Innehållsförteckning för June/August 2021 från DestinAsian

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”–Gustave Flaubert Going to Bali these days can sometimes be a sobering experience. It is surreal to see how quiet once-thriving areas like Seminyak have now become; the sheer number of shuttered shops, hotels, and restaurants points to the pain wrought by ongoing border restrictions. But the travel and hospitality industries are nothing if not resilient. A handful of high-end resorts have made their debut on the island in recent months, and many of the hotelier friends I’ve spoken to there are hopeful that better times lie just around the corner. We’re all keen to see things improve in the second half of the year. Bali plans to welcome travelers from certain countries by late July,…

SAY CHEEZE There’s good news in Hong Kong for visiting vegans: the city’s first shop dedicated exclusively to plant-based cheeses has opened at the K11 Musea mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. The brainchild of jewelry designer turned raw vegan chef Tina Barrat (also behind vegan fine-dining restaurant Ma and The Seeds of Life), Le Fromage by Ma (lefromage.com.hk) crafts all its cheese from house-fermented cashews or almonds, adding herbs and other natural ingredients to produce items like pink peppercorn–studded brie (pictured), truffle-infused Shamembert, and logs of chèvre-inspired Sans-Goat. Barrat also makes her own chutneys, crackers, and keto-friendly breads — just the thing for a nutritious takeaway snack. STANLEY TUCCI’S ITALY Anyone pining for the land of pizza and pasta will want to tune in to Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,…

From cold-brew concoctions in specialist cafés to skincare products and artisanal ice cream, Indonesia’s traditional herbal medicine, jamu, has been finding new expressions as of late. But the age-old natural remedies remain largely unknown outside the country’s borders. Enter Jamu Lifestyle: the Indonesian Herbal Wellness Tradition (Afterhours Books) by Metta Murdaya, the globetrotting founder of jamu-inspired skincare brand Juara. Coming out in mid-July, this beautifully photographed book is as much a celebration of her roots as it is a guide for incorporating Indonesian wellness practices into our busy lives. The first few chapters explain what jamu is, delving into its fascinating history and providing a detailed rundown of key ingredients; subsequent recipes allow readers to recreate both classic preparations and jamu-esque mocktails at home. Murdaya then diverges from the textbook…

Sunrise in Songkhla. The lingering syllables of a mosque’s call to prayer bounce between the rooftops of the city’s compact Old Town. Formica tables unfold on the sidewalk; motorbikes are kick-started with a roar. Breakfasters fuel up with big bowls of silky rice porridge and steamed Chinese buns from a glass cabinet. Across the street, one of Songkhla’s last remaining rickshaw drivers flashes me a toothless smile. Though I’ve lived in Thailand for the better part of a decade, this small coastal city in the country’s deep south only appeared on my radar a few years ago, when the who’s who of Bangkok’s creative scene started visiting on long weekends. They’d share pictures of age-old Chinese godowns and new-wave cafés with weathered walls and coconut lattes. They’d rave about the…

With its 3,000-square-meter beachfront on Boracay’s secluded Punta Bunga Cove, Crimson Resort & Spa, Boracay is easily among the finest properties on the island. The VIP experience begins with a private speedboat ride from the jetty at Caticlan and continues throughout the entire stay, with 192 elegant, light-filled rooms, suites, and villas ensuing the ultimate in relaxation. Gourmet dining awaits at Saffron Café, Mosaic Latin American Grill, and Azure Beach Club, while Aum Spa delivers a range of pampering treatments. For more information, visit crimsonhotel.com/boracay…

Whatever else happens at the 2020 Summer Olympics once they finally kick off on July 23, this pandemic-hit edition of the Games will be remembered as the first time in its 125-year history that the event has been postponed — and the first time that international spectators have been banned from attending. But we shouldn’t let that overshadow the legacy of Tokyo’s previous hosting of the global sporting tournament in 1964. Apart from being the first Olympics to be held in Asia, the XVIII Olympiad helped transform the city into the pulsing modern metropolis we know today, with billions of yen worth of infrastructure projects — the Shinkansen bullet train among them — timed to coincide with the event. Sixteen nations including Malaysia, Mongolia, and Nepal made their Olympic debut…

Under the fierce Mexican sun at Dainzu, a pair of mezcaleros are hacking away at the hearts of agave plants with sharpened axes. Shorn of their thick, spiky leaves, the hearts — which can weigh up to 100 kilograms each — look like huge green pineapples, hence the term piña. Once they’re chopped up, the piñas will be pit-roasted over lava rocks and wood charcoal for five days before being mashed in a stone mill and then stewed in giant barrels on their weeks-long journey toward fermentation. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait that long to sample Dainzu’s finest mezcal, the smoky cousin of tequila. At a little bar counter next to the vats, Leoncio Santiago Hernandez, the owner of this palenque (distillery), hands me a drinking gourd filled with…

“In January, I ventured to Kalimpong in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, the closest hill destination to my hometown of Kolkata,” says artist Harsha Khanchandani, a devoted color enthusiast. “It was my first trip following an extended period of lockdowns, and it felt like an escape from long-imposed isolation and monotony. Every moment was a memorable one.” Among the most memorable parts of her trip was a stay at the Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort, a storied, century-old hotel that dates back to Kalimpong’s days as a colonial hill station. The watercolor above depicts the property’s oldest building, built in 1900 as the family home of British trade agent David MacDonald. “Over the years, this dream-like pink cottage has hosted famous personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Edmund Hillary, Shirley…

The healing mineral waters of Fiuggi may have cured Michelangelo’s kidney stones, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the central Italian town (an hour’s drive east of Rome) emerged as a fashionable spa destination. Now, almost 110 years since the Grand Hotel Palazzo della Fonte opened as the most elegant place to stay in Fiuggi, the estate has been transformed by its new owners into a 21stcentury medical wellness retreat called Palazzo Fiuggi (palazzofiuggi.com). While the Liberty-style building’s original grandeur — think frescoes, Murano chandeliers, and acres of Carrara marble — has been updated with contemporary furnishings and color palettes, its former conference facilities are now a vast medical spa and health center equipped with thalassotherapy pools, Roman-inspired baths, advanced diagnostic tools, and, in what was the…

Koh Phangan’s status as a staging point on the so-called Banana Pancake Trail hasn’t always been good for its culinary cred: the Thai island is far more famous for its wild full-moon parties than for its hitherto unsung restaurant scene. But as the destination’s appeal has widened beyond backpackers to include affluent holidaymakers, families, wellness seekers, and digital entrepreneurs, so too has its gastronomic offerings evolved beyond the old standards of fried rice and watery Thai curries. These days, Koh Phangan is home to talented chef/restaurateurs from countries as diverse as Israel and Iran and Italy; indeed, a case could be made for the island having Thailand’s liveliest climate for international dining outside Bangkok, with the added bonus of wallet-friendly prices and all-around unpretentiousness. A perfect encapsulation of all that’s…

Never ones to rest on their laurels, Hong Kong’s hyper-competitive hoteliers have been putting the pandemic downtime to good use. Opened amid the hubbub of Wan Chai in December, (1) The Hari is the city’s latest design hotel, with tech-led rooms, a big terrace bar, and two swish restaurants: Zoku and (pictured) Lucciola (thehari.com). Over in Quarry Bay, (2) EAST has zhuzhed up its own dining spaces, added a new coworking-style café, and refurbished all 345 rooms with zingy contemporary art and work-friendly furniture (easthotels.com). There are new sleeping arrangements at (3) The Upper House, too, where homegrown design hotshot André Fu has reinvented the top suite — everything is natural, tactile, and gorgeous — and new Mediterranean restaurant Salisterra, which replaces Café Gray Deluxe (thehousecollective.com). At (4) Island Shangri-La,…

Just past the Prado Museum on the grand Paseo del Prado, the gleaming white Hotel Ritz rises above the plane trees in Belle Époque splendor. Opened in 1910 as Spain’s first luxury hotel, the iconic property was built at the behest of King Alfonso XIII, who wanted Madrid to have a place for visiting dignitaries to stay on par with the Ritz in London and Paris. It was the third and last Ritz to be developed under the supervision of César Ritz himself. Plenty of famous guests have passed through its vaunted doors since. Spy and exotic dancer Mata Hari operated from its rooms, Salvador Dalí drank in the bar, and Grace Kelly honeymooned here with Prince Rainier of Monaco. But the Ritz was always — and quite uniquely in…

Its position on one of the world’s most beautiful stretches of sand is just the start of this resort’s allure. Overlooking Boracay’s aptly named White Beach, Discovery Shores Boracay is an all-suite property with 99 guest rooms, including 11 exclusive Signature Suites with infinity plunge pools on their spacious balconies. There’s an indulgent spa, three of the best restaurants on the island, a rooftop lounge, and the beachside Sand Bar, the perfect spot for people-watching and taking in the magnificent sunsets for which Boracay is famous. For more information, visit discoveryshoresboracay.com…

This gorgeous 100-room boutique hotel in Singapore’s heritage precinct offers scene-stealing views of the Marina Bay waterfront and city skyline. Created by leading Asian designer André Fu, the shimmering interiors mix contemporary chic with timeless elegance, evoking the glamour of a bygone era. Making the most of their waterfront perch, the 106 spacious rooms and suites (each with goose-down bedding, Nespresso coffee machines, and Balmain bathroom amenities) feature floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies; some come with en-suite private Jacuzzis. But the vistas are perhaps best appreciated from the panoramic rooftop Lantern bar, where guests can gather around a 25-meter infinity pool to sip bespoke cocktails and nibble from the tapas menu. Downstairs, dining options range from classic French fare in a bistro setting at La Brasserie to Singaporean heritage dishes at…

Shaded by lush, decades-old trees, Andaz Bali feels like it could have been here forever, though it only opened in April as the first Indonesian property of Hyatt’s boutique-style Andaz brand (and the first Andaz resort in Asia). Together with the adjacent Hyatt Regency, it’s built on the former grounds of the legendary Bali Hyatt, which closed its doors in 2013 after a 40-year run. And while Sanur may have lost the cachet it once had as Bali’s original beach resort, the decades since have seen it mature into a serene corner of the island where jogging tracks are busier than beach clubs, jazz is more popular than hip-hop, and days begin early, especially for those who enjoy a good sunrise. Andaz Bali is not the first high-end resort to…

Serenity awaits at this charming high-end resort on the southeastern shores of the Malay Peninsula, perched along a 17-kilometer stretch of golden sand on the South China Sea. Opened in December 2019, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is the Bangkok-based hospitality brand’s first-ever Malaysian outpost. The tranquil beachside retreat is located just a 90-minute drive from Singapore and one hour by car from downtown Johor Bahru. Here, guests will find an alluring blend of indigenous-inspired hospitality and contemporary five-star luxury. The Anantara Desaru’s 108 rooms, suites, and villas overlook the resort’s verdant tropical gardens and the azure ocean. Of these, 90 are tastefully appointed deluxe rooms in low-rise buildings inspired by the traditional houses of Malay kampong (villages). Elsewhere on the property, 13 standalone one- and two-bedroom pool villas…

Originally built in 1904 to house a British artillery garrison, this lovingly restored colonial landmark on Singapore’s Sentosa Island has been reincarnated as a heritage hideaway that evokes a bygone era of travel. With just 40 rooms and suites spread across its two floors, The Barracks Hotel is as intimate as it is charming, with an expansive palm-lined lawn out front that sets a serene tone. The interiors combine old-world style with contemporary comfort. Vintage colonial curios and custom furnishings in dark wood, leather, and antique brass complement the building’s original shutters and moldings, while modern amenities like freestanding Apaiser bathtubs and Marshall speakers keep guests stylishly rooted in the present. Ground floor rooms offer direct access to one of two 30-meter lap pools; those upstairs come with spacious balconies…

Bad news folks — there’s a crocodile in the lagoon.” It’s early morning in the remote Raja Ampat islands of eastern Indonesia as our tender glides up to the lonely pier at Goa Keramat, and already the day’s itinerary has taken an unscripted turn. Following a wooden walkway toward the mouth of the half-submerged cave, we scan the turquoise water for signs of the croc, which a local fisherman claims to have spotted the previous day. The only life forms I can see are juvenile needlefish flitting about in the shadows of the craggy limestone cliff. Still, Simon Marsh, our English cruise director, is not taking any chances, no matter how placid and inviting the lagoon looks. “No swimming here today,” he sighs. Thankfully, the creatures awaiting us at our…