local news and expert tips for the jet set
NEW AND NOTED
The Alila hotel chain, masters of boutique service and sophisticated design, have two additions in Thailand and Laos. Well-loved Luang Prabang property 3 Nagas is now the 3 Nagas by Alila (tel +856 (0)71 253888, www.alilahotels.com/3nagas) and retains all of its colonial homestead charm under the new management.
Two hours from Bangkok, the new Alila Cha-Am (above right, tel +66 (0)32 709555, www.alilahotels.com/chaam) wows with Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag’s stunning design. Singapore’s third airport terminal is making headlines with its shopping mall-worthy stores and restaurants, and now T3, as it’s locally known, has its own swish hotel, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (above left , tel +65 6823-5300, www.ichotelsgroup.com). Not quite the airport sleepover you’re used to, the hotel’s progressive design incorporates metal, glass and sleek modern lines with secret gardens and creeper-covered “living” walls – all just a 15-minute drive from the town centre.
MAP IT OUT
Our pick for the most comprehensive, idiosyncratic map of the Thai capital is Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok (US$12.95 or 250 baht, available online at www.nancychandler.net). Dense with insider information, the 24th edition reveals more than 100 new venues.
“We not only walked every lane in Chatuchak Weekend Market, but we also found little known attractions off the tourist-trap track,” says Nima Chandler, managing director.
CRUISING
Sailing up Vietnam’s waterways in a converted rice barge is enticing enough, and when it’s done by Victoria Hotels and Resorts (www.victoriahotels-asia.com), you can count on it being an experience to remember.
From Ho Chi Minh, board Le Jarai (above) for a six-hour cruise past floating markets, fish farms and riverside villages, then spend the night at the charming Victoria Chau Doc Hotel in the Mekong Delta.
Another journey over water brings you up close to local villages, after which a car journey whisks you to another sterling property – the Victoria Can Th o on the banks of the Hau River. After breakfast onboard the Lady Hau – another converted rice barge – guests return to Ho Chi Minh. The three-day trip is priced at US$578 per person.
OLD MEETS NEW
Sukhothai and its ancient temples may be the cradle of Thai culture, but a brand-new hotel, opened by Bangkok Airways is bringing an unmatched blend of modern Thai design and hospitality to town.
The perfect getaway retreat, Sukhothai Heritage Resort (tel +66 (0)556 4756-4574, www.sukhothaiheritage.com) is set halfway between Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai Historical Parks, just minutes from the airport.
Managing director of the resort, and Bangkok Airways’ vice president of corporate communications, ML Nandhika Varavarn, describes the property.
How is the Sukhothai Heritage Resort different from other hotels here?
Everything about it is different. Many hotels in Sukhothai are in a northern Thai style, using a lot of dark woods and in enclosed buildings. Our property is in the middle of the organic paddy fields which Bangkok Airways runs. There are also huge lotus ponds and even a swan-filled lake in the resort.
Do Sukhothai locals like to come here as well?
Locals oft en come to our restaurant because the food is very good and we have a live jazz band playing every night. There’s a saxophonist and a singer who perform on a stage that is “floating” in the middle of a lotus pond. A visit here makes for quite a pleasant night out.
Does the hotel serve the organic rice grown on the property?
Yes, and also organic vegetables. We have an excellent health food menu and our chef, Pim Boonyakiet, is known for her tasty Western and Thai dishes. Her signature dish is khoa hor bi bua, fried rice covered with lotus leaves, which is very tasty. Another nice dining experience is Sala Cafe, a bistro set in the middle of the rice fields. While you’re eating, you can watch the buffaloes ploughing the fields – it’s idyllic.
Which is your favourite room?
The suites are lovely because of the terraces. You can sit on your private terrace and look out at the rice fields or lotus pond. The rooms have a great choice of views. Rooms in the Cattaleeya Wing open onto the rice fields and there’s also a lovely sunset. The Leelawadee Wing overlooks the swan lake and lotus pools; the sunrise from here is spectacular.
Besides its modern approach, the resort also has many local influences, doesn’t it?
We have kept the ancient style of architecture, particularly for the exteriors. In contrast, the interiors are contemporary, decked in very chic, understated decor and with all the modern conveniences one would expect of a luxury hotel. We wanted Sukhothai Heritage Resort to be very light and airy, so guests will find that the property has a breezy and open-air ambience, with lots of natural light filling the interiors. The furnishings incorporate plenty of Thai silk in a calming palette of pastel colours.
