy for
recording the sights and
sounds of a jungle trek.
Wireless remote playback
allows for rapid, effortless
sharing, and recently released
plug-ins for the Android
operating system give travelers
the ability to customize
software to suit their specific
hobbies. amazon.com; $397.
D JI M av ic Pro p l at inum
Upgraded propellers and
motors allow this Wi-Fi–
enabled, 700-gram quadcopter
to fly quieter and longer (30
minutes straight!) than other
models. It’s a game changer for
capturing scenes from above—
say, whale-shark watching in
the Philippines or sailing aboard
a yacht on the Andaman.
store.dji.com; from $1,099.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  /   n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   73
upgr ade

Entry-level
Nikon C o ol p i x A9 0 0

Blurry, nondescript images—

Is that tomato soup? Panna
cotta?—often stem from shaky
hands and dim lighting. This
compact choice combats both
problems with vibration-
reduction technology. Built-in
Wi-Fi also makes the affordable
model a solid pick for social
media power users: they can
send pics straight to their
smartphones without a cord.
nikon.com; from $509.

Mid-tier
Ca n on EO S R ebel T 7i

This next-level
interchangeable-lens DSLR
camera has a nine-point
autofocus system—great for
creating sharp, vivid photos of
a heaping twirl of chilli oil-laced
noodles or the shining scales of
a slippery black marlin caught
during a fishing trip in the
Maldives. canon.com; body
from $749, EF-S 18–55 mm
from lens kit $899.

Investment
Ca n on EO S 5D M a r k IV

The pro-level pick offers superb

image quality with 30.4mp,
guaranteeing that your photos
accurately reflect the
cacophony of colors inside
Istanbul’s spice bazaar or the
colorful layers of a towering
Korean bingsu dessert. Its GPS
geo-tags images, so you can
easily identify all the different
bowls of ramen you ate in
Japan. canon.com; body from
T ip $3,499, with 24–70 mm lens kit
from $4,399.
g et centered
“You generally
Smartphone
want to keep
your main Sa m s ung Ga l a x y S 9 +
F r o m T o p : J a s o n Va r n e y; C o u r t e s y o f S a m s u n g

subject in the An impressive dual-aperture

middle of the lens intuitively switches
frame, but between bright or dark lighting
adding cutlery, conditions, making it far easier
glasses and to snap great pictures as you
condiments at wander through places like

Food + Drink
the edges can Bangkok’s indoor-outdoor
create a more Chatuchak market. Another
dynamic standout feature: an
composition.” To highlight the hues and textures of your favorite dish, or grapes augmented-reality setting that
hanging from vineyard vines, your camera should be equipped enables real-time text
Jason Varney, translation, especially useful
with a wide aperture that can handle the challenge of low light.
B r i sk e t R a m e n ,
Cheu Fishtown, A full-frame sensor—a component that means none of your for understanding menus in
Phil adelphia image gets cropped automatically—allows for better resolution foreign languages. samsung.
and ensures you get what you see. com; from $1,023.

74  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Entry-level Mid-tier

Landscape + Nikon C ool p i x W 3 0 0

If you’ve ever been mesmerized

S on y R X 10 0 III

The key feature of this ultra-

Architecture by one of those vibrant 24-hours-

in-30-seconds landscape
compact point-and-shoot: a
pop-up electronic viewfinder
videos, you’ll quickly latch on to that provides a bright, clear
When you’re shooting scenic this durable pocket-size platform for eye-level Investment
country vistas or towering camera’s 4K ultra-HD monitoring. Working in tandem
skyscrapers, scale and detail capabilities and intuitive time- with the camera’s Bionz X L eica TL 2
can make the difference lapse setting. Its GPS includes processor and Carl Zeiss Renowned for its
between decent photos and a mapping feature called Points versatile lens, it helps users craftsmanship, this German
the truly memorable ones. of Interest that suggests compose richly detailed manufacturer merges long-
Devices with wide apertures landmark photo ops, including images, especially in bright lasting hardware with essential
and wide-angle capabilities scenic lookouts near you, and conditions, whether it’s a beach modern features. In this
will increase your chances of can tag even remote locations scene in Thailand or the Hong mirrorless pick, Wi-Fi
getting the best shots. with precision. nikon.com; Kong skyline on a sunny day. connectivity enables sharing of
from $504. sony.com; from $648. those boastworthy #nofilter
sunsets via e-mail and social
media on your preferred device,
Smartphone and those same smartphones
and tablets can also control the
T ip G oo g l e P i x el 2
TL2 and serve as remote
The Internet giant’s Pixel revamp arrived with great fanfare thanks electronic viewfinders—helpful
G et S ome
Heig ht to its camera, which many critics deemed the new best-in-class. If on superbright days when the
“One of the you’re trying to nail exceptional details in dark situations—such as camera screen is hard to see or
most critical the stained-glass windows of a Gothic chapel—the phone’s widened when the camera placement
factors when f/1.8 aperture and HDR+ algorithm will give you an advantage. puts its viewfinder out of reach.
taking a store.google.com; from $649. leica-camera.com; from $2,195.
landscape
photograph is
having some
form of
elevation from
which to
capture the
image. With
this particular
frame,
I positioned
myself on an
adjacent
bridge and
stood on the
roof of my
motor home.”

Simon
Roberts,
The Old Bridge
at S l i g a c h a n ,
Is l e o f S k y e ,
Scotland
From Top: Courtesy of Leica; Simon Roberts
upgr ade
clockwise from top left: Scott A. Woodward’s winning iPhone shot of a Moken elder, on Koh Surin, Thailand; Taktsang
Monastery in Bhutan by Woodward; morning alms in Luang Prabang, and Yunnan rice noodles, both by Leigh Griffiths.
Sharing
Your Work
Now that you’ve got the gear,
how do you get the likes?
Some of our favorite Instagram
travel photographers reveal
their keys to a captivating
vacation post.
76  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
1. be mobile
Singapore-based photographer
Scott A. Woodward
(@scottawoodward) has won
awards for his iPhone shots and
says there are times it’s a more
dexterous choice than his
DSLR. “A smartphone is lighter
and more compact; use this to
your advantage and be on the
lookout for dynamic and
creative angles. Hold it high to
shoot or put it on the ground
and tilt it up. Get close to your
subjects. And when you think
you’re close, get even closer.”
2. Tell a Story
A static image can be pretty,
but if your image tells a story it
will engage more with your
followers. From his base in
Bangkok, photographer Leigh
Griffiths (@leighgriffithslens)
chooses his photos to share on
Instagram based on their ability
to involve the viewer: “I like to
choose photos with subjects or
action—I want people to feel
like they are experiencing the
same moment that I have.”
2. Ta l k t o locals
To avoid taking the same
clichéd image as everyone else,
California dweller Elisabeth
Brentano (@elisabethontheroad)
chats up people who live in the
area to get their insights on
angles and scenic spots other
travelers might miss, such as
an under-the-radar hiking path
or the best watering hole for
finally encountering the elusive
hippos you’ve been searching
for on your safari. fr o m t o p : s c o t t a . w o o d wa r d ( 2 ) ; l e i g h g r i ff i t h s ( 2 )
4. EDIT BEFORE YOU POST
A little fine-tuning goes a long
way. Woodward uses the Adobe
Lightroom CC app (Android, iOS;
free) to both shoot and edit his
iPhone photos: “I am able to
manually adjust my camera
settings—just like on a DSLR—
such as ISO, shutter speed,
exposure and white balance.”
He then uses the editing
features to process the photo
as he would on a computer,
focusing on balancing contrast,
highlights and shadows.
3 9 SYE D A LWI ROAD, SIN G AP ORE 207630

+ 65 6291 6677

H OT E LVAG A B O N D S I N G A P O R E .CO M
deals

t+l reader specials

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To celebrate the launch of this
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airport transfers. The 13-suite
and 192-room resort has two
swimming pools, a kids’ pool, a
kids’ club, a private pier and a

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f A l i l a V i l l a s K o h R u s s e y; c o u r t e s y o f Am a r i
nine-bedroom phinisi. Komodo
National Park is accessible by
Outdoor boat and the resort is just an
living at Alila hour flight away from Bali. The
Koh Russey’s
Deal Opening Offer: a night in
pool villa.
Full Ocean View room, from
US$223, through March 31,
2019. ayana.com.

SUPERSAVER VIETNAM
Amari Residences Bangkok, Thailand JW Marriott Phu Quoc
Emerald Bay
Book ahead and save up to 20 percent at this central Bangkok
More than just a beach resort,
hotel and serviced residence. Just book seven days in advance
this Bill Bensley–designed
to receive 10 percent off, and 30 days ahead for 20 percent off. imaginarium on the coast of
This is a home away from home for travelers needing a longer Phu Quoc is also full of
stay: Amari offers studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. gastronomic delights, and this
The Deal Advance Purchase Offer: a night in a studio, from deal gives guests the chance
Bt2,500, through December 31, 2019. amari.com.  to feast. The “Dine With Us” >>

78  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
deals

promotion includes a welcome Superior room, from HK$2,318, pandan bliss treatment for two free access to the Tree House
drink upon arrival; through February 4, 2019. at the spa. The Deal The Kids’ Club; a kayak lagoon
complimentary Wi-Fi marcopolohotels.com. Singapore Food Trail package: exploration tour for the whole
throughout the resort; a night in a Marina Bay View family; free access to
breakfast for two adults and SINGAPORE suite, from S$1,980, through non-motorized water sports; a
two children under 12; US$50 Mandarin Oriental, April 30, 2019. complimentary set dinner for
resort credit per night, which Singapore mandarinoriental.com. two, while kids under 12 eat for
can be redeemed against food Discover the Lion City’s lively free; 20 percent off all
and drinks at all outlets, culinary culture with this FAMILY restaurants (excluding
including French fine-dining food-focused package from THAILAND alcohol); 20 percent off all
spot Pink Pearl and grill-house Mandarin Oriental. Guests who Angsana Laguna Phuket body massages at the
Red Rum. The Deal Dine With book two nights in a Marina Parents can take it easy on this Angsana Spa; two hours
Us: a night in a Deluxe Emerald Bay View suite will get beach getaway: the Live for baby-sitting service for up to
Bay View room, from breakfast for two at Melt Café; Family Fun package from this two children; and round-trip
VND9,450,000, through a welcome nonya kueh cake; a Phuket resort keeps kids airport transfers. The Deal
February 27, 2019. Use visit to the lively Tiong Bahru occupied while adults can Live for Family Fun package: a
promotional code: EAT. Market with the hotel’s indulge. Book a minimum of night in a Laguna Premier
marriott.com. executive sous chef, Eric Tan; a three nights to take advantage room, from Bt10,900, through
rojak culinary class; and a of the special, which includes March 31, 2019. angsana.com.
CITY
CHINA
Mandarin Oriental,
Guangzhou
Here’s your chance to dine in
Guangzhou’s newly minted
Michelin-starred restaurant,
Jiang by Chef Fei, plus
Michelin-Plate restaurant
Ebony. This package from
Mandarin Oriental includes a
night in a luxurious Club
Executive Suite; daily breakfast
for two; a set lunch for two at
Jiang by Chef Fei; a semi-
buffet dinner for two at Ebony;
a 60-minute Oriental Essence
massage for two; and Oriental
Club benefits. The Deal
Escape to the Stars package: a
night in a Club Executive suite,
from RMB6,888, through
March 31, 2019.
mandarinoriental.com.

HONG KONG
Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel
Enjoy a warm welcome in
Hong Kong this winter with a
seasonal special from this
Tsim Sha Tsui hotel. The deal
includes daily breakfast for
two; guaranteed room upgrade
and late checkout until 2 p.m.
c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l

when booking directly online;

and Piccolo Kids’ Club in-room
amenities and benefits when
checking in with children.
Discovery members will also
receive an extra HK$168
discount per night upon The Mandarin
Oriental,
check-in. The Deal Wondrous Singapore.
Winter package: a night in a

80  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

A SMALL COUNTRY
WITH BIG AMBITIONS
Discover Qatar: the first Middle Eastern country to host
the FIFA World Cup
There are some places in the world
that give visitors a warm welcome and
immediate sense of home. One such
gem in the Middle East is Qatar, shining
with its forward-looking ambition, and
seamless fusion of cultural heritage with
modern luxuries and comforts. It’s no
wonder this compact country was selected
to host the world’s most popular sports
tournament, FIFA World Cup, in 2022.
But you don’t need to wait until 2022
to experience this emerging destination.
Qatar is already teeming with unique
experiences, and visa-free entry is
available to Singaporeans, Malaysians
and Hong Kong travellers.
Once you’re comfortably settled in
your accommodation (Qatar’s hotels offer
the best guest experience in the region,
according to Olery’s 2018 report), head
ADVERTORIAL
out to Msheireb Museums, a complex of
four lovingly renovated heritage houses
in the heart of downtown Doha that take
visitors through an interactive tour of the
nation’s history.
After lunch at one of Souq Waqif’s
many cafés and restaurants, cross the
waterfront promenade known as the
Corniche to visit the Museum of Islamic
Art, where you can explore 14 centuries
of Islamic history. Designed by Pritzker
Prize–winning architect I.M. Pei, the
building is a masterpiece of its own.
If you’re travelling with youngsters,
catapult them into new heights of fun
at the world’s first Angry Birds World,
a theme park based on the popular
digital game. Take flight in the Blast
Bomb, an 11-meter free-fall; Red Alert,
a 360-degree spin; or Own the Sky, a
106-meter zipline. Take some quality
time in the Big Tree, which provides great
science, music and art edutainment.
Thrill seekers looking to venture to the
great outdoors will find their adrenaline
fix on the rolling sand dunes of Khor
Al Adaid. Opt for a 4x4 off-road safari,
which shows off the spectacular beauty
of the “Inland Sea” and offers glorious
desert sunsets and moonlit barbecues.
So what are you waiting for? Book
yourself to visit the gem of the Middle
East now... and again in 2022!
www.visitqatar.qa
 SUBSCRIBE NOW
TO OUR DIGITAL EDITION
1 year / 12 issues for US$29.99.
Available at www.zinio.com/TravelandLeisureAsia

powered by
 november 2018

with cool new hotel s, there’s

never been a better time to visit

sydney
p. 84
a s t u n n i n g v i s ua l j o u r n e y f r o m
the north to the south of

vietnam
p. 94
w h at e v e r yo u r h o l i d ay m o o d ,
there’s a resort for it in the

maldives
p. 102
A l o n g h i s t o r y o f b e a u t i fu l s i l e n c e
i n t h e a e o l i a n i s l a n d s o ff

italy
p. 112
c o u r t e s y o f K u d a d o o p r i vat e i s l a n d

Arriving at Kudadoo
Private Island by
Hurawalhi,
Maldives, page 102.

83
Harbor
City
A slew of new rooms in
repurposed heritage
hotels, blockbuster
brands and baby boutiques
offers exciting reasons
to high-tail it to Sydney
right now. Ron Gluckman

stays
beds down in the best
and the brightest.
 S h a r y n C a i r n s . c l o c k w i s e fr o m r i g h t: c o u r t e s y o f s p i c e r s p o t t s p o i n t; c o u r t e s y o f w e s t h o t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f
p r i m u s h o t e l . o p p o s i t e fr o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f t h e o l d c l a r e h o t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f s o f i t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f o v o l o

Point; West Hotel's whiz-bang exterior.

Old Clare Hotel updates a former brewery;

Harbour; one of Paramount House Hotel's 29

rooms; a Victorian veranda in Spicers Potts
snacks by the pool, Sofitel Sydney Darling
from left: A junior suite in Ovolo 1888; The
The lobby bar at Primus Hotel. clockwise
Sydney was love at first
sight for me. Visiting a
quarter-century ago, as
a young reporter
based in Hong Kong, I bounded off the plane, reveled in
the clear air and blue skies, kneeled down, and kissed the
tarmac. Admittedly, there had been many on-board
drinks. Still, excitement had been building from takeoff:
like-minded people speaking boisterously, spinning
yarns, wearing shorts and loud shirts. I’d felt that I’d
finally found my tribe.
86  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
I quickly obtained immigration papers—which went
unfiled, since, like in most torrid love affairs, the spell
eventually broke. And, like so many plunges of passion,
the end came in the sack. Sydney claimed stately
architecture, wonderful parks, wholesome food, and
harbor views captivating even a native San Franciscan
residing in Hong Kong. But, sorry Sydney, your hotel
scene just lacked sufficient world-class stays.
That changed in the run-up to the 2000 Olympics.
Sydney reinvented itself, not only with futuristic
stadiums but a whirl of hotel and tourism investment.
Come curtains-up on those world games, Sydney was
dolled up, glistening, a global sensation.
c o u r t e s y o f Ov o l o . o p p o s i t e : T o m R o s s
The decades since haven’t been so kind. Sydney hasn’t
so much declined as failed to keep pace. Attention turned
to other Australian cities. Melbourne modernized as
Sydney stayed status quo. From Brisbane to Perth,
breathtaking new concert halls, airports and football
stadiums debuted, and buzzy new hotel brands sustained
the momentum.
Then, the tide turned, as Sofitel added nearly 600
rooms to Darling Harbour, following a slew of design-
oriented and heritage hotels that have greatly diversified
the scene. Sydney claimed an astonishing 17 openings
last year, and global hospitality consulting brand
Horwath HTL predicts another 4,600 rooms will be
added in the next four years. It seemed time to check into
some of the latest Sydney properties.
F
irst stop is Surry Hills, a leafy backwater that was the
center of Sydney’s rag trade, and also Australia’s own
mini-Hollywood. Paramount Pictures and 20th
Century Fox had offices here, and many historic
buildings survive. Gentrification began in the early
2000s, and Surry has some of Sydney’s most celebrated
restaurants. And now, a hip heritage hotel to match.
Paramount House Hotel opened in April, in the World
War II–era Paramount building, which has been buzzing
for years. The former film screening room in the
basement is the art house Golden Age Cinema. On the
main floor is the always-packed Paramount Coffee
Project, which is run by partners with more than two
decades each in the coffee trade who set out four years
ago to expand and restore the old film company’s office
into a movie-themed hotel.
Their delightfully funky boutique inn reimagines
Sydney’s cinematic heyday. Over a cup of his celebrated
java, co-owner Mark Dundon explained that much of the
hotel is in a new addition above the old Paramount
warehouse. Designers had to be as inventive as
filmmakers creating sets. Hence, the lovely exterior
copper cladding and companion piece in the lobby are
new, but look convincing as relics from a Hollywood epic.
The 29 rooms feature a variety of layouts, including
lofts. Best are Sunny rooms, with lots of greenery and big
windows opening out onto one of the hottest Sydney
neighborhoods. As befits a first-time hotel launch, there
are hits and misses. The metal tub in the center of the
room seems clumsy, overly zen for the cinematic concept.
But I’m bowled over by the exquisite fabrics sourced by
these well-traveled coffee traders, and comfy beds with
mounds of pillows.
Food options were boosted when Ester, the heralded
Chippendale restaurant, opened a wine bar and eatery in
the building, Poly (get it: Poly-Ester). Just outside are two
of the country’s hottest Asian eateries, Chin Chin and
Longrain. Don’t miss visiting gorgeous Golden Age’s bar,
with vintage wraparound seating and brown leather
Paramount House
Hotel, a new
boutique built in
and above an old
film studio.
opposite: A
buoyant blend of
art and design in a
room at Ovolo
Woolloomooloo.
stools. The tiny cinema sports velvet-backed wooden
chairs from the 1940s. The motto, fittingly, is “The Good
Old Days are Now.”
paramounthousehotel.com; doubles from A$240.
T
he biggest splash on the Sydney hotel scene in
decades came last November with the opening of the
A$500 million Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, the
city’s first new luxury property of the millennium.
Checking into the gorgeous 599-room glass tower
was a chore, with long lines in the lobby. But it’s ideally
located beside the new International Convention Centre
with insanely stunning views, amplified brilliantly by
floor to ceiling windows throughout. The fourth-floor
pool is compact, but perched over the bustling harbor,
outrageously Instagramable.
Rooms are spacious with an uncluttered modern
design, although I’d trade the cute mini-bar in the round
cylinder chest for a workstation. Better yet, upgrade to
some of the most coveted suites in Sydney. My bathtub
was tucked into a glass vestibule, cushioned by clouds,
hovering over Sydney’s animated harbor. Even drained
of water, that throne-like tub was my preferred spot for
luxuriating like a king while taking my morning coffee.
The design here is light and airy, walls filled with art,
venues bright. Signature restaurant Atelier boasts a big
open kitchen and stacks of glassware, but sitting areas
sport a backdrop of light wood that matches the floor,
with a nice, natural feel. Suites and luxury club rooms
include access to Club Millesime, 35 floors up with
sweeping harbor views on three sides.
sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au; doubles from A$309.
O
volo 1888 is just a short walk from Darling
Harbour, but a complete departure. Set inside a
19th-century Victorian warehouse, the rustic design
emphasizes its heritage as one of Sydney’s old wool
stores. Crisscrossing corridors and open beams
make it easy to visualize how sheep were moved around
and sheered, and the free happy hour allows guest to
mingle in a rough-hewn lobby bar where buyers long ago
bargained for bales over brews.
Properties by Ovolo, a quirky, fast-expanding brand,
mix zippy design with Pop art, Modern furniture, and
blaring party tunes. Opened in 2015, this one is a hip
lad’s retreat in the image of CEO Girish Jhunjhnuwala,
an unabashed 1980s British pop fan who confides that he
personally programs all the music himself: Radio Ovolo.
Sofitel Sydney
Darling Harbour
boasts the best
bathtubs in town.
opposite from
top left: By the
numbers in Ovolo
1888; The Old
Clare kept to its
original make up.
 A hotel disrupter from Hong Kong, Jhunjhnuwala
decries cookie-cutter design. Rooms are funky, fitting
fr o m l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f Ov o l o ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e o l d c l a r e h o t e l . o p p o s i t e : c o u r t e s y o f s o f i t e l
the original layout of the old building. My room is two
stories, with a big bed in an upstairs loft, and what feels
like a college man-cave downstairs. Unconventional, but
utterly comfy, and my loft has a private terrace with
stunning views over the business district.
Ovolo aims not only to remake hotels, but also
hospitality, with features like free mini-bar, laundry and
complimentary bag of snacks. Beyond the free lollies is a
formula frequent travelers embrace: just make
everything work, and keep the bed comfortable. Hence,
there are plugs aplenty bedside, fast and free wireless
throughout, and healthy food at breakfast. Nailed it.
ovolohotels.com; doubles from A$250.
C
hippendale is another long neglected neighborhood
transformed into trendy hotspot. A brewing center
in the 1800s, Chippendale became a slum renowned
for disease and crime. But it now sports spiffy
apartment blocks and bustling shopping towers
surrounded by parks, thanks to a massive A$1.5 billion
urban renewal scheme. Putting it on the map was The
Old Clare Hotel, in the century-old Carlton & United
Breweries building and adjacent pub.
Part of the Unlisted Collection, a lively set of
properties from imaginative Singaporean Peng Loh, the
property matches preservation with modern design. The
original brewery’s brick walls and creaky wooden floors
in rooms above the pub maintain the flavor of the
traditional Australian roadhouse. The décor is fun,
risqué, often delightfully goofy. Loh straddles the line
between cool and kitsch; every nook offers something
like oddball dentist chairs, vintage safes hauled from the
basement, and custom lighting.
The original dive bar is now hipster nirvana, with
mixologists center stage in circular station with bright
yellow and orange panels. Customers choose from retro
barstools or a wide array of tables, chairs and couches,
all mix-matched with antique fans and stand-up lamps.
In a city basking in sunshine, Sydney has inexplicably
lacked knockout hotel pools. The Old Clare’s long rooftop
pool has a wide wooden deck perfect for grills and
parties. Renowned for award-winning eateries, Unlisted
went all-out at The Old Clare, perhaps too much,
launching three signature restaurants. Silver Eye has
since closed, but scrumptious options remain with
Automata by Clayton Wells decked out in scrapyard
parts, and Kensington Street Social from Michelin-star
chef Jason Atherton.
theoldclarehotel.com.au; doubles from A$299.
t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 89
 E
The Primus
Hotel roof went ven amid all the heritage buildings in the business
from boys' club district, Primus Hotel stands out. Set inside the one-
shooting range to time headquarters of the Sydney Water Board, the
glamazon pool redesign showcases the Art-Deco glamour of the
deck.
1930s building. The reddish-pink columns in the

fr o m t o p : j i w o n k i m / c o u r t e s y o f p r i m u s h o t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f w e s t h o t e l
lobby might not appeal to every taste, but I adore how the
vibrant shades contrast with the darker-hued Wilmot,
the adjacent old-world dining hall. And besides, these
original columns were the work of the prolific Melocco
brothers, Italian craftsmen credited with 90 percent of
the marble, scagliola and terrazzo work across Sydney
from 1910 to 1965.
Rooms are big and luxurious, from the fluffy bed to
thick rug, which stuns in a rich blue-and-gold pattern.
The décor seems distinctively masculine, like a men’s
club from another century. Back in the day, the rooftop
actually featured a shooting range, a good-old-boys’ perk
for Water Board employees.
If it looks familiar, you may remember the building
from Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. In 1939, it was the tallest
building in Sydney—which might make you feel
retroactively safer about all those bullets flying around.

primushotelsydney.com; doubles from A$300. >>

W
est Hotel is further up the harbor by Barangaroo,
another urban redevelopment scheme radically
reshaping Sydney. On a previous visit, officials
had toured me around cranes at the old docks,
and businesses already springing up around the
22-hectare site with big parkland. Now, the waterfront is
buzzing with bistros and pubs and, as of a year ago, this
chic hotel.
Part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, West features
an eye-catching exterior design of giant black panels
shaped like faceted edges of a jewel. The striking, dark
design extends inside with black glass walls overlooking
a vast atrium filled with greenery, a cool nature theme
that unfortunately doesn’t carry into the rooms. These
are ultra-modern, with blue-black carpet and dark
panels. But rooms seem small and cramped, especially in
contrast with that airy atrium.
Best to hang at elegant Solander, the fashionable all-
day eatery slash lobby bar. Named for botanist and early
explorer Daniel Solander, it offers botanical-inspired
cocktails, and a dark-side vibe whether in the blue or
purple lounge chairs, or black stools in that cool atrium.
New-world chic
westhotel.com.au; doubles from A$238. in West Hotel's
Solander Bar.

90  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
P
otts Point overlooks the sea east of Sydney, but has
too often gotten lumped in the backpacker sprawl of
nefarious King’s Cross (itself a neighborhood on the
ascendant). Yet it’s quieter, and the large collection of
historical homes and cafés have earned more than a
few references to Paris. In July, a trio of old Victorians
reopened as the utterly charming Spicers Potts Point.
Inside three wonderfully frilly townhouses dating to
1880, the 20 rooms provide an oasis from another age.
Guests sip tea or fruit-flavored water in the library, or sit
in the leafy garden. Rooms feature big beds with down
pillows, white walls and light décor. Entry-level rooms
are small; it is definitely worth upgrading to the spacious
suites, some with a private terrace or fireplace.
The atmosphere is friendly, with snacks in the room,
and cocktail hours with canapés nightly.

spicersretreats.com; doubles from A$439.

O
volo Woolloomooloo is a total oddity, not only for
the tongue-twisting name. It seems far from
everything, but is really an easy 15-minute walk to
museums or Circular Quay. It looks more like an
airplane hanger than hip hotel fronting a high-end
residential project for yachties and celebs like Russell
A trio of frilly
townhouses
make up Spicers
Potts Point.

The latest
incarnation of a
historic wharf, Ovolo
Woolloomooloo Crowe. Called Finger Wharf when it was built a century
sprawls and buzzes. ago, it laid claim then to being the world’s largest
timbered-piled wharf.
Another distinguishing quality: the sprawling site
never made sense as a hotel. After boats moved to other
piers in the 80s, the plan was to demolish the wharf and
replace it with a high-end marina. Protests saved the
structure, which was renovated into a 100-room hotel. It
launched as W Sydney Woolloomooloo, the first W
outside the U.S. Later it became Blue Hotel, managed by

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f s p i c e r s p o t t s p o i n t; c o u r t e s y o f Ov o l o
Taj. “It really should have been called Yellow,” joked my
taxi driver, as we pulled up to the cavernous property.
“Because it’s always been a lemon.”
No longer. After Ovolo took over and reopened the
property at the end of 2015, it’s become a trendy address,
with a buzzing bar and popular events space. The
waterside location is a pull, but hardly anyone comes
here to chill. Ovolo is known for its buoyant blend of art,
fashion and music, and Woolloomooloo has taken the
experimentation—and fun—to a new level.
Check-in is quick and seamless, but pause to survey
the art. Over the front desk is a jumble of figures moving
relentlessly, an A$300,000 kinetic clock. In the ceiling
nest metallic eggs. Hallways are packed with visuals. If it
sounds busy, that’s another odd anomaly: it all works.

ovolohotels.com; doubles from A$350.

92  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
Verdant rice
terraces are a
signature of Sapa,
in northwestern
Vietnam. Once a
French hill station,
it is now a popular
trekking base.

opposite: A bride
on her wedding day
in Saigon wears a
formal headband
khan dong, and a
brocade jacket
over her traditional
ao dai—which
evolved from a
courtier’s uniform
in the mid-1700s to
common fashion in
the 1920s.
 North to south
long and skinny vietnam is only 50 kilometers wide at its narrowest
point, but stretches 1,650 kilometers top to bottom. over years spent
chronicling the country, Photographer aaron joel santos has voyaged
from hill country up by the chinese border to its southern tropical
islands, taking in the political, royal and financial capitals; colorful
visits with some of the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups; enduring
and evolving traditions; and all that coastline.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 95
 A fisherman in Yen
Bai province in
northern Vietnam.
An agricultural
center in the Red
River Delta, the
area was the site
of the Yen Bai
Uprising of 1930,
a key munity by
Tonkinese
Riflemen against
their French
officers.

opposite,
clockwise from
top left: Bac Ha,
in the north, is the
capital of the
region of the
Flower Hmong,
one of the
country’s 54
official minorities;

A late afternoon
song aboard a
traditional junk in
Bai Tu Long, a
quieter section of
the karst- and
tourist-filled
Halong Bay, in the
Gulf of Tonkin;

A well-decorated
general shows his
lighter side during
celebrations for
the 1,000-year
anniversary of
Hanoi;

Son La Province,
home of this
washed out road, is
a practically
visitor-free region
that shares its
southern border
with Laos;

Bun bo Hue, a beef-

and-noodle soup
specialty of the
former central
capital, served at
the nearby Banyan
Tree Lang Co;

Laughing yoga is a
popular way to
welcome the
morning beneath
Ly Thai To statue
on Hoam Kiem
Lake in downtown
Hanoi.

96  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 On the move in
Dalat, a south-
central highlands
city that was a
cool-weather
retreat for French
colonials. At 1,500
meters above sea
level, Dalat is, to
this day, known for
its flowers,
wineries,
waterfalls,
gondolas and
rolling green
links—the Dalat
Palace Golf Club,
Vietnam’s oldest,
was established
in 1922.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 99
Top row from
left: Nha Trang,
a city along the
south-central
coast, is
modernizing and
drawing more
tourists, but life for
women such as
this seaweed
farmer in her
traditional basket
boat remains
old-school;

A scenic stroll
through the
forests of the Tra
Su Sanctuary in
Chau Doc, in the
Mekong Delta;

Vietnamese spring
rolls come in three
versions on a
banana leaf at La
Veranda Phu Quoc,
a French colonial–
style beach resort.

Bottom row from

left: Looking out
over the peaceful
mountainscape of
Con Dao, you’d
never know the
island was for
generations the
home of a
notorious prison;

Small fishing boats

make their way out
to sea from Con
Dao, which is
tucked off the
southeastern
coast;

The only part of

Vietnam in the Gulf
of Thailand, Phu
Quoc Island boasts
crystal waters, a
booming resort
scene, highly
prized native fish
sauce, and the
country’s best
sunsets.

100  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Atoll Tale

sinking? more like sprouting. there are so many

beautiful new reasons to visit the maldives, it’s
hard for us to keep track. read on for a hit-list
of some of the freshest resorts in this far-flung
indian ocean paradise nation.

c o u rt esy o f c h e va l B l a n c R a n d h e l i
 Castaway luxe at
Cheval Blanc
Randheli.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 103
 A Vintage Vacation
When on a family vacation to the Maldives,
would you expect anything else from a new
resort named after a favorite wine?
By R asina Uberoi-Bajaj

his is exactly how I envisioned it.

Lounging on my deck, chilled glass of wine in
hand, I’m doing little more than absorbing
the pristine Noonu Atoll that surrounds me. When
news hit that Cheval Blanc, one of the only four
wines to receive a Premiere Grand Cru Classe in the
St Emillion, Bordeaux region, not to mention a
personal favorite, was opening a hotel in the Maldives
I began to dream. The best image? A resort in the
middle of clear Indian Ocean waters with bottles
of Cheval Blanc locked away in Louis Vuitton
trunks (Cheval Blanc is owned by LVMH). There was
no way we were going to miss out on this.
A 55-minute seaplane flight from Male to the Noonu
Atoll takes you to the midst of sparkling blue oceans,
white beaches and alluring coral reefs. Upon landing at
Cheval Blanc Randheli, prepare to be blown away by the
hotel’s three islands: the first for the 45 one- and two-
bedroom villas; another houses the spa; and the third is
set aside for the tennis courts. Enjoy the welcome drinks
as you are whisked to your private villa on the water.
Now that you are engulfed in Louis Vuitton
perfection, expectations of Cheval Blanc Randheli will
never fall short. Expect nothing less than sublimity. Step
into your secluded Maison and be astonished by the
incredible architecture with high ceilings and a view of
the shimmering, turquoise water. Sit on one of the
several plush couches and nibble on the crispy
meringues that melt in your mouth, dip your spoon in
the bowl of gazpacho, or dive into the generous bowl of
fruits. We needed time to explore the bathroom,
thoughtfully divided into sides for Madame and
Monsieur, complete with Cheval Blanc amenities, and a
giant bathtub against the window overlooking the ocean.
The enormous walk-in closet had several comfortable
seating areas. Now, step out to your deck with your very
c o u rt esy o f c h e va l B l a n c R a n d h e l i

own, private infinity pool, complemented by two in-pool

cushions and sunken dining table. Tired of the pool?
Jump off your deck in to the beryl waters and climb back
up on the steps. Don’t forget to stop and take a photo. We
perfected the art of jumping off the deck and having our
very patient private butler take mid-air family pix. We
knew this picture would serve as our holiday greeting
card so this was our main physical exertion for the trip.
Hungry yet? Hop on to your bicycles and head on over
to the White Restaurant for lunch, where they serve just

104  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 clockwise from far left: Cheval Blanc
Randheli's Garden villa offers sweeping
views; getting into the swing of things; the
main pool; a lobster tart at fine-dining Le
1947; making new friends just offshore.

about every cuisine you can think of. Crave pizza, sushi,
Indian food, pasta, soup, sandwiches, Thai food, spring
rolls, burgers, noodles, hot dogs or rice? They’ve got it.
In the charming white room with large, open
windows and doors, with views of the main pool and sea,
have a seat wherever you like. Staff is there to please you,
and only you. Expect to be treated like royalty. Every food
allergy or preference will be noted and e-mailed to the
kitchen directly. No more cherry tomatoes in my
gazpacho—which I had eight times during four days.
The array and choices of food at the property are
endless from a Japanese restaurant that houses an
outdoor teppanyaki table to a 9-course exquisite culinary
journey at Le 1947, named after Château Cheval Blanc’s
with the three items that the French take most pride in—
baguettes, butter and cheese. Fueling with a heavy dose
of carbs every morning gave us the energy to lounge
around in our villa for a bit before we began our daily
ritual of perfecting our deck jumps.
I was astonished at how everything was in arm’s
reach. Delicious snacks, which had been personalized for
us from attentive staff at the restaurants, were stocked in
our rooms. Outside, we were welcomed by a number of
super friendly reef sharks. Jumping off our private deck
to greet them gave us treasured memories. The
Instagram photos and Boomerangs we left with are about
as aesthetic as one can imagine. chevalblanc.com/
randheli/en; villas from US$2,250 plus local taxes.
 Grand Park Kodhipparu

If proximity to Male is key, this 120-villa resort is

a great fit. Only 20 minutes by speedboat from the
airport, the Grand Park checks all the boxes, dotted as it
is with 65 private pool villas, a large infinity pool, three
restaurants, a spa and a kids’ club. The menu here
spotlights Asian and Mediterranean flavors, with
Firedoor the showcase dining outlet, specializing in
smoking, slow-roasting and grilling thanks to its
custom-built oven. The spa offers seven treatment rooms
that emphasize rejuvenation and renewal.
parkhotelgroup.com; villas from US$520 plus local taxes.

clockwise from
top: Over the sea,
Firedoor is Grand
Park Kodhipparu’s
showcase eatery;
a floating flower
bath in the spa;
boardwalk to bliss;
sunset from
a Lagoon Pool
villa; service with
a smile.

c o u rt esy o f g r a n d pa r k ko d h i p pa a r u

106  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Westin Maldives
Miriandhoo Resort
c o u rt esy o f w est i n m a l d i v es m i r i a n d h o o r es o rt

The resorts in this atoll like to cheekily use the

hashtag #itsbetterinbaa, with good reason. Some of the
most loved international five-stars call Baa Atoll their
home, and now joining them is a new Westin, designed
by PEIA Associati, whose founder has been called the
godfather of modern Italian architecture. The one- and
two-bedroom suites and villas are all about clean lines
and direct ocean access. After a day of snorkeling and
tennis, bliss out in the overwater Heavenly Westin Spa,
where the glass floor keeps you connected to the beauty
of the great blue below. marriott.com; villas from
US$1,798 including taxes.

clockwise from
top left: Westin
Maldives
Miriandhoo’s
Overwater suites
boast glass-
bottom floors;
private pools
outside; and tubs
with sea views;
while Island Pool
suites offer warm
tones; and shady
groves.
 clockwise from
top left: Kudadoo
Private Island’s
Retreat for
socializing and
spa-going;
bedroom breezes;
even your villa
deck comes with a
glass-bottom
floor; dinnertime
romance; the
resort’s private
wings.

Kudadoo Private Island

If you know the right people, you can stay at this

new private island this month. If not, don’t worry as the
15 stand-alone villas here officially open on December 1.
Most are one-bedroom, but a pair of the villas include
two and clock in at 390 square meters. Each of the earth-
toned, natural-material villas comes with an ample
44-square-meter infinity pool set above the sea and
massive outdoor decks to watch the world go by—above
c o u rt esy o f ku da d o o Pr i vat e i s l a n d

and below the waterline. Bang & Olufsen audio systems

are wired into both Netflix and Spotify, while the 24-hour
personal butler is a bell away.
At three hectares, this atoll is intimate to say the least,
with a separate building or retreat housing a restaurant,
bar, spa and communal infinity pool. Five minutes away
at the sister resort of Hurawalhi is a restaurant located
5.8 meters under the waves, just because. kudadoo.com;
prices available upon request.

108  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Fairmont Maldives
Sirru Fen Fusi

“secret water island” is the direct translation of

the name of this all-villa resort. Among the mysteries
you’re going to want to get to the heart of here are the
Balinese artisan–crafted bamboo bar that includes no
man-made materials, and the 200-meter pool that
traverses the entire island and links up to the wondrous
Coralarium, a semi-submerged hybrid of art and nature
seamlessly connecting the skyline, tideline and seabed.
Walk-swim-gawk your way through this refuge for both
marine life and those intent on viewing them. It’s sure to
inspire you to take a dolphin cruise, plant a tree, or
create your own art—all of which are, naturally, options.
fairmont.com; villas from US$1,230 including taxes.

clockwise from
top left: Kata
Japanese
restaurant is
Fairmont Maldives’
signature dining
spot; the three-
bedroom Water
Sunset villa; the
pool traverses the
c o u rt esy o f Fa i rm o n t

entire island; the

palatial Willows
Stream Spa; the
Tented Jungle villa
offers Maldivian
immersion.
 Mövenpick Kuredhivaru
Maldives

in the lesser-touristed Noonu Atoll, pristine

and untouched is the name of the game. Every villa in
this precision Swiss getaway (prefer sunrise or sunset
views from bed? The rooms are named accordingly) has
its own pool, but with such magnificent nature at your
front door, you are going to want to spend all your time
in the sea. Mövenpick is near stellar dive sites, including
Christmas Rock, a towering reef shaped like the holiday
tree where white-tip reef sharks and stingrays come out
to play. Game on. movenpick.com; villas from US$850
including taxes.

to p : c o u rt esy o f M o e v e n p i c k ( 3 ) . b ot to m : c o u rt esy o f j oa l i M a l d i v es
Climb up top in
Mövenpick’s Beach
Pool suites. Top: Chalet
roofs on an Overwater
villa. Right: Sea views.

Inside a Joali
Luxury Beach
villa with pool.

Joali Maldives

This is one resort that comes with its own art

map. Each of the 73 villas and residences—ranging in
size from one to four bedrooms—has its own infinity
pool and butler service, but the real innovative features
include artisanal amenities, curated in-villa libraries and
handpicked art. All of this is meant to take guests on a
sensory journey, whether via local artists or celebrated
international designers. That creative sense extends to
the four restaurants at Joali, including at Saoke, where
sake, sashimi and teppanyaki reign supreme. joali.com;
villas from US$3,102 including taxes.

110  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 An Ocean villa In a Raffles
bedroom, SAii Maldives
Lagoon Maldives. Ocean villa.

Hard Rock
Hotel’s Rock
Star suite.
c lo c k w i s e fr o m to p l e f t : c o u rt esy o f S i n g h a estat e ; c o u rt esy o f r a ff l es ; c o u rt esy o f S i n g h a estat e ; c o u rt esy o f Bag l i o n i R es o rt M a l d i v es

The pool bar at

Baglioni Resort.

In the Pipeline
Be on the lookout for these other plush
resorts debuting near and far in 2019.

US$1,068) represent a discount of SAii Lagoon Maldives

Waldorf astoria
maldives ithaafushi
The luxe icon is sauntering back into
the Maldives on three islands a mere
20-minute speedboat from Male.
Expect all the brand’s haute service
and stylings in its beach and
overwater villas, plus treehouse
dining and an organic eatery. The
star looks to be the spa, which will
feature an outdoor bathing circuit
and a hammam suite. hilton.com;
expected Q2, 2019.
Baglioni Resort
Everything at this Italian-owned
resort has a hint of its brand’s native
land—a big plus in the dining arena.
Presidential Water villa guests are
eligible for the Assoluto Programme,
a tailor-made en-suite journey of the
best of Italy, including fashion, food
and wine. From its April 1 opening
date until the end of next June, rates
resort-wide (including villas from
40 percent. baglionihotels.com;
expected April 1, 2019.
Raffles Maldives
For those whose definition of
paradise means the maximal far-
flung and a minimum of finger-lifting,
the new Raffles is ready for your
bucket list. Way down at the south
end of the Maldives are two private
islands, a natural one for the beach
villas and a man-made one stocked
with overwater villas; all of the just
38 total residences and bungalows
come with 24-hour butler service.
Nearly alone in the remote Gaafy
Alifu Atoll, the feeling of exclusivity
is palpable. The coddling starts with
VIP transfers from Male international
airport to your seaplane and extends
through to the overwater spa where
treatments are inspired by ancient
rituals and use native ingredients.
raffles.com; expected Q1, 2019.
Absurdly prolific starchitect Bill
Bensley designed the playful,
tropical rooms and villas at this Curio
Collection by Hilton hotel that’s a
quick boat ride from Male. Create
your own toiletries in the Aroma Lab,
enjoy exclusive access to Café del
Mar beach club, and pop over to The
Marina @ Crossroads Maldives—the
country’s first integrated tourist
destination, with restaurants, shops,
and a marine protection center. saii
resorts.com; expected January 2019.
hard rock hotel
In the same integrated resort lagoon
as SAii, this hotel stands out for its
musical roots, with its Roxity Kids’
Club and Teen Spirit Club catering to
the family. The Sound of Stay
program offers use of Fender guitars
and Crosley record players. Dining
options include a Mexican spot and
the iconic Hard Rock Café. hardrock
hotels.com; expected Q1, 2019.
 It’s no easy feat to reach the Aeolian Islands, a tranquil, unspoiled
archipelago north of Sicily beloved by travelers since Homeric times. But
once you’ve arrived and settled into the gentle rhythms of the place,
Howie Kahn finds, leaving is no easy feat, either.

Photogr aphed by Simon Watson

 Alicudi, the westernmost
of the Aeolian Islands, seen
from neighboring Filicudi.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 113
 Mackerel with
tomatoes and wild
fennel at Signum, on
the island of Salina.
Clockwise from
right: The village of
Malfa, on Salina;
preparing olives at the
restaurant Villa La
Rosa, on Filicudi; the
harbor of the village of
Pecorini Mare, on
Filicudi.

76  o c t o b e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

“Should I bring another bottle of wine?”
asked Enzo Anastasi.
The two of us had been sitting in silence on
the spacious terrace of Hotel La Canna,
Anastasi’s 14-room refuge on the island of
Filicudi. The water of the Tyrrhenian Sea, a
couple of hundred meters below us, looked like
gray-green glass. Filicudi is the second-farthest
west of the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic
archipelago that stretches for 80 kilometers
north of Sicily. Several of the other Aeolians were
visible on the horizon, and as Anastasi uncorked
our second bottle, I watched pink popcorn-
shaped clouds puff up among them, like a
luminous island chain of their own.
“People here love silence,” Anastasi told me. He is 55, with serious
eyes and a shaved head. “We’re not here to know our neighbors.” Of
course, there aren’t many neighbors to know. Filicudi, which has an
area of less than six square kilometers, is home to some 200 people.
When I arrived that afternoon, to thunder and lashing rain, I felt
like I could have been the only one on the island. Anastasi gave me
the key to my room and the run of the place. Despite the weather, he
planned to drive down the mountain for his daily swim at one of the
narrow, rocky beaches. “Enjoy the view,” he said, sweeping his arm
toward the cliff and leaving me to study the islands in the distance.
So I sat on the covered terrace and got to know them. Salina, the
twin-peaked island where I’d be heading the next day, was closest at
25 kilometers away. I could see Lipari, too, long in the water like an
alligator, and Panarea, which Anastasi would tell me later resembles
a floating pregnant woman. But most captivating was Stromboli, a
truncated cone 63 kilometers away. It’s a prototypical volcano, and
still a very active one. It has served as a geological muse for
centuries. The explorers in Jules Verne’s 1864 novel Journey to the
Center of the Earth end their adventure on Stromboli after their raft
is improbably blown out of one of its fiery vents. J.R.R. Tolkien, it’s
been said, used Stromboli as the inspiration for Mount Doom, the
perpetually erupting volcano of Middle Earth, to which Frodo is sent
to destroy the ring. As the storm passed over Stromboli, the volcano
sent trails of white steam up to meet it. I felt a little Frodo-like
myself, as if the mountain were pulling me inexorably toward it.
In the summer, Lipari is flooded with tourists, and Panarea is
notoriously chic, with families named Borghese and Bulgari ruling
an impenetrable social scene. But in the rest of the Aeolians, you’ll
find a lifestyle that holds quietude in high regard. Filicudi, Salina
and Stromboli are all largely of protected parkland, and since 2000,
the entire archipelago has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage
site, so much of the land cannot be altered and new development is
heavily restricted. Still, the islands I visited excelled at hospitality,
in no small part because their residents have a natural and generous
propensity for knowing when to feed people, when to talk to them,
and when to give them space. Homer wrote about this in Book 10 of
The Odyssey, in which Aeolus, the mythic ruler of the Aeolian
Islands and god of the wind, invites Odysseus to live with his family,
so he could rest and—more importantly—feast for an entire month.
Despite their fondness for silence, the Filicudari are also known
for welcoming travelers. Over our second bottle of wine, Anastasi
told me that in 1971, the Italian government tried to turn Filicudi
into a prison without walls, sending 15 notorious mafia leaders to
live there as free men in exile. The Filicudari rose up in protest,
seeking to protect their reputation as friendly hosts to the generally
upstanding citizens who liked to visit their shores. In an act of
resistance, they all shuttered their shops and left. The government
gave in, relocated the prisoners, and the Filicudari returned home to
resume their quiet way of embracing outsiders like me.
On Filicudi, the pace of change is slow (appropriately, the island
looks like a turtle from above, according to Anastasi), and the
tourism infrastructure is modest. Anastasi’s parents bought La
Canna as their home in 1969 and started renting its rooms in the
mid 70s. When Anastasi took it over in 2000, it was a simple hotel
and tavern. A self-taught architect, he designed the terrace where
we were sitting, including the built-in benches covered with bright,
hand-painted tiles that lined the perimeter. “It’s now a three-star
hotel,” he told me proudly. “The island isn’t ready for any more stars
than that. We don’t even have a boutique in the village.”
t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 115
 ‘When you’re
from this place,’
said a local
man eating at
the table next to
mine, ‘you never
want to go’

What Filicudi lacks in shopping, it makes up for in food. With the

pink clouds now arranging themselves around Stromboli’s peak like
a flower crown, Anastasi and I nibbled on pepi ripiene, the spicy
peppers his family grows, roasts, and stuffs with pecorino, parsley
and bread crumbs. The smaller the chiles got, the hotter they were.
As I dug around for the olive-size ones—hot!—Anastasi lit up while
talking about his favorite Aeolian dishes: spaghetti allo scoglio with
mussels, clams, whitebait and wild fennel; cicerchie, a prized local
pea, cooked with rosemary; eggplant with carrot, garlic and more
wild fennel. He said he’d never bought an onion, since he’s always
grown his own. Around the time the sun set, Anastasi’s 82-year-old
father, a fisherman and former postal director, walked silently past
us, holding a freshly harvested pumpkin. Soon, Anastasi told me,
the pumpkin would be roasted, mashed, combined with eggs, flour,
sugar and sweet wine, then rolled into balls and fried to create
sfinci—a local style of doughnut.
Then Anastasi sent me off to dinner. At Villa La Rosa, a hundred
meters up a cobblestoned path from La Canna, I sat to eat among
statues of saints. Adelaide Rando, the chef-owner, told me she’d been
cooking for me all day. She served sole grilled between lemon leaves,
then lasagna made with fennel, preserved tuna, tomato and
caciocavallo cheese. There was also black rice topped with tiny,
sweet shrimp. When the meal ended, Rando appeared at the table
and took a small, dignified bow. There were a few local men eating at
the table next to mine, the only other people I’d seen all day besides
Anastasi. They looked at me pityingly. “When you’re from this
place,” one said, “you never want to go.”

I woke at dawn, feeling as full as Odysseus after his monthlong

feast. After watching for a few minutes as the rising sun burned off
the fog that had enveloped Stromboli, I headed down to the port to
catch the Liberty Lines hydrofoil. Cheery golden seahorses were
stamped across the boat’s worn carpeting. The ride to Salina took an
hour. Compared with the last-man-on-earth vibes I’d felt upon
reaching Filicudi, Salina, which has a population of around 2,000,
felt more high-energy. Not a party in any sense, but more like a
meditation retreat where you’re surrounded by others who have
also shown up to concentrate on their breathing.
Salina wastes no time in announcing its deliciousness. Unlike
Filicudi, where the terraced farming operations are largely
abandoned, Salina has 11 working vineyards, which grow the
Malvasia grapes that produce the wine of the same name. Ten

116  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
 Near the port of Malfa,
on Salina. right, from
top: Gurnard and
vegetables at Villa La
Rosa, on Filicudi; a
guest room at Capofaro
Locanda & Malvasia, a
hotel on Salina.
minutes off the ferry and I was already
winding my way through one such vineyard at
Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia, a 27-room resort
with a sensational on-site restaurant. It is
owned by the Tasca family of Palermo, which
has been making wine in central Sicily since
1830 and on Salina for almost two decades. The
Tascas opened the hotel, situated in a former
fishing village on a bluff, in 2003. This summer,
they’ll debut six new rooms in the 19th-century
lighthouse that sits amid their Malvasia vines.
They also plan to unveil a museum about the
history of the Aeolians inside the lighthouse
next year.
Capofaro’s architecture is classical, with
arches and columns that curve outward slightly,
like barrels. Its walls are washed in a stark
Mediterranean white. Bougainvillea veiled my
room’s outdoor sitting area, which had a couch
and two love seats. Set into a recessed archway
of its own, my bed felt like a shrine. Sleeping
out at the end of the property, all I could hear
was the wind. My view of Stromboli was, again,
unobstructed, but now the volcano was closer
and, therefore, larger and even more magnetic.
I was grateful to Margherita Vitale,
Capofaro’s worldly general manager, for
selecting a place for us to have a drink where we
could both gaze at Stromboli. She understood
the attraction. Raising a glass of Didyme, a dry
Malvasia made with grapes grown in
Capofaro’s vineyard, Vitale toasted the volcano.
“You will see Stromboli erupting at night,” she
said. “You’ll think you don’t need anything else
in the world.”
 Salina’s best-known export besides Malvasia is the caper. Italy’s
Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, which is dedicated to
preserving traditional forms of agriculture, considers the edible,
cured bud integral to the local economy, so it tries to protect the
farming practices that have been handed down through the
centuries. According to Daniela Virgona, a 47-year-old third-
generation farmer in Salina, the product is so difficult to grow that
only the most dedicated stewards are willing to do it.
The 2,000 thorny caper plants she manages must all be harvested
by hand, a task that she and her family pursue from April through
October. “I started working here when I was four,” Virgona told me.
Her bushes yield both capers (capperi) and caper berries (cucunci).
The former are salt-cured for 50 to 60 days, the latter for 90 days.
Both are then vacuum-packed and sold in Virgona’s humble
showroom, where she also offers her own industriously brewed
caper-enhanced pilsner along with caper pesto, caper jam, candied
capers, and caper powder.
Translating Salina’s agricultural heritage into a culinary
movement for the island is what drives Capofaro’s 36-year-old chef,
Ludovico De Vivo. A native of Salerno, in southwestern Italy, De Vivo
credits working at Noma in Copenhagen with opening his eyes to
the significance of overlooked ingredients. His experience there
made him wonder if caper leaves could be made delicious, too. So he
began fermenting leaves from the Virgona orchard to use in his
cooking. Over the course of a year, he developed a dish for which he
places a single leaf (fermented for six months) onto a plate, then
spoons on diced raw mackerel and fermented fennel. Finally, he tops
it with a second leaf in what he describes as a “style of open raviolo.”
I’d noticed the way his sous-chefs and line cooks all watch him,
with the same rapt attention the Noma kitchen pays to its leader, René
Redzepi. When I took a bite of the dish, I could tell why. The balance
between the acidic zing of the ferment and the fatty funk of the fish
confirmed I was in the presence of greatness. It announced the
curiosity, creativity and technique of its maker. “I’m just trying to
show appreciation for the island,” De Vivo told me. “It’s incomparable.
It could be one of the best food destinations in all of Italy.”
Following the path back to my room, I dipped down a slope and
then ascended. The stars were out. The waves whispered, then
crashed. Occasionally, a beam of light from the Capofaro lighthouse
shot past me, like something extraterrestrial. Stromboli was lost to
the blackness of night.
Having not noticed any volcanic activity before bed, I kept
waking in hopes of seeing some.
At midnight, I checked.
At 2, I woke and checked again.
At 4, still nothing. By 6, I was starting to take it personally. Did I
not deserve this splendor? Sheathed in my robe, I headed out to the
porch and looked toward the volcano once more. No glow, no lava,
no action.

Twelve hours later, I was high on Stromboli’s northern

flank, looking down on the Sciara del Fuoco, or “stream of fire.” Lava
The view of the has flowed from Stromboli for much of the past two millennia,
Tyrrhenian Sea from blackening the land and carving up the earth. Near my feet, chunks
Salina, with Filicudi of rock pulsed shades of glowing orange. The steam that had looked
and Alicudi on the
horizon. top left: The
from a distance like a cloud of chic Italian cigarette smoke now
Immaculate Church seemed more menacing. The deep, violent rumbling emanating
on Salina. from the volcano was especially unsettling after the general absence
of sound the previous few days. Filicudi had been a place to be alone

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 119
and Salina a place to bliss out on the beloved
tropes of vacation—sea, wind, food, wine—but Tyrrhenian
Stromboli, I realized, was something more Sea
Stromboli
complicated, a place to grapple with what it
means to be alive. I couldn’t escape the Palermo
Catania
Basiluzzo

sensation of being small and temporary in the Panarea

sicily
face of the volcano—but I also felt triumphant, Salina
Filicudi
for having climbed it, and lucky, just to be there. Alicudi Lipari
Before my climb, I’d had lunch at Trattoria
Ai Gechi. I found it at the end of a narrow,
Vulcano
curving street in the village of Stromboli,
which sits at the foot of the volcano. The
restaurant was elevated, terraced and
surrounded by leaves in a way that made me
finding peace in the aeolians
feel like I was in a tree house. Antonino The islands of Filicudi and Salina offer unparalleled tranquility—as does
Stromboli, when you’re not up on its famous volcano. Because the
Zaccone, its 41-year-old owner, sat with me at Aeolians are fairly difficult to get to, you may wish to make your visit there
my table before going to pick up his son from part of a broader Sicily or southern Italy itinerary.
school. He told me the dish I’d be eating, pasta a
la Nino, got its flavor from the tuna he’d smoked
for 36 hours before folding it into the dish along
with cherry tomatoes and ricotta al forno. On getting there doubles from €527), a converted
Stromboli, fire is present even in the food. Fly in to Palermo Airport (PMO) or fishing village with the sea on
He suggested I limit myself to just this one Catania-Fontanarossa Airport one side and vineyards on the
dish before my hike. “Tonight,” he said, “you (CTA), connecting through Rome other. The hotel can organize tours
or another major European hub. of the other islands aboard a
come to eat.” He advised that the trek would Hatteras yacht. Its restaurant
Liberty Lines (eng.libertylines.it)
make me hungry for more than just food. “You operates ferries to all seven (mains €31–€42) showcases
contemplate,” he said, in his Italian-inflected inhabited Aeolian Islands from produce from its gardens and a
English. “You stay only with you.” I knew what Palermo and Malazzo, in strong commitment to bread
he meant—that Stromboli, for those who climb northeastern Sicily. To get to making. Da Alfredo (11 Via Vittoria
Malazzo from Catania, about two Alfieri; mains €14–€20) serves
it, is a mirror as much as it is a mountain.
hours away, prebook a car with Salina’s most popular dish, pane
After lunch, on the path up Stromboli, I Adige (autoserviziadige.it). Liberty cunzato, a round of grilled bread
stopped in on Karen, a friend of a friend. Her Lines also operates interisland piled with salad-like toppings.
house sat behind a gate in Piscità, a cluster of ferry service. In high season (June Signum (hotel​signum.it; mains
homes perched above the sea. She once worked through late August), be sure to €43), housed in a fine Salina hotel
book ferry tickets online in of the same name, is the island’s
for Tom Ford in Europe, but now taught
advance, since the boats fill up. sole Michelin-starred restaurant.
meditation on Stromboli. We sat drinking Service can be delayed or
coffee and watching the water turn golden in canceled because of rough Stromboli
the afternoon light. We’d never met, but we weather or a strike.
Il Gabbiano Relais
talked openly about our parents and our fears (ilgabbianostromboli.it; doubles
and our humanity, about living and dying, as if Filicudi
from €287) has 11 apartment-
engaged in a sudden psychotherapy session. It Hotel La Canna (lacannahotel.it; style rooms, grocery delivery, and
doubles from €142), the island’s a shaded pool. At Trattoria Ai
felt appropriate—cleansing, actually—because best place to stay, has a good
we were on Stromboli, and that was, it seemed, Gechi (12 Via Salina; mains €17–
restaurant and a pool. Ask the €36), dishes like pasta with
just how people on Stromboli talked. When we front desk to arrange an excursion
smoked tuna, arugula and cherry
finished, she gave me a hug and sent me off on into the waters around Filicudi
tomatoes are as memorable as the
my climb with a half-dozen heart-shaped, with a local; don’t miss La Canna
colorful owner, Antonino Zaccone.
rock (trips from €29), a basalt
almond-flavored cookies from the nearest Beach time on the black sands of
tower rising from the sea that is
bakery. After a couple of hours of hiking, when Spiaggia Lunga is magical and
said to possess magical powers.
mandatory. You can hike most of
I reached the highest point I could reach, I sat Villa La Rosa (villalarosa.it; mains
the way up the volcano yourself,
down to eat them. Just as I bit into the first one, €7–€29), up the path from the
but a guide is required to summit.
the ground beneath me began to tremble. hotel, features chef Adelaide
Magmatrek (magmatrek.it; tours
Rando’s lasagna with wild fennel
That night, I returned to Ai Gechi, famished, and an oval-shaped bar with a pink
from €40) leads group hikes and
just as Zaccone had said I would. He was can arrange private tours. Before
marble top that looks like it
leaving Stromboli, order all the
standing near the entrance to the restaurant. belongs in a Wes Anderson film.
deep-dish pizza you can carry from
He saw that I was smiling. “I love this island,” Panificio La Pagnotta (Via
he told me, covering his heart with his hand. Salina Soldato Francesco Natoli)—it’s the
“You take the island in your soul. You go to the I loved the quiet of Capofaro perfect lunch for the hydrofoil
volcano and you feel it. In Stromboli, you come Locanda & Malvasia (capofaro.it; back to Sicily. — H.K.
looking for yourself. And you find it.”

120  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8   /  t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
One island, one resort
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 wish you were here

That Hong Kong looks

skywards is obvious. The city
leads the global list with more
than 300 skyscrapers that are
taller than 150 meters. This is most apparent on Hong Kong Island,
where the 415-meter Two IFC soars over Jardine House, the city’s
first skyscraper. Yet, the tallest building in the city remains the
118-story Hong Kong International Commerce Center, which towers
484 meters above Tsim Sha Tsui with views that take in all of Hong
Kong, a city that is actually 75 percent green. — Huang suirong

122  n o v e mb e r 2 0 1 8 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m
HEAR M O R E
WITH THE AIRLINE THAT FLIES TO
MORE COUNTRIES THAN ANY OTHER

SCOTLAND