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THE INSIDER by A&K Southeast Asia August 2019
As the second half of 2019 kicks into gear, we are delighted to share with you more travel insights and insider scoops in this latest edition of THE INSIDER by A&K Southeast Asia. In this issue, check out our Top 5 spa retreats and an exclusive offer combining two of Cambodia’s most iconic properties. We also chat with a woman who is bringing quality Myanmar crafts to the world and highlight our most rewarding travel experiences with locals.
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And a few words from our guests:
“Thank you so much for being an absolutely ridiculous, amazing, wonderful host. Because of you we had the adventure of a lifetime. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Memories for life.”
J. White, United States
Our Top 5: Spa Retreats to Detox and Decompress in Southeast Asia
Escape the daily grind and engage mind, body and soul in a revitalizing floral and herbal oil rub, a healthy detox with Balinese cuisine or a healing deep tissue massage. Here are our picks of Southeast Asia’s best wellness retreats.
1. Kamalaya
Your journey to spiritual, physical and mental well-being begins the moment you step into Kamalaya’s al fresco reception area overlooking Koh Samui, Thailand’s southern coastline. Consistently ranking among the world’s top spas, the resort offers fully personalized 3- to 14-night programs led by resident experts who specialize in everything from yoga to stress management, nutrition and acupuncture. Spend blissful days wandering through jungle foliage, meditating at a monk’s cave or relaxing at a steam cavern in a rocky grotto.
2. COMO Shambhala Estate
Soak in the healing waters of a sacred spring and embrace centuries-old Ayurvedic healing rituals at COMO Shambhala Estate, surrounded by the blissful rice fields and tranquil forests of Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. Consult with the resident yoga teacher, Ayurvedic doctor or dietician to refine your diet, exercise and treatment routine with a daily curated schedule of nature walks, longevity and mindfulness meditation, active jungle gym sessions and hydrotherapy treatments to achieve your goal, whether it is active physical training, body cleansing, spiritual balance or a combination of the three.
3. Amanoi
Rising up from a lush green landscape, Amanoi balances the beauty of land and sea – nestled between a lush national park and a marine reserve along Vietnam’s central coast. Surrounded by a picture-perfect lotus lake and forest-covered mountains, the spa pavilion is the ideal space to engage in Asia’s time-honored health and healing practices. The carefully-calibrated and individually-tailored programs include specialist bodywork programs with a personal trainer, open-air Pilates by the sea, focused dietary plans and holistic spa treatments to empower the mind, body and soul.
4. Rosewood Luang Prabang
Experience the re-energizing power of a ginger and black pepper massage or the soothing sensation of a Hmong herbal rub – an ancient technique that cleanses and detoxifies the body at Sense, A Rosewood Spa in Luang Prabang, Laos. This hilltop tented retreat meticulously placed within the Lao jungle with a natural waterfall continuously flowing through, Rosewood Luang Prabang offers an exotic back-to-nature experience surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of Laos. Delivering profound rejuvenation and curative treatments inspired by Laotian healing traditions, the jungle- surrounded spa uses curative organic herbs foraged straight from the garden.
5. Phu Chaisai Mountain Retreat
Scale new heights of mindfulness at Phu Chaisai Mountain Retreat, set in a remote mountaintop on the outskirts of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand. The minimalist bamboo cottages offer a compelling respite from the busy modern world and provides a digital detox where there is no television or media to distract you. Foster personal and spiritual growth with mountain treks through the Mae Salong valley region, private yoga sessions with expert practitioners and spa treatments using natural aromatic oils and ancient knowledge passed down through generations of Thai healers.
Memorable Moments in Southeast Asia
The most cherished memories of travel - the stories we can’t wait to share with friends and family back home are the ones that captured our hearts and truly engaged us in a personal way. Our A&K journeys open the doors to these ‘real’ Southeast Asia moments where you can connect with genuine people and experience the region’s authentic art, food, fashion and lifestyle. Here are just a few examples of how you can “be local with locals” with A&K in Southeast Asia:
At Home on the Delta, Vietnam: You are invited to share a pot of tea with a Mekong Delta famer who makes soy bean milk and raises shrimp on his farm. Chat about his plans for developing his property and cycle around the neighborhood where villagers make incense sticks and coconut candy and tend to fruit orchards full of coconuts, pomelos, tangerines and grapefruit.
A Myanmar Family Celebration: Experience a once in a lifetime moment with a local family and join the momentous event when a young boy comes of age and enters the monkhood. Take part in the rituals and celebrations where the whole village comes out to share the incredible feeling of pride and joy.
Lao Barbecue and Lawn Bowls: Chillax and unwind with a few cold Lao beers and enjoy a friendly game of pétanque with locals in Luang Prabang, Laos. Pick up some of their tricks as you improve your throw in this popular activity inherited from the French. Continue with your new friends for a sin dad barbecue dinner – a quintessential must-have Lao meal.
Explore more possibilities and contact us to find out how to add an authentic local moment on your next Southeast Asia journey.
Beautiful, Myanmar Made: The Giving Power of Design
Turning beautiful design into brighter futures, Ulla Kroeber, the founder and driving force behind Hla Day, a social enterprise in Yangon, Myanmar that provides local artisans with one-on-one business training and support, chats with us about her passion for high-quality crafts, local design and sustainable homewares, clothing and fashion accessories.
Q: Where does your love of Myanmar and Myanmar crafts come from?
A: Due to my husband’s work for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, my family was posted to Myanmar for the first time from 1994 to 1997. At that time our sons were young and we experienced the country as a place full of wonderful people, beautiful and varied landscapes, unknown customs and captivating history. It was then that I became aware of crafts and techniques I had not known before, such as lacquerware and weaving; I learned to admire the fantastic textiles and enjoyed the exquisite silver works.
When we left the country in 1997 we never imagined that we would ever have the opportunity of coming back. But at the end of 2011, we were once more posted to Myanmar. With the opening of the country at that time, I realized that people might start to forget their heritage. I believe that crafts are, in essence, cultural identity and in a country as culturally rich as Myanmar, this must not be lost.
Q: Where do you go to eat, shop and hangout in Yangon?
A: For local food, Rangoon Tea House is a wonderful choice to get to know the flavors of Myanmar cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere. The team at Hla Day eats there all the time, it’s located right next to us!
My favorite place to shop is, of course, Hla Day… and any local market as well! There is always something unexpected to find: a local toy, a beautiful basket, or simply the allure of local produce - the vibrancy of color. I especially love going to Bogyoke Market and admiring the fast-paced selection of Myanmar textiles; each visit is an inspiration.
Q: Hla Day crafts are always beautifully designed and unique. What are the guiding principles behind them?
A: It’s quite simple. Our main motivation is the creation of jobs. I am still amazed at the profound impact that good design can have on a product and its sales; the design of high-quality handicrafts provides a sustainable source of income for local artisans. I also believe that crafts have to be useful in order to survive, without use, they perish. They should also carry the story of the places and the people who make them.
We are continuously inspired by sustainability at the intersection of tradition, change, and opportunities. It is a dynamic process, at the crossroad of craft and community-building, always motivated by the talented artisans and their work.
We try to collaborate with artisans whose work has some kind of social impact. For example, we work closely with women, organizations that provide assistance to orphanages and schools, vulnerable communities, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, or people who are marginalized because of sexual orientation, and many others.
Q: Can you share some success stories where you have seen artisans grow through their partnership with Hla Day?
A: I consider each individual, each artisan who has through cooperation with us, achieved a steady income, a success story. In truth, nobody gets rich with handicrafts, but with hard work and motivation, it can provide a steady income and a dignified livelihood, even for people who might have never had an income before. In this way, families can provide for their children and put them through school and even get them to reach university. Moreover, through their work with Hla Day, artisan groups grow, they can employ more people, and the number of artisans receiving an income from crafts increases - this is success to us.
Q: What are your plans for Hla Day in the future?
A: We are thrilled to be launching our in-store workshops, where we will be hosting regular craft sessions led by some of the artisans we collaborate with. Travelers, expats, locals and anyone interested in learning can come and enjoy the experience of creating handicrafts using the techniques of Myanmar artisans. We also invite guests to enjoy our new coffee corner where we have delicious organic shade-grown coffee, an environmentally-friendly coffee that supports the biodiverse habitat of the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon. We are very excited!
Meet Ulla and the Hla Day team in Yangon, Myanmar and consult our Destination Specialists about how to include an immersive workshop to learn about Myanmar weaving, lacquerware or other crafts.
Exclusive Savings on Treasures of Cambodia with A&K
Enjoy exclusive savings of up to 15% when combining a stay with Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap and Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh between 1 October and 31 December 2019. Blackout dates apply.
Returning after an extensive facelift, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor will re-open later this year with shiny new wooden floors and sumptuous Cambodian silks, modernizing their look without compromising its rich history and grand, early twentieth-century French Art Deco style which has served kings and celebrities over the years.
Similarly, Raffles Hotel Le Royal is receiving a makeover with the final touches to be complete in the first half of 2020. As the work continues, the hotel remains open to guests with minimal disturbance as the areas of construction are cordoned off.
Experience these iconic hotels in Abercrombie & Kent style, on a 5-night journey that includes exclusive Insider Access with cultural experts and explores the creative art community in Siem Reap, surrounded by the mystery and enchantment of the Angkor temples, and reveals layers of history in Phnom Penh.
More INSIDER News from Around the Region
● Southeast Asia has two new UNESCO World Heritage Sites with Myanmar’s Bagan temple-covered lands and Laos’ Plain of Jars being inscribed on the list in July 2019.
● A Royal Barge Procession will be held in Bangkok on 24 October 2019 as part of the celebrations for the Thai King’s coronation which took place earlier this year.
● Hoi An, central Vietnam’s historical port city with its yellow mansions and famous street food scene has been crowned the Best City in the World 2019 by Travel + Leisure readers.
● From 1 August 2019, Vietnam Airlines will adopt a new baggage policy, allowing one piece of checked baggage per passenger. Passengers who have already purchased tickets will be permitted to travel with the standard baggage allowance as indicated on their ticket.
● Traveling to Laos has just become easier with a new e-visa system available to all nationals entering Laos through Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport or the land border from Thailand. Allow up to 3 days for the application process.
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For more information about anything you have seen in this newsletter, contact us:
Looking for more INSIDER news, ideas and travel information?
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