Innholdsfortegnelse for Dec 2021/Feb 2022 i DestinAsian

With its foliage-filled lobby, pared-back guest rooms, and sky-high views of the Japanese capital, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon is the coolest addition to the city’s hotel scene in years, a cutting-edge property that pays tribute to Tokyo’s rich past while keeping one foot squarely planted in the future. Housed in the upper floors of a 38-story skyscraper in the Toranomon business district, the EDITION brand’s first foray in Japan (a sister property is slated to open soon in the nearby Ginza district) marks an unprecedented partnership between visionary American hotelier Ian Schrager and globally renowned architect Kengo Kuma. The lobby alone is a knockout: a soaring space packed with a jungle-like burst of plants (more than 500 in all, including lush palms and cherry laurels) that draws its inspiration from…

Set amid verdant grounds on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the historic heart of Bangkok, this art deco–inspired urban resort is as stunning as they come. Designed both inside and out by internationally acclaimed architect Bill Bensley, The Siam brims with character and panache, from its hushed marble corridors and grand Opium Spa to the 39 suites and villas, each of which is beautifully accented by Thai antiques and collectibles. Connie’s Cottage, the largest villa, occupies a century-old Thai house originally brought downriver from Ayutthaya by silk designer Jim Thompson for his friend Connie Mangskau, an antiques dealer who entertained the likes of John Rockefeller and Jacqueline Kennedy. Another pair of traditional teakwood houses is occupied by Chon Thai Restaurant, which serves classic Thai cuisine by the…

IN a remote archipelago in the North Atlantic, there’s a long, slender island that locals say is shaped like a wooden flute. Unlike its larger neighbors, this island is not accessible via bridge or tunnel, only by ferry from Borðoy, a 20-minute passage that brings you to the hamlet of Syðradalur. From there, you drive north along the island’s only road, passing through four dank and somewhat spooky mountain tunnels — the flute’s finger holes — until you reach Trøllanes, population 20. Here, you park your car and hike to your goal, Kallur Lighthouse, a squat beacon set high above the churning ocean on the island’s northernmost tip. Providing the trail hasn’t been closed because the wind is too strong or the fog too thick, the hour-long hike to the…

A few years ago, while indulging my habit of reading about places that are seemingly impossible to visit, I learned about the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, whose rock-cut tombs pepper a remote plain in the Arabian Desert. It was a place barely anyone had ever seen or even heard of, despite its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. I wondered how its monumental beauty had escaped global attention. But then, this was Saudi Arabia, a country that, at the time, wasn’t exactly eager to welcome tourists. Fast forward to 2019 and all of that changed with the introduction of the kingdom’s first tourist visas and a much-touted opening of borders that allowed visitors to catch a glimpse behind the veil of this mysterious and long off-limits…

CLAUDINE Aiming for the sweet spot between haute cuisine and bistronomy, the latest restaurant by chef Julien Royer is all about home-style French cooking. Housed in a converted 1930s chapel in the Dempsey Hill area, Claudine serves up Gallic classics such as onion soup, pigeon confit, and vol-au-vent with veal sweetbread, cockscomb, and morels. The vibe is decidedly more casual and family-friendly than it is across town at Royer’s three-Michelinstarred Odette; larger parties will want to order sharing dishes like steak flambé or bouillabaisse (claudinerestaurant.com). FIRANGI SUPERSTAR This cinematic ode to India from an unabashedly firangi (foreign) perspective fairly bursts with character and whimsy. Filled with vintage decor, the four dining sections are by turns styled as a Raj-era officer’s club, an old railway carriage, a Rajasthani palace, and a…

The peak of The Beast looms intimidatingly large. It’s not yet dawn, but Nguyen Dang Trung can already make out the jagged contours of the imposing mountain. He senses the horde of competitors in hot pursuit, which steels his spirit, powers his legs, and spurs him up the muddy track. The increase in pace melts the other runners away one by one, and after an intense uphill struggle Nguyen finally conquers the summit. Now all alone, he stops suddenly, not to catch his breath but to inhale the views. The early-morning sun illuminates the landscape, rousing the emerald rice terraces in the valley below. Wisps of cloud cling to neighboring peaks, which sit suspended like floating castles. The fantastical vistas nourish Nguyen’s soul, but he can’t indulge for more than…

With its Miami vibes and upbeat ambiance, it’s safe to say that there is nothing standard about the offerings at this brand-new beachfront oasis on the Gulf of Thailand. Standard International’s first hotel in Southeast Asia and the latest addition to the company’s rapidly expanding portfolio of trendy properties, The Standard, Hua Hin is nestled amid lush gardens in the heart of Hua Hin, a seaside resort town long favored by Thailand’s royalty and social elite. Just steps from the beach, it combines an appreciation of local history with a global sensibility and a bit of fun. Inspired by the elegant geometry of mid-century modernism, the resort’s white sculptural architecture provides a thoughtful counterpoint to the leafy surrounds. Accommodations come in the form of 199 rooms, suites, and villas, all…

Four Seasons opens in the Napa Valley Situated in the historic town of Calistoga, a 90-minute drive from San Francisco, the newly minted Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley promises rustic-chic lodgings, romantic destination dining, and an immersive California wine country experience. Created in partnership with acclaimed local winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, Elusa Winery and its 1.9-hectare organic vineyard occupy the heart of the 85-room resort, and guests are invited to explore the winemaking process with handson demonstrations, opportunities to meet the winemakers, and tastings that include a variety of wines from the Napa region. Sophisticated, locally inspired cuisine awaits at Truss, where chef Erik Anderson — previously of San Francisco’s two-Michelin-starred Coi — turns out dishes like pressed chicken served with seasonal butternut squash, Fresno peppers, popped black…

Spread across 70 hectares of landscaped grounds on the east coast of Indonesia’s Bintan Island, The Residence Bintan combines the rural charm of a traditional Asian village with contemporary style and sophistication. The resort’s 127 terrace rooms and pool villas all sport a crisp design accented by Indonesian decor elements as well as timber decks with views out to the South China Sea. Signature restaurant Rica Rica offers up a modern take on regional Indonesian cuisine, while international dishes star at the all-day Dining Room. Spa enthusiasts can look forward to luxurious treatments inspired by indigenous therapies and Ayurvedic traditions, while guests looking for something a bit more adventurous can join a sunset mangrove tour or an island-hopping excursion that takes in vibrant offshore reefs. The prize is for three…

Moyo Island may not exactly be the middle of nowhere, but it is certainly nowhere adjacent. Home to just four thousand people, it sits like a plug at the neck of the Gulf of Saleh, whose broad, deep waters virtually split the mainland island of Sumbawa in two. To the west across the Flores Sea, the horizon is pricked by the distant cone of Mount Rinjani on Lombok. To the east, hidden from view behind Moyo’s thickly forested hills, rises another volcano, Sumbawa’s own Mount Tambora, whose global-climate-changing eruption in 1815 — the most powerful volcanic outburst in recorded history — has been linked to everything from Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo to the creation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Moyo’s claim to fame (aside from its prized wild honey) is…

Standing out from downtown Sydney’s other top hotels with its distinctive mix of heritage and contemporary comfort, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts’ first property outside Singapore makes for an unforgettable stay. It’s in part a reimagining of the former General Post Office (GPO), a late-19th-century landmark that has been painstakingly restored by its new owners. Adorned with vaulted arcades, a clock tower, and a sweeping sandstone facade, the original building is connected by a dramatic six-story glass atrium to a modern high-rise section. Most of the 416 guest rooms are housed in the latter, while those in the GPO building offer more classically inspired options. These include the Heritage Long Suite, a stately space occupying the former postmaster’s office that comes complete with glossy hardwood floors and two original (though…

Uninterrupted ocean views and an emphasis on laid-back luxury are just two of the reasons guests rave about this 240-room resort on Bali’s Seminyak Beach. The design is another: a distinctive blend of understated contemporary architecture woven through with verdant lawns, wall-hugging plants, green roofs, and landscaped terraces that lead down to a stretch of golden sand. Alila Seminyak Bali’s eco-credentials are just as impressive—it holds an EarthCheck certification for sustainability—as is its myriad of amenities, which include five swimming pools, the sunset-facing Beach Bar, and the sublime Spa Alila with its range of all-natural, Asian-inspired treatments and therapies. Coastal dining restaurant Seasalt is another highlight; designed like a stylish seaside residence with a breezy alfresco setting, it specializes in wild-caught and responsibly harvested seafood dishes seasoned with organic sea…

1926 The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen is best known as the first man to reach the South Pole, a feat he achieved in 1911 after a grueling 56-day march over the icy wastes of the Antarctic. What is less well remembered is that 15 years later, he would lead the first verified expedition to the North Pole — this time not with ships and dogsleds, but aboard an Italian-built airship called the Norge. Others had sought to reach the earth’s northernmost point before this, including an ill-fated 1897 attempt by three Swedes in a hot-air balloon. Amundsen himself had tried to fly over the pole by plane just a few years earlier. But the Norge, a 106-meter-long dirigible modified for flight in arctic weather, proved the ideal vessel. And so on…

Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies may be best known as a nirvana for skiers and snowboarders, but its striking landscapes make this a dreamy summertime destination as well, as Bhairavi Jathar Talpade discovered on a family vacation in August. “Banff is a painter’s paradise,” says the Ontario-based illustrator and artist. “The mountains, the lakes, the way the light and shadows change throughout the day and create spectacular reflections in the water … it’s one of the most beautiful areas I’ve visited.” One highlight of her trip was a gondola ride to the 2,281-meter summit of Sulphur Mountain, where a boardwalk offers sweeping views — captured in this watercolor — over the Bow Valley and the town of Banff. Says Bhairavi, “Even before I touch my brush, I try…