With its stacked, biophilic design, this new hotel provides a vision for sustainable high-rise hospitality.
<figure id="attachment_135112" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135112" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135112 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Lobby.jpg" alt="Inside the lobby at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Lobby.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Lobby-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Lobby-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Lobby-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-135112" class="wp-caption-text">Inside the lobby at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore. (All photos: Studio Periphery)</figcaption></figure>
When discussing architecture, Wong Mun Summ likes to reference “systems thinking”—a holistic form of organizational analysis that asks how systems act and influence one another within a larger system. It’s an approach that informs much of the work produced by WOHA, the much-laureled Singapore-based architectural studio Wong cofounded with Richard Hassell in 1994. His latest project, the 347-room <a href="https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-orchard-sg.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pan Pacific Orchard</a> (doubles from US$340), is no exception in the way systems thinking is folded deep into the design.
Looking for all the world like the love child of a one-night stand between an Escher print and a Jenga block, the hotel rises 23 stories above the western end of the Orchard Road neighborhood, its perspective-defying silhouette a stark contrast to the more staid skyscrapers around it. And yet, despite its bulk and its room count, the hotel feels intimate, almost cloistered. Standing on a balcony of one of the admittedly compact guest rooms—most of which weigh in at either 25 or 30 square meters—there is the sensation that you’ve just checked in to a much smaller, cozier boutique property rather than one that caters to a broader market.
This sleight of hand is achieved by the novel act of breaking the height of the skyscraper into four stacked volumes, carving out an enormous 26-meter-high void within each L-shaped stack that’s open to the elements, and then inserting guest rooms and other facilities along the interior edges.
This interlocking system, Wong explains, “domesticates the scale” of a large skyscraper hotel, allowing the individual volumes to create the illusion of a more intimate setting. “You wouldn’t know that there are floors and rooms above or below you,” he says.
Each stack features a vast terrace measuring almost 1,350 square meters. They are anchored by a reception area and cascading water plaza on the ground floor; a swimming pool on the fifth story; gardens and fountains on the 11th; and a ballroom, decorative pools, and boxed garden on the 18th. Even more remarkable are the terrace ceilings, which have been entirely clad in polished stainless steel panels. Instantly, the spaces are converted into giant mirrors that reveal their landscapes and activities to the street below and that, by extension, allow the external community to interact with the hotel’s occupants. “This humanizes a skyscraper,” Wong says.
<figure id="attachment_135113" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135113" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135113 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard-Day_Suite-Balcony_Night-view-2.jpg" alt="The balcony of a suite at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard-Day_Suite-Balcony_Night-view-2.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard-Day_Suite-Balcony_Night-view-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard-Day_Suite-Balcony_Night-view-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard-Day_Suite-Balcony_Night-view-2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-135113" class="wp-caption-text">The balcony of a suite at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_135114" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135114" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135114 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Mosella.jpg" alt="The hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Mosella." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Mosella.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Mosella-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Mosella-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Mosella-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-135114" class="wp-caption-text">The hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Mosella.</figcaption></figure>
The voids also serve a less obvious, but equally crucial role: their open-air, cross-ventilated yet sheltered spaces provide passive cooling for the building and shade to the guest rooms, reducing the air-conditioning load. This feature is part of Wong’s larger concern—another instance of systems thinking at work—which is to reduce the hotel’s energy consumption, a bête noire of most modern buildings. In turn, the roof is sheathed with photovoltaic cell panels that generate clean energy to power the common areas. Rainwater is harvested to irrigate the gardens, while low-energy dry mist fans cool the air. And in the guest rooms—dressed in light woods, 400-thread count sheets, and attractive furnishings—a built-in water filter does away with single-use plastic bottles.
Meanwhile, the massive support columns at the outer corner of each terrace are lushly entwined with Javanese treebines that, over the coming years, will drop dense strands of vivid red vines like tropical maypoles. Elsewhere, the landscapers have been busy seeding the gardens with an Edenesque bounty of Norfolk Island pine, sweetly scented tabernaemontana, umbrella trees, sea hibiscus, angel wings, satin pothos, and figworts. Besides being a boon for the eyes, the dense foliage, along with the pool and water features, helps regulate the ambient air quality while absorbing carbon dioxide.
Not that Wong bashes you on the head with his greening evangelism. The architect is far too subtle for that. Instead, the Pan Pacific Orchard’s mechanical, environmental, and sustainability features are largely invisible. Most guests will only see the surface aesthetics without ever realizing the deeper functions and the systems thinking underlying the whole experience of their stay.
“When designing hotels, we are very aware that guests are looking for experiences, rather than just a place to spend the night,” Wong says. “Other hotels focus on the gold and marble lobby, but this building proposes new and better ways of living.”
<figure id="attachment_135111" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135111" style="width: 1380px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135111 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Exterior_Day.jpg" alt="The eye-catching exterior of Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore." width="1380" height="920" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Exterior_Day.jpg 1380w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Exterior_Day-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Exterior_Day-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Exterior_Day-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1380px) 100vw, 1380px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-135111" class="wp-caption-text">The eye-catching exterior of Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_135115" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135115" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135115 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Deluxe-King.jpg" alt="A deluxe room at the hotel." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Deluxe-King.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Deluxe-King-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Deluxe-King-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pan-Pacific-Orchard_Deluxe-King-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-135115" class="wp-caption-text">A deluxe room at the hotel.</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August/September 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Open Plan”).

The eye-catching exterior of Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore.

A Closer Look at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore

With the recent surge of wellness properties opening on the island, it’s never been easier to reset and recuperate in style.
<figure id="attachment_134911" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134911" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-134911 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-1.jpg" alt="An immunity-boosting loloh (Balinese herbal drink) of cucumber and bitter gourd at Gdas; the bedroom of a teak-walled gladak suite at The Asa Maia." width="1200" height="745" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-1.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-1-300x186.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-1-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-1-768x477.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134911" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: An immunity-boosting loloh (Balinese herbal drink) of cucumber and bitter gourd at Gdas; the bedroom of a teak-walled gladak suite at The Asa Maia. (Courtesy of Gdas Bali; Courtesy of The Asa Maia)</figcaption></figure>
Perhaps no destination is better suited to finding balance than Bali. The confines of its size mean opposing energies constantly commingle. The island’s commanding volcanoes can humble, while its sweet floral breezes uplift. Bright and sunny Bali mornings turn into wet and stormy afternoons. And expat enclaves like Canggu and Ubud bring Western culture right alongside the Balinese-Hindu rituals of traditional village life.
This yin-meets-yang quality draws throngs of visitors to the island each year fleeing stress, burnout, and other symptoms of our frenetic world. To cure what ails them, the average wellness resort won’t cut it. They seek a more spiritual brand of self-care, purveyors of which have proliferated here of late. And while there’s plenty of snake oil to watch out for, some new spaces have managed to get it just right. You could say, they’ve struck the perfect balance.
<a href="https://theasamaia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Asa Maia</a> (doubles from US$480) in Uluwatu, Bali’s surfer paradise, is one example. Ensconced in tropical greenery, the retreat is an oasis despite being a stone’s throw from the busy surf shops, cafés, and restaurants along Pantai Padang Padang road. Its Sanskrit name means “hope beyond illusion,” representing the renewal that takes place when we feel safe enough to unmask our authentic selves. I experienced this firsthand during a private breathwork session that had me shedding tears I hadn’t known needed to be shed. Breathwork is an ancient healing modality that served the resort’s founder, Martha Booke, when she battled and overcame cancer for the second time in her adult life. Other guided experiences include meditation, hypnotherapy, and contrast therapy by way of daily two-minute dips in a 6°C plunge pool.
Every wellness experience at The Asa Maia has been carefully curated, along with the Indonesian artwork, the books in the resort library (I picked up Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature’s Secrets to Longevity during my stay), and the copper hardware used throughout the bath facilities, chosen for its natural antimicrobial properties. Each of the 10 guest suites, which occupy a cluster of restored Javanese wooden houses called gladak, features a tub carved from salvaged Belgian bluestone used centuries ago as ballast in Dutch merchant ships. The communal dining table is also intentional, meant to bring guests together to share and celebrate their individual healing journeys. It was around the breakfast table one morning, over green juice and gluten-free banana pancakes, that a fellow guest recommended yet another newly renovated, women-only retreat center, <a href="https://escapehaven.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Escape Haven</a> (six-night retreats from US$2,495 per person).
<figure id="attachment_134912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134912" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-134912 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-2.jpg" alt="Escape Haven features a saltwater lagoon pool with a built-in fire pit; a massage treatment for two at The Asa Maia’s spa." width="1200" height="745" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-2.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-2-300x186.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-2-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-2-768x477.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134912" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Escape Haven features a saltwater lagoon pool with a built-in fire pit; a massage treatment for two at The Asa Maia’s spa. (Photos: Bali Interiors; courtesy of The Asa Maia)</figcaption></figure>
Located in a beautifully appointed 18-bedroom mansion in the Canggu area, Escape Haven feels a bit like a sorority house, if sorority houses also had world-class spa facilities. Having grown up with three sisters and no brothers, I immediately felt at home. Here, women of all ages come together to escape the common pressures placed on them—to get married, be good caregivers, delay aging, and so on. Norwegian retreat leader Emilie Nyman and her incredibly welcoming staff allow each woman to drop those pressures at the door, warmly embracing each one exactly where they are.
On any given week the house is full of women on specialized retreats for detoxing, healing, surfing, or Pilates. When not taking part in designated spa treatments or experiences, they gather in shared spaces for meals, yoga classes, or cozy conversations. The intergenerational groupings impart another meaningful aspect of Escape Haven. While chatting around a beach bonfire or during a cooking class, young women learn from the wisdom of their elders as older women are exposed to new perspectives from Gen Z and millennial guests. In all cases, lifelong friendships are forged here, and Emilie will often receive photos from previous groups of guests who have gathered together again.
The strong bonds guests create at Escape Haven make the ceremonial cacao send-off all the more emotional. Women take turns blessing each other’s cups, sending specific messages of love and encouragement so that drinking the cacao feels like drinking all that supportive energy. A guided meditation follows, and the ceremony concludes with endless rounds of tearful hugs and a bittersweet celebration of shared growth and healing.
<figure id="attachment_134913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134913" style="width: 1380px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-134913 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-3.jpg" alt="A two-story pool villa at Gdas Bali overlooks the paddy fields of Ubud’s Mas village." width="1380" height="920" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-3.jpg 1380w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-3-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1380px) 100vw, 1380px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134913" class="wp-caption-text">A two-story pool villa at Gdas Bali overlooks the paddy fields of Ubud’s Mas village. (Courtesy of Gdas Bali)</figcaption></figure>
But perhaps the part of Bali most synonymous with holistic healing is Ubud. Located in the island’s central foothills and awash in ancient temples and fluorescent rice paddies, Ubud has plenty of retreats to choose from. But two newcomers stand out, not least for the famous names attached to them.
American reggae-rock musician Michael Franti and his wife, Sarah, opened <a href="https://www.soulshinebali.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soulshine Bali</a> (doubles from US$320) in 2016 as a gathering space for close friends. In 2022, however, they expanded with 33 new guest accommodations so others could experience the healing that takes place there. Peace and playfulness exist side by side here. I loved the barefoot luxury, colorful lounge, and communal pool with sunny accents, like the adults-only waterslide. The rooms, on the other hand, induce calm, with each designed to feel more like your best friends’ guesthouse than a resort.
Just up the road is <a href="https://gdasbali.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gdas Bali</a> (doubles from US$300), the new all-vegan wellness resort from music mogul Russell Simmons. Inspired by Simmons’s own healing journey in Bali, guests are treated to a Balinese purification ceremony at Tirta Empul Temple before consulting with a local balian usada, or traditional plant-based medicine specialist, who gives feedback on health conditions in order to curate an appropriately tailored retreat. When the 27-room property completes its wellness center—the largest in Bali—later this year, guests will benefit from a wide menu of East-meets-West therapies ranging from massage and meditation to hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, and IV drips.
Reflecting on my experiences at each retreat, I realize they all share a palpable, come-as-you-are hospitality that reveals the secret to living a balanced life: learning to be okay with who you are in any given moment. Feeling accepted by others in that space between settling and striving helps you internalize that acceptance, and imparts an ability to find balance both in Bali, and beyond.
<figure id="attachment_134914" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134914" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-134914 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-4.jpg" alt="Michael and Sara Franti at their recently upsized wellness resort, Soulshine; dragon fruit limeade and cauliflower poppers at Escape Haven." width="1200" height="745" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-4.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-4-300x186.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-4-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Bali-New-Wellness-Retreats-4-768x477.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134914" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Michael and Sara Franti at their recently upsized wellness resort, Soulshine; dragon fruit limeade and cauliflower poppers at Escape Haven. (Photos: Bali Interiors; Adam Rasyid)</figcaption></figure>
THREE MORE PLACES TO RECHARGE IN BALI
<a href="https://www.revivoresorts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revīvō Wellness Resort</a> 
Nestled in a three-hectare teak forest in the hills of Nusa Dua, this 16-suite property provides a tranquil setting for reviving guests through movement, mindful practices, and nutrition. As well as the regular spa offerings, there’s IV vitamin infusion therapy, a hydrotherapy circuit, and a far-infrared and dry charcoal sauna.
<a href="https://fivelementsbali.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fivelements Retreat</a> 
Its verdant riverside grounds near Ubud are rejuvenating in their own right. But Fivelements also blends traditional Balinese healing philosophies with a modern, holistic approach to wellness, with specialists on hand to guide guests through meditation, yoga, somatic therapy, vibrational healing music, and more.
<a href="https://www.comohotels.com/bali/como-shambhala-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COMO Shambhala Estate</a> 
This longstanding five-star refuge above the Ayung River combines a natural jungle setting with expert spa and wellness facilities. Programs include yoga, Pilates, meditation, rice field walks, massages and body care treatments, and nutrition-optimized cuisine.
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August/September 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Calm and Get It”).

A two-story pool villa at Gdas Bali overlooks the paddy fields of Ubud’s Mas village.

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Part of the new multi-concept venue Forty-Five, the rooftop terrace of Cardinal Point overlooks the busy streets of Central. (Courtesy of Forty-Five)

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A luxurious train ride down the tracks from Da Nang, this up-and-coming destination on the central coast of Vietnam is the jumping-off point for exploring ancient Cham ruins, tranquil countryside, and some of the country’s best seafood.
Photographs by Christopher P. Hill
<figure id="attachment_133875" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133875" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133875 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-1.jpg" alt="Cocktail hour aboard The Vietage, en route to Quy Nhon; a housekeeping staffer at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas." width="1200" height="894" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-1.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-1-300x224.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-1-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-1-768x572.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133875" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Cocktail hour aboard The Vietage, en route to Quy Nhon; a housekeeping staffer at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas.</figcaption></figure>
From my seat at the train carriage’s marble-topped bar, I watch the Central Vietnamese countryside sweep past outside the window: a procession of fluorescent green rice fields speckled with slender white egrets, conical-hatted farmers, and lumbering water buffalo. To the west, the hazy foothills of the Annamite Range stretch along the horizon; to the east are snatched glimpses of a sparkling sea. Save for the occasional river crossing or town, the scenery hasn’t changed much since we pulled out of Da Nang Station five hours ago. But then an ancient brick tower hoves into view on a distant hilltop. “The ruins of Thap Banh It,” says Tien, the bartender. “Welcome to Cham country.”
Were this a typical Vietnam Railways carriage, I’d likely have spent most of the 300-plus-kilometer journey between Da Nang and the port city of Quy Nhon trying to catch up on sleep. But The Vietage is something different. Launched in 2020, it’s an exclusive 12-passenger railcar developed by Thai-based hotel brand Anantara to complement its two resorts in Central Vietnam—one in Hoi An, just south of Da Nang, and the other on the seaside of Quy Nhon. The Vietage is attached to a regular passenger train on the North–South railway, a narrow-gauge line that follows the curving coastline of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. In most other respects, though, it’s its own little world. There are smartly uniformed staff, private booths with woven rattan screens, good Wi-Fi, and a cocktail bar serving freeflow wines and appropriately named tipples like the All Aboard and Off the Rails. I’m handed a glass of bubbly as a welcome drink. Lunch is a treat too: duck foie gras with onion compote followed by a salmon fillet with chili beurre blanc and a chocolate crème brûlée. There’s even a massage chair where attendants offer expert shoulder massages.
By the time Tien mixes up my second whisky sour–ish Off the Rails, we’re already well into Binh Dinh Province, of which Quy Nhon is the capital. A cradle of traditional Vietnamese martial arts, Binh Dinh is also closely associated with the Champa Kingdom, a Hindu civilization that at its height controlled much of what is now central and southern Vietnam. Vijaya, whose lonely ruins lie to the northwest of present-day Quy Nhon, served as the Cham capital for 300 years until the kingdom’s decimation by the Vietnamese empire of Dai Viet in the 15th century. And while the most famous Cham temple site is the UNESCO-listed My Son Sanctuary near Hoi An, it’s Binh Dinh that claims the biggest and best-preserved monuments from that era.
Not long after passing Thap Banh It, the train pulls into Quy Nhon’s Dieu Tri Station and we disembark. The Vietage is unhitched and pushed onto a siding, where it will sit until a north-bound train returns it to Da Nang that evening. Some passengers, like me, are met by BMWs from Anantara Quy Nhon Villas, 40 minutes down the road. A few disperse in the direction of other hotels, as you don’t need to be a guest of Anantara to purchase a ticket.
But you’ll want to be. With just 26 one- and two-bedroom villas overlooking an isolated stretch of golden sand, Anantara’s intimate Quy Nhon property is a perfect base from which to explore the area. Or to just stay put, as I’m tempted to do when I lay eyes on my villa’s beachfront plunge pool and adjacent cabana, which look out across the water to a pair of rocky uninhabited islands.
<figure id="attachment_133876" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133876" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133876 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-2.jpg" alt="The view from a hillside pool deck at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas; the resort’s Fire Salt restaurant sits next to a palm-studded lawn." width="1200" height="894" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-2.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-2-300x224.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-2-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-2-768x572.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133876" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: The view from a hillside pool deck at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas; the resort’s Fire Salt restaurant sits next to a palm-studded lawn.</figcaption></figure>
Still, after a restful night’s sleep, I venture out the next morning with a young Anantara-arranged guide named Dinh Quoc Thich, who started a private tour company some years ago to cater to Quy Nhon’s quietly growing tourist numbers. “Many people have already visited Da Nang and Nha Trang; now they are discovering Quy Nhon—our history, our food, our landscapes,” he says as we drive 15 minutes into the city. “More hotels and restaurants are opening all the time. I think if you come back in three or four years, you will see a big change.”
For now, Quy Nhon still feels off the radar, even along the lovely palm-lined promenade that runs almost the full length of the city’s seven-kilometer beachfront. Thich and I are the only visitors at the Binh Dinh Museum, a compact repository of Cham-era relics that sits in the shadow of a 43-story hotel tower, one of a handful of new high-rises on the otherwise modest skyline. And aside from a solitary guard dozing in the midday heat, we also have Thap Duong Long to ourselves. This is one of seven Cham sites in Binh Dinh, a trio of 12th-century brick temple towers that jut up 20 meters or more from the flat countryside of the Tay Son district, an hour’s drive inland from Quy Nhon. It seems impossible that we are the only ones here. Tufted with jungle vegetation, the towers look like they could have been plucked from some obscure corner of Angkor.
We do encounter a modest throng of day-trippers at the Quang Trung Museum, which occupies impressive grounds in a nearby township. The galleries here chronicle the Tay Son Rebellion, an 18th-century uprising led by three local brothers who would unite all of Vietnam under their rule. In an adjacent auditorium, a display of the Tay Son style of martial arts performed by teenage boys and girls shows just what fierce fighters the rebels were.
As it turns out, Phuc Tran, the sinewy head of security at Anantara, is also a master of martial arts, and guests can join him for lessons on the resort’s lawn. My own attempts to mimic any of his moves end in ignominy; and when he brings out a pair of lethal-looking bamboo sticks, I know it’s time to throw in the towel. Or rather, exchange it for a beach towel on one of the sun loungers flanking the main pool. Sipping a fruity cocktail, I chuckle at the nearby “weather station”—a coconut hanging on a chain next to a sign that reads COCONUT MOVING: WINDY; COCONUT WET: RAIN; COCONUT INVISIBLE: FOG; COCONUT GONE: HURRICANE. As the sun fades below the hills behind us, I watch as the lights of hundreds of floating squid traps in the bay twinkle to life—a constellation of fallen stars on the darkening sea.
<figure id="attachment_133878" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133878" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133878 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-4.jpg" alt="Lunching on Quy Nhon’s best banh xeo tom at Gia Vy 2; Cham towers at Thap Duong Long." width="1200" height="894" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-4.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-4-300x224.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-4-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-4-768x572.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133878" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Lunching on Quy Nhon’s best banh xeo tom at Gia Vy 2; Cham towers at Thap Duong Long.</figcaption></figure>
Another morning, I join Anantara’s Hoi An–born chef Vinh Tran on a visit to Quy Nhon’s wet market, where sidewalk vendors and covered stalls sell all manner of meat, vegetables, and seafood. I’m also introduced to local specialties such as banh it la gai, little banana-leaf pyramids of sticky rice cake stuffed with mung bean paste or shredded coconut; and tre, rolls of fermented pig’s ear wrapped in guava leaves and dry straw. Back at the resort’s glass-walled restaurant, chef Tran disappears into the kitchen with his groceries to whip up an indulgent lunch of sesame-dressed sea grape salad, fried squid in fish sauce, and soya-brushed steamed pomfret.
Tran’s varied menus—Cognac-flambéed lobster bisque, cherrywood-smoked Ibérico pork loin, mushroom risotto drizzled with truffle oil—hardly encourage culinary exploration beyond the resort. But on Thich’s recommendation, I grab a cab into town to a roadside eatery called Gia Vy 2, which he insists makes Quy Nhon’s best banh xeo tom. Here, Vietnam’s ubiquitous rice-flour crepes are topped with sweet, crunchy river shrimp, bean sprouts, and spring onions that you then roll in rice paper with an assortment of herbs, thinly sliced mango, and dollops of fish sauce. As promised, they’re delicious.
On my last afternoon, Thich takes me on a hike up Xuan Van, one of several forested hills that cradle the city. The way is paved with stone steps marked at intervals with plaques representing the biblical stations of the cross. At the top, some 240 meters above sea level, a narrow ridge is dominated by statues of Mary and a crucified Jesus, their plinths festooned with yellow marigolds. Thich says the statues were built in the 1960s by residents of the then Catholic-operated leper colony in the valley to our south. But you don’t have to be a particularly religious person to appreciate the views. Before me is the great arc of Quy Nhon’s seafront, its sheltered harbor backed by a rolling peninsula gilded in the slanting light. It feels like a blessing just to be here.
<figure id="attachment_133879" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133879" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133879 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-3.jpg" alt="The addictive coconut crème brûlée at the Anantara’s Sea Fire Salt restaurant; a beachside villa at the same resort." width="1200" height="894" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-3.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-3-300x224.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-3-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Quy-Nhon-Dispatch-3-768x572.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133879" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: The addictive coconut crème brûlée at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas’ Sea Fire Salt restaurant; a beachside villa at the same resort.</figcaption></figure>
Quy Nhon Essentials
<h5>GETTING THERE </h5>
<a href="https://www.thevietagetrain.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vietage</a> (US$400 per person, one-way) travels twice daily between Da Nang and Quy Nhon; the return journey is at night. Flying is also an option, with Quy Nhon’s Phu Cat Airport served by domestic flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong.
<h5>WHERE TO STAY </h5>
<a href="https://www.anantara.com/en/quy-nhon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anantara Quy Nhon Villas</a> 
Base yourself at this elegant all-villa property for its quiet location, terrific food, and cliff-side spa pavilions (doubles from US$500).
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June/July 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Next Stop, Quy Nhon”).

The Unsung Charms of Quy Nhon

A year after the legalization of marijuana, the country’s cannabis industry is at an all-time high.
<figure id="attachment_133865" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133865" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133865 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Thailand-Cannabis-Story.jpg" alt="A cannabis cocktail at the Bong Appétit dinner in Phuket; chef Steven John has a nose for ganja." width="1200" height="794" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Thailand-Cannabis-Story.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Thailand-Cannabis-Story-300x199.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Thailand-Cannabis-Story-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Thailand-Cannabis-Story-768x508.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133865" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: A cannabis cocktail at the Bong Appétit dinner in Phuket; chef Steven John has a nose for ganja.</figcaption></figure>
On a sultry March evening at The Slate resort in Phuket, I joined a group of fellow foodies for a five-course tasting menu orchestrated by guest chef Steven John. There was tuna tataki and 48-hour pork belly, tiger prawn with pineapple and pomelo, and a zesty pesto linguine, all matched with cocktails specially crafted for the occasion. The food, as expected, was delicious; John, a self-taught chef of Thai-Swiss parentage, is well regarded in Bangkok as the founder of the private-dining service Empty Plates. But as the meal progressed and our party grew increasingly euphoric, it was his showcase ingredient that stole the show: cannabis.
Billed as Thailand’s first gourmet ganja dining experience, the menu, named “Bong Appétit,” explored the once-illegal plant’s culinary potential, from CBD-infused sauerkraut puree to hempseed pasta to a “drunken banana” dessert with cannabis crumble. So too did the accompanying cocktails, each garnished with a distinctive marijuana leaf.
“Cannabis is wonderful for fine dining,” said John, who factors customer weight and tolerance into his recipes. “Everybody loves this.”
Welcome to the new weed wonderland of Thailand, where cannabis is all the rage at cafés, clinics, spas, and specialty shops. Anantara hotels around the country, for instance, now offer spa treatments like the Cannabis Stress-Release Journey, which delivers the pain-relieving qualities of CBD via traditional Thai herbal compresses (luk pra kob). Even the relatively buttoned-down Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is in on the act, with a two-hour CBD oil massage designed to mitigate insomnia or jetlag.
Such offerings have swept Thailand since the process of decriminalizing marijuana began in 2018, when it became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize the plant for medical research and use. Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound that, unlike THC, doesn’t get you high, soon began appearing in spa therapies, ointments, and bottled drinks.
Potent pot flowers were finally legalized last June, turning Thailand into the Amsterdam of Asia. Overnight, food trucks added jars of marijuana buds, and dispensaries sprouted alongside hospitals and hostels. The high times have transformed tourist hot spots from Pai in the north to Phuket in the south, where pot shops flourish and cannabis juices up everything from pizza and pasta to coffee and ice cream (though any weed-infused food products must contain no more than 0.2 percent THC to be legally sold). The only remaining restrictions visitors should be aware of are that you can’t smoke marijuana in public and selling is limited to people over 20 years of age.
“It’s the greatest thing to happen in Thailand in years,” says Tai Taveepanichpan, the young entrepreneur behind a quartet of Bangkok cannabis dispensaries called Four Twenty. Even more such shops are run by Thailand’s top pot company, OG Canna, which currently operates nine outlets with names like Mary Jane, Cloud Nine, and Wonderland. American CEO Benjamin Baskins expects that number to grow to 20 by the end of this year. On my recent visit to the Mary Jane shop on Bangkok’s party-centric Sukhumvit Road, eager “budtenders” offered advice about cannabis strains like Apple Crumble, Banana Glue, Galactic Jack, Soul Mango, and Monkey Gelato. Product descriptions detailed THC content and properties like pain relief or “added excitement in the bedroom.”
And this is only the beginning of a Thai pot boom. There are already more than 5,000 pot shops across Thailand—and that’s not counting the 1,000-plus clinics prescribing medicinal marijuana, a business with huge potential in Southeast Asia’s top medical tourism market. Experts predict the pot industry will reach valuations as high as US$10 billion by the end of the decade.
“This will be huge for medical tourism, and treatment,” said Eric Fleischman, former medical director of Bumrungrad Hospital, Thailand’s leading medical institution. “It will be important for so many things—sleep, pain management, inflammation, anti-aging.” Studies have shown CBD to be effective in alleviating side effects from chemotherapy, as well as an alternative to pain medication with no risk of addiction or overdose, he explained.
While the scene is still evolving in these wild, early days of legal pot, marijuana has unquestionably transformed Thai tourism, with new highs to come. OG Canna, which has invested millions in the industry, is part of Panthera Group, the operator of top Bangkok clubs like Levels and Insanity, and Whisgars whiskey and cigar bars. “As soon as it is legally allowed to do lounges and smoking clubs, we’d be looking at that,” Baskins said.
The ganja gold rush sweeping Thailand is not only rejuvenating an economy devastated by the pandemic, but is moving upscale as shopping malls and event planners join the marijuana bandwagon. On April 20, a day celebrated by cannabis enthusiasts worldwide as Weed Day, an event called Cannex Asia kicked off at Bangkok’s ritzy EmQuartier mall for three days of pot-related festivities, including a Cannabis Cup competition that doled out US$5,000 in prize money for the best bud.
<figure id="attachment_133864" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133864" style="width: 1380px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133864 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Anantara-Spa-Herbal-Compress-Cannabis-Treatment.jpg" alt="CBD oil has made its way onto spa menus in Thailand, such as this 90-minute Cannabis Stress- Release Journey treatment at the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort." width="1380" height="920" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Anantara-Spa-Herbal-Compress-Cannabis-Treatment.jpg 1380w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Anantara-Spa-Herbal-Compress-Cannabis-Treatment-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Anantara-Spa-Herbal-Compress-Cannabis-Treatment-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Anantara-Spa-Herbal-Compress-Cannabis-Treatment-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1380px) 100vw, 1380px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133864" class="wp-caption-text">CBD oil has made its way onto spa menus in Thailand, such as this 90-minute Cannabis Stress- Release Journey treatment at the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort.</figcaption></figure>
Cannabis cuisine is also on the rise. In late 2021, Ban Lao Rueng in Prachinburi Province became the first Thai restaurant to serve cannabis-infused dishes such as nam prik kapi and tom yum gai soup. Not long after, Bangkok-based fast-food chain The Pizza Company rolled out its Crazy Happy Pizza, a pie topped with a deep-fried marijuana leaf. And while Steven John is leading the way on the gourmet front with his ongoing Bong Appétit dinners, he’s not alone. Another local pot enthusiast is Tim Butler, chef at Bangkok’s Eat Me restaurant. Having invested in pot farms that supply some of Thailand’s top dispensaries, he is keen to explore an herb that was part of Thai cuisine for centuries before being outlawed amid a global campaign against marijuana in the 1930s.
For now, Butler’s experiments are confined to his home kitchen, where I visited him for dinner one night. Famed for his barbecue, the chef sliced some prime wagyu and seasoned it with flakes of different marijuana buds before slapping it on the grill. “As a spice, marijuana is like thyme, but stronger,” he told me, offering samples. “It really brings out the flavor of the meat, doesn’t it?”
Butler doubts that the 0.2 percent THC limit on restaurant meals will be lifted anytime soon. But for home cooks, ganja is fair game, and my meal that night left me not only with a pleasant buzz, but also with a taste of the potential happy times that lie ahead in the Land of Smiles.
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">June/July 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Green Revolution”).

CBD oil has made its way onto spa menus in Thailand, such as this 90-minute Cannabis Stress- Release Journey treatment at the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort.

Thailand Rekindles Its Relationship with a Once-Forbidden Plant

Move over Canggu—Bali’s hippest locale is now just up the coast in neighboring Pererenan.
<figure id="attachment_133760" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133760" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133760 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Desa-Hay-Pool-and-Canggu-Yoga-Centre-1024x636.jpg" alt="Poolside at six-villa hideaway Desa Hay; the lobby of the Canggu Yoga Centre in Pererenan." width="750" height="466" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Desa-Hay-Pool-and-Canggu-Yoga-Centre-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Desa-Hay-Pool-and-Canggu-Yoga-Centre-300x186.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Desa-Hay-Pool-and-Canggu-Yoga-Centre-768x477.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Desa-Hay-Pool-and-Canggu-Yoga-Centre.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133760" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: poolside at six-villa hideaway Desa Hay; the lobby of the Canggu Yoga Centre. (All photos courtesy of their respective establishments)</figcaption></figure>
Since Bali reopened to overseas tourists in early 2022, the beachside neighborhood of Pererenan has turned from a sleepy village into a bustling enclave of top-notch eateries, bars, shops, and wellness centers. Unlike adjacent Canggu, however, the traffic here is calmer and the beach is more serene, making Pererenan a top choice for your next visit to the island’s southwest coast.
Coveting a keepsake silk dress, cotton playsuit, or linen onesie? Head to the eponymous boutique of American designer <a href="https://myrahpenaloza.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myrah Peñaloza</a> for a line of yoga-inspired apparel that speaks to the island’s heart and soul—sustainability, female empowerment (30 local women are employed as home-based tailors), and comfortable everyday fashion. The store is set in a traditional Javanese joglo house that imbues it with a gallery-like aesthetic, which also makes an ideal fit for displays of handcrafted jewelry from local labels like Elektra and Elppin.
Bali’s ubiquitous red clay bricks have been put to contemporary use at new <a href="https://barverabali.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bar Vera</a>, a buzzing wine bar and French restaurant right on Pererenan’s main street. Founder Benjamin Cross, a well-known figure in Bali’s food and beverage scene, has enlisted talented Scottish-born Kiwi chef Keir Ballantyne to blend French culinary techniques with locally sourced ingredients. The result is pretty special. Think: steak tartare with sambal and green mustard, prawns with warm polenta and lime, and pineapple mille-feuille. Drinks follow suit with a serious but creative cocktail lineup and happily Euro-centric wine list.
<figure id="attachment_133762" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133762" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133762 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="The semi-outdoor dining area at Home by Chef Wayan in Pererenan." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-1.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133762" class="wp-caption-text">The semi-outdoor dining area at Home by Chef Wayan.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_133765" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133765" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133765 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-2-1024x763.jpg" alt="Home by Chef Wayan's pan-roasted pork belly; chef Wayan Kresna Yasa with the Balinese cookbook he co-authored, Paon." width="750" height="559" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-2-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-2-300x224.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-2-768x572.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Home-by-Chef-Wayan-2.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133765" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Home by Chef Wayan’s pan-roasted pork belly; chef Wayan Kresna Yasa with the Balinese cookbook he co-authored, Paon.</figcaption></figure>
Down the road, the more modest <a href="https://www.instagram.com/home.by.chefwayan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">Home by Chef Wayan</a> is perhaps Pererenan’s worst-kept secret. With a simple streetside shopfront cluttered with motorbikes, this open warung-style eatery doesn’t stand out from the crowd, but the Balinese and Indonesian cuisine sure does. Chef Wayan Kresna Yasa, who can be seen rattling the pans most days, has headed up some of Bali’s best Indonesian restaurants. He’s also the co-author of Paon, the lauded Balinese cookbook that hit the shelves last year. He and his business partner and wife Mary have mastered the art of keeping things simple while plating to a five-star standard. Their pan-roasted pork belly (babi guling) is a fine example.
Devotees of more energetic hot yoga styles point their mats in the direction of Pererenan’s concrete-and-glass <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cangguyogacentre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canggu Yoga Centre</a>. The timetable can make you sweat just looking at it, with Bikram Yoga, Hot Warrior Yoga, and Hot Sculpt being the classes of choice. Cool down the pace with hatha and ashtanga classes or just hang in the lobby café under the neon sign that says HOT, even if you’re not.
Closer to the beach, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/barobakery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">Barō Bakery</a> is an unassuming but comfortably cool café and patisserie. Owner Emerson Manibo’s bigger, bolder Starter Lab was the first bakery in Canggu, but this more local offshoot is all about sipping on a Melbourne-standard coffee and munching on a sticky cardamom bun, before picking up an ancient-grain sourdough loaf to take home for lunch.
<figure id="attachment_133764" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133764" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133764 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Baro-Bakery-and-Bar-Vera-1024x636.jpg" alt="Barō Bakery’s Emerson Manibo; pork jowl skewers at Bar Vera." width="750" height="466" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Baro-Bakery-and-Bar-Vera-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Baro-Bakery-and-Bar-Vera-300x186.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Baro-Bakery-and-Bar-Vera-768x477.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Baro-Bakery-and-Bar-Vera.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133764" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Barō Bakery’s Emerson Manibo; pork jowl skewers at Bar Vera.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_133763" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133763" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133763 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Desa-Hay-Premium-Jabu-1024x683.jpg" alt="A Batak-inspired jabu villa at Desa Hay, Pererenan." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Desa-Hay-Premium-Jabu-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Desa-Hay-Premium-Jabu-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Desa-Hay-Premium-Jabu-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Perenenan-Desa-Hay-Premium-Jabu.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133763" class="wp-caption-text">A Batak-inspired Premium Jabu villa at Desa Hay.</figcaption></figure>
Accommodation options in Pererenan tend to be smaller and more intimate than their Canggu counterparts, with architecture and landscaping that blends into the tropical surrounds. <a href="https://www.desahay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desa Hay</a> (doubles from US$400) slots in nicely. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s eco-minded Considerate Collection, the property has just six villas inspired by the traditional Batak jabu houses of North Sumatra. Impeccable modern amenities and furniture have been effortlessly fused with locally carved wooden doors and fittings and stonework bathrooms. If the in-villa plunge pool and cocktail bar don’t monopolize your time, the breezy pavilion restaurant by the main pool will.
Such are Pererenan’s streetside attractions, it can be easy to forget you’re on the beach. Not so at <a href="https://solbali.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sol Rooftop</a>, a panoramic two-level bar and pool venue with golden glow sunsets to boot. Sit on recliners under thatch umbrellas to sip on jalapeño margaritas and lychee martinis, or gather at tables to nibble on small bites like mini fish tacos and aioli-topped calamari. On the lower level, the swimming pool sees preening party people partaking in a swim—or at least looking like that’s their intention.
<figure id="attachment_133759" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133759" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133759 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Bar-Vera-1024x683.jpg" alt="Kitchen staff in action at Bar Vera, Pererenan." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Bar-Vera-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Bar-Vera-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Bar-Vera-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Pererenan-Bar-Vera.jpg 1380w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133759" class="wp-caption-text">Kitchen staff in action at Bar Vera.</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">June/July 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“The Next Beach Over”).

A Guide to Pererenan, Bali

Goa to Gokarna—feature story by Chris Schalkx.

Discovering India’s Sun-Kissed Shores, from Goa to Gokarna

The island’s latest fine-dining destination puts a creative spin on local ingredients.
<figure id="attachment_133656" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133656" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133656 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Sunflower-Amazake-Bee-pollen-1024x683.jpg" alt="Sunflower-seed amazake parfait with a crust of bee pollen." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Sunflower-Amazake-Bee-pollen-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Sunflower-Amazake-Bee-pollen-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Sunflower-Amazake-Bee-pollen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Sunflower-Amazake-Bee-pollen.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133656" class="wp-caption-text">Sunflower-seed amazake parfait with a crust of bee pollen. (All photos: Diego Arenas/Courtesy of InterContinental Phuket)</figcaption></figure>
To enter the new fine-dining restaurant at InterContinental Phuket Resort, you must pass between tall walls covered in a disco-ball mosaic, similar to the enclosures that separate Thai temples from the secular world. The glittering passage leads you to the wing-roofed, all-white Sawan Pavilion, which calls to mind the ethereal Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai.
Might <a href="https://www.hom-restaurant.com/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hom</a> be a temple to fermentation? The moment you’re greeted with a welcome bite and drink, the team sets out to extol fermentation’s ability to elevate flavors. And throughout the 10-course tasting menu it is reiterated that each dish includes some element of fermentation, whether as a marinade, in garum, or delicately infused in oils. The team approaches this culinary alchemy with some seriousness.
But chef Ricardo Nunes, with his Michelin-starred background, also revels in playful surprises. Three of the dishes are delectable morsels that you eat with your hands, in a delightful sub- version of fine-dining protocols. There’s a slow-cooked quail egg pickled in cascara kombucha; slivered razor clams barely poached in a citrus broth atop a sourdough cracker crisped in chicken fat; and sublime crab rissole that nods to the more humble rissóis served at bars in Nunes’s hometown of Lisbon.
Never mind if you can’t keep track of all the fermentation sources (pandan vinegar, red-bean miso, lacto-fermented tea leaves) at play here. What commands attention are the extraordinary combinations and the meticulous use of local ingredients—a gentle reminder that Hom is, at its core, a Thai restaurant. One course features smoked caviar (from a sturgeon farm in Hua Hin) nestled in a young coconut shell that you scoop up with flecks of makrut lime leaves and salted macadamia cream. It evokes the essence of an ancient dip known as lon, yet emerges as a truly novel creation.
Nunes’s commitment to locavorism shines particularly brightly in Duck &amp; Greens. The dish presents an array of the season’s freshest vegetables: wing-bean, okra, ridge gourd, and long bean, likely procured from a roadside vendor. The greens, paired with the succulent, slow-cooked local duck, are pulled to- gether by a puree of sataw “stink beans.” Unexpected but delicious, it’s Phuket on a plate.
<a href="https://www.hom-restaurant.com/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hom-restaurant.com</a>
<figure id="attachment_133657" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133657" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133657 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Chef-and-team-1024x683.jpg" alt="Chef Ricardo Nunes (front left) and his team." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Chef-and-team-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Chef-and-team-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Chef-and-team-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Chef-and-team.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133657" class="wp-caption-text">Chef Ricardo Nunes (front left) and his team.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_133658" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133658" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133658 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Black-grouper-cabbage-pandan-1024x683.jpg" alt="A course featuring local black grouper, cabbage, and a foamy pandan sauce." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Black-grouper-cabbage-pandan-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Black-grouper-cabbage-pandan-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Black-grouper-cabbage-pandan-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Black-grouper-cabbage-pandan.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133658" class="wp-caption-text">A course featuring local black grouper, cabbage, and a foamy pandan sauce.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_133655" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133655" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-133655 size-large" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Exterior-1024x683.jpg" alt="The Sawan Pavilion that Hom calls home." width="750" height="500" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Exterior-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Exterior-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Hom-Restaurant-Phuket-Exterior.jpg 1380w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133655" class="wp-caption-text">The Sawan Pavilion that Hom calls home.</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">August/September 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Ferment Believers”).

In Phuket, Hom is a Must-Visit for Gourmands

Luxury travel inspiration from the Asia-Pacific region

DestinAsian

Kyoto

Once a place of exile, Sado now lures visitors with its mountain-framed scenery, throwback charm, and myriad cultural experiences.
Photographs by <a href="https://www.destinasian.com/?s=james+whitlow+delano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Whitlow Delano</a>
<figure id="attachment_128523" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-128523" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-128523 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Sado_Island_Japan-1-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-128523" class="wp-caption-text">Small stone statues of the bodhisattva Jizo decorate the rocks outside the cave of Sai-no-Kawara, on Sado’s northern tip.</figcaption></figure>
It has been said that you can find all of Japan on Sado Island. There is the refined culture of Kyoto in the form of Noh theater and second-to-none mumyoi-yaki ceramics. There are onsen hot springs and snowy winters similar to what you might find in Tohoku and Hokkaido. And the clear emerald seas here rival those of subtropical Okinawa.
Yet Sado is also unlike any other Japanese island I have visited. About the size of Singapore but home to just 50,000 people, it lies off Honshu’s northwest coast in the warm waters of the Tsushima Current, which nourishes an abundance of sea life. Girded by rocky coves and crags, Sado, whose butterfly shape is formed by two parallel mountain ranges connected by a low central plain of rice fields, was once considered remote enough to serve as a place of exile for banished intellectuals, disgraced nobles, and even a defeated emperor. Today, it’s just an hour’s jetfoil ride from mainland Niigata.
I first learned about Sado from an exhibition of early-20th-century photographs. And though I knew it would no longer be an island of thatched farmhouses, I was pleased to find that its mostly rural communities had resisted the bathroom tile–sided architectural conformity of postmodern Japan. Tradition is the rule here, not the exception.
<figure id="attachment_128526" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-128526" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-128526" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Sado_Island_Japan-2-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-128526" class="wp-caption-text">A nighttime Noh performance at the 12th-century Nikuu Shrine.</figcaption></figure>
Much of the coast is fortress-like, with rugged cliffs guarding the fertile interior. Winding roads along the 280 kilometers of shoreline connect one sleepy fishing village to the next. (Due to the vagaries of the public bus system, visitors will need a car or motorcycle to get around, either of which can be rented in Ryotsu, the main town and ferry port.) The beaches I stopped at were uncrowded and uncluttered, visited by just a few picnicking families. Occasionally, a tarai-bune “tub” boat — they look like wooden washtubs — bobbed past, its occupant eyeing the rocky shallows for shellfish.
Sandwiched between the mountains, Kuninaka Plain is a sight to behold in its own right; but this luminous patchwork of rice fields is also where the Japanese crested ibis, or toki, has been saved from local extinction by an ongoing breeding program. With plumage tinged a delicate orange-tinted pink, the birds are now regularly spotted on the plain.
On the island’s southern shores, I strolled around the canal-lined fishing village of Shukunegi, where the shingled roofs of weathered timber houses are held down by stones. I also detoured to the Iwakubi Shoryu rice terraces, which climb 350 meters up the slopes of the Kosado range. The scenery is beautiful and the rice harvested here is considered among the best in the country. Little wonder, then, that the island also produces some fine sakes; Hokusetsu, a 150-year-old brewery in Tokuwa, is the sole sake supplier to Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa’s global chain of Nobu restaurants.
<figure id="attachment_128528" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-128528" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-128528" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Sado_Island_Japan-4-665x441.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="441" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-128528" class="wp-caption-text">Snorkeling gear for rent at a shop on Futatsugame Beach.</figcaption></figure>
Clear waters on the northernmost coast wash up against Futatsugame, a pair of rocky outcrops connected to the shore by a gravel isthmus. A short walk away at the base of a craggy bluff is Sai-no-Kawara, a sacred grotto that takes its name from the “Riverbed of the Netherworld” in Japanese Buddhist mythology — the place where the souls of departed children await passage to the afterlife. A multitude of tiny stone statues of Jizo, a guardian deity, stand watch on the rocks around the cave.
One of the island’s main cultural draws is Noh, which arrived here in 1434 with the exiled master playwright Zeami Motokiyo, who had fallen out with the reigning shogun. Zeami’s plays are still popular today. On the night I visited the torch-lit compound of the Nikuu Shrine, Noh actor Tomoki Tsuchiya was performing the principal role in Izutsu (“The Well Head”) on a traditional open-air stage sheltered by a thickly thatched roof. To his left, a somber chorus of eight men clad in blue hakama sat with their legs folded beneath them, closed fans in their right hands, chanting in a monotone punctuated by wild wails, the trill of a fue (bamboo flute), and the sharp report of a kotsuzumi (shoulder drum).
Stock-still, Tsuchiya gave a princely performance, chanting in an ancient, aristocratic form of Japanese that few understand today. But the music filling the still night evoked ancestral memories for the small audience, reminding them, perhaps, of their deep community roots and abiding connection to nature.
<figure id="attachment_128527" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-128527" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-128527" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Sado_Island_Japan-3-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-128527" class="wp-caption-text">Oni mask maker Aritsune Watanabe showing off one of his creations.</figcaption></figure>
Another art form with deep roots in Sado is the carving of wooden oni masks. These depict fearful demons (often with fangs and horns) and are integral to Shinto rituals and festivities. A master of the craft is Aritsune Watanabe, whose farmhouse, set amid vegetable plots beside a bamboo forest, is inhabited by hundreds of his own creations. The 90-year-old told me that making these sacred masks is “easy,” though the dozens of mallets, chisels, and other tools in his workshop testify to a skill born of decades of practice. He will sit cross-legged on the floor for hours, cradling a block of kiri (paulownia) wood in his muscular hands — and sometimes with his bare feet — as the features of the face he is carving slowly emerge.
His utter tranquility speaks to how the people of Sado live in harmony with the rhythms of nature, their verdant exile protected by the Sea of Japan from the frenetic postmodern world of the mainland. Soon, the island’s timeless traditions will be carried on the shoulders of the younger generation, so that they can, in due time, pass them on to their own children.
&nbsp;
<h5>How to Plan a Sado Sojourn</h5>
GETTING THERE 
From Tokyo, take the <a href="https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joetsu Shinkansen</a> bullet train to Niigata — a two-hour trip — and then a jetfoil or car ferry to Sado Island’s Ryotsu Port.
WHERE TO STAY 
<a href="https://hotel-azuma.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sado Resort Hotel Azuma</a> 
Tucked away on the island’s rocky west coast, the Azuma offers ocean-view rooms, private open-air onsen baths, a sprawling lawn, and glorious sunsets (doubles from US$85).
<a href="http://sado-kiraku.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sado Green Kiraku Hotel</a> 
This 31-room Japanese-style inn sits above Lake Kamo, not far from the ferry landing at Ryotsu Port. Dinners of king crab and wagyu beef are included in the half-board rate (doubles from US$60).
<figure id="attachment_128524" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-128524" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-128524 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Sado_Island_Japan-5-665x517.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="517" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-128524" class="wp-caption-text">The Iwakubi Shoryu rice terraces.</figcaption></figure>
WHERE TO EAT 
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sadoudonaoi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">Sado Udon Aoi</a> 
The specialty at this converted farmhouse in the Chigusa area is seaweed udon noodles served with side dishes of sashimi, tempura, and stuffed crab.
Sushi Chozaburo 
An excellent option for sampling Sado-style sushi like Aomori uni (sea urchin) and Oma tuna (81-4 Niibo; 81-259/222-125).
&nbsp;
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">December 2022/February 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Notes from a Small Island”).

The Timeless Magic of Japan’s Sado Island

The second largest of Japan’s far-flung Ryukyu Islands is a place of ancient rain forests, empty white-sand beaches, and unassuming rural charm. So why have so few people heard about it?
Photographs by James Whitlow Delano
<figure id="attachment_123393" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123393" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123393" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_1-665x469.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="469" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123393" class="wp-caption-text">Fun in the sun on Sakibaru Beach, a stretch of powdery sand lapped by the waters of Kasari Bay.</figcaption></figure>
My first glimpse of Amami Oshima from the sky is mesmerizing. Clothed in seemingly endless fields of sugarcane, the rolling northeastern end of the island — a rocky curlicue of scalloped coves and golden beaches — is fringed by coral reefs that extend even around the seaside runways of Amami Airport, where my plane from Tokyo touches down three hours after taking off. To the southwest, the bulk of the island stretches away in broad-shouldered mountain ranges thick with subtropical forest. The October air is balmy and bright; the moist breeze carries the tang of salt and soil. It all makes a bewildering contrast to the megacity I call home.
Much of this impossibly green landscape is now part of Japan’s latest UNESCO World Heritage site, which encompasses three other islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago: neighboring Tokunoshima, the northern part of Okinawa, and distant Iriomote, the so-called “Galápagos of Japan.” Together, they harbor an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, including hundreds of types of birds, the country’s largest butterfly, habu vipers (for what is paradise without serpents?), and the endangered Amami rabbit, a short-eared, stout-legged animal regarded as a “living fossil” of an ancient species that once roamed mainland Asia but is now found only here.
Though I don’t manage to spot one of the rabbits until the end of my week on Amami Oshima — Amami, for short — it takes me no time at all to appreciate the special power that the island exerts on people. At the Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum of Art near the airport, I learn how the gallery’s namesake artist moved here from mainland Japan in the 1950s and never left. Entranced by his natural surroundings, Isson labored for years in obscurity to create large, lushly beautiful paintings of screw pines and rubber trees, bougainvillea and papaya, and the ubiquitous sago palm, whose starch — toxic if not processed correctly — has historically sustained islanders in hard times. Isson also had a keen eye for birds: ruddy kingfishers, Lidth’s jays, owls and orioles, and especially the Ryukyu robin. Only appreciated after his death in 1977, the island’s most famous adopted son has since been hailed as the Gauguin or Rousseau of Japan.
<figure id="attachment_123392" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123392" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123392" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_2-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123392" class="wp-caption-text">The seed cone of one of Amami Oshima’s ubiquitous sago palms.</figcaption></figure>
Roughly the size of Singapore, Amami Oshima is, after Okinawa, the second largest of the far-flung Ryukyus, a 1,100-kilometer-long string of islands stretching between the southern Japanese main island of Kyushu and Taiwan. Six centuries ago, the archipelago came under the rule of an independent Okinawa-based kingdom with tributary ties to China’s Ming court, from which it adopted elements of Confucianism and feng shui. But in 1609, the region was taken over by Kyushu’s Shimazu clan, who in Amami imposed taxes (paid in kokuto, or brown sugar) so onerous that they are said to have engendered the melancholy tones of shima-uta, the island’s traditional folk music. The Ryukyus were eventually annexed by Meiji Japan in 1879, after which Amami and its northern neighbors — collectively known as the Satsunan Islands — were incorporated into what is now Kagoshima, the southernmost prefecture of Kyushu; the rest of the archipelago became Okinawa Prefecture. More recently, of course, the latter was a major battleground during World War II. While Amami was occupied by the United States for less than a decade after the war, Okinawa remained under American control until 1972, and a controversial U.S. military presence persists there to this day.
So I’m not surprised to meet Amamians who are independently spirited and deeply protective of their island home. Unlike Okinawa, which welcomed more than 10 million visitors in 2019, Amami hasn’t been sullied by overdevelopment and overtourism; famously, a group of environmentalists derailed plans to build an 18-hole golf course here in the 1990s after filing a widely reported lawsuit that named the Amami rabbit as a plaintiff. “Barristers battle on bunnies’ behest,” read one international headline.
<figure id="attachment_123391" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123391" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123391" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_3-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123391" class="wp-caption-text">Sugarcane fields swath the northern end of the island.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_123390" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123390" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123390" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_4-665x499.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="499" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123390" class="wp-caption-text">Overlooking Uttabaru Beach.</figcaption></figure>
Indeed, the island’s unassuming rural charm is a big part of its appeal. Beyond the north-coast city of Amami (also known as Naze), where the majority of the 68,000 inhabitants live, the pace is as languorous as it gets in Japan. There are quiet country roads and countless coves and inlets to explore, many of them virtually empty. The sheltered coastline of Kasari Bay is particularly alluring, especially at Sakibaru Beach, a gorgeous stretch of pale sand backed by green hills and sugarcane fields.
The island’s standout boutique hotel also overlooks the turquoise waters of Kasari Bay. Built by Amami-born architect Yasuhiro Yamashita, The Beachfront Mijora comprises just 13 modernist, origami-inspired concrete villas topped with a contemporary take on the vernacular wooden roof. Glass walls frame unobstructed views of the bay, while outdoor terraces (some with cocoon-like hanging basket chairs) jut out above the crest of the beach.
Yamashita, whose Tokyo-based practice Atelier Tekuto is perhaps best known for its micro-architecture and post-disaster housing projects, has also spent the last several years helping to revitalize Amami communities by transforming vacant village homes — an acute problem throughout rural Japan — into holiday rentals under his Denpaku Inns banner. Scattered across the island, they feature classic Japanese elements like tatami floors and shoji screens (one even comes with an old thatch-roofed takakura, or granary) alongside modern creature comforts.
“Each small village has had its own culture and traditions for hundreds of years,” Yamashita explains. “I do my small part to support the preservation of this unique heritage.”
<figure id="attachment_123389" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123389" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123389" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_5-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123389" class="wp-caption-text">Villas at The Beachfront Mijora come with sweeping views of Kasari Bay.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_123387" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123387" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123387" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_6-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123387" class="wp-caption-text">The dyehouse at Kanai Kougei, one of the island’s last surviving dorozome (mud-dyeing) ateliers.</figcaption></figure>
One day, after devouring a bowl of keihan, the island’s beloved chicken rice soup, I head out to explore another Amami tradition. There are records of dorozome (mud-dyed) textiles from some “southern island” being offered to a temple in Japan’s ancient capital, Nara, 1,300 years ago. But Yukihito Kanai, who runs his family’s dyeing workshop, Kanai Kougei, in the village of Toguchi, believes the technique dates back much further than that.
The labor-intensive process begins with the repeated immersion of raw silk into a red dye made from the native sharimbai (Japanese hawthorn) tree, which can take weeks to prepare. The yarn is then carried to a mud pond out back. I watch as a worker in knee-high rubber boots steps into a shallow pit and stirs up the sediment. Once the water is viscous and gray, he dips and wrings out a wad of silk dozens of times, until the iron in the mud has fixed the dye and created the rich brown hues that dorozome is prized for. Later, the yarn is washed in a mountain stream and dried on bamboo poles before being woven into a delicately patterned kimono fabric known as Oshima tsumugi on island looms.
Kanai Kougei is among Amami’s last surviving dorozome ateliers, which, like many traditional industries in modern Japan, have been hard hit by shrinking demand. Yet Kanai is determined to preserve the company his father founded for at least another generation. Whereas dorozome was once associated exclusively with kimono material, he has branched out to work with Japanese fashion giants like Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake. Kanai also conducts workshops and sells shirts, tote bags, and other naturally dyed items in a gallery space next to the dyehouse.
“Even traditions have to evolve,” he says.
<figure id="attachment_123388" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123388" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123388" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_7-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123388" class="wp-caption-text">The gallery at Kanai Kougei.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_123386" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123386" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123386" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_8-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123386" class="wp-caption-text">A kayak guide at Kuroshio-no-mori Mangrove Park.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_123384" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123384" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123384" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_9-665x499.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="499" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123384" class="wp-caption-text">Kayakers on Amami’s mangrove-lined Yakugachi River.</figcaption></figure>
The second-largest mangrove forest in Japan sits at the head of a bay on the south side of the island, where the Sumiyo and Yakugachi rivers spill into the sea. Visitors can rent kayaks to explore the labyrinth of narrow channels that thread through tunnels of primeval mangrove trees. I spend an afternoon paddling through these aquatic corridors, scanning the muddy shores for fiddler crabs and breathing in the dank, loamy perfume of the estuarial waters.
If the shores of northeastern Amami evoke the Caribbean, the wilder coastlines of the south are often reminiscent of Big Sur, California. Instead of tranquil coral-studded bays, the surf crashes up against steep, forested ramparts.
Jean-Marc Takaki believed he had found paradise in the tiny beachside hamlet of Katoku when he visited for the first time in 2010. Hemmed in by lush mountains and protected from frequent storm surges by high dunes covered in pandanus and casuarina trees, the settlement of just 20 residents is a surfers’ nirvana. But upon moving to Amami from Paris in 2015, the half-Japanese, half-French former computer programmer learned of government plans to build what he dreaded most: a massive seawall that would envelop most of the beach and its river mouth.
Rare is the inhabited shoreline in typhoon-prone Japan that isn’t defiled by a weather-stained concrete wall or chaotically stacked tetrapods designed to guard against heavy waves. Takaki, who grew up in France but spent most of his summers in his mother’s native Kyushu, recalls seeing his favorite beaches there destroyed in this way. “I was shocked by the news,” he tells me. “Katoku is one of the very last beach hamlets with no seawall in all of Japan, and the only beach in the country where a leatherback turtle has been seen and photographed laying eggs. A seawall would destroy the beach and its delicate ecosystem. It was insanity to me.”
He and some likeminded residents and activists launched a campaign to stop the project, a struggle that is ongoing. For the time being, however, the beach remains a pocket of unsullied nature, the peace disturbed only by the sound of the waves and the chorus of birdsong from the surrounding forest. It’s like stepping into a Tanaka Isson painting.
Will Takaki and his fellow conservationists be able to keep the seawall at bay, now that Amami has World Heritage recognition? Time will tell. All I can say for certain is that I’ll be counting the days until I visit this happily overlooked island again.
<figure id="attachment_123385" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123385" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123385" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_10-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123385" class="wp-caption-text">Jean-Marc Takaki on the shores of Katoku.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_123394" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123394" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-123394" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Delano_Amami_Oshima_11-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123394" class="wp-caption-text">Coral fragments on a local beach.</figcaption></figure>
The Deets
<h5>Exploring Amami Oshima</h5>
Getting There
<a href="https://www.jal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="broken_link">Japan Airlines</a> and its subsidiaries offer regular flights to Amami Oshima from Tokyo and Osaka, as well as regional connections to Kagoshima and Naha on Okinawa. A rental car is a must for getting around, and can be picked up at Amami Airport and in central Amami City.
When to Go
March through April — before the rainy season and the typhoons of September — is a pleasant time to visit the island; the climate is also reliably cool and dry from October through December.
Where to Stay
The chic, minimalist villas at <a href="https://den-paku.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Beachfront Mijora</a> offer a front-row seat to the shimmering blues and greens of Kasari Bay (doubles from US$240). Architect-owner Yasuhiro Yamashita was also behind the design of <a href="http://mirucollection.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Miru Amami</a> (doubles from US$180), a clutch of seaside cottages whose shape was partly inspired by the local conch shell.
What to Do and See
Before hitting the hiking trails of Amamigunto National Park (home to the island’s highest mountain, 694-meter Mount Yuwan), get a primer on the native flora and birdlife at the <a href="https://amamipark.com/isson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum of Art</a>. Then explore Japan’s second-largest mangrove forest by kayak with <a href="https://www.mangrovepark.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kuroshio-no-mori Mangrove Park</a>. In Toguchi, visit traditional mud-dyeing workshop <a href="http://www.kanaikougei.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kanai Kougei</a>, which also sells a variety of naturally dyed clothes and accessories.
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This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">March/May 2022</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Absolute Amami”).

Discovering Amami Oshima, a Little-Known Gem

Amid the shrines and temples of Japan’s ancient capital, a trio of big-name properties have joined the ranks of the city’s top lodgings, each with its own distinct vibe and style.
<figure id="attachment_111981" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111981" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-111981" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Aman-Kyoto-1-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111981" class="wp-caption-text">The Living Pavilion restaurant at Aman Kyoto comes with a forest backdrop. (Photo: Aman)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>The Forest Retreat: <a href="https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aman Kyoto</a></h4>
My forest meditation takes place in a serene clearing fringed with cartoon-green foliage that I discover after climbing 43 (yes, I counted) moss-covered stone steps. It’s hard not to feel like an extra from a Japanese fairytale as I sit on a straw cushion, close my eyes, and listen to the sounds of the woods all around me: flowing water, rustling trees, chattering birds, an inhale, an exhale.
There are perhaps few more dreamily sylvan settings in which to sit and close your eyes than the Aman Kyoto, which opened its doors in the ancient capital last November. It’s the third Japanese property launched by Aman, a brand that is as well known for its cult global following (hello, Aman junkies) as for its minimal design and smooth mastery of modern luxury.
Nature is woven into the DNA of Aman Kyoto. The hotel is located in the northern fringes of the city (Kinkakuji, the famous Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is just around the corner), with a tempo that is slower and more peaceful than the often-bustling central tourist hubs. Cocooned in 32 hectares of forested mountainside, its grounds are centered on a private garden where wide paths lined with mossy stones wend past towering stands of maples, cherry trees, camellia, and Japanese cedar.
<figure id="attachment_111987" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111987" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-111987" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Aman-Kyoto-2-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111987" class="wp-caption-text">Matcha tea making at Aman Kyoto. (Photo: Aman)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111982" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111982" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-111982" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Aman-Kyoto-3-665x413.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="413" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111982" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: The entrance to Taka-an, the omakase restaurant at the Aman Kyoto; a tokonoma, or alcove, in one of the hotel’s guest pavilions. (Photos: Aman)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111983" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111983" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-111983" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Aman-Kyoto-4-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111983" class="wp-caption-text">Stone steps leading to a secluded garden on the Aman’s forested grounds. (Photo: Aman)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111985" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111985" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-111985" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Aman-Kyoto-5-665x413.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="413" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111985" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: A selection of seasonal obanzai (Kyoto-style home cooking) dishes at the Living Pavilion; a therapist preparing for a treatment at the Aman Spa. (Photos: Aman)</figcaption></figure>
Scattered unobtrusively amid this verdant landscape are six clean-lined pavilions with black latticed facades housing 24 guest rooms and two suites, all designed by the late Australian architect and longtime Aman collaborator Kerry Hill. A modern take on traditional Japanese ryokan inns, my guest room is as serene as the surroundings with touches of Kyoto craftsmanship: there are expanses of pale wood, tatami-mat floors, calligraphy scrolls, wabi sabi ceramics, and forest views. I even have my own hinoki-wood bathtub. It’s the size of a small swimming pool, and takes 30 minutes to fill.
Wellness is high on the agenda at Aman Kyoto, as reflected in its peaceful spa pavilion. Here, I soak in onsen (hot spring) waters and have my feet scrubbed with a cornucopia of ingredients—a drop of camellia oil, brown rice husks, sweet osmanthus, and a sprinkling of 24-carat Kyoto gold so pure it’s normally offered to temple gods—before succumbing to a muscle-melting massage.
Food is another highlight, from the subtle Japanese delicacies served at Taka-an to the fare at the signature Living Pavilion restaurant. The latter comes complete with a round central fireplace and a modern menu with touches of foraged forest. A crowd-pleasing favorite? The Aman Kyoto Fish and Chips—coral trout in shredded pastry alongside potato puree and pickled Kyoto turnip.
From electric bike rides to local temples to private teahouse meetings with geisha, the hotel offers a curated range of Kyoto experiences. However, for many, it will be enough to succumb to the fairytale ambiance of the secret garden setting, and to just stay put, simply inhaling and exhaling.
1 Okitayama Washimine-cho, Kita-ku; 81-75/496-1333; <a href="https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aman.com/kyoto</a>; doubles from US$1,040
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<figure id="attachment_111968" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111968" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111968 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Ace-Hotel-Kyoto-1-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111968" class="wp-caption-text">A suite at the brand-new Ace Hotel Kyoto. (Photo: Ace Hotel)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>The Hipster Haven: <a href="https://www.acehotel.com/kyoto/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ace Hotel Kyoto</a></h4>
Temples, tea ceremonies, and—tacos? In a place not known for its Mexican food, the Ace Hotel Kyoto marks something of a new chapter for the ancient city (tasty tacos included). Opened in June following months of coronavirus delays, this is the first Asian outpost of the American hipster hotel brand. Playful, modern, and larger than life, it’s a refreshing anomaly in a city more typically associated with centuries-old ryokan, discreet machiya townhouses, and minimal Zen retreats.
The Ace inhabits the impossible-to-miss Shin-Puh-Kan complex on Karasuma Street in downtown Kyoto. Its 213 guest rooms and three restaurants span a renovated 1926 brick building (formerly the Kyoto Central Telephone Office) plus a striking new annex by superstar architect Kengo Kuma.
Cleverly masterminded by Los Angeles–based studio and longtime Ace collaborators Commune Design, the interiors are a celebratory mesh of East meets West, as reflected in dozens of modern artisan touches from both Japan and the United States. The industrial-style lobby—home to a doughnut-shaped copper front desk, scaffold-like ceilings with sparkling lights, a wall of bright textile art, and an Ace boutique—is the hotel’s heartbeat. A large indigo sign of a coffee pot—handcrafted by cult ninetysomething artist Samiro Yunoki, whose vivid works also appear in the guest rooms—leads to an outpost of Portland coffee roaster Stumptown, which opens onto a small courtyard garden lined by a clutch of hip boutiques.
<figure id="attachment_111971" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111971" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111971 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Ace-Hotel-Kyoto-4-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111971" class="wp-caption-text">Ace Hotel Kyoto’s historic wing occupies a former telephone exchange. (Photo: Ace Hotel)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111969" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111969" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111969 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Ace-Hotel-Kyoto-2-665x495.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="495" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111969" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Grilled octopus with potatoes, lemon zest, and arugula at rooftop restaurant Mr. Maurice’s Italian; a window-side bathtub in the Ace’s historic wing. (Photos: Gorta Yuuki, Ace Hotel)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111970" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111970" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111970 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Ace-Hotel-Kyoto-3-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111970" class="wp-caption-text">Inside Piopiko, a bar and taco lounge conceived by Los Angeles chef Wes Avila. (Photo: Ace Hotel)</figcaption></figure>
The rooms and suites share a similar creative fusion, from tatami-lined bedside tables and the hint of retro in textiles by designer Akira Minagawa, to the Pendleton wool blankets, TEAC turntables, and vintage records. (Book one of the 27 rooms in the historic building if you can: they have a rare loft-like atmosphere, with high ceilings and wide arched windows).
On the food front, the Ace has chosen not to compete with Kyoto’s legendary culinary reputation and is instead home to two distinctly non-Japanese restaurants. At Mr. Maurice’s Italian, by Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, I tuck into pink beet plin with tarragon and swordfish meatballs on polenta for dinner; and return the next morning for a delicious avocado toast on the nearby roof terrace.
And those tacos? They’re the star at Piopiko, whose zinging menu is masterminded by Wes Avila of LA’s cult Guerrilla Tacos. They’re also a perfect fit for the restaurant’s party atmosphere, which comes complete with a copper DJ booth, woven lighting by Kyoto workshop Kanaami-Tsuji, and oversize ceramic urns by Kazunori Hamana. (A third and still-unnamed restaurant with a menu by Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy will open later this year in a dramatic teahouse-inspired space overlooking a garden.)
All in all, the Ace may be a far cry from the serenely understated sights more commonly associated with the city, but there are perhaps few better places to sample a creative taste of 21st-century Kyoto at its best.
245-2 Aneyakojidori Higashinotoin-nishiiru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75/229-9000; <a href="https://www.acehotel.com/kyoto/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acehotel.com/kyoto</a>; doubles from US$320
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<figure id="attachment_111977" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111977" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111977 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Park-Hyatt-Kyoto-4-665x831.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="831" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111977" class="wp-caption-text">A view of Yasaka Pagoda from the Park Hyatt’s Yasaka restaurant. (Photo: Kessara Dhana)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>The View to Beat: <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/japan/park-hyatt-kyoto/itmph" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="broken_link">Park Hyatt Kyoto</a></h4>
Whether taking a bite of mouth-melting Wagyu beef, enjoying a sunset cocktail, climbing into bed, or simply waiting for the elevator to arrive, there is one protagonist that persistently steals the show at the Park Hyatt Kyoto: the view. It is not, however, any old vista. Instead, picture a sea of tiled rooftops fringed by the distant silhouette of the mountains that encircle the ancient city, with—and this is the icing on the cake—the exquisite tiered form of Yasaka Pagoda taking center stage.
It’s easy to see why the hotel, which opened last October, was reportedly built to capture this memorable Kyoto view in the eastern hills of the Higashiyama district—a time-capsule enclave of winding lanes, machiya townhouses, teashops, and shrines.
Following in the iconic footsteps of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (of Lost in Translation fame) could not have been easy for the brand’s sophomore venture in Japan. Yet the Park Hyatt Kyoto succeeds in treading an elegantly poised line between its signature modern luxury and the rich artisan heritage for which its setting is famed.
<figure id="attachment_111976" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111976" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111976 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Park-Hyatt-Kyoto-3-665x444.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="444" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111976" class="wp-caption-text">The hotel’s Living Room lounge. (Photo: Kessara Dhana)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111975" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111975" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111975 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Park-Hyatt-Kyoto-2-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111975" class="wp-caption-text">The exterior of the Park Hyatt Kyoto. (Photo: Hyatt)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_111974" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111974" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111974 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Park-Hyatt-Kyoto-1-665x443.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111974" class="wp-caption-text">Another view of Yasaka Pagoda, this time from the Edo-era teahouse at Kyoyamato. (Photo: Hyatt)</figcaption></figure>
The 70-room hotel is staggered across a hillside with several interconnected buildings that fuse contemporary lines with minimal swaths of light tamo ash wood and elements of Kyoto craftsmanship. Guests can immediately escape the tourist crowds that fill Higashiyama’s lanes after entering a courtyard space with a contemplative arrangement of 31 rocks shipped over from Hyatt chairman Thomas Pritzker’s home in Aspen, Colorado.
The Living Room lobby lounge is warm and intimate: here, beneath low ceilings of intricate gold leaf, there is a central fireplace and avant-garde ikebana arrangements by contemporary floral artist Yuji Kobayashi. Networks of corridors and walkways fringed with trees and gardens (plus that view!) lead to the guest rooms: contemporary havens of modern design flecked with Kyoto touches. Be it a city-view room or one that faces a private garden, they all share a sleekly crafted modern aesthetic with light wood ceilings, herringbone wall textiles, contemporary artworks, and gorgeous artisan-made tea cups.
This being culinary capital Kyoto, guests are spoiled when it comes to food. There is casual Kyoto Bistro, which dishes out organic food on local ceramics; the  atmospheric Yasaka restaurant, where diners sit at two intimate teppanyaki counters that look out to the Yasaka Pagoda while chef Hisaoka Kampei grills up French-inspired treats; and Kyoyamato, a family-run ryotei that has been serving high-end traditional Japanese cuisine on this site since 1877. (Be sure to check out the exquisitely renovated teahouse, which dates back to the Edo era; it is said that samurai once gathered here for secret meetings.)
There is, however, perhaps one perfect way to finish the evening: sipping a jewel-green Shuhari cocktail (green tea, grapefruit, sake) in the Kohoku Bar, where you can once again raise a toast to that spellbinding pagoda view.
360 Kodaiji Masuya-cho, Higashiyama-ku; 81-75/531-1234; <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/japan/park-hyatt-kyoto/itmph" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="broken_link">parkhyatt-kyoto.com</a>; doubles from US$1,035
 
<figure id="attachment_111973" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111973" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111973 size-large" src="https://www.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Hotel-The-Mitsui-Kyoto-665x447.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="447" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-111973" class="wp-caption-text">Image: Yoshihiro Makino</figcaption></figure>
<h5>One more to watch for: <a href="https://www.hotelthemitsui.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto</a></h5>
Billing itself as the only luxury hotel in central Kyoto with its own hot spring, The Mitsui will open in November across from the manicured gardens and 17th-century buildings of Nijo Castle. It occupies a site that for generations was home to a branch of the Mitsui family, and that more recently hosted the Kyoto Kokusai Hotel, which closed its doors in 2014 after more than 50 years of service. The new kid on the block promises to easily outshine its predecessor; part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection (which also runs the riverside Suiran in Kyoto’s leafy Arashiyama district), The Mitsui contains 161 tea room–inspired rooms and suites designed by Hong Kong–based André Fu, who is responsible as well for the subdued elegance of the lobby. For the restaurants, which include a French-Japanese teppan experience and an all-day Italian dining room, the hotel turned to Super Potato alumnus Yohei Akao. His touch is also evident in the spa, a cavernous subterranean space with rock-hewn walls and a communal onsen bath. But for the ultimate thermal soak, guests may want to splash out on an Onsen Suite: 100-plus-square-meter guest rooms where you can unwind in your own outdoor bath while contemplating the exquisite harmony of a private courtyard garden (81-75/468-3155; <a href="https://www.hotelthemitsui.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hotelthemitsui.com</a>; doubles from US$914). –David Tse
This article originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">August/November 2020</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“The Keys to Kyoto”).

Three Notable New Hotels in Kyoto

An Idyllic Sojourn in Ishikawa Prefecture

Artisanal Japanese Treasures to Look Out For

Japan

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
While the term “iconic” may be overused when speaking about Tokyo’s landmarks, The Okura is without question an establishment that lives up to its icon status. Indeed, it occupies a special place in the city’s modern history. Originally launched as the Hotel Okura Tokyo ahead of the 1964 Olympic Games, the original property was a modernist masterpiece that captivated design aficionados the world over. So when the owners announced a complete rebuild in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics, there were fears the landmark’s inherent charm would be lost. Happily, the 2019 rebirth strikes a perfect balance between maintaining the artisanal elegance of its predecessor and bringing the storied hotel into the 21st century, embodying the old-meets-new ethos of Tokyo itself.
<h5>The neighborhood</h5>
The Okura is located in the skyscraper-filled Toranomon business district, a corner of central Tokyo frequented by the city’s elite and affluent. Notably, the American Embassy lies just down the road and the U.S. ambassador’s residence stands across the street from the hotel entrance. A 10-minute stroll to the south will bring you to the upscale neighborhood of Roppongi, home to countless fine-dining restaurants and world-class galleries. Three metro stations—Kamiyacho, Toranomon Hills, and Roppongi-itchome—are all within easy walking distance from the hotel, while another two can be found about 15 minutes away on foot.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-135118 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Prestige-Corner-King-Room.jpg" alt="A Prestige Corner (King) room at The Okura Tokyo." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Prestige-Corner-King-Room.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Prestige-Corner-King-Room-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Prestige-Corner-King-Room-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Prestige-Corner-King-Room-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
Don’t be fooled by the sleek glass-and-steel facades of the two towers that make up the property. Stepping into The Okura Tokyo feels like traveling back in time while experiencing Japan at its most modern. Yoshio Taniguchi, son of the architect who was among those responsible for the original hotel, oversaw the design of the new build to ensure it stayed as true to form as possible. Hence the careful reconstruction of the famed lobby with its matcha- and sand-hued checkered carpets, geometric latticework, and fine art details (the distinctive pendant lights and mid-century modern armchairs were thoughtfully retained). That painstaking precision and attention to detail is woven throughout the public and private spaces. Traditionalism lives strong here, but it’s a melding of eras that never feels unharmonious.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
Split between The Okura Prestige Tower—a 41-story mixed-use skyscraper—and its 17-floor counterpart The Okura Heritage Wing, rooms and suites unite timeless Japanese luxury with up-to-date features designed for the modern traveler. More Western-inspired spaces abound in the Prestige Tower, where rooms feature elements you’d expect from international luxury hotels, like neutral textiles, soft carpets, cushiony sofas, and warm, soothing lighting. As its name suggests, the Heritage Wing is more reminiscent of traditional Japanese aesthetics but with a contemporary twist: think plush oversize beds framed by shoji-inspired sliding partitions, and minimalist wooden furnishings. All the rooms have an uncluttered layout and floor-ceiling windows that wrap around the spaces, framing vistas of the surrounding cityscape.
<h5>Food and drink</h5>
Seven restaurants and bars take up residence across the two buildings. The Heritage Wing has the bases covered for rich French cuisine and high-end Japanese classics like sushi and tempura with Nouvelle Epoque on the fifth floor and Yamazato at ground level. The Prestige Tower is where you’ll find the rest of the hotel’s dining destinations. On the top floor, teppanyaki restaurant Sazanka serves up sizzling plates with a side of sweeping city views. Next door at the aptly named Starlight Bar and Lounge, you can sip cocktails while marveling at the glittering lights of Tokyo at night. On the sixth floor is Toh Ka Lin, which offers excellent Chinese cuisine. A delicious and satisfying buffet breakfast awaits at international all-day dining venue Orchid, and for some 1960s-style elegance, you can’t miss the hotel’s flagship Orchid Bar, which has been faithfully recreated using original fittings from the old Okura.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-135117 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Yamazato-Chirashi-Sushi.jpg" alt="A box of delicate chirashi sushi served at Yamazato, The Okura Tokyo’s high-end Japanese restaurant." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Yamazato-Chirashi-Sushi.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Yamazato-Chirashi-Sushi-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Yamazato-Chirashi-Sushi-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Okura-Tokyo-Yamazato-Chirashi-Sushi-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
The Prestige Tower has a large fitness center on the 26th floor, complete with a 25-meter lap pool bathed in natural light, a rectangular jacuzzi, and deck chairs for soaking up the incredible city views. Upstairs, the spa is staffed by bilingual professionals; in the seven treatment rooms, customized facials and therapies inspired by the five elements of nature utilize products by beauty brand Annayake. One of these full-body treatments combines Japanese and Western massage styles.
<h5>Family matters</h5>
Kids’ amenities including pajamas, slippers, toothbrushes, and towels are available; in-room babysitting can be arranged. Orchid offers a breakfast and special menu for junior guests, while all other restaurants except for Nouvelle Epoque allow children under 12, with kid-size tableware, cutlery, cups, and chairs provided on request. The Club Lounge welcomes under-13s until 5 p.m.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
Half of the development’s site area has been turned into two publicly accessible parks. Inside the hotel, single-use plastic items are being replaced with more eco-friendly options, while The Okura has also introduced rainwater harvesting and energy-saving equipment. Aside from reusing furnishings from the original building, the new design incorporates traditional crafts from Japan’s 47 prefectures.
<h5>What else?</h5>
Next to Yamazato, the hotel’s secretive and reservations-only tea room has been recreated to conjure up the elegant charms of its predecessor. Book a tea ceremony session in conjunction with lunch or dinner at Yamazato for the full Okura experience. Guests are eligible for free admission to the on-site Okura Museum of Art, home to a priceless trove of Japanese paintings, sculpture, and calligraphy.
Reviewed by Lucy Dayman
<a href="https://theokuratokyo.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">theokuratokyo.jp</a> 
+81 3 3582 0111 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/17Q9mUi7g1AWvpVG7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan</a>

The 1960s lobby of The Okura Tokyo’s storied predecessor has been recreated in the Prestige Tower.

The Okura Tokyo

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
Alila means “surprise” in Sanskrit and given the wow factor of the resort’s minimalist design and maximal location, the name is spot on. Located on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula and just a 30-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, this eco-chic retreat by Singapore-based WOHA Architects sits on the edge of Uluwatu’s dramatic limestone cliffs. Its contemporary flat roofs, geometrical pools, cloud-reflecting ponds and exquisitely framed lines-of-sight over the Indian Ocean give it an architectural edge like no other.
<h5>The area</h5>
The resort’s cliff-edge locale covers 14.4 hectares of gardens festooned with flora native to Uluwatu. Using permaculture principles, landscapers have made use of plants, creepers, and trees that can survive typically dry and rainy seasons, along with aesthetically pleasing ponds and flowing subak (traditional Balinese irrigation channels) for a water-wise natural approach. The Bukit Peninsula’s famed Uluwatu Temple is 15 minutes away as is Jalan Labuansait, a charismatic road punctuated by local warung eateries, fancy cafés and diners, and shops with an “island life” aesthetic.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134988 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-6.jpg" alt="Alila Villas Uluwatu is at its most magical at dusk." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-6.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-6-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
Alila’s villas, tucked into the natural landscape under lava rock rooftops, enjoy a rare sense of escapist privacy. They’re sustainably designed to “disappear into the hillside” so only the recycled timber poolside cabanas rise from the greenery. Countering this is the sleek modernity of the main resort, with its orthogonal water gardens, white stone corridors and picture-perfect pin-thin coconut trees. A stay here makes the most of both vibes.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
Of the 65 pool villas, it’s the enormous three-bedroom villas that have incredible oceanfront views. But most guests stay in one of the 56 one-bedroom hillside abodes measuring a generous 290 square metres. The look is mod-masculine luxe with dark-toned woodwork and furniture softened by white stone tiled walls and occasional Balinese accents such as batik fabrics. Guests seeking downtime could fill their days lounging in the cabana, dozing in pool recliners, soaking in the two-person bath and spread-eagling on the bed without feeling the need to ever leave the villa.
<h5>Food and drink </h5>
The Warung is as much a favorite of guests as it is a go-to for island residents craving authentic Indonesian and Balinese cuisine with a refined touch. The culinary journey begins with a sambal taster platter and continues with choices like sate lilit ikan (grilled minced fish wrapped around a lemongrass stalk), soto ayam (herbed chicken soup), and dadar gulung (coconut crepe filled with coconut and palm sugar). Cire, the Mediterranean and Pan-Asian restaurant, scores just as highly for its fresh produce and organic approach. Jutting over the cliff edge, Sunset Cabana Bar is the place for a day-end tipple with the sea breeze blowing and the sound of the waves crashing below. Open until midnight, cozy indoor bar Batique specializes in top-notch Scotch and cigars.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134989 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-7.jpg" alt="Balinese cuisine as served at The Warung; an aerial view of Alila Villas Uluwatu." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-7.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Alila-Villas-Uluwatu-7-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
Western-style massage, facials, scrubs, and manicures are outshone by Eastern modalities with a local touch. Balinese beauty rituals include a traditional lulur body scrub, said to remedy aching joints and skin problems, and a creambath to hydrate hair and indulge the scalp. Free daily hatha yoga classes are offered on the dramatically positioned cliff-edge yoga shala, while guests can also book private meditation and mat Pilates sessions.
<h5>Family matters</h5>
Kids are well catered to, from the Twinkle Toes spa pedi to activities such as a “movie under the stars” set up on the terrace of your villa. The latter is among a quintet of stimulating half-day experiences, with archery and gardening being two of the other choices.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
From its design stages, Alila Villas Uluwatu opted to be at the forefront of regenerative tourism in Bali. This plays out with a no-plastics policy, an on-site water purification plant and the Sustainability Lab where all waste streams—from ear buds and toothbrushes to left-behind shoes—are processed for reuse, recycling, or upcycling. It’s genuinely impressive.
<h5>What else? </h5>
The Bukit Peninsula’s legendary surf breaks are hands down the best in Bali, rolling onto the nearby beaches of Jimbaran, Balangan, Bingin, and Padang Padang. Explore them onshore with a professional surf coach or onboard a traditional jukung fishing boat.
Reviewed by Penny Watson
<a href="https://www.alilahotels.com/uluwatu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alilahotels.com</a> 
+62 361 848 2166 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/1uH5UbK3sFpcbtJ5A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Belimbing Sari Tambiyak, Pecatu, South Kuta, Bali, Indonesia</a>

An indoor-outdoor living space at Alila Villas Uluwatu's three-bedroom Hillside Villa.

Alila Villas Uluwatu

Bustling Berawa, in the happening hub of Canggu, is known for its international restaurants and world-class bars, of which Bella is a shining example of both. The colorful fit-out features mosaic floors, velvety bucket chairs, sparkly fittings, and art installations that manage to garner attention even in the low lighting. The open kitchen is another focal point. Executive chef Oğuz Karadoğan has drawn on his Turkish roots to create a menu that favors cuisine from the Mediterranean and Anatolian regions. Start with house-made sesame bagels and a smoky aubergine dip, then share a plate of chargrilled octopus with potato cream and harissa. For mains indulge in truffle steak tartare with cognac, mustard, and salted capers; and crab ravioli with Parmigiano cheese and caviar. Turntables and a DJ make Bella an all-evening kind of place. Indulge in dinner, sip on a coffee martini cocktail, and stay up all night dancing. —Penny Watson
<a href="https://bellacanggu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bellacanggu.com</a> 
+62 811 3988 2777 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/7kzj8YFzkHMmUHnb7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia</a>

An appetizer at Bella, a new Canggu restaurant.

Bella

Sprawling across 850 hectares of uplands on Mount Kawi in East Java, Kawisari Coffee Plantation was founded in 1870, making it the island’s oldest. The Bali branch of the eponymous Farm Shop and Eatery—just meters from Batu Bolong Beach and next door to the Tugu Hotel—pays homage to its long history. Downstairs, a coffee lounge and shop are replete with old tin coffee cannisters, antiquated furniture, and the bump and grind of a barista-manned coffee machine. Upstairs, the new café has the air of a bygone era, thanks to teak floors and wooden fittings and arched windows. Double doors open to a pretty umbrella-shaded deck where cane chairs with floral cushions set the scene. The brunch and lunch menus have something for everyone. Homely Indonesian dishes include bubur (congee), soto ayam (chicken soup) and nasi campur (a mix of rice and various Indonesian sides). Western favorites get a look-in too: smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, juicy wagyu cheeseburgers, wraps and salads. Check out the storyboards around the walls for a backgrounder on the 150-year-old plantation. —Penny Watson
<a href="https://kawisaricoffee.com/cafe-outlet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kawisaricoffee.com</a> 
+62 811 3883 553 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/9hnhAe3CpkhK2RBA7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia</a>

The upstairs café at Kawisari Coffee Farm Shop & Eatery Bali.

Kawisari Coffee Farm Shop & Eatery Bali

Quirky old warehouses, design stores, furniture showrooms, and creative studios are all on the itinerary of Bali’s newest tours hosted by Interior Design Retreats. Founders Henne Mercer and Anna Powers, both long-time Bali residents and interior designers by trade, saw the need for an insider experience that taps into the heart of Bali’s design and creativity in all its forms. Their full-day itineraries focus on different neighborhoods across the island (namely Sayan and Mas in Ubud, Canggu, Kerobokan, and Sanur), giving design-lovers and interiors-shoppers a shortcut to creative inspiration. According to Mercer, “visitors often sign up to more than one tour. Some people have done them all.” On the Krazy Kerobokan tour, for example, design hot spots include Budiman Ong’s Ong Cen Kuang lighting studio; Nyaman Gallery, which has art from across the Indonesian archipelago; and a business specializing in locally sourced petrified wood and the fast-cooling volcanic lava known as obsidian. —Penny Watson
<a href="https://www.interiordesignretreats.com/private-tours/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interiordesignretreats.com</a> 
+62 878 0321 2953

Scenes from the full-day tours led by Interior Design Retreats.

Interior Design Retreats

Bali’s regenerative rice-growing movement is small but evolving and offers visitors to the island a unique and inspiring peek into local life, culture, and traditions. One of the best ways to immerse, quite literally, is by getting your feet dirty in the rice paddies and permaculture garden at the Subak Uma Lambing farm in Sibang Kaja village. On the half-day experience, social enterprise Astungkara Way encourages participants to kick their shoes off and roll up their sleeves for a rice-growing 101 that might include (depending on the rice cycle) growing or planting seedlings, ploughing a field with the help of a cow, and harvesting ripened stalks. The affair starts with a blessing ceremony at the family temple and ends with a delicious communal meal cooked by the owner and served in the family compound. Converts can extend the outing by making it an overnight adventure by sleeping under mosquito nets in the farm’s thatched-roof bamboo pavilion. —Penny Watson
<a href="https://www.astungkaraway.com/farm-experiences-bali" target="_blank" rel="noopener">astungkaraway.com</a> 
+62 813 3784 5937 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/kyCc9eQWLytv6sNm8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Raya Sibang Kaja No.68, Sibang Kaja, Abiansemal, Bali, Indonesia</a>

An aerial view of the Subak Uma Lambing farm run by social enterprise Astungkara Way.

Astungkara Way—Farm Experiences

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
This reliable beachfront haven—which first opened in 1991 as one of the first international resorts in the swish Nusa Dua enclave—has emerged from a lengthy transformation that saw its rooms, suites, villas, and public facilities thoroughly updated in a bright and contemporary Balinese style with nautical touches. New look aside, the biggest drawcard is undoubtedly the seven lagoon pools set in manicured tropical gardens—a wonderland of waterfalls, soaring coconut palms, and mature frangipani trees.
<h5>The area</h5>
Looking out to the Indian Ocean, The Laguna sits on the edge of cream-hued Nusa Dua Beach. It’s walking distance from Museum Pasifika, whose collection spans Bali-focused works by both local and foreign artists, the creations of renowned Indonesian painters, and indigenous artifacts from the South Pacific. Less than 15 minutes on foot down the coastal promenade is cliff–girded Peninsula Island with expansive lawns where families can roam and admire the sunset views back toward the beach. A short drive will bring you to the 18-hole Bali National Golf Club, while the journey to the airport takes about half an hour via the overwater Bali Mandara Toll Road.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134883 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Kulkul-Beach-House.jpeg" alt="A seating area at Kulkul Beach House in The Laguna, Nusa Dua." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Kulkul-Beach-House.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Kulkul-Beach-House-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Kulkul-Beach-House-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Kulkul-Beach-House-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
Travelers are welcomed to The Laguna with the sound of a gong. A nostalgic charm suffuses the renovated open-walled lobby, which nods to the forests outside Ubud by way of dark wood lattice screens, high timber rafters, and a top-lit chandelier designed to mimic a cascade of ylang-ylang flowers. The resort’s decades-old centerpiece is a striking white stone relief depicting the Balinese water goddess Dewi Danu above the reception area. The main guest wings at the property have been laid out in a U-shaped arrangement around a lush courtyard garden and the freeform swimming pools.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
All rooms feature a balcony or terrace for savoring the sea breeze. Indoors, the revamped accommodations combine a sense of quiet sophistication with design details inspired by island traditions and stories. There are checkered saput poleng textiles, wood- and rattan-backed loungers, and embroidered fabric wall panels behind the beds; elements like vertical shiplap walls and custom-made lamps allude to seaborne explorations. Butler service is offered no matter which category you book. Most of the ground-floor rooms and suites come with direct pool access, and for extra privacy, The Laguna has 11 standalone pool villas set in their own walled gardens.
<h5>Food and drink</h5>
Guests will find a quintet of dining and drinking venues at their disposal. Styled as a modern boathouse, Arwana is a casual restaurant by the beach where you can watch chefs preparing meat and ocean-fresh seafood on Basque grills. Arwana’s succulent flame-cooked steaks and lamb chops are complemented by a diverse list of Old and New World wines. Also fronting the sand, Kulkul Beach House serves up signature cocktails and global bites in a chic yet laid-back poolside setting. Breakfast-and-dinner venue Banyubiru has a show kitchen and buffet counters inspired by the warung stalls that are a common sight in Indonesian towns and villages. Cornerstone Deli, meanwhile, is an all-day eatery for baked treats and homemade ice cream. Last but not least, the open-air De Balé Lounge &amp; Bar specializes in theatrically presented drinks made with spice-infused spirits—it’s a gorgeous place to unwind with sundowners while watching a Balinese dance performance.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134885 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Garden-Yoga.jpg" alt="Yoga sessions are held at The Laguna’s on-site temple garden." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Garden-Yoga.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Garden-Yoga-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Garden-Yoga-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Laguna-Nusa-Dua-Garden-Yoga-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
Beside a waterfall flowing into one of the larger pools, Lagoon Spa delivers age-old healing rituals like traditional Balinese massage and a boreh body scrub. Full-body treatments include coconut- and chocolate-themed options, as well as a “master therapy” that combines reflexology, acupressure, energy healing, and more. A pair of sea-facing treatment gazebos allow spa-goers to enjoy massages alfresco.
<h5>Family matters</h5>
There might not be a kids’ club at The Laguna, but younger guests can splash out in the children’s pool and partake in age-appropriate craft workshops. These run the gamut from making bracelets, paper masks, and traditional kites to natural batik printing and painting bottle-shaped money banks. Two hard courts cater to budding tennis players; a resident coach is on hand to help improve their game.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
Sea turtles typically nest on the Nusa Dua coast from May to August, and The Laguna protects the eggs until they hatch and the turtles are ready to be released into the wild—an activity guests are welcome to join. As part of broader efforts to eliminate single-use plastics, a high-tech bottling plant supplies the rooms and restaurants with drinking water. The resort also partners with the Scholars of Sustenance foundation, which provides free meals to thousands of underprivileged families and individuals around Bali.
<h5>What else?</h5>
Foodies should not miss the opportunity to join one of the chefs on a visit to Kedonganan Fish Market, followed by a hands-on Balinese cooking class and lunch prepared using your own hand-picked ingredients. Another recommended experience is the jamu ritual and Ramayana show at De Balé, followed by a blessing ceremony at the on-site temple garden.
Reviewed by Riga Ramadhan
<a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dpslc-the-laguna-a-luxury-collection-resort-and-spa-nusa-dua-bali/overview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">thelagunabali.com</a> 
+62 361 771 327 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/ipXCC2PxhjS7HTTn7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kawasan Pariwisata Nusa Dua Lot N2, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia</a>

One of the seven lagoon pools at The Laguna resort in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
Niccolo Hotels’ chic flagship property, The Murray stands out as a conversion of a 27-story modernist office block built in 1969 for Hong Kong’s then-colonial government. Its smartly remodeled interiors by Foster + Partners have a streamlined, ultra-luxe feel, with light-filled rooms that are both restful and generously sized. Another drawcard is the glass-walled rooftop bar and restaurant Popinjays, whose wraparound terrace overlooks a forest of skyscrapers (including Foster’s revolutionary HSBC Building), two nearby green spaces, and the jungled hillsides of Victoria Peak.
<h5>The neighborhood</h5>
The Murray occupies a sloping site on the edge of the Central financial district, opposite the lower Peak Tram terminus and right across a four-lane avenue from Hong Kong Park. On the other side of banyan-lined Garden Road stands St. John’s Cathedral—one of the city’s oldest British-era landmarks—while the American Consulate and the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens lie just uphill. The Central MTR station at Statue Square is an easy stroll away via a network of covered footbridges and escalators.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134834 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Lobby.jpg" alt="Inside the elegant lobby of The Murray, Hong Kong." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Lobby.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Lobby-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Lobby-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Lobby-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
Foster + Partners’ sleek design for the hotel is predominantly black and white with gold accents: this has been achieved with acres of marble, polished metals, and reflective surfaces. The new-look spaces inside and out accentuate the distinctive features of the original Murray Building, which was the brainchild of British architect Ron Phillips. Most notable are the large square windows, recessed and set at an angle to avoid the harsh midday sun, and the three-story arches ringing the former driveway, now repurposed as an events space. At ground level, the studio has injected a welcome dose of street life and greenery into what was once a soulless car park.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
Muted tones and plenty of natural light give The Murray’s residential-style rooms a calming atmosphere. Furnishings have an elegant midcentury-modern appeal: gray armchairs, glossy black desks with gold stainless steel trim, midnight-blue sofas, and tan rugs are balanced with abstract artwork and pops of vibrant color on the cushions and bed scarves. It’s possible to customize your sleep experience as the hotel offers no less than 16 choices on its pillow menu. The smart glass sliding door between the bedroom and bathroom turns opaque at the flick of a switch; freestanding oval tubs are guaranteed for all N2 Grand rooms and above. Suites, which measure between 75–225 square meters, add to the luxe quotient with black herringbone wood floors, glass-topped marble coffee tables, and walk-in closets illuminated by motion-activated bulbs and strip lighting. Booking a suite will give you complimentary access to the second-floor Cassia Lounge.
<h5>Food and drink</h5>
Popinjays is a must-visit at sundown, when you can watch the surrounding skyscrapers light up while sipping on an artisanal G&amp;T or one of the signature cocktails; the restaurant’s Italian-leaning menus deliver such delights as hand-cut beef tartare in tangy tonnato sauce and cavatelli with tiger prawn. Lobby-level bar Murray Lane dispenses creative concoctions that use ingredients like oolong tea and Sichuan peppercorn; the diverse whisky selection represents distilleries in Japan, Taiwan, India, and Australia. Directly upstairs, Garden Lounge plates up afternoon tea and semi-buffet seafood dinners; its neighbor The Tai Pan turns out comforting bistro fare, sometimes with an Asian touch. (Hence the creamy “mushroom cappuccino” soup featuring a translucent mushroom dumpling, and delicate coconut crab salad flecked in yuzu pearls, with a tin of Amur caviar.) The alfresco Cotton Tree Terrace recently installed a pizza oven—try the Peking duck–inspired pie with hoisin sauce and crème fraiche. Rounding out the culinary lineup is contemporary Chinese restaurant Mián, which occupies its own two-story pavilion.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134842 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Pool-Area.jpg" alt="A view of the indoor pool area at The Murray." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Pool-Area.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Pool-Area-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Pool-Area-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Murray-Hong-Kong-Pool-Area-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
Alongside a bright, inviting gym, The Murray contains four spa suites, two of which come with a private sauna or steam room. Facials use products by Dr. Barbara Sturm and organic Australian brand Grown Alchemist; other wellness experiences range from fitness classes and half-hour express massages to a “mindful calligraphy” session. There’s also an indoor lap pool on the ground floor, and beside it, a former security post has been transformed into a round, double-height space for the spa-like “chilled relaxation pool.”
<h5>Family matters</h5>
The hotel provides kid-size toothbrushes, slippers, and bathrobes. Summertime weekend brunches at The Tai Pan feature a children’s menu and a rotating roster of activities from August through October: think donut- and mocktail-making workshops and miniature electric car races around Cotton Tree Terrace. Parents wanting to give their kids an early start on mindfulness should book an all-ages meditation class at the spa. The Murray welcomes furry friends, too, with no size restrictions on dogs and a pet’s menu offered at The Tai Pan and Garden Lounge.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
The original building’s eco-friendly characteristics (such as the deep-set windows) have been thoughtfully retained. Restaurant and banquet menus are shark-free. Waste reduction initiatives include the daily collection of long-lasting excess foodstuffs for hunger relief charity FoodLink, and periodic shipments of worn towels and old newspapers to the SPCA. The parking area comes with electric vehicle charging stations. Working together with the Project WeCan foundation, The Murray holds workshops and career talks for disadvantaged students.
<h5>What else?</h5>
Guests can join a daily art and heritage tour that lasts 30 minutes, taking in various architectural features and contemporary pieces around the hotel; look out for Korean artist Bahk Seon-Ghi’s charcoal-and-nylon installations in the lobby and the stainless steel Awilda’s White Head by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, inspired by a nine-year-old refugee from the Dominican Republic. The Murray is especially proud of its Old and Valuable Tree, a majestic Cassia Javanica that has stood on this site for at least a century. Come between late April and the end of May and you’ll likely see the tree in bloom with white and pink blossoms.
Reviewed by James Louie
<a href="https://www.niccolohotels.com/en/the-murray-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">niccolohotels.com</a> 
+852 3141 8888 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/MuU88WBWuwWMx5DL8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22 Cotton Tree Dr., Central, Hong Kong</a>

The Murray, Hong Kong occupies a reimagined modernist 1960s office block.

The Murray, Hong Kong

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
Established in 1885, the property was the first by the illustrious Armenian Sarkies brothers—Martin, Tigran, Aviet, and Arshak—who built some of Asia’s finest heritage hotels, including Raffles Singapore and Yangon’s The Strand. With a blazing white facade on the George Town waterfront, Mughal-inspired cupolas, a domed lobby, sweeping views over the Strait of Malacca, and lawns studded with old java trees and bougainvillea, the E&amp;O, as it is commonly known, has long been a focal point for Penang’s glitterati. In 1927, it was even marketed as the ‘The Premier Hotel East of the Suez.’ Alongside well-heeled travelers and colonial administrators, the hotel played home to global celebrities like Charlie Chaplin. Today, the Eastern &amp; Oriental is an elegant all-suite affair that matches old-world style with modern comforts; its historic main structure emerged from a US$10 million renovation in late 2019.
<h5>The neighborhood</h5>
The hotel sits inside the buffer zone of George Town’s World Heritage district. It’s an easy five-minute stroll to reach key tourist sites including the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the terrace houses and art deco buildings of Muntri and Campbell Streets, the quaint Indian workers’ cottages sitting side-by-side with ornate Taoist clan temples in Little India; the decidedly unimposing Fort Cornwallis, built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century as a deterrent for pirates and other European powers in the region; and the Esplanade’s grand Victorian- and Edwardian-era government buildings.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134654 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Straits-Suite.jpg" alt="The living room of a Straits Suite at Eastern &amp; Oriental Hotel, Penang." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Straits-Suite.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Straits-Suite-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Straits-Suite-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Straits-Suite-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
Two wings make up the Eastern &amp; Oriental: the four-story Heritage Wing and the Victory Annex, which was first added in the 1920s before being redeveloped into a 15-story tower in 2013. The two connect via a shaded walkway lined with restaurants, bars, event spaces on one side and luxuriant seafront lawns on the other. Interiors maintain a colonial vibe with lofty ceilings, polished wooden floors, and foliage-print furniture, but the Heritage Wing has the upper edge, thanks to its sweeping driveway, old cannons rescued from Fort Cornwallis, faultless service, and a stunning pool nudging the waterfront.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
Expect four poster beds, marble bathrooms, and all manner of Asian-themed artworks and furniture: there are cherry blossom prints, hand-painted Chinese cabinets, carved wooden chairs, gold-flecked room dividers, antique pottery, and original botanical sketches from Malaysia. Book a sea-facing suite to watch the ships glide past from your private balcony. Guest rooms in the Heritage Wing also include access to The Cornwallis—a clubby private lounge for breakfast and cocktail hour—and use of the hotel’s legendary oceanfront pool, shaded by a towering java tree planted in 1885.
<h5>Food and drink</h5>
The restaurants and bars in the Heritage Wing were completely rebuilt during the recent renovation. Among these venues, the most notable is Farquhar’s Bar with its forest green Chesterfield lounges, long wooden bar, Cuban cigars, and simple but well-thought-out list of classic cocktails, like the Negroni with vermouth aged in oak barrels, and the Gimlet, which was the tipple of choice for British navy officers during the early days of the Eastern &amp; Oriental. Next door, Java Tree offers classical British-style dishes that are well cooked but would benefit from higher quality ingredients. The grain-fed meat in the beef Wellington lacks the flavor of grass-fed bovines; hydroponic tomatoes used for salads are bland and waterlogged. A better bet is to drop by Palm Court, the glamorous brasserie with tile floors, plantation windows, and rattan furniture for cucumber sandwiches and other high tea treats served with prosecco and a dash of pomp.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134659 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Spa-Couples-Room-and-English-Afternoon-Tea-at-Palm-Court.jpg" alt="A couples’ treatment room at the E&amp;O’s spa; English afternoon tea at Palm Court." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Spa-Couples-Room-and-English-Afternoon-Tea-at-Palm-Court.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Spa-Couples-Room-and-English-Afternoon-Tea-at-Palm-Court-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Spa-Couples-Room-and-English-Afternoon-Tea-at-Palm-Court-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Eastern-Oriental-Hotel-Spa-Couples-Room-and-English-Afternoon-Tea-at-Palm-Court-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
The Victory Annex contains a small spa with five treatment rooms; therapists use botanical-based products from the Panpuri brand by Thai socialite Vorravit Siripark. The spa menu is not long, but offers a range of massages, facials, and other indulgences using traditional Thai, Ayurvedic, and Balinese techniques. (Japanese shiatsu also makes an appearance.) Staff at the Eastern &amp; Oriental say that all towels, sheets, and bathrobes at the spa are made from organic cottons.
<h5>Family matters</h5>
When the Heritage Wing reopened at the close of 2019, it was adults only. These days the baby ban has been lifted and kids of all ages are welcome to hang out by the pool and in the lounge. Across the hotel, there is no kids’ club or children-specific activities on offer.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
The Eastern &amp; Oriental is in the process of phasing out single-use plastics in line with targets set out by the Malaysian government. For now, some guest rooms offer refillable glass bottles, although plastic bottles are also still in use. Aside from standard waste reduction practices like recycling and an ongoing push to go paperless, the property collects fats and cooking oils from its kitchens to be made into biofuels.
<h5>What else?</h5>
For a dash of literary inspiration, book one of the four Writers Suites in the Heritage Wing, a nod to the plethora of big-name writers who have stayed here over the years, including Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, and Hermann Hesse. The latter passed through while researching his 1922 novel Siddhartha. The E&amp;O Gallery, a museum-like space in the Victory Annex, displays mementos and personal artifacts contributed by hotel guests and staff members alike.
Reviewed by Leisa Tyler
<a href="https://www.eohotels.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eohotels.com</a> 
+60 4 222 2000 
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/PXfuVAXJFNGR1LYr5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10, Lebuh Farquhar, Penang, Malaysia</a>

A view of the sea-facing pool at the Heritage Wing of Penang’s Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel

<h5>Why stay?</h5>
“Rasa Sayang” is a Malay-language folk song and its meaning, “loving feeling,” captures the essence of this lush seaside sanctuary. Opened back in 1973, it was the very first resort by the Shangri-La Group; past guests have included Malaysian and Saudi royalty, as well as Princess Margaret. From the retro seventies furniture in certain rooms to the mature tree canopies, there’s an undeniable charm that instantly makes people feel at home. The five-star retreat has cultivated a loyal following of travelers who return decade after decade, this writer’s family included.
<h5>The area</h5>
A 30-minute drive northwest from the center of George Town, Rasa Sayang is a world of its own in the suburb of Batu Ferringhi, which serves as the gateway to Penang National Park (with its hiking trails and secret beaches) and nearby durian plantations. “Batu” means rock in Malay, while “ferringhi” was a term used to describe the Portuguese; its two-kilometer stretch of fine golden sand was once a stopover for European explorers and merchants who sailed through the Strait of Malacca in search of spices. Locals would climb the big rock by the curve of the shore and swing kerosene lamps so sailors could see where they were going.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134633 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-6.jpg" alt="On the verdant grounds of Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-6.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-6-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>The feel</h5>
With over 12 hectares of 200-year-old rain trees, hibiscus, bougainvillea, and birds of paradise, the grounds are a habitat for monitor lizards and the black-and-white dusky leaf monkey. Look out for betel nut palms—the tree on the flag of Penang. Wandering through these tropical gardens, you’ll be soothed by an ever-present soundtrack of ocean waves and chirping birds. The resort is divided into the Garden Wing and the more exclusive Rasa Wing with its fan palm–shaded adults-only pool. Artwork depicting local folklore and culture have been thoughtfully woven throughout the resort: a carving of the Tree of Life done in wayang kulit (shadow puppet) style is the centerpiece of the Garden Wing lobby, while gorgeous Peranakan hairpins adorn the Rasa Wing walls. At the Rasa Wing’s reception area, a large hand-carved wooden sculpture of a coral reef alludes to the area’s natural beauty.
<h5>Guest quarters</h5>
The 189 rooms in the Garden Wing were overhauled in 2015 with neutral tones: think timber-trimmed cream walls and blond-wood floors. Sofas in each room convert into an extra bed; guests can order from a pillow menu to ensure a good night’s sleep. Over in the Rasa Wing, which was last revamped in the mid-2000s, sea-facing Deluxe and Junior suites have spacious balconies with a day bed and soaking tub. Little touches such as gecko-shaped door handles allude to the critters that roam the gardens. Room 2450 is the enormous one-bedroom Penang Suite, where views of coconut trees and the sand beckon from a wraparound balcony, and original wood-and-rattan furniture from the ’70s give the living area a homely feel.
<h5>Food and drink</h5>
An on-site spice and herb garden provides ingredients for Rasa Sayang’s three restaurants. The fine-dining Feringgi Grill has been around since day one, and longstanding chef Yeoh Chee Teong—who has helmed the kitchen for the past three decades—pioneered signature dishes such as the pepper steak flambé and the tomato soup cooked tableside and set ablaze with Beefeater Gin. Cocktails and fine single-cask whiskies are on the drinks list at the adjoining Feringgi Bar. The all-day Spice Market Café serves local specialties including Penang assam laksa and prawn noodle soup, alongside Western, Japanese, and Indian fare. It’s especially popular for its seafood buffets from Fridays to Sundays. Right next door, FIP (the acronym stands for Fun, Interactive, and Play) is a family-friendly lounge with live music performances twice a week. Casual beachside venue Pinang Restaurant and Bar offers the perfect spot for an apéritif as you watch the sun sink over the sea and the jungled hills to the west. Patrons here dine alfresco or in a series of thatched pavilions; the diverse menu spans burgers, pastas, and chicken kapitan curry.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-134634 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-7.jpg" alt="A cream of mushroom soup served at Rasa Sayang; inside a garden villa at Chi, The Spa." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-7.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Shangri-La-Rasa-Sayang-Penang-7-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<h5>Wellness factor</h5>
While the 24-hour gym features a yoga studio and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame ocean vistas, the real highlight is Chi, The Spa. Guests enter through a curved wooden passageway by the beach, and half of the 22 spa villas come with their own frangipani-fringed garden. The hourlong signature Propolis facial alternates between hot and cold sensations; locally inspired treatments harness the healing properties of indigenous herbs and rhizomes like ginger, lemongrass, and pandan.
<h5>Family matters</h5>
Spice Market Café and Pinang Restaurant and Bar both offer a kids’ menu. Accommodation options at the Garden Wing include three kinds of family rooms and two categories of connecting rooms. Downstairs, children can try their hand at water volleyball and make use of the ping-pong tables by the Garden Wing pool. FIP has board games and a big-screen TV that plays cartoons. There’s also an indoor Adventure Zone (complete with rainbow-hued drop slides) shared with next-door sister property Shangri-La Golden Sands. Keep an eye out for Mr. T, the resort’s roving turtle mascot, and his girlfriend, Sandy.
<h5>Sustainability cred</h5>
Batu Ferringhi Beach was a sea turtle nesting site until the ’80s when poachers sold the eggs at markets. Rasa Sayang stepped in and helped with the relocation of the endangered reptiles to the national park’s Pantai Keracut (aka Turtle Beach), where the resort runs a hatchery and education center. Transportation and guided tours are best arranged through the concierge. On-site environmental practices leave no stone unturned, whether it’s wooden room keys, drinking water in glass bottles, or sensors that shut off the air-conditioning when balcony doors open. Only organic fertilizers are used for the gardens; an inspector regularly checks on the rain trees and applies eco-friendly treatments.
<h5>What else?</h5>
Rasa Wing guests enjoy complimentary high tea, scones, and sandwiches at the Rasa Lounge from 3–4 pm and cocktails and tidbits such as lobak (five-spice meat rolls) and karipap (curry puffs) from 5:30–7 p.m every evening. Also on the grounds is a nine-hole pitch-and-putt golf course ensconced in verdant greenery. For those wanting to explore the historic sights of the city, a twice-daily shuttle bus runs to sister hotel JEN Penang Georgetown.
Reviewed by Dana Ter
<a href="https://www.shangri-la.com/en/penang/rasasayangresort/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shangri-la.com</a> 
+60 4 888 8888 
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/u7gBwvjajJnbFrNbA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia</a>

The bedroom of a Garden Wing Terrace suite at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang.