> Features
The Next Island Over
Lombok is no Bali—and that’s just the point. Long overshadowed by its famous neighbor to the west, this Indonesian island is ready to emerge as a destination in its own right, with a raft of luxury villas and resorts to match
Fujian in Full
From tea to tulou, the fertile mountain valleys of this southern Chinese province offer a timeless—if occasionally overwhelming—taste of rural life
Moments of Reflection
From the shores of Banda to the primeval forests of Papua, New York–based photographer Frédéric Lagrange portrays the people and places of Indonesia with a passionate intensity
|
| > | Departments | | | Letters from Readers | | | Publisher's note | | | Gypsy Tales| | Traveler’s Check
A luxury train service linking Ho Chi Minh City and the seaside resort town of Nha Trang took to the rails in December. The 5-Star Express has 10 coaches and two restaurants; first-class tickets for the seven-hour journey will set you back about US$37.
Lodgings Update
The Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita (230/402-3100; fourseasons.com/Mauritius; doubles from US$927) splits its 123 villas, suites, and residences between the resort’s private island, Île aux Chats, and the Mauritian mainland. With the dramatic Bambou Mountains as a backdrop, the property stands out for its Ernie Els–designed championship golf course, as well as for an over-water spa and five restaurants and bars.
Attraction
Croc Encounters
Four centimeters of acrylic is all that separates you from the jaws of a saltwater crocodile at Crocosaurus Cove (crocosauruscove.com), a new animal park in Darwin, Australia.
Tearoom
Turning over a New Leaf
After his successful stint at Paris’s celebrated tea merchants Mariage Frères, few would have placed bets that Taha Bouqdib would resurface in Singapore, let alone in the middle of the city’s financial district. Happily, Bouqdib’s airy TWG Tea Salon (01-22 Republic Plaza, 9 Raffles Place; 65/6538-1837; twgtea.com) is proving to be a calm bolthole for those looking to escape the city’s financial worries.
Shopping
Nesting Instinct
One of the first carbon-neutral retailers in Shanghai, Nest (Lane 210 Taikang Lu; 86-21/6473-6193; nestshanghai.com) is as stylish as it is sustainable.
Hot Spot
Join the Club
With little fanfare, the latest outpost of Amsterdam’s hip Supperclub (Level 2 Odeon Towers, 331 North Bridge Rd., Singapore; 65/6334-4080; supperclub.com) has set about seducing Singaporeans with a patented mix of all-white daybeds, heaving house music, and some decidedly strange floor shows (like a seated man slowly pouring water into glasses).
Virtual Tour
Forbidden Fruits
Once an exclusive imperial domain, Beijing’s Forbidden City is now open to all comers around the clock—online, that is.
Gallery
Modern Love
Mother-and-son hoteliers Lekha and Anupam Poddar have diverse tastes in art: she likes Indian folk and tribal work, and he has a passion for cutting-edge pieces from across the subcontinent.
Design
MidEast Motifs
The Khatt Foundation (khtt.net), an Amsterdam-based center for Arabic typography, has hit the wall—literally.
Resorts
Fab Four
A bumper crop of new openings will raise the bar for the Maldives’ already luxurious lodgings scene.
Spa
Thermal Dynamics
The mineral-rich waters of Victoria’s Central Highlands first made headlines in the mid-1800s as the ideal remedy for “gentlemen who had lived rather too freely.”
Dining Guide
Miele Time
Four rounds of judging and a short list of 2,000 restaurants in 16 Asian countries are just a few of the ingredients that went into making the inaugural Miele Guide (mieleguide.com), which bills itself as the first independent guide to the region’s dining scene.
New in Delhi
Following the October debut of its first city hotel (on the grounds of Beijing’s Summer Palace), Amanresorts is set to open a stunning sequel, the Aman, New Delhi (91-11/ 4363-3333; amanresorts.com; doubles from US$750).
|
| | | Calendar | | | |
|
|
|
