Words: James Soo

So you may think you’re an avid outdoorsy type in Hong Kong, pootling along the Maclehose and walking up the Peak in 20 minutes, but the Himalayas are a whole nutha story. Standing before the Annapurnas, you understand that they are gods. You may trudge through thunderstorms and hail the size of golf-balls, but suddenly it all clears and you see skies that are a blue you’ve never imagined and 7000m tall mountains that would make the most rational atheist prostrate themselves.

GETTING THERE
It couldn’t be easier. Dragonair flies to Kathmandu daily (with a stopover in Dhaka). From Kathmandu you can take buses and flights to the major hiking destinations, although Pokhara remains the most accessible. That’s either a 7 hour bus journey (HKD150) through picturesque valleys or a 30 minute flight (HKD600) over some spectacular mountains. If you do take the bus, don’t take one at night as the drivers have a habit of falling asleep at the wheel, sending the bus off the side of a cliff. If you want to trek to Annapurna Base Camp, set aside at least two weeks because the trek itself takes between 8-12 days and you may need to slow down because of altitude sickness or weather conditions. However, there are plenty of treks that you can do in just a week.

SLEEP
There are plenty of luxury options in both Kathmandu and Pokhara, but the guesthouses are plentiful, cheap and clean. You can easily pay HKD4000 a night for the top end, but for HKD100 you can find a decent room with en suite bathroom. One difference though is that the top end hotels all have generators so there is 24 electricity, whereas the smaller guesthouses may have power-outages for a few hours due to scheduled brown-outs for electricity rationing.

Kathmandu may be the capital but it’s fairly contained and most places are walkable. Guesthouses are concentrated in the tourist ghetto of Thamel. Most are fine, but try to get a room away from the main streets for a quiet night. Pokhara is a bit more spread out with Pokhara itself a good walk from Lakeside, the tourist area there. Lakeside has loads of guesthouses, but due to construction, none has a decent view of the lake! There are options here as well – North Lakeside has a couple of pricier, quieter places as well as the village opposite (accessible mostly by boat). South Lakeside is good 15 minute walk from the main drag but again you get better views and a bit of peace from the hustle and bustle.

EAT
Food is plentiful and amazing in Nepal. From local staple daal bhat (lentil soup with rice – best for those on a budget as you can usually get free refills!) to Indian curries and Tibetan specialities (such as the mouthwatering momos that are best in little roadside shacks), you won’t pay more than HKD50 per head. Bigger restaurants tend to have this global menu that offers pasta, pizzas, burgers, curries, thai food as well as Nepalese food. If you ask, most waiters will advise you to stick to the Nepalese menu. Vegetarians in particular have a great choice, although the country is not so universally meat-free as India.

Both Kathmandu and Pokhara have ridiculous numbers of restaurants and you can’t go too wrong with most of them. Just walk around and you’re sure to find something interesting. A good hangout in Pokhara is Busy Bee’s with views overlooking the lake and a big crowd every night of the week. Bistro Caroline just down the road has a lovely French-inspired garden and a selection of vaguely authentic European food. For something a bit different, head over to Lhasa Tibetan Restaurant where you can chow down to a Tibetan feast and wash it down with Thomba – a traditional hot toddy served in a metal stein with a metal straw on top.

SEE
Much of Kathmandu is a concrete nightmare, but if you wander through the old town you’ll find beautifully preserved little temples, the odd traditional wooden Newari (the indigenous inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley) house and of course Durbar Square with the old Royal Palace and temples galore. It’s an impressive sight, but Bhaktapur, a short 20 minute drive away, is unmissable. A beautifully preserved Newari town, the entire place feels like you’re walking in a museum. If you have time, try to visit the Museum of Wood-Carving – normally deserted but in one of the most stunningly preserved Newari houses in town.

Pokhara is the adventure destination of Nepal. Most accessible treks start from here and either your guesthouse or any number of outfits in town will accommodate you. I’d suggest going independently from the agents as it will be cheaper and your guide will profit more directly. Also, unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t camp. Most areas have tea-houses every few hundred metres (some date back centuries serving the old trade routes over the Himalayas) where you can get a clean bed and food for a pittance (HKD10 for most places). But if you’re not up to trekking, you can try your hand at white-water rafting (from a day to a week-long course) and paragliding over Lake Fewa. A number of agencies run 30 min trips but you can also opt to get certified here. One thing that sounds incredible is parahawking – you paraglide with a trained falcon at your hand from which you learn to ride thermals! Pokhara is the only place in the world that offers parahawking.

NIGHTLIFE
There’s a curfew in place in Nepal so you won’t find many places open past midnight (in fact most places shut by 11pm), so partying is not really an option. That said, you can get drunk (and high) extremely easily and cheaply. Local firewater (raksi) costs about HKD10 for a litre and weed grows wild in the mountains! That said, if you’re trekking or white-water rafting, you’ll probably be too exhausted to do much at night!

Conclusion
Nepal is a wonderfully accessible country that is worlds away from the cramped horror of Hong Kong. If you feel like some breathing space and some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see in the world, you have to go to Nepal.

Words: Richard James Smith

Siem Reap is dominated by the impressive Angkor Wat – visitors don’t come here unless historic temples and architecture are their thang! There’s a million photo opportunities for the budding photographer to grasp and Siem Reap has enough going on at night to keep you entertained… indeed it is gaining a reputation as the gay holidaymakers’ destination… though more for romance with your loved one and chillaxing than circuit party hedonism…

GETTING THERE
Currently there are no direct flights to Siem Reap from Hong Kong. Check with your travel agent for the best deals and connection. There are only a few airlines that fly into Siem Reap so whichever stopover city you’re coming from you’ll end up on Vietnam Airlines (from Ho Chi Min), Air Laos (from Pakse/Vientianne), Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok Airways (from Bangkok).

SLEEP
Hotel De La Paix
Sivutha Boulevard, Siem Reap
http://www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com

A class act, centrally situated and beautifully kept. The staff are attentive, intuitive and yet non-evasive. In the rooms the mattresses are so luxuriously deep that you almost need a ladder to dismount! Additionally there’s a large bathroom with a huge bathtub that can easily accommodate two… maybe three . But visit soon to enjoy Hotel De La Paix in its current glory before being taken over by a large hotel chain… I personally wouldn’t change a thing!

Golden Banana Boutique Resort
Phum Wat Damnak, Kumm Sala Komreuk, Krom 10, Siem Reap
www.goldenbanana.info

Lots of nooks and crannies around this welcoming boutique resort with Khmer-style villas surrounding a cute pool that gives you a welcome reprieve from the noon-day heat. There is a homely feel to this venue and the staff are all sociable, friendly and confident… there’s nothing fake about their hospitality. Rooms are a good size and all have an individual character with touches like balconies (mine had a bathtub on it!) and lounge seating. I had a massage at their spa which was rather interesting… the massage was fine but… I found the background music of “If You Could Read My Mind” and “In The Navy” hilarious but not necessarily relaxing (but great fodder for travel storytelling!).

Amateo
Mango Forest Village, Siem Reap

If it’s escape and seclusion with your loved one you’re after then nestled among luscious secret gardens and a beautiful pool is Amateo Tropical Residence. Here you can be assured that you can take your time to relax in capacious hi-ceilinged rooms, enjoy the tranquillity of the gardens and have meals catered for you in your room, in the garden or poolside. The wonderful owners are there to ensure a peaceful respite from the sometimes arduous days of temple hopping! Be sure to have someone collect you or call the resort to get directions to this hidden paradise.

Men’s Resort & Spa
www.mens-resort.com

The resort set-up, serviced and created for us lot! Feel free to be as flamboyantly gay as you wish as you skip and rollick around this well kept hotel. There’s a spa, sauna, gym – everything to bring out the inner narcissist! There’s something very Miami about this resort… in a good, fun and naughty way!

EAT
Blue Pumpkin
Old Market Area
www.tbpumpkin.com

If it’s pastries you’re after then this is the place to go – they have a few branches around town and all serve great breads, sandwiches, pastries and cakes plus a nice selection of ice creams and sorbets (some with adventurous flavours).

Tell Restaurant
Sivatha Blvd.

Swiss, German and International dishes with staff that have more know-how than many of the restaurants in Siem Reap. You can choose to cool down in the air-conditioned restaurant or outside on the front patio. The steaks are good and the sauces yummy!

Rasmei Restaurant
The Shadow of Angkor Guesthouse, Old Market Area
www.theshadowofangkor.com

A good restaurant serving Khmer and international cuisine set in an old French colonial building. They also have a weekly BBQ and fundraising event, here guests can enjoy a traditional dance show by children from a local orphanage.

SEE

When you book a holiday to Siem Reap, you know that the main attractions are the numerous temples including the foreboding Angkor Wat – the big daddy of all them all. There are many tour agencies and tuk-tuks offering tours of the temples from dawn to dusk but to fully enjoy these spectacles I would suggest a bit of homework beforehand so that you can take in the enormity, history and culture that created such beautiful architecture plus the mixture of nature and civilisation where some temples have been beautifully broken through by aged tree roots. You can book a guide and a tuk-tuk to take you to see the infamous temples of – I would strongly suggest to only do half days and not always with a guide… do your homework and then you can see the temples at your own pace without having to stop and listen to your tour guides’ many expansive monologues with ever more expansive names of Buddhist and Hindu deities and kings of Angkor. Get out of the midday sun and either get-up early for a sunrise tour or later in the day to end it with a sunset.

What Wat?

Depending on your length of stay and how much of a temple lover you are temples that should definitely be on your list additional to Angkor Wat are Angkor Thom and Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srey, Preah Khan, Banteay Samre, Pre Rup, Banteay Kdei… and believe me, there are more!

Angkor National Museum
968, Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Phoum Salakanseng, Khom Svaydangum
www.angkornationalmuseum.com

This is the best place to start your visit, go to the museum before visiting the temples to get some background knowledge – and there’s a lot from both the religious Buddhist and Hindu angle and also the historic angle. Here you can walk at your own pace in aircon rooms and learn about the wonders you’ll be seeing in the coming days… it builds the excitement and helps to set the scene.

The Smile of Angkor
Angkor COEX, of off 60m Road
www.smileofangkor.com

Siem Reap’s answer to a Broadway show – big stage production with laser lighting, 3D effects and dance following the history of Angkor. Air-conditioned theatre with an attached restaurant (come early for dinner if you wish to see the show that starts at 7.15pm) this show is a great modern option to the staid cultural dance shows that can go on a little too long.

NIGHTLIFE

The obvious and loudest choice is to head to the main street – easy to find as there are lit overhead signs from all directions in the middle of town for ‘Pub Street’ where you’ll find a number of bars and clubs serving numerous lethal cocktails by the glass… or bucket. But just off the street you can find some gay bars and hidden gems!

Linga Bar
www.lingabar.com

Siem Reap’s first gay-owned bar for the community and she’s still queen of the town in that respect. Ladyboy shows every Friday night for those in need of a camp night out although don’t be expecting anything like those you see in Thailand. But they do give it full effort (one gyrating ladyboy gets 10 out of 10 for effort but 2 out of 10 for her large visible white pants!). Cocktails are good and there’s plenty of flirtation from locals and some handsome staff.

The Station bar
www.thestationwinebarsiemreap.com

With their tagline of “Relaxaion, flirtation… Wine not?” This newer gay bar offers 12 wines by the glass and over 100 wines by the bottle… ooh and there’s a ladyboy show at 9pm on Saturday nights.

Words: Derek Lui, English Translation: James Soo
‘The Dream Factory’ is what people call Hollywood, set right in the heart of Los Angeles. The Kodak Theatre (where the Oscars are held) as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame are all located here. But just 15 minutes drive away lies West Hollywood, LA’s gay heaven. This is where you have the largest gay community with the greatest number of gay bars and shops – everything is gay-friendly. You won’t attract any unusual attention if you hold hands with your partner walking round the streets here, and there are countless gyms and health food restaurants. There’s reason to believe that the protein powder sold in the supermarkets in West Hollywood is the same milk powder people fight over in Hong Kong pharmacies.

GETTING THERE
Cathay Pacific and United Airlines offers direct flights between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, a trip of about 12 to 15 hours. Hong Kong citizens must obtain a visitor’s visa from the US Consulate. The city centre is about a forty minute drive from the airport. As public transportation is lousy, most people rent a car, or stay close to the major tourist spots. There is a 15-16 hour time difference between Hong Kong and Los Angeles depending on daylight saving time. Los Angeles is famous for its sunshine and dry weather – the rainy season is mostly in February, and the sun shines the rest of the time.

SLEEP
If you are a fan of the nightlife, you have to stay near where the clubs are. Public transport is crap, taxi costs are very high, and the LA police are very strict about drunk driving, so it’s much better just to stay near the West Hollywood city center.

Andaz West Hollywood
8401 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.westhollywood.andaz.hyatt.com
Located on famous Sunset Boulevard, close to West Hollywood’s gay district, and not far from the main Hollywood tourist attractions, Andaz has a rooftop with unrivaled views, minimalist rooms with an emphasis on design, and is part of the Hyatt’s new concept hotel brand.

Le Parc Suite Hotel
733 N. West Knoll Dr.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.leparcsuites.com
Convenient location off the main road, so it’s relatively quiet. Suites with private balconies, kitchenette with flat-screen TVs, so you can enjoy a comfortable, private space. The rooftop hot tub and tennis courts are a choice hang-out spot.

Holloway Motel
8465 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood CA 90069
www.hollowaymotel.com
Near the centre of the West Hollywood gay district, close to Beverly Hills, basic facilities, perfect for travelers looking for a convenient and inexpensive option.

EAT
Tender Greens
8759 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood CA 90069
www.tendergreensfood.com
Advocating healthy living, with a focus on the body-conscious, this green restaurant is not to be missed. They have a range of delicious salads or you can select a hot plate with a choice of one protein, together with salad and mashed potato. The restaurant is focused on providing organic and natural foods and is a sort of canteen for a lot of people living and working in West Hollywood.

Urth Café
8565 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.urthcaffe.com
West Hollywood’s most famous coffee shop, the outdoor area is always full of hot guys and girls. The coffee and tea here is 100% organic with no chemicals and the cakes and snacks are crazy good – not too sweet, not too greasy, and very stylish.

Griddle Café
7916 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90 046
Neighborhoods: Hollywood
www.thegriddlecafe.com
When you get to LA, you have to go for brunch. This place is one of the most popular breakfast pilgrimage spots, and there always long queues on the weekend. A tip: breakfast portions are huge and two people might have difficulty finishing a single breakfast. My special recommendation is their huge variety of waffles.

Hamburger Mary’s
8nica, Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
www.hamburgermarysweho.com
West Hollywood’s campest and most addictive restaurant with weekend lunch and weekday dinner, they fill up the calendar with loads of different events such as karaoke and drag nights.

SEE
Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood is a characterful street, with one side being quirky boutiques and vintage stores, and the other side is filled with expensive brand-name stores. It’s a place where a lot of vintage-wearing treasure seekers like to come to hunt around. ‘World of Vintage T-shirts’ is a huge trove of (surprise surprise) vintage tees, and even Britney Spears has been here.

NIGHTLIFE
West Hollywood is LA’s most famous gay district. Santa Monica Blvd has bar after bar, each with its own style. However, by law, bars must close by 2am, so most people start partying around 10pm drinking with a few friends, dancing, taking the opportunity to get to know new friends or even your future boyfriend.

The Abbey Food and Bar
692 N-Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood CA 90069
www.abbeyfoodandbar.com
West Hollywood’s most popular gay bar, partly because it is the focus of the whole area but in recent years more and more women and straight men come here to party, plus there’s no cover charge so so every week it’s full to bursting. Their signature drink is the Mojito, which is slightly sweet, and the barmen are all model hot.

Rage
8911 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood CA 90069
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
The choice for dancing queens, Rage has the largest dance floor, with a second floor just for hip hop. Every Friday is Asian boy night where Asian boys and their fans like to come and party. In addition to American pop music, the DJ will from time to time play some K-Pop when he gets his Asian frenzy on.

Trunks
8 809 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood CA 90069
Slightly older clientele who aren’t into the crowds and noise of other places, this is a classic American bar where the atmosphere is more relaxed with pool tables. As the drinks here are cheaper, a lot of young people like to have a few drinks here first before heading to another bar to dance.

Special Events
The largest gay party in Los Angeles is held here mid-June. The roads are all closed off on the Sunday, and brightly decorated floats pass by a huge outdoor gay party which attracts a lot of international visitors.

Words ﹠Photo: Janis Latvels

Kota Kinabalu, often referred to simply as ‘KK’, is the capital of Western Malaysia’s state of Sabah, which occupies the NW corner of the island of Borneo. It is a fairly sleepy provincial town by Hong Kong standards, with a population of just over half a million. Although KK is usually used as a gateway to Sabah’s natural wonders and activities – jungle treks, river cruises, orangutan sanctuaries, diving trips, climbing Mount Kinabalu, it can offer a fair share of entertainment by itself. Keeping in mind that Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country where homosexuality is illegal and can be punished by fines, imprisonment or caning and alcohol is outright banned in some of its more conservative states, KK comes across as a surprisingly relaxed and lively place.

GETTING THERE
Malaysian Airlines and AirAsia fly there direct daily, while Dragonair will get you there most days of the week. The flight only takes just over two and half hours, immigration formalities are minimal for most nationalities (except for citizens of Israel, who are not permitted to visit Malaysia) and the airport is a short drive away from the city centre. Basically, if you leave HK on a morning flight, you can be sipping mimosas by the pool-side of your KK resort before mid-day (there is no time difference). But, as it is exclusively a holiday destination, don’t expect to find too many last minute bargain deals.

SLEEP
There are plenty of choices for all budgets, from no-star backpackers’ dens at around HK$50 a night, to private 5-star villas on secluded islands just off the coast of Borneo that can be yours for a little over HK$3.5K a night.

Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa
No 20 Jalan Aru,Tanjung Aru
http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kotakinabalu/tanjungaruresort
This place has has almost everything anyone could desire – 2,000 sq. meter pool complete with tapered shoreline, jacuzzi beds and infinity section for adults, sunset bar, seven restaurants, an award winning spa and a private beach. Basically, no need to bother exploring anything beyond the perimeter if your only prerogative in Borneo is absorbing the warmth of tropical latitudes. For more adventurous travelers though, relentless shrieks of an army of over-fed children can quickly get irritating.

Sabah Oriental Hotel (until recently known as Beverly Hotel)
Kemajuan
http://www.facebook.com/sabahorientalhotel
Slightly worn-out, but superbly quiet (in comparison with the Shangri-La), this is a great value 4-star hotel that has all the basic facilities one requires upon return from exhausting jungle excursions and mountain climbs – hot shower, food, bar, small out-door pool and a gym. If it starts to get a bit boring once the sun goes down, the city centre is just a short cab ride away.

The Jesselton Hotel
www.corporatehotel.com
69, Gaya Street
http://www.jesseltonhotel-kotakinabalu.com
A timeless piece of colonial beauty, established in 1954. The hotel is located in the heart of KK’s business and commercial district. The hotel provides exquisite personalized service, in the style of a colonial house with welcoming public areas, a cozy lounge, an elegant Italian restaurant, 32 guestrooms including one luxurious suite and an authentic London cab. Another great value place for the money spent, at just over HK$500 per night.

EAT
Night Market
Jin Tun Stephens, open late afternoon till 11pm
This lively spot is right in the middle of city, opposite Le Meridien. If you have no problems buying food from Mong Kok’s street hawkers, you won’t have any here either. There are rows of vendors that offer everything from grilled seafood to brightly colored Malay deserts. Lots of vegetarian options too, if required. Cheap, loud and cheerful. Not to be missed!

Kohinoor
Lot 4, Waterfront Esplanade
This Indian restaurant came recommended by a few different sources and, it did not disappoint. Easily the best establishment among its waterfront neighbors offering possibly the tastiest Indian food in town. Their authentic tandoori oven produces some heavenly garlic naan and plenty of other mouthwatering treats.

Tanjung Aru Seafood Restaurant
Tanjug Aru
This eatery is on the beach famed for some great sunset-watching, so the best thing to do is arrive in time for an early dinner to combine both – delicious local seafood and, well… the sunset. Dinner here will cost you slightly more than at the Night Market and you will notice that clientele is more ‘expaty’ and touristy than at most local seafood places.

SEE
Unless you have anchored yourself at a specific resort or a golf course, there is not much to do in the city during the day. Staying in your hotel room for too long won’t be much fun either – there are only a couple of English TV channels to chose from and they are heavily edited, with all the naughty words bleeped out and scenes with any more flesh than a bare shoulder cut out completely.
It is advisable to do some research before embarking on your Borneo adventure to have a clearer picture what it is that you would most prefer to see during your holiday. Many activities require advanced booking, such as climbing Mt. Kinabalu. Only a limited number of permits are granted each day and they can get snapped up weeks ahead, especially during high season.
There are plenty of local tour operators that will be happy to attend to your wish-list. One that deserves a special mention is to be found at www.discoverborneo.com. This particular agency offers impeccable service; they will promptly answer all your enquiries and book all you trips, transfers and permits. Plus, they have a well laid out, user-friendly website that you can browse in search of inspirational ideas – their tailored packages offer anything from short day-trips to 11-day jungle adventures or motorbike-trips around the whole state.
Amongst the most popular things to in Sabah, apart from Mt. Kinabalu are scuba-diving, visiting orangutan and proboscis monkey sanctuaries in Sepilok (around 40min flight from KK) and some local ‘island hopping.’ The latter one is the easiest to organize – all you need to do is turn up in the morning at the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal and book yourself onto the next available boat which will take you to a few tiny and beautiful islands during the course of the day, with lunch and snorkeling goggles included.

NIGHTLIFE
Relatively low Muslim concentration in KK means the booze flows quite freely, although it is not as cheap as one would expect. A bottle of local beer will cost you pretty much the same as a Long Island Iced Tea. There are clusters of bar/nightclub areas around the city – Waterfront Esplanade and Beach Street area for raunchier pubs and clubs where live cover bands rule and, the latest hotspot, KK Times Square complex which houses a few establishments where Chivas and a never-ending flow of bubbly is a norm.

Q Bar
50, Gaya Street
Yes, you guessed it – this is The gay bar of KK. Just as the name suggests, the bar is in a Q shape (for optimum eye contact, apparently). It gets busy after 11pm when the house DJ switches from loungy tracks to dancier tunes; the place has comfy corner areas for small groups of friends, the menu has a wide selection of drinks and there are drag shows every Friday, plus theme nights, accordingly to the season (during our visit beginning of January, Q-girls were lip-belting out Mariah’s Christmas tunes).

Bed
Waterfront Esplanade
Not related to Bangkok or Miami’s famous Bed establishments – this place has much less glam to project but, at some point during your KK stay, you are quite likely to end up there anyhow. It gets crowded soon after 9 and it starts to get better after each Margarita. The live band keeps alternating with the DJ till late at night, way later than you are going to remember…

White Room
KK Times Square
The place to save your best outfit for. This newly established complex houses offices during the day, so there are no noise-hating residents around at night. Equivalent to a local A-list crowd with wallets to match. Well crowded till the wee hours but then who’s going to complain with all those hot bodies fighting for dancing space. THE place to be seen, along with a couple of other establishments at Times Square – Chocolate Factory and Firefly.

Words: James Soo

The last great unexplored wilderness in Asia, Mongolia is the adventurer’s destination. With only 3 million people in a country about a quarter the size of the whole of Europe, you could travel for days without seeing another soul. And unlike the rest of Asia where traditions and customs have become Disneyfied for tourists, in Mongolia nomads still live in much the same way as they have for thousands of years. Which means it’s not for the faint-hearted. But if you’re brave, and willing to learn to speak a few words of the fiendishly difficult language, you’ll be invited into the homes of these fiercely proud, but also passionately warm people.

GETTING THERE
MIAT now flies direct between Hong Kong and Ulaan Baatur three times a week. Alternatively, you can fly Air China via Beijing, and you can also take the train from Beijing – the last section of the Trans-Mongolian railway. Don’t forget though that for much of the year, the country is comatose under metres of snow with temperatures around −30C, so summer is probably the best time to visit.

SLEEP
In Ulaan Baatur (UB to locals), your best bet is to stay in one of the numerous guesthouses that cluster around the center of town. There are a few business hotels as well, but the guesthouses are the main meeting points for travellers, where you can find out about tours or meet a few like-minded people for an independent Gobi adventure. Outside of UB, you’re pretty much reliant on either tourist ger camps (traditional felt tents), that tend to have a few more mod-cons than true gers. There will be a few hotels in the major aimag (region) capitals, but you shouldn’t expect their facilities to be much beyond what you could find at a ger camp (i.e. hot running water is definitely a luxury).

Zaya’s Hostel
www.zayahostel.com
Probably the best bet in town, Zaya’s Hostel is always full, and usually full of interesting people as well – if you’re after a bunch of 20 year old partiers though head to the Golden Gobi. Owner Zaya is a wealth of knowledge about Mongolia, and will happily chat to you for hours about it.

Golden Gobi
www.goldengobi.com
The hostel that everyone else seems to be staying at. It always gets full about half an hour after the train from Beijing arrives, so make sure you book or get there early. Very helpful, and if you can get a room in their annexe round the corner, you can avoid the crowds of dirty backpackers.

Corporate Hotel
www.corporatehotel.com
Just south of the main square, this is probably the best of the business hotels in town. While the others are usually crumbling relics of the Soviet era, this feels relatively modern and has good facilities.

EAT
Mongolian food boils down to preserved dairy (yoghurt, dried cheese, curds) and preserved meat. Vegans need not apply. However, UB has a number of decent eateries, including a few vegetarian restaurants which will be a god-send if you spend any time in the countryside where vegetables are limited to the odd green potato. Korean restaurants abound, as many Mongolians go to Korea as guest workers and many Koreans have invested in Mongolia. But you can also find traditional Mongolian food, the best of which have to be the buuz, or Mongolian dumplings. The rest is definitely an acquired taste for the hardy traveller. Few memories have been so indelibly burned into my brain as when the father of my host family dragged a goat to my ger and slaughtered it in front of me by slitting a hole in its belly, reaching in and stopping its heart. It was then stripped and boiled inside a metal bucket, from which we’d grab a piece to cut off with a flick-knife.

If you’re dying for some Western food, the supermarkets are a good choice, especially the one at the State Department Store in the centre of UB. Michele’s French Bakery is a godsend in the mornings with beautifully baked croissants, and the Grand Khaan Irish Pub seems to be a popular choice for locals and visitors alike.

SEE
UB has a couple of interesting sites. My favourites are the Choijin Lama Temple Museum, which has been relatively well-preserved amid the concrete towers. A highlight is the daily tsam-mask dance (traditional Tibetan/Mongolian Buddhist/Shamanic fusion ceremony) at 5pm. Gandan Khiid is the main functioning Buddhist monastery and temple, and is well worth a visit, although the attendants are a bit rude. A number of interesting museums are also worth a visit – best are the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, which holds a superb collection of Buddhist thangkas, and the National Museum of Mongolia.

However, UB is, and should be, just the start of your Mongolian adventure. Either through your guesthouse, through one of the many independent tour organisers, or if you’re feeling very brave, by yourself, UB is the gateway to the rest of the country. Be warned that there’s really only one functioning road outside UB – between the capital and Kharkhorin. The other arterial roads tend to peter out 50km outside of the city, leaving only dirt tracks that dwindle into dusty paths through the countryside.

It probably isn’t fair to say that there are particular destinations in the country that have to be seen. Certainly the ruins of the ancient capital of Kharkhorin (Karakorum), built by Genghis and Kubilai Khan, are a poignant reminder of the demise of ancient empires. But the real joy is setting out from UB in a battered Russian jeep with no suspension and taking off into the distance. If you can, try to stay with a nomad family for at least one night. Most tours will include a cook (who is usually also the driver), which will be much appreciated after the first couple of days of Mongolian food. But it’s by living with the rhythms of this ancient people – getting up at dawn to milk the goats, helping to churn the milk down to make yoghurt and the dozen other dairy products that are a staple during the rest of the year, riding across the steppes on the small but tough Mongolian horses – that you really get to the heart of this country.

One event that is unmissable is Naadam, a huge Mongolian festival every August (the dates vary each year from district to district) where for three days people flock to their district capital for Mongolian wrestling, horse-races (the riders are all children between the ages of 6 and 9) and archery. The Naadam in UB is televised, and is held in a large stadium, so if you want a slice of real Mongolian life, head out to the provincial capitals where the Naadam is just an excuse for a huge party, where nomads who have barely seen each other in the past year can catch up, gossip and get drunk.

NIGHTLIFE
UB has plenty of bars, nightclubs and karaoke spots – the Mongolians certainly aren’t averse to drinking. So much so that once a month there is a national dry day where no establishment can sell any alcohol. While airag (fermented mare’s milk) is well known outside the country, arkhi is the killer. Distilled from milk, this vodka-type drink goes down surprisingly smoothly, but is hard to get except as homebrewed moonshine.

Mongolia is one of the world’s greatest unexplored countries, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. But if your body has the courage to live without some of your modern comforts, your soul will be richly rewarded with memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Words: Richard Smith
Once a backpacker destination island that has seen many a makeover, Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand and serves a multitude of indulgences including sun, sea, sand and sexploits. You can take a trip to Koh Pha Ngan for a full moon party, snorkel, dive, chillax, pamper and luxuriate as they are all on the menu… With so many choices it’s worth a little research. Richard James Smith samples life on the southwest coast of Koh Samui where it’s close enough to the party but also far enough away from the riff raff to feel at least middle class in the holiday snob stakes – in fact one can say that Lamai Beach is the well educated cousin of Chaweng beach.

GETTING THERE

Bangkok Air has the monopoly on direct flights to Koh Samui – something about the owner of Bangkok Air owning the airport – go figure! You can check flight details on their website www.bangkokair.com alternatively you can fly via Bangkok if you want to include a night in the city – or even take the backpacker route via VIP coach and catamaran (www.lompraya.com).

SLEEP

Le Meridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa
Tel: +66 (0) 7796 0888
146/24 Moo 4, Lamai Beach
http://www.lemeridienkohsamui.com

An interesting resort plan with private pools, shared pools and plunge pools and if you’re in need of more water the jetty at the beach reaches out far into the sea with branches off for some bean bag chill time. The sunken baths are huge also, so the Meridien certainly has ..er… watersports covered!

Le Mercure Samui Fenix Resort
Tel: +66 (0) 7742 4008
26/1-3 Moo 3, Tambol Maret, Lamai Beach
www.mercuresamuifenix.com

A well priced beach front resort hotel with great views and large pool leading to a well-kept open expanse of beach. Away from the centre of Lamai but near enough to reach by a short 10 baht songthaew ride – you can wave them down from the main road.

Banyan Tree
Tel: +66 (0) 7791 5333
99/9 Moo 4, Maret
www.banyantree.com

Luxury brand that lives up to its global reputation with a choice of secluded villas hidden among a maze of pathways accessed by golf buggy – much needed to get around this huge resort. Banyan Tree has its own private beach perfect for romancing as well as its famously luxurious spa – try ‘The Rainforest’ for the ultimate pampering!

Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui
Tel: +66 (0) 7742 2015
Chaweng Beach
www.amari.com/palmreef

For those who simply can’t bear the thought of being far away from Chaweng Beach then Amari can at least give you a luxury option! A popular hotel for Hong Kongers you can mix with the riff raff but escape to the classy end of the beach to enjoy five star service.

EAT

Rocky’s
Tel: +66 (0) 7723 3020
www.rockyresort.com/restaurant

Rocky’s features two excellent restaurants under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Azizkandar Awang: Rocky’s Bistro and award-winning Rocky’s Fine Dining on the beachfront. The international menus offer the finest mouthwatering ingredients that ensure there’s something for everyone and then some with some truly unique and educated creations.

Saffron
Tel: (020) 510 4817
Banyan Tree Samui
www.banyantree.com

We were given a fantastic selection of beautifully executed dishes from Banyan Tree’s Thai restaurant accompanied by the delicate sounds of live Thai music. Arguably the best fine dining Thai restaurant on the island – you will not be disappointed.

Beach Republic
Tel: +66 (0) 7745 8100
176/34 Moo 4, Tambon Maret

It’s the perfect chill-out spot for an afternoon of indulgence at this trendy beachfront resort. Beach Republic serves up a great international menu accompanied by cool tunes in a trendy, uniquely designed resort. Get[James Lo, 30/11/11 2:49 PM] your glam beachwear on and strike a pose.

SEE

Now for some people, partying all night and recovering by day on a pristine white beach sipping hangover cocktails isn’t enough – God, people are soooo needy! So here are a few options for THOSE sorts!

An obvious choice for an island activity is snorkeling and scuba diving – there are numerous reputable dive shops and travel agencies that can book you on a trip. Discovery Dive Centre (www.discoverydivers.com) offers excellent services with an onsite training pool and a team of highly qualified dive masters to ensure a safe and exciting experience.

Koh Samui Canopy Adventures (www.canopyadventuresthailand.com) offers you an opportunity to see the island from a gibbon’s perspective – on over 600 meters of cable for you to zip along.

Not one for adventure sports, but still want to a little more to take back with you in memory of this trip? Then what better way to show off to your friends that with some newly acquired culinary skills. SITCA (Samui Institute of Culinary Arts, South Chaweng, Tel. +66 (0) 774 1 3172) has two courses a day, as well as a separate food carving course in case you ever felt your pad thai lacked an ornamental tomato rose.

NIGHTLIFE

With nightlife in abundance sometimes it’s bet just to go where the mood takes you and bar hop along Lamai or Chaweng. There’s classy, sleazy, tacky, hippy, house, tribal, techno and a nice bit of trashy to cover all tastes.

Boy Zone
Tel: +66 (0)82 815 4843
45/16 Moo 3 Bophut South Chaweng Beach Rd, Central Chaweng (down the soi opposite the Khao San Restaurant and close to Burger King)
www.boyzonesamui.com

There are a number of gay bars to choose from in Chaweng. Boy Zone offers a bar and nightly shows if you want your boys to actually be boys that is… and Boyzone Island Tours that take you for some beach fun with the boys too inclusive of boat transfer, bbq, beer, snorkeling and (ahem) massages.

Moulin Rouge
Tel: +66 (0)82 815 4843
Chaweng Beach Rd, Central Chaweng (down the soi opposite the Khao San Restaurant and close to Burger King)

Time to stick your cock between your legs and join the ‘gals’ at Chaweng’s answer to Priscilla. Formerly known as Christie’s before its change of ownership this popular cabaret gives you ladyboys in full splendor with big song numbers and even bigger costumes. There are three shows a night that get raunchier as the evening progresses.

The Green Mango
Central Chaweng – everyone knows where to find it!
www.thegreenmangoclub.com

This legendary club has been the site of many a party – and the party definitely hasn’t stopped here. It’s a mixed crowd that takes to Chaweng’s most popular dancefloor.

Despite the convoluted plot, it’s the most spare Almodóvar has been since ‘Live Flesh’. Most of the film is set in one house, and much of it in one room. The three main characters inhabiting the house jealously guard their secrets till the end. The trouble is the ‘hero’ of this ménage à trois keeps flipping between the characters until the audience doesn’t know who to root for. I think that was the director’s intention – to come to an indeterminate conclusion – but the fuzziness of the ending left me a little unsatisfied.

Words: Richard James Smith
The UNESCO listed World Heritage Site that is Luang Prabang is everyone’s dream of fin-de-siecle Colonial Indochine. So much so that much of Marguerite Duras’ L’Amant (The Lover) was filmed here. Pastel-coloured stucco villas hide behind intoxicating jacarandas and the only sound that penetrates the languid tropical heat is the laughter of young novice monks playing a quick game of football between lessons. The temples remain intact, the palaces have been turned into hotels and, apart from their villas, all that remains of the French colonies is phenomenal coffee-shops and bakeries.

GETTING THERE
As there are no direct flights from Hong Kong to Luang Prabang, most travelers get there via Bangkok. There are a number of options from Thailand: flying, train and bus as well as by boat from Northern Thailand. You can take a speedboat (if you have a death wish), but if you have the time, take the 2 day slow boat, which allows you to appreciate the slow pace of life on the Mekong as you glide through the deep jungle, interspersed with the odd village. If you’re on a budget you can take the regular boat (www.ayaservice.com), or alternatively try some luxury on the Luang Say Mekong Cruises (www.luangsay.com) from Chiang Kong/Houe Say (the Thai/Laos river border) with an overnight stop in Pakbeng.

SLEEP
There’s no shortage of beautiful accommodation in Luang Prabang. At the top end, Maison Souvannaphoum (now run by the Banyan Tree Group) is in one of the old palaces in the centre of town. Far outside of town (15 minutes by tuk-tuk) is the Grand Hotel, again another old palace, but this one with vast commanding views of the Mekong. In town, there are a bunch of delightfully appointed hotels that straddle the line between guesthouse and boutique hotel. Luang Prabang is a very small town – everything is within walking distance – and so staying in the centre makes sense.

Hotel Villa Deux Rivieres
Kingkitsalath Road, Ba Khily
www.villadeuxrivieres.com
Well positioned on the riverside this small hotel is elegant and central. The rooms are modern with beds big enough to sleep three and quaint shuttered windows and doors to a balcony.

Luang Say Residence
4-5 Ban Phonepheny
www.luangsayresidence.com
This grand, luxurious hotel brings you all you could wish for in colonial elegance. Humungous rooms with beds whose mattresses are so deep that they seem to hug you into glorious slumber every night. Free use of hotel bicycles makes it easy to head to all the sites in town and a swimming pool gives you some respite from the sun.

Zen Namkhan Boutique Resort
www.zennamjhanresort.com
Ban Xieng Lom Village, Luang Prabang Province
This eco-conscious resort is where you go for the ultimate peace and quiet amongst the forest with an eco-friendly freshwater swimming pool, spacious accommodation and perfect positioning for visiting the Tad Sae waterfall, kayaking and Elephant trekking.

EAT
Food is definitely one of the great pleasures of being in Luang Prabang. While there are plenty of traditional, local dai pai dong style restaurants on the riverbanks, there are plenty of upscale restaurants that explore the latest in local and fusion cuisine.

Night Market
Strolling down the night market you can find numerous restaurants and also a side market street where you can find really cheap dishes including mouthwatering grilled fish stuffed with lemongrass!

Lao Lao Garden
tel: (020) 997 0106
Phousi Road
A popular and well known restaurant – with very attentive (and some rather cute) wait staff. They have a full menu of local, Thai and western delights that prompted return visits. I also took over DJ duties on our last night, well I picked the songs at least!

Dyen Sabai
tel: (020) 510 4817
Opposite bank of the Khan River (accessed by boat)
Across the river and open for lunch and dinner and serving the best local speciality of ‘sindad’ or Laos Barbecue. It’s a mix between Korean Barbecue and Chinese hotpot in style; you grill your chosen meat (the buffalo is great) in the centre and then add it to the soup broth that you fill with a large selection of veggies and add an egg to thicken the sauce if you wish. We managed to get the waiter to serenade us with some local pop songs at the end of dinner!

Arthouse Cafe
tel: (020) 510 4817
King Kitsalath Road.
Opposite bank of the Khan River (accessed by boat)
Great eaterie for breakfast and lunch – home-made breads, bagels and cakes served by an attentive staff (well trained by Debra, the American General Manager) with an array of delicious healthy smoothies. Highly recommended!

SEE
Teeming with culture and history, every art-junkie will be enraptured just wandering the streets. At the centre of Luang Prabang sits Mount Phousi (you can guess how this is pronounced) which you can climb to enjoy the breathtaking views from Wat Chom Si. A must on everyone’s ‘to do’ list in LP involves waking up at sunrise to find your spot along the street to give rice to the multitude of monks that beg each morning for their food, in keeping with Buddha’s example of humility and poverty. While walking around town is an easy pleasure, a great way to enjoy LP is by touring around on a rented bike. Tad Sae Waterfall outside of town is an easy day trip, and you can even try out elephant trekking (www.elephantvillage-laos.com).

NIGHTLIFE
Laos is a communist country and there is an 11pm curfew – all bars finish serving by then by law, so choose to start your evenings early to make the most of them! If you ask some locals you might get lucky and find a local bar that has dared to stay open a little later but choices are really limited: all late-night desperadoes head for the only place allowed to open to the wee hours… the bowling alley!

Hive
tel: (020) 537 7826
Phousi Road (next to L’Etranger Books & Tea)
www.hivebarlaos.com
Open from ‘2pm until curfew’ this cool road-side hangout on Phousi road. The inside bar has some great nooks and crannies as the name would imply and there’s an al fresco terrace to people watch from.

Utopia
Ban Aphay, Kingkitsarath Road
www.utopialuangprabang.com
‘Zen by Day, Groovy by Night’ – this hip hang out is a creatively designed bar and lounge with authentic (rather morbid but kind of cool) bomb shells as decoration and a vintage moped hanging from the ceiling. This venue attracts an eclectic social crowd with whom you can smoke shisha, play boardgames, watch some interesting documentaries and movies on the large projector screen, as well as share travel stories and sightseeing tips.

Bowling Alley
Highway 13, East of junction with Potoupakmao (just ask the taxi driver)
Well it’s not hard to work out what happens at the only late night entertainment venue in Luang Prabang. Those determined to lengthen their evening head to Bowling Alley to erm… go 10 pin bowling, oh yes, it’s LP’s answer to dragon-i! On the plus side – you can still order booze until 3 or 4am… but I suggest, if you want to get tiddly, start drinking earlier in the day!

Words: Richard Smith

The multi-faceted city of Shanghai offers the visitor a plethora of options to fill your days and nights to the brim. A city thriving with history, art, architecture, cuisine, bars and clubs that make it worth a repeat visit. There’s a thrilling buzz with glitzy and extravagant venues both modern and classic of both Asian and Western influence alongside an underbelly of a seemingly darker scene equally teeming with the cultural allure.

GETTING THERE
You really don’t deserve to go to Shanghai if you can’t find your way there! Cathay, China Eastern, Hong Kong Airlines plus numerous other airlines service Shanghai. An alternative option is to go by train – overnight sleeper is a night alternative (www.chinaticketonline.com) but I would save the travel time to make the most of the city. Don’t forget to get your China Visa sorted beforehand! (www.ctshk.com).

SLEEP
Pu Li Hotel & Spa
1 ChangDe Road, JingAn District
www.thepuli.com
If you are a sucker for a more contemporary hotel then the Pu Li offers a sleek, modern and stylish option. The lobby and bar exudes class with high ceilings and along bar reaching from and including reception in an uninterrupted length of dark wood redefining the hotel lobby concept with dramatic features that add an understated glamour to the polished finishes.

Grand Hyatt ShanghaM
Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area
www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com
The neo-gothic castle that is the Grand Hyatt defies the polished comfort and service that concurs the reputation of this hotel chain. Take the elevator to the heady-heights of the reception on the 54th floor and onwards to the 555 rooms and suites on the floors above (up to 87th FLOOR) offering stunning birds-eye views down onto the colonial architecture lining the opposite bank of the Bund.

The Peninsula Shanghai
J32 The Bund, 32 Zhongshan, DonYi Road
www.peninsula.com/shanghai
The Peninsula offers the most luxuriously exuberant of accommodation options. I had the privilege of residing in the Deluxe Suite on the 10th floor. Ah, the perks of the job! It’s got everything – you can even take a conference call from the comfort of your bathtub, hands free, and I am told you can even screen out the sounds of your bath-time splashing!

EAT
Jishi
41 Tianping Road, Shanghai, China
Tel: 021-62829260
Small and always packed restaurant serving arguably the best Shanghainese cuisine – the seasonal crab dish – xiefen fenpi (crab with vermicelli sheets) is a winner!

Yang’s Kitchen
Wulumuqi Nanlu, Hengshan Lu,Xuhui District, Shanghai
Tel: 021-51100481
Ground floor of an old mansion the minimal décor consistently defies the fine Shanghainese cuisine. Ordering can initially be a problem as there is no English menu so with a bit of pointing at dishes or asking for recommendations from the staff you can orientate yourself your way around this. The cuisine is distinctly home-style Shanghainese with dishes in sweet dark sauces to temper your hunger for local cuisine.

Lost Heaven
38, Gaoyou Road, The French Concession
Tel: 021-64335126
17, Yan’an Dong Road (near the Bund)
Tel: 021-63300967
www.lostheaven.cn
Serving Yunnan cuisine and that of the vast Mountain Mekong region, the menu has a diverse menu of delectable dishes in a venue that pays tribute to genuine folk arts and cultural totems of this provinces, even down to the colourful staff uniform. One stand-out dish was the Lijiang-style stir-fried pork. With two outlets, one near the Bund with a glamorous rooftop bar for pre- or post dinner drinks and the other in the French Concession.

Jimmy’s Kitchen
1/F Level One, Jin Jiang Hotel (Cathay Building), 59 Mao Ming South Road
Tel: 021-64666869
Jimmy’s Kitchen has recently opened in Shanghai. But please block-out your visuals/opinions of the Hong Kong restaurant as this Jimmy’s Kitchen has been given a full modern make-over. With an extensive wine list and rich comfort food (Chicken Kiev, Prime Rib and Thick Cut Canadian Pork Chop), you certainly get your money’s worth here within the comfort of a beautifully rejuvenated brand restaurant…

SEE
Teeming with culture and history every art-junkie will be at a loss of where to start – there’re museums, modern and colonial architecture, art galleries galore, and areas selling all types of crafts. But before anything else take a stroll along The Bund and take it all in!
For museums many recommend the Shanghai Museum located a People’s Square (www.shanghaimuseum.net) exhibiting 120,000 works of ancient Chinese art from bronzes and ceramics to painting and calligraphy. More tantalized by modern/contemporary art then visit the area known as M50 (50 Moganshan Road, on the south bank of Suzhou Creek, Putuo District) cultural centre both up-and-coming and established artists have their studios.
Another great area for artworks, crafts, gifts is by meandering through the old redbrick Linong (hutongs) of Tianzifang (210, Taikang Road, DaPu Bridge, Luwan District). It can be a great way to spend an afternoon stopping at one of the many coffee shops or teahouses on your adventure in a place you’re happy to get lost in.
Alternatively get a specialist city tour of the art district with Luxury Concierge China, who specialise in familiarizing their clients with the Chinese art market (www.luxuryconciergechina.com).

NIGHTLIFE
The nightlife is Shanghai is overflowing with options from glam to down and dirty so here’s a few to consider for your big gay night out – yes they are all completely gay venues!

Eddy’s Bar
77 Huaihai Zhong Road
Tel: 021-62820521
This social watering hole owned and run by Eddy is a great place to start your evening and chat to the local and expat gay community .

Shanghai Studio
4, Lane 1950 Huaihai Zong Lu, near Xingguo Lu
Tel: 021-62831043
www.shanghai-studio.com
Located in a WWII bomb shelter that dates back to the 1930’s Shanghai Studio is a cool maze of rooms including a room with a DJ at the weekends (I seem to remember the resident DJ being rather hot!).

Club D2
The Cool Docks, 505 Zhongshan Nan Lu, near Fuxing Dong Lu
www.clubd2.com
It’s tops off time on the dance floor in the main room or flirting, chatting and debauchery on the upper floor bar. Wherever you are in this venue there’s plenty of opportunity to find a man or boy of your choice to share a cab ride home with. Techno and house music with club anthems thrown in D2 has regular international DJs.

Club Angel
1 Wulumuqi Road, by Henghsan Road
www.angelshanghai.com
Biggest gay club in Shanghai in an underground venue with chill out areas catering to all sorts of desires: Lounge – for expats and their entourage; Cage – a prison themed almost dark room; and Fantasy Club – for meeting, erm, your fantasy man I suppose! And yes it also has regular guest DJs pumping music to grind your hips to!

Words: Sam Wu

For the well-travelled queen with a fiendish penchant for Triple ‘S’ (Sun-Sea-Sand) holidays around Asia that would not break the bank, Phuket would well have been on the radar, alongside other popular destinations such as Koh Samui, Boracay, Bali etc.

Phuket is one strange duck – it has beaches galore but many are average. The nicer, more ‘pristine’ ones tend to be located nearer the north or south of the island, and even then, the water quality cannot be compared to Cebu or Boracay. Those wanting really nice beaches for snorkeling need to rent a speedboat and head to the Similan Islands (forget the twin touristy traps of “James Bond” Island and “Leonardo DiCaprio” Island crammed full with mainland gawkers).

For those who need to boogie, it is party central at Patong Beach, reminiscent of Bangkok’s famed Patpong area but the pink zone is nothing to write home about. Those in need of retail therapy can head onto Phuket Town. All other areas are only worth exploring if you stay beyond a week.

Another problem about Phuket is the size of the island itself and the need for proper public transportation. The former is not to be scoffed at; it takes two hours by car to cover from the northern most part of the island to the southern most part. Thus, either rent one or be prepared to pay ridiculously high one-way flat fees (i.e. not metered) for cabs, or slog it out by public bus (the horror!!). Truly, traveling from location to location in Phuket is not a breeze.

So, why would one still go to Phuket? In a word, romance, and Phuket offers some gorgeous romantic getaway resorts and restaurants that will keep you and your honey purring, and away far the maddening crowd.

GETTING THERE
A couple of airlines travel between Hong Kong and Phuket. AirAsia has super cheap deals, but for high-class queens, go for Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways.

SLEEP
Sala Phuket
www.salaresorts.com/phuket
A 3-year old luxury boutique resort with 79 villas, this place is simply heaven. Consistently rated as a Top 10 resort in Phuket and marketed as “a peaceful serene atmosphere where guests need not ever leave their villa to enjoy a wonderful relaxing holiday”, it is easy to see why that is true. Amazingly, each villa feels like its own private resort, complete with a decent-sized 22.5sqm private swimming pool (perfect for those nude romps at any hour of the day and night), an air-conditioned bedroom, a huge 23sqm open-air outdoor bathroom (with the bathtub and relaxing daybed that overlooks the swimming pool), twin sun loungers, and a lush, tropical garden.

Sala Phuket also has two communal pools, and Mai Khao beach is literally at your door-step. Mai Khao is north of Phuket where few tourists venture, so apart from a smattering of locals at the beach, one completely has the whole beach to oneself.

The service at Sala Phuket is impeccable, which separates it from its competitors in the vicinity. Every staff member speaks English at a level higher than most Thai people, and their bright, sincere smiles are true testimony of the legendary Thai hospitality. For our anniversary, a milk bath strewn with flowers was drawn, complete with tealight candles everywhere and more flowers in the pool. Awesome!

Paresa Resort
www.paresaresorts.com
Paresa Phuket is another luxury resort, nestled in a tropical hillside cliff above Kamala Beach. Its major selling point is its breath-taking views of the Andaman Sea from its private infinity pools, and thus instantly becoming an insanely romantic getaway in one of its 1-bedroom villas. Paresa comes with a much steeper price tag, touting itself to be “Phuket’s best-kept secret”, and Paresa Resort is a vision of pure luxury and exclusivity (and garneredit top spot in Asian travel mag DestinAsian’s 2010 Luxe List).
If price is not a factor, Paresa is definitely a must-visit. At least have a drink at its bar, or better – have a drink by its communal pool overlooking the sea, coo at its lush surroundings, marvel at the azure waters, be swathed by the cool breeze, and just… drink it all in.

EAT
For a spot of rustic romance, one can easily eat at an outdoor, beachfront restaurant found at most beaches in Phuket. Mai Khao itself has affordable seafront eateries with the standard Thai fare like green curry with chicken, crab fried rice, steamed fish, tom yam goong (spicy shrimp soup), fresh whole coconut (for its juice and sweet flesh) etc.

Sala Rooftop Dining or Sala Beach Bar
333 Moo 3 Mai Khao Beach, Thalang District
Phuket, Thailand 83110
Tel. +66 (0) 76 338 888
Many flock to dine at either Sala’s romantic rooftop restaurant or simply at their Beach Bar (which is really a restaurant too) for lip-smacking meals. I had never tasted such amazing Thai food – they serve standard Thai cuisine exceptionally well.

Everything on the menu is just simply deelish, but for a standing-ovation-type dish, order their Kanom Jin, traditional Thai noodles unique to South Thailand, specifically Phuket. It is a heavenly dish comprised of fish slowly simmered in a spicy, red curry until it has broken into small pieces, infused with kaffir lime leaf, ginger, and shrimp paste.

The Tree House (at Anantara Phuket resort)
888 Moo 3 ,Tumbon Mai Khao,
Amphur Thalang, Phuket 83110
Tel: +66 (0) 7633 6100
If you want a place with great sea view and good food, forget Baan Rim Pa, try The Tree House instead. True to its name, this lofty restaurant is accessed by a spiral staircase wrapped around an aged banyan tree. They serve a collection of Thai fusion tapas to be enjoyed in comfy oversized chairs.

Try their Grilled Lamb with Harissa Mayonnaise, Wagyu Salami on Bread Aged Cheddar and their Laab Moo (spicy pork salad with roasted rice and mint leaves).

The 9th Floor
47 Rat-U-Thid Rd. Sky Inn Condotel,
Patong 83150 Phuket
Tel: +66 (0) 7634 4311
If one is sick of local cuisine, check out The 9th Floor. This hip Mediterranean-Swiss-Italian-Thai joint is encased in a run-down building but once you enter the restaurant on the ninth floor, you will be transported into a different world completely. Owned by a Swiss, the entire outfit prides itself as the “highest open-air restaurant in Phuket”, and truly, it is spacious with views over Patong and the bay.

Its menu is eclectic but you have to try their Risotto al Funghi, a starter of mixed mushrooms and white wine in a fine creamy sauce. For main course, stick to Australian Tenderloin “Truffle”, a grilled piece of meaty heaven wrapped with parma ham enhanced by truffle oil and mushroom sauce. It was simply more-ish.

Definitely go during sunset (ask for a table by their massive windows) and have a wonderful dinner with your partner.

NIGHTLIFE
Alright, why are you even going out clubbing on a romantic trip for two?! Nonetheless, if you are bitten by the dancing bug, then check out Phuket’s only gay zone at Patong Beach, mostly centered in Paradise Complex, complete with gay bars, clubs, restaurants, guesthouses and shops. Boogie away, you glamazons.

1.Chic*
2.Orchid*
Two different bars but all rather popular and have rated well amongst friends. They all have friendly staff, and relatively good cocktails (although honestly, do stick to Singha beer). Chic also has a karaoke section, so those who feel a spot of warbling and attention-grabbing, head there.

3.Kiss Club*
4.Boat Bar*
Both are popular clubs with good music and crowds, including fun, cabaret shows at midnight and 2 a.m. Many people like to start the night with the bars that are lined further front, and then end it at Boat Bar or Kiss Club. Why not check out the first show at Kiss Club then the second one at Boat Bar? By the end of it all, who knows – maybe you and your partner might be inspired to do some private cabaret tease act in your villa or hotel room.

*All bars and clubs located at Paradise Complex, Patong Beach

5. Simon Cabaret Show
100/6-8 Moo 4, Patong,
Tel: +66 (0) 7634 2115
If clubbing is not your thing, check out Simon Cabaret Show – an institution in itself famed for its flashy, huge extravaganza nightly drag shows. Commonly overheard from curious straight folks “Is she really a woman? Are they girls or boys?!” which adds to the element of fun while you knowingly raise your eyebrows to your partner and roll your eyeballs.

Words: James Soo

Where do you even begin with a city like London? Everyone and everything is there, from the hipsters in East London to the well-heeled in the West, from the parks in the North to the clubs in the South.

GETTING THERE

It’s a cinch to get there from Hong Kong, with dozens of direct flights a day. If you want to spare your cash for the city itself (cos it ain’t cheap) you might want to go via Dubai with Emirates or even via China with Air China or China Eastern. Fares can be as low as half of Cathay’s.

SLEEP

London’s huge and transport’s expensive, so it’s a good idea to stay near where you’re going to be spending most of your time. All the international chains are represented, but London also has its fair share of cool boutique hotels. Here are our picks:

The May Fair

Stratton Street, London

themayfairhotel.co.uk

400 rooms of 5 star luxury in the heart of the West End, this isn’t a boutique hotel but it has all the trimmings to be one. With a 200 seat private cinema, a beautiful Asian-themed spa as well as a casino, the May Fair’s recent facelift has transformed it into one of London’s best new hotels. If you’re going to London for sightseeing, its location just minutes away from Green Park is probably the best in town.

Blakes

33 Roland Gardens, London

blakeshotels.com

This is easily the most over-the-top boutique hotel in town, if not the world. Designed by Anouska Hempel, each room is extravagantly and luxuriously overstuffed with antiques and objets d’art with themes such as the British Raj or Napoleonic Egypt. Its location in South Kensington is perfect for museum-goers as well as those who are going to be mostly in West London (Notting Hill, Kensington, Chelsea).

The Rookery

Peters Lane, Cowcross Street, London

rookeryhotel.com

My favourite hotel in London, the Rookery is an odd jumble of two or three old townhouses that have been joined together with little warren-like corridors. The rooms are all slightly period – with beautiful heavy oak four-poster beds and stunning free-standing roll-lipped bath-tubs – and are all named after infamous criminals from the 19th century. Its location in Clerkenwell is ideal for East End clubbers and fashionistas.

EAT

Not too long ago, London gastronomy was a desert made up of dried bits of fish finger and the occasional boiled sprout. Then in the 90s people suddenly discovered cooking and the city is now filled with incredible places. While there are the usual star places, here are some more unusual eateries that are well worth the effort to get to:

St John

26 St John Street

stjohnrestaurant.com

One of the standards of Modern British food, St John actually looks very much to the past for its inspiration. Famous for serving odd cuts of meat, offal and bizarre ingredients, dishes are typically things like ox heart or eel. The only rule is to order something you’ve never heard of – you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

Les Trois Garcons

1 Club Row, London

loungelover.co.uk

You come here more for the atmosphere than for the food. Owned by two antique collectors and their partner (in all senses of the word – hence the name), the restaurant is filled with stuffed tigers, enormous chandeliers, vintage handbags and all sorts of wonderful ghastly stuff. If you have a reservation, you automatically get a table for aperitifs at their sister bar round the corner – the quirky and delicious Loungelover.

Bob Bob Ricard

1 Upper James Street, London

bobbobricard.com

Just a wonderful brasserie in the heart of Soho, Bob Bob Ricard takes you back to the 30s with a surreal twist. All tables are low-lit booths and there’s a faint Slavic atmosphere to the menu. Each table has a champagne call button and their cocktails are to die for.

SEE

Just get a copy of Time Out – published every Wednesday. But a word of warning – shows and even exhibitions tend to get sold out ages in advance. If there’s something you really want to see, try booking online before your trip.

SHOPPING

You’ll need a fat wallet because shopping in London is a dream come true. Big names jostle with small boutiques, and markets abound. Go to Oxford Street to the Top Man flagship store. Then run away as fast as you can. Head down to Carnaby Street and stop in at ubertrendy French label The Kooples and if you have to go to a department store, go to Liberty. Walk over to Covent Garden and check out the funky little boutiques there – for menswear, the area around Floral Street is heaven. But the great thing is that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Shoreditch is filled with hip new designers who might have guerilla stores on Saturdays (also check out Dover Street Market – the Comme des Garcons concept boutique). For food and wine, head down to Borough Market on a Saturday morning, and if you want flowers, it’s Columbia Road. Portobello Road on a Saturday has hundreds of stalls, as well as permanent shops selling antiques and bric-a-brac. Whatever you want you can get in London – for instance, Get Stuffed in Islington specialises in taxidermy, and Rococo Chocolates on the King’s Road are famous for flavours like Sea Salt, Chili Pepper, Jasmine and Earl Grey.

NIGHTLIFE

Soho is obviously homo heaven. But there are plenty of other off-beat places you should try to get to. Vauxhall has developed a fairly hardcore club scene under the railway arches and the East End has a number of (naturally) hip gay venues.

George & Dragon / Joiners Arms

2 Hackney Road / 116-118 Hackney Road

Tiny, but fabulous gay pub in Hoxton, the George & Dragon has been a staple on the gay scene in the East End for years. It’s often totally packed, and is filled with art students and designers – some pretty famous faces make an appearance here from time to time – and the reason why is because it’s so knowingly hip. Just up the road is The Joiners Arms where the scene is a little less art school and a little more rough.

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern

372 Kennington Lane

If you want alternative, the RVT is it. Saturday nights are legendary with performance artists and cabaret and the music is refreshingly different – instead of gay disco, it’s punk and thrash. If you’re into muscles, go to Box (Seven Dials, 32-34 Monmouth Street) in the West End. If you have a brain, try the RVT.

Vault 139

139b-143 Whitfield Street

A proper kind of upmarket sex club in the center of town, they have naked nights three times a week (just hand in your clothes to the cloakroom staff) and the rest of the time it’s underwear only. Small siderooms off the main bar allow you to try your hand at whatever takes your fancy.

Fort

131 Grange Road

Just about the sleaziest club in town, Fort has a very strict dress code which varies from day to day but will generally be something like shoes only, hats only, piercings only etc. – you get the picture. Don’t be surprised if someone pisses on you. Honestly, it happens.