Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 - May 2022 i DestinAsian

My first view of Maya Bay came in 1999, while I was following the cast and crew of Danny Boyle’s The Beach as they filmed around Thailand. Back then, no one had yet heard of this secluded cove at Phi Phi Leh, an uninhabited limestone isle in southern Thailand’s Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The setting perfectly encapsulated the titular beach of the Alex Garland novel on which the film is based: an idyllic hideaway cradled by sheer cliffs and fringed by a sliver of fine white sand, with water so clear you could spot coral and other sea life from the shore. Gorgeous. Then came the film’s release. It wasn’t the blockbuster producers had hoped for, even with a post-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role.…

One of only five properties in Ritz-Carlton’s ultra-exclusive Reserve portfolio, Mandapa is as serene and sophisticated an escape as you’ll find in the foothills of Bali. It occupies 10 hectares of a luminous green valley along the Ayung River, immersing guests in a lush landscape of forested slopes, tropical gardens, and the resort’s own rice terraces. Downtown Ubud, the island’s cultural capital, may be just a 15-minute drive away, but Mandapa feels like its own little world. Not that the sense of place here doesn’t run deep. From its magnificent ridge-top reception pavilion down to the thatch-roofed living rooms of its riverside villas, the architecture is grounded in Balinese traditions, with a village-like ambiance enhanced by the presence of a century-old temple. Locally sourced materials and design elements feature prominently.…

In 1906, Vincenzo Florio, the young scion of a prominent Sicilian family and a pioneering automobile enthusiast, founded the toughest open-road endurance race of its day: the Targa Florio. In one of its earliest iterations, the competition involved a two-day, 980-kilometer loop around Sicily, beginning and ending in Palermo. But even the shorter circuit established in later years — a series of 72-kilometer laps traversing the island’s northern Madonie Mountains — posed a harrowing challenge for the drivers, who frequently faced tight turns and hairpin bends, sheer cliffs and stray farm animals, and rough roads that narrowed perilously as they passed through ancient villages like Collesano, pictured here. Overenthusiastic spectators were another potential hazard. Yet for all its legendary status, by the time the 1970s rolled around, cars had grown…

One of the loveliest peninsulas on Sydney Harbour, Cremorne Point juts from the north shore between Shell Cove and Mosman Bay. Known to the indigenous Cammeraygal people as Wulwarrajeung, the slender promontory — renamed in colonial times for the 19th-century Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea, London — is girded by a wooded foreshore that has been protected as a waterfront reserve for more than a century, with a paved path running around its perimeter that attracts walkers from across Sydney. “It’s a beautiful spot with panoramic views of the city and harbor as well as interesting heritage buildings,” says Kathy Wesson, a South Africa–born artist and sketch tutor who now calls Sydney’s Northern Beaches area home. “I made this plein air watercolor on a recent visit; it’s an Arts and Crafts–inspired…

MOSCOW Community centers known as doma kul’tury (“houses of culture”) first emerged in Russia toward the end of the 19th century and later proliferated during Soviet times, providing citizens with a place to come together for leisure and cultural pursuits. Putting a contemporary spin on those institutions is Moscow’s newest arts center, GES-2 House of Culture (v-a-c.org/ges2), which sits on the bank of the Vodootvodny Canal just south of the Kremlin. A decade in the making, the project provides a new home for Russian oligarch Leonid Mikhelson’s V-A-C Foundation, an international nonprofit dedicated to promoting emerging contemporary artists in Russia and the former Soviet Union. There are also exhibition halls, a library and 280-seat cinema, and artist workshops and studios, all centered on the GES-2’s main building, a once derelict…

From an erupting volcano in Kamchatka to a close-up encounter with an Australian seadragon, the top-ranked shots of the Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 (naturephotographeroftheyear.com) contest vividly reflect the natural world’s splendor. Revealing the results of its sixth annual edition in December, the competition, presented by the organizers of the Netherlands-based Nature Talks Photo Festival, attracted some 20,000 entries from photographers in nearly 100 countries, which were judged across a dozen different categories. The winning and commended images — only a few of which are highlighted on these pages — constitute a stunning reminder of the magnificence of nature, and none more so than overall winner Terje Kolaas’s “Winter Migration,” a drone capture of a gaggle of pink-footed geese in flight above the Trondheimsfjord wetlands of his native…

When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summited Mount Everest in 1953, Swiss watchmaker Rolex played its part by equipping the mountaineers with robust Oyster Perpetual watches. The Explorer watch was introduced the same year in the wake of that groundbreaking ascent, and today, Rolex continues its decades-long association with modern exploration, not for the sake of discovery but with a mind to safeguard the planet for future generations. Embodying this ethos is the brand’s Perpetual Planet initiative, an ambitious long-term project designed to help key organizations and individuals find solutions to environmental challenges. Launched in 2019, the program encompasses three main pillars: the Rolex Awards for Enterprise; an enhanced partnership with the National Geographic Society to study the impacts of climate change; and support for legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s…

Nestled amid the rice fields of the Mae Rim Valley, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai makes for a serene respite in northern Thailand. The 12-hectare property’s graceful Lanna-style pavilions, villas, and residences overlook tropical gardens and rice paddies, immersing guests in the rhythms of the Chiang Mai countryside. Dining options include Khao, where the flavors of Myanmar, Yunnan, and Thailand come together for a singular culinary experience; and North, which specializes in meat and seafood cooked in a wood-fired pit. Elsewhere on-site, Chaan Baan is a re-creation of a farmer’s terrace that offers a hands-on introduction to local agricultural and craft traditions, while the Wara Cheewa Spa is a haven for body-balancing therapies, yoga, and even muay thai boxing. The prize is for a three-night stay in a Garden Pavilion,…

Enjoying a prominent position overlooking Victoria Harbour, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has been the hotel of choice for visiting dignitaries, high-profile politicians, and A-list celebrities since it first opened in late 1989. This jewel on the Wanchai waterfront shines as brightly as it did then, thanks to a four-year top-to-toe revamp that was completed in 2018 by Melbourne-based design firm BAR Studio. The hotel’s three-story art-deco inspired lobby, with its marbled columns and sweeping double staircase, makes for a striking first impression. Warm yet discreet service is a hallmark, as are elegant and tastefully appointed accommodations. Upstairs, the Grand Hyatt’s 542 spacious rooms and suites blend contemporary aesthetics with traditional Asian design touches in an understated manner. The majority feature harbor views; all have glass-enclosed bathrooms with standalone tubs. Located…

A Singaporean stay worth discovering Surrounded by greenery on the grounds of the Laguna National Golf Resort Club, the Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore offers a serene setting just 15 minutes’ drive from the bustle of downtown. With a curvilinear roof that echoes the mounds and dunes of the two adjacent golf courses, the low-rise urban resort—the first Singaporean property by Thailand-based Dusit International—houses 198 rooms alongside three swimming pools and a quartet of popular dining outlets. For those who have yet to stay at the hotel since its late-2020 debut—or others thinking about a return visit—the Dusit Thani’s Discover Dusit deal might be just the enticement. Offering 20 percent off best available rates, it also includes healthy minibar snacks and access to the DFit fitness center, whose floor-to-ceiling windows overlook…

Dubai’s highly anticipated Museum of the Future (museumofthefuture.ae) has finally opened, adding one more striking landmark to an ever-growing skyline. A 77-meter-high stainless-steel ellipse sitting on a green hillock alongside the city’s main artery, the building is nothing short of extraordinary, covered in 3D-mapped Arabic calligraphy by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej, with a void at its center representing the unknown. And while it may be the architecture (by Dubai-based studio Killa Design) that has elicited the oohs and aahs up to now, what lies within is even more compelling. The museum’s seven floors take visitors on a journey into the future, with experiences encompassing virtual and augmented reality, AI, human-machine interaction, and more, across five exhibitions exploring the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, health,…

MALDIVES Wellness and sustainability have been synonymous with the Soneva name ever since British hotelier Sonu Shivdasani and his Swedish wife, Eva, unveiled their first barefoot-luxury resort, Soneva Fushi, in the Maldives back in 1995. Now, almost three decades later, the couple has poured their accumulated expertise into the creation of a transformative wellness brand called Soneva Soul. Revolving around bespoke treatment programs, all-natural products, and resident teams of health experts including an Ayurvedic doctor and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, the concept has been rolled out across the group’s trio of properties — Soneva Kiri in Thailand and, in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi and its younger sibling Soneva Jani. At the latter, the Soneva Soul experience encompasses both the resort’s existing overwater spa and the new, purpose-built Island Spa, a…

Macau’s biggest hotel, Sheraton Grand Macao, is also the world’s largest Sheraton property, with more than 4,000 rooms and suites. But while size isn’t everything, this sprawling five-star address in heart of the glitzy Cotai Strip also impresses when it comes to personalized service, stylish decor, and top-notch facilities that include three outdoor swimming pools and a feng shui–inspired spa. Part of The Londoner Macao integrated resort complex, the hotel offers easy access to more than 150 retail boutiques and a slew of restaurants in addition to its own in-house dining venues Feast International Buffet and The Conservatory, which serves an array of British-inspired and authentic Cantonese dishes. The prize is for three nights in a Deluxe Suite inclusive of daily breakfast for two, and is valid for stays until…

Ye Lizzy ye! Ye Lizzy ye!” The only sound in the woods was Natale Romagnolo calling to his chestnut-haired dog, Lizzy. She was running through the fallen leaves, sniffing at the bases of the oak and hazel trees where she’s dug up truffles before. Romagnolo, a fifth-generation trifulau (truffle hunter), walked with a cane in one hand and a pick-like zappino hooked to the back of his belt, never letting Lizzy from his sight as she followed her nose, furiously searching for the earthy, garlicky notes of the food world’s most precious fungi. Suddenly, the dog stopped and started pawing at the rich, dark soil. Our host, who is in his early 70s but still runs truffle tours from his house in the hills of northwestern Italy’s Langhe region, hurried…

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Housed in the landmark King Power Mahanakhon in the heart of the Thai capital’s central business district, The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is poised to become the hip hotel brand’s flagship Asian property when its debuts in May—as well as a sleek urban counterpoint to its seaside sister resort The Standard, Hua Hin. The vivid colors, fluid shapes, and lush greenery that flows seamlessly inside and out come courtesy of a collaboration between Spanish design superstar Jaime Hayon and The Standard’s own in-house design team, marking a sharp aesthetic departure from other luxury hotels in the city. All 155 guest rooms feature plush furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers, bath amenities by cult Italian beauty brand Davines, and complimentary access to the building’s rooftop Mahanakhon Skywalk, at 314 meters…

The northwestern edge of Alentejo is is just a short drive from downtown Lisbon, but once you’ve crossed the Vasco da Gama Bridge over the Tagus River, it might as well be a world away. Stretching from southern Portugal’s Atlantic coast to the borders of Spain, this is a deeply rural region of red earth and rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves, and the occasional limewashed village or ancient hilltop castelo. “Calma, calma” is the credo here — don’t stress, don’t worry, don’t rush if you don’t have to. While agriculture still dominates life in Alentejo, which produces almost half of Portugal’s wine as well as a sizable share of the global cork harvest, tourism has finally caught on as well, thanks to a new generation of hoteliers who have…