Perched on the edge of a perfect soft-sand beach in a part of Vietnam sofar undiscovered by the masses (it’s about halfway between Da Nang and Nha Trang), sits Anantara’s newest resort. With only 26 villas, expect the very best, including plunge pools that boast stunning sunrise views and minibars with fridges larger than the one you have at home and stocked with the best wines and craft beers from the north and south of Vietnam.
While away the days frolicking between the beach and the pool bar or take one of the hotel’s experience tours where you can explore Quy Nhon’s Champa ruins either by motorbike or chauffeured car, dine in neighbouring fishing villages or party the night away with the locals.
In Manila’s red light district you'll find a vibrant food scene waiting to be explored. While walking the bustling streets of Makati, there are mouthwatering street eats, 24-hour party halls and elevated on-trend restaurants that are akin to those you’d find in Brooklyn or Brixton. Makati has it all, and if your stomach is up for the challenge, you will find no better place to chow down on a Philippines food safari.
Located right on Makati Avenue is a bona fide food zoo. A. Venue Mall’s food hall is a street-food delight. Housed beneath a giant tent, your plate-up wish is your desire here. Sisig (pig head and liver), puto bumbong (steamed rice cake), lechon manok (spit-roast chicken)… You name it, it’s here, and at amazingly cheap prices. The scents and endless array of food in front of me has my mouth salivating as I make a beeline for the exotic meats and marinated chicken intestines grilled to perfection.
I was promised they’d be a savoury delight not to be missed, and they don’t disappoint. My only wish besides eating more is opting to not know exactly what it is on each skewer. Luckily, the live music distracts me from my nonsensical phobias and, of course, the cold (and cheap) San Miguel beer is plentiful. It washes down the spice and any unsavoury thoughts about the dish ingredients.
A brave slide down Jacobo Street, carefully navigating past midget boxing and waves of prostitutes throwing advances my way, I arrive at a secret hip restaurant in old downtown Poblacion. Violet neon signs welcome me to Polilya, a restaurant and lounge that’s so cool I wonder if I’ve just walked off the streets of Makati and into Brazil circa 1960.
Designed to within an inch of its life, it’s obvious the people of Polilya take food and drink very seriously. World-class bartenders create ambrosia in a glass on a nightly basis, and it’s all dangerously delicious. Jesse Estes is commanding the zinc and copper bar tonight and, with a shake here and a mix there, he serves me a drink so tasty I’m in danger of becoming addicted.
The cocktails aren’t the only things that delight my taste buds, though. The food here is toothsome, forward-thinking and a novel take on classic Philippine dishes. The spice of the Gangnam-style chicken wings melts my palate, but I have no doubt the Bangla mussels are the kitchen hands’ favourite order – each bowl returns to the kitchen as if already cleaned. And that’s just the entree.
Steak and ale pie, crab cakes and a burger that makes me rethink my religion are all on the menu for the main course. With belly full and legs light, I’m a happy camper. I take one last look at the menu and can’t help myself. I order a serve of the Zen chicken nuggets and decide it’s my favourite dish. Its holy trinity of sauces is so good, I wonder if this is what they mean to be at peace with the universe.
After a fine meal, I ascended to heaven at the I’M Hotel, which hosts one of the coolest rooftop bars I have ever seen, Antidote. Can you say jellyfish wall? Yes, a wall that is a tank filled with glowing jellyfish. The only thing perhaps more beautiful than these balletic sea creatures is the panoramic views of Manila.
It takes a few more cocktails before I stumble into the Filling Station on Burgos Avenue. Truth be told, I’m not sure if it’s late or early when I roll into the cafe-bar, but the place seems to be pumping. I look at my watch – it’s 4am. I’ve never seen a venue so busy at that hour.
The Filling Station is struggling with an identity crisis, embodying part 1950s cafe, part pool hall and part rowdy bar. But somehow, it works, creating an atmosphere that sees me losing track of time. It’s the Vegas of restaurants, with its kitchen and bar open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The people around me is a mix of locals, expats and lost tourists, and from the moment I enter I know I’m in for a good time.
The drinks keep coming and, before I know it, a menu is in front of me. I watch the food arrive at tables around me: perfectly cooked burgers and tuna melts reminiscent of those served up at a diner back home in Queens. I figure, as it’s early morning, a classic American-style breakfast fry-up is in order. I don’t know if it was my mindset or over-stimulated taste buds, but the plate of juicy ham steak, sausages, golden fried hash browns and filling beans are served with some of the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever eaten.
As the sun rises, I find myself back at the opulent I’M Hotel. This time I stay a bit closer to the earth at its insanely cool pool bar where you can have anything from mixed drinks to fresh juices. I sit in one of the oversized birdcages suspended over the pool, contemplating a dive that would test my faith in Filipino construction. The glass-bottom pool, which stretches across the entire face of the building, hangs directly over one of the busiest streets in Manila and is one hell of a way to get over a hangover.
Manila has proven itself deserving of a spot in the pantheon of great cities to imbibe and gorge. From inspired modern menus to the powerful flavours of street food, you simply cannot go wrong in this city that never stops.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbs oil
8–10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs chopped ginger
6–7 bird’s-eye chillies
8 chicken wings
3 tbs red chilli sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1½ tbs chilli vinegar
1½ tbs brown sugar
thin strips of green, red and yellow capsicum, to serve
METHOD
Heat the oil in a non-stick wok. Add the garlic, ginger and bird’s-eye chillies
and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken wings and sauté until the wings are browned.
Reduce heat and add chilli sauce, soy sauce, chilli vinegar and brown sugar. Stir so that the wings are fully covered and simmer until the wings are cooked through (about 15 minutes). Add a pinch of salt.
Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with the capsicum strips and serve hot.
Nicknamed the ‘grey ghost of the Himalayas’, your chances of seeing a snow leopard in the wild are pretty rare, but an expedition with Reef and Rainforest couldbe your ticket to catching a glimpse of these majestic animals. On the ‘In Search of the Snow Leopards of Ladakh’ tour, you’ll travel to the Hemis National Park and Ulley Valley in the Indian Himalayas.
Although their camouflaged coat makes them hard to see, this wild and rugged terrain is known for its increasing numbers of the vulnerable cats, which recently came close to extinction. If you’re really lucky you may also spot the Tibetan wolf, Tibetan fox, Eurasian lynx and an array of birdlife on your travels.
This Maldivian property is the Muhammad Ali of the hotel world, is practically peerless and packs a mean punch. Settled on a remote atoll strung in the middle of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the Anantara Kihavah is not only paradise incarnate (hello white sand and Tiffany Blue seas), it also brims with every possible excess (think villa hosts, personal wine fridges, pillow menus and even glass-bottomed bathtubs, acoustic guitars and painting easels in some rooms).
The real scene-stealer, though, is Anantara’s aptly named ‘Sea’ restaurant – the world’s first underwater wine cellar and one of only a few underwater restaurants in the world. Dine on a seven-course set menu while staring straight out at tomorrow’s catch of the day.
Hidden away in the shadow of the Himalayas, Nepal and Bhutan have long been considered places of intrigue and wonder. On the Nepal and Bhutan Adventure with Wendy Wu Tours, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the unique culture, ancient traditions and deep spirituality of these enigmatic countries. Across 14 days you’ll visit Boudhanath Stupa, take part in a Nepalese cooking class and receive a special Lama blessing by Buddhist monks.
Fly to Thimphu, the Bhutanese capital, where you’ll visit the rural towns of Punakha and Paro. Finally, you’ll hike the trail lined with prayer flags to the famous Tiger’s Nest monastery, which sits900 metres high on the cliffs of the beautiful Paro Valley. Talk about finishing on a high.
You can fly from Melbourne direct to Colombo, a huge, cosmopolitan metropolis, on your way to yet another one. Of all the routes to London, this one would have to be our favourite. It doesn’t cut the journey in half, but it does move you along further than the more popular Asian stopovers of Bangkok or Singapore. Plus, even if you don’t plan on spending a few nights, there is a long layover during which SriLankan Airlines will provide a transit hotel.
Colombo has everything you could possibly want in a quick break: golden beaches, monumental architecture and amazing food. At some point you’ll definitely want to hit the baffling but fascinating Pettah Market, but break up sightseeing in the Fort Area with high tea at the Kingsbury, served just the way we like it – buffet style. Take a dip in the sea at Galle Face Beach and give your legs a good stretch at the neighbouring Galle Face Green before heading back to the airport for your next flight.
With a name like Taki Taki, which means ‘cheers’ or ‘to lift up’ in Fijian, you just know you’re in for a cracking time at this Singaporean tiki bar. A vibrant mural dominates the small space that opens to a balcony, creating a vibe that is relaxed and friendly – the bar staff even go out of their way to learn the names of thirsty patrons!
The rum-soaked cocktails – served in classic tiki glassware, of course – come highly recommended, but there are plenty of other options on the first-rate drinks list that aren’t fruity, flowery or super sugary. Bar snacks come in the form of satay char siu tacos and cheeseburger sliders, which go a long way towards soaking up the delicious yet deceivingly potent cocktails.
It’s time for tea at Hong Kong’s coolest new cocktail bar, except the type of beverages being brewed at Tell Camellia pack slightly more of a punch than your average cup of Earl Grey. This tea-meets-booze venture is the brainchild of master mixologists Gagan Gurung and Sandeep Hathiramani, who named the bar after the tea-producing Camellia sinensis plant.
The ‘teatails’ (clever, right?) are named after the origin of the tea leaves used, and are a blend of flavours and ingredients that really shouldn’t work but somehow do. A standout is the Japan, which has been concocted using shochu, redistilled matcha, pumpkin seeds, mint, fermented soybean, seaweed and plankton sprinkles, and is served in a floating tea service. Levitating cocktails? Count us in.
If you want to get away from just about everything, you won’t do much better than Awei Pila in the Mergui Archipelago. This seafront resort is located on a private island about 80 kilometres from Myanmar’s mainland. Its 24 yurt-style huts all face the private beach and Andaman Sea, with lounges on the sand beckoning your lazy butt.
Take a visit to the local Moken people, who once lived as seafaring nomads but these days spend part of the year ashore. Otherwise it’s an all-in kickback situation. Take a stroll through the surrounding jungle looking for gibbons and pythons, or borrow a mask and kayak to paddle between islands exploring the reef as you go.
So impressive is the nature reserve and national park of Jiuzhaigou, located in the Sichuan province of China’s southwest, it’s been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and World Biosphere Reserve. Covering more than 72,000 hectares it’s renowned for its incredible beauty – tiered waterfalls, snow-topped mountains, colourful autumn leaves – and has seen a steady increase in visitors since it opened to the public in 1982.
Rather than boasting just one vibrant colour, Five Flower Lake changes depending on the weather and surroundings. Sometimes it’s turquoise, other times jade, deep blue and even amber. Most of the time it’s vivid aqua, but the best time to visit is when the leaves of the surrounding forest are starting to change and the mirrored surface takes on the varied shades of the foliage.
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