Chiang Rai’s Visama Mae Chan: A Retreat Rooted in Culture and Nature

The camp’s design philosophy is evident in its 10 luxuriously appointed tents, each named after hill tribes such as “Akha”, “Lahu”, “Yao”, and “Hmong”. These tents, ranging from a spacious 48 to 80 sqm, come with an additional 12 or 20 sqm veranda, offering guests panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. And while the camp promises an immersive nature experience, it doesn’t compromise on luxury. Each tent is equipped with modern amenities like air conditioning, espresso machines, WiFi, rain showers, and a 24-hour concierge service, ensuring guests feel pampered at every turn.

Visama Mae Chan’s culinary offerings are a celebration of the region’s rich heritage. At the Reu Doo Gaan restaurant, guests can indulge in the best of Lanna fare, with a menu that boasts local farm-to-table organic options alongside international favorites. The dining experience here is not just confined to the restaurant. Guests can indulge in private picnics and foraging adventures.

Read More: An Audience With Asian Elephants From Inside Chiang Rai’s Jungle Bubbles

Wild lux in Chiang Rai: Visama Mae Chan

The camp offers curated two- to four-day “journeys”, each crafted around unique themes. From farm-to-table dining and Lanna cultural immersion to artistic exploration and outdoor adventures, the experiences at Visama Mae Chan cater to a myriad of tastes and passions. A standout feature is The Ambalama, a dedicated space for storytelling and engaging talks by guest speakers, including renowned authors and historians.

Interior style and comfort at Visama Mae Chan

Chris Stafford, Chief Operating Officer of VHG, encapsulates the essence of the camp, stating, “We want to immerse guests in a fusion of luxury and Lanna culture set against the stunning backdrop of the mythical mountains of the Golden Triangle.”

Visama Mae Chan places a strong emphasis on environmental conservation and cultural preservation. The camp operates on not-for-profit principles, with proceeds benefiting the ‘Friends of Thai Daughters’ foundation. This foundation is dedicated to preventing child trafficking by empowering girls from hill tribe communities, ensuring that guests’ stays contribute to a larger, noble cause.

Read More: The Wonders Of Thailand’s Starlight Night Sky

For those eager to experience this blend of luxury and culture, bookings opened on 27th September, with the camp set to welcome its first guests from 1st November 2023. In an era where luxury often overshadows sustainability, Visama Mae Chan shines as an example, blending refined comfort with eco-consciousness. ◼

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© This article was first published online in Oct 2023 – World Travel Magazine.

The post Eco-Luxury in the Heart of Chiang Rai: Visama Mae Chan first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

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Nestled amidst a network of some 800 scattered islands and vibrant coral reefs, the island of Pila in Myanmar was known only to the indigenous people of the Mergui Archipelago, the Moken, for centuries, and only opened to foreigners in the late 1990s. Since then, the island has remained relatively untouched by the ravages of modernisation. It’s newest, and only resort, Awei Pila, aims to maintain the balance of the island’s ecosystem while simultaneously providing guests with an exclusive resort to call home.
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Myanmar’s stunning Mergui archipelago

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Awei Pila prides itself in its unique brand of sustainable luxury. Each of its 24 tented villas strives to integrate itself into islands untouched beauty, taking design cues from the natives’ nomadic seafaring lifestyle – the Moken only come ashore to live during the monsoon season, building their homes out of light, tented structures.
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Awei Pila’s arching pool

One of Awei Pila’s airconditioned tents

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So uncharted is the island that it is believed that there several undiscovered beaches remain on Pila. Strict regulations on the use of plastics and pollutions in Awei Pila also help the island maintain its otherworldly aura, and the resort offers numerous nature experiences – including trekking tours and snorkelling – to help guests understand the surrounding ecosystem more. aweipila.com ◼

(Last edited: 15 Jan 2019)
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_basic_grid post_type=”ids” element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1543538848094-6ef62272-cc9e-2″ include=”16012″][vc_column_text]Subscribe to the latest edition now by clicking here.

© This article was first published online in Nov 2018 – World Travel Magazine.
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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Tulum, Mexico”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]In Tulum, Mexico, structures made from bejuco vines, plants local to the area, rise from the jungle. A strip of villas skirting treetops look out at turquoise sea. Frothy waves lap white sand below. This is eco-resort Azulik.

Its story starts 20 years ago with Argentinean-born artist Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel. While on a sailing trip through the Caribbean, he discovered the town of Tulum and decided to stay. He was a painter and, through the sales of his paintings, was able to purchase land. Without any formal architectural training, he began construction on Azulik.

“I never plan a thing. I never make floor plans,” he says. “A plan does not work if you want to respect nature.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Domo para ceremonias Maya Spa

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Structures at Azulik are built with the same materials Mayans have used for centuries, bejuco and wood, all collected from the area. The first few villas were built in the same ways too – oval-shaped and with thatched roofs.

“The funny thing of the process is that we never know what we will do. Even if I have a previous idea, nature imposes herself. If it can’t be done in a known way, then the answer is to play, to improvise.”

Sterkel works with a team of 200-or-so modern Mayans and describes them as playful and mischievous. ‘It must be something never seen before,’ I tell them, and they laugh as kids planning a trick. When the idea appears, they work to bring new answers.”

Today, trees spring up from the middle of wood walkways. In the villas, sunlight filters through slivers between vine ceilings. There are no phone lines so room service orders are scribbled onto scraps of paper, which are then placed in wooden balls and dropped down a shoot leading to the kitchen.

Sterkel’s plan – or rather, lack thereof – has worked. Nature has not only been respected, but it’s being benefited from too. The water used throughout the resort comes from cenotes, sinkholes the area is known for, and is rich in minerals. No electricity means calming candlelight and no distractions.

For guests at Azulik, a restored connection with the environment, with others and with themselves is inevitable – exactly as Sterkel intended. “That is the purpose of Azulik: to reconnect individuals and tribes,” he says.

From eight villas in 2003, Azulik now has 48. The Jungle, Mayan and Aztec Villas nestle into greenery while the Sea and Sky villas sit seafront. Though the resort is luxurious, it still retains Tulum’s free-spirited ethos with a clothing-optional private beach and mosaic bathtubs replacing showers.

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“The idea behind this is for you to take your time, soak in the tub with bath salts and relax. The shower is an invention of rushed men,” reads its website.

A spa, hair salon, clothing store, apothecary and three restaurants – Kin Toh, Tseen Ja, and Cenote – have also since sprouted up around the property. An eyewear shop is set to open later this year.

It’s the resort’s contemporary art gallery IK Lab however that has garnered the most attention. Opened on April 20th this year, it’s brought Azulik into the architecture world’s spotlight. And while it may have been the gallery’s director Santiago Rumney Guggenheim, the great-grandson of famed art collector Peggy Guggenheim, who gave media outlets their headlines, it was the actual space that had people captivated.

The collaboration came about organically. Guggenheim had recently moved to Tulum and was walking around town when he saw a property with a big round door from the road. Intrigued, he asked to meet its owner. The door was one of Azulik’s and the result of their meeting was IK Lab.

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Casa de la medicina ancestral (Apoteca)

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“End of April, in the heart of one of the most exclusive locations in South America, an unprecedented art gallery project will be launched,” Guggenheim announced on his Facebook page at the time.

In the Mayan language, ‘ik’ means wind – a fitting name for the gallery’s undulating floors, walls and ceilings. Guests enter through a 4m-high round glass door and, once inside the cavernous space, are requested to remove their shoes. Sunlight spills in through round windows, warming the wood floor. In other parts, the floor is cold and concrete.

“The space is the perfect conversation between nature and human-made, the smooth surface of the concrete alternated with the curves of the raw bejuco,” says Gallery Manager Valentina Bizzotto. “It reminds me also a bit of Antoni Gaudi.”

The gallery is made from wood and fiberglass and has a live tree incorporated into its structure. Everything is handmade and, as a result, susceptible to nature’s elements – like rain.

“Of course we might have some water coming in from the door. Or sometimes the wood expands with the humidity and cracks the fiberglass so we might have a bit of leaking,” says Bizzotto.

“But then the day after, we fix the fiberglass and it’s not a big deal. But it’s very beautiful because the rain here lasts usually one hour and is very strong. You feel so safe in the gallery and the noise is amazing.”

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Sea Villas on the first floor and Sky Villas on the second floor sit ocean-front

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The gallery’s inaugural exhibition Alignments features 20 works by international artists Artur Lescher, Margo Trushina and Tatiana Trouvé that explore the human journey through physical and metaphysical realms. The artworks seem to belong to the space. So much so that walking through the gallery, it’s difficult to discern where the gallery ends and Alignments begins.

It’s something Tulum as a whole does well – blending art with its surroundings. Less than two decades ago, the town, located 90 minutes south of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula, was only a small hippie community. The hashtagging of its creative, colourful restaurants, environment-embracing hotels and jaw-dropping cenotes has helped to grow it to what it is today.

Its downtown Pueblo area, filled with taco joints, souvenir stalls and dive shops, sits inland. Cenotes dot its side streets. A 15-minute drive to the coast takes you to the town’s ritzier resort zone where you’ll find Azulik. Sprawling, seaside hotels sit on one side of the winding road leading through the jungle. Restaurants and shops, seemingly carved into the jungle, are on the other.

With the stream of tourists multiplying every year, the town is expanding rapidly as it tries to keep up. It’s a similar situation within Azulik. On his 126-hectare slice of jungle, Sterkel says he has plans to add a museum, a recording studio, artist residences, a spa hotel and a wellness hotel.

It certainly seems as if for Sterkel, the sky is the limit. It’s ironic then that his only obstacle is buried deep into the ground. “The one and only rule is not to cut any trees,” he says. ◼

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© This article was first published in Aug-Sept 2018 edition of World Travel Magazine.

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The post A Treetop Night In Tulum first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”The fine art of forest bathing in South India”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Vibrant, colourful, exotic and ethnic, with attractions as diverse as the mind can visualise- this is Southern India. Allow it to lure you this winter.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Beautiful vistas along the quaint hilly roads of Munnar

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Southern India offers rich diversity to its visitors all through the year including the winter months of December and January. With its salubrious climate and breathtaking locales, one needs to look no further for an exclusive holiday. Undoubtedly, a lot is there in store for the eager traveller.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Scenic drive along Munnar Thekkady

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Scenic drives

Rated among the top 10 drives in the world, the drive from Munnar to Thekkady is a journey that wholly justifies its rating. This drive, roughly around 90 km, is to be experienced to believe. The sheer beauty of nature that travels alongside you as you eat up the miles is sure to compel you to stop ever so often to soak in the scenes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Tea plantations in Munnar

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]From tea plantations and cardamom estates to beautiful hills and waterfalls, there’s indeed a lot to enchant you. Another beautiful drive is from Bangalore in Karnataka to Masinagudi, stretching over 225 km. With the forest areas of Mudumalai and Bandipur on the route, you have a good chance to encounter wild elephants on the way. It does not matter if you do not have a destination in mind; it is the journey that will enchant you all through. Feasting your eyes on the greenery along the way, taking in the splendour of nature, savouring the occasional glimpses of wildlife as you traverse the route, these are drives that will rejuvenate you inside out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Sarovaram Ayurvedic Health Center

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Ayurveda

A relaxing massage, oil bath, therapeutic massage, and the likes are the hallmark of Kerala and to a large extent in Karnataka as well. Some of the most exclusive ayurvedic retreats are to be found in this part of Southern India. To have your daily stresses and worries eased out in the hands of trained staff and having oil massages tailored to your needs is the ultimate lure for your winter holiday in South India.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Ayurveda rejuvenation therapy in Kerala

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Some of the most luxurious and prominent resorts are located along the seas and their sole objective is to pamper your senses with various medicinal as well as relaxing massages and packs. Experience the sublime and retreat to a world of utter indulgence while having the cares of daily life expunged from your system.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Padmanabhapuram Palace

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Unusual temples and palaces

South India is characterised by a typical architectural style for its temples known as gopurams. All major temples are built on this pattern. There are, however, some offbeat and exemplary architectural instances that stand out for their unique styles. Away from the humdrum, standing in their own majestic splendour are some of the lesser known but more exquisite temples and palaces in this region of India.

The Padmanabhapuram Palace is one such in Kerala. It is famous for its intricate woodwork and breathtaking finesse and detail. Halebidu and Pattadakal temples vie for attention in Karnataka, steeped in history and reflecting the cultural richness of a bygone era.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Padmanabhapuram Palace’s ornate gate

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]These temples will appeal to your aesthetics for the sheer artistry and carvings on display, more than perhaps the accent on the religious aspect.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Beautiful and serene backwaters of Kerala

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Exotic beaches and backwaters

Rippling seawaters in every imaginable shade of blue and green, sun-kissed and adorned by generous groves of coconut palms, lapping waves and the serene calm of backwaters, a lazy dusk colouring the same waters a vivid red as you savour a sundowner by the waters while coconut fronds provide a beautiful backdrop- could there be anything more idyllic? Known for backwaters that rival the best in the world, Valiyaparamba and Kumarakom in Kerala beckon with their pristine beauty.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Its the simple life at its best on a boathouse in Alleppey

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]You need just to reach these places and let go, sit back and relax in a setting that has all the ingredients to pamper every one of your senses to the maximum.  Complementing the calm backwaters are the countless number of beaches dotting the coastline of Kerala and Karnataka that can give you the luxury of exotica.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

By far the best way to explore the backwaters is on a House Boat

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]It is worth travelling to some of the lesser-known virgin beaches and let the sheer beauty of the surroundings take over.  Gokarna and Kanwatheertha are two such beaches that make for a luxuriant but quiet getaway.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

A haven for wildlife in Thekkady

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Going wild

Kerala and Karnataka are known for their abundant and varied wildlife, although the majestic elephant dominates in almost all the national parks and reserve forests.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Wild elephants in Munnar

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The parks have beautiful resorts in the lap of the forest where one can chance upon herds of blackbuck while sipping on the morning tea, hear the cautionary call of the langur to signal a big cat on the prowl nearby, and invariably wake up to a cacophony of bird calls. You can trek within these parks or laze around and enjoy the sights and sounds. Kudremukh and Periyar sanctuaries need special mention here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Kori Gassi (Mangalorean chicken curry)

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Kerala Kalamandalam

Kerala Kalamandalam is a one-stop destination for every traveller who wishes for a quick immersion into the culture and heritage of this ancient land that traces its traditions back to 3rd century BC. This is, in fact, a deemed University for performing arts of different types that abound in this state. One can experience a rare Mizhavu recital here, a single major percussion instrument that forms part of the Sanskrit theatre, as well as come across various martial art forms indigenous to Kerala. The campus in itself is worth a visit with every pillar, every thatched roof, every wall being an ode to the rich cultural heritage of this state.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

South Indian thali colourful as ever

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Pamper your palate

The quintessential cuisine of Kerala and Karnataka is as full-flavoured and colourful as are the locals. Subject your palate to an explosion of tastes, go for the regional cuisine apart from the ever-famous dosa; although it must be said that the sheer variety of dosas across these states is enough to stump you. Indulge in various coconut dishes in sweet and savoury tastes, such as Korri Gassi and Obbattu. The Udupi cuisine of Karnataka and Malabar cuisine of Kerala are outstanding examples of local foods that bring out the masterchef amongst all. Make sure you taste the unique red banana of Kerala and various dishes built around it.

It is in the subcontinent’s peninsula that one comes to experience the exquisite. Unexplored vistas await you this winter in Southern India! ◼[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Subscribe to the latest edition now by clicking here.

© This article was first published online in Nov 2018 edition – World Travel Magazine.

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The post Spend Your Winter In Winsome Southern India first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Fall barefoot crazy in love”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]A seaplane arrival over turquoise waters of the Exuma Island chain begins your journey to this 72-acre private island paradise. Bury your toes in the Caribbean’s powder-white sand and feel rejuvenated. It’s easy to fall crazy in love here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Island is home to Meridian House a fantastic, whimsical oasis

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The island is home to Meridian House a fantastic, whimsical oasis with an upscale and tranquil environment. Featuring a 214sqm master suite, you will also enjoy a 12-seat movie theatre, and a grand conservatory featuring a Steinway piano with panoramic views of the sea.

Accommodating up to 28 guests, you’ll enjoy the island’s vast amenities like floodlit tennis, a nine-hole par three golf course, yoga and a fabulous selection of water sports with dockage for a few superyachts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Amenities include dramatic infinity pools and a 12-seat movie theatre

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Home to the sailing yacht Tenacious, a Ted-Hood designed 34m shallow-draft sloop ideal for shallow Caribbean cruising, charter her as part of an island-hopping excursion or for longer voyages.

Amenities include whatever your heart desires––whether food and wine, or a range of motorboats and daysailers for local waters. After a day on the sea, enjoy exchanging stories at seaside fire pits, or hold a black-tie dinner, your choice. overyondercay.com ◼[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”ids” element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1541070853413-b7a9d09c-9137-10″ include=”7861″][vc_column_text]

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The post Island whimsy in the Caribbean first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Denali’s call to the wild”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Leave the day-trips, shore excursions and leaving-you-wanting-more fly-overs behind, there’s a new way to explore Alaska’s famous Denali National Park. Sitting at 6,000 feet on a rocky granite cliff, called a nunatak, the hexagonally shaped, eco-conscious Sheldon Chalet sits high above the 35-square mile snowy Don Sheldon Amphitheater, offering incredible views of Denali’s peak, the tallest mountain in North America, only ten miles away.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The setting of the Sheldon Chalet by Jeff Schultz

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Get your winter wonderland on inside the five-bedroom luxurious chalet with off-the-chart adventurous amenities including a concierge, chef and two guides. Cuisine features “Alaskan gourmet” highlighting the bounty of the land with seafood, game and foraged items leading the pack.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

No shortage of food here by Jeff Schultz

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Alaskan artisans crafted the weather-proofed, seismically secure chalet with windows as large as the state of Alaska and an equally large round table out of local birch trees. sheldonchalet.com ◼[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Guest room – an atmosphere of comfort by Jeff Schultz

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_basic_grid post_type=”ids” element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1540515122636-e49845f0-dd96-1″ include=”15114″][vc_column_text]

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The post Northern Lights and Alaskan nights first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

As teenagers, Eddie and Jack worked together in an Edinburgh bar where they decided to build a boat and hire a local fisher-pirate captain to explore the islands around the Philippines. After their money ran out, they invited tourists to join them onboard for a fee, arranging for their accommodations with islanders. The rest is history.

Over a glass of jungle juice––the Tao signature cocktail a soothing blend of rum, pineapple juice, and water––you meet your expedition leader and a few dozen travelling companions. The next five days will be epic in ways you can’t imagine. Onboard you receive a little more information about the next five days. The handout says it all––

“We call it an expedition because we are exploring the islands together….the experience is all there for you but it cannot be listed on a menu, you have to explore it yourself.” There is no plan. Only the promise that exploration can take many forms. The exploration of the outside world is what lured you here to Camp Ngey! Ngey!, but you hadn’t expected waking up every morning in an open-air bamboo ‘Tuka’ hut. After an ocean breeze coaxes you out of bed, you dive into crystal clear waters in the early morning. This exploration puts a new twist on the typical fun and sun package.

Camp Ngey! Ngey!

Family-style meals feature Tao Chefs to cook up fresh fish caught by Islanders and produce from the Tao organic farm. Adventure comes easy here. Exploring the island’s jungle trails as you skirt wild beaches and windswept cliffs, brings a discovery of hidden caves. Enjoy snorkelling around the island’s preserved reefs rich with a variety of sea life and shipwrecks too on an escape to this Neverland of wonder and freedom. taophilippines.com ◼

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© This article was first published in Oct-Nov 2018 edition of World Travel Magazine.

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The post Welcome To Neverland, An Off-The-Grid Luxury Escape first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”The slow food that defines the region”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Walking through the tundra lands of Swedish Lapland, the region’s respect and reverence for nature is evident. Swedes abide by the tenet of “Freedom to Roam” — the freedom for all citizens to explore nature, to roam free in the country’s woods, forests and tundra — a law that, in turn, has developed the regional culture. And, as in any outdoors-oriented region, the local cuisine has evolved to support these pursuits.

The diet of the indigenous, nomadic reindeer herders of the region, known as the Sami, is dictated by the place itself. Local cuisine relies heavily on the tundra and the creatures upon it; reindeer, game birds and local fish such as trout, grayling and whitefish are featured heavily in the cuisine, served dried, fresh and every way imaginable.

Bierggojubttsa, a traditional soup with meat (often reindeer), potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables, is an example of a traditional, hearty meal that can readily be prepared on a rural farm but also is served in trendy restaurants in northern towns such as Kiruna. Outdoor adventurers who visit the fishing camp of Tjuonajokk, accessible only via a helicopter ride or long hike from Kiruna, will find Chef Tim in the kitchen, creating excellent, restaurant-quality meals using basic ingredients sourced locally and from the surrounding tundra.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Gáhkku, the Sámi flatbread, is usually cooked over an open fire and served alongside most meals, as is the ubiquitous coffee, served in a guksi, the traditional Nordic drinking cup. While staying at the Sami eco-lodge of Guenja, visitors can experience the hospitality of Mikael and AnkiVinka, who craft sustainable, hearty meals as the Sami have for generations — over a fire in a simple log cabin.

Sustainable, fresh and healthy, the food of the Sami is quite simple yet showcases the fresh ingredients that are often hand-harvested from the sweeping, marshy tundra and the cold, wild rivers that run through it. The meals pay homage to the region’s rich Sami history while also celebrating a continual love affair with the outdoors and the cuisine it provides on a seemingly harsh landscape.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Meals are served inside the main cabin at Guenja

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]This is “slow food” at its most elegant — unique flavours best enjoyed slowly, to be relished, in the very environment from which they came. Whether on the tundra enjoying a glass of wine and reindeer stew at the fine Mat &Dryk at Hotel SPiS in Kiruna, the food alone is reason enough to travel to the Arctic Circle and live as the Swedes do. Jess McGlothlin

Tjuonajokk  fishyourdream.com/en/locations/tjuonajokk

Guenja swedishlapland.com/place-story/geunja-sami-ecolodge/  ◼[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”ids” element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1539883319041-616472c8-701d-6″ include=”13437″][vc_column_text]

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The post Sweden’s Secret Food Style Revealed first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Cruising down memory lane”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

A journey up Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay to the far northern trading town of Bhamo, near the Chinese border.

It’s early morning when we dock at the riverside trading town of Bhamo in the northernmost part of Myanmar. Just 65 kilometres from China, it’s a bustling border town of potholed streets jammed with cars, buses, pickup trucks and motorbikes leaving whirls of dust. Clutters of shops sell gold jewellery, jade, clothes, toys, knock-off CDs and lots of mostly cheap Chinese goods. But there are also fine examples of old teak houses and magnificent broad, overhanging trees shading a quaint riverfront.I am travelling along the Ayeyarwady on Belmond’s luxury ship, the Orcaella, named after the endangered snub-nosed dolphins that swim the river. Over the next several days we will experience the people, their beliefs, customs, and daily existence along one of Asia’s great rivers.The Ayeyarwady flows from the Himalayan glaciers and sweeps down through the heart of Myanmar—formally called Burma—to the fertile delta region into the Andaman Sea. Also known as the Irrawaddy, it is the country’s largest and most important commercial waterways.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Little monks at Mingun Pahtodawgyi Mingun paya

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The trip began several days ago down river in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and cultural capital. We will re-visit it on the river-ride back. For now, we visit Soon U Ponya Shin Paya on the southern side of 240-metre high Sagaing Hill. The Buddhist temple features a 30-metre high gilded stupa that was originally built in 1312. Legends claim the structure miraculously appeared overnight from a superhuman act by the king’s minister who was influenced by a magical Buddha relic that he found in a betel-nut box. From the balcony, I take in the spectacular view of pagodas and, across the brown Ayeyarwady, the Shan hills.

We then set sail to Mingun. The little riverside village has a trio of unique sites, the most famous being Mingun Paya, also known as Mingun Pahtodawgyi. Beneath a banyan tree, I marvel at what is left of this massive, incomplete square structure. Roughly 73-metre cube of russet-coloured bricks on a 140-metre lower terrace, it’s meant to be the world’s largest stupa. But when King Bodawpaya died in 1819, only the bottom third was completed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

I then stroll past souvenir shops selling marionettes hanging from tree branches, shelves of wooden masks, Buddha images and other handicrafts. I reach the third major site, Paya Hsinbyume, an attractive pagoda built in 1816 by the future King Bagyidaw in memory of one of his wives. The pagoda rises in seven undulating whitewashed terraces symbolising the seven mountain ranges around Mt Meru, which, according to Buddhism is the centre of the Buddhist universe.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Three Buddhist novice are walking and holding the red umbrella at Mingun Pahtodawgyi, Bagan, Mandalay

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]We then slowly putter up river for a few hours to the small village of Nwe Nyein, known for producing high-quality, glazed earthenware pottery that’s sold throughout the country. The cottage industry involves more than half the village’s population.

There are no store-bought pottery wheels, electric kilns, fancy tools and other equipment here. The entire production is handmade by traditional methods. And it’s a laborious process. Inside one workshop dusty sunlight seeps through open windows and cracks in the wooden walls. A couple of babies sleep in rockers as young girls squat on the hard dirt floor spinning with their hands—some standing use their feet—wooden swivel bases as older, squatting women shape moist, reddish clay, harvested from the nearby riverbeds, into various small-sized pots. Outside, women carry the small pots stacked and balanced on their heads to dry outside in the hot sun.

In another workshop young women are also squatting on the floor spinning wooden swivel bases. But here, men are making huge, 50-gallon, swollen-shaped water pots. I watch one potter, barefoot in a sarong and T-shirt, using one hand to shape the contour from inside the pot while the other hand carefully smooths and gently shapes it from the outside.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Kuthodaw Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa, located in Mandalay that contains the world’s largest book. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]As we travel further upriver we stop at Kyan Hnyat, a small, quaint village on Ayeyarwady’s shores. As I walk along a red dirt path past dark-wooden houses on stilts, some with a few chickens scratching around in the dirt, I hear a rhythmic chorus of children. I open a wooden gate, peek in and enter. In a classroom with woven bamboo walls are rows of children sitting at long wooden tables all reciting aloud in unison from a textbook. A teacher stands listening in the back.

Like almost all Myanmar women young and old, the girls wear thanakha—swirls of yellow powdery paste made from ground bark and worn on their cheeks and foreheads both as a sunscreen and cosmetic. I greet them with the popular greeting of “mingalaba.” Although extremely shy, they respond in kind with giggles and smiles.

Having sailed to the port town of Katha during the night, it’s an early morning visit in a bicycle trishaw to the main market, a labyrinth of narrow aisles and pungent smells. On bamboo-woven platters are piles of morning glory, bitter gourd, fermented fish, pungent spices, inner organs, skinned goat heads, and pastries cooking in bubbling brown oil.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Three young monk are running and jumping on the Mya Thein Tan Pagoda at bagan, Mandalay

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Then we visit the two-storey colonial home where Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell, used for the setting of his novel, Burmese Days. The ramshackle two-story teak house is now a police officer’s home just off the busy main road. In the front are weeds and some dogs lazing around. Katha was his last posting in the Imperial Police before returning to England in 1927, though in the anti-colonial novel he called the town Kyauktada. The British Club, also in the novel, still exists, as does the tennis court, pagoda and prison.

As we continue to sail over the next few days, I watch snapshots of river and rural life slip by. Milk-white pagodas with golden spires flashing in the sunlight; women and men in sarongs and naked kids bathing in the caramel-coloured water; a single file of saffron-clad monks walking to a monastery; children in white-and-green uniforms drifting slowly to school; farmers ploughing patchworks of fields with oxen; a man waist deep in the water gracefully casting a fishing net that opens like a fan in the morning light. Time, like the river, flows leisurely.

Then the boat slows down as the river narrows between towering, jungle-clad cliffs. The only sounds are birds and screeching monkeys coming from the untamed foliage. As the ship moves slowly in the quiet, tropical heat, heavily vegetated towering gorges get closer, which takes about two hours to pass. We’ve reached our furthest northern destination, Bhamo.

Returning downstream we stop at Weima, one of 36 government-run elephant camps in the north. Elephants are being washed in the slow-flowing river, while women carry pails of water hung by yokes balanced over a shoulder. Most of the mahouts use their elephants to help fell teak trees and drag the logs to the river to be shipped downstream. Myanmar has about 75 percent of the world’s teak.
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Simple village life in Myanmar

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The next day we pull into Ma Lae village, timed perfectly to watch a Buddhist novitiation ceremony, an important rite of passage for all Burmese boys under 20 to become novice monks for a week or more. The boys are carried through town on decorated palanquins and then, in a temple, with their parents beside them, have their heads shaved and change into burgundy monk robes.

Back in temple-filled Mandalay we pick three unique ones to visit: the finely teak-carved Shwenandaw Monastery built in 1878; Kuthodaw Pagoda, with hundreds of small white stupas, and Buddhist texts carved into marble pages that are each 153 centimetres tall and 107 centimetres wide; and Mahamuni Paya, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country with the most revered image of the Buddha in Burma. Believed to be 2,000 years old, it’s been covered in tons of gold leaf over the centuries, except for its gleaming face which legend claims is a true likeness of Gautama Buddha.

On our final day we sail through the prow-splitting waters to Bagan, our last destination. Originally the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the rulers built between 4,000 and 10,000 temples between the 11th and 13th centuries. Marco Polo declared it as “one of the finest sights in the world.” It still is a wonder with about 2,500 monuments left scattered across some 80 square kilometres of flat plain.

I wander around this mystical, temple-studded landscape, stepping into the shadowy dark interiors of temples which display elaborate centuries-old religious murals and monks praying at the foot of towering Buddhas. Then, as sunset approaches, I make my way to Shwesandaw Paya, one of the largest pagodas. Its terraces are already crowded with people. A spectacular sunset of reds and oranges bleeds across the sky behind the pagoda. Then, in the dying glow of its last light, as darkness is about to drape the area, there is the silhouette of a woman standing perfectly still in a yoga pose at the edge of the highest terrace.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Serene sunsets as we sail along the river

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]There is something peaceful and timeless about the scene, like this journey has been, through times past in time present. ◼[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”ids” element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1539861899906-dcd176d2-c1eb-9″ include=”2607″][vc_column_text]

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The post A River Through Time first appeared on World Travel Magazine.

A green sea turtle surfaces near your kayak as you  paddle through an electric Kool-Aid blue lagoon surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. Your destination? A pristine palm tree shaded beach without another soul in sight. This is just another day in Palawan, an archipelago of 1,780 islands south-west of Manila in the Philippines.

guests sleep in their own private luxury “Nest” perched in the canopy

Yet, this scene has become increasingly rare around the world. Things like empty beaches, biodiversity, cultural authenticity and clean oceans are becoming scarce. The price of standing in the world tourism spotlight is high.

low impact activities like kayaking and paddleboarding are the preferred way to see the Big and Small Lagoons at the El Nido Resorts

Case in point: Boracay. Waste management and environmental concerns so plague the tropical hotspot that on April 26, 2018, President Duterte officially closed Boracay to all visitors for six months.

Palawan is a diver’s dream with hundreds of unique species found only in its water

Boracay is an extremely popular destination for domestic and international travellers. According to the Boracay tourism office, the island made a record US$1 billion dollars as it played host to over 2 million visitors from all parts of the globe.

one of the greenest ways to see Palawan is aboard a sailboat

With Boracay off limits, it’s time to look for a new favourite island destination while simultaneously figuring out a way to preserve the slices of paradise we so love.

your stay at the Birdhouse starts with a 187 stair climb, but don’t worry, the view is worth every step

El Nido: The Green Alternative to Boracay

Enter El Nido. Armed with its spectacular natural beauty and forward-thinking approach to sustainable tourism, this charming little town is the perfect launch pad to see Palawan. Get acclimated while staying in a luxury bell tent at the Bird House El Nido. The Bird House is a “glamping” eco-resort that is perched in the jungle canopy 187 stairs above Marmegmeg Beach.

sweet Filippino sausage, fresh vegetables, and eggs raised on site compliment the view at breakfast at the Nesting Table

The owners of the Bird House said that they were quick to recognise the growing need for businesses built around an environmental ethos in El Nido and the greater Philippines. The Bird House is now leading the green tourism initiative in the area with composting toilets, a greywater system, a garden-to-table restaurant and an entire operating system based upon the ideals of permaculture.

a tiny ziplining tourist whizzes through the view from one of the “Nests” at the Bird House

Beyond being entirely self-sufficient, the Bird House lures flocks of travellers to its canopy-top perch because of its luxe bohemian interiors, comfortable beds and unique outlook. Nowhere else in El Nido will you find a 180-degree birds-eye view of the exquisite Bacuit Bay. Down the stairs, adventure beckons. Options include kayaking to Papaya Beach, sunbathing at Marmegmeg Beach or trying the 750-meter zipline that sends tourists hollering from the top of Marmegmeg Beach to a neighbouring island.

From the beach below the Birdhouse you can paddle to several secluded beaches

A Healthy Dose of Vitamin Sea: Palawan by Sailboat

The Bird House may seem like the sky’s limit, but the reason most people visit Palawan is the islands. Out amongst the atolls, your toughest daily decision may be whether to explore what’s above the surface or what’s below. Sheer limestone cliffs that flank lagoons of crystal clear, bright blue salt water are a photographer’s delight. Yet, for divers, what lies beneath is more enticing. Palawan is world-renowned for scuba and free diving because it is home to hundreds of unique species of coral and fish.

Not far from El Nido, the ultimate island shack sits waiting for its keepers

One of the best ways to see more of the islands, skip the crowds and reduce your carbon footprint is to rent a skippered private sailboat. Several outfitters run trips throughout the year with best sailing months being January through March.

The Maremegmeg Beach Bar is a great place for a bite to eat, people watching and a sundowner

Once you’ve met your boat and captain, you motor out of Corong Corong harbour, put up the sails and leave the rest to the wind. You’ll soon find that the slow pace of travel is not only relaxing but the best way to see the seemingly endless sugar-white beaches, jungle-covered deserted islands and deep blue fantasy lagoons of the area.

Live out your castaway fantasy somewhere in Palawan

El Nido Resorts: Where Luxury Meets Sustainability

Of course, not everyone has found their sea legs. If you’re a landlubber looking for a luxurious but remote alternative to sailing, try one of the El Nido Resort’s four island outposts. All four – Apulit, Miniloc, Lagen, and Pangulasian – are located on secluded private islands accessible only by boat. The El Nido Resorts group prides itself on offering exclusive high-end experiences to its guests while working with the local community to protect traditions and the environment.

The slow pace of sailing is extremely relaxing and naps on the bow are common

Choose your island based on your mood or purpose for the trip: Miniloc for fun, Pangulasian for opulence, Lagen for sanctuary, or Apulit for adventure.

It’s easy to nd a private slice of paradise in Palawan

While it’s hard to look past the original – Miniloc Island was the first resort of any kind in Palawan when it opened its doors to divers back in 1982 – Pangulasian is the showstopper. The resort is located on a private island called the “Island of the Sun” for its incredible sunset and sunrise views. Pangulasian is known equally for its impeccable service and private pool villas as it is  for its natural beauty. Frolic on the 750-meter stretch of snow-white sand before taking part in numerous activities like lagoon and island hopping tours included with your accommodation.

Pangulasian Island specializes in once in a lifetime experiences, think your honeymoon

Regardless of which resort you chose, you’ll be able to soak up this luxury experience guilt-free knowing that El Nido Resorts is committed to protecting this unforgettable place. The entire operation is designed to be as low impact as possible on the environment and culture. The Resorts seek to enhance the natural experience and thus prohibit jet skis and motorised sports equipment. Their team has also installed 21 moorings around Bacuit Bay to protect the coral reefs from destruction by anchors dropped by tour boats.

A private sailboat lets you see parts of the archipelago otherwise unreachable

The El Nido Resorts are tailored to make sure you have the best of both worlds luxury and adventure

The iconic overwater villas at Miniloc Island are the perfect place to base your aquatic adventures

Saving the Philippines’ “Last Frontier”

El Nido is often called “the last frontier” because, as the legend goes, the area was not discovered until 1979 by a team of stranded divers. But this nickname also describes the area’s unadulterated natural beauty, intact biodiversity and untouched islands and beaches. The fact that El Nido stayed out of the tourism spotlight until relatively recently created an opportunity for proactive preservation.

As luck would have it, stewards like the owners of the Bird House and the El Nido Resorts group are stepping up to preserve the natural splendour of El Nido and prevent it from becoming anything like Boracay. The future of the Philippines’ marvellous natural resources depends on our choices as travellers. ◼

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The post Discover Palawan – Philippines’ Sustainable Island Hotspot first appeared on World Travel Magazine.