WHILE the Cambodian city is most famous for its temples — such as Angkor Wat — there is so much more to see than ancient ruins. A new generation of locals and expats are establishing boutique hotels, sophisticated bars, serene day spas, dynamic restaurants, bespoke tours, creative studios and stylish shops with so much goingContinue reading “Seeing Siem Reap without Angkor …”
Category Archives: Asia
Saigon’s secrets …
SAIGON – yes, that’s right, Saigon, only government officials and neophyte tourists call it Ho Chi Minh City – is Vietnam’s high-octane settlement and a place that manages to be brash and brassy while retaining a traditional simplicity. This metropolis of eight million people is divided into 24 districts, but it’s District 1, between theContinue reading “Saigon’s secrets …”
Make a base in booming Bugis …
SINGAPORE is celebrating the unveiling of another new hotel with the Mercure Singapore Bugis opening its doors in one of the Lion City’s most dynamic neighbourhoods. The 395-room address sits in the heart of the arts and culture district and offers panoramic views from its rooftop Sky Deck and infinity lap pool as well as Continue reading “Make a base in booming Bugis …”
Singapore’s updated airport stay …
SINGAPORE’S Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has unveiled a new wing that will increase capacity at the award-winning hotel by 75 per cent. There are two room categories in the 10-storey extension – business king suites at 28sq/m and the 38sq/m business twin suites – with all chambers in the 243-room wing “furnished with thoughtful touchesContinue reading “Singapore’s updated airport stay …”
Know non-stop Singapore …
FOR so many years Singapore was simply a place to change planes. Weary travellers transiting through one of the world’s best airports would peer through terminal windows at tropical clouds billowing above the horizon and wonder what there was to see in the city that banned chewing gum. But when flyers started pausing long-haul journeysContinue reading “Know non-stop Singapore …”
Best value city breaks …
TRIPINDEX, TripAdvisor’s annual cost-comparison study, has named Hanoi (below) as the best-value destination in the world for a city break. The study looked at 20 destinations and found the average price for a short break was $1,238, excluding flights, with prices varying significantly from the least to most expensive. The investigation compared the cost ofContinue reading “Best value city breaks …”
Catch the Kuala Lumpur Express …
MALAYSIA has welcomed its first Holiday Inn Express with the opening of a new 383-room hotel in Kuala Lumpur one block from the city’s “Golden Traingle”. “We are delighted to have launched our Holiday Inn Express brand in the heart of the capital where our guests have access to the city’s major landmarks at theirContinue reading “Catch the Kuala Lumpur Express …”
Hotels bathrooms with a view …
IT’S not unusual for a hotel room to come complete with a remarkable view. But what about the bathroom? Long gone are the days when this most functional space was placed in a dark corner, out of sight and out of mind, with today’s architects and interior designers positioning the bathroom so those occupying theContinue reading “Hotels bathrooms with a view …”
Orchard Road fresh …
IT feels like I’m doing the Singapore culinary scene a huge disservice by raving about an Orchard Road eatery rather than a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant or a zany cafe doing radical Blumenthal-like creations. But The Provedore, perched above the busy Orchard Road footpath in Mandarin Gallery, is one of my favourite places to eat inContinue reading “Orchard Road fresh …”
Haji Lane …
SINGAPORE is a shopping paradise with everything from luxury brands on Orchard Road to Chinatown’s buzzing markets catering to visitors on a quest to worship the gods of retail. But there are also edgy enclaves around the Lion City where those dedicated to bespoke style have established indie havens that are home to stores sellingContinue reading “Haji Lane …”
Singapore’s Emerald Hill …
ORCHARD Road might be one of Singapore’s top shopping streets but it’s also a place to become emerged in Lion City history. Emerald Hill Road is an enclave of calm flanking Orchard Road – the entrance is right opposite the Somerset MRT station – with longs rows of original houses still lining the laneway. TheContinue reading “Singapore’s Emerald Hill …”
Changi’s Crowne Plaza …
Where … The hotel at Singapore’s Changi Airport When … Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 4.53pm What … The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is literally connected to Singapore’s Terminal 3 which means weary travellers can be in their hotel room, and changing into togs for a dip in the fabulous swimming pool thoughtfully planned toContinue reading “Changi’s Crowne Plaza …”
French style in Vietnam …
VIETNAM’S newest hotel will delight Francophiles with the Mercure Bana Hills French Village taking its inspiration from a mountain-top settlement in the south of France. The resort is a 30-minute drive from Da Nang and has 494 modern guestrooms in six categories – standard and deluxe rooms as well as executive, family and royal suitesContinue reading “French style in Vietnam …”
Jewels in the crown …
IT SEEMS the Duchess of Cambridge isn’t so different from us when it comes to travel. When Catherine married Prince William in 2011 she told her new hubby that a visit to India topped her touring wishlist. Kate’s dream came true this month when the young royals spent a week on the sub-continent playing touristContinue reading “Jewels in the crown …”
Burma, by water …
WHEN the Scenic Aura carries its first passengers along the Irrawaddy River in September, it will be the smartest vessel navigating the lazy bends of the magnificent Myanmar waterway. The riverboat, which is currently under construction in a Yangon shipyard, will feature a variety of eating and drinking venues, from fine-dining fancy to open-air casual, andContinue reading “Burma, by water …”
So Siem Reap …
→ Narrowing the search on a Siem Reap hotel … FINDING a Siem Reap hotel can be an intimidating prospect. If you’ve never visited the Cambodian tourist town you don’t know where to start with the settlement seeming to stretch north, south, east and west along two main roads that meet near the Royal Residence.Continue reading “So Siem Reap …”
Digs for Singapore fling …
→ Hotel Jen Orchardgateway perfectly places for Singapore stopover or longer stay … IT‘S rich pickings when searching for a place to stay in Singapore. There are more than 250 properties on the TripAdvisor list with trusted brands like Hilton, Holiday Inn, Ramada, Park Royal and Mercure sitting as far down as page three ofContinue reading “Digs for Singapore fling …”
HOTEL – ANANTARA MALDIVES
BIG MALDIVIAN DIGS THE Maldives has long been known as a destination that’s perfect for pairs. The Indian-Ocean utopia has an extensive list of resorts boasting the style of accommodations that suit two people seeking endless amounts of romance with a generous supply of over-water bungalows, infinity swimming pools, secluded sandbars, and stunning sunsets. ButContinue reading “HOTEL – ANANTARA MALDIVES”
Battambang …
Where … The top of a hill near Battambang in Cambodia’s north-west corner When … Sunday, October 25, 2015 What … The lush rice fields and jungle carpeting a hill combine to drop a layer of green on Battambang, which was a region of Cambodia that was a Khmer Rouge stronghold for decades but isContinue reading “Battambang …”
Saigon’s new stays …
IF YOU like hotels with history then Saigon is the place for you. Stately properties – the Rex Hotel, Caravelle Saigon, the Hotel Majestic, Hotel Continental Saigon, the Grand Hotel – carry the delightful design flourishes of a bygone era, tell interesting tales, and have been welcoming guests since long before the “American War’’. TheseContinue reading “Saigon’s new stays …”
Vietnam’s Aussie battlefields …
NEVER have the notes of the Last Post seemed more significant than at this moment. I’m standing in a nondescript corner of southern Vietnam, deep inside a rubber plantation that looks like all the others carpeting this region of Southeast Asia. The bugle call that marks the end of day and commemorates Australia’s fallen servicemenContinue reading “Vietnam’s Aussie battlefields …”
Where to wander …
THERE are more ways than ever to explore a holiday destination – trams, horse-drawn carts, Segways, vintage cars, bicycles – but there are some streets that should be seen on foot so pack your walking shoes and prepare to pound the pavement. Budapest Budapest’s Andrassy Ut stretches 2.5km from Heroes Square to Erzsebet Square withContinue reading “Where to wander …”
U Bein Bridge …
Where … U Bein Bridge, near Mandalay in the heart of Burma When … Friday, November 20, 2015 What … The sun sets behind what locals boast is the world’s oldest and longest teak bridge, stretching 1300m across Taungthaman Lake near Mandalay. … posted Sunday, January 17, 2016
Blooming beautiful Burma …
WHEN Aung San Suu Kyi asked the world to scratch Myanmar from its travel to-do list back in 1996 – “Burma will be here for many years so tell your friends to visit us later, visiting now is tantamount to condoning the regime” – people around the globe obliged. But it seems “later” has arrivedContinue reading “Blooming beautiful Burma …”
INSIDER – PRIVATE ISLANDS
PRIVATE ISLAND PAMPERING DREAMING of jetting off to a private island where butlers cater to your every need and empty palm-fringed beaches wait outside your bungalow door? While supreme luxury comes at a cost – North Island’s “standard” presidential villas are priced about $4600 a person, a night, in 2016 – it is possible toContinue reading “INSIDER – PRIVATE ISLANDS”
Brunei’s palatial stay …
I’M standing in Bill Clinton’s bathroom. No, this isn’t a stalker moment that will land my name on a Secret Service watch list, I’m loitering beside the marble bath in the string of rooms the former US president occupied at the palatial Empire Hotel & Country Club in Brunei more than a decade ago. AndContinue reading “Brunei’s palatial stay …”
Top-floor tipples …
ASIA has sky-high socialising down to a fine art. Right around the region there are rooftop bars perched in lofty locations that provide the perfect place to match a casual drink with a remarkable view after – or even during – a day playing tourist. 1. Singapore’s 1-Altitude, occupying the 63rd floor at One RafflesContinue reading “Top-floor tipples …”
Hotels with history …
THERE’S a trend in Melbourne – well, a mini trend, at least – with the Victorian capital’s newest hotels moving into territory that once served a different purpose. The shiny new Sheraton Melbourne Hotel (below) sits on the Little Collins St site of the bygone Naval and Military Club, a 127-year-old institution that once counted SirContinue reading “Hotels with history …”
Lion City like a local …
SINGAPORE is set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its independence in August with the island nation creating a calendar of events to mark the significant occasion. Raffles Singapore, the grand colonial-era hotel that stars in decades of Lion City history, is celebrating by offering the Raffles Walk of Fame Tour every Saturday until AugustContinue reading “Lion City like a local …”
Footsteps of the fallen …
SATURDAY’S Anzac Day services will commemorate more than the 100th anniversary of Australian troops landing at Gallipoli. This significant day also signals the start of a century of Australian men and women serving in wars, police actions and peace-keeping missions that have taken our army, navy, air force and merchant mariners to battlefields around theContinue reading “Footsteps of the fallen …”
Far Near Or Here 