With winter raging in the Northern hemisphere and the tropics as balmy as ever, choosing the temperature of your holiday is as easy as turning a dial. There’s no better time of year to pick and choose the temperature you want when you holiday in Asia – and all within a few hours’ flight time. Fancy something cold and fresh? Can do. Something more tropical and steamy? Also possible.
-20 degrees: HARBIN, CHINA
If you like it cold – very cold – Harbin is the place for you. Built by the Russians at the endof the 19th century when the railway was being laid from Moscow to Beijing, Harbin is an architecturally fascinating place: with a history of Jewish and European settlement,it looks more like Melbourne than Manchuria. Add to that the blanket of snow coveringthe town at this time of year, as well as the world famous Ice Sculpture festival featuring ice sculptors from all over the world, and you have a recipe for an intriguingly different vacation.
Where to stay:
To get a feel for Harbin’s history, the Modern Hotel – built in 1906 by a Russian Jew – isthe only place to consider. In the middle of the charming Old Quarter, the Modern is a quirky yet perfectly comfortable choice, with Harbin’s most popular 101-year-old icecream parlour attached. Tel: +86 451 8461 5846
Where to eat:
Russian restaurants abound, serving borscht, Russian sausage and Leba rye bread. Butfor a unique experience, head to Russian Park, where you can enjoy a steaming Chinesehotpot in a restaurant built entirely out of ice.
2 degrees: SAPPORO, JAPAN
Cold enough for the Winter Olympics, yet offering a warm welcome at the many innsand izakayas dotting the city streets, Sapporo is charming come winter. With its famousSnow Festival, deliciously hearty regional Japanese cuisine and famous brewery – a beer so good they named a town after it – winter is the right time to sample the delights ofJapan’s most famous northern city.
Where to stay:
The Ginrinso is one of Japan’s finest examples of traditional ryokan inns. Situated abovethe city in the mountains, with spectacular views and outdoor hot springs, the Ginrinso doesn’t come cheap, but is worth every penny to experience the art of the ryokan done properly. japaneseguesthouses.com/db/sapporo/ginrinso
Where to eat:
The Sapporo Brewery – a must visit – features a superb restaurant, offering a deliciousrange of food, Japanese and German, that complements their delicious brew. It is a fascinating insight into the history of Japanese brewing and the German pioneers whobrought brewing to this area.
8 degrees: HANGZHOU, CHINA
With its picture-perfect location on the West Lake and impossibly beautiful avenues linedby weeping willows, Hangzhou in winter – all mist and silver skies – is beautifully moody destination.
Where to stay:
The West Lake (Xihu) State Guest Hotel, a former mansion on the shores of the lake, is asbeautiful as hotels come. A 100-year-old construction oozing history and character – butsacrificing nothing in luxury and amenities – the Xihu will have you composing poetry andwriting calligraphy praising its beauty in no time. Tel: +86 571 8797 9889
Where to eat:
Hangzhou cuisine relies on vinegary spices and meats to create hearty meals – perfect forthis time of year. The Louwailou Restaurant is one of the best of many in the city, servingclassic Hangzhou cuisine on a beautiful bridge over the lake: fresh West Lake fish in vinegarsauce, Aunt Song’s Fish Broth and Dragon Well Tea & Shrimps are just a few of the manydelights on offer.
16 degrees: MACAU, CHINA
These days, it’s better known as Vegas on the Pearl River Delta, but 500 years of colonial history isn’t so easily erased: there’s still much of old Portugal to discover in Macau. Wander the winding cobbled streets, marvel at the gorgeous old houses, stop off at the many cafes and restaurants fora vinho verde and a bacalhau, wonder at the cute Portuguese letterboxes and street signs. If the Brits across the river were in Hong Kong for reasons of commerce, the Portuguese must have hada different motive altogether: this place was designed for relaxation.
Where to stay:
Converted from an old Portuguese fort, with six-foot-thick walls and overlooking the innerharbour, the Pousada de Santiago is the best place to stay to get a feel for Macau’s history.Beautiful old antique furniture in the rooms, ornate decoration and a lovely outdoor terracemake this a little piece of Lisbon in the South China Sea. saotiago.com.mo
Where to eat:
On pretty Hac Sa beach, Senor Fernando has been serving up the best Portuguese food –some would say the best food full stop – in the region. In this elegant yet laid-back beachsideeatery, you can feast on roast suckling pig and salted cod rice, washed down with generousamounts of wine from the 100% Portuguese selection.
20 degrees: HANOI, VIETNAM
Winter is the best time to enjoy the Vietnamese centre of style, when the population bringsout its best Parisian boho-chic outfits. Stylish restaurants, beautiful bars, magnificentmonuments and the hauntingly serene West Lake are just some of many attractions. Hirea moped, brave the traffic, and spend the days scooting through the leafy boulevards,discovering the many gems hidden in this most satisfying of cities.
Where to stay:
For a sense of place in Hanoi, nothing beats the Sofitel Metropole. A colonial Frenchstructure as old as Hanoi itself, the Metropole exudes Gallic style while enveloping you in trueluxury. accorhotels-asia.com
Where to eat:
It’s not Vietnamese, and it has nothing to do with French history, but La Salsa tapas bar, inthe shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral, is a superb place to spend an evening with a glass.
24 degrees: LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
Winters are mesmerising in LP: golden light, perfumed air and a temperature a few degreescooler than the customary sweltering heat. In this soporific town, days are filled by cyclingaround the temples with frequent stops in shady cafes for iced lemon teas, before retiring to a spafor a two-hour massage in the afternoon, finishing in time for a Beer Lao by the river at sunset.
Where to stay:
Maison Souvannaphoum is a converted Prince’s palace, renovated stylishly by the BanyanTree. Spend your time under the fans in the café with a fresh coffee, or lounge by the pooland watch the palm trees sway, framed by the bright blue winter sky. coloursofangsana.com
Where to eat:
Café Ban Wat Sene, run by a happily exiled Frenchman, epitomises the Laotian mix ofFrench class with laid-back Indochinese charm. A welcome oasis of shade during the day, astylish bolthole at night.
28 degrees: PAI, THAILAND
Make the most of the all-too-brief Thai winter by heading up north. Pai – a small bohemiantown an hour or two west of Chiang Mai – manages to retain its backpacker (sorry,independent traveller) roots, while adding more and more upmarket accommodation optionsevery month. Situated in highland territory, nights can get chilly, but the local Thai whiskywill warm the cockles of your heart, and many other places besides.
Where to stay:
Rim Pai Cottage captures the essence of the new Pai: stylish but not slick, comfortable butnot corporate. Beautiful wooden houses (including one tree house) with lovely polishedfloors and stylish bathrooms: after a stay here, you’ll be looking for nearby land and askingfor the architects’ drawings. rimpaicottage.com
Where to eat:
Pai Burger Stall begs the question: is the world’s best burger in New York? Chicago? Philadelphia? No, it’s here at this tiny shack on Pai’s main walking street, across theroad from the temple. Pull up one of the six stools, order a Chang beer, and make yourselfcomfortable while the owner – herself an escapee from Bangkok’s chaos – rustles up the best burger and chunky chips you’ll ever have.
32 degrees: KOH YAO, THAILAND
All of Thailand is beautiful in the winter months: the rainy season has ended, the air is fresh, the land is green and the sky is blue. The South is no exception, and for an example oftropical bliss, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than Koh Yao. Only an hour east of Phuket by boat, yet a million miles away from the bars and shopping, Koh Yao is where yougo when you’ve already been away from it all, but still want to go further.
Where to stay:
Koh Yao Resort is Robinson Crusoe meets Giorgio Armani: undeniably basic and open-to the-elements bungalows (think roof but no walls), yet with an understated sense of style thatcan be hard to find in this part of the world.
Where to eat:
You can eat in the resort while gazing out to sea – something of which you might possibly never tire – or you can hire a motorcycle and go scouting for one of the many small Thaifamily restaurants serving delicious fresh seafood, expertly cooked.
36 degrees: PERTH, AUSTRALIA
If heat is your thing, fly south for winter: the most isolated capital city in the world is at itshottest this time of year. Burning sun and noonday temperatures of 40 degrees – sometimes more – are common; but watching the sun sink below the Indian Ocean as you are fanned bythe cooling sea breeze, makes it hard to imagine being anywhere else.
Where to stay:
The Cottesloe Beach Hotel is situated in Perth’s most glamorous beachside district, withbars and cafes in every direction and the astonishingly clear waters of Cottesloe Beach justacross the road. cottesloebeachhotel.com.au
Where to eat:
Fremantle’s boutique brewery hotel, the Sail & Anchor, offers a modern take on classicAussie pub grub: Asian-influenced gastronomic delights which taste all the better when accompanied by one of the mouth-watering selection of boutique brews.
This article first appeared in Lifestyle + Travel magazine.
Showing posts with label asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asia. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Beer'd trimmer.
Last year was a tough year. And, before getting into the serious business of starting 2008, you’d be forgiven if you were thinking of taking a short breather. A breather with a nice, cold, refreshing beverage, naturally. The best places in the region to enjoy the amber nectar:
Samui: The Cliff
No matter where you’re reading this, whether it be within a two-hour radius of Samui in Singapore or Bangkok, or further afield in Europe or America, your mission is the same. Drop what you’re doing, book a ticket to Samui, and upon arrival make your way straight to The Cliff. Even if you fly from Anchorage, coming to Samui for the sole purpose of enjoying a cold Heineken at The Cliff would be a thoroughly sensible expedition. As the sun rolls slowly overhead, turning the sky from a bright blue to a gorgeous deep red, an evening spent here in the company of several green bottles will be one of the highlights of any trip to Thailand. Situated on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean with a feeling of glamour that would not be out of place in Amalfi, The Cliff gets six stars on the atmosphere scale.
Dubai: The Left Bank
A French-named bar in an Arabian-themed development in Dubai might not be the first place you would expect to make it on this list. But fear not. Particularly at this time of the year, when the weather is utterly gorgeous, The Left Bank is a shoo-in to any list of watering holes. With the bright Arabian sun reflecting off the water and onto the fresh golden frothy pints being carried directly to your table by the charming Filipina waitress, trust us: your wellbeing level will be off the charts. Stylish, atmospheric and with an international clientele that gives the place energy and intrigue, the Left Bank should be top of the To Do List of any Dubai visitor.
Bangkok: The Old Pra Athit Pier
Visitors to Bangkok who find they’re unable to pull themselves away from the gravitational pull of Siam and Sukhumvit are missing out on the whole raison d’etre of the city: the river. When you’re on the River of Kings, whether it be on a maritime vessel or simply a well-positioned eatery on the banks, you get a feel for Bangkok’s birthplace, and it suddenly begins to make more sense. The Old Pra Athit Pier is a relatively new addition to the long list of waterside establishments but exudes all of the long-lasting charm of a Raffles or Eastern & Oriental. Sit at the long bar under slowly whirling fans and order a draught Chang from the barman, enjoy the breeze from the river, and you’ll find it impossible to remove yourself from the barstool before closing time.
Hong Kong: South Bay
Nobody needs any introduction to the glitzy bars of Lan Kwai Fong or Soho. Hollywood Road and the area around the escalator are packed with quirky and fashionable places to imbibe. But for Hong Kong’s most relaxing place to lift a cold bottle to your lips, gravitate away from the urban surrounds to the beaches on the south side of the island. In secluded South Bay, two beaches around from Repulse Bay, you’ll find a café. Nothing fancy, nothing spectacular, just a place on the roof of the building where the lifeguards store their equipment. Grab a San Miguel from the fridge, pop it open and enjoy one of the best views Hong Kong has to offer: the green mountains behind, the beach and the islands in front. Stay until the sun sinks behind Lamma Island and you’ll have enjoyed one of Hong Kong’s best-kept secrets.
Singapore: Toa Payoh Hawker Centre
Singapore these days is usually mentioned in the same breath as slick, cool, modern, stylish. To hell with all that. Well, before Dempsey Road and Clarke Quay, Singaporeans in the know were already drinking in cool surrounds of a different kind. Toa Payoh Hawker Centre, designed as part of Singapore’s first new town in ambitiously modernist 1960s style, is a superb place to chug back a few Tigers surrounded by clean brutalist architecture and unremitting straight lines. And the food from the neighbouring hawker stalls – spicy chilli stingray, hokkien fried noodles, perfectly grilled satay – provide a perfect accompaniment to the ice-cold amber liquid.
Hanoi: Tapas
A few glasses of Stella into your drinking session at Tapas, you’ll most certainly be in ‘where the hell am I’ territory. The authentically worn Spanish feel, the view of the Notre Dame cathedral out of the window, the elegant scooters parked neatly on the sidewalk under the spreading flame trees… if, in your beery haze, you get the impression you’ve been magically transported back to Europe, you’ll be forgiven. In a city with many excellent places for a beer, including the countless Bia Hoi stalls, Tapas is one of the very best.
Shanghai: Cottons
Shanghai presents a challenge for the professional archivist of drinking places. Would it be M at the Bund, with its glorious views of the Huangpu River and the countless Chinese flags fluttering in the evening breeze? Would it be Faye Wong’s stunning rooftop bar in Suzhou Creek (appropriately situated on a 1930s-built Czech Brewery)? Perhaps, perhaps. But for this particular list, Cottons is Shanghai’s representative. In the cosy neighbourhood vibe of Anjing Lu, Cottons is far and away the place for a comfortable few beers among a relaxed crowd and staff who always have time to crack an amusing back-translated witticism. Knock back a few Tsingtaos – either in the gorgeous garden in the warmer months, or inside by the roaring fireplace inside the beautiful old European villa. Every time this particular writer is in Shanghai, he finds himself drawn to Cottons for at least a couple of happy hour beers almost every evening, even if there are different plans for the rest of the night.
Luang Prabang: Café Ban Wat Sene
The stylish French owners of this place could franchise the idea in a hundred cities and be multi-millionaires overnight. But the fact that they haven’t, makes Café Ban Wat Sene all the more special. A sort of unpolished, unfinished, unrefined feel, which gives you the impression that it’s been here since at least the colonial period. A shadowy, cool interior and a few tables scattered around the pavement overlooking the street. And a mixed clientele of long-term residents, well heeled and bohemian travellers only adds to the charm. There’s a selection of beers here: but only one possible choice. When in Laos, it has to be Beer Lao.
Siem Reap: FCC
In Siem Reap, where else could it have been? A crowd drawn from all four corners of the earth. The FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) is a stunning architectural environment. A view of the nightly Cambodian promenade as they make their way along the riverbanks, lit by ornate French-era streetlamps. And accompanying food that goes perfectly with the frosty one-dollar happy hour Tigers. Angkor is one of the world’s great travel destinations. But you can’t be looking at temples 24 hours a day. As a must-do when in Cambodia, this should definitely be right up there with the Bayon and Ta Phrom.
This article first appeared in Lifestyle + travel magazine.
Samui: The Cliff
No matter where you’re reading this, whether it be within a two-hour radius of Samui in Singapore or Bangkok, or further afield in Europe or America, your mission is the same. Drop what you’re doing, book a ticket to Samui, and upon arrival make your way straight to The Cliff. Even if you fly from Anchorage, coming to Samui for the sole purpose of enjoying a cold Heineken at The Cliff would be a thoroughly sensible expedition. As the sun rolls slowly overhead, turning the sky from a bright blue to a gorgeous deep red, an evening spent here in the company of several green bottles will be one of the highlights of any trip to Thailand. Situated on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean with a feeling of glamour that would not be out of place in Amalfi, The Cliff gets six stars on the atmosphere scale.
Dubai: The Left Bank
A French-named bar in an Arabian-themed development in Dubai might not be the first place you would expect to make it on this list. But fear not. Particularly at this time of the year, when the weather is utterly gorgeous, The Left Bank is a shoo-in to any list of watering holes. With the bright Arabian sun reflecting off the water and onto the fresh golden frothy pints being carried directly to your table by the charming Filipina waitress, trust us: your wellbeing level will be off the charts. Stylish, atmospheric and with an international clientele that gives the place energy and intrigue, the Left Bank should be top of the To Do List of any Dubai visitor.
Bangkok: The Old Pra Athit Pier
Visitors to Bangkok who find they’re unable to pull themselves away from the gravitational pull of Siam and Sukhumvit are missing out on the whole raison d’etre of the city: the river. When you’re on the River of Kings, whether it be on a maritime vessel or simply a well-positioned eatery on the banks, you get a feel for Bangkok’s birthplace, and it suddenly begins to make more sense. The Old Pra Athit Pier is a relatively new addition to the long list of waterside establishments but exudes all of the long-lasting charm of a Raffles or Eastern & Oriental. Sit at the long bar under slowly whirling fans and order a draught Chang from the barman, enjoy the breeze from the river, and you’ll find it impossible to remove yourself from the barstool before closing time.
Hong Kong: South Bay
Nobody needs any introduction to the glitzy bars of Lan Kwai Fong or Soho. Hollywood Road and the area around the escalator are packed with quirky and fashionable places to imbibe. But for Hong Kong’s most relaxing place to lift a cold bottle to your lips, gravitate away from the urban surrounds to the beaches on the south side of the island. In secluded South Bay, two beaches around from Repulse Bay, you’ll find a café. Nothing fancy, nothing spectacular, just a place on the roof of the building where the lifeguards store their equipment. Grab a San Miguel from the fridge, pop it open and enjoy one of the best views Hong Kong has to offer: the green mountains behind, the beach and the islands in front. Stay until the sun sinks behind Lamma Island and you’ll have enjoyed one of Hong Kong’s best-kept secrets.
Singapore: Toa Payoh Hawker Centre
Singapore these days is usually mentioned in the same breath as slick, cool, modern, stylish. To hell with all that. Well, before Dempsey Road and Clarke Quay, Singaporeans in the know were already drinking in cool surrounds of a different kind. Toa Payoh Hawker Centre, designed as part of Singapore’s first new town in ambitiously modernist 1960s style, is a superb place to chug back a few Tigers surrounded by clean brutalist architecture and unremitting straight lines. And the food from the neighbouring hawker stalls – spicy chilli stingray, hokkien fried noodles, perfectly grilled satay – provide a perfect accompaniment to the ice-cold amber liquid.
Hanoi: Tapas
A few glasses of Stella into your drinking session at Tapas, you’ll most certainly be in ‘where the hell am I’ territory. The authentically worn Spanish feel, the view of the Notre Dame cathedral out of the window, the elegant scooters parked neatly on the sidewalk under the spreading flame trees… if, in your beery haze, you get the impression you’ve been magically transported back to Europe, you’ll be forgiven. In a city with many excellent places for a beer, including the countless Bia Hoi stalls, Tapas is one of the very best.
Shanghai: Cottons
Shanghai presents a challenge for the professional archivist of drinking places. Would it be M at the Bund, with its glorious views of the Huangpu River and the countless Chinese flags fluttering in the evening breeze? Would it be Faye Wong’s stunning rooftop bar in Suzhou Creek (appropriately situated on a 1930s-built Czech Brewery)? Perhaps, perhaps. But for this particular list, Cottons is Shanghai’s representative. In the cosy neighbourhood vibe of Anjing Lu, Cottons is far and away the place for a comfortable few beers among a relaxed crowd and staff who always have time to crack an amusing back-translated witticism. Knock back a few Tsingtaos – either in the gorgeous garden in the warmer months, or inside by the roaring fireplace inside the beautiful old European villa. Every time this particular writer is in Shanghai, he finds himself drawn to Cottons for at least a couple of happy hour beers almost every evening, even if there are different plans for the rest of the night.
Luang Prabang: Café Ban Wat Sene
The stylish French owners of this place could franchise the idea in a hundred cities and be multi-millionaires overnight. But the fact that they haven’t, makes Café Ban Wat Sene all the more special. A sort of unpolished, unfinished, unrefined feel, which gives you the impression that it’s been here since at least the colonial period. A shadowy, cool interior and a few tables scattered around the pavement overlooking the street. And a mixed clientele of long-term residents, well heeled and bohemian travellers only adds to the charm. There’s a selection of beers here: but only one possible choice. When in Laos, it has to be Beer Lao.
Siem Reap: FCC
In Siem Reap, where else could it have been? A crowd drawn from all four corners of the earth. The FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) is a stunning architectural environment. A view of the nightly Cambodian promenade as they make their way along the riverbanks, lit by ornate French-era streetlamps. And accompanying food that goes perfectly with the frosty one-dollar happy hour Tigers. Angkor is one of the world’s great travel destinations. But you can’t be looking at temples 24 hours a day. As a must-do when in Cambodia, this should definitely be right up there with the Bayon and Ta Phrom.
This article first appeared in Lifestyle + travel magazine.
Hourly rating
Everywhere in Asia has its best time, its magical hour, the time of day when you see it at its best and when you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
7AM
Assuming an early rise – we wouldn’t want to waste our perfect 24 hours snoozing – the best place to be at this hour is somewhere in the region of Kata beach, in the tourist magnet of Phuket. At this time, the sun isn’t too high in the sky, so the bay is still in shadow but the water is warm. The ideal day should really include some sort of exercise so we won’t feel too guilty about overindulging later, so we start with a wade into the sea at the south of Kata Noi beach, put our goggles on and commence our perfect freestyle stroke to head north. Across the bay, around the headland, out to sea, back in again to land up at Kata Yai, and a short run back to Kata Noi to dry off and make up the 60 minutes to 8 o’clock.
8AM
This hour means a coffee and a leisurely read of a quality morning paper, preferably surrounded by a buzzy morning vibe. Those criteria, applied together, mean only one place: the legendary New South Wales capital, where bad coffee seems to have been outlawed by federal decree and the Sydney Morning Herald is substantial enough to while away at least an hour with a perfect combination of serious news, gossipy trash and audacious real estate deals. We set the co-ordinates of our magical traveling machine directly to Five Ways in Paddington, where there are any number of quirky and cool al fresco cafes where we can pop ourselves down in the sun and enjoy a frothy cappuccino.
9AM
At certain times of day, it’s a tossup between several locations as to where is the best place to be. But for breakfast, there’s only one possible choice: the city that perfected the art of breakfast, the place that invented a whole culinary culture that has now spread and sees cities all over the world attempting to emulate its offerings. Of course, we’re talking about none other than Hong Kong for dim sum. It’s a difficult task to find a bad dim sum house in Hong Kong: there are so many good ones that a bad one would go out of business in a matter of weeks. But for an authentic experience, we travel directly to Fung Shing Restaurant in On Tai Street, Sheung Wan, for the original take on the art form with surly waitresses pushing steaming carts from table to table. No need for Cantonese language skills; we just point at what we want and it is slammed down in front of us with the sort of charm that only Hong Kong serving staff can muster.
10AM
At this stage, the sensible course of action is to bring the pace of the day down a little. After all, there’s a long way to go; we wouldn’t want to deplete ourselves too early. Continuing the urban theme, but with a slightly more relaxed slant on affairs, 10 o’clock of our perfect day sees us sitting in Holland Village, in the west of Singapore, sipping another coffee – this time a longer version, a mocha, while catching up on the gossip with Singapore’s matinee mummies and reading the latest edition of one of the many cool monthly Singapore publications from the Indian magazine stall on the corner.
11AM
What? We’ve done so much already, but still two hours until lunch? So be it: the best way to fill the time, while our minds are still active, is without doubt something educational and fulfilling. 11 o’clock finds us in the heart of Bangkok, at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre on the top floor of Emporium. Usually open to members only but available to travellers for a nominally-priced tourist pass, the TCDC is a treasure trove of art and design books, obscure DVDs and world-class travelling exhibitions from the British Library, Paris’ Musee d’Orsay and any number of stellar global institutions.
1PM
It would be easy to spend the entire day at the TCDC, so rich is the wealth of material there, but we have a job to do. Lunchtime beckons, and that means one thing. With all of Asia available to us, our culinary compass points to none other than Brussels, Belgium. Little Brussels to be precise – Le Petit Bruxelles, the classic Belgian restaurant in the heart of Hanoi. Fresh mussels, perfectly chilled rosé wine, appallingly appealing chocolate desserts and irresistible French calvados to finish our meal – all in the gorgeous surrounds of a tastefully renovated colonial French villa in Tran Quoc Toan –sees us lingering here for two hours to do justice to the delights on offer.
3PM
No matter what the geographical location, the perfect day must include some sort of self-pampering – the more the better. From Hanoi it is an easy matter for us to pop up in Malaysia’s Langkawi, where the combination of perfect tropical foliage, gorgeous clear seas, and the relaxation-inducing heavy grey clouds along the skyline provide the perfect backdrop for an exotic spa therapy. Despite finding itself in Malaysia, the Datai wisely gives more than a nod to its northern neighbour Thailand with its healthy massages and other slimming spa treatments. A couple of hours of this and we’ve forgotten our moules marinieres and gateaux in Hanoi, and we’re almost ready to begin another round of ridiculous gluttony in the fast-approaching evening.
5PM
It’s terrible how time flies. A whole day gone, and not a bit of shopping has been achieved. In light of time pressures, we simply have to think in terms of efficiency, and that can only mean retracing our steps to Bangkok. There may be better malls, there may be greater selections spread over entire cities, but Bangkok has the edge on sheer concentration of high-end shopping opportunities in one small area. Starting at Siam Paragon for quality fashion, we flit through Siam Square for quirky one-off pieces, blaze through Gaysorn Plaza for something exclusive and expensive, bust a move through Siam Discovery Centre for natty Thai interior design, and finish our tour of duty (via Central Chidlom) at Emporium to pick up the latest grey import mobile phone and a few kilos of otherwise hard-to-find tropical fruits from the supermarket to take home.
7PM
Thus satisfied, we can begin to think about dinner, but naturally not before an aperitif or three. For a spectacular beginning to the evening, we can think of nothing better than a few cocktails at M On The Bund. Shanghai has many new pretenders, all attempting to emulate the grande old dame of the Huangpu River, but the original has not yet been beaten. Lifting a frosted glass to our mouths, overlooking the barges honking along the river while the iconic red and gold flags flutter in the evening breeze, we can’t resist drinking a toast to Marx and Lenin for the communist philosophy that ensured all of this historic heritage remains in existence for our enjoyment.
8PM
Dinner beckons. After a full day, we are in no mood to impress anybody, but we do want something stylish, with a bit of drama to boot. The FCC Angkor – with its perfect combination of comfort food, historically sinister location and fascinating international clientele – is just what we require. A decent bottle of Australian wine, the fans whirling overhead, the fresh breeze coming off the river, the mysterious smell of Cambodia on the evening air – we couldn’t have chosen a better place. We had allocated two hours here, but end up lingering longer over one too many amarettos – but who’s counting here?
10:59PM
Bali. Bali! You mean we haven’t been to Bali today? What were we thinking? We recitify the situation before anybody realizes our mistake, and just make it into Ubud’s Bukit Becik Bar a minute before closing time. The waiter tries to tell us we’re too late, but we insist that we’ve been here all along and he’s simply failed to notice us because of the tastefully subdued lighting, and our cool persuasiveness wins the day. An hour of sipping perfumed cocktails in the heady forest air follows, and we can rest easy in the knowledge that this fabled island has been ticked off on our itinerary.
12AM
We’re pleasantly surprised how often in our perfect day we keep finding ourselves drawn back to Bangkok. It’s hard to beat the Bangkok banyakaat (atmosphere); and at this hour, with the early curfew in mind, there is a delicious desperation in the air with the beautiful people of the city determined to cram maximum enjoyment into minimum hours. Frenetic Soi 11 is still the epicenter of the action, with Q Bar, Bed Supperclub and a host of surrounding satellite establishments providing sufficient diversions until closing time.
2AM
Other than a few excitingly illicit late-night boites, Bangkok’s nightlife is short-lived these days. No matter. We find our own entertainment at Pak Klong Talat – the riverside wholesale flower market where the whole of the city comes to stock up on fresh roses and jasmine garlands. Dodging the buyers from the city’s finest hotels looking to fill their rooms with the magnificent blooms on offer, we make a beeline for the old woman in the middle of the market for her unfailingly fresh lilies to fill our apartment with their exotic scent – leaving ourselves time for a quick bowl of noodles at the stall by the canal on the way out.
3AM
We can sleep tomorrow. For now, there’s only one way to finish off the day. And that’s with possibly Asia’s finest late-night snack creation: roti canai. 3am finds us in Malaysia’s famous muddy estuary, otherwise known as Kuala Lumpur, ravenously devouring our roti telur (egg) while sharing our stories of the day and sipping on delicious teh halia (ginger tea).
4AM
For a moment, sated after our excessive consumption of fried egg, flour and curry in KL, we had thought of calling time on proceedings. But in the interests of editorial professionalism, we shake off our weariness and determinedly press on. 4am sees us heading south, back in Singapore on Sentosa Island, at the beachside Ibiza import Café del Mar. (We may have neglected to mention that our ideal day falls on a Friday; the one night when the shoreline crowd is guaranteed to last until dawn.) With the downtempo beats, the cool sea breeze, the minty mojitos and the comforting murmur of sleepy fellow revelers, we manage to spend a couple of hours reviewing the events of the day before pushing on to our final episode.
6AM
It’s been quite a day. To bring ourselves safely down after such prolonged excitement, we make a beeline for Beijing, where every available public space is filled with tai qi quan practitioners. What with several years of untrammeled development, Beijing may not be the gorgeous lane-filled place it once was, but there is still enough of the old imperial city – for now, at any rate – for us to find the right position to look over the timeless hutongs and imagine ourselves moving gracefully through space in a more genteel era. An hour of flowing movement and faultless internal muscle control sees our body and our spirit cleansed, and the end of our perfect Asian 24-hour adventure. There’s only one remaining journey to make: the journey back home to bed to refill our energy reserves for the next assignment and congratulate ourselves on an excellent use of the time allocated to us.
This article first appeared in Lifestyle + Travel magazine.
7AM
Assuming an early rise – we wouldn’t want to waste our perfect 24 hours snoozing – the best place to be at this hour is somewhere in the region of Kata beach, in the tourist magnet of Phuket. At this time, the sun isn’t too high in the sky, so the bay is still in shadow but the water is warm. The ideal day should really include some sort of exercise so we won’t feel too guilty about overindulging later, so we start with a wade into the sea at the south of Kata Noi beach, put our goggles on and commence our perfect freestyle stroke to head north. Across the bay, around the headland, out to sea, back in again to land up at Kata Yai, and a short run back to Kata Noi to dry off and make up the 60 minutes to 8 o’clock.
8AM
This hour means a coffee and a leisurely read of a quality morning paper, preferably surrounded by a buzzy morning vibe. Those criteria, applied together, mean only one place: the legendary New South Wales capital, where bad coffee seems to have been outlawed by federal decree and the Sydney Morning Herald is substantial enough to while away at least an hour with a perfect combination of serious news, gossipy trash and audacious real estate deals. We set the co-ordinates of our magical traveling machine directly to Five Ways in Paddington, where there are any number of quirky and cool al fresco cafes where we can pop ourselves down in the sun and enjoy a frothy cappuccino.
9AM
At certain times of day, it’s a tossup between several locations as to where is the best place to be. But for breakfast, there’s only one possible choice: the city that perfected the art of breakfast, the place that invented a whole culinary culture that has now spread and sees cities all over the world attempting to emulate its offerings. Of course, we’re talking about none other than Hong Kong for dim sum. It’s a difficult task to find a bad dim sum house in Hong Kong: there are so many good ones that a bad one would go out of business in a matter of weeks. But for an authentic experience, we travel directly to Fung Shing Restaurant in On Tai Street, Sheung Wan, for the original take on the art form with surly waitresses pushing steaming carts from table to table. No need for Cantonese language skills; we just point at what we want and it is slammed down in front of us with the sort of charm that only Hong Kong serving staff can muster.
10AM
At this stage, the sensible course of action is to bring the pace of the day down a little. After all, there’s a long way to go; we wouldn’t want to deplete ourselves too early. Continuing the urban theme, but with a slightly more relaxed slant on affairs, 10 o’clock of our perfect day sees us sitting in Holland Village, in the west of Singapore, sipping another coffee – this time a longer version, a mocha, while catching up on the gossip with Singapore’s matinee mummies and reading the latest edition of one of the many cool monthly Singapore publications from the Indian magazine stall on the corner.
11AM
What? We’ve done so much already, but still two hours until lunch? So be it: the best way to fill the time, while our minds are still active, is without doubt something educational and fulfilling. 11 o’clock finds us in the heart of Bangkok, at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre on the top floor of Emporium. Usually open to members only but available to travellers for a nominally-priced tourist pass, the TCDC is a treasure trove of art and design books, obscure DVDs and world-class travelling exhibitions from the British Library, Paris’ Musee d’Orsay and any number of stellar global institutions.
1PM
It would be easy to spend the entire day at the TCDC, so rich is the wealth of material there, but we have a job to do. Lunchtime beckons, and that means one thing. With all of Asia available to us, our culinary compass points to none other than Brussels, Belgium. Little Brussels to be precise – Le Petit Bruxelles, the classic Belgian restaurant in the heart of Hanoi. Fresh mussels, perfectly chilled rosé wine, appallingly appealing chocolate desserts and irresistible French calvados to finish our meal – all in the gorgeous surrounds of a tastefully renovated colonial French villa in Tran Quoc Toan –sees us lingering here for two hours to do justice to the delights on offer.
3PM
No matter what the geographical location, the perfect day must include some sort of self-pampering – the more the better. From Hanoi it is an easy matter for us to pop up in Malaysia’s Langkawi, where the combination of perfect tropical foliage, gorgeous clear seas, and the relaxation-inducing heavy grey clouds along the skyline provide the perfect backdrop for an exotic spa therapy. Despite finding itself in Malaysia, the Datai wisely gives more than a nod to its northern neighbour Thailand with its healthy massages and other slimming spa treatments. A couple of hours of this and we’ve forgotten our moules marinieres and gateaux in Hanoi, and we’re almost ready to begin another round of ridiculous gluttony in the fast-approaching evening.
5PM
It’s terrible how time flies. A whole day gone, and not a bit of shopping has been achieved. In light of time pressures, we simply have to think in terms of efficiency, and that can only mean retracing our steps to Bangkok. There may be better malls, there may be greater selections spread over entire cities, but Bangkok has the edge on sheer concentration of high-end shopping opportunities in one small area. Starting at Siam Paragon for quality fashion, we flit through Siam Square for quirky one-off pieces, blaze through Gaysorn Plaza for something exclusive and expensive, bust a move through Siam Discovery Centre for natty Thai interior design, and finish our tour of duty (via Central Chidlom) at Emporium to pick up the latest grey import mobile phone and a few kilos of otherwise hard-to-find tropical fruits from the supermarket to take home.
7PM
Thus satisfied, we can begin to think about dinner, but naturally not before an aperitif or three. For a spectacular beginning to the evening, we can think of nothing better than a few cocktails at M On The Bund. Shanghai has many new pretenders, all attempting to emulate the grande old dame of the Huangpu River, but the original has not yet been beaten. Lifting a frosted glass to our mouths, overlooking the barges honking along the river while the iconic red and gold flags flutter in the evening breeze, we can’t resist drinking a toast to Marx and Lenin for the communist philosophy that ensured all of this historic heritage remains in existence for our enjoyment.
8PM
Dinner beckons. After a full day, we are in no mood to impress anybody, but we do want something stylish, with a bit of drama to boot. The FCC Angkor – with its perfect combination of comfort food, historically sinister location and fascinating international clientele – is just what we require. A decent bottle of Australian wine, the fans whirling overhead, the fresh breeze coming off the river, the mysterious smell of Cambodia on the evening air – we couldn’t have chosen a better place. We had allocated two hours here, but end up lingering longer over one too many amarettos – but who’s counting here?
10:59PM
Bali. Bali! You mean we haven’t been to Bali today? What were we thinking? We recitify the situation before anybody realizes our mistake, and just make it into Ubud’s Bukit Becik Bar a minute before closing time. The waiter tries to tell us we’re too late, but we insist that we’ve been here all along and he’s simply failed to notice us because of the tastefully subdued lighting, and our cool persuasiveness wins the day. An hour of sipping perfumed cocktails in the heady forest air follows, and we can rest easy in the knowledge that this fabled island has been ticked off on our itinerary.
12AM
We’re pleasantly surprised how often in our perfect day we keep finding ourselves drawn back to Bangkok. It’s hard to beat the Bangkok banyakaat (atmosphere); and at this hour, with the early curfew in mind, there is a delicious desperation in the air with the beautiful people of the city determined to cram maximum enjoyment into minimum hours. Frenetic Soi 11 is still the epicenter of the action, with Q Bar, Bed Supperclub and a host of surrounding satellite establishments providing sufficient diversions until closing time.
2AM
Other than a few excitingly illicit late-night boites, Bangkok’s nightlife is short-lived these days. No matter. We find our own entertainment at Pak Klong Talat – the riverside wholesale flower market where the whole of the city comes to stock up on fresh roses and jasmine garlands. Dodging the buyers from the city’s finest hotels looking to fill their rooms with the magnificent blooms on offer, we make a beeline for the old woman in the middle of the market for her unfailingly fresh lilies to fill our apartment with their exotic scent – leaving ourselves time for a quick bowl of noodles at the stall by the canal on the way out.
3AM
We can sleep tomorrow. For now, there’s only one way to finish off the day. And that’s with possibly Asia’s finest late-night snack creation: roti canai. 3am finds us in Malaysia’s famous muddy estuary, otherwise known as Kuala Lumpur, ravenously devouring our roti telur (egg) while sharing our stories of the day and sipping on delicious teh halia (ginger tea).
4AM
For a moment, sated after our excessive consumption of fried egg, flour and curry in KL, we had thought of calling time on proceedings. But in the interests of editorial professionalism, we shake off our weariness and determinedly press on. 4am sees us heading south, back in Singapore on Sentosa Island, at the beachside Ibiza import Café del Mar. (We may have neglected to mention that our ideal day falls on a Friday; the one night when the shoreline crowd is guaranteed to last until dawn.) With the downtempo beats, the cool sea breeze, the minty mojitos and the comforting murmur of sleepy fellow revelers, we manage to spend a couple of hours reviewing the events of the day before pushing on to our final episode.
6AM
It’s been quite a day. To bring ourselves safely down after such prolonged excitement, we make a beeline for Beijing, where every available public space is filled with tai qi quan practitioners. What with several years of untrammeled development, Beijing may not be the gorgeous lane-filled place it once was, but there is still enough of the old imperial city – for now, at any rate – for us to find the right position to look over the timeless hutongs and imagine ourselves moving gracefully through space in a more genteel era. An hour of flowing movement and faultless internal muscle control sees our body and our spirit cleansed, and the end of our perfect Asian 24-hour adventure. There’s only one remaining journey to make: the journey back home to bed to refill our energy reserves for the next assignment and congratulate ourselves on an excellent use of the time allocated to us.
This article first appeared in Lifestyle + Travel magazine.
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