FROM ASIA TO THE WORLD

THE

ISSUE

SRI LANKA
CEBU
SARAWAK
HAWAI‘I
GREENLAND
NAXOS
 102
FEATURES

64
A SRI LANKAN
TRIFECTA
A three-in-one trip
combining south-coast
indulgence with a stay in
Sri Lanka’s cool tea hills
and the untamed allure
of a safari lodge strikes a
perfect balance between 88
serenity and adventure. MY BLUE HEAVEN
By Christopher P. Hill Santorini and Mykonos
may be better known,
but Naxos, the largest
of Greece’s Cycladic
Islands, packs in more
attractions than any of
its Aegean neighbors.
A longtime resident
explains the appeal
of her adopted island
home.
By Lucretia Stewart

76
THE HEART OF HAWAI‘I
A visit to the islands
of Lana‘i and Maui
reveals that native
Hawaiian traditions
are alive and well in
America’s Aloha State.
By Joe Yogerst

96
SAVORING SARAWAK
From Kuching to Sibu
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CHRISTOS DRAZOS; LAURYN ISHAK;

and points farther up the

ON THE COVER Rajang River, Malaysia’s
Indian Ocean views largest state dishes up
from the crescent-
a surprising mélange of
MARTIN WESTLAKE; MEGAN SPELMAN

shaped infinity pool

at Sri Lanka’s Cape flavors.
Weligama. Photograph By Thomas Bird
by Martin Westlake.
Makeup, hair, and
styling: Jacquie Mei
- The Make Up Box.
Model: Asia. Swimsuit
by L’Atelier Touché.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 102
DEPARTMENTS

8 PUBLISHER’S NOTE
12 CONTRIBUTORS
45
14 SPECIAL DEALS
Offers and discounts from hotels in the region.
62 FLASHBACK
Singapore, 1968.
112 SKETCHBOOK
Ian Fennelly on Venice.

57

GOOD TO GO
16 FIRST SHOT
A Maldivian overwater observatory.
18 UPDATE
Tokyo opens a digital art museum;
Hong Kong’s new contemporary
arts hub; the 2018 Bruges Triennale.
20 AGENDA
Two Malaysian cultural festivals
worth traveling for this summer. 25
22 CHECKING IN
Six Senses debuts in Singapore.
24 THE LIST
Four stunning volcanic-island hikes DISPATCHES
around the world. 45 ISLAND HOPPING
25 ABOUT TOWN From the Northern Territory
Where to eat, drink, and shop in to Tasmania, six lesser-known
Wellington, New Zealand. Australian islands beckon with an
28 SPOTLIGHT alluring union of beaches, wildlife,
Five alternative Philippine beach and history.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF PICNIC ISLAND;

destinations to Boracay. 50 JOURNAL

30 STYLE FILE As Greenland—the world’s largest
Singaporean designers to know island—gets greener, its residents
now and where to find them. are warming to the benefits that
JAMES LOUIE; NICOLA EDMONDS

34 INSIDE TRACK climate change might bring.

Street food recommendations 57 HERITAGE
from Taipei’s top chefs. Pull yourself away from Cebu’s
36 WELLNESS beaches and you’ll see a city
The first property from the Revıvo harnessing its Spanish-Filipino
brand launches in Bali. traditions to create something new.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

8 PUBLISHER’S NOTE RONALD LIEM

It’s that time of year again—

ISLAND when a summer vacation is
no longer a distant dream
INSPIRATIONS but an imminent reality, a
time that coincides with the
release of our annual Islands
Issue. Headlining it all is our cover story, beautifully shot by Martin Westlake,
in which editor-in-chief Christopher P. Hill takes stock of three resorts that each
promise an immersion into diferent sides of Sri Lanka: from a tea plantation to a
beachside hideaway and the grasslands and forests of Yala National Park.
Halfway around the world in Hawai‘i, Joe Yogerst journeys to the smallest
of its main islands, Lāna‘i, and neighboring Maui to see how native Hawaiian
culture is experiencing a remarkable revival. We then jet over to Greece, where
Naxos resident Lucretia Stewart shows us the virtues of her adopted home, and
photographer Christos Drazos ofers a glimpse of its enchanting beauty.
Although I do have a soft spot for Europe, and tend to travel there quite often,
the frequency of these long-haul trips means that I can sometimes lose sight of
equally fascinating places much closer to home. The Malaysian state of Sarawak
is one such example; Thomas Bird’s romp through multicultural Kuching and up
the Rajang River in search of Dayak cuisine is certainly food for thought.
Another under-appreciated locale is Cebu City, where deputy editor James
Louie passes up the nearby beaches to delve into its Spanish-Filipino heritage,
with some unexpected discoveries along the way. Every seasoned traveler
knows that going of the beaten track has its rewards, and
contributing editor Natasha Dragun rounds up a selection
of gorgeous Australian islands you might never have heard
of. Finally, Todd Pitock embarks on a voyage through the
fjords on the southwest coast of Greenland, proving that
islands of ice and rock can be just as captivating as those in
warmer climes.

e-mail: publisher@destinasian.com

@destinasianmagazine

@DestinAsian_Mag

DestinAsian.Mag

DestinAsianMag

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 WHERE MYTHS TAKE HOLD
Rediscover Cupid, Medusa, Hermes, and other
beloved mythological heroes and gods. Experience
3,000 square feet of new exhibition space,
masterpieces never before on view, and a major
reinstallation of the Getty Museum’s collection
Greek, Roman, and Etruscan treasures.

The Getty Villa. One mile north of Sunset on PCH.

Reserve your free tickets today.

Salus, Roman, 200–250. Marble. The J. Paul Getty Museum getty.edu/villa #gettyvilla
10

)K††€qÙ)½ÙK‚€žÙ
Chairwoman
8©¤K‚iÙ'€qžÙ
Publisher &
Managing Director

ŽÏ€ÒÜ©¸ŽqÏÙ6½Ù€‚‚ 8q҂€K¤KÙF©Òq¸Ž€¤qÙÙÙÙ
Editor-In-Chief & F&A Senior Manager
Associate Publisher
)¢ŽKžžKiÙ8€iëK¤
Group Tax Manager

ςq¤Ù9q¸ÜK¤€KÙ
iKžÙ
Art Director '€K¤KÙ6Ž€©¤†
F&A Manager
%KžqÒÙ'©¢€qÙ ÏK¤c€ÒcKÙ'€qžÙÙ
Deputy Editor Director ¤¤q˜qÙ9©Ž€‚K€Ü
F&A Assistant Manager
*KÜKҎKÙÏK†¢¤
Contributing Editor 6KÜÜíÙ
Y€i€¤ )q€ÜŽKÙ)K¤iKÒKπ MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES
Director of Operations F&A Senior Supervisor
9KžK¤ÜŽKÙ
¤¤ÙÏK¤c€Ò China
Online Editor ‚Ò€íKŽÙ9¢ÒK¤Ü© €ÜπÙ*€Ï€¤KÙKÒ܀K¤ bÙ) ÙŽ€¤KÙ'Üi½
Director of Sales & Marketing F&A Senior Executive )KÏíÙFK©
)¢ŽKžKiÙK€˜K‚ 86-10/8528-3636
Graphic Designer SALES: SINGAPORE & 8½Ù€K¤KÙ6¢Ï¤KžKÙ6¢Üπ
F&A Staff mary@mhichina.com
REGIONAL
'©ÏiÙ8Ki€ÜíKÙKÒ¢˜€ 65/6536-1895
Assistant to Publisher CqÏKÙ9€K†€K¤Ù Hong Kong, Macau
C&D Manager and Taiwan
6K©‚©Ù
ê€Ò bÙ*qì¢ÒÙ)qi€K
9KiKžÙë€Ù9KÜπK Regional Sales & Marketing
Videographer Manager DKŽí¢i€Ù <K˜Ù)K¤
pavis@destinasian.com C&D Supervisor +852/2905-3228

Yi¢‚Ù&ŽK‚€˜ tak.man@nexusmediaasia.com
)KŽqÒKÙ6¢ÜÏKÙ'©q†€žK¤
¤ëKÏÙ)¢ÒKiKi
SALES: INDONESIA
Digital Imaging Artists
YKi€Ù
ܗK¤†Ù India
62-21/573-7070 C&D Executives bÙ8)
ٞqi€K
‚ŽKž KÏqi©©¤Ù&¢˜K
Lead Web Developer ÏKc€KÙ)KÏ܀¤KÙqÜÜí 9q¸Ü€K¤Ù
i€¸ÏKܞK
Regional Sales Senior Manager 91-22/2925-3735
IT Supervisor 91-22/6570-3081
FK¤Ù6ÏKÜKžK betty@destinasian.com
kuka@rmamedia.com
*¢ÏÙ8©ŽžK¤ €žKÙ)K¤iK‚KÙ6¢ÜÏK
Web Developers qÏꀤKÙÙÙ IT Staff
Sales Support Supervisor Japan
9ŽqÏqq¤Ù)ÙÙÙ bÙ9Ž€¤K¤©Ù ¤ÜqϤK܀©¤K‚Ù ¤c½
Design by KÏ뀤ÙŽK¤† HR & GA Manager &Kñ¢Ž€˜©Ù<K¤K˜K
ϩ뤩ìÙ9Ü¢i€©Ù Marketing Manager Ù 81-3/3584-6420
www.brownfoxstudio.com
܀qÜÙ9©qŽKÏÜ©ÙÙÙÙÙÙ kazujt@bunkoh.com
6KÜπc€KÙ)q‚€ÒÒKÙÙÙ Office Manager
destinasian.com Marketing Support South Korea
facebook.com/destinasian.mag
bÙ€ÏÒÜÙ)qi€KÙ9qÏê€cqÒ٩ϸ½
twitter.com/destinasian_mag &¢Òi€K¤K
instagram.com/destinasianmagazine Senior Production Manager 99Ù9©¤†
82/363-3591

i€ÙD€—KíK fmsc@unitel.co.kr
All rights in this publication and the *¢Ï€i€¤
name are owned by DestinAsian Production Executives Malaysia
Media Pte. Ltd. and licensed to bÙ*qìÜÙ)qi€K
P.T. Mahapala Mahardhika.
No part of this magazine may be
%©Ù9Ž€ž
reproduced without permission. 60-3/6148-1810
All rights reserved. Opinions jo_shim@nextmedia.com.my
herein are those of the writers and
not necessarily endorsed by Thailand
P.T. Mahapala Mahardhika. bÙ*½%½Ù ¤ÜqϤK܀©¤K‚Ù)qi€KÙ©½gÙ'Üi½
*KÏܤ€Ü܎KÙ%€ÏKÏKíK¸©¤†Ùº*©©»
DestinAsian is published six times
a year and distributed throughout 66-2/635-5185 ext. 14
Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. noo@njintermedia.com
The magazine assumes no
responsibility for the safekeeping United Arab Emirates
or return of unsolicited bÙ<ŽqÙ)qi€KCK¤ÜK†q
manuscripts, photographs, 8KŽ¢‚Ù9qÄ¢q€ÏK
or other material.
971-4/425-3300
DestinAsian is printed on rahul.sequeira@themediavantage.com
sustainably harvested paper
from Finnish tree plantations.
To subscribe or order back issues,
please visit www.destinasian.com
or e-mail us at subscribe@
destinasian.com. You can also call
62-21/573-7070, fax 62-21/574-7733,
or write to: P.O. Box 08
JKPPJ, Jakarta 10210 A,
Indonesia.

Singapore MCI(P)099/08/2017

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

12 CONTRIBUTORS
MARTIN WESTLAKE
Photographed “A Sri
Lankan Trifecta,”  people,” says Big Island–
p. 64
“It was great to be
back in Sri Lanka,” says
Westlake, a Jakarta-
based photographer who
first visited the island in
2005. “Though much has
changed since my last
trip—better infrastructure,
more tourists—I’m happy
to say that the place has
maintained its unique
charm.” He was also
happy to cover a fair bit
of ground for this story,
from the tea country of
the central highlands to
Yala National Park and
Cape Weligama on the
south coast. “Highlights
for me—aside from
the delicious tea—were
searching for the elusive
leopards on safari in Yala
and the stunning gardens
at our beautifully restored
tea planter’s bungalow in
Bogawantalawa Valley.”
When not on assignment,
Westlake continues work
on a long-term personal
project about Indonesia’s
volcanoes.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
MEGAN SPELMAN
Photographed “The Heart
of Hawai‘i,” p. 76
“As a Hawai‘i resident, I
am familiar with the aloha
spirit and the beauty of
the islands. However, this
assignment took me to
Lana‘i for the first time,
and I was floored by the
island’s raw beauty and
the quiet kindness of its
based photographer
Megan Spelman. “A
favorite part of my visit
was the lack of any chain
stores or advertisements,
in a way that reminded
me of being in Cuba.
It’s such a relief to be
somewhere so beautiful
without a Starbucks on
the corner. The stars of
the trip, however, were
the beautiful stewards
of the land, the cultural
preservationists profiled in
this story. I was humbled
by their knowledge and
grace and willingness to
share; they put the aloha
spirit that I thought I knew
to shame.”
THOMAS BIRD
Wrote “Savoring Sarawak,”
p. 96
“Visiting Sarawak was
initially just part of my
avoid-Beijing’s-winter-
at-all-costs policy,” says
Bird of his February
sojourn in Kuching. “What
I discovered went far
beyond a tropical escape,
though—a rich tapestry of
cultures still busy forging
a Sarawakian identity. And
this complex mélange is
perhaps best understood
through the food. As a
writer, I’m a natural coffee
shop fiend and I soon
became a connoisseur
of the Malay kopitiam.
As a Mandarin-speaker, I
naturally gravitated toward
the plethora of Chinese
restaurants. But when I
discovered native jungle
food, particularly the various
types of edible ferns, I felt
compelled to write. Sadly,
ferns perish easily, so
they’re not really for export.
Which means you’ve no
excuse but to visit yourself
in order to sample these
marvels of nature.”
LUCY CORRY
Wrote “Capital Assets,” 
p. 25
Nearly 20 years as a
journalist has taken Corry
all over the world, but
she now calls Wellington
home. New Zealand’s
capital city regularly
rates highly in lists of the
world’s most liveable
cities, and she says
it deserves the hype.
“Wellington is vibrant and
dynamic, but because it’s
relatively small it remains
an incredibly easy place
to live. All the things that
make it a really attractive
place for a holiday are
what the locals love
about it too. You can walk
everywhere, there are
amazing beaches within
10 minutes’ drive from
the CBD, and there’s
always lots of great
stuff happening in food,
culture, and the arts.”
Apart from freelance
writing, Corry writes a
regular recipe column for
New Zealand’s largest
news website as well as
for her food blog The
Kitchen Maid.
 AN ENTERTAINMENT LIFESTYLE
DESTINATION IN SINGAPORE’S
ART & CULTURE DISTRICT

 







2 BEACH ROAD SINGAPORE 189764





  

Fish Pool | A Champagne, Caviar and Oyster Bar Stags’ Room | An intimate and lush wine room
in collaboration with Louis Roederer featuring American and Australian wines

Madame Fan | An “old-school” lifestyle dining

Chinese restaurant by Alan Yau
14 SPECIAL DEALS

Singapore
THE FULLERTON HOTEL

If you’re considering a last-

minute escape to the Lion City
this June, The Fullerton Hotel
is giving away complimentary
fourth nights until July 1. Or
you could make the most of
the hotel’s historic setting
with the 90th anniversary
package running through
December 30, 2018. Expect
access for two to The Straits
Club executive lounge, which
serves champagne breakfast,
afternoon tea, and evening
cocktails and canapés;
dining credit of S$190 per
day, redeemable at all nine
restaurants throughout The
Fullerton Hotels Singapore;
alongside an hour-long
spa treatment for two
(fullertonhotels.com).

/ Maldives & Sri Lanka /

Indonesia
ANANTARA HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS MÖVENPICK RESORT & SPA
JIMBARAN BALI
COURTESY OF MINOR HOTEL GROUP; COURTESY OF THE FULLERTON

Families at this haven in

For the ultimate Indian Ocean vacation, Anantara is ofering 30 percent southern Bali can look forward
to extra savings with the
HOTELS; COURTESY OF MÖVENPICK HOTELS & RESORTS

savings for combined stays of six nights or more between the brand’s resort’s Happinest deal. Apart
properties in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. While guests will room at from a 25 percent discount on
a room for two adults and two
Anantara Dhigu Maldives with a US$100 resort spa and dining credit per children, kids up to six years
old eat free and those aged
villa or overwater suite, they have a choice of two resorts in Sri Lanka: the seven to 12 enjoy half-price
Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle and Anantara Kalutara. Booking directly meals at the main all-day
dining restaurant. Childcare
on the website for stays until December 27, 2018 will also bring a daily equipment for babies and
toddlers is also available as part
complimentary dinner for two at selected restaurants (anantara.com). of the offer (movenpick.com).

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 15

Thailand
FOUR SEASONS
TENTED CAMP
GOLDEN TRIANGLE

Going to Chiang Rai and

the lush frontier regions
of northern Thailand at
of-season has its perks—
not least the Summer
Compliments deal at
this Four Seasons resort.
Guests booking three
nights here through the
end of October will receive
a complimentary two-
night stay at their choice
of selected Four Seasons
resorts around the region.
Options include Four
Seasons’ Thai properties in
Chiang Mai and Koh Samui,
its waterfront Hong Kong
hotel for a stimulating city
break, or the brand’s Dubai
resort on Jumeirah Beach
(fourseasons.com).

Hong Kong
THE MURRAY

THIS ULTRA-LUXE PROPERTY IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT OF

CENTRAL—A REINVENTED GOVERNMENT OFFICE BLOCK BUILT
IN 1969—MIGHT HAVE MADE ITS DEBUT BACK IN JANUARY, BUT
ITS OPENING SPECIALS REMAIN VALID FOR RESERVATIONS
MADE BY JUNE 30. THESE INCLUDE A COMPLIMENTARY
UPGRADE FROM AN N1 DELUXE ROOM TO A 50-SQUARE-METER
N2 GRAND ROOM AND EXTENDED CHECKOUT UNTIL 4 P.M.,
WHILE RESERVING AN EXPLORER SUITE WILL GET YOU
AN UPGRADE TO A SIGNATURE SUITE, ALONG WITH
DINING CREDIT OF UP TO HK$1,000 AT GARDEN LOUNGE,
LOBBY-LEVEL BAR MURRAY LANE, OR MODERN
EUROPEAN RESTAURANT THE TAI PAN; ROUND-TRIP
AIRPORT OR GROUND TRANSFERS WITHIN HONG KONG;
AND LATE CHECKOUT (NICCOLOHOTELS.COM).

Hong Kong Indonesia

THE UPPER HOUSE THE MENJANGAN
COURTESY OF SWIRE HOTELS; COURTESY OF LIFESTYLE RETREATS

Those planning to bed down for three Exploring the wilds of West Bali
KEN SEET/FOUR SEASONS; COURTESY OF NICCOLO HOTELS;

nights or more at André Fu–designed National Park is more affordable than

The Upper House should take note of
A Spectacular Summer, an offer that’s
valid until early September. Benefits
include a fourth night free, hotel credit
of HK$1,000 per stay, plus vouchers
to use at Pacific Place mall: namely, a
cinema gift card worth HK$300 and
HK$600 credit for products by eyewear
brand Puyi Optical. Other privileges
range from late checkout to 1,000 Asia
Miles per stay (upperhouse.com).
ever thanks to this nearby resort’s
Book Early and Save More deal, which
will get you a whopping 48 percent
off its rooms and beach villas just by
booking 21 days in advance. For more
spontaneous getaways of at least two
nights, The Sea Awaits offer promises
55 percent off the resort’s villas until
June 30. This also includes a free one-
way airport transfer for up to four
guests (themenjangan.com).

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

16

GOOD to GO
An aerial view of SKY,
ABOUT TOWN the new observatory
New Zealand’s and lounge at
capital of cool Anantara Kihavah
Maldives Villas.
p. 25

STYLE FILE
Singaporean
designers to
know now
p. 30

INSIDE TRACK
Street food
pointers from
Taipei’s top chefs
p. 34

SEEING STARS
The Maldives might be better known for its beaches and underwater wonders, but it also has all the right ingredients for exceptional star-
COURTESY OF MINOR HOTEL GROUP

gazing: just 400,000 residents spread over great expanses of sea, minimal light pollution, and an equatorial setting that makes the stars of
both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres easily visible. Guests at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas will now get an even better view
of the heavens at SKY, its new overwater observatory and lounge. Here, resident astronomer Ali Shameem leads both weekly and private
stargazing sessions, allowing lucky sojourners to admire the rings of Saturn through a research-grade telescope. Another place to take in the
night sky? The enormous circular daybed on the outdoor deck. And if a drink is in order, head downstairs to Sky Bar, where creative cocktails
inspired by the celestial bodies are served beneath a blaze of tiny lights that mirror the constellations (skykihavahmaldives.com). —James Louie

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 Travel means dreaming of what comes next.
Milestones are set beside the road not to commemorate how far you’ve come, but to mark the distance to the destination
SM
ahead. At Preferred Hotels & Resorts , we are proud to celebrate five decades of travel and hospitality. It’s a landmark that
comes amid great change in how, where, and why we travel. Thank you for taking this journey with us.

B U N G A R AYA I S L A N D R E S O R T
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

T HE F U LLERTON HOT EL SINGA POR E

Singapore

T HE U PPER HOUSE
Hong Kong

© 2018 Preferred Hotels & Resorts 18_163

P R E F E R R E D H O T E L S . C O M
18 GOOD TO GO UPDATE

OFF THE WALL

Tokyo Bay’s popular Odaiba district is
about to add another draw with the June
21 opening of Mori Building Digital Art
Museum: teamLab Borderless. The
irst such museum of its kind, it’s a joint
efort between property developers
Mori Building and teamLab, a design
collective that aims to “liberate art from
physical constrictions” through the
use of technology. This 10,000-square-
meter space will be teamLab’s lagship
venue, and their irst-ever permanent
exhibition will comprise 50 artworks
including Untitled, a psychedelic room
of projected waterfalls that cascade onto
a raised area mimicking water-worn
boulders, and Forest of Resonating Lamps,
a Yayoi Kusama–esque setup where
a mass of hanging lanterns respond
to human actions by changing color.
Also under the same roof, the Athletics
Forest ofers a series of unusual spaces
to explore: those with an adventurous
streak can opt for an indoor climbing
activity that teamLab calls “3-D light
bouldering.” All told, it makes for a
sensory, immersive experience that
promises to break down the traditional
barriers between art and viewer
(borderless.teamlab.art). —Daniel Hartanto

Untitled, one of 50
interactive artworks on
display at Mori Building
Digital Art Museum:
teamLab Borderless.

ARRESTING
DEVELOPMENT
Thanks to a 12-year landmark
conversion project, Hong
Kong’s former Central Police
Station compound is no
longer off-limits to the public.
What was once the preserve
of law enforcement officers
COURTESY OF TEAMLAB; IWAN BAAN (BRUGES); © HERZOG & DE MEURON

WATER WORKS and prison inmates—including

Vietnamese revolutionary
This summer, the 2018 Bruges Triennale has turned the medieval leader Ho Chi Minh, who was
heart of the Belgian town into an outdoor art gallery, with 15 large- held here in the 1930s—has
scale installations on or beside Bruges’ storybook waterways to been carefully restored and
see until September 16. Spanish architecture studio SelgasCano reimagined as Tai Kwun –
created an organically shaped floating pavilion on the Coupure Centre for Heritage and Arts.
Canal (pictured above), clad in fluorescent pink-orange vinyl and Amid 16 historical structures,
affixed with a wooden platform to allow for a weekend swim. some dating back to the early
Elsewhere in town, New York–based artist John Powers drew 1860s, Swiss architecture firm
inspiration from Bruges folklore to build a 15-meter-tall sculpture Herzog & de Meuron has inserted an auditorium and art gallery with
shaped like a swan’s neck, while American firm StudioKCA used perforated aluminum facades that recall the scale and repetition of
five tons of plastic waste washed up on the beaches of Hawai‘i the masonry on their older neighbors. Tai Kwun will now host theatrical
to create a four-story whale rearing up from the bottom of performances, a collaborative site-inspired exhibition showcasing local
another canal (triennalebrugge.be). —James Louie and international artists, and much more besides (taikwun.hk). —JL

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

20 GOOD TO GO AGENDA
TAKING THE STAGE
Headed to Malaysia this summer? Mark your calendar for these
two major cultural events that highlight local traditions while bringing a dose
of international flavor. BY JAMES LOUIE
Rainforest
Fringe Festival
DATES: July 6–15, 2018
PLACE: Kuching, Sarawak
WHAT IS IT? A prelude to
the Rainforest World Music
Festival that showcases
Sarawak’s local talent and
tapestry of cultures, now in
its second year. DON’T MISS:
Homegrown production
Sarawak, An Indigenous
Journey, featuring Kuching-
born soprano Dewi Liana
Seriestha; performances by
Australian duo Electric Fields,
experimental group At Adau,
and jazz singer Pete Kallang
at the First People Party;
photographic exhibitions
like “Forgotten Beauty”—
Tan Wei Kheng’s intimate
portraits of Sarawakian tribal
elders—and “Tattoos” by
National Geographic Society
Fellow Chris Rainier. OTHER
HIGHLIGHTS: A creative
forum on wood and bamboo
with regional greats like
Filipino designer Kenneth
Cobonpue; The Market at
Borneo744, where visitors
can pick up Sarawakian
artisanal products from crafts
and antiquities to music and
fashion (rainforestfringe.com).
Left, from top:
Adelaide-based
Aboriginal musician
Zaachariaha Fielding,
one half of Electric
Fields; Lee Yi-Hsiu’s
Isle of Dreams.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
George Town
Festival
DATES: August 4–
September 2, 2018 PLACE:
George Town, Penang
WHAT IS IT? The ninth
edition of a hugely
successful cultural
extravaganza that served
as a catalyst for the
outpouring of street art
in Penang. DON’T MISS:
Kelantan, an opening
show spotlighting the
Malay traditional arts of
its namesake state such
as the mak yong dance-
drama; live production
2062, which explores
hot-button geopolitical
issues; Isle of Dreams,
a mythology-inspired
theater piece by Taiwanese
playwright Lee Yi-Hsiu that
puts a contemporary spin
on the island’s classical
Nanguan and Beiguan
music. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
The opening weekend’s
showcase of short ilms
made in Southeast Asia; a
NHARLA PHOTOGRAPHY; MILE END PHOTOGRAPHY
screening of the Angelina
Jolie–directed historical
thriller First They Killed My
Father; and performance
art involving blindfolded
actors covered in clay
wandering the city streets
(georgetownfestival.com).
22 GOOD TO GO CHECKING IN

royal destiny at the hotel. Which explains

the vivid pan-Asian lourishes so familiar to
fans of Hempel’s work on Blakes in Amster-
dam—namely, red and gold trim, lacquered
pots, glossy ebony wall panels, and imperial
yellow sofas that are layered with stylized
black room screens, four-poster Chinese
platform beds, wallpaper embossed with
18th-century indentures from Hempel’s pri-
vate collection, and elaborate golden fans.
Due to the peculiarities of the buildings’
original footprint, each room has a unique
coniguration, though Naturalmat organic
mattresses, bathroom amenities by The
Organic Pharmacy, and minibars stocked
with craft spirits are standard oferings. The
suites, in particular, feature unexpected ceil-
ing height restrictions that may prove chal-
lenging for tall guests. The entry-level rooms
are calm cocoons of white and dark hues,
but Hempel’s love for theatrical set pieces
are shown of to best efect in the moodily
lit Montgomerie Suite and the dazzling sil-
very white shimmer of the Pearl Suite.
The Orientalist vibe
is amped up by the ho-
tel’s menu of diversions,
among them Chinese tea
classes, morning yoga in
the adjoining park, and a
wellness kit at turn-down
that includes nutmeg oil
for jet lag and muscle
aches, herbal pills for

CHINATOWN gastric woes, and Tiger

Balm for everything else.
All this, alongside an in-
CHARMER house TCM practitioner
who prescribes from his
medicinal herbal dispen-
The Six Senses group has made its long- sary sweet tinctures of
awaited debut in Singapore with an snow chrysanthemum
intimate heritage property that’s big on and marigold to stave of
character. BY DAVEN WU travel-induced insomnia.
And after an evening
trawling through the neighborhood’s atmo-
spheric haul of karaoke bars, Korean bar-
Set in a row of eight mid-19th-century shophouses along China- becue joints, and hawker fare, a nightcap
town’s leafy Duxton Road, the 49-room Six Senses Duxton marks of hot whisky, brandy, and absinthe in the
both the luxury hospitality brand’s irst foray into an urban desti- hotel’s antiquarian-themed Yellow Pot bar
COURTESY OF SIX SENSES HOTELS, RESORTS AND SPAS

nation, and London-based designer Anouska Hempel’s irst hotel is just what the doctor ordered.
project in Singapore. In July, a slightly larger sophomore Six
The remarkable conservation project led by architect Faye Moey Senses property—this time designed by
has preserved the facade’s eclectic mix of Malay timber fretwork, Above, from top: Jacques Garcia, the creative genius behind
slender French windows, Portuguese shutters, and elaborately Inside a living La Mamounia in Marrakesh and Paris’s Ho-
room of the
carved Corinthian pilasters so typical of buildings of that era. The Skylight suite tel Costes—will open a few blocks away.
interiors, meanwhile, are a fantastical concoction straight out of at Six Senses
Duxton; the hotel’s
Hempel’s playbook. Here, the preeminent designer has imagined a newly restored 83 Duxton Rd., Singapore; 65/6914-1428;
lost Chinese girl who believes she is an empress and comes into her facade at dusk. sixsenses.com; doubles from US$290.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

AN ELECTRIFIED
ESCAPE
In Bali’s most vibrant neighborhood.

Become a part of all that is now and escape to W Bali – Seminyak,

a place where magic comes alive.

157 escapes & suites

72 villas
4 meeting rooms
4 dining options - FIRE, Starfish Bloo, Woobar®, W Lounge
24 hour Away® Spa and FIT fitness centre

Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali 80361

+62 8361 4738 106
whotels.bali@whotels.com

Explore
wbaliseminyak.com
wbaliseminyak
wbaliseminyak
24 GOOD TO GO THE LIST
BEST FOOT FORWARD
These volcanic-island hikes provide an awe-inspiring glimpse of the
natural forces that continue to shape our planet. BY JAMES LOUIE
1 / Tenerife, Spain
TEIDE NATIONAL PARK
Centered on seasonally
snowcapped Mount Teide—at
3,718 meters the tallest peak in
Spain—this arid high-altitude
volcanic wonderland in the
Canary Islands is crisscrossed
by an extensive network of
hiking trails. Try the four- to
five-hour Siete Cañadas
route from the visitor center
at Portillo to Cañada Blanca,
skirting the rock walls of the
surrounding caldera past
endemic red buglosses whose
flowering stems can reach up
to three meters high.
webtenerife.com
Walking the Mars-
like landscape of
Teide National Park
in Tenerife, the
largest of Spain's
Canary Islands.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
2 / Kaua‘i, United States
WAIMEA CANYON
STATE PARK
Hawai‘i offers a wealth of
beautiful hikes across its
major islands, but rain forest–
clad Kaua‘i stands out for
Waimea Canyon, a gargantuan
16-kilometer gorge flanked
by layers of red and brown
lava rock that have earned
it the popular nickname
“Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”
Unlike its larger counterpart
in Arizona, the chasm is
laced with waterfalls and
lush greenery. Active families
should tackle the Canyon Trail,
a two- to three-hour circuit
that brings you to the top of
the Waipo’o Falls.
kauai.com
3 / Lombok, Indonesia
MOUNT RINJANI
NATIONAL PARK
The second-highest volcano
in Indonesia is also one of
its most scenic, thanks to a
shattered caldera that conceals
a teal-green lake punctuated
by a smaller cinder cone. A full
traverse of Rinjani requires
a grueling multi-day trek,
though tents, food, and other
essentials are taken care of by
reliable local outfitters such
as Rudy Trekker. Be sure to
train months in advance for
the pre-dawn climb to watch
the sunrise from Rinjani’s
3,726-meter summit.
rudytrekker.com
4 / Réunion, France
COL DU TAÏBIT
Much like the Hawaiian Islands,
the French Indian Ocean
territory of Réunion owes its
creation to enormous undersea
shield volcanoes. A must-do
is the hike from the town of
Cilaos through the Col du
Taïbit, a 2,081-meter-high
mountain pass that leads
into the most inaccessible of
Réunion’s three interlocking
western calderas. Opt to spend
the night in the tiny village of
Marla, or start out before 8
a.m. from Cilaos to make this a
more challenging day hike.
en.reunion.fr
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
 ABOUT TOWN GOOD TO GO 25

CAPITAL ASSETS
Breezy Wellington isn’t just the seat of New
Zealand’s government—the cultured capital is also
a hotbed of entrepreneurial creativity, as these
places attest. BY LUCY CORRY

The poet Lauris Edmond once called Wellington

“the city of action, the world headquarters of the
verb.” New Zealand’s capital, arranged around a
sparkling harbor at the base of the North Island,
is also a city of bush-clad hills and brisk winds, of
cofee, art, and culture. Its compact size means
visitors will ind Wellington eminently walkable;
an easy stroll from the downtown area will bring
you to a trove of independent stores and inti-
mate dining and drinking spots in the neighbor-
ing inner-city suburbs of Te Aro and Aro Valley.

WHERE TO EAT
Just a 10-minute walk from the waterfront Te
Papa Tongarewa, or Museum of New Zealand,
Leeds Street Bakery (6G/14 Leeds St.; 64-4/802-
4278; leedsstbakery.co.nz) is the place to pick up
lovingly handmade organic breads or desserts in
Te Aro. Resistance is futile, especially where its
famous (and enormous) salted caramel cookies
are concerned.
It’s so tiny you could blink and miss it, but it
would be a great shame not to dine at months-
old Rita (89 Aro St.; 64-4/385-4555; rita.co.nz),
which occupies a former worker’s cottage in
Aro Valley. Here, chefs Kelda Haines and Matt without being stufy; the venue seats just 28, so
Hawkes create elegant but unfussy seasonal set do book ahead.
menus with a strong focus on locally sourced
ingredients such as Jerusalem artichoke, goat’s WHERE TO DRINK
cheese, and kahawai ish. Their business partner, Next door to Rita is Garage Project Taproom
Above, from top left:
Paul Schrader, presides over the dining room (91 Aro St.; 64-4/802-5324; garageproject.co.nz), a Raw kahawai fish with
NICOLA EDMONDS

and curates a small but exquisite wine list domi- shoebox-sized bar with 18 taps and a rotating apple, kohlrabi, and sorrel
as served at Aro Valley
nated by New Zealand labels. Named for Kelda’s selection of beers, plus limited-edition cellar restaurant Rita; inside
grandmother, Rita is chic and sophisticated brews and snacks to match. It’s an ofshoot of Havana Coffee Works.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

26 GOOD TO GO ABOUT TOWN
Trip Tips
Wellington hosts New
Zealand’s biggest and
most diverse food
festival every August.
Now in its 10th year,
Wellington On a Plate
dishes up a feast of
innovative set menus,
pop-up eateries, and
food-filled events,
including a hotly
contested burger
competition. The 2018
festival takes place
on August 10–26. See
visawoap.com for
more details.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Garage Project, a homegrown brewery that was
largely responsible for kick-starting Wellington’s
transformation into the craft beer capital of the
country when it made its debut in 2011. If you’re
looking to buy beers or other merchandise to
bring home, the main brewery is housed in an
old gas station just down the block.
Want a dose of cafeine? Local legend has it
that Wellington has more cafés per capita than
New York, and you’re never far from the dis-
tinct scent of roasting cofee beans. In Te Aro,
make a beeline for Havana Cofee Works (163
Tory St.; 64-4/384-7041; havana.co.nz), where you
can watch beans being roasted while you throw
back a double-shot espresso in atmospheric sur-
rounds designed to evoke 1950s Cuba.
WHERE TO SHOP
Two blocks away from Havana Cofee Works,
Cuba Street has long been Wellington’s bohe-
mian heart. While the pedestrian mall closer to
the harbor has become increasingly gentriied of
late, the street’s upper stretch remains edgy and
cool. If you’re on an eternal mission to add to
your vinyl collection, head to Slowboat Records
(183 Cuba St.; 64-4/385-1330; slowboatrecords.co.nz),
one of the country’s few remaining independent
Rita’s chefs Kelda
Haines and Matt
Hawkes. Left: Ghuznee
Street boutique Ena
showcases up-and-
coming local designers.
record stores and the place to pick up hard-to-
ind new releases and forgotten musical gems
from every era. The knowledgeable staf can also
tell you where to catch the best local acts.
If your tastes run more to style than sound,
add Ena (30 Ghuznee St.; 64-4/803-3882; iamena
.co.nz) to your list of places to go. Owner Nadya
France-White stocks up-and-coming local de-
signers along with a meticulously curated collec-
tion of international pieces, accessories, shoes,
and beauty products.
From Ena, wander down to the hip laneway
of Eva Street for an edible souvenir. Leaving
prestigious legal careers to make peanut butter
might sound nutty, but it has worked out well
for husband-and-wife team Roman and Andrea
Jewell, who ditched the law ive years ago to set
up their artisan peanut-butter company Fix and
Fogg (5 Eva St.; 64-21/190-5695; ixandfogg.co.nz).
Tap on the tiny window and they’ll happily serve
you the best peanut-butter toast of your life,
or sell you a jar or two of their award-winning
peanut butters. Don’t miss the manuka wood–
smoked blend Smoke & Fire, which combines
NICOLA EDMONDS
the brand’s Super Crunchy peanut butter with
organic New Zealand–grown chilies and Spanish
smoked paprika.
28 GOOD TO GO SPOTLIGHT
BEYOND BORACAY
While the gem of Philippine beach destinations is
closed until August for a much-needed cleanup, the
country has no shortage of alternative locales for sun,
sea, and sand. Here are five that should be on your
summer wish list. BY SCOTT JAMES ROXAS
Baler
This idyllic getaway on central Luzon’s east
coast is known for its local suring scene and
rich Spanish-colonial heritage, but it has plenty
of other tricks up its sleeve. If Sabang Beach is
wave-rider central, Dicasalarin Cove is the non-
surfer’s hangout with its white-sand shores,
smaller waves, and a so-called “lighthouse,” a
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
leaning monument that ofers sweeping views
of the rugged coastline from its clif-top location.
Make sure you drop by the Baler Museum, drive
up Ermita Hill, and hike through the rain for-
est to take a dip below Ditumabo Mother Falls.
SLEEP Surfers in the lineup are best observed
from the veranda of a second-loor suite in Cos-
ta Pacifica (63-2/519-4249; costapaciicabaler.com;
doubles from US$88), a modern, whitewashed
property on Sabang Beach.
Dahican
Mindanao in the far south has its share of
postcard-perfect sandy coastline, and up-and-
coming Dahican is well worth the four-hour
drive eastward from Davao. Dahican’s namesake
beach is the main attraction with its uninter-
rupted seven-kilometer stretch of white sand
that curls around the glittering waters of Mayo
Bay. While the beach draws day-trippers from
the neighboring city of Mati on weekends, you
may well have the beach virtually to yourself
outside of holiday periods. Thrill-seekers take
note: besides suring and skimboarding, an-
other way to experience a rush of adrenalin is
COURTESY OF COSTA PACIFICA; COURTESY OF OCEAN VIDA BEACH AND
through a heart-stopping 15-minute ride aboard
an ultralight plane that ofers magniicent vistas
DIVE RESORT; OPPOSITE: FRANCO BANFI/GETTY IMAGES
of the coast. SLEEP With rooms spread across
a pair of two-bedroom beachfront villas that
each have a kitchen and alfresco dining area,
Tropical Kanakbai (63/917-625-6301; kanakbai
.com; doubles from US$87) ofers peace, privacy,
and the added perk of a dedicated cook.
San Narciso
Its vast, open beach lined with towering pine

trees makes San Narciso a seaside retreat with
enough real estate for everyone to soak up
its quaint, unassuming appeal. While it’s fre-
quented for suring and camping, this otherwise
sleepy town an hour’s drive from Subic Bay oc-
casionally turns into a pulsating playground
when it hosts events like the annual Summer
Siren Festival. Visiting the nearby uninhabited
islands of Capones and Camara for a day is a
must to explore even emptier beaches, admire
various rock formations and clifs, and marvel at
the vast expanse of the West Philippine Sea from
a century-old lighthouse. SLEEP Zambawood
(63/915-991-4715; zambawood.com; family rooms
from US$308) is a sprawling coastal estate where
The Beach House accommodates up to 22 guests
in a huge modern-industrial chalet tucked in a
pine forest.
La Union
A favorite weekend haunt among yuppie Ma-
nileños, Luzon’s suring destination du jour has
miles of pale brown sand along with a thriving
food and retail scene, giving even non-surfers
plenty of reasons to linger. San Juan is the cen-
ter of the action with a strip of restaurants and
cafés lining the coast and extending across the
other side of MacArthur Highway. Farther aield,
clif jumping at Tangadan Falls, sampling the lo-
cal wine in nearby vineyards, and inspecting the
29
newly restored 400-year-old watchtower at Luna Below: Taking in
the rustic charms of
are worthwhile excursions. SLEEP Away from Malapascua. Opposite,
the crowds, Lafaayette Luxury Suites (63/916- from left: Poolside at
Costa Pacifica resort in
510-8287; lafaayetteluxurysuitesresort.com; suites Baler; fruit salad and
from US$142) is a newly opened retreat in Bau- freshly squeezed juice at
Malapascua’s Ocean Vida
ang that looks out to the Lingayen Gulf, ofer- Beach and Dive Resort.
ing Balinese-inspired rooms built steps from the
beach and a pool made for sunset dips.
Malapascua
Almost seven kilometers of the northernmost
tip of the island of Cebu, Malapascua is, by some
accounts, what Boracay was like 20 years ago.
Most small-scale resorts here congregate around
the powdery white sands of Bounty Beach in the
south, though you can also head to the wilder
stretch of Langob Beach in the north before
hiking along the scenic clifs of nearby Guim-
bitayan. Below the water’s surface, Malapascua
is known as the only place in the world where
thresher sharks can be regularly sighted in their
natural habitat, with the most popular dive site
being Monad Shoal, a cleaning station for these
four- to six-meter-long creatures. SLEEP Opt for
a mahogany- and abaca-furnished Sea View De-
luxe room at Ocean Vida Beach and Dive Resort
(63/917-568-5924; ocean-vida.com; doubles from
US$75), which has a restaurant, bar, and lounge
area where you can indulge in a mango daiquiri
right on Bounty Beach.
JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM
30 GOOD TO GO STYLE FILE

LION CITY LOOKS

With an outpouring of fashion-forward and socially conscious brands, young
Singaporean designers are making a splash on both the local and global scene.
Here are a few names to add to your wardrobe. BY KAREN FONG

THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET STOLEN

Inspired by cartography and natural history, this
casual vegan footwear brand is perfect for invet-
erate wanderers. Designer Sarah Swee’s comfort-
able slip-ons, sandals, and loafers are best suited
to everyday exploration. “I like the idea that we
are all explorers, each on our own journey—of
What began as a creative outlet beyond Elyn
Wong’s previous job in advertising has morphed
into a label known for its beautiful, structured,
and elegant womenswear. “I wanted to ill the
gap for what was missing in the market—edgi-
er backless garments for what I call alternative
COURTESY OF STATE PROPERTY; COURTESY OF DZOJCHEN;

Above, from left: The
Ellipsis ring from State
Property’s Unfold
collection; “The Man
self-discovery, personal or professional growth,” sexiness,” Wong says. Stolen recently took part
says Swee, who initially had doubts about start- in a collaborative art project with porcelain
COURTESY OF THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET

Who Fell to Earth,”
Dzojchen’s upcoming line
of winter womenswear,
includes wrap jumpsuits
like this one. Opposite:
The World At Your Feet
lives up to its name
with a playful design
on its casual slip-ons.
ing the business. “But I recall telling myself one
day, ‘if I had the world at my feet, nothing would
hold me back.’ And the idea and name just
stuck.” In June, the brand will add distressed-
canvas travel cases to its lineup.
Where to ind it: ELOHIM by Sabrina Goh at Capitol
Piazza and theworldatyourfeet.co.
brand Villeroy & Boch for Wallpaper* magazine’s
Handmade show at Milan Design Week (Salone
del Mobile), which will be showcased in Singa-
pore in June. Also on the cards? Private atelier
sessions at its digs in members’ club Straits Clan.
Where to ind it: Straits Clan, MOXIE, Nana&Bird,
and stolenstolen.com.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018


STATE PROPERTY
The brainchild of jeweler Ruiyin Lin and indus-
trial designer Afzal Imram, State Property cre-
ates minimalistic, streamlined pieces with an
architectural bent that feature precious metals
and stones. “We create what is probably best
described as fashion-ine jewelry,” says Imram.
The brand won the Emerging Designers Award
at the Singapore Fashion Awards 2017, and this
year, expanded to Jakarta and launched its irst
collection of engagement rings, Gravity.
Where to ind it: State Property’s atelier at 81 McNair
Road, the Red Dot Design Museum, Kapok at the
National Design Centre, and thisisstateproperty.com.
DZOJCHEN
Pronounced “doh-jen,” this androgynous,
contemporary brand is all leather jackets and
wearable looks perfect for a iercely diferent
woman—or man, as Chadwick Boseman proved
when he donned a Dzojchen wool bomber for
his ground-breaking TIME cover shoot. The
Black Panther superstar isn’t the only celebrity
fan of its crisp lines and tailored cuts; Johnny
Depp and Lenny Kravitz have also been spotted
in Dzojchen clothing. Designer Chelsea Scott-
A TASTE OF
SINGAPORE
Treat yourself to an amazing getaway at Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore.
Revel in the sights of Singapore and explore the vibrant city’s well-known precincts and multi-cultural enclaves. Experience a taste of
Singapore at our speciality pop-up stall by the Singapore River, featuring award-winning Executive Chef, Louis Tay’s signature Nyonya
Laksa and Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup during Singapore Food Festival (13 to 29 July 2018).
Enjoy your indulgent escapade with breakfast, late check-out (available until 14.00) and complimentary use of the swimming pool
and 24-hour gymnasium.
For enquiries and reservations, please call us at +65 6337 9993
or email reservations.merchantcourt@swissotel.com
31
Blackhall draws inspiration from the idea of
duality, a trait relected in her own British-Sin-
gaporean heritage.
Where to ind it: Fred Segal, Free People, Urban Out-
itters, Galeries Lafayette (all outside Singapore),
and dzojchen.com.
ANOTHERSOLE
A recent arrival on the Singapore fashion scene,
Anothersole was started last year by Phoebe
Charn and her business partner Benny Chee.
Charn had spent 15 years supplying footwear
to international brands in a fast-fashion envi-
ronment, after which she decided it was more
important to invest in quality classics and avoid
waste. The result? Footwear created with leath-
ers sourced from all around the world, includ-
ing a century-old tannery in northern Italy, and
soles of pure high-grade rubber, making them
lexible and also easy to pack. Better yet, for each
pair of shoes sold, Anothersole donates a por-
tion of the proceeds to feed a child. The brand
will soon be launching a kid’s line available at
Pedder on Scotts.
Where to ind it: Tangs, Paragon, Takashimaya, and
sg.anothersole.com.
32 GOOD TO GO NEXT STOP

Where to Stay
CARIBBEAN CHARISMA The adults-only
Iberostar Grand
Hotel Trinidad
No Spanish-colonial town in Cuba is quite as beguiling as UNESCO- (53-41/996-070;
thegrandcollection
listed Trinidad, whose pastel-hued, terra cotta–roofed buildings .com; doubles from
lie in the verdant foothills of the Escambray Mountains. Cowboys US$253) occupies
a restored colonial
from the surrounding countryside regularly roam on horseback building just a
10-minute walk
through the cobblestone streets, past churches and well-preserved from Plaza Mayor.
colonial mansions inanced by the booming sugar cane industry
Don’t Miss
(and slave trade) in the early to mid-1800s. Beyond the neo- The daily antique
Baroque monuments fronting Plaza Mayor, steam train ride into
the Agabama Valley,
Trinidad’s beating heart, local residents dance Getting There whose sugar mills
Located midway down and plantations were
to salsa and son cubano music into the early Cuba’s southern coast, once the source of
morning hours. The merrymaking reaches its Trinidad is a four-hour Trinidad’s wealth.
drive from Havana,
peak during the annual Fiestas Sanjuaneras, which in turn can be
reached from Singapore
a four-day celebration held around the last on KLM (klm.com)
weekend of June: expect rodeos, traditional via Amsterdam; and
from Hong Kong on
games, and an eye-popping parade of masked Air Canada (aircanada
.com) via Toronto.
revelers and loats that nod to the Afro-Cuban
roots of much of Trinidad’s populace. —James Louie

NIKADA/GETTY IMAGES

Late afternoon at
picturesque Plaza
Mayor, the main
square in Trinidad.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018


MALAYSIAN
SENSATION
This June, Banyan Tree will be
making its debut in Malaysia
with an intimate sky-high hotel.
Clockwise from top: A rendering of Banyan Tree Kuala
Lumpur’s exterior; the indoor dining area at Horizon
Grill; the open-air pool comes with alluring city views.
ADVERTISEMENT
uala Lumpur is about to welcome a new
K star with the opening of Malaysia’s first
Banyan Tree property on June 15 in
the heart of the Golden Triangle. Taking up
the seven uppermost floors of a gleaming
skyscraper, the Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur
brings no shortage of contemporary flair
in its 55 rooms and suites that start at a
generous 51 square meters. Most offer
views of two local landmarks – the Petronas
Twin Towers and Kuala Lumpur Tower –
and all guest rooms come stocked with
signature aromatherapy essentials and a
chromotherapy shower; private relaxation
pools are found in selected suites. The
Banyan Tree cocoons its guests in supreme
comfort high above the cosmopolitan
streets of downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Dining is a major highlight, thanks to the
four venues scattered through the hotel.
Tucked away in the arrival lobby, Bake by
Banyan Tree is a French-inspired pâtisserie
that offers homemade artisanal breads
and cakes, with ample seating to enjoy a
quiet bite. On the 53rd floor, Altitude is
the ideal place for morning coffee, light
lunches, relaxed afternoon tea sessions
and a sampling of curated wines and craft
beers. Not to be missed is Horizon Grill,
an exquisite seafood and grill restaurant
where patrons can opt for an indoor or
alfresco dining experience on a 58th-floor
roof terrace overlooking the city. It’s open
throughout the day, and is best for tucking
into gourmet dinners of premium steaks and
fresh seafood while looking out onto the
glittering skyline. One level up, Vertigo
will become the tallest hotel rooftop bar in
town, with bespoke cocktails, Southeast
Asian–style tapas, and live DJs to set
the mood.
No Banyan Tree property is complete
without the brand’s acclaimed spa, known
for its intuitive “high-touch, low-tech”
approach that emphasizes the human
touch while celebrating natural herbs
and spices. The Kuala Lumpur hotel will
have four couples’ spa suites, while other
facilities in the hotel include a gym and a
covered open-air swimming pool facing
the Petronas Twin Towers.
For stays from June 15, 2018 until
September 30, 2018, Banyan Tree Kuala
Lumpur is inviting all guests to experience
the urban resort with the Opening
Celebration offer. At just MYR878 nett,
the package includes daily breakfast
for two, RM150 worth of Banyan Tree
Spa credit per stay redeemable toward
a massage or treatment package, two
complimentary sunset mocktails at
Vertigo, and a 15 percent discount for
afternoon tea at Altitude and Banyan
Tree Spa essential products. Guests may
book directly with the property by calling
60-3/2113-1888, emailing reservations-
kualalumpur@banyantree.com, or visiting
the resort’s website at banyantree.com/
en/Malaysia/kuala-lumpur.
34 GOOD TO GO INSIDE TRACK

TUCKING
INTO TAIPEI
March saw the launch of the inaugural
Michelin guide to the Taiwanese capital,
but you’d be missing out if you skipped
the sidewalk eats. Here, four newly
starred chefs share their local favorites.
BY CHRIS SCHALKX
BREAKFAST WITH 
KAI HO OF TAÏRROIR  

“For an authentic
LUNCH WITH LIN JU-WEI
Taiwanese-style breakfast,
OF THE GUEST HOUSE
you can’t go wrong with
Fu Hang Dou Jiang (2F
“On the rare occasion that I
108 Zhongxiao East Rd.) on
have time for lunch outside
the irst loor of Huashan
the restaurant, I like to
Market. My pick from the
keep it simple and very
menu is shaobing, a sesame
local. I love xiaochi, literally
latbread that’s wrapped
“small eats,” around Taipei’s
around a youtiao (Chinese
Yonghe district. One of my
cruller) and a fried egg—
favorite stalls for this is
it’s so good! The shop is
Lehua Xiaochi (26 Baofu Rd.
immensely popular, and
Sec. 1). The rou geng (thick
queues sometimes start as
noodle soup with meat)
early as 5 a.m., stretching
here is perfectly cooked,
out all the way onto the
and doesn’t have the gamey
street. But after your irst
smell you’ll often notice
bite, you’ll know that it was
elsewhere. Its dry noodles
well worth the wait.”
are great, too. Not far away,
Chiayi Shan Yu Yi Mian
(367 Yongzhen Rd.) serves
delicious fried eel noodles
Freshly baked with a distinctively smoky
bread at Fu Hang and complex lavor.”
Dou Jiang.

DINNER WITH
RICHIE LIN OF MUME

“My go-to local dinner

spot is Xianjin Haichan
(5 Yanji St. Lane 23), a
XPACIFICA/GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY OF KAI HO; COURTESY OF LIN JU-WEI;

humble seafood joint in

LATE-NIGHT EATS WITH LAM MING KIN OF LONGTAIL Taipei’s Songshan district. I
usually order tons of seafood
COURTESY OF RICHIE LIN; COURTESY OF LAM MING KIN

“After a shift, I usually take my team to one of the many spicy
hotpot restaurants around town. The mala hotpot at Chan Chi
Hot Pots Lab (178 Nanjing East Rd. Sec. 2) is a personal favorite,
and the complexity and depth of the lavors inspired me to create
Longtail’s beef tenderloin with mala sauce and spring garlic puree.
I also enjoy hitting up Linjiang Street Night Market, one of the
few locally popular night markets that isn’t full of tourist traps. Try
the marinated chicken at Honghua Yanshui Ji (99 Linjiang St.) and
seek out Ice Wonderland (56 Tonghua St.) for traditional Taiwanese
desserts like aiyu, a natural gelatin served with lemon over ice.”
from their daily selection; it’s
fresh, afordable, and can be
prepared in any way you like. The
steamed ish is particularly good, as
they use a special seasoning and add some
Chinese wine into the soy sauce. Best of all, after you
inish they take the leftover sauce back into the kitchen
and make an amazing scrambled egg with it. Xiaozhang’s
Seafood (73 Liaoning St.) in Zhongshan is another
favorite; the seafood there is as fresh as it gets.”

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

36 GOOD TO GO WELLNESS

MIND AND MATTER

Bali recently became the launch pad for Revıvo,
whose boutique wellness resorts promise a balance
of good food, fitness, and spa time. BY ANGELA GOH

Perched on a three-hectare hillside property

Judging by the name alone, Revīvō is clear
about its mission. In Latin it simply means “I’ll
live again,” which speaks of a noble aim to in-
spire better living for all its guests. This new well-
ness resorts brand is the brainchild of two Hong
Kong–based entrepreneurs who share a passion
for wellness and travel: Gordon Oldham, founder
Above, from left: of The Pavilions Hotels and Resorts; and Laurie
above Nusa Dua, Revīvō Bali has just 16 smartly
furnished suites spread across three thatched-
roof villas. In this intimate setting swathed in
teak forest, where the lush tropical gardens
come dotted with lily ponds, weary urbanites
can restore their sense of balance through a
choice of six three-day retreats. Revīvō’s signa-
ture program, the Emotional Balance and Mind
Training retreat, aims to manage stress through
integrating personalized meals, exercises, and
spa treatments.
It all starts with a body composition analysis;
data gleaned from that is printed inside a per-
sonal journal, alongside health pointers that ex-
plain the foodstufs appropriate for every blood
type. These journals are a key component of the
mind-training aspect, allowing guests to record
their objectives and eforts, mood, food con-
sumption, and daily achievements.
Though that may sound a little severe at irst,
any apprehension of a strict regimen soon dis-
appears at the dining table. Revīvō’s charm is in
its adherence to the age-old counsel of balance
and moderation, along with its coterie of enthu-
siastic staf. Here, eating is a celebration—an
interplay of nourishing sustenance and an ex-
quisite culinary adventure—teasing the senses
and tossing out the notion that a healthy diet
is inherently insipid. The menu is curated by
Spanish chef and nutritionist Alethea Scaparros
(better known as Aliwalu), a purveyor of mind-
ful, balanced eating who incorporates elements
of the Slow Food movement as well as the mac-
COURTESY OF REVIVO WELLNESS RESORTS

Poolside at one Mias, who began Mr. Green Juice, Hong Kong’s robiotic and raw food diets. Organic vegetables,
of Revıvo Bali’s
three villas; the irst organic cold-pressed juicery. The opening of meat, and ish feature alongside spirit-boosting
menu here features its Bali property in late March marked Revīvō’s cofee and alcohol.
locally harvested
fruit and other worldwide launch; still to come next year are a The result? Innovative, Instagram-worthy
natural ingredients. wellness cruiser in the Komodo Islands (also in drinks and dishes with sassy names. The Rolling
Opposite: Ayurvedic
shirodhara therapy Indonesia) and a resort inside the 19th-century Root salad is a psychedelic riot of marinated raw
at the resort’s spa. Château de Fiac in southern France. roots, grilled shiitake mushrooms, tempeh, and

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 37

fresh greens seasoned with black-sesame gomasio. Thirst quencher

Heal Me Gently is a super-charged concoction of roselle, pandan,
and orange; for something stronger, try the rambutan martini.
Mornings begin with a high-powered trio of healthy shots—lem-
on juice with a pinch of salt, kombucha (fermented tea), and jamu,
or Indonesian herbal medicine (in this case a mixture of ginger, tur-
meric, and coconut oil)—followed by a pre-breakfast itness session.
Throughout the day, expect a balance of cardio and one or two
body-and-mind workouts that are tailored to desired intensity and
ability. These range from hard-hitting activities such as kickboxing,
TRX suspension training, Pilates, and HIIT (High Intensity Interval
Training) dance, to milder but no less restorative Primordial Sound
Meditation, pranayama breathing exercises, yoga, qigong, and tai chi.
Soothing spa pampering takes over as the afternoon sun begins
to sink toward the horizon. Aromatherapy massage and shirodhara
—in which warm Ayurvedic oil is poured onto the forehead—help
return body, mind, and spirit to equilibrium. Come evening, another
mind-training tool is shared by way of inspirational ive-minute bed-
side reads. The aim is to cultivate simplicity, mindfulness, altruism,
and self-reliance—achieving positive transformation via simple,
practical steps that can still be followed long after you leave.

Revīvō Wellness Resorts ofer year-round three- to 14-night retreats from

US$2,100 per person, all-inclusive. There are day and weekend wellness
journeys as well as room-only options.

ADVERTISEMENT

ISLAND IDYLLS
Nature’s wonders provide a backdrop for romantic
escapes at Constance Halaveli Maldives.
Indian Ocean holidays don’t get much better than this.
Tucked away on a crystal-clear turquoise lagoon in the
North Ari atoll, a scenic 25-minute seaplane ride from Male
International Airport, Constance Halaveli Maldives is the
perfect island retreat for pampering that special someone
in your life. The 86 villas here promise both privacy and
contemporary comforts, with private plunge pools on the
beach or over the water.
Elsewhere at the resort, indulge in the freshest daily catch
with dinners at alfresco Meeru Beach Grill or creative Asian
fusion cuisine at specialty restaurant Jing. Unwind at U Spa
by Constance, where stilted treatment rooms beckon with
a two-hour “couple bliss ritual.” Off the island, there are
ample opportunities to go dolphin watching or embark on
a romantic sunset cruise. Don’t miss the chance to dive the
nearby coral reefs and encounter whale sharks, the gentle
giants of the deep.
For more information, visit constancehotels.com
38 GOOD TO GO BULLETIN

following a powerful earthquake in Yogyakarta,

BACK TO SCHOOL
An exploration of the wild wonders of eastern
Indonesia can now be paired with an unforgettable
volunteering experience. BY JAMES LOUIE
Few would disagree that Labuan Bajo—a fast-
developing port town on the western coast of
the Indonesian island of Flores—is in an ach-
ingly beautiful part of the world. Fiery sunsets
are a regular sight over the phinisi-illed harbor,
and in 2013 created its irst independent chap-
ter, Happy Hearts Fund Indonesia. In March, the
Jakarta-based chapter celebrated its ifth an-
niversary with the launch of the #IamChange
campaign, which aims to rebuild 200 schools
across the province of East Nusa Tenggara—of
which Flores is a part—in the next ive years. It’s
an ambitious goal that hopes to ill a gap in one
of the least developed of Indonesia’s 34 prov-
inces. Recent government statistics state that
almost a quarter of the population here is un-
der the age of 10, and Happy Hearts found that
many kindergartens and early education centers
were not built to be quake-resistant and did not
have a toilet and other sanitation facilities. Just
as concerning was the widespread lack of desks,
chairs, and adequate stationery.
To help get the word out, Happy Hearts Indo-
nesia has recruited ive celebrity campaign am-
bassadors including Paul Foster, a Singaporean
actor and model of British-Peranakan descent.
Fresh of a recent trip to rebuild two schools in
Labuan Bajo, he’s clear about the value of join-
ing a volunteer build as a meaningful add-on to
an Indonesian vacation. “You learn a lot about
yourself—managing expectations and devel-
oping skills when it comes to communication,
teamwork, and the actual construction elements
involved.” But his work as both volunteer and
ambassador is ultimately tied to the idea of leav-
COURTESY OF HAPPY HEARTS FUND INDONESIA; LROSEBRUGH/ISTOCK

Above, from left:
Singaporean actor and
model Paul Foster on
a volunteer build with
Happy Hearts Fund
Indonesia in Labuan
Bajo; the view from
Kelor Island, inside
Komodo National Park.
and on the islands beyond lie the primeval land-
scapes and equally primeval-looking creatures
of Komodo National Park, with a kaleidoscope
of marine life below the waves. But essential ser-
vices for local communities have not kept pace
with the ongoing boom in visitor numbers and
improvements in tourist infrastructure.
Enter Happy Hearts Fund, an NGO that Czech
supermodel Petra Němcová founded in 2006 to
rebuild schools in disaster-stricken areas. The
charity stepped up to the plate that same year
ing a legacy.
“We are helping the next generation grow
with the focus of getting an education in a safe
environment,” Foster adds. “If we start with the
children, we can hopefully have enough impact
to break the poverty cycle for as many of them
as possible, and give them a better shot at life.”
Happy Hearts Fund Indonesia will be running vol-
unteering trips in August and November. For more
details, visit happyheartsindonesia.org.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018


Cocooned in the
Charms of Vietnam
Look to Phu Quoc and the island’s award-winning La Veranda Resort for your next summertime getaway.
D
reaming of a Southeast Asian
beach vacation without the
crowds? Up-and-coming Phu
Quoc, Vietnam’s Pearl Island,
has natural charms aplenty and luxurious
lodgings to suit both active families and
the wellness-minded traveler.
Situated on a wide stretch of beach
lapped by calm azure waters, the ive-star
boutique La Veranda Resort MGallery by
Soitel recalls the grandeur of a French-
colonial mansion, with high ceilings,
antique-style fans, interiors of polished
wood, and all the creature comforts one
could wish for. It has been recognized as
Vietnam’s “Luxury Boutique Hotel of the
Year” in the 2016 Luxury Travel Guide,
Asia’s best in the Luxury Romantic Beach
Resort category at the 2017 World Luxury
Hotel Awards, and most recently in the
2018 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards.
Families are especially well taken care of
this summer thanks to the Very Important
Kid, or VIK, offer. Children under 12 can
Clockwise from this photo: A Junior suite at La Veranda Resort
Phu Quoc; poolside at the French colonial–style property;
guests can join morning yoga sessions by the beach.
ADVERTISEMENT
look forward to welcome cookies and
drinks, special in-room amenities, and
even a teddy bear turn-down service.
The in-house VIK Kids Club features
an indoor library and play center, mini
screening room, and Xbox gaming, while
La Veranda’s all-day beach activities are
designed to keep guests of all ages
entertained, with exciting treasure hunts
and other beneits included in the room
rate.
Beyond the resort lies a slew of
attractions to discover. A must-see is the
historic Dinh Cau lighthouse and temple,
a popular place among locals to watch
a tropical ocean sunset. You can ascend
the 29 steps to a terrace at the base
of the landmark blue-and-white striped
lighthouse, stop by the shrine dedicated
to sea goddess Thien Hau, and admire
the view overlooking Duong Dong Town
and its ishing port.
Nature lovers should head to Phu Quoc
National Park in the island’s northeast,
which hosts the last remaining stand of
primary rain forest in southern Vietnam.
Below the soaring dipterocarps with
enormous buttress roots, the reserve
shelters more than 200 animal species,
including the great hornbill, silvered
langur, small-clawed otter, and slow
loris. Meanwhile, the smaller islands to
the north and south of Phu Quoc are a
wonderland for snorkeling or diving, with
healthy coral reefs and colorful schools
of ish.
Back at La Veranda, rejuvenate your mind
and body with the Escape to Wellness, a
special summer offer that provides a raft
of complimentary activities such as daily
yoga and meditation by the sea, along
with workshops on the art of Vietnamese
massage. Whether it’s for a family or
wellness holiday, Vietnam’s La Veranda
will have you covered.
For more information, visit
laverandaresorts.com
40 GOOD TO GO HOTEL NEWS

TESTING GROUNDS
Nitrogen coffee and tea-
infused beer are just two of
the more unusual offerings
at Taste Lab (regenthotels
.com), the newest lifestyle
space at the Regent Taipei.
In a first for Taiwan, guests
here can enjoy a crossover
of gourmet dining with 3-D
technology through the
Le Petit Chef Experience
running until July 31; each
course is preceded by a
short animation narrating
a virtual chef’s journey in
creating that dish. As for
the menu, expect modern
American West Coast–style
fare (like smoked-salmon
mille crepes) by Taste Lab’s
first chef-in-residence,
A PARISIAN REMAKE Paul Lee, who was trained
at the acclaimed Patina
restaurant in Los Angeles.
The most anticipated opening in the French capital this year is that of the Hotel Lutetia A three-and-a-half
(33-1/4954-4600; hotellutetia.com; doubles from US$829), a 118-year-old Art Nouveau gem hour stint as a culinary
on the Left Bank of the Seine. Favored by generations of literati, the grande dame of professional is also on
Saint-Germain-des-Prés relaunches on June 15 after a sensitive four-year renovation by the cards for those keen
architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte that has peeled back false ceilings and layers of paint to to test their mettle in the
reveal forgotten frescoes and other original design lourishes. Natural light now spills into kitchen. —Daniel Hartanto
the updated guest rooms, whose numbers have been reduced from 233 to 184, and the
Lutetia’s Belle Époque charm lives on in the downstairs venues that have been transformed
into a jazz bar (pictured above), lounge, and open-air courtyard. Also of note: the storied
Brasserie will now be helmed by three-Michelin-starred chef Gerald Passedat. —James Louie
COURTESY OF THE SET HOTELS; COURTESY OF REGENT HOTELS &

Z MARKS THE SPOT

Czech entrepreneur Václav Dejcmar may have made a name for himself in the
world of financial trading, philanthropy, and contemporary art and fashion,
but he has now waded into hospitality with Zuri Zanzibar (zurizanzibar.com),
a newly minted seaside resort and the first member of Design Hotels in
RESORTS; COURTESY OF ZURI ZANZIBAR

the fabled Tanzanian archipelago. A result of his passion “for the aesthetic
of nature, for the beauty of simplicity and freedom from the daily routine,”
the 13-hectare property fronts a private west-facing beach in a large lagoon
protected from the tidal changes so prevalent elsewhere on the main
island of Unguja. Zuri’s 55 bungalows, suites, and villas come swathed in
greenery that took two years for hundreds of gardeners to cultivate, while the
luxuriant grounds also host three restaurants, a spa with a Jacuzzi deck, and
a spice garden that doubles as a backdrop for Swahili cooking classes. —JL

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 41

JAPANESE LESSONS

TO MARK THE AMAN BRAND’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY, AMAN TOKYO

AND AMANEMU (AMAN.COM) HAVE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF
12 INSIDER JOURNEYS AIMED AT ALLOWING GUESTS TO SHED
THE DETACHMENT OF BEING MERE OBSERVERS AND BECOME
PARTICIPANTS IN TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CULTURE. IN TOKYO,
THESE RANGE FROM A SUSHI-MAKING CLASS AT SEVEN-SEATER
GINZA RESTAURANT
IWA HANARE TO A TEA
CEREMONY INSIDE A
MINIMALISTIC CHASHITSU
TEAHOUSE, WITH THE
RARE CHANCE TO
PREPARE SEASONAL
GARDEN VARIETY WAGASHI SWEETS AT THE
STUDIO OF A TRADITIONAL
Come July, the Four CONFECTIONER
Seasons Hotel Singapore BEFOREHAND. THREE
(fourseasons.com) will
debut its newly renovated HUNDRED KILOMETERS
rooms by Hirsch Bedner TO THE SOUTHWEST AT
Associates, the same AMANEMU, GUESTS CAN
high-wattage firm that EXPLORE THE DEEP BLUE
did the property’s original WITH A VETERAN FEMALE
interiors and oversaw the PEARL DIVER OR EMBARK
revamp of its Jiang-Nan
Chun restaurant two years ON A CULINARY TOUR
ago. The designers drew OF THE SURROUNDING
inspiration from the lotus- SHIMA PENINSULA. —JL
studded ponds of the
nearby UNESCO-listed
Singapore Botanic Gardens
to create a color palette
with blue tones and lime-
green accents, while giving
each guest room a feature
wall of Peranakan tiles
that nod to Singapore’s
multicultural heritage. —DH

BOLT FROM THE BLUE

Soneva Fushi has taken the Maldivian resort
dining experience to new heights with
Out of the Blue (soneva.com), a two-story
overwater structure dedicated entirely to
the art of eating and drinking. The main
attraction is its namesake 50-seater venue,
a foodie’s wonderland with several themed
zones including a cheese room, a chocolate
STEVIE MANN/SONEVA; COURTESY OF AMAN RESORTS INTERNATIONAL;

and ice-cream parlor, and So Hot, which

comes equipped with a tandoor oven,
robata grill, and pizza oven. Elsewhere
in the structure, gourmands will ind
COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS

venues plating up Modern Chinese and

Japanese cuisine, a teppanyaki table for
just eight diners, and a ive-seater sushi
bar primed to host visiting greats such
as Kenji Gyoten—the youngest three-
Michelin-starred chef in Japan. Another
highlight? Surprise dinners at Once Upon
A Table, cooked by a rotating roster of
star chefs from around the world. —JL

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

42 GOOD TO GO AIRLINE NEWS

ROUTE UPDATES

Hong Kong–Dublin
Cathay Pacific

The Emerald Isle is now even closer for

travelers based in Hong Kong, thanks to the
June 2 debut of Cathay’s four-times-weekly
services to the Irish capital aboard its Airbus
A350 aircraft. Departing after midnight on
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays, the outward flight of just under
13 hours will reach Dublin by 7 a.m. local
time, before turning around for the 12-hour
run back to Hong Kong (cathaypacific.com).

Dubai–Bali–Auckland
BULLETIN Kuala Lumpur–Hua Hin Emirates
AirAsia
Complementing Emirates’ existing nonstop
With the recent launch of this route, AirAsia flights to Auckland, June 14 will see the
In-flight Apparel now holds the distinction of running the launch of an additional daily service via Bali.
Etihad Airways sole commercial flights in and out of Hua This will break up the 16-hour journey into
Hin, Thailand’s original beach resort town. two manageable segments while offering
First-class passengers traveling aboard Abu Airbus A320 aircraft have been deployed to passengers the only year-round flights
Dhabi–based carrier Etihad can now look fly from Kuala Lumpur four times a week, between Auckland and Indonesia’s favorite
forward to donning its newest collection making for an alternative, hassle-free way to holiday island, taking eight hours to New
of locally designed loungewear. The work reach Hua Hin instead of a three-hour drive Zealand and nine hours and 15 minutes on
of up-and-coming Emirati brand A Friend or train ride from Bangkok (airasia.com). the return leg (emirates.com).
of Mine by Xpoze, it was inspired by the
simplicity and clean lines of traditional dress.
Comfort is assured due to its breathable
properties and the use of anti-bacterial and
hypoallergenic modal fiber. Better yet, the
loungewear is not just meant for relaxing
and sleeping while in the air, but can be
reused and kept as a bespoke item that’s
suitable to wear outdoors (etihad.com).

New Lounge
Malaysia Airlines

As part of ongoing efforts to overhaul

its brand image, Malaysia Airlines has
recently unveiled its new-look Golden
Lounge at the satellite terminal in Kuala
Lumpur International Airport. A fine-dining
restaurant here caters solely to first-class
passengers, while those traveling in both
first and business aboard all Oneworld
carriers can refuel at the noodle bar, enjoy
nasi lemak, and relax in a variety of settings.
Throughout the lounge, rattan cane–backed
armchairs and lattice screens nod to the
local aesthetics (malaysiaairlines.com).
NEW CABIN PRODUCTS
COURTESY OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES; COURTESY OF MALAYSIA AIRLINES

A REST ASSURED
After taking delivery of the first Boeing 787-10s earlier this year,
Singapore Airlines has fitted the brand-new aircraft with features
that make regional flights of up to eight hours an absolute cinch.
All business-class passengers on board have direct aisle access
from 26-inch seats that recline to fully flat beds, promising
better sleep even on shorter journeys such as the 787-10s’ twice-
daily services to Bangkok (singaporeair.com).

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 45

DISPATCHES
JOURNAL A pristine corner of
Western Australia’s
Going to Dirk Hartog Island.
extremes in
Greenland
p. 50

HERITAGE
The rich
legacies of
Cebu City
p. 57

ISLES APART
Been to Hayman, Hamilton, Daydream, and
Kangaroo? Seen Fraser and Phillip? Australia’s high-
profile islands are popular for good reason, but there
are plenty of others that afford an equally alluring
union of beaches, wildlife, and history—minus the
crowds. From the Northern Territory to Tasmania,
here are six lesser-known islands to add to your next
adventure Down Under. BY NATASHA DRAGUN
WILL WARDLE

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

46 DISPATCHES ISLAND HOPPING
HAGGERSTONE ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
After becoming the sole inhabitants of this jung-
ly speck of land in 1985, bushman Roy Turner
and his English wife Anna spent six years craft-
ing an intimate resort from driftwood and alang-
alang thatch. “We were looking for a place to live
a dream,” Anna recalls. “It had to be remote and
wild.” Haggerstone is both.
Situated at the top end of the Great Barrier
Reef, the 42-hectare island is reachable only by
charter plane from Cairns, a two-hour light that
deposits you at nearby Hicks Island for the on-
ward boat transfer. The resort itself comprises
just three breeze-cooled “huts” and a larger
Moroccan-style villa called House Mawu, plus
a communal main building with a library, bar,
and restaurant where your hosts prepare meals
that feature freshly caught seafood and produce
grown in their gardens. “We encourage guests to
pick fruit from the orchard for breakfast,” says
Anna. You can also forage for oysters and mud
crabs, or ish for the day’s dinner.
Despite its hilly and overgrown terrain, the
island is easy to explore on foot; one highlight is
visiting a protected beach where newly hatched
turtles make evening pilgrimages to the ocean.
A charter helicopter can take you farther aield
to isolated mainland waterfalls or to Cape York’s
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Above: The dining and
lounge area of the Moroccan-
inspired House Mawu,
Haggerstone Island Resort’s
premium accommodation.
Opposite: The seaside guest
quarters at Tasmania’s Picnic
Island, outside and in.
Shelburne Bay, whose mountainous white sand
dunes beg to be tobogganed (haggerstoneisland
.com.au; from US$600 per person, all-inclusive).
DIRK HARTOG ISLAND, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
In 1616, a century and a half before Captain Cook
landed on the east coast of Australia, Dutch
explorer Dirk Hartog arrived at this west-coast
island that now bears his name. Eighty kilome-
ters long, it sits in the middle of Shark Bay, a
World Heritage area some 800 kilometers north
of Perth. On arrival, you can boast you’ve visited
the country’s most westerly point.
Over the years, industries here have included
guano mining, pearling, and sheep farming. As
part of Return to 1616—a recent eco-initiative
COURTESY OF HAGGERSTONE ISLAND RESORT; COURTESY OF PICNIC ISLAND
aimed at restoring the island’s vegetation and
habitats to their original state—feral sheep and
goats have been removed from the island and
environmentalists expect to declare Hartog free
of non-native animals by mid-2018. They also
plan to repopulate it with creatures that did not
survive human encroachment; already, a num-
ber of rufous and banded hare-wallabies have
been translocated from nearby islands, with
other “lost species” due to follow.
For more than two decades now, the island’s
1869-built homestead and shearers’ quarters
 47

have been run as an eco-lodge by Kieran Wardle,

whose family has owned Dirk Hartog since the
1960s. There are basic but comfortable rooms as
well as a self-contained cottage by the sea and
spots for camping along the coast.
“Every visitor should stand on the clifs of
Herald Heights, 180 meters above the Indian
Ocean, and watch the last sunset in Australia,”
suggests Kieran, one of ive residents on the is-
land today (the others: his wife, Tory, and their
children). Trekking along the coast en route to
Australia’s largest breeding colony of loggerhead
turtles, you’ll also likely spot humpback whales,
dugongs, and dolphins (dirkhartogisland.com;
three-night stays from US$1,006 per person, includ-
ing all meals).

TROUBRIDGE ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

There’s not a lot to do on Troubridge Island, a
slip of land of South Australia’s Yorke Penin-
sula. But therein lies its appeal. Expect complete
desertion save for an old candy-striped light-
house and a heritage-listed keeper’s cottage that
today provides rustic accommodate for a single
party of up to 12 people.
The island’s caretakers, Judy and Chris John-
son, meet guests dockside in the coastal town
of Edithburgh, 60 kilometers west of Adelaide,
for the short boat ride across Investigator Strait.
Days are spent strolling beaches and sandy
dunes laced with saltbush and spinifex, the
habitat for more than 60 native birds including
crested terns, pied cormorants, and little pen-
guins. There are also passing pods of dolphins to
look out for, as well as a resident sea lion.
The lighthouse (the irst in Australia to be
made of cast iron) was built in the mid-18th
century to alert ships to the treacherous Trou-
bridge Shoals; automated in 1981, it was decom-
missioned two decades later when an electronic
beacon replaced it at sea. But it’s as charming as
ever, and comes with plenty of tales and legends
—just ask the Johnsons (environment.sa.gov.au;
US$90 per adult and $45 per child for two nights,
minimum four adults).

PICNIC ISLAND, TASMANIA

Australia’s smallest state may take its name
from the country’s largest island, but Tasma-
nia in fact encompasses hundreds of islands.
Most are tiny, remote, and inaccessible, and
only about a dozen are freehold—Picnic is one
of them. After he bought this rocky islet more
than a decade ago, former barrister and politi-
cian Clem Newton-Brown visited regularly,
camping on dramatic sandstone clifs with his
family. In 2016, he enlisted Hobart-based archi-
tect John Latham to create a copper-clad lodge,
which can now be rented for the exclusive use of

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

48 DISPATCHES ISLAND HOPPING
10 people. While rooms are basic, the commu-
nal living area—dubbed the Birdhouse—comes
with a well-equipped kitchen and leather sofas
arranged around a suspended ireplace.
A 2.5-hour drive from Hobart, Coles Bay on
the Freycinet Peninsula is the transfer point for
water taxis to the island. It’s a brief but scenic
jaunt backdropped by the pink-hued Hazards
mountains, and it ofers a good chance to spot
dolphins, seals, and whales. Picnic is also a rook-
ery for little penguins, hundreds of which waddle
from the water to their burrows each evening.
Daytime diversions range from foraging for
mussels and sea urchins to diving for abalone
and crayish; guests can also arrange a boat ride
to nearby Wineglass Bay, regularly voted one of
the world’s best beaches. Soon, you’ll also be able
to wander among installations by Patricia Pic-
cinini, a Melbourne-based artist commissioned
to create a series of environmental sculptures
around the island (picnicisland.com.au; exclusive
rental from US$3,325, three-night minimum).
GROOTE EYLANDT, NORTHERN TERRITORY
It’s the largest of around 40 islands in the Gulf of
Carpentaria and the fourth largest of its kind in
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Above: A remote Australian
external territory located
1,400 kilometers east of the
New South Wales mainland,
Norfolk Island combines a
colorful history (it was once
a penal colony and a refuge
for descendants of the HMS
Bounty mutineers) with
well-preserved natural assets
ranging from the lush local
flora to beautiful beaches
and picturesque sea cliffs.
Australia, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that
Groote Eylandt means “big island” in Dutch.
Named by Abel Tasman in 1644, Groote has been
inhabited (and owned) by the Anindilyakwa
people for more than 8,000 years and is part of
the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve.
The island is reached via daily lights from
Darwin, 650 kilometers to the west. Touching
down, you’re welcomed by a remarkably pris-
tine landscape of paperbark swamps, monsoon
vine forests, deserted beaches, and sandstone
plateaus. For decades, Groote was of-limits to
tourists, and even now visitor activities remain
low-impact and eco-sensitive, using the 60-room
Groote Eylandt Lodge as a base.
Cultural tours explore centuries-old rock art
sites and other aspects of Aboriginal life, while
anglers and divers will be mesmerized by the
abundance of marine life, which includes mar-
lin, barramundi, sailish, dugongs, and ive spe-
cies of turtles. Groote is also an Important Bird
Area (IBA) thanks to an ofshore islet that has
become a globally signiicant breeding site for
the roseate tern (grooteeylandtlodge.com.au; dou-
bles from US$210).
NORFOLK ISLAND, EXTERNAL TERRITORY
One of Australia’s most geographically isolated
communities, Norfolk is a dot of volcanic history
in the middle of the Paciic. Previously occupied
by seafaring Polynesians, the island was turned
into a British convict settlement in the 18th and
19th centuries, developing a reputation as “Hell
in the Paciic.” Today, the former prison site in
Kingston, the territorial capital, is idyllic: a row
of heritage-listed Georgian buildings looking out
to Emily Bay, where locals dive from a pontoon
into clear water that fades into a shallow reef.
The only way to get here is by plane, with
two lights a week from both Sydney (1,600 kilo-
meters to the southwest) and Brisbane; supplies
are brought from the mainland by boat, which
docks monthly. This isolation means Norfolk’s
dramatic natural assets are well preserved, with
stunning surf beaches, calm lagoons, and dense
pine forests among the attractions.
When not hiking, swimming, or suring,
visitors can sample local wine at Two Chimneys
vineyard, tour cheese makers, and enjoy island-
inspired meals at a handful of good cafés.
Among a number of excellent places to stay is
Forrester Court, a clutch of self-contained cot-
tages overlooking Cascade Bay. Also be sure to
visit the former home of Colleen McCullough:
the celebrated author was a Norfolk resident
until her death in 2015, and her estate has been
ELLGEEMAC/ ISTOCK
preserved as a museum packed with art and
literary treasures (norfolkisland.com.au; cottages at
Forrester Court from US$265).
50 DISPATCHES JOURNAL

Kayaking in Disko
Bay, where icebergs
calved from the
Sermeq Kujalleq
glacier flow through
from the Ilulissat
Icefjord.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 51

GREENLAND IN
THE LIMELIGHT
As the world’s largest island gets greener,
its residents are warming to the benefits that
climate change might bring.
BY TODD PITOCK

The July sun hangs above the town of Uummannaq like

a ixture spraying light from the top of the world. We’re 650 kilo-
meters north of the Arctic Circle in western Greenland, yet it’s
warm enough—around 18°C—for short sleeves and smoothies.
Just ofshore in the fjord, an iceberg three stories high and as wide
as a small apartment building glows luminously in the dazzling
midday light.
Visiting Greenland has been a longstanding ambition of mine.
As a child, I’d look on maps at the great wedge of land over America
and just wonder what, and who, was there. Many years later, on a
light from New York to Europe, I inally saw the world’s largest is-
land for myself, its massive ice cap spread out 11,000 meters below
like a vast desert of frost.
That ice cap, melting and cracking and calving island-size ice-
bergs, has lately focused attention on this remote landmass. As far
removed from the rest of the planet as it may be, it is a crucible of
global issues: as Greenland gets greener, it’s becoming a hothouse
of change. There is a nationhood movement for independence from
Denmark, which has governed it since the 18th century. Economic
development and environmentalism, globalization and heritage,
grind against one another like the tectonic plates deep below the
softening permafrost. And yet, during my 12-day cruise up the
island’s west coast aboard the MS Fram, a 127-cabin expedition
vessel operated by Norway’s Hurtigruten group, few of the Green-
landers I encounter on our shore excursions seem overly concerned
about any of it.
“We know that the climate is changing, but we aren’t worried,
because we know it is always changing,” says Salik Hard, a tourism
consultant hired by the Fram to give lectures on Greenland topics.
“People in Europe and America have mass hysteria. It’s useful for
politicians and the media.”
He adds, “There are good things about the hysteria. Maybe it’ll
JEN JUDGE

get the West to stop poisoning the seas and oceans. That would be
a good thing.”

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

52 DISPATCHES JOURNAL

In Uummannaq, which lies on the southern

tip of a small island in a fjord of the same name, The island
the dock is busy with ishermen baiting lines. settlement of
Uummannaq
One of them, Ole Qvist, is happy to chat about at the base of
the eternal world of Greenlanders—Inuits who its namesake
mountain.
crossed an ice bridge from what is now north- Opposite: The
ern Canada to the island 4,000 years ago and MS Fram in
settled on its coastal fringes. Qvist has lived in Uummannaq
Fjord.
Uummannaq his whole life and seems happy
about most things, save perhaps his waistline.
“When I was a young man,” he tells me, “I was
a champion dogsled racer. But now,” he sighs,
“it takes seven dogs to pull me.” As for global
warming, Qvist is enjoying some unexpected
beneits: the superb Greenlandic halibut now
swim closer to the surface, so he is able to pull
up more and bigger ish in a lengthening season.
But he is not happy about every change.
“Younger people here are too inluenced
from abroad and want to live like foreigners,”
Qvist complains. “They look down on us ishers
and hunters. I understand it’s important to get
an education, but I’ll tell you something, you
can be educated and know computers and soft-
ware and still be unemployed. I don’t know any
unemployed ishermen. We always have work.”
I walk to the other side of the harbor to a
café where Norah Jones is playing on the radio
over the hiss of milk being foamed for a cap-
puccino. Here are the young people Qvist has in
mind. A teenage girl in jeans and sneakers, with
turquoise earrings and a blue tattoo just behind
her ear, sips an icy luorescent-yellow drink
through a straw. At another table sits a couple
who introduce themselves as Winnie and Jens.
Winnie wears wraparound sunglasses. One of
Jens’ biceps is covered by a tattoo. They look
like visiting Europeans. In fact, they own the
café and have always lived here. The Internet
brought the world to them, and they want to be
part of it.
“We don’t have to choose between being in hunters and ishermen. “They won’t listen to
the world and being Greenlandic,” Winnie says. incentives or to threats,” she says. “I can’t stop
“Life is change; adapting doesn’t mean aban- them. They just go.”
doning who you are. It isn’t, after all, as if any- Before leaving, I gaze out the window at
one still lives in traditional turf houses.” Mount Uummannaq, the 1,188-meter heart-
They are Greenlandic in their hearts, they shaped summit from which the village takes its
Getting There
say. They describe winter in Uummannaq— The Icelandic capital of name. For the 1,300 people who live there, the
subzero temperatures, three months without Reykjavík is the starting mountain, all rose-hued granite and gneiss, re-
sunlight—with a warmth that I suspect you point for many Greenland presents permanence. What changes is the ice.
cruises; Keflavík
have to be from a cold climate to understand. International Airport, A beam of sunshine seems to set the iceberg
The polar night descends, the aurora borealis about 50 kilometers just of the dock ablaze with white light.
spreads its sparkling web of electriied light, and southwest of the city, is “Will that melt in the course of the sum-
TODD PITOCK. OPPOSITE: GETTY IMAGES

connected by an ever-
spirits come out. They say they have encoun- increasing number of mer?” I ask Jens.
tered ghosts, and that they once used shamans flights to Europe and “It will be gone by tomorrow morning,” he
to exorcise their home. North America. Finnair says, “and a new one will take its place.”
Some things are just part of their DNA, (finnair.com) flies the
fastest routes from
Winnie says. When the weather is right, for Singapore and Hong Despite global warming, most of Green-
example, her servers and baristas morph into Kong, via Helsinki. land is still ice, which covers 95 percent of its

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 53

landmass, or 1.7 million square kilometers. At

the summit of its ice sheet, the ice piles more
than three kilometers high and has pressed the
land beneath it almost 360 meters below sea
level. Antarctica has almost 85 percent of the
world’s ice; Greenland has 12 percent—35 times
more than Alaska.
Not surprisingly, the Greenlandic language,
which is Inuit—people here can communicate
with Inuits from Alaska—has a prodigious
vocabulary for ice, words that describe pack
ice, melting ice, ridged ice, and rime, ice that
stretches across vast expanses, ice in all its
forms on the surface of water.
The ice has architecture. We cruise past
pyramids and ziggurats, towers, colonnades,
and arches. Some massive icebergs sit on foun-
dations of refulgent blue, or enormous crystal-
line plinths. Sometimes, they seem sculpted
into images: one looks like a sailor wearing a
rain-soaked cap. The water is as calm and cold
as a cryogenic bath, and yet, because the air is
warm, the bergs are sweating curtains of rain.
Sailing into Disko Bay, the Fram brings us
to the Ilulissat Icefjord, a vast ield of icebergs
calved from Sermeq Kujalleq, the Northern
Hemisphere’s most productive glacier. This is
Greenland as I imagined it would be.
To get a closer look, I head out in a sturdy
tender boat with seven other passengers and
a guide named Stefen Bierstack. As we glide Cruising Greenland
over the sea, I keep turning, twisting, and re- Hurtigruten offers several
positioning myself to take photos. Greenland’s Greenland itineraries in
the summer months.
landscapes, and especially its ice, make me Similar to the one this
greedy, even a little maniacal, for pictures—to story followed is the 12-
freeze, as it were, ephemeral moments. day Discover the Heart
of Greenland voyage,
Only 10 percent of an iceberg is visible. Above which includes flights
the surface, they can be the size of aircraft car- between Copenhagen
riers. They don’t melt evenly, so they often be- and Kangerlussuaq, the
come unbalanced, rocking back and forth until fjord-side settlement
from where the MS Fram GREENLAND
they break or tilt or lip, sometimes triggering sails. Departs July 20;
tsunamis. Or they present other dangers. A lit- hurtigruten.com; from
tle more than a century ago, one loated down US$5,686 per person.
BAFFIN
from Ilulissat into the North Atlantic, where it Quark Expeditions’ 15- BAY
collided with an ocean liner called the Titanic. day Greenland Explorer
cruise (which includes
Stefen had gone out earlier that morning two nights in Reykjavík)
Uummannaq

to scout the fjord, and there is one iceberg in will explore the fjordlands
particular he is eager to show us. “Here it is!” he of the island’s south
and west coasts aboard
announces as we navigate a bend in the chan- the recently renovated
nel. It’s an enormous plinth of crystal. Icebergs Ocean Adventurer.
are packed ice; they’re white and opaque. But Departs August 7; quark
this one, 12 meters long and six meters high, expeditions.com; from
US$7,495 per person.
convex and ridged like a clam shell, is a miracle
Sailing on the 81-cabin
of translucence and clarity. The light cascading National Geographic
through its surfaces makes the water all around Explorer, Lindblad
it sparkling and lambent, like stars on the sur- Expeditions’ Exploring
face of the fjord. Greenland and
the Canadian High
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Arctic traces western
Stefen exclaims. Greenland’s rugged
Ilulissat
Disko Bay
Kangerlussuaq
Nuuk
fjords and navigates the
entrance to Canada’s
legendary Northwest
Passage over the course
of 16 days. Departs August
6; expeditions.com; from
US$13,990 per person.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

54 DISPATCHES JOURNAL
It is indeed remarkable, and I wonder if even
the Greenlanders have a word for it.
In the town of Ilulissat, I meet another
isherman named Ole, 27-year-old Ole Lange,
who learned English during three years of Bible
study in Norway. I ask if the warmer weather
has any downside for him. He shrugs. “I don’t
take my dogsled out anymore because the riv-
ers aren’t freezing. I take my boat.”
He’s out for long periods. It takes six hours
to put down 900 meters of line and two hours
to pull it up, which is done with a hydraulic
lift. This, he says, is when a isherman is most
vulnerable to the immediate efects of climate
change. The icebergs are breaking up and send-
ing out sharp, fast-moving blocks of ice that can
splinter a boat like a torpedo, and in this cold
water, falling in is certain death.
A trail on the other side of town runs over
meadows carpeted by luminous grasses and
wildlowers—purple mountain avens, yellow
poppies, buttercups. The lushness is normal,
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Above: Cruises along
Greenland’s elemental,
ice-hewn coastline afford
views of vast fjords, granite
peaks, mammoth icebergs,
and hanging glaciers like
the one pictured here.
not a symptom of climate change. Ilulissat, with
modular houses painted in bright reds, yellows,
blues, and greens, feels fantastically isolated;
here at its edge, that feeling gives way to an ex-
panse that is wonderfully open and free.
This feeling is what Greenlanders cherish,
and it’s what they say they want for themselves.
But apart from ishing, prospects to develop
a viable economy are limited, and their best
hopes—namely, mineral and oil resources—
are trapped under all that ice. In short, warmer
temperatures may unlock the gate to indepen-
dence from Denmark, and to statehood.
Even as indigenous people elsewhere, such
as in the Maldives and the South Paciic, stand
to lose everything from rising tides, Green-
land’s 57,000 inhabitants see possible beneits.
Toward the end of the trip, as we sail up the vast
Kangerlussuaq Fjord, I ask our guest lecturer
Salik what he thinks about the issue.
“The ball is rolling for independence, and
JEN JUDGE
you cannot stop it,” he says. “If global warming
speeds up the process, so be it.”
 SUBSCRIBE
FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN A THREE-NIGHT STAY AT
PHULAY BAY, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE

A
peaceful escape on the idyllic shores of Krabi, Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, promises a refined yet casual setting
for an unforgettable Andaman Sea vacation. The resort is easily accessible from the airports at Krabi and Phuket, and
accommodation options here include the 179-square-meter Reserve Pavilions, which come fitted with a private veranda
and outdoor bath, all set inside a lush tropical garden. In the light-flooded interior, contemporary Thai decor finds a worthy counterpart
in fine linens and plush furnishings; guests will also have a personal butler at their beck and call. Elsewhere at the resort, spa-goers
can avail themselves of a vitality pool, wellness studio, sauna, and 11 treatment rooms. And for the traveling gourmand, memorable
dining and drinking venues here include the seafood grill Lae Lay, southern Thai restaurant Sri Trang, sunset lounge Chomtawan for
tropical cocktails, and Mediterranean-inspired Jampoon for international fare. The prize is for three nights’ stay in a Reserve Pavilion
suite with breakfast for two at Jampoon Restaurant. For more information, visit ritzcarlton.com/PhulayBay

For print and digital subscriptions visit DestinAsian.com/subscribe

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE
Subscribe to DestinAsian’s print edition and
receive a complimentar y digital subscription.

COUNTRY 6 issues 12 issues

Singapore S$40 S$70
Indonesia IDR 345,000 IDR 660,000
Hong Kong HK$350 HK$650
Thailand THB 1,350 THB 2,500
Malaysia RM 140 RM 270
Philippines Php 1,850 Php 3,500
Rest of World US$80 US$145

Please email subscribe@destinasian.com

for all subscription inquiries.

CONGR ATUL ATIONS TO CHARLES INGLE OF SYDNEY FOR WINNING A THREE-NIGHT STAY AT ROYAL K AMUEL A UBUD.
CONTEST

WIN A THREE-NIGHT STAY AT

FAIRMONT MALDIVES SIRRU FEN FUSHI

O
pened in April, the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is the only resort in the far-lung Shaviyani Atoll, accessible via a 50-minute seaplane
light from Male. The property’s 112 thatch-roofed luxury villas all come with a private pool and bohemian rustic-chic furnishings — think
copper bathroom ittings and carved wooden detailing throughout — while guests can take their pick of contemporary dining venues
such as the all-day Raha Market; Azure for a ine-dining experience that makes the most of the daily catch; and an overwater Japanese restaurant,
sushi bar, and lounge where the food is prepared with a subtle Maldivian twist. Total relaxation awaits at 2,000-square-meter Willow Stream Spa,
which utilizes endemic herbs and Indian Ocean–inspired treatments. Just offshore, coral regeneration efforts take the form of a unique underwater
installation by naturalist and artist Jason deCaires Taylor, while the nine-kilometer-long house reef features a manta ray cleaning station.

Simply answer the following questions and ill in your details for a
chance to win three nights in a Beach Sunrise villa with breakfast
and dinner included.

1. Where was this issue’s cover photo taken?

2. Name one of the islands visited in our Hawai‘i feature.

3. The city of Kuching is located in which Malaysian state?

Each entry must state the entrant’s full name, address, and telephone number
and be returned to DestinAsian by July 31, 2018.

Please send your answers either by post: DestinAsian, P.O. Box 08 JKPPJ,
Jakarta 10210 A, Indonesia; fax: 62-21/574-7733;
e-mail: competition@destinasian.com; or via destinasian.com
TERMS & CONDITIONS
*!ƫ !*0.5ƫ ,!.ƫ ,!./+*ƫ +*(5ċƫ đƫ +),!0%0%+*ƫ %/ƫ +,!*ƫ 0+ƫ ((ƫ .! !./ƫ 3$+ƫ .!ƫ āĉƫ
Your information 5!./ƫ+"ƫ#!ƫ+.ƫ+( !.ƫ!4!,0ƫ"+.ƫ!),(+5!!/ƫ+"ƫ!/0%*
/%*ƫ* ƫ,.%6!ƫ/,+*/+./ċƫ
Name (Mr./Mrs./Ms.) đƫ$!ƫ,.%6!ƫ%/ƫ*+0ƫ0.*/"!.(!Čƫ3%0$ƫ*+ƫ/$ƫ(0!.*0%2!Čƫ* ƫ%/ƫ2(% ƫ"+.ƫ/05/ƫ
Address ".+)ƫ
1#1/0ƫāƫ0+ƫ!!)!.ƫāĊČƫĂĀāĉċƫđƫ++)ƫ*%#$0/ƫ.!ƫ/1&!0ƫ0+ƫ('ġ+10ƫ
,!.%+ /ƫ * ƫ 2%(%(%05Ďƫ  2*!ƫ ++'%*#ƫ )1/0ƫ !ƫ ) !ƫ %.!0(5ƫ 3%0$ƫ 0$!ƫ
City Zip /,+*/+./ċƫ đƫ $!ƫ 3%**!.ƫ 3%((ƫ !ƫ *+0%ü! ƫ 3%0$%*ƫ āąƫ 5/ƫ "0!.ƫ 0$!ƫ .3ƫ * ƫ
Country .!/1(0/ƫ3%((ƫ!ƫ,1(%/$! ƫ%*ƫ0$!ƫ0+!.ĥ+2!)!.ƫĂĀāĉƫ%//1!ƫ+"ƫ!/0%*
/%*ċƫ
Telephone (Home/Mobile)
E-mail


 ƫƫƫ ƫƫƫ ƫĂĀāĈĥ


ƫĂĀāĉƫ Ěƫ
Č
HUANG DA JING  HONG KONGČƫƫ  ƫ
ƫġ ƫ
ƫ
ƫƫƫƫ
( ) Please tick if you wish to receive weekly email newsletters, contest announcements  ƫƫ
Čƫ
ƫƫTAY KIM KUAN  TAIWAN ƫ  ƫ
ƫġ ƫ
ƫ
ƫ
ƫċƫ ƫ
 ƫƫ ƫƫ
ĥ
ƫĂĀāĉƫ Ěƫ
ċ
and partner offers from DestinAsian.
 HERITAGE DISPATCHES 57

Clockwise from this

picture: Pan-seared
tuna with smoked
eggplant at Enye
by Chele Gonzalez;
the entrance to 1730
Jesuit House; Raquel
Choa of artisanal
chocolate company
Ralfe Gourmet.

A LATIN
INHERITANCE
Pull yourself away from Cebu’s beaches and
you’ll see a city harnessing its Spanish-Filipino
traditions to create something new.
BY JAMES LOUIE

I can scarcely believe my ears. It’s my irst morning

in the Philippines when I suddenly recognize the words a las ocho
cincuenta y cuatro—the Spanish for 8:54—spoken over the radio as I
sit through a traic jam en route to the spiritual heart of Cebu City.
I’ve come here to explore Cebu’s enduring links with its Spanish
past, and those words hint at the profound Hispanic inluence on
Filipino culture, society, and spiritual life that remains to this day.
Anchored in the very heart of the Visayas, a cluster of islands
stretching across the midsection of the Philippines, Cebu is a prov-
ince, an island (more than six times the size of Singapore), and the
second-largest metropolis in the country. It was here, not Manila,
that an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan made an initial, ill-

Photographs by James Louie JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

58 DISPATCHES HERITAGE
fated attempt at colonizing the East Indies for
the Spanish crown in 1521.
Magellan found an ally in Cebuano ruler Raja
Humabon, but was killed weeks afterward in a
skirmish with rival forces on the nearby island
of Mactan, now home to Cebu’s international
airport, export-oriented factories, and a string
of beachfront resorts. The Spaniards returned
four decades later to accomplish what Magel-
lan and his ragtag band of mariners could not;
pre-Hispanic Cebu was razed, and in its place
the European interlopers established the irst
Spanish settlement, fortress, and church in the
Philippines. The latter eventually became the
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, where I join the
devout as they patiently line up around a sun-
drenched courtyard to see the revered image of
the Christ child left by Magellan.
Catholicism aside, Spanish galleons plying
the lucrative trade route between Manila and
Acapulco brought a cornucopia of New World
crops to the Filipino larder: tomatoes, maize,
pineapples, chilies, and of course, cacao, which
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Below: The Cebu City skyline
and Mactan Island as seen
from a rooftop terrace at
Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
Opposite, from left: Enye’s
chef de cuisine Ivan Saiz
Sordo creating lechon tacos;
inside Cicada, a tapas bar
and lounge at Circa 1900.
made its way to the islands in 1670. “The Phil-
ippines was the irst place to produce cacao
outside of Mexico.” Edu Pantino tells me this at
Casa de Cacao, where beans sourced from small-
scale farms in Mindanao are hand-roasted and
processed for artisanal chocolate company Ralfe
Gourmet. “And here in Cebu we call hot choco-
late sikwate, which comes from the Aztec word
xiqhuatl.”
Pantino runs the business with Raquel Choa,
whom journalists have breathlessly dubbed
the “chocolate queen” of the Philippines. But
Raquel always points back to her hardscrabble
childhood in the mountains northwest of Cebu,
where she learned to make tablea, or discs of
pure cacao dissolved in hot water to create un-
sweetened hot chocolate. “Every day, we drank
sikwate for only one reason—to sustain our-
selves.” She recounts how the cacao water was
also given to expectant mothers to ease the pain
of childbirth, ofered as a inal drink to a loved
one on their deathbed, and prepared during
All Saints’ Day to remember the ancestors. “We
believe the cacao is like a perfume, an essence,”
Raquel adds.
I watch closely as she pounds shelled cacao
nibs into ine grains in a stone mortar before
the wet mixture is spooned into a circular tablea
mold. Once the tablea fuses with hot water in
an earthenware jug called a chocolatera, Raquel
vigorously aerates the concoction by rotating a
batirol, or wooden whisk, between her palms.
Swirled, sipped, and splashed around the pal-
ate like ine wine, Raquel’s sikwate is unlike
any other hot chocolate I’ve tasted. It starts of
predominantly sour, progressing to a rich earth-
iness and then a long, nutty aftertaste. “I want
to tell the whole world that we Filipinos know
how to make chocolate, but in our own way,”
she says.
One of Raquel’s upcoming ventures is a
boutique showcasing cacao-based products, all
made by women, at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu
hotel, which happens to be where I’m staying.
“What amazes me about Raquel is how gifted
she is as a natural artist—she is always doing
something with her hands.” Yumny Mariot, the
hotel’s e-marketing manager, tells me this over
a spread of Cebuano fare made à la minute at
buzzy bufet restaurant Café Marco. The hotel
itself is a 24-story modernist landmark on a hill-
side 180 meters above sea level—a position that
gives at least half of its 329 guest rooms enviable
views of the city. From the outdoor terrace at the
rooftop Continental Club Lounge, Yumny and I
admire the skyline as it gleams in the afternoon
sun, backdropped by Mactan Island, the Cebu
Strait, and the distant hills of Bohol Island.
From the Marco Polo, I head down the hill to
 59

meet Adrian Sollano, the sales and public rela- Where to Stay piano bar above several function rooms. I’m
tions manager of Circa 1900. That’s the name The Marco Polo Plaza quickly introduced to Sydney-born executive
Cebu (63-32/253-1111;
given to a pair of grand heritage houses now marcopolohotels.com; chef Steve Shrimski and his Cebuana wife Eya.
transformed into a chic after-work destination doubles from US$100) Before we tuck into a hearty dinner of what
and venue for social events, separately known as has well-appointed rooms Steve terms “New Filipino Cuisine”—including
and a superb buffet
Casa Uno and Casa Dos. The latter, a handsome breakfast stocked with ravioli made from ube (purple yam) stufed with
Art Deco structure that opened to the public two Filipino specialties. lechon, the spit-roasted pig Cebu is known for—
years ago, hosts function rooms, an artisanal the chef ofers up a tantalizing anecdote about
What to Do
bakery, and Cicada—a cozy tapas bar where I Ralfe Gourmet (63/917- the buildings themselves. “The Japanese gen-
sip on a zesty cocktail of Filipino Tanduay rum 827-2318) offers private eral lived in this house while General MacArthur
muddled with mango, lime juice, and root beer. “chocolate journey” tours stayed in the other one after the war—did you
Adrian explains that Casa Dos is still owned by at the Casa de Cacao led see the bullet holes in the iron railings of the
by Raquel Choa herself.
its erstwhile occupants, the inluential Jereza staircase at Casa Dos?”
family. “They didn’t have the capital to restore Address Book Circa 1900 is a far cry—and a 20-minute
this building, so they approached us to do it. We Circa 1900 drive—from the slightly scrufy neighborhood
Sanjercasvil Rd.; 63-
kept the structure and the main staircase, then 32/239-6265 (Casa Uno), of Parian, once an aluent mercantile district
replicated the missing loor tiles here in Cicada.” 63-32/417-3886 (Casa dominated by Chinese-Filipino mestizos. My
Adrian walks me through the portraits of the Dos); circa1900cebu.com. irst stop here is 1730 Jesuit House. Hidden in-
Jerezas and their distinguished guests—past Casa Gorordo Museum side Ho Tong Hardware, a working industrial
35 Don Eduardo Aboitiz
Philippine president Sergio Osmeña among St.; 63-32/411-1767; facility strewn with lumber and metal sheets, it’s
them—hanging from the walls. Original timber- casagorordomuseum.org. an unlikely repository for shards of Japanese and
framed windows aford glimpses of the leafy Enye by Chele Gonzalez Chinese porcelain, panels that chronicle Parian’s
Crimson Resort & Spa
grounds; a pathway leads to an inviting bean- Mactan; 63-32/401- history, and scale models of a trading junk and
shaped pool. 9999; crimsonhotel.com. the San Diego—the irst Spanish galleon built
Across the road, the other half of Circa 1900 entirely in the Philippines. Christian Bonpua,
is Casa Uno, which made its debut in 2014 with the museum’s 26-year-old curator, explains how
a whitewashed, antiques-strewn restaurant and the name Parian comes from a Mexican word

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

60 DISPATCHES HERITAGE
meaning to barter or trade, while pointing out
Chinese coins from the Ming era that hint at the
structure’s true age. “Putting coins in the foun-
dation of the house is a Filipino tradition that we
learned from the Chinese,” he says.
Within easy walking distance from Ho Tong
Hardware, and past the brooding Yap-Sandiego
Ancestral House, is 160-year-old Casa Gorordo,
the onetime residence of Cebu’s irst Filipino
bishop. Though it underwent a recent upgrade
with the addition of high-tech interactive dis-
plays, an upstairs shop, and a ground-loor café
fronting the manicured garden, I am more inter-
ested in the things that haven’t changed. Casa
Gorordo turns out to be a superb example of a
balay nga tisa, or traditional tile-roofed Filipino
house. These have their origins in the stilted
indigenous dwellings known as payag, raised
above an understory where food and domes-
ticated animals were kept. Enclosed with coral
stone walls in the balay nga tisa, that understory
retained its function, and the upper loor was
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
built using hardwoods sourced from Visayan
rain forests. I marvel at the sliding window
screens inlaid with capiz shells, savor the breeze
lowing in from the open balustrades of the ven-
tanillas, and detect a Chinese inluence in the
tiled roof with slightly upturned corners. Living
quarters were laid out according to the strict
social rules imposed by the Spanish; decorative
archways known as calados mark of the most
private areas, while a spinster’s bedroom recalls
a Spanish tradition dictating that the youngest
daughter must remain unmarried to care for her
aging parents.
On my last day in town, I cross one of the two
bridges linking “mainland” Cebu with Mactan
Island. My destination is the beachside Crimson
Resort and Spa Mactan, whose modern Spanish
restaurant Enye by Chele Gonzalez opened last
August. While Gonzalez runs Manila’s acclaimed
Gallery Vask, his Cebu outpost is helmed by
fellow Cantabria-born chef Ivan Saiz Sordo. I’m
curious to know what a modern-day Spaniard
thinks of Filipino cuisine. “When I irst came
to the Philippines, the food was very weird,” he
says. But with his growing fondness for the local
fare came the realization that Spanish and Fili-
pino food shared a taste for acidity, a widespread
use of the bay leaf, and common names as in the
meat stews afritada and kaldereta.
At Enye, the signature lechon tacos celebrate
two of Cebu’s most iconic edible inds; succu-
lent roast pork with crispy skin has a pleasing
counterpoint in mango salsa. Up next is a salad
of cherry tomatoes grown in the highlands of
Luzon. “We combine them with pickled onions,
which are very, very Filipino, a touch of vinegar,
balsamic pearls, and ricotta for a Mediterranean
twist,” Ivan explains. The most surprising ele-
ment in the salad is tempura bok choy leaf,
which I don’t immediately recognize because
it’s so crisp and full of lavor. Then there are
wedges of locally caught tuna, pan-seared but
with delightfully raw centers, alongside smoked
eggplant served two ways in a sunset-orange
citrus romesco sauce. All this is followed by a
silky mango sorbet that yields heady notes of
cinnamon, slivered crescents of dried coconut,
and “compressed pineapple” topped with tiny
white basil lowers. In a way, Enye’s adaptation
of European fare with Filipino ingredients is the
continuation of a process that has been going on
since the Spanish colonial period.
That night, as I sit in another traic jam—this
time to cross the Sergio Osmeña Bridge over the
Mactan Channel—I recall something Christian
Above: The 16th-century
facade of Basilica Minore Bonpua told me at 1730 Jesuit House. Apart from
del Santo Niño along Catholicism and thousands of loanwords, “the
with its recently restored
belfry, which collapsed Spaniards,” he said, “gave the Filipinos the des-
in a 2013 earthquake. tiny of being a nation.”
®
62 FLASHBACK

/ Singapore /

1968
Conceived amid the centennial celebrations of colonial-era Singapore, the Fullerton Building
opened in 1928, launting British imperialist conidence in grand neoclassical style with luted
Doric colonnades and high-ceilinged verandas. It was the new home of the General Post Oice
COURTESY OF URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

and a slew of government departments, while the upper stories housed the exclusive Singapore
Club—a playground for the ruling elite and the hideout of Governor Sir Shenton Thomas during
the Japanese invasion in World War II. In this photo, taken just three years after independence
when the city-state was in the nascent stages of its miraculous transformation, the structure remains an imposing presence on the Singapore
skyline. But change—as evinced by the public housing estates in the far background—was already afoot. By the time the General Post Of-
ice moved out in 1996 to make way for the building’s conversion into The Fullerton Hotel, the bumboats had all but disappeared from the
neighboring Singapore River and reclamation had turned the ofshore waters into a large tract of land ripe for development. Now a declared
National Monument, the 90-year-old landmark is the proud focus of a heritage precinct on Marina Bay. —James Louie

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

A beach next to
Cape Weligama,
on Sri Lanka’s
southern shores.
 65

A THREE-
IN-ONE TRIP
COMBINING
SOUTH-COAST
INDULGENCE
WITH A STAY
IN SRI LANKA’S
COOL TEA
HILLS AND
THE UNTAMED
ALLURE OF A
SAFARI LODGE
STRIKES A
PERFECT
BALANCE
BETWEEN
SERENITY AND
ADVENTURE.

BY CHRISTOPHER P. HILL
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN WESTLAKE TRIFECTA
66
ACRID COCKTAIL of sweat, urine, and what
smelled like overripe durian washed over us like
one of the Indian Ocean breakers we could hear
rumbling in the distance.
“Ah, we are lucky, this elephant is in musth,”
said John Wilson, our enthusiastic young guide on
this afternoon’s game drive in the coastal fringes
of Yala National Park. “That smell is pure testos-
terone—he’s in his prime and ready to mate.”
The pachyderm in question was a funky
40-year-old bull standing upwind from our safari
vehicle in the shade of a wild tamarind tree. John,
a Sri Lankan half that age who speaks with a posh accent picked up
from his school days in England, explained that musth is the annual
mating period when adult male elephants’ testosterone jumps to 60
times normal levels, seeping out from glands behind their eyes and
spiking their urine with extra pungency. Our elephant, his cheeks
moist with dark secretions, his hind legs stained shamelessly with
pee, appeared to be in a hormone-induced trance; not for nothing
was the word musth derived from the old Persian for “intoxicated.”
Finally, catching the scent of three females at a nearby wala (water
hole), the big fellow lumbered of across the scrubby plain, a lascivi-
ous twinkle in his eye.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Left: Cooling off
in the crescent-
shaped Moon Pool
at Cape Weligama.
Opposite: Inside a
safari-chic Cocoon
suite at Wild Coast
Tented Lodge.
This unexpected encounter occurred midway through
a six-night trip organized by Resplendent Ceylon, the hos-
pitality arm of Dilmah Tea, Sri Lanka’s premier tea brand.
Run by Malik Fernando, whose father, Merrill, founded
Dilmah in 1988, the company made its irst foray into the
hotel business 13 years ago with the debut of Ceylon Tea
Trails, a quartet of luxuriously refurbished colonial-era
tea planter’s bungalows in the highlands of Bogawanta-
lawa Valley. Unfortunately, that was soon followed by the
collapse of the 2002–05 ceaseire in Sri Lanka’s civil war,
which raged on for another four years. “It was a real strug-
gle,” Fernando told me over the phone from Colombo. “We
had great feedback but not enough guests; we only just
managed to keep our heads above water.”
How times have changed. These days, you’re advised
to book well in advance to secure a room at Ceylon Tea
Trails; demand is such that a ifth bungalow was added to
the portfolio in 2016 (the same year, incidentally, that saw
tourism arrivals to Sri Lanka top two million for the irst
time ever). By then Fernando had already opened a luxe,
purpose-built resort called Cape Weligama on the south
coast and begun work on Wild Coast Tented Lodge, which
opened last November on the edge of Yala.
Each is a destination in its own right; they also happen
to be the only Relais & Châteaux properties in Sri Lanka. But taken
together, they’re a trifecta of sorts that allows you to experience
three very diferent sides of the island on a circuit that Resplendent
Ceylon catchily markets as “Tea, Sea, and Safari.” Guests can also
take comfort in the knowledge that the company channels 10 per-
cent of its proits into the Fernando family’s MJF Charitable Foun-
dation and Dilmah Conservation, initiatives that support dozens of
community and conservation projects across Sri Lanka. I booked a
spot as soon as I could.
PREVIOUS SPREAD: MAKEUP, HAIR, AND STYLING: JACQUIE MEI - THE MAKE UP
HEAD TO THE HILLS
BOX. MODEL: ASIA. OUTFIT BY L’ATELIER TOUCHÉ (LATELIERTOUCHE.COM)
First up on the itinerary was Tientsin Bungalow. Built in 1888, this is
the largest and oldest of Ceylon Tea Trails’ ive former planter’s resi-
dences. It’s also the most remote, nestled amid undulating tea hills
about half an hour’s drive beyond the eastern end of the Castlere-
agh Reservoir, around which the other bungalows are situated. How
long it must have taken those early planters to reach these hills I can
only imagine; our drive from Colombo stretched out for ive hours,
though away from the coast, the scenery became increasingly pleas-
ant. As the grade steepened, palms and bamboo gave way to stands
of towering albizia and fragrant cinnamon trees. Above the 800-me-
ter mark, all was lush and green and dewy; a signpost outside the
market village of Watawala laid claim to the highest rainfall in the
68

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 69

Clockwise from
above: A tent
exterior at Wild
Coast Tented
Lodge; on safari in
Yala National Park;
a breakfast of pol
roti, fish curry, and
dhal at Wild Coast
Tented Lodge; a
young bull elephant
in Yala. Opposite:
Wild Coast’s open-
air, bamboo-clad
Ten Tuskers bar.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

Poolside at Ceylon
Tea Trail's Tientsin
Bungalow in the
Central Highlands
of Sri Lanka.
 71

country. At Kithulgala, we stopped to stretch our legs at a sprawling seen a mushrooming of safari resorts around its southwestern fring-
old rest house above the Kelani River, just downstream from where es. The latest—and smartest—is Wild Coast Tented Lodge, which
David Lean shot the climactic scenes in his 1957 classic The Bridge on opened last November above a boulder-strewn shoreline in Yala’s
the River Kwai. bufer zone.
Finally, and with some relief, we pulled into Tientsin Bungalow. It’s an entirely diferent beast than Resplendent Ceylon’s tea
Extensively renovated last year, it’s utterly charming, with colon- bungalows. Some four hours or so after leaving Tientsin, I was led
naded verandas, original pine loors and teak trim, and six high- into a big domed restaurant pavilion made of bamboo latticework
ceilinged suites itted with ireplaces, four-poster beds, and clawfoot sheathed in reclaimed teak shingles. Arched openings framed views
tubs. (I also found earplugs on my bedside table, to be used should of the Indian Ocean; an adjacent dome housed a quartz-gravel-
the Hindu temple in the village below become loored bar. Equally otherworldly yet organic was
too clamorous. It didn’t.) my tent for the next two nights: one of 28 “co-
Each room bears the name of a diferent Scot- coon” suites arranged in clusters around water
tish planter who once lived here—Moir, Fraser, THE DETAILS holes. Shaped vaguely like a plump caterpillar
Meares—and is hung with sepia-toned photos Priced at US$4,196 and covered in a taut, high-ceilinged membrane
and printed engravings depicting scenes from (including taxes) for of white PVC, it was roomy and restful, appointed
two, Resplendent
the days of British rule. Given the colonial vibe, Ceylon’s six-night Tea, with hand-woven rugs, campaign furniture, a
I’d half expected to be sharing the place with a Sea, and Safari package freestanding copper bathtub, and a wonderfully
bunch of old Britons with a taste for Raj-era rel- comprises two nights comfortable gauze-draped bed. Judging from the
each at a Ceylon Tea Trails
ics. Instead, my fellow guests included two young bungalow, Wild Coast porthole windows and brass ittings and exposed
families and a honeymooning couple from Italy, Tented Lodge, and Cape copper piping, one suspects Captain Nemo might
whom I got to know over pre-dinner drinks in the Weligama. Stays are fully have had a hand in the design too.
inclusive except at Cape
bungalow’s cozy sitting room. The Italians had Weligama, where Ocean The lodge’s main attraction, of course, is the
just come back from a daytrip to Kandy; one of Villa accommodation is wildlife, and you don’t have to even leave the
the dads was planning a night climb up Adam’s on a bed-and-breakfast grounds to see some. Wild Coast, I was told point-
Peak, the country’s holiest mountain. As for me, I basis; at Wild Coast edly at reception, is an open property, meaning
Tented Lodge, the package
was content to spend my short stay here reading includes daily game drives. there are no gates or fences to stop animals from
a book around the pool, wandering the surround- Transfers by road or air are wandering through. This also means guests are
ing tea ields, and admiring Tientsin’s extensive available on request. Valid discouraged from walking its paths at night with-
until October 1, excluding
gardens, which brim with amaryllis, heliconia, the July 16–August 31 peak out an escort, and from leaving their doors open
morning glory, and begonias. And eating. The season (94-11/774-5730; lest their suite be ransacked by a pack of langur
cool air at 1,400 meters above sea level gave me resplendentceylon.com). monkeys. Elephants have been spotted drinking
a keen appetite, and I devoured every dish put in from swimming pools; I woke one morning to the
front of me—one night, a succulent pork cutlet sound of wild boars snuling around the water
with orange sauce and couscous; another, a selec- hole outside my tent.
tion of vivid Sri Lankan curries. But this is nothing compared to what awaits
As the weather was ine, all meals—including you in Yala. Heading out with four other guests on
afternoon tea—were served alfresco on the bun- the afternoon of my arrival, we encountered not
galow’s checker-tiled front terrace, which looks only the bull elephant in musth, but also herds
out to a lawn studded by a willowy bottlebrush SRI LANKA
of axis deer, mongooses and macaques, troops
tree. It’s a ine vantage point from which to sur- of langurs, plenty of birdlife—bee eaters, painted
vey the barbets, bulbuls, babblers, and other birds Kandy storks, Sri Lankan junglefowl (the national bird),
that lit about the property. But it’s the crows you Malabar pied hornbills—and a three-meter-long
Colombo Yala
have to look out for—one had the audacity to Ceylon National
Park
mugger crocodile sunning himself by the edge of
Tea Trails
steal a croissant right of my breakfast table (not Wild Coast
a marsh. John, our guide, cheerily discoursed on
Galle Tented Lodge
that I can blame him: the pastries were delicious). the mating habits and behaviors of each creature
Cape Weligama we saw with encyclopedic detail. Less cheerily, he
INTO THE WILD decried the “jeep jams” that occur as a result of
Safari-wise, I hadn’t expected much from the too many vehicles (as many as 600 a day) being
wilds of Sri Lanka’s southeast, or at least nothing to compare with allowed into the park. “Some days, it can be bumper-to-bumper for
my experiences in South Africa and Zambia. But Yala National Park a kilometer to see one animal,” John said. “It’s just not sustainable.”
delivered a surprising wealth of fauna—and an equally unexpected The animal everyone wants to see is the leopard, Sri Lanka’s apex
surfeit of safari vehicles. predator. They’re elusive, but this section of Yala, with its open sa-
A wildlife sanctuary since the turn of the last century, Yala is the vanna and patchy deciduous forest, is considered the best place in
second largest of Sri Lanka’s national parks, encompassing nearly a the country to observe them.
thousand square kilometers of monsoon forests, grassy plains, and Sure enough, a call came in over the radio and the driver slammed
coastal wetlands. It is home to elephants, sloth bears, wild water buf- his foot on the gas pedal. A leopard had been spotted. Joining a con-
falo, and the highest density of leopards anywhere in the world. Ease voy of a dozen other vehicles, we sped of down the track, kicking
of access from the tourist beaches of the south coast also means it’s up clouds of red dust in our wake. But to no avail: the big cat had
the most visited park in the country, and the last few years have disappeared into the bush by the time we arrived. I had to content

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

This page,
clockwise from
above: Hand
sorting leaves at
Dilmah’s Dunkeld
tea factory; a tea
picker at work; a Sri
Lankan dinner of
curries, dhal, and
other dishes at
Tientsin Bungalow.
Opposite, clockwise
from top left: A
butler at Tientsin;
the bungalow’s
colonnaded terrace;
a view across the
tea estate toward
Castlereagh
Reservoir; colonial-
style furnishings
adorn the guest
suites at Tientsin.
74
myself with the sight of his fresh paw prints in the mud.
We were back early the next morning to try our luck again. This
time, John promised to take us farther north and away from the
crowds to where he hoped we might encounter another of the park’s
treasures: a tusker. While Yala is home to upwards of 300 elephants,
only 10 have tusks, so the chances of seeing one are slim. We came
across a tusker half an hour after passing through the park gate.
John was thrilled. “This is Gemunu! We call him the ‘Clown
Prince of Yala’ because of all his antics. He’s really the most char-
ismatic tusker in the park, and probably the most documented el-
ephant on the island.” Alas, Gemunu’s charisma didn’t spare him
from an attack by a larger tusker earlier this year. He survived the
battle, but lost a tusk in the process, leaving him with a lopsided ap-
pearance. Still, he was a majestic beast.
And while leopards continued to elude us, we did get to watch
an equally elusive sloth bear mosey through the underbrush toward
us. It wasn’t long before a bunch of other safari jeeps showed up,
but before they did, for a couple precious minutes, we had him all
to ourselves.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
SEASIDE SERENITY
From Wild Coast, the drive west to Cape Weligama took about
two and half hours—by the standards of my transfers thus far,
a mere blink of the eye.
It’s a beautiful resort and a itting crescendo to the trip,
spread across a sloping, palm-strewn headland that rises
40 meters above the Indian Ocean. Arranged around shared
swimming pools in clusters of two or three, the terra-cotta-
roofed villas here sport a crisp mod-Asian look courtesy of Thai
architect Lek Bunnag. I was told they are the largest accom-
modations in the country, and I don’t doubt it: my bathroom
alone must have been 50 square meters, complete with a walk-
in shower that converted to a steam room.
I contemplated staying put and ordering room service for
the duration of my stay, but there were too many distractions.
One was the resort’s main pool, a picturesque crescent of water
at the tip of the headland where you could get your money’s worth
just staring out at Weligama Bay. Another was the Ocean Terrace
restaurant, with its towering wooden pillars and amethyst-hued
walls and supremely fresh seafood—think jackish tacos, cinnamon
wood–smoked tuna, and a phenomenal seafood platter that has
been known to lure day-trippers from Colombo.
Cape Weligama is also home to a well-equipped activities center.
Managed by local outitter Borderlands, it ofers whale watching and
LEFT: MAKEUP, HAIR, AND STYLING: JACQUIE MEI - THE MAKE UP BOX.
MODEL: ASIA. OUTFIT BY L’ATELIER TOUCHÉ (LATELIERTOUCHE.COM)
sea kayaking when the season is right. When the water’s too rough,
you can explore nearby villages by bike or, as I did, paddle a kayak
down a lily pad–fringed river in the company of monitor lizards and
gray herons.
With Sri Lanka irmly on the road to recovery, Fernando is push-
ing ahead with plans to grow Resplendent Ceylon’s footprint. The
next resort in his portfolio will open in late 2020 near Sigiriya, a ifth-
century rock fortress in the heart of the so-called Cultural Triangle
of ancient Buddhist and Hindu ruins. I’m guessing the expanded
circuit will be called “Tea, Sea, Safari, and Antiquity.” And yes, I’ll be
booking a spot as soon as I can.
Cape Weligama as seen
from an adjacent cove.
Opposite, from far left:
The seaward entrance
to the same resort’s
open-fronted Ocean
Terrace restaurant; a
gift shop attendant at
Cape Weligama.
A lagoon-style
swimming pool
at the Four
Seasons Resort
Lana‘i. Opposite:
Hawaiian cultural
teacher Uncle
Bully Davis shares
his knowledge
of weaving and
ukulele playing
with Four Seasons
guests.
THE
HEART
OF

A VISIT TO THE
ISLANDS OF
LĀNA‘I AND MAUI
REVEALS THAT
NATIVE HAWAIIAN
TRADITIONS ARE
ALIVE AND WELL
IN AMERICA’S
ALOHA STATE.

BY JOE YOGERST
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
MEGAN SPELMAN
78

ROBABLY THE MOST LAIDBACK OF ALL the Hawaiian island-

ers, it takes an awful lot to get the people on Lāna‘i excited about
anything. But on a breezy weekday morning, when most of them
should be in a workplace or classroom, a good number of the island’s
3,000 residents are gathered around Manele Bay awaiting the arrival
of a very special boat.
A loud cheer goes up as the Hōkūle‘a rounds Kalaeokahano Point
and sails into the harbor. Originally built in 1975 to demonstrate that
ancient Polynesians were skilled navigators and explorers, the rep-
lica of a traditional Hawaiian double-hulled voyaging canoe, or wa‘a
kaulua, is on an extended “victory lap” through the archipelago
after completing a three-year circumnavigation of the globe. This
is the Hōkūle‘a’s irst visit to Lāna‘i following the epic voyage. Over
the week, its crew will be feted by the community, take school kids
on educational cruises around the island, and ly colors from the
vessel’s towering foremast that have come to mean much more to
native Hawaiians than simply lags. Not the Stars and Stripes mind
you, but the Hawaiian state lag and the black, red, and white Tino
Rangatiratanga (“Absolute Sovereignty”) banner of New Zealand’s
Maori people.
Flying the Maori lag is more than a show of fraternity with

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 79

Views of Manele
Bay as seen from
the Four Seasons
Resort Lana‘i.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

80

Polynesian cousins in the South Paciic. It’s an expression of what’s Clockwise from
going on in Hawai‘i these days—a strong, growing, and very deter- right: A garden-
view room at the
mined efort to preserve and proliferate traditional Hawaiian culture. Four Seasons
During the 20-odd years I’ve been traveling to the islands on a regu- Resort Lana‘i; at
the same resort,
lar basis, I’ve seen the movement mature from a fringe group that a snack of local
most people (including native Hawaiians) ignored, into an engine of pineapple; Lana‘i
native Anela Evans,
Hawaiian politics, culture, and education. a cultural liaison
My latest visit to the islands came on the heels of the state gov- with Larry Ellison's
local management
ernment (in deiance of the Trump administration) declaring that company Pulama
Hawai‘i would implement the Paris climate accord even if the rest Lana‘i and an
affiliate of the
of the United States didn’t. But the islands have long marched to the Lana‘i Culture &
beat of a much diferent drummer than the rest of America. Heritage Center.
Hawai‘i was one of the irst states to legalize medical marijuana
and the very irst state to declare that same-sex marriage was a con-
stitutional right. At least a dozen local organizations view Hawai‘i’s
relationship with Washington, D.C. as a long, illegal military occupa-
tion and advocate some sort of sovereignty, from outright indepen-
dence and restoration of the monarchy to a special status for native
Hawaiians similar to what is currently aforded to Native Americans.
The people of Lāna‘i are just glad that the island’s “occupation”
by the Dole Pineapple Company is long gone and that the current
owner (software billionaire Larry Ellison) is more amiable to reju-
venating both local culture and the indigenous environment. After
buying most of the 364-square-kilometer island and its two Four
Seasons resorts in 2012 for US$300 million, Ellison announced ambi-
tious plans to create the world’s irst totally sustainable community
and thereby improve the lives of the resident islanders.
Kepā Maly, executive director of the Lāna‘i Culture & Heritage
Center and one of the most vocal advocates of reviving island tradi-
tions, was dubious at irst. But ive-plus years into the Ellison era, he
has come around. I caught up with him on a Saturday morning at
the center’s museum, whose collection ranges from prehistoric arti-
facts to records of the island’s irst contacts with European explorers
and mementoes of the Dole Pineapple years. As a group of elderly
Hawaiians arrived for a visit, Maly greeted them in their ancestral
tongue. “Aloha kakahiaka! E komo mai!” And the visitors responded
in kind, a full-blown conversation in a language that nearly died
out a century ago but that’s now on its way to full revival thanks to
people like Maly.
“Since the 1890s, Lāna‘i has been owned by a series of individu-
als,” Maly explained to me. “One of them tried to build nine resorts
on the island and golf courses over sacred sites and petroglyphs.
Today’s owner [Ellison] seems to be genuinely interested in the
natural and cultural heritage of this community. Sure, we have two
resorts. But if high-end visitors contribute to our sustainability, why
not? Better than having us overrun like Waikiki or Maui. And so
what if we can’t support 20,000 people at a conference? We don’t
give a rat’s ass about that.”
Renting a Jeep at the Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i in Manele Bay,
I took a drive that started with a steep climb into the broad caldera
that dominates the comma-shaped island’s midsection. Lāna‘i City,
which sits in the center of the volcanic depression, feels like a trip
back in time—no longer a pineapple company town, but still stuck
in some bygone era, with people locking to old wooden churches
on Sunday morning or hanging out in a town square shaded by
towering Cook pines.
The grassy plains that surround the town were once pineapple
ields. Even though the last of the fruits was harvested in 1992, relics
of those days remain in irrigation tubing that protrudes from the

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 81

orange earth and the shreds of black plastic (used

to retain moisture in the soil) that blow across the
roads. Beyond the caldera, Lāna‘i remains refresh-
ingly empty and unspoiled, slowly devolving into
the wild Hawaiian landscape that existed prior to
the 1920s when the irst pineapples were planted.
On the island’s north shore, I took a long stroll
down Shipwreck Beach to see the rusty hulks of
several vessels that still languish on the reef, walk-
ing until there were no other people in sight and
mine were the only footprints in the sand. From
there, I cruised inland to the so-called Garden of
the Gods—a Mars-like landscape of boulders and
rock towers created by an ancient volcanic erup-
tion—and on to the Pali Kaholo, a stretch of sheer
sea clifs on the island’s southwest coast.
Kepā Maly had told me that in olden days, the
waters here were a staging point for journeys to the
rest of Polynesia, with voyaging canoes hunkered
down in the clifs’ lee waiting for strong winds and
good weather to carry them down to the Marque-
sas and Tahiti. As dusk closed in, I could see a spar-
kle in the hazy distance—the setting sun relecting
of the observatories atop Mauna Kea on the Big
Island, more than 160 kilometers to the southeast.
The best part? Once again, I was completely alone,
afording me a small glimpse of what these islands
must have been like even before the irst Polyne-
sian settlers arrived.

Over on the larger island of Maui—a

45-minute ferry ride to the east—I kept running
into people with similar sentiments about blend-
ing modern and old ways into a new Hawai‘i for
the 21st century.
“You know, it was once illegal to speak Hawai-
ian,” said Kaimana Purdy, a cultural guide at the
year-old Westin Nanea Ocean Villas resort in
Ka‘anapali, on Maui’s northwest coast. “If you
were caught by the missionaries or the plantation
owners, you’d be punished for sure.” And not just
for speaking the language. Following the arrival
of Christian missionaries in the early 19th century, any number of
traditional practices were banned or suppressed, including the Poly-
nesian religion, hula dancing, even outrigger canoeing.
Born and raised on Maui, Purdy is an alumnus of ‘Aha Pūnana
Leo (“Language Nest”), a network of private, nonproit schools that
strives to teach Hawaiian to a new generation of islanders, revital-
ize indigenous culture among the youth, and foster a stronger sense
of Hawaiian identity. “My parents wanted to do their part, to help
revive Hawaiian culture,” Purdy explained. “And they igured that
putting me through immersion school was maybe the best way.”
Purdy has put his language skills to work as supervisor of the
Westin Nanea’s Pu‘uhonua o Nanea Cultural Center, a small mu-
seum and reference library that also serves as a staging ground for
guided tours of a hotel garden planted with taro, kukui trees, and
popolo berries. He is one of many ‘Aha Pūnana Leo graduates who
are now “spreading the word” about Hawaiian culture in the tour-
ism industry.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

The Lana‘i
Culture &
Heritage Center
in Lana‘i City.
Opposite:
Breakfast time
at Blue Ginger
Café, another
Lana‘i City
fixture.
 83

THE DETAILS
O‘ahu Getting There
Numerous airlines connect
Honolulu Tokyo, Taipei, Manila,
Moloka‘i
and other Asian cities
with Honolulu, from
Lāna‘i
Maui where Hawaiian Airlines
(hawaiianairlines.com)
flies daily to both Maui
and Lāna‘i. Guests of the
PACIFIC
OCEAN Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i What to Do
can also avail themselves Lāna‘i Culture & Heritage
of a private daily charter Center
flight from Honolulu on a Lāna‘i City; 1-808/565-
turboprop service called 7177; lanaichc.org.
Hawai‘i
(Big Island) Lanai Air, with fares starting Ali‘i Maui Outrigger Canoes
at US$500 per couple. The Ka‘anapali, Maui;
ferry between Maui and 1-808/214-3272; aliimaui
Lāna‘i runs several times outriggercanoes.com.
each day (go-lanai.com). Hawaiian Ocean Sports
Wailea Beach, Maui;
1-808/633-2800;
hawaiianoceansports.com.
Kapalua Ziplines
Lahaina, Maui;
1-808/756-9147;
kapaluaziplines.com.

Where to Stay
Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i
More like an elegant private
home than a resort
property, the Four Seasons’
rooms are spread through
lush tropical gardens, its
hallways and common
areas decorated with native
Hawaiian art and artifacts.
Among a half dozen
dining options is Nobu,
lauded as one of the best
restaurants in the entire
state. Outdoor diversions
range from a Jack Nicklaus–
designed golf course to
a full range of adventure
sports. 1-800/321-4666;
fourseasons.com; doubles
from US$1,150.
Westin Nanea Ocean Villas
In addition to the usual
resort amenities, this
family-friendly hotel on
Maui's northwestern shore
offers hula dancing, lei
making, and Hawaiian
language classes at the
lobby-side Pu’uhonua O
Nanea Cultural Center.
Shuttles run guests to
and from historic (and
nightlife-packed) Lahaina
Town. 1-808/662-6300;
westinnanea.com; doubles
from US$379.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

84

Although initially designed for preschoolers, ‘Aha Pūnana Leo

now ofers programs that run all the way through university level. It
has also come a long ways from the 1980s when the irst immersion
schools were illegal and largely underground, to the point where the
program is now a strategic partner with the Hawai‘i State Depart-
ment of Education and has its own oicially observed day, October
24, which recognizes ‘Aha Pūnana Leo’s contribution to preserving
and nurturing the Hawaiian language.
There has also been an explosion of interest in outrigger canoe-
ing. While the Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki has been around
since 1908—and is credited with saving the Hawaiian-style outrig-
ger from extinction—the trend didn’t take of until the 1990s. Today,
there are more than 60 outrigger clubs scattered across the archi-
pelago and nearly every major beach resort ofers its guests some
sort of outrigger activity.
Annual canoe races like the Pailolo Challenge (which traverses
42 kilometers of open water between Maui and Moloka’i) and the
Moloka’i Hoe (across 66 kilometers between Moloka’i and O‘ahu)
count among the state’s premier sporting events. Hundreds of canoes
and thousands of paddlers take part in these races, about as close
as you can come in the 21st century to the leet of outriggers that
greeted the likes of Captain Cook and French explorer La Pérouse
when they arrived in the islands around 240 years ago.
Having done quite a bit of paddling in other parts of the world,
I wanted to discover how the outrigger experience difers from ca-
noes and kayaks. Maui’s Ka‘anapali Beach, overlooking the channel
where the Pailolo Challenge takes place each September, seemed a
itting place to get my feet wet. I signed on for an early morning
paddle with Ali‘i Maui Outrigger Canoes, a family-run business that
sets up on the beach each morning.
Before pushing of, owner Jamie Balingit explained the signii-
cance of outriggers in traditional Hawaiian culture. “Nowadays ca-
noes are made from iberglass. But in the old days, they were made
from the trunk of a single koa tree that had to be cut down in the
highlands and dragged to the coast by dozens of men. Only the inest
craftsmen worked on canoes. And nobody was allowed to disturb
their concentration. Because if you did, the punishment could be
death. It was a sacred ritual, with a kahuna [shaman] always present.”
Balingit gathered three young canoe paddlers, including his
nephew Leeland, to take me paddling on the Lahaina Roads, the
broad channel that separates Maui, Moloka’i, and Lāna‘i. Pushing BEYOND ITS CALDERA,
our outrigger into the surf and leaping aboard, we paddled south
along Airport Beach, so named because there used to be a landing
LANA'I REMAINS
strip behind the coconut palms that line the shore. REFRESHINGLY EMPTY
As we glided about a hundred meters ofshore, Leeland ex-
plained how long ago, warriors used to train for combat along this AND UNSPOILED,
particular stretch of sand. And that Elvis Presley, who helped bring
Hawaiian music and culture into the American mainstream in the SLOWLY DEVOLVING
1960s, had once stayed at the oldest hotel on the beach.
“Outrigger canoeing isn’t so much about power as it is strategy
INTO THE WILD
—how to read the swells and currents, how to navigate by the stars,” HAWAIIAN LANDSCAPE
he added. It also requires skillful paddling:

Top: Cultural
deep strokes that make a swirl in the water THAT EXISTED PRIOR
specialist Kaimana
Purdy at the Westin
when you remove the paddle, and absolutely
no splashing on the surface.
TO THE 1920S
Nanea’s Pu‘uhonua
o Nanea Cultural The water below us was translucent, re-
Center on Maui. vealing a mosaic of coral, submerged lava
Opposite: A stretch
of wild coastline lows, and sandy shallows where dozens of sea
on Lana‘i. turtles were slumbering in the early-morning

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 85

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

 Above: Paddlers
with Ali‘i Maui
Outrigger Canoe
pushing off from
Ka‘anapali Beach.
Right: Ali‘i Maui
owner Jamie
Balingit.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018


calm. Lāna‘i was dead ahead across the channel I’d crossed by ferry
a few days earlier. Our destination was much closer: a large volcanic
promontory called Pu‘u Keka‘a (Black Rock). “It’s a leina a ka ‘uhane,
or ‘leaping place of the soul,’ ” Leeland told me. “Hawaiians believe
this rock is the place where the dead leave their earthly existence by
diving into the afterlife.”
Pu‘u Keka‘a has also been a popular clif-diving spot since at
least the 18th century, when King Kahekili apparently stamped his
macho credentials by making incredible leaps from the top. Not to
be outdone by some bygone monarch, Leeland and his buddies
swam over to the rock, scaled the razor-sharp volcanic slope in their
bare feet, and dove from the summit.
Although helter-skelter development continues along
much of Maui’s shoreline, the highlands and ofshore waters are
garnering more protection and, in the same way as Lāna‘i, slowly
87
slipping back into something more akin to raw nature.
Government reserves like Haleakalā National Park and the West
Maui Forest Reserve are owed a lot of the credit for preserving the
island’s native lora and fauna. But private lands are also part of the
movement to return backcountry Maui to its natural state.
One such initiative is the 35-square-kilometer Pu’u Kukui Water-
shed Preserve near Kapalua, just up the coast from Ka‘anapali. Still
owned by Maui Land & Pineapple, which closed its century-old pine-
apple business in 2009, it’s the largest private nature reserve in the
Hawaiian Islands, and arguably that company’s greatest legacy—a
sizeable slice of protected rain forest and scrubland that provides a
habitat for rare native plants, birds, and gastropods.
I ventured up to one of the wooded ridgelines that crown Pu’u
Kukui with Peter Kekona, a burly native Hawaiian who guides for
the Kapalua Ziplines company. Using an all-terrain vehicle, we were
able to ascend several hundred meters up the mountainside. Even-
tually the muddy orange road petered out and we continued on foot
along a trail lanked by giant trees.
“These are sugi cedars,” Kekona explained. “They were origi-
nally imported from Japan in the 1880s because the wood was good
for ixing ships during sailing days. But these never got harvested—
all of them are more than a century old. Yeah, I know. They’re not
native. But who’s gonna cut down a bunch of hundred-year-old
trees? They’re an integral part of the forest now.”
From a lofty viewpoint some 420 meters above sea level, we
could look out across Pu’u Kukui, a vast green sea of ferns and trees
that sprawls high above the busy beaches along the Kapalua shore-
line. This was also the start of a series of seven ziplines that takes you
hurtling back downhill. With Kekona in the lead, we plunged into
the void—and were soon soaring 100 meters above a jungle gully.
To see how environmental protection was faring ofshore, I
headed next to Wailea Bay for a kayaking trip with veteran guide
Deja Howard. The waters between Wailea and the small, crescent-
shaped island of Molokini are doubly protected as part of the Molo-
kini Shoal Marine Life Conservation District and the much larger
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. On
this particular day there wasn’t a whale in sight: wrong season. But
there were plenty of sea turtles, some of which were curious enough
to surface and give us a quick look. We also caught a glimpse of the
multicolored humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, Hawai‘i’s state ish.
“There’s a lot more turtles and whales than when I irst started
doing this,” said Howard, who’s been leading kayak trips of Maui
for 16 years. “And a lot more coral. Researchers tell me the coral in
this part of the marine sanctuary is growing like one centimeter per
year. And people are trying to clean up the water in places that aren’t
protected—get rid of septic tanks, stop agricultural runof, and limit
construction that harms the ocean.”
Leaving the island behind later that today on a light back to my
home on the mainland, I kept thinking about some of the things
that Kepā Maly had told me during our meeting at the Lāna‘i Culture
& Heritage Center.
“We’re already light years ahead of where we used to be just a
couple of years ago,” he said of the movement to preserve the is-
lands’ cultural and natural integrity. “And I have faith that we’ll
continue reconnecting our communities with their legacy. I see our
future as a sort of ‘living classroom’ where people from around the
world can see and learn how to integrate their own cultures and tra-
ditions into modern life and achieve the balance that we have here
on Lāna‘i.”
JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM
Standing sentry
at the entrance to
Naxos’s harbor,
the ancient marble
gateway known
as the Portara
was built as the
portal to a temple
dedicated to
Apollo. Opposite:
The domed Roman
Catholic cathedral
on the main square
of the Kastro in
Chora.
 MY
BLUE

SANTORINI AND MYKONOS MAY BE BETTER KNOWN, BUT NAXOS, THE LARGEST OF GREECE’S CYCLADIC
ISLANDS, PACKS IN MORE ATTRACTIONS THAN ANY OF ITS AEGEAN NEIGHBORS. FROM FERTILE
VALLEYS DOTTED WITH WHITEWASHED CHAPELS TO MOUNTAIN VILLAGES, ANCIENT RUINS, AND
ISOLATED BEACHES, A LONGTIME RESIDENT EXPLAINS THE APPEAL OF HER ADOPTED ISLAND HOME.
BY LUCRETIA STEWART PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOS DRAZOS
90
CAME TO NAXOS IN 1985 to visit a friend who was house-sitting
for an Englishwoman who lived in the Kastro area of Chora (other-
wise known as Naxos Town), the island’s whitewashed seaside
capital. I returned pretty much every summer after that and
have now, to my almost-daily amazement, resided here full-time
for 15 years. Living alone on a remote Greek island might not be to
everyone’s taste, but it suits me ine.
Naxos is the largest and arguably the most beautiful of the
Cyclades, a group of some 220 islands in the southern Aegean Sea.
The landscape is magniicent and its size means that you get it all:
mountains (including Mount Zas, at 1,000 meters the island chain’s
highest peak), green valleys, golden beaches, secluded ruins, and
marble quarries that appear like futuristic cities. Unlike the popular
stereotype of a Greek island, Naxos is not arid and barren, though
in high summer it can look pretty dry. Fertile soil and regular win-
ter rains mean Naxians can grow more than enough vegetables and
fruit to feed themselves, and their meats and cheeses are famous
throughout Greece. Still, this is a relatively compact island, encom-
passing only 430 square kilometers—about the size of Barbados.
You can drive it from end to end in a couple of hours.
Three and a half hours by high-speed ferry from the Athenian
port of Piraeus, Naxos is also where, according to Greek mythology,
Theseus abandoned Ariadne on their way back to Athens from
Crete after she had helped him escape from the labyrinth at Knos-
sos, where he had killed the Minotaur. She then took refuge on the
nearby isle of Donoussa and ultimately consoled herself with Diony-
sus, the god of wine and bacchanals who is celebrated each year just
before Lent during the island’s colorful Carnival festivities. Richard
Strauss’s opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, was inspired by this legend.
The Venetians had a more palpable impact on the island, ruling
it for nearly 400 years starting in 1207. They were largely responsible
for building the hilltop castle known as the Kastro; this is where I
bought my own house many years ago, and it’s the most wonderful
thing about Naxos, which has no shortage of wonderful things. There
are similar castle quarters elsewhere in the Cyclades (on Syros and
Folegandros, for example), but they are not nearly as grand and well
preserved as the one that looms above Chora. The houses within its
fortiied walls are beautiful; some even remain in the hands of the
descendants of Venetian nobility, families with names like Barozzi,
Loredano, Sforza Castri, Giustiniani. My own house dates to the 16th
century, and while it has neither central heating nor sophisticated
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
plumbing, the ceilings are double height and the rooms are vast.
With its domed Roman Catholic cathedral and medieval towers,
the Kastro is all very atmospheric, especially when there are no tour-
ists around. In the winter, when I walk my dog through the narrow
cobblestone alleys, with the black, starry sky above, it’s easy to forget
this is the 21st century. But summertime is lovely too, especially at
dusk—l’heure bleue—when the views take on a velvety quality. As
the light slowly fades, the silhouette of the island’s iconic Portara—a
massive marble gateway built in the sixth century B.C. as the portal
to a temple to Apollo—glows golden from its perch on a rocky islet
at the entrance to the harbor.
Naxos also happens to have the best beaches in the Cyclades. The
most famous of them are found along the southwest coast of the
island—Aghios Prokopios, Aghia Anna, Plaka, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla,
and Pirgaki. They get wilder the farther down you go; Plaka, a one-
time hippie beach fringed with undulating dunes, is favored by nud-
ists. But when the south wind is blowing and the sea on the north
coast is lat and calm, there is no better place to swim than Abram. A
small, pebbly bay near the top end of the island, it lies at the end of
a dirt track of the main road and faces west, so the sunsets are fabu-
lous. It is bookended by high, jagged rocks; to the left, as you look
toward the sea, there is a chapel astride a promontory and a beauti-
ful 1930s-style bungalow, which I have long
coveted. If the weather is right, Abram is
Opposite, clockwise also a good place to stay and eat. There is
from top left: a simple guesthouse (Pension Abram) right
Pomegranates at a on the beach with a restaurant serving tra-
farm in Eggares; the
Chora waterfront; ditional dishes and ish caught that morn-
a snack of cheese ing by the owner. It reminds me of one of
and olives; inside
the Venetian-built those little hotels in far-of-the-beaten-track
Bazeos Tower Caribbean villages. On my last visit, I spent
(now a cultural
center) near the my days swimming, eating, and reading. All
mountain village I could hear at night was the crash of the
of Sagri; Kastraki
Beach; the church waves and the occasional quack from the
at the Byzantine family of ducks that lived down below.
monastery of
Christi Fotodotis, Farther along the coastal road on the
outside Danakos; a island’s northeastern tip is Apollonas. This
seaside taverna in
Moutsouna; a room ishing village doesn’t really have much to
at Naxian on the recommend it, except for a kind of dreamy
Beach, a boho-chic ends-of-the-earth feel and an enormous
resort in Plaka;
dried peppers. and uninished marble kouros (statue of a
92

Andros

Below: Relaxing nude male igure) dating to the sixth cen-

at Naxian on the tury B.C. (Better examples of this ancient
Beach. Opposite:
A chapel outside sculptural form can be found near Melanes. Mykonos
the village of One lies in a garden, the other on the hill-
Filoti, which lies Paros
in the foothills of side above. They are magical, particularly Naxos
Mount Zas, the the kouros in the garden; he seems to be
highest peak in the Amorgos
Cyclades. sleeping.) But there is a small inn on the
quiet south end of the pebble beach called
Folegandros
Hotel Kouros that is quite peaceful. And the
drive from here to Moutsouna, an old emery Santorini
port about halfway down the east coast, is thrilling. The road doesn’t
follow the shoreline but instead loops up through mountain villages
that inhabit a lush landscape dotted with tiny white churches. The
views are astonishing—on a clear day, you can look straight out to FOUR MORE
sea and see Donoussa loating mirage-like in the Aegean. If you fol- CYCLADIC IDYLLS
low this route or drive cross-island from Chora, be sure to stop for
lunch at Koronos before tackling the myriad hairpin bends down to
Folegandros
Moutsouna. Set in a picturesque little square at the bottom of a se-
Tiny, remote, and rugged, Folegandros appeals to
ries of steep steps, Taverna Matina serves up home-style Greek food
escapists and old-fashioned romantics. Its main village,
that changes daily depending on what the owner, Matina, has in her Chora (literally “town” in Greek — the name given to all
larder—lamb stew with lemon sauce and dill, say, or sefoukloti, a tra- Cycladic capitals), is built up to the edge of a 250-meter-
ditional local pie with chard, fennel, and wild herbs. Whatever she high cliff; from here, you can access a number of good
serves, it’s always good. beaches via stone-paved donkey tracks or by little
fishing boats departing daily from the port. Stay at
the delightful family-run Anemomilos Apartments
(anemomilosapartments.com; doubles from US$260) in
Chora, where most of the 16 self-catering studios afford
spectacular views down to the sea.

Andros
The second largest of the Cyclades is discreetly affluent
and unspoiled by mass tourism. Visited primarily by
moneyed Athenians, Andros has just a handful of low-
profile eateries and chic little art galleries, not to mention
several fantastic beaches, notably Ahla, one of Greece’s
most stunning. Stay at Ktima Lemonies (ktimalemonies
.gr; doubles from US$144); repurposed from the ruins
of an old farm in the village of Lamyra, it’s rustic on the
outside and country-house chic within.

Amorgos
Featured in Luc Besson’s gorgeous 1988 free-diving film
The Big Blue, this under-the-radar island nonetheless
remains blissfully unexploited — probably because it’s
an eight-hour ferry ride from Piraeus. But its dramatic
mountainous landscapes and laid-back atmosphere are
hard to beat. In hilltop Chora, stay at Vorina Ktismata
(vorinaktismata.com; doubles from US$180), whose
five standalone suites are impeccably finished.

Paros
Naxos’s neighbor to the west, Paros is home to the
picturesque fishing port of Naoussa and some lovely
rural villages, all the more beguiling for their relative
lack of tourist crowds. While there are plenty of quaint
bed-and-breakfasts to choose from, the island’s
smartest new lodging is the 48-room Mr & Mrs White
(mrandmrswhiteparos.com; doubles from US$315),
a contemporary Cycladic–style resort on the outskirts
of Naoussa.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

94
Abram Bay
Apollonas
Chora Koronos
Ano Potamia
Halki Danakos
Plaka Beach
Mount Zas
Kastraki Beach
THE DETAILS
Getting There
Daily flights from
Athens to Naxos take
about 35 minutes with
domestic airline Sky
Express (skyexpress.gr).
A less expensive option
is traveling by sea; trips
from the Athenian
port of Piraeus last
between three and six
hours on high-speed
or regular ferries.
Where to Eat
Axiotissa
Easily the island’s best
restaurant, located
16 kilometer south of
Chora (Naxos Town).
The cooking is Greek
but completely original,
As ine as its beaches are, though, the island’s greatest with an emphasis
beauty, apart from the Kastro, lies amid the villages and landscapes on organic produce
of the interior. Tourists often come to Naxos as part of an island- and local meats: try
hopping itinerary, staying for two or three days. But that’s not nearly eggplant with honey
and almonds; salads
long enough. More than anywhere else in the Cyclades, Naxos re- topped with mizithra, a
wards time and concentration. It’s not immediately spectacular like traditional whey cheese;
Santorini, or trendy like Mykonos, or cosmopolitan like Paros, but it and succulent goat and
rabbit dishes. Kastraki;
is lovely, and each village has a charm of its own. Koronos is among 30-22850/75107;
my favorites, as are Kourounochori—with its old Venetian tower fb.com/axiotissa.
and views over the Melanes Valley—and Ano Potamia, where there Avali Café
is a big, sprawling taverna called Pighi, meaning “spring,” under With a wonderful
location at the Stelida
which runs a stream of deliciously fresh water. end of Agios Prokopios
On the far side of the island, just beyond Mount Zas, is the tiny Beach, this breezy
dead-end hamlet of Danakos, perched on a hillside thick with syca- taverna is known for its
fresh fish and friendly
mores, oaks, and orange trees. I’ve gone there often for lunch, to a service. Chora; 30-
stone-clad taverna called Florakas. It used to be run by a charming 22850/26972; avali.gr.
DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018
Moutsouna
L’Osteria
An excellent Italian
restaurant and wine
bar beneath the Kastro
walls; be sure to book a
table in the atmospheric
courtyard. Chora;
30-22850/24080;
osterianaxos.com.
Where to Stay
Naxian on the Beach
There are only 10
boho-chic suites at
this seaside gem on
Plaka Beach, each with
an indoor or outdoor
Jacuzzi. The little
sibling to the acclaimed
Naxian Collection hotel
in nearby Stelida also
offers sunbeds on
the sand and a low-
key beach bar. Plaka;
30-22850/24300;
naxianonthebeach.com;
doubles from US$520.
Kavos
A hillside complex
above Prokopios
Bay with a large
swimming pool, an
excellent restaurant,
and accommodation
options that range
from open-plan
studio suites to three-
bedroom villas. Stelida;
30-22850/23355;
kavos-naxos.com;
doubles from US$280.

old man who must have been in his eighties. He would always ask
me why I wasn’t married. One time, in exasperation, he exclaimed,
“The men in England—do they not have eyes?”
Halki (a.k.a. Chalkio), a former capital of Naxos illed with old
villas and tower houses and Byzantine churches, is worth a stop on
the way back to Chora. Popular with tourists, it’s home to the fa-
mous Vallindras distillery, a ifth-generation family business where
you can wait in line for a sip of kitron, a sweet liqueur made from
the fruit of citron trees. Better yet is the Church of Panagia Drosiani
(the name means “Dewy Virgin”), a short drive to the north near
the village of Moni. Said to be among the oldest Orthodox churches
in the Balkans, it sits on a little hill surrounded by olive groves and
vineyards and contains rare medieval frescoes that date back as far
as the seventh century.
Another secluded gem is Keramoti. Home to fewer than 100 peo-
ple, it lies at the end of a winding road at the bottom of a valley made
lush by the presence of two small rivers. In the spring, it is as if green
walls surround you. Though close to Koronos, Keramoti remains
blissfully free of visitors and is delightfully unspoiled and tranquil,
with an old olive mill on its main square (platsa) and a café where
95
you can stop for a drink of anise-lavored Above: The ruins
of the Temple of
raki and a taste of the thyme honey made Demeter in Sangri
by local beekeepers. village. Opposite:
And then there’s the light. Having Sun-dried grapes
make their way into
lived now for many years in the austere sweet Naxian wine.
glare of the Cyclades, in what Gerald
Durrell described as the “bright, looking-
glass world of Greece,” I can testify to its
power, to its life-airming qualities. Never again do I want to reside
in a place where the prevailing color is grey. The redeeming light of
Naxos causes the few shortfalls of life here (a slight dearth of cultural
life; boring shopping) to pale into insigniicance.
Whether it’s the light or the island’s pure, thyme-scented air or
their so-called Mediterranean diet, Naxians usually live long lives.
This is evident at Panagia Drosiani, whose cemetery bristles with
tombstones inscribed not with birth and death dates, but with the
ages of those interred. Many lived to a great age—97, 102, even 104.
This bodes well for me. I plan to spend the rest of my life on
Naxos, and as long as the island continues to exert its magic, that’s
likely to be some time to come.
JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM
 SAVORING

FROM KUCHING TO SIBU AND POINTS FARTHER UP THE RAJANG RIVER,

MALAYSIA’S LARGEST STATE DISHES UP A SURPRISING MÉLANGE OF FLAVORS.
BY THOMAS BIRD PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURYN ISHAK
 A bowl of Sarawak
laksa. Opposite:
Kuching’s umbrella-
roofed state
legislative building
and historic Fort
Margherita sit side
by side above the
Sarawak River.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

98

THE RAPIDS ARE FIERCE ON THIS STRETCH of Sarawak’s Rajang

River, bouncing us around like kids on a trampoline. As our low-
slung ferry plows tenaciously through the white water, I eyeball the
few grubby life jackets stufed in overhead bins and wonder how
long it might take me to swim ashore should the need arise.
“Check it out: Borneo has crocodiles,” my travel companion,
Mike Bossick, reads from a guidebook, apparently oblivious to our
current predicament. Maybe 12 hours aboard three separate boats
has cultivated a measure of complacency in the man. At 65, Bossick
is a seasoned wayfarer, so perhaps he’s seen worse. Or perhaps, be-
ing Californian, he just knows how to keep it cool.
Finally, the rapids dissipate, and we can again take pleasure in
the passing jungle scenery as the ferry cruises upstream to Belaga.
The Rajang is the longest river in Malaysia, lowing more than 560
kilometers from the remote Iran Mountains of Borneo’s interior to
the South China Sea. It’s been called “Borneo’s Amazon,” and the
moniker is apt. On either side of us, a green forest canopy cascades
down the hillsides, illing the air with the smell of warm vegetation.
The waters are caramel-colored, as if discharged from Willy Wonka’s
chocolate factory. Save for the occasional logging station, the world
of man feels like a distant thing.
My stomach starts to rumble. It’s past noon and there’s no food
aboard the ferry beyond some pungent durian my fellow passengers
are snacking on. When a small settlement emerges in a clearing up
ahead, I climb onto the deck to digest the scene. As we get closer,
I realize it’s our irst view of one of Sarawak’s fabled longhouses, destination that promised both a tropical idyll and—thanks to the
and the prospect of an authentic Dayak meal becomes an enticing culinary traditions of its Dayak (the umbrella term for Borneo’s
reality. indigenous peoples), Chinese, and Malay inhabitants—the perfect
antidote to my bland North China diet.
Like more and more people these days, I make my nest The palm-festooned capital of the East Malaysian state of Sar-
in a megacity. Yet while I bask in the opportunity-rich neon glow awak lies 30 kilometers inland from the Borneo coast. Like all the
of Beijing, the urban jungle often jars with my inner ape. Perhaps major settlements on the island—which Malaysia shares with Indo-
it’s a feeling stirred in the gut of most city dwellers whenever lost nesia and Brunei—a river deines it. Unlike most of them, however,
in a mall or surveying a vista of concrete. So when winter arrives, Kuching is a charming and laid-back place anchored to the past by
I make it a point to seek respite in warmer climes. Which is how the remnants of its colonial-era architecture. The city is centered on
I ended up on an extended sojourn earlier this year in Kuching, a a spattering of gorgeous colonial buildings that lank the Sarawak

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018


River. These are the vestiges of the Brooke From far left: Inside
The Commons, a
family, the so-called “White Rajahs” who restaurant at the
ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 Old Courthouse
complex in
until 1946. Presiding over the north bank Kuching; traditional
of the river is the Brookes’ stately palace, bamboo fish traps;
the Astana, and Fort Margherita, built in kolo mee, midin
fern with garlic, and
1879 and now a museum that chronicles an onion omelet at
Sarawak’s colonial past. On the opposite the Central Market
food court in Sibu.
bank, downstream from the multistory of-
ice buildings of Kuching’s business district,
stands an odd little citadel called the Square
Tower (once used as a prison) and the Old Courthouse complex.
The latter, completed in 1874, now houses a fancy whisky bar and a
bright, roomy café called The Commons, where one can enjoy after-
noon tea on the veranda.
The British may have left behind their landmark buildings, but
it’s the mercantile southern Chinese that dominate the downtown
area. There is not one but two Chinatowns, the old and new (though
both are pretty old), located about a kilometer apart. Porcelain un-
earthed near Kuching suggests the Chinese have been trading here
since the sixth century. But it was some centuries after those pio-
neer seeds were sown that their communities actually blossomed.
According to the Chinese History Museum, housed in a century-
old former law court near the Main Bazaar, there were three major
waves of migration, beginning in the 19th century when Hakka Chi-
nese who’d been living in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) crossed
99
into Sarawak. Migrants from Fujian and Guangdong followed, each
group bringing with them their own traditions that are still ex-
pressed today in a myriad of dialects and, of course, the diversity of
food on ofer.
Indeed, I eat at so many Chinese canteens during my irst week
in Kuching that my taste buds don’t even know I’ve left China.
Among my favorite haunts are Zhen Xiang Zhai, a Cantonese-style
Buddhist joint that serves sumptuous spring rolls and a revital-
izing tofu soup; and Life Café, which is decorated with faux-Ming
decor and specializes in tongue-tingling Sichuan fare chased down
with classic Chinese teas like Iron Buddha. And everyone seems to
ofer Sarawak’s two best-loved noodle dishes. One is Sarawak laksa,
a sweet-sour take on Peranakan vermicelli soup whose addictive
coconut-milk base is imbued with galangal, lemongrass, tamarind,
and sambal belacan; Anthony Bourdain once dubbed it the “break-
fast of gods.” The other is kolo mee, a ubiquitous lunchtime noodle
dish tossed in pork lard and shallot oil and topped with spring
onions and slices of barbecued pork.
It’s almost by accident that I encounter a staple of the Dayak
JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM
Ayam pansuh,
terung asam soup,
purple rice, and stir-
fried cassava leaves
at Kuching’s Lepau
restaurant. Opposite:
On the ramparts of
Fort Margherita.
 101

diet. I’m wandering through a food court located between the textile in a bamboo stalk and served in an aromatic broth; anchovies with
market on India Street and the Kuching City Mosque when I pass a tempoyak, a condiment made from fermented durian; stir-fried cas-
stall frying up some mysterious legumes du jour. These turn out to be sava leaves; and a sumptuous ish soup brimming with fresh tilapia
the buds of an edible wild fern known as midin. It’s a strange look- and terung Dayak, or hairy-fruited eggplant.
ing plant with a head of curly leaves that appears to me like some A few days later, I’m joined by my friend Mike Bossick. A copy
caterpillars clinging to a shoot. Served in a salad with dried shrimp, editor based in Shenzhen, he’s lown into Kuching for some R&R
shallots, and a squeeze of citrus juice, the taste is peaty and invigo- of his own. To welcome him to Sarawak, I book a table at Lepau.
rating, reminding me of greens like broccoli or kale. They are quickly Bossick is soon impressed as he browses a menu of dishes he doesn’t
perishable too, which means you have to visit Sarawak to taste this recognize—not a given for someone who grew up in multicultural
remarkable rain forest delicacy. Los Angeles.
Determined to delve deeper into the Kuching kitchen, I am We wash down dinner with a bottle of tuak, Sarawak’s sweet
pointed in the direction of Joseph Jissin Anak Daniel. A Bidayuh homemade rice wine. It tastes of lemon cordial, a quality that dis-
—the second largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the Iban— guises its potency until it’s too late. When we’re suitably intoxicated,
who grew up in a traditional longhouse near the border of Kali- I seize my moment to dissuade Bossick from holidaying on a beach
mantan, Joseph runs the Bumbu Cooking Class, a modest kitchen in Sabah. “I’m planning to travel inland by boat to learn more about
setup located behind an antiques store in old Chinatown where he the Dayak. Want to come?”
teaches Sarawakian cookery. He peppers his sessions with anecdotes “Dude, I’m in,” he slurs.
from his younger days. “It used to take my grand-
parents a week just to reach Kuching as they had to
travel by river boat,” he says. “It takes a couple of
hours now. But when I irst came to town I found
city people looked down on us. So for me cooking
has been a way to communicate our culture.”
The lesson begins with the carnivorous attend-
ees marinating chicken in local spices, while the
herbivores snap sticks of dried bean curd to blanch
in water. Next, and somewhat counter-intuitively,
dessert is made. Joseph shows us how to shape
pandan leaves into little baskets. We then mix pea
lour, sugar, and coconut milk to make a pudding
known as kuih tako, which is placed in the baskets
to be refrigerated.
While the dessert cools, our group heads over
the Sarawak River to the lively Medan Niaga Satok
market to shop for ingredients. It’s a weekend,
which means the Dayak vendors are out in force
and Joseph has ample opportunity to show of his
encyclopedic knowledge of local produce. “This is
jackfruit, that’s betel nut, and we call this one Dutch
durian,” he says, pointing to various fruits. He shows
us how to pick out good-quality fern, how to identify
diferent edible roots, and where we can get our co-
conut shredded. It’s a crash course in Borneo botany
as much as a shopping trip.
Back at Bumbu we’re taught how to prepare
the fern and the traditional process of mixing cur-
ry leaves, cinnamon bark, and lemongrass to add
zest to the vegetables, bean curd, and meat. After
an hour or so, our kitchen toil is rewarded with a
lunch of Sarawak-style curry, fern pan-fried with a
piquant sambal, followed by the tako and slices of
fresh pineapple.
Hungry for more, I eventually ind my way
to Lepau, an award-winning restaurant run by a
Kayan family located not far from the city center.
It’s rustically furnished and hums with the plucky
sounds of Dayak music, and the menu is a revela-
tion. There’s fragrant purple rice wrapped in banana
leaf; ayam pansuh, a dish of chicken meat cooked

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

102

Named after the local sibau fruit, Sibu,

our irst port of call, lies ive hours northeast
of Kuching by ferry. The seven-tiered Guan Yin
Pagoda looms like a mystic lighthouse above
the riverbank, a reminder that Sibu, even more
so than Kuching, has strong Chinese roots. An
exhibition of old photographs and artifacts in
the upper loors of the pagoda relates that James
Brooke established a fort here at the strategic
conluence of the Rajang and Igan rivers in 1862,
but it wasn’t until 1901 that a lood of immigrants
from Fuzhou showed up in force, lured by the
opportunities aforded by the Brooke dynasty’s
prospering economy.
Walking through the night market I spot
dishes I haven’t seen since I visited Fuzhou to up-
date The Rough Guide to China: ish-ball soup, pork
noodles, steamed buns. The only divergence from
the original formula is that the latter are stufed
with coconut.
Sibu’s massive wet market, however, ofers an
enticing promise of the culinary curios awaiting
us upstream. Beyond the ish stalls and the coun-
ters where live ducks and chickens lie wrapped in
tubes of newspaper, we wander amid stalls vend-
ing a plethora of fruits and vegetables, many of
which we don’t recognize.
“This doray,” says one vendor in broken Eng-
lish, pointing at a green mound of wild spinach.
“This paku fern, from deep in forest. You buy for
father?” he asks, gesturing toward Bossick.
The following day we board an express ferry
for the two-hour sprint to Kapit, an inland mar-
ket town established by Charles Brooke in 1880,
as the riverside Fort Sylvia testiies. There’s not a Above: A view modern than some of the bamboo structures we’ve seen,
great deal to distract us here other than a frontier of the Rajang with concrete walls, corrugated-iron roofs, and electricity
River from Sibu’s
vibe and another lively market, this time domi- waterfront. delivered after dark by a generator. Only the elderly resi-
nated by Iban people. Navigating the stalls, I pro- Opposite, from dents are tattooed. Yet despite some trappings of moder-
top: Kolo mee
cure a plethora of fruits I’ve never sampled before, institution Kim nity, the tradition of communal living is maintained.
including the refreshing heart-shaped rose apple Joo in Kuching; While the pastor’s wife begins cooking, Aojan and I
the seven-story
and sour senggang (torch-ginger fruit), which look Guan Yin Pagoda tour the village. Outside the house, clusters of Sarawak
like garlic but taste more like kiwi fruit. in Sibu; Marichelle peppercorn dry in the sun. The village is not big but the
Livan Lah, owner
At dusk, when the swiftlets congregate over- of Kuching’s diversity of edible plants growing around the longhouses
head, we meet Daniel Leroh, a former headmaster Lepau restaurant. suggests why agriculture came late to the Dayak. Lime,
from the remote town of Belaga who is in Kapit papaya, coconut, and pineapple are found in people’s
for a conference. He’s able to connect us with backyards. Lemongrass and edible ferns grow wild. “Like
one of his colleagues, a retired English teacher weeds, they are everywhere,” Aojan explains.
named Medik Aojan, who promises to take us for lunch at an actual My guide proves to be a sensitive soul who’s keen to remind me
longhouse. of the impact of logging and the palm oil plantations that are fast
Rapids aside, the ive-hour Belaga leg of our journey on the devouring the rain forests. “We Dayak used to ind everything we
Upper Rajang is spellbinding, and I feel a tad disappointed as we needed in the jungle, but species depend on each other. Take one
climb ashore at Belaga’s jetty. But Bossick and I are soon on the out, and the others die.”
water again, this time aboard Aojan’s own boat, a coin-shaped It’s a sobering conclusion to our culinary quest and one I dwell
motorized canoe barely large enough to accommodate us. The craft on as we dine. The pastor’s wife dishes up egg-fried cangkok manis,
threatens to capsize as we climb aboard, and it’s not until we’re yam with ginger, and a soup featuring the Dayaks’ preferred meat,
surging downstream that the momentum creates some stability. wild boar. These are ingredients plucked straight from an Arcadian
Twenty minutes after setting out, Aojan brings us ashore at the jungle. But a road is coming soon to Belaga and despite brave court
Kenyah village of Long Dungan, where he persuades the local pas- battles, logging remains rampant. The Rajang River might be a spec-
tor and his wife to rustle up lunch. The longhouses here are more tacle to sail up and savor while you still can.

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018

 103

SARAWAK

Belaga
Sibu
Kapit

Kuching

BORNEO

THE DETAILS
Getting There
Kuching is connected
by regular daily flights
to Singapore and Kuala
Lumpur. AirAsia (airasia
.com) also flies between
Kuching and Sibu, which
takes considerably less
time than the five-hour
ferry ride.
Where to Eat
The Commons
Old Courthouse; 60-
82/417-601; fb.com/
commonskch.
Lepau
395 Jl. Ban Hock; 60-
82/242-160; fb.com/
lepaurestaurant.
Life Café
62 Jl. Padungan; 60-
82/521-398; lifecafe.my.

What to Do
Bumbu Cooking Class
Joseph Daniel’s cookery
classes are held at 57
Carpenter Street; you’ll
need to book in advance
via 60/19-879-1050
or bumbucookingclass
.weebly.com.

Where to Stay
Pullman Kuching
Dominating the Kuching
skyline since 2010, this
389-room behemoth
has all the facilities you’d
expect from a five-star
chain hotel. 60-82/222-
888; pullmankuching.com;
doubles from US$70.
The Ranee
For something more
intimate, book one of the
24 suites at The Ranee,
located right near the
waterfront in Kuching’s
old quarter. The Old
Courthouse complex is
just a few doors down.
60-82/258-833; theranee
.com; doubles from
US$80.
RH Hotel
Perhaps the best of Sibu’s
unexceptional hotels, with
220 rooms and a good
downtown location.
60-84/365-888; rhhotels
.com.my; doubles from
US$65.

JUNE / JULY 2018 – DESTINASIAN.COM

 Dine Asia
SRA BUA BY KIIN KIIN
AT SIAM KEMPINSKI
HOTEL BANGKOK
&UHDWHGE\DFFODLPHG'DQLVKFKHI
+HQULN<GH$QGHUVRQZKRVH.LLQ
.LLQUHVWDXUDQWLQ&RSHQKDJHQ
KDVKHOGRQH0LFKHOLQVWDUVLQFH
6UD%XDE\.LLQ.LLQSDLUV
WKHIUHVKHVW7KDLLQJUHGLHQWVZLWK
:HVWHUQFRRNLQJWHFKQLTXHVWKDW
SXVKWKHERXQGDULHVRIIRUP
WH[WXUHDQGWHPSHUDWXUH6UD%XD
ZDVDZDUGHGLWVRZQ0LFKHOLQVWDU
ODVW'HFHPEHUDQGLVEHVWNQRZQ
IRU7KH-RXUQH\LWVVLJQDWXUHVHW
GLQQHU7KHUHFLSHIRURQHRILWV
HLJKWFRXUVHVLVRXWOLQHGEHORZ
Cotton Candy Salad
with Red Snapper and
Cucumber
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Ţ JUHGVQDSSHUƪOOHW
Ţ &RWWRQFDQG\
Ţ PLQWOHDYHV
Ţ &RULDQGHUOHDYHV
Ţ &HOHU\PLFURJUHHQV
METHOD
7KHQLJKWEHIRUHSHHOWKH
FXFXPEHUWKHQEOHQGWKHVNLQ
ZLWKZDWHUDQGVWUDLQ6FRRSRXW
WKHFXFXPEHUZLWKDVPDOOPHORQ
EDOOHUWKHQVWRUHLQDYDFXXP
SDFNZLWKWKHFXFXPEHUZDWHU
RYHUQLJKWXQWLOLWWXUQVEULJKW
JUHHQ'U\WKHNDƬUOLPHOHDYHVLQ
DGHK\GUDWLQJPDFKLQHDQGOHDYH
RYHUQLJKWEHIRUHEOHQGLQJWRD
ƪQHSRZGHU&UXVKWKHJDUOLFDQG
FKRSWKHJUHHQFKLOLHVFRPELQLQJ
ERWKZLWKIUHVKOLPHMXLFHNDƬU
OLPHMXLFHSDOPVXJDUDQGNDƬU
OLPH]HVWWRFUHDWHWKHVDODG
GUHVVLQJ3DQIU\WKHUHGVQDSSHU
RQPHGLXPKHDWXQWLOFRRNHG
WKURXJK$UUDQJHFXFXPEHURQ
RQHVLGHRIWKHSODWHDQGGXVWZLWK
INGREDIENTS6HUYHV WKHNDƬUOLPHSRZGHU3ODFHUHG
Ţ JFXFXPEHU
Ţ JMXOLHQQHGVSULQJRQLRQ
Ţ POIUHVKOLPHMXLFH
Ţ PONDƬUOLPHMXLFH
Ţ .DƬUOLPH]HVW
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, Ţ POƪVKVDXFH
Rama 1 Rd. 991/9, Bangkok, Ţ JUHHQFKLOLHV
Thailand; 66-2/162-9000; Ţ FORYHVIUHVKJDUOLF
srabuabykiinkiin.com Ţ JSDOPVXJDU
VQDSSHURQWKHRWKHUVLGHWRS
ZLWKMXOLHQQHGVSULQJRQLRQDQG
WKHQFRYHUZLWKFRWWRQFDQG\LQ
DGRPHVKDSH'HFRUDWHFRWWRQ
FDQG\ZLWKPLQWOHDIFRULDQGHU
OHDIDQGFHOHU\PLFURJUHHQV
3RXUWKHVDODGGUHVVLQJRQWRSRI
WKHFRWWRQFDQG\RQFHLWLVVHUYHG
DWWKHWDEOH

MADAME FAN AT METHOD

THE NCO CLUB
Acclaimed restaurateur Alan Yau’s
ƪUVWUHVWDXUDQWLQ6RXWKHDVW$VLD
Madame Fan is an etiquette-free
OLIHVW\OHGLQLQJFRQFHSWJURXQGHG
LQ&KLQHVHFXOLQDU\WUDGLWLRQVDQG
DVWDQGRXWYHQXHDW6LQJDSRUHśV
UHYLWDOL]HG1&2&OXE'LQHUVFDQ
ORRNIRUZDUGWRKRXVHVSHFLDOWLHV
VXFKDVVWHDPHGVRRQKRFNRU
)LUVWO\VRDNWKHƪVKPDZDQGGULHG
VFDOORSVHSDUDWHO\XQWLOWKH\WXUQ
VRIW3ODFHWKHƪVKPDZLQDIUHVK
SRWRIZDWHUZLWKDIHZVOLFHVRI
JLQJHUDQGEULQJWRDERLO1H[W
VRDNIUHVKVHDFXFXPEHULQOLJKWO\
VDOWHGZDWHUIRUƪYHPLQXWHV
ZDVKDQGFOHDQ6OLFHWKHƪVKPDZ
DQGVHDFXFXPEHULQWRVOLYHUVDQG
VKUHGWKHGULHGVFDOORSE\KDQG
6HWDVLGH
7RPDNHWKHSXUHHVWHDP
PDUEOHJRE\ƪVKZLWK,SRKVR\ SXPSNLQSLHFHVXQWLOWKH\WXUQ
DQGVSULQJRQLRQDORQJVLGHWKH VRIWWKHQSURFHVVLQDEOHQGHU
VLJQDWXUHGRXEOHERLOHGIRXU
WUHDVXUHVRXSVKRZQKHUH
Double Boiled Four
Treasure Soup with Sea
Cucumber, Fish Maw,
Dried Scallop, and
Crabmeat
INGREDIENTS
Ţ JVOLFHGƪVKPDZ
Ţ JIUHVKVHDFXFXPEHU
Ţ JGULHGVFDOORS
Ţ JFUDEPHDW
Ţ JSXPSNLQSXUHH
Ţ 7KDLFRFRQXW
Ţ POFKLFNHQVWRFN
DGGLQJZDWHURUFKLFNHQVWRFN
JUDGXDOO\XQWLOWKHFRQVLVWHQF\LV
VPRRWKDQGUXQQ\
1H[WEULQJWKHFKLFNHQVWRFN
WRDERLOLQDIUHVKSRW$GGWKH
SXPSNLQSXUHHPL[ZHOODQGVHW
DVLGH
2SHQD7KDLFRFRQXWDQG
GLVFDUGWKHZDWHU$VVHPEOHWKH
ƪVKPDZGULHGVFDOORSDQGVHD
FXFXPEHULQWKHFRFRQXWDQG
SRXULQWKHSXPSNLQFKLFNHQ
VWRFN3ODFHWKHFRFRQXWLQD
GRXEOHERLOHUDQGVWHDPIRUWKUHH
KRXUVFKHFNLQJRFFDVLRQDOO\DQG
WRSSLQJXSZLWKPRUHVWRFNLI
QHFHVVDU\$GGVDOWWRWDVWHDQG
VHUYHZKLOHKRW
DSSUR[LPDWHO\ The NCO Club, 32 Beach Rd.,
Ţ 6HYHUDOVOLFHVRIJLQJHU Singapore; 65/6818-1921;
Ţ 6DOWWRWDVWH madamefan.sg
 Smile
all
the
stay.

All our hotels are in dreamlike settings, but if we can go the extra step, rest assured that
we have what it takes to surprise you, over and over again, so you’ll keep wondering what’s next?

0 $ 8 5 , 7 , 8 6   ‡   5 e 8 1 , 2 1   ‡   0 $ / ' , 9 ( 6   ‡   & + , 1 $   ‡   7 8 5 . ( <   ‡   9 , ( 7 1 $ 0   ‡   8  $  (   ‡   , 7$ /<

 Cocktail Hour SPECIAL PROMOTION

WOOBAR AT W BALI – I-Candy

SEMINYAK
Located right on the beachfront INGREDIENTS
Ţ PO&DFKD¦DUXP
in southern Bali’s buzzing Ţ WVSEURZQSDOPVXJDU
Seminyak, Woobar is the place Ţ OLPHZHGJHVPXGGOHG
WRVDYRUFUHDWLYHWURSLFDOƫDYRUV Ţ EDOORIFRWWRQFDQG\
while soaking up the sunshine, preferably pink
boundless ocean views, and Ţ &UXVKHGLFH
eclectic beats. The casual-chic
METHOD
venue is open every day from In a cocktail shaker, vigorously
DPWRPLGQLJKWERDVWLQJ shake the rum, brown sugar, and
a sky deck where resident and lime wedges. Pour the mixture
international DJs set the mood over crushed ice in a glass, then
after sunset, along with a dance garnish with the cotton candy.
ƫRRUDQGXQGHUJURXQGZKLVNH\
room. Poolside tapas here are
also a treat, as are the “Mix it up”
master classes geared toward
FRFNWDLODƪFLRQDGRV6ZHHW
toothed patrons with a penchant
for rum should opt for Woobar’s
signature cocktail I-Candy, which
can now be made at home using
the recipe shown here.

Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali,

Indonesia; 62-361/300-0106;
woobarbali.com

BENJARONG AT One Night in Bangkok

DUSIT THANI MANILA
At the heart of Makati Central INGREDIENTS
Ţ PO3DWURQDQHMR
Business District – the bustling
Ţ POSLQHDSSOHMXLFH
“Wall Street of the Philippines” Ţ PORUDQJHMXLFH
– Dusit Thani Manila is home Ţ POEDVLOLQIXVHG
to the recently revamped Thai balsamic vinegar
dining hot spot Benjarong. Expect Ţ PO&KDPERUG
gracious Filipino hospitality Ţ 6SODVKRI&KDQGRQ%UXW
Ţ %DVLOOHDI
alongside authentic cuisine and
a sense of place that’s truly Thai METHOD
at heart. Fancy a relaxing drink Pour all the ingredients into a
before dinner? Take your pick cocktail shaker. Shake well and
from the list of cocktails and strain into a chalice glass, before
contemporary Thai libations at topping the drink with a basil leaf.
the new 28-seater bar, an inviting
space to unwind after a day’s work
with friends and colleagues. Here,
Happy Hour runs daily from 5:30
p.m. to 9 p.m., allowing you to
quench your thirst with a selection
of drinks and unlimited rounds of
signature cocktails, like One Night
in Bangkok, for PHP650 nett per
person.

Lobby Level, Dusit Thani Manila,

Ayala Centre, Makati City,
Philippines; 63-2/238-8888;
dusit.com
 STAY LONGER
F I F T H N I G H T O N U S

An extra night in Bali means an extra day exploring the very best of the Island of
the Gods. Stay consecutive paid nights at The Seminyak Beach Resort & Spa
and receive a complimentary stay on the fifth night including a delicious
breakfast and afternoon tea

Inclusive:
This offer is open for bookings from now until July and valid to stay until December
This offer is available for all room types except the Two-Bedroom Villa
This offer cannot be combined with other promotions
A full non-refundable prepayment is required upon confirmation of the booking
Blackout dates are applicable as shown:
July until August

Jl. Kayu Aya, Seminyak T. +

Beach Bali , F. +
Indonesia reservation@theseminyak.co m
www.theseminyak.co m
BALI, INDONESIA

exotic & idyllic retreat

ZKHUHOLIHLVDSULYDWHFHOHEUDWLRQ

Sanur I Ubud I Nusa Dua I Jimbaran

P. 62 361 705 777 F. 62 361 705 101

E. experience@kayumanis.com

kayumanis kayumanisresort kayumanisresort

BALI, INDONESIA

Escape to the peace and tranquility of

Kamandalu Ubud, a 5-star boutique
resort situated amid lush paddyfields
in the green hills of Ubud. HERITAGE OF SERENITY

Jalan Andong
Banjar Nagi
Ubud, Bali 80571
Indonesia
T +62 361 975 825
reservation@kamandaluresort.com

www.kamandaluresort.com
kamandalu kamandalu kamandaluresort
 Connections
UPDATES AND OFFERS FROM DESTINASIAN PARTNERS

SUITE DEAL
Located right on the Kowloon waterfront in Hung Hom, Kerry Hotel Hong Kong has
head-turning Victoria Harbour views with stylish interiors to match. Designer André Fu
DQGUHQRZQHGDUFKLWHFWXUDOƪUP5RFFR'HVLJQ$UFKLWHFWVFROODERUDWHGRQWKH\HDUROG
property, creating an urban resort with 546 sleek and spacious guest rooms, a world-class
art collection, an impressive lineup of food and beverage outlets (including signature
restaurant Hung Tong, inspired by the 19th-century shipyards that once peppered the
VXUURXQGLQJQHLJKERUKRRGDQGODQGVFDSHGJDUGHQVřDUDUHƪQGLQ+RQJ.RQJ$OVR
RQKDQGLV%DVH&DPS.HUU\6SRUWVDKRXUƪWQHVVFHQWHUWKDWIHDWXUHVDPHWHU
RXWGRRULQƪQLW\SRRODVZHOODV-DFX]]LVWHDPEDWKVDXQDDQGVSDIDFLOLWLHV%HWWHUVWLOO
guests booking a minimum of two consecutive nights in a 90-square-meter Executive
6HD9LHZ6XLWHZLOOUHFHLYHSHUFHQWRƩDVHFRQGURRPH[FOXGLQJ6SHFLDOW\DQG
Presidential suites) for the same period of stay, making this an ideal escape for families.
For more information, call 852/3069-9788 or visit shangri-la.com/hongkong/kerry

NEW-LOOK VILLAS AT THE EXPRESS SERVICE

ST. REGIS BALI RESORT Marking 25 years of rail journeys through
-XVWLQWLPHIRULWVWKDQQLYHUVDU\ Southeast Asia this year, Belmond’s Eastern &
FHOHEUDWLRQV7KH6W5HJLV%DOL5HVRUWKDV Oriental Express has launched a collaboration
unveiled a fresh new look for its 41 villas, with local artists to bring passengers closer
UHFRQƪUPLQJWKHEHDFKVLGHSURSHUW\śV to contemporary Asian culture. Dubbed Art &
position at the pinnacle of luxury hospitality Fashion in Motion 2018, the project has seen
in Nusa Dua. The US$5 million refurbishment two of the luxury train’s vintage carriages given
project, led by award-winning Malaysian DPDNHRYHUE\7KDLDUWLVW6RPQXHNŝ3DUQŞ
GHVLJQFRQVXOWDQF\='5)LUPKDVFRPSOHWHO\ Klangnok, their iconic green livery replaced
transformed the villas with a warmer, by whimsical drawings evoking a sense of
residential feel complemented by plush fantasy. Meanwhile, Thattaworn Sugunnasil,
carpets, carefully crafted artwork, extended bathrooms, and technological upgrades including one of Bangkok’s top tailors, has created a
the latest 52” Smart TVs and Bose sound systems. They’re bound to impress returning and QHZFROOHFWLRQRIVWDƩXQLIRUPVGHVLJQHGIRU
ƪUVWWLPHJXHVWVDOLNHHVSHFLDOO\LI\RXERRNWKHUHVRUWśVŝ$7DVWHRI/X[XU\ŞSDFNDJH5HVHUYLQJ GLƩHUHQWDUHDVRIWKHWUDLQWKHEDUPDQDJHUIRU
a three-night stay in a one- or two-bedroom Lagoon Villa, Gardenia Villa, or The Strand Villa instance, is attired in elegant emerald silk, while
ZLOOJHW\RXDIRXUWKQLJKWIRUIUHHSOXVGDLO\EUHDNIDVWDW%RQHND5HVWDXUDQWODWHFKHFNRXW waiters in the dining cars wear sharp-lined white
URXQGWULSDLUSRUWWUDQVIHUDQGRIFRXUVHWKHURXQGWKHFORFNVHUYLFHVRID6W5HJLVEXWOHU shirts and black trouser ensembles, a classic
For more information, call 62-361/847-8111 or visit stregisbali.com ORRNWKDWUHƫHFWVWKHWLPHOHVVOX[XU\RIUDLOWUDYHO
This year, the Eastern & Oriental Express will
also host pop-up culinary experiences featuring
Aussie chef Luke Mangan and Thai culinary star
STAY WITH ,DQ.LWWLFKDLZKRZLOOEULQJH[WUDƫDYRUWRVHOHFW
ASCOTT FOR journeys between Singapore and Bangkok.
A STEAL For more information, visit belmond.com
With a portfolio of serviced-
residence brands to suit the
lifestyles of business and
leisure travelers alike, Ascott
makes travel aspirations a
reality with an irresistible
choice of accommodation
experiences and services
DW$VFRWW7KH5HVLGHQFH
Citadines Apart’hotel,
6RPHUVHW6HUYLFHG5HVLGHQFH
and The Crest Collection. Whether you are traveling for leisure or business, take advantage of
Ascott’s Mid-Year Promotion (valid for stays until August 31, 2018) and enjoy up to 30 percent
RƩEHVWƫH[LEOHUDWHVDWPRUHWKDQSDUWLFLSDWLQJVHUYLFHGUHVLGHQFHVZRUOGZLGH6LJQXSDV
DQ$VFRWW2QOLQH$GYDQWDJHPHPEHUWRUHFHLYHDQDGGLWLRQDOSHUFHQWRƩ
For more information, visit the-ascott.com
 Connections
UPDATES AND OFFERS FROM DESTINASIAN PARTNERS

BALI’S JAPANESE
SENSATION
In the few short months since it opened at the
new Omnia Dayclub in Bali, Sake no Hana has
EHHQWKHPRVWEX]]HGDERXWUHVWDXUDQWRQWKH
island, and for good reason. The menu is crafted
by chef Hideki Hiwatashi of the original Sake no
Hana outlet in London, whose inspired approach
WR-DSDQHVHFRRNLQJGHIWO\EOHQGVWUDGLWLRQDO
sensibilities with a completely fresh, informal
spin that uses the best of the archipelago’s
IUHVKVHDIRRG6RPHRIWKHRƩHULQJVLQFOXGH
Hamachi Namawasabi—slivers of yellowtail
WXQDWRSSHGZLWKDQHPXOVLRQRIIUHVKWUXƭH
EODFNSHSSHUDQGSRQ]XřDQGWKH&KLOHDQVHD
bass, which is marinated in saikyo miso for three
GD\VEHIRUHEHLQJJULOOHGDQGƪQLVKHGZLWKD
&KDPSDJQH\X]XGUHVVLQJ$WQLJKWZKHQWKH
restaurant comes into its own, wagyu beef is a
major drawcard—it comes in the form of lightly
VHDUHGPDUEOHƪYHtataki that melts like butter
in your mouth, or chargrilled sumiyaki with a
SXQFK\JDUOLFSRQ]XVDXFH
For more information, call 62-361/848-2150
or visit omniaclubs.com/bali
DINNER ON
THE BEACH
&HQWDUD*UDQG%HDFK5HVRUW
& Villas Krabi is a getaway in
the truest sense of the word:
nestled within its own bay on
southern Thailand’s strikingly
beautiful Krabi coastline, the laid-
back resort is only accessible by
boat. But once installed there,
guests lack for nothing, whether
that be beautifully spacious accommodations, blissful spa treatments, complimentary water
sports, or a selection of unforgettable culinary experiences. New among the latter is the
3ULYDWH6XQVHW'LQLQJRƩHULQJřDQLQWLPDWHIHHWLQWKHVDQGGLQQHUWKDWSUHVHQWVDFKRLFH
RIVSHFLDOO\FUDIWHGWKUHHFRXUVHPHQXVUDQJLQJIURPDVXUIDQGWXUIEDUEHFXHWRDŝURPDQWLF
hideaway” feast highlighted by grilled Norwegian salmon steak or char-grilled Australian
tenderloin. A dedicated server is on hand to ensure your every whim is cared for, while the idyllic
beach setting becomes even more romantic as the sun sets over Phang Nga Bay.
For more information, call 66/7563-7789 or visit centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/ckbr
HERE COMES
THE SUN
There are numerous
reasons why relaxation-
VHHNLQJWUDYHOHUVƪQGWKHLU
way to Astoria Palawan,
DƪYHKHFWDUHWURSLFDO
resort in the capital of the
Philippines’ Palawan Island,
Puerto Princesa. One is its
private beach area. Another
is its enormous water park,
an aquatic playground of
ODQJXLGULYHUULGHVWKULOOLQJVOLGHVDQGOLIHVL]HVFXOSWXUHVRIPDULQHFUHDWXUHV1RZWKHOLVWRI
attractions includes Sun Spa, a haven of relaxation tucked amid Astoria’s lush mango orchard.
Here, skilled masseuses deliver a wide range of facial and body treatments designed to
rejuvenate and rebalance the mind, body, and soul—everything from shiatsu to aromatherapy
treatments. It is a serene addition to a resort that now truly has something for everyone.
For more information, call 63-48/723-0401 or visit astoriapalawan.com

HOMES AWAY FROM HOME

For travelers looking to stay in a serviced apartment on their next trip to the
/LRQ&LW\)UDVHU3ODFH5REHUWVRQ:DON6LQJDSRUHDQG)UDVHU6XLWHV6LQJDSRUH
have much to commend them. The latter, situated in an enviable location in the
UHVLGHQWLDOGLVWULFWRI5LYHU9DOOH\KDVEHHQUHFHQWO\UHYDPSHGLQDVRSKLVWLFDWHG
WLPHOHVVVW\OHZKLOH)UDVHU3ODFH5REHUWVRQ:DONLVFKDUDFWHUL]HGE\DFKLFDQG
vibrant Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic that makes it an ideal base in vibrant
5REHUWVRQ4XD\3HUKDSVHYHQPRUHDOOXULQJLVWKHSURSHUWLHVś*UHDW6LQJDSRUH
6DOHVZKLFKRƩHUVPRUHWKDQSHUFHQWRƩURRPUDWHV$OVRLQFOXGHGLQWKH
promotion is complimentary wireless Internet access and daily breakfast, a
S$50 dining credit per stay, as well as local calls, late 2 p.m. checkout (subject to
DYDLODELOLW\SHUFHQWRƩRQODXQGU\VHUYLFHVDQGPRUH$PLQLPXPVHYHQ
night stay applies, but with a deal like this, that’s time well spent.
For more information, visit singapore-suites.frasershospitality.com/en
SPECIAL PROMOTION Around The Globe

FAIRMONT MALDIVES PEAK NIMMAN MERCURE YANGON

SIRRU FEN FUSHI PRESTIGE HOTEL KABA AYE

Situated in the trendiest part of Chiang

It’s not surprising that the first Fairmont
property in the Maldives lives up to its
name, derived from the local Dhivehi words
for “secret water island.” Spread across a
16-hectare isle, the all-villa resort has the
distinction of being the only place to stay in
the Shaviyani Atoll. Lodgings here include
beachfront villas, overwater villas, and safari-
style tented suites in the lush heart of the
island; all boast private pools and rustic-
chic furnishings. Elsewhere on the island,
freshly caught seafood is prepared at fine-
dining venue Azure, one of two overwater
restaurants, and guests can tuck into a variety
of international cuisines at Raha Market.
here’s also a 200-meter-long infinity pool,
an open-air bamboo bar made by Balinese
artisans, and Willow Stream Spa, which
ofers Indian Ocean–inspired treatments.
Snorkeling at the Fairmont’s nine-kilometer-
long house reef is also a must, as is seeing the
coral regeneration art installation by Jason
deCaires Taylor – a first for the Maldives.
Mai, Nimmanhaemin Road, Peak Nimman
Prestige Hotel ofers elegantly designed
suites in Northern hai style, equipped
with modern amenities such as automated
washbasins and smart 4K ultra HD
televisions. Complimentary breakfast and
in-room services are also provided, along
with authentic Northern hai dishes for
lunch. he property’s staf can recommend
customized travel experiences such as golf
packages, sightseeing and adventure tours,
cooking classes, spa services, and more. Peak
Nimman Prestige Hotel welcomes travelers
to experience the very best of Chiang Mai.
1/1 Nimmanhaemin Road Soi 7, Chiang Mai,
Thailand; 66-53/218-265; peaknimmanhotel.com
BONHEUR
Business travelers and holidaymakers alike
can look forward to a good night’s sleep at
Mercure Yangon Kaba Aye, situated in a
peaceful neighborhood amid the hustle and
bustle of Myanmar’s commercial capital.
Within walking distance to Inya Lake and
Myanmar Plaza shopping center, the recently
renovated hotel has 183 spacious guest rooms
and apartments. One of its latest additions
is Ready to Work by Mercure, a friendly
co-working environment where guests and
long-stay residents can work alone or as a
group of two, four, or six. Here, a variety of
intimate oice spaces and three meeting
rooms all come with unlimited Wi-Fi and a
stable power supply. Other amenities include
printers and an LCD projector and screen,
while users can expect complimentary bottled
water and sweets, unlimited cofee and tea,
and the services of a dedicated host. hemed
cofee breaks along with lunch and dinner
packages are also on ofer, and rooms can be
rented by the hour, day, week, or even month.

Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives; 960/654-8888; 17 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd., Yangon, Myanmar;
fairmont-maldives.com 95-1/650-933; mercureyangonkabaaye.com

Lifestyle bufs in Bali will want to add the

Bonheur store to their list of shopping
destinations on the island. Located in the
Seminyak Village mall, the beauty and
fashion boutique stocks a dazzling array of
niche fragrances, accessories, makeup, and
skincare such as Guerlain’s Abeille Royale
collection, whose nourishing Youth Watery
Oil and honey gel mask repair skin damage.
Another must-have is Shiseido’s Perfect UV
Protector Multi Defence SPF 50++, which
harnesses innovative WetForce technology
to boost its capabilities upon contact with
sweat and water, while preventing pollutants
from being absorbed.

For more information, call 62-361/4741-1838 or

visit instagram.com/bonheurid
112 SKETCHBOOK

“When making art I’m drawn to urban environments, where people interact with
BELLA VENEZIA the busy spaces that surround them. Venice is the perfect city for this as it’s full of
people and architectural shapes,” says English artist Ian Fennelly (ianfennelly.co.uk),
who lives and paints in the seaside town of Hoylake near Liverpool. “I try and
draw people without actually putting them in—partly because they never keep still. But I like drawing the spaces they’ve been in, or the
cobblestones they’ve stepped on, the windows they’ve looked through, or the bridges they have walked over.” The scene above, one in a
series of watercolors made during Fennelly’s latest trip to the Italian city, depicts gondolas tied up along the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront,
backdropped by the Venice Lagoon and the island of San Giorgio Maggiore with its 16th-century Benedictine church of the same name.
“I suppose it’s an iconic image,” he says, “but it’s also wholly unique thanks to my method—a watercolor wash followed by brush pens
and ine liners to add texture and details, all interspersed with me bouncing up and down, nipping to the toilet, and snacking on cakes and
cofee—as well as by the way the paint lows across the heavily textured Fabriano paper I favor. It’s the process that I ind most exciting.”

DESTINASIAN.COM – JUNE / JULY 2018 Illustration by Ian Fennelly

Keep tabs on the latest travel news and updates at

.com
or follow us on:
facebook.com/DestinAsian.Mag @DestinAsian_Mag

@destinasianmagazine youtube.com/DestinAsianMag

Available on phones and tablets for a one-year subscription or single copy including back issue.
For more details, visit DestinAsian.com/subscribe or download at: