What would Elvis Presley be like if he was a drink? It’s not a question I’ve asked myself before, but, according to Ruben, chief bartender at the recently opened Pacific Standard bar on the 41st floor of the new Alila Bangsar hotel.
In celebration of the hotel’s fifth anniversary, The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto has released a collection of bespoke guest experiences and custom-made items including a commemorative Monopoly board game and a one-of-a-kind sparkling sake.
Long before Laos became ‘Laos’, the South-east Asian country was known as Lan Xang. It translates as ‘the land of a million elephants’, the name given to the kingdom in 1353 by former king Fa Ngum.
After 10 years in the making, the long-awaited opening of Banwa Private Island has made its debut in the Northern Palawan region of the Philippines.
Rome, famously, wasn’t built in a day. The new Apurva Kempinski Bali, the latest addition to Bali’s hotel scene, also took considerably longer than a day.
Cultural diversity is a great thing. The more people and cultures you have living in a place, the more knowledge, ideas, customs, beliefs and viewpoints you have, all of them bouncing off each other and forming new combinations, whether that’s in art, politics, literature, music or food.
Kuala Lumpur’s a city of towers. It’s iconic 452-metre high Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004, until Taipei 101 in Taiwan and other subsequent constructions eclipsed them.
In Buddhist cultures, ringing a bell, a gong or cymbal is said to be a way to make an offering to the Buddha.
According to a signpost outside, AVANI+ Luang Prabang, New York is 13,284 kilometres away. Paris is 9,056 kilometres away.
While some hotels pride themselves on being at the cutting edge of art, design and architecture, a showcase of the future, that isn’t for everyone.
Bali is an easy place to be indulgent. Around the coast and across the island, there are plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels where you can laze around, drink cocktails by the pool, and over-eat each day.
If you talk to anyone who visited Bali 20 years ago, they’ll tell you how much the paradise island has changed. It’s still a beautiful, relaxing place to spend time, one of my favorites.
Modern cities often move at a rapid pace. That isn’t something many locals in Kuala Lumpur would say about the traffic, which can be sluggish. But the Malaysian capital, known as KL, is one of Asia’s major hub cities and financial powerhouses.
If you’re someone who loves to travel in style, swim in crystal clear waters, and stay at the world’s top holiday accommodation, South East Asia has all that covered.
Everyone’s dream holiday destination is a combination of sun, activities and down time. More recently, though, vacationing trends tend to revolve around luxurious locations, yes; but the ideal holiday has a historical and cultural element to it, too.
