Tạp chí du lịch TRAVEL tháng 01 năm 2013

Tạp chí du lịch TRAVEL tháng 01 năm 2013

Singapore S$7.90●Hong Kong HK$43

THailand THB175●indoneSia idr50,000

MalaySia Myr17●VieTnaM Vnd85,000

Macau Mop44●pHilippineS pHp240

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January 2013

Volume 07 / Issue 01

an art installation at Charlotte Jackson Fine art in Santa Fe, new Mexico, page 100.

78 t+l 500 Our annual compendium of the top hotels and resorts—as voted by readers in the

Travel + Leisure World’s

Best Awards survey.

92 to India, with love Exploring Bhubaneswar's streets and the elaborate temples of Odisha, guy trebay finds a place to call

Contents

110 Saving europe’s Icons Across the euro-strapped continent, centuries-old treasures are falling apart—and there’s no easy way to repair the damage What will it take to preserve these cultural landmarks? michael z

wise reports.

his own photographed

by jake stangel and geordie wood guide and map page 99

100 Pure Santa Fe Beyond the turquoise clichés and New Age philosophizing, beyond the thriving art galleries and endless taco joints and huge

Southwestern skies, gary shteyngart finds the key

to Santa Fe in the characters he meets along the way photographed by alex farnum guide and map page 108

28 the Ultimate tokyo

Food tour scott haas

by levi brown

Plus Singapore’s new SuperTrees; chef Will Meyrick’s new book;

history and hipsters meet

in Chiang Mai; and more.

trip Doctor

53 travel Forecast 2013 What’s in the cards for the next year? T+L taps our network of experts to identify the trends that will impact your travels—

on the ground, in the air, at your hotel and more.

60 Deals Cycle, speedboat and river-cruise throughout Vietnam; massage-a-day in Guangzhou; a family retreat in Samui; and more.

Decoder

114 washington, D.C With the Obamas back in the White House, the nation’s capital is

edge has replaced the sleepy and staid, from galleries and boutiques to restaurants, hotels and more Mr Smith, it’s time to go back to Washington by andrew sessa photographed by jason varney

in full swing The cutting-last look

120 Bohol, Philippines Surrounded by natural beauty, here’s a spot for the adventurous photographed

by massimo casal

6 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

june through August for the warmest, going weather, and mid-week to avoid the traffic and crowds of local day-trippers.

water-Avoid the Lunar New year period—this year from February 10 to 12—when crowds converge and prices soar june through September are the hottest but also the driest.

November through April, when cooler weather coincides with all of the region’s festivals

September and october bring mild climes and four annual festivals, including the 300-year- old Santa Fe Fiesta.

Cherry blossoms bloom here, too—visit in March and April for the festival; temperatures stay nice through june boiling, muggy August is the cruelest month by far.

what US$5 BUYS

An eight-piece sushi set lunch at Heiroku zushi conveyor belt sushi

two tickets to the bhubaneswar’s Nandankanan zoo, a white-tiger safari and passes to take photos.

A calla lily pen at the Georgia o’Keeffe Museum store

two extra-large, freshly steamed blue crabs with old bay seasoning at the Maine Avenue wharf.

W hen it comes to questions about

travel, No 1 with a bullet is: where to

go next? The start of each year is the best time to make new vacation plans, though when the well-traveled general manager of one of Bangkok’s premier hotels asked me which under-the-radar spots she had to see this year, before the package tours arrived, I had to do a quick verbal two-step to avoid simply revisiting

anywhere at least once.— christopher kucway

the t+l Code Travel + Leisure editors, writers and

aging, but if I had to pick one I’d go for the pig’s feet I’m a sucker for an easy fix so what’s with the placenta soup? It sometimes seems like the world values youth over pretty much everything else, so it’s easy to understand

be told, I’m anti-anti-what do you do to stay young? I try to offset a diet of rich food and booze by working out five days a week where? Body & Seoul Martial Arts in Seoul has fitness classes that are really effective You can get a full workout in 45 minutes It’s the only workout I ever became addicted to.

Melanie Lee

Writer

“Soul-Searching in Singapore” (page 72).

why the current nostalgia? Because of the dizzying array of recent changes, many Singaporeans are looking for things that can ground them and help them make sense of what

is happening your own version of proust’s madeleine? Before her eyesight became poor, my second aunt used to make

hakka soon kueh (a sticky

pork bun of yam and tapioca flour) at Chinese New Year ancestral

legacy My gong gong

(maternal grandfather) was amazing—a Chinese physician and an entrepreneur He built a manor in the 1950’s for his huge brood of 13 children, and my mother and her siblings refuse to tear it down soak in the real singapore at

Pulau Ubin, a short ferry ride from Changi Point

It feels like Singapore in the early eighties.

Alex Farnum

Photographer

“Pure Santa Fe”

(page 100).

charm factor For some reason, Santa Fe feels like a city that belongs to everyone It’s small and quaint, so you can see how nurturing a place it is, with its down-to-earth people and a laid-back mentality any good food finds? The best meal of my trip was at

Tia’s Cocina Their chiles

rellenos were fantastic.

travel photography tip Patience Some of the most incredible things happen when sitting still

or chitchatting with a group of people santa fe’s best feature?

The surrounding landscape, from the red rock to the mountains, open plains and high desert, is gorgeous and ever-changing dream t+l assignment Bali, top to bottom.

Sarah Spagnolo

Digital Projects Editor

“t+L 500 2013”

(page 78).

t+l 500 hotel you’d most like to visit Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, a 15th-century palazzo on Venice’s Grand Canal In fact, I’m taking this magazine’s advice and heading to Venice for the holidays describe your dream stay Some retreat to the beach;

others to the country My perfect hotel would be in

an austere desert landscape with a spacious patio and sliding doors that I’d keep open all night long any quirky hotel facts you learned this year?

Guests at Amansara can take early morning yoga classes at Angkor Wat, in Cambodia I’ve done yoga

by the beach in Puerto Rico and in the Costa Rican rainforest, but this

what brought you

from new zealand to

—Sarah Spagnolo

12 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

All downhill From Here

adrenaline Rush

Skiing, cycling, martial arts, yoga,

hiking, fitness apps and who knows what

else? Was your November issue meant to make me feel like a slacker? If so, mission accomplished Now, can you devote one month to lazing and grazing, something that doesn’t involve any calorie loss?

fMason Ganser

kuala lumpur

Past, Present and Future

I recently visited George Town and was amazed to see how lively the historic city

is, so was glad you featured it in your November issue [“An Island for the Arts”] It’s a story that many other places around Southeast Asia should look to in order to preserve some of their own heritage and do so with a modern take I

do think there are many underutilized residents out there with great ideas about how to improve their own cities and neighborhoods, and we need to do a

better job of incorporating their skills A place like George Town proves that

Catherine Teo

singapore

asian exercises Interesting look at Southeast Asia’s martial arts [“Fight Club,” November

2012] Everyone knows about muay Thai

but I didn’t realize there are variations

on the better-known combat styles in almost every country in this region I’m

planning a trip to Burma for the bando Tony Saron

Want to go skiing this winter but don’t know

where to start? Here’s the lowdown on how you,

whether novice or expert, can make the most

out of Asia’s ski runs By Catharine Nicol

The Hilton Niseko

and the ski village.

t+L Southeast Asia asked

Facebook fans to vote for

their favorite magazine cover

of 2012 the topic got

people talking Check out the

comments about the july

2012 cover:

A very alluring cover It makes me wanna drop everything and be that person lying on the deck chair f Gabrielle Gabz

just looking at the picture makes me feel like I’m on a vacation already! A hideaway dream ocean heaven! f Jitchaya Sarasombath

the empty beds suggest endless possibilities you don’t need models on every cover, Southeast Asia is beautiful without any

adornment f Guy Ridgeon

It’s your best cover of 2012 because it’s unusual f Suzanne Miao

TraVel+leiSure SouTHeaST aSia Vol 7, iSSue 1

Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Tel: +66 2 204-2370 Printed by Comform Co.,

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(+66 2 291-7575) While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not

accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

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J.S Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

This edition is published by permission of

aMerican eXpreSS puBliSHing corporaTion

1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 United States of America

Tel +1 212 382 5600 Online: www.amexpub.com Reproduction in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright owner is prohibited.

ediTor-in-cHief arT direcTor feaTureS ediTorS Senior deSigner deSigner aSSiSTanT ediTor—digiTal aSSiSTanT ediTor

Cedric Arnold, Jennifer Chen, Robyn Eckhardt, Tom Hoops, Philipp Engelhorn, David Hagerman, Lauryn Ishak, Naomi Lindt, Jen Lin-Liu, Brent Madison, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Aaron Joel Santos, Adam Skolnick, Darren Soh, Daven Wu

regular conTriBuTorS / pHoTograpHerS

Robert Fernhout Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Joey Kukielka Michael K Hirsch Louisa Daly Shea Stanley Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Sirivejabandhu Yupadee Saebea

puBliSHer digiTal Media Manager Senior accounT Manager BuSineSS deVelopMenT ManagerS conSulTanT, Hong Kong/Macau cHief financial officer producTion Manager producTion group circulaTion Manager circulaTion aSSiSTanT

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Senior Vice preSidenT/ediTorial direcTor

eXecuTiVe ediTor, inTernaTional puBliSHing direcTor, inTernaTional

Ed Kelly Mark V Stanich Paul B Francis Nancy Novogrod Mark Orwoll Thomas D Storms

EntEr for a chancE to win a

$10,000 DrEam trip!

Go to tLworldsBest.com

and rate the hotels, resorts, spas, cruise lines, airlines, airports, travel companies, and

destinations you love most—now

one of TraveІ + Leisure’s

A-List agents will plan

an itinerary based on your interests and travel style Two third-prize winners will each receive

$1,000

no pUrchaSE nEcESSarY to EntEr or win The World’s Best Awards Giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia age

18 or older To enter and view complete Official Rules, which govern this Giveaway, visit www.TLWorldsBest.com Giveaway begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) on 12/1/12 and ends at 11:59 PM (ET) on 4/1/13 Sponsor: American Express Publishing Corporation

thE granD prizE

A $10,000 trip to the destination of your choice,

courtesy of TraveІ + Leisure

two firSt prizES

dear Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia readers,

we trust you we trust your judgement that’s why we want you to rate

our global travel experiences for us, in the 2013 Travel + Leisure world’s

best Awards, now through April 1, 2013 these awards are recognized as travel’s highest honor, so it’s time to give back to those hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, cruise lines, travel companies and destinations you love

the most Readers of all global editions of Travel + Leisure will participate

in the awards

So visit www.tlworldsBest.com/intl and tell us exactly what you

think the full global results will be published in our August edition.Christopher Kucway

YOU lOVe—In the OnlY

tRUlY GlOBal tRaVel

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Vote

Now!

RadarNews Finds Opinions Obsessions.

On Our

1

A still undiscovered (yes!) corner of Italy A French island

hideaway in the Indian Ocean An unexpected wellness

resort on the coast down under We reveal a baker’s dozen

of places to go this year by heidi s mitchell

Nepal

a mountain region returns

Its civil war in the past, this Himalayan state, with its elephants, one-horned rhinos and incredible landscapes, is back in play Yeti Mountain

home lodges (yeti mountain

home.com; from US$190), on

the hike to Everest, and the eco-sensitive, renovated

tiger tops Karnali lodge

(tigertops.com; from US$500)

are targeting sophisticated adventurers.

➔

puerto Rico

Homegrown Caribbean

brief but native son juan josé Cuevas has already created something other Puerto Rican chefs only talk about:

a menu dedicated almost entirely to island ingredients

Cuevas is one of the

reasons food lovers are homing in on P.R

Another? Dorado Beach, a Ritz- Carlton Reserve

(ritzcarlton.com; from US$1,499)—which

opened last month

40 kilometers west

of the capital—

where culinary wizard josé Andrés showcases his own versions of such classic dishes as

lechón asado (roast

suckling pig).

Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica

Surfers’ haunt goes luxe

Surrounded by mountains and jungle-fringed beaches on

the Pacific, this pristine bay bordering a national marine

park was long the secret of surfers and backpackers—and

migrating whales Now there’s Kura Design Villas

(kuracostarica.com; from US$440) an upscale eco-resort

whose six villas are open to the tropical air

Réunion

the next Maldives?

This far-flung French département in the Indian Ocean has begun marketing

to English speakers, even offering ESL lessons for tourism workers U.S.- and U.K.-based operator Black Tomato

(blacktomato.com) is introducing

multiple itineraries there this year

The appeal? Secluded beaches, volcanoes—and damn good croissants.

philippines

your own private archipelago

Boracay hogs the spotlight, but there are

thousands of other islands to lure beach lovers

At eskaya Beach resort & Spa (slh.com;

from US$448), on Panglao, thatched-roof villas

face the sea Palawan, a unesco Biosphere

Reserve, now has el nido resorts

pangulasian island (elnidoresorts.com; from

P18,500) Groups can reserve ariara (ariara

island.com; US$23,940 per week for six guests),

a 50.5-hectare private isle.

3 5

6

2 1

8

10 9

New Nordic on the Mississippi

Chefs in America’s most Scandinavian city have embraced the farming ethos of Copenhagen’s famed Noma

The pioneering Bachelor

Farmer (thebachelorfarmer.

com; dinner for two US$60) has

the city’s first rooftop garden The American Swedish Institute recently opened Fika (asimn.

org; lunch for two US$22), serving smörgås (open-faced

sandwiches) Next to watch:

Union (unionmpls.com; dinner

for two US$80), run by Noma

alum Jim Christiansen.

5

the Bachelor Farmer,

in Minneapolis.

eskaya Beach Resort & Spa.

Art enough for you?

TheRijksmuseum (rijksmuseum.nl)

Gold Coast, Australia

Urbane beach resort

More foreigners are joining A-list Aussies in this beachside Queensland city, thanks in part

to new daily nonstops from around the region

to nearby Brisbane Tap into the scene at star chef Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill at the buzzy

Hilton Surfers paradise (hilton.com; A$279)

and the new gwinganna lifestyle retreat

(gwinganna.com; rooms from A$490 per night, two-night minimum), a wellness resort co-

owned by actor Hugh Jackman.

Basilicata, Italy

Ancient region, newfound charms

It’s a mystery—no, a miracle—

why this coastal region in the instep of Italy’s boot has remained so overlooked for so long Known by Italians for its 7,000-year-old cave dwellings, peasant-style cuisine and thermal springs, it grabbed global attention last year when Francis Ford Coppola opened a hotel,

Palazzo Margherita

(palazzomargherita.com; suites from €360 per night, two-night minimum), in his grandfather’s

hometown of bernalda Now beachfront tavernas are getting paint jobs and sleepy

agriturismos such as the

150-hectare tenuta San teodoro nuovo

Visconti-(santeodoronuovo.com; from

€130) are waking up

Uco valley, Argentina

oenophile discovery

will this sunny expanse outside Mendoza City become Napa South?

New hotels are making it easier to sample the region’s Malbecs and Semillons: Francis Mallman—the Argentine thomas Keller—runs the kitchen at Vines

Resort & Spa (vines

Marseilles, France

Provence gets its groove on

The scruffy charm of France’s edgiest city—one

of the European Union’s Capitals of Culture for 2013—will be on full display this year But clothing designers such as Caroline Hanny and Didier Parakian are also turning heads Style seekers browse the racks

in the Cours Julien district; artists are colonizing the

Le Panier area; and trendy types hole up at the ever- cool Philippe Starck’s Mama Shelter (mamashelter.com; from €79) ✚

Africa’s wild frontier

Instability in Zimbabwe continues to divert

safari-goers and guides across the border

In South Luangwa, walking-safari pioneer

Norman Carr’s daughter-in-law is opening

Chinzombo (normancarrsafaris.com; from

US$575), and the Bushcamp Company

(bushcamp company.com) has redone several

camps In the Lower Zambezi, the ana tree

lodge (exploreafrica.net) will have eight luxe

tents with private plunge pools when it opens

stuffed with kurobata pork), and it

comes with an environmentally conscious slant If fusion nibbles aren’t your thing, sip something from their extensive martini list and take

in the 360-view of the city from the world’s first alfresco rotating rooftop

bar 18 Marina Bay Gardens Dr.,

Gardens by the Bay; 65/6694-8490;

indochine.com.sg; dinner for two from S$170.—diana hubbell

Long before Hipstamatic and Instagram, the cool kids used lomography

cameras to take inducing photos on film

nostalgia-Now the Austrian company has a Maps Edition series with cartographic motifs:

the diana F+ (pictured) and

diana Mini for dreamy, 70’s-style pics; the Fisheye for distorted images; and the wide-angle La Sardina, which produces saturated colors bonus: they won’t drain your iPhone battery

lomography.com; from US$99 —jacqueline

detwiler

goods

FILM STAR

debu tSupper in a SuperTree

Singapore’s skyline from the trees.

the foliage-filled interior at Supertree.

24 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

Radar

Sarong It’s Right

Chef will Meyrick.

tuna and herbs piled

Q: with your wanderings taking up so much time, have you been missing cooking?

A: I’m still in the kitchen! Not just on service for both restaurants a few nights a week, but also recipe testing in the Mama San kitchen upstairs Palm [Amatawet, Meyrick’s second in command] and I go

in together and we get all the recipes I’ve got scribbled down on bits of paper or on my iPhone (I love the app Evernote), we get the videos of when we

were on the street or cooking with the ibu ibus

[family matriarchs] and that’s where the magic happens And that’s fun!

Q: has your approach to work been changing?

A: My mindset has definitely changed I’m all about discovering new things and championing ideas and philosophies, rather than just being a restaurateur

warung Betutu

Gilimanuk Jln

Merdeka No 88, Renon; 62-3/6126- 3464; Rp40,000 for a meal for two.

warung Mayra

Jln Katrangan No 41 Denpasar; 62- 3/6123-1953;

Rp40,000 for a meal for two.

Meyrick’s picks

Sarong Inspirations is a blend of

recipes and tales of travel.

Mango atop black sticky rice.

a colorful dish of beef and chilies.

Ajwain fish tikka with a

Sarong Inspirations is available in Southeast Asia at

selected bookstores, including Kinokuniya, Times, Toko

Gunung Agung, Gramedia and MPH, and directly

from Sarong and Mama San Priced at Rp450,000 in

Indonesia.

28 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

Radar

when seeking out tokyo’s finest fare, a little

guidance goes a long way Scott haas introduces

the best in the biz when it comes uncovering the

culinary wonders of japan’s capital.

The Ultimate

Tokyo Food Tour

obsessions

Photographed by Hisashi Murayama

tokyo culinary tour guide, Shinji nohara.

Since 1998, this unique individual, typically garbed in cargo shorts, a flowing shirt and sneakers, sporting long, orange hair, his broad face usually adorned with

a Cheshire Cat grin, has taken it upon himself to steer guests to the very best food in Tokyo.

“After trying the sushi I show people

in Tokyo,” says Nohara, “many people say that they are unable to eat sushi at home for months!”

Not just sushi Whether he takes you

to Tokyo’s latest tapas bar or a restaurant

specializing in washoku (pre-Western)

cooking, you know it is going to be good—and come with an informed back-story For example, you’re likely to find yourself sampling the traditional

seasoning shio-koji, “the biggest food trend in Japan these days,” he says “Shio means salt and koji is a fermentation

starter So we’re seeing more items

marinated in shio-koji on menus.”

a threadsail filefish en

route to the sashimi table

Skewers of meat cook on a traditional charcoal grill.

Shochu, a potent fermented

root- or grain-based drink.

to foreigners, but also why Japan is called The Land of the Rising Sun ✚

HOW TO BOOK

Nohara can be reached at 8138; shinji@tokyofixer.com Rates are negotiable, but you can estimate ¥50,000 for a 12-hour tour

81-90/3043-GUIDE

1 toriyoshi 2-8-6 Kamimeguro,

Meguro-ku; 81-3/3716-7644; no reservations; dinner for two ¥5,000.

2 Sasano 9-6-23, Akasaka,

Minato-ku; 81-3/3475-6055; dinner for two ¥8,000.

3 azabu Kusafue 2-25-13,

Nishiazabu, Minato-ku; 81-3/3498-3181; dinner for two ¥5,000.

4 Kaduya3-2-4 Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku; 81-3/6420-0668; no reservations; dinner for two ¥2,000.

Yakitori-style tsukune, minced

chicken meatballs.

Bartender prepares a glass of

shochu with ice shavings

an “after” picture

of the filefish.

a big bowl of ramen noodles, the filling favorite.

Illustrated by Wasinee Chantakorn

32 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

BIZARRE BEAUTY

In the quest for perfect skin sometimes

you have to resort to strange measures

by Nell McShane wulfhart

Restaurant (1656-9 Nakadomari,

Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa) offers

34 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

Devices

If the breast-slapping beauty regimen sounds like something you’d just as soon try at home, perhaps DIY devices are for you Japan has hundreds of peculiar-looking tools designed

to reduce the signs of aging The Oyasumi

Goodnight Brow (US$62) is a headband

meant to diminish forehead wrinkles The Pupeko Face Cheek anti-aging

Breathing exercises Mouthpiece (US$37),

fits in the mouth and is supposed to tighten jaw muscles while pesky smile lines can be treated with the Kogao! Smile lines Face

Belt (US$40) You can buy these products at

japantrendshop.com and while you may look foolish wearing one, the financial risk is small Besides, looking foolish is surely better than looking old ✚

Japanese women buy uguisu no

fun, a powder made from sterilized

excrement, and use it in facials to repair dull, sun-damaged skin It’s available at most Japanese cosmetic shops for around ¥1,000 or online at Amazon for US$36.

Snail mucus extract has oozed into Korean beauty products over the past couple of years Myriad face creams featuring “snail slime”

claim to have a regenerative effect

on skin, even reducing scarring from acne and minimizing pores

The snails are fed red ginseng to ensure the highest quality premium slime Stock up on sticky goodness at most Korean cosmetic shops for around W50,000, or you can buy Missha Super aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream online at Amazon for US$42.

Treatments

From the humble snail to the limitless

potential of stem cells, Korea is on the

cutting edge Seoul’s life Center

Chaum (4-1, Cheongdam-dong,

harder to shift as the years go by, like the stomach and love handles A high- frequency ultrasound breaks down podgy bits into fatty acids that are eliminated for good when urinated out

Treatments are non-invasive—unless we’re talking about your wallet: licensed clinics charge ¥80,000 a pop But even a single session is said to be enough to make a noticeable difference, so get ready to squeeze into those skinny jeans

Those, on the other hand, looking to fill

out their wardrobes should submit to some

abuse by Thailand’s Khunying Tobnom Na Songkla, who claims her breast-slapping techniques increase size and pertness Ban

tobnom (66-2/945-8296; 2/78 Ramintra Rd

Soi 65, Lad Prao; Bt11,400 for six 10-minute slapping sessions) is in Bangkok, though at

least one Thai salon owner has exported these slap sessions to San Francisco

Social media is a riot of snippets, photos and links but where are the real stories? we

challenged four t+L wordsmiths to tell a pithy travel tale in just 140 characters Read

the results—and submit your own.

Chris Kucway

@CKucway

bangkok taxi want to turn left,

but bet we’ll go straight…thru a

red light My pleading thai is

drowned out by tinny mor lam on

the stereo #tLAsia

Diana hubbell

@Dianahubbell

dear Suitcase: I’m sorry it ended this way I really thought you would follow me I know you’re mad, but did you have to take my clothes? #tLAsia

Jeff Chu

@jeffchu

Me: “I have 2 hours!” Friend: “I’ll show you Malaysia.” Curry + roti come Fish Noodles Rice I taste

a nation, all appetizers

#tLAsia

Merritt Gurley

@MakingMerritt

Last minute trip to Laos

overnight train 3rd-class carriage Fall asleep reading a book, wake

up holding a baby Return policy?

the handy tablet Samsung smartphone

puts hong Kong in your hands.

38 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

Radar

A crop of meat-centric restaurants in

Kuala Lumpur sears some flavor into the

city’s dining scene by Mark Lean

is housed in a two-story building at the heart of Bangsar, one of the city’s expatriate enclaves The new joint sports 1920’s speakeasy-inspired interiors—

topped bar, gold-leaf wallpaper and handmade leather chesterfield sofas The steak-filled menu from owner, chef and occasional surfer Khairil Ibrahim includes items like Australian Angus rib eye, filet mignon, Wagyu rib eye and porterhouse, all grilled in butter and roasted garlic jus Desserts are an inventive mesh of East and West

think high timber ceilings, a marble-Highlights include: the dark chocolate

fondant with salted gula melaka ice

cream, and the mango ginger cheesecake topped with lightly spiced mango chutney and crème anglaise with hints of

lemongrass 30 Jln Telawi 5, Bangsar

Recommended starters include the

jamon Ibérico cortado a cuchillo (slivers

of cured Ibérico ham), followed by mains like roasted suckling pig, roasted goat,

braised Ibérico pork cheeks as well as ribs Spanish desserts like arroz con

leche, sweet rice boiled in milk, provide a

satisfying finish 14&16, Changkat Bukit

Bintang; 60-3/2142-7633; elrinconkl.com; dinner for two RM270 ✚

est’s juicy rib eye, cooked on the bone Ready for a

40 jA N UA R y 2 013 T R Av E L A N D L E I S U R E AS I A C O M

Radar

1 Rose-gold-embellished nylon bag, by Mz wallace.

2 Leather tote with nickel detail, Calleen Cordero

3 Calfskin bag with ruthenium studs, Valentino Noir.

4 Patent-leather-spiked shopper, Christian Louboutin

5 Quilted leather tote, Michael Michael Kors

Photographed by Levi Brown

Studded bags add attitude—and some serious street cred—to any travel wardrobe.

by Mimi Lombardo

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