InEssence Issue 15
- Page 4 and 5: Editorial Team - Editor Gai Sukhuma
- Page 6 and 7: 6 24 Sri Lanka
- Page 8 and 9: People 62 Playing the Fashion Games
- Page 10 and 11: NEW SUAN BUA Authentic Thai cuisine
- Page 12 and 13: . . . . . . . . . . w h a t ’ s o
- Page 14 and 15: . . . . . . . . . . w h a t ’ s o
- Page 16 and 17: . . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t
- Page 18 and 19: Best beach for... snorkelling Ao Sa
- Page 20 and 21: Best beach for... families Tri Tra,
- Page 22 and 23: Old Town, New Vibe There was a time
- Page 24 and 25: . . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t
- Page 26 and 27: 26
- Page 28 and 29: motorised three-wheeled chariots ar
- Page 30 and 31: IF YOU ARE ON YOUR HONEYMOON, A ROM
- Page 32 and 33: Between river and sea With an exoti
- Page 34 and 35: . . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t
- Page 36 and 37: In a world tripping over giant carb
- Page 38 and 39: was the perfect setting for Agatha
- Page 40 and 41: “The trip takes between 19 and 21
- Page 42 and 43: . . . . . . . . . . p h o t o s t o
- Page 44 and 45: Pak Klong Talad Flower Market Pak K
- Page 46: Chinatown - Yaowarat Yaowarat is Ch
- Page 50 and 51: Train Night Market Avisit to the Tr
Editorial Team - Editor Gai Sukhumalind · Contributing Editor Ross Blaufarb · Writers Andy Round, George Hopkin, Ken Barrett, Marwanee Mahlee,<br />
Nancy Monson, Rukshana Rizwie, Simon Ostheimer, Tanes Srisuk · Art Director Yuttana Lapangyawit / Graphic Designer Wanchana Lengjeh<br />
Operation Manager Thongtos Chusit · Photographers Phuwadol Jankhum, Punnatat Asawakornjuraschai, Siwasan Chiewpimolporn, Vith Chinchanachokchai<br />
Centara Hotels & Resorts - Chief Operating Officer Chris Bailey<br />
Head of Corporate Marketing Thailand Pinida Pettanagul · Marketing Service Manager Piyaporn Manyum<br />
Advertising Enguires - Thongtos Chusit +66 (0) 2168 7624, tea@nativemedia.co.th · Cover image - Getty Images<br />
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Welcome to the new-look In Essence. We hope<br />
you enjoy the fresh new design and the many<br />
interesting features in our magazine.<br />
This issue highlights some of our favourite<br />
destinations, namely Phuket, Sri Lanka and Bangkok. We introduce<br />
you to the hidden beaches still to be found on the beautiful island<br />
of Phuket, despite the crowds of visitors in the better-known<br />
spots (p16). We then go to another paradise in Sri Lanka, taking<br />
a route that runs parallel to the ocean until we reach the resort<br />
town of Bentota (p24). We next return to the heart of Bangkok<br />
to discover the ways of Thai people from their markets (p42).<br />
We also feature some names from diverse professions. Fashion<br />
designers (p62), a tattooist (p68) and a world-class athlete (p76) may not<br />
at first seem to have much in common, but as our profiles reveal they all<br />
share the qualities of being hardworking and successful. We find them<br />
inspiring, and hope you enjoy reading about them while you stay with us.<br />
Finally, Centara’s international presence continues to grow,<br />
with our new properties due to open in Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Ethiopia<br />
and Laos. We aim to take our Thai service culture to these fascinating<br />
destinations, and hope to see you there soon.<br />
As the year 2016 is upon us, my colleagues and I wish you<br />
a New Year filled with good health, happiness and prosperity. We<br />
look forward to welcoming you back on your next Centara visit.<br />
Thirayuth Chirathivat<br />
Chief Executive Officer<br />
Centara Hotels & Resorts<br />
In Essence is published by Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited and is produced for Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited by Native Media Limited,<br />
The Trendy Building, 10/162 Soi Sukhumvit 13, Sukhumvit road, Klongtoey - nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110. Tel: +66 (0) 2168 7624 Fax: +66 (0) 2168 7625 www.nativemedia.co.th<br />
No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited.<br />
©20<strong>15</strong>-2016 by Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited. All rights reserved.<br />
5
6<br />
24<br />
Sri Lanka
contents<br />
Destinations<br />
16<br />
Phuket’s secret sands<br />
24<br />
Sri Lanka<br />
An island escapade<br />
34<br />
Fast track<br />
The world’s best rail journeys<br />
42<br />
42<br />
Photo story<br />
Markets in Bangkok<br />
Style<br />
54<br />
Passport of style<br />
Looking comfortably<br />
stylish 30,000 feet above<br />
7
People<br />
62<br />
Playing the Fashion Games<br />
Thai fashion designers and<br />
their creativity.<br />
68<br />
Beyond the ink<br />
Meet Anon Peeranunpanya, one of<br />
Thailand’s top tattoo artists.<br />
76<br />
Top of his games<br />
Novak Djokovic has it all-age on<br />
his side, a growing family and a<br />
burgeoning business empire.<br />
88<br />
At Centara<br />
88<br />
Blue Sky thinking<br />
The rooftop restaurant features<br />
French bistro food and cool cocktails.<br />
8
68<br />
Beyond the ink<br />
9
NEW SUAN BUA<br />
Authentic Thai cuisine in modern style, featuring dishes from every corner of the country, ranging from<br />
ultra-spicy southern through to tangy northeastern and milder northern fare.<br />
Suan Bua Restaurant, an institution in Bangkok for over 30 years, has been renovated its completely new look<br />
in November 20<strong>15</strong> to create a warm but stylish atmosphere.The “New Suan Bua” offers an intimate dining<br />
experience which combines Chef Santiphap Petchwao’s expertise with the traditional and internationallycompetitive<br />
modern dining environment. Simplicity and natural materials are at the heart of the new design,<br />
with the recurring “lotus” emblem used as a symbolic “Suan Bua”.<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RESERVATION<br />
PLEASE CONTACT KHUN YING (F&B RESERVATION COORDINATOR)<br />
T: 02 541 1234 EXT. 4<strong>15</strong>1 | E: FB_OFFICE@CHR.CO.TH
Destinations<br />
Phuket’s secret sands<br />
Sri Lanka: An island escapade<br />
Fast track
. . . . . . . . . . w h a t ’ s o n<br />
Events &<br />
Festivals<br />
Thailand is a festive kingdom, celebrating numerous provincial<br />
and national holidays and hosting many regional and global events.<br />
January Highlights<br />
Chiang Rai Flower Festival<br />
When: 24 December - 31 January<br />
Where: Tung and Khom Park, Chiang Rai<br />
Floral displays and competitions, an orchid garden, sales<br />
of locally made and grown products, a beauty contest<br />
and a floral procession are all part of this lovely festival.<br />
Phu Ruea Flower Festival<br />
When: 1 December - 31 January<br />
Where: Phu Ruea, Loei<br />
The Sea of Fog and Beautiful Flower Blossom is one<br />
of the highlights of the festival held in the hills of<br />
Loei province, with a fair of temperate plants, a floral<br />
parade, decorative plant contests and a winter dance.<br />
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February Highlights<br />
Chinese New Year<br />
When: 8 February<br />
Where: Chinatown, Bangkok<br />
Chinatown celebrates the Year of the Monkey with dragon<br />
dances, firecrackers, Chinese lanterns, street parties, and<br />
restaurants serving auspicious Chinese dishes.<br />
March Highlights<br />
Pattaya International Music Festival<br />
When: 18 - 20 March<br />
Where: Pattaya<br />
One of the biggest international beach music festivals<br />
in Asia, taking place along Pattaya Beach Road, with a<br />
different colourful theme each year. Thousands of people<br />
enjoy the performances of famous Asian and Thai artists.<br />
T H A I L A N D<br />
Underwater Wedding Festival<br />
When: 12 - 14 February<br />
Where: Kantang, Trang<br />
Every year brides and grooms from many countries come to<br />
South Thailand for this unique event, with traditional Thai<br />
wedding ceremonies, lavish processions and beach parties, plus<br />
an underwater declaration of marriage vows at Koh Kradan.<br />
Cha-am International Kite Festival<br />
When: Early March<br />
Where: Naresuan Camp, Cha-am<br />
The traditional kite festival reveals fabulously designed<br />
kites and there are exciting kite flying stunts and competitions<br />
over Cha-am’s golden beach. The town itself is brightly<br />
decorated and there are food and handicraft stalls.<br />
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. . . . . . . . . . w h a t ’ s o n<br />
Here are four colourful festivals and<br />
events in four different countries that<br />
will provide an unforgettable travel<br />
experience for you during the early<br />
months of 2016.<br />
Muscat Festival<br />
When: <strong>15</strong> January - 14 February<br />
Where: Muscat, Oman<br />
Muscat Festival is the biggest event annually hosted<br />
in Muscat, an extravaganza of cultural shows, art<br />
exhibitions, music, sport, and live entertainment.<br />
Special events are staged for children. Participants<br />
and visitors alike are international, and there is great<br />
food and shopping to be enjoyed. Visitors can also<br />
experience the traditional Omani lifestyle at the<br />
Heritage Village.<br />
Tet Festival<br />
When: 8 - 12 February<br />
Where: Da Nang, Vietnam<br />
Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, a time of festival and an<br />
occasion for pilgrimages and family reunions. Da Nang<br />
is one of the best destinations to experience Tet, with its<br />
colourful decorations, its restaurants and roadside stalls<br />
serving auspicious dishes, its traditional dance and music<br />
performances, and its spontaneous beach parties.<br />
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Bali Nyepi Day<br />
When: 26 March<br />
Where: Bali, Indonesia<br />
Nyepi Day is a New Year celebration in Bali, a Hindu tradition that is also<br />
known as the Bali Day of Silence. This is the quietest day of the year, when all<br />
routine activities will completely halt, the roads are empty and nobody steps<br />
outside of their homes. Even the airport is closed. As a time for self-reflection,<br />
anything that might interfere with that is restricted. Nyepi is worth<br />
experiencing at least once in a lifetime. Activity quickly picks up on the<br />
following day, which is known as Ngembak Geni, a time for families<br />
and friends to gather.<br />
I N T E R N A T I O N A L<br />
International Istanbul<br />
Baroque Music Festival<br />
When: 1 April<br />
Where: Istanbul, Turkey<br />
This international music festival introduces audiences to operas, cantatas,<br />
sonatas and stabat maters, performed in concert halls around the capital city,<br />
including Dolmabahçe Palace. Against these historic settings, the great<br />
performances of the Istanbul baroque ensemble and other international<br />
virtuosos become a matchless experience of art, music, culture and folklore.<br />
<strong>15</strong>
. . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t i o n s<br />
Phuket’s<br />
Secret<br />
Sands<br />
Words: Simon N. Ostheimer<br />
Photos: Kiri Heald<br />
Though millions of tourists flock every year to the island’s<br />
famous west coast beaches of Patong, Kata and Karon, it’s<br />
still possible to find a secret cove to call your own. Here<br />
we discover four stretches of sand where you can get far<br />
away from the maddening crowds<br />
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17
Best beach for... snorkelling<br />
Ao Sane, Naiharn<br />
At the back of this isolated beach, which<br />
occupies a small sheltered bay on the<br />
south coast, there’s an open-air restaurant<br />
serving Thai staples like khao<br />
pad gai (chicken fried rice) and pad see ew (fried flat<br />
noodles), which looks out onto waves crashing on the<br />
huge boulders that dot the sand. Just offshore - the<br />
sand drops away sharply - snorkellers gently swim<br />
over the colourful coral and tropical fish that continue<br />
to thrive here. Hugging the hillside around the<br />
beach, hidden away among the swaying palm<br />
trees, are a number of simple beach huts for rent.<br />
It’s all so idyllic, you’d be forgiven for forgetting<br />
that just across the bay hundreds of tourists are<br />
fighting it out for space on busy Naiharn beach.<br />
How to get there:<br />
Head towards Naiharn beach, and at<br />
the northernmost end follow the road<br />
that hugs tightly to the coastline (ignore<br />
the signs saying that it’s a private road,<br />
it’s not). As the road dips down, take<br />
the small path on the left that leads<br />
down to the beach.<br />
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Best beach for... an adventure<br />
Banana Rock Beach, Naithon<br />
In the far northwest of Phuket, up a long,<br />
narrow and winding road, lies a secret beach<br />
that most locals don’t even know about. In<br />
fact, the only indication it’s actually there<br />
is a small wooden sign nailed to a tree that simply<br />
reads, ‘Banana Beach’. Next to the sign, a section of<br />
barbed wire has been removed from between two<br />
concrete posts, and from here a path leads down<br />
to the beach. As you head down the hill, you’ll be<br />
able to tantalisingly glimpse the sand and sea ahead<br />
of you. On any given day, you’ll be one of just a<br />
handful of people here - some come by scooter,<br />
a few by car, and others by longtail boat, which<br />
can be hired to bring you here from Patong. Close<br />
to where the path enters the beach is a small seafood<br />
shack, whose owner rents out beach mats and<br />
umbrellas if you need them.<br />
How to get there:<br />
Following the coastal road Route<br />
4018 from Layan beach to Naithon<br />
beach, as you head over the hill<br />
look out for the small ‘Banana<br />
Beach’ sign on the left.<br />
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Best beach for... families<br />
Tri Tra, Patong<br />
While Patong offers the most<br />
accommodation available<br />
on the island - and admittedly<br />
much convenience in<br />
terms of bars, restaurants and shopping - its<br />
main beach can get quite busy. That’s why you<br />
need to instead head to quieter Tri Tra beach,<br />
which lies just north of Patong bay. If you’re<br />
not in a rush, and don’t mind climbing the<br />
hill, you can walk here in 30 minutes, otherwise<br />
it’s just a short tuk-tuk trip or ride on your<br />
rented scooter. Accessed down a steep though<br />
drivable path, there’s plenty of shade for<br />
children, as well as a large - if a little more<br />
expensive than most - restaurant, as well as<br />
umbrellas. Last time we visited, we came across<br />
a baby elephant having fun in the surf with<br />
its trainer.<br />
How to get there:<br />
Take the beach road south out of Patong,<br />
cross the bridge and turn left at the corner.<br />
Follow the road, and then turn right down<br />
the steep access road to Tri Tra.<br />
20
Best beach for... escaping Phuket<br />
Banana Beach, Coral Island<br />
Sometimes, even escaping to a tropical island isn’t enough. Don’t worry<br />
though, as Phuket has more than a dozen small islands just offshore that<br />
make for a perfect day trip. Top of that list is pretty Coral Island, known<br />
locally as Koh Hae. If you want to keep your Thailand experience authentic,<br />
it’s easily reached via a longtail ride from Phuket, which costs approximately 1,500<br />
baht for a 30 minute return trip. If comfort’s important though, for just a little more<br />
you can instead rent a speedboat that takes half that time. Coral Island has two main<br />
stretches of sand, the busier Long Beach, which fills up with package tourists during<br />
high season, and Banana Beach to the east, on the other side of a small peninsula.<br />
How to get there:<br />
Longtails can be hired for the<br />
day from both Chalong Pier<br />
and Rawai Pier, though the<br />
trip is shorter from Rawai.<br />
Speedboats should be booked<br />
in advance.<br />
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Old Town, New Vibe<br />
There was a time, not so long ago, when Phuket’s<br />
historic Old Town felt abandoned. Wind the<br />
clock back just a few decades and this quaint<br />
district, with its distinctive century-old Sino-<br />
Colonial shophouses, was the beating heart of the island -<br />
the centre of commerce, home to the main market, and<br />
the seat of power. However, as tourism began to replace<br />
tin-mining and rubber plantations as the main source of<br />
income, money began to pour into villages on the west<br />
coast, with foreigners flocking to spend their money by<br />
the sand. It left the Old Town as a somewhat forlorn<br />
remnant of the past, but thankfully in recent years it has<br />
seen a gentrifying resurgence, with art galleries, restaurants,<br />
bars and coffee shops moving in and mixing with the<br />
traditional hardware stores, fabric shops and roti houses.<br />
Culture: Phuket’s best galleries can be found in the Old<br />
Town, from the flamboyant oil paintings of Watcharin<br />
Rodnit (27 Yaowarat Road; watcharinartstudio.com)<br />
to the Damian Hirst-inspired sculptural work of Craig<br />
Paterson at Drift (50 Krabi Road; drift-interiors.com).<br />
At Wua Art Gallery (42 Phang Nga Road; wuaartgallery.com),<br />
Mr Zen works on surrealist portraiture,<br />
while down the street at the open-air Drawing Room (56<br />
Phang Nga Road; facebook.com/drawingroomphuket)<br />
Isara uses a marker pen to create bewildering doodles.<br />
Drink: The Old Town is at the forefront of Phuket’s craft<br />
beer revolution, with places like the Pint Factory (Limelight<br />
Mall; facebook.com/pintfactory) packing them in for bottles<br />
bearing names like Chainbreaker, Summer Solstice and<br />
Hazlenut Brown Nectar. For great live jazz and blues, head<br />
to Saxophone Pub (Seahorse Circle; saxophonepub.com), a<br />
new branch of the famous Bangkok venue, but for a true local<br />
flavour then spend the night at Timber Hut (118/1 Yaowarat<br />
Road; no web), which has been rocking Phuket since 1990.<br />
Eat: For a true taste of Old Town, order the spring rolls<br />
(po pia sod hokkien) at the famous Lock Tien food court<br />
(Corner of Yaowarat & Dibuk Roads) or Hokkien<br />
fried noodles (mee pad hokkien) at Kopitiam by Wilai (18<br />
Thalang Road; facebook.com/kopitiambywilai). For an<br />
upmarket experience, Mirror Mirror (31 Dibuk Road;<br />
mirrormirrorphuket.com), serves contemporary European<br />
classics, but no-one does it better than celebrity TV chef Noi<br />
at Suay (50/2 Takuapa Road; suayrestaurant.com) - he’s<br />
currently on Iron Chef Thailand.<br />
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Centara<br />
in Phuket<br />
There are eight Centara resorts on Phuket,<br />
ranging from five-star beach resorts through<br />
to family resorts and serviced apartments.<br />
Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas Phuket<br />
Drawing its design theme from the classic<br />
Sino-Portuguese architecture that characterises<br />
Phuket Town, Centara Grand Beach<br />
Resort is set directly on the sands at Karon<br />
Beach, and grouped around its own water park. A water<br />
park is also central to Centara Grand West Sands Resort<br />
& Villas, set on the sands of Mai Khao Beach, the longest<br />
and quietest stretch of beach on the western side of the<br />
island. Named Splash Jungle, it is Phuket’s wildest, wettest<br />
water park, with exhilarating rides.<br />
A romantic hideaway almost lost within its luxuriant<br />
tropical surroundings, Centara Villas is only a stroll away<br />
from the sweeping expanse of Phuket’s Karon Beach<br />
and features totally private Thai-style villas.<br />
In Karon Town, Centara Karon Resort has four<br />
residential zones and is ideal for active family holidays as<br />
well as for couples in search of an intimate break. Centara<br />
Kata Resort is meanwhile designed very much with<br />
families in mind, with especially spacious accommodation<br />
and three swimming pools.<br />
Located on the cliff at the quiet northern end of Patong<br />
Beach, Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa has a dazzling<br />
view of the Andaman Sea and is backed by green forest,<br />
while being only minutes away from the centre of<br />
Patong. In Patong Town itself, Centra Ashlee Hotel is<br />
perfect for the shopping, dining and entertainment<br />
Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa Phuket<br />
areas, and also has a dramatic rooftop<br />
swimming pool and lounge bar with<br />
great sea views.<br />
Visitors wishing for a self-catering<br />
holiday can opt for Waterfront Suites<br />
Phuket by Centara, a 21-storey serviced<br />
apartment building that offers spacious<br />
apartments, a large swimming pool, tennis<br />
and squash courts, and is located a twominute<br />
walk from Karon Beach.<br />
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. . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t i o n s<br />
Sri Lanka<br />
An island<br />
escapade<br />
Words: Rukshana Rizwie<br />
Exotic landscapes, amazing food and a fascinating<br />
culture are all to be found on the Paradise Isle.<br />
24
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26
Sri Lanka is referred to as the Paradise<br />
Isle, and with good reason. Or, to be<br />
more exact, many good reasons.<br />
Set like a jewelled pendent in the<br />
Indian Ocean and measuring a little<br />
more than four hundred kilometres<br />
from north to south, the island offers tourists and locals<br />
the option of travelling from palm-fringed beaches to<br />
mountain peaks in a matter of hours. A traveller could<br />
be riding the waves in Bentota at dawn and admiring<br />
the emerald green-carpeted mountains of Nuwara<br />
Eliya by dusk.<br />
Sri Lanka is a beautiful contradiction with its<br />
golden beaches, misty mountains, mighty elephants,<br />
giant whales, majestic past, warm smiles and rich history.<br />
Colombo is the commercial hub in the south of<br />
the island, a potpourri of tourist attractions, shopping<br />
malls, street markets, mansions and lush gardens.<br />
A city of contrasts, you’ll be able to do most of your<br />
shopping here. While you are at it, you could<br />
visit the Dutch Period Museum, which is<br />
sandwiched in the middle of the street market<br />
in Pettah. The Colombo City Tour, the only<br />
open-deck city sightseeing bus, will give you<br />
a glimpse of all that Colombo has to offer.<br />
Sri Lankans take Ayurveda seriously,<br />
and spending time in a spa will place you in<br />
the hands of experts. The island has been<br />
a centre of spiritual and physical healing<br />
for two thousand years and the Ayurvedic<br />
therapies consist of a range of herbal treatments.<br />
Spas in Colombo provide various<br />
other Eastern and Western therapies such<br />
as Thai massage, hydrotherapy and herbal<br />
baths, reflexology, and beauty treatments.<br />
This small island is also one of the great<br />
centres of Buddhism, and is renowned for<br />
its temples and monasteries. A visit to the<br />
Gangarama Vihara, one of the most venerable<br />
temples in the country, decorated with<br />
wonderful brass work, stone carvings and<br />
other Buddhist art is highly recommended.<br />
Kothu roti is Sri Lanka’s most famous street<br />
food. The roti is sliced or shredded, and then<br />
blended with the diner’s choice of chicken,<br />
beef, egg, onions, tomatoes and green chillies.<br />
If you want to travel around like the<br />
locals do, simply flag down a tuk-tuk. These<br />
27
motorised three-wheeled chariots are the backbone of<br />
Sri Lankan transport - just remember to hang on for dear life!<br />
When night falls, Colombo has a buzzing nightlife scene,<br />
with chill-out bars and bistros, casinos if you want to try your<br />
hand at roulette or baccarat, or cool clubs where you can<br />
party until dawn.<br />
From Colombo, it is easy to reach the glorious golden<br />
beaches of the south. Bentota is regarded as the water sports<br />
capital, and the sixty-kilometre trip by road will take about two<br />
hours. Visitors are usually taken on the Southern Expressway, but<br />
the local route, which runs in parallel to the sea, is rather more<br />
colourful, even though heavy traffic can slow progress a little.<br />
Bentota is a premier resort town with at least fifteen starclass<br />
hotels clustered together, coupled with numerous boutique<br />
style properties, all promising the perfect summer vacation<br />
even in the middle of winter. Too good to be true? You have<br />
to experience it to believe it.<br />
At Bentota, the Bentara River flows into the Indian Ocean,<br />
forming a lagoon and here can be enjoyed a wide array of water<br />
28
SRI LANKANS TAKE AYURVEDA SERIOUSLY,<br />
AND SPENDING TIME IN A SPA WILL<br />
PLACE YOU IN THE HANDS OF EXPERTS.<br />
29
IF YOU ARE ON YOUR<br />
HONEYMOON, A ROMANTIC<br />
RIVER SAFARI ALONG THE<br />
CALM WATERS IS HIGHLY<br />
RECOMMENDED.<br />
sports including snorkelling, diving, sailing, wind surfing, waterskiing<br />
and deep-sea fishing from a traditional outrigger canoe.<br />
Just across the Bentota Bridge over the river is the coastal<br />
town of Bentota Ganga. The beach here is safe for swimming<br />
and there are exciting excursions that are perfect for a relaxing<br />
family holiday that will keep everyone happy. If you are on your<br />
honeymoon, a romantic river safari along the calm waters<br />
is highly recommended.<br />
The waters are usually warm, which makes it possible to go<br />
scuba diving and snorkelling. There are plenty of dive centres<br />
in the locality, the majority of which are operated by PADIcertified<br />
professionals. Here you will be able to find equipment,<br />
assistance and guidance from the experts. Bentota is a dream<br />
destination for divers.<br />
Bentota’s principal dive site is Canoe Rock, where you will<br />
find sandy areas as well as sections with coral formations. Divers<br />
have the option of diving from a boat or straight from the shore.<br />
When you are staying at the Centara Ceysands Resort<br />
& Spa, ask the hotel to help you book a boat cruise, or water<br />
skiing, or any one of the various water related activities to suit<br />
your needs. Excursions can also be made to the turtle hatchery<br />
and the Buddhist temples in the region.<br />
30
31
Between river and sea<br />
With an exotic location on the Bentota<br />
Peninsula, Centara Ceysands Resort &<br />
Spa has dreamy views of the slow-moving<br />
river and its mangroves to one side, and<br />
to the other side views of the golden beach and blue sea.<br />
Access to the resort is also exotic, with guests boarding a<br />
barge on the landward bank of the river and taking a two-minute<br />
journey across to the warm welcome waiting in the lobby.<br />
Rooms and suites are spacious, the unfussy design with<br />
its light décor and splashes of bright colour imparting an<br />
extra sense of airiness, and each room has a furnished balcony<br />
or terrace that is large enough to laze upon and enjoy the view.<br />
A number of Family Residences are available.<br />
There is a swimming pool with Jacuzzi overlooking the<br />
beach, and for guests wishing to go snorkelling, boating or<br />
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka<br />
windsurfing in the safe waters of the<br />
lagoon the resort has its own water<br />
sports centre.<br />
Families will appreciate the supervised<br />
Kids’ Club, which has Camp<br />
Safari for the younger ones while the<br />
teens have their own hangout at E-<br />
Zone. This provides an opportunity for<br />
parents to spend time at SPA Cenvaree,<br />
where in treatment suites for singles and<br />
couples there is a choice of treatments that<br />
draw upon Sri Lanka’s ancient traditions<br />
of massage and herbal infusions to leave<br />
you glowing with health.<br />
All the sumptuous pleasures of<br />
Sri Lankan cuisine are presented at Café<br />
Bem, along with Asian and international<br />
dishes. Locally sourced seafood is the<br />
speciality at 360 Seafood, with views<br />
out over the river and the ocean, while<br />
Ceylon Club serves fine teas and coffees,<br />
snacks and cocktails from morning until<br />
midnight.<br />
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Book direct<br />
for a greater<br />
deal<br />
#MyCentaraSecrets<br />
We’re so committed to providing excellent service at Centara that we’ll<br />
guarantee you the best holiday, in every way possible. Plus, to top it all off,<br />
when you book direct at centarahotelsresorts.com, we’re so confident that<br />
you’ll always get the best price. If you find a lower rate elsewhere,<br />
we’ll match it and give you a further 10% discount off the quoted price.<br />
Become a Centara1Card member and enjoy even more savings and benefits.<br />
Visit centara1card.com to sign up today.<br />
BOOK DIRECT FOR OUR BEST PRICE PROMISE<br />
centarahotelsresorts.com E: reservations@chr.co.th T: + 66 (0) 2101 1234 # 1<br />
95
. . . . . . . . . . d e s t i n a t i o n s<br />
34
Tired of high-flying holidays that fail to inspire? Bored of<br />
misery-packed airport lounges and security queues that<br />
take an eternity? Andy Round lets the train take the strain<br />
with 10 of the world’s best rail journeys.<br />
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In a world tripping over giant<br />
carbon footprints left by longhaul<br />
flights and emissions<br />
trailing the skies from dozens<br />
of monster-sized aircraft, it’s<br />
comforting to remember that<br />
a more environmentally friendly, more<br />
traditional way of getting from A to B<br />
is still thriving in the form of trains.<br />
Forget all that airport security, hassle<br />
with baggage, taxis from outside the<br />
city and worrying about whether you<br />
turn right or left onto a plane. Trains<br />
offer better legroom, a more conducive<br />
holiday atmosphere, a real sense of<br />
travel adventure as well as the perfect<br />
excuse to pack a corkscrew.<br />
Sold? Good. Now all you need to do<br />
is decide which trip to enjoy. There’s a<br />
world of choice out there - from the<br />
epic frozen tundra of Siberia to the<br />
shimmering horizons of Peru. See you<br />
at the station.<br />
1 Blue Train, South Africa<br />
Luxury really doesn’t get any more<br />
extreme than this. Carrying only 74<br />
passengers in 37 suites fussed over by 27<br />
staff with butlers on call, sous chefs ensuite<br />
bathrooms, televisions, telephones and<br />
some of the most dramatic scenery in<br />
the world outside your window, the Blue<br />
Train really delivers. The classic trip is<br />
from Pretoria to Cape Town that allows<br />
you - within 27 hours and for about<br />
US$1,500 per person - to watch the<br />
moon rise over the Karoo, then potter<br />
through the wine region before finding<br />
yourself in the shade of Table Mountain.<br />
Alternatively you can roll from Pretoria<br />
to Durban, taking in two nights at the<br />
Zimbali Resort and its famous 18-hole<br />
golf course, or scoot up to Bakubung<br />
Game Lodge for luxury game drives.<br />
www.bluetrain.co.za<br />
2 Palace On Wheels, India<br />
Oh, the glory of the Raj, the majesty of<br />
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Indian scenery, the fun of an occasional elephant<br />
ride, the magnificence of cultural treasures and<br />
the interior Victorian luxury of the Palace On<br />
Wheels. Leaving from Delhi to chug at a stately<br />
pace across the deserts of Rajasthan, the train<br />
stops at the Pink City of Jaipur; the sandstone<br />
mansions in Jaisalmer; the walled city of<br />
Jodhpur; Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary; Lake<br />
Palace Hotel before arriving in time for breakfast<br />
at the Taj Mahal and a wander around Agra’s<br />
Bharatur Bird Sanctuary. Idyllic. Prices start<br />
from just US$5,980 for eight days.<br />
www.palacetours.com<br />
3 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express<br />
Originally conceived in 1864 as the first purveyor<br />
of fine rail pampering, this train was shot<br />
at during wars, stuck in snow in the 1920s and<br />
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was the perfect setting for Agatha Christie’s famous<br />
novel before running into the buffers of disrepair, ruin<br />
and airline competition 30 years ago. But following<br />
a massive restoration effort, the Orient Express is the<br />
queen of train travel once again trailing that magnificent<br />
early 20th century Pullman and Continental<br />
rail livery and luxury carriages loaded with Lalique<br />
glass and Art Deco marquetry through Europe’s<br />
stunning scenery. Depending on where you decide<br />
to take the train you can enjoy a luxurious saunter<br />
through France, Switzerland, Austria or Italy. Prices<br />
start from just US$750 (for Venice to Rome).<br />
www.orient-express.com<br />
4 Glacier Express, Switzerland<br />
OK, it’s not exactly in the same league as the Palace<br />
On Wheels or Blue Train when it comes to über luxury<br />
or price, but the Swiss views from the Glacier Express<br />
are seven-star as you roll gently from Zermatt to<br />
St Moritz. There are oversized roof windows on the<br />
48-seat panoramic carriage that allow you to take in<br />
the 291 bridges, the rivers Rhone and Rhine, 91<br />
tunnels as well as rises and drops of up to 5,000 feet.<br />
The highlight is the crossing of the shockingly high<br />
Oberalp Pass with a vertigo-inducing<br />
drop of 6,700 feet. At just 149 Swiss francs<br />
(one-way) it’s the best value train view deal<br />
in the world.<br />
www.glacierexpress.ch<br />
5 Eastern & Oriental Express<br />
After the wonders of Europe, it’s time to steam<br />
through the marvels of South-East Asia<br />
and that can only mean one thing, the Eastern<br />
& Oriental Express. The favourite route is<br />
the 1,200-mile journey from Singapore to<br />
Bangkok (although there are also journeys<br />
from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or Kuala<br />
Lumpur and back). It’s that classic Asian<br />
window-wonder experience of paddy fields<br />
and palm trees all packed into rich, fertile<br />
and lush countryside peppered with bustling<br />
cities, welcoming towns and cultural highlights.<br />
Relax in the Chinese-lacquered observation<br />
car and soak up the atmosphere of Malaysian<br />
motifs and Thai carvings inside while looking<br />
outside at the places it all came from.<br />
www.belmond.com<br />
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“A glass-walled observation car<br />
makes sure you miss nothing. ”<br />
6 Cuzco to Lake Titicaca<br />
It may not be as luxurious as its rivals but what the Peruvian<br />
delight of the Cuzco to Machu Picchu railway track lacks in<br />
comfort it makes up for in adventure. From the ancient city<br />
of Cuzco you climb the Andes, past the Huatanay River then<br />
across the endless plains to the lake that borders Bolivia and<br />
Peru, Titicaca. A glass-walled observation car makes sure you<br />
miss nothing. The train leaves every 24 hours and only during<br />
daylight. If the idea of potentially sharing your seat with a llama<br />
for the day holds little appeal, book a luxury seat (with brunch)<br />
on the prestigious Hiram Bingham that saunters through the<br />
Andes from Cuzco to the ancient Inca capital of Machu Picchu<br />
and takes just three hours each way (returns cost US$300).<br />
www.perurail.com<br />
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“The trip takes between<br />
19 and 21 days and barely<br />
breaks through endless<br />
miles of tundra. ”<br />
7 Trans-Siberian Railway<br />
The granddaddy of all super rail journeys is without<br />
a shadow of revolutionary doubt the Trans-Siberian<br />
Railway. Stretching across the vast landmass of Siberia<br />
linking the throbbing capitalist heart of the Russian<br />
universe, Moscow, with the last outpost (seemingly) of<br />
civilisation, Vladivostok on the Pacific coast, this is a<br />
monster of a journey. The trip normally takes between<br />
19 and 21 days and barely breaks into a jog as it trots<br />
through endless miles of tundra. It’s also a bottomshattering<br />
experience, so it’s best to book a sleeper<br />
carriage for the duration, ideally on the privately owned<br />
faster Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express which<br />
offers accommodation fit for a super tsar from flatscreen<br />
TVs and power showers to under-floor heating<br />
and an evening pianist. Prices start from<br />
US$17,000 for the 14-day journey.<br />
www.gwtravel.co.uk<br />
8 New York to San Francisco<br />
In the space of three days you can journey<br />
to the heart of America - coast to coast.<br />
The precursor, a short Capitol Limited<br />
jaunt from Washington DC to Chicago -<br />
through the Potomac Valley, Harpers Ferry<br />
and the Allegheny Mountains - is all very<br />
well and good, but that merely whets the<br />
appetite for the monster 2,400-mile, twonight<br />
journey that takes you across endless<br />
Nebraska farmlands, Colorado canyons<br />
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and Sierra Nevada peaks into the welcoming<br />
hills of Sacramento and the warm air of the<br />
San Francisco Bay Area. Without rail the Wild<br />
West would never have been won, today the<br />
romantic, iconic silver California Zephyr carriages<br />
all have recliners and private sleepers,<br />
but it still feels like an adventure. Of course that’s<br />
just one coast-to-coat journey. America’s a big<br />
place with a lot of coastal cities so there are<br />
endless ways of trekking across this vast continent.<br />
Browse the Amtrak site and plan which adventure<br />
is best for you.<br />
www.amtrak.com<br />
9 Indian Pacific<br />
As the name suggests, you get two great oceans<br />
in one epic trip, just three days and 2,700 miles<br />
apart (prices start from just US$2,049). The journey<br />
is as legendary as the continent it traverses.<br />
Running between Sydney and Perth encompassing<br />
the Blue Mountains, treeless Nullabor Plain,<br />
abandoned gold mine towns and koalas up<br />
eucalyptus trees, the Indian Pacific is the only<br />
way the see Australia. GSR, the company that<br />
runs the service, says the ultimate highlight of<br />
the journey is catching sight of the Australian<br />
wedge-tailed eagle. Apparently you can’t<br />
miss it, it’s got a six-foot wide wingspan.<br />
www.gsr.com.au<br />
10 The Royal Canadian Pacific<br />
Packed with bears, moose, wolves and<br />
cougars, the Rocky Mountains put the<br />
wild in wilderness. And if you want to get<br />
up close and personal with the astonishing<br />
landscape that is home to these beasts,<br />
it would be difficult to beat a five-night<br />
Royal Canadian Pacific journey. Swooping<br />
from Calgary in a giant loop the train takes<br />
in the Canadian Rockies and areas with<br />
evocative names such as Kicking Horse<br />
Pass, Spiral Tunnels, Crows Nest Pass and<br />
the Waterton-Glacier Peach Park. It’s a<br />
luxurious way to explore the Wild (North)<br />
West as well as offering the perfect<br />
opportunity to enjoy a spot of off-train<br />
fly-fishing or championship golf. The train<br />
is available for private charter - prices on<br />
request - so it’s best to get together a few<br />
(dozen) friends before planning a booking.<br />
www.royalcanadianpacific.com<br />
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. . . . . . . . . . p h o t o s t o r y<br />
42
Markets in<br />
Bangkok<br />
Photos: Vith Chinchanachokchai<br />
Discover the ways of Thai people from their markets<br />
Markets in Thailand aren’t merely for shopping. They entice and lure tourists<br />
as well as locals into their colourful and dizzying labyrinths because they<br />
are a way of life, and they provide an authentic view of the Thai people.<br />
There are several very famous markets in Bangkok, but these four will provide<br />
very different impressions and for a glimpse of the real Thailand, they are not<br />
to be missed.<br />
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Pak Klong Talad Flower Market<br />
Pak Klong Talad is Bangkok’s biggest fresh<br />
flower market, located in close proximity to<br />
the Chao Phraya River. The name translates<br />
as “Canal Mouth Market”, because of<br />
its location at the entrance of the inner city moat.<br />
The flowers start arriving from the market gardens<br />
in the early hours of the morning, and by daybreak<br />
the market is a blaze of fragrant colour. The flowers<br />
are supplied to wholesalers, retailers and the general<br />
public. Prices are cheap. If you are interested in<br />
buying a bouquet, flower arranging services are<br />
available on the spot.<br />
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Where:<br />
Located on Chak Phet Road near Saphan<br />
Phut, the Memorial Bridge, only 3 km from<br />
Centra Central Station Hotel Bangkok<br />
When:<br />
Open 24 hours daily<br />
Tips:<br />
R The best time to visit is after midnight,<br />
pre-dawn or between 3-4 am<br />
R At daytime the market is relatively quiet,<br />
which is a good time for a stroll<br />
R During festivals, certain kinds of flowers<br />
will be twice their usual price<br />
45
Chinatown - Yaowarat<br />
Yaowarat is Chinatown’s<br />
main street, and is one of<br />
the world’s most renowned<br />
street food destinations,<br />
a favourite among locals and tourists<br />
alike. Crowded during the daytime,<br />
by twilight the pavements have been<br />
transformed into a bustling street<br />
market with authentic Chinese and<br />
Thai food.<br />
Browse the endless gold shops, and<br />
the shops selling herbs and medicines.<br />
Alleyways form a labyrinth behind<br />
the buildings where shops and vendors<br />
sell all types of goods, a place of mystery<br />
just waiting to be explored.<br />
Where:<br />
Located on Yaowarat Road about 2-3 km from<br />
Centra Central Station Hotel Bangkok<br />
When:<br />
Open 24 hours daily<br />
Tips:<br />
R Night time is the ideal time to visit<br />
R Strangely, wholesale stores sell items at a cheaper<br />
price during the daytime than at night<br />
R Chinatown covers Charoen Krung Road, Songwat<br />
Road, Songsawat Road and Chakkrawat Road<br />
46
Or Tor Kor Market<br />
CNNGo ranks Or Tor Kor Market as one of the world’s 10 best<br />
fresh markets. The food products displayed here are among the<br />
highest quality found in the country, with everything from<br />
exotic fruits to fresh seafood.<br />
This is where chefs from the top hotels and restaurants can be seen placing<br />
their orders for daily-fresh goods. The market is spacious and light, and is a<br />
good place to stroll. Think of it as an open-air supermarket with products<br />
that are unbelievably cheap. Snacks, sweets and street food are there a-plenty.<br />
Where:<br />
Located on Kamphaeng Phet Road,<br />
opposite Chatuchak Weekend Market,<br />
just around the corner from Centara<br />
Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao<br />
When:<br />
Daily from 6am to 8pm<br />
Tips:<br />
R Take the MRT subway to Kamphaeng<br />
Phet station, exit no 3<br />
R Doi Kham shop of the Royal Project<br />
is adjacent to Or Tor Kor<br />
48
Train Night Market<br />
Avisit to the Train Night Market<br />
(or Talad Nud Rod Fai) has<br />
to be on your Bangkok bucket<br />
list if it isn’t already! The Rod<br />
Fai market is an open-air night bazaar with<br />
retro atmosphere, a real Thai hipster hangout.<br />
While strolling around, you will be amused<br />
to see old train carriages, vintage automobiles<br />
and colourful collectibles.<br />
You can spend a lot of time here, because<br />
there are many restaurants and bistros. The<br />
market is divided into three main zones -<br />
Market Zone, Warehouse Zone, and Rod’s<br />
Antiques Zone - so that vendors can display<br />
their unique collections in specific sections.<br />
50
Where:<br />
Located on Srinakarin Road Soi 51,<br />
behind Seacon Square shopping mall<br />
When:<br />
From sunset to midnight,<br />
every Thursday to Sunday<br />
Tips:<br />
R The premium items are displayed at<br />
Rod’s Antiques.<br />
R Photographers are allowed, but<br />
visitors are requested not to touch<br />
the antique items<br />
R Curio products sourced from all<br />
over the world are available here<br />
51
Now open!<br />
Something to Remember<br />
by CENTARA<br />
Take your most memorable memories of your vacation<br />
with you. ‘Something to Remember’ by Centara,<br />
a lifestyle concept boutique, will have a souvenir that<br />
you can take home to help remind you of your time<br />
with us or to gift to a friend that will share<br />
the joy of your travels.<br />
There are a variety of products ranging from our luxurious<br />
Centara and SPA Cenvaree products to aromatics<br />
for the home, to Thai-designed souvenirs indicative<br />
of the quality of the Centara brand.<br />
BANGKOK • PATTAYA • KRABI • SAMUI • MALDIVES<br />
• Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre At CentralWorld<br />
• Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya<br />
• Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi<br />
• Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui<br />
• Centara Villas Samui<br />
• Centara Island Resort & Spa Maldives<br />
• Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives
Style<br />
Passport to style<br />
Travel bags
. . . . . . . . . . s t y l e<br />
m The overall<br />
Slightly oversized, and non-pinchy<br />
overalls combine the ease of a jumpsuit<br />
and a pant put-together.<br />
Passport<br />
b+basic<br />
to style<br />
Looking comfortably stylish 30,000 feet above<br />
When you have to spend hours in<br />
a cramped aircraft cabin, it’s easy to<br />
forget style and think in terms of<br />
comfort. But it doesn’t have to be<br />
that way. We’re not talking about<br />
looking like a fashionista or plain<br />
Jane, but there’s an easy medium between the two. Here are<br />
a few travel outfits that are comfortable enough for you to sleep<br />
in and stylish enough for you to step out in.<br />
Muji<br />
k Relaxed top or tee<br />
It’s hard to go wrong with mariner stripes on a simple top.<br />
Those that come pre-wrinkled are perfect for long<br />
stretches of air travel.<br />
54
g Cardigans or jacket<br />
Cardigans offer all the room you need<br />
while in-flight along with the style<br />
you want at the airport. When opting<br />
for a jacket, wear a jersey or ponte<br />
jacket that stretches.<br />
Lolita<br />
i Cool sweatpants<br />
Loose trousers like slouchy dark blue<br />
pants look tailored while offering the<br />
merciful ease of an elastic waistband.<br />
m Jeans with a stretch<br />
Do get a pair of jeans with plenty of stretch.<br />
Choose a flattering wash and cut that stops<br />
just above the ankle. If you dislike jeans on longhaul<br />
flights, opt for leggings with a clean lines.<br />
Pair them with polished pieces like blazers,<br />
tops, and dainty shoes for a complete look.<br />
Muji<br />
h The vest<br />
A vest helps keep your body and neck<br />
warm while leaving your arms free to<br />
move around.<br />
b+basic<br />
Muji<br />
Muji<br />
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Muji<br />
g Gaucho or midi<br />
Free of fussy pleats and flimsy fabric,<br />
a gaucho is the perfect plane pant. A<br />
longer-length skirt is also an invitation<br />
to curl your legs up. Look for a skirt in a<br />
heavy, natural material like suede or thick<br />
jersey, and choose an all-over pattern<br />
that won’t show the creases.<br />
Easy Pieces<br />
k Flannel shirt<br />
If you’re feeling cold, the only layer<br />
you need is a flannel shirt. They’re<br />
light, warm, quick to get in and<br />
out of, and easy to stuff into a bag.<br />
f Shirt dress<br />
A simple loose-fitting shirt<br />
dress doubles as a night dress<br />
while on board and can be<br />
belted and worn with sandals<br />
for a stylish landing outfit.<br />
Muji<br />
Muji<br />
Muji<br />
Easy Pieces<br />
h Oversize scarf<br />
Finish the look with a scarf that doubles<br />
as a wrap. A neutral-coloured scarf is<br />
the ultimate multi-tasker.<br />
h Finally…<br />
Bring your beanie. Soft and packable,<br />
the beanie hides your bedhead and<br />
doubles as an eye mask.<br />
b+basic / Lolita / Easy Pieces are available at all Central department stores. For more details about Muji, see muji.com/th/.<br />
56
The perfect<br />
travel companions<br />
From trunks to trolley cases, hand luggage to backpacks,<br />
In Essence presents a polished selection of new travel bags that are<br />
perfect for business trips, a weekend getaway or even a city walk.<br />
Wheeled<br />
suitcase<br />
Safe and functional travelling<br />
suitcases for your long holiday.<br />
Samsonite’s<br />
Tru-Frame Spinner 28”<br />
LIFE 4-Rollen-Trolley 25”<br />
from Bric’s<br />
Samsonite’s<br />
Lite-Cube Spinner 28”<br />
Samsonite’s<br />
Lite-Locked 28”<br />
58
Laptop Backpack PRO-DLX 4<br />
from Samsonite<br />
Olive Green Micro Suede<br />
Backpack from Bric’s<br />
Personal item<br />
A cool backpack or a stylish purse for the<br />
frequent travellers and business professionals.<br />
Carry-on Spinner 21”, LIFE Collection<br />
and Spinner Trunk 21”, BELLAGIO<br />
collection from Bric’s<br />
Hand baggage<br />
Lightweight and has enough space for<br />
everything you need for a few days away.<br />
BOJOLA Tuscan Train Case and<br />
Crossbody Bag from Bric’s<br />
Duffel bag<br />
Cabin-sized spinners and<br />
cargo duffels for the stylish<br />
travellers.<br />
Lite-locked Spinner 20" in navy blue and Lite-Cube<br />
Spinner 20" in ivory gold from Samsonite<br />
Cargo Duffle 18”, BOJOLA collection<br />
and Cargo Duffle 18”, LIFE collection<br />
from Bric’s<br />
ALBI Duffle 20”<br />
from Samsonite<br />
Cargo Duffle 18”, MAGELLANO<br />
collection from Bric’s<br />
Samsonite and Bric’s Milano are available at Central Chidlom (0-2793-7777).<br />
For more details see samsonite.co.th and Bric’s Thailand on Facebook.<br />
59
Dining with<br />
altitude<br />
See the whole city laid out in front of you at Centara’s awe-inspiring rooſtop venues – like<br />
Centara Grand at CentralWorld’s upscale Red Sky dining destination, or the hotel’s cool new<br />
Mediterranean and Spanish eatery, UNO MAS. Chili Hip at Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel<br />
Bangkok offers authentic local flavours and Asian delicacies, while funky Ladprao nightspot<br />
Blue Sky Rooſtop Bar gives you a whole new perspective on the cityscape. And Chyna’s<br />
where to head for contemporary Chinese cuisine, served up with lavish city views<br />
from the top of Centra Central Station Hotel Bangkok.<br />
Wherever you decide to hit the heights, Centara will show you Bangkok’s best sunsets,<br />
dining and the most memorable of picture-book moments.<br />
Discover more at bangkokrooſtops.com<br />
#BangkokRooftopDining
People<br />
Playing the Fashion Games<br />
Beyond the ink<br />
Top of His Game
. . . . . . . . . . p e o p l e<br />
Playing<br />
the Fashion<br />
Games<br />
Words: Tanes Srisuk<br />
Photos: Phuwadol Jankhum<br />
It’s no exaggeration to say that Thai fashion designers<br />
have gained enthusiastic acceptance in Asia, Europe,<br />
and America, especially for their undeniable creativity.<br />
62
63
Thailand’s best example is two designers who comprise Tube Gallery,<br />
Phisit Jongnaransin and Saksit Pisalasupongs. Last June these<br />
co-designers created costumes for over 5,000 performers at<br />
SEA Games 20<strong>15</strong>’s opening and closing ceremonies. More than<br />
600 million viewers from Southeast Asian countries witnessed<br />
their prolific creative talent held at Singapore Sports Hub,<br />
the island country’s new national stadium.<br />
Tube Gallery’s skills and talents were already well known in Singapore, having<br />
designed costumes for six successful musical theater productions: The Crucible,<br />
Monkey Goes West, Maha Moggallana - A Story of Filial Piety, 881, Glass<br />
Anatomy, and Romeo & Juliet.<br />
They received the most praise for their work on the Toy Factory’s production<br />
of 811 at The Esplanade Theater in 2011. Produced by the renowned Goh Boon<br />
Tecj (who is also art director for SEA Games 20<strong>15</strong>), the play won Best Costume<br />
Design at the 12th Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards in 2012.<br />
Tube Gallery’s unique, dramatic, and theatrical fashion style made them the<br />
first choice for Beatrice Chia-Richmond, creative director of Sea Games opening<br />
and closing ceremonies. Chosen to work on one of Southeast Asia’s biggest and<br />
most exciting events, they both admitted that they felt proud that Beatrice picked<br />
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Saksit Pisalasupongs<br />
“WE THINK THAT MAKING CLOTHES<br />
IS ART, A WHITE CANVAS FOR THE<br />
ARTIST TO HAVE FUN WITH. AND TO<br />
MAKE GOOD ART, YOU NEED TIME.”<br />
them, but anxiety hit when they realized<br />
that they had to put everything they had<br />
into this huge regional event. “Ok” was<br />
not good enough -their work had to be<br />
phenomenal in every aspect.<br />
Saksit recalled their Sea Games<br />
experience as if it ended yesterday. “It<br />
was such an honor because it was not<br />
only a huge ASEAN event; it was also<br />
important for Singapore because this<br />
year marks the nation’s 50th anniversary.<br />
Everyone expected to see the best at the<br />
Sea Games. That’s why we needed to put<br />
everything we’ve learned in the fashion<br />
world since day one into this project<br />
so that it would turn out to be the best.”<br />
Tube Gallery designed more than<br />
100 costumes for the ceremonies’ 5,000<br />
professional performers and volunteers,<br />
which included 3,500 soldiers. Moreover,<br />
there were famous Singaporean<br />
actors and artists in the shows, such as<br />
Daphne Khoo, Shigga Shay, and Siow<br />
Lee Chin. The costumes took a year to<br />
design and create, using a 100-person tailor<br />
team from Thailand and other countries.<br />
Both designers are happy that their<br />
work impressed everyone. Looking back,<br />
Saksit said, “A part of this success is<br />
due to Beatrice Chai’s trust in us. She gave<br />
us total freedom to create the design,<br />
and the Singapore team was highly and<br />
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“EVERYONE EXPECTED TO SEE THE BEST AT THE<br />
SEA GAMES. THAT’S WHY WE NEEDED TO PUT<br />
EVERYTHING WE’VE LEARNED IN THE FASHION<br />
WORLD SINCE DAY ONE INTO THIS PROJECT SO<br />
THAT IT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST.”<br />
Phisit Jongnaransin<br />
66
professionally supportive. There was never a “No,” only<br />
a “Yes” from them. Whether the idea was possible or not<br />
at the time, they always wanted to try doing it first. That is<br />
how Singaporeans are, which we’ve experienced every<br />
time we work with them.”<br />
The impressive portfolio from the successful regional<br />
event is these two Thai designers’ golden ticket to<br />
the fashion world. However, “No rush,” is how they<br />
characterise their plans.<br />
“We think that making clothes is art, a white canvas<br />
for the artist to have fun with. And to make good art, you<br />
need time,” said Phisit. “Time is what you need to build<br />
that loyalty between the designer and the customer.”<br />
Every year these two friends take a trip to find new<br />
knowledge, thought and inspiration in clothes designing.<br />
“Whether it’s Paris, Finland, China, Vietnam, Bali, or<br />
Luang Prabang, we go to museums and then the pub or<br />
bar to see the culture and way of life, the<br />
clothing and use of colour from each corner<br />
of the world,” said Phisit.<br />
Reflecting on 35 years of friendship<br />
with Saksit and 20 years of establishing<br />
Tube Gallery together, Phisit says, “I never<br />
thought we would come this far. But I do<br />
know that what we have today is not coincidental.<br />
It is determination and the collecting<br />
of experiences bit by bit. We gradually move<br />
forward so that we permanently make our<br />
stand in the fashion world.”<br />
As for now, they both enjoy designing<br />
clothes. They enjoy drawing and making<br />
patterns into ready-made clothes and are<br />
over the moon when they see Tube Gallery<br />
clothes hanging in a Concept Store somewhere<br />
abroad. How much further will they<br />
go? “Can’t say. One step at a time,” both<br />
answered with a big laugh.<br />
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. . . . . . . . . . p e o p l e<br />
Beyond<br />
the ink<br />
Words: Tanes Srisuk<br />
Photos: Phuwadol Jankhum<br />
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Arnon “Mimp” Peeranunpanya, one<br />
of Thailand’s top tattoo artists, has<br />
a waiting list a year long for those<br />
who want his inked art on their<br />
skin. But the path that led him to<br />
the career of his dreams -that can<br />
also bring home the bacon -was<br />
blood, sweat and tears all the way.<br />
Thirty-two-year-old Mimp, looking exhausted, walked into<br />
his boutique, MimpTattoo Studio. After a sip of water, we started<br />
the interview.<br />
“I’m fully booked throughout the week. There are times<br />
I want to take a break, but not today,” Mimp said as he waited for<br />
the questions. “There are amateurs here that still need a mentor.”<br />
“The world without art is just a rock adrift in the universe.”<br />
This quotation from Thawan Duchanee, the late national artist,<br />
motivates Mimp to learn and explore as much as he can because<br />
he doesn’t want to be “adrift.” Mimp sometimes travels to gain<br />
experiences and inspiration. When his imagination runs free,<br />
he creates the expressive, artistic, decorative, and precise patterns<br />
for his customers at MimpTattoo Studio.<br />
Top-flight American tattoo magazines like INKED Magazine<br />
have featured Mimp’s work, but his masterpiece presentation<br />
was at a tattoo art festival at Musée du quai Branly in Paris.<br />
An average wallflower as a boy, he loved drawing cartoons like<br />
Dragon Ball and Slam-Dunk, struggling against life’s problems,<br />
but finally created success through his ardor and determination.<br />
“I am the youngest in the family,” says Mimp. “I have a sister and<br />
a brother. My parents worked, and we all lived<br />
in construction sites in suburbs near Bangkok.<br />
When I was nine years old, we had to move to<br />
Kon Khen because of the bad economy. Despite<br />
the poverty I faced in my childhood, I’m proud<br />
of where I come from. It made me stronger.”<br />
After high school, Mimp went to Valaya<br />
Alongkorn Rajabhat College in Bangkok. His<br />
major was product design. However, because of<br />
his free spirit and, more importantly, his family’s<br />
financial situation, he didn’t finish college.<br />
Arnon Peeranunpanya<br />
69
As a freelance amateur tattooist, finding<br />
a job was tough. There was no one to<br />
guarantee his skill, as he never worked<br />
in a tattoo boutique. He became invisible,<br />
like Ronin, a samurai with no master.<br />
Accepting that education may not be<br />
the key to his success, Mimp started the<br />
journey of becoming a tattoo artist.<br />
He began by inking his friends who<br />
trusted in his precise drawing skill. But there<br />
were a lot of difficulties at the beginning.<br />
Though his family supported him with the<br />
tools, he didn’t have a place to perform his<br />
art. He had to set up a small table in front of<br />
random shops that would allow it. The scene<br />
he saw a lot back in those days was a young<br />
customer who came to get a tattoo without<br />
permission, chased away by his or her parents.<br />
As a freelance amateur tattooist, Mimp<br />
had a tough time finding a job. There was no<br />
one to guarantee his skill, as he never worked<br />
in a tattoo boutique. He became invisible,<br />
like Ronin, a samurai with no master.<br />
During that time, Mimp shared an apartment<br />
with a friend in Bang Ka Pi. He advertised<br />
online for people who wanted to get a cheap but cool<br />
tattoo. However, the business didn’t make ends<br />
meet. He had to work as a server at restaurants<br />
to supplement his income.<br />
The struggle and hunger pushed Mimp to<br />
try harder to get out of this unhappy situation.<br />
His collected drawings and tattoos eventually<br />
got him a job as a tattooist in South Korea. This<br />
was the turning point in his life.<br />
After almost a year in South Korea, he returned<br />
to Thailand rich in experience and skills. He headed<br />
to Phuket and worked as a fulltime tattooist in a<br />
well-known boutique where he learned the tattoo<br />
business model. After that, he went back to<br />
Bangkok and operated his tattoo business out<br />
of his condo. The business went very well due<br />
to good word of mouth.<br />
Mimp pointed out that because of all the<br />
unimaginable struggles he had faced, he is now<br />
financially stable and able to concentrate fully<br />
on his art. He has developed his patterns and<br />
70
71
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designs, and artfully integrated Thai and<br />
Japanese art culture into a unified vision.<br />
“Finding myself is like a Ferrari with no<br />
driver,” says Mimp. “Eventually, the driver<br />
saw how fast and amazing this Ferrari is,<br />
and drove off.”<br />
His masterpiece -the exquisitely artistic,<br />
decorative, and detailed Hanuman full back<br />
tattoo - has become Mimp’s signature. “I<br />
created this tattoo when I realized that I’ve<br />
been working day by day for far too long. I<br />
needed to give it all I’ve got. I needed to create<br />
the work that reflects my true self. So, it came<br />
out as this Hanuman full back tattoo.”<br />
Today Mimp operates from his Mimp<br />
Tattoo boutique in the RCA area. He has a<br />
staff of talented in-house tattooists, but if a<br />
customer wants Mimp to ink the art he charges<br />
5,000 baht per hour. For the full back tattoo with lots<br />
of details that requires <strong>15</strong> to 20 days to create, his<br />
fee is 300,000 baht. The other in-house tattooists’<br />
fees range from five to six digits.<br />
“Customers are willing to pay the fee I request,”<br />
says Mimp. “I usually decide on the final design. I<br />
don’t always do made-to-order tattoos. I don’t like it<br />
when clients come in and tell me exactly what to<br />
do and are bossy. I prefer small jobs -three-hour<br />
tattoos for <strong>15</strong>,000 baht. I’d rather do lots of small<br />
jobs than one big job with an overbearing customer.”<br />
Because of Mimp’s coveted work and reputation<br />
in the tattoo world, MimpTattoo does brisk business.<br />
A lot of customers are happy to wait in a long line to<br />
have Mimp tattoo them. “I want the work to come out<br />
great, and that takes some time,” says Mimp. “Great<br />
73
art cannot always be created. Maybe it can<br />
only be done once in a lifetime. Money is<br />
not my sole motivator anymore. I could do<br />
fewer jobs and increase my fee, hire more<br />
tattooists, or expand the business, but I<br />
won’t. I’d rather walk slowly but steady.”<br />
As a professional tattoo artist, Mimp<br />
sees Thai tattooists are getting better at their<br />
art and craft and starting to reveal their<br />
signature look in their works. They also use<br />
modern, hygienic, and standardised tools.<br />
“There are numbers of tourists coming<br />
to Thailand just to get tattoos by Thai<br />
tattooists,” Mimp says. “We’re remarkable in<br />
our skill and service. I can say absolutely that<br />
Thailand has the potential to become the<br />
world’s tattoo destination. Foreigners come<br />
to get tattoos in Thailand not because it’s<br />
cheaper. For those who are in love with tattoo<br />
art, getting a tattoo from a Thai tattooist<br />
is a bonus from the trip.”<br />
When asked what brought him this far,<br />
he answered, “determination, patience,<br />
and the urge to never stop learning both<br />
from myself and successful people. I read<br />
every book that will give me valuable<br />
knowledge because I believe that it can help<br />
me strengthen my work and myself. Looking<br />
back, I’ve come further than I thought I would.<br />
Today my competitor is no one but myself.”<br />
“I’m trying to establish MimpTattoo in<br />
the international market. I want the name to<br />
be heard and accepted all over the world.<br />
I want it to be the institution for young<br />
tattooists, and for them to be able to make a<br />
living from what they’ve learned here. That<br />
is all the success I want as a tattooist. I want<br />
to continue creating art so that our world is<br />
not just a rock adrift in the universe,” says<br />
Mimp, expressing his hope for the future.<br />
74
. . . . . . . . . . p e o p l e<br />
T p<br />
of His<br />
Game<br />
Novak Djokovic has it all – age on his side,<br />
a growing family and a burgeoning business<br />
empire. And the Serbian sports star intends<br />
to keep hold of the Grand Slam life, no matter<br />
what it takes. George Hopkin reports.<br />
76
77
Novak Djokovic - currently ranked world<br />
number one in men’s singles tennis and<br />
considered to be one of the greatest tennis<br />
players of all time - knows a thing or two<br />
about private jets.<br />
He uses them all the time to meet his<br />
punishing schedule of international commitments - just this<br />
October he flew into Bangkok where he comfortably beat rival<br />
Rafael Nadal at an exhibition match designed to boost tourism<br />
in Thailand.<br />
But Djokovic did not have the most positive introduction<br />
to aviation. In 1999, aged 11, Djokovic lived with his family in<br />
Belgrade, a city which would come under 78 successive nights<br />
of Nato bombing before the year was out.<br />
Awoken by the sound of a nearby explosion, he and his family<br />
put their carefully crafted emergency plans into action and<br />
made for a nearby air raid shelter. But young Nole (a nickname<br />
Djokovic has won $59<br />
million in prize money<br />
since 2011 and ranks<br />
second all-time in prize<br />
money with a total of<br />
$79 million.<br />
J e l e n a<br />
R i s t i ć<br />
which has been with him since he was a toddler) was separated<br />
from the others when knocked to the ground in the frenzied<br />
dash for safety.<br />
“And then it happened,” says Djokovic. “From behind me,<br />
I heard something tearing open the sky, as though an enormous<br />
snow shovel were scraping ice off the clouds. Still sprawled on<br />
the ground, I turned and looked back at our home.”<br />
“Rising up from over the roof of our building came the steel<br />
gray triangle of an F-117 bomber. I watched in horror as its great<br />
metal belly opened directly out of it, taking aim at my family, my<br />
78
friends, my neighbourhood - everything<br />
I’d ever known.”<br />
This chilling childhood memory was<br />
shared with the world in Djokovic’s book<br />
Serve to Win, part autobiography, part<br />
self-help manual and part diet guide.<br />
It’s an eclectic read - Djokovic goes into<br />
eye-opening detail, at one point explaining<br />
how he checks the colour of his urine each<br />
day to track hydration levels.<br />
And while those early experiences<br />
with aircraft may have been memorable<br />
rather than positive, it hasn’t stopped<br />
him taking to the private jet lifestyle.<br />
Djokovic has served as brand ambassador<br />
for Bombardier, has had connections<br />
with US-based private jet charter company Privé Jets<br />
and has been highly vocal about the benefits of jet travel for<br />
his career.<br />
During his time extolling the virtues of Bombardier<br />
and Learjet in particular, he told reporters: “The Learjet<br />
offers me lots of comfort, efficiency and performance, and<br />
it’s suitable to my style of life. From point A to point B,<br />
it’s very efficient. For me it’s important to be able to travel<br />
fast and to have comfort.”<br />
Forbes magazine has been tracking Djokovic closely<br />
since he stepped up his game in 2011. The magazine notes<br />
he has won $59 million in prize money since then and ranks<br />
second all-time in prize money with a total of $79 million.<br />
In Forbes’ official 20<strong>15</strong> rankings he makes number<br />
42 in the Celebrity 100 (for reference he’s sandwiched<br />
between British golfer Rory McIlory, at 41, and Hollywood<br />
79
“He is in his prime, he is<br />
28, I see him at the top<br />
of the game for five<br />
or six years. I see him<br />
adding to his Grand Slam<br />
collection very soon. ”<br />
Tim Henman<br />
By Nancy Monson<br />
actor Vin Diesel, 43) and number 13 in The World’s<br />
Highest-Paid Athletes, one ahead of Swedish footballer<br />
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.<br />
Djokovic’s current sponsors include Uniqlo, Head,<br />
adidas, Peugeot, Seiko, Jacob’s Creek and ANZ and<br />
he has a vast, carefully crafted and maintained social<br />
media network to spread the word about their activities.<br />
While he clearly has a keen business mind, not all of<br />
his work is purely for profit - he also has ties to Unicef,<br />
in addition to his own Novak Djokovic Foundation,<br />
which works to help disadvantaged children in his<br />
native Serbia.<br />
If the past year had not been busy<br />
enough building on this business empire<br />
as well as improving his on-court<br />
performance, Djokovic also found time<br />
to marry high school sweetheart Jelena<br />
Ristić in June 2014 and the couple<br />
announced the birth of their first child,<br />
baby Stefan, via Twitter four months<br />
later in October.<br />
Throughout all this - and going<br />
back to his childhood in Belgrade - he<br />
has also written in a personal journal<br />
80
whenever his hectic schedule allows; it has to fit around seven to eight hours of<br />
sleep each night, meditation, yoga and tai chi - and all of that, of course, must<br />
also make space for a training regime that has got him to the very top of his sport.<br />
“We are all humans,” he says. “One day we will get up and think: I don’t feel<br />
like playing, don’t feel like practising, don’t feel like living that day. From<br />
time to time everything goes bad in your thoughts, so it is good to have that<br />
record of how you got through things before.”<br />
The Serb may be role model for many, but his success has brought with<br />
it criticisms and critics.<br />
“Djokovic is a wonder of a ferociously competitive age, a talent who has not<br />
only prospered through the latter part of Federer and Rafael Nadal’s golden years,<br />
but emerged strongest as fresher rivals like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka<br />
have fought them for supremacy,” said BBC Chief Sports Writer Tom Fordyce.<br />
“And yet he is inevitably cast as the strait-laced villain to those more flamboyant<br />
heroes, as stern and sinister as Terence Stamp in Superman II, not so much<br />
General Zod as General Djok.”<br />
But some of the sport’s biggest names know that Djokovic is only just<br />
getting started.<br />
Four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman says: “When you reflect<br />
on how Novak has left no stone unturned, his serving has been getting better all<br />
the time, his diet, his preparation, it is all first class.”<br />
“He is in his prime, he is 28, I see him at the top of the game for five or<br />
six years. I see him adding to his Grand Slam collection very soon.”<br />
John McEnroe agrees. During this year’s Wimbledon tournament, the<br />
veteran US champion-turned-commentator told reporters: “It is pretty hard<br />
not to think that he is getting stronger and stronger. If he stays healthy, he is<br />
going to dominate the next couple of years. He is definitely into my all-time<br />
top five - my top four are Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger and Rafael Nadal,<br />
but Novak is at number five and rising.”<br />
“Novak does not have as many Grand Slams as those guys but I am<br />
thinking his total is going to rise quickly.”<br />
81
60
The next stop:<br />
better health<br />
How will you stay healthy while on vacation? Here are<br />
some ideas to make your vacation a real health trip.<br />
Words: Nancy Monson<br />
You probably know what you should be doing<br />
to improve your health - the best diet plan for<br />
you as an individual, the right type of exercise,<br />
and mind-body interventions such as yoga,<br />
tai chi and meditation - but like most people<br />
you may not actually be doing these things!<br />
Well, here’s one great way to start improving your health and<br />
wellbeing: Take holidays. Really.<br />
A survey by Expedia.com found that 49.4 million Americans<br />
don’t use up all of their vacation days each year. That’s actually<br />
counter productive, because research shows that downtime is<br />
not only vital to your wellbeing, but also to creativity and work<br />
performance. What’s more, psychological research reveals that<br />
(a) we tend to regret not the things we did, but the things we didn’t; and<br />
(b) we get a more long-lasting psychological boost from purchasing<br />
experiences than from buying stuff.<br />
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Add it all up, and you’ve got plenty of reason to<br />
justify traveling -it’s good for your health, both physical<br />
and psychological!<br />
Here are some ideas on how to make your vacation<br />
a real health trip.<br />
Enjoy, indulge even, but walk it off.<br />
Exercise to burn off some of the extra calories you’ll<br />
inevitably ingest on the road. If you’re a gym rat, by all<br />
means trek to the local gym, or sign up for the nearest<br />
yoga or Zumba class. If you’re not, try walking: I went to<br />
Dublin on my last vacation and ended up walking five miles<br />
a day because the buses didn’t run regularly to my hotel.<br />
Limit one to two meals a day. Have fruit<br />
and yogurt for breakfast and a salad as a light lunch, and<br />
then eat a full dinner. Try sharing meals with a friend so<br />
you can have bread, dessert and cocktails. And remember:<br />
Today is just today. If you go overboard on one vacation<br />
day, try to cut back the next, and resolve to eat more<br />
conservatively once you get back home.<br />
Bring healthy snacks. I go on trips<br />
with a bag of snacks: granola bars, nuts<br />
and low-calorie cookies. That way I always<br />
have something healthful that I like to<br />
eat, so I don’t resort to a full-calorie candy<br />
bar or chips.<br />
Spa it. We love being pampered - and<br />
there are spa opportunities at most resorts,<br />
on cruise ships and in most cities. Book a<br />
massage, a facial or a back scrub with the<br />
knowledge that there’s solid scientific<br />
research to suggest spa treatments reduce<br />
stress and improve health.<br />
A Cedars-Sinai Hospital study revealed that<br />
a 45-minute massage results in a significant<br />
decrease in stress hormones and boosts<br />
immunity. Other research has found that<br />
massage therapy reduces blood pressure and<br />
heart rate, and relieves symptoms of tension<br />
headache as well as back and neck pain.<br />
Another study found that mudpacks and<br />
mineral-water baths also have positive<br />
effects on stress levels. So book those spa<br />
appointments without guilt.<br />
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Practice mindfulness. The buzzword of the<br />
day in medical circles, mindfulness is the simple act of<br />
being present in the here and now, not focusing on the past<br />
or future, and not judging your thoughts and perceptions.<br />
Just being. It’s a component of many mind-body techniques,<br />
including meditation, yoga, deep breathing, tai chi and<br />
massage, and research shows mindfulness promotes better<br />
health and happiness by activating centres of the brain<br />
associated with positive feelings.<br />
Mindfulness can help relieve stress, assist you in<br />
reducing your weight, treat heart disease, and alleviate<br />
high blood pressure, chronic pain, sleep problems and<br />
gastrointestinal ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome.<br />
So while you’re on holiday, don’t be worrying about<br />
work or your at-home to-do list. Just revel in the sights and<br />
sounds of your destinations (sunsets anyone?) and laugh with<br />
your friends. Your mind and body will thank you for it!<br />
A 45-minute massage<br />
results in a<br />
significant decrease in<br />
stress hormones and<br />
boosts immunity.<br />
Nancy Monson is the author of “Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes” (Wheatmark).<br />
Indulge in absolute pampering,<br />
rediscover your inner balance<br />
through relaxation, and emerge<br />
rejuvenated at SPA Cenvaree,<br />
an oasis of tranquility.<br />
SPA Cenvaree is available through<br />
an elite network around the world,<br />
with more than 30 spas in Thailand<br />
and other destinations including<br />
Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius,<br />
Sri Lanka and Vietnam.<br />
Each branch offers an extensive<br />
menu of therapeutic massages and<br />
holistic therapies, including aromatherapy,<br />
Ayurveda treatment<br />
programmes and hot stone chakra<br />
balancing treatments.<br />
For reservations and more information<br />
on signature treatments,<br />
please visit www.spacenvaree.com<br />
85
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T: 02-100-6255 E: diningcgcw@chr.co.th www.centarahotelsresorts.com<br />
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UNOMASBANGKOK UNOMAS_ BANGKOK UNOMAS_ BANGKOK
at Centara<br />
The Palate<br />
Centara goes green<br />
New openings
. . . . . . . . . . a t c e n t a r a<br />
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Blue Sky<br />
Thinking<br />
Words: Ken Barrett<br />
Photos: Siwasan & Punnatat<br />
Newly expanded rooftop restaurant<br />
features French bistro food and cool cocktails<br />
Rooftop restaurants and bars have become<br />
immensely popular in Bangkok in recent<br />
years and Blue Sky at Centara Grand at<br />
Central Plaza Ladprao was one of the<br />
trailblazers. Unlike the new generation<br />
of rooftop venues, many of which are atop<br />
new hotels and have been planned for when the structure was<br />
still being built, Blue Sky was not even a<br />
glint in the management’s eye when the<br />
hotel first opened, slightly more than thirty<br />
years ago. There were few five-star hotels<br />
in the city, and no open-air rooftop venues.<br />
About five years ago, someone in the<br />
Centara management team looked at what<br />
had been a penthouse apartment with a<br />
roof garden, and said, “You know what…<br />
that space would make a thoroughly good<br />
rooftop restaurant…”<br />
And with that blue-sky thinking,<br />
Blue Sky was born.<br />
In the early days the restaurant consisted of a large al fresco<br />
area and a smaller area indoors and so it suffered from the<br />
problem all open-air rooftop restaurants in Bangkok have:<br />
what to do when it rains.<br />
September however has seen the solution to this difficulty,<br />
with the indoor area being greatly expanded through the<br />
opening out of the interior space, providing a lot more room<br />
and more seating.<br />
The kitchen is now much closer to<br />
the restaurant, allowing the cooking and<br />
presentation of food that depends upon<br />
immediate service to be at its best.<br />
This in turn is allowing executive chef<br />
Eric Berrigaud greater scope to present a<br />
menu of French bistro cuisine.<br />
“When Blue Sky originally opened the<br />
menu was a mix of Western and Asian<br />
dishes, but French food is extremely popular<br />
in Bangkok and a couple of years ago we<br />
changed the menu to be French in style,<br />
chef Eric Berrigaud<br />
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“ Now it really is a<br />
bistro in the sky. ”<br />
and using quality ingredients from other<br />
countries such as Australia and Japan,”<br />
says Chef Eric, who himself is French.<br />
“This became very popular with our<br />
customers and so the enlarging of the<br />
interior space is largely a result of that.<br />
Previously we were somewhat limited,<br />
and Blue Sky’s lack of indoor capacity<br />
meant that it was considered a fineweather<br />
venue.<br />
“Now it really is a bistro in the sky.<br />
We have expanded the menu, we can<br />
offer more seasonal foods, and with<br />
the kitchen next-door to the diners, we<br />
can offer the straight-to-the-table dishes<br />
that we couldn’t really do when the<br />
kitchen was a long walk from the tables.”<br />
Eric says that we can expect to see<br />
more French-style seafood dishes, more<br />
use of delicately seared techniques, more<br />
puff pastries, and possibly the introduction<br />
of that a-la-second favourite,<br />
the soufflé.<br />
Signature dishes now include chorizo,<br />
the Spanish sausage, which is sliced<br />
julienne-style and served with a lightly<br />
poached egg and sautéed mushrooms<br />
as an appetiser. Pan-fried foie gras,<br />
another item that needs to be served<br />
rapidly, appears in a lasagne with black<br />
truffle emulsion, and there is a hot and<br />
flaky tomato tart with goat cheese.<br />
Seared items include Japanese<br />
striploin served on a sizzling board with<br />
red wine sauce, and salmon steak is<br />
prepared pink on the inside and seared<br />
outside, with hot potato gnocchi.<br />
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Blue Sky has always been regarded as a great drinking<br />
venue, the place to meet up with friends for a big fat<br />
cocktail or two, and head bartender Aphichai Boonraung<br />
now has more space to flex his mixologist muscles.<br />
Aphichai chooses his drinks promotions carefully,<br />
and says that customers enjoy following up on the<br />
suggestions that are placed on the tables.<br />
“Thai people love cocktails and mocktails, and so<br />
of course do our international guests,” he says. “This is a<br />
great venue to enjoy a drink, along with the view.”<br />
Blue Sky has a novel view of rooftop Bangkok, for<br />
there are few tall buildings in the immediate vicinity and<br />
the verdant expanse of Chatuchak Park is one of the<br />
defining features of the neighbourhood.<br />
Sipping a cool cocktail while the sun sinks behind<br />
the park, the towers on the skyline silhouetted against<br />
the red and pink sunset, the lights of the traffic on the<br />
highway below forming a long trail of glowing red and<br />
white…well, what could be better.<br />
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. . . . . . . . . . a t c e n t a r a<br />
Underwater symposium in Maldives<br />
Centara Maldives, which comprises Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa and<br />
Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa, celebrated International Day for the<br />
Preservation of the Ozone Layer 20<strong>15</strong> by holding an underwater symposium.<br />
Staged at a depth of eight metres at Thoshihaa Reef, the event was the deepest<br />
underwater gathering of this kind to ever take place in Maldives.<br />
Abdulla Mohamed Didi, Deputy Minister of Environment in Maldives, and<br />
Sergio Arias, resident manager of Centara Grand Island Resort inaugurated the event.<br />
11 Centara hotels go<br />
EarthCheck Silver<br />
With a solid framework for environment<br />
and social sustainability in place, 11 Centara<br />
properties have achieved Silver certification<br />
from EarthCheck.<br />
In order to achieve Silver, the hotels were<br />
required to submit operational data that was<br />
benchmarked against industry best practice.<br />
Going green gets the Gold<br />
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi<br />
has been working with EarthCheck, the world’s<br />
leading environment certifier of travel and<br />
tourism organisations, and having created<br />
and implemented a large-scale environmental<br />
and social management system the resort has<br />
achieved the status of EarthCheck Gold,<br />
the first resort in Thailand to be awarded<br />
Gold certification.<br />
To qualify for this status the resort has<br />
reached regulatory compliance in areas such<br />
as greenhouse gas emissions, fresh water<br />
conservation, energy efficiency, and waste<br />
management.<br />
Thai PM presents three Centara properties<br />
with Green Hotel Gold Award<br />
The Thai Prime Minister, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, presented three Centara<br />
properties with the Green Hotel Award, Gold Level, during the opening of<br />
World Environment Day at the Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, in Bangkok.<br />
The hotels are Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, Centara Grand Beach<br />
Resort & Villas Hua Hin and Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Udon Thani.<br />
The award is from the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, which<br />
is responsible for the Environmentally Friendly Hotel (Green Hotel) project.<br />
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Centara takes award for Thailand’s<br />
top corporate brand values<br />
Centara named Best Resort<br />
at Mekong Awards<br />
Centara Hotels & Resorts has been recognised<br />
as Best Resort of the Year 20<strong>15</strong> at the Mekong<br />
Tourism Alliance Awards in a ceremony held in<br />
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.<br />
Amorn Kitchaweng, Deputy Governor of<br />
Bangkok, who was guest honour at the event, is<br />
shown presenting the award to Ms Jenny Nguyen,<br />
sales and marketing manager of Centara Hotels<br />
& Resorts Ho Chi Minh.<br />
Thailand’s Top Corporate Brand Values Awards in 20<strong>15</strong> for the<br />
first time added Tourism and Leisure brands as a new category,<br />
and Centara Hotels & Resorts was honoured to be the<br />
first recognised.<br />
The awards are presented each year in recognition of publicly<br />
listed companies with superior corporate brand values and to<br />
raise awareness on the importance of corporate branding as a vital<br />
component for ensuring business sustainability in Thailand.<br />
Prof.Pirom Kamolratanakul, president of Chulalongkorn<br />
University, presented the award to Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief<br />
executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts, during a ceremony<br />
held at the Stock Exchange of Thailand.<br />
TTG Best Meetings and Conventions<br />
Award goes to Centara Grand &<br />
Bangkok Convention Centre<br />
Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at<br />
CentralWorld has been awarded as the Best Meetings<br />
& Conventions Hotel by TTG Travel Awards 20<strong>15</strong>.<br />
Kobkarn Wattanavvrangkul, Minister of Tourism<br />
and Sports, presented the award to Thirayuth Chirathivat,<br />
chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.<br />
Smart awards for two Centara properties<br />
Two Centara hotels, Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention<br />
Centre at CentralWorld and Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui,<br />
have received awards from Smart Travel Asia, the travel magazine<br />
for Asia with more than 1,000,000 online readers.<br />
Pictured are Vijay Verghese (far left), editor of Smart Travel Asia,<br />
Robert F Maurer-Loeffler (2nd left), general manager of Centara<br />
Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Philip Hall<br />
(3nd left), corporate group director of sales and marketing of<br />
Centara Hotels & Resorts, and Pinida Pettanagul (far right), head<br />
of corporate marketing for Thailand of Centara Hotels & Resorts.<br />
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. . . . . . . . . t h e c e n t a r a f a m i l y<br />
Thailand<br />
Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld<br />
Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok<br />
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi<br />
Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui<br />
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin<br />
Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya<br />
Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket<br />
Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya<br />
Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas Phuket<br />
Centara Grand Modus Resort Pattaya<br />
Centara Villas Samui<br />
Centara Villas Phuket<br />
Centara Kata Resort Phuket<br />
Centara Karon Resort Phuket<br />
Centara Mae Sot Hill Resort<br />
Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas Trat<br />
Centara Hotel Hat Yai<br />
Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Udon Thani<br />
Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen<br />
Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa Krabi<br />
Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok<br />
Centara Pattaya Hotel<br />
Laos<br />
Qatar<br />
Oman<br />
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya<br />
Centara Q Resort Rayong<br />
Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort<br />
Centara Seaview Resort Khao Lak<br />
Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa Phuket<br />
Centara Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya<br />
Khum Phaya Resort & Spa, Centara Boutique Collection<br />
Centra Ashlee Hotel Patong<br />
Centra Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Cheang Watthana<br />
Centra Central Station Hotel Bangkok<br />
Centra Coconut Beach Resort Samui<br />
Centra Maris Resort Jomtien<br />
Centra Avenue Hotel Pattaya<br />
Waterfront Suites Phuket by Centara<br />
Republic of Maldives<br />
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives<br />
Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives<br />
Sri Lanka<br />
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka<br />
Turkey<br />
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Centara Reservation Centre<br />
Phone : + 66 (0) 2101 1234 Ext. 1<br />
Fax : + 66 (0) 2101 1235<br />
Email : reservations@chr.co.th<br />
www.centarahotelsresorts.com
Indonesia<br />
Centra Taum Seminyak Bali<br />
Vietnam<br />
Sandy Beach Non Nuoc Resort Danang Vietnam, Managed by Centara<br />
Chen Sea Resort & Spa Phu Quoc, Centara Boutique Collection<br />
Ethiopia<br />
now open<br />
upcoming properties<br />
Updated December 20<strong>15</strong><br />
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. . . . . . . . . . a t c e n t a r a<br />
New Openings<br />
Centara Hotels & Resorts currently manages 48 deluxe and<br />
first-class properties across Thailand, as well as 24 hotels and<br />
resorts in the Maldives, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Qatar,<br />
Laos, Oman, Turkey and China. We never stop expanding to<br />
offer you a wider range of exceptional destinations. Here are our latest<br />
Centara locations due to open in 2016.<br />
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya<br />
With a home-away-from-home feel and accommodation<br />
designed with an urba n décor, a host<br />
of leisure facilities and easy access to the beach,<br />
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya is set to become<br />
a popular destination for both short and long-stay<br />
travellers.<br />
Centra Maris Resort Jomtien<br />
The new Centra Maris Resort Jomtien is located<br />
right on the Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, which is<br />
renowned for its water sports, events and festivals.<br />
The area also offers endless leisure attractions,<br />
shopping opportunities and exciting nightlife.<br />
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Centara Q Resort Rayong<br />
Intimate in scale and innovative in design,<br />
the resort is a distinctive tropical haven on<br />
the beach of Laem Mae Phim and perfect for<br />
anyone seeking absolute tranquility in style.<br />
Centra Avenue Hotel Pattaya<br />
The newly opened Centra Avenue Hotel Pattaya<br />
is a Kosher hotel located in central Pattaya. With<br />
a modern ambience, easy access to the shopping<br />
complex and Pattaya Beach, making it an ideal<br />
base for guests to explore the surroundings.<br />
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“One’s destination is never a place,<br />
but a new way of seeing things. ”<br />
Henry Miller<br />
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